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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2020 advertise@manilastandard.net

for IN BRIEF in new

MANILA STANDARD:

Cusi swears ident PNOC-ECrypres Alfonso Cusi

(PART 2) twitter.com/ MlaStandard

By Jobe Garcia

T WAS not so long ago when this writer was still tinkering with some random stuff at home, until a lightning bolt struck this guy’s subconciousness in the form of a broadsheet.

The year was 2007. The very first iPhone, that had forever changed the way we look at our mobile phones was launched into life. Facebook had already gained a foothold competition. Nokia was still the undisputed global cellphone maker. Baggy pants were at least still a thing, and most of all, life’s simplicity still reigned supreme above all complexities. Welcome??? I was still a Grade 3 student at that time at the Don Bosco Makati, figuring out what I was doing with my life. I was still in a tussle with a pad paper, a Mongol pencil and spelling class when my grandfather, oozing with sidereal erudition, approached me and obliged me to stop reading tabloid newspapers and start rewiring my brain cells to broadsheets. He personally believes that some tabloids would serve news that is not going to be beneficial to the everyday life of Juan. He strongly believes in the principle of delivering the news brief and concise, direct to the point. By and large, he advocates for a back-to-the-basics journalism. One that is pleasant, fair and objective. That’s where THE Manila Standard kicked in. Each afternoon, after he (my grandpa) would play a series of Rock n’ Roll classics and a bit of Frank Sinatra, a bit of Elvis Presley, a bit of The Beatles, a bit of Tom Jones, he would make sure before he teaches me my very first “guerrilla” journalism class, I would have Yakult and Ensaymada on the dining table. And then off we go, with my grandfather transforming into a mentor. He would oblige me to read two broadsheets a day and then would require me to write a summary on how I understood the news stories that piqued my interest, so it was postulate that we were like having a book report. The very first headline I remember was about the Glorietta Continued on C3

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Business

, Editor Ray S. Eñano Cruz, Assistant Editor Roderick T. dela .net anilastandard business@m00@gmail.com extrastory20 2020 FEBRUARY 19, WEDNESDAY,

Business groups ask Congress to renew franchise of ABS-CBN By Darwin G.

Amojelar

by the ss groups led FOUR busine ss Club expressed Makati Businerenewal of ABS-CBN support for the ssional franchise for Corp.’s congre another 25 years. igned business orthe unders supMissed your copy “We, Riera U. Mallari, s our strong expres Editor; tions, Reuel and timely ganiza Vidal, Assistant Hotline at 0917- of Manila Standard? Call ed, fair Editor filed by for a balanc s 3 services or text 8848655 or email portsports@m anilastand bills ard.net; of the sports_ms eration : circulation@maour CirculationGrab bare Del Monte renewal tandard@yahoo.com consid kers on the nilastandard.net in San Jose up with the several lawma Corp.’s broadcasting ines has teamed WEDNE BN SDAY, ABS-CBN GRAB Philippent of San Jose Del Monte, of ABS-C said. next FEBRUA isise,”RYMBC servic services by city governm 19, 2020 franch ss groups that elaunch three to busine Bulacan d The other ion were the Manag Grab will Graham (secon month. partnership, including visit ines Richard sued the resolut of the Philippines, city, Through the Colley (right) to the Philipp ation Instiservices in theGrabEx press by ial Trade Envoy ment Associ Director Richardg explored possible rity Asia and launch daily Ministerial Investment oodd and Gra for Solidarity meetin Gra ike,, GrabFo Kingdom’s Prime UK Trade and Institute for abTrike Taguig. The GrabTr logy. rate Directors. RTERS. Unitedines Daniel Pruce (left) andin Bonifacio Global City, March 2020. hip is expected to create tute of Corpo tly urge Congress to sports and techno HEADQUA for to the Philipp headquarters the fields of education, UDENNABritish raised The partners “We ferven in od opportunities Ambassador Dennis Uy at Udenna’s issues lly any liveliho s of especia econoecono CEO om right), thriving from thousands judiciously addresny while taking sercial partnerships, energize the chairman and residents and Udenna Corp. strategic comme k issues of against the compa Mon unities and Del Monmy of the city. t of the bedroc enter rise, trade opport ing San Jose The inrise, in rious accoun m and free enterp city. Grab is support a digital-ready in San Jose flourish dia freedo media te’s vision as Grab’s services service businesses to de dewhich allow l welfare of our econotroduction of poised to banner and is e public Del Monte for the overal groups said. ogy to improveconomic people,” the ent as Conmocratize technol ex my and our city and expand cre creservice in thefor local businesses and ds issued the statemthe franchise They nities on thousan for opportu to act the opportunities gress has yet BN and after beate livelihooddelivery partners. l of ABS-C n in the and fait faith petitio renewa our a of driver and placed l filed “We have alwaysion, and determination Solicitor Generae Court to cancel the dedicat with responhard work, fore the Suprem people, and for we ny’s franchise. of the Filipino a innovation, aslling opportunity ogy and media compa company led by the Lothe r realize “We see a compeal Center to expand sible use of technol Office e in helping Filipinos— The media of our said that the of a Medic hope to continu ating the needs St. Luke’s dreams of manyl and equirespond to our filing pez family earlier pirations and them honorable based on anticipproviding them the sooperations to or General’s De BN scale t they Solicit ng Arturo and the that Dr. ABS-C t of and providi rm said by long-te case agains franchise customers od opportunities Philippines ive B. Austria ers’ needs,” Gra quo warranto ta e liveliho of,” said Grab tabl table require to make By Jenniffer sses,” custom president and chief execut ons of its lar lutions they their busine can all be proud Cu. Darwin G. Amoje on alleged violati to shut down La Peña, loper investments to grow be an effort president Brian ive Delfin An- of SLMC. the serithe right appeared to chief execut network, to Filipinos ROPERTY deveo & not only offers os said DMW s up are the broadcast of millions of Filipin “Aseana City the robust healthc ast Steel Asia team gelo Wenceslao. that St. Luke’s MediD.M. Wencesla said ous prejudice the network for news, n to capture Germanyhas y and Southe for locatio on of Inc. are thrilled . s City countr rely a “We BSE the service ciate who ch in with Asso Corp. chosen Asean t and public by the OfOf Bay growth a holistic approa Manufacturing ngingi entertainmen d to lease a cal Center has in the Manila ent Asia, it also takes plan, while setting ions cited STEELASIA y’s Badische Stahl-E and “These allegat or General in his Tuesday it agreemeter lot in its flagship hospital of this his agreem tapped German (BSE) for the design lass hout its master Solicit ,” De la Peña are throug fice of the ent are without merit. neering GmbH 96-squarearea. The signing ment of its world-c for sustainability ading healthc 13,8 rds leading ’s develop second y’s um the standa pertistatem in Luke all countr curricul press the will open to St. important that wi complies with ise and es another als of the training centeryear. said. Aseana City er for a period with ABS-CBN to all termin ing its franch ment executive institution achievs the development of quarter of the “With access nt and chief Airport and y govern nent laws govern Medical Cent the compan SteelAsia preside milestone toward all necessary for its busirate our abil- Ninoy Aquino International tion centers in Yao said has secured It will accele in officer Benjamto ensure the training center, approvals growing popula new facility of 50 years. in Parañaque is a Aseana City. ete community and regulatory the company said. engaged BSE produce SteelAsia’s future iver a compl development,” the rapidly deliver Manila, this s in the ty broadcast along the ity to ness operations,” Aseana City which would tion city convenience south of Metro t best practice the said that its development forefront of our next genera The network ing KBO, received workers, applied ioners 107.5-hectare will be at the health practit dein the best slao said. of Manila Bay. gs, includ world. ng and most offerin off that we are ue ment and regupatients and coastal waters a disclosure to the stock Wence is one of the leading of skills to contin govern to type “We believe d ary the the in SLMC tions ent the necess als and were not prohiblook forwar ed determine With DMW said in position to lease agreem patient-center healthcare institu es in Que- alike. We ou operations. for our to latory approv com- respected high-quality, patients and to ge the latest , we have faciliti g ise. the that are needed exchan two gro growth liverin franch Its BN its l rapid ines. ited by would expand competent and aguig have a SteelAsia’s es ll our hospita ny said ABS-C City, Taguig with SLMC are for aall to 261,888 sq. Philipp we have the d in our manuThe compa ed health outcom Deposit Reensure that City and Global , with 60,321 av- care le portfolio improv ine zon require to er leasab leased said. ute in Philipp center he pany’s m. ted and t skilled manpow And a training Holdings’ ned 1,146 rooms 2.7 mil- contribh advanced technology,” 171,974 sq. were evalua in the world— in total leas- combiin-patient admissions and m., including facturing plants. and Exthroug ceipts or PDRs of the best achieve this 89,914 sq. m. annually. the Securities erage with the help land area and approved by ission and the Philipallow us to ient consultations BSE—will been lion outpat in able floor area. change Comm nge prior to its pubhas always s goal,” he said. training center located succes Excha this address “DMW’s pine Stock “W “With we are not onlyneeds but er lic offering. southern Luzon,

VOL. XXXIII • NO.

369 • 3 SECTION S 16 PAGES • P18

TUESDAY, FEBRUAR Y 18,

2020 • www.ma nilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gm ail.com

HOME AT

No frills, no spins A kid’s random musings

on Secreta ine Air ENERGY in retired Philipp BriMonday swornnding General Rozzano Force Commapresident of state-run PNOC guez as new EC Corp.. Exploration d former PNOC Briguez replace executive officer Pechief president and Aquino served as officerJr. Philippine dro Aquino ent of parent was later He in-charge-presid Co. in 2006. president in National Oil Exploration appointed PNOC inted by Duterte in Janu2012 and re-appo asked Aquiary 2017. Duterte alPresident Rodrigo e October 14 for a effectiv ent with no to resign ng an agreem eral legedly approvi y to develop a multilat tradi Russian compan oil products and trading, in with withcooperation ation in oil refining Cusi. and joint particip the board or f ion from out the permiss is a subsidiary of PNOC ent stake in PNOC EC i in y holds a 10-perc and currentl aya gas project Malamp the $4.5-billion n. ap EC apnorthwest Palawa state-run PNOC P10.593 The board of g budget of tion and proved an operatin to finance explora ex exbillion for 2020 and other capital production projectsMae S. Flores penditures. Alena

LAST. A plane (below) Princess cruise carrying America ship in Japan, n passengers, arrives at Travis passengers will recently released Air Force Base be from the Diamon in California on leaving a quarant quarantined at the base for Feb. 16 d 14 days. At right ined cruise ship, Terminal in Yokoha above, it’s nighttim(Monday in Manila). The with some 3,500 ma. AFP quarantined on e, board, docked and Americans began at the Daikaku Pier Cruise

s 13-ha. St. Luke’s leaAse ana City property in se

Sports HORROR CRASH

US citizens flee cruise ship; others may follow suit

16 more tested positi ve

THE US ﬂew home its citizen a coronavirus-in s from in Japan Monda fected cruise ship y, preparing to follow with other nations suit as global concerns grow over ease and the deaththe spread of the distoll in China topped 1,700. More than 70,500 have been infected across China by the COVID-19 virus as the world battles to that has sparked contain the outbreak panic buying and over the global economic impact. jitters Outside China, infections is on the biggest cluster of the Diamond Princes cruise ship off s Yokohama, where navirus cases have coro355 despite passengclimbed quickly to ers being conﬁ to their cabins ned during a 14-day quarantine. And amid growin g criticism of pan’s handling Jaof ments are scramb the ship, governling to repatria citizens, with Canada, Austral te their ia, Israel and Hong Kong poised to Italy, Washington’s lead. follow

By MJ Blanc or, Rey E. Requejo andaﬂ Joel E. Zurbano

HE governmen t is preparing to repatriate more 500 Filipinos onbo than Diamond Princ ard the ess ship in Yokohama cruise after 16 more of , Japan, them tested positive for COV bringing the totalID-19, to 27, the Depa number rtment of Foreign Affai rs said Monday.

Foreign Affairs Eduardo Meñez Assistant Secretary said those who positive for the virus were brough tested hospital and the t to Philippine embass the Tokyo has deliver Next page ed toiletries and y in supplies to Filipino other patients aboard cruise ship. the THE NAKED TRUT “We H. Family Relation An exasperated received informa s and Gender Equality Senator. Risa Hontive tion that aside from the 11 Commissioner ros (inset), chairma Filipino Tobias Javier (center) , fires questions at Grifton crew n, Senate Commi members who were earlier used as ‘prostitu Medina (right) , and BI legal ttee on of (POGO) whose tion dens’ catering to Chinese division head Arvin Santos (left) the BI port operations division Women, Children, have been identifiidentified, another 16 bribes to immigr nationals, majorit , BI followin Deputy g the discovery ation officials was y of as COVID-positived over the weekend (below) of hotels estimated to reach whom are working in Philippi in Pasay ne Offshore Gaming P50 billion. Lino press briefing in e,” Meñez said in a Santos Malaca Operators By MJ Blancafl He said their possibl ñang. or e repatriation need clearance PRESIDENT from the Japanes will Rodrig ernment and the e govBy Macon Ramo an executive order o Duterte signed embass s-Araneta dinating with Princes y has been coorMonday setting tional Bureau of price ceiling on a s Cruises to faciliInvestigation Anti-O VARIOUS hotels certain medicin tate the repatria nized and Transn rgabid to make quality like Midas and es in tion of He also said two ational in Pasay City Okada Joel drugs accessible a The government, Filipinos there. floors in have Tovera, said they Crime Division, building Filipinos. to he said, tution dens catering been used as prosti- prostitu in Las Piñas were a condo-type is ready have monitored provide them with used for illicit tion to Chinese nationa Executive Order activities, and said other forms of to most of whom 104 sets the maxiaside from the ls, and other in these hotels in Pasay City help the Red Planet work in Philipp mum prices for KTVs assistan Makati hotel in Metro Manila ce provided by in was also a venue shore Gaming ine Off86 their employers. . Tovera also told Operators who for prostitution. drug formulas for drug molecules or 133 These hotels, have paid on the Senate commi an estimated P10 “For the 27 who howeve women, childre heart and pulmon hypertension, diabetes, n, family relation ttee they are used for prostitur, have denied migration officials.billion in bribes to im- gender ary diseases, major hospital, whethe are currently in the s and tion cers, and depress equality chaired canr ion. In a Senate hearing by Senator Risa been “uncooperative,” Tovera and have mediately is one they could leave imNext page said. into prostitution Hontiveros there was a hotel Offi rings and trafficking, else will have to question. Everyone in Makati establiscials and representatives of busines where the whole the chief of the be cleared floor was used before they Na- titution. return to the Philipp for pros- tee to hments summoned by the commits ines,” the hearing all Meanwhile, another Meñez said. prostitution in their denied knowing about United Arab Emirate Filipino in the buildings. s tested positive Next page COVID-19, the for sixth confirmed the virus there. case of

Price cap imposed on 133 medicines

‘Sex dens inside hotels,

condos cater to POGO s’

Marijuana use tied to drugs

By MJ Blancaﬂ or

board okay

President Duterte , who has launche PRESIDENT Rodrig a brutal campai d o Duterte will gn against illegal prove the use ap- will not drugs, of block the use cal purposes once marijuana for medi- long as it is for medica of marijuana as the Dangerous Board passes a resoluti l purposes, accordDrugs ing to his spokesman on allowing the of cannabidiol to Salvador Panelo. use ‘‘He said if it alleviate severe is needed by a epilepsy, Malaca forms of and person there are scientiﬁ ñang said Monda y. c ﬁndings, medica l

Drilon rushes to exte nd

CHAVIT’S CERT

IFICATION. Narvaca on Monday tells the n, Ilocos Sur would have better Samahang Plaridel, with moderator Jullie Mayor Luis Singson (right) benefits from Yap (left), that Dito, formerly Mislatel, in which the Philippines’ third telecom subscribers munica he is a major investo r. (Story on A2) tions company

By Macon Ramo s-Araneta

ABS franchise

to review the applica SENATE Minori the network’s franchi tion for renewal of ty Leader Frankli on on Monday n DrilMeanwhile, somese. ﬁled seeks to extend a joint resolution that have 91 congressmen the franchise of already signed CBN Corp. up the resolution ABS- thored to the auby Rep. Edcel Lagma He cited the need end of 2022. n urging the House House of Repres for more time for the es to committee on legislative franchi entatives and the immediately act son the pending Senate bills Next page

ESPENIDO SLAMS FAILURE OF INTEL NEWS A3

Galedo, 7-Eleven try to regain dominance

Tough grind for Pe sp ikers in Superligatron PAL increases GP

y’s manpow ing the companto provide skills training un unnities to the are we also hope ment opportu and employ our plants, even if they employed near added. unskilled,” Yao

STEFAN Stojacic bia when it won , who played for SerCup for the third the Fiba 3×3 World straight time

in 2018 when the Philipp . Ryan Newman, driver of the #6 Koch Industrie nament, is the ines hosted the tours Ford, and Corey LaJoie, new head coach national team. of the RagingBull.com driver of the #32 Ford, crash during Samahang Basketb the last lap of the NASCAR Cup ol ng Pilipina Preside nt Al Series 62nd Annual s Panlilio said this yesDaytona Internat Daytona 500 at terday when he in Daytona Beach,ional Speedway players seeing announced the four Florida. Denny action for the Hamlin sealed pines in the FIBA Philipback-to-back victories in an incident-packed fying Tournament.3x3 Olympic Qualion Monday, winning Daytona 500 The a photo finish recommendatio in a race marred n was led by by a horrific crash the SBP Selectio that left veteran n Committee, driver Ryan Newman chaired by Executive seriously injured. Director Sonny rios, with coaches Barcelebrations wereHowever, Hamlin’s muted by a last-lap Aquino, Ronnie Jong Uichico, Pat crash that left Roush Altamirano as Magsanoc and Eric Newman hospital Fenway Racing’s members. ized. The 42-yearold Newman’s “It is an honor Ford Mustang had led on the final be with the top for the Philippines to lap but spun out 20 control, hit the seats at the 2020 countries vying for wall and flipped of its roof before ask our country Tokyo Olympics. We bursting into fl onto ames at the Daytona Internat our team in its men to rally behind ional Speedway. Newman’s car quest to be part was Olympiad,” said of the into the air after also sent flying Panlilio. being struck by Stojacic, who Fas Racing’s Corey Go LaJoie. NASCAR started handlin replaced Magsanoc, executive vice g president Steve December when the national pool last O’Donnell later told reporters he held a training camp. that Newman was in serious conditio a local area hospital n at Making it to the , but nationa his injuries were deemed l squad are cagers Joshua non-life-threate Eugene Munzon ning. , Alvin Pasaol,

Exit from virus ship underway Repatriation of 500 Pin oys set as

Serbian world champ is new PH 3x3 coach

Moala Tautuaa and Jaymar Perez. Munzon and Pasaol gained entry having gained rankings for playingfor local tournam ents in the Philipp in and abroad. ines Tautuaa and Perez the recommendatio are chosen from ns of the pine Basketball PhilipAssociation. The OQT is set 22, 2020 in Bengalufrom March 18 to ru, India. There are 20 teams joining four pools, which in the is composed of teams each. five The top two teams from each pool will advance to top three finisherthe playoffs and the s will qualify 2020 Tokyo Olympi to the cs. Peter Atencio

MARK Galedo and By Peter Atenci Air21 by Roadbi 7 Eleven Cliqqo ke Philippines make a much-a will waited return as seek to reclaim they ETRO N is expec their dominance the LBC Ronda in grind in the 2020ted to have a tough niversary race Pilipinas 10th anPhilip pine Super unfolding Februar Grand Prix. Liga 23 in Sorsogo y y n and conclud After on Tuesda ing on March 4 in Vigan, gpercen Airlineswinnin threet straight Ilocos Sur. 130veteran titles, the Blaze PHILIPPINEhavestock onlyby four Galedo, 34, vows Spikers capital s left, profitits Cesael to go raised all out of a strategdelos y to sustain to reclaim the Santos as coach. with Emil Lontoc replaci ng title they last part level of comas awon “Ako ‘yung in the second a higher coach na kapag and keep edition in 2012ability nagtitiwala ako materials, maski as he will spearhead tycoonkong mapa-a r Jollibee by kaya bago, a petitiveness. lled na toc during contro ngat ‘yan,” said chain operato equally strong team that include the an carrier d ized league’ OOD ced flag LonFASTF announ Marcelo Felipe The its authors launchi ng yesterd MakatiedCity. on Tuesday Rustom Lim in and Tanin increas ay at the Eurotel open by openFoods Corp. Lucio billion to P30 ion this year from P13 Kather staking P1 millionthis 10-stage capital race stockImport approv Belledwill be aggressive expans wasine Petron on her third adjustm andent dividual champi to the overallbillion she will stockin- . The ny’shelp stint with ing 600 stores. in a disclosure to the stock compa the team get on. veteran ty of sthe held Ces Molina far with remain “We will do our about 250 Jollibee said by a majori l meetin, gAiza ing Imports Maizo-Pontilla a specia and Angelic of the 600 stores,Philippines it,” said Galedo. best to try to win a Legacion. s, Remy Palma (from of the coming Superliga holders during exchange that Hotel. r, be in the Park GP are shown y left) Hana Cutura The be would provide the ns last g HONG KONG time around here. They Galedo solutio stock will at the Centur e in capital of Marinerang to 300 outlets tor andonce , Bell of Petron, Tatjana lorded —The countries, markin of the final as Pilipina, Katherin are offerings. it overssPhilip- The increas systems integra Exchangehit 42 points in their last pine expose s an ignoran coronavirus and Blaze cloud as e Bell cycling a 350 in othercompany’s history when and ties the technology Lucia and Elizabet Bokan of Chery Taggo, Shaina extend game Securi busine he ation and s Spikers followe the Cargo e ions the ce of China’ inform Joseph of Sta. beat the F2 Logisti d up his h Vicet Campos Movers . ed service operat generat 2012 Ronda lucrative sports filed with first time in s of Generika. Maruo, manag ines Inc., a leadingic Zone to strengthen conque unit by copping market and poor cs business would than the gs Inc. With many teams m business st Commission. president Tetsu the tingency plannin l Econom coninternational Southea CE. Fujitsu Philipp rebuilding, y infra firm PAL Holdin st Asian assistant vice product platfor rt and Specia store expansion SU OFFIthe g, experts say, securit In the previou putparent Games ines P7.86 bil-Petron’s rivals are up a tough PAL’s gold Clark Freepo left) Fujitsu Philippines next Philippand Formula One Kristine Leaño, loss of greater organic s. NEW FUJIT s six years, the expected to least this d a netfight time became the most after reigning suprem theearlier reporte (from finance officer Innovation Center, Fujitsu year new office in 2019, . PSL allowed each busine This include two imports. s of s. said net inmonth launches its launching ceremony are r Marje Balbuena, chief theEscuyo profile casualty e Philippine busines highin er, 2014 Digital s nine of Randy team at the Le howe howev ns first Ramol Tour of a mass pullout de Filipinas. in the , who Elizabe de Jesus-coached lion Movers to P6.33 a P3.29-billion Attending the Pandy, marketing directo Santiago III, Mitch Vierneshead of mobility solutio The company, the country. from Galedo is on a will have F2 Cargo 20. She th Vicet Campos from Cuba Raul percent in 2019 percent from an intact roster comeback trail and returnin n-Castillo and up 139 unit head MarkAngeles, president-CEO in 2018. was is led Tabilira come fell 14.4 billion in 2018 on lowthe ter part by period g afFormul younge Amy import battling Abigail of a same the Cuban a One chiefs are st at Marano the 17-natio various in theher in the JanuStalzer. fr P7.4 head Carmin services business unit head es Lindsay scramb billion from n 2017 FIVB Volleybsquad that compet ed in seventh revenustraight few years, hoping injuries the past loss Onlidated to fit the Shangh to ted with income. stint Conso ai race into this ling Championship solutions and amoun this year states fourth crown all to P179.6 t Women F2, er operating period will Stalzer percen positive son’s ber be ’s . for seaU20 World a ary-to-Septem 11.4 schedule after the Cargo is seeking a Law one in this t from ence Movers percen race The Sta. Lucia the April 19 grand Onlybillion Revenues rose billion in 2018. Forpresente al Intellig , up 5.6 one import LBC and prix last week in. citizen shalld by P117.9 na’s Nation sponsor period allowed or by joined mode, has ShainahLady Realtors, who are on for each of the zation ed of the2 changes theissame the Manny billion from P212.159.3 percent, boosted alleged ac- that any organi State V. Pangilin letics Indoor Champ the World Atha rebuilding eight teams, one 2 billion inthat ate with Joseph, who played grew on DICT’s anand Sports P111.6 cooper 2018 FIVB Foundat according to PSL the league isopionships and Eueign business tion of Coffee Bean and implementing ion. with pesos in so- support, assist funds but also ropean Tour and ance “I’m this season, the Canadi Women’s Volleyball World in the prestigious feeling accord idated an investi- ceptance of billions of 2018. consolnt Ian Laurel. work ingood ’s preside by the acquisi September, the opening and confident g’s “ThisH Championship S called for an women’s volleyb isolding to give nowence ments in being LPGA golf tournaespecially with percent to more exposur PAL Holdin with LAWMAKERP300-million confidential called intel funds. shelved because all national team. Sotto III Intellig a Then, Tea Leaf in and 2-percent growth in games e to local players es rose 2.2 the team inthat aexpens deadly outbrea of the ent Vicente the Ilaw.” exciting 7 billion have,” for is potentially and make the Cignal there’s Cignal’s Yaasm erating more gation on the Department of Inform said Laurel. Galedo, k. from,” P114.6 Senate Presid nfilo Lacson earlier of new stores el, saidone, een Bedart-Ghani whosesecuri, who used ChinaT other teamma The Formula P117.13 billion Tan e a breach of Philipfunds of the unications Technology and Senator Panfilo 310 to are Mervic for execut same-store sales. executive Ernesto Tanthe United States. to play for the United Volleyb n totes e in an Resolution Comm in the , Aidpositio alCorpuz an James minton , skiing E Grand Prix, bad2018. Honas increas and Senate in all gate very rio the person tion Club for “a to Mendoz and in Jollibee chief Grego investi was and due t a, Nichol ary tional . raised pushedan oversight panel to Pareja, while 2019 “This was Jhonrey ing events have Olympic qualifywarned s led by Secret e by 8.8 percen of gov- ty―na Buccat kers and ry Eliseo Rio the company tantiong said create 2020, lawma all been cancell Tomas nance expens ng exfund allocation DICT. pines, Mojares the NCP Undersecreta . for the group, postpon servici mainte ence and Galedo cing . after year” ed traffic sales the intellig will also have e a roador moved elsewhe ed, the tough ing and month the Rio, in introdu a score to to post higher and aircraft recent weeks. t driven by the issue last the House minority bloc ernment agencies, includthe use of intel settle re in would provid against DICTformer was expected secure that ed ng by 2.7 percen ger and network ers of tormentto said directi defend olders s penses Memb or year. 702 mon ReiconDICT stakeh addres All this the ly Lapaza activity in the The passen profit Resolution aged by came.”out of nomap for ICT, whonment governit would urgentand protect where country’s growth in fleet, ation and sales likefiled House most popular a very encourvisits to our store, enviro to snatch “We are ittee on good funds, saying ms or ecotheis 2013 sports—football two their online t due to no physic operations. Reserv customer title al the House comm accountability to con- the cybersecurity proble h the National the out ofand basketball—ha PHILIPPINE polo network and former’ ed by 10.7 percen tinued rise in said,s“there grasp. t cybersecurity Rio s in our store wise increas passenger volume,” the ment and publicgation on reports that national security throug withou the obliteration been suspended, but of the Philippine is moving forward in the right proLapaza, likey Galedo, on invested the strong growth f also nt of prodirection Plan 2020. each on of the sporting n nomic securit the growth in healthy return in the deduct an investi de is at theisforefro makdar is regarde calenabout the continu National Federation of Polo Players and the leadership Cybersecurityate cybersecurity concer ingthea govern ed P100 million with sustained grandment pace.” a Filipin d as momentum comeba in cybers ed rise of the national company said. 43 international and 35 o ck TeleDICT advanc 2 and Dec. 17 as confiis extremely happy as he An immediate the circumstances. unavoidable given will said Proof of its new-fo capital, the strongthe recovery of the Red for every week, team in the Celesteresigne tecting threat that DITO Chinarace PAL flies to tions using 95 aird last Cycles ss, Nov. 22, Dec.for surveillance. PH-Dev the alleged with Project finish of the GlobalP und confide nce was the Asian standings. the The virus, which livery busine t supply in the Philippines intelelfunds Rio, Prowho Nograles iss TeamP300-m illion domestic destina y’s partnership est fleets in dential funds and will impressive runneremerge d in Deort-PH team in try to for cember in the of the of the young e age of just that saw them Ribbon produc indicators of recovery re- it nor Secretary Karlo ntial Anti- community’sChina Telecom poses. con-livethat the t one use the glory up no recent craft, Cabine of has 2013 central city of good score a vengefu 5th DICT when he United an averag said the Preside conduct state-ownedlegislators expressed lance or snatch the disbur han, has killed and the very Club & Siam Polo l win over Indones All Asia Cup 2020 crownsed, lar t surveil industry with business in the going said, however, conduc more than 1,800 WuPark in Preng, Several te tointo ia at the VS Sports ission could the last two ability to violate Darwin G. Amoje manda Comm of Smashburgerntiong said. stages ple, el’s the peoThough Thailan years. tion almost of five the ChinaT issue. ies. ines. d. the PH Corrup all in China, and thirdactivit edition of Ronda. cern about stronger ence gation on the of the Philipp States,” Tanma sparked global alarm. intellig tion tournament, team was beaten by host team d to a much , howeve its own investi ty Floor leader Juan the national security inan said, “Chi-Galedo “We look forwar in 2020 and all in the past now.r, stressed it was Mikee Romero PNFPP founding director and in the final of the 6-naThe world’s most Senate Majoricalled for inquiry not Senator Francis Pangil performance said the team’s populous counsales and profit even as we consolidate try has become performance wasHouse Deputy Speaker ward to especia “It’s part of the Miguel Zubir ions on the misuse of lly after beating race, we’ll just something to look a major sportin the years ahead of CBTL into to focus on the destination in try some of “Up against some only on allegat g forperformance present,” said Galedo. the last decade of the best teams their Southeast Asian rivals. the financial top clubs and we can be at par Other teams and results,” he said. B. Austria in the Asian region, organis seeing action our financial Jenniffer we proved powerhouse them the Premie ations, among that won bronze with them,” said Romero, a Standa rd Insuranare membe medal in last year’s THE GlobalPort-PH (Navy), Go for and NBA, have r League , FIFA Miguel Romero ce SEA Games held r of the PH team team members, Gold, Field courte Rep. at the world-class Scratch It, Mikee Romero led by d fans— Bicycology (Army) and their money “Given more time in Calatagan, Batangas. (3rd from left), Thailand Polo —in the world’s , Bike Xtreme to train and Tarlac/Central second -larges Association Presiden pose with strongly believe , t econom y. Bhinsaeng after we can play muchplay in various tournaments t Kanoksakdi a Ilocos Sur, South Luzon, “The chemist ry abroad, Marcus Luer, better the next All Asia Cup 2020 runner-up finish in the 5th is there so we founde r and time,” added RomeroI at the VS Sports Batangas and Luzon/ executi just chief The have ve Thailan Polo . to of sustain sports Club & Siam Park in Preng, d event is conside Nueva Thailand. Also Ecija. TSA (Total Sports marketing agency and many polo red as one of the it.” left) are Adrian shown (from players are one Asia), said that Garcia, AirAsia will be busines in saying it has toughest in the region Asian Games. Sheila Romero Vice Chairwoman it s a similar standar , Anthony Garcia rus clears but as usual once the viBailey, and Robert and daughter d as the After droppin a lesson g its initial game— Esguerra. that extends beyond has been learn team, compos also against Thailan ed of Anthony d—the PH Garcia, Adrian and Romerim “This could happenChina. beat Brunei, 10-9, Garcia, Robert anywhere in the world and federati Esguerra in a tense quarter ons and organiz final clash. need good conting ers ency plans, especially in an Olympic year, athletes are still where qualifying for Games (Tokyo ABBY Areval 2020),” said Luer. the o “I think that’s putting surface bucked the heat and the sleek with a superb for major sports a global learnin g shootin g a bogeyall-arou nd game, old Arevalo, seeking to bounce organiz ations be ready and f ree th ree-un setback to the to seizing a huge have der 68 and young Malixi back from a playoff case someth ing a good Plan B in in Play at Riviera lixi at the start five-str oke lead over Rianne last month and the National Stroke like this happen of the Philippi Maagain keep mier s in the future the country’s prechampionship ne Ladies Open Manila Golf Club anywh ere in the at the in world. While the rest of at home for the fifth straight year. The SEA Games Makati yesterday. team gold medalis “Honestly, I don’t unreceptive greens the 70-player cast struggled impressive form on the think any sport all day, t flaunted Jose off the mound event had a Plan or State U in the US, Arevalo, a product of the San a number of solid and came away B in place.” banked with such kind approa ch shots Professor Simon Solid start puts birdies inside of a surface to turn on her familiarity with that produc Chadwick echoes 12 feet on Nos. that sentiment. Arevalo way finished with 5, 6 and 10 as ed card in the 58th staging of in the day’s lone under-par a pair ahead of the pack. Chadw ick, directo nament at the tight, of 34s in her first official she Miguel Corp., Diamond the event sponsored by San tourter for the Eurasia r of the Cen“The greens were Motors, Sunsports and Eva “This is my first well-kept layout. Air. a bit fast but I time to play based in Shangh n Sport Industr y game. It’s think happy to shoot a 68 despite the this course and I’m love the like playing in the US,” she it suits my Europe an footbal ai, also said that heat,” said the 20-year said, greens l clubs in particu - holed in more and I could’ve scored lower “I just lar had failed to grasp the opport putts.” had I nity to show suppor t for China uits people . AFP and

capital stock by 130% to P30b

Jollibee unveils plan to open 600 stores in 2020

Questions on DIC

Virus exposes flaws in sports, event planning

curity Plan

ct National Cyberse

T intel funds to affe

GlobalPort-PH runne r-up in All

Arevalo takes control

Asia Cup

with 68, leads by 5

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2020 C2 advertise@manilastandard.net

By Peter Paul Duran

T WAS a mere month ago. The date was January 12, 2020.

The usual lazy afternoon for the laid back people around Taal volcano was jolted when visible steam came out of the crater of the country’s second most active volcano. At first, throngs of people were enthralled at the site as scenic Tagaytay provided the unique vantage point to view the volcano, showing activity or otherwise. But this time, a phreatic eruption was already in the offing and people were still filming it on their phones. By 4 p.m., things started to get serious. It turned to anxiety as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or PHIVOLCS raised the Alert Level from 2 to 3 in just an hour and a half due to some “magmatic unrest” on the volcano. By that time, the threat was now real and people were praying for their safety as they hoped the volcano, which last erupted 42 years ago, does not repeat the devastation it did back in 1911 when it claimed the lives of 1,334 people By 7:30 p.m., the Alert Level was raised a notch higher to 4, which meant a hazardous eruption was imminent with ash and rock fragments columns reaching up to 10 to 15 kilometers in the sky. Even Metro Manila, which was roughly 100 kilometers north of Taal, felt the effect of the sulfuric ashfall, with homes and property accumulating fine particles of ash overnight. The situation turned for the worse by the hour, especially for those directly affected within the volcanos’s 14-KM danger zone. In a short span of time, lives were changed. Thankfully, kind-hearted people, individuals in their own capacities, private companies and local government units were quick to heed the call for help. People along the highway, who could have just stayed indoors during the ashfall, would splash water on the windshields of fleeing motorists to rinse the accumulating debris, which made it harder for drivers to navigate the already slick road. Similar stories of “bayanihan” followed suit. In fact, Ayala Group employees reached out to Taal eruption evacuees with AC Motors donating 10 brand new KIA K2500 Kargo vehicles and relief

‘BAYANIHAN’

in a time of need AC Motors provided 10 brand new units of the KIA K2500 Kargo vehicles to transport the relief goods to the affected areas. These were donated afterwards to LGUs identified by the Batangas provincial government.

Xyngular Philippines donates to evacuees from Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas.

goods to join in on the relief efforts. Only a week after the volcanic activity, relief items were carried in a convoy of 30 vehicles. Part of the delivery convoy were 10 brand new KIA K2500 Kargo vehicles that were turned over to the Batangas provincial government for deployment to evacuation sites that needed them the most. After being on the move for over a week after the eruption, AC employees volunteered to help pack and deliver criti-

Agapay Tubig is the disaster response program of Manila Water Foundation.

cal aid to evacuees. AC Motors, Ayala’s automotive unit under AC Industrials, even canceled its annual media thanksgiving event and instead reallocated the fund to procure emergency goods such as blankets, mattresses, sleeping mats, slippers, towels and other hygiene products. Furthermore, Manila Water Foundation, headed to the Amigonian Fathers and Brother Formation House, Amadeo, Cavite to distribute aid to 300 individu-

LT Group: Protecting environment thru sustainable means

Lumina recognized as

‘TOP 1 DEVELOPER’

By Alicia Angelica Villanueva

by PAG-IBIG fund

IN A country where real estate has been booming for the last decade, particularly in the luxury residential and commercial segments, one company is making sure that no Filipino family gets left behind—Prima Casa Land & Houses, Inc.’s Lumina Homes. According to the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Inc. (SHDA), an alliance of over 200 private housing developers, there exists a massive housing deficit of 3.9 million units, which could rise up to 6.5 million in 2030 if the issue is not addressed. Lumina realized this issue in as early as 2012 and has since developed over 50 projects nationwide—and continuously growing—to reach thousands of Filipinos in need of affordable housing. Lumina was recently recognized by Pag-IBIG Fund as “Top 1 Developer” among its accredited developers in terms of housing loans takeout—loan value for 2019 at the 2019 Pag-IBIG Fund Chairman’s Report held last Feb. 7, 2020 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City. Lumina jumped from Top 6 in 2016 and 2017 rankings, and from Top 4 in 2018, and also received a special award for having the “most number of Pag-IBIG Fund housing borrowers served” for 2019. Lumina President and COO Estrellita S. Tan thanks Pag-IBIG Fund for continuously listening to industry stakeholders and for finding ways to address issues and concerns through relevant and timely reform initiatives to address the growing housing backlog and contribute to the development of the countryside. “Pag-IBIG Fund has truly given us the confidence to embrace an aggressive stance to expand across the country and to fulfill our commitment to build affordable communities and realize the Filipino dream of home ownership. We look forward to our continuing partnership and better linkage to further strengthen the industry,” she says, adding that Lumina is excited for the full implementation of Pag-IBIG Fund’s virtual platform, under the leadership of its president, Mr. Acmad Moti.

als from Talisay, Batangas affected by the Taal volcano eruption. MWF deployed 100 5-gallon units of potable water, 300 water tumblers and 80 kilos of clothes for the evacuees. The clothes came from the Manila Water Enterprise Donation Drive. Thankfully, MWF’s thrust is really for disaster response, with their Agapay Tubig program which they gleefully shared with the evacuees. Meanwhile, Isuzu Philippines Corpora-

tion donated one unit of Isuzu D-MAX 4x4 LS MT to the Philippine Red Cross, Laguna Chapter at the IPC Plant in Biñan Laguna, for the Taal Volcano eruption relief efforts mobilization. Additional supplies were also provided such as bottled water, toiletries, clothes and other essentials to alleviate the condition of evacuees. The donation supports Philippine Red Cross’ mission to provide life-saving services that protect the life of Filipinos in vulnerable situations. On the other hand, international direct-selling company Xyngular Philippines donated P5-million worth in product value not only to Taal evacuees, but also to social workers, army personnel and local government employees. Although relatively new in the Philippines, the company has already made it its commitment to help those in need with its CSR program that focuses on health and well-being. According to the company, they distributed food supplements that will help boost the immune system of the evacuees and the workers directly affected by the ashfall. Xyngular Philippines said that around 150 people in Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas were able to benefit from their disaster resiliency effort. For its part, Makati City, led by Mayor Abby Binay, ordered the deployment of the city’s disaster response vehicles and equipment to Bauan, Batangas to assist thousands of evacuees from localities affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano. The mayor said the city government sent one super tanker, two penetrator fire trucks, water filtration system, mobile shower, vacuum tanker, generator sets, mobile kitchen and jerry cans. Some 1,000 mats were also sent as her personal donation to the victims. “We are mobilizing vital equipment to address the urgent needs of thousands of families displaced by the sudden eruption of Taal Volcano. The ordeal of evacuees from identified danger zones in Laguna and Batangas is far from over, and we would like to help ease their suffering by giving them access to potable water and power supply, among other necessities,” Mayor Abby said. The mayor said the super tanker, which has a water storage capacity equivalent to the load of eight fire trucks, was used to carry water that will pass through the city-provided water filtration system, in order to provide potable water supply to the evacuees. Thanks to these companies, LGUs and private individuals, the world just got a little brighter for the evacuees.

Continuously shedding light to the countryside Today, Lumina developments are located in key town and provinces across the country: Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Iloilo, Capiz, Cebu, Negros Occidental, Agusan del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, and Davao. Currently offering a roster of rowhouses, townhouses, and single firewall homes, Lumina’s home offerings are built of high-quality materials and cost from P500,000 up to P1.7 million. If qualified by Pag-IBIG standards as a “lowincome earner,” a buyer can pay for as little as P1,897 a month at 3% interest for a brand-new home in a safe and secure Lumina community. Lumina developments come complete with amenities like a covered multi-purpose hall, mini gardens and playground, and provision for commercial area. By building in accessible locations close to major thoroughfares, transport hubs, schools, hospitals, and business and leisure centers, Lumina not just builds a self-sustaining community, it also provides every Juan the pride of homeownership. For more information, follow @luminahomesofficial on Facebook and visit Lumina Homes’ official website at https://www.lumina.com.ph/.

“OUR positive result was no accident nor was it achieved overnight. It was the product of years of planning, careful execution, and hard work.” — Lucio Tan This might be the secret behind the LT Group’s success not just in their businesses, but also in their sustainability over the years. Being in the industry for eight decades, the company surely knows how to give back with its advocacies and campaigns to protect the environment. LT Group makes sure that the companies under it consistently review its operations, looking for ways on how they can contribute and “minimize the impact on the environment, to ensure that its needs are met without compromising the needs of future generations.” Asia Brewery, Inc. Instead of using newly-made glasses, ABI opted for cullet, recycled, broken or waste glass, in producing their glass bottles. In 2018, the company used 72.2 thousand megatons of cullet, accounting for 61% of the raw materials used. Another material used in manufacturing bottles is lahar, which comes from the 1990 Mt. Pinatubo eruption. Last 2018, about 56% of the feldspar used in glass manufacturing was replaced by lahar, equivalent to 3.5 thousand metric tons. Asia Brewery also makes sure that nothing will be wasted and thrown, even powdered glass wastes, which are used in concretes the company utilized in their pavements and walkways within the Cabuyao, Laguna plant premises. Among the sustainable projects of the ABI is its regular tree-planting activities, which started in 2016. Its mission is to plant one million trees a year, with a cumulative target of 8.4 million trees planted by 2020 in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur. With the help of local farmers, the company can plant fuelwood species for traceability and sustainability of wood for curing tobacco.

Philippine National Bank One of the policies that PNB implements in its head office is reducing its energy and water consumption. Replacing the 20-year-old cooling coils of their air-handling units and old conventional bulb and tube lights with light-emitting diodes and upgrading their chillers— these efforts resulted in savings of P10.6 million per year. Tanduay Distillers, Inc. The diversified beverage company of the LT Group, Inc., Tanduay Distillers, Inc., puts into action efforts on how its operations can help protect the environment. Absolute Distillers operates a 100 Kilo Liters per Day bioethanol plant in Lian, Batangas. It sold 36.3 million liters of bioethanol in 2018 and also operates a 2 MW solar power plant in Lian Batangas. In 2018, it generated 2.4 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. Asian Alcohol, in its plant in Pulupdan, Negros Occidental, produces biogas from distillery slops that are pumped from the equalization pond into anaerobic digesters to biodegrade. The biogas produced by the digesters is then fed to the boiler, which displaces bunker fuel consumption. From July 2017 to the end of 2018, 650,000 liters of bunker fuel were replaced by biogas. Corporate Social Responsibility Meanwhile, as part of its corporate social responsibility, LT Group founded the Lucio C. Tan Legacy Forest Project. Established in 2014, the advocacy has contributed to the reforestation efforts of the government, with hundreds of hectares being planted and providing jobs for the indigenous people. More than that, the project also opened more opportunities for them that teach livelihood training on proper ways of producing vegetables and ornamental plants. Before 2019 ended, together with Allianz PNB Life Insurance Inc., the company launched the Green Canopy Project, spearheaded by Lucio Tan III, which aimed to plant 12 million trees, along the Sierra Madre mountains in Luzon.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2020 advertise@manilastandard.net

DENR leads ‘Tayo Ang Kalikasan’ campaign By Angelica Villanueva

HE Department of Environment and Natural Resources continues to encourage Filipinos to participate in an environmental campaign that will help and contribute to preserving the country’s natural resources and environment. Last April 2019, the DENR, led by its secretary Roy Cimatu, introduced its nationwide environmental campaign “Tayo Ang Kalikasan,” that aims to strengthen collaborative efforts among the government, locals, and stakeholders “to protect the natural

resources and maintain the ecological balance for the future generation.” “I believe that our people are capable of change for the better, if not the best. I believe that from being part of the problem, our people can become the solu-

tion. I believe too that people care for clean air, clean water, healthy habitat, and a productive environment,” said Cimatu. In the same month, the agency also partnered with Couples for Christ, a Philippine-based Catholic movement, to lead an initiative of planting one million trees under the Expanded National Greening Program, the government’s national reforestation effort project. The partnership is committed to planting one million forest trees from 2019 to 2021. It also includes maintaining and protecting the seedlings during the said period. In 2018, DENR said that 125,214 hectares of forest lands were reha-

Manila... From C1

blast. Imagine a 10-year old kid venturing into making a habit of reading the newspapers daily. That was a larger-than-life kind of news for me. Woooooaaaaah! I can unequivocally tell that, that news story shocked my innocent mind to the core. Thanks to the Manila Standard’s reportage, I fathomed the news in a clairvoyant manner. It had sparked the cynic, pragmatic me (actually, up to the present time) wherein during that time, had the zeal to ask questions, to be “makulit,” that a usual 10-year old kid wouldn’t ask, like for instance – “Will the mall owners file a petition at the CA? What will happen if the court denies it? How about the insurance claims policy?” And that would pave the way for me to research further for cross validation of the said news story. This newspaper has shaped me A4 Opinion into how I view EDITORIAL and treat the news SolGen vs. ABS-CBN today. “No frills, Woe to these gatekeepers no spins. News I you need for the day.” That’s what this newspaper stands for in my personal point of view. I consider this paper as the tool to understand the business of news further and as a “stepping stone” in why I chose to take up PDRs: To ABS-CBN with love Communication Arts in college. Contrast to what Keynote speech of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez some people beJoint Assembly of Financial Institutions held on February 13, 2020 lieve, nope, it isn’t true that millennials don’t read the papers anymore, there are still some people, who still love flipping the pages from that greasy physical copy of the mornPPI ing paper. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

Adelle Chua, Editor

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SOLICITOR General Jose Calida’s quo warranto petition against broadcast giant ABS-CBN Corp. makes the following allegations: 1. It violated its legislative franchise when it operated a pay-per-view channel through free-to-air signals. 2. ABS-CBN Convergence Inc. violated its franchise under R.A. No. 7908, as amended by R.A. No. 8332. 3. ABS-CBN Convergence Inc. violated R.A. No. 7908, as amended by R.A. No. 8332, when the transfer of the subject legislative franchise was made without prior approval from the Congress. 4. ABS-CBN Convergence Inc. violated Section 16 of R.A. No. 7908, as amended by R.A. No. 8332, in relation to Section 21 of R.A. No. 7925, when it failed to publicly offer any of its outstanding capital stock to any securities exchange in the Philippines. 5. ABS-CBN sold ownership shares to foreign investors by selling Philippine Depositary Receipts. Under the Constitution, media must be 100 percent Filipino owned. Not a single share can be sold to foreigners. In February 2015, ABS-CBN Corp. launched the country’s first digital terrestrial set-top box with free and premium digital TV channels called ABSCBN TV plus. Thereafter, in March 2016, ABS-CBN launched a pay-perview channel in ABS-CBN TV plus, the Kapamilya Box Office. Under R.A. No. 7966, ABS-CBN is required to secure prior authority from NTC before it uses any frequency in the television or radio spectrum. On May 14, 2019, the state agency National Telecommunications Commission told ABS-CBN Corp.. “No Encryption nor Conditional Access of programming content shall be allowed.” In granting Provisional Authority to ABS-CBN Corp. to convert DWWS television station from Analog TV service to DTT using Channel 2

(concluded from Monday)

HERE is the conclusion of “Philippine Depositary Receipts: Mass Media’s Existing or Emerging Loophole To Constitutionally Mandated Full Filipino Ownership?”—a well written, scholarly treatise written by Lorenzo E. Delgado, editor-in-chief of The Bedan Review.

On the issue of Philippine Depositary Receipts

*** In defining full beneficial ownership, the Implementing Rules and Regulations of FIA itself requires that mere legal title is not enough to meet the required Filipino equity, which means that it is not sufficient that a share is registered in the name of a Filipino citizen or national, i.e. he shall also have full beneficial ownership of the share. If the voting right of a share held in the name of a Filipino citizen or national is assigned or transferred to an alien, that share is not be counted in the determination of the required Filipino equity. In the same vein, if the dividends and other fruits and accessions of the share do not accrue to a Filipino citizen or national, then that share is also to be excluded or not counted. Thus, if a “specific stock” is owned by a Filipino in the books of the corporation, but the stock’s voting power or disposing power belongs to a foreigner, then that “specific stock” will not be deemed as “beneficially owned” by a Filipino. Therefore, what is required is not

in Metro Manila, NTC also required to obtain permits and licenses for its DTTB (Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting) service. ABS-CBN Corp. has no authority to offer the ABS-CBN TV plus, the Kapamilya Box Office Channel. Under the DICT Framework (which was crafted after DICT’s consultation with public and private broadcasters, equipment manufacturers, content producers and key TV industry stakeholders), the operation of CAS (Conditional Access System) is subject to prior approval or authorization by the government. CAS is defined as a technology used in digital TV systems that involves satisfying qualified criteria prior to granting access to content. ABS-CBN has no such permit.

Here are the facts.

MMIGRATION officials assigned to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have been relieved of their duties pending the results of a probe into an alleged scheme where Chinese nationals are given special treatment in exchange for a price—specifically, P10,000 rolled up in white paper. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente relieved the NAIA terminal heads and the chief of the travel control and enforcement unit on Tuesday on the principle of command responsibility, the bureau’s spokesperson, Dana Salvador, said. On Monday, a Senate hearing exposed the scheme—called “pastillas” after the milk candy that is also wrapped in paper—taking place at the very gateway to our country.

The ruse is said to have started with the boom of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators. While some POGOs are legitimate, many others operate illegally and have in fact given way to the distortion of real estate prices and even the proliferation of Chinese-only prostitution dens. Dozens of corrupt employees have been removed from their posts since the start of the Duterte administration, the bureau says. This particular

scheme, however, deserves closer scrutiny as it may also be happening in other airports and may involve officials of higher rank. It’s an ingenious way to supplement their income, but we wonder how these so-called gatekeepers muster the gall to commit this while being the face of the Philippines in welcoming visitors. We do not think that such obvious get-rich-quick schemes would be difficult to identify at all, perhaps through a lifestyle check. After all, too many ten-thousand-peso rolls can amount to a lot, in the end. The relief of those officials should not placate our collective indignation at how these public servants violate their sworn mandate for personal gain. This should only be the beginning.

ABS-CBN Corp. is not only operat operatauthoring a CAS without the required author ity from NTC; it also illegally exacts money from the Filipino people. KBO is a pay-per-view channel where Filipinos may choose to access premium content from their television sets. To be able to watch the movies and other contents shown in the KBO, one must first register and pay ₱30 or ₱99 through the country’s mobile networks (ABSCBN Mobile, Globe, TM, Smart, TNT and Sun). Calida says “As the legislative franchise is being regulated by the government to prevent a monopoly of a scarce resource, that person or entity cannot transfer it to any another person or entity without the imprimatur of Congress.” He adds: “Not only are the circumstances surrounding the transfers of controlling interest of Multi-Media Telephony suspicious, the transfers were made without the approval and authorization of Congress.” On Oct. 15, 2010, ABS-CBN Corp. acquired from PCCI Equities Inc. its subscription rights over the 250,000

Turn to A5

merely legal title but full beneficial ownership over the shares of stock, having the right to all the benefits accruing to the stockholder by virtue of the shares, i.e. dividends, which, if said shares underlies a PDR, said full beneficial ownership will be absent to the stockholder, considering that the holder of the PDR and not the stockholder will have the right to obtain the benefits accruing to the shares of stock regardless of lack of ownership over the same. Foreign control in mass media corporations: It is beyond cavil that there is a need to acknowledge existence of numerous corporate control-enhancing mechanisms, besides ownership of voting rights, that limits the proporpropor tion between the separate and distinct concepts of economic right to the cash flow of the corporation and the right to corporate control. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of an enterprise so as to obtain benefits from its activities. Ownership of voting shares or power alone without economic concon trol of the company does not necessarily equate to corporate control. A shareholder’s agreement can effectively clip the voting power of a shareholder holding voting shares. In the same way, a voting right ceiling, which is “a restriction prohibiting shareholders to vote above a certain threshold irrespective of the number of voting shares they hold,” can limit the control that may be exerted by a person who owns voting stocks but who does not have a substantial economic interest over the company. So also does the use of financial derivatives with attached conditions to ensure the acquisition of corporate control separately from the ownership of voting shares, or the use of supermajority provisions in the bylaws and articles of incorporation or association. Indeed, there are innumerable ways and means, both explicit and implicit, by which the control of a corporation can be attained and retained even with

Turn to A5

(Continued from yesterday)

OUR revenue generating agencies are putting on the fast lane the digital transformation of their offices to provide convenient, reliable, and transparent services to the taxpayers. We are the only administration to fully implement a Fuel Marking Program nationwide. Through this program, we expect smuggling and misdeclaration of petroleum products to be greatly reduced, if not totally eradicated, and revenue collections to dramatically increase. By 2022, we also aim to complete the full shift to an electronic invoicing system to do away with some of the redundancies and inefficiencies in the tax system. When the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN Law was passed in December 2017, we brought down the personal income tax rates of 99 percent of our wage earners, effectively giving them a 14th month pay. This translated into a substantial increase in consumer demand. It also broadened the tax base and improved compliance. In order to offset revenue losses from lower personal income tax rates, we introduced excise taxes on a range of sin products. We are the first

administration to raise excise taxes on tobacco products twice during a single term. Within the first three years of administration, a new set of sin taxes was imposed on electronic cigarettes and on alcohol. The additional revenue from these measures will help fund the Universal Health Care program that primarily benefits low-income families. Preliminary figures show our tax collections from sin products almost double in 2019 from what they were in 2015.

The Rice Tariffication Law, for its part, produced a nine-peso reduction in rice prices compared to their peak in late 2018. This is particularly helpful for lower income households who spend a fifth of their budgets on rice alone. People now have a wide choice of affordable to premium rice varieties. This is likewise beneficial to the corporate sector as the much lower inflation rate eased the pressure on businesses to raise wages. Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher

ManilaStandard

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

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bilitated as part of the ENGP. Some 144.8 million native and tree species were raised from January until November. Three months ago, the Environment department also launched an information campaign about responsible mining in the Philippines. Dubbed as the #MineResponsibility campaign, it aims to have a clearer perception and image of the mining industry in the country. “Moving forward, our goal is to harness this mineral wealth for progress and development and the key to that is responsible mining,” said Cimatu. Among the priorities of the department is to improve the quality

of air and water and address the solid waste issues in the country. Also in 2018, DENR has approved the 10-year solid waste management plans of 20 local government units, per Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. A province, city or municipality, through its local solid waste management boards, shall prepare its respective 10-year solid waste management plans, consistent with the 19 National Solid Waste Management Framework. These are just a few of the several programs of the agency where Filipinos can participate in and contribute to preserving the environment.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2020 advertise@manilastandard.net

Resorts World Manila thrives in L.O.V.E.

ocial enterprises continue to increase in number as their concept serves as an effective way to create innovative solutions while establishing valuable networks for positive change. Understanding that volunteerism serves as the foundation of any civil society movement, Resorts World Manila

exerted efforts to create a culture of volunteerism among its fold by establishing the League Of Volunteer Employees (LOVE) Corporate Social Responsibility Programs as early as 2014. To date, the program has successfully engaged over 1,500 of employee volunteers for various LOVE activities. In 2019, the CSR team deemed

it was time to reinvent LOVE into a community that is rooted in genuine care through LOVE Plus and in the process, the program was able to inspire a revitalized set of company core values for the RWM fold that proves to be a winning plan for the management, its employees, and its beneficiaries.

LOVE GREEN

Civic activities relating to social development, health and wellness, and empowerment. for

(PART 2)

Celebrity leaders and beneficiaries of Run With Me X: RED Team for Right Start Community Development, Inc. (5th place); BLUE Team for ERDA-TECH Foundation (4th); ORANGE Team for EPCALM Adult Leukemia Foundation (3rd); YELLOW Team for HERO Foundation (2nd); and champions GREEN Team for Tahanang Walang Hagdanan.

Programs and activities that move the company towards environmental sustainability. LOVE Tanim A bi-annual tree-planting and environmental awareness activity held at the La Mesa Nature Reserve in partnership with ABS-CBN Foundation.

Bantay Langis Donation of used industrial oil for proper treatment, recycling, or disposal for the beneficiaries of the ABS-CBN Foundation.

LOVE LIFE

LOVE Ukay-Okay A clothes donation drive among RWM employees for the Pasay City Social Welfare and Development and Caritas Manila beneficiaries.

Green Day Regular contribution of recyclable materials to Buddhist Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Recovery Project Collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment for Foundation which will be used proper recycling and disposal to help aid in the eradication of for the production of blankets to hazardous waste pollutants which harm human life and especially be donated to disaster-stricken communities in the country. the environment.

LOVE KULTURA Activities centered on the promotion of Philippine tourism, culture and the arts through social advocacies for the youth and the provision of assistance to industry practitioners and professionals.

Run With Me Annual celebrity-led fun run for charity that promotes health, wellness, camaraderie and goodwill. For the 2019 edition, it was rebranded to Run With Me X: Extra Thrilling, Extra Fulfilling embodying RWMâ€™s revitalized vision, mission and core values. LOVE Grants The LOVE Grants program gives RWM volunteer employees the chance to implement their own CSR Day activities to support their personal advocacies. In 2019, the CSR team studied the possibility of branching out volunteerism to external stakeholders that share the same advocacies as the company and rebranded the programs as LOVE Team Grants and LOVE Partners Grants. Blood Donation Drive In partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, bloodletting activities are being held every 4 months. Each bloodletting activity is held over at least 3 days, in various common employee areas. Livelihood and Employment Assistance Program (LEAP) Committed to providing relevant trainings and empowerment seminars for people who have the drive and determination to pursue a brighter future. Original Pilipino Performing Arts (OPPA) Foundation Through the Resorts World Philippines Cultural Heritage Foundation, Inc., OPPA was established in 2015 in recognition of the Filipinos illustrious talent. Working to further institutionalize efforts for the advancement of Philippine performing arts, OPPA grants deserving young individuals with scholarships, opportunities, and trainings that will mold them into the countryâ€™s future respectable artists.