The Standard - 2015 April 13 - Monday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 57  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  MONDAY : APRIL 13, 2015  www.manilastandardtoday.com  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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Heart seeking elective post in Sorsogon?

Govt steps up drought measures

TAXMAN RELENTS, MOVES DEADLINE Next page

Mischief on Mischief Reef. This handout photo taken on March 16, 2015, by satellite imagery provider DigitalGlobe shows an image of vessels dredging sand at Mischief Reef on the disputed Spratly Islands. Beijing on April 9 claimed it had the right to build on the disputed islands that are also being claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. AFP

Castro proves why he’s one of Asia’s best

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Technology and fitness go together

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Heart to run for elective position in Sorsogon?

Planting time. Farmers plant rice in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya, at the start of the planting season. DAVID CHAN

BIR relents, moves tax deadline to mid-June THE Bureau of Internal Revenue says it will defer the implementation of the e-filing system for two months for “No Payment” returns but keep the manual filing deadline on April 15.

In a memo, Commissioner Kim Henares said the deferment was aimed at giving taxpayers more time to file their tax returns.

“In order for the Bureau to focus on ITRs with payments, ‘No Payment’ returns may be filed manually on or before April 15, 2015, with the Revenue District Office where they are registered,” Henares said in the document.

“No Payment” returns filed manually shall be re-filed electronically on or before June 15, 2015, Henares said.

“The penalties imposed under RR No. 5-2015 on filing using a mode/venue different from that prescribed shall be waived provided the subject ITRs have been re-submitted electronically in the BIR’s systems on or before June 15, 2015.”

Henares made her statement even as an official on Sunday urged the BIR to do something about Senator Bam Aquino’s plea

to defer for another three months the deadline for filing income tax returns using the new system and to similarly defer the penalties imposed for filing beyond the April 15 deadline.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. made the plea as a result of the shift to the electronic system for filing tax returns.

“The Bureau of Internal Revenue continues to give information to the public with regards to the filing of income tax returns,” Coloma told the state-run dzRB radio.

“With regards to the proposal of Senator [Bam] Aquino, it would be better if the BIR would address the concern because they are the agency who understands the present situation, and if it is really necessary to extend the deadline for this. They are the ones who have information that would be a basis to address this concern.”

Aquino on Thursday urged the BIR to extend for another three months the deadline for filing income tax returns using the new electronic system.

He also reiterated his call to suspend the imposition of penalties.

“We should make things easier for our taxpayers and not make things difficult for them,” Aquino said.

He said the BIR should stick to its new policy as mandated by Revenue Regulation 5-2015 but extend the deadline for filing for another three months.

“The BIR also needs to ensure that their online system can handle the volume of downloads that will only increase in the next few days,” Aquino said.

He said the BIR people’s inability to explain the new procedures were adding to the taxpayers’ woes.

“The BIR’s local offices have conflicting statements on how to proceed, who are covered and the determination of penalties,” Aquino said.

“This creates uncertainty in our taxpayers which in turn leads to dissatisfaction.”

Aquino also urged the BIR to establish online kiosks or sta-

tions in their local offices with personnel who will help input the returns of taxpayers and teach them the new procedures.

“This way, the BIR can fulfill its objective of migrating our taxpayers online while dispelling any possible doubts and fears from our taxpayers on the new system,” he said.

He earlier asked the BIR to cancel the imposition of penalties on the taxpayers covered by the Electronic Filing and Payment System or eFPS or Electronic BIR Forms or eBIRForms for failure to file tax returns under the electronic system until next year.

The BIR issued Revenue Regulation 5-2015 on March 15, 2015 that was published in a national daily two days later, giving taxpayers less than one month to comply with the new policy. The deadline for filing income tax returns is April 15.

Under the new regulation, all taxpayers who fail to file their returns using the mandated eFPS or eBIRForms should pay a fine of P1,000 per return as prescribed

by Section 250 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

Sandy Araneta and Jennifer Ambanta

SORSOGON CITY—The Escudero political clan of Sorsogon province is reportedly fielding showbiz celebrity Heart Evangelista for a local post in the 2016 elections after the actress sought a transfer of her permanent residence to this city before the local office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Evangelista, whose real name before recently marrying Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero was Love Mary Ongpauco, said in her Comelec registration transfer that her new permanent and official address was the family residence of the Escuderos in Barangay Buhatan here, sources said.

The transfer came two months after she became the senator’s second wife in a wedding at Balesin resort in Quezon province last Feb. 15.

The Escuderos are seeking to maintain control of Sorsogon province after the death of the senator’s father, Salvador Escudero III, from a lingering illness on Aug. 13, 2012 while he was serving his 18th year as congressman of the first district of the province.

The late congressman has been replaced in the Lower House by his widow, Evelina Escudero, who first served as the district’s representative to the Batasang Pambansa from 1984 to 1986.

In 1987, the elder Escudero was elected congressman and served for a total of 18 years until his death at the age of 70.

Chiz Escudero was also a congressman of the same district before becoming a senator. His mother won the seat vacated by her husband in the 2013 midterm elections.

The late congressman’s brother, Antonio “Kruni” Escudero, is incumbent vice governor of the province; his son Krunimar Jr. is the senior member of the provincial legislative board.

Evangelista’s filing of a transfer of residence did not come as a surprise to both Escudero supporters and their political rivals.

Although the Escudero camp was yet to come out with an official statement regarding the senator’s wife’s transfer of residence, local political pundits are already talking about what elective post she will be seeking.

Efforts by the Philippines News Agency to reach for the senator for comment on the matter proved futile. His local media liaison office said Escudero will issue an official statement in due time.

An insider of the Escudero camp, who declined to be named, however, said the senator’s wife is being groomed to challenge incumbent Sorsogon City Mayor Sally Lee, the wife of Sorsogon Governor Raul Lee. Mrs. Lee won the seat in 2013 by defeating Leovic Diodeda, a former staunch political supporter of the Escuderos who bolted the camp after failing to get support for his son’s gubernatorial campaign against Raul Lee. PNA

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Govt steps up El Niño measures By sandy araneta, anna leah Gonzales and alena Flores

THE government is intensifying preparations against the effects of the El Niño to ensure the production of food, particularly rice, during the dry spell a Palace official said Sunday.

Tourist attraction. This altar in Northern Samar depicting Spanish culture was built by locals and foreigners and is one of the tourist attractions on the island. Mel Caspe

Quezon City 400,000 vacant state posts ‘shameful’ eyes facility to turn trash into power A wAste-to-energy facility is needed to convert Quezon City’s garbage into electricity and help ease a looming power crisis, Mayor Herbert Bautista said sunday.

He made the statement even as Malacañang urged the public to save on electricity to avoid blackouts in the future.

Bautista said the city’s 142 villages were producing at least 2,000 tons of trash that could produce 36 megawatts of electricity a day but were being disposed of at the Payatas dump daily. the establishment of such facility would significantly help in the effort to address the looming power shortage, Bautista said. “right now, the Payatas-controlled waste disposal facility generates about 40,000 kilowatts per hour of electricity monthly that is being sold to the Manila electric Company to power up the surrounding areas,” he said. the facility is a biogas emissionreduction project registered with the United nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and is the country’s first cleandevelopment mechanism.

Bautista has also ordered city officials to study the viability of installing solar panels on school roofs and to use light-emitting diodes to cut down the city’s power bill by 50 percent. the electricity for the streetlights using sodium bulbs accounts for 64.6 percent of the city government’s total power consumption.

Rio N. Araja and Sandy Araneta

An oPPosItIon lawmaker slammed Malacañang on sunday for keeping some 200,000 government posts vacant, saying it was “shameful” amid the high unemployment rate. “we reckon many of these vacant items are for public elementary and high school teachers. yet we have tens of thousands of licensed teachers who are totally jobless,” said House Deputy Minority Leader and LPg-MA rep.

Arnel ty.

“In fact, some of these registered teachers have become so desperate they’ve been driven to work in private schools for as low

as P7,000 per month,” ty said.

A previous survey by social weather stations showed that some 12.4 million adult Filipinos were jobless in the fourth quarter of 2014, resulting in an unemployment rate of 27 percent. ty cited a Budget Department report that showed the number of unoccupied positions in various agencies had risen by 22 percent, or from 154,019 in 2013 to 188,388 this year.

He said the unfilled items now accounted for 13.1 percent of all plantilla positions available. “the DBM, Department of

Labor and employment, Civil service Commission and the agencies concerned should work closer together to remove all the obstacles to the filling up of the vacant positions,” ty said.

He expressed concern that the funding meant for the unoccupied positions could end up getting “DAPped”—in reference to the highly controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program.

He noted that under the DAP, the unspent funds were impounded by Malacañang and then spent on “pet projects.”

street kids. Street children play on a road in Manila on April 12, when the world marked the International Day for Street Children to campaign for their rights. aFp

In an interview over state-run radio, Communications secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the different agencies are working with the Agriculture Department to provide help to farmers, including the distribution of drought-resistant seedlings of rice and the rescheduling of the cropping season to avoid disaster-prone months. the agencies are also coordinating with the national Irrigation Administration to supervise the irrigation of farms in view of the dry spell and the lowering of water levels in dams.

Coloma said the government is also ready to begin cloud seeding if needed. on March 27, the weather bureau declared the start of the summer season. recent reports said more than 60,000 hectares of farmland have been affected by drought in north and south Cotabato, sultan Kudarat and sarangi in Mindanao. the value of production losses for these areas alone are estimated at P450 million. several towns including M’lang and Kabacan in north Cotabato have also been placed under the state of calamity as crop losses already have climbed to P40 million. “we are already conducting field validation to see if there is a need to conduct cloud seeding in these areas. However, we cannot just conduct cloud seeding because it may affect the mango trees which are now about to bear fruit,” said Agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala. the weather bureau recently said the country is currently experiencing a mild el niño, which may not last long. el niño which is the irregular rise in the temperature of the Pacific ocean, is accompanied by below average rainfall.

Alcala urged farmers and the general public to conserve water as a precaution.

He said his department is also speeding up small-scale irrigation projects under the national rice Program.

Alcala said watershed degradation and increased siltation have caused a decline in streamflow, and it was imperative to integrate watershed management in project planning.

He added that summer is the best time to remove silt from reservoirs and canals. water levels in several dams continued to decline due to rising temperatures during the dry months, but the state-owned national Power Corp. said dam operations remained normal.

– With Rio N. Araja and PNA

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BIFF sets retaliatory strikes vs military

By Francisco Tuyay

Moro gunsmith. A young Moro from Maguindanao repairs an M4 carbine with an optical sight while displaying other high-powered firearms that he is fixing. An estimated 1.1 million unlicensed firearms are owned by civilians, criminal groups and insurgents across the country. Mark Navales

Koko urges colleagues to make BBL ‘neutral’

By Macon ramos araneta and sandy araneta

SENATOR Aquilino Pimentel III on Sunday called on his colleagues to rid the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) of any provisions favoring the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to make it neutral and to make the MILF aware that the proposed measure is not only for their group but for the entire Bangsamoro region in Mindanao.

Pimentel’s call came as the Senate committee on local government chaired by Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to resume public hearings on the BBL today, after these were suspended in the aftermath of the Mamasapano massacre in which 44 police commandos were killed by Muslim rebels, including fighters of the MILF. In an interview on radio dzBB, Pimentel said all provisions that

favor or identify the MILF should be removed in the review of the Palace-drafted bill.

“It should not appear that the MILF was in the mind of the drafters of the proposed law. What should have been on their mind was the Bangsamoro region and the assumption that it’s not the MILF who will run it,” he said.

Pimentel, who comes from Mindanao, said the BBL should not focus on the existing situa-

tion and that the law should not be gared toward one group alone.

He also said it should be made clear to the MILF that it is not mandatory that they run the regional government, and that they do not get an automatic seat in the Bangsamoro entity.

Pimentel also said the Mamasapano incident should be separate from the BBL. “While we lost trust in the MILF, the BBL should not be stalled. We should proceed with the BBL, but we will fix [it],” Pimentel said.

But Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles said the ongoing talks with the MILF would substantially reduce the threat to peace and order in Mindanao.

“Peace between government and MILF means peace with the largest, most organized armed group which has been fighting government for decades. End-

ing this armed conflict means that this organized armed body ceases to fight the government and instead becomes a partner in addressing the problems facing the country, including problems of lawlessness in the South,” Deles said.

“It enables the effective exercise of the rule of law over areas previously outside its reach and ungovernable. Certainly, that must have some value in achieving our national aspiration for shared security and shared prosperity,” Deles also said.

Deles’ statement was made after a news report quoted a study funded by the World Bank that said the BBL could not ensure peace in Mindanao with new threat groups emerging.

Marcos said Monday’s agenda will include the use of a pseudonym by MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal in the signing of several peace documents.

MEMBERS of the separatist Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) are reportedly preparing retaliatory attacks to avenge the series of setbacks they suffered from the military’s recent anti-terrorism campaign.

Informed sources said the BIFF will also strongly oppose the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law by staging attacks against the military.

“There is very reliable information that the BIFF is out to avenge the series of military operations against them, resulting in the death of dozens of militants,” the source said.

It was earlier reported that the BIFF is planning to stage bombing attacks in Metro Manila as part of their plan to exact revenge on the military and to emphasize their rejection of the BBL. Several improvised explosive devices (IED) were discovered by the military in separate areas in Maguindanao in the past two weeks, which the source said was an indication that the BIFF is planning something “serious.”

The military claimed to have killed at least 129 BIFF separatists, including three ranking commanders and also wounding hundreds of others in clashes in the outskirts of Datu Piang, Shariff Aguak and Shariff Saydona towns in Maguindanao in the past two months.

The military campaign against the BIFF has also resulted to the arrest of Muhammad Ali Tambako, the leader of the newly formed terrorist group Justice Islamic Movement (JIM).

Tambako was reportedly the most trusted commander of BIFF leader Umbra kato, a former top MILF commander. The latter allegedly left the MILF because of differences with MILF chairman Murad Ibrahim.

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang recently suspended military operations against the BIFF to pave the way for the reconstruction of damaged houses and other structures due to the intense fighting in Maguindanao.

However, Catapang said despite the temporary suspension of operations, the military will continue to hunt BIFF terrorists, including Abdul Basit Usman, the top adviser of BIFF leader Umbra Kato.

Marcos rejects Iqbal alias justification

Capital loan. Invictus Microfinance Inc. loans officer Bea Javelosa

(4th from left) and Yedda Romualdez (3rd from left) wife of Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez hand over a P101,650 check representing a loan for hog-raising to Evelyn Linde (4th from right), president of More than Words Hograising Association in Alang Alang, Leyte. VER NOVENO

SENATOR Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos on Sunday rejected the reason given by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal for using an alias when his separatist group entered into a peace agreement with the government of the Philippines.

“I’m asking them why the need for an alias and they answered it was due to security reasons. But I cannot fully comprehend that it was for security reasons because he has been coming out in television,

in public. So if he wanted to hide from somebody, using an alias would be useless,” Marcos said in an interview over radio DZBB. While the MILF said it was their practice to use a “nom de guerre” to hide their true identities, Marcos insisted this is a different situation because Iqbal has already came out in the public.

The senator said this was the first time he heard of a peace agreement in which a signatory used an alias.

He said he has already done re-

search to determine if this is the case in other countries.

Marcos said that in other countries, once rebels came out in the open and they’re no longer fighting the government, they declare who they really are. And they sign peace agreements using their true names, he added.

“So it is surprising why we had a different case here,” said Marcos, whose Senate committee will resume hearings on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law today.

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Malacañang duns execs for unpaid advances

By Sandy Araneta

THe Office of the President is working to have some P437 million in cash advances liquidated before the end of the Aquino administration, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. on Sunday said on state-run dzRB. Coloma however said only about P11.3 million of the P437 million was obtained by the Aquino administration.

“We have asked the Office of the President, and according to the Office of the Deputy executive Secretary for Finance and Administration, the government has been working on it to lower the amount of P437-million. We have sent letters of demand to the concerned public officials who have unliquidated cash advances. Several have already complied with the requirements of liquidation,” said Coloma.

“There is also a portion which was already written off because some of those (public officials) identified have already passed away. Collection cases are also being readied against concerned people who failed to comply with the letters of demand,” said Coloma.

Also take note that only more or less P11.3million or 2.5 percent of the whole amount of P437-million reported

by COA (Commission on Audit) which are unliquidated cash advances of the present administration,” he also said.

Coloma, however, said they are still working on collecting these unliquated cash advances in order to conform with the law.

Blaze on the bay. Fire fighters put out a blaze at an abandoned vessel dock on Manila Bay on Sunday April 12. DANNY PATA

Massacre witness clears prosecutors

By Rey Requejo

A witness who accused Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan and public prosecutors led by Deputy Senior State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon of receiving bribe money from the Ampatuan clan has recanted her testimony and cleared them of the charges.

In a five-page affidavit submitted to the Department of Justice, Jerramy Joson took back her affidavit accusing Baraan, Fadullon and other prosecutors who handled the Maguindanao massacre case of receiving bribes from the Ampatuans.

Joson admitted that Maguindanao Gov. Ismael “Toto” Mangudadatu and lawyer Nena Santos prodded her to fabricate the charges to push for the ouster of Baraan as supervising official of the DOJ’s panel prosecuting the case.

Joson said she only invented the charges against Baraan and some of the prosecutors through the notebook carrying the records of the amounts paid by the Ampatuans to the DOJ officials upon orders of Mangudadatu’s lawyers Santos and Gemma Oquendo.

Joson said the supposed notebook was merely “concocted” by the camp of Santos and Mangudadatu.

She also claimed that she was even made to stay at the house of

Mangudadatu’s brother Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, in Davao when the bribery story came out.

“They would often tell me that they had to find a way to destroy Undersecretary Baraan and that I should help them for such purpose,” Joson said in her affidavit.

“I also learned that Attorney Nena Santos, Attorney Gemma Oquendo and Governor Toto have an axe to grind against Undersecretary Baraan that they want him out of the Ampatuan case by taking away the trust of Secretary De Lima on him, so they would use me to destroy the reputation of Baraan and file charges against him,” she claimed.

With her recantation, Joson said she had already withdrawn the graft and corruption cases she filed against Baraan before the Office of

the Ombudsman.

She explained that she was chosen for the demolition job since she was once close to lawyer Arnel Manaloto, a former Ampatuan lawyer who was reportedly used by the Ampatuan clan as dummy to hide their properties.

Joson said she went to the office of Baraan to apologize to him and other prosecutors for putting them in a bad light and tarnishing their reputation.

In a text message to reporters, Santos denied she fabricated the notebook to get back at Baraan, Fadullon and other DOJ officials.

“I have nothing to do with the alleged notebook which copy I only got from NBI (National Bureau of Investigation),” the lawyer said.

“Why will she go out on national TV and say so much and now turn around?” she asked.

Trillanes blasted; probe resumes

By Macon Araneta

Recycled jeep. A silversmith fashions an iconic jeep filigree made

from recycled silver. The Belgian nuns from Saint Louis University brought the silversmithing art and passed them on to Filipino artisans in Baguio City. DAVID CHAN

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

SeNATOR Antonio Trillanes IV has drawn flak over his allegations that bribes were paid to Court of Appeals justices to get an injunction against the Office of the Ombudsman’s suspension of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay on a graft case.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Vice President Sunday, Makati City 2nd District Rep. Abigail Binay said the Binays also challenged Trillanes to present credible proof about his allegations.

The congresswoman, daughter of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, said Trillanes was merely resorting to a publicity stunt when he told reporters he would reveal the names of

the justices who got bribes.

As this developed, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said the senators will resume today the hearing on the alleged anomalies in which the Vice President allegedly figured.

Pimente said Delfin Lee, owner of Globe Asiatique who was charged with syndicated estafa by the Department of Justice over the alleged use of ghost borrowers to obtain P6.6 billion in loans from Pag-IBIG Fund in 2009, was supposed to testify in the hearing.

However, Pampanga RTC Branch 42 Judge Maria Amifaith Reyes changed her September 8, 2014 decision allowing Lee to testify in the Senate hearing on April 13, 2015 on the alleged housing scam involving Pag-ibig fund.

Through his lawyer, Rony Garay, Lee called on the Supreme Court to investigate the circumstances behind Reyes’ decision to revoke his permit to testify before the Senate.

Pimentel said he has not yet been provided a copy of the judge’s latest decision that was released Saturday.

“If she changed her mind, we can’t do anything about it because he (Lee is under the custody of the court. If he reversed before Friday or last week, I cant do anything. No copy yet. We will just try again in the future,” said Pimentel who admitted he was not aware of the significance of Lee’s case to the Vice President’s cases.

The Senate probe of Makati building was based on a resolution filed by Trillanes, a rabid critic of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay.

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War games highlight show of aerial force

Record bid. Thousands join the largest gathering of people born in the same hospital on Sunday April 12, 2015 at the Market Market in Taguig City in their bid to set a world record for this particular event which is currently held by a Hong Kong hospital. DANNY PATA

Palace prods traders: No to rice overpricing

By Sandy Araneta

Malacañang on Sunday warned traders not to hoard or overprice rice and other commodities or suffer the full force of law.

AS this developed, a farm group sought a reduction in the suggested retail price of chicken to factor in the drop in farmgate prices.

Another trade group demanded an increase in the SRP of paper products since their prices have been frozen three years ago.

Communications Sec-

retary Herminio Coloma urged traders that there should be no hoarding and no overpricing, or taking advantage of the situation.

Apart from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of trade and Industry, which is tasked on consumer protection, is also looking into the price situation,” Coloma said.

Farmers in Nueva Ecija

expressed alarm as farmgate prices of palay continue to drop toward the peak of the harvest season.

A Nueva Ecija provincial agriculturist said the selling price of palay is P14.50 a kilogram for manually harvested grains and P14 a kilo for those harvested by machine.

Compared to two previous harvest seasons, the current farmgate prices offered by traders and rice mill owners are lower by P3 to P4 kilo for fresh harvest, he said.

For dried palay, the farm gate price is P17.50 a kg, lower than the previous price of P23 to P25 a kg.

Rice farmers in the province likened their plight to

onion farmers who, a month ago, decried the low prices of their produce. Farm gate prices of white onions were from P10 to P12 a kg, while red onions were sold at P7 to P9 a kg.

Nueva Ecija is one of the top producers of rice.

Coloma said the Department of Agriculture is now studying how the government will be able to help the rice farmers and ensure that their livelihood will not suffer.

Sinag for its part said chicken prices at farmgate dropped to P48 per kilo from P78 in January but retail prices remained at P`130-P148 per kilo. the ideal difference between farmgate and retail

should be P50 per kilo, which covers the cost of transport, handling and storage plus a little profit margin, Sinag said. on paper products, a manufacturer sought the price hike now before the new school season begins.

Advance Paper Corp.

Asked for a P2-P3 price hike but it has yet to hear from the Consumer Protection Group of the Department of trade and Industry. the DtI shot down the demand of crayon maker Filstar Distributors Corporation for a price increase, saying it was not justified.

With Othel V. Campos and Anna Leah . Gonzales

K-12 transition fund pushed

Family tour.

Tourists pose for a souvenir shot at the Lapu-Lapu Shrine at the Rizal Park during family day on Sunday.

MANNY PALMERO

MAlACAñANg expressed support for the full implementation of the educational program K- to- 12 and pressed for the P29billion transition fund to carry it out. “there is the proposal for the allocation of the stabilization fund (transition fund) of almost P29-billion which would be used for the expenses for five years which was proposed by the education cluster included in the budget for next year. that’s the reason why we are already doing preparations for this,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said on Sunday.

Earlier, a group of teachers and school staff asked the Supreme Court to stop Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, which gave birth to the K-12 Program that added two more years to high school education. the “Coalition for the K to 12 Suspension,” composed of four individuals and 16 groups led by the Council of teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines, said that with the K-12 Program, education workers are faced with the risk of early separation, forced retirement, constructive dismissal, diminution of salaries and benefits, labor contractualization,

and a general threat to self-organization.

But Coloma reiterated the importance of the K to 12 Program which Malacanang hoped would be fully implemented next school year.

He said that the government is laying down the measures led by the Department of Education together with the other agencies who are part of the education cluster such as Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and technical Education Skills Development Authority (tESDA) in order to fully implement the K to 12 Program.

Coloma allayed fears of K-12’s adverse effects such as dislocation of employment of teachers, which he said was already addressed in the past.

Coloma urged those who are against the K to 12 Program to file their cases before courts of justice so that they can express their sentiments or their position.

Earlier, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) pushed for the passage of a law that would allocate a P29billion transition fund to support college teachers to be affected by the implementation of the K to 12 program.

Sandy Araneta

A totAl of 92 military aircraft from the United States, Philippines and Australia will be taking part in this year’s Balikatan exercises scheduled on April 20- 30, 2015. lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, AFP public affairs office chief, said that the Americans will be deploying 76 military aircraft while the Philippines will be allocating 15 planes and helicopters while the Australian Defense Forces will deploy one.

Earlier, the AFP said that 11,740 troops from the three countries will be participating in this year’s Balikatan exercises. this can be broken down into 6,656 personnel for the US, 5,023 for the AFP and 61 for the Australian Defense Forces.

He added that the US will be deploying three naval vessels while the AFP will be sending one.

Balikatan is an annual combined joint exercise between the governments of the Philippines and US. this is conducted every year to serve as a venue for joint and combined training between the Philippines and United States militaries. “our Armed Forces and the US Armed Forces are coming together for this mutual defense and disaster response exercises towards a more responsive partnership to the community focusing on development and community service,” Cabunoc said. this year’s Balikatan is the 31st in the series of bilateral exercises based on the 1951 Mutual Defense treaty. the exercise is designed to enhance the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Armed Forces in capability development in the conduct of not only traditional military training but with civil military projects focusing on reaching out towards priority communities.

Balikatan 2015 will be conducted in three simultaneous events.

Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) events is the conduct of combined and joint civil-military operations by the AFP, US and Australian Defense Forces (ADF) in selected areas of the Western Command (WESCoM) area of responsibility in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and Central Command (CENtCoM) area of responsibility in Panay Island, to enhance civil-military cooperation in support of the AFP and US objectives.

In the Command Post Exercise (CPX) event, the scenario will focus on Marine Security (MARSEC) with Combined Arms live Fire Exercise (CAlFEX) to demonstrate the capability of the AFP National Maneuver Force. PNA

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Broker slams port congestion charges

By Junex Doronio

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—A top official of the Cebu chapter of the Chamber of Customs Brokers Inc. assailed the continuing “exorbitant and unjust” port congestion charges by foreign shipping companies despite the reduction of oil prices, saying these fees adversely affect the prices of imported goods.

El Niño is upon us. A woman from Mt. Santo Tomas, Tuba, Benguet looks on as farm lands dry up due to El Niño. DAVID CHAN

Bamboo plantation to rise at Fort Magsaysay

By Ferdie G.Domingo FORT MAGSAYSAY, Palayan City – Soldiers, Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit members and civilians will soon benefit from a 670-hectare bamboo plantation to be established here.

The project was launched Tuesday during the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Army’s 7th Infantry Division and the ecosystems Research and Development Bureau of the De-

partment of environment and Natural Resources.

The Army and the DeNR were represented by Maj. Gen. Glorioso Miranda and Director Henry Adornado, respectively.

According to Miranda, the plantation would also support the National Greening Program.

Some 20,400 bamboo propagules will be planted on the first 100 hectares while the remaining 570 hectares will be planted with 285,000 indig-

enous plant species.

This military reservation, considered the biggest in Southeast Asia, is one of the few military camps spearheading the livelihood projects of the Departments of Agriculture and National Defense.

Two years ago, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop selected military camps for agricultural use to

help attain food security.

Under the MOU, the DA would provide marketing assistance and agricultural equipment and facilities as well as inputs and trainings on production, while the DND would provide the needed labor force and manage material sources.

DA Region 3 director Andrew Villacorta said idle lands in the camp would contribute to the country’s food production if utilized for agricultural purposes.

Israel Alin, CCBI-Cebu vice president for internal affairs, said that the foreign shipping companies had increased their port congestion charges from $250 to $500 per container van and their container imbalance charge from $200 to $300.

“Why should there be PCCs when our shipment can be released in just three days? Cebu is not like Manila that is really congested,” Alin said.

He added that importers had no choice but to pay because the shipping companies would not issue a delivery order without payment.

Alin said that even if importers shouldered all those charges and the customs brokers did not lose a centavo, the brunt would be felt by the consumers with the high prices of imported products.

He said this was ironic since the government had been trumpeting that oil prices had been reduced.

He noted that the fact that Korean shipping company Han Jin had long ago lifted its PCC validated the customs brokers’ observation that such fees were no longer necessary.

Alin added he would ask his fellow officers to come up with a statement or resolution asking District Collector Arnulfo J. Marcos to assert on their behalf before the shipping companies to lift “all those unjust and impractical charges.”

Coast Guard rescues 31 as boat capsizes off Dapitan

By Florante S. Solmerin THe Philippine Coast Guard has rescued 31 passengers after a boat capsized Saturday morning off Barangay Aliguay, Dapitan City, the police said Sunday.

Inspector Dahlan Samuddin, public information officer of the Police Regional Office 9 (PRO9), said the incident happened at around 9:30 a.m. On April 11 involving an unmarked boat skippered by Rosito Maglangit.

Police said the motorized boat was owned by lawyer Allan Ranillo.

The motorized boat had been

sailing from Aliguay Island to Dipolog City, Samuddin said.

Thirty minutes into the journey, or five kilometers away from the island, it met big waves and then capsized.

Twenty-eight of the rescued passengers were Unilab medical representatives based in Ozamis City. The remaing three were crew members.

Five of the 28—Misha Dela Cruz, Mark Dela Cruz, Princess Labay, Kenshi Labay and Naneshka Labay—sustained minor injuries and were rushed to the Ospital Ng Kabataan, Dipolog City for medical treatment.

The virgin and the volcano. A couple prays before the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Barangay Buraguis, Legazpi City. The shrine is built on the slopes of the hill overlooking Mayon Volcano. DANNY PATA

M O N D AY : A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

From ‘graduate’ to ‘jobseeker’

The revelation that top officials of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front used pseudonyms when they signed various peace agreements with the government is just the latest example of how the Aquino administration has been piling lie upon lie to build an unstable foundation for peace in Mindanao.

Administration officials have been tripping over themselves to explain that they knew this all along, and that there was nothing wrong with revolutionaries using their noms de guerre to sign legally binding documents, but it seems like some officials did not get the memo.

The presidential adviser on the peace process, Teresita Deles, for example, said she did not know that Mohagher Iqbal, the name used by the MILF chief negotiator, was a pseudonym until he admitted this last week.

This leaves two possibilities: the government’s top peace official was left our of the loop or she was lying. Neither possibility is particularly attractive or reassuring, but given this administration’s aversion for the truth and transparency, the latter seems more likely.

After all, President Benigno Aquino III has led by example, piling lie upon lie on the covert law enforcement operation that he authorized, and that led to the deaths of 44 police commandos at the hands of Muslim rebels, including those from the MILF, which defended the massacre as an act of self defense.

In the aftermath of the debacle, Mr. Aquino tried to play down the fact that he had entrusted the operation to his good friend, then suspended police chief Alan Purisima, who kept the mission so secret that the military was unprepared to provide timely support to the beleaguered police commandos.

The President has since refused to answer 20 questions posed to him by opposition lawmakers, including one particularly disturbing suggestion that the President ordered the military to stand down when the police commandos in Mamasapano called for help, simply because he did not want to jeopardize peace talks with the MILF. The lack of honesty also pervades the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that the President wants Congress to pass, regardless of provisions that clearly violate the Constitution.

Faced with mounting criticism of the flawed document and serious questions about the trustworthiness of his peace partners, the MILF, the President created his own forum on the draft law, calling it the National Peace Summit, and stocked it with personalities and groups that are friendly to his administration and uncritical of his policies.

Mr. Aquino seeks to separate the BBL discussion from the Mamasapano incident because of the public outrage over the killing of 44 police officers. Saying the two are unrelated, however, is yet another fiction that Mr. Aquino would have us swallow.

We cannot build a just and lasting peace on a foundation of lies, but that is exactly what Mr. Aquino, his negotiating team and his minions in Congress would have us do.

It is time we spoke truth to power and said no.

pensées fR. RAnhiLio cALLAngAn Aquino IqBAL has told us that “Iqbal” is a nom de guerre—in less pretentious terms, an alias. I was interviewed no less than thrice through phone-patch on national television, much to the chagrin of those who loathe my opinions (including one perennially dour personality who thinks that whenever I express on opinion

on a matter of law, I am engaged in the unlawful practice of law!).

But it is some kind of a philosophical excursus I am interested in this time. Names, after all, have been of interest to philosophers for a long time now. One has only to think of Boethius’ not-so-easy-to-read “De Divinis Nominibus” (On the Divine Names) and how Thomas Aquinas made use of this work in his own theological treatise.

My neighbor and I are both members of the human species.

In this, we are the same. But it

Aliases are troubling because they give variant answers to the question “who?”.

the platitude “individuality”.

Anthropologists will keep the debate going as to whether austrolopithecus was human or not, just as there seems to be universal agreement that when Cro-Magnon emerged, the human kind started to inhabit the earth. This is not the level that

A9

pAsToR ApoLLo quiboLoy

Lies upon Lies

Names aNd aliases

eDiToR

pLumbLine

[ EDI TORI A L ]

is definitely more than physical features and psychological traits that distinguish us. No matter how identical twins may be, they really are not identical, if one adopts Leibniz’s formula of identity: X and Y are identical if and only if all that can be said of X can be said of Y, and that, definitely, does not hold true of identical twins. They are two different individuals. But that is in fact tautologous, because “individual” is precisely singular. But we intuit this singularity to be more than simply numerical—there is only one of me. There can be only one of me, as there can be only one of your mother-in-law, because of an attribute medieval philosophers called “incommunicability”—what today goes by

ADELLE chuA

makes names relevant. This is the fertile ground of taxonomy, anthropology and philosophy and phenomenology—grasping “the nature” of man-woman!

Nature answers to the question “what”, as when we ask “What is an asymetrical relation?”. Names rather point to that which, in that paradoxical combination of the concrete and the elusive, we call “the individual”. Paradoxical because Scholastics also maintained that because the intellect understands by abstracting—and hence grasping universals—it cannot directly know individuals! Names, on the other hand, answer to the question “who” rather than “what”.

So it is that aliases are troubling because they give variant answers

to the question “who”. Who signed the peace agreement? Who is it that we are talking to? Who is it who has purported to negotiate in behalf of the MILF? Medieval philosophers used the concept of “suppositum”—by which they meant the individuation of the rational nature in an incommunicable and singular existent.

Thinkers with a more positivist bent did not really contradict the Schoolmen.

They distinguished between “sense” and “reference”. even if astronomers should assure us that at certain times of the year,

Standard TODAY Manila

the very same planet is both “evening star” and “morning star”, still “evening star” will mean something other than “morning star”, as evening and morning mean two different phases of day. But because the same planet is involved, the two descriptions would have the same reference. Two senses, one reference. This is the reason that I maintain the legal position that the validity of the agreements that bear the signature “Iqbal” need not be imperiled. After all, the reference is clear—that mustachioed man who calls

527-2057 (Credit and Collection). Fax numbers: 521-8340 (Advertising) 5275550. P.O. Box 2933, Manilaand Central 6406 P.O. Box 2933, Manila Post(Subscription).

Office, Manila.

Website: www.

Central Post Office, Manila. Website:E-mail: www. manilastandardtoday.com manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: mst@ contact@thestandard.com.ph PublishedMonday MondaytotoSunday Sundaybyby Philippine manilastandardtoday.com Published Kamahalan Manila Standard Publishing at 6/F Publishing Corporation at 2 ndInc. Floor PJI canbe beaccessed accessedat: at: Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo Roxas, can Building, Railroad corner 20th de Streets, www.manilastandardtoday.com ONLINE www.manilastandardtoday.com corner PereaManila.

St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. ONLINE Port Area, Telephone numbers MEMBER Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 521-8507 (connecting all departments), MEMBER Philippine Press Institute 832-5558521-5581, (connecting all departments), (Editorial), (Editorial Fax) 521-7381 Philippine Press Institute The National Association (Advertising), 521-8507(Advertising), (MIS) 521-5591 (Editorial), 832-5546, 832The National Association of Philippine Newspapers of Philippine Newspapers (Sales and Distribution/Subscription) and

MST MST

PPI PPI

himself Iqbal, but who could very well also call himself Tootsie, Ging, Miriam, or Vanessa! We have a sure reference that coincides with who MILF officials—also concealed behind a slough of pseudonyms—point to as their spokesperson.

At any rate, we can make do with definite descriptions: “the present spokesperson of the MILF”. Definite descriptions refer to one and only one individual, and some thought that even where it referred to none— such as “the genius who presently Continued on A10

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

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

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

WheN a friend’s son donned his toga hours before he walked up the stage to claim his five-years- in- the- making accountancy diploma, he typed “graduated” on his Facebook wall.

But minutes after he shed his rented robes, he amended his FB status to “unemployed,” probably his way of hanging a “for hire ” sign in social media.

In this tight labor market, “fresh graduate” and “newly unemployed” are synonyms.

Thus, the queues to get diplomas soon move to job fairs, or to the Department of Foreign Affairs to apply for passports, for the remaining proverbial greener pastures lie overseas, some in desert countries where no grass grows.

A generation ago a college diploma was a passport to a sure job.

Scouts roam even campuses of third-tier schools to spot talent. And soon enough job offers, or acceptance, came through the telegram. If it came in bundles, even one who has yet to spend a minute at work has the luxury to be choosy.

But being picky is no longer in the cards for today’s newly-minted graduate. except perhaps for graduates of marquee schools, grabbing a job today is like fighting for a space in a Titanic lifeboat.

And government statistics show how tough the competition is. In the latest job data, one out of five unemployed is a college graduate, and one in eight is an undergrad.

So if there were 2.6 million out of job in January this year, those with a college diploma tucked in their belts, or tacked on the walls of their homes, number about 526,000, the equivalent of what our colleges churned out this year.

But this is a deflated number, due to the way the jobless are officially tallied.

If many claim that the real unemployment rate is the sum of the unemployed and the underemployed, then there could be 1.8 million degree holders foraging for jobs.

If unemployment has a face, it would be young and unwrinkled who have attended college. In that January job data, there were more college graduates (20 percent) than those who completed elementary only (7 percent) .

But please don’t interpret this data as an incentive to drop out of school, and get boxing mitts, because studies show that a college degree has a higher return on investment than bank time deposits or the promised riches at the bottom of Continued on A11 pyramids.

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

M O N D AY : A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

From ‘graduate’ to ‘jobseeker’

The revelation that top officials of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front used pseudonyms when they signed various peace agreements with the government is just the latest example of how the Aquino administration has been piling lie upon lie to build an unstable foundation for peace in Mindanao.

Administration officials have been tripping over themselves to explain that they knew this all along, and that there was nothing wrong with revolutionaries using their noms de guerre to sign legally binding documents, but it seems like some officials did not get the memo.

The presidential adviser on the peace process, Teresita Deles, for example, said she did not know that Mohagher Iqbal, the name used by the MILF chief negotiator, was a pseudonym until he admitted this last week.

This leaves two possibilities: the government’s top peace official was left our of the loop or she was lying. Neither possibility is particularly attractive or reassuring, but given this administration’s aversion for the truth and transparency, the latter seems more likely.

After all, President Benigno Aquino III has led by example, piling lie upon lie on the covert law enforcement operation that he authorized, and that led to the deaths of 44 police commandos at the hands of Muslim rebels, including those from the MILF, which defended the massacre as an act of self defense.

In the aftermath of the debacle, Mr. Aquino tried to play down the fact that he had entrusted the operation to his good friend, then suspended police chief Alan Purisima, who kept the mission so secret that the military was unprepared to provide timely support to the beleaguered police commandos.

The President has since refused to answer 20 questions posed to him by opposition lawmakers, including one particularly disturbing suggestion that the President ordered the military to stand down when the police commandos in Mamasapano called for help, simply because he did not want to jeopardize peace talks with the MILF. The lack of honesty also pervades the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that the President wants Congress to pass, regardless of provisions that clearly violate the Constitution.

Faced with mounting criticism of the flawed document and serious questions about the trustworthiness of his peace partners, the MILF, the President created his own forum on the draft law, calling it the National Peace Summit, and stocked it with personalities and groups that are friendly to his administration and uncritical of his policies.

Mr. Aquino seeks to separate the BBL discussion from the Mamasapano incident because of the public outrage over the killing of 44 police officers. Saying the two are unrelated, however, is yet another fiction that Mr. Aquino would have us swallow.

We cannot build a just and lasting peace on a foundation of lies, but that is exactly what Mr. Aquino, his negotiating team and his minions in Congress would have us do.

It is time we spoke truth to power and said no.

pensées fR. RAnhiLio cALLAngAn Aquino IqBAL has told us that “Iqbal” is a nom de guerre—in less pretentious terms, an alias. I was interviewed no less than thrice through phone-patch on national television, much to the chagrin of those who loathe my opinions (including one perennially dour personality who thinks that whenever I express on opinion

on a matter of law, I am engaged in the unlawful practice of law!).

But it is some kind of a philosophical excursus I am interested in this time. Names, after all, have been of interest to philosophers for a long time now. One has only to think of Boethius’ not-so-easy-to-read “De Divinis Nominibus” (On the Divine Names) and how Thomas Aquinas made use of this work in his own theological treatise.

My neighbor and I are both members of the human species.

In this, we are the same. But it

Aliases are troubling because they give variant answers to the question “who?”.

the platitude “individuality”.

Anthropologists will keep the debate going as to whether austrolopithecus was human or not, just as there seems to be universal agreement that when Cro-Magnon emerged, the human kind started to inhabit the earth. This is not the level that

A9

pAsToR ApoLLo quiboLoy

Lies upon Lies

Names aNd aliases

eDiToR

pLumbLine

[ EDI TORI A L ]

is definitely more than physical features and psychological traits that distinguish us. No matter how identical twins may be, they really are not identical, if one adopts Leibniz’s formula of identity: X and Y are identical if and only if all that can be said of X can be said of Y, and that, definitely, does not hold true of identical twins. They are two different individuals. But that is in fact tautologous, because “individual” is precisely singular. But we intuit this singularity to be more than simply numerical—there is only one of me. There can be only one of me, as there can be only one of your mother-in-law, because of an attribute medieval philosophers called “incommunicability”—what today goes by

ADELLE chuA

makes names relevant. This is the fertile ground of taxonomy, anthropology and philosophy and phenomenology—grasping “the nature” of man-woman!

Nature answers to the question “what”, as when we ask “What is an asymetrical relation?”. Names rather point to that which, in that paradoxical combination of the concrete and the elusive, we call “the individual”. Paradoxical because Scholastics also maintained that because the intellect understands by abstracting—and hence grasping universals—it cannot directly know individuals! Names, on the other hand, answer to the question “who” rather than “what”.

So it is that aliases are troubling because they give variant answers

to the question “who”. Who signed the peace agreement? Who is it that we are talking to? Who is it who has purported to negotiate in behalf of the MILF? Medieval philosophers used the concept of “suppositum”—by which they meant the individuation of the rational nature in an incommunicable and singular existent.

Thinkers with a more positivist bent did not really contradict the Schoolmen.

They distinguished between “sense” and “reference”. even if astronomers should assure us that at certain times of the year,

Standard TODAY Manila

the very same planet is both “evening star” and “morning star”, still “evening star” will mean something other than “morning star”, as evening and morning mean two different phases of day. But because the same planet is involved, the two descriptions would have the same reference. Two senses, one reference. This is the reason that I maintain the legal position that the validity of the agreements that bear the signature “Iqbal” need not be imperiled. After all, the reference is clear—that mustachioed man who calls

527-2057 (Credit and Collection). Fax numbers: 521-8340 (Advertising) 5275550. P.O. Box 2933, Manilaand Central 6406 P.O. Box 2933, Manila Post(Subscription).

Office, Manila.

Website: www.

Central Post Office, Manila. Website:E-mail: www. manilastandardtoday.com manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: mst@ contact@thestandard.com.ph PublishedMonday MondaytotoSunday Sundaybyby Philippine manilastandardtoday.com Published Kamahalan Manila Standard Publishing at 6/F Publishing Corporation at 2 ndInc. Floor PJI canbe beaccessed accessedat: at: Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo Roxas, can Building, Railroad corner 20th de Streets, www.manilastandardtoday.com ONLINE www.manilastandardtoday.com corner PereaManila.

St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. ONLINE Port Area, Telephone numbers MEMBER Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 521-8507 (connecting all departments), MEMBER Philippine Press Institute 832-5558521-5581, (connecting all departments), (Editorial), (Editorial Fax) 521-7381 Philippine Press Institute The National Association (Advertising), 521-8507(Advertising), (MIS) 521-5591 (Editorial), 832-5546, 832The National Association of Philippine Newspapers of Philippine Newspapers (Sales and Distribution/Subscription) and

MST MST

PPI PPI

himself Iqbal, but who could very well also call himself Tootsie, Ging, Miriam, or Vanessa! We have a sure reference that coincides with who MILF officials—also concealed behind a slough of pseudonyms—point to as their spokesperson.

At any rate, we can make do with definite descriptions: “the present spokesperson of the MILF”. Definite descriptions refer to one and only one individual, and some thought that even where it referred to none— such as “the genius who presently Continued on A10

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

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

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

WheN a friend’s son donned his toga hours before he walked up the stage to claim his five-years- in- the- making accountancy diploma, he typed “graduated” on his Facebook wall.

But minutes after he shed his rented robes, he amended his FB status to “unemployed,” probably his way of hanging a “for hire ” sign in social media.

In this tight labor market, “fresh graduate” and “newly unemployed” are synonyms.

Thus, the queues to get diplomas soon move to job fairs, or to the Department of Foreign Affairs to apply for passports, for the remaining proverbial greener pastures lie overseas, some in desert countries where no grass grows.

A generation ago a college diploma was a passport to a sure job.

Scouts roam even campuses of third-tier schools to spot talent. And soon enough job offers, or acceptance, came through the telegram. If it came in bundles, even one who has yet to spend a minute at work has the luxury to be choosy.

But being picky is no longer in the cards for today’s newly-minted graduate. except perhaps for graduates of marquee schools, grabbing a job today is like fighting for a space in a Titanic lifeboat.

And government statistics show how tough the competition is. In the latest job data, one out of five unemployed is a college graduate, and one in eight is an undergrad.

So if there were 2.6 million out of job in January this year, those with a college diploma tucked in their belts, or tacked on the walls of their homes, number about 526,000, the equivalent of what our colleges churned out this year.

But this is a deflated number, due to the way the jobless are officially tallied.

If many claim that the real unemployment rate is the sum of the unemployed and the underemployed, then there could be 1.8 million degree holders foraging for jobs.

If unemployment has a face, it would be young and unwrinkled who have attended college. In that January job data, there were more college graduates (20 percent) than those who completed elementary only (7 percent) .

But please don’t interpret this data as an incentive to drop out of school, and get boxing mitts, because studies show that a college degree has a higher return on investment than bank time deposits or the promised riches at the bottom of Continued on A11 pyramids.

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

A10 NOT HELPLESS AGAINST CHINA AS WE continue to preoccupy ourselves with debates on the Bangsamoro Basic RITA LINDA V. JIMENO Law and who really is responsible for the death of the SAF 44, China has been busy reclaiming the Spratly Islands and building structures on reefs considered by the Philippines as part of its exclusive economic zone under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Filipino fishermen have been driven away by Chinese patrols from their traditional fishing grounds, sometimes by ramming their small boats or aiming water cannons at them. True, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs has made a supplemental submission to the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration protesting China’s unlawful creation of new islands in the South China Sea. Yet, there has been little uproar from the Filipino people. Do they not know or, don’t they care at all?

In Vietnam, the South China Sea dispute has sparked fierce nationalistic protests. The Filipino people know what China has been doing all right but many feel helpless in the thought that their country has no might or muscle to resist China’s bullying and creeping invaMight for might need sion of disputed waters in the South not be the name of the game.

China Sea. In recent satellite photos taken of what China has been doing, Victor Robert Lee, who reports from the Asia Pacific region, wrote that China has done new reclamations on Mischief Reef and Subi Reef and intensive construction on Fiery Cross Reef (Kagitingan Reef) and several other reefs, transforming them into military installations as part of its strategy to solidify its hold on the South China Sea. The bases, Lee reports, will likely serve to constrain the activities of competing military forces in the region because what China has built on the reefs appear more than adequate to support air traffic monitoring and enforcement in the event China were to declare an Air Defense Identification Zone over the South China Sea. The Fiery Cross Reef which is more than 1,000 kilometers from China’s coastline, thus, way too far to be considered part of Chinese waters, is close to becoming a combined naval/air base that can accommodate China’s largest naval vessels and an airstrip long enough for most combat and support aircraft in the People’s Liberation Army, Navy and Air Force, reports Lee. These recent acts of China have alarmed the United States’ President, Barack Obama and a number of US senators. In a letter to the US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Defense Secretary Carter, several prominent US senators said that China’s land reclamation in the Spratlys is causing tension and is a direct challenge not only to the interests of the US government and the region but to the entire international community. The letter added that China’s reclamation is a qualitative change that appears designed to alter the status quo in the South China Sea. The letter further said that a formal strategy should be laid out by the US to stop China’s reclamation activities.

Analysts say China’s “great wall of sand” in the South China Sea is a bid to strengthen its air superiority in the hotly contested region with an unsinkable aircraft carrier for its military planes. China’s creation of an artificial landmass using sand and concrete on top of

OUT OF THE BOX

MONDAY: APRIL 13, 2015

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

LARRY’S LUCK THE length of his cot spans the width of his home. On the front of the house is a sariADELLE sari store run by his CHUA youngest daughter. A few steps away is an assortment of plastic drawers, shoeboxes, and his veteran’s vest on a hanger. On the wall are mounted a flat-screen TV and graduation pictures of children and grandchildren, as well as a faded photo of his wife, who died in 1998. Welcome to Tatang Larry’s world.

Hilario Lascota, World War II veteran, just turned 88 this year and boasts of being as sharp as ever. In fact, he can still remember the pain of the ant bites when Japanese officials tied him and several others to a tree. He reckons he was about 16 then.

That morning at 4 am, he said, the Japanese came to their sleepy town of Umingan, Pangasinan, just near the province’s boundary with Nueva Ecija. All the men were rounded up. A soldier tried to take his chicken. He refused, and so he was shoved and beaten and tied where the ants were. If it were not for the intervention of the town’s chief of police, he would have died there.

What happened instead was that they were hauled to another town and subjected to hard labor. He remembers how they were fed—with pig’s fare. And then for no apparent reason they were released, but had to walk 50 kilometers back to their hometown.

“I only knew how to farm,” he said. “So when I returned to Umingan, there was nothing else to do but join the guerillas.”

He became an errand boy, cook and messenger. When General McArthur arrived to liberate the Philippines, they were given arms. “I did not know to use them but I was an eager learner. We fought with much courage and pride.”

After liberation, Tatang Larry came to Manila to continue his career as a uniformed man. He retired after 20 years, helping his wife with her carinderia business and eventually driving a jeepney for a living. He stopped in 1992 when the daily exposure to smoke affected his eyes. *** Today, Tatang Larry says his life is more comfortable than it ever was. His six remaining children (out of the nine he had) all have families of their own. One has obtained an engineering degree and is now working in Cebu. The other five are close by, living in the same compound where he is, right across the street from the South Triangle barangay hall in Quezon City. “They did not want to pay rent so I chopped up my house and gave everybody a small share.”

CHASING HAPPY

NAMES... From A9 leads this country”—a definite description would still make sense, while names, if naming none, are vacuous!

So why does Iqbal delight in puzzling us by using pseudonyms?

Security reasons, he claims, but while his nephews and grandchildren may nod in solemn agreement, we should not be convinced if we are not to admit a deficit in grey matter! Assassins do not need the names of their victims.

A picture of the target will often be enough. But naming is power.

When I give you my name, I grant you the power to call me and to

He receives a modest but regular pension from the government through the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office.

He uses this to buy maintenance medication and some herbal concoctions. One of his grandchildren, a 17-yearold boy who just finished high school, acts as his bodyguard and caregiver although he says he hardly needs any caring for despite his age. “I had a mild stroke last year but I am fine now, and aside from that I would consider myself healthy.” He gets a headache ang gets dizzy when the weather is hot—but who doesn’t?

“I am lucky. I can call on my family when I need something.”

And given the opportunity to start a small business from the proceeds of the $10,000 benefit given by the Obama administration to WWII veterans, he decided to open a computer shop, now managed by a daughter and a son-inlaw. On a sweltering summer day, the place is packed by the young and not-so-young, playing games and connecting on social media.

The TV set just above his bed is just one of his many forms of entertainment. Early every morning, Tatang Larry takes a jeep to the Quezon Memorial Circle and jogs there. Sometimes, he says with a wink, one or another lady friend accompanies him. *** Tatang Larry is aware that not all veterans like him share his comfortable life. He knows some have yet to receive what is due them. Some have benefits that do not sufficiently cover their medical – and sometimes their families’—needs. Others have no families to be with, in the first place.

One of the roles that Tatang Larry relishes is that of being district commander of his veterans group. Initially, they had a lot of members but now they are down to just over 40. He likes spending time with his fellow veterans, exchanging stories, reliving their days of battle, and advising them on their problems. He also takes it upon himself to counsel them about benefits—especially those who do not know what they are supposed to receive, and whom to bring their concerns to.

He keeps going back to his plea for the current administration to increase their benefits if it were really serious about recognizing the contribution of veterans to the history of our nation. “Parang kinalimutan na kami,” he says.

His wish is that those who promise them higher benefits would make good on their word, and that veterans’ concerns be heard and acted on—not only on the week of April 9, when everybody seems to suddenly remember their valor. adellechua@gmail.com

call on me. It was a supreme exercise of power when Adam, at God’s behest, named all the beasts that had been created. Iqbal does not want to grant us that power!

So while it is that those on the government side have so graciously, if foolishly, bestowed on him the power to name them, he has refused them a reciprocal power.

For our part, why are we so upset that Iqbal tells us now that he has been going by a pseudonym?

Because communication is an attempt to bridge distances, while an alias conceals identity, or at least attempts to. It is not really like Iqbal has sat down at the negotiat-

coral reefs on disputed island chains in the South China Sea has drawn flak from Australians too. They question not only China’s intentions but lament the destruction of coral reefs with dire implications to marine life and the environment. According to Reuters, China has already constructed six artificial islands near the disputed Spratly island chain, including jetties and landing strips.

Can the Filipino people really do nothing? Might for might need not be the name of the game. While we do not have to break the store windows of Chinese mer-

ing table, masked and hooded—or after having gone through cosmetic renovation (although that possibility should not be excluded!). We know how he talks, and we somehow know how he thinks. We know what he looks like and I presume that Ms Deles and Ms. Ferrer know what he smells like. But what really vexes us is that after having received what we thought to be a definitive answer to the question “Who are you, across the table”, we must now be told, with a smirk on his face: Ask again! rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

chants as the Vietnamese have done in their protests, we can boycott products made in China. Our country is 100-million strong. Surely, if we all stopped using products from China, China will feel it. We can use the social media too to express our protest and draw further support from the international community. We only have to start somewhere.

Email: ritalindaj@gmail.com com.ph

Visit: www.jimenolaw.

M O N d aY : a P R I l 1 3 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

adelle chua EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A11

Robots leave behind Chinese woRkeRs by adam Minter These are difficult days to be a factory owner in china. Workers are increasingly scarce, wages are rising, and strikes are breaking out with regularity. factories in southeast asia are now beating china at its own game, attracting investors with the promise of even cheaper labor for low-value assembly work. What’s a factory owner to do? one increasingly popular option is to buy robots, lots of them. But that solution is already raising another uncomfortable question: what to do with the workers they displace? according to the international federation of robotics, an association of academic and business robotics organizations, china bought approximately 56,000 of the 227,000 industrial robots purchased worldwide in 2014—a 54 percent increase on 2013. and in all likelihood, china is just getting started. late last month, the government of guangdong Province, the heart of china’s manufacturing behemoth, announced a three-year program to subsidize the purchase of robots at nearly 2,000 of the province’s—and thus, the world’s—largest manufacturers. guangzhou, the provincial capital, aims to have 80 percent of its factories

FROm ‘gRaDuaTE’ ... From A9 despite the fact that job creation is the function of the economy and which in turn is shaped by government policies, the jobseeker has a role to play . his equity comes in the form of increasing his employability. for those fresh out of college, “unemployed “ should be a temporary status.

What must be avoided is to be permanently unemployable. and the latter can be dodged not by prettifying one’s resume, nor cozying up to some powerful backer. hiring must be on merit, supported by scholastic records, and not on what is scribbled on someone’s stationery.

automated by 2020.

The government’s involvement in this process shouldn’t come as a surprise. The chinese government (nationally, and in guangdong) has long wanted to shift the country’s manufacturing away from lowquality products that are manually assembled and toward higher-value ones— like automobiles, household appliances, and higher-end consumer electronics— that require the precision of automation. and it’s no secret that demographics aren’t on the side of china’s traditional, labor-driven factories. Urbanization, population control policies, and cultural shifts have pushed china’s average birth rate below those in more developed countries like the United states.

Meanwhile, as a result of growing urban affluence, workforce participation rates are in decline, especially among women. Together, these factors are pushing wages upward, with an average annual increase of 12 percent since 2001. That trend offers plenty of incentive to factory owners and government officials to pursue automation. of course, what looks sensible from the perspective of the economic planner’s office is more distressing from the factory floor. in March, caixin, a chinese business magazine, reported that Midea, a major chinese manufacturer

it is impossible to boost up one’s skills in a short time as it is improbable to blend grapes and expect aged wine in a jiffy. There are, however, ways that a graduate can quickly burnish his hireability. and he can bulk up his cv without immediately making a U-turn back to his college. some skills required in the job market are not academic in nature but of the practical variety, like street smarts, the non-graded talent which can give an applicant an edge. so if you don’t know how to drive a car, learn this summer, because your being an honors graduate has no value if the offer from a pharmaceutical giant is to be a sales rep who knows how to drive a car.

#failocracy

of air-conditioners and other appliances, plans to cut 6,000 of its 30,000 workers in 2015 to make way for automation. By 2018, it will cut another 4,000. What will happen to those and the millions of other low skill workers who will be displaced by the shift?

The answers offered so far by companies and government officials haven’t been very reassuring. When foxconn, the contract manufacturer for many apple products, announced in 2011 that it was beginning a three-year program to replace some of its workers with as many as 1 million robots, the company said it was doing so out of a “desire to move workers from more routine tasks to more value-added positions in manufacturing such as r&d.”

But even if those intentions were sincere, foxconn never gave any indication that it would have enough higher-skilled positions to employ every displaced iPhone assembler.

Meanwhile, officials in guangdong Province and their supporters in the chinese media argue that the government-subsidized robotics industry will provide plenty of employment opportunities in robot manufacturing. But even if displaced low-skilled workers can be funneled into those jobs as rapidly as the chinese government suggests, there’s no

Take advantage of the summer break, and cheap airfares, to travel abroad, even if it’s to place a couple of hours hop away. it will expand your perspective, and exposure to new cultures is education itself. if you fret about the tuition for this learning excursion, consider this: it is cheaper than your tuition last semester.

Take internships. even if unpaid, it would be good for as long as the mentorship is excellent. a bonus to this is that it can add wattage to your resume. if you offer unremunerated servitude, be sure it is in a reputable company and not on the neighborhood lotto outlet. expand your iT skills. on this, you can do-it-yourself . learn new programs, like presentation

guarantee that the resulting jobs will pay as well as those they replace. in fact, with so many displaced workers seeking to fill them, they might even pay less, according to a recent study of automation’s impact on labor markets. china’s central government, always keen to avoid the disgruntlement of its working class, has made efforts of its own. it has committed to expanding vocational education so china’s low skill workers won’t get left behind in an automated economy. Beijing also continues to encourage the early stages of economic development of china’s western provinces, including the relocation of lower-value manufacturing to the region. still, it’s easy to see how china’s millions of low-skill workers might still be left with an uncomfortable sense of impending obsolescence —a sense not unknown to their working class counterparts in more developed economies.

Their best hope is the simple fact that china’s economy continues to grow. True, at a projected 7 percent for 2015, the country is not growing as fast as a decade ago. But that should be plenty fast enough for china’s shrinking labor force to find other opportunities, and avoid competing—for now —with china’s inevitable robot workfo rce.

Bloomberg

formats. learn one vocational skill.

These are life survival talents which can come handy in the future or at least make running the rat race a tad comfortable.spend this summer learning to bake a cake, sew a dress, set a formal dinner table, brew coffee or mix drinks. Put the last three in your improving social graces box. do outreach work. volunteer.

Whether it is teaching daycare, planting a tree, joining a homesfor-the-homeless construction gang. it will expand your network. and the psychic income you get buys you happiness. read. if you’re angling for a job, it pays to brush up on related literature . or you can simply shoot the breeze with book

in hand. Trade the glare of your cellphone screen for the weight of the paperback in your hand.

Try a gig that will enhance your communication skills. if there’s an opening in a call center, grab it so you can familiarize yourself with Texan drawl. if going grassroots is your forte, join rural immersions where a lot of interaction is required. if you’ve been a city slicker all your life, take a journey back to your parents’ hometown.connect with the clan you’ve never met. That huge social safety net has been there since.

These are but a few of transitory involvements that will help graduates take their place in the sun. The point is graduation is not the terminus of learning.

chong ardivilla

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A12

sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Spieth stumbles, but stays ahead AUGUSTAt—Jordan Spieth stumbled under the weight of leading the Masters, but salvaged par with a clutch closing 10-foot putt to set a 54-hole record and maintain a four-stroke lead.

The 21-year-old Texan’s dramatic finish to a two-under par 70 third round Saturday at Augusta National gave him a 54-hole Masters record of 16-under 200 and partly eased the sting of a double bogey at 17.

“It was really big. It was huge. It was one of the bigger putts I’ve ever hit,” Spieth said. “I was very frustrated.”

Speith, who settled for second last year in his Masters debut after leading on the front nine on Sunday, made four birdies in five holes to reach 18-under and led by six with two holes to play.

But a poor tee shot led to his

setback at 17 and an approach well right of the green at 18 forced an aggressive chip that Spieth admitted would likely fail four times out of five.

“It was huge just to see one go in after the disappointment there on 17, where I probably should have just hit 3-wood off the tee,” Spieth said.

Spieth, who set a 36-hole Masters record of 14-under 130, lost only one stroke off his halfway lead, but finds 2013 US Open winner Justin Rose alongside him in the final pairing after a closing run of five birdies in six holes

and five-time major winner Phil Mickelson only five shots back after matching Rose with a 67 Saturday.

“They are going to bring their game and I’ve got to have a relatively stress-free round going, I mean give myself some tapin pars and not have to make so many putts,” Spieth said.

“I had to make a lot of putts. I can’t rely on the putter that much to save me with two major champions right behind.”

Spieth made seven birdies Saturday and has made a Masters record 22 birdies in 54 holes, one more than the old mark of Tiger Woods from his 2005 victory. Spieth also eclipsed the old 54-hole low score of 201 shared by Woods in 1997 and Ray Floyd in 1976.

Woods, a 14-time major cham-

pion, and world number one Rory McIlroy, seeking his third major win in a row to complete a career Grand Slam, lurk 10 shots back, but they would need to eclipse the greatest last-day comeback in Masters history, Jack Burke’s 1956 rally of eight strokes, to win.

“It’s about setting a goal and being patient with the opportunities that are going to come my way,” Spieth said.

After his 2014 near miss, Spieth is hungry to don a green jacket.

“Last year definitely left a bad taste in my mouth,” Spieth said.

“I’ve been looking to get back, looking at trying to get some revenge. I’ve got a long way to go still.”

Spieth said the 24-hour wait between the second and third rounds added to his tensions. aFP

Tiger back in groove AUGUSTA—Tiger Woods used superb short-game shotmaking, what had been a major worry only weeks ago, and leaped into the Masters hunt by firing a four-under par 68 in Saturday’s third round.

The 14-time major champion birdied four of the first eight holes at Augusta National and, despite a closing bogey, the fourtime Masters winner finished on six-under 210 after 54 holes in the year’s first major tournament.

Woods was level with world number one Rory McIlroy but 10 shots off the pace of leader Jordan Spieth. aFP

TFC picked as pay-per-view distributor in Middle East

Jordan Spieth of the US celebrates his putt on the 18th hole during Round 3 of the 79th Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. aFP

Provincial Best Toby’s netfest slated of excitement is all set for young tennis players cage clinics set AwhenSUMMeR the 14th Toby’s Sports Wilson Summer Tennis Festival The award-winning Best Center (Basketball efficiency and Scientific Training Center) unveiled its schedule of various provincial clinics, which started Sunday in Imus, Cavite.

From April 12 to May 16, Best Center clinics for students in Levels 1 and 2 will be held at the Lancaster New City in Imus, Cavite from 8 am12 noon. Contact person is Ali Quimado (0925-803-4159).

Zamboanga will have its own clinics from April 13 to 18 at the Ateneo multi-purpose covered court. Students in Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 may contact Pedro Alfaro (0917-7201217), or the Alavar Restaurant (0919-4709954).

The M. enverga covered court in Lucena will also host clinics from Level 1 to 3 at the ground floor of the Pacific Mall. Contact person is Ompong Segura (0927-492-4516).

unfurls on April 20 to 26 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

More than 300 entries are expected to join the annual competition sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association and supported by Toby’s Sports and Wilson, in partnership with Smart, and in cooperation with the Philta, equipe, AQ and Gatorade.

The seven-day tournament will have singles’ ranking for boys’ and girls’ 18-Under, 16-Under, 14-Under, 12-Under age divisions and the 10-Under Unisex category. There will also be a non-ranking or beginner’s tournament for boys’ and girls’ 16-Under and 12-Under.

Doubles’ ranking for boys’ and girls’ 18-Under, 14-Under and 10-Under Unisex class will also be available. each player may enter two categories at the most. entry fee of P300 per player, per category, must be paid at the tournament venue. Players get a free event shirt and a chance to win exciting raffle prizes at the opening ceremonies.

To join, get entry forms at Toby’s Sports outlets, or download the entry form from www.tobys.com or Toby’s Sports Facebook page. Send/ fax the form to the Philta office, Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, at 525-2016, or email tochriscuarto@hotmail.com or philippineten@yahoo.com.ph. entry forms must be submitted on or before April 16 (singles) and April 21 (doubles).

Rose blooms. Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center in Chicago. Rose, who played his third game since coming back from surgery to his right knee, scored 22 points and lifted the Bulls to a 114-107 win. aFP

DUBAI—In a move that reinforces its position as one of the key media players in the payper-view landscape, ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel signed a deal with Las Vegas boxing bigwigs, Mayweather Promotions LLC and Top Rank, Inc., to be the exclusive distributor of the welterweight world championship unification bout on May 2 between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao on all media platforms in the Middle east.

“At a time when we are witnessing one of the busiest pay-per-view calendars in boxing in a long time, to be chosen and trusted as the exclusive distributor of not just any marquee PPV boxing event but the ‘Fight of the Century’ is a milestone that we are truly proud of,” said Kai Rodriguez, ABS-CBN managing director for europe, Middle east and Africa operations.

“This solidifies our commitment to strengthen our live sports entertainment offerings, deliver these on our TFC platforms to one of the largest and most engaged audiences in the region, and expand the reach of our content through signed carriage agreements with industry partners,” Rodriguez added.

ABS-CBN Global COO Raffy Lopez affirmed that TFC will always be instrumental in bringing the biggest sporting events to fans around the world.

“TFC has always been at the ringside of numerous major sporting events in history,” he said. “Since 2006, starting with the Pacquiao-Morales fight, TFC in the Middle east has been bringing the biggest fights of Pacquiao’s legendary career to the homes of Filipinos in the region. Now, as exclusive distributor in the Middle east and viewing destination platform for the Mayweather-Pacquiao event, all boxing fans there will get better than ringside seats as they watch the fight from the comfort of their homes and enjoy world class sports entertainment.” aFP

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A13

sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Agui, Pradera, Orchard share jungolf honors

Trophy and medal winners are joined by the other participants, Jungolf president Luigi Tabuena, Jungolf executive director Jack Imperial and ICTSI deputy executive director Filipina Laurena at the awards ceremony of the recent ICTSI-JGFP Interclub golf tournament at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa, Batangas.

3 Pinoy sports icons give Palaro a boost TWO icons of Philippine sports and a model figure in a sport that has undergone an amazing rebirth in recent years have been tapped to provide inspiration to thousands of young athletes, who will showcase their talent in the biggest single multi-sport competition in the country—the Palarong Pambansa.

Olympians Eric Buhain and Elma Muros Posadas—two of the most bemedalled athletes both on the local and global arena— and football star Yannick Tuason will be on hand to help mold the young athletes in the Palaro.

Davao del Norte is hosting the 2015 edition of the school-based games supported by the Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. or TADECO, Damosa

Land, Davao Packaging Corporation, Davao International Container Terminal, Inc. and Pearl Farm Beach Resort. Competitions will be held from May 3 to 9 at the Davao del Norte Sports Complex in Tagum City.

“They are three of the most inspiring faces in Philippine sports and the Palarong Pambansa is the best platform where their iconic status would boost the dedica-

tion and skills of the student athletes in the Palarong Pambansa,” Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario said.

Buhain is an extremely accomplished swimmer, having named Best Athlete of the 1991 Manila Southeast Asian Games.

He went on to become a former chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission and has remained as an athlete and has embraced the now popular endurance sport of triathlon.

Who would not recognize Muros Posadas, the former long jump queen and hurdles champion also of the Sea Games and like Buhain, a former Athlete of the Year awardee? Muros Posadas has not left the sport she loves most and remains an

accomplished track and field coach.

Tuason, on the other hand, was and is always an Azkal, the moniker of the members of the national men’s football team.

Tuason was on that Azkals’ team that amazingly revived the Filipinos love for football in the 2010 AFC Suzuki Cup. And what do they have in common? Buhain, Muros Posadas and Tuason all kicked off their sports careers in the Palarong Pambansa.

“I can never forget my Palarong Pambansa experience. It was in the Palaro where I got to compete in a big stage, with athletes who were as strong or stronger than I was,” said Buhain, who got into swimming at an early age

Asian stars vie in ICTSI golf meet AT least eight Asian Development Tour leg winners have confirmed participation in the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational with a slew of other ADT campaigners also signing up for the $60,000 event unfolding Wednesday at the Aoki course of the sprawling Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Gen. Trias, Cavite.

Thai Panuwat Muenlek, Malaysians Wilson Choo and Arie Irawan, Scot James Byrne, Americans Brett Munson and James Bowen, Japanese Masaru Takahashi and Mitsuhiko Hashizume headline the field in the 72-hole championship, which kicks off a two-leg ADT swing sponsored

by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. in the country.

The ICTSI, which has backed at

least one ADT since 2012, will also title-sponsor the $60,000 Sherwood Hills Golf and Country Club, also in Cavite on April 22-25.

The local aces kept all three ADT crowns at home last year with Elmer Salvador ruling the ICTSI Riviera Classic at Riviera’s Langer course, Rufino Bayron scoring a breakthrough at ICTSI Orchard Championship and Tony Lascuna finally nailing his first victory on the Asian Tour’s farm circuit at the Aboitiz Invitational at Riviera’s Couples layout.

This time, Lascuna and company will be hard-pressed to keep the ADT crowns at home since the ADT campaigners will be coming into the event in tip-top shape following a six-leg grind on the circuit.

Still, Lascuna, the reigning threetime ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner, remains upbeat of the Filipinos’ chances in the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. “We were able to win all three ADT events last year so I don’t see any reason why we can’t do it again,” said Lascuna. “But it will take a lot of hard work and I hope the other guys will step up.”

Angelo Que, for one, will surely be in the mix after the former three-time Asian Tour winner finally snapped a three-year title spell with a two-shot victory over Miguel Tabuena and Ferdie Aunzo in the ICTSI Manila Masters at Eastridge last month.

POWERHOUSE Aguinaldo, newcomer Pradera Golf Club of Lubao and Orchard claimed division honors in the recent ICTSI-JGFP Interclub golf tournament at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa, Batangas.

Rupert Zaragosa, Luis Castro, Harmie Constantino and Kristoffer Arevalo posted a 36-hole aggregate of 334 to survive a hard-fighting Valley 1 for the centerpiece Division 1 plum, while Josh Jorge, Annyka Cayabyab, Samantha Dizon and Gareth Nolasco to give Pradera the Division 2 crown on its first try with a 299 total.

Siblings Vince and Venice Tiamsic joined hands with Emilio Thelmo to lead Orchard to victory with a 212 total in Division 3 of the event backed mainly by the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Foundation serving as the second leg of the summer tour organized by the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines.

Aguinaldo also won five of 12 individual titles disputed in the event also supported by the Philippine Golf Foundation, Martin Lorenzo, Golf Depot, Inquirer Golf and Mt. Malarayat.

Zaragosa took the boys’ 15-17 years plum; Annika Guangko won the girls’ 15-17; Constantino prevailed in girls’ 13-14; Luis Castro won in boys’ 1314 and Lorenzo Galsim was the boys’ 6-under champion.

Florence Bisera delivered a victory for the Apo Golf Club of Davao by taking the girls’ 11-12 years diadem.

Pradera chalked up three wins through Annyka Cayabyab in girls’ 9-10, Bianca Macatangay in girls’ 7-8 and Josh Jorge, who won for the second straight week in the boys’ 11-12.

The other winners were Venice Tiamsic of Orchard in girls’ 6 under, Vince Tiamsic of Orchard in boys’ 7-8, Sean Granada of Navy in boys’ 9-10.

Action resumes this week with the Mactan Golf Club hosting the Philippine Golf Foundation Junior Masters Visayas leg.

Del Monte will serve as the venue for the PGF Junior Masters Mindanao on April 16 and 17, simultaneous with the Junior World qualifying for the Classes E and F divisions on April 15 to 17 at he Riviera Sports Club.

Dato, the third AOY winner, was not able to take part in the ceremonies. She is competing in a swim meet in Perth, Australia.

University of Santo Tomas was feted after winning a record 40th seniors’ general championship and a 16th juniors’ overall crown.

Outgoing Season 77 president Carmelita Mateo of UE handed the league flag to incoming Season 78 president Dr. Michael Tan of University of the Philippines, who gave an acceptance speech.

The new UAAP season starts Sept. 5 a departure from its traditional late Juneearly July opening due to the change of academic calendar by most of the member schools.

MUNSON

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Frayna wants st to be PH’s 1 female GM

Emotional pressure from family hounds So

By Peter Atencio FILIPINO grandmaster Wesley So bounced back from a chaotic outing last Friday, pulling off a resounding 55-move triumph over reigning champion and GM Gata Kamsky in Round 10 of the 2015 US Open Chess championship in St. Louis, Missouri.

This time, So, who dropped out of Webster University, played nearly flawless, according to analysts, who watched the game at the tournament’s official website.

The victory allowed him to stay at fourth spot.

“I just wanted to get a position, where I can keep on playing, regardless of color. I played an early h6 to get the bishop pair and try to slightly imbalance the position. He probably pushed too hard and made some mistakes starting with 20.h4 I think,” said So in a statement published online.

So, who was nearly distracted by a visit from his mother before the competition, made headway after the strong queen e4 move on the 24th. Kamsky began shaking his head in frustration as So took over the initiative.

In order to get back into the game, Kamsky was forced to give up a pawn, which So grabbed and converted into a victory at endgame.

Meanwhile, Hikaru Nakamura stayed on track for the crown. He played GM Ray Robson to a draw in 30 moves and moved ahead with seven points.

So’s victory came a day after forfeiting his match after the sixth move against GM Varuzhan Akobian.

So wrote personal notes on a separate sheet of paper during their encounter.

According to Chief Arbiter Tony Rich, as reported on the official website, So was writing words of “general encouragement and advice” to himself on a piece of paper below his score sheet. This was forbidden per the laws of FIDE. It was later revealed that So had been given two prior warnings for the infraction in earlier rounds and the incident was So’s third offense.

As reported by Dennis McGrath in the Missouribased Star Tribune, So’s distractions took place following an evening visit by his mother just before the game which threw him off his preparations.

“There are personal problems in my family. Trying to fix them during this tournament caused a lot of

By Peter Atencio

FOR Janelle Frayna, becoming one of this year’s three Athletes of the Year at the end of season 77 in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines is a refreshing experience.

This will give her the confidence she needs to pursue her dream of becoming the the first Filipino female chess grandmaster.

The other AOYs are women’s table tennis player Ian Lariba of La Salle and Ateneo swimmer Hannah Dato.

“I plan to focus on playing chess after college. Talagang nag-eenjoy po ako sa paglalaro ng chess (I really enjoy playing chess). I want to be an elite player,” the 19-year old Frayna said.

Frayna, a psychology junior at Far Eastern University, talked about her plans during Saturday’s awarding rites and Season 77 closing ceremonies at the University of the East Theater in Recto, Manila.

Frayna is already an international master. She left yesterday, along with fellow WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, for Thailand to compete in the week-long Bangkok Open.

She earned her first GM norm in June last year in the 2014 National Chess Championships Finals “Battle of the Grandmasters” in Malate.

She was also a member of the Philippine squad that placed 19th in World Junior Chess Championships in Pune, India last October.

Frayna, who won the top board gold medal in the UAAP, helped the Lady Tamaraws end the four-year reign of the Fronda-led La Salle Lady Archers.

Frayna has an ELO rating of 2277, while Fronda, who won the AOY award last year, has 2123.

The exploits of Filipino GM Wesley So is serving as an inspiration for Frayna.

She avidly follows the games of So, as well as GM Judit Polgar.

Lariba, currently the No. 1 table tennis player in the women’s division, became the second straight La Salle student-athlete after Fronda to snare the AOY honors.

“Table tennis is starting to be recognized and already growing. I hope this is the start of something for the table tennis community,” said Lariba, who won the bronze medal in the ASEAN University Games women’s singles in Palembang, Indonesia last year.

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INVITATION TO BID (ITB-15-015) PURCHASE OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS FOR THE PROPOSED TWO (2) STOREY QUINTIN DE BORJA HEALTH CENTER @ BARANGAY AGUHO, PATEROS, METRO MANILA

( T S - A P R 6 /13 / 2 0 , 2 015 )

INVITATION TO BID IB No. GS-2015- 41 and 42

1.

The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS through the GRANT ASSISTANCE FOR GRASSROOTS HUMAN SECURITY PROJECTS (GGP) EMBASSY OF JAPAN PHILS. intends to apply the sum of THREE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHT PESOS (P3,580,878.00), being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the above mentioned projects. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS now invites bids for the PURCHASE OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS FOR THE PROPOSED TWO (2) STOREY QUINTIN DE BORJA HEALTH CENTER. Delivery of materials is ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150) CALENDAR DAYS on a STAGGERED BASIS upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed.

Bidders should have completed, within TWO (2) years prior to 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.

3.

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”.

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 Medical Equipment for use of Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital

39,968,000.00

Php 25,000.00

Trust Fund (HFEP)

22,517,001.00

Php 25,000.00

Trust Fund

2. Supply & delivery of Construction Materials and Supplies for use in the Construction of Philhealth Ward Phase I at Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital, Sta. Isabel, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro

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.

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 13, 2015 April 13, 2015 April 13, 2015 April 13, 2015 April 17-May 05, 2015 April 23, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at BAC Office May 05, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. at BAC Office May 05, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at BAC Office May 05, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at BAC Office

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/ fail criterion as specified in R.A. 9184 and its IRR otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from BAC OFFICE, Mezzanine, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from April 01-16, 2015 from 8:00 to 5:00 p.m.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P5,000.00) on April 01-16, 2015 from 8:00-5:00 p.m.

6.

Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled on April 16, 2015, 2:00 p.m. at the Conference Room, 3rd floor, Municipal Hall.

7.

All bids should be place on the BID BOX located at the CONFERENCE ROOM, 3/F, MUNICIPAL HALL, PATEROS, METRO MANILA on April 28, 2015, 1:30p.m. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in the form of CASH OR MANAGER’S CHECK PAYABLE TO : MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS and in the amount stated in ITB Clause.

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.

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. Bids shall be opened on April 28, 2015 @ 2:00P.M.. at the Conference Room, 3/F, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila.

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:

8.

The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS THRU BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC) 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.

9.

For further information, please refer to: ARLENE P. ORTIZ Head, BAC Secretariat Pateros, Metro Manila Telefax: 641-7195 e-mail: arlene@pateros.gov.ph, March 30, 2015

MR. JULIO R. ICAL Head, BAC Secretariat Provincial Capitol, Camilmil, Calapan City Tel. Nos. (043) 286-7120 (043) 286-7447 SGD. ENGR. ELMER V. DILAY Provincial Engineering BAC Chairman (TS-APR. 13, 2015)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

stress and tension. It diverted a lot of energy from the board when I should be focusing on my game,” said So in the report.

So said he had written a reminder to double-check and triple-check variations. He said it’s something he’s done before, including in this tournament. The arbiter said he had warned So twice earlier that the notes were against the rules and that a subsequent violation would result in a forfeit.

As the shock over the forfeit reverberated at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis, the Minnetonka residence, where So lives, said it was time to explain publicly what has been behind his poor performance in the event.

It was revealed that retired Filipina actress Lotis Key and her husband, Renato Kabigting, took 21-year-old So into their home last October.

This was after So decided to drop out of Webster University in suburban St. Louis, where he had a chess scholarship.

His decision to drop out of school came after he won the $100,000 first prize at the inaugural Millionaire Chess Open. He wanted to pursue a chess career full time. Turm to A13

Municipality of Pateros OFFICE OF THE MAYOR BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE Metropolitan Manila

(SG D.) M A . I N ES BO R RO M EO Corporate Secretar y

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

So

(TS-APR. 13, 2015)

ADELIO T. DOMINGO (Sgd).

Chairman Bids and Awards Committee

M O N DAY : A P RI L 1 3 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Mayweather’s tactic: Hit without getting hit

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

UNDEFEATED pound-for-pound No. 1 and World Boxing Council/ World Boxing Association welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will stick to his maxim of “hit without being hit,” when he battles eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao in “The Battle for Greatness” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 3 (Manila time).

“Floyd achieves harmony through a tight defense offering few loopholes where the biggest virtues is counter attacking,” the WBC said.

Mayweather recalled that he’s been in the ring “with fighters who are bigger and stronger than me, but I have defeated them all, not with my speed or power, but with intelligence.”

The man, who refers to himself as “Money,” has stated “when the chips are down, most of Floyd’s rivals have been on the lookout for the KO. But Floyd, with his unusual yet highly effective guard and thanks to his speed plus attuned reflexes has markedly shown them that he’s capable of adapting to or adopting to all kinds of styles in order to command ultimate victory.”

The WBC website noted that Mayweather fought and defeated great fighters, including Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar de la Hoya and many others and will get into the ring at the MGM Grand of Las Vegas on May 2 to fight Philippine sensation Manny Pacquiao in what’s acknowledged and lauded as the most anticipated bout in many years.

The WBC pointed out that Pacquiao, with a southpaw stance, has an aggressive style, which is very complicated for most of his rivals as he is capable of throwing accurate, strong punches from all angles.

Wild... From A16

Army’s Rachel Ann Daquis goes for a power tip against PLDT’s Alyssa Valdez during their Shakey’s V-League Open Conference duel at The Arena.

Mayweather, who also has been driving himself like never before, has cut back on his sparring.

MLive boxing writer David Mayo, who is from Michigan and a friend of Mayweather, said that while Floyd has southpaw sparring partners in his Las Vegas gym, they have no fighters who could emulate Pacquiao.

Mayo pointed out that while Mayweather has fought a number of lefties from 2004 to 2006, with two of them, former champions Zab Judah and Demarcus Corley now serving as sparring partners, he believes that without them pushing him in fights, he wouldn’t be where he is right now.

Mayo conceded that Pacquiao “might hope to create some early confusion and is undoubtedly the most talented left-hander Mayweather has faced, but he isn’t the first to try.”

Mayweather faced a number of southpaws during his amateur days and eight more professionals, with three of his first nine pro bouts against southpaws resulting in knockouts.

PLDT Ultera outduels Army spikers Games tomorrow 2 p.m. – Navy vs Army 4 p.m. – PLDT vs Coast Guard PLDT Home Ultera outdueled defending champion Army in a back-and-forth third set thriller and completed a 25-16, 25-23, 28-26 victory to gain a share of the lead with Cagayan Valley in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan City yesterday.

Jaja Santiago scored on a block and former MVP Suzanne Roces blasted in a side smash off Rachel Ann Daquis, ending a wild, wooly third set and giving the Ultra Fast Hitters their second straight win and a shared view of the top of the eight-team field in the season-opening tournament of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.

Army, which played without top hitter and former league MVP Jovelyn Gonzaga, fell to 1-1 in a tie with Navy.

The straight-set romp didn’t reflect the manner by which the Ultra Fast Hitters slugged it out with the equally-talented Lady Troopers – spike-

for-spike, block-for-block, dig-for-dig, only they proved steadier in the end of a highly-electrifying match watched by 2,734 fans at the venue and thousands more at homes over GMA News TV Channel 11 which aired the highly-anticipated match live.

PLDT did top Army in the scoring skills, 3933 (spikes), 8-5 (blocks) and 10-4 (serves) but save for the opening frame, the Lady Troopers kept coming back but lost steam and poise in the end of each of the next two sets to the chagrin of the huge number of volley fans who had braced for a long drawn battle between the league’s two top teams.

Alyssa Valdez played true to form, upfront or at back row, finishing with 19 hits, including four on attacks, while Roces and Santiago chipped in 10 points apiece for the Ultra Fast Hitters, who also drew a combined 18-point game from Elaine Kasilag, Charo Soriano, Gretchel Soltones and Rubie de Leon.

PLDT coach Roger Gorayeb also sprang a surprise in Kasilag, who delivered key hits in the last two sets, including a set-clinching serve in the

second frame that hit the net but dropped into the other side.

The 20-year-old Kasilag, one of the most sought-after rookies during the off-season, has vied in both indoor and beach volley meets for the University of Perpetual Help-Laguna and has represented the country in the AVC Beach Volley Continental Cup Zonal Qualifiers last year.

She debuted for PLDT with seven hits in the team’s 25-10, 25-16, 25-21 victory over Baguio in last week’s opener of the event presented by PLDT Home Ultera and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

Army, who beat Cagayan Valley to rule this conference last year, struggled in the absence of Gonzaga, who was out with a right ankle sprain. But the Lady Troopers still fought it out behind Daquis (9 hits), Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Mary Jean Balse, Nerissa Bautista and setter Tina Salak, who each scored seven markers.

They actually led 21-19 in the second set but Jaja Santiago scored on kill and Army committed an error before Valdez and Kasilag scored two straight hits to give PLDT a 23-21 cushion.

Petron eyes 6th triumph Games Today 1:30 p.m. Cignal vs Shopinas 4:15 p.m. Mane ‘N Tail vs Foton 6:15 p.m. Philips Gold vs Petron

PETRON tries to sustain its blazing streak in the secondround elimination phase of the 2015 Philippine Superliga women’s volleyball tournament AllFilipino Conference starts with an explosive triple-header today at the Cuneta Astrodome.

After sweeping the first round, the Blaze Spikers collide with Philips Gold at 6:15 p.m., right after the 4:15 p.m. encounter between Mane ‘N Tail and Foton, and the 1:30 p.m. battle between Cignal and Shopinas in this inter-club tourney organized

by Sports Core and backed by Asics, Mikasa, Senoh, Mueller Sports Medicine, Via Mare, LGR and Healthway Medical.

The Blaze Spikers remain on top of the team standings with a 5-0 win-loss slate while Foton is running second with a 3-2 card followed by Shopinas (2-2), Philips Gold (2-3), Cignal (1-3) and Mane ‘N Tail (1-4).

Cop rules DZMM run

PHILIPPINE National Police’s Dandelion Bumahit was named the top finisher of the 21k category in the DZMM Takbo 2015 Sunday at the Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Bumahit, who called for justice for the 44 members of the Special Action Force, who died during a clash in Maguindanao, dominated all the other participants in the category with a time of one hour, 23 minutes, and 31 seconds (01:23:31).

He, along with his two colleagues, including a SAF member, wore singlets that said “I’m running for justice for SAF.” The singlets were the key element in the fun run that encouraged participants to push for their causes by putting them on as statements.

The event, which drew a total of 2,700 runners, aims to help DZMM’s 75 scholars continue their elementary education, an activity that the station has done for five years since 2011.

Bumahit was awarded a medal in the post-race program along with

the top runners in the category. The top six finishers in the 3k, 5k, and 10k categories were also recognized on-stage.

The run was also joined by various ABS-CBN personalities, such as Kuya Kim Atienza, Matteo Guidicelli, JM de Guzman, Jessy Mendiola, Karylle, and DZMM anchors Jasmin Romero, Gretchen Fullido, Marisciel Yao, Atty.

Claire Castro, Cory Quirino, and Ahwel Paz and Winnie Cordero, who both hosted the post-race program.

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-0

P16M

3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK M O N DAY : A P RI L 1 3 , 2 0 1 5

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Castro

proves why he’s one of Asia’s best

Turn to A15

Wild Card locked; Team Pacquiao’s lips sealed

By Ronnie Nathanielsz IN AN unusual twist unlike the past fights, the Wild Card Gym of trainer Freddie Roach is locked down and the lips of Team Pacquiao’s members are sealed.

ABS-CBN’s Dyan Castillejo told the Standard/boxingmirror. com that Pacquiao again skipped sparring on Saturday after his usual morning run at the Pan Pacific Park, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.

Pacquiao went to the gym, but only worked on the punch-mitts and a few of the other routine exercises.

Castillejo reported that Pacquiao, Roach and even Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who was at the gym, declined to give interviews.

The speculation is that Pacquiao may have over-trained and is feeling the burnout factor, which Roach had warned about and there is a deliberate effort to hold Pacquiao back.

The Standard and boxingmirror.com also received word that even

Turn to A15

By Jeric Lopez

TWO years ago in the FIBA Asia Championship, Jayson Castro was acknowledged the best point guard in the continent after he was named to the tournament’s Mythical Five.

Two years later, he continues to show everyone why.

The spitfire’s star continues to shine bright, showing his worth by carrying Talk ‘N Text back to the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup championship after a scintillating semifinal showcase. The Tropang Texters dethroned defending champion Purefoods, 3-1, in their best-of-three duel.

Castro has been nothing short of sensational this conference and Talk ‘N Text coach Jong Uichico said he could not emphasize enough the wonderful play of his prized ward. ‘’He’s (Castro) evolved into a goto guy. He is a good passer and he just makes things easier for us. He always gives the other teams lots of problems. He really lifted us,’’ said Uichico of the prolific guard’s

continued dominance. ‘’Jayson is Jayson. He’s not only a good scorer, but he creates very well for his teammates and leads his team.”

Longtime Talk ‘N Text leader and clutch performer Jimmy Alapag, now the team’s manager after retiring prior to the start of the conference, isn’t surprised at all at how Castro carries the Texters on his shoulders. ‘’He’s always got it. He’s got the skills, the talent and the leadership to lead the team. It’s his team and he’s showing everyone why and how good he is,’’ said Alapag.

Castro averaged 25 points per game in the semifinals and exploded for a career-high tying 33 points, 13 in a decisive fourth-quarter storm, last Saturday in Game 4 as he almost single-handedly carried the Tropang

Texters to victory and all the way to the finals.

He is a strong candidate for the Best Player of the Conference award, as well with the way he’s been spearheading the Tropang Texters.

The other player battling Castro for that award is Rain or Shine superstar Paul Lee. As Talk ‘N Text looks ahead to face the Elasto Painters in a muchanticipated best-of-seven finals war, everyone already looks forward to that obvious explosive match-up ahead of two of the league’s finest stars in Castro and Lee. Only two more days remain before that huge showdown for the championship starts.

Game 1 of the finals is scheduled on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

SPIETH STUMBLES, BUT STAYS AHEAD

EMOTIONAL PRESSURE FROM FAMILY HOUNDS SO

TURN TO A12

TURN TO A14

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK MONDAY: APRIL 13, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

B1

PSALM woes to hike rates

By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER rates are expected to go up as consumers will have to shoulder the P227.4-billion funding shortfall of Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., which manages the country’s energy assets.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

PSALM president Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. earlier said given the agency’s P698.9-billion outstanding financial obligations and P471.5 billion in privatization receivables, the company had a funding shortfall of P227.4 billion.

“PSALM shall file the annual true-up adjustments for both universal charge for stranded contract costs and universal charge for stranded debt. But we have yet to determine the figures upon approval of PSALM’s 2014 financial statements,” Ledesma said.

PSALM’s filing for adjustments is expected to increase power rates under the universal charge component of the power bill of consumers.

Ledesma said the adjustment is allowed under the guidelines of the Energy Regulatory Commission. Any filing for universal charge recovery should be approved by the regulator.

PSALM said the government’s privatization program had helped reduce the financial obligations it assumed from National Power Corp.

by 42 percent to P698.9 billion as of end-2014 from P1.2 trillion as of end-December 2000.

“Broken down, the figure consists of principal amount of P830.7 billion as of 2000, and interest amounting to P373 billion. PSALM has reduced the principal by 30 percent [P248.5 billion] to P582.2 billion and likewise decreased the interest payable by 69 percent [P256.3 billion]. The remaining interest until the debt maturity still amounts to about P116.7 billion,” Ledesma said.

MONDAY: APRIL 13, 2015

B2

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

MST BuSineSS Weekly STockS RevieW STOCKS

APRIL 6-10,2015 Volume Value

Close

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl Reinsurance Corp.

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

7 71 119.80 106.00 46.6 2.33 2.17 10.16 16.5 24.4 9.80 0.72 1.79 765.00 0.440 99.6 0.98 18.30 31.00 78.00 94.90 336 45.1 176.9 1330.00 69.40 3.08

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

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

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

Lafarge Rep Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Corp.

Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas Holdings San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

45 1.65 1.1 1.98 12.36 48.4 87.00 19.5 200 34.3 59.7 1.81 12.66 18.800 11.48 8.37 9.94 2.11 23.4 29.55 99 15.20 0.4700 14.30 6.3 0.600 217.00 9.26 33.55 2.65 3.61 26.5 26 7.830 262.00 3.88 4.12 9.79 5.15 11.66 4.05 2.55 3.15 4.86 6.5 203 1.7 0.171 1.38 2.23 222.2 4.54 0.7 1.49

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ Asia Amalgamated A ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings Filinvest Dev. Corp.

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

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Minerales Industrias Corp.

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

0.470 58.10 27.10 1.39 7.05 1.90 0.28 0.29 800.5 8.77 15.76 4.55 0.330 1336 6.15 74.30 6 8.76 0.79 16.68 0.66 4.72 5.15 0.0410 1.370 0.780 2.44 67.70 2.93 970.00 1.20 0.91 263.20 102.00 0.4000 0.2340 0.330

8990 HLDG Anchor Land Holdings Inc.

8.740 10.90

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FINANCIAL 1,854,030.00 4,145,369.00 1,635,108,515.00 680,444,786.00 36,914,380.00 253,430.00 929,650.00 15,038.00 2,208,500.00 119,596,480.00 1,264,036 66,960 164,720.00 83,940.00 149,450.00 1,586,827,183.00 1,438,580.00 1,928,950.00 831,050.00 169,954,847.00 495,008.00 13,005,820.00 179,157,085.00 738,553,235.00 855,820.00 9,953,372.00 334,750.00 INDUSTRIAL 7,615,400 342,342,425.00 39,000 64,950.00 3,234,000 3,443,970.00 30,742,000 62,441,840.00 254,600 3,133,488.00 57,610 2,885,708.00 820 71,361.00 2,668,800 52,940,045.00 9,930 2,263,818.00 1,276,200 42,155,230.00 2,333,810 144,741,457.00 360,000 648,500.00 881,700 10,740,342.00 46,451,400 885,342,358.00 10,669,200 123,590,916.00 114,359,000 947,704,287.00 4,590,600 44,843,135.00 2,583,000 6,403,900.00 1,572,400 32,927,747.00 14,413,700 436,071,605.00 1,462,670 143,808,542.00 31,400 469,240.00 430,000 197,750.00 99,300 1,431,648.00 5,223,300 32,960,642.00 4,030,000 2,419,680.00 2,842,570 624,195,636.00 3,869,400 35,972,159.00 7,200 243,550.00 142,900 407,620.00 202,000 673,710.00 2,799,200 75,089,160.00 6,537,000 168,508,515.00 531,900 4,162,680.00 2,008,070 530,317,970.00 2,632,000 11,287,330.00 657,000 2,680,440.00 5,922,300 58,049,748.00 500 2,575.00 98,500 1,135,248.00 2,327,000 6,334,132.00 3,146,000 8,038,760.00 10,673,000 35,922,650.00 6,625,900 32,620,393.00 55,100 346,262.00 162,810 33,368,782.00 1,311,000 2,187,020.00 15,700,000 2,682,180.00 150,000 195,660.00 6,315,000 14,067,540.00 7,819,190 1,766,662,882.00 179,000 807,290.00 3,961,000 2,769,240.00 10,568,000 15,334,740.00 HOLDING FIRMS 770,000 356,800.00 4,587,880 265,922,849.00 38,348,800 1,045,112,635.00 2,362,000 3,191,210.00 193,000 1,367,186.00 474,000 932,930.00 9,105,000 12,172,790.00 1,279,000 2,455,670.00 1,949,020 1,559,883,980.00 16,582,200 145,222,044.00 17,264,400 269,419,482.00 142,000 639,310.00 4,700,000 1,526,400.00 749,275 1,009,762,200.00 664,300 4,118,595.00 11,796,240 878,028,726.00 8,000 46,180.00 7,818,300 68,387,879.00 9,833,000 7,948,370.00 11,726,500 196,078,258.00 1,558,000 1,003,260.00 171,686,000 810,641,210.00 247,600 1,259,340.00 4,400,000 176,400.00 7,000 9,590.00 22,234,000 17,139,220.00 255,000 623,570.00 1,241,240 83,882,779.00 15,000 42,980.00 2,038,450 1,938,065,370.00 769,000 922,890.00 233,000 214,390.00 280 73,702.00 9,110 920,476.00 34,740,000 14,157,600.00 6,950,000 1,648,740.00 8,970,000 2,830,450.00 PROPERTY 6,594,600 57,372,387.00 40,100 443,046.00 263,000 58,630 13,657,060 6,602,310 800,800 109,000 424,000 1,500 133,700 4,875,500 136,900 93,000 96,000 110 340,000 16,020,300 1,466,000 105,000 26,800 2,228,760 5,250 39,550 3,964,200 4,173,780 630 144,010 108,000

MARCH 30-APRIL 1,2015 Volume Value

7.2 71 123.00 102.40 46.5 2.33 2.25 10 16.6 24.7 8.88 0.8 1.69 728.00 0.440 99 1.11 18.50 31.00 77.05 95.50 317 45.3 173 1386.00 69.15 3.1

2,367,155 53,420 8,989,820 4,521,550 170,800 118,000 249,000 200 392,000 579,400 114,400 110,000 7,000 10 760,000 15,430,370 2,624,000 540,000 1,000 1,989,450 1,540 3,130 1,539,200 2,760,090 505 56,500 77,000

3,076,919.00 3,743,082.00 1,108,381,066.00 459,519,198.00 7,947,145.00 272,410.00 544,040.00 2,000.00 6,473,462.00 14,308,420.00 1,010,192 88,000 11,830.00 7,280.00 324,750.00 1,516,374,018.00 2,887,520.00 9,947,546.00 31,000.00 154,215,150.00 149,480.00 998,638.00 69,915,725.00 473,779,013.00 706,310.00 3,907,394.00 238,210.00

44.75 1.69 1.1 2.06 12.08 48.8 86.05 20

6,093,800 52,000 952,000 42,021,000 395,400 1,000 4,860 2,237,300

271,177,265.00 90,320.00 1,026,410.00 89,729,890.00 4,782,196.00 48,800.00 467,969.00 44,693,877.00

31 63.3 1.78 11.84 20.350 11.50 8.29 9.93 2.45 21 30.95 95.25 14.98 0.4700 14.50 6.57 0.620 222.40 9.23 35.00 2.53

6,622,300 578,700 346,000 284,400 4,403,500 9,277,400 100,445,000 3,125,600 3,462,000 1,494,500 13,548,100 1,383,490 18,300 290,000 20,100 2,031,500 566,000 3,973,210 2,723,700 3,900 301,000

199,252,500.00 36,773,544.00 616,060.00 3,306,214.00 89,136,360.00 108,367,268.00 859,723,390.00 31,476,367.00 8,651,110.00 32,140,279.00 413,677,850.00 133,835,004.00 274,170.00 134,000.00 291,568.00 13,363,156.00 353,920.00 876,803,566.00 25,612,173.00 143,160.00 777,310.00

27.1 26.85 8.130 264.00 4.16 4.18 9.90 5.25 11.60 4.13 2.60 3.75 5.15 6.5 208.6 1.68 0.175 1.31 2.22 226 4.6 0.69 1.48

4,504,900 4,011,600 2,326,400 1,370,840 34,000 21,106,000 3,328,200 5,100 348,200 3,757,000 7,098,000 24,979,000 1,897,800 78,600 53,740 472,000 32,660,000 614,000 5,890,000 7,903,380 103,000 457,000 271,000

122,064,035.00 108,787,025.00 18,372,453.00 368,063,577.00 142,080.00 86,532,820.00 32,807,956.00 25,098.00 4,004,868.00 15,576,200.00 6,750,581.00 92,749,930.00 9,961,968.00 516,231.00 11,147,792.00 789,810.00 5,671,560.00 892,790.00 12,970,620.00 1,773,940,082.00 464,250.00 315,960.00 399,990.00

0.470 57.50 27.00 1.40 7.00 1.92 2.87 2.82 799 8.79 15.44 4.50 0.320 1380 6.30 72.50

1,591,000 7,293,290 28,993,400 605,000 31,900 300,000 933,000 36,000 2,481,560 11,332,800 24,107,800 65,000 7,920,000 422,060 64,100 10,158,260

863,300.00 421,474,509.00 774,800,605.00 857,000.00 223,857.00 530,010.00 2,639,810.00 101,580.00 1,974,708,210.00 101,459,575.00 371,965,000.00 292,570.00 2,513,200.00 567,783,255.00 402,010.00 733,180,903.00

8.38 0.78 16.32 0.63 4.85 5.2 0.0400

4,719,590 4,021,000 7,508,400 2,654,000 70,083,000 309,600 3,600,000

48,907,205.00 3,108,110.00 122,789,328.00 1,679,710.00 341,302,250.00 1,598,037.00 145,000.00

0.750 2.48 67.00 2.95 905.00 1.21 0.93 263.20 103.00 0.4150 0.2430 0.330

2,776,300 5,000 1,044,790 20,000 732,640 57,000 402,000 30 14,040 66,550,000 3,960,000 86,000

2,117,600.00 12,400.00 70,573,228.00 58,850.00 662,964,055.00 68,880.00 374,610.00 7,896.00 1,464,828.00 24,502,250.00 948,930.00 155,600.00

8.410

8,180,900

71,611,773.00

STOCKS

Close

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

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Cebu Prop. `A’ Cebu Prop. `B’ Centennial City City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

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

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

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

0.90 1.310 0.245 40.75 4.28 5.24 6.49 6.49 0.94 1.21 1.01 0.156 0.470 0.880 0.195 1.57 1.93 1.47 5.88 0.134 0.3550 0.5100 7.86 28.75 1.79 3.24 20.65 0.82 7.6 1.050 8.100

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

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

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

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons Retail SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

6.8 61.9 1.02 0.700 14.06 11.80 0.1170 3.7 87.3 10.06 1.68 7.00 990 2200 6.50 1.56 111 7.25 24 11.98 0.015 0.238 1.2400 2.86 8.88 2.08 1.35 2.10 3.10 0.700 1.99 10.4 0.355 0.480 18.3 4.53 3.1 9 108.50 14.08 2972.00 0.600 1.670 40.95 84.25 10.28 0.68 2 6.68 0.350 1.380

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.0057 2.72 8.61 11.00 0.255 6.9000 6.9800 1.11 0.92 8.24 2.09 0.380 0.244 0.245 0.0140 0.0140 4.66 23.25 3.72 0.7300 2.070 0.0130 0.0140 5.70 6.92 2.06 0.016 166.20 4.1 0.0110

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `A’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure & Resort Pref.

MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C Swift Pref

62.9 515 515 523 115.5 508 6.39 1.07 108.8 1080 1105 1046 75.95 80.55 84.75 4.05

APRIL 6-10,2015 Volume Value 11,988,000 11,430,130.00 103,000 134,970.00 1,690,000 410,450.00 52,106,000 2,091,192,575.00 17,295,000 73,605,690.00 1,521,900 6,575,344.00 1,300 8,437.00 2,500 16,205.00 6,960,000 6,542,570.00 90,000 109,100.00 165,000 166,290.00 41,710,000 6,240,950.00 1,990,000 912,300.00 1,293,000 1,147,780.00 3,020,000 598,440.00 14,678,000 22,332,890.00 119,307,000 230,048,710.00 1,684,000 2,430,960.00 164,817,700 955,770,769.00 75,663,800 8,933,353.00 3,640,000 1,263,500.00 853,000 432,410.00 927,900 7,263,857.00 7,300,600 216,590,230.00 5,423,000 9,795,410.00 195,000 649,700.00 50,808,800 1,050,360,870.00 4,137,000 3,920,290.00 33,668,100 252,945,996.00 896,000 957,160.00 39,210,000 320,799,096.00 SERVICES 1,049,800 7,095,173.00 146,080 8,962,503.00 310,000 448,830.00 4,346,000 3,002,560.00 292,700 4,099,248.00 91,841,900 1,053,929,008.00 257,400,000 30,261,830.00 587,000 2,194,110.00 3,785,430 326,394,190.00 14,900 149,602.00 700,000 1,176,000 1,193,300 8,150,029.00 2,120 2,081,910.00 448,575 982,053,680.00 836,500 5,468,298.00 576,000 887,260.00 4,920,760 536,826,436.00 8,100 56,390 600 14,250 46,400 551,318.00 41,800,000 586,200.00 19,920,000 4,726,280.00 773,000 957,990.00 222,000 616,670.00 12,611,400 108,778,870.00 182,000 371,770.00 81,000 109,480.00 38,000 79,430.00 10,000 46,220.00 896,000 617,950.00 89,000 172,530.00 26,696,100 273,652,431.00 1,090,000 391,300.00 185,000 88,180.00 238,500 4,260,982.00 77,000 344,460 128,000 391,360.00 505,800 4,552,992.00 5,110 166,782.00 1,954,300 26,865,115.00 558,065 1,642,008,730.00 7,567,000 4,573,040.00 120,267,000 880,414,420.00 6,509,400 268,592,210.00 4,480,970 378,139,656.00 25,388,200 255,512,225.00 3,294,000 2,255,000.00 38,000 75,640.00 9,089,500 60,013,948.00 2,950,000 1,014,300.00 56,000 74,380.00 MINING & OIL 2,210,000,000 12,558,800.00 5,348,600 22,182,190.00 723,900 6,297,379.00 9,000 94,882.00 3,870,000 991,250.00 223,600 1,510,598.00 208,000 1,451,850.00 3,434,000 3,755,400.00 2,681,000 2,460,380.00 205,900 1,658,692.00 128,267,000 278,016,870.00 13,140,000 4,972,150.00 38,330,000 9,027,810.00 11,250,000 2,755,060.00 188,500,000 2,640,700.00 88,500,000 1,309,300.00 3,875,000 18,799,580.00 28,675,500 652,057,740.00 39,824,000 157,016,690.00 1,398,000 1,026,540.00 5,629,000 12,154,180.00 174,200,000 2,149,900.00 86,000,000 1,164,000.00 190,800 1,063,376.00 5,162,100 37,170,521.00 1,860,000 4,288,260.00 210,900,000 3,185,400.00 1,733,330 290,193,092.00 424,000 1,752,620.00 2,792,400,000 27,951,600.00 PREFERRED 550,410 34,281,060.00 8,550 4,360,750.00 3,480 1,778,550.00 8,000 4,184,000 32,000 3,702,535.00 12,110 6,141,850.00 117,100 747,836.00 1,101,000 1,178,070 41,030 4,470,670.00 350 378,000.00 530 584,100.00 82,610 86,408,840.00 580,100 44,043,990.00 25,300 2,080,572.00 213,660 18,122,233.00 130,000 379,310.00 WARRANTS & BONDS 2,995,000 12,245,830.00 16,000 77,530.00 SME 5,061,400 43,904,640.00 86,000 421,570.00 69,970 5,143,137.00 11,313,000 109,258,593.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 324,070 42,642,999.00

Close

MARCH 30-APRIL 1,2015 Volume Value

0.94 1.320 0.245 40.00 4.22 5.1 6.2 6.2 0.95 1.22 1.01 0.150 0.455 0.890 0.207 1.45 1.82 1.48 5.5 0.123 0.3550 0.4900 7.88 30.10 1.76 3.28 20.10 0.81 7.41 1.090 8.420

3,019,000 667,000 7,160,000 48,305,000 18,338,000 911,500 7,300 1,000 13,215,000 26,000 173,000 45,050,000 2,810,000 324,000 130,000 6,890,000 23,632,000 975,000 36,775,300 9,080,000 1,640,000 1,135,700 7,329,300 15,777,400 500,000 143,000 38,296,900 9,184,000 40,784,800 266,000 46,568,300

2,792,280.00 870,090.00 1,925,400.00 1,874,747,040.00 77,467,710.00 4,688,077.00 45,330.00 6,200.00 12,446,250.00 31,550.00 174,730.00 6,731,080.00 1,264,300.00 288,360.00 26,080.00 10,013,800.00 42,619,990.00 1,404,110.00 204,320,133.00 1,086,500.00 553,500.00 681,590.00 58,049,816.00 485,944,870.00 878,710.00 456,250.00 768,983,598.00 7,583,520.00 301,822,344.00 282,420.00 381,855,010.00

7 61.5 1.12 0.690 14 10.68 0.1140 3.77 85.5 10.02 1.84 6.95 980 2062 6.71 1.54 110 6.51

2,840,700 92,500 164,000 1,648,000 27,200 22,056,500 113,350,000 1,084,000 2,014,060 100 937,000 273,000 505 278,835 615,400 308,000 4,463,030 15,100

19,571,004.00 5,733,533.00 186,260.00 1,126,820.00 380,860.00 231,589,666.00 12,970,830.00 4,164,040.00 172,169,700.00 1,002.00 1,591,040 1,900,135.00 504,100.00 573,187,830.00 4,090,414.00 473,070.00 490,551,533.00 98,301

0.014 0.242 1.2200 3 8.50 2.10 1.41 2.20

27,800,000 69,830,000 1,223,000 1,349,000 2,935,500 442,000 30,000 66,000

389,500.00 16,367,990.00 1,511,640.00 3,936,280.00 25,480,096.00 872,230.00 42,000.00 145,850.00

0.690 1.85 9.44 0.360 0.495 18.38 4.50 3.04 9.2 110.00 13.56 2840.00 0.590 1.560 41.40 84.50 10.20 0.70 1.87 6.46 0.350 1.420

240,000 194,000 10,097,600 1,560,000 805,000 12,200 85,000 376,000 50,088,000 1,730 4,689,800 596,815 7,635,000 123,730,000 6,353,900 3,463,630 4,619,700 10,541,000 44,000 7,039,800 650,000 1,387,000

164,760.00 380,940.00 93,322,872.00 561,700.00 385,740.00 222,546.00 382,230 1,153,040.00 451,870,125.00 190,141.00 63,456,976.00 1,706,906,290.00 4,490,340.00 183,462,420.00 263,476,710.00 293,855,814.00 47,488,332.00 7,417,680.00 87,780.00 47,058,829.00 230,100.00 1,959,560.00

0.0055 2.80 8.71 10.80 0.255 7.3600 6.9800 1.07 0.92 8.10 1.9 0.375 0.228 0.240 0.0150 0.0150 4.9 23.5 3.8 0.7300 2.150 0.0130 0.0140 5.53 7.43 2.43 0.016 163.90 4.1 0.0110

1,391,000,000 2,947,000 1,397,900 1,700 1,970,000 1,022,300 73,200 8,863,000 3,849,000 653,300 207,964,000 32,600,000 16,240,000 4,090,000 1,014,200,000 66,000,000 4,220,700 47,058,400 25,872,000 2,695,000 1,815,000 27,600,000 6,200,000 116,200 3,725,700 2,225,000 71,200,000 2,166,830 1,201,000 1,527,200,000

7,927,700.00 8,311,060.00 12,294,038.00 18,360.00 503,850.00 6,938,059.00 510,958.00 9,631,660.00 3,433,750.00 5,259,064.00 383,693,970.00 12,663,100.00 3,701,810.00 964,580.00 14,201,900.00 981,600.00 21,109,802.00 1,191,242,445.00 97,472,450.00 1,979,880.00 3,844,290.00 334,400.00 86,800.00 643,405.00 27,610,789.00 5,523,820.00 1,083,100.00 356,772,070.00 4,922,950.00 15,443,500.00

MST WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS

United Paragon Abra Mining Boulevard Holdings Philodrill Corp. `A’ Manila Mining `A’ Oriental Pet. `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Megaworld Prop.

Ferronickel Premium Leisure

VOLUME 2,792,400,000 2,210,000,000 257,400,000 210,900,000 188,500,000 174,200,000 171,686,000 164,817,700 128,267,000 120,267,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ SM Investments Inc. Universal Robina PLDT Common Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Metrobank Ayala Corp `A’ Bloomberry SM Prime Holdings Alliance Global Inc.

VALUE 2,091,192,575.00 1,938,065,370.00 1,766,662,882.00 1,642,008,730.00 1,635,108,515.00 1,586,827,183.00 1,559,883,980.00 1,053,929,008.00 1,050,360,870.00 1,045,112,635.00

Leisure & Resort Warr.

4.160 Megaworld Corp. Warrants2 4.98 Double Dragon Makati Fin. Corp.

Ripple E-Business Intl Xurpas

8.56 5.44 72.9 9.88

First Metro ETF

132

62.6

539,520

33,382,704.00

510 523 115.2 506.5 6.4 1.08 108.9 1090 1100 1046 76.05 83 84.5

23,490 34,850 24,960 100 109,400 6,000 17,790 2,055 5,420 16,415 463,280 18,990 535,350

11,919,525.00 18,245,030 2,870,538.00 50,650.00 699,740.00 6,480 1,944,886.00 2,229,450.00 10,020,000.00 17,154,930.00 35,224,803.00 1,576,170.00 44,986,027.00

3.850 4.45

495,000 2,000

1,894,940.00 8,900.00

8.8

8,682,400

76,194,187.00

76.95 9.99

69,400 6,163,700

5,132,472.00 61,834,345.00

129.7

26,170

3,382,972.00

MONDAY: APRIL 13, 2015

B3

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

Vista Land launches 5 projects

By Jenniffer B. Austria

EastWest Bank bets on Manny Pacquiao EASTWEST Banking Corp. president and chief executive Antonio Moncupa Jr. is optimistic eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao will be an effective endorser of the bank, the financial services subsidiary of the Filinvest Group.

Moncupa reacted to some opinion that Pacquiao, who is scheduled to square off with undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2 in Las Vegas, was not the best choice to endorse the bank because of Pacman’s past problems in managing his finances.

“We believe that Manny Pacquiao embodies many of the important values we have and we aspire for in EW. Perseverance, passion, skill, strength and, more importantly ,concern for others. This is what we wish to communicate to the banking public,” Moncupa said in a text message to The Standard.

“We are constantly improving our ways of doing things because we are concerned with our customers getting the best service they deserve. Manny is popular because he inspires. He represents the aspirations of Filipinos to achieve and improve themselves. These are things we believe we share with Manny that will make him an effective ambassador for the EW brand,” Moncupa said.

A public relations practitioner earlier said she was not in favor of Pacman endorsing EastWest, as the partnership would not likely improve the bank’s image and ranking in the industry.

“I am actually a fan of him. But when it comes to business… we know how he handles his finances. I think the endorsement agreement would not help at all. I think it’s okay for him to endorse different products, like vehicle batteries, pain relievers, coffee, etc., but bank is a different story,” the source said. Julito G. Rada

PROPERTY developer Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. launched five residential projects under the residential brand Camella with total sales value of P5.6 billion over the weekend.

Vista Land chairman Manuel Villar Jr., in an interview at the sidelines of the official launching of the projects at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay Friday night, said five more projects with similar sales value would be launched in the second half of the year.

The first five house and lot projects are Camella Verra Metro North in Valenzuela City, Camella Carson in Vista City at Daang Hari, Camella Alta Silang in Cavite, Camella Belize at The Islands in Dasmariñas and Camella Sierra Metro East in Antipolo.

These projects will offer more than 2,200 units to be sold at an

average price of P2.5 million per unit.

Villar said Camella was simultaneously launching the five projects in a bid to expand its Mega Manila portfolio and strengthen its position as the country’s most preferred housing brand.

Camella masterplanned communities are designed to be selfcontained, with lifestyle facilities that deck all other Camella properties such as clubhouses or function halls, swimming pools, play courts, playgrounds, parks, walkways and jogging or biking paths.

Vista Land president and chief executive Manuel Paolo Villar said the company would contin-

ue to be a dominant force in the market, given the bright outlook for the housing sector.

“We are by far the leader in the house-and-lot segment and have a strong competitive advantage, given our track record of delivering quality homes for more than 35 years across the country,” he said.

Vista Land currently has presence in 34 provinces and 76 cities and municipalities around the country, making it the real estate company with the widest geographical reach in the housing business.

Vista Land reported a record profit of P5.71 billion in 2014, up 13 percent from the 2013 level, on aggressive project launching.

Revenues climbed 11 percent in 2014 to P22.23 billion from P20 billion in 2013. Reservation sales also hit a record P51.7 billion, an increase of 12 percent from 2013, as the company launched 44 projects in 2014 with estimated sales value of P27 billion.

IITI backdoor listing goes pfft

INVESTORS were wondering why the much-hyped backdoor listing of black sand miner JDVC Resources Corp. through listed Island Information and Technology Inc. suddenly went pfft.

On paper, IITI cited JDVC’s failure to provide the company with pertinent documents that would enable it to assess JDVC’s compliance with pertinent laws and the feasibility of business venture between the parties as the reason why the transaction did not push through.

Apparently, there is more to the story than the lack of documents.

Industry sources said the real reason why the transaction did not push through was because majority shareholders of IITI could only secure less than 50 percent of the company’s outstanding capital stock to be sold to JDVC. This is a big no-no when doing a backdoor listing, as new investors would want to get majority control of the listed company.

While IITI failed to get new investors for the company, LBC Express Inc. is looking to proceed with its backdoor listing through Federal Resources Investment Group Inc. Federal on Friday sought for voluntary trading suspension for a maximum of three business days.

“The company has just been informed by its majority shareholder that he will be disclosing something substantial that may significantly change the business prospects of the company,” IITI said.

Jenniffer B. Austria

STI-Benitez feud turns off Ayala Land

THE Benitez group could count developer Ayala Land Inc. out as one of its potential investors that could salvage the 2.1-hectare Jose Abad Santos Memorial School in Quezon City, which is the subject of foreclosure proceedings. The property giant apparently is not willing to invest in a project with “unresolved stakeholders’ issue.”

“There are issues with various stakeholders. Unless those issues are resolved, it is not an area we are going to start development anytime soon,” Ayala Land president Bobby Dy said.

Ayala Land is willing to forgo potential investment in the JASMS because of the continuing disagreement between the Benitez family and STI Holdings of businessman Eusebio Tanco.

The Benitez family has reportedly invited Ayala Land to be a potential partner for the JASMS. The JASMS property is the same property that STI Holdings wanted to redevelop, also with Ayala Land as a potential joint venture partner. Jenniffer B. Austria

Camella projects. Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. launched five residential projects under the residential brand Camella with total sales value of P5.6 billion. Shown during the launching of Camella projects at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City are Vista Land chairman Manuel Villar Jr. (center), Camella president Maribeth Tolentino (left) and Camella division head Ric Pallesco (right). LINO SANTOS

Market may set new record this week STOCKS are expected to move sideways this week, with the benchmark index likely to set a new record, as positive sentiments could persist, despite possible technical correction and profit-taking.

Accord Capital Equities Corp. trader Justino Calaycay said in a market commentary that while a correction was bound to happen, bullish investor sentiments managed to prevail.

“The bears have found an audience but the bulls have managed to shoot down most of the arguments. Yet even as the market has, in the recent weeks, eked out fresh all-time records in a sudden surge to and briefly past the 8,000-mark— at one point crossing over the 8100-level to an all-time intra-day record high of 8136.97—-the sources of ‘fear’ have not been invalidated. In fact,

it could’ve even more strengthened,” he Calaycay said.

BPI Asset Management said in its weekly analysis foreign fund flows were expected to continue to push up the index to record levels.

“Externally, US inflation and industrial manufacturing data are expected to come out. Any disappointment on these data will further speculations of a delayed lift-off; hence, will keep strong foreign flows,” BPI Asset Management said.

On the local front, investors are likely to wait for the release of workers’ remittances for the month of February, which could influence the market to rally if data remain positive.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index last week gained 1.7 percent to hit its 28th all-time high of 8,127.48, while

the broader all-share index jumped 1.3 percent to 4,635.68.

Services emerged as the top performer among the sub-indices, gaining 3.7 percent, followed by holdings companies which rose 2.3 percent, and property and financial sectors, which added 1.9 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.

The industrial sub-index dropped 1.3 percent, while mining and oil dipped 0.4 percent.

Foreign investors were net buyers by P422.5 million last week, when the average daily value turnover stood at P9.03 billion.

Top gainers last week were Chemical Industries of the Philippines, which surged 100 percent to P200; Imperial Resources “B” shares which climbed 50 percent to P24; and Makati Finance Corp., which increased 49.8 percent to P5.44. Jenniffer B. Austria

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BUSINESS

Ayala Land purchase. Ayala Land Inc. purchased all of the 8.2-million common shares of Aegis People Support Realty Corp., a company registered with the Philippine Economic Zone authority and owner of Aegis People Support Office Tower at Cebu IT Park, Cebu City. Shown sealing the deal are (from left) Marc Reyes, Ayala Land Offices division manager; Jeno Sanchez, Ayala Group legal counsel; Carol Mills, ALO assistant vice president and head; Jose Emmanuel Jalandoni, ALI senior VP and group head of ALO; Deepak Bansal, Aegis Ltd. SVP for corporate finance; Norbert Dizon, Aegis VP for strategic growth; Shruti Jain, Aegis Ltd. legal counsel; and Maneesh Garg, Aegis Ltd. associate VP for corporate finance.

Megawide keen on Clark

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE joint venture of Megawide Construction Corp. and Bangalore-based GMR Group is keen to operate and maintain the Clark International Airport as well as other regional airports under the government’s public-private partnership program.

“We think there’s an opportunity in Clark, especially the OFW market is increasing and there is a lot of OFWs in that area. So, if the numbers will be out and it looks good, then why not?,” Louie Ferrer, Megawide

vice president told reporters, adding the company wanted to expand in the airport sector.

The Public Private Partnership Center said the private partner must undertake the operation and maintenance of Clark,

including the existing terminal, budget terminal and airside facilities for a defined concession period.

It should enhance the existing terminal and undertake the construction of the legacy terminal and improve the facilities required on the airside and landside.

The PPP Center said the feasibility study for the project was still ongoing.

Airlines operating flights to and from Clark include Cebu Pacific, TigerAir, Asiana, Dragon Air, JinAir and Qatar Airways.

Ferrer also said MegawideGMR was interested to the P5.8-billion operation and

Trans-Asia to double power capacity

By Alena Mae S. Flores TRANS-ASIA Oil and Energy Corp. plans to double its power generation capacity to 1,200 megawatts in the next five years.

Trans-Asia president Francisco Viray told reporters over the weekend the company had an existing portfolio of around 600 MW which could be doubled by 2020.

“It can be done,” Viray said, adding the additional capacity would come from the participation in the remaining assets of the government up for privatization and greenfield power projects such as new wind projects.

The additional capacity will require investments of about $1.2 billion in the next five years. “we will prioritize remaining privatization of PSALM’s CBK and Casecnan hydro plants. We like CBK because it’s in Luzon,” Viray said.

Viray referred to the 150-MW Casecnan multi-purpose hydropower plant in Nueva Ecija

CBK, Casecnan hydro-electric plants are among the target acquisitions. and the contracted capacity of the 728-MW Caliraya-BotocanKalayaan hydropower station in Laguna The government announced plans to privatize CBK and Casenan by offering their contracted capacities to the independent power producer administrator. It has has not set a definite bidding date for the two so far.

The CBK hydro projects consist of the 22.6-megawatt Caliraya in Lumban, 20.8-MW Botocan in Majayjay and the 684.6-MW Kalayaan I and II in Kalayaan, Laguna. J-Power and Sumitomo Corp. of Japan operate the CBK power plants.

The 150-MW Casecnan proj-

ect, meanwhile, was built following the signing of a build-operate-transfer contract between the National Irrigation Administration and California Energy Casecnan Water and Energy Company Inc. in 1994.

Viray said the company was also keen on developing the Sibunag and Ballesteros wind projects totaling 120 MW, pendiong an additional wind allocation for availment of the feed-in tariff.

The Renewable Energy Act provides for a feed -in rate rate of P8.53 per kilowatt hour for an initial 200-MW allocation of new wind generation capacity. So far, several wind projects have been completed which could take up the entire 200-MW allocation approved for wind.

Viray said Trans-Asia wanted to spread its resources and was not likely to put up more coal projects. Trans-Asia and Ayala Corp.’s wholly-owned subsidiary, AC Energy Holdings Inc., formerly Michigan Power Inc., are putting up a 270-MW coal plant in Batangas.

maintenance contract for the Puerto Princesa Airport project.

“Yes, we will be also interested because we’re positioning Cebu as a tourism airport and, of course, Puerto Princesa would be good for us,” Ferrer said.

The GMR-Megawide won the contract to develop and operate the P17.5 billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

GMR-Megawide recently purchased bid documents for the five regional airports that the government was bidding out.

The five provincial airports included in the PPP bundle are the P20.26-billion Bacolod-Silay International Airport and the

P30.4-billion Iloilo International Airport for package 1, and the P14.62-billion Laguindingan Airport, P2.34-billion New Bohol (Panglao) Airport and P40.57billion Davao International Airport under package 2.

Aside from Mactan Cebu Airport, Megawide secured PPP contracts from the government, namely the P3.15-billion Southwest Terminal of the Integrated Transport System; the P16.42-billion PPP for School Infrastructure Project Phase I; P3.86-billion PPP for School Infrastructure Project Phase II and P5.62-billion Modernization of Philippine Orthopedic Center.

In BrIef

dominium units at P1 million each.

The project, which will be launched in 2016, will be similar to Urban Deca Tower project in Mandaluyong City, the company’s first high-rise development to adopt the concept of a affordable halfway house concept for Metro Manila workers.

The low-priced condo units will provide shelter for those working in the metropolis and allow them to avoid traffic jams when going to work.

The project is located across Farmers Market in Cubao.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Smart gets Visa license

SMART Communications Inc. said it secured an issuing and acquiring license from Visa for its electronic payment business.

Smart e-Money is the first nonfinancial institution in Southeast Asia to receive such a license, which allows it to issue Visabranded prepaid cards, acquire merchant transactions, and offer Visa Direct products and services for domestic and international money transfers.

“This milestone collaboration with Visa augurs well with PLDT’s aggressive road map in pushing for a robust digital ecosystem.

Having the biggest consumer base in the Philippines, we are in a very strategic position to roll out various innovative financial payments products and services; and a number of them will be out this year,” Manuel Pangilinan, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Smart chairman, said.

Darwin G. Amojelar

8990 buys Cubao lot

LISTED mass housing developer 8990 Holdings Inc. has acquired a 4,200 square-meter lot within the Araneta Center complex in Cubao, Quezon City for P366 million.

8990 Holdings said in a statement it planned to transform the property into an affordable high-rise condominium offering a total of 4,500 con-

Lawson franchising

PUREGOLD Price Club Inc. plans to open Japanese convenience store Lawson to franchising over the next two to three years.

Outgoing Puregold Leonardo Dayao said in a chance interview the company would open 150 to 200 company-owned Lawson stores in the country before offering the business for franchising.

“That would be two to three years down the road,” Dayao said.

PG Lawson Inc., the joint venture company between Puregold and Lawson Asia Pacific Inc., on March 30 opened the first Lawson outlet in the Philippines in Sta. Ana, Makati.

Lawson will provide expertise in convenient stores and product development while Puregold will lend its experience in product procurement and knowledge of retail consumers. Jenniffer B. Austria

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

Trains can ease traffic —PIDS

By Jennifer Ambanta STATE think-tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies said the revival of national railways can be an alternate solution to the logistics problem of traders in Luzon.

PIDS fellow’ Epictetus Patalinghug, Gilberto Llanto, Alexis Fillone, Noriel Tiglao, Christine Ruth Salazar, Cherry Ann Madriaga and Ma. Diyina Gem Arbo said in their paper the improvement of railway system in the country could help ease traffic and congestion in ports.

“The revival of the Philippine National Railway network from Bicol region to La Union can provide a convenient and alternative way to travel and ship cargo in the Luzon area,” they said.

International Container Terminal Services Inc., according to the paper, operated a railbased transport system between the Manila International Container Terminal and the Calamba Inland Container Depot from 1997 to 2003 but the government considered the route unsustainable.

“The system was terminated because the trains could not run at the desired speed and be punctual due to the deteriorating conditions of the rail tracks,” the study authors said.

“Furthermore, there were long turnarounds and waiting times because only one train set was in operation,” they added.

The study showed the current level of freight traffic through Batangas was too small to consider it a major source of potential base traffic.

In 2014, the average speed in road segments designated as truck routes during peak hours was 5.2 kilometers per hour compared with the average speed of 16.57 kph for all other roads.

SEC in SM Manila. The Securities and Exchange Commission is putting up a satellite office in SM City Manila to serve the many businesses in central Manila. Shown during the signing of an aqgreement on the satellite office are (from left) SEC Commissioner Antonieta Ibe, SM Supermalls president Annie Garcia, SEC chairman Teresita Herbosa and SEC Commissioner Manuel Huberto Gaite. The SEC satellite office in SM City Manila is scheduled to open at the end of this month. The office will offer frontline services of the commission, including filing of the general information sheets and audited financial statements as well as articles of incorporation and any amendments.

More companies eye wind projects

By Alena Mae S. Flores

MORE companies have filed applications with the Energy Department to develop new wind power projects in Ilocos Norte province, which is already home to three major wind farms.

Energy Development Corp., owner of the 150-megawatt Burgos wind project, currently the country’s largest wind facility, has four other pending applications to develop wind projects in the province, according to data from the Energy Department.

EDC plans to build Burgos 3 and Burgos 4 wind power projects in Burgos town, Pasuquin wind power project in Pasuquin town and Ilocos Norte wind power

project in the towns of Burgos, Bangui, Vintar and Pasuquin.

EDC started the operations of the 150-MW Burgos wind project in Burgos town last year.

Aside from EDC, other wind projects in Ilocos Norte that are now in operation are the 33-megawatt Bangui wind farm of NorthWind Power Development Corp. and the 81MW Caparispisan wind project in Pagudpud of Northern Luzon UPC Asia Corp., a renewable

energy company controlled by Ayala Corp.

Another company, Buduan Wind Energy Co., also has an application to build a wind project, also in Pasuquin and Burgos.

The Energy Department awarded wind projects with a potential capacity of 1,316.50 MW as of December 2014.

The awarded projects are located in Ilocos Norte but also in Pangasinan, Cagayan, Zambales, Bataan, Quezon, Rizal-Laguna, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, Camarines Sur, Albay, Aklan, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Negros Oriental and Cebu.

Trans Asia Oil and Energy

Corp. recently started the operation of the 54-MW San Lorenzo wind project in Guimaras.

The department, however, has only approved a 200-MW installation target for wind projects, which is not enough to accommodate all requests from potential investors.

Energy World Wind Farm alone wants to build a 200-MW wind farm in General Nakar, Quezon.

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla earlier cautioned the National Renewable Energy Board against increasing the installation target for wind projects to 500 megawatts from the current 200 MW, pending more studies on price and grid integration impact.

Trade worried over inferior incentive bill

By Othel V. Campos

Bosch promo. Budding repairman and autoshop owner Tyron Coralde (third from right) won a brand

new Toyota Wigo under Bosch’s Big Time Pa-Premyo promo, after buying Bosch Cordless Drill and Orbital Sander for his home projects. Representatives from the world leader in portable electronic power tools and accessories staged a surprise awarding ceremony for Tyron at his shop in Parañaque. Three lucky Bosch users are now also proud owners of brand new Honda Wave 125 motorcycles. They are Avelaido Garcia of San Pablo, Laguna, Roberto Relloto of Dasmariñas, Cavite, and Yolanda Bolino of Benguet, who bought various Bosch power tools that qualified them for the contest.

THE Trade Department is concerned about the possibility of the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act being approved by the executive and legislative branches of government, instead of the proposed Rationalization of Fiscal Incentives bill.

“What the department wants is the RFI Bill. With this bill, more industries will benefit from the government’s incentive package.

The Finance Department is pushing for the TIMTA because once the act is approved, they will have a basis to control us,” an industry source said over the weekend.

He added the TIMTA bill sought to get hold more of the investment data that the Board of Investments

of the Trade Department would generate on the basis of confidentiality, rather than promoting transparency and accountability in the granting of incentives, The Finance Department also considers investments as a form of revenue-raising measure.

The source said only one of the two incentives bills had the chance to pass in Congress.

The proposed incentives rationalization bill, meanwhile, has met strong opposition from other government promotion agencies and the private sector as well.

The Trade Department is pushing for the approval of the fiscal incentives rationalization bill in 2015, fearing it might be overrun by events if not approved within the year.

MONDAY: APRIL 13, 2015

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BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

CebuPac’s passengers up 8% Training for a better you IT IS graduation season and I can imagine the wide grins on the faces ROSARIO T. REYES of the graduating students. Well, it is not surprising because many years ago I had the same grin on my face. At last, the grueling late nights will be gone, the un-exciting hours sitting inside the classroom listening to things that go inside one ear and go out of the other will come to an end. When I was already working, I realized that is not entirely true. I had to undergo numerous training programs to better equip myself for the job. So I must say training is a continuous journey for as long as you wanted to improve yourself and become a better person.

Training has always been associated with industry practice and it can either be formal or informal. Formal training is instructor-led and generally developed and organized by a company. These trainings also include on-line programs, courses and events, which are usually documented. Informal training, on the other hand, is learnerinitiated, involves action and motivated by intent to develop but does not occur in a formal learning setting. Although different in nature, there are also similarities between formal and informal training. Yet, I believe that we are trained more informally. More so, training cannot be absolutely exclusive to the industry practice. Training (informal) is part of our everyday lives and is readily available to everyone regardless of educational attainment, gender and status in life.

Training my children For example, as a mother of three wonderful girls (now ladies), I had an informal training plan for them when they were younger.

Having all girls, I realized that they need to learn household chores and I decided that at a certain age, they need to learn a specific chore.

Even with house help when they were younger, there was a specific instruction that they are still required to do some chores. Though the training of my children during that time were informal, it is still worthy to note that it encompasses some of the general requirements of an effective formal training. Unconsciously, my realization of training my children is somewhat similar to assessing the need for a training, which is usually being done (most of the time) by HR. The method by which the training will be conducted was a challenge to me as a mother who is juggling between home management and work. This is a challenge that requires some creativity and I decided to view training methods as bonding time between mother and child.

This is the same challenge to HR practitioners who should be able to employ methods that will condition the employees towards learning.

No matter how meaningful the training could be, without an effective method, there could be a possibility that training will be useless to both the trainer and the trainee.

Motivating the trainees Another great challenge in training my children was motivating them to be trained in household chores. With the house help around, they would always ask me why they should do household chores.

This is also a continuing challenge for HR practitioners in every organization and of course far more challenging than motivating three girls. Whether informal or formal training, it is important that the trainees know why they should learn and they need to realize the benefit of having these trainings. Important as well is setting the environment that should be conducive to learning.

It is also worth mentioning that in all these efforts, the most crucial factor would be the attitude of the trainees. In the academe, one student for example, questioned the need of having basketball in their Physical Education classes (obviously, she is not interested) not realizing that it is actually the discipline and teamwork she is learning from that class. In reality, students are not being trained to compute in their Finance classes but rather being trained to make an objective decision based on facts; they are not being trained to memorize all the management theories but rather being trained on what to do when they are faced with critical management issues.

Training is everything Training, whether formal or informal, is a necessary challenge to both the individuals and organizations. A challenge that is stimulating at the same dampens our energies depending on how we view it as a learner. But no matter how it is viewed, I believe that training is fundamental to transformation. Let us remember what Mark Twain said – “Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” So let us go forward to training for the better.

Green LiGht

The author is a Doctor of Business Administration student at De La Salle University’s Ramon del Rosario College of Business. For comments and suggestions, please email the author at rosarioreyes_ dlsud@yahoo.com.ph.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of De La Salle University, its faculty, and its administrators.

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CEBU Pacific remains the country’s leading carrier, as it flew more than half of domestic air passengers in 2014.

Data from the Civil Aeronautics Board showed Cebu Pacific carried 11.08 million domestic passengers last year, up 8.2 percent from 10.24 million it flew in 2013.

Cebu Pacific cornered about 54.4 percent of the domestic market last year.

Rival Philippine Airlines served 793,512 domestic passengers, down 69.3 percent from 2.58 million in 2013, after the flag carried transferred most its domestic flights to its lowcost unit.

PAL transferred almost all its domestic flights to PAL Ex-

press, except those for Cebu and Davao, in August 2013. PAL had a 4-percent market share of the domestic market.

Cebu Pacific cornered about 54.4 percent of the domestic market last year.

PAL Express carried 5.13

million domestic passengers in 2014, up from 4.35 million domestic passengers in 2013.

Air Asia Zest flew 1.7 million domestic passengers last year, lower by 15 percent from 1.99 million domestic passengers in 2013.

AirAsia, the Philippine unit of Malaysia’s AirAsia Berhad, recorded domestic passengers of 283,896 last year, up from 157,329 in 2013.

Tiger Philippines carried 1.30 million domestic passengers last year, also up from 969,753 domestic passengers in 2013.

SEAIR International, which recently resumed operation, had a total of 2,012 domestic passengers last year.

Overall, the total domestic passengers last year reached 20.35 million domestic passengers, barely up by 0.01 percent from 20.33 million in 2013.

UnionBank award.

UnionBank of the Philippines won the Best Employee Engagement award for 2015 at The Asian Banker’s International Excellence in Retail Financial Services 2015 Awards ceremony held at the Capella Singapore on March 19, 2015. Shown during the awarding ceremony are (starting second from left) officer for employee engagement Kai Jorge, human resource services head Rosalina Phamela Galoyo, leadership pipeline and UnionBank DNA unit head Laarni Arellano, with Asian Banker representatives.

South rail line to boost Albay economy LEGAZPI CITY—Albay, together with the whole Bicol region, has welcomed Ayala Corp.’s interest in the P170.7-billion Philippine Railways South Line project, which will cut travel time from Manila to this city by five to six hours and pave the way for more investments into the area.

The proposed 653-kilometer South Railways project was approved by the National Economic Development Authority board chaired by President Aquino on Feb. 16 this year under the public-private partnership scheme.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda, who chairs the Bicol Regional Development Council, said the South rail line was among the most monumental development projects of the Aquino administration and was seen to unlock the huge potential of Bicol, particularly that of Albay, the regional center and hub.

Ayala Corp.’s infrastructure unit recently said it intended to bid for the P170.7-billion ($3.8 billion) government railway project and had started talks with potential partners.

A report said AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. has not identified its potential partners and the government has yet to set a specific date for the tender, which it said would likely be within the year.

Salceda, who also chairs the Luzon Area Development Coordinating Council, has been “working relentlessly with the PPP Center, Department of Transportation and Communication, Neda and Philippine National Railways to ensure the South Railway Project will be prioritized.”

The South Railways line will complement the Bicol International Airport in Daraga town, which is targeted to be completed and operationalized in two years.

The BIA and South Railways transport is a package that should attract a deluge of private investment into Albay, and the whole of the Bicol Region, said Salceda.

“By this, our ‘Albay Boom’ economic battle cry will surely now be realized,” he said.

The South Railways line is a component of the North-South Railway master plan, which includes the North-South Commuter Railway project, estimated at P117.3 billion and the P170-billion North-South Railway Project.

“To us, it is the most interesting one out of those big ticket projects. If and when that is bidded out, it is something that we would like to take a serious look at,” said AC Infrastructure president John Eric Francia said earlier.

The project involves rehabilitating the old railway line between Manila and Albay and adding new additional lines.

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cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Obama, Castro in historic talks PANAMA CITY—Barack Obama and Raul Castro held the first faceto-face talks between US and Cuban leaders since 1956 in Panama on Saturday, vowing to pursue their historic effort to bury Cold War-era enmity.

Olympic recognition urged for pole dance BEIJING—Erotic display or serious sport? At the World Pole Dancing Championships finals in Beijing on Sunday, competitors in skin-tight suits insisted that their challenging discipline deserves Olympic recognition.

The limber and lithe contestants from more than ten countries on four continents hope they can shed the sport’s association with seedy strip clubs and win respect as skilled athletes.

“Pole dancing requires technical content as much as gymnastics and acrobatics, and the level of difficulty is higher,” Ke Hong, a member of the Chinese team—one of the strongest in the sport—told AFP ahead of the competition.

He is one of over 50 contenders including more than a dozen men at the championships. They force themselves onto the pole for as many as eight hours a day to perfect their gravity-defying spins and poses.

“It hurts every day,” He added.

“The very first week, I thought about giving up.”

The scale of the competition reflects the growing appeal of pole dancing as a fitness aid over the last decade—with thousands of clubs estimated to have opened worldwide, including more than 500 in the United States alone.

Competitors making the journey to China this year include the British current World champions ‘Bendy’ Kate Czepulkowski and Sam Willis, the event’s organizers said.

Hotly tipped for this year’s championship are the aptlynamed Russian female contestant Polina Volchek, who goes by the moniker “Pink Puma”, they added.

Chinese competitors said they had faced a tough environment of cultural conservatism while chasing their pole dance dreams—but that the long fight for recognition was finally paying off. AFP

In style. Jasmine Tookes, in an Urban Outfitters dress and Rag and Bone boots, attends the

2015 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival-Weekend 1 at The Empire Polo Club on April 11 in Indio, California. AFP

Sitting together in a blue-carpeted room, Obama thanked Castro for his “spirit of openness and courtesy” during their interactions, while the communist leader stressed that the negotiations will require patience.

Obama also sought to calm tensions with another leftist nation and a Cuban ally, speaking briefly with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for the first time, telling him Washington did not seek to threaten Caracas.

The Obama-Castro meeting, which lasted more than an hour, was the climax of their surprise announcement on December 17 that, after a year and a half of secret negotiations, they would seek to normalize relations that broke off in 1961.

“This is obviously a historic meeting,” said Obama, who spoke first after they sat down in polished, wooden chairs for their talks on the sidelines of the 35-nation Summit of the Americas in Panama City. ?”We are now in a position to move on a path toward the future,” he said, adding that the immediate task was to reopen embassies.

Castro, 83, broke into a smile when Obama acknowledged that the two sides will continue to have differences on human rights and other issues.

After Obama spoke, the two men stood up and shook hands.

Saying he agreed with everything Obama said, Castro acknowledged that the two governments can still have differences but “with respect of the ideas of the others.”

“We are willing to discuss everything but we need to be patient, very patient,” he said.

“We already expressed to some American friends in other occasions that we are willing to talk about everything.”

When Castro said he hoped the US and Cuban delegations will listen to their presidents’ instructions, Obama laughed.

The two leaders, who had spoken on the phone in December and on Wednesday, shook hands again and reporters were ushered away for a closed-door discussion.

Obama told reporters later that the conversation was “candid and fruitful” and that he did not shy away from telling Castro that Washington would keep airing concerns about democracy and human rights.

They both had already made conciliatory speeches moments earlier during the summit, sitting at an oval table with some 30 other regional leaders.

Addressing the leaders next, Castro declared: “President Obama is an honest man.” AFP

Clinton to announce presidential bid WASHINGTON—Hillary Clinton was expected to finally announce her candidacy for US president Sunday, ending prolonged speculation that she once again seeks to become the first woman elected to the White House.

Seven years after her bitter nomination defeat to Barack Obama, the former secretary of state and one-time first lady would enter the race as the Democratic Party’s overwhelming favorite, as Clinton and her rivals gird for a bruising, 18-month campaign slog.

Her announcement is expected to be delivered via social media— perhaps in a tweet—and accompa-

nied by a campaign kickoff video highlighting her economy-focused political philosophy, according to US news outlets citing sources close to Clinton operations.

It is likely to trigger a donor deluge from a vast network of supporters who have long waited for her to officially enter the race, a move that would allow them to contribute directly to her 2016 election effort.

Clinton’s campaign-in-waiting has organized for months behind the scenes, bringing on key staffers and advisers, plotting outreach operations and strategy.

On Saturday, the campaign team hunkered down in Clinton

headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, where upcoming campaign manager Robby Mook reportedly delivered a memo to staff urging teamwork in the months ahead.

“We are a diverse and talented family... and have each other’s backs,” the memo states, according to Politico, perhaps in an effort to avoid the infighting among top aides that marred Clinton’s 2008 run.

The 2016 campaign goal, the memo adds, is “to give every family, every small business, and every American a path to lasting prosperity by electing Hillary Clinton the next president of the United States.” AFP

Among the crowd. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio attends the Neon

Carnival with PacSun, Dope the Movie and Tequila Don Julio at the Thermal Hangar on April 11 in Thermal, California. AFP

M O N D AY : A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 1 5

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cesAR bARRIOquINtO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

100 years. Pope Francis leads a mass for Armenian Catholics, marking 100 years since the killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, on April 12 at St Peter’s basilica at the Vatican. AFP

Unruly Chinese tourists to be blacklisted—report BEIJING—China will create a “blacklist” of its tourists who behave badly overseas, state-media reported, after several embarrassing incidents involving Chinese traveling abroad.

The country’s National Tourism Administration will keep a database of travelers who commit offenses, with their names passed onto police, customs officials and even banks, the official Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.

Offenses that could earn obnoxious tourists a place on the blacklist include “acting antisocially on public transport, damaging private or public property, disrespecting local customs, sabotaging historical exhibits or engaging in gambling or pornographic activities,” Xinhua said.

People will be blacklisted for two years after they offend, it added.

China’s economy has boomed over the past decade, expanding the ranks of its middle-class who are hungry for foreign travel after the country’s decades of isolation

in the last century.

Chinese travelers took 100 million “outbound” trips—including to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan—last year, according to official figures.

But the surge of wanderlust has left some officials back home redfaced and the blacklist is the latest of China’s efforts to control its citizens’ behavior abroad.

Chinese tourists were reported to have outraged locals in Thailand this year by drying underwear in an airport, defecating in public and kicking a bell at a temple.

Several air rage incidents—including Chinese passengers opening emergency exit doors and throwing boiling noodles at cabin crew—have also been reported in the last year.

In 2013, a Chinese sparked online outrage after he wrote his name on an ancient carving in Egypt.

The NTA said in a 64-page “Guidebook for Civilized Tourism”, issued in 2013, that tourists should not pick their noses in public, pee in pools or steal airplane life jackets. AFP

Armenia killings called ‘genocide’ VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis used the word “genocide” on Sunday to describe the mass murder of Armenians in a move likely to severely strain diplomatic ties with Turkey.

“In the past century our human family has lived through three massive and unprecedented tragedies,” he said during a solemn mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica to mark the centenary of the Ottoman Turk killings of Armenians.

“The first, which is widely considered ‘the first genocide of the 20th century’, struck your own Armenian people,” he said, citing a state-

ment signed by John Paul II and the Armenian patriarch in 2001.

While many historians describe the killings as the 20th century’s first genocide, Turkey hotly denies the accusation.

While Francis did not use his own words to describe the murders as genocide, John Paul II’s use of the term provoked a sharp reaction from Turkey at the time, and citing the beloved former pope will do more than ruffle feathers.

“We recall the centenary of that tragic event, that immense and senseless slaughter whose cruelty your forebears had to endure,” Francis said.

“It is necessary, and indeed a duty, to honor their memory, for whenever memory fades, it means that evil allows wounds to fester,” he added.

The 78-year-old head of the Ro-

man Catholic Church had been under pressure to use the term publicly to describe the murders despite the risk of alienating an important ally in the fight against radical Islam.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kin were killed between 1915 and 1917 as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, and have long sought to win international recognition of the massacres as genocide.

But Turkey rejects the claims, arguing that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian troops.

Francis said the other two genocides of the 20th century were “perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism.” AFP

Parents plead to free five feminists

Festival. Musician Bobby Kildea of Belle & Sebastian performs onstage during day 2 of the 2015 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 11 in Indio, California. AFP

BEIJING—The parents of five Chinese feminists detained for more than a month have issued an eleventh-hour plea to authorities for their release, as a lawyer for the activists said prosecutors have until Monday to charge them.

The young women face being charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, which could see them jailed for up to five years after they were detained by police in early March.

The vague charge of “provoking trouble” has been increasingly used by Chinese police under President Xi Jinping to detain and

jail protestors for holding smallscale demonstrations.

The five women—Li Tingting, 25, Wei Tingting, 26, Wang Man, 32, Zheng Churan, 25, and Wu Rongrong, 30—had in recent years been linked to several stunts aiming to highlight issues such as domestic violence and the poor provision of women’s toilets.

They were taken into custody a day ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8 as they were preparing to hand out leaflets about sexual harassment.

The activists are “young, kindhearted, and full of a sense of re-

sponsibility to society,” ten of their parents and spouses wrote in a letter to Beijing prosecutors that was posted online Saturday.

“These five girls, who we care for and love deeply, have not made a mistake, let alone committed a crime,” they said, adding “they have all striven to uphold our nation’s basic policy of gender equality”.

“Supporting gender equality and the interests of women is no crime!”

Their detention has prompted renewed condemnation of China’s tight controls on political activists from human rights groups as well as the US. AFP

M O N D AY : A P R I L 1 3 : 2 0 1 5

C1

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

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

LIFE

FIGHTING FIT Technology and Fitness Make Perfect Training Partners

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ablets are replacing clipboards, boundary lines are becoming 3D, and players are now able to give live event commentary via cameras in their helmets.

Technology and fitness is increasingly forming a powerful union that is reinventing how we train, watch, and play our favorite games. With live feeds, big data, mobile applications, and wearables at our fingertips, technology’s influence over sport and fitness ripples from the big leagues down to the at-home enthusiast.

Continued on C2

M ONDAY : APRIL 13 : 2015

C2

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

glweekend @ gmail.com

FIGHTING FIT FROM C1

With so much sport and fitness technology at the ready, we’ve pulled together a list of what we think are the ‘Top 10 Ways Technology and Fitness are the Perfect Training Partners’ to help you get the most out of your training sessions.

covered, sleep, and steps. If the guilt of low numbers doesn’t get you moving, some wearables even go so far to beep and buzz at you after a while of inactivity.

perfect companion for when you’re logging those kilometers on the exercise bike or treadmill in the gym.

THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

GET YOUR OWN PERSONAL TRAINER

Apps and trackers like the Adidas MiCoach, which was used by soccer World Champions, Germany, provide detailed performance data which allows you to fine tune your skills and plan workouts – and those of your friends.

Using Intel Core M devices, such as the HP Envy x2, you can access free worldclass training sessions in the comfort of your bedroom, office, or garden. These handheld personal trainers offer customizable workouts including audio guidance and visual demos to help get that six-pack underway. To keep your momentum flowing, track your data, and watch the demo videos on your ultra-light device to ensure you get the best picture and results from your workout.

Social media and digital content has revolutionized the way we engage with and watch our favorite sporting teams and athletes. Leveraging the performance of Intel powered desktops, 2 in 1s, all in ones and tablets, you can now gain unprecedented insights to better understand high-profile athletes, or consume visual content delivering behind-the-scenes exclusive access to their favorite sports club. This means it’s easier than ever before to learn new styles, moves, and strategies that could help you improve your own game.

Intel’s number one reason why technology is the perfect training partner is the plethora of intelligent devices and programs out there to help you train better.

Whatever your fitness goal, technology can help get you there. From apps helping you find and compare the best sporting equipment or locations through to keeping up to date with the latest sports news.

There’s also wearables that track your heartrate and speed, and by syncing with your connected Intel-powered device, such as the ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi, you can manage your performance data with incredible speed, reliability, and precision.

YOUR PERSONAL CHEERLEADER

We all need a little encouragement now and then to go out and train or attend that early morning gym class – especially during the winter months – but thanks to technology you can exercise in the comfort of your own home. There’s even applications that will give you motivational boosts while out and about training.

For instance, a 2 in 1 like the Intel® Core M™-powered Lenovo Yoga Pro 3 is a great device for an indoor pilates session or even a yoga session. Using the device to follow online video classes, or simply using the camera to review your own posture, you can undertake the ideal session from your front living room. Alternatively, mobile apps, such as RunKeeper, use your smartphone’s GPS to track your running progress, including speed, elapsed time, and distance. The app features an audio coach, goal check-ins if you’re not meeting your pre-set pace, and a fun photo element that allows you to snap your destination while on the go.

HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE

Sports wearables such as the Basis Peak fitness tracker make being lazy hard work.

The Basis watch syncs data to a phonebased app, displaying daily activity including heart rate, calories burnt, distance

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Today, technology can use big data from training, preparation, and tournaments to enable individuals, teams, and coaches to assess and improve outcomes with new degrees of accuracy.

A great example of this is STATS’ SportVU technology, which captures one million data records per game and is already being used in the UEFA Champions League and the NBA. For instance, NBA teams can track the shot location of every player and their success rate allowing them to identify strengths and weaknesses to adapt accordingly. Running on Intel processors, the workstations tasked with managing these significant data volumes are able to generate reports within 90 seconds, allowing teams to take immediate action to steal a march on the competition.

A DEEP UNDERSTANDING

Want to use your device at the gym without having to pause mid-run to change music or that news article you were reading? If so, then devices with Intel® RealSense™ 3D camera might be the ideal choice for you.

The devices use motion-tracking software to create a touch-free interface that responds to hand, arm, and head motions as well as facial expressions, making it the

ENTERTAINMENT ON-DEMAND A new digibox allows viewers to catch up on series and movies on their TV

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

I

am not one to sit each day to watch an episode of a recent favorite series on television. Well, on the one hand, fixed broadcasts program and fickle personal schedules are not a good match. On the other, thanks to the Internet, streaming or downloading a season or two to watch it in one day on PC or laptop or other mobile devices anytime and anywhere is now possible, not to mention more convenient.

This is today’s usual scenario. When everything is fast-paced and there are several options for multitasking, the value of vegging out in front of the TV becomes a luxury, thus often set aside. In fact, when online streaming and downloading became popular, we were told to finally “cut the cord” to save on costs.

But cable companies are not backing down yet. They argue that no mobile device can replace the experience of watching shows on TV’s bigger screen. How-

ever, it takes more than that to glue people in front of their telly again.

So after listening to what consumers want, Sky Cable rolls out its newest service that “combines the convenience of catching up on your current favorite shows at your own time with the comfort and visual impact of watching them on your big TV set.”

Called Sky On-Demand, this service runs on the most advanced digibox to date that harnesses SkyCable and SkyBroadband subscriptions to utilize the video streaming site iWanTV. “Our customers are becoming busy but they still want to watch the content when they want it so we came up with Sky OnDemand,” says Sky Cable Corporation chief operating officer Rodrigo Montinola.

Through the iWanTV portal, subscribers are afforded local and foreign on-demand programs from channels RTL-CBS, History, Asian Food Channel, Food Network Asia, E!, Lifetime, Cartoon Network, Nick-

elodeon, ANC, and ABS-CBN. The initial list is expected to expand as AXN, Disney, Disney Jr., and Sony TV are to be added soon to the Sky On-Demand library.

The channel lineup may be a bit limited at the moment, but Sky Corp. officials are quite proud of the variety of shows available.

“We have a very good mix of programs catering to kids, to moms, to dads, and to teenagers, and we’re continuing to populate the content on Sky On-Demand,” notes Sky programming head James Dumlao.

On top of TV shows, the video-ondemand service library also comes with movie titles from Paramount Pictures, NBC Universal, Star Cinema, Regal Films, and Viva Films studios, provided that the customer is subscribed to SkyBroadband.

It means one need not have both SkyCable and SkyBroadband subscriptions to enjoy the VOD service. The customer only needs a SkyCable subscription and

LEARNING FROM THE GREATS

NEVER FORGET A WORKOUT

Whether you’re simply syncing your gym schedule to your smartphone’s digital calendar – such as the new ASUS Zenfone 2 running on Intel® Atom™ processors – or looking for new exciting ways to get active, technology helps you train harder by keeping you organized. Some smartwatches even display emails and enable you to take calls while training – ensuring you never have an excuse to miss a session again.

STAY INSPIRED AND KEEP AT IT

With the online fitness revolution exploding, there is an endless supply of great, motivating information out there that can help improve and strengthen your training.

If you want to research others with similar experiences to you, or find a new coach who can take you to the next level, using an Intel Atom-enabled device can help you source, store and view new data faster than ever before.

UNITE WITH LIKEMINDED TRAINING BUDDIES

Thanks to technology even those who don’t play in a team will always have somebody to train with. Whether it’s bonding over a mobile app, finding a class online, streaming an exercise program, or competing with friends using your wearables or apps like workout tracker Strava (which has a highly competitive leadership board), technology creates new ways for people to connect both on and off the field. Technology creates new sports buddies, which is the greatest inspiration of all!

Internet connection from any provider to catch up on TV shows.

However, “it’s only with SkyBroadband that you can enjoy the movies on-demand. It’s a premium access only available if you’re a SkyBroadband subscriber,” clarifies Regaspi.

The new digibox, similar to existing digiboxes, plays cable SD and HD channels but only once it’s connected to the Internet can subscribers then access the VOD service that comes with video playback and personal playlist creation functions.

On Sky On-Demand, viewers can play, pause, stop, and resume whatever show they’re watching. Each member of the household can also have their own profile protected by a PIN, which also allows parents to control the content kids watch.

At least 3Mbps is recommended to enjoy optimal viewing using the OnDemand digibox.

Existing subscribers can upgrade their current SD or HD digibox for a one-time fee of P499, while new SkyCable customers can avail of the service for as low as P2,199 installation fee.

For inquiries and additional information, visit mysky.com.ph

M ONDAY : APRIL 13 : 2015

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

glweekend @ gmail.com

C3

SAIL IN STYLE

Gionee’s flagship model makes waves in PH

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FOR SUPER SLEUTHS ONLY

BY ED BIADO

The mobile game “Do Not Believe His Lies” is probably the most interesting and frustrating puzzle you’ll ever try to solve. In all of its eight months in existence, not one of its over 275,000 users has finished it yet. Some give up and uninstall the app in a huff (read: rage quit) while others band together in their attempt to find the solutions to the out-ofthis-world levels.

As of this writing, advanced players are stumped by level 48, according to the /dnbhl subreddit.

DNBHL is a cryptography game set against a black minimalist background. Each level is a code that needs to be cracked using different decryption techniques, which can only be determined when thinking out of the box. The first level is easy enough as it requires merely adjusting the brightness of your screen to know the answer.

As the game progresses, the ciphers become more complex and elaborate, involving everything from Morse code to QR codes to a series of audio and image files to following a series of clues all around the Internet. On more than a few occasions, you’ll have to use a pen and paper to make sense of things or make a physical copy of your screen to see what you can do with it.

It’s a lot of work and definitely not your average Candy Crush or Angry Birds. It’s for serious puzzle solvers who have a knack for riddles, mythology, sleuthing and playing around with Photoshop and other digital tools.

The solutions, when revealed, are just as mystifying. At first, they appear to form sentences and tell a creepy story. Then, it gets more unsettling because later solutions are either fragments or strings of numbers that don’t seem to follow any kind of logic.

But it should all come together in the end, yeah?

The Apple App Store lists the developer as a firm called TheM Dev, which is supposedly owned by a Polish IT expert named Lukasz Matablweski. On his Web site, he says that he does “all the work on my apps by myself.” If that’s true, then he must be one of the most intelligent human beings alive today for being able to craft puzzles that take the most dedicated enthusiasts months to solve—and only by engaging in “friendly collaboration, intensive research, and a tiny bit of luck,” as they say on Reddit.

Either that, or Matablewski doesn’t really exist and he’s actually a persona created by a government spy agency to serve as the face of the game, which true purpose will forever remain classified. Too conspiracy theorist-ish? Play the game and tell me if those thoughts don’t cross your mind.

he growing and tech-savvy Philippine market is set for another treat as multinational mobile brand Gionee launches its latest flagship model, ELIFE S5.1.

The latest unit joins its predecessor S5.5 in the list of the world’s slimmest smartphones. Taking from S5.5, ELIFE S5.1 features the Auto Exposure and Auto Focus meter separation and gaming-ready True Octa-Core CPU, energy-saving Super AMOLED HD Display Screen, and tough protection from Corning Gorilla Glass 3 all over the high-quality magnesium alloy body of the device.

Yet S5.1 is more than just a thinner version: It has an incredible 74 percent screen ratio that provides great visual experience despite a sexier frame that is only 1.8mm wide. Gionee also packed in the most professional audio experience with 3D surrounding effect and improved bass technology. The front camera gets a revamp as well with an 88 degree-angle wide lens (compared to the regular 65-angle lenses in most smartphones), making it perfect for selfies and groufies alike. To complete the feast of the senses, S5.1 also has smoother curves and a much lighter body at just under 100 grams.

ELIFE S5.1 comes with various smart features as well: the Guest Mode to hide certain sections like Call logs, Messages and Albums and Glove Mode that is designed for Motorcycle Drivers operating the phone while wearing gloves.

“Our dedicated R&D engineers are always on their toes to provide us not only with good-performing smartphones but elegant ones as well,” says Kenneth Co, marketing manager at Gionee Philippines.

Gionee has Concept Stores at Gaisano Mall in Davao City, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, and SM Sta. Rosa in Laguna to provide convenient access where mobile phone enthusiasts can experience Gionee’s products first-hand and be guided by a well-trained and dedicated geek squad in making the right smartphone choice.

“Great service should come hand-in-hand with great products, and Filipino tech consumers can expect both from us,” Co adds.

The ELIFE S5.1 retails in the Philippines at P12,499 at Gionee’s Concept Stores and in partner retail stores nationwide. For more information, visit www.gionee.com.ph or www.facebook.com/GioneeSmartPhonePh

Gionee brand ambassador, Ellen Adarna launches ELIFE S5.1 in a yacht party

PARTY BOAT BOUND TO BORACAY The country’s much-awaited long weekend and ultimate beach party begins even before you arrive on the shores of Boracay.

Kick off LaBoracay holiday aboard 2GO Travel’s Party Boat. The premier sea travel provider in the Philippines is offering a LaBoracay Party Boat package featuring music by DJs Callum David and Clyde Harris, and MC Roda King.

Setting sail from the Batangas port on the evening of April 30, 2GO Travel offers three packages for all party goers.

The complete package, at P8,000, begins with round-trip tourist accommodations on board the 2GO vessel with access to all onboard parties, meals, a 2GO souvenir, and a welcome drink. Also included is a 3-day/2-night stay at Alta Vista de Boracay on quad sharing with complimentary breakfast daily, land and island transfers, as well as exclusive invitations to the sunset sessions party on the island.

One-way and round-trip tickets are also available at P2,400 and P4,500 respectively, each inclusive of tourist class accommodations on the 2GO vessel, meals, access to all onboard parties, a 2GO souvenir, and a welcome drink.

For more information, visit www.2go.com.ph

M O N D AY : A P R I L 1 3 : 2 0 1 5

C4 FOR PARTY ANIMALS ONLY

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

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

THINGS THAT SPARKLE

In the early 70s, every time I go to the U.S., I’d make it a point to watch Dick Clark’s $25,000 Pyramid, which aired for decades, and featured a contestant paired with a celebrity. One of them attempts to guess a phrase described to him/her by the teammate. The phrases are laid out in the form of a pyramid and the contestant BOB ZOZOBRADO works his/her way up until the phrase at the summit is guessed, then the cash prize is won.

The items of this week’s column reminded me of the game show.

They both illustrate the phrase I used as heading.

(seated from L) Marielle and Jay Litton, Alex Falcon; (standing from L) Mikki Bunag and Joey Luz

DAZZLING DIAMONDS

An exquisite collection of jewelry pieces inspired by the unrivalled beauty of diamonds was unveiled recently to a select group of friends by Diamantaire, the flagship of the Cullinan Group’s jewelry brands. Located at the main wing of Shangri-La Plaza Mall, the shop buzzed with excitement as dazzling diamond jewelry were made available for viewing.

Linear Group Inc.’s managing director Kat Florencio introduced Diamantaire’s top-of-the-line products, from ready-towear to custom-made jewelry, all crafted by the company’s award-winning team of in-house designers.

Diamantaire president and chief executive officer Raffy Florencio and chief operating officer Dan Francisco were on hand to show off the valuable sparkling pieces that are not only fashionable accessories but also solid investments.

It wasn’t easy driving home that night, after having been dazzled by all those sparklers on display, and having Rihanna’s “Diamonds” reverberating in my head...”Shine bright like a diamond...”

Sea Wind bartender Mark Losbanes, supervisor Lea Lastimoso, Angela Litton, and bartender Dharyl Aaron

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2

A spread of pasta and sauces to feed the hungry soul on vacation

SHINING BRIGHT FOR SUMMER

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Now that summer’s here, Boracay beckons...and the popular Sea Wind resort offers everyone the opportunity to take alternating dips between the cool blue water at its expansive powder-fine sandy beachfront or in the property’s more private fresh-water hilltop pools. Of course, before indulging in any exciting activity, one may start the morning with a scrumptious buffet breakfast good enough for any royalty.

The owners of Sea Wind, president Federico Jarantilla and charming wife Ruth, Joebert Cocjin and his bride Susan, are proud of the resort’s 54 rustic villas that offer the most modern amenities available. They even have a museum filled with artifacts that depict the history of the island.

These are just some of the many reasons why Sea Wind always shines bright, not only during summer but the whole year round.

More information on its affordable packages may be obtained from landline 415-1285 or through www.seawindresort.net

3

ITEM OF THE WEEK SALTED EGG AND CARAMEL PARFAIT

5 1 Diamantaire CEO Dan Francisco, Linear Group managing director Kat Florencio and her husband, Diamantaire president and CEO Raffy Florencio 2 Maryel Lim, Amelia Ting, Salome Dy, Alexis Go, and Rose Ann Ko 3 Eni Alba, RichPrime Global’s Myrna Yao and Coby’s Charlene Cobankiat-Tiu 4 Wilcon Depot’s Careen Belo and Lorraine Belo-Cincochan 5 Advance Paper COO Connie Haw, Agile Zamora and DermAsia’s CEO Nikki Tang 6 Cullinan Group’s Catrina Paulino, Monette Atilano and Monique Sian

6

After trick-or-treating, a teen takes a shortcut home through the cemetery.

Halfway across, he’s startled by a tapping noise coming from the misty shadows.

Trembling with fear, he spots an old man with a hammer and chisel, chipping away at a headstone. “I thought you were a ghost,” says the relieved teen. “What are you doing working so late?” “Oh, those idiots,” grumbles the old man. “They misspelled my name!”

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE

:-D

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrad@gmail.com

I never imagined that red eggs could taste this heavenly. Imagine my surprise when I saw this item in the restaurant’s menu. I just had to try it right away. Take it from me, it’s so good... you’ll forget your name!

At the Cinema Level of Century City Mall is the newly opened Le Petit Souffle, a “dessert” heaven for you and me. Some of the sweet delights you should also try are Iced Matcha Latte with Matcha Softee (green tea at its best); Valrhona Grand Crus (chocolate cake that doesn’t make you feel guilty), and French Toast with Cream on Top. Now, on your way to sugar heaven!

M O N D AY : A P R I L 1 3 : 2 0 1 5

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C5

Lea Salonga joins the women who have made Cream Silk the shampoo and conditioner of choice

Cream Silk celebrates world-class Filipinas in its #WorldClassFilipina advocacy, among them Toni Gonzaga, Heart Evangelista, and Anne Curtis

CELEBRATING THE WORLD-CLASS FILIPINA

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fter marking its triumphant 30th year anniversary in 2014 by unveiling over 150 Beyond Beautiful Filipinas in partnership with six of the country’s top magazines, Cream Silk, the Philippines’ No. 1 Hair Care brand, is about to elevate the Beyond Beautiful Filipina to a bigger, more exciting stage.

This year, with its #WorldClassFilipina advocacy, Cream Silk inspires Filipinas to achieve limitless possibilities.

TIME FOR FILIPINAS TO TAKE ON THE WORLD STAGE Oftentimes, Filipinas hold back in the pursuit of their dreams because they tend to set limits to what they can achieve. In these changing times, as the world gets smaller and starts to embrace diversity, the time is now for the Filipina to rise and take on the world stage.

With this in mind, Cream Silk aims to aims to spark and fuel a movement among Filipinas to stand proud, believe, and declare “there is no dream too big for the Filipina because she is world-class.”

DREAM BIG AND CONQUER To kick-off this advocacy, the Philippines’ No. 1 Hair Care brand launches the short film, Cream Silk Portraits: Stories of WorldClass Filipinas.

Cream Silk Portraits will feature some of the most beautiful and successful women in the country including princess of all media, Anne Curtis, celebrity and extraordinary artist, Heart Evangelista, multimedia

star, Toni Gonzaga, and multi-awarded performer, Lea Salonga. They represent the Filipina who dared to dream big and conquered the world stage.

With the aim of bringing this advocacy to life, the short film tells the stories of four truly World-Class Filipinas. The short film shares their beginnings, struggles and triumphs. But more than that, the film reminds its audience that even these Filipinas, at the start of their careers, couldn’t imagine themselves being recognized as world-class. Nevertheless, they pursued their dreams and made them a reality.

To make the film truly world-class, Cream Silk collaborated with internationally acclaimed director, Marie Jamora. She is known for international award-winning films such as Ang Nawawala. Her work has been recognized in film festivals around the world, including Slamdance, Hawaii International and Los Angeles Asian Pacific. Marie shares the same passion and journey as the Filipina who dares to become world-class.

LEA SALONGA JOINS #WORLDCLASSFILIPINA ADVOCACY Cream Silk also welcomes to the family another World-Class Filipina who has paved the way for her countrymen to take on the world stage. With all her achievements, it is only fitting that Lea Salonga, the epitome of the World-Class Filipina, joins this advocacy.

Best known for her role as Kim in the Broadway musical Miss Saigon, Lea has established herself as a world-class talent as she

THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT

LEA SALONGA

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t a young age, Lea has always pursued her passion for theatre. As she grew up, her astounding vocals naturally grabbed the attention of numerous theatre enthusiasts from all over the world. Today, Lea is the first Filipina to have won a Tony and an Olivier. She was also named a Disney Legend. A loving wife and mother, Lea is the true epitome of a world-class Filipina as she proves that anybody can make it with exceptional beauty,

award-winning talent, and great confidence.

Here are some things that you may not have known about this amazing Filipina: 1. Her first role was at the age of 7 in the King and I production by Repertory Philippines 2. She was the first Filipina to win a Tony award for her role as Kim in Broadway musical Miss Saigon 3. She was also the first Filipino artist to sign with an international record label 4. She has played notable roles on Broad-

Cream Silk endorser, Heart Evangelista, shared how her exhibit at Chan Hampe Galleries in Singapore opened doors for her

won multiple awards, including a Tony. Her other accomplishments also include her portrayal first as Eponine and later on as Fantine in the 10th and 25th Anniversaries of the classic Les Miserables, accordingly. Lea has also been named a Disney Legend for her work as the singing voices of both Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, and the titular character in Mulan, and is currently set on her USA concert tour, performing at the Town Hall in NYC. Lea has proven that with superior beauty, exceptional ability and a winning confidence to conquer the world stage, there is nothing a #WorldClassFilipina can’t do.

The advocacy will be officially launched with the premiere of the short film, Cream Silk Portraits: Stories of World Class Filipinas on ABS-CBN and GMA7 on April 26, broadcasting to over millions of homes nationwide.

To take part in this worthy #WorldClassFilipina advocacy, like Cream Silk Philippines on Facebook and follow @CreamSilkPH on Twitter and Instagram.

way for so many years but her dream role is Eva Peron in Evita 5. Her getting the lead role in Miss Saigon didn’t sink in with her until opening night in New York City 6. She thought she didn’t have a chance in winning the Olivier, as she was nominated against Elaine Paige (who has played Eva Peron in Evita), Patricia Hodge, and Judy Kuhn 7. Lea took her brother as her date in the said awards night 8. Miss Saigon’s producers knew Lea was one of the best candidates for the role of Kim from the very first note she sang. The musical ran for 10 years on Broadway.

9. She was the singing voice for Mulan and Jasmine, but her favorite Disney Princess is Belle 10. Lea sang “A Whole New World” in the

Oftentimes, Filipinas hold back in the pursuit of their dreams because they tend to set limits to what they can achieve.

In these changing times, as the world gets smaller and starts to embrace diversity, the time is now for the Filipina to rise and take on the world stage.

65th Academy Awards. The same song won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Lea has become the #WorldClassFilipina we all know today because she believed in her dream and took it to the world’s stage. By honing her craft and working on it constantly, she has shown the world that the Filipina is a strong and talented woman, capable of achieving any goal, no matter how big it may seem.

To learn more about Lea and the rest of the Cream Silk #WorldClassFilipinas, Cream Silk Portraits: Stories of World Class Filipinas will be aired on ABS-CBN and GMA7 on April 26 to over millions of homes nationwide.

For more details, like Cream Silk Philippines on Facebook and follow @CreamSilkPH on Twitter and Instagram.

M O N D AY : A P R I L 1 3 : 2 0 1 5

C6

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

BACKSTREET BOYS TO WOW FANS IN MANILA

F

rom the early 1990s onwards, it dominated the music and entertainment world with their wonderful and captivating songs that reflected the sound and mood of the era and eventually led to the rise of one of the biggest and most spectacular musical phenomena –the boy band.

More than two decades and many hits later, this legendary pop group continues to shine, exuding the same brilliance and appeal that sold millions of records and drew sold-out crowds to its tours worldwide, a formidable figure in pop culture with an enviable legacy of hit songs for the present generation of fans to savor and enjoy.

Now, Backstreet Boys, the acclaimed as the best-selling boy band of all time, will have another blockbuster concert on May 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Billed as In A World Like This Tour, the one-night show to be presented in Manila

by Ovation Productions and Live Nation marks the second local appearance in three years of one of the hottest and most successful pop acts in the world as it showcases its exhilarating and awesome sounds

through an array of its best-loved songs.

The group will set the audience on fire with its repertoire of hits like “I Want It That Way,” “Quit Playing Games With My Heart,” “Everybody (“Backstreet’s Back”),” “As Long As You Love Me,” “I’ll Never Break Your Heart,” “Anywhere For You,” “Larger Than Life,” “Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely,” “Shape Of My Heart,” “This Is Us,” “Never Gone,” “Unbreakable,” and many more.

The popular American boy band was last seen in Manila in 2012 when it teamed up with another pop legend, New Kids On The Block, to form the super group known as NKOTBSB which headlined a one-night sold-out gig on June 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena, also produced by Ovation Productions, as part of its 2011-2012 international tour.

Formed in 1993 in Orlando, Florida by Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Litrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson, Backstreet Boys first attracted worldwide attention with its self-title debut international album (1996), its second international album, “Backstreet’s Back” (1997), and its debut album in the US.

Backstreet Boys perform in Manila for the second time in May at Mall of Asia Arena

It soared to greater heights with the album, “Millennium” (1999) and its follow-up album, “Black & Blue” (2000).

“Millennium” entered the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart at No. 1, having sold 1,134,000 copies on its first week of release, with nearly 500,000 copies on its first day out in the US alone, to emerge as the best selling-album of 1999 in the US with total sales of 9,445,732 copies.

It remained on the Billboard chart for 93 weeks, selling over 12 million copies in the US and being certified 13 times platinum.

KARAOKE MEETS SPOTIFY

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usic-loving Filipinos are in for a major treat as Spotify recently unveiled a new feature that allows users to sing-along to their favorite tunes, karaoke-style, using the Spotify app.

The latest app integration is making lyrics a seamless part of the Spotify experience on desktop. Powered by Musixmatch, the world’s largest lyrics catalogue, the ability to sing along to one’s favourite tunes is just a click away.

Customers just need to cue up any song and hit the new Lyrics button, located next to the play bar, to start singing along with the lyrics. They can also search and browse popular lyrics from Spotify’s top songs using the Explore feature.

As Spotify’s exclusive telecommunications partner in the Philippines, Globe Telecom is currently offering access to the music streaming service to its customers at affordable rates. With Spotify Premium standalone promo of only P129 for 30 days, users get access to ad-free listening experience, play any song on-demand, listen to the highest audio quality, and download music and listen offline.

Globe Telecom’s Issa Cabreira

“Filipinos are known for their love for music and karaoke the latest sing-along feature on Spotify will surely provide a wonderful music experience that will be inherent to any Pinoy. With the karaoke feature, Globe customers on Spotify will now be able to sing-along to their favourite tunes without going to a karaoke bar and spending more,” Globe Senior Vice President for Consumer Mobile Marketing Issa Cabreira said.

In addition to providing better sing-along experience, Spotify is also rolling out to desktop users its latest updates: Its new and improved Friend Feed makes it easier than

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 45 48 49 50 52 57 58 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Quiet 5 Cal Tech rival 8 Oil-lamp cord 12 Diva’s tunes 14 Mongolian desert 15 As to (2 wds.)

16 Daybreak 17 Entree choice 18 Long stopover 19 Of Henry VIII’s church 21 Mammals’ epoch 23 Youngster

24 25 26 30 32 33 37 38 39 40 42 43 44

Body part Took by the hand Greeted the dog Rap sheet info Severity What a sand dollar is (2 wds.)

Wednesday’s god Sorbonne site Waikiki’s island Very slim (hyph.)

Edible bulb TV’s — Gillis Punks

Passport datum Frankenstein milieu Good times Long overcoat Circling the globe One of a sinkful Reputation Auto-safety advocate Hunch Volt or watt Troll’s cousin Dispatched Gym pad Traffic sign

DOWN 1 Home, to Jose 2 Make — — for it 3 Duck tail?

4 Heavy hammer 5 Ghostly noise 6 “Big Blue” 7 Captain James — Kirk 8 Madison loc.

9 PC chip maker 10 I-beam lifter 11 Entered data 13 Volleyball player, at times 14 Not sad 20 Medieval hero El — 22 FitzGerald’s poet

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2015

24 26 27 28 29 30 31 33 34 35 36 38 41 42 44 45 46 47 49 51 52 53 54 55 56 59

Delon of film Freighter front Verdi opus Letters of relief Firmed up Hawk’s refuge Tea cake Bwana, in India Salon’s concern Flapjack chain Wimple wearers Circus man (2 wds.)

Cameo, maybe Holding the deed Round container Autobahn vehicles Coast along German industrial center Fume — does it!

Not mention Ecru and beige Elvis, to some Verne captain Got taller Santa — winds

The group debuted new material on a seven-week European tour that kicked off last Oct. 30, 2014 in Lisbon, Portugal in support of its album, “This Is Us,” which had its US release last Fall on Jive Records Backstreet Boys, which was named after Orlando’s flea market, is composed of Brian Litrell, Nick Carter, A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson.

Tickets are priced at P7,920, P6,870, P5,810, P4,760, P3,700, P2,640 and P930.

Tickets are available at all smtickets outlets or online through www.smtickets.com.)

ever to discover what friends and loved ones are listening to. Users simply have to scroll down the sidebar to see what playlists, songs and artists their friends and loved ones are enjoying.

Spotify is also revamping its charts by introducing daily viral charts, allowing users to use the most shared tracks, as well as local region based play counts. Additionally, all charts now feature indicators to highlight new music and how tracks are performing day by day.

“We’re excited to bring an update to one of our key platforms – one that makes the experience smoother and introduces some great features and integrations” said Dave Price, Director of Product at Spotify. “Following in the footsteps of previous successful app integrations such as Songkick, we’re thrilled to bring desktop listeners such a sought-after feature as lyrics,” he added.

The integration of Musixmatch brings one of the most popular apps into the main Spotify desktop experience, joining partners like Songkick and Topspin. Additionally, Spotify also has collaborated with BBC Playlister, Swarm, Digster, Filtr and others to create richer experiences that complement Spotify and help form new music experiences across its own platforms. The updates will roll out gradually to all desktop users over the coming weeks.

M O N D AY : A P R I L 1 3 : 2 0 1 5

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Bianca Umali denies rumored romance with co-star Miguel Tanfelix

C7

FOR SOME STARS, EDUCATION IS STILL IMPORTANT From C8

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UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ‘TEEN PRINCESS’ MONIKER Bianca Umali admits she’s not comfortable when people refer to her now as GMA’s JOSEPH PETER new Teen Princess GONZALES with the ratings success of her currently airing soap called Once Upon a Kiss.

“Honestly, I don’t see myself as one,” she says. “I don’t want it to go to my head. I’m simply thankful to my mother network for giving me the break. The same goes to the fans and all those who believe that I am worthy to be tagged as the Kapuso’s Teen Princess. I feel blessed!”

Because of her strong screen chemistry with Miguel Tanfelix, many of their followers wish that they extend their boob tube romance off-cam.

“Well, I’m grateful for their support to our tandem. We’re just new and it’s touching how they show their great love us. We won’t be where we are now if not for their patronage. For this, I’m so thankful to all of them.

“Meanwhile, when it comes to the aspect of romance, I say that we’re not yet there. We are special friends---yes, that’s what we are. I won’t deny that our friendship deepens in the passing of days due to our constant togetherness. Due to work, we get to know each other better every day. But that’s just it.

“Undoubtedly, I enjoy his company.

There are a lot of things we agree on. We jibe well. We have similar interests, the reason why it appears that we’re comfortable with each other.”

There is a rumor that she and Miguel allegedly go out on dates alone by themselves.

“Not true at all!” explains Bianca. “Yes, we go out but it’s always with a group, particularly our families. Maybe people don’t notice because we are the stars and the attention is on us two. But we are always with them.

“For example, this summer, our respective families are planning to embark on an outing together. Yes, we are okay.

We like to go to the beach. That is, if our schedule permits. But our taping sessions are heavy at this point. I wish we’ll be able to squeeze in time for the outing.

That would be nice.”

As a friend, the pretty star reveals that Miguel is special.

“He really is. Miguel is a nice guy, very gentleman. He knows how to make me happy…in his own way. He is close to my family and he has their trust.”

At their tender age, it’s nice that they know what their priorities are.

“Oh yes! At this stage, our career comes first. Not all showbiz newbies are given the chances that we have right now so might as well strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. There is also our education which needs our attention. As I’ve said, we don’t want to ruin our folks’ trust on us. First things first, as they say…”

GMA is supporting their love team fully.

“I know! That’s why Miguel and I do our best when it comes to our work. We are aware that expectations are high and we don’t want to fail the management. We are grateful that they are taking very good care of our love team,” ends Bianca.

HHHHH As proof of her rich artistic gifts, Solenn Heussaff is launching a book soon which she co-wrote with good friend Georgina Wilson.

“That’s right! We finished it in almost a year and a half. It feels good that finally, we are launching it,” she states.

What is the book about?

“Actually, it’s a sort of a ‘Thank You’ gesture to all our Instagram and Twitter followers. It’s our way of replying to all the support they’ve given us.”

The book talks about women empowerment.

“Yes! There’s much to be said about the said timely and important topic.

There’s a lot to learn about women supporting one another. Georgina and I, we continuously learn from our followers. It is fun and at the same time, enriching,” says Solenn.

oth Derrick Monasterio and Miggy Jimenez take their modules to work as they study in between takes. And their hard work finally paid off. They are now ready to take the next step.

Derrick is planning to take up law at San Beda College. And since he is busy with work, he knows that this will not be easy, “Nothing worth having comes easy, if you want to achieve something, you have to work hard for it.”

Miggy, who was recognized in school as the most talented and most behaved, believes that celebrities should still know the value of education. “This is something you cannot exchange for anything, and you should never give up on your dreams. Strive hard so you can make it,” the teen actor shares.

Renz Valerio did not only graduate, he was even given a special academic citation and academic excellence awards. On learning one significant lesson from school, he shares that it is only ourselves who can lead our way to success. He claims, “Success starts with you. I had to struggle my way to finishing high school because there were lots of trials, but I am thankful to have had them because they have given me the opportunity to know who my true friends are. It revealed people who will always be there for me, such as my family. With these challenges, I managed to strive harder and finish

high school with flying colors.”

Renz also shares that priorities should be well thought of, and education should always be on top of the list, “While your career may be something great, education will always be the greatest thing you will ever have. Always remember to have faith in yourself, because no one else will make the move for you. Lastly, have faith in God, because He always got good plans for each of us. It is just up to us on how we will reach the finish line.”

Finally, Charee Pineda shares her joy and pride after finishing her bachelor’s degree in Political Science. Aside from several showbiz commitments, Charee keeps herself busy in public service as she is currently a councilor in Valenzuela City.

For the Kapuso actress, being able to finish college amidst work difficulties is already an achievement and considers herself lucky to have supportive people in her life. “Communicating well and having an efficient support system, which are my family and staff, were and will always be best for me in dealing with work and school,” Charee closes.

The importance that these Kapuso artists give to having a good education serves as a much needed breath of fresh air to the industry. May they serve as an inspiration not only to their fellow celebrities but also to the rest of the young people to always keep their eyes on the prize.

Miggy Jimenez

More stars graduated this school year and among them are Derrick Monasterio

Renz Valerio Charee Pineda

C8

M O N D AY : A P R I L 1 3 : 2 0 1 5

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ While most stars ditched school in the past for a lucrative career in show business, young stars today are finding education to be the best fall back to their uncertain profession

Young stars are taking education seriously now. Some of them have graduated recently both in college and high school, including Ruru Madrid, Gabbi Garcia and Miguel Tanfelix

FOR SOME STARS, EDUCATION IS STILL IMPORTANT The stereotype is, actors or TV performers forget about getting an education because they are earning good money and for them that is more important than earning a bachelor’s degree or even getting a high-school diploma and even worse finishing grade school at least.

Well, these days that stereotype is being crushed slowly as more talents are becoming serious about finishing their studies.

At GMA Artist Center, some stars manage to put education in their list of priorities. Let’s meet those who graduated from school recently, and find out what’s in their mind about education.

Ruru Madrid considers education as the primary thing he should be focusing on.

He devotes time on studies, which helps him develop a sense of self-discipline. This has become useful to him at work since he knows how to manage his time wisely. He says, “Para ka ring nag-aaral kasi ‘pag nasa work. You have to memorize your lines and dapat maintindihan mo talaga yung instructions and yung gusto ninyong maachieve sa eksena. In a way, may similarity yung discipline ng acting and studying.”

School also taught Ruru a sense of achievement. He believes that dreams can only be achieved if one works hard for it.

“Lahat naman siguro kami ito ang pangarap, yung pumasa at maka-graduate. Pero hindi mo makukuha ‘yun ng basta-basta. Kaya ang sarap pala ng feeling na nakamit mo yung goal mo sa buhay because of hard work and perseverance. It makes your achievement sweeter kasi alam mong pinaghirapan mo.

Kaya, ito rin yung gagamitin kong motivation sa work ko as an artist. I really have to work hard and develop my craft para maging isang mahusay na actor.”

Ruru’s on-screen partner Gabbi Garcia also finished high school recently. She has

been a consistent member of her school’s student council and wants to continue with her studies to ISAH V. RED fulfill her dream of being a pilot.

She admits that time management can be a bit challenging for her, but her parents are always there to guide her. They appreciate all of her achievements and at the same time, keep her feet on the ground.

She, along with her fellow celebrities who are studying and working at the same time, wants to inspire the youth.

“I was taught that it is important to respect each and every one, as well as to be God-fearing. Being in the industry isn’t forever. Iba pa rin ‘pag nakapag-aral. If you really want to study while working, there will always be a way. You just have to be focused and determined in reaching your goal, and that is to graduate,” affirms the Kapuso actress.

Miguel Tanfelix finished high school this year. ,He shares his secret in maintaining balance between work and school.

“You have to plan your schedule for the week para alam mo kung kelan ka nasa work at ano yung time mo para magaral. Marami ka ring sacrifice na dapat gawin. Walang imposible pag ginusto mo, so you got to have to the right motivation to make it work. Pag nasa taping naman ako, I focus on the scenes that I have to do and the way I act. I guess the key is, you have to focus on what you do,” the Kapuso actor says.

It is a big help for Miguel that he didn’t get special treatment in school. He takes pride in having a normal life in school, and he feels glad to have a set of friends who supports him in both school and celebrity-related commitments. He claims that having this set up in school taught him how to deal with different people and develop self-discipline. Continued on C7

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