Manila Standard - 2017 November 09 - Thursday by Manila Standard

Duterte pulls out of sandbar plan

VOL. XXXI • NO. 268 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte ordered troops to scrap plans of building a ﬁshermen’s shelter on a sandbar in the disputed South China Sea after Beijing complained, his defense chief said Wednesday. The military in August brought bamboo and palm rooﬁng materials to one of three sandbars that emerged near one of

their garrisons in the Spratlys archipelago in the contested sea, Defense Secretary Delﬁn Lorenzana said. “We tried to put some structures (on) one of the sandbars near our island and the Chinese reacted,” Lorenzana told a regional security forum. “And so the president came to know Next page

Criminal raps vs Aquino Ombudsman files case over SAF 44 massacre By Maricel V. Cruz, Rio N. Araja, Macon Ramos-Araneta and John Paolo Bencito

HE Ombudsman on Wednesday ﬁled graft and usurpation of authority charges at the Sandiganbayan against former President Benigno Aquino III over the January 2015 Mamasapano massacre in which 44 police Special Action Force commandos were killed.

SEND-OFF CEREMONY. The Philippine Navy holds Wednesday a send-off ceremony at Pier 13, South Harbor, Manila for two of its modern and recently acquired vessels, BRP Tarlac (LD601) and BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (FF15), departing for Sattahip and Pattaya Bay, Thailand to participate in the first-ever Asean Multilateral Naval Exercise on Nov. 13 to 22, 2017 hosted by the Royal Thai Navy. Norman Cruz

Population of elderly growing By Macon RamosAraneta CEBU CITY―Commission on Population Executive Director Juan Antonio Perez said Wednesday the Philippines should brace for an aging population by 2025 and a spike in its population growth of two million each year. Speaking during the Second National Family Planning Conference at the Waterfront Hotel here, Perez said the elderly population was the fastest-growing age group in the Philippines today. “The fastest growing population are those 60 and above,” said Perez, who talked during the Philippine Management Program during the two-day conference with the theme “Delivering the Promise: Family Planning on the Ground.” He said that, based on the structure of the population pyramid, 4.7 percent of the Philippine population were over 65 years old. Next page

Dionisio’s ‘miscalculation’ yarn cost his job—Du30 By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday admitted getting offended when former Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Dionisio Santiago described his administration’s plan to set up a large-scale rehabili-

tation center in Nueva Ecija as a “miscalculation.” In an interview before leaving the country to attend the 31st Asia-Paciﬁc Economic Cooperation Summit meetings at Da Nang, Vietnam, Duterte conﬁrmed asking Santiago to resign amid his criticisms on his policies. “He said that it is a waste

of money, that it is not the right approach,” the President said. “He came up with a very incongruous [public] statement... I was offended. He could have asked me for an audience and then tell me all about it,” he added. Duterte said Santiago

should have told him the problem beforehand instead of speaking his thoughts to the media. “I did not put you there to issue statements to the press. I put you there so that you can come to me if there are problems and show me Next page

The filing of charges against Aquino came in the wake of the indictment of his co-accused, dismissed National Police chief Alan Purisima and sacked SAF commander Getulio Napeñas. Graft and usurpation of authority are criminal offenses under law. However, Aquino was the only respondent in the two cases because Purisima and Napeñas are already facing the same charges at the antigraft court’s Fourth Division. The Ombudsman recommended a total bail of P40,000 on Aquino’s case: P30,000 for graft and P10,000 for usurpation of official function. The Ombudsman, however, dropped the charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide filed by the relatives of the slain SAF troopers, citing a lack of evidence. The 44 SAF commandos

Aquino

were killed in the day-long gun battles that followed a covert operation that killed Malaysian bomb maker Sulkiﬂi binhir, alias Marwan. The Ombudsman said Aquino should be held crimnally liable for allowing Purisima to direct the operation, dubbed Oplan Exodus, even if he was suspended. “Aquino fully knew that Purisima was under preventive suspension from ofﬁce Next page

Rody sets out for Vietnam’s Apec summit By John Paolo Bencito DA NANG, VIETNAM — President Rodrigo Duterte will be pushing for the greater need for “real inclusivity” as he arrives here to attend the 2017 Asia Paciﬁc Economic Cooperation Summit, a senior diplomat said. Foreign Affairs Undersec-

retary for International Economic Relations Manuel AJ Teehankee said the President was expected to champion the lessons of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations on regional economic integration when he speaks today before top business leaders during the Apec CEO Summit. “So there are best prac-

tices that can be learned from both sides and Apec is known to be a good incubator of economic and business ideas,” Teehankee told reporters. While Asean is indeed a model of regional economic integration, the region is working to “ensuring prosperity” for all its citizens, he Next page said.

Filipinos urged: Be resilient, stand united By John Paolo Bencito, Maricel V. Cruz and Rio Araja MALACAÑANG on Wednesday urged Filipinos to “stand united and exhibit the strong and resilient Filipino spirit” as the nation re-

membered those who died from the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” on Nov. 8, 2013. In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the failure of the previous administration in handling the post-rehabilita-

tion of typhoon-affected areas demanded greater “courage and compassion” from our leaders. “As we commemorate the deadliest typhoon that hit the Philippines on record and offer prayers to those who Next page

STREAMER AWARD. President Rodrigo Duterte attaches Tuesday the Kahusayan Streamer Award to the banner of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 1 during the 67th birthday celebration of the Philippine Marine Corps at the Bonifacio Naval Station in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. The Marine Battalion Landing Team 1 led by Lt. Col. Stephen Cabanlet was adjudged as Battalion of the Year for 2017. Malacañang Photo

Customs makes way for PDEA on drug bust By Vito Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo ALL illegal drugs seized by the Bureau of Customs must be handled by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and not by any Customs personnel to avoid glitches in anti-drug operations, Cus-

toms Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said Wednesday. Lapena issued a memorandum order that aims to establish proper protocols for the handling of dangerous drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals within the jurisdiction of the bureau.

“To avoid glitch[es] in drug operations, make way and let PDEA stand in front because when it comes to drugs, they know better,” Lapeña said in a statement. The Customs chief said that the apprehending ofﬁcer Next page

Solon pushes probe of drug queen’s modus By Maricel V. Cruz

RAVAGED, IN RUINS. This file photo, taken on Nov. 11, 2013, shows flattened houses in Tacloban City in Leyte after Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ swept through the capital town and the Eastern Visayas. Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez (inset) has filed a bill seeking to declare Nov. 8 as Yolanda Resiliency Day and asks Congress to allot funds for survivors’ housing. AFP with Ver Noveno twitter.com/ MlaStandard

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A HOUSE leader on Wednesday urged the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to dig deeper into the modus operandi and sources of illegal drugs of convicted drug queen Yu

Yuk Lai and her daughter. Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, made the call after PDEA agents seized more than P17 million worth of shabu and cash in two successive raids con-

ducted Monday inside the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City where Yu Yuk Lai is incarcerated and a condominium unit near Malacañang Palace owned by her daughter Diana Yu Uy. Next page

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Duterte... From A1 about this and he said: ‘Let’s pull out’.” The apparent reversal comes at a time of improving relations between China and the Philippines, which until recently had bitterly contested their overlapping claims to the sea. In Malacañang, Duterte on Wednesday said he would be confronting China about its intentions in the disputed West Philippine Sea waters, prior to his departure to attend the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Da Nang, Vietnam. In another apparent policy shift, Duterte said he remained suspicious of Beijing’s true intentions amid reports of continued militarization and reclamation in the disputed waters. “So, it’s about time Asean countries, not really to confront, but to make clear to us what China really wants,” Duterte told reporters in Manila. There is a proposed bilateral meeting between Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday in Da Nang, his last activity before he returns to the country to welcome world leaders for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit to be hosted by Manila. While the entire region is focused on the dangers of North Korea, China “has claimed every part of it” and “nobody has stopped them,” says Duterte. Addressing Beijing, Duterte said: “You want to control the passage, or do we have free passage,” adding the sea row involved contesting countries which have overlapping jurisdictions.

PH: No HR during Trump meet By John Paolo Bencito

A NANG, Vietnam―It will be the ﬁrst time President Rodrigo Duterte will be meeting with the ﬁrebrand American president, billionaire Donald Trump, but he has already warned against discussing how the Philippines deals with the alleged human rights violations that has haunted him since the start of his presidency. Speaking to reporters in Manila before leaving to attend the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit here, Duterte said he will be strictly speaking only about trade, terrorism and the growing influence of China in his

talks with Trump. “We are meeting there, we meet as sovereigns. But I will not go there as a subservient lackey of anyone. Including what you would like to hear from me, but which you cannot ask maybe or later on about hu-

man rights,” Duterte said. Cutting off a reporter, Duterte said: “You want to ask a question? I’ll give you an answer. Lay off, that’s not your business―that is my business. I take care of my country, and I will nurture my country to health. “The Philippines is a sovereign state, I will not allow anybody to impose anything on my country. I will listen to you, but if it’s not for the best interest for my country, I will ignore you.” Speaking to reporters here, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Manuel AJ Teehankee said the first opportunity for the two leaders’

interaction will be on Nov. 10, when the 21 leaders of the Apec-member economies will receive the report of the Apec Business Advisory Council. “From what we’ve gathered, both presidents are looking forward to personally meeting each other,” Teehankee said. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez likewise ruled out any planned bilateral meeting between the two leaders at the sidelines of Apec summit, but such could happen when Manila hosts the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit starting Nov. 13. Duterte, meanwhile, stressed that his would-be response to Trump on matters concerning Beijing would de-

Customs... From A1 must adhere to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. “Ignorance of the law excuses no one. Let us follow the law and the proper protocol. However, let me also urge our BoC operatives to be always on tight guard so that we can suppress all drug importations right at the port of entry,” Lapeña added. He said it is the role of PDEA to handle and investigate all seized illegal drugs. Former Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon and other bureau employees faced congressional investigations for allegedly mishandling of the 605-kilo shipment of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) from China. On Wednesday, the resigned chief of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service Neil Anthony Estrella said the PDEA failed to substantiate its charges against him and other former bureau officials of conspiracy in the importation of P6.4 billion worth of shabu.

a break from the United States and into the arms of emerging superpower China. “The Philippines and the United States are traditional and strong allies,” Teehankee said. He said both leaders had something in common when it came to trade liberalization. “They both look at globalization with caution―there is positive to globalization but there’s also negative that must be addressed,” Teehankee said. “So they both, I think, speak to the importance of inclusive growth. Inclusive growth simply means that there are benefits for all citizens, especially those who are not feeling the benefits.”

Trillanes sues Gordon for plunder on PRC mess By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Rody... From A1 “So in Asean, there is a very important theme of integrating MSMEs, small, medium, micro industries into the larger economy,” he added. Calling Duterte’s speech as a “unique” engagement, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez likewise said the Apec will be focusing on how to be a driver of growth for integrated economies and giving opportunities for small businesses to thrive during the Asean integration. Aside from Duterte’s talk with CEOs, he is expected to meet with the leaders of Apec member economies along with some other bilateral talks, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Vietnamese Pres Tran Dai Quang, Hong Kong China Chief Executive Carrie Lam, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. If Duterte’s schedule permits, he will likewise meet with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. Duterte will follow up on Russia’s commitment of importing P2.5 billion worth of agricultural products made in a bilateral meeting of both nations during last year’s Apec Leaders Meeting in Lima, Peru. Lopez said they were also looking forward to forge a free trade agreement deal with the US.

pend on the latter’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also here for the Apec Summit. “I think they are meeting ahead, and we will wait for the results, and I will be in a position to give him at least a balanced answer. The Philippines is not beholden to anyone,” Duterte said. Both Duterte and Trump expressed mutual admiration for each other during their exchanges in two phone conversations. Teehankee said the relationship between the United States and the Philippines was not something that both leaders could disregard, despite the President declaring

Xmas in Chinatown. Children in panda costumes welcome the onset of Christmas season to mark the Yuletide festivities at Lucky Chinatown, Binondo, Manila. Norman Cruz

Criminal... From A1 and that it was Officer-InCharge PNP chief Leonardo Espina who had the authority to oversee the preparation for and conduct of Oplan Exodus, to the damage of public interest,” the charge sheet read. The Ombudsman submitted to the Sandiganbayan evidence against Aquino, which include text messages between Aquino and Purisima. The Ombudsman said Aquino had received information from Purisima as shown in text messages presented during the Senate inquiry on the massacre. This, despite Purisima’s suspension at the time over the alleged anomalous cou-

Dionisio‘s... From A1 where I am lacking and what I should do. But you don’t go open to the press and start to blabber,” Duterte said in a mix of Filipino and English. Santiago, a former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is the second head of the Dangerous Drugs Board to be removed under the Duterte administration. His predecessor, Benjamin Reyes, also got fired for contradicting the government position that there were 4 million drug users in the Philippines. In an interview on Nov. 2, Santiago said that Duterte may have been ill-advised when he accepted the construction of the 10,000-bed rehabilitation center inside Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija. Chinese billionaire and

Solon... From A1 “I am urging PDEA chief Aaron Aquino to conduct a deeper probe into the modus operandi of the mother-anddaughter tandem—find out who their cohorts are, how they facilitate the importation of illegal drugs, and who their contacts are for local drug distribution,” Barbers said. Aquino said Uy was using her rice retailing business lo-

rier service deal that was contracted by the PNP during his watch. Aquino filed a motion for reconsideration where he defended his action to entrust the operation to the suspended Purisima. But the Ombudsman junked the motion, as well as another one filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption to reconsider the charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide against Aquino. President Rodrigo Duterte said this was one of the rare instances when he agreed with his top critic, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, that Aquino should not be indicted for usurpation of authority. “For the first time or for the second or third time, Trillanes has a good point

there,” Duterte told reporters before leaving for Da Nang in Vietnam. “The President has supervision and control,” he said. Since Aquino was the commander-in-chief at the time, there was nothing to usurp. You cannot usurp what is inherently your duty,” he added. In previous speeches, Duterte blamed Aquino for the massacre, citing reports that the government, through the advice of then-peace adviser Teresita Deles, decided not to send military reinforcement to the SAF troopers in Mamasapano to preserve a ceasefire with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. In July, the President scored the charges filed against Aquino by the Ombudsman, calling them “silly.”

“It was a silly charge. That charge will fail,” Duterte said. “It was a stupid decision.” Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the filing of charges was expected, after an earlier resolution issued by the Ombudsman. “So that is part of the process. So that is expected. It would be a surprise if the Ombudsman did not file it because that is not consistent—non-filing would not be in accordance with the procedure,” Drilon said. Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said his cousin, the former president, had been open about his participation in the Mamasapano operation. “I am confident he will face the case with full courage and honesty,” he said.

philanthropist Huang Rulun had earlier donated the facility, amounting to P1.4 billion. Santiago then said that the construction of smaller regional rehabilitation centers would have made more sense. “There was a miscalculation. I don’t know who suggested it to the President... Instead of building one mega-rehabilitation center, we could have built many smaller facilities,” Santiago said in Filipino. He added that in rehabilitation, family and community support was important, but these would not be available in the Nueva Ecija facility. In an interview with GMA7, Santiago said Wednesday that someone must have persuaded Duterte to ask him to resign. He also said he did not call the project a mistake, and that he had been misquoted by the media.

But a transcript of an ANC interview shows that Santiago, when asked about the project, said in a ix of English and Filipino: “Impractical, that was a mistake, our problem is the President is excited.” “The money we spent on that could have been used for smaller community-based rehabilitation centers that can accommodate 150 to 200… Five thousand is too big a number,” he also said. Santiago said that while he was hurt by the quit order, but he said he will continue to support the President, particularly the campaign against illegal drugs. In an interview with GMA7, he added: “I was hurt because I served the government for 44 years. I didn’t expect to go out this way.” On Wednesday, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino said the government needs two more

mega-rehabilitation facilities, one each for the Visayas and Mindanao. At a news conference at the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City, Aquino said the 100,000-square meter Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center with a 10,000-bed capacity at Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija was not enough. “With due respect to Santiago, sorry. We [even] need two [other facilities] for the Visayas and Mindanao with that [big] capacity,” he said. He said drug rehabilitation must be mandatory for drug users who surrender. He said of the total number of surrendered drug addicts under the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, only 1 percent or 2 percent undergo drug rehabilitation. “What about the 98 percent?” he asked. With Rio N. Araja

cated a few meters away from Malacañang Palace as a front to conceal her illegal drug activities while secretly stashing drug contraband inside the bags of rice that she delivered to the CIW. “The PDEA should probe the possibility that Diana is also involved in rice smuggling where shabu and illegal drugs are being stashed and concealed to avoid detection. The data that could be derived from their seized cellular phones and other communications gadget

could determine who their contacts are and their modus operandi,” Barbers said. “The Philippine National Police should also probe why Diana had been provided several VIP security escorts reportedly by the PNP Police Security Protection Group and the Presidential Security Group. “This is too much. The PNP is providing VIP security to a suspected drug lord,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. The PDEA NCR team, in cooperation with Bureau of

Corrections, raided the correctional where Yu Yuk Lai is detained at 4 a.m. Monday and seized suspected crystal meth or shabu worth about P5.5 million and cash and checks worth P2 million. Some 135 grams of shabu worth P945,000 was concealed in 27 panty liners, while 2 kilograms, worth P4.5 million, were in plastic packs and jars. There were also a million capsules containing suspected dangerous drugs and another million empty capsules.

SENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday filed plunder charges against Senator Richard Gordon before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged corruption. He said the filing of charges was not politically motivated, and that he only wanted an investigation into Gordon’s alleged corruption. He called Gordon a hypocrite and questioned his integrity as the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. “As if he [Gordon] was a saint the way he would preach [us at the Senate],” Trillanes said. Citing conflict of interest, he accused Gordon of using his P193-million Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel to finance some “anomalous” projects of the Red Cross at the time he was its chairman. He said Gordon abused his authority to advance his political ambition. “There is a very clear anomaly and/or conflict of interest in this case of Senator Gordon making the allocation of the said funds because he has been a governor and has been the chairman and chief executive officer of the Philippine Red Cross since 2004 up to the present,” Trillanes’ complaint says.

He included Red Cross secretary-general Gwen Pang in the complaint for disbursing money from the organization’s funds without the approval of the board of governors, and that she also disbursed funds from Gordon’s pork barrel without a public bidding. He cited an anonymous email and a formal complaint to the Red Cross’ board of governors filed by then PRC internal auditor and chief accountant Jeric Sian in 2013. “Mr. Sian claims that Ms. Pang ‘purchased 500,000 pieces of plastic whistles for a total of P12 million with ‘No BOG Approval’ and ‘No Public Bidding’, with P1.8 million being charged to the PDAF of Chairman Gordon,” the complaint says. Citing Sian’s complaint, Trillanes said Gordon used the Red Cross funds to buy karaoke machines and ballers bearing his name in 2009 and 2010 when he ran for president.” “Media placements made in favor of Mejan Inc. in the amount of more than P29 million were made to promote participation in the Million Volunteer Run of the Red Cross before Gordon ran in the 2013 senatorial race, and that over P5 million was spent by Red Cross for its website,” the complaint says.

Filipinos... From A1 lost their lives, we also keep in mind the lessons learned brought by such great tragedy,” Roque said. “As we move forward, we must continue to stand united and exhibit the strong and resilient Filipino spirit as we build a better nation where there is comfortable life for all,” he added. In Congress, Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez urged Congress to appropriate funds to build adequate housing units, potable water, electricity and other basic needs for “Yolanda” survivors. Romualdez made her appeal during the fourth year “Yolanda” commemoration following an order of President Rodrigo Duterte to prosecute those behind alleged inhumane and substandard housing projects in “Yolanda”-stricken areas. Romualdez lamented that many “Yolanda” victims and even millions of Filipinos have continued to live in cramped, unsanitary structures in unsafe, and hazardous locations, adding now was the time for Congress to pour more resources to address the acute housing backlog in the country. “In giving shelters to them [“Yolanda” victims and informal settlers], we should ensure that the area is livable and accessible. Meaning their jobs and livelihood are assured and protected. Relocating them to areas far from their workplaces is an exercise in futility and won’t address the housing woes,” Romualdez pointed out, adding road and water access and basic infrastructure were needed to realize a successful socialized-housing program. “I believe that President Duterte can provide dignified shelters for calamity victims especially the survivors of Super Typhoon “Yolanda”,” said Romualdez. “I appeal to the government to expedite the construction of decent housing for “Yolanda” survivors. Let us work together in the quickest and most direct route to achieve this goal.”

Population... From A1 “The rule of thumb is, if the population has reached seven percent....has 60 and above, your population will be considered beginning to age or starting to age. When it reaches 14 percent, that is an aged population,” Perez said. He expected the Philippines to reach high population growth among the elders between 2025 and 2030. “And when you breach 20 percent, that is a super aging population. That is the case of Japan where you now see 25 percent of the population aging,” Perez said. He said 14 percent was the case of China and the 7 percent was where the Philippines had just entered. “I think it will become worse by 2025 to 2030, that period when our aging population would double from 7 million now to 14 million,” Perez said. He said the health and social services would be facing the problem of providing for those zero to 14 years of age. And the aging population would also need larger amounts of resources to provide them with adequate health services. He attributed the growing number of elders to education, more access to health services and more resources because they were able to save.

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P14.5-m set aside for Marawi rehab By John Paolo Bencito

HE Office of the President has approved the augmentation of the 2017 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund amounting to P14.5 billion. Geared towards providing sufficient funding for the rehabilitation of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur, the amount will be sourced from the savings of the Department of Public Works and Highways for fiscal year 2016 and 2017, amounting to P10.3-billion and P4.2 billion, respectively.

Agencies are now expected to submit their respective Budget Execution Documents to support the release of such funds, especially for the budgetary requirements for Pre-Post Conﬂict Needs Assessment inclusive of housing, health and social welfare, business and livelihood, peace and order, and information management and strategic communications support. Around P495 million sourced from the Quick Response Fund of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the De-

partment of Health, and the Department of National Defense had already been spent for evacuation and relief of internally displaced families and persons. Furthermore, a total of P3 billion has been released to DSWD to cover the funding for continuing relief, inclusive of food assistance, provision of hygiene kits, kitchen kits, family kits, sleeping kits, and collapsible water carriers. This amount would also cover DSWD’s budgetary requirements for a cashfor-work program, enlisting residents in reconstruction/

rehabilitation community works and project management/ operational support. A total of P195 million has also been released to DPWH to cover funding for quick response, transitional shelter, and various evacuation centers in Marawi City. Following Administrative Order No. 9, the leadership of the Task Force Bangon Marawi has also been transferred to the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, in order to address the urban planning requirements of the newly

liberated city. Previously, the DND had the lead oversight in the planning and proceedings for the city’s reconstruction and rehabilitation while the ﬁghting ensued. Marawi City has been liberated from the control of ISIS-backed terrorist groups on Oct. 17, 2017, thereby indicating the start of a thorough reconstruction period. As such, the need to reorganize TFBM was borne to reﬂect the government’s current priority to rebuild and develop the settlement areas that were affected by the attacks.

MPC scores PCOO’s Uson proposal on Rappler

Group alarmed over SSS stock ‘scandal’ A labor group on Wednesday expressed alarm over the worsening Social Security System scandal and asked the government to shelve the proposed hike in SSS contribution next year. Partido Manggagawa chairman Rene Magtubo said the new bribery allegations involving top SSS officials must be immediately investigated and stop the planned hike next year in SSS contributions. “We view with increasing concern the worsening allegations of bribery and profiteering by top SSS officialls as the financial safety of the workers social security fund is at stake. We ask that labor groups be invited to the congressional inquiry to be called on the matter so that we can air our views and proposals,” Magtubo said. Vito Barcelo

By John Paolo Bencito

CARP recipients insurance coverage OKd A PANEL in the House of Representatives has recommemded for plenary action a substitute bill seeking to grant full insurance coverage to all qualiﬁed Agrarian Reform Beneﬁciaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. The House committee on appropriations, chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, approved the unnumbered substitute bill of House Bills 229 and 2177 authored by Deputy Speaker and Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson and Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, respectively, after approving its funding provision. The funding provision mandates the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform to include in their agencies’ programs the needed operational requirement of the Act. Maricel V. Cruz

81 Chinese nationals nabbed for online gambling AT LEAST 81 Chinese nationals were arrested by immigration authorities inside an ofﬁce condominium in Makati City for their alleged involvement in illegal online gambling operations. The Chinese were caught inside Burgundy Corporate Tower, in Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, while operating online gambling computers. BI spokesperson Grifton Medina said that the Chinese embassy has sought the bureau’s help for the arrest of the Chinese illegally working in Makati. He said the Chinese nationals failed to show legal documents on their immigration status. Maricel V. Cruz

In a related development, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the release of P500 million to fund the medical and livelihood needs of soldiers wounded during the ﬁve-month long battle in Marawi. “I just released 500 million, para lang ‘yan sa tinamaan sa giyera,” Duterte said in a speech Tuesday at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. Duterte said part of the P500 million would be used to build homes for the soldiers and pay for their treatment and recuperation.

WREATH LAYING. Philippine Constitution Association President and former Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (right), former senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. (center) and Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez (left) offer prayers to the victims of Super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in a mass grave in Bgy. Basper, Tacloban City during a wreath laying ceremony on Wednesday. Ver Noveno

Suspect in Grab driver slay yields, admits crime By Francisco tuyay THE primary suspect in the slaying of a Grab driver last Oct. 26 voluntarily surrendered to authorities in Pasay City Wednesday night. Supt. Dionesio Bartolome, Chief of Police of Pasay City, identiﬁed the suspect as Narc Tulod Delemios, also known as Miko or Real Nikolo Delemios who surrendered hours before he

could be arrested by police operatives at 9 p.m. the other night. Delemios was the subject of a massive police manhunt after he was identified as the person who shot dead Grab driver Gerardo “Junie” Maquidato Jr. on the eve of Oct. 26 while passing Bonanza St., Barangay 189, Don Carlos Village, Pasay City. After the incident, Delemios fled towards Cesna St. using the Toyota Innova

owned by the victim. The Toyota Innova was later recovered by police operatives in Brgy Matatalaib, Tarlac City. Operative are still locating the firearm used in the killing of Maquidato. The surrender of Delemios materialized after the authorities received a phone call from the mother-in-law of the suspect informing the police that the suspect will surrender. Combined elements of the Criminal

Investigation and Detection Group; NCR-Southern Police District and Pasay City Police Station trooped to the suspect’s residence in Kaymito St., Brgy. Sto. Niño, Pasay City where the suspect voluntarily yielded himself to the authorities. Delemios was presented to the media in Camp Crame and admitted that he held up Maquidato and shot him after the Grab driver resisted.

SEC files raps against Calata Corp execs for fraud By Rey E. Requejo and Jennifer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday asked the Department of Justice to prosecute agribusiness ﬁrm Calata Corp. for making false and misleading statements about the green lighting of the botched Mactan Leisure City project, which helped the company boost its share prices at the stock exchange.

PEP TALK. The University of Santo Tomas in Manila has successfully hosted the Bar Exams since 2014. On Nov. 4, eve of the first Sunday of the Bar Exams, Nilo T. Divina, the Dean of the UST Faculty of Civil Law, met with the UST Bar examinees at the Manila Hotel to deliver an inspirational talk and urge them to try their best to excel and hurdle the requirement for all aspiring lawyers. On Sunday (Nov. 5), he gave a warm send-off for the prospective lawyers and later hosted breakfast for the Supreme Court Justices and Deans of the Law Schools from all over the country.

In its complaint, SEC Enforcement and Investor Protection Director Jose Aquino accused Calata of violating Section 24 of Republic Act 8799, known as the Securities Regulation Code. Impleaded as respondents were Calata president Joseph Calata; chief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer Benison Paul De Torres and board of directors Conrado Zablan, Johnny Uy, Halmond Parker Ong, and Edmund Solilapsi.

The complaint was ﬁled after the Philippine Stock Exchange delisted the ﬁrm also for violations of the PSE disclosure rules. Aquino said that Calata had publicly declared that its gaming license for the Mactan Leisure City, a casino and entertainment complex in Cebu, is expected to be out by the end of 2017 and will commence operation in 2020. According to the SEC official, Calata’s disclosure resulted in

a 28.16-percent increase in the price of the firm’s shares and an increase in the volume in the shares traded. “They made it appear as if there was still that plan,” Aquino said. In fact, the SEC ofﬁcial explained the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. already turned down Calata’s licensing application since Pagcor was already operating a casino at Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Mactan, Cebu.

MMDA, PSG conduct clearing operation near Malacañang By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority on Wednesday resumed its road clearing operation, this time with the help of members of the Presidential Security Group who joined the agency in cleaning streets of eyesores in areas near Malacañang of eyesores. MMDA chairman Danilo Lim led his men in clearing the roads and sidewalks of ambulant vendors, eateries and sarisari stores in barangays 641, 642 and 643, all in Zone 66, and in barangay 389 in Zone 39. The operation was also conducted in close coordination with the city government of Manila’s Traffic and Parking

Bureau Office. MMDA chief supervising officer for operations Edison Nebrija said the cleanup operation was made in time for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit to be held next week in Manila. Nebrija said the operation is part of their continuing campaign to make the vicinity of the Palace a “model community,” especially with the country’s hosting of Asean meetings. Barangay officials in the area signed a manifesto with the MMDA a manifesto, which states that they will be held accountable if they fail to maintain their areas of jurisdiction free of any illegally parked vehicles, vendors and other road obstructions.

REPORTERS covering the Palace on Wednesday asserted its independence against attempts by Communications Assistant Secretary for Social Media Margaux “Mocha” Uson to interfere with its affairs. In a strongly worded statement, the Malacañang Press Corps scored Uson’s proposal to her boss, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, to expel online news portal Rappler from the roster of accredited news organizations, and instead place it under her turf. “The [Malacañang Press Corps] and its affairs, governed by bylaws in accordance with the constitutional provision on press freedom, is not in any way under the control and supervision of the Presidential Communications Operations Office or any government agency,” the reporters said in a statement. “The MPC deplores any attempt to curtail press freedom and will continue to ensure a strong free press, keep the public informed, and the government in check,” they added. The MPC is an independent organization of journalists from various news organizations assigned to regularly cover the Presidency and polices its own ranks.

Over 100 ‘non-pols’ join LP By Macon RamosAraneta

LIBERAL Party president Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Tuesday said that over 100 non-politicians took their oath as new members of the LP in Quezon City, as the party expressed readiness “to take the challenges of the times.” Pangilinan said this marks the shift of the opposition party into a people’s party, the direction set by the ruling party under the previous administration. When he took on the role as party president, Pangilinan said it needs “to go to the grassroots, engage with the marginalized sectors, and become a genuine people’s party.” “We are clear on why this is important: We know that real change and solutions to the country’s deepest problems are not in the hands of one person or one group or one political elite, but in all our hands, in our collective strength, in our collective action together with political leaders with a real love of country and with people who are risking, taking a stand, and acting for real change,” he said

Opinion

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

A four-year-old nightmare

OLANDA used to be just a woman’s name. Four years ago, all that changed when the strongest typhoon ever to make landfall struck the central Philippines, hurling toward Eastern Visayas and across the archipelago, leaving more than 6,000 dead and thousands more missing.

These days the communities ravaged by Yolanda have stirred back to life, in varying paces. For the communities there, however, the slightest sign of rain could

bring easily back the harrowing memories of that day when they felt powerless against the forces of nature, however thoroughly they prepared and however hard they prayed. But while Yolanda was primarily a natural disaster, it also brought to fore many man-made vulnerabilities before and after the actual landfall. It highlighted, for instance, that while the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Law had been passed three years before, many local government units were still not compliant with the parameters it set. If at all, Yolanda exposed

the disparate levels of mitigation and preparedness, with some LGU leaders taking the guidelines seriously and others ignoring them altogether. As a result, when the typhoon struck, many were overwhelmed by its destructive power and the unprecedented damage it brought. Response and rehabilitation efforts were uneven and ill-coordinated. Everybody, even the responders, were victims, too. The dark, chaotic days after Yolanda also showed us the frailties of our local and national leaders. We were aghast at how some milked the tragedy to boost their

political stock and put down their foes. They were grateful for the help, of course, but knew little on what to do with the help that arrived, much less contemplate how life could go on after the aid had stopped and they now had to stand on their own two feet. These days, some continue to live in dangerous areas. Others still wait for houses, or decent facilities if ever they did get the shelter. It is hoped the people, most especially their leaders, know better. This is not going to be the last, or the worst. If Yolanda cannot anymore be just a name, let it at least be a lesson. TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

It’s a mistake A CHINESE billionaire donated a 10,000-bed treatment and rehabilitation center for drug users. This is at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija. This made President Duterte excited during his Stateof-the-Nation Address; I was skeptical. I know, a thing or two about rehabilitating drug addicts. For years I was vice president at DARE Foundation. I know that rehabilitation must be community based. It is strong on the role of the family. I know, too that children who turn to drugs have family problems—a father who is a womanizer, for instance, or a mother who neglects her

Unfortunately the President seems to want to listen only to those who agree with him. AFP PHOTO

Trillanes being Trillanes LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES I LOOK forward to day when Senator Antonio Trillanes will use his bully pulpit in the Senate and his litigious nature against someone whose politics he actually believes in, himself included. Unfortunately, that day will probably never come. Trillanes yesterday filed plunder charges against Senator Richard Gordon, with whom he has had a running spat in the Senate. According to Trillanes, in his complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman, Gordon funneled P193 million from his pork barrel funds to the Philippine Red Cross, which Gordon also chairs in a concurrent ca-

pacity, and used the funds to pay for anomalous projects to further Gordon’s political career. These are truly serious charges. Especially since Trillanes was himself being considered by the Department of Justice, together with his fellow senators aligned with former President Noynoy Aquino and the latter’s top officials, for similar charges based on the allegations of pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles earlier this year. Indeed, Trillanes has never spoken out about the Napoles pork barrel scandal, except to deny that he misused his own pork funds. And he has never condemned any of the people linked to stealing their Priority Development Assistance Funds or their Disbursement Acceleration Program monies, which

were lavished by Aquino on all of his political allies, Trillanes especially. In fact, in 2015, Senator Nancy Binay said that Trillanes—a favorite of Aquino, who even made him “back-channel negotiator” with China—received

He has never spoken out about the pork barrel scandal, except to deny that he misused his own.

more funds than most senators did for his yeoman’s job as all-around hitman in Noynoy’s employ. “I am wondering if Trillanes is

a favorite of [then Budget Secretary Florencio] Abad because when I computed the allocation for Trillanes, it came out as P245 million,” Binay said at the time. The DAP scandal broke after then Senator Jinggoy Estrada declared that all senators except three got at least P50 million in DAP funds in order to convict the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. Then Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Aquino favorites Senators Franklin Drilon and Francis Escudero were supposed to have received P100 million from DAP; only then Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam Santiago and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. received nothing at all from Abad’s brainchild fund-impounding scheme. I noted that Trillanes declared that there was “nothing personal” about his

lodging a complaint against Gordon. But I quickly decided that this was the usual bovine manure that the senator dishes out. With Trillanes, everything is personal and politically motivated. Or, if you believe what they say, a little narco. *** For once, I find myself in total agreement with the Liberal Party, when it declared yesterday that Noynoy Aquino will be cleared of the charges brought before him by the Ombudsman yesterday before the Sandiganbayan anti-corruption court. But I don’t agree that this is because Aquino did not do anything wrong when he planned, oversaw and eventually washed his hands of that incident that is now known as the Mamasapano Massacre. I’ve said it before and I’ll

say it again: The laughable (and bailable) charges of usurpation of official functions and simple graft that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales brought to court are intended to inoculate Aquino from more serious suits and liabilities—and an injustice to the 44 Special Action Force commandos that Aquino sent to their deaths in that godforsaken cornfield in Maguindanao. Whose official functions did Aquino as a sitting president and the most powerful man in the country, usurp in the harebrained operation that sent the SAF 44 to their doom? And why was graft all that he could have committed when he decided not to save the troops under his direct command when they were set upon by a much larger force of Moro rebels and abandoned for those

responsibilities. Thus, when former chief of staff, prisons director and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Dionisio Santiago called the 10,000-bed plan “impractical” and “a mistake,” I agreed with him wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, the President did not like what Santiago said. Thus Santiago was told by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea that the President wants him to resign. That’s too bad. Santiago is one man with honesty and integrity. As prisons director, Santiago used to tell me of the anomalies at the New Bilibid Prison— leaves for high-profile inmates, drug trade, corruption. I don’t know what President Duterte would do with that impractical, P50-billion rehabilitation

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Opinion OVERSIGHT

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It‘s..

DANILO SUAREZ

From A4

center. I wrote earlier that the drug problem must be seen holistically. The greater problem is rehabilitating the users. So long as there is demand for illegal drugs, there will be supply. The President must be told that when government appointees criticize, they do it out of their good intentions. Santiago and those who dare speak their minds are so much better than the lap dogs around Mr. Duterte. *** The Department of Transportation has canceled the maintenance contract between MRT 3 and BURI. The company is clearly responsible for the glitches in the rail system. But how about those responsible for the anomalous contract? Hundreds of thousands of commuters suffer daily because of their doing. What the MRT 3 needs at the moment is complete rehabilitation. These days when you take the train, you should say your prayers because you never know what could happen. Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade needs to bring back people’s faith in the public transport system. This is on top of

the daily traffic gridlock many of us have to endure. *** Diehard supporters of President Duterte have taken Spokesman Harry Roque to task for defending mainstream media. I am not a fan of Roque. I have always seen him as a loudmouth even when he was still handling high-profile human rights cases. But what he said was correct. It was indeed mainstream media that reported on the inadequacies of the Pnoy administration, and paved the way for the victory of Duterte because people believed he represented the change that the country needed. What strikes me as ridiculous is that the proDuterte bloggers want to have monopoly of access to the President. Bloggers do not have the responsibility and accountability of mainstream media. *** The Philippines got a double whammy from international organizations last week. We ranked lower on ease of doing business here than we did last year, and we had the highest score for impunity. All these are threatening our prospect for more investors and tourists. I say, there is still time to correct these perceptions.

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

ERC must power up

Climate change costs a lot more than we recognize THE latest US government report on climate change illustrates how expensive the phenomenon can be: It estimates that more frequent flooding, more violent hurricanes and more intense wildfires, among other things, have cost the country $1.1 trillion since 1980. What’s particularly striking, though, is how much the report and others like it are still missing. For two decades, researchers have been working hard to figure out the potential monetary consequences of climate change. They typically look at things that are relatively easy to measure, such as flood damage from more intense rainfall, real estate losses along coastlines and reduced economic growth. Yet as a new review of the most widely used models points out, they also leave out some pretty big things, such as greater damage from wildfires, worsening water scarcity and the potential for shifting climate patterns to trigger social and political instability by disrupting agriculture and ecology. Estimating such effects is inherently difficult, but ignoring them is worse. Serious consequences are already evident, in the recent string of US hurricanes and rampant wildfires in California and elsewhere. In West Africa, persistent changes in the amount and timing of rainfall have caused a mass migration, primarily of young men, to Europe and elsewhere. The uprising in Syria came just after a crippling four-year drought caused widespread food shortages. In Europe, a surge of migrants from Syria and elsewhere has played a significant role in the rise of populist parties and a spreading backlash against democracy. In other words, the US Defense Department was prescient two years ago when it concluded that “climate change is an urgent and growing threat to our national security, contributing to increased natural disasters, refugee flows, and conflicts over basic resources such as food and water.” Although climate change hasn’t necessarily caused such ills, it has certainly exacerbated them. The British scientist and journalist Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed has made one of the few attempts to forge a more integrated picture of how climate change, by altering the biosphere, is likely to affect geopolitics. As he notes, the traditional approach is to explain sociopolitical instability by looking at things like national rivalries and competition, political corruption or ideological or religious extremism. We generally ignore or undervalue how deeper biophysical factors, by disrupting the economy or putting increased stress on fragile relationships, can trigger or amplify instability. As global carbon dioxide levels keep rising, such sociopolitical effects may ultimately comprise the biggest costs of climate change. We’re in a moment not unlike the years just prior to the 2008 financial crisis, when many people recognized that the housing market had entered dangerously unstable territory, but failed to see the potential repercussions for the economy and society at large—repercussions that we’re still experiencing. What was missing then was a full appreciation of the linkages between finance and the economy. Now we’re suffering from a similar blindness to the biosphere’s fundamental role in supporting human well-being. Bloomberg

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017

THE Energy Regulatory Commission has been a subject of criticism for the past year due to several controversies that it has been involved in. Late last year, President Rodrigo Duterte demanded the resignation of ERC officials after receiving reports of rampant corruption within the agency. This followed the suicide of the ERC Bid and Awards Committee Chairperson, Francisco Jose Villa Jr., which was allegedly due to 22 corruption issues, such as rigged selection process in favor of ERC Chairman Jose Vicente Salazar. According to President Duterte, he directed a comprehensive review of all legal remedies to overhaul and effect immediate changes to the agency,

including its officials. The ERC officials refused to resign; so the President, on November 2016, threatened to abolish the agency and deny it funding. By virtue of Section 38 of the Republic Act No. 9136, or the EPIRA, ERC was established as an independent, quasi-judicial regulatory body. Under Section 43 of the EPIRA, it is mandated to promote competition, encourage market development, ensure customer choice, and penalize abuse of market power in the electricity industry. However, the series of controversies showed that ERC fails to fulfill its mandate; and it appeared to be doing merely a duplicate function of the Department of Energy. Hence, I think it is necessary to reorganize the agency. On August 2017, I filed House Resolution No. 1161, a resolution calling for an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the immediate

approval of the seven power supply agreements (PSAs) of Meralco by the ERC. Last year, Meralco applied for power supply agreements on the construction of seven coal-fired power plants: Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. (225 MW); Atimonan One Energy Inc. (1,200 MW), St. Raphael Power Generation Corp. (400 MW); Central Luzon Premiere Power Corp. (528 MW), Mariveles Power Generation Corp. (528 MW); Panay Energy Development Corp. (70 MW), and Global Luzon Energy Development Corp. (600 MW). These agreements aim to reduce transmission congestion in Luzon that causes intermittent power outages and consequently interrupts business activities, dampening economic growth. To date, none of these PSAs has been approved yet; because according to ERC Officerin-Charge Alfredo Non, they are still scrutinizing the cost components of the PSAs.

Scrutiny of these PSAs should be done meticulously, but on an expedited basis. In the first half of 2017, many provinces of Luzon experienced power interruption. The Luzon grid was placed, for a couple of times, in red and yellow alerts due to insufficiency of power related to unexpected shutdown and unscheduled maintenance operations. The Luzon grid has a maximum supply of 11,000 megawatts, while the current demand reaches 9,800 megawatts. Luzon’s power demand is projected to maintain an upward trend. The construction of new coal-fired power plants is necessary because the existing coal-fired power plants are outdated and insufficient, rendering them vulnerable to transmission failures. It would take seven to eight years to construct these before they become fully operational. Thus, the ERC should take immedi-

ate action on these PSAs. Foreign exchange and the international prices of fuel are the two benchmarks for the costing of energy in our country. Both of these are beyond our government’s control. Hence, we can see the utter uselessness of a government agency like the ERC. The ERC was initially given a P1,000 budget during the 2018 budget deliberations in the House; but its requested budget was eventually reinstated. Chairman Salazar was also relieved from his position. Now that the ERC has somehow stabilized after all the controversies it has been through, I hope we can soon see improvements in its performance. The ERC is hopeful that they can approve at least three out of the seven PSAs before the year ends. Should these PSAs do not materialize, I will ask the leadership of the House to withhold its budget.

Married priests DUTY CALLS FLORENCIO FIANZA IT IS possible that in the not too distant future, we will be seeing married priests administering to the Roman Catholic faithful in this country. Brazilian Claudio Cardinal Hummes, who is a friend of Pope Francis, requested the Pope to lift the ban on the ordination of married men specifically for Brazil which is the largest Roman Catholic country in the world. The request is for the church to consider “vin probati,” the ordination of married men with proven great faith. Brazil, just like many other countries around the world, is suffering from a shortage of priests having only one priest per 10,000 faithful. It is thought that the ordination of married men might alleviate this acute problem. This however, is not the only problem facing the Catholic Church today. There is the matter of sexual misconduct by priests which has caused tremendous damage to the prestige and reputation of the church

as the guardian of faith and morals in the last couple of decades. At the moment, Australian Cardinal George Pell, formerly the third most powerful official in the Vatican, is undergoing criminal trial for child sexual abuse in his native country. In the so-called Eastern Catholic Church, where priests are allowed to marry, the problem of sexual misconduct is not often heard of. Allowing priests to marry or ordaining married men with proven great faith might therefore go a long way in lessening this problem of the Catholic Church. It is like solving two huge problems with a single shot. The issue of married priests has always been a contentious problem of the Church right from the very beginning. Right from the start, priests were allowed to marry. Seven popes in antiquity were in fact married starting with St Peter. The apostles were also married. But there were Church leaders who questioned not only the practicality of married priests but also whether marriage was damaging the purity of the church. Matters like married priests not sleeping with their wives the night before celebrating

the holy mass started being required. Other subjects such as material things being evil and that a person cannot be married and be perfect at the same time started to take root in early Church teachings. But it was not until the first and second Lateran Councils that the Church affirmed the prohibition of priests getting married. First in 1123 and then in 1139. It was a pope by the name of Callistus II who first issued the prohibition and was affirmed by Pope Innocent II. But even with this prohibitions, about 50 percent of priests in the 15th century were still married and accepted by the people. Worse, there were six popes who fathered illegitimate children after 1139. A pope by the name of Benedict IX also did away with celibacy and then resigned in the year 1045 in order to marry. It was the Council of Trent in 1563 which finally reaffirmed the prohibition of priests getting married. This time, the decree was a lot more successful. This of course did not end the illicit practice of priests and bishops from fathering illegitimate children as we know up to this present day including here in the Philippines. This is perhaps

because priests do not actually make a vow of celibacy but only make a promise to their bishops to be celibate. Pope Francis I and his predecessor Benedict XVI have also both stated that celibacy is not a matter of inflexible dogma but a matter of discipline and therefore could be debated openly. The problem is that there are powerful conservative figures in the Vatican who view the current pope to have already tinkered so much with Church doctrines that they view anything that he does with a lot of suspicion and might make it difficult for Pope Francis to bring the Church closer to the 21th century. It will also be very interesting to see how our very conservative Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines which have been modifying a lot of the pope’s pronouncements recently will react. If, as the late Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini said that the church is 200 years behind the times, it might be necessary to add another 200 years in the case of the Philippine Catholic Church. Our church is so behind the times that a friend remarked when we were discussing about our church leadership that if the Spanish friars

during the Spanish colonial times were to return today, they would feel right at home and simply pick up from where they left. But seriously, how would our Church leaders view the issue of married priests? And the other more important question to ask is, how would the Filipino Catholic faithful react to openly married Catholic priests in our midst? Will the faithful welcome them with open hearts? Even if we Filipinos are very tolerant people, it is not easy to predict how married priests will impact the faithful’s religiosity. It is really about time as Pope Francis said that this issue be debated openly. After all, it is not only Brazil that is experiencing a shortage of priests. Even here, there are fewer and fewer men and women who are choosing to enter the religious orders which is a fact not being experienced by Protestant Christian denominations that allow their ministers to marry. Opening the door to allow the ordination of married men with proven great faith will therefore allow the Church to move closer to modernity. If this happens, the remaining great barrier to break, if ever, will be to allow the ordination of women.

Death comes as the end ACTRESS Isabel Granada’s sudden demise at the young age of 41 left many stunned—she was beautiful, fit, and apparently healthy, but now irrevocably, sadly, dead. Her Instagram account (@ isabelgranada21) shows she took a lot of exercise. She played volleyball and badminton and engaged in other outdoor activities. She wore a bikini and showed off rockhard abs. She ate healthy, advising that people limit added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. She could have been the poster girl for any antiaging or wellness campaign. Yet cardiac arrests and an aneurysm took her away. According to reports in another major newspaper, Granada’s relatives shared that the actress, while a health

Trillanes... From A4

precious hours when artillery fire and air cover could have kept them alive? Morales, the architect of the same legal strategy that virtually absolved Abad for “usurping legislative functions” when he dreamed up DAP, is at it again. And if

buff, would sometimes complain of dizziness and headaches. Was this a symptom of some malady? Or only stress and fatigue? Could she have been saved if she had a comprehensive checkup? When someone so young and healthy dies, we are taken aback. We would expect the unwell, the sedentary, the overweight, those much older, to be at greater risk— and indeed they are, by the usual medical standards. So what are we to make of this occurrence? At the very least, it makes us confront the spectre of our own mortality. Those of us who are of the same age as Isabel Granada, those who had crushes on her and watched her films, will think, “That could happen to me.” Those who struggle with weight, poor eating habits, and smoking, might think that health precautions are futile. Those who are already at greater medical risk might think, “Will my time

come sooner or later?” Cultures around the world have different attitudes towards death. Even within a society, those attitudes differ. Some accept death with equanimity, others rage against the dying of the light. But the truth is that death is inevitable—it will all come for us. We just do not know when. The question is, what do we do in the time remaining? Is it unnecessary to keep our bodies fit? Shall we eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die? Here’s one answer—let us be and do the best we can. We need to stay healthy, not only for better quality of life, but so that we can continue to take care of our loved ones and enjoy their company. We need to be involved with the causes that inspire and touch us so that our life will have meaning. And when we work for others with compassion and a sense of purpose, in the end people will

bless our memory. As Granada’s life showed, death can come at any time, without warning. What she left is a legacy of a life filled with purpose and meaning. She loved, laughed, kept busy, and made others around her happy. If anything, her story encourages us to pause and reflect—what if that were us? What would we change about our habits, our day-to-day interactions with the people around us? Which brings me to those who are deliberately unkind and cruel—the likes of Mocha Uson, RJ Nieto, Sass Sasot. Even lawyer Bruce Rivera, a former member of their cohort, has distanced himself from them as their attacks become even harsher, more strident, and unhinged. What have they to look back on at the end of their lives? But while there’s life there’s hope, the saying goes, and it’s never too late for anyone to change.

It takes insight—a looking inward at the self to take an honest assessment—and mindfulness—being selfaware and as such being able to control impulse. It’s not an easy nor comfortable process—many people shy away from delving into their psyches, afraid to find the hurts and issues they have buried deep. Sometimes it’s like picking at a scab to reveal the wound beneath. Ultimately, what it takes is a desire for the truth. If you discover what hurt you, will that keep you from hurting others? If there is another lesson here in Granada’s passing, how about this: What do you want people to remember about you when you are gone? Will you be remembered for hatred you spread or for the love you shared?

Morales thinks that the relatives of the slain SAF troops should applaud her for going all the way to the Sandiganbayan with her absurd and risible charge sheet, then she is even crazier than anyone thought her to be. Morales is just playing the role given to her to the hilt—that of protecting the president who appointed her in a rearguard action, in order to shield

him from any real punishment. And if Morales is impeached, as some members of Congress still want to do, that will probably be the only time when the SAF 44’s kin (and all the other people that she oppressed with her particularly virulent strain of Yellow selective justice) will applaud. I remain convinced that no real charges will be

leveled against the perpetrators of large-scale corruption and incompetence that took place during the previous administration will be filed until Morales retires in July next year. In fact, I know quite a few people who are just waiting for that time before going to the new Ombudsman’s office with serious suits, convinced as they are that

Morales will never allow any Yellow official to suffer for their high crimes. Until that day, I refuse to join the small chorus that wants us to think that Aquino is getting what he deserves. That time will come, but not while Morales is doing her true job of warding off any and all threats to the president who put her where she is.

Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. FB: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @ jennyortuoste

World

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

Trump set for talks on North Korea BEIJING―US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing Wednesday for the critical leg of his Asia tour to drum up an uncompromising, global front against the nuclear weapons ambitions of the “cruel dictatorship” in North Korea. Trump heaped more praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping before touching down in Beijing but he also used a speech in Seoul to urge China to do more to rein in its Cold War-era ally. The Trump administration sees Beijing as the key to controlling North Korea, which depends on China for its economic survival and for 90 percent of its trade. Earlier, Trump congratulated Xi for his reappointment as China’s Communist Party chief, tweeting: “I very much look forward to meeting with President Xi who is just off his great political victory”. Trump’s use of the term “political victory” for the outcome of last month’s Communist Party congress was seen by analysts as an attempt to mollify Xi before tough talks on trade and North Korea. “He’s laying it on thick to put Xi in a good mood because he will have unpleasant things to tell him,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, China politics specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University. After US allies Japan and South Korea gave the redcarpet treatment to Trump, Xi will offer him an extravagant “state visit-plus” with a tour of the Forbidden City, a military honor guard and a lavish banquet. AFP

Smog shuts primary schools N

EW DELHI-Delhi shut all primary schools on Wednesday as pollution hit 70 times the World Health Organization’s safe level, prompting doctors in the Indian capital to warn of a public health emergency. Dense gray smog shrouded the roads of the world’s most polluted capital, where many pedestrians and bikers wore masks or covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and scarves. The US embassy website showed the concentration of PM 2.5―the microscopic particles that are the most damaging to health― topped 700 early on Wednesday morning, 70 times the WHO guidelines on long-term exposure, before dropping slightly. “When I came to Delhi in 1984, the air in the city was clean. But today when I left at 4 am for work I could barely see anything,” said Jeevanand Joshi, a roadside tea seller. “This is not fog, this is smoke, and it is certainly making us sick.” The Indian Medical Association declared a public health emergency, urging administrators to “curb this menace”, while the Envi-

Democrats win high-profile state and mayoral elections NATIONAL SPORT. In this photograph taken on November 7, 2017 Afghan horsemen compete in the traditional sport of Buzkashi in Badakhshan province. The ancient game of Buzkashi is an Afghan national sport that is played between two teams of horsemen competing to throw an animal carcass into a circle. AFP

China goes on a skyline shopping spree in the heart of Hong Kong HONG KONG―Chinese investors’ penchant for Hong Kong real estate is wellknown and as they take aim at the city’s most prestigious buildings and office space, mainland cash is driving one of the world’s priciest markets to break new records. With the Communist Party’s hand seen behind the latest record purchase, some analysts raised questions about where the enor-

mous cash flows would go as the Chinese government strengthens control over the former British colony. Beijing’s growing restrictions on overseas investment, including in property, have heldAback some Chinese conglomerates as the country’s leaders seek to stem capital flight and counter a weak yuan. But the sale last week of a landmark skyscraper by

Hong Kong’s richest man Li Ka-shing to a China-led consortium for a record of more than $5 billion indicates the city’s property sector continues to boom. “[Chinese companies] want to let the world know ‘we are going international, we have establishments in Hong Kong and have been able to buy such good assets’” says Antonio Wu, deputy managing director of

Colliers International. “Trophy assets always help to build a brand.” Li’s sale of The Center was the world’s largest commercial property deal for a single building, according to data from services firm CBRE. The city’s fifth-tallest building, it was featured in the Hollywood blockbuster The Dark Knight. Chinese companies often

use the office towers and floors they have snapped up as their headquarters and as a base for expansion -- in some instances kicking out other tenants as they grow -- while benefiting from limited supply and climbing prices. Mainland firms’ occupation of Hong Kong offices surged 52 percent in the decade to 2015, according to real estate firm JLL. AFP

WA S H I N G T O N ― U S President Donald Trump suffered a triple defeat as Democrats won high-profile state and mayoral elections to underscore his unpopularity on Wednesday’s first anniversary of his dramatic election win. The Tuesday night results amounted to a sweeping repudiation of what critics have called Trump’s politics of division, and a test of his influence ahead of electoral battles looming on the state and national level. The most damaging defeat was in Virginia, a state bordering Washington seen as a bellwether for national politics with the country gearing up for 2018 congressional elections and the next presidential contest in 2020. The Virginia governor’s race had all the makings of a nail-biter, but in the end,

Iraqis say life under IS rule was like an open-air prison AL-QAIM―They emerge timidly from houses to survey the debris-strewn streets of their town. As Iraqi forces hunt down diehard jihadists, Al-Qaim residents recall three years of hell in “open-air prison”. “At last we’ll be able to sleep easily withoaut worrying about air raids or being arrested,” says a smiling and clearly relieved Qassem Derbi. “We’re no longer afraid of going to prison or anything else.” Iraqi forces took AlQaim, one of the last refuges in Iraq of the Islamic State group, on Friday. As members of Iraq’s military deploy in the streets of Al-Qaim, dustcovered not only from the destruction of warfare but also by a sandstorm, Derbi spoke of life under IS. The jihadist group entered the important desert town a few kilometers from the border with Syria in 2014, and quickly made its presence felt. “We weren’t allowed to use phones, we couldn’t sleep, we had no rights to do anything at all,” says the young Iraqi. “We were living in an open-air prison where we were only allowed to walk around―anything else

ronment Pollution Authority warned that things were set to get worse in the coming days. As public outrage mounted, the Delhi government ordered the closure of all primary schools on Wednesday. “We have decided to shut schools up to primary level for a day, and will evaluate the situation on an hourly basis to see if such a closure needs to be extended,” Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told reporters. Almost 2 million students are enrolled in primary schools in Delhi, according to government data from 2015. All outdoor activities have also been banned across the capital’s 6,000 schools while pollution levels remain at severe levels. The city of 20 million has the unenviable distinction of being the world’s most polluted major city, often surpassing Beijing. AFP

would be held against us.” On Sunday, for the first time in more than three years, Iraq’s national flag was once again raised in AlQaim―by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Iraq’s authorities are now battling the final pockets of jihadists in their last footholds around the town, and Syrian troops are also approaching, hemming them in on their side of the frontier. After the IS offensive, Iraq’s western desert in Anbar province and its porous border entrenched itself as a jihadist smuggling and supply route. Standing outside his home in Al-Qaim, a cleanshaven Aqil Mussa tells AFP of a life of “oppression and humiliation” under IS. “We had access to nothing―no schools, no electricity, no water. We even lacked bread,” he says, his throat tightening. Derbi says that patience paid off for the small number of Al-Qaim residents who stayed, out of the 50,000 who lived there before IS swept in. “The security forces have liberated us,” he says, adding that the departure of the jihadists means the impending return of relatives who had fled their onslaught. AFP

Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam trounced his Republican rival Ed Gillespie by an unexpectedly wide nine percentage points in the southern battleground state. In New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy reclaimed the governorship with a victory of about 13 percentage points over his rival following eight years of Republican Governor Chris Christie, a onetime ally of Trump. And in New York, progressive Mayor Bill de Blasio rode a wave of hometown distaste for Trump to cruise to re-election in America’s most populous city. Murphy and Northam painted their wins as rejections of the polarization that to a large extent characterized Trump’s 2016 campaign and much of his first year in the White House. AFP

N. Korea terror list after trip

BESTSELLER. This file photo taken on November 6, 2017 shows an employee standing behind a cashier’s desk in front of a backdrop made up of hundreds of covers of Donald Duck pocket books, called “Lustiges Taschenbuch” in German, and featuring Disney comics, at a temporary shop set up in Berlin to mark the comic book’s 50th anniversary. Mickey Mouse may be Disney’s top star in most parts of the world but in Germany Donald Duck reigns. More than 50 years after the cartoon featuring the hottempered duck arrived in Goethe’s country, it remains the best-selling comic title at the newsstands. AFP

Move over Mickey Mouse: In Germany, Donald Duck reigns BERLIN―Mickey Mouse may be Disney’s top star in most parts of the world, but in Germany Donald Duck is king. More than 50 years after the cartoon featuring the hottempered duck arrived in the land of Goethe, it remains one of the bestselling comic titles at the newsstands. Generations of children grew up with the so-called

Lustiges Taschenbuch (which translates as Funny Paperback) featuring the cantankerous Donald and family― including his rich but miserly uncle, Scrooge McDuck, who swims in gold coins, and his three mischievous nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Many adults are still hooked, and are known as Donaldists. These hardcore fans gather regularly to pore

over and dissect the latest comic together, noting inconsistencies in the colorful drawings between editions or to ask probing questions about the solar system in Donald’s world. “We Donaldists assume that Duckburg really exists, and we ask ourselves questions on all kinds of details from the adventures of the Duck family, which for us

are not made-up stories but factual reports,” said Alexander Poth, 46. “All discrepancies in these reports are examined scientifically by our members, and the results are published in our trade magazine, ‘The Donaldist’, and presented and discussed at our annual congress,” added Poth, who encountered his first Lustiges Taschenbuch (LTB) at age two. AFP

BEIJING―US President Donald Trump will decide whether to re-designate North Korea as a “state sponsor of terrorism” at the end of his tour of Asia next week, the White House said Wednesday. The designation was lifted by then-president George W. Bush in 2008. Re-designation would put Pyongyang back on a formal blacklist that would incur more unilateral sanctions. “The president said he’d make a determination at the end of the trip,” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She spoke as Trump headed to Beijing for talks focused on the North Korea nuclear crisis after visits to US allies Japan and South Korea. Trump will head to Vietnam on Friday before visiting the Philippines from November 12-13. Trump enacted a law in August that was forced on him by the US Congress, pressing for new economic and political sanctions against Iran, Russia and North Korea. One clause of that act required the US State Department to declare within 90 days whether North Korea should be named a terror sponsor. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

Manila

Standard

TODAY

Cavs nail 5 win

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

OS ANGELES—Giannis Antetokounmpo produced a scintillating 40-point masterclass but it was not enough to stop LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers from claiming a thrilling victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo’s superb display, which also included nine rebounds and three assists, threatened to overwhelm the Cavs as they sought to bounce back from Sunday’s shock loss to the Atlanta Hawks. But 30 points from James and 32 points from Kevin Love helped the Cavs hang on

for a 124-119 victory at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena. James and Antetokounmpo seemed locked in their own personal duel for long periods of an absorbing contest and finished with similar figures. Later, James admitted the 22-year-old Athens born Antetokounmpo—nick-

named “The Greek Freak” —was all but impossible to defend against. “He attacked non-stop for however many minutes he was on the floor,” James said. “You got to put multiple bodies in front of him and then when you do put multiple bodies in front of him, he’s still able to score. He’s great in transition and great getting at the rim.” The high-scoring contest saw three other Cleveland players make double figures, with J.R. Smith posting 20 points and Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade grabbing 10 apiece.

Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, was backed by 22 points from Malcolm Brogdon and 20 from Khris Middleton. Cleveland improved to 5-6 with the win, while the Bucks fell to 4-6. Elsewhere Tuesday, Harrison Barnes poured on 31 points as the Dallas Mavericks made a mockery of the form book with an upset over the Washington Wizards. The Mavs, owners of a league-worst 1-10 record heading into the game, made sure of a 113-99 win after producing a late fourth quarter run. AFP

serves as the kick-off of the two-part SunPiology, an annual fun run fund-raiser founded by actor Piolo Pascual. The Sun Life Cycle PH will feature seven categories for the young cyclists on three wheels or for a more serious rider looking to test himself on a longer route. It includes the Tricycle Ride (100-m distance for two-

Local bets shine in Cebuana tennis CARLYN Bless Guarde led the charge for the local bets as she took three titles at the recent Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series leg in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, with Minette April Bentillo adding another crown for the hometown players. Guarde, a perennial winner in past legs of the country’s longest-running age group tennis series, was pushed to the edge by Jazzele Madis from M’lang, North Cotabato in the girls’ 16-under finals before pulling off a 4-6, 7-5, 10-4 victory. But when they met anew in the 18-under championship match, Guarde swept Madis, 6-0, 6-1, for the title. Guarde then teamed up with Princess Nicole Langomez to beat the tandem of Rowena Jusay and Karen Garcia, 8-2, and add the girls’ 18-under doubles’ title to her collection. Bentillo, meanwhile, had an easy time in the finals of the girls’ 14-under, brushing aside Sitti Nur Jillian Managking from Pikit, North Cotabato in the tournamet supported by Dunlop as the official ball. “We are looking at Guarde as one of the future national players. She has been a consistent winner in the series and even in other tournaments she joins,” said Cebuana Lhuillier President/CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier, who initiated this grassroots tennis development program 11 years ago. The other female winner in the tournament that attracted 124 entries and was held at the Isulan Capitol Tennis Club courts, was Tennielle Madis from M’lang, after she beat Manangking, 6-0, 6-1 in the girls’ 12-under finals.

Team Faithful makes LGR tilt quarterfinals TEAM Faithful dumped DBB07, 115-95, to advance to the quarterfinal round of the LGR Hoops Season 4 at the Gatorade Hoops Center. LA Agustin led his squad with 33 points, including seven triples, to lead Team Faithful to the next phase of the tournament of the Neophyte Division sponsored by Bugsy’s, Rain or Shine, Petron, Titan, NBA Store, Gatorade, BTV, Golds Gym, Zarks Burger, Kartilya, SYF and Ybalai. Backing up Agustin was Lester Cordero, who poured in 22 points, while David Lo contributed 13 for Team Faithful, which led from start to finish. Team Faithful spoiled a big game from Max Monterola, who scored a season-high 50 markers for DBB07, but failed to get enough support from the rest of the squad. Also advancing to the quarterfinal round was RJS Construction, which waylaid Mi Amigos, 124-66, in the Novice Division. RJS Construction took advantage manhandling the undermanned Mi Amigos, which showed up with only seven players. Seven players finished in double figures for RJS Construction, led by James Bryant Morales with 16. PJ Fernandez, Ian Gragasin and Vincent Huit contributed 15 each, Ellard Cortez chipped in 14, Kelvin Marcelo had 13 and Melvin Caruz scored 10.

4. Post-Qualification 5. Notice of Award

Bid documents will be available to prospective bidders upon payment of the applicable Bidding Documents fee to the LANDBANK Cashier. LANDBANK reserves the right to (a) reject any and all bids at any time prior to the award of the contract; (b) waive any minor formal requirements in the bid documents; (c) accept such bids, it may consider advantageous and beneficial without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

Rate Impact. The CAPEX Plan is envisioned to have the least rate impact focusing on a capital expenditure plan that will bring the most value to SURSECO l’s customers at the most reasonable and justifiable electricity rate or at the least cost of service. Presented in the Table below is the annual rate impact of the CAPEX Plan on SURSECO l’s RFSC, to wit: EXCERPTS FROM CASH FLOW ANALYSIS SHOWING RATE IMPACT IN TERMS OF RATE PER KWH 2015

2017

2018

2019

52,717,000

54,612,000

63,287,000

67,521,000 288,982,000.00

8,172,207.28

12,056,633.15

10,941,750.60

13,758,263.67

Current year collection @ PhP0.4004/kWh at 97% collection efficiency

19.747,587.86 20,474,650.20

21,210,645,46

24,579,911.36

26,224,346.15 112,237,141.02

Loan proceeds from financial institutions, PhP

37,256,687.88 60,934,600.10

74,950,629.11

Forecasted energy sales, kWh

50% of income on leased properties

SURSECO I 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 offices at San Fernando, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur; It holds an exclusive franchise from the National Electrification Commission, to operate an electric light and power distribution service in the City of Bislig and certain municipalities in the Province of Surigao del Sur, namely: Barobo, Tagbina, Hinatuan and Lingig; LEGAL BASES FOR THE APPLICATION

Total Cash Inflows, PhP Available cash for disbursment

O-NA-H Meters O-NN-FOC

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PLAN 5.

The proposed projects are discussed in detail in the cooperative’s Capital Expenditure Plan for the years 2015 to 2017 together with supporting data and justifications presented in ERCspecified templates;

Financing Plan. SURSECO l’s proposed projects will be financed from funds to be acquired through loans from the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and Rural Electrification Financing Corporation (REFC). Presented in the table below are the CAPEX plan financiers to be pursued and the corresponding costs to be financed, to wit:

FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC EVALUATION

Source of Funds NEA REFC TOTAL 7.

Project Cost to be financed 143,555,235.57 29,586,681.52 173,141,917.09

2016

35,992,945.76 1,263,742.12 37,256,687.88

32,611,660.70 28,322,939.40 60,934,600.10

2017 74,950,629.11 74,950,629.11

Cash Flow. SURSECO l’s cash flow shows that it can viably pursue and implement the 3-year CAPEX Plan without necessarily causing a significant increase in its electricity rates. The table below presents its Annual CAPEX Budget, to wit:

Total CAPEX Plan Cost to Customers 8.

2015

2016

3,784,300.00 279,425.16

2017

Total

9,973,653.38 17,586,666.82 31,344,620.21 457,009.50

562,129.72

1,298,564.38

4,063,725.16 10,430,662.88 18,148,796.54 32,643,184.58

Further, the whole capital expenditure structure of SURSECO 1 also considered previous indebtedness incurred in financing past CAPEX projects outstanding as of year 2014, such that including the amortization of said indebtedness will have the cash flow shown in the Table below, as follows:

Particulars Revenue from RFSC CAPEX Plan Amortization CAPEX Permit Fee Previous Loan Amortization Total CAPEX Plan Cost Net Cash Flow

2015 19,747,587.86 3,784,300.00 279,425.16 7,766,271.84 11,829,997.00 7,917,590.86

2016 20,474,650.20 9,973,653.38 457,009.50 6,414,177.87 16,844,840.75 3,629,809.45

2017 21,210,645.46 17,586,666.82 562,129.72 4,431,347.88 22,580,144.42 (1,369,498.96)

TOTAL 61,432,883.51 31,344,620.21 1,298,564.38 18,611,797.59 51,254,982.17 10,177,901.34

254,616.42

1,273,082.10

57,258,892.16 81,663,866.72

96,415,890.99

24,834,527.78

26,478,962.57 286,652,140.21

57,258,892.16 89,836,074.00 108,472,524.13

35,776,278.37

40,237,226.24 286,652,140.21

37,256,687.88 60,934,600.10

74,950,629.11

173,141,917.09

4,431,347.88

27,474,493.35

New amortization NEW CAPEX), PhP

3,784,300.00

9,973,653.38

17,586,666.82

66,517,953.86

279,425.16

457,009.50

562,129.72

49.086,684.88 77,779,440.85

97,530,773.53

22,018,014.70

22,018,014.70 268,432,928.67

8.172,207.28 12.056.633.15

10,941,750.60

13,758.263.67

18,219.211.53

18,219,211.53

0.2004

0.2174

0.2698

0.0630

ERC Permit Fee, PhP Total Cash Outflows, PhP Cash balance ending, PhP, excess/(shortfall) Excess/(shortfall) on RFSC PhP/kWh

0.1607

0.2287

1,298,564.38

ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY 10. SURSECO 1 respectfully repleads herein the foregoing allegations; 11. As shown in the Table on Paragraph 4 above, some of the proposed projects have schedules of commissioning which are expected to happen while the instant application is pending; 12. Furthermore unforeseen situations or occurrences may arise which might necessitate the immediate implementation of any of the proposed projects; 13. In view thereof, SURSECO 1 respectfully moves for issuance of a provisional authority while the instant application is pending, to implement any of the proposed projects as it becomes necessary and urgent under specific circumstances, to enable the cooperative to deliver a safe, more reliable and efficient electric service to its consumers;

Uprating/Upgrading of Tabon Substation from 5 to 10 MVA Rehabilitation of M1 San Fernando Substation 7,480,000.00 2016 Total 28,322,939.40 PROPOSED DISTRIBUTION LINE PROJECTS Project Cost Year of Project Title (PhP) Implementation Expansion of Primary and Secondary Lines 5,076,683.00 2015-2017 Rehabilitation of Distribution Lines 14,391.383.74 2015-2017 Total 19,468,066.74 PROPOSED OTHER NETWORK RELATED PROJECTS Project Cost Year of Project Title (PhP) Implementation Replacement of Defective and Overloaded 12,040,606.41 2015-2017 Transformer Replacement of Old and Defective kWh Meters 9,259,743.79 2015-2017 Procurement of kWh Meters and Service Drop 13,559,255.71 2015-2017 Contingency/Buffer Stock 6,886,511.14 2015 & 2017 Procurement of Special Equipment and Tools 1,263,742.12 2015-2017 for Comprehensive Analysis Procurement of High-End kWh Meters 1,428,840.00 2017

Fiber Optic Cabling 51,382,939.64 2015-2017 Total 95,821,638.81 PROPOSED NON-NETWORK RELATED PROJECTS Project Cost Year of Project Code Project Title (PhP) Implementation O-NN-INF Infrastructure Development 9,500,000.00 2017 O-NN-LOGIS Logistics and Support 17,306,400.00 2017 O-NA-MOBIL Moibile Power Station 341,472.14 2017 O-NN-GIS Establishment of Geographical Information 2,381,400.00 2017 System Based Map Total 29,529,272.14 GRAND TOTAL 173,141,917.09

254,616.42

6.414,177.87

Project Cost Year of (PhP) Implementation 20,842,939.40 2016

Project Title

173,141,917.09

7,766,271.84

The proposed CAPEX Projects subject of the instant application are summarized hereunder, as follows:

E-AMOXFRMR E-KWHM O-NA-KWSD O-NA-BS O-NN-AT

Old debt (old amortization)

THE PROPOSED PROJECTS

Project Code

TOTAL

CASH OUTFLOWS

Pursuant to Republic Act No. 9136, ERC Resolution No. 26, Series of 2009 and other pertinent laws and rules, the instant application is being filed for the Honorable Commission’s consideration and approval of SURSECO l’s proposed Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) Program for Years 2015 to 2017;

S-EXP-CON S-REHAB-Dist

254,616.42

CAPEX requirement

THE APPLICANT

Project Code

2016

CASH INFLOWS

SURSECO I alleged the following in its Application:

C-SANFER-SS

50,845,000

Cash balance beginning, PhP, excess/(shortfall)

Notice is hereby given that on 15 June 2017, Surigao del Sur I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SURSECO I) filed with the Commission its Application dated 8 May 2017 (Application) for approval of its Capital Expenditure program for years 2015 to 2017, with motion for provisional authority.

C-TAB-SS

15,900.00 11,300.00 4,900.00

SCHEDULE

3. Submission / Opening of Bids

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

Project Code

P 31,750,320.00 22,491,000.00 9,733,000.00

November 9 to December 7, 2017 November 23, 2017 - 2:00 PM Bidding Room, 25th Floor, LANDBANK Plaza Building 1598 M. H. Del Pilar corner Dr. J. Quintos Streets, Malate, Manila December 7, 2017 - 11:00 A.M. Procurement Department, 25th Floor, LANDBANK Plaza Building 1598 M. H. Del Pilar corner Dr. J. Quintos Streets, Malate, Manila December 8 to 14, 2017 December 19, 2017

2. Pre-Bid Conference

Bid2Bike—will give participants the chance to pedal sideby-side with their chosen celebrities, including alongside three-time Tour de France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen and Star Magic artists, led by Pascual. For details and mechanics of the Bid2Bike, visit www. sunpiology.com/bid2bike/.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Within forty five (45) calendar days after receipt of NTP

ACTIVITIES 1. Issuance of Bid Documents

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

Within forty five (45) calendar days after receipt of Notice to Proceed (NTP)

9,800.00

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs).

Applicant.

Delivery Period

Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, with an amount of not less than 50% of the ABC. The Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted.

SURIGAO DEL SUR I ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (SURSECO I),

P 19,525,000.00

ITB - GS-20171016-01 Supply and Delivery of Various CISCO One Routers Lot 1 - 120 Units ISR 4321 Lot 2 - 2 Units ASR 1004 Core Routers Lot 3 - 5 Units ISR 3945E

ERC CASE NO. 2017-059 RC

CAPEX Permit Fee

P0 M

ITB - GS-20171013-01 550 Units Desktop Computer

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PROGRAM FOR YEARS 2015 TO 2017, WITH MOTION FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY,

NEA/REFC

P0 M+

Approved Budget Bidding for the Contract Documents Fee (ABC)

Items

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

Sources of Funds

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

to three-year-olds), Kids’ Ride (500-m for four- to five-yearolds), Family Ride (30-minute ride for six- to 15-year-olds with adult companion), Solo Ride (30-minute ride for sixto 15-year-olds), Short Distance Ride (20-km for 10 and above), and Long Distance Ride (40-km for 10 and above). The seventh category—the

INVITATION TO BID The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK), through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites consultants/ suppliers/manufacturers/distributors/contractors to bid for the hereunder projects:

The schedule of activities are as follows:

Sun Life to launch Cycle PH race A WEEKEND of fun, wellness activity and family bonding through cycling gets going on Nov. 18 as the Sun Life Cycle PH holds its inaugural race at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Around 1,500 beginners and buffs aged two to 65 years old are expected to see action in the event, which actually

1598 M.H. Del Pilar corner Dr. J. Quintos Streets Malate, Manila Tel. Nos. 522-0000, 551-2200 connecting all departments

SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTARY AND PRE-FILING REQUIREMENTS 14. Finally in compliance with the documentary as well as pre- filing requirements for the instant application, applicant is submitting herewith the following documents which are being made integral parts hereof, to wit: Annex Markings A

that:

Nature of Document Capital Expenditure Plan for 2015 to 2017

B to B-1

Affidavit of Posting of Notice to Consumers, with the Notice to Consumers

Affidavit of Undertaking that the corresponding application for approval of concerned agencies shall be filed, when required

Judicial Affidavit in Support of the Motion for Provisional Authority

E to E-1

Proof of furnishing of copies of the Application to the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bislig City and Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Surigao del Sur

F to F-2

Publication of the Application in a newspaper of general circulation within SURSECO l’s franchise area or where it principally operates, with Affidavit of Publication PRAYER

WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable Commission 1.

upon initial review and pending evaluation of the instant Application, SURSECO 1 be allowed provisional authority to implement the proposed projects as may be deemed necessary and urgent under specific circumstances; and

after due notice and hearing, SURSECO l’s proposed Capital Expenditure Program for Years 2015 to 2017 be approved accordingly,

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 November 2017 (Thursday) at nine o’clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.), at SURSECO l’s Principal Office, San Fernando, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur. 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 Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: i.

The petitioner’s name and address;

ii.

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

iii.

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 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;

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

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 Officer-In-Charge (OIC), Chairman and CEO ALFREDO J. NON, and the Honorable Commissioners GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 20th day of September 2017 at Pasig City.

JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal Service M. Standard – Nov. 2 & 9, 2017

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017

Sports

Thai grabs 2-shot lead; Ikeda wavers ANTIPOLO—Thai Wannasiri Sirisampant toughened up at the backside of the Forest Hills’ Palmer layout and took charge with a 70 as Chihiro Ikeda fumbled at the finish for a 72 at the start of the ICTSI Forest Hills Ladies Challenge here yesterday. Sirisampant, who marked her debut in the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour with a victory at Southwoods in 2015, gunned down four birdies against two bogeys in scorching heat at the front then salvaged pars from the roughs in the last nine holes to seize a two-stroke lead over Ikeda and compatriot Supakchaya Pattaranakrueang. “I hardly had trouble except some shots into the rough,” said the 26-year-old Sirisampant. “But I have to maintain my grip and posture in the next two days.” Ikeda, chasing a followup to her breakthrough win at Orchard last year, actually took the cudgels for the local bets as Pauline del Rosario and Symetra Tour campaigners Cyna Rodriguez and Mia Piccio groped for form, birdying three of the first 11 holes to storm ahead. But the Fil-

Thai Wannasiri Sirisampant hacks her tee-shot on No. 2

Bulldogs stay in the hunt By Peter Atencio

HE Far Eastern University Tamaraws were in control for three quarters. But when the fourth period came, the National University Bulldogs turned the tables around and shocked the Tams, scoring an 8784 win yesterday to stay in contention in the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

86-81 edge. Antonio Joson then iced the win with a split charity in the last 13.5 seconds. Jayjay Alejandro sank 11 of his 17-point output in the fourth to lead NU. The Bulldogs, drawing 13 points from Joson, remained in the hunt for a Final Four seat, but they have to beat the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons to keep their chances alive. “We outscored FEU. But it was possession by pos-

session,” said NU coach Jamike Jarin. Arvin Tolentino showed the way for FEU with Ron Dennison after both knocked in 21 points. Tolentino could have forced an overtime but missed his triple attempt in the last 0.3 seconds. The Tams, getting 16 points from Wendell Comboy, now have a 6-7 record at fourth spot and are in trouble of not making it to the Final Four for the first time in five years.

Games Saturday

(Araneta Coliseum) 2 p.m. NU vs UP 4 p.m. Adamson vs FEU

After NU tied the count at 64-all in the third, the Tams regained the lead on a triple and a layup from Hubert Cani, 67-64. A trey from Comboy at the end of third allowed FEU to enjoy a 72-64 spread. Another triple from Comboy and a layup from Cani with 8:13 left gave

FEU a 79-64 spread. With Gaye taking charge underneath in the last 10 minutes, the Bulldogs unleashed a 15-2 run. Alejandro’s split freebie in the last 5:19 put the Bulldogs with range, 79-81. Alejandro’s triple and driving shot past Alejandrino Inigo in the final 3:47 then allowed NU to take charge, 82-79. FEU tied the match for the last time at 84-all off Dennison’s three-pointer in the last 1:53.

Issa Gaye tallied a gamehigh 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to their third consecutive

win and fifth overall in 13 games. His two charities with 2:58 to go off Richard Escoto’s foul gave NU an

Age-group net tourney starts 4-leg north swing

PH’s Tabora 6th in Bowling World Cup after 12 games

THE Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala regional age-group tennis circuit goes up north beginning today with the Baguio Tennis Club hosting the first of four legs of the North Luzon swing at Burnham Park. Denise Bernardo and Anna Demyer banner the PPS-PEPP Baguio leg field in the girls’ 16- and 18-andunder divisions while Angeline Atos and Adriana Cabahug gain the top two seeding in the 14-U class and Marielle Jarata and Dynna Visaya looming as the players to beat in the 12-U side of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by local backer Erge Consultants. Dale Cuevas, Zirach Mina, Joshua de Guzman and Raymond Cabuco topbill the boys’ premier 18-U cast while Richard Bautista, Charles Torres along with Cuevas and Cabuco headlining the 16-U division of the four-day event put up by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger. “We want to provide the other junior players up north the venue to showcase their wares and vie for ranking points. We believe a lot of talents are waiting to be tapped and we invite the other youths in the region to join the circuit,” said Palawan Pawnshop president Bobby Castro. Agoo, La Union will host the next stop on Don Mariano Marcos courts on Nov. 16-20 before action shifts to Pangasinan on Nov. 23-26 at the Urdaneta Tennis Club, according to PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director and organizer Bobby Mangunay. For details, call 0915-4046464. The TLH Sports and Wellness Center in Valenzuela, Bulacan will Stage the fourth North Luzon leg on Nov. 30-Dec 4.

THE Philippines’ Krizziah Lyn Tabora compiled a 12-game series of 2587 pinfalls Tuesday to rank sixth and stay in strong contention for one of the 24 women’s qualifying spots in the 53rd Bowling World international finals in Hermosillo, Mexico. Also the Philippine representative in the prestigious

global event in Poland in 2012, Tabora posted a high game of 264 en route to a 215.58 average. Sweden’s Jenny Wegner, shooting a second perfect game, retained the lead with 2763, followed by Germany’s Vanessa Timter (2706), Colombia’s Rocio Restrepo (2641), the USA’s Erin McCarthy (2617) and Mexico’s

Maribel Orozco (2611). The other Filipino aspirant, Jomar Roland Jomapao, collected 2417 pinfalls in 12 games check in 23rd in the men’s division. Jomapao, a member of the Philippine team who is based in Cebu City, shot a high game of 233 and averaged 201.42. Mexico’s Arturo Estrada

kept top spot with a 12-game series of 2682, followed by Colombia’s Oscar Rodriguez (2639), Finland’s Niko Oksanen (2606), American Jakob Butturff (2604), Italy’s Nicola Pongolini (2589) and Catalonia’s Luis Monfort (2583). All participants in the week-long event will play two more 6-game series to

determine the top 24 who will advance to the second round. Legendary Paeng Nepomuceno leads the list of Filipino pintopplers who have claimed the international crown so far. Nepomuceno ranks number one among the world champions, having ruled the World Cup four times.

‘Sports against extremism’

TOKEN OF APPRECIATION. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office

General Manager Alexander F. Balutan (seventh from left) on Monday received a token of appreciation from Roel Ascot (sixth from right), head coach of Pinoy Youth Dreamers after his team bagged the bronze medal (third place) in the 6th Asia Pacific Youth Basketball Cup at the United World College Dover Road in Singapore last Oct. 26 to 29. Joseph Muego

LAUDING the Philippine Sports Commission’s efforts of going closer to the grassroots, United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization executive Irakli Khodeli said sports can be an effective tool in the government’s fight against extremism. “PSC Chairman (Butch) Ramirez is promoting it (sports) to counter extremists and violence and promote positive things. For us, that’s remarkable and we want to make other countries in the region to pay attention and learn from the Philippines,” said Khodeli, head of Social and Human Sciences unit of Unesco’s Indonesia office in Jakarta. Khodeli spoke before youth delegates from Southeast Asia, including from the Philippines

represented by the junior athletes from the Muay Thai Association of the Philippines during the first day of the Sports and the SGGs Youth Workshop at the Philspors Arena in Pasig City. The three-day affair, organized by the Unesco and Philippine Sports Institute under training director Marc Velasco, is laying the groundwork for the implementation of the Kazan Action Plan, an international sports policy framework and a series of actions crafted during a sports summit in Russia last July. This plan is also directly aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by UNESCO that seeks “to maximize the impact of sport at the community level.” Randy Caluag

Japanese shotmaker, who lost by six to Sirisampant two years ago, bogeyed No. 13, dropped two strokes on No. 13 then holed out with a bogey that negated her birdie on the par-5 14th and fell by two with a 72. Pattaranakrueang tied her at second after rebounding from a disastrous 39 start with a late flourish, rattling off four birdies against a bogey at the demanding backside of the par-72 layout. Del Rosario, winner of three of the last four legs of the circuit put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Touraments, Inc., barely recovered from a two-bogey mishap after five holes with birdies on Nos. 6 and 8 as she dropped two strokes on the par-3 12th for solo fourth at 74, four shots off Sirisampant. Mookharin Ladgratok birdied the last hole to save a 75 as the Thais threatened to dominate the P750,000 event serving as the eighth leg of the 10-stage tour backed by Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf.

Petron, Iriga try to rebound in Superliga Games Today

(Filoil Flying V Centre) 4:15 p.m. – Iriga City vs Generika-Ayala 7 p.m. – Victoria Sports-UST vs Petron

AFTER absorbing their first defeats, Petron and Iriga City will try to get back when they tackle separate foes in the Chooks To GoPhilippine Superliga Grand Prix today at the Filoil Flying V Centre. The Blaze Spikers clash with the young Victoria Spor t s-UST squ a d at 7 p . m . , while the Lady Oragons tip things off when they battle GenerikaAyala in the 4:15 p.m. appetizer of this prestigious club tourney bankrolled by Cignal, Mikasa, Senoh, Mueller, Grand Sport, Rebisco, Island Rose, Cloudfone and UCPB Gen. Foton, the strongest team so far in this league that also has Gerflor and Gold’s Gym as sponsors and ESPN5 as official broadcaster, remains on top with an immaculate 4-0 slate, while Petron and Iriga are behind with 3-1 and 1-1 records, respectively. After racing to three consecutive victories, the Blaze Spikers crashed back to earth after absorbing a sorry four-set loss to F2 Logistics, 21-25, 25-20, 23-25, 22-25, in a “Spike on Tour” encounter at the University of St. La Salle gym in Bacolod City over the weekend. In that setback, Petron appeared a bit rusty with imports Hillary Hurley and Lindsay Stalzer failing to match the firepower of F2 Logistics bannered by Venezuelan Maria Jose Perez, American Kennedy Bryan and national team stalwart Kianna Dy.

PH hosts World Xiangqi Championship A TOTAL cash pot of $40,000 (P2 million) is at stake when the country hosts the 15th World Xiangqi (Chinese chess) Championship set Nov. 14 to 20 at the Manila Hotel. Philippine Xiangqi Federation president Wilson Tan said four Filipinos, led by Engr. Asi Ching, the country’s first Xiangqi Grandmaster, will battle over 100 players from 26 countries in the tournament sanctioned by World Xiangqi Federation and supported by the Filipino Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation, founded by philanthropist Jimmy Chan Cuan and headed by President William Gosiaco and Philip-

pine Sports Commission, led by chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez. “Xiangqi is a 2,500-year-old ancient Chinese game popular all over east Asia. The tournament will boost our efforts to introduce the sports in the elite level,” said Tan during the media launch yesterday at the Pandesal Forum at the Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City. “The game of Xiangqi is already popular in Chinese schools all over the country. Right now, we are in the process of coordinating with the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education so that we can in-

troduce the sport in public schools,” said Cuan. Tan added that hosting the world edition in the Philippines will help the country’s efforts in boosting tourism and create a positive global image among sports-loving people worldwide. He added that Xiangqi and other sports activities should be promoted nationwide for the youth and people of all ages because sports is beneficial for improving mental and physical health. Aside from host Philippines, already confirmed to take part are Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, US, Canada, Germany, the Nether-

lands, South Korea and Japan. Chan Cuan said that the four Filipino Xiangqi masters played in the last edition of the biennial meet in Munich, Germany in 2015. “They are ready. Engr. Asi Ching is one of the most decorated players in Asian stage,” said Tan. He claimed that the tournament is also part of the country’s preparations to form a formidable team as Xiangqi will be included in the regular sports in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. “The PXF is now coordinating with the National Olympic Committee to assure

PXF Executive Vice President Charles Chua (left) and Jason Hong demonstrate the game of Xiangqi during the media launching of the 15th World Xiangqi Championship yesterday at the Pandesal Forum in Kamuning Bakery Café. Looking on are (from left) PXF president Wilson Tan; FCAAF founder Jimmy Chan Cuan and Engr. Asi Ching.

that our players will be given the proper support they needed for training, nutrition and

exposure. We have a good chance to win an Asiad gold in Xiangqi,” Tan added.

Megaworld records P9.98-b net income B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017

MPIC may invest more in Indonesia By Darwin G. Amojelar

JAKARTA, Indonesia—Philippine conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. is committed to pour more investments in Indonesia after acquiring a significant stake in a Jakarta-based infrastructure company. “While the company that’s formally participated in the investment is Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., it will not stop us asking from other companies within the group to also look at opportunities with Nusantara Infrastructure. If there’s an opportunity for instance in the water sector we will ask our water sector sister company to look at the opportunities,” MPTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco told reporters Wednesday in a press briefing. MPTC has so far invested about P7.5 billon for 47.08 percent of the total issued capital stock of PT Nusantara Infrastructure Tbk (PT Nusantara), which has interests in toll roads, port operations, water, energy and telecommunications. “We are happy with our stake, if there are future plans on the company we will discuss with them because we are committed to them and support the management on their plans. So, we’ll just wait to discuss with the management on what the future plans will be and how we can assist them in their future plan,” Franco said.

TOP RETAILER. SM Retail Inc. is honored with the Gold Award as the Philippines’ Top Retailer during the recent Retail Asia-Pacific Top 500 Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner held at The Westin Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Retail Asia every year honors the Top 10 best performing retailers, ranked by their gross sales and across 10 formats in 14 economies. KPMG China head of consumer and retail ASPAC Anson Bailey (right) awards the trophy to SM Mart Inc. vice president for operations, Store Business Unit, Ros Oquialda (left) and SM senior VP for marketing communications Millie Dizon.

SM Investments’ profit hits P23.8b By Jenniffer B. Austria

ONGLOMERATE SM Investments Corp. of retail tycoon Henry Sy Sr. registered a consolidated net income of P23.8 billion in the ﬁrst nine months of the year, up eight percent year-on-year, on the strong performance of core businesses.

SM Investments said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues climbed eight percent to P272.2 billion during the period from P252.7 billion a year ago. “Our solid third-quarter results beneﬁtted from vibrant growth in our property and retail businesses. Property earnings were

driven by nationwide mall expansion and the strong performance of residential developments. Retail also gained from footprint expansion and robust consumer sentiment, particularly in specialty retailing. We remain conﬁdent that our growth plans are on track,” SM Investments president Frederic DyBun-

cio said. Property accounted for 40 percent of the consolidated earnings. Banks accounted for 38 percent and while retail cornered 22 percent. Retail operations under SM Retail Inc. posted a 10-percent increase in ninemonth net income to P7.7 billion, while total sales hit P197.9 billion, up six percent on year. SM Store in the ﬁrst three quarters opened two stores in Cagayan de Oro and in Puerto Princesa, bringing the group’s total total gross selling areas to 750,000 square meters as of the end of September this year.

South Korea offers $1.7-b credit facility By Julito G. Rada THE South Korean government has offered a $1.7-billion credit facility and another $7 million in the form of non-lending programs to the Philippines to help implement the government priority programs in the transport, information and communications technology, and energy sectors, the Finance Department said Wednesday. Finance said in a statement the ﬁnancial instruments would be made available by the South Korean government through the Export-Import Bank of

Korea, which manages its Economic Development Cooperation Fund, an ofﬁcial development assistance facility. The DoF said among the ﬁnancial tools that the Philippines could tap from South Korea was a $100-million credit line for a Project Preparation Facility, which is available at zero interest and payable in 40 years (inclusive of a 10-year grace period). The KEXIM credit line can also be tapped through a tied loan facility with South Korean companies entering into joint ventures with Philippine companies.

The project preparation facility can be tapped by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the National Irrigation Administration for their infrastructure projects, the DoF’s International Finance Group said in a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. “A country program mission from KEXI-EDCF that was here from Aug. 29 to 31 met with Philippine ofﬁcials and identiﬁed the priority sectors of ICT, transport and energy for possible loan assistance from South Korea,” said IFG in its report during a recent DoF executive committee meeting.

The food retail group continued its aggressive expansion adding 21 midsized format Savemore stores, three SM Supermarkets and two WalterMart stores for a total of 26 new stores year to date. Most of these new stores are located in communities outside Metro Manila. Meanwhile Alfamart in-

creased its number of stores to 320 as of end-September from 210 at the start of the year. Integrated property developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. reported a net income of P20 billion in the ﬁrst nine months of the year, up 15 percent from the same period a year ago, driven by additional rental

revenues from mall expansions, consistent growth in same-mall-sales and higher contribution from residential sales. Banking unit BDO Unibank recorded a net income of P20.4 billion for the ﬁrst three quarters of the year, up ﬁve percent from the same period a year ago, on

Manila

Standard

TODAY HEAD OFFICE: PBCom Tower, 6795 Ayala Avenue corner V.A. Rufino Street, 1226 Makati City Customer Care: (02) 777-2266 or 1-800-10-777-2266 (Domestic Toll Free)*Email: customercare@pbcom.com.ph*Website: www.pbcom.com.ph

BALANCE SHEET (Head Office and Branches)

BALANCE SHEET (Bank and Financial Subsidiaries)

As of September 30, 2017

As of June 30, 2017

As of September 30, 2017

ASSETS

Vista Land’s Villar is upbeat

VISTA Land & Lifescapes Inc. is accelerating residential launches this year as it expects to end 2017 with more than P60 billion worth of projects launched as demand for housing units remains strong. Vista Land president Manuel Paolo Villar said in a press briefing he remained bullish on the residential sector this year and over the next couple of years on robust economy. Villar said the government’s move to improve infrastructure across the country as well as the current ample liquidity in the market were factors that would further boost demand for housing. “By end of the year, we would have launched P60 billion worth of residential projects, which is double in terms of value from last year. I am fairly confident we are going to achieve that,” Villar said. Vista Land has launched P46.1 billion in residential projects in the first nine months of the year. Jenniffer B. Austria

Metro Pacific sees record profit

INFRASTRUCTURE conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. expects full year core net income to hit a new record of P13.8 billion, up 14 percent from P12.1 billion posted in 2017 on the sustained growth of core subsidiaries. The company also expects to resolve long tariff issues with the government to further boost the company’s earnings. “I believe we are getting close to resolution with the government of at least some of the tariff issues that have held back growth in earnings in recent years,” Metro Pacific president and chief executive Jose Ma. Lim said. “The government recognizes and values the extensive capital expenditures and service improvements we have made over many years and it respects the validity of our contracts,” Lim said. Metro Pacific’s tollways unit recently obtained regulator’s approval for a provisional toll increase in North Luzon Expressway. The company is still waiting for tariff rate adjustments of Cavite Expressway and Maynilad Water Services Inc. Jenniffer B. Austria

BPI’s income slightly down

BANK of the Philippine Islands, the fourth-largest lender in terms of assets, said net income in the first nine months of 2017 declined 1.9 percent to P17.05 billion from P17.38 billion a year ago on the absence of onetime gains in 2016. The bank in a disclosure to the stock exchange said third-quarter net income rose 14 percent to P5.36 billion from P4.71 billion year-on-year, as total revenues increased as a result of higher interest income. “Our results show a good balance of growth and profitability. Earnings from lending operations and fee-based businesses are good, and the investments we have been making in technology and digitization should allow for even stronger operating and financial results going forward,” BPI president and chief executive Cezar Consing said in a statement. Total revenues in the first nine months of the year increased 5.2 percent to P53.04 billion. Julito G. Rada

BoI approves 2 hotel projects

THE Board of Investments approved the separate hotel projects of Gothong Southern Properties Inc. and Legazpi Mei Li Inc. with a combined cost of P427.7 million “These hotels will cater to both local and foreign tourists coming to Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas as with Legazpi City and the Bicol region. These will fuel the robust economies of Cebu and Bicol as developers partake a slice of the areas’ huge tourist markets, which are among the top destinations in the country,” said Trade Undersecretary and BoI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo. The Tourism Department endorsed the two projects as tourist accommodation facilities under the 2017 Investment Priorities Plan. Gothong is constructing a ten-story, 192-room, twostar hotel on Wilson St, Lahug, Cebu City that will go by the brand “Yello! Hotel.” Legazpi Mei, meanwhile, will build a 3-story hotel under “The Marison Hotel” brand. Othel V. Campos

As of June 30, 2017

ASSETS

Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Due from Other Banks Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets - Net Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets - Net Unquoted Debt Securities Classified as Loans - Net Loans and Receivables - Net Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables - Others General Loan Loss Provision Other Financial Assets Equity Investment in Subsidiaries, Associates and Joint Ventures - Net Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture & Equipment - Net Real and Other Properties Acquired - Net Other Assets - Net

834,715,489.09 12,201,063,744.58 2,087,868,953.69 1,102,810,047.07 52,242,432.50 14,903,779,420.61 3,360,404,095.44 45,744,934,538.93 63,518,750.00 46,132,098,842.25 450,683,053.32 433,991,377.64 993,766,986.17 1,718,325,764.40 569,335,637.58 5,680,140,282.79

919,455,724.20 14,453,625,029.83 1,873,992,263.69 3,943,167,486.54 52,242,432.50 13,495,225,884.08 3,510,764,114.62 41,574,216,550.68 302,820,000.00 41,675,279,604.00 403,883,053.32 505,896,850.25 984,942,082.90 1,777,614,752.09 535,889,806.48 5,526,130,941.91

TOTAL ASSETS

P 89,683,378,770.49

89,153,163,919.77 TOTAL ASSETS

Cash and Cash Items P 870,017,681.71 Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas 12,265,168,712.03 Due from Other Banks 2,337,804,110.06 Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss 1,102,810,047.07 Available-for-Sale Financial Assets - Net 52,242,432.50 Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets - Net 14,903,779,420.61 Unquoted Debt Securities Classified as Loans - Net 3,360,404,095.44 Loans and Receivables - Net 47,463,723,038.13 Interbank Loans Receivable 63,518,750.00 Loans and Receivables - Others 47,868,329,308.73 General Loan Loss Provision 468,125,020.61 Other Financial Assets 467,291,879.64 Equity Investment in Subsidiaries, Associates and Joint Ventures - Net 27,448,459.84 Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture & Equipment - Net 1,821,480,017.04 Real and Other Properties Acquired - Net 633,369,537.50 Other Assets - Net 6,295,396,430.74

952,398,030.89 14,522,004,677.23 2,178,918,407.60 3,943,167,486.54 52,242,432.50 13,495,225,884.08 3,510,764,114.62 43,294,938,960.97 302,820,000.00 43,413,329,446.43 421,210,485.46 540,030,922.21 27,000,537.54 1,885,243,360.38 599,483,871.49 6,132,837,087.53

91,134,255,773.58

66,031,983,066.20 10,535,616,506.93 1,800,000,000.00 8,735,616,506.93 893,986,391.65 2,268,406,953.92

2,956,032.44 63,956,621,122.88 13,789,507,987.38 4,250,000,000.00 9,539,507,987.38 760,387,276.63 2,204,571,707.10

P 79,729,992,918.70

80,714,044,126.43

P 91,600,935,862.30

LIABILITIES

LIABILITIES Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Bills Payable: BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) Other Deposit Substitutes Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities

Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Bills Payable: BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) Other Deposit Substitutes Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities

64,183,203,054.79 10,535,616,506.93 1,800,000,000.00 8,735,616,506.93 876,322,937.30 2,160,009,497.93

2,956,032.44 62,041,813,959.71 13,789,507,987.38 4,250,000,000.00 9,539,507,987.38 742,417,679.17 2,098,371,683.82

TOTAL LIABILITIES

P 77,755,151,996.95

78,675,067,342.52 TOTAL LIABILITIES

P 14,278,125,906.49 1,755,464,019.56 -4,153,020,310.49 -9,626,671.97 P 11,870,942,943.60

12,883,805,224.89 1,699,365,018.11 -4,153,438,868.62 -9,519,727.24 10,420,211,647.15

P 91,600,935,862.30

91,134,255,773.58

P 1,991,999,862.33 958,455,885.63 1,011,621,227.81 1,308,038,875.40 5,237,850,817.18 1,115,946,273.82 4,121,904,543.36 135,390,023.19

1,654,415,900.05 743,066,614.46 1,037,763,464.96 2,852,327,561.40 5,276,564,808.88 1,115,878,642.15 4,160,686,166.73 171,821,823.39

P 10,643,356,691.54

11,735,960,173.14

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings

P 14,278,374,781.56 1,741,530,611.57 -4,091,678,619.59

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

P 11,928,226,773.54

12,884,054,099.96 Capital Stock 1,685,431,610.11 Other Capital Accounts -4,091,389,132.82 Retained Earnings Minority Interest in Subsidiaries 10,478,096,577.25 TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

P 89,683,378,770.49

89,153,163,919.77 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

IN BRIEF

sustained growth in its core lending, deposit-taking and fee-based businesses. Total assets of SM Investments grew 16 percent year-on-year to P942.4 billion at the end of September. Share price of SM Investments on Wednesday closed lost 0.3 percent to P972.50.

Financial Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Trust Department Accounts Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts Agency Accounts Others TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

P 1,991,999,862.33 958,455,885.63 1,011,621,227.81 1,308,038,875.40 5,237,850,817.18 1,115,946,273.82 4,121,904,543.36 135,383,371.19

P 10,643,350,039.54

1,654,415,900.05 743,066,614.46 1,037,763,464.96 2,852,327,561.40 5,276,564,808.88 1,115,878,642.15 4,160,686,166.73 171,815,997.39

11,735,954,347.14 TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Gross total loan portfolio (TLP) Specific allowance for credit losses on the TLP Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) c. Net NPLs d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

47,905,082,372.72 1,709,464,780.47 2,216,599,337.40 4.63% 507,134,556.93

1.06% e. Ratio of total allowance for credit losses to gross NPLs (%) 97.45% f. Ratio of specific allowance for credit losses on the gross TLP to gross NPLs (%) 77.12% Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses 1,227,936,175.95 DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross allowance of credit losses 16,899,562.31 Ratio of DOSRI loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to gross TLP (%) 0.04% Gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables 10,874.41 Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables to TLP (%) 0.00% Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises

1.72%

a. Total CAR (%) b. Tier 1 Ratio (%) c. Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio (%) 1/

16.06%

43,666,737,720.78 1. List of Financial Allied Subsidiaries (excluding Subsidiary Insurance Companies) 1,688,638,116.78 1. Rural Bank of Nagcarlan, Inc. 2. Banco Dipolog, Inc. a Rural Bank 2,211,964,696.92 2. List of Subsidiary Insurance Companies 5.07% 1. PBCom Insurance Services Agency, Inc. 523,326,580.14 3. Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Consolidated Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations 1.20% a. Total CAR (%) 16.04% 94.60% b. Tier 1 Ratio (%) 13.11% 1/ c. Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio (%) 13.11% 76.34%

1,281,238,293.70

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 15,711,692.42 City of Makati )S.S.

0.04% 22,536.22 0.00% 12.47% 3.01%

13.07% 13.07%

11.71% 11.71%

Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio (%) is only applicable to all Universal and Commercial Banks and their subsidiary banks.

1.74%

b. 2% for Medium Enterprises 13.59% Return on Equity (ROE) (%) 2.62% Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations

1/ Common Equity Tier 1 is only applicable to all Universal and Commercial Banks and their subsidiary banks.

14.83% 11.78% 11.78%

14.83%

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) City of Makati )S.S.

(SGD.) ARLENE M. DATU Controller, SVP

(SGD.) PATRICIA MAY T. SIY President & CEO

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 27th day of October 2017 at City of Makati, affiants exhibiting their SSS nos. 0356633451 and 0373099955, respectively.

We, Arlene M. Datu and Patricia May T. Siy, of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of our knowledge and belief. (SGD.) ARLENE M. DATU (SGD.) PATRICIA MAY T. SIY Doc. No. 492 Controller, SVP President & CEO th SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 27 day of October 2017 at City of Makati, affiants Page No. 100 Book No. L exhibiting their SSS nos. 0356633451 and 0373099955, respectively.. Series of 2017 (SGD.) ATTY. GERVACIO B. ORTIZ JR. NOTARY PUBLIC City of Makati until December 31, 2018 IBP no. 656155 - Lifetime Member MCLE Compliance No. V-0006934 Doc. No. 491 Appointment no. M-104 -(2017-2018) Page No. 100 PTR no. 5909514 Jan. 3, 2017 Book No. L Makati City Roll no. 40091 Series of 2017. 101 Urban Ave., Campos Rueda Bldg. Brgy. Pio del Pilar, Makati City

(SGD.) ATTY. GERVACIO B. ORTIZ JR. NOTARY PUBLIC City of Makati until December 31, 2018 IBP no. 656155 - Lifetime Member MCLE Compliance No. V-0006934 Appointment no. M-104 -(2017-2018) PTR no. 5909514 Jan. 3, 2017 Makati City Roll no. 40091 101 Urban Ave., Campos Rueda Bldg. Brgy. Pio del Pilar, Makati City

Member: Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation Maximum Deposit Insurance for each Deposit P500,000.00

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks down; second-liners climb Security Bank lists P8.6b T HE stock market declined Wednesday on extended proﬁt-taking but buying in second-liners tempered the fall.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 13.32 points, or 0.2 percent, to 8,508.49 on a value turnover of P7.7 billion. Losers beat gainers, 128 to 91, with 36 issues unchanged. Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. lost 2.8 percent to P44.30, while Jollibee Foods corp., the biggest fastfood chain, dropped 0.6 percent to P252. Ginebra San Miguel Inc., the liquor unit of San Miguel Corp., jumped 33.7 percent to P27 after the parent company said it would fold in its beer and liquor business under San Miguel Purefoods Company Inc. through a share swap transaction. MacroAsia Corp., an aviation services company controlled by tycoon Lucio Tan,

surged 13.8 percent to P23.90. Most Asian markets, meanwhile, fell on Wednesday following another strong day of rallies, while brokers closely watch Donald Trump’s regional tour as he moves to China. Optimism about the global economy and a string of positive earnings results have supported world equities―pushing them to record or multi-year highs―but proﬁt-taking and lingering Middle East tension is keeping further gains in check. The US president landed in Beijing on Wednesday to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Trade, a thorny issue between the two since Trump’s election a year ago, will likely top the agenda along with the North Korea crisis. The summit comes as China released data showing its trade surplus with the United States fell last month. Shanghai stocks ended 0.1 higher after the data showed imports remained strong, indicating a healthy economy, while exports were also holding up.

Hong Kong dipped 0.2 percent in the afternoon and Tokyo shed 0.1 percent a day after ending at a near 26-year high. Seoul edged up 0.3 percent. Sydney and Singapore were marginally higher, but Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta were all down. Easing concerns about the North Korea crisis were offset by worries about the Middle East after Saudi Arabia accused Iran of “direct military aggression” over a Yemeni rebel missile attack near Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince had accused Iran of supplying missiles to the rebels, something which he said “could be considered as an act of war.” On currency markets the dollar took a step back against its major peers after a report said Trump’s much-vaunted corporate tax cuts could be delayed. The Washington Post citied unnamed sources as saying Senate Republicans were considering putting off the cuts by a year to ease their cost and impact. With AFP

of long-term time deposits By Julito G. Rada SECURITY Bank Corp., the fifthlargest lender in terms of assets, listed on Wednesday P8.6 billion worth of long-term negotiable certificates of time deposits at Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. The deposits were the first tranche out of the P20-billion notes program recently approved by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. “Security Bank initially announced its intention to raise only P5 billion worth of LTNCDs with a tenor of 5 years and 6 months. But after receiv-

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.8 133,000 59.9 38,940 99.6 1,361,850 3.86 66,000 146 1,369,410 1.94 1,977,000 33.4 202,400 9.03 100 15.7 17,000 31.8 831,400 0.66 177,000 1.7 12,000 940 640 0.64 1,229,000 96.5 6,379,090 0.79 125,000 12.16 38,900 58.6 485,140 242 1,590 104.6 370 87 7,240 55 250,230 259.4 279,470 87.1 7,680 1.27 27,000

634,230 2,309,307.50 134,467,761.50 255,160 198,456,058 3,892,280 6,770,100 903 268,486 26,536,510 118,670 20,840 600,750 788,830 606,923,534.50 98,490 476,418 28,920,710.50 381,920 37,969 633,719 13,840,323.50 71,632,896 667,909 34,290

-29,150 1,905,227 -12,507,259.50 56,211,088 -45,500 -17,276,510 300,850,214.50 -12,138,281 -14,620 87,600 -6,928,592 27,366,498 312,542 -

41.05 11.7 0.73 1.35 18.8 0.216 4.25 15.2 165.3 44.7 19.26 65.7 1.88 5.71 11.28 10.18 14.8 12.18 7.18 5.7 18.46 61.25 20.35 12.08 19.04 1.78 251.4 62 4.01 3.02 22.7 30.35 18.84 17.92 293.8 0.201 10.14 2.74 6.52 10.04 7.4 9.5 1.64 11.7 61.2 6.5 470 5 4.82 2.17 12.98 4.8 0.138 1.18 139 2.95 2.11 28.95 0.9

INDUSTRIAL 41.7 967,600 12.26 1,922,700 0.73 430,000 1.36 342,000 19.52 28,400 0.219 3,150,000 4.34 31,448,000 15.48 1,274,900 165.3 50 44.95 535,900 20 4,200 65.7 10 1.88 253,000 5.74 46,400 11.34 6,300 10.2 5,371,500 14.92 405,100 12.2 473,000 7.3 496,000 5.7 20,769,400 18.7 1,315,800 61.45 370,820 27 11,297,400 12.1 4,233,700 21.5 10,890,200 1.9 2,377,000 252 1,033,750 62 150 4.14 368,000 3.02 4,000 22.7 900 30.55 2,676,800 18.84 207,300 17.98 2,068,500 295.6 521,100 0.203 280,000 10.7 106,200 2.76 1,095,000 6.53 2,386,800 10.22 4,142,700 7.4 253,300 9.5 17,200 1.65 1,713,000 11.9 148,400 62.5 154,090 6.55 188,100 505 245,190 5.05 619,200 5 2,214,000 2.28 512,000 12.98 168,100 4.9 369,000 0.14 1,120,000 1.19 82,000 139.6 1,429,180 3.15 73,000 2.14 11,664,000 28.95 300 0.9 785,000

40,301,710 23,227,736 314,190 462,410 540,708 697,120 136,831,950 19,666,144 8,265 24,059,320 83,295 657 481,400 265,924 71,146 54,803,242 6,038,348 5,771,336 3,600,599 119,225,721 24,480,244 23,056,278.50 308,799,720 51,228,710 220,004,481 4,423,960 260,390,162 9,398 1,507,470 12,080 20,430 82,025,445 3,927,008 37,184,426 153,909,052 56,340 1,099,008 3,041,810 16,361,302 42,401,526 1,925,713 163,400 2,835,250 1,753,094 9,542,773.50 1,224,342 125,147,070 3,133,792 11,325,590 1,149,600 2,186,770 1,790,470 155,600 97,200 200,147,004 228,900 25,113,550 8,685 711,290

-10,017,385 -44,472 27,200 66,800 -18,146,180 8,421,576 9,302,420 3,539,682 -3,468,358 1,969,379 -41,544,714 10,916,094 -21,480,594.50 -24,546,175 216,224 -6,993,450.00 -76,500 41,809,430 -4,009,190 -1,689,288.00 -8,915,192 61,886,762 -367,920 324,596 11,455,928.00 -86,450 1,064,250 -720,729.50 -14,697,340 -309,207 15,000 124,908 -484,420 -4,923,265 735,780 -4,550

0.325 73.05 15.54 1.04 6.9 0.43 0.435 1,056 8.37 15.36 7.7 0.191 1,185 7.96 74.55 5 5.3 0.78 5.65 17.4 6.77 0.048 1.25 2.08 114 2.58 967 0.89 1.41 190.1 282 0.245 0.186 0.205

HOLDING FIRMS 0.33 660,000 73.05 1,175,330 15.8 5,914,900 1.04 37,000 7 77,400 0.435 9,990,000 0.45 680,000 1,075 331,140 8.37 297,500 15.48 4,890,800 7.78 30,600 0.191 20,000 1,199 200,610 7.96 100 74.55 1,252,770 5 200 5.3 11,500 0.78 716,000 5.8 2,163,100 17.52 787,100 6.9 29,959,900 0.05 23,600,000 1.3 1,147,000 2.09 42,000 115.7 1,196,070 2.6 11,000 972.5 162,350 0.89 40,000 1.41 2,734,000 190.1 10 295 4,570 0.245 940,000 0.186 210,000 0.205 270,000

218,250 86,152,502.50 92,825,418 39,490 541,796 4,366,200 297,650 352,437,880 2,493,169 76,011,104 237,850 3,900 239,352,470 796 94,635,857 1,000 60,950 564,370 12,339,382 13,797,800 205,147,706 1,156,500 1,502,320 87,560 138,174,949 28,480 157,907,940 35,600 3,885,360 1,901 1,325,460 232,650 39,060 55,470

-3,300 -34,893,689 -30,981,554 706 52,200 -50,378,605 609,020 -6,832,966 -21,006 10,075,515 -56,037,395.50 6,948,635 3,077,150 76,979,677 12,600 -41,800 42,172,842 -94,771,105 -1,115,330 171,240 -93,000 -4,120

11,764,876 3,612,660 875 324,700 1,379,650 381,663,915 1,527,980 4,624,151 132,420 2,816,810 208,460 1,469,490 1,014,290 105,200 62,128,715 6,851,260 40,490 14,565,950 6,278,240 367,480 315,518,020 7,412,600 2,513,500 4,808,160

-7,904,770 10,300 -100,000 -66,700 -110,983,065 -42,220 -17,480 -532,950 18,800 -10,295,740 -6,701,960 -9,730 9,321,070 -100 34,974,579 94,250 11,700 107,500

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

AG FINANCE ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK CITYSTATE BANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FIRST ABACUS IREMIT MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK VANTAGE

4.85 59.7 98 3.9 143.7 2.12 33.55 9.03 15.94 32 0.67 1.74 940 0.64 94.1 0.79 12.5 58 240 100.4 88 56.1 253 87.1 1.27

5 59.95 99.6 3.9 146 2.12 33.55 9.03 15.94 32.15 0.69 1.74 940 0.65 96.5 0.8 12.5 60.2 244 104.6 88 56.5 260 87.1 1.27

4.6 57 98 3.86 143.7 1.94 33.4 9.03 15.7 31.8 0.66 1.7 930 0.64 94.1 0.78 12.16 58 240 100.2 87 54.95 252 86.7 1.27

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP 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 ENERGY DEVT FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VIVANT VULCAN INDL

41.6 12.14 0.73 1.36 19.78 0.218 4.4 15.22 165.3 44.95 20.25 65.7 1.91 5.91 11.3 10.22 14.9 12.36 7.3 5.85 18.48 63.3 21.2 12.08 19.06 1.8 253.2 63 4.01 3.02 22.7 31 18.9 17.96 294.6 0.201 10.8 2.8 6.8 10.2 7.9 9.5 1.68 11.7 61.75 6.52 481 5.05 4.94 2.17 13.02 4.8 0.138 1.19 141 3 2.11 28.95 0.92

42.1 12.26 0.75 1.37 19.78 0.225 4.42 15.54 165.3 45 21 65.7 1.91 5.91 11.34 10.24 14.98 12.36 7.3 5.86 18.72 64 30.3 12.28 21.5 1.9 253.2 63 4.2 3.02 22.7 31 19.18 18.02 296.2 0.203 10.8 2.8 7.07 10.34 7.9 9.5 1.68 11.9 62.5 6.58 529 5.2 5.7 2.29 13.02 4.94 0.14 1.19 143 3.28 2.17 28.95 0.92

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

0.34 74.25 15.74 1.07 7.06 0.445 0.435 1,065 8.48 15.7 7.79 0.199 1,195 7.96 76.9 5 5.3 0.81 5.8 17.54 6.8 0.049 1.28 2.08 115.5 2.58 975 0.89 1.43 190.1 282 0.245 0.186 0.207

0.34 74.25 15.92 1.07 7.06 0.45 0.455 1,075 8.48 15.8 7.79 0.199 1,199 7.96 76.95 5 5.3 0.81 5.81 17.68 6.9 0.051 1.35 2.09 117 2.6 983 0.89 1.43 190.1 298 0.25 0.186 0.207

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

5.42 1.03 8.75 2.43 0.98 46 3.83 5.08 5.36 0.51 1.24 1.26 0.205 0.47 39.6 0.66 0.139 1.93 1.56 0.82 5.7 0.325 0.405 0.51

5.5 1.04 8.75 2.52 0.98 46 3.86 5.08 5.44 0.52 1.24 1.26 0.205 0.48 39.6 0.68 0.14 1.97 1.56 0.84 5.85 0.33 0.405 0.52

5.3 1.01 8.75 2.43 0.95 44.3 3.83 4.95 5.36 0.51 1.22 1.22 0.201 0.47 38 0.66 0.139 1.92 1.53 0.81 5.68 0.32 0.375 0.5

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

6.78 25.7 1.82 3.18 37.15 1.01 6.68 0.88 6.13

7.2 25.7 1.82 3.18 37.65 1.02 7.26 0.88 6.13

6.54 24.9 1.81 3.17 36.9 1 6.68 0.85 6.1

7.2 25.2 1.81 3.17 37.5 1.01 7.26 0.85 6.13

9,861,400 916,900 332,000 18,000 4,855,500 552,000 1,000 38,000 1,388,100

68,920,377 23,056,795 601,420 57,090 181,934,280 557,980 6,738 32,330 8,488,347

-869,682 -3,509,955 383,720 59,156,810 5,472,688

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS METRO RETAIL MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PHIL RACING PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

19.12 38.9 1.55 0.51 0.049 10.98 5.02 10.42 0.068 103.2 8.91 9.46 970 2,068 5.99 18.04 3.13 2.61 103 12 8.37 0.153 1.34 3.12 15.8 4.24 1.26 21 2.74 6.96 3.97 16 2.46 11 5.08 7.71 179.2 8.67 1,715 1.38 0.385 51.25 94.2 5.94 3.52 1.81 3.84 1.01 8.2

19.36 38.9 1.64 0.52 0.05 10.98 5.02 10.58 0.068 104 8.91 9.46 1,020 2,068 6 18.2 3.6 2.61 104 12 8.37 0.153 1.39 3.17 15.8 4.24 1.29 23.9 2.83 7.1 4 16 2.65 11 5.08 7.71 195 8.67 1,715 1.39 0.385 51.3 95.8 6.2 3.55 1.84 3.9 1.01 8.21

19.06 38.5 1.5 0.51 0.048 10.98 5.02 10.4 0.067 103.2 8.9 9.32 970 2,020 5.98 18 3.08 2.61 101.5 12 8.33 0.15 1.34 3.12 15.5 4.08 1.25 21 2.74 6.95 3.94 16 2.46 11 5 7.71 179.2 8.31 1,688 1.37 0.38 51 94.2 5.94 3.4 1.7 3.8 0.98 8.1

SERVICES 19.06 38.6 1.59 0.51 0.048 10.98 5.02 10.48 0.067 104 8.9 9.36 1,020 2,020 5.99 18.2 3.5 2.61 102.3 12 8.35 0.151 1.38 3.17 15.8 4.12 1.27 23.9 2.83 7 3.94 16 2.54 11 5.05 7.71 185 8.35 1,708 1.38 0.38 51.1 95 6.01 3.5 1.73 3.85 0.98 8.15

57,300 42,500 1,872,000 3,658,000 39,500,000 500 2,300 12,775,500 2,380,000 79,420 5,100 1,025,300 620 18,680 414,200 6,200 26,405,000 2,000 419,280 31,600 385,000 8,610,000 73,000 40,000 3,600 1,372,000 905,000 9,369,900 69,000 4,547,500 1,378,000 1,000 10,726,000 500 15,400 2,300 5,010 487,000 52,020 993,000 1,700,000 1,659,140 1,899,600 344,900 4,797,000 33,262,000 474,000 6,961,000 1,717,600

1,094,856 1,640,290 2,827,630 1,884,230 1,907,700 5,490 11,546 134,119,554 159,470 8,239,023 45,425 9,609,267 617,200 38,013,100 2,481,033 112,192 89,416,310 5,220 42,881,412 379,200 3,219,890 1,300,580 100,030 125,730 56,850 5,688,720 1,142,170 210,162,820 192,300 31,906,531 5,464,450 16,000 27,271,530 5,500 77,364 17,733 939,628 4,106,279 88,587,665 1,367,470 650,950 84,967,365 180,303,050 2,111,737 16,597,680 58,809,100 1,817,410 6,886,590 14,001,291

1,125,380 47,420,590 680 1,399,708 -9,307 -14,749,490 18,314,980 -3,349,944 140,930 7,900 -1,636,100 8,820 52,676,435 113,633 -1,260,660 235,580 13,500 -53,608 217,070 -28,770,335 -353,460 -25,030,340 -95,029,662 -3,062,790 11,475,050 173,660 65,100 2,137,873.00

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

0.0024 1.72 5 13.56 1.95 1.65 0.37 8.03 3.1 0.265 0.162 0.169 0.011 2.02 7.31 1.85 0.485 1.03 0.012 0.013 0.011 2.27 7.87 8.83 42.45 0.0075

0.0024 1.74 5.21 15 1.95 1.7 0.38 8.15 3.1 0.265 0.164 0.169 0.011 2.07 7.32 1.85 0.485 1.04 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.27 7.87 9.49 42.45 0.0075

0.0024 1.7 5 13.56 1.82 1.63 0.37 8.03 3.01 0.249 0.159 0.165 0.01 2.01 7.06 1.77 0.485 1 0.012 0.013 0.011 2.26 7.69 8.7 41.4 0.0075

MINING & OIL 0.0024 659,000,000 1.71 6,385,000 5.1 1,936,500 15 1,800 1.83 253,000 1.64 4,252,000 0.375 1,640,000 8.1 800 3.05 30,891,000 0.26 1,060,000 0.161 33,460,000 0.165 5,750,000 0.01 177,100,000 2.03 1,516,000 7.12 7,570,800 1.83 55,000 0.485 10,000 1.01 1,727,000 0.012 29,400,000 0.013 400,000 0.012 600,000 2.26 31,000 7.75 373,800 9.05 22,176,500 41.8 788,400 0.0075 1,000,000

1,581,600 10,978,530 9,728,098 26,562 464,480 7,055,800 607,100 6,481 94,364,490 264,950 5,384,390 954,730 1,783,100 3,077,080 54,210,448 98,820 4,850 1,758,310 352,800 5,200 6,700 70,110 2,899,088 203,827,724 32,900,730 7,500

833,700 -103,459 -445,790 29,620 2,096,290 99,000 -155,800 22,287,270 -5,550 -5,500 -30,183 3,536,030.00 -5,562,090 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF F GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2B PF PREF 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

38 516 107.4 105.3 107 5.64 1,035 1,030 1.06 109.8 1,145 1,010 105.2 110.2 1.96 75.7 81.25 76.5 78.1 82 78.1 79 79.65

38.1 516 107.4 105.5 107 5.65 1,035 1,030 1.06 109.8 1,145 1,010 105.9 110.5 1.96 75.7 81.3 76.5 78.1 82 78.1 79 79.65

37 516 107.3 105.3 107 5.62 1,010 1,028 1.06 109.8 1,145 1,010 105.2 110.2 1.96 75.3 81.25 76.5 78.1 80.1 77.2 78.5 79

PREFERRED 38.1 1,517,600 516 400 107.3 26,800 105.4 45,110 107 40 5.65 52,600 1,010 150 1,028 2,600 1.06 134,000 109.8 320 1,145 815 1,010 75 105.9 800 110.5 10,420 1.96 7,000 75.45 36,550 81.25 20,190 76.5 35,360 78.1 1,850 80.1 60,500 77.2 98,400 78.5 29,360 79 68,100

57,305,180 206,400 2,876,640 4,753,095 4,280 296,082 152,750 2,677,900 142,040 35,136 933,175 75,750 84,650 1,148,410 13,720 2,756,252.50 1,640,862.50 2,705,040 144,485 4,847,000 7,600,930 2,308,310 5,384,765

247,170 -273,522 -812,500 -

LR WARRANT

2.63

2.45

WARRANTS 2.52 487,000

1,228,140

23,794,198 284,430 35,905,902

764,969 6,800 -279,051

420,238

52,100

PROPERTY 5.35 1.01 8.75 2.5 0.97 44.3 3.84 4.97 5.44 0.51 1.22 1.22 0.202 0.47 38.05 0.67 0.14 1.93 1.56 0.82 5.84 0.325 0.39 0.5

2,195,300 3,560,000 100 130,000 1,441,000 8,485,900 398,000 929,300 24,700 5,487,000 170,000 1,198,000 5,010,000 220,000 1,592,700 10,229,000 290,000 7,519,000 4,058,000 451,000 54,531,500 22,870,000 6,480,000 9,535,000

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

9.7 3.55 5.02

9.81 3.55 5.15

9.3 3.4 5

FIRST METRO ETF

129.3

128.6

USD DMPL A1

10.42

TRADING SUMMARY

FINANCIAL

15,018,030

INDUSTRIAL

140,983,343

HOLDING FIRMS PROPERTY

90,163,442 164,887,496

SERVICES

189,596,648

MINING & OIL

987,663,862

GRAND TOTAL

1,598,032,841

9.7 3.4 5

SME

2,478,400 83,000 7,153,700

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 129 3,260 DDS 10.42

5,000

VALUE 2,096.57 (up) 27.24 1,098,810,965.95 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,014.06 (up) 42.75 2,157,682,042.09 HOLDING FIRMS 8,651.66 (down) 52.05 1,600,857,320.114 PROPERTY 4,024.91 (down) 29.51 SERVICES 1,696.57 (down) 7.02 1,122,489,787.04 MINING & OIL 13,182.89 (down) 77.02 1,195,635,008.65 PSEI 8,508.49 (down) 13.32 432,472,217.665 All Shares Index 4,971.03 (up) 4.43 7,668,357,797.35 Gainers: 91; Losers: 128; Unchanged: 36; Total: 255

ing strong support from its own investor base and from other institutional accounts, the bank exercised its oversubscription option and raised a larger issue size,” the bank said in a statement. The LTNCDs, which have a coupon of 3.875 percent, will mature on May 8, 2023. The LTNCDs became the first instrument Security Bank listed in the platform, giving investors better access to the secondary market. HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank acted as joint lead arrangers and book runners, and were also selling agents, along with Security Bank and Multinational Investment Bancorporation. Security Bank earlier said it would use the proceeds of the notes issuance to fund future growth. LTNCDs are time deposits that have a maturity of at least five years. The LTNCDs will be insured with Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. for up to the maximum insurance coverage and subject to PDIC’s applicable rules and regulations. Security Bank in the first nine months posted a 12-percent increase in net income to P7.4 billion over the same period last year on the back of double-digit growth in core businesses. The profit was driven by a 24-percent or P2.8 billion increase in net interest income to P14.3 billion. Non-interest income including trading gains fell 15 percent to P3.5 billion on year.

ICTSI’s net profit up 5% to $149.3m By Darwin G. Amojelar INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc. said Wednesday net income rose 5 percent in the first nine months of the year to $149.3 million from $141.9 million year-on-year, boosted by a new port terminal abroad and the one-time gain on the termination of the subconcession agreement in Lagos, Nigeria. Excluding the one-time gain on the termination of the subconcession agreement in Nigeria, consolidated net income attributable to equity holders would have been flat in the first nine months of 2017. Gross revenues from port operations in the first nine months increased 10 percent to $918.3 million from $835.0 million on year. “The increase in revenues was mainly due to volume growth, tariff rate adjustments at certain terminals, new contracts with shipping lines and services, and the contribution from the company’s new terminals in Matadi, DRC and Melbourne, Australia. Excluding the new terminal in DRC and Australia, consolidated gross revenues would have increased by six percent,” ICTSI said. ICTSI handled consolidated volume of 6,836,611 twentyfoot equivalent units (TEUs) in the first nine months of 2017, six percent more than 6,435,192 TEUs handled in the same period in 2016. The increase in volume was primarily due to the improvement in global trade activities, especially in the emerging markets, continuing rampup at ICTSI’s operations in Basra, Iraq, new services at Manzanillo, Mexico and contribution of new terminals in Matadi, DRC and Melbourne, Australia. Excluding the new terminals, consolidated volume would have increased by five percent.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

Business

TODAY

Megaworld records P9.98-b net income By Jenniffer B. Austria MEGAWORLD Corp., the property unit of billionaire Andrew Tan, reported Wednesday net income attributable to parent company reached P9.98 billion in the first nine months of the year, up 11 percent from P8.98 billion year-on-year, boosted by strong residential and rental businesses. Megaworld said in disclosure to the stock exchange reported net income also climbed 12 percent to P10.34 billion in the first nine months of the year from P9.27 billion on yeat. Nine-month consolidated revenues rose five percent to P37.1 billion during the first nine months from the previous year’s P35.26-billion, as sales from investment properties soared 19 percent year-on-year. Rental income totaled P8.82 billion compared with P7.41 billion a year ago, while residential revenues remained steady. Hotel revenues were up eight percent year-on-year. “There is a brighter side for our residential business as we have started the bulk of

our unit turnovers in Makati and Fort Bonifacio this year. Our rental business remains to be a key contributor to our consistent growth, and we see this to become stronger in the coming years as we complete more office and commercial buildings as well as malls in our townships across the country,” Megaworld senior vice president and treasurer Francis Canuto said.“There is also a remarkable growth in our hotel business as we open more hotels in Metro Manila, Boracay, Iloilo, Cebu and Tagaytay,” Canuto added. Megaworld earlier projected a rental income of P12 billion this year, with P7.2 billion coming from office projects. Megaworld expects to hit 1 million square meters of office inventory by the end of 2017, making it the biggest office developer in the Philippines. It also projected reservation sales to hit P90 billion this year, slightly higher than the target of P87 billion it earlier projected. Megaworld has planned to launch P30 billion worth of projects across existing township developments this year.

Election automation supported PH growth SOUND macro-economic fundamentals have been lifting Philippine growth this past few years. A tame inflation that tempered interest rates, strong foreign exchange earnings through exports, investments and tourism and business process outsourcing receipts, and a good fiscal house have all combined to boost the confidence of investors. But non-macro-economic fundamentals have also contributed to the Philippine growth story. A stable political climate, far removed from the years when a faction of the military tried to oust the elected government, is complimenting the robust economic growth. The credibility of the 2016 national elections, made possible by the automated counting of votes, for instance, has inspired confidence among local and foreign businessmen. It has enabled the Philippines to become the regional growth leader last year and set the stage for the continuous economic expansion in the medium term. The country’s gross domestic product expanded 6.9 percent in 2016, the fastest among the large economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It is expected to sustain the rapid growth in 2017 at over 6 percent. “The Philippines remains among the fastest growing Southeast Asian economies this year,” says the Asian Development Bank, which sees the economy growing 6.5 percent in 2017 and 6.7 percent in 2018. The International Monetary Fund shares the same optimism, as it retained a growth forecast of 6.6 percent for the Philippines this year in its latest World Economic Outlook. The IMF expects the Philippines to continue outperforming other large economies in Asean. “Specifically, economic activity in 2017 is projected to expand by 5.2 percent in Indonesia, 5.4 percent in Malaysia, 6.6 percent in the Philippines, 3.7 percent in Thailand and 6.3 percent in Vietnam,” the IMF says in the report. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, in a speech during the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C., said an average growth rate of 7 percent for the Philippines this year and beyond was possible and sustainable as macroeconomic fundamentals remained solid. Supporting the expansion of the economy is the country’s vibrant democracy, which allows businesses to thrive and generate employment. The success of the automated election system in 2016, in particular, reflected the will of the people and removed the political instability that hounded the country in the past. To many, the switch to automated elections in 2010 marked a turning point in Philippine electoral history, confirmed by opinion polls and foreign observers. Big leap The automated election system is a big leap toward restoring democracy in this country and is one factor that continues to fuel economic growth that is generally inclusive. Sustaining democracy means retaining investors’ trust and confidence in the Philippines, which is now considered among the most progressive economies in Asean. Such economic gains must be preserved amid renewed attempts by some people to restore the fraudprone manual counting of votes. “This is why it is important that the people protect the sanctity of the election by opposing any attempt to return to the ‘dark ages of Philippine election,’” one analyst said. The move of several quarters to revert to the manual counting of votes can be construed as an attempt to undermine democracy itself and belittle the economic gains achieved by the country after emerging from the dictatorial rule in 1986. “It appears that resources are being released to discredit the automated elections and reverse the historic gains in our country’s democracy,” said Claudette Guevara, convenor of Democracy Watch. The 2016 elections were characterized by a speedy transmission of votes, increased confidence in the process and even a tremendous decline in election-related violence, said Guevarra. Last year’s polls attracted an astounding 81.95-percent turnout, the largest deployment of vote counting machines in the world and the negligible percentage of recorded glitches and feats of technical flexibility that included printing some 40 million vote receipts and the training of more than 45,000 field technicians in less than three months, Guevarra said. The Commission on Elections transmitted 86 percent of all votes by election night, leading to the proclamation of a near-perfect 99.9 percent of all 18,000 or so elective positions 10 short days after election day. This was also the first time in the country’s history that the electorate knew who the next president would be on the election day itself. All these strides were attributable to that crucial and historic switch to automation, Guevarra said. The now routine peaceful and stable transition process between the old and new administrations only serves to fortify the country’s democracy. An election that is universally hailed as one of the most successful and credible in history should not be sacrificed to favor defeated candidates. Strong democracies are a vital foundation of a vibrant economy and progressive nation, which is proven by the country’s robust economic growth last year. Protecting these democratic gains will in fact allow the country to achieve the government’s growth target of 7 percent to 8 percent annually until 2022 or beyond. E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

A leader must be feared and respected

ONE of the pieces of advice that the philosopher-courtier Nicolo Machiavelli gave to his patron, the head of the Medici family of medieval Italy, was that he, and other leaders, should seek to be feared and loved. This piece of advice, which has resonated down the ages, came to my mind the other day as I contemplated the state of affairs in this country today. I fully agree with Signor Machiavelli that a leader – a governor, an administrator or whatever other title may be assigned to him – should be feared. But before love I would put respect. A leader should be feared but respected. If in the process the citizenry gets to love him or her, that’s a bonus. It bears saying – and Nicolo Machiavelli would have said it – that fear of a leader come in either of ways. One is the fear that a citizen feels toward a leader who is upright in every way, who is professionally well-equipped for his position and feels genuine concern for the welfare and rights of the citizenry. The other kind of fear is that which comes when a leader, totally disregarding the citizens’ rights and legitimate personal concerns, unleashes the State’s forces against them in the pursuit of his personal agenda. The ﬁrst kind is magniﬁcent; the second is abhorrent. In one respect the political history of the Philippines is different from that of other democracies. In its comparatively brief history as a republic, the Philippines has seen three former city mayors make the ascent to the Presidency. I speak of Arsenio H. Lacson (Manila), Joseph Ejercito Estrada (San Juan) and Rodrigo Duterte (Davao City). Lacson did not complete his mayorship due to a fatal heart attack; Estrada was driven from the Presidency by the defection of the generals heading the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. Joseph Ejercito Estrada is often said to have been educationally unprepared for the Presidency; however, that evaluation is surely belied by the fact that he was educated at the Ateneo de Manila and was enrolled in an engineering course at another university. Arsenio Lacso was a lawyer. Republic of the Philippines PROVINCE OF QUIRINO Cabarroguis -oOoBIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID FOR Procurement of Sixty (60) Units Brand New Multi-Purpose Vehicles for various barangays Contract No. PB-GS-2017-015 November 9, 2017 1.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino, through the General Fund - PGO Capital Outlay (1000.162) intends to apply the sum of P48,900,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for PB-GS-2017-015 Procurement of Sixty (60) Units Brand New Multi-Purpose Vehicles for various barangays. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino now invites bids Procurement of Sixty (60) Units Brand New Multi-Purpose Vehicles for various barangays. Delivery of the Goods is required 60 Calendar Days. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy-five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 AM to 4:00PM.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from November 9, 2017 to December 1, 2017 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Twenty-Five Thousand Pesos (P 25,000.00).

At the time of his death Arsenio Lacson undoubtedly was one of the brightest stars in the Philippine political ﬁrmament. Tricks did not have to be employed to get him to be the frontrunner for the Presidential nomination of his party. So great was the clamor from the Nacionalista Party faithful for him to lead the party in the 1961 Presidential election that Arsenio Lacson almost certainly would have gotten the party’s nomination by acclamation. And, in the considered view of many knowledgeable observers, Arsenio Lacson would have emerged victorious in that election. Lacson served one term in the House of Representatives before being elected mayor of the nation’s capital. The legend and the myth about Lacson grew almost as soon as he took his seat in the mayor’s ofﬁce. Arsenio Lacson went to City Hall with a reputation for being fearless. An articulate lawyer, he incessantly lambasted the apparently corrupt administration of President Carlos P. Garcia in his very popular no-cussing radio show “In This Corner”. It was well-known that he conducted his inspection tours of the city seated in the front passenger seat of a police car. He didn’t have a death squad or Presidential security personnel to protect him from the highly-placed personalities whom he had offended. Arsenio Lacson was both fearless and feared. He was feared not only by the people of Manila but also by the nation at large because he brooked no corruption or abuse of the citizens’ rights. He could properly appear tough because his constituents knew he was clean. No one ever accused him of having secret bank accounts, and there was never a demand for him to waive his rights under the Bank Secrecy Law. He and his wife died with no great wealth to their names. Arsenio Lacson was a true leader, not a bogus one. That is why the people of Manila feared and respected him. And they gave him a bonus. They loved him. E-mail: romero.business.class@gmail.com

A Sure Bet for Progress in Gaming, Entertainment and Nation Building InvItatIon to BId through Sealed BId In the auctIon/BIddIng of two (2) parcelS of land located at central BuSIneSS park I – ISlandS B & c of the Bay cIty, paranaque cIty under ItB no. Bacd17-001 The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is inviting offers to buy through sealed bid in the auction/bidding of Two (2) parcels of land located at Central Business Park I – Islands B & C of the Bay City, Parañaque City under ITB No. BACD17-001. DESCRIPTION Item No. Item Name Item

Location Total Land Area Floor Price Land Title No/s. Property Use and Encumbrances

I. GENERAL CONDITIONS: 1.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Disposal of the Real Properties for auction/sale will be on “AS IS – WHERE IS” and on “CASH” basis. The bidder further acknowledges that he has been given every opportunity to investigate, inspect and verify the REAL PROPERTY offered to ascertain the actual conditions thereof as well as the status of the title/tax declaration. Bidder accepts PAGCOR’s disclaimer of any warranty, implied or otherwise, that the assets conform precisely to the description available in the invitation to Bid. Further, the bidder, knowing the risks and assuming the consequences of eviction, accepts PAGCOR’s absolute waiver of warranty therefrom. Prospective bidders must be Filipino citizens or otherwise authorized by law to acquire real property in the Philippines. In case of a corporation or partnership, 60% of its capital must be owned by Filipino citizens. Officers and employees of PAGCOR and their relatives within the 4th degree of consanguinity and affinity shall be ineligible to bid. No bid below the floor price shall be accepted. Bid shall strictly be in Philippine Currency. TCT No. 010-2014003181 is covered by a Deed of Absolute Sale between Public Estates Authority (PEA), presently known as Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), and PAGCOR. The land title is still under the name of the PEA, now the PRA. Expenses for the transfer of title from PRA to the winning bidder shall be for the account of the winning bidder. PAGCOR shall thereafter deliver to the winning bidder TCT No. 010-2014003181 with the covering Deed of Absolute Sale between PAGCOR and PRA, and TCT No. 010-2014000775 free from all liens and encumbrances except the Contract of Lease (and its addenda) executed between PAGCOR and Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels, Inc. (formerly Bloomberry Investments Holdings, Inc.) and the Deed of Assignment between Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels, Inc. and Sureste Properties, Inc.

The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents at the BAC Secretariat, Capitol Hills, Cabarroguis, Quirino, upon payment of the applicable nonrefundable fee. 6.

LOT 1 Bay City Properties Two (2) parcels of land purchased by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) from the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA): a. An area of 3,733 square meters (more or less) covered by Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) No. 0102014000775 under PAGCOR’s name and a Deed of Absolute Sale dated 19 February 2013; and b. An area of 156,626 square meters (more or less) covered by a Deed of Absolute Sale dated August 16, 2017. Central Business Park I – Islands B & C of the Bay City, Parañaque City 160,359 square meters (more or less) Php 37,233,130,000.00 (VAT Exclusive, Zero Rated) TCT No. 010-2014000775 registered under the name of PAGCOR with an area of 3,733 square meters more or less; and TCT No. 010-2014003181 registered under the name of PRA with an area of 156,626 square meters more or less The Properties are subject of a long-term lease initially in favor of Bloomberry Resorts & Hotels Inc. who built and operate the Solaire Resort & Casino thereon. However, the leasehold rights were later assigned to Sureste Properties Inc. (“Lessee”). The lease is up to July 11, 2033 and is extendible for another term under certain conditions. The Lessee has a right to match the highest complying bid for the Properties. The Lessee has mortgaged its leasehold rights over the Properties. In the same vein, the title and rights over the buildings, structures and other improvements thereon were likewise mortgaged to various lenders.

It is expressly understood and agreed that the property shall be used exclusively for the purpose for which it was intended, i.e. that it serves as an integral part of the PAGCOR Entertainment City Project and is to be utilized for the purpose of developing and maintaining thereon a world-class integrated resort in accordance with the plans approved by lessee and PAGCOR. The winning bidder cannot use the property in any manner and for any purpose not consistent with PAGCOR’s Entertainment City Project and must conform to applicable zoning regulations and restrictions.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on November 17, 2017, 3:00PM at Special Projects Unit Conference Hall, 2nd Floor, Commercial Building, Capitol Compound, Capitol Hills, Cabarroguis, Quirino, which shall be open to all interested parties.

Furthermore, it is understood that the ownership of the property does not confer to the winning bidder the right to operate gaming facilities and business. A casino license or license to operate gaming operations is NOT part of the sale of the Property. Hence, the winning bidder of the Property shall neither have right nor authority to operate a casino or any other gaming operation. This paragraph shall be inapplicable should the Lessee be declared the highest bidder or is able to match the bona fide offer of the highest bidder.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before December 1, 2017, 2:00PM at Special Projects Unit Conference Hall, 2nd Floor, Commercial Building, Capitol Compound, Capitol Hills, Cabarroguis, Quirino. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Real Property Tax, including arrears, penalties and charges, if any, shall be for the account of the winning bidder.

All applicable taxes including capital gains tax, transfer costs, registration fees, documentary stamps taxes and other expenses incidental to the sale and transfer of the assets shall be for the account of the winning bidder who shall be responsible in causing the transfer/issuance of certificates of title under its name.

The lease contract between PAGCOR and the Lessee shall be registered and annotated on the title of the subject property. The lease contract shall be binding on the winning bidder. As such, the Lessee’s security of tenure shall be respected and guaranteed.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10.

Where a re-survey or re-location of the land applied for is necessary, all expenses therefore including the preparation of plans and other papers shall be defrayed by the winning bidder.

Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specified in the BD’s in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The first envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid. The second envelope shall contain the financial component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and the post-qualification.

11.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE DATE : November 22, 2017 TIME : 2:00 p.m. VENUE: 5th Floor Meeting Room C, PAGCOR Corporate Office AG New World Manila Bay Hotel and Casino 1558 M. H. Del Pilar corner Pedro Gil Streets Malate, Manila INSPECTION OF PROPERTIES Inspection shall commence on November 9, 2017 and every Friday thereafter until the morning of November 27, 2017. 12.1 12.2 Inspection on other days apart from the schedules specified above may be arranged with the BACD Secretariat. 12.3 Kindly coordinate with the following Secretariat for inspection schedules: Shalee Nacino: Tel. No. (02) 521-15-42 loc. 258

12.

The Provincial Government of Quirino reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to:

13.

BIDDING REQUIREMENTS: 13.1

Engr. Dencio A. Pagbilao Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee Province of Quirino +639175007275 +639177756155 (SGD) ENGR. DENCIO A. PAGBILAO BAC Chairman

Inside a sealed envelope 13.1.1 13.1.2 13.1.3 13.1.4 13.1.5 13.1.6 13.1.7

(MS-NOV. 9, 2017)

13.1.8 13.1.9 13.1.10

A Sure Bet for Progress in Gaming, Entertainment and Nation Building 13.2

The following details shall be written in the envelope: Upper left hand corner: Name of Bidder Address Contact Number Fax Number Center: BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE FOR DISPOSAL (BACD) PHILIPPINE AMUSEMENT AND GAMING CORPORATION PAGCOR Corporate Office AG New World Manila Bay Hotel and Casino 1588 M.H. Del Pilar Street cor. Pedro Gil Streets Malate, Manila. Name of Property: Bay City Properties ITB Number: BACD17-001 Bottom: Do not open before 2:00 P.M., November 27, 2017.

13.3

Bid Documents shall be available at Room 202 Engineering Room (c/o Ms. Shalee Nacino) 2nd Floor, PAGCOR House, 1330 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila (10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.) upon payment of a non-refundable Bidding Fee of P75,000.00.

InvItatIon to BId for the reBIddIng of the procurement of hotel accommodatIonS for caSIno gueStS under ITB No. PB17-009PAV-11 The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is inviting all interested bidders in its forthcoming Rebidding for the Procurement of hotel accommodations for casino guests under ITB No. PB17009PAV-11.

Brief Description Delivery Schedule Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): Source of Funds:

Procurement of hotel accommodations for casino guests Within one (1) year commencing from the date of receipt by the winning contractor of the Notice to Proceed. The total ABC for the project is in the amount of Twelve Million Pesos (PhP 12,000,000.00), VAT Exclusive, Zero-Rated Transaction. Corporate Budget for CY 2017

Bidders should have completed, within the last three (3) years before the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

14.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. PAGCOR will hold a Pre-Bid Conference, which shall be open to prospective bidders. OR PAGCOR shall no longer hold a Pre-Bid Conference. All particulars relative to Pre-Bid Conference, Detailed Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its IRR.

15.

The schedule of bidding activities is listed, as follows:

Activities 1. Issuance of the Bidding Documents 2. Pre-Bid Conference 3. Deadline for the Submission and Receipt of Bids 4. Opening and Preliminary Examination of Bids

Date, Time and Venue November 9, 2017 to November 29, 2017 November 17, 2017 1:00 p.m, Conference Room Executive Office Second (2nd) Floor Casino Filipino-Manila Bay, Southdrive Road T. M Kalaw Extension Ermita November 29, 2017, 1:00 p.m Executive Office Second (2nd) Floor Casino Filipino-Manila Bay, Southdrive Road T. M Kalaw Extension Ermita November 29, 2017, 1:00 p.m, onwards Executive Office Second (2nd) Floor Casino Filipino-Manila Bay, Southdrive Road T. M Kalaw Extension Ermita

16.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Procurement Section (PS), acting as the BBAC Secretariat, of Casino Filipino-Manila Bay and/or inspect the Bidding Documents at BBAC at Second (2nd) Floor Casino Filipino-Manila Bay, Southdrive Road T. M Kalaw Extension Ermita, Manila during office hours of PAGCOR from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty-Five Thousand Pesos (PhP 25,000.00). Prospective bidders may also download the Bidding Documents free of charge from the following websites: www.pagcor.ph and www.philgeps.gov.ph and may be allowed to submit bids provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee not later than the date of the submission of bids. Prospective bidders should present to PAGCOR’s Cashier located at the Second (2nd) Floor Casino FilipinoManila Bay, Southdrive Road T. M Kalaw Extension Ermita, Manila either the Bidding Fee Slip which may be secured from Procurement Section (PS) or a copy of this ITB in effecting payment for the Bidding Documents.

17.

Bidders shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of his bid, and PAGCOR will in no case be responsible or liable for those costs, regardless of the conduct or outcome of the bidding process. Bidders should note that PAGCOR will accept bids only from those that have paid the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

18.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the venue of the bid opening. Late bids shall not be accepted. PAGCOR assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids.

19.

In accordance with Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) Circular 06-2005 - Tie-Breaking Method, Casino Filipino-Manila Bay Branch Bids and Awards Committee (BBAC) shall use a non-discretionary and nondiscriminatory measure based on sheer luck or chance, which is “DRAW LOTS,” in the event that two or more bidders have been post-qualified and determined as the bidder having the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid (LCRB) to determine the final bidder having the LCRB, based on the following procedures:

20.

a) b)

In alphabetical order, the bidders shall pick one rolled paper. The lucky bidder who would pick the paper with a “CONGRATULATIONS” remark shall be declared as the final bidder having the LCRB and recommended for award of the contract.

PAGCOR reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

21.

22.

BID BOND 14.1 Failure to post a bidder’s bond shall constitute a ground to reject the bid. 14.2 The bidder’s bond shall be forfeited in favor of PAGCOR in the event of any of the following: 14.2.1 Withdrawal by any bidder of his/her bid during the conduct of the auction, i.e. from 2:00 P.M., November 27, 2017 up to the time the highest and second highest bid has been declared; 14.2.2 Withdrawal by bidder of his bid after the same has been declared the highest bid; and 14.2.3 Refusal of the highest bidder to accept the award/contract for any reason after it has been awarded to him. 14.3 Bid bonds of bidder/s, except that of the highest bidder, shall be returned to them as soon as the highest and second highest bid has been declared or at a reasonable time thereafter and the waiver to file the Motion for Reconsideration/ Protest has been signed by the respective bidder. SUBMISSION OF BIDDING REQUIREMENTS 15.1 The Invitation to Bid shall form part of the Terms of Reference. 15.2 Submission and opening of bids shall be on November 27, 2017, 2:00 p.m. at Meeting Room C, 5th Floor, PAGCOR Corporate Office, AG New World Manila Bay Hotel and Casino, 1558 M. H. Del Pilar corner Pedro Gil Streets, Malate, Manila. 15.3 Bidder / authorized representative shall be present during the auction. 15.4 Bidders shall address and submit their sealed envelopes to: BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE FOR DISPOSAL (BACD) PHILIPPINE AMUSEMENT AND GAMING CORPORATION PAGCOR Corporate Office AG New World Manila Bay Hotel and Casino \ 1588 M.H. Del Pilar Street cor. Pedro Gil Sts. Malate, Manila. 15.5 No bids shall be accepted after the scheduled opening date and time. AWARDING 16.1 At least Two (2) bidders must submit a bid tender for the properties to be auctioned. If there is only one offeror then there shall be a failure of bidding. 16.2 The bidder who offers the highest bid (the Bona Fide Offer resulting from the successful bidding process) shall be declared as the highest bidder subject to the provisions specified in item 16.3 16.3 After the declaration of the highest bidder, the Lessee, in case it did not participate in the auction, shall be notified in writing of the bona fide offer and shall be given five (5) working days from receipt thereof to exercise its option to match the offer. 16.4 The highest bidder, in case he/she is not the Lessee, shall be notified in writing in the event the Lessee exercises its right to match the bona fide offer. 16.5 Post qualification of the highest bidder or the Lessees, as the case may be, shall be conducted to verify the documents submitted and to clear the bid bond. 16.6 Awarding to the winning bidder shall be subject to the approval of PAGCOR Board of Directors. 16.7 Notice of Award shall be issued after the Board has granted approval. 16.8 In the event of a failed public bidding, PAGCOR shall conduct a second public bidding. If there is twice failure of public bidding, PAGCOR may resort to Negotiated Sale consistent with applicable laws, rules and regulations. PAYMENT 17.1 Bid bond shall be considered as partial payment and the difference between the bid bond and the highest bid price shall be paid in the form of manager’s check from any Universal or Commercial Bank. 17.2 The remaining balance of the bid price shall be paid in full at PAGCOR’s Finance and Treasury Department (FTD) Cashier within five (5) calendar days (inclusive of 3 working days clearing of manager’s check) from the receipt of the Notice of Award. 17.3 Failure of full payment within the prescribed five (5) calendar days or withdrawal by the winning bidder of his bid offer/price may mean forfeiture of his 10% bidder’s bond in favor of PAGCOR to be applied as liquidated damages. PAGCOR reserves the right to disqualify any and/or all prospective bidder/bidders if found that they have submitted falsified documents and/or information, and the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to annul the bidding process, to waive any defects of formalities found therein and to accept such bid or a part thereof as may be deemed most advantageous to PAGCOR without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. PAGCOR reserves the right to change any of the rules as it sees fit. Revised Terms of Reference will be issued whenever applicable. PAGCOR further reserves the right to amend the Terms of Reference any time prior to the submission of the sealed bids. If the amendments are of a nature that will affect the bids, PAGCOR will entertain request to reschedule the bidding. PAGCOR reserves the right to reject any and/or all bids, or declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract, if there is prima facie evidence of collusion between relevant public officers or employees of the agency or between the Corporate Disposal Committee or between the BAC for Disposal and any of the bidders, or if collusions is between or among the bidders, or between a bidder and a third party, including any act which restricts, suppresses or nullifies competition, or if the BAC for Disposal is found to have failed to follow the prescribed bidding procedures, or for any justifiable and reasonable ground where the award of the contract shall not redound to the benefit of the government. .All documents submitted by the bidders are presumed to be legally in order, that the person signing and executing said documents is authorized to do so and that the signatures appearing thereon are authentic and not forged. Any material defect or misrepresentation on the documents which will invalidate or render unenforceable the bids submitted shall cause the rejection of the bid and the forfeiture of any amount tendered to PAGCOR. All communications as regards the conduct of public auction shall be addressed to:

Please address all communications to the Branch Bids and Awards Committee thru the BBAC Secretariat, Casino Filipino – Manila Bay, Second (2nd) Floor Casino Filipino-Manila Bay, Southdrive Road T. M Kalaw Extension Ermita, Manila Tel No. 804-8700 local Nos. 5021,5022 and 5024. (SGD) CORNELIUS M. GOZE (SGD) Chairperson Branch Bids and awards committee (BBac)

(MS-NOV. 9, 2017)

Articles of Incorporation / Partnership for corporation/s or partnerships, and proof of citizenship for individuals. Latest General Information Sheet, if applicable Financial Statements, 2016; Income Tax Return, 2016; If with Representative, Special Power of Attorney (SPA) or Secretary’s Certificate. Terms of Reference and Bid Bulletin (if any) with all pages signed by the bidder or the authorized representative; Sworn Statement that each of the documents submitted in satisfaction of the bidding requirements is an authentic copy of the original, complete, and all statements and information provided therein are true and correct; and Photo copy of any government issued ID of the bidder or the authorized representative. Duly accomplished Bid Form Bid Bond - equivalent to 10% of the floor price in the form of Manager’s Check issued by any Universal or Commercial Bank payable to “Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation”.

(MS-NOV. 9,10,11 2017)

Bids and Awards Committee for Disposal (BACD) Thru the Secretariat: Ms. Shalee Nacino (Tel. No. (02) 521-15-42 loc. 258) 2nd Floor, General Services and Engineering Department (GSED) PAGCOR House, 1330 Roxas Blvd., Ermita, Manila ATTY. HERNANDO C. APIGO,(SGD) CHAIRMAN, CORPORATE DISPOSAL COMMITTEE

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Mimaropa festival to showcase Romblon

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

Thursday, november 9, 2017

LGUs LocaL government units

‘ANGKING GALING.’ The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Metro Manila Mayors’ Spouses Foundation Inc. has formally launched the Angking Galing program to give special skills training to marginalized workers at the Parañaque City Hall on Wednesday. Tesda Director General Guiling Mamondiong and MMMSFI president Janet Olivarez, assisted by Mayor Edwin Olivarez and foundation executive director Ricky Reyes (all in the front row), distributed sewing materials, make-up and treatment supplies and other training materials to the beneficiaries.

P14-b budget for Manila By Bill Casas

HE City Council of Manila has unanimously approved the proposed P14.88-billion budget of the city for 2018.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada described next year’s appropriation as a “people’s budget” because a bigger portion of the funds are earmarked for health and social welfare programs for the underprivileged residents of the city. “I thank the city council for

passing the budget ordinance in a record time… it took only a few days,” Estrada said. “For 2018 and the next years to come, Manileños, in particular the needy individuals and families, can expect more social welfare programs from the city gov-

ernment,” Estrada added. Sitting en banc, the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Nov. 2 passed on third and final reading Ordinance No. 8530, appropriating P14.88 billion as the Executive Budget of the City of Manila for fiscal year 2018, which is identical to this year’s budget. First District Councilor Ernesto Dionisio, chairman of the committee on appropriations, said the 2018 appropriation ordinance, which he sponsored, faced

“smooth sailing” during the deliberations and voting. “Mayor Erap calls it the ‘people’s budget’ because it will support basically his economic projects for the people of the City of Manila,” he said in an interview. “And if not for the Oct. 31 holiday, we could have enacted it sooner,” Dionisio added. Bigger allocations, Dionisio said, were set aside for social welfare and poverty alleviation programs and

engineering, specifically for various infrastructure projects such as road and drainage repairs and construction, and installation of new street lights in the communities. Once signed by Estrada, the budget ordinance will be published in major newspapers before being sent for review to the Department of Budget and Management along with the pertinent supporting documents, the councilor explained. From the P14.88-billion

In BrIef

RDC eyes more uses for rehab centers

cavite oKs P50k gift to centenarians

By Romeo Dizon SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga―The Mega Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Fort Magsaysay, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija should also be used as an alternative national or regional evacuation and training center, in preparation for a big earthquake that is predicted to hit Metro Manila anytime soon. The Regional Development Council, the highest policy making body of Central Luzon, is recommending this to the national government to maximize the use of the 10,000-bed capacity center, the viability of which was questioned by Dionisio R. Santiago, who just resigned as chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board.

budget, social services got the biggest slice of the pie at P5.82 billion. These include city hall offices such as Manila Health Department, Department of Public Services, the Manila Department of Social Welfare, and the six city-run hospitals. MHD, which started the distribution of free maintenance medicines to chronically-ill senior citizens and qualified beneficiaries this year, as directed by Estrada, has the biggest budget of P1.03 billion.

ROMBLON, the “Marble Capital of the Philippines,” will prove to be a promising tourist destination as it hosts the 3rd Mimaropa Festival in Odiongan town from Nov. 18 to 25, the Department of Tourism said on Wednesday. Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said: “Region IV-B’s best-kept secret, Romblon, will be unraveled as a world-class tourist attraction like its neighboring provinces.” Region IV-B is comprised of Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan, from which the acronym Mimaropa comes from. “Owing to its relative isolation, Romblon province has quietly preserved its lush mountainous greenery, hidden valleys waterfalls, pristine waters, white-sand beaches, diving sites, Spanish-era relics, and many more,” Teo pointed out. “But it’s more fun in Romblon because of the local people’s hospitality and, of course, the delectable, authentic dishes and exotic fruits served with that infectious smile,” the tourism chief added. DoT-Mimaropa Regional Director Danilo Intong said the weeklong festivities will see delegations from the region’s provinces, and will be highlighted by pageantry, sights and sounds of authentic ethnic performances, and display of abundant local farm produce. The opening ceremonies will be led by Romblon Gov. Eduardo Firmalo, followed by events featuring drum and lyre competition, Marble Festival, agri-fair, cookfest, kite boarding, bicycle marathon, regatta, float parade, and the Mimaropa King & Queen pageant. Bill Casas

INAUGURATION. Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista leads the inauguration of the Bistekville-11 housing project along

Sarmiento Street in Barangay Sta. Monica as part of the city government’s effort to address the problem of informal settlements in the city. With Bautista are Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor chairman Terry Ridon, Secretary to the Mayor and QC Socialized Housing Task Force head Tadeo Palma, and other city and barangay officials. Manny Palmero

QC training counselors for young drug users By Rio N. Araja THE Quezon City government will train 200 personnel assigned to the rehabilitation of children and adolescent substance abusers to give young drug surrenderers a chance to change and become productive members of society. The QC Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council has partnered with the International Society of Substance Use

Prevention and Treatment Professionals (ISSUP) Philippines to train these drug counselors professionally, becoming the first local government unit in the country to do so. “Our problem was how we will address the needs of the 16,000 drug surrenderers (in the city),” Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, who chairs the QCADAAC, said. “With help from ISSUP Philippines chairman Ed-

die Castillo, the city government will train at least 200 individuals or personnel for five days who could help provide counseling. These were the ones that we deployed to our different barangays to help in our community-based rehabilitation program,” she added. ISSUP Philippines is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 2014 that supports the development of a professional

prevention and treatment network by offering trainings and conferences. “We have a (drug counseling) program, but it’s very limited in scope. A lot want to volunteer and help, but not all of them have the skills or expertise, just the will and the desire to help. And, with this additional training we received, we were able to start the programs in our barangays,” Belmonte said.

Biliran health center fixed MORE than 17,000 people from 11 barangays in the municipality of Biliran, in its namesake province, are expected to receive improved health services from its health center, which recently underwent renovation through the corporate social responsibility program of BDO Foundation. Typhoons damaged the Municipal Health Office of Biliran, causing cracks on its walls and leaks in at least two rooms. BDO Foun-

dation, working with local government and health officials, addressed these damages, renovated the rural health unit, and installed new facilities. The foundation improved the health center’s offices, consultation rooms, treatment rooms, dental clinic and birthing facilities. A play area with books and toys for children as well as a waiting lounge for senior citizens were also installed.

TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite―The Cavite Provincial Board has approved an ordinance granting a one-time cash gift of P50,000 and a plaque of appreciation to all Cavite resident centenarians still alive as of the date of the measure’s approval starting in October 2018. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan, led by Vice Governor and Presiding Officer Ramon “Jolo” Revilla III, passed Ordinance No. 184, sponsored and authored by Cavite 3rd District Board Member Homer Saquilayan and 7th District Board Member Reinalyne Varias, during its 54th regular session at the SP Conference Room. “This ordinance will serve’s as the tribute of the Provincial Government of Cavite under Governor Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla to the 100-years-old residents for their significant contribution and role in the history of the province and its development through the years, including its municipalities and component cities,” the resolution read.

sBma shelves redondo project SUBIC BAY FREEPORT―The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has temporarily set aside the development program for the Redondo Peninsula following the collapse of an agreement with a firm that proposed the construction of an industrial estate and solar farm in the area. SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the agency’s Board of Directors has decided to take a step back and called for the development of a master plan for the entire Redondo Peninsula before opening it up again to investors. The SBMA Board of Directors had earlier revoked the lease and development agreement with Dynamic Konstruk International Eco Builders Corp., invoking an automatic revocation clause under the agreement in case the proponent did not meet its obligations. Butch Gunio

motorbike cannibals caught in the act

The rehabilitation of the Municipal Health Office of LGU-Biliran is one of the many projects undertaken by BDO Foundation with the support of the bank’s branches and offices nationwide.

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna―Two suspected carnappers were caught off guard by elements of the Calabarzon Highway Patrol Unit while cannibalizing a stolen motorcycle. RHPU4A Regional Chief Supt. Peter Dionisio identified the suspects as Arnel Reyes and Jerome Manolong, both of Calamba City. Recovered from them was a Yamaha Mio Soul motorcycle with Plate Number 3687 DP. Dionisio said the motorcycle was reported stolen by its owner, Jose Osis Quiras Jr., of Barangay Banadero, Calamba City, Laguna on Nov. 3, 2017 at 2 a.m. In front of his residence. Roy Tomandao

‘Malong’ is a versatile piece of cloth that can be used in many different ways

Life shopping

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com thuRsday, noVemBeR 9, 2017

The wearing of ‘malong’ can be altered to fit the occasion or activity

Modern integration of the ‘maLong’ By Hadji Ayunan Grande Gunting

T Dr. Minang Dirampaten Sharief of Mindanao State University, Marawi City, an expert in Muslim culture, explains that the malong can be used in an unlimited number of ways. “In Meranaw (pronounced Muhranaw) culture, the malong is a wardrobe staple. It can be worn at home, on the beach, or on special occasions. It also has utilitarian purposes.” For daily use of the Moros and Lumads, the unisex malong is tucked at the waist and secured by a belt. It is also sometimes knotted in front or at the side like a sarong skirt. Swathed around the hips and legs with one end brought between the legs and folded into the waistband, Women have used malong for modesty. Worn over the head, the malong drapes women’s faces for reserve. “In our culture, it’s not appropriate for women to expose their beauty. Whether

they are bathing in the lake or walking on the street, women use malong to cover their entire body and face except for their eyes. This also creates an aura of mystery,” says Dr. Sharief. The wearing of malong can also be altered to fit the occasion or activity. Dancers wear malong with one end hanging from the left arm, keeping the right arm free to move. Folding the malong on diagonals, it then becomes a kimono-like blouse or a shawl. The clever folds transform it into a stylish turban. During the summer, the malong is twisted and tied around the upper and lower body to form a swimsuit. “You can adjust the material if you want to show less skin while swimming,” Dr. Sharief adds. In diving and sports, men twist it and tie it like a loincloth. It can also be used as

HE malong is known to be a daily essential for the Moros and Lumads, but, perhaps, it is time the urbanites and the rest of the nation are introduced to the versatility of this tubular garment, and how it can be easily integrated in today’s fashion.

a tapis for bathing in the lake, or even as a robe or beach mat. From the example above, the malong extends its uses even outside of clothing. In Lake Lanao, children turn the malong into a floater. “You catch the wind on the tube; tie it on both ends and around the waist. When the malong is inflated by the air, you won’t sink,” says Dr. Sharief. It has also been used as a sail and fishnet. With two bamboo poles, it becomes a stretcher. Of course, urbanites probably won’t use it for such things, but it continues to surprise us with its many uses. The ends of the malong can be twisted to make a large tote, or modified to make a medium-sized shoulder bag, backpack, or even a fanny pack. At home, it is used as a blanket, tablecloth, curtain, divider, canopy, and even a hammock. A large

malong is known to be used as a matrimonial blanket when couples want to cuddle in cold weather. It is also common to see mothers slinging a malong over their chests to carry their infants. Despite the many uses that a malong provides, Dr. Sharief states that a malong can cost as low as P250, but it is just two pieces of machine-made fabric that have been machine-stitched. The silk malong can cost P10,000 when hand woven by artisans, as is tradition, but this tradition is going on a downward spiral with members of the younger generations preferring to take white-collar jobs rather than continuing this weaving tradition. While fabrics printed even in Malaysia and Thailand bear the signature nature and geometric patterns of the malong, these are still merely machine-made products of the industrial age instead of the tra-

ditional woven designs from legitimate artisans. “These are not authentic,” Dr. Sharief says. A simple piece of cloth, the making of which has been handed down through our ancestral heritage, proves its versatility until now. A product of our rich culture, the malong can easily integrate into our modern fashion while still providing its many other uses; it need only gain awareness from the multitude of people in the country. Dr. Sharief notes that if there’s a greater demand for authentic malongs, members of the younger generations can continue the weaving tradition and keep it alive. Photos: Ayunan Gunting Models: Taraka Mayor Nashiba Sumagayan, Prosecutor Kookai Lao, and former DILG ASEC Nariman Ambolodto

Gucci’s new décor collection GUCCI launched Gucci Décor, an eclectic collection of items with which customers can dress their own spaces. The idea is not to prescribe a particular decorative look, but to provide elements that allow for living spaces to be customized. Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele’s philosophy for personalizing the home is therefore similar to his DIY program for clothes and accessories, where you are invited to customize pieces by applying decorative details. Likewise, his collection of items for interiors is also intended to allow for a flexible and personal approach to decoration, bringing an accent of Gucci’s contemporary romanticism into the home. As with his magpie attitude to fashion design, the pieces in the new Gucci Décor collection display a multitude of design motifs now familiar from Michele’s catwalk. All the patterns, colors, designs and decorative tropes have been inspired by his fashion collections and are here reimagined for furniture, furnishings, and crockery. The overall effect is one of a surprising, joyous combination of hue, pattern, and design, where there are no rules. Pieces of text make occasional appearances and the influence of the Gucci Garden lexicon is ubiquitous, with flora blooming abundantly and creatures appearing everywhere, whether on screens, cushions or teapots. The smaller pieces of the collection are of porcelain and are produced by Richard Ginori, the renowned Florentine company founded in 1735. With access to the skills of this historic porcelain factory, Michele has designed a range of distinctive, patterned crockery featur-

ing a green and white Herbarium decoration. Also, there are idiosyncratic Richard Ginori-made porcelain scented-candle holders, which display House patterns. The Herbarium floral print is in evidence here, as are geometric chevrons, a striking, solid pink color and the “eye” design. Animals from the Gucci Garden— bees, butterflies and cockerel heads—are rendered in porcelain in 3D and are attached to the pots and their lids. There are also small incense holders where 3D stag beetles and bees support incense sticks. Four scents—for both candles and incense—have been developed by Michele, intended for a discerning olfactory palette: Inventum (a delicate note of ancient damask rose, blended with voluptuous and distinctive Taif rose); Fumus (the dark and intense scent of birch, mingled with that of orange leaves and beeswax); Herbosum (the fresh, intense scents of tomato leaves and aromatic plants, mixed with the fragrance of long grass peppered with basil and lemongrass); and Esotericum (the bitter aroma of Seville oranges, intricately intertwined with notes of jasmine, leather and salt). Significantly, there will be no dedicated area for the collection within Gucci stores. Instead, to emphasize Michele’s notion that these pieces are simply another way to dress in Gucci, they will be spread throughout Gucci store interiors, integrated with clothing, accessories and shop fittings. In the Philippines, Gucci is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and is located at Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza East Wing. Follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.

Gucci’s home accessory collection features design motifs inspired by Alessandro Michele’s fashion collections

Life

thursday, november 9, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

Not all that sparkles is Champagne By Nickie Wang

ERHAPS that’s one of the first lessons you will learn in any Wine 101 session. It’s a fact that not everyone who occasionally attends social gatherings and sips a glass of sparkling wine don’t even know.

Wine regions across the globe make completely world-class sparkling wines but not every bottle labeled as Champagne can be called as such. It’s even illegal to do so. “If it’s not from Champagne, it’s just a sparkling wine,” said Thomas Percillier of Thienot Group Asia when he met with select members of the press at Wine Story in Shangri-La Plaza for an intimate event called Tour de Bordeaux: From Vine to Wine. The French executive flew all the way from Hong Kong to be the main man in this casual rendezvous where scribes were given an interactive wine introduction, which provided guests a hands-on experience with booths designed to showcase and educate them about Bordeaux. Percillier said that for a sparkling wine to be called Champagne, it must come from the Champagne region of France, and it must be made by a strict method, which involves specific vineyard practices like sourcing of grapes to specific pressing regimes unique only to the region. While Percillier was going through a power point presentation, which talked about the origin of the company, a uni-

Exquisite Thienot wines exclusively available at Wine Story in Shangri-La Plaza Mall. (Inset) Thomas Percillier, General Manager of Thiénot Group Asia Pacific.

formed server brought a few bottles of wine into the room. She held the first bottle, a Champagne, and then poured the sparkling white into one of the mini goblets set on the table. The liquid to first treat our palate was clear and translucent in appearance, and the bubbles were almost invisible. In the mouth, it left an elegant yet exotic flavor. It displayed exceptional purity with a hint of mineral character, fruit and white

flower aromas. This textured and rich sparkling wine of 100 percent Chardonnay, which can be perfectly paired with seafood, can keep you going back to the glass for another sip. It’s called la vigne aux gamins, a 2004 vintage. “This sparkling wine is very classy, you can’t even notice the bubbles. What a fine character,” Percillier said of the limited edition and highly distinctive wine.

Next sample was 2012 Château Belgrave, a wine with complex bouquet that reveals dark fruit aromas of blackberry and cassis, precious woods and mint enhanced with subtle mocha note. Belgrave, bought by the house of Dourthe in 1979, has seen continuous investment over the past 30 years. Recently, Alain Thiénot, founder of Champagne Thiénot, has taken a controlling interest in Dourthe’s parent, CVBG.

The Belgrave shows real quality and sophistication. It has attractive warm savory characters with tobacco and spice as well as chocolate and mocha tones, associated with the large percentage of Merlot in the blend and the use of oak. The 2012 vintage is deep and dense, integrated nose with some layers, with some jam and spice, and earthy note. The palate is quite rich but with lots of oak and oak tannin. Then the third star of the day – the 2012 Le Boscq – a wine with generous and rich palate that displayed signs of good maturity. “This one is deep and concentrated with a well-balanced tannic structure. It has an intense flavor to be exact,” Percillier shared. The executive was glad that their wines have a home in Manila being a relatively new wine house in the market. Thienot Group Asia partners with Wine Story to raise and support generations of fine wine lovers in the Philippines. They share the same mission of enhancing high wine culture by enriching wine appreciation through education and experience. Established by Alain Thiénot in 1985, the house has found its place among the greatest Champagne Houses, favoring quality over quantity, creativity over traditionalism. And it is this long road to success that has formed the bedrock of the Champagne House, notably its family values and independence. “The advantage of being a new [wine] house is that we can still experiment on our wine flavors. We can be creative and offer something new to cater to the most sophisticated yet adventures fine wine lovers,” Percillier told Manila Standard.

Free medical, dental missions on World Pandesal Day

7-Eleven launches special edition ‘Justice League’ fidget spinners

Special edition

‘Justice League’ spinners

for 7-Eleven customers and CLiQQ users JoIN the fun of the fidget spinner craze with special edition Justice League spinners exclusively from 7-Eleven. Join, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman by collecting these specially designed spinners. To get a limited edition spinner, simply collect 25 stickers. or, to speed things up, register for the CLiQQ Rewards app and collect only 20 e-stamps. one sticker or estamp is earned when you buy P50 worth of products at 7-Eleven. Get automatic stickers/e-stamps when you buy booster products. Check out which products are booster items on the 7-Eleven website. Promo runs until Nov. 21. To make things even more exciting, the Justice League spinners come in blind packs so that each item is a surprise. Filipinos have a deep fascination with superheroes, making this promo timely, especially with the theatrical release of the much-anticipated DC film, Justice League, just a few weeks away. “7-Eleven is happy to always provide exciting products and promos for

our customers, so that they can always look forward to fresh new offerings in our stores. Right now, we are happy to bring these Justice League heroes to the hands of our customers. With these spinners, we’re bringing your favorite comic book heroes closer to you,” Jose Victor Paterno, president and CEo of Philippine Seven Corporation, the local licensee of 7-Eleven said. The fun doesn’t stop there though, 7-Eleven is also launching a spinner contest online, featuring Spinner Heroes like Liui Aquino, Eunice Jorge, Paolo Valenciano, and Saab Magalona. Tune in on the 7-Eleven Facebook page to witness and join these Spinner Heroes as they take their spin in spinning the Justice League Spinner. Share your spinner stories and use the #SpinnersUnite #JusticeLeague and #711ph.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte lauded efforts to honor the Philippines’ unique pan de sal and to promote anti-hunger civic efforts with the annual celebration on oct. 16 as World Pandesal Day by the 78-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café on Judge Jimenez St. corner K-1st Street, Quezon City. This year’s celebration was launched on oct. 8 with a free medical and dental mission from 8 a.m. to 12 noon for urban poor families, hosted by Pandesal Forum of Kamuning Bakery Café and conducted by young volunteer medical doctors, dentists, and nurses of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) led by President Domingo Yap, Vice-President William Yap Castro and Social Responsibility Committee Chairman Antonio Cosing. The oct. 16 World Pandesal Day was started in 2015 by writer and realty entrepreneur Wilson Lee Flores who had bought and revived Kamuning Bakery Café, hoping to give honor to this humble yet great Filipino bread, and to remind everyone about the goal of eradicating poverty, inequalities, and the age-old problem of hunger. Kamuning Bakery Cafe gave away 50,000 free pan de sal, sardines, ham, and noodles for urban poor families and other beneficiaries. Another medical, dental, and optical mission was held on oct. 29, 8 a.m. to 12 noon, conducted by Philippine Chinese Charitable Association led by President Dr. James G. Dy. President Duterte said, “My warmest greetings to the people of Kamuning Bakery Café as you celebrate ‘World Pandesal Day’. Today’s celebration highlights the unique and humble Filipino breakfast staple and provides a venue for discussion of social issues. As your advocacy furthers, I commend the efforts to put into conducting free medical, dental and optical missions and providing over 50,000 pugon-baked breads, sardines, noodles and other foods to urban poor families.” The President added, “This event is a reminder of our rich heritage through the preservation of traditional cooking methods and support for local produce. Kamuning Bakery Café demonstrates that local businesses can flourish in this modern age without losing its roots. As you continue to help

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte supports World Pandesal Day

solve the problem of hunger due to poverty, may this simple act of generosity not only nourish the Filipinos physically but also spark a change in their hearts to join your cause. The government is with you in uplifting the lives of our underprivileged countrymen. I wish you all a fruitful and meaningful celebration.”

To know more about this promo, check out the 7-Eleven website at www.7eleven.com.ph, or the 7-Eleven CLiQQ Rewards app.

Philippine Seven Corp. President and CEO Jose Victor Paterno (front row, fourth from left) with ‘Justice League’ superheroes and Spinner Heroes

People lining up for the free medical and dental mission at Kamuning Bakery and Café

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017

TODAY

New motoring show on

News and lifestyle anchor Paolo Abrera hosts "Rev," ANC's newest motoring show

ANC

FPA USE ONLY Application no._______________ Date Received________________ O/R No Filing Fee_____________ Date of Registration____________ OR No Reg’n Fees_____________ Registration No._______________ Remarks_____________________

FPA BIOTECH SERVICES Office of the Executive Director (02)920-0068

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF BIOTECH PLANT-INCORPORATED-PROTECTANT (PIP)

NEW motoring show cruises soon on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), offering viewers a fun ride into the unique and exciting world of the Philippine automotive industry.

Institution/ Business Name & Business Address Syngenta Philippines, Inc. 12th Floor, Two World Square, 22 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City, Philippines____________

Brand Name MIR162 Corn__

Name of active ingredient Vip3Aa20protein

Paolo Abrera, one of the country’s top news and lifestyle anchors, is on the driver seat of Rev, which will start airing 8 p.m. every Friday. Rev promises an honest take on the classic and latest rides, the latest auto news, and will provide motorists and automobile enthusiasts real expert guidance from showroom to the road and beyond. Joining Paolo in the show are respected names in the auto circuit, like the multi-awarded race car driver JP Tuason whose tips on enhancing the driver’s skills are in the segment “The Right Turn,” and musician and car lover Manskee Nasciento with his know-how in proper care of vehicles in “Keep It Clean.” Paolo has a special co-host every week and will provide expert advice on the best modifications that will give a vehicle a royal spin and make the car truly one of its kind. Rev will also feature car groups, celebrities, and industry leaders that will share their passion for cars and driving, and will showcase the best roads to drive in in the Philippines.

X New ¨ 5.

Resubmission

Remarks

Insecticide Fungicide Others, specify

Name and address of manufacturer (same as no. 1 above)

Applicant’s Signature/Authorized Representative Name: Jet Marcial G. Parma____ Title: President and Commercial Unit Head Signature:

Name: Felipe S. dela Cruz, Jr._______ Title: Seeds Regulatory Affairs Territory Lead, ASEAN Signature: _____________________

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES PROVINCE OF ______________ MUNICIPALITY OF MAKATI CITY Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of OCT. 27, 2017 at MAKATI CITY Philippines, affiant exhibited to me hispassport ___________issued on _________ in________. Name

fiber-powered broadband plans with video-on-demand services and entertainment organization that is rapidly transitioning into an agile digital company with a growing list of digital properties. One SKY fiberpowered broadband plans are available with speeds as high as 100Mbps for P2,899/ month (with 300GB data allowance). Other plans include 50Mbps (P2,899/ month unlimited plan; P1,899/month with 200 GB data allowance), 25Mbps (P1,899/month unlimited plan; P1,599/ month with 150 GB data allowance), and 10Mbps (P1,299/ month with 100 GB data allowance). All plans come with SKY On Demand. One SKY subscribers who are also subscribed to SKYcable or Destiny Cable plans that include HBO have the option to subscribe to HBO GO for only P150/month. Meanwhile, subscribers also have the option to subscribe to Netflix for as low as P370/month that will be charged via their SKY bill. Select One SKY fiber-powered broadband plans are available in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Baguio, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos and Iloilo. For more details on these plans, call your local SKY office or visit mysky.com.ph.

Renewal

PIP use category X  

SKY introduces

Video streaming on SKY gets a boost as the broadband unit launches One SKY fiber-powered broadband plans bundled with video-on-demand services. One SKY fiberpowered broadband plans are postpaid bundles that offer internet speeds from 10Mbps to as high as 100Mbps as well as online access to ABS-CBN TV shows and channels on SKY On Demand. “With Fiber-powered broadband technology – the use of a combination of fiber optics and coaxial cables to deliver internet – users can experience a fast internet connection at home while streaming shows and movies on Netflix, HBO GO, and SKY On Demand using any device,” Claudia Suarez, SKY’s head for consumer products business, said. “This is SKY’s way to provide our subscribers with a richer content experience at home, while helping to accelerate the connection speed in the country,” she explained. Suarez also added that all SKY plans are now fiber-powered to deliver faster internet services to Filipinos. As the cable and broadband unit of ABS-CBN, SKY Cable’s latest service adds to the list of digital initiatives of the Philippines’ leading media

Registration Applied for:

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

Passport No.

Date/Place Issued

Jet Marcial G. Palma

P1317214A

20 Dec 2016 / DFA NCR East

Felipe S. dela Cruz, Jr.

EB9971221

11 Jan 2014 / DFA Manila

Notary Public____________ Until____________________ (doc stamps)

INVITATION TO BID

FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF IT RESOURCES (BAC-PGCS-11-2017) The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the following sum being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the following items: Lot No. 1 BAC- PGCS 11(a)- 2017 2 BAC- PGCS11(b)- 2017 3 BAC- PGCS11(c)- 2017 4 BAC- PGCS11(d)- 2017 5 BAC- PGCS11(e)- 2017 6 BAC- PGCS11(f)- 2017 7 BAC- PGCS11(g)- 2017 8 BAC-PGCS11(h)-2017 9 BAC- PGCS11(I)-2017

Qty.

Item/Description

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) P 4,275,000.00

Price of Bid Documents P 5,000.00

1165 OEM Branded Laptop units Computers (B), brand new

P58,250,000.00

P25,000.00

30 Uninterruptible Power units Supply (UPS) for Network Equipment, brand new 272 Laser Printer with wireless units LAN, brand new

P 1,200,000.00

P 1,000.00

P 1,904,000.00

P 1,000.00

167 136 Column 9 Pin DOT units MATRIX PRINTER, brand new 167 80 Column 24 Pin DOT units MATRIX PRINTER, brand new 250 Inkjet - A3 Printer, brand units new

P 5,845,000.00

P 5,000.00

P 2,004,000.00

P 1,000.00

P 3,500,000.00

P 1,000.00

P 2,500,000.00

P 1,000.00

P12,920,000.00

P10,000.00

45 OEM Branded Laptop units Computers (A), brand new

250 Inkjet Single Function units Printer (refillable ink), brand new 76 High Speed Scanner with units Automatic Document' Feeder, brand new

Delivery Period

Within Thirty (30) Calendar Days from the receipt by the Successful Bidder of the Notice to Proceed

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

INVITATION TO BID

FOR THE PROPOSED DREDGING OF CAPINPIN PORT, ORION, BATAAN

The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 20,694,710.19 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Proposed Dredging of Capinpin Port, Orion, Bataan, (LFP BNA No. 042-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Dredging along the berths and maneuvering areas of the Port to a designed depth of 5.00 to 5.50 meters below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) (Total Volume to be dredged = 40,000.00 cu. m.) B. Disposal of dredged soil materials 16.00 kms. away from the project site. Completion of the Works is required in 70 calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.”

TOTAL P92,398,000.00 Bids received in excess of the ABC for each lot shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for the procurement of the above IT Resources (Lots 1-9). Delivery of the Goods is required within thirty (30) days from the receipt by the successful bidder of the Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 09 November 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, as shown above. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 17 November 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders. Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 05 December 2017 at 9:00 a.m. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents. Bid opening shall be on 05 December 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 09 November 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P 25,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 17 November 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders. Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:00 a.m. of 01 December 2017. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents. Bid opening shall be on 01 December 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. •

Required PCAB Registration: Medium A – Port, Harbor and Offshore Engineering

The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to:

BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539 PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for the Procurement of Goods and Consultancy Services (HO-BAC-PGCS)

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects (HO-BAC-EP) Standard – Nov. 9, 2017

(MS-NOV. 9,10,11 2017)

Standard – Nov. 9, 2017

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2017

GARY’s early

My Pure Energy Gary V onstage with rising diva Katrina Velarde

T’S less than two months before Christmas, and Gary Valenciano gave his Kapamilyas in North America an early Christmas treat on his third North American trip this year. Gary ﬂew to the US in the second quarter of the year for a series of sold-out and jam-packed shows with his special guests –daughter and “it-girl” Kiana, online sensation Katrina Velarde, and Sam Concepcion. He performed in Nevada, Pasadena and Temecula in California and Utah. In July he joined the ASAP team as they conquered Toronto, Canada in a

sold out show at the Ricoh Coliseum. Mr. Pure Energy came back with Katrina Velarde to perform at the Glad Tidings Church in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Sept. 22; in the TFC Unity Cup Awards Gala in South San Francisco Conference Center on Sept. 30; and in the sold-out shows at Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, California on Oct. 6 and 7. Fans came in droves and there is no doubt that Gary V continues to be one of the best concert performers in the Philippines today. The stellar dance group Kinjaz joined him at the Pasadena Auditorium and brought the house down and was met with standing ovation. Musical director Mon Faustino joined the Philippine entourage. In San Francisco, the gala was made more special with the presence of the Lopez brothers, Gabby, Raffy and Mon

Christmas treat

who were dancing during the concert as well as his music director during his La Salle Kundirana days, Mike Chio. In the third leg, the highlight of the tour was the presence of his two nephews Christian Valenciano Faustmann who played the bass and Vinny Valenciano who was the lead guitarist, both sons of his siblings, Diana and Robby. Gary’s mother Grimilda Ortiz ﬂew to the West Coast from Florida to witness her son’s performance again after almost ﬁve years. She came to the concert with older son Robby and youngest daughter, Gabin Rader. In the last 34 years, Gary has been a shining beacon of hope as he has released some of the most inspiring songs and videos and has been the National Ambassador of UNICEF for 19 years now. He has produced some

of the best concerts like Love in Motion and Gary V Presents this year and an impressive array of multi-platinum albums that gave the world hits that have become the soundtrack of an entire generation of music aficionados making him one of the most powerful and influential performers in the history of the Philippine entertainment industry. Gary has also consistently filled major venues not only in the Philippines but the world over as well. With an impressive social media presence with 3.6 million followers on Twitter, 667,000 on Facebook, and 286,000 on Instagram he is slowly penetrating the millennial generation through the content he continues to create. Gary never fails to receive well-deserved standing ovations for his concerts as he constantly stuns his fans with his amazing dancing skills and

vocal gymnastics which have proven that he indeed is a living miracle despite 39 years of having Type 1 diabetes. On Philippine TV, Gary is seen regularly on ABS-CBN as one of the flagship artists of its longest running Sunday musical variety show ASAP. He was also recently welcomed by the top-rating daily noontime show It’s Showtime as one of the punong hurados (head judges) of its most popular segment “Tawag Ng Tanghalan.” Earlier this year, he also concluded his stint as one of the jurors of the toprating international franchise Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids. For more information check www. garyv.com and like Gary Valenciano Ofﬁcial on Facebook and follow @ GaryValenciano1 on Twitter and @ garyvalenciano on Instagram.

ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK

in Manila for 50th Anniversary Tour ENGELBERT Humperdinck will celebrate with his Filipino fans his 50th anniversary in the music industry with an array of classic love songs and romantic ballads when he returns for a live concert on Nov. 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The pre-Christmas presentation from Ovation Productions will highlight a four-date, four-city concert series that also includes shows on Nov. 23 at the Laus Event Centre in San Fernando, Pampanga; Nov. 30 at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan, Laguna; and Dec. 2 at the Rose Memorial Hall, Central Philippine University in Iloilo City. It is part of the Asian leg of Engelbert Humperdinck 50th Anniversary Tour, a global touring celebration of the musical career of a singing legend considered as one of the hottest male pop idols of the ‘60s. The milestone pays tribute to the outstanding achievements of the crooner dubbed as “King of Romance” and who has charmed millions worldwide with his rich repertoire that encompasses a broad range of genres. It will take the audience to a memorable time of love and romance as it showcases the musical brilliance of Humperdinck, an ultra-smooth balladeer whose beautiful interpretation of lyrics and excellent vocal technique have earned him an enduring place in pop music. Among the hit songs he has popularized in his sweet, powerful voice are “Release Me,” “Quando, Quando, Quando,” “The Way It Used To Be,” “The Last Waltz,” “After The Loving,” “Man Without Love,” “Spanish Eyes,” “Love Me With All Your Heart,” “Am I That Easy To Forget,” and many more. With the outrageously memorable name of Engelbert Humperdinck (after the Austrian composer of the 19th century opera, Hansel and Gretel), and with his deep voice and thick sideburns, he burst onto the music scene in the ‘60s along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Tom Jones, and was catapulted almost instantly to the status of world icon. His debut single “Release Me,” became an instant hit when it went into the Guinness Book of Records for staying 56 weeks in the charts and became No. 1 in 11 countries. Humperdinck was

subsequently hailed by The London Times as “the premier voice of the 20th century” for his inimitable three-and-a-half octave range and ultrasmooth onstage charisma that captivated fans of every generation in many parts of the world. In 2007, he marked four decades in the music industry with his critically-acclaimed 40th Anniversary Tour, a 100-city worldwide celebration that coincided with the release of The Winding Road, his album which featured “contemporary British classics” by such great musicians as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting, Eric Clapton, Christine McVie and James Blunt. Five years later, he represented the United Kingdom in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he set a record by being the oldest singer to participate in the competition at the age of 76. His double-CD of duets, Engelbert Calling, was released in the United Kingdom by Conehead Records on March 17 and charted in the UK Top 40. The album features the singer in the studio with musicians like Charles Aznavour, Elton John, Il Divo, Johnny Mathis, Lulu, Willie Nelson, Olivia Newton-John, Cliff Richard, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Neil Sedaka, Ron Sexmith, Gene Simmons and Dionne Warwick Together with Humperdinck’s other hit, “I Followed My Heart,” the “Engelbert Calling” album is now available to stream in Spotify and other major streaming platforms. Engelbert Humperdinck 50th Anniversary Tour will bring back the 81-year-old singer to the Philippines for the fifth time in the past 12 years after completing its swing across major US cities in September following shows in the United Kingdom, other parts of Europe and Asia over the past few months As he embarks on his sixth decade in music and show business, Humperdinck remains a formidable figure in pop music, a true icon of entertainment who radiates excellence in his honeyed, mellow voice and inspires people of the present age who exalt him as an extraordinary performer and a quintessential romantic balladeer. Tickets for the Smart Araneta Coliseum concert are available through www.ticketnet.com.ph or call 911-5555. Tickets for the shows at the Laus Event Centre in San Fernando City, Pampanga, Alonte Sports Arena in Binan City and Rose Memorial Hall, Central Philippine University In Iloilo City are available through www.smtickets.com.ph or SM Customer Service.

The country's lone superstar, Nora Aunor

Nora Aunor

24th FACINE’s best actress SUPERSTAR Nora Aunor was named Best Actress at the 24th Annual Filipino International Cine Festival (FACINE 24), held at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, USA. The award for her spellbinding performance in the indie film Hinulid was a fitting honor for local filmdom’s greatest actress on her 50th year in Philippine entertainment. Aunor’s FACINE best actress win was her second in October after the 4th Urduja Heritage Film Awards which chose her best actress for her performances in Kristian Sendon Cordero’s Hinulid and Roderick Cobrido’s Tuos. The Urduja Film Awards and Festival aims to promote independent Films in Northern Luzon and CAR to hone the artistic and creative minds of the populace in the makebelieve artistry of the celluloid world. The Superstar’s 50th Year celebration, held at the Sampaguita Gardens on Oct. 14, was an unforgettable, jampacked event that brought back memories of the good old days to the 64-year-old actress. Organized and presented by her forever-loving fans, the celebration, billed Salamat sa Himala at Sining, Ate Guy, had Maricel Soriano, Cocoy Laurel, Victor Wood, Esperanza Fabon, Bernardo Bernardo, Patricia Javier, Glaiza de Castro, Edgar Allan Guzman, Teri Onor, writer Ricky Lee, director Elwood Perez, and producer Lily Monterverde among the guests. Daughter Matet, son-in-law Mickey Estrada and son Kenneth joined the celebrant. Laurel serenaded her erstwhile leading lady with the song “Lollipops and Roses” from the blockbuster 1971 Artemio Marquez film of the same title. Eton B. Concepcion