Manila Standard - 2020 February 21 - Friday

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HIGH COURT GETS TOUGH ON TROS, INJUNCTIONS

(Story on A2)

Bato: Drug lords killed BuCor lawyer

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 372 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

House defers action on ABS-CBN

By Maricel Cruz, MJ Blancaflor, Rey Requejo SPEAKER Alan Peter Cayetano said the House is likely to delay hearings on ABS-CBN’s franchise until May or August, even though President Rodrigo Duterte said he wants lawmakers to discuss the issue before the franchise expires on March 30.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the President had nothing to do with the delay in Congress or the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose

Calida seeking to revoke ABS-CBN’s franchise.

“What is important is, the President said, they should do something about it. Meaning to say, do their job. If there is a pending application before Congress, then members of Congress should deliberate on it and decide whether or not to grant or to deny the extension,” Panelo said.

There are 11 bills seeking to extend ABS-CBN’s franchise for another 25 years are pending, but Cayetano said the House would be able to tackle Next page

DRUG lords at the New Bilibid Prison could be behind the killing of Bureau of Corrections former legal counsel Anthony Fredric Santos, also a witness in the Good Conduct Time Allowance anomaly, said Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa

on Thursday.

Dela Rosa, who served as BuCor director before he ran for senator, came up with this statement based on his own experiences.

“Most likely, those behind the killing, based on my experience, the drug lords jailed in Bilibid ordered the killing of our Next page

Immigration man tags 5 in ’pastillas’ Syndicate behind scheme exposed in Senate probe

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and MJ Blancaflor

F

ORMER airport officials and employees of the Bureau of Immigration are behind the “pastillas” system by which Chinese workers and fugitives enter the country by paying bribes, a whistleblower said Thursday.

I DO. Immigration officer 1 Allison Chiong (top left) tells a Senate committee hearing Thursday he is the source of the video showing officers facilitating the immigration process for Chinese POGO workers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Chiong named the current and former immigration officials involved in the bribery scheme as Traffic Control Enforcement Unit officers Bien Guevarra, Glenn Comia and Den Binsol. Chiong said these officials were under Ports Operation Division Chief Marc Red Mariñas. Ey Acasio

In a Senate hearing on human trafficking and prostitution, Immigration officer Allison Chiong said these officials were behind the syndicate that facilitated the smooth entry of Chinese nationals who enter the country to work in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.

Chiong said these groups worked with China-based travel agencies, who send them a list of names of people who are about to enter the country.

“The syndicated groups would often compete with each other to gain favor from the Chinese travel agencies,” Chiong said.

He revealed that they gave bribes ranging from P50,000 and P200,000 so that the Chinese nationals—even those that have been blacklisted—can freely enter the country, passing through Immigration counters without any question. Next page

Fund lack blocks move to develop Palace offers govt protection to controversial cop vaccines; Duque prefers buy option By MJ Blancaflor

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Philippines has no budget to develop its own vaccines, which would need billions and billions of pesos that it cannot afford, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday.

In an interview over radio dzMM, Duque said it was more cost-effective to buy vaccines from rich countries that have the capacity to develop the drugs.

“They have economies scale,” Duque said, adding that this made their vaccines cheaper.

He dismissed reports that developing countries are being sidestepped in the distribution of vaccines, saying big companies are mandated to lead in developing vaccines for diseases such as the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

Duque pointed to research in China Next page

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will not let embattled Lt. Colonel Jovie Espenido to be harmed, the Palace said Thursday after Espenido said the government could go after him since he was included in its drug watchlist.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Espenido could ask for protec-

tion from the government if he feared for his life, and assured him that President Duterte would not hurt anyone ‘‘outside legal processes.

“If that is the fear of Colonel Espenido, then we cannot stop him from entertaining such apprehension. But the President will not allow anyone to be hurt outside legal processes or methods sanctioned by law, Panelo

told reporters.

“If Espenido would want to ask for any protective measure from the government, then he can so request just like any other citizen.

Meanwhile, Espenido welcomed the due process granted by Philippine National Police Chief Archie Gamboa to the policemen on Duterte’s latest drug watch list, including him.

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Garbage crisis in Metro: A ticking time bomb Pundits and critics alike say the National Capital Region’s trash output is a ticking time bomb, indicative of a similar problem experienced across the country,

By Jimbo Gulle and recent statements by government ofIF YOU think Metro Manila’s traffic is ficials have only underscored the issue. a problem, the garbage situation will, in Last December, Environment Secretary modern social media-speak, tell you to Roy Cimatu said the country was in the “hold its beer.” middle of a “garbage crisis.” Waste gener-

(First of two parts)

ation, he said, had become unprecedented, Filipinos selfishly threw their refuse everywhere―mostly into water systems― and massive clean-up drives only moved tons of litter from one place to another.

In an environmental forum that month, Cimatu said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources would issue, Turn to A3

SUMMIT AGENDA. The deadly coronavirus is set to dominate the agenda of the high-level Vientianne summit Thursday, as China’s foreign minister meets with his Southeast Asian counterparts whose countries’ economies have been hard-hit over fears of widespread contagion. Inset is a photo taken Wednesday showing a laboratory technician holding samples of virus at a laboratory in Hengyang in China’s central Henan province. AFP

Virus control efforts working—China

VIENTIANE, Laos―China’s efforts to control the deadly outbreak of a new coronavirus “are working,” Beijing’s top diplomat said Thursday, attributing an easing in new cases to his country’s “forceful action” against the illness.

Speaking in Laos before talks with peers from the 10 Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries, Wang Yi said the outbreak was “controllable and curable” despite the global panic it has seeded.

“China is not only protecting its own people but also the rest of the world,” he told the summit in Vientiane, referencing a recent sharp drop in new cases of the virus inside China, where it has killed more than 2,100 people.

Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin Jr. thanked China for its “unprecedented domestic measures and quick action”―apparently referring to the Next page

LAKAS GATHERING. Officers and members of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats led by House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez (center) pose for posterity during the lunch meeting of the party at the House of Representatives. Romualdez has said the party will always be a partner of the administration to ensure the swift passage of President Duterte’s legislative agenda. Ver Noveno

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Anti-graft court affirms ruling on Marcoses, allies THE Sandiganbayan has upheld its ruling dismissing the P102-billion forfeiture case against the late former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, former First Lady Imelda Marcos and some of their cronies.

In its resolution dated Feb. 13 released late Wednesday, the anti-graft court’s Second Division said “considering that no new and compelling grounds were presented, the present motion (for reconsideration) bears no weight in calling for a reversal much less modification of the assailed decision.”

The tribunal cited, among other things, that the pieces of evidence presented “are bereft of any showing that defendants enjoyed a close association with then-President F. Marcos and/or his wife similar to that of a dummy, agent, or nominee and that they unlawfully accumulated wealth by virtue of such close association or relation.

“Mere allegations and presentation of proof of the positions do not suffice,” the court said, adding that the while the defendants held key positions in the government during the term of Marcos “does not lead to the conclusion that defendants took advantage of their positions and embarked in schemes to unjustly enrich themselves.”

It also said “despite the considerable length of time” for the prosecutors to gather and collate all relevant documentary evidence to prove the causes of action, “it miserably failed to produce the originals of the documents during the trial.”

The court said it found no reason to modify its original Aug. 5, 2019 decision and denied the prosecutor’s motion for reconsideration.

In its earlier decision, the court had pointed out a lackluster case buildup.

“It saddens the court that it took more than 30 years before this case is submitted for decision and yet, the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to sustain any of the causes of action against the remaining defendants. It is settled that in civil cases, the party making allegations has the burden of proving them by a preponderance of the evidence. In addition, the parties must rely on the strength of their own evidence, not upon the weakness of the defense offered by their opponent,” the court said.

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At the same time, he apologized to his superiors for expressing his sentiments before the media in light of recent developments.

“I appreciate the move of the chief PNP that within one month, those on the list must be adjudicated to determine whether the allegations are true, Espenido said in a press conference in Bacolod City on Wednesday.

Espenido, who was praised by Duterte for leading deadly police operations, said the intelligence might be wrong in including his name on the watch list and ‘‘greedy politicians might be tarnishing his reputation.

“He must have some basis for that, Panelo said when asked to comment on Espenido’s remark against politicians.

The President earlier rallied to Espenido’s defense, saying the cop’s inclusion was only part of a ‘‘black propaganda meant to discredit the government� antidrug campaign.

In an interview with Rappler, Espenido said his name was first included in the list in 2016, months after President Duterte assumed office, but he recalled being cleared from the list.

The drug watch list was earlier questioned for its credibility when Duterte released its first version on Aug. 7, 2016, which included a judge who had died eight years before.

Bato:...

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people in the BuCor,” said Dela Rosa who was also former police chief.

He noted that the drug lords have the money and the people to carry out the killing. He also said they have the capacity to threaten lawyers and even judges.

“They have the lawyers killed once they cannot get what they wanted. They have the money. They could buy your life,” said Dela Rosa as he maintained there was no monetary favors nor ‘tilapia’ during his stint at the Bureau.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he was not discounting the possibility that the killing of Santos, who sustained four gunshot wounds to the head and two to the body, had something to do with the GCTA controversy.

“Still under investigation, but very likely that it might have something to do with the GCTA issue,” Guevarra said, when asked if the Santos murder might have been related to the GCTA controversy.

Guevarra made the statement even as he ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct an investigation on the murder of Santos, who was preventively sus-

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High court gets tough on TROs T In an administrative order, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta required the justices and judges to submit to the Office of the Chief Justice starting March 1 copies of the TROs, SQAOs and WPIs they issued within five days from such issuances.

Peralta’s order was apparently intended to curb abuses in the issuance of TRO’s SQAOs and WPIs, particularly those involving government projects.

President Rodrigo Duterte, for one, has cited certain abuses committed by some members of the judiciary in the issuance of TROs, SQAOs and WPIs. A TRO is ‘‘an urgent order by the court

temporarily forbidding the defendant or respondent to do a threatened act until a hearing on the matter at issue can be heard to prevent grave injustice and irreparable injury to the applicant or petitioner.

SQAO directs the parties to a case to maintain or keep ‘‘the last actual peaceful and uncontested situation that precedes a controversy.

WPI is a ‘‘provisional order granted at any stage of an action or proceeding prior to the judgment or final order, requiring a party or a court, agency or person to refrain from a particular act or acts, or require the performance of a particular act or acts.

In a statement issued by the high court’s Public Information Office, Peralta issued Administrative Order 63-2020, which requires justice and judges to submit to the Office of the Chief Justice starting March 1 copies of the TROs, SQAOs and WPIs they issued within five days from such issuances.

The justices and judges are also required to copy-furnish the Office of the Court Administrator, and the submission may be either by mail or through e-mail.

The high court had required the submission of TROs and WPIs, but it was discontinued because of the incorporation of the details in the monthly report of cases submitted to the OCA. However, Peralta said the monthly reports do not reflect the qualitative details of the TROs, SQAOs and WPIs issued.

Under the new circular, justices and judges are enjoined to submit the specific details of the TROs, SQAOs and WPIs they issued.

These are case number, case title, nature of the case, date of filing of the complaint or relevant motion, date of the issued TRO, SQAO or WPI, and status of the case.

On WPIs, Peralta cited the high court’s

Immigration...

del Mendoza and Meynard Mariñas.

Chiong said Comia, Guevarra and Binsol, former heads of immigration operations in NAIA’s terminals 1, 2 and 3, respectively— ”took over” and systematized the bribe taking sometime in 2016 after the Department of Justice removed overtime pay for immigration officials. He said the three were also the “primary conduits” of Chinese travelers.

Hontiveros said those named by Chiong will be summoned to attend the next Senate hearing.

Chiong, who admitted getting his share from the “pastillas scheme,” said the removal of overtime pay made Immigration officials disgruntled.

Some officers began offering “VIP services” to Chinese nationals and casino high rollers.

“I think only about 10 percent of Immigration officials have no involvement in this,” Chiong said.

He said he decided to spill the beans after watching the Senate’s inquiry on how the rise of POGOs led to the proliferaiton of prostitution.

He said every Filipino had the right to know this since the country’s borders must be protected.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente told senators that a fact-finding team has been formed to investigate the syndicate. However, he said his office has no power to discipline tainted officials since these Immigration personnel were appointed by the Department of Justice.

“I was given by the law limited authority. I cannot even suspend since I am not the

appointing authority. The principle in civil service is that the appointing authority is the dismissing authority,” Morente said.

He also called on other Immigration officials to report illegal schemes within the agency. “ I am very glad that these people are exposed because they give the bureau a bad name,” he said.

Hontiveros early this week exposed the pastillas scam, wherein Immigration officers and employees provide “VIP treatment” to Chinese who cough up P10,000 each.

“Immigration officers received, through a group chat in the Viber application, a list of names of Chinese nationals who were to be allowed entry into the Philippines without going through the usual immigration process,” Chiong said in his sworn affidavit, which he read during the Senate probe.

“News of the operation spread fast. This time, other syndicated groups within the Bureau of Immigration started submitting their own list of names of Chinese nationals,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte has relieved all Bureau of Immigration officials who were allegedly involved in facilitating the entry of foreigners working for POGOs, Malacañang said Thursday.

Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Chief Executive received reports of the alleged bribery scheme known as “pastillas operations” linking immigration officials and he found a probable cause to dismiss them.

Meanwhile, the National Telecommunications Commission had asked the Department of Justice for a legal opinion on whether television and entertainment giant ABS-CBN should be allowed to continue its operations even after its franchise expires on March 30.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said they received a letter from the NTC on Tuesday seeking their legal opinion.

“The main question [asked by the NTC] is whether or not ABS-CBN may continue operating after the lapse of the franchise period, pending action by the Congress on the franchise renewal bills,” Guevarra said.

Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said the NTC’s request is being evaluated by their legal staff.

Drilon on Thursday warned that Calida could go to the Supreme Court and ask it to stop ABS-CBN from broadcasting when its franchise expires in March.

This, he said, was why he filed a joint resolution to extend the franchise.

“I filed this resolution in order to give Congress time to review. It is not for ABSCBN, it is for Congress to have time to review the very serious allegations raised by the Solicitor General in the Supreme Court, which cannot be tackled in the remaining time,” Drilon said.

“Congress has only seven session days and by the time we come back [from recess] in May, the franchise has already expired,” he said.

He also dismissed the claims of some House members thaf ABS-CBN can still operate after its franchise expires while bills seeking its extension are pending.

He cited a Supreme Court ruling which states that a franchisee can no longer operate as a broadcast station if there is no longer a franchise.

“Of course there is this view but you are taking the risk that the Supreme Court will rule otherwise as it has ruled in some cases,” Drilon said.

“I am just saying that I do not want to risk the livelihood of 11,000 ABS-CBN employees on a theory that ABS-CBN and its 11,000 workers can continue after March 30 without a franchise,” Drilon said.

“I say that if trying to save the jobs of 11,000 employees is politics, then I admit I am playing politics. I do not think that’s the motive. I think we should not attribute motives to fellow legislators,” he said.

The Senate won’t hold a session on Monday to give way to the hearing of the ABS-CBN franchise by the Senate public services committee chaired by Poe.

Fund...

“The question there is, once you are infected and you get well, could you still get the virus? We don’t know because this is a new virus,” he added.

He said they would complete plans Thursday for bringing the Filipinos home from the cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan.

Some 531 crew members on the Diamond Princess are Filipino, and seven are guest passengers.

With 3,700 people aboard, the ship had 621 COVID-19 infections, 41 of which are Filipinos. All are being treated in Japanese hospitals.

Duque said the Filipino in the United Arab Emirates was in critical condition, while another Filipino in Hong Kong tested positive.

He said the 32 Filipinos repatriated from Wuhan, China, ground zero of the COVID-19 outbreak, were well and would be released from quarantine in New Clark City on Saturday.

The Philippines has confirmed three COVID-19 cases, all Chinese nationals from Wuhan. One has died, while the other two have recovered.

Health workers were monitoring some 135 people for possible infection and have discharged 398 patients who tested negative.

By Rey E. Requejo

HE Supreme Court has ordered a stringent monitoring of all temporary restraining orders, status quo ante orders, writ of preliminary injunctions and orders on voluntary inhibitions issued by justices of the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan and Court of Tax Appeals and trial court judges.

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He said the syndicated groups were under Ports Operations Division Chief Marc Red Mariñas and headed by officials who occupy various plantilla positions within Bureau of Immigration. He named them as Totoy Magbuhos, Deon Albao (alias Nancy), Paul Borja (alias Lisa), Anthony Lopez (alias AL), and Dennis Robles (alias DR).

He earlier provided the panel chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros videos showing how border control officials accepted bribes from Chinese tour operators in exchange for the “seamless” entry of some Chinese nationals seeking to work in POGOs. The system was called “pastillas,” because bribes are sometimes rolled in paper resembling a popular sweet delicacy.

Chiong also described pastillas as Chinese money wrapped in plastic.

He also spoke of “pastillas time” when huge amounts of money were distributed.

Hontiveros said she was informed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III that Chiong will be granted immunity as a whistleblower and be put under the government’s Witness Protection Program.

Chiong also identified the following immigration officials in the “pastillas” racket as former Immigration deputy commissioner Marc Red Mariñas and Travel Control Enforcement Unit officials Bien Guevarra, Glenn Comia, Den Binsol, Totoy Magbuhos, Dion Albao, Paul Borja, Anthony Lopez, Dennis Robles, Erwin Ortañez, Fi-

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them only in May or the first week of August.

On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon filed a joint resolution seeking to extend ABS-CBN’s franchise until the end of 2022.

With only a few days left before Congress adjourns in mid-March, Congress needs more time to review, assess and determine whether ABS-CBN’s application for new broadcast franchise can be granted, Drilon said in the resolution.

On Thursday, Cayetano also blasted the Senate for scheduling hearings on the ABSCBN franchise, saying that the Constitution is clear that all bills related to granting a legislative franchise should emanate from the House of Representatives.

He chided Senator Grace Poe for refusing to discuss Charter change while violating the Constitution by scheduling a hearing next week.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III acknowledged that a franchise bill should come from the House, but said he agreed to the Senate hearing because the committee would not issue any report. pended by the Office of the Ombudsman after he was implicated in the alleged irregularities involving the award of GCTA. During the Senate inquiry last year, Santos also revealed corruption inside the New Bilibid Prison .

“Considering Atty. Santos’ involvement in the GCTA controversy, I will now issue a Department Order directing the NBI to immediately conduct an investigation,” Guevarra said.

In Department Order 82, Guevarra directed the NBI through Director Dante Gierran to conduct investigation and case build-up on the killing of Santos and “if evidence warrants, to file the appropriate charges against persons found responsible” for his murder.

The NBI was previously tasked to do a case build-up on the GCTA-related anomalies at the BuCor. Santos is the 47th lawyer killed since August 2016 and the third lawyer killed from January 2020.

Santos’ slay was captured on “defective” surveillance videos that failed to yield leads on the gunmen, police said Thursday.

Santos was on board his vehicle in front of his child’s school in Muntinlupa when he was shot dead by two or three assailants on Tuesday, said authorities.

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toward developing an anti-viral drug that would target COVID-19.

One problem, he said, was that there was no certainty that vaccines developed today would still be effective a year later as viruses mutate.

“So there is a need to be very active in research and follow the mutation trend of the viruses,” he said.

He said to strengthen efforts to combat infectious diseases, the Health department’s Disease Prevention and Control Bureau could be expanded and joined with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

This would centralize the system for disease control and prevention program and intervention, he said.

Duque said hundreds of Filipinos who disembarked from the COVID-19-stricken M/V Diamond Princess cruise ship will be quarantined for another 14 days after they arrive in the Philippines.

“They need to be placed under a new quarantine. We do not know if the virus will return or if there is immunity,” he said.

previous ruling: ‘‘Injunction is an extraordinary remedy to be resorted to when there is a pressing necessity to avoid injurious consequences that cannot be remedied under any standard compensation. A court may issue an injunction only if it is fully convinced of its extreme necessity and after it has complied with the procedural requirements set by law.

He said that in another previous case, the high court ruled that ‘‘every court should remember that an injunction should not be granted lightly or precipitately because it is a limitation upon the freedom of the defendant’s action. It should be granted only when the court is fully satisfied that the law permits it and the emergency demands it, for no power exists whose exercise is more delicate, which requires greater caution and deliberation, or is more dangerous in a doubtful case, than the issuance of an injunction.

In AO 62-2020, Peralta directed the justices and judges to address ‘‘persistent reports that some Justices and Judges have been voluntarily inhibiting from cases assigned or raffled to them on grounds that are neither just nor valid.

5.4-quake strikes Davao A 5.4-MAGNITUDE earthquake struck off Davao Occidental on Thursday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The tectonic tremor struck at 5:54 p.m. about 28 kilometers southeast of Jose Abad Santos town with a depth of 186 km, PHIVOLCS added in a statement.

Instrumental Intensity IV was felt at General Santos City, while Intensity III was felt at Kiamba, Alabel and Malungon in Sarangani and in Tupi, South Cotabato.

Intensity I was also felt at Kidapawan City and Koronadal City.

There is no expected damage to structures but aftershocks may occur, PHIVOLCS said.

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lockdowns of several large cities as the virus spread.

But he recognized the “massively detrimental” economic impact of the disease, which has constricted global trade and tourism vital to many Southeast Asian economies.

This developed as China on Thursday touted a big drop in new cases of the coronavirus as a sign it has contained the epidemic―but fears grew abroad after two former passengers of a quarantined cruise ship died in Japan and a cluster of infections increased in South Korea.

The death toll in China hit 2,118 as 114 more people died, but health officials reported the lowest number of new cases there in nearly a month, including in the hardest-hit province, Hubei.

More than 74,000 people have been infected by the new virus in China and hundreds more in over 25 countries, with Iran reporting two deaths on Wednesday, the first fatalities in the Middle East.

In Japan, a man and a woman in their 80s who had been aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess died from the COVID-19 illness, authorities said, as fears mount about other passengers who disembarked after testing negative.

A cluster of novel coronavirus infections centered on a cult church in the South Korean city of Daegu leaped to 39 cases, as the country’s total spiked for the second successive day.

Meanwhile, Moscow is to impose a blanket ban on Chinese visitors over coronavirus fears in a move that will hit its tourism industry as experts question the need for such “draconian” measures.

Moscow will ban all Chinese citizens from entering its territory from Thursday. It has already halted visa-free tourism for Chinese nationals and stopped issuing them with work visas and suspended rail links and restricted air travel.

The country is a top destination for Chinese tourists and the range of restrictions is expected to hit the domestic tourism industry hard.

“Of course, there will be colossal losses,” Irina Tyurina, spokeswoman for the Russian Union of the Tourism Industry, told AFP. The Russian tourist industry will lose at least 2.8 billion rubles ($44 million) in February and March due to the travel restrictions, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.

Some 1.5 million Chinese tourists visited Russia last year, according to the association.

In Washington, US scientists announced Wednesday they had created the first 3D atomic scale map of the part of the novel coronavirus that attaches to and infects human cells, a critical step toward developing vaccines and treatments. AFP

News Lawmakers air opposition vs. bill on foreign ownership

By Maricel V. Cruz

OPPOSITION lawmakers on Thursday thumbed down the bill which supposedly allows full foreign ownership of public utilities.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said House Bill 78 or the proposed New Public Service Act is “fatally violative” of the 1987 Constitution as it provides that ownership, operation, control and management of public utilities is reserved to Filipino citizens or to corporations at least 60 percent of whose capital is owned by Filipinos.

House Bill 78 limits the definition of public utilities to electricity distribution and transmission, water and sewerage pipelines, air transportation, ports and airports.

Lagman said he sees no distinction between “public utility” and “public service” as the Supreme Court itself stated in a 2003 ruling that “public utility is engaged in public service” that provides “basic commodities and services indispensable to the interest of the general public.”

“It is well-settled that public service is an indispensable attribute or element of a public utility, and the two are synonymous and interchangeable, so much so that there is no sound reason for making a distinction to justify defiance of the Constitution by allowing the non-compliance of ‘public service’ enterprises with the requirement of Filipino citizenship,” he added.

Salceda files series of bills to fight illiteracy ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, House ways and means Committee chairman, has urged his colleagues for the passage of a series of bills he has filed in Congress under his Comprehensive Education Reform Agenda, to address the country’s “latent or covert illiteracy” problem which he referred to as a “ticking economic time bomb.”

Salceda issued his call in reaction to a news report quoting the Department of Education, which said as many as 70,000 grade school pupils in the Bicol Region are unable to read.

“Any one child who reaches higher levels of elementary school without knowing how to read is already a cause for concern; 70,000 in one region alone is a crisis,” said Salceda, citing reports based on DepEd Bicol 2019 data which he said is certainly true as well in other regions of the country.

“When I was Albay Governor from 2007 to 2016, Bicol made significant strides in education, to the point that many of our efforts in Albay were replicated across the country and we were nationally recognized and awarded. It appears to me that when government changes and it becomes less aggressive in promoting better quality of educations, the outcomes also slide back,” the lawmaker said.

“This emphasizes the need for systemic national reform, so that whatever progress is made should actually endures. Education outcomes should not depend on who’s in charge. I’m almost certain that when the other regions release their data, we will see similar issues,” he said.

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“within two weeks,” an order prescribing the use of plastics, the country’s main solid waste pollutant.

Two months later, that order is still stuck at the “executive committee” level, according to a DENR undersecretary in charge of solid waste management.

Then last Tuesday, Senator Cynthia Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on environment and natural resources, said single-use plastics “might be impossible to ban” as she didn’t see any possible replacements for them.

Incidentally, the Philippines is the world’s third-highest source of marine plastic pollution, according to the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives―at a figure Cimatu said was an estimated 2.7 million metric tons of plastic waste.

But the conundrum is far greater than just dealing with plastic waste, experts argue. It involves complete, environmentally-sound waste management― dealing, as Cimatu correctly said late last year, with garbage “at its source,” and safely collecting, transporting, treating and disposing waste in all its forms, not just solid.

A large portion of waste management

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Mindanao to undergo quarantine vs. ASF

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GRICULTURE Secretary William Dar has ordered for the strict implementation of veterinary quarantine measures against African swine fever, in partnership with the local government units and concerned national agencies, following the confirmation of ASF cases in Mindanao.

“I am directing the Bureau of Animal Industry [BAI] and other concerned agencies of the Department of Agriculture [DA] to implement the establishment of the checkpoints on 24/7 operations with disinfection equipment and facilities, including foot baths, in all entry points in Mindanao,” Dar said in a memorandum.

He said there will be mandatory in-

spection of vessels docking in Mindanao ports with meat products from ASF-affected zones and countries.

Dar said the establishment of 24/7 quarantine checkpoints and mandatory inspection at international and domestic seaports and airports will be done in close coordination with the LGUs, Bureau of Customs and the

Philippine Ports Authority.

Checked-in and hand-carried luggage of all incoming passengers from ASFaffected zones and countries will also be thoroughly inspected by DA-BAI veterinary quarantine personnel who will confiscate and immediately destroy all pork products.

Meanwhile, Dar urged the country’s veterinarians to help the DA and LGUs in the strong and sustained implementation of biosecurity and quarantine measures to control ASF and cushion its impact on the hog sector.

Dar made the call during the 87th PVMA Scientific Conference and Convention on Wednesday in Davao City, where he served as keynote speaker.

“We ask you to remain steadfast in

your commitment to share and disseminate information, trends and issues in the field of veterinary medicine, both here and abroad, especially with regards to ASF and other traditional and emerging animal diseases,” he told the over 2,000 attendees and guests of the event.

To date, the Philippines culled 230,000 hogs or 1.8 percent of the national swine population of 12.7 million.

Of these, only 15 percent were ASFinfected and the rest healthy but all were culled, as they were within the one-kilometer infected zone, under the “1-7-10 protocol.”

“However, our total culled pigs is minimal compared to other neighboring ASF-affected countries,” the DA chief said.

Ex-Ozamiz VM rejects transfer to Bicutan jail

NEW TRAINS.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Philippine National Railways General Manager Junn Magno led the sendoff ceremony for the two new train sets from Indonesia on Thursday Feb. 20 at the Tutuban Station, Manila Norman Cruz

Ampatuan scion cleared of nine falsification charges A SCION of the Ampatuan clan of Maguindanao was cleared of nine counts of falsification of public documents by the Sandiganbayan.

The anti-gratt court’s Sixth Division exonerated for ”insufficient evidence”Mayor Datu Sajid Islam Uy Ampatuan of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao of eight counts of falsification of public documents.

The case arose from the grant of P77 million worth of construction and lumber materials to four suppliers during his term as Maguindanao governor a decade ago.

The court granted Ampatuan’s demurrer to evidence or motion for dismissal of charges without presenting evidence for the defense after the prosecution failed to provide evidence to pin him down.

It gave credence to the testimonies of prosecution witnesses Mila Lopez and Arnel Pascual of the Commission on Audit and the Parang, Maguindanao Treasurer who failed to prove Ampatuan’s participation in the grant of the contract to the four suppliers.

“There is nothing in other documents, or in the testimonies of then prosecution’s witnesses, that would establish how accused Ampatuan participated in the alleged falsification in SB-17CRM-0898 to 906. Therefore, such evidence is insufficient to support a verdict of guilt inside cases insofar as accused Ampatuan is concerned,” the Sandiganbayan said.

“This court finds it unnecessary to determine the existence of the elements of falsification under Article

171 paragraph 4 of the Revised Penal Code. Wherefore the demurrer to evidence filed by accused Datu Sajid Islam Uy Ampatuan is hereby granted.

SB-17-CRM 0898-0906 are hereby dismissed as to accused Ampatuan for insufficiency of evidence,” the Sandiganbayan added.

Ampatuan earlier requested on a 90-day suspension as mandated by the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Rules of Procedures of the Sandiganbayan in connection with pending P98 million graft and malversation charges lodged against him.

The P98 million was supposedly intended to procure of palay, corn seeds and fertilizers from a certain Tamoni Enterprises. Such purchase, however, was never made. Maricel V. Cruz

practices deal with municipal solid waste, the bulk of the waste created by household, industrial, and commercial activity.

Speaking of the garbage source, Mega Manila―all its 16 cities and one municipality―is home to 13 million people, and the daily household waste its denizens produce alone runs into thousands of tons of refuse.

Recent studies revealed that each person produces 1.5 kilos of garbage per day. Calculations based on this figure lead to a total of 19,500 tons of waste from the NCR, day in and out. That’s far more than Metro Manila’s estimated household and commercial wastes output of 10,000 to 12,000 tons daily.

In fact, Cimatu pointed out that Metro Manila has already blown past its fullyear estimates in just two quarters. “The target estimated waste generation baseline for 2019 of 58,112.31 cubic meters has already been surpassed,” he told the Stratbase environmental forum in December.

Another DENR figure revealed that in Metro Manila alone, waste generation was estimated to increase 3.5 percent to 3,527,484 tons annually, from the current 3,406,662 tons.

Nationwide, DENR Assistant Secretary Jesus Enrico Salazar told a Senate committee hearing in January that waste

in the Philippines is expected to total 21.84 million tons by 2021, up 3.9 percent from the current 21.02 tons.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be needing more landfills in the next few years, Salazar said during the hearing, only because the landfills that are now being used will decline faster than expected.”

“It was projected based on population growth, commercialization, and business growth coupled with spending power of the population,” he said.

But there aren’t enough garbage dumps or sanitary landfills to serve the country, let alone Metro Manila. Salazar said sanitary landfills nationwide total 186, serving around 407 local government units.

That only serves one-fourth of all towns and cities nationwide, forcing other LGUs to use unregulated dump sites―which is against Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

At present, some 331 illegal dumps are operating despite several closures made by the department, Salazar told senators at a hearing this month. The DENR official said site selection for potential sanitary landfills “should not affect the environment and the surrounding areas where such dumping facilities are operating.”

However, the NCR is running out of

time and options. The Metro Manila Development Authority previously said that at the rate the metropolis is generating trash, the Navotas Sanitary landfills it is currently using would be rendered unusable by 2026―in just six years― and the Rizal landfill in Rodriguez town by 2037 at the latest.

The MMDA is already hauling over 75,000 truckloads of trash a year since 2016, or at least 10.72 million cubic meters of waste. Its nearest dumpsite was the one in Payatas in Quezon City, which the DENR ordered closed three years ago so it could review the environmental compliance certificate of the dumpsite operator.

“We are projecting that the landfills will be filled up and then later on we will have to find other areas where we can establish these landfills for the LGUs to have some disposal areas,” Salazar admitted.

He also said it was “very difficult” to enforce RA 9003, and likewise difficult for LGUs to comply with the law’s requirements.

“But we have seen this happen in other areas,” Salazar said, adding this initiative would require more effort on the part of the government and the private sector.

(Next: Proposed solutions and outlook)

FORMER Ozamiz City Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez has asked the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 95 to allow her continued detention in Camp Crame instead of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-run Special Intensive Care jail in Bicutan, Taguig City.

In a 22-page “vehement opposition” released Wednesday, Echavez’s lawyers asked the court not to grant her transfer from the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame to the Bicutan jail.

“Evidently, she was detained in the PNPCC when she was first arrested.

Simply put, she was considered as a high-value target and a high-risk detainee and to date, her circumstances have not changed from the time she was arrested,” the document read.

Last week, state prosecutors led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera said Echavez’s “continued detention at the PNPCC affords her special treatment as she is subjected to a different set of rules and procedures not afforded to all other detainees under the BJMP control.”

Last December, the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group referred to state prosecutors a memorandum from Brig. Gen. Dennis Basngi, director of the PNP Headquarters Support Service.

In the memorandum dated Nov. 14, 2019, Basngi sought assistance from the CIDG to request for the transfer of Echavez to the facility in Taguig.

Katipunan subway alignment nixed

By Rio N. Araja THE Quezon City council is asking the Department of Transportation to revert the alignment of its subway project to its original EDSA alignment from the proposed Katipunan route.

It urged the city engineering office to withhold the issuance of all business and construction permits related to the subway project implementation.

In a two-page resolution, the committee on ways and means, chaired

by District 1 Councilor Victor Ferrer Jr., raised concern that the Katipunan route is “earthquake risk,” a “disruption to residents in villages and other residential areas” and a “sub-optimal station location,” and that the subway project would affect the land property and land valuation in the area, thus impact the city’s revenue generation.

Citing a study of the Japan International Cooperative Agency, the resolution said the original EDSA alignment is most optimal, feasible and beneficial to the commuters of Metro Manila based on specific criteria, such as safety, social and local environment impact, connectivity to other modes of transportation and efficiency of service.

Moreover, the study showed the EDSA route is the cheapest in terms of cost to the government.

“Bearing in mind that it is the people who will eventually bear the cost of the project, this committee notes that the proposed Katipunan alignment, costing P350 billion or more, is more expensive compared to the original EDSA alignment, which was estimated to only cost P208 billion,” the resolution read.

The measure was approved by Ferrer and Councilors Ramon Medalla, Winston Castelo, Lena Marie Juico, Franz Pumaren, Eric Medina, Allan Butch Francisco, Bernard Herrera, Resty Malangen and Wencerom Benedict Lagumbay.

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Opinion

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Why a quo warranto?

ACCORDING to Solicitor General Jose Calida, quo warranto is the proper remedy for the state to forfeit the franchises of ABS-CBN Corp. and ABS-CBN Convergence Inc. “for gross violation of their franchises.”

He makes three basic arguments: One, the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over quo warranto cases; two, the case is a matter of transcendental importance; and three, it is a case of first impression. There has been no such case before.

The Solicitor General makes three basic arguments.

Under Section 1 of Rule 66 of the Rules of Court, “an action for the usurpation of a public office, position or franchise may be brought in the name of the Republic of the Philippines against a person who usurps, intrudes into, or unlawfully holds or exercises public office, position or franchise.”

The special civil action of quo warranto is a prerogative writ by which the government can call upon any person to show by what warrant he holds a public office or exercises a public franchise.

Calida insists: “The franchises of ABS-CBN Corp. and ABS-CBN Convergence have to be revoked for the gross violations they have committed. A forfeiture of a franchise

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

will have to be declared in a direct proceeding for the purpose brought by the State because a franchise is granted by law and its unlawful exercise is primarily a concern of the government. Quo warranto is specifically available as a remedy if it is thought that a corporation has offended against its corporate charter or misused its franchise.”

Respondents are guilty of unlawful exercise of their franchises under Section 1(a), Rule 66 of the Rules of Court, which states that: “An action for the usurpation of a public office, position or franchise may be commenced by a verified petition brought in the name of the Republic of the Philippines against: ‘a person who usurps, intrudes into, or unlawfully holds or exercises a public office, position or franchise …’”

In Divinagracia vs. CBS Inc., the Court recognized that “[t]here is in fact a more appropriate, more narrowly-tailored and least restrictive remedy … ” to call upon any person to show by what warrant he exercises a public franchise—the resort to a quo warranto proceedings under Rule 66 of the Rules of Court.

Divinagracia cited PLDT v. NTC and Cellcom Inc., in which the Supreme Court had declared that quo warranto is the proper procedure to question a franchise. It said: “A forfeiture of a franchise will have to be declared in a direct proceeding for the purpose brought by the State because a franchise is granted by law and its unlawful exercise is primarily a concern of Government.”

Calida says a “franchise” is a “special privilege.” As a grant of the government, not only is a franchise a “special” privilege; it is also a privilege of “public concern.” As a public concern, a franchise has likewise

Tourism slump

T

HINGS have suddenly turned bleak in the tourism sector after the Philippines reported record foreign arrivals in 2019.

na, Japan and Taiwan, but travel restrictions in these countries will slow down the influx of visitors and lead to lost income opportunities.

Korea was the top foreign market with 1.98 million arrivals in 2019, up 22.5 percent from 2018. China ranked second with arrivals surging 38.6 percent last year to 1.74 million. The number of Japanese tourists, ranked fourth, rose 8.1 percent to 682,788, while Taiwanese arrivals grew 35 percent to 327,273. Korea, Japan and Taiwan have reported several persons infected with the coronavirus. The infection has resulted in strict quarantine measures, which will ultimately affect the travel plans of their citizens.

The Philippines, meanwhile, has lost about 20 percent or 322,000 international and domestic passengers in three weeks since January due to the COVID-19 outbreak. After the government

The coronavirus outbreak has caused several trip cancellations across Asia, especially those coming from China. Regional airlines have reduced their flights on orders of their host government, while hotels and tourist destinations are experiencing a business slump.

The tourism industry in the Philippines will certainly take a hit after foreign visitor arrivals just climbed 15.2 percent in 2019 to a record 8.26 million from 7.16 million in 2018.

The Philippines has been successful in drawing tourists from Korea Chi-

imposed a travel ban to China, Hong Kong and Macau in a bid to contain the virus, international tourist arrivals from Jan. 25 to Feb. 17 decreased by 16.7 percent or 272,006 from the the same period in 2019. The Philippines posted 1,352,692 foreign arrivals from Jan. 25 to Feb. 17, slightly lower than 1,624,698 last year.

Local airlines, hotels and tourism destinations clearly must reduce their prices and offer cheap packages to win back tourists. They owe it to the marginal stakeholders in the industry, especially those earning less like hotel employees, market vendors, tourist guides and agents, and transport operators.

Foreign tourists, too, will appreciate the gesture. Cheaper fares and hotel rates are investments in the future that will reap dividends to the tourism sector.

Turn to A5

Should we legalize divorce?

FOR the longest time, if I'm not mistaken, the party-list group Gabriela has been filing their own version of a divorce bill since they first entered the parliamentary arena. In the 18th Congress, they've already done so— again—as part of their key advocacies.

This time, they may yet succeed in getting what they've worked really hard to achieve. But maybe not exactly.

Banish the thought that the divorce bill approved recently by the House committee on population and family relations would pave the way for something like what Las Vegas has in place for a long time now: A no-fuss process that makes it quite easy for couples to disengage, or decouple.

According to Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, author of one of three divorce bills approved at the committee level in the House of Representatives, the measure has very strict requirements that would not be an easy way out of a rocky marriage.

The lawmaker explained that their bills have safety measures to ensure that only “exceptional cases” of couples with “irremediably damaged marriage” will benefit from this measure.

These safety measures include the provision that a prosecutor would be assigned to determine within six months after filing of the divorce petition if the grounds are valid or if there is collusion between parties, and that the court would also apply a judicial dispute resolution mechanism and try to reconcile the parties within this period.

Divorce is necessary, Lagman pointed out, because the current options under the Family Code—legal separation, annulment of marriage and declaration of nullity—do not

give complete reliefs to qualified parties. Legal separation only grants separation “in bed and board” but does not grant severance of marriage bond, while annulment would allow remarriage only on grounds prior to or simultaneous to the solemnization of marriage.

On the other hand, “divorce will allow grounds that are supervening or during the marriage like marital infidelity, domestic violence, chronic gambling and engagement in illegal drugs and at the same time allow re-marriage,” he explained, adding that it would also offer protection to children who suffer and witness daily torment and stress.

It won’t be an easy way out.

Over at the Senate, most of the senators are against legalizing divorce and instead prefer to streamline the annulment process “allowed by our faith and belief,” according to Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.

"What we don’t like about divorce is it seems to be an easy way out."

He said shortening the process of Church-decreed annulment would be a “more accepted” option for his colleagues in the Senate.

“This is not as controversial as divorce,” he added.

He said Senate Bill No. 1059, which he filed in September last year, seeks to shorten and simplify the process of annulling marriages in the country by recognizing the civil effects of a Church-allowed annulment for couples who have irreconcilable differences.

Under the bill, the final judgment or decree of annulment or dissolution issued by the proper church or religious sect should be recorded with 30 days in the appropriate civil registry.

He said his proposal is also in line Turn to A5

Coronavirus dents China’s Olympic hopes

By Peter Stebbings THE coronavirus has destroyed the Tokyo Olympic dreams of some Chinese athletes and disrupted the preparations of others, forcing them to miss tournaments and train in strict isolation—sometimes in masks.

Games organizers are adamant that the outbreak, which is centred on the Chinese city of Wuhan and has killed more than 2,100 people, will not derail one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar.

But it is likely to compromise the performance of the Chinese team, which numbered 416 at the Rio 2016 Games and has been top three on the medals table at every Olympics this century.

There are no known cases among Chinese competitors, but the virus outbreak coincides with a critical stage in their build-up to the Olympics, which begin on July 24.

In one stark example, China's women's football team resorted to doing stretching exercises in the corridor of a Brisbane hotel after they were quarantined ahead of an Olympic qualifying tournament.

China hopes that rival countries will open their doors to its athletes to compete in qualifiers as some

nations, including Australia, have issued strict restrictions on arrivals from China.

"There will be over 100 Olympic qualifying tournaments around the world between February and April," said Liu Guoyong, a vice-president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, according to the Xinhua news agency.

"The IOC has asked various international sports federations to provide all possible assistance and convenience to Chinese athletes."

Dreams over Despite their disrupted buildup and missing star player Wang Shuang—who was not allowed to leave her home city of Wuhan, and was videoed training alone on a rooftop while wearing a—China's women's football team managed two wins and a draw in Australia.

They will face South Korea over two legs for a spot in Tokyo, but the "home" match will need to take place abroad.

The Olympic qualifying tournament was moved from Wuhan at short notice because of the virus, which has obliterated China's sporting calendar and forced hundreds of millions of people indoors to stop it spreading.

At least the women's football team's

Tokyo hopes are still alive.

The women's handball team's campaign ended when they withdrew from a qualifying tournament in Hungary next month, saying they could not organize training in the face of the deadly virus.

China were also forced out of a World Cup gymnastics meeting in Melbourne—which offers qualifying points for Tokyo—because of travel restrictions.

Olympic qualifying tournaments in boxing, basketball and sailing have all been moved out of China.

China topped the medals table when it hosted the 2008 Olympics, but fell to third, behind the United States and Britain, at Rio 2016.

Tokyo was supposed to be the Games when China—spearheaded by decorated swimmer Sun Yang, who is awaiting a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling over a missed drugs test—strikes back.

Nobody can get out Liu, of China's Olympic committee, is confident that athletes will be able to prepare properly for Tokyo and state media has painted an image of them gamely ploughing on with their training routines.

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Opinion Viral economy CROSSROADS

J.A. DE LA CRUZ THAT this year will be a most challenging one not only for the country but the world is beyond question.

Not just because of the COVID-19 virus scare, although that has made it even more so. One recalls that in 2019, the tell-tale signs of a global economic downturn were already on the rise as disruptive developments then resulting from the unresolved conflicts in the Middle East, to the lingering concerns over Brexit, to the spiralling US-China trade war to the Australian bush fires and to the escalation of the arms race with the increased possibility of the scuttling of the nuclear arms treaty, among others, clouded any attempts to stabilize and move forward.

And now the COVID-19.

Although leaders the world over are facing this wildly spreading virus with courage and strong determination to slay the beast, and rev up the growth engines at the soonest possible time, it will not be as smooth and easy as some people would have it. It will be hard and will take time for the world to move on.

Take the case of the global tourism and hospitality industry. With lockdowns and travel bans all over the place and, get this, with no end in sight, the potential losses across the board in all countries—even in the most isolated ones—are simply incalculable. Coming as it does right after the Taal explosion, it has really been pummeled no end. The most evident scene is in the transport sector where airlines to cruise ships to trains, buses, cars and other land transport are already howling about the huge losses they expect to suffer as a result of the slowdown in travel.

In the Philippines alone, Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat has come out with a rough estimate of at least P25 billion in losses so far.

That's huge, and I think that may even be on the bright side considering the ancillary industries which support and are attached to the sec-

tor, especially in the provinces. Already, we are seeing posts of empty chairs and empty tables in hotels and restaurants even in the urban areas—eerily reminiscent of the wartorn places in conflict areas.

No less than the country's (warring?) tourism leaders have banded together to unveil an accelerated "Visit the Philippines, Part 2" plan covering reduction in tourist packages, air fares, hotel room rates and other incidentals to encourage domestic travelers to do their share in minimizing the impact of the virus scare on the industry. More than that, Puyat has

Many industries are already feeling the effects of the COVID-19 scare. also urged all LGUs to proceed fes with their regularly scheduled festivals, the schools with their athletic meets and other gatherings and all other sectors with their scheduled seminars, conventions and get togethers.

So concerned has the government been about the immediate impact of a slowdown in this sector that the President himself has come out openly inviting one and all to join him in "visiting" the nooks and crannies of the country. Indeed, there is an urgency in ensuring that this sector steadies soon. For it is not just the monetary losses we are looking at here but the prolonged job losses which come in their wake.

Of course, if we talk about tourism and the hospitality industry, we cannot leave out the gaming and entertainment sub-sector which has its own dynamics. Already, we have certain officials stumping hard on the "POGOs"—the most recent phenomenon in an increasingly lucrative and employment rich section— without as much as advising one and all about the immediate impact of such an abrupt action.

And this is just the tourism and hospitality industry. We can go on

Why...

From A4

been held to be “reserved for public control and administration” either by the government directly, or through state agents, subject to rules and regulations attached with the exercise of the powers of the franchise.

Section 5 of the Philippine Constitution enumerates the Supreme Court’s powers, among them, to “Exercise original jurisdiction over cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and over petitions for certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas corpus.”

To be sure, Calida admits in his petition, “the doctrine of hierarchy of courts precludes direct resort to the Court as it is a court of last resort. The rule, however, admits of exceptions.

The doctrine of hierarchy of courts is not an iron-clad rule. This court has “full discretionary power to take cognizance and assume jurisdiction [over] special civil actions for certiorari... filed directly with it for exceptionally compelling reasons or if warranted by the nature of the issues clearly and specifically raised in the petition.”

A second exception is when the issues involved are of transcendental importance. In these cases, the imminence and clarity of the threat to fundamental constitutional rights outweigh the necessity for prudence. The doctrine relating to constitutional issues of transcendental importance prevents courts from the paralysis of procedural niceties when clearly faced with the need for substantial protection.

The invocation of the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction to issue writs of certiorari has been allowed in certain instances on the ground of special and important rea-

Coronavirus...

From A4

But the all-powerful badminton and table tennis squads have decamped to Britain and Qatar respectively, while the judo team missed the Paris Grand Slam in a blow to their Olympic build-up.

China has ordered its teams at home and abroad to train behind closed

and on enumerating the woes being lamented by leaders of industries and sectors impacted heavily by the COVID-19 scare. There is the migrant workers and overseas diaspora of almost 10 million Filipinos which in 2019 remitted a record $33 billion to the country.

The virus scare has certainly limited their movements and their earning capacities. In fact, our overseas workers have been very vocal about their loss of income and possibly even their very employment if we do not consider partially lifting the travel ban specially for the countries where the highest number of Filipino workers are deployed. educa How about in health and education, as we get more and more hits not just from the traditional illnesses which go with the weather and the period of the year. A lot of guesses on the impact of the scare on these sectors have been given out. Again, we have to hold our breath. And then there are our export and import sectors, specially with our largest trading partner—China—and the top five or top ten countries we do business with. Definitely, our trading flows will take a hit. By how much, we will still have to account for. Supply chains will break down, orders will lessen and so on and on, down the road.

Certainly, these will run in the billions, if not multi-billions. And again, the impact on employment of these disruptions will be huge even if we try our best to contain the same.

Which is why we have to caution our economic managers not to play down the impact of this viral scare to the point of being unbelievable.

As much as possible, let us be realistic about things and start coming out with the needed coping measures to cushion us from any more damages than we can handle. This is the time to get all hands on deck and check out the best possible ways we can save the economy from spiraling out of control. This is not the time to issue rosier-than-proper prognosis about things. This is the time to get down to the ground, sector-by-sector, stakeholder-by-stakeholder, and make the needed coping measures work. The sooner, the better.

sons clearly stated in Calida’s petition, such as, (1) when dictated by the public welfare and the advancement of public policy; (2) when demanded by the broader interest of justice; (3) when the challenged orders were patent nullities; or (4) when analogous exceptional and compelling circumstances called for and justified the immediate and direct handling of the case.

“The present petition involves a matter of transcendental importance and is a case of first impression, which are some of the exceptions to the doctrine of hierarchy of courts cited above,” explains Calida.

Calida argues in his petition: “This case is of transcendental importance because ABS-CBN’s franchise mandates it to serve the public by its broadcast operations. ABS-CBN Corp. in fact earned the distinction of being the largest media conglomerate in the country, reaching millions of viewers in all corners of the country. As the biggest broadcasting entity, it is able to shape the public’s opinion on a variety of issues, apart from providing entertainment. However, its size and function do not exempt it from complying with, and upholding the laws of the land, including the terms of its very existence—its franchise.”

“The determination of the right to the exercise of a franchise, or whether the enjoyment of such privilege has been forfeited by non-use, is more properly the subject of the prerogative writ of quo warranto, to which the right to assert, as a rule, belongs to the State upon complaint or otherwise, the reason being that the abuse of a franchise is a public wrong and not a private injury. The issue of abuse of franchise is a matter of public concern that calls for an action by the State that granted the franchise.”

The ABS-CBN case “is an opportunity that the Court must seize to draw the line in future cases,” says Calida. biznewsasia@gmail.com

doors to guard against the virus.

"Unless there is an emergency, nobody can come onto the base and nobody can get out," Cao Zhongrong, coach of China's modern pentathlon team, told local media by telephone.

The pentathletes have been holed up at a Beijing university but were to fly out to Egypt this week, and after that will continue their Olympic preparations in Europe.

The squad is not allowed to use an

athletics track and field because they are outside the self-imposed exclusion area. They run on treadmills instead.

Team members have their temperatures checked repeatedly through the day and have to wear a mask while equestrian training.

"I treat this as a special training under hypoxic [deprived of oxygen] conditions in special times," Luo Shuai, who has already qualified for Tokyo, said. AFP

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020

A5

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Demand for disease-themed movies and games explodes

By Jerome Taylor AS THE world confronts the spread of a deadly new virus, interest in disease-themed movies, games and TV series has exploded, with worried viewers turning to documentaries and disaster flicks for answers and ways to cope.

The iTunes movie download charts are usually dominated by the latest blockbusters.

But in the last few weeks a blast from the past has stormed up the charts—Steven Soderbergh's 2011 thriller "Contagion."

Starring Gwyneth Paltrow as a businesswoman who unwittingly brings a lethal pathogen to the United States after shaking hands with a Macau chef, the movie has many parallels with current events.

Like the new coronavirus, the illness jumps from animals to humans in China before spreading abroad—although in the movie it is an exponentially more deadly phenomenon, killing 26 million around the world in the first month alone.

It's a horror story that appears to have us hooked.

In the last week of January, "Contagion" popped up in the top 10 of the British iTunes chart.

This week it has slipped down to 55 in Britain but remains stubbornly high up in many places—number 7 in Singapore, 24 in Australia and 20 in the US. In Hong Kong—which features heavily in the film as the first city the virus runs truly rampant in—"Contagion" is sitting pretty at number 8.

The international financial hub has provided made-for-movie scenes in real life recently as panic-buying set in with runs on staples including rice, cleaning products and toilet rolls.

Earlier this week there was even an armed robbery of a delivery driver dropping off toilet tissue.

The city experienced 299 deaths during the 2002-03 epidemic of the SARS virus—a partial inspiration for Soderbergh's film—and has had two fatalities from the current coronavirus.

Stress reliever But while Hong Kongers fret, many it seems are also keen to watch Hollywood's take on what a global pandemic might look like.

"The sudden interest in everything epidemic and virus-related allows people an avenue which can help to process what's going on," Robert Bartholomew, a medical sociologist who explores mass hysteria, told AFP. "It's well-known in psychology that the process of talking about traumatic events can help people 'get it off their chest' and relieve stress."

It is not just movies receiving a bump.

For much of the last eight years "Plague Inc" has been one of the most popular mobile phone games, allowing players to control a deadly pathogen that spreads through humanity.

Ndemic Creations, the makers of the game, says downloads spike during global news coverage of a disease, including both the coronavirus and Ebola outbreaks.

"Whenever there is an outbreak of disease we see an increase in players, as people seek to find out more about how diseases spread and to understand the complexities of viral outbreaks," the company said in a statement.

"However, please remember that 'Plague Inc' is a game, not a scientific model, and that the current coronavirus outbreak is a very real situation which is impacting a huge number of people," it added.

Last year Extra Credits, an educational YouTube channel, did a seven-part animation series for the 100th anniversary of the 1918 flu pandemic that killed millions worldwide.

Robert Rath, the channel's Hong Kong-based writer, said views have soared since the coronavirus outbreak, especially in Southeast Asia.

"Since January 1, the first episode gained over 100,000 views and the series as a whole gained over 330,000 views, which is dramatic for a YouTube video two years old," he told AFP.

Collective coping Meanwhile Netflix could hardly have better timed the release of its January docuseries "Pandemic," a look at how unprepared the world is for new viruses.

"People have said the docuseries 'Pandemic' came out at a perfect time," Sheri Fink, a journalist and doctor who was an executive producer on the series, wrote on Twitter.

"But in fact we made it because some of us had seen the system tested in smaller ways and knew its vulnerabilities. We hoped to inform before, not after, another dangerous pathogen emerged."

Google searches worldwide for the series—as well as the "Plague" game and movie "Contagion"—have all skyrocketed in the last month.

Bartholomew says today's nonstop news cycle pushes people to the internet to make sense of their fears.

"People are now in the habit of going online and subconsciously reducing their psychic stress through a quasi-ritualistic practice that involves using a keyboard," he said.

"In the past, people might have gone to church and prayed, whereas today in a more secular age they go online and discuss their fears as a form of collective coping." AFP

Should...

From A4

with Pope Francis’ call to make Church annulment shorter and easier to obtain.

"With how long the Church takes to annul a marriage and then after the Church annuls your marriage you then have to go through an eye of a needle, a very long and expensive process of the court to secure a state annulment, all in all [the process] could take as long as 10 years."

The Catholic Church, not surprisingly, is likely to use every available opportunity and every conceivable platform to ventilate its opposition to divorce.

Lay Catholic groups are standing firm against divorce. Among them is the Samahang Laiko ng Pilipinas, or the Council of the Laity of the Philippines, an association of various lay Catholic organizations, which said Congress must take action to strengthen families and not weaken them.

The group pointed out that marriage and family is a “gift” that should be protected" and that "the Philippines shall forever stand as a beacon of hope for the family and society.”

At the same time, the group said that while they recognize the plight of Filipinos suffering from failing marriages, family life family life organizations should “seek them out and accompany them with helpful interventions” such as education to inculcate the "values of life-long commitment and steadfast love.”

Among the organizations that have taken a strong stand against divorce are the Prayer Warriors of the Holy Souls, Human Life International—Philippines, Focolare New Families Movement, Alliance for the Family Foundation, Inc., Servants for Family Empowerment, Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life, ProLife Philippines, Catholic Grandparents Association, Worldwide Marriage Encounter—Philippines, and the Christian Family Movement.

With this big array of groups opposed to the divorce bill, Congress will certainly have its hands full listening to their arguments—and also to the counter-arguments of those pushing for its passage, such as Gabriela. ernhil@yahoo.com

A6

News

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PhilHealth clarifies ‘fake receipts’ losses Villar cites aquaculture import

By Macon Ramos-Araneta WITH the decreasing fish supply due to overfishing and other environmental causes, Senator Cynthia Villar cited the importance of aquaculture or fish farming to ensure enough supply of fishes on every Filipino table.

Villar, chairman of the Senate agriculture and food committee, said the World Wildlife Fund Philippines data showed that around 82 million Filipinos relied on fish as a major part of their diet.

It also stated that 75 percent of Philippine waters were already overfished.

“If we continue to consume fish at this rate, there may be nothing more left in the ocean for future generations,” warned Villar.

“So, there are real threats in the supply of seafoods in the whole world.

And aquaculture may be the last resort of these warnings became true,” also said Villar, also citing the huge demand for fishea and seafoods globally.

Since seafoods are the main diet or food of more than three billion people worldwide, she expressed hope “the share of aquaculture or fish farming in fish production will rise,” she said.

Aside from food security, she said aquaculture can also be a source of livelihood and can augment the earnings of a family.

Due to this, the senator, through the Villar SIPAG, has been giving to fisherfolks free training to wherein they will learn aquaculture and starting a small business like the selling of kikiam and fishball and the selling of aquarium or ornamental fishes.

Villar said the training on aquaculture has attracted a lot of participants because of the opportunities it provides not only in the breed and culture of freshwater fishes, but also in fish processing technologies and the production of ornamental fishes.

According to Villar, aquaculture training is a popular module among the programs the foundation is offering in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 4A (BFAR 4A).

By Rio N. Araja

A

RANKING official of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. on Thursday claimed only P1.2 million was lost to the fake receipts scam involving insurance premiums from overseas Filipino workers.

PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales, in a statement, said the involved money lost to the scam was P1.2 million, and not P16 million as earlier claimed by a whistleblower.

“Contrary to reports that some P16 million were lost due to the said scam, PhilHealth has verified a total of P1.2 million worth of contributions that are with fake receipts,” he said.

Out of the P1.2 million, the agency had recovered P430,000 from the man-

ning agencies responsible for issuing fake PhilHealth premium receipts, he said.

PhilHealth is still in the process of recovering the remaining amount, he added.

“The balance [of the P1.2 million] is in various stages of recovery,” he said.

He gave the assurance that they reported the lost money to the National Bureau of Investigation in 2015.

“Since then, it [PhilHealth] has

been in constant coordination with the NBI for guidance on the necessary legal actions to take against the perpetrators,” he said, citing PhilHealth had a memorandum of agreement with the NBI for the filing of criminal charges.

He said he would take all necessary measures to prevent a repeat of such scam to happen.

“PhilHealth is further strengthening its information technology system as well as its coordination with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration for a mechanism that will assure OFWs that their premium contributions are properly remitted to and accounted for, pursuant to the approval of Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s Governing Board on the matter in January 2019,” he said.

GATEWAY GALLERY. The 40 candidates of the Binibining Pilipinas 2020 visit the Gateway gallery in Cubao. The girls get quick paragraphs on Philippine history. Teddy Pelaez

Taal’s alert level may be further downgraded TAAL Volcano’s alert status may be further downgraded to Level 1 once a continuous decrease is noted within two weeks, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Thursday.

“The standard operating procedure is two weeks of continuous (downtrend),” PHIVOLCS executive director Renato Solidum Jr. said in a text message.

A total of 25 volcanic quakes were recorded for the past 24 hours, fewer than 30 volcanic quakes recorded the previous day.

Volcanic earthquakes are caused by the movements of magma inside the volcano.

Plume emission for measured 50 to 100 meters tall for the third consecutive day.

Volcanic plume is a column of hot volcanic ash and gas emitted into the atmosphere during an explosive volcanic eruption.

A weaker eruption is based on the height of the plume coming out of the crater.

Sulfur dioxide emission was “below instrumental detection” due to weak plume activity.

PHIVOLCS reiterated that entry into Taal Volcano Island, Taal’s Permanent Danger Zone, remains strictly prohibited.

People are also advised to observe precautions due to ground displacement across fissures, frequent ashfall, and minor earthquakes.

A fissure is a linear volcanic vent through which lava erupts. The magma intrusion from below causes the fissures to form.

Local government units are advised to additionally assess previously evacuated areas within the seven-kilometer radius for damage and road accessibilities, and to strengthen preparedness, contingency and communication measures in case of renewed unrest, PHIVOLCS said.

PAO chases house owner

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Republic of the Philippines TODAY COMMISSION ON AUDIT

Standard

Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines

RESOLUTION No. : 2020-005 Date: JAN. 31, 2020

SUBJECT: Adoption of the COA Gender and Development (GAD) Agenda 2020-2025 WHEREAS, Section 14, Article II of the 1987 Constitution declares the State policy that recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and ensures the fundamental equality before the law of women and men; WHEREAS, Republic Act (RA) No. 7192, the Women in Development and Nation Building Act, which was signed into law on February 12, 1992, promotes the integration of women as full and equal partners of men in development and nation-building; WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 273 dated September 8, 1995, the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGD) 1995-2025, directs all government agencies, departments, bureaus, offices, and instrumentalities, including governmentowned or controlled corporations, at the national, sub-national and local levels to institutionalize GAD efforts in government by incorporating GAD concerns in their respective planning, programming and budgeting processes; WHEREAS, the long-term plan of the PPGD is to integrate fully GAD concerns into the whole development process and that all heads of government agencies, with the assistance of their respective GAD Focal Point (GFP), shall be primarily responsible for the institutionalization and mainstreaming of GAD in their agencies; WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 9710, the Magna Carta of Women (MCW), and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) were approved on August 14, 2009 and March 10, 2010, respectively, that prescribe the GAD Focal Point (GFP) System in all government agencies, reinforce the role of women in nation-building, promote empowerment of women, and ensure equal opportunity and access for women and men to resources and development results and outcome; WHEREAS, this Commission has issued COA Resolution No. 2015-039 dated December 1, 2015 providing the Revised Guidelines on Mainstreaming GAD and the Adoption and Institutionalization of the GAD Strategic Framework in the Commission on Audit; WHEREAS, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), as the primary policymaking and coordinating body on promotion and achievement of gender equality and women empowerment (GEWE) in government, issued PCW Memorandum Circular No. 2018-04 dated September 19, 2018 providing the Revised Guidelines on the Preparation of the GAD Agenda 2020-2025 for National Government Agencies (NGAs) and Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs); and incorporating therein the various GAD-related international commitments1 as expressed in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022, the GEWE Plan 2019-2025 and the various sectoral plans; WHEREAS, the GAD Agenda 2020-2025 of the NGAs and GOCCs, which is a multiyear basis of the annual GAD planning and budgeting, coherently aligns and integrates the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of accomplishments on the implementation of national GAD-related policies and international commitments consistent with the PDP 2017-2022, the GEWE Plan 2019-2025 and the various sectoral plans;

Water supply cut to beat shortage REGULATORS have said the water allocation for Metro Manila will stay lower than normal to prevent a repeat of last summer’s supply shortage that brought misery to more than a million households.

Authorities cannot increase the water allocation for houses to the normal 46 cubic meters per second from the current 40 m³/s because Angat Dam, Metro Manila’s main water source, was still below its normal operating level, according to National Water Resources Board executive director Sevillo David Jr. The allocation for agriculture, meanwhile, will stay at about half of the normal

40 m³/s, he added.

David told dzMM, in a report beamed nationwide, said: “Since January, we have been conserving the supply so it will be enough for the next months and we won’t experience a repeat of the severe water shortage last year.”

The water shortage last summer affected some 1.2 million households in the east zone of Metro Manila, serviced by Ayala-led Manila Water.

The concessionaire attributed the problem to increased demand, lack of rains, delays in infrastructure projects supposed to boost supply, and the declining level of the La Mesa Dam, its emergency resource.

FAST QUESTIONS. Senator Ronald dela Rosa answers media questions regarding the DJ Chacha tweet, along with hashtag itopoangbinotoniyo war over ABS-CBN at Camp Crame in Quezon City, during the 29th Maritime Group Anniversary.

Near him is Deputy for Operation Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.

Manny Palmero

WHEREAS, the COA GAD Focal Point System has formulated the COA GAD Agenda 2020-2025, Annex “A” hereof, which integrates all its gender-responsive programs, activities and projects (PAPs) as basis for its annual GAD Plans and Budgets (GPBs) within the next six years; NOW, THEREFORE, premises considered, the Commission Proper resolves, as it does hereby resolve, to adopt the COA GAD Agenda 2020-2025, Annex “A” hereof, supplementing and/or amending accordingly pertinent provisions of COA Resolution No. 2015-039 dated December 1, 2015.

RESOLVED, FURTHER, that the COA GAD Focal Point System shall ensure the proper implementation of the COA GAD Agenda 2020-2025 through the adoption of the PAPs in the annual GPBs and the annual GAD Accomplishment Reports.

RESOLVED FINALLY that the COA GAD Focal Point System shall continue to sustain the momentum of increasing the level of gender mainstreaming in the Commission through gender-responsive PAPs; and maintain its proactive initiatives through strategic partnerships and linkages with the PCW and other government agencies to strengthen the oversight functions of the Commission under the MCW. This Resolution supplements and/or amends COA Resolution No. 2018-039 dated December 1. 2015 and other previously issued GAD guidelines and issuances inconsistent herewith. It shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Quezon City, Philippines MICHAEL G. AGUINALDO Chairperson

JOSE A. FABIA Commissioner 1

ROLAND C. PONDOC Commissioner

United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (UN CEDAW); Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA); Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (MS-FEB. 21, 2020

PUBLIC Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta on Thursday instructed the legal team of the office to summon a house owner from Cagayan de Oro to shed light into the electrocution of a 15-year-old child.

At a media briefing in Quezon City, Acosta said the minor died after being electrocuted by a 220-volt live wire while on top of a resident’s roof to pick mangoes.

“The fence of the house has a live wire of 220 volts, instead of using 110 volts just to drive away anyone who would go up the house’s roof,” she told the Manila Standard.

“The child was hungry, the reason why he tried to get mangoes there. Why need to electrocute him?” she asked.

She disclosed the house owner was trying to convince the victim’s parents for an amicable settlement, but the parents refused to do so.

“All they want is to seek justice,” she said.

She said the house owner could be held liable for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.

“If the owner intentionally switched the live wire upon learning the victim went up the roof, she or he could charged with murder,” she added.

A civil case could also be filed against the owner, she noted, saying “but as much as possible, we will try to mediate, just like what we did with the victims of the Resorts World tragedy.”

“We just went to Cagayan de Oro for the forensic [exam] of the victim,” she said. Rio N. Araja

Delgado Hospital embarks on expansion program DR. JESUS Delgado Memorial Hospital recently embarked on its extensive expansion program by purchasing an adjoining property along Kamuning Road, Quezon City.

“The acquisition of this land—which will be the future site of our new doctors’ and specialty clinics—is pivotal as Delgado Hospital looks to expand its services to the community and reiterate our commitment as a women’s care specialist,” remarked Joel I. Rodriguez, president and general manager of JDMH. “As part of the program, we have commenced with the renovations to our existing doctors’ clinics and other hospital facilities.”

“This 2020, we will also unveil new patient rooms, as well as launch our new fertility clinic in order to assist yearning couples who have issues conceiving a baby. This facility will

be headed by established reproductive medicine specialists, and serve as a hub for quality fertility diagnostic and treatment services such as basic infertility laboratory testing, fertility monitoring, and intrauterine insemination (IUI)―which we will offer at affordable rates,” Rodriguez added. “Such initiatives are just the tip of the iceberg as we continue to pursue our vision to become the leading women’s hospital in the Philippines.”

Delgado Hospital is one of the 15 hospitals under the Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc., the largest private hospital operator in the Philippines. MPHHI likewise has, in its portfolio, a growing network of primary care and cancer care centers, a centralized clinical laboratory, and two allied health colleges.

PROPERTY PURCHASE. Executives of Dr. Jesus C.

Delgado Memorial Hospital formalizing the purchase of an adjoining property along Kamuning Road, Quezon City (from left ): Danilo T. Gabionza, MD, medical director of JDMH; Eduardo N. Serran, representing the former owners of the acquired property; Joel I. Rodriguez, president and general manager of JDMH; Ma. Violeta DelgadoCojuangco, JDMH board member; and Percival A. Casaje, chief finance officer of JDMH.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW Manila

Standard

TODAY

Sports

Manila

A7

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Standard PREPARED AND FILED BY THE COURT TODAY

Marlou Somera De La Paz

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY COUNTY OF HUDSON CHANCERY DIVISIONFAMILY PART

Plaintiff

Marvic Bello De La Paz

DOCKET NO. FM-09-301-20

Defendant

CIVIL ACTION ORDER This Matter being opened to the Court on application by Law Offices of Gerard DeSapio, attorneys for Plaintiff, and the motion having been addressed on the papers, and for good cause shown.

Arevalo storms to 9-shot PH Ladies Open golf win A

BBY Arevalo missed posting a record winning margin but claimed the Philippine Ladies Open crown just the same, beating Rianne Malixi by nine despite turning in her worst round in three days – a 74 – at the Manila Golf Club in Makati yesterday.

Three years after humbling the pros with a final-hole birdie to prevail at Riviera, Arevalo nailed another memorable win, this time behind brilliant shotmaking, iron play and putting, emerging as the only player to shoot under-par in the first two days of the 58th staging of the country’s premier championship.

She finished with a 211, counting her bogey-free 68 and a 69, for a nine-shot win over Malixi, who shot a 72 for a 220, with Mafy Singson carding a 75 to tie Eagle Ace Superal, who made a 76, at 226 and Grace Quintanilla ending up with a 228 after a 75.

With a whopping 11-stroke lead after 36 holes, Arevalo stood on her way to shattering Bianca Pagdanganan’s nine-stroke triumph

Abby Arevalo displays her trophy.

over former Thai ace amateur Atthaya Thitikul at Wack Wack in 2017 as Malixi bogeyed the opening hole.

But she wavered at the backside with bogeys on wrong club selection while losing her putting touch, enabling Malixi, who birdied Nos. 10 and 13, to cut the lead to six with a three-overall card against Arevalo’s threeunder aggregate.

The 12-year-old rising star, however, failed to sustain her charge and cracked when the going got tough, dropping a stroke on the 14th, which Arevalo birdied from 12 feet to all but settle the issue in the event spon-

It is on this 3rd day of February, 2020, ORDERED:

sored by San Miguel Corp., Diamond Motors, Sunsports and Eva Air and organized by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines.

“I was playing well at the front but lost my touch coming home due to wrong club selection,” said Arevalo, whose bogeys in the last two holes hardly mattered as Malixi dropped two strokes on the closing par-4 hole.

Although the event, backed by Globe, the National Golf Association of the Philippines, Copok (Seascape Village), Inquirer Golf, Mercedes-Benz, New World Hotel, Pocari, Manila Golf Ladies, Regent Travel, Hyundai, PotenCee, Pascual Lab, Net25, Lake Shore CCY, FHLCI and Tagaytay Ladies, suffered a dip in participation following the last-minute withdrawals of players from amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including those from the US, Taiwan, Singapore and other neighboring countries, Arevalo won it fair and square, through her talent, skills and sheer determination.

While her rivals floundered and hobbled trying to deal with the tight layout and its sleek surface, she stayed focused and flourished with her kind of game honed up while with the San Jose State U in the US and as member of the SEA Games gold medal winning squad.

1.

Plaintiff’s motion for substituted service by newspaper publication is GRANTED, pursuant to New Jersey Court Rules 4:4-5 (a)(3) and R. 4:4-5(b).

2.

Within 20 days of the date of the entry of this Order, Plaintiff shall file a Notice of Filing of the Divorce Complaint in the Manila Standard Today or in the Manila Times, a newspaper circulation in the Philippines, as Defendant’s last known address is in the Philippines, per the Plaintiff’s Certification and the Postmaster’s verification confirms Defendant no longer has an address in Kearny, NJ and left no forwarding address. This publication shall serve as substituted service under New Jersey Court Rule 4:4-5 (a)(3).

3.

Plaintiff shall file with the Court proof of publication referred to in Paragraph 2 of this Order by way of Affidavit of Publication within-7-days of its publication.

4.

Within 35 days of the date that the Notice of the Filing of the Divorce Complaint is published in the Manila Standard Today or in the Manila Times, pursuant to Paragraph 2 of this Order, the Defendant shall serve upon Plaintiff and file with the Court, along with proof of service on Plaintiff, located at Hudson County Courthouse, 595 Newark Avenue, Family Part, Jersey City, NJ 07306, either (a) an Answer to the Plaintiff’s Complaint for Divorce; or (b) a written appearance with the Court within 35 days of the date that the Notice of the filing of the Divorce Complaint is published in the Manila Standard Today or Manila Times, pursuant to Paragraph 2 of this Order then judgment by default may be entered against the Defendant for the relief demanded in the Complaint of Divorce.

5.

If Defendant is unable to obtain an attorney, the Defendant may contact the lawyer referral service of the County of Hudson by calling (201) 798-4708. If Defendant cannot afford an attorney, then Defendant may contact Legal Services by calling (201) 792-6363.

6.

The matter is listed for a Status Conference on March 10, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. Plaintiff shall provide the Court with all proofs required under this Order as detailed in Paragraph 4 of this Order on or before the Marcfh 10, 2020 Status Conference.

7.

A copy of this Order shall be served by Plaintiff upon the Defendant within 7 days of its receipt by Plaintiff.

8.

All terms of prior Court Orders not modified by the terms of this Order shall remain in full force and effect.

*The Court faxed a copy of this Order to Plaintiff’s atty on 2-4-20 and mailed a copy of this Order to Defendant on 2-4-20.

LAW OFFICES OF GERARD DESAPIO Richard S. Chudwick.Esq. Attorney ID: 03722-2009 383 Summit Avenue Jersey City, New Jersey 07306 Tel. (201) 222-5556 Attorney for Plaintiff, Marlou Somera De La Paz MARLOU SOMERA DE LA PAZ Plaintiff,

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY CHANCERY DIVISION: FAMILY PART HUDSON COUNTY

Vs.

DOCKET NO. FM-09-301-20 CIVIL ACTION

MARVIC BELLO DE LA PAZ Defendant,

COMPLAINT FOR DIVORCE

The Plaintiff, Marlou Somera De La Paz, residing at 138 Rutherford Place, Apt 8B, City of Kearny, and State of New Jersery, by way of complaint against Defendant, Marvic Bello De La Paz, through her attorney states: 1. Plaintiff was lawfully married to the Defendant in 1985 in a Civil Ceremony in the Philippines.

2. That Plaintiff was a bona fide resident of the County of Hudson and State of New Jersey when this cause of action herein for divorce arose and has ever since, and for more than one (1) year next preceding the commencement of this action continued to be such a bona fide resident of the County of Hudson, State of New Jersey.

3. The Defendant, Marvic Bello De La Paz, current whereabouts is unknown.

4. Irreconcilable differences developed in the marriage, which have existed for more than six consecutive months and have caused the breakdown of the marriage, and there is no reasonable prospect for reconciliation of the parties or their marriage.

5. There were three children born of the marriage, to wit: Marveen De La Paz, born on January 23, 1998, Marie Krisel De La Paz, born on August 21, 1989 and Maria Kaye De La Paz, born on May 27, 1993. All are emancipated.

6. Pursuant to R. 4:5-1, et seg., there have been no prior preceedings between the Parties respecting the marriage or its dissolution or respecting the maintenance of either party.

7. There was property legally and beneficially acquired the marriage.

8. There are debts acquired during the marriage that need to be distributed.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff, Marlou Somera De La Paz, demands Judgement as follows: (a) Dissolving the marriage between the parties to this action, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2A:34-2; (b) Equitably distributing all properties and debts, both real and personal, acquired by the Plaintiff, the defendant, and the Plaintiff and the Defendant jointly, during the marriage; (c) For such further relief as the Court may deem just, equitable and proper.

espectfully submitted, Respectfully submitted, Law Officers of Gerard DeSapio

LAW OFFICES OF GERARD R. DeSAPIO Richard S. Chadwick, Esq. Attorney ID: 03722-2009 383 Summit Avenue Jersey City, New Jersey 07306 (201) 222-5556 Attorney for Plaintiff, Marlou Somera De La Paz

MARLOU SOMERA DE LA PAZ Plaintiff,

Allan Tomimbang (Diwata CT) and Atty. Boni Cruz and Engr. Paul Solleza (Pura Sangre-2) display the trophies their entries won in the 2nd Manila Cockers Club 7-Cock Derby Qualifiers as they are joined by MCC officials led by Jose Ramon Magboo (3rd from left).

THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S): MARVIC BELLO DE LA PAZ

A guaranteed P6.5 million, plus a P1 EXTRA-JUDICIALSETTLEMENT million additional fund will be awarded Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late RODRIGO ROSARIO TORT has been extra-judicially settled per derby. All derbies will have no entry DEL among his heirs consisting of parcels of land with fees and no minimum/maximum bets, improvements, to wit: • 1/5 share in TCT No. 218380; featuring a 3-4 derby format and weight • 1/2 share in TCT No. S-48605.

As per Doc. No. 245; Page No. 50; Book No. V; Series limit of 1.900—2.400 kg.

2019 before Notary Public ATTY. VERNA LYNN V. For more information, call the MCC hot- of ACEVEDA. line at (02)696 1120 Manila or (63)917 582 2615.

Visit our website, Standard TODAY manilacockers.com FEB. 03, 2020 for more details.

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 03 Interested particiSeries of 2020 pants may also visit TO : ALL CONCERNED the Cockers Arena SUBJECT : SUPPLEMENTAL TO MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 18, located at the G/F SERIES OF 2019, REVISED IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES Turf Building of (IG) TO THE MOA BETWEEN MIAA AND AIR CARRIERS ON THE INTEGRATION OF THE PASSENGER SERVICE the San Lazaro LeiCHARGE (PSC) sure Park, Barangay GENERAL STATEMENT Lantic, Governor’s 1.

Republic Act No. 9049, an Act Granting Monthly Gratuity and Privileges to Drive, Carmona, an Awardee of the medal of Valor, Providing Funds Therefor, and for Other Cavite.

Purposes, dated March 22, 2001 and Board Resolution No. 2019-063,

PBA legends vs celebs in UNTV Wish Olympics ALLAN Caidic and Johnny Abarrientos will spearhead a selection of PBA legends and current UNTV players that will play against a celebrity team in the Wish Olympics this Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Basta puwede ako makatulong handa ako parati,” said Caidic of the event that will have victims of last month’s Taal Volcano eruption as beneficiaries of the one-day special event organized

by UNTV through its president and CEO Dr. Daniel Razon.

“Nakakaawa ang mga kababayan natin sa Batangas so dapat lang damayan natin,” added Caidic.

Joining Caidic and Abarrientos are Chris Calaguio and former PBA MVP winners Jayjay Helterbrand and Willie Miller.

Other members of their team are Rod Vasallo of PITC, Anton Tolentino of PNP, Julius Casaysayan of Agriculture and GSIS’ Carlo Gonzalez and Macky Escalona.

Comprising the celebrity squad are Mark Herras, Ejay Falcon, JayR, Young JV, Jordan Herrera, Adrian Alandy, James Blanco, Albie Casino, Gerhard Acao, Axel Torres and Rayver Cruz.

The event will have Crispa great Atoy Co as match director with Ed Cordero calling the shots for Legends-UNTV team while Emman Monfort for the celebrities.

There will also a volleyball exhibition between the celebrities and current players from various leagues.

Former Ateneo star and ABS-CBN host Gretchen Ho has also agreed to take part along with Claudia Barreto, Aya Fernandez and Gwen Zamora.

(MS-FEB. 14 , 21 & 28, 2020

mandated the MIA Authority to exempt from the payment of PSC the Medal of Valor (MOV) Awardee, Dependent/Beneficiary

2.

This Memorandum Circular (MC) shall be referred to as Supplemental to MC No. 18, Series of 2019.

PURPOSE AND SCOPE 3.

This MC shall govern the inclusion of the Medal of Valor Awardees and Dependents/Beneficiaries to the list of Locally-Recognized Exempted Passengers for international and domestic travels.

DEFINITION OF TERMS 4.

Medal of Valor Awardee (MOVA) – refers to a person who was given by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) due recognition for his / her supreme self sacrifice and distinctive acts of heroism and gallantry.

5.

MOVA’s Dependent – refers to the spouse and qualified children below 18 years old of a living awardee as defined in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. 9049.

6. MOVA’s Beneficiary – refers to the spouse and qualified children below 18 years old of a deceased awardee as defined in item no. 5 above.

7.

Locally Recognized Exempted Passenger refers to the following: Details

International Travel

Domestic Travel

Overseas Filipino Worker

/

N/A

Pilgrim

/

N/A

Philippine Sports Commission Delegate

/

N/A

MOVA

/

/

MOVA’s Dependent / Beneficiary

/

/

SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURE 8.

Exemption for Locally-Recognized Exempted Passengers (International and Domestic) shall be honored at the point of sale of airline ticket.

9.

The other provisions of Memorandum Circular No. 18, Series of 2019 shall remain in full force and effect.

SUPERSEDING CLAUSE 10.

All MIAA issuances in conflict herewith are hereby superseded.

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED in a Civil Action in the Superior Court of New Jersey, instituted by the above named plaintiff(s), and required to serve upon the attorney(s) for the plaintiff(s), whose names and office address appears above, an answer to the annexed complaint within 35 days after the service of the summons and complaint upon you, exclusive of the day of service. If you fail to answer, judgment by default may be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. You shall promptly file your answer and proof of service thereof in duplicate* with the Clerk of the Superior Court, at Hudson County Superior Court, located at 595 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306, in accordance with the rules of civil practice and procedure.

If you cannot afford to pay an attorney, call a Legal Services Office. An individual not eligible for free legal assistance may obtain a referral to an attorney by calling a county lawyer referral service.

These numbers may be listed in the yellow pages of your phone book.

DATED: 2/17/2020

MICHELLE M. SMITH, Superior Court Clerk

Name of defendant to be served: Address to be served

/S/Michelle M. Smith

Marvic Bello De La Paz 138 Rutherford Place, Apt. 8B Kearny, NJ 07032

*$105.00 FOR CHANCERY DIVISION CASES OR $110.00 FOR LAW DIVISION CASES DEPUTY CLERKS’ ADDRESSES Atlantic County, 1201 Bacharach Blvd., Atlantic City, NJ 08830 Bergen County Justice Center, 10 Main St., Hackensack, NJ 07601 Burlington County Courts Facility, 49 Rancocas Rd., Mt. Holly, NJ 08060 Camden County Hall of Justice, 101 S. 5th St., Camden, NJ 08103-4001 Cape May County Cthse., Main St., Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 Cumberland County Court House, Broad & Fayette St., Bridgeton, NJ 08302 Essex County Cty. Cts. Bldg., 50 W. Market St., Newark, NJ 07102 Gloucester County Court House, 1 N. Broad St., Woodbury, NJ 08096 Hudson County Admin. Bldg., 595 Newark Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07306 Hunterdon County Court House, Main Street, Flemington, NJ 08822 Mercer County Court House, P.O. Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650-0068 Middlesex County Court House, 1 Kennedy Sq., New Brunswick, NJ 08903 Monmouth County Court House, 71 Monument Park, Freehold, NJ 07728 Morris County Court House, P.O. Box 900, Morristown, NJ 07963-0900 Ocean County Court House, 118 Washington St., Toms River, NJ 08754 Passaic County Court House, 77 Hamilton St., Paterson, NJ 07505-2017 Salem County Court House, 92 Market St., Salem, NJ 08079 Somerset County Court House, P.O. Box 3000, Somerville, NJ 08876-1262 Sussex County Court House, 43-47 High St., Newton, NJ 07860 Union County Court House, 2 Broad St., Elizabeth, NJ 07207 Warren County Courthouse, 2nd & Hardwick St., Belvidere, NJ 07823 Atlantic County Bergen County Burlington County Camden County Cape May County Cumberland County Essex County Gloucester County Hudson County Hunterdon County Mercer County Middlesex County Monmouth County Morris County Ocean County Passaic County Salem County Somerset County Sussex County Union County Warren County

LEGAL AID OFFICES

LEGAL SERVICES OFFICES

(609) 348-4200 (201) 487-2166 (609) 261-1088 (609) 964-1002 (609) 465-3001 (609) 692-2400 (973) 622-1514 (609) 848-5360 (201) 792-6363 (908) 782-7979 (609) 695-6249 (609) 249-7600 (908) 747-7400 (201) 285-6911 (908) 341-2727 (201) 345-7171 (609) 451-0003 (908) 231-0840 (201) 383-7400 (908) 527-4769 (908) 475-2010

(609) 345-3444 (201) 488-0044 or 692-1011 (609) 261-4862 (609) 964-4520 (609) 463-0313 (609) 692-6207 (973) 622-6207 (609) 848-4589 (201) 798-2727 (908) 735-2611 (609) 890-6200 (609) 828-0053 (908) 431-5544 (201) 267-5882 (908) 240-3666 (201) 278-9223 (908) 678-8363 (908) 685-2323 (201) 267-5882 (908) 353-4715 (908) 267-5882

THE LAW OFFICES OF GERARD DESAPIO, ESQ. Richard S. Chadwick, Esq. Attorney ID: 03722-2009 383 Summit Avenue Jersey City, New Jersey 07306 Tel. (201)222-5556 Attorney for Plaintiff, Marlou De La Paz ----------------------------------------------------------

MARLOU SOMERA DE LA PAZ Plaintiff,

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY CHANCERY DIVISION: FAMILY PART HUDSON COUNTY DOCKET NO.: FM-09-301-20 CIVIL ACTION

Vs MARVIC BELLO DE LA PAZ, Defendant, STATE OF SS.: COUNTY OF STATE OF

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SERVICE AND WAIVER

) ) )

I, Marvic Bello De La Paz, of full age, being duly sworn according to law, certifies as follows: 1. I am the defendant in the within matter.

2. I hereby submit to the jurisdiction of the Superior Court of New Jersey Chancery Division, Family Part, located at 595 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306. I hereby acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Summons and a copy of the Complaint. I waive my right to plead or defend this matter.

I will not submit a response and accordingly waive the thirty-five (35) business days that the Court Rules give me to submit an answer to the Complaint.

I further respectfully request that the Court place this matter on the Default Calendar immediately or as soon thereafter as possible and to enter a judgment of divorce as set forth in the complaint. ___________________________ Marvic Bello De La Paz Marvic Bello De La Paz of full age, appeared before me identifying herself as the person herein and swore that she signed said papers voluntarily as her own act.

EFFECTIVITY 11.

SUMMONS Vs MARVIC BELLO DE LA PAZ, Defendant,

Diwata CT, Pura Sangre-2 rule MCC derby CARMONA—Diwata CT and Pura Sangre-2 ruled the 2nd Manila Cockers Club 7-Cock Derby Qualifiers from January 27 to February 4 at the world-class Cockers Arena at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

Allan Tomimbang’s Diwata CT and the Pura Sangre-2 entry of Atty. Boni Cruz and Engr. Paul Solleza garnered seven points each in the MCC tournament, as both champions faced grueling competition during the finals against the entries of Havy Habagat Bagatsing, Atty. Lucien Sayuno, Atty. Carlos Tumpalan, Katy Katigbak, Amado Bagatsing and other popular names in the industry.

MCC invites all interested breeders to join its 2020 Cock Season Derbies, namely the 7-Cock Derby Qualifiers 4 on February 21 to 29); the 7-Cock Derby Qualifiers 5 on March 3 to 11; the 7-Cock Derby Qualifiers 6 on March 14 to 22 and the 7-Cock Derby Qualifiers 7 on March 26 to April 3.

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY CHANCERY DIVISION: FAMILY PART HUDSON COUNTY DOCKET NO.: FM-09-301-20 CIVIL ACTION

ef This MC shall take effect on March 1, 2020.

EDDIE V. MONREAL General Manager

Sworn and subscribed before me on this day of , 2020 ______________ N OTA R Y P U B L I C (MS-FEB. 14 & 21, 2020)

(MS-FEB. 21, 2020)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

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

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Sports

Road Warriors target mini tourney title THE NLEX Road Warriors go for the crown of the Phoenix Super Basketball Tournament when they battle the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters 10 a.m., today, Friday at the Upper Deck Gym in Pasig.

The Alaska Aces battle the San Miguel Beermen at 12 noon in the second game.

The Road Warriors will be looking to follow up their back-to-back victories over Alaska, 104-89, on Feb. 19 and the Beermen, 103-97, on Feb. 17. NLEX sweeps the competition with a victory over Phoenix to automatically win the PBA pre-season tournament.

The Road Warriors, despite missing the services of their two best big men in Poy Erram and JR Quiñahan, posted convincing victories.

NLEX instead relied on outside shooting to beat the Aces. The Road Warriors drained 10 three pointers for 30 points against Alaska compared to just three triples for the Aces for nine points.

NLEX reserve big man Raul Soyud ignited a 10-0 bomb which turned a close game against the Aces into a virtual rout. NLEX turned a slim 5651 advantage into a fat 15-point, 6651, lead late in the third period. It was a deficit that the Aces could not quite overcome as the Road Warriors went on to coast to victory.

Soyud led the Road Warriors with 22 points. Kevin Alas chipped in 18 markers.

Vic Manuel led the Aces with a gamehigh 28 points to go with eight rebounds and one steal. Sharp shooting Mike DiGregorio added 15 points off 50 percent (5 of 10) shooting from the field and 100 percent (4 of 4) from the free throw line.

Abu Tratter had a good scoring evening with 11 points. He added eight rebounds and one steal.

Alas lit up for the Road Warriors early, scoring nine of his 18 points in the opening frame as NLEX opened a 22-9 lead.

UP Beta Sigma holds shooting tilt THE UP Beta Sigma Fraternity Shooting Club is holding the Jesus R. Jayme Shooting Competition, the 1STBeta Sigma Cup, on March 21 and 22 at the Armscor Facility in Marikina City to help raise funds for the victims of the recent Taal Volcano eruption.

The Level 2 Philippine Shooters and Match Officers Confederation-sanctioned match with 10 stages will also honor Jesus R. Jayme, the late organizing founder and first president of the Beta Sigma Fraternity, which was organized at the University of the Philippines barely a month after the country gained independence in 1946.

Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao, who will deliver the inspiration message, will lead key government and PNP officials, including Police Lt. Gen. Camillo Cascolan and Director General Aaron Aquino of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The event organizers said that it was initially planned to raise funds for the Fraternity’s worthwhile projects, but due to the Taal volcano’s eruption they decided to redirect proceeds and designate it “for the needs of those affected by this dreadful disaster.”

Alaska Aces big man Abu Tratter (2) attacks the hoop against NLEX Road Warriors defender Will McAloney during the Phoenix Super Basketball Tournament at the Upper Deck gym.

Gawilan headed to Paralympics

By Peter Atencio

A

SIAN Para Games gold medalist Ernie Gawilan is going to Tokyo. The International Paralympic Committee has granted an allocation to a Filipino swimmer to the August 25 to September 6 Tokyo Paralympic Games, which is the Olympic competition for differently abled athletes.

Ernie Gawilan

The 28-year-old Gawilan, who was born in Davao City without legs and with an undeveloped left limb, was given a seat following the cancellation of the Olympic qualifiers for differently-abled athletes in Singapore last month.

The IPC instead gave allocations to numerous para athletes based on points, and on the number of competitions, which they joined last year.

The World Para Qualifiers in Singapore was called off due to the corona virus outbreak.

“There is a qualifier who got there through points. Si Ernie Gawilan ay sigurado na,” said national coach Tony Ong in

a radio interview.

Gawilan started gaining points that were counted for qualification after getting three bronze medals at the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea.

In Jakarta last year, he claimed the country’s first-ever gold in the Games in the men’s 200-meter individual medley (SM7).

Then, Gawilan took a silver in the 50-meter freestyle.

Ong said Gawilan has to undergo final process to make sure what events he will join in Tokyo.

He will need compete in another quali-

NCAA to resume games THE second semester activities of the National Collegiate Athletic Association are set to resume in the third week of March.

The proposed dates on the resumption of hostilities was put forward last Wednesday following a meeting of the NCAA Management Committee.

The Mancom proposed to the NCAA Policy Board that March 16 is best time to restart the matches for indoor volleyball, football, lawn tennis and soft tennis.

Track and field is also being slated on that week.

There are plans to have Kiddies Basketball 15-under on April 25, while beach volleyball is on April 29 “This is subject to the approval of our Policy Board. Our recommendation is to resume on March 16.” said Mancom chairman Peter Cayco of season 95 host Arellano University.

Cayco said cheerleading competition are set to be held as scheduled on March 30, “but without the awarding of the overall championship because there are still two events.”

Organizers are temporarily suspending all scheduled games of the NCAA two weeks ago as a precautionary measure on the spread of the corona virus Cayco said their actions are in compliance with the advisories sent out by the Department of Health, Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education and the local government units concerned.

Peter Atencio

PSC backs para-athletes’ Tokyo bid

Perpetual Altas setter EJ Casaña (5) blocks Joshua Miña (5) of EAC Generals. NCAA competition resumes third week of March.

Dennis Abrina

Bacoor, Basilan near MPBL semis

Jason Melano (13) of Batangas protects the basketball against Zamboanga defender Leonard Santillan (27) during the two teams’ game.

fier to re-classify his disability before formalizing his entry to the Tokyo Para Games.

He has been in S8 since 2016, which has a strong field of swimmers.

There are three other para athletes who are seeking entry to the Tokyo Games.

And these are Garry Bejino, Arnel Aba and Roland Sabido, and all have earned Paralympic Qualifying points at the 2018 Asian Para Games and 2019 World Para Championships in London.

The International Paralympic Committee handed the country one allocation for the swimming events of the Tokyo Olympics. Coach Tony Ong revealed this in a radio interview.

Gawilan, who also competed in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics, only needs to compete in at least one international Paralympic competition for the reclassification of his disability.

“We are guaranteed of a berth in Tokyo,” Ong said.

BACOOR CITY—Bacoor and Basilan trounced their respective opponents on Wednesday to move closer toward the Chooks-to-Go/MPBL Lakan Season semifinals.

The Bacoor Strikers struck from the get-go to batter the General Santos Warriors, 95-72, at the Strike Gymnasium here.

The Basilan Steel posted a similar coast-tocoast 83-68 victory over the Iloilo United Royals in another South division quarterfinal tussle.

Pumped up by the packed hometown crowd, the second seed Strikers, led by MPBL Datu Cup MVP Gab Banal, stormed to a 20-4 start and were never headed to move within a win of sealing the best-of-three affair.

Relentless till the end, the Strikers capped their domination of the Warriors with a onehanded Tomahawk dunk by Nick Demusis for the the final tally.

Banal, Michael Mabulac and Oping Sumalinog sparkled for the Strikers of Coach Chris Gavina.

Pouring eight points in their initial breakaway, Banal wound up with 20 points, 11 assists, three rebounds, and two steals while Mabulac posted 15 points plus 12 rebounds. Sumalinog contributed 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Ian Melencio and RJ Ramirez chipped in 10 points each.

GenSan got 17 points and eight boards from Robby Celiz, 16 points and nine boards from Pamboy Raymundo and 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds from Mikey Williams.

Third seed Basilan, hardly missing the services of Gilas pool member Allyn Bulanadi, greeted the Royals with a 12-point salvo and led by as many as 20 points, 75-55, to likewise close in on the semifinals.

Jhapz Bautista stepped up for the Jumbo Plastics-supported Steel of Coach Jerson Cabiltes with 21 points, including three triples, while Hesed Gabo and Dennis Daa contributed 10 points each.

WITH Asian Games gold medalist Ernie Gawilan earning his pass to Tokyo 2020, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is heartened to continue its support of the National Paralympic Team for more qualifiers to follow his steps.

Gawilan, one of the country’s most be-medaled para swimmers, secured a slot given by the International Paralympic Committee through his qualifying points from competitions such as the 2018 Asian Para Games and the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships.

The PSC consistently supports this campaign by providing Philippine Sports Association for the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) financial aid and foreign exposure for its athletes.

Gawilan, as part of the National Paralympic Swimming Team, currently trains in the newly-built Aquatic Center in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac and is supported by the sports agency.

For the month of January alone, the PSC has given the national para swimming team, women’s basketball team and the para-sitting volleyball team almost P800,000 for their training venue rental, allowances, meals and accommodation expenses.

According to the PPC, Gary Bejino, another promising bet for para-swimming, also has a chance to secure a spot as more slots are to be opened by virtue of the bipartite process. This is also possible for other athletes in other sports.

“We are expecting more slots to be opened by each international federation (IF) per sport,” said PPC Executive Director Dennis Esta.

The PSC hopes to have more athletes qualify to the upcoming quadrennial multi-sport event.

Metrobank’s profit jumps 27% to P28.1b METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Company, the country’s second-largest lender, said Thursday consolidated net income climbed 27 percent in 2019 to P28.1 billion from a year ago, on the back of moderate loan growth and margin expansion, strong trading and foreign exchange gains, double-digit increase on fee-based income and manageable cost growth.

“The bank performed significantly well in 2019, and all our initiatives contributed to the strong finish,” said Metrobank president Fabian Dee. “Our increased profitability, more efficient operations and sustained business growth are the direct result of our continued mission to deliver what is meaningful to our customers and validates their trust and confidence in our Bank,” he said.

Metrobank grew CASA [current account, savings account] deposits by 12 percent, driving overall robust deposit growth of 10 percent to P1.7 trillion.

The bank closed 2019 with an improved 63-percent CASA ratio, providing liquidity to support loan growth of 7 percent to P1.5 trillion.

It said that with the continued Philippine economic expansion, the rise in credit demand was driven by the commercial segment’s 7-percent increase and sustained consumer lending growth led by the 23-percent jump in the credit card business.

Net interest income expanded 12 percent to P77 billion, accounting for 72 percent of the bank’s total revenues of P106.9 billion, bringing net interest margin to 3.84 percent.

Non-interest income rose 26 percent to P29.9 billion, benefiting from higher customer flows in fixed income and foreign exchange, on top of a favorable financial market environment.

Service fees and commissions grew 12 percent to P14.3 billion, while trading and FX gains more than tripled to P9.3 billion.

Operating expenses grew at a manageable level of 8 percent, coupled with relatively strong revenue growth for the period.

This led to an improvement in the cost-toincome ratio to 55 percent from 58 percent in 2018.

IN BRIEF

Completion of P50-m bridge in Bulacan hailed OFFICIALS hailed the completion of the P50-million bridge in Sitio Brown, San Miguel, Bulacan for providing students safe passage to school.

Before the construction of the bridge, students of Sibul High School had to cross the Sitio Brown River and brave the strong current to attend classes, according to Department of Public Works and Highways Bulacan second district engineer Ramiro Cruz.

“They walked through a rocky, slippery river bed oblivious of the risks posed by the strong current,” Cruz said. He said crossing the river is most dangerous in the months of May to December when the weather is bad and the rains are heavy.

Bulacan 3rd District Rep. Lorna Silverio was thankful for the bridge, saying it would make traveling safer for the people of Sitio Brown.

The 105.80- lineal meter bridge connects Barangay Kalawakan of Doña Remedios Trinidad to the eight sitios of Durumungan, Pantingan, Tubigan, Ginebra, Betis, Talamsi I, Talamsi II and Conacon which lead to the town proper of San Miguel and other adjacent areas serving as gateways to Manila.

“Crops and other farm produce from Doña Remedios Trinidad will have easier access to the neighboring towns and as far as Metro Manila,” Cruz said. The bridge, he said, can help spur economic growth in the area.

Metro Pacific buys into Laguna hospital METRO Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc. is acquiring a majority stake in Los Baños Doctors Hospital and Medical Center Inc., an 80-bed hospital in Los Baños, Laguna.

MPHHI said it signed an investment agreement with LBDH and its founders to invest P250 million in common and preferred shares for a 51-percent equity interest in the expanded capital of the company.

MPHHI said the acquisition of LBDH was aligned with group’s efforts to expand its reach across the healthcare industry.

“We appreciate and thank the Founders of LBDH for inviting and allowing us to invest in their fine hospital. We are likewise excited to work with them, as well as with all the doctors and employees of LBDH, in continually expanding and growing their service capabilities so that Los Baños and its adjacent communities will always have accessible quality healthcare,” MPHHI president and chief executive Augusto Palisoc, Jr. said.

“We, the founders of Los Baños Doctors Hospital, are very excited to welcome MPHHI, the largest private hospital network in the country, as our partner in our continuous pursuit of providing ever-improving healthcare services to our community,” said Dr. Leslie M. Reyes, director-founder and former chairman of LBDH. Jenniffer B. Austria

BOP posted deficit of $1.36b in January THE country’s balance of payments’ position yielded a deficit of $1.36 billion in January 2020, a reversal of the $2.7-billion surplus a year ago, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday.

“The BOP deficit in January 2020 reflected mainly the outflows arising from the national government’s foreign currency withdrawals, which were used largely to pay its foreign currency debt obligations as well as net outflows in foreign portfolio investments,” the BSP said in a statement.

“These outflows were partly offset, however, by inflows representing the BSP’s net foreign exchange operations and income from its investments abroad during the month in review,” it said.

The BOP position reflected the final gross international reserves level of $86.87 billion as of end-January 2020. The GIR level represents ample liquidity buffer equivalent to 7.6 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

It is also equivalent to 5.4 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4 times based on residual maturity. Julito G. Rada

NTC issues license to affiliate of NOW

THE National Telecommunications Commission said it complied with the Anti Red-Tape Authority’s directive to issue a license to an affiliate of NOW Telecom.

The agency issued an order granting provisional authority to News and Entertainment Network Corp., a company owned by Velarde Inc., to install, operate and maintain a local multi-point distribution system to deliver pay television and multi-media services in South Luzon, North Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba said in a manifestation of compliance submitted to ARTA on Feb. 18 that the provisional authority was for the co-use of GHT Network Inc.’s 26.35 to 27.35 gigahertz frequency range as contained in an NTC order issued on Jan. 27.

Newsnet and GHT, although related parties, are juridical entities with corporate personalities separate and distinct from each other, including with respect to assets and property that they own, under the Corporation Code. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020

B1

Foreign investments rise to P390b

F

OREIGN investments approved by the government’s seven investment promotion agencies climbed 112.8 percent in 2019 to P390.11 billion from P183.35 billion in 2018, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The figures were based on investment approvals by the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan, Board of Investments, Board of Investments in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Clark Develop-

ment Corp., Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, Philippine Economic Zone Authority and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Singapore was the biggest source of foreign investment pledges last year with P176.36 billion, representing a 733-percent increase over P21.18 billion in 2018. China followed with P88.67 billion, up by 74.9 percent from P50.69 billion a year ago, while South Korea ranked third with P41.47 billion, up 21 times from P1.88 billion in 2018.

BOI cornered the bulk of foreign investment approvals last year with P335.74 billion, up from just P103.97

billion in the previous year.

PEZA’s foreign investment approvals, however, went down to P49.26 billion in 2019 from P68.32 billion in 2018.

Foreign projects registered with SBMA increased to P2.87 billion from P804 million in 2018 while foreign pledges approved by CDC declined to P1.26 billion from P7.15 billion.

Meanwhile, foreign investments approved in the fourth quarter rose 17.3 percent to P112.1 billion from P95.6 billion in the same period in 2018.

“Foreign investments for the fourth quarter of 2019 were mainly driven by investments from China which ac-

counted for 77.0 percent, followed by South Korea and the United States of America. China committed P86.3 billion,” the PSA said in a statement.

“Meanwhile, South Korea and USA pledged P6 billion and P5.5 billion or 5.3 percent and 4.9 percent of the total approved foreign investments, respectively,” it said.

Data showed that the approved investments of foreign and Filipino nationals in the fourth quarter of 2019 were expected to generate 55,946 jobs, down by 23 percent compared with the previous year’s projected employment of 72,630. Julito G. Rada

B2

Business

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market climbs; ABS-CBN surges T HE stock market rose slightly Thursday but coronavirus fears weighed on the rest of Asian markets Thursday despite China reporting a big drop in new cases and easing borrowing costs to cushion the epidemic’s economic impact.

The Philippine Stock exchange Index added 16.06 points, or 0.2 percent, to 7,413 on a value turnover of P5.8 billion. Gainers edged losers, 90 to 84, with 54 issues unchanged.

Beleaguered ABS-CBN Corp. of the Lopez Group, the biggest broadcasting firm, jumped 20.4 percent to P21.80, while Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the largest lender in terms of assets,

climbed 2.7 percent to P60.60.

Jollibee Foods Corp., the biggest fast-food chain, advanced 2.2 percent to P188, while SM Prime Holdings Inc. rose 1.3 percent to P41.65.

Asian traders, meanwhile, have been betting on central banks, particularly China’s, doing what it takes to keep their economies chugging along as the new coronavirus hits corporate earnings and economic growth.

In a widely anticipated move, the People’s Bank of China lowered its oneyear and five-year loan prime rates as policymakers seek to reduce the impact of the virus-fueled slowdown on companies and households.

But the moves were “not nearly enough,” said Stephen Innes of AxiCorp.

“The PBoC needs to exceed the market expectations, not hit them in this environment,” he said.

“If the PBoC made a bigger splash, the market would have reacted more favorably.”

Sentiment had improved in recent days amid growing hopes that the impact of the virus—which has killed more than 2,100 people and infected over 74,000, mostly in China—will be short-lived.

China reported a big drop in new cases on Thursday, fueling hopes the epidemic is nearing its peak.

Overnight gains on Wall Street and in Europe flowed into Asia at the start of the trading, but soon began to evaporate on several bourses.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed up 0.3 percent, largely helped by a cheaper yen as the dollar strengthened against other major currencies.

Mainland China’s key Shanghai Composite Index was up 1.1 percent on the back of the fresh stimulus.

However, Hong Kong fell 0.5 percent and Seoul was down 0.4 percent after a sharp increase in virus cases.

Taipei shed 0.3 percent, Singapore

was off 0.6 percent, while Sydney was up 0.3 percent.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday hailed the “tremendous progress” in fighting the new coronavirus that emerged in China at the end of 2019 and has affected dozens of countries and territories.

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva warned the virus comes at a time when the global economy is fragile.

She said while the economic impact was likely to be small, “a long-lasting and more severe outbreak would result in a sharper and more protracted growth slowdown in China.”

The market’s relatively sanguine mood could change.

“Over the next couple of months we are going to see very bad economic data coming out of China and the rest of the Asian markets,” Suresh Tantia, senior investment strategist at Credit Suisse, told Bloomberg TV. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review thurSday, FeBruary 20, 2020

OPEN

HIGH

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ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO UNIBANK CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

52 85.5 148 25 17.96 11.5 805 0.41 59 0.75 12.1 18.9 32.45 178.9 51.7 20.6 170.9 1,820 58.5 1.14

53.35 86.1 149.3 25.05 18 11.8 805.5 0.42 60.9 0.75 12.1 18.9 33.5 179 51.8 21.6 174 1,821 58.5 1.15

52 85 147.8 24.95 17.96 11.5 805 0.41 59 0.75 12.08 18.9 32.45 176 51.7 20.45 170.9 1,815 58.2 1.14

FINANCIALS 53.1 880 85 6,030,630 148.5 2,382,780 25.05 126,700 18 37,500 11.72 168,700 805.5 80 0.41 60,000 60.6 6,017,910 0.75 12,000 12.08 18,000 18.9 400 32.95 213,700 177 250 51.8 840 20.5 332,700 173.1 610,430 1,815 105 58.2 2,670 1.15 567,000

46,153.50 516,829,212 353,848,675 3,165,750 673,596 1,961,566 64,420 24,750 364,257,875.50 9,000 217,704 7,560 7,054,925 44,176 43,430 6,828,440 105,526,165 191,045 155,647.50 647,880

-12,615,325.00 -102,704,382 185,916 26,209,199.50 -68,900 -6,145 -94,725,698 647,880.00

ABOITIZ POWER AC ENERGY AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS AXELUM BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA 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 MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHINMA PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

32.2 2.14 7.66 0.67 1.2 2.95 0.22 1.47 15.1 193.8 9 15.62 30.05 60 66.5 2.13 4.59 8.4 12.3 8.99 7.58 2.96 19.98 66.6 2.02 36.45 1.53 12.06 5.51 1.2 184 4.75 12.3 9.68 14.78 278.8 0.156 5.1 1.83 3.5 3.5 9.7 11.58 29.15 4.8 5.2 1.62 1.22 9.24 74 9.28 0.119 152.5 2.53 1.12 0.96

32.3 2.25 7.93 0.67 1.22 3.09 0.224 1.53 15.3 207.4 9.05 15.62 30.05 60 73.1 2.13 4.59 8.52 12.3 8.99 7.58 2.98 20.4 66.8 2.03 36.45 1.56 13.5 5.56 1.33 194 5.44 12.44 9.73 14.84 281.6 0.16 5.2 1.86 3.74 3.5 9.7 11.8 29.65 4.82 5.26 1.66 1.22 9.25 76.2 9.3 0.119 153.9 2.53 1.18 0.96

31.95 2.14 7.56 0.62 1.2 2.93 0.218 1.46 15.04 193.8 8.54 15.6 30.05 60 66.5 2.13 4.59 8.3 11.72 8.5 7.51 2.84 19.98 66.5 1.93 36.45 1.49 12.06 5.28 1.2 184 4.69 12.2 9.62 14.64 275.4 0.156 5.1 1.81 3.5 3.46 9.64 11.58 29.15 4.8 5.1 1.53 1.15 9.1 74 9.25 0.119 150.5 2.53 1.11 0.95

INDUSTRIAL 32.15 340,100 2.22 5,696,000 7.85 2,918,600 0.65 4,728,000 1.22 2,000 3.09 3,362,000 0.224 140,000 1.49 4,120,000 15.18 464,800 198 1,170 8.62 1,121,200 15.6 1,000 30.05 400 60 50 73.1 650 2.13 10,000 4.59 5,000 8.34 2,273,200 11.84 239,700 8.5 502,900 7.52 179,400 2.84 723,000 20.25 229,100 66.5 71,650 1.95 36,344,000 36.45 100 1.53 1,986,000 13.4 1,377,600 5.34 1,693,700 1.22 288,000 188 1,087,480 4.98 283,000 12.2 2,196,800 9.62 90,800 14.64 143,500 279 154,300 0.16 170,000 5.2 3,700 1.83 3,589,000 3.74 93,000 3.49 1,266,000 9.7 12,700 11.8 59,000 29.4 37,900 4.8 61,000 5.26 10,700 1.59 1,241,000 1.17 797,000 9.13 143,000 75.9 266,070 9.28 64,000 0.119 200,000 150.5 870,870 2.53 1,000 1.18 17,634,000 0.95 400,000

10,936,475 12,594,000 22,815,612 3,033,380 2,420 10,158,730 30,810 6,183,950 7,011,516 234,258 9,795,271 15,612 12,020 3,000 47,185 21,300 22,950 19,214,643 2,842,066 4,375,877 1,350,176 2,084,600 4,643,479 4,768,926 71,976,730 3,645 3,027,770 18,234,290 9,102,978 363,460 206,293,028 1,412,210 27,014,548 874,861 2,113,820 42,885,996 26,920 19,090 6,661,940 326,190 4,396,740 122,625 690,696 1,116,170 292,820 55,428 1,952,520 939,690 1,310,430 19,983,274.50 593,756 23,800 132,674,582 2,530 20,181,620 380,040

-8,146,300 -113,440 337,909 -580,440 -822,730 1,091,104 -497,099 -12,020 -8,329,836 -2,778,780 -11,400 -984,436 -2,219,211.50 -169,670 -13,770 1,187,878 -5,351,163 -38,900 14,728,201 -8,086,276 -469,853 -1,239,096 -20,470,002 -16,000 -445,910 476,690 -810,330 838 -35,860 -43,870 -4,625 -66,312 -25,598,898 17,360 -

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

0.88 50.7 10.4 6.1 10.22 0.9 0.93 767 2.58 6.25 5.71 0.22 727.5 4.71 75.5 6.65 0.49 3.8 9.8 0.59 3.17 4.35 1.08 2.74 132.4 1,054 0.77 1.1 180 166 0.22 0.188

0.88 52.3 10.52 6.1 10.22 0.94 0.94 767 2.58 6.29 5.8 0.22 749.5 4.71 76.15 6.65 0.49 4.1 9.8 0.59 3.24 4.48 1.12 2.74 133.5 1,059 0.78 1.16 180 166 0.22 0.194

0.85 50.7 10.4 6.1 9.99 0.9 0.93 753 2.49 6.25 5.64 0.214 727.5 4.71 75 6.63 0.485 3.8 9.67 0.54 3.17 4.31 1.08 2.74 132.4 1,032 0.77 1.1 180 164.8 0.211 0.185

HOLDING FIRMS 0.87 19,201,000 51 2,597,660 10.5 3,666,700 6.1 2,400 9.99 6,900 0.93 679,000 0.94 332,000 753 252,950 2.49 303,000 6.29 19,400 5.64 3,719,700 0.214 210,000 732 94,390 4.71 4,000 75 1,599,820 6.64 211,500 0.49 30,000 4 1,120,000 9.67 1,427,200 0.54 568,000 3.19 17,031,000 4.48 13,000 1.08 61,000 2.74 22,000 133 165,140 1,032 185,325 0.78 85,000 1.16 20,000 180 10 165.6 1,350 0.211 210,000 0.19 5,220,000

16,626,310 132,977,463.50 38,445,158 14,640 68,977 624,800 310,630 191,502,100 759,360 121,699 21,113,331 46,140 69,297,300 18,840 120,509,595.50 1,403,575 14,650 4,388,390 13,893,494 330,210 54,627,110 56,480 66,320 60,280 21,959,937 193,351,375 65,830 22,600 1,800 223,607 46,110 988,990

-1,087,540 89,948,768 -3,193,690 14,640 305,930 -46,432,640 7,371 -15,657,627 5,244,820 -37,484,656.50 -551,570 -5,965,889.00 -1,358,700 -4,759,319 56,371,400 -20,280 -109,253 -471,200

14.7 0.62 1.59 0.78 42.25 1.58 4.54 0.49 0.8 0.365 8.92 18.6 0.37 1.4 1.03 4.03 0.2 0.43 1.1 0.31

PROPERTY 14.7 1,013,700 0.62 613,000 1.59 24,000 0.78 423,000 42.45 15,182,800 1.6 368,000 4.59 340,000 0.5 5,680,000 0.81 4,000 0.39 1,080,000 8.92 75,800 19.16 349,700 0.385 210,000 1.4 24,269,000 1.04 590,000 4.05 17,566,000 0.203 5,040,000 0.43 70,000 1.11 11,484,000 0.31 480,000

8990 HLDG A BROWN ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY

14.72 0.64 1.59 0.78 42.25 1.6 4.57 0.495 0.8 0.365 9.1 18.9 0.375 1.43 1.04 4.03 0.209 0.45 1.1 0.32

14.74 0.65 1.59 0.78 42.6 1.61 4.59 0.5 0.81 0.395 9.1 19.4 0.385 1.43 1.05 4.1 0.21 0.45 1.18 0.32

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

NAME

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS

2.06 25.2 1.96 3.03 41.1 2.43 1.73 6.86 5.18

2.09 25.85 2.05 3.09 42.05 2.53 1.77 6.87 5.18

2.04 25.2 1.95 3.01 41.05 2.41 1.66 6.82 5.06

2.04 25.6 2.04 3.09 41.65 2.53 1.72 6.84 5.17

437,000 1,624,400 145,000 72,000 9,699,100 265,000 5,305,000 3,979,500 10,500

894,720 41,606,940 293,500 217,390 404,273,375 656,910 9,109,570 27,244,120 54,349

-2,849,050 -214,300 -23,086,035 -21,101,417 -

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

8.5 18.88 10.5 0.395 0.047 2.72 8.99 0.044 80 4.25 4 7.12 890 1,919 5.39 424 13.42 1.14 126 0.099 1.87 12.38 2.06 10.92 0.46 1.82 1.18 1.29 2.09 2 7 150 3.25 1,045 0.53 0.31 38.5 71.2 8.73 2.17 0.59 0.236 0.56 18.74

8.5 22 10.6 0.4 0.047 2.85 9.18 0.046 81 4.28 4 7.2 890 1,925 5.42 424 13.42 1.17 126.2 0.099 1.93 12.38 2.06 11.1 0.465 1.82 1.23 1.29 2.16 2.05 7.3 150 3.25 1,047 0.53 0.32 38.5 73.5 8.73 2.24 0.59 0.239 0.56 18.88

7.8 18.4 10.4 0.39 0.047 2.66 8.95 0.044 79.65 4.21 4 6.96 890 1,895 5.39 417 13.42 1.14 125 0.099 1.76 12.38 1.92 10.54 0.455 1.79 1.17 1.2 2.07 2 7 150 3.14 1,022 0.52 0.305 37 71.1 8.73 2.11 0.57 0.236 0.55 18.74

SERVICES 8 21.8 10.5 0.395 0.047 2.81 9.1 0.046 80.75 4.23 4 7 890 1,895 5.4 424 13.42 1.16 125.4 0.099 1.82 12.38 1.93 10.54 0.46 1.8 1.22 1.2 2.14 2.01 7.2 150 3.24 1,022 0.52 0.315 37 72.4 8.73 2.12 0.57 0.238 0.55 18.8

126,800 4,932,300 2,176,500 460,000 1,600,000 466,000 5,018,300 6,200,000 71,020 630,000 31,000 10,500 1,800 32,910 362,400 400 100 458,000 1,396,270 70,000 41,784,000 1,000 388,000 2,885,800 250,000 1,380,000 130,000 5,000 837,000 22,000 4,900 2,540 825,000 26,945 5,707,000 4,940,000 210,300 171,350 2,000 1,564,000 351,000 730,000 255,000 908,900

1,018,579 101,894,326 22,765,834 181,150 75,200 1,308,690 45,752,441 280,400 5,726,683 2,666,970 124,000 74,402 1,602,000 62,708,950 1,957,420 168,590 1,342 527,220 175,255,992 6,930 77,305,250 12,380 776,780 30,859,468 114,450 2,482,620 153,870 6,090 1,779,170 44,220 34,643 381,000 2,629,220 27,779,505 2,975,530 1,526,000 7,849,240 12,504,802 17,460 3,340,000 202,450 173,070 140,830 17,085,014

-55,699 -10,663,730 -6,080 -17,717,160 -500,982 -16,870 120,000 -27,430,525 30,622 -66,120 -24,616,400 370,670 -383,550.00 -818,382 -279,000 12,600 349,500 -12,576,560 31,200 -77,500 -5,528,600 8,097,026 75,270 15,121,934

481,900 329,819 1,112,580 158,924 408,910 137,107 642,530 15,920 109,350 21,220 125,200 22,500 216,290 2,603,070 5,020 2,630 680,000 9,538,000 157,800 1,830,220 1,317,290 6,690,456 80,000

-102,373 -15,600 535,830 -7,650 -162,062 -24,996,378 30,270 10,051 -10,600 -

MS 14,912,388 384,740 38,160 329,940 644,891,750 587,430 1,548,100 2,820,800 3,210 407,600 680,753 6,706,978 78,100 34,240,550 612,040 71,513,290 1,024,190 30,900 12,934,910 148,900

915,332 -53,170,345 395,380 477,810.00 -528,029 93,896 -18,482,030 1,127,650 2,060 11,230 -

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

OPEN

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

0.0013 7.02 0.99 10.92 3 6.79 1.3 0.198 0.093 0.091 0.0073 0.0075 0.7 2.56 1.01 0.65 0.01 0.011 0.01 3.02 7.62 20.1 0.005

0.0014 7.33 1.02 11.6 3.03 6.79 1.31 0.206 0.095 0.097 0.0075 0.0075 0.73 2.64 1.01 0.68 0.01 0.012 0.011 3.04 7.75 20.2 0.005

0.0013 7.02 0.99 10.92 3 6.61 1.29 0.198 0.093 0.091 0.0073 0.0075 0.68 2.56 1 0.65 0.01 0.01 0.01 2.93 7.61 19.86 0.005

MINING & OIL 0.0014 368,000,000 7.17 45,900 1.02 1,099,000 11.6 14,000 3.03 135,000 6.64 20,700 1.31 495,000 0.206 80,000 0.095 1,160,000 0.097 220,000 0.0075 17,000,000 0.0075 3,000,000 0.72 309,000 2.58 997,000 1 5,000 0.68 4,000 0.01 68,000,000 0.01 920,900,000 0.01 14,900,000 2.96 614,000 7.7 171,100 20.2 333,700 0.005 16,000,000

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2R CPG PREF A DD PREF FPH PREF C GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A HOUSE PREF A MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2B PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3A SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H

16.2 500 500 101 101 490 5.29 999 99.8 100 1,005 1,060 1,075 102 77.5 75.1 76.5 76

17.38 500 500 101 101 490 5.3 999 99.8 101.2 1,005 1,070 1,080 102 77.6 75.1 76.5 76.2

16.2 500 500 100.9 101 490 5.29 999 99.8 100 1,005 1,060 1,075 102 77.5 75.1 76.5 76

PREFERRED 16.82 3,013,400 500 5,000 500 130 100.9 12,500 101 2,250 490 100 5.3 8,100 999 7,260 99.8 3,110 100.6 124,110 1,005 520 1,070 3,245 1,080 8,085 102 1,240 77.5 21,470 75.1 26,600 76.5 27,100 76.2 23,800

50,959,498 2,500,000 65,000 1,262,000 227,250 49,000 42,850 7,252,740 310,378 12,476,563 522,600 3,464,450 8,729,675 126,480 1,663,929 1,997,660 2,073,150 1,810,640

LR WARRANT

1.15

1.16

1.12

WARRANTS 1.12 6,000

6,910

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

3.18 9.56 0.81

3.27 9.65 0.83

3.17 9.43 0.81

FIRST METRO ETF

111

112.7

111

USD DMPL A1

10.26

Trading Summary

10.26

SHARES

FINANCIAL

16,751,938

INDUSTRIAL

100,300,452

HOLDING FIRMS PROPERTY SERVICES

69,133,044 113,372,687 148,884,477

MINING & OIL

1,414,587,773

GRAND TOTAL

1,864,766,635

10.26

3.17 9.5 0.83

SME

246,000 118,600 1,361,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 111.5 9,000 DDS 10.26

31,600

-

788,190 1,125,651 1,115,140

39,540 -

1,008,147

31,455

324,216

-

VALUE 1,751.41 (up) 14.16 1,386,406,825.38 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 9,053.07 (down) 8.81 811,664,396.81 HOLDING FIRMS 7,211.70 (down) 18.29 1,156,545,677.04 PROPERTY 3,982.95 (up) 36.29 SERVICES 1,469.68 (down) 2.00 1,569,948,389.36 MINING & OIL 7,109.14 (up) 5.35 836,615,830.09 PSEI 7,413.00 (up) 16.06 26,703,433.9309 All Shares Index 4,375.87 (up) 13.78 5,791,926,857.09 Gainers: 90; Losers: 84; Unchanged: 54; Total: 228

RCBC hiked net income last year by 25% to P5.4b RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp., the ninth-largest lender in terms of assets, said net income in 2019 jumped 25 percent to P5.4 billion from a year ago on the back of the sustained expansion in core businesses.

Bank president and chief executive Eugene Acevedo said in a statement Thursday the performance last year set the stage for the kind of growth the bank wanted to see in the future. “... Produced by well positioned businesses in the key market segments we operate in through innovative products and quality service,” Acevedo said.

RCBC’s gross revenues rose 35 percent to P35.9 billion as interest income from loans and receivables climbed 21 percent, driven by solid volume growth and sustained margins across all customer segments.

Non-interest income also increased 125 percent due to stronger contributions in treasury-related and fee-based income, which includes deposit and branch fees, trust fees and card-related fees.

The bank’s small and medium enterprises and consumer loan segments saw solid double-digit growth of 29 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

Credit cards also saw a robust growth with card receivables growing 44 percent, and a card base of almost 877,000, up 26 percent from the previous year.

Acevedo said the SME and consumer segments had been the center of much of the bank’s expansion.

“Our continued investments in digital technology and efforts in process improvement are focused on servicing these customers better,” he said.

The bank’s assets expanded 18 percent to P771.3 billion as of end-2019, with investment securities and regular loans driving the growth at 36 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

Capital funds stood at P83.2 billion and well above the minimum regulatory requirement with a capital adequacy ratio of 13.8 percent and CET1 ratio of 12.9 percent.

Bank treasurer Horacio Cebrero III said in a briefing Thursday RCBC planned to sustain in 2020 the growth momentum gained last yea.

Julito G. Rada

D.M. Wenceslao registered income of P2.37b in 2019

By Jenniffer B. Austria D.M. WENCESLAO & Associates Inc. said net income in 2019 rose 24 percent to P2.37 billion, boosted by strong revenue growth and focused cost management.

DMW said in a disclosure to the stock exchange revenues last year increased 63 percent to P3.51 billion from a year ago, mainly driven by sales of land and condominium units.

Revenues from recurring business rose three percent to P1.96 billion, accounting for 56 percent of the total. Revenues from leasing of land added one percent to P979.1 million, while rentals of buildings climbed four percent to P793.5 million.

Revenues from land sales surged to P935.9 million from just P1.3 million in the 2018, while residential sales jumped 358 percent to P547.7 million from P119.4 million.

DMW chief executive Delfin Angelo Wenceslao said for this year, the company is stepping up execution of business strategies to sustain its growth momentum.

The property company has committed to complete projects on schedule and within budget and quality standards.

It also plans to pursue new product lines as well as new markets and partnerships and achieve a double-digit net income growth through improved performance and managed cost strategies.

“During the year, we delivered our first residential project, started construction on two commercial properties and reached different stages of development for our ongoing projects which will begin contributing meaningfully to earnings in 2020 and beyond,” Wenceslao said.

DMW’s completed properties and pipeline development projects in Aseana City totaled 569,359 square meters as of end 2019, with a value of approximately P209.8 billion, according to Colliers.

Total leasable gross floor area aggregated to 89,914 sq. m., with leased land area at 158,079 sq. m. and land reserves at 303,836 sq. m.

DMW is an integrated property developer with expertise in land reclamation, construction and real estate development.

It is the master developer and primary owner of Aseana City, a development project with a total land area of 107.5 hectares along the coastal waters of Manila Bay.

World

B3

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Democrats bare fangs at Bloomberg in hot debate LAS VEGAS―Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg endured a punishing assault in his debut Democratic presidential debate Wednesday from rivals who savaged him for parachuting in late and throwing astronomical amounts of money at the race.

The Las Vegas showdown came at a tense time in the party’s nomination race, with leftist firebrand Bernie Sanders coalescing as the front runner and some challengers fighting for their very survival.

US media magnate Bloomberg found himself the target from the start, as candidates from Sanders to former vice president Joe Biden impugned the man whose sudden prominence in polling has scrambled the race to defeat President Donald Trump.

“Understand this: Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another,” Senator Elizabeth Warren said in a fiery attack on Bloomberg.

“Democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women, and of supporting racist policies,” she added.

Sanders hit Bloomberg hard on his vast wealth at a time of “grotesque” income inequality in America.

“Mike Bloomberg owns more wealth than the bottom 125 million Americans,” Sanders said in one of the night’s many abrasive moments.

“That’s wrong. That’s immoral.”

All eyes were on Bloomberg’s first appearance on the debate stage after spending hundreds of millions of dollars on campaign advertising.

He endured a very public vetting and struggled to highlight his roles as problem solver, businessman, city manager and philanthropist.

He found himself on the defensive when pressed to explain sexual harassment claims against him and employees, his delay in releasing his taxes and more.

But he pushed back forcefully against Sanders, saying if the self-declared democratic socialist is the nominee, “we will have Donald Trump for another four years.”

Trump himself was dismissive of Bloomberg’s performance onstage. AFP

IN BRIEF

Australia launches inquiry into bushfires SYDNEY―Australia set up a national inquiry Thursday into its month-long bushfire crisis that affected three in four Australians and prompted widespread criticism of the government for its sluggish response to the blazes.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the vast scale of the fires -- which killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes -- required a new response from the bushfire-prone nation.

The Royal Commission inquiry will be tasked with finding ways to improve Australia’s preparedness, resilience and response to natural disasters, but has been criticized as an effort to put off tackling the problem.

Australia has seen dozens of inquests into the causes of bushfires and steps that could be taken to mitigate them, with mixed results.

Many measures from the dozens of inquests going back to the 1930s have still not been implemented.

The opposition Labor party accused Morrison of trying to “shift attention to the things that he thinks are politically convenient to talk about” rather than “actually fixing climate change and getting emissions under control.”

Morrison said panel would be asked to consider establishing new powers for the federal government to declare a national state of emergency, which he argued would allow a faster response to fires. AFP

NEW MAMA. A cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) carries its cub, born in captivity at the Guadalajara Zoo, in Jalisco state, Mexico, on February 19, 2020. AFP

Shisha bar shootings kill nine in Germamy H ANAU, Germany―At least nine people were killed in shootings targeting shisha bars in Germany that sparked a huge manhunt overnight before the suspected gunman was found dead in his home early Thursday.

The attacks occurred at two bars in Hanau, about 20 kilometers from Frankfurt, where armed police quickly fanned out and police helicopters roamed the sky looking for those responsible for the bloodshed.

Police in the central state of Hesse said the likely perpetrator had been found at his home in Hanau after they located a getaway vehicle seen by witnesses. Another body was also discovered at the property.

“The suspected perpetrator has been found dead,” police in the central state of Hesse said, adding: “There is currently no indication that there are additional perpetrators.”

The mass-circulation Bild said that

those killed in the first bar were of Kurdish origin.

The first attack occurred at the “Midnight” bar in the centre of the city around 10pm (2100 GMT), reports said.

Three people were killed in front of the building, local media said, with witnesses reporting hearing a dozen shots.

The attacker, or attackers, fled the scene by car, according to police. There was then a second shooting at the “Arena Bar”.

A gunman reportedly rang the doorbell and shot people who were in the smoking section, killing five people including a woman, Bild said.

“The victims are people we have known for years,” said the bar manag-

Trump ally to be sentenced

er’s son, quoted by DPA news agency.

Two employees were among the victims, according to the man, who was not at the bar during the shooting. “It is a shock for everyone”.

Police said one of those injured in the attack had also died.

Earlier reports said five people had been seriously wounded.

An AFP journalist at the scene saw around 30 police cars leaving Hanau police station. Witnesses said heavily armed police officers were deployed in the city.

A silver Mercedes-Benz covered by what looked like a survival blanket could be seen behind a police cordon and surrounded by officers in front of the “Arena Bar”, with shattered glass on the floor.

“The search for suspects is going at top speed. There is no clear information yet as to a motive,” authorities said.

The mayor of Hanau, Claus Kaminsky, told Bild that it had been “a terrible night.” AFP

What makes dogs so special? Science says love WASHINGTON―The idea that animals can experience love was once anathema to the psychologists who studied them, seen as a case of putting sentimentality before scientific rigor.

But a new book argues that, when it comes to dogs, the word is necessary to understanding what has made the relationship between humans and our best friends one of the most significant interspecies partnerships in history.

Clive Wynne, founder of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University, makes the case in “Dog is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You.” The animal psychologist, 59, began

studying dogs in the early 2000s, and, like his peers, believed that to ascribe complex emotions to them was to commit the sin of anthropomorphism―until he was swayed by a body of evidence that was growing too big to ignore.

“I think there comes a point when it’s worth being skeptical of your skepticism,” the Englishman said in an interview with AFP. Canine science has enjoyed a resurgence in the past two decades, much of it extolling dogs’ smarts.

Titles like “The Genius of Dogs” by Brian Hare have advanced the idea that dogs have an innate and exceptional in-

telligence.

Wynne, however, plays spoilsport, arguing that Fido is just not that brilliant.

Pigeons can identify different kinds of objects in 2D images; dolphins have shown they understand grammar; honeybees signal the location of food sources to each other through dance; all feats that no dogs have ever been known to accomplish.

Even wolves, dogs’ ancestor species known for their ferocity and lack of interest in people, have shown the ability to follow human cues―including, in a recent Swedish study, by playing fetch.

Wynne proposes a paradigm shift, synthesizing cross-disciplinary research

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Fourth Judicial Region BRANCH 9 BALAYAN, BATANGAS

6-7-8

to posit that it is dogs’ “hypersociability” or “extreme gregariousness” that sets them apart.

One of the most striking advances comes from studies regarding oxytocin, a brain chemical that cements emotional bonds between people, but which is, according to new evidence, also responsible for interspecies relationships between dogs and humans.

Recent research led by Takefumi Kikusui at Japan’s Azabu University has shown that levels of the chemical spike when humans and their dogs gaze into each others’ eyes, mirroring an effect observed between mothers and babies. AFP SW

8-9-10 NW 10 to 24 NW

IN RE: APPLICATION FOR LAND REGISTRATION, L.R.C. CASE NO. N-577

COMPETITION. Kerala Armed Police personnel participate at the 20th All India Police Band Competition in Hyderabad on February 20, 2020, as a part of All India Police Duty Meet. AFP

RONALDO R. ELEPAÑO, JR., Applicant. x-----------------x ORDER A verified Application for Land Registration has been filed by applicant Ronaldo R. Elepaño, Jr. praying that, after due notice and hearing, an Order be issued that the subject land be brought under the operation of the Property Registration Decree; directing the Administrator, Land Registration Authority, to issue the corresponding Decree of Registration over the subject land under the name of the Applicant and directing the Register of Deeds of Batangas to issue an Original Certificate of Title covering the subject land in the name of the applicant, which is more particularly described as follows, to wit: “TECHNICAL DECRIPTION Survey Plan No. : Csd-04-045733-D Lot No. : 810-B Portion of Lot : 810, Cad-842-D, Calaca Cadastre LRC Record No. : Land Owner/Claimant: Gregorio Caisip Location : Brgy. Dacanlao Municipality of Calaca Province of Batangas Island of Luzon Boundaries: Line Direction Adjoining Lot/Feature 1-2 NE Barangay Road 2-3 SE Lot 811, Csd-842-D, Calaca Cadastre 3 to 6 SE Lot 1401, Csd-842-D, Calaca Cadastre

24-25-1 NW

Dacanlao River (30-40 m. wide) with a Legal Easement (20.00 m. wide) Lot 1252, Csd-842-D, Calaca Cadastre Lot 810-C (River), Csd-04-045733-D Lot 810-A, Csd-04-045733-D

Tie Point: Lot Description: Line Tie Point -1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 20-21 21-22 22-23 23-24 24-25 25-1

BLLM #1, Csd-842-D, Calaca Cadastre Bearing N 81º 15’W S 07º 33’E N 82º 51’W S 12º 28’W S 10º 01’W S 10º 01’W N 62º 35’W N 44º 27’W N 07º 41’E N 07º 41’E N 41º 35’E N 33º 57’E N 49º 49’E N 39º 42’E N 19º 42’E N 19º 42’E N 36º 51’E N 18º 42’E N 07º 05’E N 09º 30’W N 00º 04’E N 08º 19’E N 10º 36’W N 11º 29’W N 80º 41’E N 80º 41’E

Distance 3778.29m 137.80m 14.29m 71.32m 23.31m 20.95m 22.94m 52.62m 25.34m 56.00m 6.29m 11.41m 11.53m 10.95m 5.57m 6.79m 9.37m 8.64m 14.12m 7.22m 13.04m 9.05m 11.93m 6.19m 16.83m 11.67m

Area: TWELVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FIFTY NINE SQUARE METERS AND FIFTY SQUARE DECIMETERS (12,659.50) SQUARE METERS. Description of Corners: Corners 2,3,4,6,7 & 8 are Old PS cyl. conc. Mons. 15x50 cms. and the rest are PS cyl. conc. mons. 15x40 cms.

Bearings : Grid Date of Original Survey: March 7 to April 29, 1989

WASHINGTON―Donald Trump’s longtime aide Roger Stone will be sentenced Thursday in a case that has caused a stir in Washington following meddling by the US president and his attorney general.

Stone, one of the Republican leader’s allies and “oldest friends,” was convicted in November of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to cheat in the 2016 election.

Just 10 days ago, four US prosecutors asked a judge to sentence the former political consultant to between seven and nine years in jail. Trump chimed in via his favorite method of communication―Twitter―to denounce what he called a “miscarriage of justice.”

The US Justice Department weighed in the next day, determining the recommended sentence was “extreme and excessive.”

The four government attorneys who prosecuted Stone resigned from the case in apparent protest.

A new prosecutor was named to the case who then filed a sentencing memo suggesting a three to four year term in prison.

Trump quickly took to Twitter once more to hail the decision, praising Attorney General Bill Barr for intervening.

“Congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not even been brought,” Trump tweeted. AFP

Scores rescued from Myanmar blaze

YANGON―Scores of people were rescued from a blazing building in Myanmar’s commercial hub Yangon early Thursday, many brought to safety with a cherry-picker crane from the highest floors.

Around 60 fire trucks raced to the 12-storey apartment block as smoke and flames spread through the building.

No deaths had been reported by midmorning and the cause of the blaze had not been established.

Nyi Nyi, 34, told AFP he ran out of his home to warn his elderly neighbours but was forced to retreat after nearly passing out.

“I couldn’t see anything as it was too dark with smoke,” he said, adding firefighters arrived just in time.

The fire service rescued people with a cherry-picker as smoke billowed out across the street, causing traffic to snarl up.

After years of under-investment, Yangon’s downtown buildings have notoriously poor safety standards and fires are common. AFP

Date of Subd. Survey Date Approved Geodetic Engineer

: March 12, 2016 : Feb. 2, 2017 : Paulino Z. Regalado”

under the provision of the Property Registration Decree.

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the same is set for hearing on March 4, 2020 at 8:30 in the morning before this Court, sitting at the Hall of Justice, Regional Trial Court, Balayan, Batangas, at which time, date and place any interested person is hereby ordered to show cause why the petition should not be granted.

The applicant is hereby directed to have this Order published at its expense once in the Official Gazette, once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, and once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the province of Batangas.

Let this Order be posted at the main door of the Provincial Building of Batangas, at the Bulletin Board of the Hall of Justice, Regional Trial Court, Balayan, Batangas, and at the Bulletin Board of the Municipal Building of Calaca, Batangas, at the expense of the applicant.

Notify the Office of the Solicitor General, the Land Registration Authority, and the Bureau of Lands, which may file, within fifteen days from receipt hereof or from the last date of publication, their opposition.

The applicant is hereby ordered to furnish the Office of the Solicitor General, the Land Registration Authority, the Bureau of Land, and the adjoining owners of the subject land, within fifteen (15) days from receipt hereof, with a copy of the application and its annexes and manifest to this Court compliance herewith.

SO ORDERED. Balayan, Batangas, October 11, 2019.

(Sgd.) CAROLINA F. DE JESUS Presiding Judge Copy furnished: Office of the Clerk of Court Official Gazette Counsel for Applicant

BL/OSG/LRA/RD Applicant

Manila Standard / Feb. 14 & 21, 2020

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

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Las Piñas earns ‘good financial’ seal from DILG THE Department of the Interior and Local Government has conferred to Las Piñas City the Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping for 2019, the second consecutive year it has done so.

The SGFH recognizes the compliance of the local government unit with accounting and auditing standards, rules and regulations.

It is a measure of transparency and accountability in its financial transactions.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar said the Good Financial Housekeeping certification “is a validation of our efforts in spending public funds efficiently and wisely. Because of the wise spending we are able to provide services that are beneficial to our residents.”

The criteria include Unqualified or Qualified Commission on Audit Opinion of the immediately preceding year, Compliance with the Full Disclosure Policy of Local Budget and Finances, Bids and Public Offerings such as Annual Budget, Statement of Receipts and Expenditures, Annual Procurement Plan or Procurement List, and Bid Results On Civil Works.

Goods and Services and Consulting Services, among others.

The Good Financial Housekeeping mark falls under financial administration, one of the seven assessment areas for an LGU to be awarded the SGLG or Seal of Good Local Governance.

“Our good performance in financial transparency is a manifestation of our vision of ‘Maunlad na Las Piñas,’” Aguilar said.

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

SMASHED. Las Piñas Mayor Imelda T. Aguilar (center, in black) and Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery (second from left) look on as city police chief Col. Segundo C. Lagundi leads the destruction of 82 ‘video karera’ and ‘fruit game’ machines used for illegal gambling on Monday at the Las Piñas City Hall Grounds. Las Piñas police confiscated the machines during their operations conducted from Jan. 2 to Feb. 4 in the various barangays of the city. Norman Cruz

Makati to smash sex dens

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE Makati City government has started a citywide crackdown on motels and other business establishments engaged in sex trafficking.

Mayor Abigail Binay tapped the city’s Business Permit and Licensing Office to shut down establishments and entertainment spots in the city that engage in prostitution, whether direct or via the Internet.

Binay reiterated her zero tolerance policy against all forms of prostitution in the city by ordering the closure of more establishments suspected to be involved in

human trafficking and sex trade.

“There is no room for prostitution in Makati,” the city chief executive said.

“We will hunt down prostitution dens, karaoke bars, spas, condominiums, and even computer shops that exploit young men and women in the sex trade. We will shut down your operations and make sure that you are unable to do business in Makati. I will say this again, illegal activi-

ties are not welcome here!” she warned.

In Barangay Poblacion, 88 Hotel and Master Han Reflexology Spa in Poblacion were closed down last Friday. BPLO officials said both establishments were being used as prostitution dens.

Police raided the hotel after receiving a tip from an informant that the establishments were allegedly being used for illegal activities.

AGBL Wellness Spa, also in Barangay Poblacion, and Pentagon Spa in Barangay Bangkal were also closed, and some of its attendants were arrested for allegedly offering “extra service” to customers and extorting money from

Dutch envoy, Isko trade ideas in courtesy call

IN BRIEF NV gov’t gives P1m to tech-voc program BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya— Gov. Carlos Padilla recently gave P1 million in funding assistance for the technical and vocational program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in the province.

The fund was handed to TESDA Provincial Director Socorro Galanto to support the implementation of the Jobs-Directed Scholarship Program for Technical-Vocational (Tech-Voc) Courses this year.

The courses are being offered by the TESDA in partnership with the provincial government and TESDA-accredited tech-voc institutions.

Galanto said the program seeks to address the work capability shortfalls and mismatches brought by the ASEAN integration and Globalization. Ben Moses Ebreo

MCU High School Batch 71-75 reunion THE Manila Central University (High School Department) Batch 1971-75 is calling on all batchmates to its 45th Anniversary Reunion on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Members are requested to attend a breakfast meeting, starting at 6:30 a.m., at the MCU-HS canteen, where the registration and photoops will be held together with surviving school teachers.

At 10 a.m., the group will proceed to The Greenery Resort and Hotel in Sabang, Baliuag, Bulacan for lunch and an overnight party with a live band until lunch the next morning.

Batchmates who have not yet registered are requested to call Rey Chua (0922-8206600); Mercy Camua (0920-2286854); Liza Dizon (0922-8148997); or Josiliza SantosPage (0917-8214790); Manila Standard correspondent Orlan Mauricio (0917-5162712); or Danny Buenafe of ABS-CBN/DZMM radio (09175277659).

MCU-HS Batch 71-75 valedictorian Chona Cuenca-Alvano, who is now based in Virginia, USA, arrived early this week to spur attendance for this milestone gathering of their batchmates. Orlan Mauricio

foreign clients.

Police also arrested Sebelita Santos, manager of AGBL Wellness Spa, earlier this month after receiving a tip from an informant. The suspect allegedly harbored ladyboys who extort money from their foreign customers.

On Saturday, 24 alleged sex workers were rescued by the Makati City police inside a computer shop at Barangay San Isidro. Edison Cafe was immediately closed.

Police said suspects Rafael Rosales, 42; Rodolfo Robles, 38; and Josua Rivera, 29, were allegedly using the establishment as a prostitution den.

By Willie Casas

Bugkalot couple Amma Adolfo (left) and Inna Sublina Quewigh. Ben Moses Ebreo

Vizcaya honors Bugkalot couple as cultural icons

By Ben Moses Ebreo BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya―It was a surprise act and honor for Bugkalot couple Adolfo Quewigh, 84, and Sublina, 74, of Barangay Pelaway in Alfonso Castaneda town when the provincial government honored them as cultural treasures of Nueva Vizcaya.

But for the couple, their skills and trade in making accessories for the native attire

for Bugkalot men and women are inherited cultural responsibility and obligation to keep their tradition alive for many years.

‘Amma’ (elder) Adolfo has been making the ‘Kaget’ and ‘Kina-wit’ (belt for women and accessories), ‘Gisada’ (violin), ‘Tukbed’ (male headdress), ‘Kulising’ (bamboo guitar), and ‘Sinomangan’ (Bugkalot machete), among others.

Doing his trade for more than 50 years, ‘Amma’ Adolfo is also an expert in play-

ing Bugkalot musical instruments.

‘Inna’ Sublina has been embroidering the traditional attire of the Bugkalots for just as long, and makes some accessories. The designs of embroidery are inspired by and patterned from nature.

The Quewigh couple were featured by the provincial government in a cultural presentation at the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Museum as part of the Arts Month celebration.

NETHERLANDS Ambassador Saskia de Lang on Wednesday paid a courtesy call on Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso at the Mayor’s Office, Manila City Hall, to talk about future plans for the capital.

The two exchanged ideas and plans for future development of the nation’s capital, as well as addressing the environmental impacts of progress.

Domagoso shared the initiative of cleaning and clearing the city’s streets through the joint effort of Department of Public Services and Department of Engineering and Public Works.

“As local government, we created a task force who will clean and clear the streets. We are now addressing these concerns as well as the air quality in the city,” Domagoso said.

The mayor also tackled the challenge of uniting a city of various beliefs and conflicting interests.

“Manila is very diverse. There’s always a story to tell. The most expensive thing is peace. It’s hard to achieve but everybody should anchor to hope,” Domagoso said.

De Lang then praised Domagoso’s strong political will, and offered to collaborate in projects involving open green spaces and environmental conservation.

LONG-TERM PARTNERS. In a partnership that started in 1954 with the inauguration of the country’s first oil refinery, Chevron Philippines Inc. strengthened its cooperation

HOUSING PROJECT. Bataan officials led by Gov. Abet Garcia (third from right) flash with its host community in Barangay Danglayan, San Pascual, Batangas with a donation

the ‘1Bataan’ sign during the groundbreaking of NHA Balanga City Low-Rise Housing Project in upland Barangay Tenejero in Balanga City. Also in photo (from left) are NHA regional manager Araceli Natino, Vice Gov. Cris Garcia, Mayor Francis Garcia, 2nd district Rep. Joet Garcia, and housing contractor Billy de Leon. Butch Gunio

of a mobile patrol pickup truck and smartphones. Photo shows (from left) Donald Umali, manager, CPI Batangas Terminal; Mario Serranillo, CPI area T&O manager; lawyer Raissa Bautista, CPIU corporate affairs manager; barangay chairman Rudy Contreras, and barangay councilors Manuelito Castor and Rirayan Sugian.

Life

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

YOUNG LIFE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020

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Why millennials hate phone calls, and other communication quirks

By Steph Llarena

P

HONE calls are the bane of my professional existence. Truth be told, I’d often catch myself letting my phone ring while I pretend nothing’s happening.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not proud of it. And I only do it under specific circumstances: I don’t know the caller, I’m sure it’s not urgent, I’m incredibly busy. As it turns out, I’m not alone in this.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, of the 43.7 million Filipinos who are part of the workforce as of January 2019, 4.7 percent are 65 years old and above while 14.7 percent are from the the 15-24 years old age group. In between ages are the rest.

While generational diversity gives companies a wealth of perspectives, communicating across different age groups can be quite a challenge as communication style among them is different.

Gen X

Don’t feel bad if your Gen X co-worker, or those aged 4054, only replied “K tnx” to your long message complete with right punctuation marks, because they like to keep it short and get straight to the point.

Being the first generation to incorporate digital technology in their youth, Gen Xers were the early adopters of email as well as text messaging with character limits. So while they are more connected with the younger generations than the older group because of their ability to use digital technology, they prefer short, brief messages as opposed to lengthy ones—because they had to before.

When communicating with Gen X, remember that they like to KISS (keep it short and simple).

Gen Xers keep it short and simple.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET? Generational diversity in the workplace can be quite challenging as communication style among age groups is different.

Millennials prefer other forms of digital communication over phone call.

Millennials

Meanwhile, for millennials, or those who are aged 24-39, phone calls are considered invasive and intrusive.

Born to an offline world, and grew up in the boom of the Internet and mobile technology, millennials are more sensitive to boundaries because they know the time when being extremely accessible wasn’t the norm.

With the availability of and their ability to utilize other forms of digital communication, they have other choices that let them respond on their own terms, as opposed to phone calls that demand instant response.

So before calling a millennial, consider sending them a message first.

Answer your phone, a boomer is calling.

Baby boomers

First, let’s talk about the oldest member of the workforce.

Baby boomers, or those 55-75 years old, value face-to-face interactions. In a study by the Notre Dame of Maryland University, digital messaging company Glip said the best way to communicate with baby boomers at work or even at home is through face-to-face conversations.

Being more traditional, they prefer conversations peppered with non-verbal cues and body language.

It’s not unusual for a baby boomer colleague or client to ask to meet in person or call to clarify and get the message right away. When it comes to using technology, many opt for video call—since it has the benefits of both a face-to-face meeting and a phone call—over replying to email chains.

If you want to clarify something, call, video call, or meet with them.

Gen Z

Digital natives Gen Z, 23 years old and below, have spent much of their lives in front of screens, which has led them to prefer communicating online than in person. But there’s a bit of a twist.

In an article published in Forbes, the youngest employees in the workplace want some form of human element woven into their team interactions. Meaning, they prefer video chats instead of phone calls, when conveying their thoughts and ideas more effectively.

Messaging apps like Viber is an ideal communication tool that caters to the quirks and preferences of different generations. Its chat features include audio and video calls, instant voice and video messages, and expressive stickers.

Gen Z likes to communicate online, preferably via video chat.

Study in the USA

The Johns Hopkins University School of Education in Baltimore, Maryland offers master's, doctoral, graduate certificate, and online programs.

The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is the largest accredited university system specializing in aviation and aerospace.

The Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia equips its architecture students with sufficient learning resources and suitable facilities.

HEADS up, students!

Admissions officers from several colleges and universities in the United States are coming to the Philippines during a two-day education fair.

A joint partnership between EducationUSA and The Podium, this annual education fair for students interested in pursuing higher education opportunities in the US will feature more than 20 colleges and universities.

The EducationUSA Fair at The Podium is slated on Feb. 27, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will also be held at Radisson Blu Cebu on Feb. 28, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Participating educational institutions include the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Bowling Green State University, Columbia College Chicago, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Hawai’i Pacific University, Johns Hopkins University School of Education, Kent State University, Missouri Western State University, New York Film Academy, Nova Southeastern University, Ohio University, and more.

During the event, admissions officers will provide free advising services to prospective international students.

Students are invited to listen to representatives from Pima Community College, San Mateo Colleges of Silicon Valley, Shoreline Community College, South Puget Sound Community College, Southern New Hampshire University, Stony Brook University, The College of Saint Rose, The Savannah College of Art and Design, The University of Arizona, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, University of Hawaii – Kapi’olani Community College, University of Illinois in Chicago, University of Nevada Reno, and Virginia Tech University.

Participants can also learn about the US college application processes, scholarship and financial aid options, and steps to apply for a student visa.

The event is free and open to the public.

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Entertainment

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019 nickie.standard@gmail.com

Binibining Pilipinas 2020 candidates tour Gateway Gallery Museum IN LINE with the celebration of the National Arts Month, the candidates of Binibining Pilipinas 2020 paid a visit on Feb. 18 at the Gateway Gallery Museum, Gateway Tower.

The girls were given a tour of the museum by curator Gari Apolonio, who provided the candidates a quick lecture on the exhibited artworks.

The museum visit provided the Binibining Pilipinas candidates a quick blast from the past courtesy of the artworks lined up at the museum’s SiningSaysay: Philippine

History in Art exhibit.

The exhibit, which features 30 large-scale paintings from pre-historic Philippines to the contemporary period, is a joint project of the Araneta City and the University of the Philippines.

Through the museum tour, Binibining Pilipinas aims to promote art appreciation while teaching history to the candidates.

The Gateway Gallery is open to the public Mondays to Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m..

Admission is free.

Binibining Pilipinas candidates tour Gateway Gallery Museum located at the 5th level of the Gateway Tower in Araneta City,

Sleeper hit ‘THE BOY’ back with horrifying sequel

'Brahms: The Boy II,' a supernatural horror film directed by William Brent Bell and written by Stacey Menear, is a stand-alone sequel to the 2016 film 'The Boy.'

I

N 2016, The Boy was one of the most disturbing and successful mainstream horror movies, earning $64 million in global box office, on a budget of $10 million. It told the story of a life-sized porcelain doll called Brahms for whom a nanny was hired to care for as if it were a real child. The nanny found it incredulous, but when she failed to follow the rules, she had to deal with real live terror.

This year, the fear of “The Boy” is still very much alive in its sequel, Brahms: The Boy 2, from the same directorWilliam Brent Bell and writer Stacey Menear. Lead star Katie Holmes guarantees that “it is going to be as satisfying as the first”.

Holmes plays Liza whom she describes as “a universal character” , being a loving and protective mother.

Liza, together with her husband Sean and son Jude, moved to Heelshire Mansion after going through “a traumatic event”, says Holmes. Their family is unaware of the mansion’s terrifying history.

The trailer shows that Jude unearths the porcelain doll and then made it his constant companion. Just like in the first movie, Brahms the doll comes with a set of rules. No. 10 in the list reads, “Jude has to be with Brahms

New Japanese drama tackles life of a reporter HOW do you stand up for the truth in the face of adversity?

GEM, the allJapanese entertainment channel which is a joint venture of Sony Pictures Television and Japan’s Nippon TV will be premiering another inspiring Japanese drama— Off the Record, a series that takes viewers into the exciting and challenging life of a tabloid reporter who hunts down scoops and exposes some ugly truths about prominent figures in the society.

Reporter Kate Makabe writes for a weekly tabloid, exposing celebrity scandals and corruption in politics. With a successful career and love life, Kate’s life seems perfect until she discovers a surprising truth about the real identity of her “father,” who turns out to be a famous Hollywood celebrity. How will a tabloid reporter who has uncovered the many truths of people deal with one of her own?

Japanese actress Yuriko Yoshitaka who plays the impulsive journalist Kate talks about her role and how she prepared being the eyes and ears of the public, “This is the first time I take on the role of a reporter,” she shares. “I have always been the interviewee and now that the role is reversed, I began to watch the news more often and think about how it feels like to be the one jotting down notes. I paid extra attention whenever I was in-

terviewed. I observed how the writers or journalists asked their questions and took notes too.”

Yuriko believes that this drama will greatly resonate with her Asian fans as the reporter’s career and personal struggles simply inspire courage, taking risks and keeping one’s resolve in the face of adversity.

Joining Yuriko is Japanese actor and singer Daiki Shigeoka, a member of Johnny’s WEST from the powerhouse talent agency Johnny & Associates. Daiki plays Haruki Nonako, Kate’s boyfriend who suddenly gets a change of heart about their relationship. Daiki shares that he is challenged to bring more depth to his character. “I have been playing bright and cheerful roles to date, so I am looking forward to acting out a role that is completely different from my past roles,” he ends.

How long can you keep the truth off the record? Find out when Off the Record premieres on March 16, 2020 and airs every Monday and Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. on GEM, your destination for the best of Japanese entertainment, available on SKYcable Ch 116 in Metro Manila; SKYcable Ch 222 in Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Baguio; GSAT Ch 53; and various provincial cable operators nationwide.

SNAPSHOT

US singer-songwriter Lizzo takes the stage at Brit Awards 2020

Katie Holmes with child actor Christopher Convery

always and forever.”

Alarmed by her son’s strange behavior since owning the doll, Liza does her research, leading her to some information about grisly murders of a prominent family that dates back to 1894.

Director Bell was quoted to have told Daily Dead that “the sequel will be a complex little story to deliver on what the first movie delivered”. Those who’ve seen The Boy would know that it delivered a big twist about Brahms.

From there,Brahms: The Boy 2 focuses on a lot of other interesting stuff in the creepy world of Brahms. In fact, Bell and screenwriter Menear purposefully ended the first film to make way for this sequel.

“It’s fun to be scared sometimes, huh?” says Jude in the first few

moments of the trailer. True enough, Katie Holmes agreed that playing her role was fun. At the CinemaCon 2019, she said, “Because (Liza) was so vulnerable, she was really ready to be scared. It’s a fun role to play, to be in that heightened state of emotion.” She added that working one on one with the doll creeped her out.

Playing the boy Jude is Christopher Convery (young Billy in Stranger Things), while his father and husband of Liza is played by Owain Yeoman (The Belko Experiment, Emergence, The Mentalist).

From Viva International Pictures and MVP Entertainment, Brahms: The Boy 2 is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

AMERICAN singer-songwriter and rapper Lizzo pulled out all the stops as she took to the stage for the Brit Awards at the O2 Arena on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning in Manila).

The 31-year-old singer took centerstage in woven tan leather bodysuit and performed a greatest-hits mashup including “Cuz I Love You,” “Good as Hell,” “Juice,” and “Truth Hurts.”

Born Melissa Viviane Jefferson, the Houston-based artist missed out on the Best International Female to teen sensation Billie Eilish.AFP

Motoring

P H O E N I X RISING I

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Phoenix marketing team led by assistant vice president Celina Matias and Phoenix chief operating officer Henry Fadullon at the 40th Agora Awards.

• Fuel technology wins top marketing award

N 2018, Filipino oil and energy company Phoenix Petroleum partnered with world-class experts to enhance its fuel offerings with a cost-effective additive for increased performance and mileage.

In line with its vision to be an indispensable partner to Filipinos, Phoenix sought to address concerns among motorists and consumers about the eventual increase in fuel prices due to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN Law. Dubbed Phoenix with PULSE Technology, the company effectively presented a new, more economical fuel

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019

alternative in the local market that does not compromise quality and performance.

The product launch is just one among many laudable marketing initiatives that bagged Phoenix the top distinction of Marketing Company of the Year at the recent 40th Agora Awards, the most prestigious marketing competition in the country.

“In the last few years, we have aggressively endeavored to connect with our customers and build a solid relationship with our market,” explained Phoenix chief operating officer Henry R. Fadullon.

While it is a challenge for any company to introduce a new product to Filipinos who are loyal to familiar brands, Phoenix was able to launch their innovation successfully by effectively communicating to consumers the cost-effective and high-quality benefits of its fuel products.

Phoenix gained deep insight into their target market through time-tested strategies of focus group discussions.

Insights were translated into a strong marketing campaign that sought wide reach through various media platforms, especially on social media with the campaign #ComeAliveWithPhoenixPulse.

Moreover, Phoenix actively enlisted its own employees as brand ambassadors, equipping them with product information and involving them during prod-

uct launch activations and on-ground activities at Phoenix retail stations.

“From a little-known brand several years ago, Phoenix now ranks third in terms of patronage and loyalty, and it is largely because of our best-value offerings complemented by innovative marketing and communication campaigns,” added Fadullon.

Despite being a relatively young and independent petroleum brand in the Philippines, Phoenix was finally able to land the spot of third major player in the local market, according to Brand Used Most Often (BUMO) and retention measures in a 2018 brand health research.

The rise of the brand can be credited to its consistently innovative tactical campaigns such as the “May Kapangalang Bayani” promo on Independence Day 2019, which further strengthened consumer engagement and is also part of its winning Agora entry. Promoted mostly on social media and harping on its nationalistic sensibilities, Phoenix made a call for individuals named after

Filipino heroes and extended them substantial discounts on fuel purchases on that day. The promo effectively engaged more than 1,100 customers, increasing sales by as much as 52 percent.

“The Phoenix PULSE campaign, from the product to the promos that followed since its launch, offers Filipino motorists great value for money. It’s a truly magnificent endeavor that did not only elevate our brand, putting us toeto-toe against the major players, but ultimately gave Filipinos the power to make the most out of their drive,” said Phoenix AVP for integrated marketing & strategies Celina Matias.

Citations such as the Agora Award’s Marketing Company of the Year are a testament to Phoenix’s intimate and genuine knowledge of its customers and stakeholders, and its keen orientation and commitment toward marketing excellence is what it continues to uphold as its key strategy in disrupting an already tight and competitive market. ###

Start the decade • Ford kicks off sales pitch for 2020

Team Autoforce’s Ryan Ablang wins “Fastest Driver of the Day” and “Open Class Champion” in the Philippine Autocross Championship Series held on February 8.

Ablang rules Autocross Championship Series RYAN Ablang of Team Autoforce made history again, tagged the Fastest Driver of the Day and the Open Class Champion in the Philippine Autocross Championship Series (PACS) Round 2 held February 8, in R33 Trucks, San Simon, Pampanga.

Also bagging the Open Class Champion title, 37-year-old racer Ablang clocked 00:38.85 seconds, followed by Jevoy Moreno at 00:38.90 seconds and Mike Potenciano at 00:39.47 seconds.

Now on its 20th season, the Philippine Autocross Championship Series founded by Danny Santiago is the farthest-reaching motorships campaign in the country, advocating for disciplineddriving and contributing challenging programs to Philippine Motorsports.

Recently, Ablang also dominated the first round of Super Sprint 2020, held at Meycauayan Commercial Complex last February 2.

Driving his Honda Civic EG Hatchback with its 2.0 B20 modified engine,

Ablang won first place in the Prepped B3 Class, Prepped C3 Class, and Prepped D3 class of Super Sprint Round 1, clocking in 00:059.179 seconds, 00:59.008 seconds, and 00:57.478 seconds respectively, also winning fastest time of the day for his team, Autoforce.

In the previous year, Ablang has dominated Super Sprint, held as the champion for Prepped B 3, Prepped C 3, and Prepped D 3 class, granting him the title of 2019 Prepped Overall Champion.

For Super Sprint, Prepped Class is the category for any driver who has moderate to more experience in motorsports competitions. Other driver classifications are street, amateur, and intermediate.

So far, Ablang’s most notable wins in the motorsports industry aside from those mentioned above include 2008 Race Motorsports Club Slalom Racing Novice Overall Champion, 2017 Philippine Autocross Championship Series Novice Overall Champion, 2001 and

up Category Champion in Metro Manila (2019 AAP-MSDP National Gymkhana) 2019 Golden Wheel Awardee Sparco Cup Grid Group 6, and Open Class Fastest Time of the Day in the last round of the 2019 Philippine Autocross Championship Series, timed at 00:30.94 seconds.

Ablang started the racing scene early, in 2007, participating in Race Motorsports Club Slalom Racing, and returned to his passion in 2017, after attending to building a stable family life. He dedicates his continuous wins to his family who supports his passion, and to his sponsors who believe in his skill.

Ablang is currently backed by Motolite, Keon Sondra LED PH, Denso Mandaluyong, MovNCool, Dynamics Performance Engineering, JG Remaps and Tuning, Unico Hijo Resort, Carbon Nitomura, JDM USDM Surplus Autoparts, Casa Cruz Barberia, Station Lifestyle Supply Co, OEM Auto Fab, and Dohcthor Performance by BertSpeed.

FORD Philippines is offering cash discounts in its SUV, pickup, and van lineup until March 31, 2020, giving customers more deals available for a longer period of time.

“With our Start The Decade in a New Ford promotions, customers will be able to enjoy better deals and cash savings available in more Ford vehicles for a longer promo period,” shares Ryan Lorenzo, marketing director, Ford Philippines. “With these deals, we hope to see more Filipino customers drive and enjoy their new Ford vehicles this 2020.”

Biggest cash discount for Wildtrak variants, Ranger XLS still available at PHP943k Get as much as PHP100,000 cash discount when you purchase a Ranger 2.0L Bi-Turbo Wildtrak 4x4. Customers who prefer to avail of this variant on a financing promo can also take advantage of the 0% interest offer for up to 18 months.

Meanwhile, the Ranger 2.0L Wildtrak 4x2 variants come with a cash discount of PHP70,000 or with a financing promo of 0% interest offer for up to 12 months.

As part of its efforts to expand ownership of the Ford Ranger, Ford Philippines continues to offer the Ranger 2.2L XLS at a starting retail price of

PHP943,000.

Cash discounts now offered across Ford SUVs, EcoSport available at PHP840k Cash discounts are also available for Ford SUVs. The EcoSport 1.5L Trend MT comes with a cash discount of PHP130,0000, bringing its starting retail price to PHP840,000.

The EcoSport 1.5L Trend AT also comes with a hefty PHP130,000 cash discount, bringing its starting retail price to PHP900,000.

The EcoSport 1.0L Titanium and 1.5L Titanium variants now come with a PHP65,000 cash discount.

Meanwhile, the Ford Explorer 3.5L Sport AT and Ford Expedition 4x4 Limited EL both come with a PHP200,000 cash discount.

Cash discount for newly-launched vehicles Ford is also extending cash discounts to its recently-launched vehicles, the new Ford Everest and all-new Ford Transit. The Transit can be purchased with a PHP100,000 cash discount until February 28, 2020, while a cash discount of PHP50,000 is now available for the Everest 2.0L Bi-Turbo Titanium+ 4x4 AT and Everest 2.0L Turbo

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Motoring Hino expands network TACLOBAN CITY—Dedicated to promoting its promise of Total Support, Hino Motors Philippines, the exclusive distributor of Hino trucks and buses in the Philippines, expands its retail network with Hino Leyte, the company’s first dealership in 2020.

Hino Leyte, which is HMP’s fifth dealership in the Visayas region, is located along 88 National Highway, Brgy. 79, Marasbaras, Tacloban City, Leyte and is managed by Hino Leyte Inc. A full line 3S dealership complete with sales, spare parts and aftersales services, it houses a complete lineup of products including Light-Duty Trucks, MediumDuty Trucks, Heavy-Duty Trucks, Buses and Modernized PUVs. It officially opens for business this month after its soft opening last December.

Hino President Mitsuharu Tabata assures customers of Hino’s continued commitment to provide fast, reliable and environment-friendly means of transporting goods and people. “We recognize the growing needs of the Leyte community for better truck and bus solutions and we are honored to be of service to them as we give back to the loyal customers who

have supported us through the years.

Through Hino Leyte, we will continue to provide Total Support like we always have in all our dealerships, products and services,” he shared.

Hino invested in the sustained growth of Leyte’s economy, which was fueled by the various construction projects under the Build, Build, Build program[1] and the continuous rehabilitation efforts that gave the local community job opportunities for micro-, small- and medium-scale entrepreneurs. These rehabilitation efforts include the yet-to-be-approved master development plan for the Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone (LEIZ), which is projected to attract investors to Leyte[2].

Known for providing safe, durable and reliable trucks, HMP has been assembling and exclusively distributing quality Hino trucks and buses in the Philippines for 45 years to meet the transport needs of businesses ranging from small and medium enterprises to big corporations.

The new dealership is Hino’s latest milestone as HMP continues to strengthen its presence in key regional cities in the Philippines by providing innovative logistics solutions to more communities.

SAFETY SENSE • Toyota Alphard boasts pre-collision system

T

OYOTA Motor Philippines has officially made available in the country the updated Toyota Alphard with select Toyota Safety Sense features.

TSS is a suite of modern, active safety features designed to assist the drivers and provide greater peace of mind.

Pre-collision system alerts drivers on the possibility of collision, and, depending on the need, assists in prevention of accidents as well.

Sensors and cameras detect the possibility of a collision and reacts with consideration of the driver’s actions.

When a possibility of collision is detected, the driver is alerted through beeps and visual warnings. When the possibility of a collision is higher and the driver steps on the brakes, the brake assist system will provide additional pressure as needed. When an even greater possibility of collisions is detected and the driver did not step on the breaks, automatic brakes will be activated to prevent collision.

The Automatic High Beam (AHB) feature makes it easier to drive at

night by intuitively adjusting the headlight’s beam setting. When high beam setting is in use, the system automatically switches to low beam upon detection of vehicles at a certain distance in front or incoming vehicles on the opposite lane, and revert back to high beam setting once the path is clear.

Cruising is also easier with the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) and Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) plus Steering Assist. When activated, the vehicle drives at constant preset speed and will adjust within the set cruise speed when there’s a vehicle in front to maintain appropriate distance. Full speed range following function enables the vehicle to decelerate to 0km/h when the vehicle in front comes to a full stop. While DRCC is active, LTA will keep the vehicle centered when there are clear and visible lane markings on the road. This function applies force

on the steering to assist the driver in avoiding lane departure. DRCC is a variation of the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) which is included in the Hiace Super Grandia Elite.

These TSS features, also previously introduced in the 2019 Corolla Altis Hybrid and 2019 Hiace Super Grandia Elite are meant to complement available passive safety features such as seatbelts, airbags, and the vehicle’s impact absorbing structure.

“The Toyota Alphard prides itself in the luxurious first class experience it provides its passengers. Staying true to this image, we have introduced additional features which will further enhance the ride experience and safety of its passengers,” says TMP First Vice President Cristina Arevalo.

TSS features function under certain driving and road conditions and should only serve as support to the driver.

Pricing of the 2020 Alphard is at P3,910,000 for Steel Blonde Metallic and Raven Black, and P3,925,000 for the Luxury White Pearl.

Mitsubishi boosts PMFTC fleet PHILIP Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation has acquired 96 brand new units of fleet vehicles from Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation. The recent purchase comprised 48 units of L300, 46 units of Montero Sport and 2 units of Pajero. The acquisition of these units is part of PMFTC fleet expansion.

The Mitsubishi units were delivered by MMPC’s dealers Citimotors Inc., Makati and Diamond Motor Corp. - Quezon Avenue. According to PMFTC the units will be utilized for various business opera-

tions all over the country.

Asked what made them choose Mitsubishi as their preferred brand, PMFTC representatives shared that Mitsubishi vehicles are reliable, have innovative features and are easy to maintain with affordable cost of ownership. They also shared that these vehicles have an excellent record of accomplishment over the past years.

Through continuous coordination and collaboration, MMPC and PMFTC remain committed to deliver the best for its customers.

From left: Zer Lorenzo D. Torres—Branch Finance and Admin Manager, DMC Q. Avenue, Roda A. Aludia—MMPC, Fleet Manager, Ernest Mangune—PMFTC Fleet Manager, Jimmy Cabawatan—Citi Makati Sr. Sales Manager and Rodrigo “Ting” Almendral—Citi Makati AVP & General Sales Manager.