The Standard - 2015 June 22 - Monday

ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2015 VOL. XXIX  NO. 122  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  MONDAY : JUNE 22, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Palace still hopeful on talks with CPP-NPA

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CHINESE COPS TO TAKE WANG BACK

By Christine F. Herrera

THE Chinese government has sent three policemen to the Philippines to escort suspected Chinese crime lord Wang Bo back to China for prosecution over his alleged illegal transnational gambling operations and money laundering, a source close to the Chinese Embassy said Sunday.

The source, who requested anonymity, said the Chinese Embassy was “getting concerned because Wang is able to do to delay his deportation not just through his lawyer but also through his partners in crime.”

The source did not name Wang’s alleged partners in crime but i Abakada Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz said during a congressional hearing last week that the president of ELC Technoligies and Consulting Inc., Wang’s employer, was also tagged by the Chinese Embassy as a fugitive.

Zhao Yin, ELC president, was also put on the Immigration watch list and blacklist upon the request of the Chinese Embassy.

Wang admitted knowing Zhao and confirmed that Zhao was his boss. The ELC, he said, was granted a Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) permit, and ran a legitimate company operating like a call center, whose office is based in Makati.

The three Chinese policemen arrived in the Philippines last week, the source said.

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At the House. Suspected crime lord Wang Bo takes his oath at the continuation of the House hearing last Tuesday on his alleged illegal activities in the country. LINO SANTOS

US won’t paper over China spat

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House calls Philconsa’s anti-BBL suit ‘premature’

By Christine F. Herrera THE House on Sunday dismissed as “premature and without justiciable controversy” the Philippine Constitution Association’s petition asking the Supreme Court to declare two agreements between the government and Muslim rebels as

unconstitutional.

In an interview on radio dzBB, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the Court could not as yet rule on the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) because these were merely preliminary agree-

ments that could not be implemented without the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

The principal sponsor of the bill, Rodriguez vowed to push for the passage of the BBL. On Friday, Philconsa, through its president, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, peti-

tioned the high tribunal to declare as unconstitutional the two agreements signed by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which envision the establishment of a Bangsamoro government to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Next page Mindanao.

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US won’t paper over China spat Chinese From A1...

“The Chinese government closely follows the Wang Bo case and is very concerned why the deportation of Wang is taking so long,” the source told The Standard.

The source said the Chinese Embassy has relayed to Beijing that a summary deportation order was issued against Wang by the Bureau of Immigration’s Board of Commissioners composed of Commissioner Siegfred Mison and Deputy Commissioners Gilberto Repizo and Abdullah Mangotara on March 5 after Wang was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino Internation Airport on Feb. 9.

At the Tuesday’s hearing of the House committee on good government and public accountability, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she found it “curious and unusual” that Wang’s deportation proceedings took 47 days, when the usual proceedings only took five to 15 days.

On June 10, De Lima said she ordered the creation of a special probe team comprised of agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the “so many curious controversies” surrounding the Wang Bo case.

De Lima expressed frustration that Wang’s deportation was being hampered by the investigation being conducted by the House.

The Justice secretary said she could not implement the deportation order because Wang’s testimony was needed in the congressional probe.

“The Chinese policemen were sent here and tasked to

House From A1...

Romualdez and other petitioners, including Archbishops Ramon Arguelles, Fernando Capalla and Romulo dela Cruz, former senator Francisco Tatad and former national security adviser Norberto Gonzales, said the FAB and CAB grant “unconscionable” financial, social, economic and political benefits to the MILF.” But Rodriguez brushed aside the petition Sunday.

“The Philconsa petition has no effect. It does not affect our deliberations on BBL. The case they have filed is premature and [there is] no cause of action.

The FAB and CAB are preliminary agreements that will have to become law,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez, who was tasked to defend the BBL before the plenary, said the Supreme Court will not grant Philconsa a temporary restraining order because “their rights were not violated.”

“I believe the Supreme Court will dismiss (the Philconsa petition). It will not grant them a TRO because their rights are not clearly violated because there is no law yet. The agreement has to be implemented by the Transition Commission.

secure Wang Bo to bring him back to China so he can face his criminal charges there. He was declared a fugitive and an undesirable and undocumented alien by the Chinese government due to his illegal gambling operations in China and in the Philippines. The Chinese Embassy was expecting that after the hearing, Wang would be turned over to the Chinese Embassy,” the source said.

Accompanied by his lawyer Dennis Manalo, Wang, in handcuffs, was brought to the House to testify if indeed his representative had met with Immigration officials, who allegedly asked for money in exchange for his freedom.

Wang and Manalo both denied meeting with any of the top three Immigration officials.

But Mison, recanting his earlier denial of The Standard story, admitted being interviewed

by The Standard and told the panel that his “source” about the meeting was “a friend of the Chinese Embassy,” journalist Benny Antiporda, a member of the Chinese community and vice president of the National Press Club.

The panel investigating the Wang case invited Antiporda to the next hearing on July 7.

Antiporda said he would recount how he managed to get hold of the information that Wang’s representative met with the bureau officials.

Mison had earlier told The Standard that after that meeting, “Repizo and Mangotara changed their tune and aggressively pushed for the reversal of the March 5 summary deportation order in favor of the May 21 release order.”

Mison said it was Repizo who authored the May 21 release order. Repizo asserted that

Wang needed to be released because the Chinese Embassy failed to provide authenticated documents about Wang’s alleged criminal activities.

Upon learning that a release order was issued, the source said that on May 22, the Chinese Embassy sent evidence to prove that Wang had laundered money from China to the Philippines to expand his illegal gambling operations through “Skybet” in Manila.

On May 26, Chinese Embassy police attache Yu Fuyein went to the Bureau to meet with Mison and submit more documents.

Mison called for a special agenda meeting of the Board of Commissioners and tried to set aside the May 21 release order. Only Mison signed the reversal order, however. Repizo and Mangotara maintained their position that Wang should be given back his freedom.

Mison brought the matter to De Lima. The Chinese Embassy also sent a letter of protest to De Lima and submitted the same documents that were submitted to Mison.

On May 27, De Lima upheld Mison and issued an order to “hold in abeyance” the May 21 release order and directed that the March 5 summary deportation order be reinstated.

Manalo said he was not officially informed about the three Chinese policemen sent to secure his client.

He also said he had no idea if Wang was already released from isolation and made to rejoin other inmates at the Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig.

Manalo asked Mison, through the panel, to allow Wang to get out of his five-by-

eight-meter cell to and do some exercises and get some morning sunlight.

Mison said he was not aware of any order to place Wang in isolation but that he would look into it.

Among the “curious” incidents that De Lima said merited investigation was how the BI officials failed to detect the anomaly that a certain Jose Chua, complainant against Wang for a P3 million estafa case, and Wang had the same lawyer, Bryan Bantilan.

Chua, in a letter-complaint, had asked Mison to defer Wang’s deportation because he is facing an estafa case in Manila.

Wang denied knowing his complainant and lawyer. He said he had never met either Chua or Bantilan.

Chua and Bantilan have also been invited to the next hearing by the House panel on good government and public accountability.

“The circumstances behind the Chua and Bantilan modus operandi only show that someone else is orchestrating the delay in the deportation of Wang.

Someone else is moving the money to make these things happen,” the source said.

The source said Wang, who claimed to be getting only P25,000 in salaries a month as a technical consultant from ELC, could not possibly afford a high-caliber lawyer like Manalo.

Manalo told the panel he was not accepting a client mainly for monetary considerations.

“It is for this reason that Wang was placed in isolation and De Lima herself ordered that no one could see Wang without first securing a clearance from her,” the source said.

First, the Transition Commission has to prepare a bill... for Congress to make a final form of the law,” he said.

Rodriguez said the petitioners should have waited for the BBL to become law before filing their petition.

“At this time, there is nothing unconstitutional in the FAB and CAB because they are preliminary agreements.

The power is given to Congress to make a law based on the FAB and CAB. So there is no pressure, no effect on the Senate and the House deliberations,” Rodriguez said.

“We are going to continue deliberations in the House by August, last week of August up to [the last week of] September.

We intend to finish the discussions and the voting of the BBL,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez explained that the Supreme Court needed “justiciable controversy” that would give rise to a cause of action that will make it decide.

He said the Executive and the MILF made sure that the FAB and CAB were not “selfexecuting documents.”

He added that if Philconsa thought from the very beginning that the FAB and CAB were unconstitutional, they should have filed their petition against them in 2012 and 2014.

Rodriguez, who had made an about-face on eight unconstitutional provisions, denied that the BBL was being railroaded through the House, saying the legislation was a product of 17 years of peace negotiations.

He added that there was no guarantee that the next administration would have the same views on peace in Mindanao.

“I’m from Mindanao and I am very thankful to President (Benigno) Aquino (III) for pushing for this. We should be for peace. This may not be the solution but it places the framework and the ground work for peace to reign and be secured in Mindanao,” Rodriguez said.

“We cannot wait for another administration.”

Romualdez, on the other hand, said the petition before the Supreme Court could help Congress come up with a constitutionally and legally accepted version of the BBL. “We support peace, but any agreement must be in consonance with the Constitution and the existing laws. This (petition) will help prevent a halfbaked peace measure and stop giving false hopes,” he said.

Romualdez and other critics of the Palace-drafted BBL said the process by which it was drafted was not inclusive, since they had excluded other rebel

groups and non-Muslim minorities in the process.

Former Negros Oriental representative Jacinto Paras also filed another petition.

Both petitioners said the government peace panel committed grave abuse of discretion in signing the FAB and CAB on Oct. 12, 2012 and March 27, 2014, respectively, as both were just revival of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) forged by the previous administration with the MILF, which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in October 2008.

“The beauty and essence of democracy is to ensure that all laws, rules and regulations, and programs of the government are in consonance with the Constitution, and that these must also protect the rights of everyone. The petition is very important to make democracy a very healthy process because it is a very fragile thing if not respected and taken care of,” Romualdez said.

He said they saw the need to pass a BBL that is consistent with the provisions of the Constitution with no legal infirmities to avoid sowing chaos, confusion and frustration within the Muslim community.

– With Rio N. Araja

US officials vow they will not paper over differences with China at key talks this week weighed down by thorny issues of trade, cyber spying and tensions in the South China Sea. “We talk through, we work through our differences. We seek to solve problems and to manage the problems that we can’t seem to solve,” said the top US diplomat for East Asia, Danny Russel, ahead of the annual US-China Strategic Economic Dialogue, two days of talks that open on Tuesday in Washington.

“We don’t paper over these differences. We don’t turn a blind eye to problems. We discuss them and we seek to tackle them directly,” Russel said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will host China’s State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Vice Premier Wang Yang for a private dinner on Monday, before the talks kick off at the State Department the next day.

The world’s two leading economies remain at odds over China’s claims to much of the South China Sea and Washington has repeatedly urged Beijing to stop building artificial islands in the key waterway.

The moves were troubling, not just to the United States but to the countries in the region, Russel said.

“The prospect of militarizing those outposts runs counter to the goal of reducing tensions,” he added.

The Philippines on Sunday reiterated its concern over China’s reclamation operations.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Philippines calls on China anew to heed calls from the international community to exercise self-restraint.

“China’s reclamation and construction activities grossly violate the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and may serve to escalate the disputes and undermine efforts to promote peace, security, and stability. These activities cause irreparable damage to the marine environment and marine biodiversity of the region,” it said.

In the Palace, a government spokesman urged the public to watch Pamanang Karagatan, the second of a three-part documentary on the West Philippine Sea, the portion of the South China Sea that Manila claims as its own.

The second part of the documentary would be posted on President Benigno Aquino III’s Facebook page, the government official said.

Ties between Beijing and Washington have also been strained over US accusations of cyber-espionage.

A bilateral cyber-working group was suspended by Beijing last year after Washington indicted five Chinese military officers for hacking into US computers to pilfer intellectual property and US government secrets.

But both countries recognize

it is an area where they need to cooperate.

“It’s a place where us and China both have very important equities and as in the past, we’ll continue to discuss those issues vigorously with our Chinese counterparts,” a US Treasury official said.

Chinese officials remained more circumspect with foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang saying the delegations would have an “in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations as well as other major issues of common interest.”

And the state-run Chinese press appeared optimistic about this seventh round of annual talks, which come ahead of a visit to the US by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September.

“Following months of diplomatic clashes over the South China Sea, Sino-US relations seem to be headed for calmer waters after key events in the lead-up to a major meeting between the two countries,” the China Daily said.

It quoted Wang Yiwei, a professor of international relations at Renmin University, saying: “Washington understands the consequences of US-Sino confrontation, and conflict is not on the agenda.

“Still, it has to issue criticisms of China over the South China Sea to show its muscle and commitment to its Asian allies.”

Other knotty problems remain over trade, the new Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank -- spurned so far by the US--and whether to include the Chinese yuan as part of the IMF’s international basket of reference currencies.

Washington has long claimed the yuan was manipulated, but the IMF said late last month that the currency was “no longer undervalued.”

Such differences do “not necessarily doom the dialogue,” said Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, adding the talks will still be “professional.”

And David Dollar, an expert with the Brookings Institution, predicted the chill in ties arising from security issues would not spill over into the economic track.

Both countries “have compelling reasons to have a robust discussion of economic trends and to try to make progress on bilateral issues,” he said.

“If anything, tension on the security side makes the economic talks more important.”

One potential area of cooperation is on climate change, as UN-led talks loom in Paris in December to set new targets on limiting greenhouse gases.

“We’re still the two largest emitters in the world. We’re trying to position ourselves and lead, frankly, the international community into the Paris conference,” said Russel. – AFP, Sandy Araneta

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Why not paint giant flag on building behind Rizal statue?

By Ferdie G. Domingo SAN JOSE CITY—A provincial board member in Nueva Ecija said Sunday he had found a “Solomonic” solution that could be acceptable to all amid the controversy over the Torre de Manila condominium project in Manila: paint the image of the Philippine flag over the entire building.

Joseph Ortiz said painting the 49-story building with the trademark red, white and blue colors of the flag would no longer make it appear as a “photo bomber” behind the monument of national hero Jose Rizal.

“I think it’s a win-win solution,” Ortiz said of his proposal. He said that, once painted over with the flag, the building would no longer become a scene spoiler as claimed by its critics.

“If heritage advocates are claiming that the Torre de Manila is spoiling the view at the Rizal Park, then a giant painted image of the Philippine flag serving as a backdrop to the Rizal monument would surely not spoil the view of people. That’s the only solution I could think of,”Ortiz said.

He made the proposal even as the Supreme Court on Tuesday stopped the condominium’s construction following a petition filed last September by the Knights of Rizal.

The group also sought the building’s demolition claiming violations of several laws, including the measures protecting the national heritage and a Manila zoning ordinance that allows only seven-story schools and government buildings to rise in the area.

The project’s developer, DM Consunji Inc., secured a zoning permit in June 2012 that allowed it to build Torre de Manila on Taft Avenue in Ermita, Manila, behind the lot previously occupied by the Jai Alai building.

Netizens through an online Change.org have also opposed the project, referring to it as “Terror de Manila” and “PambansangPhotobomb” because, they say, it is ruining the line of sight of the national shrine.

Ortiz said he came up with his idea shortly after the Independence Day celebrations on June 12. He said the Philippine flag would complement the iconic structure of Rizal instead of spoiling it.

“I don’t see any reason why the heritage advocates would oppose my proposal if only in keeping with their argument that national heritage should be protected. No national heritage is more symbolic than the flag itself,” he said.

Remembering the victims. One day before the 40th day of the fire that hit the Kentex slipper factory in Valenzuela City that killed 72 workers, the members of various groups paid tribute to the victims by conducting a mural painting exercise. MAnny PAlMERo

Aquino still eyeing talks with Communist rebels

By Sandy Araneta

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III is not yet giving up on the peace talks with the communists that have been stalled since February 2011, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Sunday.

He said the government continued to study the possibility of reviving the negotiations with the rebels.

“The government continues to be open and interested to negotiate. We are open to the resumption of the formal talks,” Coloma said in a radio interview.

He noted how presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles went to Loreto in Agu-

san del Sur recently to welcome 100 rebelreturnees who turned over their firearms.

“Our government will continue to push through with the peace process,” Coloma said.

“We are also trying to look for other ways to continue the peace negotiations or resumption of negotiations between the government and the CPP-NDF-NPA.” Earlier, CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison said back-channel efforts to revive the negotiations with “friends of the peace process” had begun in September.

He said the communists, after resisting government overtures for an indefinite ceasefire agreement for so long, were ready to discuss the cessation of hostilities.

He said an agreement on social and economic reforms could also be hammered out before Aquino steps down in 2016.

“There are possible substantial agreements—like the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms and an agreement on truce and cooperation—that can be signed before the end of Aquino’s term,” Sison said.

Deles had expressed optimism that the peace negotiations with the CPP would still move forward.

“Of course, we would like that we are able to move this substantially before the end of the Aquino administration, that this internal armed conf lict could reach the possibility of a political settlement. We would like to bring this to the peace table and push improvement of the situation on the ground,” Deles said.

“We don’t want the problem of internal armed conflict to remain a major thing that has to be managed or resolved by the next administration.”

Govt prepares for Bulusan eruption

Starting early. Martial arts enthusiasts do their stuff early Sunday morning at the Quezon City Memorial Circle. Ey AcASio

THE Philippines has stockpiled food supplies in case of evacuations after Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon emitted ash and smoke six times in recent weeks, officials said Sunday.

In addition to the emergency food packs, authorities were closely watching the communities near Bulusan volcano 390 kilometers southeast of Manila, said presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma.

The latest emissions came on Friday, with two other eruptions earlier last week.

“The government continues to monitor the behavior of Mount Bulusan... so we can safeguard the welfare of about 34,000 affected residents in 22 villages and five towns,” said Coloma.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Coun-

cil on Sunday said traces of ash from Bulusan fell on Barangays Bacolod, Buraburan, Mapili and Puting Sapa in Juban on Saturday.

“The event was followed by the continuous emission of voluminous to moderate volumes of dirty white plume, later turning into white steam plume that reached 250 meters high [from] the summit before drifting southwest,” the agency said.

The government volcano monitoring institute said that, so far, the emissions had been caused by groundwater mixing with hot rocks inside the 5,134-foot volcano.

These “phreatic eruptions” have sent ash and smoke into the air, covering the volcano’s slopes and nearby towns, said Winchelle Ian Sevilla, the officer heading a team monitoring Bulusan.

He said that as long as people stayed out of the four-kilometer “danger zone” around Bulusan, they would not be hurt by any falling rocks.

Aircraft have also been warned to avoid Bulusan in case of a sudden ejection of ash.

Despite the activity, Sevilla said there was no sign magma was rising inside the volcano, indicating there was no impending eruption of lava.

Bulusan’s last destructive eruptions were from November 2010 to February 2011, eventually forcing hundreds of villagers to evacuate. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

The Philippines is located in the seismically-active Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has over 20 active volcanoes. AFP, with Sandy Araneta

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Skateboarders’ rally. Members of the Circle Crew show their wares at a protest action at the Quezon City Memorial Circle on Sunday, as they called on the government to build a public skateboarding park in the city in time for the celebration of International Go Skateboarding Day. manny palmero

Still working on floods—Coloma Even as the rainy season appears to have started, the government is still working to address the problem of flooding in Metro Manila, Malacanang said Sunday.

Government agencies “are continuing to implement projects and programs in order to address the problem of floods,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., during an interview over state-run radio station dzRB. Coloma said that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has reported that aside from the Blumentritt Interceptor Catchment Project, a number of flood control and drainage improvement projects are being implemented in Metro Manila with the help of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Coloma said the projects are part of the flood management master plan for Metro Manila

and surrounding areas which was started in 2012 and which will be implemented up to the year 2035.

Coloma said the DPWH and MMDA are working to ensure that floods do not disrupt traffic especially in major thoroughfares.

Floods have become a daily occurrence in Metro Manila, particularly in the City of Manila, in the wake of heavy rains.

But the state weather agency said it will only declare the official start of the rainy season in the coming days.

Coloma said it is the aim of the government to take care of the welfare of more than 20 million residents in the National Capital Region (NCR), 43 cities and municipalities in

the CALABARZON area, and eight cities and municipalities in Bulacan during the rainy season.

In Metro Manila, he said the projects include rehabilitation of 15 major pumping stations, removal of obstructions within drainage channels with settlements, dredging and declogging, rehabilitation of drainage mains and the construction of additional drainage mains and box culverts.

Under the long-term master plan, aside from structural improvements, non-structural measures such as improvement of flood information and warning systems, strengthening of the community-based flood risk management, improvement of management information systems for disaster risk management and reforestation of watershed areas. Sandy araneta

Guards of ‘NBP 19’ sacked By rey e. requejo A new team has been assigned to guard 19 high-profile inmates from the Bureau of Correction at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) detention facility where they are temporarily detained.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima revamped the security detail at the NBI detention cell following the discovery of contraband – mostly cellular phones – at the cells of New Bilibid Prisons inmates and other detainees like former Pagadian City Mayor Samuel Co and pyramiding scam suspect Jachob “Coco” Rasuman.

“The entire NBI team assigned at the detention facility has been relieved of its duties, pending investigation,” the Justice Secretary said in a text message.

De Lima said on Sunday that the new team will be under the supervision of NBI Deputy Director for Intelligence Services Jose Doloiras.

“DD Doloiras is also on top of the investigation into the recent discovery of cellphones in both the regular detention facility and the NBP extension facility,” she added.

If the investigation would comes up with evidence against the old team, administrative cases would be initiated against it, De Lima said.

The phones were seized from the cells of some of the so-called “Bilibid 19” and those of Co and Rasuman during inspections led by De Lima herself recently.

The phones were concealed in secret compartments of water cooler, cooking utensils, washing machines even in the soles of shoes and slippers.

The Justice Secretary earlier said a witness claimed that the high-profile inmates – mostly convicted drug traffickers - paid P1.5 million to “three to four agents” tasked to regularly search the facility for smuggled items.

She said the witness has already been placed under witness protection program for security reasons.

De Lima said there are indications that the agents are directly “working for an (NBI) official.”

The 19 high-profile inmates currently detained at the NBI are Peter Co, Amin Imam Boratong, Michael Ong, Willy Sy, Noel Martinez, Eugene Chua, Chua Sam Li, Vincent Sy, George Sy, Joel Capones, Herbert Colangco, Clarence Dongail, Tom Chua, Rommel Capones, Jojo Baligad, Willy Chua, Jacky King Sy, Herman Agojo and Benjamin Marcelo.

They were moved there after they were found to have received special treatment at the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa.

NUSP seeks end to fraternity violence By rio n. araja THE country’s largest group of student leaders has called on all campus fraternities and youth organizations to end fraternityrelated violence.

In a statement, the National Union of Students of the Philippines urged students “to go back to the very principle of establishing student formations – to genuinely serve the students and the people, to fight for meaningful and real change

in our schools and society.”

The NUSP also called on the administration of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City to conduct a swift and impartial probe of a June 18 incident during which members of one fraternity attacked at least four other UP students with baseball bats inside the campus.

“NUSP, together with the University of the Philippines Office of the Student Regent and the Katipunan ng mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP (KASA-

MA SA UP), will not falter in campaigning to end violence and impunity and in ensuring a just investigation and resolution of these incidents,” it said.

“We call on all student fraternities, sororities, academic organizations, political parties and other groups to join other Filipino students and youth in the call to end the cultures of violence and impunity.”

But the group stopped short of calling for a ban of such organizations.

Father’s Day award. Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (4th left)

receives the Tanyag Ulirang Ama Award from National Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Foundation during the 22nd Ulirang Ama Awards at Centennial Hall Manila Hotel on Sunday. With him are Ulirang Ama Executive Member Gov. Casimiro Ynares, Finance Commitee Chairperson Leticia Talag, Romualdez’s daughter Minxie, mother Juliette, mother-in-law Yedda Kittilstvedth, Executive Committee member Justice Normandie Pizzaro, Ulirang Ama Foundation President Wilfredo Talag, Ulirang Ama Chairperson former Chief Justice Reynato Puno and members of Gomez Family. Ver noVeno

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Lacson weighing options FOrMEr Senator Panfilo Lacson on Sunday said he has not declared his plan to run for president as he is still weighing the public’s acceptability of his presidential bid.

While he spoke of his aspiration to serve in higher office, Lacson however clarified that that didn’t mean that he was already joining the Malacanang run.

Interviewed on radio, Lacson stressed he has to be realistic and acknowledged he was not faring well in all presidential surveys. But he said he was happy and thankful that people were supportive of his plan to return to the Senate.

A former national police chief, Lacson topped voters’ preference for senator based on the results of the Social Weather Stations survey which came out last Friday.

He noted that this is an indication that people believe in his capacity as a senator, and wanted him to return to the Senate. But the senator said he still has not given up his hope of serving the country’s highest office. He said that remains an option.

The former rehabilitation czar said he would intensify his campaign so that he can convey his message to the public . “I want the public to feel my presence and know what I can do for them and the country... what I want to do and will do to enlighten them, said Lacson.

“I supposed, this is not only for me, that if we want to bring our message, think D and E,” said Lacson while referring to those belonging to the lower brackets of the society who are not aware of the accomplishments and advocacies of the other candidates running in an election because they only know those who see them daily on television or heard them over the radio,” explained. Macon RamosAraneta

PCSO in action. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Vice-Chairman and General Manager lawyer Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II (second from right) and director lawyer Francisco Manuel G. Joaquin III (third from left) visited on June 12 three-year-old patient Jacob Figueroa, who underwent a successful liver transplant recently at the Medical City Hospital in Mandaluyong City. PCSO gave P1.5 million for the child’s operation. Jacob’s mother Ernalyn, from San Felipe, Zambales (right) thanked PCSO for the assistance. With them are pediatrician Karen Mercado and Medical City transplant team head surgeon Ma. Vanessa De Villa. JOSEPH MUEGO

Anti-trust bill seen to dismantle cartels

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

The country will be much prepared for the ASEAN market integration with the Congress’ ratification of the Philippine Competition Act or the Anti-Trust Bill Act that intends to eliminate cartels and penalize anti-competitive agreements and abuses of dominant players in the markets that lead to high prices of goods and services, according to senators.

Before the Senate adjourned, the senators ratified the reconciled version of the bill principally sponsored

by Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino, chairman of the committee on trade and commerce.

Aquino branded the ratification as “historic, game-changing for our the economy. He noted that

after three decades of waiting and 30 hours of bicameral conference hearing, Congress has finally ratified the bill that penalizes bad market behavior and abuse of dominant positions.

For almost thirty years, he said, the Philippines remains one of the few countries that do not have

a valid competition policy that will protect its consumers and private industries.

“It has been one of the longest running bills in our history,” said Aquino. He noted that the first competition policy was filed in the 8th Congress.

If enacted into law, he said, the measure will create a level playing field, whether big or small, when it comes to market opportunities. He also said this will promote a culture of healthy competition that inspires ingenuity, creativity, and innovation in addressing market needs.

The measure will also prohibit anti-competitive agreements and abuses of dominant position that distort, manipulate, or constrict the opera-

tions of markets in the Philippines.

“This is primary a huge victory for millions of consumers, who, in the end, will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this measure...We need more players in our markets, so that the quality of products and services increases, and prices of goods would then go down,” he further said.

Senator Cynthia Villar said we will be able to put an end to the socalled cartel as these threaten to drive away our micro, small, and medium enterprises.

“We want small industry players to be given a level playing field and the opportunity to contribute to the growth of our national economy,” she added.

Online visa set for Taiwanese

By Vito Barcelo In a bid to attract more Taiwanese tourist in the country, the Bureau of Immigration has embarked on an online application system of tourist visas for Taiwanese traveling to the Philippines.

The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) was designed to provide a more convenient travel to the Philippines, Immigration said.

According to the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taipei, the ETA is set to be officially launched on July 1. MECO is in close coordination with the BI for the implementation of the project.

“A trial run of the online system was done last May 15. MECO selected the first Taiwanese tour group to visit the Philippines using the new travel permit.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

In May 20, the first batch of Taiwanese ETA holders arrived at the Kalibo International Airport, BI commissioner Siegfred Mison said.

“This joint MECO and BI project for Taiwanese citizens aim to make traveling to the Philippines easier and hassle-free,” he said.

“These efforts are done to boost tourism in the country, and to strengthen our relationship with Taiwan,” he added.

A trial run was also conducted at the ninoy Aquino International Airport (nAIA), Puerto Princesa International Airport, and Mactan Cebu International Airport. The final run will be held on June 28 at the nAIA. The ETA is valid for a 30-day stay in the Philippines. Application can be done anywhere as long as there is a computer, internet access, and a printer.

Coastal care. Volunteers gather dried leaves and twigs to help keep the beach as pristine

as possible during the coastal clean-up event held in Lobo, Batangas under the auspices of Columbian Autocar Corporation as part of its Coastal Care Project. CAC’s corporate social responsibility program began last year with the greening of Lumban Laguna.

m o n D AY : J U n E 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

A6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

LGUs told: Fight for bigger tax pie

By Macon Ramos-Araneta LocaL government units should not abandon efforts to seek a bigger share in the national taxes even if the current administration has flatly rejected such moves, according to Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. lGUs should work together to press for their reasonable share in the internal Revenue Allotment , Marcos said during the 62nd national assembly of the league of Vice Governors of the Philippines in Tuguegarao City Friday night. “let us carefully plan on what else we can do so that in the coming years we can ensure that local governments will be given the priority and importance they truly deserve,” Marcos said.

Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local government, is supporting initiatives in the Senate to increase the iRA share of lGU’s. One proposal is to increase the current 4060 percent sharing scheme in favor of national government to a 50-50 split.

Another proposal is to increase the tax base by including in the computation of iRA not only all national taxes collected by the bureau of internal Revenue but also the excise taxes and value-added taxes collected by the bureau of Customs, estimated at P192 billion annually.

However, Marcos noted that Malacañang is cold to such kinds of proposals and apparently distrusts local government units.

He cited reports that in the general assembly of the league of Municipalities of the Philippines (lMP) last April, the President rejected lMP’s request to certify as urgent a bill seeking to expand the tax base and increase the shares of local governments from 40 to 50 percent of the national taxes.

Worse, Marcos noted that the government failed to release the 2013 iRA share of lGUs, amounting to P300 billion.

Despite this, Marcos pointed out, Malacañang admitted underspending around P303 billion of the 2014 budget, which many economists said was the culprit for the recent economic slowdown.

According to the National Economic Development Authority, the economy grew by only 5.2 percent during the first quarter of the year, the slowest growth posted since 2012.

Risky play. Unmindful of the danger they are facing, three children turn the busy United Nation Avenue in Manila into their own playground.

DANNY PATA

Job perks for indigent applicants

By Maricel V. Cruz

A bill granting indigent job applicants 20 percent discount on fees in processing government documents for employment purposes has been filed in the House of Representatives.

Authored by Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., House bill 5717 mandates that an indigent job applicant shall be given a 20-percent discount in processing clearances from the National bureau of investigation (Nbi), Philippine National Police (PNP) and the barangay.

The job applicant shall also be charged 20-percent less in processing medical certificate from the Department of Health (DOH), Certificates of Marriage and or birth from the

National Statistics Office (NSO) or the local Civil Registry (lCR) and Certificate of birth of the indigent applicant’s one (1) dependent.

Covered by the bill are job applicants who are seeking gainful employment and have no visible means of income or whose income is insufficient for the subsistence of their families.

They shall be identified and certified as indigent job applicants by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) based on the criteria set under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).

Andaya pushed for the immediate approval of the bill to be known as the indigents Pre-Employment Privilege Act of 2015 saying

it is the State’s obligation to empower its citizens in fighting poverty.

“The sad truth is that we lack employment opportunities.

And even when prospects for employment are present, most Filipinos cannot afford to pay for fees necessary to procure documentary requirements for their job application,” Andaya, vice chair of the House committee on appropriations, lamented.

Andaya said the least the government can do to lessen the financial burden of indigent Filipino job applicants is to grant them discounts in acquiring pre-employment documents.

“Reducing the processing fee of these documents encourages them to look for jobs in order to become productive members of

society,” Andaya said.

The bill creates the interAgency Coordinating and Monitoring Committee to ensure that the discounts are being implemented. it shall be composed of the DSWD secretary as the chairperson; National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) chairman as vice chairperson; secretaries of the DOH, Department of interior and local Government (DilG) and Department of Justice (DOJ) and NSO administrator as members.

The bill penalizes any person, government entity, agency or hospital who refuses or fails to provide the discount with imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than one year or a fine of not less than P10,000 but not more than P50,000 or both.

Tax breaks sought for BPOs

Play for pay. Father and daughter play their repertoire of instrumental music on

a bamboo xylophone to the delight of the crowd some of whom even chip in a few pesos to hear them perform along the Manila Baywalk. EY ACASIO

THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines has thrown its support behind two House bills seeking to exclude from income taxes all overtime and graveyard shift differential pay received by salaried employees, including the country’s 1.1 million business process outsourcing (bPO) workers who perform jobs all day and all night.

“The measures will prosper middle-class families, rev up household consumption, create new demand for the products and services of domestic industries, and stimulate economic growth amid persistent government

underspending,” said TUCP president Ernesto Herrera, a former senator.

Herrera was referring to House bills 2836 and 4682, which seek to exempt all overtime and graveyard shift benefits from the computation of the gross taxable income of all workers, regardless of their hourly pay rate. Makati City Rep. Mar-len Abigail binay introduced both bills.

“Well-paid employees and salaried professionals stand to gain the most from Congresswoman binay’s twin proposals, since by law, the income of our lowestpaid workers -- minimum

wage earners -- are already absolutely tax-free,” Herrera pointed out. in her bills’ explanatory notes, binay said the tax reprieves “are meant to give greater substance to the mandates of the Constitution for the State to provide a living wage, a rising standard of living, and improved quality of life for all.”

At present, Herrera said the overtime and night shift premiums of workers receiving more than the statutory minimum wage are slapped up to 32 percent in withholding taxes, depending on the employee’s tax bracket.

m o n d ay : J U n E 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Irrigation exec, employees in row over bonus CABANATUAN CITY—The National Irrigation Administration starts today its week-long 52ndanniversary celebration amid growing unrest among its employees over bonuses.

Around 6,000 employees of the agency are reeling from the non-release of over P219 million worth of the Viability Incentive Grant which they have been receiving over the past 30 years.

Officials of the NIA Employees Association of the Philippines have been urging NIA Administrator Florencio Padernal to lift his order suspending the payment of the VIG to the employees.

Padernal said his decision was based on the issuance by the Commission on Audit of its audit observation memoranda and notice of disallowances on the payment of the VIG to agency officials and employees.

The NIA board, chaired by Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agriculture Modernization Secretary Francis Pangilinan, instructed Padernal to seek the opinion of the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations on the matter.

Since last month, the NIAEASP has been holding protest actions and wearing red t-shirts to dramatize their opposition to the withholding of their VIG. Documents showed that of the P219,492,841.01 in VIG, P58.7 million is due employees from the Magat River Integrated Irrigation System and P47.8 million for the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System, respectively.

Now cooking. Everday is lechon day in Mandaue City, Cebu. CHI ALVAREZ

Tribal talks lead to suspect’s surrender

By Dexter A. See BONTOC, Mountain Province—The suspect in the stabbing of a 13-year-old boy in this town has surrendered to the police following a series of dialogues between the tribe elders of Bontoc and Tinglayan, from which he hails.

Saldy Dalug, from Basao, Tinglayan, Kalinga,was accompanied by relatives, Kalinga elders, members of the Movement for the Advancement of Inter Tribal Unity and Development (MAITUD) and Episcopal priests when he surrended to Tinglayan police.

Dalug’s surrender has convinced the family and the local community of 13-year-old John Bryden Faniswa Crisostomo that justice has been served.

The boy was allegedly stabbed by Dalug whom he met at an an unlit portion of the

stairs of a boarding house at Foyayeng, Bontoc Ili on April 10.

Barangay officials from both towns, women’s and senior citizens’ groups joined the dialogues to shed light on the killing of Crisostomo.

The suspect, a minor, is facing homicide charges and is now detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Mountain Province.

Bontoc Association of Barangay Captains Chairperson Alexander Fanaang, who is also the Punong Barangay of Bontoc Ili, said the victim’s family had always wanted the suspect to surrender and admit to the crime.

In the days leading to Dalug’s surrender, residents of Tinglayan were prevented from entering Bontoc Ili “to call the attention of the Tinglayan people to surrender the suspect.” Bontoc elders stressed it was never their intention to inf lict violence nor exact revenge on the suspect, his family and his townmates.

Nonetheless, when the barricade’s effect on Tinglayan students, patients, traders and travelers became apparent, the groups volunteered to talk to the suspect’s family and tribe for Dalug’s surrender.

Thousands rally for priest’s ouster

By Dexter A. See

By the water. A woman poses for a picture at Maharlika Spring Falls in Bgy. San Rafael, Taft, Eastern Samar.

MEL CASPE

NAGUILIAN, La Union –More than 6,000 faithful and parishioners from various barangays here joined a peace rally Saturday morning to call for the ouster of the parish priest accused of bad behavior and numerous irregularities in church administration.

The protesters, holding placards denouncing Reverend Raul Panay, marched from various directions and trooped to the town plaza at around 7:00 a.m. for a prayer and reading and signing of the petition written on tarpaulins.

At least 27,000 parishioners have signed the petition seeking the relief of Panay, parish priest of St. Augustine of Hippo Parish here, for acts such as threatening, insulting, and harassing faithful and the officers of Parish Pastoral Council (PPC).

The complaint against Panay has reached the office of La Union Bishop Rodolfo Beltran, La Union local government officials, and Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

Among the numerous complaints against Panay was that some PPC officers heard him say he wanted to shoot the president of the United Naguilian, La Union Circle of America, Inc, - an organization conducting fund-raising drive for church projects in the US. The threat sowed fear among PPC officers and parishioners because someone had seen Panay keeping a gun in his room at the convent.

Panay was also accused of insulting the PPC president of Barangay Ortiz and pointing fingers at another PPC official.

He also allegedly used PPC funds to buy beer and food for his guests inside

his room during his assumption as parish priest on Feb. 16.

No financial report has been made even as he has said he wanted to control the PPC fund. He has transferred the venue for counting donations to his room from the parish office.

Parishioners also complained that Panay has increased the rate of funeral services (from P1,000 to P1,500) and baptismal services (from P50 to P100) without consultations and even shortened the time of masses. He allegedly complained if given lesser amount during outside services such as blessings and prayers.

He also pressured some church officials to resign.

On the day of the rally, the funeral services of four people were delayed because Panay could not be found; a guest priest had to officiate the funeral mass.

M O N D AY : J u N E 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDitOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

plumbline pAstOR ApOllO quibOlOy

Applying for the top job

[ EDI TORI A L ]

All in the fAmily “UnJUSt laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?”

This was the central question that Henry david Thoreau, the American author, poet and philosopher posed when he argued in the essay Civil disobedience that citizens had a duty to oppose an unjust government and to disobey an unjust law.

There is something heroic in the notion of ordinary people standing up to the power of an unjust state; it is something altogether different—hypocritical and dastardly, in fact--when it is the lawmakers who willfully disobey the law and use the power granted them by the people to keep themselves and their relations in power.

The 1987 Constitution is unequivocal: “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.” despite this clear admonition, not a single Congress since 1987 has passed a law to define what a political dynasty is, giving politicians a convenient excuse to flout the basic law of the land. earlier this month, the House of representatives failed to pass an anti-political dynasty bill after lawmakers opposed to it planned a walkout should it come to a vote.

The bill allows only two members from one family to be elected – one at the national and another at the local level. As long as these two are in office, other family members are barred from running in elections. The strictures had already been watered down in an attempt to win more support, but congressmen and congresswomen belonging to powerful political clans clearly did not see fit to put the country’s interests ahead of their own. in the Senate, a similar bill is opposed by the likes of Senator nancy Binay, whose circumstances are the perfect illustration of a political dynasty at work. The senator’s father is the Vice President, her sister a congresswoman, and her brother is mayor of country’s financial district of Makati. in a paper submitted to the 15th Congress, researchers from the Asian institute of Management and the Ateneo de Manila University observed that “representatives from political dynasties account for 70 percent of the jurisdiction-based legislators in Congress.” “dynastic jurisdictions are also associated with lower standards of living (as measured by average income) and lower human development (as measured by the Human development index), and higher levels of deprivation (as measured by poverty incidence, poverty gap, and poverty severity),” said the paper, written by ronald U. Mendoza and david Barua Yap ii of AiM and edsel L. Beja Jr. and Victor S. Venida of the Ateneo.

“Political dynasties tend to dominate the major political parties; and, on average, they are located in regions with relatively higher poverty levels and inequalities and relatively lower average incomes,” the authors write in their conclusion.

Politicians who come from political families tend to be wealthier than those who do not, and they also tend to win elections by much larger margins, the authors noted.

While the authors were careful not to draw a cause-and-effect relationship between political dynasties and poverty, they did point to a correlation between the two, based on the empirical evidence.

“While we cannot say at this stage if dynastic prevalence causes high poverty or vice versa, we can argue that either hypothesis is worthy of the public’s and policymakers’ attention,” they concluded. if the last two decades have proved anything, it is that politicians from these powerful clans will never put our interests ahead of their own. The only way to break the vicious cycle and to finally uphold the Constitution short of civil disobedience is to boot them out and vote into office leaders and legislators who believe we deserve a just, fair and equitable government.

OFF TO COURT it would not take a freshman law student to agree that judicial refR. RAnhiliO course was premature. But the cAllAngAn Supreme Court itself has provided the warrant for the action AquinO presently before it. in 2000, it Kit tatad, some bishops and ruled in the Pimentel, Jr. v. Aguother patriots have made their irre case: “By the mere enactway to the Supreme Court to ment of the questioned law, or the question the accords underly- approval of the challenged action, ing the draft Bangsamoro Basic the dispute is said to have ripened Law that has been stopped in into a judicial controversy even its tracks by the statesmanship of without any overt act. indeed, Senator Bongbong Marcos and even a singular violation of the others who have refused to write Constitution or the law is enough finis to the debates. Were the pe- to awaken judicial duty.” While titioners assailing the draft BBL, some, of course, would prefer to

pensées

have a court that does not keep long watches, political-juridical developments in our country have taken this road. We do have a powerful judiciary, what former Senator rene Saguisag has halfjokingly called “the most dangerous branch of government”!

The petitioners assail the Framework Agreement and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. These are not proposals, neither travaux preparatoires. These agreements are in the nature of approved executive acts in the exercise of what the north Cotabato case penned

A9

Would it not be foolhardy to go ahead anyway and enact the measure, with the risk that it will be effete because its framework and its premises are unconstitutional?

by Justice (now Ombudsman) Conchita Carpio Morales characterized as one of the “residual powers” of the President (a concept owed to the scholar on presidential power, Justice irene

Cortes)—the power to negotiate peace deals! There is, to be sure, a bill submitted to Congress that the President has asked, pressed, cajoled the Legislature to pass into law, but this is another thing.

When the Court passed upon the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral domains, it rejected the “prematurity” objection by ruling: “When an act of a branch of government is seriously alleged to have infringed the Constitution, it becomes not only the right but in fact the duty of the judiciary to settle the dispute.” The adverb is misplaced—because what Her Honor meant was “is alleged to have seriously infringed the Constitution”, but the doctrine remains clear.

Has the executive Branch of government

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-

acted in such a manner as to expose itself to the complaint that its act or acts have violated the Constitution? Unless Coronel and deles on the one hand, and alias iqbal on the other hand meant simply to treat the nation to a piece of hortatory literature, then the Comprehensive and the Framework Agreements are acts open for judicial review.

Why only now, BBL partisans cry out? Well, one good reason is the stubbornness with which Malacanan pulls all stops for the passage of the law. if

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

wags are to be entertained, there is even talk that money made the rounds to ease consciences into mumbling “aye” in favor of the controversial bill. And why not now? really, actions for the nullity of acts and deeds that violate the fundamental law do not prescribe, do they?

For how can the passing of time, or the inaction of citizens, make present that which just ain’t there?

And now that a proper action has been filed before the Supreme Court, for 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. Isabel “Gina” P. Versoza Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

A PreSidentiAL candidacy is basically an application for a job which pays little but packs power and perks.

The take-home is P120,000 a month , which is today’s expense account of a senior executive of big company. A grocer earns more. But the perks are unli.

The successful applicant gets free board and lodging, is whisked around in an armed convoy, has an air fleet at his disposal and is guarded round-the-clock by a thousand security guards .

Also at his beck and call is an army of waitstaff in the official residence cum office – they who do things which make the most powerful office in the land hum, whether trimming the grass on the lawn or the rhetoric in his speech.

But more than the pomp and the pageantry the office requires, it is the powers it possesses, which makes it a muchcoveted post, so desired that those who want it spend, or solicit, a fortune to bankroll a nasty campaign, equally spent in presenting his best foot forward and protecting his back.

The job description is there in the operating manual of the republic called the Constitution.

The president is chief executive of a 1.5-million-strong, or as a wag would say, slumbering bureaucracy. As head honcho of the military, he can scramble planes, and rouse the infantry out of the barracks. Or order the navy to scare away intruders with a dazzling display of Powerpoint slides. every July, he sends a trillions-peso check for Congress to sign. That is the budget needed to ostensibly run schools, hospitals, airports, daycare centers – everything, it seems, except trains. if tax collections nesting in the treasury are not enough, he is allowed to borrow, even mortgage our future, on our behalf.

He signs not only debt notes but also the bills Congress sends him, which he must faithfully execute together with the other laws of the land. if you’re in the lam for a crime, he can pardon you which means he has a stash of get-out-of-jail tickets.

These, plus more, the job applicants promise to do, for a salary of P120,000 a month, or make that P80,000 because as powerful as he may be, he is not exempt from the taxman. A third plus more of his gross pay goes to the Bir, PhilHealth, GSiS and Pag-iBiG. 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

M O N D AY : J u N E 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDitOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

plumbline pAstOR ApOllO quibOlOy

Applying for the top job

[ EDI TORI A L ]

All in the fAmily “UnJUSt laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?”

This was the central question that Henry david Thoreau, the American author, poet and philosopher posed when he argued in the essay Civil disobedience that citizens had a duty to oppose an unjust government and to disobey an unjust law.

There is something heroic in the notion of ordinary people standing up to the power of an unjust state; it is something altogether different—hypocritical and dastardly, in fact--when it is the lawmakers who willfully disobey the law and use the power granted them by the people to keep themselves and their relations in power.

The 1987 Constitution is unequivocal: “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.” despite this clear admonition, not a single Congress since 1987 has passed a law to define what a political dynasty is, giving politicians a convenient excuse to flout the basic law of the land. earlier this month, the House of representatives failed to pass an anti-political dynasty bill after lawmakers opposed to it planned a walkout should it come to a vote.

The bill allows only two members from one family to be elected – one at the national and another at the local level. As long as these two are in office, other family members are barred from running in elections. The strictures had already been watered down in an attempt to win more support, but congressmen and congresswomen belonging to powerful political clans clearly did not see fit to put the country’s interests ahead of their own. in the Senate, a similar bill is opposed by the likes of Senator nancy Binay, whose circumstances are the perfect illustration of a political dynasty at work. The senator’s father is the Vice President, her sister a congresswoman, and her brother is mayor of country’s financial district of Makati. in a paper submitted to the 15th Congress, researchers from the Asian institute of Management and the Ateneo de Manila University observed that “representatives from political dynasties account for 70 percent of the jurisdiction-based legislators in Congress.” “dynastic jurisdictions are also associated with lower standards of living (as measured by average income) and lower human development (as measured by the Human development index), and higher levels of deprivation (as measured by poverty incidence, poverty gap, and poverty severity),” said the paper, written by ronald U. Mendoza and david Barua Yap ii of AiM and edsel L. Beja Jr. and Victor S. Venida of the Ateneo.

“Political dynasties tend to dominate the major political parties; and, on average, they are located in regions with relatively higher poverty levels and inequalities and relatively lower average incomes,” the authors write in their conclusion.

Politicians who come from political families tend to be wealthier than those who do not, and they also tend to win elections by much larger margins, the authors noted.

While the authors were careful not to draw a cause-and-effect relationship between political dynasties and poverty, they did point to a correlation between the two, based on the empirical evidence.

“While we cannot say at this stage if dynastic prevalence causes high poverty or vice versa, we can argue that either hypothesis is worthy of the public’s and policymakers’ attention,” they concluded. if the last two decades have proved anything, it is that politicians from these powerful clans will never put our interests ahead of their own. The only way to break the vicious cycle and to finally uphold the Constitution short of civil disobedience is to boot them out and vote into office leaders and legislators who believe we deserve a just, fair and equitable government.

OFF TO COURT it would not take a freshman law student to agree that judicial refR. RAnhiliO course was premature. But the cAllAngAn Supreme Court itself has provided the warrant for the action AquinO presently before it. in 2000, it Kit tatad, some bishops and ruled in the Pimentel, Jr. v. Aguother patriots have made their irre case: “By the mere enactway to the Supreme Court to ment of the questioned law, or the question the accords underly- approval of the challenged action, ing the draft Bangsamoro Basic the dispute is said to have ripened Law that has been stopped in into a judicial controversy even its tracks by the statesmanship of without any overt act. indeed, Senator Bongbong Marcos and even a singular violation of the others who have refused to write Constitution or the law is enough finis to the debates. Were the pe- to awaken judicial duty.” While titioners assailing the draft BBL, some, of course, would prefer to

pensées

have a court that does not keep long watches, political-juridical developments in our country have taken this road. We do have a powerful judiciary, what former Senator rene Saguisag has halfjokingly called “the most dangerous branch of government”!

The petitioners assail the Framework Agreement and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. These are not proposals, neither travaux preparatoires. These agreements are in the nature of approved executive acts in the exercise of what the north Cotabato case penned

A9

Would it not be foolhardy to go ahead anyway and enact the measure, with the risk that it will be effete because its framework and its premises are unconstitutional?

by Justice (now Ombudsman) Conchita Carpio Morales characterized as one of the “residual powers” of the President (a concept owed to the scholar on presidential power, Justice irene

Cortes)—the power to negotiate peace deals! There is, to be sure, a bill submitted to Congress that the President has asked, pressed, cajoled the Legislature to pass into law, but this is another thing.

When the Court passed upon the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral domains, it rejected the “prematurity” objection by ruling: “When an act of a branch of government is seriously alleged to have infringed the Constitution, it becomes not only the right but in fact the duty of the judiciary to settle the dispute.” The adverb is misplaced—because what Her Honor meant was “is alleged to have seriously infringed the Constitution”, but the doctrine remains clear.

Has the executive Branch of government

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-

acted in such a manner as to expose itself to the complaint that its act or acts have violated the Constitution? Unless Coronel and deles on the one hand, and alias iqbal on the other hand meant simply to treat the nation to a piece of hortatory literature, then the Comprehensive and the Framework Agreements are acts open for judicial review.

Why only now, BBL partisans cry out? Well, one good reason is the stubbornness with which Malacanan pulls all stops for the passage of the law. if

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

wags are to be entertained, there is even talk that money made the rounds to ease consciences into mumbling “aye” in favor of the controversial bill. And why not now? really, actions for the nullity of acts and deeds that violate the fundamental law do not prescribe, do they?

For how can the passing of time, or the inaction of citizens, make present that which just ain’t there?

And now that a proper action has been filed before the Supreme Court, for 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. Isabel “Gina” P. Versoza Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

A PreSidentiAL candidacy is basically an application for a job which pays little but packs power and perks.

The take-home is P120,000 a month , which is today’s expense account of a senior executive of big company. A grocer earns more. But the perks are unli.

The successful applicant gets free board and lodging, is whisked around in an armed convoy, has an air fleet at his disposal and is guarded round-the-clock by a thousand security guards .

Also at his beck and call is an army of waitstaff in the official residence cum office – they who do things which make the most powerful office in the land hum, whether trimming the grass on the lawn or the rhetoric in his speech.

But more than the pomp and the pageantry the office requires, it is the powers it possesses, which makes it a muchcoveted post, so desired that those who want it spend, or solicit, a fortune to bankroll a nasty campaign, equally spent in presenting his best foot forward and protecting his back.

The job description is there in the operating manual of the republic called the Constitution.

The president is chief executive of a 1.5-million-strong, or as a wag would say, slumbering bureaucracy. As head honcho of the military, he can scramble planes, and rouse the infantry out of the barracks. Or order the navy to scare away intruders with a dazzling display of Powerpoint slides. every July, he sends a trillions-peso check for Congress to sign. That is the budget needed to ostensibly run schools, hospitals, airports, daycare centers – everything, it seems, except trains. if tax collections nesting in the treasury are not enough, he is allowed to borrow, even mortgage our future, on our behalf.

He signs not only debt notes but also the bills Congress sends him, which he must faithfully execute together with the other laws of the land. if you’re in the lam for a crime, he can pardon you which means he has a stash of get-out-of-jail tickets.

These, plus more, the job applicants promise to do, for a salary of P120,000 a month, or make that P80,000 because as powerful as he may be, he is not exempt from the taxman. A third plus more of his gross pay goes to the Bir, PhilHealth, GSiS and Pag-iBiG. 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 Charisma and politiCs IF I were in Vice President Jejomar Binay’s shoes I would be worried. And, it is not only ritA lindA because in the latest v. jimeno survey results of both Pulse Asia and SWS, Senator Grace Poe topped the list of possible presidential contenders. This, to my mind, is only the consequence of a confluence of factors working in favor of Poe. My having met them both on a few occasions has given me a glimpse into their personalities and given me a sense of who between them has “it.” By ”it,” I mean charisma or that quality which makes a person endearing, trusted, looked up to, and followed by others. While I have met the Vice President and spoken to him a few times, once in his office, together with some constitutional change advocates, I still feel every time I meet him that it would be pointless to remind him that we have met before because he shows no sign of recognition whatsoever. Thus, each meeting goes through the same introduction phase. But of course, the Vice President cannot be blamed as he gets to meet and talk to hundreds of people on a weekly basis. Yet, he has some re-learning to do.

I met Senator Grace Poe only thrice and each one was in a party where several people got introduced to her. Just as I am wont to do when meeting politicians and celebrities, I did not bother telling her, the last time I met her, that I have had the pleasure of shaking her hand in a prior occasion. It thus impressed me beyond words when it was she who reminded me that we had met and even said where and on what occasion. Senator Poe has a natural charisma other politicians can only envy because it is a quality that cannot be feigned.

Add to that her fairy-tale story of being once a foundling, then a senator, and now a serious presidential material. Add still her being as simple in her clothing and ways, yet graceful, as she has been the first time she went public.

The combination of these factors is magical. People identify A charismatic and with her and see her endearing person is as someone living one who can make their dreams. people feel important Poe’s fairy tale because he listens to journey can be likthem with genuine ened to how Nora interest and empathy.

Aunor captivated the imagination and adoration of the Filipino public, spanning five decades which began in the 1960s.

As a teenager, she helped her family struggle with poverty by selling drinking water in train stations. She was blessed with a soothing and melodious voice, however, and this became her ticket to stardom. It was for Nora that the word “superstar” was coined. Despite her superstardom, Nora never lost her common touch. She has remained reachable and approachable.

In Philippine politics, although money plays a huge factor, a candidate needs more than that. He or she must be endearing to the public. To be endearing, one must have certain qualities which many of our traditional politicians have—unfortunately—lost. A charismatic and endearing person is one who can make people feel important because he listens to them with genuine interest and empathy rather than being centered in his own ego. He is one whose smile is authentic because it shows in his eyes; someone who does not keep texting or looking around the room while talking to another.

A charismatic person exudes power. Power is critical to charisma because it is that which attracts people to a

out of the box

M O N D AY : J U N E 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

taKinG stoCK So THe two public surveys are out, Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations. The field work was done May 30-June 5 and June 5-8, respectively.

The big news is the meteoric rise of Senadora Grace. The decline in VP Jojo’s numbers was expected, but the current numbers still are not conclusive. Is this rock bottom, as in some 20 percent of the electorate will stay with Binay, no matter what?

Assuming the numbers do not go down any further in September, what can Binay do to up his numbers as e-Day approaches? Conversely, what can the competition add to the cacophony of negative charges brought against him, so that the numbers will plunge even further?

What is certain is that the VP is in the running. even if perchance, he is charged before the Sandiganbayan, along with his son Jun-jun the mayor, Brand Binay will make a go for it.

Mar was deeply elated that his Pulse Asia numbers rose from 4 to 10. Not only has he graduated from the single-digit curse that hounded him for the previous survey periods, he has garnered a 150-percent increase! Which is exactly how he described the shot in the arm.

That means no matter what, he is the Liberal Party candidate. And PNoy would be hard put denying him that, even for an “amazing” Grace.

Grace zooming past Binay came about because the Luzon and NCR voters switched from the beleaguered VP to her as alternative. She has been saying the right things, always reminding the electorate

So i See lito bAnAyo about the inspiration of her adoptive father, the legendary FPJ. Unlike Davao’s Duterte, she has not been declaring flatly she is not interested, but in studied manner, that she is seriously considering, praying, and studying. She is a political strategist’s dream candidate.

The fact that no less than President Aquino has been discussing politics with her, and publicized each time at that, gives her potential run much cachet. So the numbers have for the meantime, parked in her corner, as the same deserted the vice-president and the single-digit wannabes.

Duterte’s numbers are marginally up, three percentage points to 15 in Pulse, and five points up in the SWS’ choose three methodology. The ascent is gradual. It probably would have been more if he has not been categorically stating that he would not run for president.

While Davaoenos might be used to the mayor’s style (jele-jele pero quiere), those who have heard him for the first time may have written him off because “hindi naman pala tatakbo”. Note that his awareness is still low for a presidentiable, 86 percent (up from 76 percent in March), while the competition is 98-100.

Respondents who are not familiar with the Davao mayor would take him at his word. “No I am not running” is a world dissimilar to Grace’s

tion of the Constitutional Council, a latecomer, to be sure, to the French Congress to proceed full steam ahead constitutional landscape but still con—with the necessary hot air issuing sistent with the underlying French forth de las orillas del Pasig would be distrust for a government by judges! to pre-empt the Court. Not that the At the instance of the President of the pendency of an action in court must Republic or the Prime Minister or the always stay the hand of Congress. In heads of either of the chambers of the this case, however, the very bases of Legislature, or of a stipulated numwhat a bill currently debated is now ber of legislators, the Constitutional the subject of constitutional inquest. Council passes upon draft legislation Would it not be foolhardy to go ahead —or legislation, prior to promulgaanyway and enact the measure, with tion. Whatever does not pass constithe risk that it will be effete because tutional scrutiny never gets promulits framework and its premises are gated -- and the ante factum review avoids the awkwardness of a body unconstitutional?

In the French constitutional sys- outside the Legislature striking down tem, there is the interesting institu- the latter’s promulgated acts.

off to Court From A9

person. Thankfully, the power referred to in many studies on charisma is not about merely holding a position of power. A person’s body language makes up 60 per cent of his interpersonal communication. Therefore, when one’s bearing, voice tone, manner of walking, sitting and standing, and the strength of his handshake convey that he is confident, he exudes power. The tonal quality of a person’s voice, without him knowing it, spells the difference whether people will listen to him or begin talking to others while he is speaking. A vocal intonation that rises excessively indicates uncertainty, nervousness and neediness which turn people off. Too, one’s confident posture and relaxed stance make him exhibit power which attracts others.

Finally, studies say, warmth, combined with the right amount of the ability to listen, and power, leads

“I have yet to make a final decision”, followed through by a supportive Chiz escudero’s, “once she decides, there is no turning back”.

As I wrote in an earlier article, there will be four in the running for president after PNoy. Now is the time to take stock for each of these presidentiables. For Binay, it means fortifying the alliances within his UNA, and preventing desertions of the faint-hearted who may sense an ill wind blowing his way.

For Mar, it is assuring his partymates that he is definitely in the game, and the “best” is yet to come.

No more floats from Mama Judy or wife Korina. Mar has to get out of his cocoon and corral his loyalists, including PNoy. For Duterte, it’s time to fortify his areas of strength, stop playing coy, and start talking turkey with established political parties and leaders who would ally with him.

And for “amazing” Grace, as her favorite media supporters describe her, it is time to decide whether to go “indie” as Serge and Chiz suggest, or choosing a major “studio” as vehicle.

The nitty-gritty begins for these four. Whom to partner with? Who ought to be in their senatorial slate?

It is also the time to plan the thousand and one things that go into a presidential campaign, Pinoy style, with its personal machinery-building, winner-take-all character.

As for those in the single-digit category, despite declarations and advertorials, it’s also time to take stock, and lower their sights.

Interesting, the next three months.

We do not have that institution here—which would be a good thing to propose when we can more dispassionately talk about charter change. But asking the Supreme Court now to pass upon the Comprehensive and Framework agreements is, in effect, doing the same thing: asking for a ruling on done deals (because they ARe in truth done deeds) so that Congress may be spared the trouble of enacting into law what proceeds from unconstitutional provenance! rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

to massive personal attraction. Warmth is the factor that makes one approachable because a warm person is able to make others feel comfortable in his presence, no matter how high in the social ladder he belongs to. If a person treats others as his equal, he makes them feel good and they, in turn, will want to please him and do things to support him.

Being magnetic is key to winning people’s hearts and their votes. Years in politics have made the traditional politicians jaded. They focus more on having as much money as possible to oil their campaign which, though important, is not everything. Charisma and magnetism are what make Grace Poe the candidate to beat.

Email: ritalindaj@gmail.com Visit: www.jimenolaw.com.ph

M O N D AY : J U N E 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A11

MALAYSIA GETS A DOSE OF REAL TALK The man often referred to Asia’s Richard Branson has been waging his own ASIA-BASED journalists have missed battle with the government on Twitter.

Mahathir Mohamad since he left office Fernandes has been decrying, 140 charin 2003. The former Malaysian prime acters at a time, the Malaysian governminister’s mercurial governing style and ment’s misguided priorities and its utter fiery rhetoric made for great copy. I was lack of accountability. “Government and in a Hong Kong ballroom in 1997 when opposition spend so much time on race Mahathir—the man credited with turn- and religion. Will there ever be a truly ing the agricultural backwater Kuala Malaysian party that puts people first?”

Lumpur, which literally means “muddy he tweeted recently. Another message river,” into one of Asia’s most impres- reads: “Good education, good hospitals, sive skylines—esponded to his country’s fair distribution of wealth, an economy crashing economy by castigating hedge that creates jobs, honest clean governfund managers. He singled out George ment. Transparent leadership.”

Soros as a “moron.”

My favorite was Fernandes’s take on Mahathir now has a new target—Najib the kind of national culture the governRazak, Malaysia’s current prime minis- ment should be cultivating: “Where all ter. The daily squabbling between Najib Malaysians respect each other’s culture, and his predecessor has unsettled Ma- religion but work together to benefit all. laysian markets, with the ringgit falling If you need an example look at AirAsia.” to its lowest value in a decade. But Najib This last point deserves closer attenhas nobody to blame but himself for the tion. AirAsia has admittedly had a rocky attacks, given the country’s underlying six months, beginning in December with economic distress. Malaysia’s prolonged its first crash (killing all 155 on board) slow growth, which has Fitch now and culminating in today’s share-price threatening a downgrade of the coun- plunge (its accounting practices are betry’s credit ratings, traces back to Najib’s ing questioned by GMT Research). But refusal, or inability, to make good on his Fernandes has earned his status as a mapledges to dismantle race-based policies jor player—and Malaysia’s most recogthat strangle innovation, feed cronyism nizable face—on the global stage. With and repel multinational companies. his Bransonesque daring and socialYou don’t have to take Mahathir’s word media savvy, the billionaire Formula for it -- Malaysia’s most successful en- One team owner personifies the heights trepreneurs say the same thing. Just ask to which the Malaysian economy might Tony Fernandes of AirAsia. climb if the country’s dysfunctional poli-

By William Pesek

APPLYING... From A9 Divide his net monthly pay by four and he gets paid P20,000 weekly.

But the number one job in the land is neither a Battle of the Brains contest nor a talent show in which wannabes, without spending a dime, simply show up, show their stuff, and are shown the results of the judges.

It is not one job application that is cleared in one sitting by the HR boss or a panel of three saying, “You’re hired!”

It is one that is approved by a jury of 60 million, in a grueling 90-day hiring process called elections.

And just to increase the chances of being hired, with no

guarantee of success, an applicant must spend or solicit, beg or borrow, a billion pesos or two.

So if, say, the poverty line for a presidential run is P2 billion, then an applicant must shell out P231 for every one peso of prospective pay.

Or P2 billion in expenses for a job that pays about P8.7 million in six years.

Thus, the electoral math, of the financial kind, is this: It is like paying P6.4 million a week ( that’s P2 billion divided by 312 weeks) to a land a job which pays P20,000 a week.

What if the campaign expenses exceed P2 billion? Then if the presidency were a prepaid cellphone card, the privilege of

#FAILOCRACY

tics didn’t stand in the way.

Indeed, AirAsia might never have gotten off the ground if Najib had been in office at the time of its inception, rather than Mahathir. Fernandes had three big strikes against him when he started out 14 years ago: He’s not Malay (the majority ethnicity coddled by Malaysia’s affirmative-action policies); he was intent on challenging the flagship Malaysian Airlines; and he was starting an airline just as the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. was sending the industry into the throes of an existential crisis.

Nonetheless, Mahathir’s government gave Fernandes the green light to create the company. In the interim, AirAsia has literally changed the world. Although the company’s “Now Everyone Can Fly” slogan seemed somewhat trite at the time of its founding, it has gone on to inspire myriad developing-world copycats.

Malaysia needs more homegrown success stories that raise living standards and the country’s global status. Sadly, when Malaysia makes headlines these days, they’re often about the government’s dysfunction -- whether the neverending effort to jail opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges, legal tussles over who exactly is permitted to utter the word “Allah,” or clueless castigations of foreign tourists (a group of whom allegedly caused an earthquake by taking nude photos atop Mount Kinabalu).

riding in the No 1. limousine, being addressed His Excellency, and having that seal screwed on whatever podium you mount, comes at a cost of advancing P1 million per day in office.

Even if a candidate without resources will able to cobble together P500 million as war chest, which won’t get him far in an air war in which a 30-seconder ad costs half a million bucks, and by miracle makes it, he would have still prepaid his tenure at a cost of P1.6 million a week.

So is the ability to meet the minimum entry fee to the presidential derby the sole gauge of one’s seriousness in joining?

Does the absence of a deep pocket or a deep bench of

Since becoming prime minister in 2009, Najib should have worked to level Malaysia’s playing field for would-be entrepreneurs. Instead, he has protected race-based quotas and deepened the economy’s reliance on oil and gas production. Najib seems to be more concerned about retaining power for his ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power for almost six decades, than attending to the aspirations of Malaysia’s 30 million people.

Meanwhile, some of his supposed reforms are dragging down the economy.

A case in point is 1Malaysia Development, the state investment company Najib created, and which Mahathir claims is missing “huge sums of money” and buckling under debt. The scandal has contributed to the plunging of Malaysia’s currency some 13 percent over the past 12 months.

The ringgit’s fluctuations are a decent summary of the country’s wayward course in recent years. It’s now close to 3.80 to the dollar, the level where Mahathir pegged it during the 1997-1998 Asian crisis. Mahathir now says it may be time to peg the currency anew to stabilize it. That speaks to how little progress Najib has made internationalizing the economy—and how urgent new political leadership (or a return to old political leadership, as it were) would be for entrepreneurs like Fernandes.

Bloomberg

funders prime one to be writ- she—will be able to create milten off as a nuisance interloper? lions of jobs all over the land.

In a nation where half a milIs there a show-me-the-money rule to be met before one can lion college graduates have no jobs, where the unemployed throw his hat into the ring?

Some say that the list must and underemployed combine be whittled down for practical- for a third of the work force, ity’s sake as it would be impos- where 15 wide-bodied jets of sible to conduct a presidential talented Filipinos leave daily for election in which the ballot is jobs abroad, then the next presias long as a toilet paper roll be- dent must be a job generator-inchief. cause it is open to all.

More on this next week.

But for me, I join those who look for one trait in the job applicants, which, sadly, is markCHASING edly absent among those who HAPPY are casting a moist eye on the Sagisag ng Pangulo. That is the ADELLE focus on job creation.

CHUA Any applicant who wants the number-one job in the land Ms. Chua’s column will resume must convince us that he—or next week.

CHONG ARDIVILLA

VIETNAM AIRLINES General conditions of carriage for passengers and baggage ARTICLE 1: DEFINITIONS In these Conditions, the following expressions have meanings respectively assigned to them: “Agreed stopping places” means those places, except the place of departure and the place of final destination, set forth in the Ticket or shown in our timetables on your itinerary.

“Airline Designator Code” means two-characters or three letters which identify particular air carriers.

“Authority” is the government agency, the specialised agencies or the authorised organizations/individuals.

“Authorised Agent” means a passenger sales agent who has been appointed by us to represent us in the sale of air transportation over our services and, when authorised, over the services of other air carriers.

“Baggage” means your personal property accompanying you in connection with your trip. Unless otherwise specified, it includes both your Checked and Unchecked Baggage.

“Baggage Check” means those portions of the Ticket which relate to the carriage of your Checked Baggage.

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“Carrier” means an air carrier other than ourselves, whose Airline Designator Code appears on your Ticket or on a Conjunction Ticket.

“Checked Baggage” means Baggage of which we take sole custody and for which we have issued a Baggage Check.

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“You”, “your” and “yourself” mean any person, except members of the crew, carried or to be carried in an aircraft with our consent.

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2.1.2. These Conditions also apply to gratuitous and reduced fare carriage except to the extent that we have provided otherwise in Our Regulations or in the relevant contracts, passes or Tickets.

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These Conditions of Carriage and an essential part of the regulations are published widely and passenger may request for details at any time.

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3.1.2. You cannot transfer your Ticket.

3.1.3. Tickets sold at discounted fares may partially or completely be non-refundable. You should decide your choice of fare properly 3.1.4. If you have a Ticket, as described in Article 3.1.3 above, which is completely unused, and you are prevented from travelling due to Force Majeure, provided that you promptly advise us and furnish evidence of such Force Majeure, we will provide you with a credit of the non-refundable portion of the fare, for future travel on us, subject to deduction of a reasonable administration fee.

3.1.5. The Ticket is and remains at all times the property of the issuing Carrier.

3.1.6. Requirement for Ticket You shall be entitled to be carried on a flight if you present a valid Ticket containing the Flight Coupon for that flight and all other unused Flight Coupons and the Passenger Coupon. In addition, you shall not be entitled to be carried if the Ticket presented is mutilated or if it has been altered otherwise than by us or our Authorised Agents.

In the case of an Electronic Ticket, you shall be entitled to be carried on a flight if you provide positive identification and a valid Electronic Ticket has been duly issued in your name and delivered to you.

3.1.7. Loss, Mutilation, or Non-presentation etc., of Ticket 3.1.7.1. In case of loss or mutilation of a Ticket, (total or part of it), or non-presentation of a Ticket containing the Passenger Coupon and all unused Flight Coupons, upon your request, we will replace such Ticket (total or part of it) by issuing a new Ticket, provided there is evidence, readily ascertainable at the time, that a Ticket valid for the flight(s) in question was duly issued. In that case you have to sign an agreement to reimburse us for the fare applicable to the new Ticket in event, and to the extend, that the lost or missing Ticket or the missing Flight Coupons are used by any person, or that refund in respect thereof is made by any person.

3.1.7.2. Where such evidence is not available or you do not sign such an agreement, the Carrier issuing the Ticket may require you to pay up to the full Ticket price for a replacement Ticket. This payment is only refunded if and when the original issuing Carrier is satisfied that the lost or mutilated Ticket has not been used prior to its expiry. If, upon finding the original Ticket before its expiry, you surrender it to the carrier issuing the new Ticket, the foregoing refund will be processed at that time.

3.1.8. Passenger should take appropriate measures to safeguard the ticket and ensure it is not lost or stolen.

3.2. Period of validity 3.2.1. Except otherwise provided in the Ticket, these Conditions, or in applicable Tariffs, (which may limit the validity of a Ticket, in which case the limitation will be shown on the Ticket), a Ticket is valid for: 3.2.1.1. one year from the date of issue; or 3.2.1.1. subject to the first travel occurring within one year from the date of issue, one year from the date of first travel under the Ticket.

3.2.2. When you are prevented from travelling within the period of validity of the Ticket because at the time you request a reservation we are unable to confirm a reservation, the validity of such Ticket will be extended or you may be entitled to a refund in accordance with Article 11.

3.2.3. If after having commenced your journey, you are prevented from travelling within the period of validity of the Ticket by reason of illness, we may extend the period of validity of your Ticket until the date when you become fit to travel or until our first flight after such date, from the point where the journey is resumed on which space is available in the booking class for which the fare has been paid. Such illness must be attested to by a proper medical certificate. When the Flight Coupons remaining in the Ticket, or in the case of an Electronic Ticket, the Electronic Coupon, involve one or more Stopovers, the validity of such Ticket may be extended for not more than three months from the date shown on such certificate.

In such circumstances, we will similarly extend the period of validity of Tickets of other members of your immediate family accompanying you.

3.2.4. In the event of death of a Passenger en route, the Tickets of the persons accompanying the Passenger may be modified by waiving any restriction and extending the validity. In the event of a death in the immediate family of a Passenger who has commenced travel, the validity of the Passenger’s Tickets and those of his or her immediate family who accompanied the Passenger may likewise be modified. Any such modification shall be made upon receipt of a proper death certificate and any such extension of validity shall not be for a period not longer than forty-five (45) Days from the date of the death.

3.3. Coupon sequence 3.3.1. The Ticket you have purchased is valid only for the transportation as shown on the Ticket, from the place of departure via any Agreed Stopping Places to the final destination. The fare you have paid is based upon our Tariff and is calculated on the basis of the entire journey shown on the Ticket. It forms an essential part of our contract with you. The Ticket will not be honoured and will lose its validity if the Coupons (or flights mentioned in the Ticket) are not used in the sequence provided in the Ticket.

3.3.2. Should you wish to change any aspect of your transportation you must contact us in advance. The fare for your new transportation will be calculated and you will be given the option of accepting the new price or maintaining your original transportation as ticketed. Should you be required to change any aspect of your transportation due to Force Majeure, you must contact us as soon as practicable and we will use reasonable efforts to transport you to your next Stopover or final destination, without recalculation of the fare.

3.3.3. Should you change your transportation without our agreement, we will assess the reasonable price for your actual travel. You will be required to pay any difference between the price you have paid and the total price applicable for your revised transportation. We will refund you the difference if the new price is lower but otherwise, your unused Coupons have no value.

3.3.4. Please be aware that while some types of changes will not result in a change of fare, others, such as changing the place of departure (for example if you do not fly the first segment) or reversing the direction you travel, can result in an increase in price. Many fares are valid only on the dates and for the flights shown on the Ticket and may not be changed at all, or only upon payment of an additional fee.

3.3.5. Each Flight Coupon contained in your Ticket will be accepted for transportation in the class of service on the date and flight for which space has been reserved. When a Ticket is originally issued without a reservation being specified, space may be later reserved subject to our Tariff and the availability of space on the flight requested.

3.3.6. Please be advised that in the event you do not show up for any flight without advising us in advance, we may cancel your return or onward reservations. However, if you do advise us in advance, we will not cancel your subsequent flight reservations.

3.4. Our name an address Our name may be abbreviated to our Airline Designator Code, or otherwise, in the Ticket. Our address shall be deemed to be the airport of departure shown opposite the first abbreviation of our name in the “Carrier” box in the Ticket, or in the case of an Electronic Ticket, as indicated for our first flight segment in the Itinerary Receipt.

ARTICLE 4: STOPOVERS 4.1. Stopovers may be permitted at Agreed Stopping Places subject to relevant authorities’ requirements and Our Regulations.

4.2. Stopovers must be arranged with Carrier(s) in advance and specified on the Ticket.

ARTICLE 5: FARES, TAXES, FEES AND CHARGES 5.1. Fares and surcharges The applicable fares apply only for carriage from the airport at the point of origin to the airport at the point of final destination, unless otherwise expressly stated. The applicable fares, fees, taxes and surcharges, do not include land (road, rail …) or maritime transport service between airports and between airports and town terminals, are the total payment by the passenger. The applicable fares, will be calculated in accordance with our Tariff, and surcharges are in effect on the date of payment of your Ticket for travel on the specific dates and itinerary shown on it. Should you change your itinerary or dates of travel, this may change the fares and surcharges to be paid 5.2. Taxes, Fees and Charges Applicable taxes, fees and charges imposed by government or other authority, or by the operator of an airport, or by us or another Carrier, shall be payable by you. At the time you purchase your Ticket, you will be advised of taxes, fees and charges not included in the fare, most of which will normally be shown separately on the Ticket.

5.3. Payment for Taxes, Fees and Charges We shall not be obliged to carry, and may refuse onward to carry of a Passenger or his Baggage, if the applicable fare, any taxes, fees or charges payable have not been paid.

5.4. Currency Fares, taxes, fees and charges are payable in the currency of the country in which the Ticket is issued, unless another currency is indicated by us or our Authorised Agents, at or before the time payment is made (for example, because of the non-convertibility of the local currency). We may, at our discretion, accept payment in another currency.

ARTICLE 6: RESERVATIONS 6.1. Reservation requirements 6.1.1. We or our Authorised Agents will record your reservation(s). Upon request, we will provide you with written confirmation of your reservation(s).

6.1.2. Certain fares have conditions which limit or exclude your right to change or cancel reservations. You should check the conditions that apply to your fare and we are not responsible for your failure to do so.

6.2. Ticketing time limits If you have not paid for the Ticket prior to the specified ticketing time limit as advised by us or our Authorised Agents, we reserve the right to cancel your reservation.

6.3. Personal data We may use the personal information that you provide and we collect, including information about how your purchase history and how you use our services and facilities for the purposes of: making a reservation, purchasing and issuing a Ticket, providing you with your transportation and any related services and facilities; accounting, billing and auditing, verifying and screening credit or other payment cards; immigration and customs control; safety, security, health, administrative and legal purposes; statistical and marketing analysis, operating frequent flyer programmes; systems testing, maintenance and development; IT training; customer relations; helping us to deal with you more efficiently in the future; and direct marketing and market research (which we will only do at your request or with your consent or if we give you the opportunity to opt out).

For these purposes, you authorise us to retain and use such data as long as it is needed to perform these tasks and to transmit it to our own offices, Authorised Agents, government agencies, other carriers or the providers of the above-mentioned services. You may be required, by government regulations, to provide specific personal data or information to us, including information to enable us to notify family members in the event of an emergency and other purposes associated with or incidental to your carriage. We shall not be liable to you for any loss or expense incurred due to our use or transmission of any personal data provided to us unless the loss or expense was due to our negligence. We may also monitor and/or record your telephone conversations with us to ensure consistent service levels, prevent/detect fraud and for training purposes.

Further information on our data privacy policy, including how to access and correct this data, can be obtained from our offices and our website.

6.4. Seating We will endeavour to honour advance seating requests. However, we cannot guarantee any particular seat. We reserve the right to assign or re-assign seats at any time, even after boarding of the aircraft. This may be necessary for operational, safety, government regulatory, health or security reasons. We will make reasonable seating accommodations for Passengers who need our assistance in accordance with applicable law.

6.5. Service charge when space not occupied Except in the case of travel on non-refundable fares, a reasonable service charge, in accordance with Our Regulations, may be payable by you if you fail to use space for which a reservation has been made.

6.6. Special services 6.6.1. We will try to ensure that special services requested by you when you make your reservation depending on our availability. We will inform passengers in case we are unable to provide special services requested by passengers. Special services Request will be confirmed immediately or after our verification of transportation conditions or after passenger’s completion of the procedures under conditions of carriage. If passengers require special services at the airport, we will check conditions and inform passengers of the acceptance or not. We will not however, be liable to you for loss, expense, breach of contract or other damage should we, for any reason, be unable to supply such previously requested service.

6.6.2. If you are a passenger with a disability and you require any special assistance you should inform us at the time of booking of your special needs.

6.6.3. If you are a passenger with a disability we will carry you if arrangements have been made to provide for your special needs. If you do not inform us at the time of your special needs, we will nevertheless use reasonable efforts to accommodate your special needs.

6.6.4. We may require that you travel with an attendant if it is essential for the safety of the flight or if you are unable to evacuate yourself from the aircraft or you are unable to understand safety instructions.

6.6.5. We reserve the right to cease accepting passengers who must travel on a stretcher on any flight.

6.6.6. On flights where medical oxygen is permitted you may be charged for the service of medical oxygen (and you may be required to be accompanied by an attendant).

6.7. On board services For operational reasons, we do not make any guarantees about the provision/availability of in-flight entertainment equipment and advertised programmes; advertised special meals or any other type of meals; or the availability of advertised in-flight services.

6.8. Reconfirmation of reservations 6.8.1. Onward or return reservations may be subject to the requirement to reconfirm the reservation within specified time limits. We will advise you when we require reconfirmation, and how and where it should be done. If it is required and you fail to reconfirm, we may cancel your onward or return reservations. However, if you advise us you still wish to travel, and there is space on the flight in the class of service for which the fare has been paid, we will reinstate your reservations and transport you to your next or final destination. If there is no space available on the flight in the class of service for which the fare has been paid, we will use reasonable efforts to transport you to your next or final destination.

6.8.2. You should check the reconfirmation requirements of any other Carriers involved in your journey with them. Where it is required, you must reconfirm with the Carriers whose code appears for the flight in question on the Ticket.

6.9. Cancellation of onward reservations Please be advised that if you do not show up for any flight without advising us in advance, we may cancel your return or onward reservations. However, if you do advise us in advance, we will not cancel your subsequent flight reservations.

ARITCLE 7: CHECK-IN AND BOARDING 7.1. You must arrive at our Check-in location and boarding gate some specified time in advance of flight departure to permit completion of any government formalities and departure procedures. We reserve the right to cancel your reservation if you do not comply with the Check-in Deadlines indicated. You should inform yourself of the Check-in Deadlines. Check-in Deadlines for our flights can be found in our timetable, or may be obtained from us or our Authorised Agents.

7.2. You must be present at the boarding gate not later than the time specified by us when you check-in.

7.3. We may cancel the space reserved for you if you fail to arrive at the boarding gate in time or if you fail to present required travel documents as provided in Article 14.2.

7.4. We will not be liable to you for any loss or expense incurred due to your failure to comply with the provisions of this Article.

ARTICLE 8: REFUSAL OF AND LIMITATION ON CARRIAGE 8.1. Right to refuse carriage We may refuse to carry you or your Baggage (even if you hold a valid Ticket and/or have a boarding pass) if we determines that: 8.1.1. such action is necessary in order to comply with any applicable laws, regulations, or orders of any state or country to be flown from, into, or over; or 8.1.2. you refuse our requests information about yourself for providing product, services and/or information required by governments; or 8.1.3. your conduct, age or mental or physical state is such as (i) to require special service but have no prior arrangement with us; or (ii) due to the health status of Passengers that We found that the transport or continue to transport will cause harm to the Passengers, to other people in the aircraft or endanger the flight; or (iii) to prevent the spread of disease; or (iv) to disobey regulations on aviation safety and security, operational transportation by air; or (v) to disturb social order, endangers the operational safety or influences the life, health and property of other persons; or (vi) persons who get drunk or affected by pharmaceutical products and have lost their act control capacity; or (vii) for security reason; or (viii) at the request of competent Authorities.

8.1.4. you have committed misconduct on a previous flight, and such conduct may be repeated; or 8.1.5. you have refused to submit to a security check for yourself or your Baggage, or having submitted to such a check, you fail to provide satisfactory answers to security questions at check-in or at the boarding gate, or you fail a security profiling assessment analysis, or you tamper with or remove any security seals on your Baggage or security stickers on your boarding pass; or 8.1.6. you have not paid the applicable fare, taxes, fees, or charges; or 8.1.7. you do not appear to have valid travel documents, seek to enter a country through which you may be in transit, or for which you do not have valid travel documents, or destroy your travel documents during flight or refuse to surrender your travel documents to the flight crew, against receipt, when so requested; or 8.1.8. you present a Ticket that (i) has been acquired unlawfully, or (ii) has been purchased from an entity other than us or our Authorised Agents or (iii) has been reported as being lost or stolen; or (iv) is a counterfeit Ticket; or (v) you cannot prove that you are the person named in the Ticket. In this circumstance, we reserve the right to retain such Ticket; or 8.1.9. you fail to comply with the requirements set forth in Article 3.3 above concerning coupon sequence and use, or you present a Ticket which has been issued or altered in any way, other than by us or our Authorised Agents, or the Ticket is mutilated; or 8.1.10. you fail to observe our instructions with respect to safety or security; or 8.1.11. you have previously committed one of the acts or omissions referred to above.

8.2. Consequences of refusal to carry or removal of Passenger 8.2.1. We reserve the right to refuse to transport the Passengers in case We cannot take measures to ensure security and safety of flight such as (i) disruptive Passengers; or (ii) persons who have lost their act control capacity; or (iii) persons whose entry is disallowed; or (iv) disobey regulations and instructions of aviation employees at an airport/aerodrome or airfield or on board an aircraft; or (v) disturb order and discipline at an airport/aerodrome or on board an aircraft; or (vi) deportee without an escorts; or (vii) hoax or provide with false information that endangers the safety and security of an airport/ aerodrome or airfield or on board an aircraft in flight or on ground and passengers; or (viii) at the request of Vietnam or foreign aviation Authorities; and We may cancel the remaining unused portion of your Ticket, and you will not be entitled to further carriage or to a refund either in respect of the sector that was the subject of the refusal of carriage or removal, or any subsequent sectors covered by the Ticket.

8.2.2. We will not be liable for any consequential loss or damage alleged due to any such refusal to carry or removal en route.

8.2.3. On the contrary, we reserve the right to seek an indemnity from you in respect of claims or losses including the costs of diverting our flight incurred by us as a result of such behaviour, conduct or condition and such refusal or removal.

8.2.4. We also reserve the right to give you a banning notice. By a banning notice we mean a written notice we have given to you informing you that you are banned from being carried on our route network. This means you are banned from all flights we operate. This notice will give the date when the ban comes into force and the period for which it applies. A banning notice will also ask you not to buy a Ticket or ask or allow anyone to do so for you. If you try to travel while a banning notice is in force, we will refuse to carry you.

8.3. Special assistance Acceptance for carriage of unaccompanied children, incapacitated persons, pregnant women, persons with illness or other people requiring special assistance is subject to prior arrangement with us and in accordance with Our Regulations. We may, at our discretion, levy a charge for the provision of these services.

8.4. Aircraft weight/seating capacity If we believe that the aircraft weight limitation or seating capacity be exceeded, we shall decide reasonably not to carry a certain Passenger(s) and/or article(s) in accordance with our Regulations. Compensations shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Article 9.6.3, Article 10.2.4 and Article 16.5.6 and other applicable regulations.

8.5. Service dogs Subject to any applicable laws, we may refuse to carry your service dog if any of the following has occurred or we reasonably believe that it may occur: 8.5.1. The dog has not been harnessed or muzzled appropriately.

8.5.2. We are unable to accommodate the seating of the dog such that it is in front of you.

8.5.3. The seating position of your dog would obstruct an aisle or other areas required by safety regulations to remain unobstructed for emergency evacuation purposes.

8.5.4. The dog engages in disruptive behaviour, or other behaviour that poses a direct threat to the health and safety of other Passengers on the aircraft.

8.5.5. There is insufficient evidence to prove that the dog has been properly trained and is a certified service dog.

8.5.6. Some or all of the requirements set forth in Article 8.6 may be modified or inapplicable in the case of Passengers travelling with service dogs or other service animals to or from Europe and to and from the United States. In this case, please contact us for further details.

ARTICLE 9: BAGGAGE 9.1. Free Baggage allowance You may carry some Baggage, free of charge, subject to Our Regulations which are shown in our Passenger Ticket and Baggage Check. The free of charge Baggage must be subject to conditions and limitations in Our Regulations.

9.2. Excess Baggage You will be required to pay a charge for the carriage of Baggage in excess of the free Baggage allowance. The payment terms are shown in Our Regulations.

9.3. Items unacceptable as Baggage 9.3.1. You must not include in your Baggage: 9.3.1.1. items which do not constitute Baggage as defined in Article 1 hereof; 9.3.1.2. items which are likely to endanger the aircraft or persons or property on board the aircraft, such as those specified in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods

by Air and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations, and in Our Regulation.

9.3.1.3. items the carriage of which is prohibited by the applicable laws, regulations or orders of any state to be flown from, or to; 9.3.1.4. items which are reasonably considered by us to be unsuitable for carriage because they are dangerous, unsafe or because of their weight, size, shape or character.

9.3.2. Firearms, ammunition and support instruments are prohibited from carriage as Baggage unless having acceptance from the authority. Explosives, explosive materials, flammable substances, items which can be used as threatening weapons, and other dangerous substances may only be accepted as Checked Baggage, subject to Our Regulations. For safety reason, cartridges must be taken out from the guns. Cartridges must be suitably packed. Carriage of the firearms, ammunition and support instrument is subject to Our Regulations and those of ICAO, IATA, Airport Authorities.

9.3.3. You are prohibited from including in your Checked Baggage, fragile or perishable items (fresh and perishable foodstuff…), artwork, cameras, money, jewellery, precious metals, silverware, computers, electronic devices, securities or other valuables, negotiable papers, contract, business documents, samples, passports and other identification documents, other valuable items.

9.3.4. If, despite being prohibited, any items specified in Articles 9.3 are included in your Baggage, we shall not be responsible for any Damage to such items.

9.4. Right to refuse carriage 9.4.1. We may refuse to carry as Baggage the items described in Article 9.3, and we may refuse further carriage of any such items upon discovery that it is included in your Baggage.

9.4.2. We may refuse to carry as Baggage any item, reasonably considered by us to be unsuitable for carriage because of its size, shape, weight, content, character, or for safety or operational reasons, or the comfort of other Passengers and Baggage.

9.4.3. We may refuse to carry as Baggage any item, due to security, safety or operational reasons, including Baggage which does not belong to you and which you partially own. We shall not be responsible for any Damage or inconvenience which may cause to you as a result of refusal of such Baggage.

9.4.4. Unless advance arrangements for its carriage have been made with us, we may carry on later flights Baggage which is in excess of the applicable free allowance.

9.4.5. We may refuse to accept Baggage as Checked Baggage unless it is properly and securely packed in suitcases and suitable containers to ensure safe carriage with ordinary care in handling.

9.4.6. We and our agents shall not check through Baggage for other Carriers where we do not have an interline agreement with them. Therefore, where you intend to arrive at an airport on another Carrier’s flight in order to connect with one of our flights or you intend to arrive at the airport on one of our flights in order to connect with another Carrier’s flight you must check in advance whether we have an interline agreement with them. If we do not, you are responsible for clearing your Baggage and having it checked-in and re-tagged for the next flight. In such circumstances, we are not liable for any Damage to you and to your Baggage.

9.5. Right of search 9.5.1. For reasons of safety and security we may request that you permit a search and scan of your person and a search, scan or x-ray of your Baggage.

If you are not available, your Baggage may be searched in your absence for the purpose of determining whether you are in possession of or whether your Baggage contains any item described in Article 9.3. If you are unwilling to comply with such requests we may refuse to carry you and your Baggage. In the event a search or scan causes damage to you, or an x-ray or scan causes damage to your Baggage, we shall not be liable for such Damage unless due to our fault or negligence.

9.5.2. We shall not be responsible for items kept by you or in your Baggage which are seized by Authority subject to international rules or State Authority Regulations even such items are seized, destroyed or handed over to us.

9.6. Checked Baggage 9.6.1. Upon delivery to us of your Baggage which you wish to check, we will take custody of and issue a Baggage Identification Tag, for each piece of your Checked Baggage.

9.6.2. Checked Baggage must have your name, or other personal identification affixed to it.

9.6.3. Checked Baggage will, whenever possible, be carried on the same aircraft as you, unless we decide for safety, security, or operational reasons to carry it on an alternative flight. If your Checked Baggage is carried on a subsequent flight we will deliver it to you, unless applicable law requires you to be present for customs clearance.

9.6.4. Maximum weight of any single piece of Checked Baggage is 32 kg (70 lb.). Overweight items will be repacked or split into lighter units during check-in. Such items that cannot be repacked will not be accepted for carriage. In either case, we shall not be liable to you for: (i) any Damage arising as a result of your failure to comply with the weight allowance and need to repack, split or (ii) decline to carry the overweight items.

Acceptance of any bag weighing more than 32 kg (70 lb.) is subject to prior approval and notification upon booking/reservation.

9.7. Excess value declaration and charge You may declare a value for Checked Baggage in excess of the applicable liability limits. If you make such a declaration, you shall pay additional charges in accordance with Our Regulations. The declaration and payment shall be made in accordance with applicable laws, regulations of any state to be flown from, to or over.

9.8. Unchecked Baggage 9.8.1. Baggage which you carry onto the aircraft must be subject to Our Regulations. If your Baggage is of excessive weight or size, or is considered unsafe for any reason, it must be carried as Checked Baggage.

9.8.2. Objects not suitable for carriage in the cargo compartment (such as delicate musical instruments) and which do not meet the requirements in Article 9.8.1, will only be accepted for carriage in the cabin compartment if you have given us notice in advance and permission has been granted by us. You are required to pay a separate charge for this service.

9.9. Collection and delivery of Baggage 9.9.1. You are required to collect your Checked Baggage as soon as it is made available at your destination or Stopover. Should you not collect it within a reasonable time, we may charge you a storage fee. Should your Checked Baggage not be claimed within three (3) months from the time it is made available, we shall not be liable to you for the Baggage.

9.9.2. Only the bearer of the Baggage Check and Baggage Identification Tag is entitled to delivery of Checked Baggage.

9.9.3. If a person claiming the Baggage is unable to produce the Baggage Check and identify the Baggage by means of a Baggage Identification Tag, we will deliver the Baggage to such person only on condition that he or she establishes to our satisfaction his or her right to the Baggage thereto 9.9.4. Acceptance of Baggage by the bearer of the Baggage Check without complaint at the time of delivery shall constitute sufficient evidence that the Baggage has been delivered in good condition and in accordance with the contract of carriage.

9.10. Animals If we agree to carry your animals, they will be carried subject to the following conditions: 9.10.1. You must ensure that animals such as dogs, cats, household birds and other pets, are properly crated or transported in containers which meet the requirements of law, accompanied by valid health and vaccination certificates, entry permits, and other documents required by countries of entry or transit, failing which, such animals will not be accepted for carriage. Such carriage may be subject to additional conditions by us.

9.10.2. If accepted as Baggage, the animal, together with its container and food shall not be included in your free Baggage allowance, but shall constitute excess Baggage, for which you will be obliged to pay the applicable rate. Except as provided for in Article 9.10.3, animals will not be carried in the passenger cabin of the aircraft. They will be carried, suitably containerised, in the cargo compartment of the aircraft.

9.10.3. Service animals accompanying Passengers with disabilities will be carried as Checked Baggage or in the cabin free of charge in addition to the normal free Baggage allowance, subject to Our Regulations.

9.10.4. Acceptance for carriage of animals is subject to condition that you bare full responsibility for such animals. We shall not be liable for injury to or loss, delay, sickness or death of such animals during transportation, unless due to our fault or negligence.

9.10.5. We shall not be liable for such animals that are refused entry into or passage through any country, state or territory.

ARTICLE 10: SCHEDULES, CANCELLATION OF FLIGHTS 10.1. Schedules 10.1.1. The flight times shown in timetables may change between the date of publication and the date you actually travel. We do not guarantee them to you and they do not form part of your contract with us.

10.1.2. Before we accept your booking, we or our authorized agent will notify you of the scheduled flight time in effect as of that time, and it will be shown on your Ticket. It is possible we may need to change the scheduled flight time subsequent to issuance of your Ticket and/or cancel, terminate, divert, postpone, delay any flight, or substitute alternative aircraft and stop-over destination if necessary beyond our control and/or because of safety or commercial reasons. If you provide us with contact information, we will endeavour to notify you of any such changes. If, after you purchase your Ticket, we make a change to the scheduled flight time, which is not acceptable to you, and we are unable to book you on an alternate flight which is acceptable to you, you will be entitled to a refund in accordance with Article 11.

10.2. Cancellation, rerouting, delays 10.2.1. We will take all necessary measures to avoid delay in carrying you and your Baggage. In the exercise of these measures and in order to prevent a flight cancellation, in exceptional circumstances, we may arrange for a flight to be operated on our behalf by an alternative carrier and/or aircraft.

10.2.2. Except as otherwise provided by the Conventions or applicable law, if we cancel a flight, fail to operate a flight reasonably according to the schedule, fail to stop at your destination or Stopover destination, or cause you to miss a connecting flight on which you hold a confirmed reservation, we shall, at your option, either: 10.2.2.1. carry you at the earliest opportunity on another of our scheduled services on which space is available without additional charges and; where necessary, extend the validity of your Ticket; or 10.2.2.2. within a reasonable period of time re-route you to the destination shown on your Ticket by our own services or those of another Carrier, or by other mutually agreed means and class of transportation without additional charge; or 10.2.2.3. make a refund in accordance with the provisions of Article 11.

10.2.3. Upon the occurrence of any of the events set out in Article 10.2.2, except as otherwise provided by the Conventions or applicable law, the options outlined in Article 10.2.2.1 through Article 10.2.2.3 are the sole and exclusive remedies available to you and we shall have no further liability to you. In particular, if cancellations or delays are due to the weather conditions, union strikes, acts of God and wars, or air traffic control delays or other force majeure, we shall be under no immediate obligation to comply with Article 10.2.1 to Article 10.2.3 or to provide at all for the cost of telephone calls, accommodation, refreshments or transportation, although we shall make reasonable efforts to assist you as to the best we can in the prevailing circumstances.

10.2.4. If we are unable to provide confirmed space, we shall provide compensation to those Passengers who are denied boarding or who are involuntarily downgraded to the class below in accordance with applicable law and our and our denied boarding/involuntary downgrading compensation policy.

ARTICLE 11: REFUNDS 11.1. Unless otherwise stated in (i) this Article or (ii) fare rules or tariff or (iii) in accordance with applicable law, Tickets are non-refundable. We will refund a Ticket or any unused portion, as set out below: 11.1.1. Except as otherwise provided in this Article, we shall be entitled to make a refund either to the person named in the Ticket, or to the person who has paid for the Ticket upon presentation of satisfactory proof of such payment.

11.1.2. If a Ticket has been paid for by a person other than the Passenger named in the Ticket, and the Ticket indicates that there is a restriction on refund, we shall make a refund only to the person who paid for the Ticket, or to that person’s order.

11.1.3. Except in the case of lost Tickets, refunds will only be made on surrender to us of the Ticket and all unused Flight Coupons.

11.1.4. A refund made to anyone presenting the Passenger Coupon or Passenger Receipt and all unused Flight Coupons and holding himself or herself out as a person to whom refund may be made pursuant to Article 11.2.1 or Article 11.2.2 shall be deemed a proper refund and shall discharge us from liability of any further refund claim from you or any other person.

11.2. Involuntary refunds If we cancel a flight, fail to operate a flight reasonably according to schedule, fail to stop at your final destination or Stopover, or cause you to miss a connecting flight on which you hold a reservation, the amount of the refund shall be: 11.2.1. if no portion of the Ticket has been used, an amount equal to the fare paid; 11.2.2. if a portion of the Ticket has been used, the refund will not be less than the difference between the fare paid and the applicable fare for the travel between the points for which the Ticket has been used.

11.2.3. Upon acceptance of a refund by the Passenger on the purchase of a Ticket under these circumstances, we shall be released from any further liability.

11.3. Voluntary refunds If you are entitled to a refund of your Ticket for reasons other than those set out in Article 11.2, the amount of the refund shall be: 11.3.1. if no portion of the Ticket has been used, an amount equal to the fare paid, less any reasonable service charges or cancellation fees; 11.3.2. if a portion of the Ticket has been used, the refund will be the difference between the fare paid and the applicable fare for the travel between the points for which the Ticket has been used less any reasonable service charges or cancellation fees 11.4. Refund on lost Ticket 11.4.1. If you lose your Ticket or portion of it, upon furnishing us with satisfactory proof of the loss, and payment of a reasonable administration charge,

refund will be made as soon as practicable after the expiry of the validity period of the Ticket, on condition: 11.4.1.1. that the lost Ticket, or portion of it, has not been used, previously refunded or replaced, (except where the use, refund or replacement by or to a third party resulted from our own negligence); 11.4.1.2. that the person to whom the refund is made undertakes, in such form as may be prescribed by us, to repay to us the amount refunded in the event of fraud and/or to the extent that the lost Ticket or portion of it is used by a third party (except where any fault or use by a third party resulted from our own negligence).

11.4.2. If we or our Authorized Agents lose the Ticket or portion of it, the loss shall be our responsibility.

11.5. Right to refuse refund 11.5.1. We may refuse a refund where application is made after the expiry of the validity of the Ticket.

11.5.2. We may refuse a refund on a Ticket which has been presented to us, or to Government officials, as evidence of intention to depart from that country, unless you establish to our satisfaction that you have permission to remain in the country or that you will depart from that country by another Carrier or another means of transport.

11.5.3. We may refuse a refund on the conditions as stated in Article 8.2 11.6. Currency All refunds will be subject to Government laws, rules and regulations or orders of the country in which the Ticket was originally purchased and of the country in which the refunds is being made. Subject to the foregoing provision, refunds will normally be made in the currency in which the Ticket was paid for, or in any other country in accordance with Our Regulations.

11.7. By whom Ticket refundable We will only give you a voluntary fare refund if we or our authorized agents issued the Ticket and we or they hav

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Shawn Porter (left) and Adrien Broner trade punches during their welterweight bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Porter won the fight by unanimous decision. AFP

Pacman ward rips Floyd’s bet

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

ADRIEN Broner claimed that Floyd Mayweather Jr. helped him train for his fight against Shawn Porter, a former sparring partner of Manny Pacquiao for their 144-pound, catch-weight showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday (Manila time).

But it didn’t help Broner at all as Porter, except for a moment in the final round when he was dropped with a perfectly-timed counter, dominated the bout in which the former was deducted a point by referee Tony Weeks, who was exasperated by his constant holding.

In what was a highly anticipated all-Ohio showdown, former welterweight titleholder, “Showtime” Shawn Porter (25-1-1, 16 KOs) was the aggressor throughout

the fight to inflict backto-back defeats on “The Problem” Broner (30-1, 22 KOs) .

Porter forced the action, while Broner mostly jabbed and held – seemingly content to survive, although he suddenly came to life and dropped Porter in Round 12, but the tough-as-nails Showtime quickly recovered and took the fight to his foe the rest of the round.

All three judges scored the fight for Porter. Adalaide Byrd had Porter the winner by a margin

of 114-112, Dave Morretti saw it 115-111 and Eric Cheek scored it 118-108.

With the win, Porter improved his record to 26-1-1 with 16 knockouts, while Broner dropped to 30-2 with 22 knockouts.

Before what Sky Sports in Britain said was “a shattering loss to Marcos Maidana in December 2013,” Broner was being built-up by many as the successor to the undefeated Mayweather -- a fivedivision world champi-

on unbeaten in 48 fights and the current poundfor-pound No.1 Sky Sports said Broner claimed Mayweather was taking a keen interest in helping him prepare to face Porter, who handed over his International Boxing Federation welterweight title to Kell Brook 10 months ago after a majority decision defeat in Carson, California.

“With Floyd Mayweather in there, he teaches me a lot. He’s teaching me. We talk all day and he comes to watch me train all the time,” Broner was quoted as saying. “This is the first game that I’m going to do a lot of things. It might be the first time I stop Shawn Porter. I am looking good and feeling good. You know, one mistake with Adrien Broner and that can end a fight.”

PH bags silver, bronze in Asian triathlon PHILIPPINE triathletes followed up their remarkable 28th Southeast Asian Games’ performance by clinching the team silver and bronze medals in the 2015 New Taipei Asian Triathlon Championships in Taiwan.

Kim Mangrobang, in tandem with Kim Kilgroe, matched her SEA Games silver medal showing in the elite women’s team.

Mangorabang landed seventh among the elite women with a 2 hours 22 minutes and 25 seconds clocking, with Kilgroe submitting a time of 2:32:16, good for a top

10 finish. Their aggregate time of 4:54:41 was second only to 4:18:22 of Japan, which swept the podium positions SEAG gold medalist Nikko Huelgas shared the bronze medal in the elite men’s team with with Jonard Saim.

Huelgas schecked in eighth overall, covering the 1.5Km swim, 40Km bike and 10Km run grind in 2:06:18, with Saim making up for his disappointing SEA Games sixth-place finish by landing in 11th position at 2:10:05. The duo’s combined time of 4:16:23 followed powerhouse

Japan (4:00:50) and Hong Kong (4:08:53).

Huelgas, racing in his second triathlon in a space of a week, raised eyebrows as he was the only competitor left standing among the Top 10 elite men after the crossing the finish line.

While the sweltering heat and humidity took their toll on most of the triathletes, SEA Games gold medalist Claire Adorna (ranking third after the swim) was bugged by an electronic gear shift malfunction that left her biking on a single gear for 40 kilometers.

Salvador eyes golf repeat ELMET Salvador seeks to snap a year-long spell on the very event and course he posted his last victory as he headlines the field in the ICTSI Riviera Classic unfolding June 24 at Riviera’s dreaded Langer layout in Silang, Cavite.

Salvador dominated a tough international field in adverse conditions to rule this Asian Development Tour event last year and join the elite circuit of three-time ADT leg winners.

But after his five-shot romp over Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert and England’s Peter Richardson, the reticent but talented Davaoeno shotmaker struggled and went on a slump the rest of the season.

He kicked off his campaign this

year with a third place effort at ICTSI Splendido but remained winless after six legs of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, placing 10th at ICTSI Luisita Championship in Tarlac last month.

But the four-week break has given the men of the tour much time to hone their shotmaking skills and polish their iron and short games while others vied in Japan and the Asian Tour to stay in shape.

But Salvador remains one of the top favorites for the top P270,000 purse in the upcoming 72-hole championship although at the ravine-laced Langer layout, no one holds a distinct advantage, ensuring a tight finish, especially if the wind come into play.

Babolat coach maintains stable of promising juniors AFTER an 11-year absence from coaching, former national tennis player Marty Ilagan has started maintaining a small group of top tennis juniors to help achieve their true potential.

Ilagan, 47, who played competitive tennis during the late 1980s & 1990s as a national player, narrated that the tennis scholarship program was founded by a Filipino coach based in Australia, and that he was assigned as head coach for Manila last October, 2014.

But when the health of the Academy’s Founder deteriorated, Marty was left alone to continue this program.

“For the love of the sport, I committed to continue this tennis scholarship program, moving around venues in Quezon City just to find court time for the players,” said Ilagan, who has helped and coached many of former national players, including nine-time Philippine Columbian Association Champion Johnny Arcilla, former top female netters – Cesca La’O

IlAgAN

and Marisue Jacutin, who have also won PCA titles.

Ilagan, a member of the champion Blue Eaglets’ tennis teams during his grade school and high school years, also helped University Santos Tomas win back-to-back University Athletic Association of the Philippines titles, both as a player and head coach.

Marty, who finished Architecture as a Golden Tiger, thanks international tennis and badminton racquets and equipment provider Babolat for supporting his cause.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Day, 3 others share US Open lead TACOMA—Americans Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth, Australian Jason Day and Branden Grace of South Africa will share the lead going into Sunday’s final round of the US Open.

Jason Day of Australia plays a bunker shot on the fourth hole during the second round of the 115th U.S. Open Championship at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington. AFP

Tabal’s goal: Qualify for Rio Olympics

By Peter Atencio QUALIFYING for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics will be a priority for Southeast Asia Games silver medalist Mary Joy Tabal.

The 25-year-old Tabal said this two weeks after she settled for the women’s marathon silver medal in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games.

“That’s the plan, to qualify for the Rio Olympics,” said Tabal, who clocked three hours, four minutes and 39 seconds to finish behind Natthaya Thanaronnawat of Thailand (3:03.25) in Singapore.

To qualify for the Rio Olympics, runners must achieve a time of 2:42 or better in meets organized or sanctioned by the International Amateur

Athletic Federation.

Tabal talked of her goals during the launch of the 39th Milo National Maration Championships last Thursday.

She is the defending champion in the women division and will have six months to prepare for national finals, which will be on Dec. 6 in Angeles, Pampanga.

The meet is sanctioned by the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association. Tabal hopes that she can come up with an improved time.

On the other hand, the Patafa is still discussing where to send its national athletes to qualify for the Olympics.

“I’m preparing for my next 42K, and I hope this can be a qualifier,” said Tabal.

If she retains the crown and does not make the qualifying time, Tabal will

Coach E cage school offers special classes BUOYED by the successful staging of the Summer FUN-Damental camp last April and May, the Coach E Basketball School will offer special classes for students from the international schools and those colleges and universities which have extended summer breaks due to the adjustments of new school calendar.

Starting June 24 to July 11, participants can attend the eight-session camp, plus a FUN day session for students who will take part in this classes to be held at the Valle Verde 2 in Pasig.

Coach E Basketball School, which offers a low coach-student ratio, has launched a successful Summer FUN-Damental Camp the past two months where a total of more than 400 students taking part and hoping to take their game to the next level.

Aside from the special sessions that will be held at Valle Verde 2, Coach E Basketball School is also preparing for its new school year, which will be held in second half of July, where classes will be opened to key cities -- Quezon City, Makati, San Juan, Pasig and as well as the south area.

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Wounded Tiger tumbles out

Parents of aspiring students, who are hoping to get their kids’ game to the next level can contact tel nos. 631-1195/668 4347 and mobile no, 09088846947 . You can pay online via Paypal though our website, www.coach-e.com To know more details about the Coach E Basketball Academy, send the organizers an e-mail at info@coach-e. com. You can also visit ourFacebook account or follow them on Twitter and instagram (@coachebball).

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have another chance to qualify.

The winner of the national finals offers a slot for winners to the 2016 Boston Marathon. Tabal can have another chance to come up with a qualifying time if she retains her crown, aside from going to international meets where the Patafa will send her.

Last December, she won the crown in 2:51.55. She claimed the course record way back in 2013 (2:48.00) when she took the women’s title.

Patafa president Philip Ella Juico said athletes who are joining qualifiers have until July 2016 to meet the qualifying standard for the Rio Olympics.

Based on the approved proposal during the 127th International Olympic Committee session in Monaco from Dec. 5 to 9, 2014, the IAAF will allocate

It will be just the second time in the history of the US Open that four players have been tied at the top with one round to go after Oakmont in 1973.

The international quartet emerged ahead from a day of all-out attrition on the unforgiving links of Chambers Bay golf course that saw just eight players still under par by the time the dust had settled.

The round of the day though came from Day, who came close several times to abandoning due to vertigo sickness, only to battle back against the odds with four birdies down the back nine.

His 68 put him at four under 206 and he was soon joined by Johnson, who had a 70, Spieth with a 71 and Grace who signed for a 70.

They were three shots clear of the field with four players tied on one under - Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, who had the round of the day with a 66, Cameron Smith of Australia (69), Shane Lowry of Ireland (70) and JB Holmes of the United States (71).

In a day of dramas, Day’s heroic effort was the most dramatic of all.

He collapsed playing the final hole of his second round on Friday, struck down by another attack of the vertigo which he has been suffering from for the last year.

He had to be helped onto the green to finish his round and then needed extensive medical treatment before waking up on Saturday and deciding to step onto the tee in the early afternoon despite still feeling unwell.

At times he struggled to stay on his feet, looked distressed throughout, and even had difficulty glancing up to follow his ball flight.

But somehow he kept his game together as others around him came to grief on a golf course that takes no prisoners. Day on the contrary picked up shots.

“I didn’t feel that great coming out early, and then I felt pretty groggy on the front nine just from the drugs that I had in my system, then kind of flushed that out on the back nine,” the 27-year-old Queenslander said.

Johnson, who has come close in the past in all four of the majors but has yet to win one, stained his round with three bogeys and a double.

But his length was always going to be a godsend on this monster course as he also rattled in five birdies to keep himself on par for the day. AFP

TACOMA—Tiger Woods carried the scars of another failed campaign with him on Friday as he headed for home following another horror show at the US Open.

The fallen great made for the exit door after a struggling second round score of 76 failed miserably to repair the damage done by a horrendous opening 80.

That effort - his worst at any US Open and the fourth worst of his pro career - left the sport’s former dominant force with a mountain to climb just to make the cut. He never looked like doing that “I wanted to shoot 5 or 6 today.

But I wanted to be on the other side of it,” he said.

“But I hit a little bit better today. But, again, I made nothing today. I didn’t make any putts the

first two days.

“I hit it better today. Hitting some spots where I could hit some putts. I made nothing.

Things quickly went from bad to worse at Chambers Bay early in the day as the 39-year-old American, whose last major title came in this same tournament seven years ago, bogeyed the WOODS 10th, his opener.

Again the culprit was a way- sixties to have any hope of playward drive which lodged his ing at the weekend and that did ball into a steeply sloping bank never looked remotely likely. of long fescue grass and the Bogeys at 14 and 18 brought three-time former US Open him to the turn at two over 36 winner ended up on his back- and at 12 over for the tourside as he slipped measuring up nament, his fate had already his next shot. been sealed.

He did manage an up-andHe soldiered grimly on down from a bunker at the short helped along by a birdie at the par 12th for birdie - just his sec- first, but more bogeys followed ond of the tournament - but he at 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 as his game was needing a round in the mid started yet again to unravel. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Nietes looks sharp, ready

By Ronnie Natanielsz

THE one-week delay in his scheduled July 4 title defense against mandatory challenger and former minimum weight champion Francisco Rodriguez of Mexico has had no ill-effects on the longest- reigning Filipino world champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, who looked sharper than ever in a public workout at the ALA Gym Banilad Town Center in Cebu on Saturday.

Nietes, who will defend his title against Rodriguez, sparred three rounds against junior bantamweight Raul Yu and by all accounts looked sharper than ever as he connected with some nasty uppercuts and ripped into the heavier Yu with nifty hooks to the body and head.

Trainer Edmund Villamor noted that Yu was as tall as Rodriguez and approximated the style of the Mexican.

Nietes also sparred with former flyweight title challenger Rocky Fuentes and tough Virgel Viktor, and while he was in Manila, sparred with promising amateur standout Kevin Cataraja, who

will make his pro debut on “Pinoy Pride XXXI” against Indonesia’s Ardi Tefa.

The champion told The Standard he wants to shut the mouth of the cocky Rodriguez and avenge the loss of his friend and stablemate Merlito Sabillo, who lost his world minimum weight title to the Mexican by a 10th-round TKO. Nietes said that he will try to go for a knockout for the sake of the fans Meanwhile, boxing manager/ promoter and trainer Aljoe Jaro, who is preparing International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng for

his title defense against former light flyweight champion and mandatory flyweight challenger Johnreil Casimero, will be happy whoever wins when the Thai champion battles the Filipino at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok in a fight to be telecast

by TV 5.

In an overseas telephone conversation with The Standard/ boxingmirror.com, Jaro said Ruenroeng was “in good condition and doing well in sparring, having sparred with No.1-ranked minimum weight contender and former champion Denver Cuello twice this past week.”

F R I D AY : J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

Tired of losing. Michael Phelps competes in the men’s 200m butterfly on Day 3 of the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series in California. Phelps, who admitted this week he’s fed up with losing in a comeback aimed at the 2016 Olympics, led from the start and held off hard-charging North Baltimore Aquatic Club teammate Chase Kalisz over the final 50 meters to win in 1min 57.62sec. AFP

sports@thestandard.com.ph

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Stockinger competes in Status Grand Prix THE Formula 1 aspirations of Filipino-Swiss Jr. F1 racing driver Marlon Stockinger shifts to a higher gear today with the staging of the 2015 Status Grand Prix season in Austria.

Twenty-six drivers representing 13 teams that will race over 10 rounds are participating in the said event. Entering the Austria event, GP 2 has already completed three rounds, which started last April in Bahrain. Stockinger, 24, is joined by New Zealand’s 23-year-old driver Richie Stanaway for Status Grand Prix this year.

According to Stockinger’s mother Egin, his son has been adjusting well in this GP2 series, noting that he is still in his rookie year as a GP2 participant.

“It’s very challenging because the car he now uses is heavier, and this series is different from where he used to race. But overall as a rookie driver in a series of GP2, he is doing very well,” she said. “I talked to him four days ago. He is confident and hopeful that he will earn points in this series. Of

course, it will be tough but he is doing everything he can.”

The GP2 Season is considered as the support series for the 2015 Formula One World Championship. Marlon Stockinger is a junior driver of F1 team Lotus. The lone Filipino F1 bet got his maiden victory during the 2012 GP3 Series in Monte Carlo while racing for Status Grand Prix.

Meantime, Stockinger will return to the country June 25, in time for Slipstream 2.0 happening two days later on the 27th and presented by his main corporate sponsor, Globe Telecom.

Slipstream 2.0 is a one-day event for the public, particularly motoring aficionados, where Stockinger is set to drive his Lotus World Series racecar around the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

The event will be a sequel to last year’s exhibition of fast cars and fancy vehicles which attracted thousands of enthusiasts and their families who saw history in the making by witnessing a World Series car burn rubber on the streets of Manila.

Heartbreak kidsOut no more? to boost his stock timate step put behind them Incheon, Korea.s mother Egin.

Stockinger’ thetoBonifacio Global City in Taguig.

The most painful among their Asiad misfortunes.

DENNIS PRINCIPE Stockinger got his maiden victory Slipstream 2.0 will be a sequel However, our fighters bethem involved 2012 London duringMark the 2012 GP3 Series to last year’s judging, event which attracted SPORTS CHAT ing victims of unfair Olympian Anthony Bar-in Monte Carlo while racing for Status Grand thousands of car enthusiasts and FOR the longest time, our box- riga and young flyweight pros- still seemed evident during THE road to a Formula One stint for Prix. families saw history by where eight who of our pect Ian Clark Bautista who, the Finalstheir ers have suffered countless Fil-Swiss Marlon Stockinger Now a rookie Worldfor Series car being 10 boxerswitnessing went on toa battle theirdriver Koreanfor Status, losses in driver major bouts that they despite pummeling continues withwon his ifcampaign in thefoes,Stockinger’ the gold. driven in the streets of Manila. still lost stheir GP2 respective stint is his closest should have not for the tough Austrian GP2. decisions.

Of the five Similar gold winners, two Pinoy sports matches. step, apart from him being a junior to other dreaded hometown conquests afa sport wherein As press time, Stockinger Theof most memorable of was “Boxing rider forisLotus, towards gettingwere thatundeniable heroes such as Manny Pacquiao, ter Fernandez and Eumir Felix practically put your life on coursetowas thehis goldsecond medal race fight andyou historic about take F1 slot.

Paeng Nepomuceno and Efren wins.is optimistic that every time driver you step of lightflyweight Mansueto improve on his standings in the GP2the lineNo Filipino hasinever Marcial raced scored “Bata”stoppage Reyes, Globe Bautista, meanwhile, thrashed the ring.

And this is what comes “Onyok” Velasco against Bulgarevent, the support series for the 2015 in an F1 event. their support will make Stockinger really disappointing,” his opponent from pillar to post, ian Daniel Petrov Bojilov during out. It’sMeantime, Formula One World Championship.

Stockinger will return the next Filipino to settle for aglobal split sports hero. was what ABAP president Ricky but still had the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Stockinger happens to be a juniorVargas to the country on the 25th in time Stockinger’ s June 27 show intends decision win against hometown told media covering the Velasco’s situation, however, driver of F1 team Lotus. for his June 27 Slipstream 2.0 bets eventMohamed to make FilipinosHalearn more and Hanurdeen was a combination of the Games Asiad.

“I talked to him scoring four days presented by his main backer Globe appreciate the sport of motor mid. from Barriga and Bauusing computerized for ago Apart and confident Only lightweight Junel 2013 SEA Games gold racing, noting thatCanFilipinos has this the he firstistime, whileand the hopeful second natista,Telecom. makakakuha points in thiswinner Slipstream lightflyweight Josie Mario Fernandez was tancio is a one-day event, and enthusiasm for cars. and probablysiya the ng most controGabuco some fair shake oustedStockinger via controversial series. course, medyo mahirap butalso where versialOf one was that a Bulgarian is set to drive his got Starting in the middle of this in scoringweek, in their gold-medal was assigned by the sport’s interhe is doing everything he could, ” saidscoring.

Lotus World Series race car around Stockinger will have various In this year’s Southeast Asian bouts. national federation AIBA as the Nesthy Petecio, Irish Magno main man to select officials for Games currently being held in Singapore, the 10-man Philip- and Rogen Ladon may be victhe matches.

While Velasco may have pine boxing contingent brought tims of bum scorecards when lost the last two rounds of that home five gold medals, two of they dropped close verdicts to

engagements with the members of the media to update them of his current F1 standings as well as his plans as he makes a name for himself and the Philippines in the international sporting scene.

Stockinger’s fans will also have a chance to chat with their idol thru Viber on June 25.

Meantime, key parts of BGC will be closed to give way to Stockinger’s event. Starting at 12 noon to 5 p.m., roads around the vicinity of Mind Museum namely Rizal Drive, 3rd, 4th and 5th Avenues, will be closed for traffic.

Motorists as well as pedestrians will be advised by road marshals as well as directional signs to lead them to alternate routes.

Why not go out of your vehicles and take time to witness the action first hand? After all, it’s a weekend – let the rush happen on the streets of BGC, while Stockinger speeds his way into sports supremacy.

SPORTS CHAT. We’re packed this whole week as we get to talk to players and coaches of playoff-bound teams in the ongoing Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. For almost the entire week, we will be moving around several venues of PBA teams’ practice sessions and get meaty interviews and features for our daily morning program.

Our show Sports Chat is heard Monday to Friday, 6 to 8 a.m. over DZSR Sports Radio 918kHz on your AM radio dial.

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m o n day : j un e 2 2 , 2 0 1 5 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

Figure-skating Olympian Michael Martinez placed first in the International Skating Union’s annual Triglav Trophy in Slovenia, while the women’s hockey team (inset) placed third overall in the 2015 Hockey Fives in Hong Kong.

Star sends Barako five th to 4 straight defeat

By Jeric Lopez

FEELING the need to step up, the Star Hotshots showed up with all cylinders firing to dismantle slipping Barako Bull, 119-89, for their second straight win to strengthen their bid for a quarterfinals berth in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum yesterday.

For the second straight game, former Best Import Marqus Blakely once again took matters into his own hands and spearheaded the Hotshots’ attack by scoring a conference-high 33 points on 66 percent shooting on

Games tuesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum): 4:15 p.m. - Alaska vs. GlobalPort 7 pm. - Star Hotshots vs. Blackwater

top of eight rebounds and three assists. James Yap also had a nice

game with 17 points, including three triples, seven rebounds and two assists to help out.

The victory improved Star’s record to 5-5, good enough for seventh place. Star needs to win its final assignment against Blackwater tomorrow to ensure that it stays in the Top 8 and book a seat in the playoffs. ‘’We played well from the very start. Our big guys played (Liam) McMorrow well. I just knew we had to keep pushing. It was a good overall performance for us,’’ said Star Hotshots coach Tim Cone. ‘’Hopefully, this could carry over in the Blackwater game and in

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the playoffs. ‘’Kailangan talaga namin na manalo kasi kung hindi, tagilid kami lalo. Gumanda ‘yung chance namin for the quarterfinals with this win,’’ said Yap. For the erstwhile league-leading Energy Colas, their skid continued as they suffered their fourth straight defeat to end their eliminations at 6-5. They are already in the quarters and will now await their fate. They will either be in the Top 4 and have a twice-to-beat edge in the next phase, or in fifth to eighth and a twice-to-win handicap depending on the results of the final games of other squads.

PH skaters stamp class FILIPINO pride Michael Martinez bested representatives from South Korea, Italy, Georgia and Austria in the ISU-sanctioned international competition known as the Triglav Trophy.

Gliding to first place, Martinez won by a landslide, garnering 184.84 points over Korea’s June Hyoung Lee (176.60) and Italy’s Maurizo Zandron (170.44).

Looking forward to competing for the country, Martinez is now preparing for the Asian Trophy in Taipei to be held in August, and the next invitation to the ISU Grand Prix.

Ice hockey’s Team Pilipinas also took home awards during the yearly Hockey Fives in Hong Kong.

Competing against Australia, China, Japan, and eight other countries, the team earned the bronze medal for the Adult Men and Women’s division, while the Team Pilipinas peewees (hockey players ages 10-12) finished a close second, losing by only one point to Hong Kong’s Empire Skate team.

SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. has supported the growth of athletes on ice through programs such as the annual Summer Skate, a developmental platform for beginning figure skaters to exhibit the techniques honed through the Learn to Skate courses at the SM Skating Rink.

SMLEI has dedicated its SM Bowling and Leisure Center to train emerging bowlers. Following the success of the SM Bowling Millionaires Cup, SMLEI recently held the Junior Bowling Cup to encourage the youth. It also launched the “Learn to Strike” program to continue the progress of bowlers.

MONDAY: JUNE 22, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

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45 44 43

HIGH P44.900 LOW P45.110 AVERAGE P45.011 VOLUME 625.600M

P480.00-P680.00 LPG/11-kg tank P41.20-P47.85 Unleaded Gasoline P28.85-P32.20 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

B1 Gawad Kalinga homes.

Dockworkers of Asian Terminals Inc. actively took on Gawad Kalinga’s Bayani (Heroes) Challenge, helping build shelters for homeless in Bataan province from June 6 to 10, 2015.

ATI volunteers, comprised of stevedores, equipment operators and office-based personnel, momentarily traded port equipment for construction gears on the way to finishing five houses in the town of Bagac and preparing the foundation for more units in the town of Abucay. GK’s house-build project was perfectly timed with Philippine Independence week celebration as the non-government organization continues to win the war against poverty by uplifting the lives of poor communities.

10 power plants set to shut down

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Ten power plants are expected to undergo maintenance shutdown within the next two months, data from power retailer Manila Electric Co. show.

Data showed among Meralco’s contracted capacities, the Sta. Rita natural gas module 40, with a 250-megawatt capacity, was scheduled to be under maintenance shutdown on June 24 to June 28.

Pagbilao unit 1, with a 375-MW capacity, is on maintenance shutdown until June 28 while a unit of the Ilijan natural gas facility

with a 300-MW output would be off the grid on June 29 to Aug. 5.

Pagbilao unit 2 (375 MW) will also undergo a maintenance shutdown on July 4 to Aug. 2 while Sual 1 (600 MW) will go offline on Aug. 8 to Sept. 6.

Sta. Rita Module 20 (250 MW) will be under maintenance repair on Aug. 12. San Lorenzo Module 20 (250 MW) is also set to be shut down on Aug. 15 to 19 while Calaca 1 (300 MW) will be offline on Aug. 22 to Oct. 5.

Sual 1 (600 MW) will be offline on Aug. 8 to Sept. 6 while Sual 2 (600 MW) will undergo repair on Sept. 7 to Nov. 5. Calaca 1 (300 MW) will also be offline on Aug. 22 to Oct. 5.

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla earlier said existing power plants continued to gain age, resulting in the need for them to continuously undergo maintenance repair.

He said the department would monitor the planned maintenance shutdown of the power plants in June to July, after these facilities earlier agreed to move their maintenance schedule from the dry months when demand was high.

Petilla said the Energy Regulatory Commission’s resolution adopting the procedure in the reporting by the generation companies of outage events had helped in better monitoring.

ERC monitors the reliability performance of the generating companies in real time, “in view of the projected electricity imbalance in the Luzon grid in 2015.”

“The ERC put in the resolution that everytime you break down, you have to submit a complete report. So there is no unnecessary breakdown recently,” Petilla said.

Foreign debt decreases by $2.4b to $75.3b—BSP

P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG

By Julito G. Rada

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, June 19, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.0170

Japan

Yen

0.008135

0.3662

UK

Pound

1.588600

71.5140

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128996

5.8070

Switzerland

Franc

1.085305

48.8572

Canada

Dollar

0.817728

36.8117

Singapore

Dollar

0.749625

33.7459

Australia

Dollar

0.783822

35.2853

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652520

119.4085

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266674

12.0049

Brunei

Dollar

0.746826

33.6199

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.029762

1.3398

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

12.2569

Euro

Euro

1.137100

51.1888

Korea

Won

0.000908

0.0409

China

Yuan

0.161095

7.2520

India

Rupee

0.015706

0.7070

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.269687

12.1405

New Zealand

Dollar

0.694782

31.2770

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032547

1.4652 Source: PDS Bridge

THE country’s outstanding external debt at end-March 2015 declined $2.4 billion or 3 percent to $75.3 billion from $77.7 billion at the end of 2014 due mainly to net repayments of banks amounting to $2 billion, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said over the weekend.

“Negative foreign exchange revaluation [$220 million] arising from the strengthening of the US dollar against other currencies, and an increase in residents’ investments in Philippine debt papers [$100 million] also contributed to the decline in the debt stock,” Tetangco said.

External debt refers to all types of borrowings by Philippine residents from non-residents, follow-

ing the residency criterion for international statistics, such as the balance of payments.

On a year-on-year basis, the external debt also declined $3.6 billion or 4.6 percent from $78.9 billion in March 2014 due to negative foreign exchange revaluation adjustments ($2.2 billion); net repayments amounting to $1.9 billion; and previous period’s adjustments (negative $220 million) due to audit findings as well as late reporting of transactions.

However, the downward pressure of these developments on the debt level was mitigated by the rise in non-residents’ investments in Philippine debt papers ($704 million).

“Key external debt indicators were observed to have remained at very prudent levels in the first

quarter of 2015,” Tetangco said.

Gross international reserves of $80.5 billion as of end-March represented 6.1 times cover for short-term debt under the original maturity concept compared woth 4.9 times and 4.7 as of endDecember and March 2014.

The external debt ratio--a solvency indicator--was recorded at 21.5 percent for the first quarter of 2015 from 22.5 percent in the last quarter of 2014 and 23.9 percent a year ago.

“The country’s external debt remained heavily biased towards medium- to long-term accounts, which represented 82.6 percent of total. This means that FX requirements for debt payments are well spread out and, thus, more manageable,” Tetangco said.

Public sector external debt

stood at $39.1 billion, or 52 percent of the total debt stock. This was slightly lower than the $39.3 billion as of end-2014 due mainly to negative foreign exchange revaluation adjustments ($209 million) as the dollar strengthened against most currencies.

Private sector debt likewise declined to $36.2 billion from $38.3 billion a quarter ago due largely to the net repayments of bank liabilities which amounted to $2.9 billion.

Foreign holders of Philippine bonds and notes accounted for the largest share (33.5 percent) of total external debt, followed by official sources (multilateral and bilateral creditors at 30.4 percent), foreign banks and other financial institutions (28.9 percent), and foreign suppliers/exporters (7.2 percent).

MONDAY: JUNE 22, 2015

B2

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

MST BuSineSS Weekly STockS RevieW STOCKS

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl Reinsurance Corp.

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

7.6 73.7 109.80 98.75 45.65 2.40 1.74 9.5 15.76 20.05 6.35 1.74 850.00 0.400 90.2 0.99 18.00 29.00 68.55 94 306.6 41 165 1500.00 59.00 3.16

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Bogo Medellin C. Azuc De Tarlac Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion 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 Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Corp.

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

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

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

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

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

44.95 1.44 1.06 1.94 10.38 60.5 92.00 18.38 107 26.85 58 2.21 1.55 11.7 18.920 9.05 7.57 10.00 1.78 12.4 25.35 83.7 13.86 13.84 6 0.510 197.20 9.85 30.00 2.24 2.73 54.75 24.9 24.85 6.29 285.00 4.18 4.66 8.62 4.14 11.70 3.97 1.97 2.52 4.26 2.17 6.12 170 4.5 1.63 0.146 2.18 198 4.4 0.77 25.50 1.29

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

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

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Minerales Industrias Corp.

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

0.475 56.5500 23.10 1.26 6.77 0.249 0.245 799.5 7.98 13.48 3.44 4.54 0.217 1390 6.68 71.50 3.9 5.03 5.08 7.27 0.69 13.92 0.63 4.7 5.15 0.0330 1.280 1.480 2.58 64.45 881.00 1.25 0.74 268.80 82.000 0.3500 0.2030 0.270

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

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

Empire East Land

7.390 8.42 0.69 1.250 0.220 38.25 3.37 5.25 6.3 6.2 0.83 1.22 1.08 0.134 0.430 0.890

JUNE 15-19, 2015 Volume Value FINANCIAL 329,341.00 8,862,801.00 2,030,103,589.00 800,650,213.00 11,442,740.00 48,900.00 71,170.00 15,200.00 737,424.00 21,167,285.00 108,465 127,340.00 727,005.00 380,050.00 1,173,629,266.00 192,840.00 1,213,780.00 147,900.00 15,809,439.00 68,340.00 2,358,180.00 20,418,555.00 512,597,930.00 3,606,445.00 12,100,485.00 462,210.00 INDUSTRIAL 11,417,300 506,604,735.00 109,000 149,100.00 1,401,000 1,447,490.00 4,922,002 10,173,970.00 20,500 210,560.00 21,370 1,263,710.00 50 4,600.00 2,322,700 42,704,596.00 20 2,140.00 2,910,400 78,864,755.00 1,165,660 9,277,738.00 38,425,000 83,833,760.00 756,000 1,157,260.00 251,400 2,985,156.00 15,374,900 287,689,394.00 19,227,300 176,000,391.00 118,843,800 875,357,875.00 4,623,000 46,132,953.00 49,000 83,890.00 72,000 891,378.00 14,925,500 378,830,530.00 787,940 66,735,256.00 400 5,544.00 412,200 5,699,046.00 1,085,000 6,538,451.00 129,000 66,560.00 3,990,370 786,315,655.00 1,264,500 12,392,658.00 900 27,000.00 53,000 106,940.00 184,000 516,140.00 9,140 489,149.00 4,472,300 111,940,220.00 1,292,000 31,757,485.00 786,500 5,001,340.00 1,628,840 459,429,900.00 6,000 25,090.00 10,323,000 47,840,670.00 33,864,400 292,901,593.00 6,000 24,340.00 63,700 741,752.00 73,525,000 279,824,020.00 12,393,000 25,378,910.00 56,091,000 133,785,560.00 43,340,000 186,211,100.00 94,000 196,730.00 18,600 114,767.00 212,180 36,879,408.00 32,000 751,200.00 383,000 618,080.00 5,110,000 749,660.00 5,525,000 12,188,380.00 17,825,160 3,359,742,016.00 210,000 903,200.00 14,363,000 11,309,870.00 300 7,070.00 519,000 659,380.00 HOLDING FIRMS 2,600,000 1,192,300.00 5,886,430 332,670,884.00 59,656,200 1,347,145,085.00 47,000 56,980.00 207,400 1,411,604.00 6,820,000 1,615,740.00 130,000 31,600.00 1,551,890 1,221,231,925.00 6,157,500 48,572,189.00 49,740,600 674,794,560.00 106,000 328,610.00 294,000 1,322,680.00 5,490,000 1,290,620.00 1,094,755 1,498,675,585.00 704,900 4,709,887.00 13,715,340 960,529,308.00 2,000 7,750.00 100 503.00 3,500 4,059.00 12,634,700 92,593,486.00 1,211,000 810,300.00 11,397,200 155,370,954.00 1,511,000 926,830.00 69,393,000 317,892,430.00 306,000 1,551,635.00 800,000 26,100.00 16,000 20,480.00 155,265,000 224,346,080.00 454,000 1,170,340.00 1,015,240 62,119,714.00 1,759,200 1,557,086,945.00 653,960.00 533,000 122,001 89,320.00 30 8,064.00 28,440 2,373,252.00 6,230,000 2,168,700.00 11,350,000 2,382,070.00 2,870,000 814,750.00 PROPERTY 2,593,000 19,286,307.00 3,800 31,438.00 6,479,000 4,552,740.00 366,000 456,430.00 1,560,000 343,200.00 37,509,800 1,448,381,645.00 13,701,000 47,043,990.00 3,354,700 18,251,797.00 1,100 6,862.00 12,000 74,400.00 18,737,000 15,349,690.00 45,000 56,370.00 141,000 150,440.00 18,600,000 2,522,610.00 8,410,000 3,708,450.00 2,302,000 1,985,920.00 43,800 120,820 18,727,690 8,130,370 250,100 20,000 41,000 1,600 46,900 1,045,200 17,100 74,000 860 950,000 13,138,430 63,600 67,700 5,100 232,480 730 7,710 493,200 3,163,990 2,410 195,770 147,000

Close

JUNE 8-11, 2015 Volume Value

7.01 73.5 108.50 96.75 45.8 2.48 1.77

4,600 137,720 7,546,400 4,106,920 300,600 34,000 69,000

32,246.00 10,054,186.00 808,623,452.00 397,199,006.00 13,766,790.00 80,290.00 119,670.00

15.9 20.45 6.75 1.69 846.00 0.405 88.8 0.99 18.00

236,200 1,347,500 12,600 289,000 540 1,110,000 37,725,600 5,154,000 114,700

3,687,856.00 26,065,023.00 82,099 429,030.00 440,590.00 455,500.00 3,315,066,968.00 5,168,370.00 2,064,600.00

69.40 94 306 42.5 153 1490.00 64.70 3.15

791,440 30 9,720 244,000 2,826,070 2,390 67,080 240,000

52,942,246.00 2,780.00 2,965,046.00 10,250,845.00 435,483,307.00 1,397,335.00 4,328,456.00 755,550.00

44.4 1.45 1.05 1.96 10.52 52 85.00 18.5 105 27 57.5 2.03 1.59 12.3 19.000 9.35 7.28 9.99 1.66 12.1 25 85.5 13.90 13.82 6.08 0.540 195.50 9.77

146,180,560 52,000 1,753,000 5,624,000 4,500 1,170 50 1,344,200 130 1,158,800 16,090 13,112,000 596,000 43,000 12,879,900 29,145,200 69,302,800 1,963,200 240,000 349,400 8,923,200 624,230 32,000 92,400 4,681,500 91,000 2,512,990 1,835,000

279,162,910.00 71,700.00 1,803,540.00 10,962,240.00 47,020.00 60,803.00 4,250.00 24,850,782.00 13,680.00 31,297,155.00 918,743.00 25,870,160.00 952,860.00 519,696.00 242,029,932.00 286,753,031.00 510,956,449.00 19,285,992.00 378,040.00 591,636.00 226,685,130.00 53,773,241.00 444,074.00 1,277,812.00 28,706,506.00 48,570.00 492,230,484.00 17,938,785.00

2 2.59 53.50 25.35 24.8 6.28 284.00 4.15 4.51 9.00 3.8 11.22 3.76 2.19 2.2 4.41 2.03 6.5 178 4.5 1.6 0.153 2.23 185 4.3 0.76 22.50 1.29

160,000 63,000 23,940 1,708,600 293,300 238,700 1,562,570 7,000 1,458,000 12,799,500 11,000 131,900 843,000 1,498,000 3,039,000 33,373,000 188,000 22,200 23,680 16,000 58,000 10,700,000 5,165,000 12,688,280 118,000 3,775,000 1,800 423,000

325,470.00 158,970.00 1,238,631.00 42,403,125.00 7,176,415.00 1,501,126.00 437,623,452.00 28,880.00 6,457,660.00 116,833,083.00 42,000.00 1,497,554.00 3,236,840.00 3,278,130.00 6,529,050.00 149,479,950.00 385,350.00 134,300.00 4,216,038.00 72,000.00 91,880.00 1,585,350.00 11,626,970.00 2,345,475,198.00 507,500.00 2,859,410.00 43,145.00 541,730.00

0.455 56.8000 22.45 1.32 6.79 0.255 0.260 767 7.82 13.38 3.1 4.50 0.225 1351 6.56 68.00 4

590,000 4,320,250 44,960,600 3,000 74,800 9,210,000 1,080,000 1,079,970 4,231,800 40,561,900 321,000 132,000 1,310,000 994,325 1,977,300 8,547,270 6,000

268,850.00 237,703,680.00 993,482,600.00 3,900.00 507,922.00 2,299,730.00 275,600.00 815,200,300.00 32,916,425.00 528,372,978.00 1,010,350.00 589,760.00 277,850.00 1,316,451,705.00 12,866,324.00 559,235,208.00 23,710.00

5.07 7.49 0.71 13.3 0.62 4.55 5 0.0370

200 15,430,700 19,000 11,203,200 2,064,000 77,301,000 130,000 2,200,000

1,014.00 112,944,095.00 13,020.00 61,638,398.00 1,281,430.00 342,478,810.00 645,900.00 80,800.00

1.300 2.5 59.95 890.00 1.21 0.74 80.500 0.3550 0.2090 0.295

90,521,000 20,000 1,139,940 808,040 998,000 174,000 1,480 44,390 7,830,000 1,220,000 490,000

110,024,770.00 50,720.00 69,079,157.00 705,856,335.00 1,216,120.00 120,500.00 740.00 3,640,250.00 2,766,400.00 242,220.00 144,700.00

7.250

2,799,300

20,075,817.00

0.73 1.250 0.220 39.00 3.48 5.33

2,019,000 1,156,000 280,000 43,846,900 12,059,000 1,957,000

1,464,880.00 1,451,200.00 63,700.00 1,656,608,555.00 42,855,000.00 10,385,635.00

0.82

10,941,000

8,937,980.00

1.06 0.140 0.440 0.840

72,000 16,250,000 8,930,000 522,000

77,920.00 2,274,150.00 3,822,650.00 442,900.00

STOCKS

JUNE 15-19, 2015 Volume Value

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

Megaworld Prop.

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

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

0.173 1.21 1.82 1.30 5.01 4.99 4.99 0.116 0.3150 0.4500 24.00 7.33 28.05 1.68 3.37 19.44 0.72 0.860 6.850

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

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

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

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

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

Yehey

6.3 60 1.11 0.650 13.4 9.00 0.0920 4.03 85.45 10 1.69 6.66 959 2586 6.30 1.36 111.9 4.00 0.011 0.213 1.2800 2.2 9.30 3.00 1.30 2.00 49.80 0.690 2 6.69 0.350 0.500 18.9 4.50 110.00 19.02 2802.00 0.700 1.300 38.00 75.95 9.90 0.65 1.7 5.28 0.335 1.320

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

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.0051 2.55 6.61 11.70 0.250 7.0000 7.0200 0.94 0.78 7.00 1.68 0.315 0.229 0.235 0.0130 0.0140 3.44 24.2 3.7 0.6500 2.0500 0.0120 0.0120 4.42 6.29 1.98 0.015 142.00 11.1 0.0100

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

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

61 522 528 123 520 6.2 1.1 110 1055 1050 75.75 84.9 88 1.9

Close

1,780,000 305,670.00 4,377,000 5,283,390.00 31,292,000 57,522,790.00 1,329,000 1,725,770.00 8,200 42,150.00 137,370,000 663,281,900.00 45,186,000 223,483,230.00 2,610,000 292,370.00 2,260,000 700,500.00 390,000 177,550.00 1,800 43,200.00 217,900 1,589,605.00 10,865,100 299,529,410.00 1,593,000 2,603,380.00 87,000 288,460.00 104,878,100 2,044,971,484.00 2,417,000 1,737,580.00 197,000 169,680.00 67,639,600 466,547,081.00 SERVICES 173,600 1,092,325.00 75,180 4,510,796.00 49,000 54,520.00 14,547,000 9,445,520.00 92,500 1,257,670.00 60,993,300 567,673,474.00 22,780,000 2,106,430.00 8,790,000 35,327,190.00 1,563,580 133,198,302.00 28,000 279,921.00 6,000 10,140 94,000 607,425.00 2,120 2,009,030.00 844,855 2,211,701,550.00 551,200 3,415,522.00 1,216,000 1,609,470.00 6,381,900 706,020,617.00 200 800 242,000,000 2,880,100.00 27,140,000 6,034,340.00 2,176,000 2,793,820.00 37,000 84,100.00 273,000 2,532,133.00 1,391,000 4,133,740.00 273,000 344,840.00 157,000 310,310.00 11,760 571,446.00 58,001 67,790.00 107,000 212,860.00 9,427,800 64,207,360.00 220,000 76,100.00 596,145.00 1,268,000 6,900 129,602.00 34,000 154,470 58,580 6,707,523.00 1,428,900 28,107,886.00 711,670 2,006,524,240.00 17,224,000 11,789,530.00 133,515,000 174,164,280.00 19,322,900 727,505,125.00 7,405,840 568,797,291.00 23,767,200 233,199,324.00 17,980,000 11,914,060.00 31,000 52,700.00 27,979,600 144,548,083.00 680,000 219,100.00 93,000 135,650.00 MINING & OIL 1,622,000,000 8,565,200.00 534,000 1,349,690.00 2,288,200 15,398,712.00 11,300 132,156.00 310,000 78,200.00 5,500 38,128.00 3,300 23,166.00 1,341,000 1,289,480.00 4,141,000 3,270,470.00 68,700 480,174.00 288,663,000 502,823,550.00 2,950,000 919,350.00 16,910,000 3,890,960.00 500,000 117,530.00 260,500,000 3,604,000.00 32,700,000 471,800.00 3,704,000 12,610,520.00 4,933,100 119,871,940.00 37,589,000 139,246,360.00 283,000 184,770.00 596,000 1,237,630.00 112,600,000 1,296,900.00 68,000,000 882,000.00 416,000 1,713,510.00 2,187,000 14,018,385.00 29,832,000 60,604,870.00 61,500,000 871,200.00 7,600,540 1,076,080,353.00 2,804,500 32,247,908.00 200,000 2,000.00 PREFERRED 6,668,453 55,715,947.00 26,320 13,746,565.00 6,960 3,675,440 460 56,480.00 2,900 1,508,000.00 232,400 1,399,337.00 8,013,000 8,885,180 31,930 25,602,200.00 2,770 3,096,030.00 6,395 6,699,850.00 445,740 33,644,790.00 22,410 1,898,870.00 245,980 21,586,761.00 1,000 1,900.00 WARRANTS & BONDS 868,000 3,316,340.00 SME 4,249,100 41,514,292.00 7,500 42,405.00 510 33,367.00 10,342,500 115,163,592.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 310,300 38,147,548.00

JUNE 8-11, 2015 Volume Value

0.170 1.23 1.84 1.38 5.01 4.71 4.64 0.114 0.3200 0.4500 24.00 7.24 28.50 1.71 3.34 19.46 0.73 0.880 7.080

220,000 5,460,000 38,345,000 36,000 6,700 86,771,000 20,508,000 5,500,000 800,000 15,000 2,900 34,000 8,901,500 915,000 74,000 27,809,900 1,449,000 570,000 24,233,000

39,290.00 6,667,570.00 69,023,700.00 48,050.00 33,567.00 399,835,090.00 95,078,120.00 607,460.00 254,000.00 67,500.00 69,915.00 244,497.00 244,042,345.00 1,559,440.00 245,640.00 528,658,950.00 1,035,310.00 491,920.00 171,697,363.00

6.4 60.06 1.12 0.660 13 8.83 0.0950 4.06 85.35 10 1.81 6.66 960 2698 6.12 1.34 111

278,500 51,730 133,000 3,465,000 4,500 43,460,800 27,030,000 1,483,000 1,419,970 9,100 132,000 136,700 30 484,740 202,500 453,000 4,374,470

1,743,336.00 3,109,039.00 154,950.00 2,321,490.00 58,800.00 385,921,293.00 2,479,540.00 6,032,600.00 118,309,168.00 90,883.00 225,520 836,187.00 29,160.00 1,286,184,660.00 1,244,322.00 585,880.00 482,171,469.00

0.232 1.2800 2.2 9.35 2.99 1.3 1.95 50.00 0.690 1.99 6.97 0.340 0.500 18.96 4.55 124.00 19.60 2800.00 0.680 1.310 37.00 76.00 9.76 0.67 1.7 5.14 0.330 1.490

19,860,000 613,000 9,000 1,694,800 2,315,000 19,000 184,000 4,430 1,229,000 240,000 13,603,600 940,000 1,646,000 68,200 24,000 452,364 23,259,200 298,720 33,327,000 37,977,000 6,764,100 6,683,420 11,453,800 2,461,000 77,000 15,548,500 1,500,000 191,000

4,533,500.00 770,480.00 19,800.00 15,965,039.00 7,033,710.00 24,350.00 362,290.00 223,904.00 815,690.00 471,580.00 94,894,918.00 320,000.00 808,785.00 1,242,626.00 106,730 60,692,578.00 437,358,214.00 833,600,710.00 22,051,540.00 51,407,510.00 247,654,965.00 483,447,556.00 297,940,407.00 1,667,210.00 131,980.00 81,062,002.00 488,300.00 271,520.00

0.0053 2.50 6.99

2,643,000,000 13,560,000.00 345,000 873,500.00 2,500,500 17,451,842.00

6.8600 7.0800 0.98 0.79 7.24 1.68 0.320 0.232 0.237 0.0140 0.0140 3.41 24.3 3.72 0.6700 2.0700 0.0120 0.0140 4.38 6.45 1.97 0.015 140.50 10.88 0.0100

5,300 7,900 501,000 1,698,000 90,700 391,882,000 935,000 23,200,000 15,260,000 90,800,000 30,900,000 854,000 10,556,800 2,221,000 1,031,000 520,000 22,900,000 68,000,000 338,000 1,465,400 15,274,000 167,600,000 3,378,230 3,365,600 50,900,000

37,510.00 57,842.00 490,200.00 1,331,400.00 617,025.00 640,110,120.00 433,550.00 5,489,360.00 3,669,330.00 1,271,200.00 432,600.00 2,924,390.00 258,735,915.00 8,199,470.00 693,450.00 1,091,580.00 253,700.00 869,000.00 1,487,030.00 9,616,592.00 30,000,200.00 2,353,200.00 473,708,348.00 37,809,642.00 518,400.00

61 524.5 528 123 520 69 1.12 111 1120 1043 75.4 81.95 87

798,540 3,970 9,400 9,030 3,000 9,500 20,000 70,220 250 22,250 558,900 114,230 290,260

48,589,533.00 2,082,300.00 4,953,900 1,089,120.00 1,560,000.00 57,000.00 22,080 7,798,656.00 280,000.00 23,288,075.00 42,129,818.00 9,333,499.00 25,214,218.00

MST Leisure & Resort Warr.

3.890

Double Dragon Makati Fin. Corp.

Ripple E-Business Intl Xurpas

9.8 6.38 65.45 11.2

First Metro ETF

124

3.800

844,000

3,280,430.00

9.64 5.25 63.95 10.82

3,601,600 7,300 1,190 11,094,700

34,477,649.00 41,481.00 73,916.00 118,200,165.00

122.4

154,250

18,738,672.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining Ferronickel Manila Mining `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Prime Orion Megaworld Corp.

Premium Leisure Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) Oriental Pet. `A’ SM Prime Holdings

VOLUME 1,622,000,000 288,663,000 260,500,000 242,000,000 155,265,000 137,370,000 133,515,000 118,843,800 112,600,000 104,878,100

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

VALUE 3,359,742,016.00 2,211,701,550.00 2,044,971,484.00 2,030,103,589.00 2,006,524,240.00 1,557,086,945.00 1,498,675,585.00 1,448,381,645.00 1,347,145,085.00 1,221,231,925.00

MONDAY: JUNE 22, 2015

B3

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

SEC transferring to PICC IF plans pushes through, the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has been looking for a new headquarters for several years now, may have a new home before the end of the year.

SEC chairperson Teresita Herbosa, who has been pushing for the transfer of SEC to a new location, said the new office would be at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

The SEC will be occupying the same office vacated by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office sometime last year to give way to the rehabilitation of PICC. Herbosa said PICC was found to be a suitable site for the corporate regulator, after several previous attempts to look for a new headquarters.

It previously planned to transfer to new headquarters in Bonifacio Global City, in a building owned by Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Corp. The plan, however, was opposed by some SEC employees.

Herbosa is hopeful that negotiations between SEC and PICC will go smoothly, as both are government entities.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Several PSE employees are anti Pro-Friends

Real estate developer Pro-Friends Group Inc. is having a hard time securing regulatory approval for an initial public offering, apparently because of an anti Pro-Friends lobby instigated by several employees of the Philippine Stock Exchange itself.

Sources said several PSE employees, with existing complaints against Pro-Friends, stormed to the listing department of the exchange upon learning that the Mandaluyong City-based mass housing developer had filed an IPO application, and strongly lobbied that the application be rejected.

The PSE employees, apparently Pro-Friends housing buyers, are allegedly not happy with the property developer and cited several complaints against the company.

Pro-Friends president Guillermo Choa earlier said while the company remained interested in listing with the PSE, it was also considering other options to raise funds to finance projects. Jenniffer B. Austria

Developer opens new Quezon City sports club

Real estate developer New San Jose Builders, the company behind Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, The Philippine Arena and Victoria Towers, announced its plan to venture into sports and wellness.

The company said it would open membership to Victoria Sports, located along Edsa in South Triangle near GMA7Kamuning MRT station, starting July 2015. The club will be housed at the Victoria Sports Tower, one of the latest mixeduse developments of New San Jose Builders, which built residential properties such as Victoria Towers in Quezon City, Victoria de Manila, Isabelle de Valenzuela and Fort Victoria in BGC. The company said club memberships would be available for individuals or groups and would be ideal for fitness enthusiasts who are looking for a one-stop hub. The club will put up tennis courts, a basketball court that can be converted for volleyball use, badminton courts, squash court, virtual golf rooms, Olympic-sized lap pool, climbing wall, billiard tables, bowling lanes, boxing rings and a shooting range.

It will also have a multi-purpose room to house Pilates, Bikram yoga, aerobics and different dance lessons. Six private gyms will be put up for those who want seclusion during their training and workout. Roderick T. dela Cruz

AFAB to build housing complex for employees

A housing complex will soon rise on a 100-hectare property for over 20,000 employees at the Freeport Area of Bataan.

Deogracias Custodio, the chairman and administrator of the Authority of Freeport Area of Bataan, which operates the economic zone, said the plan was to build a housing project for the employees.

“One of the important priorities for FAB moving forward and in the near future is housing because we’re at the tip of the Bataan peninsula. A lot of the workers really can’t go back and forth if they happen to live in other parts of the province, so it’s good that they have their houses right there,” Custodio said.

He said AFAB was in talks with the housing authorities and the local government of Bataan on how to subsidize the housing project for almost 23,000 employees of the ecozone.

The target location for the 100-hectare housing facility was within the Freeport originally, but Custodio said there was insufficient land area for the project within the Freeport.

They now now planning to build it outside FAB, considered one of the fastest growing ecozones in the country.

Last year, AFAB attracted P84 billion worth of investments, mainly because of a new power project in the area.

Gabrielle H. Binaday

Market index seen testing 7,800 level

By Jenniffer B. Austria

STOCKS are expected to sustain their upward trajectory this week, on investor optimism after US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen signaled a gradual pace in raising interest rates.

BDO Unibank chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said the Philippine Stock Exchange index may test the 7,800-point level in the week ahead, after the market managed to close above 7,600 last week.

Investors will also monitor this week’s Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’

policy meeting despite expectations that it would maintain current rates.

“Consensus remains high, overnight borrowing and lending will be maintained at 4 percent and 6 percent, respectively, highlighted by the fact that domestic demand remains robust due to solid private demand, buoyant business sentiment and improved public spending in the months ahead,” F. Yap Securities investment analyst Jason Escartin said.

“The wildcard however, will be on the possibility of a prolonged dry spell, which could last until early 2016,” he said.

The benchmark PSEi gained 1.3 percent last week to close at 7,601.17 on June 19, led by industrial subsector ( up 2.12 percent), holdings (1.96 percent) and financials (1.6 percent ).

The property subsector declined 0.76 percent while mining and oil and

services dropped 0.54 percent and 0.17 percent, respectively.

Market movements last week were driven by the ongoing Greek debt issue, as well as expectations and speculation on what the Fed might reveal during its FOMC meeting.

“With that done, investors will once again begin to focus on more economic data releases, especially following this week’s lower-than-anticipated inflation figure,” BPI Asset Management said in its weekly outlook.

Foreign investors were net sellers last week by P2.33 billion, as total foreign selling hit P22.95 billion while foreign buying amounted to P20.61 billion.

Top gainers last week were Makati Finance Corp., which gained 21.5 percent to P6.38; Bogo-Medelin Milling Co. Inc., which climbed 16.3 percent to P60.50; and Pryce Corp., which advanced14.5 percent to P2.52.

No. 06-02-2015

MANDATORY PAYMENT OF EMPLOYERS’ AND EMPLOYEES’ PREMIUM CONTRIBUTIONS TO ACAs Effective July 1, 2015, all employers in the government and private sectors shall pay their premium contributions at our Accredited Collecting Agents (ACAs) or through e-Payment facilities. The complete list of all ACAs can be accessed through www.philhealth.gov.ph. Only premiums from microfirms, employers with less than 11 employees and Kasambahays shall be accepted at PhilHealth offices.

Also exempted from this policy are employers in areas or provinces in the following circumstances until such time that access to payment and electronic reporting can be provided: • For provinces classified as Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAS) with no available internet service provider and ACAs, premium payments and soft copy reports will still be accepted in PhilHealth offices; and • In areas where there are ACAs but have no available internet service providers, soft copy reports shall be submitted to the nearest PhilHealth office.

Other inquiries may be referred to our Call Center at (02) 441-7442 or through any of our Regional Offices.

ALEXANDER A. PADILLA President and CEO

B4

A Brown bares P17-b projects

By Jenniffer B. Austria DIVERSIFIED company A Brown Company Inc. said it plans to develop P17 billion worth of projects in its energy and infrastructure, real estate and agribusiness ventures over the next five years.

A Brown executive chairman Walter Brown said during the annual stockholders’ meeting held in Cagayan de Oro the company would invest P14.5 billion in infrastructure projects, including coal, bunker, hydro and renewable energy and bulk water, and mineral and oil and gas explorations.

The company will allot

another P1.3 billion in real estate development and close to P1 billion in agribusiness, which includes oil palm plantation, milling and refinery.

Financing for the projects would come from the combination of self-generated equity, joint ventures and partnerships, and project financing.

Brown expects A Brown to perform better in 2015 as several power plants come on stream by the fourth quarter and early 2016.

The oil palm plantation and refinery in Northern Mindanao is expected to contribute significantly to the firm’s bottom line as more mature fruits are processed and sold.

Brown said the first unit of the 2x135-megawatt coal-fired power plant of Palm Concepcion Power Corp in Concepcion, Iloilo would be fully operational by early 2016.

The company plans to build a second power plant unit.

The 20.9-MW bunker-fired plant of Peakpower Soccsargen Inc. in General Santos and the

5.2-MW station of Peakpower San Francisco Inc. in Agusan del Sur are currently running at full capacity, while a uni, the 10.4MW facility of Peakpower, will start operations by the second half of 2016.

Future projects include a 15MW and 5-MW expansion in General Santos and San Francisco, respectively, and the 25-MW Carac-an hydroelectric project in Surigao del Sur, through A Brown’s subsidiary, Hydro Link Projects Corp.

Meanwhile, A Brown Energy and Resources Development Inc., which handles A Brown’s oil palm business, started commercial operations in May

2015. The refinery has a capacity of 60 metric tons a day.

For the real estate business, Brown said the company plans to maintain its leadership in high-end, master-planned communities in Northern Mindanao, while setting its sights on middle-income and socialized housing projects in Cagayan de Oro, Butuan City, Valencia and Malaybalay cities in Bukidnon, Toril, Davao City and Tanay, Rizal.

A Brown booked a net income of P39.6 million in 2014, a turnaround from a loss of P1.6 million in 2013, while revenues jumped 35 percent to P738 million.

DMCI eyes new nominee in court

PH-Taiwan cooperation. Board of Investments director of the International Investments Promotion Service Angelica Cayas (left) meets (from left) Ambassador and resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office Antonio Basilio, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office director Nick Ni and Institute for Information Industry deputy director of the international division Pearl Sun during the recent 2015 PhilippinesTaiwan Digital Content Industry Cooperation on June 16, 2015 at the BoI Industry and Investments Building in Makati City.

Bilateral agreement with Efta nations seen in 2016

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippines expects to sign a solid bilateral agreement with the European Free Trade Association by 2016, with less sensitivities on trade and tariff matters.

Negotiations for a free trade agreement entered a second phase that started in June and set to end in July this year.

“Talks are moving fast. There is interest on the part of the current administration [of both parties] to finish this,” a Trade official said over the weekend.

The Efta countries are composed of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Trade with Efta countries is relatively small with Philippine

exports at less than 1 percent of the total, while investments from the four European nations declined to P37.81 million in 2013 from P13.81 million in 2010.

Only 4.6 percent of Efta investments in Asean countries goes to the Philippines.

Efta imports from the Philippines are about 2.78 percent of the total from Asean.

Efta imports from the Philippines include electronic integrated circuits, semiconductors, artificial teeth, fresh or chilled fish fillets, prepared or preserved tunas, pneumatic tires, traveling bags, t-shirts, jackets, bicycles, desiccated coconut, crude coconut oil, pineapple juice, prepared or

preserved pineapples and raw cane sugar.

The european bloc has a combined gross domestic product of $1.22 trillion and an average gross domestic product per capita of $91,928 with a population of only 13.52 million.

The ongoing FTA negotiations are part of the PhilippineEuropean strategy that partly seeks to the maximize availment of the European Union generalized system of preferences plus, or EU-GSP+.

The Philippines and EFTA in June 2014 signed a joint declaration of cooperation and concluded scoping discussions in November 2014. Both parties initiated FTA talks in March 2015.

Negotiations will enter the third round of talks by September 2015 and talks will hopefully reach their fourth round final round by November 2015, The Philippines has identified potential exports to Efta such as footwear, ceramic wares, motor cars, upholstered seats, mineral or chemical fertilizers, fuel oils, cigarettes, lubricating oils and granulated sugar.

Other outbound possible shipments are breakfast cereals, non-alcoholic food preparations, ground nuts, unroasted coffee, corn feeds, frozen seafoods, air conditioning units, apparels, navigational aids, telescopes, periscopes, and food preparations like sauces.

DMCI Holdings Inc., which owns a 25.24-percent interest in Maynilad Water Services Inc., will ask the government to submit its new nominee to the arbitration court in Singapore next week to avoid delays in court proceedings.

“We will write the Philippine Chamber of Arbitration next week to nominate its new nominee to the arbitration panel,” DMCI Holdings chief finance officer Herbert Consunji told reporters over the weekend.

The government earlier nominated former Supreme Court Associate Justices Jose Vitug and Roberto Abad, but Maynilad objected, citing conflict of interest.

Consunji said the government’s nominee should not be Filipino to avoid bias.

“If the parties cannot nominate, the permanent arbitration committee can nominate,” he said.

“We have submitted our nominee, its a foreigner. They [government] have not contested it, so we are awaiting with the government’s nominee,” Consunji added.

Consunji said his company was confident it would secure a favorable decision from the arbitration court in Singapore.

Maynilad filed another arbitration case before the international arbitration court in Singapore against the government for its alleged refusal to implement a tariff increase.

Maynilad earlier asked the government to pay P3.44 billion as sovereign compensation for revenue losses it incurred from Jan. 1, 2013 to Feb. 28 this year.

Earlier, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System granted Maynilad a foreign currency differential adjustment of P0.42 per cubic meter. The FCDA is a tariff mechanism granted to utility companies to allow them to recover losses or give back gains arising from the fluctuating movements of the peso against other currencies.

Maynilad said in an earlier statement the adjustment represented 1.26 percent of the company’s average basic charge of P33.60 per cubic meter. Darwin G. Amojelar

M O N D AY : J U N E 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

B5

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

President Noy’s State Visit to Japan IT was definitely a privilege to have been invited to join the select business delegation of Pres. Noy Aquino’s recent State Visit to Japan. The success of the president’s trip is in no small measure a result of the hard work, focus, and dedication of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, our Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manolo Lopez, DFA USec Laura del Rosario, Trade Secretary Greg Domingo and DTI USec Chito Manalo.

The state visit made it apparently clear that the relations between Japan and the Philippines have become stronger and warmer over the years. No one would have imagined that the erstwhile enemies during the Second World War would become close allies, even conducting joint naval training exercises for the first time at the West Philippine Sea with over 600 Japanese personnel participating.

The state visit was also the second time that President Aquino met Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace since he assumed the presidency.

Unfortunately, the inclement weather kept some of us in the delegation—who were invited to join the historical meeting —from taking part in the official State Welcome Ceremony. Yet fate still managed to smile upon us because we were asked to join President Aquino when he visited the Japanese Diet where he delivered a keynote address on the bilateral relations between the two countries and our mutual security concerns—for which he was given a standing ovation by members of Parliament.

The economic briefing conducted by the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group at Hotel Okura was a great opportunity for businessmen from both countries to explore potential investments. The same goes for the 21st Nikkei International Conference on the Future of Asia held at the same hotel with President Aquino as guest speaker and the networking lunches with various business groups.

Modesty aside, I have had the privilege of joining official or state visits to several countries during the presidencies of Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo—and I have to admit that each experience is always different. Each one carries with it unique memories, special anecdotes and of course, notable accomplishments.

Yet one thing remains constant: Every time you pin the Philippine flag on your lapel to showcase your country and the best it has to offer the whole world, you become part of history—if not a catalyst of history.

President Benigno S. Aquino III and Ambassador Manuel Lopez witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Business Promotion Cooperation between Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo and JETRO chairman Hiroyuki Ishige. (Robert Vinas/Malacañang Photo Bureau)

Govt: Tourism goal unrealistic

By Darwin G Amojelar

The president addresses the Joint Session of the National Diet of Japan at the Chamber of the House of Councillors. (Ryan Lim/Malacañang Photo Bureau)

President Aquino, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko lead the singing of the Philippines and Japan National Anthems during the State Welcome Ceremony (Robert Vinas/ Malacañang Photo Bureau)

This columnist joined Filipino trade and business executives Atty. Pelagio Ricalde, governor representing the private sector, Board of Investments; Francis Laurel, president and CEO, YKK Philippines, Inc.; Richard Lim, COO, Eskaya Beach Resort Corp.; George Drysdale, chairman and CEO, Marsman Drysdale Group; Feliciano Torres, president and CEO, Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing; and Ramon Garcia, Jr., president and CEO, iWave, Inc. President Aquino and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the signing of agreement at the Joint Press Briefing at the Sairan-no-Ma Room of the Akasaka State Guest House (Ryan Lim / Malacañang Photo Bureau)

President Aquino and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe exchange views at the Asahi-no-Ma Room of the Akasaka State Guest House (Ryan Lim/Malacañang Photo Bureau)

Lafarge Republic award. Lafarge Republic Group received the gold award in advocacy marketing from the Philippine Association of National Advertisers. Its campaign ‘Building Back Better’ stood out in the Single Medium, Public Relations category for its innovative and comprehensive approach to post-disaster reconstruction. Shown on May 29 (from left) at the 2015 PANA Marketing Effectiveness Awards in InterContinental Hotel Manila are PANA director Digna Santos, Lafarge Cement Services Inc. vice president for communications Cirilo Pestaño, LCSPI VP for marketing Victor Janolino, LCSPI marketing manager Malou Yap, LCSPI communications anager Myle Macalam and Philippine Star VP for sales and marketing Lucien Dy Tioco

President Aquino graces the Philippine Investment Forum organized by the Japan External Trade Organization, Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee – Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippines Society of Japan and ASEAN-Japan Center at Hotel New Otani (Robert Vinas/ Malacañang Photo Bureau)

The Aquino administration aims to attract high-yield tourist markets to achieve its revenue goal by 2016, as a high-ranking official of the Tourism Department said over the weekend.

Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said the agency was focusing on the revenue goal as the tourist arrival target was unlikely to be achieved next year.

“Realistically, we are looking at six million tourists, that would be a more realistic figure,” Bengzon said.

The government targets 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016.

Bengzon said the agency was putting more emphasis on going after the high-yield tourist markets, which include Middle East, Russia and Europe and Southeast Asia and Japan.

These markets were spending about $1,000 per visit in the Philippines, Bengzon added.

He said the government was looking at a total revenue of $6 billion to $8 billion

next year.

The Tourism Department is expecting a 10 percent to 12 percent growth in tourist arrivals this year.

The Philippines recorded a total of 4.83 million tourist arrivals in 2014.

About 1.82 million inbound visitors arrived in the Philippines in the first four months of the year, up 7 percent from 1.7 million year-on-year.

Visitor arrivals in April totaled 423,366, up 9.5 percent from 386,665 on year.

Korea remained the top contributor with 451,945 arrivals for a market share of 24.9 percent and a growth rate of 20.8 percent.

The United States ranked second with 283,577 visitors, accounting for 15.6 percent and posting a

growth rate of 6.22 percent against arrivals in the same period a year ago.

Japan ranked third with 167,602 and a market share of 9.23 percent.

China placed fourth with 126,293 visitors for 7 percent, while the fifth major inbound market to the country was Australia with 83,573 arrivals and a share of 4.6 percent.

Rounding up the top ten visitor markets are Canada with 60,746 arrivals; Singapore, 60,032; Taiwan, 55,572; United Kingdom, 54,116; and Malaysia, 50,425.

Revenues from tourism activities of international visitors grew 2.8 percent to P77.14 billion in the first four months of the year from P75.03 billion recorded last year.

Visitor receipts in April amounted to P18.18 billion, expanding 4.8 percent compared with the previous year’s earnings of P17.34 billion.

The average daily expenditure of international visitors for the month of April 2015 was recorded at P4,675.42.

SMC seeks refinancing of debt

By Clarissa Batino and Cecilia Yap SAN Miguel Corp. and unit Petron Corp. are seeking to refinance debt exceeding $1 billion as interest rates linger near record lows. Their shares surged Friday.

San Miguel, the Philippines’ largest company, may raise funds to partly redeem more than P50 billion of preferred shares, president Ramon Ang said in a June 18 interview in Makati City, without giving a percentage.

Petron, the nation’s largest oil company, will refinance a combined $965 million in loans due next year and in 2017, and plans to amend a loan agreement, according to people familiar with the matter.

San Miguel, the Philippines’ most acquisitive company, is also the most in-

debted. The century-old brewer that has expanded into power generation and oil refining has the equivalent of about $11.7 billion of debt and interest obligations, about three-fourths of which are in US dollars, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“Refinancing is a positive move since it has a high cost of capital. The stock price is also cheap at this level,” Jomar Lacson, an analyst at Manila-based Campos Lanuza & Co., said by phone.

San Miguel shares rose 6.3 percent at the close Friday, their biggest gain since March 2014. Petron shares climbed 1.4 percent, the most this month.

San Miguel may use its own cash to redeem the rest of its preferred shares, which will pay a higher interest rate in two years if not repaid this year, Ang said. Bloomberg

MONDAY: JUNE 22, 2015

B6

BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

Are you ready?

By Emerald Cruz “Crisis Management is the process by which an organization deals with a major event that threatens to harm the organization, its stakeholders, or the general public. The three elements common to a crisis include: (a) a threat to the organization, (b) the element of surprise, and (c) a short decision time” (www.wikipedia.com). This topic is a crucial situation that may not be thoroughly cascaded to organizations. Given the current predictions of a major earthquake and other man-made and natural tragedies that will occur in the near future, i believe that every organization should have a crisis management plan and team.

An unpredictable and challenging situation As for our company, we regularly have fire and earthquake drills that unfortunately are not taken seriously by most employees. We have a team called Emergency response Team who assists during such exercise. Aside from that, the employees are not trained handling other crisis situations such as bomb threats or other forms of attacks.

One reason perhaps is the lax thinking that there’s only a minute probability that a crisis will happen in our company. This reason may also be the same for other companies. However, just like a thief, a crisis is an unpredictable and challenging situation that an organization needs to be prepared of. An organization needs to be prepared on the sOPs, processes and skills needed in managing a crisis.

Need to be calm in the same manner, CEOs and leaders of an organization need to be equipped in handling crisis situations.

They need to have a concrete plan in place to prevent further damage and to ensure the welfare of the employees. A well-handled crisis situation will also maintain the brand and image of the company.

One important insight that i learned in class is that in handling crisis situations, the leader of the organization needs to be calm in order to approach the issue in an objective manner. The vision-mission and company corporate values come in next, especially in deciding which next steps to take. it’s also very crucial to properly communicate the situation and updates to the employees and media (if necessary).

Form a crisis management team Organizations need to be equipped by forming a crisis management team who will regularly be trained in various emergency situations. This lecture gave me an idea to suggest to the Emergency response Team to have practical drills on other crisis situations such as bomb threats, etc. if given an opportunity, i would be interested to be part of this team as i think i will be able to manage the pressure and learn the skills in handling such situations.

The author just graduated from the MBA program of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University. This reflection is part of her blog for the course Trends and Issues in Business and Management: CEO Series. Visit her blog at https://corporatechicemy.wordpress. com/.

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

Wellness festival. Robinsons Supermarket recently held a three-day Wellness Festival at Robinsons Magnolia on June 19 to 22 to encourage Filipino families to eat healthy and make more educated nutritional decisions. Shown attending the event are (from left) host Iya Villania-Arellano, Robinsons Supermarket assistant vice president for non-food merchandising Ruby Alex, assistant vice president for food 2 and 3 merchandising Daisy Lyn Sy, marketing manager Angela Totanes, wellness journey challengers Daniel and Vanessa Matsunaga, celebrity chefs Rachel and Barni Alejandro and assistant vice president for food 1 and 4 merchandising Mai Apilado-Magleo. MANNY PALMERO

Sugar millers buck 10% soft drinks tax

By Othel V. Campos

A gROUp of sugar millers has expressed opposition to the proposed 10-percent ad valorem tax on carbonated drinks, saying sugar should not be singled out as the “cause” of lifestyle conditions such as obesity.

The Philippine sugar Millers Association inc. recently submitted a set of comments to rep. Quimbo romero, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, regarding the implementation of the 10-percent ad valorem tax on soft drinks and other sweetened beverage. “studies have shown that imposing excise tax on sugar sweetened beverage will not reduce food and lifestyle-related health problems,” PsMA executive director Franciso Varua said.

PsMA is the umbrella group of sugar mills that account for

82 percent of the country’s raw sugar production.

The proposed tax is embodied in House Bill No. 3365, a bill that seeks to impose additional tax on sodas and soft drinks.

The bill proposes an insertion to the National internal revenue Code of 1997 to impose a 10-percent ad valorem tax on soft drinks in bottles and other tight containers.

Many beverage companies are using sugar as their basic sweetener.

More than 50 percent of locally-produced refined sugar goes to the beverage sector.

PsMA said many health

problems in the country could not be attributed to the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage.

PsMA said the bill was being seen by the sugarcane industry stakeholders to be singling out sugar as the “only” cause of the mentioned health problems. it said this was deemed discriminatory by the sugar industry.

Other stakeholders commented that the measure would render sugar prices unstable as sugar, as an agricultural crop, was prey to severe weather conditions and to climate change.

The group said La Niña phenomenon, or the season of excess waterfall, would affect sugar production in the same manner that lack of water or extended dry season would also affect productivity. it said during La Niña, sugarcane juice has the tendency to become watery. it may take awhile to refine the juices and sugar yield may also be diluted, it said.

DepEd’s K to 12 program to make PH competitive—Salceda LEGAZPi CiTY — Albay province supports the implementation of the Education Department’s K to 12 program which is designed to improve the country’s education system and produce world-competitive and employable graduates.

Albay Governor Joey salceda said the program would produce graduates and professionals who would be highly competitive worldwide, and who would immediately be employable after their free basic education. The Philippines has fallen behind other Asian countries in terms of competitive learning.

The K to 12 program covers kindergarten and 12 years of basic

education (six years of primary education, four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment and entrepreneurship. salceda, in a media interview last week, echoed President Aquino’s statement that the government “can no longer afford to delay the implementation of the K to 12 program as the country’s educational system has long been left behind in the international community.”

The K to 12 program, salceda said, is advantageous as it would strengthen early childhood education with its ‘universal kindergarten’, make school curriculum relevant to learners’ needs, develop language proficiency and fully prepare basic education graduates for senior high school.

The public should look at the additional years as an added value that the government is providing for free, he said.

After careful study and deliberations, the Bicol regional Development Council which salceda chairs, recently resolved to endorse the K to 12 program

implementation.

“Before, the government pays for only 10 years of basic education; it will be 12 years now. The family will not spend for additional two years. With our yearly graduates of almost 450,000 who lack two years of basic education, there is a need to address this defect to be more qualified,” the governor said. salceda said the K to 12 scheme would be advantageous for parents and students alike as it shifted the burden of two years of education from families to the state. salceda, who has long been advocating for the program, said he believed the K-12 program, along

with 4Ps and health programs, would finally put an end to the inter-generational legacy of poverty in the country.

Albay itself has put a high premium on education and has been the country’s pioneer of a fully institutionalized education program in local governance. it has created its own provincial education division, duly recognized by DepEd and the Civil service Commission, under which scholarships are available. records show 77,137 students in college alone have availed of scholarships under the Albay Higher Education Contribution scheme.

M O N D AY : J U N E 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Thousands rally against gay unions ROME—Hundreds of thousands of Italians gathered in Rome Saturday to demonstrate against gay unions and the teaching of gender theories in schools, as Prime Minister Matteo Renzi tries to push a civil union bill through parliament.

Holding aloft banners reading “The family will save the world” and “Let’s defend our children”, a sea of people crammed into the San Giovanni square near the Italian capital’s historic center to support family values.

The square, which can hold an estimated 300,000 people, was overflowing with the young, elderly and parents with toddlers, an AFP photographer said, with many more demonstrators spilling into nearby streets. Organizers for their part said one million people were

Visitors swarm into bee exposition MILAN—The World Expo in Milan is all abuzz about a giant aluminum hive that hums in harmony with 40,000 bees making honey 1,400 km away in Nottingham, England.

Artist Wolfgang Buttress’s innovative work is the centerpiece of a bee-themed British pavilion that is pulling in nearly four times as many visitors as anticipated and has become one of the must-sees of the six-month world fair in Italy’s economic capital.

Steve Jewlitt-Fleet, the pavilion’s deputy director, told AFP that, since its May 1 opening, over 500,000 visitors have come to admire a creation designed to highlight the importance of bees to the environment and showcase scientific research that could help reverse an alarming decline in their numbers.

“It’s been a real word-of-mouth success,” said Jewlitt-Fleet.

Visitors to the 100m x 20m pavilion follow the dance of a bee through British orchard and meadow landscapes featuring native apple trees and wild heather, buttercups and sorrel, before arriving at Buttress’s hive.

As they enter the 43-ton structure, they start to pick up the amplified hum of the bees in Nottingham Trent University physicist Martin Bencsik’s experimental hive in England, where he is using accelerometer technology borrowed from high-tech engineering to monitor what is going on inside.

Accelerometers are highly sensitive devices used to monitor vibrations in rotating machinery, notably in the automobile and aviation industries.

Now mass produced for use in smartphones (they allow automated portrait/landscape display functions), Bencsik uses them to track the evolution of vibrations within the hive over days, weeks and months and translates them as changes of the colony status.

This has enabled him to identify unintentional sounds as minute as the crackling of a single bee walking on honeycomb, and build up a kind of dictionary of bee vibrational pulses. AFP

taking part. Italian police never provide figures for demos.

“In my children’s schools they are talking about families made up of two fathers or two mothers, without asking parents’ permission,” said 41year old doctor Giuseppe Ripa, adding: “It’s dangerous and wrong.”

Fellow protester Piero Uroda, a 78-year-old pharmacist, said it was “not honest to say these things to the very young, it’s not like they are students who can debate these ideas.”

“I don’t want gay marriage or gay adoption, the natural family is like ours,” he said, pointing to his relatives gathered around.

The protest comes as the Italian senate examines a civil union bill, which Renzi wants to see go to a vote in the coming weeks, with the

aim of legislation being enacted before the end of July.

The call for Italy to keep pace with its western European neighbors on the issue has grown stronger since Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favor of gay marriage last month.

But rights activists warn it will be no mean feat for the leader of the center-left Democratic Party to find allies across the political spectrum, blaming an excessive influence of the Catholic clergy on the political class.

While a survey published by Italian daily La Stampa at the end of May found that 51 percent of voters would support gay marriage, protesters in Rome said the state should stop trying to interfere in sexual or gender education. AFP

Beauty contest. Goat “Demele” and its owner wait for the start of

a goat parade before a goat beauty contest in Ramygala, Lithuania, on July 20. Ramygala was called the capital of Goats in the XVI century with the goat as the symbol and talisman of the village. AFP

Ghost of Argentina haunting debt talks BUENOS AIRES—With Greece in danger of tumbling into the economic abyss it faces the haunting memory of Argentina in 2001, when the South American country defaulted on nearly $100 billion and was plunged into a crisis it is still battling back from.

The show goes on. Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Kieth Richards and Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones perform at Heinz Field on June 20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AFP

Like Greece, Argentina had been living beyond its means for years, dating back at least to the country’s 1976 to 1983 dictatorship, when the junta jacked up military spending.

The debt continued to spiral in the 1990s as Argentina borrowed to finance a novel inflationfighting program in which the government pegged the value of the peso to the dollar, holding $1 in reserve for every peso in circulation.

The so-called “convertibility” plan successfully reined in the hyperinflation that had dogged Argentina for 40 years.

But it left the country’s books badly overstretched by 1999, when the shock waves of the world financial crisis plunged Argentina into recession.

To respond to the demands of the International Monetary Fund, the Argentine government enacted austerity measures and tax hikes.

But that provoked a series of general strikes.

As warnings of an imminent crisis spiraled, Argentines withdrew $22 billion from their banks in less than three months.

In December 2001, in a bid to stop the run on banks, economy minister Domingo Cavallo, architect of the convertibility plan, ordered nearly $70 billion in bank deposits frozen.

For a 90-day period, people were barred from withdrawing more than 250 pesos (then worth $250) a day.

That sparked riots and a government crackdown that left 33 people dead.

Looters trashed supermarkets and tens of thousands of Argentines vented their wrath by banging pots and pans in the street—the so-called “cacerolazo” protests.

On December 19, 2001, President Fernando de la Rua decreed a state of siege. A day later, as thousands of angry protesters massed outside the presidential palace, he resigned and left aboard a helicopter.

On December 23, interim president Adolfo Rodriguez Saa announced a moratorium on the payments of Argentina’s nearly $100-billion debt.

But the crisis soon turned the presidency into a revolving door, churning through five politicians in just two weeks.

By the time the carnage ended, the economy had shrunk by one-fifth, inflation had soared and the peso had been devalued by 70 percent. AFP

M O N D AY : J U N E 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

B8

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Re-enactment. Re-enactors take part in the second and last part of a re-enactement of the Battle of Waterloo, “The Allied counterattack,” during the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of The Battle of Waterloo in Waterloo on June 20. The battle was a pivotal moment in European history, as some 93,000 French troops led by Napoleon fought 125,000 British, German and Belgian-Dutch forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington and Field Marshal Bluecher. AFP

Hong Kongers seek new path Angelina Jolie visits refugee camp in Turkey ISTANBUL—Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie on Saturday called for more international action to help refugees as she visited a camp in southeastern Turkey housing thousands of Syrians who fled their war-torn country.

The Hollywood star and special envoy of the UN refugee agency visited the camp in Mardin on World Refugee Day with UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres, after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was also in the city.

“We are here for a simple reason: this region is at the epicenter of a global crisis,” Jolie told reporters.

“We should call this what it is: not just a ‘refugee crisis,’ but a crisis of global security and governance, that is manifesting itself in the worst refugee crisis ever recorded—and a time of mass dis-

placement,” she said.

Jolie and Guterres’s visit came after the UN said Thursday that the number of people forced to flee war, violence and persecution had soared to a record 59.5 million, half of them children.

The huge tide of displaced people has grown by 8.3 million since 2013—the highest-ever increase in a single year.

“My first message is that it is due time for people to respect the plight of refugees and see their value. We must protect them, and invest in them. They are not a problem, they are part of the solution to this global crisis,” Jolie said.

“I plead to the international community and leaders of the world to recognize what this moment in mass human displacement means. This is not just another day.” AFP

HONG KONG—With the defeat this week of the Beijing-backed political reform plan they slammed as “fake democracy,” Hong Kong’s young protesters are questioning how to take their fight forward as the gulf between them and mainland China widens.

The proposal would have allowed residents to vote for Hong Kong’s chief executive for the first time— currently the leader is chosen by a pro-Beijing election committee.

But the plan stuck to a ruling by Beijing that all candidates would be vetted, a decision that sparked mass student-led protests at the end of last year.

Ultimately the reform bill was voted down 28 to eight by lawmakers Thursday.

However, while the pro-democracy campaigners outside the legislature cheered at the result, young protesters are increasingly forging their own path.

In the wake of last year’s street rallies, they say they identify less as Chinese and have little faith that trying to collaborate with Beijing

will lead to the freedom they seek.

“When it comes to the discussion of democracy, voting rights, the right to be nominated, it is a kind of civil right in society,” said Billy Fong, president of the Hong Kong University Students’ Union.

“This right only belongs to those citizens in Hong Kong, not people living north of the Shenzhen river,” said Fong, referring to the waterway that divides Hong Kong from the mainland.

Under Fong’s leadership, the HKU Students’ Union broke away from Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil this year.

Instead, it held its own, smaller event, saying it no longer agreed with the organizers’ strategy to push for democratization in China as a way to win freedoms for Hong Kong.

“Hong Kongers will distance themselves from China. We don’t share a consensus,” said student Jamie Wong, 18.

“We need to mobilize more people to confront the authorities.”

Student Leslie Mak, 19, said she believed “there was still hope” for democracy, but felt an identity shift after the mass rallies.

“My feeling about being Chinese is blurring. I feel strongly about being a Hong Konger,” Mak told AFP. Mak agrees with a new call by younger generations to amend Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, which they feel restricts democratic development.

Students at the main Tiananmen vigil in the city’s Victoria Park this year burned copies of the Basic Law onstage.

There is also increasingly visible resentment towards China outside the political arena, from protests against traders in border towns to the booing of the Chinese national anthem when it was played to represent Hong Kong at a recent World Cup qualifying football match. AFP

Protesters take to streets for migrants

Travel campaign. Maikos (front row), apprentice geikos, and geikos (rear) from Japan’s ancient capital Kyoto perform a traditional dance during a special event as part of the Kyoto summer travel campaign in Tokyo on June 21. The event was held to promote Kyoto tourism. AFP

BERLIN—Thousands of people took to the streets in several European cities on Saturday in a show of solidarity with the migrants seeking refuge in Europe and against austerity measures in debt-ridden Greece.

In Berlin, some 3,700 turned out according to local police, while organizers said 10,000 participated in a protest held on World Refugee Day that had been called

by German opposition parties Die Linke (The Left) and Gruenen (The Greens).

In the German capital, protesters

chanted: “No frontiers, no nations, stop deportation!” and “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here!”

Marching from the bohemian Kreuzberg district to Brandenburg gate, some of the protesters held up Greek flags and posters bearings slogans supporting Athens as a critical June 30 deadline in debt talks looms.

Should Greece fail to reach a deal with its international creditors to secure the last tranche of funds from its massive bail-out, it risks defaulting and possibly crashing

out of the eurozone.

This “technocratic, cold and neo-liberal Europe that is led by Germany is unbearable,” read one poster held up by a demonstrator.

Economic powerhouse Germany is seen by anti-austerity activists as taking uncompromising stances in the debt crises that have hit several European countries.

In Paris, police said 3,500 protesters including undocumented migrants rallied behind a banner that read: “Greece, France, Europe: austerity kills, democracy is dying, let’s resist!” AFP

M O N D AY : J U N E 2 2 : 2 0 1 5

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER life @ thestandard.com .ph

LIFE

C1

Joebrix Paglinawan builds his dream with the help of his father and Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc.

Joebrix (middle) is flanked by (from left) PSFI Project Officer Marifel Somera; Keppel Subic President Leong Kok Weng; Quality Assurance/Health, Safety and Environment Head Augusto Valencia; and Joebrix’s former supervisor Fermin Propose

C

HOPE IN A SHELL Jeepney driver’s son

maps out destination

atalino Paglinawan Jr. has been driving a jeepney for almost his entire life, raising his four children with the meager earnings he gets from a backbreaking job. It therefore came as a complete surprise when – while refueling at a Shell gas station – he was told that as a reward for being a loyal member of the Shell Pepeng Pasada program, one of his children has the opportunity to obtain an educational scholarship through the Unlad Pasada program.

Mang Catalino’s firstborn son Joebrix recalls the moment his father came home. “He immediately told me about this opportunity. I was thrilled at the thought that I could be in school once again.”

In many undeprivileged or financially challenged Filipino families, older children are sometimes forced by circumstances to grow up fast so they could help their parents make both ends meet. “Even before I earned my high school diploma, I knew my parents wouldn’t be able to send me to college. I badly wanted to become an Electrical Engineer.”

Joebrix waited tables for a catering company, and during times when he was not called in to work, he

Electrical and welding course at Keppel Subic Shipyard Training Center

helped out in his aunt’s grocery store. The few precious pesos he earned, he occasionally handed over to his mama Leticia to pay for bills or to provide allowance for a sibling. But the painful truth was that he was barely making it.

All the difficulties he and his family had to endure made the Unlad sa Pasada scholarship opportunity all the more special. Joebrix chose electrical and welding courses and passed the qualifying examination, but he almost missed the interview due to a catering job that ended later than expected. Then came the good good news via a call from Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) Project Officer Marifel Somera: Joebrix made the grade.

Like other scholars of PSFI, he was invited to participate in a three-day session in Baguio City as prerequisite for the technical training. Called the Leadership Enhancement and Attitude Development (LEAD) Workshop, it aims to equip participants with the proper mindset to become productive and responsible individuals. “LEAD was inspiring. It reawakened me by letting me reflect on my past and where I was. It taught me how to dream big again.”

Continued on C2

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C2 HOPE IN A SHELL from C1

Joebrix’s six-month course began in March 2013 at the Keppel Subic Shipyard Training Center where he also rendered his internship. On his graduation day, his efforts were rewarded with an Academic Excellence Award, his first time ever to receive a medal for doing well in school.

“I was so elated! I knew Papa would be so proud of me,” the young man shared.

His achievements as a scholar were not without struggles. “Allowance was limited; the training environment was dusty, very hot, and generally harsh; instructions were highly specific and execution had to be perfect 100 percent of the time, and I had to be on time all the time.” The jeepney driver’s son remembers a particularly trying moment. “I did very wrong in one of our hands-on exercises. That made me lose my self-confidence and I thought to myself that I couldn’t make it as a welder. I was on the verge of quitting.”

Yet Joebrix only had to think about his family to muster determination and strength. “I realized I would be wasting this opportunity so I told myself, ‘You’re not quitting’.” He gathered his bearings, refocused on his goals, and eventually even became some kind of mentor to his fellow trainees.

After graduating with flying colors, the scholar of Unlad sa Pasada was hired to work on the offshore platform for Malampaya 3. He recently signed on for a second contract cycle which has already started, but not before enjoying two weeks off with his family whom he had not seen for a year. With a more stable job that readies him for upward mobility in his career, he is now in a better position to map out his own destination while helping his family with living expenses.

This turnaround of course was made possible

by Pilipinas Shell which continues to help in nation-building by powering communities in a more sustainable manner. Aside from diversifying the country’s energy mix by delivering cleaner-burning natural gas and smarter products for clean and fuel efficient transport, and producing smarter infrastructure, the company addresses social concerns by helping improve the lives of public transport drivers and their dependents through capacity-building programs like the nationwide Unlad sa Pasada initiative for Pepeng Pasada active members.

“Thank you, Papa. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have come to Keppel to start building a future for myself,” Joebrix says, expressing his gratitude to Shell, PSFI, and Keppel Subic Shipyard for giving more young people like him the opportunity to better themselves, fueling their lives with hope.

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

ANA AND UNITED AIRLINES REWARD SME BUSINESS TRAVELERS

A

ll Nippon Airways (ANA) and United Airlines recently launched the Asia Joint Venture Simple program, a complimentary corporate travel program to support small- and medium-sized enterprises based in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam with discounts when their employees travel on business to destinations in North, Central and South America.

The program gives SMEs in the said countries access to a comprehensive trans-Pacific network through United and ANA that connects to over 227 destinations in the US as well as Central and South America – enabling SME employees to enjoy far more convenient travel. Unlike other corporate programs, Asia JV Simple places no limits on a company’s revenue to qualify for the scheme, enabling more SMEs to benefit. Among the additional benefits SME travelers will receive include premier status, lounge access and upgrades and, like other customers, they can earn award miles by joining United’s MileagePlus frequent flyer program.

“SMEs play a vital role in our local and regional economies, comprising 90 percent of businesses in the Asia-Pacific region

and accounting for 60-80 percent of jobs and 30 percent of total exports. We’re delighted to support SMEs with this new program,” said Alison Espley, United’s managing director of Japan and Pacific Sales.

Mitsuo Tomita, ANA’s vice president of Marketing and Sales Asia, believes that “this program will prove highly popular with our current and future SME customers, who represent an important section of the global business community. The Asia JV Simple program supports them by making the comprehensive networks of our two airlines easier than ever for them to access.

This will make business travel a breeze for SMEs, and contribute to their growth potential.”

Launched in April 2011, the trans-Pacific joint venture between United and ANA involves both airlines working together to coordinate sales and marketing to improve customer experience with more choices, more convenience and unprecedented flexibility in trans-Pacific travel. The Asia JV Simple program is an extension of this joint venture tailored specifically to support SME business travelers as they grow their businesses.

SME businessmen and employees get discounts and other benefits when they fly on business via All Nippon Airways and United Airlines.

FINAL CALL FOR NEW ZEALAND ASEAN SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS Interested applicants to the New Zealand ASEAN scolarships have until July 31 to submit their applications. This was announced by the New Zealand government whose New Zealand Aid Programme offers scholarships to eligible postgraduate students from the Philippines to undertake development-related studies at a tertiary institution in New Zealand. An indicative allocation of 18 scholarships is made available for Filipinos who wish to obtain a postgraduate degree (i.e. postgraduate diplomas, master degrees or doctorates) in New Zealand commencing in 2016.

New Zealand ASEAN Scholarships empower individuals with the knowl-

edge, skills, and qualifications to contribute to economic, social, and political development within the Philippines.

The scholarship aims to contribute to the achievement of Philippine human resource development objectives, particularly in areas where New Zealand has recognized expertise. Priority themes for this year are agriculture development, renewable energy, disaster risk management, public sector management and private sector development.

Applications are welcome from the public, private and civil society sectors.

The Bato Balani Foundation Inc., with its commitment of uplifting the

quality of education in the country, is assisting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) through the New Zealand Embassy in searching for the Filipinos who will most benefit from the opportunity to study in New Zealand and will contribute to the development of the Philippines on their return.

Full details of the scholarship and application form are available on the New Zealand Aid Programme website: http://www.aid.govt.nz/fundingand-contracts/scholarships/eligiblecountries/philippine. To know more, please contact (632) 8925462 / (0923) 5364303 or email bbfi@diwamail.com

KIDS AT WORK:

BSM STUDENTS HOLD CARWASH DAY FOR WWF

T

he nursery, Year 2 students of British School Manila (BSM) showed they are adept at doing work like car washing, selling flip flops, doing chores for parents and selling mango smoothies to raise funds for the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Philippines. The students managed to clean 104 small cars, 204 big cars and were also able to sell 100 flip flops.

The efforts raised over P74,000 in one day alone for this initiative.

Paolo Pagaduan, WWF Philippines project manager, expressed his appreciation for the BSM kids’ efforts, saying, “When we were informed that the kids were trying to raise money for us, I expected them to solicit funds from their parents or save their allowances for the donation. That is why we were so impressed with how the kids were able to raise so much money for WWF. The funds will be used to support our Marine Conservation program which includes projects protecting whale sharks in Donsol, conserving sea turtles, Tubbataha Reef and other projects.”

British School Manila nursery students wash cars to raise funds for World Wildlife Fund.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

HOW AVERAGE IS YOUR APP USAGE?

BY ED BIADO

New research shows that we may upgrade to newer, faster and better phones over the years, but the number of apps we use on them remains the same. And the magic number is 27.

A recent Nielsen analysis found that on average, smartphone users in the United States accessed 26.7 apps per month in the fourth quarter of 2014. That number has remained virtually unchanged since 2012, even though there are more than a million apps to choose from, with numerous new ones being added to stores on a daily basis. African-Americans use the most apps (30.3), followed by Asian-Americans (28.0), Hispanics (27.9), and lastly, whites (25.9).

(The global average for installed apps in 2013, according to Google Our Mobile Planet, is 26.2.)

But while we humans seem to have an “app count threshold,” the amount of time we spend on apps as monthly active users is rapidly increasing. From 23 hours and two minutes per month in 2012, we’ve gone up to 37 hours and 28 minutes in 2014 – a 63 percent increase in just two years. Imagine, the average US user dedicates a complete day and a half each month to apps.

Nielsen says that it “found that the emergence of the entertainment categories is a contributor to the overall increase in app usage. In fact, not only has the entertainment category seen a 13 percent increase in unique audience year-over-year as of fourth-quarter

2014, but this audience is spending nearly three hours more on apps over the same period – a 26-percent growth!”

Entertainment apps include gaming, music, videos/movies, multi-category entertainment, sports and books/magazines/comics.

Also quite interesting is the fact that the top 200 apps account for more than 70 percent of the total usage. This means that a majority of the apps available never make it to the consumers’ radar. It also suggests that the app business might not be as promising as initially thought.

TechCrunch explains, “While some apps, like Facebook, are always in this short list, others, like games, are played then disposed of, freeing up space for a new title to snag a spot.

“The disposable nature of gaming apps has also begun to spread to the wider App Store in recent months, where some titles – think Yo, or that brief MyIdol craze – are wildly popular for months, weeks or sometimes only days, before being forgotten on back screens.”

In the Philippines, the most popular apps as of March 2015 are Facebook, Facebook Messenger, YouTube, Viber, Google Maps, Gmail, Clash of Clans and Camera360.

Katarina Rodriguez LA Aguinaldo

GLOBE’S SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 DIGITAL FIVE

Robbie Becroft

Chino Roque Antoinette Jadaone

H

ow do you live your life? In a fast-paced society where it’s easy to get lost in the noise of everyday chaos, many of us have turned to our devices to make our lives easier to manage.

Meet Chino, LA, Robbie, Katarina, and Tonet, five of tinsel town’s newest faces who have become experts in embracing today’s digital lifestyle. They may have different interests and passions, but one thing common among them is how they maximize the power of technology to live their digital lifestyle to the fullest.

CHINO ROQUE - FIRST FILIPINO ASTRONAUT

Chino is known as the first Filipino astronaut. This feat alone speaks volumes on how he has successfully reached his dream and has yet to fulfill it by traveling to space.

Apart from voyaging into the galaxy, Chino is also largely into health and fitness as a CrossFit coach.

LA AGUINALDO - SUAVE TRAVELLER

LA is a fashion model who continues to gain a major following with his phenomenal style as well as his countless travels around the world. His charisma has brought him far as he has traveled, sharing his dreams of exploring more of the world and sharing it with everyone.

ROBBIE BECROFT - HIP IMAGINEER

Robbie is a photographer, lifestyle blogger, and model who shares his interest in fashion in his blog, robbieoffduty.com.

He stands out with his exceptional skill in showing what is beautiful, not just in fashion, but in the world in his journey as he travels.

KATARINA RODRIGUEZ - STYLE STUNNER

Katarina is Asia’s Next Top Model Season 2 Int’l RunnerUp, an MTV Pinoy VJ, and style influencer. Proving that she truly has the edge in fashion, she makes for a sound authority in showing what’s hip and trendy, not just in style but in music as well.

ANTOINETTE JADAONE - BOX-OFFICE FILMMAKER

Antoinette or Tonet is an award-winning and blockbuster director, scriptwriter and Palanca awardee. She made her name as one of the youngest filmmakers in the country, with hits such as That Thing Called Tadhana and You’re My Boss.

Blessed with a natural gift in multitasking, these five individuals best represent the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge best paired with the Globe myLifestyle Plan. Technology giants Samsung and Globe Telecom recently joined forces to let you design your life in style with a device and a postpaid plan that could be your best companions in this crazy, digital world.

From metal and glass, the sleek design of Samsung Galaxy S6 blends with powerful features such as the 5.1” QHD Super AMOLED screen, the faster charging of ten minutes for a four-hour use, the better camera with 16MP rear camera and

5MP front camera, and the latest Gorilla glass with real RGB color to deliver images and film that are so life-like.

To best maximize these features, Globe is offering its myLifestyle Plan, which is suited for the way mobile phone users like you live today. The myLifestyle Plan has a built-in unlimited calls and texts to Globe and a complete portfolio of lifestyle packs to choose from for easy access to the apps you love.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 32GB is available at Globe myLifestyle Plan 999 (with P825 monthly cash out for 24 months), which comes with unlimited calls and texts to Globe/TM, GoSURF499 (3GB mobile internet), all-you-want Facebook, plus free Spotify Premium or HOOQ for three months, free Gadget Care and Navigation Bundle for one month and free 1GB of Globe Cloud. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge 32GB is available at Globe myLifestyle Plan 1499 (with P850 monthly cash out for 24 months), which comes with unlimited calls and texts to Globe/TM, GoSURF999 (5GB mobile internet), all-you-want Chat and Facebook plus free Spotify Premium or HOOQ for three months, free Gadget Care and Navigation Bundle for one month, and free 1GB of Globe Cloud.

For more information on the offers, visit www.globe.com. ph/galaxys6 or visit a Globe store nearest you.

M O N D AY : J U N E 2 2 : 2 0 1 5

C4 FOR PARTY ANIMALS ONLY

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

GOING PLACES

These days, people are traveling all over, even to the farthest corners of the archipelago. A lot of social events in the metro now feature travel destinations that bring out the “Marco Polo” in us. These events I recently attended featured interesting places that certainly revved up the interest of the well-heeled guests and practically pushed them to call BOB ZOZOBRADO their travel agents on the spot and book themselves for a tour.

Jun de Leon, CamSur Governor Migz Villafuerte and former CamSur Governor LRay Villafuerte

CAMARINES SUR

Hong Kong, as seen from Victoria Peak

HONG KONG

T

he Hong Kong Tourism Board invited the metro’s fun crowd and introduced its “Best of Hong Kong in 48 Hours” tour, which packs in a lot of interesting sights and things to do within two days.

On the first day, it’s the Hong Kong Museum of History – 400 million years of history is squeezed into a 7,000-square-meter space with its archaeological, natural history and ethnography-related displays. After a few hours, you can move on to the city’s largest mall, Harbour City, offering the most extensive selection of goods for everyone from its 450 shops and 50 restaurants.

After the shopping spree, hop on to an overnight cruise aboard the SuperStar Virgo for spectacular views of Victoria Harbor at night, as you dine in the ship’s top-class restaurants, or enjoy cocktails at its Parthenon Pool. The following morning, after the cruise, you can cross Victoria Harbor through the Star Ferry, the oldest and most preferred mode of transportation by locals and tourists.

After disembarking from the Star Ferry, you can head straight to the Man Mo Temple to pay tribute to the God of Literature (Man) and the God of War (Mo). The giant hanging incense coils and serene atmosphere make for a picturesque and calm welcome to your second day. Then, proceed to PMQ. Formerly a police dormitory, it now houses the works of the city’s most talented young artists. In the same area is SoHo, where antique shops and restaurants serving international cuisine can be found.

In the afternoon, take the Peak Tram, the world’s steepest funicular railway, to the top of Victoria Peak, where you get an exhilarating view of Hong Kong for you to stare at in endless amazement. Then you can cap off your second day with cocktails atop the Ritz Carlton’s Ozone Bar, the highest bar in the world at 118 floors high.

If the aforementioned itinerary excites you, call your favorite travel agent and book yourself now. The city is just an hour and a half away from where we are.

CamSur Governor Miguel “Migz” Villafuerte and ace photographer Jun de Leon conceived of a coffee table book featuring the exciting and beautiful Bicol province. So, at a recent photo exhibition in Bonifacio Global City for the book project 24/7/7, the “stars” of the event were De Leon and his team of firstrate photographers –Sara Black, Jake Verzosa, JA Tadena, Erik Llongoren, Raymund Isaac and Wig Tysmans (who was represented by his wife). Former CamSur Governor LRay Villafuerte Jr. was also at the event to support his son.

De Leon, who is an avid wakeboarder, snapped all the action at the CamSur Watersports Complex. Black and Verzosa tackled the mighty Mt. Isarog. Tadena captured a day in the life of the Bicol River, shooting farmers, fishermen, laborers and children diving brazenly into its cool waters.

Tysmans snapped photos of children and a local beauty queen. Llongoren and Isaac came up with artsy snapshots of Caramoan Islands’ pristine blue waters, rugged rock formations and rural landscapes.

24/7/7 is a visual teaser to a destination that offers not only delectable cuisine, glorious sunshine and the sea, but also the genuine warmth and hospitality of the locals.

Raymund Isaac and his beautiful Caramoan photos

Sara Black and her photos from Mt. Isarog

JA Tadena with his photos from the Bicol River

SuperStar Virgo, for an overnight cruise

The old reliable Star Ferry

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE

:-D

Police Officer Arresting Suspected Drug User: “How high are you?”

Drugged Pothead: “No officer, it’s ‘Hi, How are you?’”

The Ozone Bar at the top of Ritz Carlton

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK Customs Commissioner Alberto D. Lina is one government official the others should emulate. It’s the second time for him to hold the same position in the agency, as he abruptly ended his first stint, which was under the Arroyo Customs Commissioner Alberto D. Lina administration, when he joined the famous “Hyatt 10.” This time, Lina had to leave his flourishing business empire and divest himself of his interests in 23 companies, just to serve the PNoy government. Too good to be true, right? But when you hear him talk about why he made the “dramatic” switch, you will feel his sincerity in really wanting to make a difference in our government. And the best part is, he is not doing this as a springboard for a run for a Senate seat! Isn’t that commendable? This is one person I totally respect.

M ONDAY : J UNE 2 2 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C5

Meet the dark side of faBio ide

B

razilian model Fabio Ide adds yet another club in his roster of already popular establishments for the hip, young and happening crowd. Teaming up with BNO’s Sam YG, both men are set to launch a bespoke concept pop up bar at The Palace for the new Axe Black fragrance where the metro’s stylishly understated men can hang out in.

“The entire look and feel of the pop up bar will be in tune with the personality of the Axe Black man,” says Fabio.

The new fragrance from Axe is “very light compared to other fragrances and complements the person in a way that it gives character,” says Fabio, describing the understated Axe Black scent that advocates Less Effort, More Style.

As part owner of The Palace, Fabio knows a thing or two about bars, and is looking forward to surprising attendees with something out of the ordinary. Something to look forward to is the whiskey, tequila and champagne bar as well as a haberdasher and cigar room.

This Axe Black pop up bar will be launched on June 30. Guests will have a chance to see a whole new side of the Palace Pool Club.

“We’re going to create an ambiance that is… cozy, very relaxing, with the pool and the sounds of the water.”

The Pool Club will have 12 Cabanas and each cabana will have a diffuser set with essential oils from the Axe Black fragrance.

Each Cabana will have a different theme so that guests can explore and find a space that suits them best.

The outdoor pool lounge will allow you to enjoy your single malt while smoking a cigar in a breathable space. Fabio also has a specially concocted drink for the Axe Black pop up bar called the Brazilian Fizz, a light and citrus beverage suitable for the poolside theme.

This event will be by invitation, but for those interested in seeing a new side of the Palace Pool Club, you can visit the Axe Philippines Facebook page to sign up and learn more about this pop up!

Brapanese model/ actor Fabio Ide is putting up pop-up bars in The Palace that include an atelier, cigar room, haberdashery, cocktail bar, champagne bar, tequila bar, and whisky bar

Wrangler announCes its true Wanderer

G

raphic designer Marvin Geronimo’s inspiring journey to Polillo Island makes him the winner of the iconic denim brand’s digital campaign that celebrates brave souls with a heart for adventure Iconic denim brand Wrangler’s 10 riders for its digital campaign True Wanderer have traversed roads and shared their stories from their “ride outs” and, now, a winner has emerged in the person of Marvin Geronimo, who was awarded at the campaign’s culminating event at the Treehouse Tavern and Café in Makati recently.

Heeding the contest’s call for brave souls who are ready to conquer unexplored trails, Geronimo took his motorbike and passion for writing, photography, and travel to Quezon’s Polillo Island.

From there, he exposed the genuine goodness of its people and the richness of its scenic vistas to the world through his photos and blog in the campaign’s website.

Geronimo works as a graphic designer and has been riding his Honda XR125L for four years now.

According to him, he was moved

to join the contest after finding out how True Wanderer doesn’t fit the usual mold of motorbike contests, which are usually about pimped up rides and speed. “True Wanderer is refreshing since it celebrates traveling and adventure, both of which I’m passionate about.”

The concept of True Wanderer is like second nature to Geronimo, who has already embarked on a two-month motorbike journey around the Philippines early this year. The choice to do his ride-out in Polillo Island was also a no-brainer since according to Geronimo, “traveling there is a story in itself”. He adds, “Polillo is a good place to visit, it’s safe since not a lot of people go there, plus the people are amazing and the islands are breathtaking.”

After riding through the rains, muddy roads, and the challenge of transporting his bike via boat, Geronimo finally reaches the island and immerses himself in its places and people including the Dumagat tribe which he counts as the highlight of his trip. “I have long wanted to meet the nomadic Dumagat tribe and I’m happy that happened during my True Wanderer trip. I

promised to go back to help them and I’m definitely returning to visit them soon with my new bike.”

The new bike is a KTM Duke 390, which Geronimo won together with P100,000 worth of Wrangler products.

Geronimo shares that traveling with his motorbike has opened his mind to a lot of things. “If you’re not traveling, you’d think that the Philippines is a dangerous place. But I’ve been all around the country and I’ve tried sleeping in tents, waiting sheds, and gasoline stations and I wasn’t in any way harmed. Some people even offered me their homes proving how even strangers can be kind.”

He continues, “My turning point in this competition is when I no longer concerned myself with winning but just having fun.

Learning from people and discovering new things, I think that’s what makes a True Wanderer,” Geronimo concludes. Read about Marvin Geronimo’s adventures at www.wranglertruewanderer.com.

For more updates, follow Wrangler on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: WranglerPH.

Unmasking the genuine goodness of the people in Polillo Island, and the richness of its scenic vistas to the world through his photos and blog in the campaign’s website, Marvin Geronimo was proclaimed the final winner of the recently concluded Wrangler digital competition, True Wanderer.

True Wanderer isn’t the typical motorbike contest.

It celebrates traveling and adventure

M ONDAY : J UNE 2 2 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

DEREk anD hiS nEW giRL JOSEPh PEtER gOnZaLES Asked about the present state of his relationship with non-showbiz steady Joanne Villablanca, Derek Ramsay says, “We’re good, we’re doing okay!”

Many ask what the difference is of having a low-profile love life now.

“Actually, there’s not much difference,” he explains. “Whether your girlfriend is from the ‘biz or not, as long as you entered a relationship, you have to be true. That’s how it goes. But for one, there’s less pressure and complication. Meaning, now, I can breathe a little more.

With a non-showbiz partner, it’s easier to be a bit more private with your life. I can take things slow, as in one step at a time. I guess that’s the one thing that’s lacking in my life and they say this is my lucky year.

So I hope I’ll really be, especially in the love department, by having the right girl by my side, right?”

Does this mean he is already toying with the idea of tying the knot in the near future?

“Well, nuptials is something

we can’t jump into instantly so let’s not go there at this point.

But I admit that one day, I also want to settle down and start my family,” says Derek.

Speaking of family, the handsome hunk was able to celebrate Father’s Day with his British dad recently.

“Oh yes! We always have a choice, whether it’s just five minutes or we spend the whole day together. What’s important is we see each other on that special day.

It’s a practice that we always make a point fulfilling every year…”

This is something the award-winning actor wishes in the future for him and son Austin.

“Most definitely. We weren’t able to spend time together this Father’s Day because he is attending school in Dubai and I just can’t fly there.

Anyway, we still have a lot of time to catch up,” ends Derek.

HHHHH After gracing GMA Pinoy TV’s tenth year anniversary in Vancouver, Canada and Anaheim, California, Christian Bautista is back in full swing once again where work is concerned.

“That’s right! I’ve already resumed taping for the soap opera My Mother’s Secret opposite Gwen Zamora. I missed it while I was away,” he says.

It’s good that when he moved to the Kapuso lot, he accommodated the acting projects they’ve offered him like the hit morning drama With a Smile and the chart-topping thriller Strawberry Lane.

Now, there’s My Mother’s Secret.

“Well, that’s my personal choice.

I really wanted to act apart from my singing. That’s why I’m thankful to GMA for giving me the breaks. At least, I get to hone my acting skills and am able to shoot two birds with one stone, so to speak.

“If my work schedules don’t get messed up? Well, it’s just a matter of time management and orderly system. Because I wanted to branch out into a new field such as acting in a soap, I should exert more effort to make my schedule flexible. If it’s your passion, getting tired is not an option!”

When it comes to his recording career, the good-looking lad is excited with his latest MTV offering.

“Oh yes! It’s with Julie Ann San Jose. We’ll shoot the music video for our newly-launched duet titled Cruisin’ soon and this early, I’m thrilled. Apart from that, I’m to do a number of projects whose details I can’t still divulge as of now. So my fans have lots to look forward to in the coming days,” avers Christian.

W

owing and thrilling audiences in every turn constantly, Daniel Padilla, when not setting the standard for telenovelas or breaking box-office records, heats up the music charts. With platinum records and two major concerts already under his belt, he’s taken the next big step in his entertainment career on June 13 with his third Daniel Padilla: Most Wanted concert that aired live in high-definition on SKY Pay-Per-View.

Leading up to the concert date,

45 47 48 49 50 53 54 58 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Office fill-in 5 Galaxy locale 10 Back-fence yowlers 14 Felipe or Moises 15 Low voices 16 MD employers 17 Sear a steak 18 Tundra underpinning 20 Thumb a ride 22 Tuck’s mate 23 Plunders

24 26 27 30 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43

Shade-loving plant Handle roughly Bunkum (var.)

Refracted light Andre of tennis Warriors’ coach Overwhelm Some learning Denims Hit some ice Dernier — Courtroom dozen Adding brandy

Horse-drawn cabs Potpourri Peak Fit for a queen Globe feature Little kid — -toothed tiger Don’t mince words (2 wds.)

Earring part Large cay Ms. Witherspoon Found a perch Pit or stone Wasps’ homes Merriment

DOWN 1 RPM meter 2 Post-kindergarten 3 Medieval defense 4 Buy 5 Fall guy 6 Lots 7 Open-air lobbies 8 Free ticket 9 NASA counterpart 10 Flung 11 Melville work 12 Nearly all 13 Sonic-boom makers 19 Knack

Christian Bautista

Daniel PaDilla’s Most WanteD ConCert

Daniel Padilla

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Derek Ramsay

MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015

21 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 39 40 42 44 46 47 49 50 51 52 53 55 56 57 59 60

— d’oeuvre Vail feature (2 wds.)

Green garnish Sousa specialty Mall for Plato Forum speech Cartoon Chihuahua Actress Ina — Not yet paid Blocky heel Bandleader — Kyser Uh cousins Rogue Cheap nightclub Woe is me!

Made a claim Shy Long-handled tools Redding or Skinner Instance She, in Cherbourg Park feature Beak Canal of song Nerve network 40-cup brewer Be my guest!

word has spread that the Teen King is inching closer to his fourth studio album. Fans had a chance to hear a preview of his new recordings or experience great new renditions of the hits he’s released over the years. The concert’s surprise guests brought thrilling twists to the performances.

Fans who didn’t make it to the MOA Arena watched the concert’s live broadcast on both SKYcable and Destiny Cable. Available in both standard and high definition, this uninterrupted coverage of the hottest concert this season also

included exclusive viewing access into the action prior to the show.

SKYcable subscribers watched the Philippine’s most popular heartthrob belt it out on stage onthe following channels: Ch. 195 (HD) and Ch. 140 (SD) for those in Metro Manila, CAMANAVA, Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan (San Jose Del Monte); and Ch. 702 (HD) and Ch. 22 (SD) for those in Baguio, Bacolod, General Santos, and Dumaguete. Destiny Cable subscribers can tune-in through Ch. 195 (HD) and Ch. 140 (SD).

M ONDAY : J UNE 2 2 : 2015

C7

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Lawyer to the stars’ poLiticaL pLans From c8

Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan, an advocate for Women’s and Children’s Rights as well as the Environment and Animal rights, announced her plans to run for the senate in 2016.

At a lunch she hosted for entertainment writers recently, she faced the nosy tabloid press asking her almost everything from Janet Napoles (whom she represented and dropped eventually) to James Yap (another client) and more recently Coco Martin (who earned the ire of women when he came out in a fashion show with a female companion who had a collar around her neck with a leash similar to a dog) and to her personal and private life.

Is she like Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, or more like Senator Miriam D. Santiago.

Of course, she said, she is nothing close to anyone of the two. “I am my own person,” she insisted.

Kapunan said she is an advocate for the protection of equity/ royalty rights of artists, performers, broadcasters – which has gained her the reputation of being a “lawyer for the celebrities.”

She earned her degree in law from the University of the Phil-

Atty. Lorna Kapunan with Coco Martin, and with (B) James Yap, both of whom she represented in their respective cases

ippines in 1978. She also has a bachelor’s degree from the same institution where she majored in Political Science (1973).

She has been practicing law since

then. She started her distinguished career in law with the law firm, Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz (ACCRA) where she was as a senior associate until 1986.

Along with the late Senator Raul S. Roco and other lawyers from ACCRA, she founded RocoBuñagKapunan&Migallos Law Offices in 1986. When Senator Roco passed

away in 2009, Kapunan founded the KapunanLotillaFlores Garcia & Castillo Law Offices.

Her Firm currently owns the distinction of being the first and only law firm to have been conferred the Institutional Spirituality Quotient (ISQ) Award by the Bishops/Businessmen Conference (BBC-June 2008), and is a member of the International Lawyers Network (ILN).

Although recognized as one of the leading litigation lawyers in the country because of her high profile cases, Kapunan’s legal expertise is highly extensive and includes licensing law, franchising, corporate and commercial law, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, international humanitarian law, family law, estate law and succession.

So, many are asking, “Will her association with high profile cases give her an edge over other candidates in 2016?” Perhaps it will, or it might not. It all depends on what she promises the electorate that seems to be in search of candidates that can make them feel better than how they felt with the outgoing administration.

Alone is the survival experiment on History channel

Boldest survival experiment on television

h

istory® launches Alone, the boldest and longest survival experiment ever captured for television, slated to premiere tonight.

The 10-episode series places 10 hardcore survivalists alone in the Vancouver Island wilderness – no camera crew, no teams, no producers – on a single mission to stay alive. At stake is $500,000 awarded to the person who can

last the longest. Alone will also air as a synchronized global TV event, airing in over 200 territories worldwide on History and other channels from the A+E Networks’ portfolio.

Carrying only what they can fit in a backpack, the survivalists are completely separated from one another in harsh, unforgiving terrain to hunt, build shelters and fend off predators.

They will face extreme isolation and psychological distress as they plunge into the unknown, self-documenting their experience. Alone is the ultimate test of man’s will to survive.

“We have seen survival shows before but never this extreme,” said Michele Schofield, SVP, Programming & Production, A+E Networks® Asia. “Our series has no gimmicks or camera

aegis is BaCk

p Anthony "Tunying" Taberna with Aegis

henomenal multiawarded all-Filipino band Aegis, called “the true expression of the Filipino spirit,” is back for a premiere benefit concert titled Aegis Back in the City on July 23 and 24 at the Music Museum.

With the finalists of the Voice of the Philippines Season 2, Leah Patricio and Daryl Ong, and the special participation of G-Force and comedienne-singer K Brosas, the two-night con-

crews. It’s an enthralling experience to witness the challenges of survival in the wild and see the very real psychological challenges of being truly alone for an extended period.”

ALONE will air Mondays at 11 p.m. on History (Cablelink Ch. 43, Cignal HD Ch 125, Destiny Cable Ch 67, Dream Satellite Ch 30, SKYCable SD Ch 67 and SKYCable HD Ch 165).

By roBBie pangiLinan

cert promises to be spectacular and ultra-entertaining.

Since it started in year 2000, Aegis has released seven albums that have consistently made the Gold and Platinum marks. “Halik,” “Mahal na Mahal Kita,” “Awit at Pag-Ibig,” “Paskong-Pasko,” and “Ating Balikan” have touched Filipino hearts not only in the Philippines but all over the world.

Their hit songs “Luha” and “Halik” are staples in karaoke sessions as well as singing

competitions.

Jay Durias of South Border directs the concert that also features six-year-old pop singer Zoey Taberna, daughter of news anchor Anthony Taberna and Rossel Taberna.

Juliet and lead singers Mercy and Ken Sunot, with their earthshaking voices, are excited for this benefit concert produced by Outbox Media Powerhouse Corporation.

For ticket inquiries, call 33221-97 or 703-42-39.

M ONDAY : J UNE 2 2 : 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

The Gawad Urian is the only award Eula Valdes hadn't won prior to winning the Best Actress for Dagitab on Tuesday

Kapuso stars win big at the 38th gawad urian

of the regular directors of Wagas and Karelasyon Adolfo Alix, Jr. bagged the Pinakamahusay na Maikling Pelikula (Best Short Film) award for Kinabukasan. In this film, Superstar Nora Aunor shared the screen with GMA Network’s Alden Richards.

GMA News TV’s Cine Totoo: Philippine International Documentary Film Festival product Walang Rape sa Bontok, by Lester Valle and Carla Ocampo, meanwhile, was recognized as the Pinakamahusay na Dokyumentaryo (Best Documentary). It tackles the story of two Filipinas who were both victims of sexual abuse as they search for a utopia where women can live without being sexually violated.

With all the recognitions and awards, the Kapuso Network’s artists continue to prove excellence in the broadcast and film industry.

Martin del Rosario's first Gawad Urian nomination yielded him a win for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Dagitab

ISAH V. RED Top Guns of leading broadcast network GMA Network is happy that artists from the network won prestigious acting awards at the recently concluded 38th Gawad Urian spearheaded by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino.

Eula Valdes was voted Pinakamahusay na Pangunahing Aktres (Best Actress). She is currently in the no. 1 daytime drama program The Half Sisters. Eula described her best actress Urian win as a “dream come true”.

“No expectations at all but I was hoping though to get an Urian because yun na lang ang kulang ko and it would be a dream come true to get one. All the other nominees just got their respective awards abroad not to mention Ms. Nora Aunor herself is a co-nominee and just won as well. All that I have achieved from this industry I dedicate to my number one fan, my late mother, Gracia Amorsolo Valdes.“ Gladys Reyes bagged the Pinakamahusay na Pangalawang Aktres (Best Supporting Actress) award.

Gladys, who is in the primetime series Let the Love Begin, is very happy and thankful for the award she received from Gawad Urian.

“Perfect birthday gift ni God itong Urian award ko because on June 23 is my birthday. Sana umpisa lang ito ng marami pang pagkakataon para sa akin na gumanap ng

➜ Continued on C7

Perfect birthday gift for Gladys Reyes who celebrates her natal day on the 23rd is the Best Supporting Actress for Magkakabaung

iba’t ibang character dahil bukod sa pananakit at pang-aapi sa bida, may iba pa akong pwedeng ipakita.

Wish ko more TV shows and movie materials kasi bata pa ako ito na talaga ang gusto kong gawin.”

One of Kapuso Network’s best actors Martin del Rosario won Pinakamahusay na Pangalawang

Aktor (Best Supporting Actor).

Being part for the first time of the prestigious award-giving body, Martin is proud of his achievement.

“The nomination is more than enough for me. Pero ‘yung ako ang nanalo, ibang klase ‘yung feeling, sobrang saya. Thank you Lord, thank you sa mga nakasama ko. First time

kong ma-nominate at manalo.”

He will in GMA’s upcoming afternoon prime series Buena Familia in which he plays the role of Harry, a young businessman who has an ax to grind against the people who caused him pain in the past.

Internationally acclaimed Filipino screenwriter, film director and one

At the recent Gawad Urian, Kapuso talents and craftsmen showed they are among the country’s best, winning major awards for their work in independent films and network-produced documentaries