The Standard - 2015 May 20 - wednesday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 92  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  WEDNESDAY : MAY 20, 2015  www.manilastandardtoday.com  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

A3 A4 ‘BBL PANEL OK A DONE DEAL’ Neda approves P64 billion in govt projects

313 colleges allowed to raise fees

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Continuation. Lawmakers raise their hands as they continued voting for or against the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law at the House of Representatives on Tuesday. MANNY PALMERO

Nobu dreams of wagyu

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PBA goes to Dubai

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Palace denies railroading passage of Bangsamoro law THE Palace denied Tuesday that the Aquino administration was railroading the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. “The draft BBL was submitted to Congress in the third quarter of 2014. It’s clear that this matter has been discussed publicly for some time,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. He added that even the hearings on the Mamasapano incident, which left over 60 people killed and raised doubts about the BBL, tackled the Palace-backed bill to create a new Bangsamoro political entity.

The Palace also reiterated its hope that the BBL would make progress

through the legislative mill.

In a statement sent to reporters, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said they are hoping that ad hoc committee members in the House voting on the BBL would “vote for peace” to help Mindanao achieve its much-needed progress and development.

“Today, the House of Representativesad hoc committee is expected to begin voting on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. We reiterate our hope that the committee members will vote for peace, through which we can bring progress and development to Mindanao and better the lives of our countrymen,” Lacierda

said.

The BBL is the product of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the final peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed on March 27, 2014.

It intends to establish a Bangsamoro political entity in the south with an enhanced basic structure of government, replacing the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which President Benigno S. Aquino III once described as a “failed experiment.”

As Congress debated every provision of the Palace-backed BBL, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher

Iqbal warned that scrapping the proposed law could spark Muslim radicalism that would ruin prospects of peace in Muslim Mindanao.

“If the BBL is disapproved, the MILF will eventually weaken and those espousing for a radical agenda will become stronger, because they have proved the MILF wrong in pursuing the path of peace,” Iqbal warned in his open letter Tuesday.

Iqbal said the MILF and the government had a come a long way for 17 years to build confidence for the sake of peace. But with the rise of radicalism in the Muslim world, Muslim Mindanao is not an exception.

He said if this opportunity will be missed it will be another story of war and peace.

“I don’t think the MILF would ever agree—or is capable—to negotiate again for such a long period of time. If we miss this opportunity, I don’t think a similar opportunity will ever present itself again in a generation or two from now. The next generation of Moro leaders, young and idealist, would be expected to be more radical than the contemporary Moro leaders, who, as a consequence of their 43 long years of struggle, are more pragmatic and reasonable,” he said. – Florante S. Solmerin, PNA

‘House panel OK a done deal’

By Maricel V. Cruz and Francisco Tuyay

Opposition lawmakers said that voting on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) was a mockery of the legislative process with the assured approval of a version of the law approved by the Palace and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“It’s obvious that the ongoing voting on the supposed amendments to the BBL is a moro-moro,” said Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz, using a Filipino term for pretense.

He said some lawmakers opposed to the BBL wanted to stop the voting by the ad hoc panel and jump straight to the plenary, so as not to waste time and effort.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said it was obvious that President Benigno Aquino III, who had met twice with House leaders over the weekend, wanted to have the BBL as part of his legacy at the expense of the Constitution.

The majority in the ad hoc committee continued to dominate the second day of voting on amendments to the BBL. The ad hoc panel, chaired by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, was able to discuss proposed amendments to more than half of the 109-page BBL. Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat, the most vocal critic of the BBL, continued to propose many amendments, almost all of which were voted down by the majority in the panel.

As the approval of the Palacebacked draft seemed certain, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo urged lawmakers not to pass the BBL in haste.

In his statement posted at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, Pabillo also called on lawmakers not to allow themselves to be dictated upon, simply because the Palace had set a deadline for the BBL’s approval.

“We need a law to achieve peace but it should be effective and acceptable to all and not something

National issues. Vice President Jejomar Binay discusses national issues with Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (right), Rep. Lito Atienza (second from right), Sarangani Rep. Manny Paquiao and Rep. Toby Tiangco (left) during a break in their meeting in Quezon City. Ver NoVeNo

that will just create more problems in the future,” Pabillo said.

He also urged Aquino to stop pressuring lawmakers to pass the BBL by June and allow them to do their job properly.

“Peace will never come out because of a piece of paper,” Pabillo said.

He reminded the President and the lawmakers that the BBL should be discussed thoroughly as it would affect not only those inside the Bangsamoro or Mindanao, but the entire country.

Senator Ferdindand Marcos Jr., who heads the Senate committee on local government, said more problems with the draft law were cropping up with each hearing of the panel.

He also said it was time that the Palace stopped talking about deadlines for the BBL’s passage.

As the House rushed headlong toward meeting Aquino’s June 11 deadline, Marcos said he has not heard any sufficient justification for the rush.

“The more we study it the more

complicated it turns out. And that is the nature of what we are trying to do. And we do not shirk from the responsibility of taking us through the details, the historical perspectives and the different agreements that have been arrived at in many many years of negotiation after the fighting,” Marcos said “But we need the time to do it in properly. So I think it is time to stop talking about deadlines, it is time to stop talking about rushing the legislative process on something so complicated, so complex, so noble and so important,” he added.

Marcos said that the hearing of the panel on Monday, for instance, showed that the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the first Moro group to sign a peace agreement with the government was not consulted in the process that culminated in the drafting of the BBL. “The Framework Agreement, the Comprehensive Agreement (on Bangsamoro) and the drafting of the BBL were done with very little involvement by the MNLF,”

Marcos said.

He said MNLF leaders are concerned that the gains earned through their struggle that led to their signing of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and the 1996 Jakarta Agreement with the government are not incorporated in the draft BBL and in the structure of the Bangsamoro government.

Marcos noted too that the peace negotiations were exclusively done between the government panel and the MILF. “Clearly, the MNLF feels that they have a part to play; it is an opinion that I agree with,” Marcos said.

In addition, Marcos said the MNLF raised concerns about the apparent bias for MILF in the formation of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority and, eventually the organization of the Bangsamoro government.

In general the MNLF feels the BBL to be a “partial implementation” of the provisions of the Tripoli and Jakarta Agreements, but Marcos said the group wants the final version of the law as “inclusive” as

possible so as to address the concerns of all the stakeholders.

As far as his committee is concerned, Marcos said, the right time to present its version of the BBL is “when we feel we are comfortable that we have gotten it right.”

Marcos said he will conduct another hearing on May 25 for the Sultanates and the indigenous people of Mindanao, and another one at a latter date for local executives in areas within or near the core territories of Bangsamoro before they can sit down to prepare the committee report on BBL. MNLF spokesman Absalom Cerveza, meanwhile, said the MILF is best by growing discontent among its rank and file, with some of its top commanders bolting over disagreements over the BBL. He said many of the MILF’s internal problems arise from the refusal of the majority to surrender their firearms, which they acquired for themselves, to a third party that would oversee the decommissioning of the MILF. –

Florante S. Solmerin, PNA

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CHED approves fee hikes for 313 schools

Libel. Maguindanao Gov. Toto Mangudadatu is sworn in as he files a libel case on Tuesday against a Jerramy Joson

who accuses Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan of receiving bribes from the Ampatuans, the main accused in the Maguindanao Massacre case. Story on Page 5. Danny Pata

GMA not responding to drugs, lawyers say FORMER President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is not responding to medication and is still weak and frail, her lawyers said Tuesday.

Modesto Ticman and Larry Gadon said Arroyo’s health had not improved under hospital arrest.

Arroyo is confined at the Veterans Medical Memorial Center and is facing charges of electoral fraud and misuse of $8.8 million in state lottery funds.

“Frankly, I haven’t seen her in the last two weeks but her attending physicians told lawmakers she is frail and still experiencing pain swallowing,” Gadon told The Standard.

Following the lawyers’ announcement, lawmakers on Tuesday crossed party lines and welcomed the decision of the House committee on justice to adopt a resolution in Congress calling for a house arrest for Arroyo.

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., and Quezon City Rep. Bolet Banal praised the approval of House Resolution 1908 filed by House Deputy Minority Leader and 1-BAP party-list Rep. Silvestre Bello III. HR 1908 seeks to allow Arroyo’s house arrest due to her debilitating medical condition.

At least 80 lawmakers have signed the Bello resolution that will be later be transmitted to the plenary for further action.

The justice committee led by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. approved the resolution Tuesday by a vote of 8 against one. Akbayan party-list Rep. Barry Gutierrez objected to it.

Rio n. araja and Maricel V. Cruz

THE Commission on Higher Education has approved the application of 313 private higher educational institutions to increase their tuition and other fees for School Year 2015 to 2016.

Across all regions, the average increase was 6.48 percent, which means 283 colleges or 16 percent of all private colleges will increase their tuition while 212 or 12.60 percent will increase their other fees, CHED chairwoman Patricia Licuanan said Tuesday.

But a party-list lawmaker representing the youth on Tuesday slammed CHED’s decision, saying the increases would put more burden on students and their families.

“CHED Chair Patricia Licuanan sounded apologetic in her pronouncement today that 313 higher education institutions will again increase tuition and other school fees this academic year,” Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said.

“Yet no amount of apology can dilute the fact that CHED

has once again betrayed its constitutional mandate to ensure the affordability and accessibility of education.”

Senator Ralph Recto on Tuesday said the Senate was nearing approval of a measure that would extend financial assistance to cashstrapped but deserving college students until they finish their chosen courses.

He said his amendments to the proposed Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act would ensure that no college student would be deprived of the opportunity to finish his or her course for lack of funds.

Senate Bill 2679 seeks to expand the country’s government-funded scholarship program by opening up multiple windows to college students committed to finishing their courses such as student loans, subsidized tuition and outright free tuition to poor but exemplary college students. Pna, with Maricel V. Cruz

Binay camp: It’s really about respecting rights

By Macon Ramos-araneta and Vito Barcelo

INSTEAD of urging Vice President Jejomar Binay to appear in one-sided Senate hearings, Senator Grace Poe should remind senators to respect the rights of ordinary citizens and to stop harassing the 17 people they have ordered arrested for contempt.

“The Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee has already prejudged and condemned the Vice President together with other members of his family based on perjured and malicious imputations of resource persons, who are clearly being utilized to engage in character assassination,” said Binay’s political spokesperson Rico Quicho in a statement Tuesday.

“Even persons and institutions have been unduly dragged [into] and humiliated in the ongoing investigation because of their apparent association with the Vice President,” he added.

“On the other hand, allies of the present Senate leadership in the different departments of government embroiled in clear high-level anomalies are being given royal treatment,” Quicho said.

“Instead of calling for the Vice President to appear in the one-sided Senate hearing, Senator Poe should remind her colleagues that respect and due regard to human rights and dignity are the hallmarks of the institution that they now serve,” he said. “Any thing less is a great disservice to the people.”

The Binay camp described as political harassment the arrest order of 17 persons who were personally identified with Binay for refusing to testify in the Blue Ribbon subcommittee probing the al-

legations of graft cases the Vice President.

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon signed the detention and arrest orders Tuesday against the resource persons who failed to attend the investigation.

Among those ordered arrested and detained are Binay’s alleged bagman Gerardo Limlingan Jr., Aida F. Alcantara, Danilo Villas, Vissia Marie Aldon, Kim Tun S. Chong, Imee S. Chong, Irene S. Chong, Hirene U. Lopez, Kimsfer S. Chong, Erlinda S. Chong, Irish S. Chong, Antonio L. Tiu, James L. Tiu and Anne Lorraine Buencamino-Tiu. Pimentel said Aldon, Dela Pena and Vinas asked for reconsideration of the arrest. The Senate sergeant-at-arms was directed to carry out the order within 24 hours.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigating Binay, said Tuesday detention areas for those arrested for contempt would be on a first come, first serve basis, given the limited space.

Quicho urged the ruling Liberal Party to face the Vice President fairly and squarely in the electoral arena.

“The Liberal Party is obviously destroying its most formidable rival in the 2016 election. With its mediocre bets and lackluster performance record, they see no other recourse but to resort to demolition and wanton manipulation of state agencies for its narrow interest,” he said.

The Senate on Tuesday ordered the arrest of 17 persons for repeatedly refusing to attend the Senate hearing on the alleged overpricing of Makati City Hall building an other allegations of corruption against Binay and his family.

Quicho said the Senate contempt charges and the leaking of a report by the Anti MoneyLaundering Council on Binay’s alleged wealth were designed to bring Binay to his knees.

Quicho challenged Vice President’s po-

litical foes to a fair electoral fight.

“They should come out in the open and not hide behind the government agencies to destroy the integrity of the Vice President for their own interest,” Quicho said Quicho said it was a shame that the administration had brazenly ignored the rule of law.

Also on Tuesday, Senator Cynthia Villar said the Nacionalista Party was open to adopting an independent candidate such as Poe, who was being recruited by the ruling Liberal Party for the 2016 elections.

Villar added that her husband, former senator Manny Villar, may no longer be interested in seeking the presidency.

Poe, who has scored well in recent public opinion polls, has yet to declare if she will seek higher office in 2016.

Three other NP members have expressed interest in running for president in 2016: Senators Alan Peter Cayeetano, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Antonio Trillanes IV. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENT President Benigno S. Aquino III has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (C.A.) for confirmation the ad interim appointment of MS. SHALDILYN B. BANGSAJA, as Foreign Service Officer, Class II, in the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The public may submit any information, written report or sworn complaints or oppositions in forty (40) copies on the above appointment to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, Metro Manila.

For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 551-7532, 831-0893, 831-1824, 834-2706, 831-1566 and 834-2713.

18 May 2015.

ARTURO L. TIU Secretary (MST-MAY 20, 2015)

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NEDA okays P64-B projects

By Sandy Araneta PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III approved on Tuesday at least seven big-ticket infrastructure projects one year before the 2016 elections.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the projects, amounting to P63.618 billion, were approved by the 17th board meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority at Malacanang.

Although the elections is still a year away, the government is expected to start building the projects before March when a nationwide ban on public works, except ongoing projects, takes effect.

Coloma said among the projects approved was the second phase of the National Roads Improvement and Management Program, involving P28.9 billion in World Bank loans to assist local government units hit by Typhoon Yolanda over a year ago.

The NRIMP has the biggest allocation amounting to Php28.9 billion and the Department of Public Works and Highway is its implementing agency.

“The NRIMP Phase II involves the restructuring and reallocation of US$ 60 million of the US$ 232 million World Bank loan to assist Local Government Units in expediting the rehabilitation of Yolanda-devastated areas,” Coloma said.

The NEDA board also approved the second phase of the Balog-Balog Multipurpose Project in President Benigno Aquino III’s home province of Tarlac, costing P13.4 billion.

The board likewise authorized the P10.1billion Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 West Extension Project, which involves the construction of three additional stations at Tutuban, Divisoria and Pier 4.

The three proposed additional stations include the Tutuban Station at the Cluster Mall, Divisoria Station at Recto Avenue and Asuncion Street and Pier 4 Station at Zaragoza Street.

Also approved were road improvement and development projects in Benguet, La Union, Leyte, Iloilo, Negros Oriental, Agusan del Norte, Bukidnon and Cotabato, which will cost P6.9 billion.

The P2.6-billion Agno River Irrigation System Extension Project in Pangasinan was likewise approved by the board.

Aside from the infrastructure projects, the board allowed the Bureau of Fire Protection to purchase 76 new firetrucks, which will cost over P1.4 billion.

The NEDA Board also authorized a P231million fund for the Local Government Units Investment Program.

Give us this day our road projects. President Benigno S. Aquino III leads his Cabinet in prayer before the meeting of the National

Economic and Development Authority at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room in Malacañang on Tuesday. MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU

ILO: Global job insecurity balloons GENEVA—Only a fourth of the world’s workforce have stable contracts, leading to growing job insecurity, the International Labour Organisation said in a report noting that the income gap between permanent and non-permanent workers had ballooned to 43 percent in the Philippines.

The ILO report revealed a clear shift away from reliable full-time jobs, as short-term contracts and irregular hours become more widespread.

ILO chief Guy Ryder said the shift was contributing to the “widespread insecurity” affecting many workers worldwide.

The dwindling share of steady jobs comes against the backdrop of soaring global unemployment, with 201 million people jobless last year -- 30 million more than before the 2008 financial crisis, ILO said.

The organization’s main annual report, covering more than 180 countries and 84 percent of the global workforce, said a full three-quarters of workers have temporary or short-term contracts, held informal jobs or were in unpaid family work.

Among workers who earn salaries, only 42 percent have permanent contracts, said the ILO’s 2015 World Employment Social

Outlook Report titled The Changing Nature of Jobs.

In such conditions, working is no guarantee of prosperity.

Many of the world’s workers find themselves in dire poverty, with nearly a quarter of them last year living with their families on less than $2 a day, and 10 percent of the global workforce lived on earnings of less than $1.25, the report said.

This was however a vast improvement from two decades ago when half the world’s workers lived below the $2 poverty line threshold.

But while the proportion of workers wallowing in poverty dwindled, Tuesday’s report showed a clear rise in parttime work, especially for women, after the global financial crisis.

“These new figures point to an increasingly diversified world of work,” Ryder said, calling the shift from standard jobs a “departure from long-term historical patterns.”

“In some cases, non-standard forms of work can help people get a foothold into the job market,” he said, warning though that the “emerging trends are also a reflection of the widespread insecurity

that’s affecting many workers worldwide today.”

There were wide regional variations in terms of solid contract-bound employment with the figure standing at around 80 percent in developed economies and central and southeastern Europe but falling to about 20 percent in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

The rest were self-employed or engaged in family jobs.

“The shift we’re seeing from the traditional employment relationship to more non-standard forms of employment is in many cases associated with the rise in inequality and poverty rates in many countries,” said Ryder.

“What’s more, these trends risk perpetuating the vicious circle of weak global demand and slow job creation that has characterised the global economy and many labour markets throughout the post-crisis period.”

Ryder said this was a pointer to the pressing need for governments to help spur job creation and try and ensure income security for people on temporary contracts, who tend to earn far less than their permanent contract counterparts. AFP

Heat index seen to reach 41°C THE apparent temperature felt by the human body is expected to reach 41°C on Thursday and the public should take precautions against heat exhaustion, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

Pagasa said the highest index values are expected in Metro Manila and in the cities of Tuguegarao and Laoag in Northern Luzon.

The weather bureau predicted the heat index at 39.9°C on Wednesday, 40.7°C on Thursday (May

21), and 40.2°C in Metro Manila on Friday while apparent temperature in Tuguegarao may reach 40.6°C on Wednesday, 41°C on Thursday and 40.6°C on Friday.

On Monday, Metro Manila had its highest 35.7 degrees Celsius temperature recorded at around 3:15 p.m. at the agency’s Science Garden in Diliman, Quezon City.

Despite a warmer weather, the occurrence of isolated rains will still prevail due to localized thunderstorms expected mostly in the afternoon or evening.

Pagasa explained that the convective activity brought about by intense heat triggers the formation of more cumulonimbus clouds or dark clouds associated with thunderstorms that bring rains.

Most parts of the country will continue to experience good weather due to the effects of the ridge of high pressure area (HPA) affecting the country, Pagasa said.

An HPA, which is the opposite of a low pressure area and is is associated with light winds, less rainclouds and drier air.

Another mishap. A traffic enforcer inspects the passenger jeepney that collided with a bus in Las Piñas City on Tuesday. About 30 passengers were injured because of the accident.

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Fair trade. Traders and senators exchange views on measures against smuggling and on ways to protect local food trade during a hearing conducted by the Senate committee on agriculture and food chaired by Cynthia Aguilar Villar who is joined by Senator JV Ejercito, Federation of Philippine Industries chairman Jesus Arranza, Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations representative Herculano Co Jr. and Alyansa Agrikultura chairman Ernesto Ordoñez. Ey AcAsio

Witness who recanted liable for perjury, says Mangudadatu

By Rey e. Requejo MAGUINDANAO Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu has asked the Department of Justice to prosecute the witness who recanted the bribery charge against the Ampatuans and several Justice officials and prosecutors.

In a 14-page complaint, the governor sought the indictment for perjury and libel of Jerramy Joson, who retracted her testimony that Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan and several prosecutors received millions from the camp of the principal accused in the Maguindanao massacre case.

The governor accused Joson of lying under oath and maligning his reputation in executing her affidavit last April 10 before State Prosecutor Ma. Cristina Rilloraza.

“These malicious imputations of respondent have caused me so much physical suffering, mental anguish, fright, serious anxiety, besmirched reputation, wounded feelings, moral shock and social humiliation after so much publicity of the accusations and malicious imputations of the respondent,” Mangudadatu said, in his complaint.

According to him, Joson should also be held liable for perjury because the witness made the false statements “willfully and deliberately” in her affidavit.

However, the governor admitted that he had given Joson some P300,000 in cash to help cover for her expenses, while she was testifying earlier in the bribery charge.

Labor: 40-year-old code needs updating

By Vito Barcelo The Department of Labor employment on Tuesday said it will push for the amendment of the 40year old Labor Code of the Philippines to update and meet the current labor situation which have been seen as inadequate and ineffective to protect the workers in the country.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that for over forty years since it was approved by executive fiat, the Labor Code of the Philippines has not been subjected to revision, except for piecemeal amendments.

“There were attempts to introduce omnibus amendments, but the process was long and difficult, hence impractical,” Baldoz said.

The Labor chief had created a Tripartite Labor Code Reform Committee in 2011 through A.O. 375, which set out to review documents from earlier initiatives, along with development plans, including the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan, 2011-2016.

“Our approach to modernize the Labor Code is to advocate for priority legislation. I think

this is feasible. I think it is working,” she said.

The proposed the new measures include as follows: (1) On Apprenticeship (HB No. 1594, HB No. 2227 and SB No. 136, entitled An Act Reforming the National Apprenticeship Program and Providing Regulatory Standards for Training and Employment of Apprentices).

(2) On Public Employment Service (HB No. 47, HB No. 827 and SB No. 1386, or An Act Amending the Public Employment Service Office Act of 1999).

(3) On Labor Market Test (HB No. 5470 and SB No. 2760, or An Act Amending Articles 40 and 41, Title II of the Labor Code of the Philippines, As Amended).

(4) On Program for Employ-

ment of Student (HB No. 5469, or SB No. 2759 or An Act Amending Certain Provisions of Republic Act No. 9547).

(5) On JobStart. (HB No. 5468, An Act Institutionalizing the Nationwide Implementation of Jobstart Philippines Program and Providing Funds Therefor seeks to institutionalize the JobStart Philippines program).

(6) On Magna Carta of Seafarers (HB Nos.122, 3754, and 3895 and SB Nos. 21, 673 and 350, An Act Instituting the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers).

(7) On Strengthening Compliance with OSH Standards (HB No. 2226, or An Act Criminalizing Non-Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards). There has been also filed SB No. 1368, or An Act to Govern Occupational Safety and Health in the Construction Industry, which establishes OSH standards in the construction industry, and HB No. 2471, or An Act to Provide for Uniform Warnings on Personal Protective Equipment for Occupational Use. (8) On Labor Law Compliance System (HB No. 4659, or An Act Fostering a Culture of Voluntary Compliance with Labor Laws

through a Labor Laws Compliance System, Amending for the Purpose Articles 128 and 129 of Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended, Otherwise known as the “Labor Code of the Philippines”).

(9) On Productivity Incentives (HB No. 561, or HB No. 2193, An Act Strengthening the Productivity Incentives Act of 1990).

(10) On Union Registration (SB No. 23 and HB No. 2540, or An Act Further Strengthening Workers’ Right to Self-Organization, Amending for this Purpose Articles 234, 235, 236, and 237 of Presidential Decree No. 442, otherwise known as the “Labor Code of the Philippines”, as Amended).

(11) On Assumption of Jurisdiction (HB No. 5471, or An Act Rationalizing Government Interventions in Labor Disputes

by Adopting the Essential Services Criteria in the Exercise of the Assumption or Certification Power of the Secretary of Labor and Employment, and Decriminalizing Violations thereof, Amending for this purpose Articles 263, 264 and 272 of Presidential Decree No. 442, otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines, as amended).

Ex-lawmaker got P48m in ‘pork’

By Rio N. Araja FORMER party-list representative Edgar Valdez channelled his Priority Development Assistance Funds to fake non-government organizations engineered by Janet Lim Napoles and received his commissions directly from Napoles, according to a whistleblower who testified Tuesday on the P10-billion pork basrrel fund scam.

Marina Sula took the witness stand before the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division and maintained that Valdez got his kickbacks from Napoles.

She told the anti-graft court that she personally saw Valdez come to Napoles’ office at the Discovery Suites in Pasig City.

“I saw Valdez at the JLN Corp. office,” she maintained.

The Fifth Division is hearing Valdez’s bail plea for his plunder suit.

Sula said Valdez would always come to Napoles’ office whenever he would bring

with him the documents needed by Napoles, and when he would collect “rebates.”

Valdez would turn over endorsement letters to Napoles for various foundations to be funded by his PDAF, she added.

She said she was tasked to xerox Valdez’s endorsements as part of her job at JLN Corp. and president of the Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. “There were times that Madam Napoles would tell me that she was already able to get funds from Valdez’s PDAF,” she noted.

“I overheard Madam telling Benhur Luy to prepare for the money since Valdez was here.”

She, however, said she never personally handed over th ecommissions of Valdez, who would leave Napoles’ office carrying a paper bag.

Valdez, for his part, said he knew Napoles, but had not come to her office or had attended any parties or celebrations organized

by Napoles.

Fun in the sand. Children enjoy the white sands of Boracay Island while in a nearby hotel senior officials and trade ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation hold a series of meetings on Monday. AVito c. DAlAN

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Coalition weighs in on quake readiness

By Joel E. Zurbano

Cyclists’ safety. Stress on road safety, says the Coalition for Road Safety Decisive Action Philippines (CROSADA.PH) whose leader Erwin M. Paala (left) hands a list of more than 1,000 signatories to a petition letter from the bikers to QCPD-District Director Joel Pagdilao (center) and Partylist Rep.Samuel Pagdilao while Police Supt. Segundo Lagundi look on. The bikers will appeal to Pagdilao to help ensure the Life Saving Bicycle measure for marginalized sector gets approved by Congress. MANNY PALMERO

Comelec sets bidding for 2 machine-types

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

The Commission on Elections will hold its pre-procurement conference for the purchase of 100,000 pieces of Optical Mark Reader and the refurbishment deal for Precinct Count Optical Scan units on May 27. comelec spokesman James Jimenez expressed hope that there will be more bidders who will join the forthcoming parallel bidding for the 2016 automated election system.

He cited his experience from the past bidding process where several companies expressed interest to participate but only two actually took part in the bidding.

“I hope they will follow through (with their interest to bid), this is a big project, the many companies we can choose from, the better for the Filipino people,” Jimenez said. citing its official timeline, Jimenez said that the seven senior officials are set to hold a special en banc this thursday and discuss and “may approve” the term of reference (toR),

EX TR A JUD IC IAL SETTLEMENT O F ESTA TE OF EMILIO QU INTO , S R. WITH WAIVER O F SHARE N o t i c e is h e r e b y g iv e n th a t C O NSO L ACI O N Q UI NT O, HEI RS O F E L M E R P . QUINTO NAME LY : T ERESI T A T. Q UI NT O , EM M ANUEL T . Q U I NTO, E ME L IE T. QUINTO , ELMER T . Q UI NTO JR. , ELO I ASA T . Q UI NTO, E ME RS ON T. QUI NTO AND EDI SO N T. Q UI NTO RE P RE SE NTE D B Y TE RE S ITA T . Q UI NT O , EMI LI O P. Q UI NTO J R. M A RRIE D TO FA RINA DUMI NDI N Q UI NT O , EL LEN P. Q UI NT O , E L E A Z A R P . QUINTO MA RRIE D TO VERENA PAT RI CI A C. Q UI NTO , E L E O NOR P . QUINTO- S OBE R M ARRI ED TO JI M SO BER AND E L T R O Y P . QUINTO MA RRIED T O CHERRY ESPI NO Q UI NTO , ; A L L F I LIP INOS , OF L E GA L A GE, AND WI TH RESI DENT ADDRESS A T L UCA O, DA GUP A N CITY ARE T HE SURVI VI NG LEG AL HEI RS O F T H E L A TE E MILIO QUINTO, SR. EXECUT ED EXTRAJUDI CI AL S E T T L E ME NT OF E S TA TE OF EMI LI O Q UI NTO , SR. WI T H W A I V E R OF S HA RE OV E R THE FO LLO WI NG PARCEL O F LAND S I T U A T E D LUCAO DIS TRICT , DAG UPAN CI T Y, CO VERED BY T A X D E CLARATION NOS . 4 1 7 0014 AND 4173528 AND T RANSFER CE R T I FICATE OF TITLE NOS . 66043, 66372, 66045, 25060, 31762, 2 5 0 6 1 , 4 7 2 8 4 , 4 7 2 8 5 , 4 7 3 2 3 , 48351, 48622, 52429, 48331, 43712, 4 7 8 8 0 , 4 9 9 7 1 , 4 9 8 0 0 , 5 2 4 3 0 , 52426, 52428, 52422, 52427, 12642, 5 1 1 7 0 , 5 1 7 6 6 , 6 6 3 7 5 , 5 1 7 6 9 , 36460, 37443, 36459, 26 760, 30808, 6 6 0 4 7 A ND 6 6 7 2 6 OF THE REG I ST RY O F DEEDS O F DAG UPAN CI T Y . MUNICIP ALITY OF S AN M ANUEL CO VERED BY TRANSF ER CE R T I FICA TE OF TITL E NOS . 17628, 17629 AND 21550 O F THE RE G I S TRY OF DE E DS OF PANG ASI NAN. MUNI CI PAL I T Y O F BUG A LLON COV E RE D B Y TA X DECL ARATI O N NO S. 320 AND 3 2 1 A N D TRANS FE R CE RTIFI CATE O F TI TL E NO . 156229 THE RE G I S T RY OF DE E DS OF PANG ASI NAN. M UNI CI PAL I T Y O F CAL A S I AO COV E RE D B Y TAX DECLARAT I O N NO S. 103, 104, 136, 1 5 3 , 2 7 1, 2 7 2 , 4 4 6 , 4 9 4 , 6 0 6 , 6 08, 610, 611, 626, 629, 159 AND 493 A ND T R ANS FE R CE RTIFICATE O F TI TL E NO S. 159473 AND 122600 O F T HE RE GIS TRY OF DE E DS O F PANG ASI NAN. MUNI CI PAL I T Y O F M ALAS IQUI COV E RE D B Y T RANSFER CERT I F I CAT E O F T I T LE N O . 2 2 24 2 0 OF THE RE GIS TE R O F DEEDS O F PANG ASI NAN: T HAT A L L HE IRS THA T CONS OLACIO N Q UI NT O, HEI RS O F ELM ER P. Q UI NT O NAME LY : TE RE S ITA T. Q UI NT O , EM M ANUEL T. Q UI NT O , E M E L I E T. QUINTO, E L ME R T. Q UI NT O JR. , ELO I ASA T . Q UI NTO , E M E R S ON T. QUINTO A ND EDI SO N T . Q UI NTO REPRESENT ED B Y T E RE S ITA T. QUINTO , E MI LI O P. Q UI NTO JR. M ARRI ED TO F A R I NA DUMINDIN QUINTO, EL LEN P. Q UI NT O , ELEAZ AR P. Q UI NT O MA RRIE D TO V E RE NA PATRI CI A C. Q UI NT O , EL EO NO R P . Q UI NTO- S OBE R MA RRIE D TO JI M SO BER AND EL TRO Y P. Q U I NT O MA RRIE D TO CHE R RY ESPI NO Q UI NT O DO HEREBY DE C L A R E B Y V IRTUE OF THIS I NSTRUM ENT T HAT THEY AG REED T O DI V IDE THE S A ID RE A L P RO PERT Y AM O NG HEI RS. ; AS PER DO C NO. 3 0 8 P A GE NO. 6 3 BO O K I V SERI ES O F 2015 BEFO RE NO T A R Y P UB L IC OF A TTY . A NDREA A. T AN. ( T S - M AY 2 0 & 2 7, 2 0 15 )

a detailed instruction and requirements for companies who would like to participate.

“It means, if the toR will be approved on thursday, we will now set the pre -procurement conference either on May 25 as the earliest and on May 27 as the latest,” he explained. then on June 2, the comelec will officially invite all companies to bid. the pre-procurement conference, Jimenez said, is an internal meeting among different elements of the comelec to finalize the toR. “We are looking to formulate and finalize the toR from May 19 to 25,” Jimenez said.

Groups who will be in the pre-procurement conference

are the comelec Bids and awards committee, technical working groups and the media. on the first week of May, the comelec has decided to conduct parallel bidding for the refurbishing of the old Precinct count optical scan (Pcos) machines and for the purchasing of 100,000 new optical Mark Reader (oMR) voting units.

Newly appointed comelec chairman andres Bautista said that they are eyeing to award a company on the second week of July and officially proceed with the automation election preparation by the end of June.

“We are going through two tracks that require both pub-

lic bidding. one track is for the bidding for the upgrade of the existing Pcos machines. the other track we are looking at is purchasing about 100,000 new machines,” Bautista disclosed in a press briefing yesterday afternoon.

Bautista said that his other fellow comelec officials have decided to spend their savings to two simultaneous public bidding to make sure that the agency will automate the voting system in the country in 2016.

“Because of time constraints, we don’t want to lose options as we go nearer the presidential elections so we would like to pursue this in parallel,” Bautista said.

JOINT EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE OF SOPHIA GALVEZ-DE JESUS AND JOSE FROILAN DE JESUS, SR. WITH EQUAL OF SHARE AND RIGHTS

Navy troops, ASG clash; no casualty

Not ice is hereby given t hat MANUEL G. DE J ESUS, TERESI TA DE JESUS JACI NTO, RAMON G. DE JESUS , CORAZON G. DE JESUS , SHI RLEY G. DE JESUS-DE DI OS, JOSE G. DE JESUS JR. , MARI O G. DE JESUS, MARI TA DE J ESUS- PEREZ; ALL FI LI PI NOS, OF LEGAL A GE, AND WI TH RESI DENT ADDRESS AT S TA. MARI A, BULACAN ARE THE SURVI VI NG L EGAL HEI RS OF THE LATE SOPHI A GALVEZDE JESUS AND JOSE FROI LAN DE JESUS, S R. , EXECUTED JOI NT EXTRAJUDI CI AL S ETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WI TH EQUAL OF SHARE AND RI GHTS OVER A CERTAI N P ARCEL OF LAND SI TUATED AT STA. M ARI A, BULACAN COVERED BY TRANSFER CERTI FI CATE OF TI TLE NO. 214602 OF THE R EGI STER OF DEEDS OF BULACAN : THAT ALL HEI RS THAT MANUEL G. DE JESUS, T ERESI TA DE JESUS JACI NTO, RAMON G. DE J ESUS, RAMON G. DE JESUS , CORAZON G. DE J ESUS, SHI RLEY G. DE JESUS-DE DI OS AND J OSE G. DE JESUS JR, MARI O G. DE JESUS AND MARI TA DE JESUS- PEREZ DO HEREBY D ECLARE BY VI RTUE OF THI S I NSTRUMENT T HAT THEY AGREED TO DI VI DE THE SAI D R EAL PROPERTY I N EQUAL SHARI NG AMONG H EI RS. ; AS PER DOC NO. 383 PAGE NO. 78 BOOK I I SERI ES OF 2014 BEFORE NOTARY PUBLI C OF ATTY. CLAUDETTE C. TOLENTI NO.

By Florante S. Solmerin

( T S - M AY 2 0 & 2 7, 2 0 15 )

NaVaL troops on Monday clashed with an undetermined number of abu sayyaf bandits believed to holding several hostages in Barangay Panducan, Pangutaran, sulu, according to colonel alan arrojado, commander of the Joint task Group sulu. the bandits were holding an undetermined number of local and foreign hostages, arrojado said. arrojado said there were no casualties in that brief encounter. “our troops were so careful to unleash volume of fire against enemy positions because they’re mindful of the safety of the kidnap victims,” arrojado said. the troops did not press for an attack because of the hostages, arrojado said. arrojado said that although the objective is to recover safely the victims the situation did not warrant the troops to do so. the encounter happened at around 10:20 a.m. “the enemy with their kidnap victims withdrew toward the northern part of sulu,” he said.

EcoWastE coalition on tuesday joined the growing call for earthquake preparedness in Metro Manila as it urged the government to inspect all public and private establishments to prevent chemical-related incidents during tremor. “as earthquakes can trigger chemical spills, explosions and fires, as well as toxic releases and exposures, it’s important for all facilities, public and private, to double check their preparedness in preventing and reducing chemical-related incidents during natural disasters,” said thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste coalition’s Project Protect. the group came up with the appeal after the Metro Manila Development authority and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and seismology (Phivolcs) urged the public to be ready for any future emergencies. the MMDa last sunday advised Metro Manila’s residents to check on the structural safety of homes and buildings following the devastating quake in Nepal that killed over 8,500 people with dozens still missing.

Phivolcs officials, on the other hand, warned the public of a massive quake if the Valley Fault system moves. the system is comprised of the 10-kilometer East Valley Fault in Rizal, and the 100-kilometer West Valley Fault, which passes through six Metro Manila cities and parts of the Bulacan, cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces.

“Given that many of our communities are at risk for earthquakes, we cannot overstate the value of multistakeholder coordination and preparation to be done now before the big one strikes,” said Dizon.

Dizon specifically cited the need for institutions with high child and youth occupancy to review their current procurement and storage practices for hazardous substances, including cleaning agents and laboratory chemicals.

“For instance, toxic materials should be properly labeled, used, stored, treated and disposed of in an environmentally-sound manner to avoid chemical accidents in normal and abnormal times that can poison humans and other living things,” he said.

He also cited the need to revive the process initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources “to strengthen the capability of government, industry and community to eliminate or reduce injuries and deaths caused by major chemical accidents.”

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 2 0 , 2 0 1 5

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Councilor shot dead in Abra; 2 injured

By Dexter A. See BANGUED, Abra—A municipal councillor died while two other victims were injured in separate shooting incidents in different parts of Abra on Monday.

Senior Superintendent Albertlito S. Garcia, officerin-charge of the Abra provincial police office, said Councilor Remegio Bolante Tagudar, 50, married and a resident of Puglay, Bagaug, San Juan, died after he was shot by three gunmen along the road leading to the municipal hall.

The incident happened at around 7:05 am at Sitio Barbarsic, Barangay Baugm San Juan town.

Police said Tagudar was on board his motorcycle on his way to the municipal hall to attend the flag-raising ceremonies when the gunmen attacked. He was immediately rushed to the Abra Provincial Hospital but died before he could get medical help.

The three gunmen were later arrested in Sitio Puglay and are now detained at the Abra provincial jail.

Later in the afternoon, a still-unidentified gunman fired on Eduard Millare Rosario, 30, and Rachelle Ann Bondame Reyes, 23 along Capitulation St. corner Partelo St., Zone 2.

Rosario just came from the public market and was about to board a tricycle while Reyes was a customer at a nearby shop.

The two were injured and were immediately brought to the provincial hospital.

Farmers: Agri Dept failed to help us during dry spell

By Alvin T. Guanzon

BUTUAN CITY—Leader of farmers’ groups scored the Department of Agriculture for allegedly doing nothing to contain the impact of the dry spell that has resulted in more than P2 billion in losses in crops and livestock in the Caraga region.

Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Agusan del Sur chairman Jeremias Numeral and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas regional chairman Roger Montero said the most the department has given them are seeds of string beans and other vegetables. The department

has also not been monitoring the effects of the dry spell on farmers especially those in the hinterlands.

“The DA does not directly get in touch with farmers on the ground; they go first to the local government units, where sometimes politics gets in the way,”

Monetro said.

Numeral added that nearly 5,000 hectares of rice lands of the province’s rice granary areas of Esperanza town and Bayugan City have dried up due to the dry spell.

According to Montero, said irrigation facilities including canals, dikes and dams all over the Caraga region are already drying up, resulting in a much poorer harvest of 40 cavans of palay per hectare.

Before the dry spell set in, as much as 80 sacks of palay per hectare could be harvested in one planting season.

The farmers added that the

drop in the prices of unmilled rice from P15 to P17 per kilo has aggravated farmers’ woes and that their members have not seen a crisis of this scale in many years. The farmers also fall prey to loan sharks providing the traditional “5-6” lending scheme.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Pelonio, regional chairman of the National Association of Fisherfolks of the Philippines, said drying up of rivers, lakes and heavy siltation of coastal areas in most parts of Caraga region especially in Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur has caused decline in fish catch.

Great find. A man peeks from the newly discovered Kaurangan and Ginhasagan Caves in Taft, Eastern Samar. MEL CASPE

Northern Samar judge survives shooting

By Mel Caspe A MUNICIPAL judge from Laoang, Northern Samar survived after being shot by two men on a motorcycle early morning Tuesday while he was on his way to Catarman where his sala is located.

Laoang PNP head Police Chief Inspector Rafael Tayaban said Presiding Judge Reynaldo Espinar survived because he was wearing a bullet-proof vest.

Espinar met his attackers

Least slow. Farmers race their carabaos during the Barangay Villa Garcia Fiesta in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur. CHRISTINE JUNIO

on the road where they shot him twice on the chest. The suspects fled in the direction of Laoang town when the judge crashed, likely believing him dead.

Police said the judge has been wearing his bulletproof vest for years now, after receiving threats to his life.

Espinar went to the police station after the incident, reported the shooting and identified his assailants Felino Robelles and Catalino Ylan. Police are on a manhunt for the suspects.

W E D n E s D Ay: M Ay 2 0 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDitor

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

BaCK CHannel alejanDro Del rosario

Fallout From amlC report

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Betraying our trust SOMEWHERE in the Book of Liars, there is a star by the name of Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

The historical footnote will observe that Rodriguez, given the opportunity to do his country a great service, chose instead to lie, not only to his constituents but also to the rest of the nation.

Rodriguez, chairman of the ad hoc committee in the House that is scrutinizing the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), could have kept his promise to allow extensive and open debates. He also could have kept his oft-repeated vow to remove eight unconstitutional provisions in the Palace-drafted bill.

This week, Rodriguez did neither of these things.

Instead, after two mysterious meetings at the Palace with President Benigno Aquino III and other congressional leaders over the weekend, Rodriguez is now shoveling coal into an express train to ram the BBL through the congressional mill, with as few changes as humanly possible.

Instead of honoring an earlier decision by the panel to assign a technical working group to draft a revised BBL incorporating all the proposed amendments, Rodriguez whipped out his own “chairman’s draft” that might well have been printed in some Palace backroom.

Only two of the eight unconstitutional provisions were stricken from the so-called chairman’s draft.

Arguably one of the most egregious, the so-called opt-in provision, was left intact, giving areas contiguous to the Bangsamoro autonomous region the ability to join it after its formation, by filing a petition for a plebiscite. Neighboring provinces that have no desire whatsoever to join the Bangsamoro have denounced this opt-in provision as a form of creeping expansionism in favor of the new Bangsamoro region.

Fortified by whatever promises—or threats—that were made in the two mysterious meetings in the Palace, the majority in the House now seems eager to push ahead with the Palace-approved chairman’s draft of the BBL. Voting, in fact, has already begun, and if the pattern holds, no significant variation from the Palacedrafted measure will survive the majority vote. From there, it will be on to the plenary where the President’s super-majority will crush any objections in its way.

Will the Senate race down the same shameful road taken by the House? And will it abide by the President’s politically motivated deadline for the BBL’s passage?

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who heads the committee on local governments that is studying the BBL, seems more interested in a thorough and genuine debate on what he describes as a major piece of legislation that must not be rushed. But in the end, he is just one vote in a chamber of 24 dominated by the ruling Liberal Party and its allies. And we know full well, too, thanks to Congressman Rodriguez’s spectacular about-face this week, the folly of putting our trust in the word of a politician.

Missing gibo lowDown jojo a. roBles TheSe days, I really miss Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro.

And I wonder if we’ll ever see such a combination of brains, competence, experience, personal integrity and honesty and yes, even charisma, seek the highest position in the land again.

I remember Teodoro in the continuing back-andforth between Vice President

Jejomar Binay and Senator Grace Poe, the two supposed early frontrunners in the presidential election next year. And I worry that the current debate between the two about honesty and competence means that these two virtues are really, as the two camps seem to want us to believe, mutually exclusive.

After all, having a track record and experience shouldn’t mean that one is dishonest. And being a greenhorn in politics mustn’t necessarily lead to the con-

clusion that one is incompetent.

But that is exactly what Binay and Poe seem to be debating about in their serial, punch-and-counterpunch media statements. And in the scorched-earth campaigning that has become de rigueur in Philippine politics, the protagonists of the day apparently want us to understand that there is no possible room for coexistence between honesty and experience, attributes which, by no stretch of the imagination,

A9

this country surely deserves better than more of the same politics that divides rather than unites.

cannot dwell in one person.

Of course, as everyone and his taxi driver knows, Teodoro fared miserably in the 2010 elections. So perhaps the people themselves have bought into the belief that first started polarizing Filipinos in the battle between the accomplished, experienced Ferdinand Marcos and the honest and sincere Corazon Aquino in 1986, that inexperience means incompetence and that having a track record is synonymous with corruption.

But I certainly wish that this long-held belief is debunked in some future elec-

tion, perhaps when the country once again seeks out the best and most honest from a field made up of candidates who will trumpet their personal qualities without using them as weapons to bludgeon their rivals with.

Why should we have to choose between fake polar opposites, after all? Why can’t we have competent people who are also honest, just like we demonstrably have incom-

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-

petent people who are also corrupt?

This country surely deserves better than more of the same politics that divides rather than unites.

And that will certainly not happen if we choose our Presidents on the basis of exclusionary political belief systems. *** As the old Tagalog proverb tells us, Mar did all the planting, harvesting and cooking. And Grace

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

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

seems about ready to do the eating.

As things stand, the surveys tell us that Binay and Poe are the frontrunners and that the “third force” appears to be Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City. In such a scenario, where is the longtime presumptive – as they call him – candidate of the administration Liberal Party, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas?

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

The Anti-Money Laundering Council report that says Vice President Jejomar Binay, his family and dummies allegedly stashed P600 million in 242 bank accounts has posed a political dilemma for the Palace. President Aquino won’t fire him, and the Vice President has shown no intention of leaving.

Amid the mounting calls for Binay to resign, the Palace distanced itself from the problem by saying it is up to the Vice President to leave his position as head of the housing and Urban Development Council, a post with Cabinet rank. he also serves as Presidential Assistant on Overseas Filipino Workers’ Concerns.

It should not be a quandary for Malacanang if President Aquino follows his “daang matuwid (straight path) policy with the same zeal when he went after then Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

What is sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander. So goes the old saying.

At Malacanang’s orchestration, the chief magistrate was found guilty and unseated by the Senate acting as an impeachment court for not declaring several bank accounts and real estate properties in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALN, a requisite for all government officials.

Compared to the crime Corona was found guilty of, the amount of Binay’s alleged unexplained wealth, if proven true, could run up to billions.

This would make the former chief justice’s undeclared assets seem like loose change. Binay maintains he only owns five of the alleged 242 bank accounts, adding the release of the AMLC report could have a “chilling effect” on the business community.

So far, big business has not been feeling cold.

By disclaiming ownership of the 237 accounts, Binay might have unwittingly forfeited a fortune to his alleged dummies Gerry Limlingan and ebeng Baloloy.

It will be recalled how a Manila mayor lost millions of pesos to a dummy he thought he could trust but who later absconded with the official’s loot.

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

W E D n E s D Ay: M Ay 2 0 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDitor

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

BaCK CHannel alejanDro Del rosario

Fallout From amlC report

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Betraying our trust SOMEWHERE in the Book of Liars, there is a star by the name of Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

The historical footnote will observe that Rodriguez, given the opportunity to do his country a great service, chose instead to lie, not only to his constituents but also to the rest of the nation.

Rodriguez, chairman of the ad hoc committee in the House that is scrutinizing the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), could have kept his promise to allow extensive and open debates. He also could have kept his oft-repeated vow to remove eight unconstitutional provisions in the Palace-drafted bill.

This week, Rodriguez did neither of these things.

Instead, after two mysterious meetings at the Palace with President Benigno Aquino III and other congressional leaders over the weekend, Rodriguez is now shoveling coal into an express train to ram the BBL through the congressional mill, with as few changes as humanly possible.

Instead of honoring an earlier decision by the panel to assign a technical working group to draft a revised BBL incorporating all the proposed amendments, Rodriguez whipped out his own “chairman’s draft” that might well have been printed in some Palace backroom.

Only two of the eight unconstitutional provisions were stricken from the so-called chairman’s draft.

Arguably one of the most egregious, the so-called opt-in provision, was left intact, giving areas contiguous to the Bangsamoro autonomous region the ability to join it after its formation, by filing a petition for a plebiscite. Neighboring provinces that have no desire whatsoever to join the Bangsamoro have denounced this opt-in provision as a form of creeping expansionism in favor of the new Bangsamoro region.

Fortified by whatever promises—or threats—that were made in the two mysterious meetings in the Palace, the majority in the House now seems eager to push ahead with the Palace-approved chairman’s draft of the BBL. Voting, in fact, has already begun, and if the pattern holds, no significant variation from the Palacedrafted measure will survive the majority vote. From there, it will be on to the plenary where the President’s super-majority will crush any objections in its way.

Will the Senate race down the same shameful road taken by the House? And will it abide by the President’s politically motivated deadline for the BBL’s passage?

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who heads the committee on local governments that is studying the BBL, seems more interested in a thorough and genuine debate on what he describes as a major piece of legislation that must not be rushed. But in the end, he is just one vote in a chamber of 24 dominated by the ruling Liberal Party and its allies. And we know full well, too, thanks to Congressman Rodriguez’s spectacular about-face this week, the folly of putting our trust in the word of a politician.

Missing gibo lowDown jojo a. roBles TheSe days, I really miss Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro.

And I wonder if we’ll ever see such a combination of brains, competence, experience, personal integrity and honesty and yes, even charisma, seek the highest position in the land again.

I remember Teodoro in the continuing back-andforth between Vice President

Jejomar Binay and Senator Grace Poe, the two supposed early frontrunners in the presidential election next year. And I worry that the current debate between the two about honesty and competence means that these two virtues are really, as the two camps seem to want us to believe, mutually exclusive.

After all, having a track record and experience shouldn’t mean that one is dishonest. And being a greenhorn in politics mustn’t necessarily lead to the con-

clusion that one is incompetent.

But that is exactly what Binay and Poe seem to be debating about in their serial, punch-and-counterpunch media statements. And in the scorched-earth campaigning that has become de rigueur in Philippine politics, the protagonists of the day apparently want us to understand that there is no possible room for coexistence between honesty and experience, attributes which, by no stretch of the imagination,

A9

this country surely deserves better than more of the same politics that divides rather than unites.

cannot dwell in one person.

Of course, as everyone and his taxi driver knows, Teodoro fared miserably in the 2010 elections. So perhaps the people themselves have bought into the belief that first started polarizing Filipinos in the battle between the accomplished, experienced Ferdinand Marcos and the honest and sincere Corazon Aquino in 1986, that inexperience means incompetence and that having a track record is synonymous with corruption.

But I certainly wish that this long-held belief is debunked in some future elec-

tion, perhaps when the country once again seeks out the best and most honest from a field made up of candidates who will trumpet their personal qualities without using them as weapons to bludgeon their rivals with.

Why should we have to choose between fake polar opposites, after all? Why can’t we have competent people who are also honest, just like we demonstrably have incom-

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-

petent people who are also corrupt?

This country surely deserves better than more of the same politics that divides rather than unites.

And that will certainly not happen if we choose our Presidents on the basis of exclusionary political belief systems. *** As the old Tagalog proverb tells us, Mar did all the planting, harvesting and cooking. And Grace

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

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

seems about ready to do the eating.

As things stand, the surveys tell us that Binay and Poe are the frontrunners and that the “third force” appears to be Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City. In such a scenario, where is the longtime presumptive – as they call him – candidate of the administration Liberal Party, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas?

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

The Anti-Money Laundering Council report that says Vice President Jejomar Binay, his family and dummies allegedly stashed P600 million in 242 bank accounts has posed a political dilemma for the Palace. President Aquino won’t fire him, and the Vice President has shown no intention of leaving.

Amid the mounting calls for Binay to resign, the Palace distanced itself from the problem by saying it is up to the Vice President to leave his position as head of the housing and Urban Development Council, a post with Cabinet rank. he also serves as Presidential Assistant on Overseas Filipino Workers’ Concerns.

It should not be a quandary for Malacanang if President Aquino follows his “daang matuwid (straight path) policy with the same zeal when he went after then Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

What is sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander. So goes the old saying.

At Malacanang’s orchestration, the chief magistrate was found guilty and unseated by the Senate acting as an impeachment court for not declaring several bank accounts and real estate properties in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALN, a requisite for all government officials.

Compared to the crime Corona was found guilty of, the amount of Binay’s alleged unexplained wealth, if proven true, could run up to billions.

This would make the former chief justice’s undeclared assets seem like loose change. Binay maintains he only owns five of the alleged 242 bank accounts, adding the release of the AMLC report could have a “chilling effect” on the business community.

So far, big business has not been feeling cold.

By disclaiming ownership of the 237 accounts, Binay might have unwittingly forfeited a fortune to his alleged dummies Gerry Limlingan and ebeng Baloloy.

It will be recalled how a Manila mayor lost millions of pesos to a dummy he thought he could trust but who later absconded with the official’s loot.

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 What is an honest leader?

SANTA Banana, to the Senator Grace Poe, point who is being wooed to run for the presiemil p. dency by President jurado Aquino, has been afflicted with “Aquinolitis.” She is now talking like the President.

She says that more than competence and experience, the country needs an honest leader. She is obviously responding to the Vice President who has said that the country needs competence and experience in a President. I can agree with that since an inexperienced leader must depend on advisers for several months upon assumption of office.

If Grace is referring to all the allegations of graft and corruption and ill-gotten wealth thrown against Binay by Malacanang’s and the Liberal Party’s demolition team, Senator Grace must be told that in law, a person is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

But, my gulay, what is an honest leader? If Grace cares to read the meaning of “honest” and “honesty” in Websters Dictionary, it means not only the refusal to steal, but also the refusal to lie or deceive in any way. Honor suggests an active or anxious regard for one’s standard or one’s profession, calling or position.

Integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false.

I agree with Senator Grace on the need for an honest leader. But with all the chalIs this man lenges that the next the same honest President will confront and with all leader that the seemingly unproblems Senator Poe is solvable our country is factalking about? ing, we don’t need an angel as much as we need somebody with competence and experience.

Is Grace now saying that President Aquino is an honest leader? So why does he have a double standard of justice, one for his allies and friends, and another one for his political enemies?

Was President Aquino honest when he rebuffed the findings of his Justice Secretary Leila de Lima that people around him in Malacanang were administratively and criminally responsible for the tragic end of that hostage crisis at the Luneta in 2010?

Was the President honest when be bribed members of Congress and the Senate to impeach, convict and oust former Chief Justice Renato Corona? Was he honest when he didn’t lift a finger to have Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Budget Secretary Butch Abad, Tesda Secretary Joel Villanueva indicted for their involvement in the Janet Lim Napoles P10 billion pork barrel scam?

Is he now being honest with his lackey, de Lima, not prioritizing the indictment of the third batch of legislators linked with the pork barrel scam just because they are friends of the administration?

And don’t forget that mongrel called DAP or Disbursement Acceleration Program, ruled illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

As for his greatest “sin” of all, was he honest to himself and to the people he loves to call his “bosses” when he made his friend, former PNP Chief Alan Purisima, take charge of Oplan Exodus that resulted in the slaughter of 44 police commandos? He never apologized at all for that. Is this the honest leader that Senate Poe is referring to?

W e d n e s d ay: M ay 2 0 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Binay vs. Poe ELEVEN months and one week before the May 2016 elections, the battle lines are drawn. The fight is veteran politician Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, 72, vs. newcomer Senator Grace Poe Llamanzares, 46, as the main protagonists for the right to lead the country from June 2016 to June 2022.

The race could be tight. The defining themes, it seems, are a battle between (your choice, depending on your politics and sense of morality) -- a man and a woman, age and youth, the past and the future, old and new politics, guts and grace, black and white (in a figurative sense), and quite remarkably, evil vs. good (in a symbolic sense).

Virtually unknown two and a half years ago, the American-educated Grace Poe is suddenly the epitome of good sense, good governance, honesty and integrity in public service. She may be lacking in experience or even competence, but she is not corrupt.

Besides, in her short stint in the Senate, Poe has demonstrated sensibility, competence, intelligence and remarkable grace under pressure in various hearings she chaired or participated in.

Three factors work in her favor – star or entertainment quality being the adopted daughter of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. (who many believe was cheated in the 2004 presidential elections), her clean image, and backing by big business and by the Aquino Liberals and their conscripts in media.

In the March 2015 Pulse Asia survey of presidential preferences by the people (1,200 respondents), Binay still held a commanding lead, 29 percent to Grace Poe’s 14 but subsequent polls showed she was fast closing in on the vice president. Another pollster, the Social Weather Stations, asked 1,200 respondents to name their three “best leaders” to lead the country. Binay had 36 percent from 37 in December; Poe 31 – a 10-point jump, from 21, equivalent to a gain of 10 million votes.

Twenty hearings in ten months by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee have relegated Binay into a corner of corruption, greed and malfeasance in public service. After those hearings, Binay has lost at least half of those who wanted to vote for him for president two years ago – easily 15 million voters. The man whose lead in the presidential race was once insurmountable is now vulnerable, wounded by months of vicious sniping by the irrepressible trio of Senators Antonio Trillanes, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. Jojo may be the most experienced and most competent senior official in the government today but he is now perceived as dishonest and corrupt.

That image is, of course, grossly unfair because Binay, a lawyer, with three masters degrees, is

at heart, a sincere, warm and compassionate person. As its Virtual mayor of 21 years, he built a reality small town, Makati, into the tony Philippines’ premier business hub and one of the most dylopez namic cities in the region. His causes are popular and propeople – human rights, housing, overseas worker welfare, and LGU empowerment, to name some.

For 2016, there might be from three to four other presidential aspirants. The likes of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, former President and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada, former senator and presidential candidate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, and even former Cebu Governor Lito Osmeña.

Unless these presidential wannabes compile double-digit ratings in the June to October surveys, they are as good as marginalized or doubtful starters, as of now.

The most exciting of these newcomers to the presidential race is Duterte, 70. The longtime Cebuano-speaking Davao City hizzoner has acquired a reputation for being the no-nonsense nemesis of criminals in his native city. Notorious suspects with criminal records mysteriously disappear in the dead of night, never to be seen alive again. No wonder, in a recent international survey, Davao was rated among the top ten “safest” cities in the world.

For nearly six decades, there has never been a president from the Visayas or Mindanao and those parts are 40 percent of the country in population and 60 percent in land area.

With 55 million voters nationwide, about 21 percent speak Cebuano, 8 percent Ilonggo, and 5 percent Waray. If all Cebuanos were to vote singularly for Duterte, the guy will garner 10 million to 11 million votes.

The people of Luzon remain the majority, 52 percent: Tagalogs 41 percent, Ilocanos five percent, Bicolanos four percent, and Kampampangan two percent.

For his part, Erap remains an enigma. He can run for mayor again to be Manila’s best mayor ever, and run again for president and face constitutional challenges before the Supreme Court which has not yet decided with finality whether a person who was once president can indeed run again. The Constitution bans any reelection but Erap contends the reelection ban refers to the incumbent president (so he will not abuse the powers of his office) and not to a former president.

Eraps’ s party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, gave a legitimate party to then-Makati Mayor Jojo Binay as the former president’s running mate in the 2010 Continued on A11 presidential elections.

Yes, we need honesty in a president – integrity, probity, sincerity and humility as well. And one who accepts his shortcomings and mistakes. *** The railroading of the Bangsamoro Basic Law approval for plenary voting by the 75-man ad hoc panel headed by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez was no surprise after President Aquino met with them not once, but twice over the weekend.

As it turned out, contrary to all the allegations of Rodriguez that some eight or more provisions of the BBL have to be amended because they were unconstitutional, Rodriguez backtracked to being the Malacanang lapdog that he is and used a “working

draft” where only two provisions were deemed unconstitutional.

Just as Malacanang wanted it, the provisions removed referred to coordination between the national government and the Bangsamoro government on military movements. The other one removed refers to a giveaway of the national government on the power to discipline its own officials exclusively.

Other unconstitutional provisions maintained upon the President’s bidding were Bangsamoro’s own special bodies such as Commission on Human Rights Civil Service Commission, Commission Continued on A11

W e d n e s d ay: M ay 2 0 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

adelle chua EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Missing..From A9 When last heard from, Roxas was visiting the scene of that disastrous fire at a slipper factory in Valenzuela City, performing his usual routine of going where the hottest story of the day takes him. And like always, Roxas appeared to have lost even more popularity by going to the fire scene than if he had just stayed at home in Cubao, never mind if his demeanor was suitably somber and his jeans were appropriately dusty and covered with soot.

More telling for me than Roxas’ usual “epal” efforts is the statement made by LP top honcho and Senate President Franklin Drilon, who demanded that the secretary declare his intentions for the presidency this early, presumably so the party can act immediately to “preserve the gains” of the Aquino administration, as the Malacanang mantra goes. I have taken this to mean that Drilon is forcing Roxas to decide immediately, so that the Senate president and his fellow LP members can a) proclaim that

What..From A10 on Elections, Commission on Audit and the Ombudsman, making all of them regional offices. Worst of all, the Rodriguez panel retained the power of the Bangsamoro Chief Minister for operational control and supervision of the Bangsamoro police.

And with Malacanang cracking the whip, the House majority will also railroad the BBL. In the Senate, it’s likely to be a different story since the majority of senators will have more things to say about the unconstitutionality of many provisions of the BBL. What’s really sad about this is that President Aquino and his lapdogs seem bent on compromising with the Moro rebels at any cost. He doesn’t seem to care if the BBL is packed with constitutional infirmities so long as it gets enacted while he’s still in Malacanang. *** Camp John Hay’s buyers in good faith, all 1,631 of them, face eviction from their homes, units and everything they worked for today, May 20, as mandated by the Baguio City sher-

Binay..From A10 Binay won the vice presidency by a hairline margin over the Liberal Party’s Manuel Araneta Roxas whose standard bearer, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, of course, won, nine months after the death of his mother, the beloved former President Corazon Aquino. Estrada finished a strong second to Aquino III, with 9.8 mil-

#failocracy

they’ve always wanted Grace Poe to be their party’s standard-bearer anyway, in case Roxas declares that he’s not running; or b) leave the LP to Roxas and move en masse to Poe’s camp in a new group, if he still decides to run.

In any case, Drilon’s impatience seems to be informed by the widespread belief that Roxas simply cannot win in 2016. And that if the LP (or at least Drilon and all the other notorious turncoats like him) is going to stand any chance of remaining in power, its bet will have to be Poe. And it certainly seems like Roxas doesn’t even have the option of “sliding down” to the vice presidency in a ticket led by Poe. Any number of palace-friendly running mates of Poe – led

by Senator Chiz Escudero – seem to have better chances of both winning and helping Poe win.

If Roxas has any sense (and if he stays true to his “segurista” nature), he will probably not seek the top two positions next year and go for a Senate seat instead. He can seek the presidency or the vice presidency – but even he knows that he doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance. iff ’s office – unless the courts say otherwise.

All their properties are about to be taken away from them. Believe it or not, more than 1,000 of them are senior citizens.

There are many tragic tales about these investors who face eviction today because of the injustices brought about by no less than the state-owned Bases Conversion Development Authority, simply because BCDA President Arnel Paciano Casanova is obsessed in kicking put the John “Bob” Sobrepena group-the Camp John Hay Development Corp., that developed the former American base.

There’s that man from New Zealand who plunked P20 million of his retirement pay to invest in Camp John Hay. There’s that couple, Jose and Virginia Dalope, who came back to the Philippines after working as nurses in Germany to buy their home after reading about the development in Camp John Hay. They are asking: “If we get evicted, where will we go?”

No doubt about it, if we follow the law and justice, the buyers in good faith have the law on their side. lion votes, to the latter’s 10 million votes.

The veteran actor believes to this day Aquino won for two reasons – the death of Cory and the shift in support of the Iglesia ni Cristo. Had INC’s three million votes gone to Erap, Aquino would have lost – with just 12 million votes (15 million minus three million) and the former president would have won, with 13 million votes (9.8 million plus three million votes).

Fallout..From A9 The Senate on Monday ordered the arrest of Limlingan and several others suspected of fronting for Binay So far, Limlingan, reportedly a Canadian citizen or resident, cannot be located. But he cannot hide forever once the justice department seeks his extradition from the Canadian government.

The Vice President is facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the overpriced Makati parking building constructed during his watch as Makati mayor and continued by his son Junjun, the city’s present mayor.

Even without giving Binay the boot, it’s hard not to discount that Malacanang is digging the ground from under him to lift the LP’s presidential candidate, be it Mar Roxas or Grace Poe. The Palace has denied it has anything to do with the release of the damning AMLC report that prompted the Court of Appeals to freeze the assets of Binay family and friends.

The Veep could do himself a favor by quitting the Cabinet now and then crying political persecution; he is, after all, the leader of the Opposition. But he can’t have it both ways— be a member of Aquino’s Cabinet while leading the United Nationalist Alliance. By remaining with the administration, Binay is doing UNA a disservice and giving it a perception of being a “companion union” This is the label accorded to a labor union whose officers are stooges of the employer.

Where does this put Senator Grace Poe who is emerging as Aquino’s “anointed one”?

A11

Malacanang’s hands-off, Pontius Pilate posture on Binay has put her on the spot. How can she say Aquino will be “my guide?”

He can only lead her astray; his path is the path to ruin.

Aquino’s endorsement could be more of a curse than a blessing for Poe. Her endorsement in turn of Aquino’s vision and guidance may have set back her own agenda.

As for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, he will continue to be just a wild card in the political equation if he does not make a decision soon.

Time is running out; he must declare whether he’s in the race or not. Duterte can’t continue going on his so-called “listening tour” to get a feel of the people’s pulse. At this point, he’s seen as a tentative candidate who can’t make up his mind. Only a year is left before next May’s general elections. If he does not make known his intention, he might become irrelevant in a scenario that could see former Senator Manny Villar or Senator Bongbong Marcos joining the race because of Binay’s falling political fortune.

Senator Marcos when asked, during an ANC TV interview, on whether he’s seeking higher office, quoted his father that “in politics anything is possible.” As chairman of the Senate committee reviewing the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Senator Marcos has shown his mettle that would make his father proud. He is on a tour of Mindanao to get a sense of how the people in the region feel about the BBL. Going to the hustings also gives the senator a sense of how voters feel about another Marcos as president.

chong ardivilla

coming from Samar provinces, Biliran and Southern Leyte.

D. General Assembly Resolution No. 004-2014 1.

R e p u blic o f th e Ph ilip p in e s

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

CO M M I S S ION ON EL E C T ION S

COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS

I n tr a m u r o s, M a n ila

SECOND DIVISION I N RE: O M N I B U S P E T IT ION F OR: 1) RECOGNITION OF T HE EXPANSION OF T HE CO NS T I T U E N C Y OF T INGOG LE Y T E N H O N ( N OW T INGOG S I NI R A N G A N ) F R O M PROVINCIAL (P ROV I N C E OF L EYT E) TO RE G I O N A L ( R E GION VII) ; 2) C O N F I R M A T I O N OF T HE CHAN G E OF NAM E OF THE REGISTERED POL IT ICAL P ART Y CALLED “T INGOG LE Y T E N H O N ” TO “T INGOG S I NI R A N G A N ” , AND, 3) R E G I S T R A T I O N OF T INGOG S I NI R A N G A N U N D ER T HE P ART Y - L I S T S Y ST EM OF RE P R E S E N T A T I O N

SPP NO. 15-005 (PP)

MANILA

IN RE: OMNIBUS PETITION FOR: 1) RECOGNITION OF THE EXPANSION OF THE CONSTITUENCY OF TINGOG LEYTENHON (NOW TINGOG SINIRANGAN) FROM PROVINCIAL (PROVINCE OF LEYTE) TO REGIONAL (REGION VIII); CONFIRMATION OF THE CHANGE OF NAME OF THE REGISTERED POLITICAL PARTY CALLED “TINGOG LEYTENHON” TO ”TINGOG SINIRANGAN;” AND, 3) REGISTRATION OF TINGOG SINIRANGAN UNDER THE PARTY-LIST SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATION,

E. General Assembly Resolution No. 005-2014 1.

1.

N O T I C E

Relief Sought

2 . M R . M A R K G IM ENEZ C h a i r m a n , T I N GOG SINIRANGAN I m e l d a B l v d . c o r n e r Asu n cio n Str e e t B a r a n g a y S a n M ig u e l, T a n a u a n , L e yte

Petitioner, TINGOG SINIRANGAN (formerly Tingog Leytenhon), herein duly represented by its Chairman, Mr. Mark Gimenez, Filipino, of legal age and with address at Imelda Blvd. corner Asuncion St., Barangay San Miguel, Tanauan, Leyte 6502, through the undersigned counsel, respectfully alleges that: 1.

This is an omnibus petition for: 1.1.

G R E E T I N G S Attached is a copy of the O R D E R of the Commission (SECOND DIVISION) in the above-entitled case dated May 18, 2015.

Manila, 19 May 2015.

F O R T H E D I V I S I ON: A T T Y . A B I G A I L J UST INE M . CUARESM A- L IL AGA N A c t i n g C l e r k o f t h e Co m m issio n _____________________________________

Recognition of the expansion of constituency of the registered poliltical party, TINGOG LEYTENHON (now TINGOG SINIRANGAN) from provincial (Province of Leyte) to regional (Region VIII);

1.2.

Confirmation of the change of the registered name of the Petitioner political party from “TINGOG LEYTENHON” to “TINGOG SINIRANGAN;”and,

1.3.

Registration under Representation

3 . TINGOG SINIRANGAN (formerly Tingog Leytenhon) HEADQUARTERS B a r a n g a y m a l bo g , T o lo sa , L e yte

the

Party-List

System

of

in accordance with Paragraph 5, Section 2, Subdivision C of Article IX of the 1987 Constitution, in relation to the COMELEC Rules of Procedure, Republic Act No. 7941, otherwise known as the “Party-List System Act,” COMELEC Resolution No. 9366,1 as amended, the ruling of the Honorable Supreme Court in Atung Paglaum vs. Commission on Elections, et al., 2 and other pertinent laws, rules and regulations.

2. Petitioner TINGOG SINIRANGAN (formerly Tingog Leytenhon) is a political party organized by and for the citizens and qualified voters of the entire Region VIII, who are advocating the same ideology or platform, principles and policies for the general conduct of government.

3. Petitioner has headquarters and post office address for election purposes at Barangay Malbog, Tolosa, Leyte.

Factual Antecedents

R e p u blic o f th e Ph ilip p in e s C O M M I SSION ON EL ECT IONS I ntr a m u r o s, M a n ila

SECOND DIVISION I N RE: O M N I B U S P E T IT ION F OR: 1) RECOGNITION OF T HE EXPANSION OF T HE CO NS T I T U E N C Y OF T INGOG LE Y T E N H O N ( N OW T INGOG S I NI R A N G A N ) F R O M PROVINCIAL (P ROV I N C E OF L EYT E) TO RE G I O N A L ( R E G I ON VIII) ; 2) CONFIRMATION OF T HE CHA N G E O F N A M E OF T HE RE G I S T E R E D P O L I T ICAL PART Y CA LL E D “ T I N G O G LEYT ENHON” TO “TINGOG SINIRANGAN” , A ND, 3) R E G I S T RAT ION OF TI NGO G S I N I R A N G AN UNDER THE P A R T Y - L I S T SYST EM OF RE P R E S E N T A T I O N TI NGO G S I N I R A N G A N ( fo r m e r ly Tingo g Leytenhon), HEREIN RE P R E S E N T E D BY IT S CHA IR M A N , M R . M A RK GIM ENEZ , Pe titio n e r .

X- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -X

O R D E R Acting on the verified petition of “TINGOG SINIRANGAN (formerly Tingog Leytenhon)”, filed on March 05, 2015, the Commission (Second Division) hereby sets the hearing of this case on May 27, 2015 at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon, Comelec Session Hall, 8th Floor, Palacio de Gobernador, Intramuros, Manila.

To simplify the proceedings, petitioner is required to submit prior to the scheduled hearing the following 1.

4. On 02 October 2012, Petitioner, then known as TINGOG LEYTENHON, was registered3 by the Honorable Commission (Second Division) as a political party for the Province of Leyte. It was founded on a “commitment to promoting the spiritual, physical and economic wellbeing, as well as the human rights, of all Leytyenhons, dedicated to the development, progress and advancement of Leyte, consistent with the preservation of its ecology, determined to discover, encourage, develop and harness the full potential, leadership and collective creativity of the human resource.”4 5. As a political party, Tingog Leytenhon fielded candidates in the 2013 National and Local Elections. It was well on its way to being one of the stalwart parties in the Province of Leyte.

6. Then came Yolanda. And reality suddenly set in.

SPP NO. 1 5 - 0 0 5 (P P )

2.

The names of two (2) witnesses who shall be the Chairperson or President and Secretary General of the political party; Judicial affidavits of the witnesses; and

3.

Proof of publication

7. Yolanda wrecked the communities, not only in the Province of Leyte, but also in the whole island of Samar, whose residents share the same “Waray” culture and traditions as the residents of Leyte, both territories belonging to the same Region, which is Region VIII. Tingog Leytenhon went beyond being a mere political party, and beyond helping just the Province of Leyte, as it actively involved itself in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the entire region right after the storm. These relief efforts were conducted to basically address the emergency and prevailing needs of the people of Leyte and Samar, the ground zero of typhoon Yolanda.

8. While helping in the relief efforts during the days, weeks, and months following Yolanda’s rampage, Tingog Leytenhon, received numerous reports that a large portion of the region was being denied support from some public sectors; as such, the people therein had to depend on the help and assistance coming from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), both international and local, including Tingog Leytenhon. It was during this time that the party became aware of the popular clamor of the people not only of Leyte but also of Samar, and ultimately of the rest of Region VIII, for Tingog Leytenhon to singly represent them in the halls of Congress.

9. After much rumination, Tingog Leytenhon, pursuant to its Constitution and By-Laws,5 had a General Assembly meeting on 24 January 2014 at its headquarters in Barangay Malbog, Tolosa, Leyte, during which it adopted the following resolutions: xxx A. General Assembly Resolution No. 001-2014 1.

Meantime, all evidence to be presented by petitioner shall be pre-marked including evidence to prove compliance with the jurisdictional requirements before the Clerk of the Commission on May 25, 2015, at 2 o’clock p.m.

Counsel shall manifest during the marking of exhibits his/her appearance and the same be entered in the minutes. In no case shall representatives of parties, other than counsel, for purposes of marking be allowed. Further, counsel is requested to prepare his/her summary of exhibits as a guide during the marking/s thereof.

The Commission requires the petitioner to publish at its own expense in three (3) national newspapers of general circulation the following: 1.

The petition; and

2.

The instant Order of the Commission requiring the publication with the date of the scheduled hearing.

SO ORDERED. G iv en t h i s 1 8 t h d a y o f M a y 2 0 1 5 , a t M a n ila , Ph ilip p in e s.

F OR T HE DIVISION:

a.

1Expand the constituency and the recipients of the services of TINGOG LEYTENHON to all the Provinces of Region VIII considering the effects wrought by Typhoon “Yolanda”;

b.

To seek legislative representation in Congress for the distraught sectors of Waraynons by exclusively participating in the party-list elections; and To file the appropriate petition with the Commission on Elections for the foregoing purposes.

B. General Assembly Resolution No. 002-2014 1.

The membership approved and passed the proposed amendments of the Constitution and Bylaws.

C. General Assembly Resolution No. 003-2014 1.

AL A. PARRENO Pr e sid in g Co m m issio n e r

The membership approved and passed the formal motions to:

c.

The members appointed Mr. Glenn Capucion and Lotlot Raagas as the Secretariat for the purpose of the accreditation and the recruitment efforts. They will procure vehicles for the organizational and recruitment works.

xxx.6

OMNIBUS PETITION

1. A T T Y . N E L I A S. AUREAS A T T Y . A L V O N D J . SAL DEVAR L A R R A Z A B A L L AW OF F ICE C o u n s e l f o r t h e Pe titio n e r 7 0 3 B F C o n d om in iu m S o r i a n o A v e n ue co r n e r So la n a Str e e t I n t r a m u r o s , Ma n ila

The membership passed a resolution to do active recruitments in the area of Samar island and Southern Leyte.

F. General Assembly Resolution No. 006-2014

SPP NO.

TINGOG SINIRANGAN (formerly Tingog Leytenhon), HEREIN REPRESENTED BY ITS CHAIRMAN, MR. MARK GIMENEZ, Petitioner.

X------------------------------------------------ X

TI NGO G S I N I R A N G AN ( f o rme rly Ti ngo g L e y t e n h o n ) HEREIN RE P R E S E N T E D H E R EIN BY IT S CHAI R M A N , M R . M A R K GIM ENEZ , Pe titio n e r , X ----- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - X

The membership authorized Atty. Patrick Santo, Atty. Edgar Enerlan, and/or Mr. Glenn Capucion to represent the party to sign documents, papers, things, records, COMELEC pleadings, and other papers necessary for the purpose of accrediting the party with COMELEC.

The membership approved and passed the change of the name of the party from TINGOG LEYTENHON to TINGOG SINIRANGAN to be inclusive of all those members who will be

10. Thus, Petitioner, now as TINGOG SINIRANGAN, comes before the Commission to seek recognition of the expansion of its constituency from provincial (Province of Leyte) to regional (Region VIII); confirmation of its change of name from the original “Tingog Leytenhon;” and, registration under the Party-List System of Representation pursuant to R.A. No. 7941, bearing in mind the Supreme Court’s pronouncements in Atong Paglaum,7 pertinently the following: xxx 1. Three different groups may participate in the party-list system: (1) national parties or organizations, (2) regional parties or organizations, and (3) sectoral parties or organizations.

2. National parties or organizations and regional parties or organizations do not need to organize along sectoral lines and do not need to represent any “marginalized and underrepresented” sector.

3. Political parties can participate in partylist elections provided they register under the party-list system and do not field candidates in legislative district elections. A political party, whether major or not, that fields candidates in legislative district elections can participate in party- list elections only through its sectoral wing that can separately register under the party-list system. The sectoral wing is by itself an independent sectoral party, and is linked to a political party through a coalition. xxx.

On Petitioner’s Expansion of Constituency and Change of Name 11. Intent on not disappointing the people’s call for a unified Region VIII representation in Congress, Petitioner (as Tingog Leytenhon) began its quest by amending its Constitution and By-Laws to open the Party to Filipinos residing/domiciled not only in Leyte but also in Southern Leyte, Western Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Biliran.8 12. But more than just opening its doors to the entire region, Petitioner actually embarked on an active recruitment campaign.9 To do so, it set up and/or designated provincial and municipal/city offices and/or coordinators throughout the region. More importantly, these offices/coordinators have been so chosen to ensure that all concerns of Petitioner’s constituents from the ground are heard, and that all services that they require are provided them.

13. The list of Petitioner’s provincial and city/municipal offices/ coordinators is contained in the attached Annex “E,” which is made an integral part hereof. The roster of Petitioner’s members, meanwhile, is in the attached Annex “F,” which is made an integral part hereof.

14. With the expansion of its constituency, Petitioner had seen it fit to change its name to reflect its regional character. Petitioner was no longer just the voice of the Province of Leyte, which meant that it was no longer appropriate to call itself “just” “Tingog Leytenhon.” It was now the voice of the entire Region VIII, the Eastern Visayas; hence, it was only proper to adopt the name, “TINGOG SINIRANGAN.” 15. The amendments that were able to bring to light the foregoing had been made pursuant to Petitioner’s (as Tingog Leytenhon) original Constitution and By-Laws.

On Petitioner’s Application for Registration Under the Party-List System of Representation 16. Also adopted during the same General Assembly meeting of 24 January 2014 as part of Petitioner’s Amended Constitution and ByLaws is its resolve to now, more than ever, be a singular voice for the entire Region VIII. To operationalize this purpose, Petitioner, in the light of Atong Paglaum, has chosen the path of Party-List Representation.

Hence, this petition.

17. To be clear, Petitioner intends to participate in the election under the Party-List System of Representation beginning the 09 May 2016 National and Local Elections. In fact, it has decided to participate as a political party exclusively under the Party-List System of Representation, and considers itself to belong to the generic term “party-list organization.” As such, Petitioner will not be fielding candidates for District Representative during the Polls.

18. Petitioner is still unable to submit the required Manifestation of Intent to Participate Under the Party-List System of Representation in the 09 May 2016 National and Local Elections, as well as its list of nominess, as required by COMELEC Resolution No 9366, in view of the absence of the prescribed form provided by the Honorable Commission.

Petitioner commits to submit the said requirement as soon as the forms become available.

19. All officers and members of Petitioner have been made aware of this Petition and have given their consent thereto (please see the Minutes of the General Assembly Meeting Held on January 24, 2014, attached as Annex “C” and made an integral part hereof).

20. As proof of its sincere desire to be a strong, substantial and meaningful voice for the whole of Region VIII, Petitioner is submitting the following documents: 20.1 Petitioner’s Amended Constitution and ByLaws,10 the preamble of which reads: Preamble The Filipino people of the Islands of Leyte, Samar and Biliran, committed to promoting the spiritual, social and economic wellbeing, as well as the human rights, of all people of Eastern Visayas, dedicated to the

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

PH team may surpass 41 golds THE 28th Southeast Asian Games’ chef de mission Julian Camacho would rather err on the side of caution rather than follow the projections of the national sports associations.

Philippine delegation’s chief of mission Julian Camacho updates sportswriters on the status of the Filipino athletes’ training and preparations for the coming Southeast Asian Games in Singapore. EY ACASIO development, progress and advancement of their well-being, heritage and culture consistent with the preservation of its ecology, and determined to discover, encourage, develop and harness the full potential, leadership and collective creativity of its human resource, hereby organize ourselves into Tingog Sinirangan and ordain this Constitution.

20.2 Contained therein, as Article III thereof, is Petitioner’s General Platform of Government,11 which is summarized in its Vision Statement (Section 1), to wit: SECTION 1. The Vision of the Party-List is encapsulated: “Tingog Sinirangan aspires for Eastern Visayas, including its municipalities and cities, as (or will be) a premiere province, peopled by empowered, economically dynamic and healthy constituents, living in safe, secure, accessible, physically well-ordered and ecologically sound communities.”

20.2.1.

xxx

The following passages show that Petitioner’s good intent for Eastern Visayas goes beyond Yolanda: SECTION 10.

Going beyond the task of rebuilding those communities damaged by the typhoon, TINGOG SINIRANGAN is geared towards engaging and empowering the people themselves to work together rebuilding better communities. In this greater vision of rebuilding a better Eastern Visayas, TINGOG SINIRANGAN intends to focus on the social, economic, policy and governance development. xxx SECTION 11.

TINGOG SINIRANGAN envisions itself as a partnership of Filipinos of diverse social, professional and economic backgrounds – of farmers and fisherfolk, of entrepreneurs and professionals, of civil servants and community leaders – who all share the vision that by working together poverty can be history and that the long awaited development of Sinirangan Bisayas and the rest of the Philippines can be a lasting reality! xxx.12

20.3.

A summary and proof of its track record of representing and seeking to uplift the lives of the people of Region VIII (attached as Annex “G” and “G-1” and made an integral part hereof).

21. Beginning 2015, Petitioner has chosen the following as its officers13 that will ensure the Party’s adherence to its Constitution and By-Laws: NAME Mark Gimenez Atty. Cheryl Chu Glen Capucion Atty. Patrick Santo Daciano David Palami Lydia Fustanes Dominador Corpin Maricor Mendador Alexis V. Yu

POSITION Chairman

ADDRESS Imelda Blvd. corner Asuncion St., Barangay San Miguel, Tanauan, Leyte 6502 Vice-Chairman 147 Rizal Avenue, Tacloban City President Block 9 Lot 22 Regina Subdivision, Tacloban City Executive Vice-President Arellano St. Tacloban City Vice-President for Leyte/ Calanipawan Road, Sagkahan, Provincial Chairman Tacloban City Vice-President for Brgy. Poblacion, Bontoc, Southern Leyte/ So. Leyte Provincial Chairman Vice-President for Barangay Palengke, B i l i r a n / P r o v i n c i a l Poblacion, Caibiran, Chairman Biliran Vice-President for Barangay Yakal, Northern Samar/ Poblacion, Catarman, Provincial Chairman Northern Samar Vice-President for Serafin Marabut St., Brgy.

Western Samar/ Baybay, Basey, Samar Provincial Chairman

Camacho, who guested in yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate, said the participating NSAs have committed “more or less 60 gold medals.”

But he noted that “sometimes they blow up the number, so we reduced the humber to be moderate.”

Camacho, however, did not specify the number of gold medals he has in mind, but used the 2007 haul of 41 gold medals in Thailand as a goal.

“After we won the overall title in 2005, the most number of gold medals we won in the SEA Games is 41 in 2007. We’re aiming to surpass that,” he said in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Shakey’s, Accel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

A total of 472 athletes and 189 officials will represent the Philippines in Singapore, where athletes from 11 countries will compete for the 402 gold medals at stake.

With the exception of field hockey, the Philippines will compete in 35 of the 36 sports lined up in the Games that will run from June 5 to 16.

The Philippines, which finished seventh in 2013 in Myanmar, is hoping for a better finish in Singapore, which last hosted the biennial event in 1993.

Camacho said he expects that the medals for the country to come from combat sports such as boxing, taekwondo, judo and wushu, and other disciplines like athletics, rugby seven, sailing, dragon boat, gymnastics, soft-

NAME Edmaru Santiago

POSITION ADDRESS Vice-President for Brgy. 2, Maslog, Eastern Eastern Samar/ Samar Provincial Chairman Rachel R. Santiago Secretary-General San Juan De Dios St., Dolores, Eastern Samar Atty. Cheryl Chu Treasurer 147 Rizal Avenue, Tacloban City Atty. Leah Fuentes Chairman, Membership Barangay Ermita, Committee Poblacion, Maripipi Atty. Cora Bullido Chairman, Political Sitio Lomboy Brgy Sudario and Electoral Affairs Calumpang, Naval, Committee Biliran Jam Colas Chairman, Economic No. 46 G El Reposo St., and Fiscal Affairs Tacloban City Committee Atty. Al Bonghanoy Chairman, Linkage 496 San Francisco St., Affairs Committee Palompon, Leyte 6538 Jennifer Padual

Chairman, Media Barangay 5, and Public Relations Eastern Samar Committee

Guiuan,

22. As already heretofore stated, Petitioner has set up chapter offices/ coordinators to ensure that all concerns of its constituents from the ground are heard, and that all services that they require are provided them (please see Annex “E”). Petitioner’s members, who have made Tingog Sinirangan what it is today, are listed in Annex “F” hereof. Clearly, Petitioner enjoys constituency that is spread over the geographical territories of Region VIII, and as such, it is more than capable of being the true voice of the region in Congress.

23. Petitioner possesses all the basic qualifications as a Political Party, on the one hand, and as an organization participating under the Party-List System of Representation, on the other, pursuant to existing laws and the pronouncements in Atong Paglaum.14 Further, it does not have any of the disqualifications provided for by law; thus: 23.1. It is neither a religious sect or denomination nor an association organized for religious purposes; 23.2. It does not, and shall not, advocate violence or unlawful means to achieve its goals; 23.3. It is not an adjunct or a project organized or an entity funded or assisted by the government; 23.4. It is not a foreign party or organization; 23.5. It does not receive support for partisan political purposes from any foreign government, foreign political party, foundation, organization, whether directly or indirectly, or through it officers or members, or indirectly through third parties; 23.6. It has been existing, and has been a meaningful voice for the people of Region VIII, for more than one (1) year, having been originally registered as a local political party on 02 October 2012.

23.7. It will not participate, by nominating a candidate, in the election for District Representatives in the region, and shall, as a political party, exclusively take part in the election under the Party-List System of Representation.

24. Finally, Petitioner commits to uphold and adhere to the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, and shall obey all laws, rules, regulations and other legal orders, especially those relating to elections, promulgated by the duly constituted authorities.

25. To summarize, Petitioner is submitting the following documents/ presentation in support of the foregoing: ANNEX A

B C D D-1 E F G G-1 H

DOCUMENT Copy of the Resolution of the Commission (Second Division) dated 02 October 2012 in SPP No. 12-084 (PP) entitled, “In re: Registration as Political Party with Provincial Constituency.

Tingog Leytenhon, represented by its Secretary-General, Atty. Pipiano L. Santo, Petitioner.”

Copy of the Constitution and By-Laws of Tingog Leytenhon Copy of the Minutes of the General Assembly Meeting Held on January 24, 2014 Copy of the Amended Constitution and By-Laws of Petitioner, Tingog Sinirangan Petitioner’s General Platform of Government as contained in Article III of the Amended Constitution and By-Laws List of Petitioner’s provincial and city/municipal offices/ coordinators Roster of Petitioner’s members Track record summary/proof Compact disc containing a video of Petitioner’s medical missions List of Newly-Elected Officers of the Party

ball, triathlon, tennis and basketball.

In previous interviews, the longtime official Wushu Federation Philippines said if 10 percent of the 472 Pinoy athletes can win the gold, then that will be good enough.

“If we can surpass the 41 gold medals and win 50 or more then we finish at least fifth place. We are thinking of 50 to 55 gold medals,” he said.

“But we will do our best,” added Camacho, who is leaving for Singapore tomorrow, in time for the delegation registry meeting, on the same day.

Camacho said after the DRM, he will fly back to Manila to work on the final sendoff for the Filipino athletes on May 27 at Philsports Arena.

PRAYER

WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is respectfully prayed that, after due notice, publication and hearing, this Omnibus Petition be GRANTED by the Honorable Commission, resulting in: 1.

The RECOGNITION of Petitioner, TINGOG SINIRANGAN, as a Regional Political Party, with Region VIII as its constituency;

2.

The CONFIRMATION of Petitioner’s change of name from “Tingog Leytenhon” to “TINGOG SINIRANGAN;” and,

3.

The ISSUANCE in favor of Petitioner, TINGOG SINIRANGAN, of a Certificate of Registration as a Regional Political Party participating under the Party-List System of Representation, with eligibility to participate therein beginning the 09 May 2016 National and Local Elections, with all rights appurtenant thereto.

Petitioner prays for such other reliefs as may be just and equitable under the premises.

City of Manila, 25 February 2015.

LARRAZABAL LAW OFFICE Counsel for Petitioner TINGOG SINIRANGAN 703 BF Condominium Soriano Ave. cor. Solana St., Intramuros, Manila Tel. No. 708-9791 B y: NELIA S. AUREUS Mobile Phone No. 09156693125 Roll of Attorney No. 34544 IBP No. 887933, 1-20-2015-Cam. Norte PTR No. 0430709/1-20-15/Daet, Cam. Norte MCLE IV Compliance Cert. No. 0004742 March 5, 2012 – City of Manila

ALVOND J. SALDEVAR Mobile Phone No. 09178547934 Roll of Attorney No. 48398 IBP Lifetime No. 06935/CAMANAVA PTR No. 3905123/01-21-15/Manila MCLE Compliance No. IV – 0022485 November 19, 2013 – Pasig City VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION I, MARK GIMENEZ, Filipino, of legal age, with address at Imelda Blvd. corner Asuncion St. Barangay San Miguel, Tanauan, Leyte, after being duly sworn, hereby depose and state: 1. I am the duly elected Chairman of Petitioner in the above-captioned case with authority to sign this Verification.

2. I have caused the preparation of, and have read, the foregoing Petition, the allegations of which are true and correct of my own personal knowledge, and/or based on authentic records and documents available to me.

3. I hereby certify that the Petitioner has not commenced any action or filed any claim involving the same issues and party in the foregoing Petition in any court, tribunal or quasi-judicial agency and to the best of my knowledge, no such other action or claim is pending therein. If I should hereafter learn that the same or a similar action has been filed or is pending. I shall report that fact to this Honorable Commission within five (5) days from notice.

MARK GIMENEZ Affiant Republic of the Philippines ) Tacloban City ) S.S. SUBSCRIBED and SWORN TO before me this MARCH 02, 2015, affiant being personally known to me and/or exhibiting to me the following as proof of his identity:

(TS-MAY 20, 2015)

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Army tossers make finals JOVELYN Gonzaga dished out a superb all-around performance as Army wore down Cagayan Valley, 25-23, 26-24, 2517, yesterday to arrange a showdown with powerhouse PLDT Home Ultera for the Shakey’s V-League Season 12-Open Conference crown at The Arena in San Juan.

Gonzaga rammed in 10 kills and came away with six blocks to finish with 16 hits with last year’s MVP capping her game-long brilliance with nine digs to power the Lady Troopers to the one-hour and 22-minute romp and on track of their title-retention

bid in the season-opening Troopers – will have to double Games tomorrow conference of the league spon- 2 p.m. • Cagayan vs Meralco their effort when they face the sored by Shakey’s.

Ultra Fast Hitters in the open(best-of-three for third) Honey Royse Tubino also 4 p.m. • PLDT vs Army (best- er of their best-of-three title of-three for title) stepped up to fire 14 hits, induel tomorrow. cluding 10 attacks, two blocks Army thus finished the single and two aces, while Mary Jean Balse and round semis with a 2-1 mark while Cagayan Dindin Manabat backing them with 11 closed out with a 1-2 mark and dropped to and 10 points, respectively, and ace spiker the battle for third with Meralco.

Rachel Ann Daquis adding eight hits.

The Lady Troopers missed clinching an “She’s been one of our key players and we outright finals slot when they blew a 2-1 lead wouldn’t have reached this far without her,” and yielded a heartbreaking 21-25, 26-24, 25said Army coach Rico de Guzman, referring 20, 24-26, 12-15 defeat to Alyssa Valdez and to the fiery Iloilo southpaw.

PLDT, which kept its win run going and took But Gonzaga – and the rest of the Lady the first championship seat last Sunday.

Martin, Santos win net crowns JACOB Martin added the Puerto Princesa crown to his growing list of trophy collection as he overpowered Maxine Ong, 6-0, 6-0, for the boys’ 16-andunder plum while local ace Alexie Santos bagged two titles in the girls’ side of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis tournament at the Puerto Princesa Tennis Club in Palawan last Sunday.

Martin, who has dominated his age group in other top junior circuits, dropped just three games in annexing his latest victory with the Xavier

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 6 DIGITS 0-0-0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

Army’s ace setter Tina Salak (7) foils Cagayan Valley’s Aiza MaizoPontillas’ tip in as Lady Trooper Mary Jean Balse tries to provide help during their showdown for the second finals berth in the Shakey’s VLeague Season 12 Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan.

School standout whipping Rewel Justiniani, 6-0, 6-0, after an opening game bye, then easing out Rafael Liango, 1-0, (ret.), in the quarters and trouncing Franky Buanhug, 6-3, 6-0, in the semis of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by the leading pawnshop, remittance and claim center.

“I’m hitting it solid and playing with a lot of confidence. There’s a lot of tournaments ahead so I have to stay in shape by training regularly,” said the 14-year-old Martin, who’ll see action next in the First Gen junior tilt, a Group I tournament.

LOTTO RESULTS P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

Tigers edge Knights by 2 UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas-B needed an extra period to brush off the Letran Knights in overtime, 84-82, Sunday in the 21st Fr. Martin Summer Cup basketball tournament at the St. Placid gymnasium inside the San Beda College-Manila campus in Mendiola.

Rookie Jasper Magno, a prized find from the San Sebastian College Staglets, scored the winning basket off McJour Luib in the last 3.4 seconds, sending the Tigers-B to their second straight win in Group B. Magno led the Tigers with 26 points, while RJ Manlangit, Matthew Bernabe Jomari Sullano and Luib had 13, 11, 10 and 8 points, respectively for the Knights.

In other games, Darwin Lunor fired 16 points for the Manuel L. Quezon University Stallions when they won over UST-A, 68-55, and hiked their record in Group B to 3-3.

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan City of Balanga

Re p u b lic o f th e Phi l i ppi nes

Pro v i n c e o f Z a m b o a nga del S ur M u n i c i p a l i ty o f Tambul i g

BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE OFFICE

Invitation to Bid

Reh ab . / Reco n s tr u c tio n o f B a r a n g a y R oad at Lower Liason to D im alinao (T a m b u lig , Z a m b o anga del S ur )

InvItatIon to BId

The Municipality of Tambulig now invites bids for Rehab./Reconstruction of Barangay Road at Lower Liason to Dimalinao.

Completion of the Works is required within 75 calendar days from the date of the official start of the subproject. Bidders should have completed in the last ten (10) years a contract for works that are to be undertaken under the Contract that is the subject of this bid invitation.

The Provincial Government of Bataan, through the General Fund1 intends to apply the below listed project w/ corresponding Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) Project Duration Minimum Bid Security Bid Closing Date

Name of Project

: Php 7,742, 731.42 : 75 Calendar Days : Php 154,854.62 : June 3, 2015

1.

Description of Works I tem N o .

A . 1. 1 : 10S P L - 1 : S P L- 2 : 105( 1 ) 201: 500( 1 ) c : 500( 2 ) b :

S c o p e o f Wo rk F a cilitie s o f th e En g in e e r s C o n str u ctio n Sa fe ty a n d He a lth M ob iliza tio n a n d De m o b iliza tio n S u b Gr a d e Pr e p a r a tio n A g g r e g a te Ba se Co u r se P i pe Cu lve r ts, 9 1 0 m m d ia . ( 3 6 ” 0 ) I n le t & Ou tle t ( 9 1 0 m m 0 ) T OT AL

% TOTA L 0.70% 2.94% 3.82% 11.84% 78.42% 1.67% 0.61% 100.00%

Quantity 2.50 2.50 1.00 38,400.00 4,451.25 21.00 3.00

U nit Mos. Mos. LS Sq.m.

C u.m.

In.-m.

Each

Minimum Equipment Required: Bulldozer (1 unit)-leased/owned; Loader (1 unit)-leased/owned; Dump truck (3 units)-leased/ owned; Road Roller Vibratory Compactor (9 ton min. 1 unit)-leased/owned; Backhoe/Excavator (1 unit)-leased/owned; Survey Instrument-(leased/owned).

Bidding will be conducted in accordance with National Competitive procedures, and is open to bidders from eligible source.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the LGU-BAC of Tambulig, Province of Zamboanga del Sur and inspect the Bidding Documents on June 3, 2015 at the address given below from BAC Office, Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by and interested bidders on May 20, 2015 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of Php 10,000.00.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philgeps (www.Philgeps.gov.ph) provided that bidders shall pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The bidder may request that the Bid Documents be sent to them by mail or courier, and for this, the bidder shall pay the amount in Philippine Peso to cover the cost of mall or courier delivery. The fee for obtaining a copy of the Bid Documents and the cost of mall or courier shall be paid by the bidder thru a Cashier’s or Manager’s Check issued in favor of the Municipality of Tambulig.

The Municipality of Tambulig will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 26, 2015 at the Conference Hall, Municipal Hall, Municipality of Tambulig, Province of Zamboanga del Sur, which shall be open to all interested parties.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before June 3, 2015 at the Office of the BAC, Municipality of Tambulig, Province of Zamboanga del Sur. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in the form of Bank Guarantee and in the amount of Php 154,854.62.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. The deadline for the submission of bids must not be later than 10:00 am. The opening of bids will proceed immediately after the time set for the deadline of submission of bids as indicated.

The Municipality of Tambulig reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. The Invitation to Bid is not an integral part of the bidding document.

For further information, please refer to: Engr. Bienvenido C. Suco BAC Chairperson for Infrastructure Municipality of Tambulig Province of Zamboanga del Sur Telephone No. 09464311826 (Sgd.) BIENVENIDO C. SUCO Municipal Engineer BAC Chairperson for Infrastructure (MST-MAY 20, 2015)

no. Infra -028- 2015

Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC) =P=11,499,949.52

Construction of Ten (10) Classroom School Building Bataan National High School Balanga City, Bataan

The Provincial Government of Bataan now invites bids for the above listed Project. Completion of works is required on or before the maturity date stipulated on contract. Bidders should have completed, within Ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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

Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Office of Bataan Bids & Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the same office.

Bid documents will be available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a non-refundable amount of using standard rates approved by GPPB as stated on their Resolution No. 04-2012 listed below.

Approved Budget for the Contract 500,000 and below More than 500,000 up to 1 Million More than 1 Million up to 5 Million More than 5 Million up to 10 Million More than 10 Million up to 50 Million More than 50 Million up to 500 Million More than 500 Million

Maximum Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Peso) 500.00 1,000.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 25,000.00 50,000.00 75,000.00

The Provincial Government of Bataan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 26, 2015 at 10:00 A.M at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered on or before June 8, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated on IRR of RA 9184 and Bid Securing Declaration in standard form.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend opening of Bids at Bataan BAC Office. Late bids shall not be accepted.

In case of the above dates is declared a special Non-Working Holidays, it will automatically reset on the next working days.

Other necessary information deemed relevant by the Provincial Government of Bataan Activities 1. Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid 2. Eligibility Check 3. Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents 4. Request for Clarification 5. Opening of Bids

Schedule May 19- 25, 2015 Refer to date of Opening of Bids May 19- June 8, 2015 June 5, 2015 June 8, 2015

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

For further information, please refer to: Engr. Josephine R. Valenzuela Provincial BAC / PEO Bataan Provincial BAC / PEO Office, Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan 047-237-9316 bac@bataan.gov.ph (Sgd.) ENRICO T. YUZON BAC Chairman (MST-MAY 20, 2015)

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

A15

Adamson, PAF bag softball titles ADAMSON University-Alumni reasserted its mastery over last year’s champion Chikara of Brunei, coming away with a 6-1 romp to cop the women’s Open crown while Philippine Air Force beat Cebu, 8-3, to retain the men’s title in the ninth Summer Grand Slam softball tournament at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga yesterday.

Marlyn Francisco and Tata Embudo sparked a blistering Adamson charge on top of the seventh inning with back-to-back hits en route to a four-run binge as they turned what had been a tight contest into a runaway victory in the centerpiece division of the week-long event sponsored

by Cebuana Lhuillier.

The win was a repeat of the San

Marcelino-based squad’s victory over the fancied Chikara in the first day of action last Wednesday with the former snatching a thrilling 6-5 victory before a stunned Brunei team bannered by former members of the Philippine nine.

AdU-Alumni scored two runs in the second frame on a Riza Bernardino triple and Sherry Lou

Valenzuela double but Chikara kept the match close on an Elaine Bacarisas double in the bottom of the fifth.

Hurler Staff Sgt. Sonny Boy Acuña anchored the Airmen’s title-retention drive while Sgt. Anthony Santos and A1C Edmer Del Socorro provided the key hits to clobber the Cebuanos and keep the men’s Open diadem.

Jean Henri Lhuillier, president of the organizing Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (AsaPhil) lauded the sterling performance of the participating teams and vowed to continue efforts to promote and develop softball in the country next year and beyond.

Jaro training Casimero’s Thai foe

By Ronnie Nathanielsz THE fact that well-known Filipino trainer, manager, promoter and former boxer Aljoe Jaro and his brother are helping train International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand for his title defense against former IBF light flyweight champion Johnreil Ca-

Tight finish looms in golf PREMIUM will be on shotmaking and putting when the elite field tackles an unfamiliar course making its return to pro golf after 26 years in the P2 million ICTSI Luisita Championship which fires off today at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac.

Frankie Miñoza hopes to rekindle his old romance with Luisita as he heads the stellar cast half of which had not seen his exploits when he reigned at the quaint layout during the 1989 President’s Cup. Although the veteran shotmaker has slowed down the last few years, he remains a formidable rival among the other veteran campaigners and a slew of young guns.

“Frankie is Frankie. I believe he still got what it takes to win,” said Tony Lascuña, the reigning three-time Order of Merit champion of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

Lascuña, who dominated last year’s circuit with five victories but remained winless after five legs of this year’s tour organized

by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., is upbeat of his chances this week after finishing second to Angelo Que in last week’s ICTSI Anvaya Cove Invitational.

simero doesn’t bother the mandatory challenger.

While Jaro told The Standard/ boxingmirror.com that Amnat “is very smart,” he conceded that Casimero “is strong and has a chance” to win his second world title after grabbing the light flyweight crown in a 10th-round TKO over Luis Lazarte in a riotous ending in Argentina.

“Everything is okay with Casimero. He wants to win,” said Sammy Gello-ani, who co-promotes Casimero with international promoter, matchmaker and manager Sampson Lewkowicz.

The bout is set on June 27 at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium of the Sports Authority of Thailand in Bangkok.

N OT I C E TO S H A R E H O L D E RS O F AG FI N A N C E I N C O R P O R AT E D (“AG F ” ) RYM Business Management Corporation (the “Bidder”) intends to acquire 183,276,801 common shares of AG Finance Incorporated representing 70% of its total issued and outstanding capital stock from Mr. Tony O. King, Ms. Sharone O. King and Ms. Charmaine King for a total purchase price of PhP280,000,000.00 or approximately PhP1.5278 per share (the “Private Sale Transaction”). To complete the Private Sale Transaction andpursuant to the requirements of the Philippine Securities Regulation Code (“SRC”) and its implementing rules, the Bidder is implementing a tender offer to acquire [78,547,201] common shares representing approximately [30.00%] of the issued and outstanding capital of AGF (the “AGF Public Shares”) from the owners thereof (the “AGF Public Shareholders”), subject to the SEC Form 19-1 filed by the Bidder with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (“Tender Offer”).

The Bidder shall purchase the AGF Public Shares which shall have been tendered (the “Tender Offer Shares”) by the AGF Public Shareholders (the “Tendering Shareholders”), at the price of [P1.5278] per share (the “Tender Offer Price”), payable in cash (before deductions for customary selling charges of 0.521%of the Tender Offer Price or P0.008 per share. The customary selling charges that will be deducted by the Bidder do not include the selling broker’s commission payable by the Tendering Shareholder, which is subject to mutual agreement between the Tendering Shareholder and its/his/her broker, and the taxes on the commission.

EachAGFPublic Shareholder as of any date during the Offer Period is entitled to sell its/ his/her AGFPublic Shares to the Bidder in accordance with and subject to the Terms of the Tender Offer, which is Annex A to the Application to Tender Common Shares in AG Finance Incorporated to RYM Business Management Corporation (the “Application”).

Scrip shareholders (i.e., shareholders who hold stock certificates) of AGF who wish to sell their shares to the Bidder should complete the Application to Tender Common Shares in AGF Finance Incorporated to RYM Business Management Corporation, (the “Application”) in triplicate and submit the same with the attachments set out below to Lucky Securities Inc. (the “TO Agent”) at the address set forth below, not later than the end of the Tender Offer Period: The Tender Offer Shares shall be deemed accepted by the Bidder on 19 June 2015subject to the conditions that the TO Agent has determined that the Tendering Shareholders shall have submitted the required documents and obtained all the required approvals and authorizations to enable it to transfer the Tender Offer Shares to the Bidders before the expiration of the Tender Offer.

Acceptance of Applications is subject to the terms hereof. The Bidder, through the TO Agent, at its sole discretion, shall have the right to reject any Application that does not qualify and accept qualified Applications at any time before the Tender Offer Shares are sold to the Bidder through the facilities of the PSE (the “Cross Date”). Applications (i) received after the Tender Offer Period, or (ii) that are not properly completed, or (iii) lack any of the required attachments, will be rejected.

The TO Agent will accept Applications on the condition that it is able to verify the signature/ endorsement on AGF stock certificates by verifying the signature on file with AGF’s stock transfer agent, if such is available. The TO Agent will rely on the signature affixed on the Application and on the supporting identification documents or board resolution when it verifies the endorsement of the relevant AGF stock certificates. The TO Agent shall not be required to make further inquiries into the authenticity of the signature. If the TO Agent is unable to verify the signature on the Application or the endorsement of the AGF stock certificate, the TO Agent will also reject the Application.

Tendering Shareholders whose Applications have been rejected, in whole or in part, shall be notified of such fact by the TO Agent on or before 18 June 2015.

All Applications shall be accepted only in the Philippines.

Rejected shares shall be returned in the same form they were received to the Tendering Stockholder’s broker (for scripless shares) or to the Tendering Stockholder (for certificated shares) within three (3) trading days from the end of the Tender Offer Period. Any and all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the return of the rejected shares shall be borne by the Tendering Stockholder.

The accepted Tender Offer Shares are intended to be crossed at the PSE on 25 June 2015 (the “Cross Date”), subject to the approval by the PSE and subject further to any extension of the Tender Offer Period with the approval of the SEC. Any change in the Cross Date shall be announced by the Biddersin The Standard (formerly known as the Manila Standard Today) and Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The settlement date shall be within three (3) trading days after the Cross Date (the “Settlement Date”), subject to any extension of the Tender Offer Period with the approval of the SEC. All accepted Applications shall be settled only in the Philippines.

2n d INVITATION TO BID

for the Supply & Delivery of Materials and Construction of Line Extension and Housewirng Installation for Seventeen (17) Sitios for BUSUANGA ISLAND ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BISELCO) Public Bidding No. 15-002 Source of Funding: 2015 GAA Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) Subsidy BISELCO invites suppliers to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder list of items: Approved Budget

Lot No.

Item/Description

1

Supply & Delivery of Line Extension and Housewiring Materials Construction of Line Extension and Housewiring Installation

2

for the Contract (ABC) P 12,218,148.28 P10,287,921.63

Delivery Period 40 Cd

P 1,930,226.64

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows: ACTIVITIES Advertisement/Posting of Invitation Apply Eligibility And to Bid Issuance and Availability of Bid Documents Pre-Bid Conference Bidder’s Due Diligence Deadline for Receipt Bids Opening Bids

SCHEDULE May 20, 2015 May 21-26, 2015 May 27, 2015 2:00 p.m. BISELCO Conference Room May 27 to June 1, 2015 June 2, 2015, 10:00 a.m.

June 2, 2015 2:00 p.m. BISELCO Conference Room

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

The complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased at the BISELCO Office upon payment of non-refundable fee of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (Php 5,000.00).

The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open to all interested parties; however, only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents may participate in the discussion at said conference.

The Pre-Bid Conference, Submission and Opening of Bids shall be held at BISELCO Office, Conference Room, Mabentangen Rd., Brgy. Poblacion 6, Coron, Palawan.

The bidders shall drop their duly accomplished eligibility requirements, technical and financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes in the bid box located at the above mentioned address.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from BISELCO BAC Secretariat with CP # 09989548494 during office hours or e-mail to: biselco79@yahoo.com BISELCO reserves the right to waive any formality in the responses to the eligibility requirements and to this invitation. BISELCO further reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract, and makes no assurance that contract shall be entered into as a result of this invitation without thereby incurring any liability in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

(Sgd.) ENGR. SELWIN Y. ALILI BBAC Chairman Approved: (Sgd.) RUTH L. GALANG General Manager ( T S - M AY 2 0 , 2 0 15 )

The TO Agent will act as agent for the Tendering Shareholders for the purpose of receiving the check payments from the Bidder and transmitting the check payments to such Tendering Shareholders. The check payments to be issued to Tendering Shareholders shall be made available by the TO Agent for pick-up by the Tendering Shareholders starting on Settlement Date at its offices.

When collecting payment, the Tendering Shareholders shall present the “Applicant’s Copy” of the Application as well as proper identification (e.g., driver’s license, driver’s license, tax identification card, Social Security Services/Government Services and Insurance System card, or passport). Duly authorized representatives shall be required to present an authorization letter from the Tendering Shareholders.

Tendering beneficial owners of Tender Offer Shares are advised to consult with their custodian, fiduciaries, or other similar agents on the manner by which they may collect payment from such agents.

In any event, no payment shall be made without the TO Agent having timely received the duly accomplished Application, the stock certificates evidencing the Tender Offer Shares and other documents required herein.

Any payment not collected within thirty (30) trading days from the Cross Date shall be dispatched via registered mail, to the address of the Tendering Shareholder indicated in the Application, at the risk of the Tendering Shareholders.

Tendering Shareholders shall have the right to withdraw any Tender Offer Shares at any time during the Tender Offer Period but only up to 4:00 pm on16 June 2015by submitting a written request for the withdrawal of the Tender Offer Shares to the TO Agent with a copy of the “Applicant’s Copy” of the Application issued by the TO Agent. If tendered Tender Offer Shares are not accepted by the Bidderson or before 19 June 2015, Tendering Shareholders may likewise withdraw their tendered shares.

For withdrawal of the tendered shares to be effective, a written notice of withdrawal must be received by the TO Agent before 4:00 p.m. on 16 June 2015at the address set forth herein. The notice must specify the name of the Tendering Shareholder and the number of Tender Offer Shares to be withdrawn. If the stock certificates evidencing the Tender Offer Shares have been delivered to the TO Agent, the serial numbers shown on such certificates must be submitted to the TO Agent prior to the physical release of such certificates. No request for withdrawal of fractions of Tender Offer Shares will be considered. The TO Agent shall have the right in its sole discretion, to determine the form and validity of the notice of withdrawal, including the time of receipt thereof.

All expenses incurred by the TO Agent in respect of withdrawal of Tender Offer Shares shall be for the account of the shareholder making the withdrawal.

The terms set out in SEC Form 19-1 filed with the SEC on 14 May 2015shall form integral parts of the Terms of the Tender Offer. Any shareholder who wishes to obtain a copy of the said form may do so at the office of the TO Agent.

For inquiries regarding the Tender Offer, the number of shares and stock certificates, please contact the following: Lucky Securities Inc. Contact Person: Ms. Bee F. Ang Telephone Number: 634-6786 Telephone Number: 634-5382

RYM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT CORPORATION BY:

REMEGIO C. DAYANDAYAN, JR. (TS-MAY 18, 19 & 20, 2015)

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 2 0 , 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

Lyceum, EAC accepted as fulltime NCAA members

By Peter Atencio SEASON 91 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association gets underway on June 27 at the Mall of Asia Arena as Emilio Aguinaldo College and Lyceum of the Philippines finally earned regular status after serving two years as probationary members.

Outgoing policy board president and Jose Rizal University president Vincent K. Fabella welcomed LPU and EAC as part of the NCAA family during Monday’s turnover ceremonies at the ABS-CBN’s ELJ Building in Quezon City with incoming host Mapua Institute of Technology.

The NCAA games recently ended its three-year contract with TV5 and will now be aired over Sports+Action Channel after the league signed a 10year contract reportedly worth more than P240 million with television network giant ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN president/CEO Charo Santos-Concio led the contract signing with incoming season 91 host Dr. Reynaldo Vea of Mapua.

LPU and EAC’s elevation to regular status followed that of Arellano University, which was accepted as a regular member last year. As per NCAA rules, probationary members should commit to join the league’s other events aside from basketball.

The brand-new season will open with a pair of explosive basketball matches, pitting reigning five-peat seniors’ champion San Beda against host Mapua and last year’s runnerup Arellano University against third placer Jose Rizal University on June 27 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

Alaska’s Cyrus Baguio loses the ball as he splits the defense of Talk ‘N Text’s Ranidel de Ocampo (left) and Harvey Carey in a PBA Governors’ Cup game won by the Texters, 104-103, Monday night.

PBA goes to Dubai DUBAI—Pido Jarencio, the Globalport head coach, is set to follow the Batang Pier Tuesday for an official Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup game against Rain or Shine after failing to join them earlier in the nine-hour flight due to severe diarrhea.

Globalport team manager Bonnie Tan bared Jarencio’s scheduled departure for this sweltering, oilrich Middle East city, and Batang Pier alternate governor Erick Arejola provided confirmation.

“Hopefully, okey na siya,” said Tan. The severity of Jarencio’s condition, which Tan said started during their game with San Miguel Beer last Sunday at the Cuneta Astrodome, saw the former Santo Tomas University star so drained and weakened from fluid loss that he had to be given a wheelchair, when he arrived at

NAIA Terminal 2 for the noon flight to Dubai on Monday.

Globalport is to play Rain or Shine on May 21 at the Al Shabab Al Arabi Club before Barangay Ginebra San Miguel takes a shot at the Elasto Painters on May 22.

This marks the fourth sojourn of the PBA to this part of the United Arab Emirates.

Playing back-to-back games against one of the hottest teams in the conference and before a huge Filipino audience expected to let them hear it in support of their

other opponent will fuel the Elasto Painters, Guiao said.

“This is a character-building situation for us,” said Guiao, who hopes to get off two practice sessions and one walk-through scrimmage.

The E-Painters and the Batang Pier arrived here late Monday night aboard a Philippine Airlines flight that flew direct from Manila for nine hours, got picked up from the Dubai airport by two air-conditioned buses, and were treated to a grilled feast at the Filipinoowned My David’s Restaurant.

Teams without Asian imports stepping up

By Jeric Lopez TWO teams are showing that not having an Asian import doesn’t necessarily mean they are at a disadvantage.

Despite opting not to tap an optional Asian import, league leaders Barako Bull and second-running Alaska had been proven right in choosing only one import as they are both having a blazing start in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. A couple of games into the conference with strong starts to their campaigns, the Aces and the Energy Colas, even without additional Asian reinforcements, are at No. 1 and 2 in the standings, as both have very reliable international imports that mesh well with their locals.

For Barako Bull coach Coy Banal, the steady play and high-octane energy provided by import Liam McMorrow and the stellar collective showing of his locals are the reasons why the Energy Colas are the only unbeaten team despite not having an Asian import. ‘’We got Liam (McMorrow) because we want to balance everything in our team and that’s what’s happening. Our import’s energy is rubbing off on our locals, that’s why we’ve done a good job so far,’’ said Banal. ‘’All I ask from the players is perfect effort and that’s what they’re giving so far in

our games and even in our practices. I’m grateful to the players for sustaining our strong start.”

Banal added that this new positive attitude his team is embracing is obviously doing wonders as Barako Bull is showing that it is a force to reckon with this conference.

“Positive attitude creates positive results. Everybody is staying positive for us.

This good start is a confidence builder for us and for our campaign. Teams will now prepare harder against us, but we have the confidence now to keep what we’re doing,” said Banal.

The confidence that Banal is saying was very evident in Barako Bull’s last game as it caught a big fish in Talk ‘N Text, downing the Commissioner’s Cup champion, 100-87, in a masterful performance with McMorrow, new recruit Dylan Ababou and JC Intal all continueing to shine. ‘’Our locals are playing with confidence and they are also delivering. This is what we aimed for when we decided not to get an Asian import. We know we can improve our locals and get a lot from them,’’ said Banal.

Alaska coach Alex Compton, despite the Aces’ recent 104-103 heartbreaking loss to Talk ‘N Text last Monday night, feels that having an all-around reinforcement in Romeo Travis more than fills the void of not having an Asian import.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B1

WEDNESDAY: MAY 20, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandardtoday.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

Telstra visitors. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima (center) and Undersecretary Gil Beltran (left) met with top Telstra executives, including (from left) chief finance officer and group executive for international Andrew Penn, chairman Catherine Livingstone and chief executive David Thodey. Telstra is a leading Australian telecommunications and information services company with operations in the Philippines. During the meeting, they discussed Telstra’s operations in the Philippines in light of the country’s positive economic growth trajectory.

MPIC joins Calax rebidding

By Darwin G Amojelar

BUSINESS rivals San Miguel Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. of the Salim Group will vie for the contract to build the Cavite Laguna Expressway project.

San Miguel’s Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc. and MPIC’s MPCALA Holdings Inc. on Tuesday submitted pre-qualification documents, technical proposals and financial bids for the re-auction of the P55.5-billion Calax project being conducted by the Public Works Department.

“We’re happy, we have two bidders. We thought we would only have one. We are not disappointed,” Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson told reporters.

Team Orion, a joint venture

of the Aboitiz and Ayala groups, which earlier offered the highest qualified bid of P11.65 billion, and Malaysian-owned Alloy MTD Philippines with a P922million offer did not submit bids.

Singson said OIDI and MPCALA had already been prequalified, after the department adopted a single-stage bidding for the project in line with the the Build-Operate-Transfer Law. The department set a premium floor price of P20.105 billion, the offer of OIDI, which the government disqualified during

the first auction.

San Miguel, however, asked the intervention of President Benigno Aquino III, who in turn ordered a re-auction.

“We are confident now that we will be able to finish the evaluation of the documents and open it within the prescribed period,” Singson said.

Rafael Yabut, chairman of bids and awards committee, said the opening and evaluation of technical proposal was set on May 25, while the opening of the financial proposals is scheduled on May 26.

Public Works expects to issue the notice of award for the project on July 7 this year, while the contract signing is set on July 28.

The issuance of notice to proceed is on July 31 this year.

The Calax, one of the government’s Public-Private Partnership projects, involves the

financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of a four-lane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll expressway connecting the Cavitex and South Luzon Expressway. It will start from the Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at the SLEX-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

Calax will have interchanges in nine locations, namely Kawit, Daang Hari, Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang, Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Boulevard, Technopark and a toll barrier before SLEx. Calax is DPWH’s third PPP project. The first project, the Daang Hari-SLEX, was awarded to the Ayala group, while the second, the NAIA Expressway, went to San Miguel.

The agency is also bidding out the P123-billion Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike Project.

Cyber group spies on govt, PH businesses

By Othel V. Campos INTERNET security company FireEye Inc. on Tuesday presented a report about the alleged operations of a cyber espionage campaign likely targeting the Philippines.

FireEye, in a report dubbed “APT 30 and the Mechanics of a Long-Running Cyber Espionage Operation,” bared an advanced persistent threat group which it claimed was most likely sponsored by the Chinese government.

“Advanced threat groups like APT 30 illustrate that state-sponsored cyber espionage affects a variety of governments and organizations in the Philippines and Southeast Asia,” said FireEye senior director Wias Issa.

He said both the government and businesses in the Philippines faced persistent, well-resourced threats from all forms of malwares that populate online sites.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

The report said APT 30 was one of the longest operating APT groups that had been conducting cyber espionage since at least 2005.

The group was allegedly targeting Southeast Asia and India. The report said APT 30’s attack tools, tactics, and procedures had remained markedly consistent since inception, a rare finding as most APT actors adjusted their TTPs regularly to evade detection.

“It’s highly unusual to see a threat group operate with similar infrastructure for a decade. One explanation for this is they did not have a reason to change to new infrastructure because they were not detected. This would suggest many organizations are not detecting these advanced attacks,” said Issa.

“The threat intelligence on APT 30 we are sharing will help empower organizations in the Philippines to quickly begin to detect, prevent, analyze and respond to this

established threat,” he said.

APT 30 deployed customized malware for use in specific campaigns targeting Asean members and other countries, the report said.

It said some of the 200 samples of APT 30 malware included in the investigation targeted organizations in the Philippines.

Analysis conducted on APT 30’s malware revealed a methodical approach to software development similar to that of established technology businesses, an approach that aligns closely to the various diplomatic, political, media and private-sector environments they intended to breach.

The report said targets possessed information that most likely served the Chinese government’s needs for intelligence about key Southeast Asian political, economic, and military issues, disputed territories, and discussions related to the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party.

PSe comPoSite index Closing May 19, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,871.31 39.13

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing MAY 19, 2015 46

P44.510

45

CLOSE

44 43 42

HIGH P44.490 LOW P44.570 AVERAGE P44.527 VOLUME 563.900M

P500.00-P650.00 LPG/11-kg tank P39.65-P45.25 Unleaded Gasoline P28.00-P31.30 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

P35.40-P39.15 Kerosene P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, May 19, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

44.4550

Japan

Yen

0.008335

0.3705

UK

Pound

1.565500

69.5943

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129027

5.7359

Switzerland

Franc

1.080380

48.0283

Canada

Dollar

0.822368

36.5584

Singapore

Dollar

0.752785

33.4651

Australia

Dollar

0.801025

35.6096

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652379

117.9115

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

11.8547

Brunei

Dollar

0.749963

33.3396

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.030012

1.3342

UAE

Dirham

0.272257

12.1032

Euro

Euro

1.131500

50.3008

Korea

Won

0.000920

0.0409

China

Yuan

0.161179

7.1652

India

Rupee

0.015711

0.6984

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.280269

12.4594

New Zealand

Dollar

0.740192

32.9052

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032828

1.4594 Source: PDS Bridge

WEDNESDAY: MAY 20, 2015

B2

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

MST BuSineSS Daily STockS Review Tuesday, May 19, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 104 63 2.49 4.2 18.48 31.6 9.5 1.01 99.4 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 12.02 23.55 6.3 0.225 78 18.02 76.5 95 276 45 107.6 1200 66 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

7.59 72.7 116.80 99.95 48 2.50 2.16 15.5 23.3 7.50 0.435 94 18.20 74.75 93.65 317 45.75 169.8 1440.00 65.40 3.08

35.6 1.04 1.41 7.92 32 14.6 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 13.24 3.12 0.395 168 8.65 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 0.670 1.39

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

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

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

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

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ SPC Power Corp.

Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

43.1 1.06 2.1 11.46 86.50 19.3 28.3 57 2.02 1.78 12.86 20.300 11.40 8.04 10.32 1.8 16.16 27.8 90.2 14.16 14.44 5.93 0.590 213.00 10.36 26.7 27 7.5 275.00 4.2 10.00 4.1 11.56 3.99 2.32 2.29 5.05 2.79 6.2 187.1 4.46 1.61 0.161 2.30 205 0.71 1.33

0.7 59.2 31.85 7.39 3.4 3.35 800 11.06 84 5.14 0.66 1380 6.68 72.6 8.9 9.25 0.9 18.9 0.73 5.53 6.55 0.0670 2.31 0.84 87 934 2.2 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.45 48.1 20.85 6.62 1.4 1.6 600 7.390 14.18 4.25 0.144 818 5.3 46.6 4.96 4.43 0.59 12 0.580 4.22 4.5 0.036 1.23 0.450 66.7 709.5 1.13 0.93 85.2 0.200 0.173 0.310

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

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

Minerales Industrias Corp.

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

0.470 57.50 24.90 7.02 0.280 0.29 816.5 8.38 15.08 4.45 0.260 1431 6.40 72.90 5 7.7 0.73 15.06 0.68 4.74 5 0.0380 1.350 1.080 66.25 914.00 1.26 0.81 87.00 0.3800 0.2330 0.305

10.5 26.95 1.99 2.07 0.375 40 6.15 5.4 5.6 1.54 1.97 1.48

6.01 12 0.91 1.29 0.192 29.1 4.1 4.96 2.8 0.89 1.1 0.97

8990 HLDG 8.770 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 9.90 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.81 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.330 Arthaland Corp.

0.240 Ayala Land `B’ 41.00 Belle Corp. `A’ 4.06 Cebu Holdings 5.2 Cebu Prop. `A’ 5.8 Century Property 0.89 City & Land Dev. 1.29 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.15

47 1.66 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 32 65.8 4.57 23.35 21.6 12.98 9.13 12.34 2.89 17 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 12.5 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 1.3 2.17

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 7.58 7.58 73.55 72.75 117.50 114.00 101.00 99.95 48.05 47.5 2.50 2.32 2.15 2.15 16 15.6 23.35 22.6 7.40 7.40 0.440 0.435 94 93.05 18.20 18.20 74.95 74.70 94 94 318 317 46 45.5 170 167.1 1479.00 1435.00 65.50 65.00 3.1 3.1 INDUSTRIAL 43.95 43 1.07 1.05 2.12 2.08 11.6 11.42 86.50 86.50 19.4 19.1 28.35 27.4 57.4 57 2.02 1.95 1.84 1.8 12.86 12.66 20.300 19.44 11.38 11.30 8.05 7.99 10.54 10.32 1.8 1.72 16.54 15.8 27.8 27.05 91.5 89.6 14.50 14.10 14.42 14.30 5.93 5.88 0.630 0.620 213.00 212.00 10.36 10.1 27 26 27.1 26.6 7.55 7.38 275.00 273.80 4.2 4.19 10.04 9.96 4.3 4.3 11.62 11.56 4.00 3.97 2.45 2.32 2.29 1.9 5.20 5.09 2.88 2.44 7 6.4 188 188 4.5 4.5 1.62 1.55 0.160 0.159 2.32 2.28 205 201.8 0.8 0.71 1.33 1.31 HOLDING FIRMS 0.470 0.460 57.95 57.50 25.00 24.70 7.01 6.96 0.285 0.280 0.28 0.28 817.5 801 8.35 8.19 15.08 14.80 4.59 4.45 0.255 0.250 1446 1413 6.40 6.40 72.95 72.50 4.23 4.05 7.77 7.6 0.76 0.71 15.36 14.7 0.7 0.66 4.77 4.67 5 4.9 0.0390 0.0380 1.360 1.350 1.080 1.020 66.45 66.05 914.00 906.00 1.28 1.22 0.81 0.80 86.80 82.65 0.3850 0.3700 0.2290 0.2200 0.305 0.305 PROPERTY 8.800 8.620 9.90 9.90 0.81 0.79 1.290 1.280 0.240 0.240 41.00 40.20 4.09 4.06 5.21 5.2 6.4 6.4 0.9 0.88 1.29 1.29 1.15 1.05

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

7.58 73.35 116.70 100.80 47.6 2.49 2.15 15.74 22.9 7.40 0.435 93.4 18.20 74.95 94 317 46 168 1440.00 65.00 3.1

-0.13 0.89 -0.09 0.85 -0.83 -0.40 -0.46 1.55 -1.72 -1.33 0.00 -0.64 0.00 0.27 0.37 0.00 0.55 -1.06 0.00 -0.61 0.65

2,000 89,660 2,593,040 2,013,090 61,100 42,000 76,000 2,500 469,100 13,100 260,000 1,489,190 40,900 17,410 1,000 1,190 3,200 93,620 260 4,220 50,000

43.4 1.07 2.09 11.6 86.50 19.2 28.35 57.4 1.95 1.83 12.66 19.880 11.38 8.01 10.46 1.8 16.1 27.05 89.6 14.10 14.42 5.88 0.620 212.60 10.24 26 27.1 7.4 274.00 4.2 9.96 4.3 11.56 4.00 2.43 2.1 5.11 2.47 6.4 188 4.5 1.56 0.160 2.30 203.6 0.77 1.31

0.70 0.94 -0.48 1.22 0.00 -0.52 0.18 0.70 -3.47 2.81 -1.56 -2.07 -0.18 -0.37 1.36 0.00 -0.37 -2.70 -0.67 -0.42 -0.14 -0.84 5.08 -0.19 -1.16 -2.62 0.37 -1.33 -0.36 0.00 -0.40 4.88 0.00 0.25 4.74 -8.30 1.19 -11.47 3.23 0.48 0.90 -3.11 -0.62 0.00 -0.68 8.45 -1.50

2,131,900 3,601,000 493,000 6,700 100 784,900 183,700 4,480 5,373,000 261,000 142,500 11,370,800 249,700 12,918,700 257,000 2,000 182,900 3,366,600 94,700 31,900 31,700 423,300 2,000 208,020 958,400 3,544,900 120,300 372,400 481,610 630,000 2,337,500 1,000 8,200 246,000 1,955,000 1,758,000 42,700 658,000 39,400 1,340 3,000 141,000 1,570,000 2,839,000 3,003,170 9,367,000 347,000

0.470 57.60 24.80 6.98 0.285 0.28 806.5 8.2 14.96 4.54 0.250 1430 6.40 72.85 4.05 7.77 0.74 14.74 0.69 4.71 4.9 0.0380 1.350 1.050 66.15 908.50 1.28 0.80 82.65 0.3700 0.2290 0.305

0.00 0.17 -0.40 -0.57 1.79 -1.75 -1.22 -2.15 -0.80 2.02 -3.85 -0.07 0.00 -0.07 -19.00 0.91 1.37 -2.12 1.47 -0.63 -2.00 0.00 0.00 -2.78 -0.15 -0.60 1.59 -1.23 -5.00 -2.63 -1.72 0.00

130,000 861,370 15,259,400 25,600 2,600,000 260,000 237,550 2,338,700 8,192,900 389,000 400,000 284,100 13,900 1,375,840 107,500 1,722,600 536,000 8,304,700 5,811,000 6,240,000 39,000 2,200,000 9,000 4,825,000 187,130 118,620 57,000 140,000 60,380 3,740,000 160,000 350,000

8.700 9.90 0.79 1.280 0.240 40.65 4.07 5.2 6.4 0.9 1.29 1.15

-0.80 0.00 -2.47 -3.76 0.00 -0.85 0.25 0.00 10.34 1.12 0.00 0.00

30,900 800 1,203,000 200,000 180,000 5,406,600 516,000 222,100 100 7,842,000 1,000 320,000

163,941.00 58,178,272.00 -22,516,060.00 -28,850.00

-1,639,665.00 -22,703,341.50

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

0.201 0.98 1.09 0.305 2.25 1.87 1.8 6.34 4.88 0.180 0.470 8.54 31.8 2.29 3.6 20.6 1.02 7.56 1.96 8.59

0.083 0.445 0.85 0.188 1.4 1.42 1.19 2.8 2.75 0.090 0.325 2.57 21.35 1.64 3.08 15.08 0.69 3.38 1 5.69

Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

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

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Primex Corp.

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

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 12.46 15.82 0.1460 4.61 99.1 12.3 9 4 1700 2090 8.41 33 1.97 119.5 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 2.85 2.2 3.2 5.9 1.97 2.46 15.2 0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 18 14 3486 0.710 2.28 48.5 90.1 11.6 0.87 2.95 10.2 0.490

1.97 32.5 1 0.6 10 9.61 0.0770 2.95 46.55 10.14 5.88 2.58 830 1600 5.95 30 1.36 105 0.036 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.69 1.1 2 1.05 0.490 1.8 8.7 0.34 0.37 14.54 3 8.8 4.39 2726 0.380 0.32 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 1.71 6.45 0.305

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

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

DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Racing Club Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 1.2 1.73 10.98 4.2 0.48 0.455 0.475 0.023 0.026 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 8.65 9.43 0.236 6.5 0.61 0.78 5.99 1.08 0.330 0.2130 0.2160 0.014 0.014 3.660 20.2 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

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

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

70 553 525 515 8.21 12.28 111 1047 76.9 78.95 84.8

33 490 500 480 5.88 6.5 101 1011 74.2 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

10.96 15 88 12.88

2.4 3.5 13.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

High

Low

Close

0.156 0.465 0.860 0.185 1.36 2.04 1.39 7.37 5.37 0.125 0.3300 7.28 29.90 1.73 3.32 20.10 0.73 7.15 0.980 7.390

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.156 0.154 0.154 0.460 0.460 0.460 0.870 0.860 0.860 0.185 0.182 0.185 1.38 1.37 1.38 2.10 2.04 2.09 1.41 1.41 1.41 8.00 5.94 6.00 5.39 5.32 5.33 0.125 0.120 0.124 0.3350 0.3300 0.3300 7.3 7.27 7.28 29.50 29.00 29.20 1.73 1.72 1.72 3.68 3.33 3.39 20.20 19.80 19.94 0.74 0.72 0.74 7.12 6.62 7.12 0.980 0.980 0.980 7.390 7.330 7.340 SERVICES 6.73 7.06 6.8 6.93 61.85 62 61.85 61.9 1.07 1.13 1.06 1.07 0.660 0.880 0.660 0.830 13.66 13.9 13.8 13.9 10.40 10.72 10.42 10.58 0.1010 0.1020 0.0980 0.0980 4.07 4.32 4.07 4.28 90.45 92 90.5 90.95 10.08 10 10 10 7.10 7.12 6.95 6.95 2.88 3.84 3.06 3.06 976 985 985 985 2450 2518 2436 2440 6.29 6.30 6.25 6.30 27.00 27.50 27.50 27.50 1.37 1.40 1.34 1.36 112.2 112.8 110.3 112 0.240 0.240 0.234 0.238 1.4000 1.4000 1.3100 1.3200 2.4 2.47 2.36 2.47 9.77 9.79 9.74 9.74 2.60 2.89 2.61 2.68 1.3 1.28 1.25 1.28 2.04 2.05 2.05 2.05 64.00 65.00 55.00 58.00 0.660 0.670 0.670 0.670 2 2 1.98 2 9.4 9.4 9.29 9.38 0.355 0.365 0.355 0.365 0.470 0.445 0.445 0.445 18.38 18.8 18.8 18.8 4.50 4.77 4.51 4.77 9 9 9 9 20.50 22.90 20.90 22.35 2874.00 2848.00 2830.00 2844.00 0.660 0.660 0.650 0.660 1.680 1.700 1.680 1.690 40.90 40.90 40.20 40.50 85.50 85.40 83.95 84.00 10.42 10.62 10.48 10.48 0.66 0.67 0.66 0.67 1.96 1.9 1.77 1.9 6.6 6.6 6.48 6.48 0.350 0.345 0.330 0.330 MINING & OIL 0.0052 0.0052 0.0051 0.0051 2.75 2.80 2.76 2.76 8.08 8.00 7.85 7.90 15.50 15.50 15.50 15.50 0.250 0.260 0.260 0.260 7.2000 7.3000 7.2000 7.3000 1.03 1.03 1.03 1.03 0.87 0.88 0.84 0.87 7.70 7.90 7.54 7.55 1.77 1.8 1.72 1.74 0.340 0.355 0.340 0.345 0.248 0.250 0.246 0.249 0.250 0.255 0.249 0.255 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0150 0.0150 0.0150 4.04 4.05 3.99 4.04 26.95 27.05 26.5 26.5 3.82 3.88 3.81 3.86 0.7100 0.7200 0.7100 0.7200 2.100 2.080 2.070 2.080 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 4.40 4.41 4.41 4.41 6.88 6.87 6.75 6.75 2 2.05 1.91 1.91 0.016 0.016 0.015 0.015 159.50 160.00 159.70 159.80 8.28 8.88 8.31 8.7 0.0100 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 PREFERRED 63.45 63.5 63.4 63.5 521.5 522 522 522 525 525 525 525 520 520 520 520 6.2 6.2 6.03 6.2 1.09 1.18 1.09 1.09 115 111.1 111.1 111.1 1064 1050 1050 1050 76.6 76.8 76.6 76.6 84 84 84 84 86.5 86.95 86.85 86.95 WARRANTS & BONDS 4.350 4.600 4.300 4.300 SME 10 10.1 9.76 9.84 9.68 9.49 7.5 9.49 73.5 75.5 73.5 75.5 10.1 10.18 10 10.12 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 128.6 128.6 128.1 128.2

-1.28 -1.08 0.00 0.00 1.47 2.45 1.44 -18.59 -0.74 -0.80 0.00 0.00 -2.34 -0.58 2.11 -0.80 1.37 -0.42 0.00 -0.68

1,000,000 80,000 9,000 110,000 862,000 42,386,000 190,000 205,100 68,186,900 3,040,000 330,000 206,300 5,806,300 145,000 391,000 10,566,500 439,000 6,000 146,000 21,989,500

2.97 0.08 0.00 25.76 1.76 1.73 -2.97 5.16 0.55 -0.79 -2.11 6.25 0.92 -0.41 0.16 1.85 -0.73 -0.18 -0.83 -5.71 2.92 -0.31 3.08 -1.54 0.49 -9.38 1.52 0.00 -0.21 2.82 -5.32 2.29 6.00 0.00 9.02 -1.04 0.00 0.60 -0.98 -1.75 0.58 1.52 -3.06 -1.82 -5.71

789,600 3,900 360,000 131,784,000 800 9,988,900 11,410,000 2,239,000 510,490 6,600 217,000 169,000 260 68,670 52,700 400 419,000 409,310 1,540,000 868,000 25,000 173,900 1,441,000 40,000 5,000 7,170 1,000 61,000 578,100 410,000 20,000 100 8,000 2,000 682,800 30,170 1,856,000 10,410,000 934,800 1,205,040 4,245,500 134,000 13,000 599,000 410,136,750

-1.92 0.36 -2.23 0.00 4.00 1.39 0.00 0.00 -1.95 -1.69 1.47 0.40 2.00 0.00 7.14 0.00 -1.67 1.05 1.41 -0.95 8.33 0.23 -1.89 -4.50 -6.25 0.19 5.07 10.00

25,000,000 29,000 313,000 4,000 270,000 5,100 235,000 1,953,000 49,200 19,096,000 1,130,000 3,570,000 970,000 100,000 48,300,000 346,000 1,105,000 549,000 123,000 52,000 600,000 6,000 676,900 4,044,000 6,700,000 634,140 1,254,600 19,000,000

0.08 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.39 -1.32 0.00 0.00 0.52

102,650 1,030 12,000 1,250 10,100 1,076,000 30 2,305 117,800 4,710 60,670

-1.15

526,000

21,650.00

-1.60 -1.96 2.72 0.20

1,009,800 1,900 100 1,466,000

138,420.00

-0.31

157,180

382,842.00

-494,800.00 10,470,200.00 -25,959,153.00

34,180,180.00 0.00 1,510.00 36,351,044.00

MST

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

SHARES 7,624,115 72,923,397 69,197,350 173,708,488 185,860,940 136,276,041 648,225,311

134,110.50

-60,420.00 -36,400.00 1,865,730.00 143,500.00

-11,851,090.00 -107,000.00

10,686,880.00

46,350.00 295,960.00 9,150.00 1,286,000.00 -60,545,019.00 -1,863,246.00 -17,505,075.00 976,012.00

-43,025,885.00 -1,112,241.00 -26,980.00

1,161,026.00 -4,599,496.00 -1,998,735.00 -81,030.00 -1,552,439.00 47,008,812.00 -2,469,230.00 6,151,845.00 287,960.00 -72,200.00 -602,910.00 94,862.00 16,920.00

-7,800.00

-197,546,036.00 159,160.00

-23,826,208.50 -127,540,600.00 -77,697.00

-20,455,450.00 -1,782,307.00 -52,244,282.00 -91,600.00

89,197,455.00 64,000.00 -16,604,547.00 -264,888.00

-73,296,440.00 35,500.00 5,261,980.00

-12,300.00 -1,914,635.50 -13,810,785.00 -3,581,528.00

39,500.00 -11,437,800.00 945,540.00 -207,982.00 -2,873,310.00

Double Dragon Makati Fin. Corp.

IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

T op g ainerS VALUE 718,852,258.40 1,599,680,565.95 1,628,502,587.81 1,283,021,311.79 830,125,966.96 199,040,008.0567 6,304,268,091.97

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,815.93 (down) 1.79 INDUSTRIAL 12,165.22 (down) 68.23 HOLDING FIRMS 7,032.57 (down) 39.39 PROPERTY 3,232.90 (down) 25.43 SERVICES 2,167.45 (down) 8.80 MINING & OIL 15,260.53 (down) 80.29 PSEI 7,871.31 (down) 39.12 All Shares Index 4,542.40 (down) 17.61 Gainers: 80 Losers: 103; Unchanged: 39; Total: 222

-42,140.00 -29,328,003.00 138,825.00

4,412,250.00 36,977,612.00

128,900.00 8,263,431.50

12,715,240.00

16,498,178.00 23,400.00 13,500.00

952,572.00

1,868,840.00

3,072,360.00 -17,705,000.00 32,500.00 4,030,580.00 -2,440,295.00 -7,373,918.00 -1,738,828.00

-1,293,750.00

3,069.00

-8,056,530.00

-256,900.00 480,760.00 24,840.00

-573,975.00 1,813,220.00 10,003,776.00 -65,520.00 3,438,694.00 6,300,000

44,020.00

-1,535,000.00

6,555,904.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

APC Group, Inc.

0.830

25.76

Jolliville Holdings

4.05

-19.00

Cebu Prop. `A'

6.4

10.34

Keppel Properties

6.00

-18.59

United Paragon

0.0110

10.00

Roxas and Co.

2.47

-11.47

Philweb.Com Inc.

22.35

9.02

Manila Broadcasting

58.00

-9.38

Vitarich Corp.

0.77

8.45

Pryce Corp. `A'

2.1

-8.30

Oriental Pet. `A'

0.0130

8.33

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.015

-6.25

Manila Mining `B'

0.0150

7.14

Waterfront Phils.

0.330

-5.71

Easy Call "Common"

3.06

6.25

ISM Communications

1.3200

-5.71

PAL Holdings Inc.

4.77

6.00

NOW Corp.

0.445

-5.32

Calata Corp.

4.28

5.16

Top Frontier

82.65

-5.00

WEDNESDAY: MAY 20, 2015

B3

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

Stock market dips to end six-day rally

Wellness specialists. Izumi Wellness Center president Emil Morales (third from left) shakes hand with Dr. Edwin Bien (fourth from left) of Le Bien Wellness Specialists Group formalizing their partnership in promoting natural healing methods and natural products for the entire family. Dr. Bien is known worldwide for his unique and natural way of promoting good health through preventive and integrative medicine. With them are Izumi Wellness Center officials and franchisees.

Ayala spending P90b for Porac

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. has increased its planned capital spending in the 1,100-hectare Alviera mixeduse township in Porac, Pampanga to P90 billion from the initial target of P75 billion.

Alviera general manager John Estacio said in an interview the capital spending for Alviera was increased by P15 billion as the company finedtuned the master-plan including the facilities, infrastructure and services needed in the development of the property.

Estacio said the company decided to put up another 15-megavolt ampere power facility in preparation for the ramp-up of developments in the property.

Phase 1 of the Alviera development involves 207 hectares, that will include an industrial park, a country club, two academic institutions and three AyalaLand residential communities.

Capital spending for phase 1 is estimated to reach P7.3 billion.

Estacio said all 16 industrial lots for sale had already been taken up, while three clusters of ready-built, standard factory buildings for lease were currently being offered to small to medium enterprises.

The SFB floor area totals 20,000 square meters,

which is available for lease with rental rate starting at P150,000 to 200,000 per square meter per month.

First locators at the Philippine Economic Zone Authority-accredited park are engaged in food manufacturing, plastic packaging, motorcycle parts and electronics industries. The first group of locators is expected to start operation by January 2017.

Meanwhile, about 1,500 residential units are set for launching under phase 1.

Avida, Ayala Land’s residential brand for the middle-income market, recently launched its first project in the estate called Avida Settings Alviera located across the future city center. About 85 percent of the project has been taken up.

Alveo Land’s residential project is also set to launch its project in Alviera next month.

Alviera also started selling shares in the planned Alviera Country Club priced at P580,000 for individual shares and P950,000 for corporate shares.

The Alviera Country Club will be managed by the same group behind Anvaya Cove and South Links Golf Club, Ayala Club Management Inc. It will feature a number of world-class facilities over a six-hectare area. The first-of- its-kind development in Pampanga has a project cost of P1 billion and is targeted for completion in 2018.

“Following the success of Ayala Land in developing large-scale master-planned mixed communities like Makati, Bonifacio Global City and Nuvali, we envision a bright future ahead in our newest venture in the north,” Estacio said.

STOCKS fell Tuesday, to end a sixday rally as investors raised concerns over China’s economy and Greece’s long-running debt reform talks.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, shed 39 points, or 0.5 percent to close at 7,871.31 Tuesday. The benchmark was still up 8.9 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index representing all shares, also lost 17 points, or 0.4 percent, to settle at 4,542.40, on a value turnover of P6.3 billion.

Losers outnumbered gainers, 103 to 80, while 39 issues were unchanged.

Only three of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, with APC Group Inc. advancing 25.8 percent to P0.83. Casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. gained 1.7 percent to P10.58, while Bank of the Philippines Islands rose 0.9 percent to P100.80.

Meanwhile, Asian markets mostly rose Tuesday following a record close on Wall Street but concerns about Greece’s long-running debt reform talks dragged the euro down after a recent rally.

Another weak US indicator further dampened expectations the Federal Reserve will raise US interest rates soon, with analysts now tipping the final quarter of the

year for an increase.

Tokyo climbed 0.68 percent, or 136.11 points, to close at 20,026.38 and Seoul rose 0.34 percent, or 7.13 points, to end at 2,120.85.

Hong Kong added 0.30 percent in afternoon trading, and Shanghai had surged 3.00 percent. But Sydney finished 0.77 percent lower, giving up 43.70 points to 5,615.50.

US investors pushed the Dow and S&P 500 to new records on Monday, thanks to a rally in Apple and multibillion dollar acquisitions in the pharma and apparel sectors.

The Dow rose 0.14 percent and the S&P 500 added 0.30 percent, while the Nasdaq jumped 0.60 percent.

The gains have also been helped by the reduced expectations of a rate rise in the near future.

Disappointing data on homebuilders’ confidence was the latest figure to indicate weakness in the world’s top economy, following last week’s soft retail sales, consumer sentiment and industrial production figures.

“Patchy US data means that the Fed is highly unlikely to begin its policy normalisation process until late in the December quarter,” Matthew Sherwood, Sydney-based head of investment strategy at Perpetual Ltd., told Bloomberg News. With Blooomberg, AFP

REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS

LUNGSOD NG MAKATI Bids and Awards Committee J.P. Rizal St. corner F. Zobel St., Makati City Tel. No. 870-1000 Fax No. 899-8988 www.makati.gov.ph

INVITATION TO BID NO.

NAME OF PROJECT AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

IMPLEMENTING OFFICE

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT (ABC)

1

Uniforms for Makati Day Care students Purchase of a brand new Dental Chairs for Dental Program of Makati Health Department Meals & beverages for 345 th Araw ng Makati Sister LGU’s Events ( Gabi ng Kapatiran, Makati Show & Pasinaya Night) Supplies and materials for Araw ng Makati Family Day 2015 18 units Brand New Patrol Motorcycles (71Hp) for the use of Makati City Police Department 16 units Brand New Patrol Motorcycles (27.6Hp) for the use of Makati City Police Department 16 units Brand New Patrol Motorcycles for the use of Makati Action Center Various school supplies for students under K to 12 Program of the University of Makati

MSWD

P6,599,880.00

MHD

P3,000,000.00

OM

P3,490,000.00

MSWD

P2,741,012.50

OM

P7,859,988.00

OM

P3,920,000.00

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1.

MAC

P3,920,000.00

UMAK

P4,086,004.00

The MAKATI CITY GOVERNMENT, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites interested bidders to apply for eligibility and to bid for the above projects, with Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) indicated, inclusive of all taxes, such as, but not limited to, value added tax (VAT), income tax, local taxes and other fiscal levies.

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at Bid Opening.

2.

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

3.

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

4.

A complete set of Bidding Documents will be available one (1) day after posting / publication of the above projects up to Closing Date (before the deadline of the submission of bids),weekdays only from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount stated on the issued order of payment to the City Government of Makati Cashier.

5.

The BAC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 26, 2015 (02:00 P.M.) at Pio del Pilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City to discuss Eligibility Requirements and the Technical and Financial Components of these projects.

However, only those interested Bidders who have purchased the Bidding Documents are allowed to raise and submit queries or clarifications regarding the Bidding Documents.

6.

Deadline of Submission of Bids shall be on or before June 09, 2015 (02:00 P.M.), at Pio del Pilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy.

Poblacion, Makati City.

Opening of Bids shall be on June 09, 2015 (02:00 P.M.), at Pio del Pilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City.

7.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the said address. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

The MAKATI CITY GOVERNMENT reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, or to reduce the corresponding ABC and Terms of Reference (TOR), without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please visit or contact:

(Sgd.) MS. VISSIA MARIE P. ALDON Chairperson (TS-MAY 20, 2015)

BAC SECRETARIAT OFFICE Makati City Government 9th Floor, New Makati City Hall Building F. Zobel Street, Brgy.Poblacion, Makati City Tel. No. 870-1000 loc. 1331; Fax No. 899-8988 website: www.makati.gov.ph

B4

BUSINESS

BoP surplus climbs to $1.26b

By Julito G. Rada

THE country’s balance of payments position remained in surplus of $380 million in April this year, a sharp reversal from the $19-million deficit a year ago, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said Tuesday.

“The surplus was due to foreign currency deposits and income from investments abroad,” Tetangco said at the sidelines of an event at the central bank.

“The outflows, meanwhile, were caused by the government’s settlement of its foreign obligations,” Tetangco said.

The April figure brought the

BoP position in the first four months to a surplus of $1.257 billion, a big turnaround from the $4.493-billion deficit in the same period last year.

Because of the rosy numbers, Tetangco said a “substantial upward adjustments” for the BoP surplus this year was not farfetched. The Bangko Sentral initially projected a $1-billion

surplus for 2015.

“The indication is that the projected surplus will be higher than what was originally announced… Some of the reasons are oil prices are lower now, and then we also have positive developments in the capital account.

We have seen inflows in the first part of the year in portfolio and investments,” Tetangco said.

“So, the effect of all of these is that the overall BoP will have bigger surplus. Of course there are some adjustments downward, but the net will still be bigger. It’s going to be a big adjustment, substantial upward adjustments,” he said.

Tetangco said the Bangko Sentral might announce this week the revised BoP surplus

forecast for 2015.

The BoP summarizes the country’s economic transactions with the rest of the world, with a deficit indicating foreign exchange payments outstripping receipts and a surplus the reverse.

Persistent surpluses help build up the country’s gross international reserves, an ample supply of which helps prop up the peso against the US dollar and keep domestic inflation at bay.

Tetangco on Monday said the Bangko Sentral was reviewing the balance of payments projections this year and next, taking into consideration several factors that may affect the country’s trade with the rest of the world.

Apec meeting. Trade Undersecretary Adrian Cristobal Jr. (right) of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 2015 Philippine Ministers Responsible for Trade heads a delegation coordination meeting to move forward the PH SME Action Agenda. The initiative focuses on the development and integration of micro enterprises into the trading system, and fostering participation of small and medium enterprises in Global Value Chains.

Trans-Asia wind farm obtains grid connection

By Alena Mae S. Flores TRANS-ASIA Renewable Energy Corp., the renewable energy unit of Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp., has obtained the final certificate of approval to connect its 54-megawatt wind farm in San Lorenzo, Guimaras province to National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

Trans-Asia said in a statement the certificate of approval for connection was one of the major requirements in obtaining the final certificate of compliance from the Energy Regulatory Commission.

The company said Trans-Asia Renewables was the first wind farm to obtain such certification from National Grid.

Trans-Asia Renewable and all renewable energy generating facilities like wind and solar are required to secure the final certificate of approval to connect to National Grid.

They must undergo various field testing to ensure compliance with the prescribed technical specifications and performance standards for grid connection.

Upon a series of tests and evaluation, Trans Asia’s wind farm, including its 69-kilovolt transmission line from Zaldivar to Suclaran which spans 20 kilometers, is now fully energized.

The final approval to connect, released on May 4, proves that the wind farm passed all the technical requirements of the Philippine Grid Code to deliver quality, sta-

ble and reliable power to the grid.

Trans-Asia Renewable said as early as December 2013, a 138kV submarine cable with a length of 2.8-km connection from Buenavista, Guimaras to Ingore, Iloilo City, was installed to ensure full transmission ability from the San Lorenzo wind farm. The link also serves as the major connection between the island of Guimaras and the rest of Panay mainland, with a cost of P590 million.

The ownership and maintenance of the submarine cable will be transferred to National Grid through purchase agreement.

“TAREC is proud of this milestone” said Francisco Viray, president of Trans-Asia Renewables.

Trans-Asia Renewable com-

pleted the 54-MW wind farm and began commercial operations on December 27. It constructed a submarine cable connecting Guimaras to Panay Island to be able to fully deliver the wind farm’s capacity to the grid.

Trans-Asia has been actively engaging its host communities in San Lorenzo, Guimaras with strong direction to support tourism efforts in promoting the island.

The wind farm is expected to contribute 120.79 gigawatthours of electricity a year to support the yearly requirements of almost 48,000 households.

It is also expected to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emission estimated at 65,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Bigger Laguna port up —ICTSI INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc. broke ground to to start the expansion of new facilities in dry port unit Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal in Calamba, Laguna province.

The expansion includes extended and dedicated storage areas for loaded and empty containers, a runway for rubber tired gantries, container care facilities, weigh bridges at the gates and an upgraded access road. ICTSI is gearing the Laguna dry port for the revival of the intermodal freight transport in the Philippines.

The expansion works, which is the Phase 1 development of LGICT, started after groundbreaking and time capsule lowering ceremonies attended by officers and staff of ICTSI and LGICT, representatives from joint venture partners Transnational Diversified Group and Nippon Container Terminals Co. Ltd. and officials from local government units.

“It is a great aspiration that we have, not only to see this develop as an inland container terminal in today’s form, but also as an inland container terminal connected by rail to the country’s premier port in its future form,” said ICTSI vice president and head of Asia Pacific region Christian Gonzalez, “I think this ambition that we have is something that requires congratulations at this point. Obviously, with all the hard work from all of us and help of the government, we will make this a reality in the coming years,” he said.

Gonzalez disclosed plans to revive an existing railroad connection that will directly link LGICT and ICTSI’s flagship Manila International Container Terminal, the country’s largest and sole dedicated container handling facility.

ICTSI was the first logistics company to introduce intermodal freight transport in the Philippines when it offered container transport service by rail from the late 1990s to the early 2000s.

ICTSI divested from the business in 2003 due to a slowdown in the container market in southern Luzon. The improving Philippine economy in recent years resulted in increased container traffic, prompting ICTSI to reopen the Laguna dry port in March to support the growing volume. ICTSI also plans to revive the rail freight service to and from the MICT and the Laguna dry port in the near future.

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 2 0 , 2 0 1 5

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

Gloves are off AT THE wake of Tarlac Congressman Enrique “Henry” Cojuangco who passed away last Tuesday due to an aneurysm, stoolies reported seeing Interior Secretary Mar Roxas getting very chummy with mining boss Manny Zamora who is widely known as a supporter of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano--that other half of the Trillanes-Cayetano tandem that has been going hammer and tongs against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Seeing Roxas with Zamora was enough to convince our inquisitive and highly suspicious buddies that the continuous “demolition job” against VP Binay could be traced right back to the doors of the Palace by the river, with the Liberal Party having reportedly convinced some members of the Nacionalista Party to enter a marriage-of-convenience type of arrangement to dim the chances of the 2016 presidential polls frontrunner.

The United Nationalist Alliance is convinced the plot to “unseat” the vice president was hatched in one of the plush offices in a building owned by the Zamora brothers during the latter part of last year, with Cayetano reportedly a fixture in these so-called regular meetings that happen every Thursday. Denials were issued of course, with a Liberal Party fanatic saying discussions revolved around business with no politics involved whatsoever.

Really now--these polls should give people a little more credit for intelligence, or at the very least to spot some BS a mile away.

Despite the attacks on the vice president, it’s pretty obvious that Mar’s chances are still marred by low survey ratings which probably explains the sudden and very recent face-toface between President BS Aquino and Senator Grace --who might just end up as the (guest) frontrunner for the Liberal Party with Mar reprising his 2010 role as running mate.

While Poe remains mum about her plans saying it’s early days yet, her supporters are convinced she is a shoo-in for the top post-- giving her the presidential treatment as they broke into enthusiastic applause the minute she showed up for the death anniversary of the late Sampaguita matriarch Azucena “Mama Nene” Vera Perez at the old Sampaguita Gardens compound in Quezon City.

Grace was definitely voluble and effusive in her praise for President BS-- “cloyingly grateful” according to some of our irritated buddies--to the point that we won’t be surprised if she’d go on to describe him as the best president we ever had (we bet this will send the Yellow army into giddy paroxysms of ecstasy). She hasn’t been shy either in expressing that she’d be comfortable with Senator Chiz Escudero as running mate --causing snickers of amusement among the anti-Mar elements of the Liberal Party.

Gloves are certainly off, with both camps trading “parinigs” and “patamas.” The Binay camp says it would be disastrous to have some inexperienced at the helm of government, adding that he adds competence to the equation.

Poe--whose US citizenship is being resurrected-- was quick to repartee, saying the country needs honesty more than competence and experience.

Yes folks--the gloves are definitely off!

HH Nibbler: BBM to rent whole condo floor for headquarters?

Stoolies reported seeing Senator Bongbong Marcos and his wife Atty. Louise “Lisa” Araneta a few days ago at the Sunset View Towers along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City, where a satellite office of the senator is located. According to our informants, the couple is mulling over the possibility of renting the whole ground floor to serve as the senator’s national headquarters --for what higher position we have yet to confirm.

••• 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!

B5

Ang still interested in GMA-7 purchase

By Alena Mae S. Flores

BUSINESSMAN Ramon Ang on Tuesday assured he remains keen in acquiring a minority stake in GMA Network Inc. but cited some new but “small issues” that need to be resolved.

“This is [my] personal deal for a minority stake [in GMA]. The talks are ongoing,” Ang told reporters following the stockholders’ meeting of Petron Corp.

Ang declined to disclose the issues, assuring that he was not running away from the deal.

Ang stressed he was “all set” with the acquisition until he heard about the issues he felt should be clarified. He added he already made a downpayment for the deal.

Majority owners of the broadcast network, which airs on

Channel 7 on free TV, earlier said they started discussing with a new potential investor.

“At this point, our attitude is ‘wait and see.’ The ball is now in his [Ang’s] court,” GMA chairman and chief executive Felipe Gozon said.

“Since, I’m no longer sure, it depends now on the new suitor whether they would like to court us or not,” Gozon said.

Gozon clarified there was no fixed deadline on the closure of the transaction with Ang, “but it

should be done within a reasonable period which is not defined.”

Ang offered to acquire at least 30 percent of GMA for P10.80 per share.

The Gozon, Duavit and Jimenez families own a combined 79 percent of the network. Ang’s offer was higher than the P9 billion offered by the PLDT Group.

Gozon said he had recent talks with a new prospective investor he declined to identify.

When asked if the talks with the PLDT Group of chairman Manuel Pangilinan could be revived, Gozon said, “anything is possible.”

The PLDT Group and GMA ended a third round of talks for a 34-percent stake in the broadcast company in February 2014.

The talks fell through because of disagreement over regulatory risk-sharing.

First Metro in Davao City. First Metro Investment Corp., the investment banking unit of the Metrobank Group, opened the fourth First Metro Investors Center in Davao City. Located at the ground floor of Hotel Uno Building on C.M. Recto Ave., the center is a one-stop investment hub open to all investors. Shown during the blessing and ribbon-cutting of the First Metro Investors Center Davao are (front row, from left) 3S Realty Corp. president Samuel Uy, First Metro Securities president Gonzalo Ordoñez and FAMI Save & Learn Mutual Funds president Augusto Cosio Jr.

Smart bares P5.2b in CCT payments SMART eMoney Inc., the digital financial services unit of Philippine Long distance Telephone Co. and Smart Communications Inc., disbursed over P5.2 billion in 2014 to more than a million household beneficiaries via over-the-counter cash payments.

Smart eMoney made the payment in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines, Department of Social Welfare and Development, the National Confederation of Cooperatives and other international humanitarian aid agencies.

“Smart eMoney has successfully tapped the base-of-the-pyramid market for humanitarian requirements of both the government and the international donor community. This is aligned with our efforts to offer financially inclusive products and services that serve a larger segment of the population,” said Smart president and chief executive Orlando Vea. OTC disbursements are cash

payments to beneficiaries done offsite in community centers of identified cities and municipalities. Smart serves as a conduit for the government’s conditional cash transfer program under the auspices of the DSWD. Smart bagged a contract to serve as government conduit through public biddings, the first time it participated in the five years of implementation of DSWD’s CCT program in the country.

Smart teamed up with Nattco, tapping into its network of over 700 member-cooperatives nationwide, which serves as the on-ground disbursement agent for CCT. The cash disbursements and management of the SMI-Nattco joint venture merited a series of good performance ratings conferred by the DSWD. The disbursements covered various regions such as the National Capital Region, Calabarzon (Calamba, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mind-

oro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), Bicol Region, and Western, Eastern and Central Visayas.

As of December 2014, a total of 2.5 million payout transactions were done benefiting over one million program participants. Cash grants disbursed totaled in excess of P5 billion.

Apart from OTC payments for CCT beneficiaries, Smart continues to pursue innovations in the digital payments space as it works with local regulators and banks to promote electronic payments solutions in the country.

“Mobile and digital technologies have made financial services accessible to a larger segment of the population in the lower rung of the socioeconomic ladder. Our initiatives in this space support the advocacy of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on financial inclusion and push for a cash-lite society,” said Lito Villanueva, head of financial innovations, digital inclusion and alliances at Smart.

WEDNESDAY: MAY 20, 2015

B6

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

Puregold bets on wholesale

By Othel V. Campos

GROCERY store operator Puregold Price Inc. said it expects its wholesale business to expand by at least 35 percent this year, as its livelihood retail program for micro, small and medium enterprises continues to attract more members and generate more sales for the company.

Puregold vice president for operations Antonio delos Santos said the company still had a lot of room for growth for its Aling Puring livelihood program.

“We’re the only retail chain that has this program for MSMEs. We’re still growing fast and the new retail program we have for food preparations for catering companies, hotels and restaurants will help drive revenues for entire wholesale segment of the business,” delos Santos said in a news briefing during the opening of the 12th Tindahan ni Aling Puring at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

The Tindahan ni Aling Puring livelihood program now has 350,000 members, all sourcing their retail supply for small groceries and neighborhood stores from Puregold at special discounted rates.

Puregold launched its KAINdustriya program specifically

targeting companies that are into food business such as small eateries, catering companies, hotels and restaurants in October 2014.

“The KAINdustriya still has a long way to go. We’ve only 2,000 members since its launch in October 2014. We’re hoping that growth in 2015 and in the future will be driven by the growth of the program,” said delos Santos.

Puregold vice president for investor relations John Hao said the company now had 248 stores, including nine S&R stores, six S&R quick serve stores and 233 Puregold stores.

The company is rolling out 25 Puregold stores in 2015, half of them will be located in the Visayas and Mindanao.

“Expansion will be more of outside Luzon to Mindanao and the Visayas. We only have less than 10 Puregold stores in the regions. So

REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS

LUNGSOD NG MAKATI Bids and Awards Committee J.P. Rizal St. corner F. Zobel St., Makati City Tel. No. 870-1000 Fax No. 899-8988 www.makati.gov.ph

INVITATION TO BID NO.

1 2 3 4 5 6 1.

NAME OF PROJECT AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION Building Maintenance Services for various Elementary and High Schools of Makati City for year 2015 (JulyDecember) Janitorial Services at Makati City Hall Compound for year 2015 (July-December) Janitorial Services at Ospitalng Makati for year 2015 (July-December) Security Services at Makati City Hall Compound for year 2015 (July-December) Security Services at Ospitalng Makati for year 2015 (July-December) Security Services at Makati Parks and Garden, DEPW I & II, Makati Aqua Sports Arena and East Rembo Junk Yard for year 2015 (July-December)

IMPLEMENTING OFFICE

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT (ABC)

GSD

P17,864,869.33

GSD

P8,769,366.15

GSD

P8,599,985.41

GSD

P15,139,752.04

GSD

P10,444,619.42

GSD

P6,842,955.90

The MAKATI CITY GOVERNMENT, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites interested bidders to apply for eligibility and to bid for the above projects, with Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) indicated, inclusive of all taxes, such as, but not limited to, value added tax (VAT), income tax, local taxes and other fiscal levies.

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at Bid Opening.

2.

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

3.

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

4.

A complete set of Bidding Documents will be available one (1) day after posting / publication of the above projects up to Closing Date (before the deadline of the submission of bids),weekdays only from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount stated on the issued order of payment to the City Government of Makati Cashier.

5.

The BAC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 26, 2015 (02:00 P.M.) at PiodelPilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City to discuss Eligibility Requirements and the Technical and Financial Components of these projects.

However, only those interested Bidders who have purchased the Bidding Documents are allowed to raise and submit queries or clarifications regarding the Bidding Documents.

6.

Deadline of Submission of Bids shall be on or before June 09, 2015 (02:00 P.M.), at PiodelPilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City.

Opening of Bids shall be on June 09, 2015 (02:00 P.M.), at PiodelPilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City.

7.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the said address. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

The MAKATI CITY GOVERNMENT reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, or to reduce the corresponding ABC and Terms of Reference (TOR), without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please visit or contact:

(Sgd.) MS. VISSIA MARIE P. ALDON Chairperson (TS-MAY 20, 2015)

BAC SECRETARIAT OFFICE Makati City Government 9th Floor, New Makati City Hall Building F. Zobel Street, Brgy.Poblacion, Makati City Tel. No. 870-1000 loc. 1331; Fax No. 899-8988 website: www.makati.gov.ph

we’re really focusing on bringing Puregold to VisMin,” Hao said.

The company also plans to put up 50 Lawson convenience stores in Metro Manila by 2015, in line with its target of 500 stores by 2020.

Its joint venture with Ayala Corp. for another

mall-based retail concept targets middle-income families.

Puregold is also set to rebrand its latest acquisition, NE Bodega by July 2015.

The company announced recently first-quarter net profit grew 11.7 percent to P1.05 billion.

River protectors.

The first-ever council on used water advocacy called TokaToka Environment Council brought together Manila Water with various national government agencies as they joined forces to raise awareness and act to protect the environment especially reviving the dying rivers of Metro Manila. Manila Water executives led by president and CEO Gerardo Ablaza Jr. (eighth from left) welcomed key government officials during the launch of Project Lingap Sapa in Barangay Kabayanan in San Juan City.

PSE stops trading of 3 companies

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Philippine Stock Exchange said Tuesday it suspended trading of three publicly listed companies that failed to submit annual reports.

It identified the suspended companies as Asia Amalgamated Holdings Corp. (AAA), IP E-Game Ventures Inc. (EG) and LMG Chemicals Corp. (LMG).

The PSE cited Section 17.8 of the revised disclosure rules which provided that failure by the issuer to comply with the requirements of the exchange would result in the automatic suspension of shares for a maximum period of three months.

All three companies were suspended because for their failure to submit their annual report, using Securities and Exchange Commission Form 17-A, for the year ending Dec. 31, 2014.

AAA and LMG shares were last traded on May 15, closing at P1.63 per share and P2.50, respectively while IP-E Game was last traded on May 18 when it settled at P0.012.

LMG, owned by businessman Antonio Garcia, is primarily engaged in trading of chemical products while AAA, the holding company of businessman Jimmy Gow, operates the non-retail and the non-commercial real estate operations of the Uniwide Group of Companies.

IP-E Game, owned by businessman Enrique Gonzalez, offers a portfolio of online games including massively multiplayer online roleplaying games and casual online games.

PSE in April also initiated delisting procedures against Marsteel Consolidated Inc., owned by the Martel family, due to alleged repeated failure to submit reportorial requirements in violation of the disclosure rules of the exchange.

12 firms bid for Mindanao coal deal

By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. said Tuesday a dozen companies have expressed interest to become the independent power producer administrator of the 200-megawatt Mindanao coal fired power plant.

PSALM said in a statement 12 prospective bidders attended the pre-bid conference for the Mindanao coal administrator contracts last week.

The groups included Conal Holdings Corp.; FDC Davao Del Norte Power Corp.; FirstGen Northern Power Corp.; GDF Suez Energy Philippines Inc.; Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd.; Meralco Powergen Corp.; Nexif Pte Ltd.; SMC Global Power Holdings Corp.; SPC Power Corp.; Team (Philippines) Energy Corp.; Therma Southern Mindanao, Inc.; and Vivant Energy Corp.

PSALM decided to proceed with the prebid conference, even after Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla had publicly declared that he wanted PSALM to delay the selection and appointment of the IPPA for Mindanao coal plant until new power plants started operations in the island.

The Mindanao coal plant, located in Misamis Oriental, was constructed in 2006 for a 25-year power purchase agreement and under a buildoperate-transfer scheme that will end in 2031.

PSALM officer-in-charge Lourdes Alzona said she welcomed the strong interest in the Mindanao coal privatization, saying “it’s always a pleasure for us to see old-timers and newcomers alike joining in our bidding activities.”

She said Mindanao needed “private sector infusion to ensure stable and reliable power supply in the region.”

W e D n e s D aY : M aY 2 0 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Yingluck proclaims innocence BANGKOK—Thailand’s ousted prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra insisted on her innocence Tuesday at the start of a trial that could see her jailed for a decade, part of what observers say is a vendetta against her family.

It is the latest legal move against Yingluck—sister of fugitive billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra—whose administration was toppled in a military coup nearly a year ago.

A guilty conviction could deliver a hammer blow to the political dominance of her family, but it also risks stirring up their grassroots “Red Shirt” supporters who have remained largely inactive since the military took over.

Around 50 supporters gathered outside Thailand’s Supreme Court on the northern outskirts of Bangkok including more than a dozen members of Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party, a highly unusual sight in a country where political gatherings of more than five people remain banned by the junta.

Many burst into applause and

Biggest haul of ivory in decades SINGAPORE— Singapore authorities seized the biggest illegal shipment of ivory and other exotic animal parts in more than a decade Tuesday, with the haul from Kenya worth an estimated S$8 million ($6 million).

The animal parts were discovered stashed among bags of tea leaves in two 20foot containers while transiting through the city-state to Vietnam, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and Singapore Customs said in a joint statement.

Authorities uncovered 1,783 pieces of raw ivory tusk hidden among the bags, the statement said.

Four pieces of rhino horn and 22 teeth believed to be from African big cats—cheetahs and leopards— were also found in the containers, it said.

The haul weighed 3.7 tons and is the largest seizure of illegal ivory in Singapore since 2002 when six tonnes of ivory were intercepted, the statement said. AFP

shouts of “Yingluck, fight, fight!” when her convoy pulled up outside the courthouse for the trial, which is expected to last months.

“I am confident that I am innocent and I hope the court will give me justice and allow everything to proceed in accordance with the law,” Yingluck told reporters.

The ousted premier is accused of criminal negligence over a populist rice subsidy scheme, which paid farmers in the rural Shinawatra heartland twice the market rate for their crop.

She is not accused of personal corruption but of failing to prevent alleged graft within the program, which cost Thailand billions of dollars and galvanized protests against her elected government prior to last May’s coup. The charge carries up to 10 years in jail.

During the brief hearing, Yingluck spoke only to plead not guilty. The court granted a 30-million-baht ($900,000) bail on condition that she will not leave Thailand without written permission, and the next hearing was scheduled for July 21.

Thailand’s military-appointed parliament impeached Yingluck in January over the scheme, a move which banned her from politics for five years.

“I believe a hawkish fac-

tion in the old powers... wants to punish the Shinawatras as much as they can,” Puangthong Pawakapan, a Thai politics expert at Chulalongkorn University, told AFP. “But keeping her in prison will definitely anger the Red Shirts even more,” she added.

Other analysts say the mere threat of jail may be used to discourage the Shinawatras from reengaging in politics.

Yingluck herself has said the rice scheme “lifted the quality of life for rice farmers” in the poor northeast of a country where subsidies to farmers have long been a cornerstone of Thai politics.

The army takeover last year was the latest twist in a decade of political turbulence that broadly pits a Bangkok-based elite, backed by parts of the military and judiciary, against poor urban and rural voters, particularly in the country’s north, who are fiercely loyal to the Shinawatras.

Thaksin was himself toppled by a previous coup in 2006 and now lives in self-exile to avoid jail on a corruption charge.

As Yingluck went into court, Thaksin made rare public comments at a conference in South Korea calling on Asian nations to embrace the “rule of law”. AFP

Republic of the Philippines

CITY OF NAGA

INVITATION TO BID FOR THE SUPPLY & DELIVERY OF SERVICE VEHICLES The City Government of Naga, through the Budget for Motor Vehicles, intends to apply the sum of Five Million Two Hundred Thousand (P 5,200,000.00) Pesos, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Supply and Delivery of Service Vehicles for deployment to various offices of the City Government of Naga, Contract Reference Number: 2015-017. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1

2

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4

2

Items

Unit

units

units

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Asian Utility Vehicle • 4-cylinder Euro-2 diesel engine • Engine displacement – 2.5 liters • 5-speed manual transmission • 9 to11-seater including driver, side-facing and folding rear seats • Air-conditioned, with AM/FM/CD/MP3/USB car audio system • With spare tire, jack and standard tools set • With Naga City Government seal and “For Official Use Only” painted marking on both front doors • With standard accessories intended for the model Asian Utility Vehicle • 4-cylinder Euro-2 diesel engine • Engine displacement – 2.5 liters • 5-speed manual transmission • Driver/front cab + rear passenger cabin with the following: Seating capacity: 2 to 3-seater front cab (including driver), at least 12-seater side facing/folding seats for rear passenger cabin • Air-conditioned, with AM/FM/CD/MP3/USB car audio system • With spare tire, jack and standard tools set • With Naga City Government seal and “For Official Use Only” painted marking on both front doors • With standard accessories intended for the model TOTAL

3,400,000.00

1. The National Irrigation Administration – Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS), through the Fund GAA 2015 (EGPIP) intends to apply the sum of Php8,188,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the Contract No. GOODS-05-2015.

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with atleast sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from National Irrigation Administration – Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA_UPRIIS) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 5:00 P.M., Monday to Friday 5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Php10,000.00

1,800,000.00

P 5,200,000.00

The City Government of Naga now invites bids for the Supply and Delivery of Service Vehicles for deployment to various offices of the City Government of Naga. Delivery of the Goods is required within thirty (30) calendar days.

Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years, from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the IRR of RA 9184. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the City Government of Naga and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below starting from 8 AM until 5 PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting on Wednesday, May 20 to June 15, 2015, from the Office of the BAC Secretariat c/o City Planning & Development Office, 2nd Floor City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Ten Thousand (P 10,000.00) Pesos and an Annual Registration Fee of Three Thousand (P 3,000.00) Pesos, and upon presentation of Document Request List (DRL) from PhilGEPS showing your company name.

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

The City Government of Naga will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on Monday, June 1, 2015 at 3:00 PM at City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents. Bids must be delivered to the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, on or before Monday, June 15, 2015 at 3:00 PM. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security, either in the form of cash or cashier’s/manager’s check issued by a universal or commercial bank (2% of ABC), or, Bid Securing Declaration (BSD).

Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend on Monday, June 15, 2015, at 3:00 PM at the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City.

Late bids shall not be accepted.

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

For further information, please refer to: MR. FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. Acting City Administrator, City Hall Compound, J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City Telephone Number: 054-4732240, 054-4723235 Email address: bac@naga.gov.ph, Website: www.naga.gov.ph

(MST-MAY 20, 2015)

INVITATION TO BID No. GOODS-05-2015

2. The National Irrigation Administration – Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA_UPRIIS), now invites bids for contract for “Supply and Delivery of Surface Pumps/Tube Wells”. Bidders should have completed, within two (2) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

BIDS & AWARDS COMMITTEE

Item No.

Buddhist monks pray next to framed pictures of people killed during a Thai military crackdown five years ago against the pro-democracy Red Shirt supporters during a remembrance ceremony at the Wat Pathum temple in Bangkok on May 19. On May 19, 2010, scores of people, including two medical workers, were killed outside and within the temple complex. In total more than 90 were killed during the April and May crackdown, including at least eight soldiers. AFP

(Sgd.) FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. BAC Chairperson

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

6. The National Irrigation Administration – Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA_UPRIIS) will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 22, 2015 @ 2:00 P.M. at NIA_UPRIIS, CSS Hall, Maharlika Highway, Cabanatuan City, which shall be open to all interested parties 7. Bids must be delivered to the address above on or before June 02, 2015 @ 12 Noon at NIA_UPRIIS, CSS Hall, Maharlika Highway, Cabanatuan City. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

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

8. The complete schedule of activities is listed, as follows: 1. Advertisement May 15, 2015 to May 21, 2015 2. Pre-Bid Conference May 22, 2015 @ 2:00 P.M. 3. Issuance and availability of May 18, 2015 to June 02, 2015 Bidding Documents 4. Deadline of Submission of Bids June 02, 2015 @ 12 NOON 5. Opening of Bids June 02, 2015 @ 2:00 P.M. 9. The National Irrigation Administration – Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA_UPRIIS) reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For additional information, interested parties may inquire at the above office.

Approved by:

Noted by:

(Sgd.) LEIFE B. VILLAFLOR Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee (For Goods & Services)

(Sgd.) REYNALDO D. PUNO Department Manager, NIA-UPRIIS

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

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 2 0 , 2 0 1 5

B8 New law offers hope to hard-hit British pubs LONDON—Britain’s traditional pubs are hoping a new law will galvanize the country’s budding beer renaissance and save them from a steep crisis that is forcing dozens of premises to close every week.

Cut-price competition from supermarkets, the smoking ban and healthier drinking habits have all fueled the decline of an institution as traditionally British as football and fish-and-chips.

“Pubs are currently under threat as never before,” the Campaign for Real Ale or CAMRA, a pressure group, bemoaned in a statement earlier this year, revealing that 29 pubs were being forced to close every week.

Although many town centers remain hotbeds of rowdy drinkers come Friday and Saturday nights, official figures show that alcohol consumption has fallen around 18 percent since 2004 and that binge-drinking has declined more than 30 percent among young people.

But pubs trying to adapt to changing habits, including the popularity of craft beers from drinkers who now prefer the quality of their tipple to quantity, face a major stumbling block.

Around half them are currently “tied” to Pub Companies—a version of a centuries-old system dominated by the biggest brewer companies that has historically dictated which beers pubs can sell.

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer & Amp Pub Association that represents the giant “PubCos,” told AFP that the “tied” system helps provide a lowcost way to own a pub and keep prices low.

But campaigners have dismissed these claims, and scored a historic victory in the final days of the last parliament when a law was passed to end the tie system once and for all.

Campaigner Simon Clarke, colandlord of The Eagle Ale House in south London, said the law change would widen the choice and cut costs for publicans no longer forced to buy through the PubCos. He praised the campaigners who fought a seven-year battle against the lobbying power of the pub industry. AFP

cESAr bArrioquiNto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

Carnage on sinking Asian migrant boat LANGSA, Indonesia— Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants on board a foundering vessel off Indonesia fought with axes, knives and metal bars in vicious clashes that left at least 100 dead, survivors said as they recovered from their ordeal.

Working visit. Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, waves as she arrives in front of the city hall of Hamburg, northern Germany, on May 19. The Danish royal couple is on a working visit titled “Danish Living” to Germany until May 21. AFP

Jail for 11 Afghan policemen over killing of woman KABUL—Eleven Afghan policemen were Tuesday sentenced to one year in prison for failing to protect a woman who was lynched by a mob after being falsely accused of blasphemy, following a landmark fasttrack trial.

The verdict comes after four Afghan men were sentenced to death and eight others were handed a 16-year jail term earlier this month for the killing of 27-yearold Farkhunda.

“You are sentenced... for negligence of duty to one year in prison,” Judge Safiullah Mojaddidi told the

11 defendants, who included senior officers, while eight other policemen were found not guilty.

“This verdict is not final and the defendants have the right to appeal,” the judge added.

A mob turned on Farkhunda on March 19, beating her in broad daylight and setting her body ablaze on the banks of the Kabul River.

Forty-nine people were arrested, including 19 police officers, some of whom were shown standing by and doing nothing to stop the mob in cellphone videos recorded by bystanders.

The attack came after an amulet seller, whom she had reportedly castigated for peddling superstition, falsely accused her of burning the Koran.

Her killing triggered protests around Afghanistan and drew global attention to the treatment of Afghan women.

On May 6, the same court sentenced four Afghan men to death and eight others to 16 years in prison after a three-day trial broadcast live on national television.

The trial drew praise for its fast-track nature but also prompt-

ed worry over its fairness, with Human Rights Watch saying it was “very concerned” over whether due process was followed as many of the accused did not appear to have lawyers.

“This trial leaves the impression that the Afghan government wants a quick and dirty process to get this case out of the headlines and move on -- rather than real justice and a real examination of how such a terrible attack could have happened,” Heather Barr, a senior researcher with the group on women’s rights in Asia, said on May 6. AFP

Both groups described bloody, nightmarish scenes after the overcrowded vessel was abandoned by its crew last week, with desperate migrants “slaughtering” each other in fierce battles over dwindling supplies.

Exhausted survivors, many bearing bruises and cuts, told AFP from camps in Aceh province they believed between 100 and 200 people were killed in the fighting that erupted Thursday on the boat, which was carrying hundreds of migrants.

They are among nearly 3,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshis who have come ashore in the past week in Southeast Asia, after a Thai crackdown disrupted long-established human-trafficking routes.

While many were hacked to death on board, others jumped from the ship as they sought to escape the carnage, and those that survived were rescued by local fishermen and brought to shore.

Both sides blamed the other for starting the fighting.

“Suddenly the Bangladeshis came out of the deck, and they attacked all of us who were on the top of the boat,” said Rohingya migrant Asina Begun, 22, speaking to AFP from Langsa, an Aceh town where most of the migrants were taken.

“Those who wanted to save their lives had to jump in the sea, but my brother could not. When they found him, they beat him and then they slaughtered him. After that they threw him into the sea.”

However the Bangladeshis said the Rohingya, a Muslim minority fleeing persecution in Myanmar, had been favoured by the boat captain, who only spoke a Myanmar language and gave them all the food and water. They said they were attacked after begging the Rohingya for supplies.

Mohammad Murad Hussein, a Bangladeshi, told how the Rohingya were on the top deck of the boat and the Bangladeshis, who made up the bulk of passengers, were on a lower deck. AFP

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 2 0 : 2 0 1 5

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

LIFE

LUXURY

The first Nobu Hotel in Asia opens in Manila

BY BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE The dress code may have stipulated “business attire” for men and “origami-inspired with a touch of purple” for women, but celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa chose to come in his chef ’s uniform and his customary twinklyeyed smile for the grand opening of his eponymous hotel, the first such hotel in Asia, and the centerpiece of City of Dreams, the luxury casinoresort-and-entertainment complex along Manila Bay.

Continued on C2

C1

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BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE

LIFE

EDITOR

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

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

LUXURY NOBU DREAMS OF WAGYU From C1

Competing with him for most selfies of the night with a bona fide celebrity was Hollywood heavyweight Robert de Niro, who happens to be a founding partner of the restaurant. The very first Nobu restaurant, in fact, opened in De Niro’s own neighborhood, Tribeca, in New York.

Quite visibly exhausted, perhaps from the long flight, De Niro seemed to take it all in stride. He posed, albeit reticently, for photographs with every person who requested it – from Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima to the evening’s host Iza Calzado, and every businessman, socialite and media personality in between.

A Melco executive based in California – Melco Crown Holdings, helmed by tycoons Lawrence Ho and James Packer, is the owner, developer and operator of City of Dreams – suggested speaking to De Niro in Italian.

“He likes that,” I was told.

I could tell he didn’t really like posing for photographs much, however, so when I came face-to-face with the actor at Monday’s cocktail reception before the spectacular sake ceremony formally marking the hotel’s opening, I told him I wouldn’t request for a photo with him as I already had one, taken in Cape Town in April 2009, when Nobu opened at the One & Only Hotel.

He seemed relieved, until someone else sidled up next to him for a photo.

Turns out, I didn’t have any pictures with De Niro from 2009, but I had a couple taken with Nobu himself at the time.

I mentioned it to Nobu when I managed to chat to him, and his eyes twinkled.

“Oh, I’d like to see!” he said.

So I showed him, and he seemed really pleased. “Yes, Cape Town, at my restaurant,” he murmured.

I recounted how he’d recommended that we try the pork belly, we being among the first guests of the restaurant during the glittering weekend-long opening ceremonies for the One & Only, which saw a phalanx of celebrities descend upon the picturesque South African city, from Clint Eastwood, Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman to Maria Carey, Thandie Newton and Marisa Tomei. And, of course, Robert de Niro.

Then, as now, the real star of the show was Nobu himself, and his food. The dinner last Monday was light, delicate and delicious, featuring his signature combinations of textures and flavors, such as the Black Cod with Nasu Miso and Paper-Thin Vegetables and Wagyu Short Ribs and Crispy Mushroom Salad.

“I had big dreams,” Chef Nobu said with endearing humility. “Now, with Lawrence [Ho], James [Packer], Bob [de Niro] and Meir [Teper] and my Nobu teams, I’d like to say, dreams can come true. I’d like to say, ‘I did it’!”

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1 From left: City of Dreams Manila chief operating officer Kevin Sim, Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corporation chairman Clarence Chung, Melco Crown Entertainment co-chairman James Packer, Hollywood film producer and Nobu partner Meir Teper, Nobu Hospitality partner chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor and Nobu Hospitality partner Robert de Niro, Grace Hightower de Niro, Nobu Hospitality chief executive Trevor Horwell, Sharen Ho, and Melco Crown Entertainment co-chairman and chief executive Lawrence Ho toast sake in a traditional sake ceremony at the entrance of the first Nobu Hotel in Asia. 2 Apl de Ap performs at the gala dinner to celebrate the opening of Nobu Hotel at the City of Dreams. 3 From left: Teper, chef Matsuhisa, Robert de Niro and Grace Hightower de Niro, Horwell, Lawrence and Sharen Ho, and Packer pose on the purple carpet.

THE SEDUCTION OF CONFECTION

BY TROY V. BERNARDO

T

he box itself – simple, black and mysterious, hand-stamped with an elegant coat of arms – is the first step in the seduction. It’s good enough to eat. It captivates you, piques your interest, invites you to lift open the lid in order to reveal the treasure inside.

And, once the box is open and you see the finely-crafted, handmade chocolate pieces, colorful, enticing, like jewels neatly-arranged in rows, your mind instantly goes on neutral, and you surrender to the sense of sight.

“Your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that, as far as chocolate is concerned, there is no need to involve your brain,” wrote Dave Barry, and one

needs no other proof than to sit in front of a hand-crafted box of chocolates from CMBV Confectionaires Co. “That’s exactly what we’d like you to experience,” says Christian Valdes who, together with Marvin Bagube, started the company back in November 2012. “We’d like you to fall in love with our chocolates, their different flavors, the way we did when we first started.”

The seduction, after all, is part of their mission: to create extraordinary chocolate infused with flavors that evoke sentimental value and cultural awareness. Take, for example, the Gin Pomelo: pomelo white chocolate ganache with gin in a white chocolate cup. Visually, it looks like a white cupcake with a pink swirl in the center, enticing you to surrender to its soft texture and its taste – a mix of the tropics – light, memorable, refreshing, Imagine what would happen if you allowed Gumamela, Minted Calamansi, or Gingered Cerveza Negra to melt in your mouth. These flavors – bold, daring and creative – are what make CMBV stand out from other local chocolate artisans, which now number more than a dozen.

“That’s Marvin’s ingenuity. That’s why he’s in the kitchen,” says Valdes of his

business partner, who introduced him to chocolates with exotic flavors at a dinner they had attended three years ago. Today, they’ve made the big leap from cooking in their own kitchen to having their own store at 49 Bayani Road in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, They now deliver all over the country, as far away as Davao, as well as in countries like Germany and the US. Though running a company does take work, Valdes clarifies that it’s mostly fueled by their passion, by what they believe in.

In searching for the right ingredients for their 28 imaginative flavors, for example, they source their chocolates locally (Cebu, Ilocos and Davao) and overseas (Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela). They don’t use any artificial flavors. Everything is fresh, natural, and sustainable.

To the conscious consumer, this commitment makes CMBV Confectionaires Co. even sweeter, “though our chocolates aren’t that sweet,” says Valdes, who recommends Santol, and Salt and Pepper Caramel, as must-try flavors that guarantee entry into the exquisite world of CMBV. Though Valdes is responsible for sales and marketing, he also helps Bagube, a culinary chef and chocolatier intern at the Mandarin Hotel, dream up flavors

like Binondo – a mix of red tea, three Chinese spices and milk chocolate; Kaffir Lime and Coconut – kaffir lime and coconut cream stuffed into a shell of Belgian white chocolate; and, his yet-to-be-made dream flavor, Mangosteen.

“I think Mangosteen and dark chocolate would go well together,” he says expertly, though the idea of making chocolate as a living never crossed his mind as a child.

According to him, out of 50 flavors, maybe two would be bad. But what the CMBV partners like best about their work is how their chocolates bring happiness to people. Their assorted 12-piece box, for example, has become such a bestseller largely because, as gifts, they can say so many things.

“Chocolate says ‘I’m sorry’ so much better than words,” wrote Rachel Vincent in My Soul to Save. If we were to take that quote further, no other candy can express emotion more than chocolate.

“All you need is love,” wrote Charles M. Schulz. “But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”

Especially, we might add, if they’re the fine, hand-crafted ones from CMBV. For more information: http://cmbvconfectionaires.com/home.html.

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 2 0 : 2 0 1 5

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE

LIFE

EDITOR

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

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

CAN LUXURY BE DEFINED?

C3 Bow locket

BY ED BIADO

“Making luxury is not concerned with practical solutions but with the extraordinary, non-essential and exclusive. Mastery of a craft and exceptional expertise are demonstrated by outstanding precision, attention to detail and remarkable finishes.

Such quality is achieved by challenging and broadening established standards of craftsmanship and accepted categories of design. The resulting work combines high levels of innovation with a respect for craft traditions,” says the Victoria and Albert Museum in its introduction of the new exhibition called “What Is Luxury?”

The exhibition, which runs until September 27, attempts to explore what luxury is – and what luxury goods are – to different people.

It consists of “exceptional objects, which [production] demonstrate an extraordinary investment in time and hand-making.” It also “explores how attitudes to luxury are shaped by cultural concerns and personal dreams, as well as “challenges preconceived notions of value and provides an opportunity for thinking about the future of luxury in the 21st century.”

Among the exhibited items are a skimming stone drenched in gold and comes with its own belt pouch, a necklace made to resemble bubbles (but is actually made up of marbles) and something called Fragile Future Concrete Chandelier.

Meanwhile, The Golden Hair Headpiece by Giovanni Corvaja, part of a series of objects inspired by the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts, is created by transforming gold into thread.

According to the V&A website, the furry part of the piece is “composed of two types of fur: a shorter and finer 22 carat orange gold underfur and some longer and slightly less thin 18 carat yellow gold fur. The strands of filaments (98 filaments in each strand) are joined together in a small melted ball and cut to the right length.”

But of course, luxury is a subjective concept. V&A states, “The question of luxury is ultimately a personal one. Everyone decides for themselves what their luxury could be.”

Bow bracelet

Bow earrings Bangles

Bubble Bath necklace

by Nora Folk

Hair Highway by Studio Swine

Luxury skimming stone with belt pouch by Dominic Wilcox

SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND Denovo Diamonds launches Nicky Hilton’s first fine jewelry collection in the Philippines

BY ANA GLORIA

Jellyfish Installation

by Steffen Dam

The Golden Fleece Headpiece by Giovanni Corvaja

The Last Man’s Seat by The Last Man

Fragile Future Concrete Chandelier by Studio Drift

Time For Yourself by Marcin Rusak, concept in collaboration with Iona Inglesby

Diamonds always enchant the world with their distinctive features and special glamor. The most glamorous women in the world, including royalty, first ladies and luminaries of popular culture, have always staked their style, if not their dollars, on the sparkle and enduring appeal of diamonds.

Our own Filipino jewelry brand, denovo, found in modern Makati’s newest retail haven Century City Mall, launches the first fine jewelry collection of celebrity, designer and fashion author Nicky Hilton.

Delicately crafted in white or yellow gold, the twinkling diamonds embedded in exquisite pieces call for each and every woman to express her uniqueness with the most ultimate of “Nicky encourages individuality. She is an ambassador of ‘being yourself ’, which is the main drive for her style. denovo has made the right choice in Nicky Hilton because of her creative sense of personal style,” said Caryll Benitez, denovo’s Creative Director.

Nicky Hilton is known for her taste in fashion – the inspiration for several brands around the

world which range from clothing to accessories to fragrances, and now, fine jewelry.

“Being yourself ” is the key to great style that never goes out of fashion, but ultimately, she believes style is one’s signature that is shaped through experience. It is inspiration that takes root from memories of the past and looks forward to dreams of the future – which makes the collaboration with denovo a brilliant cut.

Each piece symbolizes the femininity of the wearer as well as stellar splendor and romance.

There is no doubt that Nicky Hilton’s pieces will highlight the unique beauty, vibrancy and radiance of the denovo diamonds crowns one’s personal story, the jewelry becoming a legacy forged through such stories. denovo creates intricate, high-quality hand crafted bespoke pieces reflective of one’s preferences regarding color and carat, with each piece underscoring the purity and brilliance of every diamond regardless of size.

Nicky Hilton for denovo is the collection that stands for individuality as a form of storytelling, which leads the way to one’s vibrant future.

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

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

Movement Slim Perpetual calendar Claude Joray

MMer SLI H m

I ès N sh G ak

es

D off OW exce

ss we N ight

Slim QP rose gold havana alligator Calitho

Slim 39.5mm steel black alligator Calitho

Slim 25mm steel red calf Calitho

Slim 25mm rose gold with diamonds elephant grey alligator Calitho

We’re talking watches, of course.

Hermès calls its new Slim d’Hermès watch collection for men and women “a movement towards the essentials,” born out of “a stylistic exercise in aesthetic purity.”

In paring down the watch towards the essentials in a rigorous, beautifully balanced manner, Slim d’Hermès features a slender case, with a broad dial opening that immediately draws the eye, while the design of the lugs forms a right angle.

Slim d’Hermès, which embodies simplicity taken to the extreme, was designed by Philippe Delhotal, Creative Director of La Montre Hermès, with an interesting typeface created by graphic designer Philippe Apeloig to mark the hours. The light and airy outline of the numerals imparts a lively rhythm. One could say it’s all about marching to a jaunty, carefree, yet precise beat, thanks to its exceptional, ultra-thin movement.

The watch comes in three sizes: the 39.5 mm-diameter model; the 32 mm-diameter model; and the 25 mm-diameter model. There are also several iterations in both quartz and mechanical self-winding movements, not to mention a choice of casings in steel or rose gold, with or without diamond settings, plus an array of new and vibrant colors for the alligator straps.

The watch is also available in a leather-strap or stainless steel bracelet version. And then there is the centerpiece of the collection, the 39.5 mm with a perpetual calendar mechanism, one of the most demanding horological complications.

Call it a return to the fundamentals of the art of watchmaking. With Slim d’Hermès, the French luxury house delivers its supremely pure definition of time.

The Hermès boutique is located in Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City.

W EDNES DAY : M AY 20 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C5

A SPECTACULAR SHOW

B Domingo, Curtis, Belo, Padilla, Henares, and Vice Ganda

Robi Doingo, Dr. Belo, Padilla, and Cristalle Henares Dr. Vicki Belo

elo, the most trusted name in beauty, mounted a big show at the Trinoma activity center in Quezon City.

To showcase its unparalleled expertise and innovation when it comes to beauty, Belo gathered its top ambassadors ion the stage to share how Belo helped them succeed in their careers and in an industry where beauty is top priority.

The amazing concert sweetheart Anne Curtis opened the evening with a dauntless act and shared her love as a Belo ambassador for almost a decade now.

Sarah G, known in show business as pop royalty, while unable to be in the show, was proud to share eight Belo beautiful years with the company on video.

GMA Networks’s infanticipating Primetime Queen Marian Rivera lent her time to the event and even joined dancers even in her most delicate condition announcing how she values Dr. Vicki Belo so much she even agreed to dance.

Showbiz teen king Daniel Padilla elicited wild shrieks from the

crowd around the activity center and on the three floors above it.

Vice Ganda capped the show with a fantastic entrance and a performance in the air. After the show, he thanked Belo for what the clinic has done to him as a public personality.

Dubbed as the industry’s top stars, Anne, Sarah, Marian and Daniel only use topnotch beauty creations from Belo. The Belo essentials underarm beauty, Belo sunexpert ultragentle sheer spray, Belo intensive whitening line, Belo collagen and Belo men acne control are each loved by these stars, respectively.

With the vision to make the Philippines the most beautiful country, one person at a time, Dr. Belo extended her gratitude and joy to everyone present in the launch as she sees her vision coming to life in the faces of her audience.

This grand show was just the beginning of a year long celebration of magnificence and spectacular beauty creations.

Daniel Padilla

Anne Curtis performing with the Belo Sunbrella

Infanticipating Marian Rivera gives in to the crowd for her to dance

Daniel Padilla charms the teenagers in the crowd

Vice Ganda performing his signature number

Sarah Geronimo

Marian Rivera

FESTIVAL IMMORTALIZES BICOL FOLK SONG

B

icol Region takes pride in having a regional folk song that captures the character and aspirations of its people. “Sarung Banggi” is Bicol’s signature ballad, and arguably one of the country’s most popular and well-loved folk songs.

Written by Potenciano Gregorio of Libog town (now Sto. Domingo) in Albay, the song literally means “one night.” It tells about an enchanted evening encounter between a love-struck man and a lovely rural lass.

It was written on May 10, 1910 and the song was arranged for a band by Gregorio in 1918 and performed by Banda de Libog, the municipal brass band. Because of its growing popularity, the composer arranged it for symphony orchestra in 1930.

He joined the famed Philippine Constabulary Band under Col. Water Loving and was named its representative to the San Francis-

co World Expo in 1939. He died of pneumonia en route to the event and was buried at an obscure grave at La Loma Cemetery.

This rich musical tradition takes center stage once more as the municipality of Sto. Domingo holds the Sarung Banggi Festival this month to celebrate Gregorio’s 133rd birthday and the song’s 113th composition anniversary.

Now on its 13th edition, the Festival will be highlighted by various musical and cultural events capped by an intimate evening street parade on May 25 in keeping with the theme of the song Sarung Banggi.

Sto. Domingo Mayor Herbie Aguas said the festivity would showcase Gregorio’s musical legacy, the town’s gift of music, as well as its natural wonders.

The town is known for its charming Church of St. Dominic where Gregorio was baptized

and later would write “dotok” or religious music. The town also boasts fine black sand beaches, natural springs, and the majestic view of the perfect cone of Mayon Volcano.

Gregorio is honored in a mausoleum that also houses his musical memorabilia. It was built in 2006 after his remains were exhumed in May 2005 and brought home for a municipal vigil and reinterred with military honors.

In 2010, the Sangguniang Bayan proclaimed Gregorio a Municipal Artist and institutionalized the Sarung Banggi Festival.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda, due to Gregorio’s monumental contribution, proclaimed Sto. Domingo as the arts and culture center of Albay. He said that there are plans to form musical ensembles and visual arts group to make the town a repository of music to immortalize the musical legend’s heritage.

The Church of St. Dominic in Sto.Domingo, Albay

The mausoleum of Gregorio in Sto. Domingo

The score of Potenciano Gregorio’s famous “Sarung Banggi”

The night parade during the Sarung Banggi Festival

W EDNES DAY : M AY 20 : 2015

C6

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

JAIME DEMPSEY TAKES YOU ALONG FOR THE RIDE

Darren Espanto holds a birthday concert on May 29 at MOA Arena

Jaime Dempsey is in the country to explore destinations never been featured in her show Ride N Seek

NICKIE WANG If your idea of a travel show is a program that promotes fine luxury, fancy hotels, gourmet dishes and jet-setting from one location to another, then History Channel’s Ride N’ Seek is not the one you are looking for.

It may not be a substitute for the real thing, which is really getting out there to experience the world, but this travel documentary can be an interesting alternative. Picture this – a California girl riding a big bike immersing herself in local culture and experiencing what even many locals have not experienced before.

The travel documentary is back on its third season and is now training the spotlight on the Philippines as host Jaime Dempsey explores the country’s uncharted and most intriguing locations.

Jaime arrived in Manila early last week to embark on a four-week adventure starting from up north then going down south, pretty much tra-

versing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao riding her big bike.

A biker for almost 10 years now, California girl Jaime, has gone through electrifying excursions across Malaysia and Brunei in Seasons 1 and 2. The effervescent host thrives on tackling worlds totally different from her own, sharing that “being in these foreign environments is something that gets me all perked up.”

In an exclusive interview with The Standard, Jaime revealed that she and her crew are still in the dark having no exact idea on what to expect in this yet another journey featuring an entirely different place and culture. But these things are certain: this season is much bigger in terms of production; and it will have its premiere telecast in August.

“That’s the beauty of it. You head on an adventure not knowing what to expect. That’s the real essence of this travel show.

It inspires people to venture out into the unknown,” she relates.

And as she takes viewers along for the ride, she also offers them new perspectives and insights that pique an interest in these places – whether previously unknown or seemingly familiar.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 40 41 43 44 45 46 47 48 51 52 53

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Wheel covering 7 School org.

10 Veer out of control 14 Misgiving 15 Sluggers’ stat 16 Cipher 17 Incapacitate 18 Hard wood 19 Cinnabar and cuprite 20 Close call (2 wds.)

23 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 37 38 39

Flat expanse Electric swimmer Where Asia begins Coarse file Apply a jimmy Like some hours Hall of Famer Mel — Sloppy — Command to Rover (2 wds.)

Above, to poets PCB regulator Actress — Jillian

56 57 58 62 63 64 65 66 67

Monastic title Went below freezing Fabric meas.

Cabbie’s income — Nimitz Raised railways Part of N.B. Rattle — Paulo, Brazil Loud noises Roman emperor’s defense (2 wds.)

Autobahn vehicle Dock denizen Foot-long objects Poet’s tributes Harry’s successor Reacts to a pun Withered “— Rosenkavalier” Thick-skulled

DOWN 1 Say what?

2 Famous numero 3 Ask for money 4 Tabby’s pick-me-up 5 From Bangkok 6 Look curiously 7 Fiddlesticks!

8 Shrimper’s net 9 Says please

“It’s nice to be thrown in situations you are least familiar with because it makes for interesting stories and memories. Don’t you think it’s great when you just pull over on the side of the road then marvel on the sceneries? Take a picture of something that catches your fancy, something totally random and unplanned?” she asks in excitement.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK The Ride N’ Seek host promises that the whole journey is going to be a wild ride as she interacts with locals and immerses herself in the country’s culture via an exploration of Mount Mayon’s lava trails, and playing Juego de Anillo or Game of Rings, which would require her to ride on horseback while holding a dagger as she tries to get rings off a pole.

Part of her still undisclosed itinerary is a dive into Verde Passage in Mindoro, white water rafting, planting rice, learning balisong tricks (probably in Batangas), and getting a tribal tattoo in the mountains of Kalinga and Ifugao.

“As you can see, these tattoos (showing off her sleeve tattoo on both arms) represent my life. A

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

10 11 12 13 21 22 23 24 25 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 42 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 54 55 59 60 61

Looked high and low Hyundai’s HQ Flawless Workstations Go over again Chess pieces Solid evidence After a while Kind of turf Vatican figures Curves around Zoomer on a lake (2 wds.)

Hide out (2 wds.)

Frequently Do a laundry chore Where hackles rise Daily event Island of large statues Vote Utter confusion Summa cum — Viper Plumber’s tool Book jacket ad Like the Kalahari Ship of myth Perfume label word TLC providers Weathervane dir.

tiger for being fierce, phoenix for being reborn. Now, I’m planning to get another tattoo in Kalinga from a 94-year-old tattoo artist that executes traditional technique using thorns and bamboo sticks, which would remind me of my whole experience here in the Philippines,” expresses her enthusiasm on being permanently inked by Kalinga’s “last tattoo artist.”

When asked how the Philippines ended up as the show’s latest destination, Jaime revealed that it all happened on social media. Jaime maintains some social media accounts and when she asked her fans which destination should she visit next, a great number of people suggested Philippines to be her next pit stop and she was impressed on the massive response from people when she officially announced their final choice.

“And just like the previous seasons, this is going to be a mix of everything - sights, people and local culture. I’ll explore that while on my bike.

I know the terrain here is more treacherous compared to my place back home but that adds more fun and challenge to this whole adventure,” Jaime ends.

MORE GUESTS AT DARREN’S BIRTHDAY CONCERT It will surely be a fun night as more guests will join Darren Espanto at his first major concert entitled Darren Espanto D Birthday Concert on May 29 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Child actor and TV personality Bimby Aquino Yap and TV Host Robi Domingo will be added to the list of guests aside from previously announced: The Voice of the Philippines Season 1 Champion Mitoy Yonting, The Voice of the Philippines Season 2 Champion Jason Dy and runner-up Alisah Bonaobra.

“I am so happy that Bimby and Kuya Robi will be able to join me on this very special event,” Darren said. “I know you want to find out what we will do during the show but all I can say right now is I’m sure you will enjoy our number if you will watch my concert.”

Bimby Aquino Yap is the son of Kris Aquino, while Robi Domingo is a VJ, actor, dancer, and host.

If you are eager on what to expect during the show, then head on to the Mall of Asia Arena on May 29 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are available at P4,230 for VIP, P3,700 for Patron, P2,640 for Lower Box, P1,270 for Upper Box and P430 for General Admission at SM Tickets at 4702222 or smtickets.com. For VVIP tickets worth P4,760, contact Liza Ong through mobile - 09989741153 or through email - liza.ong@umusic.com.

W EDNES DAY : M AY 20 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

BIANCA UMALI

C7

PETA hosts this year’s Children’s Arts Festival with several activities meant to enhance children’s creative talents

CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY IN ‘ISMOL FAMILY’ From C8

Teenager Bianca Umali got a special surprise treat for her 16th birthday (in the episode of of GMA’s hit sitcom Ismol Family) last Sunday.

Bianca’s character Yumi is only 16-years-old but Mama A, portrayed by 2015 Golden Screen Awards Best Supporting Actress Carmi Martin, wanted to give her a debut party with a big celebration.

However, with only a few days before her big day, Yumi’s gown was still being sewn and there were still things to do and organize for her party including the venue, caterer, and program At the party later, Mama A stole the scene by speaking to the guests (she asked the supposed emcees to just sit and wait) until ants in her gown started doing their chore (biting her). A power outage ensued and the party was over to the great disappointment of Mama A, but to the relief of everyone else, including Yumi.

HHHHH CNN Philippines Investigates digs deep into alleged irregularities surrounding the procurement of fire trucks costing more than P2 billion.

The Bureau of Fire Protection wants to address the country’s lack in fire trucks. More than 400 units have supposedly been purchased. But, where are they now?

Over the past weeks, the CNN Philippines Investigates team led by award winning journalist Jun del Rosario and select reporters looked into the salaries, allowances and bonuses of GOCCs; illegal logging involving some DENR planters at the Mount Ipo Water Shed; Non-Napoles NGOs; Airport Congestion; AFP/PNP Pensions; the impoundment of cars inside Camp Crame; Public Utility Vehicles (PUV) Colorum Syndicates in Mega Manila and loop holes in the government procurement process.

The team scrutinizes documents and public records supported by in-depth interviews to provide its viewers with fair and just reports. A section in the CNN Philippines’ website (cnnphilippines.com) is dedicated to CNN Philippines Investigates where viewers can access all the investigative reports in full detail.

Catch this week’s CNN Philippines Investigates. Part 1 tonight on Network News at 6 p.m., Nightly News at 9 p.m. with replay on May 21 on Headline News at 7 a.m. and Newsroom at 12 noon. Part 2 is on May 21on Network News at 6 p.m., Nightly News at 9 p.m. and on May 22 on Headline News at 7 a.m. and Newsroom at 12 noon only on CNN Philippines.

HHHHH Atom Araullo and Dr. Mahar Lagmay dare DZMM’s listeners and viewers to remain alert and vigilant as they share tips on how to stay safe during emergencies and disasters in the second year of their program Red Alert’s school on the air segment.

Bianca Umali celebrates 16th birthday on the set of Ismol Family

Dr. Mahar Lagmay and Atom Araullo host DZMM’s Red Alert

In “Alert U sa DZMM Red Alert,” which is on its second year, one listener each week will receive gift certificates if he or she could give the correct answer to the question of the day related to the episode’s featured topic.

Some of the participants who will give at least four correct answers to the eight weekly questions during the promo period – which ends on June 7 – will get a chance to attend the awarding ceremony at the “Red Alert Emergency Expo 2015” in June. They will also receive a certificate of recognition, a Red Alert Survival Kit, and a chance to win more survival products in the raffle.

To join, just tune in to “Red Alert” every Sunday, 10 a.m. and answer the episode’s question of the day or visit www.dzmm.com.ph at i-click then click the “Red Alert” box.

Participants may e-mail their answers to dzmm630@abs-cbn. com, along with the promo week number, their name, address, and contact number.

Answers can also be sent to 2366 by texting DZMM <space> REACT <space> ALERTU <space> NAME <space> ADDRESS <space> WEEK NUMBER <space> ANSWER. A participant is allowed to submit one entry and use one e-mail address.

“Red Alert” won a Communication Management Award of Merit for the Multi-Audience Communication category at this year’s Philippine Quill Awards and was also awarded an Outstanding Achievement in Radio Broadcasting at St. Scholastica College’s Hildegarde Awards.

PETA HOSTS CHILDREN’S ARTS FESTIVAL

T

he Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) closes its 47th Theater Season by hosting the 2015 PETA Children’s Arts Festival. This year, through the generous support of PETA’s Arts Zone Project (Advocate Right to Safety Zone for Children), the PETA Theater Center will once again open its doors to children and young people.

The three-day festival will be filled with play areas, workshops, film showing and performances. The festival will feature one of PETA’s longest running musical for children Christine Bellen’s Mga Kuwento ni Lola

Basyang and, an advocacy musical that discusses the issues of Corporal Punishment, Liza Magtoto’s Rated-PG. Performances from PETA ArtsZone Regional partners will also be featured in the Festival.

YATTA’s Aah Bakus from Dumaguete, Sining Banwa’s Si Al Buda an Tsinelas from Legazpi, and Teatro Guindegan’s Istoryahe lang ta from Ozamis.

Also part of Festival are performances from, St. Gregory Elementary School, Las Piñas East National High School, Polo National High School, Tanghalang SLU, FEU Theater Guild, Maria Montessori, Palo Culture and

Arts Organization.

Bring your kids and teens for they will surely enjoy the different workshops such as storytelling, shadow puppetry, visual arts, creative sound and music, creative drama, hip-hop dancing and creative writing to be facilitated by PETA artist-teachers and members.

The festival will be held on May 29-31at No. 5, Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City.

Tickets are P100 (performance pass), and P200 (performance and workshop pass). For tickets contact PETA at (02) 725-6244 or TicketWorld at 891-9999 www.ticketworld.com.ph.

W EDNES DAY : M AY 20 : 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ MINGLING WITH TEENS AT KATY PERRY’S GIG ISAH V. RED I haven’t watched a lot of concerts lately, foreign or local acts lately (or to be exact in the last half a decade).

The waiting kills me. The ticket says 8 p.m. so, in order not to get stuck in traffic I try to go two hours earlier (and also to be seated properly). And then 8 p.m. has passed and the stage is nothing but empty with the musical instruments idling and waiting for their users. There is always that loud music, usually of the artists featured in the show, that’s meant to calm the nerves of the audience that comes in earlier than most. And an hour passes and there’s not a hint the artist is gonna hit the stage.

That scenario in local gigs of made me vow never to go to concerts again. Never again! Until I heard Katy Perry was coming back (I passed up the chance to see her in her first two visits in Manila), so I told myself, “I think I wanna watch this one.”

And so, on May 7, we drove to Balagtas, Bulacan where the Philippine Arena (of the religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo) is located in a development called Ciudad Victoria.

When we got there, the parking lot was nearly full. We walked from the designated drop off to the arena (the arena doesn’t have a porte cochère or a drive through for vehicles to drop off guests). Another problem for this facility is the entrance-exit for vehicles. There is only one for both, and after the show that lasted nearly four hours since 8 p.m. (the actual show only lasted nearly two hours as it started nearly 10 p.m.), all vehicles were crawling from the parking to the one and only exit to NLEX. Apparently, the INC failed to figure out traffic management to and from the facility. We were able to leave Ciudad Victoria after a two-hour crawl to the exit.

But, the exhilaration we had in watching Katy Perry was worth all that. I just hope INC would do something about the traffic management in the area as it would be a negative factor for promoters in deciding to mount shows there.

The Spinnr booth at the plaza in front of the Philippine Arena

Fans have a grand time having photos taken at the Prism booth

Spectacular play of lights in Katy Perry’s Prism concert

Katy Perry rocks the Philippine Arena with a performance of her hit tunes from the Prism album, sending fans to eardrum-splitting shrieks, some even in tears while others singing along with the pop superstar

SCREAMING TEENS Smart Communications, Inc.’s homegrown and multi-awarded music app SPINNR gave more than 30,000 Filipino fans of pop goddess Katy Perry another spectacular music treat via the first anniversary of the Prismatic World Tour.

The Katy cats, as the fans are known, shrieked so loud that I thought the roof of the arena

would crash down on us when Katy appeared on stage in a peplum Sphinx-inspired costume.

All 30 thousand sang along Katy’s “Roar,” a single from her Prism album. I was told that some of the fans were also Spinnr subscribers and won their VIP tickets via the music app’s exclusive promo.

“Hello Manila!” shouted the former gospel singer to her fans who

all interpreted it as cue for everyone to start singing along with her.

She strung her billboard hits “Roar,” “Part Of Me,” and “Wide Awake” before taking the crowd to a nostalgic road of her popular songs with LED choreographed dance numbers.

Katy’s LED lined costume upped the wow factor as the stage laser lights turned into red and her co-dancers formed into a battle

formation, ready to pounce on her big audience as she moved from “Roar” to “Part Of Me” before transitioning to “Wide Awake.”

On to her next set of songs, she transformed into her own take of an Alpha Cleopatra riding a golden horse for her re-entry as she uttered the first part of “Dark Horse” consequently demanding attention and another round of wild noise of approval. At this point, the audience were also treated to the psychedelic rapping head of Juicy J. Katy then moved on to “Legendary Lovers” as she danced throughout the number and ended up rebuffing both of her male-dancer lovers.

The way the production designed every number was one of the tour’s strongest points. But Katy made sure every song was unique in arrangement and performance like her rock, slightly risque version and bikini line up-grabbing of “I Kissed A Girl.”

It was definitely something more and she gave even more in the next numbers she performed.

All throughout the 20-song concert stretch, Katy commanded her legions into a sing-along outing. She also touched the hearts of many when she called one audience member named Martee Viray and asked him to teach her to speak Tagalog lines. The hit-maker extended the crowd engagement activity when she asked everyone to turn on their phones in order to light up her next number. Accompanied by starry movements, Katy performed an acoustic version of “Unconditionally” and reminded fans that she’s not all visuals and spectacles, Katy’s love songs come alive because of her vocals. She went on to serenade the Arena with “Thinking Of You” and “The One That Got Away.” This acoustic part of the tour was like opium to the crowd who went high on lyrics and melody.

From little kids to kids-at-heart, everyone knew the words to Katy’s songs like they’re “part of her.”

The night ended with “Firework” both in song and crowd takeaway.

Fans, who account for the biggest “Prismatic” show attendance, will surely ride the high of this show for a long time as much as Katy’s touring group would. ➜ Continued on C7