Manila Standard - 2019 May 7 - Tuesday

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 82 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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PLOT DEEPENS. The man who claims to be the author of the ‘Ang Totoong Narco-list’ holds a press conference Monday at the office of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

‘Bikoy’ surfaces, seeks aid Duterte family accuser admits to video upload

2019 POLLS: THE FINAL PUSH

NPC rooting for 7 Senate reelectionists

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Nat Mariano

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

T

SEVEN reelectionist senators, including one from the opposition Otso Diretso, and three other senatorial candidates, were endorsed Monday by the Nationalist People’s Coalition in a grand rally at the Rizal Plaza infront of the Calamba Municipal Hall in Calamba, Laguna.

Endorsed by the NPC through Senate President Vicente Sotto III were Senators Grace Poe, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, Juan Edgardo Angara, JV Ejercito, Aquilino Pimentel III and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV. NPC stalwart Sotto also announced that they are backing the senatorial bid of former presidential aide Christopher Go and former Senators Pia Cayetano and Lito Lapid.

In a statement, Poe said, “If there’s one person who I know will never abandon me, it is Senate President Next page Sotto.”

HE purported creator of the “Ang Totoong Narco-list” video series that linked President Rodrigo Duterte’s family to the narcotics trade surfaced Monday to seek legal aid and to deny any ties to the opposition Liberal Party.

In a press conference at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Peter Joemel Advincula said he is “Bikoy” in the online videos.

“I’m Bikoy. I’m a real person and not a figment of the imagination, contrary to what some people are saying,” Advincula said in Filipino.

“I’m here at the office of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to ask for legal assistance. I need a lawyer to submit my sworn statement and help me file cases against members of the syndicate,” he Next page added.

PNP-Cebu taking sides, Lacson says

By Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Panfilo Lacson on Monday asked the Commission on Elections to act on the intense political situation in Cebu City and accused the Philippine National Police of engaging in partisan politics there.

“Cebu City is a case of the PNP dipping their fingers into partisan local politics. The incumbent mayor has his hands full in dealing with his rival candidates and the city’s own police force. Comelec should step in before things get out of hand,” said Lacson in his Twitter account.

On Monday, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said during a political rally that the current Cebu City Next page

CamSur mayor, wife, bet survive ambush ONLY a week before the May 13 midterm elections, Garchitorena, Camarines Sur Mayor Nelson Bueza, his wife, his running mate and a driver were attacked by still unidentified armed men before dawn Monday but survived, police said.

They made the statement even as a regional court on Monday ordered the arrest of suspended Daraga, Albay Mayor Carlwyn Baldo in connection with the killing of AKO Bicol Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and his police escort in December last year.

According to Mark Makalalad’s report on Super Radyo dzBB, the issuance of the arrest warant was confirmed by Albay police chief Col. Wilson Asueta.

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RAMADAN BEGINS. Mulims pray at the Golden Mosque in Quiapo, Manila to mark the start Monday of the month-long Ramadan, with Muslims round the world abstaining from eating or drinking during daylight hours.

Norman Cruz

Rody calls on Muslim-Filipinos to pray for peace

By Nat Mariano AS THE observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan started on Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte called on the Muslim Filipinos to pray for peace, solidarity and understanding.

He said he was joining “the Muslim Filipino community here in the Philippines and across the globe in celebrating their faith in Allah.

“As one of the Five Pillars of Islam, may this period of fasting remind everyone of the values of sacrifice,

Fleas invade Paris police station

A POLICE station in northeastern Paris had to be evacuated on Sunday after it was invaded by fleas, a police union said.

“Police station closed until further notice!” read an notice stuck to the front door of the station, which is located in the 19th district of the French capital.

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patience, humility and obedience to the teachings of the Holy Month of Ramadan,” President Duterte said.

He made his statement even as the mufti of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao announced the start of Ramadan.

“By the authority vested in me as the mufti of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, I hereby declare that the fasting on the month of Ramadan for the year 2019 will start on Monday, May 6, 2019,” Mufti Abu Huraira Udasan repeatedly announced on Saturday night.

SC to ERC: Bid out power supply deals

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has rejected the orders of the Energy Regulatory Commission allowing the power supply agreements between Manila Electric Co. with the power generation companies without public bidding.

Voting 9-2 in a special session on May 3, the high court granted the petitions of consumer group Alyansa Para

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White House going to the dogs?

IT’S impossible to say who will take on Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, but if he is defeated by a Democrat, it’s likely that a dog will return to the White House after a multi-year absence.

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News

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Rights groups seek SC writ of amparo

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has been asked to provide protection against alleged threats and denunciation by President Rodrigo Duterte and his officials against cause-oriented groups—a euphemism for militant associations—as being fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Human rights group Karapatan led the filing of the petition for the issuance of a writ of amparo and habeas data along with the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines and Gabriela.

“Our filing of the petition for the writs of amparo and habeas data is a response to the worsening attacks, terrorist—tagging by the Philippine military and the ongoing smear campaign against human rights defenders,” the petitioners told the SC magistrates.

“Human rights advocacy is not a crime, yet human rights workers are being killed, threatened, harassed, and jailed on trumped up charges. We have never taken all these attacks sitting down, as we continue to work to confront this perilous political climate with all available remedies,” they said.

A writ of amparo is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity.

On the other hand, a writ of habeas data is a remedy available to any person whose right to privacy in life, liberty or security is violated or threatened by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity engaged in the gathering, collecting or storing of data or information.

The petitioners, through the National Union of People’s Lawyers, are seeking the destruction of all files or record on the petitioners gathered by the government.

Named respondents in the 45-page petition were President Duterte, National Security Adviser, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Benjamin Madrigal, AFP Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr; National Security Council Deputy Director General Vicente Agdamag, Philippine National Police Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management Senior Supt. Omega Jireh Fidel, Palace Undersecretary and Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security Joel Sy Egco, Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat Undersecretary Severo Catura and Presidential Communication Operations Office Undersecretary for New Media and External Affairs Lorraine Marie Badoy; and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo.

NPC...

From A1 “He is like a father to me and I believe in his leadership,” she said.

Poe, chairman of the Senate committee on public services, said the NPC endorsement inspired her to work harder.

“We are humbled and grateful,” Poe said.

When Sotto joined the senatorial race in 2016, he ran under Galing at Pagbabago, Poe’s political party in her presidential run.

Binay said she was thankful for the NPC endorsement. She said it was “heartwarming” that Sotto would recognize her achievements in her six-year stint as senator.

Aquino, Binay, Angara and Go were at the rally, but Pimentel was represented by his wife Kathy while Villar was represented by her daughter Camille.

The endorsement of the reelectionist senators by the party founded by former Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco was done during the national launch of Luntian Party-list’s “10-million trees challenge” Luntian Party-list first nominee Michael Ubac noted that their objective is not just to win a seat in Congress but to fight for the environment.

“We lose around 47,000 hectares of forest cover each year. And if we do not do anything to reverse ths trend, these losses wil have tragic consequences for our country’s biodiversity, water security and disaster prevention efforts,” he said.

The Palace on Monday said it was pleased that the religious group El Shaddai endorsed several Duterte-backed candidates gunning for Senate seats in the May 13 elections.

In a media briefing, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Palace respects the Catholic charismatic movement’s decision to endorse 10 of President Rodrigo Duterte’s preferred senatorial bets.

The Duterte-backed bets supported by El Shaddai are Villar, Pimentel, Angara and Ejercito. It also endorsed former Presidential Political Adviser Francis Tolentino, Go and former Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa and Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos.

Fleas...

From A1 In a fit of pique on Twitter, the Alliance police union said the station had been invaded by the blood-sucking pests, “making working conditions INTOLERABLE!!!”

Despite pest control efforts, the problem, which first surfaced three weeks ago, had not been eradicated with officers itching like crazy after suffering multiple bites, France Bleu Paris radio station reported.

And even off duty, some had inadvertently taken the fleas with them, with the high-hopping pests causing havoc back home, even biting their children, a union official told the station.

The Alliance union is demanding that the entire site be de-infested, saying it should have been done weeks ago.

Union officials are to meet on Monday with Interior Minister Christophe Castaner when they are sure to give him a flea in the ear. AFP

Yolanda, Marawi victims air plaints

By Ronald O. Reyes

T

ACLOBAN CITY―A week into the midterm elections, a group of typhoon and war survivors urged the candidates to include them in their agenda.

“The discourses in the election agenda did not seem to involve the Yolanda and Marawi survivors, said Lita Bagunas, storm survivor in Eastern Samar and member-leader of the Community of Yolanda Survivors and Partners.

She made her statement even as Rep. Ariel Casilao appealed to the electorate to vote for the candidates whose platform includes the attainment of rice self-sufficiency and food security to benefit the poor sectors.

He made the statement amid reports of

falling farmgate prices of unmilled across the country.

“There are around 2.3 million rice farmers in the country, and eight out of 10 villages are classified as rural, thus the issue of rice selfsufficiency is undeniably an electoral agenda, Casilao said.

Bagunas questioned the sincerity of the candidates after they found that most of them did not bother to include in their election agenda the unfinished rehabilitation

from the 2013 Super Typhoon “Yolanda” that leveled the central Philippines and the 2017 siege of Marawi.

“This may be a sign that things are slowing down on the rehabilitation front. Are the Yolanda and Marawi survivors no longer an important issue today? asked Bagunas, leader of Uswag-Este Katarungan.

Despite the report on the recommendation of the Senatorial Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement to file charges against the National Housing Authority and developers, CYSP said they were “cautious" that this may yet be another unfulfilled promise.

“We appreciate the announcement that the investigation has been concluded and that the Committee has established that substand-

ard houses were built, and that charges will be filed, said Vincent Basiano of G-Watch Tacloban.

In a statement, Basiano referred to the separate inquiries conducted by Congress that began in 2017, where a whistleblower revealed the alleged practices of using materials other than those specified, among other things.

“As a result, the construction of housing units in the Eastern Samar towns were stopped due to the termination of contracts.

Recently, residents noticed that work has again started in these sites, Basiano said.

Fara Diva Cortez of the Freedom from Debt Coalition said they were “more worried that the questions on the units’ structural integrity had been buried under paint.” With Maricel V. Cruz

Suspect in Filipinos' slay haled to court

LAST RESPECTS. President Rodrigo Duterte pays his last respects to former House Speaker Prospero Nograles at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City on May 5, 2019. Presidential Photo

‘Bikoy’...

From A1 The YouTube clips entitled “Totoong Narco-list” claimed drug money was funneled into the bank accounts of Duterte’s son, former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte, his son-in-law Manases Carpio and former aide Christopher “Bong” Go. They also tagged Duterte’s partner Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña and their daughter Kitty as having benefitted from drug money.

“Bikoy,” a hooded figure in the videos, claimed that he used to keep financial records for the drug syndicate that allegedly had dealings with the Duterte family.

Advincula came out into the open following the arrest of Rodel Jayme, who admitted to creating a website that hosted the Totoong Narco-list videos. Jayme said two backers of the opposition Liberal Party tapped him to create the website.

Advincula said he used to work as a marketing executive of VitaPlus, a franchise of the First Quadrant multilevel marketing company.

In February 2010, Advincula said his boss, Tess Rañola, transferred him to the narcotics syndicate’s underground facility in Misibis Bay where he worked as a control man of the radio base and CCTV operations.

Later, Advincula said he was later transferred to the transmitting and facilitating team where he worked on the “tara” or monthly allocations of drug money to several personalities. He said it was his job to scan the codes on the dragon tattoos of both Paolo Duterte and Go. “Part of what we’re doing of our team is to scan the codes that had been engraved into the tattoo of the senior members of the syndicate like Paolo Duterte and Bong Go. Then these were sent to financial controller of the syndicate based in Hong Kong in order to validate these transactions,” Advincula said.

Advincula admitted that in 2012, he was sued for estafa and given a six-year jail sen-

PNP-Cebu...

From A1 Police Office commander, Royina Garma received P1 million in payoffs weekly during her stint as Chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in in Bohol.

Garma, who is at odds with the mayor, denied the allegation.

Reading from a letter allegedly sent to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Osmeña said Garma received a P1-million payoff from illegal gambling operation financiers.

Four other police officials were also mentioned in the letter.

In a report published by Cebu-based Sunstar, Garma denied the allegation, saying she was already serving in Cebu when the reports surfaced in November last year.

“I was already relieved [as CIDG 7 Director] and that’s not an issue for me. No big deal. I did not receive anything,” she said.

“How about him? Ask him about the drug allegation against him, that’s more plausible.

Let him open his campaign funds,” she added.

SC...

From A1 Sa Bagong Pilipinas Inc. and the Bayan Muna party-list group questioning the 2015 resolutions of the ERC that postponed the implementation of its own policy requiring the competitive selection process for the PSAs. Meanwhile, the Manila Electric Company said its customers in select areas will experience power interruptions this week as it is set to undertake reconstruction works.

The high court ruled that the ERC commit-

tence in connection with documents he signed when he was working with VitaPlus.

However, he was freed in 2016 for good behavior and found a new job.

The purported creator “Ang Totoong Narco-list” said he went into hiding after Bong Go spotted him in his new job during a gathering.

He said a colleague told him to leave because his life was in danger.

At the press conference, Advincula denied any links to a political party or the LP-backed Otso Diretso senatorial candidates.

“I have no connection to any candidate, especially the candidates of Otso Diretso, or any political party,” he said.

He also denied knowing Jayme, as well as any media personality or institution recently accused by the Palace of orchestrating a plot to overthrow the government.

“I’m ready to appear before any investigation by the Senate to substantiate all the allegations I made the series of videos that I released, Advincula said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Advincula should go prove his allegations against members of the first family and other people he implicated in his videos.

“This guy who says that he is ‘Bikoy’ should now go to the NBI and file his complaint, if he has sufficient evidence against members of the first family,” he said in a text message when sought for reaction.

On Monday, the Justice Department approved the indictment of Jayme.

Inquest proesecutors said they found probable cause to file a case for inciting to sedition under the Revised Penal Code against Jayme, the creator of metrobalita.net,where YouTube links to the videos were reportedly first posted.

The formal charge will be filed before the Parañaque regional trial court today.

If convicted, Jayme could be imprisoned for up to 12 years.

The investigating panel of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Anna Noreen Devanadera and Associate Prosecution Attorney Mary Grace Arboladura found that Jayme’s creation

A CYPRIOT army officer who has allegedly confessed to killing seven foreign women and girls over nearly three years appeared in court Sunday, while police said they had recovered a fifth body.

Captain Nicos Metaxas, 35, has not yet been formally charged over the murders —dubbed the Mediterranean island’s first serial killings, which have unleashed anger against what the president described as police “negligence”.

Police told reporters on Sunday that they had retrieved a suitcase containing the remains of a human body at an acidic manmade lake southwest of Nicosia—the second such find in eight days.

The body found on Sunday at the lake near the village of Mitsero is in an “advanced state of decomposition,” police spokesman Andreas Angelides said.

He said a post-mortem would be carried out but did not say whether the body was that of an adult or a child.

Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros reported that the body found on Sunday was that of a child. of the website and his use of it to circulate videos that insinuated the involvement of the President and his family in the drug trade was used for the purpose of weakening the confidence of the people in government and stir up dissent against it.

The prosecutors also upheld the validity of the arrest of Jayme, saying he was subjected to surveillance by the National Bureau of Investigation.

They said since the videos continue to circulate, the crime is unfolding.

The panel also recommended further investigation by the NBI to identify other unidentified individuals responsible for the actual production and posting of the videos.

At the grand rally of the Nationalist People’s Coalition in Calamba, Laguna, Go denied knowing Advincula or being involved in illegal drugs.

Go even removed his shirt to show he had no dragon tattoo, and invited Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, who was at the same event, to touch his back to verify if he was concealing anything. When Aquino declined to do so, Go approached Senate President Vicente Sotto III to show him his back.

Go said Advincula went to the wrong place when he went to the IBP, saying he should have gone to the mental hospital instead.

Senator Panfilo Lacson assailed the IBP for providing Advincula a forum to air his accusations even though they had not yet evaluated his allegations.

“I hope the IBP will give the same amount of attention and assistance to anybody seeking legal assistance. Otherwise, they might be misunderstood as engaging in political partisanship which could punch a hole and deflate their credibility,” he said.

Rep. Tom Villarin said Monday the man claiming to be Bikoy should be afforded legal support and protection as he files a case against those he implicated.

“These are very serious allegations that should not be dismissed by authorities. If substantiated by evidence, then the full force of the law must be applied,” Villarin said.

Garma also said the accusations against her surfaced when reports that she would replace the general manager of PCSO came out. “They kept on maligning my reputation last year. My conscience is clean, I did not receive anything.”

The Comelec has already declared the entire Mindanao Island Group as a “Category Red Election Hotspot” in connection with the coming midterm polls.

“The Mindanao Island Group is joined by other Category Red hotspots—Jones, Isabela; Lope de Vega, Northern Samar; and the entire province of Abra.”

Nineteen cities and towns also have already been identified by the Philippine National Police as hotspots this coming elections.

The 19 have been categorized as each having a tense political atmosphere arising from rivalries among aspirants and existing private armed groups and other threat groups.

On Monday, PNP chief Oscar Albayalde urged the public to remain vigilant against vote buying in their respective areas, a day after police arrested 10 supporters of Cavite gubernatorial candidate Jonvic Remulla for buying votes in Bacoor City.

CamSur...

From A1

ted grave abuse of discretion in issuing Resolutions No. 13 and No. 1 that postponed the implementation of Circular No. DC2015-060008, which mandated all distribution utilities to undergo CSP in securing PSAs. ERC Resolution No. 13 no longer required a CSP for PSAs already filed with the ERC on or before Nov. 7, 2015, while Resolution No. 1 postponed the implementation of the CSP requirement to April 30, 2016.

The high court ruled that the authority of the ERC was limited to the implementation of the CSP, and that the ERC had no power and authority to postpone the CSP’s application that became effective on June 30, 2015.

Rody...

From A1

The warrant for two counts of murder was signed by Legazpi City Regional Trial Court Branch 10 Judge Maria Theresa Loquillano.

The 57-year-old reelectionist Bueza and wife Yolly, 50; Garchitorena town councilor and vice mayoral candidate Marcelo Aragdon, 58; and driver Errol Arcilla, 30, were aboard an SUV and negotiating Fuentebella Highway in Toytoy village when gunmen attacked them around 1:25 a.m.

The victims were going home from Tigaon town, also in Camarines Sur. Police said aside from gunshots, an explosion was also heard during the ambush.

The four were unharmed, according to police, but the vehicle was damaged by a suspected improvised explosive device.

Investigators are trying to determine if the ambush was related to the local election.

Bueza and Aragdon are running under the Nationalist People’s Coalition party.

Muslims fast for at least 14 hours daily on Ramadan from mid-dawn to sunset, abstaining from food and drink after the suhur as the early dawn meal is called.

Duterte said let the observance be a “solemn opportunity to ask God’s forgiveness for the sins we have committed and to be thankful for the all the blessings we have received in the past year.

“I trust that you will offer sincere prayers for peace, solidarity and understanding among our people and all of humanity.”

Metaxas has allegedly confessed to the murder of five women, alongside daughters of two of the women—a six-year-old Filipina and a Romanian girl.

The killings came to light in mid-April when unusually heavy rains brought the body of 38-year-old Filipina Mary Rose Tiburcio to the surface of the disused mine shaft where it had been hidden.

That triggered a murder investigation which led to Metaxas being arrested on April 18.

Days later, authorities found the body of a second woman in the shaft, believed to be Arian Palanas Lozano, 28, also from the Philippines.

These are the only two women to be officially identified.

The suspect then guided investigators to a well near an army firing range outside the capital, where police found the body of a third victim—a woman thought to be from Nepal.

Police last Sunday recovered the remains of a fourth victim, stuffed in a suitcase at the bottom of the lake at Mitsero. AFP

Bulusan acting up; 5.4 quake in Ilocos THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised Alert Level 1 over Mount Bulusan due to increased seismic activity, a day before a magnitude 5.4 tremor shook parts of the Ilocos and Cagayan.

From May 4 to 5, PHIVOLCS recorded a total of 16 volcanic earthquakes, according to the agency’s Bulusan Volcano Bulletin on Sunday.

It also noted the active volcano’s tilt data from April 29 to May 5 which indicated a slight inflation in the upper slopes.

The agency also observed increase in water temperature of nearby hot springs.

PHIVOLCS said that raising Alert Level 1 or abnormal status “indicates that hydrothermal processes may be under way beneath the volcano that may lead to steam-driven eruption.”

PHIVOLCS said the quake in Ilocos Norte and Cagayan was tectonic in origin with a depth of 15 kilometers.

Intensity V was felt in Pasuquin, Bacarra and Laoag City, and in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Meanwhile, Intensity IV was felt in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

Intensity III was recorded in Sinait and Santa, Ilocos Sur, and in Sudipen, La Union, and Intensity II was reported in Baguio City.

With increased volcanic activity, the agency reminded residents and local government units near the volcano to avoid entry into the 4-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone around the volcano. PNA

White House...

From A1

Whether named Maple, Bailey, Champ or Skye, a dog appears to be a must-have accessory for Democratic candidates seeking to take on Trump, who stands out from his predecessors for, among other reasons, not having a pet.

From the third minute of the speech launching his campaign on April 14, Democratic phenomenon Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of the city of South Bend in the state of Indiana, brought his two dogs to the fore.

“I grew up in South Bend, in the same neighborhood where Chasten (his husband) and I live today, with our two dogs, Buddy and Truman,” Buttigieg said.

The couple’s two dogs have their own Twitter account with nearly 70,000 followers.

Canine photo line Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts also placed her golden retriever front and center in her bid for America’s highest office, putting the dog on the same footing as her husband.

“Today, I thought I’d bring the two guys in my life: Bruce and Bailey. If anyone wants to stay around and take a picture, I’ll be here and we can do that, and Bailey will be out there with his own separate photo line,” she said to delighted cheers from supporters.

Photos and videos show her bathing Bailey or taking selfies with the pooch. AFP Despite differences in religion, cultural tradition and political belief, Duterte assured the public that his administration would “strive to unite all Filipinos.”

“Together, let us create the change that we have been aspiring for―the social and moral transformation that is real and meaningful and the lasting progress that will uplift the lives of our kababayans. I wish you an inspiring and blessed Ramadan,” he said.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Palace was one with the “Muslim-Filipino brethren and sisters here and abroad in this time of spiritual cleansing, growth and thanksgiving to Allah.”

News

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TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Gov’t to probe Chinese-run restaurant T

By Nat Mariano

HE government will investigate reports that some Chinese establishments allegedly refuse to accept Filipino customers out of exclusivity to only cater to Chinese nationals, Malacañang said on Monday.

In a Palace press briefing, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Chinese-run businesses could not be discriminating against Filipinos.

“We have to investigate that if that is true. We cannot allow that to happen.

They cannot be discriminating against Filipinos; It’s a public business, therefore, it should cater to all,” Panelo said.

According to him, the Palace will tap the Department of Labor and Employment to verify complaints against the

supposed rejection of Filipino customers.

“We have to investigate first the truth of the report. We will ask [Labor] Secretary Bello to conduct an investigation on the same,” he added.

The Palace official then advised Filipinos, who have experienced the said problem, could lodge a complaint with the Department of Trade and Industry or the concerned local government unit.

“The better step or thing to do is to file a complaint. [If] you engage the owner

or try to force yourself, then you will only trigger a fight,” Panelo said.

“If there is a complaint and they validate that it has violated a law, then the LGU should do their job.”

Senator Panfilo Lacson previously urged the government to shut down establishments exclusively catering to Chinese nationals in the country.

For Lacson, Filipinos might be treated like second-class citizens in their own country if the alleged action persists.

He also claimed that allowing Chinese nationals to put up small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country could deprive Filipino entrepreneurs of same opportunities.

“If investors coming from China would do business even in SMEs, that will be alarming because many of our countrymen will be deprived of investment opportunities,” he said.

“[I]f they come here with billions of pesos [to invest], there’s no reason why we should not welcome them because that will help our economy to grow,” Lacson said.

“What’s worrisome is if the Chinese investors would compete in running variety stores, restaurants and merchandising, which only require small investment money,” he said.

In his visit to Beijing last week, the President vowed to leaders of Philippine and Chinese business conglomerates that the government would create an enabling environment that allows prospective foreign investors’ business establishments and investments to prosper.

In a related development: • Senator Aquilino Pimentel III noted that business firms operating in the Philippines were not allowed to discriminate.

“Limiting customers to Chinese people

only is a form of discrimination,” he said.

Pimentel said if Filipino-owned business establishments were not allowed to do this then all the more foreign-owned businesses here in the Philippines should not be allowed to do what Filipinos could not do under the law.

He said the law must be enforced evenly especially that this form of discrimination was directed against the Filipino.

“If the Filipino is the victim of the discrimination! Close them down for violating the constitution,” further stated the former Senate President.

Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor and employment committee, said all establishments, whether MSMEs or large corporations, must comply with our laws on nationality, such as the Retail Trade Law and the MSME Law. With Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

MMDA bus ban dry run suspended

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority on Monday announced it was temporarily suspending the dry run of a new policy not allowing provincial buses to enter Epifanio delos Santos Avenue.

MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said the dry run was temporarily halted pending the meeting among officials of the MMDA, Department of Transportation and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

“We will continue with the dry run once the guidelines and implementing rules have been ironed out by the three agencies involved,” Garcia said.

The MMDA told legislators that its policy to ban provincial buses along EDSA needed a thorough evaluation, MMDA traffic chief Bong Nebrija told House reporters.

Nebrija said the decision of the MMDA to suspend such policy was intended to avoid inconvenience to passengers during the May 13 midterm poll.

He made the statement after the MMDA called off the scheduled May 15 dry run of the provincial bus ban along EDSA. “We decided to suspend it. Among the reasons for the suspension is the scheduled elections next week. In order not to delay commuters going to their provinces this coming election to vote, we decided to suspend it,” said Nebrija at the sidelines of the joint hearing of the House committees on appropriations and on transportation and on oversight on public expenditures led by Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

But Nebrija clarified the provincial bus ban policy would still be enforced at the soonest possible time.

“We’re just suspending it, we’re not cancelling it. We’re just suspending,” he said.

According to Garcia, the MMDA does not want the policy to be politicized at this time when politics was too dominant because of the coming elections.

Solon welcomes Maternity Leave Act

By Maricel V. Cruz TINGOG first nominee and Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez on Monday welcomed the full implementation of the 105-day Expanded Maternity Leave Act, and reiterated her call that the law should not be used as an excuse to discriminate women in workplaces.

Romualdez, one of the measure’s authors, lauded the government for recently signing Republic Act 11210 measure’s implementing rules.

“We congratulate again President Rodrigo Duterte and his officials for championing the women’s welfare and rights. Now that the IRR has been signed, we should focus now on its full implementation,” said Romualdez, the chairperson of the House committee on accounts.

At the same time, Romualdez appealed anew to employers to implement the law to the fullest by not discriminating women.

“I am appealing once again for us to remain steadfast in fighting discrimination against women, especially our Constitution recognizes the role of women in nationbuilding and promotes equality for them,” said Romualdez.

RA 11210 grants the 105-day paid maternity leave for expectant working mothers in public and private sectors with an option to extend an additional 30 days without pay.

“This will provide better benefits to ordinary working women. It’s really difficult to recover, especially if the delivery is through caesarian, I can relate to this experience,” said Romualdez, a mother of four, adding that the law would help alleviate the issue of mothers leaving their babies for work.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Imponderables in elections OVER a week ago, mock elections among students were held. They were asked to vote for their 12 favored senatorial candidates.

Contrary to every previous survey released by the two mainstream survey firms, Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia, opposition candidates, the “Ocho Diretso,” came out on top.

Administration candidates hardly made it.

This comes as no surprise. I have seen elections in my nearly seven decades as a journalist and it has been proven that the youth vote could differ from the masa vote.

My gulay, we won’t go far back: Just look at the data from the 2016 mock elections. At Ateneo, Manuel “Mar” Roxas II won with 37.22 percent of the votes.

We do not need these candidates. It is they who need us!

At the University of the Philippines, the late Miriam Defensor Santiago took the top spot with 57.04 percent of the votes.

Roxas and Santiago were graduates of these respective schools where they topped the polls.

Lawyers Chel Diokno and Neri Colmaneras also ranked high in the University of the Philippines Diliman, Manila and Baguio campuses.

But that bias is not limited to school spirit. Another one doing remarkably well in the university mock polls is reelectionist Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, who is currently dangling at the edge of the Magic 12 in the SWS and

Pulse Asia. Among students, Bam Aquino regularly figures in the Top 5, usually neck-in-neck with the supposed youth favorite, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay.

While Bam is undoubtedly one of the finest and most accomplished Ateneo alumnus, his appeal among students is predictable. After all, he is the principal sponsor of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, otherwise known as Free Tuition Law. Santa Banana, if that does not score points with the youth, I don’t know what else will!

Christopher Lawrence Go who is consistently among the Top 5 in the mainstream surveys seems to have nothing to offer to youth voters.

Students definitely go by a different lens.

Other names who failed to make it in the mock polls were Lito Lapid, Ronald dela Rosa, Imee Marcos, Bong Revilla, and Jinggoy Estrada.

My gulay, even in these survey results, you can see opposing views between the idealistic youth and the general populace! The youth value different things, and expect certain qualities from their candidates.

Ultimately, mock elections and surveys, big or small, commercial or independent, will always be biased or slanted in some way.

We must remember that many have fought and died for the democracy that we enjoy today. Respect yourself and your right to vote. Deliberate over your choice and think hard how it will affect you and your country.

There are so many imponderables in our elections it’s really impossible to predict who will win.

I already mentioned the youth vote.

There are also bloc votes like the Iglesia ni Cristo and the El Shaddai.

There is also cheating, whether we like it or not. It occurs when votes are transmitted from precincts to the provincial and then to the Comelec.

There are always little Garcellanos at Comelec. This is where dagdag-bawas comes in.

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Suggesting to the flock

C

HARISMATIC group El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde endorsed the candidacies of 14 senatorial bets in a grand rally over the weekend.

Velarde said the 14 candidates were close to the flock and not just during election season, and that they had answers to the pressing problems of the country. Some of the 14 candidates have been seen with Velarde in recent weeks during prayer vigils.

El Shaddai has an estimated following of 8 million members.

Other religious groups are expected to follow suit, with elections being just a few days away.

Religious blocs have the practice of endorsing candi-

dates to their flock. Depending on the organization, such endorsements can range from being suggestions to instructions.

For some people, it’s tempting to rely on the supposedly good judgment of their religious leaders. The assumption, however, is that the list has been deliberated, using strict selection criteria. Of course, everybody knows that obtaining these endorsements is a result of wheeling and dealing.

It’s good that religious groups offer a measure of guidance to their members

on how they should exercise their sacred right to vote. A better guide would be, however, a way to arrive at a good choice, with helpful and verifiable information to use as basis for such. It’s providing them the tools to arrive at good choices without impinging on their independence and ability to think for themselves.

It is one thing to endorse and quite another to demand a unified vote. The latter just breeds anew a generation of lazy voters.

Let such endorsements not be mistaken for Gospel truth. What religious leaders should be telling their flock is to think critically and not be swayed by bandwagons and propaganda.

Turn to A5

Hope for our islands ON MAY 13, Filipinos will go to the polls to elect our local and national officials. It is a significant time for all of us because our choices will determine how our country will be run for the next three years and the immediate future. The gospel for this coming Sunday, May 12, the day before the election and which happens to be the Fourth Sunday of Easter, is apropos because in the Gospel Jesus is telling his disciples that He is the shepherd who leads His sheep not to perdition but to eternal life.

In many ways, our local and national leaders take on the mantle and staff of our Lord Jesus Christ as leaders of their own sheep. During the campaign, they make a lot of promises but unfortunately many do not have the intention of keeping them. They make promises to win votes.

Demagogues are the opposite of Jesus who offer themselves as saviors but in reality they only want power, wealth and all the perks of high position. These are wolves in sheep’s clothing. But let us take the example of Jesus who promises nothing but eternal life for his faithful.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

And so we have to measure all candidates based on the yardstick that Jesus has shown us—faithful, obedient to the will of the Father, and who promises nothing that he cannot keep.

The Gospel says that Jesus knows every one of us. There is no strand of hair in us that is not accounted for. He knows our weaknesses and our strengths, our fears, and joys, our needs and abundance.

In the same manner, a good leader is one who is attuned to the needs of his constituents. He is not one who presents himself to the electorate as a messiah but in reality is detached from the needs of people and their interests and welfare have never been his priority.

The Gospel also tells us that the sheep hears the voice of the Lord. Thus, they are willing to follow him. In like manner, the people of God are always conscious or aware of what God wants for them. Because in the end, the will of the Father is perfect and will be good for

his flock. And so as voters, we must also choose the leaders who we know would be faithful to the authority entrusted to them, those who would never allow self-interest and greed to reign over their being while in the performance of their functions; those who do not lead scandalously immoral lives. We must be discerning, wise in voting, never allowing the glitter of money and gold to sway our good judgment. As responsible citizens, we must not allow intimidation and threat to influence our votes because in every election, the future of our and younger generations are always at stake.

The reason why so many societies are so dysfunctional is because people are so blinded and deaf in choosing those who would lead them year after year.

Sometimes, we do not learn from the past.

Many are more than willing to vote for those who in the past have shown to be corrupt, those who enriched themselves, and are incompetent. Sadly, many of us are more than willing to elect this kind of people over and over again every election time. It is said that “Every country has the government it deserves” and “In a democracy people get the leaders they deserve.” If we do not get the best of

Comelec foot-dragging on Dapitan City row?

I am sure of this. governance, it may be because we do not choose well and wisely. The Gospel shows us how to exercise this sacred freedom to choose the leaders of government. No one is perfect so we cannot expect our leaders to be Christ-like. Yet despite the weakness of human nature, it pays to know the qualities of a good leader as shown by Our Lord Jesus Christ. A selfless, loving leader, one who empathizes with his constituents, intelligent, one who leads by example, one who strictly follows moral standards—these are some essential traits that we have to look in our leaders.

And so, this coming week is a critical one for the future of Filipinos. We know that our democracy and its concomitant freedoms and rights are imperiled by destructive forces, internal and external.

But let not these intimidate us because we, by our collective power, have shown in the past that we are capable of choosing our destiny, and choose it well.

Last week, I had the good experience of visiting the province of Batanes. I asked former Budget Secretary Butch Turn to A5

WILL the Commission on Elections end up deciding the outcome of Dapitan City’s mayoralty contest “by omission”?

This appears to be the current speculation among the historic city’s political observers as the electoral body is perceived to be dragging its feet on a crucial petition filed by one of the aspirants for the hotly-contested seat.

We had previously shared with our readers an ongoing guessing game among political pundits as to how the Comelec will resolve the petition of former Dipolog City Mayor Evelyn Uy. In that petition, Uy—who has mounted a serious challenge against incumbent Dapitan City Mayor Nene Jalosjos-Johnson—asked the Comelec to uphold the decision of the Regional Trial Court which ruled that she meets residency requirements to be a registered voter of Dapitan City and can

The poll body can still take advantage of whatever time is left. therefore pursue her bid.

Uy brought the matter up to the court following a move by the Dapitan City Election Registration Board (ERB) to declare her ineligible for inclusion in the list of voters. The board said Uy did not have the necessary proof that she intends to reside in Dapitan City since she had no property nor business registered in her name in that place.

The court overturned the ERB resolution and even called attention to what the court felt was “political harassment” against Uy. The court also noted that the board appeared to have “gone out of its way” to look for anything it can use to prove that Uy had failed to meet the residency requirements. The

court also reminded the board that owning a property is not a requirement to establish residency in a locality where one intends to be registered as a voter.

We echoed the views that the Comelec may end up giving the powerful Jalosjos political clan a major threat to its tenuous hold on what many say is its last political stronghold. This would happen if the Comelec finally rules that Uy has met the questioned residency requirements.

On the other hand, the Comelec may also end up deciding for itself who the mayor of Dapitan City will be—by turning its back on the Regional Trial Court ruling and disqualifying Uy from the race. That would mean a walk in the park for Jalosjos-Johnson. Sans a serious rival, it would be like Comelec serving the Dapitan City Hall on a silver platter to the powerful clan, observers say.

Now, it looks like the Comelec may have found a way out of this dilemma.

Talk is rife that the Comelec may opt to just “shelve” the issue, make it languish in some department within the Comelec, or have it “studied thoroughly” by a legal Turn to A5

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Opinion

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

Senate race: Otso Diretso can spring a surprise

After the elections STILL more good news this week for the administration from Social Weather Stations, which announced that overall satisfaction with the President as of first quarter this year had improved to an “Excellent” +72 from a “Very good” +66 in the previous quarter. It is the highest score ever achieved by any president since SWS first started tracking net satisfaction 30 years ago under President Cory.

At least among the broadsheets I subscribe to, only this paper headlined the SWS survey, last Sunday. The yellow rag Inquirer buried the story in its inside pages with not even a story head on the front page. Clearly they don’t want to draw too much attention to this latest broadside against the fast-sinking ship of the Otso sa Nitso crew.

It only promises to get worse for that motley crew. The credit rating agency S&P just upgraded Philippine sovereign debt to “BBB+”, only one notch away from breaking into the sterling “A” league tables, which our country has never achieved. Credit for this must also be shared with previous administrations, starting with former President Arroyo who managed to reverse the downward slide of our ratings on her watch.

Together with the upgrade story, this week’s news will again be dominated by breaking political endorsements from this or that non-political grouping. If and when it comes out, the INC statement is likely to echo the support given to administration candidates by its Catholic rival El Shaddai.

Mike Velarde is no bishop, of course, but his break toward Duterte signals that there is no “one true solid Catholic” [and yellow] vote.

Providentially, the absence of a “Catholic vote” may well preserve the Church’s prestige from the ignominy of an electoral rout of Otso sa Nitso.

Filipinos who’ve been Christians for centuries—most of them under the heavy hand of Catholic Spanish colonizers—are quite aware of the distinction between a transcendental and a temporal Church.

They know that the Jesus they worship did not lend His endorsement to any politicians—not the Sanhedrin (who accused Him), not the Roman procurator (who crucified Him), not even the Jewish revolutionaries (one of whom went free as the price of His execution). The business of politicians (whether of the cursing variety or not) is ultimately only of this world, and so it will always fall short of the only prize that Jesus ever really wanted: the saving of souls. *** However, even at this distance from the heavenly realm, there is still much that is worth doing for the saving of bodies (not souls).

This week is the final week of an oddly unexciting campaign. Given the likelihood of a virtual rout of the opposition next Monday (with perhaps only Bam Aquino surviving the landslide), we can look forward to three more years of a powerful and popular Duterte presidency.

Barring accidents or “zero dark thirty” mischief, the only exception to this scenario would be the President himself stepping down earlier. It’s a desire that I wouldn’t begrudge a 72-year-old man with health issues. Unfortunately for his supporters, stepping down seems to

We can look forward to three more years of a powerful and popular Duterte presidency.

be something he really does want to do, as he’s said again and again during his advocacy of federalist Charter change.

In the first draft of the new “Bayanihan Constitution” proposed by his handpicked consultative committee (ConCom), Duterte was explicitly excluded from running again in 2022. But after seeing the draft, the President wanted even more. He asked the Con-Com to add language in the second draft that would also exclude him from becoming the “transition president” of a transition administration that would lead the country upon approval of the new Charter until the holding of the 2022 elections.

This presidential preference should be taken seriously by both current and presumptive new members of the Senate, a body that has had no compunction about blocking Duterte on issues ranging from Charter change to the current budget.

With the expected anti-opposition landslide next Monday, the President may well have the three-fourths Senate majority he needs to approve a new Constitution via a “constituent assembly” or Con-Ass, together with the much more compliant House. He can then look forward to enjoying more time watching his favorite Netflix titles back in Davao. *** Then again, Duterte may not get that three-fourths—not if some of those selfappointed presidentiables who perennially pack the Senate decide that they want to block him yet again. If that happens, those spoilers should remember that it will only take a simple majority of the Senate— something that Duterte can more easily assemble—to endorse the creation of a “constitutional convention” or Con-con to rewrite the Charter.

Holding a Con-con would add at most a year to Charter change, still within Duterte’s balance in office. More

importantly, it would totally exclude the senators (as well as the congressmen) from the Charter-writing process. Those Con-con delegates would then be free, for example, to do the following under a new federal set-up: Adopt a unicameral parliament and abolish the Senate entirely. This is something Senegal has already done, just to “save money”. Considering the Ps 15-B new building that the senators voted for themselves, that sounds like a pretty good reason to send them all packing.

Maintain the Senate as a regionally elected body with much more limited and consultative powers, focused on advocating for their respective home regions. In the extreme case, they would no longer enjoy the power to originate new legislation themselves.

Ignore the fate of those senators who might be caught mid-term by a federal transition and thus be prevented from serving out their current terms in full.

Why should they expect any sympathy from Con-con delegates who owe them nothing?

In the United States, the Senate has been the mechanism by which the 50 states continue to assert their original and residual sovereignties. In our country, the Senate was set up as a forum and training ground for elder statesmen deemed to be among the country’s best and brightest— the likes of Recto, Tanada, Diokno, Marcos.

Today no one would think of making the same claim about the current crop.

It’s now up to the senators to protect their institutional prerogatives as best they can by working with—not against—a popular president who wants federalism, right now and not later. *** Today’s first reading (Acts 7: 51 – 8:1) recounts the death by stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. By asserting before the Jewish Sanhedrin that Jesus was above Moses, Stephen did in fact apostasize against Mosaic law. Among the instigators of the stoning was the young Jewish scholar Saul, who “was consenting to his execution”.

It was this same Saul, reborn as Paul, who would later substantially finish the task Stephen started, by laying the teaching foundations for a new Christian church in the non-Jewish world. Both Saul and Stephen, killer and victim, evangelized for a Jesus who made the audacious claim— following His miraculous multiplication of the loaves—that “I am the bread of life” for whoever comes to Him (John 6: 30-35).

Today ecumenism is more popular than evangelization, when even the highest Church leaders are saying that the multiplicity of religions is somehow “willed by God”. Today is a good time to reflect upon St. Paul and St. Stephen, who taught otherwise.

Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@ yahoo.com.

Peaceful polls unlikely in Balaoan LESS than one week before election day, Balaoan town in La Union remains gripped by terror as politically-motivated violence continues to shed blood on the campaign scene.

Baloanons are hoping against hope that law and order would finally prevail.

Unfortunately, the Philippine National Police and the Commission on Elections seem to turn a blind eye to the impunity of political violence. The local police force has been rendered useless, even as it has denied taking sides in favor of a retired police general who’s gunning for the mayoral post against incumbent Mayor Aleli Concepcion of PDP-Laban.

Concepcion’s camp retrieved CCTV footages linking the attacks to the mayor’s rival candidate, retired police general Pedro Obaldo Jr. who vehemently denied the accusations. Balaoan Police, however,

Comelec...

From A4

staff—until after the May 13 polls.

It may even rule that Uy is qualified to run after all—except that by the time a ruling of that sort comes out, “tapos na ang boksing,” as the saying goes.

This may be the safest option for the Comelec at this point. It cannot be faulted for “taking the necessary steps” as it reviews the petition of Uy. It can always argue that the process takes time and unfortunately there was not enough time to rule on it before election day.

This perception among Dapitan City voters and observers cannot be helped.

The May 13 polls is just a few days away. Without the Comelec’s decision on Uy’s petition, the challenger is unable to campaign and the incumbent is able to go around telling everyone that it is all over but the shouting.

This has been the worry among

did not even question Obaldo or his men.

Also, Balaoan residents’ cries for justice for last November’s ambushkilling of Aleli’s dad, Vice Mayor Al-Fred Concepcion, seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The murdered official was a wellloved three-term mayor. Aleli ran and won to take his place.

In the latest incident in a spate of attacks, Aleli’s relative and ally Councilor Rogelio Concepcion’s group was ambushed after attending a dead supporter’s wake.

Concepcion and his driver sustained at least seven gunshot wounds but both survived to talk about their brush with death.

They said they were waylaid by at least four heavily armed attackers, believed to be Obaldo’s men, from a distance of 25 to 30 meters, indicating the four were welltrained.

The Concepcion camp suspects some policemen moonlighting as “goons” of Obaldo are involved in the attacks against her relatives and allies.

Previously, Aleli’s staunch supporters were targeted, namely Fernando Uy and

Barangay Bulbulan chairman Aristedes Marion. Their homes were rained down with bullets believed to be fired by Obaldo’s men.

When I questioned Obaldo in an interview over Radyo ng Bayan, he denied employing goons. But when I asked about the videos that went viral in social media showing him campaigning along with his heavily-armed aides, the ex-general had no comment.

Balaoan residents fear further attacks and acts of terrorism come election day if the PNP authorities fails to do their duty “to serve and protect” and help ensure clean, honest, and peaceful polls.

The entire local police force should be relieved immediately for allowing violence to take place in their area of jurisdiction.

Obviously, they know who is behind in all these spate of senseless killings, yet they refuse to take action for either they are scared or they are simply paid to keep their eyes and ears shut during this election period.

Paging Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abbas.

observers: that the Comelec may end up being perceived as having deprived the voters of Dapitan City a chance to exercise their power of choice. This is unfair, not just to Uy but to the Jalosjoses themselves.

True, most politicians might prefer to run unopposed. However, the absence of a serious opponent may also deprive them of the chance to test the confidence of their constituents in their leadership.

That is what elections are all about— getting a mandate from the governed.

Without an opponent, the mandate would not be clear. This is why some candidates at the local level who are running unopposed are still moving heaven and earth to get voters to go out and cast their votes for them come election day.

They want that clear mandate from those they will lead for the next three years.

Our view is that the public must not be too hasty in judging the Comelec.

The body must be given the benefit of the doubt. We must presume that the Comelec has the best interest of the voters in mind.

Perhaps, the Comelec en banc should take a look at the Uy petition. The en banc may not be aware that some subalterns, for whatever reason, may be taking their sweet time. The apparent foot-dragging just might bring about the consequence political observers have feared all along— that the Comelec may be suspected of having given the mayoralty seat back to the incumbent without the benefit of a well-fought election and simply by “failing” to act on the Uy petition.

This will be tragic for Dapitan City. It will also be unfortunate on the part of the Comelec. This could be an instance where a failure to act with dispatch on an important matter may have far-reaching effects on the political landscape of that historic city and on the lives of its residents.

Still, the public must be fair to the Comelec. Even if time is short, there is still time. The Comelec can still take advantage of whatever time is left. ernhil@yahoo.com

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

THE way the administration has been making it appear—and the media have been reporting it—the election of the incoming 12 senators is over. The gods, i.e., polling institutions SWS (Social Weather Stations) and Pulse Asia, have spoken: the so-called Magic 12 selected by their supposedly-representativeresidents are the dozen men and women who, come July, will be taking their oaths of office as Senators of the incoming 18th Congress. Nothing more need be done by anyone; the Otso Diretso candidates and the rest of the 62 aspirants for Senate seats can just pack up their stuff and go home.

Is that really the end of the Senateelection story? SWS and Pulse Asia publicize their Magic 12 and it’s “game over” for the Otso and the rest of the non-administration candidates. Will the majority of the 61 million voters behave like unthinking sheep and simply place on their ballots on May 31, the names in the SWS and Pulse Asia Magic 12 lists?

Is it really the end of the Senate election story?

I don’t think so. The administration parties—PDP Laban and the Hugpong ng Pagbabago ng Pilipinas—could be in for a surprise. The possibility of a repetition of the result of the 1971 Senatorial election cannot be ruled out. In that election, which I term iconic, the party in power, the Nacionalista Party of President Ferdinand Marcos, was trounced by the opposition, the Liberal Party.

The Nacionalistas went into the 1971 electoral season brimming with the trappings of political power— docile LGUs (local government units), plenty of patronage to dispense, lots of money and a good supply of goons. By contrast, the Liberals were still licking the wounds left by the loss of their Presidential candidate, Sergio Osmeña Jr., to Ferdinand Marcos in the 1969 election. By election-time 1971 Mr. Marcos and his party had recovered from the humiliation and ignominy of the 1969-1970 economic debacle and the nation’s First Gentleman and First Lady were riding high once more.

For the 1971 election the Nacionalista Party – looking ahead to the expected 1973 Presidential run of Imelda Marcos – fielded a Senatorial slate composed of political

Imponderables...

From A4

And then, there is of course, votebuying which occurs in every election.

The people you see loitering around at the precincts are not there to have fun seeing people voting. There are waiting for people to buy their votes, My gulay, in my almost 70 years as a journalist, I have seen it all.

We do not need these candidates. It is they who need us! *** I have said from the start that this midterm election could be a referendum on President Duterte.

The fact that he is getting excellent trust and satisfaction ratings shows this.

And if Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa win, that means the President still holds sway.

Usually in a midterm election, people make a decision on whether or not to accept the endorsement of the President. *** But what I cannot understand is the President’s paranoia over destabilization. A friendly newspaper

Hope...

From A4

Abad, who is my good friend, if I could accompany him and his party mates in their campaign sorties. I was very impressed and encouraged by what I saw. I observed deliberate democracy in action with Abad and the incumbent Governor Marilou Cayco engaging with their voters on the issues. No singing and dancing there; instead I saw intelligent discussion of governance record and the province’s challenges and how they could be overcome.

This weekend, I was given the special grace of spending a day in the Trappist Abbey of Our Lady of the Philippines in another island, Guimaras. Time and again, in the last 37 years, I have come back to this island to, in solitude, rest, watch, pray, and praise the Lord. It was a short and sweet, but definitely game-

and business-sector heavyweights. On the other hand, the Liberal Party, in a bid to compensate for what it lacked in financial resources, fielded eight individuals of unquestioned respectability and intellect.

It was not surprising that Malacañang and the Nacionalista Party operatives were talking loudly of an 8-0 shutout of the Liberal Senatorial slate.

Unfortunately, two events intervened to hurt the Nacionalista’s prospects going into the election. One was Mr. Marcos’ suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus—a trial step prior to the subsequent imposition of martial law—and the bombing of a Liberal Party rally in famed Plaza Miranda. But the electorate apparently has become disenchanted with Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos even before the occurrence of those two landmark events.

The first signs of impending disaster for the Nacionalista Party’s Senatorial candidates were discernible from the earliest election returns. To the shock and consternation of Malacañang and Nacionalista Party headquarters more Liberal candidates were figuring in the Senatorial election results. The rise in the number of winning Liberal candidates would not stop, and by the end of the following day it was clear that the Liberals had captured the Senate election contest. More to the point, the Liberals had unprecedentedly trounced the Nacionalistas. The final tally was 7-1, with only Ernesto Maceda surviving the Liberal Party juggernaut.

Soul-searching and recrimination were the order of the day in Malacañang and a Nacionalista Party headquarters.

The question that Ferdinand Marcos and his top political advisers were asking themselves was, with all of our new resources, how could this result have come to pass?

The most astute political observers of that day had a ready answer for them. The Silent Majority of Filipino voters, fed up with the misgovernance, misconduct and malevolence of the Marcos administration, had spoken up. They didn’t want to give their votes to eight men and women who would be mere lackeys of Ferdinand Marcos; they wanted to give them to eight men and women who would place country and principle before party and position.

It is entirely possible that the Silent Majority—the millions of voters who are decent, God-fearing and hungry for good governance—will speak up on May 13 and do a repetition of the magnificent 1971 Senatorial election.

When that happens, the names of showbiz personalities, judicially challenged individuals and undeserving Presidential endorsees appearing in the SWS and Pulse Asia Magic 12 lists will be replaced by names like Lorenzo Tañada III, Jose Manuel Diokno, Florin Hilbay, Romulo Macalintal, Gary Alejano, Bam Aquino, Mar Roxas and Samira Gutoc.

came out with a report on an alleged matrix composed of journalists and lawyers critical of the President’s war on illegal drugs.

How can there be destabilization when the President enjoys such high ratings? *** The Supreme Court has ordered the Duterte administration to protect, preserve and rehabilitate the marine environment in the West Philippine Sea. It issued a writ of kalikasan and compelled concerned government agencies to actively protect marine life in Panatag Shoal, Ayungin Shoal and Panganiban Reef.

This ruling by the Supreme Court is actually in compliance with the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Despite this victory, China has been claiming the territory as its own.

But with this order by the High Court, the government is compelled to comply with such enforcement pursuant to our Constitution and principles of international law.

The ball is now in Duterte’s court. www.emiljurado.weebly.com changing, visit. Above all, I was able to pray with the the monks for several hours, including midnight vigils, for the country and a good result on Election Day next week. As Thomas Merton wrote in The Seven Storey Mountain, right after he first visited the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky, the monastery he eventually joined, it is in these places and during the long nights of prayer and combat with the devil that the fates of nations and the world are decided. I really believe that and I am thankful that we have this Abbey in Guimaras and similar places like the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Malaybalay, Bukidnon, the Carmelite Convent in Camaman-an, Cagayan de Oro, and many other places where men and women pray 24/7 for all of us who labor in the outside world In my experience in Batanes and Guimaras, this I am sure of: there is hope in our islands.

News

A6

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Rep. Sarmiento, bro slam ‘scare tactics’ by armed men VIRAC, Catanduanes—Outgoing Rep. Cesar V. Sarmiento of the lone district of Catanduanes denounced moves by undentified men to scare him and his brother, Jorge V. Sarmiento, into backing out of the electoral race for governor and representative, respectively.

The Sarmiento brothers told the Catanduanes police that five suspects armed with long firearms and wearing military uniforms and bonnets barged into the congressman’s residence at Barangay Ibong Sapa, Virac in the evening of May 4, barely nine days into the elections.

A report from the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office said that once inside Sarmiento’s residence, the unidentified men handcuffed two guards/caretakers on duty—Rey Vargas y Morales, 71 years old, and John Tabios y Torzar, 31 years old—and one bystander identified as Antonio Barba y Avila, 60 years old, a tricycle driver who happened to be at the area during the incident.

The suspects then proceeded to the receiving area, destroyed its lock and went to the master’s bedroom.

Sarmiento’s grandson and a companion known as Joseph Calleja who were inside the room were able to

hide before the suspects gained entry into the room.

Other rooms were also forcibly opened by the suspects who appeared to be searching for something or someone. An attempt to open the room where, Sarmiento’s wife, Estela Marie and daughter, Sharita Sarmiento, proved futile.

The suspects fled towards the poblacion area of Virac on board a maroon SUV. Virac MPS is conducting further investigation on the incident.

The three-term Sarmiento, who is challenging the candidacy of incumbent Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua, said the forcible entry into his residence constituted not only harassment but an attempt to kidnap his grandson.

“I am appalled that it was just labelled as pure harassment by the Catanduanes provincial police. But trying to kidnap the congressman’s grandson where the perpetrators forcibly entered the house, destroyed the door locks and such was just branded harassment,” said Sarmiento’s brother Jorge.

He slammed the brazen act of intimidation on an incumbent member of Congress who is the provincial chairman of the PDP-Laban.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR CONFIRMATION AND APPROVAL OF CALCULATIONS OF OVER OR UNDER RECOVERIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AUTOMATIC COST ADJUSTMENTS AND TRUE-UP MECHANISMS FOR THE PERIOD 2016 TO 2018, PURSUANT TO ERC RESOLUTION NO. 16, SERIES OF 2009 AS AMENDED BY RESOLUTION NO. 21, SERIES OF 2010, AND ERC RESOLUTION NO. 23, SERIES OF 2010

ERC CASE NO. 2019-020 CF

9.

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 01 April 2019, Misamis Occidental II Electric Cooperative Inc. (MOELCI II) filed an Application dated 25 March 2019, seeking for the approval of its over or under recoveries in the implementation of automatic cost adjustments and true-up mechanisms during the period 2016 to 2018, pursuant to ERC Resolution No. 16, Series of 20091, as amended by Resolution No. 21, Series of 20102 (Application).

The pertinent provisions of the said Application are hereunder quoted as follows: THE APPLICANT

2.

MOELCI II is a non-stock, non-profit electric cooperative, duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office at Circumferential Road, Bitoon, Ozamis City; It holds an exclusive franchise issued by the National Electrification Commission to operate an electric light and power distribution service in the cities of Ozamis and Tangub, and certain municipalities in the province of Misamis Occidental, namely: Bonifacio, Clarin, Jimenez, Panaon, Sinacaban and Tudela.

LEGAL BASES FOR THE APPLICATION

3.

ERC Resolution No. 16, Series of 2009 as amended by Resolution No. 21, Series of 2010 establishes the procedure for the automatic recovery or refund of pass through costs and the confirmation process that would govern the automatic cost adjustment and true-up mechanisms approved by the Honorable Commission, with the objective of ensuring appropriate recovery of the pass through costs in an efficient manner and to put in place a fair and transparent process for the confirmation of the automatic cost adjustments implemented by Distribution Utilities and the true-up of other pass-through charges, involving Generation Rate, Transmission Rate, System Loss Rate, Lifeline Rate Recovery, as the case may be;

4.

On the other hand, ERC Resolution 23, Series of 2010 adopts the rules implementing the discounts to qualified senior citizen end-users and subsidy from subsidizing end-users on electricity consumption;

5.

Foregoing resolutions further require the distribution utilities to file their respective consolidated applications once every three (3) years.

Hence, the filing of the instant application, covering the period January 2016 to December 2018.

OVER OR UNDER RECOVERIES OF ALLOWABLE COSTS

6.

7.

Applying the formulas provided under Resolution 16, Series of 2009 as amended by Resolution 21, Series of 2010 and Resolution 23, Series of 2010, Applicant made calculations of the over recoveries charged or under-recoveries incurred as against its customers, in the implementation of certain automatic cost adjustments and true-up mechanisms, covering the period January 2016 to December 2018; The results of its calculations are presented hereunder, as follows:

Generation Rate (GR) Transmission Rate (TR) System Loss Rate (SLR) Lifeline Rate (LR) Senior Citizen Discount and Subsidy Net Results

Allowable Cost Actual Revenue (Over)/Under (PhP) (PhP) Recovery (PhP) 2,661,930,883.10 2,645,522,069.92 16,408,813.18 384,484,159.91 395,824,956.67 (11,340,796.76) 399,484,480.64 418,679,425.33 (19,194,944.69) Discount (PhP) Subsidy (PhP) 33,498,111.33 (33,259,940.43) (238,170.89) 629,370.44 (639,810.44) 10,440.00 (14,354,659.17)

SUPPORTING DATA AND DOCUMENTS 8.

In support of the foregoing calculations, Applicant is submitting the following data and documents covering the period January 2016 to December 2018, attached hereto and made integral parts hereof, as follows: FOLDER

ANNEX MARKINGS

NATURE OF DOCUMENTS

Summary of Over/Under Recoveries Annex A Computations for 2016 - 2018 (Per charge and Folder 1 yearly basis) Proposed Scheme of Refund/Collect using the Annex B Latest kWh Sales Folder 2 SUPPLIER AND TRANSMISSION DATA Fully accomplished Supplier and Annex C Transmission Data Sheet for the year Power Bills from Suppliers (Power Bill, Proof of Annex D Payment, Adjusted Bill/Debit or Credit Memo) 1 2

Lebanon hosts more than 250,000 registered domestic workers, the vast majority of them women, from countries including Ethiopia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

They are excluded from the labor law, and instead obtain legal residency though their employers’ sponsorship under the so-called “kafala” system.

The protesters marching in Beirut held up placards reading “No to slavery and yes to justice” and “Stop kafala.”

“We want the cancellation of this system. There are employees imprisoned in houses and they need to have days off,” Dozossissane, a 29-year-old Ethiopian, told AFP. Lebanon's labor ministry introduced a standard contract for domestic workers in 2009, but the forms are often written in Arabic, a language many cannot read.

Activists regularly accuse the authorities of failing to take claims of abuse seriously, with maids, nannies and caretakers left at the mercy of employers.

Amnesty International last month urged Lebanon to end

Additionally, Applicant is likewise submitting herewith the required electronic copies of the Application and supporting data and documents.

10. Further, in compliance with the pre-filing requirements for the instant application, Applicant is likewise submitting the following documents to form integral parts hereof, as follows:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

1.

H

UNDREDS of foreign domestic workers demonstrated in the Lebanese capital Sunday to demand the scrapping of a sponsorship system that they complain leaves them open to abuse from employers.

Folder 3 STATISTICAL DATA Fully accomplished Statistical Data Sheet for Annex E the year Summary of Pilferage Cost Recoveries and Annex F and Manifestation of NO PCR for the month of Series March 2016 Annex G Report of Implemented Other Adjustments Annex H MFSR - Sections A and E Folder 4 ACTUAL IMPLEMENTED RATES DATA Fully accomplished Actual Implemented Rates Annex I Data Sheet for the year Fully accomplished Lifeline Discount Sheet for Annex J the year Fully accomplished Senior Citizen Discount Annex K Sheet for the year Consumer Bills per Customer Class (NonAnnex L Lifeliner) Annex M Consumer Bills per Lifeline Bracket (Lifeliner) Annex N Senior Citizen Consumer Bills

IN

MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (MOELCI II) Applicant. x----------------------------------------------x

Foreign domestic workers in Lebanon protest abuses

“A Resolution Adopting the Rules Governing the Automatic Cost Adjustment and True-up Mechanisms and Corresponding Confirmation Process for Distribution Utilities”; “A Resolution Amending Section 4 of Article 4 and Section 1 of Article 5 of the Rules Governing the Automatic Cost Adjustment and True-up Mechanisms and Corresponding Confirmation Process for Distribution Utilities”

ANNEX MARKINGS

NATURE OF DOCUMENT

Annexes O and series

Proof of furnishing copies of the Application to the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Ozamiz City and Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Misamis Occidental

Annexes P and series

Proof of publication of the Application in a newspaper in circulation in the Applicant’s franchise area or where it principally operates

11. Considering the foregoing, it is respectfully prayed that Applicant’s calculations of over or under recoveries in the implementation of subject automatic cost adjustments and true-up mechanisms be confirmed and approved, and the cooperative be allowed to refund the over recoveries or collect the under recoveries, as the case may be, to or from its customers.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable Commission, that after due notice and hearing, MOELCI II‘s calculations of over or under recoveries in the implementation of certain automatic cost adjustments and true-up mechanisms covering the period January 2016 to December 2018, made pursuant to ERC Resolution 16, Series of 2009 as amended by Resolution 21, Series of 2010 and ERC Resolution 23, Series of 2010, be confirmed and approved, and the cooperative be allowed to refund the over recoveries or collect the under recoveries, as the case may be, to or from its customers, summarized as follows, to wit: Generation Rate (GR) Transmission Rate (TR) System Loss Rate (SLR) Lifeline Rate (LR) Senior Citizen Discount and Subsidy Net Results

Allowable Cost Actual Revenue (Over)/Under (PhP) (PhP) Recovery (PhP) 2,661,930,883.10 2,645,522,069.92 16,408,813.18 384,484,159.91 395,824,956.67 (11,340,796.76) 399,484,480.64 418,679,425.33 (19,194,944.69) Discount (PhP) Subsidy (PhP) 33,498,111.33 (33,259,940.43) (238,170.89) 629,370.44

(639,810.44)

10,440.00 (14,354,659.17)

Other reliefs, just and equitable in the premises are Likewise prayed for.

The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, pre-trial conference, and presentation of evidence on 23 May 2019 (Thursday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.) at 15th Floor, ERC Hearing Room, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1)

The petitioner’s name and address;

2)

The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and

3)

A statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicant rests its case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1)

The name and address of such person;

2)

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

3) The grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from Applicant that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. Applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and CEO, AGNES VST DEVANADERA, and the Honorable Commissioners ALEXIS M. LUMBATAN, CATHERINE P. MACEDA, and PAUL CHRISTIAN M. CERVANTES, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 22 April 2019 in Pasig City.

JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal Service

M. Standard – May 7, 2019

what it called the “inherently abusive” migration sponsorship system and change the labor law to offer domestic workers more protection.

A report from the rights group that surveyed 32 domestic workers revealed “alarming patterns of abuse,” including physical punishments, humiliating treatment and food deprivation.

ARE WE THERE YET? Traffic was at standstill along EDSA Kamuning (southbound) in Quezon City. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Monday announced the temporary suspension of provincial bus ban along EDSA. Manny Palmero

Ex-solon Umali faces graft charges at Sandiganbayan

By Maricel V. Cruz FORMER Nueva Ecija Rep. Aurelio Umali is facing charges at the Sandiganbayan owing to his allegedly anomalous implementation of local agricultural development programs in 2005.

The Ombudsman filed at the anti-graft court four counts of violation of Section 3(e) of the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act and three counts of malversation of public funds against Umali.

It also filed graft charges against Department of Agriculture Regional Executive Director Officer-in-Charge Renato Manantan and Accountant III Narciso Maningding; while Samahan ng mga Manininda ng Prutas sa Gabi Inc. president Anita Tansipek and collector Corazon Bautista each face three counts of graft and three counts of malversation.

An Ombudsman prosecutor questioned Umali’s endorsement

of SMPGI as project partner for local agricultural development programs in December 2005 without public bidding. It also said the organization was “unaccredited and unqualified to undertake the projects.”

The Ombudsman also filed one count of graft each against convicted plunderer Janet Lim Napoles, Accountant II Renato Manalansan, and Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. president Evelyn De Leon.

The case involves Umali’s alleged endorsement of Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Inc., a Napoles-operated NGO, as project partner for local livelihood projects without public bidding and that the NGO did not have any “unaccredited and unqualified to undertake the projects.”

A bail of P30,000 for each of the accused in each of the graft charges; and P40,000 for each of those charged in each of the malversation cases was recommended.

Cyber libel case filed vs. FT A PHILIPPINE company has filed a cyber libel case against two journalists of the Financial Times over an article involving German fintech firm Wirecard, after the article alleged that the former was complicit in purported accounting irregularities at its subsidiary in Singapore.

Conepay International Inc., was tagged by a March 19, FT article as “one of more than a dozen curious companies identified during a Financial Times investigation” that were allegedly colluding with Wirecard’s Singapore subsidiary.

Conepay filed the case against Dan McCrum and Stefania Palma, the authors of the said FT article in the Cabanatuan City Prosecutor’s Office in Nueva Ecija last week.

According to the complaint, the article involving Conepay was founded on the witness statement of a Cabanatuan City resident and father of one of the company’s directors,who had admitted to being paid to lie about his knowledge of Conepay and to provide FT with documents which were used in the said article.

In his sworn statement, the witness revealed that he was offered P100,000 by an unknown individual to provide the FT with a Conepay bank statement and to say he had no knowledge about the company.

He had, in fact, said during an exchange with the unknown individual that Conepay was registered in their family home and that his daughter was among the firm’s directors.

Conepay maintains that it is a legitimate business and has never been involved in any accounting scam.

Duque alarmed over stunting

By Macon Ramos-Araneta among under-five children.

CITING an estimated P328 billion a year losses incurred by the Philippines due to the impact of stunting, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is leading the call for the renewal of commitment for nutrition in the First 1000 Days as he signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 11148 President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA 11148 or the Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act last January.

Duque, who also chairs the Governing Board of the National Nutrition Council, was alarmed by the high level of child stunting in the country with a rate of 33.4 percent

He said the Philippines is a major contributor of child stunting in the world.

The NNC and the DOH organized the forum “Nutrition in the First 1000 Days: Integrate and Scale Up!” in partnership with UNICEF, Save the Children Philippines, Nutrition International and the Korean International Cooperation Agency.

During the forum, the provincial nutrition action officers from all over the country together with national government agencies, international and local development partners identified ways forward to integrate and scale-up nutrition and related interventions in the First 1000 Days.

Sports

A7

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Nuggets, Raptors bounce back

L

OS ANGELES—Jamal Murray scored 34 points, including six clutch free throws down the stretch to lift the Denver Nuggets to a gritty 116-112 NBA playoff win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Canadian Murray combined with Serbian Nikola Jokic to form a dynamic scoring duo as the Nuggets squared their second round Western Conference series at two games each.

It was a quick turnaround from the Trail Blazers’ 140-137 quadruple overtime victory in Friday’s game three.

Game four didn’t last nearly as long as that three hour, 35 minute marathon, but

it was another back-and-forth battle highlighted by Murray’s precision shooting and a fourth playoff triple-double from Jokic.

“The biggest part was mental,” said Murray on playing two playoff games just 40 hours apart. “We know what to do physically but that was a draining game and we had to come back with energy and face a great team.

“We were able to get what we wanted on offence and the stops on defense.”

Jokic had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his second straight triple-double and Murray, who led all scorers, was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line for Denver, who handed Portland their first playoff loss at home this season.

Two free throws by Murray increased the Nuggets’ edge to 112-108 with 13 seconds on the clock.

After Damian Lillard scored on a layup with 7.7 seconds remaining, Murray hit a pair of free throws to make it 114-110 with 6.7 seconds to play.

CJ McCollum scored on a long two-point

shot to cut it to 114-112 with 4.4 seconds to go, but Murray clinched it with another pair at the line with 3.4 seconds left.

“I love free throws,” said Murray, the son of Jamaican immigrants who moved to Kitchener, Ontario where he was born.

“Everybody knows I love free throws. My team trusts me.”

Said Nuggets coach Mike Malone, “Jamal has got a tremendous amount of grit.

You think about how young we are and going on the road to win a tough game four in a hostile environment. For Jamal to be a centrepiece of that is phenomenal.”

McCollum had 29 points and Lillard added 28 for the Trail Blazers. AFP

Clark Global City Duathlon slated May 12 CLARK Global City will once again be the center of multisport action as the Clark Global City Duathlon 2019 co-presented by Smart fires off on the morning of May 12.

Now on its 2nd year, the event brings more than 400 aspiring and veteran duathletes, including some surprise celebrities, together on the sprawling CGC grounds. Participants hailing from Batanes to Batangas race their choice of two distances, a 6km run—60km bike—4km run or a shorter 3km run—30km bike—2km run course which takes them on CGC’s well-paved roads and a stretch of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) from South Clark to Porac before returning to the finish line at CGC. At stake in the event supported by Clark Global City (CGC), Smart, NLEX-SCTEx, Standard Insurance, Udenna Group, Royce Hotel & Casino, hydration partners Pocari Sweat and Sip Water, and official timer Garmin are specially designed trophies and gift items for all winners (agegroup, relay, and team competition). The awarding ceremony takes place 11 a.m. following the race. The Event Expo on site features gear and other products from sponsors and multisport partners.

For more information on the CGC Duathlon and other Bike King-organized events, visit www.bikekingphilippines.com Clark Global City (CGC), the New Center, is a contemporary, state-of-the-art, 177-hectare Master Planned Mixed-Use Commercial and Business Center of Excellence. Strategically located inside the Clark Freeport Zone at the interchange of SCTEx and NLEX, CGC is the perfect blend of prime real estate and facilities for business and lifestyle. CGC is adjacent to the Clark International Airport, and offers the ideal regulatory, economic, and operating environment for global businesses.

This is the country’s New Center. Welcome to the future. Welcome to Clark Global City.

Jamal Murray (left) of the Denver Nuggets drives to the basket on Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of game four of the Western Conference Semifinals at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The Nuggets won 116-112. AFP

CamSur Express sweep weekend NBL tiffs THE CamSur Express swept its weekend games at home in the National Basketball League Season 2 at the University of Nueva Caceres gym in Naga City.

The Express defeated the Quezon City Rising Stars, 95-84, last Saturday and the Bulacan Starks, 81-77, last Sunday as they improved their record to 5-1 following a four-game winning streak.

Jamil Bulawan was instrumental in both games, finishing with 14 points, 13

rebounds, and three blocks against the Rising Stars. He had 17 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in the Express’ victory over the Starks.

The Express are currently in third place behind league leader Iriga City Oragons (4-0) and the Rizal Nationals (1-0).

In other results, the Rising Stars bounced back from Saturday’s loss to the Express with a 96-84 win over the One Cainta Titan last Sunday.

Enzo Battad flirted with a triple-double as he finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists for the Rising Stars.

John Michael Cruz had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks as the Starks beat the Titan, 96-92, Saturday.

Jeremy Sarona set an NBL record of 45 points for the Titan against the Rising Stars but in a losing cause. He also had 27 points in this league debut against the Starks.

Best Center in full swing

PBA PARTNER. In celebration of its 25th year anniversary, Goldshine Pharmaceuticals, manufacturer of Jimm’s Coffee Mixes, partners with the country’s pioneer basketball league—the Philippine Basketball Association—to be the official coffee of the PBA’s 44th season. The two parties officially sealed the deal recently at the Smart Araneta Colisem. In photo (from left) are PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial; Jennifer Agbay, Goldshine Pharmaceutical, Inc. SVP for general operations of Jimm’s Coffee; Hancell Guevarra, brand manager of Jimm’s Coffee and Angelo Serrano, chairman of Excite.

THE Best Center’s Ateneo sessions fired off yesterday with an impressive number of basketball hopefuls even as its volleyball clinics at the same venue are set to start tomorrow.

The basketball clinics at the Ateneo college covered courts are for students in the Preparatory Level, Levels 1 and 2 for 9-11 years old, and in Level 5. The clinics are from 8-11:30 a.m.

Levels 1 and 2 for 12-years old and above and Levels 3,4 and 6 are held from 1-4:30 p.m.

The volleyball clinics will be for Levels 1, 2 and 3 and for Mastery.

The Malate Catholic School is also offering volleyball clinics, according to Nic Jorge, founder and president of the Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training Center sponsored by Milo and supported by Chris Sports, Rain or Shine and SKLZ. Last day of enrollment for the basketball clinics at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary is set today from 8-11:30 p.m.

Starmall Alabang is also on for students as young as 9-years old as well as at the Christ the King Seminary.

The children of Tondo and the affluence of Subic LOCKER ROOM RANDY CALUAG LAST weekend had me embracing the best of both worlds.

It was a realization of a noble task that came about following an spontaneous chat about President Duterte’s candidacy launch in Tondo three years back.

It was a promised fulfilled by Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Butch Ramirez, who was then part of Duterte’s campaign team, to return to the place that was used by the President in making a perfect example of what poverty looks like.

There was only barely a week to prepare everything.

But time constraints were not a problem when effective, able individuals worked to-

gether like a symphony orchestra, churning out a seamless performance such as the Children’s Games Sports for Peace.

Atty. Guillermo Iroy and Paul Ycasas of the PSC mobilized their group in an instant; area coordinator Cezar Pradas activated the local barangay officials in Tondo and Go Pilipinas Go’s Matt Ardina got his team going. And Arsenic Lacson proved to be an efficient chief of the Parks Development Office of the City of Manila.

Thus, on an early Saturday morning, Ramirez and his crew came to the Amado Hernandez Plaza, in front of the renown Sto. Nino church and treated more than 300 Tondo kids to fun games with free uniforms, breakfast and lunch for all of them and their siblings.

“It was just the start,” said Ramirez, who promised to do more sports project for Tondo. “The President promised to do something for the people of Tondo.”

It was more than just fun.

PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, a famous basketball player in his prime, also gave an inspirational talk to the young participants,

urging them to dream big, study hard, stay away from trouble and turn their life around.

Opposite world As this happened, I was monitoring the event from Subic in Zambales, taking calls in between putts and drives at the scenic courses of the Subic International Golf Club inside SBMA. I was part of the Manila Standard golf team that engaged a bunch of businessmen, who calls themselves the Three-Unders, in a friendly tournament arranged by Subic Smart Community Corporation, a Japanese company that runs the vastly improved golf course.

We were given a taste of what it feels like to challenge what this Subic golf jewel has to offer.

Having played with various courses media tournaments in Metro Manila, Batangas and Cavite, this Subic course possesses a uniqueness that’s hard to explain.

The course was generally tricky but not so much difficult to tackle. Like the par-4 2nd hole that offers a dogleg right covered by trees on a hill requiring a perfectly placed tee-shot before proceeding to an slightly up-

hill fairway.

“It was like a blind curve,” described teammate Mon Tomeldan, our Manila Standard’s managing editor.

The Subic Golf Club was more than just a golf course, though.

The clubhouse, covered by giant glass panels, offers a refreshing sight of the green forest and lush mountains, with a manmade lake in front.

The all-women team of caddies sets the club apart from the others.

They are all college graduates recruited from different schools in Subic. So expect them to engage the players in professional banters. They can effectively assist players in reading the course and lining your putts.

And yes, they can laugh, too.

The next time you drive to Subic, check this course out with your family as the club is open to walk-in guests.

And wait till this 7,200 yard, par-72 course completes its renovation, it will surely turn itself into a favorite weekend golfing destination.

Bandolis captures 3 titles in PPS Sindangan GUIA Bandolis flashed top form and came away with a rare three-title romp while Pete Bandala extended his reign in 10-unisex play as they shared the MVP honors in the PPS-PEPP Sindangan national age-group tennis tournament in Zamboanga del Norte over the weekend.

The 14-year-old Bandolis toppled top seed Jalia Elumba, 6-0, 6-4, to rule her age-group bracket then the rising Tubod, Lanao del Norte star swept Angel Repaja twice, 6-1, 6-0, and 6-3, 6-3, to pocket the 16- and 1-U plums, respectively.

She later teamed up with sister Gwen Bandolis to thump Elumba and Christine Gulagula, 8-4, for the 14-U doubles diadem in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop and put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala.

Bandala, meanwhile, picked up another victory in lopsided fashion, repeating over local bet and doubles partner Rose Mesiona, 4-1, 4-0, in the 32-player 10-unisex field. He, however, fell short of his bid in the 12-U side, bowing to fellow Dipolog bet Andrei Tan, 3-6, 4-6, although his team-up with Mesiona netted them the doubles crown in the event sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. Other singles winners were Polanco’s Neo Maratas (boys’ 14-U), Liloy’s Russel Daarol (boys’ 16-U), Al Ritz Pan from Dumingag, Zambo del Sur, and Cielo Gonzales from Oroquieta City while sharing the doubles honors were Marc Fernandez and Neo Maratas (boys’ 14-U), Jefferson Mallones and Aidree Pan (boys’ 18U) and Yvonne Cuevas and Repaja (girls’ 18-U).

“It’s inspiring to see young players like Bandolis dominate even the higher divisions and it is through their exposure in the PPS-PEPP circuit that keeps them going and improving,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/ CEO Bobby Castro.

Meanwhile, Marlon Mesiona and Jerome Tecson dominated Bong Caparas and Zafero Montayre, 8-2, to notch the 50s title in the Legends division with Mateo Cabillo and Bong Matablan topping the 60s side with an 8-4 victory over Darius dela Cruz and Dino Omos.

Registration for the Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental leg on May 8-11 is ongoing with the Cainta Open featuring the country’s top players will be held on May 13-21. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Blu Girls bow to Japanese in Asian Cup THE Philippine Blu Girls bowed to defending champion and world number two Japan, 10-0, in the semifinal round of 2019 Asia Cup Women’s Softball Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Blu Girls, ranked 13th in the world, rotated three of its best pitchers -- Ezra Jalandoni, Royevel Palma and Lyca Basa -- in the game, but the Japanese proved too much offensively and defensively for the Filipina softballers.

“Japan showed why they are considered a softball powerhouse not just in Asia but in the world,” said Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines president Jean Henri Lhuillier. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us for us to be at par with Japan and ASAPHIL will undertake that.”

The Blu Girls, however, will play for the bronze medal on Tuesday against No. 6-ranked Chinese Taipei.

Japan will also defend the crown on Tuesday against No. 8-ranked China, which blanked Chinese Taipei, 4-0, in the other semis match.

By virtue of reaching the semis, the Philippines attained a slot in the WBSC Softball Asia/Oceania 2019 Qualifying Event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to be played in Shanghai, China on Sept.

24 to 29.

The winner of that tournament will earn the right to compete in the 2020 Olympics when softball will be played for the first time since 2008.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@manilastandard.net sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

PH football body cuts ties with PFL execs

By Peter Atencio

JuneMar Fajardo of SMB, shown here battling Magnolia’s Rafi Reavies for the rebound in Game 3 of the Philippine Cup Finals, is the clear-cut favorite to win the BPC, averaging a double-double with 20.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 rebounds.

Fajardo favored to win record 6th BPC award

Le tour de Filipinas celebrates 10th year PHILIPPINE cycling as a brand returns on the global stage this time for five days when the Le Tour de Filipinas celebrates its 10th year from June 14 to 18 flagging off from soothing and scenic Tagaytay City and ending with the majestic and enchanting Mayon Volcano as the backdrop.

From four stages in all of the International Cycling Union (UCI) 2.2 race’s first nine years, the 2019 edition will be five days, kicking off with the 129.50 kms Tagaytay City-Tagaytay City out-and-back Stage 1 on June 14. Next up on June 15 will be the 194.90 kms Stage 2 from Pagbilao, Quezon, to Daet, Camarines, Norte, and the 183.70 kms Stage 3 on June 16 from Daet to Legaspi City where Mayon Volcano and its majestic splendor welcome the arrival of the 15 teams—five local and 10 international—composed of 75 riders.

The last two stages will be out-andback courses from Legaspi City. Stage 4 will cover 176.00 kms via Sorsogon and Gubat in Sorsogon, followed by a highly technical Stage 5 over 145.80 kms passing through Sorsogon’s quaint coastal town of Donsol made famous all over the world by the gentle swimming giant butanding.

“For nine years, the Le Tour de Filipinas has never ceased to achieve its purpose—promote cycling not only as a sport, but as a way of life. And on the 10th year, the mission remains as fervent as ever,” said Alberto Lina, who in 2002 revived the Philippine Tour after going inactive for three years The Le Tour de Filipinas is the forerunner of the fabled Philippine Tour that took many names from the historic Manila-Vigan inaugurals in 1954 to the last of 22 long Marlboro Tour years in the Centennial International Cycling Unionsanctioned Centennial Tour in 1998.

In 2002, businessman-sportsman Lina took over the cudgels and bankrolled what is now called the Le Tour de Filipinas, an advocacy and support that is 19years and counting for the former president now PhilCycling chairman.

El Joshua Carino will be back to defend his title riding for the Philippine National Team-Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance squad. He will be joined in the challenge by former champion Marc Galedo of 7-Eleven Air 21 Roadbike Philippines.

By Jeric Lopez

T

O no one’s surprise, June Mar Fajardo is head and shoulders above everyone in the race for the Best Player of the Conference in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.

In probably his most prolific conference, the five-time Most Valuable Player has dominated the tournament and is expected to be the heavy favorite to win the BPC plum for the sixth straight year.

In fact, it is considered as a oneman race.

The reigning MVP is comfortably ahead in terms of statistics (SPs) through the finals. He owns a 41.4 statistical points per game as he once again led the “five-peat-seeking” Beermen in the finals for the sixth straight season.

Others in the running for the award

are NorthPort’s Sean Anthony (37.1 SPs) and Stanley Pringle (34.8), RR Pogoy of TNT KaTropa (33.6) and Mo Tautuua of the Batang Pier (33.1) However, Fajardo seems to be the clear-cut favorite, averaging a doubledouble with 20.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 rebounds.

Furthermore, the behemoth from Cebu is the only BPC candidate playing in the finals, further boosting his bid for the unprecedented league record.

The BPC award will be handed out this Wednesday prior to the start of

Game 4 of the best-of-seven championship showdown between Magnolia and San Miguel Beer.

The Hotshots entered the best-ofseven Philippine Cup championship as the underdogs, but after three games in the series, they have found themselves leading two games to one, following an impressive 86-82 Game 3 win over the four-time championSunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Defense did the trick for the Hotshots, who frustrated the Beermen all night as they held their foes to a horrible 32% shooting clip and only 23% (10/43) from three-point territory.

Magnolia banked on its defense in the second quarter, where they limited the Beermen to only 12 points.

BPC leader Fajardo was also shackled as he only had four points on four attempts from the field.

LeBron not OK with Magic’s weird departure from Lakers

LeBron James: I came here to be a part of the Lakers organization, having a conversation with Magic and really kind of breaking it down and saying how we was going to make this ‘Showtime’ again, and I wanted to be part of that process. AFP

LOS ANGELES—LeBron James indicated he was shocked and upset by Magic Johnson’s surprise abrupt decision to quit as the president of basketball operations for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers last month.

James made comments in the latest episode of his HBO television show “The Shop” that features him sitting in a barbershop chair and talking informally with friends. The episode aired on Saturday but was taped on April 11, two days after retired Lakers playing legend Johnson’s sudden exit. (See related NBA story on A7) It was Johnson who played a key role in convincing James to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers last year to come to the Lakers with hopes of leading them back to glory days such as eras with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal or the “Showtime” era featuring Johnson.

“I came here to be a part of the Lakers organization, having a conversation with Magic and really kind of breaking it down and saying how we was going to make this ‘Showtime’ again, and I wanted to be part of that process,” James said during the episode.

“So it was just weird for him to just be like ‘I’m out of here’ and not even have no like, ‘Hey ‘Bron, kiss my ass. I’m out of here.’

“I would’ve been OK with that.

‘Hey ‘Bron, it’s Magic. Kiss my ass. I’m gone.’ Not even that.”

Johnson announced his choice in an impromptu news conference without first telling many in the Lakers organization, including owner Jeanie Buss, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and James.

The Lakers have dropped coach Luke Walton and are reportedly looking to hire Tyronn Lue, who had been coach of the Cavaliers when James led them to an NBA title in 2016. AFP

collected 73 medals including 26 silvers and 20 bronzes to outshine tough rival Vietnam, which finished second with 61 medals (19 gold, 14 silver, 28 bronze).

Malaysia ranked a far third with 16 medals, Myanmar fourth with 11, and Singapore and Cambodia tied for fifth with 4 medals each.

The Filipinos’ showing was a tremendous improvement from their performance in the 13th ASEAN championships held in Perlis, Malaysia in 2017 when they collected only five golds, seven silvers and four bronzes.

PSC satisfied with athletes’ performance DARWIN, Australia—The Philippine Sports Commission is satisfied with the performance of the athletes, who competed in the 2019 Arafura Games.

All 91 athletes, who participated in the Arafura Games, most of which are top performers in different regions of the country, captured medals with the Philippines wounding up with 31 golds, 51 silvers, and 34 bronzes.

PSC national training director Marc Velasco said the competition allowed the regional athletes to gain the muchneeded international exposure that will be beneficial for them as they look to become national athletes in the future.

Velasco said the country’s participation in the Arafura Games is also part of grassroots’ development program of the PSC, led by its Chairman William Ramirez. Top performers in the Batang Pinoy, Philippine National Games, and Palarong Pambansa saw action in the games.

“Overall, we are very happy and I think the chairman is very satisfied with our performance,” said Manzano.

“It goes to show that if you give a chance to our regional athletes, it would pay dividends in the long run,” said Velasco. “The athletes really competed and did their best. They gave their all.”

Velasco also lauded the sportsmanship traits of the Filipino athletes particularly trackter Abegail Manzano and muay athlete Ariel Lee Lampacan.

Manzano, who captured the country’s first gold in this edition of the Arafura Games after ruling the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, gave away her silver medal in the women’s 800-meter run to Makayla Siddons of Northern Territory after the Australia, who finished second in the race but was disqualified for lane infringement.

PSA tackles volleyball

Pinoy jins rule Asean tilt SEVEN more Filipino jins triumphed on Sunday in the senior Kyorugi (free sparring) competition to help the Philippines emerge as overall winner in the 14th ASEAN Taekwondo Championships at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City.

The Filpino stars who produced seven of the country’s 27 gold medals in the twoday international event were Kirstie Elaine Alora, Abigail Faye Valdez, Reign Charm Ragutana, Israel Cesar Cantos, Noel Sabillano, Kurt Pasjuelas and Gabriel Teruel.

Overall, the Philippines

THE Philippine Football Federation has terminated its agreement with the organizers of the Philippine Football League last Friday.

The decision came following the withdrawal of two licensed clubs, Global Makati and Stallion Laguna.

PFF officials said they are taking steps to ensure the continuation of the 2019 national league season.

The national federation awarded the right to operate the national league to Philippine Premier League management headed by its commissioner Bernie Sumayao.

The federation has already notified Triple CH Holdings Co. Ltd., through its chairman Bernard Sumayao, and the current five licensed clubs, namely Ceres Negros FC, Kaya FC-Iloilo, Stallion Laguna FC, Global Cebu FC, and Green Archers United FC, about its decision.

The league reverts to its official name, Philippines Football League.

Games are scheduled in the middle of May 2019.

The PFF assured the football community that the league will continue its deliberate strides to be a successful national league.

The winners of the league will be eligible for nomination by PFF to compete in Asian Football Confederation competitions in 2020 and the years to come.

Seven teams led by Ceres-Negros FC are supposed to be taking part in the inaugural season of the tournament.

Sumayao said the participants will join both the League Competition and Paulino Alcantara Cup.

The Philippines’ Kirstie Elaine Alora tagged her Vietnamese rival with a hard kick en route top her golden triumph.

OFFICIALS of the Philippine Super Liga and reigning back-toback Grand Prix champion Petron are coming over as guests in an all-volleyball session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum today (May 7) at the Amelie Hotel-Manila.

Members of the Petron coaching staff, as well as players such as Mika Reyes, Denden Lazaro, Rhea Dimaculangan, among others, are expected to talk about their successful title-retention bid following their dramatic win over F2 Logistics last week in the deciding Game 3 of their PSL title series.

They will be joined in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Tapa King, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, by PSL executives led by president Philip Ella Juico.

Following the successful staging of the Grand Prix, Juico will discuss what’s next for the league and its plans for the rest of the season. He will be coming along with chairman Dr. Ian Laurel, officials Ariel Paredes and Ginio Panganiban and Jed Montero of the Mariners Pilipina Lady Spikers.

IN BRIEF

Singapore cable firm to invest $2b in PH

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology signed an agreement with HyalRoute Group’s subsidiary Philippine Fiber Optic Cable Network Ltd. Inc. to roll out fiber optic cables nationwide.

HyalRoute, a Singapore-based company, is the leading provider of shared communication fiber network in Asia.

The partners signed a memorandum of agreement to strengthen the network connectivity of the Philippines through PFOCN’s Fiber Optic Cable Network investment valued at $1 billion to $2 billion from 2019 to 2028.

The DICT, in turn, will provide assistance to PFOCN in procuring the needed permits and licenses for the successful implementation of their initiative.

“There is a need for more fiber optic cables in this country, thus this partnership will greatly improve our telecommunication services,” DICT acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said.

“We can now have cable networks that anybody can use and this jives with our National Broadband Plan,” he said. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

DOH, DTI to help microentrepreneurs

THE Department of Health-Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Trade and Industry officially launched the Initiative ni DTI DOH Operation: Livelihood or Idol program.

The Idol program is a DTI-DOH-FDA pilot program designed to provide micro enterprises/ entrepreneurs with the capacity to comply with the regulatory requirements of the FDA. “As the regulatory body ensuring the safety of food, the FDA will streamline the processing of their applications for authorizations particularly license to operate without compromising the quality and safety of their products,” FDA director-general Nela Charade Puno said.

Qualified under the program are microenterprises such as single proprietorships, cooperatives, partnerships or corporations whose total assets are not more than P3 million.

They must also be engaged in the business of “manufacturing of low-risk food products” as classified per DOH AO No. 2014-0029 such as fats, oils, and fat emulsions; processed fruits, vegetable and edible fungi, seaweed, and nuts and seeds; confectionery; cereal-based products; processed meat and meat products, including poultry and game; bakery wares and bakery related products; sweeteners, including honey; salt, spices, soups, sauces, salads, and protein products; beverages; ready-to-eat savories such as potato chips, chicharon and snacks that are fish-based.

Another requirement is that they must be doing business in the National Capital Region and able to submit the registration requirements of the DTI-DOH-FDA for the program.

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

B1

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PAL REFLEETING. Philippine Airlines completes its widebody refleeting for long-haul operations with the arrival on May 4 of the 6th Airbus A350-900 aircraft that are designed for ultra-long haul flights to North America’s east coast and Europe. Capt.

Emmanuel Generoso leads the delivery team that flew the A350 direct from the Airbus plant in Toulouse, France.

DoF eyes ‘A’ debt rating within the next two years

By Julito G. Rada

F

inance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Monday he is optimistic the Philippines will attain a credit rating of “A”―a debt score normally reserved for highly stable advanced economies― within the next two years.

Dominguez, speaking at the sidelines of the Finance Department’s 122nd anniversary in Manila, said this would depend on the completion of the tax reform program and the government’s ability to keep the budget deficit below 3 percent of the gross domestic product.

“We want to do it in two years…

They say it is possible in two years,” Dominguez said.

Global debt watcher S&P Global

Ratings on April 30 raised by a notch its long-term sovereign credit rating on the Philippines to “BBB+” from “BBB” with a stable outlook, citing the country’s above-average economic growth, a healthy external position and sustainable public finances.

The upgrade put the Philippines at par with Mexico, Peru, Thailand and Trinidad and Tobago. It is higher than the “BBB” ratings of Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Panama and Uruguay.

The upgrade is a notch away from “A-“ which is within the much-coveted “A” rating category.

“One has given the increase in rating…

I am going to be talking to the Fitch guys next month,” Dominguez said.

S&P said that in upgrading the Philippines’ credit score, the stable outlook reflected its assumption that the Philippine economy would continue to achieve above-average real GDP growth over the medium term, supporting the sovereign’s credit profile.

“We may raise the ratings over the

next two years if the government makes significant further achievements in its fiscal reform program, or if the country’s external position improves such that its status as a net external creditor becomes more secure over the long term,” it said.

“We may also raise the ratings if we find that the institutional settings in the Philippines have improved markedly,” it said.

Fitch said, however, that it might lower the ratings if the government’s fiscal program led to much higher-than-expected net general government debt levels, or if real GDP growth declined significantly.

S&P said the government so far achieved partial success with its “Comprehensive Tax Reform Program.” The program aims to ensure that finances remain sustainable while addressing the nation’s pressing infrastructure needs and chronic underinvestment.

The tax reform program is partially intended to fund the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” scheme to boost infrastructure spending.

SM PRIME Holdings Inc., the country’s leading integrated property company, said Monday it posted a net income of P8.8 billion in the first quarter, up 16 percent from P7.6 billion in the same period last year, on the back of steady growth in rental revenues and residential sales.

SM Prime said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues grew 14 percent to P26.5 billion from P23.3 billion a year earlier, while operating income increased 17 percent to P13 billion from P11 billion.

The property firm attributed the strong first-quarter performance to the consistent growth in rental income and residential sales.

“SM Prime continues to benefit from the overall growth of the Philippine economy that boosts the household income of most families. We are optimistic that we will sustain this performance this year as we continuously expand our core businesses in developing provincial cities across the country,” said SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim. The property firm’s mall business, which accounted for 56 percent of the consolidated revenue, reported revenue growth of P15 billion in the first three months, up from P13.9 billion in the same period last year.

New malls that were opened in 2017 and 2018 helped deliver the company’s P12.9-billion mall rental revenues which grew 8 percent from last year’s P11.9 billion. The mall business also maintained a 7-percent same-mall-sales growth in the first quarter.

SM Prime is scheduled to open four new malls this year, including SM Center Dagupan in Pangasinan, SM City Olongapo Central in Zambales, SM City Butuan in the Caraga region and SM Mindpro Citimall in Zamboanga City.

Mobile data hiked Globe’s Q1 income to P6.7b

By Darwin G. Amojelar

Cusi welcomes SC decision requiring supply deal bidding

By Alena Mae S. Flores Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court decision ordering energy companies to undergo a competitive selection process for power supply agreements.

“We have to respect and abide the decision of the SC,” Cusi said.

The Energy Regulatory Commission assured it would meet with the Energy Department and other stakeholders on the impact of the Supreme Court ruling.

“Although the commission has not received a copy of the decision, it has decided to take the necessary plans and measures to preempt and mitigate possible implications of the Supreme Court decision,” ERC chairperson Agnes Devanadera said.

“Meetings with the DoE and affected entities such as DUs [distribution utilities], gencos [generation companies] and other power industry stakeholders will be carried out this week to jointly address the issues at hand. We assure the public that the commission will be doing everything within its legal mandate to protect the consumers relative to the impact of the recent SC decision,” Devanadera said.

Cusi said the SC decision would help move the power projects forward.

There are up to 90 PSAs reportedly pending with the ERC. “It will help the projects get going.

Definitely, it will be an addition to capacity,” Cusi said.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

SM Prime’s profit climbed 16% to P7.6b in 1st quarter

Filipinos in WHO’s list of top smokers A STUDY by the World Health Organization shows the Philippines continues to have one of the highest rates of smoking in Asia despite the government’s efforts to get Filipinos to quit smoking.

The Philippines is ranked in the top 15 countries worldwide with the highest burden of tobacco-related illnesses. The country loses nearly P270 million in tobacco-usage related costs, which includes healthcare and productivity loss from illnesses and mortality. More than 100,000 Filipinos die annually from smoking-related diseases, such as lung cancer and heart failure.

The Department of Health refers to continued tobacco dependence as a “key development issue that impacts the well-being, productivity and overall quality of life.”

These alarming statistics have triggered a growing number of medical practitioners and civic organizations to appeal for wider access to electronic nicotine delivery systems which are said to be 95-percent less harmful than conventional cigarettes, according to a study commissioned by Public Health England.

Results of recent research published by the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that e-cigarettes were more effective in helping smokers quit compared to nicotine replacement therapy products such as nicotine patches, gums, and lozenges.

The study assessed close to 900 individuals that sought support from the UK National Health Service for smoking cessation. After one year, 18 percent of e-cigarette users had successfully quit smoking compared to 9.9 percent of those using NRTs.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY TIEUP. BDO Leasing and Finance Inc., a subsidiary of BDO Unibank that caters to the leasing and financing market, is exploring business opportunities with financial technology companies. Attending the company’s annual stockholders meeting are (seated, from left) BDO Leasing non-executive director Jeci Lapus, director Nestor Tan, chairperson Teresita Sy, vice chairman and president Roberto Lapid and lead independent director Ma. Leonora De Jesus. With them are (standing, from left) corporate secretary Joseph Jason Natividad, director Antonio Cotoco, non-executive director Exequiel Villacorta Jr., independent director Jesse Andres, independent director Vicente Perez Jr. and director Walter Wassmer.

Growth likely eased to 6% in first 3 months—Standard Chartered ECONOMIC growth likely eased to 6 percent in the first quarter from 6.6 percent a year ago, pulled down by the delay in the approval of the 2019 national budget, British bank Standard Chartered said in a report Monday.

Standard Chartered’s economist for Asia Chidu Narayanan said the growth could see the full-year 2019 gross domestic product settling at 6.2 percent, the same rate of growth last year.

The 6-percent estimate for the January-to-March period was slower than the actual 6.3-percent expansion in the fourth quarter of 2018. The government will release the first-quarter GDP data on May 9.

“GDP growth likely softened to 6 percent year-year, following a steady 6.3-percent in the fourth quarter of 2018. The budget delay likely shaved

0.3 to 0.5 percentage point off growth,” Narayanan said.

He said the growth in the first quarter was likely driven by still-solid but lower domestic demand, while negative net exports due to strong capital goods imports subtracted from the growth again.

“We expect growth to pick up in the second half on better infrastructure investment, continuing the upward momentum since Q4-2017,” Narayanan said.

He said the softening growth, combined with moderating inflation, might lead to interest rate cuts in May. The Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, is scheduled to meet on May 9, following the release of April inflation data on May 7 and the first-quarter GDP growth earlier in the day.

“We expect BSP to start its rate cut

cycle with a moderate 25 bps rate cut, driven by declining inflation [likely below 3 percent, the midpoint of the BSP’s target range] and softening GDP growth,” Narayanan said.

Narayanan said he expected the BSP to start cutting rates in May and predicted 100 bps of rate cuts in consecutive meetings in 2019, as inflation was seen to drop sharply in the third quarter.

“We expect inflation to fall in the third quarter due to a high base and oneoff boosts from tax reforms and the end of poor weather. We estimate average inflation of 2.7 percent in 2019, down from 5.2 percent,” he said.

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno earlier said there was “room for easing if CPI continues to cool” and reiterated BSP’s intention to further cut the reserve requirement ratio. Julito G. Rada

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Monday the mobile data and broadband businesses boosted its net income by 44 percent in the first quarter to P6.7 billion from P4.7 billion a year ago.

Core net income, which excludes the impact of non-recurring charges and foreign exchange and mark-to-market charges, also jumped 40 percent to P6.7 billion from the same period last year.

“For 2019, we are confident in our ability to maintain this strong growth momentum with the aggressive investments in the network, coupled with the evolving lifestyle bundles that aim to strongly influence the digital life of Filipinos,” said Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu. “We believe this would allow the full-year 2019 revenues to increase by high single-digits from 2018 levels,” he added.

Globe’s consolidated service revenues reached P36 billion, up 13 percent from a year ago and 3 percent from the previous quarter.

“This was mainly fueled by a sustained increase in data usage across all data-related services and products, including the wide array of content offerings, through the company’s partnerships with global content providers,” Globe said.

Mobile revenues grew 11 percent in the first to P27 billion from a year ago and 4 percent from the previous quarter, mostly coming from the prepaid brands.

Mobile data revenues amounted to P16.5 billion in the first three months of the year with the surge in consumer spending on mobile data and the rising popularity of promos that provide the best surfing deals.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks tumble on Trump’s threat T HE stock market sank Monday, joining the rest of Asia after President Donald Trump threatened to hike tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods at the end of the week in a bid to speed up stuttering trade talks between the economic superpowers.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index tumbled 105.68 points, or 1.3 percent, to 7,862.30 on a value turnover of P6.2 billion,. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 146 to 56, with 35 issues unchanged.

International Container Terminal Services Inc., the biggest port operator, dropped 6.4 percent to P128, while

Bank of the Philippine Islands, the thirdlargest lender in terms of assets, fell 3.1 percent to P83.

BDO Unibank Inc., the largest bank, declined 2.9 percent to P135, while Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, lost 2.4 percent to P163.

President Donald Trump sent Asian and European markets plunging Monday, with Shanghai slumping more than five percent. The Chinese yuan also took a battering after the president threw a spanner into the high-level negotiations, which many observers were expecting to wrap up imminently.

“For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods,” Trump tweeted Sunday night. “The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday.”

He added: “The Trade Deal with

China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!” The warning will throw a shadow over the next round of talks ahead of a visit by a Chinese delegation to Washington this week.

However, while a number of news outlets reported that China was considering delaying or canceling the meeting a foreign ministry spokesman said a delegation would head to the US as planned.

Shanghai sank 5.6 percent as investors returned for the first time since Tuesday.

News that the People’s Bank of China would slash the amount of cash lenders must keep in reserve, to support small businesses, had little impact in the face of Trump’s warning.

Hong Kong tumbled 2.9 percent, Singapore was off 3.1 percent and Taipei shed 1.8 percent, while Sydney dropped 0.8 percent and Wellington was one percent down.

Mumbai and Jakarta were also sharply lower. Tokyo and Seoul were closed for holidays.

The two sides have imposed tariffs on $360 billion in two-way trade since last year. But Trump and China’s Xi Jinping agreed a truce in December, fueling a global stocks surge for the past four months.

“Trump has taken the proverbial sledgehammer to the walnut this morning and the only two words likely to be on the minds of traders and investors this week are ‘trade talks’,” said OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley.

“Trade had been put to the side by many market participants,” said Andrew Tilton, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Goldman Sachs. “Market pricing assumed there would be some kind of a deal, and no further escalation in tariffs.

And meanwhile the growth outlook was actually improving,” he told Bloomberg TV. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, MAY 6, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 58.5 1,250 83 1,651,630 135 1,025,170 1.25 6,000 27.45 120,300 8.49 500 18.96 42,300 11.5 1,782,000 4.75 28,000 0.57 118,000 780 310 0.495 610,000 72.85 2,946,850 0.92 109,000 13.44 2,200 21.4 1,400 53.35 1,111,630 182.5 220 58.85 990 25.8 21,300 180 606,330 1,800 160 60.15 27,700 1.13 16,000

73,055 139,533,368.50 140,181,166 7,500 3,304,835 4,245 802,188 20,589,186 130,160 67,760 242,400 295,750 214,927,792 99,930 29,568 29,965 59,436,137 40,125 57,829.50 551,060 108,707,634 288,000 1,661,741 18,080

58,500 31,466,082 22,902,903.00 -98,925 458,872 -423,166 -187,450 -28,388,860.50 920 -13,525,452 -535,490 7,556,960 -743,339 -

35.5 15.1 0.76 1.38 0.24 2.3 15.26 118.9 27.9 16.4 45 1.86 5.5 5.98 11 15.9 9.2 7.5 21.3 76.5 30.5 2.53 12.7 10.3 1.74 301.8 3.29 9.6 22.25 14.76 21.95 381.4 0.19 6 1.23 4.52 6.28 1.61 11.82 45.5 4.84 2.11 1.24 13.16 114.9 6.81 0.133 0.94 160.4 2.5 1.37 1.12

INDUSTRIAL 36.05 917,500 15.4 333,700 0.8 6,052,000 1.38 60,000 0.245 960,000 2.32 42,008,000 15.3 473,100 118.9 140 28.4 85,000 16.98 2,400 45 267,800 1.88 227,000 5.55 5,800 5.98 200 11 2,860,300 16 698,500 9.22 761,100 7.56 680,200 21.35 1,009,500 76.55 188,280 34.35 1,415,300 2.6 6,928,000 13.5 4,337,800 10.42 1,168,900 1.79 15,000 302 628,950 3.48 38,000 9.9 8,700 22.25 2,363,900 15.2 1,934,900 22 810,000 382.6 147,260 0.19 600,000 6 2,000 1.24 1,271,000 4.6 79,000 6.28 2,893,600 1.68 16,827,000 11.98 120,800 45.7 149,500 4.9 107,000 2.11 1,000 1.24 94,000 13.16 341,700 116.5 260,270 6.84 482,000 0.133 10,000 0.95 250,000 163 1,140,880 2.5 60,000 1.38 3,407,000 1.12 3,225,000

32,814,290 5,148,542 4,858,710 85,110 233,200 97,626,790 7,249,144 16,646 2,398,730 40,114 12,051,500 428,440 32,150 1,196 31,946,560 11,179,558 7,017,477 5,110,051 21,834,545 14,621,473.50 48,245,220 18,026,360 57,342,790 12,257,578 26,700 190,782,738 126,690 85,320 53,070,545 29,426,588 17,987,555 56,508,438 114,350 12,000 1,576,820 363,600 18,446,812 28,084,870 1,438,046 6,847,260 522,010 2,110 118,970 4,516,408 30,195,674 3,301,097 1,330 237,480 185,353,790 150,000 4,706,080 3,692,400

7,559,445 -82,880 8,100 122,500 17,167,710 -246,340 121,950 -13,020,372 -302,572 -183,478 422,211 7,320,200 -5,658,148.50 10,771,925 -1,893,800 1,214,928 4,573,482 -65,729,154 -43,590,670 -391,566 -5,682,865 -19,121,122 3,750 -409,460 899,350 -845,678 1,534,935 -478,110 545,864 2,352,238 38,042 13,160 22,603,099 150,000 -248,730 -133,410.00

0.62 52 14.74 0.74 6.4 17.02 1.36 1.37 890 7.47 11.22 14.8 875 6.2 64.4 0.49 4.58 16.02 0.55 4.22 0.039 1.11 3 178.3 938 0.86 1.34 430 269 0.237 0.325

HOLDING FIRMS 0.62 24,275,000 52.55 2,323,800 15.1 5,671,600 0.75 282,000 6.48 247,300 17.02 41,500 1.38 1,627,000 1.38 1,544,000 898 369,980 7.48 422,000 11.28 1,348,200 14.94 313,500 888 83,810 6.2 80,600 64.8 575,640 0.5 156,000 4.58 673,000 16.62 2,532,000 0.55 60,000 4.25 43,601,000 0.039 7,200,000 1.11 12,000 3 2,976,000 180 378,620 940 178,970 0.86 1,046,000 1.34 99,000 465 210 276 250 0.238 2,290,000 0.34 10,870,000

15,397,170 122,253,047 84,997,302 209,560 1,598,378 711,996 2,228,350 2,131,340 331,643,690 3,156,614 15,223,912 4,683,744 74,680,715 500,250 37,348,505.50 76,610 3,092,140 42,084,996 33,000 187,046,910 281,300 13,320 8,958,090 68,182,065 168,841,315 903,470 133,940 90,934 67,830 545,040 3,653,550

-102,690 -11,507,870 -29,463,128 -221,538 34,580 1,192,570.00 -33,495,665 -100,893 -8,918,442 683,934 378,020 43,400 6,488,658 -335,980 10,876,318 33,000 861,180 673,360.00 10,732,415 -35,219,035 -129,000 -2,720 -5,000

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

58.9 85.65 138.7 1.25 27.5 8.49 18.96 11.62 4.54 0.59 785 0.49 73.5 0.93 13.44 21.45 53.75 183 58.05 26 181.3 1,800 60.3 1.13

58.9 85.65 138.7 1.25 27.55 8.49 19 11.66 4.75 0.59 785 0.5 73.65 0.93 13.44 21.45 54.4 183 58.85 26 182.9 1,800 60.4 1.13

58.05 83 135 1.25 27.4 8.49 18.94 11.46 4.51 0.57 780 0.47 72.05 0.91 13.44 21.4 52.9 181 58.05 25.8 177.8 1,800 59.75 1.13

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

36 15.68 0.85 1.43 0.246 2.31 15.34 118.9 28.1 16.4 45 1.93 5.5 5.98 11.3 16.1 9.2 7.56 21.7 78.3 30.5 2.67 13.46 10.98 1.74 301.8 3.35 10.08 22.5 15.86 22.6 386 0.191 6 1.28 4.6 6.38 1.7 11.98 45.85 4.88 2.11 1.28 13.3 115.8 6.9 0.133 0.96 166.6 2.5 1.38 1.18

36.5 15.68 0.86 1.43 0.246 2.4 15.38 118.9 28.4 16.98 45.5 1.93 5.55 5.98 11.3 16.16 9.47 7.56 21.85 78.35 36 2.68 13.56 10.98 1.79 306 3.48 10.08 22.55 15.86 22.8 386 0.191 6 1.28 4.64 6.45 1.7 11.98 45.95 5.05 2.11 1.28 13.3 117 7 0.133 0.97 166.6 2.5 1.41 1.18

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

0.65 52 15.38 0.76 6.5 17.06 1.39 1.39 908 7.5 11.3 14.94 895 6.28 64.4 0.51 4.6 16.5 0.55 4.4 0.04 1.11 3 178.3 960 0.91 1.36 430 270 0.239 0.325

0.66 53 15.38 0.76 6.5 17.32 1.39 1.39 908 7.5 11.52 14.98 897.5 6.28 65.9 0.51 4.69 16.78 0.55 4.43 0.04 1.11 3.05 181 962 0.91 1.36 465 276 0.24 0.34

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

14.8 0.77 2.18 0.78 47.4 2.4 4.7 6.4 0.54 0.81 0.89 0.245 11.4 27 0.49 0.125 1.62 1.37 5.77 0.35 0.5 1.69 0.44 2.76 24.3 2

14.8 0.77 2.3 0.79 47.4 2.41 4.8 6.4 0.54 0.81 0.9 0.245 11.4 27.05 0.49 0.125 1.62 1.37 5.78 0.375 0.5 1.71 0.46 2.88 24.5 2

14.22 0.75 2.15 0.76 46.3 2.37 4.63 6.32 0.52 0.78 0.88 0.238 10.92 26 0.485 0.125 1.59 1.35 5.64 0.35 0.5 1.65 0.435 2.65 23.25 2

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

3.02 40.9 1.79 6.84 0.72 7.1

3.02 40.9 1.84 6.92 0.72 7.2

2.98 39.75 1.77 6.78 0.72 6.87

3 40.1 1.8 6.83 0.72 7.2

71,000 6,142,900 1,029,000 98,300 1,000 4,850,200

212,220 246,394,810 1,847,830 673,324 720 34,335,132

-30,000 -122,116,205 248,084 1,494,110

2GO GROUP ABS CBN APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CHELSEA DFNN INC EASYCALL FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA GRAND PLAZA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PH RESORTS GRP PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

12.68 19.3 0.4 0.04 15.78 2.63 12.2 0.07 80.85 5.75 6.85 11.5 895 1,839 5.23 398 10.02 2.8 1.8 137 11.94 6.92 0.124 5.6 3.09 3.94 0.83 21.85 0.59 4.87 3.41 1.7 15 2.24 3.78 10 4.45 115.2 3.12 1,220 0.75 0.89 43.5 76.5 9.21 3.2 0.68 0.36 5.65 0.75 16.6

12.88 19.4 0.41 0.044 15.88 2.7 12.22 0.074 81.5 5.78 6.94 11.5 895 1,865 5.24 410 10.02 2.81 1.8 137 11.94 6.92 0.124 5.6 3.1 3.96 0.83 21.9 0.59 5 3.43 1.7 15 2.24 3.8 10 4.45 115.2 3.16 1,250 0.75 0.9 44.5 78 9.21 3.2 0.69 0.365 5.66 0.75 16.8

12.66 19.3 0.395 0.04 15.7 2.6 11.94 0.069 80.7 5.61 6.6 10.9 890 1,838 5.19 392.6 10.02 2.76 1.8 128 10.52 6.9 0.122 5.42 3.09 3.82 0.78 21.4 0.56 4.87 3.22 1.68 15 2.16 3.58 9.5 4.44 114 3.01 1,205 0.73 0.87 43.5 76.5 8.8 3.05 0.66 0.34 5.59 0.71 16.6

SERVICES 12.68 19.32 0.395 0.043 15.88 2.64 12 0.071 81.35 5.65 6.94 10.9 890 1,865 5.19 403.4 10.02 2.77 1.8 128 11.76 6.9 0.123 5.49 3.1 3.83 0.81 21.55 0.57 5 3.35 1.68 15 2.18 3.58 9.6 4.44 114 3.06 1,245 0.73 0.88 44.5 76.75 9.01 3.11 0.67 0.35 5.63 0.71 16.6

6,600 95,000 720,000 45,200,000 66,900 569,000 7,922,500 77,480,000 29,720 388,300 41,700 140,300 40 60,855 129,200 940 100 926,000 7,000 2,261,200 16,600 5,500 4,200,000 1,191,100 12,000 950,000 819,000 1,055,700 634,000 116,000 3,910,000 42,000 8,100 2,402,000 291,000 115,800 13,000 420 3,160,000 83,860 6,934,000 13,567,000 885,100 413,900 173,800 24,071,000 3,845,000 8,470,000 2,026,400 3,044,000 176,200

84,264 1,834,816 286,450 1,912,700 1,056,098 1,501,640 95,346,330 5,627,500 2,408,170.50 2,195,776 284,322 1,548,342 35,650 112,833,190 671,924 379,188 1,002 2,569,620 12,600 296,362,136 188,604 37,960 516,860 6,526,312 37,130 3,661,120 644,040 22,749,925 358,420 576,230 13,048,140 71,380 121,500 5,284,330 1,059,060 1,105,040 57,730 48,036 9,686,980 104,243,340 5,078,370 11,949,910 38,943,800 32,079,471 1,576,526 74,972,050 2,579,810 2,947,950 11,396,508 2,209,660 2,937,248

-1,268 -865,678 -26,280 -52,011,472 943,679 48,430 -85,434 52,307,115 1,800 82,490,946 29,376 -4,640 -184,690 -1,710,230 -53,700 -57,270 406,730 -9,120 6,160 1,509,650 208,860 -2,010,290 -11,438,295 11,531,806 12,702,210 -1,691,500 -9,650.00 -8,572,998 159,990

17,200 1,622,000 327,850 190,484 190,260 9,572,870 196,050 196,155 34,989,950 470,820 150,050 56,300 401,290 3,593,150 28,060 35,020 10,700 94,800 34,000 100,010 539,830 4,652,149 32,862,640 14,300

8,960 -280,200 -1,180 140,500 4,500 623,910 -65,130 -381,058 16,128,765 -

NAME

MS

PROPERTY 14.36 0.76 2.15 0.76 46.8 2.39 4.8 6.32 0.52 0.78 0.88 0.238 11.06 26 0.485 0.125 1.59 1.35 5.68 0.36 0.5 1.65 0.445 2.87 23.25 2

393,100 439,000 2,466,000 1,100,000 21,637,100 857,000 2,469,000 5,000 21,097,000 220,000 75,000 910,000 729,300 1,630,000 620,000 500,000 6,432,000 1,676,000 16,547,000 87,520,000 636,000 1,964,000 1,420,000 989,000 993,100 1,000

5,668,192 331,520 5,520,390 841,460 1,009,552,820 2,052,150 11,687,440 31,760 11,168,090 172,770 66,360 218,320 8,056,750 43,001,295 302,200 62,500 10,291,790 2,273,040 94,414,172 31,940,500 318,000 3,275,820 635,500 2,761,500 23,763,340 2,000

-722,802 -489,850 12,548,325 -572,720 823,520 153,700 42,900 12,460 4,189,852 10,276,215 -4,917,160 40,700 1,043,265.00 -2,204,550 -29,950 -4,207,165 -

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK BENGUET A CENTURY PEAK COAL ASIA HLDG DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A LEPANTO B MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A PHILODRILL PHINMA PETRO PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON

0.002 1.3 2.81 12.26 1.26 2.74 0.29 8.01 1.53 0.249 0.11 0.113 1.04 2.41 1.01 0.56 0.91 0.012 0.012 3.5 3.1 7.82 23.85 0.0075

0.002 1.3 2.82 12.3 1.26 2.85 0.29 8.04 1.54 0.249 0.114 0.113 1.04 2.41 1.01 0.57 0.91 0.012 0.012 3.72 3.12 7.92 24.15 0.0075

0.0019 1.27 2.8 11.7 1.26 2.73 0.285 7.81 1.5 0.238 0.11 0.112 1.03 2.38 0.99 0.56 0.89 0.012 0.011 3.5 3.1 7.7 23.35 0.0068

MINING & OIL 0.0019 9,000,000 1.27 1,266,000 2.8 117,000 12.3 15,900 1.26 151,000 2.85 3,404,000 0.285 680,000 8.03 24,500 1.54 22,869,000 0.243 1,960,000 0.111 1,350,000 0.112 500,000 1.03 386,000 2.39 1,503,000 1.01 28,000 0.57 62,000 0.89 12,000 0.012 7,900,000 0.011 3,000,000 3.71 28,000 3.12 174,000 7.88 594,600 23.65 1,385,200 0.0068 2,000,000

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 ALCO PREF B FGEN PREF G GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PNX PREF 3A SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2I

19.1 474.8 99 101.1 5.2 958 96.5 0.98 100.1 970.5 100.5 75.95 76 71.2 73.65 74.45 74.5

19.1 475 99 101.1 5.2 960 96.5 1 100.1 970.5 100.5 75.95 76 71.2 73.65 74.45 74.5

19 467 99 101 5.1 958 96.45 0.98 100.1 905 100 75.5 75.6 71.2 73.65 74.45 73.5

PREFERRED 19 14,700 467 590 99 500 101 4,000 5.1 10,000 960 2,390 96.5 6,160 1 110,000 100.1 1,520 950 4,240 100.5 10,050 75.5 490 75.6 15,430 71.2 10,590 73.65 34,160 74.45 1,420 74.45 4,730

279,410 279,514 49,500 404,020 51,010 2,292,980 594,435 109,800 152,152 4,059,830 1,008,575 37,197.50 1,168,568 754,008 2,515,884 105,719 347,789.50

-38,000 19,350 -

LR WARRANT

1.93

1.96

1.85

WARRANTS 1.93 330,000

621,290

-

ITALPINAS XURPAS

5.51 1.12

5.6 1.12

5.27 1.05

5.3 1.06

4,922,333 17,552,790

4,500 -3,889,800

FIRST METRO ETF

119.4

119.4

117.8

938,613

-

25,400 19,800

-

USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.16 0.99

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

10.16 0.99

SHARES

13,194,798

INDUSTRIAL

109,783,822

HOLDING FIRMS

112,288,197

PROPERTY

188,368,237

SERVICES

220,134,936

MINING & OIL

58,417,496

GRAND TOTAL

719,408,577

10.16 0.99

SME

902,700 16,309,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 117.8 7,910 DDS 10.16 0.99

2,500 20,000

VALUE 1,735.65 (down) 38.81 950,392,900.75 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,710.81 (down) 121.29 1,247,365,560.50 HOLDING FIRMS 7,540.83 (down) 51.45 1,264,070,313.54 PROPERTY 4,196.64 (down) 76.67 SERVICES 1,596.64 (down) 17.81 1,666,856,512.41 MINING & OIL 7,687.45 (down) 50.91 1,012,679,262.74 PSEI 7,862.30 (down) 105.68 90,358,475.158 All Shares Index 4,859.86 (down) 46.20 6,255,139,344.80 Gainers: 56; Losers: 146; Unchanged: 35; Total: 237

San Miguel beer unit says Q1 profitupb y 19% to P6.74b

By Jenniffer B. Austria

SAN Miguel Brewery Inc., the beer unit of San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc., reported a net income of P6.74 billion in the fi rst quarter of 2019, up 18.9 percent from P5.67 billion recorded in the same period last year SMB said in a regulatory fi ling fi rstquarter sales rose 16.8 percent to P34.83 billion from P29.81 billion in the fi rst quarter of 2018.

Cost of sales increased 22 percent to P20.1 billion from P16.45 in 2018.

Gross profi t stood at P14.72 billion, up 10.2 percent from P13.35 billion in 2018.

Operating income rose 14.9 percent to P9.55 billion from P8.31 billion on year.

San Miguel last year announced plans to build around fi ve to six new breweries. Each brewery will cost roughly $250 million and run on an annual capacity of 2 million hectoliters.

SMB last year started construction of a brewery plant in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, in Mindanao. The plant will have an initial capacity of 1 million hectoliters The beer company has also planned to construct a new brewery at the boundary of La Union and Pangasinan and another one each in Quezon, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga, said Ang earlier.

SMB also plans to expand the bottling facility in Sta. Rosa, Laguna by another 1 million hectoliters to 2 million hectoliters.

SMB is the largest producer of beer in the Philippines, with nine out of 10 beer drinkers preferring its brands.

The company currently has six production facilities strategically located across the Philippines.

It has operations in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Hong Kong. Its beer products are also being exported to more than 50 countries worldwide.

SMB was previously a majorityowned direct subsidiary of San Miguel Corp. The parent fi rm last year consolidated its food and beverage businesses under San Miguel Foods and Beverage Inc. to rationalize them.

Security Bank’s 3-month income rose to P2.38b

By Julito G. Rada SECURITY Bank Corp., the sixthlargest lender in terms of assets, said net income in the first quarter rose 1.5 percent year-on-year to P2.38 billion, fueled mainly by sustained strength in loans and deposits.

The bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday the Januaryto-March net profit was also 15 percent higher compared with the level posted a quarter ago.

“Total revenues grew 20 percent year-on-year to P7.6 billion. A core revenue component, net interest income from customer loans and deposits sustained its healthy trajectory growing by 29 percent to P4.7 billion,” the bank said.

“This was driven by the continued expansion of retail loans and low-cost deposits. Retail loans grew 49 percent while low-cost deposits increased 11 percent. Retail loans now account for 23 percent of total loans versus 17 percent a year ago,” it said.

Total loans rose 12 percent year-onyear to P412 billion. Total deposits increased 10 percent to P461 billion.

Net interest spread on loans and deposits increased to 4.98 percent in first quarter 2019, up 26 basis points quarter-on-quarter and 78 basis points year-on-year.

Total net interest income increased 15 percent to P5.8 billion. Interest income from financial investments climbed 11 percent.

Overall, net interest margin increased to 3.43 percent in the first quarter, up 5 basis points quarter-on-quarter and 19 basis points year-on-year.

Service charges, fees and commissions rose 26 percent to P857 million. Major contributors were credit cards, loan fees, bancassurance, deposit charges and stock brokerage.

Securities trading gains amounted to P671 million, up from P416 million in first quarter 2018. Total non-interest income increased 39 percent to P1.8 billion.

Manila

Standard TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

World

B3

TODAY CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

41 killed in burning Russian plane

M

OSCOW―A Russian passenger plane erupted in a huge ball of fire and black smoke after making an emergency landing at Moscow’s busiest airport, killing 41 people including at least two children.

Dramatic footage that went viral on social media showed Aeroflot’s Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft crash-landing and then speeding along the runway at Sheremetyevo international airport on

Sunday, flames pouring from its fuselage.

Passengers could be seen leaping onto an inflatable slide at the front and running from the blazing plane as huge black columns of smoke billowed into the sky.

Investigators said 41 people had died.

“There were 78 people including crew members on board the plane,” which was bound for the northwestern city of Murmansk, Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement.

“According to the updated info which the investigation has as of now, 37 people survived.”

Eleven people were injured, Dmitry

Matveyev, the Moscow region’s health minister said earlier in the day.

Witness Alyona Osokina said she was inside the terminal when she suddenly saw a plane on fire rushing along the runway. AFP “The blaze was devouring the plane,” she told Rain TV. Osokina said that fire engines had arrived quickly but could not immediately put out the blaze.

“This horror and tragedy happened before our eyes,” she said, adding that those who managed to flee the plane then walked towards the airport.

“I believe they were in a state of deep shock.”

on its second attempt, hitting the ground with its landing gear first and then its nose.

Flight tracking site Flightradar24 showed the jet looping once in the air before landing. AFP

The jet―carrying 73 passengers and five crew members―left Sheremetyevo at 6:02 pm (1502 GMT), and the crew issued a distress signal shortly afterwards, officials said.

“After the take-off, the crew reported an anomaly and decided to come back to the departure airport. At 6:30 pm, the aircraft made an emergency landing,” the airport said in a statement.

Aeroflot, Russia’s flagship carrier, said the plane had to return to the airport “due to a technical reason” and its engines caught fire upon landing.

Previous reports had said the fire broke out in mid-air.

The jet reportedly managed to land

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 217 – QUEZON CITY

TODAY

LYDIA P. BULAN SATO REPRESENTED BY HER ATTORNEY-IN-FACT, MILAGROS F. ANGELES Petitioner,

legal capacity to contract marriage is hereto attached and marked as Annex “D”.

5. After eight years of marriage, petitioner and respondent had an agreement and agreed to end their relationship. They filed a divorce for the reason that they were always arguing about the drinking habits of the respondent. Petitioner and respondent have one (1) child.

-versus-

6. On March 13, 2014, petitioner and respondent filed for divorce before the Mayor of Kawaguchi City Saitama Prefecture. A copy of the Report of Divorce, in English SADAHIRO SATO, CIVIL REGISTRAR translation is hereto attached and GENERAL AND LOCAL CIVIL marked as Annex “E”.

REGISTRAR, 7.On April 3, 2018, petitioner Respondents. secured a copy of the Certificate x----------------------------------------------x of Acceptance of the Divorce Registration dated March 13, 2014, AMENDED ORDER which was found legitimate and This is a verified amended sealed by Nobuo Okunoki, Mayor of petition filed by Lydia P. Bulan Sato Kawaguchi City Saitama Prefecture represented by her Attorney-inwith the English translation a copy of Fact, Milagros F. Angeles praying which is hereto attached and marked for the judicial recognition and/or as Annex “F”. enforcement of foreign judgment of divorce obtained in Japan, direct the 8. Aliens may obtain divorces proper Local Civil Registrar to record abroad which may be recognized in the foreign decree of divorce in the the Philippines, provided they are marriage certificate. valid according to their national law.

CIVIL CASE NO. R-QZN-18-09148-CV

For: Judicial Recognition and/or Enforcement of Foreign Judgment

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region BRANCH 222, QUEZON CITY TAME CABINAN A.K.A. TAME DEL CASTILLO CABINAN, SPEC. PRO CASE NO. R-QZN-18-15351-SP For: Legitimation and Change of Name THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR, Q.C. ET.AL., Petitioner. x----------------------------------------------------------x

ORDER

Upon motion by the counsel for the petitioner, considering that the latter has not yet complied with the publication requirements, let the initial hearing be reset on July 26, 2019 at 8:30 in the morning.

Send a copy of this Order to the petitioner and the concerned government agencies.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, April 11, 2019.

This handout picture taken and realeased on May 5, 2019, by the Investigative Committee of Russia shows fire at a Russian(Sgd.) EDGAR DALMACIO SANTOS EDS/irish Judge made Superjet-100 at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow. The Interfax agency said the Russian-made Superjet-100 had just Republic of the Philippines taken off from Sheremetyevo airport on a domestic route when the crew issued a distress signal. Forty-one people died. AFP REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region BRANCH 222, QUEZON CITY

IN BRIEF Guns outnumber hotel guests

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION TO USE THE SURNAME OF THE FATHER OF TAME DEL CASTILLO TILLADA

FIRE.

Study: A million species risk extinction

COLOMBO―At the Cinnamon Grand Colombo, one of six Sri Lankan targets PARIS-Humanity is rapidly destroyhit by suicide bombers on Easter Sunday, -versusSPEC. PRO NO. R-QZN-18-15351-SP ing the natural world upon which our the silence that reigns is not just the usual LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, hush of a plush hotel. prosperity―and ultimately our surADMINISTRATOR AND CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS Recently reopened, barely 10 of its vival―depends, according to a landAUTHORITY (PSA) formerly National Statistics Office, 500 luxury rooms occupied―down NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE,are ROMEO CORNEJO mark UN assessment of the state of NARCISO, MINDA ELOJA OPIDER, and from the 300 usual at this time of year― ALL OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES, Nature released Monday. as fears rise over theRespondents impact of the bombx--------------------------------------------------x Changes wrought by decades of pilings on the island ORDER nation’s burgeoning laging and poisoning forests, oceans, tourism industry.

This has reference to the verified Petition to allow TAME CABINAN TILLADA a.k.a TAME DEL CASTILLO CABINAN to use the surname of soil and air threaten society “at least as On April 21, the Cinnamon was one of his father Antonio Mesa Tillada, filed by the petitioner, through counsel, on November 29, 2018. hit by jihadi bombers along three hotels much as climate change,” said Robert In the above-mentioned petition, herein petitioner prays to allow him to use with three churches in attacks claimed Watson, who led the 132-nation meetthe surname of his father TILLADA. by thetheIslamic State that left the 257 Finding petition to be sufficientgroup in form and substance, initial hearing ing that validated a Summary for Poliofpeople this case isdead. set on APRIL 25, 2019 at 8:30 in the morning before this Court and all parties-in-interest are directed to appear before this Court and show cymakers forged by 450 experts.

Around 9:10 am that day, Sri Lankan cause why the petition should not be granted.

Let a copyIbrahim, of this Order together a copy of the petitioninto be served upon One million animal and plant speInshaf who with had checked the Civil Registrar of Quezon City, the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly cies face extinction, many within dethe Cinnamon the day before, went to the NSO), the Office of the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office and the Office of the Solicitor General.buffet Lastly, letin a copy this Order be published once a week cades, for breakfast theof hotel’s Taprobane they reported. three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation to be chosen restaurant. by raffle by the Office of the Executive Judge, at petitioner’s expense.

Alarmingly, the accelerating pace he set off the bomb in his backSOThen ORDERED. at which unique life-forms are disappack, Given inkilling Chambers twenty this 15th daypeople. of January 2019 in Quezon City. pearing―already tens to hundreds of EDGARIbrahim DALMACIO SANTOS The bomber’s brother(Sgd.) Ilham Judge times faster than during the last ten died Cc: while attacking the Shangri-La ho-PAO -CIVIL REGISTRY OF QUEZON CITY - OSG million years―could tip Earth into -PHILIPPINE AUTHORITY -ACP JOSLITO C. BACOLOR tel, alsoSTATISTICS in Colombo.

Now, to get into the marble-floored the first mass extinction since nonlobby of the Cinnamon, visitors must avian dinosaurs died out 66 million pass through two security checks as a years ago. new X-ray machine scans bags. Armed In the short term, humans are not soldiers outnumber guests. AFP TAME CABINAN TILLADA a.k.a TAME DEL CASTILLO CABINAN Petitioner

French toddler found safe MARSEILLE―A two-year-old boy who was abducted in the French port city of Marseille has been found safe and sound and his kidnapper arrested, prosecutors said.

The toddler was recovered from a hotel in the city of Valence, some 200 kilometers from where he was snatched a few hours earlier on Sunday afternoon, Marseille prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux told AFP. He said the alleged kidnapper, who has a criminal record, was arrested at the hotel.

The kidnapping had triggered the socalled “abduction alert” system, inspired by the Amber Alert child abduction system set up in the United States in 1996 after the kidnap and murder of a nineyear-old girl in Texas.

“It was the night watchman at the hotel who saw abduction alert on the television and called police,” said Tarabeux.

The boy, named Osnachi, was snatched as his mother was attending a religious service in Marseille. The child “is fine” and will undergo medical examination, the prosecutor said.

The French alert system has been used more than 20 times since it was established in 2006, and all the children were found safe and ound, all but two of them very quickly. AFP

ronmental Research in Germany and co-chair of the UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

“In the longer term, it is hard to say,” he told AFP. “If humans do go extinct, Nature will find its way, it always does.”

Halting and reversing these dire trends will require “transformative change” -- a sweeping overhaul of the way we produce and consume almost everything, especially food, the report concluded.

“We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality-oflife worldwide,” said Watson.

“By transformative change, we mean a fundamental, system-wide reorganization.”

The pushback from “vested interests,” he added, is likely to be fierce.

Drawing from 15,000 sources and an underlying 1,800-page report, the executive summary details how our at risk, said Josef Settele, a profes- species’ growing footprint and apsor at the Helmholtz Centre for Envi- petites have compromised the natu-

ral renewal of resources that sustain civilization, starting with fresh water, breathable air, and productive soil.

An October report from the UN’s climate science panel painted a similarly dire picture for global warming, and likewise highlighted the need for social transformation “on an unprecedented scale” to cap the rise in temperature at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit).

The global thermometer has already gone up by 1C, and on current trends will rise another 3C by century’s end.

Climate change and biodiversity loss, it turns out, feed off each other in a vicious cycle.

Deforestation and industrial agriculture are major drivers of species and ecosystem decline, but also account for at least a quarter of manmade greenhouse gas emissions.

Trees release planet-warming carbon dioxide when cut down, and the destruction each year of tropical forests covering an area the size of England shrinks the vegetal sponge that helps to absorb it. AFP

Christian-Muslim clashes rock town in Sri Lanka COLOMBO―Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholic Church appealed for calm and an alcohol ban Monday after clashes between Christians and Muslims in a town scarred by the Easter suicide attacks.

Hundreds of security forces entered Negombo to impose a curfew after dozens of Muslim-owned shops, homes and vehicles were attacked.

St. Sebastian’s church in the town 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of capital Colombo was one of three churches and three hotels hit by jihadist suicide bombers on April 21 killing 257 people.

“I appeal to all Catholic and Christian brothers and sisters not to hurt even a single Muslim person because they are our brothers, because they are part of our religious culture,” said Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo.

“Therefore please avoid hurting them and try to create a better spirit of understanding and good relations

between all the communities of Sri Lanka,” he said in a video message to the country.

The cardinal visited Negombo, held talks with clerics at a mosque and appealed to the government to shut bars in the Catholic-dominated town known as “Little Rome”, said his spokesman Father Edmund Tilakaratne.

“As a temporary measure, the cardinal asked the government to order the ban on liquor sales in Negombo area,” Tilakaratne told AFP. In another televised appeal, Ranjith appealed to Christians, Buddhists and Muslims to show restraint.

Negombo suffered the highest death toll in the Easter Sunday attacks that were claimed by the Islamic State group. The bomb at St. Sebastian’s killed more than 100 worshippers.

A top police officer said two arrests were made after the latest clashes and more suspects had been identified through CCTV footage.

The officer said all will be prose-

cuted under emergency laws approved after the Easter attacks.

“At least three people were injured in the clashes,” the officer told AFP. “Although we have arrested only two suspects at the moment, many more have been identified and we will go after them.”

The officer said an alcohol-fuelled dispute between two groups degenerated into the clashes.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement the government will compensate those who lost property in the night-time clashes.

Unverified video circulating on social media showed mobs throwing stones at Muslim businesses, destroyed furniture inside homes, shattered windows and overturned vehicles.

AFP was unable to immediately verify the footage.

A few hundred extra troops and police were deployed late Sunday as authorities imposed a night-time curfew in the town. AFP

Petitioner alleges that she got married to Sadahiro Sato on November 10, 2006 in 2-71-14 Nakaaoki Kawaguchi City Saitama Prefecture; that petitioner and respondent Sato met on September 20, 2006 while working at the same company; that petitioner and respondent Sato were always arguing about the drinking habits of the latter and agreed to end their relationship after eight (8) eight years of marriage; that petitioner and respondent Sato filed for divorce before the Mayor of Kawaguchi City Saitam Prefecture on Mach 13, 2014; that petitioner is now seeking that the foreign divorce decree obtained by Sadahiro Sato in Japan be judicially recognized.

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, notice is hereby given that said petition is hereby set for hearing anew on May 24, 2019 at 8:30 in the morning before this Court located at Room 238, Second Floor, Hall of Justice, Diliman, Quezon City at which place and on which date and time, any person who has objections to the petition may appear and file his opposition thereto.

Let copy of the Amended Order and the entire amended petition be published at the expense of the petitioner, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in The Standard, a newspaper of general circulation throughout the Philippines.

Likewise, let a copy of the amended petition with its annexes and this Amended Order be furnished to the Office of the Solicitor General, and be posted in the Bulletin Board of the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, Philippines, March 29, 2019.

(Sgd.) SANTIAGO M. ARENAS Judge CC:

Under, paragraph 2 of Art. 26 of the Family Code, it is provided that; “Where a marriage between a Filipino citizen and a foreigner is validly celebrated and a divorce is thereafter validly obtained abroad by the alien spouse capacitating him or her to remarry, the Filipino spouse shall have capacity to remarry under Philippine law. (Emphasis supplied) 9. In the case of Republic vs.

Cipriano Orbecido III 1, it was ruled that “before a foreign divorce decree can be recognized by our own courts, the party pleading it must prove the divorce as a fact and demonstrate its conformity to the foreign law allowing it.”

The judgment of Divorce secured by the petitioner conforms to Japanese Marriage and Divorce Laws, a copy of said law is hereto attached as Annex “G”.

10.

Given the foregoing circumstances, as fully warranted under the relevant laws and prevailing jurisprudence, there exists valid basis to recognize the decree of absolute divorce obtained by petitioner which was issued and granted by the Mayor of Kawaguchi City Saitama Prefecture, Nobuo Okunoki of Japan.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court to render judgment recognizing the decree of divorce obtained by respondent which was issued and granted by the Central and Juvenile Family Court of Japan.

Petitioner further prays that the proper local civil registrar be directed to record the foreign decree of absolute divorce on the appropriate marriage register as well as to cause the annotation of the decree of absolute divorce on the marriage certificate between the petitioner and respondent.

IGUIDEZ ONIDA LAW Atty. Larry T. Iguidez Counsel for the Petitioner Rm. 107 Cabrera Bldg., 1 130 Timog Avenue, Quezon City

Petitioner also prays for other reliefs that are just and equitable under the circumstances.

Office of the Solicitor General Makati City

Quezon City, Philippines, October 9, 2018.

Office of the Prosecutor Quezon City Office of the Local Civil Registrar Quezon City Office of the Civil Registrar General Quezon City

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 217 – QUEZON CITY LYDIA P. BULAN SATO, REPRESENTED BY HER ATTORNEY-IN-FACT, MILAGROS F. ANGELES Petitioner, -versusSP No. R-QZN-05595-SP For: Judicial Recognition and/or Enforcement of Foreign Judgment SADAHIRO SATO, Respondent.

CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL Respondent.

LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR Respondent. x-------------------------------------x

AMENDED PETITION COMES NOW petitioner, by the undersigned counsel and unto this Honorable Court most respectfully avers that:

THE PARTIES 1.The Petitioner is LYDIA P. BULAN SATO, is of legal age, Filipino citizen, and with residence and with postal address at No. 1335001 Saitama, Warabi, Shi Kita Machi 1020-18 K & A. represented herein by her Attorney-in-Fact, Milagros F. Angeles with Special Power of Attorney executed in Tokyo, Japan on June 15, 2018, a copy of which is hereto attached as Annex “A” to the Petition.

2.The Respondent is Sadahiro Sato, likewise of legal age, Japanese National, with residence and postal address at Warabi-Shi 1-17-23 Kita Machi, Saitama, where he may be served with summons and other processes of this Honorable Court; while respondent office of the Civil Registrar General and the Local Civil Registrar are government offices involved and official recording of important documents with offices addresses respectively at 3/F Vibal Bldg., Times Street cor. Edsa, West Triangle, Quezon City and Quezon City Hall. They are included as respondents as mandated by Rule 108 of the Revised Rules of Court.

THE FACTS 3. Petitioner and Respondent are husband and wife whose marriage was solemnized on November 10, 2006 in 2-71-14 Nakaaoki Kawaguchi City Saitama Prefecture, where their marriage was recorded.

Copies of the Report of Marriage, Family Registry are hereto attached and respectively marked as Annexes “B” and “C” 4. Petitioner and respondent met on September 20, 2006, while working at the same company, the respondent working as painter while the petitioner working as the installer of speakers. Prior to their marriage, petitioner obtained a Certification of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage from the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo Japan. A copy of the certification of

IGUIDEZ ONIDA LAW By: (Sgd.) LARRY T. IGUIDEZ Counsel for the Petitioner Rm. 107 Cabrera Bldg., 1 130 Timog Ave., Quezon City PTR No. 5520378, 1-3-2018, Q.C. IBP No. AR002162, 2/6/2018, Q.C. Roll No. 20434 MCLE Compliance No. V,0024702, 10-29-16 Email address: larryiguidez@ yahoo.com Tel. No. 922-0674

CC:

OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL Makati City DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS Pasay City OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR Quezon City SADAHIRO SATO Warabi-shi 1-17-23 Kita Machi, Saitama Tokyo, Japan CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL 3/F Vibal Bldg., Times Street cor. Edsa, West Triangle, Quezon City LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR Quezon City

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) QUEZON CITY ) S.S. VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION OF NON-FORUM SHOPPING I, MILAGROS F. ANGELES, of legal age, Filipino and with postal address at B10 L37 Guyabano St., SM Homes, Deparo 2, Caloocan City, after having been duly sworn to in accordance with law, hereby depose and state: 1. That I am the Petitioner’s Attorney-in-Fact in the abovecaptioned case; 2. That I have caused the preparation and filing of the foregoing PETITION; 3. That I have read the allegations in the foregoing Petition, which allegations are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and based on authentic records; 4. That I certify that I have not commenced for Lydia Bulan Sato any other action or proceeding involving the same issues raised in this Petition either in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any of its divisions, or any other tribunal or agency, and that to the best of my knowledge, no such other action or claim is pending therein; and 5. In the event that I learn of a similar action involving the same parties and cause of action, I undertake to immediately inform this Honorable Office of its nature and status within five (5) days therefrom.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto affixed my signature this 28th days of July 2018 at Quezon City, Philippines.

(Sgd.) MILAGROS F. ANGELES Affiant SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me this 28th day of July 2018 at Quezon City, affiant exhibiting to me her Brgy. ID No. LT1692 issued on January 2018.

Doc. No. 481; Page No. 98; Book No. XVIIII; Series of 2018.

(MStandard-Apr. 30, May 7 & 14, 2019)

OUTDOOR FROLIC.

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

B4

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

Guiuan mayor’s namesake axed from House race TACLOBAN CITY—Acting on the petition of Guiuan Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales, the First Division of the Commission on Elections has nullified the certificate of candidacy of one of his rivals seeking the post of the lone congressional district of Eastern Samar ahead of Monday’s elections.

In a seven-page resolution issued April 12, the poll body invalidated the CoC of Julio “Shaudy” Gonzales, whose nickname and family name sounds like that of the Guiuan mayor.

Mayor Gonzales, in his petition before the Comelec, claimed that Shaudy Gonzales should be considered as a nuisance candidate whose aim is to create confusion among the electorate in Eastern Samar, particularly intended against him.

Christopher Gonzales is running under the banner of the Nacionalista Party.

The petitioner said that when ‘Shaudy’ Gonzales ran as a barangay chairman of Naga, Quinapondan town during the 2013 barangay elections, he used the nickname “Judith” and not Shaudy.

The poll body’s resolution said Shaudy Gonzales failed to prove that he used “Shaudy” in his CoC when he ran for barangay chairman in 2013. The records instead showed that it was the petitioner, Christopher Sheen Gonzales, who was able to prove by documentary evidence that he indeed used ‘Judith’ and not ‘Shaudy’ as a nickname, it added.

Comelec thus cancelled the CoC of Julio Gonzales, thus disqualifying him from the race. Benjie Antioquia

DOST turns over drying facility to Runruno groups

Kids play in a sea of plastic balls under watch of their parents at the outdoor area of SM City Masinag, as the mall in Antipolo City promotes undistracted family bonding with ‘Unplugged and Play,’ an outdoor summer fair without any gadgets—just pure fun and activities for the entire family.

Manny Palmero

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

‘Peaceful polls in Lanao Sur’

C

OTABATO CITY—Elections in five coastal towns of Lanao del Sur are expected to be peaceful and orderly after all the candidates signed a peace covenant over the weekend against the use of violence in this year’s elections.

The candidates for mayor, vice mayor and members of the Sangguniang Bayan in the towns of Kapatagan, Balabagan, Malabang, Picong, and Marogong vowed to prevent their supporters from engaging in mudslinging and raise the level of a peaceful political campaign.

The peace covenant signing was held on Saturday at the headquarters of the Army’s 6th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Matling, Malabang, Lanao del Sur. In a statement, Col. Wilbur Mamawag, Army’s 603rd Infantry Brigade commander, said the initiative was organized by the 6th IB in an effort to promote peace and

honest elections on May 13.

“Your army here in coastal municipalities of Lanao del Sur will be your able partner for a credible, honest, orderly and peaceful election,” Mamawag told the candidates during the event.

“We will also ensure that there will be no failure of election and all voters can exercise freely their right of suffrage,” he added.

In a separate statement, lawyer Allan Kadon, Lanao del Sur provincial election supervisor, said the election in Lanao del Sur would only be successful through the cooperation of the stakeholders.

“Let us always remember that peace cannot be attained by force or imposition of violence. It requires understanding and respect to our differences and beliefs,” Kadon said.

One of the two candidates for mayor of Kapatagan, Raida Maglangit, lauded the military for gathering all the candidates together.

“We see peaceful and credible elections ahead,” she said.

Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, 6th Infantry Division commander, said he is confident the candidates would fulfill what they have signed in the peace pact.

Sobejana has directed all battalion commanders under his command to initiate a peace covenant signing among political candidates in their respective areas of responsibility to ensure peaceful and orderly elections next week. PNA

By Ben Moses Ebreo QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya—The Department of Science and Technology has turned over drying facilities for community-based organizations in barangay Runruno here to boost their livelihood projects.

Engr. Jonathan Nuestro, DOST provincial chief, said the eight CBOs received a set of Portasol each, an equipment that helps in drying grains products faster and cleaner.

The equipment was produced by the Filipino Investors Society Producer Cooperative.

“We thank the efforts of FCF Minerals Corp. for linking our services to the livelihood organizations. In this way, we can provide technical and equipment assistance to improve their livelihood projects,” Nuestro said.

He said that before the turnover, the recipient organizations were also oriented on how to use the Portasols.

The equipment was given to the livelihood organizations through a Memorandum of Agreement among the DOST, FCF Minerals and the recipient organizations.

FCF Minerals Corp. provides assistance to various livelihood organizations in this town as part of their Social Development and Management Program. FCF operates the gold-molybdenum project in barangay Runruno.

Compostela Valley Gov. Jayvee Tyron Uy, ComVal district engineer Joselito Caballero, Department of Labor and Employment regional director Raymundo Agravante, TLDC CEO Tomas Lorenzo, Rep. Maricar Zamora, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, and Mindanao Development Authority director Olie Dagala give a thumbs-up to the De Oro Business and Investment Conference in Mabini town.

Performers in Antipolo City’s Maytime Festival flash wide smiles as they engage in a grand and colorful street dancing and float parade, with some 1,000 dancers from various schools taking part.

Thousands dance in Antipolo Maytime Fest kickoff THE City of Antipolo recently kicked off its annual Maytime Festival through a grand and colorful street dancing and float parade, with some 1,000 dancers from various schools taking part.

The festival also signaled the start of the pilgrimage season with the peniten-

tial Walk for Peace from the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo to the Shrine of our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in the city.

Spicing up the festivities are pageants, talent contests, cultural presentations, sports tournaments, booth competition, art exhibits, musical concerts,

trade fair, photo contest, fashion show, and various special events.

One of the country’s top faith tourism attractions, the monthlong tradition will be highlighted by the Grand Sagala on May 19 and Flores De Mayo and Santacruzan, a devotion to the Holy Cross, on May 31.

Dumaguete bags sports tourism organizer plum THE City of Dumaguete was given the coveted Organizer of the Year (Government Sector) in the recent Philippine Sports Tourism Awards held at Savoy Hotel Manila in Newport, Pasay City.

Now on its second edition, the awardees were selected by a panel of judges from various sectors, including the Department of Tourism, the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee and organizer Selrahco Management and Consultancy Services.

It was also a runner-up in the Sports Destination of the Year category, having hosted a variety of sporting events which brought in thousands of athletes and tourists.

Last year, the city hosted the Dumaguete Triathlon, Children’s Games, the Dumaguete Dragon Boat Challenge and the Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour, in line with its 70th charter anniversary.

The Philippine University Games has made the city their default venue because of its strategic location, splendid facilities, reasonable costs, conducive environment, and warm hometown crowd.

Earlier in 2017, Little League Philippines Series, National Frisbee ultimate Championship, Philippine National Games, Batang Pinoy, Philippine Super Liga Spike on Tour, and the 1st Southeast Asian Beach Handball have made the city their playground.

According to Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo, they have been positioning the city as a sports hub in the central Philippines by organizing and hosting national events.

“This award will top off all the tourism awards we got. I always believe that sports is a great equalizer and unifier,” he said at the PSTA awarding ceremonies.

In-mid February this year, Dumaguete hosted the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association, the regional qualifying round of the Palarong Pambansa where the city’s sports excellence and trademark hospitality were once again put to the fore.

ComVal bags P 1.2b in investments THE Province of Compostela Valley has received P1.2 billion worth of investments, surpassing its P500-million target, in the recent De Oro Business and Investment Conference held at the Beach Club At Lubi Plantation Island in Mabini town.

Dubbed De Oro Biz Icon, the conference gathered 150 delegates headed by China consul general Li Lin, Austria honorary consul Peter Faistauer, and acting Indonesian consul general Endah Rachmi Yuliarti, as well as local business players.

The confab, led by Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, successfully matched 14 projects from 10 proponents and 16 investors brought in by the diplomatic missions of China, Indonesia and European countries.

Following the plenary session where

Compostela Valley Governor Jayvee Tyrone Uy presented the business and investments opportunities in the province, an investment matching session grouped into real estate, public infrastructure, agribusiness, and tourism clusters was conducted.

He said the pledges were easily facilitated because of their provincial investment code, which allows ease of doing business.

The biggest investment is the China State Construction Engineering Group, which pledged a P500-million property development, a P300-million business center, and a P350.8-million bulk water system in the capital town of Nabunturan.

With these planned developments, the town will become a more attractive business hub for retail, services, hospitality and allied sectors, Uy said.

Life

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

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

C1

Simple ways to protect the planet

T

HE belief that we have no time or resources or that a gesture has to be large-scale to actually make a difference leads people to resign to the fact that we can’t as an individual help save, let alone protect, Mother Earth.

While the changes indeed have to be sizable to truly create a huge impact, it doesn’t mean that simple lifestyle changes done even by one person wouldn’t matter. Here are some of the simplest things an individual can easily do to enjoy life while protecting the planet.

What do we say to the god of meat?

Not today.

Eat more greens, less meat

Ditch the car and opt for a bicycle when going places.

Bike or walk

Walking or riding bike to work—if feasible—is a great way to protect the environment and improve one’s health. Doing so helps improve cardiovascular system, not to mention lessens carbon footprint. It’s free, easy, and there’s a bonus of enjoying and keeping Mother Nature’s fresh air clean.

Conservew ater

Dry season or not, it’s vital to always conserve water. The practice of saving water should not only be done when there’s no regular service of water running through the pipes. For instance, when washing dishes or taking a shower, turn off the tap if not yet needed or use a pail of water when washing the car. What a person saves by using water more intelligently may not be much, but as they say, a little goes a long, long way.

Turn off the tap when not in use.

THE Design Center of the Philippines, an attached agency to the Department of Trade and Industry committed to strengthening the Philippines’ design ecosystem, recently launched pinyapel, a locally processed and manufactured specialty paper from locally sourced discarded pineapple leaves.

“Design Center’s pinyapel is a welcome development in our country’s materials library,” said Maria Rita O. Matute, executive director of Design Center. “Aside from indigenous raw materials, material choices now include processed agricultural waste, such as

Eating greens has its slew of healthy benefits like glowing, beautiful skin, good digestion, strong heart, alert mind, happy disposition, lighter feeling to help with mobility, and many others.

More importantly, eating more greens and natural products helps in lessening carbon footprint.

Eating greens is said to be the most effective way to reduce carbon footprint, even more than recycling or using an electric car. A study conducted in 2018 by Oxford researchers Poore and Nemecek claimed that meat and dairy production uses the vast majority (83 percent) of farmland and produces 60 percent of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, and methane globally.

By cutting out meat and dairy consumption, global farmland use could be reduced by more than 75 percent—an area equivalent to the US, China, European Union, and Australia combined.

Single-use plastic cup and plastic straw are an environmentally dangerous combination.

Say no to (or at least reduce) single-use plastic

The irresponsible use and discarding of single-use plastic products (which takes hundreds of years to decompose) affects Earth’s rich marine life. Improper disposal of single-use plastic products also poses serious consequences to human communities as these clog natural waterways and increase instances of deadly floods.

Plastics are convenient, but there are ways to reduce independence on them such as having reusable containers handy (e.g. drinking bottles or water containers) when exercising or working, recyclable bags for shopping, or metal (or bamboo) drinking straws or utensils when dining out. It’s a small gesture but it helps in lessening the use of single-use plastic materials.

Turn to C2

pineapple leaves, developed into high value materials.”

As the second largest producer of pineapple products globally, the Philippines produces the tropical fruit in millions of metric tons annually. In year 2017 alone, the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Selected Statistics on agriculture reported that pineapple production figures amounted to 2.671 million, with around 5 percent of which comprised of agricultural wastes such as pineapple leaves (Food and Fertilizer Technology Center).

Through the rigorous materials research and development efforts of Design

Paper made from pineapple Pinyapel is a specialty paper made from locally sourced discarded pineapple leaves.

The sustainable paper product, the Design Center made in collaboration with CDO Handmade Paper, was developed through an intellectual property-protected process.

Center, an IP (intellectual property)-protected process was developed, and yielded a specialty paper using pineapple leaves, reinforced and print viable for secondary packaging applications.

Nature’s Fresh Pineapples, who supplied the discarded pineapple leaves for the experimentation and prototyping phases of pinyapel, said that aside from the diversified use of pineapple leaves from their farms, the initiative also be-

came a tool to increase livelihood of their farmers.

“For every one cycle of drying, collecting, and bagging of five tons of pineapple leaves, it adds an approximately P1,753 to the weekly income of every seven pineapple laborers,” said Aleli Mae Uy, chief operating officer of Nature’s Fresh Pineapples.

Pinyapel also leverages the country’s agricultural industries to align with the

UN Sustainable Development Goal of responsible production and consumption. With the increasing awareness of sustainability going around locally and globally, Design Center’s pinyapel initiative offers to spark more ideas of transforming local raw materials, and agricultural and industrial wastes to high-value materials that can be used in new product development and innovative designs.

Life

C2

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

By Peter Hope

B

ARLEY grass has long been considered an important “functional food” that promotes health and supports disease prevention. This “superfood” contains high levels of chlorophyll and is rich in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.

It is a powerhouse of nutrients.

What makes NZ barley grass good

The popularity of barley grass continues to grow as more and more consumers, worldwide, discover its benefits. At Santé New Zealand Limited, we recognize the powerful properties of barley grass and its health benefits. This has led us to develop a comprehensive selection of everyday barley-based products.

Our barley grass growing region

Our barley grass is grown in the Canterbury region of New Zealand.

Canterbury lies in the central-eastern region of the country’s South Island.

This is an area of 44,508 square kilometers and is one of the most important agricultural and horticultural areas in the country. The soils of the Canterbury Plains are formed on an alluvial plain and are particularly well suited Santé New Zealand grows its barley grass in the Canterbury region, whose soil and climate are well-suited to growing cereal crops such as barley. to growing cereal crops such as wheat, oats, and barley. grass requires that the plant receives tent and stabilize the barley leaf as a The local Canterbury climate with enough water (either via rainfall or ir- safe and nutritious food product. its cool winters and warm summers, rigation), sufficient macro-nutrients Milling the barley leaf is an art and a along with the free draining soils are along with enough magnesium, Sulphur science. Well-milled barley leaf can be very well suited to growing superior and calcium from the soil. The macro- easily absorbed by the body and is a perbarley grass crops. We consider the nutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorus fect ingredient for drinks and smoothies. crops of barley grass we grow to be (P) and potassium (K) or NPK for short. truly outstanding when it comes to Often the availability of the macro-nuRespecting the land chlorophyll and nutrient levels. trients to the barley plant is governed by Santé New Zealand Limited knows the soil pH level, presence of micro-nu- that the way we produce our crops imCertified organic production trients, and the levels of organic matter pacts the health and purity of the enviMore than simply growing the barin the soil. ronment. We are extremely mindful to ley grass, we grow it under a certified Farming under organic principles is grow according to organic principles organic system. This is an independemanding as there are a limited number and strive to leave the environment betdently audited system that ensures the of ways the organic farmer can influence ter than we found it. barley grass is grown according to orthe availability of nutrients. This requires The farms are certified organic by ganic principles. careful planning and great attention to the BioGro Ltd, one of two government-apThe farms on which we grow the soil’s fertility and structure. Our farmers proved certifiers of organic production product are all certified organic and spend a great deal of time considering all and products in New Zealand. have been so for many years. This aspects of what it takes it make a healthy As BioGro-certified producers, the means our barley grass is grown withsoil including the soil microbiology and products developed from our barley can out chemical pesticides or artificial the presence of enough earthworms and carry the BioGro logo. This helps our fertilizers. Additionally, our region other beneficial soil dwelling creatures. customers know that the product they is considered one of the cleanest and Application of certified organic compost buy is genuine and has been grown unleast polluted regions of the globe. and other approved fertilizers is a key part der organic principles. Additionally, our The farms on which Santé’s barley grass is grown are all certifi ed organic.

We grow our crops in a method of maintaining fertility in the cropping products come from a system in New called “broadacre.” This means the phase.

Zealand where there is no genetic modicrops are grown in large paddocks (i.e. certified organic barley grass crops legume plants) with the extraction of It is important that, at harvest, the fication allowed. fields) often 10 hectares or more. In grow in are in a “rotation” of animal nutrients from cropping. leaf is cut and delivered to the dryer as this method the barley grass receives grazing and cropping. This naturally quickly as possible since it can’t be kept About the author: Peter Hope is the natural sunlight, airflow, and rain as balances inputs of nutrients (i.e. from Ensuring the quality in a heap too long. The drying process managing director of Santé New Zeathe main water source. The soils these the grazing animal’s manure and from The production of premium barley is designed to reduce the moisture con- land Limited.

‘Amazing’ supplement for diabetics The food supplement, however, has four major ingredients—ampalaya, banaba, camote, and duhat—to manage FORMER Health Secretary Jaime Galvez Tan is endorsing blood sugar level Tan said those who are not diabetic may also take a tablet an “amazing” supplement for diabetics dubbed as BioHerb.

“We have an amazing food supplement that is packed with of BioHerb daily after meal.

It helps lower the level of cholesterol and triglycleaf extracts of four plants known to be most eferide, enhances insulin secretion, reduces fective in lowering sugar level. People in the glycogenesis, inhibits absorption of carbocountryside and mountains eat these plants hydrates from the intestines, and lowers and they live longer,” he said. blood pressure.

According to Tan, BioHerb is not deBioHerb is approved by the Food and signed to replace diabetics’ daily mainDrug Administration and is manufactenance medicine. tured by Filipino-owned firm La Croesus Pharma Inc. “We at Nutra Berde Inc. want to provide Filipinos an all-natural way to manage diabetes. It is a disease that is a growing cause of morbidity in the country,” said Mark Lopez, president of Nutra Berde Inc., which distributes the supplement.

A United Nations study has shown that by 2030, the Philippines will be among the top 10 countries with the most people with the said chronic disease, translating to over seven million Filipinos with diabetes.

“With a healthy diet, exercise, and a regimen of taking Bioherb once a day, Pinoys can combat the effects of diabetes and even more, prevent its onset for those likely to From left: Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, Mark Lopez, Genebebs Hollesca develop it,” added Genebebs Hollesca company pharmacompany pharmacist of Nutra Berde Inc., and Robi Domingo at the cist of Nutri Berde Inc. launch of BioHerb supplement.

Simple...

From C1

By Rio N. Araja

Logistics firm plants mangrove seedlings in Batangas FEDEX Express, together with environmental non-profit organization Pusod Foundation, Inc., recently planted 3,000 mangrove seedlings in Barangay Papaya in Nasugbu, Batangas.

The mangrove-planting activitiy was part of the company’s global giving program FedEx Cares.

“We are excited to be part of this six-month mangrove-planting project as mangroves are essential in conserving the rich biodiversity of Nasugbu and protecting the coastline of Barangay Papaya,” said John Peterson, managing director at FedEx Express Philippines.

He added, “This is also our way of bringing possibilities to the local community by providing employment as they care for the seedlings planted.”

Barangay Papaya is one of six coastal communities in Nasugbu and home to almost 3,000 families. Mangroves help protect coastal areas from storm surges,

Hineleban Foundation is focused on the ‘rainforestation’ of the mountains of Mindanao.

(Photo from Hineleban/Facebook)

Support a local organization

An individual can also do their share in protecting the environment by supporting a local organization like Hineleban Foundation. This non-stock, non-profit group based in Bukidnon is focused on the rainforestation of the mountains of Mindanao, home to the country’s last watersheds inhabited by Indigenous People and Bangsamoro communities.

Globe subscribers can take part in this rainforestation movement easily by donating their Globe Rewards points. Every 100 Rewards points donation is equivalent to one tree. To donate, just download the Globe Rewards app and click the “DONATE” banner. Tap “HELP100” and press “REDEEM”. Upon receiving the confirmation message, tap on the Hineleban site to name your tree. Enter your name, email, mobile number, and tree name, then wait for a confirmation prompt that you have successfully named your tree.

Watch and be inspired

Sometimes, seeing the reality creates the biggest impact on a person’s life. The latest Netflix Original series “Our Planet” lets the audience learn more about the place we all call home.

Stream “Our Planet” and other Netflix Originals with Globe At Home.

Enjoy world-class entertainment with no data cap starting at just P1,699 per month. Subscribers also get six months access from Globe to top streaming apps such as DisneyLife, Fox+, HOOQ, Amazon Prime Video, and iflix.

FedEx Express employees join the mangrove-planting in Barangay Papaya.

prevent soil erosion, and shelter an array of wildlife and marine species.

The event is part of the FedEx Cares initiative global charitable giving program, where FedEx team members from around the world volunteer their time and talents to support local communities. FedEx is investing $200 million in more than 200 communities by 2020 to create opportunities and deliver positive change around the world.

Mangroves help protect coastal areas from storm surges.

‘Our Planet’ shows how climate change impacts all living creatures on Earth.

Entertainment

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

C3

nickie.standard@gmail.com

S

HARON Cuneta is ecstatic about Kuwaresma, her latest potboiler under Reality Entertainment which is her first venture into the horror genre.

In her four decades in the ‘biz, it’s only now that the Megastar is doing this kind of project. Over the years, viewers are used to seeing her in dramas, musicals, comedies, and action.

“If my memory serves me right, I’ve already done something like 56 or 57 movies but this is the first time that I’m top-billing a scream flick,” says the Megastar.

So, what’s the feeling?

“It’s simply unforgettable. I tell you, doing Kuwaresma is one of the most physically, mentally and emotionally draining experiences I’ve ever had from the films I’ve made.”

In spite of these rigid demands, Sharon states that it was one great working experience for her. It was a happy set for her.

“Our director, Erik Matti is such a happy kin. Apart from that, I got very impressed as well with how Reality Entertainment works. Their staff is tops! They’re so efficient and their crew is wonderful. They’re orderly, like an army,” she shares.

“In fact, I told Kuya Dondon (Monteverde, the film outfit’s top honcho) that I felt honored and privileged to work for his team. I’m very grateful because they’ve shown me so much respect, the project is great and the shooting experience is very pleasant. As I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s really one unforgettable experience,” she adds.

Interestingly, the showbiz A-Lister states that numerous horror projects were pitched in to her in the past but with Kuwaresma, she accepted the offer

Sharon stars in her FIRST HORROR FLICK

Sharon Cuneta with (from left) showbiz newbie Ken Gonzales, John Arcilla, and director Erik Matti

right away after it was formally presented to her.

“I remember before that many film outfits would pitch in horror vehicles to me. I’ve nothing against them but it’s just that I felt there’s nothing new in the material. You have the feeling that you’ve seen it in other popular horror flicks before like The Others or the Bangkok horror trilogy,” she reveals.

The Megastar was personally looking for fresh stuff, because unknown to some, she is an avid fan of horror vehicles even as a child. She was always fascinated by watching the spiritual warfare where the good conquers the bad in the end.

Sharon also reveals that it was one of

the deciding factors why she committed to the project.

“That’s what I requested to Direk Erik regarding the plot of Kuwaresma. Being a Christian, I want that the good will triumph in the end. The first time that we discussed, I already laid my card on the table, so to speak. That was my only request and fortunately, it’s what’s written in the script so it’s simply perfect,” she beams.

Working with Direk Erik and John Arcilla for the first time is truly unforgettable for Mega.

“I only have good words for them.

They might not know it, but in the course of our one-month shooting, they became

my teachers. I’ve learned a lot from them.

It’s really good for someone like me who never stops learning in making my craft better,” ends Sharon. *** According to Edward Barber, it’s true that there are people in the ‘biz who convinced him to enter a relationship with perennial screen partner Maymay Entrata to further boost his career but he opts not to be persuaded.

“If there’s one great lesson I learned from ‘Bahay ni Kuya’ is to take things slow. Don’t rush into things or you might just regret it. We all know how crazy show business is, right? Try to discover things as you go along. It’s better to take things

one step at a time.

“I don’t want to think too much. There are lots who say that Maymay and I are a love team so we should have a relationship to tickle the fancy of the fans. For me, it’s not like that. I believe that the best things in the world or the best things that you should love, are those that you gain slowly,” he says.

For the appealing lad, friendship is the core of any relationship.

“Everything starts from there. I guess you need not be very experienced to know this fact. Based on what I see in and outside the industry, it’s better to start as friends. That’s when you know people directly.”

Filipino films win big at Houston international fest FOUR Filipino films gained international recognition at the 52nd WorldfestHouston International Film Festival held at the WorldFest Remi Awards Gala at the HQ Westin Hotel in Houston, Texas.

ABS-CBN’s period film Quezon’s Game directed by Matthew Rosen brought home the Best International Feature, Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2018 Best Picture Rainbow’s Sunset directed

by Joel Lamangan received the Special Jury Prize, and Cinemalaya 2018 film School Service directed by Louie Ignacio and award-winning short film Judgementdirected by Raymund Ribay Guttierez won Gold Remi Awards.

Quezon’s Game also bagged the Special Jury Award and the Gold Remi Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Director.

Meanwhile, Rainbow’s Sunset screenwriter Eric Ramos was awarded the Gold Remi Award for Best Story Innovation. Moreover, Eddie Garcia and Tony Mabesa were acclaimed as Best Actors for their performance in Rainbow’s Sunset.

In line with its mission to promote Filipino films and talents globally, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the country’s film agency, takes pride in the triumphs of the Filipino films and film personalities that emerged victorious at the Worldfest-

Houston International Film Festival.

“It’s always an honor to see our films being represented and given recognition internationally. The victory of Filipino films, filmmakers, and actors in the recent Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival is a big win for us, and we are truly happy that they continue to bring honor to our country and our local film industry,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño.

Held last April 13, The WorldfestHouston International Film Festival is the world’s oldest independent film festival and the third longest-running international film festival in North America, following San Francisco and New York.

Raymond Bagatsing, Billy Ray Gallion, and David Bianco in 'Quezon's Game.'

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, May 7, 2019

ACROSS 1 Meat-stock jelly 6 Grab hold 10 Numbers to crunch 14 Souvenir 15 Take a taxi 16 Dreaded tsar 17 Connect (2 wds.)

18 Love, to Picasso 19 Opening for air 20 Summer in Paris 21 Nightclub addon (2 wds.)

24 Thickly 26 — Holm of “Alien” 27 Speed off 28 Turndowns 33 Refute 36 Counterfeit 37 Cry of disgust 38 Jeannie portrayer 39 Of the bishop of Rome 40 Tractor’s garage 41 — kwon do 42 Got crowned 43 Got wrong 44 Accent 46 Madrid Mrs. 47 Nasty!

48 Chubbier 52 Atlantic Coast state (2 wds.)

57 Funny Charlotte — 58 Dobbin’s dinner 59 Collar style 60 Very upset 62 Palo — 63 Vocalized 64 Recorded 65 Earth’s satellite 66 Genealogy chart 67 Nail-groomer DOWN 1 Went on stage 2 Apartment 3 Primp 4 Sequel’s sequel 5 Pride 6 Meat juices 7 Citrus fruit 8 Hound’s trail 9 Having empathy 10 Sofas 11 Declare 12 Zip 13 Feed the kitty 22 Bullfight yell 23 Frau’s abode 25 Avoid 28 Competes in a rodeo 29 Cry of surprise 30 From a distance 31 Trevi Fountain coins, once 32 Dispatch

33 Solar plexus 34 Party cheese 35 Noise from a pager 36 “— Ha’i” 39 Most overbearing 40 Fiber source 42 More than fume 43 Well-read 45 Large bay in Canada 46 Heir, often 48 Cowboy’s beat 49 Arrange grace-

fully 50 Restaurant patron 51 Thick with cattails 52 Wander 53 Aura 54 Herr von Bismarck 55 Bright object 56 Solitary 61 Ewe’s mate

The newly-opened Director's Club Cinema at SM Southmall

Immerse in Comfort and Luxury at the New Director’s Club Cinema GET ready to experience movies like no other as SM Cinema’s premier movie theatre opens in Las Piñas. Each Director’s Club Cinema has 48 Ferco leather recliners, strategically-situated pods for improved privacy, an in-house butler service, and an exclusive food menu for the utmost comfort, luxury, and convenience to keep you glued to your seat.

Utilizing the latest technology in digital surround sound and quality projection, the theaters are equipped with the full audio atmosphere of Dolby Atmos, featuring moving audio that flows in breathtaking realism,

and the latest CP2320-RGB pure laser projectors from Christie - both bring extraordinary clear-cut audiovisuals to hype up the senses with every blockbuster title.

The new Director’s Club Cinema at SM Southmall opens just in time for the release of the most anticipated movie of the year, Avengers: Endgame. Catch your favorite Super Heroes as they work to restore order back to the universe.

For more exciting offers and bookings, visit the SM Cinema website, www.smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema app through the App Store and Google Play.

Hollywood...

From C4 “With social media, we’re only seeing followers and likes. Forget about that, we have to be leaders and be unique —that’s the important thing. Between filters and Photoshop, we end up looking like people we aren’t,” he said.

Pitbull—known for his fitted suits, smooth bald pate, and showy sunglasses —has put out 12 albums, done several collaborations with the likes of Jennifer Lopez, won a Grammy and a Latin Grammy, and performed the official song of the 2014 World Cup. But his younger years were not always easy—he doesn’t go far into specifics, but he has talked in the past about tough times, and by age 17, he was selling drugs in Miami.

“Music, thank God (and thanks to the audience), has been an escape for me.

Without it, I’d be involved in something else entirely,” he said in the interview, liberally mixing English and Spanish.

Now, the rapper known as Mr. Worldwide wants people “to dance, be joyful, escape.”

“I keep it light,” he says, referring to hits like “El Taxi,” “Bon Bon,” “Fireball” and “Don’t Stop The Party.” AFP

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019

‘Studio 7 Musikalye’ goes to Brooklyn GMA Network stars Christian Bautista, Julie Anne San Jose, Rayver Cruz, Kyline Alcantara, Golden Cañedo, Betong Sumaya, and Alden Richards are now gearing up for an even more challenging yet exciting production for the avid Kapuso fans in the US as they bring the first international Studio 7 Musikalye show.

Featuring world-class and high-energy performances, Kapusong Pinoy Studio 7 Musikalye sa Brooklyn is happening at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York on May 11. Show starts at 6:00 p.m..

The powerhouse cast includes Pambansang Bae Alden Richards who mentioned that the concert will be extra special since it falls right before Mother’s Day, a perfect tribute to all the mothers working abroad.

“It’s my first time to be performing with some of the young artists from Studio 7 and I think it’s going to be an exciting show,” the actor stated.

For balladeer Christian Bautista, what sets this show apart from any other concert he has done before is the unique combination of the cast.

“Now, Studio 7 Musikalye has Alden and Betong so it has comedy, lots of good songs, dances from Julie, Rayver, and Kyline. And of course, it’s Golden Cañedo’s first time in America,” Christian shared.

Pop Sweetheart Julie Anne San Jose shared her excitement in doing this musical variety show abroad and how she also enjoys being with her fellow cast members.

“I’m excited to see our fellow Kapusos in the U.S. I like the energy, it’s really the energy of each and every one of us that brings us together,” the singer-actress expressed.

Heartthrob Rayver Cruz confessed that Studio 7 holds a special place in his heart and that he is more than thrilled for his first international show as a Kapuso artist.

“Nung nagsisimula ‘yung Studio 7, nahihiya pa ako. The good thing is, I got to be friends with everybody almost immediately. It didn’t take long before we became close. Ngayon, malapit na kami sa isa’t-isa. Excited na rin akong ipakita ang concert sa mga Kapuso natin abroad,” he added.

On the other hand, breakout star Kyline Alcantara revealed that the reception of the New York crowd has turned her into a bundle of nerves. However, her enthusiasm, coupled with the trust given by the network, motivates her to give her all in her first stint abroad.

“I’m just really happy and nervous at the same time. Pinagkatiwalaan ako para magperform internationally so I will give my best so as not to disappoint them,” Kyline said.

The Clash champion Golden Cañedo, who could not contain her delight for her first time to set foot in the US, shared the preparations she has been doing for the upcoming show.

“I’m really excited to perform in New York. We underwent singing and dancing workshops, we rehearsed a few times,

and of course ready na yung camera ko,” ,” the young singer shared.

Comedian Betong Sumaya, meanwhile, gave a sneak peek of the performances that the Kapuso abroad should watch out for.

“I’m going to do a medley, ‘yun ‘yung kailangang abangan nila dahil first time ko itong kakantahin at sobra kong iniidolo ‘yung banda nito. Pati syempre ‘yung collaboration naming lahat kasi ‘yung iba rito talagang first time namin makakasama at I’m very fortunate to be part of Studio 7 Musikalye,” Betong said.

Tickets to Kapusong Pinoy Studio 7 Musikalye sa Brooklyn cost $115 for VIP and a meet-and-greet with the artists, $100 for Orchestra A seats, and $80 for Orchestra B seats. For ticket inquiries, visit www.ticketmaster.com or call (800) 745-3000.

The concert is presented by GMA Pinoy TV in coordination with GMA Entertainment Group. For more updates on Kapuso events abroad, follow GMA Pinoy TV on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@gmapinoytv).

Alden Richards, Julie Anne San Jose, and Christian Bautista will be joined by other GMA stars in a concert filled with high energy performances

Darna top choice Nadine Lustre E

willing to audition for the role

RIK Matti, the director who quit the Darna big screen project, thought Liza Soberano would have been a fresh and exciting superheroine, but he also believed that Nadine Lustre could give the iconic role an exciting flavor. Fans and netizens couldn’t agree more.

Asked for a comment during a recent pocket presscon, the Viva artist said that although the auditions for the role is in full swing, she hasn’t received any offer to audition or train for Darna yet, but if she would be approached to give it a try, she would consider it a good opportunity.

“Darna is a Filipino icon. She’s a protector and a symbol of hope. I feel honored and humbled to be among the popular fan choices to bring Darna to life. I’m not expecting anything though, and I’m not the kind of person who’s assuming. Alam ko naman po ibibigay nila ‘yung role sa taong deserving,” she told some members of the entertainment press at the Viva office in Ortigas.

“In case I get chosen [to play the role] I would dedicate my time to preparations for the project. I’m excited to do stunts and harness training because I always wanted to star in an action movie,” she added.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old multimedia princess has just cemented her status as the best actress of her generation with her recent victory at the 2019 FAMAS Awards where she bagged the trophy for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her acclaimed blockbuster movie Never Not Love You. This is Nadine’s first film acting nomination and award from a major organization.

Even more noteworthy is the fact that

she won over a formidable group of nominees including Judy Ann Santos, Angelica Panganiban, Anne Curtis, and Sarah Geronimo.

“It’s so overwhelming. I feel proud and humble at the same time to be given this honor

by FAMAS, which is considered an institution in the industry,” Nadine said.

This career milestone comes just five years after Nadine made her big breakthrough in showbiz via the movie Diary ng Panget, which was shown in the summer of 2014.

The teen-oriented blockbuster instantly made her a household name.

Her acting skills got

honed with subsequent movie and TV shows that saw her tackling more complex roles. Praises for her performance kept pouring in from ordinary viewers and critics alike, notably for her top-rating TV series On the Wings of Love where she played a simple girl who is forced to mary in order to legally stay in the US. Still, many are surprised by the level of excellence she displayed in Never Not Love

You. But it’s less of a mystery now where Nadine drew her emotions from. In her speech at the FAMAS, she revealed that she was damaged in her personal life just a few months before she made the movie.

“I encountered a storm in October 2017, it caused big damage. I thought of backing out several times. That’s the reason why I am so proud to have finished t h i s film.

I

was at the lowest point of my life. So completing the film with flying colors was a big achievement,” the young actress recalled.

Her FAMAS trophy is further proof of that. And as further proof that Never Not Love You was not a fluke, Nadine received more raves for her follow-up movie, Ulan. In fact, several showbiz watchers have said she’s a shoo-in for more Best Actress nominations in next year’s awards race.

Nadine will showcase more acting fireworks, as well as dancing skills, in her next film, the musical drama Indak, which is scheduled to hit the big screen later this year. She is also set to return to television in a new show in ABS-CBN where she renewed her exclusive for another year.

“At the moment I can’t reveal what my next projects would be just yet. I’m just glad that I feel more inspired to work. I didn’t know that there are people who look up to me because of the things I do. I didn’t see myself as someone who can become a role model. So, this gives me more inspirations to share my talent,” she ended.

CREAM OF THE CROP.

With her recent win at FAMAS, Nadine Lustre has just cemented her status as one of the best actresses of her generation.

Pitbull takes on ‘UglyDolls’, bullying and self-acceptance AN ANIMATED film about misfit toys seems an unlikely fit for a smooth reggaeton rapper, but Pitbull is front and center in UglyDolls and he loves the message it sends.

The film, which opens Friday in North America, tells the story of toys that have been discarded for not being “perfect”—and the resolve of one doll, Moxy (singer Kelly Clarkson), to be loved by a child someday.

“Perfection doesn’t exist and what I want for young people, for kids, is for them to appreciate what it is to be different,

that it’s something good,” Pitbull, who plays UglyDog in the film, told AFP in an interview.

Pitbull—real name, Armando Christian Perez—is joined in the cast by a host of other musicians, including country star Blake Shelton, pop futurist Janelle Monae, and singers BebeRexha and Charli XCX. It’s not his first foray on the big screen. The Cuban-American also did voice work for the 2013 animated film Epic, and his music has been featured on soundtracks of major films such asAquaman.

But UglyDolls, the first animated feature from STX Entertainment, dovetails nicely with Pitbull’s work to fight bullying and support educational initiatives in Miami’s Little Havana, where he grew up.

“If what people are saying about you (online) is affecting you, put down the phone.

Why even read it?” says the 38-year-old Grammy-winning singer and producer.

The singer, who has 7.5 million Instagram followers, says he’s against what he sees as an obsession with social media, especially among young people. Continued on C3