The Standard - 2015 June 24 - Wednesday

RotaRy club of manila newspapeR of the yeaR 2015 VOL. XXIX NO. 124 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 WEDNESDay : JUNE 24, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘binay wasn’t forced to quit’

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bi official fired over wang case

By Christine F. Herrera and Rey E. Requejo

IMMIGRATION Commissioner Siegfred Mison has removed Eric Dimaculangan, the No. 4 man in the bureau, as secretary of the Board of Commissioners after he was suspected of conniving with other commissioners to gain the release of suspected Chinese crime lord Wang Bo.

Mison’s letter to Dimaculangan gave no reason for his removal as board secretary.

Known in the bureau as “the little commissioner” due to his closeness to the powersthat-be, Dimaculangan retains his title as the bureau’s executive director, the No. 4 man in the hierarchy.

Unimpeachable sources said Mison had lost confidence in Dimaculangan after he was tagged as the one behind an “orchestrated effort by LP [Liberal Party] boys” to prevent Wang from being deported to China.

“Being the executive director, he was the bureau’s little commissioner just like Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa is ‘little president’ to the Palace. Dimaculangan is the bureau’s implementing arm. But he did not implement the

March 5summary deportation order against Wang Bo,” the source said.

“Dimaculangan is also the board secretary of the Board of Commissioners headed by Mison and with Deputy Commissioners Gilberto Repizo and Abdullah Mangotara as members. Dimaculangan calendars the BOC’s meetings. He dictates on the agenda. And so on May 21, he scheduled the BOC meeting that produced the release order for Wang, completely reversing the summary deportation order,” the source said.

“Dimaculangan is very close to the Palace.

Eric and the President are text mates. They go out together. He is on the same level as Ochoa... Fired. This photo shows President in the innermost circle,” a Palace source told Noynoy Aquino in Malacanang Palace The Standard.

Next page with Eric Dimaculangan.

New Binondo arch. This new Filipino-Chinese “friendship arch” near Jones Bridge that serves as the entrance of Manila’s Chinatown was inaugurated Tuesday. DaNNy Pata

PH airmen join orion spy flight

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Belmonte says he’s inclined to back Poe, not Roxas

By Maricel V. Cruz HOUSE Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. said he will likely support the candidacy of Senator Grace Poe over that of the Liberal Party’s presumptive standard bearer, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II in the 2016 presidential elections.

Between Poe and Roxas, Belmonte said, Poe was closer to his heart.

But he added that he has not made up his mind as yet.

“From a certain point of view, all of those running are good friends of mine and that’s why I have more or less kept away from this thing

up to this point, but we are really reaching a very decisive point [in October] and that’s pretty close,” he said.

Belmonte also said he would favor a Roxas-Poe ticket next year, saying Roxas still had a chance to improve his survey rankings in the runup to the May 2016 elections.

He said Roxas placed third in the latests Social Weather Stations survey, behind Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay, but ahead of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Belmonte also said that the members of the Cabinet who are planning to run next year should Next page

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editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Palace: Binay not forced to quit

By Sandy araneta and Macon Ramos-araneta

Protest. Clean-air advocates led by running priest Robert Reyes stage a rally after filing a complaint against Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo for allegedly not implementing the Clean Air Act. Lino SantoS

BI official From A1...

The source said Dimaculangan was so brazen in having Wang released that he had the May 21 release order assigned to Repizo, who wrote the release order.

“Dimaculangan was supposed to report directly to Mison but in the case of Wang, he had information hidden from Mison and he went instead directly to the LP guys – Repizo and Mangotara, keeping Mison in the dark.

“The Wang Bo case was a done deal from the start. Dimaculangan and the LP boys knew how much Wang was worth – P91 billion. They knew about Skybet, the illegal casino gambling operations of Wang. Yet Dimaculangan and Repizo prevented Wang’s deportation. Eric was not even careful. He was not afraid because even if he was found out, no one could touch him, even Mison or Justice Secretary Leila de Lima because he is close to the Palace,” the source said.

Standard reporter Vito Barcelo went to Dimaculangan’s office and was made to wait 30 minutes before being told by a member of his staff that the executive director would not comment.

In a report to De Lima labeled as “confidential,” a copy of which was furnished The Standard, Mison said the Bureau issued a Summary Deportation Order on March 5.

On March 12, Mison said the legal division headed by lawyer Cris Villalobos transmitted Wang’s entire case file to Dimaculangan’s office “without any remarks.”

Mison’s confidential report said that on April 21, Wang’s lawyer Dennis Manalo filed an urgent motion for reconsideration “directly with the Office of the Executive Director (Dimaculangan).”

On the same day, Dimaculangan’s office transmitted Wang’s entire case file to the office of Repizo.

Mison attached to the confidential report Dimaculangan’s memorandum addressed to Repizo on the transmission of the entire case file of Wang.

“A few days before the May 21 BOC meeting, Mison received a report that Repizo and other BI officials met with a representative of Wang,” the

source said.

“After I was told about the meeting, I was not anymore surprised when Repizo and Mangotara changed their tune and pushed for the reversal of the SDO in favor of the release order,” Mison had told The Standard.

On May 21, confidential documents show Dimaculangan included the Wang case in the BOC special meeting agenda.

“2.12. 21 May 2015 – Associate Commissioner Repizo presented his draft resolution to the Board of Commissioners granting the Urgent Motion for Reconsideration on grounds of due process and rules on admissibility of foreign documents. The BOC signed the Resolution, which reversed and set aside the March 5 SDO (Annex “CC”). BI legal division acting chief issued a Memorandum directing the Warden, BI Bicutan Facility to release Wang Bo pursuant to the 21 May 2015 Resolution (Annex “DD.)” The source said Mison was all the more convinced that Dimaculangan was working on the release of the fugitive when during the May 26 special agenda meeting, Dimaculangan echoed Repizo’s position that Wang must be released because the Chinese Embassy failed to provide the bureau “authenticated documents” such as the warrant for Wang’s arrest, his case in China and the official document that would prove that Wang’s passport had been revoked.

Mison maintained there was no need for the Chinese Embassy to produce authenticated documents since the deportation is purely a government-to-government dealing with both sides invoking the “presumption of regularity.”

On May 26, the Chinese Embassy sent police attache Fu Yufein to Mison to submit the authenticated documents and other evidence that would prove that Wang was a fugitive wanted by the Interpol for his illegal gambling activities in China and for money laundering.

Wang was accused of laundering money into the Philippines by bringing in bank cards to expand his illegal gambling operations in Manila, making his crime transnational.

Fu also submitted the same documents to De Lima.

Despite the authenticated documents, Repizo and Mangotara refused to sign Mison’s resolution setting aside the May 21 release order and reinstating the March 5 summary deportation order.

Repizo invoked “political considerations against China and discretion” in refusing to surrender Wang to Chinese authorities.

While admitting his argument had no bearing on the Wang case, Repizo insisted he was in support of President Benigno Aquino III’s position against China over the West Philippine Sea dispute and thus, the Philippines should not simply grant whatever the Chinese government wanted, particularly in the deportation of its national.

“Mison found himself all alone, with supposedly his own man, Dimaculangan, taking the side of Repizo and Mangotara,” the source said.

On May 27, De Lima upheld Mison and ordered that Wang’s release be “held in abeyance.” She also ordered that the March 5 summary deportation order be reinstated.

The source said Mison sought De Lima’s permission to fire Dimaculangan as BOC board secretary. De Lima gave her approval.

De Lima on Tuesday said she would defer the deportation of Wang because the special team at the National Bureau of Investigation had not yet finished its probe into allegations that he paid Immigration officials millions of pesos in exchange for his release, and that the money went to bribing lawmakers into passing the Bangsamoro Basic Law. De Lima held a closed door meeting with NBI probers Tuesday who admitted that they have yet to get a statement from Wang and several personalities who handled his case since his arrest last February.

De Lima said the NBI team is scheduled to interview Wang next week, and would also talk to Wang, former National Press Club president Benny Antiporda and the lawyer who represented the complainant in the “bogus” estafa complaint against Wang that was allegedly meant to delay his deportation.

“The estafa case has been dismissed by the Manila prosecutor’s office because the complainant did not appear.

So we want to know if the complainant is a real person,” De Lima said.

THE Palace denied Tuesday that the administration used Vice President Jejomar Binay as a punching bag following his resignation from the Cabinet Monday.

“We do not share the assessment of the allies of the Vice President that he was made a punching bag by the administration. We have always endeavored to keep public discourse on programs and policies and not centered on personalities in general,” said deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte in a text message to the Malacañang Press Corps.

The Palace also said it did not know the real reason Binay resigned as presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ concerns and chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

“We cannot speak for the Vice President when it comes to his motivation,” Valte said.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. confirmed that the President called up Binay to confirm his resignation from the Cabinet, after the Vice President’s daughter, Makati Rep. Abigail Binay, delivered his resignation letter to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Monday afternoon.

Neither Coloma nor Valte could say what transpired in the phone conversation, nor could they say who would take over the posts that Binay left vacant.

“What is important is that public services will continue in all aspects of the job in all agencies including the HUDCC,” said Coloma.

Valte added that there were many government agencies that continue to address the concerns of Filipino overseas workers.

At a public forum Tuesday, opposition Senator JV Ejercito urged other Cabinet members who planned to seek election next year to follow Binay’s example to ensure that they do not use their positions and government resources to further their own political interests.

While Ejercito did not name the Cabinet members, it is widely expected that Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II will seek the presidency next year under the banner of the ruling Liberal Party.

Other Cabinet members who are known to have plans to run next year but who are still on the job are Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director general Joel Villanueva, Agriculture Secretary Prospero Alcala and Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla.

DeLima and Villanueva are expected to run for senator under the LP ticket while Alcala and Petilla will run for local positions in their respective home provinces.

In the same forum, Ejercito said the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee should end its investigation of allegations of corruption against Binay, after holding 22 hearings on the case.

If the intent of the investigation was

Belmonte From A1... resign by October, the month set by the Commission on Elections for the filing of certificates of candidacy for those running in the 2016 polls.

“It’s a good thing by October, these Cabinet members who are running will be forced to resign because at that point, they will... no longer part of the official family. They can disagree with the President if they want to; they can do their own thing. They can sell their own dream and I think that is necessary,” Belmonte said.

He said those who are as yet unsure should make up their mind.

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, vice chairman for political affairs of the ruling Liberal Party and a known supporter of Roxas, shrugged off Belmonte’s statement regarding Poe. “Every woman is closer to the heart

to tear Binay down ahead of next year’s election, the objective had already been reached, he said.

Ejercito said there were anomalies in several government agencies that went unchecked because the Blue Ribbon has concentrated only on cases involving the Vice President, who faces graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Binay’s lawyer on Tuesday said the Ombudsman made a mistake in relying on the testimony of former Makati City vice mayor Ernesto Mercado, who fell out with Binay some time ago.

Lawyer Claro Certeza offered this assessment after investigators from the Office of the Ombudsman recommended the filing of a new graft case against the Vice President and his son Makati City Mayor Jejormar Erwin Binay Jr., and 14 other city government officials.

Investigators sought a six-month suspension of the Binays and their co-accused based on the preliminary evidence alleging that contractor Hilmarcs Corp. was favored in the construction of the Makati Science High School.

In a statement, Certeza said Mercado’s allegation that the late Nelson Morales, former city engineer, had told him to fix the bidding process for the project was merely hearsay and therefore inadmissible in a court of law.

“The courts do not accept hearsay evidence because there is no way to prove whether it is true or not. Under our judicial system, a witness can only testify on something he has personal knowledge of. In this case, engineer Morales is not around to attest to a statement attributed to him by Mercado,” he said.

Certeza also decried the Ombudsman’s willingness to take Mercado at his word, given that Morales, whom he alleged as the source of the information, was dead.

“It is easy for Mercado to point engineer Morales as the source of information. Engineer Morales is already dead and there is no way for him to give details,” he said.

Certeza said even if it were eventually proven that no such order was issued by the Vice President, Mercado could conveniently claim that he believed engineer Morales was telling him the truth.

“Based on this and the past actuation of the Ombudsman, it is clearly biased in its investigation of cases involving Vice President Binay,” Certeza said.

Also on Tuesday, Makati congresswoman Binay said she would stay with the majority coalition in the House of Representatives despite her father’s resignation from the Cabinet.

Binay, a member of the United Nationalist Alliance , said she will remain part of the majority coalition led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., vice chairman of the ruling Liberal Party, or the core group that is pushing the legislative agenda of the President.

She said, however, that she was willing to leave the majority coalition if Belmonte asks for it. – With Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz of men, but choosing a president is not just decided by the heart but also by the mind,” Erice said.

Negros Occidental Rep. Albee Benitez said: “Every man’s heart is closer to a woman.”

House Deputy Minority Leader and 1-BAP party-list Rep. Silvestre Bello III said the Speaker was just being honest and was trying to think out loud.

“With his vast experience in politics, the Speaker should know who are winnable and who are not,” Bello said.

Also on Tuesday, opposition Senator JV Ejercito said he would resign from the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) if he decides to support the Poe over Vice President Jejomar Binay in the 2016 presidential election.

In the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Ejercito admitted having difficulty choosing between the two, because they were both close to him and his family.

“I’m just hoping that one will not run,” he said. – With Macon Ramos-Araneta

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High court junks petition against draft Moro law

By Rey E. Requejo

Joint exercise. US and Philippine Navy personnel participate in an assault exercise on board the USS Fort Worth in Puerto Princesa on

June 23. The Philippines began separate and simultaneous naval exercises with the US and Japan amid their shared and growing concern at China’s island-building in the disputed South China Sea. AFP

PH airmen hop on Orion flight over disputed sea FILIPINO airmen flew with their Japanese counterparts on a Japanese P3-C Orion surveillance plane and circled over the disputed Recto Bank in the Spratly Islands on Tuesday at the start of an exercise with the Philippines and the United States.

The P3-C Orion surveillance plane flew at 5,000 feet above the edge of Reed Bank, an energyrich area that is claimed by both China and the Philippines, escorted by Philippine aircraft.

“This is our first time here and also with this kind of activity with the Philippines,” Maritime Self Defense Force Commander Hiromi Hamano, head of the Japanese navy contingent, said after the P3-C returned to Palawan.

Philippine military spokesman Lued Lincuna said the drill involved search and rescue pat-

terns and other disaster response operations.

Meanwhile, the US expects further encounters at sea with China’s navy, according to the captain of a US coastal combat ship that has patrolled the disputed South China Sea and met a Chinese ship last month.

The countries have agreed codes to help understand each other and talk via radio, said Commander Rich Jarrett, commanding officer of the USS Fort Worth. The language used is similar to that used 20 years ago with the Soviet Union, the US’ former Cold War foe, he said.

The Fort Worth deployed the codes when it unexpectedly met a Chinese vessel near the disputed Spratly islands during a May patrol of the South China Sea. It was the first time a US littoral combat ship operated in waters around the islands, which are claimed by countries including China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

“I expect that we may have a similar encounter because we’re operating in this part of the world,” Jarrett said in an interview Monday on the ship moored on Palawan.

“But quite honestly, I’m not sure that I’m going to do anything particularly different than what I’ve done in previous deployments.”

Tensions in the South China Sea have risen with China warning planes and ships away from reefs where it is reclaiming land.

A US surveillance plane was repeatedly told by radio to divert from its path last month.

Protecting freedom of navigation is important in waters that host more than $5 trillion of shipping each year and are home to about a 10th of the world’s annual fishing catch.

“There is a language barrier between China and the United States,” Jarrett said.

“Having a common language that we can speak is helpful,” he said, and “it does help avoid any kind of miscalculation.”

Admiral Michelle Howard, the vice chief of naval operations, declined last month to say if the Fort Worth sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Spratlys during its patrol, or give further details of the encounter. Stars and Stripes reported the ship was followed closely by a Chinese frigate.

“I don’t think a day goes by anymore that our navy ships and PLAN ships aren’t communicating or seeing each other at sea,” Captain H.B. Le, deputy commander of Destroyer Squadron 7 whose unit tactically controls the Fort Worth, said in an interview Tuesday, referring to the People’s Liberation Army Navy.

“It’s becoming routine,” he said in Palawan.

“I think it’s important that all navies are able to operate in international waters. So we look forward to seeing the PLAN out at sea as well as other countries’ navies.”

The Fort Worth is taking part in a military exercise with the Philippines off the east coast of Palawan this week, near the South China Sea. The ship, which can operate in shallow waters near the coast, is in the midst of a 16-month deployment to the Asia-Pacific region.

Separately, the Philippine and Japanese navies held an air drill west of Palawan province -- the first time they flew together over the South China Sea, Philippine Navy spokesman Lued Lincuna told reporters Tuesday on Palawan. BloomBERg

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition assailing the legality of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law being deliberated in Congress, but recognized two suits seeking to declare as unconstitutional the two peace agreements signed by the government with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

In Malacañang, deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said they agreed with the high court’s decision dismissing the petition seeking to declare the BBL unconstitutional.

“We tend to agree with the Supreme Court.

The bill is not even law yet and is undergoing the legislative process still,” Valte said in a text message to reporters.

The high court, meeting as a whole, dismissed the petition cubmitted last month by a Rolando Mijares for being premature.

High court spokesman Theodore Te said the high court ruled that there was no issue yet on the BBL because Congress had not yet passed it. Moreover, the petition was also undocketed, meaning the petitioner was not able to pay the filing fees.

But the high courttook cognizance of two petitions seeking to void the agreement forged by the government with the MILF for the proposed creation of a Bangsamoro entity.

Te said the tribunal ordered the government to answer the separate petitions of the Philippine Constitution Association through its president, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, and former Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto Paras assailing the constitutionality of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro or CAB and the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro or FAB and its annexes.

The high court ordered the respondents former government peace panel chief and now Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, chief peace negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer, MILF peace panel head Mohagher Iqbal, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, and the Commission on Audit to submit their respective comments on the petition and the application for a temporary restraining order.

They were given 10 days to comply with the order.

In its petition last week, Philconsa argued that the government peace panel committee committed a grave abuse of discretion in signing the FAB and CAB on Oct. 12, 2012, and March 27, 2014, respectively.

Romualdez aside, the other petitioners are former Senator Francisco Tatad, Archbishops Ramon Arguelles, Fernando Capalla and Romulo de la Cruz and former National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales. With Sandy Araneta

Funds for AFP modernization assured

By Sandy Araneta THE modernization of the Armed Forces will continue as the government will continue acquiring equipment to provide the needs of its soldiers, Malacañang said Tuesday.

“The AFP has a modernization plan and the Aquino administration has consistently made sure that it is funded,” deputy presidential spokeswoman said in a text message to reporters.

“We continue to acquire equipment that will serve the needs of our soldiers as well as engage with other countries to continue training and learning best practices.”

Valte made her comments after she was asked about the AFP’s capability to defend the South China Sea, where China has been building islands.

The AFP recently said one of its

problems was its “limited equipment and facilities” to defend Philippine territory against China’s creeping expansion in the South China Sea. A report says the Philippine Air Force has also acknowledged its weaknesses in territorial defense in its strategic plan called Flight Plan 2028.

The Air Force cited limited equipment, bases and facilities for territorial defense as well as inadequate training and the absence of established doctrines for territorial defense.

It also admitted in a report in April that it is not configured for territorial defense.

The Philippine military has been trying to build a minimum credible defense amid China’s expansion in the South China Sea. The report says the Air Force’s breakthrough goal is to “build capability to detect, identify, intercept

and neutralize intrusions in the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone and West Philippine Sea by 2022 and the entire Philippines by 2028.”

The Air Force aims to have Area Readiness 3 to Area Readiness 1.

The report says the ability to neutralize incursions refers to 51 to 74 percent of Philippine territory while Area Readiness 1 means 100 percent of the country’s territory, which is estimated to be 40,000 square nautical miles.

On the other hand, Jane’s Defense Magazine in 2012 said the Philippines has no fighter aircraft compared to China’s 1,082 with radars, missile defense, ballistic missile and nuclear arms.

Vietnam, one of the claimants in the South China Sea, has 208 fighter aircraft, Thailand has 55, Indonesia 48 and Malaysia 42.

Demonstration. Representatives from Smartmatic demonstrate the dual-storage capability of a PCOS vote-counting machine at the Comelec office in Intramuros on Tuesday. DAnny PAtA

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New jails director inducted

By Rey E. Requejo

Induction. Newly-appointed Bureau of Correction chief Ricardo Rainier Cruz III takes his oath of office before Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday at the DOJ office in Padre Faura Street in Manila. DANNY PATA

Survivors of 57 Kentex victims okay settlement

By Sandy Araneta FAMILIES of 57 of the dead in the Philippines’ worst factory fire have dropped their claims against the company in exchange for a P151,200 ($3,360) settlement, a company lawyer said Tuesday.

Families of more of the workers who died in the May 13 fire at the two-storey Kentex Manufacturing factory in Valenzueal City are expected eventually to agree to the settlement, said Kentex lawyer Renato Paraiso.

Paraiso said the compensation package of P151,200 each includes P100,000 in death benefits, P30,000 cash for the identification of the remains of the victims, P10,000 burial assistance, P6,200 for funeral services, and P5,000 travel assistance.

The fire at the factory which makes rubber slippers claimed 72 lives and sparked outrage over

the allegedly unsafe conditions which contributed to the high death toll.

Labour groups also denounced Kentex for relying on contract laborers who were not paid regular salaries.

However Paraiso said the settlement includes a waiver against any further claims against Kentex.

“More or less, we gave them what is due to them,” he told AFP. He said the settlements were not achieved through coercion, stressing that they were negotiated with labor department arbiters present to explain the consequences to the families.

Paraiso also said Kentex was not to blame for the fire since it was started by sparks from welders hired from a third company to repair a gate.

“We have no liability regarding what happened. It is just the moral obligation of the management in looking after the workers,” he said.

Lawyers for the families of the dead could not be contacted for comment.

The minimum wage for a worker in a large factory is set at 481 pesos per day or about $10.70.

A spokeswoman for President Benigno Aquino stressed that any settlement with Kentex must be respected.

“However, any settlement cannot bind government in as far as investigations on violations of existing rules and regulations are concerned,” said spokeswoman Abigail Valte.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the settlements would

not protect Kentex management from any criminal charges.

The Department of Justice is investigating the fire after allegations that the factory did not have sprinklers or adequate fire exits and had bars on the windows which prevented people from escaping.

But the labor group Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino scored the Aquino administration for its unchanged state policies and continued nonprosecution of national and local government officials who may have had a hand in the tragic industrial accident.

“It has been forty-one days since the Kentex tragedy and yet the Aquino administration has remained unperturbed and even has any inkling to the deeplyseated agitation that will soon turn into a social volcano even if it is the last year of this elitist regime, said Gie Relova, leader of the BMP in Metro Manila. – With AFP

RETIRED Army general Ricardo Rainier Cruz III on Tuesday took his oath as the new director of the Bureau of Corrections and immediately received a marching order from her to completely weed out illegal drugs inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City and other penal colonies.

“My marching order to him was to make BuCor and the NBP drug-free,” said Justice Secreatry Leila de Lima who inducted Cruz, who was accompanied by his family, at the DOJ main office in Manila.

De Lima expressed confidence on Cruz’s ability to effectively supervise BuCor and perform his duties, saying the new BuCor chief is up to the challenge despite the “herculean task” he is facing at the bureau.

“I’m sure that his training in public service, in general, and in the military service in particular, would really help a lot in terms of bearing and discharging the mandate of his office,” De Lima said, citing Cruz’ willingness to assume such a task speaks of “his strong character and high sense of duty.”

In taking the challenge, Cruz stressed that aside from dealing with the illegal activities inside the NBP, including the drugs trade, he will also continue the reforms initiated by his predecessor, Franklin Jesus Bucayu, whom he replaced after the latter resigned due to “death threats” and health issues.”

He vowed to also improve the skills of BuCor personnel and put to action the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the BuCor Modernization Law, which he said, would be of help in professionalizing the ranks of the BuCor. The retired Army general also assured that he will address the issue of the VIP treatment accorded to some inmates at the national penitentiary.

The illegal activities inside the NBP hogged the limelight late last year and early this year when authorities seized stashes of illegal drugs, cash, firearms, cellular phones and luxury items from several cells of high-profile inmates there.

SC resets oral arguments on Torre

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has granted the appeal of Solicitor General Florin Hilbay for the postponement of the oral arguments on the case involving the construction of the 46-storey Torre de Manila condominium in Manila.

During its en banc session Tuesday, the SC gave the reset the hearing to July 21.

Hilbay had earlier asked the court to give him more time to prepare for the oral argument because he had to focus on the forthcoming hearings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands over the Philippines’ territorial dispute with China.

According to him, he is “presently undertaking very important arrangements and other pre-hearing preparations in order to ensure that the interest of the Republic is

best pursued and protected,” referring to scheduled hearings of PCA from July 7 to 13.

“As Agent of the Republic in the arbitration, the Solicitor General shall lead the Philippine delegation in these crucial hearings involving the jurisdiction and admissibility of the Republic’s claims before an ad hoc arbitral tribunal of the Permanent Council of Arbitration,” Hilbay stressed.

Meanwhile, the House committee on Metro Manila development will summon Manila City Mayor Joseph Estrada and former Mayor Alfredo Lim to a congressional hearing on the controversial condominium of the DMCI Holdings, Inc. Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, the panel chairman, said the testimonies of Estrada, Lim and other local officials of Manila City could help provide answers to the raging controversy.

Budding designer. A young woman works on the work she was set to submit to the NP Young Designer Award competition during its launching in Makati City on Tuesday. The contest aims to spark greater creativity among architecture and interior design students. EY ACASIO

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Smartmatic bid up for review

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

The Commission on elections (Comelec) may reconsider the bid of the Smartmatic-Total Information Management (Smartmatic-TIM) to supply the poll body with the 23,000 Optical Mark Reader units after the agency disqualified the company for failing to meet the requirement particularly on the security features.

Election 2016. Lord Mark Malloch-Brown (center) Smartmatic chairman, answers questions from media with Babe Romualdez (L) president of the Manila Overseas Press Club presiding over the Roundtable Discussion on Election 2016 while Cesar Flores, president of Smartmatic listens intently. The forum was held at the Manila Golf & Country Club in Makati City. LINO SANTOS

Comelec to disqualify 4.3-m voters THE Commission on Elections on Tuesday clarified that voters who don’t have their biometrics taken by the poll body will be disenfranchised in the 2016 polls.

The “no bio, no boto” campaign is mandated by law and Comelec will have to enforce the law despite the fact that 4.3 million voters are facing disqualification, said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez.

“As far as implementing this project is concerned, it is what the law says, and it is what the Comelec is bound to enforce,” Jimenez told the reporters yesterday.

Jimenez admitted that the data of some voters who were able to have their biometrics in the past elections were destroyed or corrupted.

Jimenez said that the Comelec was able to address such issues where they wrote all voters who have broken biometrics to come to the Comelec office and have their biometrics be taken.

He said that from 9.6-million voters who did not have the biometrics in May 2014, the the number decreased to 4.7-million in January 2015 and 4.3-million in April.

“We may see that the decrease is steady, it’s not as fast as you wanted, not as fast as we wanted certainly, but there are factors that we need to consider,” he said.

“You have to accept that there are really people who do s not want to vote, and they are registered for other reason,” he added.

He also said that they are again scheduled to send another batch of mail to all Filipinos who do not have biometrics by next week.

Voters may check their names in the Comelec website to see if they are included in the list of voters.

On Monday, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said that the 4.3-million voters remained unaware if they still are

required to register under the biometric system given that they have already an issued Voter’s ID. “Most of these voters who are in possession of Voter’s ID have the impression that they are already biometrically registered since they have already their Voter’s ID,” Macalintal said.

He also added that those who have voted in the past two elections believe that they are no longer required to register under this system.

“In other words, there is that imperative need for the Comelec to clarify or clearly explain to the electorate who are still required to be registered under the biometric system,” he said.

Under the biometric system, voters information such as picture, fingerprints, and signature are recorded on Comelec database.

Voters who don’t have the biometrics will be delisted. Sara Fabunan

Trade chief, Usec face class suit

By Rio N. Araja SECRETARYGregoryDomingoandUndersecretary Victorio Mario Dimagiba of the Department of Trade and Industry are facing a “class-suit” graft suit before the Office of the Ombudsman for their failure to enforce the Clean Air Act. Herminio Buerano Jr., Coalition of Clean Air Advocates of the Philippines president, along with members Leo Olarte, Efren de Luna, running priest Fr. Robert Reyes and Ramon Ventura, also urged Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to place Domingo and Dimagiba under a preventive suspension.

Buera no ch ided Dom i ngo for cont i nued d isrega rd of t he Clea n A i r Ac t of 1999 or Republ ic Ac t 8749 “to ensu re t he substa nt ia l reduc t ion of em issions f rom motor veh icles” in coord i nat ion w it h t he Depa r t ment of Tra nspor tat ion

a nd C om mu n ic at ions.

“From and after the passage of the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 (Rep. Act No. 8749), Secretaries and Undersecretaries have come and gone, but to date, a long fifteen (15) years from thence and now, we continue to see and experience lack of meaningful results to come out of the passage of the said law, simply because of the herein respondents’ neglect, that is not merely administrative non-feasance, but may – as well be a criminal offense, under the Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” their complaint further read.

“It is the people, and the herein complainants included, who pay a heavy price, with their health, while the polluters get away with impunity and continue to pollute the air, day in, day out, scot-free, and with even the premium and bonus of so much profits to their heart’s contents and desires.”

Rainy season on. Dr. Vicente Malano, acting administrator of PAGASA-DOST, points to a map showing the monthly rainfall forecast for the year during the climate outlook forum at the PAGASA head office as the weather bureau declares the start of the rainy season on Tuesday. LINO SANTOS

After a demo of Smartmatic-TIM machines, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that there’s a chance the commission en banc may reverse its decision.

“That’s (reversal) certainly a possibility, kasi kung ang basis ng qualification is one thing and the one thing is proven not to exist, then bakit mo i-disqualify?,” Jimenez told the reporters yesterday.

The Comelec-Technical Evaluation Committee chairman Peter Banzon said during the Smartmatic demo that the t machines appeared to be meeting the requirements of the term of reference.

“As an engineer, this kind of display of simultaneous writing... it satisfies the requirement,” Banzon, who is also chief of the Department of Science and Technology’s research and development division, said during the demonstration.

In May, the Comelec - Bids and Awards Committee disqualified SmartmaticTIM after its demo units failed to meet the requirement to have at least two storage devices and the capability to write to the same data or files, audit log, statistics, and ballot images simultaneously.

Subsequently, the Smartmatic-TIM filed a protest of its disqualification in the post-qualification evaluation stage of the public bidding urging the Comelec en banc to reconsider its decision.

For its part, Smartmatic-TIM president for Asia Pacific Cesar Flores expressed confidence that they have convinced the Comelec en banc to reverse BAC’s ruling.

“I think the evidence is completely and absolutely clear: We should not have been disqualified and it was a misunderstanding and this misunderstanding led to our disqualification,” Flores said in a separate interview.

In a demonstration before Bautista and four other commissioners, SmartmaticTIM personnel opened the machine, fed the ballot, saved the data while showing the behavior of the Secure Digital (SD) memory cards in the ports.

“We were able to show that, at any given point, all the transactions in the machines that we are proposing to the Comelec stored the data simultaneously,” Flores said.

But despite the opinion of Banzon, Jimenez stressed that it is still up to the commission en banc to decide on the fate of Smartmatic-TIM’s protest.

“The Comelec en banc ultimately will have to come out with a decision,” Jimenez said.

The Comelec en banc, however, refused to give a deadline on when it will issue a decision on the protest.

For the moment, Jimenez said the second round of public bidding for the P2.5 billion project will still push through.

The second round of public bidding for the 23,000 OMR machines became necessary after Smartmatic-TIM’s bid was disqualified, Comelec said.

w e d n e s d ay : J u n e 24 , 2 0 1 5

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news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Freeze order vs Budget exec on

By Rio Araja

Friendship Arch. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua exchange handshakes after unveiling the 63.8feet high Chinatown Friendship Arch at the foot of Jones Bridge in Manila. DANNY PATA

Boycott-China plan on, but PH unmoved

By Vito Barcelo

The Philippine government will not support the planned boycott of Chinese products by several groups in protest of the aggressive actions of Beijing in the disputed South China Sea/ West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the DFA said the Philippine position on the territorial row is not the sum total of the relations with China.

“Both the Philippines and China have taken the position that the South China Sea dispute should not be

the sum total of their relations,” the DFA said.

“Our two countries have agreed to abstract the South China Sea dispute for separate treatment and to allow the other areas of our bilateral relations to move forward,” the DFA said.

The independent drive to boycott China-made products is an initiative of certain sectors in the Philippines and other parts of the world who are exercising their right to free expression, it said.

A group of Filipinos called for a boycott of Chinese products, particularly garments, to protest China’s “bullying” and aggressive actions in the South China Sea. The government has thumbed down the call, saying the Philippines and China have agreed to move forward with other aspects of its relations despite their territorial rifts.

Relations between the two Asian neighbors plunged to

its lowest when the Philippines sought arbitration in January 2013 to try to declare as illegal China’s massive claim over the South China Sea, including areas within the resource-rich waters that fall under Manila’s territory.

China claims “indisputable sovereignty” over 90 percent of the waters, where undersea gas deposits have been discovered in several areas.

In another turn of events, President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday inducted into office the new set of officers of a Filipino-Chinese organization during ceremonies held at the Rizal Hall of Malacañang Palace.

Taking their oath before the President were Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) new set of officers namely Angel Ngu, president; Henry Lim Bon Liong, executive vice president; Domingo Yap, David Chua, Alex Yap Cho Ty, William Gosiaco, Michael Tan, Victor Lim, Delfin Letran, Mary Go Ng, Cecilio Pedro, Charles Chante, George Hock Huy Chiu, and William Yap Castro, vice presidents; Jeffrey Ng, treasurer; Tai Lian, auditor; and Fernando Gan, corporate secretary and secretary general. With Sandy Araneta

THE Sandiganbayan on Tuesday affirmed its 90-day suspension order against Undersecretary Mario Relampagos of the Department of Budget and Management for graft charges he is facing in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim Napoles.

Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje Tang, and Associate Justices Alex Quiroz and Samuel Martires of the anti-graft court’s Third Division upheld their March 11 decision to suspend Relampagos. Also covered by the suspension order are DBM employees Rosario Nunez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare, and Chita Jalandoni, an official of the National Livelihood Development Center.

“There is no cogent reason to reverse its resolution ordering the herein accused’s suspension pendete lite or pending investigation,” the Third Division’s June 23 order read.

Tang dismissed Relampagos and the other accused’s “puerile” argument that the charges against them were invalid and defective, citing their contention was just “rehashed” claim.

“Hence, their preventive suspension for 90 days from their respective government positions and from any other public office which they may now or hereafter be holding, still stands,” the resolution stated.

On March 11 the Sandiganbayan suspended Relampagos and the other accused over their alleged involvement in the multibillion peso pork barrel fund scam, in which three senators, several congressmen and private individuals were implicated.

More groups sign up for quake drill

By Joel E. Zurbano AT LEAST 50 private corporations, including multinationals, media and school organizations, have signed up as participants for the July 30 metro-wide earthquake drill as part of the government efforts to sustain information campaign on earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Among the schools and universities expected to join the one-hour drill are Centro Escolar University, De La Salle University, National Christian Life College, Saint Francis of Assisi College-Alabang, St. Jude College-Dimasalang, Sucat Evangelical Christian Academy, Espiritu

Santo Parochial School of Manila, Inc., Diliman Preparatory School -Mindanao Avenue Campus and ETON International School.

Private corporations include Johnson & Johnson Philippines Inc., LBC Express Inc., 8 Rockwell Project Management Team, AGL Market Research, Inc., Altegra Health Philippines, Inc., all branches of Golds Gym Philippines, Ascentia Consulting, Inc., Careerhub Network Corp., Compassion International, Davies Paints, Fonterra (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Legaspi Towers 300 Inc., Mario’s Restaurant, Plan International Philippines, Yokogawa Philippines, Quantum Solutions Philippines, Inc.

and Rockwell Property Management Corp.

The Association of Escolta Sta. Cruz Fire and Rescue Volunteer Inc, Emergency Management Unit of ABSCBN, Rappler–Project Agos, Pateros Safety Riders and Kabalikat Civicom, Metro Manila Council and government agencies such as Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and Department of Education also expressed intention to join the event.

Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority, who initiated the event, encouraged the people to participate in the drill which will start at exactly 10:30 a.m. of July 30.

Heather Morris, 2009 season Glee actress and Beyonce Knowles’s backup dancer, arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 on board PAL flight PR113 from Los Angeles at 4:15 pm on Tuesday. Morris is also known for her performance in Ice Age (2012) and Spring Breakers. ERic B. APoloNio

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 24 , 2 0 1 5

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Literacy program helps hundreds Soldiers act as teachers in Mindanao

Beautiful photobomber. A farmer in Camalig, Albay prepares for another planting season near the foot of Mayon Volcano. DANNY PATA

Police arrest 4 drug traders in Benguet LA TRINIDAD—Four drug traders operating in different parts of the province were arrested by police and anti-drug officers in separate anti-drug operations over the weekend.

Senior Superintendent David Q. Lacdan, officerin-charge of the Benguet Provincial Police Office, identified drug traders as Rocky Calis Bogsit, 34, married, a driver from Madaymen, Kibungan, Benguet and a resident of Tawang, La Trinidad; Cre-

dence Ganado Molitas, 29, single, native and residence of Triniville, bahong, La Trinidad; Anthony Eblos Sala-ing, 36, married, mechanic, native of Abatan, Buguias, Benguet and a resident of Shilan, La Trinidad; and Brestler Gamotlong Watawat, 31, also a driver who hails from Kapangan, Benguet but residing at Betag, La Trinidad town.

Watawat was arrested Friday afternoon in a buy-bust operation at The Swamp, Km. 6 in this town.

Confiscated from him were 10 pieces of heatsealed transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, P11, 000 in cash and some personal items.

Bogist and Molitas were nabbed inside the Bakahan eatery in Barangay Tawang around 9:30 pm Saturday.

Seized from the two were seven sachets of suspected shabu, assorted drug paraphernalia and several P500 bills used in the buy-bust operations.

Bogsit said the source of the illegal drugs was his brother in-law based in Shilan, La Trinidad, Benguet.

Meanwhile, the police seized from Sala-ing assorted drug paraphernalia and a gun without proper documents.

The men are detained at the Benguet provincial jail awaiting the filing of charges for violation of the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

By A. Perez Rimando

SIRAWAI, Zamboanga del Norte—In several Zamboanga del Norte remote villages without public elementary schools, at least 436 children and young adults have been made literate by military men for the past few years.

This is the initiative of Lt. Col. Alex Rillera, 44th Infantry Battalion commander, who institutionalized the Army Literacy Patrol System to provide basic literacy skills to hundreds of local children, mostly members of the Indigenous Peoples like called Subanens, Samals, and Tausugs.

Rillera, an Ilocano from Naguilian, La Union, said soldiers who were graduates or had completed some units in Bachelor of Science in Elementary/Secondary Education before joining the Armed Forces of the Philippines are being tapped to serve as teachers.

They provide basic literacy education to barangay residents who, due to the distance of their homes from public elementary schools, have never even entered a classroom in their lifetime.

The soldier-mentors, mostly natives of Cebuanospeaking Western Mindanao or Zamboanga Peninsula provinces and cities, usually use the vernacular as medium of instruction.

According to Rillera, the literacy course, which lasts from six to 10 months, focuses on Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic (or the socalled Three Rs) and livelihood skills “to enable the learners become more useful, more productive and more law-abiding citizens of their locality.”

Rillera explained that soldiers, as majorpart of their civil-military opera-

tions, “have to undertake

not only combat activities but also worthwhile humanitarian endeavors such as the ALPS in the wake of growing problem of illiteracy and ignorance among less fortunate Filipinos living in mountain communities without public schools in many remote areas of Mindanao.”

The far-flung communities that recently completed its ALPS program, Rillera said, included the barangays of Catuyan and Bitugan in this mountain town where it graduated 115 learners; barangays Santo Nino and Puliran in Sibuco, 123, and Sitio Santa Maria in Siocon and Barangay New Salvacion in Labason, 198.

Serving as the soldierteachers’ temporary classrooms are community halls, barangay chapels and open areas with tall shaded trees.

Rillera added that ALPS finishers were given by the 44th IB free ALPS T-Shirts and assorted food foodstuffsuch as rice, corn, canned goods and noodles—mostly donated by civic-minded local government officials and concerned residents who support the soldiers in eradicating illiteracy among many villagers in the Southern Philippines.

Rillera was optimistic that with their knowledge in basic literacy education and livelihood skills, the ALPS-educated villagers would be able to contribute to the maintenance of peace and order in their respective areas.

Labor Department to hire young indigents as interns in Pangasinan

By Johanne Margarette R. Macob LINGAYEN—The Department of Labor and Employment, in partnership with the provincial government of Pangasinan, will employ at least 10 youth under its new government internship program (GIP).

According to provincial employment and services office chief, Alex Ferrer, the six-month internship program will provide employment to indigent but deserving youth.

High school or technical

vocational course graduates and unemployed college graduates between 18 to 25 years old will be tapped to work in the provincial government, he said.

Further, these interns will receive daily allowance worth 75 percent of the daily minimum wage of P253, or P189.

The provincial board passed provincial resolution no. 1386-2015, which authorized Governor Amado Espino Jr. to enter into and sign a memorandum of understanding DOLE Regional Office 1.

“The national government has been determined in defining its role to help the local government units in the application of policies, programs, and projects to generate more jobs for the youth and reduce poverty in the countryside,” the resolution said.

The proposed agreement between the provincial government and DOLE-Region 1 is executed to set forth the duties and obligations of the parties with respect to the implementation of the program in Pangasinan.

Cleanup drive. Citizens of Ermita, Cebu City join the coastal and urban cleanup at the mouth of Guadalupe River. CHI ALVAREZ

W E D n E s D Ay: J u n E 24 , 2 0 1 5

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opinion

ADELLE chuA ediToR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

bACK ChAnnel AlejAndRo del RosARio

2016

[ EDI TORI A L ]

The Aquino AdvAnTAge WHILE we have often been critical of the government, we acknowledge without reservation that this administration can claim an advantage over its predecessor in one key aspect: the number of harebrained ideas that gain currency among public officials.

The administration might call it thinking outside the box; we prefer to call it the death of common sense.

Amid the deteriorating service on city trains, the government is offering MRT passengers incident reports that they can use as excuse slips that they can give to their employers or schools whenever they are tardy as a result of its spotty transport services. Rather than taking steps to actually fix the problem, transport officials will thus create one more bureaucratic process to occupy their time.

Then this week, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced that it will close off half of the Edsa highway along a 15-kilometer stretch to vehicular traffic on June 28, a Sunday, and reserve the lanes for pedestrians and bikers to encourage commuters to use bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation.

The MMDA has announced no alternative traffic plan for motorists who will be affected by its ill-conceived road-sharing event, nor does it say what the likelihood is that ordinary commuters will stop taking the bus or train in droves so that they can ride bicycles in a country where there are only two distinct seasons—hot or wet.

Again, instead of doing something concrete about a pressing problem—congestion and pollution along Edsa--government officials are offering the public silly ideas that have no chance whatsoever of succeeding.

In Manila, where city officials and civil society groups are locked in a dispute with a property developer over a 49-story building that mars the backdrop of the Rizal Monument, a provincial board member in Nueva Ecija has proposed what he calls a “Solomonic” solution—paint the image of the Philippine flag over the entire building.

We have no idea why a provincial board member in Nueva Ecija would weigh in on the controversy, but he certainly shows he possesses the kind of thinking that this administration seems to value. The “solution” he proposes does nothing to actually fix the problem; the building will still stand where it is, in violation of zoning laws, and painting it red, white and blue will do nothing to make it any less of an eyesore.

Of course, we should not be surprised that local officials think this way—after all, they have many role models in the national government. Let us cite just one.

Instead of consulting all stakeholders in Mindanao, the national government chose to negotiate with only one rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and gave them practically everything they demanded. Now the administration expects everyone to sign off on a flawed agreement that was reached without their participation, but which could adversely affect not just Mindanao but the entire nation.

How foolish is that?

A house divided lowdown jojo A. Robles a MaJor storyline of Malacanang’s overall 2016 narrative has the chosen successor of President noynoy aquino winning it all in May, paving the way for a smooth transition of power and a seamless continuation of his so-called reform agenda. In reality, the leading lights in the President’s own camp can’t even back one common candidate because, like spouses in a quickly

A9

failing marriage of convenience, they have serious irreconcilable differences.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte was only half-joking when he said yesterday that, if given a choice, he would choose “the woman” as his candidate for President in the next elections.

By the woman, Belmonte meant, of course, Senator Grace Poe, as opposed to the man, meaning Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar roxas.

Belmonte’s statement highlights the continuing rift within the aquino administration of the two major factions, known as “Balay” and “Samar.” The in-

fighting in the House of noynoy can only be expected to get worse, as the two groups plan their post-aquino strategies.

For the uninitiated, Balay refers to the residence in Cubao, Quezon City of roxas, where the faction led by roxas, Budget Secretary Florencio abad and other Liberal Partyaffiliated aquino loyalists hold court. Samar is the street in the same city where the group of Belmonte, executive Secretary Paquito ochoa, businessman Jose “Gerry” acuzar and the other palace-aligned group that is continually at odds with the roxas faction was once head-

The coming election will prove just how divided Aquino’s own house really is.

quartered.

It makes sense for the Samar faction to push for the selection of Poe as the administration’s standard-bearer, and not just because she is eminently the more “winnable” candidate compared to roxas. Belmonte and the “Samarenos” know that even if they suddenly lay down their arms against the roxas camp and help lead Mar to victory, they will always be second-class courtiers to the Balay groupies in tuwid na Daan Part two.

The wounds that either side inflicted over the other through years and years of unabated internecine fighting are just too deep for them to unite, even for the sake of “continuing the reforms,” as the Malacanang mantra goes. So, Belmonte and his

group will naturally head over to Poe, because they simply cannot see themselves as part of the roxas entourage – which they can’t imagine taking the reins of power after May, anyway.

Ultimately, of course, the partisans in the palace are going to do what they feel they have to in order to survive politically after aquino steps down. and because they’ve been so used to doing battle within Malacanang itself – with their common principal refusing to settle their differences through the years – they can only be expected to come out in

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the open on different sides in the coming campaign. roxas cannot be expected to offer the olive branch to Belmonte and his Samar faction in the battle for the presidency. If the Samar gang had come meekly to him offering help, he might take them in; but roxas will not approach Belmonte and seek Samar’s support, because that just not how he rolls. even in a scenario where Poe decides not to run, there is no simply no guarantee that the Samar faction will join Mar. If that happens, I expect Belmonte, ochoa and

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their confederates to join Vice President Jejomar Binay instead of roxas, who has long believed that the Samarenos actually pushed for the “noyBi” tandem that eventually won in 2010.

It is only in aquino’s mind, after all, that his famously divisive term has brought about unity and harmony. and the coming election will prove just how divided even his own house is. *** a Malacañang mole has called my attention to the prominent, be-scarfed presence of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima 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

Senator Grace Poe could yet be the nacionalista Party presidential candidate in the 2016 elections. the door has been opened with Senator Cynthia Villar’s statement that the party would be willing to adopt her as the nP standard bearer “if there are no members seeking the presidency.”

Cynthia is the wife of former Senator Manny Villar, the titular head of the nacionalista Party.

If Grace Poe walks through that door opened up by the nP, the country’s oldest political party, there is a possibility she could team up with Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. who’s emerging as a party stalwart. as early as 2013 when Poe topped the senatorial elections, there were already naughty rumors of “two Marcos siblings in the Senate.” Ms. Poe has denied the rumors she is the daughter of the late former President Ferdinand e. Marcos and therefore a half sister of Bongbong Marcos. recent accounts of old folks in Jaro, Iloilo where the foundling Grace was left at a church door, would tend to belie the rumor.

But it must be written in the stars or a political script made in heaven that Grace and the young Marcos would find themselves in the cusp of possibly being elected the country’s president and vice president, respectively. It’s a long way but within reach for someone abandoned at a church door to Malacanang Palace where the Marcoses once lived. But in politics, everything is in the realm of the possible. Parang “Iginuhit ng tadhana” (drawn by fate), a film made on the life of Marcos. the presidential race is a popularity contest. But it shouldn’t be. this is a sad ref lection on the quality of our voters, the majority of whom are the masa. this is not a judgment on the intellectual capacity of the masses but rather an indictment of the social and economic inequity they are in to make a wise decision in choosing the right leader for the country. this is most evident when the masa elected as president a popular movie actor known as a philanderer, and then elected the same convicted plunderer as mayor of the country’s premier city. only in the Philippines!

People are subjected to all kinds of cultural, social and political inf luences by the movies, print and electronic media. note how even this early, 30-second subliminal tV ads of candidates are already being aired targeting the masses. they are, after all, the most vulnerable and susceptible to political propaganda.

Candidates for the presidency must not only be popular. they must have exceptional qualifications to deal with the myriad problems and challenges Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

W E D n E s D Ay: J u n E 24 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA ediToR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

bACK ChAnnel AlejAndRo del RosARio

2016

[ EDI TORI A L ]

The Aquino AdvAnTAge WHILE we have often been critical of the government, we acknowledge without reservation that this administration can claim an advantage over its predecessor in one key aspect: the number of harebrained ideas that gain currency among public officials.

The administration might call it thinking outside the box; we prefer to call it the death of common sense.

Amid the deteriorating service on city trains, the government is offering MRT passengers incident reports that they can use as excuse slips that they can give to their employers or schools whenever they are tardy as a result of its spotty transport services. Rather than taking steps to actually fix the problem, transport officials will thus create one more bureaucratic process to occupy their time.

Then this week, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced that it will close off half of the Edsa highway along a 15-kilometer stretch to vehicular traffic on June 28, a Sunday, and reserve the lanes for pedestrians and bikers to encourage commuters to use bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation.

The MMDA has announced no alternative traffic plan for motorists who will be affected by its ill-conceived road-sharing event, nor does it say what the likelihood is that ordinary commuters will stop taking the bus or train in droves so that they can ride bicycles in a country where there are only two distinct seasons—hot or wet.

Again, instead of doing something concrete about a pressing problem—congestion and pollution along Edsa--government officials are offering the public silly ideas that have no chance whatsoever of succeeding.

In Manila, where city officials and civil society groups are locked in a dispute with a property developer over a 49-story building that mars the backdrop of the Rizal Monument, a provincial board member in Nueva Ecija has proposed what he calls a “Solomonic” solution—paint the image of the Philippine flag over the entire building.

We have no idea why a provincial board member in Nueva Ecija would weigh in on the controversy, but he certainly shows he possesses the kind of thinking that this administration seems to value. The “solution” he proposes does nothing to actually fix the problem; the building will still stand where it is, in violation of zoning laws, and painting it red, white and blue will do nothing to make it any less of an eyesore.

Of course, we should not be surprised that local officials think this way—after all, they have many role models in the national government. Let us cite just one.

Instead of consulting all stakeholders in Mindanao, the national government chose to negotiate with only one rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and gave them practically everything they demanded. Now the administration expects everyone to sign off on a flawed agreement that was reached without their participation, but which could adversely affect not just Mindanao but the entire nation.

How foolish is that?

A house divided lowdown jojo A. Robles a MaJor storyline of Malacanang’s overall 2016 narrative has the chosen successor of President noynoy aquino winning it all in May, paving the way for a smooth transition of power and a seamless continuation of his so-called reform agenda. In reality, the leading lights in the President’s own camp can’t even back one common candidate because, like spouses in a quickly

A9

failing marriage of convenience, they have serious irreconcilable differences.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte was only half-joking when he said yesterday that, if given a choice, he would choose “the woman” as his candidate for President in the next elections.

By the woman, Belmonte meant, of course, Senator Grace Poe, as opposed to the man, meaning Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar roxas.

Belmonte’s statement highlights the continuing rift within the aquino administration of the two major factions, known as “Balay” and “Samar.” The in-

fighting in the House of noynoy can only be expected to get worse, as the two groups plan their post-aquino strategies.

For the uninitiated, Balay refers to the residence in Cubao, Quezon City of roxas, where the faction led by roxas, Budget Secretary Florencio abad and other Liberal Partyaffiliated aquino loyalists hold court. Samar is the street in the same city where the group of Belmonte, executive Secretary Paquito ochoa, businessman Jose “Gerry” acuzar and the other palace-aligned group that is continually at odds with the roxas faction was once head-

The coming election will prove just how divided Aquino’s own house really is.

quartered.

It makes sense for the Samar faction to push for the selection of Poe as the administration’s standard-bearer, and not just because she is eminently the more “winnable” candidate compared to roxas. Belmonte and the “Samarenos” know that even if they suddenly lay down their arms against the roxas camp and help lead Mar to victory, they will always be second-class courtiers to the Balay groupies in tuwid na Daan Part two.

The wounds that either side inflicted over the other through years and years of unabated internecine fighting are just too deep for them to unite, even for the sake of “continuing the reforms,” as the Malacanang mantra goes. So, Belmonte and his

group will naturally head over to Poe, because they simply cannot see themselves as part of the roxas entourage – which they can’t imagine taking the reins of power after May, anyway.

Ultimately, of course, the partisans in the palace are going to do what they feel they have to in order to survive politically after aquino steps down. and because they’ve been so used to doing battle within Malacanang itself – with their common principal refusing to settle their differences through the years – they can only be expected to come out in

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the open on different sides in the coming campaign. roxas cannot be expected to offer the olive branch to Belmonte and his Samar faction in the battle for the presidency. If the Samar gang had come meekly to him offering help, he might take them in; but roxas will not approach Belmonte and seek Samar’s support, because that just not how he rolls. even in a scenario where Poe decides not to run, there is no simply no guarantee that the Samar faction will join Mar. If that happens, I expect Belmonte, ochoa and

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their confederates to join Vice President Jejomar Binay instead of roxas, who has long believed that the Samarenos actually pushed for the “noyBi” tandem that eventually won in 2010.

It is only in aquino’s mind, after all, that his famously divisive term has brought about unity and harmony. and the coming election will prove just how divided even his own house is. *** a Malacañang mole has called my attention to the prominent, be-scarfed presence of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima Continued on A11

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Senator Grace Poe could yet be the nacionalista Party presidential candidate in the 2016 elections. the door has been opened with Senator Cynthia Villar’s statement that the party would be willing to adopt her as the nP standard bearer “if there are no members seeking the presidency.”

Cynthia is the wife of former Senator Manny Villar, the titular head of the nacionalista Party.

If Grace Poe walks through that door opened up by the nP, the country’s oldest political party, there is a possibility she could team up with Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. who’s emerging as a party stalwart. as early as 2013 when Poe topped the senatorial elections, there were already naughty rumors of “two Marcos siblings in the Senate.” Ms. Poe has denied the rumors she is the daughter of the late former President Ferdinand e. Marcos and therefore a half sister of Bongbong Marcos. recent accounts of old folks in Jaro, Iloilo where the foundling Grace was left at a church door, would tend to belie the rumor.

But it must be written in the stars or a political script made in heaven that Grace and the young Marcos would find themselves in the cusp of possibly being elected the country’s president and vice president, respectively. It’s a long way but within reach for someone abandoned at a church door to Malacanang Palace where the Marcoses once lived. But in politics, everything is in the realm of the possible. Parang “Iginuhit ng tadhana” (drawn by fate), a film made on the life of Marcos. the presidential race is a popularity contest. But it shouldn’t be. this is a sad ref lection on the quality of our voters, the majority of whom are the masa. this is not a judgment on the intellectual capacity of the masses but rather an indictment of the social and economic inequity they are in to make a wise decision in choosing the right leader for the country. this is most evident when the masa elected as president a popular movie actor known as a philanderer, and then elected the same convicted plunderer as mayor of the country’s premier city. only in the Philippines!

People are subjected to all kinds of cultural, social and political inf luences by the movies, print and electronic media. note how even this early, 30-second subliminal tV ads of candidates are already being aired targeting the masses. they are, after all, the most vulnerable and susceptible to political propaganda.

Candidates for the presidency must not only be popular. they must have exceptional qualifications to deal with the myriad problems and challenges 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

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W E D N E S D AY: J U N E 24 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

MOTHER EARTH, FATHER FRANCIS

THE REAL OPPOSITION TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO PULSE Asia says President Aquino enjoys 54 percent performance approval and 50 percent trust. I doubt this survey.

In the first place, I cannot imagine how the bulk of the people can give the President such ratings. We all know that he has been performing dismally considering the challenges he has faced in the past five years.

As for trust, Santa Banana, how in the world can he still be trusted when his “daang matuwid” mantra applies only to his political enemies? The standards however do not apply to his friends and allies even if they are accused of corruption.

With regard to performance, did the Pulse Asia

Binay should have broken away sooner.

surveyors ask the respondents what they think of the daily glitches of MRT3? Were the people asked what they thought of the anomalous practice of the Land Transportation Office in charging those who register their vehicles for plates that come late, if they come at all?

And can President Aquino be trusted when he apparently believes the Moro Islamic Liberation Front than a multitude of constitutional experts who see the Bangsamoro Basic Law as a betrayal of the Constitution?

Did Pulse Asia ask the respondents what they thought of the Mamasapano slaughter of 44 police commandos?

Worse, why the survivors and wives, children and relatives have not been given the justice they deserve?

There should be a law for survey companies to disclose who commissioned them. I have been involved with surveys in the past, and I know for a fact that answers depend on what questions are asked.

I must say I’m not against surveys. They are essential for marketing purposes.

But I also know they can be manipulated.

*** Vice President Jojo Binay finally broke away from the Aquino administration.

It was inevitable, and the lines are now drawn between the administration and the opposition.

In fact, I had written that the breakaway should have come much sooner, when lapdogs of the President started their demolition job to diminish Binay’s chances of becoming president.

In fact, Binay expected that when he topped earlier surveys. I cannot believe that President Aquino did not have a hand in the demolition job against Binay.

Be that as it may, now that Binay is no longer with the Aquino administration, all gloves are off.

We can predict that in the coming months, the political horizon will get clearer.

And I can say that definitely, it will be another fight between Binay and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the presumptive candidate of the Liberal Party.

As for Senator Grace Poe, I am not too sure if she would even run for the presidency or vice presidency.

How can she run when she doesn’t even have a platform of government, much less solutions to the country’s gargantuan problems of poverty and joblessness?

She hasn’t be able to explain doubts about her residency and her citizenship.

Can you trust a candidate who has a FilipinoAmerican husband and American children? True, she is honest, as she was honest enough to state in her Certificate of Candidacy for the Senate that she has resided in the Philippines for only six years and six months.

And when she stated that she came home after the death of her adoptive father, movie icon Fernando Poe Jr., she still used her American passport, according to record. That makes her an American citizen.

As a result of Binay’s breakaway from President Aquino, there will now be political realignments with the usual political gymnasts joining the opposition. Some may not do it immediately, hoping that President Aquino will still provide them with funds.

As I see it, while the political horizon remains murky, there will be no less than five presidential hopefuls in October. *** The big question about the 46-storey Torre de Manila, which has been called a “photo bomber” by its critics, is whether or not it will be demolished after the Supreme Court is-

ARE rich countries, oil drillers, oil companies, heavy users of energy, and buyers of luxury goods guilty of crimes against humanity, especially the poor?

That is not clear yet today. But the future is mixed for them, at best, at least, in terms of how they are perceived by the Catholic Church, per Pope Francis.

On Thursday, June 18, 2015, Pope Francis released his 41,000-word, 184-page encyclical on climate change, Laudato Si’ (“Praise be to You, My Lord”), “On Care for Our Common Home”. In elegant and stirring language, the latest papal teaching or doctrine gives a moral and social justice dimension to climate change which he discusses with such élan that he sounds very authoritative.

Francis refers to Mother Earth as our Sister, “who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs”.

“This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she ‘groans in travail’ (Rom 8:22). We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters,” Francis writes. “Now, faced as we are with global environmental deterioration, I wish to address every person living on this planet.”

The way I understand my Genesis, God creates the Earth in six days. He endows man with intelligence. Man starts thinking he is king of the earth— the concept of dominion.

But God also reminds Man that he is dust to which he must return, just like all other living things, thinking or nonthinking. So man must have humility.

In Paradise, there is Adam and there is Eve. Nature is the first to tempt man. The snake offers Adam and Eve an apple.

Instead of eating the snake and selling the apple, they eat the apple. The result is malice and original sin. Adam and Eve are banished from Paradise.

With malice, Adam and Eve start to procreate. It goes out of hand. Man commits sin left and right. God gets worried. He sends his only son to save the world. Amazingly, Jesus fails.

Of 7 billion people, only one billion embrace Christianity; the remaining 85 percent become non-believers. Among the non-believers, the Chinese discover the abacus of procreation. Today, there are 1.4 billion Chinese. They also start making everything — cheap and well. So now, the saying is that the Chinese make everything; the rest is made by God. The Chinese sell their goods to the world and become extremely rich.

Also non-believers, the Arabs are blessed with the best quality oil and in volumes good for at least ten generations.

The Arabs sell their oil to the world and become outrageously rich.

Among the believers are Filipinos, about 85 million of the 100 million of them. Despite their faith that has lasted 484 years, Filipinos seem cursed — with among the most incompetent and corrupt governments in the world. Poverty hounds 30 percent of Filipinos. Corruption. Poverty. Is this fair?

Comes now Francis with his encyclical on the environment.He cites two authorities, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Saint Francis, after whom the Pope named himself.

The Pope says Patriarch Bartholomew has spoken in particular of the need for each of us to repent of the ways we have harmed the planet, for “inasmuch as we all generate small ecological damage”, we are called to acknowledge “our contribution, smaller or greater, to the disfigurement and destruction of creation”.

Bartholomew has repeatedly stated this firmly and persued a TRO or Temporary Restraining Order against DMCI, the developer.

The problem is that over 90 percent of the units in the building have already been sold, which makes the investors buyers in good faith. According to the law on obligations and contracts in the Philippine

Civil Code, buyers in good faith are not a party to the controversy. Their interests must be protected.

If the Supreme Court were to order the demolition of the Torre, that would be against the law and the Constitution. It would deprive persons of their property. As such, the

suasively, challenging us to acknowledge our sins against creation: “For VIRTUAL human beings… to destroy the biological diversity of God’s creation; for REALITY human beings to degrade the integrity of the earth by causing changes in its TONY climate, by stripping the earth of its LOPEZ natural forests or destroying its wetlands; for human beings to contaminate the earth’s waters, its land, its air, and its life – these are sins”. For “to commit a crime against the natural world is a sin against ourselves and a sin against God”.

Pope Francis says “Bartholomew has drawn attention to the ethical and spiritual roots of environmental problems, which require that we look for solutions not only in technology but in a change of humanity; otherwise we would be dealing merely with symptoms. He asks us to replace consumption with sacrifice, greed with generosity, wastefulness with a spirit of sharing, an asceticism which ‘entails learning to give, and not simply to give up. It is a way of loving, of moving gradually away from what I want to what God’s world needs. It is liberation from fear, greed and compulsion.”

In his encyclical, Pope Francis calls “for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.”

Regrettably, he notes, “many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective, not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest. Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions. We require a new and universal solidarity.”

Pope Francis hopes that his “Encyclical Letter, which is now added to the body of the Church’s social teaching, can help us to acknowledge the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face,” what he calls “the present ecological crisis.”

In Francis’s view, the world must address “the intimate relationship between the poor and the fragility of the planet, the conviction that everything in the world is connected, the critique of new paradigms and forms of power derived from technology, the call to seek other ways of understanding the economy and progress, the value proper to each creature, the human meaning of ecology, the need for forthright and honest debate, the serious responsibility of international and local policy, the throwaway culture and the proposal of a new lifestyle.”

The Pope discusses climate change and its impact in six chapters.

In the first chapter, Francis cries that “the earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.” He says the pollution problems “are closely linked to a throwaway culture which affects the excluded just as it quickly reduces things to rubbish.”

Francis declares “the climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all.” To deal with global warming, he calls on humanity “to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption.”

“The problem is aggravated by a model of development based on the intensive use of fossil fuels, which is at the heart of the worldwide energy system,” Francis says.

“Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day. Its worst impact will probably be felt by developing countries in coming decades.

Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent on natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry. They have no other financial activities or resources which can enable them to adapt to climate change or to face natural disasters, and their access to social services and protection is very limited,” asserts Francis.

More later.

Supreme Court, as interpreter of the Constitution, is duty-bound to find a way to best resolve the issue.

In the first place, DMCI has followed all the requirements to build the Torre, securing all the permits to build from the Manila city government and all necessary require-

ments to sell units in the building. Certainly, DMCI is not to blame. The buyers must not be penalized.

A provincial board member of Nueva Ecija has been proposed a “Solomonic” solution to the controversy by painting the image of the Philippine flag over the entire building.

W E D N E S D AY: J U N E 24 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

24 REPUBLICS SO I SEE LITO BANAYO WHEN we had a functioning two-party system, the major political parties went through a convention to choose who the national candidates would be. They chose a presidential and vice-presidential candidate every four years, and eight senatorial candidates every two years.

Because of the system of choice, and with the convention composed of party leaders and incumbents from the whole country, it became both tradition and practice to have a senatorial slate representative of the different major ethnolinguistic regions of the nation.

Thus, there would invariably be an Ilocano, a Pampango, a Tagalog, an Ilonggo, a Cebuano, a Waray, a Christian Mindanaoan, and a Muslim in the NP or LP senatorial slate.

These days, with coalitions hastily put up before the campaign season, the geographic representation no longer matters. All that matters is the “winnability” of a senatorial candidate, such being measured by Pulse Asia or Social Weather Stations.

And since winnability, or better yet, awareness and popularity are a function of audio-visual media, that is, television mostly, then it is the Metro-Manila centric personalities who dominate the celebrity/popularity scene.

Hence, most of our senators became popular because of television exposure, whether as media, movie actor, or glib talker, or even, as some would say, being members of the ABS-CBN political “party”. The right portrayal of a senatorial candidate’s “talambuhay” in a popular TV show, such as Maalaala Mo Kaya, for instance, and with perfect timing, could push one’s winnability upwards quickly.

Who, for instance, are our right honorable senators at the moment?

Loren Legarda, former TV anchor and newsperson, who cut her teeth in Metro Manila, even as she traces distant roots in Antique and Laguna. Pia

A house..From A9 during the visit to the palace by the officials of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry yesterday. De Lima joined President Noynoy Aquino in hobnobbing with the members of the biggest group of ethnic Chinese traders – who are also

Cayetano, from Southern NCR, during whose first run, ABS-CBN showed a heart-rending story about her father, the late Sen. Rene “Companero” Cayetano.

Miriam Defensor Santiago of Iloilo, who mesmerized the country with her quotable quotes and fiery crusade against corruption. Nancy Binay of the Makati ruling elite. Cynthia Villar of the Las Pinas political clan, who served three terms as congresswoman. And Grace Poe Llamanzares, whose numbers in the surveys dramatically rose after first, she dropped the Llamanzares and hugged the Poe surname solamente, to remind people that she was the daughter of the tragic action hero who was “garcified” in the 2004 presidential elections, and second, after Maalaala Mo Kaya featured her foundling story, which elicited a wave of sympathy.

There is current Senate President Franklin Drilon of Iloilo, who as Secretary of Justice to FVR, prosecuted the gang-rapists/murderers of UPLB students Eileen Sarmenta and her boyfriend, and shot to national fame. Greg Honasan, known less as a Sorsogueno, as the then swash-buckling hero of Edsa Uno turned rebel against Cory. And another Bicolano, Sonny Trillanes, who mutinied against Gloria. Serge Osmena, grandson of the Cebuano president, whose first run flourished because of an action-thriller entitled “Eskapo” featuring his and ABS-CBN’s late top honcho, Geny Lopez during the martial law period. TG Guingona, from Christian Mindanao and Guimaras, also an heir to a well-known name in politics, Go-Go Guingona. So too, Koko Pimentel, heir of Sen. Nene of Cagayan de Oro. And then the movie actors: Lito Lapid, whose son now wants to “inherit” the seat he will soon vacate; Bong Revilla, another action star with a TV program; and Jinggoy Estrada, part-time movie actor, town mayor, and heir to a well-loved family name in movies and politics, which his half-brother JV Ejercito likewise parlayed into a senatorial seat two years ago. Tito Sotto of Eat Bulaga fame, now serving his third or fourth term. There is an Aquino from Tarlac, Bam, whose first cousin is president, and whose uncle is the beloved Ninoy. There is Juan Ponce Enrile, a political institution for the last five de-

cades, whose son Jackie failed to inherit the mantle last 2013. And Sonny Angara, whose father Eduardo of Baler served several terms in the Senate since Cory raised his hand in 1987. Ralph Recto, of the illustrious surname, once congressman of native Batangas, well-known too as the husband of the legendary movie actress Vilma Santos, now governor of the province.

And then the ninos precoz, Alan Cayetano and Chiz Escudero, young motor-mouths who started off as congressmen, mesmerized the public with their good sound-bytes, and until now shoot off their mouths on practically anything and everything. Alan is from Pateros-Taguig and Chiz is from Sorsogon and QC. What seems wrong with this composition?

Is there a Muslim? Nada. The last ones were Santanina Rasul of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and Mamintal Tamano of Lanao, courtesy of Cory’s benediction some three decades ago. Is there a Waray? Absolutely not. The last was Nacionalista Decoroso Rosales of Samar, courtesy of the popular Magsaysay, and before him, Jose Avelino, right after the Second World War. Is there a highlander, from the Montanosa, whether Igorot or Kankaney? Never had.

What we have are 12 Tagalogs (mostly NCR), 2 Pampangos, 2 Ilocanos, 3 Bikolanos, 3 Ilonggos (Serge O identifies with Negros more than Cebu), and 2 Christian Mindanaoans.

And this Senate composed of 24 republics, who because they had been elected nationally, are supposed to represent the entire country. No wonder Duterte’s advocacy of a shift to federalism is getting much traction and acceptance.

In the first two pages of the Pulse Asia senatorial surveys for next year’s elections, there is hardly a Muslim in the consideration of the voter. There is one Waray, Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, finally one.

This is one other reason why we must seriously consider revising this Constitution. The system is so dysfunctional; it breeds resentment. Either abolish the Senate altogether and have a single-house Parliament, or elect senators by region or federal states, as they do in the US of A and elsewhere. And go back to a functioning party system.

some of the biggest contributors to political campaigns – during the event.

And here I was thinking that the only Chinese “businessman” who was foremost on De Lima’s mind was Wang Bo, the suspected crime lord who is in the custody of her department, through the controversial immigration bureau.

But there she was, apparently the only

Cabinet member who was in attendance when Aquino met Chinese businessmen led by “Kapitan” Lucio Tan. I’m sure the Chinese businessmen, who are known for their high political IQ and quick understanding of such gestures, got the message: Aquino wants them to support De Lima’s Senate run, if they want to remain on his good side.

#FAILOCRACY

A11

2016.. From A9 facing the nation. Above all, he or she must have the vision to move the country forward without fear or favor.

The recent results of both Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia poll surveys showing Poe as the one to beat in the 2016 presidential elections tend to support the view that the race for the presidency is a popularity contest. The adopted daughter of movie stars Fernando Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces, she is the beneficiary of her parents’ popularity. This is not to discount that Grace Poe has proven herself a capable and competent senator. She has shown this with her demeanor in her conduct of the Senate hearings on PNP chief General Alan Purisima’s unexplained wealth and the Mamasapano incident.

The phenomenal rise of Grace Poe who has yet to officially declare her candidacy attests to her popularity. Grace wants to run as an independent and not be burdened by the baggage of a political party. Poe leads at 42 percent in the latest SWS survey of voter preference for president in 2016.

The question is: Can Grace Poe make election history by winning as an independent without political party backing?

The bigger question -- will she be able to sustain her lead despite the eligibility issue surrounding her residency/citizenship? Ms. Poe is gaining more sympathy and support when this controversy is stoked by her political opponents.

There is even a growing “Ampunin natin si Grace Poe” (Adopt Grace Poe) movement, a reference to her being adopted by FPJ and Susan Roces.

If elections were held today, Grace Poe would probably emerge the winner.

The lady can run, but can she can’t hide from an ultimate Supreme Court decision that might later rule against her eligibility. Hopefully not.

But if Poe pulls away a large pool of votes from Binay, she would have already done this nation a great service.

Pollsters and the so-called political analysts see a three-way race in the 2016 presidential elections pitting Poe, Binay and Roxas. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte appeared to have cancelled himself out with his ambivalent public statements he’s not interested in being president. He claims his “listening tour” is to push his advocacy for federalism. Once taken out of his Davao bailiwick, Duterte seems out of his element.

Binay on the other hand is hell bent on continuing his quest for the presidency despite his falling numbers in the surveys. He knows the only way to beat the graft and plunder raps against him is to win the presidency and its vast powers.

After being the frontrunner since he announced his presidential bid in 2010, the VP dropped by nearly half at 21 percent from his 40-percent Pulse Asia ranking in 2014. His resignation from the Aquino Cabinet as presidential assistant for housing and overseas Filipino workers could see a further loss of supporters.

Mar Roxas, meanwhile, is gaining some traction with 21 percent coming in third and edging Duterte who had 20 percent. With his vastly improved rating, Roxas might finally get President Aquino’s endorsement. Mar has also given the ruling Liberal Party reason not to get an outsider anymore for its 2016 presidential bet.

CHONG ARDIVILLA

...due to its seemingly daily mishaps and malfunctions.

A12

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 24 , 2 0 1 5

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

WORLD

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

UK, France demand Iran nuke inspections LUXEMBOURG—Britain and France insisted Monday that any deal on Iran’s contested nuclear program must include a comprehensive verification regime to ensure Tehran sticks to its commitments, as the clock ticks down to an end-of-month deadline.

After years of tortuous negotiations, both sides are racing to agree a deal by June 30 that would see Iran open up its nuclear program to allay concerns it is seeking atomic weapons, in return for the West lifting punishing economic sanctions.

But suspicions run deep and both British foreign secretary Philip Hammond and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius were adamant that Iran, which says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, should have no wriggle room.

“Britain wants a robust and verifiable deal with Iran that ensures that its nuclear program in the future is exclusively civil,” Hammond said after talks in Luxembourg with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, Fabius, Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier and EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini.

“We cannot compromise on the absolute red lines we have. If we do a deal, it has to be verifiable,” Hammond said.

“There is a lack of trust on both sides and only full verification... to confirm that both sides are in compliance with their agreements is going to regenerate that trust in the future.”

Fabius had already warned Sunday that any deal with Iran had to be verifiable and on Monday spelled out France’s demands again.

“A robust agreement is one which includes an extensive verification element, including if necessary visits to military sites and automatic re-introduction of sanctions if Iran violates the accord,” Fabius told reporters.

Just before the talks, Zarif had said that “all sides should avoid excessive demands ... so as to allow us to reach an accord” and afterwards he appeared confident of progress.

“There is a political commitment on the part of everybody to move forward,” Zarif said on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg. AFP

Rumbling Sinabung. In this long exposure photograph taken on June 21, stars shine over Mount Sinabung volcano, which is seen spilling lava

from its crater in Karo, northern Sumatra. More than 1,200 Indonesian villagers were on June 15 evacuated from their homes close to the rumbling volcano, an official said. AFP

Hopes for Greek deal with one week to go BRUSSELS—Greece and its creditors were working to seal a bailout deal with exactly one week to go Tuesday before Athens must make a huge debt repayment or face default and a possible euro exit.

After an emergency summit in Brussels Monday, the leaders of the 19 eurozone countries ordered their finance ministers to hold fresh talks on Wednesday to thresh out the details ahead of a full meeting of all 28 EU member states on Thursday.

The European Union’s commissioner for economic affairs expressed optimism Tuesday, saying he was “convinced” that Greece and its creditors would strike a deal on Athens’ debt.

“I am convinced that we will reach an agreement,” Pierre Moscovici told French radio after

Greece submitted an 11th-hour reform plan to free up crucial funds from its EU-IMF bailout.

Moscovici warned, however, that “work remained to be done” on the question of value-added tax and pension reform—the key sticking points for the left-wing government in Athens.

The Greek government had a word of caution, noting that any accord would have to get the approval of a majority in parliament.

“If the agreement is not approved by the deputies of the governmental majority, the government cannot remain in place,” government spokesman Gabriel Sakellardis told Greek television Tuesday.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who was elected on an antiausterity platform, will have to convince his hard-left Syriza party to accept the concessions Athens has had to make to satisfy its creditors. Only one party member so far has come out publicly against the proposals.

But Sakellardis sounded a note

of urgency.

“We have to have an agreement by the end of the week and we are very near one; the next 48 hours will be decisive,” he said.

Greece is up against a deadline of June 30 to repay the International Monetary Fund around 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion).

Meanwhile, the growing fears of a bank run in Greece amid a huge outflow in deposits again prompted the European Central Bank on Tuesday to inject more emergency funding to cover withdrawals.

European stocks opened higher Tuesday after a huge rally on Monday saw record finishes on Wall Street and most Asian markets likewise climbed on the apparent progress in Greek debt talks.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that while Greece’s latest plans were a “good starting point for further talks,” it was also clear that “absolutely intensive work is necessary now.”

At the same time, Merkel ruled

out any question of debt reduction, as Greece has demanded, and also said the leaders at the emergency eurozone summit had not discussed any possible extension of the Athens bailout.

The Greek proposals were a lastditch bid to unlock the final 7.2-billion euro tranche of its current bailout program. If it fails to get the funds it will almost certainly fail to make the payment to the IMF. Tsipras said Monday the “ball is now in the court of the European authorities,” who have until now always insisted that it is up to Greece to make concessions.

The Greek premier has balked at making more of the spending cuts that have led to five years of hardship for many Greeks, insisting that pensions and VAT hikes were red lines.

EU President Donald Tusk warned of the consequences of failure for the 19-country currency union, including the possibility Greece could crash out of the euro and maybe even the EU itself. AFP

Lion among 23,000 species threatened GENEVA—The mighty lion, reclusive cave crabs and the world’s rarest sea lion are among nearly 23,000 species at risk of dying out, a top conservation body warned Tuesday.

In an update to its “Red List” of threatened species, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature hailed some clear advances in saving endangered species like the Iberian Lynx.

But, it warned, those successes have been overshadowed by declines in a range of species, with 22,784 species of animals and plants threatened with extinction.

“Our natural world is becoming increasingly vulnerable,” warned IUCN chief Inger Andersen, urging increased efforts to save species tee-

tering on the edge.

Pointing to successes in increasing the populations of the long critically endangered Iberian Lynx and Guadalupe Fur Seal, she insisted “effective conservation can yield outstanding results.”

Following six decades of decline, the population of the Iberian Lynx, considered the world’s most endangered feline, has seen its numbers swell from only 52 adult cats in 2002 to 156 a decade later, IUCN said.

Intensive work to restore the rabbit populations the large spotted cats prey on, along with monitoring for illegal trapping and conservation breeding, has allowed the species to move from the Red List’s “critically endangered” to

the “endangered” category, it said.

Reintroduction programs in Spain and Portugal and compensation paid to landowners who made their properties compatible with habitat requirements had also played a role, IUCN said.

The Guadalupe Fur Seal, which was twice thought to be extinct due to over-hunting in the late 1800s and early 1900s, has also seen its numbers increase, IUCN said.

The silky sea mammal native to the west coast of California and off the Guadalupe islands of Mexico has now moved from the “near threatened” to the “least concern” category, largely thanks to the enforcement of laws like the USA Marine Mammal Protections Act, it said. AFP

Cherry lover. A blackbird with a cherry was seen on a tree on June 22 in Nuremberg, southern Germany. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Wide-open battle looms in ICTSI golf THE men of the tour hope to start out strong coming off a month-long break as they kick off their chase for the top P270,000 purse in the ICTSI Riviera Classic unfolding today at Riviera’s Langer layout in Silang, Cavite.

Defending champion Elmer Salvador drew Frankie Miñoza and Clyde Mondilla in the 7:20 a.m. group on No. 1 while Tony Lascuña will start at the same time on No. 10 with Jay Bayron and Keanu Jahns while Miguel Tabuena will be with Marvin Dumandan and Ferdie Aunzo in the 8:20 a.m. threesome at the back in three of the featured flights in the P1.5 million event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Salvador bested a tough international field in adverse condition to win this event, then a leg of the Asian Development Tour, last with the ace Davaoeno shotmaker upbeat of his chances to score a repeat against the cream of the local crop.

But he stressed the need to come up with strong start and build some kind of momentum and confidence needed on a tough, challenging course like Langer.

“I will just play my game and try to score early,” said the softspoken Salvador, who struggled and placed 10th in the last ICTSI PGT leg at Luisita last month.

An eye on the world sailing record. The crew of the Hydroptère trimaran yacht, skippered by Alain Thébault of France, leaves San Pedro Harbor at the start of their attempt to break the 4 and 1/2-day sailing record from Los Angeles to Honolulu, Hawaii. The Hydroptère is an hydrofoil trimaran that was designed by Thébault and is capable of speeds up to 57 knots. AFP

Ferry steps down as Hawks’ GM ATLANTA—Danny Ferry stepped down as general manager of the Atlanta Hawks on Monday after a 10-month leave of absence following the public release of him making racist remarks.

Ferry made the first public statement regarding his remarks since last August when he began his indefinite leave at the team’s request following Ferry’s comments being made public.

Ferry made comments in a conference call with team owners that contained racial remarks regarding Britain’s Luol Deng, who was being evaluated as a free agent prospect.

In the call last June, Ferry described Deng as a player who “has a little African in him,” and also said, “He’s like a guy who would have a nice store out front and sell you counterfeit stuff out

of the back.”

Ferry and the Hawks say his comments were being read from a scouting report prepared by another person.

“While the past year has been incredibly difficult and humbling, it is critical for me to clear my name and for people to realize that I have always built a culture of respect, diversity, and honesty,” Ferry said. AFP

De la Hoya 50-50 on comeback bid at age of 42 LOS ANGELES (AFP)--Oscar de la Hoya, boxing’s former “Golden Boy” who retired in 2008, is considering a comeback at age 42, telling ESPN Monday he is 50-50 on a ring return.

In a report on the sports television network’s website, De la Hoya said that he is clean and sober after twice undergoing rehabilitation for drugs and alcohol and as fit as ever.

“I feel great -- 42 is the new 32,” de la Hoya said. “I feel amazing. In my life right now,

I have so much motivation. I am so hungry and so determined.”

De la Hoya retired after Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao stopped him in the eighth round in 2008, delivering the US star’s fourth loss in his final seven fights. De la Hoya also lost to Shane Mosley in 2003 by unanimous decision and was knocked out in the ninth round by Bernard Hopkins in a 2004 showdown for the undisputed middleweight crown.

In 2007, de la Hoya lost a split decision to unbeaten US star Floyd Mayweather.

De la Hoya retired at 39-6 with 30 knockouts and was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame last year, five years after calling it quits.

“It’s got to be worth my while but this is very serious,” De La Hoya said. “I have to make sure I am fighting the very best. I don’t have to come back for financial reasons or the lights or the glamour. The only reason I would

come back is because I miss the competition of fighting the very best.”

De la Hoya said he wants a rematch against Mayweather, which is unlikely, or a fight with Kazakh middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin at the junior middleweight level.

“Right now I feel the best I have felt in my life physically, emotionally, mentally because I haven’t touched alcohol for I don’t know how long,” de la Hoya said.

Carmudi Racing driver eyes better finish at FORS CARMUDI PH Racing is gearing up to conquer the second half of the Flat Out Race Series, the fifth leg of which is scheduled on July 4 at the Batangas Racing Circuit.

Carmudi Team representative, 17-year-old driver Polo “Oliver” Bautista, will once again be put to the test as he competes against more experienced drivers on the grid in the Series.

During the 4th Leg at the Clark International Speedway, Bautista finished sixth place with a best time of 2:26.922 minutes in the Bracket D category.

“The last race was a frustrating finish for me. I thought I could land

in the podium since the race event was dedicated to my mentor in racing, Enzo Pastor,” said Bautista, who revealed that there are so many factors to consider in the race. “The big advantage of others is mostly modified engines and suspension. For us, we are looking for an upgrade, but of course, without sacrificing our car’s performance.”

The FORS is an eight-leg race combining touring car and time-attack competition. The race is a track day event formally started and named as Circuit Showdown by the late car racer Enzo Pastor. Meanwhile, on the time-

attack category, Bautista currently has two podium finishes—3rd and 1st place.

“We need to be more consistent and step up on our game, especially now that we are entering the second half of the race,” said Carmudi country manager Subir Lohani. “The whole Carmudi team is behind Polo, ready to provide all the support he needs.”

Lohani also expressed confidence that the Carmudi Racing Team will finish strong when the eight-leg race series ends. The FORS’ last trial will be on Oct. 10 at the Clark International BAUTISTA Speedway.

Doggett to referee Casimero tiff AMERICAN Larry Doggett has been picked by the International Boxing Federation to referee the IBF flyweight title fight between champion Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand and mandatory challenger and former IBF light flyweight champion Johnreil Casimero at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday.

The fight will be telecast by TV5 at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The judges named by the IBF are veteran Don Trella, David Braslow and Hilton Whitaker Jr all of the United States. Fight supervisor is Anibal Miramontes.

In his prime, Doggett fought kickboxing middleweight champion Don Wilson, who became a movie star. Doggett is now recognized as a worldclass boxing referee in both the IBF and the World Boxing Association. Ronnie Nathanielsz

Ex-world champ stabbed to death FORMER World Boxing Association super bantamweight champion Juan Jose Estrada was stabbed to death in what was reportedly a family quarrel in Tijuana, Mexico over the weekend.

The 51-year-old Estrada, nicknamed “Dinamita,” won the World Boxing Association super bantamweight title with a stunning upset of Luis Mendoza, who had an impressive record of 26-1, on July 10, 1989 after earlier capturing the World Boxing Council International title the previous year.

Estrada lost his title to Hawaiibased Jesus Salud of Filipino heritage when he was disqualified by referee Larry Rozadilla in the ninth round in a title fight he was losing badly at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California.

Estrada who had a record of 36-11 with 30 knockouts retired in 1994 after losing four bouts in a row, the last being a 4th round TKO to Francisco Valdez on May 13, 1994.

Reports from the border town of Tijuana said Estrada was taken to a pharmacy on Sunday with a stab wound but died before an ambulance arrived to rush him to a hospital.

An official in charge of the investigation was quoted as saying Estrada “had a quarrel at home with some relatives that led to one of them wounding him, apparently with a knife.”

Ronnie Nathanielsz

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Blazers’ weapons: Speed, shooting

By Peter Atencio

THE College of St. Benilde Blazers may have a lot of inexperienced players, but the team’s determination is expected to carry them to new heights in the coming in the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

Blazer coach Gabby Velasco said this as the team gets ready to come up with a better finish in the coming season.

“We are inexperienced because of the many rookies we have. But we are more determined than last year,” said Velasco.

The Blazers’ speed, cohesion and outside shooting will make up for their lack of size, according to Velasco.

Notice of Loss NOTICE is hereby given that the whereabouts of the Stock certificate in the Palms Country Club under the name of Licerio G. Sebastian, Jr./NFCC with stock certificate no.: 3106 representing one (1) share cannot be determined and thus the said stock certificate is considered lost.

This announcement will serve as notice to all parties concerned on the loss of the aforementioned stock certificate (TS JUNE 24, 2015)

Unlike last year, the Blazers will no longer have their troika of guards Mark Romero, Juan Paolo Taha and Jonathan Grey guarding their backcourt.

As Romero and Taha have already turned pros, Grey has been left to carry on as the team’s leader.

Back from last year are reigning NCAA threepoint shooting champion Travis Jerome Jonson and a slew of undersized, but tenacious big men in Pons Saavedra, Jeffrey Ryan Ongteco and Ralp Deles.

Velasco is also hopeful that one of the new guys-Gerard Castor, Edward Dixon, John Domingo, Christian Fajarito, Amando San Juan, Rene Sta. Maria and Carlo Michael Young--would emerge and prove their worth.

Among the rookies, Velasco is upbeat of Castor, who comes from Team B and Fajarito, a national youth player who he convinced to come over from Far Eastern University.

Much is also expected of La Salle Greenhills’ cager Amando “Dino” San Juan and Team B guard Carlo Young, who are known for their defensive prowess.

ERRORS & OMISSIONS In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published. We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

INVITATION TO BID NO.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Mines and Geosciences Bureau Tel. No. (+63 2) 920-9120/ 920-9130 / 928-8937 Fax No. (+63 2) 920-1635 E-mail: central @ mgb.gov.ph

INVITATION TO BID 3 units Motor Vehicle (Pick-up) 4 x 4 M/T Diesel P.R. No. 2015-06-442 1. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau, through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for CY 2015 intends to apply the sum of Four Million Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP4,200,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for three (3) units Motor Vehicle (Pick-up) 4 x 4 M/T Diesel. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau now invites bids for the Supply and Delivery of three (3) units Motor Vehicle (Pick-up) 4 x 4 M/T Diesel.

Delivery of the Goods is required within thirty (45) days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed.

Bidders should have completed, within Five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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

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

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from Mines and Geosciences Bureau and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours, from 9:00am to 4:00PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from June 24 to July 9, 2015 at the address below and upon payment of a non- refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Three Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (PhP3,500.00).

6. Bids must be delivered to the address below on July 10, 2015, Friday on or before 1:30PM. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid Securing Declaration or any other bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

8. For further information, please refer to: Engr. Roberto D. Caseros Head, BAC Secretariat Bids and Awards Committee North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Telephone No. 6676700 loc. 153 or 156 E-mail: bacems_minesbureauco@yahoo.com Website: www.mgb.gov.ph SGD. JUANCHO PABLO S. CALVEZ Chairman, BAC

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT (ABC)

Janitorial Services at Makati City Hal Compound for year 2015 (August - December)

GSD

P7,307,805.12

2

Janitorial Services at Ospitalng Makati for year 2015 (August December)

GSD

P7,166,654.51

3

Security Services at Makati City Hall Compound for year 2015 (August - December)

GSD

P12,616,460.03

4

Security Services at Ospitalng Makati for year 2015 (August December)

GSD

P8,703,849.51

5

Security Services at Makati Parks and Garden, DEPW I & II, Makati Aqua Sports Arena and East Rembo Junk Yard for year 2015 (August - December)

GSD

P5,702,463.25

6

Musical Production (Concert Series) for Senior Citizens of Makati City for year 2015 (August - December)

MSWD

P2,012,500.00

7

18 units Brand New Patrol Motorcycles (71Hp) for the use of Makati City Police Department

OM

P7,859,988.00

8

16 units Brand New Patrol Motorcycles (27.6Hp) for the use of Makati City Police Department

OM

P3,920,000.00

9

16 units Brand New Patrol Motorcycles for the use of Makati Action Center

MAC

P3,920,000.00

10

Rescue Tools and Equipment for the use of Makati Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office

DRRMO

P24,236,738.00

11

Desktop Computers and other equipment for the use of Makati Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office

DRRMO

P3,451,251.00

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

2.

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

3.

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

4.

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

5.

The BAC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on June 30, 2015 (02:00 P.M.) at PiodelPilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City to discuss Eligibility Requirements and the Technical and Financial Components of these projects.

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

6.

Deadline of Submission of Bids shall be on or before July 14, 2015 (02:00 P.M.), at PiodelPilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City.

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

Bid opening shall be on July 10, 2015, Friday at 2:00PM, at the Office of the Bids and Awards Committee, Mines and Geosciences Bureau. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.

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

IMPLEMENTING OFFICE

1.

Preview of specifications can be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS).

5. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 3, 2015, Friday at 2:00PM at the Office of the Bids and Awards Committee, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

NAME OF PROJECT AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

1

North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

(TS JUNE 24, 2015)

Night race. Energizer Senior Brand Manager Claire Guevarra (center) updates mediamen on the coming Energizer Night race 2015 at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum in Shakey’s Manila. She is joined here by Energizer Brand Activation Managers MJ Tiquia and Martin Valenzuela. Around 3,000 runners are expected to run and light up the streets of Filinvest in Alabang this weekend with the staging of the race. This year’s edition marks the first time the event is holding an open race, which encourages participants to run as many three-kilometer loops as they can to reach the P1-million benchmark. The P1-million target represents the total donation of race organizers to Bantay Bata 163 for its operation and medical treatment funds.

Opening of Bids shall be on July 14, 2015 (02:00 P.M.), at PiodelPilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City.

7.

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

8.

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

For further information, please visit or contact:

(SGD)MS. VISSIA MARIE P. ALDON Chairperson

BAC SECRETARIAT OFFICE Makati City Government 9th Floor, New Makati City Hall Building F. Zobel Street, Brgy.Poblacion, Makati City Tel. No. 870-1000 loc. 1331; Fax No. 899-8988 website: www.makati.gov.ph ( T S - J U N E 2 4 , 2 015 )

GAB: We always remind boxers THE Games and Amusement Board has not been amiss in its reminders for boxers and promoters not to climb the ring until a clear-cut agreement is made regarding the payment of fight purse.

GAB chairman Ramon Guanzon stressed this following the sad fates that befell former champion Luisito Espinosa and world titlist Rey Loreto, who both remained unpaid this day of their title winnings.

“The most we could do is to advise them not to go up the ring or fight unless their purse is put in an escrow or somewhere else,” said Guanzon in the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate, where he was accompanied by boxing division chief Dr. Nasser Cruz. “Otherwise, the prerogative still belongs to the boxer and manager to fight.”

The 47-year-old Espinosa has yet to collect the amount of $130,349 owed him for his 1997 World Boxing Council featherweight championship match against Carlos Rios in Koronadal, South Cotabato.

The Court of Appeals though, recently ruled in favor of Espinosa as it reversed an earlier ruling by the Regional Trial Court of Manila which dismissed the case.

Named respondents were the late promoter Rod Nazario, matchmaker Lito Mondejar, and former South Cotabato Governor Hilario de Pedro III.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Batang Pier rip Aces, th clinch 4 q’final spot

By Jeric Lopez

MISSION accomplished for GlobalPort.

Playing with a sense of urgency, Batang Pier played its best basketball in the extra five minutes to trip top seed Alaska, 117-104 and went on to lock the No. 4 seed and the last twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Jarrid Famous was his usual dominant self, pouring in gamehighs of 34 points and 26 rebounds for another whopping double-double while getting a lot of help from top pick Stanley Pringle and fellow import Omar Krayem, who scored 24 and 29 points, respectively off the bench for GlobalPort.

Knowing it needs to play the best five minutes of its conference

in the extra period, GlobalPort errupted and manhandled Alaska in overtime, scoring 19 big points compared to only six points for the Aces to break the game wide open.

The victory was huge for GlobalPort as it kept its spot in the top four by finishing the elimination round at 7-4.

“It’s a big win for us kasi nakuha namin yung twice-to-beat para sa quarterfinals at malaking bagay ta-

laga iyon para sa amin,’’ said a satis- several times and still behind fied GlobalPort coach Pido Jarencio. at 40-49 at the half, GlobalPort The Aces, despite ending its woke up in the third period and eliminations assignments with a engineered a key surge in the loss and having its five-game win- second half to give itself a chance ning streak snapped, still ended in the remaining minutes.

The Batang Pier had a boomup as the top ranked team heading into the playoffs with its 8-3 card ing third period where it outscored Alaska, 34and will likewise have Games Wednesday 18, to snatch the a twice-to-beat advan(Smart Araneta Coliseum) tage in the next round. 4:15 p.m. • Kia vs. Meralco lead heading into the Alaska will play 7 p.m. • NLEX vs. Ginebra fourth, 74-67.

The Aces battled the No. 8 team while GlobalPort will await whoever their way back to force overtime as the No. 5 team will be. At the the game was knotted at 98-all at the moment, the final seedings from end of regulation. Pringle missed a No. 5 to No. 8 are still yet to be potential game-winning jumper at determined and will depend on the buzzer as time expired.

Since this was a non-bearing the results of the last games of game for Alaska as it already the eliminations today.

The only certain thing at the knew coming in that it was a moment are San Miguel Beer lock at No. 1 regardless of what being the No. 2 team and Rain happens, Alaska allowed its or Shine is No. 3. starters to play limited minutes Following a lethargic first half to prime themup for the bigger where it trailed by double-digits battles ahead.

Cray focuses on 400 hurdles in Rio Olympics

By Dennis Principe ERIC Cray may have achieved a historic first for Philippine athletics during the recent Southeast Asian Games, but this feat will not make the double-gold winner alter his priorities for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

In a telephone interview, Cray said all his energy is geared towards improving his performance in the 400-meter hurdles, the event where he is slated to see action come the Rio Games.

Cray qualified in the hurdles’ event when he clocked 49.12 seconds in an IAAF-sanctioned meet in Los Angeles last month. The Olympics’ qualifying mark for the event is set at 49.40.

Recently, Cray made history when he became the first-ever Filipino to win a gold in the century dash of the biennial meet in Singapore after clocking 10.25, which was also a personal best. Rio has a qualifying mark of 10.16 seconds.

Still, Cray does not consider his century dash achievement as some sort of a revelation in terms of knowing his real strength in track and field, noting that the 400-meter hurdles’ competition remains his favorite event.

“Me and my coach talked about it, but it just depends on how training is going. Next year, I will run the 60 meters, depending on how it goes for a world championship, then we might put a little time in doing speed work and actually try to see if we can run at 100 meters,” said Cray.

Next month, Cray will be campaigning in the tough 15th IAAF World Athletics’ Championships in Beijing, China.

Cray said he will be using the event to see how far his training has reached and at the same time scout the his potential opponents in Rio. “I will definitely get to see how I match up against the best in the world. All the world champions are going to Rio. I’m just hoping to finish this season strong and hopefully get the world to know that we’re here and getting ready for Rio,” said Cray.

Apart from the 100-meter gold, Cray also snatched the 400-meter hurdles in record fashion when he clocked 49.40, which surpassed the SEA Games-best 49.76 set 20 years ago by Chanon Keanchan of Thailand.

Foe will feel Nietes’ power

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Before the big game. Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi steps on a football during a training session in La Serena, Coquimbo, Chile ahead of ther Copa America Chile 2015 quarterfinals football match against Colombia to be held in Vina del Mar on June 26. AFP

GAB...

From A14

The estate of Nazario, who died in 2009, is liable for the amount, according to the court ruling, although it can only be applied on assets and funds inherited from the late promoter of boxing great Manny Pacquiao.

Charges against Mondejar was dismissed since he was not a signatory of the contract, while De Pedro was absolved for ‘failure to prosecute’ in behalf of Espinosa.

Despite the favorable ruling,

Guanzon could only sympathize with the retired boxing great.

“Kung ako sa kanya, I’ll just negotiate with the respondents.

Matagal pa rin kasi ‘yan, puwede pa rin kasing iangat sa Supreme Court ‘yung kaso,” said the GAB chairman in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

“Nababasa ko pa lang naman sa mga news reports but very pessimistic ako about Louie,” added Guanzon, who admitted he hasn’t seen a copy yet of the CA decision.

Loreto, 23, has also yet to claim

his prize money amounting to $42,000 for his March 24 title defense of the International Boxing Organization junior flyweight belt in East London, South Africa.

The Filipino scored a firstround knockout of South African challenger Nkosinathi Joyi.

Guanzon said the GAB has already made the proper communication with the Boxing South Africa, although the least its African counterpart could do is blacklist the promoter, Siphatho Handi.

“But I doubt if they can still find the promoter now,” said the GAB chairman.

LOTTO RESULTS

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

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

STRENGTH and conditioning coach Nick Curson, who has been working with World Boxing Organization light flyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes from the time he destroyed mandatory challenger Moises Fuentes with a ninthround knockout in a rematch, believes that Francisco Rodriguez, who has emerged as the mandatory challenger for the July 11 showdown in Cebu, “will tumble when he feels the power of Nietes.”

Curson told The Standard/boxingmirror. com that Nietes, who has been training for months “looks real good, but will taper off this week because he needs some rest” from his tough daily regimen.

The trainer believes Nietes, the longestreigning Filipino world champion, is likely to duplicate his superb performance against Fuentes in his title defense against Rodriguez, the former WBO minimum weight champion, who won the title from Nietes’ friend and stablemate Merlito Sabillo by a 10th round TKO. Despite his confidence in Nietes, the strength and conditioning mentor said that Rodriguez is “a freakish type of opponent and there’s something about him that scares me. Rodriguez is a tough opponent who comes to fight.”

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RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

SPIETH

downplays rivalry with

RORY

Rory McIlroy (left) and Jordan Spieth (right) say they welcome the prospect of going head-to-head down the back nine of the majors over the next decade or so, although the latter, five years the younger, believes he still has something to prove. AFP

TACOMA—Golf thrives on rivalries—the bigger the better.

Hogan and Snead, Palmer and Nicklaus, Woods and Mickelson—their battles are etched in golfing history.

And now a new rivalry is fast emerging in the shape of Rory McIlroy versus Jordan Spieth.

The 21-year-old American became the youngest player since Gene Sarazen in 1922 to win two major titles on Sunday when he captured the US Open to go with the Masters green jacket he took in April.

Northern Irishman McIroy won the British Open and the PGA Championship last year to take his haul of majors to four at the age of 26.

The two now share the four crown jewels

of golf and all the talk is of a rivalry that will fire up a golfing world struggling to cope with the fading legend that is Tiger Woods.

Both players say they welcome the prospect of going head-to-head down the back nine of the majors over the next decade or so, although Spieth, five years the younger, believes he still has something to prove.

“It’s kind of cool I think to have two players holding the four majors and Rickie (Fowler) having the fifth (Players Championship). It’s awesome that the game is in young hands,” the Texan said.

“I don’t think there is much of a rivalry.

I’ve said that from the beginning. Rory has four majors and dozens of wins and I’m just starting out.

“Again, I’m certainly quite a bit younger than he is. I’m just happy to have this and to be chasing that number one spot that he

Cray focuses on 400 hurdles TURN TO A15

holds. So I’m certainly focused on that.”

And focused on that he should be as his win at Chambers Bay has closed the gap on McIlroy at the top of the world rankings to just 1.72 points after trailing him by 5.30 points at the end of 2014.

They will next clash at the year’s third major—the British Open at St Andrews in mid-July where McIlroy will have the advantage of knowing the fabled course far better than Spieth who has played just a single round there.

Then it is on to Whistling Straits, Wisconsin in August for the PGA Championship, where McIlroy tied for third place in the 2010 PGA Championship.

But Spieth tellingly believes he still has room for improvement “in all aspects of my game” and it may be time now for McIlroy to step out of his comfort zone and take an-

other step forward.

Step up to the plate Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley for one believes that McIlroy needs to respond to the challenge posed by Spieth.

“All the plaudits will go to Jordan Spieth and rightly so, with back-to-back majors and a massive career ahead of him,” he said in his column for Sky Sports.

“When someone wins their first major like Jordan did at the Masters, you expect added pressure and expectation put on their shoulders, but he just went and won the next one! He’s got something special “Rory’s now got to step up to the plate. As commendable as his performance was today (at US Open)and again during the final round of the Masters, the bottom line is he’s had too much ground to make up in both tournaments. AFP

Batang Pier clinch 4th q’final berth TURN TO A15

B1

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 24, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

Exclusive BDO card.

BDO and American Express formally launched the American Express Cashback credit card. The card will be issued exclusively by BDO in the Philippines, with simple and straightforward features that provide card members with cash rebates for every purchase, whether local or overseas. Shown during the event at New World Hotel in Makati City are (from left) Chloe Hong of American Express Singapore (regional), BDO senior vice president and consumer lending marketing head Ma. Nannette R. Regala, event emcee Angel Jacob, Grace Limjap of American Express Singapore (regional) and BDO senior assistant vice president and consumer lending group cards marketing head for American Express Abbe Bagalacsa. BOBBY CABRERA

PSe comPoSite index Closing June 23, 2015

7800 7500 7200 6900 6600 6300

7,551.56 57.58

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JUNE 23, 2015 47

GMA-7 ends talks to sell stake to Ang

By Darwin G Amojelar

OWNERS of GMA Network Inc. ended year-long talks to sell a minority stake in the Philippines broadcaster to San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang.

Talks between three shareholders that control a majority of the stock and Ang are “deemed terminated,” GMA said in a stockexchange filing on Tuesday, without providing a reason. The owners will wait to see how “other interested parties will react to this development,” GMA chairman Felipe Gozon said in a phone interview, when asked about the decision.

The Gozon, Jimenez and Duavit families own a combined 79 percent of the network, which airs on Channel 7 on free TV. Ang, who had planned to invest in the media company in a personal capacity, said he was surprised by the announcement and was

now consulting his lawyer.

“I did not expect this. There was no indication they would do this in the middle of negotiations,” Ang said.

Majority shareholders of the broadcaster agreed 12 months ago to sell about 30 percent of the company to Ang. That agreement was announced months after Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. ended a round of talks with the broadcaster.

Shares of GMA fell 0.6 percent to P6.29 at the close of trading, halting a three-day advance. PLDT rose 0.5 percent, its first gain in five days.

“If PLDT wants to dominate the Internet space, it needs the content which GMA can provide,” Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at BDO Unibank Inc. said in a phone interview. “This is their second chance.”

PLDT’s multi-platform business model requires working with content providers, chairman Manuel Pangilinan said in a mobilephone message, when asked if the company was open to renewing talks with GMA. “We’re open to any arrangement that marries platforms with content in whatever space.”

Gozon earlier said he was no longer sure if the deal would push through as the ball was in the court of Mr. Ang. Gozon clarified there was no fixed deadline on the closure of the transaction with Ang, “but it should be done within a reasonable period which is not defined.” Ang offered to acquire at least 30 percent of GMA for P10.80 per share. Ang’s offer was higher than the P9 billion offered by the PLDT Group.

Astro del Castillo, managing director of First Grade Finance Inc., said the disagreement over “price” might be one of the reasons for the termination of the negotiations.

Del Castillo added it was not the ending of the “love story” between Mr. Ang and the majority shareholders of GMA, “as long as the offer is good enough, I think they are willing to sell their shares.”

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

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

Pangilinan in a recent interview said the company ‘was very open to anything.”

P45.100

46

CLOSE

45 44 43

HIGH P45.050 LOW P45.180 AVERAGE P45.128 VOLUME 659.800M

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 P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, June 23, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.0260

Japan

Yen

0.008105

0.3649

UK

Pound

1.582600

71.2581

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129012

5.8089

Switzerland

Franc

1.084952

48.8510

Canada

Dollar

0.811622

36.5441

Singapore

Dollar

0.748503

33.7021

Australia

Dollar

0.774773

34.8849

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652520

119.4324

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.0069

Brunei

Dollar

0.745712

33.5764

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.029718

1.3381

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.2606

Euro

Euro

1.134200

51.0685

Korea

Won

0.000910

0.0410

China

Yuan

0.161044

7.2512

India

Rupee

0.015761

0.7097

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.268097

12.0713

New Zealand

Dollar

0.687521

30.9563

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032566

1.4663 Source: PDS Bridge

New MRT trains expected to arrive from China in January 2016 THE Transportation Department said Tuesday it expects the delivery of new trains for Metro Rail Transit Line 3 from China in January 2016.

“As reported by the joint DOTC and MRT-3 team, the prototype is on-schedule for delivery in mid-August. The dynamic testing phase will start in November, which is when the prototype’s bogies will arrive,” Transportation

Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said.

“In the meantime, we will assemble the prototype and check its components ahead of the dynamic testing. The monthly delivery of three train cars should start in late January 2016,” said.

The agency earlier awarded to Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. CNR Group the contract to supply 48 new light rail

vehicles.

Dalian was the only bidder that satisfied the project’s eligibility requirements for the P3.7-billion MRT 3 capacity expansion. It proposed to undertake the project at P3.759 billion.

The project implementation team indicates that the prototype appears to be of good and reliable quality. Better traction motors to incorporate alternat-

ing current technology was used instead of direct current system presently being used, which means less maintenance needs in the future.

“What is important to us is that the train cars, once delivered, will be safe and reliable. So we prefer to be thorough with the manufacture, assembly, checking and testing of the prototype,” Abaya said.

The agency and the MRT-3

management denied reports that “excuse letters” might be issued to passengers affected by train glitches.

“At most, a copy of relevant incident reports may be released to any requesting member of the general public for whatever useful purposes this may serve, in line with the policy of transparency,” the agency said.

Darwin G. Amojelar

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 24, 2015

B2

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

MST BuSineSS Daily STockS Review Tuesday, June 23, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 104 63 2.49 4.2 4 18.48 31.6 9.5 890 99.4 1.46 75 94.95 137 361.2 59 174.8 1700 127.9 3.26

2.5 66 84.6 84.5 45.8 1.97 2.03 8.7 12.02 23.55 6.3 625 78 0.9 58 76.5 95 276 45 107.6 1200 66 2.65

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

Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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 73.2 110.00 97.80 45.65 2.40 1.85 9.5 15.96 20 6.35 850.00 90.8 0.99 29.00 68.65 93.95 307.4 41.65 164.1 1500.00 60.00 3.16

35.6 1.6 1.41 7.92 40.3 14.6 10.08 29.15

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Bogo Medelin Century Food Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI 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 Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

44.8 1.44 1.93 10.5 57 18.5 27.8 58 2.08 1.53 11.5 18.900 9.12 7.69 10.20 12.4 25.35 83.55 13.86 13.84 5.98 0.510 196.00 9.97 30.00 2.24 59.00 24.95 24.5 6.35 290.00 4.18 4.66 8.98 11.72 3.90 2.03 2.56 4.26 2.17 6.25 167 1.76 0.147 2.17 200 4.6 0.78 22.65

4.22 4.5 3 0.450 66.7 709.5 1.13 85.2 0.200 0.173 0.310

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

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

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

Minerales Industrias Corp.

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

0.480 57.3000 23.05 1.26 6.79 0.250 792 7.98 13.60 4.51 0.236 1310 6.84 71.80 7.26 0.68 14.34 0.66 4.71 5.24 3.48 1.490 60.50 877.00 1.29 84.850 0.3500 0.2200 0.270

6.01 0.91 1.29 29.1 4.1 4.96

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings

7.390 0.72 1.200 38.00 3.39 5.34

47 5 2.36 15.3 113 20.6 32 65.8 4.57 23.35 21.6 12.98 9.13 12.34 17 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 12.5 79 3.95 45.45 33.9 90 13.98 292.4 5 5.25 13.04 14.5 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.68 7.86 8.1 253 3.28 0.315 2.68 226.6 5.5 1.3 26 0.7 59.2 31.85 2.16 7.39 3.4 800 11.06 84 5.14 0.66 1380 6.68 72.6 9.25 0.9 18.9 5.53 6.55 9.66 0.84 87 934 2.2 156 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 1.99 2.07 40 6.15 5.4

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 7.5 7.5 73.65 73 111.40 110.10 98.00 97.25 45.75 45.65 2.43 2.33 1.85 1.82 10.2 10.2 15.98 15.52 20.3 20.15 7.00 6.40 850.00 850.00 91.5 90.8 1 0.95 27.00 27.00 69.00 68.60 93.85 89.05 307 306 42 41 167 164.3 1500.00 1500.00 61.90 60.10 3.15 3.15 INDUSTRIAL 44.8 44.5 1.25 1.11 1.92 1.87 10.5 10.3 59.5 52.05 18.76 18.46 27.7 26.5 60.5 55.15 2.17 2.08 1.54 1.44 11.7 11.5 19.400 18.94 9.20 9.12 7.69 7.54 10.18 9.90 12.08 11.82 25.65 25.4 84.6 83.5 13.86 13.86 13.84 13.60 6.1 5.98 0.510 0.510 196.00 194.60 10.08 9.91 29.00 29.00 2.02 2.02 57.95 57.95 25.05 24.6 24.8 24.25 6.44 6.2 294.00 287.00 3.90 3.90 4.71 4.65 9.18 8.95 11.72 11.72 3.99 3.82 2.14 2.01 2.68 2.55 4.26 4.24 2.09 1.76 6.25 6.05 179 167 1.66 1.62 0.148 0.147 2.18 2.17 199.9 190 4.5 4.5 0.79 0.78 22.70 22.60 HOLDING FIRMS 0.485 0.475 57.5000 56.6500 23.05 22.50 1.25 1.25 6.75 6.75 0.249 0.235 798 787 8 7.9 13.48 13.14 4.51 4.50 0.238 0.237 1396 1380 6.83 6.52 72.40 69.20 7.3 7.21 0.69 0.67 14.4 14.28 0.62 0.6 4.81 4.72 5.85 5.2 4.2 1.99 1.580 1.480 60.90 60.50 899.00 876.00 1.27 1.21 84.600 82.050 0.3500 0.3400 0.2050 0.1940 0.270 0.270 PROPERTY 7.420 7.390 0.72 0.69 1.200 1.200 38.60 37.85 3.45 3.38 5.48 5.26

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

7.5 73.65 110.70 97.25 45.7 2.40 1.85 10.2 15.96 20.25 7.00 850.00 91 1 27.00 68.70 93.85 306.8 41.65 164.6 1500.00 61.00 3.15

-1.32 0.61 0.64 -0.56 0.11 0.00 0.00 7.37 0.00 1.25 10.24 0.00 0.22 1.01 -6.90 0.07 -0.11 -0.20 0.00 0.30 0.00 1.67 -0.32

10,000 8,060 2,794,900 1,235,290 25,100 569,000 10,000 500 300 73,800 1,400 10 4,249,420 12,000 1,000 366,430 180 6,770 21,900 521,630 25 2,680 137,000

44.5 1.25 1.89 10.5 59.5 18.5 27.7 57.95 2.17 1.47 11.6 19.040 9.14 7.64 9.90 11.9 25.4 83.55 13.86 13.84 6 0.510 194.80 10.02 29.00 2.02 57.95 24.95 24.4 6.35 294.00 3.90 4.66 9.09 11.72 3.89 2.01 2.57 4.24 1.98 6.25 169 1.66 0.147 2.18 190 4.5 0.79 22.60

-0.67 -13.19 -2.07 0.00 4.39 0.00 -0.36 -0.09 4.33 -3.92 0.87 0.74 0.22 -0.65 -2.94 -4.03 0.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.33 0.00 -0.61 0.50 -3.33 -9.82 -1.78 0.00 -0.41 0.00 1.38 -6.70 0.00 1.22 0.00 -0.26 -0.99 0.39 -0.47 -8.76 0.00 1.20 -5.68 0.00 0.46 -5.00 -2.17 1.28 -0.22

1,208,700 8,000 3,268,000 400 920 117,800 147,700 290 1,965,000 182,000 90,200 1,905,100 357,400 16,718,600 397,900 41,000 3,267,000 796,830 700 4,300 203,500 1,000 548,290 1,201,400 100 8,000 10 1,376,000 18,700 24,800 775,420 3,000 820,000 4,817,000 5,000 93,000 2,162,000 840,000 6,178,000 275,000 3,400 12,110 12,000 510,000 639,000 3,559,170 1,000 184,000 2,300

0.480 57.0000 22.50 1.25 6.75 0.248 793 7.98 13.22 4.50 0.237 1384 6.80 69.20 7.21 0.69 14.36 0.6 4.8 5.85 3.7 1.580 60.50 876.00 1.27 84.600 0.3450 0.2050 0.270

0.00 -0.52 -2.39 -0.79 -0.59 -0.80 0.13 0.00 -2.79 -0.22 0.42 5.65 -0.58 -3.62 -0.69 1.47 0.14 -9.09 1.91 11.64 6.32 6.04 0.00 -0.11 -1.55 -0.29 -1.43 -6.82 0.00

330,000 976,620 9,136,300 20,000 4,500 1,610,000 206,340 139,800 6,212,300 24,000 130,000 199,225 3,300 1,875,820 2,823,000 2,000 2,047,600 773,000 42,173,000 315,600 99,000 18,044,000 74,800 250,350 18,000 310 290,000 370,000 70,000

7.400 0.72 1.200 37.85 3.44 5.41

0.14 0.00 0.00 -0.39 1.47 1.31

360,200 739,000 1,000 7,178,500 1,159,000 626,600

525,739.00 -25,720,449.00 -15,448,177.00 5,580.00 536,720.00 29,717,915.50

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

1.54 1.97 0.201 0.98 1.09 0.305 2.25 1.87 1.8 6.34 4.88 0.470 0.72 31.8 2.29 3.6 20.6 1.02 7.56 1.96 8.59

0.89 1.1 0.083 0.445 0.85 0.188 1.4 1.42 1.19 2.8 2.75 0.325 0.39 21.35 1.64 3.08 15.08 0.69 3.38 1 5.69

Century Property City & Land Dev. Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

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

Phil. Estates Corp.

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

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 12.46 15.82 0.1460 4.61 99.1 12.3 2.6 9 2090 8.41 33 1.97 119.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 2.85 3.2 1.97 2.46 15.2 1.040 6.41 110.2 14 3486 0.710 2.28 48.5 90.1 11.6 0.87 2.95 10.2 0.490 1.6

1.97 32.5 1 0.6 10 9.61 0.0770 2.95 46.55 10.14 1.6 5.88 1600 5.95 30 1.36 105 0.012 0.036 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.69 2 0.490 1.8 8.7 0.37 3 79 4.39 2726 0.380 0.32 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 1.71 6.45 0.305 1.04

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. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown NOW Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

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

Yehey

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

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

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

TA Petroleum

70 553 525 515 8.21 12.28 111 1060 1047 76.9 78.95 84.8

33 490 500 480 5.88 6.5 101 997 1011 74.2 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

10.96 88 12.88

2.4 13.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

High

Low

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.87 1.25 0.138 0.430 0.890 0.173 1.20 1.84 1.32 5.49 5.04 0.3200 0.4500 28.20 1.7 3.39 19.60 0.72 7.24 0.850 6.750

0.88 0.86 0.87 1.24 1.22 1.24 0.138 0.131 0.133 0.445 0.415 0.445 0.870 0.870 0.870 0.173 0.173 0.173 1.21 1.20 1.21 1.86 1.82 1.84 1.30 1.28 1.30 5.49 5.00 5.00 5.1 4.94 5.07 0.3200 0.3100 0.3200 0.4400 0.4400 0.4400 28.40 27.20 27.35 1.71 1.7 1.7 3.39 3.39 3.39 19.68 19.20 19.42 0.75 0.72 0.75 7.2 7.2 7.2 0.890 0.880 0.880 6.770 6.550 6.550 SERVICES 6.35 6.38 6.18 6.27 61 61.5 61 61 1.12 1.22 1.13 1.13 0.650 0.650 0.640 0.640 12.8 13.3 12.8 13.2 9.40 9.39 8.96 9.01 0.0930 0.0930 0.0920 0.0920 4.04 4.04 3.9 3.95 85 86.5 84.9 85.2 10 10 9.51 9.51 1.69 1.68 1.68 1.68 6.66 6.66 6.25 6.50 2590 2602 2570 2570 6.30 6.37 6.25 6.29 21.95 20.00 17.02 17.02 1.36 1.39 1.27 1.36 112 112 110 110 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.215 0.224 0.200 0.214 1.3000 1.3100 1.3000 1.3000 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 9.39 9.40 9.19 9.40 3.00 3.04 2.87 2.90 2.11 2.10 2.10 2.10 0.680 0.720 0.660 0.660 1.99 2 1.98 2 6.66 6.6 6 6.01 0.500 0.500 0.450 0.500 4.70 4.78 4.50 4.50 123.50 124.00 123.50 124.00 19.02 19.00 18.00 19.00 2796.00 2870.00 2796.00 2810.00 0.680 0.710 0.670 0.670 1.250 1.270 1.200 1.200 38.00 38.40 36.90 37.10 75.50 76.00 73.80 73.85 9.89 10.00 9.65 9.78 0.65 0.66 0.64 0.66 1.7 1.89 1.7 1.89 5.31 5.33 5.25 5.32 0.335 0.335 0.335 0.335 1.480 1.520 1.480 1.500 MINING & OIL 0.0050 0.0052 0.0050 0.0052 2.55 2.60 2.60 2.60 6.60 6.71 6.47 6.48 11.70 13.48 13.48 13.48 0.95 0.95 0.93 0.93 0.78 0.79 0.78 0.78 6.90 7.00 6.58 6.90 1.67 1.71 1.65 1.69 0.315 0.325 0.315 0.320 0.230 0.230 0.229 0.229 0.234 0.234 0.231 0.234 0.0130 0.0140 0.0130 0.0130 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 3.44 3.45 3.35 3.37 23.5 23.7 23.25 23.5 3.72 3.75 3.72 3.73 0.6500 0.6500 0.6500 0.6500 2.0500 2.0500 2.0200 2.0200 0.0110 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 4.33 4.40 4.30 4.30 6.16 6.35 6.12 6.16 1.99 2.000 1.960 1.96 0.015 0.015 0.014 0.015 141.90 142.40 142.00 142.10 10.98 11.38 10.8 10.8 PREFERRED 63 63 62.5 62.95 522 525 523 523 528 529 529 529 520 530 530 530 6.2 6.96 6.5 6.5 1.12 1.14 1.11 1.14 111 111 110 110.5 1055 1056 1056 1056 1050 1054 1052 1054 75.55 75.55 75.25 75.55 81.5 85.3 84 85.3 89 89 88.5 89 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.950 3.920 3.920 3.920 SME 10.5 10.88 10.34 10.5 67 67 58.1 66.5 11 11.1 10.9 11.06 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 123.7 124.4 123.7 123.8

0.00 -0.80 -3.62 3.49 -2.25 0.00 0.83 0.00 -1.52 -8.93 0.60 0.00 -3.01 0.00 0.00 -0.92 4.17 -0.55 3.53 -2.96

1,467,000 7,000 2,180,000 30,000 6,000 10,000 587,000 8,633,000 713,000 17,100 29,988,800 20,000 110,000 1,750,400 181,000 7,000 6,021,900 884,000 1,000 51,000 14,366,800

462,800.00

-1.26 0.00 0.89 -1.54 3.12 -4.15 -1.08 -2.23 0.24 -4.90 -0.59 -2.40 -0.77 -0.16 -22.46 0.00 -1.79 0.00 -0.47 0.00 0.00 0.11 -3.33 -0.47 -2.94 0.50 -9.76 0.00 -4.26 0.40 -0.11 0.50 -1.47 -4.00 -2.37 -2.19 -1.11 1.54 11.18 0.19 0.00 1.35

73,700 8,200 1,505,000 1,198,000 337,600 12,514,400 260,000 1,382,000 328,380 7,600 100,000 29,900 25,695 54,900 5,700 262,000 213,220 19,300,000 1,860,000 65,000 4,000 57,000 383,000 30,000 22,000 425,000 11,298,700 141,000 12,000 2,700 32,800 162,110 2,872,000 76,873,000 2,707,300 1,762,520 2,688,300 728,000 36,000 1,804,400 10,000 62,000

4.00 1.96 -1.82 15.21 -2.11 0.00 0.00 1.20 1.59 -0.43 0.00 0.00 0.00 -2.03 0.00 0.27 0.00 -1.46 9.09 -0.69 0.00 -1.51 0.00 0.14 -1.64

4,000,000 4,000 478,500 -837,012.00 800 14,000 185,000 22,200 9,795,000 657,790.00 40,000 1,300,000 740,000 191,200,000 133,700,000 280,000 -197,250.00 476,900 -835,415.00 361,000 -429,100.00 310,000 60,000 8,080.00 1,300,000 19,000 4,400.00 563,400 -2,001,670.00 1,304,000 7,760.00 12,600,000 218,400 -14,852,511.00 95,100 21,600.00

-0.08 0.19 0.19 1.92 4.84 1.79 -0.45 0.09 0.38 0.00 4.66 0.00

170,610 1,300 6,000 3,300 1,000 8,000 47,280 5 5,190 224,780 38,500 19,240

-0.76

1,000

0.00 -0.75 0.55

3,082,600 120 690,500

0.08

68,210

-4,450.00

-6,281,790.00 129,000.00 -59,953,497.00 -41,860,655.00 17,000.00

MST 1.04 10.72 8.44 9.79 5.43 9.54 8.61 18.06 67.9 14 13.24 3.12 0.395 168 8.65 34.1 2.3 16 24.4 16.2 7.62 250.2 3.37 3.87 9 9.94 3.03 2.22 1 4.72 1.65 6 201.6 1.67 0.122 2.01 143.4 4.28 0.670 9.01

0.45 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 1.4 600 7.390 14.18 4.25 0.144 818 5.3 46.6 4.43 0.59 12

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

SHARES 10049238 55893694 88556279 85331458 141838670 359076472 744587241

19,685,748.50 -174,690.00 16,838,779.00

-18,100.00

18,746,535.00 607,900.00

-249,198.00 -75,110.00

774,750.00 -1,448,344.00 904,990.00 16,489,613.00 3,312,580.00

-33,233,245.00 764,217.00 17,320.00

-42,208,267.00 408,306.00

-4,756,465.00

-13,524.00 -10,396,032.00 117.00 428,940.00 1,961,507.00 120,810.00 175,290.00 -20,460.00 63,690.00

1,561,000.00

-110,204,963.00

1,590.00

-25,613,251.00 -5,157,085.00

-15,458,280.00 764,000.00 -7,530,966.00 99,000.00 50,814,550.00

2,287,700.50 -5,848,277.00 5,068,952.00

-89,408,590.00

-218,450.00 -2,753,473.50 -176,158,100.00 7,260.00

-1,740,759.00 -66,785,160.00 1,673,150.00 -440,512.00

Double Dragon IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

T op g ainerS VALUE 937120523.84 1577399038.145 1486264481.85 762386466.00 1175027945.07 77197604.30 6064148741.705

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,742.84 (UP) 2.61 INDUSTRIAL 11,520.00 (DOWN) 171.41 HOLDING FIRMS 6,763.91(DOWN) 54.03 PROPERTY 3,031.59 (DOWN) 20.14 SERVICES 2,076.76 (DOWN) 16.66 MINING & OIL 13,640.49 (DOWN) 19.76 PSEI 7,551.56 (DOWN) 57.58 All Shares Index 4,332.70 (DOWN) 27.82 Gainers: 70 Losers: 92; Unchanged: 50; Total: 212

-63,590,800.00

-39,930,168.00

-30,960.00 13,652,778.00 -28,250.00 10,004,464.50

-40,511,850.00

-15,084,241.00

203,485.00

-33,436,908.00 17,500.00 66,690.00 60,950,160.00

23,771,730.00 -26,138,740.00 -94,102,664.50 -2,866,736.00 -358,650.00 -2,544,420.00

-4,482,894.00

-3,250.00

-12,436,691.00

2,949,976.00 3,075,316.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Atok-Big Wedge `A'

13.48

15.21

Grand Plaza Hotel

17.02

-22.46

Minerales Industrias Corp.

5.85

11.64

Agrinurture Inc.

1.25

-13.19

Transpacific Broadcast

1.89

11.18

LMG Chemicals

2.02

-9.82

Filipino Fund Inc.

7.00

10.24

Melco Crown

6.01

-9.76

Oriental Pet. `A'

0.0120

9.09

Mabuhay Holdings `B'

0.6

-9.09

Citystate Savings

10.2

7.37

Keppel Properties

5.00

-8.93

MJCI Investments Inc.

3.7

6.32

Roxas and Co.

1.98

-8.76

Prime Orion

1.580

6.04

Phil Bank of Comm

27.00

-6.90

GMA Holdings Inc.

6.5

4.84

Wellex Industries

0.2050

-6.82

SMC Preferred B

85.3

4.66

Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

3.90

-6.70

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 24, 2015

B3

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

Fitch keeps 6.3% growth goal

By Julito G. Rada

Global debt watcher Fitch Ratings said Tuesday it is keeping the growth forecasts for the Philippines at 6.3 percent this year and 6.2 percent in 2016, which are both below the government’s target.

The credit rating agency said it expected weak government spending to hinder stronger economic expansion in the next two years. The government set a growth target of 7 percent to 8 percent for 2015 and 2016.

“GDP growth in [first quarter of 2015] expanded at a slower

pace of 5.2 percent year-on-year, compared with 5.6 percent a year ago, mainly due to weaker government spending. Fitch does not expect a significant pick-up in public investment as bottlenecks remain with respect to disbursement of public funds,” Fitch said in its Asia-Pacific Sovereign

Overview for the second quarter of 2015 published on Tuesday.

“A narrow revenue base is likely to prevent a material increase in public spending. Fitch forecasts real GDP growth of 6.3 percent and 6.2 percent in 2015 and 2016 respectively, below the government’s target range of between 7 percent and 8 percent,” Fitch said.

Gross domestic product in 2014 grew 6.1 percent, slower than the 7.2 percent in 2013, weighed down by the government’s underspending which affected the third-quarter expansion.

The 6.1-percent GDP growth in 2014 fell short of the government’s target of 6.5 to 7.5 percent

for the year. Growth in the first quarter of 2015 further decelerated to 5.2 percent, the slowest in nine quarters.

Moody’s Investors Service earlier reduced its growth forecast for the Philippines this year to 6 percent from the previous estimate of 6.5 percent, due to the government’s anemic fiscal expenditures.

Meanwhile, Fitch said the Philippines’s ‘BBB−’/stable rating was anchored by high growth rates, large net external creditor position and manageable levels of inflation.

“These strengths help offset the low per-capita incomes and the country’s long-standing structur-

al weaknesses, particularly with respect to governance and business climate, and national government revenue base that remains narrow,” Fitch said.

Fitch gave the Philippines an investment-grade credit rating on March 27, 2013 with a stable outlook.

Fitch said the Philippines continued to score lower on income and governance standards, compared with other countries in the ‘BBB’ range category.

Fitch said what could improve the ratings would be a sustained and strong GDP growth that narrows income and developmental differentials with “BBB” range peers.

Stocks down; MPIC climbs STOCKS fell Tuesday, bucking the record close on Wall Street, as investors expressed concern that government underspending will hurt the country’s economic growth this year.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, shed 57 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 7,551.56 Tuesday.

Despite the loss, the gauge was still up 4.4 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also lost 27 points, or 0.6 percent, to settle at 4,332.70, on value turnover of P6 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 92 to 70, while 50 issues were unchanged.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. was the biggest gainer among the 20 most active stocks, as it rose 1.9 percent to P4.80.

Power distributor Manila Electric Co. added 1.4 percent to close at P294. BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender, gained 0.6 percent to P110.70.

Meanwhile, most Asian markets climbed Tuesday on growing hopes that Greece and its creditors will finally hammer out a debt reform deal that will avoid a default and possible eurozone exit.

The gains tracked a record close for the Nasdaq on Wall Street while European markets also soared, including a nine percent surge in Athens. But the euro retreated in Japanese trade as investors await the next move.

Investors were also cheered by preliminary figures suggesting a contraction in Chinese manufacturing activity may be easing.

Tokyo soared 1.87 percent, or 381.23 points, to end at 20,809.42, breaking through 20,700 for the first time since April 2000.

Sydney advanced 1.32 percent, or 74.10 points, to 5,684.3 and Seoul closed up 1.27 percent, or 26.04 points, at 2,081.20.

Shanghai, which plunged more than six percent Friday before a long weekend, was up 1.41 percent in the afternoon while Hong Kong was 0.80 percent higher. With AFP

Teleperformance, the world’s largest business process outsourcing company, on Tuesday inaugurated its 16th site in the Philippines at SM Aura in Taguig City. The new facility, occupying six floors of SM Aura Office Tower, will employ 2,000, bringing Teleperformance’s work force in the Philippines to more than 42,000. Shown cutting the ribbon are (from left) Teleperformance Philippines senior vice president for human capital resource management Jeffrey Johnson, Contact Center Association of the Philippines executive director Joselito Uligan, SM Supermalls assistant vice president for BPO Sam Calvo, Taguig City Mayor Maria Laarni Cayetano, Teleperformance Philippines managing director Travis Coates, Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines Jose Mari Mercado and Teleperformance recruitment director George Dy. RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ

Teleperformance eyes new Mindanao call center

By Othel V. Campos TELEPERFORMANCE Philippines Inc., one of the country’s largest private sector employers, said Tuesday it plans to establish a new recruitment and operations facility in Mindanao, as it continues to expand its range of services in the country from voice to non-voice and data.

Teleperformance Philippines managing director Travis Coates said the company considered adding another facility in Mindanao, aside from its Davao City facility which had nearly 2,000 employees.

“We continue to invest millions of dollars in the Philippines. This is an area that we continue and will continue to be heavily investing in,” Coates said in a news briefing during the inauguration of the company’s 16th facility in

the Philippines at SM Aura Tower in Taguig City.

Coates said the company would soon consolidate voice and nonvoice services including chat, email, back office training and other services.

He said the share of non-voice BPO in the company’s Philippine operations was slowly improving to around 10 percent of the total.

Contact center or voice services still account for 90 percent.

The new site in Taguig City will add another 2,000 seats to the company’s already over 41,000 work force.

Teleperformance SM Aura occupies six floors of the office tower covers more than 10,000 square meters of office space. It has a gym, clinic, gaming room, sleeping quarters, pantry, park/ garden and individual lockers for employees.

Coates described Teleperfor-

mance SM Aura as a world-class facility. “The launch of Teleperformance SM Aura is a true homecoming for us. Our first office in the country was established in Taguig in 1996 with just a few employees. Today, we are proud to return to this city with a strong workforce leading the way in the Philippine BPO industry,” he said.

Teleperformance was established in the Philippines back in 1996 with only 100 employees in its first office in Taguig, then a small quiet town.

It now operates more than 26,500 workstations in 16 business sites located across Metro Manila, Antipolo, Baguio, Bacolod, Cebu and Davao.

Teleperformance, the worldwide leader in outsourced multichannel customer experience management, serves companies around the world with customer

care, technical support, customer acquisition and debt collection programs.

Coates said Teleperformance planned to sustain its expansion in the country, in line with the BPO industry’s annual growth forecast of 9 percent to 12 percent.

He said the French company had a solid financial performance that could sustain the employment of thousands of Filipinos.

Teleperformance reported consolidated revenue of $3.7 billion in 2014. Globally, Teleperformance operates 135,000 computerized workstations, with close to 182,000 employees across 274 contact centers in 62 countries and serving more than 160 markets.

It manages programs in 75 languages and dialects on behalf of major international companies operating in a wide variety of industries.

B4

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 24, 2015

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

Will Erap reconcile with Alfredo Lim? NOW that Manila mayor Joseph Estrada has unveiled the new Chinatown Friendship Arch located at the foot of Jones Bridge in Manila, does this mean the proverbial hatchet will be buried?

We’re talking about the current mayor and former mayor Alfredo Lim of course, with both gentlemen having been busy throwing brickbats against each other because of the controversial Torre de Manila project of property developer DMCI. They’ve been fingering each other on who gave the green light for the multi-story project that has been dubbed as the “pambansang photo bomber” because it obstructs the view of the Rizal monument at Luneta Park, much to the chagrin and displeasure of groups like the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Knights of Rizal.

Let’s see if the arch, which is 63.8 feet in height and 74 feet in width and is said to be the tallest and largest such arch in the world outside of China, will encourage the current mayor to extend the hand of friendship to his predecessor. In any case, according to the info from the office of the mayor, the Chinese Friendship Arch in Washington, D.C. with a height of 60 feet and width of 74 feet was the biggest before the Binondo structure.

The dimensions were provided by District 3 Councilor Bernardito Ang, vice chairman of the Manila Chinatown Development Council. Ang was proud to disclose that the Arch was constructed at a cost of $650,000 or P28 million, without a single peso coming from the City of Manila as most of the funding came from donations from businessmen from China, and solicited by the Philippine-Chinese Amity Club and Councilor Ang. It can be recalled that Mayor Erap was the one who issued an apology when none was forthcoming from the BS Aquino government over the botched Luneta bus hostage crisis just a few months after the new administration took office. Small wonder really why the Chinese found it easy to give.

Mayor Estrada said the new Friendship Gate is part of the restoration effort of the city to make the Manila Chinatown regain its leadership in the field of business and local tourism. He cited that although most countries have their own Chinatown, the one in Manila is the biggest in terms of territory and population outside of China itself.

Ang also cited that trade between China and the Philippines started some 400 years ago. Formal diplomatic relations, however, began in 1975 during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos.

When Estrada became mayor in 2013, he promised to pursue the restoration of Binondo and Escolta areas, as part of the overall efforts to make Manila regain its premiere status as capital of the Philippines, especially in the areas of trade, business, and tourism Chinese buying up Maybach S Class Speaking of the Chinese, German car manufacturer MercedesBenz must be laughing all the way to the bank, what with sales of their Maybach S class cars at an average of 500 units a month-almost the same as the average total sales per year. The ultra luxurious vehicle sells for about $230,000 or about 1.44 million yuan in China—and multiplied by 500—that’s lot more zeros than our math-challenged brain can absorb.

MB execs say they reissued the Maybach precisely to go after wealthy customers who would otherwise opt for other brands like a BMW, Rolls, Audi or a Bentley. Apparently, the sales pitch has been a success with Mercedes sales soaring to over 20 percent in May. So who says the Chinese are cutting down on luxury items?

HH nibbler: More American adults afflicted with ADHD Data from a US-Based biopharmaceutical company disclosed that there are now more American adults that are taking medication for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) than children. This information definitely dispels the common notion that the disorder is commonly pediatric in nature. But then again, it could also mean that children who were diagnosed with ADHD have become adults and they have continued with the medication. According to experts, ADHD can persist into adulthood, and among the symptoms are restlessness, lack of focus and impulsive behavior. Maybe the biopharma company would like to conduct a survey here in the Philippines…

••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook. com/happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

Wonder Photo Shop. YKL Colors Inc., a Fujifilm distributor, opened Wonder Photo Shop-Tokyo, a photography and printing store, in the Philippines as part of its campaign to bring back the habit of printing photographs and increase sales of its print division. YKL president Yu Tung Tung (center) leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the grand launching the Wonder Photo Shop at the Ayala-UP Town Center. With him (from left) are Hiroyuki Sakai, corporate vice president of Fujifilm Corp. and managing director at Fujifilm Asia Asia Pacific, and Masato Yamamoto, general manager of Fujifilm Corp. photo imaging products division. Wonder Photo Shop-Tokyo is the third concept shop outside Japan. The second one is in China.

PNB no longer keen on acquiring UCPB

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PHILIPPINE National Bank is no longer keen on bidding for the recapitalization and privatization of the United Coconut Planters Bank.

PNB director Michael Tan said Tuesday in an interview at the sidelines of the annual shareholders’ meeting that parent LT Group Inc. did not submit a letter of intent nor purchase bid documents for the upcoming UCPB auction.

“We are still in the process of integrating Allied Bank. It is difficult to do a three-way integration and from what we have seen, it is not that attractive,” Tan said.

He said he expects full consolidation of Allied Bank with PNB to occur by 2017.

Tan said the PNB was still aiming to become one of the top three banks in the Philippines, adding it should acquire other lenders to achieve the goal.

“But it is not all cost, you also have look at the quality of the target bank,” Tan said.

The Privatization and Management Office of the Finance Department on May 31 this year published a notice on newspapers, inviting interested parties to participate in the UCPB bidding set in September this year.

Prospective bidders must vie for the government’s more than 70-percent stake in the bank and infuse at least P15 billion in fresh capital. The opening of bids was set on Sept. 18.

The board of PNB last year directed the management to take a look at UPCB in a bid to hasten the growth of the bank.

Among the banks that previously

expressed interest in the auction for UCPB are EastWest Banking Corp., Security Bank, BDO Unibank Inc. and Union Bank of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Tan said the bank planned to move its headquarters in Allied Bank building along Ayala Avenue in Makati from Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City also as part of the consolidation of the two banks.

“We plan to move back to Makati within the year,” Tan said.

PNB in 2014 posted a net income of P5.5 billion, up five percent from 2013 despite the challenging conditions in the local financial markets that caused the bank’s trading gains to decline 72 percent to P1.3 billion.

Anticipating these developments, PNB beefed up its income from its expanding core business as it took steps to shift marketing focus from large corporates to commercial and consumer segments.

IN BRIEF BDO bullish on credit card business BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s biggest bank, plans to improve its share in the credit card industry by tapping the country’s middle-income population, a high-ranking official said Tuesday.

“There is always an opportunity [for growth]… The middle-class is growing and we need to communicate with the younger generation,” BDO senior vice president and consumer lending group and marketing head Ma. Nannette R. Regala said during the launching of the American Express Cashback credit card In Makati City.

Regala said BDO has 1.5 million credit cardholders, one of the biggest in the industry.

“The challenge for us now is how to educate the people on the advantage of having credit cards in their possession. Also, how to make the market aware on how to protect themselves when it comes to credit cards usage,” Regala said.

Julito G. Rada

Sunwest to open Romblon diesel plant SUNWEST Water and Electric Co. Inc. is set to inaugurate its 8.8-megawatt diesel power plant in Odiongan, Tablas Island, Romblon that is seen to finally address the power shortage in the area.

Suweco will formally inaugurate the plant, costing P228 million, in Barangay Batiano, Odiongan town, Tablas Island on June 28 with Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla as guest of honor.

The company has a 15-year agreement to supply power to Tablas Island Electric Cooperative Inc..

The scope of the agreement covers the entire capacity requirement of the electric cooperative, including a reserve capacity for the initial years of the deal, and fixed capacity thereafter with the right to priority dispatch. Alena Mae S. Flores

PPA: Cargo volume up 6% in 4 months THE Philippine Ports Authority said cargo volume grew 6 percent in the first four months of the year on strong international trade.

Data from PPA showed total cargo volume reached 66.60 million metric tons in the January-to-April period from 62.63 million MT year-on-year.

Domestic cargoes increased 6.9 percent to 27.75 million MT from only 25.97 million MT year ago.

Foreign cargo volume rose 6 percent to 38.85 million MT from 36.66 million MT a year ago.

Import volume gained 7.7 percent to 22.21 million MT from 20.63 million MT in 2014 while export volume increased 3.75 percent to 16.63 million MT from 16.03 million MT a year ago. Darwin G. Amojelar

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Maynila W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 24 , 2 0 1 5

JUDITH ALBANO SUPPLEMENT EDITOR

www.manilastandardtoday.com editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Araw ng

M

MANILA, MANILA!

anila. The capital city of the Philippines, and the political, economic as well as cultural center of the land. One of the original Global Cities of the World (the other two are Madrid and Mexico), it serves as home to more than 12 million people, and is the location of some of the country’s oldest structures as well as the world’s oldest Chinatown – in existence since 1521.

Turn to B6

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B5

Araw NgMaynila

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B6

Maynila Araw ng

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 24 , 2 0 1 5

The

www.manilastandardtoday.com editorial@thestandard.com.ph

2015 CELEBRATIONS

MANILA Mayor Joseph E. Estrada and the City Council of Manila have lined up various activities for the celebration of the 444th foundation day of the City of Manila, June 24th this year.

The traditional awarding ceremony for Outstanding Manilans will be held at Fiesta Pavilion of Manila Hotel on June 23, 6 pm. Also to be given citations are the Outstanding Taxpayers of the city.

The week-long festivities started last with Medical Missions in the city’s various hospitals from June 15 to June 19, specifically at the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center, Ospital ng Tondo, Ospital ng Maynila, Ospital ng Sampaloc, and Justice Abad Santos Hospital.

As in previous years, the celebration affords the city officials to honor various community sectors, and cite them for their concrete achievements and contributions to nation-building.

First to be given such accolades are the Outstanding Educators and Students who were feted by Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and Vice Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso at the Manila Grand Opera Hotel last June 16.

Outstanding City Hall employees

were also honored and given plaques of appreciation for their services in various departments of the city government, from 25 years to 40 years. The ceremony was held at the Bulwagang Antonio Villegas last June 17.

The next day, it was the turn of Senior Citizens to receive such citation from the mayor in simple ceremonies at the Senior Citizens Garden in Rizal Park, Manila, while the Outstanding Judges, Prosecutors and Policemen who have been tirelessly assisting Mayor

Certificates of Lot Award to 29 qualified beneficiaries of the Land for the Landless Program at Bulwagang Villegas.

Estrada also handed over Transfer Certificates of Title to two families and Letters of Approval for Transfer of Awards, Deed of Sale, etc. to 22 families.

The next day, June 19, was the birth anniversary of the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. There was an unveiling of the statue of Dr. Jose Rizal at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) which was

Estrada in maintaining peace and order in the city were honored in fitting ceremonies at the New World Manila Bay Hotel, formerly Hyatt, in Ermita.

On the same day last June 18, the Urban Settlements Office led

by Department Head Victoria S. Clavel and the mayor distributed

then celebrating its 50th anniversary.

In the afternoon at City Hall, the City of Manila gave the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan awards to deserving artists and institutions in the field of arts and culture.

The awardees are Nora Aunor (Diwa ng Lahi Award), Augusto

MANILA HONORS NORA AUNOR. Manila Mayor Joseph E. Estrada congratulates actress Nora Aunor who received the top award in the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan awards yesterday held at Manila City Hall. Looking on from left: Councilor Yul Servo Nieto, Director Liza Villasenor of Tourism, Councilor Re Fugoso, Estrada, Aunor, and Councilor Cristy Isip.

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Deviana, Ballet Manila, The Company, Architect Alfred Geoffrey Carandang, The Junior New System, Vic del Rosario, The Manila Hotel, Sarao Motor Inc., Tourism Infrastructure Enterprises Zone Authority (TIEZA) and actor-director Eddie Garcia (Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Award).

Last Saturday, June 20, the more than 800 barangays of Manila were at center-stage, with the Barangay Awards held at Forum 3, Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). The awarding ceremonies were led by Mayor Estrada and Councilor Salvador Philip Lacuna, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay Manila Chapter.

The awards’ Executive Committee and technical working group composed of heads and staff of the DILG Manila field office and the Manila Barangay Bureau picked the barangay awardees, divided into overall/group awards and specia awards.

These are Barangay ng Kinabukasan (childfriendly and gender-sensitive), Barangay Mapayapa (peaceful, secure and drug-free), Barangay Malusog (health and sanitation), Barangay Makakalikasan (clean and green) and Barangay Laging Handa (best DRRM programs - disaster and rescue).

Last Sunday, the Manila Youth and Development Office led by Dr. Angel Espiritu initiated various activities for the youth, among them the Manila Youth Rocks BMX Bike Competition, Street Dance Competition, Graffiti Theme: Dito sa Maynila, and a grand concert featuring Parokya ni Edgar, Wolf Gang and Silent Sanctuary.

Other activities were Manila’s Got Talent finals night at Robinsons Place in Ermita (June 22), First Mayor Erap Interzone Ten Ball Billiard Tournament at the Arturo Tolentino Sports Complex in Dapitan, Sampaloc (June 24) led by MASCO chief Philip Cezar, and Cooperative Awards (June 23).

Three important events capped the celebration.

On June 23 at 4 p.m., the city officials will unveil the newly constructed Friendship Gate at Binondo Chinatown, at the foot of Jones Bridge. The event will be led by Mayor Estrada and Councilor Bernie Ang. The new arch will be the biggest such Friendship Arch outside of China, measuring 15.6 meters in height and 26 meters in width. Funds used in the construction came from donations from Chinese donors.

Manila will honor its Outstanding Manilans and Outstanding Taxpayers in fitting ceremonies at the Manila Hotel on Tuesday, June 23.

Last but not least, the city will pick its Miss Manila and her court, Circa 2015, in an entertaining beauty pageant to be held at the PICC Plenary Hall at 7 p.m. on June 24. The event is handled by Viva Entertainment.

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It has been witness to the first instance of trade globalization through the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade route from 1565 to 1815. It has also been witness to many insurrections, revolts, several foreign occupations and two World Wars.

Today, we celebrate Araw ng Maynila, the anniversary of its proclamation as the capital city by Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. who built the walled city of Intramuros upon the ruins of Rajah Soliman’s fort.

As it enters its 444th year– give or take a couple of hundred, if you take into consideration the fact that it was already the bustling Kingdom of Maynila in the latter half of the Ming Dynasty– it’s fairly understandable that the city known as the Pearl of the Orient is a little worse for wear. Dirty, polluted, and definitely congested, it has definitely lost some of its sparkle.

The rich lustre of this pearl has not totally faded in this day and age, however.

At present, Manila and its sixteen territorial districts still serve as home to many of the most important institutions in the land. Historic edifices are still very much alive, side by side with growing buildings that are a testament to a bustling, thriving city. On its shores can still be viewed the most spectacular sunsets, no less splendid than they were centuries ago. The streets are still filled with music and color– and most importantly, life.

We believe it will never fade out. More and more people are discovering and rediscovering the treasure that is Manila. With its rich history, warm people, and unique culture, through people, business and a government that refuses to let go of their heritage, we may find that Manila is still not yet done with history, and is still making it every single day.

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444th ARAW NG MAYNILA 15 – MONDAY 8:00 am – Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 1 c/o Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center Brgy. 105 Covered Court Maginoo St., Tondo

16 – TUESDAY 8:00 am – Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 2 c/o Ospital ng Tondo Brgy 216 Casac Covered Court Abad Santos Avenue 5:00 pm –

Awarding Ceremony for Outstanding Educators and Students Manila Grand Opera Hotel

17 – WEDNESDAY 8:00 am – Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 5 c/o Ospital ng Maynila Paraiso ng Batang Maynila 3:00 pm – Awarding Ceremony for Outstanding City Hall Employees Bulwagang Antonio Villegas Hall, Manila City Hall 18 – THURSDAY 8:00 am – Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 4 c/o Ospital ng Sampaloc Brgy 419, Loreto Covered Court

19 – FRIDAY 8:00 am Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 3 c/o Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital Delpan Sports Complex 20 – SATURDAY 6:00 pm – 2015 Barangay Awards Forum 3, Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) 21 – SUNDAY 10:00 am – Manila Youth Rocks: BMX Bike Competition Rajah Sulayman 22 – MONDAY 8:00 am Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 6 c/o Sta. Ana Hospital Brgy 841, Bagong Barangay Covered Court Zamora St. 6:00 pm – Manila’s Got Talent Final Night Robinsons Place Manila Ermita, Manila 23 – TUESDAY 7:00am – Distribution of 100 10:00 am Fiber Boats c/o Manila Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office 3:00 pm – Cooperative Awards Bulwagan Antonio

4:00 pm –

6:00 pm –

Villegas Hall, Manila City Hall Inauguration and Ribbon Cutting of the New Entrance Gate Of Manila Chinatown Foot of Jones Bridge Escolta, Manila Gawad Gat Andres Bonifacio Award, Outstanding Manilans And Top Taxpayers Fiesta Pavillion, Manila Hotel

24 – WEDNESDAY 8:00 am – 9:00 am Thanksgiving Mass San Agustin Church, Intramuros, Manila 9:00 am – 9:30 am Wreath-laying Ceremony at the tomb of Miguel Lopez de Lagaspi San Agustin Church, Intramuros, Manila 9:30 am – 10:00 am Wreath-laying Ceremony at the statue of Rajah Sulayman Plaza Rajah Sulayman, Malate, Manila 10:00 am 1st Mayor Erap Interzone Ten Ball Billiard Tournament Championship Senator Arturo Tolentino Sports Complex (Formerly Dapitan Sports Complex) 7:00 pm Miss Manila 2015 Plenary Hall Philippine International Convention Center (PICC)

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Manila is the capital of the country, and for many, its heart and soul.

The wellspring of growth and dynamism, Manila throbs with the heartbeat of the people, and serves as the barometer of change, and of their growth and development.

As it lives or dies, so does the rest of the nation, This why urban development, with a vision to bring back the glory days of this beloved city is critical not just for the benefit of the denizens of its 16 territorial districts, but for the citizens of its 7,107 islands.

The City of Manila is entering very interesting times. With a visionary leadership, it has begun once more to pull itself up by its bootstraps, carrying with it the visions and dreams of the more than 12 million Manileños for a better life and a better city.

Still, there are challenges. Urban decay and congestion is a reality, as well as the erosion of the natural gifts of the city: air, water and land.

But with a visionary leadership, one flexible enough to freethinking enough to be able to question and rethink the old models of industrialization and urbanization, explore newer mindsets and concepts and channel social, scientific, and technological development, this is all possible.

Because while the instruments have changed, the goals have not. At the forefront remains the basic imperatives of a functional administration: to keep crime low, the quality of life high, and the economy strong.

Peace and order. The delivery of basic goods and services including health and education. And more importantly, a Sustainable Economic Growth program, backed by policies that are fundamental in the fight against poverty by generating employment and increasing incomes.

These are imperatives that require much of everyone in this beloved city.

On its 444th Araw ng Maynila, The Standard reaffirms its dedication to doing its part in working towards this vision through fair and responsible journalism– the kind of news and opinion that The Standard prides itself in providing. The kind that empowers different audiences through information and engagement through our multiple platforms.

Times and technologies may change, and so do names and offices. But The Standard will always be, however, first and foremost, a product of Manila, with its interests at heart.

MISS MANILA BEAUTIES. Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada is

all smiles at the presentation of this year’s Miss Manila candidates held yesterday at the Bulwagang Villegas at Manila City Hall. The beauty pageant is being held as part of the Araw ng Maynila celebrations on June 24. TONY CUNANAN

CITY HALL EMPLOYEES AWARDED. Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada congratulates the City Hall employees who have served from 20 to 40 years in the city government. They are shown with Mayor Estrada and Mr. Vic Quintos (standing, 3rd from left), chief of personnel of City Hall. TONY CUNANAN

ika-444 Araw ng Maynila Maligayang Pagbati Manileno ˜ a

Joseph E. Estrada Mayor

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Hon. Isko Moreno Vice-Mayor

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BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER life @ thestandard.com .ph

LIFE

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Resort Collection

DESIGN

Miami Ottoman

MANILA MEETS MIAMI Moss Manila Home's

latest collection nods to Miami Beach style

I

Rockstud Butler's Cabinet

nterior designer sisters Cyndi and Happy Fernandez have made it their mission to create furniture and home décor inspired by their travels around the world. The designer duo's strong belief in wanderlust has been the primary source of information and inspiration for their home furnishings brand Moss Manila Home.

And for Moss Manila Home's resort collection, Cyndi and Happy aim to bring to every home the posh Miami Beach style with a chic spin. The new pieces exude a resort glam vibe, highlighting elegant forms with modern details.

The latest collection features a lounge club chair in crisp lines (Park Chair), a Lucite trunk table with polished brass accents (Boulevard Trunk Table), and a bar cabinet topped with oversized pyramid studs (Rockstud Butler’s cabinet). It also includes an accent table using one of their signature patterns with Italian Carrara marble top (Soho Drink Table), ottoman in lush sheepskinlike fabric (Miami Ottoman), console and side table with beveled mirror and matte brass bases (Luxe Console and Luxe Side Table), and a set of octagon-shaped mirrors with beveled borders in black and gold lacquer (Octagon Mirrors).

All furniture are locally designed and manufactured in the Philippines. The décor mostly come from India, Brazil, USA and Thailand.

Their exclusively designed furniture collections, including these Miami Beach inspired pieces, beautifully showcase the stark contrast of timelessness and edginess, staying true to their vision of making a dramatic decorative statement with furniture. While each piece works individually, there is a harmonious design dialogue of glamour all throughout which makes it perfect for stylish abodes.

For those seeking professional advice on home furnishings and design, Moss Manila Home offers complimentary Interior Styling Services with a minimum purchase. The store’s team of BoardCertified interior designers can help transform new homes, spruce up a room, or create a gallery wall. Projects can range from creating custom furniture, accessorizing a space, to a total makeover. These talented designers can bring in décor and complete the finishing touches themselves.

They offer personalized design expertise and incorporate Moss Manila Home’s products into one's private space.

Luxe Console Table

Soho Drink Table

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

RECOMMENDED LIST OF NEW RELEASE BAROLOS Part Two

Here is the continuation of my list of recommended Barolos from vintage 2011.

61. Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno Barolo Cannubi, 62.

Rinaldi Francesco & Figli Barolo Cannubi, 63. Brezza Giacomo & Figli Barolo Cannubi, 64. Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cannubi, 65. Borgogno Barolo Cannubi, 66.

Comm. GB Burlotto Barolo Cannubi, 67. Virna Borgogno Barolo Cannubi Boschis, 68. Cantina del Nebbiolo Barolo Cannubi Boschis, 69. Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Castellero, 70. Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cerequio, 71. Bric Cenciurio Barolo Coste di Rose, 72. Cantine dei Marchesi di Barolo Barolo del Comune di Barolo, 73. Gillardi Barolo del Comune di Barolo, 74. Virna Borgogno Barolo del Comune di Barolo, 75. Dosio Vigneti Barolo Fossati, 76. 460 Casina Bric Barolo, 77. Pira-Chiara Boschis Barolo Via Nuova, 78. Cascina Adelaide Barolo Preda, 79. Cagliero Barolo Ravera, 80. Cavalier Bartolomeo Barolo San Lorenzo, 81. Cantine dei Marchesi di Barolo Barolo Sarmassa, 82.

Le Strette Barolo Bermega Pezzole, 83. Le Strette Barolo Corini Pallaretta, 84. Abbona Marziano Barolo Ravera, 85. Elvio Cogno Barolo Ravera, 86. Reva Barolo Ravera, 87. Le Ginestre Barolo Sotto Castello di Novello, 88. Ca’Viola Barolo Sotto Castello di Novello, 89. Fracassi Umberto Barolo Mantoetto, 90. Negretti Barolo Bricco Ambrogio, 91. Morra Diego Barolo Monvigliero, 92. Pietro Rinaldi Barolo Monvigliero, 93. Bosco Agostino Barolo Neirane, 94. Comm. GB Burlotto Barolo Acclivi, 95. Burlotto Gian Carlo Barolo Cascina Massara, 96. Morra Diego Barolo, 97.

Ascheri Barolo Pisapola, 98. Alario Claudio Barolo Riva Rocca, 99. Alessandria Fratelli Barolo San Lorenzo di Verduno, 100.

Gemma Barolo, 101. Fletcher Wines Barolo Alta Pete, 102. Icardi Cav. Pierino Barolo Parej, 103. Cantina Terre del Barolo Barolo Vinum Vita Est, 104. Batasiolo Barolo, 105. Cantina del Nebbiolo Barolo, 106. Vietti Barolo Castiglione, 107. Cantina Bongiovanni Barolo, 108. Oddero Poderi E. Cantine Barolo Barolo Riserva 2009: this is the longest wait of any Nebbiolobased wine, and the Barolo Conzortio has required that the Barolo Riserva be commercially released the January after the sixth year of the vintage. I just had a relatively small sample group of 40 wines, of which I gave high marks to a smaller percent of 12 wines.

Personally I am not a huge fan of Barolo Riservas, and on my personal assessment I still much prefer the Barolo Classicos because I feel that one of Nebbiolo’s best assets is its racy acidity, and I do not need more oak aging to tame this element. The only thing I feel that Riservas do for me is to ensure better cellaring in those 24 extra months, better than if I or any wine lover would keep at our own wine storage facilities. That is just my opinion.

But below are the wines from the Barolo Riserva 2009 that I adored for their flavors and depth. Again, in no particular order: 1. Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno Barolo Riserva Cannubi, 2.

Borgogno Barolo Riserva, 3. Boroli Barolo Riserva Villero, 4. Ellena Giuseppe Barolo Riserva Ascheri, 5. Reverdito Michele Barolo Riserva Bricco Cogni, 6. Cordero Di Montezemolo Barolo Riserva Gorette, 7. Gian Piero Marrone Barolo Riserva Pichemej, 8. Gigi Rosso Barolo Riserva Arione Riserva Dell’Ulivo, 9. Sordo Giovanni Di Sordo Giorgio Barolo Riserva Gabutti, 10. Rivetto Dal 1902 Barolo Riserva Leon, 11. Anselma Giacomo Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda, 12. Massolino-Vigna Rionda Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda Three wineries made my top scores in both Barolo Classico and Barolo Riserva, and they are Borgogno, Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno, and Sordo Giovanni di Sordo Giorgio.

This concludes my detailed coverage of the Nebbiolo Prima 2015. After all the tastings, and the new found knowledge and appreciation, I can now call myself a genuine Nebbiolo-holic!

Kindly look for some of these wines, and chances are upon tasting, you too can be converted. Just be prepared to pay good money for good Barolos. Barolo prices have been inching up steadily every year for so many years already.

As of now, it is still worth the buying… but hopefully the pricing of new vintages in the near future will plateau soon before Barolos become too prohibitive, like what happened to the good cru Burgundies.

For comments, inquiries, wine event coverage, wine consultancy and other wine related concerns, please e-mail me at protegeinc@yahoo.com. I am a proud member of the Federation Internationale des Journalists et Ecrivains du Vin et des Spiritueux or FIJEV since 2010. You can also follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/sherwinlao

Palladino, one of my favorites in the Barolo blind tasting, is one of the few Piedmont wineries with a huge library/collection of old vintages of Barolos.

I selected two of their wines in the blind tasting.

Owner Gian Carlo Burlotto at the cellar of Burlotto Gian Carlo winery in Verduno, Barolo; their Barolo Cascina Massara is among those I rated very high.

Chiara Destefanis, Marketing Communications Manager of Fontanfredda, the largest Barolo maker in the world. One of their Barolo wines came out of my blind tasting with a high score.

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FILIPINA'S DESIGN MAKES IT TO TOP 100 OF 2015 ELECTROLUX TILT

THE 'STANDING' CHAIR

BY ED BIADO

Office workers know this: Being seated for eight hours a day is exhausting. More than a few times, you’d feel the need to stretch your limbs.

It’s your body telling you that the idleness is slowly killing you. Even science is saying that prolonged sitting is actually bad for the health.

Blogging for the Harvard Business Review, Nilofer Merchant explains, “As we work, we sit more than we do anything else. We’re averaging 9.3 hours a day, compared to 7.7 hours of sleeping...

“Of course, health studies conclude that people should sit less, and get up and move around. After 1 hour of sitting, the production of enzymes that burn fat declines by as much as 90 percent. Extended sitting slows the body’s metabolism affecting things like (good cholesterol) HDL levels in our bodies. Research shows that this lack of physical activity is directly tied to six percent of the impact for heart diseases, seven percent for type 2 diabetes, and 10 percent for breast cancer, or colon cancer.”

So perhaps the solution is to get rid of the chair, raise the height of the table and work while standing. I’ve had the opportunity to work at an office with that option. I tried it a few times and, while it has its benefits, I found it to be quite tiring as well. After a couple of hours, parts of my lower body would begin to feel discomfort.

Is LeanChair the answer to this catch-22? This sort of compromise between sitting and standing is the creation of software developer Wayne Yeager, who is currently crowdfunding the project to send the invention to production.

“I began experimenting with the idea of leaning. Why not? It’s natural and comfortable and gives you all the benefits of standing, but without the pain and suffering,” Yeager says on his Kickstarter pitch page. “Leaning backwards is inherently more comfortable than standing up. LeanChair uses a reclining angle that takes about 25 percent of your body weight off your legs, which makes standing a lot easier and less painful. So when I’m in the LeanChair, my legs feel like I’ve lost 61 pounds.”

LeanChair is a complete workstation with an attached adjustable tray, just like children’s school desks. The surface is large enough to accommodate a laptop or keyboard and a notepad. It’s rubbery so that things don’t slide off. There’s also a smooth surface on the right side for a mouse.

The project’s funding goal of $25,000 was hit on June 19 – 24 days before the Kickstarter campaign ends – and should be able to deliver on its promise to ship by November.

The design of De La Salle-College of St. Benilde Industrial Design student Louisa Veronica Salazar made it to the top 100 entries of the 2015 Electrolux Design Lab competition – certainly a no mean feat.

“Design Lab is very important to Electrolux as it fuels our innovation processes with new ideas and brings inspiration of future homes to the consumers,” said Lars Erikson, Senior Vice President Design at Electrolux and Head of the Design Lab Jury. "Every year I am impressed by the creativity and the bold visions we see from the students.

It is a tough but extremely rewarding job for our experts to go through 1500 entries,” he shared.

Under the theme Healthy Happy Kids, the competition looked for innovative ideas for products, accessories, consumables and services in three focus areas: Cooking, Fabric Care and Air Purification.

Making it to the first stage of the competition is the "Ride and Wash" designed by the 19-year-old Ilustre.

The Ride and Wash is a washing machine that resembles a bicycle and which allows kids to play outdoors while taking part in doing the laundry.

Pedaling the Ride and Wash powers the washing machine positioned in the tires. It segregates the laundry found in the front wheel from the used water at the back wheels after the washing process is done. The innovative design gives kids the

chance to have fun while learning the importance of helping out in household chores.

“We are proud that, once again, another Filipino student made it to the Top 100 of the competition,” said Andrea Pionilla, Marketing Manager of Electrolux Philippines. “We are very hopeful that Louisa’s design will bring home the crown.”

“Electrolux Philippines supports Louisa in this competition and we encourage everyone to do the same,” said Pionilla. Electrolux invites the public to show their support by voting for Ride and Wash on the Design Lab website. Three lucky voters will win special prizes from Electrolux.

This year, Electrolux doubled the cash prize to €10,000 or nearly Php 540,000 and a six-month paid internship at an Electrolux global design center abroad. Visit electroluxdesignlab.com to know more about the competition.

FIVE SIMPLE RULES FOR BUILDING THE ULTIMATE MAN CAVE

E

A guide to setting up the perfect testosterone-powered chamber

very now and then, dads who toil away at the office and at home want their own private space – a zone away from the fuss and frills of the entire home. It’s called the man cave – a place where a guy can hole up and hibernate for as long as he can, and is pretty much a wife- and children-free spot where a man can do what he wants (within reason, of course).

Sounds like a dream, right? If you think it’s time to cash in your get-away-with-something card and put together your private hideaway, here are five things MyProperty.ph wants you to keep in mind before you start.

CHOOSE A ROOM IN THE HOUSE

It can be the basement or attic, or even half of (or the entire) garage. Whichever room you want to transform, consider how big it is and what you plan on turning it into. And make sure it’s actually an available space you won’t be using anymore; it’s going to be a hassle when you finally set up your man cave only to dismantle it because the wife needs the area for storage.

DECIDE ON A THEME

Are you a sports nut, a gaming enthusiast, or a movie buff? Your hangout can be anything you want – it’s your sanctuary, after all. You can turn it into a sports bar, a video-game arena, a minitheater, or even an old-fashioned gentleman’s club where you can swill scotch and talk about the weather with friends all day. Picking a theme early on will help you go into the nitty-gritty, from choosing between a pool table and a juke box, as well as the color scheme and furniture.

MAP OUT YOUR IDEA

Before taking a sledgehammer to your walls, you need a plan of attack. Start by measuring the dimensions of the room and plotting it out on graphing paper. Section off the space and determine what to put or build into each corner

or side, and be as detailed as you can. Be sure to create a timeline of the things you have to do so you don’t take too long on one particular step.

WORK OUT YOUR SPENDING

Itemize what your man cave needs and set a certain amount you’re willing to spend for them. Add about 15 percent to that amount to cover any unexpected spending because you can bet there will be. And be realistic; it’s easy to go overboard and lose track of your expenses in the process, so if your budget won’t permit that massive Jacuzzi with a built-in TV, don’t push it. Also, consider second-hand items from friends and family, thrift shops, garage sales, and online selling sites to stay within your budget.

GET HELP

Unless you’re a true-blue Jack-of-all-trades, you can’t do absolutely everything yourself. And if your design involves electrical and plumbing work and you don’t have the skills for them, Google and YouTube can only get you so far. Contact a professional for each phase of the work you need assistance on.

Want to save money? Find friends with construction skills who are willing to work for pizza and beer.

Being able to put your feet up in your home within a home takes careful planning and hard work, so don’t jump into it without a thought-out strategy. Once everything’s in place, you’ll have an escape, a place where you and your buddies can be yourselves and, ultimately, consider it the happiest place on earth.

Established in September 2010, MyProperty. ph is the leading Philippine real estate online and magazine brand that brings property buyers and sellers together. The website offers relevant and updated industry news and practical tips for its clients and consumers.

For more information, visit www.myproperty. ph. For quick updates on the latest company and real estate news and information, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/myproperty.ph and on Twitter at @MyPropertyPH.

With proper planning, you can turn your man cave into a sports bar where you and your friends can play pool or watch games.

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The Mandello 114 with Victoria + Albert’s Amiata freestanding bath

BRITISH BATHROOM BRAND BRINGS LUXURY TO VANITIES B ritish statement bathroom pieces brand Victoria + Albert continues to reinvent and elevate the personal bathroom space with the launch of its inaugural collection of vanity units.

The vanity units, which come in two exquisite and practical designs, feature integrated basins and au courant details such as built-in overflow, hidden storage space, push-toopen drawer mechanisms and adjustable feet for perfect levelling. The Mandello 114 and Lario 100 are perfect additions to a contemporary interior as the clean, sophisticated lines sublimely draw out the dynamics of form and function.

Designed by acclaimed Italian design studio Meneghello Paolelli Associati, the statement pieces demonstrate the designers’ understanding of the luxury brand’s exclusive Quarrycast composite material and its versatility. Ideal as a standalone statement design, or paired together as “his-andhers” units in large bathrooms, these unique designs make for strong and visually pleasing bathroom décor.

The Mandello 114 features a uniquely shaped Quarrycast basin designed to evoke the movement of a water drop as it touches the surface. The organic quality of this statement adds an essentialist presence to the contemporary bathroom setting, with a smart chamfered edge and balanced, clear cut lines.

The intricate design extends to the interior of the integrated storage system with push-to-open drawer. The removable cherry wood drawer dividers feature a lush, artisanal finish.

The Mandello 114 is available in Anthracite or Piano Black.

A modern take on the classic Victorian styling, the Lario 100 features a Quarrycast basin with a matching ribbed “skirt,” juxtaposed with a modern and minimalistic vanity drawer in the middle. Simple, beautiful lines accentuate the elegance of this unique piece – a must-have for any contemporary bathroom. The Lario 100 is available in Anthracite or Stone Gray.

“The launch of Mandello 114 and Lario 100 marks our commitment to be the leading specialist in luxury bathroom furniture as we expand beyond freestanding baths and basins. This new integrated vanity units collection allows our customers to have the opportunity to create a complete ‘Victoria + Albert’ look, while keeping in with existing bathroom aesthetics,” said Okke Roosjen, group sales director of Victoria + Albert.

The Mandello 114 and Lario 100 made their debut at the ISH Frankfurt, the world’s leading trade fair for the bathroom experience, building services, energy, air conditioning technology and renewable energies. Victoria + Albert brand is distributed here in the Philippines by Kuysen Enterprises, Inc.

The Mandello 114

The Lario 100

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SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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A GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON AT THE CINEMAS THIS WEEK

AfTER THE BALL- NEW

jUST THE wAY YOU ARE

PG Based upon Kimberly Joy Villanueva’s pop fiction The Bet, the romantic-comedy follows the story of popular guy Drake (Enrique Gil), who makes a bet with his best friends to make nerdy transferee Sophia (Liza Soberano) fall in love with him in 30 days.

In this retail fairy tale, Kate (Portia Doubleday) joins the family business, which includes her wicked stepmother (Lauren Holly) and equally deceitful two stepsisters. Just when it seems her dreams will never come true, she gets the help of a prince charming in the shoe department (Marc-André Grondin). Along with her godmother’s vintage clothes and a clever identity switch, Kate may finally be able to expose the evil trio.

PG

KRUEL - NEW

R16 A psychotic murderer takes the guise of an ice cream man in order to get close to his objects of obsession. Babysitter Jo (Kierney Nelson) is determined to prove that this outrageous neighborhood man is really a psychotic monster responsible for the disappearance of a local boy.

Kruel

ENTOURAgE

Movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) together with his boys, Eric (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Johnny (Kevin Dillon) are back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). Some of their ambitions have changed, but the bond between them remains strong as they navigate the capricious and often cutthroat world of Hollywood.

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MAX - NEW

G A highly trained service dog from Afghanistan is adopted in the U. S. by his late handler’s grieving family. But the handler’s teenage brother Justin (Josh Wiggins) has problems of his own and doesn’t want the animal.

Max may be Justin’s only chance to learn what really happened to his brother. With the help of a dog-savvy friend, Justin and Max begin to bond and set out to unravel the mystery of his brother’s death.

INSIDE OUT - NEW

G This third installment in the Insidious film series follows the events before the haunting of the Lambert family. The prequel reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) uses her ability to contact the dead in order to help Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity.

Inside Out

THE wATER DIVINER - NEW

PG Joshua Connor (Russell Crowe) goes to Turkey in search of his three missing sons, last known to have fought against the Turks in the bloody Battle of Gallipoli. Arriving in Istanbul, he is thrust into a vastly different world, where he encounters others who have suffered their own losses in the conflict. With seemingly insurmountable obstacles in his path, Connor must travel across the battlescarred Turkish landscape to find the truth and his own peace.

jURASSIC wORLD

PG Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park (1993), Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. But as visitor rates declining, park engineers add a new attraction to draw in more visitors to the park. But that new attraction turns out to be far more dangerous than anyone expected.

Jurassic World

The Water Diviner

COMPILED BY NICKIE WANG

Another AdAptAtion of ‘fAr from the mAdding Crowd’

T

he literary classic adapted to film, Far From the Madding Crowd starring Carrey Mulligan launched with a very impressive numbers at the US box-office following warm and rave reception from critics and audience alike when it opened on a limited release.

Based on the novel of the same title by Thomas Hardy, it is the story of Bathsheeba Everdene, an independent, beautiful and headstrong woman who attracts three very different but very determined suitors: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer, captivated by her willfulness; Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), a handsome

and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor.

“Milking a cow? I can do that,” beams Mulligan. “There is a sort of knack to it. I had done it as a kid.

My grandmother lived in Wales and we had relatives who were farmers. I live in the country now and am around farmers a lot.”

Indeed, the week prior to starting work on her latest film she was helping a local friend shear a sheep!

“I wasn’t actually shearing, because it is really difficult,” she says, “but I was bagging up the wool. I know a lot of people who farm. It is not unfamiliar territory to me.”

At the time, women of sound so-

cial standing were expected to find husbands and raise a family, leaving business matters to the menfolk. Not so Bathsheba. She has no immediate interest in securing a husband. She just wants to run her farm. “She is a modern woman,” Mulligan says of her character, “and I think it is an extraordinary feat by Hardy to write somebody like that, and to enjoy her ‘otherness’. You can see in the writing that he is taking a real joy in writing this different, obtuse, rebellious woman. She isn’t like the people who surround her.

She is different.”

Far From the Madding Crowd opens on July 8 from 20th Century Fox. Carey Mulligan stars in the reimagining of Thomas Hardy's Far From The Madding Crowd

W EDNES DAY : J UNE 24 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

nIñO MUhLaCh SayS hE IS nOt a StagE fathER nICKIE Wang Five-ye ar-old Al onz o Muhlach has obviously followed in the footsteps of his father, former child star Niño Muhlach. Now, the latter has been following his son almost everywhere to make sure he’s doing just fine.

But the 43-year-old Onin (as he’s fondly called by the press and his fans) was quick to say he’s not a stage father.

“It’s normal for any parent to think of their (sic) children’s welfare. In my case, I just wanted to see that Alonzo is being taken care of. I can’t afford to entrust my child just to anyone,” Niño told The Standard during the launch of McDonald’s new TVC featuring the father and son tandem.

The former child star sees his son’s career headed to the right direction but somehow he doesn’t think Alonzo would be able to surpass what he had done when he was a kid. He explained that in his time he was doing five films a year, which is quite impossible to happen now considering the changes in showbiz landscape where child stars are having tough time competing among each other and television is

more dominant than movies.

“During my time, movies talaga ang batayan ng kasikatan ng isang artista. But now, people consider a star successful when he’s popular on TV. So I don’t think Alonzo would do five movies a year since the industry don’t do that anymore,” Niño explained.

The father of two is positive that his son is doing a fine job. That’s why at this stage in Alonzo’s career he plans what the kid can do and what he can’t because he wants him to enjoy his childhood.

“When I was a child star, I didn’t feel I was working. I considered the set as my playground. Now, with Alonzo, of course, kids get tired so we make it a point that the he doesn’t get exhausted with too much work,” he said.

Currently, Alonzo is preparing for three films. The first one will start filming next week. It’s a movie with Vice Ganda and Coco Martin, an entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival. The child star will also do a remake of Niño’s iconic movie Kuwatog (1979), which will start filming later this year.

“If Alonzo were doing TV we wouldn’t get any movie commitment. We want him to have a balanced life as a kid especially right now that he has started going to (a) regular school,” he ended.

IS ‘PInOy BIg BROthER’ StILL RELEvant?

ABS-CBN has introduced the names of the contestants in the latest edition of Pinoy Big Brother series.

The new roster of housemates, to the delight of many Kapamilya fans, also includes Enchong Dee who represents Quezon City as the “Swabeng Swimmer.”

It was later revealed that Enchong will be one of the hosts of PPB. As part of the tradition, he must immerse by becoming a housemate first.

You see, the network is really exhausting all possible ways to ensure that PBB’s latest edition, which also marks its 10th year anniversary, will be the talk of the town. In fact, housemates appeared on several shows like It’s Showtime, TV Patrol, ASAP and Aquino & Abunda Tonight before finally entering the famous house. It looks like a big affair for the station because of the media mileage and the amount of time they have spent on a single program. But what do fans get out of watching housemates for hours doing literally nothing?

Oh, lest we forget, they have weekly and individual tasks that they need to successfully accomplish to guarantee their stay in the house for another

week. In these tasks, people see how drama unfolds. They are also made to believe that there are a few life lessons that serve as their take away.

For those who religiously follow Kuya and his housemates, yes, it’s a wonderful entertainment.

Although unproductive, it somehow makes them feel that they are seeing the “real personality” of the housemates inside Bahay ni Kuya. Fans can easily relate to them because they’re just ordinary Joes and Janes (supposedly) who are very close to their chance at stardom.

In hindsight, obsessive fans overlook the fact that reality shows are there to make money for their creator. They are relevant because PBB, television history speaking, always win the ratings race.

And winning the numbers game dictates the numbers of product placement. Simple equation really.

Now, it can be said, PBB has been successful, very successful in making Filipino viewers believe that this is the “teleserye ng totoong buhay.” True enough, it reflects real life where diversity is just an illusion, talentless people become celebrities, and viewers spend so much time on TV when they should be doing far more important things in real world.

The older Muhlach says he is only concerned with his son's well being

Niño Muhlach and his son Alonzo are featured in the new McDonald's TVC

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 43 45 47 49 50 51 54 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Wheeled around 5 Plugged in 10 Horse’s ankle 14 Vegas game 15 Winslet et al.

16 Festive log 17 Part of the eye 18 Inspirations 19 Neutral color 20 Nirvana classic 22 Thpeaks like thith 23 Poke

24 25 29 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 42

Woodland creature Steep gulches Kind of surfer Finger-paints Go like a siren Was very thrifty Call in sick “May the — be with you” Dust cloth Shrink’s reply (2 wds.)

Viking name

Lettuce Cardinal British for wrench Corn crib Tavern fare Cuba neighbor Weather maker (2 wds.)

Debate side Emery boards River to the Seine Balmy Degrade Eurasian range Fr. miss Inclinations Dispatch

DOWN 1 Injure a knee 2 Paris papa 3 Where to earn a deg.

4 Rhinoplasty (2 wds.)

5 Hands-on-hips 6 Dry watercourse 7 Nefertiti’s god 8 Interpret tea leaves 9 Mountain curve 10 School subject 11 Not his and hers 12 Give a hand 13 Enters data 21 Shafts of light

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 35 38 41 43 44 46 48 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 61

Chaney of horror movies Broad valley Oil-well capper Red — Hoist Decreed Excalibur Candle parts Tire center “— Street Blues” Mystery writer’s award Jackie’s second Spore producer It’s on its way out (2 wds.)

Ice cream treat Disagreeable Sequel’s sequel Moves the puck Soccer’s Mia — Indigo plant “— cost you” Mesh Flair Kind of pilot Gael republic Big — — elephant Canasta play Groovy

Eric Bane: from the hospital to military camp

‘The LasT ship’ saiLs baCk for a seCond season Just a few hours after its US release, The Last Ship will air first and exclusive in the Philippines on Warner TV at 9:50 p.m. today.

Last year’s top summer drama will premiere with a double episode, featuring epic-scale and visceral storytelling based on William Brinkley’s popular novel.

In season two, The Last Ship sails again in its quest to save humanity after a devastating pandemic. Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy) stars in the action-packed military thriller from blockbuster filmmaker Michael Bay (Transformers).

The Last Ship chronicles a global catastrophe that nearly decimates the world’s population.

Because of its positioning, the Navy destroyer U.S.S. Nathan James avoided the tragedy. But now, Captain Tom Chandler (Dane) and his crew must confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they may be among the few remaining survivors.

As the second season opens, Chandler, his second-in-command XO Mike Slattery (Adam Baldwin) and the rest of the crew are working to disseminate the cure that paleo-microbiologist Dr. Rachel Scott (RhonaMitra) developed at the end of the first season. But a new enemy surfaces in this high-impact drama.

In the US, The Last Ship was a blockbuster hit in its first season, not only among total viewers but also among key adult demos. The series ranked as basic cable’s No. 1 new series of 2014.

Warner TV is available on SKYcable Channel 77, SKYcable HD Channel 197,Cignal HD Channel 119, Destiny Cable (Digital) Channel 77, Destiny Cable (Analog) Channel 80, and Cable Link Channel 30.

Maynila

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Araw ng

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 24 , 2 0 1 5

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www.manilastandardtoday.com editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Deviana, Ballet Manila, The Company, Architect Alfred Geoffrey Carandang, The Junior New System, Vic del Rosario, The Manila Hotel, Sarao Motor Inc., Tourism Infrastructure Enterprises Zone Authority (TIEZA) and actor-director Eddie Garcia (Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Award).

Last Saturday, June 20, the more than 800 barangays of Manila were at center-stage, with the Barangay Awards held at Forum 3, Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). The awarding ceremonies were led by Mayor Estrada and Councilor Salvador Philip Lacuna, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay Manila Chapter.

The awards’ Executive Committee and technical working group composed of heads and staff of the DILG Manila field office and the Manila Barangay Bureau picked the barangay awardees, divided into overall/group awards and specia awards.

These are Barangay ng Kinabukasan (childfriendly and gender-sensitive), Barangay Mapayapa (peaceful, secure and drug-free), Barangay Malusog (health and sanitation), Barangay Makakalikasan (clean and green) and Barangay Laging Handa (best DRRM programs - disaster and rescue).

Last Sunday, the Manila Youth and Development Office led by Dr. Angel Espiritu initiated various activities for the youth, among them the Manila Youth Rocks BMX Bike Competition, Street Dance Competition, Graffiti Theme: Dito sa Maynila, and a grand concert featuring Parokya ni Edgar, Wolf Gang and Silent Sanctuary.

Other activities were Manila’s Got Talent finals night at Robinsons Place in Ermita (June 22), First Mayor Erap Interzone Ten Ball Billiard Tournament at the Arturo Tolentino Sports Complex in Dapitan, Sampaloc (June 24) led by MASCO chief Philip Cezar, and Cooperative Awards (June 23).

Three important events capped the celebration.

On June 23 at 4 p.m., the city officials will unveil the newly constructed Friendship Gate at Binondo Chinatown, at the foot of Jones Bridge. The event will be led by Mayor Estrada and Councilor Bernie Ang. The new arch will be the biggest such Friendship Arch outside of China, measuring 15.6 meters in height and 26 meters in width. Funds used in the construction came from donations from Chinese donors.

Manila will honor its Outstanding Manilans and Outstanding Taxpayers in fitting ceremonies at the Manila Hotel on Tuesday, June 23.

Last but not least, the city will pick its Miss Manila and her court, Circa 2015, in an entertaining beauty pageant to be held at the PICC Plenary Hall at 7 p.m. on June 24. The event is handled by Viva Entertainment.

From B5

It has been witness to the first instance of trade globalization through the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade route from 1565 to 1815. It has also been witness to many insurrections, revolts, several foreign occupations and two World Wars.

Today, we celebrate Araw ng Maynila, the anniversary of its proclamation as the capital city by Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. who built the walled city of Intramuros upon the ruins of Rajah Soliman’s fort.

As it enters its 444th year– give or take a couple of hundred, if you take into consideration the fact that it was already the bustling Kingdom of Maynila in the latter half of the Ming Dynasty– it’s fairly understandable that the city known as the Pearl of the Orient is a little worse for wear. Dirty, polluted, and definitely congested, it has definitely lost some of its sparkle.

The rich lustre of this pearl has not totally faded in this day and age, however.

At present, Manila and its sixteen territorial districts still serve as home to many of the most important institutions in the land. Historic edifices are still very much alive, side by side with growing buildings that are a testament to a bustling, thriving city. On its shores can still be viewed the most spectacular sunsets, no less splendid than they were centuries ago. The streets are still filled with music and color– and most importantly, life.

We believe it will never fade out. More and more people are discovering and rediscovering the treasure that is Manila. With its rich history, warm people, and unique culture, through people, business and a government that refuses to let go of their heritage, we may find that Manila is still not yet done with history, and is still making it every single day.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

444th ARAW NG MAYNILA 15 – MONDAY 8:00 am – Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 1 c/o Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center Brgy. 105 Covered Court Maginoo St., Tondo

16 – TUESDAY 8:00 am – Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 2 c/o Ospital ng Tondo Brgy 216 Casac Covered Court Abad Santos Avenue 5:00 pm –

Awarding Ceremony for Outstanding Educators and Students Manila Grand Opera Hotel

17 – WEDNESDAY 8:00 am – Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 5 c/o Ospital ng Maynila Paraiso ng Batang Maynila 3:00 pm – Awarding Ceremony for Outstanding City Hall Employees Bulwagang Antonio Villegas Hall, Manila City Hall 18 – THURSDAY 8:00 am – Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 4 c/o Ospital ng Sampaloc Brgy 419, Loreto Covered Court

19 – FRIDAY 8:00 am Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 3 c/o Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital Delpan Sports Complex 20 – SATURDAY 6:00 pm – 2015 Barangay Awards Forum 3, Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) 21 – SUNDAY 10:00 am – Manila Youth Rocks: BMX Bike Competition Rajah Sulayman 22 – MONDAY 8:00 am Medical Mission 12:00 nn – District 6 c/o Sta. Ana Hospital Brgy 841, Bagong Barangay Covered Court Zamora St. 6:00 pm – Manila’s Got Talent Final Night Robinsons Place Manila Ermita, Manila 23 – TUESDAY 7:00am – Distribution of 100 10:00 am Fiber Boats c/o Manila Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office 3:00 pm – Cooperative Awards Bulwagan Antonio

4:00 pm –

6:00 pm –

Villegas Hall, Manila City Hall Inauguration and Ribbon Cutting of the New Entrance Gate Of Manila Chinatown Foot of Jones Bridge Escolta, Manila Gawad Gat Andres Bonifacio Award, Outstanding Manilans And Top Taxpayers Fiesta Pavillion, Manila Hotel

24 – WEDNESDAY 8:00 am – 9:00 am Thanksgiving Mass San Agustin Church, Intramuros, Manila 9:00 am – 9:30 am Wreath-laying Ceremony at the tomb of Miguel Lopez de Lagaspi San Agustin Church, Intramuros, Manila 9:30 am – 10:00 am Wreath-laying Ceremony at the statue of Rajah Sulayman Plaza Rajah Sulayman, Malate, Manila 10:00 am 1st Mayor Erap Interzone Ten Ball Billiard Tournament Championship Senator Arturo Tolentino Sports Complex (Formerly Dapitan Sports Complex) 7:00 pm Miss Manila 2015 Plenary Hall Philippine International Convention Center (PICC)

W EDNES DAY : J UNE 24 : 2015

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Donors helped GMAKapuso Foundation in completing the Kapuso Village in Tacloban

Landmark achievement iSah v. red GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) recently marked another milestone achievement with the completion of its 403-unit housing project in Tacloban, Leyte.

The Kapuso Village in Tacloban is the first permanent concrete housing project in the area for survivors of typhoon Yolanda.

With the help of its donors and partners, the foundation continues to reach out to the survivors and other affected people surrounding the area of Tacloban.

Along with the housing project, GMAKF is planning to build 24 new classrooms under its Kapuso School Development project within the Kapuso Village in Tacloban. A Kapuso Village will also soon rise in Palo with 169 more concrete houses to further accommodate the survivors.

Mel C. Tiangco, GMAKF EVP and COO, recalls all the hard work and expresses her gratitude for those who made the project possible.

“Besides the financial assistance, some donors gave us construction materials or appliances, while some gave us really good discounts,” shares Tiangco. “Needless to say, we are grateful for the trust and generosity bestowed to us by numerous citizens all over the world.”

The foundation also requested the local government to provide an additional 2,000 square meter space for an office for the homeowners association, function hall and a multi-purpose center, where residents can set up sari-sari stores and other establishments they deem wise, to further make the area a barangay.

Meanwhile, GMAKF recently formed a group of volunteers under the guidance of the Department of Community Development of the College of Social Work and Community Development in UP Diliman to help and guide the beneficiaries of the Kapuso Village in terms of having a sense of community and building camaraderie.

There are currently 403 families or more than 3,000 individuals, who were left homeless by the super typhoon, who are now residing in the Kapuso Village in Tacloban.

HHHHH True DeTecTive SeconD SeaSon on HBo The Emmy® and BAFTA award winning True Detective is back with an eight-episode second season same time as the US on HBO every Monday. It premiered on June 22 at 9 a.m. with a same day primetime encore at 9 p.m.. The series is also on HBO GO since June 22.

In this new season of True Detective, a bizarre murder brings together three law-enforcement officers and a career criminal, each must navigate a web of conspiracy and betrayal in the scorched landscapes of California.

Colin Farrell (Golden Globe winner for In Bruges) plays Ray Velcoro, a troubled detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him. Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers) portrays Frank Semyon, a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner. Rachel McAdams (Midnight in Paris) plays Ani Bezzerides, a sheriff ’s detective whose uncompromising ethics put her at odds with others and the system she serves. Taylor

Kitsch (HBO’s The Normal Heart) portrays Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and a highway patrol motorcycle officer, running from a difficult past and the sudden glare of a scandal that never happened.

The cast also includes Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) as Jordan Semyon, Frank’s wife, a former D-list actress who is a full partner in his enterprises and ambitions; Christopher James Baker (Gotham) as Blake Churchman; Afemo Omilami (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) as Police Chief Holloway; Chris Kerson (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) as Nails; and James Frain (HBO’s True Blood) as Lt. Kevin Burris.

Among the guest stars this season are Lolita Davidovich, W. Earl Brown, David Morse and Rick Springfield.

True Detective season 2 airs Mondays, 9 a.m. and encores at 9 p.m. on HBO. ➜ continued on c7

Mel Tiangco and the Kapuso Village in Tacloban

Kapuso stars join the gift-giving campaign of GMA Kapuso Foundation in Leyte

With the help of its donors and partners, the foundation continues to reach out to the survivors and other affected people surrounding the area of tacloban

Irish actor Colin Farrell joins the season 2 cast of HBO's original series True Detective as Ray Velcoro