The Standard - 2015 May 01 - Friday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 73  3 Sections  32 Pages  P18  FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015  www.manilastandardtoday.com  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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Protests to mark Labor Day

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Leadership vacuum ails Reds—AFP

JAKARTA: WIDODO HEEDED ADVOCATES Next page

Countdown. WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather and WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao pose during a news conference at the KA Theater at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on April 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will face each other in a unification bouton May 2 in Las Vegas. AFP

TNT’s hard road to sweet victory

Fifty shades of fly cool for hot days

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Jakarta: Advocates saved her THE Indonesian government confirmed Thursday that it was a meeting with a local human rights group that swayed President Joko Widodo to grant a last-minute stay of execution to Filipino maid Mary Jane Veloso, who was scheduled to be executed Wednesday.

Ready for Labor Day. Members of the Kilusang Mayo Uno or May First Movement prepare streamers, giant posters and effigies for today’s Labor Day commemoration. Manny PaLMeRo

Manila to pursue clemency for Mary Jane

By Rey e. Requejo and Rio n. araja THE Philippine government will pursue its appeal for executive clemency from Indonesian President Joko Widodo, in the hopes of commuting the death sentence of Filipino maid and convicted drug trafficker Mary Jane Veloso, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Thursday.

De Lima said that since the order to execute Veloso remains, Manila is considering several options to help Veloso, whom it sees as a victim of human trafficking and illegal recruitment.

“Executive clemency doesn’t have to be in the form of a total pardon, it can be commutation of the death sentence,” De Lima said.

She said she has ordered prosecutors and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to study Indonesia’s laws and to see how the mutual legal assistance

treaty (MLAT) between the two countries might apply in Veloso’s case.

“We have to respect their legal processes in Indonesia,” De Lima said.

The Justice secretary said her department would also have to speed up the prosecution of Veloso’s alleged recruiter, Ma. Kristina Sergio, and her live-in partner Julius Lacanilao, who are now under police custody.

A preliminary investigation hearing is set for May 8.

The same charges against a third respondent, a man of African descent identified only as Ike, would be pursued in coordination with authorities in Malaysia, where he is reportedly based.

De Lima said she is ready to fly to Indonesia soon to explain to her counterparts, Indonesian AttorneyGeneral H.M. Prasetyo and Minister for Justice and Human Rights Dr. Amir Syam-

suddin, the legal process in the Philippines.

She said she expected the Indonesian government to suspend Veloso’s execution indefinitely, or until the completion of the case against Sergio and Lacanilao.

De Lima added that their surrender to the government showed the Indonesians that cases against them could now be seriously pursued.

She also rejected a suggestion that Velosos case be brought before an international tribunal.

“Let’s not talk about that at this point because what’s important for now is that we respect the laws and legal processes of Indonesia,” said De Lima.

“Let’s have mutual trust with them, especially that they are our ASEAN neighbor and partner. This case must not at all affect the good relations between the Philippines and Indo-

nesia,” she added.

Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta on Thursday said she has accepted Sergio’s case because she is jobless.

In a radio interview, Acosta asked the public not to prejudge Sergio.

“According to television reporter Jasmine Romero, Sergio is jobless and very poor. We are income based (when we accept a case),” she said.

“We do not reject people seeking our help. That is called inquest assistance or investigative assistance.”

Sergio was accused of illegally recruiting Veloso and duping her into carrying illegal drugs into Indonesia.

A police official said the West African Drug Syndicate is likely the group behind the smuggling of heroin seized from Veloso by airport security at the Indonesian airport in 2009.

“The decision to delay the death penalty was taken after the President received a report about the legal process that is running in Philippines,” the Indonesian Cabinet Secretariat posted on its official Twitter account, a day after the Aquino administration took credit for the temporary reprieve.

“Because the legal process is still running in the Philippines , so it must be ensured Mary Jane Veloso gets justice,” the secretariat said.

“President Jokowi hears and heeds the voice of human rights activists who continue to accompany him in performing his constitutional duties.”

“The President believes that the synergy of this kind must be maintained in the future. In cases of human rights, the President requested that the activists do not tire of commenting on thePresident in making decisions,” it added.

The Cabinet secretariat said Widodo had a meeting with three labor groups on April 28 and noted the “synergy” between the Widodo administration and human rights activists, who launched daily protests and an Internet campaign to save the life of Veloso.

On April 29, the Indonesian Attorney General’s Office said Veloso was given a temporary reprieve from her scheduled execution on Wednesday morning after her alleged trafficker, Maria Kristina Sergio, surrendered to the police.

AGO spokesman Tony Spontana said the Philippine government had said Veloso was needed to testify as a witness as she was one of Sergio’s alleged human trafficking victims.

Veloso, who was arrested in 2010 after she was caught with 2.6 kilos of heroin in her luggage at the Adisucipto Inter-

national Airport in Yogyakarta, was among nine death row inmates slated to be executed in the early hours of Wednesday.

Despite international pressure, the government executed eight death row prisoners early on Wednesday on Nusakambangan prison island near Cilacap in Central Java.

The eight others were Indonesian Zainal Abidin, Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte, Nigerians Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise, Raheem Agbaje Salami and Okwudili Oyatanze, Ghanaian Martin Anderson.

The Palace took credit Wednesday for obtaining Veloso’s stay of execution, but a migrant workers group in Indonesia said a meeting they had with Widodo might have helped change his mind.

Anis Hidayah, executive director of Migrant Care Indonesia, said she met on Tuesday afternoon with Widodo, who unexpectedly asked about Veloso’s case.

Hidayah said they told Widodo that Veloso was a victim of human trafficking and that the same thing was happening to many Indonesian migrant workers abroad who face the death penalty.

Hidayah said they wanted to make sure Widodo was informed about the vulnerability of migrant workers, particularly those from the Philippines and Indonesia, to drug smuggling syndicates.

Widodo’s initial response was that other drug couriers would also claim that they were victims.

But Hidayah, who said she was crying when she talked to Widodo, told him, “If we kill the victims and tomorrow we find new evidence, how can we be responsible for this, after the execution?”

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Liberals set meeting to plan 2016 lineup PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III’S Liberal Party will soon convene its National Executive Council to discuss the LP’s political direction in the 2016 national elections, the party’s secretary-general said on Thursday.

Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento said the LP was elated over the fact that many notable names had been manifesting their interest to run for the Senate in 2016 under the LP banner.

But he was quick to say that everyone must go through the party’s selection process.

He was reacting to reports that actor Dingdong Dantes, Manila Vice-Mayor Isko Moreno and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista were among the many people who wanted to run for senator under the LP. “They are welcome to be part of the LP slate, but until the names of our candidates have been approved by the Party’s National Executive Council, nothing is official yet,” Sarmiento said.

He made his statement even as Aquino on Thursday remained

mum on the appointment of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II as the LP’s standard bearer in the 2016 elections.

He said he would make an announcement about the LP’s candidates at the end of June.

Roxas’ ratings in the surveys have been falling, but LP vice chairman Franklin Drilon insists he remains the LP’s presidential bet.

Sarmiento said the LP’s candidates for president, vice-president and senators “must have the approval of its National Executive Council which will convene soon.”

“Everything at this moment is speculation because we still don’t have any official line-up yet,” Sarmiento said.

“We have a selection process to observe and we will choose our candidates on the basis of this process.”

Sarmiento said they were still finalizing the date of the LP’s NEC convention but noted that it should be done before the end of the second quarter. Maricel V. Cruz and Sandy Araneta

Live-fire exercise. A US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter lifts a 155mm howitzer as it maneuvers near a mountain during a joint US-Philippine troop live fire exercise on the last day of their joint military exercises at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac. aFP

PNoy off to Cebu for Labor Day

By Sandy Araneta, Florante S. Solmerin and Vito Barcelo

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino will fly to Cebu today to mark Labor Day, but the Palace denied suggestions that this was to avoid protest rallies by workers’ groups in Metro Manila that have triggered a heightened police alert.

“The President has never avoided rallies or critical statements from our countrymen, whom he considers his bosses,” Communi-

cations Secretary Herminio Coloma said.

He added that the President has consistently worked for additional benefits for the labor sector since he assumed the presidency in 2010.

Among the achievements of the administration, Coloma said, were increased tax exemptions for bonuses and other benefits.

The Social Weather Stations reported that its recent survey showed that the number of unemployed Filipinos decreased by about 3.4 million in the first quarter of 2015 to about 9 million adults.

This resulted in a jobless rate of 19.1 percent, the lowest in four and a half years, the SWS said.

The SWS definition of joblessness differs from that used by the government, however, and the Philippine Statistics Authority figure is usually lower.

A spokesman for the Philippine

National Police (PNP) said they would be on hieghtened alert on the eve of Labor Day. Thousands of workers are expected to flood major streets in Metro Manila to march to Mendiola to protest government policies on labor. Similar demonstrations are also expected in other cities and provinces across the country.

“The PNP is on heightened alert in Luzon and Visayas, and full alert in Mindanao, fully prepared and ready to address any peace and order situation that may arise anywhere across the country as the nation celebrates Labor Day,” said Senior Supt. Bartolome Tobias, PNP spokesman.

He urged organizers of the mass actions to police their own ranks against infiltrators and saboteurs who might take advantage of the situation.

“We assure [the pulbic] that there will be no confrontation, no

dispersal, and no use of compelling force if only public assemblies are held in accordance with law, and all actions are well within legal bounds,” Tobias said.

He said cameramen would be deployed in ares of engagement to document the actions of the police and the protesters.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said that with just over a year left in his administration, President Aquino has failed to fulfill his promises to millions of workers.

Forty-nine labor groups and workers organizations from the Nagkaisa coalition are scheduled to assemble at the Welcome Rotunda on España and march toward Chino Roces Bridge in Mendiola where they will assemble.

“Today is the fifth Labor Day under President Aquino. It comes a day after the stay of execution of Mary

Jane Veloso--one of the millions forced by non-existent jobs at home to brave the scary, lonely, and often fatal world of the overseas work. We are reminded of the 40 million other disenfranchised workers, who have seen how the man-made problems of our government can somehow escape being man-solved. How for the excluded basic social sectors there is still no one in government they can trust or run to. For them as the majority of Filipinos, the message to our President: This is just not acceptable; we can do better,” said Gerard Seno, TUCP-Nagkaisa vice president.

TUCP-Nagkaisa and other Nagkaisa labor coalition groups called off plans to seek an annual breakfast dialogue with the President, after he failed to deliver a workable and time-bound eightpoint policy agenda proposed by the group in 2012. With Macon

Ramos-Araneta

Pacman has eyes on the biggest prize

Tuition blues. Members of the League of Filipino Students protest at the gates of the Commission on Higher Education in Quezon City over the agency’s approval of tuition increases in the colleges and universities. Manny PalMero

WHEN boxing hero Manny Pacquiao finally calls an end to his historic career in the ring, he will have his eyes on a much bigger prize: the presidency of the Philippines.

The world champion, who will fight American Floyd Mayweather this weekend in boxing’s richest fight, has used the fame and wealth generated by his remarkable sporting feats to launch a successful political career.

The 36-year-old former street kid is now a second-term congressman, with publicly declared ambitions eventually to conquer one of Asia’s most chaotic and corrupt democracies.

Pacquiao confirmed his

presidential ambitions to AFP in 2013, but has since been coy about his political plans.

“Yes,” he said then when asked if he wanted to be President. “[But] it’s far away... it’s God’s will.”

In the run-up to the Mayweather bout, Pacquiao’s American promoter, Bob Arum, reignited Pac-the-politician talk when he said his client had a strategy laid out for a presidential run.

“He is going to be a president,” Arum told paparazzi website TMZ. “He is going to run for the Senate of the Philippines in 2016 and then 2022 or maybe

later he’ll run for president.”

Although he is almost unanimously adored in the Philippines for his exploits in the ring and widely admired for his sportsmanship, there are doubts about whether he has what it takes to be President.

Pacquiao has the dubious distinction of having the worst attendance record in Congress last year, raising questions as to whether he is truly committed to helping his constituents.

Pacquiao was present in only four of 70 session days in 2014, according to parliament attendance records. They also showed he authored only four bills, none of which passed into law. aFP

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DFA exec slips in repartee vs China

By Vito Barcelo

Getting back on track. Workers of the Philippine National Railway work on a stretch of rail at the Magallanes area in Makati City after several 80 people were hurt when coaches derailed on Tuesday. DANNY PATA

Leadership vacuum ails Reds—military

By Florante S. Solmerin SAYING security forces have arrested 79 high-ranking communist leaders in recent years, the military claimed it has dissipated the cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army and has caused a leadership vacuum in the communist movement.

“Even before the arrest of the Tiamzons, the CPP-NPA[National Democratic Front] is already dwindling organizationally and ideologically,” said Armed Forces chief of staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. Catapang was referring to CPP Chairman Benito Tiamzon and his wife, CPP secretary general Wilma Austria-Tiamzon, who were arrested along with five others on

March 22, 2014 in Barangay Zaragosa, in Aloguinsan, Cebu.

“Their arrest had further aggravated this set back because of leadership vacuum from the top. Some of their leaders are now confused and they opted to temporarily lielow or ask for vacation by going to the cities or to their families,” Catapang said.

“This is the trend because some of these vacationing rebel lead-

ers fell into our hands. Once they come out from their lair, the first thing they realized was lax of security after their arrest,” he added.

According to a “confidential” document obtained by The Standard, nine communist leaders from the national, regional and front levels were either arrested or killed during intelligence and combat operations by the military and police from January to March 31 this year alone.

From 2011 to 2014, according to the document, a total of 70 communist leaders were neutralized from armed encounters with government troops and the list indicates that some of these communist leaders chose to surrender.

In 2012, 10 rebel leaders arrested and this was followed by 19 in 2013 and 34 in 2014.

Catapang welcomed the sug-

gestion of NDF chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni to resume peace talks with the government in May. In making the announcement, Jalandoni said the armed strength of the NPA has reached 10,000, more than double the military estimate of about 4,000 fighters.

“That’s part of the CPP-NPANDF propaganda to bloat the number of their NPA comrades,” said AFP spokesman and Civil Relations Service chief Brigadier General Joselito Kakilala.

“Over the last 10 years, more particularly the last five years the NPA had lost and continues to lose what they called their ‘mass base’ as a result of the extensive implementation of the AFP’s Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan,” Kakilala said.

De Lima’s ‘selectivity’ scored

By Maricel V. Cruz THE opposition United Nationalist Alliance on Thursdsy scored Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for not prioritizing the filing of cases against those who abused the Priority Development Assistance and the Malampaya funds.

“In 2013, she was rushing to file the first and second batches of PDAF cases, as well as the first batch of the Malampaya fund, but now she says the third batch of PDAF and second batch of Malampaya cases are not priorities?,” UNA interim president Toby Tiangco asked.

“It’s amazing that the administra-

tion is no intent on pursuing people they claim had abused public funds,” he added.

Tiangco said De Lima is clearly excluding members of the administration who have been linked to the PDAF and Malampaya anomalies as she already hinted at the possibility of running for the Senate in 2016 under the Liberal Party.

“We now see the truth in Secretary De Lima’s remark that there will be no exemption in the campaign against corruption,” the Navotas lawmaker said.

Tiangco said it has been a year and seven months since the first case was lodged, and the people

are still waiting for information on those who will be charged this time.

Tiangco added that the first three charges reeked of selective persecution of those not allied with the ruling Liberal Party.

Tiangco has previously accused De Lima of having a double standard in their investigations.

“We are aware that members of the Liberal Party who were recipients of the Malampaya Fund, PDAF and even DAP, are being shielded from the investigation. This only goes to show that de Lima is not keen on sending to jail allies of the President,” Tiangco said in October 2013.

AFTER losing some ground in the just-concluded summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations, China lashed back at the Philippines and said Manila was the first to build an airport in the Spratlys.

But observers at the Department of Foreign Affairs said spokesman Charles Jose might have said a mouthful when he countered Beijing’s claim by saying said in a press briefing: “We’re not even doing anything with our airports here, what more in the Spratlys?”

Jose meant that Manila has already an existing airport on Pag-asa Island which was constructed prior to the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002.

“Anything you do after that is already a violation,” Jose said of the Chinese reclamation activities.

Pag-asa island is located 480 kilometers off southwestern Palawan, is the largest occupied by the Philippines, and the second largest island in the whole of Spratlys. It is the only Philippine-occupied island in the Spratlys that is inhabited by civilians, a population of about 200, Jose said.

“One thing that we have to determine are the dates when these reclamation activities have taken place,” Jose said.

“What we want to do is undertake some repairs and maintenance of the existing runway. But the Chinese claimed we are ‘building in the area.’ We’re not even doing something with our airports here what more in the Spratlys?” Jose said.

Manila International Airport Authority spokesperson Connie Bungag declined to comment on Jose’s statement saying nothing is being done to repair the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei had earlier said the Philippines and Vietnam are building airports on Chinese territories.

High profile case. Public

Attorney’s Office chairman Persida Acosta accompanies her client Ma. Cristine Sergio, who supposedly sent Mary Jane Veloso to Indonesia where Veloso was caught with heroin in her luggage.

MANNY PALMERO

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A5 Death penalty revival opposed

By Macon Araneta

SENATOr Francis “Chiz” Escudero is keeping a firm stand against the reimposition of death penalty in the Philippines, expressing hope that the government will help in the global action to abolish death penalty as punishment for any crime.

Escudero said that it is the certainty of punishment that will deter criminals from plying their trade rather than the re-imposition of the death penalty.

At the same time, he urged the government to exhaust all legal means for the pardon or commutation of the death sentence on Mary Jane Veloso, who got a reprieve from the Indonesian government shortly before her scheduled execution along with eight other peoWar games. A US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter prepares to land near armored personnel carriers during the US- Philippine live fire exercise on the ple for drug-related crimes.

Escudero said there last day of the ‘war games’ held at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac on April 30, 2015. The Philippines says it will soon ask the United States for more military should be no let-up in the equipment and training to build its defenses as it faces Chinese “aggressiveness” in disputed waters. AFP Philippines’ efforts to save Veloso. “The same is true with other distressed Filipinos in the different parts of the world,” he said.

There are about 13,000 to 14,000 distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) languishing in prisons in various parts of the world, he said.

With this number, he pointed out that the “current P100 million budget nila ticket cost is around tion about Oman amnesty allocated to DFA for legal

By Ronald O. Reyes P25,000,” he said. is a must but issuance of a assistance to OFWs is eviWhile Monterona claimed guideline how to avail is also dently not enough to reach While stranded Filipino workers welcomed the amnesty granted that Philippine government a big help. And this should to as many OFWs in need of is wanting, he come from the concerned assistance.” by the Sultanate of Oman, a migrant rights group lambasted the assistance urged embassy officials to Philippine embassy and laHe said he believed that Aquino administration for not having its comprehensive repatriation have “a mechanism be put bor officials in Oman after whether it’s right or wrong in place for those who do not they’ve got all relevant infor- and regardless of the victim, assistance for illegal workers. have the means to provide mation about the amnesty,” as long as one is a Filipino, he said.

“Not all OFWs have the onard Monterona, regional mented OFWs may avail of their own airfare.” he should be entitled to due “Undocumented OFWs in Monterona then asked process and should be promeans to support their re- coordinator of Migrante in Oman’s amnesty,” he said, patriation. Undocumented Middle East. adding that an estimated Oman have been asking us the Department of Foreign tected by the foreign affairs OFWs are in deplorable situOman’s Ministry of Man- 150,000 OFWs are working for help to regularize if not Affairs and the Department department. allow them to be repatriated of Labor and Employment ation with no regular job, if power officially announced in Oman.

He likewise cautioned not no job at all for months a three-month amnesty pe“Upon registration, un- without penalty. The Oman and their respective posts Filipinos who are bound or even years. So how could riod for all undocumented documented migrant can amnesty is an opportunity, in Oman “to come up a blue for overseas work to be exthey raise an amount for migrants from May 3 to July avail a travel permit to their and this should be availed print that will provide assist- tra careful and be wary of their airfare and other ex- 30, according to Monterona. country of origin without by all undocumented mi- ance to all undocumented people who may dupe them OFWs so that they could into transporting contrapenses related to amnesty “The group estimated penalty or any fines. One- grants,” Monterona said.

“Information dissemina- avail the amnesty.” formalities ?” said John Le- that at least 3,000 undocu- way flight Oman to Mabands.

3,000 migrant workers seek amnesty in Oman

PNoy warns would-be PNP chief: Brace for turbulence

By Sandy Araneta PrESIDENT Benigno Aquino III says he wants the next Philippine National Police chief to brace himself and his family before the appointee’s world becomes chaotic the moment an announcement is made.

In an interview in Bacolod City where he attended the inauguration of the Negros First Cyber Center, Aquino said he would first like to express his understanding to those who would be des-

ignated to vacant positions like the PNP, Bureau of Corrections, Commission on Elections and the Department of Energy.

“For instance, the Chief PNP, the minute that I mention his name, there are maybe, several detractors preparing and many ‘sipsip’, so his world would be turbulent,” said Aquino.

The President said he was just finalizing the steps so that as much as possible, there can be least disruption in the PNP hierarchy, which

means they will not resort “to replacing and replacing” the PNP chief.

Aquino has not yet designated a replacement for resigned Director General Alan Purisima who quit his post after the botched Mamasapano operations which claimed the lives of 67 people including 44 members of the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF).

The President said he has also warned the person he will name to the BuCor that the job at the National Penitentiary is “bloody”.

Nepal-bound. The Philippine Red Cross medical team composed of two volunteer doctors from Makati Medical Center and three volunteer nurses from PRC chapters left for Nepal on Thursday. The team will join the contingent from the Canadian Red Cross who will set up an emergency field hospital to provide emergency medical care to the vulnerable population affected by the earthquake.

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Poll inspectors’ lack bared

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

A teAchers’ group on thursday said that the commission on elections may be facing a severe shortage of 120,000 public teachers who can volunteer as board of election inspectors in the 2016 polls.

Teachers Dignity Coalition national chairman Benjo Basas said that the shortage can offer Congress a chance to push for the immediate approval of a proposed bill that would scrap the mandatory election service for public teachers.

At the sidelines of an election forum, Basas admitted that as many as 120,000 public teachers who refused to

render their services to work as BEIs due to their said experience like delays in payment for their honoraria and allowances; lack of occupational hazards and injury pay; undue harassment; electionrelated violence; and lack of option for teachers to serve or not in the elections.

Basas was talking about the proposed House Bill No. 5412 also known as the

Election Service Reform Act which makes election service non-cpmpulsary for public school teachers, giving them the choice whether or not to serve as poll workers in elections The bill also provides institutionalized benefits, legal assitance, and service incentive leaves for those serving as BEIs. Basas said that his group was pushing for the bill in order to institutionalize government assistance to those serving as poll workers entitled to as medical and death assitance for election-related risk, legal assistance and legal indemnification.

“Many teachers have been subjected to lawsuits from losing candidates in the

past,” Basas said.

Chairman of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms Rep. Fredenil Castro said that his committee has studied the matter carefuly and believes it is time to give teachers freedom to choose.

“Our teachers are generally willing to serve but we should allow them to make that decision and not use the powers of the State to impose on them,” Castro said, calling on the House of Representatives to join him in pushing for ESRA. Center for Political Economy Foundation for Economic Freedom Jonathan Malaya said that the usual concern is that such bill

will lead to depletion of BEI volunteers once BEI service is made optional for public school teachers.

Malaya explained that a major feature of the bill is to improve both availability and quality of BEI personnel.

“The package of benefits offered to BEI personnel, from option out of BEI services, institutionalized benefits, is primarily intended to attract BEI personnel not just from the teachers’ sector but from various sectors of the society.

Philippine Public School teachers’ Association legal counsel Randy Pablo said that the bill provides the Comelec to appoint private school teachers; Comelec accredited poll watchdog or

citizen arms and non-government organization; and any citizen of known probity and competence who is not involved with any candidate or political party.

Legal Network for Truthful Elections member lawyer Takahiro Kenjie Aman expressed hopes that the bill would be approved on second reading when Congress holds session from May 4 to June 11.

ESRA was filed by Castro, and his colleague in the House, representatives Antonio Tinio, Regina Ongsiako Reyes, Erlinda Santiago, Eric Olivarez, Lawrence Fortun, Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo, Harlin Abayon, Nicasio Aliping, and Emmeline Aglipay.

MRT riders bugged by glitches

By Joel Zurbano

Runway repair. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has extended the notice to airman issued on Kalibo International Airport due to

ongoing runway repairs. Kalibo, one of the busiest airports and gateway to world famous Boracay island, operates on a 24/7 basis servicing an average of 38 domestic and 20 international flights daily. ERIC APOLONIO

Comelec eyes options, bucks no-el RuLING out the possibility of a return to manual system of voting, the Commission on Elections is considering two things: purchase 63,000 optical mark reader machines or look for another company who can repair the 81,000 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) units.

During a special commission en banc meeting on Thursday, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that the four senior officials have decided to drop the Transparent and Credible Election System (TCrES), a hybrid of the manual and automated election system. TCRES was espoused by former elections commissioner Gus Lagman.

“The commission en banc

specifically said that we will automate. The Comelec is determined to automate the elections and the manual elections is not being considered for now,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez said that the body is also looking at holding two separate bidding for the procurement of 63,000 OMR units and for the diagnostic and repair contact of 81,000 PCOS machines.

Jimenez assured the public the Comelec has enough time to hold another bidding process for those two contracts.

Asked if the Comelec has enough funds to purchase new machines, Jimenez said his agency has enough savings to cover such expenses.

Jimenez said that they

may use their P3-billion savings for the building of new Comelec office.

The 63,000 OMR units are an addition to the 23,000 OMR machines that are still in the bidding process with the Smartmatic-Total Information Management (Smartmatic-TIM).

The Comelec Bids and Awards Committee is already conducting post-qualification evaluation of the bid of Smartmatic-TIM for the supply of the 23,000 OMR machines to be leased for the 2016 polls.

Jimenez said he could not give a specific date when the final decision will be arrived by the Comelec en banc as the deliberations is still ongoing. Sara Fabunan

High tide. Youngsters enjoy a swim in the muddy overflow waters over Jones Bridge which is under construction. LINO SANTOS

COMMuTERS experienced another glitch on Metro Rail Transit (MRT3) after a southbound train stalled before reaching Cubao station Thursday morning.

The glitch prompted the MRT management to operate half-line trips, carrying passengers only from Shaw Boulevard station in Mandaluyong City and Taft Avenue station in Pasay City for about two hours.

The train stopped around 6:15 a.m. between Kamuning and Cubao stations because of track brakes malfunction, MRT general manager Roman Buenafe said.

Because of the disruption, irate passengers going south, who endured long lines at the North Avenue station for more than one hour, were forced to take other means of transportation to reach their destination.

Some assengers going to North Avenue had to rush to get a refund of their tickets at the Guadalupe station in Makati City after learning that the trips would be until the Shaw Boulevard Station only.

The MRT resumed normal operation after two hours.

The half-line limit operation (from North Avenue to Shaw Boulevard) also happened in August 2014 because of the flooded underground tracks between Ayala and Buendia stations.

Last week, thousands of commuters were stranded and endured long lines at several MRT stations for almost an hour when six trains had to stop on their tracks due to an air-conditioning malfunction.

About 10,000 passengers were affected by the said glitches that appenedon April 21.

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Cauayan declared the first ‘Smarter City’ in RP

By Macon R. Araneta

Happiness. A boy and his friends enjoy the water at a resort in Barangay Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. REVOLI CORTEZ

Iraya Mangyans in Galera get reprieve from eviction

By Robert A. Evora

PUERTO GALERA, Oriental Mindoro— Iraya Mangyans in this town obtained a reprieve from the municipal government after Mayor Hubbert Christopher Dolor deferred their eviction because of lack of preparation.

The 47 Mangyan families had been given a deadline of April 30 to leave their homes in the 10.4-hectare highland village of upper Sitio Lapantay, Bgy. Villaflor to give way to the construction of a P66-

million Categorized Waste Disposal Facility/Landfill Project.

The tribesmen had protested the project, walking out on a meeting called by National Commmission on

Indigenous Peoples provincial director Karen Ignacio on April 15. They refused to sign Resolution Blg. 012015 prepared by the NCIP agreeing to accept benefits from the Puerto Galera local government and their eventual relocation.

The local government had announced that it would relocate the Mangyans beginning today (May 1) but it was not able to adequately prepare for the transfer.

The plan remains, however. “When everything is

ready, we will implement their relocation,” Dolor told The Standard.

According to Bibo, there are four reasons why they do not want to leave Sitio Lapantay. “It is our ancestral land, it will contaminate the purity of the scenic 423-foot Tamaraw Falls, the source of our drinking water, the source of their livelihood based on agriculture, and the presence of two school buildings being used by 50 Mangyan pupils.”

Mayor Dolor also clarified earlier reports that his administration was evicting. He was only relocating them to another site.

“There is a big difference between the words eviction and relocation.”

Dolor also explained that the putting up of the waste disposal project was the wish of the majority of Puerto Galera population “since Puerto Galera is a booming tourist town that waste disposal is a big problem.”

CAuAYAN City in Isabela, Cagayan Valley was declared as the the first Smarter City in Region 2 and the first among 144 cities in the country.

The announcement was made by Department of Science and Technology Sec. Montejo during the recent Region 2 leg of DOST’s “Science Nation: Agham na Ramdam” nationwide roadshow.

Cauayan City is also the first local government unit in the region to unite all its barangays in implementing Juan Time—a DOST campaign for the synchronization of all watches, clocks, and time setting devices in the country, including office bundy clocks, to abide with the Philippine standard time.

Juan Time likewise aims to promote a culture of punctuality among Filipinos. under the DOST Smarter Philippines Program, a smarter city means that a city has put in place enough ICT (information communication technology) infrastructure instrumented through the merging of data, interconnected through networks, and intelligent through data trends.

Among Cauayan City’s ICT-based technologies is the Electronic Government Application System or eGAPS, a mobile app for iOS or androidbased phones containing tourist information.

Also included is the Cauayan City Patrol, the Cauayan City Identification System which serves as a valid government ID, a systematic and computerized police clearance process, a mobile library with laptops and internet connection among others, and an interactive government website (http:// cityofcauayan.gov.ph/) featuring e-services.

Yolanda-hit farmers reclaim land

By Ronald O. Reyes

History re-enacted. Actors playing Queen Juana and Rajah Humabon carry the Sto Niño image introduced by Magellan to the natives in Cebu. RALPH PIEZAS

TACLOBAN CITY—At least 21 farmers in Leyte on Thursday decided to claim their rights to their land from which they were driven out by typhoon Yolanda.

The land, according to a group of farmers, had been awarded to them in 1999.

“The farmers are under the Bugho Farmers Association comprising the uninstalled farmer beneficiaries in the 25 hectares of the land in the village of Matica-a, in Ormoc,” Baby Reyes, project coordinator of land rights advocacy group Rights-Network who is helping the group, told The Standard.

According to Reyes, there were originally 31 holders of Certificate of Land Own-

ership Awards who were installed by Department of Agrarian Reform in 1999.

The number has gone down to 21 today.

“Some were already dead while a few have already transferred residences as they were greatly demoralized by the snail-paced action of DAR on our problems and issues,” said Rosenda Apay, president and spokesperson of the farmer group.

According to Apay, the former farm workers “who drove us out and who are now occupying the farms, were not identified by DAR during the process of identification of potential farmer beneficiaries 16 years ago.”

“On December 26, 1999, when we were installed

by DAR, no protests from

any group of farm workers were heard. We were able to clear the land which was previously planted with sugar cane...convert it into rice farms, through manual method, as we do not have any farm machineries. We were able to make it productive and were able to harvest the first fruits of our labor,” Apay said in a statement.

Apay added that by their second cropping, a group of former farmworkers who also claim to be qualified beneficiaries of the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program started to harass them.

The Standard sought comments from DAR officials in Leyte, but they said they could not yet respond to the issue.

F R I D AY, M AY 1 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA EdiTor

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

virTUAl rEAliTy Tony loPEZ

A rich country

[ EDI TORI A L ]

EnErgy void eNerGY Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla left his Cabinet post amid a challenging energy outlook and high power rates. President Aquino must quickly find a successor, who will inherit the task of managing a delicate energy situation.

The rebounding economy has put a lot of pressure on the energy sector in the Philippines, with the power supply barely enough to meet the demand of residential customers, factories and office buildings. Aging power plants, many of them built in the 80s, have compounded the problem. enough power supply and reserves are not the only problem bedeviling the economy and investors. The costly electricity rates, one of the highest in Asia, have been a disincentive to both local and foreign businessmen. The cost of power often serves as the pivotal factor in investment decisions and may render local business operations uncompetitive against those in neighboring countries.

Several big companies in the past had considered the Philippines their preferred investment site. But when told of the higher power rates, the prospective investors left and looked elsewhere.

Petilla is also leaving his post at a time when the Philippines is making a big leap on green and renewable energy. Several wind farms, for one, have joined the power supply mix.

The government, in addition, is about to launch an ambitious $300-million e-trike program that aims to replace 100,000 gasolinefed tricycles around the country by 2016 and reduce carbon emissions in major cities. The Asian Development Bank-funded program is expected to jump-start a new industry in the transport sector.

Petilla’s successor, meanwhile, should be familiar with the country’s energy situation and an experienced manager. The current tight energy supply situation resulting from repair works on outdated power plants will test the management skill of the next energy secretary.

Lastly, President Aquino should avoid appointing politicians to the energy portfolio. energy or economic issues for that matter are best addressed in the context of which market forces are in play, and not with what is popular or not.

Credit-grabbing (2) lowdown jojo A. roblEs The fans of President Noynoy Aquino were quick to give all the credit to their idol. The facts coming out of Jakarta don’t really support their praise for Aquino’s supposed efforts.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he listened to local human rights groups before deciding to postpone the execution of Filipina death-

row convict Mary Jane Veloso.

And he told the Jakarta Post that he was not influenced by the Philippine government in making the decision at all.

Widodo admitted that he and Aquino talked about Veloso’s case when they met during the recently-concluded Asean leaders’ summit in Malaysia. he also said that “[t] here’s a letter from the Philippines [explaining about] human trafficking [involving Veloso],” but that was not the reason for staying her execution, either.

The official Twitter account

of Indonesia’s Cabinet Secretariat explained that an earlier account of how the decision was made that was attributed to Anis hidaya, head of the Indonesian workers’ rights group Migrant Care, was accurate. In a series of tweets, the secretariat said Widodo listened to what hidaya and her fellow rights advocates had to say about Veloso’s case in a meeting late Tuesday, before deciding to postpone the execution scheduled hours later early on Wednesday morning.

“President Jokowi listens

A9

The Malacañang propaganda machine can be expected to seize anything with the potential to make Aquino look good.

and pays attention to the human rights activists who keep guarding him in doing his constitutional duties,” the tweeted statement said. “In human rights issues, the President asks activists to keep giving inputs to him while making decisions.”

Indonesian officials did acknowledge that Aquino requested a stay of Veloso’s execution on the basis of new evidence that will be presented by the convict’s alleged recruiter, Maria Kristina Sergio.

But that information and the request that accompanied it were not the reason why the execution was postponed.

I agree that Aquino played

an important role in getting the message to Widodo that Veloso’s execution should be postponed. But to give all the credit to Aquino for Widodo’s decision and portraying the Philippine President as the only one who pulled the feat off (as the “I am proud of my President” posts in social media seem to be saying) is just plain wrong.

The time is long past when Filipino politicians can blatantly lie about their exploits abroad, where most members of the Manila-based media

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

cannot easily or quickly verify their self-serving fabrications. These days, with the help of the Internet and if one is so inclined, it’s a lot easier to get at the truth – or at least to get a clearer picture of it.

Of course, for the fans of Aquino, the truth isn’t as important as reaffirming their own flagging faith in the President. And I get that Aquino should grab at any chance presented to him to make himself look good – whether it’s inaugurating a

5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

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low-capacity bridge in Isabela, visiting the stock market and predicting absurd growth or claiming the lion’s share of credit for saving a deathrow convict in Indonesia.

These days, when opportunities to praise Aquino seem so hard to come by, the Malacañang propaganda machine can be expected to seize anything with the potential to make the President seem better than he really is. Just don’t call it the truth, okay?

Continued on A11

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

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

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

YeArS ago, one wag, to explain his flamboyant lifestyle, insisted the Philippines is a rich country pretending to be poor. At the time he said it, he was lying. Today, he would be telling the truth.

The Philippines is a very rich country. As a consumer market, the Philippines is the 12th largest in the market, with more than 100 million people. Considering that there are more than 200 countries in the world, the Philippines is larger than 188 countries of the world. Make no mistake about it, the Philippines is big-time.

In terms of size of the economy, in what you call the nominal GDP, the Philippines is 39th largest with nominal GDP of $285 billion.

In terms of GDP purchasing power parity – what the US dollar can buy in the Philippines in terms of output of goods and services, the Philippines is 30th largest with GDP PPP of $692 billion.

That means we are larger than 170 countries of the world. So wag po ninyo minamaliit ang sarili ninyo. Mayaman po tayo.

In terms of GDP PPP per capita, Filipinos have per capita income of $6,962. That is the amount of local goods and services our income can buy if that dollar income were spent here. At $6,962 per capita income, in PPP terms, we surely are highincome or middle-class.

Think of PPP this way: In the US, a Big Mac costs $6.25. In Manila, it costs only $3.29, almost onehalf. Your US dollar can double the amount of goods it can buy in the Philippines compared with what it can buy in the US. even in terms of Gross National Income (GNI) per capita – the income of each Filipino, including income from abroad, we are definitely middle-class at $3,419.

In the last 10 years, the per-capita GNI of the Filipino has doubled. In 2005, the per capita GNI was only $1,522. Today, it is $3,419, a whopping increase of 125 percent. This implies that the Filipino per capita income increases on the average by 12.5 percent per year. At this rate, in eight years, the per capita GNI will again double, to $6,838.

Continued on A11

Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco-Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

F R I D AY, M AY 1 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA EdiTor

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

virTUAl rEAliTy Tony loPEZ

A rich country

[ EDI TORI A L ]

EnErgy void eNerGY Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla left his Cabinet post amid a challenging energy outlook and high power rates. President Aquino must quickly find a successor, who will inherit the task of managing a delicate energy situation.

The rebounding economy has put a lot of pressure on the energy sector in the Philippines, with the power supply barely enough to meet the demand of residential customers, factories and office buildings. Aging power plants, many of them built in the 80s, have compounded the problem. enough power supply and reserves are not the only problem bedeviling the economy and investors. The costly electricity rates, one of the highest in Asia, have been a disincentive to both local and foreign businessmen. The cost of power often serves as the pivotal factor in investment decisions and may render local business operations uncompetitive against those in neighboring countries.

Several big companies in the past had considered the Philippines their preferred investment site. But when told of the higher power rates, the prospective investors left and looked elsewhere.

Petilla is also leaving his post at a time when the Philippines is making a big leap on green and renewable energy. Several wind farms, for one, have joined the power supply mix.

The government, in addition, is about to launch an ambitious $300-million e-trike program that aims to replace 100,000 gasolinefed tricycles around the country by 2016 and reduce carbon emissions in major cities. The Asian Development Bank-funded program is expected to jump-start a new industry in the transport sector.

Petilla’s successor, meanwhile, should be familiar with the country’s energy situation and an experienced manager. The current tight energy supply situation resulting from repair works on outdated power plants will test the management skill of the next energy secretary.

Lastly, President Aquino should avoid appointing politicians to the energy portfolio. energy or economic issues for that matter are best addressed in the context of which market forces are in play, and not with what is popular or not.

Credit-grabbing (2) lowdown jojo A. roblEs The fans of President Noynoy Aquino were quick to give all the credit to their idol. The facts coming out of Jakarta don’t really support their praise for Aquino’s supposed efforts.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he listened to local human rights groups before deciding to postpone the execution of Filipina death-

row convict Mary Jane Veloso.

And he told the Jakarta Post that he was not influenced by the Philippine government in making the decision at all.

Widodo admitted that he and Aquino talked about Veloso’s case when they met during the recently-concluded Asean leaders’ summit in Malaysia. he also said that “[t] here’s a letter from the Philippines [explaining about] human trafficking [involving Veloso],” but that was not the reason for staying her execution, either.

The official Twitter account

of Indonesia’s Cabinet Secretariat explained that an earlier account of how the decision was made that was attributed to Anis hidaya, head of the Indonesian workers’ rights group Migrant Care, was accurate. In a series of tweets, the secretariat said Widodo listened to what hidaya and her fellow rights advocates had to say about Veloso’s case in a meeting late Tuesday, before deciding to postpone the execution scheduled hours later early on Wednesday morning.

“President Jokowi listens

A9

The Malacañang propaganda machine can be expected to seize anything with the potential to make Aquino look good.

and pays attention to the human rights activists who keep guarding him in doing his constitutional duties,” the tweeted statement said. “In human rights issues, the President asks activists to keep giving inputs to him while making decisions.”

Indonesian officials did acknowledge that Aquino requested a stay of Veloso’s execution on the basis of new evidence that will be presented by the convict’s alleged recruiter, Maria Kristina Sergio.

But that information and the request that accompanied it were not the reason why the execution was postponed.

I agree that Aquino played

an important role in getting the message to Widodo that Veloso’s execution should be postponed. But to give all the credit to Aquino for Widodo’s decision and portraying the Philippine President as the only one who pulled the feat off (as the “I am proud of my President” posts in social media seem to be saying) is just plain wrong.

The time is long past when Filipino politicians can blatantly lie about their exploits abroad, where most members of the Manila-based media

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

cannot easily or quickly verify their self-serving fabrications. These days, with the help of the Internet and if one is so inclined, it’s a lot easier to get at the truth – or at least to get a clearer picture of it.

Of course, for the fans of Aquino, the truth isn’t as important as reaffirming their own flagging faith in the President. And I get that Aquino should grab at any chance presented to him to make himself look good – whether it’s inaugurating a

5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

CyAn MAgEnTA yEllow blACK

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

low-capacity bridge in Isabela, visiting the stock market and predicting absurd growth or claiming the lion’s share of credit for saving a deathrow convict in Indonesia.

These days, when opportunities to praise Aquino seem so hard to come by, the Malacañang propaganda machine can be expected to seize anything with the potential to make the President seem better than he really is. Just don’t call it the truth, okay?

Continued on A11

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

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

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

YeArS ago, one wag, to explain his flamboyant lifestyle, insisted the Philippines is a rich country pretending to be poor. At the time he said it, he was lying. Today, he would be telling the truth.

The Philippines is a very rich country. As a consumer market, the Philippines is the 12th largest in the market, with more than 100 million people. Considering that there are more than 200 countries in the world, the Philippines is larger than 188 countries of the world. Make no mistake about it, the Philippines is big-time.

In terms of size of the economy, in what you call the nominal GDP, the Philippines is 39th largest with nominal GDP of $285 billion.

In terms of GDP purchasing power parity – what the US dollar can buy in the Philippines in terms of output of goods and services, the Philippines is 30th largest with GDP PPP of $692 billion.

That means we are larger than 170 countries of the world. So wag po ninyo minamaliit ang sarili ninyo. Mayaman po tayo.

In terms of GDP PPP per capita, Filipinos have per capita income of $6,962. That is the amount of local goods and services our income can buy if that dollar income were spent here. At $6,962 per capita income, in PPP terms, we surely are highincome or middle-class.

Think of PPP this way: In the US, a Big Mac costs $6.25. In Manila, it costs only $3.29, almost onehalf. Your US dollar can double the amount of goods it can buy in the Philippines compared with what it can buy in the US. even in terms of Gross National Income (GNI) per capita – the income of each Filipino, including income from abroad, we are definitely middle-class at $3,419.

In the last 10 years, the per-capita GNI of the Filipino has doubled. In 2005, the per capita GNI was only $1,522. Today, it is $3,419, a whopping increase of 125 percent. This implies that the Filipino per capita income increases on the average by 12.5 percent per year. At this rate, in eight years, the per capita GNI will again double, to $6,838.

Continued on A11

Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco-Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

A10 IS STATE NEUTRALITY NECESSARY? Hilary Johnston, a Canadian, who is a PENSEES family friend—in her student days, she was FR. RANHILIO our house-guest as a CALLANGAN rotaract exchange stuAQUINO dent—commented on my column a week ago on Canada and public displays of faith. She sent me a copy of the decision of Canada’s Supreme Court that i immediately read. i will take up one pivotal issue. Neutrality, Canada’s High Court ruled, is compromised when public prayer is allowed, because it manifests the State’s preference for religion over non-belief, and religious liberty includes the right not to believe.

So, neutrality is incompatible with benevolence. The formula in Philippine jurisprudence is “benevolent neutrality”, and that, for the Canadian Supreme Court, would be a contradiction in terms.

That the free exercise clause—or whatever may be its equivalent in other charters—is the guarantee that all shall be left free in their beliefs: theist, atheist or agnostic, is fundamental. When you tamper with that, you prejudice an elemental liberty of the human person.

From this it follows that the Constitution, as the ultimate charter of liberties (apart from other things) guarantees free exercise. There cannot be any State-sanctioned limitation on belief. There can be no such thing as the legal parameters of belief. it is conceded that ‘practice’ may be subject to limits according to such criteria as ‘compelling State interest’. When your religious beliefs require you to shed off the artificiality of clothing, the ‘compelling Public prayer State interest’ test may reflects the fact enable state authorities to forbid you from that most Filipinos boarding a jeepney or find meaning in the MrT-lrT in the raw. (among other reaprayer. sons, what you put on public display may be aesthetically repulsive!)

But is it required of the State to be neutral in such a way as to exclude all forms of accommodation to religion? Neutrality is, in itself, not necessarily a juridical virtue and when French schools send a school girl home because her skirt is “too long”—in violation, it is claimed, of secularization laws—that is not neutrality at all! it is direct assault on religious liberty. Neutrality seems to be what is demanded so that none may be discriminated on the ground of belief or unbelief. We have, furthermore, in Britain an example of a democracy that maintains a state religion, with a head of state—no matter how nominal—as the head also of the church. and yet no one will seriously doubt that Britain is a democracy.

The crucial consideration therefore is whether every individual is free to believe as she chooses and to live in consonance with her beliefs. When the State effectively discharges its duty of being the “un-blocker of all blocks” to this freedom, then the requirement of allowing each as wide a range of liberties as is compatible with a similar latitude for others has been met.

The Philippine Constitution accommodates religion. its preamble invokes God. it exempts from taxation property used directly and exclusively for religious purposes, allows families to be founded and organized according to religious beliefs and provides for religious instruction in public schools during regular class hours at the option of parents. and yet no one in the Philippines, including agnostics and atheists, can responsibly claim suppression of belief (and non-belief ). it is quite one thing to require that liberties -- particu-

F R I D AY, M AY 1 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

MAY 1 TodAY MaNNy Pacquiao—our once police, killing one officer FILIPINO laborer and now richest coninstantly. Police drew guns, PENSIONER firing wildly. Sixty officers gressman, highest Filipino HORACE taxpayer, and eight-division were injured, and eight died; tEmPLO boxing world champion— an undetermined number might be wondering why of the crowd were killed or americans are not observing today as labor wounded.”

Day the way we and other nationalities do.

These events are now known as the Hayyet, it was there in america where May 1 market affair, and alternatively as the Hayfirst became an important day for all work- market Square riot, the Haymarket Tragers to commemorate. edy, or simply, the Haymarket Massacre. it all started when the american FederaBut why are the americans not commemtion of Organized Trades and labor Unions orating labor Day on May 1? declared May 1 in 1886 as the first eightThe U.S. Department of labor says that hour workday. “the first labor Day holiday was celebrated Bloody, tragic and unfortunate were the on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New york events that followed as a consequence of City” but on June 28, 1894 the U.S. Congress this declaration, but the progressive Euro- made the first Monday in September of each pean unionists and socialists immediately year a legal holiday in honor of workers. recognized the heavy price that their amerPerhaps this american preference to celican counterparts paid for in fighting for a ebrate labor Day in September has kept us shorter workday. from discovering that May 1 as labor Day They declared that beginning in 1889 and had american roots, and that it isn’t just a every year thereafter, May 1 would be com- day reserved for the exclusive celebration of memorated as international Workers’ Day. communists and socialists.

For us who were not able to witness these We first celebrated May 1 as labor Day events, the Encyclopedia of Chicago has ob- way back on May 1, 1903 when we were still jectively recorded that: a US colony. That day, about 100,000 work“On May 1, 1886, Chicago unionists, re- ers led by Dominador Gomez of the Union formers, socialists, anarchists, and ordinary Obrera Democratica de Filipinas marched workers combined to make the city the cen- from Plaza Moriones in Tondo to Malacater of the national movement for an eight- ñang. Demanding complete independence hour day. Between april 25 and May 4, work- from america, they also chanted against ers attended scores of meetings and paraded american capitalism and imperialism. through the streets at least 19 times. On Sat“To improve working conditions through urday, May 1, 35,000 workers walked off their protective labor legislation; locate work for jobs. Tens of thousands more, both skilled the unemployed and assist their families; proand unskilled, joined them on May 3 and 4. vide free education for workers’ children; asCrowds traveled from workplace to workplace sist sick members and those in distress; and urging fellow workers to strike. Many now ad- emancipate workers through saving and reopted the radical demand of eight hours’ work lated projects” were its main goals, according for ten hours’ pay. Police clashed with strikers to historian Melinda Tria Kerkvliet. at least a dozen times, three with shootings. at the time of the march, Gomez had “at the McCormick reaper plant, a long- recently replaced its first president isabelo simmering strike erupted in violence on delos reyes who was arrested earlier on auMay 3, and police fired at strikers, killing at gust 1902 for sedition, rebellion and “conleast two. anarchists called a protest meet- spiracy to raise the price of labor.” ing at the West randolph Street Haymarket, May 1 was made a national holiday later advertising it in inflammatory leaflets, one on april 8, 1908 by the Philippine assembly. of which called for “revenge!”

For us pensioners, the May 1 that we like “The crowd gathered on the evening of to mark was that in 1997 when President May 4 on Des Plaines Street, just north of Fidel ramos signed into law republic act randolph, was peaceful, and Mayor Carter 8282 or the Social Security act of 1997.

H. Harrison, who attended, instructed poSadly, the act’s provisions for higher benlice not to disturb the meeting. But when efits are hardly felt by members 18 years afone speaker urged the dwindling crowd to ter its enactment. ‘throttle’ the law, 176 officers under inspecFortunately, its passage triggered the tor John Bonfield marched to the meeting enactment on May 30 of r.a. 8291 or the and ordered it to disperse. revised Government Service insurance Continued on A11 “Then someone hurled a bomb at the act of 1977. larly religious liberties—be protected, and another to demand that the State be performatively agnostic or atheist. Our Constitution is not. To require of the State that it take on the posture of agnosticism, expunging all religion and religious expression from the public space, is also to disregard the option of most of the Filipinos. That most Filipinos remain God-believing and God-fearing should not be an impertinent fact if it be required that the State be agnostic. Public prayer reflects the fact that most Filipinos

find meaning in prayer. Whoever does not believe in prayer can remain seated or can busy himself with Candy Crush while the prayer is said. an unbeliever will be undisturbed in his unbelief—but i do not see why he should make it a condition for the enjoyment of his liberty that others not pray publicly as well! it is quite a different thing altogether when all government employees are required to participate at a First Friday Mass—but we do no such things.

Continued on A11

F R I d aY, M aY 1 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

adelle chua EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

anything wrong that happens to the economy. you know our standard villains—adB, World Bank, iMf. and lately, china.

The ofW remittances are growing by 6 percent per year. according to Bansan choa of i-remit, the $26 billion is only one-third of what the 12 million filipinos overseas actually earn, meaning our expats are making up to $75 billion annually, abroad.

The $26 billion remittances are equivalent to P1,150 billion or P1.15 trillion—which is nearly one-half of the government’s national budget.

What kind of impact does that money have on the economy? in 2011, the first full year of the aquino administration, his government refused to spend P147 billion of the national budget believing it would be stolen anyway. you know what happened? gdP growth was cut by more than half, from 7.6 percent in 2010 to just 3.7 percent. again in 2014, the government did not spend P160 billion of its budget—out of incompetence. as a result, economic growth slowed down, from 7.2 percent in 2013 to 6.1 percent in 2014, a reduction of 1.1 percentage points. That 1.1 percentage point reduction is equivalent to reduction in income for each filipino of $66 or P2,929 (at P44.39 to one dollar).

So P1,150 billion a year can create an economic miracle overnight.

But it does not. Why? Because the $26 billion or P1,150 billion a year is not being harnessed.

To induce investments. To build factories. To buy machinery and equipment. To create jobs. That is why unemployment remains at 7 percent per year and poverty at 26 percent of the population.

What happens is that the ofW money goes to consumption.

That is why consumption is the one fuelling economic growth. consumption is 79 percent of the economy. of every 100 pesos worth of goods and services, 79 pesos comes from consumption. of that 79 pesos, 12 pesos is contributed by government spending which in turn induces more consumer spending. household spending grows 3x faster than government spending. consumption is what filipino households spend. for food, for appliances, for cars, and yes, for houses. in 2014, households spent P1.149 trillion on housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels. That represents amortization of housing purchases, rent and payments for utilities. it is an increase of P87 billion or 9 percent.

The annual demand for cars is now 250,000 units.

The annual demand for homes 400,000 units— measured as percentage increase in population—2 percent of 100million equals 2 million, divided by 5, which is 400,000). yet, annual production of houses is no more than 200,000 units per year. So every year, there is additional shortage of 200,000 units added to some 4 million units housing demand overhang. in the meantime, what’s happening to the more than P1 trillion of ofW money coming in every year? it goes to consumption, of course. guys like henry Sy. SM today builds four to five malls a year. it used to be just one mall a year, then two malls, and as of two years ago, three malls a year. and now five malls this year alone. consumption also explains why henry Sy’s Bdo is the largest bank in the Philippines.

pel him by law and judicial decree, to worship in secret and to i fear most for the cognitive profess his faith only to himself dissonance that results from ju- and to others of like persuasion.

There will then, it seems, be ridical inclinations of the sort developed by canada’s Supreme different ways of translating into court and the nature of religion. juridical terms what religious libfaith provides the most compre- erty requires. What is clear though hensive level of significance for is that the Philippine constitution a believer: Everything, including does not lend itself to the french life as a citizen, has religious sig- version of laicite. neither do we nificance for a believer. it puts share the american position that the believer in a very difficult the first amendment forbids the and dissonant situation to com- State from endorsing religion. The

Philippine State is forbidden from endorsing a religion. What we maintain is that the State cannot favor one religion over the other, that a person is free to believe as he pleases (and this includes the freedom to disbelieve), and that it remains significant that the far majority of filipinos choose to believe!

A rich... From A9 Why do filipinos have so much money? four reasons: one, robust economic growth. Two, huge remittances. Three, rising BPo income. and four, a very high savings rate, about 31 to 32 percent of gdP. on a gdP of P12 trillion, a 32 percent savings rate is equivalent to P3.84 trillion or 3,840 billion pesos.

Since 1999, we have had 65 quarters of uninterrupted gdP growth.

That’s unprecedented in the history of this country and we were born in 1898. in the last four years, growth has accelerated, to 7.2 percent in 2013 and 6.1 percent in 2014. according to lorenzo Tan, the president-cEo of rcBc, we have seen a new paradigm for the Philippine economy—the three-year average growth of 6.7 percent is the highest since the 1950s; and the five-year average of 6.3 percent is the highest in 40 years. annual remittances amount to $26 billion from about 12 million filipino expats. These expats are not just “workers”. Many are professionals.

That is why the biggest source of ofW money is the United States, where most of our professionals are, and not the Middle East, where most of our “workers” are.

BPo, on the other hand, makes another $25 billion a year, and growing fast. it is predicted that by 2020, that’s five years from now, BPo dollar income will hit $48 billion a year, exceeding the income from ofW remittances. Thus, in five years, we will make from two sources alone—ofWs and BPo, more money each year, than the amount of our outstanding foreign debts—$58.6 billion as of 2013.

Meaning, we can actually be debtfree today—if we want to. But then, we will run out of scapegoats for

Is State..From A10

#failocracy

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rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

Credit... From A9 *** Speaking of creditgrabbing, a complaint has been lodged with the ombudsman for luzon against the mayor of Bayambang, Pangasinan who tried to palm off a privatesector effort as his own and who claimed he used government funds that were never set aside for it, as well.

The amount involved in the complaint filed against Mayor ricardo camacho may be a puny P364,380, but it illustrates why even the most civic-spirited of citizens simply give up on government because of the corruption that happens on a regular basis.

The complaint filed by businessman cezar Quiambao against the mayor of his hometown, where his flagship Stradcom corp. is the biggest local taxpayer and business enterprise, has to do with a plan of his for Bayambang to beat a guinness record for having the longest grilling station. To top the 6.2-kilometer record posted by Turkey, Quiambao shelled out P5.294 million to purchase a total of 8,150 barbecue grills which

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were to stand side by side and on which local residents would cook local tilapia simultaneously during the town’s annual “Kalutan Ed dalan” festival, which features grilled fish, a local specialty.

The record-breaking feat was accomplished in the presence of a representative of the guinness Book of World records, which officially certified it. But in a report to the commission on audit, Mayor camacho claimed that his local government bought the grills used in the guinness effort, saying official funds were used in purchasing 3,000 grills.

The report to coa is not only false, Quiambao said in its complaint, it also showed that the mayor misused official funds without so much as a public bidding. and now the mayor is in danger of being suspended for attempting to pocket taxpayers’ money and claiming credit that wasn’t his.

Because of the small amount involved, i can’t suggest that camacho be nominated for his own entry in the guinness Book. Maybe if he’s given more time and much bigger funds, he’ll get his chance.

May 1..From A10 The new law enabled gSiS to increase its pensions for government employees to a minimum of P5,000 and higher depending on actual salary unlike the SSS pension which is still pegged to a maximum salary credit of P16,000 and could be as low as P1,200.

Even if next year is a presidential election year, we do not expect anything significant to happen today unlike in past labor day celebrations.

Today is better spent by workers—still employed like you or retired like me—preparing for Manny Pacquiao’s fight of the century on Sunday.

chong ardivilla

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PH volley U-23 team debuts vs Iranians Games Today 12 noon—India vs Macau 2 p.m.—Uzbekistan vs Thailand 4:15 p.m.—Philippines vs Iran 7 p.m.—Japan vs Maldives

THE Philippines formally makes its international debut under a new federation when it battles Iran in the 1st Rebisco Asian Women’s U23 Volleyball Championship powered by PLDT Home and Smart Live More today at the Philsports Arena.

The Nationals will face an obscure Iranian side at 4:15 p.m. following the match between India and Macau at 12 noon. Uzbekistan and Thailand tangle at 2 p.m.

East Asian supremo Japan will battle Maldives, the last team to check in yesterday, in the 7 p.m. night cap.

Composed of the country’s brightest collegiate stars, the Philippines is expected to steal the thunder from other fancied delegates due to its deadly combination of speed and firepower, behind the hard-hitting duo of University Athletic Association of the Philippines and National Collegiate Athletic Association Most Valuable Players Alyssa Valdez and Gretchel Soltones.

Valdez, who carried Ateneo de Manila to a memorable title run in the previous UAAP season, is expected to serve as the pillar in the attack zone, while Soltones of San Sebastian College can also do damage on both ends, together with spikers Myla Pablo and Jaja Santiago of National University.

But head coach Roger Gorayeb admitted that they will be flying blind as Iran has been training in seclusion for the past few months.

“We have no idea how they play.

We haven’t seen any footage and we don’t have even a single scouting report about them. Nothing,” said Gorayeb, the architect of San Sebastian’s numerous title runs in the NCAA. “Yes, we will be facing a relatively unknown team, but we will be ready. We prepared hard for this tournament and I can assure our countrymen that we will give these taller Iranians a very good fight. We came up with a game plan that will counter the height and reach of the opponents, so rest assured that it will be actionpacked from start to finish. We will be ready, that’s for sure.”

Team captains, including the Philippines’ Alyssa Valdez (front, fifth from left) link hands a day before the Rebisco Asian Women’s U23 Volleyball Championship powered by PLDT Home and Smart Live More fires off at the Philsports Arena. ROMAN PROSPERO

Grizzlies finish off foes MEMPHIS—Center Marc Gasol scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 99-93 Wednesday to wrap up their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

The fifth-seeded Grizzlies will meet the top-seeded Golden State Warriors in the NBA playoff quarter-finals beginning Sunday in Oakland, California.

“It is going to be a tough battle,” said Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph on playing Golden State.

“We have got to be ready because it

is going to be a battle.”

In the other game Wednesday, Al Horford and Jeff Teague made key shots down the stretch and the Atlanta Hawks regained momentum in their series by beating the Brooklyn Nets 107-97 to take a 3-2 series lead.

The Grizzlies were without

Mike Conley who underwent surgery Monday to repair multiple facial fractures after taking an elbow to the face in the third quarter of a game three win in Portland.

Doctors had to insert several metal plates into the area surrounding Conley’s eye. He is expected to miss at least another week and maybe more time, said coach Dave Joerger.

Memphis guard Courtney Lee scored 20 points, Randolph finished with 16 points and eight rebounds while Jeff Green came off the bench to tally 10 points and

seven rebounds.

Portland reserve guard CJ McCollum scored 16 of his careerhigh 33 points in the third quarter.

Memphis led by seven points at the half then opened the third quarter with a 6-0 run. The Grizzlies also led 68-66 going into the fourth quarter.

The score was 76-75 Grizzlies with 7:28 left in regulation. Memphis then went on a 9-0 surge to go up by 10 on a jump shot by Randolph with 3:27 to go.

“I just tried to be aggressive and play smart,” said Randolph. AFP

Petron karting invades Puerto Princesa City KARTING invades scenic Palawan as ace karters dispute crucial wins to improve their standings for the titles at stake in third leg of the 2015 Petron Blaze 100 ROK Karting Super Series this Saturday at the newly built Shell-Palawan International Circuit in Barangay Sta. Monica, Puerto Princesa City.

Racing for the first time at the 1.350-km long, 8-10 meter-wide Shell-Palawan International Circuit evens the field for all participants, whose chances basically rely

on their talents, wits and strategy in this event sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines and sponsored by Petron, Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4, Petron XCS, Petron Ultron, Petron Xtra, Petron Sprint, Magnolia Pure Water and Yokohama the official tyres.

Fresh from a karting stint in Malaysia, front-running Gabe Tayao Cabrera and Jacob Ang of Eagle Cement gun for their third straight wins that will firm up their grip on the solo leaderships

McIlroy, Spieth off mark SAN FRANCISCO—World number one Rory McIlroy and Masters champion Jordan Spieth opened their WGC-Match Play Championship campaigns with easy wins Wednesday on a day of upsets at the new-look $9.25 million event.

Northern Irish star McIlroy carded just one birdie and 13 pars but was too good for Jason Dufner, winning 5&4 at San Francisco’s picturesque Harding McIlroy Park course.

“I think from tee to green I played really solid.

Didn’t really hole anything,” said McIlroy.

“I made birdie on the first hole and then made 13 pars after that. Jason didn’t have his best day but this is Match Play -- you just need to beat the guy in front of you and I was able to do that today.”

In-form Spieth, fresh from a scintillating start-to-finish victory at Augusta, had little difficulty in putting away Finland’s Mikko Ilonen 4&2.

Spieth said he had benefited after spending time working on his swing last week.

“It was a solid round, one bogey and I think seven birdies. I would certainly take it the rest of the week,” Spieth said.

“It’s good to get off to a good start. I played solid golf today.”

It was a sobering reality check for Ilonen, the lowest ranked player in the field who had only traveled to California as a reserve before entering the tournament when Phil Mickelson withdrew from the 64man field on Sunday. AFP

in their respective divisions.

Cabrera hopes to pull off another big win in the premier ROK Shifter Senior Max Diesel, even as he expects another tough dicings with former Karter of the Year VJ Suba, and Wayne Darvin of Team Total Racing.

Ang, on the other hand, aims to reassert his supremacy in the KF Junior Blaze 100 division against Tai Zulberti, Mikey Jordan, John Dizon, Sean Draeco McLelland and Larco Cortez of Formula-E Racing.

Carl Luig leads the cast in the com-

bined Formula SL Novice-Expert Xtra race that also includes Judy Cometa, John Dizon and Tai Zulberti.

Also hoping to duplicate their feats are Michael Jordan in the ROK Shifter Veteran Max Diesel over Jerry Choi and Philip Lao; Jericke Don Holganza in the ROK Novice Blaze 100 over brother Rhett Holganza; Rainier Tan; Onemig Bondoc; Larry Cortez and Chris Bendel; and Jerry Choi in the ROK Expert Blaze 100 division against Julius Milla, and Ben Stone.

Cagebelles get boost from Riley

By Peter Atencio WHEN the Philippine national women’s basketball team guns for its first-ever gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore this June, three of its big players will remember lessons they learned from WNBA star Ruth Riley.

The 6’5” Riley, a former member of the US Olympic women’s basketball, dropped by the national squad’s practice sessions and encouraged them to be at their best during the games.

Then, she had one-on-one talks with the team’s tallest

players, including 5’9” Claire Sambile.

Riley, who last played for Atlanta Dream before retiring because of an injury, taught three members of the team some of her post moves.

“I just encouraged them. I know they came close to winning the gold twice,” said Riley.

The national women’s squad, through the years, has won a total of eight silvers and five bronze medals in 16 stagings of the biennial event since 1977.

This time, Pat Aquino was designated head coach of the women’s squad, which will be known as Perlas.

sports@thestandard.com.ph

Guns off limits at Davao del Norte Palaro DAVAO DEL NORTE--The Philippine National Police has implemented a gun ban in the province of Davao del Norte for the security of delegates and spectators of the Palarong Pambansa 2015.

Governor Rodolfo del Rosario revealed the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police has approved the provincial government’s request for the imposition of gun ban in the province.

“We were able to secure the PNP’s order for a gun ban in the province from April 20 to May 10, 2015,” the governor said, during the opening of the Palaro Tiangge and Tourism Village.

Del Rosario launched the amenities within the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex to allow participants and guests to dine, shop and have fellowship within the premises of the main playing venue.

He reiterated the safety of the delegates and visitors with about 2,000 security forces deployed in playing sites, billeting quarters and other strategic areas.

Police Director Ricardo C. Marquez, head of the PNP Directorate for Operations directed PRO-11 Regional Director PCSupt. Wendy Garcia Rosario to coordinate with the provincial government, along with the city government of Tagum, to enforce the suspension of validity of permit to carry firearms outside of residence (PTCFOR) in specific places.

The gun ban is in line with the holding of the grassroots Olympics on May 3 to 9, 2015.

Davao del Norte is hosting this year’s edition of the country’s largest sports conclave supported by the Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. or TADECO, Damosa Land, Davao Packaging Corporation (DPC), Davao International Container Terminal, Inc. (DICT) and Pearl Farm Beach Resort.

Provincial Police Chief PSSupt. Samuel Gadingan said the gun ban will definitely boost their security preparations for the national games.

Over 20,000 athletes, coaches, officials and guests from all over the country are expected to converge in Tagum City for this year’s edition of the Palaro, which features 17 regular and five demonstration sports.

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F R I D AY : M AY 1 , 2 0 1 5

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Mayweather camp through the eyes of a Filipino trainer UNDERSTANDABLY, all training camps of DENNIS PRINCIPE elite fighters like ManSPORTS CHAT ny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, have to be off-limits from the prying eyes of potential spies.

However, two Filipinos were able to get the privilege of seeing Mayweather in one of his training camps in Las Vegas—trainer Edito “Ala” Villamor.

Not only did Villamor and now-retired boxer Mark Jason Melligen get to witness Mayweather work privately, the two were actually asked by the brash American champion to be part of their training team in one of the American champion’s bouts in 2009.

“Sinabihan kami kung pwede maging sparring partner ni Mayweather. Siyempre pumayag agad kami kasi malaking chance ‘yun para sa amin,” said Villamor.

Six years ago, Villamor was tasked by their chief benefactor Tony Aldeguer of the famed ALA Boxing Gym to proceed to Las Vegas and get quality sparmates for Melligen, a bemedalled former amateur standout, who was then a top 140lb prospect.

“Sa Pilipinas kasi bihira ang sparring partners na malalaki. Isa pa, malayo ang quality ng skills ni Melligen sa mga sparring partners sa atin,” said Villamor.

Through the help of American Tony Martin, who is married to a Filipina and has a home in Las Vegas, Melligen was able to get worthy sparring sessions and a few more bouts in Las Vegas and neighboring states.

To date, that opportunity to spar with Mayweather remains to be the most memorable experience for Villamor when it comes to their objective of training Melligen.

Back then, Mayweather was coming off a two-year hiatus and made a comeback against Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, whom the American handily beat in their 12-round welterweight battle.

The southpaw Melligen sparred with Mayweather four times, each lasting four rounds which, in a lot of ways, helped the Bacolod-native boxer gain some confidence at that time.

“Ang sabi niya sa akin, ‘coach, pwde pala siyang tamaan.’ Akala nga niya kasi mahirap tamaan si Mayweather, kasi nga ‘yung ang nakikita niya sa mga laban,” said Villamor.

After their first session, Villamor said Mayweather not only thanked them, but also told Melligen he will soon become a world champion.

“Mabait sa amin si Mayweather. Every sparring namin madalas niya turuan si Melligen ng mga techniques. Madali din lapitan and laging okay siya sa mga picture takings,” said Villamor.

Since that time, Mayweather has fought and won eight times, while Melligen had 11 bouts, losing twice in the United States.

While Melligen won his last two fights by knockouts in 2012, he eventually quit the sport after getting involved in illegal vices. He was jailed in 2013 after falling in a drug bust operation in Mandaue City.

The experience of personally seeing Mayweather train may not be sufficient in making Villamor an authority when it comes to assessing the strengths and weaknesses of Pacquiao’s opponent this weekend. But still, Villamor’s inputs may be valuable to the Filipino ring icon.

“Hirap talaga si Mayweather sa southpaw. Kahit paano kay Melligen nahirapan siya sa sparring kasi nga kaliwete siya. Tingin ko maganda chance ni Manny,” said Villamor.

And the vaunted “shoulder roll,” which is supposed to be Mayweather’s main defense that made him one of the most adept fighters when it comes to avoiding punches?

“Hindi masyado makakatulong ‘yan kay Mayweather kasi una, southpaw si Manny. At hindi lang basta southpaw. Si Manny na siguro ang pinakamagaling and pinakamalakas na southpaw na makakaharap niya,” said Villamor.

However, Villamor said one punch that Pacquiao must look out for, which the Cebuano trainer believes is the American’s bread and butter, is his counter right.

“Madalas niyang gawin ‘yun sa sparring. Pagiwas sa suntok, bibitaw siya ng right straight,” said Villamor.

Villamor said he won’t be surprised if Mayweather will be very patient to wait for Pacquiao to move in and be careless just for one moment, the same mistake that the Filipino icon did that led to his crushing sixth-round knockout loss to master counter-puncher Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.

“Ako 55-45 kay Manny. Huwag lang talaga siyang lalaban na katulad nu’ng kay Marquez. Dapat ‘yung fight plan niya is katulad ng ginawa niya kay (Oscar) De La Hoya,” said Villamor.

The felt covering on a blackjack table at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino advertises the upcoming fight between WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

Pacman vs Mayweather: Who did better vs Oscar?

By Dennis Principe

OSCAR De La Hoya, one of the greatest fighters of all time, had an unpleasant ending to his career when he lost two of his last three fights seven years ago.

In a way, De La Hoya was still able to salvage a good amount of pride as the last two fighters, who handed him painful defeats are his era’s top pound-for-pound claimants, namely Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. De La Hoya had an impressive start and was close to giving Mayweather his first-ever professional loss after 37 fights in their 12-round world junior middleweight title bout in May of 2007.

Slightly ahead after using a very effective jab in the first half, De La Hoya inexplicably abandoned his bread-andbutter punch that night and tried to go toe-to-toe with Mayweather.

The gambit did not pay off as De La Hoya bowed to Mayweather via a 115-113, 113115 and 112-116 split verdict.

De La Hoya returned to action a year later and defeated

former world champion Steve Forbes in a catchweight bout set at 150lbs.

When De La Hoya failed to get a rematch against Mayweather, who surprisingly announced his retirement, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist settled for Pacquiao.

De La Hoya had a personal grudge more than anything against Team Pacquiao as it was a time when the Filipino champion turned his back on a promotional contract he supposedly signed with De La Hoya’s outfit, Golden Boy Promotions.

Add to that the now famous “he can’t pull the trigger” statement of famed trainer Freddie Roach, who worked in the corner of De La Hoya during the Mayweather fight.

De La Hoya fought Pacquiao at 147lbs, the Golden Boy’s first fight in that division since his June 2000 split decision loss to Shane Mosley.

Pacquiao pulled off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history when he out-punched and outclassed a bigger De La Hoya, en route to a smashing eighth-round TKO victory.

In both fights, Golden Boy vice president for matchmaking Eric Gomez was present and witnessed the twin defeats of his boss and childhood friend.

And since it was Pacquiao, who scored a stoppage, it was easy for Gomez to say that the Filipino multi-division champion had a better performance than Mayweather when grading their respective performances against De La Hoya.

“Manny did. Manny was able to stop Oscar. He beat him every single round basically and Floyd, it was a very close fight because you can argue that Oscar won the fight.

A very very close fight,” said Gomez. “The Manny fight

made me nervous. I said from the beginning that Oscar has never fought a guy like that, who is very fast.”

Gomez later on revealed that De La Hoya himself admitted, the Filipino icon had more snap with his punches.

“Oscar told me personally that Manny hits a lot stronger and a lot harder,” said Gomez.

As for Mayweather’s punching power, Gomez said the current pound-for-pound king seemingly does not have the ability to knock someone out at welterweight, as proven by his last two fights, both against Marcos Maidana of Argentina.

“He’s not a big puncher.

Maidana was really a 140 pounder. Same thing with Robert Guerrero, who jumped two weight classes to fight Floyd and Floyd couldn’t hurt him.

Floyd’s not a big puncher at 147,” said Gomez.

WBO offers ‘The Man of Triumph’ to winner

By Ronnie Nathanielsz NOT to be outdone by the World Boxing Council, which has a magnificently crafted a $1million “Emerald Belt,” voted on by fights fans around the world, the World Boxing Organization has come up with “The Man of Triumph” trophy which will also be presented to the winner of what promises to be an epic battle between two of the finest boxers in

the world today-- unbeaten pound-forpound No.1 Floyd Mayweather Jr. and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.

The one-of-a-kind award “Man of Triumph,” created by SARTONK is a bronze sculpture that stands 16 inches tall, with fists gloriously raised overhead and is designed to immortalize the concept of triumph.

The winner of the Mayweather-Pacquiao

clash will be awarded the “Man of Triumph” trophy, along with a gold-plated World Boxing Association super champion belt.

The other fighter will receive a rhodiumplated version of the same belt.

The occasion-specific belts will feature metal portraits of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather is the WA and WBC welterweight champion, while Pacquiao is the WBO champion.

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Did Floyd duck the best boxers?

By Dennis Principe

FOR almost his entire career, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has been accused of avoiding challengers who were deemed capable of embarrassing the brash American champion.

Since winning the world super featherweight crown in 1998, Mayweather’s reign as five-division champion was said to have been tainted by ploys of moving up divisions or deliberately taking longer breaks and let his challengers take on risky fights.

The most notable of which, of course, was his much talked about match versus Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao, which took nearly six years in the making.

But did the undefeated 38-year-old, multidivision world kingpin really dodge fighters just to keep his unblemished record intact?

When Mayweather was ripe to vie for a world 130lb crown in 1998, he had three world champions to choose from, namely World Boxing Association champion Takanori Hatakeyama, International Boxing Federation ruler Robert Garcia and World Boxing Council kingpin Genaro Hernandez.

Among the three, Hernandez was considered the toughest and most popular champion and it was he who Mayweather chose to fight on Oct. 3, 1998 at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Mayweather dominated the once-beaten Hernandez until the longtime champion refused to answer the bell for the 10th canto.

Hernandez, whose only loss prior to that was against Oscar De La

Hoya, got paid $600,000, while Mayweather took home $150,000.

Mayweather took one more fight to end his 1998 campaign by stopping young prospect Angel Manfredy in the second round of their title fight in Miami.

The following year until 2000 could be the stretch when people started to accuse Mayweather of being picky with his opponents after he took on unpopular challengers instead of the likes of the late great American Diego Corrales, Joel Casamayor of Cuba and Acelino Freitas of Brazil as all three were considered top-tier boxers at that time.

In 2001, Mayweather took on the second marquee fight of his young career when he finally agreed to battle Corrales, who was undefeated at that time in 33 fights and was the holder of the IBF junior lightweight crown.

Mayweather floored Corrales five times in a one-sided match until the latter’s corner threw in the towel in the 10th round, making the Grand Rapids champion a household name since.

Mayweather then boldly moved up in weight and challenged the acknowledged world lightweight champion, Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico on April 20, 2002 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mayweather scored a controversial decision in a bout many thought was won by Castillo. Mayweather erased doubts about that result when he gave Castillo an immediate rematch and won a convincing 12-round verdict in December of the same year.

The undefeated IBF ruler Paul Spadafora was the hottest lightweight champion outside of Mayweather and Castillo in 2002, but his troubles outside the ring prevented the Cincinnati-born champion from landing a marquee match.

The lightweight division was already bereft of quality opponents by 2003, but Mayweather made three more title defenses before invading the star-studded superlightweight category.

Mayweather outpointed former world champion DeMarcus

“Chop Chop” Corley in a 12-round World Boxing Council junior welterweight title eliminator, his only outing in 2004.

Kostya Tsyzu was widely regarded as the king of the junior welterweights, but a possible showdown with Mayweather fizzled out after the Australiabased Russian was dethroned by British superstar Ricky Hatton.

Mayweather then scored a smashing 140lb conquest when he manhandled the charismatic Arturo “Thunder” Gatti inside six rounds to claim the WBC crown.

Proving that he is a man on a mission, Mayweather again went up in weight and snatched the welterweight belt from American world champion Zab Judah via a 12-round decision victory April of 2006.

Mexican superstar Antonio Margarito, holder of the WBO

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC This is to inform the public that Cirrus Global, Inc. undertook the closure of its Baguio Branch Office effective April 3 0, 2015.

Also, please be i nformed that Clara Angelica A. Buenconsejo is no l onger connected with Cirrus Global, I nc. effective April 3 0, 2015.

All transactions entered into by a bovementioned person for and on behalf of the Company after the said d ate s hall no longer be honored by the Company. ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC K N O W A L L M E N BY T H ES E P R ES E N T S: T h a t t h e m a j o r i t y o f t h e D i r e c t o r s a n d Stockholders of Best Chemicals and P l a s t i c s , I n c . r e p r e s e n t i n g a t l e a s t 2 / 3 o f t h e o u t s t a n d i n g c a p i t a l s t o c k , d u r i n g a m e e t i n g h e l d o n J a n . 7, 2 015 , a p p r o ve d the decrease of capital stock from P 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 d i v i d e d i n t o 8 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 s h a r e s w i t h p a r v a l u e o f P10 0 . 0 0 p e r s h a r e t o P4 0 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 d i v i d e d i n t o 8 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 s h a r e s w i t h p a r v a l u e o f P 5 0 . 0 0 p e r s h a r e . ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

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M a r i a n o M a r c o s S t a t e U n i ve r s i t y Batac City 29 0 6, Ilocos Nor te

BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

THE PROJECT: Proposed MMSU-CIT Academic Building Phase 2 2015-004 1. The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), with offices at Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte, invites bidders to furnish and provide all labor, materials, tools and equipment necessary and proper for the construction of the above Project in accordance with the approved designs, plans and drawings, with an Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) in the amount of: Nineteen Million Nine Hundred Ninety Eight Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty Four Pesos and 45/100 Pesos (PhP19,998,754.45).

2. The bidding will be conducted via open and public competitive bidding using nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion in accordance with Republic Act 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act,”and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), particularly, but not limited to the following: a) A bidder must be a Filipino citizen;for corporations, partnerships, or organizations, at least seventy five percent (75%) interest, or outstanding capital stock,must be owned

by Filipino citizens. b) All bids must be accompanied by a valid bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in Clause 18, of the Instruction to Bidders. c) A bidder must have been awarded a contract similar to the Project, as described and specified in Section II of the Instruction to Bidders,completed and accepted within a ten (10) year period, reckoned from the date of delivery/submission of bids as herein below indicated, d) The Project must be finished within one hundred eighty (180) WORKING DAYS, completed in accordance with the approved designs, plans and drawings, including any approved variation/s, if any. e) Bids received in excess of the ABC will be automatically rejected.

Mayweather

and RWM offers every second of the action live via Pay-Per-View from 8 A.M. onwards at Bar 360, Victoria Harbour Café, House Manila, Newport Cinemas, the Newport Performing Arts Theater, and exclusively for VIPs at Passion.

Eat, drink and enjoy the fight as RWM restaurants serve up the “Bar, Brunch & Brawl” promotion.

Dig into brunch buffets of authentic Hong Kong cuisine at Victoria Harbour Café (P1,800 nett / person) and at Bar 360 (P1,800 nett / person) as well as a good old breakfast spread at Remington Hotel’s newest club, House Manila (P1,000 nett / person).

welterweight crown at a time when Mayweather reigned as International Boxing Federation champion, was said to be the biggest fight for the American champion.

But Mayweather had bigger plans in mind, literally and figuratively, as he took on the biggest star of them all—Oscar De La Hoya—in a much-talked about WBC junior middleweight title tiff.

Mayweather claimed his fifth division crown when he outpointed De La Hoya via a 12-round split verdict in a bout that set a record for most Pay-Per-View buys for a boxing match.

Mayweather scored nine more wins since defeating De La Hoya, and three were against champions, who he allegedly avoided when he reigned as world lightweight c h a mpi on — M i g u e l Cotto, Ricky Hatton and Shane Mosley.

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

INVITATION TO BID:I N F R A

Fight of Century at Resorts World BOXING’S ‘Fight of the Century’ is just a day away and premier lifestyle destination Resorts World Manila is offering it live and exclusive for guests and members to witness.

On Sunday, eight-division world champion Manny “Pacman” Paquiao will finally square off with the undefeated Floyd “Money” Mayweather at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for an epic welterweight world champion unification bout.

The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight dubbed “Battle for Greatness” is going to be one for the history books

LOTTO RESULTS

Boxing fans can also watch the fight at RWM’s state-of-the-art movie house and theater with the “Silver Screen Showdown Special”. The state-of-the-art Newport Cinemas and the awardwinning NPAT opens its doors to fight fans for only P800. Members, on the other hand, can catch the action with points earned starting April 1 to May 2. A pair of seats inside the NPAT and the Newport Cinema 2 requires 1,000 earned points while a pair of tickets inside the Newport UltraCinema 1 requires 1,500 earned points with no deductions upon redemption.

3. Bids must be submitted to the Conference Room, FEM Hall, Mariano Marcos State University, Quiling Sur, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte on or before May 25, 2015; 2:00 PM. 4. The Mariano Marcos State University will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 11, 2015; 2:00 PM at the Conference Room, FEM Hall, MMSU, Batac City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents 5. Public bidding is an invitation to make an offer. It is therefore understood that any bid may be accepted or rejected orthe bid process invalidated, at any time prior to contract award, without liability to anyone.

6. Complete set of bid documents may be secured from the MMSU BAC Secretariat at the address below or downloaded from the MMSU website or from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) website. A bidder must pay a non-refundable fee in the amount of Twenty Thousand Pesos Only (PhP20,000.00), due and payable upon issuance of the bid document set or if secured via any of the websites, prior to submission of the bid documents.

7. For further information please contact the MMSU BAC Secretariat at the address indicated below, Monday thru Friday between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM:

AGNES L. GABRIEL Office of the MMSU BAC Secretariat FEM Hall, Mariano Marcos State University Quiling Sur, Batac City 09985773240/600-0461 aslgabriel@yahoo.com www.mmsu.edu.ph.

(Sgd.) RAMON A. LEAÑO BAC Chair ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

F R I D AY : M AY 1 , 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

Rocky road, sweet victory

Jayson Castro lets out a scream after his TNT team won the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title at the expense of Rain or Shine.

Inset shows members of the TNT team, led by management’s Manny V. Pangilinan, players, coaches and supporters, displaying their trophy.

LINO SANTOS

By Jeric Lopez

THE tougher the road, the sweeter the victory.

Talk ‘N Text didn’t have a walk in the park claiming the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup championship. The Texters earned their newest crown the hard way.

TNT and tough customer Rain or Shine clashed in an epic sevengame series, marked by drama, suspense, physicality and stellar performances, before the Tropang Texters were able to out-duel the gritty Elasto Painters for the coveted trophy.

The Tropang Texters endured

58 thrilling minutes of top-notch basketball in a dramatic Game 7 last Wednesday night, winning the series, 4-3, and the title after a carving out a hard-fought 121119 double-overtime classic.

Talk ‘N Text coach Jong Uichico, who is now a nine-time PBA champion coach, summed up best his team’s quest of winning its seventh overall championship. ‘’It’s just a huge relief that the series is over and we were just able to escape and win the championship,’’ said Uichico right after winning his first title for Talk ‘N

Text in just his second conference as head mentor. ‘’It was a tough Game 7 and a tough series. Rain or Shine was so resilient and they just won’t go away.’’

Uichico then gave credit to his players for their accomplishments, fulfilling their ultimate goal.

Holcim Cement Finals Most Valuable Player Ranidel De Ocampo, who has been phenomenal the entire finals, including the deciding Game 7 where he scored a career-high 34 points, expressed how sweet this championship is for him and his team. ‘’The players won it, the players won the championship. I have to give them credit. They didn’t lose poise. They didn’t lose compo-

sure,’’ said Uichico. ‘’Sobrang sarap nitong championship na ito kasi ang hirap.

Nahirapan talaga muna kami bago namin nakuha ito. Mahirap kalaban ang Rain or Shine, kaya siyempre masarap sa pakiramdam itong panalo,’’ said De Ocampo. ‘’Matagal na din kasi kaming hindi nag-champion.’’

It was Talk ‘N Text’s first title in two years since winning its third straight Philippine Cup jewel way back in 2013.

McIlroy, Spieth offmark

PH U-23 team vs Iranians

TURN TO A12

TURN TO A12

From the start of the conference, the Tropang Texters displayed consistent, high-level basketball as they ended up in a three-way tie for first place, but finished as the No. 2 seed due to an inferior quotient after the elimination round.

They breezed through the first two rounds of the playoffs, before finally surviving the stiffest challenge of the Elasto Painters in the finals to cap a successful campaign with a championship.

Uichico, who has now won titles with three different teams namely San Miguel, Barangay Ginebra and now, Talk ‘N Text, is of course hoping for more championships ahead for the talentladen Tropang Texters. ‘’It was a great conference for us. Hopefully, we win more championships,’’ said the soft-spoken champion coach.

With its intact line-up and imports Steffphon Pettigrew and Sam Daghles ready to provide further boost ahead, Talk ‘N Text should be one of the favorites again for the seasonending Governors’ Cup, which starts right away next week.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK FRIDAY: MAY 1, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

PSe comPoSite index Closing April 30, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,714.82 110.65

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing APRIL 30, 2015 46

P44.520

45

CLOSE

44 43

First Metro awards. First Metro Investment Corp., the investment banking arm of the Metrobank Group, received for the fourth consecutive year the prestigious Cesar E.A. Virata Award for Best Securities House (Investment House Category) at the 10th PDS Annual Awards. The investment bank was honored for its exceptional performance in trading and distribution of fixed-income securities. Shown receiving the awards are (from left) First Metro vice president Peter Anthony Bautista, first vice president Francisco Javier Bonoan, manager Bernice Joyce Nobleza, vice president Annagraziela Banaad, vice president David Ignacio Estacio, senior vice president Reynaldo Montalbo Jr., president Roberto Juanchito Dispo, first vice president Lalaine de Guzman, assistant vice president Ina Pacheco, first vice president Arsenio Kenneth Ona, executive vice president Justino Juan Ocampo and assistant vice president Percival Peña.

Ayala, Federal Land teaming up in Laguna

By Jenniffer B. Austria

42

HIGH P44.400 LOW P44.600 AVERAGE P44.518 VOLUME 547.400M

P508.00-P728.00 LPG/11-kg tank P38.40-P52.05 Unleaded Gasoline P26.90-P43.80 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

P35.40-P39.15 Kerosene P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, April 30, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

44.2500

Japan

Yen

0.008400

0.3717

UK

Pound

1.543600

68.3043

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129034

5.7098

Switzerland

Franc

1.064283

47.0945

Canada

Dollar

0.832085

36.8198

Singapore

Dollar

0.757002

33.4973

Australia

Dollar

0.805412

35.6395

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652379

117.3678

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266681

11.8006

Brunei

Dollar

0.754148

33.3710

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000077

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.030441

1.3470

UAE

Dirham

0.272257

12.0474

Euro

Euro

1.111700

49.1927

Korea

Won

0.000938

0.0415

China

Yuan

0.161298

7.1374

India

Rupee

0.015785

0.6985

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.281057

12.4368

New Zealand

Dollar

0.772320

34.1752

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032916

1.4565 Source: PDS Bridge

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B1

FEDERAL Land Inc., the property arm of tycoon George Ty, has teamed up with Alveo Land Corp., the high-end residential unit of Ayala Land Inc., to develop a 45-hectare prime property in Laguna province.

GT Capital Holdings Inc., the investment company of Ty, said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the prime property, located along Laguna Boulevard in Biñan, Laguna, would be master-planned as a residential community.

The property is a few kilometers from the planned Laguna Boulevard interchange of the proposed Cavite-Laguna

Expressway and is in the general vicinity of Ayala Land’s Ayala Westgrove Heights and Nuvali projects.

“Through this strategic partnership with Alveo, we look to deepen our involvement in horizontal property development, inasmuch as the historical focus of Federal Land was mostly on high-rise condominium projects,” Federal

Land president Alfred Ty said.

“In tandem with Alveo’s proven expertise and track record, we expect to provide much-needed quality homes in a secure, well-planned and efficient community that will benefit not only the City of Biñan but other nearby areas of Southern Luzon as well,” Ty said.

Alveo Land president Robert Lao welcomed the partnership with Federal Land, which he said is one of the most reputable property developers in the country.

“We are fortunate to be working with one of the most reputable developers in the country, as this is a project that

will reflect our shared vision of improving quality of life. Being rooted in Ayala Land’s heritage of real estate excellence, Alveo Land has always aimed to create an extensive portfolio of holistic communities attuned to the needs of a dynamic, urban lifestyle,” Lao said.

The property is strategically located in Binan, a highly progressive, first-class component city of Laguna.

Biñan hosts several large industrial parks and commercial establishments.

Federal Land is also currently constructing the MetrobankGrand Hyatt Plaza at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

Holcim PH spending $40m to hike output HOLCIM Philippines Inc. is spending as much as $40 million to debottleneck cement plants and boost capacity to 10 million metric tons by 2016.

Holcim Philippines president Eduardo Sahagun said in a news briefing the company was implementing measures to boost the existing 8.2-million-ton capacity, as demand for cement was expected to continue to grow amid the robust economic growth.

Holcim Philippines earmarked

P2 billion for capital expenditures this year.

“We want to bring our capacity to 10 million metric tons, so there are ongoing projects [including debottlenecking of existing plants]. The market is growing faster than anticipated,” Sahagun said.

The cement firm is also increasing its clinker capacity to 5.3 million MT from 4 million MT. Holcim Philippines earlier

planned to build a new cement facility in Bulacan with capacity of 2.5 million MT, but the project was put on hold pending merger plans of parent firm Holcim of Switzerland and Lafarge of France.

As part of the planned global merger between Holcim and Lafarge, Holcim Philippines is also in talks to acquire several assets of Lafarge Republic Inc., including units Lafarge Iligan Inc., Lafarge Mindanao Inc. and Lafarge

Republic Aggregates Inc. as well as Star Terminal at the Harbour Centre, Manila.

Acquisition of the facilities may be funded through internally generated funds or borrowings as the company has no debt, it said.

Holcim Philippines reported a net income of P1.5 billion in the first quarter, down 10.1 percent from P1.67 billion a year ago, as the company used higher volumes of imported clinker.

Jenniffer B. Austria

FRIDAY: MAY 1, 2015

B2

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

MST BuSineSS Daily STockS Review Thursday, april 30, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 104 63 2.49 4.2 4 18.48 31.6 9.5 0.92 2.95 890 99.4 1.46 30.5 94.95 137 361.2 59 174.8 1700 127.9 3.26

2.5 66 84.6 84.5 45.8 1.97 2.03 8.7 12.02 23.55 6.3 0.74 1.75 625 78 0.9 18.02 76.5 95 276 45 107.6 1200 66 2.65

AG Finance 8.1 Asia United Bank 71 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 110.00 Bank of PI 104.00 China Bank 45.85 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 2.45 Bright Kindle Resources 2.05 Citystate Savings 9.7 COL Financial 15.28 Eastwest Bank 22.1 Filipino Fund Inc. 7.51 First Abacus 0.7 I-Remit Inc. 1.75 Manulife Fin. Corp.

790.00 Metrobank 93 Natl. Reinsurance Corp. 0.98 PB Bank 18.24 Phil. National Bank 78.00 Phil. Savings Bank 92.05 PSE Inc. 317 RCBC `A’ 46.1 Security Bank 166.1 Sun Life Financial 1410.00 Union Bank 66.20 Vantage Equities 3.05

35.6 1.6 1.04 1.41 7.92 32 14.6 62.5 10.08 29.15

1.04 10.72 8.44 9.79 5.43 9.54 1.06 8.61 18.06 67.9 14 0.0076 13.24 3.12 168 8.65 34.1 1.63 16 24.4 16.2 7.62 250.2 3.87 9 3.7 9.94 3.03 2.22 1 4.72 1.65 6 201.6 4.1 1.67 0.122 2.01 143.4 4.28 0.670 9.01 1.39

Aboitiz Power Corp.

43 Agrinurture Inc. 1.59 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 1.08 Alsons Cons.

2.04 Asiabest Group 11.32 C. Azuc De Tarlac 87.00 Century Food 19.08 Chemphil 150 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 28.25 Concepcion 63 Crown Asia 2.63 Da Vinci Capital 1.91 Del Monte 13.5 DNL Industries Inc. 20.450 Emperador 11.44 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 8.16 EEI 9.88 Euro-Med Lab 1.88 Federal Res. Inv. Group 15.42 First Gen Corp.

28.3 First Holdings ‘A’ 93 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 14.30 Greenergy 0.4300 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.84 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6.3 Jollibee Foods Corp.

201.00 Lafarge Rep 10 Liberty Flour 32.60 Mabuhay Vinyl 2.52 Macay Holdings 52.45 Manila Water Co. Inc. 24.3 Maxs Group 27.8 Megawide 7.850 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 261.80 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 4.33 Petron Corporation 9.69 Phil H2O 4.49 Phinma Corporation 11.50 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.91 Phoenix Semiconductor 2.35 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.45 RFM Corporation 5.19 Roxas and Co. 1.94 Roxas Holdings 6.4 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 196 SPC Power Corp.

4.44 Splash Corporation 1.73 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.168 Trans-Asia Oil 2.23 Universal Robina 217.6 Victorias Milling 4.6 Vitarich Corp.

0.65 Vivant Corp.

20.85 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.41

0.45 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 1.210 1.4 1.6 600 7.390 14.18 2.6 0.144 818 5.3 46.6 4.96 4.43 0.59 12 0.580 4.22 4.5 1.23 0.450 66.7 1.5 709.5 1.13 170 85.2 0.200 0.173 0.310

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 F&J Prince ‘A’ Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

Minerales Industrias Corp.

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

6.01 12 0.91 1.29

8990 HLDG 8.900 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 10.68 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.83 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.280

47 5 1.66 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 125 32 65.8 4.57 23.35 21.6 12.98 9.13 12.34 2.89 17 31.8 109 20.75 0.820 15.3 9.4 241 12.5 79 4 45.45 33.9 90 13.98 292.4 5.25 13.04 6.8 14.5 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.68 7.86 8.1 253 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.68 226.6 5.5 1.3 26 2.17 0.7 59.2 31.85 2.16 7.39 2.27 3.4 3.35 800 11.06 84 3.35 0.66 1380 6.68 72.6 8.9 9.25 0.9 18.9 0.73 5.53 6.55 2.31 0.84 87 3.5 934 2.2 390 156 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 26.95 1.99 2.07

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 8.23 8 71.05 70.1 111.40 106.10 104.00 100.50 45.85 45.7 2.52 2.45 2.09 2.04 10.18 10.18 15.26 14.8 22.15 21.75 7.50 7.50 0.78 0.78 1.66 1.66 791.00 765.00 93.6 90.7 0.98 0.97 18.26 18.26 77.90 76.80 94 93.85 317 315 46.1 45.7 168 162.1 1421.00 1420.00 66.20 65.95 3.05 3.05 INDUSTRIAL 43.15 42.3 1.65 1.52 1.09 1.07 2.08 2.03 11.56 11.32 92.45 90.00 19.2 18.76 150 150 29.7 27.6 63.5 63.15 2.6 2.35 1.94 1.8 13.3 12.8 20.400 19.78 11.58 11.12 8.20 7.94 9.92 9.80 1.88 1.88 15.78 15 28.3 27.85 93 91.65 14.20 14.10 0.4250 0.4250 13.84 13.84 6.44 6.26 202.80 196.90 10.14 9.94 32.10 32.05 2.51 2.51 51.95 51.95 24.75 23.95 28 25.65 7.850 7.720 264.00 260.40 4.35 4.29 9.85 9.59 6.2 4.35 11.60 11.38 3.96 3.86 2.35 2.31 2.58 2.42 5.19 5.12 1.96 1.89 6.5 6.42 196 195.7 4.55 4.26 1.79 1.7 0.169 0.163 2.23 2.19 219 213.8 4.5 4.5 0.66 0.64 20.85 20.80 1.41 1.37 HOLDING FIRMS 0.470 0.455 57.70 54.50 26.50 25.40 1.28 1.28 7.15 6.97 1.58 1.56 0.285 0.275 0.29 0.29 799 775 8.32 8.1 15.00 14.64 3.2 3.05 0.290 0.280 1297 1244 6.12 6.12 72.20 69.65 6.37 6.3 8.79 8.62 0.78 0.76 15.18 14.88 0.67 0.66 4.65 4.53 5.21 5 1.600 1.410 1.030 1.000 69.00 67.75 2.82 2.81 911.00 900.50 1.22 1.22 310.00 298.00 99.50 98.40 0.3850 0.3800 0.2400 0.2220 0.315 0.310 PROPERTY 9.000 8.650 8.51 8.51 0.83 0.80 1.340 1.290

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

8.21 70.1 109.00 101.30 45.7 2.50 2.09 10.18 15 22.1 7.50 0.78 1.66 770.00 93 0.97 18.26 77.45 93.95 316 45.7 168 1420.00 66.00 3.05

1.36 -1.27 -0.91 -2.60 -0.33 2.04 1.95 4.95 -1.83 0.00 -0.13 11.43 -5.14 -2.53 0.00 -1.02 0.11 -0.71 2.06 -0.32 -0.87 1.14 0.71 -0.30 0.00

179,700 25,950 8,940,310 4,370,220 84,300 33,000 35,000 1,000 8,900 523,300 3,900 50,000 19,000 1,190 10,759,290 12,000 2,200 109,460 6,400 690 237,800 609,310 175 6,540 2,863,000

42.95 1.65 1.09 2.06 11.38 90.00 19.1 150 27.9 63.3 2.43 1.86 13.12 20.000 11.58 8.10 9.85 1.88 15.6 28.1 92.8 14.10 0.4250 13.84 6.33 199.00 10.12 32.10 2.51 51.95 24.75 28 7.790 260.40 4.35 9.85 5 11.50 3.96 2.32 2.42 5.15 1.91 6.5 195.9 4.54 1.72 0.169 2.20 217.8 4.5 0.65 20.80 1.38

-0.12 3.77 0.93 0.98 0.53 3.45 0.10 0.00 -1.24 0.48 -7.60 -2.62 -2.81 -2.20 1.22 -0.74 -0.30 0.00 1.17 -0.71 -0.22 -1.40 -1.16 0.00 0.48 -1.00 1.20 -1.53 -0.40 -0.95 1.85 0.72 -0.76 -0.53 0.46 1.65 11.36 0.00 1.28 -1.28 -1.22 -0.77 -1.55 1.56 -0.05 2.25 -0.58 0.60 -1.35 0.09 -2.17 0.00 -0.24 -2.13

3,220,400 27,000 716,000 883,000 15,900 130 60,000 100 155,900 317,550 28,304,000 864,000 172,200 5,209,200 1,879,300 31,007,900 142,000 24,000 107,300 4,729,500 84,090 200 30,000 5,000 151,000 2,631,890 1,523,800 4,800 4,000 2,890 7,458,800 482,300 253,700 491,010 2,403,000 1,589,100 114,000 35,200 158,000 602,000 303,000 92,700 91,000 1,200 8,180 77,000 1,251,000 520,000 387,000 1,873,920 10,000 536,000 6,300 870,000

0.470 56.65 25.40 1.28 7.06 1.56 0.275 0.29 780 8.21 15.00 3.15 0.285 1256 6.12 71.50 6.37 8.64 0.77 14.9 0.67 4.53 5.2 1.410 1.010 68.50 2.81 900.50 1.22 310.00 99.50 0.3800 0.2250 0.310

0.00 -0.96 -3.61 1.59 -1.40 -1.27 -3.51 0.00 -1.76 1.11 1.90 4.65 -1.72 -2.26 0.00 -0.63 49.88 0.23 1.32 -1.84 0.00 -1.09 1.96 -9.62 0.00 -0.72 -4.75 -0.83 1.67 17.87 0.91 0.00 -5.46 -4.62

110,000 2,126,370 32,030,000 2,000 47,800 30,000 2,350,000 400,000 1,130,320 847,500 10,864,700 80,000 1,290,000 465,030 129,200 3,474,380 153,000 4,941,400 586,000 3,710,700 75,000 27,453,000 281,200 86,000 2,640,000 184,960 20,000 434,780 3,000 910 930 1,140,000 1,220,000 360,000

8.700 8.51 0.80 1.290

-2.25 -20.32 -3.61 0.78

4,142,900 500 1,386,000 222,000

1,009,170.00 -247,123,032.00 -96,876,622.00

358,370.00

429,600.00 -116,304,009.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

40 6.15 5.4 1.54 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.98 1.09 0.305 2.25 1.87 1.8 4.88 0.180 0.470 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 3.6 20.6 1.02 7.56 1.96 8.59

29.1 4.1 4.96 0.89 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.445 0.85 0.188 1.4 1.42 1.19 2.75 0.090 0.325 0.39 2.57 21.35 1.64 3.08 15.08 0.69 3.38 1 5.69

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 12.46 28.5 15.82 0.1460 4.61 99.1 12.3 9 1700 2090 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 12.28 2.85 2.2 3.2 5.9 1.97 2.46 15.2 0.62 1.040 22.8 4 18 110.2 14 3486 0.710 2.28 48.5 90.1 11.6 0.87 10.2

1.97 32.5 1 0.6 10 18.2 9.61 0.0770 2.95 46.55 10.14 5.88 830 1600 5.95 1.36 105 8.72 0.012 0.036 1.200 6.5 1.69 1.1 2 1.05 0.490 1.8 8.7 0.34 0.37 14.54 2.28 8.8 79 4.39 2726 0.380 0.32 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 6.45

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.2 1.73 10.98 4.2 0.48 0.455 0.475 0.023 0.026 8.2 49.2 4.27 3.06 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 8.65 9.43 0.236 6.5 6.98 0.61 0.78 5.99 1.08 0.330 0.2130 0.2160 0.014 0.014 3.660 20.2 2.11 1.54 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

70 525 515 8.21 12.28 111 1047 76.9 84.8 1.34

33 500 480 5.88 6.5 101 1011 74.2 75 1

6.98

0.8900

10.96 15 88 12.88

2.4 3.5 13.5 5.95

130.7

105.6

Close

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

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

High

Low

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

39.70 4.14 5.1 0.91 1.22 1.06 0.155 0.455 0.880 0.197 1.39 1.84 1.41 5.33 0.123 0.3400 0.5400 7 30.20 1.76 3.20 19.10 0.76 7.15 1.010 7.650

39.90 38.30 38.65 4.19 4.14 4.17 5.2 5.2 5.2 0.91 0.9 0.91 1.21 1.20 1.20 1.04 1.04 1.04 0.156 0.152 0.156 0.455 0.455 0.455 0.890 0.880 0.880 0.200 0.180 0.195 1.41 1.38 1.39 1.90 1.79 1.90 1.47 1.41 1.47 5.34 5.12 5.3 0.122 0.121 0.121 0.3400 0.3250 0.3400 0.5400 0.5100 0.5100 7.07 7 7 30.00 29.80 29.95 1.77 1.76 1.76 3.25 3.20 3.25 19.20 18.60 18.66 0.76 0.75 0.76 7.05 6.5 7 1.020 0.990 0.990 7.650 7.400 7.500 SERVICES 2GO Group’ 6.4 6.42 6.38 6.4 ABS-CBN 61.35 61.3 60.6 61.2 Acesite Hotel 1.07 1.1 1.06 1.06 APC Group, Inc. 0.690 0.690 0.680 0.680 Asian Terminals Inc. 13.98 14 13.5 14 Berjaya Phils. Inc. 26.95 27 27 27 Bloomberry 11.50 11.66 11.16 11.20 Boulevard Holdings 0.1020 0.1030 0.1000 0.1000 Calata Corp.

4.99 5.06 4.95 5.06 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 85.75 85.9 84.75 85 Centro Esc. Univ.

10.18 10.36 10.14 10.36 DFNN Inc. 7.11 7.17 6.95 7.17 FEUI 920 932 932 932 Globe Telecom 2160 223.4 2180 2182 GMA Network Inc. 6.30 6.30 6.14 6.29 Harbor Star 1.48 1.44 1.40 1.44 I.C.T.S.I. 111.1 111.1 108.6 110 IPeople Inc. `A’ 12 12.4 12.38 12.38 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.014 0.014 0.013 0.013 Island Info 0.246 0.255 0.242 0.243 ISM Communications 1.2600 1.2900 1.2200 1.2600 Leisure & Resorts 9.50 9.53 9.40 9.40 Liberty Telecom 2.01 2.07 2.00 2.07 Lorenzo Shipping 1.27 1.29 1.26 1.29 Macroasia Corp.

2.20 2.18 2.04 2.15 Manila Broadcasting 9.00 13.50 13.48 13.50 Manila Bulletin 0.670 0.680 0.660 0.660 Manila Jockey 2 2 2 2 Melco Crown 9.1 9.34 9.08 9.08 MG Holdings 0.365 0.375 0.360 0.370 NOW Corp.

0.480 0.480 0.480 0.480 Pacific Online Sys. Corp. 18.62 18.38 18.38 18.38 Paxys Inc. 3 3 3 3 Phil. Racing Club 9.01 9.49 9.49 9.49 Phil. Seven Corp.

113.00 115.00 1112.00 114.00 Philweb.Com Inc. 14.72 14.72 14.60 14.72 PLDT Common 2888.00 2888.00 2770.00 2770.00 PremiereHorizon 0.620 0.610 0.610 0.610 Premium Leisure 1.640 1.670 1.600 1.630 Puregold 40.25 40.50 39.70 39.70 Robinsons RTL 85.35 87.00 85.00 87.00 SSI Group 10.54 10.54 10.22 10.40 STI Holdings 0.67 0.69 0.65 0.65 Travellers 6.78 6.75 6.6 6.75 MINING & OIL Abra Mining 0.0052 0.0053 0.0051 0.0051 Apex `A’ 2.62 2.60 2.60 2.60 Atlas Cons. `A’ 8.08 8.04 7.99 8.00 Atok-Big Wedge `A’ 15.96 14.98 12.50 14.98 Basic Energy Corp.

0.260 0.260 0.255 0.260 Benguet Corp `A’ 6.8000 7.0000 6.8000 7.0000 Benguet Corp `B’ 6.8000 6.8000 6.8000 6.8000 Century Peak Metals Hldgs 1.01 1.05 1 1.02 Coal Asia 0.89 0.9 0.87 0.88 Dizon 7.81 8.00 7.79 7.79 Ferronickel 1.99 2.01 1.88 1.88 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.360 0.365 0.350 0.350 Lepanto `A’ 0.233 0.233 0.229 0.230 Lepanto `B’ 0.240 0.238 0.236 0.238 Manila Mining `A’ 0.0140 0.0150 0.0140 0.0140 Manila Mining `B’ 0.0150 0.0150 0.0140 0.0150 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 4.37 4.37 4.26 4.26 Nickelasia 23.45 23.4 22.4 22.75 Nihao Mineral Resources 3.82 3.89 3.8 3.8 Oriental Peninsula Res. 2.070 2.110 2.070 2.080 Oriental Pet. `B’ 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 4.50 4.55 4.45 4.55 Philex `A’ 6.95 7.07 6.92 6.95 PhilexPetroleum 1.91 1.93 1.8 1.87 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.015 0.016 0.015 0.015 Semirara Corp.

165.00 168.00 164.50 165.50 TA Petroleum 4.23 4.25 4.18 4.21 United Paragon 0.0100 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 PREFERRED ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 61 62.4 61.1 62.1 Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ 522 522 522 522 GLOBE PREF P 512 511 511 511 GMA Holdings Inc. 6.1 6.09 6.01 6.03 Leisure and Resort 1.09 1.09 1.08 1.09 MWIDE PREF 113.5 113.5 112 113.5 PF Pref 2 1045 1045 1044 1044 SMC Preferred A 76 76.35 75.95 75.95 SMC Preferred C 86.8 86.95 86 86 Swift Pref 2 2.2 2.2 2.2 WARRANTS & BONDS LR Warrant 4.540 4.540 4.200 4.220 SME Double Dragon 9.3 9.3 8.75 8.8 Makati Fin. Corp.

8 8.69 6 8 IRipple E-Business Intl 74.85 77.7 74.85 77.7 Xurpas 9.1 9.59 9.1 9.2 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 127.3 127.5 125.8 126

-2.64 0.72 1.96 -0.47 -1.64 -1.89 0.65 0.00 0.00 -1.02 0.00 3.26 4.26 -0.56 -1.63 0.00 -5.56 0.00 -0.83 0.00 1.56 -2.30 0.00 -2.10 -1.98 -1.96

29,616,300 1,717,000 500 4,223,000 108,000 4,500 6,770,000 390,000 289,000 6,420,000 1,708,000 18,897,000 1,533,000 90,808,800 1,000,000 230,000 314,000 550,300 6,459,400 164,000 105,000 43,654,000 792,000 133,000 524,000 12,220,800

1,943,535.00 4,904,780.00

0.00 -0.24 -0.93 -1.45 0.14 0.19 -2.61 -1.96 1.40 -0.87 1.77 0.84 1.30 1.02 -0.16 -2.70 -0.99 3.17 -7.14 -1.22 0.00 -1.05 2.99 1.57 -2.27 50.00 -1.49 0.00 -0.22 1.37 0.00 -1.29 0.00 5.33 0.88 0.00 -4.09 -1.61 -0.61 -1.37 1.93 -1.33 -2.99 -0.44

115,800 14,720 102,000 772,000 1,800 1,600 6,383,700 20,410,000 5,781,000 470,590 23,200 108,200 3,160 108,530 128,400 1,064,000 1,394,160 300 49,100,000 3,820,000 781,000 784,300 8,000 13,000 83,000 9,600 52,000 289,000 2,811,900 460,000 100,000 6,900 1,000 100 19,570 29,900 478,840 2,330,000 20,206,000 3,967,500 1,172,530 4,280,800 3,155,000 1,254,700

-1.92 -0.76 -0.99 -6.14 0.00 2.94 0.00 0.99 -1.12 -0.26 -5.53 -2.78 -1.29 -0.83 0.00 0.00 -2.52 -2.99 -0.52 0.48 0.00 1.11 0.00 -2.09 0.00 0.30 -0.47 0.00

316,000,000 15,000 103,100 5,300 390,000 12,400 3,000 367,000 865,000 43,500.00 15,000 25,143,000 -5,143,700.00 3,020,000 4,090,000 520,000 -14,160.00 10,300,000 82,600,000 308,000 -172,470.00 10,503,900 -25,990,525.00 1,474,000 -19,350.00 562,000 119,550.00 24,900,000 464,000 482,200 -959,915.00 1,721,000 27,800.00 62,300,000 876,190 39,840,862.00 14,000 29,000,000

1.80 0.00 -0.20 -1.15 0.00 0.00 -0.10 -0.07 -0.92 10.00

256,050 9,900 14,700 54,400 60,000 120 3,200 46,050 28,120 2,000

-7.05

1,767,000

21,000.00

-5.38 0.00 3.81 1.10

3,745,800 13,900 340 2,365,800

921,620.00

-1.02

36,710

1,183,717.00

-2,121,020.00

37,200.00 -1,569,170.00 7,782,460.00 -228,427,848.00

MST

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

SHARES 30,057,402 101,898,858 98,816,296 234,434,886 136,053,467 576,241,347 1,183,664,806

0.470 57.20 26.35 1.26 7.16 1.58 0.285 0.29 794 8.12 14.72 3.01 0.290 1285 6.12 71.95 4.25 8.62 0.76 15.18 0.67 4.58 5.1 1.560 1.010 69.00 2.95 908.00 1.20 263.00 98.60 0.3800 0.2380 0.325

-227,813.00

15,850.00 6,394,470.00 -1,534,667.00 170,455.00 -6,600.00

12,986,810.00 584,950.00

-280,700.00

-38,920.00 1,477,081.00 1,110,400.00

9,373,938.00 -6,979,496.00 -32,905,771.00 125,549.00 45,000.00 2,338,620.00 815,961.00

-205,542,409.00

16,905,355.00 110,290.00 708,127.00 -75,313,712.00 9,108,250.00 -4,692,953.00 -62,000.00 -1,150.00 27,940.00

334,531.00

-288,075.00

85,500.00

-85,622,510.00 40,500.00 195,000.00

-74,222,841.00 36,102,655.00

12,870.00

114,000.00 -6,069,570.00 6,421,615.00 39,225,554.00

57,226,720.00 790,704.00 -39,413,495.50 35,203,338.00

5,268,144.00

-55,303,760.00

89,790.00 1,166,067.50

-214,834,465.00

1,257,608.00 -4,255.00 2,580.00

T op g ainerS VALUE 2,728,383,409.29 2,068,928,377.81 3,505,098,091.757 2,829,618,865.76 232,644,0767.13 459,853,334.874 13,978,516,342.117

59,941,775.00

-506,791,020.00

68,680.00 -20,628,030.00 95,956.00

-244,020.00 -44,309,866.00

-135,120.00 -11,651,598.50 717.00 27,573,670.00

29,563,916.00

6,130,180.00

9,719,577.00 93,600.00

38,305.00 278,160.00 -741,524,480.00

-5,324,070.00 35,457,390.00 54,725,765.00 -17,533,046.00 -881,260.00 238,838.00

-247,707.50

-2,044,000.00 -111,372.00

-1,519,000.00

-281,898.00

T op L oSerS

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,780.86 (DOWN) 16.02 INDUSTRIAL 12,286.62 (DOWN) 22.42 HOLDING FIRMS 6,905.4 (DOWN) 82.97 PROPERTY 3,108.83 (DOWN) 58.23 SERVICES 2,105.38 (DOWN) 43.7 MINING & OIL 14,990.81 (DOWN) 105.54 PSEI 7,714.82 (DOWN) 110.65 All Shares Index 4,453. (DOWN) 43.22 Gainers: 73; Losers: 118; Unchanged: 40; Total: 231

9,750.00

Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Manila Broadcasting

13.50

50.00

Anchor Land Holdings Inc.

8.51

-20.32

Jolliville Holdings

6.37

49.88

Prime Media Hldg

1.410

-9.62

Transgrid

310.00

17.87

Crown Asia

2.43

-7.60

First Abacus

0.78

11.43

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.013

-7.14

Phil H2O

5

11.36

LR Warrant

4.220

-7.05

Swift Pref

2.2

10.00

Atok-Big Wedge `A'

14.98

-6.14

Phil. Racing Club

9.49

5.33

Phil. Realty `A'

0.5100

-5.56

Citystate Savings

10.18

4.95

Ferronickel

1.88

-5.53

F&J Prince 'A'

3.15

4.65

Wellex Industries

0.2250

-5.46

Interport `A'

1.47

4.26

Double Dragon

8.8

-5.38

FRIDAY: MAY 1, 2015

B3

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

PSE moves to delist Marsteel HAPPINESS AND POLICY LAST week, the MAYA BALTAZAR Sustainable Development HERRERA Solutions Network released the third World Happiness Report.

WHR uses life evaluation, an individual’s general satisfaction with their current life in comparison with their estimation of the best possible condition of their life. This scale is called “Cantril’s ladder” and is a widely used measure for measuring life satisfaction. By contrast, many measures of happiness address short-term satisfaction, the momentary experience of pleasure.

Life evaluation is a useful measure because it focuses on the long-term. Also, the evidence Pay attention so far shows that life evaluation has a strong correlation with objective measures for well- to the basics being.

The 2015 WHR, like the 2013 WHR, points out that six variables explain three fourths of the happiness differences between countries: (a) real GDP per capita, (b) healthy life expectancy, (c) having someone to count on, (d) perceived freedom to make life choices, (e) freedom from corruption, and (f) own generosity.

Reflecting a growing conviction that governments need to focus on the happiness of its citizens, this year’s world happiness report devotes an entire chapter to the question of creating policies that support happiness.

Are we happier?

But first, a question: are we happier?

Who is happier?

In the last report, published in 2013, Denmark with a happiness score of 7.693 topped the rankings. The Philippines, with a happiness score of 4.985, ranked 92nd out of 156 countries, trailing after Singapore (30th with 6.546), Thailand (36th with 6.371), Japan (43rd with 6.064), Malaysia (56th with 5.760) Vietnam (63rd with 5.533), and Indonesia (76th with 5.348).

In the 2015 report, Switzerland (1st at 7.587) and Iceland (2nd at 7.561) overtook Denmark (3rd at 7.527). The Philippines ranked 90 of 106 countries studied, with a happiness score of 5.073. This is an improvement over the last report but we still trail our Asian neighbors, Singapore (24th with 6.798), Thailand (34th with 6.455), Taiwan (38th with 6.298), Japan (46th with 5.987), Malaysia (61st with 5.770), Hong Kong (72nd with 5.474), Indonesia (74th with 5.360), and Vietnam (75th with 5.360).

Both 2013 and 2015 reports conclude that economic crises and natural disasters have a significant impact on national happiness. Crises are damaging if the crisis triggers “lame and strife rather than cooperation and repair.” Interestingly, the WHR reports that crises can actually be beneficial if local institutional and social support mechanisms are strong. WHR reports that individuals place a high value on belonging to a “caring and effective community.”

Females report being happier than men in five of the eight global regions studied, with the exceptions being sub-Saharan Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Commonwealth of Independent states (CEE/CIS).

Globally, young adults report the highest levels of life satisfaction with satisfaction decreasing significantly with age before essentially leveling at the mid-30’s for men and the early 50’s for women. Male satisfaction shows a slight upward hump in the mid-50s and females in the mid-60’s. The Philippines reflects the Southeast Asian experience with females reporting slightly higher life satisfaction than males. Levels of rest, feelings of safety, and experience with negative events affect the gender differences in happiness.

Worry increases with age for women but declines in the old ages for men.

Virtually everywhere, women experience depression more than men.

So what?

There is good reason to craft policy with happiness as a goal. The 2013 WHR points out that happy people live longer, are more productive, earn more and, are better citizens.

Addressing the six key factors affecting well-being is a good start.

Fortunately, GDP per capita, the centerpiece of most national development efforts is one of the most important correlates of happiness. The 2013 report identified three other key policy areas: health, transport and education.

The 2015 report goes further to the matter of setting priorities. The centerpiece of prioritization, of course, is some form of cost-benefit analysis.

The challenge is in quantifying the variables. The report points out many challenges, not least of which is the wide variance between how individual variations in valuing the factors contributing to happiness. One of the more important challenges is similar to that for the economic goal: the national averages often mask the situation of those that are vulnerable. Hence, the report recommends adding the goal of reducing misery: focusing on those at the bottom of the population.

The report goes on to caution policy makers to use good evidence to guide policy.

So it’s been two years. The answer is the same. Are we truly happier? The answer is still: not really.

The guidance to government, at least ours, is still quite clear. Pay attention to the basics.

Readers can email Maya at integrations_manila@yahoo.com. Or visit her site at http://integrations.tumblr.com.

IntegratIons

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Philippine Stock Exchange

has initiated delisting procedures against Marsteel Consolidated Inc., owned by the Martel family, for repeated failure to submit reportorial requirements in violation of the disclosure rules of the exchange.

The PSE said on a notice posted on its Web site Marsteel failed to submit the annual reports for the years covering 2006 to 2014 and quarterly reports from 2007 to 2014.

Trading of Marsteel has been suspended since May 21, 2007, when it closed at P0.21 apiece due to the non-submission of its annual report for the year ending December 31, 2006.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on July 15, 2008 suspended the trading of the shares of the company and ordered a revocation of the registration of securities and permit to sell them due to the continuous non-submission of reportorial requirements, which is in violation of the Securities and Regulation Code.

The non-submission of reportorial requirements to the exchange and the revocation of the registration of the securities of the company are among the grounds for the involuntary delisting of a listed company under the PSE’s delisting rules.

Following the notice initiating involuntary delisting proceedings, the PSE said Marsteel would be entitled to a hearing provided a written request was filed with the exchange within 15 working days from receipt of the notice.

“Should the company decide not to or fail to request for a hearing within the specified period, the exchange shall decide the case solely on the basis of the records on hand,” the PSE said.

“The exchange will inform the investing public and trading participants of further developments on the matter,” it added.

The Martel family also owns Harrison Plaza, the first shopping mall in the country.

Marsteel is mainly engaged in investment holding activities. Its investment portfolio is composed of holdings in companies involved in commercial operation, development and pre-operating stages.

Marsteel in 1986 was placed under restriction by the government through the Presidential Commission on Good Government. The sequestration order covers all assets, properties, records and documents.

The company was directed to desist from doing any act, directly or indirectly, which may lead to the dissipation, concealment and transfer of the sequestered assets, properties, records and documents, and to disburse funds only to support the routine or day-to-day operations.

The Sandiganbayan on October 24, 1991 issued a resolution lifting the writs of sequestration issued against the company.

Stocks tumble; PLDT drops THE stock market sank Thursday after a US report showed US growth data came in well below forecast.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index plunged 110.65 points, or 1.4 percent, to 7,714.82 on a value trunover of P7.9 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 122 to 54, with 45 issues unchanged.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the biggest telecommunications firm, tumbled 3 percent to P2,800, while GT Capital Holdings Inc. of tycoon George Ty dropped 2.3 percent to P1,256.

JG Summit Holdings Inc. of retail and airline tycoon John Gokongwei sank 2.7 percent to P70, while Nickel Asia Corp., the largest nickel producer, declined 2.4 percent to P22.90.

Tokyo stocks, meanwhile tumbled 2.69 percent Thursday as the yen firmed after the Bank of Japan held off fresh easing measures.

The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 538.94 points to 19,520.01, while the Topix index of all firstsection shares was down 2.13 percent, or 34.64 points, at 1,592.79. With AFP

Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSIT Y OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Cabanatuan City 044- 463- 0226 w w w. n e u s t . e d u . p h

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID T he N uev a E c i j a U n i v e rs i t y o f S c i e n c e a n d Te c h n o l o g y t h ro u g h t h e B i d s a n d Aw a rd s C om m i ttee ( BA C ) i n v i t e s C o n t ra c t o rs re g i s t e re d w i t h a n d c l a s s i f i e d b y t h e P h i l i p p i n e C ontr ac tor s Ac c re d i t a t i o n B o a rd (P C A B ) t o a p p l y f o r e l i g i b i l i t y a n d i f f o u n d e l i g i b l e , t o bi d for her eunde r c o n t ra c t : ( 1) Pr oj ec t Ti t l e

`

A ppr ov e d B u d g e t f o r t h e C o n t ra c t Loc ati o n C ontr a c t D u ra t i o n Sour c e o f Fu n d

( 2) Pr oj ec t Ti t l e A ppr ov e d B u d g e t f o r t h e C o n t ra c t Loc ati o n C ontr a c t D u ra t i o n Sour c e o f Fu n d

: P ro p o s e d G y mn a s i u m E x t e n s i o n (Fro n t Side) : PhP 1,663,393.30 : N E U S T, S u ma c a b C a mp u s : 150 Calendar Days : S p e c i a l Tru s t Fu n d : R e n o v a t i o n o f P e ri me t e r Fe n c e w i t h S t e e l Gates : PhP 972,649.30 : N E U S T, G e n . Ti n i o S t . , C a mp u s : 120 Calendar days : S p e c i a l Tru s t Fu n d

( 3) Pr oj ec t Ti t l e Appr ov e d B u d g e t f o r t h e C o n t ra c t L oc ati o n C ontr a c t D u ra t i o n ` Sour c e o f Fu n d

: : : : :

Tra c k O v a l S y s t e m (R u b b e ri z e d , 6 l a n e s ) P h P 11 , 6 0 7 , 1 2 0 . 0 0 N E U S T, S u ma c a b C a mp u s 30 Calendar Days S p e c i a l Tru s t Fu n d

( 4) P r oj ec t Ti t l e A ppr ov e d B u d g e t f o r t h e C o n t ra c t Loc ati o n C ontr ac t D u ra t i o n ` Sour c e o f Fu n d

: : : : :

P ro p o s e d B a s k e t b a l l C o u rt Wo o d Fl o o ri n g PhP 3,455,760.00 N E U S T, S u ma c a b C a mp u s 30 Calendar Days S p e c i a l Tru s t Fu n d

( 5) P r oj ec t Ti t l e

: P ro p o s e d Fo o t b a l l Fi e l d Evolution) : PhP 17,992,800.00 : N E U S T, S u ma c a b C a mp u s : 30 Calendar Days : S p e c i a l Tru s t Fu n d

`

Appr ov e d B u d g e t f o r t h e C o n t ra c t L oc ati o n C ontr ac t D u ra t i o n Sour c e o f Fu n d

(G re e n f i e l d

Pr os pec ti v e b i d d e r s h o u l d p o s s e s s a v a l i d P C A B l i c e n s e a p p l i c a b l e t o t h e c o n t ra c t , hav e c om pl eted a s i mi l a r c o n t ra c t w i t h t h e v a l u e o f a t l e a s t 5 0 % o f t h e A B C , a n d h a v e k e y per s onnel and e q u i p me n t (L i s t e d i n t h e E l i g i b i l i t y Fo rms ) a v a i l a b l e f o r t h e p ro s e c u t i o n o f the c ontr ac t. T h e B A C w i l l u s e n o n -d i s c re t i o n a ry p a s s / f a i l c ri t e ri a i n t h e E l i g i b i l i t y C h e c k / Sc r eeni ng as w e l l a s t h e P re l i mi n a ry E x a mi n a t i o n o f B i d s . Th e B A C w i l l c o n d u c t p o s t qual i fi c ati on of t h e l o w e s t c a l c u l a t e d b i d .

Al l par ti c ul a rs t o t h e E l i g i b i l i t y S t a t e me n t a n d S c re e n i n g , B i d S e c u ri t y, P e rf o rma n c e Sec ur i ty, Pr e- Bi d d i n g C o n f e re n c e , E v a l u a t i o n o f b i d s , P o s t Q u a l i f i c a t i o n a n d Aw a rd o f C ontr ac t s hal l b e g o v e rn e d b y t h e p e rt i n e n t p ro v i s i o n s o f R . A . 9 1 8 4 a n d i t s I mp l e me n t i n g R ul es and R egu l a t i o n s (I R R ).

Sc hedul e of Act i v i t i e s Date 1.Adv er ti s em en t / R e c e i p t o f L e t t e r o f I n t e n t Ma y 1 , 2 0 1 5 – Ma y 7 , 2 0 1 5 2.Pr e- Bi d C onfe re n c e Ma y 8 , 2 0 1 5 3.Subm i s s i on o f B i d Ma y 2 0 , 2 0 1 5 4.Bi d Ev al uati o n Ma y 2 1 , 2 0 1 5 5.Pos t- Qual i fi c a t i o n Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 5 T he BAC w i l l i s s u e b i d d i n g d o c u me n t s o n l y t o b i d d e rs d e c l a re d b y t h e B A C C hai r m an N uev a E c i j a U n i v e rs i t y o f S c i e n c e a n d Te c h n o l o g y, C a b a n a t u a n C i t y u p o n t h e i r s ubm i s s i on of a L e t t e r o f I n t e n t (L O I ) t o t h e N u e v a E c i j a U n i v e rs i t y o f S c i e n c e a n d Tec hnol ogy. Pr o s p e c t i v e b i d d e rs s h a l l s u b mi t t h e E l i g i b i l i t y R e q u i re me n t s t o t h e B A C a t the s ai d addr es s . Th e y ma y a l s o o b t a i n t h e re s u l t s o f t h e E l i g i b i l i t y C h e c k b y t h e B A C at the s am e add re s s .

T he BAC w i l l i s s u e b i d d i n g d o c u me n t s o n l y t o b i d d e rs d e c l a re d b y t h e B A C t o b e el i gi bl e for the b i d d i n g u p o n p a y me n t o f t h e n o n -re f u n d a b l e a mo u n t o f : PhP 5,000.0 0 f o r t h e P ro p o s e d G y mn a s s i u m E x t e n s i o n Fro n t PhP 1,000.0 0 f o r t h e R e n o v a t i o n o f P e ri me t e r Fe n c e w i t h t h e S t e e l G a t e s PhP 25,000 . 0 0 f o r t h e Tra c k O v a l s y s t e m (R u b b e ri z e d , 6 l a n e s ) PhP 5,000.0 0 f o r t h e P ro p o s e d B a s k e t b a l l Wo o d C o u rt Fl o o ri n g PhP 25,000 . 0 0 f o r t h e P ro p o s e d Fo o t b a l l Fi e l d (G re e n f i e l d E v o l u t i o n ) To the N uev e E c i j a U n i v e rs i t y o f S c i e n c e a n d Te c h n o l o g y C a s h i e r O ff i c e .

T he N uev a E c i j a U n i v e rs i t y o f S c i e n c e a n d Te c h n o l o g y re s e rv e s t h e ri g h t t o a c c e p t or r ej ec t any Bid t o a n n u l t h e b i d d i n g p ro c e s s , a n d t o re j e c t a l l B i d s a t a n y t i me p ri o r t o c ontr ac t aw ar d, w h e t h e r t h e re b y i n c u rri n g a n y l i a b i l i t y t o t h e a ff e c t e d b i d d e r o r b i d d e rs .

Appr ov ed b y : ( SGD ) EN G R . E R N E S TO A . D E LA C R U Z B A C C h air m a n Em ail: n eu s tm a i n@ y a hoo. c om N EU ST Gen . Ti ni o S tr e e t, C a ba na tua n C i ty 3 1 0 0 Tele F ax n o. : 0 4 4 -6 0 0 -3 5 9 4 / 0 4 4 -4 6 3 -0 2 2 6 / 0 4 4 -6 0 0 -1 5 3 3 ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

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FRIDAY: MAY 1, 2015

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

Betting on Manny AS WE write, betting odds continue to favor Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. (at -225) over our own champ Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (+175) for the upcoming “Fight of the Century” which will air Sunday morning. To the uninitiated, the numbers simply mean that a bet of $225 on Mayweather who is the heavy favorite will win you only $100. On the other hand, a bet of $100 on Manny Pacquiao who is the underdog this time will win you $175 – a simple case of llamado-dehado in local betting parlance.

Our money is on the Manny despite the great odds. For one, we all have seen how he has trained so hard and as far as we know there are no distractions this time with everything looking hunky dory in the marital front between Pacman and Jinkee, plus Kim Henares does not seem to be on her usual “basag-trip” mode. Throw in the peace of mind that Pacquiao has found in his Christian faith and you have one confident fighter.

Many are also raring to see Floyd the motor mouth kiss the floor, having alienated a lot of fight fans, including his fellow Americans, for declaring himself better than Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. “What blasphemy!” one of our older buddies could not help blurting out.

According to projections, the “Fight of the Century” is set to break all-time records, from the pay-per-view subscriptions (3 million) and revenue ($300 million) to live gate receipts ($70 million) and prize money (over $100 million each for both Manny and Floyd).

That’s not even counting the brisk sales from fight memorabilia – cups to caps to shirts and hoodies and what have you.

Whatever the outcome, Filipinos will always be proud of their People’s Champ who has shown that he has a heart for the underdog, having come from nothing as he keeps telling anyone who cares to listen, attributing all that he has to a merciful and kind God. Cheers to you, Manny!

Labor Day pains Today happens to be International Workers’ Day or just Labor Day to Filipino workers, so we expect to see Kilusang Mayo Uno, Migrante and other labor groups to hold protests and effigy burning events, with no other than President BS Aquino as the favorite recipient of their bile. As a matter of fact, there is even more vitriol now directed against President BS after the stay of execution of overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso who has been meted the death penalty in Indonesia for drug trafficking because of the Palace by the river’s quickness to grab credit for the reprieve. It didn’t help either that presidential sister Kris was quick to trumpet her pride at her brother’s supposed achievement. So her brother is a miracle worker now, eh?

Of course, everyone knows government only acted with haste to try and save Veloso in typical last two minutes fashion when media attention began to escalate, so credit rightfully goes not to just one person but to everyone who petitioned, prayed and pleaded for the OFW – including Indonesian labor group leaders who were able to get some private face time with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

As far as Kilusang Mayo Uno is concerned, Pacman did more for Mary Jane by publicly calling on President Widodo to stop the scheduled execution. One could clearly hear the contempt of KMU thru its statement that praised Manny’s “most public appeal” which “stands in stark contrast to the lethargic and merely cosmetic attempts” of President BS “to make it appear that he is on Mary Jane’s side.”

By the way, the call of labor leaders for a minimum P16,000 monthly salary for all employees whether in the public or private sector seems to be falling on deaf ears. The call for the P16,000 wage rate came on the heels of an Ibon Foundation study that said workers should be receiving P1,086 daily wage (compared to the P444 for agriculture and P481 for non-agri workers in Metro Manila) which seems reasonable because the prices of basic commodities and utilities keep skyrocketing.

Last March, a P15 minimum wage hike increase was approved by the regional wage board much to the disappointment of labor groups who said the amount is not even enough to cover the cost of transportation. The MRT which is supposed to provide a bit of relief continues to be a pain, what with the glitches and malfunctions and accidents that force workers to take the bus instead, arriving late for work and getting penalized in the process. What a government! ### For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you.

Cheers!

ISO certification. Trade Undersecretary for consumer protection group Victorio Mario Dimagiba (center) met with International Organization for Standardization secretary general Rob Steele (third from left) on April 22, 2015 at Crimson Hotel in Alabang, Muntinlupa City and discussed the Philippines’ standardization programs and activities. The ISO underscored that it is important for the PNS to be harmonized with ISO international standards to promote competitiveness and trade facilitation among the Philippine industries.

With them are officers of the Trade Department and ISO.

PH, Australia sign new air agreement

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE

Philippines and Australia have amended their existing air service agreement to increase the number of flights between the two countries by 55 percent.

Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla said the two countries signed on April 29 a memorandum of understanding on air services, which increases the seat entitlements between the two sides from the current 6,000 seats to 9,300 seats per week.

Philippine carriers are fully utilizing their entitlements.

PAL flies to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Darwin while Cebu Pacific operates to Sydney.

“The two countries also agreed to allow third-country code sharing, which will enable designated airlines of the Philippines or Australia to operate services jointly with an airline of a third country, to, from or via the other country and thus improve market distribution,” Arcilla said.

Cebu Pacific general manager for long haul division Alex Reyes said the budget airline planned to expand its Australian operations to further grow inbound tourism into the Philippines.

Cebu Pacific carried 13,875 passengers in January 2015, more than any other carrier operating direct flights to Sydney from Manila.

The traffic between the two countries reached 327,000 in 2014, up by 10 percent from 2013.

Tourists from Australia reached 224,000 in 2014, or 5 percent higher than in 2013.

There are about 400,000 Filipinos in Australia.

Aviation think tank Centre for Aviation said routes between Australia and the Phil-

ippines were currently underserved.

There are about 5,800 weekly one-way seats between the two countries at present.

This is lower than frequencies in other popular tourism destinations in Asia, such as Indonesia and Thailand, where there are 36,000 and 22,000 weekly one-way seats respectively.

The Philippines is forging more air agreements and upgrading existing ones as part of the Aquino administration’s open skies policy, which aims to

double tourist arrivals to 10 million by next year.

The Philippines and Oman agreed on April 7 to more than double the existing three flights to seven a week. Manila and Singapore also amended their air accord, by increasing capacity to 18,888 seats a week for each country from the existing 17,627.

Last year, the Philippines concluded air negotiations with Ethiopia, South Africa, Macau, Canada, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore and France.

In BrIef

CebuPac’s passengers up 13%

THE combined passenger traffic of Cebu Pacific Air and wholly-owned subsidiary Tigerair Philippines increased 13 percent in the first quarter of 2015, despite the decline in the number of seats per flight.

Data showed that Cebu Pacific and Tigerair flew 4.28 million passengers in the January to March period, up 13 percent from 3.79 million passengers registered in the same period last year.

The Cebu Pacific Group carried 1.53 million passengers in March alone, higher by 11.7 percent than 1.37 million passengers in March last year.

The two airlines’ combined load factor, which pertains to number of seats occupied per flight, dropped 3.8 points to 79.9 percent in March from 83.5 percent in the same month last year.

Cebu Pacific and Tigerair operated 32,728 flights, utilizing 55 aircraft. “We look forward to serving more guests and stimulating travel in more markets this year. CEB has set its sights on Doha, Qatar, which we will launch on June 4, and continues to explore adding flight frequencies or seat capacity to popular destinations,” said Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and distribution. Darwin G. Amojelar

Money supply rises 9.4% Domestic liquidity, or money supply in the financial system, grew 9.4 percent in March to P7.689 trillion from P7.029 trillion a year ago, on sustained demand for credit in the domestic economy, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday.

The March expansion was faster than the 8.5-percent growth a month ago. Domestic claims grew 10.4 percent in March, higher than 10 percent in February as credits to the private sector expanded at a slightly faster pace relative to the previous month.

Meanwhile, outstanding loans of commercial banks, net of reverse repurchase placements with the BSP, rose 13.7 percent in March to P4.389 trillion from P3.861 trillion a year ago.

This growth, however, was slower than the 15.2-percent expansion in February, data showed.

Loans for production activities, which comprised more than 80 percent of banks’ aggregate loans, grew 13.3 percent in March.

The growth in production loans was driven primarily by lending to real estate, renting and business services (10.1 percent); manufacturing (11.4 percent); wholesale and retail trade (12.6 percent); electricity, gas and water (14.2 percent); and financial intermediation (19.3 percent). Julito G. Rada

ERC approves 2 solar projects

The Energy Regulatory Commission awarded certificates of compliance to two more solar power projects, including Energy Development Corp.’s 4-megawatt solar plant in Ilocos Norte and Raslag Corp.’s 10-MW station in Pampanga.

ERC spokesman Francis Saturnino Juan said the regulator issued the two new certificates of compliance to the companies, which would allow them to avail of the feedin tariff for solar.

Juan said this followed ERC’s issuance of the same certificate to San Carlos Solar Energy for its solar projects in Negros Occidental.

The certificates were given to the project’s two phases, including Sacasol IA at 13 megawatts and IB at 9 MW located in San Carlos City, which began commercial operation in May and August 2014, respectively.

The move followed ERC’s approval of the solar feed-in tariff of P8.69 per kilowatt for an additional capacity of 450 megawatts.

The Energy Department earlier increased the installation target of solar projects to 500 MW from 50 MW due to the strong interest in solar projects, lower cost of solar panels and short construction period. Alena Mae S. Flores

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F R I D AY : M AY 1 , 2 0 1 5

cesAR bARRIoquInto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

Protesters criticize US police ‘injustices’ BALTIMORE—Thousands demonstrated in US East Coast cities Wednesday demanding equal treatment for all by police, after a young African American died of injuries sustained in custody in Baltimore.

The biggest show of people power was in Baltimore itself—the epicenter of the latest racially tinged unrest to convulse the United States—where several thousand mostly young demonstrators paralyzed city blocks in a major rally through downtown to City Hall.

The streets of Baltimore seemed calm on the second night of a citywide curfew.

Thousands more protested in New York, the capital Washington and Boston in solidarity, as simmering anger over alleged police brutality against blacks and discrimination again bubbled to the surface.

The protests were overwhelmingly peaceful and good-natured, although New York police said they had arrested more than 60 demonstrators. Emotions were running high, and scuffles broke out.

What appears to be a growing movement for change was focused on Baltimore, where a rally that started at the main train station included black and

white demonstrators, some of them linking arms and chanting: “No justice, no peace! No racists, no peace!”

Many in the march were high school or college students.

“We’re protesting the ongoing injustices that police have perpetrated on black men particularly. Police are trigger-happy and we need to stop that,” Jonathan Brown, 19, a student at Johns Hopkins University, told AFP. Some in the huge crowd held placards, one reading, “Killer cops deserve cell blocks.”

The 2,000 National Guard personnel who have flooded Baltimore this week kept a low profile and only small knots of demonstrators remained on the streets when a curfew swept into effect for a second night from 10:00 pm (0200 GMT Thursday) to 5:00 am.

Of the more than 200 people arrested in Monday’s riots, police were forced to let half of them go Wednesday, the Baltimore Sun reported. AFP

Premiere. Actors Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda attend the premiere of Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie” at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live on April 29 in Los Angeles. AFP

Tokyo gas attack suspect jailed for life TOKYO—The final suspect in the 1995 deadly nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway was jailed for life on Thursday, for his part in a crime that shocked the world.

Katsuya Takahashi, a 57-year-old former member of the Aum Supreme Truth cult, served as a driver for one of the cultists who released the Nazideveloped sarin gas in the subway system, killing 13 people and injuring some 6,000.

While Takahashi denied knowledge about the planned gas attack, Tokyo District Court’s presiding judge Tomomi Nakazato ruled that he knew about what would become Japan’s worst terrorist attack, an inci-

dent that sowed panic throughout the nation, according to Jiji Press.

Local media highlighted how during his court hearings Takahashi remained loyal to the cult’s half-blind guru and did not utter an apology over a series of crimes committed by the group.

Police captured Takahashi in June 2012 after he had been on the run for 17 years, bringing to an end the hunt for those thought to be behind the horrific act.

Takahashi was a one-time guard for Aum leader Shoko Asahara, a mystic who preached a blend of Buddhist and Hindu dogma mixed with his visions of the apocalypse.

Asahara developed an obsession with sarin, becoming paranoid that his enemies would attack him with it.

The bearded leader was arrested at a commune near Mount Fuji two months after the subway attack and sentenced to hang, having been convicted of crimes resulting in multiple deaths. He remains on death row, along with 12 other cult members.

While all have exhausted their chances of appeal, the death sentences are not likely to be carried out until final legal wrangling is over in all connected cases—including Thursday’s, whose verdict and sentence could still be appealed to a higher court. AFP

Large fine for McDonald’s supplier

In camp. Refugee children who were born in Liberia pose at the PTP refugee camp, in the

southeastern county of Grand Gedeh, about 50 km north of the capital Zwedru in Liberia, on April 14. Over 220,000 Ivorians found refuge in Liberian camps after fleeing the 2002 civil war and a 2011 conflict that claimed 3,000 lives as former president Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept election defeat to Alassane Ouattara. AFP Denunciation. South Korean activists hold placards showing pictures of Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a rally denouncing Abe’s speech at the US Congress near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on April 30. AFP

BEIJING—A McDonald’s joint venture in China supplying its outlets with French fries has been slapped with a record 3.9 million yuan ($630,000) fine for water pollution, state media reported.

The fine levied against Beijing Simplot Food Processing is the largest ever meted out by the city of Beijing for pollution, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing the municipal environmental watchdog.

Beijing Simplot Food Processing is a joint venture between US agribusiness concern J.R. Simplot Company, McDonald’s and the Beijing Agricultural, Industrial and Commerce General Compa-

ny, Xinhua said.

Established in 1992, Beijing Simplot makes French fries and hash browns for McDonald’s, Xinhua said, adding that it also produces them for “other East Asian customers,” without elaborating.

The fine comes as China cracks down nationwide on air, water and soil pollution amid rising public discontent over health concerns, and national embarrassment of the blight on the image of the world’s second-largest economy.

A new environmental law—the first in 25 years— went into force this year, imposing tougher penalties and

pledging that violators will be “named and shamed.”

Recent studies have shown that roughly two-thirds of China’s soil is estimated to be polluted, and that 60 percent of underground water is too contaminated to drink.

According to Xinhua, inspectors in November discovered that a water quality indicator in Beijing Simplot Food Processing’s waste water exceeded limits and immediately blocked its pipes, ordering it to treat the water at a processing plant.

The polluted water flowed into city pipes, the report said, citing a local environmental protection office. AFP

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WORLD

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Taiwan in foodie map

TAIPEI—Pungent slices of fermented tofu, piping hot pork buns and crisp green guava slices are some of Taiwan’s classic street eats, with the best stalls attracting queues of locals and visitors.

Now these no-frills favorites are being joined by a new wave of restaurants tapping in to the island’s abundant fresh produce and vibrant cuisine.

Their fusion of seasonal menus and slick interiors at modest prices is starting to create an international buzz—Conde Nast Traveller magazine has labeled Taiwan as the “foodie destination of 2015”.

The island’s star chef, Andre Chiang—who trained in France and runs the acclaimed Restaurant Andre in Singapore—recently opened his first venue on home turf, RAW, in northern Taipei.

It serves up seasonal Taiwanese produce crafted into what Chiang calls a “new interpretation” of the island’s culinary tra-

ditions.

“They are all humble ingredients—but when you start to match them in a different way, you create something interesting,” he said.

RAW’s seven-course menu changes every month and features 21 Taiwanese ingredients in peak season at the time.

Tiny shrimp nestle inside purple rice crackers; three types of cauliflower are layered onto thin wafers of chicken skin; a version of the island’s famed sweet treat, the pineapple cake, is presented as three semi-frozen cubes.

The full tasting menu costs Tw$1,850 (US$60), which Chiang calls “accessible” compared with the island’s expensive finedining options, mostly the pre-

serve of high-end hotels.

RAW, which opened in December, is part of 38-year-old Chiang’s mission to help carve out a fresh global identity for Taiwan.

“We used to be Taiwanese, with aboriginal local cuisine, then we were colonized for 50 years by the Japanese, then there was the takeover by the Chinese (nationalist) government.

“We can’t cut [those influences] out of our history.”

Now entrepreneurial restaurateurs are finding their feet, and it’s not just about the food.

“Small independent restaurants... are starting to take Taiwanese local produce and are doing it in a more international way, with both the cuisine and the design,” said Chiang.

The cavernous space at RAW, designed by Dutch architect Camiel Weijenberg, is dominated by two huge curved wooden counters made from Taiwanese spruce by local artisans.

The city’s growing reputation

for creativity led Taipei to be named World Design Capital for 2016 by the International Council of the Societies of Industrial Design.

“People have studied abroad and are bringing ideas back with them—a lot has changed in the last year or two... there’s a big transition at the moment,” Weijenberg said.

At new restaurant Mume, three young chefs use Taiwanese produce to create Western dishes in a bid to fill the gap between simple island fare and pricey fine dining.

The cosy 32-seat venue decked out in dark wood and storm lamps also opened in December, tucked away in a quiet street in Taipei’s central Daan district.

“We’re starting to get quite a lot of international travellers, probably 20 to 30 percent,” said Hong Kong-born founder and chef Richie Lin, 34, who works with Australian chef Kai Ward, 24 and US chef Long Xiong, 32. AFP

Music awards. The Doobie Brothers and Gene Simmons attend the 32nd Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards held at The Loews Hollywood Hotel on April 29 in Hollywood, California. AFP

HK police hunting 6 kidnap suspects HONG KONG—Hundreds of heavily armed officers are searching one of Hong Kong’s rural country parks in a massive operation to hunt down six men who fled with millions in ransom money after a kidnap, local media have reported.

The suspects, who took a 29-year-old woman from her home, freed her after relatives paid a reported HK$28 million (US$3.61 million). They had initially demanded up to HK$50 million for the woman’s release.

Footage from Cable TV showed uniformed officers descending on a village in the eastern part of the city in the early hours of Thursday, while hundreds of heavily armed officers have also been searching Ma On Shan Country Park since Tuesday, the South China Morning Post said.

Roadblocks have been set up and helicopters and marine vessels were deployed in the citywide manhunt, which began after the unidentified woman was released, the SCMP added.

“The investigations for the case is ongoing,” a police spokeswoman told AFP Thursday.

She said the search operation was taking place “(all) over the territory”, without giving further detail.

“Arresting them is just a matter of time,” an unnamed police source told the SCMP. The southern Chinese city of seven million people is for the most part considered to be safe, with violent crimes in 2014 falling almost 10 percent from 2013.

Robberies also fell 38.2 percent to 309 cases in 2014, compared to figures from 2013.

But a series of high-profile kidnapping cases shocked the city in the 1990s.

The eldest son of the city’s richest man, Li Ka-shing, was kidnapped in 1996 by the infamous crime boss Cheung Tze-keung, nicknamed “Big Spender,” who also kidnapped property tycoon Walter Kwok in 1997. AFP

Call for fight against drug trade SYDNEY—Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop called Thursday for a regional approach to tackle drug trafficking, saying the death penalty would not halt the illegal trade after Indonesia executed seven foreigners, sparking international anger.

Canberra recalled its ambassador to Indonesia after two Australians, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, were killed by a firing squad on Wednesday, along with five other foreign drug convicts and one Indonesian.

“I do not believe that the death penalty is a deterrent to the drug trade that proliferates in this region and I believe we need a regional response,” Bishop told reporters in Sydney.

The minister said Australia wanted to have discussions with Indonesia and other neighbors on the region’s efforts to deal with the “scourge of drug trafficking in and out of our countries”.

“Australia is a victim of the drug trafficking trade as well but I fail to see how executing two young men who, indeed, were an example of how to rehabilitate drug offenders can deter the drug trade,” Bishop said.

“There are other broader regional issues that need to be addressed.”

Indonesia staunchly defended the executions as a vital front of its “war” on drugs, with President Joko Widodo citing figures from the national anti-narcotics agency

showing that more than 30 Indonesians die every day due to drugs.

Bishop’s comments came a day after Defence Minister Kevin Andrews said the way Indonesia handled the process—including the announcement of the executions on Anzac Day, Australia’s most important national event -- “reeks of a calculated snub at Australia”.

“I think we face a situation in Indonesia where we have a president who’s in the weaker situation and sometimes people in weak situations take action which they think maybe exhibit strength,” Andrews told reporters in Canberra.

“If that has been the case here, then... this is a serious miscalculation on behalf of the president of Indonesia.” AFP

Music festival. French singer Heloise Letissier of the band “Christine and the Queens” performs during the 39th edition of “Le Printemps de Bourges” rock and pop music festival in Bourges on april 29. AFP

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MOTORING

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Maserati shines in Shanghai show IN a year of consolidation in the run-up to the launch of the new products in 2016, Maserati hogged the limelight at the Shanghai Auto Show with the China premiere of the Maserati Ghibli Ermenegildo Zegna Edition Concept, which takes the stage alongside the all-wheel-drive 2015 Maserati Quattroporte S Q4, supported by the complete product range of the various Quattroporte and Ghibli models and the centennial editions of sporty GranTurismo Centennial and GranCabrio.

China market, with 9,400 unites and growth of 148% compared to 2013, confirmed its status as Maserati’s second largest market. It is a growth based on 43 dealership expansion and sales boosted by the best-selling Quattroporte and Ghibli versions equipped with 330hP Twin Turbo engine and rear-wheel drive.

The exciting momentum of 2014 will be sustained in 2015 with the introduction of the new edition of Quattroporte and Ghibli, which strengthens the sustantial representation of the brand’s range. Maserati China is dedicated to the enhancement of high quality product, supreme service and customer experience offerings that ensures steady growth of businss in China and sets the solid foundation for a new height of success in the year to come.

The show-stealer is the package of the Twin Turbo 3.0-litre V6 engine with 410 horse power mounted on the recently introduced Quattroporte S Q4, to deliver another distinct performance point for the rear wheel driven Quattroporte 330 hp and Quattroporte GTS 530 hp, already available on the market. The Twin Turbo V6 engine utilizes much of the Twin Turbo V8’s alreadyproven technology, including its variable valve timing, its valve drive system and its direct fuel injection.

If a choice of two versions wasn’t enough, the Quattroporte now also offers the option of the Q4 all-wheel drive system to create the safest all-weather performance and high grip car in Maserati’s history. The Q4 system delivers the responsiveness of a traditional Maserati rear-wheel drive combined with the added security that only an all-wheel drive can bring in

SHOW STEALER: Maserati Quattroporte S Q4

critical situations, almost without creating extra fuel consumption. The system leaves the front wheels passive until they are needed to help with traction and then they are instantly and intelligently engaged. The Maserati Q4 all-wheel-drive system is available with the V6 410hp engine and perfectly matches the grand touring qualities expected of a high performance Maserati sedan, whatever the road conditions.

The sophisticated Maserati Q4 system has been designed to enhance the high-performance, grand touring qualities of the Quattroporte, and offer absolute safety and genuine all-weather capability, whatever the road conditions. The Quattroporte S Q4 accelerates from 0-100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds and delivers 550 Nm of torque and a top speed of 283 km/h, while retaining competitive emission and consumption figures: 246 g/km and 10.5lt/100 km, both on the combined cycle.

AUCTION SALE CINTHY PAWNSHOP All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on: MAY 25, 2015 STA. MESA – 8:00 AM # 3630 Ramon Magsaysay Blvd.

Sta. Mesa, Manila at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE PENTHOUSE PAWNSHOP All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 4, 2015 at BETTER - 8:00 AM at # 82 Betterliving Subd.

Parañaque City at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER ( T S - A P R . 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE POB CASA DE EMPEÑOS All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 25, 2015 at the ff. branches: ST. FRANCIS 10:30 AM at # 40 Kingfisher St., St. Francis, Meycauayan, Bulacan POBLACION – 11:30 AM # 721 Barrera St., Poblacion, Baliuag, Bulacan at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE TAMCAR PAWNSHOP CORP.

Mobility Enhanced.Honda Cars Philippines Inc.president-general manager Toshio Kuwahara unveils the Mobilio, Honda’s first 7- seater multi-purposeutility vehicle at the Metrotent in Ortigas, Pasig City. DANNY PATA

( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

Offroad...from B8

and is one of the longest produced MercedesBenz in daimler’s history, with a span of 35 years surpassed only by the Unimog.

So it came as no surprise why a young Maynardo Espiritu Jr would fall for this boxy beast from Germany. “It was in 1982 when I fell love at first sight for the G-wagen. Our neighbor owned two versions and I remember promising to myself that someday I would own one,” he says. during the Tanay off-raod trip, Espiritu brought along his current flame a 1995 290Gd which he purchased in 2001 from a friend, who is also an avid G-wagen fanatic. “The thing that attracted me the most about this SUV is the engineering that went into building it. It is already a capable off-roader straight from the factory without any modifications,” he reveals.

A quick walk through around this SUV would prove his observation to be correct. Every inch of the Gelandewagen was designed

All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 11, 2015 at the ff. branches: BUSTILLOS -2:00 PM at # L252228 Road 216, Earnshaw Bustillos, Manila MAY 25, 2015 CALOOCAN – 1:00 PM # 434 J. RODRIGUEZ ST., at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER

and engineered to take on punishment. The elevated stance, the grill covered headlights, tail lamp and signal clusters indicated that this SUV is for w serious trailing. According to Espiritu, the only customizations done to his G-wagen were the tail lights upgrade, military type snorkel, 16-inch Puch Alloy wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich All Terrain tires, a rock solid hood and an ultra-expensive Preining type roof rack from Mercedes Benz. “You can never go wrong with a G-wagen. Knowing the engineering and solid reputation of Mercedes Benz, you will know that your ride can take on anything thrown at it,” he says.

In true off-road fashion, the day ended with the two off-road icons covered in mud and the owners grinning from ear to ear. These guys were right, why let these sport utes spend their days being driven on well-manicured pavements wjen you can drive them on the roads less travelled.

AUCTION SALE PEARLAS PAWNSHOP CO., INC. All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on M AY 0 4 , 2015 at the ff. branches: MONTILLANO - 12:30 PM at 249 Montillano St., Alabang, Muntinlupa City M AY 07, 2015 SUMULONG – 9:00 AM # 24 Sumulong Hway Sto. Niño, Marikina City CONCEPCION – 10:00 AM #19 Bayan Bayanan Ave., Concepcion, M a r i k i n a C i t y M AY 11 , 2014 G. NUEVO – 9:00 A M Ta n H o c k B l d g . , C o r.

EDSA, Makati C i t y M AY 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 B .

B A R R I O - 11 : 3 0 A M # 3 5 Malolos Ave., B. Barrio, C a l o o c a n C i t y M AY 2 3 , 2015 VA L E N Z U E L A – 1 2 : 0 0 P M # 11 5 Faustino St., Punturin, Va l e n z u e l a C i t y a t J U A N LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published.

We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

AUCTION SALE

AUCTION SALE

NORTHERN LEGASPI

N.C. TAMBUNTING

All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 25, 2015 at NAVOTAS - 2:30 PM at # 256 Champaca St., Navotas Metro Manila at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 7, 2015 at PATEROS - 8:00 AM at # M. Almeda Cor. B. Morcilla St., Pateros, Metro Manila at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

AUCTION SALE

AUCTION SALE

WESTCHESTER

RACATAM PAWNSHOP CO., INC.

( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 11, 2015 at the ff. branches: HERRAN - 8:00 AM at # 1101 P. Gil St., Paco, Manila STA. ANA – 10:00 AM # 390 AP Reyes Cor. JP Rizal St., Makati City at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

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All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 18, 2015 at the ff. branches: PRITIL - 8:00 AM at 1833 N. Zamora St., Pritil, Tondo, Manila BLUMENTRITT – 10:30 AM #1687 M. Hizon St., Blumentritt, Manila VARONA – 8:30 AM 1872 F. VARONA ST., BRGY 95, ZONE 8, TONDO, MANILA MAY 25, 2015 ALTURA – 9:00 AM # 418 Altura St. Sta. Mesa, Manila at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE

AUCTION SALE

CITRINE PAWNSHOP CO., INC All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 4, 2015 at RITZ - 12:00 PM at Stall # New Muntinlupa Public Market, Alabang Muntinlupa City JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

PANG NEGOSYO PAWNSHOP

( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 08, 2015 at the ff. branches: COUNTRYSIDE - 12:30 PM at 49 Countryside Ave., Sta. Lucia, Pasig City JUNCTION – 2:30 PM # Star Valley Plaza Mall, Junction at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE

AUCTION SALE

LUIROM PAWNSHOP CO., INC.

MAKATI LUXURY JEWELRY PAWNSHOP CO.,

All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 04, 2015 at the ff. branches: SUCAT - 9:00 AM at #3 Dr., A. Santos Ave., Sucat, Parañaque City MUNTI – 1:30 PM #659 National Road, Poblacion St., Muntinlupa City MAY 08, 2015 SAN JOAQUIN – 1:30 PM # 9 M. Concepcion San Joaquin, Pasig City MAY 25, 2015 10TH AVE. – 2:00 PM # 245-B 10TH Ave., Brgy., 60 Zone 6, Caloocan City MAY 23, 2015 MARILAO – 1 PM #5 NETWORK AVE., MERALCO VILL. LIAS MARILAO BULACAN MAY 11, 2015 SAGRADA – 11:00AM #1978 ESTRADA ST., FORMER SAGRADA FAMILIA STA. ANA, MLA. MAY 18, 2015 GAGALANGIN – 8:45 AM #2 JUAN LUNA ST., COR. GUIDO ST., TONDO MANILA MAY 23, 2015 STO NIÑO – 9:30 AM #30 ST., THERESE COR, ST. PETER, P3 STO NIÑO MEYCAUAN BULACAN at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

All unredeemed pledges during the month of DECEMBER 2014 will be sold to public auction on MAY 04, 2015 at BF Homes – 10:00 AM # 43 President’s Ave., BF Homes, Parañaque City SPL - 3:00 PM at Casa Hacienda San Pedro, Laguna on MAY 07, 2015 at the ff. branches: ROMULO 10:00 AM at 135 13TH Ave., Cor. P. Tuazon, Cubao, QC SANTOLAN – 4:00 PM 526 ADR Bldg., Dela Paz, Santolan, Pasig City on MAY 11, 2015 JP RIZAL – 11:00 AM # 529 Olympia St., JP Rizal, Makati City ALPHALAND – 5:00 PM G11 South Gate Towers, P. Tamo Ext., Makati City MANUELA – 3:00 PM G/F Starmall, Wack2, Mandaluyong City MAY 18, 2015 LALOMA – 11:30 AM # 67 Calavite St., Brgy., P. Bundok, QC RETIRO - 12:30 PM # 270 N.S. amoranto Street, Retiro QC. ROTONDA – 2:00 PM # 1 Sto. Tomas St., Rotonda QC at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER ( T S - M AY 1, 2 0 15 )

F R I D AY : M a y 1 , 2 0 1 5

B8

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING

MusTang In ManIla

a legend rolls out once more FORd Philippines celebrates the arrival of the all-new Mustang in a rock concert held at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. The new Mustang is the sixth generation model built by Ford since launching the first model in April 17, 1964. Regarded as one of the most highly-anticipated vehicles of the year, the iconic Mustang comes loaded with innovative technologies to assist drivers in creating a safe driving environment.

“The all-new Mustang represents the very best of Ford and its arrival marks the latest chapter of the iconic muscle car’s rich legacy, crafted with a more contemporary look and feel. With a history spanning more than 50 years, this iconic car is at the heart and soul of Ford and we are very excited to bring the sixth generation Mustang to the Philippines,” said Kay hart, Managing director, Ford Philippines.

The Mustang has sold over 9 million units over its 50 years of continuous production.

For the first time in its history, it has been made available in more markets in Europe and Asia, further cementing its place as a global automotive icon.

“When you see a Mustang drive by on the road, you see a legend in motion. From its exterior and interior features, the all-new Mustang is inspired by a unique and iconic design that has been reinvented for the contemporary world,” said Minnie ValenciaBustamante, vice president for marketing and sales, Ford Philippines.

The all-new Mustang offers more options to fit any lifestyle with two high-performing engines to choose from: the 5.0-liter V8 or the 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine. Each engine gets a unique grille that allows in only as much air as that specific power plant needs.

The reworked automatic transmission features new steering wheel-mounted shift paddles for drivers who want the choice between convenience and control.

The state-of-the-art 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine uses direct injection, variable cam timing and turbo charging to deliver plenty of usable performance and projected segment-leading fuel efficiency. A unique intake manifold and turbocharger housing enable it to deliver the performance Mustang drivers expect with output projected at more than 314 PS of power and 434 Nm of torque.

The latest edition of the 5.0-liter V8 now features an upgraded valve train and cylinder heads that yield more than 441 PS of power and 542 Nm of torque. A new intake manifold improves low-speed breathing for better fuel economy, idle stability and emissions, making it the most powerful V8 engine in GT history.

FORD MUSTANG V8

Rocky road crossings are a favorite playground of these two offroad behemoths.

Offroad hit the trail icons

Text and photo by Dino Ray V. Directo III

T

hE question of who’s got the best SUV was finally settled in the hills of Sierra Madre.

Is the Mercedes Benz G-Wagon formidable enough to withstand the onslaught of the popular Toyota Land Cruiser LC80? A group of offroad enthusiasts went a step farther and drove to the tough and twisted terrain of the Sierra Madre to test the mettle of these two iconic metal hulks.

With off-road King Beeboy Bargas leading the convoy, Sammy Liuson took the wheel of his custom built Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series to the jungle trail of Tanay, Rizal. Facing off with the renowned SUV from the East is the iconic Mercedes Benz G Wagon owned by businessman Maynardo Espiritu, Jr. Unlike enthusiasts whose rides are relegated to being garage queens, Liuson and Espiritu drove their highly priced off-road vehicles with reckless abandon, not minding the punishing trail and the scratches caused by the trees and tall grass lining up the Sierra Madre trail. “This is why we build project cars, for us to enjoy our investment and to really experience what this SUV can do,” says Liuson.

The LC80 gets a beating The sixth-generation Land Cruiser 80 series was unveiled in October 1989 at the Tokyo Motor Show and launched in early 1990. It had swing-out back doors, which were replaced by a winch door in 1994. The Land Cruiser was nicknamed the Burbuja (Bubble) in Colombia and Venezuela due to its roundness, but it was officially released as Land Cruiser Autana in both countries. The name is a reference to the Tepui mesa Autana, a spectacular plateau and cave system along the Guiana Shield craton. Land Cruiser sales reached 2 million vehicles by the nineties.

Like any other 4x4 enthusiasts, Liuson’s target when he started traversing the road less traveled was to own an LC80. “For me this series represented the best of the Land Cruiser line. It had a good engine, and the balance of the vehicle is perfect for both on and off road conditions,” he says.

After spending a month or two in Richard Sy’s shop for restoration, the LC80 was then taken to paint specialist Car Kreative Technik in San Juan.

Owned by veteran mechanic Conrad Ti, it was a mutual decision between Liuson and Ti to paint the LC80 with a dark black color hue. “I wanted to tone down the massive body impression. It’s a huge vehicle,” he says.

Being the Godfather of the Aftermarket Mafia, Liuson’s LC80 was definitely not going to be your garden variety restoration. Liuson had

the suspension replaced with King Springs with a two-inch lift combined with Bilstein shocks supplied by Arvin Lim. Atoy Llave, the country’s King of Bodykits added more character to the exterior by designing massive fender flares for a much wider stance which complimented the huge Black Rhino wheels wrapped in Nitto Trail Grappler tires. The Outdoors Club of Greenhills bolted on a Rhino roof rack with an Awning tent which Liuson utilizes when camping outdoors. To back up the aesthetics of the LC80, Pacho Blanco of BRE Engineering/Autoplus/Motul tuned the engine for some serious “go” when the need arises. A Borla exhaust system was custom fitted to compliment the tuning of BRE. Rounding off the exterior customization of the LC80 is a body wrap by Foilacar Industries and modifying the front fascia to accommodate the allweather ultra bright PIAA 18-inch LEd Light bar and daylight running lights. driving the LC80 on and off the road is a delight since Liuson had the interiors customized. The in-car entertainment system was replaced with a Blaupunkt two-din head unit and the upholstery was also redone in black to modernize the cabin of the two decades old LC80.

Teutonic mud wrestler Like its competitor the Land Rover defender, this German sports utility’s design remains unchanged since it rolled off the assembly line of Magna Steyr in Austria in 1979. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class or more popularly known as the Geländewagen (G-wagen or cross-country vehicle), is a four-wheel drive full-size luxury SUV manufactured by Magna Steyr and sold by Mercedes-Benz. The Gwagen is characterized by its boxy styling and body-on-frame construction.

It uses three fully locking differentials, and is one of the few vehicles to have such a feature. despite the introduction of an intended replacement, the unibody SUV Mercedes-Benz GL-Class in 2006, the G-Class is still in production Turn to B7

F R I D AY : M AY 1 : 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

FASHION

FIFTY SHADES OF FLY COOL LOOKS FOR HOT DAYS

W

ith summer just around the corner, grab a pair or two from Fly Shades’ Summer 2015 Collection and be ready to face the extreme heat with even better style. This latest collection offers bold, fashionable pieces at affordable prices to complement every look: classic frames for the chic lady to updated clubmasters for the casual guy.

Inspired by the clear blue skies and fiery sunsets of the tropics, the brand has created a collection that’s reminiscent of nature’s colors. Its aviators and clubmasters feature bright lenses and frames in powdery blue, cool green, and soft peach. Other pieces come in similarly playful hues and prints combined with trendy frames that can effortlessly take you from beach lounges to outdoor adventures. And Continued on C2

FRIDAY : M AY 1 : 2015

C2

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

glweekend @ gmail.com

FASHION

FIFTY SHADES OF FLY From C1

with UV protection that can block light rays with wavelengths of up to 400 nanometers, you can have fun in the sun – worry-free.

It’s all about expressing your truly fly self this summer. Start with either plastic or metal frames that come in trendy and vintage-inspired shapes: aviator, clubmaster, keyhole, wayfarer, and retro-square. For those who need to wear glasses regardless of the weather, the brand has included spectacles with clear lenses for that instant “oomph” to your everyday look.

Next, there’s a kaleidoscope of lens and frame colors to choose from.

Three pieces stand out, in particular. The Salvador aviator comes with

ombre-effect lenses. The Hoya clubmaster is also available in two gradient flash finishes: blue-green and red-orange. The Asti, another aviator, features candy-colored frames with more subtle flash lenses.

Established in 2001, Fly Shades has remained at the top of the practical yet stylish and fun-loving consumers’ list of go-to eyewear brands that won’t break the bank. More than a decade in, it has come a long way from its humble beginnings to become a brand name recognized and trusted in over 40 branches nationwide.

So this summer, add a dash of chicness and make days even brighter with the latest eyewear from Fly Shades.

INÈS DE LA FRESSANGE DOES UNIQLO

F

rench style icon Ines de La Fressange highlights feminine beauty and effortless comfort in the Spring Summer collection she has created with UNIQLO. UNIQLO Design Director Naoki Takizawa worked with Ines to merge her passion for the UNIQLO LifeWear concept with her style-inspired by refined feminine beauty and authentic quality. This is the third collaborative collection with Ines, comprising a total of 95 items in a wider range of fabrics (availability may vary by store).

The collection debuts in two stages. The first, for the Spring, launched last January 15, at UNIQLO flagship and large stores. New to the line is the natural caramel color common to southern France, dresses in vintage floral prints, and indigo shirts. The sophisticated styling includes new coordination approaches for classic sportswear, and updates to the garment-dyed nylon jacket and coats that proved so popular last year.

The second stage, for the Summer, features items that reflect the mystique of Morocco’s Marrakech and capture the spirit of a vacation by the Mediterranean Sea. The range newly includes vanilla and limestone gray hues, for vivid natural contrasts in the dazzling sunshine.

The Ines de La Fressange collection is designed to enhance femininity, beauty, and comfortable.

Reprising the popular Soutien Collar Coat, final garment dyeing enhances softness and texture. The Floral Print Dress incorporates an elastic waistband, without a gathered front, to emphasize the silhouette. Shade contrasts in the pattern underscore the vintage appearance.

Ines de la Fressange says, “Fashion has to be fun. I learned from the world of high fashion that you can express elegance without owning many items. This collection is very easy to wear, match, and is layered to fit all women around the world.”

“Fashion is one of life’s joys,” she adds. “ Let’s enjoy it together! This is a really exciting

collection. It’s easy to wear and offers everyday fun in fashion. These are the kinds of clothes I’ve longed for myself, and I couldn’t wait to wear them!”

Design Director Naoki Takizawa says, “In our work together, Ines and I always start by asking what kinds of clothing we should recommend to customers this season. We feel like chefs eagerly preparing the best in seasonal fare for their diners. We materialized our shared vision in a collection that we can recommend with confidence.”

“We wanted to create clothing that embraces fabric textures, colors and details, and Parisian wit, “he describes the collection.” At the same time, we wanted to subtly bring out the personality of the person wearing the clothes, rather than overwhelm them. We also wanted to brighten a woman’s days, with clothing that naturally interacts with them.”

Born into an aristocratic family in France in 1957, Ines de La Fressange grew to be a fashion model , becoming Chanel’s star model from 1983 to 1990, and the muse of designer Karl Lagerfeld.

In 1989, she was chosen by the French government as the likeness for a bust of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic.

Ines is also active as a designer, journalist, author, and fashion consultant, and in 2010 was selected as a member of L’Oréal’s “Dream Team.”

Her book Parisian Chic has been translated into 17 languages, with more that a million copies sold worldwide.

In 2013, Ines re-launched her own brand, INES DE LA FRESSANGE PARIS, and is closely involved as creative director. The luxury lifestyle brand includes a wide range of products to create a truly a parisian style, from ready-towork apparel to interior decorations.

The Ines de la Fressange collection is available at UNIQULO stores at SM Megamall, SM Aura Premier, and Glorietta 5.

FRIDAY : M AY 1 : 2015

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

glweekend @ gmail.com

C3

SUNSCREEN RULES

BY ED BIADO It’s Labor Day and you’re at the beach because it’s your patriotic duty to flaunt those curves and get that much-needed tan. Of course, you’re smart enough to know that you should apply sunscreen on your body. You know the risks of overexposure to the sun and you definitely would rather be safe than sorry. But just how good is your sun-protection game? Check it against this list of rules for sunscreen application. ❏ Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out into the sun. ❏ Apply all over the body, including parts that are covered.

Garments can only do so much and they don’t have protection against harmful UV rays. ❏ Apply lip balm with UV protection because that pout needs TLC as well. ❏ Higher SPF is not always a good thing. Instead, look for sunscreen that says “broad spectrum protection,” which means that it’s effective against both cancer-causing UVA and sunburn-causing UVB rays. ❏ Choose sunscreen lotions over sprays because the latter doesn’t penetrate the skin as much as the former. ❏ Avoid sunscreen with additives, even if said additives appear to be “healthy” ones like

Vitamin A. Some authorities say that these may actually increase sun sensitivity and do more harm than good. ❏ Also avoid scented sunscreen.

Fragrance adds chemicals that may cause allergic reactions. ❏ Never used expired sunscreen. ❏ Reapply every two hours. It doesn’t matter if your sunscreen has a high SPF level, You still have to follow this timing because sunscreen easily wears off, especially if you’re swimming. Claims of being waterproof are not always a guarantee. At the most, a good sunscreen can be water-resistant for up to 80 minutes. ❏ Use a liberal amount when applying and reapplying; and use more on vulnerable areas and those with higher exposure, such as the face. ❏ Sunscreen is just an added layer of protection. You should still avoid the sun at its harshest, which is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ❏ While there are sunscreen variants for kids in the market, it’s best to keep infants less than a year old completely indoors or at least under the shade because their skin is not mature enough to handle sun exposure. Aside from that, sunscreen, no matter how child-friendly, is not suitable for infant skin.

DERM SPECIAL

D.I.Y. HAVAIANAS The annual make your own Havaianas

S

ummer is still the Filipinos’ most awaited season despite the intense heat we experience every year. It’s the perfect time to go outdoors – while away your day at the beach, climb a mountain, take a walk at the park – whatever you want, your imagination is your limit.

The same goes for customization – another favorite of ours as a people. We always feel the need to communicate our individuality at every turn. Good for us, with summer comes the much-loved annual tradition where we get to personalize our very own flip-flops!

Yes, it’s that time of the year again for Make Your Own Havaianas!

Express yourself through your flip-flops as we bring Make Your Own Havaianas from May 7 to 10 to the Glorietta Activity Center and select AFF branches and pop-up stores nationwide! Flaunt your artistic side as you mix and match everything, from the color of the soles and straps to our choices of limited edition pins. Dare to be different and create something that shows your unique and amazing personality!

Expect a bigger and more festive Make Your Own Havaianas as we celebrate its 10th an-

BEAUTY

GLYDERM COMBATS STRETCH MARKS Many women will agree that stretch marks are one of the main reasons they feel insecure about their bodies. Stretch marks are the discolored streaks or striae that appear on the surface of the skin, normally in the lower back, breasts, upper arms, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs. Because of where they develop, they make swim suits and other clothes that show skin a challenge to wear.

Thanks to the advent of smart phones with high resolution cameras and multiple filters, many of us are able to skilfully hide flaws like stretch marks in our photos. But really, we know that without our smart phone camera filters, flaws like stretch marks will remain and will continue to feed our insecurities.

Last March 14 – 15, Gly Derm Stretch Mark Cream kicked off the summer season with the #GlyDermNoFilter mall event in SM Megamall, which aimed to promote

niversary in a Hawaii-inspired theme for this year! “Havaianas means Hawaiians in Portuguese after all. And this becomes our way of continuously sharing the rich heritage of the brand to our customers,” according to Anne Gonzalez, Managing Director for Marketing of Havaianas Philippines. Hawaii has inspired the Brazilian brand since 1962.

To make your own Havaianas, check out the following All Flip-Flops branches in Metro Manila: AFF Bonifacio High Street, AFF SM Manila, AFF SM Megamall, AFF SM Mall of Asia, AFF TriNoma. In the provinces you can visit: AFF Abreeza Davao, AFF SM Bacolod, AFF SM Bacoor, AFF SM Cagayan de Oro, AFF SM Iloilo, AFF SM Lipa, AFF SM Pampanga, AFF SM Tarlac, and the MYOH pop-up stores in Robinson’s Ilocos Norte and SM City Cebu (from May 7 to 17).

For more details, follow Havaianas Philippines on Facebook and @Havaianasphils on Instagram and Twitter. You can register online and try out the many ways you can personalize your flip-flops through http://myoh.havaianasphilippines.com/. Feel free to share your Make Your Own Havaianas experiences with #MYOH2015!

natural beauty and confidence that is filter-free at all angles. Through the use of floor optical illusions, Gly Derm brought the beach to the mall. In addition to the optical illusions, synchronized swimming dance routines, fun games and pampering stations helped keep the summer vibe going throughout the event.

And for women who had stretch marks to hide, fortunately, Gly Derm Stretch Mark Cream was available at the event via its retail partner, Watson’s Personal Care Stores. Gly Derm Stretch Mark Cream is a clinicallyproven product to help improve the color and reduce the size of their stretch marks. Made in France, Gly Derm uses Tri-Derm Actives to aid in rebuilding collagen and regaining skin elasticity—thus helping women become confident again to flaunt their beautiful skin, whether it be in photos or in person.

The preservative free, fragrance free, and non-greasy cream is best used twice a day—in the morning and in the evening, preferably on moist skin after bathing.

Regular use has shown that Gly Derm helps improve skin compactness and tonicity, increases the elastic component of the skin, and decreases the evidence of stretch marks.

A qualitative product evaluation was conducted by Added Value Saffron Hill (2013) on the effectiveness of Gly Derm when tested among 25-year-old to 50-year-old women with stretch marks in the Philippines.

On the first to second week of usage, stretch marks began to lighten and the skin’s texture in the affected areas became smoother. By the third to fifth week of usage, the stretch marks were no longer prominent; there was evident lightening of the stretch marks, and the skin was more even in color.

So if stretch marks are your concern, try it for yourself. Gly Derm Stretch Mark Cream comes in 60mL and 125mL tubes and is available in leading drugstores nationwide.

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F R I D AY : M AY 1 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

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

FASHION

JEANNOVATION

Hot and Fresh Picks from Freego

T

his year, summer sizzles not just with hot temperatures but with the fresh new picks from leading sexy denim brand FREEGO. In its Spring/Summer 2015 collection called Bare, FREEGO drops a myriad of exciting key pieces that are sure to bring out everyone’s personal brand of sexy.

Highlights of the collection are FREEGO’s latest jeannovations – Shape Up jeans for women and 7-Point Pocket jeans for men. Both exuding sexiness in style and comfort, the denims are engineered and crafted to serve both fashion and function whether for every day wear or special nights out.

It’s high time for the ladies to strut their stuff in the Shape Up jeans, which emphasize every woman’s luscious body shape. The jeans’ three main features – the

butt-lift riser, hip-enhancing dart, and slimming leg effect – all combine to show off every girl’s killer hips and derriere for looks that truly leave a statement. The Shape Up jeans also come in six different washes which go from light to dark, providing options for flirty looks during the day or a vixen-like air for the night.

For ladies who prefer to expose their long, powerful gams, FREEGO also has shorts that effectively show them off. They can be paired with the Bare collection’s array of subtly sexy tops which come in sweet pastel colors and fancy printed designs. The tops can easily be styled as “cropped” to showcase the attractive midsection.

Men who want to impress the ladies on the style front have the perfect partner in FREEGO’s 7-Point Pocket jeans. Each pair of 7-Point Pocket is designed

to follow the natural 7-point anatomy of the hand, thus allowing freer more comfortable movement to give gents that naturally cool vibe. The jeans also come in a variety of washes to complement various looks.

The Bare collection also offers men options to pair their 7-Point Pocket jeans with breezy tops that evoke just the right amount of cool. The gents can select from light-colored Henley shirts for daytime affairs while solid-colored long-sleeved polos make the perfect match for more formal night-time events.

With the fresh pieces from FREEGO’s Bare collection, bringing out everyone’s unique brand of sexy this summer can be achieved with just the perfect pair of jeans.

FREEGO is available at leading department stores nationwide.

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SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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STAR MUSIC

SHOWCASES FRESH OPM TALENTS

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p and coming musicians are making local music more exciting as they are the focus of Star Music’s new compilation album.

The labbel has gathered these musicians and have them record a song or two for its newest compilation album OPM Fresh, which showcases OPM’s next generation of talents and their refreshing new sound.

More than being an album, OPM Fresh provides a platform for budding solo and group acts from various genres to shine and show their potential.

The first compilation album contains 13 songs and two bonus tracks.

It features the pioneer batch of OPM Fresh that includes Harana, the newest boy group composed of young Kapamilya heartthrobs Joseph Marco, Bryan Santos, Michael Pangilinan, and Marlo Mortel. Their single “Number One” and Mortel’s song “M.O.O.” are included in the album.

OPM Fresh also shines light on PBB All In finalist Maris Racal with her song “Tanong Mo Sa Bituin,” as well as The Voice artist Jacob Benedicto with his track “’Pagkat Ikaw.”

Moreover, it boasts the works of young composers Kaye Cal (“Isang

Araw”), Hazel Faith (“Liwanag”), and MMJ or the Magno Twins (“Haypa (Hayup Ah).”

Other songs on the track list include “Rain Dance” by recording artist/EDM producer Moophs feat.

Alexandra; “Boy” by Star Magic artist Renee Pionso; “Til My Heartaches End” by TFCkat 2013 grand winner Vanessa Q; “Must Be Going Crazy” by Star Magic batch 2013 member Alexander Diaz; “Kasalanan” by JC Padilla, brother of Daniel Padilla; and “Hanep” by all-girl band Rouge.

The album also has bonus tracks by Inigo Pascual (“Lullabye-bye”) and Alex Gonzaga (“Break Na Tayo”).

OPM Fresh, produced by Rox Santos, is now available at all music and video stores nationwide for only P199. Digital tracks can also be downloaded via leading record stores all over the country and from online music stores such as iTunes, Mymusicstore.com.ph, and Starmusic.ph.

For more information, visit Starmusic.ph or follow Star Music’s official social media accounts at Facebook.com/starrecordsphil, Twitter.com/starrecordsph and Instagram.com/Starmusicph.

OPM Fresh, the new compilation from Star Music, features up and coming artists – Vanessa Q, Renee Pionso, MMJ or Magno Twins, Maris Racal, Kaye Calm JC Padilla, Jacob Benedicto, Hazel Faith, Harana, Rouge, and Alex Diaz

PACMAN, KIMMEL CHARM LATE-NIGHT SHOW AUDIENCE

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esides training, Manny Pacquiao has been busy hitting the promotional circuit to push his upcoming mega bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. – as if the fight that many say will be the top-grossing ever in boxing history needs it.

A week before he steps into the ring, Manny made a stop at Jimmy Kimmel Live.

On the April 22nd live taping of the comedian’s late night show, Kimmel sang the first lines of “Lalaban Ako Para sa Pilipino,” a song Manny wrote and recorded as his tribute to his legions of Filipino fans all over the world.

Kimmel was joined by Manny on the song’s refrain.

Lalaban Ako will be the official anthem blaring as Manny makes his way into the ring this Sunday (Manila time).

“Yung isang album ko na hindi na-release noon, ‘Lalaban Ako Para sa Pilipino,’ ito ‘yung magiging theme song for this fight,” Pacquiao said in a recent interview.

The undefeated Mayweather (46 wins/0 losses/0 draws) will test Pacquiao (57 wins/5 losses/2 draws), prompting the Pambansang Kamao to start training on the same day the announcement confirming the fight

was made. Manny began jogging, practicing in the gym, and playing basketball to prepare. His runs in the Southern California area have been filling primetime newscasts.

Throughout his career, Manny has exhibited the best of the Filipino people; time after time providing examples of deep passion, strong belief, intense focus, and relentless courage to fight for his dreams.

More than the contagious smile, sensational knockouts, and breathtaking wins, it is this value system that many corporations see that make Manny the perfect brand spokesman.

Manny’s latest local endorsement is EastWest Bank, the fastest growing universal bank in the Philippines, and a financial institution that the Pambansang Kamao says also holds the same passion, belief, focus and courage in pursuing banking excellence.

While the world awaits the fight that will unify the welterweight titles, this much is certain: Manny has already made his mark as a businessman, boxer, basketball player, politician, actor, and singer.

For all he has accomplished, the world is running out of ways to describe Pambansang Kamao.

Manny Pacquiao fights Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on Sunday, but weeks before he dropped by Jimmy Kimmel Live to entertain guests with his new song

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SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

ALEXIS CONRAN IN ‘MAN V EXPERT’ Discovery Channel is finding out if it is ever possible to shortcut your way to the top. Each week, professional hustler Alexis Conran takes on three intense challenges against world class prodigies and experts to see if he can find a way to beat them at their own game – without going through years of hard work and training.

Man V Expert airs 9 p.m. Wednesdays.

Alexis endeavors to best a world champion angler, race a Slovakian rowing powerhouse, out-remember a memory champion, and win against England’s best-ever penalty taker.

Alexis is also competing in a cookoff with a Michelin-starred chef, and attempts escaping an expert tracker, amongst others.

In any normal head-to-head contest, Alexis would not stand a chance—but he travels the world to look into science and technology, and will occasionally call on his con knowhow in an attempt to come out on top. Driven by his ultra-competitive nature and desire to win at all costs, Alexis does not give up until he thinks he has a way to be victorious. He then shares the techniques and tricks used in his attempt to beat the expert.

Professional hustler Alexis Conran takes on three intense challenges against world class prodigies and experts to see if he can find a way to beat them at their own game

At a forum attended by students and filmmakers, indie directors Nick Deocampo, Kidlat Tahimik, Giancarlo Abraham, Carlos Pangilinan, and Bianca Balbuena express their apprehensions for the success of the indie film movement in the Philippines

FILMMAKERS’ INSIGHTS ON PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT FILMS

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ilmmakers Kidlat Tahimik, Nick Deocampo, Victor Villanueva, Giancarlo Abrahan, and Bianca Balbuena shared their thoughts in a forum recently.

The directors were in “That Thing Called Malaya: A Forum on the State of Philippine Independent Cinema” at the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication auditorium.

Kidlat Tahimik, considered the “Father of the Philippine Independent Cinema,” reiterated his concept of sariling duwende or “unbridled creativity” in helping filmmakers “determine what you’re going to show, to tell.” He added that letting our sariling duwende, which is associated with our childhood, come out will “help show how genius we are as Filipinos.”

Kidlat Tahimik became the talk of the local indie film scene when he returned his trophy for the Lifetime Achievement Award to the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival in a symbolic protest of its decision to scrap the New Breed category

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dedicated to budding filmmakers. “I returned the Cinemalaya award to create a dialogue,” explained the filmmaker who also just won the Caligari Prize in the Berlin International Film Festival for his protracted work Balikbayan #1.

“Kidlat Tahimik stood for something. He defined an era,” film historian, producer, writer, and director Deocampo proclaimed. “Cinema culture is bursting everywhere,” he observed while stressing, “My concern is the visual culture and heritage.”

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he audience should be aware of things that entertain us.

They kill us

– Carlos Pangilinan, professor at the UP

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PC operating system Box-office total Graceful wrap No future — — Misteak, e.g.

Padlock adjunct Hector to Priam

Villanueva, on the other hand, shared another aspect of his struggle as an indie filmmaker from the regions. The Cebuano said he had a hard time understanding the sensibilities of the Manila audience when he produces films in the nation’s capital. “People should be openminded about regional cinema.

There are just as important things happening outside the capital,” stressed Villanueva, director of the multi-awarded Cebuano film My Paranormal Romance (2011), Saranghae My Tutor (2011), and When Mary Met Guido, among others.

Meanwhile, Balbuena, a producer known for her work in That Thing Called Tadhana (2014), Bendor (2013), and Alagwa (2012), and Abrahan, who won Best Screenplay and Best Director for Dagitab (2014) from Cinemalaya, discussed their concerns on “creative freedom” in shooting films locally. “In the Philippines, film festivals fund the movies,” Balbuena said.

As one of the founding partners of the production company

EpicMedia, Balbuena added, “If no one believes in producing a film in the Philippines, there are film grants in other countries.”

In reaction to the discussion, UP Professor Carlos Pangilinan warned that the audience should “be aware of things that entertain us. They kill us.” He stressed that film should have something in connection with the society being “a fortress of memories” and “a factory of forming our collective consciousness.” He concluded that “our independent cinema has a problem with its ideology” and “there’s nothing wrong with hegemony as long as it functions in the minority.”

The forum “That Thing Called Malaya” is presented by the Union of Journalists of the Philippines (UJP) – UP in partnership with the UP Broadcasters’ Guild, UE Litratista, UJP-UST, UP Journalism Club, SCRIBE of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, FEU Film Society, In The Scene Film Studies Group, UP CMC Student Council, and UP Mass Communicators’ Organization.

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isahred @ gmail.com

CURTAINS CLOSE ON ‘ONCE UPON A KISS’ TONIGHT

C7 Chinese pianist Lang Lang identifies Alasdair Howell as the next superstar of classical piano playing

From C8

PIANIST LANG LANG

IDENTIFIES FUTURE STARS

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Fans of Miguel Tanfelix and Bianca Umali will miss their idols on primetime TV as Once Upon A Kiss bids adieu tonight

vid followers of the nightly drama series Once Upon A Kiss will miss the teen-aged love team of Miguel Tanfelix and Bianca Umali, the lead stars. The soap that also stars Manilyn Reynes and Cris Villanueva, among others, will air its finale tonight to give way to another series beginning Monday next week.

Tanfelix said during a brief chat at GMA Network’s Executive Lounge last Tuesday that he might go on vacation while he doesn’t have a new series to work in yet. “Of course, I will miss everyone in the cast as we have become like a family, most especially Bianca. Although we still get to see each other on the set of Ismol Family.”

Tanfelix, 16, is also mulling going to college. “Perhaps, I’d enroll in an on-line course.

I like to take up engineering,” the recent graduate of Cavite School of Life said.

Meanwhile, Bianca Umali said she would also miss the compa-

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ny of Tanfelix, “Because he is fun to be with. No, there’s no romantic angle to our closeness. We’re just the best of friends.”

Umali is glad that even if Once Upon A Kiss is over, “We will still see each other during tapings of Ismol Family.”

If Tanfelix has finished high school, Umali is just on her third year. She is finishing high school on a home study program. “I am only 15 but I need to finish school. That’s my promise to my parents.”

The tandem said they are grateful to all their fans who watched the series from its premier down to its ending.

HHHHH Among all organs inside your body that may be affected by undisciplined way of consuming too much food and other harmful ingredients, it’s the liver that is affected the most. The liver detoxifies every single thing we consume.

ATC Healthcare International searched for the best ingredients that aid in the prevention of

liver disorders and fit them into one convenient capsule – Liver Marin, a dietary supplement that contains silydianin and silychristin. When combined together, they form silymarin that effectively aid our livers in doing its job. This silymarin found in Liver Marin helps prevent and even reverses the development of liver diseases caused by alcohol and other harmful ingredients.

Other benefits of Liver Marin include support in the digestion of fat that aids in the treatment of fatty livers, prevention of liver cirrhosis, treatment of hepatitis and aiding in the management of insulin overproduction, which also directly affects the liver.

Liver Marin can be taken every day, but should also be accompanied by a physical and dietary plan in order to achieve stronger results. Liver Marin is also all natural and proven safe and effective. For an affordable price of P7.50 per capsule, Liver Marin can secure against liver problems.

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his month, CNN Ones to Watch features Chinese pianist Lang Lang, the classical musician with rock star status. He takes on the role of ‘master’ and nominates up and coming stars in the world of classical music.

Lang Lang concerts sell out in every major city in the world. He was the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras, and his name has become a trademark.

There are now an estimated 40 million classical piano students in China, for which credit is often given to the ‘Lang Lang effect’.

Lang Lang’s first choice of someone to watch is 10-year old Alasdair Howell from London who began playing the piano a the age of three.

When he sits at the piano, the allure of toys and technology are far away – for him it’s all about Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Mahler. He takes a seat at the piano next to Lang Lang to take a few notes from a legend.

Lang Lang’s other ‘Ones to Watch’ is a group of young string musicians from the South African township of Soweto. Buskaid is an ensemble that grew out of a music academy in the heart of one of the country’s most notorious slums. CNN Ones to Watch is there when they perform alongside a prestigious French

orchestra, led by violinist Anne Gravoin, the wife of the French Prime Minister. From the slums to the stage, the program follows the dreams of some of Soweto’s finest fiddlers, including a jam session with the multiple-Grammy Awardwinning Soweto String Quartet.

CNN ‘Ones to Watch’ is a monthly program that focuses on a particular discipline – including classical music, modern dance, filmmaking, architecture and sculpture – as a recognised master of their craft identifies ‘ones to watch’ and explains why their careers are on an upward trajectory.

The master in each show guides viewers into their art form, shows how it’s evolving and explains what new talent needs to do to succeed.

The show airs on May 15 at 5:30 and 11:30 p.m. and other days.

Watch CNN International for the broadcast schedule.

23 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG

espite the emergence of new groups that rode on the popularity of the boy band genre, Backstreet Boys has remained stronger and more formidable than ever, its appeal and drawing power undiminished as it embarks into the next 20 years with new hits and more and bigger tours.

Relive the exciting and vibrant era of the 1990s with the highly-acclaimed and best-selling boy band of all time when Backstreet Boys makes it way to Manila for its much-awaited concert on May 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Billed as “In A World Like This Tour,” the one-night summer treat from Ovation Productions and Live Nation marks the Manila leg of the band’s ongoing world tour in support of its first independent album of the same title.

It brings back to the country for its second live performance in three years 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 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 onenight 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.

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.

“In A World Like This Tour” is presented in Manila by Ovation Productions and Live Nation. 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.)

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SHOWBITZ

KAPUSO STARS RALLY BEHIND

PACQUIAO In his upcoming battle against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on Sunday, May 3, Manny Pacquiao will have in his corner fellow Kapuso who along with millions of Filipinos have followed his journey to greatness.

And as fight day draws near, various GMA artists voice out their support for their fellow Kapuso, friend and countryman.

“Isa si Manny sa mga hinahangaan ko di lamang sa kanyang galing sa boxing kundi na rin sa kanyang matatag na pananampalataya at pagmamahal sa bayan,” says Dingdong Dantes.

“This is one of the biggest highlights not just for Manny’s career but also for the history of the Filipino people. Sabay ng tagumpay ni Pacman ang tagumpay ng bawat Pilipino. You make us proud, Kapuso!” he exclaims.

And in the biggest fight of Pacquiao’s career, Marian RiveraDantes, who co-starred with him in the comedy series Show Me Da Manny, expresses the sentiments of many.

“Hangad ko, kasama ng buong sambayanang Pilipino, ang iyong tagumpay. Nawa’y gabayan ka ng ating Panginoon sa iyong muling pagsampa sa ring at patuloy ka pang maging inspirasyon sa marami.”

His co-stars in the past have nothing but good word for the man who has shown heart, courage and loyalty in and out of the ring. “We are praying for your victory. As with all your past fights, we know you’ll make us proud to be Filipino,” says Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, who starred with Pacquiao in the boxing-themed series Totoy Bato. “You have poured your heart in uniting the Filipino people, and for that, we are grateful. To God be the glory!”

Despite many years in the spotlight, Manny’s fellow Kapuso artists attest to the man’s humility, which has kept this man’s feet firmly on the ground.

“Manny is very easy to work with and

treats everyone equally.

He’s funny and likes to sing on set,” shares his MP Featuring Sport SciISAH V. RED ence co-host Solenn Heussaff. “Manny is every Pinoy’s pride and I know he won’t disappoint.”

“I have nothing but praises for him,” says Lovi Poe, who also worked with Pacquiao in Show Me Da Manny. “He’s a very successful man who is idolized by almost everybody in the world yet he showed nothing but humility.”

While Pacquiao is known worldwide as one of the greatest boxers in recent history, in his home country, he is all that and more. Having shown great passion not just for the sport, but the country he represents, Pacquiao has truly proven himself to be a true Kapuso.

“Manny has been such an inspiration to each Filipino. Each time he faces an opponent in the ring, it is not just for a title but also for Filipi-no pride. We thank you, Manny and we support you all the way!” says Carla Abellana.

Dennis Trillo also extends his support for the Filipino boxing hero saying, “Kasama Kasama mo kami, Pacman, at ang buong sambayanang Pilipino sa laban mong ito. Sa bawat suntok at ilag na iaalay mo para sa ating bansa, nais din naming iparating sayo ang aming taos pusong paghanga at pasasala-mat. Ipinagmamalaki ka namin, Kapuso!“ Truly the People’s champ in and out of the ring, Pacquiao has prov-en to be a unifying force for the nation.

“Nagpapasalamat kami sa ‘yo Manny for all the pride and glory you have given the Filipino people. And once again, we unite as one nation as we pray for you and give our all-out support. The Filipinos are all behind you,” expresses Tom Rodriguez.

And on Sunday, as Pacquiao proudly enters the ring to fight for the Filipino people, his fellow Kapuso will all exclaim in unison, “Go Manny!” Continued on C7

SIMPLY RED

His co-stars in the past have nothing but good words for the man who has shown heart, courage and loyalty in and out of the ring

In a show of support for fellow Kapuso, Tom Rodriguez, Solenn Heussaff, Regine Velasquez Alcasid, Marian Rivera-dantes, Lovi Poe, Dingdong Dantes, Dennis Trillo, and Carla Abella give words of encouragent for Manny Pacquiao in his quest for another boxing title agains Floyd Mayweather, Jr.