Manila Standard - 2020 February 1 - Saturday

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PH sets off airlift in Wuhan

First batch of evacuees to fly out on chartered planes next week REPATRIATION, QUARANTINE. French citizens arrive and settle aboard an evacuation plane with destination southeastern France, before departure from Wuhan Airport Thursday night. They are being repatriated from the coronavirus hot zone, their expected time of arrival in France placed Friday night where they will be put on quarantine for 14 days in a holiday center in Carry-le-Rouet, near Marseille. AFP

By Rey E. Requejo, MJ Blancaflor, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Joel E. Zurbano HE first batch of returning Filipinos from the coronavirus-stricken Wuhan City and other areas in Hubei Province, China will be flown back to the Philippines next week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.

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Next page VOL. XXXIII • NO. 352 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Nations take drastic steps to rim spread THE United States told its citizens to avoid China after the World Health Organization declared a global coronavirus emergency, as the Chinese death toll rose Friday to 213 and total infections surpassed the SARS epidemic of two decades ago.

The US State Department raised its warning alert to the highest level, telling Americans “do not travel” to China and urged those already there to leave.

Hours earlier, the WHO, which was criticized for initially downplaying the virus threat, changed tack after crisis talks in Geneva.

“Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as the emergency was declared.

DOH to big hospitals: You can’t turn away suspected nCoV patients

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Willie Casas, Rey E. Requejo, Maricel V. Cruz and Joel E. Zurbano BIG hospitals in the country are not allowed to turn away patients who are showing symptoms of the deadly novel coronavirus (nCoV), the Department of Health said Friday.

This developed as Malacañang sought to allay public fears, saying that San Lazaro Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila, which is treating the country’s first case of nCoV, is fully equipped and prepared to handle such cases.

The hospitals “are being reminded that they can’t turn away patients because of suspected nCoV... they have to treat them and manage them within the facility,” Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said at a press briefing.

As a requirement of the DOH, hospitals with Level 2 or Level 3 licenses “must have the capacity for isolation and treatment of infectious diseases,” Domingo added.

TEMPERATURES MONITORED. Students wearing protective masks (above) have their temperatures taken while entering their college campus in Manila on Friday, while high school students (right inset) of Araullo in Manila similarly wear face masks.

Norman Cruz with AFP

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ANOTHER WUHAN VICTIM. The photo, taken on Thursday, shows an official in a protective suit checking on an elderly man wearing a face mask who collapsed and died on a street in Wuhan, the epicenter of the now spreading coronavirus, AFP journalists saw the body on Jan. 30, not long before an emergency vehicle arrived carrying police and medical staff in fullbody protective suits. AFP

NFA employees fear 2k job loss in revamp order

By Rio N. Araja

ABOUT 2,000 permanent employees of the National Food Authority stand to lose their jobs under the approved restructuring of the Government Com Commission for government-owned-and-

controlled corporations.

Maximo Torda, NFA Employees Association national president, said 80 percent of the workers to be affected were first-level workers such as clerks, secretaries, security guards, utility workers, accounting clerks, computer

illustrator and human resources assistants.

Under the restructuring, only 2,644 positions would be retained out of the 4,611 work force, including co-terminus employees.

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Phivolcs warns danger still lurk amid Taal Volcano’s ‘calm’ state FOR the third time this week, the sulfur dioxide emission from Taal Volcano was “below instrumental detection,” but the volcano remains under Alert Level 3.

The probability of sudden steamdriven and weak phreatomagmatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, ash-

fall, and lethal volcanic gas expulsions in areas within Taal Volcano Island and the nearby lake shores remain, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Friday.

In related developments: Next page

Britain bids farewell to UK, charts new dawn as Brexit takes effect LONDON—Britain on Friday will end almost half a century of integration with its closest neighbors and leave the European Union, starting a new—but still uncertain—chapter in its long history.

At the clocks strike 11:00 p.m.—midnight in Brussels (2300 GMT)—Britain becomes the first country to leave the

28-member bloc and goes it alone for the first time since 1973.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has backed Brexit since the 2016 referendum vote to leave that triggered bitterness and division but he has promised to unite the country in a new era of prosperity.

Official celebrations will be muted out of respect for half the population who wanted to stay in the EU and who remain fearful of what lies ahead.

“Our job as the government, my job, is to bring this country together and take us forward,” Johnson said in a statement to mark the historic occasion.

He added: “This is not an end but a beginning. This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act.”

Nothing will immediately feel different thanks to an 11-month transition period negotiated as part of an EU-UK Next page

Sun’s surface a boiling plasma A HUGE telescope built on the peak of a Hawaiian island has produced pictures of the Sun’s surface in unprecedented detail, revealing boiling plasma cells the size of Texas.

For the telescope’s director, that’s only just the beginning.

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News

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Detention for 2 Quiboloy workers A

US judge based in Santa Ana, California has ordered the detention of two leaders of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) who are facing conspiracy to commit immigration fraud charges.

unsuccessfully argued that health issues and lack of criminal records would prevent them from fleeing.

Meanwhile, a lawyer of Quiboloy described the arrest of the three church members in the United States as part of a “grand conspiracy” meant to shame the church leader.

Former members of the religious group who allegedly have an “ax to grind” against Quiboloy had supposedly conspired to file a complaint against the Davao-based religious leader, his lawyer Israelito Torreon said.

Federal prosecutors said the three leaders—Cabactulan, Duenas, and Es-

topare—brought church members to the United States under false pretenses, often telling them that they were invited to be special guests at a concert supporting the church’s ministry which owns a mansion in Calabasas, California.

But once the church members arrived in the United States, their passports were immediately taken away by the three church administrators, who then forced them to collect donations for the Children’s Joy Foundation, a nonprofit run by the church that claims to help impoverished children in the Philippines, according to a criminal complaint.

Judge Autumn Spaeth ordered the detention of Guia Cabactulan and Marissa Duenas upon the request of government prosecutors who said the two were a flight risk.

Cabactulan, 59, was earlier described as a “top official” of Quiboloy’s church in the Philippines who had direct communications with its Philippine leadership; while Duenas, 41, allegedly handled immigration documents and kept

passports of victims of an alleged human trafficking ring.

The duo were nabbed during a raid at the Van Nuys, California compound of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church.

A third church administrator, Amanda Estopare, 48, reported to have handled “financial aspects” and fund raising of the church, was also arrested in Virginia.

Lawyers for Cabactulan and Duenas

DOH...

From A1

Pinoys spend 10 hours online, 4 hours on socmed

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said the Chinese Embassy is maintaining “close cooperation with the DOH to obtain more relevant information and assist the Philippines in the prevention and control of the epidemic.”

Huang assured that the Chinese government is taking the most comprehensive and “strictest” measures against 2019-nCoV in China.

“Compared with any epidemic in the past, I think we have taken the strictest measures some of which even go beyond the requirement of the World Health Organization [WHO],” Huang said in press conference.

He also announced that the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., a group of FilipinoChinese businessmen, will donate 600,000 face masks to the public.

“We believe China and the Philippines [have] come through thick and thin. We will continue to go hand in hand to overcome the difficulties and we are very confident to bring our people back on track [at] an early date,” Huang said.

The Palace statement came a day after Health Secretary Francisco Duque III confirmed a 38-year-old Chinese woman who arrived in the Philippines on Jan. 21 from Wuhan City, China, tested positive for nCoV. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said there is “no way” the Chinese woman can infect another person in the country.

“The Chinese woman afflicted with the dreadful illness came from Wuhan, flew to Hong Kong, then to Cebu, then to Dumaguete and finally landed in NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport). She is… confined at San Lazaro,” Panelo said.

“Per DOH Secretary Duque, the patient is being treated and isolated.

There is no way that she will transmit the disease to another person as the hospital personnel are protectively dressed and their mouths and noses covered with surgical masks plus their hands covered with gloves,” he added.

Laboratory results from the Victorian Infectious Disease Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia showed the woman is positive for the new strain of coronavirus.

The patient is currently asymptomatic, meaning she is infected with nCoV but shows no symptoms.

Panelo said the first case of novel coronavirus raises “serious” health and safety concerns.

“The DOH has been instructed by the President to commence the protocols it has prepared for such an eventuality to contain the disease and neutralize its transmission and spread,” Panelo said.

The nCoV that originated in Wuhan, China has killed over 200 people and infected more than 9,000 others in China.

The deadly virus has also spread to other countries, prompting the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak of the new infectious virus as a “public health emergency of international concern.”

Earlier Friday, Senator Christopher Lawrence Go said the President approved the recommendation to impose a temporary ban on travelers from Wuhan and the entire Hubei province in China.

Go said Duterte is also eyeing expanding the coverage of temporary travel ban order by including coronavirus-hit countries. With PNA

Phivolcs...

From A1 • The European Union has donated €750,000 or P42 million in humanitarian aid to those affected by the Taal Volcano eruption.

The funding, which is part of the EU’s Acute Large Emergency Response Tool, is expected to benefit some 288,000 people displaced by the disaster, the EU Delegation in Manila said in a press statement.

By Jimbo Gulle

FILIPINOS lead the world in spending nearly 10 hours a day online, and are also the most active on social media, averaging almost four hours on Facebook and similar platforms, an annual report on global Internet use and digital trends revealed Friday.

We Are Social, the socially-led creative agency, and Hootsuite, the global leader in social media management, reported this in Digital 2020, which highlighted the findings from data drawn from every country around the world.

The report says the average Internet user will spend 6 hours and 43 minutes per day online in 2020, or more than 100 days in total, but Filipinos top the daily usage charts with an average of 9 hours and 45 minutes surfing the Net.

PH sets...

From A1 The DFA said some 50 out of the estimated 300 Filipinos in Hubei Province have conveyed their willingness to be repatriated as the number of novel coronavirus infections there continues to rise.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs stands ready to repatriate Filipinos in China amid health concerns brought about by 2019 novel-coronavirus (2019 n-CoV) outbreak,” the DFA said, in an advisoryposted Thursday night.

DFA officials said the first batch of Filipino evacuees will be subject to China’s rules on disease containment, including immigration clearances and quarantine process.

Special flights from Hubei Province to the Philippines will be made available to those who wish to leave, the DFA said.

“Filipinos in Wuhan City and the rest of Hubei province will be afforded priority in the first batch of repatriates. Filipinos who wish to be included in the first batch should contact the Philippine Embassy in Beijing or the nearest Consulate General in their area by Feb. 3, 2020, Monday,” the DFA statement added.

Upon arrival in the Philippines, the repatriates will be subjected to 14 days of mandatory quarantine in accordance with the guidelines of the Department of Health.

Those who wish to stay in China should heed advisories from local health authori-

Britain...

From A1 exit deal ratified this week.

Britons will be able to work in and trade freely with EU nations until Dec. 31, and vice versa, although the UK will no longer be represented in the bloc’s institutions.

Nations...

From A1 “We must all act together now to limit further spread... We can only stop it together.”

Tedros said travel and trade restrictions involving China were unnecessary.

But, with the disease spreading to more than 20 nations, authorities, businesses and worried people around the world were taking matters into their own hands.

Japan on Friday urged its citizens to “This contribution will support the local government of Batangas and our humanitarian partners on the ground in providing crucial support to those who have lost their shelters, belongings and sources of livelihood in the wake of the eruption of the Taal Volcano,” said Janez Lenarčič, EU commissioner for crisis management.

• Fifty liters of breast milk were formally turned over Friday by the office of Senator Pia Cayetano and the Taguig city government to the Batangas Medical Center for the benefit of babies af-

Oil rollback up; PSALM cuts electricity bills

By Alena Mae S. Flores PETRON Corp. on Friday announced it will implement a P2.20 per kilogram rollback in liquefied petroleum gas prices, equivalent to P24.20 per 11kilo tank effective 12:01 a.m., Feb. 1.

Petron said it will also cut its Auto LPG prices by P1.25/liter at the same time.

“These reflect the international contract price of LPG for the month of February,” it said.

Phoenix LPG Phils. Inc. also announced it will cut the prices of Phoenix Super LPG by P2.20 per kilogram and Auto LPG by P1.25 per liter effective 12:01 a.m. of Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. will cease collecting the P0.0543 per kWh Universal Charge for Stranded Contract Costs effective February.

“This is a relief to power consumers all over the country as they are no longer going to be charged the UCSCC,” PSALM said in a statement.

Without the charge, electric bills will be reduced P5.43 for every 100 kWh of electricity consumptionm it added.

PSALM has started advising electricity distribution and collecting utilities to terminate the implementation of the UC-SCC. In a decision of the Energy Regulatory Commission dated April 10, 2019, PSALM was permitted to recover P5.12 billion through the UC-SCC. Based on PSALM’s computation, this recoverable amount could already be covered by the UC-SCC imposed in the January 2020 billing period.

The Electric Power Industry Reform Act defines UC-SCC as the “excess of the contracted cost of electricity under eligible contracts over the actual selling price of the contracted energy.”

Pinoy social media users are also the most active, averaging 3 hours and 53 minutes on Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp platforms, way more than the global “socmed” average of 2 hours 24 minutes. This accounts for more than one-third of worldwide users’ total time on the Internet, the report added.

Digital 2020’s key findings include an ongoing gender gap in social media use, global growth in the use of voice interfaces, and concerns around personal data security.

At present, 4.54 billion people are now online, a year-on-year increase of 298 million, or 7 percent, as the world approaches Internet penetration of 60 percent, it said. However, roughly 3.2 billion people around the world remain offline.

Google and YouTube are once again

the most visited websites, but Yahoo! still remains popular, with its website continuing to receive more traffic than Amazon.com and the world’s top “adult” websites, the report added.

Data concerns are high globally, with almost two-thirds (64 percent) of Internet users aged 16 to 64 saying they worry about how companies use their data.

The report also shows that 56 percent of online users over 18 years old are concerned about fake news, while 49 percent of internet users aged 16 to 64 use ad blockers every month.

Digital 2020 finds that 49 percent of the world’s total population (3.8 billion people) now uses social media, an increase of 321 million or 9 percent from 2019. However, the available data indicates that women only account for 45 percent of the world’s socmed users.

ties, and cooperate with government efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, which was first detected in December.

The DFA also urged Filipinos in the affected areas needing medical assistance and treatment to go to the nearest medical facility and seek proper medical care, including treatment and quarantine.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a temporary ban on the entry of Chinese nationals from China’s Hubei province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement Friday, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the order also covers other parts of China “where there is a spread of the disease,” but said this will depend on the guidance of the Chinese government or the World Health Organization.

The travel ban would last “until the threat is over,” Panelo said, Even before the Philippines recorded its first case, several sectors, including numerous lawmakers, had asked the government to impose a travel ban from China to stop the entry of the deadly virus.

But in a chance interview with reporters Wednesday, Duterte rejected the calls, saying the travel ban would be difficult to impose.

The DOH reported two additional patients under investigation for nCoV, one a Chinese national and the other an American. Both are confined at the San Lazaro Hospital.

Meanwhile, Duque said they are

looking for airline passengers who sat close to the unnamed 38-year-old Chinese woman who was confirmed to have nCoV. The woman’s boyfriend, who had traveled with her, was already in quarantine.

The patient was only coughing a bit and no longer had fever or any other symptom, which meant her case was “mild,” he said.

In the Senate, Senator Imee Marcos said the government must be ready to deal with a months-long epidemic of the novel coronavirus.

She said the ferocity of the new virus became evident Thursday, as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recorded more than 7,800 cases of infection in January alone.

It took six months for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic, which lasted from November 2002 to July 2003, to reach 5,000 cases of infection, a Johns Hopkins University report said.

Marcos said the country needs more than just advisories on the use of face masks and hand washing and prayers.

Senator Nancy Binay, meanwhile, said the Palace should appoint only one official spokesperson to speak on behalf of the government on matters relating to policies, advisories, guidelines and other information about the novel coronavirus.

She said Duque should take that role.

With Rio N. Araja, Maricel V. Cruz, PNA

But legally, Britain is out—with no easy way back.

And while the exit terms have been agreed, it must still strike a deal on future relations with the EU, its largest trading partner.

“We will remain friends, allies and partners,” Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator in those upcoming talks, told the BBC.

He added his thoughts Friday were with “the millions of British citizens who are sad, as we are sad.”

Getting this far has been a traumatic process.

Despite Britain’s resistance to many EU projects over the years—it refused to join the single currency or the Schengen free travel area—the 2016 vote to leave was a huge shock. AFP

Torda said the lack of manpower could badly affect the agency’s delivery of public service.

“We are being tasked to handle the rice requirement of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries. With a limited number of personnel, how are we going to fulfill this new directive?” Torda said.

He said most 4Ps beneficiaries lived in 41 provinces where NFA provincial offices would be abolished or merged under the restructuring scheme.

The approved organizational structure and staffing pattern would be implemented within two months from the approval of the agency’s separation incentive package from the Office of the President.

The mass layoff would include “a wide majority of permanent eligible workers who are too young to retire [but] too old to find new jobs.”

The cut in the work force of the NFA is a cost-saving measure with an estimated saving of P875 million a year.

Torda, however, said the justification was not “tenable.”

Under the directives of President Rodrigo Duterte, NFA was tasked to buy unmilled rice from rice farmers at P19 per kilo despite a financial loss for the government, and that rice must be sold at P25 per kilo.

“In these twin social undertakings, NFA is expected to lose heavily as the break-even cost for locally procured NFA rice is estimated to be at P37 per kilo,” Torda said.

avoid non-essential travel to China, following similar warnings by Germany, Britain and other nations in recent days.

Those warnings are not as definitive as the US directive against all travel to China.

Among the array of other extraordinary containment efforts, many major airlines this week suspended or reduced flights to China.

Mongolia also halted cross-border traffic with its huge neighbor and Russia sealed its remote far-eastern frontier.

Some countries banned entry for travelers from Wuhan, the city in cen-

tral Hubei province where the virus first surfaced.

Italy and Israel on Thursday barred all flight connections with China.

Impoverished Papua New Guinea went so far as to bar all visitors from “Asian ports”.

China said Friday it planned to send charter planes to bring back Hubei residents who are now abroad, citing the “practical difficulties” that they have encountered overseas. Those from Wuhan will be returned to their quarantined city, the foreign ministry said.

The US reported its first case of person-to-person transmission of the virus on American soil—a man in Chicago who got it from his wife, who had travelled to Wuhan.

In a sign of growing global fears, more than 6,000 tourists were temporarily confined aboard their cruise ship at an Italian port after two Chinese passengers fell ill. They later tested negative for the coronavirus.

And a pilot union in the United States sued American Airlines to demand it halt all flights to China. AFP

fected by the Taal Volcano eruption.

Cayetano said all 50.1 liters of breast milk donations were gathered and collected from nursing mothers who participated in “Breast Milk Ko, Alay Ko,” a breast-milk letting event organized on Jan. 23 by the senator’s office in partnership with Taguig city.

PHIVOLCS Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division chief Mariton Bornas earlier said the drop in the volcano’s SO2 emission could not be the only basis for authorities to lower Taal Volcano’s alert level status. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Sun’s surface...

From A1 The Sun is a giant ball of plasma (electrified gas) that has been observed from Earth for centuries from telescopes, and via satellites for decades.

But the resolution has been limited: The Japanese space telescope Hinotori had a mirror of 20 inches (50 centimeters).

The new Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope on the island of Maui has a 13-foot mirror, the world’s largest for a

NFA...

From A1

solar telescope.

“These images have the highest resolution that you’ve ever seen,” said Thomas Rimmele, the telescope’s director.

“We now see structures that we suspected would be there, based on computer models, but we never had the resolution to really see them,” added the 60-year-old German astronomer.

Images first published Wednesday show a pattern of boiling plasma covering the Sun in cell-like structures. These are the result of violent motions transporting heat from the star’s interior to its surface. AFP

News

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

A3

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Health workers decry low wages, rap DOH over nCoV H

By Willie Casas

EALTH workers from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Heart Center and Lung Center of the Philippines on Friday criticized the Duterte administration for the “libing wage” increase.

FLOWER SHOW. Jerry Sibal (right) is joined by Roberto Garcia,

deputy general manager of the Philippine International Convention Center, during the launch Friday of the First Philippine International Flower Show, scheduled for Oct. 15-18, 2020 at the PICC. The event, an international horticulture and floriculture extravaganza, will feature industry suppliers and stakeholders, and envisioned to spur interest in developing the flower industry and generate jobs and a sustainable platform to significantly contribute to the economy. Ey Acasio

Senate role in treaty review should be strong—Drilon

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon pushed for the passage of a resolution that will assert the role of the Senate in treaty termination or withdrawal.

He noted that any treaty and international agreement should only be valid and effective upon concurrence of the Senate.

“The power to bind the Philippines by a treaty and international agreement is vested jointly by the Constitution in the President and the Senate,” Senate Resolution 305 states.

Article VII, Section 21 of the Constitution provides” that “no treaty of international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the members of the Senate.”

“A treaty or international agreement ratified by the President and concurred in by the Senate becomes part of the law of the land and may not be undone without the shared power that put it into effect,” the resolution adds.

Drilon first filed the resolution in 2017 during the 17th Congress.

That time, Drilon, along with 13 senators, filed Senate Resolution 289 that emphasized that the Senate should have a say when a treaty or international agreements concurred in by the Senate was terminated or abrogated.

Then neophyte Senator Manny Pacquiao, however, blocked its passage.

Of the 13 who co-authored the previous resolution with Drilon, nine are incumbent members of the chamber, including Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri, Senators Leila de Lima, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo Lacson, Sonny Angara, and Joel Villanueva.

While Drilon’s resolution did not pass, despite having been signed by majority of the senators then, succeeding resolutions adopted by the Senate explicitly provided for a provision requiring the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members of the Senate before a treaty concurred in by the Senate would be terminated.

Sandiganbayan suspends mayor facing graft case

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Sandiganbayan has ordered the indefinite suspension of Mayor Datu Sajid Ampatuan of Shariff Saydona Mustapha who is facing a P98-million graft case.

The court’s Third Division issued the order following Ampatuan’s motion to voluntarily abide by the preventive suspension under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. “The Court hereby orders the suspension pendente lite of accused Datu Sajid Ampatuan as Mayor of the Municipality of Sharuff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao and from any other

public position he may now or hereafter hold for a period of 90 days,” the court said.

“Based on the attending circumstances, the Court holds that the requisites for the preventive suspension of a public officer under Section 13 of R.A. 3019 have been met.

“Thus, the suspension pendente lite of accused Ampatuan as municipal mayor of the Municipality of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao is in order,” the court said.

Ampatuan’s case involved the alleged ghost purchase of palay, corn, seeds and fertilizer from a local trader worth P98.2 million in June 2009.

Polio vaccination up PARENTS and guardians are urged to have all children under five years vaccinated in the ongoing rounds of Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio from Jan. 20 to Feb. 2 in all regions of Mindanao, and Jan. 27 to Feb. 7 in the National Capital Region.

The transmission of polio, spread through faecal-oral route, can only be stopped if the immunization coverage reaches over 95 percent of the targeted children, the Department of Health said.

The risk cannot be mitigated as long as some children are not vaccinated regularly and especially during an outbreak.

Since the re-emergence of polio in the Philippines was announced by the Depart-

ment of Health in September 2019, the synchronized polio vaccination campaigns rolled out from November to December of 2019 in targeted regions, have reached a total of 1,404,517 (exceeding target) children below 5 years old in the National Capital Region and 2,937,327 (95 percent) children in Mindanao.

The call to vaccinate further intensifies with four new confirmed cases recorded in January, bringing up the total cases to 16 across the country. All new cases are children below five years of age.

They are from Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao as well as the first recorded case in NCR, in Quezon City.

The workers also called down the Department of Health for being unprepared over the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

In a statement, Edwin Pacheco, NKTIEAAHW president, said: “We are very much disappointed with the “barya baryang salary increase” among us health workers and other

government employees. “Duterte government has one-sidedly doubled the basic pay of uniformed personnel to about P30,000 monthly, while the entry salary level of a civilian employee under Salary Grade 1 only gets P483 monthly increase or P16.00 per day raising the salary of P11,068 to P11,551. It is very clear that

this government does not give importance to civilian employees especially those in the lowest ranks from SG 1-10.

“This move only served to distort further the already skewed salary scheme in government, leaving the great majority of civilian employees struggling to live or meet the cost of living while top officials bask on scandalous pay levels, like the President himself who gets more than P400, 000 per month.”

The SSL of 2019 under Republic Act 11466 “is grossly deceptive, divisive and unjust salary hike against the rank and file employees and favors those in the upper salary grade scale,” said Pacheco.

Manila

Standard

March 1, 2020 (SUN) to APRIL 7, 2020 (TUE)

TODAY

PLEBISCITE PERIOD

Bearing, carrying or transporting firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street, park, private vehicle or public conveyance, or even if licensed to possess or carry the same, unless authorized in writing by the Commission (Sec 261 (p), (q), OEC as amended by Sec. 32 of R.A. No. 7166).

Republic of the Philippines COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS Manila IN THE MATTER OF PRESCRIBING THE CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES AND PERIODS OF CERTAIN PROHIBITED ACTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONDUCT OF THE MARCH 31, 2020 PLEBISCITE TO RATIFY THE CREATION OF BARANGAY NEW CANAAN INTO A REGULAR AND DISTINCT BARANGAY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ALABEL, SARANGANI PROVINCE PURSUANT TO PROVINCIAL ORDINANCE NO. 2009-6-044 DATED JUNE 29, 2009

ABAS, Sheriff M. PARREÑO, Al A., GUIA, Luie Tito F., GUANZON, Ma. Rowena Amelia V., INTING, Socorro B., CASQUEJO, Marlon S., KHO, Antonio, Jr. T.,

Alteration of territory of a precint or establishment of a new precint (Sec. 5, R.A. No. 8189).

Chairman Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner

Transfer or detail of officers and employees in the civil service (Sec. 261 (h), OEC).

Organization or maintenance of reaction forces, strike forces or similar forces. (Sec. 261 (u), OEC).

x-------------------------------------------x

Suspension of local elective officials (Sec. 261 (x), OEC).

Promulgated: January 30, 2020

Illegal release of prisoners (Sec. 261 (n), OEC).

RESOLUTION NO. 10638 WHEREAS, Section 6 of RA 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code provides:

March 24, 2020 (TUE)

Start of suspension of Voter’s Registration (COMELEC Resolution No. 10635)

March 30, 2020 (MON)

EVE OF PLEBISCITE DAY

“Sec. 6. A local Government may be created, divided, merged, abolished or its boundary substantially altered either by law enacted by congress in the case of the province, city, municipality or any political subdivision or by ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ... subject to such limitations and requirements provided therein.“

Selling, furnishing, offering, buying, serving or taking intoxicating liquor (Sec. 261 (dd), (1), OEC).

Giving, accepting free transportation, foods, drinks and things of value (Sec. 89, OEC).

WHEREAS, Section 1 of Provincial Ordinance No. 2009-6-044 dated June 29, 2009 provides: “SEC. 1. Creation of Barangay New Canaan. - A new barangay is hereby created as a regular and distinct barangay in the Municipality of Alabel and shall be named as “Barangay New Canaan” comprising of Purok Pinagturan, Sitio Kiangcos, Sitio New Canaan, Purok Balataan, Sitio Basyawan, Purok Basag, Purok Mangga and Purok Mayuban with the total land area of 2,896.86 Hectares to be carved out from its mother Barangay Pag-Asa, Alabael, Sarangani Province.”

Campaigning (Sec. 3, OEC);

March 31, 2020 (TUE)

PLEBISCITE DAY

Campaigning (Sec. 3, OEC);

Casting of Votes (From 7:00 o’clock a.m. to 3:00 o’clock p.m.) Sec. 190, OEC)

Selling, furnishing, offering, buying, serving or taking intoxicating liquor (Sec. 261 (dd), (1), OEC).

Counting of votes (From 3:00 o’clock p.m. onwards until finished)

Giving and/or accepting free transportation, food, drinks and things of value (Sec 89, OEC).

Convening of the Barangay Plebiscite Boards of Canvassers (BPBOC)

Carrying of deadly weapon in the polling place (Sec. 261 (p), OEC)

Canvassing of votes and proclamation of plebiscite results (From 6:00 o’clock p.m. until finished)

Voting more than once or in substitution of another (Sec. 261 (z) (2) and (3), OEC);

WHEREAS, Section 29 of Republic Act No. 6646 provides: “SEC.29. Designation of Other Dates for Certain Preelection Acts. - If it should no longer be reaso nably poss ible to observe the periods and dates prescribed by law for certain pre-election acts, the Commission shall fix other periods and dates in order to ensure accomplishment of the activities so voters shall not be deprived or their right of suffrage.”

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the powers vested in it by the Constitution or the Republic of the Philippines, the Omnibus Election Code, Republic Acts No. 7160 and Provincial Ordinance No. 2009-6-044, and other election laws, the Commission RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES, to prescribe the fllowing calendar of activities and periods or certain prohibited acts in connection with the conduct of the March 31, 2020 Plebiscite to Ratify the Creation of Barangay New Canaan into a Regular and Distinct Barangay in the Municipality of Alabel, Sarangani Province pursuant to Provincial Ordinance No. 2009-6-044 dated June 29, 2009: DATE/PERIOD

February 29, 2020 (FRI)

ACTIVITIES

Holding of fairs, cockfights, boxing, horse races or similar sports (Sec. 261 (dd) (3), OEC).

Last day of posting of the Computerized Voters List.

(Sec. 30, R.A. 8189 in relation to Section 29 of R.A. No. 6646).

Inspection of Polling Places (Sec. 163, OEC in relation to Section 29, R.A. 6646).

(Holding of barangay assemblies, fora or “pulongpulongs)

End of Plebiscite Period

April 13, 2020 (MON)

Resumption of Voter’s Registration (COMELEC Reso 10635)

The Deputy Executive Director for Operations shall furnish the Regional Election Director of Region XII, the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Secretary of the Department of Justice, the Secretary of the Department of Education, the Mayor and DepEd Supervisor of the Municipality of Alabel, with a copy of this Resolution.

The Regional Election Director of Region XII, the Provincial Election Supervisor of the Province of Sarangani, and the Election Officer of Alabel shall give this Resolution the widest dissemination possible.

Last day to constitute the members of the Plebiscite Committees INFORMATION & CAMPAIGN PERIOD

April 7, 2020 (TUE)

The Education and lnformation Department shall disseminate copies of this Resolution and shall cause its publication in two (2) daily newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines.

Last day to constitute the members of the Barangay Plebiscite Board of Canvassers and Support Staff

March 1,2020 (SUN) to March 29, 2020 (SUN)

Opening of booths or stalls for the sale, etc., of wares, merchandise or refreshments, within thirty (30) meters radius from the polling place (Sec. 261 (dd)(2), OEC).

PROHIBITED ACTS

Last day of submission to Commission by the heads of reaction/strike forces of similar forces of a complete list of all its members (Section 261 (u),OEC).

March 1,2020 (SUN)

Soliciting votes or undertaking any propaganda for or against a “YES” or a “NO” vote within the polling place within thirty meters thereof (SEC 261, (cc), (6), OEC).

Removing,destroying, oblitering, defacing, tampering or preventing distribution of lawful plebiscite propaganda.

(Sec. 83, OEC)

This Resolution shall take effect on the seventh (7th) day after its publication in two (2) daily newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines.

SO ORDERED.

Appointment or hiring of new employees, creation of new positions, filling of new positions, or giving of salary increases, remuneration or privileges. (Sec. 261 (g), OEC).

Appointment or use of special policemen, special/ confidential agents or the like (Sec. 261, (m), (OEC).

March 1, 2020 (SUN) to March 29, 2020 (SUN)

Raising of funds, thru dances, lotteries, cockfights, etc. (Sec 97, OEC).

March 1, 2020 (SUN) to March 31, 2020 (TUES)

Use of armored/land/water/ aircraft (Sec. 261 (r), OEC) Construction of public works, delivery of materials for public works and issuance of treasury warrants or similar devices. (Sec 261, (w), OEC).

Release, disbursement or expenditures of public funds (Sec. 261 (v), OEC).

(MS-FEB 1 , 2020)

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Opinion

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The need for transparency FINALLY, after days of coping with fake news on the dreaded virus, we wake up realizing the threat is finally upon us.

This is a matter of grave national concern and we have the right to be informed.

The other day, the Department of Health confirmed the Philippines’ first case of an actual contact with a carrier of the novel coronavirus. The DOH announcement came almost simultaneously with that of the World Health Organization, declaring the nCoV as a global health emergency, acknowledging that the virus now represents a risk outside of China.

This was after the United States reported its first case of human-tohuman transmission of the disease, infecting someone who had not even set foot on China.

WHO’s declaration, officially called a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, serves notice to all United Nations member states that the world’s top health advisory body rates the situation as serious.

Countries can then decide whether to close their borders, cancel flights, screen people arriving at airports or take other measures.

But as far as the Philippines’ first case of coronavirus is concerned, this is the only information that has been made available:

The country’s first case of nCoV is a 38-year-old Chinese woman who traveled to the Philippines from Wuhan, China via Hong Kong on Jan. 21. The samples from the Chinese woman was among the six sent to the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Australia for testing earlier this week. The five others tested negative. As some sort of welcome news, the DOH announced succeeding tests for the nCoV will now be done by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, as the DOH has already acquired the necessary test kit for the procedure, the results of which may be available within 24 hours of testing.

According to Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo, the said Chinese woman was on flights of both Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.

She arrived in Cebu from Hong Kong via Cebu Pacific, and flew to Dumaguete also via Cebu Pacific before flying to Manila via PAL. Among the 29 people monitored by the DOH for possible nCoV infection, the Chinese patient is currently in a government hospital, where she was admitted on Jan. 25, but was no longer showing symptoms.

DOH Epidemiology Bureau Director Ferchito Avelino assured the public that authorities would check the establishments that she went to and trace employees she had been in contact with.

But that’s all we know. The DOH won’t reveal what hospital the Chinese patient has been admitted to, which I don’t think is the right thing to do. Of course it would cause panic.

That would be expected. But then, I believe it would be limited to the particular hospital where the patient has been admitted to, given the relatively lack of knowledge among the people on the virus, aggravated by the fear

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

T

Equipping ourselves for the emergency

HE Geneva-based World Health Organization has declared the novel coronavirus a global emergency.

Tedros praised China during the news conference for its swift, transparent and effective response to the “unprecedented outbreak.”

“The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries,” Tedros said, pointing out “Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, which are ill prepared to deal with it.”

The new infection figure outranks the tally of worldwide cases of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) during the 2002 and 2003 outbreak. SARS had nearly 8,100 confirmed infections and killed nearly 800 people.

As the deadly virus spreads beyond China's land borders and shorelines, several airlines have started suspending flights to the world's most populated nation and others have cut down the number of flights, while some have stopped flying to major cities.

WHO's Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has emphasized the reason for the declaration before the weekend “is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries.”

At least 213 people in China, mostly in Hubei province where the virus emerged, have died and nearly 10,000 individuals nationwide are suspected to have been infected with the virus.

Other countries—from East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, Middle East, Australia and the Philippines—have separately reported cases from a low of one in the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Nepal and the Philippines, to a high of 14 in Thailand.

There is this lingering fear that many low-and middle-income countries don't have the tools to spot or contain what Tedros described as “unprecedented outbreak” met with “unprecedented response.”

The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa—the largest in human history—showed how easily poorer countries can be overwhelmed by such outbreaks.

And if novel coronavirus gets a significant foothold in such places, then it would be incredibly difficult to contain.

It is true we are not at that rung yet—with 99 percent in China and the WHO is convinced the country can control the outbreak there.

But WHO's declaration of the global emergency allows it to support lower- and middle-income countries to strengthen their disease surveillance—and prepare them for cases.

We can immediately pick up from there: To equip ourselves with the necessary tools to check the virus.

Turn to A5

The collapse of national leadership WITH the Taal Volcano eruption and the Wuhan virus scare, which could transform into a pandemic, we are seeing the collapse of presidential leadership. That is because of the obsession of this administration with politics—where the President has equated his personal interest with that of national interest, where decisions are now being made on the basis of politics and not scientific evidence.

After the Taal Volcano eruption scare has died down, with the lowering of the alert level and the lockdown in the affected areas lifted, there is once again reason to put on face masks—this time not to protect the public from ashfall but from a previously unknown pathogen known as 2019-nCoV or the novel coronavirus.

To date, little is known about this new virus other than it was supposedly first detected in the live seafood and animal market of Wuhan City, China, sourced from animals. It appears to be spreading from human to human. Although there were similar outbreaks in the past like SARS and Merscov, the nCoV is a new strain of the coronavirus family of pathogens and remains shrouded in mystery.

How it is spreading, how long the incubation period is, how to treat those infected, whether or not it will mutate and a lot more questions still swirl around the real nature of the nCoV. Surely, the uncertainty of it all is a breeding ground for speculation and rumor mongering, which is why the Internet is awash with false and unverified posts and videos that fan the fears and apprehensions of the public.

In the past when humans do not know as much as we do today, our ancestors turned to shamans, witch-

craft, astrology and other pseudo-sciences for remedies and consolation.

The Black Death of the 14th century, for instance, which killed more than 50 million or 60 percent of the entire population of Europe caused so much frenzy, panic and eventually despair that people had no other recourse but to turn to their gods for consolation amid hopelessness.

The highest-ranking official in government cannot shoot from the hip every time he makes a policy decision.

Since then, science has taken great strides to such an extent that we can practically find a cure to almost all imaginable and unimaginable medical disasters without resorting to incantations, hocus pocus and other antiquated methods. This is precisely why in times of crisis, like volcanic eruptions, epidemics or severe weather disturbances, there is every reason for the public to listen carefully and trust the experts.

Medical professionals, meteorologist, biologists, geologist and the like have the know-how and expertise to grapple with these problems that are beyond the comprehension of ordinary laymen. Not only the public at large but more so the national and local governments should therefore base their decisions and formulate individual and collective responses according to empirical evidence anchored on scientific findings in order to reduce uncertainties and risk.

In short, science, natural, social or any of its other branches, must become part and parcel of every policy decision making. As human Turn to A5

EvEryman

The shame that is Lorraine

By Joel Vega IN A TV appearance, Presidential Communications Operations Office Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy did the hopelessly and fantastically absurd. She attempted to red-tag an IBON representative as a communist by saying— “Ibon has been around for 41 years and the CPP has been around for 51 years.”

The British have a word for this fatal inanity: Ignoramus horribilis. Horrible stupidity. It’s an absurdity of its own class because the very president that Badoy is serving is a front-line cheerleader of communist China, a country that has inspired Philippine Maoists rebels during their heyday in the 1960s and 1970s.

Going by Badoy’s logic, IBON’s analysis of the Duterte Legacy infographic that her office produced with taxpayers’ money is not worthy of an informed rebuttal because IBON is

a communist hound dog. In her own words: “IBON is an above-ground organization of the CPP-NPA-NDF.” If her infographic has true merits of its own, that TV appearance by Badoy is just the right vehicle to amplify the so-called legacy implemented by her president. But she inadvertently missed her own target by going on an ad hominem attack, questioning IBON’s credibility through a cliched approach, that of inferring ‘communist agenda’ on the part of the economic NGO think-tank.

The absurd thing about the mind of Lorraine and her ilk is that imputing shame on being a ‘commie,’ ‘red’ or a Maoist mindset is not only ineffectual but also patently silly. Her own boss is showering the most servile promises he can come up with on the leaders of two paper tiger Communists countries in the world—China and Russia. Let us put aside the fact that

Duterte nurtures a somewhat dated and nostalgic fanboy notions of what communism is, but the absurdity in Lorraine’s non-sequitur argument becomes all the more glaring when she failed to present figures or arguments that should demolish any criticism neatly laid out by IBON. To be single handedly mowed by a left-leaning bird or be reduced to a stammering, high-brow glare that only Badoy can project in her TV cameo is deeply pathetic. Her office which attempted to claim a higher budget in the coming years has only delivered gaffe after gaffe, a multitude of mea culpas that even a giraffe would have difficulty in accumulating within its lifetime of long-necked, fumbling ineptitude.

Legacy is a big word for an administration that is shooting itself in the foot with a blitz of ill-timed Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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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can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

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Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

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Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion

MANY of our fellow Filipinos are still reeling from the devastation of the Taal Volcano eruption. Thousands of families in Batangas and Cavite provinces lost their homes and means of livelihood.

It’s just heartwarming that thousands have extended a helping hand and donated relief goods to augment those provided by the government.

There are simple preventive measures against this disease.

Many displaced families who could no longer be accommodated in evacuation areas in the region were actually welcomed in the homes of private individuals.

Indeed, the spirit of bayanihan prevailed amidst the calamity wrought

by Taal’s eruption.

But in the aftermath of the volcanic activity, we are faced with the threat of an outbreak of the dreaded novel coronavirus (nCoV) or Wuhan virus in the country.

Although there has been only one confirmed case in the Philippines, that of a 38-year-old Chinese female who originated from Wuhan and arrived here via Hong Kong, we cannot be complacent and discount the possibility of other still undetected cases had reached our shores.

Apparently, the Bureau of Quarantine failed to detect her illness upon her arrival last Jan. 21. Department of Health authorities are now tracing the contacts the Chinese woman had made while traveling and when she got here.

Notably, had she not consulted a doctor regarding her worsening cough, authorities would not have discovered her nCoV infection immediately.

The DOH said its symptoms include cough and colds, fever, diffi-

The need...

From A4

the fake news and of the actual threat the virus has instilled among us.

But then, that would still be on limited scale compared to the panic it would stir if the name of the hospital were kept secret. People, especially those who cannot afford treatment in private hospitals, would be shying away from all government hospitals and that would create bigger problems. From whom would these people seek medical assistance?

Even Dasmariñas Rep. Elpidio “Pidi” Barzaga has joined the call for DOH to name the hospital where the Chinese patient has been admitted to.

“I think the DOH should disclose the name of the DOH hospital where the patient is confined to prevent the public from going there. Withholding the disclosure of the DOH hospital would create more problems since all the DOH hospitals in Manila would be under the suspicion, thus, producing grave consequences as compared when there is disclosure as to the DOH hospital where there is a confirmed case of Novel Coronavirus,” Barzaga said in a statement.

“After all, the public has a right to information of grave national concern which would adversely affect their lives,” he added.

Rightly said Cong. This is a matter of grave national concern and we have the right to be informed. DOH has to shed its veil of secrecy and reveal everything we need to know regarding the virus including the numbers of those infected and to where they have been admitted and the status of their cases.

We need to protect ourselves.

And we can do so effectively if DOH would only be transparent.

The shame...

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pronouncements and lackluster performance. One unanswered critique on the so-called economic gains made by this administration concerns the spill-over or trickle-down benefits from previous administrations that could actually be generating the economic boom being parlayed by the Duterte regime as its own accomplishment.

Lorraine should beef up her economic guns before she hurries to the TV studios for a laughable appearance. A poor TV performance doesn't serve her master, who she says does not micro-manage, well. Embarrassingly she even disclosed that the Legacy infographic was actually meant to be a sort of hallelujah thanks to her boss who she truly perceives as doing a sterling performance. We are

not asking for her personal opinion and government civil servants should refrain from giving one, especially when not solicited.

When did fandom become a qualification to create a fanciful infographic that will not survive even the lightest of critiques? When does perception become a substitute for real work? Or fangirl gratefulness the basis for real assessment?

If we go by the title of ‘Undersecretary,’ maybe that word is not really amiss, but actually reflects the kind of performance that Badoy is capable of. Under the secretary, beneath the lowest of low cuts.

Joel Vega is the author of the poetry collection ‘Drift’ which won the 2019 National Book Award. He lives in Arnhem, the Netherlands, where he works as freelance editor and visual artist.

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Trapped in their own con game

We can fight this coronavirus pestilence culty in breathing and shortness of breath. Aside from pneumonia and bronchitis, the DOH said its symptoms could lead to kidney problems and even death.

Inevitably, the thought of this potential threat has caused anxiety and even panic among our people following widespread reports of the fatalities in China grew to 213 as of this writing.

The global situation is bad as it is and with at least one confirmed case in the country, there is cause for worry and anxiety.

But, while doctors and scientists themselves are in a frenzy to find a vaccine or antidote against this killer disease likened to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, we should avoid panicking.

Come to think of it, the top killer disease in the country remains heart ailment, stroke and respiratory illnesses like tuberculosis. The last thing we need to do in the face of this new mysterious killer disease is to panic and over-react.

Worse, some people fear there is nothing we can do to fight nCoV or prevent it from becoming a pandemic.

This is utterly wrong.

There are simple preventive measures against this disease.

In its health advisory, DOH said regular handwashing can prevent the spread of nCoV. Avoid contact with animals. Avoid those who have cough and colds and always cover one's mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.

Wear a face mask if necessary.

The DOH also stressed the importance of drinking plenty of water, proper cooking of food, and consultation with a health facility if symptoms of cough and colds persist.

Also, strictly observe proper hygiene and train children to do the same.

As recommended by the World Health Organization, install exit screening at airports as part of a comprehensive set of containment measures, set up of mechanisms and measures to detect cases of coronavirus. Quarantine authorities should do a better at this.

Indeed, we can effectively fight this health threat in the bayanihan spirit.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

IT SEEMS the US has finally been trapped in it own con-game when the State Department decided to cancel the visa of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Accordingly, the cancellation is pursuant to Senate Resolution No. 142 sponsored by Senators Edward Markey and Dick Durbin.

The demand, however, of President Rodrigo Duterte for the US to rescind the denial of visa within one month is something next to impossible. The denial of the visa to some of our officials is pursuant to a Senate resolution. The problem however is, it is not within the power of President Trump, unless said Resolution is abrogated and/or rescinded by the US Senate, the termination of the visiting forces agreement stands as a looming possibility. In that, we could well say it was the US, not President Duterte, that fired the first shot.

Of course, the US can always insist it has all the right to cancel the issuance of visa to anybody who enters their country. However, the authors of the resolution forgot that the ban on the entry of certain officials to visit the US is on the ground that they violated the human rights or were involved in extrajudicial killings which now partakes of an unwarranted interference into the internal affairs of a sovereign state.

Maybe the US can enact laws enforceable within its own territory. But when that law seeks to deny the entry of an alien on that basis, certainly that constitutes an infringement on our sovereignty which is wholly unacceptable. It is not for the State Department to pre-empt or prejudge the guilt of a foreign citizen visiting the US, more so if that citizen has no pending case filed against him in his own country. The Philippines has every right to take all measures to protect the rights of its own citizens from political harassment like denying them of their visa.

A close reexamination of the VFA would clearly indicate that the President has the right to scrap the agreement. Officially, the presence of the US military bases in the Philippines ended in 1991. This is clear in Section 25, Article XVIII of the 1987 Constitution, to quote: “After the expiration in 1991 of the agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America concerning military bases, foreign military bases, troops, or facilities shall not be allowed in the Philippines, except under a treaty duly concurred by the Senate and, when the people in a referendum held for that purpose, and recognize as treaty by the contacting party.”

The expiry date provided in the Constitution was not chosen by the commissioners who drafted the charter. Rather, it was lifted in the MarcosJohnson Communiqué in September 1966 which states that “the two presidents noted that in the forthcoming

The collapse...

From A4

Rusk-Ramos agreement, the US accepts President Marcos proposal to reduce the term of the military bases from 99 to 25 years.” Counted from 1966 to 1991, that would be 25 years or the date stated in the 1987 Constitution. The problem, however, is that US negotiators always sought to negate the termination of their military bases, viz. in violation of our own Constitution.

It never crossed the minds of the US negotiators that we would elect a much smarter president

by the signing of the so-called “Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement” on April 28, 2014. Following the same pattern of referring to it as an “executive agreement” without any categorical commitment to defend us, the visiting forces agreement became our permanent boarder, free board and lodging including the grant of criminal immunity to US soldiers. We cannot do otherwise much that Philippine Senate always wanted to poke its fingers onto anything like ratifying a treaty even if the other party refuses to do the same.

Our accession of EDCA was pathetic and miserable. It was the US that chooses the location of their bases using the facilities built and constructed by the Defense Department supposedly for the use of our soldiers, and in making sure they all face the South China Sea for quick response to any emergency. The greatest irony is that the US refuses to categorically state that in the event of conflict in any of the islands in the Spratly and in the Panatag Shoal, they will automatically come to our side, much that it is not included in the treaty that the US signed with Spain on Dec. 10, 1898 for which they paid $20 million to acquire the country.

The problem now is it never crossed the mind of the US negotiators that we would elect a much smarter president who could see and use the same dysfunctional agreement to allow him now to freely cancel the VFA even the without the consent and approval of the Senate. The US failed to see that the President could use the same dysfunctional agreement to retaliate for the denial of visa to our officials arbitrarily accused of violating human rights and for detaining a prurient senator from the opposition.

The President now has found a justifying reason like treating the VFA and EDCA as mere executive agreements, and has the power to scrap the VFA even without the consent of the Senate on the ground that the agreement was never ratified by them.

There is no compelling reason why we have to follow the procedure required by our own Constitution. We cannot enforce an alleged agreement that is not binding nor being enforced by the other party. In this sense, Duterte is a constitutional maverick because he has the guts to justice to the provision in our mangled Constitution.

There are no “buts” and “ifs” to the decision by the President to order the overstaying US visiting forces to leave. Recent history remains vivid to him; that despite the surrogate exhibition of loyalty by Estrada in approving the VFA, the US did not a spare him a sense of gratitude by not supporting the horde of yellow hypocrites calling for his ouster. The US and its cohorts today, made up of their usual clappers from the oligarchy and the Church, are the ones leading in agitating the ouster of the President with their rowdy mascot from the Left caught off guard in the decision by the President.

Specifically, the 1987 Constitution prohibits: One, the establishment of foreign military bases here as stated in Section 25, Article XVIII; and two, the stockpiling of nuclear weapons into the country provided in Section 8, Article II. These two prohibitory provisions were consistently violated by the US. Hence, after the Senate flatly rejected the bill extending their stay, the US devised a new term to gradually allow them to creep into our country. Thus, on Feb. 10, 1998, the US and the Philippines allowed the entry of the US forces under the guise of “visiting forces” agreement.

The VFA is a clear circumvention of Section 25, Article XVIII. Some believe this happened because our constitutional commissioners purposely crafted a redundant phrase in Section 25 to make possible the reestablishment of the US military bases by zeroing in on the Senate to ratify it and by asking our people to do the same in a national referendum. The presence of foreign military bases is not per se prohibited but must be ratified by the Senate and the people in a national referendum held for that purpose. In others words, foreign military bases is prohibited with a nig but!

After our approval of the VFA, we had to go through the rigmarole of formalizing it to one of a treaty. Uncannily, the members of the Senate allowed the US forces to regularly visit the country to hold military exercise without us realizing that the US purposely wanted that agreement to be dysfunctional, meaning that said agreement would only be operational if circumstances would favor them, but not in a situation where circumstances would be against them. Some say this is the application of a “double lock” provision, where moronically, we were compelled to obey what our Constitution essentially prohibits, but giving it a palatable term of an “executive agreement.” In that, the signature alone of the US President would suffice to guarantee our security.

This absurd interpretation of the VFA was accorded legal approval by the Supreme Court, and incidentally served as an eye-opener for the Noynoy Aquino administration to expand the bases without tenure rpkapunan@gmail.com

Agreement (VFA) dealing with the treatment of Filipino military personnel in the US, signed in October 1998, is an example of making decisions without evidence. There might be good reasons for scrapping the VFA but it should not be done because of the cancellation of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s visa. An impact assessment is now being done by the Department of Justice—but only after the fact.

We saw this, too with the anti-drug campaign of the government. The policy to stamp out drug use and trafficking without regard to human rights has resulted in thousands of casualties and rampant violations of intrinsic and constitutionally protected rights of the victims and families. Worse, as is shown by anti-narcotic officials and the Vice President herself, Duterte is utilizing flawed and exaggerated data to support his claim that the country is turning into a narcostate. And while we are now faced with the great challenges with the Taal eruption and the Wuhan virus, the President still insists that illegal drugs is biggest problem.

I would also argue that his attacks against the Ayalas, Manny Pangilinan, and others are not justified by the evidence. They are done for purely political reasons.

It goes without saying that every policy decision by government officials, more so the president, must be measured, well-thought of, dispassionate, untainted by personal biases and prejudices. The President, the highest ranking official in government, cannot shoot from the hip every time he makes a policy decision.

As we face what Taal and Wuhan may bring, I hope the government gets its act together in time. Otherwise, untold suffering is about to engulf our country.

interactions are becoming more and more complex, science and technology are increasingly becoming more relevant to public policy. Thus, the government as a whole, i.e. the legislative, executive and judiciary, cannot operate in isolation of scientific findings and methods.

The Taal eruption incident and 2019-nCoV will show how evidence-based decision making can result in rational, effective and economical social interventions. For instance, the Phivolcs periodic bulletins on the activity of Taal Volcano which greatly aided the national and local governments in coming up with their responses. The same goes with the regular bulletins and updates coming from the World Health Organization, Department of Health and other agencies concerning the novel coronavirus.

It is safe to assume that these agencies may not be 100-percent perfect but they are the best that the humans can device to inform the public on such matters. The information and data that these agencies issue is the most reliable, trustworthy and unbiased that will guide individuals and organizations in decision making.

It is regrettable that the President, as is now characteristic of him it seems, has the penchant of making far-reaching policies and decisions without first establishing the facts. In Taal, he has blurted out he want to pull out “his” police and let the local government officials take care of their own citizens. On the Wuhan virus, decisions have been slow in coming in keeping the public safe, feeding into the frenzy of disinformation and racism.

Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina The threat by the President to scrap the Visiting Forces Twitter: tonylavs

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News

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

All flights from Macau to Lallo, Cagayan suspended SECRETARY Raul L. Lambino, administrator and chief executive officer of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, today ordered the suspension of all chartered flights from Macau and other parts of China to Lallo, Cagayan where it is operating the Cagayan North International Airport.

Lambino said the suspension of all Macau/China-Lallo flights is meant to prevent the spread of the (2019 novel coronavirus) which is believed to have originated in Wuhan City, Hubei province in China.

The Philippine registered budget airline Royal Air Charter Service Inc. has been operating the Macau-Lallo route since August last year when the CNIA began its international chartered flights, transporting mostly Chinese tourists bound for various resorts destinations in Santa Ana, Cagayan.

“We have already informed the charterer of Royal Air to suspend its operations until further notice. We cannot simply put to risk the lives of our people in the wake of a global concern against the spread of this deadly disease,” said Lambino, also the Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon.

Royal Air is also operating a commercial domestic flight between Lallo and Clark every Wednesday and Sunday.

The Cagayan North International Airport is a joint venture enterprise of CEZA with the Cagayan Premium Ventures Development Corp. in an effort to attract more foreign tourists to visit several tourism spots in Santa Ana, including the world famous Palaui Island.

With Brenda Jocson

3 drug dealers nabbed in Las Piñas

By Joel E. Zurbano

L

AWMEN arrested three more big-time drug traffickers in Las Piñas City as part of the police continuing crackdown on suspected drug dealers and other criminal elements in southern Metro Manila.

The suspects—John Ryan Modelo, 29, also known as “Jay-Ar Shabu”; Rogelio Roxas, 43; and Ramil Espiritu, 53—were arrested in separate police operations based on the search warrants signed and issued by Las Piñas Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Elizabeth Yu Guray.

Joint operatives from the Las Piñas City-Station Drug Enforcement and Intelligence Units, and Police Community

Precinct-5 applied the search warrants at the suspects’ residences on Thursday and found more than P900,000 worth of shabu and drug paraphernalia.

Also recovered from Modelo and Roxas were one .38-cal revolver (serial number 1003937) loaded with five bullets, and .9MM pistol (serial number 997650 also loaded with 12 bullets.)

Police busted Modelo inside his residence at 10 Antenor Street in Barangay

Pamplona Uno while Roxas was arrested at Block 1 Lot 14 Markville Subdivision in Barangay Talon Uno. Espiritu, on the other hand, was arrested at Block 5 Lot 13 Camis Street, Mother Earth Subdivision in Barangay Talon Dos. The suspects are now detained at the Las Piñas City police detention center while the confiscated drugs were turned over to Southern Police District-Crime laboratory for chemical analysis.

They will be charged with violation of Section 11, Art. II of Republic Act 9165 and R.A. 10591 before the city prosecutors office.

Police are not discounting the possibility that Modelo, Roxas, and Espiritu are connected with three other suspected drug dealers recently arrested with more

IN BRIEF BI to deport three foreign fugitives

Free ride aboard Pasig River ferry extended for Feb.—MMDA Use of garbage as fuel, electricity source pushed HONORED GUEST. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte stood as the guest of honor during the 86th birthday bash of businesswoman Olivia V. Yanson held on Jan. 23 in Bacolod City. In photo (from left) are OVY, Leo Rey Yanson and Ginnette Yanson Dumancas.

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority announced on Friday that the free ride to the Pasig River Ferry Service will be extended for the entire month of February.

MMDA chairman Danilo Lim said the extension of the “Libreng Sakay”until Feb. 29 is in line with the agency’s continued effort to support the public's interest on the ferry service and further highlight its many benefits.

“We are overwhelmed with the interest and clamor shown by the public and other government agencies’ support to the Pasig River Ferry project. People are fully enjoying the benefits of the ferry service as a fast and convenient mode of transportation,” said Lim. The free ride offer started when the Pasig River ferry service was relaunched in December last year and was supposed to end Friday (Jan. 31).

“For those who have not tried the PRFS yet, take this extension as a perfect opportunity to enjoy its benefits,” said Lim. Since its relaunch, the PRFS continues to attract more patrons who prefer the water transportation service over public utility vehicles in going to their destinations in various parts of Metro Manila.

Based on records, the PRFS serves an average of 700-1,000 passengers a day.

Commuters are accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Meanwhile, Lim said more improvements on the ferry’s facilities and operations are underway to better serve the public. Deputy Chairman and Undersecretary Frisco San Juan serves as head of the PRFS with Michael Salalima as deputy head.

“Watch for the first sail of the 150-seater boat, the latest addition to the fleet of the PRFS. Several Metro Manila local chief executives and private entities have also committed to provide additional boats,” said Lim. At present, the PRFS has seven boats which can accommodate varying number of passengers.

“There are also plans to construct three more ferry stations, namely: Quinta Market in Manila, Circuit Makati in Makati, and Kalawaan in Pasig to further expand our operations,” the MMDA chief added.

Aimed to help address the traffic problem in Metro Manila, the relaunch of PRFS has the backing of President Rodrigo Duterte who approved a proposal to institutionalize the Pasig River Ferry Convergence Program, which includes adding more stations for the ferry system, said MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr.

than P20 million worth of shabu found in their possession.

The authorities arrested last week Danizon Manese, 29, alias Tenten, during a drug entrapment operation along C-5 Road Extension in Barangay Manuyo Dos, also in Las Piñas.

Authorities seized 500 grams of shabu worth P3.4 million from the suspect’s possession.

More than P17 million worth of shabu was also seized in a separate police operation at Verdant Acres Subdivision in Barangay Pamplona Tres.

Two suspected drug traffickers Jerrymias Suson and Miguel Castillo were also arrested by a composite team from the Las Piñas City Police Station and Philippine Drug Enforcement Group who conducted the operations.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Francis Tolentino on Friday described as “hitting two birds with one stone” his proposed measure to utilize garbage as source of electricity and fuel which could address both waste disposal problem and the shortage of energy supply.

Under his Senate Bill no. 401, entitled “An Act Allowing the Use of Waste to Energy Technology in Electricity, Fuel and Heat Generation, and for Other Purposes,” Tolentino cited the problem of improper waste disposal which he said largely contributes to the country’s environmental problem, coupled with a projection of an energy supply crisis.

He mentioned a study made by the Japan International Corporation Agency, which states that the percentage of local government units that fully followed the sanitary landfill method as mandated by RA No. 9003, did not reach ten percent.

The situation, he said, would worsen as around 80 to 90 percent of the capacity if the constructed sanitary landfills have already been utilized and is projected to be at full capacity within the next five years.

Concurrent with the garbage disposal problem, Tolentino added, is the forthcoming crisis in the energy field.

This is already manifested in the rotational brownouts being implemented by electric suppliers in some part of the country and the rising cost of power due mainly to the shortage of supply, which is further aggravated by the rising prices of petroleum products.

To address both disposal of solid waste and shortage of energy supply, Tolentino is proposing to fully allow the use of waste to energy technologies.

This is in harmony with the Supreme Court ruling in the case of the Metro-

politan Manila Development Authority vs. Jancorn Environmental Corp. where it was ruled that RA 8749 otherwise known as the Clean Air Act, does not absolutely prohibit incineration as a mode of waste disposal, but bans only those which emit poisonous and toxic fumes.

“There have been several attempts to

establish waste to energy facilities which were even backed by the national government and local government units but which ever pushed through because of legal impediments.” Tolentino said.

He, however, expressed optimism his proposed bill would finally see the light of day.

THE Bureau of Immigration is set to deport three foreign fugitives from China and the United States following their arrest in Parañaque City and Negros Occidental.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the three aliens—a Chinese and two Americans—were arrested in separate operations by agents of the bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit.

“The foreigners will be deported for being undesirable aliens and for being undocumented as their passports were already canceled by their government,” Morente said.

He added that the fugitives fled to the Philippines to evade prosecution for their crimes, thus they were placed in the Immigration blacklist to prevent them from returning to the Philippines.

FSU chief Bobby Raquepo said the 19-year-old Chinese national Cai Cancan, who is wanted for economic crimes, was arrested in Parañaque City last Jan. 16.

Authorities in Xiamen, China alleged that Cai is one of the suspects wanted for operating a credit card fraud scheme that defrauded victims of more than 2 million renminbi or roughly US$300,000. Joel E. Zurbano

Solon wants a stop to bullying in workplace A PARTY-LIST legislator on Friday pressed his colleagues to immediately pass the bill that mandates the adoption of policies that prevent and address bullying in the workplace, both in the government and the private sector.

Ako Bicol Rep. Alredo Garbin said House Bill 85 or the Anti-Office Bullying Act, will give all workers a feeling of safety while at work. Garbin and fellow Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co filed the bill.

Among the anti-bullying measures provided in the bill include the appointment of an administrative officer or another officer responsible for the implementation and oversight of anti-bullying policies, as well as sanctions for non-compliance.

“While a law has been passed preventing and addressing acts of bullying in educational institutions, bullying and other similar acts prevails in the workplace or work environment,” said Garbin.

“Bullying in the workplace is often ignored. It is often overlooked by employers,” they added. Maricel V. Cruz

BAYAN marks 50th FQS year with protest

PH SHOWCASE. Lakbay Museo is a 1,000 square edifice showcasing the best of the country. It has 14 unique experiences in 11 different destinations around the country in a bid to urge Filipinos to get to know more about the country’s history, culture, products and savor Pinoy food and drinks, which are all located a the ground floor of Conrad Hotel, at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City. In photo are Lawrence Tan (left) president of Lakbay who showed diiferent sections of the place to visiting guests and Oman Airlines executive Mr. Salah Al Balushi, during his visit to promote the place.

TO MARK the 50th year of the First Quarter Storm of 1970 and the “Battle of Mendiola” that rocked the Marcos regime at that time, activists belonging to the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan held a protest action at the Mendiola bridge Thursday afternoon, warning of unrest “if President Rodrigo Duterte continues on the Marcosian path of dictatorship and puppetry to foreign, imperialist powers.”

The First Quarter Storm of 1970 was a youth-led uprising against the Marcos government that resulted in the radicalization of youth and students all over the country, many of whom joined the underground resistance when martial law was declared in 1972.

“Duterte’s repressive acts against critics and dissenters, his brazen violation of human rights, increasing corruption and emergence of his own set of cronies, subservience to foreign powers especially China, and plans to impose a dictatorship through Charter change or martial law, is straight out of Marcos’ playbook,” said Bayan leader Teddy Casiño.

“If the activists of 50 years ago resisted Marcos’ fascist dictatorship, so will the activists of today resist Duterte’s tyranny,” he said. Willie Casas

DAR tops target on enhancement of human, physical capital

By Rio N. Araja THE Department of Agrarian Reform has exceeded its target for the enhancement of beneficiaries' human, financial and physical capital in 2019.

Undersecretary for Support Services Emily Padilla said they are “happy to serve more agrarian reform beneficiaries in 2020.”

At least 467,890 agrarian reform beneficiaries have been trained in various livelihood and skills development program, 122,074 beneficiaries more than its target of 345,816,

for an accomplishment rate of 135.30 percent.

In her report during the DAR 2019 summative assessment and 2020 planning conference, Padilla said the enhancement of the beneficiaries’ human capital is vital in raising their technical know-how in modern farm technology to improve the quality and volume of their harvests.

Some 206,483 farmer-beneficiaries were given access to credit and micro-finance services, 50,354 beneficiaries more than the 156,129 targeted beneficiaries last year, for 132.25 percent accomplishment rate in the department’s effort to improve the beneficiaries’ financial capital.

Padilla cited the level of improvement in the physical capital of the farmer-beneficiaries as 3,547 agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations benefited in various forms of support services.

While DAR’s development intervention exceeded expectations last year, she cautioned DAR officials and personnel not to sit on their laurels as there are still more to do.

She said more beneficiaries that are still in need of assistance, and called on field officials and personnel to work harder, reach out to more farmers and extend to them the much-needed support services.

Sports

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 Manila

Standard

TODAY

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A7

Republic of the Philippines GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM GSIS Building, Financial Center, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City 1308

China’s sports calendar now in shambles H

ONGKONG, China—China suspended all football in the country, hours after the World Indoor Athletics Championships and World Cup skiing were postponed, adding to a long list of sports events hit by the coronavirus outbreak.

The world’s most populous country has become an increasing powerhouse in hosting international sport in recent years but has had its 2020 sporting calendar thrown into chaos.

Here, AFP Sport lists the events already affected and those potentially under threat: Cancelled, postponed or moved Football: China suspended all domestic football and postponed indefinitely the top-flight Chinese Super League season kick-off due on Feb. 22 in order to “carry out prevention and control of the pneumonia epidemic,” said the Chinese Football Association.

Athletics: The World Indoor Championships, scheduled for Nanjing from March 13-15, were postponed for a year. “It is with regret that we have agreed with the organizers ... to postpone the event to March 2021,” the sport’s governing body said in a statement Wednesday.

Football: The Asian Football Confederation announced Wednesday that home Champions League group stage games featuring four Chinese clubs

would be switched to away fixtures for the first three match days in February and March. A decision on venues for each club’s three home group matches will be made at a later date.

Women’s football: A women’s Olympics qualifying event between China, Taiwan, Thailand and Australia scheduled from Feb. 3-9 in Wuhan, the disease epicentre, was moved initially to Nanjing then to Sydney. The China women’s football team were quarantined in a Brisbane hotel on Wednesday after arriving in Australia for the tournament.

Boxing: A qualification event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics initially scheduled from Feb. 3-14 in Wuhan was rescheduled for Amman in Jordan from March 3-11.

Women’s basketball: Another Olympic qualifying tournament, a four-team battle for three Tokyo places between China, Great Britain, Spain and South Korea was moved on Monday from Foshan, in southern China, to Belgrade where it will run alongside another fourteam group on Feb. 6-9. AFP

Muguruza, Kenin exceed expectations at Aussie Open MELBOURNE, Australia—Serena Williams dominated talk before the Australian Open but today’s women’s final is between unseeded Garbine Muguruza and unheralded Sofia Kenin—a 750-1 longshot of a championship match that nobody predicted.

After a tournament of surprises, the 21-year-old Kenin can even supplant Williams as the top-ranked American if she manages another plot twist by beating Spain’s Muguruza in Melbourne.

The 38-year-old American legend Williams was attempting to equal the record 24 Grand Slam titles of Australian Margaret Court, but she lost in the third round to China’s Wang Qiang.

Reigning champion Naomi Osaka went out at the same stage to 15-yearold sensation Coco Gauff, who was promptly turfed out herself by fellow American Kenin.

Six of the top 10 seeds exited in the third round, seemingly blowing the tournament open for Australia’s world number one Ashleigh Barty.

But step forward Moscow-born 14th seed Kenin once more, who showed remarkably few nerves in her first Grand Slam semifinal on Thursday as she broke home hearts in straight sets.

Even if she loses the final, Kenin will reach a career-high nine in the world, rising from her current position of 15th.

If she beats Muguruza—and she did so in their only previous meeting, at the China Open in the autumn—she will leapfrog Williams into seventh in the rankings.

“After this week, she is a top-10 player, she deserves that respect and she deserves the recognition,” said the beaten Barty, the latest to succumb to the fiery Kenin.

“She’s played an exceptional tournament, she’s had an exceptional last 12 months.”

Kenin won her first WTA title only 12 months ago in Hobart and added two more during the season with the determination and aggression that has become her trademark in the past fortnight. AFP

Sofia Kenin of the US celebrates after victory against Australia’s Ashleigh Barty during their women’s singles semi-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

GENERAL GUIDELINES: 1.

Disposal of GSIS Investment Properties – Retail Units (IP-RUs) is through a competitive public bidding process. Acceptance of Purchase Offers shall start on the scheduled bidding date and time.

2.

Dropping of bid envelopes will be on the date of bidding from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM only.

Opening of Bids will immediately follow. Late bid envelopes will not be accepted.

3.

Disposal of GSIS IP-RUs is on an “As-Is, Where-is” basis. Interested bidders are enjoined to personally inspect the GSIS IP-RUs for sale. “As-Is, Where-Is” is defined as the present physical condition of the retail unit that GSIS is selling and the buyer is buying, “with all attendant faults, if any,” whether or not immediately apparent and without any express or implied warranty. The buyer takes this condition at his or her own risk, without recourse against the GSIS as to their condition. This includes knowledge by the buyer of the presence of occupants in the retail-unit being purchased.

4.

Strictly, “One bidder, One specific property” only, which means that a bidder cannot submit two (2) or more bids for one property. A bidder may submit one bid each to as many properties as he/she wants to buy, as long as, he/she posts the required 10% bid deposit of the total bid price for each property. The bidder must present valid government IDs upon registration on the date of public bidding.

5.

Pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 10963 or the Tax Reform Act for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, the selling price of GSIS properties above PhP2.5 million shall be subject to twelve percent (12%) Value-Added Tax (VAT).

6.

Purchase offers are only accepted through CASH basis payable within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of the Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS), without privilege of extension.

7.

A downloadable bid form shall be properly accomplished with the following data: A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

Date of Bidding Name of the bidder Exact address of property you are interested to bid Transfer Certificate of Title No. Mode of Payment Amount of bid (in numbers and in words) Signature of the bidder/representative

8.

Bid proposal shall be written in words and in figures and must not be lower than the Minimum Acceptable Offer of the property. Should there be a difference in the amount in words and in figures, the amount in words shall prevail.

9.

Bidders’ deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer plus the 12% VAT, if applicable, shall be in the form of a MANAGER’S CHECK payable to the Government Service Insurance System.

10. The following shall be inserted in a sealed bid envelope:

PSC’s P4m support bears fruit in Italy tilt THE Philippine weightlifting team did not waste any of the national government’s funds released through the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) using it as inspiration to win 3 golds and 3 bronze medals at the Roma 2020 Weightlifting World Cup held in Pala Pellicone in Rome, Italy.

The PSC gave P2.2 million budget for the airfare, accommodation, allowance and other related expenses of the 7 athletes and 4 officials who competed in the Rome competition, apart from the P1.7 million budget of Olympian Hidilyn Diaz’s core team.

“This is an Olympic qualifying tournament for our national weightlifters. Walang dahilan para hindi natin sila bigyan ng full support,” said PSC Chairman William Ramirez.

Filipino weightlifting superstar and Olympic Games silver medalist Diaz carried the Philippines’ campaign after sweeping the women’s 55kg class on Tuesday.

Diaz won 3 gold medals broken down into 93kg in the snatch, 119kg in clean and jerk, and 212kg in total.

She now ranks number 4 in the world which bettered her chances to qualify for Tokyo 2020.

A.

ALL participating bidders must insert: a. properly accomplished BID FORM b. MANAGER’S CHECK payable to Government Service Insurance System representing deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer plus 12% VAT, if applicable.

B.

If the bidder is being represented by an authorized representative, a corresponding Special Power of Attorney (SPA) must also be included

C.

If the bidder is the occupant of the subject property, two (2) proofs of occupancy must also be inserted. These are: a. Barangay certificate that the bidder is occupying or residing in the subject property; and b. Valid Government Issued ID with an address showing that the bidder is currently residing in the subject property, or the Latest Billing Statement under the Bidder’s Name that shows he/she is currently residing in the subject property.

11. The following information shall be clearly written outside the sealed bid envelope (mailing envelope).

A. B.

He/she participated in actual bidding and Inserted the two (2) proofs of occupancy inside his/her bid envelope as indicated in Number 9 of these guidelines

13. If the occupant will exercise his/her Right to Match the offer of the declared highest bidder, he/she shall adjust his/her initial deposit based on the bid amount of the declared highest bidder. He/she must also pay the adjusted deposit on the day of bidding.

14. The declared highest/winning bidder shall submit within fourteen (14) calendar days of the actual bidding, the following documents: A.

If the winning bidder is an individual, a. duly accomplished Personal Profile (with attached recent two (2) pieces of 2x2 b. ID pictures of the winning bidder) photocopies of two (2) valid IDs (at least one should be a government-issued ID) If the winning bidder is a corporate entity or partnership, a. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile b. Registration Certificate from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) c. Articles of Incorporation (if corporation), Articles of Partnership (if partnership), General Information Sheet, and By-Laws duly certified by the SEC d. Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located If the winning bidder is a cooperative, a. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile b. Cooperative Development Authority Registration or any proof of such registration c. Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located

B.

C.

15. A Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS) shall be issued to the highest/winning bidder on the day of bidding. The Bidder’s deposit of the other non-winning bidder/s shall be returned immediately.

16. The deposit equivalent to at least ten percent (10%) of the Bid Offer plus 12% VAT. The 90% balance of the bid amount plus 12% VAT shall be paid either in cash or in manager’s check within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of NOAS, without privilege of extension.

Sample Computation: Bid Amount is PhP2,610,000.00 Deposit - (10% of PhP2,610,000.00) + 12% = Balance - (90% of PhP2,610,000.00) + 12% =

PhP 261,000.00 + 31,320.00 = PhP292,320.00 PhP2,349,000.00 + 281,880.00 = PhP2,630,880.00

17. Non-compliance with the terms and conditions stated in the NOAS will result in the forfeiture of the bidder’s total deposit.

18. In case the highest/winning bidder fails to comply with the requirements within the specified time, the said NOAS shall be deemed automatically revoked and the highest/ winning bidder shall be informed in writing. The second highest bidder, if any, shall be informed in writing if he/she is still interested to acquire the property. If still interested, he/ she must remit the required non-refundable 10% deposit within three (3) working days after receipt of notice from GSIS. 19. GSIS reserves the right to waive any formality or to reject any or all bids received. The list of properties available for sale may be updated without prior notice.

For bidding inquiries, you may call the Real Property Accounts Management Department (RPAMD) at trunk line numbers (02) 8479-3600, and (02) 7976-4900 local numbers 3228, 3374, and 3396.

Revised dated January 31, 2020

Revised dated January 31, 2020

CERTIFICATION I/We certify that the information given and any or all statements made herein are true, correct, complete and updated to the best of my/our knowledge and belief. I hereby certify under pain of perjury that my/our signature/s appearing herein is genuine and authentic. I/We agree that any material misrepresentation or falsity can be used by Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to pursue civil and/or criminal liabilities against me/us.

BID FORM FOR CASH BASIS

RIGHT TO MATCH FORM

I/We hereby certify that I/we have exercised due diligence by verifying all documents pertaining to the above mentioned property with other government agencies (i.e. Registry of Deeds, Assessor's Office, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, etc.) before tendering this bid offer.

Date of Bidding: Name of Bidder: Are you the present occupant of the property?

1) to purchase the property an "As-is, Where-is" basis which I/We have inspected the property including whether it is unoccupied or occupied, and as a consequence, I/We will take full responsibility in taking legal measures to eject the illegal occupant/s of the property.

PARTICULARS OF THE PROPERTY Block/Unit No.:

Lot No.:

Phase/Area:

Name of Subdivision: City/Municipality:

2) to hold GSIS free and harmless from liabilities of whatever kind and nature arising out of any legal claims which may be filed by third persons involving the property.

Once declared as the winning bidder, I/We will accept the physical and legal condition of the property without seeking assistance from GSIS and waive my/our right to rescind/cancel the sale and ask for refund of payments made to GSIS by reason or any defect therein.

Province:

TCT/CCT No.:

Date of Bidding: ___________________________________ Name of Bidder/Company/Organization: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

MATCHED BID AMOUNT Bid Offer of the declared highest Bid Amount: _____________________________________________________

Further, I/we authorize and give consent to collect, store, transmit, use, distribute, disclose, share, retain, (amount in figures) dispose, destroy, and process my/our personal information contained in my/our record or any other form or document that I/we have or will submit to GSIS for the purpose of acquiring a GSIS acquired asset/s as prescribed ______________________________________________________________________________________ by the (PhP______________ ) Republic Act No. 10173 also known as the "Data Privacy Act of 2012" and its implementing rules and regulations. (amount in figures)

Property Classification:

BID PROPOSAL

Bid Offer:

(amount in words)

PhP

At least 10% of the declared highest Bid Amount: ____________________________________________________________ Signature:

BID DEPOSIT 10% of Bid Offer:

Date:

PhP

12% VAT:

(amount in figures)

THIS PORTION IS FOR GSIS USE ONLY

PhP

BIDDER INFORMATION (Please write in BLOCK LETTERS

(amount in words)

______________________________________________________________________________________ (PhP______________ ) (amount in words)

PhP

Deposit (Managers Check):

"FOR OCCUPANTS ONLY"

I/We hereby agree to the following:

NO

YES

Remarks:

NOAS No.

At least 10% of the declared highest Bid Amount less: Submitted 10% deposit in Manager's Check

(PhP __ (PhP __

) )

Required Additional deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Amount (Cash or in Manager's Check): (PhP

)

I/We the occupant exercises the Right to Match the offer of the declared highest bidder. Further, I/We hereby agree to pay the required deposit based on the bid amount of the declared highest bidder on the day of bidding.

My/Our failure to settle the said deposit within the day of the bidding shall automatically cancel and revoke my/our declaration as winning bidder. I/We understand that the first declared highest bidder shall be the new winning bidder.

(Signature over Printed Name of the Bidder/Authorized Representative)

12. The existing tenant or occupant or his duly authorized representative through a valid Special Power of Attorney (SPA) has the right to match the offer of the declared highest bidder, provided:

Remarks

*** THIS PORTION IS FOR GSIS USE ONLY *** NOAS No.

2nd Highest Bidder: Page 1 of 2

Page 2 of 2

3rd Highest Bidder:

(MS-JAN. 31/ FEB 1 & 2, 2020)

Sports

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

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

Young lifts Hawks past Philadelphia LOS ANGELES, United States – Trae Young tallied 39 points as the Atlanta Hawks upset the Philadelphia 76ers to a 127-117 victory on Thursday (Friday Philippine time).

The home team led 39-31 heading into the second, with Young having a monster first quarter.

Young recorded a double-double of 14 points and 10 assists in the first quarter alone, finishing with 39 points and a career-high 18 assists for the Hawks.

Ben Simmons was dominant in the early going for the Sixers, scoring at the rim seemingly at will. He led the 76ers with 31 points.

John Collins tallied 17 points and a season-high 20 rebounds for the Hawks, who avenged an earlier 105103 loss to the Sixers.

De’Andre Hunter scored 10 of his 15 in the first quarter, as the Hawks won their third straight at home.

Meanwhile, newly-named allstars Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam combined for 42 points as the reigning NBA champion Toronto Raptors won their ninth straight game with a 115-109 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lowry scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, and Siakam added 19 as the visiting Raptors extended their season-best winning streak.

Lowry, who is headed to the AllStar Game for the sixth straight season, was named as one of seven reserves from the Eastern Conference to join teammate Siakam, who was chosen as a starter last week.

Serge Ibaka scored a team-high 26 points in the win as the Raptors completed a three-game sweep of the season series with the Cavaliers.

“That was anybody’s game from start to finish, to be honest,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “You’ve just got to grind it out and find a way.”

Norman Powell scored eight of his 16 points in the final 62 seconds of the game for Toronto to help blunt a Cavs’ rally. Fred VanVleet had eight points and a season-best 12 assists in the win.

Kevin Love and Collin Sexton scored 23 points each for Cleveland.

Darius Garland had 16 points and eight assists, Kevin Porter and Larry Nance added 13 points each, and Tristan Thompson had two points and 12 rebounds. AFP

Bulacan, Iloilo boost drive in MPBL Lakan Cup MALOLOS, Bulacan—The Bulacan Kuyas and Iloilo United Royals prevailed over their rivals and boosted their bid for top four finishes in the elimination round of Chooks-to-Go MPBL Lakan Season on Thursday at Malolos Sports & Convention Center.

Coming off the bench, Gwyne Capacio poured in nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Kuyas thwarted the Quezon City Capitals, 78-70, and climbed to 19-10 in the North division, where they are lodged at sixth place.

Capacio, who grabbed 6 rebounds, got support from Jhan McHale Nermal with 14 points and 5 rebounds and Jovit dela Cruz with 10 and 7, respectively.

The Capitals, already out of playoffs contention, dropped to 10-19 despite the 13-point, 10-rebound output of Clark Derige and the 13-point, 7-rebound, 7-assist contribution of Mark Olayon.

Pitted against cellar-dweller Sarangani Province, the Royals settled for a 96-86 victory that raised their record to 18-11 and their standing to No. 4 in the South division.

Richard Escoto shone for the Royals with 24 points and 4 boards, followed

by Donald Gumaro with 18 points, Al Francis Tamsi with 11, and Aaron Jeruta with 8 points and 12 assists.

Sarangani, which drew 22 points from Orin Catacutan, threatened at 5558 but was unable to sustain its assault and tumbled to 1-27 in the South.

Also-ran Rizal Xentro Mall stunned Bicol-LCC Malls, 79-77, preventing the Volcanoes from advancing to the playoffs outright.

Veteran Mark Benitez starred in the Golden Coolers’ fifth win in 27 games, scoring Rizal’s last seven points, highlighted by back-to-back triples, to negate the efforts of Jerome Garcia, who also tallied the Volcanoes’ last seven points in a see-saw battle that saw 15 lead changes and 11 ties.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (right) dribbles past Philadelphia 76ers defender Matisse Thybulle during their game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

Young powered the Hawks to a 127-117 upset over the 76ers. AFP

Eala wins Down Under

By Peter Atencio

A

LEXANDRA “Alex” Eala reached a milestone yesterday in the 2020 Australian Open.

The 14-year-old Eala won her first ever girls doubles crown in the junior division in Melbourne Park.

Eala and Indonesian partner Priska Madelyn Nugroho fought their way to a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over unseeded Matilda Mutavdzic of Great Britain and Ziva Faulkner of Slovenia.

This is an historic win in Philippine tennis with Eala becoming only the second Filipino Grand Slam champion in the Australian Open.

Eleven years ago, Francis Casey Alcantara and Cheng-Peng Hsieh of Chinese Taipeh claimed the 2009 Australian Open boys doubles title.

Eala’s participation was made possible with the help of the Rafa Nadal Academy, and her coach Daniel Gomez.

Pre-tournament conversations with Nadal, who is the top seeded player in

the men’s singles, inspired Eala to be at her best.

Nadal bowed out of contention after losing to fifth seeded Dominic Thiem, 7-6(4), 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), in the quarterfinals.

Eala and the 16-year-old Nugroho had little trouble in taking the first set, as they waltzed their way to a 5-0 lead, with Nugroho’s ace, a forced forehand error and a forehand winner giving the last three points which sealed the match.

Mutavdzic and Faulkner kept it close in the second set, 2-3.

But after taking the sixth game, on a couple of forehand winners, they managed to hold serve, 4-2.

And this gave the world no. 9 ranked Eala and Nugroho the momentum to take the last two points.

Eala and Nugroho, who are seeded fourth, reached the finals after they upset top seeds Kamilla Bartone of Latvia and Czech Linda Fruhvirtova, 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 in the thrilling semis which lasted one hour and 22 minutes.

The Southeast Asian pair recovered from a first set meltdown, then saved a match point in the 10th game of the 2nd set to force a third set tie break where

Knights subdue Pirates Alex Eala (left) and Indonesian partner Priska Madelyn Nugroho receive the championship trophy after ruling the 2020 Australian Open girls’ doubles.

Photo courtesy of Rafa Nadal Academy

they needed another rally from 1-7 to secure the hard-earned victory.

This victory is among their memorable games, since their rivals have been taking part the Grand Slams.

And Bartone has already gained a reputation having been a US Open doubles champion and Wimbledon finalist.

Eala and Nugroho scored 14 points off 16 serves, and a total of four aces.

Mighty Sports beats Al Wathba in Dubai MIGHTY Sports-Creative Pacific, getting better and sharper each game, dumped Syria’s Al Wathba, 88-71, in their quarterfinal showdown late Thursday to stay on collision course with defending champion Al Riyadi of Lebanon in the 31st Dubai International Basketball Championship at Shabab Al Ahli Club in the United Arab Emirates.

Rotating the ball seamlessly and scoring almost at will, Mighty SportsCreative Pacific was a joy to watch as six players scored in double figures in what could be the team’s most efficient shooting so far.

McKenzie Moore came off the bench to score 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field while veteran Renaldo Balkman and naturalized Filipino Andray Blatche chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively, apart from grabbing eight rebounds in another solid all-around showing.

Even former collegiate standouts— Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena and La Salle’s Jamie Malonzo – also delivered and so did UP’s Juan Gomez de Liaño.

But of the three, it was the 6-foot-6 Malonzo who shone brightest, finishing with a perfect 5-of-5shooting, including back-to-back monster dunks in the payoff period that had the crowd, including Mighty Sports owner Alex Wongchuking and Bong Cuevas of Creative Pacific,

Mighty Sports-Creative Pacific’s player Jamie Malonzo sparks a wild celebration from their bench following a monster dunk against Syria’s Al Wathba in the Dubai tournament late Thursday. Patrick Arias Castillo

roaring in delight.

In the semis, Mighty Sports, also backed

by Go for Gold, Oriental Game, Discovery Primea and Gatorade, will face Moroccan club Sale, which earlier downed UAE national team, 85-80.

Despite the chance of bettering their bronze medal finish last year and the way

they dominated their rivals in their last previous three games, coach Charles Tiu refused to be swayed, saying they haven’t achieved anything yet.

“Our goal is to win the championship but I am happy with our win,” said Tiu. “I’m proud with what Jamie, Thirdy and Juan contributed to the team.”

THE Letran Knights banked on the huge effort of Brylle Novo and Michael Doria in fending off the Lyceum Pirates, 19-25, 2523, 25-18, 25-22, yesterday at the FilOil-Flying V Sports Center in San Juan.

This allowed the Knights to post their first win in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s volleyball tournament.

Novo and Doria had similar outputs of 17 points for the Knights, who improved to 1-4 in the men’s division standings.

The Knights needed an hour and 31 minutes to get past the Pirates, who fell to the cellar at 1-5.

They blew a big lead in the fourth set before the Knights took the match from attacks by Novo and Doria.

“Expected ko naman na mananalo sila ngayon dahil sa pinakita nilang effort sa last game namin sa Mapua,” Letran head coach Bryan Esquibel In the women’s action, the Lyceum Lady Pirates stayed in the hunt for a semifinals berth in their 28-26, 25-27, 25-16, 19-25, 1614 triumph over the Letran Lady Knights.

The Lady Knights, behind Charlemagne Cunada, picked up their third triumph in five outings.

This put the Lady Pirates semis hopes in trouble with their 2-4 slate.

They now share fourth with the San Beda Red Lionesses.

In the junior side, the John Alabin had 15 points for the Letran Squires, who blasted the Lyceum Junior Pirates, 25-16, 25-21, 25-18, to improve at 3-1 in fourth.

Peter Atencio

NBA All-Star game format to honor Bryant NEW YORK, United States – Kobe Bryant’s jersey number 24 will be honored at the NBA All-Star Game in February under a new format for the mid-season exhibition announced on Thursday (Friday Philippine time).

The NBA said every quarter of this year’s All-Star game will be a “mini-game” for charity with an untimed final period with a target score that will decide who wins.

Scores will be reset to 0-0 at the start of the second and third quarters, then restored to start the fourth.

Then a target score comes into play, with the first team to reach that number winning. The target will be the number of points scored by the leading team from the first three quarters, plus 24.

The NBA said All-Star weekend in Chicago, capped by the game on February 16, will feature multiple tributes to Bryant, the five-time NBA champion who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday that also claimed the lives of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people.

The 69th All-Star game will

feature teams led by Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

Meanwhile, Jeanie Buss, the controlling owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers, made her first public comments since Kobe Bryant’s death via Instagram, calling the franchise icon “family.”

“Kobe, I don’t know how to express what you mean to me, my family and the Los Angeles Lakers,” wrote Buss, daughter of longtime People gather around a makeshift memorial for former NBA owner Jerry Buss who died three and Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant, at LA Live plaza in front of Staples Center in Los Angeles. AFP years before Bryant retired. AFP

IN BRIEF PLDT Enterprise, Japan’s IPS tie up

PLDT Enterprise, a unit of ePLDT Inc., has teamed up with Japan-based IPS and InfiniVAN to ensure global-standard connectivity in the Philippines.

IPS—a premier international data communication provider focused on connecting businesses in the Philippines to Hong Kong and North America through submarine cables—established InfiniVAN in 2015 to provide network services to enterprises in the Philippines.

Given the Philippines’s upward growth trajectory, many investors have set their sights on the archipelago as a prime location for business.

InfiniVAN was IPS’ response in support of such landscape. Through the deployment of PLDT Enterprise’s IPLC, InfiniVAN will be able to ensure the uptime of its operations, allowing them to stay true to their promise of “continuous connectivity” for businesses.

“We recognize that connectivity is critical to many of today’s business operations, which is why we are so proud to be able to partner with InfiniVAN to ensure the success of our shared customers,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT president and chief executive and head of PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

French 2019 growth slowed down to 1.2% PARIS—France’s longest transport strike in decades over a sweeping pensions overhaul hit economic growth, causing a rare contraction in the last quarter of 2019 and a below-par figure for the full year, statistics showed Friday.

GDP growth slowed to 1.2 percent for 2019 as a whole, statistics office INSEE said, weighed down by a 0.1-percent contraction in the last three months of the year—the first quarterly fall since AprilJune 2016.

INSEE had originally tabled growth of 0.3 percent last quarter.

The government, which started off last year aiming for 1.7 percent growth, had hoped a series of tax cuts and wage boosts for low earners would cushion the blow from the “yellow vest” protests that faded only toward last summer.

But the massive strike launched on December 5 against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform kept many shoppers away from stores during the crucial run-up to the year-end holidays.

AFP

B1

By Othel V. Campos

HYUNDAI BAGUIO CITY. Hyundai, the No. 1 Korean automotive brand in the Philippines, unveiled Hyundai Baguio City on January 24, its first-ever full-service passenger car dealership in the Cordillera Administrative Region. Gracing the Hyundai Baguio City launch are (from left) Hyundai Baguio City dealer principal Archimedes Go, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. president and chief executive Maria Fe Perez-Agudo, Speaker of the House of Representatives Alan Peter Cayetano, Baguio City Rep. Marquez Go, HARI chairman emeritus Richard Lee and Grit Motors Corp. president Soledad Go.

Govt opts to sell Batangas property leased to Chevron

By Darwin G. Amojelar

T

HE Department of Finance said will bid out the Batangas property leased by Chevron Philippines Inc. as the the government plans to terminate the allegedly onerous contract.

“That lease is about to expire and that’s why they came to us for renewal and we said we don’t want to renew.

They said, well we still own 40 percent of the company, in that case we will close the company. And we will pay you, we will pay you and we are allowed to close the company after 25 years,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said.

“We are following the law to the letter. We have not terminated that contract... We are just saying, we are not going to renew it, we are going to buy you out of that contract, buy you out of your share in the company,’” he said.

“You wanna bid? You’re free to do it.

But don’t take advantage of us for another 25 years. You already had 44 years of a good time. Enough is enough,” he added.

Dominguez said the government had committed no violation because, rather than pre-terminate the contract with Chevron, it merely decided to close down the company in 2021.

“This is the legal option exercised by the government to put an end to the onerous provisions in the contract,” Dominguez said.

The onerous provisions of Chevron’s lease contract over the use of the

120-hectare industrial park in San Pascual, Batangas came to the DOF’s attention after the company asked for a renewal of the agreement.

While National Development Co. eventually decided to close down BLCI next year to enable the government to take back the property in Batangas and get better terms for it, Dominguez said NDC had assured Chevron, formerly Caltex Philippines Inc., that it would be fully compensated for the 40-percent shares it owns in BLCI. Dominguez said the decision to close down BLCI was a valid legal option that the government had opted to exercise to protect the interests of government and the Filipino taxpayers.

He said at a forum that among the onerous provisions of the lease contract was the renewal of the agreement in 2010 based on the old valuation of the property in 1975—equivalent to P0.74 per square meter when the current market value should be about P18.00 per sq. m.

AGRICULTURE Secretary William Dar expects the agriculture sector to post a modest growth of 2 percent in 2020.

“We are confident that we can attain a two-percent growth this year, that in turn will help fuel a higher national economic growth target. We strive to achieve the said growth trajectory in strong partnership once again with the local government units, private industry, academe, civil society organizations, organized farmers’ and fishers’ group, and this time with a new breed of young agripreneurs,” he said Friday.

The National Economic and Development Authority reported that the country’s agriculture sector expanded 1.5 percent in 2019, despite the African Swine Fever in Luzon, relatively low farm gate prices of palay, threat of fall army worm and low prices of coconut oil.

The department is also keen on pursuing the effective implementation of the programs and projects under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, or RCEF, as it continues to manage, contain and control the spread of the African Swine Fever.

“Now, more than ever, we will strongly support and pursue the production and export of agricultural and fishery commodities that we have comparative advantage. Hence, we will continue pursuing and strengthening strategic partnerships with major and emerging trading partners, and more importantly intensify the marketing and promotion of Philippine farm and fishery products worldwide,” Dar said.

The department vowed to attract more investments from overseas Filipinos and foreign partners by fully implementing the ‘Ease of Doing Business Act,’ and by providing conducive policy and infrastructure-laden, graft and corruption-free environment.

The Department will also pursue ‘internal cleansing’ and strengthen and synchronize efforts to effectively and cost-efficiently implement programs and projects under “our new thinking for agriculture that envisions a foodsecure Philippines with prosperous farmers and fisherfolk.”

DOF upbeat in sustaining robust growth

PSALM ready to start Malaya plant bidding POWER Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. is ready to start its third round of public bidding for the 650-megawatt Malaya Thermal Power Plant and its underlying land in Barangay Malaya, Pililla, Rizal.

PSALM started the publication of its “Invitation to Bid” encouraging interested parties to participate in the bidding activities starting February 3 until March 12, 2020.

Only parties who submitted letters of interest and who have been issued PSALM’s bidding package will be allowed to participate in the privatization of the assets. The bidding procedures can be downloaded from the PSALM website at www.psalm.gov.ph.

PSALM will hold a pre-bid conference on February 13 at 2:00 p.m. to solicit any comments and concerns that interested bidders may have relative to the bidding requirements and asset sale provisions. The bid opening is set on April 15, 2020.

Interested bidders must address their bids to the PSALM Bids and Awards Committee chairperson and send to PSALM’s office at 24th Floor, Vertis North Corporate Center Tower 1, Astra corner Lux Drives, Vertis North, Mindanao Avenue, 1105 Quezon City.

PSALM is determined to privatize the asset, which is sold on an “as-iswhere-is” basis, by taking the necessary steps to adjust the minimum bid price. It has also conducted valuation studies on MTPP and its underlying land in determining the reserve bid price.

“To make this public bidding attractive to bidders, we need to find an acceptable way of reducing the minimum bid price,” PSALM president Irene Garcia earlier said.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

Dar expects agriculture to post modest growth of 2%

Transfer of WESM operations legitimate PHILIPPINE Electricity Market Corp. on Friday assured that the transfer of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market operations to the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines went through consultations, studies and relevant approvals.

PEMC said in a statement the IEMOP was created following the approval of a transition plan for the creation of the independent market operator, which was the result of a study and a series of consultations spearheaded by the PEMC Transition Committee created by the Energy Department.

PEMC made the statement in the wake of allegations of a “sweetheart deal” between the company, IEMOP and the department.

“The process did not happen overnight. The PTC organized dialogues with the market participants and industry stakeholders such as the ones conducted in Cebu in November 2017 and Davao in December of the same year,” said PEMC chairman and supply sector representative Noel Aboboto. Alena Mae S. Flores

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

TOP SUBIC CONTRIBUTORS. THE Bureau of Customs awards the Port of Subic as one of the best 20 revenue contributors, and the top three shipping lines, top 3 exporters and top 3 transhippers, recognizing their generous support and assistance in contributing to the Port of Subic for the year 2019. The awardees received the plaque of appreciation from district collector Maritess Martin, assisted by deputy collector for operation Giovanni Leynes, deputy collector for assessment Maita Acevedo and law division chief Willie Sarmiento and assessment division chief Belinda Lim.

Puyat pushes development of Isabela tourism, eyes more festivities

By Othel V. Campos THE Tourism Department expects higher tourist traffic in Isabela as it pushes for the creation of more festivities that will encourage visitors to explore the scenic and cultural offerings of the province.

“We forecast increased tourist arrivals in the area as we bank on the Transportation and Public Works Departments to fast track tourism-related projects, such as the night rating of the Cauayan and Tuguegarao airports and the completion of the Cagayan Airport,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat.

“As reported by Tourism Region 2 office, we had a whopping 113 percent (increase) of visitor arrivals from 492,894 in 2017 to 751,249 in 2018

while our partial reports for 2019 stands at 536,182,” Puyat added.

Meanwhile, the convergence initiatives with Transportation Department in Ilagan City include the road to the Dairuk Hills in Santiago, which will be completed this year at a cost P55 million, and roads leading to Abuan-base River for ecotourism for P15 million and to the Japanese Tunnel for P30 million.

The department plans to make Isabela one of the country’s premiere provinces for its promising agriculture industry and richly-diverse natural attractions that make for a potential agro-ecotourism haven.

“Your rich flora and fauna in the Sierra Madre Forest and Palanan rainforest, the Sta. Victoria Caves and long

stretches of sandy beaches and coves in the Pacific Coast and not to mention the Philippine Rise for great dives, are exciting products that would draw the discerning eco-tourist interest,” Puyat said Friday during the Bambanti Festival.

She said Isabela could very well be a world-class agri-ecotourism destination with experiential tour packages in rice planting or harvesting, fruit picking, mushroom production, bee farming and fishing.

“The Bambanti is a truly unique festivity as symbolized by the scarecrow believed to dispel pestilence as well as celebrate the Filipino virtues of hard work, strong family values and love for its fertile soil which all helped Isabela become the Rice Granary of the North,” said Puyat.

THE Department of Finance is optimistic of sustaining the country’s high economic growth trajectory this year given the swift approval of the 2020 General Appropriations Act and the extended validity of certain portions of last year’s budget.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the timely enactment of the 2020 national budget and the Congress’ approval of the validity of certain aspects of the 2019 budget until Dec. 31, 2020 provided “a doublebarreled boost—enough to sustain our high growth trajectory.”

“Surely, the public spending side of the growth equation will spur economic activity over the next few months. We see the economy firing on all cylinders this year with substantially higher government spending on infrastructure and social services, stronger domestic consumption responding to benign inflation, and a revitalized agricultural sector,” he said before members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines Tuesday.

Dominguez also said public optimism was high on the Philippines’ growth prospects at the start of the year, despite the fresh challenges brought about by the eruption of Taal Volcano and the global spread of the novel coronavirus (nCoV).

The government’s bold catch-up spending plan in the second half of 2019, which was designed to deliver more infrastructure projects and social services and at a faster pace, helped the economy recover from its weak performance in the first semester, Dominguez said.

The delay in the congressional approval of the 2019 national budget and the ban on new infrastructure during the election period that year resulted in the economy’s anemic growth in the first half of 2019.

Darwin G. Amojelar

B2

Business

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks sink; Meralco, Jollibee fall T HE stock market plunged Friday after the Department of Health reported a 38-yearold Chinese woman was the first confirmed case of the 2019 novel coronavirus in the Philippines.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index plummeted 191.89 points, or 2.6 percent, to 7,200.79 on a value turnover of P8.3 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 168 to 49, with 33 issues unchanged.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the first confirmed case arrived in the Philippines from Wuhan, China, via Hong Kong on Jan. 21. She reportedly traveled to the cities of Cebu and Dumaguete.

The virus now has killed 213 people in China and infected more than 8,000.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the

second-biggest lender in terms of assets, dropped 6.4 percent to P57.35, while parent GT Capital Holdings Inc. fell 5.8 percent to P675.

Manila Electric Co., the biggest retailer of electricity, slumped 7.7 percent to P256, while Jollibee Foods Corp., the largest fast-food chain, declined 4.5 percent to P191.20.

The rest of Asian markets struggled to find their footing in Asia on Friday after the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency over the deadly new virus sweeping China.

Tokyo welcomed the news, closing up 1.0 percent, while Sydney added just over 0.1 percent and Taipei closed out the day with a healthy 0.6 percent gain.

But Hong Kong dithered and after opening up on the news steadily lost its way to finish the day 0.5 percent lower.

Jakarta fared worse—down 1.9 percent.

After saying last week they needed

more information, the WHO invoked the rarely used designation that experts hope will lead to better international coordination to combat a disease that has already killed 200 people, and sickened thousands more.

But the Geneva-based body stopped short of recommending trade and travel restrictions that could have had a bruising effect on China—a key growth engine for the world economy.

“This is not a vote of no confidence in China,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesushe said, praising Beijing for its swift action to tackle the outbreak.

China has locked down a swathe of its center, effectively quarantining millions of people in their cities and halting travel around the country.

“We must all act together now to limit further spread... We can only stop it together,” said Tedros, who travelled to China this week and met with President Xi Jinping.

Foreign airlines—including British Airways and Lufthansa—have begun canceling or curtailing flights to and from China, and a number of governments are recommending citizens do not visit the country.

But Tedros said there was “no reason” for any of the international travel or trade restrictions announced in recent days.

Investors initially applauded the WHO’s move, plunging back into markets that have lost altitude over recent days as the 2019-nCoV crisis has worsened.

“Sure the WHO raised the alert, but they didn’t ring the apocalypse bell so it could be time for risk-takers to come out of hibernation,” said Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at AxiCorp.

The WHO move “eased some mushrooming fears by suggesting the number of outbreaks is relatively small”, he said. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Friday, January 31, 2020

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

FINANCIALS 82.5 3,514,760 148 4,365,280 0.87 123,000 25.1 140,000 18.46 31,300 11.2 590,400 4.12 131,000 1.19 14,000 850.5 10 0.39 200,000 57.35 7,325,000 0.77 261,000 31.8 497,800 177.9 1,300 53.4 5,160 20 37,700 177 315,790 1,830 660 63.5 113,400 1.03 10,000

290,760,613 646,414,972 107,430 3,511,665 577,746 6,754,602 527,110 16,340 8,505 78,550 430,176,938 196,380 15,837,305 230,648 274,511 848,615 56,015,920 1,217,850 7,185,265.50 10,300

-26,158,896 -209,691,085 -52,895 572,260 -1,409,260 -172,111,835.50 -3,854,220 177,087 -33,530 -38,936,237 -611,590 -

32.1 1.98 11.3 0.5 1.2 2.98 0.22 1.4 14.94 7.83 16.64 30.6 61.3 64 2.13 5.39 4.92 8.66 12.5 8.4 7.22 1.69 20 66.5 1.59 35.5 1.88 12.3 7 1.12 191.2 4.9 3.05 6.57 10 14.5 256 1.65 3.92 3.6 9.8 11.3 29.8 4.7 5.02 1.59 1.6 0.91 9.4 72.5 8.9 0.115 0.91 145 2.54 1.16 14.06 0.9

INDUSTRIAL 32.35 1,491,800 1.98 4,603,000 12.04 1,702,600 0.51 1,339,000 1.2 472,000 3.05 7,429,000 0.22 6,340,000 1.42 30,592,000 15 172,400 8.9 4,553,100 17.72 1,000 30.6 500 61.3 1,190 64 830 2.15 19,000 5.39 200 4.93 61,000 8.8 1,928,100 12.7 122,200 8.4 154,700 7.22 5,988,200 2.41 7,120,000 20.3 1,558,700 66.65 330,380 1.64 42,914,000 37 31,500 1.94 4,975,000 12.7 93,100 7.01 496,300 1.18 329,000 191.2 876,750 4.94 10,000 3.05 9,000 7.19 27,100 10 209,500 14.6 998,700 256 611,920 1.85 390,000 4.09 50,000 3.62 3,137,000 9.8 7,300 11.9 65,700 29.95 355,100 4.7 160,000 5.02 30,700 1.65 73,000 1.6 182,000 1 3,515,000 9.46 1,323,900 72.9 374,110 9.21 156,700 0.121 1,670,000 0.91 206,000 145 2,759,940 2.54 1,000 1.17 14,807,000 14.06 1,100 0.91 4,708,000

48,222,685 9,234,120 20,506,700 685,440 566,620 23,537,970 1,418,090 44,693,210 2,585,890 39,447,840 16,748 15,300 73,102 53,250 40,740 1,078 303,833 16,992,915 1,540,788 1,310,329 43,234,928 15,594,930 31,798,880 22,011,622.50 71,526,940 1,142,115 9,653,730 1,150,104 3,500,663 388,450 170,886,960 49,310 27,530 188,724 2,143,706 14,572,784 160,636,492 712,840 204,400 11,779,780 71,805 768,646 10,707,905 752,510 155,330 117,940 291,880 3,525,710 12,575,166 27,270,235.50 1,436,908 193,600 193,310 412,422,344 2,540 17,586,650 15,730 4,408,120

-25,441,800 363,250 -5,117,000 -12,240 47,360 -32,200 -1,074,300 1,202,058 216,733 9,779,801 -1,419,824 -134,795 -8,428,705 -56,860 -17,739,310 -961,108 255,160 141,950 3,805,900 -363,948 -62,261,645 -18,310 -2,916 -804,308 -10,962,280 -92,169,066 -178,630 41,100 -1,627,190 -33,858 -3,207,025 26,798 -16,900 655,225 84,892 -228,750 -6,050 -70,602,336 -374,280 -107,900

0.81 49.3 10.66 0.66 6.24 10.22 0.88 0.9 708 2.52 6 5.96 12.9 0.207 675 4.95 70.1 5.2 0.48 3.71 9.45 0.56 3.21 4.15 1.1 137.8 961 0.79 1.09 180.4 179.4 0.202 0.195

HOLDING FIRMS 0.83 24,315,000 49.3 2,397,170 10.8 12,390,500 0.7 885,000 6.24 3,300 10.54 19,800 0.9 1,358,000 0.93 529,000 726.5 371,760 2.55 1,447,000 6.08 1,051,400 6.1 9,288,200 13.02 41,800 0.207 490,000 675 300,200 4.95 140,300 70.1 3,602,340 5.2 41,800 0.5 404,000 3.72 1,118,000 9.8 2,288,500 0.6 474,000 3.21 48,288,000 4.51 95,700 1.19 204,000 139.8 280,070 971 340,060 0.82 94,000 1.2 370,000 189 140 186 4,150 0.202 1,830,000 0.2 4,360,000

20,259,720 119,092,058 132,809,812 604,860 20,631 203,270 1,219,200 479,700 270,848,900 3,782,290 6,549,805 56,396,046 542,886 101,430 208,760,695 706,660 254,870,132 217,360 195,055 4,158,560 22,373,578 268,480 159,001,850 435,217 241,550 39,102,274 330,788,985 74,900 418,580 25,378 758,312 381,210 880,360

950,260 -63,578,935.50 65,414,128 51,200 -180,000 -29,285,890 1,132,344 -7,359,819 23,532 -74,845,665 -209,370 -114,752,439.50 -3,530,280 -5,294,654.00 -43,626,550 81,520 -30,940,565 -169,511,660 -22,875 -210,000 -98,900

14.72 0.6 8.8 1.69 0.76 41.3 1.5 4.45 6.67 0.48 0.77 0.79 0.177 0.38 8.7 15.74 0.39 0.105 1.45 1.03 3.97 0.209 0.38 1.1 0.315 2.03 25.25 2.04

PROPERTY 14.74 397,800 0.65 2,458,000 8.8 300 1.74 191,000 0.79 4,173,000 41.6 16,971,600 1.57 1,972,000 4.46 882,000 6.67 1,200 0.49 17,060,000 0.77 7,000 0.79 149,000 0.178 1,240,000 0.38 1,870,000 8.7 437,000 15.9 964,300 0.4 150,000 0.105 130,000 1.46 13,016,000 1.04 889,000 4.05 66,500,000 31,320,000 0.215 0.38 800,000 1.13 3,332,000 0.32 360,000 2.05 725,000 25.5 2,320,200 2.06 89,000

5,855,694 1,534,770 2,640 330,050 3,273,830 706,636,715 3,115,100 3,979,240 8,006 8,502,145 5,390 118,680 221,090 712,500 3,855,250 15,515,638 59,100 13,650 19,016,820 939,860 268,941,570 6,728,110 304,000 3,781,820 115,150 1,485,330 59,432,050 182,510

23,578 324,700 2,640 194,880 -94,245,095 8,060 513,740.00 -1,336 -26,500 10,400 17,800 -2,771,440 2,689,808.00 0 -11,526,940 -41,322,380 -410,330 87,400 -140,360.00 -27,593,835 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

BANK PH ISLANDS BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FERRONOUX HLDG IREMIT MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

84.5 153.9 0.88 25.1 18.2 11.84 4.11 1.15 850.5 0.395 60.6 0.76 32.25 176.9 56.85 22 180 1,850 62.3 1.03

84.5 153.9 0.88 25.2 18.46 11.9 4.16 1.19 850.5 0.42 62.35 0.81 32.4 178.8 56.85 23.4 180 1,850 63.6 1.03

82.1 145.6 0.87 25 18.2 11 3.89 1.15 850.5 0.39 57.15 0.75 31.35 170 53 20 177 1,830 62.2 1.03

ABOITIZ POWER AC ENERGY AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS AXELUM BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG FRUITAS HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHINMA PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VIVANT VULCAN INDL

33.25 2.02 11.34 0.53 1.21 3.32 0.235 1.57 15.1 9.07 16.64 30.6 61.5 65 2.15 5.39 5 9.1 12.88 8.88 7.23 1.69 21.9 66.6 1.68 37.1 2 12.76 7.33 1.2 200.2 4.9 3.1 6.89 10.5 14.8 277.4 1.65 4.12 3.81 9.85 11.8 30.8 4.75 5.15 1.6 1.78 1.12 9.48 74 9.36 0.116 0.96 154.9 2.54 1.28 14.5 1.02

33.25 2.07 12.08 0.53 1.21 3.46 0.235 1.57 15.1 9.46 17.72 30.6 61.5 65 2.15 5.39 5.04 9.1 12.88 8.88 7.25 2.41 21.9 66.65 1.74 37.1 2 12.76 7.33 1.21 201 4.94 3.1 7.29 10.98 14.8 280 1.85 4.13 3.89 9.85 11.92 30.8 4.75 5.19 1.65 1.78 1.12 9.51 74 9.37 0.121 1 154.9 2.54 1.28 14.5 1.02

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ASIABEST GROUP ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP AYALA LAND LOG COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.86 51.5 10.76 0.69 6.37 10.8 0.9 0.92 721.5 2.68 6.38 6 13.26 0.207 722.5 5.4 73 5.2 0.5 3.72 10.12 0.57 3.28 4.93 1.1 144.1 1,000 0.8 1.16 180.4 184 0.205 0.212

0.87 51.5 10.8 0.71 6.37 10.8 0.92 0.93 742 2.74 6.38 6.18 13.26 0.207 730 5.4 73 5.2 0.5 3.72 10.12 0.6 3.41 5.21 1.2 145 1,017 0.84 1.2 189 186 0.21 0.212

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL

14.76 0.69 8.8 1.69 0.8 42 1.65 4.66 6.68 0.52 0.77 0.8 0.179 0.385 9 16.86 0.4 0.105 1.5 1.07 4.1 0.226 0.38 1.18 0.32 2.07 26.5 2.06

14.76 0.69 8.8 1.75 0.82 42 1.65 4.66 6.68 0.52 0.77 0.8 0.179 0.385 9 16.9 0.4 0.105 1.5 1.07 4.11 0.226 0.38 1.2 0.32 2.07 26.95 2.06

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS

3.11 40 2.54 2.08 7.23 5.25

3.11 40.35 2.58 2.08 7.23 5.6

3.07 38.9 2.45 1.78 7 5.24

3.07 38.9 2.53 1.8 7 5.3

4,000 13,787,400 28,000 12,115,000 1,918,900 164,700

12,320 540,279,830 70,270 23,089,260 13,574,739 889,089

-223,263,415 -969,600.00 -6,167,888 -

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL ALLHOME APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA GRAND PLAZA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS PH RESORTS GRP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

9.69 17 1.32 10.9 0.415 0.048 2.76 9.35 77.5 6.58 5.22 5.37 1.8 8.37 893.5 1,961 5.35 427.2 13.38 1.24 1.62 132 5.03 0.1 3.61 1.78 13.68 2.37 10.2 0.4 3.05 2.02 1.11 0.98 2.37 2.19 7.2 2.66 4.26 3.85 1,012 0.56 0.345 39 77.6 9.09 2.27 0.6 0.255 0.59 18.92

9.69 17 1.32 10.9 0.43 0.05 2.76 9.35 77.55 6.58 5.26 5.37 1.8 8.4 893.5 1,995 5.35 445 13.38 1.24 1.62 132 5.03 0.1 3.61 1.94 13.68 2.48 10.38 0.48 3.07 2.05 1.15 0.98 2.38 2.19 7.4 2.97 4.26 4 1,019 0.56 0.345 39.2 78 9.09 2.33 0.62 0.255 0.59 18.92

9.34 16.4 1.3 10.2 0.395 0.047 2.55 8.91 71.5 6.51 5.01 5.37 1.8 7.8 893.5 1,890 5.25 420.2 13.38 1.14 1.62 130 5.03 0.099 3.2 1.76 13.68 2.21 9 0.4 3.03 1.9 0.96 0.96 2.2 2 7.01 2.66 4.26 3.25 996 0.53 0.315 37.95 76.8 8.75 2.1 0.6 0.25 0.58 18.8

SERVICES 9.4 16.42 1.31 10.2 0.4 0.049 2.55 9 75 6.51 5.05 5.37 1.8 8.1 893.5 1,890 5.26 425 13.38 1.16 1.62 130 5.03 0.099 3.36 1.76 13.68 2.28 9.12 0.435 3.03 1.96 1.05 0.96 2.23 2.12 7.4 2.97 4.26 3.45 996 0.54 0.33 38.2 77.05 8.75 2.22 0.61 0.255 0.58 18.84

4,600 55,400 5,000 2,383,500 2,400,000 99,900,000 566,000 12,090,200 695,210 8,700 611,600 200 11,000 40,400 780 53,990 384,300 69,240 100 4,090,000 2,000 2,446,340 1,200 2,800,000 8,924,000 94,000 1,000 455,000 2,468,700 4,450,000 173,000 2,305,000 50,000 442,000 3,407,000 295,000 10,600 8,000 15,000 10,916,000 237,860 4,057,000 12,130,000 1,593,500 319,510 114,500 3,653,000 7,144,000 2,410,000 1,997,000 3,536,000

43,314 921,548 6,570 24,663,996 973,850 4,859,600 1,477,850 108,816,274 52,587,949.50 56,859 3,109,259 1,074 19,800 326,407 696,930 103,817,320 2,029,469 29,953,028 1,338 4,804,970 3,240 318,589,780 6,036 279,500 30,285,140 167,690 13,680 1,048,940 23,198,462 1,982,650 527,110 4,567,470 52,310 424,520 7,766,060 609,700 74,541 23,130 63,900 38,908,010 238,641,330 2,212,040 3,984,400 61,688,875 24,661,920 1,016,936 7,972,430 4,290,890 606,300 1,161,880 66,652,954

-14,892 -5,000 -33,290 -34,483,022 -2,860,744.50 19,560 117,760.00 15,800 -27,670,665 0 -720,970 -50,476,716 601,930 62,720 -5,765,112 -494,910 -22,170 -98,770 246,260 -5,474,930 -462,550 -396,600 7,160,450 -1,268,916.50 1,705,790.00 0 53,236,840

ABRA MINING ACE ENEXOR APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK BENGUET A CENTURY PEAK COAL ASIA HLDG DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A MANILA MINING A MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING

0.0015 8 1.02 2.5 11.8 1.1 3.06 0.27 6.98 1.51 0.21 0.096 0.0078 0.79 3 1.04 0.7 0.01 0.011 0.011 2.85 8.95 20

0.0016 8.24 1.04 2.5 11.8 1.1 3.09 0.27 7.15 1.51 0.21 0.098 0.0078 0.79 3 1.04 0.73 0.011 0.011 0.011 2.95 9.33 22

0.0015 7.4 0.95 2.36 11.8 1.1 2.85 0.27 6.71 1.45 0.202 0.095 0.0077 0.75 2.75 1 0.7 0.01 0.011 0.01 2.84 8.5 19.9

MINING & OIL 0.0015 1,827,000,000 7.91 663,400 0.99 3,619,000 2.4 835,000 11.8 100 1.1 5,000 3.07 3,126,000 0.27 340,000 6.71 22,800 1.46 3,201,000 0.206 570,000 0.098 680,000 0.0077 16,000,000 0.76 191,000 2.86 11,731,000 1.03 87,000 0.7 56,000 0.011 3,300,000 0.011 100,000 0.01 290,300,000 2.88 243,000 8.61 769,200 22 729,700

2,741,700 5,134,016 3,590,140 2,051,340 1,180 5,500 9,274,100 91,800 156,778 4,698,860 116,500 65,010 123,400 145,830 33,337,290 87,220 39,290 34,100 1,100 3,182,200 694,880 6,671,481 15,280,094

132,323 -55,960 576,410 188,770 33,000 -750,220 -379,389.00 3,305,541

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2R ALCO PREF B CPG PREF A DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2B PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 4 SFI PREF SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

15.6 500 503 103.1 102 101.1 108 495 5.2 970 100.1 1,021 1,040 1,065 102 1,040 1.75 990 77 75.2 75 76 75.15 75.7 75.95

15.6 503.5 503 103.1 102 101.1 108 495 5.2 970 100.8 1,115 1,040 1,065 102.3 1,040 1.75 1,000 78.95 75.2 75 76.2 75.15 75.95 75.95

15.3 498 503 103.1 100.7 101.1 108 490 5.14 970 100.1 1,021 1,040 1,060 102 1,030 1.7 987 76.9 75.2 75 76 75 75.1 75.2

PREFERRED 15.3 274,800 503.5 4,910 503 10 103.1 490 100.7 14,960 101.1 100 108 100 490 600 5.15 152,400 970 60 100.6 36,500 1,115 55 1,040 50 1,060 390 102.3 1,490 1,030 5,590 1.7 7,000 1,000 4,150 77 25,410 45,740 75.2 75 750,000 76 19,100 75 43,700 75.95 24,280 75.2 42,070

4,261,086 2,445,435 5,030 50,519 1,506,849 10,110 10,800 296,500 787,265 58,200 3,667,000 57,565 52,000 413,850 152,199 5,813,100 12,150 4,108,400 1,970,639 3,439,648 56,250,000 1,455,200 3,280,000 1,834,524.50 3,165,759

-975,846 -141,845 -

LR WARRANT

1.18

1.18

1.13

WARRANTS 1.13 97,000

112,000

-

SME ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

3.75 10.26 0.86

3.75 10.3 0.86

3.48 9.44 0.8

3.5 9.78 0.81

3,437,670 8,358,011 3,713,180

48,100 24,120 52,300

FIRST METRO ETF

110.7

111.4

109

5,373,923

222,665

USD DMPL A2

10.28

10.28

10.28

NAME

MS Trading Summary

SHARES

FINANCIAL

19,511,790

INDUSTRIAL

169,621,254

HOLDING FIRMS

120,643,750

PROPERTY

203,177,505

SERVICES

201,787,552

MINING & OIL

2,165,491,436

GRAND TOTAL

2,886,650,908

958,000 855,700 4,548,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 109 48,950 DDS 10.28

13,000

133,640

-

VALUE 1,724.93 (down) 61.70 1,676,341,835.35 FINANCIAL 8,921.44 (down) 370.09 INDUSTRIAL 1,362,130,021.74 6,900.31 (down) 159.88 HOLDING FIRMS 1,918,692,825.40 PROPERTY 3,838.74 (down) 79.22 1,475.16 (down) 26.53 1,969,640,740.765 SERVICES 7,663.26 (up) 146.28 MINING & OIL 1,235,278,061.05 7,200.79 (down) 191.89 PSEI 114,913,899.6623 All Shares Index 4,292.21 (down) 100.34 8,297,903,715.63 Gainers: 49; Losers: 168; Unchanged: 33; Total: 250

Manila Water raising capital to P4.4b, eyes equity offering

By Jenniffer B. Austria EMBATTLED water utility Manila Water Co. Inc. is increasing its capital base to P4.4 billion from P3.5 billion with a possible equity offering.

Manila Water said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors approved the proposed capital stock to P4.4 billion, which includes an additional 900 million common shares.

The water utility firm said the board of directors also approved an increase in the unissued common shares from 300 million shares to 900 million shares.

The shares will then be issued “for cash, properties or assets” to carry our the corporate purposes of the company.

Manila Water plans to sell the shares at a minimum price of P10 apiece. The company is expected to raise at least P9 billion from the same 900 million shares at the minimum price of P10.

No other details were provided on the timetable of the planned issuance of common shares.

Manila Water on Friday requested for voluntary trading suspension of its shares in view of material events that could occur between January 31 and February 3.

“The request is made to ensure that our shareholders and the investing public would have equal access to information and are afforded the opportunity to consider this in their trading activities,” Manila Water said.

Share price of Manila Water closed at P12.61 on Thursday.

Manila Water is the water concessionaire for the east zone of Metro Manila.

The government is currently reviewing the water contracts of Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services Inc. due to alleged onerous provisions.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System earlier assured President Rodrigo Duterte that the regulator and its two water concessionaires would exert all efforts to comply with his order to execute a new concession agreement after 2022.

MWSS administrator Emmanuel Salamat said the agency had given Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services Inc. the chance to renegotiate, come up with and agree on the new terms of their own concession agreement.

Vivant set to build bunker power plant on Bantayan Island

By Alena Mae S. Flores VIVANT Energy Corp., the energy unit of listed Vivant Corp., plans to complete 23-megawatt bunker power plant on Bantayan Island, Cebu by April next year to help boost economic activity in the area.

“We are really excited about the project because it’s in our backyard. It’s in Cebu. If we want to make a difference in the country, we also want to make a difference in Cebu,” said Vivant Energy chief operating officer Emil Garcia.

Vivant is controlled by the Garcia and Escano families who are based in Cebu.

“We are hoping to hit COD (commercial operations date) by April of 2021. That’s our target,” he said.

Garcia said the power plant aimed to address power demand in Bantayan Island, which is becoming a popular tourist destination.

“I was there last week. The beaches are beautiful and I think it’s going to be the next best thing,” Garcia said.

Vivant Integrated Diesel Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vivant Energy and Gigawatt Power Inc., won the bid to supply the 15-year power requirements of Bantayan Electric Cooperative last year.

The parties plans to submit a joint application of the power supply agreement to the Energy Regulatory Commission in March.

The contract involves the supply 15 MW of net dependable capacity that will serve the energy requirements of three municipalities in the island—Bantayan, Santa Fe and Madridejos.

Bantayan Island’s popularity has grown given its pristine white sand beaches, resulting in the influx of tourists in the far-flung island.

This fueled an increase in establishments and spurred economic development in the island that led to higher electricity demand.

The energy requirements of Bantayan, an island in the northern end of Cebu, is being served by Bantayan Island Power Corp.

CYAN Manila

Standard

World

TODAY

B3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Japan tells citizens: Avoid non-essential China trip

FOTO 1

REHEARSAL. Paris Opera dancers perform at the Palais Garnier during a dress rehearsal of ‘Giselle’ on January 30 after a seven-week labor

strike to protest against pension reform. Paris Opera workers now benefit from special regimes that offer early retirement and other benefits. AFP

TOKYO―Japan on Friday warned citizens against non-essential travel to China and fast-tracked new rules to limit the spread of a deadly coronavirus strain as new evacuees arrived in Tokyo.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the travel warning for China would be raised to level two on the country’s four-point system, advising people to “avoid travel that is not urgent or is not necessary.”

Japan had already raised its travel alert for Hubei province, where the outbreak began, to a level three, warning against any travel to the region.

The top end of the scale advises against all travel and calls for immediate evacuation.

The foreign ministry also issued a statement urging Japanese citizens in China to take safety measures, including possibly returning home temporarily.

The moves comes as the government said it would speed up implementation of a decision to label the new virus a level two “designated infectious disease.”

The designation allows the forcible hospitalization of those infected and gives immigration authorities the power to prevent people with the virus from entering the country.

The measures were due to come into effect from February 7, but will now be moved up to February 1, Abe told parliament.

“With this measure, we will refuse infected individuals entry to Japan,” Abe said.

“We will swiftly study ways to strengthen immigration control for cases where infection is suspected but not confirmed,” he added.

The moves come with concern growing in Japan about the spread of the virus in the country, where 14 cases have been identified so far. AFP

US Senate poised for crucial vote IN BRIEF W Doctors cleared in euthanasia case

BRUSSELS―A Belgian jury on Friday cleared three doctors accused of murder in a euthanasia case in a landmark trial in a country that legalized assisted dying nearly two decades ago.

The prosecution said the doctors had not respected the conditions for euthanasia in the case of Tine Nys, a 38-year-old Belgian woman who asserted her right to die in 2010 because of severe mental suffering.

The Belga news agency reported that the jury at the court in the northwestern city of Ghent acquitted the doctors of poisoning Nys, prompting members of the public present to burst into sustained applause, drawing a rebuke from the judge.

The accused are the doctor who gave Nys the lethal drip as well as a general practitioner and a psychiatrist whose green light was needed for the assisted suicide.

The case follows the complaints of two of Nys’s sisters who deplored what they said was a hasty decision and who accused the suspects of “poisoning” their sister.

Since Belgium decriminalized euthanasia in 2002, doctors have faced legal proceedings before, but so far the investigations have always led to dismissals.

In Belgium, euthanasia is authorized for patients suffering an incurable disease who have made their request “voluntarily, thoughtfully and repeatedly.”

This right, for adults, was extended in 2014 to minors, also within a very strict legal framework.

According to her sisters, not all treatments were tried for Nys following her diagnosis for autism two months before her death. AFP

ASHINGTON―US senators wrapped up two days of exhaustive questioning of House prosecutors and White House lawyers at President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, setting the stage for a showdown vote on Friday on Democratic demands for new witnesses.

Chief Democratic prosecutor Adam Schiff, in a last-ditch bid to win over Republican senators wary of a drawn-out process, proposed a one-week time frame to secure new witness testimony.

“Let’s have a reasonable accommodation here,” the California lawmaker told the 100 senators sitting as jurors at the historic trial. “We’ll take one week, and you’ll continue with the business of the Senate.”

Trump’s defense team rejected the Democratic calls for more witnesses, saying the move would be challenged by the White House, sending the matter to the courts and paralysing the Senate for months.

“They said for weeks it was an overwhelming case,” said White House dep-

uty counsel Patrick Philbin. “If that’s their position, why do they need more witnesses?”

Democrats are particularly eager to hear from former national security advisor John Bolton, who reportedly claims in an upcoming book that Trump personally told him that military assistance to Ukraine was tied to Kiev investigating his Democratic rival Joe Biden.

The charge is at the heart of the December 18 impeachment of the 45th US president for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress by the Democratic-majority House of Representatives.

Republicans hold a 53 to 47 seat edge in the Senate, and four Republicans will have to side with the Democrats for new witnesses to be introduced into

the proceedings.

In the event of a 50-50 tie, US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, could be called upon to vote to end the deadlock. If he declines to vote, the motion calling for witnesses would fail.

A vote on witnesses will be held on Friday following four hours of debate, and it is unclear whether Democrats have mustered the necessary Republican support.

Utah Senator Mitt Romney said this week he would “very likely” vote for more witness testimony but only fellow Republican Susan Collins of Maine has also voiced support for the move.

If the demand for new witnesses is rejected, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could conceivably call for a vote to convict or acquit the president as soon as Friday -‘Purely partisan impeachment’A two-thirds majority—67 senators—is needed to remove a president from office, and the solid Republican majority in the Senate means Trump is virtually certain to be acquitted. AFP

STREET FESTIVAL.

A worker installs a fighting cock cardboard display for a street festival in Bangkok on January 31, 2020. AFP

Mexico will return migrants MEXICO CITY―Mexico will not tolerate the presence of Central American migrants who intend to enter the country violently or with an aim to cause trouble, the foreign minister warned Thursday.

Marcelo Ebrard defended Mexico’s migration policies and expressed his approval for the efforts of the National Guard, which last week detained some 800 migrants from the so-called “2020 Caravan.”

The group had crossed the Suchiate River along Mexico’s southern border to illegally enter the country from Guatemala on their way to the United States.

“If you come to Mexico to provoke, create conflict, I will return you to your country, because we don’t have to support, to tolerate that,” Ebrard said before the Mexican Senate.

“Mexican policy offers you refuge, temporary employment, medical support—everything that you want according to Mexican norms, norms that favor those seeking refuge,” he said. “But if you come to Mexico to provoke, you will be returned to your country.”

Ebrard revealed that refugee requests from Central Americans in Mexico have grown from 6,000 last year to more than 70,000.

“When it is said that we don’t want to admit anybody, that is false. The numbers are not a coincidence,” he said. “If the shelters have grown by 10 times, how can it be argued then that Mexico changed its policy to now be a policy of non-entry?”

Ebrard said the foreign ministry has had to support the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) in processing a large number of applications. AFP

Democrats warn of ‘lawless’ president WASHINGTON―Democrats warned Thursday that acquitting President Donald Trump of abuse-of-power charges in his impeachment trial would amount to the “normalization of lawlessness.”

In what could be their last bid to make the case for removing the US leader from office, the House impeachment prosecutors expressed outrage over Trump lawyer Alan Dershowitz’s assertion that a president can do almost anything he wants that he claims is in the public interest.

Adam Schiff, the leader of the House impeachment managers, said the claim turned US law on its head and echoed the Watergate case of disgraced president Richard Nixon 45 years ago.

“What we have seen in the last couple of days is a descent into constitutional madness,” Schiff told the Senate trial.

“Almost half a century ago, we had a president who said, well, when the president does it that means it is not illegal.”

“Have we learned nothing in the last half century?

Schiff spoke during the second day of questions submitted to the prosecution and defense from the 100 senators sitting as the jury.

Trump, only the third president in US history to be impeached and stand trial, is fighting charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his scheme to pressure Ukraine last year to open an investigation into possible 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Trump is alleged to have frozen $391 million in defense aid to force Kiev to announce probes into Biden and the Democrats. Democrats say this is an illicit invitation of a foreign government to interfere in a US election.

Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, calling the entire process a politically driven “witch hunt.”

Speaking in Michigan on Thursday, Trump labelled the impeachment trial “frankly, a disgrace to our country.” AFP

Brexit means ‘nailing your colors to a new flagpole’ MADRID, Spain—For years, he criss-crossed the globe almost weekly, travelling on a British passport without a second thought, raising funds for international non-profit organisations and working for the likes of Elton John and Nelson Mandela.

But when Britain voted to leave the European Union, something changed inside Daryl Upsall, a 59-year-old businessman who has spent decades living and working in Europe.

As Britain formally leaves the block on Friday, Upsall is also on the brink of his own “Brexit”—giving up his British citizenship to become Spanish.

It’s an interesting twist for someone who grew up in the English town of Boston, known today as Britain’s Brexit capital after 75 percent of its residents voted leave during the 2016 referendum.

“I was always very international but also very involved in politics in the UK,” said Upsall who spent a decade in London working

for the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, writing speeches for Labour leader Neil Kinnock and raising funds for Elton John’s AIDS charity and Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress.

He left in 1993 and after seven years with Greenpeace in Amsterdam, he moved to Madrid setting up a string of companies serving the non-profit sector.

But he never once thought about becoming Spanish.

“I had all the rights to live, work here—my son and my wife are Spanish, all the companies are Spanish, and Britain was European, so thinking about Spanish nationality didn’t really occur to me,” he said.

“Then Brexit came along.”

There are around 370,000 Britons registered in Spain, the largest community in Europe. But few have opted for citizenship given the requirement to relinquish their British nationality.

Since Brexit, that has changed with justice

ministry figures showing applications rising from 33 in 2016 to 335 last year.

For Upsall, the decision was about keeping his European identity while avoiding the travelling uncertainties created by Brexit.

“If I travel to China or India, where you need a visa.. as a European, it takes a week.

But who knows where things are [in the different countries’] negotiations with the UK— is it going to be a week or two weeks? I travel every week to a different country.”

A long and complex process, becoming Spanish is not for the fainthearted, involving a demanding study of hundreds of potential questions on Spanish history, culture and politics, from Nobel Prize winners to the colours of regional flags.

“It became a parlour game for us—we’d have people for dinner and I’d ask them when Spain’s war of independence finished.. We literally never found a Spanish person who could pass it without having studied,” Upsall said. AFP

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late LAMBERTO G. BAUTISTA of Quezon City who died intestate on August 19, 2019, consisting of a house and lot and two (2) BDO Savings Accounts were settled by his legal heirs pursuant to an Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate with waiver as per Doc. 381 Page No. 39 Book No. XXI-D and Series of 2020 of Notary Public Maichael Darwin M. Bayotas for and in Quezon City (MS-JAN18, 25 & FEB. 1, 2020)

NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE (ADDENDUM) Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late PATRICIO L. DE DIOS who died intestate on March 7, 1990 was extrajudicially settled among his heirs on March 06, 2019 as per Doc. No. 12; Page No. 3; Book No. IX; Series of 2019 of the Notarial Registry of, and before, Notary Public Atty.

Edgar V. Osting at Teresa, Rizal, Philippines.

(MS-JAN. 18, 25 & FEB. 1, 2020)

CYAN

FROM THE ROOFTOPS, A LUXURY

CASINO-RESORT IS EMBRACING SOLAR City of Dreams Manila out to prove they are an environmentally responsible business

B4

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

By Hector Zabala

P

ARANAQUE CITY— City of Dreams (COD) Manila’s complex gold motif facade is so cosmically linked with the brand that it’s hard to imagine the luxury casino-resort ever messing with the gold design of an egg-shaped dome and exposed exoskeleton mesh structure wrapped around two towers. But recently, COD Manila—with inputs from clients, shareholders and employees—seems to be morphing into a very different hue: eco-green.

The joint venture between Macau Casino giant Melco and SM-led Belle Corp. is best known for its posh casino, three hotels ( Nüwa Manila, Nobu and Hyatt Regency), and Hollywood actors Robert De Niro, Leonardo Di Caprio and director Martin Scorsese lending their screen gravitas to pitch the resort’s VIP and mass-market gaming facilities.

Now, the Paranaque City complex seems intent on embracing the renewable energy passions of its potential millennial base, and is adding rooftop solar panels to its structure to generate renewable electricity at a fast pace.

Friend of the planet “[The solar power facility] is a significant step in our vision to be sustainable in our operations,” said Kevin Benning, COD’s senior vice president and chief operating officer. “Utilizing clean and renewable energy is only one of our numerous green initiatives and we hope that as we set the bar for sustainable operations, we also inspire positive change as we all take part in the growing movement toward a more sustainable future.”

COD Manila”s Manila new 1.2-megawatt solar power facility is an initiative in partnership with Meralco’s renewable energy subsidiary, Spectrum, and global professional services company, GHD. This makes COD the first integrated resort in the country to harness solar energy for its operations.

The facility is composed of a total of 3,120 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels blanketing the topmost level of COD’s parking building. These panels convert light into electricity using semiconducting materials and have guaranteed generating capacity of almost 2,000 megawatt hour per year.

That’s equivalent to the average annual electricity consumption of more than 7,000 typical households.

Through this solar solution—often considered the best form of renewable energy as it creates no waste or emissions—the integrated resort will be able to operate using 20 percent solar energy, which will also reduce its carbon emissions by 1,000 tons. That’s the same amount of carbon dioxide 270 passenger cars (annually) release.

Benning described the installation as having three phases, including more solar panels on top of the Hyatt Regency tower and the pool deck.

SUSTAINABLE KICK-OFF. COD Manila’s solar energy system can generate power equivalent to the average annual electricity consumption of more than 7,000 typical households. Inset photo shows Benning and Genuino explaining to the press how the solar rooftop would reduce carbon emissions of the resort by more than 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, “equal to the amount of CO2 emissions sequestered from 1,500 acres (600 hectares) of trees each year.”

“That was the first start, the 3,200 [solar] panels,” he said in an interview with Manila Standard. He also revealed that the investment for the first stage was at P76 million.

Meralco’s Spectrum in the RE game CoD Manila is also considering to tap Meralco’s renewable-energy (RE) subsidiary Spectrum to provide more solar panels for the luxury integrated casino resort.

“It’s already under review. We are currently evaluating our roof deck where we can build additional panels. We will be done this year with our evaluation,” added Benning.

Spectrum is hopeful it can seal another contract with CoD. Benning said it only took “less than eight months” upon contract signing with Spectrum for CoD to harness solar power.

The City of Dreams Manila’s solar project is the single largest installation in a commercial rooftop. Why did Meralco, a company whose core business comes from the distribution of electricity, set up

a subsidiary that effectively reduces consumption?

Spectrum president and Meralco first vice president Victor Genuino’s reply: “The simple answer is because our customers, demanded it. Our customers are evolving. They are becoming more conscious of their impact to diminishing resources—and they want to do something about it.”

Business partners, like City of Dreams Manila, “are a prime example of this rising social involvement by integrating sustainability into their business DNA,” added Genuino.

The Spectrum chief revealed that the energy that can be produced by the first installation at COD Manila “is equivalent to 923,820 kilograms of carbon footprint reduction.”

COD Manila houses more than 20 restaurants and bars, and entertainment venues, including the family entertainment center, DreamPlay, the world’s first DreamWorks-themed interactive play space, and The Garage.

Araneta City launches ibis Styles Hotel ARANETA City recently launched the first ibis hotel brand in the country with a ceremonial topping-off of the ibis Styles Hotel.

The ibis Hotel brand was developed by the hospitality company Accor, based in France, as an affordable yet creative brand for both leisure and business travelers. The Araneta Group brings the brand to the Philippines via a 15-storey hotel along General Roxas Avenue, one of the latest additions to Araneta City.

Present at the topping off ceremony (seen

in photo) were Araneta City’s management consultant Mr. Rowell Recinto; principal design consultant Arch. Sudhakar Thakurdesai; Megawide Construction Corporation chairman and CEO Engr. Edgar Saavedra; AVP for operations Engr. Romeo Furigay; and deputy head for construction Engr.

Frederick Tan. Representing Accor were Emmanuel Marion, vice president of operations for midscale and economy brands in Cambodia; Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines and the Maldives and Roger

Huet, director of design and technical services for South East and North Asia.

Quality accommodation The ibis Styles Hotel will house 286 rooms, with 22 guestrooms available per floor. The Hotel will also provide six function rooms to cater for meetings and online conferences.

An overhanging pool, furnished with a glass bottom, will be the highlight of the roof deck bar overlooking the Metro Manila skyline. Facing west, the pool will provide a unique view of Manila Bay’s sunset.

The ibis Styles Hotel will have an all-day dining restaurant and patisserie which will be connected to The New Gateway.

All strategically situated within the Gateway Square, these six structures will be interconnected with other developments in the Araneta City via skybridges and pedestrian malls to offer a complete urban experience – lodging, parking, shopping, dining, and entertainment.

ASPIRING FOR GREATER THINGS. Developer Golden Bay Land Holdings recently announced that its maiden project, the 11-storey Aspire Corporate Plaza in Pasay City, is on track to be turned over to clients by June 2020, one year ahead of its original target completion. “It is our advocacy to help young Filipino families build their dreams by investing in a house that they can call their own,” said Jardin Brian B. Wong, chief operating officer. The building was designed with the mid- and upperscale clientele in mind. “Our smallest cut is at 92sqm--a perfect size for a growing enterprise,” said Wong. . We also made sure the units are combinable and flexible for future modifications, plus all the units are without columns so no matter the location, you’re guaranteed that you’ll receive a good size or good cut, and you can maximize the office space.” Golden Bay is now one of the fastest-growing real estate developers in the country today. Partnering with construction companies such as Megawide Construction Corp., Asya Design Partner, Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corp., D.A. ABCEDE & Associates, and Meinhardt Philippines, Inc., Golden Bay is now working on a bigger project: a mix-use mini city in Bacoor, Cavite.

FILIPINO SKILL AND TALENT GALORE. The Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA) Philippines 2019 recently recognized the winners of its annual competition for architecture and interior design students. The gold award, with a cash prize worth of P50,000 for the architecture category, was given to John Carlo De Jesus from the Bulacan State University (BulSU), while the silver award, worth P30,000, was awarded to John Harold Siblag of St. Mary’s University of Bayumbong. Abigail Florence Taghoy of University of San Carlos University (USC) in Cebu bagged the gold award, and the P50, 000 cash prize, for the interior design category, while the silver award, with a P30,000 prize, went to Clarice Limsui of De La Salle -College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). The gold awardees for AYDA 2019 will go to the Asia Young Designer Summit to compete with the best architecture and interior design students in Asia in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in March. The winners will battle for the chance to be included in the Harvard University Graduate School of Design’s Design Discovery Program. Nippon Paint Philippines president Mark Webb (center) led the awarding ceremonies. For the complete list of winners, please visit www.youngdesigneraward.ph.

PH REAL ESTATE FIRMS WIN AT DOT PROPERTY SOUTHEAST ASIA AWARDS. Three Philippine real estate companies recently received

recognition at the prestigious Dot Property Southeast Asia Awards held at the Park Hyatt Bangkok in Thailand. The awards is a recognition program that recognizes the best regional real estate companies – from leading developers and projects to real estate agents and companies that contribute to the growth of the sector. Grand Land garnered the Best Mid Range Condominium Development Award for Amani Grand Citygate Davao, while Santos Knight Frank was recognized as one of Southeast Asia’s Best Real Estate Agency for 2019. SM Development Corporation (SMDC) also won Best Township Development for Gold Residences. Shown in photo are (from left) Dot Property commercial director James Claasen; country manager for the Philippines Tanya Yu; Grand Land president Ryan Go; Santos Knight Frank assistant manager for residential services Marievie Gimena; and LeadingRE executive VP for global operations Chris Dietz.

Life

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

ARTS AND CULTURE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

C1

Strokes of purity CHILDREN’S CREATIONS.

Pediatric patients with leukemia and lymphoma at the National Children’s Hospital exhibit their artworks at the Arts For A Cause show. (Clockwise from top) Glenn Cheever Buagas with his ‘Two Dinosaurs,’ Adrian James Sandigan’s ‘The Green Turtle,’ Aira Maureen Castro with her ‘The Ballerina’ and ‘Flamingos In Love,’ and Rhianne Trixie Bisenio’s ‘Orange Blossoms’ and ‘Dancing Minnie.’

Text and photos by Diana B. Noche

P

ABLO Picasso at an early age showed a kind of artistic skill that his father forthwith initiated a formal training in the arts for him. The lessons may have constrained the young Picasso that he later confessed he had little chance to go into the sort of artistic expressions a child his age needed to explore.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up,” Picasso was quoted as saying.

In the course of things, he integrated insinuations of children’s art into his adult works.

“I could paint like Raphael even as a young child. It took me many years to learn how to paint like these children,” he said at an exhibition of children’s art.

Children see the world around them in their own conception and unadorned

meaning. It is not, therefore, unusual for them to create a pink elephant or a Smiley apple.

Their range of artistry is boundless and surreal. Art, as felt by a child, is fun and provides them self-expression. It gives them a way to let out their feelings and ideas and can be the stepping stone to serious creative works and refined adulthood.

At age 2, a child may show an early fondness for tasks like writing or drawing.

By the age of 3, from the instance that his fingers could hold a crayon, no blank space—a wall at home, especially—is no longer safe from their imagination.

This eventually turns a child effortlessly into the appreciation of colors, and honing of fine motor skills such as the coordination of muscle movements in the fingers and arms with left and right, up and down motions.

As children make their drawings, sketches, and paintings, they get to

further learn about their young world— colors, sizes, shapes, and basic sense of perspective. Their use of glue, markers, and paints make them plan out new ideas and cultivate them into something else. In mixing paints of different colors and density, they learn they can produce changes in each, either by instinctive choice or a hit-and-miss attempt.

Children’s art starts with the “tadpole” style—human figures with a circle for a head, arms and legs spread out from a stick for a torso. A new maturity emerges when the “tadpole” figures get dressed up in identifiable boy/girl fashion, gather themselves with background objects and a whisper of a landscape—boats, animals, birds, churches with crosses, multi-story buildings, flowers—with a skyline, sun, and clouds.

Such drawings, cute to the viewers, can easily turn us into happy marshmallows.

This process later on becomes more realistic. A storyline is created with a more defined perspective, realistic spacing, and storytelling in a comic strip series of drawings.

The early unfocused creativity containing “nonsensical” art and “absurdities” in the eyes of an adult now shows a deep creative intention, calling out for wider possibilities for self-expression.

Children who engage in art activities want to be taken seriously. Their drawings are not just cute expressions to connect with their surroundings and their vision of the world and have fun doing them. Art activities also give them a way to deal with greater emotions such as physical pain and affectional concerns.

Art is a perfect therapy. Children with autism and speech disability express their feelings that otherwise remain pent up because they have difficulty in expressing them. Those who have undergone the horrors of war and eventual displacement, calamities, and extreme poverty find comfort in being able to get away from it all through art activities. Those afflicted with long-term pathological conditions have turned to creating art to shake off unhappy thoughts. Turn to C2

Different faces of Philippine contemporary art (Part 1)

THE upcoming collaborative show ALT Philippines 2020 on Feb. 14-16 will give audience a chance to explore the vibrant Philippine contemporary art scene.

Happening at the SMX Convention Center at SM Aura Premier, the show features over 150 artists hosted by 10 galleries, each presenting their dedicated space that highlights their distinct contemporary visions. The founding collective includes Finale Art File, The Drawing Room, West Gallery, Vinyl On Vinyl, Artinformal, Blanc, Galleria Duemilla, MO_Space, Underground, and 1335Mabini.

Traditional painting

Premier gallery institution Finale Art File offers a glimpse into the state of traditional painting through the works of 11 Filipino contemporary artists, namely, Annie Cabigting, Bembol Dela Cruz, Lyra Garcellano, Ayka Go, Jojo Legaspi, Kim Oliveros, Lynyrd Paras, Michelle Perez, Liv Vinluan, Paulo Vinluan, and Jeona Zoleta.

With various styles and from different generations, each artist uses painting either as the reference or the means to give form to ideas and emotions. The chosen artists either affirm or question painting’s conventions using historical strategies such as appropriation, collage and bricolage, and framing questions around notions of identity, materiality, and subjectivity.

Self-expression

As a gallery dedicated to providing a space for young artists to explore and hone their skills, West Gallery’s presentation at ALT Philippines features a range of veteran and young talents who were invited to freely explore their practices.

Showcasing their visions that reflect the pulse of Philippine contemporary art are Louie Cordero, Jigger Cruz, Mariano Ching, Yasmin Sison-Ching, Mark Andy Garcia, Kawayan De Guia, Geraldine Javier, Luis Lorenzana, Raffy T. Napay, Elaine Roberto Navas, Carina Santos, Isabel Santos, Luis Antonio Santos, Mona Santos, Kaloy Sanchez, Nicole Tee, Manok Ventura, and Olan Ventura.

Non-conventional art

Progressive art

Putting a spotlight on artists whose respective practices represent a country in constant frenetic flux, The Drawing Room’s exhibit focuses on the dynamics of the gallery’s relationship to the artists, and the defined sensibilities of the latter.

It features some of the country’s most renowned and progressive contemporary artists such as Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan, Manuel Ocampo, Mark Justiniani, José Santos III, Pam Yan Santos, Kiko Escora, Kawayan De Guia, Leo Abaya, Ged Merino, Diokno Pasilan, Rene Aquitania, Derek Tumala, Kat Medina, Miguel Aquilizan and Jessica Dorizac, Troy Ignacio, and Vermont Coronel Jr.

Vinyl On Vinyl’s exhibition showcases artists who explore beyond conventional art forms, including pop surrealism, after-modernism, post-Internet, kinetic art, underground and street art, and other emerging and unexplored genres. The gallery’s space includes several immersive installations alongside works that invite discussion on social commentary and experimental techniques.

Exhibiting artists include Reen Barrera, Dennis Bato, Anton Belardo, Anjo Bolarda, Miguel Paulo Borja, Teo Esguerra, Doktor Karayom, Martin Honasan, Iyan de Jesus, Archie Oclos, Wyndelle Remonde, Roberto Sanchez, Tekla Tamoria, Tyang Karyel, Gabriel Tiongson, Pinky Urmaza, and Chalk Zaldivar.

Life

C2

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

“C

HILD’S Play,” one of the most popular works of Australian master printmaker, curator, and educator Michael Kempson was recently gifted by the artist to the De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde to be part of the institution’s permanent displays.

The collection, a 17-piece set of etching and aquatint prints that tackle the geopolitical issues of the 21st century, features adorable animals as “commercialized” national symbol of different countries.

The Philippines, represented by a carabao, explores post-colonial legacy, ideas of social inequity, and interrelationships within a wider paradigm.

“Child’s Play” was initially installed as part of the By Hand: Rediscovering the Art of Printmaking traveling exhibit

by Benilde’s Center for Campus Art in 2018 before finding its home at the newly renovated office of the School of Diplomacy and Governance.

Kempson is currently a senior lecturer and convenor of Printmaking Studies at the University of New South Wales Art and Design in Sydney, Australia and a visiting professor at the Xi’an Academy of Fine Art in Xian, China.

His works have been showcased in 26 solo exhibits, and has participated in over 200 group exhibitions around the world.

Kempson prints on permanent display in Manila

Michael Kempson’s 17-piece set ‘Child’s Play’ is now part of the permanent display of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

The prints tackle the geopolitical issues of the 21st century using animals as national symbol of different countries; representing the Philippines is the carabao.

The story of a true champion THE Philippines is replete with worldclass athletes who continually bring glory to our country. One of our many champions is the young gymnast Carlos Edriel “Caloy” Yulo.

A gymnastics world champion, Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, and 2020 Olympian, Yulo shares his story of overcoming hardships and striving to get better in hopes of inspiring a next generation of champions.

The 19-year-old is fresh off a historic first place finish in the floor exercise at the 2019 Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany and his impressive performance at the 30th Southeast Asian Games, where he hauled in two golds and five silvers.

His rise in the sport has captivated

millions, earning him adoring fans who’ve resonated well with his humble beginnings. He has the chance to bring more honor to the country as he gears up for this year’s Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

His story, featured in the new Milo advertisement, begins from being a young curious kid tumbling around at home and in the streets of Manila to testing his mettle at the Milo Little Olympics and eventually conquering the global stage.

Yulo has had the support of his family, guiding and motivating him through it all.

The story echoes the call to unleash the inner Champion in every child with the new Milo Champion formula.

“Sobrang proud and thankful po ako na maging part ng Milo (I am very proud and thankful to be part of Milo’s roster of

champions),” enthused Yulo.

He continued, “Dito ako nagsimula sa sports journey ko, and I hope that I can continue to inspire others na maging champions din in their own ways (This is where my sports journey has started and I hope I can continue to inspire others to be champions in their own ways).”

The young champion traces his gymnastics roots in the Milo – Club Gymnastica Sports Clinics and the Milo Little Olympics, where he won four consecutive Most Outstanding Athlete awards; and the Palarong Pambansa, where he secured several golds in multiple appearances representing NCR. Yulo’s champion story is posted on Milo Philippines’ official Facebook page.

Gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo shares his story from a young curious kid tumbling at home to a world-class athlete bagging medals for the Philippines in an advertisement for a beverage made for champions.

Strokes...

From C1

We always maintain a soft spot for children, especially when we feel them bravely seeking their own life’s meaning.

A number of children are exactly doing that—fighting off the uncertainties of living with a fearful disease like cancer— through immersion in art.

Hosted by the Czech Republic Embassy in the Philippines, with Czech Republic Ambassador HE Jana Sediva Treybalova as special guest, the Paseo Art Gallery at Glorietta in Makati City recently opened its doors wide for an exhibit called Art For A Cause, showcasing paintings created by children, aged 3 to 15, all pediatric patients with leukemia and lymphoma at the National Children’s Hospital.

The youngest, 4-year-old Glenn Cheever Buagas, who couldn’t get enough of his energetic romp inside

the gallery, has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He is particularly proud of his “Two Dinosaurs” with some help from friends at the hospital, but the handprints are his.

Adrian James Sandigan started drawing when he was 3 years old. He is now 5, afflicted with acute lymphocytic leukemia which did not stop his imagination from creating his “The Green Turtle.”

Marx James Bedia was 12 years old when he knew he wanted to paint. At 14, and sick with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, he says his “Moon Over Blue Sky” goads him to make more images if only to amuse himself.

Aira Maureen Castro was 15 years old when she got herself truly busy with painting. Her works, among others, “The Ballerina” and “Flamingos In Love” are constant reminders to not lose hope which her mother leans on for moral support.

Rhianne Trixie Bicenio’s hair has now a healthy growth despite her undergoing

several chemotherapy sessions. She is now 9 years old and wants to make more paintings like her “Dancing Minnie” and “Orange Blossoms.”

Daniel Ivan Pedrosa is 15 years old. He quit school when he was in Grade 8 when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Some of his pieces are “Cherry Blossoms” and “Red Sky Over Blue Waters.”

The exhibit’s invitation bears the artwork of 5-year-old Precious Althea Vetonio, which she didn’t get to see because she passed away last month.

The exhibit will run until Feb. 4. The paintings are for sale and all proceeds will go to the children for their treatment needs.

There are varied paintings on exhibit at the Paseo Art Gallery that in time could be desirably displayed in some collector’s wall of fame.

Give the children some time to blossom. We may have one or two Wang Yani in our midst.

Tarlac named Partner Artisan Community in German lifestyle fair THE province of Tarlac leads the Philippine delegation to the German lifestyle fair Ambiente on Feb. 7-11 as a Partner Artisan Community.

According to the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) of the Department of Trade and Industry, out of 24 participating furniture and home décor companies, eight are homegrown manufacturers from Tarlac.

“We wish for Tarlac to be known not just as an agricultural province of the Philippines, we also want to highlight our design capabilities that are at par with global standards,” said Tarlac Governor Susan Yap. The Tarlac-based companies going to Ambiente are Pumice, Red Slab, Oricon, Northshine, Betis Crafts, Pascasio Pottery, Wood Inspirations, and Southeast Metro Arts.

“We are proud to be joined by Tarlac, one of the emerging centers of craftsmanship and design here in the Philippines. Their products are worthy to be showcased in an international event,” said CITEM executive director Pauline SuacoJuan.

DTI-CITEM leads the country’s participation through the LifestylePhilippines banner, the industry branding initiative of CITEM focused on bringing the product design sector toward greater global recognition by participating in overseas trade fairs.

“Hands That Work,” the main theme of the 2020 Philippine participation in Ambiente, was conceptualized to highlight Filipino craftsmanship. The theme is centered on social sustainability and how a strong exports industry can help generate jobs and uplift lives

Handmade product from Pascasio Pottery

among its local community.

Joining Tarlac brands are Celestial Arts, Marketex Handmade Craft Corp., Arte Cebuana, Arden Classic, More than a Chair, South Sea Veneer, Artisan Craftmill, TADECO, Klassy Collections, Finali, Chanalli, Natures Legacy, Tuy Arts & Designs, Corzo Crafts of Tamuco, Starcrest Asia Corp., and JM Handicrafts.

“We are bringing a vibrant mix of old and new exhibitors to Ambiente. Together, they embody expertise in the export business and out-of-the-box ideas that will surely captivate the discerning taste of the international market,” said SuacoJuan.

Ambiente is a trade fair recognized as a meeting point for buyers and suppliers from all over the world. The event attracts over 136,000 buyers from 167 countries.

Entertainment

C

RISIS brings out the best in Filipinos.

This became more evident when artists come together to share their talents for a cause worthy as helping the rehabilitation of the victims of the recent Taal Volcano eruption.

“We saw overflowing relief efforts by kind-hearted people, but the more we see the victims, the more we realize that they need help in rebuilding their lives once the crisis is over,” says multi-awarded DzMM teleradyo host and social entrepreneur Dr. Carl Balita.

With friends couple, Isay Alvarez and Robert Sena, and multi-awarded songwriter Vehnee Saturno, the “Tulong Taal Musical Collaboration for Taal Rehabilitation Project,” was conceived.

“I grew up in the Taal and it brings me to tears seeing how devasted it is and how the eruption has harmed families, livelihood and nature,” recalls Isay who readily got the support of husband Robert, who is equally a nature lover.

Vehnee on his part watched the news and confesses, “I entered the shower very emotional as well, spent the whole evening composing and came out with a concept of a song, ‘Tulong Taal.’”

The next day the “Tulong Taal” was ready for recording in Vehnee’s studio.

The proponents met and wholeheartedly exerted their best effort to push for the fruition of the noble project.

The “Tulong Taal” composed

by Vehnee Saturno has an all-star recording cast that features (in order of appearance) Ice Seguerra, Isay Alvarez, Kakai Bautista, Robert Sena, Frenchie Dy, The Company, Poppert Bernadas, Vehnee Saturno, Ebe Dancel, Jaya, Aicelle Santos, Bayang Barrios, and Angeline Quinto. It reached a combined viewership of one million in less than two days.

“All for the love of the cause, the artists came and gave their best rendition of their part,” says Robert who directed the music video with the team of video and graphic artists of the Carl Balita Productions.

Tulong Taal is now going viral in social

Among the artists who will lend their talents in tonight’s concert are Isay Alvarez, Robert Sena, Jamie Rivera, and Zephanie Dimaranan.

media because of the heartfelt message and rendition that prompt viewers to like and share. ABS-CBN has extended support to even promote the cause of the project.

Taal, in the Batangas vernacular, means “genuine” and “pure.” The Tulong Taal hopes to inspire more people to help

cynical ballerina portrayed by Shin HyeSun, believe in true love again.

Meanwhile, conflicts arise as Michael, played by Lee Dong-Gun, comes in the way as Heaven’s mentor who has feelings for her. However, Michael is also keeping a big secret because he is a fallen angel too like Dan. Will Dan fulfill his mission to help Heaven find her ‘the one?’

Find out in Angel’s Last Mission weekdays, after One of the Baes on GMA Telebabad.

‘Angel’s Last Mission’ with Kim Myung-Soo and Shin Hye-Sun

From C4

They include Sally Potter’s The Roads Not Taken, starring Spanish star Javier Bardem.

Defending the line-up, Rissenbeek pointed out that “the artistic directors of the festival sections are generally women.”

Major female stars at this year’s event include Oscar-crowned British actress Helen Mirren, set to be honored with the Berlinale’s lifetime achievement award.

Fellow British Oscar winner Jeremy Irons will head the international jury, which organizers said would be announced in the coming weeks.

The festival will open on Feb. 20 with Philippe Falardeau’s My Salinger Year, a Canadian-Irish production starring Sigourney Weaver and based on the memoirs of New York authorJoanna Rakoff.

C3

More and more celebrities are helping the families displaced by Taal Volcano eruption.

purely. As of date business organizations, and overseas Filipino Organizations have expressed support for the cause. This proves that indeed music is the language of the soul.

“We have aroused the interest of the donors to look beyond relief and think of rehabilitation before the donor fatigue

The main program also contains two films from the controversial Russian “DAU” project, whose artists made headlines in Germany in 2018 when their application to rebuild part of the Berlin Wall was denied.

Also in competition is a modern take on Alfred Doeblin’s literary classic Berlin Alexanderplatz by GermanAfghan director Burhan Qurbani.

The iconic Alexanderplatz square in the heart of former East Berlin will also be one of the locations for this year’s Berlinale.

Traditionally based at Potsdamer Platz in central Berlin, the festival has had to spread out across the city due to the recent closure of one of its host cinemas.

Outside the main competition, Charlatan by Polish director Agnieszka Holland and Andrew Levitas’ Minamata starring Depp will both have their world premiere.

Capturing the “Friday for Future” mood, Chatrian and Rissenbeek said they wanted sustainability to be at the heart of the 2020 event. Kit Holden, AFP

ensues,” says Dr Carl.

The “Tulong Taal Musical Collaboration for Taal Rehabilitation” happens at the Cuneta Astrodome today at 6:00 p.m.. Artists who volunteered to share their time and talents include Angeline Quinto, Zephanie Dimaranan, Isay and Robert Sena, Jamie

Rivera, The CompanY, El Gamma Penumbra, Gerphil Flores, Bayang Barrios, Renz Verano, Frenchie Dy, Jenine Desiderio, Beverly Salviejo, Richard Reynoso, Peppert Bernadas, Alakim, Kier Alo, Atak, Carla Guevarra-Laforteza and the Fortenors, Janice Javier, Jose Rizal Institute Singers, Mandaluyong Children’s Choir, Shine Kuk & Dancers, Tricia Canilao, and Laurence Mossman, and more.

On Jan. 27, the proponents attended the flag ceremonies at the Provincial Capitol of Batangas and the officials watched the video.

Governor Hermilando Mandanas emotionally thanked the group and expressed simply, “taal na salamat.”

Vice Governor Mark Leviste on his part assures the project proponents that they are open to provide necessary support for the implementation of the rehabilitation project.

The proponent assures the artists and the donors, as well as the public, that all the proceeds of this project will go directly to the beneficiaries in the form of rehabilitation support, in consultation with them. They have also tapped experts towards the best utilization of the resources that they will be able to generate.

Sunshine Classics presents...20 fingers, one piano SUNSHINE Place proudly States, Taiwan, China, Spain, presents a four-hand piano France, Italy, Cuba and the concert featuring the works Philippines. Dr Hung has given

by Faure, Brahms, Piazzolla, and piano lessons, adjudicated and Filipino folk songs. The classical coached chamber music in concert, which started Jan. 29, is music festivals in Franschhoek hosted by renowned Filipina (South Africa), NAMCYA pianist Mariel Ilusorio. Concert is (Philippines), HK School Music from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Roof Festival, Manila International Deck of Sunshine Place.

Piano Masterclasses Festival, For the first concert, Mariel and Opus Festival. She is invited Ilusorio will be joined by to join the faculty members Taiwanese pianist Chi-Ying to give lessons in Burgos Hung in a four-hand piano International Music Festival, program consisting of movements Spain in the summer of 2020. from Faure’s “Dolly Suite,” a Upcoming concerts are selection of Brahms Hungarian the following: Beethoven Dances, Agot Espino’s Mariel Illusorio and Chi-Ying Hung Bash (Feb. 26) which will arrangements of Filipino folk feature teen prodigies, violintunes, and Piazzolla’s Libertango. ist Jeanne Marquez and celMariel Ilusorio graduated from the Juilliard School Pre- list Justin Vincent Talusan in an all-Beethovenprogram to celCollege, the Oberlin College of Music, and the State Academy ebrate Beethoven’s 250th birth year; Sentimentale (March 25) of Music in Hannover Germany. After living overseas for will feature wonderful music for flute and piano performed by twenty-six years (USA, Germany, South Africa), she returned to Tacloban-based Nico Diomeda and versatile pianist-composerthe Philippines in 2014 to continue her work as a performer and musical director Dingdong Fiel; Viva Voce (April 29) with Viva teacher. She won first prize, Category A in the National Music Voce members Anna Migallos and Marvin Bautista; KabaataCompetitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA). ang Gitarista and Duo Manila (May 27); and, Juan, Mariel Chi-Ying Hung, on the other hand, received her Bachelor, and Friends (June 24), which will feature Ilusorio and Chilean Master’s and Doctorate degrees at Manhattan School of Music violinist Juan Munoz as they collaborate with young musicians under the tutelage of Solomon Mikowsky, Fiorella Canin, to present the magic of Dvorak’s piano quintet. andAlexander Feder. She has given performances as soloist, in For ticket reservations please contact: Mariel Ilusorio, M. chamber music, as well as soloist with orchestras in the United (0917) 709-2255 or E. marielilusorio@hotmail.com

The Sweetheart...

Extra International...

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Artists gather for Taal rehab

‘Angel’s Last Mission’ on GMA Heart of Asia CAN one really experience heaven on earth because of love?

A blind ballerina meets a fallen angel on GMA Heart of Asia’s newest offering Angel’s Last Mission featuring Korean star and K-Pop boy band Infinite member Kim MyungSoo or L. Kim Myung-Soo plays the role of a mischievous angel named Dan who needs to pay the price of his rebellious deeds through a special mission on earth.

His task is to make Heaven, a blind and

saturDaY, februarY 1, 2020

From C4

Meanwhile, the funny ensemble of Donita Nose and Super Tekla takes the audience to a journey of love—but filled with humor. Concert-goers must brace themselves for an evening of laughter as the DonEkla tandem pokes fun on today’s dating trends and their own experience about the joys and pains of being in a relationship.

Produced by GMA Network under Kapuso Live, The Sweetheart and The Balladeer (Fun Night Only) is a joint project between the Network’s regional arm GMA Regional TV and GMA Entertainment Group. At the helm of this concert is Paolo Valenciano.

“As part of the Network’s 70th anniversary celebration and as a pre-Valentine treat to our Kapuso, we are now bringing The Sweetheart and the Balladeer (Fun Night Only) to Urdaneta City, Pangasinan,” shares GMA Regional TV Vice Teen singer and actress Kyline Alcantara

President and Head Oliver Amoroso.

“After conquering Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro, we want the Kapuso all over the country to experience and be able to witness the spectacular talents our artists.

For this leg, we also want the younger generation to be able to get up close with them, that’s why we made our tickets very affordable for them. We invite everyone to fall in love and laugh with us this Feb. 8,” he adds.

“Last year, we witnessed the warm reception of The Sweetheart and the Balladeer (Fun Night Only) in Visayas and Mindanao. Now it’s time for our Kapuso up north to experience this worldclass concert produced by GMA Network through GMA Regional TV and GMA Entertainment Group. We offer this show to our Kapuso as we celebrate not just the month of love but also the network’s 70th anniversary,” shares GMA Entertainment Group Vice President for Business Development Department III Darling de Jesus Bodegon.

Don’t miss out on the love, fun, and world-class performances in The Sweetheart and the Balladeer (Fun Night Only) this Feb. 8 at the Urdaneta City Cultural and Sports Center in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.

Tickets are available at GMA Dagupan Station, all Addessa outlets in Pangasinan, all TicketWorld outlets, or online via TicketWorld. You may also contact +6375 522 0077 or +63 915 422 3393.

Donita Nose and Super Tekla

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

Entertainment

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

‘The Sweetheart and The Balladeer’ spreads love and fun in Pangasinan Pop sweetheart Julie Anne San Jose shares the stage once again with romantic balladeer Christian Bautista in a night full of fun and music.

FEB. 8 will be an early Valentine’s Day treat for music and comedy fans up north with Julie Anne San Jose and Christian Bautista set to showcase their worldclass talents again via The Sweetheart and The Balladeer (Fun Night Only) happening at the Urdaneta City Cultural and Sports Center in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan. Joining them are the comedic duo of Donita Nose and Super Tekla with Kyline Alcantara as special guest.

This is the third leg of The Sweetheart and The Balladeer (Fun Night Only) following its highly successful, sold-out shows in Iloilo City and Cagayan de Oro City last

SUCCESS IN A VISION

Viva Films unveils 34 titles as part of its 2020 catalogue

R

Johnny Depp and Sigourney Weaver films (‘Minamata’ and ‘My Salinger Year,’ respectively) are among the films featured in this year’s Berlinale.

Patriotism in ‘A Soldier’s Heart’ captivates viewers in pilot week Gerald Anderson in a scene from ABS-CBN’s latest series, ‘A Soldier’s Heart.’

THE realistic portrayal of soldiers’ patriotism and perseverance in A Soldier’s Heart captivated more Filipinos as the newest ABS-CBN series constantly led its timeslot in its pilot week.

Viewers tuned in to the primetime series from Monday (Jan. 20) to Friday (Jan 25), with its pilot episode hitting its highest national TV rating so far, with 19.8 percent, compared to One of the Baes (11.7 percent), according to data from Kantar Media.

Praises also poured in online as netizens expressed their admiration for the stories of aspiring soldiers Alex (Gerald Anderson), Elmer (Vin Abrenica), Benjie (Yves Flores), Abe (Carlo Aquino), Michael (Nash Aguas), Phil (Jerome Ponce), and Jethro (Elmo Magalona), who showed their dedication to serve the country.

Meanwhile, more revelations will come viewers’ way as Alex and his real brother

excited for this concert,” says Julie.

Christian, on the other hand, shares that they will offer a show-stopping performance for the third leg of their concert series.

“It’s a challenge to show something new in every concert but I am very lucky to be performing once again with these amazing artists. We have more surprises in store for all. Julie and I have performed together several times so we’ve already built that rapport. I believe DonEkla will up their game while Kyline, we’ve seen her grow as a performer, so expect nothing less as we all celebrate the month of love and GMA’s 70th anniversary.”Continued on C3

Viva Entertainment’s bigwigs, led by Vic del Rosario, in a photo op during Viva Vision 2020 event held early this week.

Berlin filmfest unveils 2020 line-up amid diversity debate FILMS starring Johnny Depp and Sigourney Weaver will be among those premiering at Berlin’s film festival in February, organizers said, as they defended a competition line-up with fewer female directors than last year.

The 11-day Berlinale, one of Europe’s most prestigious film extravaganzas alongside Cannes and Venice, celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2020.

The upcoming edition will also be the festival’s first under new directors Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek, after former boss Dieter Kosslick ended an 18year spell at the helm last year.

Amid furious debate in Hollywood about the dominance of white winners at award shows, the duo said Wednesday they wanted the Berlin festival to “embrace diversity.”

“The history of the Berlinale is one of awareness... of all the differences that exist not just in the film business, but in life,” said Chatrian.

Last year, Kosslick signed the Berlinale up to a so-called “50/50” pledge to achieve gender parity by 2020.

Yet of the 18 films that will vie for the Golden and Silver Bear prizes, only six are directed by women, one fewer than in 2019. Continued on C3

year. And as part of the 70th anniversary celebration of GMA Network, expect this pre-Valentine concert under the Kapuso Live series to raise the bar as Julie Anne, Christian and their guest, Kyline, bring fun and music on stage through medleys and performances that express different stories about love.

“It’s always been a wonderful experience performing for our Kapuso in different parts of the Philippines and abroad. We just want everyone to have fun. That has always been our goal so this concert’s repertoire will revolve around love songs, and songs that inspire, kasi ‘yun ang gusto nating iparamdam sa audience. I’m very

Saal (Sid Lucero), who got separated when they were young, will finally reunite—but as enemies as the military and the rebel group led by Saal combat in an armed battle.

Apart from A Soldier’s Heart, ABSCBN also pays tribute to the country’s soldiers through its public service event “Saludo Sa Sundalong Pilipino” where Kapamilya stars visit military camps to thank soldiers for their bravery and sacrifices for the country.

Since 2017, a total of ten “Saludo Sa Sundalong Pilipino” events have been held, including in Nueva Ecija to as far as Cagayan De Oro. Last December, various stars led by Coco Martin, Gerald Anderson, and Regine Velasquez paid a visit at the camps of Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to honor our country’s heroes.

IDING on the success of Miracle in Cell No. 7, the highest-grossing film of the recentlyconcluded Metro Manila Film Festival, Viva Films, the producer of the Philippine adaptation of South Korean blockbuster that has now raked in half a billion pesos at the tills, has a added a total of 34 titles in its catalogue via its P1 billion investment for 2020.

“It was truly a miraculous year for Viva Films.Viva Films 2020 Vision is even more exciting as it promises to produce more films with an investment of P1 billion. This is proof of Viva Film’s confidence in Philippine Cinema,” Viva Films said in a statement that was given out during Viva’s 2020 Vision event held at Novotel Manila on Tuesday.

During the event, which also served as the entertainment company’s thanksgiving party for the press and the blogging community, it was announced that 2019 was a banner year for entertainment company.

“We produced 19 films, the most number of theatrical releases by any entertainment company in the Philippines,” a Viva executive said.

Viva has broadened the taste of Filipino viewers with experimental and daring subjects, online content turned commercial releases, book to film transformations and foreign adaptations with a Filipino twist.

2019 releases include: Maria, the first Filipino Netflix film; Ulan, a surreal romance; Just a Stranger, a May-December affair; the comedy comeback of 90s comedians in Sanggano, Sanggago and Sanggwapo; the online to book to film sensation Jowable; the gentle love of Unforgettable; the daring Adan; the silent and deadly Mananita; the first team up of Anne Curtisand Vice Ganda in the Mall the Merrier; and the MMFF surprise hit Miracle in Cell No. 7.

“It was truly a miraculous year for Viva Films,” Vic del Rosario, Viva’s head honcho said.

For this year, original Viva Films unveiled some titles including Vodka, Beers and Regrets, Devoted, Hindi Tayo Pwede, Rooftop, Tililing, Untrue, Nightshift, The Other Woman, Love the Way You Lie, Walang KaParis, You F Oh, Pakboys, Mang Jose, and Ultimate

Sharon Cuneta and Regine Velasquez will collaborate in the local adaption of the South Korean film, ‘Sunny.’

JC Santos and Bella Padilla in ‘Vodka, Beers, and Regrets’

Lovi Poe with her leading men Tony Labrusca (right) and Marco Gumabao in the film titled ‘In Between Goodbyes.’

Oppa, among others.

Reimagined films also play a big part in the 2020 Vision. As global borders for content diminish, Viva seizes the opportunity to share the best of foreign films with local adaptations with a Pinoy twist. With the success of Miracle in Cell No. 7 and Ms. Granny, Viva will be reimagining films from all over the world.

Upcoming titles include A Hard Day, Spellbound, Wedding Dress, The Housemaid, A Man and a Woman, Sunny, More Than Blue, The Wedding Breaker, and Instructions Not Included.

And with the onslaught of Superheroes in the big screen from Marvel and DC, Viva will produce its own Pinoy Superheroes. From the creative genius of National Artist Francisco Coching and the legendary Komiks King Carlo J. Caparas, Viva brings to local audience Pedro Penduko, Joaquin Bordado, Elias Paniki, Gagambino, Kamandag, Valora, Berdugo , Totoy Bato, and Pandas.

Matteo Guidicelli does action fantasy in ‘Pedro Penduko’