Manila Standard - 2020 January 13 - Monday

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US WARNS IRAN VS NEW MASSACRE AFTER JET DOWNING World B3

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 333 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Taal rumbles, spews ash Phivolcs: Eruption imminent; classes suspended; flights on hold

By Rio N. Araja, Francisco Tuyay, Benjamin Chavez and MJ Blancaflor

T

AAL Vocano spewed a massive cloud of ash into the sky on Sunday, forcing the precautionary evacuation of thousands of residents and a hold on all flights to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Alert Level 4 (imminent hazardous eruption within hours or days) over Taal Volcano in Batangas due to increased volcanic activity and a powerful explosion in the afternoon as well as volcanic lightning.

Phivolcs recorded continuous volcanic tremor while two volcanic earthquakes were felt in Tagaytay City and in Alitagtag, Batangas.

“Phivolcs strongly reiterates total evacuation of Taal Volcano Island and additional evacuation of areas at high risk to pyroclastic density currents and volcanic

tsunami within a 14-kilometer radius from Taal Main Crater. Areas in the general north of Taal Volcano are advised to guard against the effects of heavy and prolonged ash fall. Civil aviation authorities must advise aircraft to avoid the airspace around Taal Volcano as airborne ash and ballistic fragments from the eruption column pose hazards to aircraft.”

Classes at all levels in Manila, Taguig and Cavite were suspended for Monday, as ash fall was reported in parts of Metro Manila.

The Philippine National Police raised Next page

Purge of rogue policemen pushed

By MJ Blancaflor VOLCANIC LIGHTNING. Taal Volcano triggers volcanic lightning while spewing massive cloud of ash into the sky in

a spectacular phenomenon that has motorists pulling over the side and taking snapshots on Sunday, January 12, 2020.Photos by Michael Sagaran and AFP

Rody: Cronies? No; OFW in Kuwait sexually abused—DOJ

By Rey E. Requejo Girlfriends? Yes

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has denied he started his own brand of cronyism in the country after a Japan-based publication claimed that he had “destroyed the Philippine elite” to choose his own.

In a speech Friday, Duterte said he would not gain anything with cronies and opted for girlfriends whom he could hug.

“Several noisy, interested rich people are claiming that ‘Duterte would give that to his crony.’ I don’t have crony, Duterte said while he was in Pigacawayan, North Cotabato.

“I have girlfriends. Crony, I have none. They are useless. I cannot hug those fools. I prefer a girlfriend, not crony, he said, drawing laughter from Next page his audience.

THE domestic worker who was beaten to death by her employer was also sexually abused, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Sunday, citing the results of an autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Guevarra said the NBI completed its

autopsy of 26-year-old Jeanelyn Villavende, after her body was flown to Cotabato.

“The body of OFW Villavende was autopsied by the chief of the NBI Medico-Legal Division, Dr. Ricardo Rodaje on Jan. 10, 2020 in Cotabato, near the deceased’s residence,” Guevarra said in Next page a text message.

Duterte to water firms: Let’s talk

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte says he is willing to negotiate with water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad if they accept the “corrected” contracts offered by the government.

“I suppose if they are willing to accept the conditions that are being laid down there in the proposal, I think we can ne-

gotiate again, Duterte told ABS-CBN Friday night.

But Senator Francis Pangilinan said threatening investors with imprisonment should they refuse to accept a government-imposed contract is criminal behavior under the Revised Penal Code.

“Coming as it does from the highest office of the land sends the terrible signal Next page

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he needs to purge the ranks of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to rid it of corrupt cops, especially those involved in the illegal drug trade.

“I need to purge the PNP [first],” Duterte said in an interview with ABSCBN Friday night, after he was asked why it was taking him long to appoint a new chief to head the 40,000-strong police force.

“Those already tainted with corrup-

tion and especially drugs, I have no choice but to dismiss them from service,” Duterte said.

Duterte earlier told Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to supervise the PNP while he has not yet appointed a new chief to replace Oscar Albayalde, who left under a cloud of scandal that linked him to cops who sold seized drugs.

The President said he was confident that Año could help him cleanse the police force but said those accused of corruption would be given due process.

Next page

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News

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

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Pump price drop comes in trickles: 20c per liter

By Alena Mae S. Flores MOST of the oil firms will roll back pump prices by P0.30 per liter of kerosene and P0.20 per liter of diesel effective 6 a.m. Tuesday to reflect the movement of world oil prices.

Cleanfuel was the first to cut pump prices of P.20 per liter of diesel effective Sunday while Seaoil Philippines advised it will cut diesel and kerosene prices at the same level effective 6 a.m. Monday. The oil firms did not move gasoline prices.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Petro Gazz separately announced they will cut prices on Tuesday.

World oil prices declined amid reports from the US Energy Information Administration that oil production in the US went up to 11.9 million barrels per day in November, reaching another all time high from 11.5 million BPD in October.

On Jan. 7 to 8, most of the oil companies implemented a price decrease/ increase on petroleum products.

Gasoline dropped by P0.10 per liter while diesel and kerosene have increased by P0.40 per liter and P0.30 per liter, respectively.

Before Tuesday’s price adjustments,year-to-date adjustments has stood at a net decrease of P0.10 per liter of gasoline and a net increase of P0.40 per liter of diesel and P0.30 per liter of kerosene.

The country’s net oil import bill declined by 10 percent to $8.279 billion from $9.291 billion as of the end of September amid lower world oil prices and lower volumes.

The Philippines imported 128.368 million barrels valued at $8.836 billion during the period compared to 137.970 million barrels in the same period in 2018 valued at $10.299 billion.

However, the country exported a total of 9.315 million barrels during the period, lower than its exports in the same period in 2018 of 13.373 million barrels.

Duterte rejects term extension P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has rejected speculations he wants to extend his term in office, saying he is contented and ready to bow out.

“I am already happy. I take comfort.

When I go out, I retire. Do not believe in that s*** about extension-extension,” Duterte said during the ceremonial distribution of agriculture assistance to farmers in Cotabato City on Saturday.

Before winning the presidential elections, Duterte was mayor of Davao City for seven terms or 22 years, although not consecutively.

Speculations that Duterte wanted to prolong his stay in office stemmed af-

ter his push to shift to a federal system of government.

Last year, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the President was still keeping federalism on his agenda, but it was up to Congress to propose what method should be used in amending the Constitution.

He made this remark to reject claims that Duterte had abandoned his push for federalism since he did not mention it in his fourth state-of-the-nation address on July 22, 2019.

Duterte, meanwhile, denied rumors that he has kidney disease due to the dark patches on his face.

The 74-year-old slammed his critics and detractors for spreading rumors about his illness.

“They say those with kidney disease get darker skin. ‘Ah, Duterte is going to die,’” Duterte said.

“I’m really going to die. That’s not a problem. People are really going to die eventually. When? It’s only God [who knows] Duterte said no mortal could escape death. He has previously said he is suffering from muscle spasms, chronic back pain and migraines.

He has also said he has myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune

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At the same time, the President rejected the recommendations of Vice President Leni Robredo, who served as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee Against Illegal Drugs (ICAD) before she was fired 19 days after she took the post over disagreements with Duterte.

Robredo bared her recommendations to the President last week, which includes transferring ICAD chairmanship from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to the Dangerous Drugs Board.

“It’s not cheap, Leni. You have to go for the—you have to purge the PNP. It’s not just changing heads of these bodies,” the President said. on Sunday vowed to continue going after police “scalawags” involved in corrupt activities and narcotics trade.

“I will make sure the scalawags in the PNP organization are weed out. We will continue to do until the last scalawag is out. It is very important to get the trust and confidence of the public and we can only do so if we get rid of rotten eggs,” Año said.

Año said the PNP is “really doing good” in its campaign against illegal drugs and criminality.

“Unfortunately, there are a few destroying the image and we will eradicate them,” he added.

Año said he wants the PNP to pick only the best and brightest applicants to fill the police force’s 17,000 vacancies.

He said the PNP should ensure a stringent recruitment and hiring process where those who are not mentally and physically fit are weeded out, and only the “very best” will be chosen.

“The cleansing program should already begin in the hiring. It will save the police organization from a lot of headaches later on if we do the hiring and recruitment process properly and seriously,” he added.

Noting their salaries have been doubled by Duterte, Año said aspiring police officers should have excellent capabilities and the heart for public service. With PNA

neuromuscular disease that weakens the skeletal muscles responsible for breathing and moving parts of the body.

The other ailments he suffers from are Barrett’s esophagus, a potentially serious complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease, and Buerger’s disease, a rare disease of the arteries and veins in the arms and legs.

Duterte also announced that the alleged “growth” found in his digestive tract tested negative for cancer in October 2018.

In November last year, Duterte admitted his ailments were taking a toll on his health, but assured the public that he could still perform his duties well. PNA

FROM A DISTANCE. Taal Volcano emitting smoke and ash on January 12,2020 as viewed from Club Balai Isabel in Talisay, Batangas.

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to all investors whether foreign or local that they too can be imprisoned without bail should they disagree with the powers that be,” said Pangilinan, who is also president of the Liberal Party.

The opposition leader also urged the country’s economic team to manage and correct the harm inflicted on the country’s investment climate brought about by reckless and irresponsible public pronouncements.

The Justice department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General have been drafting a water concession contract without the “onerous” provisions that angered the President.

Should the two firms reject the new contract, the President said, he would order a government takeover of the water services in Metro Manila and other areas under the watch of Manila Water and Maynilad.

The two water firms have vowed to cooperate with the government to revise their contracts after the President repeatedly assailed them.

On Dec. 10 last year, the executives of Manila Water and Maynilad wrote to the President expressing their willingness to sit down with government officials to resolve the issue.

Amid fears of reduced investment due to his verbal attacks against the water firms, Duterte said he did not mind losing the confidence of business groups.

“You thought they will be getting out

Rody:...

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Last December, Nikkei’s contributing writer Aurora Almendral wrote a report titled “Crony capital: How Duterte embraced the oligarchs,” in which she claimed that the President’s three years in office showed that the systemic transformation he promised during the presidential campaign turned out as “more like a personal vendetta.”

The article also noted that Duterte took aim at the “corruption and excesses of wealth-hoarding families” like the Ongpin clan.

of the Philippines? Fine, go out, be my guest. I will not be intimidated or even fear the possibility of reduced investment in this country, he said.

“What I am after is justice for the Filipino people. For all I care, they can all withdraw, but I still need to maintain a matter of dignity for us.

Duterte also vowed to “correct” all government contracts with private firms before his term expires in 2022 for the benefit of the public.

“All contracts that are prejudicial to the Filipino people will be corrected.

You can count on that, within the limited time left for me in office, I will correct everything, including contracts that are not in the best interest of the Filipino people, Duterte said.

With Macon Ramos-Araneta

After Duterte assailed major water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad, as well as broadcast giant ABS-CBN, he was accused by militant groups that this was part of his strategy to favor his cronies.

In his speech, Duterte said the “shameless oligarchs” were one the pressing problems of the country, but added he had no problem with those who had a “social conscience.”

“The problem in the Philippines under my watch is the shameless oligarchs. Those rich who have a social conscience, you have no problem with me, he said.

“I’m not mad at the rich people but usually or historically, it has always been the oligarchs who choose their presidential bet. If elected, they always ask for a favor.”

its security alert status over Batangas and other high risk areas and said it was ready to help evacuate residents in coordination with local government officials.

Government seismologists recorded magma moving towards the crater of Taal, one of the country’s most active volcanoes located 65 kilometers south of Manila.

That increases the chances of an eruption that could happen “within days to within weeks” if such activity continues, said Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum.

Such an eruption would be “more dangerous,” he said, noting that the last time Taal erupted was in October 1977.

A kilometer-high column of ash was visible and several volcanic tremors were felt within the vicinity of the volcano, which is popular among tourists for its scenic view.

The local disaster office said it had evacuated over 2,000 residents living on the volcanic island, which lies inside a bigger lake formed by previous volcanic activity.

Solidum said officials will also order the evacuation of people living on another island nearby if the situation worsens.

Earthquakes and volcanic activity are not uncommon in the Philippines due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide deep below the Earth’s surface.

In January 2018, Mount Mayon displaced tens of thousands of people after spewing millions of tons of ash, rocks, and lava in the central Bicol region.

Phivolcs said increased steaming activity was observed in at least five spots inside the main crater on Sunday afternoon, accompanied by volcanic tremors and three earthquakes.

Ash fall was seen in Tagaytay, Silang, Carmona, Silang and General Mariano Alvarez in Cavite, Agoncillo and Laurel Batangas, Sta. Rosa and Binan, Laguna, Phivolcs said.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the concerned national government agencies to ensure the safety of the people in the area.

The agencies are also working closely with the provincial government of Batangas to move people out of the danger zone, said presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo.

PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said local police units in Region IV have been ordered to prohibit entry of people into the island and other highrisk areas of Agoncillo and Laurel.

Local police units around the Taal Lake shore were also ordered to coordinate with their respective local government units. With AFP

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“There were clear indications of sexual abuse. There were also old healed wounds indicating that Villavende had been battered weeks prior to the fateful incident,” he added.

Guevarra said the NBI will submit its report Monday.

Reports said that Villavende was killed by her employer’s wife on Dec. 28 in Kuwait. The victim’s employer and his wife have been detained, reports said.

An embalming certificate released by the Kuwait’s Ministry of Health confirmed that Villavende was killed on Dec. 28, 2019. She died of “acute failure of heart and respiration” as a result of shock and multiple injuries to the vascular nervous system.

According to a preliminary report submitted by Labor Attaché Nasser Mustafa, the victim was beaten to death and was already dead when she was brought to the hospital. The nurses in the hospital also reportedly described her to be “black and blue.”

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Congress set to perfrom well again —Romualdez

RELIEF OPERATION.

Officials of the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC), the Manila City government, Manila Chinatown Development Council (MCDC), Philippine Chinese Charitable Association Inc. (PCCAI), Filipino Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc., Philippine Red Cross-Chinese General Hospital Alliance conduct medical mission and relief operation for fire victims in Pasig Line, Sta. Ana, Manila on Sunday (Jan. 12, 2020). Some 55 families or 200 individuals were affected by the fire on Christmas Day and 500 families or over 1,900 individuals in during the New Year celebration. Photo shows CGHMC Director Carlos Chianpan (in stripe shirt), and MCDC Executive Director Hans Lim (in white polo) distribute relief goods to them at the Ignacio Villamor High School compound in San Andres Bukid, Manila. Also in photo are CGHMC Vice Chairman of the Board Jameson Dy (in checkered polo) and PCCAI Director Peter Ngo (in light blue t-shirt). PNA Photo

By Rio N. Araja HOUSE Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on Sunday assured the publie of yet another remarkable performance this year

by Congress in terms of the timely passage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s legislative agenda aimed at making the life of Filipinos more comfortable.

He said the House of Representatives is inspired to work after Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano got a very impressive 80 percent approval rating in December from 64 percent last September and 76 percent trust rating compared to his 62 percent in the third quarter Pulse Asia survey.

“We assure you that we will do a better job under the leadership of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, we will be inspired to work harder, smarter and more efficiently,” he said.

“The Speaker plays an active role in engaging all the stakeholders, including the media. We actually share these values, these priorities, these initiatives. Nagkakaintindihan kami agad. Isang tinginan lang, okay na,” he noted.

Once Congress resumes session on Jan. 20, the House of Representatives would vote on third and final reading other important measures.

“These include House Bill No. 5673 which authorizes the Department of Health to set and approve the bed capacity and service capability of all Department of Health-retained hospitals in all parts of the country,” he said.

“We will also vote for second reading approval the proposed law creating the Department of Filipinos Overseas and Foreign Employment to keep an eye on the safety and protection of overseas Filipinos, including seafarers and household service workers and Department of Disaster Resilience to create a primary agency responsible for leading the national effort before, during and after disasters and other bills,” he added.

Marcos warns vs. involving military in OFWs’ rescue

By Mcon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Imee Marcos on Sunday warned the government about involving Philippine military personnel and transport in evacuating and repatriating OFWs in the Middle East, amid ongoing hostilities between the United States and Iran.

Marcos said diplomatic hitches, logistical delays, or worse may arise if host governments at transit and exit points see OFW rescue operations as military in character, while Filipinos maintain a Mutual Defense Treaty with US. “Why was Secretary Locsin stuck in Twitter? I understand the President’s confidence in our soldiers to do teir duties. But diplomacy should be foremost in this situation,” Marcos said.

“It’s the job of the DFA to deal with other countries. The evacuation of our OFWs is the taskmalso of is also of DFA, DOLE and the policemen trained by the DFA,” Marcos added.

The government plans to deploy Filipino soldiers and military air and naval assets to assist in bringing OFWs home and has sent Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, who was recently appointed by President Duterte as Envoy to the Middle East, to Qatar.

Marcos wondered why not a word has been said about asking the United Nations for help when it can provide its site camps in the Middle East as temporary shelters for OFWs. “Dapat makipag-ugnayan si Secretary Cimatu sa UN na may maraming mga tauhan sa Middle East, kabilang ang mga Pilipino,”” Marcos said.

She added that the problem of providing transit shelters for Filipino migrants and of reducing the number of undocumented OFWs may now complicate rescue operations could have been solved if a National Overseas Employment Authority had already been created.

Marcos filed Senate Bill 407 last July, seeking to merge DFA and DOLE expertise on OFW issues into a Cabinetlevel agency, upgrading the functions of the present Philippine Overseas Employment Authority.

Du30 offer of one-on-one meeting a trap—Joma

By MJ Blancaflor

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OMMUNIST leader Jose Maria Sison on Sunday rejected anew President Rodrigo Duterte’s invitation to him to come to the Philippines for a one-on-one talk, calling the offer a “trap” and a “malicious scheme.”

Sison issued the statement after Duterte said in a television interview that the national government has created a peace panel that is ready for the possible revival of talks with the National Democratic Front, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Sison said Duterte’s repeated offer was done in “bad faith,” claiming it was a “maneuver” and a ”bait” to prevent the resumption of peace talks.

“Knowing that I am experienced and intelligent enough to recognize what is a trap, Duterte is using his offer only to do a bit of psywar and to prevent the resumption of the peace negotiations,”

Sison said in a statement.

“It is either a malicious scheme to put me in a lethal trap or an equally malicious maneuver to prevent peace negotiations upon rejection of his offer by me and the NDFP as an unacceptable precondition,” he added.

The CPP founding chairman also said President Duterte wants him to drop the legal protection that he has under the Refugee Convention and Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and to put himself “under the control and disposition of his butcher regime.”

Sison added that the President wants to preempt the “absolutely necessary formal

meeting” in a neutral venue.

President Duterte terminated the peace talks in 2017 through Proclamation No. 360 following the successive offensives of rebels against the military and the police.

The President, however, floated the possibility of resuming peace talks last year but this has yet to come into fruition since the two cannot agree on the venue for their negotiations.

Duterte said Sison should come to Manila for a one-on-one talk, but the CPP leader has been insisting this should be done in a neutral venue.

President Duterte’s top security adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr, a former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief-ofstaff, has also expressed disagreement to the resumption of talks, saying the government should focus on localized peace agreements instead.

Sison earlier sought the release of elderly and sick political prisoners on humanitarian reasons as a “goodwill measure” for the formal resumption of talks, adding that their freedom will “ensure success” of the meeting.

2020 P4.1 trillion budget pork-free—solons TWO House leaders on Sunday welcomed a budget official statement that there is no “objectionable” item contained in the P4.1-trillion 2020 national budget signed by President Rodrigo Duterte into a law.

Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. shared the same opinion with Budget Director Ryan Lita that the national budget is free of any controversial item.

“Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and appropriations committee chairman and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, together with the entire House membership, did a great job for the executive department in ensuring that this budget passes with no pork, no delay, no insertions and no parking,” Defensor said.

Barzaga, for his part, said “the House committee on natural resources, said “the House leadership ensured an open,

public and transparent debates and discussions on the national budget to ensure greater transparency.”

“Based on the review by the Department of Budget and Management, we didn’t find any item of appropriation provision or proviso that is strongly objectionable vis-à-vis existing laws and policies, and which cannot be addressed by conditional implementation or general observation,” Lita said.

With the signing of the 2020 national budget, the ball is now in the Executive department’s court on “how to spend the funds in a fast but proper manner so the usual problem of underspending will be avoided,” House Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon partylist Rep. Bernadette Herrera.

The party-list lawmaker, a member of the budget-writing bicameral conference committee, issued the reminder, noting that the executive “has actually two

budgets it should spend this year.”

The first one is the General Appropriations Act for 2020 or the P4.1 trillion spending measure.

The second is the unspent portion of the 2019 GAA through Republic Act 11464 was extended until the end of this year.

“So if government were a car, it will start the year with a full tank of gas plus a reserve tank from last year’s unused supply,“ Herrera said.

“Under this circumstance, what should it do? Step on the gas so it will have all its pistons running. The first half of this year is the make up period for the last year’s late passage of the budget,” she said.

“Because expenditure-wise, this is no ordinary year. Roll out and use of funds must also be different in the sense that agencies must work double time in spending their allocations,” she noted.

Rio N. Araja

Soldier’s wife, son injured in grenade explosion

By Francisco Tuyay TWO people were injured after a hand grenade exploded in an apartment occupied by a military personnel inside Camp Aguinaldo early Sunday morning.

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said the explosion occurred inside a military quarters occupied

by Staff Sergeant Larry de Guzman at about 6:20 a.m.

Arevalo said De Guzman’s wife Erliza, 34 and his 11-year old son, suffered shrapnel wounds and were immediately rushed to the V. Luna hospital for treatment.

De Guzman’s five-year old daughter, was not injured. The housing units adjacent to where the explosion occurred was also not affected by the incident.

Initial investigation showed that the incident was triggered by a domestic spat as the couple reportedly has been engaging in a heated argument.

Both the military investigators and Philippine National Police Scene of the Crime Operatives (PNP-SOCO) who responded to the scene of incident are digging deeper on the circumstances behind the incident.

“An explosion purportedly from a hand grenade happened inside a military quarters occupied by an enlisted personnel assigned at the Home Affairs Office at General Headquarters and Headquarters Service Command in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson, Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said.

He added that “there were indications that the wife could have triggered the explosion while the husband was about to leave their abode.”

“We are rendering the necessary assistance to the family,” Arevalo said. With PNA

Go seeks more beds in DOH hospitals

VOLUNTEERS. Members of ASEZ WAO or World Mission Society Church of God

Young Adult worker Volunteer group conducts a collective clean-up drive at Manila Bay on Sunday, January 12, 2020. Norman Cruz

IN LINE with his advocacy to provide better quality and more accessible medical and health care services for all Filipinos nationwide, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has filed a legislative measure to help improve the capacity and service capabilities of public hospitals in responding to the needs of the people.

Go seeks to authorize the Department of Health (DOH) to set and approve the bed capacity and service capability of the 73 DOH-retained hospitals in different parts of the country.

Senate Bill No. 1226, or the proposed DOH Hospital Bed Capacity and Service Capability Rationalization Act of 2019, aims to “expedite the process for improving the capacity and capability” of the hospitals, as Go stated in the explanatory note of the bill.

“Under current regulations, a DOH hospital can only increase its bed capacity and improve its service capability through legislation,” Go said.

He further noted that there should be a more efficient way of enhancing

capabilities of public hospitals and, at the same time, empowering the DOH to fulfill its mandate of improving healthcare in the country.

SB 1226 requires the DOH to “provide Congress, through the Committee on Health of the House of Representatives and Committee on Health and Demography of the Senate, an annual report of hospitals with approved bed capacities, along with the necessary funding requirements.”

The report will be the basis of Congress in including the funding requirements of the hospitals in the annual General Appropriations Act. SB 1226 also obliges the DOH to “develop the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan (PHFDP) to guide the modernization and development plans of all government health facilities, and in order to access capital outlay investment through the Health Facilities Enhancement Program of the DOH and other national government capital outlay investment mechanisms.”

Macon Ramos-Araneta

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Opinion

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Taiwan votes LAST Saturday, a record-high 74 percent of Taiwan’s registered voters went to the polling precincts to cast their vote. Some even flew in from foreign countries just to be able to have their voices heard through the ballot.

Though surveys had earlier predicted a win, the incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen’s victory was a stunning landslide. After the counting began at 4 pm, the trend seemed to hold, and by 8:30 that evening, the main opponent, KMT’s Han Kuo-yu, conceded defeat.

The incumbent president received 8.17 million votes. con Immediately after, in a press conference at the capital, Pres. Tsai, flanked by her incumbent vice-president, the devoutly Catholic academician Chen-Chien-jen, and her newly-elected team-mate, William Lai, as well as Foreign Affairs Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu, accepted the landslide verdict.

The incumbent received 8.17 million votes, the highest ever since presidential elections began in 1996, as against the KMT candidate who got 5.5 million votes. A third candidate, James Soong, garnered only 600 thousand votes.

Taiwan’s electoral system has similarities with the US system, where there are basically two parties, although independent or third parties are allowed to participate. Though

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

they are elected by direct votes and not by electoral college, presidents and vice-presidents get a four-year term, with one re-election. Just as in the US, there is no cross-voting when it comes to the vice-president, unlike in our country.

Tsai also carried with her most of the legislators, with the DPP winning 61 seats, against the Kuomintang’s 38 in the parliament or Legislative Yuan.

The victory, while predicted by surveys, represents a comeback from behind, as local elections in November 2018, just about a year before, showed the KMT (Kuomintang) trouncing Tsai’s DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) even in their strongholds, such as southern Kaohsiung and central Taichung.

Han Kuo-yu, though not a native of Kaohsiung, won overwhelmingly in the southern port city and industrial de center, breaking the DPP’s two decades old reign. From such a vantage point, the popular mayor launched his bid for the presidency, and got the nod of KMT’s mostly senior-citizen party hierarchy.

Pres. Tsai’s leadership seemed be challenged when the campaign began, with Premier William Lai, the charismatic former mayor of Tainan, contesting her candidacy. But in the end, both teamed up to unify the party which had traditionally rejected unification with the mainland.

At the start of 2019, it seemed like the KMT was strongly positioned for a comeback. Pres. Tsai’s governance and economic reforms, especially her controversial pension system reform which affected Taiwan’s huge senior citizen population, were quite unpopular.

The London School of Economics-educated Tsai was more of a technocrat than a populist politician, the opposite of the folksy Han Kuo-yu.

She was very formal, looking more like a strict school teacher as against

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DECEMBER 2019 survey among 233 traditional and digital news publishers from 32 countries revealed that lies, half-truths and fake news from politicians will continue to be a main challenge for journalists in the coming decade.

Digital News Project 2020, a report published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, said 85 percent of respondents agreed media should do more to fact check politicians because more and more politicians will employ misinformation and disinformation tactics in the future.

The publishers were concerned, however, whether such ramped-up efforts would curb the trend.

Many countries have seen how politicians and their supporters exploited their citizens’ use of social media to achieve their own ends.

Targeted articles, for example, go straight to the news feeds of a user, who has been profiled and deemed receptive to such messaging.

Another example is the use of trolls, where paid social media users use various tactics to confuse, mis-

lead, shame and threaten others who do not share their point of view.

In the past, media organizations have acted as gatekeeper, sifting through the noise and ensuring that what reached their readers and viewers were worthy of their attention and response. That the news items were the truth was a given.

These days, however, the gatekeeping function has been challenged by the blurring of lines between the source of the news and the recipient of the news.

Tragically, truth often becomes a casualty as politicians’ objectives come first – and are able to reach their audience directly. They boost their own stock, bring down their opponent, or simply create an environment of uncertainty and confusion, halftruths, outright lies and fake news.

Meanwhile, the general public

may not be aware that the “information” they are seeing on their feeds has been curated for their consumption. Afterward, it is so easy to click “share” or “retweet,” making the process endless.

Worse, even if the news item is later on fact-checked and proven wrong, the impact of such a discovery is not likely to be as strong as the initial effect of the erroneous – or malicious – information. The damage has been done, and sadly, politicians are smug and secure in the knowledge that their audience could be quite forgiving even after knowing they’ve been fed half-lies.

In the end, the ultimate responsibility lies on the end-users, the consumers of information. No amount of fact-checking could curb the zeal of those who are bent to rewrite the telling of events, massage the data, and deny or invent actual occurrences.

They will continue in their shameless disregard of the truth – especially when people let them, take everything at face value, accept all “information” with nary a critical mind.

Turn to A5

Vindicated

THE good news is that Father Fernando Suarez, known far and wide, local and overseas, as the “healing priest,” has been cleared by the Vatican of charges of “sexual molestation.” That case filed six years ago stemmed from an allegation that Suarez “sexually molested” two altar boys while he was in Ilin island in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro where he set up a community of believers while planning to put up a huge shrine of the Virgin Mary in the island which was along the navigation route for inter island shipping. That would have been a huge undertaking, meant to be a religious destination place and a tourist attraction similar to the huge Jesus Christ figure overlooking Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Dated January 6, the decree of notification issued by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (essentially the Catholic Church’s adjudicator for men of the cloth) directed the authorities of the Catholic Church in the Philippines to inform Suarez that “he was not guilty of the allegations of sexually abusing teenagers (the altar boys) in March 2014.”

That decree signed by Bishop Antonio Tobias, retired Novaliches Bishop, who now heads the National Tribunal of Appeals of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), means that “he has been falsely accused of these crimes and therefore nothing now stands in the way for him to exercise his healing ministry provided it is done properly in coordination with the ecclesiastical authority of every ecclesiastical jurisdiction.”

This means Father Suarez has gotten back all of the rights and privileges of

being a priest – and a healing priest at that.

What is important now is for him to “coordinate properly” with the highest church authority in every jurisdiction where he intends to practice his God-given healing powers. This is well and good. After all, Suarez has been in demand from all sectors, and from every person from all walks of life who has seen or heard or been a beneficiary of his healing powers.

Fr. Suarez wants to continue being of service to all those who need his healing hand.

The key is “coordination”—which I am sure after six years being in the wilderness, the good priest will now be more than willing to undertake. As he reiterated in a recent interview he has “forgiven all his accusers and those who blocked his healing ministry.” Despite all the lies and heartaches he had suffered over the past six years, Fr. Suarez wants to continue being of service to all those who need his healing hand.

As he said after reiterating his having forgiven his detractors, this Vatican edict is a triumph for the Catholic Church - an institution which has been itself rocked by similar allegations of molestation by very prominent church authorities in various jurisdictions including the United States, Australia and Europe. This should now open up new avenues for healing, in and out of the Church, and provide for a way towards strengthening of the faith and the foundations of the Catholic Church itself.

Unforgivable Unforgivable. This is all that we can say with that “mistake” of the Iranian military—as finally admitted by Turn to A5

How do you solve a problem like Immigration?

Perhaps it is time for somebody competent.

THE other day, I ran across an article of columnist Bobi Tiglao regarding the operations of the Bureau of Immigration at our international airports.

Tiglao cited his own experience and that of a British woman carrying her baby. There was another woman from Hong Kong who was with her wheelchair-bound husband. They were all made to suffer through the long queue inside the sweltering designated Immigration space inside the airport. This place was said to be operating with malfunctioning air conditioning units.

“The scene was maddening: travelers were jampacked shoulder-to-shoulder; babies were bawling out because of the heat and feeling the crowd’s anxiety; an old man on a wheelchair, I was afraid, seemed to be giving up on life itself. It took me nearly an hour for my passport to be stamped,” was how Tiglao de-

scribed his ordeal.

“A British lady carrying a crying baby could not help but remark: ‘I’m not going to back to this bloody place ever.’ A Hong Kong Chinese lady accompanying her husband’s wheelchair asked the airport porter why PWDs and the elderly aren’t given priority in going through immigration, ‘like every civilized airport in the world does,’” he added in his article.

Tiglao blames the mess at the way the hierarchy of the BI runs its operation as noted there were only “six immigration officers processing what probably were a thousand passengers lining up for their passports to be stamped, and that one of the immigration cubicles wasn’t even manned at all.”

Well, add to that some power-trip-

ping IOs with whom I ran into a couple of years back.

Coming back from another country, I came across this IO who was questioning every incoming passenger about his or her trip and their plan for coming back! These are all Filipinos who just came back from a foreign trip, maybe for work, pleasure or studies (OFWs had their own IO to attend to them) and yet they were being asked those silly questions! My God, they, we, all are Philippine residents.

And because of this stupid questioning of that particular IO, it took about five to ten minutes before one’s passport could earn its return stamp.

One time, I ran into another power-tripping IO who held our companion, the childhood friend of my wife whom we were treating to a trip to Macau.

My wife’s friend was interrogated for about two hours by this IO, although later we found out the questions were directed at me, like how big is my house, how many cars do I have, how many maids do I employ, what is my Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher can be accessed at: manilastandard.net Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

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Opinion Traslacion and the Santo Niño

TWO depictions of the same Christ are commemorated yearly by Filipino Catholics in the month of January.

The first is the icon of a man willing to embrace suffering and death. The second is an image of a young child clothed and portrayed as king. The first evokes resignation to pain and agony. The second affirms our filial relationship with God. Both, however, are powerful reminders of Christ who choose to become “a man like us in all things but sin.”

These thoughts come to my mind as the entire country marks the annual traslacion of the Black Nazarene on January 9, and the Sinulog on the third Sunday of January, honoring one of the oldest religious images in the country, the Santo Niño. While both are celebrated with intense devotion by millions of Catholics in Philippines, there is a significant difference in the manner by which these devotions are observed.

Both images were brought to these islands by Spanish missionaries. The Santo Niño is as old as Christianity in the Philippines itself. The original image, presently venerated in Cebu was given was a gift from Ferdinand Magellan to Humamay, the consort of Raja Humabon, as a token of her baptism to the Catholic faith.

On the other hand, the image of the Black Nazarene is a mute witness to the political and economic ties that once connected Manila and Mexico. Carved by an unknown Mexican sculptor, this life-size image of Christ was first enshrined in the Augustinian Recollect church of Saint John the Baptist in Bagumbayan, then brought to the Recollect church in Intramuros —only to be transferred in 1787 from Intramuros to its present-day shrine at the Quiapo Church.

This historical traslacion—or the transfer of the image from Intramuros to Quiapo—is what Filipino Catholics commemorate year after year on January 9. This explains why the feast appears to be out of sync with the Church’s liturgical calendar, which at this time of the year has just completed its joyous celebration of Christmas. In fact, there are several misconceptions about this supposed

Taiwan...

From A4

the back-slapping Kaohsiung mayor whose language in the hustings were quite colorful.

But then, Hong Kong began its street protests in May last year, and as it mounted stubbornly despite Beijing’s warnings, the voting trend in Taiwan likewise began to reverse its direction.

The “one country-two systems” solution to highly contested “re-unification” began to wither in Taiwanese public opinion, as the Hong Kong showcase was increasingly rejected, especially in their December legislative election results.

This led a foreign media reporter to ask Pres. Tsai in her first press conference after being re-elected if she thought “President Xi Jin-ping actually helped her get re-elected.”

Tsai sidestepped the ironic observation, but declared: “Today I want

How...

From A4

capacity to treat her to a foreign trip, etc.

I was being suspected as a human trafficker and that I was bringing my wife’s friend to our trip to have her employed in Macau. And even after the airport manager had already called up her supervisor, vouching for me and my wife’s friend, she would not relent.

Until her supervisor made me sign an undertaking I would ensure my wife’s friend would be coming back with us.

But while Tiglao points his finger to Commissioner Jaime Morente as the one to be blamed for his agency’s mishandling of their airport operation, I think the buck stops with Grifton

feast of the Black Nazarene. First, that liturgical feast proper to the Nazarene actually falls on Good Friday, the penultimate day of the Holy Week. Second, that contrary to what many believe, the image is actually brought out of the Church in procession three times in a year.

On the other hand, the celebration of the Santo Niño has now been incorporated into the local liturgical calendar, a concession particularly given to the Church in the Philippines.

It has been said before that the feast of the Santo Niño actually completes the weeks of festivities that began with Christmas. In fact, it is only in our country that the feast of the Santo Niño is observed, whereas at the same time of the year, Catholic churches abroad would then be observing the beginning of the Ordinary Time.

The challenge is aligning piety, prayer and practice.

These feasts honoring Christ, both as fully grown man and as newborn infant, are strong marks of our identity as Filipino Catholics.

While images of the infant Jesus and the Nazarene can be found in many parts of the world, the unparalleled intensity and passion that accompany these traditional devotions are unique to the Philippines, one that many people find it difficult to understand.

In fact, both celebrations have often been criticized by many within and outside the Church as bordering on idolatry. Admittedly so, the external aspects of these feasts – the throngs of millions who risk getting injured or caught in a stampede just to touch the image of the Nazarene, or the thousands who “dance in prayer” for hours as an offering to Santo Niño – often overshadow the inner significance of the mysteries of faith that these icons denote.

There are two realizations that I have made as I reflect on the “traslacion” and the Santo Niño. First is the simplicity and sincerity of the Filipino faith. Many of those who come to Quiapo or Cebu do so in the hope of a miracle or a favor from God. There are some who keep returning every once again to remind the Beijing authorities that peace, parity and dialogue are the keys to stability…I want the Beijing authorities to know that democratic Taiwan and our democratically-elected government will never concede to threats”.

“I hope that Beijing will show its goodwill…(we) have shown that when our sovereignty and democracy are threatened, the Taiwan people will shout our determination even more loudly,” she stated.

Observers around the world read Tsai’s landslide victory as a clear rejection of the “one-country, two systems” approach that the People’s Republic of China viewed as the right step towards re-unification.

The UK’s Telegraph called Taiwan’s election results “a blow to China,” while Boston-based Christian Science Monitor commented that Taiwan’s voters say “thanks, but no way” to closer ties with Beijing.

How does the future of cross-strait relations read in the light of the landMedina, the Immigration’s Port Operations Division chief, who handles the assignment and scheduling of IOs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 1, 2 and 3 including all the terminals all over the country.

Apparently, Medina is too busy with something else he fails to monitor the activities of his IOs. When the cat is away, the mouse has all the time to play.

According to sources over at the airport, with Medina rarely paying a visit at the Immigration offices at all of the country’s international airports, the IOs have been taking breaks at any time they want to do so. Some of them even, while inside the cubicle, would just be playing with their cellphones.

And these are clearly, the responsibility of Medina.

year to fulfill a “panata” as a sign of gratitude for an answered prayer. In a way, what you see – even the intensity bordering on fanaticism – is what the faith of the ordinary Filipino Catholic really is, one that is deeply imbued in the human experience to the point that becomes our instinctive nature to seek God in our pain and illness and in our tragedy and poverty.

This could be the reason why many are quick to misjudge the piety of the devotees, without fully understanding the unique spirituality of Filipinos. In the suffering of the “Nazareno,” we find the underlying reason for our own pains, hopeful that we would receive the healing that we desire.

In the simplicity of the Santo Niño, we find confidence that God always looks after his children, and thus he is not oblivious to the ordinary cares and concerns of our everyday lives.

Secondly, these two devotions Fil also unmask the paradox of the Filipino Catholic experience. On these two feast days, people go out of their way to manifestly express their faith, but for the rest of the year, many of them stay away from Sunday mass. dichoto This reinforces the obvious dichotomy between Filipino Catholic piety and practice. For example, it is sad to be reminded that in one of the only two Catholic countries in Asia, corruption is almost an accepted culture.

Many of us have become fixated on our own selfish gain, for us to be any more concerned for creation and for the community. Too often than not, our daily lives and choices run counter to the faith we claim to profess.

The challenge, therefore, is how to align piety, prayer and practice. Imagine if we had the same optimism in God’s goodness, as the faith we have in our own capacity to be better and the respect that we have for the people we live and work with. Think of how much untapped potential there is in us as a people, and the promise of what we can achieve as a nation, if as a family of faith, our resolve do good for others and the wider community will measure up to the intensity of our devotion to the Nazarene and to the Santo Niño. If with the same sincerity and simplicity of our religious practices, we could only allow the Gospel to influence and permeate our society, affording peace, progress and justice for every Filipino.

Santo Niño, bato-balani sa gugma, panalipdi kami. slide victory of the incumbent and her party? How will Beijing read the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup of “re-unification”? With the antecedent events in Hong Kong and the results of the Taiwan elections last Saturday, how will Beijing calculate its moves?

These and many more are questions that will bear close watching by the world, especially the countries beside the South China Sea, Japan and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, and at home, the Philippines being the closest neighbor to the south of Taiwan, with some 160.000 nationals in the island.

As the New Year has unfolded, and the Chinese New Year starts 12 days hence, with events in the Middle East discombobulating that region and the rest of humanity, we can only hope and pray that peace will continue to reign in these parts, and dialogue rather than confrontation will be the mode of resolving disputes in the South China Sea. So, how do you solve a problem like the Immigration? Maybe it’s time Medina be replaced by someone competent. *** Speaking of Immigration, my source has also added that Papa G, the subject of my recent column, has just discovered another milking cow – the Indian citizens and other illegals entering the country through the Clark International airport.

According to the source, Papa G has tasked his personnel to raise P200,000 a week for him in exchange for relaxing immigration rules on those illegal immigrants.

This is one thing Morente should look into. This notorious Papa G is truly giving his office a bad name!

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Private sector investments drive our development THE current economic momentum will not be possible without a conducive socio-economic and stable regulatory environment that motivates the mobilization of big investments in private ventures, infrastructure development and delivery of public services.

This is a requisite in achieving the goal of inclusive growth.

The dangerously divisive and damaging pronouncements against two enterprises who are acknowledged as leading investors, and you can say are big believers in the Philippine potential, are shaking the strong foundations needed to inspire global confidence.

Competitiveness has been shaken to a level of uncertainty that puts to risk the Build, Build, Build or “golden age of infrastructure” ambitions of this administration.

The findings of a September 2019 study conducted by national pollster Pulse Asia commissioned by the Stratbase Group shows a contrasting and very positive appreciation of the impact of private sector investments on the delivery of public services, jobs and livelihood. The results reflect the sentiments of 1,200 respondents nationwide.

The study asked whether you agree or disagree that “Government should engage in partnership with qualified and reputable private enterprises to build and operate key development public utilities and infrastructure projects such as electricity, water, roads, and mass transportation.”

Seventy two percent (72%) or 7 out 10 respondents agree with the statement. Mindanao (the current administration’s bailiwick) scored the highest at 90%, Visayas at 78%, Luzon at 61% and the National Capital Region (NCR) at 66%. In terms of class demographic, D and E had 73% and 71% respectively and C at 66%. 24% gave a neutral response while only 4% disagreed.

The respondents were also asked on whether or not they “believe that private sector investments in infrastructure development and delivery of public services are helping to alleviate poverty by creating jobs and livelihood opportunities.” This is an issue that has been a consistent top concern of Filipinos for decades.

Seventy five percent (75%) said “YES” they believe that the private sector’s investments in infrastructure and public services had a positive impact on jobs, livelihood and lessening poverty. Again, it is Mindanao giving highest approval at 86%, Visayas at 76%, Luzon at 71%, and NCR at 67%.

Class D scored at 78%, Class E at 68%, and Class C at 58%.

The positive findings of this study illustrate how Public Private Partnerships, when implemented properly, could succeed in delivering the intended benefits to the people. We experience this in our daily activities; it does not need much imagination to confirm.

A quick scan of operational PPP projects gives a macro perspective of the crucial contributions that the private sector investments have to millions of citizens nationwide. In transportation, top of mind are the North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark Expressway, Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, boosting unprecedented development in central and northern Luzon. To the south is the South Luzon Expressway, Skyway 1, Southern Tagalog Arterial Road Tollway, Daang Hari-SLEX

Vindicated From A4

Iranian authorities—that indeed the Ukrainian airline carrying 167 passengers was felled by a missile fired from a field unit. This happened in the aftermath of the strike by US military drones which killed Quds Force Commander General Qassem Soleimani.

After days of hemming and hawing, the Iranian military said the incident occurred during the missile strike it launched against US bases in Iraq immediately after the Soleimani killing.

Apparently, the plane which took off from Tehran was mistaken for a US military attack plane about to neutralize the missile system which formed part of the network of systems given the go signal to rain all of those missiles on US bases in Iraq. Ït strayed into the missile path” was the very lame excuse of Iranian commanders.

With this admission, it behooves

Link Road, Manila-Toll-Expressway and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway.

These road networks are now indispensable to millions of commuters and operation of all enterprises of the most productive regions of the country.

Add to this the anticipated opening of the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road that will greatly multiply the benefits as thousands of vehicle traffic is diverted from Metro Manila’s circumferential routes.

Aside from transportation related projects, the Public Private Partnership Center lists critical public services projects in power, health, education,

Shouting class-divisive threats is a dangerous tactic with self-inflicted consequences. manage agriculture, environmental management and ICT for government.

When it comes to the light rail systems operating in the metropolis, notice that difference in service quality and maintenance of the lines operated by the private companies as compared to the ones operated by government.

This is because of the inherent advantage of private enterprise to be nimble in applying new technologies, employ the best talents and mobilize capital resources to boost efficiency, productivity and scale. Applying the best business practices while being compliant to government regulations is crucial to their viability.

The electricity crisis of the early 90s where widespread brownouts closed down operations and proved costly for all business establishments are but far memories now that we enjoy minimal outages. Thanks again to the successful privatization of power generation and distribution utilities vital to the operations of all industries.

The water crisis of the late 90s was about poorly managed distribution system, then under the MWSS. It was also privatized and yes, the distribution problem was solved with the infusion of billions of investments to plug the leaks, upgrade and expand reliable services to the millions of consumers in the unserved communities.

Now it’s a different situation where it is the raw water supply, a problem that the private concessioners cannot act on without the go of government. If the impasse continues, 12 million inhabitants of the megapolis will be hit with a bigger water crisis which I predict the private sector will once again be called upon to the rescue.

One more point that I’d like to stress is about creating jobs. According to latest data posted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the total number of employed persons in the country was estimated at 40.659 million. Compare that to the Civil Service Commission’s May 2019 data, the reports total of Career and Non-career government employees is only at 1,728,641, it is clear that it is the developmental, innovative and competitive nature of private enterprise powered by its capacity to wisely invest capital resources is what drives the forward economic momentum of our, and any country for that matter.

Government has an important role as regulator and enforcer of the law under our democratic system. If we want to accelerate our prosperity, shouting class-divisive threats is a dangerous tactic with self-inflicted consequences and may plunge us into a path that no one wants to go. There is always a winwin solution. the Iranian authorities not only to arrange for compensation for the victims and, perhaps, equally as important, get those responsible for this mistaken strike face justice. Also, the authorities should open up the investigation of the incident to third parties and relevant Ukrainian authorities. That way, this incident can be properly laid to rest and the necessary recompense properly issued.

In the end, what is as important is for all concerned to get this break out conflict between the US and Iran, to be settled not by arms but on the table with all the needed diplomatic assistance it deserves. After being on the brink of an all-out war, there should be a much- needed push by the international community to get the parties to settle down and, when circumstances warrant, talk. Not raise arms and rain more missiles or inject more weapons of destruction on the already-ravaged Middle East front.

A6

News

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

DOJ adopts stricter visa upon arrival

By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice will soon issue a department circular imposing stricter regulation for so-called “Visa Upon Arrival” (VUA) to regulate, among others, the entry of Chinese nationals, especially those who are overstaying or are seeking employment in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators establishments.

The new policy, Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete, would now require arriving Chinese nationals to present a round trip ticket. Those granted with visitor’s visa would also be disallowed from seeking employment, particularly through POGOs, or overstay in the country.

Perete explained that this circular covers Chinese visitors, businessmen who would be staying for short durations in the Philippines, athletes, and delegates to international conferences.

Once published, the amended VUA circular would take effect immediately and not 15 days after publication, the DOJ official said.

“Technically what is required by law is a reasonable period to notify the public after the publication. But in this case, this (VUA) is a privilege being granted to foreign individuals. So in essence, the publication requirement is enough notice, and the effectivity put in the department circular is immediate upon publication,” he said.

“This will make sure that no one would overstay,” Perete added.

Foreigners with VUA are only allowed to stay in the country for a non-extendible period of 30 days.

Perete said Chinese businessmen issued with VUA are allowed to stay in the country for only 15 days.

Tourists are likewise asked to reveal their itinerary while they are in the country and to show proof that they have booked accommodations such as presenting hotel’s billing receipts.

“Aside from the round-trip ticket, if they are coming in as tourists they must have booked accommodations for every stop in their itinerary. The tour operator must be, of course, accredited. The tour operator must provide all the details where they will be staying, proof of accommodations,” he said.

Besides Chinese nationals, the DOJ official also said they are also studying the possibility of including other nationalities who would only be shortly staying in the country under the stricter VUA regulations.

JoyRide most downloaded travel app in PH

BLESSING. Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr. officiates the holy baptism for 12 infants at the Parish of Saint John the Baptist in Quiapo, Manila. Norman Cruz

Sino Coast Guard ship makes goodwill visit A

By Rey E. Requejo

CHINESE Coast Guard “goodwill ship” will pay a friendly visit to the Philippines starting today (Monday) upon the invitation of the Philippine Coast Guard for a five-day joint exercise.

This will be the first time that a Chinese Coast Guard ship will be visiting the country, and this despite an ongoing maritime dispute with Beijing over some parts of the country’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. China Coast Guard Vessel 5204 will conduct various activities with PCG personnel, including cross deck visit, search and rescue and fire-fighting exercises as well as friendly sports.

“It is the first time a China Coast Guard vessel pays such visit to the Philippines. We believe that the visit

will be a very good opportunity for both sides to demonstrate goodwill, deepen mutual understanding and trust as well as enhance friendship and cooperation,” Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said.

“I believe that the visit and meeting will inject new impetus into the healthy and steady development of China-Philippine relations, and contribute to the regional peace and stability,” Huang added.

The commandant of the Chinese Coast Guard, Gen. Wang Zhongcai, will lead the delegation that will also attend the Third Meeting of the Joint

Coast Guard Committee (JCGC) between China and the Philippines from Jan. 14 to 16.

The JCGC was established in 2017 following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the PCG and its Chinese counterpart during the bilateral meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

In the past three years, the CCG and PCG have maintained close contact and frequent high level exchanges. A hotline between the two sides has also been established to facilitate the communication in agreed areas.

The two Coast Guards have also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of combating transnational crime, maritime search and rescue, fishery law enforcement, environmental protection, and emergency response.

By Rio N. Araja RIDE-HAILING motorcycle f irm JoyRide has become most downloaded application under the travel categor y in the countr y since Jan. 10.

The app has also peaked as the ninth most downloaded free application in the Philippines.

JoyRide is ahead of Grab App that placed second in the list, while Angkas settled for the third spot.

JoyRide vice president for corporate affairs Noli Eala said the motorcycle taxi hailing app has received a total of 200,000 downloads from Dec. 21, 2019.

“We did not expect that we will top the charts. We’re very happy because were able to get large volume of downloads in a short period of time and we are thankful that this has gotten a lot of positive feedback from the riding public,” he said.

“We will continue to be compliant with the guidelines especially with the ‘no price surge’ in our fares. They could also expect that we would reach the 10,000 cap set equally among operating motorcycle taxi companies,” he added.

The Filipino-owned app-based motorcycle taxi has started to navigate Metro Manila’s streets on Dec. 23.

FAST WHEELS. Rep. John Rey Tiangco leads the opening of the 4th Invitational Navotas Motor Show to mark the 114th Navotas Day celebration at the city’s Centennial Park. Andrew Rabulan

P176m alloted for Pasig ferry system upgrade

By Macon Ramos-Araneta TO EXPEDITE the development of the Pasig River ferry system as an alternative mode of transport for Metro Manila commuters, Sen. Sonny Angara said P176 million has been provided in the 2020 budget under the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

Angara, Senate finance committee chairman, said the budget will be used to buy four 50-seater airconditioned ferry boats that will supplement the current fleet being operated by the MMDA. The move, Angara said, will make the Pasig River ferry system more viable as a mode of transport especially with traffic congestion in Metro Manila getting worse everyday.

At present, there are nine passenger boats in the MMDA inventory, but only two of these are operating daily.

“There seems to be no end in sight for traffic in Metro Manila. We were given a brief respite after Christmas Day last year but now traffic is back with a vengeance. Motorists and commuters alike have to suffer being stuck in traffic for one to four hours or more, depending on where you are from and where you are going to,” Angara said.

“The skyway systems that aim to ease traffic along the major thoroughfares such as EDSA are still under construction but this doesn’t mean that we can do nothing to help our commuters. We have to look for solutions and the Pasig River ferry could help,” Angara added.

Apart from the purchase of more ferry boats, the funds will also be used by the MMDA to improve the ferry station accessibility and intermodal transfers.

There are 14 ferry stations along the Pasig River but only 11 of these are operational. The present system can transport passengers from Pasig-Mandaluyong-Makati-Manila.

Party-list solon seeks across-the-board P650 minimum wage

By Rio N. Araja KABAYAN party-list Rep. Ron Salo on Sunday batted for a P650 national minimum wage to help workers, especially those from the private sector, cope with the escalating prices of basic commodities.

He said wages of workers from different regions var y from one another even if all of them continue

to suffer from the rising prices of goods.

“Our proposal is for the whole (workers) since concer ns differ depending the place of the worker.

Basic minimum wages differ, too,” he said.

He lamented that salaries of employees in the private sector employee are lagging behind the salaries of government workers.

“They are not just being left behind. They have different wages, unlike those in the gover nment, no matter what region one is from, they all receive the same salaries,” he said.

“Those in the private sector, they receive different salaries amid rising prices of commodities,” Salo added.

Salo said increasing in the mini-

mum daily wage to P650 across the board would help deter workers from working abroad.

“More job opportunities must be created in the country so Pinoys don’t have to work abroad. The Filipino would naturally prefer to be close to family and remain in the Philippines. A higher minimum wage would make more Pinoys stay in their hometowns,” he said.

Sports

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Dakar Rally: Alonso ready for midnight stay at oasis RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—Sleeping rough in the Saudi Arabian deserts might be a tough experience for a man used to the luxuries of Formula One, but Fernando Alonso is ready for another challenge on his Dakar debut.

The teams will camp among the dunes on Wednesday night after a 534-kilometer slog through the Empty Quarter.

“I probably would enjoy more to sleep in a hotel but it is not possible in the marathon stage,” the Spaniard said on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time), the two-week race’s rest day.

The two-time F1 world champion, who is driving a Toyota, had warned before the race that he wasn’t coming to the Dakar expecting to win.

That’s just as well, because halfway through the Spaniard is in 16th, more than three hours behind the leader, his compatriot Carlos Sainz.

Much of that deficit comes from a disastrous second stage when Alonso lost his near front wheel and more than two and a half hours.

“He had the necessary (equipment) to repair it but he first had to find the wheel because it had careered off into the distance,” Jean-Marc Fortin, the head of the Toyota Overdrive team said.

“When they found it, it wasn’t round but oval.”

Alonso, a double winner in Le Mans and a world endurance champion, wanted to check off the Dakar box and then the wheel came off.

“My first thoughts were hoping that the rally was not over,” he said on Saturday.

“I didn’t want to have a retirement in the second day. I wanted to repair the car and keep going, because I want to be in the Dakar from stage one to the last. I understand that this is part of the Dakar rally.”

Despite the lost wheel, punctures, other breakdowns and navigation difficulties, Alonso has managed three top 10 finishes over the first six stages.

“It’s been a very tense first week for us,” he said. “But overall I think there has been very happy days for us.”

Coached by the other Toyota drivers, Nasser Al-Attiyah, a three-time Dakar winner, and Giniel de Villiers, who has won once, and by his co-driver Marc Coma, a five-time Dakar motorbike winner, Alonso drove the Rally of Morocco in October as training. AFP

Tiu expects Blatche to be in fighting Dubai form

Derrick Henry (22) of the Tennessee Titans takes the hand off from quarterback Ryan Tannehill during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. AFP

Titans shock Ravens; 49ers sink Vikings in NFL playoffs S AN FRANCISCO—Derrick Henry rushed for 195 yards and completed a dazzling touchdown pass to Corey Davis as the Tennessee Titans reached deep into their bag of tricks to shock the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens 28-12 in the NFL playoffs.

Henry has carried the Titans on his back in the postseason and their star pulled off the trick play of the playoffs so far on Saturday by connecting on a threeyard jump pass with Davis for a thirdquarter touchdown.

“Watch us work,” said Henry, who is the first player in NFL history with 180 or more rushing yards in three consecutive games.

“We don’t do too much talking. We’re just going to work and believe in each other. That’s our mentality, to come out here and work. That’s our mindset, focus on business.”

The Titans advanced to next weekend’s AFC championship game at the winner of Sunday’s game between Houston and Kansas City.

Earlier, the San Francisco 49ers halted the Minnesota Vikings’ giant-killing run,

also moving to within one win of a Super Bowl berth with a ruthless 27-10 playoff victory.

When they weren’t handing the ball off to Henry, the Titans were taking advantage of Lamar Jackson’s turnovers in front of 71,000 fans at M&T Bank Stadium.

“I had a lot of mistakes—three turnovers. That shouldn’t happen,” Jackson said. “But they came out to play, and we started off slow. We just got to do better next time.”

Jackson completed 31 of 59 passes for 365 yards, one touchdown, the two interceptions and a lost fumble. He rushed for 143 yards on 20 carries.

Jackson’s unheralded counterpart, quarterback Ryan Tannehill, ran for a touchdown in the third quarter, finishing off a short six-play drive with a one-yard scamper to give Tennessee a 28-6 lead.

He improved to 3-0 as a playoff starter.

Jackson supplied the magic and force for the Ravens this season, throwing 36 touchdowns and rushing for a quarterback-record 1,206 yards, but he was unable to solve Tennessee’s defense.

It was no secret the Titans planned to give the ball over and over to Henry, who carried the sixth-seeded Titans to a stellar 20-13 upset of the third-seeded New England Patriots last weekend.

Henry, 26, rushed for a team playoff record 195 yards, carried 30 times and caught two passes against the Ravens with his longest run being 66 yards.

With 6:54 left in the third on third-andgoal from the three, Henry took the direct snap and paused behind the line before jumping high to throw a perfect strike to Davis.

“Just trying to find the right time to call it and use it,” coach Titans coach Mike Vrabel said of the trick play. “It was very well executed.”

The Ravens set a record this season with 3,296 rushing yards but the Titans beat Baltimore at their own game, rushing for 217 yards compared to only 185 for Baltimore. AFP

Serena ends skid, gives prize to bushfire appeal

Serena Williams of the US hits a return against Jessica Pegula of the US during their women’s singles final match during the Auckland Classic tennis tournament. AFP

AUCKLAND—Serena Williams ended a three-year title drought and donated her winner’s cheque to victims of the Australian bushfires in an emotional WTA Auckland Classic final on Sunday.

Williams raised expectations for this month’s Australian Open, where she can equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles, with her 6-3, 6-4 victory—her first WTA trophy since she won in Melbourne in 2017.

But the 38-year-old tempered celebrations as she donated her US$43,000 winners cheque to the Australian bushfire relief fund and described how the tragedy had affected her deeply.

“I’ve been playing in Australia for over 20 years and it’s been really hard for me to watch all the news and everything that has been happening in Australia with all the fire and... animals and people that have lost their

homes,” she said.

“I decided at the beginning of the tournament... I’d donate all my prize money for a great cause.”

It is Williams’ first title since 2017—and her first as a mother— since she won the Australian Open while pregnant. Her 73 WTA titles now stretch across four decades, after she won her first in 1999.

The tournament top seed slipped 1-3 behind in the first set against the unseeded Pegula, a fellow American.

But once she found her range there was never any doubt about the final result, which Williams greeted by raising her arms in triumph while her husband Alexis Ohanian and twoyear-old daughter Olympia looked on.

“It’s been a long time, I think you could see the relief on my face,” she said, adding she could feel her game sharpening up as she prepares to head to Melbourne. AFP

ANDRAY Blatche arrived a bit over his fighting weight last week, but Mighty Sports owner Alex Wongchuking and coach Charles Tiu are confident the naturalized Filipino can shed the unwanted pounds before the club leaves on Jan. 21 for the Dubai International Basketball Tournament.

“We know how good a player he is, but he needs to be in excellent form because we will be again facing formidable teams from Lebanon and Middle East,” said Tiu, who masterminded the team’s title sweep of Taiwan’s Jones Cup last year.

Determined to improve on its third place-finish last year, Mighty Sports has been training daily since the 6-foot-9 Blatche arrived on Thursday as the team intends to add the Dubai title to its trophy cabinet.

“With a good mix of young and veteran players in the team we are hoping we can at least finish in the top four,” said Wongchuking, who is thankful for the support of Creative Pacific of Bong Cuevas, Go for Gold, Oriental Game, and Gatorade.

Except for the 7-foot-2 Kai Sotto, all members of the 16-man team were present and accounted for during the team’s first three days of training, each one relishing the opportunity to play for Mighty Sports in a tough international tournament.

Sotto can’t join Mighty’s preparation due to a previous commitment, but the former Ateneo standout will fly straight to the ultra-modern capital city of United Arab Emirates also on Jan 21.

Despite Sotto’s absence in training, Wongchuking and Tiu expressed no apprehension with regards to team chemistry believing the 17-year-old star can easily adjust to Tiu’s system.

Sotto is in the US right now, trying to toughen up himself at The Skill Factory as several top NCAA teams have already expressed interest in tapping his services.

Sotto will have only two days to study and instill all the plays since the 9-day event starts on Jan. 23.

The presence of Renaldo Balkman and McKenzie Moore—imports with championship experience—and several collegiate standous like Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena and UP’s Juan Gomez De Liano is one reason why Mighty Sports has good chances of finishing in the top four.

Other members of the team are Joseph Yeo, Rain or Shine’s Beau Belga, Joaqui Manuel, Gab Banal, Jarell Lim, Dave Ildefonso, Juan Gomez De Liano, Jamie Malonzo, Mikey Williams and Jelan Kendrick.

Philam Life 7’s Football League opens doors to women, youth leagues FOOTBALL has long been known as a sport for men, with intense matches and action-packed games on the field. But for the Philam Life 7’s Football League, this is definitely not the case. Founded by former Philippine Azkals’ player Anton del Rosario, the league opened its doors to women and youth leagues during the start of its fourth season early this year.

“I saw a huge gap in the football market in the Philippines and it has been my personal advocacy to bridge this and make the sport inclusive so more people will have an opportunity to grow with it. Hopefully, what I’m doing sets up a good foundation for the sport here in the country,” said Del Rosario. From 8 men’s teams in its first season, the league grew

exponentially to a total of 66 teams on its fourth season: 22 men’s, 12 women’s, and 32 youth teams.

“I’m delighted to be part of this league which has been very welcoming since day one. It’s exciting to know that you get to train and play alongside fellow players who share the same passion,” said local TV personality and women’s league player Amanda Fernandez.

There has been a growing appreciation for football among the local youth in the last decade, aspiring to become football superstars like local heroes del Rosario himself and other former Philippine Azkal players Aly Borromeo and Armand del Rosario, or international inspiration David Beckham. With former local players and celebrities playing in the league,

it serves as a perfect avenue for them to learn the ins and outs of the sport straight from players they look up to.

“Football is an all-inclusive sport and we’re excited to witness its rapid growth in area and participation as it has become a strong platform for us to fulfill our brand promise,” shared Kelvin Ang, AIA Philam Life Chief Executive Officer. “Through our strong partnership with the League, we are able to reach more people with football as the platform that enable us to help more Filipinos live Healthier, Longer, and Better Lives,” he added.

Currently, the Philam Life 7’s Football League is present in four cities—Manila, Davao, Cebu, and Bacolod. Its fourth season is set to end by December 14.

Aside from the regular season, the Philam Life 7’s Football League have their hands busy on other programs.

They recently concluded an all-star football tournament, the Kampeon Cup, and played on the field alongside AIA global ambassador David Beckham during a Youth Football Clinic in October. The league is currently gearing up to join a big ASEAN competition in February 2020.

The future surely looks bright for the league, and will continue to be stronger with AIA Philam Life’s support at hand.

Know more about AIA Philam Life by visiting their website at philamlife.com, Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/AIAPhilamLife/, emailing philamlife@aia.com.

Blatche

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

Harden hits milestone as Rockets beat ‘Wolves

Sports

LOS ANGELES, United States—James Harden paced the Houston attack with a deft shooting touch, finishing with 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) as the Rockets routed the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109.

Harden also nailed a stepback 3-pointer with 6:30 left in the second quarter to record his 20,000th career point, becoming the 45th player in NBA history to reach the milestone.

Harden recorded 11 turnovers but the Rockets were able to more than makeup for his ball-handling missteps.

He and Russell Westbrook – who posted 30 points, six rebounds and 10 assists – went a combined 19-of-23 from the free-throw line for the Rockets, who Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) glides to the hoop against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. AFP have won 21 of their past 25 meetings with the Timberwolves.

Meanwhile, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler and Indiana Pacers guard T.J. Warren were fined $35,000 and $25,000 respectively by the NBA for an incident that had Butler circling the calendar for a rematch.

The punishments were imposed for a profanity-fueled altercation and afterShe will be joined by Cebuano weightThe support was finalized after Ramirez

By Peter Atencio math from Miami’s 122-108 victory at lifters Elreen Ann Ando and John Fabuar met with Philippine Athletics Track and Indiana on Wednesday.

Ceniza are now gearing up to improve Field Association (PATAFA), Inc. PresiHE Philippine Sports Commission has assembled After both men received technical chances. dent, Philip Ella Juico last Thursday numerous support teams for Olympic-bound athletes and their fouls for a confrontation “in a hostile The tournament is sanctioned by the The government sports agency made manner,” Warren committed an offenthose who are going to join Olympic qualifiers.

International Weightlifting Federation good on its promise to fully-support nasive foul on Butler with 6:22 remain(IWF) as an Olympic qualification event tional athletes President Rodrigo Duterte ing in the third quarter, a violation the in the silver category. pledged P100 million to fund the foreign league said it has upgraded to a Flagrant The top 20 ranked weightlifters in the exposure who are seeking Olympic qualiPSC chairman William Ramirez said ready also.

Foul One upon review. a crew of doctors, psychologists, physiMore athletes who are dreaming of world will get a chance to compete in the fying slots.

The Rockets beat Minnesota despite Female pole vaulter Natalie Uy, sprintologists, and conditioning coaches have earning slots are now preparing to join Olympics. playing without center Clint Capela Ando will be competing in the 64 kilo- er-hurdler Eric Cray, runner Kristina now been assigned to specific athletes qualifiers, and these support teams will (heel) and losing forward P.J. Tucker afgram category while Fabuar will be cam- Knott, shot putter Willie Morrison and when they compete in the 2020 Tokyo join them. ter he suffered a bruise early in the first newly-added marathoner Christine HalOlympics.

So far, three-time Olympian Hidi- paigning in the 55 kilogram category. quarter.

After Rome, they will compete in their lasgo are joining qualifiers with Mary He believes that pole vaulter EJ Obiena lyn Diaz, will be among 10 Philippine Isaiah Hartenstein, starting for Caand gymnast Carlos Yulo will be needing weightlifters who will compete in the sixth and final Olympic qualifier in March Joy Tabal. pela, also recorded a double-double of in Kazakhstan.

The PATAFA is getting ready with their the help of these support groups in their Roma 2020 World Cup. 17 points and 15 rebounds while adding Members of the national athletics support plans to have Uy, Cray, Knott quest for glory in the Olympiad.

Diaz, who won a gold in the 2019 five blocked shots. AFP “They are now preparing for their for- Southeast Asian Games, will be there team are all set to join two qualifiers for and Morrison in their participation in the eign exposures. And with the support when it reels off from January 27 to 31, at 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the next two Asian Indoor this February in China, and months. the World Indoors. that we are giving, they are expected to the Pala Pellicone in Rome.

And the Philippine Athletics Track and Tabal is training in Japan, and will seek deliver, just like in the SEA Games,” said A personal team has already been Ramirez. formed by Diaz in her preparation for the Field Association will have the support of separate qualifiers with Hallasgo when Obiena is now in thick of preparations -57 kgs, they are coaches Kaiwen Gao the PSC when these tracksters join two big they join different qualifying competitions tournaments this February and March abroad. in Italy, while Yulo is now in Japan to get and Julius Naranjo.

PSC assembles support teams T

Thais out to cap run in PGT Asia

NAMCHOK Tantipokhakul and Wisut Artjanawat seek to close out the (Philippine Golf Tour) Asia’s third season the way they kicked off Thailand’s campaign last year with Kammalas Namuangruk and Nirun Sae-Ueng shooting for a breakthrough in the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational unfolding tomorrow, Tuesday, January 14 at Eagle Ridge’s Aoki course in Gen. Trias, Cavite.

The burly Tantipokhakul charged back with a closing 67 to edge Finland’s Teemu Putkonen by one and rule the circuit’s opening tournament at Luisita last April while Artjanawat topped the first PGTA co-sanctioned event abroad with a similar come-from-behind victory in Daan TPGA (PGA of Taiwan) Open last May. Though the Thais slowed down in the next five legs, the country’s perennial regional rivals both in the amateurs and pros are going all-out to sweep the last two legs of PGT Asia’s third season that extends to the first month of the new year.

The ninth leg, the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Championship, will be played on January 21-24 at the Faldo layout.

Other Thais tipped to contend for the crown in the $100,000 event put up

by ICTSI are Polthai Tawit, Chonlatit Chuenboonngam, Pasavee Lertvilai, Donlaphatchai Niyomchon, Ratchapol Jantavara, Natthapong Niyomchon, Tawan Phongphun, Puk Pradittan, Wongsakorn Choowong, Namuangruk and Nirun Sae-Ueng, who lost in a playoff to American Tarik Can in PGTA’s fourth leg (Aboitiz Invitational) at Wack Wack last Sept.

Rosauro redeems unkept promise to late father Baby Tams

subdue Baby Falcons in jr basketball

By Reuel Vidal FILIPINO MMA fighter Roel Rosauro finally redeemed an unkept promise to his late father when he beat Indonesian Yohan Mulia Legowo by unanimous decision at ONE: A New Tomorrow at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, Rosauro overcame a troubled childhood with the help of his father who turned him to Muay Thai. He learned discipline and embarked on a career in martial arts even as he promised his father that he will be successful in combat sports.

He was finally able to fulfill that promise two years after his father died when he snapped a two-fight losing streak to post his first ONE Championship victory last Friday in Thailand.

The fight was close throughout and Rosauro needed a strong third round to finally pull out the victory.

The Indonesian took Rosauro down in the final round. The Filipino got back up and peppered his opponent’s body with leg kicks. A final head kick connected helping Rosauro to the strong finish.

Rosauro improved to 5 wins and 3 losses in his MMA career.

The Filipino confessed that he was notorious for giving his parents headaches just a few short years ago. Now he just wants to make a name for himself through martial arts.

After losing his first two bouts at

Filipino Roel Rosauro connects with a right hand to the head of Indonesian Yohan Mulia Legowo during their ONE Championship fight won by Rosauro. ONE Championship

ONE Championship Rosauro now understands what it takes to win. He knows that he has to stay hungry and disciplined if he hopes to succeed in the promotion.

Rosauro trains out of Yaw-Yan Ardigma Cebu. He added to his skills by studying jiu-jitsu and implementing a weight-lifting program for strength and conditioning.

Fernandez shares top honors in Fischer Random Chess-Sharjah NOVELTY Chess Club Board of Director Dandel Fernandez of the Philippines defeated Grandmaster (GM) Monika Socko of Poland to finish in a three-way tie for first place with eventual champion Grandmaster (GM) Bartosz Socko of Poland and International Master (IM) Mokliss El Adnani of Morocco at the conclusion of the Fischer Random ChessSharjah last weekend at the Sharjah Chess Club in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

The triumvirate tallied 6.0 points each

after seven rounds of play. Bartosz, however, took the title in the 10 minutes plus 5 seconds increment time control format after a superior quotient of 31.5 points from Mokliss 31.0 and Dandel 27.5.

International Master (IM) Oliver Dimakiling of the Philippines led the huge group of 5.5 pointers that includes International Master (IM) Olga Zimina of Italy, Woman International Master (WIM) Oliwia Kiolbasa of Poland, Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Josefine Heinemann of

Germany, Woman International Master (WIM) Dinara Dordzhieva of Russia and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Nguyen Thi Mai Hung of Vietnam.

Fischer random chess, also known as Chess960, is a variation of the game of chess invented by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer.

Fischer random chess employs the same board and pieces as standard chess, but the starting position of the pieces on the players’ home ranks is randomized,

following certain rules.

The random setup eliminates the advantage of memorizing openings. Players instead must rely more on their spontaneous talent and creativity over the board.

In 2008, FIDE added Chess960 to an appendix of the Laws of Chess. The first world championship officially sanctioned

by FIDE, the FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship, was held in 2019, bringing more prominence to the variant.

ANFERNEE Estacio drilled 25 points as the Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws won over the Adamson Baby Falcons, 67-59, yesterday at the start of the second round of the 82nd University Athletic Association of the Philippines Junior Basketball Tournament.

Estacio knocked in eight points during an early third quarter blitz that powered the Baby Tamaraws to their seventh win in eight matches at the FilOil-Flying V Sports Center in San Juan.

Estacio’s two charities and two triples in the last 6:35 came during a 12-0 blast, which moved the Baby Tams away from a 36-33 edge, and in to a 48-36 spread midway in the third.

This allowed the Baby Tams to stay close behind the unbeaten Nazareth School-National University Bullpups (7-0).

The Baby Falcons, with do-it-all swingman John Figueroa as the surprise leader in the MVP race after the first round, are in fourth a 4-4 with the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs.

The Tiger Cubs, with Rojan Montemayo leading with 19 points, prevailed over University of the East, 90-64.

Meanwhile, the 6’2” Figueroa, an 11th grader had 68.86 statistical points (SPs) after the first round, off his averages of 12.14 points, 14.29 rebounds, 1.86 assists, 1.43 steals, and 1.43 blocks per game.

National University-Nazareth School big man Kevin Quiambao is in second with accumulated 67.29 SPs. The 18-year-old Quiambao, who is 6’4” and in his final year, averages 12.71 points, 10.71 rebounds, 1.71 blocks, and 1.43 assists per game for the 7-0 Bullpups.

Estacio is in fourth with 67 SPs after posting numbers of 17.14 points, 6.14 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.71 steals, while University of the Philippines’ Sean Torculas and Ateneo’s Lebron Lopez are in fourth and fifth respectively.

Peter Atencio

IN BRIEF

Finance bucks one provision in sin tax bill

THE Department of Finance is opposing a provision in the sin tax bill that requires a court order before authorities can conduct raids on suspected illegal traders of alcoholic drinks and e-cigarettes.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III told reporters at the sidelines of an event at the DoF headquarters in Manila Friday night he wanted President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the provision. The House and Senate recently approved the bill, which is now awaiting signature of President Duterte. “... I want him to take out one line there.

There is a line there [saying that] we cannot raid before the court order. You cannot check without the court order,” Dominguez said.

The bill, if unsigned, will lapse into law on Jan. 24. Dominguez said he had already informed the President on his concerns through a memorandum following the passage of the bill in the House and Senate in December.

Dominguez said getting court orders before authorities can conduct raids and investigation on unscrupulous traders would impact negatively the government’s campaign against illegal traders. “... That is how we catch these guys... ,” he said. Julito G. Rada

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

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Gatchalian warns against brownouts

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday expressed concern of the possibility of brownouts during the dry months amid the anticipated increase in demand.

“We know that as early as now that there is a possibility of brownouts during the summer. That’s why we are calling on the Department of Energy to prepare contingency measures to lessen, if we cannot eliminate brownouts during summer,” Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, said.

Gatchalian also urged the DOE to discuss outage schedule and reliability of plants to address any grid disturbances or avert future incidence of rotational brownouts in the country.

He also called on the DOE to make full use of the Energy Virtual One Stop Shop (EVOSS) Law and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Law to ensure adequate power supply in anticipation of a high demand during the dry season.

Alena Mae S. Flores

2020 budget positive to healthcare—Fitch

THE P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 signed recently into law by President Rodrigo Duterte will be a positive for the country’s healthcare sector, Fitch Solutions Macro Research said in a report over the weekend.

The budget proposes a significant increase in funds allocated to theDepartment of Health, which will enable authorities to finance the expansion of the country’s health insurance scheme and upgrade medical facilities. “... The 2020 budget for the Philippines will enhance healthcare access and with it, the commercial opportunities for pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers,” the report said.

The 2020 national budget is 12 percent higher than the 2019 budget of P3.7 trillion. Of the amount, 38 percent was allotted for education, healthcare, housing and social welfare; 29 percent for infrastructure, tourism, trade, job generation and agriculture; and 11 percent for debt payments.

The bulk of the budget (P1.5 trillion) is earmarked for the social services sector, which will fund programs like the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, basic education facilities program, the Universal Health Care program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and the Unconditional Cash Transfer Program. Julito G. Rada

DOE endorses award of 5 oil, gas exploration areas THE Energy Department recommended the awarding of five applications for oil and gas exploration under the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program.

“Currently, there are five applications that are recommended to award for a petroleum service contract. But due to the ongoing bilateral discussions with BARMM [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao], two applications were put on hold,” the department’s Energy Resource Management Bureau said.

PCECP is a transparent petroleum service contract awarding mechanism that allows the government to develop and utilize indigenous petroleum resources under a service contract with qualified local and international exploration companies.

The awarding of service contracts are conducted either through the competitive selection process or nomination.

The DOE has been wooing investors to participate in the PCECP to promote energy security and reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel.

“We actively welcome all PCECP applications, as each one has the potential to bring us closer to desire to maximize the exploration, development and utilization of our indigenous energy resources to help us attain energy security and independence,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said earlier.

Among the companies that were earlier nominated for oil and gas exploration were Israeli firm Repsol Exploracion S.A., Sulu Sea Energy Resources Development Corp., Philodrill Corp., PXP Energy Corp., Mindanao-based Esmaulana Global Ventures Co. Inc., Troika Giant Power Corp. and Superior (SG) Shipyards Inc. The department is pushing to reinvigorate petroleum exploration and development activities in the country to serve as a cushioning measure against the volatility of oil prices which has a direct impact on the costs of transport and power.

Alena Mae S. Flores

PLDT-AUTODEAL PARTNERSHIP. Filipinos overseas will now be able to conveniently gain access to automotive ad listings through their Free Bee app as PLDT Global Corp. teams up with online platform AutoDeal. Under the partnership, OFWs who are looking to invest in vehicles for their families and businesses in the Philippines may now search for car listings on the Free Bee site, and enjoy special content from AutoDeal on the Free Bee app. At the signing of the partnership are (from left) AutoDeal cofounders Daniel Scott and Christopher Franks, PLDT Global chief commercial officer Albert Villa-Real and PLDT Global partnership and advertising business unit head Me-Anne Bundalian.

Gov’t again denies PXP’s Malampaya takeover bid

By Alena Mae S. Flores

T

HE Energy Department denied the appeal filed

by PXP Energy Corp., an exploration company controlled by the camp of businessman Manuel Pangilinan, to take over the $4.5-billion Malampaya natural gas project.

Officials of the Energy Resource Management Bureau said the department rejected the bid that PXP Energy filed after the government thumbed down the company’s unsolicited proposal to take over the operations of the Malampaya gas project once the contract of the Malampaya Consortium expired by 2024.

“As to the reconsideration being sought by PXP on their

unsolicited proposal for the strategic development and utilization of an Integrated Gas Hub for Malampaya, DOE maintained its position that it cannot accept or entertain any proposal for an existing service contract,” the ERMB said.

The department in November rejected PXP’s unsolicited proposal for the strategic development and utilization of IGH in Malampaya located in northwest Palawan upon the expiration of Service Contract No. 38 in 2024 because “the service area covered by SC 38 is still subject to a valid and existing contract”.

PXP, an upstream oil and gas company whose shares are listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange, subsequently filed a motion for reconsideration in December. The company directly and indirectly owns oil and gas exploration and production assets in the Philippines and indirectly owns an exploration asset in offshore Peru.

“We advised PXP that we cannot take cognizance of their unsolicited

proposal.n The reason is very basic,” Energy Assistant Secretary Leonido Pulido III said earlier.

Pulido said that under Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program, there are only two ways to obtain the service contracts for oil exploration in the Philippines―one is through pre-determined areas and two is under nomination on open areas.

“However, what they did is they submitted an unsolicited proposal over an area with an existing service contract, so we had to deny the unsolicited proposal of PXP,” the official said.

The Malampaya gas project under SC 38 provides natural gas to the country’s five natural gas power plants with a combined capacity of more than 3,000 megawatts.

SC 38 is controlled by the Malampaya Consortium led by Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. as the operator with 45-percent stake, Chevron Malampaya LLC also with 45 percent and staterun PNOC Exploration Corp. with 10 percent.

MPTC prepares for CTBEX’s Swiss challenge by June METRO Pacific Tollways Corp. expects the government to hold the Swiss Challenge for the P22.4-billion CaviteTagaytay-Batangas Expressway before June this year.

“Our target hopefully [is to have] Swiss Challenge before the first half ends and then awarding,” MPTC South president Roberto Bontia said.

“If we hurdle the Swiss Challenge by the first half and then the detailed engineering design, maybe the construction will start by first quarter of 2021,” he said.

The Public Works Department granted the original proponent status to Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. for the construction of CTBEX in 2018.

CTBEX is a 50.4-kilometer express-

way that will connect Cavite and Batangas, with a spur road to Tagaytay City and ultimately terminating in Nasugbu and another spur road to Tuy, Batangas.

CTBEX would decongest about 23,000 vehicles daily from teh current thoroughfares.

The project will start at Silang East Interchange of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway. The alignment will traverse the towns of Silang, Amadeo, Mendez, Alfonso and Tagaytay in Cavite and Nasugbu in Batangas.

MPCALA Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of MPTC is also constructing the P35billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway―a four-lane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll expressway connecting Cavitex and South Luzon Expressway.

The expressway will start from Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at SLEX-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

MPCALA Holdings Inc. opened to the public the Laguna segment of the Cavite Laguna Expressway in October 2019.

Parent Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. is building the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, an 8-kilometer, four-lane toll road linking the North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway, passing through Metro Manila and using the existing Philippine National Railway alignment as the route.

The MPIC Group operates North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Tarlac Expressway and Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway. Darwin G. Amojelar

Cavite reviewing Tan group’s offer on Sangley airport

By Darwin G. Amojelar The provincial government of Cavite said it is evaluating the proposal submitted by a consortium led by China Communication Construction Co. and MacroAsia Corp. of tycoon Lucio Tan on the $10-billion international airport in Sangley Point, Cavite.

“The PPP selection committee is still undergoing a careful evaluation of the proposal submitted. Once done, the selection committee will issue its findings,” said Jesse Grepo, the legal officer and secretary of the provincial government’s public private partnership selection committee.

“Best effort on the part of the committee [is] to finish the evaluation as soon as possible,” Grepo said.

Only the consortium of CCC and MacroAsia submitted a bid for the Sangley international airport in December. Other groups that earlier expressed interest in the project failed to submit bids, including Prime Asset Ventures Inc. of businessman Manuel Villar, Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc., Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Langham Properties Inc. and Mosveldtt Law Offices.

The provincial government of Cavite is the lead proponent and implementing agency of the project which supports the Transportation Department’s multi-airport strategy to decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country’s main international gateway whose passenger volume was already 40-percent above its design capacity of 31 million passengers yearly.

The selected joint venture partner will provide the necessary equity investment and credit enhancements subject to a further competitive process or price test.

Aside from the legal, technical and financial qualifications set by the provincial government, the selected JV partner should also pass the credit standards of project lenders.

The request for proposal will require project feasibility study, instructions to candidate JV partners and the draft joint venture and development agreement.

The 1,500-hectare master-planned international airport hub will be fitted with four runways, airside and landside facilities with an annual capacity of up to 130 million passengers.

Fuel marking scheme starts with 1.1b liters

By Julito G. Rada THE government already marked 1.1 billion liters of petroleum products under the fuel marking program ahead of the tax scheme’s full implementation

by February 2020, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said over the weekend. “[There is] 1.1 billion liters [of] fuel marked,” Dominguez told reporters Friday night at the sidelines of an event at the Department of Finance headquarters in Manila.

The program aims to address the proliferation of smuggled fuel in the country. Fuel marking involves the injection of chemical which shows that correct excise taxes and import duties are paid.

Dominguez said last year that the implementation of the fuel marking pro-

gram would help address the expected rise in fuel smuggling with higher fuel taxes under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law that took effect in January 2018.

He was reacting to comments made

by Petron Corp. president and chief executive Ramon Ang who said that petroleum smuggling increase after the TRAIN law took effect.

Dominguez said the government anticipated the potential increase in smuggling and therefore initiated the fuel marking program under the TRAIN law. He said fuel marking was designed to help address the issue.

He said the program would be a strong indicator of increased compliance, and “those who skirted required declarations and payment of taxes in the past are now following the law.”

SM AND BDO AWARDS. SM Investments Corp. and BDO Unibank Inc. are recognized as leaders in corporate sustainability with platinum awards in the 2019 The Asset ESG Corporate Awards. Both corporates received the highest honor for the ninth consecutive year. Receiving the award on behalf of BDO and SM is BDO Hong Kong branch senior vice president Howard Lincoln Son during The Asset ESG Corporate Awards ceremony at Four Seasons Hong Kong.

B2

Business

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market eyes US-China trade deal S

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HARE prices are expected to move sideways this week as investors await the muchanticipated signing of the trade pact between the United States and China on January 15.

Analysts said the some key events, including the signing of the US-China trade pact and the tensions between US and Iran, were keeping investors on the sidelines.

Luis Limlingan, Regina Capital Development Corp. head of sales, said while the first phase pact was scheduled for signing this week, negotiations for the second phase was expected to be finalized after

the US presidential elections.

BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas noted that while the tensions between US and Iran had eased, investors remained on sidelines awaiting fresh leads to entice them back to the markets.

“The week’s close at 7,776.77 highlights consolidation within the 7,700/7,900 levels. But risk lies at the break below 7,700, which paves the way for a test of the 7,514.05 levels, which could occur in the near-term,” Ravelas said.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week slipped 0.8 percent to 7,776.77 while the broader All Shares Index declined 1.2 percent to 4,605.17.

Sectoral indices ended mixed with mining and oil posting the highest gain of 1.1 percent, followed by services which rose 0.5 percent and holding firms which added 0.5 percent.

The industrial sector registered the

steepest decline, dropping 3.3 percent, property which fell 1.5 percent and financial which declined 0.9 percent.

Foreign investors were net sellers for the week by P1.2 billion, while the average daily value traded stood at P5.6 billion from the previous week’s average of P5 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were ABSCBN Corp., which jumped 16.3 percent to P18.50; Manila Water Co. Inc., which rose 10.6 percent to P10.20; and DMCI Holdings Inc., which climbed 9.6 percent to P7.07.

Weekly top price losers were MacroAsia Corp., which slumped 14 percent to P14.18; GT Capital Holdings Inc., which declined 9 percent to P795; and JG Summit Holdings Inc., which fell 6 percent to P77.05.

Meanwhile, global stocks mostly drifted lower on Friday as investor appetite waned at the week’s end, US job

creation disappointed and damaging new revelations weighed on Boeing.

Asian markets notched some gains for the day, however, as geopolitical tensions eased and a US-China trade deal increasingly looked like a done deal.

The US economy generated 145,000 new jobs in December, shy of a consensus forecast, while wage growth also disappointed, according to official figures released Friday.

London, Frankfurt and Paris also fell.

Earlier, most Asian stock markets closed higher but investors struggled to maintain a rally triggered by easing US-Iran tensions the previous day.

Meanwhile, newly released emails showed employees at Boeing—the largest member of New York’s benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average—mocking aviation regulators and the design of 737 MAX jets, which have been grounded after fatal crashes. AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS Weekly StockS revieW STOCKS

JANUARY 6-10, 2020 Close Volume

Value

Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources China Bank Citystate Savings COL Financial Eastwest Bank Ferronoux Holding Filipino Fund Inc. First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

53.75 153.00 86.50 2.11 0.92 25 8.48 18.48 11.86 3.82 7.00 0.68 1.2 860.00 0.360 67 0.82 12.2 20.00 33.85 57.1 112.7 175 22.75 186 1855.00 58.10 1.07

20,600 10,021,160 7,516,540 270,000 225,000 454,700 1,000 39,500 667,600 146,000 21,200 6,000 44,000 1,650 730,000 7,556,500 799,000 241,000 26,000 1,412,300 3,030 40 23,690 171,500 2,159,320 760 49,540 190,000

FINANCIAL 1,103,722.00 1,533,882,190.00 648,100,973.50 537,380.00 204,150.00 11,295,435.00 8,034.00 725,118.00 7,976,336.00 556,630.00 148,160.00 4,080.00 52,660.00 1,403,660.00 237,800.00 491,506,700.00 631,480.00 2,999,164.00 529,810.00 48,953,950.00 173,666.00 4,681.00 4,145,590.00 3,895,155.00 402,664,919.00 1,404,100.00 2,880,079.50 201,300.00

Aboitiz Power Corp.

AC Energy AGP Ind. A Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Axelum Basic Energy Corp.

Bogo Medelin C. Azuc De Tarlac Cemex Holdings Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ Conc. Aggr. ‘B’ Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Eagle Cement EEI Emperador Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp.

First Holdings ‘A’ Fruitas Holdings Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Greenergy Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp.

Liberty Flour Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide MG Holdings Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phinma Energy Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Pilipinas Shell Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings SFA Semicon Shakeys Pizza SMC Food and Beverage SPC Power Corp.

Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

34.25 2.35 0 12.98 0.56 1.32 3.06 0.245 103.2 18.58 1.68 15.24 165.5 7.49 62.7 71 32.4 2.16 5 5.2 9.200 14.02 9.07 7.22 1.59 22.35 66.05 1.45 38.00 2.0200 13.90 8.1 1.300 206.60 44.95 3.4 6.80 10.2 11.36 14.82 0.170 308.00 5.38 1.92 4.24 4.04 10.00 10.00 11.98 33.4 4.7 5.28 2.09 1.76 0.98 9.3 79.5 8.8 0.120 1.00 140.3 2.58 1.25 14.90 0.95

4,722,300 13,671,000

INDUSTRIAL 162,141,820.00 32,323,950.00

3,947,400 4,693,000 4,779,000 23,105,000 12,510,000 270 18,600 82,502,000 1,756,900 860 61,917,200 6,490 2,330 10,700 500,000 5,000 86,900 3,533,500 1,358,100 1,536,300 1,574,000 28,000 8,884,100 336,990 142,664,000 55,400 44,035,000 2,248,600 3,339,200 3,998,000 2,404,290 1,800 79,000 104,000 154,231,700 1,678,300 1,654,200 1,130,000 737,760 3,400 11,990,000 47,000 18,364,000 17,200 48,700 154,500 1,885,800 1,878,000 61,400 10,482,000 227,000 2,974,000 3,606,900 842,830 1,000,600 1,930,000 471,000 3,953,720 211,000 36,645,000 4,300 8,135,000

51,771,484.00 2,570,170.00 6,184,090.00 70,111,970.00 3,035,490.00 24,016.50 333,736.00 146,461,520.00 26,765,502.00 146,670.00 394,224,904.00 410,016.00 158,562.50 332,050.00 1,080,850.00 25,000.00 425,449.00 32,354,199.00 19,306,386.00 14,022,390.00 11,361,808.00 44,510.00 197,218,620.00 22,416,885.50 201,608,850.00 2,087,155.00 87,322,510.00 31,171,394.00 26,729,191.00 5,181,770.00 507,632,164.00 78,925.00 248,220.00 681,722.00 1,575,197,715.00 19,326,498.00 25,718,798.00 182,300.00 224,975,694.00 17,799.00 22,996,170.00 194,160.00 78,634,640.00 170,678.00 486,815.00 1,838,336.00 63,346,685.00 9,057,170.00 323,738.00 22,952,200.00 405,050.00 2,960,610.00 34,133,781.00 68,537,049.50 8,693,327.00 231,340.00 448,880.00 568,296,456.00 511,010.00 44,443,320.00 64,994.00 7,597,830.00

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ Asiabest Group ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Ayala Land Log Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Keppel Holdings `A’ Keppel Holdings `B’ Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

Lopez Holdings Corp.

LT Group Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Pacifica `A’ Prime Media Hldg Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ Seafront `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Transgrid Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.920 52.00 11.18 0.69 6.40 11.8 0.930 0.950 795 2.920 6.59 7.07 13.16 0.205 795 5.47 77.05 6.64 5 5.5 0.5 3.83 11.4 0.600 3.74 4.7000 1.240 2.73 158.50 2.2 1079.00 1.20 0.79 213.800 192.00 0.2030 0.198

137,441,000 3,670,660 23,039,700 1,969,000 59,300 212,700 4,967,000 2,387,000 1,045,130 13,825,000 5,689,000 85,741,000 287,000 110,000 704,700 409,900 6,544,430 352,700 4,300 100 186,000 3,452,000 5,162,800 1,375,000 228,646,000 217,000 751,000 18,000 1,084,970 10,000 1,766,105 431,000 168,000 6,570 4,000 460,000 1,590,000

HOLDING FIRMS 126,554,640.00 190,976,972.00 255,902,884.00 1,309,740.00 374,378.00 2,356,728.00 4,535,930.00 2,164,620.00 824,218,530.00 40,801,230.00 37,954,221.00 593,817,411.00 3,767,518.00 22,550.00 578,500,020.00 2,142,151.00 442,252,828.00 2,310,217.00 22,060.00 550.00 91,790.00 13,293,200.00 61,130,268.00 823,880.00 819,600,370.00 962,270.00 914,080.00 50,950.00 174,672,052.00 22,010.00 1,873,602,470.00 519,920.00 130,140.00 1,346,080.00 764,372.00 93,290.00 315,800.00

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Anchor Land Holdings Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Arthaland Corp.

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ CEB Landmasters Cebu Holdings Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

DM Wenceslao Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Filinvest Land,Inc. Global-Estate Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil Infradev Phil. Estates Corp.

14.700 0.74 8.80 1.400 0.820 44.350 1.99 4.76 6.7 0.560 0.77 0.820 0.184 0.410 9.220 18.4 0.420 0.101 1.53 1.17 4.25 0.230 1.2000 0.4150

2,706,500 2,630,000 12,300 131,000 6,800,000 63,496,300 831,000 1,391,000 197,700 43,572,000 51,000 80,000 980,000 1,940,000 1,223,900 2,501,300 2,240,000 240,000 55,826,000 1,343,000 127,041,000 181,540,000 10,553,000 1,250,000

PROPERTY 39,861,908.00 1,876,290.00 109,705.00 179,710.00 5,522,580.00 2,809,113,150.00 1,658,100.00 6,596,340.00 1,305,211.00 23,679,680.00 41,580.00 66,880.00 178,570.00 782,600.00 11,638,787.00 46,831,118.00 941,300.00 24,030.00 85,120,310.00 1,551,960.00 533,808,590.00 39,654,280.00 12,558,340.00 506,600.00

DECEMBER 30-JANUARY 3, 2020 Close Volume Value 54 155.00 89.00 1.86 1.00 25 8.49 18.38 12.18 3.93

200 4,112,560 2,631,280 92,000 1,171,000 906,200 800 9,400 588,800 103,000

10,800.00 636,268,164.00 231,738,398.00 170,290.00 1,170,690.00 22,678,070.00 6,792.00 171,468.00 7,048,988.00 394,640.00

0.68 1.15 850.50 0.365 65 0.83

4,000 1,000 490 30,000 6,180,200 315,000

2,760.00 1,150.00 416,325.00 10,950.00 401,802,632.00 252,800.00

20.40 36.00 57.5 130 175 23.5 189 1825.00 57.80

18,600 345,700 4,760 70 1,300 166,100 956,740 470 4,090

378,620.00 12,452,925.00 273,649.00 9,100.00 229,028.00 3,904,050.00 180,448,077.00 860,300.00 236,917.00

34.95 2.44

2,691,600 12,695,000

93,798,670.00 30,102,340.00

13.46 0.52 1.28 2.9 0.232 103.6

454,800 894,000 448,000 6,169,000 670,000 10

6,121,630.00 452,520.00 542,340.00 16,858,750.00 156,530.00 1,036.00

2.09 15.5 163.3 4.96 64 72.45 30 2.19 5 4.9 9.600 14.74 9.41 7.22 1.6 23 68.4 1.37 38.40 2.0100 13.70 8.14 1.230 214.80

7,036,000 619,900 870 11,375,000 1,210 210 240,500 497,000 300 3,000 1,369,900 755,500 188,900 167,800 21,000 1,169,200 91,230 97,402,000 22,500 19,239,000 363,700 350,900 59,000 1,774,910

14,609,480.00 9,549,752.00 149,989.00 48,889,640.00 77,669.00 14,034.50 7,213,965.00 1,074,410.00 1,500.00 14,700.00 13,065,114.00 11,153,346.00 1,798,318.00 1,210,351.00 33,600.00 27,150,020.00 6,227,146.50 126,343,010.00 856,550.00 37,124,100.00 4,921,510.00 2,817,937.00 74,020.00 381,915,160.00

6.25 9.22 11.86 16.22 0.153 312.40 5.00 1.91 4.10 4.18 10.06

24,100 67,213,900 1,293,700 620,100 4,000,000 260,210 17,200 31,309,000 30,000 2,281,000 41,400

149,790.00 611,759,650.00 15,357,076.00 10,021,464.00 612,000.00 81,312,164.00 90,300.00 59,803,590.00 121,680.00 9,358,000.00 413,532.00

12.00 34.2 4.86 5.30 2.22

100,400 689,100 61,800 9,900 2,625,000

1,196,720.00 23,275,635.00 301,125.00 51,915.00 5,768,990.00

0.84 9.9 84 8.43 0.117 1.01 149 2.6 1.18

549,000 210,100 286,120 229,100 2,300,000 389,000 1,917,620 4,000 4,479,000

447,810.00 2,081,411.00 24,036,579.00 1,922,639.00 265,130.00 384,520.00 274,388,199.00 10,350.00 5,351,860.00

0.88

2,086,000

1,784,750.00

0.890 52.35 11.30 0.67 6.58 10.06 0.900 0.960 776 2.920 6.8 6.45 13.02 0.205 874 5.20 82.00 6.08

25,632,000 1,956,810 7,516,300 312,000 1,600 55,200 2,508,000 202,000 787,040 2,526,000 2,194,100 17,893,600 80,700 1,100,000 129,810 74,500 3,170,200 44,600

22,880,490.00 102,433,823.50 85,376,648.00 210,710.00 10,541.00 553,660.00 2,291,010.00 191,920.00 611,555,930.00 7,398,570.00 14,835,685.00 116,615,116.00 1,054,040.00 226,220.00 112,523,330.00 387,266.00 254,541,253.00 279,446.00

0.5 3.72 12 0.590 3.44 4.4500 1.280 2.99 164.00

30,000 822,000 5,845,900 264,000 39,795,000 92,000 1,337,000 20,000 224,880

14,845.00 3,044,120.00 70,139,162.00 145,710.00 134,319,890.00 400,970.00 1,598,760.00 59,440.00 36,741,613.00

1051.00 1.29 0.81 214.000 204.80 0.2000 0.200

564,255 52,000 25,000 510 1,410 18,060,000 690,000

585,180,450.00 65,700.00 19,590.00 109,068.00 277,004.00 3,646,300.00 132,140.00

14.780 0.72

594,400 478,000

1.340 0.820 44.750 1.99 4.8 6.7 0.540 0.83 0.820 0.400 9.800 18.86 0.425 0.100 1.51 1.20 4.07 0.197 1.2200 0.4150

STOCKS

JANUARY 6-10, 2020 Close Volume

DECEMBER 30-JANUARY 3, 2020 Close Volume Value

Value

Phil. Realty `A’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes Vistamalls

0.310 45.50 2.16 27.15 2.09 3.24 42.00 2.47 1.650 7.530 5.840

510,000 1,100 3,518,000 10,364,500 698,000 173,000 44,089,100 2,952,000 69,869,000 35,222,100 372,100

164,150.00 49,550.00 7,637,570.00 288,674,165.00 1,468,110.00 558,890.00 1,845,783,580.00 6,982,900.00 106,129,960.00 264,942,058.00 2,157,867.00

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel AllHome APC Group, Inc. Apollo Global Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Chelsea DFNN Inc. Discovery World Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Metro Retail MetroAlliance A NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. PH Resorts Group Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Waterfront Phils.

Wilcon Depot

9.65 18.5 1.35 11.52 0.405 0.046 18.5 3.26 10.60 86.55 5.32 5.00 2.01 8.75 891 1980 5.45 439.80 11.98 1.34 132.5 1.77 8.15 7.30 0.102 3.7300 1.9 13.94 2.47 0.88 14.18 11.50 0.410 3.23 2.12 0.95 2.480 2.4 7.50 5.14 140.00 2.58 1090.00 0.340 0.590 39.70 79.50 9.08 2.66 0.610 0.28 0.620 18.200

50,800 4,420,500 339,000 5,235,700 3,770,000 46,300,000 439,800 7,947,000 44,272,100 1,861,430 4,769,300 238,500 61,000 163,300 2,510 238,650 1,175,900 50,230 4,500 22,830,000 7,993,900 7,000 5,800 29,500 14,990,000 12,543,000 108,000 4,600 1,436,000 103,000 5,765,800 300 4,730,000 522,000 2,137,000 6,000 6,231,000 203,000 19,700 200 1,537,160 3,007,000 652,130 31,620,000 13,461,000 3,613,800 1,555,580 6,627,700 11,105,000 8,183,000 47,460,000 1,803,000 4,369,500

SERVICES 491,730.00 81,857,268.00 456,110.00 60,453,106.00 1,518,500.00 2,037,700.00 8,050,100.00 27,520,100.00 459,966,154.00 162,003,694.00 25,561,026.00 1,234,445.00 107,920.00 1,417,862.00 2,235,160.00 479,338,955.00 6,425,896.00 21,972,064.00 48,632.00 28,304,820.00 1,057,850,229.00 12,540.00 47,223.00 206,051.00 1,558,910.00 45,604,480.00 205,800.00 61,950.00 3,564,960.00 90,640.00 87,465,986.00 3,450.00 2,011,050.00 1,709,840.00 4,524,700.00 5,700.00 15,567,000.00 498,070.00 148,963.00 1,028.00 215,036,660.00 7,634,350.00 688,572,337.50 11,267,200.00 7,865,150.00 144,134,645.00 122,929,132.50 60,820,004.00 29,373,740.00 4,893,930.00 12,689,900.00 1,109,750.00 79,649,842.00

Abra Mining ACE Enexor Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Benguet Corp `A’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Semirara Corp.

United Paragon

0.0014 9.5800 1.09 2.50 10.90 1.1600 1.2000 3 0.270 7.13 1.630 0.199 0.100 0.103 0.0085 0.0097 0.9 3.11 1.02 0.4800 0.7500 0.0110 0.0110 3.20 10.22 0.0110 22.00 0.0060

MINING & OIL 800,000,000 1,157,100.00 5,301,900 51,938,076.00 12,276,000 13,605,620.00 1,313,000 3,273,320.00 5,300 58,004.00 137,000 159,230.00 39,000 45,540.00 10,737,000 32,366,080.00 870,000 234,900.00 80,600 572,711.00 15,295,000 25,357,740.00 1,070,000 211,900.00 31,510,000 3,242,250.00 15,650,000 1,596,210.00 163,000,000 1,447,300.00 42,000,000 377,200.00 1,512,000 1,359,200.00 41,635,000 131,035,640.00 204,000 204,180.00 200,000 93,550.00 1,136,000 784,070.00 203,000,000 2,174,200.00 2,564,600,000 30,809,100.00 5,392,000 17,273,110.00 6,094,100 58,796,562.00 260,200,000 2,816,800.00 2,325,200 51,246,105.00 22,000,000 125,000.00

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Alco Preferred B Alco Preferred C Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ CPG PREF A DD PREF First Gen G FPH Pref C GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B House Preferred MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred 3A PCOR-Preferred 3B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred 1 SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMPFC Preferred

17.9 100.1 100.8 501 500 100 100.5 103.7 482.2 505 5.49 990 999 99.75 101 1050 1050 100.5 108 1029 995 76.8 75 74.9 76.5 75.1 76.5 76 1.36

3,414,300 18,210 110 44,060 12,850 34,350 65,540 2,550 10 70 114,300 6,550 2,550 50,530 37,790 4,990 11,070 13,440 3,300 9,450 7,590 61,730 2,900 20,430 58,420 69,230 55,940 297,550 4,000

LR Warrant

1.250

231,000

PREFERRED 60,729,038.00 1,826,989.00 11,088.00 22,045,452.00 6,311,260.00 3,477,603.00 6,570,995.00 271,945.00 4,822.00 35,314.00 613,606.00 6,421,400.00 2,546,450.00 5,002,045.00 3,815,840.00 5,186,865.00 11,627,620.00 1,340,086.00 356,400.00 9,719,980.00 7,569,850.00 4,775,952.50 217,500.00 1,532,212.50 4,457,771.00 5,203,953.50 4,200,613.00 22,605,949.00 5,440.00

WARRANTS & BONDS 287,740.00

0.310 44.90 2.17 29.50 2.06 3.21 42.80 2.41 1.260 7.570 5.890

190,000 500 727,000 4,945,100 285,000 17,000 19,987,200 178,000 10,557,000 6,515,100 814,200

59,350.00 22,450.00 1,536,690.00 143,106,225.00 606,470.00 54,390.00 843,873,350.00 437,730.00 12,748,720.00 49,390,418.00 4,589,699.00

10.1 15.9 1.39 11.62 0.415 0.042 18.5 3.6 10.56 87.95 5.83 4.80

306,200 421,100 36,000 1,561,000 2,110,000 8,800,000 191,500 3,879,900 6,717,300 524,040 2,779,000 505,000

3,002,410.00 6,604,372.00 50,390.00 18,109,894.00 847,550.00 369,600.00 3,447,750.00 15,927,424.00 72,227,566.00 46,786,218.00 15,822,968.00 2,523,070.00

9.00 891 2020 5.40 438.40

489,300 2,590 48,575 918,200 1,250

4,334,701.00 2,305,110.00 98,188,355.00 4,952,730.00 547,016.00

1.08 135.5 1.66 8.09 7.00 0.103 3.7800

1,897,000 4,098,450 14,000 3,500 8,300 8,460,000 17,931,000

1,994,760.00 543,240,202.00 23,250.00 28,315.00 58,185.00 838,080.00 68,851,800.00

11 2.37 0.87 16.50

5,200 991,000 200,000 144,900

58,940.00 2,352,100.00 173,000.00 2,443,488.00

0.385 3.33 2.16 0.95 2.540 2.5 7.21 5.14 140.00 2.50 1008.00 0.360 0.600 39.80 80.10 8.80 2.64 0.600 0.27 0.600 17.900

190,000 30,000 503,000 317,000 2,706,000 14,000 7,100 532,300 5,030 1,368,000 225,050 22,030,000 4,822,000 2,267,900 357,140 110,000 4,654,000 2,318,000 8,270,000 425,000 5,650,300

73,400.00 99,900.00 1,065,260.00 300,880.00 6,812,280.00 35,000.00 54,390.00 2,648,961.00 704,200.00 3,328,020.00 226,157,775.00 7,745,150.00 2,800,600.00 90,749,070.00 28,522,245.50 975,276.00 12,306,390.00 1,391,740.00 2,223,100.00 256,260.00 101,600,088.00

0.0014

548,000,000

783,400.00

1.07 2.50 10.96 1.1300

3,561,000 1,877,000 75,900 14,000

3,693,320.00 4,536,190.00 805,068.00 15,820.00

2.9 0.270 6.97 1.730 0.202 0.095

1,008,000 210,000 29,700 5,378,000 190,000 240,000

2,910,280.00 56,700.00 205,862.00 9,432,310.00 38,060.00 22,400.00

0.0074

23,000,000

169,100.00

0.99 3.15 1.02

308,000 10,313,000 7,000

301,740.00 33,528,330.00 7,050.00

0.7000 0.0110 0.0110 2.92 8.98 0.0110 22.20 0.0053

163,000 22,000,000 4,600,000 1,092,000 1,651,500 152,600,000 487,200 68,000,000

117,470.00 242,000.00 50,600.00 3,129,610.00 14,593,399.00 1,564,900.00 10,743,240.00 353,700.00

16.9 98.8

54,600 10

840,390.00 988.00

501 505

11,350 2,010

5,676,440.00 1,015,070.00

101 111.9

16,220 110

1,632,908.00 12,219.00

500 5.45

10 84,000

5,000.00 452,330.00

995 97.6 100.4 1050 1050 101.5 108 1030 997 77.9

2,720 450 530 20,360 350 320 1,000 1,620 1,310 34,070

2,706,400.00 44,276.00 53,508.00 21,346,715.00 367,625.00 32,417.00 108,000.00 1,666,060.00 1,306,070.00 2,640,778.00

75 76.1 75.15 75.05 75.2

5,000 2,620 500 52,600 13,110

375,000.00 199,210.00 37,575.00 3,946,868.50 985,872.00

1.250

17,000

21,770.00

SME 9,224,690.00 17,813,875.00 21,994,760.00

3.68 10.08 0.78

485,000 406,700 5,145,000

1,768,780.00 4,053,748.00 4,024,850.00

Italpinas Kepwealth Xurpas

4.02 10.34 0.87

2,335,000 1,743,800 26,594,000

8,763,024.00 343,020.00

First Metro ETF

116.3

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 23,330 2,717,800.00

117.6

54,290

6,378,051.00

285,000 1,126,000 17,904,500 250,000 793,000 208,700 1,746,000 40,000 34,000

366,680.00 900,830.00 797,186,310.00 497,310.00 3,811,400.00 1,404,371.00 927,350.00 32,680.00 27,670.00

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.26 10 0.95

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 33,000 335,512.00 17,330 173,300.00 85,800 79,043.00

10

5,500

55,780.00

3,880,000 172,800 345,700 170,000 100,000 12,987,000 14,000 63,387,000 16,740,000 3,456,000 20,000

1,583,000.00 1,694,543.00 6,536,906.00 72,300.00 10,010.00 19,622,810.00 16,270.00 254,477,800.00 3,176,120.00 4,221,240.00 8,350.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Oriental Pet. `B’ Abra Mining Philodrill Corp. `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Oriental Pet. `A’ MRC Allied Ind. Manila Mining `A’ Manila Water Co. Inc. Fruitas Holdings Abacus Cons. `A’

VOLUME 2,564,600,000 800,000,000 260,200,000 228,646,000 203,000,000 181,540,000 163,000,000 154,231,700 142,664,000 137,441,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ SM Investments Inc. SM Prime Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. I.C.T.S.I. Ayala Corp `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

PLDT Common Bank of PI

VALUE 2,809,113,150.00 1,873,602,470.00 1,845,783,580.00 1,575,197,715.00 1,533,882,190.00 1,057,850,229.00 824,218,530.00 819,600,370.00 688,572,337.50 648,100,973.50

SEC warns public versus fraudulent investments

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission warned the public from investing hard-earned money in an unregistered investment scheme that targets public school teachers.

The SEC said in an advisory posted on its website that an entity operating under the names Teachers Financial Coaching Program, Teachers Financial Freedom Program, Elite Teachers Financial Program and Teachers Financial Program was not registered with the SEC. Based on the information gathered by the SEC, the investment programs TFCP, TFFP, ETFP, TFP had been enticing public school teachers to invest an amount of P115,000 or assist the teachers to obtain a loan from a bank in the same amount in exchange for P11,000 worth of Royale beauty products, food supplements and a cheque amounting to P10,500.

The investor, however, will be required to recruit new members to further receive another P11,000 for each recruit.

The entity likewise offers training seminars on financial literacy and promises a debt-free life, double net pay, car ownerhip, travel with family and savings in the bank.

“The public is hereby informed that based on the records of the commission, Teachers Financial Coaching Program, Teachers Financial Freedom Program, Elite Teachers Financial Program and Teachers Financial Program is not registered with the commission either as a corporation or a partnership,” the SEC said.

The regulator said the company was also not authorized to solicit investments from the public in the absence of a prio registration as prescribed by the Securities Regulation Code.

The SEC said individuals acting as salesmen, brokers, dealers or agents “in selling or convincing people to invest” in the investment scheme, including solicitations and recruitment through the internet, might also be held criminally liable and penalized with a maximum fine of P5 million or penalty of 21 years of imprisonment or both.

Maynilad invested P17.3b to replace leaky water pipes

By Othel V . Campos MAYNILAD Water Services Inc., operator of the water concession in the west of Metro Manila, said it spent about P17.3 billion to replace almost 2,600 kilometers of old, leaky pipes since winning the re-privatization in 2007.

The replacement, which is about the same as the distance between Manila and Seoul, South Korea, represents 64 percent of the water distribution network that Maynilad won in 2007.

The pipe network in Maynilad’s concession area is the oldest water system in Asia, with some portions dating back to the Spanish era.

“There is a need to sustain investments in the rehabilitation and replacement of the deteriorated pipes that Maynilad inherited. This is essential to prevent further loss of water, avoid water contamination, and increase water pressure for our customers,” said Maynilad president and chief executive officers Ramoncito Fernandez.

The water company in 2019 replaced 314 kilometers of old pipes in portions of Caloocan, Quezon City, Parañaque, Muntinlupa and Imus in Cavite.

The replacement involved an investment of P2.4 billion and enabled Maynilad to recover some 35 million liters of water a day, or enough to supply around 60,000 households.

Pipe replacement is a component of the Maynilad’s non-revenue water reduction program.

Other activities covered by the program are active leakage control, network diagnostics, meter replacements and district meter area management.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base.

It is the agent and contractor of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System for the west zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon, all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite province.

World

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

Trump warns Iran against ‘massacre’ as protests erupt

IN BRIEF

US to expel Saudi trainees

WASHINGTON―The United States will expel at least a dozen Saudi military students accused of extremist links and child pornography, after an investigation into a shooting rampage by a Saudi officer in Florida, media reported Saturday.

In December, Mohammed Alshamrani, who was in the United States as part of a Saudi military training program, opened fire in a classroom at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, killing three sailors and wounding eight other people before being shot dead by police.

While the dozen or more trainees are not accused of aiding Alshamrani, some were found to have connections to extremist movements or be in possession of child pornography, CNN reported.

The probe, which was carried out by the FBI, also found that several had not reported the assailant’s disturbing behavior before the attack, according to The Washington Post.

In mid-December the Pentagon said it had conducted background checks on all Saudi military personnel currently training in the United States and found no “immediate threat scenario.”

Defense Department officials halted operational training for Saudi Arabian military students in the United States following the attack, though classroom instruction continued.

The 21-year-old gunman, a lieutenant in the Saudi Royal Air Force, was armed with a lawfully purchased Glock 9mm handgun, and is reported to have posted a manifesto on Twitter before the shooting denouncing America as “a nation of evil.” AFP

Defiant Thais in protest fun run BANGKOK―Around 10,000 Thais joined a “run against dictatorship” on Sunday, shouting slogans and wielding three-finger salutes from the Hunger Games films in the largest show of political defiance since the 2014 coup.

The runners massed before dawn in a Bangkok park to take a stand against the government, which is led by former junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha and backed by a parliament stacked with MPs loyal to the military.

The run was led by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the charismatic billionaire leader of a stridently anti-military political party which is facing the threat of dissolution.

Thanathorn has been stripped of his MP status, and is facing a battery of legal charges.

“You can feel the anger of the people and their disappointment over the government,” Thanathorn told AFP before the run.

“I think this is the first step to general change in Thailand.”

Before the start, the runners shouted pro-democracy slogans and chanted “Get out, Prayut”.

They also wielded the three-finger salute made famous by the blockbuster Hunger Games films as a symbol of freedom from authoritarian rule.

“I want a government that takes care of the people and spends money on our well-being and the environment instead of buying tanks and submarines,” said runner Gig, dressed as a tank for the run.

Across Thailand-from Pattani province in the south to the northern tourist city Chiang Mai―thousands took part in similar runs, with participants flashing the three-fingered salute as they took off from the starting line. AFP

Firefighter dead in Australia blaze

SYDNEY―An Australian firefighter has become the latest victim of the months-long bushfire crisis, with authorities saying Sunday that the 60-year-old man died fighting a blaze in the country’s south.

Chris Hardman, chief fire officer at Forest Fire Management Victoria, said a firefighter from Parks Victoria was “involved in an incident while working on a fire in the Omeo area resulting in a fatality”.

It is believed he was struck by a tree.

The death raised the toll from Australia’s bushfires to at least 27, even as firefighters took advantage of cooler conditions to conduct backburning and strengthen containment lines.

Also Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government would consider opening a commission of inquiry into the blazes, amid sustained criticism of his handling of the crisis.

“I think that is what would be necessary, and I will be taking a proposal through Cabinet to that end,” he told public broadcaster ABC. Morrison acknowledged a groundswell of anger about the climate-fueled fires, which have burned an area the size of South Korea and again shrouded Sydney in smoke Sunday.

The prime minister―a staunch supporter of fossil fuel industries―said emissions targets would “evolve” but ruled out curbing Australia’s vast exports of coal.

“In the years ahead, we are going to continue to evolve our policy in this area to reduce emissions even further and we are going to do it without a carbon tax, without putting up electricity prices and without shutting down traditional industries,” he said. AFP

B3

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

WORKING DOG. Jimmy, an Indonesian police K-9 squad working dog, sniffs suitcases for narcotics during an anti-drug drill

in Jakarta on January 12, 2020. Indonesian police are assisted by canine K-9 dogs fo criminal investigation, detection of explosive substances, drug searching and locating missing people in natural disasters. AFP

China rebuked as Tsai elected by a landslide

T

AIPEI-China’s campaign to isolate Taiwan has backfired spectacularly with voters handing President Tsai Ing-wen a landslide second termbut authoritarian Beijing is unlikely to abandon its diplomatic cudgel anytime soon, analysts say.

Tsai’s re-election on Saturday with a record 8.2 million votes, or 57 percent, was a forceful rebuke of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s push to heap economic and diplomatic pressure on the self-ruled island.

But this attempt to encourage support for the more Beijing-friendly opposition pushed Taiwanese voters instead in droves towards Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which leans towards independence.

The result keeps Taiwan on a collision course with its giant neighbor―which views the island as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary.

“Beijing will want to quickly put the squeeze on a second Tsai term, poaching allies and reducing its international space and perhaps increasing demonstrations of military might,” Jonathan Sullivan, a Taiwan expert at Britain’s University of Nottingham, told AFP. “A Tsai victory means that Beijing will likely not just maintain [its] policies but seek to increase the pressure,” added Clayton Dube at the University of Southern California.

Beijing loathes Tsai because she refuses to abide by their

view that Taiwan is part of “one China”.

It has long warned that any formal declaration of independence would be a red line that could spark an invasion-a move that could push China into direct conflict with the US, which remains Taiwan’s main military ally.

While Chinese state media portrays Tsai as an independence advocate―and many in her DPP party favor a formal declaration―Tsai holds a deliberately more ambiguous stance.

She maintains that Taiwan is already a sovereign nation and argues that only its 23 million inhabitants, not Beijing, should decide the island’s future.

After she was first elected in 2016, Tsai reached out for cross-strait talks without preconditions.

But China responded by cutting off official communication with her government, ramping up military drills and turning the screw on the economy by drastically reducing mainland tourists.

It also poached seven of Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies, leaving just 15 nations that still recognize the island as a legitimate country.

Rather than cave, Tsai moulded herself as a defender of liberal democratic values.

During her campaign for re-election, she also repeatedly invoked the political unrest in nearby Hong Kong as a warning of what might await Taiwan should Beijing take control.

The plan worked -- 1.3 million more people voted for her in 2020 than 2016.

Her main rival Han Kuo-yu from the Kuomintang party (KMT), who pushed for warmer ties with China, won just 39 percent of the vote. AFP

The two faces of freedom THE 1987 Constitution of the Philippines guarantees to defend the basic right to life, liberty, and property of its citizens. There are also provisions that protect our freedom of speech, of expression, and of the press, among others. But when a citizen wronged society due to breach of another’s freedom, can he be free again? This article is not about constitutional law but is focused on what the erring citizens go through to be free despite the barriers to freedom and how the free learn from the unfree.

I exposed my MBA students to Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in the New Bilibid Prison as part of their Service Learning Project for their Lasallian Business Leadership course. At the beginning, there were resistance from one or two of these students who asked, “Would a visit to the prison facility be worth my time and effort? Why don’t we just go to other venues for service learning?

Anyway, these prisoners are considered liability to society.”

The prison exposure entails two immersion days, one for needs assessment and the other for project implementation. During the first meeting, graduate students talk to the PDLs, get to know their situation, and mutually plan for the project that can address the needs of the inmates who are studying while in prison. Students discover the elusive reality of the unfree.. the choice of space to live, people to interact, and access to life’s joys are no longer viable. The choice left for a better future is enrolment to an alternative learning system within the facility free of charge. A fourth of the population in the Medium Security Command attend school.

During the interaction, the desire to positively contribute to the rehabilitation of the inmates germinate.

Insights on the importance and appre-

ciation of physical freedom emerge.

A deeper awareness to remain free by doing good is cemented. The free learn from the unfree to value thistaken-for granted freedom so as not become a number in prison.

On the project implementation day, graduate students prepare to share talents and resources contributing to the rehabilitation program of the facility.

Various interventions augmenting knowledge, values and skills acquisition are facilitated among groups from the ALS—Elementary, ALSHigh School, College, School of Fine Arts, Tech-Voc and Basic Literacy Programs. There are even medical, spiritual, artistic and academic activities done to address total wellness of the PDLs. So, what are the impact and meaning of these interventions?

First, students learn to value what Nelson Mandela said in his autobiography, “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” By the presence of graduate students and considering the PDLs as people first, hope is enkindled and exudes the message of respect for another human being despite their conditions.

Second, the PDLs may be menace, yet deserve second chances... they may not be physically free, but can be freed from anger, envy, hatred and revenge which limit their spirit. Graduate students bring the message that all is not lost, rather possibilities are multiple and living positively uplifts one’s spirit amid chaotic personal circumstances.

Third, the supposedly free may be living an imprisoned life born from their childhood experiences, unwise decisions, unbelief in their capacity to care as well as self-deprivation due inability to show love. The dialogic

DR. MARIA PAQUITA D. BONNET

Green LiGht

interaction between graduate students and the inmates bring reflective moments to rethink one’s situation and an opportunity to change perspective.

Fourth, trusting in the process of learning brings about transformation of the mind, the heart and spirit. An unknown reality brings about fear and uneasiness. But a strong faith that invest time and effort harvests change in perspective and behavior.

Who then is freer? The helped or the helper? The free or the unfree?

In the words of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “it is not how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts.” Moreover, she reminds us to “let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: Kindness in your face. Kindness in your eyes. Kindness in your smile.”

We are called to minister to each other. We are called to be free.

Dr. Maria Paquita D. Bonnet is Chairperson and full-time Faculty of the Management and Organization Department, Ramon del Rosario College of Business, De la Salle University. She teaches Lasallian Business Leadership, Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility, and Strategic Human Resource Management. She also teaches at the Educational Leadership and Management Department of the same university.

She can be contacted at maria.paquita.diongon-bonnet@dlsu.edu.ph The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States was monitoring Iranian demonstrations closely, warning against any new “massacre” as protests broke out after Tehran admitted to shooting down a passenger plane.

Iran said earlier it unintentionally downed a Ukrainian jetliner outside Tehran, killing all 176 people aboard, in an abrupt aboutturn after initially denying Western claims it was struck by a missile. The firing came shortly after Iran launched missiles at bases in Iraq housing American forces.

President Hassan Rouhani said a military probe into the tragedy had found “missiles fired due to human error” brought down the Boeing 737, calling it an “unforgivable mistake.”

At a student protest to pay tribute to the crash victims on Saturday, Iranian authorities briefly detained Britain’s ambassador, in what the British government called a violation of international law. He was later released.

Trump told Iranians―in tweets in both English and Farsi―that he stands by them and is monitoring the demonstrations.

“To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I’ve stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you,” he tweeted.

“There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching,” he added, apparently referring to an Iranian crackdown on street protests that broke out in November.

“We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage,” he said.

The new demonstrations follow an Iranian crackdown on street protests that broke out in November. Amnesty International has said it left more than 300 people dead.

Internet access was reportedly cut off in multiple Iranian provinces ahead of memorials planned a month after the protests. AFP

Queen, Harry, other royals in crisis meeting LONDON―Queen Elizabeth II will host a showdown meeting with Prince Harry on Monday in an attempt to solve the crisis triggered by his bombshell announcement that he and wife Meghan were stepping back from the royal front line.

Other senior royals, including Harry’s father Prince Charles and brother Prince William, with whom he has strained relations, will join the monarch at her private Sandringham estate in eastern England, according to British media.

Meghan will join the meeting via conference call from Canada as they attempt to work out the “next steps” towards a compromise and nip the growing crisis in the bud.

Issues up for debate include how much money the couple will still receive from Charles’s estate, their HRH titles and what commercial deals they can strike, according to the Sunday Times.

Harry, Meghan and son Archie spent Christmas in Canada, with the American former actress returning there this week.

The Queen on Thursday demanded that staff work with the couple to urgently find a “workable solution” that would take into account their demands for more freedom.

Several Canadian media reported Meghan had returned to Vancouver island off the country’s Pacific coast, where the family spent the year-end holidays and where baby Archie had remained with his nanny.

Senior royals were caught off guard by Wednesday’s announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wanted to seek a “progressive new role” and divide their time between Britain and North America.

The Queen’s office issued a terse statement the same evening, saying there were “complicated issues that will take time to work through”.

Harry and Meghan said they intended to continue to “fully support” the queen and “collaborate” with senior royals.

They also want to keep their home on the Manila TO THE queen’s Windsor CasNOTICE PUBLIC tle estate as their Brit- Standard TODAY ish base, while aiming Please be adviced that Mr. Jayne Canhe to become financially Cabagon, male, 65 years old died on December 28, independent. and was interred at But their desire to live 2010 Heritage Park Cemetary as both members of the in Taguig City. monarchy and private For information and individuals making a concerns about this please call his living was described as person, wife at 0955-5820028, with address at 349 a “toxic mix” by David St., Comembo, McClure, an investiga- Apitong For Bonifacio, Makati tor into royal finances. City .

AFP (MS-JAN. 6,13 & 20, 2020)

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

B4

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

PERFORMANCE. The Pangisdaan Street Dance Competition features students from various schools in Navotas during the Pangisdaan Festival 2020 held at the city’s Centennial Park. Andrew Rabulan

P3-m shabu seized in Davao City D

AVAO CITY—Over P3 million worth of illegal drugs were seized by Calinan Police and Task Force Davao in a checkpoint Saturday evening.

The Davao City Police Office on personalities entering the city.

Sunday said the illegal drugs, weighing Apprehended were Abolker Cabuabout 179 grams, were brought by eight gatan, Oden Busran, Jerry Ali, Lando

Ali, Norlayla Dipatuan, Eddie Acop, Mohammad Gubat, and Rosalyn Abdulgani. All of the suspects came from Lanao del Sur. The suspects, who were on board a Toyota Innova, were asked to alight from the vehicle and submit their personal belongings for inspection by pass-

ing through an X-ray scanner.

Recovered from the suspects were five pieces of big-sized and 10 smallsized heat-sealed plastic transparent sachet containing suspected shabu.

Meanwhile, in Cavite, 17 persons were arrested in 12 separate drug bust operations, according to pro-

vincial police officer-in-charge Col. Marlon Santos.

One of the suspects, Akmad Saripada, was caught with 130 grams of suspected shabu with a street value of P844,000 at Barangay Datu Esmael in Dasmarinas City, Cavite. PNA with Benjamin Chavez

Mati City adopts master plan for Pujada Bay rehab MATI CITY, Davao Oriental—The city government has committed to implement a master plan for proper sewage disposal as a measure to further protect the Pujada Bay here.

Mayor Michelle Rabat said they will be putting up sewage treatment plants to ensure that wastes from households going out to Pujada Bay are treated and cleaned before they are dumped in the waters.

“I have coordinated with various officials to make sure that all canals that leads to the bay will have a catchment basin,” she said.

“Here in Mati, all leads to the bay.

We have to make sure that all water leading to the bay be treated and recycled,” she added.

Rabat said the local government will be providing catchment basins to ensure that no plastics and other garbage would reach the bay.

Pujada Bay was recently cited by the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club.

The Pujada Bay Landscape and Seascape was declared as a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Areas System through Presidential Proclamation 431.

It covers about 20,0887 hectares of protected landscapes and seascapes. PNA

FAMILY DAY.

This family spends a simple weekend bonding activity at the baywalk along Roxas Boulevard in Manila Bay on Sunday. PNA

Boracay town stops collecting pontoon payment MNLF leader survives ambush ILOILO CITY—The Boracay InterAgency Rehabilitation Management Group has asked the mayor of Malay town to stop the collection of pontoon (floating bridges) payment from Boracay Island visitors.

BIARMG chief Natividad Bernardino sent a formal communication to Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista on Thursday to stop the collection of P30 per person for the use of two pontoons.

She said the fee collection has yet to be approved by the National Task Force Boracay principals, including Environ-

ment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing.

“The problem there is it did not go (through) the task force’s deliberation and approval. That was the proposal of the local government unit, but they went ahead with it,” Bernardino said.

Though it got the nod from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Malay, Bernardino said anything done in Boracay must still be consulted with the task force since the island is under rehabilitation.

Bautista has raised the concern dur-

ing the meeting last Nov. 26 but was told to wait for the principals’ decision.

“He (mayor) was told to justify the basis of the rate,” she said, noting that the next principals’ meeting is scheduled either in the last week of January or the first week of February.

In a separate interview, Bautista said the local government unit has stopped the collection of the fees on Saturday.

Of the P30 fee, P4.50 goes to the LGU while the rest are shared by Manocmanoc and Balabag villages and the private company owner. PNA

KIDAPAWAN CITY—A top Moro National Liberation Front commander has survived a gun attack on Saturday in Matalam town, Cotabato, but his driver was killed.

Police said MNLF political affairs officer and Barangay Ilian chairman Kutin Idtug, 67, and two other companions were waylaid by at least 10 armed men in Barangay Marbel.

The suspects opened fire at Idtug’s vehicle.

Matalam chief of police Maj. Joseph Brian Placer said the driver of the multicab that Idtug and his companions

were riding died on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Idtug also sustained gunshot wounds but he is now in a stable condition at the Midway Hospital in Matalam.

One of his companions, Antonio Saban, sustained minor injuries, Placer said.

“Allegedly the suspects are positioned at the sugarcane plantation if we based it on the traces from the position of the vehicle,” Placer said.

Police recovered several slugs and empty shells from M14 and M16 rifles and a carbine from the crime scene.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

FOOD

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

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Philadelphia Roll

Something healthy to

start the year right PAY IT FORWARD. Mulberry Door serves a generous helping of local cuisine with a side of women empowerment during the third fundraiser for GREAT Women platform. The special luncheon consists of Kalabasa Soup with Coconut Cream and Bagnet Chicharon, and Roasted Turkey Adobo served with Adlai Paella.

A special menu for women

T

empowerment

HE last leg of the anniversary fundraiser of Mulberry Door and nawwTy’s Kitchen served a generous helping of local cuisine, with a side of community-building and women empowerment.

Trish Panlilio partnered with GREAT Women, a platform that supports women enterprises and economic empowerment, for the third dinner collaboration of nawwTy’s Gives Back which started in October until December 2019. The restaurateur showed her support for the women weavers by cooking up a menu featuring homegrown ingredients.

“We are happy to be partnering with the GREAT Women platform, because our rich indigenous Filipino culture is something to be proud, of and its preservation is something that we openly ought to support,” enthused Panlilio.

In the Philippines, the brand platform, led by Jeannie Javelosa, focuses on the sustainable supply chain of yarns, textiles, lifestyle apparel, and gifts. It works with nearly 40 weaving communities, many of them indigenous peoples around the Philippines.

The fundraiser allowed diners to purchase a select dish from the existing menu of Mulberry Door from which 20 percent was donated to GREAT Women to help fund for eyeglasses or spools of thread for the Bagobo Tagabaw (in the south) and Ibaloi (from the north) community weavers.

“We can help enhance the productivity of our weavers by having their eyes checked and giving them new eyeglasses,” said Javelosa.

Javelosa continued, “We had wondered why our GREAT Women weavers were so slow and realized it was because many of the older weavers could not see anymore. The handloom weaving process is so intricate that they need eyeglasses to see.”

She also said any additional funds from the partnership with Mulberry would go to purchase spools of threads for the

Bagobo Tagabawa master weaver Vivencia Mamites

indigenous weavers.

The selected menu from Mulberry Door includes Chipirones, Bone Marrow Onion Soup, Mushroom Chicken Asiago served with Sourdough Bread, Callos with Garlic Baguette, Luca’s Chicken Kiev with Mashed Potatoes, Turn to C2

AFTER a series of holiday feasts and parties, of throwing diet plans to the window for the sake of another serving of crispy pata and kare-kare and chicken cordon bleu, many are now back to or about to start healthy eating habits— those that have more fresh vegetables and seafood in the mix.

When looking to eat healthier than usual, Japanese have plenty of suggestions. Kitsho restaurant in Hotel Jen Manila meets this requirement with new dishes that are on the healthy side as well as on the tasty side of the spectrum.

Using only the freshest catch and Sushi Sando farm produce, the new dishes reflect the meticulous care and execution that the Kitsho food and beverage team has given to every dish they prepare.

First on the new menu items is the twoin-one treat Philadelphia Roll, a special tempura rolled in smoked salmon. It offers the crunchiness of tempura and the succulence of salmon in one bite.

Sushi lovers, meanwhile, would particularly relish the Geisha Maki Roll, a new addition to the restaurant’s wide array of sushi choices. The new item features marinated kamaboko salad in a fresh salmon roll. The ala carte option is priced at P788 (VAT included).

Sushi Sando combines two favorite seafood items, tuna and salmon, marinated in spicy Aokakesu spicy paste for that mouthwatering zing. The marinade brings out the natural flavors of both tuna and salmon.

Salmon Yu Sheng Seafood aficionados are in for a treat with the Milky Way Roll. The dish may have an intergalactic name but all the deliciousness of marinated tuna and salmon are wrapped up in slices of squid—seafood heaven in a single plate.

Salmon sashimi salad is given a new twist when marinated salmon is drenched in a special spicy dressing and served on a plate of ice. The coolness of this dish assures diners that all the moisture and juiciness are intact. It is priced at P898 (VAT included).

Aside from these new dishes, diners can still enjoy their other favorites like the yakimono options, bento boxes, tempura, sukiyaki and hotpot, meat dishes, and a lot more.

Kitsho Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar is managed and operated by MCK Millennium Foods, Inc. Call (02) 89943623 or 8877-6379 for inquiries and Salmon Sashimi Salad reservations.

YEAR OF THE RAT

Starbucks Lunar New Year collection features the cute and playful rat.

Drink up luck

Trish Panlilio’s last fundraising dinner in 2019 benefitted Bagobo Tagabaw (in photo) and Ibaloi community weavers.

STARBUCKS Coffee Philippines celebrates the Lunar New Year with a range of Year of the Rat limited edition merchandise.

The coffeehouse launches its Lunar New Year collection featuring the cute and playful rat in a background of blossoming cherry and orange trees

in bold red, gold, and Starbucks green colors. Included are coffee mugs, togo cups, and tumblers.

Also part of the range is the pink Year of the Rat paper card, available for an initial activation amount of P300. This adorable and collectible card is now available in all stores nationwide.

Life

C2

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Jollibee relives its iconic ‘Isa pa, isa pang Chickenjoy’ chant in a new short video showing the current young generation expressing their desire to have one more serving of the beloved fried chicken.

One more time: ‘Isa pang Chickenjoy’ returns

F

OR many kids in the ‘90s, there’s a simple chant that expressed desire to have that juicy, crispy chicken from that fast food with a bee mascot.

Those who are not familiar with it, it was Serena Dalrymple’s iconic and catchy “Isa pa, isa pang Chickenjoy” chant first heard in a Jollibee TV commercial in 1997 made by ad agency Publicis JimenezBasic.

Truly timeless, the line continues to resonate with today’s generation; a simple, direct request to

have more of the beloved fried chicken.

The fast food giant brings back this chant with a short video that features young Filipinos doing the chant with their families and friends. Jollibee said it underscores how the chant still has a place in the hearts of the current young generation, over two

decades since it was first heard.

“Jolibee Chickenjoy is so beloved among generations of Filipinos that reviving ‘isa pa, isa pang Chickenjoy’ still resonates so much with everyone after all this time,” said Cathleen Capati, Jollibee marketing assistant vice president for bestsellers category.

PH butcher vies for int’l meat cutting crown

Milk on top

TEXAS Roadhouse butcher Joel Herher was named 2019 Philippine National Meat Cutter Champion. He will be heading to the International Championship to represent the country in Taipei, Taiwan this month to vie for the crown.

Herher, who bested three other contestants during the national competition, has been a meat cutter at Texas Roadhouse for more than 10 years. He knows that every great steak starts with a good meat grade and the perfect cut as both have a crucial effect on the meat’s tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.

According to him, it takes exemplary skills and meticulousness to handle

and prepare hand-cut steaks that speak of the best quality.

Texas Roadhouse takes pride in serving meticulously defined handcut steaks that are all grilled to perfection according to every guest’s preference. Sirloin, for instance, are cut into 6 oz., 12 oz., and 11 oz., while bone-in rib-eye steaks are at 22 oz. All other transformations are cut in accordance with the standard requirements of Texas Roadhouse Grill all over the world.

“I’m proud to be the country’s delegate to Taipei next month. The main goal, of course, is to put the country on the map in the meat cutting category,” enthused Herher.

The new Kievit Instant Milk Cap Powder can be used to create a creamy layer on top of a variety of drinks as well as desserts.

WITH the popularity of customized and new concoctions of beverages, Dutch dairy company FrieslandCampina Ingredients Food and Beverages launches a unique product to add an indulgent layer to drinks or desserts.

The new Kievit Instant Milk Cap Powder, as its name suggests, can be used to create a delectable creamy layer on top of a variety of drinks and food items in an instant.

It encourages the proliferation of unique and diverse drinks and desserts with a signature finish, as the product can be topped off with nearly everything, allowing consumers to opt for personalized options in their favorite foodservice outlets.

The milk cap can be blended with either milk or water, added to both hot and cold beverages and, depending on the desired appearance, one can choose between having a clean distinctive top foam layer or a blended “latte” effect.

Looking ahead at the future of food and trends, Tracy Joy Fortu, segment marketer foodservice at FrieslandCampina Ingredients Food and Beverages, reiterated the importance of personalization when it comes to beverages today.

“If variety is the spice of life, it is personalization that will keep the millennials and Generation Z coming back for more. For example, adding different sprinkles, syrups, or sweet marshmal-

SIP 50-peso Caffè Americano THIS is for those who take their coffee black and with a piece of pastry.

Café Bonjour serves an 8 oz. cup of Americano for P50 when purchased with any of the coffeehouse’s cakes and pastries (both sweet and savory variants).

The offer is available until Jan. 21 at Café Bonjour branches at Total service stations in Alabang, SLT, NLT, West Service Road, Newport, Cabuyao, Commonwealth, Severina, Visayas Avenue, Greenhills, Puyo (Cabuyao), Alaminos (Laguna), and its standalone store in BGC.

Caffè Americano with a side of pastry.

lows to a beverage allows consumers to match their drink to their mood and ring the changes every day. And now, you have a milk cap as yet another exciting option,” said Fortu.

Not only does this ingredient inspire exciting ideas around the look and taste of beverages, but the preciseness of the serving mix also reduces food waste and helps maintain a low inventory. It is a single ingredient, stirred with a simple spoon or stirrer and mixed with water or milk.

According to the brand, Kievit Instant Milk Cap Powder, which is produced in Manila, is gearing up for a global presence with its initial launch with partners in Thailand and the Philippines.

Joel Herher (center) is flanked by Texas Roadhouse director of operations Cyril Reyes, The Bistro Group vice president for operations Guia Abuel, Texas Roadhouse director of international operations Mark Stephen, and general manager Jay Balancio.

An ingredient...

From C1

Eggplant Parmigiana with Ciabatta, and Lemon Carbonara.

In addition, the restaurant also served a full four-course meal inspired by indigenous cuisine. The special lunch menu consisted of Kalabasa Soup with Coconut Cream and Bagnet Chicharon, Tomato and Arugula Salad with Salted Egg Vinaigrette and Chicken Skin, Roasted Turkey Adobo with Kamote, Haricot Verts, and Sampinit served with Adlai Paella.

It was capped off with a delightful

Ube Cupcake made by Joey Dyhianto of Doughmestic Botanicakes who has been collaborating with Panlilio at numerous events since last year.

With the success of nawwTY’s Gives Back in 2019, Panlilio said a second installment is in the works for 2020.

“We have so much to be grateful for the continued support from our patrons who have helped us grow from my home kitchen to custom catering business and eventually our first restaurant. We are inspired to continue offering quality dining experience with luxe comfort food and new dishes that we will develop to continue to delight our guests,” she said.

Entertainment

Ballet Manila’s ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ set for world premiere

Ballet Manila marries traditional and contemporary elements in the staging of 'Sleeping Beauty.'

B

ALLET Manila, the country’s most solidly trained classical ballet company, kicks off the year on a high note as it once again enchants ballet fans with the world premiere ofSleeping Beauty, the well-loved classic tale of first love, enchantment, and goodness prevailing over evil.

The staging of Sleeping Beauty is a triumphant move for Ballet Manila which, recently suffered a huge loss after the devastating Star City blaze which razed its home, Aliw Theater. Ballet Manila has announced that Sleeping Beauty is now scheduled on Jan. 18 at 6:00 p.m. and Jan. 19 at 3:00 p.m. at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila.

The conclusion of the Princess Trilogy by Ballet Manila CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde, Sleeping Beauty is

a retelling of the well-loved fairy tale featuring new elements that were conceptualized by the prima ballerina herself. Macuja Elizalde modified this classic work and made sure that this version will reflect her company’s sophisticated talent and creativity.

For Ballet Manila’s Sleeping Beauty, ballet fans can expect new characters, interesting crossovers, added storylines, more choreography, and unexpected twists. Marrying traditional and contemporary elements, this enchanting spectacle is something to truly something that ballet fans and enthusiasts can look forward to.

Leading the ensemble is principal dancer Jasmine Pia Dames who will take on the role of Aurora, while her fellow principal dancer Romeo Peralta will be her love interest, Prince Phillip. Other cast members include Mark Sumaylo, Rissa May Camaclang, Joan Sia, Gerardo Francisco, Rafael Perez, Alvin Dictado, Shaira Comeros, and Emma Harris.

To buy tickets for the shows, visit any Ticketworld outlet, call 891 9999, or go to www.ticketworld.com.ph. For more information, visit https://balletmanila.com.ph/ orhttps://www.facebook. com/BalletManilaOfficial/.

Extra International...

song “Yummy,” released last week.

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through infected ticks, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From C4 Symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, joint aches and a “bull’s-eye” rash that occurs in 70 to 80 percent of infections.

Most people who are treated with antibiotics early fully recover, according to the CDC, though the infection can become severe or prolonged in some cases. AFP *** POP superstar Justin Bieber announced Wednesday that he has Lyme disease.

In a post on Instagram, Bieber said he will address his struggle with the illness, which is contracted through a tick bite, in a YouTube documentary.

“It’s been a rough couple years but getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever,” the 25-year-old entertainer wrote in the post’s caption.

He called out critics who he says have been unfairly commenting on his looks by saying he looks like he is “on meth.”

“They failed to realize I’ve been recently diagnosed with Akon spent his early childhood in Senegal but moved to the US Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic at age seven, where he later rose to superstardom. mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health.”

The post’s photos include pictures said to be taken in September of Bieber appearing to be hooked up to an IV drip.

The photo portion of Bieber’s post shows a TMZ article reporting that the YouTube documentary is set for a Jan. 27 SENEGALESE-AMERICAN singer and songwriter Akon has release. pledged to invest in tourism in his native Senegal, industry and In subsequent Instagram posts and on his Instagram story government officials said Thursday. later in the day, Bieber thanked his fans for supporting his new Best known for his R&B hits such as “Locked Up” and “Smack That,” the singer signed a deal with Senegal’s stateowned tourism company SAPCO on Tuesday.

“Beyond his status as an artist, it is Akon, the investor who believes in Africa (signing up to the agreement),” the tourism ministry said in a statement before the ceremony.

SAPCO Secretary General Aliune Ndiaye told AFP that the deal was a memorandum of understanding, so the size of the future investment is still unclear.

He added, however, that Akon plans to build a complex in the seaside village of Mbodiene, some 120 kilometers south of the capital Dakar.

The rapper, whose real name is Alioune Badara Thiam, spent his early childhood in Senegal but moved to the US at age seven, where he later rose to superstardom.

A spokesperson for Senegal’s tourism ministry said the Justin Bieber, seen in 2019, said he will document his struggles singer wanted to build a sustainable tourism village that would with Lyme disease in a YouTube documentary. “campaign for the environment.” AFP

Justin Bieber reveals he has Lyme disease

Singer Akon signs tourism deal in Senegal homeland

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Call her MS. O NO! This is neither about the most influential celebrity talk show host Oprah Winfrey nor an analysis of the mystical princess Odette from the classical ballet Swan Lake and why it is considered as one of the greatest ballets of all time.

In today’s Arias, allow me to introduce to you millennials, the musical genius and legacy of the statuesque and almost like a supermodel for real, Ms. Odette Quesada.

During my wonder years, which was of course during the decadent era of the ‘80s, Quesada first gained prominence when she won second place at the 1982 Metro Manila Pop Music Festival with the song “Give Me A Chance” as interpreted by the hunk du jour of the time, Ric Segreto.

When you first hear Segreto croons the lines, “I need you, it’s all that I can say…” which had the requisite ache and longing, immediately, the Generation X demographics were hooked.

Add the fact that the late Segreto was handsome with smoldering sensuality, it was a no brainer that this song from Quesada became a national anthem instantaneously, with a lot of airplay in the top FM stations and the record, sold like the hot pan de sal.

Her artistic collaborations with Segreto then always made me wonder if there was more to their singer and songwriter professional relationship because two of her best songs, it was Segreto who gave life and meaning to them. If they did play beautiful music on a personal level, that I do not have the answer.

Quesada’s mushy songs are like the hugot songs of now only with upper middle class sensibilities. They were always written in the King’s language.

It had rhyme and rhythm, easy listening and never failed to melt one’s heart like the M & M’s.

Her next big hit came a year after in 1983, she snagged her first place Metropop win with “Til I Met You,” which was performed by the Philippines’ Ice Queen and Pop Diva,Kuh Ledesma.

The rest of my generation’s wonder years were filled with her music. Most of her compositions, interpreted by the best years of our lives singing superstars.

Some fine samples, in the ultimate coming of age movie Bagets, which starred Herbert Bautista, JC Bonnin, Raymond Lauchencgo, William Martinez, and Aga Muhlach, some of its most iconic ditties such as “I Need You Back,” “Growing Up” and the graduation anthem “Farewell,” Quesada compositions.

Lauchengco was the voice for “I Need You Back” and “Farewell,” and Gary Valenciano did “Growing Up.” Some songs from Hotshots, the first

Singersongwriter Odette Quesada has penned numerous classics that transcend generations.

and only of director Jeric Soriano, the father of director Paul Soriano, specifically “Reaching Out” by Valenciano, as well as “Shadow of Time”

by Lauchengco, are also being credited to her even if she did not write them.

One of the Megastar Sharon Cuneta’s biggest songs, which was also the title of her movie with the late Miguel Rodriguez, “To Love Again,” Quesada also composed it. And I am so freaking sure that the millennials nowadays, with YouTube readily available, have heard and are familiar with these songs made by Odette.

May some Gen Z members can relate to her other compositions and the songs she sang such as “Friend of Mine,” “You’re My Home,” “Dito Lang,” and “Wala Nang Nasa Isip.”

Majority of Quesada’s songs have been revived by so many Filipino top-selling singing artists.

Aside from being a songwriter, Odette can also sing. You have heard “Friend of Mine,” of course, it has become the official song of the friendzoned, right?

Quesada possesses a unique voice.

When she sings, it has a purity to it, undoubtedly feminine, you immediately feel that this woman is in love and it does not matter whether that love was unrequited or consummated, she expresses her emotions through her songs with a lot of truthfulness.

Her songs, the lyrics, and their melodies can make you stop what you are doing.

Every word and every line, allows the listener to recollect many firsts - look of love, kiss, tighter than tight embraces, the feel of his or her hand holding yours, kilig, fights, heartbreak and all the things we experience with a great romance that has become for keeps or is now a memory remembered with a smile and some welling of tears, perhaps?

To borrow the lines from a song that I wished Quesada also wrote, Janis Ian’s “At 17,” to those of us who knew the pain, and the Valentine’s that never came and to all the believers still of true love, Ms. O, after three decades of being in the US, is back in Manila to celebrate not only her birthday but also to give us, her adoring fans her timeless songs with Odette Quesada, Hopeless Romantic, which will happen at the BGC Arts Center.

On Jan. 17, the kick-off night’s special guest is Kuh Ledesma. Sharon Cuneta joins her on the finale shindig on Jan. 18.

Tickets for Odette Quesada, Hopeless Romantic are available online via Ticketworld or call 02-88919999.

Guy Ritchie’s all-star gangster film soon in PH FROM writer-director Guy Ritchie comes The Gentlemen, a starstudded, sophisticated action comedy that follows American expat Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey), who has built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London.

When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business, a host of colorful, if entirely illegitimate figures scheme, bribe and blackmail their way to try and steal Mickey’s domain out from under him.

The Gentlemen’s exciting power cast includes Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, with Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant – all under the direction of master filmmaker Guy Ritchie, who returns to the genre and type of characters to which he gave an indelible and unique flavor in films such as Sherlock Holmes, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch.

Filmmaker Ritchie came up with the idea for the film almost a decade ago. He explains the film’s origins as a work entitled Toff Guys—a

Guy Ritchie's 'The Gentlemen' stars Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant.

reference to the British slang for someone from an aristocratic background, and who exudes an air of superiority—and what drew him to its ideas and themes.

“It all spoke to my interest in exploring the meeting of disparate polarities in the English and American class systems.

The characters have reached an age where they are magnetically drawn to the finer things in life and have become gentrified in their rather ungentrified business,” he said.

“They are, at their core, hard-boiled and have worked their way up the urban ladder.

Now, they’re caught between two worlds, one of which is aspirational. And the things they enjoy are now out of sync with the business they’re in,” Ritchie added.

The title The Gentlemen points to their aspirations, but as Ritchie admits, “There aren’t a lot of gentlemen in this equation.”

The Gentlemen opens Jan. 29 in Philippine cinemas.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020

HBO to produce ‘Parasite’ miniseries US CABLE channel HBO has secured the rights to adapt South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s critical smash hit Parasite into a miniseries.

Television companies vying to adapt the movie include Netflix, which produced Bong’s 2017 hit Okja, entertainment website Deadline Hollywood reported.

A dark satire about the relationship between two families, Parasite has earned $130 million worldwide, picking up the coveted Palme d’Or at Cannes and a best foreign film Golden Globe along the way.

“Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more

amazing films,” the 50-year-old Bong said as he accepted the award at the Globes on Sunday.

“I think we use only just one language—the cinema.”

Already considered a favorite for the foreignlanguage Oscar—with the nominations announcement coming on Monday—some analysts say Parasite could be a contender to win best picture, too.

Joining Bong on the adaptation will be Adam McKay, the Oscar-winning writer-director of The Big Short (2015) and Vice (2018). AFP Continued on C3

HBO is in negotiations for a limited series based on one of the hottest movies of the year, Bong Joon Ho's genre-bending 'Parasite.'

LIZA SOBERANO

does an Erin Brockovich in

‘Make It With You’

GMA confirms distribution deal at Asia TV Forum 2019 IN A deal confirmed during the 2019 Asia TV Forum in Singapore, GMA Worldwide, Inc. (GWI), content distribution arm of GMA Network, entered into another partnership with Latin Media Corporation (LMC) to distribute three of its dramas in Latin America.

Among the three titles acquired

by LMC is the suspense drama The Gift starring GMA’s top talent, Alden Richards. It tells the story of Joseph (Richards) who becomes a clairvoyant after a near-death experience. The series is among GMA’s primetime hits for 2019.

LMC also acquired distribution rights for the crime dramas Dahil Sa Pag-big (For Love Or Money), and Bihag (The Silent Thief). For Love Or Money tells the story of a wife who sacrifices her dignity to raise

blood money and save her husband from the death row in the Middle East while The Silent Thief is about a mother’s desperate efforts to find her kidnapped son.

The Gift, For Love Or Money, and The Silent Thief will be showcased by Latin Media Corp. in the 2020 edition of NATPE Miami on Jan. 21 to 23.

The ratings success of GMA dramas in Latin America including My Special Tatay/ The Heart Knows (Un Corazon Especial) and Onanay/The Way To Your Heart (El Amor Mas Grande) raised the demand for Filipino content in the region.

The new deal between GWI and LMC hopes to further satisfy this demand with dramas that viewers can relate to and boost ratings for its broadcasters. For inquiries, email gwi@gmanetwork.com.

The lead cast of 'Make It With You' with director Richard Arellano and writer Mark Angos.

VERY WANG

M

NICKIE WANG

AKE It With You, the series that sees the return of Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil on primetime TV is billed as the most daring project of the reel and real couple especially for the 22-year-old actress who said that her character has several internal layers that make her “challenging yet very exciting to portray.”

But how daring is Liza Soberano’s character going to be exactly?

“She’s an interesting character. Our director told me to watch the movie Erin Brokovich because she wanted my character to be as free-spirited as her. So from the way she looks to the way she acts, that’s how bold Billy is,” Liza told Manila Standard during the primetime series’ first media conference.

“It’s also a different visual experience when you see me having this curly hair walking around Croatia with the beautiful light and the setting,” she added.

Portraying the character isn’t easy for Liza. She admitted that she’s had a few struggles since Billy (the name of her character), is her

Liza Soberano had to watch the story of Erin Brockovich to prepare for her free-spirited role in ABS-CBN's latest primetime offering "Make It With You.'

complete opposite in real life.

“I’ll admit that it was actually a struggle cause I haven’t been taping in a while since Alone Together. I was also gone for a while because of the surgery I had. It’s like everything became new to me again.

It was really hard for me to get back into a rhythm but our director was guiding us all the way,” the once called “world’s most beautiful face” explained.

Talking more about her character, Liza describes Billy as a girl who takes on odd jobs just to make ends meet for her family.

Being incredibly resourceful, she hustles as a matchmaker in Croatia on the side just so she can regularly go on dates and get free meals and gifts she can sell

for more income.

“She’s the kind of person who can live anywhere. She’s streetsmart,” she exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Enrique plays Gabo, a lost soul who finds himself wandering in Croatia hoping to finally determine his path in life. Determined not to return to the Philippines, he does not let hardships deter his spirit and faces all struggles head-on living in a foreign country.

The two live different, separate lives—until one day, Croatian socialite Antonia approaches Billy to match her with Gabo in exchange for money. To make sure Gabo is worthy of meeting Antonia’s father, Billy will teach the young man the culture and traditions of Croatia.

But, as they spend moments together, they will find themselves falling for each other.

“The main conflict in the story revolves around the time that falling in love is not an option. So, Billy and Gabo, will have to chose between fighting their feelings for each other and following what their hearts are telling them,” Liza stated.

Joining LizQuen in the primetime series that starts airing tonight are Ian Veneracion, Katya Santos, Fumiya Sankai, Eddie Gutierrez, Pokwang, Vangie Labalan, and Herbert Bautista, with up-and-coming stars Jeremiah Lisbo, Anthony Jennings, and Daniela Stranner.

It is under the direction of Cathy Garcia-Molina and Richard Arellano and was written

by Mark Angos.

'The Gift,' which stars Alden Richards, has been acquired by Latin Media Corporation for distribution in Latin America.

‘CATS’ at SM malls in Bulacan

’Cats,’ one of the longest-running Broadway shows, is finally in theaters.

MOVIE-LOVERS in Bulacan need not go to Metro Manila to watch CATS, one of the longest-running Broadway musicals. The movie is now showing at all SM Mall cinemas in SM City Marilao, San Jose Del Monte, and Baliwag.

The silver screen adaptation of CATS features a stellar cast of actors and musicians that include Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson, Jason Derulo, James Corden, and Idris Elba. It also highlights Andrew Lloyd Webber’s original music for Broadway Musical and Hamilton’s Andy Blankenbuehler’s new choreography.

Directed by Tom Hooper, the film revolves around the lives of the “Jellicle cats”, who congregate under a moonlight for an annual affair, the Jellicle Ball. Old Deuteronomy (played

by Judi Dench), the wise leader of the pack, must pick only the most

deserving cat to earn the coveted reward of ascending to a little piece of heaven called The Heaviside Layer.

The chosen cat will be reborn into a new Jellicle life.

Debuting new Broadway songs including “Beautiful Ghosts,” the film is reimagined for the new generation of viewers with its spectacular production design, state-of-the-art technology, and dance styles ranging from classical ballet to contemporary such as hip-hop, jazz, street to tap dance.

The whole family can now have the chance to see the famous musical stage CATS in local cinemas around Bulacan.

Tickets can be booked through http://www.smcinema.com or for convenience download SM Cinema app thru App Store or Google Play.

SM Cinema is also on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram.