The Standard - 2015 March 14 - Saturday

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK VOL. XXIX  NO. 30  2 Sections 24 Pages P18  SATURDAY : MARCH 14, 2015  www.manilastandardtoday.com  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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Junjun warns of more suspensions

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House pushes truth body once again

BOI REPORT INDICTS PNOY Next page

Quit call. Hundreds of students at the University of the Philippines in Diliman walked out of their classes on Friday carrying this poster and other posters to call for the resignation of President Benigno Aquino III over the firefight in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, on Jan. 25 that resulted in the killing of 44 police commandos. They accused Aquino of hiding what really happened in Mamasapano a day after the official report on the incident came out. MANNY PALMERO

Power still in excess

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Arum predicts knockout

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BOI report indicts Aquino THE board of inquiry the Philippine National Police created to look into the Mamasapano incident confirmed the fears of the public and indicted President Benigno Aquino III for approving the bungled covert operation and breaking the established chain of command.

Aside from Aquino, the BOI report, which was made public Friday, also said resigned PNP chief Alan Purisima and relieved Special Action Force commander Getulio Napeñas made key errors that ultimate resulted in the death of 67 people, including 44 police commandos, and critical injury to 18 others.

The Department of Interior and Local Government, which has supervisory control over the PNP, released the BOI report to the public, a day after it was submitted by the eight-man panel, headed by Director Benjamin Magalong of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

“The President gave the go-signal and allowed the execution of Oplan Exodus after the concept of operations (CONOPS) was presented to him by Director of Special Action Force (SAF) Police Director Getulio Napeñas,” read one of the 22 conclusions in the BOI’s executive summary.

“The President allowed the participation of the suspended Chief, Philippine National Police (CPNP) Police Director General Alan Purisima in the planning and execution of the Oplan Exodus despite the suspension order of the Ombudsman,” another conclusion said.

“While the President has the prerogative to deal directly with any of his subordinates, the act of dealing with Napeñas instead of [PNP officer-in-charge Leonardo] Espina bypassed the established PNP Chain of Command,” the report added.

The BOI also criticized Purisima who, the report said, violated

Report in. Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II accepts the report on the firefight in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, on Jan. 25 that resulted in the

killing of 44 police commandos submitted by Police Director Benjamin Magalong (L) and PNP Officer-in-Charge Leonardo Espina. Manny PalMeRo

the preventive suspension order the Ombudsman issued last December, when he participated in the planning and execution of the operation, code-named “Oplan Exodus.”

“He also violated the Special Order No. 9851, dated December 16, 2014 issued by OIC-PNP Espina, directing him and other suspended PNP officers to ‘cease and desist from performing the duties and functions of their respective offices during the pendency of the case until its termination’.”

The BOI also criticized Purisima for saying he would coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines regarding required tactical support, but failing to do so.

“The PNP Ethical Doctrine Manual cites, “Word of Honor – PNP members’ word is their bond.

They stand by and commit to it.”

The statement of Purisima may be construed as an assurance of pro-

viding the coordination instructed by the President,” the report said.

The BOI report also confirmed that Purisima misinformed Aquino about the actual situation when he sent text messages to the President claiming the SAF commandos were pulling out and were backed by mechanized and artillery support when there was really none.

The BOI did not spare Napeñas, whom the public feared was being turned into a scapegoat for Aquino and Purisima, and criticized him for several errors that resulted in the deadly operation.

“Despite his knowledge of the suspension order issued by the Ombudsman, Napeñas followed the instructions of suspended CPNP Purisima not to inform OIC-PNP and the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas about Oplan Exodus,” the panel said.

“Napeñas failed to effectively supervise, control and direct personnel, which resulted in heavy casualties of the SAF Commandos,” the BOI said, adding that command responsibility means that a commander is responsible for effectively supervising, controlling, and directing his personnel.

The BOI said Napeñas followed his own operational concepts although they were contrary to Aquino’s orders and violated established PNP concepts and protocols of the PNP in addition to disregarding the established peace process mechanisms with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The panel said the planning for Oplan Exodus was defective due to poor analysis of the area of operation, unrealistic assumptions, poor intelligence, absence of abort criteria, lack of flexibility, inappropriate application of TOT; and absence of coordination with the

military.

“The lack of situational awareness, limited cover and concealment, ineffective communication, and sustained enemy fire prevented the 1st Special Action Battalion and 4SAB containment forces from reinforcing the beleaguered 55th Special Action Company troops,” the report said.

“There was a breakdown of command and control at all levels due to ineffective and unreliable communication among and between the operating units,” the BOI said, adding that radios malfunctioned and some ammunition of M203 grenade launchers were defective.

The BOI also found that the United States was indeed involved in the operation, but was limited only to intelligence sharing and medical evacuation. “Only SAF Commandos were involved in the actual combat operation of Oplan Exodus,” the board said.

...but Roxas clears President of any liability in massacre

By Francisco Tuyay and Sara D. Fabunan ALTHOUGH Malacañan Palace refrained from commenting on the Philippine National Police board of inquiry report on the Mamasapano incident, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas cleared President Benigno Aquino III of any liability in the operation that led to the death of 44 police commandos.

“There is no liability,” Roxas said at the lobby of the PNP’s Camp Crame headquarters on Friday morning as he released to the public the BOI report that was submitted on Thursday.

“He gave the order to not-yetsuspended [PNP chief Alan] Purisima,” Roxas said, apparently referring to the time when

Aquino approved the inclusion of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir in the target list of authorities, months before Purisima was suspended on December 4, 2014.

Roxas did not mention that Aquino, Purisima and relieved Special Action Force commander Getulio Napeñas all admitted that they had several briefings about the operation in Malacañang prior to January 25 when the operation was launched in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

“After having read the formal report, though not all the annexes, my understanding is that no other than suspended PNP [Director] General Alan Purisima is principally responsible for the death of the SAF 44,” Roxas said.

Roxas also assailed Purisima for

not following the order of Aquino on two occasions to coordinate the mission with the Armed Forces of the Philippines for tactical support.

“The President, as commanderin-chief, gave guidance to coordinate with the AFP because of its capability to reinforce. Purisima was instructed to coordinate but failed,” Roxas said.

He also said that Napenas was being instructed by Purisima about the mission “after Purisima was suspended” “He has no authority to participate in the operations and he failed to pass [information] to the chain of command, to [acting PNP chief Leonardo] Espina. Worst, he ordered Napenas to conceal the matter from Espina and me,” Roxas said.

“Purisima also ignored Aqui-

no’s order for him to coordinate with the AFP,” Roxas added.

But Purisima, through his lawyer Kristoffer James Purisima, said Roxas was only catering to public opinion and was prejudging the findings of the BOI report.

“It appears that the Secretary is prejudging the case and playing to certain sectors of the public. I would caution against entertaining conclusions at this stage,” lawyer Purisima said.

“The mandate of the BOI was fact-finding. That is different from finding fault or liability. There is a separate process for that. We shall respond to allegations at the proper time and in the proper forum,” Purisima’s lawyer added.

At the Palace, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte re-

frained from making substantive comments on the BOI report until after the Palace receives a copy of the report.

“We would not be able to make any sufficient comment on any matter raised in the BOI report without the President having been able to go through the report himself,” Valte said.

Asked on why Roxas’ statement was different from that of the President, Valte said Roxas’s statement was based on the BOI report.

“I cannot comment one way or the other in the sense that Secretary Roxas has had the benefit of actually going through the BOI report.

And, very clearly, he stated the reasons why the President is not liable — does not have any liability in that entire affair,” Valte said.

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Honors. Members of Philippine Marines and the Philippine Navy gather at Villamor Airbase to two Marines killed during the continuing clashes against the BIFF in Maguindanao.DANNY PATA

Ad hoc panel gets 2 more months House pushes truth body anew

By Maricel V. Cruz LAWMAKERS led by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Friday renewed their call for the creation of a truth commission, which they say will determine the accountability of President Benigno Aquino III in the Jan. 25 encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, that resulted in the killing of 44 police commandos.

“The Commission will be able to find out the real truth behind the death of our [Special Action Force] 44 during the[ir] bloody encounter [with Muslim rebels],” said Romualdez, the leader of the House Independent Bloc.

He made his statement even as Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Friday she was optimistic her department could build strong cases against the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who killed the 44 police commandos.

She said she became more confident after she found a witness to the firefight during their inspection of the area where the firefight took place. She described the witness’ testimony as “very vital.”

“Our conclusion—and this is shared by all members of the team—is that the account of the witness matched the physical setup of the site,” De Lima said.

“We can say that this witness is very important because of what the person saw during the encounter.”

Romualdez and his bloc have authored House Resolution 1879 urging Aquino to order the creation of a Truth Commission that they say should be composed of representatives from both the Houses of Congress, the Commission on Human Rights, former Supreme Court justices, representatives from the academe and other people from respected institutions.

Earlier, Romualdez said the commission should be the lone body investigating the Jan. 25 I incident to avoid confusing the public.

“If Malacañang wants the truth, then it should be at the forefront of bringing out the truth and a totally impartial panel like the Truth Commission is the best way to achieve that goal,” Romualdez said.

Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz, a member of Romualdez’s group, said he believed the report submitted by the Philippine National Police’s Board of Inquiry “remains incomplete.” With Rey E. Requejo

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE House of Representatives has adopted a resolution that seeks to extend the life of the 75-man ad hoc panel tasked to scrutinize the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

House Resolution 188 also gave the green light to the panel, headed by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, to conduct hearings on the draft law even during the congressional break.

The committee had been given until March 9 to wrap up its deliberations on the BBL, but the resolution,

filed by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., empowers the panel to continue its hearings until June 12.

Congress goes on a Lenten break starting March 20 and will resume its session on May 4.

Belmonte acknowledged that the BBL was imperiled by the Mamasapano

encounter in which 44 police commandos were killed by Muslim rebels, including fighters belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) with which the government is talking peace.

Nobody can guarantee that Congress will pass the bill, given the strong emotions that the death of the SAF 44 has triggered, Belmonte said.

“We will try to do it,” he added.

In the Senate, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his committee could not resume hearings on the BBL until “the whole truth” is known about the Mamasapano massacre.

Marcos told radio dzRH

that a partial picture of what happened would not be useful in crafting a law that will bring peace to Mindanao.

Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on local government, deferred hearings following reports in January that the policemen were massacred by Muslim rebels despite a ceasefire and ongoing peace talks.

“The whole point of the peace process and the BBL is to bring peace in Mindanao,” Marcos said, pointing out that mechanisms that were established following the signing of the framework agreement between the MILF and the government were not followed.

Purisima slams Roxas in paper submitted to Senate

By Macon Ramos-Araneta RESIGNED police chief Alan Purisima lashed out Friday at Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II and Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Leonardo Espina, saying they complained about being kept in the dark only because 44 police commandos died in the covert operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

In a position paper submitted to the Senate committee on public order which investigated the Mamasapano debacle, Purisima said President Benigno Aquino III should not be accused of giving the go-signal for the covert police operation, since the PNP had the legal authority and duty to do so without the need for prior presidential approval.

Purisima added: “Had there been no or few casualties, the successful mission against Marwan would have been credited to the officer in charge of the PNP, and the DILG Secretary.”

In fact, he said, the record would show that Espina did not complain when he

was first informed by sacked Special Action Force chief Getulio Napeñas about the operation in the early morning of Jan. 25.

“He (Espina) even congratulated Police Director Napeñas on the successful operation against Marwan. He did not mind that he was not previously informed about the mission. It was only after he learned about the casualties that he began to claim that he did not know about the mission,” Purisima said.

He said Roxas also did not complain about being informed about Operation Exodus only after it was being carried out.

In his text message to the President that morning, Roxas did not complain about any lack of knowledge or information about the mission, Purisima said.

Like Espina, he said Roxas only “made an issue about his supposed lack of knowledge” after he learned about the casualties.

Purisima said Roxas’ claim during the conference on Jan. 26 that he was unaware of the missions or previous attempts against the Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan was directly contradicted by Napeñas in his Senate testimony on Feb. 9.

Purisima also insisted that Espina and Roxas were present in one of the mission briefings, so their assertions that they did not know about the operation against Marwan was far from the truth.

He also branded as “riddled with inconsistencies” the statements of Roxas, such as when he denied informing the President about the status of Operation Exodus on Jan. 25.

He noted that the testimony that Roxas gave before the Senate on Feb. 12 and Feb. 23 did not jibe.

Earlier, Roxas said he tried to get information about the status of the operation before elevating it to the President.

In his next testimony, however, he told the senators he already elevated the matter to the President as early as 8:09 a.m. although he was still obtaining more details about the status of the mission.

“In this connection, I take this opportunity to underscore that I did not lie to the President about the status of Operation Exodus in the morning of Jan. 25, 2015. It is not in my character to relay inaccurate information to the President,” he said.

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Speed up rehab job, PNoy tells agencies

‘More suspensions planned in Makati’

By Joyce P. Pañares PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III ordered his Cabinet to hasten the implementation of rehabilitation projects for Yolanda-stricken areas after the Commission on Audit found P48.8 million in relief aid for Yolanda survivors still sitting unused in government bank accounts.

“The President wanted to receive progress updates on the Yolanda rehabilitation,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said two days after the COA released its report.

“So far, the things are moving but, you know the President, he wants things to move at a faster pace,” Valte said 16 months after Yolanda hit the country on Nov. 8, 2013.

Malacañang has shrugged off a report of the Commission on Audit that the government kept in banks P48.8 million in local and foreign donations for victims of super typhoon Yolanda instead of using these for recovery efforts.

Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma even said on Thursday “there is nothing to worry. The money is safe in the banks” and “the donations will not be misused.

These will be used for their intended purposes.”

CoA said the actions of the Office of the Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council defeated the purpose of the donations for Yolanda victims.

“Donations for Typhoon Yolanda remained intact with the depository bank. There were no disbursements out of the donations received,” read the audit report.

“What the victims need is speedy delivery of basic goods and services as temporary relief from their unexpected plight. We believe that this is the very essence of the prompt donations entrusted by the donors and NDRRMC should actively play the very important role lodged to it in times of disasters,” it added.

By Joel E. Zurbano

SUSPENDED Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. remained holed up for a second day in Makati City Hall in defiance of a suspension order from the Ombudsman, and warned Friday that a second wave of suspension orders would soon be issued soon against members of the city council.

Keep calm. Beleaguered Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay asks his supporters to stay calm during a press conference at city hall Friday. DANNY PATA

Once all the councilors are suspended, the Department of Interior and Local Government would appoint an officer-incharge, circumventing the mandate from Makati voters, the mayor added.

“They should respect the mandate of the majority, not the wishes of a few,” Binay said in Filipino.

He said the goal of his suspension was to keep him out of office until the 2016 elections.

The opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), Binay’s party, dared Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II to personally serve the suspension order on the mayor at city hall.

“Secretary Roxas says he must follow the orders of the Ombudsman. On the last page of that order, it does not say that the Office of the Secretary must serve the suspension order. It says it is Secretary Roxas who must serve it,” said UNA interim president and Malabon Rep. Toby Tiangco.

UNA has accused Roxas of being behind the suspension of the mayor and 22 others in connection with the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall Building II. At the same time, the mayor urged Roxas to “show some maturity” after Roxas dismissed Binay’s decision to contest his suspension as an example of “high school” mentality.

“I would have expected some maturity on the part of Secretary Roxas. Let’s not resort to name-calling and nitpicking,” he said.

With Rey E. Requejo and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

Assaults kill 8 more BIFF militants GOVERNMENT killed eight more suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and captured two more of their encampments in continuing air and ground assaults in Maguindanao, the military reported on Friday.

Two areas in Maguindanao were subjected to a massive offensive starting Thursday as the military intensified its offensive against the BIFF, according to Capt. Joann Petinglay, spokesperson of the Sixth Infantry Division, Petinglay said at about 7 a.m., two Mechanized Platoons under 1st Mechanized Brigade, Joint Task Force Central, conducted clearing operation at Sitio Tatapan, Barangay Kitango, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

The government forces captured a temporary encampment that yielded seven 60 mm mortar fuses, one ballistic helmet, gun powder suspected ammonium nitrate placed in a plastic container, one short magazine steel for M-16 Armalite rifle, one roll of electrical wire and assorted cell phone parts.

Petinglay said on the same day at 11 a.m., the operating troops were also able to chance upon another temporary encampment in the area where they have

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seen the following: one battery pack of Harris HH Tactical radio, PNP uniform, combat pack and combat boots.

She added that at about 9:30 a.m., another operational area was targeted with two MG-520 helicopters were providing air support to ground troops in Barangay Tee, Datu Salibu, Maguindanao in response to the information that BIFF under Karialan was in the area.

When the BIFF fired at the military air assets, the military confirmed the BIFF presence.

Immediately, Col del Rosario, commander of the 1st Mechanize Brigade, requested for close air support from four MG-520s and two SF-260s TF (Layang) from Tactical Operations Group (Air Force 12), Philippine Air Force.

She said the aircraft delivered rockets and machine gun fires towards the enemy who were also firing at the air crafts.

After two helicopter sorties, the 1st Mechanized Brigade delivered indirect fires from Datu Piang and Salbu fire bases.

At past 12 noon, infantry troops were sent to scour the area and check on the enemy. PNA

Scam artist. A National Bureau of Investigation agent escorts Christine Joy Angelica Gonzalez, who was arrested in an entrapment Friday for possessing a Special Allotment Release Order or SARO. DANNY PATA

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Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno inducts the new officers of the Manila Overseas Press Club at the Intercon Hotel in Makati last Thursday, March 13. (Inset) Sereno is interviewed by BizNews Asia publisher Tony Lopez and Manila Standard Today editor-inchief Jojo Robles. NOEL TY

BBL fate depends on Congress, says Sereno

By Rey E. Requejo

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno has called on lawmakers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to “follow the Constitutional structure” in legislating a Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) so that it can withstand legal scrutiny, in the event it is brought before the Supreme Court.

Speaking before the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) judicial forum in Makati City on Thursday, Sereno said the survival of the BBL from legal scrutiny actually depends on how well Congress would enact the bill.

When the Constitution says policies will be laid down by Congress in the form of legislation, then, it behooves that the institution that has been identified by the Constitution to do the job of legislation should make an excellent job

at it,” Sereno said, when asked of her view about the controversial BBL. Sidestepping the discussion on the constitutionality of the provisions of the proposed BBL since it could be raised before the SC, the country’s first lady Chief Justice exhorted legislators to ensure that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law that it would pass would not contravene the constitution.

“My request is that, please, for the identified organs to do their utmost. It can make more difficult the questions that the Court needs to address, instead of having a more efficient disposition.

The questions can actually need to be resolved very decisively in the two houses of Congress,” Sereno explained.

Sereno added that legal flaws in every proposed law must be addressed at the level of the Congress because it could be too late once they are raised before the high court.

“Remember when we conduct our oral arguments and when we ask for memoranda and pleadings to be submitted, we are not going to try facts.

Policy decisions must be based on facts,” she explained.

“Many decisions on wisdom need to be based on facts. So this is the handicap to the courts’ ability to be-

come fast. So, who suffers?

This is the country that suffers because information is provided but not addressed at the level where it should be done,” she said.

The chief magistrate also clarified her previous statement calling for sobriety in the Moro region following the clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao where 44 police special action force commandos, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters and five civilians were killed.

She said it was not meant to espouse the BBL and that she was just responding to calls for an all-out war against the MILF.

Two solons set to probe ‘rampant’ illegal fishing

By Maricel V. Cruz TWO lawmakers on Friday voiced their concern over what they call as “rampant illegal fishing in the country.”

In House Resolution 1926, Reps.

Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City and Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. of Abante Mindanao party-list asked the House committee on aquaculture and fisheries to conduct a probe into the matter to validate reports reaching them that “illegal fishing allegedly resulted from the failure of concerned government agencies to implement the laws.”

“There is a need to look into the illegal fishing to determine why the law and regulations are not being imple-

mented to the detriment of the Filipino fishermen,” Rodriguez, a former immigration commissioner, said.

Rodriguez said the objective of the measure is to increase the penalties under the present law to discourage the illegal fishing activities in many parts of the country.

Rodriguez said Congress recently ratified a bill amending the Fisheries Code of the Philippines by increasing the penalties for the illegal act.

“Despite the passage of the bill, tuna fishermen from General Santos City are still denouncing the government’s failure to curb the illegal fishing which continues to threaten the sustainability of the local tuna fishing industry,” Rodriguez said.

Chief talk. Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is warmly welcomed by Leyte (1st Dist) Rep.Ferdinand Martin “FM” G.Romualdez during the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) Forum and Induction of Officers at Intercon Hotel in Makati City. VER NOVENO

DFA warns OFWs vs scam in Kuwait

By Vito Barcelo THe Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday warned overseas Filipino workers against a pyramiding scam targeting Filipinos in Kuwait which is allegedly being operated by unscrupulous persons in the Philippines and Kuwait.

In a statement, the DFA said it received reports from the Philippine embassy in Kuwait that an alleged pyramiding investment scam is currently proliferating in that country.

The agency said unsuspecting Filipino workers are lured by a promise of a return of the entire sum of their investment plus investment profits ranging from 30 percent to 40 percent in less than a month.

The DFA urged the Filipino workers to remain vigilant against scams disguised as “instant wealth” but are actually scams.

The Philippine embassy in Kuwait has issued an advisory to the Filipino community, recommending that they first conduct the necessary research and verification on the legality of any entity before investing their hard-earned money in dubious schemes.

“The public is strongly urged to exercise caution prior to investing their money in businesses offered by any individuals or entities with questionable identities, and undertake prior verification with concerned Philippine government agencies regarding the registration and the legality of transactions of these entities,” the DFA said.

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PMA to revise honor code after SC ruling on Cudia

By Dexter A. See

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City—A top official of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) said the recent decision of the Supreme Court (SC) upholding the dismissal of cadet first-class Alvin Jeff Cudia because of grave violation of the Academy’s age-old honor code has strengthened the institution’s standards for due process and academic freedom.

At the same time, the decision will pave the way for initial reforms of the code for the benefit of present and future batches of cadets who wish to become future military officers.

PMA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Oscar Lopez said part of the initial reforms in the Academy’s honor code for cadets is the appointment of cadet advisers to the cadets who are being heard by the honor com-

mittee for violations of the code to guide them in defending themselves before their fellow cadets.

“The SC decision has strengthened the existence of the Academy’s honor code and has contributed in enhancing the implementation of the code to the cadets who are future military leaders. We are elated that we were upheld for our minimum compliance to the doctrine

of due process which has been an integral part of the code and the process of hearing the cases of violations of the cadets by the honor committee,” Lopez said.

He explained the appointment of members of the Academy’s honor committee and the way the honor committee conducts its hearings on erring cadets and the rendering of decisions are purely matters among the cadets which serves as a training ground for them to be self-reliant, trustworthy and independent-minded-leaders.

He said among the common violations of the cadets that are subjected to hearings of the honor committee are cheating, lying and stealing which the PMA strictly prohibits.

But Lopez said that most of those who are subjected to hearings by the honor committee opt to leave the Academy instead of

undergoing the rigid process so as not to burden themselves.

The PMA official said the SC ruling on the celebrated Cudia case vindicated the members of the honor committee and even the Academy from suspicion of having committed grave abuses in the enforcement of their decision, which dismissed Cudia from the Academy with barely less than a month prior to last year’s graduation rites.

Lopez said the Academy is set to release Cudia’s academic documents with the annotation that he was separated.

He explained that Cudia’s academic documents has already been available since last year but with the annotations that he was on indefinite leave considering the cases that he filed with the different agencies and the courts contrary to allegations that the Academy withheld the documents.

IN BRIEF DTI: N. Mindanao ripe for business CAGAYAN de Oro City—The Department of Trade and Industry has urged industries in Northern Mindanao to take advantage of the ripe business environment in the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) Economic Communities and the Country’s European strategy.

In a dialogue with close to 170 stakeholders, DTI has updated industries on doing business in free trade areas last week.

DTI undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo met with Small and Medium Enterprises and industry leaders in Northern Mindanao to discuss the mechanism for assistance and development.

“Opportunities abound for growth and investments in fields such as agriculture, food processing, service-related industries and trade infrastructure services,” Rodolfo said.

“Northern Mindanao is at cusp of a breakthrough in reaping the benefits of international trade,” Rodolfo added.

Rodolfo added that the Philippines has already created open market access for the industries and SMEs through tariff-free trading across the borders of ASEAN and for more than 6 thousand products for export to Europe. Lance Baconguis

DepEd sets national schools press confab

Renovation. Fabrication and ceiling renovation on the 99-year old Sta. Rosa de Lima Parish Church in Annafunan, Tuguegarao, Cagayan is almost

complete. The Wong Chu King Foundation (WCKF) provided assistance for the renovations, which were started in Aug. 16, 2014. The renovations are expected to be completed on March 31 this year to coincide with WCKF’s 25th anniversary.

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur—The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday scheduled on April 6-10 the staging of the National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) for public and private elementary and secondary school journalists in Taguig City with Metro Manila as host region, a top education official said.

DepEd Region 9 Director Malcolm S. Garma said Education Secretary Armin A. Luistro’s Memorandum No.128 announced that this school year’s NSPC, focused on theme “Empowering Resilient Communities Through Campus Journalism,” will be participated in by some 5,000 top campus writers and their school paper advisers from the agency’s 16 regions.

Garma said the five-day conference will be highlighted by individual writing contests in English and Pilipino, news writing, feature writing, sports writing, copy reading and headline writing, and editorial writing as well as in radio broadcasting and script writing even as group competitions will also be held to determine the country’s best school newspapers based on layout and editorial content.

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APG earmarks P6.5m grant to Minda scholars THE Alsons Power Group has earmarked a total of P6.5 million for its scholarship program this upcoming school year 2015-2016 in several communities in Mindanao.

The scholarship program benefits the host and neighboring communities of the group’s various power facilities including the Southern Philippines Power Corporation (SPPC) in Alabel, Sarangani Province; the Sarangani Energy Corp. (SEC) in Maasim, Sarangani Province; and the Western Mindanao Power Corporation (WMPC) and San Ramon Power Inc. (SRPI) in Zamboanga City.

From the budget of P6.5 million to be utilized next school year, P3 million has been allocated to scholars of SPPC in Sarangani Province while P1.7 million was granted to WMPC scholars in

Zamboanga City.

For the current school year 2014-2015 SPPC supports 204 high school and 58 college students while WMPC has a total of 145 high school scholars and 36 college scholars.

Some 4,000 students from host and neighboring communities that include 17 barangays in the municipalities of Alabel, Maasim, and Malapatan in Sarangani Province and five barangays in Zamboanga City, have benefitted from the Alsons Power Group’s scholarship program since its inception in 2001.

Joel Aton, SEC Project Assurance Manager, noted the positive impact that the program has on the communities.

“The scholarship program has been a lot of help, for instance in

Sarangani Province (where the municipality of Alabel is located), which was one of the top 10 poorest provinces of the Philippines in 2005. A lot of children cannot afford to go to school so they look for scholarship grants, and Alsons was one of the first to help in this aspect. Starting with Alabel, we eventually extended the program to the nearby municipality of Malapatan also in Sarangani” Aton said.

Among those aided by the scholarship program is 20-yearold Sheila Baring, now a graduating student of BS Education major in Biology from Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) in Zamboanga City. Her father, the family breadwinner, died in an accident when she was in elementary, leaving her mother to take

Alsons Consolidated Resources, Inc. Chairman and President Tomas I Alcantara (center) and Alsons Power Chief Executive Officer Tirso G. Santillan, Jr. (left) distribute school supplies to students of the Mangelen Integrated School in Maasim, Sarangani. The Alsons Power Group has earmarked a total of P6.5 million for its scholarship program this upcoming school year 2015-2016 in several communities in Mindanao.

care of her and a sibling.

The scholars also participate in the company’s various community relations projects and advocacies spearheaded by the Alsons Power Group.

They also serve as mentors for the Conrado and Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation Inc.’s summer reading camp, helping pupils from Grades 1 to 3 improve their reading and comprehension skills.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYan maGenTa YellOW BlaCK S AT u R D AY : M A R c h 14 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA ediTOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

hail TO The Chair ViCTOr aVeCilla

What Were they expecting, anyWay?

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Trapped in The middle FILIPINOs in Imperial Manila continue to talk about the reports of the various agencies that probed what happened in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25.

The Philippine National Police’s Board of Inquiry, led by General Benjamin Magalong just released its finding this week, while the senate committee on public order will make its report next week.

Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino III has pronounced his own assessment of Oplan Exodus, which successfully killed a Malaysian bombmaker but claimed the lives of 44 special Action Force commandos: Then-sAF Commander, General Getulio Napenas, was so stupid as to not have “situational awareness.”

As these reports are analyzed and speculated on, however, somewhere down south thousands of families feeling the very real effects of the Mindanao conflict are being ignored.

These are the tens of thousands of Maguindanao residents who have fled the safety and comfort of their homes because of the fighting between government soldiers and the group the Armed Forces of the Philippines had waged war on, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

The displaced, who refer to themselves as “bakwit” (from the word “evacuate), find themselves at the mercy of the warring forces with hardly anybody paying attention to the difficulties they have to endure.

Displacement disrupts these families’ routine, rendering it impossible for children to continue going to school and for their parents to go to work or attend to their livelihood. They leave their homes not knowing whether they would even be able to return to it, or even keep the family intact.

Once in evacuation centers, most times no more than tents hastily put up or dingy schools or basketball courts, the evacuees find themselves not only living in cramped conditions but also exposed to diseases of all kinds.

As those who wield considerable influence figure out what to do with the Bangsamoro Basic Law or the entire peace agreement, the rest of us shall not forget those who have the biggest stake in the entire Mindanao question: its people.

Local government leaders and concerned agencies of the national government must ensure that the needs of those displaced are attended to in the best way possible. Fighters from both sides must realize that the battles are not only about the pursuit of victory. There are innocent people trapped in the middle, and whatever the outcome is, they end up as losers.

Financing the Bangsamoro eaGle eYeS dean TOnY la ViÑa ThIs column is written as a response to the misinformation being spread about the so-called P75billion “pork barrel” for the Bangsamoro. This is based on a study commissioned last year by the Mindanao program of Oxfam in the

Philippines and prepared by a team from the Ateneo school of Government. I led that team composed of legal and finance experts, all of us sharing the conviction that a vibrant and genuinely autonomous and empowered Bangsamoro is key to a peaceful Mindanao. such a Bangsamoro must also be well financed and have fiscal autonomy for it to succeed.

The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) introduced a

number of innovative provisions to enhance self-governance of the Bangsamoro, including the provision that the Central Government shall provide a block grant to the Bangsamoro (the Bangsamoro Block Grant or BBG). The BBG is an amount that the Central Government will provide annually for the operation of the Bangsamoro Government. The formula for arriving at the amount, and the system of automatic appropriation is provided in the Bangsamoro Basic Law, consistent with the terms of the CAB. Under this formula, as summarized in a Rappler story by Angela Casauay, the Bangsamoro autono-

A9

it will be a good investment for mindanao and for the country.

mous regional government will receive a “block grant” of 4% of the 60% share of the national government in the total internal revenue

allotment (IRA), i.e. 2.4% of the total revenue collection. This amount is separate amount from the internal revenue allotment (IRA) for local government units (LGUs).

According to Casauay’s report, the total support for the Bangsamoro on its first year would be around P35 billion, with the BBG amounting to about P27 billion complemented by 7 billion special development fund and a P1 billion transition fund. The P75 billion that has been mentioned includes the IRA for local governments within the Bangsamoro is not accurate.

Overall, I actually think the Bangsamoro is getting less

than what it needs to operate but the amount provided does give it a fighting chance especially because it is accompanied by the fiscal autonomy I discuss below.

It must be noted that the BBG takes the form of an appropriation from Congress; therefore it is subject to the guidelines for appropriations under section 25, Article VI of the Constitution. Authority for automatic appropriation in the Basic Law means that the BBG will not be included in the annual Gen-

Standard TODAY Manila

Published Monday to Sunday by Kamahalan Publishing Corporation at 2 nd Floor PJI Building, Railroad corner 20th Streets, Port Area, Manila. Telephone numbers 521-8507 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 521-5581, (Editorial Fax) 521-7381 (Advertising), 521-8507 (MIS) 521-5591 (Sales and Distribution/Subscription) and

eral Appropriations Act, but will be in the “existing” appropriations component of the national budget, meaning it will be continuing and automatically appropriated.

One question to be asked is whether the BBG is a lump-sum appropriation that is prohibited under the Constitution. This was an issue that the supreme Court discussed at length when it struck down the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). with respect to the BBG, however, the following characteris-

527-2057 (Credit and Collection). Fax numbers: 521-8340 (Advertising) and 5276406 (Subscription). P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: mst@ manilastandardtoday.com

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MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

CYan maGenTa YellOW BlaCK

tics may remove it from the ambit of unconstitutionality: (a) Congress, as a whole, approves the block grant formula that sets the amount of the block grant – the actual amount may vary every year, but the formula is fixed – therefore, the total amount is determinable by automatic application of the formula; (b) The purpose of the block grant is set forth in the BBL, which provides the specific powers and functions for which public funds will be spent, and while Continued on A11

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Ma. Editha D. Angeles Advertising Manager Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

IT wAs an arrangement that was anomalous from the start. when the sandiganbayan ordered the arrest of senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon Revilla, Jr. last year, the anti-graft court should have had them incarcerated in regular jails instead of special detention facilities at Camp Crame. As a result, the public got the impression that the three solons were getting special treatment.

After all, the detention facilities at Camp Crame are far better compared to those of regular jails. when the news media revealed that visitors of the high-profile detainees were staying in the camp beyond visiting hours, the top brass of the Philippine National Police (PNP) promised to investigate the incident and to impose sanctions on the erring police personnel concerned.

Last February, senator Enrile celebrated his 91st birthday at Camp Crame with senator Revilla and other guests. since Revilla had no permission from his PNP jailers to attend the Enrile celebration, Revilla violated regulations.

At first, Revilla denied having attended Enrile’s birthday bash. when photographs published in the newspapers showed otherwise, Revilla changed his story and said he was tacitly allowed by his police escorts to greet Enrile. Again, the PNP authorities promised to look into the incident.

It was later announced that Revilla’s police escorts may face administrative charges.

Does the PNP high command really expect the police escorts of Enrile, Estrada, and Revilla to say “no” to these high-profile prisoners when these detainees already seem to be enjoying state-sanctioned special treatment to begin with? how does a policeman stop a senator like Revilla, who was walking from the camp clinic to his cell, from taking a detour and visiting another senator celebrating his birthday in a cell located only meters away from his own? so, the police escorts of senator Revilla acquiesced in their prisoner’s decision to attend the Enrile birthday party. what did their bosses in the PNP expect? *** why was Enrile allowed to celebrate his birthday with a party in Camp Crame in the first place? Prisoners are not allowed to host birthday parties inside their cells or inside detention centers.

Continued on A10 Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Rolando G. Jojo Estabillo Publisher A. Robles Editor-in-Chief Jojo A.L.Robles Editor-in-Chief Ramonchito Tomeldan Managing Editor Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Chin Wong/RayJoel S. Eñano Associate Editors P. Palacios News Editor Francis Lagniton CityCity Editor Francis Lagniton Editor Arman Armero Senior Deskman Arman Armero Senior Deskman Romel Leo J. Mendez Art Director A. Estonilo Senior Deskman Roberto Cabrera Chief Romel J. Mendez ArtPhotographer Director Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYan maGenTa YellOW BlaCK S AT u R D AY : M A R c h 14 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA ediTOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

hail TO The Chair ViCTOr aVeCilla

What Were they expecting, anyWay?

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Trapped in The middle FILIPINOs in Imperial Manila continue to talk about the reports of the various agencies that probed what happened in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25.

The Philippine National Police’s Board of Inquiry, led by General Benjamin Magalong just released its finding this week, while the senate committee on public order will make its report next week.

Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino III has pronounced his own assessment of Oplan Exodus, which successfully killed a Malaysian bombmaker but claimed the lives of 44 special Action Force commandos: Then-sAF Commander, General Getulio Napenas, was so stupid as to not have “situational awareness.”

As these reports are analyzed and speculated on, however, somewhere down south thousands of families feeling the very real effects of the Mindanao conflict are being ignored.

These are the tens of thousands of Maguindanao residents who have fled the safety and comfort of their homes because of the fighting between government soldiers and the group the Armed Forces of the Philippines had waged war on, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

The displaced, who refer to themselves as “bakwit” (from the word “evacuate), find themselves at the mercy of the warring forces with hardly anybody paying attention to the difficulties they have to endure.

Displacement disrupts these families’ routine, rendering it impossible for children to continue going to school and for their parents to go to work or attend to their livelihood. They leave their homes not knowing whether they would even be able to return to it, or even keep the family intact.

Once in evacuation centers, most times no more than tents hastily put up or dingy schools or basketball courts, the evacuees find themselves not only living in cramped conditions but also exposed to diseases of all kinds.

As those who wield considerable influence figure out what to do with the Bangsamoro Basic Law or the entire peace agreement, the rest of us shall not forget those who have the biggest stake in the entire Mindanao question: its people.

Local government leaders and concerned agencies of the national government must ensure that the needs of those displaced are attended to in the best way possible. Fighters from both sides must realize that the battles are not only about the pursuit of victory. There are innocent people trapped in the middle, and whatever the outcome is, they end up as losers.

Financing the Bangsamoro eaGle eYeS dean TOnY la ViÑa ThIs column is written as a response to the misinformation being spread about the so-called P75billion “pork barrel” for the Bangsamoro. This is based on a study commissioned last year by the Mindanao program of Oxfam in the

Philippines and prepared by a team from the Ateneo school of Government. I led that team composed of legal and finance experts, all of us sharing the conviction that a vibrant and genuinely autonomous and empowered Bangsamoro is key to a peaceful Mindanao. such a Bangsamoro must also be well financed and have fiscal autonomy for it to succeed.

The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) introduced a

number of innovative provisions to enhance self-governance of the Bangsamoro, including the provision that the Central Government shall provide a block grant to the Bangsamoro (the Bangsamoro Block Grant or BBG). The BBG is an amount that the Central Government will provide annually for the operation of the Bangsamoro Government. The formula for arriving at the amount, and the system of automatic appropriation is provided in the Bangsamoro Basic Law, consistent with the terms of the CAB. Under this formula, as summarized in a Rappler story by Angela Casauay, the Bangsamoro autono-

A9

it will be a good investment for mindanao and for the country.

mous regional government will receive a “block grant” of 4% of the 60% share of the national government in the total internal revenue

allotment (IRA), i.e. 2.4% of the total revenue collection. This amount is separate amount from the internal revenue allotment (IRA) for local government units (LGUs).

According to Casauay’s report, the total support for the Bangsamoro on its first year would be around P35 billion, with the BBG amounting to about P27 billion complemented by 7 billion special development fund and a P1 billion transition fund. The P75 billion that has been mentioned includes the IRA for local governments within the Bangsamoro is not accurate.

Overall, I actually think the Bangsamoro is getting less

than what it needs to operate but the amount provided does give it a fighting chance especially because it is accompanied by the fiscal autonomy I discuss below.

It must be noted that the BBG takes the form of an appropriation from Congress; therefore it is subject to the guidelines for appropriations under section 25, Article VI of the Constitution. Authority for automatic appropriation in the Basic Law means that the BBG will not be included in the annual Gen-

Standard TODAY Manila

Published Monday to Sunday by Kamahalan Publishing Corporation at 2 nd Floor PJI Building, Railroad corner 20th Streets, Port Area, Manila. Telephone numbers 521-8507 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 521-5581, (Editorial Fax) 521-7381 (Advertising), 521-8507 (MIS) 521-5591 (Sales and Distribution/Subscription) and

eral Appropriations Act, but will be in the “existing” appropriations component of the national budget, meaning it will be continuing and automatically appropriated.

One question to be asked is whether the BBG is a lump-sum appropriation that is prohibited under the Constitution. This was an issue that the supreme Court discussed at length when it struck down the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). with respect to the BBG, however, the following characteris-

527-2057 (Credit and Collection). Fax numbers: 521-8340 (Advertising) and 5276406 (Subscription). P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: mst@ manilastandardtoday.com

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

CYan maGenTa YellOW BlaCK

tics may remove it from the ambit of unconstitutionality: (a) Congress, as a whole, approves the block grant formula that sets the amount of the block grant – the actual amount may vary every year, but the formula is fixed – therefore, the total amount is determinable by automatic application of the formula; (b) The purpose of the block grant is set forth in the BBL, which provides the specific powers and functions for which public funds will be spent, and while Continued on A11

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Ma. Editha D. Angeles Advertising Manager Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

IT wAs an arrangement that was anomalous from the start. when the sandiganbayan ordered the arrest of senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon Revilla, Jr. last year, the anti-graft court should have had them incarcerated in regular jails instead of special detention facilities at Camp Crame. As a result, the public got the impression that the three solons were getting special treatment.

After all, the detention facilities at Camp Crame are far better compared to those of regular jails. when the news media revealed that visitors of the high-profile detainees were staying in the camp beyond visiting hours, the top brass of the Philippine National Police (PNP) promised to investigate the incident and to impose sanctions on the erring police personnel concerned.

Last February, senator Enrile celebrated his 91st birthday at Camp Crame with senator Revilla and other guests. since Revilla had no permission from his PNP jailers to attend the Enrile celebration, Revilla violated regulations.

At first, Revilla denied having attended Enrile’s birthday bash. when photographs published in the newspapers showed otherwise, Revilla changed his story and said he was tacitly allowed by his police escorts to greet Enrile. Again, the PNP authorities promised to look into the incident.

It was later announced that Revilla’s police escorts may face administrative charges.

Does the PNP high command really expect the police escorts of Enrile, Estrada, and Revilla to say “no” to these high-profile prisoners when these detainees already seem to be enjoying state-sanctioned special treatment to begin with? how does a policeman stop a senator like Revilla, who was walking from the camp clinic to his cell, from taking a detour and visiting another senator celebrating his birthday in a cell located only meters away from his own? so, the police escorts of senator Revilla acquiesced in their prisoner’s decision to attend the Enrile birthday party. what did their bosses in the PNP expect? *** why was Enrile allowed to celebrate his birthday with a party in Camp Crame in the first place? Prisoners are not allowed to host birthday parties inside their cells or inside detention centers.

Continued on A10 Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Rolando G. Jojo Estabillo Publisher A. Robles Editor-in-Chief Jojo A.L.Robles Editor-in-Chief Ramonchito Tomeldan Managing Editor Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Chin Wong/RayJoel S. Eñano Associate Editors P. Palacios News Editor Francis Lagniton CityCity Editor Francis Lagniton Editor Arman Armero Senior Deskman Arman Armero Senior Deskman Romel Leo J. Mendez Art Director A. Estonilo Senior Deskman Roberto Cabrera Chief Romel J. Mendez ArtPhotographer Director Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

S AT U R D AY : M A R C H 14 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

BACK­ BENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

The OTher purpOse Of The emergency pOwer

President Benigno simeon Aquino is seeking an emergency power from Congress to cope up with the expected shortfall in the supply of electricity in the coming months, which will coincide with the onset of the el niño phenomena. it is forecast that between 400 to 1,000 megawatts additional electricity are needed, particularly in the Luzon grid, to avert a four- to seven-hour daily brownout. Pnoy attributes the shortage to boom in the economy triggering an increase in demand for more electricity and the scheduled maintenance work to be carried out at the Malampaya natural gas facilities that accordingly, supply us a total of 2,700 megawatts.

He said an emergency power is warranted because section 71 of republic Act 9136, otherwise known as the “electricity Power industry reform Act of 2001” prohibits the government from constructing or engaging in power generation.

Given the premise, one could easily draw the kind of logic that is in the mind of our congressmen principally headed by speaker Feliciano “sonny” Belmonte, Jr. Logically, when they incorporated that stupid provision, the oligarchs in this power industry assumed and guaranteed there would be no shortfall in the supply of electricity. they cannot get away from that responsibility because they totally disallowed the government from pegging their rates. now to solve the problem they created, they would like to give Pnoy the authority to establish additional generation plants under the terms and conditions that Congress may approve or rent one but only to sell them after being built. According to Congressman reynaldo Umali, P6 billion will be needed for the construction of the generation plant that could produce 300 megawatts, which is exclusive of fuel. it is just for the cost of construction. He added that for every 100 megawatts, it will cost the government P1 billion, and the minimum lease is for two years. should it

decide to lease one, it would cost the would mean a 33 to 78 percent increase government one billion pesos for every in the monthly electric bills. in which 100 megawatts. case, that would be self-defeating bethe people are skeptic, for aside from cause even if we have an adequate supply being illogical and stupid, the power of electricity, investors could not easily that will be given to Pnoy is clearly to be lured into putting their eggs into one make a run-around of the stupid provi- basket because they have other ecosion. remember, they even sought to nomic consideration, which is primarily dispose of the national Power Corpora- focused on how to bring down the cost tion and all of its assets by creating the of production. if cannot be done and Power sector Assets and Liability Man- we might as well kiss goodbye to all our agement Corporation (PsALM) point- hopes to economic development. ing the blame on government competithe same is true to the interruptible tion as a hindrance to their expansion, Load Program (iLP) where on a volunviz. investment. to impress us, they tary basis, big businesses such as malls have their promise and factories that have incorporated in the their own generators law, to quote in seccan be disconnected tion 2, (b) of r.A. from the power grid no. 9136: “to ensure in times of short supquality, reliability, ply, and can sell their security and affordexcess power to disability in the supply tribution utilities.

The crisis that looms of electric power.”

Like the proposal to nobody is against is one of our officials’ create or rent addithe grant of emertional power plants, own making. gency power if its the iLP is not without use is for the good a cost to the taxpayof the people. As his ers. senator Osmeña Presidential spokessaid he would support man edwin Lacithe move if Pnoy is erda, would put it, authorized to use the “the most expensive P1 billion Malampaya power is no power.” gas royalty fund to But the power crisis that looms was support the idea. He said, it is a better of their own making, and now makes option than establishing an additional their vile threat that our failure to solve generating plant. the problem could stultify the alleged Others insist that the Malampaya “economic boom” we are experiencing. royalty funds should not be used to pay Others have their reservation much the the factories and malls that will join the emergency powers could mean that ev- iLP much that they can get back their reerything will be made under a negoti- imbursement from the distribution utilated contract to award the construction ities for the same cost per kilowatt hour to the cronies of this pretending-to-be- that generators can produce. they argue honest government. that the Malampaya royalty funds can be right now, the average cost per kilo- used to finance worthwhile projects dewatt hour for consumers is at P11.25. signed to generate employment or proif we are to believe what senator ser- vide additional economic assistance to gio Osmeña iii is saying, that the price the 25.2 percent of our people who are per kilowatt hour will be as high as P15/ living below the poverty level. kwh, or it could raise to P20/kwh, that His other proposal is that the addi-

tional four centavos per kilowatt hour increase in the cost of electricity will have to be paid by the consumers. Many likewise oppose the proposal for while we exhort our people to sacrifice, we reward the participants of the iLP to collect from their otherwise excess generation. Besides, the Pnoy could exercise his power to protect the consuming public without necessarily burdening the participants of the iLP that in truth can get their refund from the distribution utilities. this the President can do by the exercise of his police power.

Finally, while other countries equally grant their power industry sector the blanket authority to take charge in the electrification program, including the right to fix their rate as what we did to defang the energy regulatory Commission (erC), said authority goes with some responsibility. The problem is that they failed to digress that the doctrine of laissez-faire has its corresponding obligation and commitment to the consumers. it is on this equation why some are urging that the demigod in our present era be punished by fine, or be suspended from operating their power plant, or even have their power plants nationalized for their failure to live up with the promise under the law.

They must bear it in mind that the franchise accorded to them is a guarantee that the government will protect them from any undue competition in exchange for that they demanded. sad to say, they failed to fulfill their part of the bargain. One need not even write this into law. All that is needed is a simple common sense to understand what it means. in our case, after being made a sucker, like a scum from hell, they come back begging for more money and more guarantee to their investment if they are to fulfill anew their promise.

Maybe it is high time for us to think whether to cling on to that stupid law or to scrap it altogether to achieve the real economic prosperity we have long been waiting for.

WHAT WERE...From A9

of his age, regardless of whether he is in good health or otherwise. since almost all prisoners 70 years old or older are given executive clemency, it is unlikely that there will be a prison somewhere in the country keeping a nonagenarian within its walls. this means that those “other prisoners with failing health” are not nonagenarians and, therefore, are not similarly situated with enrile. *** even if enrile is never brought to court, enrile’s stay at Camp Crame, no matter how brief, and no matter how special, may prove to be enough torment for him. enrile once wielded nearly absolute power as the principal administrator of martial law in the Philippines. His signature on an Arrest, search and seizure Order was enough to cause the arrest and detention of anybody suspected of just about any crime.

He could likewise order the release of whoever he had ordered arrested and detained. now, the shoe is on the other foot, and with irony for its shoehorn. enrile is detained under the regime of President Benigno Aquino iii, the son of the top political opposition leader imprisoned

in a stockade when enrile was martial law administrator. Likewise, enrile is currently a prisoner at Camp Crame, the same military installation where he became a key player, a hero even, in the 1986 People Power revolution. *** Many past leaders in the Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao (ArMM) identified with the Moro national Liberation Front treated the billions of pesos of taxpayers’ money allotted for the ArMM as their own personal funds. thus, numerous prominent families in the ArMM acquired mansions, luxury vehicles, and other properties while the rest of the population remained marginalized.

While many in the ArMM leadership got wealthy, the region remained backward and underdeveloped. the Bangsamoro “sub-state” contemplated in the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) more or less anticipates the same territorial composition as in the ArMM, give or take a few unpleasant surprises.

Here’s one unpleasant surprise— C ongress wants to allot P117-Billion for the BBL for the first six months of its existence ( July to december 2016). the Moro islamic

Liberation Front (MiLF) will get a separate sum of P79-Billion. in contrast, the annual budget for the Armed Forces of the Philippines is a mere P70 billion. in all likelihood, the P117 billion for the BBL will go the same way of the funds of the ArMM— to the pockets of most of the sub-state leaders and their families, particularly those with connections this time to the MiLF. Like what happened in the ArMM, the Bangsamoro sub-state will remain backward and underdeveloped.

While the officialdom of the Bangsamoro sub-state will wallow in money, poverty will continue to stalk the slum areas of Metropolitan Manila and other urban centers in Luzon and the Visayas. that’s unfair and unjust. it’s also another example of public money lost to corruption.

if revilla’s police escorts are to face administrative charges, then enrile’s jailers who allowed the celebration should be charged as well. *** the proposal to place enrile under house arrest in lieu of keeping him in Camp Crame deserves consideration. At 91, enrile is not in the best of health, and the slightest illness on his part may be life-threatening. the stress arising from his confinement at Camp Crame can be deadly. *** Under house arrest, enrile’s physical condition will be monitored by physicians of his choice, and at his expense. enrile will be less prone to stress there as well. in fine, enrile has a better chance of staying alive to stand trial while he is under house arrest. those opposed to the house arrest option argue that it smacks of special treatment for enrile, something which other prisoners with failing health will invoke in the name of equal protection of the laws. their opposition is groundless because the house arrest of the nonagenarian enrile is on account

rpkapunan@gmail.com

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO Ms. Angsioco’s column will resume next week.

S aT u R d aY : M a R c h 14 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

adelle chua EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A11

China hails, then bans, a doCumentary

by Christiana larson It was no surprise that the Chinese government banned the environmental documentary Under the Dome, by Chai Jing, a well-known former television reporter.

The surprise is that it took the authorities so long to do it. The film, which exposes the tremendous damage China’s heavy industry has done to the environment, and the powerlessness of the Ministry of Environmental Protection to enforce antipollution laws, attracted 200 million viewers in the week after it was released on the Internet for free on Feb. 28. Environment officials at first praised Chai’s chilling account, and state-owned media said the film was a wake-up call.

On March 7, Under the Dome disappeared from the Chinese web. It was abruptly removed from file-sharing sites, and references to the film in state-run media ceased.

Chai “really pointed fingers at the lack of

regulatory enforcement on the government’s part,” says Hao wu, a Chinese filmmaker who’s a fellow at the washington-based New america Foundation. “It was confrontational and cathartic. she was able to do what we cannot do: Go to government and say, ‘Here’s what you have done wrong.’” wu says the sudden shift from support to censorship reveals disagreement among factions of the government, perhaps between the environmental ministry and the powerful economic ministry. “It’s a reflection of some kind of political infighting that they chose to shut it down,” he says.

Calvin Quek, head of sustainable finance for Greenpeace East asia in Beijing, speculates that timing may have been a factor: “The government censored the film because it got 200 million views, and they did not want it to dominate the twin conferences,” the annual meeting of top party officials and the National People’s Congress, which started in Beijing on March 5.

Deleting the movie from public filesharing sites, however, isn’t the same as erasing it from public memory. “The video has already gone viral and will continue to do so—perhaps even more,” says angel Hsu, an expert in environmental governance and policy at Yale University who works frequently in China. as of March 10, the full video was still viewable on the website of independent newsmagazine Caixin and, for those in China with a virtual private network, on Youtube and several foreign news sites.

“Many people have saved the file, and there are ways to watch it if someone tries to search for it,” says wen Bo, a longtime environmental activist who’s now China adviser for the National Geographic air and water Conservation Fund. “In today’s world, information spreads really fast. Preventing the free flow of information can really backfire.” while censorship makes it more difficult to access the file, it also generates excitement

how Cloud Companies are Killing CheCKs by olga Kharif wHILE consumers keep making more of their daily finances digital—from online banking to apple Pay—many U.s. companies remain wed to paper.

The typical american pays 35 percent of her bills with checks, but most businesses complete more than half their transactions that way, according to researcher Crone Consulting. The federal government, banks, and the largest companies have invested in the servers, software, and staff needed to make transactions more efficient. smaller businesses have held off, but there are signs that’s starting to change.

Between preparation, approvals, postage, and the costs of dealing with occasional fraud, a business has to spend $5 to $25 to issue a paper check, compared with $1 to $2 for the same payment made electronically, estimates Crone. In the past few years the European Union and governments in Latin america have begun to require or encourage businesses to switch to digital invoices. There’s been no such pressure in the U.s., which accounts for two-thirds of the 22 billion checks written each year, according to researcher Celent. “The U.s. is 20 to 30 years behind other countries in moving away from paper,” says Celent analyst Gareth Lodge. the domestic market for business-focused digital payment software and services grew 10 percent in 2014 and will gain another 10 percent to reach $10 billion this year, Crone estimates. the growth is driven by a slew of web-based programs designed to mesh with a business’s existing accounting systems without pricey servers or other gear.

There’s been a rush of acquisitions and new investment as well. “we see a huge opportunity in B2B payments because they are so far behind the times,” says Drew Hofler, senior director of financial solutions for saP subsidiary ariba. The company’s business-focused software aribaPay has processed $5 billion in payments since it launched a year ago.

In september printer maker and business services company Lexmark International bought online payment processor Readsoft. In February, Bill. com doubled the $50 million in venture capital it had raised since its 2006 founding, while processor First Data led an $11 million round of investment in cloud rival Mineraltree. so far no company has more than 5 percent of the market, says Henry Ijams, managing director at industry consultant Paystream advisors. Bill.com Chief Executive Officer Rene Lacerte says his company may consider going public as early as 2017.

The companies have a wide range of business models. avidXchange signs up individual businesses directly; aCI worldwide, Basware, and Bill. com do the same, but also sell their processing services through client banks. some charge fees

per transaction, others based on monthly transaction volume. all the cloud programs are designed to link with clients’ accounting and business software, such as QuickBooks and Netsuite, and work electronically with a company’s suppliers, vendors, and banks. avidXchange says its cloud setup works with about 100 kinds of software. Earlier electronic payment systems would force bookkeepers to record checks and invoices at least twice if the programs used by the company were incompatible.

Using cloud-based software, an accountant can send a QuickBooks entry to managers for digital approvals, record the transaction in all ledgers, and send payment out automatically for processing. The result: Fewer employees have to deal with payments. “we are probably now up to two, three accounts payable people that we saved,” says Jim Cook, chief finance officer at Mozilla, which uses Bill.com. “and we are saving our managers a ton of time, providing an audit trail and time stamps online.”

Electronic systems also provide a level of detail that a simple check doesn’t. Businesses often issue one check to cover 100 different invoices. Online transactions can itemize the charges. some new programs can check for errors as well. aribaPay lets users establish dozens of rules on discounts based on order size and other factors and flags an invoice if a purchase order doesn’t match the final charge. some payment software makers offer extra features to distinguish their products from the competition. aCI worldwide lets users supplement invoices with videos and personal messages embedded in their PDFs. Basware is expanding an online marketplace that lets companies sell their invoices to debt collectors. It will soon offer loans as well, says CEO Esa tihilä. His company takes an undisclosed cut of each transaction.

Most cloud companies encrypt their data. still, recent corporate hacking scandals will keep some companies away from online transactions for years if not forever, says John Barlow, who runs market research firm Barlow Research associates. “You just look at the news, and there’s target and Home Depot and JPMorgan,” he says. “That scares a lot of people. … They know how to protect themselves with a paper check.”

Hacking fears notwithstanding, competition among online payment processors isn’t likely to get any less fierce in the near future, because the industry’s profit margins reach as high as 50 percent, says Ijams, the consultant. Celent’s Lodge says the billions of U.s. transactions still done on paper every year are a powerful incentive for payment processors to deliver the hard sell, even if they’re angling to convert only 1 percent of check users. “there’s a huge untapped market out there,” he says.

Blooomberg

over the film. “Given the lack of transparency, ordinary Chinese have a fascination with the unpleasant secrets of the government,” says Beijing-based writer Lijia Zhang. “Now people know about the inaction of local government, and how coal is produced just to keep up GDP levels. People are not surprised by such facts, but angered by them anyway.

The days when the Chinese authorities can brainwash its citizens are over in this Internet age.”

The film could yet strengthen the hand of China’s environmental enforcers, who granted rare interviews to Chai. “I think it’s already served the purpose the [environmental ministry] had intended,” says Yale’s Hsu, “to jockey for more power and positioning within the government, where its enforcement capabilities have been notoriously weak.”

The bottom line: Despite a ban, Chinese can still find Under the Dome on the web if they try hard enough.

FINANCING...From A9 the Bangsamoro assembly has the discretion to allocate the block grant according to need, the BBL should set the boundaries of such discretion; (c)The block grant will be subject to the audit of the Commission of audit (COa). with respect to auditing the funds it receives, article IX of the annex on Revenue Generation and wealth sharing provides that the Bangsamoro shall have an independent audit body, which shall have auditing responsibility over public funds utilized by the Bangsamoro. this is provided for in the BBL. the Bangsamoro auditing body shall be however without prejudice to the power, authority and duty of the national Commission on audit (COa) to examine, audit and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenues and the use of funds and property owned and held in trust by any government instrumentality including GOCCs. Under the 1987 Constitution, the COa shall have the power, authority, and duty to examine, audit, and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or uses of funds and property any subdivision of the government, which shall include the Bangsamoro. In essence, the COa acts as the external auditor of the Bangsamoro public funds. However, the power of COa to conduct examinations and audits is not exclusive and may be concurrent with private auditors. thus, parallel to the COa, the Bangsamoro auditing body, which shall be created by the Bangsamoro Basic Law, may operate as an internal auditor for the Bangsamoro funds, for its own internal purposes (which may include internal controls, checks and balances, evaluation purposes).

In order to meet the minimum demands of the 1987 Constitution, the following must however be provided: (a) the BBL must not, in any guise whatsoever, attempt to exempt the Bangsamoro from the jurisdiction of the COa; (b) the COa must continue to have the exclusive authority to define the scope of its audit and examination, establish the techniques and methods required therefor, and promulgate accounting and auditing rules and regulations, including those for the prevention and disallowance of irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant, or unconscionable expenditures or uses of government funds and properties; (c) the COa must continue to have the exclusive authority to decide on disallowances of unnecessary government expenditures. Other government agencies and their officials, as well as private auditors engaged by them, cannot in any way intrude into this exclusive function of the COa; and, (d) as the constitutionally mandated auditor of all government agencies, the COa’s findings and conclusions necessarily prevail over those of private auditors, at least insofar as government agencies and officials are concerned. these safeguards should be incorporated into the BBL. whenever I give a talk about the Bangsamoro in Mindanao cities like Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga – I point out that it is to the benefit of these cities, all outside the Bangsamoro, that the new autonomous region is a success. who will not want to have peaceful and prosperous neighbors? surely that will redound to the benefit of our cities and we too will profit from that. But first the Bangsamoro must be created and financially supported.

Definitely, BACK it will be a good investCHANNEL ment for Mindanao and for the country.

ALEJANDRO Facebook page: Dean Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylav

DEL ROSARIO

ambassador del Rosario’s column will resume next week.

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Korean wobbles but nips Superal

Hwang Ye-nah (left) holds her trophy after defeating top amateur Princess Superal for the ICTSI Ladies Open crown.

SAN ANTONIO—Kyrie Irving scored a career-high 57 points, including 11 in overtime, as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a thrilling 128-125 NBA victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

Irving had the most points in the NBA this season, bettering his own 55-points in a win over Portland in January.

Cleveland’s 22-year-old Australian-born star scored nine points in the final minute of regulation, including a three-pointer to knot the score at 110-110 and send the game into overtime.

He added 11 points in the extra period as the Cavaliers snapped a 10-game losing streak against the reigning NBA champion Spurs.

“All the credit goes to my team-mates,” Irving said. “They were doing a great job of screening me, getting me open.

“Our offensive execution down the stretch was huge. We got stops when we needed it.

“We were all tired going into that overtime, but there’s no excuses,” added Irving, who connected on all seven of his three-point attempts, was 20-of32 from the field and made 10 of 10 free throws.

“Everybody’s gearing up for playoff basketball.”

Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James added 31 points, five rebounds and seven assists for Cleveland, and gave his young team-mate an emotional congratulatory embrace when the game concluded.

The victory snapped a six-game Spurs winning streak, while the Cavs improved to 2-0 on their current four-game road trip.

San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard was looking like the hero of the game, effectively containing James early while putting up 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

But Leonard missed two free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining in regulation, opening the door for Irving’s game-tying three-pointer.

An inbound pass from James found Irving at the top of the key and he went right, rose and drained the basket to force overtime.

It was the first time since the second quar-

ter that the Cavs had leveled the contest.

With the win, Cleveland improved to 42-25 and remained in first place in the Central Division and second in the Eastern Conference.

The Spurs endured their first March defeat since 2013. They had won 20 games in the month of March prior to Thursday’s game.

The defending NBA champs are sixth in the Western Conference.

Point guard Tony Parker led the Spurs with 31 points and six assists. Leonard finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Danny Green also chipped in 24 points, while Tim Duncan contributed 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. AFP

KOREAN Hwang Ye-nah bucked a horrible start with clutch birdies and gutsy pars then held off amateur Princess Superal at the back to pound out a one-stroke victory despite a closing three-over 75 in the $75,000 ICTSI Ladies Open at Southlinks Golf Club yesterday.

Hwang blew a two-stroke lead and fell by two after just two holes but bounced back with a third straight birdie on No. 6 then watched her young rival squander chances to pull away with errant drives, poor iron game and shaky putting.

The Korean regained a two-shot lead at the turn and thwarted every Superal charge with birdies and pars to the dismay of the gallery which had braced for a big backside rally by the reigning US Girls Junior champion in the event presented

by Champion Infinity and sponsored by ICTSI. There was none as Superal, who moved to within one again with a birdie on No. 10, tottered and flubbed at least three makeable birdie putts, including a potential playoff sidehiller from 10 feet on the final hole. She settled for pars the rest of the way for a 74.

“I was mad early because my driving and putting were no good. But I relaxed after and I’m happy to escape with the win,” saidHwang,whothuscompleted a wire-to-wire triumph in the 54hole tournament she dominated with 68 and 66 in the first two rounds. She pooled a seven-under 209 and took the top $15,000 purse, which had been hers as early as the second round with the victory ending her string of poor finishes in the first three legs of the TaiwanLPGA. Despite her day-long struggle with her irons that saw her reach regulation just six times, Superal kept pressing her bid at the back but just couldn’t set up birdie putts from close range, her makeable bids on Nos. 13, 14 and 18 falling to drop into the cup.

Cebuana 2nd in Pureplay

The Cebuana Lhuillier men’s softball team ended in second place in the Pureplay International Slo-pitch Softball Tournament at the Clark International Sports Complex in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga. Undeafeated in the round robin eliminations with a twice-tobeat advantage, they faced Shanghai Swaack in the Finals, but were defeated twice, landing in second place in the annual international tourney.

THE Cebuana Lhuillier men’s softball team ended in second place in the Pureplay International Slo-pitch Softball Tournament held at the Clark International Sports Complex in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.

Undefeated in the roundrobin eliminations with a twice-to-beat advantage, they faced Shanghai Swaack in the finals, but were defeated twice, landing in second place in the annual international tourney.

“I have seen how hard the

boys fought during this series, and I am happy with the team’s performance. Of course, it would have been sweeter if we won the trophy, but Shanghai played a great finals series and the boys were still able to keep up with them. This series will just motivate us to aim for the championship next year. We will definitely be hungrier,” said team owner and Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier.

Lhuillier also currently sits as the President of the Ama-

teur Softball Association of the Philippines.

In the eliminations, the defending champions swept the Tokyo Cocobay, 16-0, and then demolished the Saigon Buffalos, 17-7, before finishing off the Laguna Entoms, 17-1 on Saturday.

On Sunday, the batters fought the Japan Yokoto Warriors in a close match, ending with a 13-10 win over the East Asians and getting the twiceto-beat advantage coming into the finals.

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

3 Pinoy Pride bets in top shape

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

DETERMINED to put on a show at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on March 28, the three stars who will headline “Pinoy Pride 30 – DDAY” sparred for 10 rounds each and by all accounts looked very good.

Players backed. Tin Majadillas, managing director of One of Kind Marketing (center, back row) is shown with Laura Le-

hmann, Tricia Robredo and members of the victorious Red Team during the awarding ceremony of the National Basketball Training Center All-Star Game, powered by Under Armour, recently at the Meralco gym. The Red team defeated the White team, 106-97, and won for all the players and coaches sports apparels and shoes courtesy of Under Armour.

French sports stars leave Argentina VILLA CASTELLI—Four top French athletes and crew from a reality TV show were cleared to return home on Thursday after the tragic helicopter crash which killed 10 cast members and colleagues.

Investigating judge Daniel Herrera gave the green light for Olympic champion swimmer Alain Bernard, figure skater Philippe Candeloro, cycling legend Jeannie Longo and snowboarder Anne-Flore Marxer to return after questioning them about Monday’s crash in Argentina’s remote northwest.

“I spoke to the people I needed to speak and gathered their testimony and

I have decided to allow all members of the production and participants to return to their country,” Herrera told AFP. There were no survivors in Monday’s deadly collision between two helicopters that were filming the reality series “Dropped” in the rugged terrain of La Rioja province.

The crash killed Olympic champion swimmer Camille Muffat, renowned yachtswoman Florence Arthaud and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine, as well as five French television crew members and two Argentine pilots.

An agent for one of the sports stars spoken to Thursday said the entire group would

take a Friday night flight to France, arriving in Paris Saturday morning—a plan confirmed by a source close to the case.

A team of officers from France’s gendarmerie police force was meanwhile en route to join their Argentine counterparts to comb through the charred wreckage of the helicopters and work to identify the bodies.

Investigators from France’s air accident investigation authority, the BEA, as well as helicopter manufacturer Airbus Helicopters and engine maker Turbomeca, are already working at the scene, where they have begun dismantling the aircraft, looking for clues. AFP

Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, who will defend his World Boxing Organization light flyweight title against Gilberto Parra, sparred with promising Mark Magsayo and Roli Gasca, while International Boxing Federation Intercontinental super bantamweight champion Prince Albert Pagara also went 10 rounds with Milan Melindo, Melvin Gumban and Ryo Acajo, as he faces Prosper Ankrah of Ghana for the WBO International bantamweight championship on the “Pinoy Pride 30” card.

Donaire’s father/trainer Dodong Donaire said his son went 10 rounds despite the heat and was still picking up.

He said there will be two more sparring sessions this week and two more the next before the fighters leave for Manila on the 21st.

The elder Donaire said the five-division world champion, who is eager to erase the memory of his crushing loss to a bigger and strong featherweight champion Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters, has banished “all negativity and

it’s all positive” in his commitment to make a statement in his return to the ring.

Renowned boxing patron Tony Aldeguer, who watched Donaire spar told the New Standard he was “impressed and noticed his hand-speed and power,” but did indicate he was concerned about the former champion’s weight as he noted that he looked big for someone, who is returning to the super bantamweight limit of 122.

Trainer Edmund Villamor, who handles Nietes and Pagara, said both fighters were in tremendous shape and he was most impressed with Nietes’ movement.

Nietes is currently the longest-reigning Filipino world champion after he surpassed the record of the late Hall-of-Famer Gabriel “Flash” Elorde of seven years and three months last Jan. 1.

Nietes indicated he wants to continue his winning streak for at least another three years, and judging by his remarkable work ethics, there is no reason why he cannot achieve his goal.

Seaports festival underway STARTING guns will fire off the M anila Bay Summer Seasports Festival at 8 a.m. today at the Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard.

The inspection of standard motors will be followed by eliminations for the dragon boat race, along with the qualifying heats for the bancathon.

Motorized banca racers from Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, La Union, Bacolod, Boracay, Iloilo, Pangasinan, Aparri, and Ilocos Sur will compete in the stock and formula races, while 18 clubs are expected to see action in the dragon boat competition. Among the

teams who have expressed their intention to join are joining the dragon boat race are the Philippine Air Force, Crimson Dragons, Amateur Paddlers Philippines, Rogue Pilipinas, Philippine Blue Phoenix, 1925 Paddlers Club, the Philippine Coast Guard, Triton, Onslaught Racing Dragons, Rowers Club Philippines Sea Dragons, One Piece Drakon Sangress, Manila Ocean Park, PNP Maritime Group Patriots, the Philippine Navy, NTMA Dragon Boat Team, Adamson University Paddlers, Maharlika Drakon Racers, and Dragons Republic Tomorrow, Sunday, semi-

final rounds for all categories will begin at 8 a.m. all the way to the championship rounds.

To cap the two-day event, organizers will hold an awards night and mini concert at 6 p.m. featuring 6 Cycle Mind and the Sassy Girls.

The 2015 Manila Bay Seasports Festival is presented

by Manila Broadcasting Company and the City of Manila, in cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard, and supported by Cobra Energy Drink, The Generics Pharmacy, Revicon, M. Lhuillier, Cignal, My Juiz, and Herco-official distributor for Briggs and Stratton.

Volley drafting. The Philippine Superliga’s Season 2015 kicked off yesterday with a drafting of rookies at the SM Aura. Shown from left are PSL Chairman Philip Juico, Alexa Micek of Petron, top pick Iris Tolenada of Philips Gold, Angeli Araneta of Foton, Ricajane Encloma of Cignal spikers, Rizza Manlapat of Shopinas, Therese Maureen of Shacman, LVPI president Joey Romasanta, and PSL president Ramon Suzara. RomAN PRosPeRo

Djokovic still chasing French Open championship INDIAN WELLS—World number one Novak Djokovic says as much as he would like to win a fourth Indian Wells title, claiming the elusive French Open crown is taking priority over everything else.

The 27-year-old Serbian star is aiming for back-toback Indian Wells titles to

go with his fifth Australian Open title won earlier this year.

He has two Wimbledon crowns and one US Open but has yet to lift the trophy at Roland Garros, having finished runner-up twice.

“The highest priority is the French Open,” he said Thursday at the Indian

Wells Tennis Garden stadium. “The French Open of course is the Grand Slam I’ve never won. But I’ve had a lot of good tournaments there. I played a couple times the finals there, got a step closer.”

Djokovic said he doesn’t agonize over his defeats in the final of the French but

rather sees them as a learnting experience.

“I use the losses as a way to grow mentally, physically and emotionally as a player so I can understand what I need to do better,” he said.

He said Thursday he doesn’t want to dwell on whether it will happen this year but he plans to show

up in top condition and ready to go the distance.

“It’s still too early to talk about it. The difference to those goals and approach is I won’t put too much pressure on myself.

“I don’t want to take away too much energy thinking about if I will make it or not.” AFP.

DjokoVic

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Lady Eagles shoot for volley title PSC wants more therapists, less medical folks for SEAG THE Philippine Sports Commission will mobilize more physical therapists and spend less in medical personnel when it provides billeting for national athletes and coaches going to the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

PSC chairman Ricardo “Richie” Garcia said this yesterday after he and chef de mission Julian Camacho returned from a meeting with members of the organizing committee in Singapore.

Garcia got assurances from the organizing committee that there is no need to send a big medical team to the games.

Competent medical personnel will be present in all venues to take care of medical emergencies and injuries.

Because of this, the agency will bring in ample number of physical therapists to help athletes stay in shape.

Instead of paying more than $300 or more per athlete, Garcia said the agency will just shell out $50 daily for the billeting of each member of the national contingent.

“The billeting was our primary concern because Singapore will not have a village. But, what they did was contact the hotels to host the athletes. These hotels are 4-star ones and they are only charging $50 a night. It would normally be higher than that,” said Garcia.

A list of 400 athletes is seen to make up the final delegation to the games.

The contingent will be made up mostly of athletes playing in team competitions. Peter Atencio

By Peter Atencio

THE Ateneo Lady Eagles will go for the crown today in Game 2 of the 77th University Athletic Association of the Philippines women’s volleyball championship series at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Will it be a walk in the park for The Lady Green Spikers will the Lady Eagles when show up with manthey clash against an power woes.

Game Today injury-ravaged La Salle (Mall of Asia Arena) Spiker Ara Galang Lady Green Spikers at 3:30 p.m. • La Salle vs is already out of com3:30 p.m. at the Mall of Ateneo (women finals) mission on injuries Asia Arena? suffered in their last “Right now that we are one semifinal showdown with the game away, we are going for it,” National University Lady Bullsaid Lady Eagles’ team manager dogs and she was later joined by Tonyboy Liao.

Camille Cruz, who was also ruled

out in the series due to an ACL injury she sustained in Game 1.

But with the two out, La Salle is not expected to back down, with other veterans like Cyd Demecillo and back-up spiker Christine Soyud expected to pick up the slack in Game 2.

On the other hand, if Ateneo wins, it will become the first school to complete a volleyball golden double since 2003.

The Lady Eagles are also seeking to be the first team to complete an unbeaten campaign since the Lady Spikers went 14-0 in 2004, when the league declared the team as automatic champions after sweeping the double-round eliminations.

Caleb Ewan (second from left) of Orica Greenedge makes his final move as the riders enter the final stretch leading to finish line. The 20-year-old rider maintained his yellow jersey.

RAMON BOADO

Republic of the Philippines CITY GOVERNMENT OF CAVITE INVITATION TO BID

1.

2.

3.

Lot No.

Project No.

Name of Project

ABC

Cost of Proposal Booklet

1

2015-42

Construction of 6-Classrooms 3-Storey School Building with Roof Deck (Phase 2) at Porta Vaga Elem. School, Cavite City

P6,618,720.66

Pl0,000.00

The LGU-CITY GOVERNMENT OF CAVITE, through the 2014 Local School Board Fund, intends to apply the sum as indicated above being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the above mentioned project. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The LGU-CITY GOVERNMENT OF CAVITE now invites bids for the above LOT Number, for use of Porta Vaga Elementary School, San Roque, Cavite City.

Delivery of Works required is 120 CALENDAR DAYS. Bidders should have completed similar contract to the project, within TEN (10) 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.

Bidding will be conducted through an 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.

ORIENTAL MINDORO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (O R M E C O) Simaron, Calapan City INVITATION TO BID All interested parties are invited to participate in the actual bidding for this three (3) LOTs listed below: LOT -I

Insurance for Dulangan Mini-Hydro Power Plant Approved Budget Cost: Php500,000.00 Source of Funding: General Fund Delivery Schedule: To be announced during the pre-qualification proper.

LOT - II

LOT - III

Supply of Materials for New Connection to Existing Line (Connectors, Service Clevis, Insulators, Service Grip, Bulb and Photo Switch) Approved Budget Cost: Php5,400,000.00 Source of Funding: Add-Ons Delivery Schedule: To be announced during the pre-qualification proper.

Supply, Installation, Commisioning and Test of Brand New 2 MVA Power Transformer Complete with Accessories and Protection, 3 phase, 4.16/13.8 KV Ynyn, 60Hz, Oil Immersed, ONAN FOB DMHPP Substation, Brgy. Paitan, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro Approved Budget Cost: Php2,800,000.00 Source of Funding: CAPEX 2015 Delivery Schedule: To be announced during the pre-qualification proper.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from LGU-CITY GOVERNMENT OF CAVITE and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours from 8:00 a.m -5:00 p.m.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount indicated above.

1

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

Interested parties may secure BID DOCUMENTS / INFORMATIONS from the Procurement Section, ORMECO, Inc., Simaron, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.

A non-refundable fee of Php 10,000.00 and shall be collected as payment for BID DOCUMENTS.

2

Interested Bidder must be accredited as supplier/contractor before joining the bidding proper and must notify us the confirmation of interest not later than March 16, 2015 of 5:00p.m.. You can call at telephone number 043-2882349 / cp#09175040113 or email at ronaldo_ormeco@yahoo.com.ph.

3

PRE-BID CONFERRENCE will be held at ORMECO, Inc. compound at 10:00 a.m. of March 17, 2015 for LOT-I, 1:00 p.m. of March 17, 2015 for LOT-II and 10:00 a.m. of March 18, 2015 for LOT-III

6.

The LGU-CITY GOVERNMENT OF CAV/TE will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on MARCH 19, 2015 -2:00 PM at the JULIAN C. MEDINA, JR. MEMORIAL HALL, CITY HALL BUILDING, SAMONTE PARK, SAN ROQUE, CAVITE CITY, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

7.

BIDS MUST BE SUBMITIED SEPARATELY BY EACH LOT AND PROPERLY MARKED IN THE OUTER ENVELOPE.

4

8.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 10:00 AM, MARCH 26, 2015 at the BIDS & AWARDS COMMITTEE SECRETARIAT, CITY HALL BUILDING, SAMONTE PARK, SAN ROQUE, CAVITE CITY. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause.

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.

SEALED PROPOSALS will be received at 10:00 a.m. of March 30, 2015 for LOT-I, 1:00 p.m. of March 30, 2015 for LOT-II and 10:00 a.m. of March 31, 2015 for LOT-III, immediately after which, the said proposals will be opened during the actual bidding in the presence of the attending bidders.

5

The LGU-CITY GOVERNMENT OF CAVITE reserves the right’tollccept 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.

ALL BIDS must be accompanied by a BID BOND payable to ORMECO in the form of CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK, MANAGER’S CHECK or BANK DRAFT issued by a reputable bank equivalent to TWO PERCENT (2%) of the ABC. No Bid Bond in the form of Surety Bond shall be accepted.

6

The winning bidder shall issue FIVE PERCENT (5%) in the form of CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK, MANAGER’S CHECK or BANK DRAFT from a reputable bank, representing the PERFORMANCE BOND.

7

If the bidder who submitted the best offer refuses to push through with his / her proposed BID during and after the bidding, his / her Bid Bond shall be forfeited, and failure of bidding shall be declared.

8

ORMECO reserves the right to reject all Bids, declare failure of bidding and not to award the contract without incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

ORMECO also has no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnity bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids.

9.

10. For further information, please refer to: Rommel S. Santos Head, BAC Secretariat City Hall Building, Samonte Park, San Roque, Cavite City Tel. 046-431-1652 baccavitecity@yahoo.com Telefax: 046-431 -1655

ORMECO, INC.

(SGD.) ARCH. ALLISON B. SANTIAGO City Administrator (BAC Chairman) (TNS-MAR. 14, 2015)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

(TNS-MAR. 14, 2015)

(SGD.) ROMEO N. CUASAY General Manager

Seo nails 1st-ever stage triumph KUANTAN—Seo Joon Yong slayed the ghost of two years ago as he finally rose to the top step of the podium with his first-ever stage after a solo attempt to take victory in Stage 5 of Le Tour de Langkawi 2015, at 200km the longest stage of this year’s race from Kuala Terengganu to Kuantan today.

The 27-year-old was part of a group of eight riders that launched an attack at 60 km into the stage and went all the way with an uninterested peloton just managing to cut a gap that expanded to over 18 minutes at one point to 5 minutes and 20s at the finish line, as Seo rode solo for the last 25 kms to finish 13s ahead of second placed Jamalidin Novardianto of Pegasus Cycling, who ousprinted TSG’s Adiq Husainie Othman to take second place.

Seo was only the second South Korean to win a stage in LTdL and the 11th Asian, as he stated his pride in finally winning.

Seo, Jamalidin and Adiq had earlier been joined by Malaysia’s Loh Sea Keong, Pegasus’ Rastra Patria, Colombia’s Juan Sebastian Molano Benevides and Skydive Dubai’s Maher Hasnaoui in the breakaway, but the South Korean’s solo attack had left the others surprised and unable to react until it was too late.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK S AT U R D AY : M A R C H 14 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

The embodiment of all that is good That he only recognized Floyd’s father/trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. but didn’t allow him to speak was a master-stroke to maintain the amiable, high-level conduct of the press conference because if a pre-conference interview with Mayweather Sr. was any indication, he could have started something not-so-nice that would have undermined the theme of togetherness, although celebrated trainer Freddie Roach couldn’t help himself when he stepped up to the microphone and ended his brief message with “we are going to whip your ass. Sorry, Floyd.”

While Pacquiao and Mayweather were undoubtedly the center of attraction and subdued worship as the gods of the sport, to us the gentleman, who stole the show was 83-year-old Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who looked fresh, well-rested and mentally sharp, possibly relieved that the fight had ultimately been done without his having to go through tortured back-and-forth negotiations with the Mayweather camp, leaving it to his good friend Les Moonves, the president and CEO of CBS to use his remarkable persuasive powers and negotiating skills to achieve what was not thought possible over the past five years.

When Arum, who was at the rostrum leaned over to shake the hand of Mayweather and told him “you missed me Floyd, didn’t you?” drawing a wide grin from Mayweather, it mirrored the tone of the proceedings.

But what truly must have touched Filipino hearts was Arum’s eloquent reference to the Philippines, the graciousness and care and compassion of its people both in times of war and in times of peace.

He recalled that while many countries, including the US declined to accept Jewish refugees from the dreaded holocaust of World War II, the Philippines, under President Manuel L. Quezon, opened the country’s doors and embraced the influx of a traumatized people; how Filipino soldiers took to the mountains to fight against the Japanese side by side with the Americans and how even today, thousands of Filipino nurses give substance to caring in hospitals across America.

Arum, who obviously has the greatest affection for Manny Pacquiao, his prized possession for well over a decade, extolled the virtues of Manny as the embodiment of all that is good and courageous about the Filipino.

Indeed, modern times can hardly present a viable challenge to the incredible rags-to-riches story of Manny Pacquiao, who embodies many of the traits that signify our nation’s greatness.

iNsidE spOrTs rONNiE NAThANiELsz

IN many ways, the one and only press conference officially telling the whole world that has waited five years for it to happen, meant that at long last, undefeated and No.1 pound-for-pound fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. and eightdivision world champion and the Philippines’ biggest sports hero, Manny Pacuiao, will indeed happen at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 2.

The fact that there will be none of the usual jet-setting worldwide media tour stops to hype the fight clearly recognizes the reality that the fight needs no promotional gimmicks. It takes care of itself.

The crowd at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles, which is the venue for such TV shows as “American Idol,” was significant in that two of the idols of boxing were on stage and only they will decide in a face-to-face encounter in the ring, who is indeed the champion of them all, In the intensely competitive welterweight division, fans and media will make up their own minds as to who the ultimate winner is, without call-ins on the phone influencing the final outcome as in the “American Idol.”

We joined popular ABS-CBN host TJ Manotoc in a two-hour marathon in the early hours of Thursday morning on ANC and Channel 2 in an effort to try and put what has come to be known as “The Fight of the Century,” into some sort of perspective, while weighing-in on the possible factors that could influence the outcome as we tried desperately to distance ourselves from the influence of our affection and respect for Manny Pacquiao who, to millions of Filipinos, is the greatest fighter of all time.

It had to be a question of the mind and not the heart and Mayweather got the respect he richly deserves as the unquestioned pound-for-pound king from the reporters and panelists on the wake-up show of ABS-CBN— Umaga Kay Ganda, anchored by the often irrepressible Anthony Taberna, who surely knows, along with his co-hosts, how to wake people up and keep them awake.

The press conference was marked by utmost cordiality on both sides. Leonard Ellerbe, who hosted the Mayweather side of the event may have exaggerated his homage to Floyd, but that was perfectly understandable for someone, who has been part of the inner circle for years.

Gin Kings in Ginuman Fest. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel players Greg Slaughter, Rodney Brondial, Chris Ellis and Mac Baracael greet fans during the Ginuman Fest leg held recently at San Pedro, Laguna. Now on its fourth year, the event, filled with games, music and celebrities is GSMI’s way of thanking millions of kabarangay for making Ginebra San Miguel the no. 1 selling gin in the world. Catch the summer legs of Ginuman Fest at the following venues: Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila (March 14); San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan (March); Sta. Cruz, Laguna (April); Kalibo, Aklan (April 17); Agoo, La Union (April 25); Bayambang, Pangasinan (April); Legaspi, Albay (April); Santiago, Isabela (May 2); Lucena, Quezon (May 29); Pulilan, Bulacan (May); and Gapan, Nueva Ecija (May). For more on the upcoming legs, visit www.ginebrasanmiguel.com or like the official fanpage of Ginebra San Miguel www.facebook.com/barangayginebra.

Arum: It’s Manny

by KO, or decision

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

TOP Rank promoter Bob Arum sincerely believes that eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao will win by a knockout or a convincing 12-round decision over undefeated pound-for-pound No.1 Floyd Mayweather Jr. when they face off in the “Fight of the Century” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 2.

In an interview with the New Standard and Viva Sports boxingmirror.com, Arum said he thinks the Mayweather fight will be a replay of the Oscar De bLa Hoya fight, in which Pacquiao mauled the Golden Boy and forced him to quit while seated on his stool at the end of the seventh round.

“If Pacquiao doesn’t knock out Mayweather, he will win by a convincing 12-round decision. In other words, not even a doubt who wins the fight,” said Arum.

He said that like the De La Hoya fight, Pacquiao will have to use the same strategy of going at Mayweather from different angles with flurries of

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, March 14, 2015

ACROSS 1 Civil offense 5 Buggy drivers 10 Lox purveyor 14 General vicinity 15 Panorama 16 Computer graphic 17 Heavy metal 18 Non-earthling 19 Chase flies 20 Obeys 22 Crack, in a way 24 Van Gogh medium 25 Puppy-chow brand 26 Gentle hills 29 Swamp gases 33 Comfortable 34 Wingspread 36 “— to Billie Joe” 37 Sugary drink 38 Prompting 39 — kwon do 40 Mammoth Cave loc.

41 Fierce whale 42 Hand-dye with wax 44 Flowing out 47 Slip-ups 48 Collapsed 49 Term of respect

50 53 58 59 61 62 63 64 65 66 67

Sophisticated Tall reeds Come down hard Bete — Light bulb, in a comic strip Like good cheddar A Muppet Latch onto “One for My Baby” singer Stargaze Big Board letters

DOWN 1 Greenish mineral 2 Two-color cookie 3 Widen a hole 4 Aquatic larva of frogs 5 Does the trick 6 Country — (long way) 7 Osiris’ beloved 8 Sault — Marie 9 Dealing with 10 Places to hustle 11 Mountain refrain 12 Stow 13 “Bus Stop” author 21 Tiger — 23 MPG monitor 25 Fridge maker

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

26 27 28 30 31 32 34 35 38 42 43 45 46 47 50 51 52 53 54 55

Drab color 56 Many August people Twig junctures 57 Identical Shaman’s findings 60 Puckster Catchphrase Bobby — Robin of balladry Looks for PREVIOUS PUZZLE SOLVED earnestly Groundswell Snapshot Met Plankton Bring charges Kenya neighbor Oddjob’s creator Regard highly Europe-Asia range Frenzy Good, in Guatemala Movie theater Diva’s rendition Casually 3-14-15 © 2015 UFS, Dist. by Univ. Uclick for UFS

punches and move in and out.

However, Arum commended Mayweather, pointing out that “he’s always in shape and hasn’t had a drink (liquor) in his life.”

He said that contrary to rumors that the people of Al Haymon, Mayweather’s manager, was offering Pacquiao’s sparring partners

more money to stay away from the Wild Card Gym, they have no problems with sparring partners.

“Freddie Roach, with the help of Bruce Trampler (Top Rank’s Hall of Fame matchmaker), has lined up sparring partners that have the same style as Mayweather,” said Arum.

In the latest development in the on-going war over sparring partners, Roach has revealed that he had enticed a so-called “secret sparring partner” from Mayweather’s gym in Las Vegas to help Pacquiao prepare for the multi-million dollar fight, although he didn’t reveal the identity of the sparring partner.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK S AT U R D AY : M A R C H 14 , 2 0 1 5

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

REUEL VIDAL A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

By Jeric Lopez

MERALCO halted itstwo-game slide and regained a tie for first place after handing Barako Bull a systematic 98-85 beating in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Josh Davis had his usual monster productive game with game-highs of 32 points on 12of-19 shooting, to go with 19 rebounds, while Reynel Hugnatan had his best outing of the tournament with a conference-high 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting to lead Meralco.

The Bolts are now tied again with idle Talk ‘N Text at the top of the heap with identical 6-2 marks as they also enhanced their chances of finishing in the Top 2.

On the other hand, the fading Energy Colas have now lost five of their last six games as they continued to fall down the ladder in a dangerous spot at eighth place in a tie with Kia at 4-5.

Meralco coach Norman Black was all praises for his steady import’s play. ‘’It’s really nice to have Josh Davis back at 100 percent. His energy really helped us win his game,’’ said Black. ‘’Davis is a great player. He brings a lot to the table.’’

Only the top eight teams after the elimination round will move to the quarterfinals, while the bottom four squads are headed for an earlier vacation. The Top 2 finishers will have a twice-to-beat incentive in the next phase.

The scores: Meralco 98—Davis 32; Hugnatan 21, David 14, Hodge 8, Wilson 7, Dillinger 4, Ferriols 4, Cortez 4, Ildefonso 2, Caram 2, Anthony 0, Buenafe 0, Macapagal 0.

Barako Bull 85—Alabi 14, Hubalde 13, Lanete 13, Intal 10, Salva 10, Lastimosa 7, Garcia 6, Pascual 6, Marcelo 4, Matias 2, Salvador 0.

Quarters: 24-20; 49-38; 70-61; 98-85.

Game Saturday

(Davao City) 5 p.m. - Talk ‘N Text vs. Purefoods

Bolts regain share of lead Meralco’s Josh Davis beats his teammate Cliff Hodge and Barako Bull’s Jake Pascual for the rebound in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup game won by the Bolts, 98-85.

LOTTO RESULTS

Irving’s 57 pts carry Cavs past Spurs TURN TO A12

Korean edges Superal for title TURN TO A12

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 4 DIGITS 00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B1

SATURDAY: MARCH 14, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

PSe comPoSite index

BUSINESS

Closing March 13, 2015

8000 7500 6840 7500 6180

7000

5520

6500

4860

6000 4200 3860 5500

7,809.54 30.28

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing MARCH 13, 2015 45

P44.300

44

CLOSE

43 42 41

HIGH P44.230 LOW P44.320 AVERAGE P44.271 VOLUME 542.400M

P508.00-P728.00 LPG/11-kg tank P37.95-P43.30 Unleaded Gasoline

Pure Foods listing. San Miguel Pure Foods Company Inc. holds a bell ringing ceremony at the Philippine Stock Exchange for the listing of its Series 2 Preferred Shares. The company raised P15 billion from its offering. Shown (from left) are San Miguel Corp. treasurer Sergio Edeza; SMC deputy chief finance officer Joseph Pineda; PF compliance officer Ma. Soledad Olives; PF chief finance officer and treasurer Zenaida Postrado; PF president Francisco Alejo III; PSE chairman Jose Pardo; and PSE directors Amor Iliscupidez, Vivian Yuchengco and Alejandro Yu.

FINANCE REVIEWING MAYNILAD’S CLAIM

Water row is up to DoF

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

STATE-RUN Metropolitan Waterworks & Sewerage System said Friday the Finance Department has the final say on whether or not the government should pay Maynilad Water Services Inc. for lost revenues.

Maynilad on Tuesday asked the government to pay P3.44 billion as sovereign compensation for revenue losses it incurred from Jan. 1, 2013 to Feb. 28 this year, after MWSS refused to honor the decision of an arbitration panel to adjust rates in the west zone.

“DoF will have the final say.

They are now examining the claim of Maynilad and studying if the claimed numbers are indeed correct,” said MWSS chief regulator Joel Yu. He said Maynilad’s claim had no basis.

“In our view, there should be a ground to call for that guarantee.

From our point, the P3.44 billion they are asking for has no ground.

There is no lost revenue because of the design and tariff setting of the concession agreement,” he said.

Yu said the water rate under the concession agreement was set at a level that would permit Maynilad to recover its investments not immediately but over the full term of the deal, or until 2037.

“Between now and then, the rate will be reviewed at least

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

four times during the rate rebasing exercises scheduled in the years 2017, 2022, 2027 and 2032. In other words, assuming there is in fact a shortfall in Maynilad’s recovery of its investments, the same will be

addressed by way of a rate adjustment in a future rate rebasing exercise,” Yu said.

“There is no lost revenue, in effect. That is the model under the concession agreement and we are faithfully observing it,” he said.

The International Chamber of Commerce’s appeals panel in December 2014 ruled in favor of Maynilad, ordering a higher tariff, including passing the income tax burden to consumers.

The panel upheld Maynilad’s alternative rate rebasing adjustment, which would lead to an

increase of P3.06 per cubic meter on the basic water charge of P31.28 per cubic meter.

MWSS, however, deferred the ruling, pending a decision on a similar case involving east zone concessionaire Manila Water Company Inc. A television report earlier said the arbitration panel handling the case of Manila Water ruled against the company’s bid for a higher tariff rate by passing the income tax burden to consumers.

Yu declined to confirm the report.

P27.50-P30.80 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

P36.75-P43.42 Kerosene P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, March 13, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

44.2710

Japan

Yen

0.008247

0.3651

UK

Pound

1.489900

65.9594

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128755

5.7001

Switzerland

Franc

0.998004

44.1826

Canada

Dollar

0.788146

34.8920

Singapore

Dollar

0.724061

32.0549

Australia

Dollar

0.771010

34.1334

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652520

117.4297

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266638

11.8043

Brunei

Dollar

0.721449

31.9393

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.030488

1.3497

UAE

Dirham

0.272257

12.0531

Euro

Euro

1.063800

47.0955

Korea

Won

0.000892

0.0395

China

Yuan

0.159683

7.0693

India

Rupee

0.016022

0.7093

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.271076

12.0008

New Zealand

Dollar

0.740576

32.7860

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031673

1.4022 Source: PDS Bridge

NGCP: Luzon power reserves still in excess

By Alena Mae S. Flores LUZON’S power reserves are expected to reach 1,981 megawatts on Sunday despite the first day of the 30-day maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya gas facility in northwest Palawan.

Data from grid operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said system load or demand would reach 6,418 MW on Sunday against the projected capacity of 8,388 MW. The demand is lower during weekends or holidays compared with weekdays or ordinary working days.

By Monday, the system capacity will increase to 8,999 MW although demand will be higher at 7,719 MW, which meant the reserves is lower on Monday at 1,280 MW. The capacity from the combined cycle or natural gas plant will go down to 2,280 MW starting Sunday from 3,060 MW on Friday and Saturday prior to the Malampaya shutdown, according to data.

The Malampaya gas field provides power to three natural gas plants, namely Sta. Rita (100 MW), San Lorenzo (500 MW) and Ilijan (1,200 MW), all in Batangas.

The Sta. Rita and San Lorenzo

power plants will shift to the higher priced liquid fuel, while only one unit of the Ilijan combined cycle natural gas plant will be running using diesel as fuel.

“Ilijan will run but only limited at 420 MW,” Energy director Mylene Capongcol said.

Coal plants are expected to contribute 3,754 MW on Sunday while hydro plants are expected to deliver 1,282 MW. Geothermal plants with a capacity of 483 MW will supply the grid on Sunday while gas turbine/wind will deliver 55 MW. Diesel plants will provide 545 MW. Capongcol said some power

plants were still on forced outage on Sunday. She did not provide additional information.

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla earlier said Luzon was entering a “critical period” starting March 15.

He said Luzon was facing a 200-megawatt power shortage in March on a worst-case scenario, although that could be remedied by the interruptible load program.

“The best case scenario is no brownout. Based on our projection, you have a deficit of 200 megawatts without ILP. With ILP, this will already be covered,” Petilla said.

SATURDAY: MARCH 14, 2015

B2

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

MST BuSineSS Daily STockS Review Friday, March 13, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

2.7 75.3 99.4 105.2 63 2.3 4.2 19.6 31.6 22.5 2.95 890 1.01 92.9 30.5 75 99 140 392 59 146.8 1700 130 2.8

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

42.6 6.1 1.66 2.3 17.98 148 17.2 15.8 56.8 4.57 39.5 14 12.98 8.15 12.34 17 27.1 90.5 0.014 15.74 9.4 0.98 199.8 10.98 79 5.2 30 90 14.7 317 5.37 14.48 7.5 14.5 7.03

1.55 63.5 67.5 82.5 50 1.9 1.1 14.5 23.2 6.84 1.75 625 0.175 69.35 20.45 58 76 119 276 41.5 105.1 1281 116 2.25

Close 6.05 70 114.00 100.50 47 2.29 2.40 16.6 24.8 8.22 1.79 730.00 0.520 94.15 18.46 31.00 81.64 95.30 352 46.15 166 1335.00 70.00 3.08

Low

FINANCIAL 6.94 6.06 70.2 69.2 115.00 113.80 100.30 99.90 47.2 47 2.36 2.29 2.40 2.38 16.6 16.5 25.5 25.1 8.98 8.22 1.70 1.70 730.00 720.00 0.530 0.520 92.9 92.1 18.60 18.46 31.50 30.70 83.50 81.00 95.40 95.20 354 352.2 46.5 46 168.3 163 1350.00 1336.00 70.00 69.50 3.1 3.08 INDUSTRIAL 46 45.55 1.69 1.66 1.11 1.08 2.1 2.05 8.39 8.16 91.00 80.00 19.2 18.8 22 21.6 59 58.7 1.81 1.75 12.26 11.38 20.800 20.3 11.74 11.48 8.55 8.40 9.83 9.70 21.5 19.4 30.2 29.5 105 103.8 0.4850 0.4850 14.76 14.76 6.76 6.64 0.610 0.610 214.80 210.80 10.14 10.1 38.00 38.00 2.7 2.62 27.6 27.15 29.2 28.15 8.200 8.000 280.00 275.20 4.57 4.54 10.58 10.42 5.32 5.2 11.90 11.42 3.98 3.88 2.93 2.91 5.94 5.88 208 205 1.78 1.7 0.204 0.189 1.53 1.52 2.28 2.26 219 213.6 0.74 0.72 1.54 1.52 HOLDING FIRMS 0.475 0.465 58.20 56.10 26.15 25.70 7.17 7.15 1.75 1.55 758 752 9.33 9.25 15.54 15.38 3.04 2.98 4.81 4.68 0.430 0.405 1340 1310 6.30 6.30 65.95 65.00 5.2 5.15 9.2 8.93 0.73 0.69 16.42 16 0.65 0.62 4.93 4.85 5.28 5.12 0.0410 0.0400 0.720 0.700 2.41 2.41 75.00 73.00 924.50 910.50 1.28 1.26 0.99 0.95 105.00 103.00 0.6000 0.5800 0.2700 0.2550 PROPERTY 9.940 9.630 1.04 1.03 1.400 1.320 0.275 0.275 38.60 37.45 4.43 4.39 5.11 5.1 0.98 0.96 0.155 0.149

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

6.72 70 114.50 100.00 47.05 2.36 2.40 16.6 25.25 8.84 1.70 720.00 0.520 92.5 18.50 31.50 82.00 95.20 352.4 46 163 1350.00 69.50 3.08

11.07 0.00 0.44 -0.50 0.11 3.06 0.00 0.00 1.81 7.54 -5.03 -1.37 0.00 -1.75 0.22 1.61 0.44 -0.10 0.11 -0.33 -1.81 1.12 -0.71 0.00

691,700 14,600 2,350,300 1,204,700 63,000 61,000 340,000 8,900 237,300 80,500 22,000 630 95,000 4,837,460 59,700 10,700 140,010 1,160 2,140 322,700 1,364,140 105 19,210 80,000

187,538.00 557,388.00 -25,245,057.00 30,070,561.00 686,680.00 -7,080.00

45.9 1.69 1.1 2.09 8.27 87.00 19 22 59 1.81 11.92 20.300 11.68 8.45 9.80 19.62 29.6 103.9 0.4850 14.76 6.67 0.610 210.80 10.1 38.00 2.68 27.5 29 8.050 280.00 4.54 10.58 5.2 11.68 3.95 2.91 5.90 205 1.78 0.191 1.52 2.27 217.6 0.73 1.54

0.88 -1.74 0.92 -0.48 0.85 -9.23 1.06 0.00 0.51 0.56 5.67 0.74 1.57 0.12 0.31 6.63 0.34 0.39 1.04 0.00 -0.45 -1.61 -1.86 -0.20 -0.13 6.35 1.29 3.02 0.00 1.74 -0.22 0.76 -3.70 -2.99 -0.25 0.34 0.00 0.00 3.49 -1.55 -0.65 0.00 0.28 -1.35 0.00

2,499,200 42,000 691,000 2,415,000 13,500 940 336,200 346,000 43,900 227,000 1,173,000 5,739,800 20,111,300 38,073,000 3,849,700 348,000 3,240,100 355,870 40,000 900 187,700 22,000 689,650 438,700 300 56,000 1,922,200 396,500 265,500 283,130 77,000 3,785,400 5,100 125,400 694,000 1,108,000 699,200 52,590 92,000 41,900,000 107,000 1,096,000 1,554,980 374,000 264,000

47,071,110.00 33,800.00

0.475 57.00 26.10 7.17 1.73 758 9.3 15.40 2.98 4.81 0.405 1330 6.30 65.00 5.2 9 0.72 16 0.64 4.89 5.28 0.0410 0.720 2.41 73.00 920.00 1.28 0.99 103.00 0.5900 0.2650

-1.04 -2.23 0.77 -0.14 8.13 0.53 0.87 0.26 -1.65 0.42 -1.22 1.92 -1.56 -1.44 1.76 -1.96 5.88 -0.62 0.00 1.03 0.00 2.50 1.41 -5.49 -2.01 0.55 0.00 4.21 -2.37 0.00 0.00

750,000 1,286,050 10,779,200 31,000 603,000 561,510 3,442,900 7,347,800 50,000 185,000 8,660,000 146,905 5,500 1,200,680 25,900 3,374,700 2,204,000 2,519,700 3,948,000 40,960,000 17,000 1,500,000 1,367,000 12,000 253,660 280,820 312,000 61,000 37,290 10,327,000 6,250,000

9.760 1.03 1.340 0.275 37.45 4.4 5.1 0.97 0.151

-1.91 0.00 0.00 3.77 -2.98 0.23 0.00 0.00 -1.95

1,740,700 187,000 48,000 40,000 15,923,200 2,193,000 11,100 7,961,000 39,320,000

36,520.00 1,115,750.00 10,279

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

0.98 1.09 0.370 2.25 1.77 1.6 4.88 0.180 0.470 4.45 24.8 2.06 3.6 19.62 1.02 6.66 1.96 6.5

0.47 0.87 0.175 1.22 1.18 1.19 2.75 0.070 0.325 2.5 18.72 1.45 2.9 14.1 0.58 3.05 0.87 4.37

3.25 43.7 1.09 12.46 14 0.1640 4.05 71 12.3 3.28 9 1700 2008 9.04 2.02 118.9 12.5 0.017 0.0653 2.2800 6.99 9.67 2.85 2.2 4.32 1.97 2.45 14.46 0.62 22.8 6.6 2.85 107 11.3 3486 0.710 2.01 48.5 74

1.55 27 0.59 10 8.28 0.0960 2.97 44.8 10.14 1.99 4 1080 1580 7.12 1.2 94.4 8.72 0.012 0.026 1.560 1.95 5.82 1.15 1.1 1.9 0.485 1.42 10.14 0.35 14.54 5.2 1.85 81 4.39 2572 0.250 0.26 32.2 48

Close

Cyber Bay Corp.

Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld Corp.

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

High

Low

Close

0.480 0.900 0.228 1.59 1.83 1.51 5.63 0.125 0.3700 7.3 28.50 1.76 3.20 19.60 0.97 7.15 1.050 7.500

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.480 0.470 0.475 0.900 0.900 0.900 0.228 0.214 0.214 1.63 1.59 1.62 1.84 1.80 1.80 1.51 1.49 1.50 5.73 5.54 5.63 0.129 0.125 0.125 0.3600 0.3500 0.3600 7.43 7.22 7.4 29.60 28.50 28.50 1.76 1.75 1.76 3.21 3.20 3.21 19.80 19.54 19.80 0.99 0.93 0.94 7.3 7.09 7.29 1.060 1.030 1.060 7.570 7.460 7.500 SERVICES 9.15 10.3 9.15 9.9 64 64.8 63.75 63.8 0.680 0.690 0.680 0.690 13.12 14.1 13.14 14 10.50 10.68 10.52 10.58 0.1090 0.1100 0.1090 0.1090 4.1 4.12 3.93 4.08 87.8 89 87.5 87.5 10.94 10.94 10.94 10.94 1.68 1.66 1.66 1.66 6.48 6.50 6.42 6.42 1015 1000 1000 1000 1939 1950 1939 1943 7.00 7.05 6.80 6.83 1.61 1.61 1.57 1.59 113.5 114 111.5 111.5 11.9 11.9 11.04 11.9 0.014 0.014 0.014 0.014 0.305 0.330 0.305 0.330 1.3300 1.3400 1.3200 1.3300 2.72 2.76 2.69 2.69 9.14 9.14 9.08 9.08 1.95 2.00 1.95 2.00 1.5 1.58 1.46 1.5 2.29 2.28 2.20 2.28 0.710 0.700 0.690 0.690 1.95 2 1.95 1.97 10.26 10.44 10.06 10.18 0.375 0.375 0.365 0.365 18 18.02 18.02 18.02 4.60 4.60 4.45 4.55 3.31 3.34 3.33 3.33 103.00 106.00 104.00 105.00 13.80 13.80 13.30 13.80 3002.00 3002.00 2950.00 2950.00 0.590 0.600 0.590 0.600 1.590 1.630 1.570 1.590 41.00 42.00 41.50 41.75 88.00 90.05 87.00 87.00 10.68 10.94 10.70 10.80 0.73 0.73 0.71 0.72 1.9 1.91 1.9 1.9 7.32 7.49 7.31 7.35 0.380 0.375 0.365 0.365 1.400 1.420 1.310 1.420 MINING & OIL 0.0061 0.0061 0.0058 0.0061 2.85 2.99 2.98 2.98 9.51 9.55 9.46 9.46 0.275 0.265 0.260 0.260 7.0100 7.0100 7.01 7.0100 1.12 1.13 1.08 1.11 0.94 0.96 0.94 0.95 7.80 8.25 7.75 8.00 2.55 2.59 2.51 2.52 0.350 0.355 0.340 0.350 0.245 0.248 0.244 0.245 0.255 0.255 0.250 0.255 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0160 0.0150 0.0150 0.0150 5.68 5.73 5.67 5.7 27.75 28.15 27.7 28 3.4 3.95 3.39 3.8 0.7300 0.7700 0.7400 0.7600 2.260 2.350 2.230 2.300 0.0140 0.0140 0.0130 0.0140 0.0150 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 5.84 5.85 5.52 5.85 7.88 7.95 7.86 7.86 3.06 3.3 3 3 0.016 0.016 0.015 0.016 160.00 160.00 155.30 156.00 4.39 4.4 4.28 4.39 PREFERRED 63.95 65.8 65.7 65.7 510 512 512 512 519.5 521 520 520 509 509 508.5 508.5 6.79 6.82 6.76 6.79 1.09 1.06 1.06 1.06 108.5 108.5 108.4 108.5 1075 1075 1065 1065 1020 1040 1020 1039 76.05 76.7 76.5 76.7 81.6 82 81.6 82 83.5 83.5 83.3 83.5 WARRANTS & BONDS 4.010 4.100 4.000 4.020 SME 7.7 7.8 7.71 7.8 60.3 72 70 71.05 11.32 11.7 11.08 11.1 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 127 127.2 126.9 126.9

-1.04 0.00 -6.14 1.89 -1.64 -0.66 0.00 0.00 -2.70 1.37 0.00 0.00 0.31 1.02 -3.09 1.96 0.95 0.00

530,000 1,559,000 2,240,000 1,228,000 17,554,000 332,000 41,670,400 7,100,000 110,000 414,200 3,083,000 341,000 46,000 10,672,300 17,825,000 12,023,200 141,000 10,484,800

8.20 -0.31 1.47 6.71 0.76 0.00 -0.49 -0.34 0.00 -1.19 -0.93 -1.48 0.21 -2.43 -1.24 -1.76 0.00 0.00 8.20 0.00 -1.10 -0.66 2.56 0.00 -0.44 -2.82 1.03 -0.78 -2.67 0.11 -1.09 0.60 1.94 0.00 -1.73 1.69 0.00 1.83 -1.14 1.12 -1.37 0.00 0.41 -3.95 1.43

4,419,200 9,210 299,000 497,000 7,572,000 16,590,000 409,000 317,240 3,200 1,000 4,900 10 44,905 244,200 189,000 5,240,110 16,000 9,000,000 85,000,000 691,000 75,000 1,900,000 18,000 290,000 106,000 65,000 77,000 23,202,300 150,000 500 14,000 28,000 806,050 672,600 127,620 814,000 8,145,000 1,981,500 2,150,000 14,431,700 362,000 4,000 384,300 490,000 39,000

0.00 4.56 -0.53 -5.45 0.00 -0.89 1.06 2.56 -1.18 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -6.25 0.35 0.90 11.76 4.11 1.77 0.00 -6.67 0.17 -0.25 -1.96 0.00 -2.50 0.00

1,351,000,000 73,000 311,300 -881,479.00 13,440,000 900 728,000 54,500.00 933,000 247,100 -16,030.00 12,157,000 -9,420,520.00 2,190,000 10,500,000 14,000,000 314,700,000 238,200,000 1,302,000.00 2,342,100 2,341,100 19,483,815.00 17,649,000 -5,150,300.00 1,417,000 76,000.00 461,000 20,430.00 2,200,000 1,900,000 6,900 1,993,300 8,690.00 1,225,000 195,900.00 159,500,000 -3,400.00 668,370 -43,764,690.00 27,000

2.74 0.39 0.10 -0.10 0.00 -2.75 0.00 -0.93 1.86 0.85 0.49 0.00

20 1,000 5,380 6,200 219,700 59,000 27,570 3,830 3,885 50,220 18,170 133,740

0.25

245,000

1.30 17.83 -1.94

218,200 6,350 3,313,600

-0.08

1,790

-18,000.00 2,061,530.00 -28,680,932.00 -147,500.00 53,330,985.00 -175,440.00 73,801,994.00 -29,840.00

MST Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group C. Azuc De Tarlac Century Food Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI Federal Res. Inv. Group First Gen Corp.

First Holdings ‘A’ Greenergy Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp.

Lafarge Rep Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor 4.88 RFM Corporation 210 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 1.7 Splash Corporation 0.102 Swift Foods, Inc. 1.6 TKC Steel Corp.

1.37 Trans-Asia Oil 111.3 Universal Robina 0.550 Vitarich Corp.

1.33 Vulcan Ind’l.

45.5 1.72 1.09 2.1 8.2 95.85 18.8 22 58.7 1.8 11.28 20.150 11.50 8.44 9.77 18.4 29.5 103.5 0.4800 14.76 6.7 0.620 214.80 10.12 38.05 2.52 27.15 28.15 8.050 275.20 4.55 10.50 5.4 12.04 3.96 2.90 5.90 205 1.72 0.194 1.53 2.27 217 0.74 1.54

0.7 61.6 31.85 7.39 2.7 747 11.34 84 3.68 5.34 0.23 1060 7.1 59.8 5.29 6.55 0.9 19.9 0.75 5.4 5.35 0.0550 0.84 2.9 88 866 2.2 1.39 156 0.285 0.245

0.46 45.75 21.95 6.3 1.550 508 7.470 47.25 1.15 4 0.144 706 5.3 36.7 3 3.95 0.58 12.96 0.580 4.06 4.5 0.027 0.355 2.36 54.5 680 1.04 0.85 58.05 0.158 0.150

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anscor `A’ Asia Amalgamated A Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘B’ Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Keppel Holdings `A’ Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

LT Group Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Minerales Industrias Corp.

Pacifica `A’ Prime Orion Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries

0.480 58.30 25.90 7.18 1.60 754 9.22 15.36 3.03 4.79 0.410 1305 6.40 65.95 5.11 9.18 0.68 16.1 0.64 4.84 5.28 0.0400 0.710 2.55 74.50 915.00 1.28 0.95 105.50 0.5900 0.2650

9.03 1.99 2.07 0.375 35.3 6.15 6.1 2 0.201

5.51 0.99 1 0.185 23.7 4.41 5 1.22 0.068

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Arthaland Corp.

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Century Property Crown Equities Inc.

9.950 1.03 1.340 0.265 38.60 4.39 5.1 0.97 0.154

6.68 275 2.25 0.191 2.5 2.68 188.6 1.3 2.17

High

31.75 2.51 0.88 1.25 9.58 15 14.6 9.82 21.5 0.82 17.3 5.98 9.05 4.25 8.68 8.61 12.2 48.9 0.0097 12.8 2.05 0.32 150.8 8.55 48.5 2.8 20.35 12 10.1 246 4 11.56 5 9.94 4.33

Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS PROPERTY SERVICES MINING & OIL GRAND TOTAL

SHARES 12,009,597 135,791,279 108,803,694 196,161,562 188,728,384 2,150,458,481 2,795,492,937

241,363,145.00 92,300.00

-6,694,799.00

-861,805.00 -26,515,592.00

816.00

2,100,818.00

1,142,178.00

-7,593,684.00 48,105,610.00 -23,062,546.00 -94,127,670.00 -11,648,321.00 190,100.00 8,444,400.00 -10,347,834.00 22,696.00

-74,853,332.00 631,604.00

38,387,165.00 1,656,650.00 -1,729,218.00 30,203,354.00 -1,509,030.00 784,910.00

145,230.00 10,208,800.00

-21,870.00

-318,760.00 10,363,840.00 15,300.00

-17,468,949.50 51,134,120.00

-37,745,990.00 4,031,836.00 11,209,932.00 45,550.00

20,950.00 46,319,845.00 -46,332,921.00

-11,237,956.00 -54,430.00 5,072,172.00 989,220.00 -5,792,040.00

922,769.50 -39,705,125.00 -59,890.00

-3,569,302.00 -549,600.00 -766,950.00 -5,842,783.00

0.87 2.95 11.46 0.435 1.6

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp.

Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ.

Discovery World DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SSI Group 0.59 STI Holdings 1.68 Transpacific Broadcast 7.78 Travellers 0.305 Waterfront Phils.

1.04 Yehey

0.0086 5.45 17.24 0.325 12.7 1.2 1.73 10.98

0.0028 1.72 11.48 0.225 6 0.5 0.76 4.93

0.46 0.455 0.730 0.024 0.026 8.2 48.85 3.35 1.030 3.06 0.021 0.023 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.042 420 9

0.385 0.3000 0.2950 0.012 0.014 1.960 14.22 1.47 0.220 1.24 0.016 0.017 4.02 7.8 6.5 0.031 123 4.3

44.1

26.3

60 511 9.04 9.67

30 480 6.76 5.82

77.3 78.95 81.85

74.2 74.5 75

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Semirara Corp.

TA Petroleum ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C

2.42

0.0010 LR Warrant

-430,685,885.00 -980,470.00

10.96 35

2.4 7.74

2,919,240.00 7,600.00

Double Dragon IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

119.6

94

First Metro ETF

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,110,671,202.75 1,723,985,199.82 1,818,095,753.482 1,448,576,608.21 2,236,306,319.421 337,200,369.943 8,714,710,386.623

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,802.31 (up) 1.48 INDUSTRIAL 12,766.75 (up) 31.17 HOLDING FIRMS 6,950.29 (up) 2.21 PROPERTY 3,132.02 (down) 34.70 SERVICES 2,158.92 (down) 23.23 MINING & OIL 15,973.93 (down) 116.54 PSEI 7,809.54 (down) 30.28 All Shares Index 4,545.05 (down) 5.49 Gainers: 90; Losers: 77; Unchanged: 49; Total: 216

10,500.00 -3,514,072.00 120,183.00 33,332.00 30,374,192.00 -16,633,548.50

-6,500.00 54,925,910.00

9,353,023.00

-310,500.00 -45,960.00

-3,900.00

-150,510.00 6,036,858.00

388,935.00 -28,980.00 -157,244,510.00 -5,534,260.00 28,305,385.00 1,857,659.50 -77,947,942.00 -519,034.00

-1,310.00

-678,660.00

468,000.00 7,670.00 -2,100,854.00

-747,716.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

IRipple E-Business Intl

71.05

17.83

C. Azuc De Tarlac

87.00

-9.23

Nihao Mineral Resources

3.8

11.76

Oriental Pet. `B'

0.0140

-6.67

AG Finance

6.72

11.07

Manila Mining `B'

0.0150

-6.25

Island Info

0.330

8.20

Ever Gotesco

0.214

-6.14

2GO Group'

9.9

8.20

Republic Glass 'A'

2.41

-5.49

Asia Amalgamated A

1.73

8.13

Basic Energy Corp.

0.260

-5.45

Filipino Fund Inc.

8.84

7.54

I-Remit Inc.

1.70

-5.03

Asian Terminals Inc.

14

6.71

Waterfront Phils.

0.365

-3.95

Federal Res. Inv. Group

19.62

6.63

Phil H2O

5.2

-3.70

LMG Chemicals

2.68

6.35

Sta. Lucia Land Inc.

0.94

-3.09

SATURDAY: MARCH 14, 2015

B3

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

First Gen’s profit rises 64% GSIS prefers domestic market

By Jennifer Ambanta PENSION fund Government Service Insurance System said Friday it has no plan to invest overseas at the moment, as the domestic market remains more attractive.

GSIS president and general manager Robert Vergara said investing offshore might take a back seat this year, given the less favorable external or foreign market conditions.

“We have very little appetite to deploy funds offshore. If we have, it maybe too tiny to make an impact on the investment portfolio,” he said.

Vergara said GSIS would continue to invest its assets in the domestic financial market and infrastructure programs.

“We are still very interested with infrastructure projects especially if it yields higher than the inflation rate,” he said.

GSIS, APG and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd. formed a P26- billion ($625) million fund in 2013 to invest in infrastructure programs called Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure.

Around $220 million was deployed for a windmill project of the Ayala Group in Ilocos Norte province.

Vergara said PINAI, with remaining $400 million, aimed to find another project to support.

“I think the fund managers are looking at a solar energy project. Hopefully, that pushes through,” he said.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

FIRST Gen Corp., one of the country’s largest power producers, said net income in 2014 surged 64 percent to $193.2 million from $118.1 million in 2013, on higher earnings from natural gas and geothermal power plants.

First Gen said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the improved earnings of the Santa Rita and San Lorenzo natural gas power plants and Energy Development Corp.’s geothermal plants offset the lower income of First Gen Hydro Power Corp.

First Gen’s gas plants accounted for 63.3 percent or $1.205 billion of

total consolidated revenues while EDC’s revenues accounted for 34.4 percent or $651.7 million. FG Hydro contributed $36.6 million or 1.9 percent of total revenues.

First Gen’s gas plants registered slightly lower revenues because of the damage on Santa Rita’s 250-megawatt Unit 40 main transformer in February 2014.

The facility was re-commissioned in July 2014, after the installation of a new transformer.

This was offset by San Lorenzo’s upgraded capacity, receipt of insurance claims and the full-year contribution of Unit 60’s operations.

First Gen gas plants contributed $121.5 million to the company’s attributable net income for 2014, higher than the previous year’s $81.9 million.

“First Gen’s thrust to grow its clean and renewable platform has gained significant momentum in 2014. The Bacman and Nasulo geothermal projects of EDC were positive turnaround stories for 2014 and, together with the new 150-MW Burgos wind project, will increase revenues moving

forward,” First Gen president Francis Giles Puno said.

Puno said this year, the company would fast track the delivery of the 97-MW Avion natural gasfired project to help address the power supply shortage.

He said the construction of the 414-MW San Gabriel natural gas plant was progressing well in line with its commercial operation in the dry season of 2016. The company also plans to proceed with the run-of-river projects in 2015.

“First Gen’s portfolio of power plants plays a vital role in the security of power supply. It is for this reason that we continue to develop and push projects that will provide solutions to the country’s power issues,” Puno said.

Pru Life awards. British life insurer Pru Life UK, a subsidiary of Prudential Plc, sustained its excellence in business communications as

it notched seven honors during the Philippine Quill Awards 2014 held on March 9 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Ortigas, Pasig. Shown receiving the awards are senior vice president and chief information officer Manny Nera (top row, fourth from left), Prudence Foundation executive director Marc Fancy (top row, right) and senior vice president and chief marketing officer Belle Tiongco (middle row, third from right), together with Pru Life UK marketing, investment marketing and information technology teams.

ICTSI appoints new manager for Manila

Stock market retreats; GT, Metrobank advance

PORT operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. on Friday announced the appointment of Mohamed Ghandar as general manager of the Manila International Container Terminal.

The MICT is expected to benefit from Ghandar’s sterling experience in both the container terminal and liner shipping industries, especially his expertise in taking new terminals to a high level of operational efficiency.

He had stints as chief executive of ICTSI’s Kattupalli International Container Terminal in India and as chief operating officer of APM Terminals’ Tangier-Med facility in Morocco. Both terminals are known for their extremely high level of berth productivity.

Ghandar and his team led the startup operations of the two terminals, both considered as greenfield projects, building the business and improving all operations and commercial processes for greater productivity.

Ghandar also possesses in-depth knowledge of process automation solutions for container terminals that leverage cutting edge hardware and software for increased efficiency, safety and capacity while lowering costs to achieve efficient processes.

The appointment comes shortly after Ghandar successfully completed tasks relating to ICTSI’s various projects in the Asian region.

Ghandar reports directly to ICTSI head of Asia-Pacific Christian Gonzalez.

STOCKS retreated Friday, as investors dumped mining and property issues on concerns over high valuation.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, shed 30 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 7,809.54. The benchmark was still up 8 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, lost 5 points, or 0.1 percent, to settle at 4,545.05, on value turnover of P8.7 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 90 to 77, while 49 issues were unchanged.

Property developer Ayala Land Inc. was the most active stock with value turnover of P598 million. It fell 3 percent to close at P37.45.

GT Capital Holdings Inc., the

investment company of tycoon George Ty, emerged as the biggest gainer among the 20 most active stocks. It rose 1.9 percent to P1,330. Banking unit Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. advanced 1.3 percent to P92.50.

Liquor firm Emperador Inc. gained 1.6 percent to P11.68 while retailer SSI Group Inc. added 1.1 percent to close at P10.80.

Meanwhile, Asian markets mostly rose Friday following a surge on Wall Street after unexpectedly weak US data tempered talk of an interest rate hike by summer.

Despite the easing rate expectations, the dollar maintained its strength against the euro after retreating from Thursday’s multiyear highs. With AFP

SATURDAY: MARCH 14, 2015

B4

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

In BrIef

STI claims legal victory

STI Holdings Inc. of businessman Eusebio Tanco has won the first round of its battle with the Benitez family.

STI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the Makati Regional Trial Court dismissed the election protest filed by Philippine Womens University of the Benitez group.

The Makati RTC also affirmed the position of STI Holdings that the composition of the PWU members and trustees had not been changed.

STI temporarily withdrew its step-in rights in PWU in a bid to protect the welfare of the students and faculty considering the PWU community was confronted with a university that was locked down by the Benitez family.

The Benitez group in a statement said the election contest was dismissed because the STI group backed off and resigned, rendering the case academic.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Steag finishes repair STEAG State Power Inc., operator of the 210-megawatt Mindanao coal plant, successfully completed the preventive maintenance for generating unit no. (105 MW) days ahead of its self-imposed March 16 deadline.

Steag said in a statement unit 1, which went off line for a planned preventive maintenance beginning February 21, was synchronized to the Mindanao grid on March 12 at around 12:25 p.m.

Unit 2, which also went offline for preventive maintenance beginning February 19, was restored back to the grid on March 2 as scheduled.

Steag president and chief executive officer Bodo Goerlich expressed optimism that with the completion of the maintenance of the two units, Mindanao’s power supply condition will improve. Alena Mae S. Flores

Japan Tobacco cited

GENEVA--JTI (Japan Tobacco International) received the nod of the Top Employers Institute as one of the five companies in the world to receive the Top Employer Global 2015 certification during an awards ceremony in Amsterdam Thursday.

JTI offices in 33 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East were recognized by the institute for their exceptional employee environment.

“This award recognizes the high standards we set ourselves worldwide and our constant dedication to foster a diverse work environment where employees excel,” said Ilona Alonso, global human resources vice president at JTI. “We recruit the best candidates and help develop employees’ skills and competencies across the organization.

We work hard to invest in tomorrow’s leaders with a solid performance management and succession planning platform.”

Milky Bank.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala (center) leads the dropping of coins into the Milky Bank–National Dairy Administration’s project that aims to raise funds for the milk feeding program for children across the country. With Alcala are (from left) Bureau of Animal Industry Director Rubina Cresencio, National Dairy Admistration and Finance Department manager Jacqueline Seguin, NDA Administrator Grace Cenas and Presidential Adviser on Environment Protection Secretary Nereus Acosta.. The project was launched during the celebration of NDA’s 20th anniversary on March 12, 2015 at the NDA Building in Quezon City.

Japanese companies investing P5b—RCBC

By Julito G. Rada

A NUMBER of Japanese companies are set to invest approximately P5 billion in the Philippines this year because of a better economic environment and attractive tax incentives being offered by the government.

Yasuhiro Matsumoto, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.’s Japan Business Relationship Office head and first senior vice president, said in a press briefing in Makati Friday these Japanese firms—mostly engaged in electronics manufacturing—were also looking for lower labor cost.

“Approximately P5 billion new investments from Japanese SMEs [small and medium enterprises] are coming [in the Philippines] this year,” Matsumoto said. He declined to name the potential Japanese investors.

The RCBC Japan desk was previously set up in the bank’s Makati headquarters to provide business consultations for Japanese clients.

RCBC, one of the country’s largest private universal bank in terms of capital, entered into a business cooperation agreement with Resona Bank Ltd. of Japan.

A member of the Resona Group, Resona Bank is the fourth largest banking group in Japan.

The agreement aims to give customers of Resona Bank access to banking services (including loans to their subsidiaries) in the Philippines through RCBC. RCBC said last year it was in talks with several Japanese man-

ufacturing firms planning to relocate to the Philippines over assistance of banking services.

Matsumoto said latest data showed that RCBC’s Japan desk had so far “attracted” 700 Japanese clients, mostly located in economic zones around the country.

“We see that number [700] increasing this year,” Matsumoto said. There are currently 20 branches of RCBC’s Japan desk in ecozone areas.

He said of the 700 companies, 400 were acquired before and

during the Ramos administration, approximately 100 during the Arroyo presidency, and 200 during the current government.

“Last year, a number of business missions came from Japan looking at investment opportunities in the Philippines… We see a lot coming here, possibly relocating in Southern Luzon,” Matsumoto said.

Matsumoto said other countries in Asia--particularly Thailand---do not offer the kinds of incentives enjoyed by Japanese companies in the Philippines.

SM Retail increases branches to 50

FROM SM’s first ShoeMart store in Carriedo, Manila, SM Retail Inc. has expanded its department store business, now known as The SM Store, to 50 branches nationwide, making it a market leader in the Philippines with strong brand loyalty that has built and nurtured memories across generations.

“The SM Store has gone a long way from just selling shoes. It has evolved into providing the widest array of products and services than any other store in the country today, offering the greatest convenience through our financial services,and most exciting shopping experience for our

PH retailer hits milestone after 57 years

customers,” SM Retail president Jorge Mendiola said.

“We take pride in The SM Store’s commitment in staying true to our slogan of ‘We’ve Got It All for You’,” he added.

The recent opening of The SM Store Megacenter in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, the 50th store in

the Philippines, and 21st store in Luzon, marked a milestone that brings the SM Store’stotal footprint to 669,658 square meters in terms of gross selling area.

The SM Store Megacenter consists of two levels, showcasing shoes and luggages, ladies wear, men’s wear, children’s wear, home items and appliances.

Retail tycoon Henry Sy Sr. built his first shoe store in Quiapo in 1948 and later opened two more outlets, namely Plaza, Paris and Park Avenue stores.

Ten years later, Sy consolidated his holdings in the three stores and built a bigger shoe store in 1958 in Carriedo and named it ShoeMart.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK S AT U R D AY : M A R C H 14 , 2 0 1 5

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CeSAR bARRioqUinTo EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

Signing ceremony. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speak during their meeting at Abe’s official residence in Tokyo on March 13. According to media reports, the IOC president is in Japan to attend an Olympic sponsorship signing ceremony with Toyota Motor Corp. AFP

Protest city on edge again after cops shot FERGUSON—The troubled US community of Ferguson, Missouri—scene of months of protests and racial tension— was on a knife edge again Thursday after two police officers were shot.

Police launched a manhunt, raiding a brick bungalow four blocks from the Ferguson police station and municipal court where the shooting occurred amid a late-night demonstration Wednesday.

Three people were taken in for questioning, but not arrested, St Louis news media reported, as a $10,000 reward was posted for information leading to the shooter.

President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder were quick to denounce the “ambush,” which threatened to derail efforts to calm nerves in the mainly African-American suburb of 21,000.

Speaking on a late night TV talk show, Obama said the shooting was inexcusable and detracted from people who demonstrate peacefully against mistreatment by police.

“They’re criminals. They

need to be arrested,” the president said.

“And then what we need to do is to make sure that like-minded, good-spirited people on both sides -- law enforcement who have a terrifically tough job, and people understandably don’t want to be stopped and harassed just because of their race, but were able to work together to come up with some answers,” Obama added.

Last year, rioting erupted in Ferguson and protests spread to several US cities after a white police officer shot dead an unarmed black teenager, igniting a fierce national debate about race and law enforcement.

Then last week, Holder’s Justice Department said investigators had found evidence of deep-seated institutional racism in the city’s government and in the overwhelmingly white police force.

Obama said on the show that protesters in Ferguson has legitimate grievances.

“African-Americans were being stopped disproportionately, mainly so the city could raise money,” he added. AFP

Apps seen reducing student suicide rate SEOUL—South Korea has developed smartphone apps to help bring down its high student suicide rate by warning parents when their children might be at risk, the education ministry said Friday.

The government-developed apps, which the ministry hopes to introduce immediately, are programmed to detect “suicide-related” words used by children on social networks or in messages or Internet searches on their phones.

This would then trigger an alert which would be sent to the parents on their smartphones.

Although their use is not mandatory, the ministry hopes the apps will be installed by a large number of parents as an extra precaution against schoolrelated stress for children.

“Student suicide has become a social problem requiring sys-

tematic and comprehensive steps to prevent it,” the ministry said in a statement.

South Korea’s suicide rate ranks among the highest of the 34 member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Student suicides are a particular problem, peaking every year around the time of the hyper-competitive national college entrance exam.

Education ministry data shows that 878 students took their own lives between 2009 and 2014, including 118 last year.

The most commonly cited cause in school-age suicides

Pistorius’ lawyers challenge right to appeal JOHANNESBURG—Oscar Pistorius’s lawyers were in court Friday to make a lastditch attempt to stop an appeal that could see the fallen Paralympian hero face a stiffer verdict and significantly more time behind bars for the Valentine’s Day’s killing of his model girlfriend.

Pistorius’s defense argued in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg that the state’s appeal of a judge’s decision finding the champion sprinter not guilty of murder was un-

substantiated.

The 28-year-old Paralympian was found guilty of culpable homicide last year—a charge akin to manslaughter—and sentenced to five years in prison for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013.

State prosecutors were in December granted permission to appeal the trial verdict, arguing that Judge Thokozile Masipa misinterpreted the law when she ruled Pistorius did not intention-

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

ally kill his girlfriend when he shot four times at a locked toilet door.

But Pistorius’s legal team say his conviction was based on facts presented during the trial, not on an interpretation of law, and therefore cannot be appealed.

It’s a move legal experts described as unorthodox.

“The whole thing is highly unusual,” said Kelly Phelps, a senior law lecturer at the University of Cape Town. “This is uncharted territory.”

Despite the unusual tactic, Phelps said that the defense may have a strong argument in favor of getting the Pistorius appeal tossed out, paving the way for the athlete to be released from jail this year.

“I think they have a fiftyfifty chance of winning this,” she said. “The defense’s papers were very well drafted, very well reasoned, and backed up with authority. In that sense, I think they probably feel that they do have quite strong grounds for this.” AFP

was problems at home, followed by depression, grades and career concerns.

Just over half of South Korean teenagers aged 14 to 19 confessed to having suicidal thoughts, according to a survey conducted last year by the state-financed Korea Health Promotion Foundation.

More than 40 percent of those respondents said school pressure and future uncertainty concerned them the most.

The survey found South Korean teens often lack access to professional help or are reluctant to seek it out, with almost half turning to friends instead of teachers, counselors or parents.

The education ministry said its apps would provide a way of monitoring those interactions with friends for any danger signs.

“The apps were only approved today at a meeting of related cabinet members, but we hope their

installation will spread quickly among schools, students and parents nationwide,” a ministry official told AFP. Smartphone penetration in South Korea is one of the world’s highest with nearly 85 percent of households having a device.

Teachers gave a wary reception to the new initiative, saying more effort should be focused on the causes of suicidal tendencies among students, rather then detecting symptoms.

“Instead of a stop-gap policy, we must work out a fundamental and eventual solution, because various factors lead to the suicide of students,” the conservative Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations said in a statement.

The more liberal Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union said the apps raised privacy issues and failed to address systemic problems. AFP

French maestro. Pierre

Boulez rehearses with the Vienna Philharmonich Orchestra on March 16, 2010 . He has just received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. AFP

FOTO 2

22. In view of the foregoing, there is a need to realign its CAPEX projects to recover the cost incurred for the restoration, rehabilitation and repair of its damaged transmission assets and other related facilities subject of this application;

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

Computation of Force Majeure Event Pass-Through Amount

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF THE NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES FOR THE APPROVAL OF FORCE MAJEURE (FM) EVENT REGULATED FM PASS THROUGH FOR SABOTAGE INCIDENTS AND LANDSLIDE DUE TO CONTINUOUS HEAVY RAINS IN MINDANAO AND TYPHOONS SANTI AND VINTA IN LUZON IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES FOR SETTING TRANSMISSION WHEELING RATES, WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

23. It proposes the FM pass-through amount, in P/kW-month, as additional network charges in the following areas starting the billing period of October 2014 to December 2015, or until such time that the amount incurred is fully recovered, computed as shown in the table below: Grid

ERC CASE NO. 2014-127 RC NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (NGCP), Applicant. x------------------------------------------------------------x

2015

0.0338

0.0083

Mindanao

0.2830

0.0703

24. Although this FME claim is not included in its 3rd Regulatory Reset Application, the same can be recovered during the 3rd Regulatory Period pursuant to Section 10.1.1 of the RTWR where it is allowed to recover the cost incurred for the restoration, repair and rehabilitation of damage sustained by its transmission assets and other related facilities as a result of the FME. A copy of the FME Claim Computation is attached to the application as Annex “T;” 25. Further, the FME Claim under this application does not breach the Force Majeure Threshold Amount (FMTA). A copy of the FMTA Computation is attached to the application as Annex “U;”

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on August 29, 2014, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) filed with the Commission an application for the approval of Force Majeure (FM) event regulated FM pass through for sabotage incidents and landslide due to continuous heavy rains in Mindanao and Typhoons Santi and Vinta in Luzon in accordance with the Rules for Setting Transmission Wheeling Rates (RTWR), with prayer for provisional authority.

In the said application, NGCP alleged, among others, the following: 1.

2014

Luzon

It is a corporation created and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City. It is the concessionaire which assumed the power transmission functions of the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO) pursuant to Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA);1

2.

Under Republic Act No. 95112, it was granted a franchise to construct, install, finance, manage, improve, expand, operate, maintain, rehabilitate, repair and refurbish the present nationwide transmission system of the Republic of the Philippines;

3.

On January 15, 2009, it assumed transmission functions of TRANSCO including the operation, management and maintenance of the nationwide electrical grid;

4.

Pursuant to Section 10.1.1 of the RTWR, it is allowed to recover the cost incurred for the restoration, rehabilitation, repair of damage sustained by NGCP transmission assets and other related facilities as a result of a Force Majeure Event (FME), as defined in Article I of RTWR;

5.

On September 1 and 26, 2013, its transmission assets and other related facilities in the Provinces of Maguindanao and Cotabato, respectively, were damaged due to the bombings perpetrated by lawless elements;

26. Also, considering that it is not included in the calculation of FM Pass-Through Amount, it should be allowed to recover in the Fourth (4th) Regulatory Period the Net Fixed Asset Value of the transmission assets and other related facilities which were damaged by the sabotage incidents and landslide due to continuous heavy rains in Mindanao, and Typhoons Santi and Vinta in Luzon, given that it would have normally fully recovered the return of capital on said assets for the duration of their economic lives had these transmission assets and other related facilities not been damaged or destroyed by these FMEs; Justification for the Issuance of Provisional Authority 27. It moves for the issuance of a provisional approval for the immediate recovery of the FME claim pursuant to Section 3, Rule 14 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure. It needs to immediately recover the actual expenses incurred for the rehabilitation of the damaged transmission assets and other related facilities. The occurrence of the aforementioned FME requires capital infusion, the recovery of which should be allowed to avoid putting financial strain in the transmission provider, and to allow it to continuously provide the necessary transmission service to the grid customers; 28. In addition, the timely implementation of the pass-through amount will allow the equal or even spread of the increases or decreases in tariffs from the initial implementation of the recovery of the cost; 29. A copy of the Judicial Affidavit of Agnes F. Dela Cruz, Head, Tariff Design and Billing Management Division, Revenue and Regulatory Affairs, in support of the instant application, is attached to the application as Annex “V;” and

Allegations on the Sabotage Incidents in Mindanao as FME

Prayer

6.

In compliance with Article X of the RTWR, it filed with the Commission an FME Notice regarding Sabotage Incident in Mindanao dated September 9, 2013 and October 7, 2013;

7.

Copies of the FME Notice regarding Sabotage Incident in Mindanao dated September 9, 2013 and October 7, 2013 are attached to the application as Annexes “A” and “B,” respectively;

8.

Further, copies of the Spot Report dated September 1, 2013, Progress Report dated September 2, 2013, and Blotter Report issued by the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station, Maguindanao are attached to the application as Annexes “C” to “C-2,” respectively. Also, copies of the Police Report dated September 27, 2013 issued by the Kabacan Municipal Police Station, Cotabato are attached to the application as Annexes “D” to “D-2,” respectively;

30. It most prays of the Commission that: a.

Grant provisional approval to implement and bill the FME Pass-Through Amounts to Luzon and Mindanao customers starting October 2014 billing month to December 2015 billing month or until such time that the amount incurred is fully recovered;

b.

Declare the sabotage incidents and landslide due to continuous heavy rains in Mindanao, and Typhoons Santi and Vinta in Luzon as Force Majeure Events (FME);

c.

Approve the CAPEX incurred for the restoration, rehabilitation and repair of the damaged transmission assets and other related facilities due to the sabotage incidents and landslide due to continuous heavy rains in Mindanao, and Typhoons Santi and Vinta in Luzon as FMEs;

d.

Approve the proposed pass-through amount representing return on capital, return of capital and taxes associated with the emergency responses and the repair and rehabilitation of facilities damaged due to the said events, as shown in the table below:

Allegations on Landslide due to Continuous Heavy Rains in Mindanao Area as FME 9.

On October 8, 2013, due to continuous heavy rains in the Mindanao area, landslide occurred which damaged its transmission assets and other related facilities located in Zamboanga City;

10. In compliance with Article X of the RTWR, it filed with the Commission an FME Notice regarding Landslide Due to Continuous Heavy Rains dated November 14, 2013;

0.0703

f.

Exclude the proposed Pass-Through Amount from the side constraint calculation.

The Commission has set the application for jurisdictional hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and evidentiary hearing on the following dates and venues: DATE

TIME

VENUE

PARTICULARS

April 29, 2015 (Wednesday)

Nine o’clock ERC Mindanao Field Expository Presentation for in the morning Office, Mezzanine Floor, Mindanao Stakeholders (9:00 A.M.) Mintrade Building, Monteverde corner Sales Sts., Davao City

16. In compliance with Article X of the RTWR, it filed with the Commission an FME Notice regarding Typhoon Santi dated November 19, 2013;

May 6, 2015 (Wednesday)

17. Copies of the FME Notice regarding Typhoon Vinta dated November 19, 2013 and PAGASA Certification dated November 30, 2013 are attached to the application as Annexes “I” and “J,” respectively;

May 7, 2015 (Thursday)

Pre-Trial Conference and Nine o’clock Evidentiary Hearing in the morning ERC Hearing Room, 15th (9:00 A.M.) Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Continuation of Evidentiary Nine o’clock Avenue, Pasig City in the morning Hearing (9:00 A.M.)

Allegations on Typhoon Vinta as FME

Common Allegations 18. Immediately, after the sabotage incidents and landslide due to continuous heavy rains in Mindanao, and Typhoons Santi and Vinta in Luzon, it started the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of its damaged transmission assets and other related facilities in order to continue serving its customers; 19. The cost of additional Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) that it incurred to complete the rehabilitation, repair and restoration of its transmission assets and other related facilities are, as follows: FME

Total (PhP)3

Sabotage Incident in Mindanao

3,289,941.00

Landslide due to Continuous Rain

2,605,302.50

Typhoon Santi

2,267,068.00

Typhoon Vinta

1,672,478.64

TOTAL

9,834,790.14

20. Copies of the Details of Activities of FMEs sabotage incidents in Mindanao, landslide due to continuous heavy rains in Mindanao, Typhoon Santi in Luzon, and Typhoon Vinta in Luzon are attached to the application as Annexes “K,” “L,” “M,” “N,” and “O”, respectively; 21. The damaged transmission assets and other related facilities subject of the instant application are not covered by TRANSCO and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corporation’s Industrial All Risk (IAR) Insurance Policy with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the year 2013 and therefore not compensable. Copies of the Certifications in support of such allegation are hereto attached as Annexes “P,” “Q,” “R,” and “S;”

3

0.2830

Nine o’clock ERC Hearing Room, 15th Jurisdictional Hearing and Floor, Pacific Center Expository Presentation in the morning Building, San Miguel (9:00 A.M.) Avenue, Pasig City

15. On October 31, 2013, Typhoon Vinta entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility with maximum winds of 130 kph and gustiness of 160 kph. Due to its intensity and heavy rainfall, its transmission assets and other related facilities in the North Luzon area were damaged;

2

Mindanao

April 22, 2015 (Wednesday)

14. Copies of the FME Notice regarding Typhoon Santi dated November 12, 2013 and PAGASA Certification dated November 20, 2013 are attached to the application as Annexes “G” and “H,” respectively;

1

2015 0.0083

Approve and allow the recovery of the Net Fixed Asset Value of the transmission assets and other related facilities damaged by the sabotage incidents and landslide due to continuous heavy rains in Mindanao, and Typhoons Santi and Vinta in Luzon, as FMEs during the Fourth (4th) Regulatory Period given that the said amount would have been fully recovered by NGCP if these transmission assets and other related facilities have not been damaged or destroyed by said FMEs; and

Allegations on Typhoon Santi as FME

13. In compliance with Article X of the RTWR, it filed with the Commission an FME Notice regarding Typhoon Santi dated November 12, 2013;

2014 0.0338

e.

11. Copies of the FME Notice regarding Landslide Due to Continuous Heavy Rains dated November 14, 2013 and PAGASA Certification dated February 24, 2014 are attached to the application as Annexes “E” and “F,” respectively; 12. On October 11 to 13, 2013, Typhoon Santi entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility with maximum winds of 150 kph and gustiness of 185 kph. Due to its intensity and heavy rainfall, its transmission assets and other related facilities in the North Luzon area were damaged;

Grid Luzon

Repubiic Act No. 9136 entitled, “An Act Ordaining Reforms in the Electric Power Industry, Amending for the Purpose Certain laws and for Other Purposes” Republic Act No. 9511 entitled, “An Act Granting the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines a Franchise to Engage in the Business of Conveying or Transmitting Electricity Through High Voltage Back- bone System or Interconnected Transmission Lines, Substations and Related Facilities, and for Other Purposes.”

Inclusive of the permit fees and Value Added Tax (VAT);

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the applicant concludes the presentation of its evidence.

No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon.

All such persons who may wish to have a copy of the application may request the applicant, prior to the date of the initial hearing, that they be furnished with a copy of the application.

The applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the application and its attachments, subject to reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs.

Likewise, any such person may examine the application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the usual office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson, ZENAIDA G. CRUZ-DUCUT, and the Honorable Commissioners, ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, and JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 9th day of March, 2015 at Pasig City.

ATTY. FRANCIS SATURNINO C. JUAN Executive Director III MST – March 14 & 21, 2015

Syrians seeking new life in Brazil SAO PAULO—“Good day, my name is Mouaz.”

The Portuguese is rudimentary, but the effort is sincere.

The young man at a Sao Paulo mosque left the horrors of the Syrian civil war for a new life in Brazil, and he’s adapting as well as he can.

The South American giant has been home for some decades to a sizable Arab diaspora, and 1,700 Syrians have joined their ranks over the past four years.

They found a country with 15 million people of Arab origin, mainly Lebanese or Syrian, who began arriving in the late 19th Century.

The latest newcomers who arrived with at most a couple of suitcases to tackle a new language and a very different culture.

Mouaz Tawakalna, a 28-year-old telecoms engineer, touched down just a week ago and speaks in Arabic, using a friend as translator.

“I need to learn Portuguese to integrate and communicate with people. I want to stay and make a life for myself here,” he insists.

Sao Paulo’s popular, bustling downtown Bras district is crammed with clothes shops and small restaurants.

The area also boasts a mosque, where Ahmed Almazloum, 28, works as a volunteer.

“I am a biomedical engineer,” he says. “Here in Sao Paulo I worked selling clothes and now I am a supervisor in a textiles factory.

“I was never into politics, never took part in protests, but as my studies drew to a close I had to go off and do my military service in the middle of a war,” he explains.

“I didn’t want to. It was kill or be killed.”

The mosque is a focal point for Syrians in the city. Also helping out are NGOs such as Catholic charity Caritas.

“They are all here because of the war,” said Luiz Fernando Godinho, of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Brazil has agreed to grant refugee status to all the Syrians who have requested it, the spokesman said.

They generally hail from urban areas and have professional or technical qualifications, according to the UNHCR. Many are single men.

Others have brought their families with them.

Some are Muslims, others Christians. Still others profess no faith.

“I am not a Muslim, I am a communist,” says Victorios Bayan, a 39-year-old journalist and an “opponent of the government of Bashar al-Assad since before the revolution.”

Bayan says he reached Sao Paulo two months ago and took language classes at the mosque. AFP

S AT U R D AY : M A R C H 14 : 2 0 1 5

PROPERTY jdlacsamana@gmail.com

CENTURY PROPERTIES EYES MEDICAL TOURISM FOR NEW PROJECT

MEDICAL TOURISM HUB. The country has been host to medical tourists for years through some of its hospitals. Centuria Medical Makati at Century City, Kalayaan Avenue, Makati, will help sustain the growth of the medical tourism industry.

C

entury Properties Group recently completed Centuria Medical Makati, the country’s largest outpatient IT-medical building located in Century City, Makati.

The 28-storey, 74,000-square-meter facility will open soon, after five years of construction. It aims to revolutionize preventive health and outpatient care, the delivery of wellness services, as well as open opportunities for medical tourism in the Philippines.

“It is a realization of our vision to change the game in health care,” said Century Properties chairman Jose E.B. Antonio. “Centuria Medical Makati addresses the country’s need for a point of reference when it comes to a medical tourism facility, as well as an elevated form of outpatient experience.”

In the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines is still in the developing stage when it comes medical tourist services. But Century Properties wants to fast-track the process.

Antonio said that on account of its natural attractions alone, the existence of top hotel chains and shopping centers, as well as an Englishspeaking population with some of the best healthcare professionals in the world, the Philippines is already at an advantage.

Century Properties believes the presence of a central facility for pa-

JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR

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tients to consider is a surefire way to ensure a steady stream of patients to the country. The 28-year-old firm has a history of creating medical arts facilities, including Medical Plaza Makati, Medical Plaza Ortigas, and the medical arts center of Asian Hospital in Alabang.

It also helps that the Philippine government is keen on strengthening tourism as a whole, as can be seen in its landmark tourism promotion efforts across the globe.

Because of the success of Centuria and the demand for this kind of facility, Century is considering its expansion to other cities nationally and regionally.

“One of the challenges that this sector faced years ago is the lack of proper infrastructure to house practices specifically geared to accommodate medical tourists,” Antonio said.

Centuria will host Centers of Excellence in Primary care, Multispecialty Surgery, Dermatology and Cosmetic Laser Treatment, Multi-specialty dentistry, Cosmetic and Facial Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ophthalmology/Laser Eye Surgery, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Urology, Physical Therapy, Chiropractic Treatment, Orthopedic, Dialysis, Podiatry, Oncology/ cancer treatment and Wellness and Complementary Medicine.

HOLCIM PRODUCTS CERTIFIED AS ECO-FRIENDLY

GREENING WITH THE BIG BOYS. Holcim Excel and Holcim WallRight.

LIGHTING UP THE SKYLINE. Newport City is a popular tourist and entertainment destination in the country. One of the gems of this resort community is 81 Newport Boulevard, at the heart of Newport City. This development, a magnet for families out for a great time, and gamblers seeking a bit of a flutter, is the brainchild of Megaworld. The latter is a real estate developer that pioneered the fun-and-relaxation lifestyle township concept in the Philippines.

Holcim Philippines’ general purpose cement Excel, and masonry cement WallRight, were recently accredited as eco-friendly by the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development.

These products were certified as Green Choice Products by the Ecolabelling Programme of the Philippines.

Holcim Philippines may now use the Green Choice logo on the packaging of Excel and WallRight, which are manufactured in all the company’s plants nationwide.

The NELP-GCP certification affirms the brand’s “Sigurado Ka Sa Holcim” campaign, which highlights the company’s commitment to producing quality products while taking care of the environment.

Holcim Philippines President and CEO Eduardo A. Sahagun said the Green Choice certification is consistent with the company’s advocacy that the construction industry is crucial in the efforts to achieve sustainability.

“Our company is thankful for this recognition. Our commitment to sustainability allows us to produce cement in the most eco-friendly way,” he said.

The NELP-GCP, administered by the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), was instituted to guide consumers in choosing products that are environmentally sound.

The program was also meant to encourage manufacturers to adopt processes and supply products with less adverse environmental impacts.

SLEEK INSPIRATION SCGl, Mariwasa and COTTO recently showcased their top-quality products

at the 20thWorldBex, Asia’s largest building and construction exposition, currently being held at the World Trade Center, Manila. COTTO unveiled “Bathroom Pleasure” which offered three new distinct styles of bathrooms, namely, rough stone, luxe and amelie series for a more stylish and personal touch. COTTO showcased a combination of sliding panels, sanitary wares, fittings and ceramic tiles that can be customized to match each customer’s lifestyle.In addition, COTTO also be introduced its Sense of Scirocco faucets, a limited collection inspired by the Mediterranean winds that blow past the sea.

MODERN HOMES FOR MODERN FAMILIES Filipino families, along with their taste in lifestyle, have evolved with time. In Metro Manila and key cities, urban living has changed, reflecting a frenetic, “onthe-go” routine.

An emerging real estate developer is incorporating advanced features on the homes they are building in the Philippines to suit what the market is looking for.

Modern Dwellings, Inc. (MDI), seeks to cater to families aspiring to upgrade their homes. Within a few years, the company has built of reputation of providing welldesigned homes that are conveniently located in secure neighborhoods.

“With each new project, MDI makes sure that what we deliver supports and live up

BON APPÉTIT. Haute cuisine would definitely have a place in this Modern Dwellings-designed dining room.

to the requirements of modern living,” said Ronald Dannug, CEO, Modern Dwellings. “ We incorporate the latest architectural design in every home we build.

Ultimately, we want our clients to be proud of their homes just as we take pride in building it.”

The company is aiming to triple their projects by 2015.

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S AT U R D AY : M A R C H 14 : 2 0 1 5

JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR jdlacsamana@gmail.com

PROPERTY

ALVEO LAUNCHES VERTIS NORTH A QUEZON CITY’S NEWEST CBD

lveo Land, the upmarket brand of property developer Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI), is breaking new ground with the development of its P65-billion project in Quezon City, which will be the next prime address in the Northern part of the metropolis.

Jennylle Tupaz, Alveo’s head of project development, said that the P65-billion project, the Vertis North Commercial Block, is considered the “biggest and most modern development” catering to the northern part of Metro Manila.

“Vertis North is envisioned to be the city center of Quezon City’s Central Business District that will nurture, inspire, and encourage enterprise,” she said.

10-YEAR PROJECT. 29-hectare Vertis North, located just next to the Trinoma Mall, will have 45 towers composed of offices, retail spaces, a hotel and residential buildings, and open spaces.

AGGRESSIVE PACE

Vertical park living.

The Vertis North area, which is located between EDSA, North Avenue and Mindanao Avenue, is roughly half the size of the Makati central business district.

“With sustainable solutions at the core of every Ayala Land development, the premier business district of Vertis North will have the 2-hectare Vertis Park as its landmark green space, providing fresh environs for its 21st century denizens.” said Tupaz.

The commercial block will include two high-rise office buildings, and a retail development positioned to be a lifestyle mall in Quezon City.

It will also feature Seda Vertis North, a single-tower hotel development envisioned to be the largest Seda hotel with 438 rooms.

Theoretically, Quezon City does not have a true Central Business District (CBD). With construction in full swing at Vertis North, Alveo Land remains aggressively in stride with the quick pace of this next generation CBD. Launched in 2014, High Park, Alveo’s two-tower high rise condominium in Quezon City’s new business and lifestyle core, sold P2.7B worth of units in the first weekend of priority selling.

Alveo Land is opening up more inventory in Vertis North with the launch of High Park Tower Two—a milestone less than a year from the launch of its first tower. The 49-storey second tower will offer 803 residential units in studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom formats with typical sizes ranging from 32 sq.m. to 123 sq.m. Select units will be looking out to the green vistas of the spectacular Vertis Park and High Park’s own scenic retail courtyards.

The proposition for Alveo Land’s High Park builds on bringing the garden landscapes typical of QC’s bedroom community to high-rise living spaces. Built on the concept of “vertical park living”, High Park is located right next to the vast Vertis Park network, after which Alveo master-planned its own adjacent park system and built the two iconic towers of High Park right above it.

High Park Tower One will be turned over by Q3 2019, and Tower Two will follow in Q3 2020.

IT’S ALL ABOUT R & D

Mapúa Institute of Technology recently raised the bar for more cutting edge output for patents, designs, and utility models, with the opening of a Research and Development (R & D) center at its campus in Intramurous , Manila. The twostorey structure is part of Mapúa’s strategy to internationalize its education, and will house research laboratories for industrial design and engineering programs, as well as dry and wet laboratories. The center will also be home to the Innovation and Technology Support Office, which will be responsible for the Institute’s cutting edge R&D efforts. Mapúa president Dr. Reynaldo Vea led the inauguration rites, together with Department of Science and Technology (DOST) executive director Dr. Rowena Guevarra; Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev) executive director Alexis Cayanan, and Chung Yuan Christian University- Center for Membrane Technology (CMT-CYCU) dean Dr. Meng Hui-Li; CMT director Dr. Kueir-Ram Lee; CMT deputy director Dr. Yung Chang; director Li-Wen Tyng, and CMT faculty member Dr. Manuel C. De Guzman.