The Standard - 2015 April 10 - Friday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 54  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  FRIDAY : APRIL 10, 2015  www.manilastandardtoday.com  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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Mother of girl in HK accident freed on bail

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P3-trillion budget for 2016 eyed

MILF: PASS BBL, GET OUR NAMES Next page

In memoriam. World War II veterans stand next to the memorial cross during the Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor ceremonies at Mt. Samat in Bataan on April 9 to remember those who fell during the Bataan Death March. AFP

Colored kicks to brighten up your world

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Cavs win Central crown

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MILF ‘lost command’ abducted Naga mayor

By Florante S. Solmerin

Salute to the fallen. President Benigno Aquino III is joined by US Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa in commemorating Araw ng Kagitingan in Mt. Samat in Pilar, Bataan on April 9. AFP

Pass BBL, we reveal our true identities—Iqbal

By Joyce Pangco Pañares, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

LEADERS of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will reveal their real names once the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is passed, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said.

“If you pass the BBL, everything will normalize. And then you will know our names,” said Iqbal, who has refused to reveal his real name to lawmakers investigating the Mamasapano debacle in which 44 police commandos were killed by Muslim rebels, including those from the MILF. MILF chairman Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim and MILF vicechairman Ghadzali Jaafar have also refused to disclose their true names.

“I don’t know why they (lawmakers) are making a big issue out of this. It is common sense that we will not reveal our real names until the BBL is passed into law because we remain a revolutionary organization and it is also for our security,” Iqbal said.

In a separate interview, a wellplaced source in the intelligence community said before Iqbal became known as Iqbal, he was born Salah Jubair.

The source, who was also previously involved in the peace process, said Iqbal used his real name in the two books that he wrote -- “The Long Road to Peace: Inside the GRP-MILF Peace Process” and “Bangsamoro: A nation under

endless tyranny.”

Iqbal confirmed to The Standard that Salah Jubair was his “nickname” but he still would not disclose his full name.

“Because of security reasons, my name on the passport is known only to the government.

I travel a lot—maybe hundred times. But I’m not hiding my name on my passport,” Iqbal said in a previous hearing at the House of Representatives.

Born in Cotabato City, the former mujahideen who now calls himself Iqbal last renewed his Philippine passport on Jan. 20, 2012 at the regional office of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said will bring up the issue of Iqbal’s use of an alias in negotiating with the government at the resumption of the hearing on the proposed BBL on Monday.

“We need to find out the implications of this, also the reason why he used a pseudonym. This is an important revelation and raises many questions,” Marcos said.

“Who notarized the agreements he signed and what were the documents he presented identifying himself as Iqbal?

Why did he feel he needed to hide

(behind) an alias? Who is he?”

Marcos added.

Acting Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III said “the government should not be talking to an unknown personality.”

Iqbal and government peace panel head Miriam Coronel Ferrer have both admitted that the former did not use his real name in the peace agreements with the government. Among the documents signed by Iqbal were the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed on Oct. 15, 2012 and Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed on March 27, 2014.

A Palace ally in the House, Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles said Iqbal’s use of an alias when he signed the documents started the peace process on the wrong foot.

“There was no transparency and honesty on the part of the MILF peace negotiator,” Nograles said. “If they are sincere about the negotiations, we should lay out all the cards on the table, with nothing hidden.”

Nograles also dismissed the claim of the presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles that she learned that the MILF negotiator’s name was an alias only after Iqbal’s admission.

“This runs counter to the statement of peace negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer who earlier issued a statement that government has always known that Mohagher Iqbal is not his real name,” Nograles said.

“The problem with using aliases is that it allows a person to assume different personalities.

That is why we have laws against illegal use of aliases especially when signing public documents because it is very difficult to determine the sincerity or true intent of the person using an illegal alias,” he added.

Senator Nancy Binay, meanwhile, said she will ask Marcos to invite the conveners of the National Peace Summit to the Senate hearing Monday.

She said Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr., Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Howard Dee and Muslim Princess Bai Rohaniza SumndadUsman, tapped by President Benigno Aquino III to discuss the BBL, could help the Senate panel make decisions on the draft law.

The BBL has faced rough sailing after the death of the 44 police commandos at Mamasapano, a clash the MILF said was self defense.

Also on Thursday, the Muslim Bar Association labasted the leaders of the MILF for threatening the government with retaliation should the BBL be defeated in Congress.

Firdausi Abbas, president of the group, said MILF vice chairman Mohaquer Iqbal has no right to threaten the government and should instead defend their position on the BBL. He also questioned the MILF’s military capability to withstand a full-scale war.

The administration and the MILF have warned that the failure to pass the BBL could lead to renewed war in Mindanao. – With Francisco Tuyay

THE military and police said Thursday a lost command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) led by Waning Abdusalam was most likely behind the abduction of Naga town Mayor Gema Adana in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Western Mindanao Command public affairs officer Capt. Ma. Rowena Muyela said the Abdusalam group and their victim were still inside province as a joint task force and provincial police intensified security patrols off the waters of Naga, Kabasalan and Imelda.

Military and police records show there are several warrants out for Abdusalam.

Abdusalam was was also tagged in the abduction of Monalisa Capa in Poblacion, Pitogo, Zamboanga del Sur on Oct. 08, 2011; Mrs. Nena Torremocha in Olutanga Island, Zamboanga Sibugay on April 12, 2010; Jocelyn Enriquez, Noime Mande and Jocelyn Inion in Barangay Bangkaw-Bangkaw, Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay on March 13, 2009.

Adana was kidnapped by six armed men clad in military uniforms at her residence in Barangay Taytay Manubo during the Naga fiesta celebration.

Her police security was not around during the abduction, but the mayor’s father fired shots at the abductors as they were escaping.

In Insulan, Sultan Kudarat, a police ordnance team thwarted a bomb attack against a public utility bus filled with passengers along the national highway.

A report reaching Camp Aquinaldo said the improvised explosive device made of a 60mm mortar round stuffed in a plastic bag was taken out by the responding bomb squad team at 11:20 a.m. from the YBL bus.

The team took the bomb to a safe distance and set it off.

Before the bomb squad arrived, the driver and conductor emptied their bus of passengers and called the police hotline for help.

“A passenger alerted the driver of a plastic bag at the rear portion of the Isulan-bound bus that left Koronadal City around 10a.m.,” the military report said.

Nobody could remember who brought the plastic bad on board the bus.

In Sitio Nangka, Barangay Gata, in Talipao, Sulu, two soldiers and six bandits were killed and dozens were wounded when government forces assaulted the lair of Abu Sayyaf Group.

Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Joselito Kakilala said the two soldiers who died were from the 32nd Infantry Battalion, and that two among the 15 wounded troopers were captains.

Kakilala said the Air Force provided close air support with two MD520 attack helicopters armed with machine guns and rockets during the assault.

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P3-trillion 2016 budget eyed By sandy Araneta, Macon R. Araneta and Maricel V. cruz

The Aquino administration will ask Congress to approve an election year budget of P3 trillion even though it failed to spend almost P500 billion in allocations for 2014, according to Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

But Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and several other congressmen expressed concern at the sizable increase on this year’s budget P2.6 trillion and demanded that Abad account for unspent funds from the last year’s budget.

Congress allocated a total of P2.606-trillion national budget for 2015 and that is 15.1 percent higher than the P2.26-trillion 2014 budget.

On the other hand, former national treasurer Leonor Briones said she was not really concerned at the underspending for 2014 because the government has an entire year to dispose of unspent funds, but she is worried at the possibility of “run-away” inflation caused by election spending.

Abad announced the proposed amount of the 2016 budget as he announced that the government plans to use at least P160 billion of the P468 billion in unspent funds from the 2014 budget to help boost economic growth to seven to eight percent this year.

Abad dismissed criticism that the government’s belowtarget spending of P1.982 in 2014 cooled down what would otherwise be a heating economy and said they will now use the unspent funds on roads, bridges, ports and airports this year, giving the economy a boost.

“The bigger problem really is more on the operational, planning, execution and delivery. We have made adjustments there and that will further improve dis-

bursements,” Abad said, adding that the pace of spending had already improved in the last quarter of 2014.

But Belmonte warned that the 2016 budget will be studied carefully and it won’t be a walk in the park for Malacañang. “Every centavo has to be accounted first,” Belmonte said.

Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz of Abakada party-list, a member of the House Independent Bloc of Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, said that the proposed amount of P3 trillion is too much.

“That is a huge increase by any measure and considering the continued inability of the administration to spend the budgeted funds not just this 2014 but in previous years... this request, if ever, is unacceptable and truly worrisome,” Abad said.

Reps. Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela and Silvestre Bello III of 1-BAP party-list both agreed with Belmonte that the budget department would first have to account for unspent funds which could have gone to infrastructure in disaster-hit areas.

“How can they ask for more if there is so much savings or unspent money?,” Albano, member of the House committee on ways and means, said.

“The normal government procedure is that you have to liquidate before you can ask additional funds. Secretary Abad should liquidate first to ask for additional funds,” Bello said.

in honor of the 44. A sculpture by sculptor Jose Giray is unveiled in Silang, Cavite, on Thursday in honor of the 44 police commandos killed in Mamasapano on Jan. 25 during an encounter with Muslim guerrillas. DAnny PAtA

‘Probe third batch of pork barrel misusers’ BAGUIO CITY—An antigraft lawyer wants the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate the third batch of malversation charges in the pork barrel scam that the Justice Department has failed to file after more than a year.

Levito Baligod, former legal counsel of pork barrel scam whistle blower Benhur Luy, said the third batch of accused includes 74 non-government organizations (NGOs) and dozens of lawmakers, including allies of the Aquino administration.

Baligod said they are still evaluating what branch of government to file the battery of malversation charges, given that the Justice Department was unable to fulfill its commitment to file the same charges for

over a year.

He said the filing of charges against the 74 NGOs was part of a massive campaign to rid the sector of erring groups that are simply being used as conduits to misuse public funds at the expense of the supposed beneficiaries.

So far, Baligod said, the government has been able to file plunder and malversation charges against only eight NGOs directly linked to Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged mastermind in the pork barrel scam, but has taken no action against the 74 other NGOs who account for an even larger sum of public funds.

A 2012 special audit conducted by the Commission on Audit (COA) uncovered the involvement of some 82 NGOs that were used as

conduits of the pork barrel funds of lawmakers that were supposed to be given out to farmers but were diverted to other uses.

Baligod said his own investigation showed there were 47 lawmakers who were directly involved in the pork barrel scam involving up to P40 billion in public funds.

The failure of the Justice Department to file charges against the third batch of lawmakers cast doubt on the Aquino administration’s anti-corruption program, he said.

He urged the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to use its powers to investigate the 74 NGOs, instead of using investigations to pursue their own political agenda.

Baligod said the P2.6 trillion national budget for

2015 was full of pork barrel, despite the administration’s claim that it had stopped its use.

“The mere fact that a lawmaker sends a communication letter to the Budget Department or concerned departments where his priority projects will be funded indicates that the lawmaker still has a direct hand in the identification and funding of such projects, which is a major component of pork barrel funds,” Baligod said.

He branded the current practice of line item budgeting as a mere circumvention of the decision of the Supreme Court, which declared as unconstitutional the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel allocation of lawmakers. – Dexter see

PH, Japan reaffirm security ties By sandy Araneta

Heroes’ cemetery. A sparrow hovers on a tomb marker at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on Thursday, the 73rd anniversary of Araw ng Kagitingan. Ey AcAsio

ONCE mortal enemies during World War II, the Philippines and Japan on Thursday extolled their recently-forged strategic security partnership as the United States reaffirmed in Tokyo its commitment to peace and security in the Asian region.

This was the common theme of President Benigno Aquino III, Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa and United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg as they stood shoulder to shoulder at the war memorial in Mount Samat, Bataan to mark the 73rd anniversary of the fall of

Bataan in 1942.

“Is it not true that even the victors and survivors needed to rebuild from the ashes? From such an insight, the opportunity rose: Because of their decision, adversaries became partners,” Aquino said.

“Former enemies are now allies in attaining a just peace for all,” he said. “It is clear progress is impossible if everyone will be on their own. Violence will only cause more suffering and misunderstanding while unity will bring development.”

It was the first time Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa attended the Day of Valor rite, but he reiterated his country’s apology

to all who suffered because of Japan’s occupation of the country from 1941 to 1945.

“I wish to express our heartfelt apologies and deep sense of remorse for all who suffered during those fateful days. We all remember and never forget what happened here,” Ishikawa said, stressing that enmity has turned into a “close friendship” with both the Philippines and the United States.

Ishikawa made the remark a day after US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter kicked off his first Asian tour in Tokyo and warned against the militarization of territorial rows in Asia where China is at odds with both Japan and the Philippines.

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Makati dads eye probe vs Kid Peña MAKATI Vice Mayor Romulo Peña may face sanctions over his continued absence in the meetings of the Makati City Council, an official said Thursday.

Makati Councilor Alethea Casal-Uy said the council will decide Tuesday next week if they will push through with investigating Peña’s absence during council meetings in accordance with their rules as well as the Local Government Code.

The rules say that if a member of the council has incurred at least four absences, he or she may face a fine, suspension or even removal from office.

As vice mayor, Peña is supposed to preside over the city council.

Uy said it was unfortunate that Peña had been clinging on to his post as acting mayor and refusing to comply with the order of the Court of Appeals.

“We are saddened that Vice Mayor Peña is insisting he is mayor,” Uy said.

“He should stop misrepresenting himself as acting mayor now that the CA has clarified its ruling.”

Peña assumed the position of acting mayor after Mayor Junjun Binay was ordered suspended by the Ombudsman on March 16, but the Court of Appeals issued an order stopping Binay’s suspension.

Despite the order issued and extended indefinitely by the appellate court in favor of Binay, Peña has stood his ground and continued occupying office as acting mayor.

Peña insists he will wait for the Supreme Court’s decision on the petition filed by the Ombudsman seeking the implementation of the suspension order against Binay.

The high court has scheduled oral arguments on the case on April 14.

Casal-Uy said the appellate court had already made it clear that “status quo” meant the situation before the issuance of the suspension, which meant Binay was never suspended and Peña was never acting mayor.

“This is not a case where you choose which court to follow. All of us, especially those in government, should follow the courts,” Uy said.

She repeated her appeal to Peña to sign the payroll for the salaries of some 150 employees and staff under the Sangguniang Panglungsod and the Office of the Vice Mayor. Joel E. Zurbano

Charged in grief. British expat Nick Cousins, managing director of the multinational Jardine Lloyd Thompson, leaves a Hong Kong court house with his Filipina partner Herminia Garcia after she was granted bail on immigration charges which were discovered after her daughter accidentally fell from the 21st floor of an upmarket condominium in Repulse Bay early on April 7. AFP

Pinay held for daughter’s death HONG KONG—The Filipina mother of a teenager who plunged to her death from an upmarket Hong Kong apartment was released on bail Thursday after being charged with neglect, as her lawyer told of the “unraveling” of their happy family life.

Herminia Garcia emerged from court hand in hand with her British partner Nick Cousins, a businessman, who was also arrested after the 15-year-old’s fatal 21-storey fall.

Although police said there was “no suspicious element” to the tragedy, they detained the teenager’s parents on suspicion of “illtreatment or neglect of a child or a young person”.

Cousins, 58, is the managing director of the Hong Kong office of British multinational Jardine Lloyd

Thompson (JLT), one of the world’s leading insurance brokers.

He is already on bail and has not yet been charged with any offence, while Garcia, who goes by the name Grace, was charged with neglect.

The 53-year-old was also charged with overstaying her visa, while Cousins is being investigated for aiding or abetting the overstay.

The couple are not married.

Garcia is a former domestic helper, according to local media.

The couple also have a younger daughter.

Garcia appeared before magistrates in Hong Kong Thursday where proceedings were interpreted for her in Tagalog—a Philippine language.

Cousins accompanied her,

sitting in the public gallery, often with his head bowed.

The charge sheet said that Garcia’s treatment of an unnamed 14-year-old “Child X” was likely to cause “unnecessary suffering.”

No further detail of the neglect charge was given.

Garcia’s lawyer Christopher Morley told the court how Garcia had lived a “happy normal life with her de facto husband” before her daughter’s death, which had led to the “unravelling situation” for the family.

He asked that Garcia be released on bail on humanitarian grounds.

“This lady is grieving from the loss of her beloved daughter. If she is remanded in custody, she will be denied the support of her family,” he said.

Morley also countered lo-

cal media reports that the teenager and her younger sister had never been to school, saying that they had “received a proper education” at what he described as a learning center.

The couple left the hearing together after Garcia was granted HK$100,000 cash bail ($12,900) with an extra HK$100,000 surety given by a friend. She is to return to court in June.

“The court has decided the family should remain together,” said Morley.

“We would ask for respect for their privacy at this difficult time.”

They were driven away in a Mercedes without speaking to reporters.

The 15-year-old fell from the apartment block in Repulse Bay early Tuesday morning.

Solon: Prepare for manual polls

By Maricel V. Cruz

Free to be alone. Filipina mom Ludy de Guzman (2nd from left) lauded the efforts of Tzu Chi Foundation in bankrolling the succesful operation to separate her 16 months old conjoined twins Jerrylyn and Jennylyn in Taiwan last March 13. ERIC APOLONIO

AN OPPOSITION lawmaker on Thursday urged the Commission on Elections to prepare for manual elections in 2016 in case the Smartmatic-TIM contract and other automation plans that are now stymied by legal problems are not implemented at all.

“The simplest option for the Comelec is to prepare for manual elections which would even cost less than the controversial Smartmatic-TIM contract,” Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said.

Albano, a senior member of the Minority Bloc in the House of Representatives, said the Comelec should also consider using a hybrid manual-computerized option, like the Transparent and Credible Election System or TCrES that had been proposed to the poll body.

He said there was enough time for the Comelec to consider a hybrid system that would combine manual processes—the voting and canvassing of votes—and the

computerized or automated transmission of election results.

The combined manual-computerized election system was one of the many proposals submitted to the Comelec by election watchdog groups, Albano said.

He said the Comelec was duty-bound to carry out the 2016 elections as mandated by the Constitution as he rejected the no-election scenario being peddled by some sectors.

“The no election scenario peddled by certain sectors—including some so-called election experts—is an alarmist hogwash whose only basis is the possible failure in implementing the election automation law” Albano said.

He said the fears being created by the no- election scenario cropped up because the Comelec’s controversial P269-million contract with Smartmatic-TIM to refurbish 81,000 vote-counting machines had been stymied by a temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court.

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Uproar over PNP leadership crisis

By Maricel V. Cruz

The opposition United Nationalist Alliance has said that the leadership vacuum in the Philippine National Police has created quite a public stir following a string of high-profile crime incidents that happened in the country over the past few months.

UNA interim president and Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco said it is high time President Aquino appointed a permanent PNP chief to stem these high profile incidents, and have someone to clearly guide the police force.

“The recent kidnapping incident that happened in Zamboanga sibugay and the siege of a police station by rebels in Davao Oriental are clear indicators showing that the PNP has a leadership vacuum and nobody is clearly guiding the police force,” Tiangco said in a statement.

“The NPA attack in a police station as well the abduction of a town mayor show that the PNP is having lapses, particularly in its intelligence gathering operations,” he added.

Last Monday, Mayor Gemma Adana of Naga town in Zamboanga sibugay was abducted in her house by unidentified armed men and fled via motorized bancas. The police had since launched operations to determine the mayor’s whereabouts and rescue her.

On the same evening, thieves robbed the Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte municipal treasurers’ and took away almost P100,000 from its vault. Also last March, about P246,000 in cash collections and more than P500,000 worth of checks was taken from the municipal treasurer’s office of Currimao, Ilocos Norte.

Last Holy Week, burglars broke into the Bago

City, Negros Occidental treasurer’s office. However, the robbers did not find any valuables inside the vault. The mayor’s office was also burglarized last year with around P500,000 worth of gadgets taken.

Around 50 members of the New People’s Army attacked a police station in Mati, Davao Oriental last February. Four soldiers and an NPA were killed while several others were wounded in the attack and the ensuing gun battle between the rebels and the Philippine Army’s 701st Infantry Brigade.

“Ano po ang nangyayari sa ating kapulisan ngayon?

It looks like it is in disarray at mukhang hindi natututukan ng Palasyo at ng DILG,” Tiangco said.

According to Tiangco, Deputy Director General Leonardo espina who was designated as Officer-in-Charge of the 150,000-strong national police, after the Ombudsman suspended PNP Director General Alan Purisima for six months, has limited powers and functions given his OIC status.

“The President must appoint someone for the long haul, and not on a temporary basis. Failure in intelligence is such an absolute pittance that needs an urgent actionable response to abate terrorism and prevent loss of lives. Ang kaso, mas priority yata ng Palasyo ang tiktikan ang mga kalaban sa politika kaysa mga terorista at sindikato,” he pointed out.

Learning to crawl. Tourists learn a lesson or two on catching big waves in what is fast gaining fame as Luzon’s surfing capital in Barangay Urbiztondo in San Juan, La Union. CHRISTINE JUNIO

Labor to redeploy OFWs displaced by Yemen crisis

By Vito Barcelo OVeRseAs Filipino Workers who are affected by the government’s mandatory repatriation due to security crisis in Libya and Yemen can be redeployed in other countries which are in need of their skills.

Labor secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that the redeployment scheme is a workable option for the OFWs’ re-employment, aside from returning home.

Filipino workers affected by the war in Libya and Yemen can find work in alternative foreign job markets identified by the Philippine Overseas employment Ad-

ministration (POeA), among them include clerks; bakers, pastry cooks, and confectionery makers; bricklayers, stonemason, and tile setters; carpenters, joiners, and parquetry workers; construction workers, laborers/general helpers; and housekeeping and related service workers.

Meanwhile the skilled workers in Yemen can be redeployed in other job host countries as accountants, administrative officers, anaesthesiologist, architects, finance, purchasing, coordinator, and secretarial assistants; flight attendants, baby sitters, caregivers and domestic workers.

DNA databank seen to boost justice system

By Maricel V. Cruz A House member has filed a bill seeking to establish a forensic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) databank to boost the country’s criminal justice system.

Las Piñas City Rep. Mark Villar in filing House Bill 5372, said recent advances in forensic DNA testing are now paving the way for reforming the manner by which cases are resolved in courts of law through the way suspected offenders are apprehended during criminal investigation.

“This technology can be used to identify potential suspects whose DNA may match evidence left at a crime scenes, exonerate persons wrongly accused of crimes, and to identify victims of crime,” Villar said.

“At present, DNA technology is largely used in this country to identify victims of calamities, establish paternity and

REp. MARK VILLAR

other filial relationships,” Villar, the chair of the House committee on trade and industry, added.

House Bill 5372 provides that any information from the DNA databank shall be admissible as conclusive proof of the DNA identification in any proceedings in any court.

The measure defines DNA as deoxyribonucleic acid, which is the chain of molecules found in every nucleated cell of the body. The totality of an individual’s DNA is unique for the individual, except identical twins.

DNA profile means genetic information derived from DNA testing of a biological sample obtained from a person, which biological sample is clearly identifiable as originating from that person.

The bill requires the DNA databank to include the DNA profiles for the purpose of human identification in relation to forensic investigation, and may be used in assisting the recovery or identification of human remains from a disaster or for humanitarian purposes; and the identification of living or deceased persons.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE UPGRADING OF THE PANITAN-NABAS 138 KV TRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT, WITH PRAYER FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY ERC CASE NO. 2014-181 RC NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (NGCP), Applicant, x-------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on December 12, 2014, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) filed with the Commission an application for the approval of the upgrading of the Panitan-Nabas 138 kV Transmission Line Project, with prayer for the issuance of a provisional authority.

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

It is a corporation created and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with principal office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City. It is the corporate vehicle of the consortium which was awarded the concession to assume the power transmission functions of the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO) pursuant to Republic Act No. 9136 (R.A. 9135), otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 or the EPIRA. It was also awarded by Congress a franchise under R.A. 9511 (NGCP Franchise) to operate, manage, and maintain the nationwide transmission system of the Republic of the Philippines.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

2.

3.

One of its functions and responsibilities enumerated in Section 9 of the EPIRA is to “improve and expand its transmission facilities, consistent with the Grid Code and the Transmission Development Plan (TDP) to be promulgated pursuant to this Act, to adequately serve generation companies, distribution utilities and suppliers requiring transmission service and/or ancillary services through the transmission system: Provided, That TRANSCO (now NGCP) shall submit any plan for expansion or improvement of its facilities for approval by the ERC.” Pursuant to its Franchise, it is also authorized to construct, install, finance, manage, improve, expand, operate, maintain, rehabilitate, repair and refurbish the present nationwide transmission system; In accordance with its mandate to ensure and maintain the quality, reliability, adequacy, security, stability and integrity of the Grid, it seeks authority from the Commission to immediately approve the implementation of the proposed upgrading of the Panitan-Nabas 138 kV Transmission Line Project (the Project), which aims, among others, to meet the transmission capacity requirements of capacity additions and load centers; STATEMENT OF FACTS Brief Background

4.

5.

6.

7.

In November 2013, Super Typhoon Yolanda with maximum sustained winds of 235 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center with gustiness of 275 kph, hit the Philippines and devastated many areas in Visayas. The Panitan-Nabas 138 kV Transmission Line was one of the most damaged transmission lines, wherein 128 transmission towers toppled and were damaged; Typhoon Yolanda was an exceptionally powerful tropical cyclone. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), a joint United States Navy - United States Air Force Task Force, responsible for issuing tropical cyclone warnings in the South Pacific Ocean, considered Yolanda as the strongest storm ever recorded to make landfall and the fourth most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in terms of wind speed; As such, the wind velocities carried by Typhoon Yolanda surpassed the wind velocity design of the said transmission lines, which was at 240 kph based on the three wind zones described in Appendix A (Basic Wind Speed on Various Wind Zones for the Philippines) of the 2008 Philippine Electrical Code Part 2; Based on the analysis conducted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the trend of tropical cyclone occurrence or passage within the Philippine area of responsibility shows that there will be no increase in number of tropical cyclones per year, however, there will be an increase in number of tropical cyclones with maximum sustained winds of greater than 150 kph and above (typhoon category).1 In view of these, NGCP considered new wind design criteria for new overhead transmission lines in Visayas;

8.

The temporary structures such as Emergency Restoration System (ERS) were installed in order to address the power requirements of the customers connected to Nabas Substation, i.e. Boracay Island, Antique Electric Cooperative and Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO). This interim scheme allowed NGCP to establish a by-pass transmission line that linked the remaining undamaged portions of the 138 kV line and provided transmission link towards Isabel Substation;

9.

However, the temporary scheme has a limited transfer capacity of 100 MW due to the use of smaller conductor size of 1 x 336.4 MCM ACSR. Furthermore, the ERS may not be able to withstand any typhoon even with lesser wind velocities that will pass the Visayas, hence, making it highly susceptible to damage which could lead to widespread power interruption;

10. Thus, there is an urgent need to implement the Project.

Brief Project Description 11. The project involves the construction of 123 new steel tower structures along Panitan-Nabas 138 kV line adopting a new wind design criteria of 270 kph (from 240 kph). The typical tower design parameters for the proposed transmission line structures are as follows: 1

Published on PAGASA website: http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/climate-agromet/ climate-change-in-the-Philippines/116-climate-change-in-the-philippines/594current-climate-and-observed-trends

Proposed Upgrading of Panitan-Nabas 138 kV Transmission Lines Tower Type Suspension/ Tension/ Line Angle Wind Span Dead End (Degree) DT1sus-Z1-138 Suspension 0-2 400 DT1ten5-Z1-138 Suspension/Tension 0-5 400 DT1ten15-Z1-138 Tension 0-15 400 DT1ten-Z1-138 Tension 0-45 400 DT1de45-Z1-138 Dead End 0-45 300 12. These towers shall require construction of new foundations suitable for the new wind design criteria.

Existing limits for the rights-of-way for the PanitanNabas 138 kV line shall be utilized. However, additional rights-of-way may be required, as other towers shall be located at new sites to be able to construct new foundations; Project Cost Estimate 13. The estimated cost of the Project is Nine Hundred Thirty-Three Million Seven Hundred Seventy-Four Thousand One Hundred Ninety-One and 90/100 Pesos (PhP933,774,191.90); Justification 14. The temporary scheme employed has a limited transfer capacity of 100 MW. Moreover, the by-pass lines are supported mostly by steel pole structures designed for lower voltage level. Hence, the design capability of the bypass lines to maintain the required line clearances is limited. As a result, swinging of transmission line conductors due to strong winds causes fault along the line as the energized conductors may come in contact with nearby vegetation. There is higher possibility of outage due to line to ground fault which will result to overloading of the transformers and load curtailment at Panitan Substation; 15. The proposed project shall have the following justifications for implementation: a.

To minimize exposure to fault along the temporary bypass lines for the Panitan-Nabas 138 kV lines. Thus, there will be minimal load curtailment and interruption of power delivery towards the loads being served by Nabas Substation should there be an outage of the single-circuit Panitan-Nabas 138 kV line;

b)

To increase the maximum transfer capacity of the Panitan-Nabas 138 kV line to 180 MW; and

c)

It may be able to retrieve the temporary structures used for the by-pass lines to ensure sufficient availability of temporary structures for future emergency use.

Allegation in Support of the Prayer for Provisional Approval 16. The power restoration activities undertaken in Panitan-Nabas 138 kV line involved the use of ERS, lightweight modular towers and steel pole structures designed for lower voltage level; 17. There is an urgent need to implement the Project to construct permanent towers and put up conductors along Panitan-Nabas 138 kV transmission line in order to upgrade the line and minimize fault exposure which will eventually result to load curtailment in Panit-an Substation and interruption of power; 18. It will help achieve the maximum transfer capacity of 180 MW along Panitan-Nabas 138 kV Transmission Line; 19. Due to the extensive damage caused by Typhoon Yolanda, it was constrained to borrow steel pole structures from its district offices to use for the bypass line in Panay. Thus, it needs to retrieve the temporary structures used for the by-pass lines to ensure sufficient availability of temporary structures for future emergency use, not only in Panay, but also in other provinces; 20. There is a need to file an application with prayer for issuance of a provisional authority (PA) before the Commission to be able to implement the project;

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‘SUCs’ P3.8b all accounted for’ By rio n. araja

THE Commission on Higher Education on Thursday maintained that over P3.683 billion in Disbursement Acceleration Program funds of the state universities and colleges as of Dec. 31, 2013 are “properly accounted for.”

“The annual Commission on Audit report’s executive summary, which was posted on the COA website last March 31, 2015, outlined observations and recommendations on CHEd accounts and operations in 2013,” its official statement sent to The Standard read.

“It also narrated CHEd’s courses of action based on the agreements in the Commission’s exit conference with CoA in September 2014.”

CHEd said they used DAP funds from the Office of the President prior to the Supreme Court’s affirmation of the funds’ unconstitutionality.

On June 27, 2014, letters were issued to and received by the 110 SUCs involved, reiterating the need to submit audited liquidation reports.

“To date, the unliquidated amount in 2013 has been reduced and liquidation reports properly accomplished as of December 2014,” the Commission said.

“Further, the remaining balance or unused funds were automatically reverted to the National Treasury at the end of the said year.”

The Office of the Chairperson of CHEd reacted to a news report anchored on CoA’s Annual Audit Reports for Calendar Year 2013 posted on CoA’s official website that 110 governmentowned schools have yet to account for over P3.683 billion in DAP funds.

According to CoA, CHEd received P4.063 billion from the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) in December 2011.

Some P3.825 billion was transferred to the SUCs between July 2012 and December 2013.

At least P238 million went to administrative and other expenses, while Of the amount transferred to state-owned schools, while P3.638 billion or 95.11 percent remained unliquidated as of Dec. 31, 2013 in violation of the rules under CoA Circular No. 94-013 issued on Dec. 31, 1994 and the memoranda of agreement entered into among CHEd, SUCs and other source agencies..

Intrepid. The Cry of Pugad Lawin

shrine, where statues of those who valiantly took part in one of the milestone events of Philippine history was built, becomes a playground for these children on April 9, 2015 as the nation marks the Day of Valor or Araw ng Kagitingan. Manny PalMero

21. A copy of the Judicial Affidavit of Engr. Christian Ereño, Head of the Visayas System Planning Division of NGCP is attached to the application as Annex ‘B’: and 22. lt prays that the Commission: a.

Issue, immediately upon filing of the application, a provisional authority for the implementation of the upgrading of the Panitan-Nabas 138 kV transmission line project; and

b.

Approve, after notice and hearing, the application for the implementation of the upgrading of the Panitan-Nabas 138 kV transmission line project; and render judgment making the provisional approval permanent.

The Commission has set the application for jurisdictional hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and evidentiary hearing on May 26, 2015 (Tuesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.) at the ERC Hearing Room, 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City.

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 petitioners 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, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, ALFREDO J. NON, and JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 16th day of March, 2015 at Pasig City.

ATTY. FRANCIS SATURNINO C. JUAN Executive Director III The New Standard – April 10 & 17, 2015

Prosecutor’s dismissal upheld By rey e. requejo THE Court of Appeals has upheld the resolution of the Ombudsman ordering the dismissal from service of a Makati City prosecutor who was arrested for extorting P10,000 from a litigant in exchange for the speedy resolution of a traffic-related case.

In an eight-page decision, the CA’s Twelfth Division through Associate Justice Florito Macalino dismissed the petition for review filed

by Makati Assistant City Prosecutor Rocky Caponong seeking the reversal of the Ombudsman resolution dated February 5, 2013 ordering his removal from service.

The anti-graft body resolution also ordered the forfeiture of his retirement benefits and his perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

The appellate court did not give credence to Caponong’s claim that the amount he demanded and

accepted from private complainant Herminio Sablawan Jr. is for the procurement of the repair of the latter’s vehicle.

The appellate court also said the complainant’s claims should be given more weight because he was able to clearly narrate his case against Caponong.

The CA added that Caponong failed to substantiate his allegations that the arresting officers fabricated the evidence against him.

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This is where it happened. A World War II veteran visits the site where Gen Tomoyuki Yamashita surrendered in Kiangan, Ifugao on “Araw ng Kagitingan”. DAVID CHAN

WWII widow now peddles gambling tips for survival

By Alvin Guanzon

BUTUAN CITY—The widow of a World War II veteran has resorted to peddling illegal gambling swertres tips and numbers to sustain her daily needs while waiting for the government’s decision on her appeal to claim her husband’s pension.

“I am afraid I would no longer enjoy the fruits of my husband’s effort for the country,” 84-year-old Sofia Palen said.

Mrs. Palen said that her husband

Mendrado, intelligence officer and procurement officer of the 41st Infantry Regimen Leyte Area Command under Col. Ruperto Kangleon, filed his pension claim with the

Military Service Board in 1990.

The couple spent many years seeking the help of friends in following up their claim as they had no money to go to the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office in Manila.

Menandro worked as a “trisikad” driver until he became sickly and died in 2008.

In 2012, the MSB denied the claim due to supposed lack of records, making the widow ineligible to receive pension benefits.

Mrs. Palen insisted however that she had enough documentary

support, specifically certifications from the Agusan del Norte and Butuan City Association of World War II Veterans and Beneficiaries that her husband was a bona fide member of both and was recognized among his peers in Leyte.

She wrote a letter of appeal to both MSB chief Retired Major General Fortunato Abat and President Benigno Aquino III. “I haven’t received any word yet [regarding my appeal] and I can’t make a follow up anymore because of lack of money,” she said.

VI-B health officials get mental health training

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Young dancers. Girls from Betong Elementary School in Galimuyod town in Ilocos Sur join dance, drum and lyre competitions during the Third National Performing Arts Festival 2015 at the University of Perpetual Help, Las Piñas City. PNA – AVITO C. DALAN

ThE Department of health—MIMAROPA (Oriental/Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) on Thursday held the last batch of training on mental health in primary and secondary care for health workers at the Coron Village hotel in Coron, Palawan.

“Once our health workers are proficient to handle cases, they could save a number of patients and we could immediately identify and treat cases of depression, schizophrenia, and epilepsy even in areas where resources are limited.

We can also help those [who have attempted suicide] begin to lead normal lives,” said regional director Eduardo C. Janairo said. he added that the training, as requested by majority of chief executives in the region, would build the

capacity of health workers on the management and assessment of persons with mental health problems in the community.

The 2013 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report showed that most prevalent mental health problems in the country among adults are post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Anxiety is the most prevalent among children.

Janairo said the training uses the Mental health Global Action Program framework of the World health Organization.

The WhO defines mental health as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

NBI arrests cashier for pocketing electricity collections

By Dexter A. See SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) regional office here arrested on Wednesday the former head of the cashiering section of the La Union Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Luelco) wanted for six counts of qualified theft after she allegedly amassed around P150 million in electric bill collections.

Cecilla Olarte was arrested in her house in Barangay Sta. Cecilla, Aringay, La Union at around 7:00 a.m. by a team led by NBI assistant regional director Dave Alunan.

The arresting team served the warrant issued by Judge Ethelwolda Jaravata of the Agoo Regional Trial Court Branch 32 against Olarte who had been reportedly in hiding for several months.

Olarte allegedly did not deposit to the Luelco account the collections for Sept. 21, and Oct. 16, 2012 and the collections for March 12, 13, 18, 20, 21, and 25, 2013 with a total amount of P39, 831,000.

Olarte also allegedly did not deposit the whole amount of P55, 217,170 collections for March 27, 2013 and April 1,2,3,4,8,10,12,15,16 and 18, 2013. Of the total P55, 217,170, she allegedly deposited only P19, 896, 835 with undeposited amount of P35, 320, 343 based on computations.

Posadas said the undeposited collections were discovered during an audit conducted by auditors of the National Electrification Administration and internal audit of Luelco.

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ADELLE chuA ediTor F R I D AY, A P R I L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5

opinion [ EDI TORI A L ]

Mindanao’s warning The seven-hour blackout in Mindanao over the weekend is a symptom of the fragile energy situation in the whole country. electricity demand is fast catching up with Mindanao’s meager power reserves and any meltdown in the distribution and transmission system will expose the island’s vulnerability.

A breakdown of an aging transformer initially caused the Mindanao blackout-a reminder to energy officials that the electricity delivery system needs a thorough review and overhaul in some cases. energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla blamed the aging transmission system that includes switchyards in regulating power voltage as the cuplrit for Mindanao’s system-wide outage.

“The initial findings showed that the CVT [capacitor voltage transformer]... got detached. The equipment is old, it was installed in 1975 so it’s 40 years old,” says Petilla.

The blackout in Mindanao was not the first. A similar power outage struck the island in February last year, when a series of trip-offs or automatic shutdowns triggered a system-wide blackout across the entire Mindanao grid. The tripping of the Mindanao power plants started from the breaker of the Agus 1 switchyard, another aging facility.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the latest Mindanao blackout to prevent it from happening again. The same review should be made in the Luzon grid, where old power plants and an outdated transmission system are evident.

Major power plants in Luzon now undergo more frequent “maintenance shutdowns” because of their extended lifespan. Some of the country’s hydroelectric dams were built in the 50s and 60s, while a number of geothermal and coal power stations joined the electrical grid in the 70s and 80s.

The government clearly must give incentives to investors to encourage them to replace aging facilities and build more power stations in the face of a surging economy. It should give investment priority to the overhaul of the transmission system and the construction of new power plants to effectively address the energy problem and avoid a crisis.

Standard TODAY Manila

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Fomenting striFe butchering of 44 members of the PnP Special Action Force happened.

Indeed, Aquino’s compulsive jojo a. desire for secrecy and cloak-anddagger operations, coupled with his robles distrust of the military, directly led to the marooning of the SAF team that PreSIdenT noynoy Aquino may was massacred in Mamasapano. And blabber on and on about having the police, in turn, cannot really be worked for peace with the rebels in faulted for believing that they were Mindanao, but his legacy among the country’s security forces is fast becoming one of fomenting strife.

The second hearing this week on the Mamasapano incident, when officers aquino was not looking of the military and the police openly sniped at each other, is testimony to for peace, he was looking that. to please those who Because Aquino obviously wanted him to go get planned Oplan exodus without thinking, until it was already too late, Marwan. of the effect of extracting the terrorist Marwan on the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the animosity between the Philippine national Police and the Armed abandoned by the military, whose Forces of the Philippines has only artillery and mechanized units could escalated. And because the President have spelled the difference between apparently had serious doubts that life and death for the SAF 44.

And Aquino’s errors that led to the military could be trusted with information about the operation, the the current unfortunate situation

lowdown

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of distrust amongst the men and women in uniform did not only end with his lack of proper planning of exodus during his clandestine meeting at Bahay Pangarap last Jan. 9. When it became clear that things had started to go terribly wrong on Jan. 25, the day of the massacre, many now believe that Aquino himself gave the so-called “stand down order” that prevented the military from coming to the aid of the beleaguered SAF troopers.

This is truly distressing. As many military experts, current and retired, have pointed out, the first reaction of the police and the military to reports that their comrades on the government side are being decimated in battle is to send in reinforcements, not to twiddle their thumbs; it doesn’t matter if it’s the military or the police that does the reinforcing.

But it is now becoming clear that the realization that the peace process with the MILF was being endangered on that fateful day came as an afterthought to the people who planned exodus. And only the highest of officials can issue an order Continued on A10

Rolando G. EstabilloPublisher Publisher Rolando G. Estabillo A. RoblesEditor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Jojo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. TomeldanManaging Managing Editor Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Editor Wong/Ray S. EñanoAssociate Associate Editors Chin Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Editors P. PalaciosNews News Editor FrancisJoel Lagniton Editor Francis LagnitonCityCity Editor Joyce Pangco Pañares Editor ArmanChua ArmeroSenior Senior Deskman Adelle Deskman A. EstoniloArtSenior Deskman RomelLeo J. Mendez Director Romel J. MendezChief ArtPhotographer Director Roberto Cabrera Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

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A10 Yet more graduates It was one baccalaureate Mass after another for me this PENSEES past week, for graduating classes of the Cagayan state UniverFR. RANHILIO sity of which I am the chaplain.

This year, for the two tuguegCALLANGAN arao campuses of the university, AQUINO there had to be three baccalaureate services because of the sheer number of graduates. I chose two other Resurrection narratives aside from the assigned Gospel of the day because I did not want to repeat myself. archbishop soc Villegas was right, after all, in calling attention to the abuse we priests heap on parishioners by repetitious, boring and ill-prepared homilies. and I always welcome the opportunity to preach at graduates’ Masses because unlike the commencement speaker, the preacher is almost always given full attention unless he is gifted with that ability to turn his listeners off with his first, few sentences! at a baccalaureate service, graduates and faculty alike know that they are in for a homily and if they show up, they do so because they are ready to listen. By contrast, the commencement speaker is pathetic, which is the reason I have never accepted an invitation to be one. while his name his emblazoned onstage and writ large on the program as “the main event”, everyone is in fact eager to get him out of the way! Parents who may have trekked from afar are eager to see their children on stage. The last thing they want is some windbag haranguing them on a theme that may be as distant to their present concerns as Pluto! The graduates are raring for their five-second walk of glory and for the now ubiquitous “selfie moment”. when the commencement speaker takes to the rostrum, they pray either for a brown-out to end their ordeal, or for the guest’s speedy demise! as I looked at the horde —really, a horde—of graduates before me, I was sorely tempted to start my homily with “welcome to the world of the unemployed”, but my guardian angel prevailed on me to be kinder. But that is the harsh reality that stares us—and them—in the face: for every job opportunity available, hundreds of graduates will vie, and will compete too with the left-overs from the previous years’ graduation ceremonies. we have tried every trick taught at Hogwarts and beyond. at one time, there was a course that now raises eyebrows in our pragmatic times—a.B. General—but was in fact a liberal arts program providing students with as broad a humanist base as possible. we have done away with such courses in favor of highly specialized pursuits, all in an attempt to ensure graduates of well-paying jobs. and when high school graduates inform their parents that they intend the more we train to major in philosophy, literature or our students for languages, or to audition for the conspecific jobs and servatory of music, they will most assuredly get the annoyed riposte: functions, the less “and what will you do with that?” likely it is that they But specialized courses have not really paid off, have they? Hospitalwill be fit for the ity industry management colleges are among the most populous, and what constantly mutating we have as a result is a surfeit of wait- demands of a highly resses and bar-tenders holding HRM reflexive society. and HIM degrees. we had hoped that our B.s. Criminology graduates would provide the nation with a welltrained, amply schooled pool of candidates for law-enforcement agencies. But when entry into the ranks of the police is a matter of ingratiating oneself with those who were twinkling stars on their shoulder-boards, many of our would-be law-enforcers join the everlengthening queues for employment poorly-paid, virtually unarmed security guards! There is nothing demeaning about waiting at tables and at bars, or with being a security guard, but there is something troubling about the way we squander our resources for tertiary-level education. when we overstock the market we smother the course. we should have learned that from what befell nursing in the Philippines! But we are a stubborn lot. schools and the educational system are many times blamed, and we, educators, have willingly accepted blame. I do not. In fact, I think the paradigm is bad: the pegs we produce in our colleges and universities must fit into the holes that industry and the market make available. But we are not talking pegs and holes here but with the human material that is not only a product of evolution but is the author of its further evolution. The more we train our students for specific jobs and functions, the less likely it is that they will be fit for the constantly mutating demands of a highly reflexive society. The turn-over in information is so fast, that if we continue thinking of higher education in terms of supplying data, much that we teach will be obsolete in no time at all. what we need to do is to cultivate the combinatorial capacities of students—to handle data and to throw them in together in creative ways that create opportunities for them. There is much to be said in favor of a formation of intellectual habit and personal disposition that makes of a graduate an eager learner, an infinitely trainable asset.

The point is that the myriad demands contemporary society makes on its employable human resource make it impossible for colleges and universities to design programs to meet every single demand. and when there are enough to fill the vacancy, what this paradigm produces is a long, restive line of unemployed individuals, eager to board the next plane or ship leaving the country. But when we graduate persons with highly developed research skills, with tremendous powers of analysis, and with that boldness to innovate, to break with tradition and habit, and the intrepidness to discover, one will no longer look upon a huge assemblage of robed graduates with anxiety over their employment opportunities. One will rather have a promising batch of graduates ready to surprise society with the opportunities they create for themselves! rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

unfinished and hanging passing, it added that – MORe than two and a half months “all those who qualify as accomafter the massacre of the Fallen 44 FILIPINO plices and accessories to the above in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, all PENSIONER crimes as defined in articles 18 and we have are two separate investigaHORACE 19, respectively, of the Revised Petion reports from the senate and nal Code should also be charged.” the Philippine National Police’s tEmPLO These recommendations play to Board of Inquiry. while their conclusions are revealing, though, their recommenda- the tune of the public’s indignation about the massacre. However, they are useless for purposes of identions are definitely useless.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front conducted tifying and convicting anyone.

The BOI recommendations were equally useless. its own investigation, but we never expected much from it. we had prejudged that the investigation Its main recommendation was so sketchy and vague would be self-serving, and in defense of MILF’s par- even inexperienced civilians could improve it “where the facts of this Report indicate posticipation in the massacre. Its conduct lacked transsible violations of existing laws and regulations, apparency and therefore, credibility.

Ironically, the main subjects of these reports are propriate government agencies should pursue the 44 dead policemen who usually are the ones tasked investigation of the Mamasapano incident to determine the criminal and/or administrative liabilito solve crimes and pursue criminals.

Like in the movies Harry Potter and The Lord of ties of relevant government officials, the MILF and the Rings, neither report gave a final closure to the other individuals.”

Really, are reports by police generals usually massacre of the Fallen 44. Instead, both narrated an incomplete saga of uncoordinated police and written this way?

It was very specific, however, in recommending military operations with an unfinished and hanging “the immediate grant of 1 rank promotion to all ending.

Indeed, like in the movies, they merely prepared surviving members of the 84th seaborne and PO2 us for the next episode of follow-up investigations Lalan for their heroism and gallantry in action, which the House of Representatives and the Depart- posthumous promotion to the Fallen 44 saF commandos, and … appropriate recognition to all other ment of Justice are now conducting.

But this early, the previews of these new investi- participating elements.”

This recommendation on compensation only gations indicate that those truly responsible for the massacre would not be pinned down yet. The iden- highlighted its uselessness in the pursuit of justice that the Fallen 44 and their relatives deserve to have. tity of the villains may not even be revealed. too late, maybe, but the chairpersons of the inHowever, the forthcoming House report could still be credible if PNoy—whom many of us now vestigating committees boldly summarized their suspect as the principal villain in the Mamasa- findings when interviewed after they have submitpano massacre—would only reply to the 20 ques- ted their reports. senator Grace Poe said of PNoy – tions that our truth-seeking congressmen had “He is ultimately responsible for the Mamasaprepared.

The senate and BOI reports chronicled some de- pano mission.”

For his part, BOI’s chairman Police Director tails of the events that took place, but they confined themselves to generalities and omitted critical in- Benjamin Magalong declared that “while the Presiformation regarding the roles, actions or inactions dent is outside the PNP’s chain of command … this of PNoy, Interior and Local government secretary doesn’t mean that he has no liability.” emotional, maybe, but if only these brave stateMar Roxas, Defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin, and ments were written into the reports, they would Chief of staff General Gregorio Catapang.

The reports did note—but did not explain why have been equivalent to a recommendation to pur—that these officials were together in Zamboanga sue the impeachment of the President. well, we were more outraged when 58 persons City at the time the Fallen 44 were being massacred including the wife of the present provincial govin nearby Mamasapano, Maguindanao. were they not informed earlier that 400 elite ernor and 34 journalists were massacred in the commandos had successfully “neutralized” Zulkifli town of ampatuan, also in Maguindanao, in 2009. abdhir alias Marwan? were they not preparing to after more than five years, we have not convicted any of the already accused criminals. welcome them as heroes? we may be investigating the recent MamasaOr were they only admiring the flowers in full pano massacre more slowly, but we now foresee bloom in the city’s Pasonanca Park?

The senate report recommended that “the MILF that the pursuit of justice for the Fallen 44 would fighters involved in the incident should be charged not die nor fade away even if new controversies in their individual and personal capacities as com- are unearthed as we approach next year’s presimon criminals” after it accepted in toto MILF’s dential election.

Like in the movies, the next investigation epideclaration that “the actions of its fighters were not sanctioned by their organization, and were commit- sodes of the House and the Department of Justice would keep us voters awake and wait to see who the ted in their private individual capacities.” to make its recommendation sound all-encom- real villain is.

FOmENtING... From A8 for the military to not do its job, because the peace process may collapse as a result. and so we are treated to the spectacle of officers of the PNP and the aFP accusing each other of failing to do the right thing, when the people who really should be blamed are the armchair strategists and their suspended “advisers” who do not have to face enemy fire or even have second thoughts about what might have been, had they acted on their better judgment and disobeyed orders that caused horrendous deaths of their own brothers-in-arms. aquino was not looking for peace, after all, when he planned exodus. He was looking to please those who wanted him to go get Marwan, whatever the cost. *** The cost of electricity, as was widely expected, increased this month by 27 centavos per kilowatthour, because of the use of more expensive alternative fuel by power plants dependent on the

natural gas from the Malampaya offshore fields. The one-month shutdown of Malampaya for maintenance began in midMarch, after all, and the effects of this are now being felt by power consumers.

But the increase is actually lower than the expected 46 centavos per kwh, because of the return to operation of the QPPL power plant. Power industry observers said the increase would have been even lower, had the Calaca and Ilijan plants produced more power.

Of course, power rates are expected to rise again in the coming months, when demand increases because of the higher temperatures and before the supply from Malampaya returns. and there’s no telling, really, how the wholesale electricity spot Market is going to affect electricity prices in the short term. what’s also noteworthy is how the campaign to start shifting to prepaid electricity is starting to gain traction—a move that is also expected to

further help consumers rein in escalating power costs. The latest experiment in using prepaid electricity was started in Cainta, Rizal, where vendors in the local public market were given the choice of using prepaid power to control their electricity use. stall owners in Cainta reportedly experienced a reduction in their monthly consumption and bills through the system. Plans are also underway to integrate the use of prepaid electricity into the other initiatives as well of the various local governments, like in providing power to residents who are having difficulty applying for electric service due to the requirements and other documents needed.

Households can also benefit from using prepaid electricity, as well. with prepaid, household members will learn to be more conscious of their power consumption, while apartment owners will no longer have to worry about unsettled electricity bills of their tenants when they leave.

F R I d aY, a P R I l 1 0 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

adelle chua EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

The MalaySia connecTion with them for close to LAST week a a decade, the MiLF news report MINORITY itself is blameless. was captured REPORT The iMT report also by many news found that the govdailies about DANILO ernment and not just how the govSUAREZ the MiLF violated ernment of the ceasefire agreements.

Republic of the Philippines (gRP) through the De- Again, not surprisingly, Malapartment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) canang concurred with the findoffered to downgrade its claim on ings and continues to seek a final Sabah in exchange for Malaysia’s agreement with the MiLF within support for its case against China the year.

Definitely Malaysia should not before the United nations (Un).

This was accordingly the context have been allowed involvement of the DFA’s note verbale which, because of our standing claim over despite the assuring statements Sabah and its direct support to the

by DFA officials, former Philip- violence in Mindanao. Whatever pine Permanent Representative motherhood statements Professor to the Un Lauro Baja Jr. categori- Miriam Coronel Ferrer and Secrecally stated prejudices our claim tary Teresita Deles may say on the to Sabah as “we are in effect with- contrary, this is a fact. Former PM drawing our objection to Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad even admitted this in an Al-Jazeera TV interview. claim of ownership to Sabah”.

Likewise, it was clear in the This treachery and Malaysia’s continuing role in related devel- Mamasapano Senate hearings opments should be heavily scru- that intercepted e-mails between tinized, particularly in light of the Marwan and his brother showed peace agreement between the gRP that MiLF commander Wahid and the Moro islamic Liberation Tundok (who is also implicated Front (MiLF) (which was inciden- in several cases of murder, arson, tally declared unconstitutional by robbery and other crimes) had our Supreme Court and was hur- acted as the protector of Marwan. riedly and quietly signed in Kuala The gRP knew of this and yet our Lumpur—not in the Philippines), peace panel immediately cleared the inutile response of this admin- him of involvement in the inciistration to 2013 Sabah incident dent and worked for his freedom as well as the unfortunate January after he was captured last Febru25 incident in Mamasapano where ary. This presents a good picture 44 members of the Special Action of how this administration has Force (SAF) of the Philippine na- been treacherously playing foottional Police (PnP) sent to arrest sies with those threatening the Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, security and integrity of the counalias Marwan and Filipino cohort try.

Definitely, Pnoy has treasonBasit Usman were massacred by MiLF and other terrorist elements. ously allowed Malaysia to meddle notwithstanding the Sabah is- in our affairs and let terrorists and sue, this administration allowed insurgents alike to increase in miliMalaysia to broker the peace agree- tary strength and posture, providments, act as referee in the peace ing increased potential for greater talks, and head the international violence in the future if we fail to Monitoring Team (iMT) to oversee act decisively now.

Let me close with the poignant the implementation of the peace agreements signed by the gRP with words of gen. Douglas MacArthur in his farewell address to US the MiLF. And so it is to Malaysia to which Congress on 19 April 1951: “They the MiLF, in utter arrogance, has are blind to history’s clear lesson, placed their sole accountability to for history teaches with unmisinstead of our government and takable emphasis that appeaseConstitution. This is demonstrated ment but begets new and bloodier by their action of submitting the war. it points to no single instance results of their internal investiga- where this end has justified that tion on the massacre to the iMT in- means, where appeasement has stead of the gRP. not surprisingly, led to more than a sham peace. the iMT declared that although Like blackmail, it lays the basis members of the MiLF had direct for new and successively greater knowledge of the presence of Ma- demands until, as in blackmail, laysian terrorist Marwan in their violence becomes the only other “territory” where he safely mingled alternative.”

#FAiLoCRACY

A11

Vulnerable bSa Benigno Simeon (BS) Cojuangco Aquino iii is the second most unpopular president of the Philippines since 1986.

The most unpopular, of course, is gloria Macapagal Arroyo. But then, to begin with, gMA was the least popular president to assume office since 1986. Probably, she was also the most unpopular president to enter Malacañang ever.

When the Social Weather Stations first made a survey of public satisfaction with gMA’s presidency in March 2001, gMA’s rating was only +24 –about half to two-fifths of the inaugural satisfaction ratings of the presidents before her (Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph estrada) and the president after her (BS Aquino iii).

BS Aquino had net satisfaction rating of +60 percentage points when SWS first made a survey of public satisfaction with his presidency in September 2010. This +60 is the same as the +60 of Joseph estrada in September 1998, is higher than BSA’s mother, Corazon Aquino’s +53 in May 1986, but lower than Fidel Ramos’s +66 in September 1992.

After five years in office, Corazon Aquino (who served for six years and four months) had a net satisfaction rating of +24, in April 1991, a decline of 55 percent from her +53 at the beginning of her presidency.

A doubtful starter at the presidency, Fidel Ramos proved to be very popular, thanks to hard work and a sharp focus on economic recovery and investments. FVR net satisfaction rating of +66 at the start of his presidency went down to just +49 after five years, per the SWS September 1997 survey. The decline was a manageable 26 percent, from +66 to +49, after five years.

Joseph estrada was president for just 30 months. He began with a net satisfaction rating of +60 (same as noynoy’s when he began office) and lost 68 percent of that after two years, with +19 satisfaction rating by September 2000, and by another 17 percentage points to +9 in December 2000, three weeks before his ouster from office.

Today, BS Aquino has a net

mained the same). government offices are VIRTUAL hamstrung by massive red tape, REALITY corruption, and incompetence.

TONY if you want proof, go and deal with the Land Transportation LOPEZ office or deal with the Bureau satisfaction rating of just +11, a of internal Revenue. Both the massive drop of 82 percent. if LTo and the BiR are unmitiyou deduct the SWS survey’s gated torture chambers demargin of error of 3 percentage signed to harass and inflict the points, the +11 rating trans- most misery on ordinary morlates into +8—lower than es- tals. You want further proof? trada’s +9 satisfaction rating, Try taking an MRT ride from just before the actor turned north to south of eDSA or vice president’s removal by People versa. You will curse yourself Power in January 2001 on alle- for having been born in this gations of gambling kickbacks. land.

This implies that BS Aquino Aquino bribed Congress is at the most dangerous water- to remove a sitting chief jusshed of his six-year presidency. tice. He disregarded a Supreme Politically, he is disturbingly Court restraining order. Two vulnerable to ouster moves— major initiatives—the Priority

by People Power, by a military Development Assistance Fund coup, and by a parliamentary (PDAF or pork barrel) and the method.

Disbursement Acceleration Pro Section 11 Article Vii of gram (DAP or the mass seizure the 1987 Philippine Constitu- of Congress-allotted taxpayers’ tion provides for the third way money and its diversion to purout – removal of the president poses not provided for by law)

by Congress—temporarily or were declared unconstitutional permanently. by the Supreme Court by unaniSeCTion 11 says: “Whenev- mous or near unanimous votes. er the President transmits to the Aquino violated the chain of President of the Senate and the command and the principle of Speaker of the House of Repre- command responsibility by assentatives his written declaration signing the suspended top police that he is unable to discharge the official to supervise a secret oppowers and duties of his office, eration to capture, dead or alive, and until he transmits to them three major alleged terrorista written declaration to the con- bomber suspects, resulting in trary, such powers and duties the death of 44 elite police comshall be discharged by the Vice- mandos in the now infamous President as Acting President.

Mamasapano Massacre in Ma“Whenever a majority of all guindanao province, Mindanao. the Members of the Cabinet The same SWS survey that transmit to the President of the says Aquino’s satisfaction ratSenate and to the Speaker of ing is down to +11 indicates the House of Representatives half (or 50 percent) of those their written declaration that surveyed don’t want him to the President is unable to dis- resign; 32 percent want him to charge the powers and duties resign; the remaining 18 perof his office, the Vice-President cent are still thinking about it. shall immediately assume the is 50 percent significant? no. powers and duties of the office Please note that just a year ago, as Acting President.” nobody wanted Aquino to reestrada’s removal was trig- sign. now, a third of the people gered by just one issue—gam- want him out and a fifth are conbling payola. sidering he should quit. nearly Aquino has been accused every other Filipino doesn’t want of a number of constitutional Aquino to remain in office a day violations and failure of gov- longer. in the meantime, state ernance—like his failure to agencies like the LTo, BiR and reduce poverty and to reduce the MRT continue to punish unemployment (Asia and the the public in gay abandon. Spell world halved poverty in 2015 CURSe. from the 1990 level. The Philippines’ poverty incidence re- biznewsasia@gmail.com

CHong ARDiViLLA

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Stage set for classic Masters AUGUSTA—The most hotly anticipated Masters in years gets underway early Thursday morning under the towering Georgia pines of Augusta National with a host of gripping potential story lines.

First and foremost is the return to competitive play of four-time winner Tiger Woods after a twomonth timeout to try and get his game back together.

So far in the buildup this week, the signs are all positive for him.

Mentally and physically he looks a different man to the one who was driven off the course in a golf cart after 11 first-round holes at the Farmers Insurance tournament in February.

Then, world number one Rory McIlroy, who a new survey says has replaced Woods as the most mar-

ketable golfer in the world, looks to enter the history books as just the sixth golfer to complete a career Grand Slam of the four majors.

Defending champion Bubba Watson is out to become just the second man—after Jack Nicklaus— to win three Masters in four years.

Adam Scott can make it two wins in three years, while a new wave of young American golfers, led by Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, are firmly knocking at the door of major glory.

The Augusta National “patrons,” as golf fans are called here, will have

to bide their time to see Woods in action as he goes off in the penultimate grouping of the day at 1748 GMT alongside Welsh Davis Cup star Jamie Donaldson and in-form fellow American Jimmy Walker.

Late or early, the 39-year-old superstar is just glad to be back in action on a course where he has enjoyed the greatest moments of his career to date.

“There is no other tournament in the world like this, and to come back to a place that I’ve had so many great memories at and so many great times in my life, it’s always special,” he said of his return in search of a 15th major title almost seven years after winning his last one.

The early focus on day one will be on McIlroy, the 25-year-old Northern Irishman who has clasped a strangle-

hold on the world number one spot with back-to-back major wins in the British Open and PGA Championship.

He enters the fray at 1441 GMT, linking up with three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson and Ryan Moore.

McIlroy knows he has time on his side at just 25 years old to win the Masters, but he does have a rocky past here, most notably in 2011 when he let slip a four-stroke lead entering the final round.

Getting more out of Augusta National’s four par-fives, the traditional hunting grounds for birdies and eagles, is a priority for the Irishman.

“If you look at the previous winners here, they’ve all played the parfives well,” he said. “Bubba (Watson) last year played them at eight-under par, I played them at even par and he beat me by eight shots. AFP

Bubba Watson walks with his son Caleb during the Par 3 Contest prior to the start of the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. AFP

Rory threatens Tiger as face of golf AUGUSTA—World number one Rory McIlroy is pushing Tiger Woods as the world’s most marketable golfer, and one survey out on the eve of the Masters says he has surpassed Woods.

SportsBusiness Daily released a poll of 40 industry marketers, tournament directors and media members Wednesday that saw McIlroy win the nod with 56% of firstplace votes to Woods with 30%.

In the US-based newspaper’s points ranking, Woods was third behind McIlroy and Rickie Fowler, who had only 9% of top votes but was named on 84% of ballots to only 65% for Woods.

Ed Kiernan, formerly of GMR Marketing and Peter Jacobsen Sports, told the newspaper that Woods must find top

form once more to restore his top pitchman status.

“Nike largely markets performance on the field of play, not off it,” Kiernan said. “He holds no value to a performance brand like Nike or others unless he can again regain his form on the golf course.

His value to endemics changes the moment if/when he wins another major, but his value to non-endemics is lost forever.”

But not all the day’s news was bad for Woods, who ends a twomonth hiatus to improve his game this week at the 79th Masters at Augusta National.

Woods, who has fallen to 111th in the world rankings, remains king of the sport’s marketing values according to a business study released Wednesday by the Repucom sports marketing date group.

Woods, 39, has an 81% global awareness while McIlroy has only a 33% mark.

But The Masters and other majors this year could prove decisive in how long Woods remains in the eye of sponsors and sports equipment makers.

Woods still has a major drawing power. Repucom said that of the 85% of people they surveyed in the United States who declared they would watch the Masters on television, 12% said they would not bother if Woods was not playing.

“The reason why Tiger is still regarded so highly as a marketing force is the fact that he is recognised. His high profile is really what is ensuring he stays at a relatively high level in terms of his overall marketability,” said a Repucom spokesman. AFP MCIlroy

Pacers’ Copeland recovering from stab wounds NEW YORK—Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland was being treated for stab wounds in a New York hospital Wednesday his team confirmed following reports the basketball star was attacked as he left a nightclub.

The Pacers said Copeland was stable after suffering wounds to his elbow and abdomen but did not give details of the incident that led to the injuries.

“We are still gathering information and will update when we know more,” Larry Bird, the team’s President of Basketball Operations, said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with Chris and those injured.”

The New York Daily News reported that trouble broke out at the 1 OAK club shortly before 4:00 a.m.

Shezoy Bleary, 22, was arrested after pulling out a knife and stabbing Copeland and his wife, the newspaper reported.

Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, were also reportedly arrested for trying to prevent police from setting up a crime scene.

They were charged with obstructing governmental administration.

Copeland, 31, was in New York because the Pacers are playing the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. AFP

Former softball national player Federigan dies IRENEO ‘Nayong’ Federigan, former softball national player and father of former Taliba sports editor and now Pilipino Mirror associate editor Ma. Ana S. Federigan, died last Monday due to lingering illness. He was 78.

He is survived by wife Teresita, children Tess and Joel, Marilou and Ricky, Ana, Marivic and Arnold, Ela and Chewy, brothers Turing and Celing, grandchildren Gener and Mae, Keith, Aiza, and Paul, Carlou, Tricia, Arvic, Angelo, Theo, Amanda, and Georgina, and great grandchildren Ken, Carl, Shawn, and Dominique.

His body lies in state at St. Peter Chapels, along Araneta Ave. Quezon City beside Nacional Memorial Homes.

Interment will be on Friday at 10 a.m. at South Cemetery in Makati after the 8 a.m. mass at Independent Church in Pandacan, Manila.

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Pacman:The fire is there

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Eton Properties Supports Summer Basketball League. In keeping the spirit of sports alive this summer and as part of Eton Properties’ thrust to look after its clients beyond turnover, the company sponsored the Summer Basketball League 2015 at North Belton Communities, one of its property developments in Quezon City. The league, which will run through the entire summer, is participated in by residents of North Belton Communities.

Loyzaga vows to expand Bulldogs’ sports program

By Peter Atencio

EXPANDING the school’s sports program will be the thrust of National University now that Chito Loyzaga is their new athletic director.

NU representative to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Board Nilo Ocampo said this a day after Loyzaga formally took over the job once held by Junel Baculi.

“He is excited as much as we are. He wants to be involved in helping and developing the youth program of the school,” said Ocampo.

Confirmation of Loyzaga’s appointment came as soon as he was named a member of the PBA 40 Greatest Players of all time.

Ocampo said the school’s participation is currently limited to a few sports and this will change soon.

Their involvement right now is in basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, taekwondo and football.

Loyzaga will sit down with school officials to discuss how best NU can join other events.

Plans are afoot for NU to get into swimming next year, in athletics the year after and more events afterwards.

“Right now, our participation in the UAAP is limited. That will change soon,” said Ocampo.

Loyzaga will bring his experience as an athlete, playing for San Beda in high school and college, with the national team and the PBA. When he retired, Loyzaga was an executive of San Miguel Corp. before he moved on to be commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission.

Later, Loyzaga served as a commissioner of the UAAP. LoyzAgA

Wesley running 3rd in US Open

By Peter Atencio FILIPINO grandmaster Wesley So, playing the black pieces, needed just 36 moves to get past Grandmaster Alexander Onischuk in the seventh round of the 2015 US Open Chess championship in St. Louis, Missouri.

So prevailed in a Ruy Lopez game to post his fourth win against a draw and a loss, according to the tournament’s official website.

So, who fell behind after taking a loss from Ray Robson in 47 moves of a Berlin Defense in Round 6, is in third with 4.5 points.

Onischuk gave up after So gobbled up a pawn at the queenside.

This equalized their pawns, but So controlled the back rank.

GM Nakamura Hikaru now shares the lead with Robson after playing GM Samuel Sevian to a draw, where his king escaped a threatening bishop move.

Robson toppled GM Daniel Naroditsky in 85 moves and was threatening to promote a passed pawn at endgame.

According to chessdom, So had an interesting game with Robson.

So had a big advantage following a sacrifice. But he followed with some highly questionable moves that badly weakened his kingside.

This allowed Robson to fully reverse the situation with his powerful a-pawn which gave him a winning endgame.

EIGHT-DIVISION world champion Manny Pacquiao was back at his best after a one-day rest ordered by trainer Freddie Roach to prevent him from “burning out” following five weeks of relentless training on the road and in the gym, which included 29 rounds of giveand-take sparring last week.

Pacquiao did his usual morning run and then returned to the Wild Card Gym in the afternoon for a solid workout, highlighted by 12 rounds on the punch-mitts.

“I’m hungry. The fire is there. It’s good and I’m happy about my training,” said Pacquiao, after the workout, according to ABS-CBN. Pacquiao is scheduled to spar 12 rounds today with two new unidentified sparring partners lined up by Roach.

Roach explained his decision to give Pacquiao a day off on Tuesday and to cancel a scheduled sparring session.

“I thought he was overdoing it a little bit, so we had a day off. Today, we opened the gates, and he kicked my a__. I must have gotten hit with a thousand and two punches today,” said Roach, who told reporter Dyan Castillejo that Pacquiao was excellent and asked for more, but he turned him down.

The trainer also revealed they discussed new strategy for the May 2 showdown with Floyd Mayweaher Jr. but gave no inkling of what it was.

The World Boxing Council reported yesterday that welterweight and super welterweight champion Mayweather passed the 30-day weigh-in imposed by the WBC with a breeze, tipping the electronic scale at what it described as a “svelte 150.5 pounds, being only 3.5 pounds above the welterweight division limit,” which is 147 pounds. Pacquiao was also believed to have made the limit with no problems at all.

The 30-days, 7-day weigh-in created by the WBC, has been what it claims as “a complete success over the years. It’s an awareness barometer in order to protect boxers by monitoring gradual weight loss to sensibly preserve safety” from any rapid weight loss which increases the risk of brain damage through rapid fluid loss.

While an obviously re-energized Pacquiao was happily back in the ring training, his undefeated opponent is literally putting his money where his mouth is by having a custom-made mouthpieces that cost $25,000.

Roach, quick to the draw, said: “Who really cares?” pointing out that “Mouthpieces protect your mouth. Who cares how much it costs? I can go to the 7-11 and get one for two bucks.”

All breeds vie for titles at dog shows WHAT do Whippets, Pointers, Yorkshire terriers, Pomeranians, Chihuahuas, Pekingeses and Malteses share in common?

They all belong to the exclusive league of all-breed dogs, groomed and honed in preparation for the 65th and 66th International All-Breed Championship Dog Shows of the Asian Kennel Club Union of the Philippines, Inc. on Sunday at the People’s Village of Tiendesitas on Ortigas Ave., Pasig City.

Show chairman Architect Desmond Ong said homegrown judges Jester Jo Ong Chuan and Mike Buenaflor will adjudicate the shows.

Ong Chuan, who adjudicated international dog shows in China, South Korea, Myanmar, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Philippines, heads the American Cocker Spaniel Club of the Philippines and the Metropolitan Manila Kennel Club Inc., both AKCUPI affiliates. Buenaflor, shelter manager and disaster rescue officer for the Network for Animals, an animal welfare group based in the United Kingdom, is a certified Dog Rescuer trained by the International Fund for Animal Welfare and is currently a consultant for the Animal Kingdom Foundation, an animal wel-

fare group based in the Philippines and England, and a member of the Board of the German Shepherd Dog Federation of the Philippines.

The judges will have their own set of winners in the Best Baby Puppy, Best Philippine-born and Best in Show categories from seven breed groupings toy, sporting, hound, terrier, non-sporting, working and herding.

Chaired by Henry Babiera, AKCUPI turned seven last March 30, For more information about the shows, please contact 3766597-98 or email akcupi@admin.com or visit www.akcupi.com.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK F R I D AY : A P R I L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Perpetual spikers nip Coast Guard FOURBEES-Perpetual Help charged back from a sorry setback in the fourth with a strong finishing kick as it toppled Coast Guard, 26-15, 19-25, 2522, 26-28, 15-11, to check a two-game skid in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Open Conference elims at The Arena in San Juan City yesterday.

Jamel Suyat poured it all in the fifth set and outpointed Coast Guard top hitter Rossan Fajardo,

carrying the former NCAA champions to their first victory after dropping their first two

games to powerhouse points, while skipper Games Sunday Cagayan Valley and 12:45 p.m. • Army vs PLDT Ana James Diocareza Home Ultera Army. and Shallane Eniong 2:45 p.m. • Baguio vs Meralco “It’s nice to win our combined for 11 of the first game here,” said Perpetual team’s impressive 16-block output.

Help coach Sammy Acaylar, who Fajardo, also the Lady Dolphins’ is using their stint here to prepare team captain, fired 18 points, for the coming NCAA Season 91. including key hits in the fourth set The crisp-hitting Suyat, who when they came from behind to scored a match-best 24 hits, steal the extended duel and force including 20 on attacks, also the decider. drew solid support from Marijo But Suyat upstaged her, Medalla, who chipped in 15 blasting away kills after kills to

help the Las Pinas-based school secure their first victory in the season-opening conference of the league presented by PLDT Home Ultera and sponsored by Shakey’s.

“She (Suyat) made some good plays in the final set that really helped us,” said Acaylar.

Coast Guard, which fell to Navy, 24-26, 14-25, 18-25, also last week, dropped to 0-2 in the league backed by Mikasa and Accel.

New sports show on FOX launched

By Peter Atencio InvItatIon to BId for the Supply and delIvery of 34,911 packS of coffee creamer, refIll (lot 1) and 4,176 packS of decaffeInated coffee, refIll (lot 2) under ItB no. 03-35-2015 The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is inviting all interested bidders in its forthcoming public bidding for the Supply and Delivery of 34,911 Packs of Coffee Creamer, Refill (Lot 1) and 4,176 Packs of Decaffeinated Coffee, Refill (Lot 2) under ITB No. 03-35-2015: APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT LOT BRIEF DESCRIPTION (ABC) DELIVERY SCHEDULE (VAT Exclusive, Zero Rated Transaction) Coffee Creamer, Refill  34,911 packs  Branded  White  Non-Dairy Three Million Seven 1  Original Flavor Hundred Thirty Five The complete schedule • Minimum of 450 grams per pack Thousand Four Hundred of deliveries is provided • 24 packs/corrugated box Seventy Seven Pesos in Section VI (Schedule • Expiration date should be at least (PhP3,735,477.00). of Requirements) of the one (1) year from date of delivery Bidding Documents which and acceptance. will commence starting from Decaffeinated Coffee, Refill the contract effectivity date  4,176 packs specified in the Notice to  Branded Proceed  80G per Pack  30 Packs per Box, Coffee, Instant Four Hundred Thirty Four 2 Coffee, Refill Thousand Eight Hundred  100% Instant Coffee Five Pesos and 12/100  Fine Granules (PhP 434,805.12) • Expiration date should be at least one (1) year from date of delivery and acceptance.

MANNY Pacquiao will go the distance against Floyd Mayweather.

Mayweather could take every round, but Pacquiao will have a chance of knocking him out.

Veteran host KC Montero had this take on the coming

INVITATION TO BID Supply of Labor and Materials for the Fabrication, Delivery, Installation and Testing of Experimental Prototype of a 5ton/ hr capacity Fluidized Bed Dryer (PHilMech Goods 15-04-03) 1.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) through its Regular Fund intends to apply the sum of PhP 2,339,564.67 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) as indicated herein to payments under the contract for the Supply of Labor and Materials for the Fabrication, Delivery, Installation and Testing of Experimental Prototype of a 5ton/ hr capacity Fluidized Bed Dryer. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at Bid opening.

2.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization now invites Bids from eligible bidders for the following items:

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

ITEMS Supply of Labor and Materials for the Fabrication, Delivery, Installation and Testing of Experimental Prototype of a 5ton/hr capacity Fluidized Bed Dryer Total

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

All particulars relative to Pre-Bid Conference, Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its IRR.

Activities

2. Pre-Bid Conference

April 17, 2015 (Fri), 3:30 p.m.

3. Deadline for the Submission and Receipt of Bids

April 29, 2015 (Wed), 3:30 p.m.

4. Opening and Preliminary Examination of Bids

April 29, 2015 (Wed), 3:30 p.m. onwards

Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Pesos)

500,000.00 and below

4.

Interested Bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Only those who have submitted Affidavit of Undertaking shall be allowed to purchase Bidding Documents and participate in the bidding project.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of PhP 5,000.00.

The method of payment will be in cash. The Bidding Documents shall be received personally by the prospective Bidder or his authorized representative.

6.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization will hold a Pre-Bid Conference open to all interested parties on April 13, 2015, 10:00 am at PHilMech Liaison Office, 3rd Floor, ATI Bldg. Elliptical Road Diliman Quezon City.

7.

Bids and eligibility requirements must be delivered to the address below on or before April 27, 2015. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid security in the form and amount stated in the Bid Data Sheet or an equivalent amount in a freely convertible currency. Late Bids shall not be accepted.

8.

Bid opening shall be on April 27, 2015, 10:00am at PHilMech Liaison Office, 3rd Floor, ATI Bldg. Elliptical Road Diliman Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below.

9.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization reserves the right to accept or reject any Bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all Bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected Bidder or Bidders.

500.00

More than 500,000.00 up to 1 Million

1,000.00

More than 1 Million up to 5 Million

5,000.00

Prospective bidders may also download the Bidding Documents free of charge from the following websites: www.PAGCOR.ph and www.philgeps.net and may be allowed to submit bids provided that bidders pay the non-refundable bidding fee not later than the date of the submission of bids. The Pre-bid Conference is open to all interested bidders. Prospective bidders should present to PAGCOR’s Cashier at the Sixth (6th) Floor, PAGCOR Corporate Office, M.H. del Pilar cor. Pedro Gil Sts., Malate, Manila either the Bidding Fee Slip which may be secured from the Bids and Awards Services Department (BASD) or a copy of this ITB in effecting payment for the Bidding Documents.

All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

PAGCOR assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids.

In accordance with Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) Circular 06-2005 - TieBreaking Method, the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) 1 shall use a non-discretionary and nondiscriminatory measure based on sheer luck or chance, which is “DRAW LOTS,” in the event that two or more bidders have been post-qualified and determined as the bidder having the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid (LCRB) to determine the final LCRB, based on the following procedures: 1.

In alphabetical order, the bidders shall pick one rolled paper.

2.

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

PAGCOR reserves the right to accept or reject any Bid, and to annul the bidding process and reject all Bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Please address all communications to the Bids and Awards Committee thru the BASD, Room 203, Second Floor, PAGCOR House, 1330 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila, Tel No.: 524-3911, 5211542 local 223/571/617.

(SGD.) RODERICK R. CONSOLACION Chairperson Bids and awards Committee (BaC) 1

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PhP 2,339,564.67

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary pass/fail criteria as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations Part A (IRR-A) of Republic Act 9184 (R.A. 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act,” and is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to Republic Act 5183 (R.A. 5183) and subject to Commonwealth Act 138 (C.A. 138). Only Bids from Bidders who pass the eligibility check will be opened. The process for the eligibility check is described in the Bidding Documents. The bidder with the Lowest Calculated Bid (LCB) shall advance to the post-qualification stage in order to finally determine responsiveness of the bid to technical and financial requirements of the project. The contract shall then be awarded to the Lowest Calculated and Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during the post-qualification procedure.

Complete details of the project are indicated in the bidding documents which will be available to prospective bidders at the Bids and Awards Services Department (BASD), upon payment of the non-refundable bidding fee based on the following matrix: Approved Budget for the Contract

PhP 2,339,564.67

3.

Schedule April 10, 2015 (Fri) to April 29, 2015 (Wed)

ABC

Delivery of the GOODS is required within Ninety (90) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed. The description of an eligible Bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents.

The schedule of activities is listed, as follows: 1. Issuance of the Bidding Documents

said Montero as he answered questions to be discussed on the show, “The GOAT.” Short for “The Greatest of All Time,” the new show will premier on Apr. 16, with Montero, who has been around as host for a number of TV shows for 15 years, as host.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Agriculture Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines www.philmech.gov.ph

The total ABC for the project is Four Million One Hundred Seventy Thousand Two Hundred Eighty Two Pesos and 12/100 (PhP4,170,282.12), VAT Exclusive, ZeroRated Transaction.

Source of Fund: Internally Funded Note: Bidder may bid on one or both lots

Pacquiao-Mayweather fight during Wednesday’s launch of a new sports show on cable channel Fox Sports.

“He (Mayweather) is more focused now, and that’s what makes it scary. Unlike in other fights, he used to talk a lot and it’s a fight that could go the distance,”

PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR POSTHARVEST DEVELOPMENT AND MECHANIZATION (Formerly BUREAU OF POSTHARVEST RESEARCH AND EXTENSION) Main Office :CLSU Cmpd., Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija Tel. No. (044) 4560287 / 4560213 FAX No. (044) 4560110 Liaison Office : 3F ATI Bldg., Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City Tel. No. 9274019 / 9274029 FAX No. 9268159 (SGD.) RAUL R. PAZ BAC Chairman (TS-APR. 6 & 10, 2015)

Martin tilt lures 39 teams Games Saturday (San Beda gym) 8 a.m. • UE vs EAC-ICA (jrs-b) 9:30 a.m. • MLQU vs UE (srs-b)

DEFENDING champions University of Perpetual Help Altas and Adamson Baby Falcons will be among 39 collegiate, women and high school squads seeing action in the 21st Fr. Martin Summer Cup basketball tournament this Saturday.

Commissioner Robert de la Rosa bared that 17 collegiate men’s teams, including the national youth quintet are listed in the senior’s division.

Also entered are seven women’s squads and 15 junior teams.

The tournament will be held at the St. Placid gymnasium inside the San Beda College campus in Mendiola, Manila.

A two-game bill starting at 8 a.m. will start hostilities in this threemonth long cagefest, with University of the East playing Emilio Aguinaldo College in the junior side.

The UE Warriors meet Manuel L. Quezon University at 9:30 a.m.

The Altas are bracketed in Group B with the Mapua Cardinals, NCAA champion San Beda Red Lions, UE, University of Santo Tomas-A, Ateneo, Manuel L. Quezon University and Far Eastern University.

In Group A are the Arellano Chiefs, Letran Knights, Jose Rizal University, RP Youth, UAAP champion National University, UST-B, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Olivarez College and Lyceum.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Meechai all but wraps up crown THAI Wichanee Meechai flashed top-notch shot-making and putting and turned in a four-under 68 to all but wrap up the ICTSI Splendido Ladies Invitational crown on her very first stint on the local turf.

While the rest of the 28-player starting field struggled for the second straight day at the up-and-down, wind-raked Splendido Taal course with over par scores, Meechai made it look easy with five birdies that negated her second straight bogey on the difficult No. 10.

With a seven-under 137 aggregate, the Thai ace stormed to a 13-shot lead over compatriot Pennapa Pulsawath, who skied to a 77 but still stayed at second with a 150 as the rest, including the local aces, floundered in demanding condition.

Anya Tanpinco remained the top local player at 151 after a 77 while Sarah Ababa fell a shot farther back at 152 after a 78 as reigning back-to-back Order of Merit winner Cyna Rodriguez hardly improved from a disastrous 80 opening with a 76 for a 156.

PHILIPPINE SUPERLIGA

Foton bucks slow start to down Mane N’ Tail BIÑAN, Laguna—Foton overcame a sluggish start to run away with an impressive 24-26, 25-19, 2521,25-15 win over Mane ‘N Tail on Thursday in the 2015 Philippine Superliga (PSL) women’s volleyball tournament All-Filipino Conference at the Alonte Sports Arena.

Pam Lastimosa, lead en route to a Patty Orendain and convincing victory.

Games Tomorrow Angeline Araneta A r a n e t a (Cuneta Astrodome) delivered big contributed 13 2:30 pm • Foton vs Philips Gold numbers, lifting points, laced by a 4:30 pm • Petron vs Mane ‘N Tail the Tornadoes to pair of service aces their third win in to underscore the four games to tighten their hold on the Tornadoes’ well-balanced assault that second spot of this prestigious inter- left the Lady Stallions groping for form, club tournament organized by Sports especially in the second and third sets.

Core and backed by Asics, Mikasa, “It was expected. We started slow Senoh, Mueller Sports Medicine, Via because we haven’t played for quite Mare, LGR and Healthway Medical. a long time,” said Foton coach Villet Lastimosa nailed 11 kills and four Ponce-de Leon, whose wards last blocks to finish with 16 points while saw action before the Lenten break.

Orendain chipped in 15 markers while “Fortunately, our real performance on. I was very satisfied providing stability and leadership came out laterManila we played and I hope we can down the final stretch of the fourth with how Standard TODAY set where Foton raced to an 18-11 still sustain this momentum in the

next games to come.”

Foton looked slow and rusty in the first set.

Ahead early on, the Tornadoes suffered numerous errors, allowing the Lady Stallions to trail closely entering the crucial part of the set, 22-24.

Aby Praca, however, scored on a middle attack while Royse Tubino delivered an ace followed by Danika Gendrauli’s spike from the opposite side that helped Mane ‘N Tail seal the victory in the first set, 26-24.

“Fortunately, we stepped up in the second and third sets,” said Poncede Leon, who drew another big game from star rookie Nicole Tiamzon and Dzi Gervacio. “I was glad that we have recovered. Medyo mabagal nga lang kasi kulang pa sa ensayo. Although naka-active rest kami, malaking factor pa din talaga yung hindi kami naglalaro.”

Tubino punched 18 kills and three blocks to finish with 22 points while Gendrauli knocked down 15 markers for Mane ‘N Tail, which fell to the basement of the six-team roster with a 1-3 win-loss card together with idle Philips Gold.

InvItatIon to BId for the Procurement of a three (3) Year PrIvate SecurItY agencY (PSa) ServIceS for mIdaS SatellIte under ItB no. 03-37-2015 The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is inviting all interested bidders in its forthcoming rebidding for Three (3) Year Private Security Agency (PSA) Services for Midas Satellite under ITB No. 03-37-2015.

Brief Description

Procurement of a Three (3) Year Private Security Agency (PSA) Services for Midas Satellite Manpower Requirement: MIDAS SATELLITE Midas Hotel and Casino, 2702 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City Security Guard (SG) Lady Guard (LG) Fifteen percent (15%) Buffer * Total

14 12 4 30

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC):

*to be delivered when the need arise For a period of three (3) years commencing from the effectivity date specified in the Notice to Proceed The annual ABC is in the amount of Seven Million Nine Hundred TwentyThree Thousand Six Hundred Eighty-Two Pesos and 80/100 (PhP 7,923,682.80) VAT Exclusive, Zero-Rated Transaction or a total ABC in the amount of Twenty-Three Million Seven Hundred Seventy-One Thousand Forty-Eight Pesos and 40/100 (PhP 23,771,048.40) for a period of three (3) years VAT Exclusive, Zero-Rated Transaction.

Source of Funds:

Internally Funded

Delivery Schedule

Bidders should have completed, within the last four (4) years before the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

Pamela Lastimosa (no. 15) blocks a spike attempt by Mane n Tail’s Honey Royce Tubino in one of the highlights of the game between the two teams yesterday in the Philippine SuperLiga. ROMAN PROSPERO

All particulars relative to Pre-Bid Conference, Detailed Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its IRR. The schedule of activities is listed, as follows:

Chairman Kap golf today in Wack Wack IT is time.

Tanduay Distillers, Inc. honors its pillar with the staging of the second Tanduay Chairman Kap, an invitational golf tournament for its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Lucio “El Kapitan” Tan today at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.

It will be whole-day affair for the company, its partners, families and friends, spearheaded by youthful TDI President Lucio “Bong” Tan, Jr., who extended the prestigious invitation to the ever-growing Tanduay community.

“We’ve grown by leaps and bounds, and we don’t forget to have fun while basking in our triumphs. One of the keys of a strong and successful company is to work hard and enjoy doing it. So let’s play golf in honor of our chairman,” said the younger Tan. “El Kapitan,” Dr. Tan’s revered moniker in the industry, is credited for keeping Tanduay a part of the Filipinos’ bayanihan tradition since he took over the wheel in 1988.

With “El Kapitan,” Tanduay Rum 5 Years is rated the No. 1 dark rum in the world,

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

along with more than 160 international awards for different products of Tanduay.

“And the bayanihan spirit is still very much alive in us, in every Filipino who we treat not just as customers but partners —or a part of the TDI history.

A toast to El Kapitan,” said Tan. Tournament chairman Gerard Cantada announced a system 36 format for the huge field expected to play, cars for hole-in-one feats and a truckload of raffle prizes at the end of the day.

This year, Tanduay Distillers, Inc. is celebrating 161 years of existence.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Activities Issuance of the Bidding Documents Pre-Bid Conference Deadline for the Submission and Receipt of Bids Opening and Preliminary Examination of Bids

Schedule April 10, 2015 to April 29, 2015 April 17, 2015, 11:00 a.m.

April 29, 2015, 11:00 a.m.

April 29, 2015, 11:00 a.m. onwards

Complete details of the project are indicated in the bidding documents which will be available to prospective bidders at the Bids and Awards Services Department (BASD), upon payment of the non-refundable bidding fee in the amount of Ten Thousand Pesos (PhP 10,000.00).

Prospective bidders may also download the Bidding Documents free of charge from the following websites: www.pagcor.ph and www.philgeps.gov.ph and may be allowed to submit bids provided that bidders shall pay the non-refundable bidding fee not later than the date of the submission of bids. The Pre-bid Conference is open to all prospective bidders. Prospective bidders should present to PAGCOR’s Cashier located at the Sixth (6th) Floor, PAGCOR Corporate Office, M.H. del Pilar Street corner Pedro Gil Street, Malate, Manila either the Bidding Fee Slip which may be secured from the BASD or a copy of this ITB in effecting payment for the Bidding Documents. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

PAGCOR assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids.

In accordance with Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) Circular 06-2005 - Tie-Breaking Method, the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) 4 shall use a non-discretionary and non-discriminatory measure based on sheer luck or chance, which is “DRAW LOTS,” in the event that two or more bidders have been post-qualified and determined as the bidder having the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid (LCRB) to determine the final LCRB, based on the following procedures: 1.

2.

In alphabetical order, the bidders shall pick one rolled paper.

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

PAGCOR reserves the right to accept or reject any Bid, and to annul the bidding process and reject all Bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Please address all communications to the Bids and Awards Committee 4 thru the BASD, Room 203, Second Floor, PAGCOR House, 1330 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila, Tel Nos.: 524-3911, 521-1542 local 223/617.

(SGD) RODERICK R. CONSOLACION Chairperson Bids and awards Committee (BaC) 4 (ts-aPr. 10, 2015)

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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 LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers taps his chest after scoring a point during his team’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Cavaliers beat the Bucks, 104-99, to clinch the NBA Central Division title. AFP

LeBron’s Cavs clinch Central NBA crown Rose’s return not enough to lift Chicago Bulls ORLANDO—Chicago welcomed Derrick Rose back from a 20-game injury absence on Wednesday, but he could only watch as the Bulls wasted a late lead in a 105-103 NBA loss to Orlando.

A limit on the minutes Rose could play in his return from a knee injury meant the former NBA Most

Valuable Player was on the bench for all of the fourth quarter, when the Magic rallied for the win.

Rose scored nine points in 19 minutes and handed out two assists.

“I’ve been putting a lot of work in, busting my ass to get back,” Rose said before the game.

“I’m just happy that I’m able to

come back to a team where I think we’re playing all right basketball.”

Rose’s return came two days before the end of the six weeks that was the maximum he was expected to miss after surgery to repair a small tear in the meniscus of his right knee.

It was Rose’s third rehabilitation

Stage is set for classic Masters TURN TO A12

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of a knee injury in 34 months, following a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in April of 2012, and a right meniscus tear in November of 2013.

“This one is totally different than my last ones,” Rose said Wednesday. “The other ones I was out four or five months.” AFP

MILWAUKEE—Cleveland superstar LeBron James drained a threepointer with 14.9 seconds left to help the Cavaliers beat Milwaukee 104-99 on Wednesday and clinch the NBA Central Division title.

Even before completing their fourth straight victory, the Cavaliers were assured of the division title thanks to Chicago’s loss to Orlando.

They also secured the second seed behind Atlanta in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

James finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 27 points.

Kevin Love added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavs, who earned their first Central Division title since 2009-2010— before James departed his home state team for four seasons in Miami.

“It means a lot,” said James, who returned to Cleveland this season as a free agent.

“Just from the simple fact that I understand how hard it is to win in professional sports and to be able to clinch a division and put a banner in our building it means something to me and it should mean something to all of us.

“We understand we have bigger goals than this, but along with bigger goals you have accomplishments you can’t take for granted.”

Although the Hawks are already assured of the top seed in the East, they’re making a strong run into the playoffs.

Al Horford scored 24 points, including a dunk with 19 seconds left that lifted Atlanta to a 114111 victory at the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

The defeat saw the Nets fall into a tie with Boston for seventh place in the Eastern Conference, with the Celtics owning the tiebreaker.

If the Nets can hang on for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East they would face the Hawks in the first round.

The Celtics inched closer to a playoff berth with a 113-103 victory over Detroit, but Miami and Indiana are just one game back in the race for the final postseason spot.

In the Western Conference, reigning NBA champions San Antonio continued their bid to grab the Southwest Division with a 110-98 victory over division leaders Houston. AFP

NU to expand sports program TURN TO A13

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK FRIDAY: APRIL 10, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

Volkswagen investing $200m

By Othel V. Campos

AUTOMOBILE manufacturer Volkswagen of Germany plans to invest as much as $200 million to build a car assembly plant in the Philippines, the top executive of the company’s local unit said Thursday.

“We are prepared to deploy the investment.

We’re just waiting for favorable response [from the government],” Volkswagen Philippines president and chief executive John Philip Orbeta said at the sidelines of the Manila International Auto Show at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Orbeta said Volkswagen submitted a proposal to the government to put up a

completely knocked-down facility before getting into manufacturing. Volkswagen currently imports all its vehicles sold in the country.

“If they will allow us [for] phase 1 of our CKD proposal, that will be about $40 to $50 million. If we can get to phase 2, we’re ready to spend as much $150 million on top of the first investment,” Orbeta said.

He said the company was prepared to deploy the capital, but wanted to first secure an assurance from the government to allow the company to operate as an assembler.

Orbeta said Volkswagen could complete the facility in less than a year. “We’re starting the project from scratch, but we’re also a bit advanced, so we can really do the project in less than year,” he said.

Volkwagen commissioned a feasibility study on the project, being carried out by a task force composed of the Ayala Automotive Group and Volkwagen Philippines, he said.

Orbeta said the company had initial talks with the Trade Department as it expressed its intent to go into car

manufacturing.

“Before we get that big, we have to start small. So we’re thinking of setting up CKD assembly at first, then later on we can go further to manufacturing,” said Orbeta.

Volkswagen launched another variant to the Polo line-up, the Polo Automatic and the Tuareg Sports Edition, during the opening of the Manila International Auto Show.

Orbeta said sales picked up to an average of 80 units monthly in the first quarter of 2015. The company expects sales to improve to 100 units a month, in the next couple of months and eventually to 150 units, he said.

Volkswagen sold 600 vehicles in the Philippines in 2014.

Govt reviewing 2015 BoP goals

By Julito G. Rada THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said it is reviewing the balance of payments targets this year, taking into account recent global developments and risks that may affect the financial markets.

“We are reviewing our BoP forecasts.

[We] will announce [results] probably May,” Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said in a text message Thursday.

“While the BoP for the first two months of 2015 looks promising, because of good current account and capital/financial account positions, we have to be very cautious of possible global growth risks and those that could trigger financial market volatilities,” Guinigundo said.

The balance of payments position yielded a surplus of $985 million in February and $1.12 billion in the first two months of the year, a reversal of the $4.1-billion deficit registered a year ago.

Foreign portfolio investments or hot money in February reversed to a net inflow of $1.19 billion in February from a net outflow of $354 million a year earlier.

PSE C OMPOSITE

INDEX

Closing April 8, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

8,052.69 45.99

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

Closing APRIL 8, 2015 46 45

P44.465 CLOSE

44 43 42

HIGH P44.460 LOW P44.615 AVERAGE P44.559 VOLUME 707.400M

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PLDT wireless units set pace for postpaid revenue growth Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and Digitel mobile Philippines, Inc. (DmPI), the wireless units of Philippine Long Distance telephone Co. (PLDt), led the industry in terms of postpaid revenue growth, with combined revenues increasing by 14 percent yearon-year to P21.7 billion in 2014. their individual growth rates are also better than that of their competitor’s, with Smart’s postpaid revenues improving by 14 percent, and DmPI mobile brand Sun Cellular’s rising by 13 percent.

“We are happy that our postpaid business scored twin victories in 2014 by posting the fastest growth rates in revenues and subscriber base. this further reinforces the mobile leadership of the PLDt group and places us in a strong position to grow our digital businesses moving forward,” said Napoleon L. Nazareno, PLDt president and CEO. Smart and Sun earlier reported a 16-percent increase in their combined subscriber base to almost 2.8 million, which accounts for 55 percent of the Philippine mobile postpaid

market. Sun’s postpaid base expanded by 16 percent to more than 1.7 million, while Smart’s went up by 17 percent to more than 1 million.

Smart and Sun netted over 387,000 additional subscribers, which comprise 62.1 percent of the net additional subscribers of all mobile operators last year. “the gains posted by Smart and Sun in 2014 are attributed to PLDt’s integrated wireless network with unparalleled capacity, reach, and resiliency, and attractive device and content offers,” Nazareno said.

Mobile leadership

Smart continues to be the number one mobile service provider in the Philippines, in terms of both subscriber base and revenues. as of end-2014, Smart had over 56.4 million subscribers in its cellular and broadband services. together with Sun Cellular, the two wireless units of PLDt further dominate the industry with 72.8 million cellular and broadband subscribers. the two companies also posted combined revenues of P115 bil-

lion as of end-2014, about 47 percent higher than the competition’s. revenue growth is being led by mobile data usage, which jumped by 63 percent in 2014. this trend is expected to be further strengthened by the rapid growth in the postpaid subscriber base of Smart and Sun. Data adoption is also being stimulated among Smart, Sun, and talk ‘N text prepaid subscribers through Free Internet bundles, the Safezone platform which allows free access to selected applications, and Facebook’s Internet.org which gives free access to 24 websites. the PLDt group is encouraging mobile data usage through a wide and growing array of music, video, and other multimedia services.

Bolstering postpaid growth

to boost postpaid growth in 2014, Smart unveiled a strong lineup of smartphone offerings for all types of postpaid users, including flagship devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the Sony Xperia Z1 and Z2, and the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Smart also introduced best-value postpaid plans

that came with powerpacked entry-level handsets, data allowance, andaccess to unlimited music streaming via Spinnr. On top of this, postpaid subscribers were given access to 35 million songs on-the-go through Smart’s exclusive partnership with global music streaming service, Deezer. to further bolster its postpaid growth, Smart recently introduced a revitalized postpaid lineup with better handsetchoices, bigger data volume allowances, and even FrEE music streaming via Deezer for two years. Starting at P999 a month, users can choose from a range of premium handsets that include the Sony Xperia m2 aqua, the Samsung Galaxy a5, and the Sony Xperia Z3. meanwhile, Sun offered its postpaid subscribers affordable packages consisting of wearable devices, smartphones, unlimited Sun calls and texts, texts to other networks, mobile surfing, and unlimitedmusic streaming via Spinnr.

Sun Postpaid also offered the Value mIX, which allowed subscribers to create their own bundles for just an additional P99 a month.

FRIDAY: APRIL 10, 2015

B2

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

Shell OKs deal to buy BG Group for $70b

Ben van Beurden (left), CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, and Andrew Gould, chairman of BG Group, shake hands in this handout picture as Shell and BG Group announce their takeover deal at the London Stock Exchange in London on April 8, 2015.

AFP

By Ben Perry

LONDON—Energy titan Royal Dutch Shell on Wednesday announced a mega-takeover of British rival BG Group worth £47 billion, consolidating their positions in a sector battered by sliding oil prices.

The cash and shares deal, approved by the BG board and worth the equivalent of $70 billion or 64 billion euros, boosted London’s stock market but cast doubt on jobs in the Norh Sea industry.

It will help Anglo-Dutch giant Shell to boost its flagging output thanks to BG’s strong position in liquefied natural gas, a cleaner alternative to coal and nuclear energy.

The new company will be worth twice the value of BP and overtake US energy giant Chevron Corp. upon finalizing the sector’s biggest deal in a decade, according to Bloomberg News.

BG’s share price, which has tumbled over the past year on plunging oil prices, soared by almost 40 percent in reaction to Wednesday’s announcement.

“The boards of Shell and BG are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash and share offer to be made by Shell,” Shell said in a statement.

The offer represents a premium of about 50 percent compared with BG’s closing share price on Tuesday, costing Shell “approximately £47.0 billion” for its rival, the statement added.

“The result will be a more

competitive, stronger company for both sets of shareholders in today’s volatile oil price world,” Shell chairman Jorma Ollila said in the release.

It is the first major deal for Helge Lund, formerly chief executive of Norwegian energy giant Statoil, since he took up the reins at BG earlier this year.

At a press conference in London, Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden said there would be savings on manpower but did not detail where these would come.

Even though he said Shell’s commitment to the North Sea was “unchanged going forward”, he added: “There are no guarantees in life. We will have to take a look at how we make the North Sea strong and healthy again.”

The tie-up will improve Shell’s proved oil and gas reserves by a quarter and lift output by a fifth, while delivering “enhanced positions in competitive new oil and gas projects, particularly in Australia LNG and Brazil deep water”, the statement said.

Christian Stadler, an associate professor of strategic management at the University of Warwick who has studied Shell for many years, said the deal could be the start of a new wave of mega-mergers. AFP

Asian markets down but HK soars HONG KONG—Hong Kong shares motored Thursday, rising almost seven percent over two days, as mainlanders pile into the market, but most other Asian equities retreated after minutes from the US Federal Reserve showed policymakers split on when to hike interest rates.

Wall Street provided a healthy platform for regional investors while the dollar ticked higher.

Hong Kong jumped 3.10 percent in the afternoon but well down from the 6.7 percent surge seen in the opening exchanges--the index ended 3.80 percent higher Wednesday.

Tokyo rose 0.75 percent, or 147.91 points, to 19,937.72 thanks to a weaker yen but Sydney lost 0.48 percent, or 28.53 points, to close at 5,932.20 and Seoul was marginally lower, dipping 0.39 points to 2,058.87.

Shares in Hong Kong surged for a second day as mainland investors

capitalize on the Stock Connect scheme with Shanghai that allows them to trade a limited amount of shares in the southern Chinese city, and vice versa.

The program was initially met with scant interest, but mainland authorities’ decision last month to expand the number of fundmanagement firms allowed to buy in Hong Kong has seen activity surge and on Wednesday turnover hit a record HK$250.03 billion ($32 billion).

“The catalyst for the rally in Hong Kong was the allowance by the Chinese securities regulators to have Chinese mutual funds be able to invest in Hong Kong listed companies,” Mark Matthews, Singapore-based head of Asia research at Bank Julius Baer & Co., told Bloomberg TV. On Wednesday traders on both sides of the border for the first time used up their daily quota of deals

allowed under the link-up.

Shanghai stocks have been rising for more than a year as retail investors bet--often using borrowed money-on authorities loosening monetary policy further to support the world’s number two economy.

The central bank has already cut interest rates twice since November, while Premier Li Keqiang last month suggested the government had the weapons to support growth if necessary.

On currency markets the dollar rose to 120.25 yen from 120.14 yen in New York, and well up from 119.91 yen in Tokyo earlier Wednesday, after minutes from the latest Fed meeting were released.

The minutes revealed “several participants” thought conditions were right for a June rate hike, but others did not think the economy was strong enough for such a move until later in the year and “a couple” said 2016 was a better option. AFP

AT&T paying $25-m fine for data breaches

On strike. Passengers gather near the information desk of flag carrier Iberia, on April 8, 2015 at Orly airport, outside Paris, as hundreds of flights to and from France were expected to be cancelled today as air traffic controllers launched a two-day strike over working conditions. The civil aviation authority has asked airlines to scrap around 40 percent of flights, warning of disruption across the whole country. AFP

WASHINGTON—AT&T will pay a $25 million fine for “lax security” at overseas call centers where employees stole personal data for mobile phone traffickers, US regulators said Wednesday.

The Federal Communications Commission announced the settlement in the case which affected some 280,000 AT&T customers.

FCC officials said the lack of security at AT&T call centers in Mexico, Colombia, and the Philippines allowed employees in those locations to steal personal information which could be used to “unlock” stolen phones.

The employees “provided that information to unauthorized third parties who appear to have been trafficking in stolen cell phones or secondary market phones that they wanted to unlock,” an FCC statement said.

The breach allowed those in the

scheme to get customer names, full or partial social security numbers and other data that could be used to submit an “unlock” request to the big US telecom carrier, allowing them to resell stolen devices.

The breaches exposed US victims to potential identity theft, according to the FCC, which said the settlement requires AT&T to offer credit monitoring and notifications to affected consumers.

FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said the agency “cannot--and will not--stand idly by when a carrier’s lax data security practices expose the personal information of hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable Americans to identity theft and fraud.”

The FCC began a probe after learning of a 168-day data breach that took place at an AT&T call center in Mexico between November 2013 and April 2014. AFP

FRIDAY: APRIL 10, 2015

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

Future admitted to preferring graduates from the top four schools: UniverMAYA BALTAZAR sity of the Philippines, University of HERRERA Santo Thomas, De La Salle University and Ateneo De Manila University. In Jobstreet’s 2015 report, 71 percent of employer respondents continued to IT’S April. In more temperate cli- say that the school is still “very immates, this is the month of spring, portant” or “quite important” in their the month when flowers bloom hiring decisions. The top four schools and the earth awakens from winter for 2015 remained unchanged from cold. In the Philippines, at least un- 2014, except that 2014 number four til this year, this is the first month of ADMU now ties with 2014 number summer vacation. three DLSU. The top ten in the 2015 For those receiving their degrees list include: Polytechnic University of this year, this is also the month to the Philippines, Mapua Institute of begin thinking about the road ahead. Technology, Far Eastern University, Career Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila What are employers looking and Adamson University. for when hiring from the Class of In the Jobstreet 2014 report, a few 2015? The US National Associa- attributes are cited as affecting hiring tion of Colleges and Employers ran decisions: willingness to learn, initiatheir Job Outlook 2015 survey in tive, integrity, good communication order to help the Class of 2015 plan skills, technology know-how and for their job searches. trainability. Jobstreet’s 2014 report The attributes employers look for also recommended highlighting inon a candidate’s resume? According ternship experience, academic grades to the NACE survey, and extra-curricular the top five are leaderactivities in resumes. ship, ability to work in a In Jobstreet’s 2015 team, written commusurvey, 80 percent of nication skills, probthe 450 companies lem-solving skills and a Thinking about surveyed recomstrong work ethic. Over mended highlighting 70 percent of respon- the road ahead college internships. dents named these five At least 50 percent of attributes. Seven other those surveyed cited attributes were prepart-time job experiferred by over 60 perence and grade point cent of respondents: analytic/quan- average as important influencers in titative skills, technical skills, verbal the hiring decision. communication skills, initiative, Whether in the US or the Philipcomputer skills, flexibility/adaptabil- pines, the recommendations are ity and interpersonal skills. It seems similar. For the high school graduclear that employers are looking for a ate, clearly, the choice of school and mix of hard and soft skills. major are critical. Then the student The NACE survey also asks re- needs to find a happy balance bespondents to rate attributes from 1 tween academics and extra-curricuto 5 in terms of their influence on lar activities. hiring. The two top items on the Youth list, tied with an influence score of This question of the choices fac3.9: has held a leadership position ing our youth is critical because the and the candidate’s college major. future of the nation clearly resides in The top two and their influence rat- them. The more general question of ing remain unchanged from 2014. the situation of our youth can be exThe message is clear--the relevance amined using the Global Youth Wellof your college major to the job you being Index (www.youthindex.org). eventually plan to land is essential.

In the inaugural report released However, extra-curricular activities in 2014, the Philippines ranked showing your leadership potential 22nd out the 30 countries evaluare just as important. This ability ated. It placed 5th among the 8 lowto balance academic and non-aca- er-middle income countries rated demic activities shows up again in dead last among the four Asean the next two attributes, tied at an countries in the list. By contrast, influence rating of 3.6: a high grade in the overall rankings, Thailand point average (3.0 or above on a ranked 10th, Vietnam 11th and Inscale that tops at 4.0) and involve- donesia 19th. The countries rating ment in extra-curricular activities. ranked below average in virtually The next two influencers, tied at all of the domains, which include 2.8, are: school attended and in- citizen participation, economic opvolvement in volunteer work. Oth- portunity, education, health, ICT, er attributes with rates over 2,0 are: safety and security. The country’s fluency in a foreign language and highest ratings were in educational studies abroad. satisfaction (even though public So while the obvious attributes of spending on education is low). school. Major and grade point aver- Ratings in ICT were below average continue to influence hiring de- age across the board. The report is cisions, it seems clear that employ- quick to point out that youth perers are looking for a well-rounded ceptions are often at odds with obindividual. jective data.

School For the Philippines, a few ratings For those graduating from high fall more than 20 percent below avschool, this is essential information. erage: (a) a youth policy on citizen It can help them plan their activities participation, (b) public spending during their college years. on education, (c) virtually all of the In particular, one critical factor ICT indicators, and (d) youth coninvolves a decision that current high cern for personal safety from crime school graduates are making this and violence. summer. Which school should they Here is a worthwhile challenge for go to? policy makers. How can we make life The US NACE survey clearly better for our nation? Make it better shows that the school is still a signifi- for our youth. cant factor in hiring decisions.

Readers can email Maya at inteIn a 2014 survey of employers by grations_manila@yahoo.com. Or local recruitment hub, Jobstreet.com, visit her site at http://integrations.

77 percent of employer respondents tumblr.com.

INTEGRATIONS

Hall of famer. Accenture in the Philippines was awarded the Hall of Fame for winning the Information Technology and Business Process Management Company of the Year in the just concluded International ICT Awards Philippines 2015. It won in thecategory in 2007, 2012 and 2014. The award is given to an outstanding company in the IT-BPM industry that has been a true inspirational role model for both the industry and the business community. Shown during the awarding ceremony are (from left) Binibining Pilipinas-Universe Pia Wurtzbach, Accenture country managing director Lito Tayag and IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines president and chief executive Jose Mari Mercado.

Euro 4 fuel unlikely to start in July—DoE

By Alena Mae S. Flores

The Energy Department is set to come out with a circular on the implementation of the Euro 4 compliant fuel this month, although the products will not likely be available nationwide in July, the deadline imposed by the Environment Department, an official said.

Energy Undersecretary Zenaida Monsada told reporters the Energy Department was still seeking comments from oil companies, which needed to consider the importation requirements and fuel availability.

Monsada said the department was encouraging oil firms to make the Euro 4 fuel available earlier than the original schedule of Jan. 1, 2016. The Environment Department issued its own directive requiring the use of cleaner fuel and imposing stricter emissions standards for all vehicles starting July 2015.

“I think they cannot make it available nationwide [by July],” Monsada said, responding to queries on

the position of the Environment Department.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said under DENR Administrative Order No. 2015-14, the new emission standards should comply with Euro 4 standards, instead of the current Euro 2 standards.

The agency issued an administrative order in 2010 which also stated that starting Jan. 1, 2016, all new passenger and light duty motor vehicle types to be introduced in the market should comply with Euro 4 emission limits subject to Euro 4 fuel availability.

The Energy Department, for its part, issued the standards for the Euro 4 fuel in preparation for the introduction of the said fuel.

Monsada said the oil companies should consider the “price differential” of the much cleaner fuel.

Under the Euro 4 standards, the sulfur content of diesel and gasoline is 50 parts per million instead of 500 ppm for Euro 2 fuel. Benzene in gasoline is 1 percent by volume compared with 5 percent for Euro 2 fuel.

“They can make the fuel available earlier [than Jan. 1, 2016],” Monsada said. She conceded there was no government incentive for an early implementation.

“People also want to know that the oil firms are not just about profits, but they also have concern for the environment,” Monsada said.

ANNOUNCEMENT Starting April 13, 2015ABS-CBNmobile MHP (Mobile + Homephone) Plan 499will be available in Legaspi City.

ABS-CBNmobile MHP (Mobile + HomePhone) Plan 499 Monthly Service Fee (MSF) Plan Package

PhP 499.00 •

Unlimited calls for calls made from within the home zone to: o landlines within the same home zone* o ABS-CBNmobile MHP landline numbers** *Toll chargesbased on prevailing rates apply to landline calls made from outside the home zone or to landlines outside the home zone **Toll chargesbased on prevailing rates apply to calls to ABS-CBNmobile MHP landline calls made from outside the home zone.

Terms and Conditions apply. Unli service is subject to Fair Use Policy.

Lock-in Period Toll Rates

6 months •

Mobile Calls and SMS from MHP to ABS-CBNmobile: Based on prevailing rates • Mobile Calls and SMS from MHP to other mobile network providers or to landline of different home zone: Based on prevailing rates • International Voice & SMS: Based on prevailing rates • Internet: PhP 1 per MB (or based on SKU promo if available) Note: Rates are VAT & OCT (Overseas Communication Tax) inclusive.

Service subscriptions available in SIM only or with Phone.Apply through accredited ABS-CBNmobile agents.

Please see flyers for details.

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FRIDAY: APRIL 10, 2015

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

Who’s afraid of Kim Henares?

MANY Filipinos, especially those who suspect that they could be in the “naughty” list of the gun-toting, cool-talking BIR boss who is known for being relentless in gunning for higher revenues for the BS Aquino government. For sure, those in her nice list are the country’s top corporate taxpayers in 2013 headed by Smart Communications that contributed P10.891 billion to the country’s coffers, followed by Manila Electric Company or Meralco with P9.690 billion, and San Miguel Brewery with P4.879 billion.

In case you didn’t notice, the top two highest non-individual taxpayers both belong to the Manny Pangilinan group. As one of our eagle-eyed, sharp-tongued in-the-know buddies noted, the contribution of the whole MVP group of companies via its 2013 corporate taxes would be an estimated P24 billion or about 13 percent of the total taxes paid by the country’s top 500 corporations. But if you throw in the whole kit and caboodle to include corporate income tax, withholding taxes on corporations, VAT, etc. (but excluding a number of other corporations like the hospitals) it would reach close to P88 billion. If all else are included, the total will be well over $2 billion, our wannabe accountant buddy calculated, adding that the MVP group alone pays for about a week’s operating expenses of the BS Aquino government.

For years, the BIR has been threatening to expose the identity of delinquent taxpayers in a bid to shame them into paying the right taxes, but the problem is that the revenue agency is fast earning the reputation for engaging in selective targeting – meaning it only goes after certain entities and individuals that do not share the chief’s predilection for the color yellow. The issuance of new and confusing guidelines and memoranda is also causing major headaches among businessmen, local and foreign, especially that one which encourages laziness and incompetence among BIR personnel.

Companies applying for refunds on their VAT are told they have 120 days to process the application, but if they don’t receive any response within that period, they can just kiss their refunds goodbye because the application is presumed to have been denied. Meaning, any sluggard personnel can just sit on the VAT refund petition for four months and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

As the April 15 deadline for filing 2014 taxes draws nears, a lot of people are experiencing stomach pains, clammy hands and other signs of undue stress because of the difficulties that come with trying to figure out the online filing guidelines issued by the BIR on March 17. IT-challenged blokes, primarily old fogies, have been complaining about the website glitches that they keep experiencing whenever they try to access the official BIR website to file their income tax returns electronically.

And to think this online filing is supposed to make life easier for taxpayers because instead of manually computing the taxable amounts due (a tedious process for most), the computer will do the computing when the details are supplied in the eBIR form. Epic fail. What’s even more frustrating especially those with limited access to wifi is the thought of a fine hanging over taxpayers’ heads if they fail to submit on time, amounting to P1,000 plus 25 percent of the income tax due.

Send back Canadian waste, DENR urged The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ puny efforts to compel Canada to face up to its obligation with regard to the 50 freight containers of waste that it tried to illegally ship in last June 2013 has drawn flak from various groups. Just because Canada is digging in its heels does not mean we should bend over backwards and allow it to dump their garbage consisting of plastic scraps and other household wastes into our shores.

Per provisions under the Basel Convention, developed countries should not bully developing nations by dumping their trash on the latter. Since Canada is responsible for the mess, it should clean up after itself and bring the rotting garbage back to their shores. We don’t understand why DENR appears so docile in the face of this obvious affront—nay—acting like the Canadian government’s mouthpiece by saying the tons of garbage is “not toxic” after all.

DENR’s actions and decisions appear hypocritical considering its decision to slap Philex Mining Corp. with more than P1-billion penalty for an accidental – stress on the accidental – spill at the company’s Padcal mine in Benguet due to an unusual barrage of heavy rains that hit the country in August 2012. By its actions, DENR is essentially saying it’s okay to illegally bring in waste, and that the agency will even help dump the tons of trash in this country’s landfills. What garbage! ### For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you.

Cheers!

Metrobank’s offering. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. held a bell ringing ceremony at the Philippine Stock Exchange to mark the completion of its P32-billion stock rights offering. The rights offer is the bank’s largest capital raising transaction in its 52-year history. Shown are (from left) Metrobank director and Philippine Savings Bank president Vicente Cuna Jr.; Metrobank directors Jesli Lapus, Robin King and Francisco Del Rosario Jr.; president Fabian Dee; vice chairman Francisco Sebastian, Jr.; chairman Arthur Ty; PSE director Vivian Yuchengco; chairman Jose Pardo; president and chief executive Hans Sicat; chief operating officer Roel Refran; director Alejandro Yu; head for marketing services Jose Antonio Vilar and Capital Markets Integrity Corp. president Cornelio Gison.

MNTC allots P5b for Tondo section

By Darwin G. Amojelar

Manila North Tollways Corp., builder and concessionaire of the North Luzon Expressway, plans to spend another P5 billion to extend the NLEX Harbor Link from C3 Road in Caloocan City to R10 in Tondo, Manila.

“The Segment 10 is currently under construction, but what we wanted to do is to have exit lanes from C3 to R10 in Tondo, Manila,” MNTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said.

Franco said the company would spend an additional P5 billion to extend Segment 10 of NLEX, a 5.6-kilometer elevated highway in northwest Metro Manila linking MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City and C3 Road in Caloocan City. MNTC plans to extend it to R10 in Manila.

Francso said MNTC was awaiting the approval of the Toll Regulatory Board to start the extension of Segment 10.

The P11.5-billion Segment 10 of NLEX, which started construction in June last year, is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2016. MNTC expects a daily traffic of 30,000 vehicles for Segment 10.

MNTC completed and opened the P1.59-billion Segment 9 of the NLEX Harbor Link, a 2.42-kilometer expressway, to the public in March.

Segment 9 connects NLEX from Smart Connect Interchange to MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela City. The new road is expected to serve as many as 27,000 vehicles daily in the first year and ease traffic in major thoroughfares.

Meanwhile, Franco said parent firm Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. was looking at toll road projects in Indonesia.

MPTC expanded its regional presence through a P4-billion equity investment and financing

transaction with Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company last year.

IN BRIEF

Clark railway approved STATE-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the Transportation Department have agreed to proceed with the construction of the Tutuban-Malolos-Clark leg of the $6 billion North-South Commuter Railway project.

“We agreed with the Transportation Department in principle. They want us to do the TutubanMalolos-Clark leg. This will be undertaken through a pubic private participation and joint venture mode,” BCDA president and chief executive Arnel Paciano Casanova said in an interview.

The project secured government approvals and licenses from different agencies. The Transportation Department will conduct the bidding in June 2015, a month after the terms of reference is published in May. The Clark rail segment, which would connect from Malolos, Bulacan, is expected to cost around P177 billion. The Tutuban extension will cost another P200 billion.

BCDA said it would provide the needed land for the project, including substantial areas for commercial development at every station. It will also provide some 100 hectares in Clark Green City for use as transport hub and to house the Clark rail depot. Othel V. Campos

Globe eyes Myanmar GLOBE Telecom Inc. is exploring Myanmar as a potential market for its mobile banking and advertising services outside the Philippines.

“Myanmar is particularly interesting because there’s no established banking system and there’s a lot of unbanked. It could be interesting but we have not yet started,” Globe Telecom president and chief executive Ernest Cu told reporters.

Myanmar’s total population stood at 53.26 million, with less than 5 percent of the population having bank accounts.

Cu said mobile money and mobile advertising services were still nascent businesses in most Asean countries.

“These markets are not dissimilar to what we have in the Philippines in terms of demographics that Globe can explore. But of course, our track today is to make those models first a success in our home country before we go outside,” he said.

Globe operates GCash, the mobile money service of subsidiary G-Xchange Inc. GCash transforms a mobile phone into a virtual wallet, which enables subscribers to perform international and domestic remittance transactions, pay fees, utility bills, income taxes, avail of microfinance transactions, donate to charitable institutions and buy prepaid reloads. Darwin G Amojelar

Meralco sales up in Q1 POWER distributor Manila Electric Co. said electricity sales grew by more than 2.5 percent in the first quarter.

“I think for Q1, we’re a little better than 2.5 percent. Around that,” Meralco president Oscar Reyes told reporters in an interview. “For March, growth was around 3.4 percent, year-onyear,” Reyes said.

He said the company posted slightly higher sales in January and February from last year’s.

“We’re a bit better than last year. This year’s a little cooler,” he said.

Reyes said it was hard to predict sales trend in the second quarter, as it would depend on the weather. “I think we have to see whether weather patterns are a bit different....Weather temperatures are difficult to predict. I think, so far the plants are operating well. That’s why it helps provide the needed capacity to meet demand,” he said.

Meralco reported energy sales of 7,908 gigawatthours in the first quarter of 2014 and 35,160 gWh in the whole year, up by 3.2 percent from 34,084 gWh for 2013.

Meralco’s net income rose 5 percent to P18.1 billion in 2014, driven by the increased electricity sales, on strong demand from commercial and industrial sectors. Alena Mae S. Flores

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK F R I D AY : A P R I L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5

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cesAR bARRIoquInto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world Bomber’s fate to be decided BOSTON—Convicted in the worst attacks on US soil since 9/11, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faces a new court date with the same jury, which now must decide if the Boston Marathon bomber must pay for his crimes with his life.

Pretty maids all in a row. Cameron Adams, Alison Jantzie, Ashley Yeater, Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, Kathryn Boswell, Hannah Florence, Madeleine Doherty and Tanairi Sade Vazquez attend “Gigi” Broadway Opening Night-After Party at Tavern On The Green on April 8 in New York City. AFP

North Korea shadows US official’s visit to Seoul SEOUL—US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter arrived in South Korea on Thursday for a visit dominated by the issue of North Korea, which fired off two missiles as the Pentagon chief flew to the region.

Carter arrived from Tokyo on the second leg of a trip to the two key US military allies in Asia.

As the Pentagon chief flew to Japan on Tuesday, North Korea fired two surface-to-air missiles into the sea off its west coast -- a common, attention-grabbing tactic during high profile visits to the region.

Carter said the test firing was a reminder of “how dangerous things are” on the Korean penin-

sula and how important it was to strengthen the US-South Korea alliance in the face of the threat from the North.

“If it was a welcome message for me, it was flattering,” Carter joked to reporters on his plane Thursday.

“I’ve been in the job for six weeks, and that’s two missiles. That’s pretty good.”

Although explicitly banned from doing so by UN resolutions, North Korea repeatedly carries out ballistic missile tests—often as a means of voicing its displeasure.

It fired a series of short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) in March and again last week

to protest annual US-South Korea military drills that Pyongyang views as rehearsals for invasion.

One of the joint drills, Key Resolve, wound up last month, but the other, Foal Eagle, is set to continue until April 24.

The annual exercises always trigger a surge in military tensions between the two Koreas, who remain technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.

Carter was scheduled to hold talks Friday with South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, as well as her national security adviser

and defence minister.

He will also visit a memorial to the 46 seamen who died in the 2010 sinking of the South Korean naval corvette Cheonan.

A South Korean-led investigation involving a team of international experts concluded the ship was sunk by a North Korean submarine torpedo, but Pyongyang has always denied involvement.

During his trip, Carter is expected to underline Washington’s continued commitment to the military alliance with South Korea, and to discuss the eventual transfer of the Pentagon’s command control of Korean troops. AFP

Tsarnaev faces either life in prison or the death penalty, after a jury unanimously convicted him Wednesday of carrying out the worst attack in the United States since the 9/11 hijackings.

Jurors took a day and a half to find the 21-year-old former student guilty on all 30 counts related to the April 15, 2013 attacks, the murder of a police officer, a car jacking and a shootout while on the run.

The Muslim immigrant of Chechen descent, who took US citizenship in 2012, stood in a dark blazer, occasionally fidgeting and hooking one hand into his trouser pocket as the clerk read out the verdict.

He now faces life in prison without parole or even the death penalty when he is sentenced by the same jury at the second phase of the trial, which could start early next week, Judge George O’Toole told the court.

Survivors, including the parents of eight-year-old Martin Richard who was killed in the attacks, crammed into the gallery to hear the verdict as a strict security cordon was set up outside in the biting wind and sleet.

Three people were killed and 264 others wounded, including 17 who lost limbs, in the twin blasts at the city’s marathon nearly two years ago.

Tsarnaev went on the run and was arrested four days later, hiding and injured in a boat on which he had scrawled a bloody message apparently justifying the attacks to avenge the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. AFP

30,000 evacuated in China plant fire BEIJING—Almost 30,000 people living near a Chinese chemical plant where a huge fire blazed for a total of nearly 50 hours were evacuated before the flames were finally extinguished Thursday, media said The fire at the factory producing paraxylene—a chemical commonly known as PX and used to make fabric—began on Monday evening, with explosions rocking the building in Zhangzhou.

The fire was first put out on Tuesday night, but two storage tanks ignited again on Wednes-

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

day, the official news agency Xinhua reported.

“A total of 29,096 people have been evacuated from the surrounding area,” Xinhua news agency said late Wednesday, adding in a separate dispatch Thursday that the fire had “finally been put out” in the early hours.

Six people were injured at the factory in the eastern province of Fujian, the agency said, in its second accident in two years.

Television footage earlier this week showed flames billowing into the air as more than 800

firefighters battled to control the blaze.

Proposals for plants producing PX, a flammable and carcinogenic liquid used in the production of polyester films and fabrics, have sparked large protests in several Chinese cities in recent years over perceived health risks.

The Zhangzhou PX plant was originally slated to be built in the nearby coastal city of Xiamen, but was moved to its present site after thousands took part in a protest in 2007. AFP

Three’s company. Spix macaws are pictured on April 8 in the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots e.V. in Schoeneiche, Germany. AFP

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WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Pressure to end S. Sudan war ADDIS ABABA—Heavyweight international powers will pressure South Sudan’s leaders to end civil war, diplomats said Thursday, with the African Union, United Nations, United States and China to kick-start stalled peace talks.

Over a year of talks mediated by East Afri-

ca’s eight-country IGAD bloc have failed to make

headway, with the last attempt breaking down last month, and rebel forces accusing regional nations of bias.

The UN Security Council has passed a resolution paving the way for targeted sanctions.

Now diplomats have

told AFP they plan a boosted “IGAD-plus” to bring in extra powers to add pressure.

“The new IGAD-plus formula will bring African peer pressure on the parties, as well as on the IGAD countries to close ranks,” a diplomat said.

South Sudan won independence from Khartoum in 2011, but civil war broke out in December 2013 after its president, Salva Kiir, accused his sacked deputy Riek Machar of attempting a coup.

Kiir and Machar “agree that they have

agreed on almost everything and none of them can make further compromises,” one diplomat said.

“That is why a broad international alliance would help the parties make the last difficult choices.”

While IGAD-led

Obama, Castro in historic encounter

Republic of the Philippines INFRA-2015-003 Metropolitan Naga Water Design, Build,& Comm. Of 10 Tons Cap. Water Boat Lorry 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City P.R. # 15-03-0103

INVITATION TO BID FOR DESIGN, BUILD, AND COMMISSIONING OF 10 TONS CAPACITY TWIN SCREW WATER BOAT LORRY The METROPOLITAN NAGA WATER DISTRICT (MNWD), through its approved Corporate Budget, intends to apply the sum of EIGHT MILLION PESOS ONLY (Php 8,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for DESIGN, BUILD, AND COMMISSIONING OF 10 TONS CAPACITY TWIN SCREW WATER BOAT LORRY, Project No.: INFRA 2015-003. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The MNWD now invites bids for DESIGN, BUILD, AND COMMISSIONING OF 10 TONS CAPACITY TWIN SCREW WATER BOAT LORRY. Completion of the Works is required within ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY (180) CALENDAR DAYS. Bidders must have an experience of having completed at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from MNWD and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM - 12:00 NN and 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting on FRIDAY, APRIL 10 to APRIL 30, 2015, from the Office of the BAC Secretariat c/o Administrative Division, Ground Floor MNWD Building, MNWD, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City, and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of TEN THOUSAND PESOS (Php 10,000.00).

The MNWD will hold a PRE-BID CONFERENCE on APRIL 17, 2015 at 1:30 PM at 2nd Floor, Conference Room, MNWD Building, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before APRIL 30, 2015 at 1:30 PM at Office of the BAC Chairman c/o Planning and Design Division, 2nd Floor MNWD Building, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid Opening shall be on APRIL 30, 2015 at 1:30 PM. 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.

The MNWD reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: ENGR. MELVIN B. MACARAIG Planning and Design Division MNWD Compound, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City Tel. No.: (054) 472-1685 local 119; Fax No.: (054) 473-9288 E-mail address: mnwdbac@yahoo.com (SGD.) MELVIN B. MACARAIG BAC Chairman (TS-APR. 10, 2015)

Republic of the Philippines Metropolitan Naga Water 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City

Republic of the Philippines PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF ORIENTAL MINDORO Camilmil, Calapan City 5200, Oriental Mindoro BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

INFRA-2015-004 P.R. # 15-03-0102 Canaman, Camarines Sur

The METROPOLITAN NAGA WATER DISTRICT (MNWD), through its approved Corporate Budget, intends to apply the sum of FIVE MILLION NINE HUNDRED FORTY THOUSAND PESOS ONLY (Php 5,940,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF MATERIALS AND FURNISHING OF LABOR FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONAL GLASS FUSED TO STEEL BOLTED TANK (TANK 3) – CANAMAN, CANAMAN CAMARINES SUR, Project No.: INFRA 2015-004. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The MNWD now invites bids for SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF MATERIALS AND FURNISHING OF LABOR FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONAL GLASS FUSED TO STEEL BOLTED TANK (TANK 3) – CANAMAN, CANAMAN CAMARINES SUR. Completion of the Works is required within ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY (180) CALENDAR DAYS. Bidders must have an experience of having completed at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from MNWD and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM - 12:00 NN and 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting on FRIDAY, APRIL 10 TO 30, 2015, from the Office of the BAC Secretariat c/o Administrative Division, Ground Floor MNWD Building, MNWD, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City, and upon payment of a non refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of TEN THOUSAND PESOS (Php 10,000.00).

The MNWD will hold a PRE-BID CONFERENCE on APRIL 17, 2015 at 1:30 PM at 2nd Floor, Conference Room, MNWD Building, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before APRIL 30, 2015 at 1:30 PM at Office of the BAC Chairman c/o Planning and Design Division, 2nd Floor MNWD Building, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid Opening shall be on APRIL 30, 2015 at 1:30 PM. 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.

The MNWD reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

INVITATION TO BID IB No. GS-2015- 39 and 40 The Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro invites PhilGeps registered suppliers/ distributors to Apply for Eligibility and to Bid for the hereunder list of item/s.

Item/Description

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Bid Document Fee

Source of Funding

1. Supply & delivery of Electrical Supplies for Purchase and Installation of Airconditioning units at Capitol Complex, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro

5,528,083.00

Php 10,000.00

General Fund

6,108,074.00

Php 10,000.00

2. Supply & delivery of Construction Materials and Supplies for the Construction of Two (2) Storey Building of Provincial General Services Office (PGSO), Provincial Assessor’s Office and Demolition of Accounting Office, Capitol Complex, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro

General Fund

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows: 1. Advertisement/Posting of ITB Bulletin Board of the PGOM PGOM Website PhilGEPS Website Newspaper of General Nationwide Circulation 2. Issuance of Bidding Documents 3. Pre-bid Conference 4. Deadline of Submission of Bids 5. Opening of Bid in sealed envelope a) Eligibility Requirements and Technical Proposal b) Financial Proposal

: : : : : : :

April 10, 2015 April 10, 2015 April 10, 2015 April 10, 2015 April 16-May 04, 2015 April 22, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at BAC Office May 04, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. at BAC Office

: :

May 04, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at BAC Office May 04, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at BAC Office

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in R.A. 9184 and its IRR otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act. The complete set of bidding documents may be purchased at the BAC Secretariat located at Provincial General Services Office at Capitol Complex, Calapan City upon payment of non-refundable price of bid documents indicated above.

Pre-bid Conference shall be opened to all interested parties, however only those who purchased the Bidding Documents may participate in the discussion at said conference.

All particulars relative to eligibility requirements and screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contract shall be governed by the provision of R.A. 9184 and its IRR. The PGOM reserves the right to accept or reject bid to annul bidding process, and to reject all bids at anytime prior to contract award without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or \bidders.

For further information, please refer to: MR. JULIO R. ICAL Head, BAC Secretariat Provincial Capitol, Camilmil, Calapan City Tel. Nos. (043) 286-7120 (043) 286-7447

For further information, please refer to: ENGR. MELVIN B. MACARAIG Planning and Design Division MNWD Compound, 40 J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City Tel. No.: (054) 472-1685 local 119; Fax No.: (054) 473-9288 E-mail address: mnwdbac@yahoo.com (TS-APR. 10, 2015)

Tight watch. A Burkina Faso gendarme stands guard near Tambao mine in Tambao, 350 kilometers northeast of the capital, Ouagadougou, on April 5, where five armed men attacked a manganese mine and kidnapped a Romanian mineworker the day before. Burkina Faso authorities plan to cross into Mali and Niger to hunt the kidnappers of a Romanian mineworker seized in the far north of the west African nation, a minister said. AFP

Additional Glass Fused to Steel Bolted Tank (Tank3) – Canaman Reservoir

INVITATION TO BID SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF MATERIALS AND FURNISHING OF LABOR FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONAL GLASS FUSED TO STEEL BOLTED TANK (TANK 3) CANAMAN RESERVOIR

talks in Ethiopia brokered a string of ceasefire deals, all swiftly collapsed.

Now, alongside the UN, extra nations to be brought in include five representing the African Union - Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa. AFP

(SGD.) MELVIN B. MACARAIG BAC Chairman (TS-APR. 10, 2015)

SGD. ENGR. ELMER V. DILAY Provincial Engineering BAC Chairman

PANAMA CITY—US President Barack Obama and Cuba’s Raul Castro will have a historic face-to-face encounter at the Summit of the Americas this week, breaking the ice after decades of glacial relations.

The image of US and Cuban presidents sitting across from each other at the 35-nation summit for the first time after decades of Cold Warera animosity will be the highlight of the gathering in Panama on Friday and Saturday.

While the meeting will mark a major milestone -- no Cuban leader has attended a Summit of the Americas -the two sides have yet to reopen embassies and lingering differences have been evident at negotiations that started in January.

Cuba’s inclusion on a list of state sponsors of terrorism has been a major sticking point in negotiations to restore full diplomatic ties, which were downgraded back in 1961.

The White House indicated this week that the State Department was in the “final stages” of deciding whether to recommend Havana’s removal from the list. Congress would then have 45 days to decide whether to override Obama’s decision.

“We’re trying to get it done quickly,” a US State Department official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In another sign of warming ties, the US State Department said Secretary of State John Kerry could meet with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on the sidelines of the summit.

But a scene of lingering tensions among Cuban dissidents and government sympathizers emerged on Wednesday ahead of the summit.

Some 100 Castro regime supporters jeered dissidents as they arrived at a Latin American civil society forum in a Panama City hotel, shouting “sell outs” and “imperialists” before leaving the event. AFP

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MOTORING

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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At BYD, customer is king Text and photo by Dino Ray V. Directo III

IN a bid to boost its presence in the local market as well as improve the public erception of China-made cars, Solar Transport Automotive Resources Corp., the exclusive distributor of BYD vehicles in the Philippines, has taken a bold move to redefine how new players should do business in the country.

A few days before the Holy Week, BYD launched its Five-STAR Customer Service Program, a comprehensive customer-centric after-sales initiative designed to continuously deliver the best brand ownership experience to BYD customers.

“The 5-STAR Customer Service Program is a result of STAR Corp’s deepening understanding of our customers. Over the past year and a half, we’ve listened to our customers and identified their preferences and even their sensitivities. This program and all its components is a signpost of our long term commitment to our customers so that they enjoy their BYD vehicles well over the long haul,” re-

vealed Mark Andrew Tieng, managing director of STAR Corp.

The 5-STAR Customer Service Program offers: 1) 5-Year Service Warranty; 2) Access to Service Technology, Infrastructure & Facilities Manned by Top-Caliber Service & Automotive Technicians; 3) Genuine Parts and Accessories; 4) BYD Response Operations (BRO); and 5) Emergency Roadside Assistance.

Customer is King As an assurance of BYD’s commitment to product excellence, all BYD purchases will be backed by a Five-Year Service Warranty. Under the 5-Year Warranty or 100,000-kilometer coverage, whichever comes first, the warranty covers

the entire BYD vehicle – from the engine, transmission and all parts. Tieng also elaborated STAR CORP’s unique approach to meet and exceed its customers’ expectations and provide the services they need wherever they are.”

Like a real-life BRO, BYD will provide that personal and reliable touch, offering

expert information, recommendations and solutions to their customers on how to get the best motoring experience from their BYD vehicle,” says Tieng.

BRO shall guide the customer through a stepby-step troubleshooting process until the situation is resolved. And if the concern is a minor techni-

FAST FASTLANE In addition to fuel savings, RRC members will also enjoy big discounts in their shopping and grocery purchases as points earned at participating Caltex stations can be redeemed at any of 1,180 Robinsons stores nationwide which include Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Selections, Robinsons Easymart, Robinsons Appliances, Handyman, True Value, AM Builders’ Depot, Toys “R” Us, Daiso Japan, Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, Burton Menswear, Warehouse, River Island, Shana, G2000, Shiseido and Benefit.

Customers can avail of this benefit bysigning up for RRC membership at any Robinsons stores for P150 only.

CPI values the patronageof its customers by giving them access to toployalty programs in the market.

Last year, CPI partnered with Jollibee Food Corporation’s Happyplus program which continues to grow in memberships. Happyplus will run alongside the Robinsons Rewards Card loyalty program and customers can choose which of the rewards program they want to use.

dealership to them,” adds Tieng.

Having a reliable after sales-service program can make or break an automotive company. This problem is not isolated to new players in the domestic auto industry and some dealers of Japanese, American and Korean car brands suffer from poor after sales service.

3 Ferraris bag design awards

Caltex-Robinsons tieup ROBINSONS Rewards Card members willenjoy earning more points not only when they shop attheir favorite Robinsons stores but also when they fuel up at Caltex. RRC members can now use their points to redeem P1 discount for every one liter fuel purchase at participating Caltex stations nationwide. Every five liter gas up earns a point which meansthat the more customers fuel up at Caltex and shop at Robinsons, the more points for fuel and shopping savings.

Chevron Philippines Inc. , marketer of Caltex fuels and lubricants, teamed up with Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. the second largest multi-format retailer in the Philippines, to enable customers to quickly and continually add value to their purchases by gettinga variety of fuel and shopping rewards through their RRC. Because ofthis loyalty program partnership, motorists now have more reasons to choose Caltex.

Customers can save more on fuel costs when they purchase Caltex with Techron plus the five benefits of maximized power, improved fuel economy, lower emission, smoother drive and reliable performance.

cal problem, BRO can easily book the customer for a service schedule. BRO is initially available during office hours, Monday to Saturday, in Metro Manila.

“Service is indeed a critical success factor for our brand to succeed. So if our customers can’t bring their BYD vehicles to the dealership, then we will bring the

PHI’s top executives at World of Hino expo

Pilipinas Hino turns 40 AS a tribute to years of innovation and progress, the country’s leading one-stop truck and bus manufacturer Pilipinas Hino, Inc. (PHI) marked its 40th year in the industry with “World of Hino,” a three-day truckbus expo which showcased the brand’s wide array of products at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

To boost its continuous growth in the truck and bus customization segment, PHI also formally announced its strategic expansion plans in the country via its strengthened partnership with Hino Motors, Ltd. and Marubeni Corp. of Japan.

This alliance marks an important step in Hino’s “global strategy,” ushering in the start of innovations to come as the brand evolves into a fiercer, market-leading player in the commercial bus and truck manufacturing segment.

Aggressive expansion The investment expansion of PHI and its partners arrived at the most fitting time, as it aligns with the

company’s 2015 strategy: to exceed customer expectations by bringing in more value-added customized vehicle solutions. A core component of the expansion strategy includes heightening efficiency in delivery, marketing, sales and after-sales service support and to aggressively grow its network to 20 dealers with three more 3S dealers.

While 70 percent of the truck and bus market is in Metro Manila, PHI, according to Augusto Salcedo, Vice President-Marketing for PHI, is currently growing its dealership in the country, including Mindanao.

“We believe the southern areas have great potential.

We have two now (in Mindanao), but there are many interested parties. In the years, maybe even months to come, we can appoint more dealers even in the Visayas. As the economy grows and the demand grows, we can continuously grow our number of dealership as well,” he noted.

THREE Ferraris have won the prestigious Red Dot Award, the world’s leading product design competition which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. The recent FXXK has been named Red Dot Best of the Best for the top design quality and ground-breaking design, while both the California T and LaFerrari were also singled out by the international jury for Red Dot Awards for the

high quality of their design.

Approximately 5,000 innovative entries from 56 nations were in the competition. The work of the Ferrari Style Centre headed by Flavio Manzoni was selected by an international jury made up of respected designers, design professors and specialist journalists from 25 countries. The awards ceremony will take place in Essen, Germany, on June 29.

Ferrari FXX-K: Red Dot ‘Best of the Best’

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RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING GTS Benz wows the crowd.

The Maxliner display booth has more than bedliners to attract visitors.

Big bash in Bangkok Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

WITH Thai auto sales suffering an 11 percent decline in the first quarter of this year, event orgnizers were fired up to stage the 36th Annual Bangkok Motor Show.

At least 40 all-new and special edition models vied for space at the massive Challenger Hall at Muang Thong Than. The influx of visitors during the 12day auto extravaganza did generate some awareness among the populace.

“We have 30 auto marquees, nine motorcycle companies and 170 exhibitors participating in this year’s show. I expect sales to surge after the show I the next couple of months,” explains Prachin Eamlumnow, event organizer.

Launched during the Bangkok auto show were the new Ford Everest, the latest version of the Mazda 2, and Honda’s smallest SUV to date, the HR-V. The HR-V was last seen on local roads during the nineties (with Brazilian volleybelle star Leila Barros seen behind the wheel of the compact SUV) and stood out due to its small, box shaped design positioned as an alternative to the CR-V. This year, Honda revived this model to compete against the Nissan Juke and the

Ford Ecosport. Honda’s motorcycle company also had a massive display booth at the other end of the hall with various bikes on display and the champion MotoGP bike of Mark Marquez taking center stage.

Known as a “pick-up truck” market, the motorshow highlighted the sport utility trucks such as the Nissan Navara, the new Chevrolet Colorado, the Toyota Hi-Lux and the latest version of the Mitsubishi Strada, known as the Triton in Thailand.

Sharing the klieg lights with the sport utility trucks were Europe’s finest with Aston Martin dazzling visitors with their James Bond theme display. Sharing the spotlight with the British marquee were the Italian supercar makers such as Lamborghini which had the 750bhp Aventador SV

on display. Visitors drooled over the carbon fiber exterior of the Lamborghini and the wide stance of the supercar. Mercedes Benz had a following among the visitors with their GTS AMG as the star of their display area.

Alongside the automotive displays were the exhibitors which showcased the aftermarket segment of the Thai auto industry. Maxliner, Thailand’s biggest OEM supplier of bedliner and truck accessories displayed their line of truck bedliners and its wide range of accessories such as bumper guards and the Max Box, a stylish and engineered bedliner container to protect your personal belongings safely.

Maxliner Thailand recently bagged a multi-million dollar deal with Mitsubishi as its OEM supplier of bedliners for its Triton/ Strada pick-up.

Lamborghini: Sexy and powerful.

Honda HR-V: Compact SUV

Aston Martin: For your eyes only

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BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

LIFE

FASHION

SUPERCOLOR KICKS

Adidas and Pharell color your world A true superstar knows the importance of individuality. It’s not about following the pack, or telling someone else what to wear. You cannot impose a style on a superstar – nor a trend, or a colour. This is the ethos behind the adidas Originals Supercolor release, which sees the iconic Superstar silhouette transformed via a spectrum of 50 different colourways. Pharrell Williams knows that the most empowering thing you can give a superstar is the freedom of expression. In collaboration with the creative and entertainer, the adidas Originals Superstar Supercolor pack offers a choice like never before.

“Supercolor is a celebration of equality through diversity. With 50 colours of the Superstar, everybody will be able to select his or her colour. It is more diverse than any pack ever before and therefore it is more individual than any pack ever before”, says Pharrell of the release. “With every shoe treated exactly the same, all colours are equal.

No matter what colour you choose, you can be part of Supercolor. Choose your colour.”

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FRIDAY : APRIL 10 : 2015

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LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

glweekend @ gmail.com

FASHION FLASH POINTS CONDE NAST GOES TO SCHOOL IN CHINA

Conde Nast College of Fashion & Design is going global. After opening in London two years ago, it announced plans to launch a a sister institution in Shanghai, Business of Fashion reports.

“The Conde Nast Center of Fashon & Design Shanghai, as the new college is officially dubbed, is located in a dedicated 1,500-square-metre facility on Mid Huaihai Road, which is also home to Hermes, Louis Vuitton and the K11 Art Mall.”

Liz Schimel, president of Conde Nast China, spoke about China’s “rapidly-evolving fashion industry” as well as an n existing “expertise gap.”

Shanghai, she said, “is a magnet for ambitious young people, who often find that their univesity education hasn’t fully prepared them for the standards of the fashion and design industry.”

Nicholas Coleridge, managing director of Conde Nast UK, as well as president of Conde Nast International, revealed that the company was also looking to expand its education offering in other markets, and mentioned India as a possibility.

DEATH OF A DOCTOR

Madonna credited him for giving her good skin, but praise wasn’t enough for celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Fredric Brandt, who also had his own namesake skincare line that promised the effects of Botox in a bottle, or microdermabrasion in a jar. He was found dead a few days ago in Miami, the victim of an apparent suicide. He was 65.

There were reports in The Miami Herald that Brandt was devastated by allusions to himself in the Netflix TV hit series, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” created by Tina Fey. Veteran comedian Martin Short plays Dr. Franff, an overly Botoxed doctor reportedly modelled after Brandt.

Despite his celebrity status, Brandt was a seriously competent doctor with a solid practice in both Miami and New York. He enjoyed a reputation for pioneering cutting-edge procedures in the field of cosmetic dermatology. His expertise was injectibles, said Women’s Wear Daily (WWD).

“W Magazine dubbed him ‘The Baron of Botox,’ as he was said to have had more experience ursing Botox in his practice than any other physician in the world. He partnered with the makers of many leading injectables - including Dysport, Restylane, Perlane, Isolagen, Reloxin, Evolence, Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast - to run clinical trials with the Food and Drug Administration.”

He launched his eponymous skincare line in 2001, which was sold in prestige beauty boutiques like Sephora and Ulta. The future of his skincare line remains unknown at this point.

INSTA-ADVERTISING

It’s official: brands love Instagram. One brand is even launching its advertising campaign not on print, not on TV, but on Instagram.

Stuart Weitzman decided to run Instagrambased ads starting this Wednesday to showcase its spring-summer collection. The ads will feature Cinegraphs - a photo and video hybrid, according to WWD. The series of four Cinegraphs will be exclusive to the social media platform.

“The footwear brand has been working with the photo-and video-sharing platform’s parent company Facebook since 2012,” reports WWD. “Stuart Weitzman has upped its efforts on the company’s namesake social media network dramatically, spending nearly two-thirds of its entire 2014 Facebook budget in just the first quarter of this year. The brand plans to increase media spending on the platform by more than 300 percent in 2015.”

Stuart Weitzman has over 181,000 followers on Instagram.

Compiled by BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE SOURCES: WWD, THE BUSINESS OF FASHION, THE NEW YORK TIMES.

SPLIT UP WITH SPLIT ENDS A new hair care range helps women grow long and healthy hair

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

T

he previous seasons saw numerous women sporting short hairstyles, most popular of which was the longer version of bob cut, the lob. Runways were replete with models whose tresses are cut no longer from the collarbone. International celebrities and other personalities traded their long hair for a blunt and textured or sleek lob, and sure enough, local stars and many Filipinas followed suit.

It seemed short mane was here to stay for a couple more seasons, or years even. But if the hair trends at Spring/Summer 2015 runway shows-with all the glorious boho waves, bombshell blowouts, out of the water looks, long pony tails, braids and twists, and big buns--suggest anything, it’s that long locks are back.

Growing out your crowning glory is probably the easiest task and styling it is the best part, but the real challenge is maintaining it. With all the chemical-laden products, heatstyling, and other damaging processes we subject our hair to (even daily brushing counts), it is common to have split ends. And what’s the common solution to that? Haircut.

There goes your long hair dream.

Here enters the new hair care range that promises to repair split ends. The TRESemme Split Repair features the revolutionary sealing Split Repair complex that binds split ends up to 88 percent, while preventing further damage with continued use.

This patented technology enables the formulation to act like a magnet, since it has positive charge while damaged hair has negative charge.

The Split Repair range is composed of shampoo, conditioner, and serum.

In an interview with Standard Lifestyle, TRESemme brand manager Ann Esteves said during the product launch that this range of

TRESemme is the first of its kind.

“It’s the first in the market because usually most of the existing split repair products are topical. When you wet your hair, of course, they tend to bind them (split ends) temporarily, but this one (TRESemme) actually works after continued use,” said Esteves.

This line, however, is more effective in fixing than preventing damage. “[If what you’re looking for is a formulation to prevent split ends] it’s not that. It’s more for already damaged, but of course, if you keep using it, that’s a good preventive measure,” Esteves pointed out.

To prove the effectiveness of the Split Repair range, TRESemme, together with hairstylist to the stars Lourd Ramos and his team developed the Brushstroke Test. Two brushes made of human hair were used to paint brushstrokes: one was treated with TRESemme while the other was not. The treated brush made finer and smoother strokes versus the untreated brush which strokes were coarser and filled with gaps.

This innovative test, according to Esteves, was Philippine-made.

“We felt TRESemme needs to break from the usual shampoo-conditioner communication and we wanted everyone to actually see the power of the technology and make it visual, and the best way to make it was to do a brushstroke,” she shared.

The Split Repair range is the third line from the TRESemme portfolio introduced here in the Philippines since its launch in the country in 2012. As a hair care brand that works closely with salons, its Philippine team discovered after asking hairstylists that the usual reason of women having their hair cut was to get rid of split ends. They “felt” it was only logical to bring this formulation here.

“We said if we wanted salon in its truest form and to bring it to every-

day use, let’s bring out the innovations that are actually needed by salon goers,” shared Esteves.

The TRESemme Philippines officials wanted to make sure Filipinas have the remedy so they wouldn’t have to stop styling their hair.

“Salon goers are the audience of TRESemme. These salon goers will always color their hair, straighten it, and more, and you can’t stop them, so we said, rather than prevent them [from going through salon processes], let’s just fix it,” she emphasized.

Aside from salon goers, models understand the need for a repairing product that addresses damage from constant styling. Hence the hair care brand also introduced Georgina Wilson as its newest TRESetter and the face of the Split Repair line.

“As somebody with passion and a model herself, who understands the importance of products being used, we decided she’s a good fit,” explained Esteves, adding, “I think models [like Georgina] would be very aware of split ends because they do a lot with their hair.”

With Georgina’s trademark long locks, she admitted having to deal with split ends, too.

“Like most women, I sometimes get wary about growing my hair long, I used to cut my hair just to make split ends go away,” said Georgina whose favorite hairstyle is bombshell blowout because “it’s very Victoria Secret.”

But then she added, “I can say though that with TRESemme’s Split Repair line, I found out that cutting your hair is not the best fix.”

Georgina’s addition to the brand’s roster of endorsers and ambassadors coincides with her hosting the latest season of Asia’s Next Top Model, which TRESemme co-presents. Since the first season of the show, TRESemme has been in charge of helping the contestants achieve runway ready hair.

FRIDAY : APRIL 10 : 2015

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

glweekend @ gmail.com

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#STYLESPIRATION: OLIVIA POPE

BY ED BIADO In the perfect world, my wardrobe would consist entirely of white tops— tees, button-downs, jackets, tennis shirts, cardigans, sweaters. There’s something about white that’s so pleasing. It’s clean, fresh and its utter simplicity demands respect and attention.

So you must understand how exciting it is for me to watch the political drama Scandal, in which its lead character Olivia Pope, played by the gorgeous Kerry Washington, is shown to share my love of all things white.

The high-powered Washington DC crisis management expert is a complex character and she rarely talks about what’s really going on inside that head of hers. But you can get hints and clues by looking at what she’s wearing. She doesn’t like loud colors on her outfits.

Her staples include black, gray, cream, the occasional pastel and, unsurprisingly, white. She wears black when she’s in the foulest of moods and when she’s in trouble; gray when she’s conflicted; and white when she’s at the top of her game.

And she’s almost always at the top of her game so our leading lady has no shortage of white ensembles to stop the presses. And boy, does she use the color well. In fact, we can all learn a thing or two from how she wears her white pieces.

Olivia goes to a lot of formal functions and she has more than a few white gowns in her arsenal. A lot of women think twice about wearing white to events because it has the tendency to look bridal. Olivia solves

this dilemma by picking the most streamlined cuts, purposely avoiding elements that are typical to wedding dresses, such as volume, lace an intricate beading. Other times, her dress would incorporate black accents to add some dimension and severity that isn’t found in traditional bridalwear.

Meanwhile, her workwear (aka white blazer) is either really structured, sometimes with hints of military influences, or extremely fluid and almost draped. This is to ensure that it doesn’t look like she’s in a doctor’s coat, which is the tendency of most white jackets. On the other hand, when she’s going for an all-white look, it’s not a one-hue disaster because her pantsuit would always be a tone lighter or darker than her blouse. Think blush, eggshell, off-white or a delicate shade of bluish gray.

Her outerwear pieces are mostly trench coats and peplum coats. They are always precise and on point because they fit her like a glove, which is really the trick here. Aside from that, they would have at least one interesting element like a huge buckle, bold buttons or a cape.

Obviously, we don’t have Scandal’s costume department budget and designer benefactors for us to have an endless supply of white garments. But if you have one of each item described above and know a little about the art of mix-and-matching, you already have at least a dozen ways to look like the (real or imagined) high-fashion power player that you are.

THE POSTMAN DREAMS

A new strand in Prada’s exploration of the world of film

P

rada presents The Postman Dreams, a humorous series of five shorts starring the Prada Galleria bag by Autumn de Wilde – one of America’s most imaginative filmmakers.

Cinema has become a playground for exploring comedy and obsession. This new short form format, which allows the five films to be discovered as a series and enjoyed in any order, is a new paradigm for Prada films.

We enter into a spectacular new reality where any sense of time and place is blurred, and fantasy and reality have become unstuck. The postman is a metaphor for personal communication in an e-mail world, and The Blasting Company - a Los Angeles nouveau-gypsy band started by brothers Justin and Josh Petrojvic - plays a strategic role and builds a refined and unexpected atmosphere, evoking community and displacement. The music adds to the surreal sense of multiple times and genres, all playfully moulded in de Wilde’s skilfully crafted art.

“The Prada world that I built is a dreamscape of childhood desires mixed with adult fantasies. The best part of fashion is the childlike obsession with beauty, it retains an innocence, and that’s what makes me feel inspired to create.” Autumn de Wilde, director.

THE POSTMAN

It begins with a humble Postman. An ordinary man who slips into his extraordinary dreams whenever he gets the chance. The hum-drum fades away as he ushers a parade of colorful characters and wild places to our doorstep.

THE MAKEOUT

The Prada Sound bag is a metaphor for desire, an interloper in a coy staircase love-chase where it’s unclear if the object is our female protagonist, or her supple handbag.

THE BATTLEFIELD

The Prada Galleria is the set of an imaginary battle, a figment of a childhood fantasy that involved de Wilde slicing it clean in two. The exceptional inner workings of the bag are revealed,

rarely seen except by the artisans who create them, as the bag becomes a theatre set for childlike obsession.

THE TREE

The eponymous tree’s magical branches bear apple-red Prada Gallerias – ready to be plucked by a passing motorcyclist on a custom Prada motorbike. A fantasy world of humour and elegance convey an untraditional sense of luxury.

THE LAUNDROMAT

An overdose of candy-coloured formica, an elegant striptease by a middle-aged pin up, played by Helen Jameson. De Wilde is not afraid to saturate our senses. The Prada Galleria is the silent star, its presence driving the narrative, its iconic looks impossible to ignore.

F R I D AY : A P R I L 1 0 : 2 0 1 5

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LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

LUCKY 88 Celebrating 88 Years of FURLA H

ere’s globalization at work: An Italian leather company, in the business for close to a century, decides to celebrate its 88th anniversary with a big launch in its Asian markets of a dedicated bag collection, Piper.

The decision is deliberate. The number “8”, as is well-known throughout Asia, is considered the luckiest of numbers, because in the Chinese language, it rhymes with the word for wealth. In Chinese culture, this number symbolizes fortune; the double 8 therefore stands for double fortune, double happiness.

In celebration, Furla created an exclusive version of the versatile and chic Piper bag in vibrant purple, purple being the color of royalty. In soft-brushed calfskin, the special bag comes with a large metal plaque and keychain shaped in the graceful undulating lines that make up the number 88, embossed with the words “Exclusively for the 88th Anniversary.”

Furla is heralding this anniversary in an even bigger way, developing a regional campaign to reward the brand’s loyal customers with the chance to win a

luxury trip for two to Italy. A total of 12 prizes await, with the three grand prizes coming from the Asia-Pacific region Hong Kong, China and Southeast Asia.

The grand prize, a trip to Italy, includes two business class tickets from Hong Kong to Milan, three nights at the Four Seasons Hotel Milano and a gift voucher to shop the latest Furla styles at the Milan Duomo flagship store.

More prizes await winners in the Asia Pacific region, among them a selection of Furla bags, small leather goods and accessories.

All it takes to enter is the purchase of one exclusive Furla 88 Piper bag, which retails for P31,500, or have an accumulated purchase of the same value on regular-priced Furla items. The promo period runs from now until May 31, 2015, with the winners to be announced online via a dedicated website, 88.furla.com, on June 26th.

The Furla 88 Piper bag is available at Furla in Rustan’s Makati, Greenbelt 5, BHS Central Square, Shangri-La Plaza Mall and Newport Mall.

THE OXFORD STREET SHOPPING EXPERIENCE IN MANILA

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

I

n London, Oxford Street is the biggest shopping street as it is home to a number of major department stores and retail outlets. Many British retail chains consider their branch on the two and a half-kilometer street as their flagship store.

In Metro Manila, the newly opened Estancia Mall at Capitol Commons is a luxury mall posed to house premier international brands and lifestyle retailers.

These two shopping destinations cross paths right in the heart of Metro Manila. The well-established meets the up-and-coming. Through the opening of Debenhams’ flagship store patterned after its iconic Oxford Street branch, a part of London’s busiest shopping street comes to the Philippines.

Debenhams at Estancia is the fifth store of the over 200-year-old British multinational retailer here in the country. The 13,000-square foot franchise features different compartmentalized options for womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, and home items. Its world-class look, which

renders the distinct Oxford Street shopping experience, is unique to the country and the whole region.

“This brand new store, which is the fifth in the Philippines and the fourth in Metro Manila, is the very first of its kind in Asia,” said Debenhams director of International Franchise Operations Phil Topham during the official opening of Debenhams Estancia.

The occasion was especially sweet for Debenhams group and Rustan Specialty Concepts, Inc. as the opening kicked off the celebration of the British retailer’s 10th year anniversary here in the Philippines.

To mark the beginning of the next chapter of British retail in the country, the opening night saw a British-themed fashion show that showcased Debenhams Spring/Summer 2015 collection.

Models dressed in Debenhams’ latest line arrived in sporty Mini Coopers as an ode to the origins of the brand and made the street in front of the mall their runway.

Inspired by safari style, the newest collection features Urban Safari op-

ZALORA CELEBRATES ITS 3RD YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN THE PHILIPPINES

T

tions perfect for jungle getaways. Pieces in the collection include utility-inspired shifts, clothes with bold animal prints, and accessories and apparel with the right amount of khaki.

Several designs in the spring/summer line, meanwhile, pay homage to the glorious days of the ‘70s with a burst of bohemian color. Retro chic flared jeans, trousers in bright colors, maxi dresses, and clothes in vintage cuts and patterns are undeniably a nostalgic blast from the glamorous and hip decade that has passed. Suede and denim are the dominant materials; ankle boots are the preferred footwear.

Sea life and shades of blue are playfully explored through the nautical theme of this season’s collection. Denims and shirtdresses with stripes and other nautical motifs portray the cool and calm of the open waters. Blue accessories complete the looks.

o commemorate its 3rd year of operations in the Philippines, ZALORA Philippines is accelerating the implementation of transformational key programs designed to make a lasting and positive difference in the country. This reflects the brand’s commitment to serve Filipinos across the region and its mission to grow the e-commence industry in the Philippines.

Three years ago, ZALORA, Asia’s leading online fashion destination, saw huge, untapped potential in the budding E-commerce industry in the Philippines. ZALORA Philippines was officially launched in 2012, led by cofounder and CEO Paulo Campos together with a group of investors and partners. The fashion brand gave Filipinos access to the widest range of fashion and lifestyle products in the market. To date, ZALORA Philippines offers over 500 local and international sought-after brands, and over 300 home-grown, independent brands and fashion boutiques that are exclusively found in ZALORA. Campos said, “We would like to thank all our copartners, employees, friends and loyal customers who have helped us reach this milestone. Our first three

Debenhams is located at Shangri-la Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong City, Glorietta 4-Rustan’s Makati, Trinoma Mall in Quezon City, Abreeza Mall in Davao, and Estancia Mall in Pasig City.

years in the Philippines has brought us many great memories and we look forward to bringing the brand to more customers across the Philippines. Our goal is to implement powerful and sustaining marketing programs, expand our product offerings and improve on our delivery service across the region so that will have a meaningful and positive impact on the lives of our customers.”

Owning every step of the customer journey, ZALORA Philippines takes pride in offering their customers superior convenience and reliability with their top-notch logistics and customer services, offering many industry-firsts such as free shipping nationwide, same day deliveries, free 30days return policy, cash on delivery, and a full-service customer relations team to name a few.

“The local E-commerce industry is constantly evolving and through the past three years, we’ve worked hard to find new ways to break ground in different areas such as payment schemes, delivery services and even our marketing campaigns to create a world-class online shopping experience for our customers,” said Campos.

F R I D AY : A P R I L 1 0 : 2 0 1 5

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Emmanuel Lorenza, President and CEO of MediaQuest Holdings, partners with Cignal and Bloomberg for a local business channel

Parry Ravindranathan, managing director, Bloomberg Media, Asia Pacific

C5

Cignal’s Chief Operating Officer, Oscar Reyes, Jr. is glad that Bloomberg Philippines will be carried by Cignal

BLOOMBERG TELEVISION PHILIPPINES ON CIGNAL

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he country’s biggest pay TV service provider, Cignal has joined global media giant Bloomberg Television to launch Bloomberg Television Philippines, the first 24-hour business channel in the country, by the latter part of 2015. Cignal is owned by Media Quest Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of multi media conglomerate PLDT, which also owns TV5.

Bloomberg and TV5 will operate Bloomberg Television Philippines (BTP). Leveraging TV5’s award-winning news talents and production staff, the channel will provide several hours of unique local daily content supplemented by Bloomberg’s programming.

Apart from economic content, Bloomberg Television Philippines will also have lifestyle channels and feature programs geared towards a broad segment of Filipino audience.

Noel C. Lorenzana, president and CEO of MediaQuest, the holding company of both TV5 and Cignal said during the partnership signing ceremony

on March 25, “We are very excited to be partnering with Bloomberg and believe their global experience will be

We are very excited to be partnering with Bloomberg and believe their global experience will be invaluable in taking business television programming to the next level invaluable in taking business television programming to the next level.”

Oscar A. Reyes Jr., Cignal TV Inc. chief operating officer also added, “As

the exclusive distributor of Bloomberg TV Philippines, Cignal is proud to be instrumental in expanding the reach of Bloomberg’s fast, accurate and market-moving news throughout the archipelago,” For his part, Gary Groenheim, commercial director of Bloomberg Television, Asia-Pacific, said, “The Philippines is fast becoming a premier broadcast destination, with its strong subscriber growth and low Pay TV penetration. Cignal’s substantial media footprint and stellar reputation make them an ideal partner for us as we expand our brand in Asia. Being in the third largest English-speaking country in the world will help us reach a vast new audience simply by combining elements of our daily global broadcast material with unique, tailor-made local content.”

The Philippines is the newest addition to the growing Bloomberg Asia network, which also includes India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Mongolia.

Chaye Cabal-Revilla, Cignal CFO, Lorenzana, and Reyes, Jr. form the team to run Bloomberg Philippines

GMA NETWORK WINS UMALOHOKJUAN, HILDEGARDE AWARDS Lauded for its integrity and commitment to Serbisyong Totoo, GMA Network recently received accolades from the Lyceum University of the Philippines’ UmalohokJUAN Awards and St. Scholastica’s College’s 9th Hildegarde Awards for Women in Media and Communication.

In a ceremony held on March 18 at the Jose P. Laurel Hall of Freedom in the Lyceum campus in Intramuros, Manila, GMA News’ Jessica Soho was recognized as Best News Anchor for GMA News TV’s flagship primetime newscast, State of the Nation with Jessica Soho (SONA).

The GMA weekly news magazine program, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, also presented by Soho, won as Best Magazine Show. The investigative program, Imbestigador, headlined by Mike Enriquez, was awarded as Best Public Service Program.

State of the Nation with Jessica Soho also earned the Outstanding Achievement in the Broadcast Journalism category at the 9th Hildegarde Awards for Women in Media and Communication together with Biyahe ni Drew, a weekly travelogue hosted by Drew Arellano on GMA News TV.

Jessica Soho

MIke Enriquez

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SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

PEOPLE SARAH GERONIMO

...ARE TALKING ABOUT

The pop star, yet again, dominated the annual Myx Music Awards that mainly honor the best and the most popular music artists in the land. She walked home with four trophies including a back–to-back win of the favorite artist plum. To date, Sarah has collected 23 Myx Music Awards trophies making her the most decorated local artist as far as the music channel is concerned.

YOU’RE MY BOSS

Sarah Geronimo

We visited the busiest movie houses in the metro and was surprised how the movie performs. It was a valiant move for Star Cinema to release the romcom alongside big Hollywood movies like and the latest installment of series. The Tony Gonzaga and Coco Martin starrer, amid the toughest competition, was able to earn P25 million on its first day of screening and P65 million as of this writing.

MARIAN RIVERA You’re My Boss stars Toni Gonzaga and Coco Martin

...ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT

Marian Rivera

GMA International, Kapuso station’s international counterpart, is kicking off its 10th anniversary via a yearlong concert series that will kick off in Vancouver this month. And this celebration is bannered by its brighter star nonetheless, which only proves that Marian is still the station’s most prized and definitely its biggest talent. That also explains why the lead role in , the network’s biggest television project this year, was given to her.

BIANCA KING

We don’t understand the buzz in revealing that Dennis Trillo broke up with her only through text. Their romance ended ages ago and she has been mum for the longest time about the failed romance. Is revealing how they broke up really necessary and what is she really up to? Meanwhile, Dennis is reportedly dating again ex-sweetheart, Jennylyn Mercado.

THE BUZZ

Bianca King

The showbiz-oriented talk show had an unexpected farewell last Sunday. The hosts bid goodbye to its loyal viewers who have been following the show for 16 years now. The hosts, however, promised that reformat is underway and would be back with bang. This unexpected exit led people to believe that the management is avoiding the ratings battle as it would be pitted against Willie Revillame’s new variety show on GMA 7.

That sounds more believable, isn’t it?

CLAUDINE BARRETTO

The controversial actress vowed to be more visible now that she’s shooting her new big screen project with Star Cinema.

In her latest interview, Claudine said she wanted to be active again. It’s been in the news since last year that she’s been trying to make a comeback but personal and domestic issues came in the way hampering her return. It’s been long overdue, we know. The wait is really long that people started to feel that she would be better off away from the limelight.

Claudine Baretto

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 48 50 52 54 58 62 63 64 67 68 69 70 71 72 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Lawyer’s gp.

4 Kind of bull 9 Squabble 13 Nev. neighbor 14 Unfired brick 15 Coastline 16 More stingy 18 Aleut carving 19 Lily or moth 20 Allow 22 Grittier 25 Bored response

26 28 32 35 37 38 40 42 43 45 47

Drab, as colors Falling star “Wheel of Fortune” buy (2 wds.)

Beyond the pale Leap aside Guzzle Tasty Shade of green Darkened Credo Util. bill

Acid in vinegar Helped the Tin Man Flying prefix By this time Cellar or attic entry Lanza or Andretti Fine, in space (hyph.)

Embarrassed to the max Ill will Joyous outburst Become mellow Follett and Howard Southeast Asian language Earth’s star

DOWN 1 CPA’s files 2 Brazilian port 3 Adjust the tires 4 New England gridder 5 Sharp tool (var.)

6 Taro product 7 Help go wrong 8 Mr. Neiman 9 Billy Bob — 10 Jot 11 Worry too much 12 Wife, in law 15 Slow-cooked 17 Buntline and Beatty

FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015

21 23 24 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 39 41 44 46 49 51 53 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 65 66

Flee hastily Auction site Prove false Bard’s teen Work in the newsroom Give the eye Lively dance Water, in Baja Now, to Caesar She, in Quebec “— vincit amor” Rain-on-the-roof sounds (hyph.)

Bellow Wild tee shirt (hyph.)

Calling — -Magnon man Like Beethoven Pizazz Caruso renditions Don — de la Vega (Zorro) Alpine refrain Chore Thick cord Similar Travel far and wide — Speedwagon (rock group) Neutral shade

Nora Aunor is the only Filipino female actor to win two Best Actress awards in a year

NORA AUNOR SCORES DOUBLE WIN

W

hen it comes to superstar Nora Aunor, an acting award or nomination is no longer surprising after a film with her in the lead has been show. And it’s shaping up to be an Aunor sweep in 2015.

After Gawad Tanglaw, Star Awards and PASADO gave her the acclaim an actor of her stature deserves.

Aunor won in record fashion at the 17th Gawad PASADO for her roles in two films, Joel Lamangan’s and Perci Intalan’s , both released in 2014. In 1984, Aunor also bagged a rare double and triple nomination at the Urian and 1st Star Awards, respectively, for her roles in three different films – Gil Portes’ and Mario O’Hara’s and . No, she din’t win any of the nomination because the votes for her were divided.

PASADO (Pampelikulang Samahan ng mga Dalubguro), an organization of private and public school and college teachers, chose Aunor over six other nominees in the best actress category, including Aiko Melendez for , who just won at the 7th International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema and Angelica Panganiban in , who was Aunor’s co-winner at the recent Gawad Tanglaw 2015.

Only a few actors have earned this distinction in film awards around the world. In the history of the Oscar (Academy Awards), only two occurrences were recorded. At the first ever Oscar Awards given in 1929, Emil Jannings won best actor for the films and , while Janet Gaynor won best actress for the films, , , and . But there is a difference, Janning’s and Gaynor’s films were released in 1927 and 1928, not in a single year. “. ” (before we judge others, let us look first in the mirror.

Let’s just leave everything to God),” Aunor said after accepting her Star Awards best actress trophy for in obvious reference to what’s happening in the country today.

Nora and other winners in different categories will be formally awarded during the 17th Gawad PASADO Awards’ ceremonies tomorrow. – Eton B. Concepocion / Photo collage by NoraFriendsForever

F R I D AY : A P R I L 1 0 : 2 0 1 5

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C7

MARIAN RIVERA STARS IN ANOTHER From C8

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Philippine Association of Prin May, the “primetime vate School Dentists to provide queen” queen of the Kathe free service. puso network returns to The project was part of the via another soap on the Foundation’s medical assisprimetime block. It is called tance program Bisig Bayan, The Rich Man’s Daughter. which provides free medicine Marian Rivera plays Jade and medical services to inTanchingco, an heiress of a digent beneficiaries afflicted wealthy Chinese Filipino with various ailments. family whose business conCentered on the importance cerns range from real estate, of oral health care, the project retail to airline. recognizes the impact a simThe youngest and only ple procedure creates on the daughter, she is considered lives of the beneficiaries. With to be the real jewel in the minimal cost, a significant effamily. In the story, Jade’s fect is seen in the confidence father announces that he is and self-esteem that is rekinlooking for a suitor for her dled in the recipients. and is willing to pay millions GMA Kapuso Foundation to any man who can make EVP and COO Mel C. Tiangher fall in love with him. co thinks this as an opportuniFor Marian, playing Jade ty to make small changes with is her most challenging role a big impact. “Uplifting the to date and admits that she Marian Rivera lives of our countrymen does will have a hard time portopbills new primenot only mean effecting change traying the character. “Kaya time soap on GMA on a grand scale. With projects nga sabi ko mahihirapan ako like Ngiting Kapuso, we can at pag-aaralan ko talaga siya see how giving back the smiles (I told myself I’s have a difon the faces of the beneficiaries ficult time, so I am going to makes them more confident study the character well),” and opens doors to more opshe shares. portunities,” she says.

Joining her in the cast are The Ngiting Kapuso project Glaiza de Castro, Luis Alwas able to give full dentures andy, and Katrina Halili to 92 patients while providing in the main cast. Al Tantay, partial dentures to 30 patients.

Glydel Mercado, Tony MaAll patients were screened besa, and Gloria Romero, and fitted for their dentures in together with Paolo Contis, a series of clinic sessions held Pauleen Luna, TJ Trinithroughout the month. The dad, Mike Tan, Sheena Beneficiaries of GMA Kapuso Foundation’s annual Ngiting Kapuso project beneficiaries also attended Halili, Charee Pineda will puso project in February. Each of them lectures on how to properly use provide invaluable support for received a new set of complete or par- and maintain their new dentures. the main characters. tial dentures.

For more information on GMA HHHHH In support of Oral Health month, the Kapuso Foundation’s programs and Some 122 Kapuso beneficiaries now have a reason to smile after GMA Ka- Kapuso Foundation partnered with the projects, visit the website www.gmapuso Foundation’s annual Ngiting Ka- Philippine Dental Association and the network.com/kapusofoundation.

Beneficiaries undergo dental procedures to regain the lost smiles

PNRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang with Walang Tulugan co-host John Nite and Dr. Manny Calayan

GWEN PANG:

NO TIME FOR LOVE

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he Secretary General of the Philippine National Red Cross is too busy with work that she has no time for love.

Gwendolyn Pang has spent the last one and a half decade of her life actively involved in the Red Cross.

“In my line of work I have no time for romance. I hope that soon I can focus on my love life. I hope it’s not too late,” says Gwen, the youngest Secretary General appointed in the PRC and is also one of the youngest leaders of the Red Cross Movement today.

Despite her hectic schedule, Gwen tries her best to stay fit and young looking. She stands at 5’5”, with vital statistics of 37-26-28. She knows that good health is crucial to her work.

After all she is a registered nurse by profession. But Gwen added that she hasn’t find time even to exercise nowadays.

Besides having her hands full in the PRC, Gwen is also a TV host of Generation RX on ABS-CBN, and currently an endorser of several products and companies.

The charismatic advocate has no plans of going under any cosmetic or beauty procedure, as she believes in natural beauty. However, she also knows that she needs the help of a professional to maintain her figure.

She was convinced to try Vaser Hi-Def by Calayan because of her trust in Dr. Manny Calayan and the Calayan Surgi Center, which, like her, has an unblemished track record.

“Dr. Calayan has been in the industry for two decades now. He has zero record of any bad surgery, so I tried it and I am very happy with the results,” says the PRC’s “Darling of the Press” for the past 10 years.

With her skin and body care in good hands, Gwen might just see her love life blooming very soon.

The charismatic advocate has no plans of going under any cosmetic or beauty procedure, as she believes in natural beauty. However, she also knows that she needs the help of a professional to maintain her figure

C8

F R I D AY : A P R I L 1 0 : 2 0 1 5

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ WHAT’S THE

NO. 1 DAYTIME DRAMA SHOW ON TV NATIONWIDE? SIMPLY RED ISAH V. RED If you are at work the whole day, you probably don’t know that the network war is also being waged on daytime television. And currently the battle is already won, hands down, by the Kapuso network, thanks to its mix of tearjerkers and cliffhangers that keep homebound audiences glued on the TV sets.

GMA Network’s The Half Sisters is the no.1 daytime drama show nationwide. The Afternoon Prime series continues its phenomenal ratings success, that’s according to data provided by the industry’s

widely trusted ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

Based on National Urban Philippines data for March 1-31 (March 22-31 overnight data), The Half Sisters registered a household rating of 17.6 percent, leading ABSCBN’s Flordeliza’s 10.3 percent by 7.3 points.

In Urban Luzon, which comprises 77 percent of the total urban TV households nationwide, The Half Sisters posted 19.9 percent household ratings, 11 points higher than Flordeliza’s 8.9 percent.

The Afternoon Prime series likewise led in Mega Manila, which represents 59 percent of the total urban TV households in the country, with 21.1 percent household ratings, leading Flordeliza’s 7.9 percent by 13.2 points.

Avid viewers of The Half Sisters will have more reason to stay glued to their favorite drama series as it will now air up to June this year with more plot twists to be revealed in the succeeding episodes.

The cast composed of Barbie Forteza, Thea Tolentino, Derrick Monasterio, and Andre Paras, together with Gloria Romero, Jean Garcia, Eula Valdez, Jomari Yllana, Mel Martinez, and Ryan Eigenmann, can’t be any happier as they continue to reap praises from viewers and positive feedbacks from netizens for their performances.

Expect more revelations and twists as the drama continues in The Half Sisters, directed by Mark Reyes, weekdays after Eat Bulaga on GMA Afternoon Prime.

Based on National Urban Philippines data for March 1-31 (March 22-31 overnight data), ‘The Half Sisters’ registered a household rating of 17.6 percent, leading ABS-CBN’s Flordeliza’s 10.3 percent by 7.3 points

Continued on C7

GMA Network’s The Half Sisters captures the imagination of soap fanatics across the country making it the no. afternoon soap on TV. The cast led by A. Barbie Forteza and Thea Tolentino, B. Andre Paras, C. Derrick Monastery, D. Jomari Yllana, E. Jean Garcia,and F. Ryan Eigenmann can’ be happier after the network announced the show’s extension until June