The Standard - 2015 June 26 - Friday

ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2015 VOL. XXIX  NO. 126  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  FRIDAY : JUNE 26, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Comelec cuts PCOS outlay

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PNOY: I’M SURPRISED

BY BINAY’S DECISION

By Sandy Araneta and Rey E. Requejo

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III fired back Thursday at Vice President Jejomar Binay, saying the people know who was telling the truth, and who is not.

Reacting to Binay’s attack on his administration Monday, the President said the Vice President never brought up those issues when he was still a member of the Cabinet, but said other Cabinet members would answer his allegations point-by-point.

Aquino admitted he was surprised by Binay’s sudden departure from the Cabinet, and said he called up the Vice President after he received his resignation letter, which was submitted to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa.

“I was surprised why there was a resignation at this point in time. So I called him up and eventually we got to talk and I asked him specifically what was the reason,” Aquino said.

Binay replied, “A lot”, and said that the Vice President would just write it all down and send it to him (Aquino). Next page

Livestock conference. President Benigno Aquino III delivers his speech at the opening of Livestock Philippines 2015 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. MALACAÑANG

PHOTO BUREAU

Veep challenges Koko: ‘Be a man’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta VICE President Jejomar Binay challenged Senator Aquilino Pimentel III to be a man and push through with his plan to call for an audit of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and its agencies that Binay headed until he quit from the Cabinet Monday.

In a letter to Pimentel dated June 24, a copy of

which was obtained by Senate journalists, Binay said he read in the papers that the senator was considering requesting an audit of the different shelter agencies under the HUDCC. ‘’Obviously, your statement is but part of the demolition by perception employed by you and your Senate cohorts for the last 10 months. I hope this is not a bluff. I dare you: Magpapakalalaki ka (Be a man),’’ wrote Binay.

Ex-UP law dean elected to int’l court

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BI execs lose signing authority PNoy: From A1...

“After our conversation, I told him, ‘Okay, I will wait for it’,” said Aquino.

Aquino noted that Binay declared himself as the leader of the opposition on Wednesday.

“Well, I and the Cabinet will answer point-by-point all of the allegations,” Aquino said.

The President also said he never treated Binay like “a spare tire.”

He said that their agreement was he would be given the assignment on housing, and he asked for the work on overseas Filipino Workers.

These assignments, Aquino said, gave Binay the opportunity to maintain his popularity ratings.

Aquino said, that although Binay was not an ally, this did not stop him from recognizing his work.

But Aquino said it was not his primary function to become involved in political discussions regarding the 2016 elections.

“I have the responsibility to improve this society, this country. And I will not allow our attention to be distracted by getting involved in political discussions, which I think, it is clear with the people who is telling the truth and who is not,” Aquino said.

Aquino recalled that he and Binay have been together for a long time since the 1986 EDSA Revolution and even before that.

Aquino also recalled that during the 1987 attempted

Veep From A1... ‘’I expect nothing less than a continuation of your demolition campaign against me,’’ the letter continued.

Pimentel, who split with Binay in 2013, heads the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee that has been investigating allegations of corruption against the Vice President, and has held 22 public hearings on the issue to date.

Binay’s media affairs chief Joey Salgado confirmed the authenticity of Binay’s letter to Pimentel.

“Yes. VP sent that letter this (Thursday) morning,” Salgado said in a text message to reporters.

In a phone patch interview, Pimentel confirmed he got the letter and said there was no need for Binay to challenge him to seek an audit because he would do so soon.

With or without the letter, Pimentel said he will write the Commission on Audit to seek an audit of the HUDCC under Binay.

He denied, however, that the audit was part of a demolition job. ‘’No one has an idea or inkling as to the result [of the audit]...The audit could even clear him, so therefore he can use it for positive spin. So how can this be part of a demolition job?” Pimentel said.

coup, when he wasambushed, Binay was also an ally.

But politics has changed their relationship, he said.

Aquino said Binay may have had many ideas about how to improve he country, but he had an obligation to share these as a Cabinet member but did not.

“Why didn’t he share these?

Maybe you should ask him (Binay). If you have any help to provide to make the lives of the people better, which you have vowed to do, why did you make it a secret?,” he asked.

On Wednesday, the Vice President called the Aquino government callous and incompetent.

The presumptive Liberal Party candidate for president next year, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, said he found it laughable that Binay would criticize the administration for its “crooked leadership and selective justice.”

“I find it funny. The thing is, he’s had every single day over the last five years to point out these wrongdoings or mistakes in this administration,” Roxas said.

“But we did not hear anything – zero, until now,” Roxas added.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, on the other hand, defended the Aquino administration from the charge of selective justice.

De Lima said the Vice President should first explain his and his family’s involvement in various graft and corruption charges before even making such accusations.

“Apparently the Vice President has not heard of the saying that people who live in

glass houses should not throw stones. He should first put his own affairs in order, especially the corruption cases against him and members of his family, before he even starts talking of so-called selective justice. There is no selective justice here,” De Lima said, in a text message to reporters.

“Just because high officials and big fish like him are feeling the long arm of the law does not mean there is selective justice,” she added.

The Vice President, his son, current Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. and several other Makati City officials are facing charges over the alleged overpricing in the construction of the Makati City Parking Building II, which was started when the elder Binay was still Makati mayor.

Early this week, the factfinding team of the Office of the Ombudsman recommended placing Mayor Binay under preventive suspension and recommended graft charges against him, his father and other Makati City officials over the alleged rigging of the bidding for the construction of the 10-story Makati Science High School building.

Binay’s wife, Elenita is also facing graft charges before the Sandiganbayan for the allegedly overpriced purchase of hospital equipment and furniture during her term as Makati mayor.

In his speech, the first following his resignation from the Cabinet, Binay accused the Aquino administration of employing selective justice against him and his family while turning a blind eye to administration friends and

allies implicated in controversies like the pork barrel scam, the Disbursement Acceleration Program which was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, the Metro Rail Transit project and the Mamasapano tragedy that left 44 elite police commandos dead.

De Lima earlier was criticized for the delay in the filing of the third batch of charges related to the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam whose respondents include close allies of the President such as Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Joel Villanueva and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

The first batch of PDAFrelated criminal charges were filed in September 2013 against 38 individuals, including opposition Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Jinggoy Estrada, as well as alleged fund scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

The second batch, filed two months later, involved graft complaints against former Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon and 33 others over the alleged misuse of their pork barrel allocations.

Also on Thursday, the Department of Budget and Management denied Binay’s claim that internal revenue allotment (IRA) releases were withheld or delayed.

“We do not withhold these appropriations and they have always been released without condition or delay. All agency transactions between the DBM and LGUs in 2013 have been properly documented,” said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

The senator, who dismissed Binay’s challenge to his manhood, said he obtained information from his hometown Cagayan de Oro that government housing projects for victims of typhoon Sendong have not yet been completed.

Binay and Pimentel had a falling out when Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) agreed to include former senator Miguel Zubiri, whom Pimentel said had cheated him of a Senate seat in 2007, into its senatorial ticket in 2013.

Saying he would not share the stage during the campaign period with Zubiri, Pimentel left the UNA and joined the Liberal Party.

Binay accepted Aquino’s offer to head the HUDCC, the agency created in 1986 by the president’s mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, in 2010.

The HUDCC serves as the highest policy making body for housing and coordinates the activities of government housing agencies.

Binay said the housing sector was able to provide direct housing assistance to nearly 582,000 low-income and squatter families since he assumed leadership in the HUDCC in July 2010.

“The housing projects have also injected some P200 million into the economy and generated more than 3.5 million jobs,” Binay said.

Binay, who now heads the dominant opposition party

UNA, said he was a member of the PDP-Laban but bolted from the party because political differences with Pimentel.

The Vice President has repeatedly said that he owed his political career to two persons—the late former President Corazon Aquino and former Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr., the father of Pimentel III. Binay on Thursday said he appreciated the messages of support he received after he resigned from the Cabinet.

“Thank you for your support. People like you strengthen my determination to continue our fight against poverty and to bring back a respect of the law,” he said in a press statement.

“With your help, we can build a new and better nation for the people, particularly the poor,” he added.

The Vice President railed against the administration in his address, calling it insensitive to the real needs of the people.

During the press conference at the Coconut palace Wednesday, Binay slammed the administration for its failure to respond to critical issues that hounded it, such as the Mamasapano massacre, the rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit, and the scandals surrounding the Priority Development Assistance Fund and Disbursement Acceleration Program.

“I think what resonated most with our people was the need to liberate the poor from

poverty under a caring and competent government, and the selective justice employed under this administration,” said Binay.

“I believe our people are also fed up with the incompetent and callous management employed by the current administration,” he added.

Binay, who retained the highest approval and trust ratings among government officials according to Pulse Asia’s latest survey, vowed to continue working for the people’s welfare.

The Vice President also stressed that he will not back down from the presidential race despite the sustained efforts to malign him and his family.

Opposition lawmakers welcomed Binay’s break with the administration and said his resignation would further unify the opposition.

“Binay has finally expressed his true feelings towards the Aquino administration,” said Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz, member of the independent minority bloc in the House of Representatives.

Paranaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting, a UNA stalwart, said Binay’s stand against the administration was clear with his resignation from the Cabinet.

But House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Binay was just sour graping after the President refused to endorse his candidacy in 2016. – With Maricel V. Cruz

By Christine F. Herrera and Maricel V. Cruz

THE authority to sign documents that was stripped from top Immigration executives has been reassigned to three trusted men of Immigration Commissioner Siefred Mison in the wake of a scandal over allegations that top officials ordered the release of a suspected Chinese crime lord, Wang Bo, in exchange for millions of pesos.

In an administrative order dated June 18, Mison clipped the powers of Associate Commissioners Gilberto Repizo and Abdullah Mangotara and Executive Director Eric Dimaculangan and granted those powers to three cluster technical assistants deployed to their offices.

Dimaculangan keeps his position and is still secretary of the Board of Commissioners, but he has lost his powers to sign documents and to schedule and set the agenda for meetings.

Based on the same order, Repizo, Mangotara and Dimaculangan have been barred from reporting directly to Mison and instead were ordered to report to the CTAs, who would then report to Mison.

The three top officials were also directed to submit reports to the concerned CTAs for the commissioner that “indicates relevant statistics and bench-marking data as well as updates of any pending cluster project, plan or program during the previous month.”

The CTAs were placed under the direct control and supervision of Mison and will hold office at the Office of the Commissioner.

The CTAs were also directed to personally attend all the cluster meetings to be called by the three officials.

Any transaction that would be made by the three officials will be reported to Mison.

“The commissioner shall retain his power to control, direct and supervise all divisions, sections, units and offices in the Bureau, notwithstanding the provisions of the order,” Mison’s order said.

Also on Thursday, journalist Benny Antiporda protested a subpoena sent him by the National Bureau of Investigation, which is looking into the bribery allegations.

Antiporda said he was surprised to have been issued a subpoena by the NBI when he had already agreed to meet with lawyer Peter Lugay, chief of the Special Probe Team created by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Antiporda was summoned to the NBI on July 2, a few days before he was set to appear before the House committee on good government and public accountability on the same issue.

Antiporda was invited by the panel after Mison disclosed that it was Antiporda who was his source for infor-

mation that Repizo and other Immigration officials had met with the representative of Wang before reversing his deportation order on May 21.

“I am cooperating with the NBI even if it is their job to investigate the proliferation of illegal casino gambling in Metro Manila. How come they are investigating the journalists reporting on these illegal activities? Why doesn’t the NBI do its job,” Antiporda said.

Antiporda is set to appear before the House panel on July 7.

A ranking member of the minority in the House of Representatives on Thursday took up the cudgels for Mison, saying he was being unjustly dragged and tarred in the Wang Bo controversy.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III slammed attempts to link Mison to allegations of briber despite his decisive actions in upholding the country’s immigration and deportation laws and compliance with diplomatic protocol in handling the Chinese government’ s request for the turnover of the fugitive Wang.

“Mison is a good public servant with solid credentials who serves government with utmost competence and honesty. He is incorruptible as BI chief and has relentlessly pursued anti graft and corruption programs to eliminate the corrosive, corrupt system at the BI perpetrated by some of the bureau’s errant and corrupt officials,” Albano, House contingent head for the minority of the Commission on Appointments said in a statement.

Albano also decried newspaper reports which alleged that Mison was bribed P100 million to delay the deportation of the Chinese fugitive.

Mison had denied the allegation.

“This is grossly erroneous and unfair because it was Mison who, upon the arrest of Bo Wang, decisively acted on the request of the Chinese government for the deportation of the fugitive gambling lord,” Albano said.

Albano pointed out the preponderance of undeniable solid evidence based on BI records and documents which clears Mison of any wrongdoing.

Albano said there would have been no bribery scandal if Repizo and Mangotara had not countermanded Mison’s order to deport Wang.

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Pinoy fishermen ask UN to rein in China

China on his mind. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio explains to the law students of the Pamantasan ng

Lunsod ng Maynila how China violates the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on Thursday. Danny Pata

PNoy eyes expanded VFA pact with Japan PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III wants an expanded cooperation with Japan and a Visiting Forces Agreement with it similar to that with the United States, an official said Thursday.

“In his interview with the Japan National Press Club last June 5, the President emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation with Japan, which is one of the Philippines’ two strategic partners,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a text message to reporters.

“The DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs] and the DND [Department of National Defense] are now discussing with their Japanese counterparts the feasibility of forging such a Visiting Forces Agreement,” Coloma said.

“It will be recalled that the VFA

with the United States was submitted and ratified by the Senate. Hence, any similar agreement will have to undergo the same process,” he said.

Coloma made his statement even as the Defense Department on Thursday confirmed that the country was interested in acquiring P-3C “Orion” maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft from Japan.

“We are interested in acquiring them [P-3Cs], especially if they become excess defense articles as we can acquire them at a very reasonable price that is advantageous to the government,” Defense spokesman Peter Paul Galvez said.

Japan is in the process of replacing its P-3Cs with its homegrown Kawasaki Heavy P-1 patrol aircraft, which has twice the range of the “Orion” that is pegged at 2,380 nautical miles.

The Japanese military is known to operate 70-plus units of the P-3Cs. Coloma made his statement after he was asked if Malacañang would

ask Congress to speed up the ratification of the VFA with Japan.

The relations between the Philippines and China plunged to their 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 the 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.

Earlier in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Aquino jointly declared that the relationship between their two countries had entered the stage of “Strengthened Strategic Partnership,” in which they will cooperate for shared principles and goals even as they expressed concern about the large-scale reclamation in the South China Sea by China. Sandy araneta, with Pna

A GROUP of Filipino fishermen have asked the United Nations to stop China harassing them as they cast their nets around a disputed South China Sea shoal, their lawyer said Thursday.

The fishermen allege that China, which has controlled the Scarborough Shoal since a brief 2012 stand-off with the Philippines, is violating their rights to food and livelihood by driving them away, lawyer Harry Roque told AFP. Signed by 30 fishermen, the petition was sent via email to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and others in the organization in Geneva on Wednesday, he said.

“They are asking for a remedy. (What they want is) no one telling them where and when they can fish,” Roque said.

The current situation was “very, very sad” he said, adding that some of the men are now forced to fish in shallow waters with little success, while many of their wives work abroad to support the family.

The shoal lies 220 kilometers (140 miles) off the main Philippine island of Luzon and 650 kilometers (408 miles) from Hainan island, the nearest major Chinese land mass.

The Philippines claims the shoal is within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

The government has lodged a separate appeal before a United Nations arbitration tribunal to declare China’s sovereignty claim over most of the South China Sea as illegal.

In April, Philippine authorities accused the Chinese coast guard of robbing Filipino fishermen of their catch at gunpoint at Scarborough Shoal and shooing away one group with a water cannon.

In their petition, the Filipino fishermen cited another supposed incident in April last year when Chinese authorities on speedboats

and armed with assault rifles allegedly drove them away, shouting: “Go away, go away, three miles, China island,” the 22-page “urgent appeal” read.

The 30 fishermen asked the United Nations to “remind, declare, and direct China and its state agents to cease and desist from violating (their) human rights―including the right to livelihood, the right to adequate food, and the right life”.

China recently reinforced its claim over almost the entire South China Sea by building artificial islands on disputed reefs.

A recent poll showed eight in 10 Filipinos fear the festering sea dispute with China might lead to “armed conflict” with their powerful Asian neighbor.

Meanwhile, in Washington US President Barack Obama urged Beijing to take “concrete steps” to ease tensions over cyber hacking and its wide-ranging maritime claims, as the United States and China ended three days of candid talks.

American officials have voiced deep concerns about both issues at the annual strategic and economic dialogue aimed at setting guidelines to steer future ties between the world’s two leading economies.

During talks in Washington with top Chinese officials, Obama “raised ongoing US concerns about China’s cyber and maritime behavior, and he urged China to take concrete steps to lower tensions,” the White House said.

Ties have strained over US accusations of cyber espionage and this week’s talks come after revelations of huge breaches of US government computer networks at the Office of Personnel Management.

Washington has also voiced concerns about China’s territorial claims to much of the South and East China Seas, calling on Beijing to resolve the issue peacefully with its neighbors. - aFP

Ex-UP dean elected to int’l court

By Rey E. Requejo RAUL Pangalangan, a former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law, was elected judge in the International Criminal Court on Wednesday, the Philippine Mission at the United Nations announced.

His election came after the states parties of the ICC met in The Hague, where they chose him over another nominee, Ibrahim Aljazy, a former minister of justice in Jordan and now dean of the University of Jordan Law. Pangalangan received a majority of 59 votes during the second round of voting, and was subsequently declared the winner.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno hailed his election.

“This is a most welcome development. It augurs well for the future. Filipino achievement and leadership in the field of law is being recognized by the international community,” said Sereno, a former colleague of Pangalangan.

“I wish nothing but success for Dr. Raul C. Pangalangan’s six-year term as Judge of the International Criminal Court.”

Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, a former dean of the UP College of Law, said Pangalangan deserved the ICC post.

“He will do us proud. He will continue to show the world the quality of our magistrates and lawyers,” Leonen said.

He said Pangalangan follows in the footsteps of former Chief Justice Cesar Bengzon and Associate Justice Florenti-

no Feliciano. Bengzon was the first Filipino who was elected Judge in the ICC upon his retirement from the Supreme Court in 1966.

Pangalangan will fill up the seat vacated by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who resigned from the ICC in June last year for health reasons. He will serve the ICC until March 10, 2021.

The Philippine government nominated Pangalangan as a result of his expertise in international and constitutional laws and his various works that are relevant to the ICC. The ICC is an intergovernmental organization that was established “to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.” It started its work in 2002.

Scheduled for training. Members of the Philippine Coast Guard show off 20 dogs that will be trained on search-and-rescue operations and narcotics detection in Romblon. Danny Pata

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Poll agency cuts PCOS project cost

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Commission on Elections on Thursday approved the contract price for the repair and upgrading of the poll body’s Precinct Count Optical Scanners, but cut the maximum approved cost by more than P800 million.

Out of the running. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte speaks before the Asia CEO Forum in Makati City where he said he will not run for president in 2016. “I do not covet the position. I don’t want it. I don’t need it,” he said. EY ACASIO

Poe gets nod of 93% of voters

By Sandy Araneta SENATOR Grace Poe tops the latest Pulse Asia Research Inc. survey of public approval of senators, the pollster said on Thursday, citing the survey it conducted from May 30 to June 5.

Poe got a 93-percent approval rating as senator in the survey with a disapproval rating of only 0.4 percent and six percent undecided.

Second highest was Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero with 83 percent with a 3 percent disapproval rating and 13 percent undecided score.

Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Alan Peter Cayetano, got the third and fourth highest approval ratings, respectively.

Fifth was Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., with 70 percent approval, 8 percent disapproval, and 22 percent undecided ratings.

Marcos has been leading the scrutiny of the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law at the Senate.

Other top senators included Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III 68 percent approval, 5 percent disapproval, and 27 percent undecided.

Senator Loren Legarda 65 percent approval, 7 percent disapproval, and 28 percent undecided.

Senator Ralph Recto 64 percent approval, 5 percent disapproval, and 31 percent undecided.

Senator Sergio Osmena III, 61 percent approval, 7 percent disapproval, and 32 percent undecided.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, 55 percent approval, 9 percent disapproval, and 36 percent undecided.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, 53 percent approval, 7 percent disapproval, and 39 undecided.

Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay, 52 percent approval, 17 percent disapproval, and 30 percent undecided.

Senator Aquilino Martin Pimentel III, 49 percent approval, 10 percent disapproval, and 41 percent undecided.

Senator President Franklin Drilon, 49 percent approval, 8 percent disapproval, and 42 percent undecided.

Senator Teofisto Guingona III, 46 percent approval, 10 percent disapproval, and 44 percent undecided.

Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid, 42 percent approval, 15 percent disapproval, and 42 percent undecided.

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, 41 percent approval, 18 percent disapproval, and 41 percent undecided.

The Comelec Special Bids and Awards Committee said the contract price was reduced from P2.880 billion to P2.074 billion because the auction panel decided to remove the contract component involving the replacement of 81,896 unrepairable PCOS units.

Under the new approved budget, bidders must comply to do the work in refurbishing of existing PCOS machines with system upgrade for the period of five months; upgrading and/ or replacement of major and other parts; preventive maintenance and warranty; hauling; technical support; consumables of the existing PCOS machines, like external memory storage device, marking pens, thermal papers for printing reports and supplies, ballot scanner cleaning sheets during election days; and ballots.

So far, companies that have expressed interest in bidding for the contract are Smartmatic - Total Information Management Corp.; Indra Philippines Inc, and Vertex Inc. Comelec James Jimenez said the bidding for the rental of 75,000 Optical Mark Readers and repair of PCOS machines will be held simultaneously on June 29.

But Smartmatic-TIM will have no advantage in the bidding for the refurbishment of the PCOS machines, said Comelec-SCAB chairman Jubil Surmieda assured the public amid fears that Smartmatic would be given preferential treatment in the auction.

Doubts in Smartmatic emerged as the Supreme Court junked the P268.8million negotiated contract between

the Comelec and Smartmatic because it violated Republic Act No. 9184, or the Government Procurement Act. Surmieda said that the SBAC under his leadership will not be biased in the ongoing public bidding given the failed negotiated contract with the Smartmatic-TIM to repair the PCOS machines.

“That negotiation contract is no longer valid. It was already nullified by the Supreme Court,” Surmieda told journalists after the Pre-Bid Conference for the PCOS repair deal on Thursday.

The Comelec will wait for more companies to purchase bidding documents until June 30 when the openning of bids will also be held at the Bureau of Treasury Hall in Intramuros, Manila.

Meanwhile, the poll watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting joined the Comelec’s “No Bio, No Boto” campaign and asked all bishops in the country to help persuade Filipino Catholics to have their biometrics taken so they can vote in 2016.

PPCRV chairperson Henrietta de Villa said they have asked all dioceses to include the announcement every Sunday mass so that local Catholics will not be disenfranchised in the coming elections.

De Villa said she was alarmed that there are 4.3 million registered voters who may not be able to vote in 2016 because they still do not have biometrics with the agency.

De Villa said, it is best for the voters to check and complete their registration application to make sure that they can exercise their right of suffrage.

Trillanes declares VP bid in 2016

By Macon Ramos-Araneta DECLARING he is already 100 percent sure of his political plans for 2016, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said he will run for vice president, with or without the support of the Nacionalista Party to which he belongs.

“I am 100-percent sure that I will run as vice president, with or without the support of my party,” Trillanes told journalists at the weekly “Kapihan sa Senado.”

“I was the first (to announce) and nobody contradicted me,” he said. “I don’t have a plan to grow old in politics. If we want change...

If we aspire for a change, we should implement change now,” the twoterm senator said.

Trillanes was first elected to

the Senate in 2007 and is the first Philippine senator to be elected while in prison for staging the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, but he was pardoned by President Benigno Aquino III in 2010.

Since he is already serving his second term, he is no longer qualified for re-election and cannot return to the Senate after the May 2016 elections because his his term will expire in July next year.

Trillanes admitted he is not certain if the NP, led by former Senate President Manny Villar, will choose him as its vice presidential bet.

“There is still no official decision from NP [but] individual decisions should come first and that individual decision has been made,” said Trillanes, who had

just returned from the United States where he took a short course at Harvard University.

While he believes Villar will support all NP members aspiring for higher office, he said he will pursue his vice presidential bid even if he has to launch a national campaign on his own, adding that he is relying on the Magdalo Partylist, which has 450,000 members nationwide.

“What we don’t have in terms of resources for advertisements, we make up for it by expanding our grassroots organization,” said Trillanes, adding that they will go directly to the people.

“As much as we can, we’ll reach out to the different locel government units, hoping we can convince them that we are the better alternative.”

Decidedly running. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV answers questions from journalists as he declared his candidacy for the vice presidency in 2016 at the weekly “Kapihan sa Senado.” MACON ARANETA

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Special panel to look into treason raps vs BBL team

By Vito Barcelo

In and out. Police deputy director general Danilo Constantino (left) and retiring PNP office-in-charge Leonardo Espina share a light moment before the formal pinning of ranks at Camp Crame. LINO SANTOS

3-star general emerges as dark horse in PNP race

By Francisco tuyay

A newly-promoted police general who was summoned by president Benigno S. Aquino III to malacanang may emerge as the dark horse in the race for the top post in the philippine national police.

Police Director Danilo Constantino, former regional commander in the Visayas who was promoted to a three-star rank, is now the chief of the directorial staff. he was the fourth man in PNP hierarchy to be interviewed by Aquino at the Palace recently.

Constantino admitted he and his PMA classmate Director Ricardo Marquez, the current chief of thedirectorate for operations went to Malacanang on the order of the President.

“It’s true that we were

summoned by the President but we don’t know if it was really an interview because that was just a casual conversation,” Constantino told reporters during talks with PNP Officer-in-Charge Deputy Director General Leonardo espina in Camp Crame. he revealed that he was the first one who talked with the President; he declined to disclosed what was discussed during the meeting with the President.

Constantino, a member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1982 was promoted to deputy director general along with three other senior police officials Thursday.

Constantino said the meeting with Aquino centered on some issues relating to the Mamasapano operations that claimed the lives of 44 police commandos and the supposed factions in the PNP which he did not elaborate. he said that the retirement issue was also discussed with the President. “There was a question about retirement.

Maybe he (President) wants to know if our birthdays are after the 2016 elections.” however, Constantino brushed aside presumptions of him being picked to the PNP top post. “Its too presumptive.

Of course, I would be elated if I

were considered.”

Constantino will be retiring in July next year, before Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo bows of service in March 2016, the crucial pre-requisite in the selection process for the next PNP chief.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas emphasized that the selection process has been limited to those whose retirement date is beyond the 2016 elections.

By that requisite, Garbo is technically disqualified since his retirement comes two months before the 2016 presidential elections.

Other contenders to the PNP top post include Director Benjamin Magalong, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and suspended police Regional-3 commander Chief Supt Raul Petrasanta.

The Manila city prosecutor’s office has formed a panel to handle the first criminal case against framers of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, including members of the negotiating panel of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza and other personalities have filed criminal charges against the government peace panel due to alleged unconstitutionality of some provisions of the proposed BBL. The former Manila mayor filed charges of treason and inciting to sedition against the peace panel before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office.he said that the peace panel was irresponsible for pushing the BBL despite some of its provisions’ inconsistency with the 1987 Constitution. The members of the panel are Assistant City Prosecutor John erick Flordeliza as chairman while his members are Assistant City Prosecutors Purificacion Baring-Tuvera and Dennis Aguila. The panel was given 60 days to complete the preliminary investigation.

Once the case is submitted for resolution, the panel has 30 days to resolve the case.Manila City prosecutor edward Togonon said the panel was created due to the complexity of the case involving high profile personality and the issue.Named in the complaint are Government of the Philippines (GPh) negotiating panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, former GPh chairman Marvic Leonen who is currently an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, GPh negotiating panel members Senen C. Bacani, Yasmin Busran-Lao, Mehol K. Sadain, former GPh panel consultant Zenonida Brosas.Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles is also included in the complaint.

Also included as respondents in the complaint are MILF negotiating panel chair and the Transition Commission Mohagher Iqbal and members Datu Michael Mastura, Maulana Alonto, Abdulla Camilian, alternate negotiating panel member Datu Antonio Kino, Transition Commission members Ibrahim Ali, Talib Abdulhamid Benito, Pedrito eisma, Raissa Jajurie, Froilyn Mendoza, hussein Muñoz, Akmad Sakkam, Said Shiek, Asani Tammang, Timuay Melanio Ulama and Johaira Wahab.

The complainant said that the BBL is perceived unconstitutionalThe government negotiators and the MILF are encouraging armed groups in Mindanao to “eventually rise publicly.”

‘Witnesses say-so implicated governor in pork barrel scam’

By Rio N. Araja ChARGeS of plunder and graft against Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon Lanete are based on the sworn statements of whistleblowers Benhur Luy, Marina Sula and Merlina Suñas, and not on evidence directly linking her to the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam.

During yesterday’s bail hearing of Lanete, Raymond Joel Balbuena, field investigator from the Office of the Ombudsman, told the antigraft court’s Fourth Division that there was no evidence showing that she and suspected pork barrel fund scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles had transactions when the latter was then a Masbate lawmaker.

The prosecution relied too much on the sworn

affidavits of the three whistleblowers, he said.

Laurence hector Arroyo, Lanete’s defense lawyer, questioned Balbuena if the witnesses had mentioned in their affidavits that they personally saw Lanete and Napoles transacting business, or that the whistleblowers witnesses Lanete accepting “directly any single centavo” from Napoles from Lanete’s transactions.

The Ombudsman prober replied “none, sir.”

The charges of plunder and graft stemmed from allegations that Lanete received P108.4 million in kickbacks for channeling pork barrel fund to ghost non-government organizations engineered by Napoles. fake foundations allegedly owned by Napoles in 2007 to 2009.

Arroyo said he would cross examine Luy on his testimony linking Lanete to Napoles.

Ample supply. National Food Authority Manager Jaime Hadlocon inspects

an NFA warehouse in Valenzuela City to find out for himself if there is adequate supply of the staple for the Camanava area. MANNY PALMERO

f r i d ay : J u n e 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Navy beefing up Batanes forces Move comes amid frequent poaching in fish-rich area

By Francisco Tuyay

The Philippine Navy has deployed more troops in Batanes Island and peripheral waters in a move to ward off foreign poachers in the fish-rich area, Navy Chief Vice Admiral Jesus Millan said on Thursday.

The number of personnel was increased as we heighten collaboration with other agencies in monitoring illegal activities in our waters, Millan said, referring to the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic

Resources and Local Government Units (LGUs).

Millan said the increased deployment in Batanes has nothing to do with the recent incident with a Taiwanese fishing vessel which figured in a tense standoff

with a Philippine Coast Guard ship in Balintang Channel in Itbayat, Batanes.

Millan declined to provide the exact number of navy personnel sent to Batanes but said its task was primarily to secure the present facilities and other vital installations in the Island.

Last June 16, a Philippine Coast Guard ship figured in a two-hour standoff with Taiwan’s Coast Guard off the coast of Itbayat, Batanes.

A month prior to the incident, the PCG encountered another

Taiwanese vessel resulting in a four-hour standoff. The PCG had five encounters with Taiwan, the most serious incident of which resulted in the death of a Taiwanese fisherman that strained relations between the two countries.

Millan said that apart from securing Batanes, “we have navy personnel deployed in strategic areas nationwide for their roles to secure mission essential facilities used for monitoring activities in maritime domain.”

Millan said the increased presence in Batanes was based

on the guidance of AFP Chief Staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang.

Similar units have also been deployed in Zambales, considered as the gateway to the West Philippine Sea where certain islets and territories are disputed by China and other neighboring countries, Millan also stressed the need to improve the system and procedures in accordance with the military’s development, a strategic program embodied in the modernization efforts to fortify the country’s territorial integrity.

CNN PH crewman slain in Cavite A TeLevISION crewman of CNN Philippines was killed by an unidentified gunman Thursday morning in Imus City, Cavite, according to provincial police director Senior Superintendent Jonnel estomo.

Jonathan Oldan, 29, suffered gunshot wounds in the body and died on the spot, police said. Oldan, the 33rd journalist to be killed under the Aquino administration and the 174th since 1986, was on his way to work around 5 :15 a.m. when the gunman approached and fired at him along Bukaneg Street in barangay Pinagbuklod, Imus.

CNN Philippines and other media groups denounced the killing of Oldan. “We deplore the killing of our colleague Jonathan Oldan. CNN Philippines condemns this act and will spare no effort to bring the criminals to justice,” CNN Philippines said in a statement.

“We condole with his family and loved ones in this most tragic and trying time,” the CNN said.

Police said the victim was shot several times by still unidentified assailant.

The National Union of Journalist (NUJP), in a parallel report said “Oldan sustained four gunshot wounds in the head from still unidentified gunmen.”

Oldan’s colleagues in Camp Crame revealed that the victim was buying a cigarette at a convenience store before he was shot.

“He was seen talking to someone but a few minutes later, witnesses saw him running and was later shot in the head,” Oldan’s co-workers said.

Police have yet to establish the motive behind the slaying of Oldan.

Probers have conducted forensic investigation at the crime scene.

In Laguna, a businessman, his driver and a bodyguard were killed in an ambush by armed men along the national highway in Calamba City, police said.

Businessman Rolly Fajardo, his driver Thomas Andaya and Marcillano Batan Jr. were rushed to a hospital but died of gunshot wounds. Francisco Tuyay, Florante Solmerin

Demanding job. Members of the Quezon City Hospital Workers Group stage a protest in front of the Philippine Heart Center to issue several demands: Immediate salary increase, a stop to the privatization of public hospitals, regularization of contractual workers and a ban on contractualization. MANNY PALMERO

230 Filipino illegals seek amnesty in Oman

By Vito Barcelo

Health risks. Health Action for Human Rights join the Council for Health and Development in a press conference in Quezon City to condemn the murders of community health worker Rosalie Calago and husband Endric Calago, a community leader, last May 24 in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental. The groups blame government forces for the killings. MANNY PALMERO

AT LeAST 230 Filipino workers illegally working and staying in Oman have availed themselves of the Sultanate of Oman’s general amnesty for illegal or overstaying expatriates, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said on Thursday.

The amnesty would allow all illegal foreigners to rectify their stay and leave the country without paying fines or without having to be imprisoned, the Labor chief said.

“Labor Attache Nasser Mustafa reported that of the 232 applicants, 134 were approved by the Oman Ministry of Manpower and the Royal Oman Police-Immigration and they have been repatriated to the Philippines in three batches,

with the third batch arriving on 29 June,” Baldoz said.

“A total 110 oFws who availed of the amnesty left Muscat and Oman,” she said.

“The third batch of 24 OFW who availed of the amnesty is scheduled to depart Oman on board Kuwait Airways on 28 June,” the labor official said.

“There will be a fourth batch comprising of about 101 OFWs more, but we will repatriate them after the holy month of Ramadan,” Mustafa told the Labor chief.

He also said distressed OFWs staying at the Migrant Workers and Other Filipinos Resource Center (MWOFRC) have availed of the amnesty, and 17 of them have been repatriated to the Philippines, thereby reducing the number of wards at the shelter to only eight.

F R I D AY, J u N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDItOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

VIrtual realIty tOny lOpeZ

Ecological dEbt and thE rich

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Inept at runnIng raIlways RAIL commuters can only hope that government’s ineptitude at managing the railway system will soon be a thing of the past. The government expects the delivery of new trains to Metro Rail Transit Line 3 from China in January 2016 to improve the operations of the railway system. Until then, commuters will have to pray hard that no serious accident woud happen on the tracks of probably the most inefficient government service.

The Transportation Department, which manages the rail transit system along Edsa, has been a complete failure on MRT-3, which hundreds of thousands of commuters take daily. It is now trying to make amends by replacing the old and troublesome rail cars and scheduling the delivery of 48 new vehicles by January next year.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the prototype rail car from China was on-schedule for delivery in mid-August, while the dynamic testing phase would start in November.

“In the meantime,” says Abaya, “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.”

The department 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.

Commuters, however, remain skeptic about the efforts of the government to clean up the MRT mess, given the state’s record in handling public services. Doubts linger on Transportation’s competence to test the quality and reliability of the Chinese rail cars.

Commuters are now used to glitches, long queues and the inconvenience they are forced to suffer when using the MRT-3 line. They are also resigned to the inexplicable helplessness of the Abaya and the government in addressing the problems besetting the railway system.

The next government, meanwhile, should be more sensitive to the plight of light rail commuters, most of them belonging to the working class. Its first move should be the appointment of a competent team to man the much-derided railway service.

Will he or Won’t he? lOwDOwn jOjO a. rObles It may seem strange at this time, when every police general within shouting distance of the still-vacant top PNP job is jockeying to secure the plum post last held in a permanent position by Alan Purisima. But I’ve been told that one disgraced police official is handing out cash just to keep his name

out of the papers, instead of in them.

According to some amused journalists, the official in question apparently still has plans to reinvent himself and to land a “lasttwo-minutes” job in the Aquino administration before it bows out a year from now. And the strategy he seems to have hit upon is to keep as low a profile as possible, meaning no mention at all in the media.

The official has reportedly contracted the services

of a known “middleman” to implement his self-imposed news blackout, using crisp thousand-peso bills as incentive. The official has, after all, been linked to lucrative rackets before, even prior to the spectacular train wreck that supposedly ended his career, so it’s not surprising that he is convinced that he can buy his way out of the media spotlight while others are trying to buy their way in.

I intend to save him some money. In deference to his

A9

It’s not the first time that Duterte declared that he isn’t gunning for either the presidency or the vice presidency.

desire to stay out of the newspapers – and, to hopefully remain as pure as the proverbial driven snow until his next job – I’m not identifying him here. *** The organizers of yesterday’s Asia CEO forum put together by urban planner Jun Palafox were excited to hear what Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte had to say. Duterte, the law-andorder “non-candidate” for President next year, was expected to spell out his economic program, something not a lot of people outside of his booming city had

heard of before.

One of Duterte’s top boosters, former North Cotabato Gov. Manny Pinol, had told me that Duterte’s economic program in Davao City is breathtakingly simple: he takes care of ensuring that businessmen have the environment they need to do their work and then gets out of their way.

But Duterte had other plans. He used his time as guest speaker of

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

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

the forum to say once again that he was not running for the presidency.

I don’t know why Duterte keeps conducting his “listening tour” all over the country if he truly intends not to run. Personally, I think the mayor is just waiting to see if all the buzz about his supposed candidacy is going to snowball into a real, viable campaign.

At this point, the only thing certain about Duterte is that he will

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

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not accept the role of second fiddle, according to Pinol. The former governor said Duterte only recently turned down a third request for him to become a vice presidential candidate, this time from Senator Grace Poe. If Pinol’s reporting is accurate – and I have no doubt that it is, because the former governor also used to be a terrific sports writer – 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

IN his encyclical “Laudato Si” issued June 18, 2015, Pope Francis decries what he calls global inequality.

He identifies rich countries and rich people as the ones causing the problem of global warning. And global warming hurts the poor most. The papal paper puts the debate on global warming as an issue of morality and social justice.

This is so because global warming affects food production. Food is the No. 1 consumption item of the poor.

In the Philippines, food is 55 percent of the consumer. Denied food, the poor become malnourished and end up brainless and even poorer.

Yet, cries Francis, “a third of all food produced is discarded, and whenever food is thrown out, it is as if it were stolen from the table of the poor.”

“The warming caused by huge consumption on the part of some rich countries has repercussions on the poorest areas of the world, especially Africa, where a rise in temperature, together with drought, has proved devastating for farming,” Francis laments.

He notes, for instance, that “The depletion of fishing reserves especially hurts small fishing communities without the means to replace those resources; water pollution particularly affects the poor who cannot buy bottled water; and rises in the sea level mainly affect impoverished coastal populations who have nowhere else to go. The impact of present imbalances is also seen in the premature death of many of the poor, in conflicts sparked by the shortage of resources, and in any number of other problems which are insufficiently represented on global agendas.”

Francis looks at climate change as a question of social justice. He talks of “ecological debt” by the rich countries and rich people to the poor.

This “ecological debt” is not the same as foreign debt which are used by the rich countries to control the poor countries. In the case of “ecological debt”, it is the rich countries and rich multinationals who use up the resources in poor countries.

Continued on A11

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

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

F R I D AY, J u N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDItOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

VIrtual realIty tOny lOpeZ

Ecological dEbt and thE rich

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Inept at runnIng raIlways RAIL commuters can only hope that government’s ineptitude at managing the railway system will soon be a thing of the past. The government expects the delivery of new trains to Metro Rail Transit Line 3 from China in January 2016 to improve the operations of the railway system. Until then, commuters will have to pray hard that no serious accident woud happen on the tracks of probably the most inefficient government service.

The Transportation Department, which manages the rail transit system along Edsa, has been a complete failure on MRT-3, which hundreds of thousands of commuters take daily. It is now trying to make amends by replacing the old and troublesome rail cars and scheduling the delivery of 48 new vehicles by January next year.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the prototype rail car from China was on-schedule for delivery in mid-August, while the dynamic testing phase would start in November.

“In the meantime,” says Abaya, “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.”

The department 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.

Commuters, however, remain skeptic about the efforts of the government to clean up the MRT mess, given the state’s record in handling public services. Doubts linger on Transportation’s competence to test the quality and reliability of the Chinese rail cars.

Commuters are now used to glitches, long queues and the inconvenience they are forced to suffer when using the MRT-3 line. They are also resigned to the inexplicable helplessness of the Abaya and the government in addressing the problems besetting the railway system.

The next government, meanwhile, should be more sensitive to the plight of light rail commuters, most of them belonging to the working class. Its first move should be the appointment of a competent team to man the much-derided railway service.

Will he or Won’t he? lOwDOwn jOjO a. rObles It may seem strange at this time, when every police general within shouting distance of the still-vacant top PNP job is jockeying to secure the plum post last held in a permanent position by Alan Purisima. But I’ve been told that one disgraced police official is handing out cash just to keep his name

out of the papers, instead of in them.

According to some amused journalists, the official in question apparently still has plans to reinvent himself and to land a “lasttwo-minutes” job in the Aquino administration before it bows out a year from now. And the strategy he seems to have hit upon is to keep as low a profile as possible, meaning no mention at all in the media.

The official has reportedly contracted the services

of a known “middleman” to implement his self-imposed news blackout, using crisp thousand-peso bills as incentive. The official has, after all, been linked to lucrative rackets before, even prior to the spectacular train wreck that supposedly ended his career, so it’s not surprising that he is convinced that he can buy his way out of the media spotlight while others are trying to buy their way in.

I intend to save him some money. In deference to his

A9

It’s not the first time that Duterte declared that he isn’t gunning for either the presidency or the vice presidency.

desire to stay out of the newspapers – and, to hopefully remain as pure as the proverbial driven snow until his next job – I’m not identifying him here. *** The organizers of yesterday’s Asia CEO forum put together by urban planner Jun Palafox were excited to hear what Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte had to say. Duterte, the law-andorder “non-candidate” for President next year, was expected to spell out his economic program, something not a lot of people outside of his booming city had

heard of before.

One of Duterte’s top boosters, former North Cotabato Gov. Manny Pinol, had told me that Duterte’s economic program in Davao City is breathtakingly simple: he takes care of ensuring that businessmen have the environment they need to do their work and then gets out of their way.

But Duterte had other plans. He used his time as guest speaker of

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

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

the forum to say once again that he was not running for the presidency.

I don’t know why Duterte keeps conducting his “listening tour” all over the country if he truly intends not to run. Personally, I think the mayor is just waiting to see if all the buzz about his supposed candidacy is going to snowball into a real, viable campaign.

At this point, the only thing certain about Duterte is that he will

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Cyan Magenta yellOw blaCK

not accept the role of second fiddle, according to Pinol. The former governor said Duterte only recently turned down a third request for him to become a vice presidential candidate, this time from Senator Grace Poe. If Pinol’s reporting is accurate – and I have no doubt that it is, because the former governor also used to be a terrific sports writer – 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

IN his encyclical “Laudato Si” issued June 18, 2015, Pope Francis decries what he calls global inequality.

He identifies rich countries and rich people as the ones causing the problem of global warning. And global warming hurts the poor most. The papal paper puts the debate on global warming as an issue of morality and social justice.

This is so because global warming affects food production. Food is the No. 1 consumption item of the poor.

In the Philippines, food is 55 percent of the consumer. Denied food, the poor become malnourished and end up brainless and even poorer.

Yet, cries Francis, “a third of all food produced is discarded, and whenever food is thrown out, it is as if it were stolen from the table of the poor.”

“The warming caused by huge consumption on the part of some rich countries has repercussions on the poorest areas of the world, especially Africa, where a rise in temperature, together with drought, has proved devastating for farming,” Francis laments.

He notes, for instance, that “The depletion of fishing reserves especially hurts small fishing communities without the means to replace those resources; water pollution particularly affects the poor who cannot buy bottled water; and rises in the sea level mainly affect impoverished coastal populations who have nowhere else to go. The impact of present imbalances is also seen in the premature death of many of the poor, in conflicts sparked by the shortage of resources, and in any number of other problems which are insufficiently represented on global agendas.”

Francis looks at climate change as a question of social justice. He talks of “ecological debt” by the rich countries and rich people to the poor.

This “ecological debt” is not the same as foreign debt which are used by the rich countries to control the poor countries. In the case of “ecological debt”, it is the rich countries and rich multinationals who use up the resources in poor countries.

Continued on A11

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

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

A10 A BECOMING RETICENCE textual boundaries to concessions one may grant. But when one asks the court to arbitrate FR. RANHILIO between contending theories of CALLANGAN curriculum, one is taking Their AQUINO Honors too far afield!

What “grave abuse of discreI HAVE been and remain a tion” has done to the office of staunch defender of judicial certiorariis to mangle it beyond review. There is much that is recognition from its common salutary about a non-political law origins. Originally, certiobranch of government that, at rari dealt only with the validity least in theory, preserves the of the records: Did the lower consistency of the legal order. court proceed according to its To be sure, courts make policy jurisdiction and in accordance calls, and in that sense, are powith law? Neither findings of litical though non-partisan. fact nor holdings of law could The interpretation of constitube reviewed on certiorari, and tional provisions and of statutes while that may still be what is rarely, if ever, a matter of deprofessors hailing from a more duction. That a Filipino who sober period of our legal hisrenounces his citizenship by tory still teach their classes, the alien naturalization, and then fact is that almost any mistake subsequently regains it by duly serious enough to attract naswearing allegiance to the Retional attention will qualify as public and filing the oath with “grave abuse of discretion”. the Civil Registrar returns to This has not been good for his natural-born status is one our administrative system, nor such policy decision. The rule even for the hierarchy of courts. could have been otherwise, considering that the Constitution itself characterizes one as natural-born when no juridical act is needed to perfect citizenship! But such choices must in We assume that some way find textual support in the Constitution. the courts alone It worries me, however, that uphold the core “grave abuse of discretion” has effectively made an action in values of the the Supreme Court, particuRepublic. But larly, the ever-ready recourse against discontent with any what justifies governmental act, no matter this premise? how ‘non-justiciable’ the dispute might be. Consider the pending actions against the overhaul of basic-education’s curriculum to make it conform to the K to 12 scheme. OpIn the United States, because ponents of K to 12 have gone of the paucity of US Supreme to court. But is it not obvious Court doctrines on many isthat curriculum is a matter that sues, decisions of the appellate judges are not qualified to pass court are heeded as doctrinal. upon? Why make the court But who ever cites appellate the arbiter of disputes over curcourt decisions in the Philipriculum? Although couched in pines when one is almost sure the juridical language of “grave that the Supreme Court will be abuse of discretion”, the core ishospitable to recourse against sue is curricular! such judgments?

In his treatise on judicial reAdministrative agencies are view, the revered jurist, Justice established by law so that some Vicente V. Mendoza quoted the matters may be dealt with by classic case of Baker v. Carr state organs in a uniform and that, to me, remains the “gold stable manner, aside from restandard” for the suitability of ceiving the specialized attenjudicial review: When the is- tion often needed. Of course, sue brought to court is one for this desideratum is frustrated which there is no judicially dis- when you carve out multifaricoverable and manageable stan- ous exceptions to the doctrine dard for resolving it, then there on the exhaustion of adminisis nothing justiciable to pass trative remedies. In the 2002 upon. To ask about the consti- Laguna CATV case, the Court tutionality of a peace accord is listed no less than fourteen to raise a justiciable issue: There exceptions to the rule, includare constitutional delimitations ing such a catch-all pretext as of executive power as well as “when exhaustion of adminis-

PENSEES

F R I D AY, J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

LAST HURRAHS Yet SSS officials have AFTER five years under PNoy’s announced it. Perhaps they still constant watch, officials of the FILIPINO Department of Public Works and PENSIONER desire to travel abroad—for the last time, in the last days Highways—without any sign of HORACE of this administration—in the shame and regret—admitted pubTEMPLO guise of consulting foreign fund licly that they were not able to managers. control Metro Manila’s flood probHaven’t they previously announced their plan lems in time for the start of this year’s rainy season. Very boldly, they still announced that they to invest P1 billion using local fund managers? would be able to do so before the end of PNoy’s Weren’t PhilHealth officials supposed to follow suit? six-year term of office on June 30, 2016.

This investment strategy has not been carried In other countries, they would have been fired out. Otherwise, SSS and PhilHealth would have or made to resign immediately.

Don’t PNoy and these officials realize that triumphantly named these elite fund managers floods cause huge traffic jams, slow down the so we can profusely thank them.

SSS has also announced a contribution increase economy, and make life miserable for everybefore the end of PNoy’s term. Indeed, increasing body?

They do. That is why PNoy has never hesi- contributions—rate and the maximum amount tated to release hundreds of billions of pesos for subject to contributions—is the real funding solutheir agency’s flood control projects. For next tion to systematically adjust pensions. But would SSS dare do it in an election year? No. year alone, he is allocating to it P600 billion.

Only recently, Congressman Neri Colmenares Despite the President’s full financial support, DPWH has failed to control floods in the coun- proposed a P2,000-pension increase without any try’s most economically productive metropolis, funding support. Knowing that this would not the most that matters to us Metro Manila resi- be approved, SSS officials easily acquiesced to it.

After all, it has a calming effect on the starving dents.

Yet for PNoy, DPWH is good enough to be pensioners as they falsely hope for it. In reality, named his model agency worthy for emulation it would never come.

Why can’t SSS officials stop announcing plans in his “Tuwid na Daan” administration after it has become less corrupt, even if not corrupt-free that are worth discussing only in barbershops?

Nothing significant is going to happen anymore yet.

Officials of the Department of Transporta- to its programs under PNoy’s time, and if ever tion and Communication must have emulated there are new projects worthy of consideration, already DPWH officials in the way they, too, they are better left for their successors to pursue.

For their last hurrahs, SSS officials should have admitted their failure to provide a reliable mass transport system to the thousands of work- instead announce things that would please SSS ers who commute daily along Edsa to Makati members—for instance, the completion of longCity. They are offering to issue incident reports pending projects.

They could announce the status of the projsuch that when their light rail trains break down, workers may use these reports as excuse slips for ect to re-post the contribution records that they had inadvertently deleted. They could then antheir respective workplaces.

We wish employers would not penalize work- nounce that pensions have been adjusted for the ers who come late provided they have these in- 1.8 million pensioners who now wait for them impatiently. cident reports.

PNoy’s officials are on their way out, and as Other government officials behave likewise, still optimistic about the passage of the half- before, their only remaining valid agenda is the baked draft Bangsamoro Basic Law and unmind- cleanup of the mess that they have created. Perful that the Mamasapano massacre of the Fallen haps they were all made in the name of reform, 44 has rendered its non-passage anything but still graft and corruption cases—real or fabricated—would be filed against them by the new moot and academic.

They boast of still being able to accomplish administration’s Ombudsman.

It has been experienced by recent former before June 30, 2016 the projects that they initiated five years ago and not even completed half- presidents from Ferdinand Marcos to Gloria way. At best, they are naive; at worst, they are Macapagal-Arroyo. President Cory Aquino was spared only because she was able to anoint her deceitful.

For us pensioners, nothing could be more national defense secretary as her successor afdisgusting than the recent announcements of ter pragmatically junking her husband’s bosom officials of the Social Security System to invest friend despite being selected in her party’s national convention. abroad and increase contributions.

PNoy seems unperturbed, but his officials First, they announced investing $1 billion abroad. Because this is not doable, as this re- should know better. As the cycle goes—if they quires two years of preparations, it would be did it to their predecessors, their successors will rejected eventually by SSS members. Moreover, do it to them, too.

Such is the harsh cycle of life in government politicians would feast on shooting it down bein the Philippines. fore next year’s presidential election. trative remedies would be unreasonable”! One sure way of cancelling out a rule is to create a litany of exceptions to it!

There is an underlying fallacy to the frequent and abusive recourse to the courts, particularly to the Supreme Court: It is the specious assumption that the courts alone uphold the core values of the Republic. But what justifies this premise? If this were so, why is not legislation entrusted to the judiciary? But the court has to do its part to in educating the public. After all

the Supreme Court does relish its role as educator. It has used “the education of the Bench and the Bar” as the reason for deciding cases that have been rendered moot -- something traditional constitutional doctrine would forbid it from doing, there being no more “actual controversy”.

In many cases, the Court has itself held that whether to give due course to a petition for certiorari or to deny it is a matter addressed to the discretion of the Court. The US Supreme

Court, I am told, operates by an unwritten policy not to accept more than a hundred petitions a year! If so, there is room for a becoming reticence -- restraint not only because of the intractable counter-majoritarian difficulty but also because, for all the wisdom and learning of Their Honors, there are many matters brought before them that are clearly beyond their ken! rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

F R I D AY, J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Ecological.. From A9 Francis explains: “A true ‘ecological debt’ exists, particularly between the global north and south, connected to commercial imbalances with effects on the environment, and the disproportionate use of natural resources by certain countries over long periods of time. The export of raw materials to satisfy markets in the industrialized north has caused harm locally, as for example in mercury pollution in gold mining or sulphur dioxide pollution in copper mining.”

Francis does not mince words in describing the activities of multinationals: “Generally, after ceasing their activity and withdrawing, they leave behind great human and environmental liabilities such as unemployment, abandoned towns, the depletion of natural reserves, deforestation, the impoverishment of agriculture and local stock breeding, open pits, riven hills, polluted rivers and a handful of social works which are no longer sustainable.”

The Pope suggests “the developed countries ought to help pay this debt by significantly limiting their consumption of non-renewable energy and by assisting poorer countries to support policies and programs of sustainable development. The poorest areas and countries are less capable of adopting new models for reducing environmental impact because they lack the wherewithal to develop the necessary processes and to cover their costs.”

The poor, says Francis, “are the majority of the planet’s population, billions of people.” Yet, the poor are largely ignored in the discussion on global warming.

The Pontiff singles out “professionals, opinion makers, communications media and centers of power” for ignoring the poor in the discussion on climate change, an attitude that goes side by side with “green rhetoric”.

Notes Francis: “These days, they are mentioned in international political and economic discussions, but one often has the impression that their problems are brought up as an afterthought, a question which gets added almost out of duty or in a tangential way, if not treated merely as collateral damage.

Indeed, when all is said and done, they frequently remain at the bottom of the pile. This is due partly to the fact that many professionals, opinion makers, communications media and centers of power, being located in affluent urban

areas, are far removed from the poor, with little direct contact with their problems. They live and reason from the comfortable position of a high level of development and a quality of life well beyond the reach of the majority of the world’s population. This lack of physical contact and encounter, encouraged at times by the disintegration of our cities, can lead to a numbing of conscience and to tendentious analyses which neglect parts of reality.”

At times this attitude exists side by side with a “green” rhetoric. Today, however, we have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

Francis adds: “Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking of how the world can be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate. At times, developing countries face forms of international pressure which make economic assistance contingent on certain policies of “reproductive health”.

Yet “while it is true that an unequal distribution of the population and of available resources creates obstacles to development and a sustainable use of the environment, it must nonetheless be recognized that demographic growth is fully compatible with an integral and shared development”.

“To blame population growth instead of extreme and selective consumerism on the part of some, is one way of refusing to face the issues. It is an attempt to legitimize the present model of distribution, where a minority believes that it has the right to consume in a way which can never be universalized, since the planet could not even contain the waste products of such consumption. Besides, we know that approximately a third of all food produced is discarded, and ‘whenever food is thrown out it is as if it were stolen from the table of the poor’. Still, attention needs to be paid to imbalances in population density, on both national and global levels, since a rise in consumption would lead to complex regional situations, as a result of the interplay between problems linked to environmental pollution, transport, waste treatment, loss of resources and quality of life.”

Francis says “Inequity affects not only individuals but entire countries; it compels us to consider an ethics of international relations.” He decries the practice of rich countries for excess

industrial wastes which are toxic: He says: “There is a pressing need to calculate the use of environmental space throughout the world for depositing gas residues which have been accumulating for two centuries and have created a situation which currently affects all the countries of the world.”

“There is also the damage caused by the export of solid waste and toxic liquids to developing countries, and by the pollution produced by companies which operate in less developed countries in ways they could never do at home, in the countries in which they raise their capital.”

He blames multinationals operating in poor countries for this pollution.

He says: “They do here what they would never do in developed countries or the so-called First World.”

Says Francis: “The foreign debt of poor countries has become a way of controlling them, yet this is not the case where ecological debt is concerned. In different ways, developing countries, where the most important reserves of the biosphere are found, continue to fuel the development of richer countries at the cost of their own present and future. The land of the southern poor is rich and mostly unpolluted, yet access to ownership of goods and resources for meeting vital needs is inhibited by a system of commercial relations and ownership which is structurally perverse. The developed countries ought to help pay this debt by significantly limiting their consumption of non-renewable energy and by assisting poorer countries to support policies and programmes of sustainable development. The poorest areas and countries are less capable of adopting new models for reducing environmental impact because they lack the wherewithal to develop the necessary processes and to cover their costs. We must continue to be aware that, regarding climate change, there are differentiated responsibilities. As the United States bishops have said, greater attention must be given to “the needs of the poor, the weak and the vulnerable, in a debate often dominated by more powerful interests.”

Pope Francis pleads: “We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family. There are no frontiers or barriers, political or social, behind which we can hide, still less is there room for the globalization of indifference.” biznewsasia@gmail.com

#FAILOCRACY

A11

Will he.. From A9 that means Duterte has already rejected to overtures of all the major candidates for President.

Earlier, the mayor said no to similar offers from Vice President Jejomar Binay and then from Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.

I think Duterte understands that he is very much in demand as vice president but needs to be convinced that he is not really ready to go for the top spot just yet. According to Pinol, aside from the virtual lock the tough-guy mayor holds in nearly all of Mindanao, Duterte appeals to everyone else in the country who is looking for a President who will stamp out crime and illegal drugs, to name just two of the favorite crusades of his longtime friend and fellow Mindanaoan. And that’s a lot of votes, right there. Votes that could help any serious candidate for President who needs Duterte’s brand of no-nonsense governance to mount as successful campaign starting this October.

But I don’t think we’ve heard the last of the fighting mayor of Davao City as far as next year’s national elections are concerned.

After all, it’s not the first time he’s declared that he isn’t gunning for either the presidency or the vice presidency.

Whatever he decides to do eventually, I hope Duterte remains a political force on the national level, if only because this country needs to get away from its Manila-centric politics. The people of Mindanao and other parts of the Philippines outside of the national capital need somebody who will be their advocate on the national stage – especially someone like Duterte, who has proven to be a very effective leader in his own hometown. *** Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has no right to dispute Vice President Jejomar Binay’s contention about the administration of a policy of “selective justice” by this administration. She will only regain that privilege, in my view, if she files the plunder charges against the so-called “third batch” of abusers of Congress’ pork barrel – who just happen to be politicians allied with her boss, President Noynoy Aquino.

CHONG ARDIVILLA

the mudslinging can excite even hell...

... i can assure you that. i bet some people would sell their souls as election nears. after all...

...in hell, we love philippine politics; it’s very lucrative for us.

F RI DAY : J UN E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

A12

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Wozniacki makes Eastbourne last 8 EASTBOURNE—Caroline Wozniacki reached the quarter-finals of the Eastbourne International on Wednesday with a 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-1 win over fellow former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

But 2014 Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard was facing a fitness battle ahead of the third Grand Slam event of the season next week after suffering an event-ending abdominal strain.

The ex-titleholders at Devonshire Park (Wozniacki, 2009 and Kuznetsova, 2004) were meeting for

the 10th time, with second seed Wozniacki now leading the series 6-4.

But the Dane lost her way in the opening set as she let a comfortable 5-2 lead slip.

Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam winner, seized the initiative, running off five of six games to force a tiebreak after annulling a

Wozniacki set point in the 12th game.

The Russian then prevailed for the early lead after seizing six set points and converting with an ace on her fourth.

“Obviously you’re not too happy with yourself after that,” said Wozniacki.

“But you just have to get yourself together and get

back on the horse, as they say, and try to win the second set.

“On grass, losing a set being up 5-1 is not ideal. She started playing better, she started returning deeper and she upped her game. I had a set point I didn’t take.

“Then all of a sudden I see myself being down in the tiebreaker. I don’t know what happened.”

Wozniacki mounted a fightback in the second set and played carefully so as not blow a 5-1 lead in the final set.

“I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again,” said the former number one, recalling her first-set wobble.

“The only thing that really matters is to get the win.

Wozniacki will play a quarter-final against tenth seed Andrea Petkovic after the German defeated CoCo Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-4.

Belinda Bencic reached her second grass-court quarter-final of the summer, with the Swiss teenager advancing 6-4, 3-0 as Bouchard retired injured. AFP

Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki returns the ball to Australia’s Jarmila Gajdosova during their women’s singles second round match at the WTA Eastbourne International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, southern England. AFP

Coaches, scribes give The Maestro the ultimate tribute

By Lito Cinco AS AN advance gift for the 92nd birthday of legendary coach Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan in October, his family and friends paid him the ultimate tribute--a book that will immortalize his countless accomplishments as a coach who had set the bar for other Filipino basketball coaches to follow.

The book is entitled “The Maestro,” a perfect description for the man, who revolutionized and mastered the art of coaching in the country.

The book is a collaboration of several veteran sportswriters who wrote separate chapters covering Dalupan’s life from his early years all the way to his retirement years with his family. It narrates Dalupan’s accomplishments as a coach for the University of the East, Ateneo and the three teams in the Philippine Basketball Association, namely the equally legendary Crispa Redmanizers, Great Taste and Purefoods, as well as his memorable stints as a national coach in the international arena.

Purefoods (Star Hotshots) coach Tim Cone, who broke Dalupan’s record as the winningest PBA coach with 18 titles, wrote the foreword, while the writers who collaborated

and guests.

There, too, were his two former Ateneo players, the incoming PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa and Joey Pengson, who both played for the 1975 and 1976 NCAA champion teams.

Narvasa, Pengson and Cone all gave tribute to Dalupan and shared their unforgettable memories with the master coach.

Pengson, presently the Ateneo Alumni Association president, recalled that Dalupan urged him to continue playing despite a nagging injury.

“He taught me to overcome my Star Hotshots coach Tim Cone (left) with his idol, The Maestro Baby Dalupan. limits, ” Pengson said., ARVIN LIM Narvasa, on the other hand, enuin writing the book include Noel ships when the Blue Eagles were still Albano, Ignacio Dee and Tito Ta- with the National Collegiate Athletic merated Dalupan’s traits that he said he would want to emulate. lao, among others. The production Association.

“He has wisdom, he knows what His daughters flew in from abroad team was led by former Ateneo athletic director Junjun Capistrano with to be with their father and other close he wanted, how to do it, and how members Tessa Jazmines, Monching relatives and mingled with coaches, to teach it to his players. He inCruz, Arvin Lim, and Lito Cinco. led by Cone, his former players, stilled discipline among his players Dalupan’s daughter Cecille was an sportswriters and supporters. The -- if you are late, you do not play, integral part of the production team, launch gave a preview of what to but he provided each player the opas she provided additional input on expect from the book that took two portunity to play, unless you are being disciplined. He cared for his Dalupan as a father and family man. years to finish.

Baby Dalupan, of course, was players, he showed us what determiDalupan’s family and friends recently held a soft launch for “The there. Sitting on a wheelchair, the nation is all about, and most of all, Maestro” at the Faber Hall in At- grand old man of Philippine coach- he remained humble , never alloweneo de Manila, which the venerable es was warmly welcomed and later ing his accomplishments to go to coach led to a number of champion- honored by members of his family his head, “ Narvasa said.

House arrest for FIFA ‘graft’ duo BUENOS AIRES—Two Argentine businessmen arrested last week in a sweeping probe of alleged corruption at FIFA were placed under house arrest Wednesday pending a decision on extraditing them to the United States.

Father and son sports marketing executives Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, the owners of the company Full Play, are among the 14 people indicted by the United States in its investigation into graft at the heart of world football’s governing body.

Judge Claudio Bonadio rejected their request to be released and granted them house arrest only with bail payments of four million pesos ($440,000) for Hugo Jinkis and eight million pesos for Mariano.

The duo handed themselves in to authorities in Buenos Aires last Thursday.

An Argentine-Italian businessman indicted in the case, Alejandro Burzaco, turned himself in two days earlier in Italy and is also under house arrest outside Milan.

All three executives are accused of bribing top football officials to win the rights to lucrative broadcast deals.

FIFA has been deeply shaken by the scandal over the awarding of hosting rights and broadcast contracts, which led president Sepp Blatter to announce last month he would step down after 17 years. AFP

Brady appeal heard NEW YORK—New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for 10 hours on Tuesday in an appeal hearing over a four-game ban issued after Brady’s supposed knowledge of under-inflated footballs.

The controversy known as “Deflategate,” which nagged the Patriots on their way to the Super Bowl title in February, has lasted five months, stemming out of a New England victory over Indianapolis in the American Conference final.

Goodell listened to a presentation from Brady’s lawyers asking him to reconsider the four-game ban he imposed last month for the start of the upcoming season.

AFP

F RI DAY : J UN E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

A13

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Manila Overseas Press Club golf today

Broken bat. Justin Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers breaks his bat as he grounds out against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. AFP

Philracom slaps indefinite suspension on Racing Club THE Philippine Racing Commission suspended Philippine Racing Club, Inc. for an indefinite period after the club’s technical difficulties with their telecom provider resulted in race delays at PRCI’s Santa Ana Park racetrack last June 24.

Philracom said that this is the third time in three weeks that PRCI has “incurred excessive delays in the races allegedly caused by problems with its service provider and resulted in intermittent shutdowns of its totalizator system.”

In a letter to the racing club, Philracom noted: “Habitual and

consistent delays on the post time of the races,” in all its racedays in June, ranging from 81 minutes to 354 minutes.

In an emergency meeting held on June 25, the Commission passed Resolution No. 31-15 that orders “all scheduled races [at] PRCI be temporarily suspended

until PRCI has shown proof that it has resolved its problems with its service provider.”

Low sales were also cited as a factor for the suspension, the race delays said to have “resulted in [a] substantial decline in sales which are now in an all-time low and have greatly compromised government revenues as well.”

Last June 18, PRCI posted sales of only P13.62 million, “a very low sales output for a Wednesday.”

Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez said the suspension is in line with the agency’s mandate Presidential Decree No. 420, which

gives them “exclusive control and jurisdiction over all aspects of the conduct of horseracing.”

“We cannot allow these delays to continue,” said Sanchez, “without imposing a concomitant penalty on the erring racing club. We have to do our part to prevent any further decline in revenue and the weakening of the industry, and to protect the interests of the betting public.”

Philracom also reprimanded PRCI and issued them a final warning that non-resolution of the cited problems would be dealt with severely in accordance with PD 420.

Blu Boys vs the world’s best THE men’s national softball team, fresh from their gold-medal finish at the 28th Southeast Asian Games, left for Canada to again carry the country’s colors at the 2015 WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship in Saskatoon, Canada from June 26 to July 5.

The national softball squad qualified for the prestigious tournament by finishing runner-up in last year’s strong Asian Man’s Softball Championships.

The WBSC Men’s Softball Championship, considered as the Mecca of Softball, boasts of 16 of the world’s strongest teams in the world, who made it through different qualifiers.

“Having qualified for the tournament is a victory in itself, but we’re not resting on our laurels.

Our PH Blu Boys want to continue improving and measure themselves against softball’s

strongest teams. After their goldmedal finish in the recent Southeast Asian Games, I’m positive that we have what it takes to be at par with the world’s best.

We’re gearing up for a strong Top 10 finish,” said Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines President Jean Henri Lhuillier.

The Philippines is part of Pool A, where it will face Argentina, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Guatemala, Indonesia, and host country Canada.

The other participating countries are Australia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, US and Venezuela.

“Our team’s confidence is at an all-time high coming from our runner-up finish in last year’s Asian Championships and our gold medal victory in the recent Southeast Asian Games.

The Blu Boys, presently playing at the WSBC Men’s World Softball Championship in Saskatoon, Canada against the top softball teams in the world, are aiming for a Top 10 finish, according to ASAPHIL President Jean Henri Lhuillier, who expressed confidence in his boys following their gold-medal finish at the recent 28th SEA Games in Singapore. Photo shows the team at its courtesy call at the office of Lhuillier after the SEA Games.

Our boys are eager to compete and showcase their wares as they have prepared hard and long for this,” said Blu Boys Coach Isaac Bacarisas.

The Philippines will first face

Czech Republic in its opening game on June 26, followed by Guatemala on June 28, New Zealand on June 29, Great Britain on June 30, Argentina on July 1, and Canada on July 2.

SAN Miguel Corp. will be sponsoring the Manila Overseas Press Club golf invitational dubbed as the “MOPC-SMC Cup” at the Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City today.

Expected to attend the by-invitation only event are business executives from San Miguel and other top corporations, media practitioners and members of the diplomatic corps that include Canadian Ambassador Neil Reeder. Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa, Pakistani Ambassador Safdar Hayat, Indonesian Ambassador Lt. Gen. Johny Lumintang, Indian Ambassador L.D. Ralte and Russian Embassy Second Secretary Andrey Berdnikov.

The charity golf tournament is one of MOPC’s fund-raising events for several projects that include its expanded Scholarship Program for the benefit of poor but deserving students as well as the children of journalists who wish to complete tertiary education in the country’s premier universities.

The Manila Overseas Press Club was founded in 1945 and is recognized as the country’s oldest and premier press club. Its members come from a unique mix of people from the media and various sectors like business, government and the diplomatic circle.

Salazar denies doping aid EUGENE—Alberto Salazar, famed coach of double Olympic and world champion Mo Farah, denied allegations made in a BBC documentary that he helped runners use banned substances, vowing in an open letter Wednesday that “I will never permit doping.”

The letter was posted on the Nike Oregon Project website on the eve of the US Track and Field Championships in Eugene, near the group’s Portland base. The event is the US qualifying meet for the world championships at Beijing in August.

Salazar, the Cuban-born 56-year-old American, a threetime New York Marathon champion who also won the Boston Marathon and ran in the Olympics, coaches British 10,000m London Olympic champion Farah and runnerup Galen Rupp, with the latter seeking his seventh consecutive US 10,000 crown Thursday at the nationals.

A BBC documentary earlier this month in collaboration with the ProPublica website accused Salazar of violating anti-doping rules, with claims Salazar doped Rupp in 2002 with the anabolic steroid testosterone when Rupp was only 16. AFP

F R I D AY : J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Minoza, Salvador surge ahead Blazers send Batum to Hornets PORTLAND—French forward Nicolas Batum was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday for NBA veteran guard Gerald Henderson and forward Noah Vonleh.

The deal was announced on the eve of the NBA Draft, where both clubs will try and land the best available young talent entering the league from the international and college ranks.

Batum started 428 of 481 appearances for the Trail Blazers, averaging 11.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 30.8 minutes a night. His 751 career 3-pointers rank third on Portland’s all-time list.

“Nic Batum was a key contributor to all of our recent success,” said Neil Olshey, the Blazers’ president of basketball operations. “He will truly be missed as a person and a player.

We wish Nic all the best for the future.”

Vonleh, 19, was taken with the ninth overall pick in last year’s draft by Charlotte. He averaged 3.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 25 games for the Hornets last season.

Henderson has career averages of 12.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists over six seasons with Charlotte. AFP

SILANG, Cavite—Frankie Miñoza nearly blew a solid backside start with a late bogey for a 68 while Elmer Salvador sustained a day-long brilliance to shoot a 67 as they grabbed the lead halfway through the ICTSI Riviera Classic at Riviera’s Langer course here yesterday.

Salvador gunned down six birdies to negate a two-bogey mishap as he recalled the form that netted him a runaway victory here last year while pouncing on Miñoza’s unlikely flubbed par-putt from three feet on No. 5 that tied the duo at three-under 139 heading to the last 36 holes of the P1.5 million event organized by

Frankie Miñoza pitches onto the green on No. 16 en route to a birdie and a 68. He nearly blew a solid backside start with a late bogey but had enough to grab the lead halfway through the ICTSI Riviera Classic at Riviera’s Langer course yesterday.

Manila

for a 70 and a 141.

“I thought of making my move now and I’m happy my overall game clicked,” said Salvador, who bounced back from a poor opening round windup of 39-72 with a 34 with birdies on Nos. 12, 16 and 17 against a second straight bogey on the difficult No. 14. He rolled in two straight birdies from No. 2, dropped a shot on the par-5 No. 5 then rammed in another birdie on the sixth for a 33.

Minoza, enjoying top form in the last four legs of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, including a run of under-par rounds to finish sixth at ICTSI Luisita last month, showed he still got what it takes to contend, taming Langer’s backside with a 32, highlighted by a threebirdie string from No. 15.

But he missed a couple of birdie chances at the front and muffed that par-putt bid from close range on No. 5 to settle for a share of the lead.

“It’s really tough to predict a game in golf. Just when you thought it’s going to be fine, suddenly your game makes a turnaround. I had a good start at the back but after nine holes, it was different,” said Miñoza, also out to snap a long title drought.

“For me, I’ll just continue to fight.”

To fight back will also be Lascuña and Magada’s battlecry in the last two days as the duo tries to rebound and re-join the chase for the top P270,000 purse in the seventh leg of the circuit sponsored by ICTSI. “I had a perfect 3-wood tee-shot on No. 11 but hit my approach shot behind and into the hazard.

Another poor pitch sent the ball into the hazard,” rued Lascuna.

“But I’ll fight back.”

Like in the first round, Magada had a shaky start with three straight bogeys at the back. Unlike in the opening day, however, where he recovered with five birdies against one more bogey for a 69, he failed to sustain his four-birdie effort against another bogey as he holed out with a double-bogey on No. 9 for that 73.

CYAN MAGENTA YELL

Stockinger needs our support

Standard

TODAY

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TARIFF COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR THE IMPOSITION OF SAFEGUARD MEASURE AGAINST THE IMPORTATION OF TESTLINER BOARDS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES 2012 AHTN Sub-heading Nos. 4805.24.00 4805.25.10 4805.25.90 For: SAFEGUARD MEASURE (R.A. No. 8800) S.G. Investigation No. 01-2010 PHILIPPINE PAPER MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, INC. (PPMAI)

--------------------------------------------NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Section 16 (Monitoring) of R.A. 8800 (Safeguard Measures Act, a public hearing will be held at the Conference Room of the Tariff Commission, 5/F Medical Arts Building, Philippine Heart Center, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, on 15 July 2015 at 9:00 a.m.

All interested parties shall be given the opportunity to be present, to present evidence and to be heard. The purpose of the public hearing is to determine the compliance by the domestic testliner board industry represented by United Pulp and Paper Co., Inc. with its adjustment plan as well as the progress and specific efforts it has undertaken to make a positive adjustment to import competition.

For particulars, please inquire from the Members of the Task Force on the Mid-Term Monitoring Review on Testliner Boards at Telephone Nos. (632) 9288419 and 926-8731 or email at info@tariffcommission.gov.ph.

Issued this 24th day of June, 2015 at Quezon City, Metro Manila.

EDGARDO B. ABON Chairman (TS JUNE 26, 2015)

Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. Overnight joint leaders Benjie Magada and Tony Lascuña reeled back with faltering finishes at the tough layout which punishes wayward shots with the former holing out with a double-bogey on the ninth for a 73 and the latter hitting an errant approach shot

twice on No. 11 and wound up with a quadruple bogey 8 for a 74.

With a 142, Magada slid to joint fifth with Dutch Guido Van der Valk, who fired a 69, Keanu Jahns, who shot a 70, Rufino Bayron, who carded a 71, and Zanieboy Gialon, who matched par 71, while Lascuña, who also three-putted No. 14, dropped to a share of 10th with Korean Seok Jun Min, who turned in a 72.

Clyde Mondilla missed forcing a three-way tie at the helm with a bogey on No. 9 for a second straight 70 and solo third at 140 while Mars Pucay almost put to naught a sizzling 32 start at the back with a shaky 38

DENNIS PRINCIPE

SPORTS CHAT FIL-Swiss race car driver Marlon Stockinger will need all the support he can get from Filipinos in his bid to become the first-ever Filipino to compete in a Formula One event.

According to Globe executive Dan Horan, it will be an added boost for Stockinger if he gets to feel the support of his countrymen when it comes to realizing his dream.

The 24-year-old Stockinger is currently a rookie driver of Status Grand Prix that is competing in the ongoing 2015 GP2 Series which just completed its Austria leg early this week.

Stockinger is also a junior driver of F1 team Lotus Grand Prix which makes him a few steps closer to achieving the historic feat.

“He works so hard and he is already the forefront of his career as a driver in one of the toughest sports on the planet,” said Horan. “I would just encourage every Filipino to get behind Marlon and try to make him the number F1 driver on the planet.”

Tomorrow, Stockinger will try to bring his sport closer to the masses when he drives his actual F1 car within the vicinity of Bonifacio Global City.

The event dubbed Slipstream 2.0 is Stockinger’s way of showing firsthand how an F1 car works around

a race track.

Slipstream will also feature different types of classic and high-end cars which will be on display in the one day event.

“We’ve got about 80 different high performance cars which people can get right up close to. So whether it’s half-a-million dollar Ferrari or a vintage car, muscle cars, Ducati motor bikes, they will all going to be on display,” said Horan.

After Slipstream, Stockinger will immediately fly to the United Kingdom for the fifth leg of the GP2 Series.

RACE TO OLYMPICS Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president Philip Ella Juico is determined to add more of his proteges in next year’s Olympics in Brazil.

At the moment the country has already one Olympian in SEA Games double gold winner Eric Cray who qualified in the 400-meter hurdles event.

The 26-year-old Cray will be in Rio after surpassing the Olympic standard 49.40 seconds by tallying 49.12 in a recent IAAF-sanctioned event in Los Angeles.

The Olongapo City-born, Texas raised runner then made history by becoming the first-ever Filipino to win a gold in the 100-meter dash when he competed in the recentlyconcluded South East Asian Games in Singapore.

According to Juico, he has already laid out a program that has an

aim of sending more qualifiers to the Rio Games.

“Bubuuin natin yung program together with sponsors designed to prepare two or three others to qualify in 2016,” said Juico.

Among those Juico is grooming as potential Olympians are marathoner Mary Joy Tabal, Pole vaulter EJ Obiena, 400-meter experts Archand Bagsit and Gary Alejan and veteran longjumper Marestella Torres.

Juico, a former chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is also set to put up a longterm program but not after establishing a crucial collaboration with the Department of Education.

“Kung ang ating Physical Education ay isang oras lang isang linggo ay walang mangyayari sa atin kasi ang ideal diyan is two hours a day or ten hours a week,” said Juico “Sasabihin natin sa DepEd na kung gusto nilang magkaroon ng utility yung mga 17 sports schools na itinayo nila, kailangan natin madagdagan ang oras sa Physical Eduation.”

SPORTS CHAT We continue our comprehensive coverage of Philippine sports by talking with upcoming heroes via our daily sports program.

Today we are set to talk with SEA Games champion Eric Cray from his home base in Texas.

We also hope to get young achievers to our program which airs Monday to Friday from 6 to 8am over DZSR Sports Radio 918kHz.

F R I D AY : J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Martinez working on new routine, quadruple jump New National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches Aldin Ayo (third from left) of the Letran Knights and Rodney Santos (third from right) of the San Sebastian Stags promise that their teams will be competitive this season. Beside them are the other head coaches of the other competing teams in the NCAA during the league’s formal launch at the Mall of Asia Arena. EY CASIO

Knights, Stags ready to challenge favorites

By Peter Atencio

FORMER league powerhouses Letran Knights and San Sebastian Stags promise to make a splash during season 91 of the National which unfolds tomorrow, Saturday, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Knights, led by new head coach Aldin Ayo are confident that they will be a competitive team.

Ayo has been working on a new system which will boost the Knights chances of improving on their sixth place finish last season.

“We are adjusting our system.

There were plays that were not working for us. And there are plays that can help us. But we did not use them,” said Ayo after the team took part in numerous pre-season events.

Ayo, who replaced Caloy Garcia, is part of the team led by Kerby Raymundo and Christian Calaguio that dominated the league in the late ‘90s.

He started coaching in Sorsogon

where he is a Councilor before taking part in the KIA Carnival coaching staff in the PBA under playing coach Manny Pacquiao.

“My goal is just to help the team make it to the Final Four before thinking of anything else,” said Ayo. Meanwhile, the Stags may be on a rebuilding mode but will not be pushovers this season according to new head coach Rodney Santos.

The transfer of coach Topex Robinson to the Lyceum Pirates has left Santos with a squad which needs to be transformed into a lean and mean fighting machine.

“Marami akong bagong players.

Sabi ko sa team, we just need to find a way to improve,” said Santos.

Santos, a former San Sebastian

alumnus who is knows as “The Slasher” during his PBA prime, is building a team from scratch.

They have lost CJ Perez, who transferred to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, along with former skipper Jovit dela Cruz, Bobby Balucanag and Ranzelle Yong, who did not return following Robinson’s departure.

The Stags are coming off an eighth place finish in season 90 after tallying a 5-13 winloss record.

Replacements had to be brought in after dela Cruz and Balucanag played out their years and Yong, who had a solid rookie season, decided not to return.

The Jamil Ortuoste and Bradwyn Guinto are still around, and they will have more responsibility this year.

There are talents like incoming sophomores Michael Calisaan, Jerick Fabian and Ryan Costelo as well.

Rookies like Alvin Capobres, Oliver Alvarez, Allyn Bulana-

do, Genmar Bragais have to be looked over, along with Justine Mercado and Spencer Pretta, who is from Iloilo.

Santos also elevated Jayson David from Team B, and brought in Jess Sibal, a transferee from Perpetual Help and Dominic Vera.

Much is expected of Capobres, the son of a retired PBA player.

Caprobres moves like a veteran and has impressed Santos.

Ayo has a tough act to follow.

Louie Alas won three titles in his long stint with Letran, Binky Favis won one crown in 1999 while Garcia steered the school to a finals stint before losing to reigning five-peat champion San Beda two seasons ago.

The Knights also got a big boost from the return of coteam captain Kevin Racal, who tore an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) late last year.

Racal will re-join co-skipper Mark Cruz and Rey Nambatac in forming one of the league’s best backcourt combinations.

MICHAEL Martinez is working on a new routine and a new jump which he hopes will propel him to greater heights as he takes on new challenges in the second half of the year.

The 18-year-old Martinez, who is in the country for two weeks, is set to see action in seven international meets and competitions which will decide his fate in the world rankings.

He is focused on perfecting a new hip-hop routine and the quadruple jumps during training here and abroad.

“We’re fixing the program, working on the hip-hop routine.

I’m happy with the way I skate. It’s getting better,” said said Martinez during an interview at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

Martinez returned to the country last week after winning the gold medal in the Triglav Trophy in Slovenia for the second time in a row.

He is set to see action this July in Los Angeles and in Detroit.

In August, he will go to the Asian Trophy in Bangkok, and then to the USA Classic in Utah this September.

The Finlandia Trophy is next, and it will be Espoo Finland in October.

The Grand Prix of China awaits Martinez in November, and then Golden Spring event in Zagreb this December.

Russian coach Lila Kulik and British teacher John Nicks are helping Martinez with his jumps.

The quadruple jump is a figure skating jump which require the skater to be in the air long enough to complete four revolutions. Martinez is currently good with triple jumps.

Peter Atencio

Cebu rules SBP-TNT Tatluhan finals PURA of Cebu, powered by Carlo Cesar Ortega, Jaur Edrel Igna, Lucky Ecarma and Errol Pastor, subdued Olongapo, 21-12, to rule the SBP-Talk ëN Text U18 Tatluhan National Finals at Robinsonís Place Manila in Ermita recently.

The Cebuanos advanced to the championship after edging Bacolod, 13-12, in the semifinals, while Olongapo, represented by Lyceum Subic and bannered by Allen Fomera, Edler Tirona, Renz San Luis and Mark Macatlang, made it to the final by nipping Ateneo de Naga, 16-15.

Naga downed Bacolod, 1714, in the battle for third place.

Cebu will be one of the three

teams to represent the country in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Manila Masters. PBA players will again be invited to the Manila Masters leg which the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is hosting for the second time on Aug. 1 and 2 at Robinson’s Place Manila.

The top two teams will advance to the world championship in Abu Dhabi on October 15 and 16.

FIBA 3x3 stops are also scheduled in Prague (8-9 August), Beijing (15-16 August), Lausanne (28-29 August), Mexico City (910 September) and Rio de Janeiro (26-27 September) leading up to the Abu Dhabi finals.

“We have just concluded

our National 3◊3 event, which was won by a team from Cebu” said SBP executive director Sonny Barrios. “And it’s a good thing the Manila event will be held after the PBA season so the players can represent our national teams.”

Last year, the Manila West team, composed of pros Terrence Romeo, KG Canaleta, Rey Guevarra and Aldrech Ramos and coached by UAAP champion Eric Altamirano and De La Salle-Greenhills mentor John Flores, upset a FIBA 3◊3 world champion team from Qatar to rule the Manila Masters leg and earned passage to the world championship in Sendai, Japan.

SBP executive director Sonny Barrios (3rd from left), SBP administrative and legal consultants Moying Martelino (2nd from left) and Atty. Edgar Francisco (left) and SBP deputy executive director Bernie Atienza (right) join members of Pura-Cebu which ruled the SBP-Talk ‘N Text U18 Tatluhan National Finals at Robinsonís Place Manila in Ermita.

F R I D AY : J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS Barangay Ginebra battles Alaska PSC to hike athlete incentives

By Peter Atencio INCENTIVES which are given to athletes who win medals in international competitions will soon be increased.

Proposals were discussed after Philippine Sports Commission chairman Ricardo Garcia and Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco set down with representatives of Senator Sonny Angara, Congressman Anthony del Rosario and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) chairman Cristino Naguiat.

Under the proposed amendment, the incentives of SEA Games gold medalists will be increased to P300,000 while silver medalists recieve P200,000 and the bronze medalists get P75,000.

The incentives of achievers in major international tournaments will cover Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, World Championship and Olympics.

The discussions took place some three days before the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) distributes the cash incentives of the achievers in the 28th Southeast Asian Games.

On that day, Saturday, the POC celebrates its Olympic Day tomorrow at the Philsports Arena.

Under the current setup, athletes get P100,000 for a gold medal, P50,000 for silver and P10,000 for bronze medalists.

Barangay Ginebra forward Japeth Aguilar fires a jumper over the blocking hands of NLEX Road Warrior Kwame Alexander (4) while NLEX guard Jonas Villanueva (11) looks on. Ginebra caught the last bus to the playoffs and will battle top seed Alaska Aces 7 p.m. today in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup playoffs at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

By Jeric Lopez

Games Today

BARANGAY Ginebra, which caught the last bus to the playoffs, battles top seed Alaska Aces today in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup playoffs at 7 p.m. while the Star Hotshots face the GlobalPort Batang Pier in the 4:15 p.m. opening game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Top seeded Alaska and No. 4 ranked GlobalPort, which both enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage, will try to capitalize on their incentives as they try to advance to the semifinals.

Playing stellar basketball throughout the eliminations, the No. 1 Aces are looking to barge in the semis but standing in their way is a stiff test from inconsistent but rejuvenated No. 8 seed Ginebra. The Gin Kings needed the Kia Carnival to beat the Meralco Bolts in the first match last Wednesday before Ginebra beat the NLEX

Wozniacki advances to final 8 TURN TO A12

Road Warriors to catch the last bus to the playoffs.

An equally intriguing matchup comes before that as No. 4 GlobalPort, which is holding a twice-to-beat advantage for the first time in franchise history, is set to square off with surging defending champion Star, which ended up as the No. 5 seed, at 4:15 p.m. to open the post season hostilities.

With their twice-to-beat advantage, Alaska and GlobalPort can advance straight to the semifinals should they both emerge victorious.

(Smart Araneta Coliseum) 4:15 p.m. • GlobalPort vs. Star Hotshots 7 p.m. • Barangay Ginebra vs. Alaska Aces

Expect Ginebra and Star to go all out as well as they try to force a do-ordie fight to stay alive. Both the Aces and the Batang Pier have won their elimination round games against the Gin Kings and the Hotshots, respectively, as that might be an added mental advantage.

Alaska, which ended the elimination round at 8-3 to claim the top spot, has been playing consistent basketball so far. However, Aces coach Alex Compton expects the competition to rise a notch in the quarterfinals and he wants nothing more than see his players continue to thrive. ‘’For sure it’ll be much tougher now in the playoffs,’’ said Compton. ‘’We’ve been playing really well and I like our effort this conference and we’re looking to continue that because it’s going to be

Miñoza, Salvador surge ahead TURN TO A14

tough against any team now.’’

Despite his team’s early struggles, Ginebra coach Frankie Lim is full of optimism entering the quarterfinals.

His squad is on a two-game winning streak and is slowly gaining steam as well. The rookie coach also gave a hint on how his team will address the rampaging Aces. ‘’Little by little, nakakaahon na kami. We’ve been struggling but we’re slowly improving. This is exciting and we’re looking forward to it (the playoffs),’’ said Lim. ‘’We’ll prepare something good for them.

They (Alaska) press a lot and we’ll try to limit their sets. We’ll try to make good plans.’’

Ginebra needed to dig deep and unleash its never-say-die character just to be able to make the quarters and grab the last berth after it survived NLEX in a 110-107 thriller after Japeth Aguilar’s game-winning trey just last Wednesday night to move forward and earn the No. 8 seed.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK FRIDAY: JUNE 26, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

Imports lowest in 40 months PSe comPoSite index Closing June 25, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,581.91 61.42

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JUNE 25, 2015 42

P45.135

43

CLOSE

44 45

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

IMPORTS IN APRIL sank 12.8 percent yearon-year to hit a 40-month low, as the value of orders for petroleum products and raw materials plummeted, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show.

PSA said merchandise imports fell to $4.68 billion in April from $5.37 billion registered in the same month last year. The figure was also the lowest value of monthly imports in 40 months, or since December 2011 when inbound shipments amounted to $4.6 billion.

Data showed five of the top ten major commodities declined

in April, including mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials; plastics in primary and non-primary forms; iron and steel; transport equipment; and electronic products.

The 53.9-percent decline in imported mineral fuels and lubricants and 12.8-percent drop in raw materials and intermediate goods offset the rise in shipments

of capital and consumer goods in April.

“Figures on capital and consumer goods reflect the upbeat outlook of consumer spending and is positive indication of healthy demand-driven activities at the household and industry level,” said Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Double-digit increases were recorded in the importation of consumer goods (30.3 percent) and capital goods (13 percent) in April.

Inward shipments of electronic products fell 5.1 percent to $991 million and accounted for 21.2 percent of the total import bill.

Consumer goods expanded

mainly on the back of robust growth in both durable goods with 17.9 percent and non-durable goods with 43.4 percent.

Increased purchases of passenger cars and motorized cycles, miscellaneous manufacture and home appliances supported growth in imported durable goods.

Neda also reported a significant growth in rice imports (1655.5 percent), other food and live animals (25.7 percent), and fruits and vegetables (53.5 percent),.

“The higher import volume of rice recorded as part of consumer goods reflects government’s effort to maintain a sufficient buffer stock of rice ahead of the lean harvest season,” Balisacan said.

46

HIGH P45.110 LOW P45.170 AVERAGE P45.143 VOLUME 615.900M

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 Thursday, June 25, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.1450

Japan

Yen

0.008074

0.3645

UK

Pound

1.570400

70.8957

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128991

5.8233

Switzerland

Franc

1.071123

48.3558

Canada

Dollar

0.807168

36.4396

Singapore

Dollar

0.744103

33.5925

Australia

Dollar

0.769112

34.7216

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652450

119.7449

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266731

12.0416

Brunei

Dollar

0.741345

33.4680

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.029608

1.3367

UAE

Dirham

0.272264

12.2914

Euro

Euro

1.120400

50.5805

Korea

Won

0.000900

0.0406

China

Yuan

0.161106

7.2731

India

Rupee

0.015738

0.7105

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.266731

12.0416

New Zealand

Dollar

0.686295

30.9828

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032271

1.4569 Source: PDS Bridge

Island Favorites. Robinsons Supermarket relaunched its Island Favorites section store in collaboration with the Trade Department’s One Town One Product Program. The grocery chain will feature a variety of locally made products in the said section. Shown during the launching of the store at Robinsons Supermarket in Ermita, Manila are (from left) Robinsons Supermarket Corp. assistant vice president for merchandising food 2 and 3 Daisy Lyn Sy, Robinsons Supermarket president Robina Gokongwei Pe and Trade Undersecretary Ponciano Manalo. LINO SANTOS

PLDT, Globe open to talks on acquiring stake in GMA Network

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE group of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. may revive talks with the owners of GMA Network Inc. to acquire a minority stake in the broadcast company.

“You know, we are always open to, as I said, content providers like themselves [GMA7]. But as of now, there are no talks between ourselves and GMA7,” PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan told reporters Wednesday night.

Pangilinan said GMA Network

was “quite important” to the PLDT group from a purely content perspective.

“Local content is still important to a platform provider like PLDT,” he said.

Pangilinan’s statement came after the majority owners of GMA Network abandoned talks with businessman Ramon Ang. Globe Telecom Inc. also hinted it was open to other forms of collaboration with GMA Network, aside from content partnership.

Globe investor relations director Jose Mari Fajardo said Globe

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

continued to “engage in discussions with GMA for potential content collaboration that would complement the businesses of the two companies.”

“As part of Globe’s normal business operations, the company is open to discuss other potential forms of business collaboration with various parties including GMA,” said Fajardo.

ABS-CBN, rival network of GMA7, has an existing partnership with Globe for ABS-CBNMobile.

The Gozon, Jimenez and Dua-

vit families own a combined 79 percent of GMA Network, which airs on Channel 7 on free TV. Majority shareholders of the broadcaster agreed 12 months ago to sell about 30 percent of the company to Ang. The agreement was announced months after PLDT ended a third round of talks with the broadcaster.

Ang offered to acquire at least 30 percent of GMA for P10.80 per share. Ang’s offer was higher than the P9 offered by the PLDT Group.

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.

Pangilinan said while he was open to revive talks with the owners of GMA Network, he said, “well , we’re not yet really ready.

We haven’t really met internally to determine what course of action to take.”

FRIDAY: JUNE 26, 2015

B2

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

MST BuSineSS Daily STockS Review Thursday, June 25, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 2.6 890 1.01 100 91.5 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26 47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 17 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 12.5 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 7.34 238 3.28 0.315 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 26 2.17

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 8.25 7.51 73.7 73.35 109.50 107.00 97.70 96.05 46 45.7 2.49 2.49 1.80 1.74 15.92 15.6 20.2 19.94 1.82 1.64 845.00 825.00 0.400 0.400 93.15 90.7 69.15 68.00 306 306 42.5 41.9 166.4 161.5 1515.00 1515.00 60.50 60.10 3.15 3.14 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp.

45 44.95 44 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 1.25 1.44 1.36 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 1.05 1.05 1.02 1.86 Alsons Cons.

2.02 2 1.95 7.92 Asiabest Group 10.5 10.56 10.26 40.3 Bogo Medelin 59.5 59.8 59.8 15.32 Century Food 18.9 18.92 18.4 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 28 28.35 27 29.15 Concepcion 57 57.8 56.5 1.5 Crown Asia 2.36 2.48 2.31 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 1.51 1.55 1.55 10.72 Del Monte 11.52 11.52 11.5 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 18.960 19.360 18.76 9.04 Emperador 9.20 9.25 9.01 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 7.71 7.70 7.50 8.86 EEI 9.98 10.10 9.96 1.06 Euro-Med Lab 1.65 1.73 1.73 8.61 Federal Res. Inv. Group 11.64 11.8 11.62 20.2 First Gen Corp.

25.6 25.6 25.3 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 83.55 84.35 83.5 13.86 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 13.74 13.52 13.52 13.80 13.80 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.90 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.96 6 5.93 0.395 Ionics Inc 0.510 0.520 0.520 173 Jollibee Foods Corp.

200.00 200.00 197.00 8.65 Lafarge Rep 10.26 10.26 10.02 33 Macay Holdings 58.00 58.00 58.00 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 24.85 24.95 24.2 17.3 Maxs Group 24.5 24.75 24.5 5.88 Megawide 6.42 6.38 6.24 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 292.80 290.00 288.00 3.37 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.10 4.10 3.91 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 4.71 4.85 4.69 8.45 Petron Corporation 9.09 9.12 8.83 3 Phil H2O 4.12 4 4 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.72 11.72 11.30 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.88 3.90 3.77 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 2.06 2.06 2.02 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.68 2.74 2.65 4.02 RFM Corporation 4.22 4.23 4.16 1.65 Roxas and Co. 1.97 2.08 1.96 5.9 Roxas Holdings 6.55 6.25 6 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 171 171 169 1.64 1.66 1.64 1.55 Splash Corporation 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.144 0.144 0.142 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.17 2.17 2.16 152 Universal Robina 193 198.6 193 4.28 Victorias Milling 4.5 4.5 4.4 0.640 Vitarich Corp.

0.77 0.83 0.76 10.02 Vivant Corp.

22.50 22.50 22.50 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.32 1.33 1.23 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.485 0.485 0.480 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 58.3000 58.2500 56.8000 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 23.00 23.00 22.60 6.62 Anscor `A’ 6.78 6.80 6.78 0.23 ATN Holdings A 0.248 0.246 0.230 0.23 ATN Holdings B 0.250 0.240 0.240 634.5 Ayala Corp `A’ 798 798 785 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.95 7.97 7.85 12.8 DMCI Holdings 13.48 13.48 13.06 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

4.50 4.52 4.50 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.240 0.230 0.207 837 GT Capital 1383 1391 1369 5.3 House of Inv. 6.85 6.95 6.80 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 69.55 71.00 69.50 3.43 Jolliville Holdings 3.5 3.75 3.71 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.36 7.42 7.25 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.68 0.69 0.68 12 LT Group 14.36 14.34 14.2 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.63 0.62 0.61 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 4.91 4.9 4.78 4.5 Minerales Industrias Corp. 5.99 6.02 5.9 3.7 3 MJCI Investments Inc. 3.7 3.79 0.030 Pacifica `A’ 0.0360 0.0360 0.0360 0.550 Prime Orion 1.740 1.850 1.740 2.26 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.6 3 2.5 59.3 San Miguel Corp `A’ 60.95 61.40 60.70 751 SM Investments Inc. 875.00 875.50 869.50 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 1.27 1.21 1.21 0.93 South China Res. Inc. 0.74 0.74 0.74 80 Top Frontier 81.300 82.000 81.300 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3300 0.3400 0.3300 0.179 Wellex Industries 0.2090 0.2090 0.2010 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.250 0.255 0.250 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 7.400 7.410 7.390 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.72 0.72 0.69 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 38.00 38.00 37.70 3.36 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.42 3.44 3.38 4.96 Cebu Holdings 5.42 5.48 5.35 2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 1.02 625 0.225 78 62 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Phil. National Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

7.5 73.7 110.00 97.70 46 2.49 1.73 15.92 20 1.77 845.00 0.400 92.95 68.65 306.8 41.8 164.5 1500.00 60.20 3.15

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

8.25 73.7 107.80 96.05 46 2.49 1.78 15.92 19.94 1.81 845.00 0.400 92.7 68.00 306 41.9 161.5 1515.00 60.25 3.15

10.00 0.00 -2.00 -1.69 0.00 0.00 2.89 0.00 -0.30 2.26 0.00 0.00 -0.27 -0.95 -0.26 0.24 -1.82 1.00 0.08 0.00

282,900 19,470 2,976,990 1,352,880 1,800 1,000 2,900 2,600 150,500 49,000 770 30,000 3,906,140 194,700 100 186,200 484,940 80 33,060 115,000

44 1.44 1.05 1.95 10.56 59.8 18.9 27.5 56.5 2.46 1.55 11.52 19.220 9.01 7.68 9.96 1.73 11.78 25.5 83.6 13.52 13.80 6 0.520 198.00 10.16 58.00 24.2 24.5 6.37 289.00 3.91 4.76 9.06 4 11.72 3.88 2.02 2.68 4.21 2.02 6.25 169.9 1.64 0.142 2.17 197 4.5 0.79 22.50 1.29

-2.22 15.20 0.00 -3.47 0.57 0.50 0.00 -1.79 -0.88 4.24 2.65 0.00 1.37 -2.07 -0.39 -0.20 4.85 1.20 -0.39 0.06 -1.60 -0.72 0.67 1.96 -1.00 -0.97 0.00 -2.62 0.00 -0.78 -1.30 -4.63 1.06 -0.33 -2.91 0.00 0.00 -1.94 0.00 -0.24 2.54 -4.58 -0.64 0.00 -1.39 0.00 2.07 0.00 2.60 0.00 -2.27

1,447,500 7,000 894,000 1,056,000 600 10 84,600 337,500 252,120 11,314,000 1,000 78,600 8,338,800 2,911,900 14,696,600 618,900 3,000 24,100 2,086,900 350,210 100 600 107,500 12,000 990,090 162,800 10 408,200 27,100 9,500 524,960 2,000 2,581,000 2,206,500 2,000 11,100 176,000 336,000 805,000 2,243,000 33,000 8,000 280 191,000 790,000 197,000 3,948,010 56,000 4,110,000 1,500 12,000

0.485 56.8000 22.80 6.80 0.246 0.240 790 7.85 13.16 4.52 0.212 1372 6.88 70.40 3.71 7.28 0.68 14.28 0.61 4.89 6 3.79 0.0360 1.790 2.65 61.05 871.50 1.21 0.74 81.300 0.3400 0.2040 0.250

0.00 -2.57 -0.87 0.29 -0.81 -4.00 -1.00 -1.26 -2.37 0.44 -11.67 -0.80 0.44 1.22 6.00 -1.09 0.00 -0.56 -3.17 -0.41 0.17 2.43 0.00 2.87 1.92 0.16 -0.40 -4.72 0.00 0.00 3.03 -2.39 0.00

930,000 1,449,760 4,679,800 5,500 530,000 30,000 206,930 401,300 6,615,400 146,000 70,000 154,640 54,600 1,508,050 4,000 3,013,200 3,000 982,800 130,000 77,616,000 589,200 2,000 700,000 34,006,000 592,000 84,500 298,580 1,000 122,000 8,410 970,000 630,000 90,000

7.400 0.72 37.90 3.38 5.35

0.00 0.00 -0.26 -1.17 -1.29

272,500 156,000 7,621,600 673,000 60,200

966,900.00 -211,812,916.00 -57,215,500.00 33,420.00 -891,468.00 422,000.00 41,903,709.50 -654,710.00 15,300.00 -3,075,425.00 -43,291,020.00 45,450.00 -1,364,079.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 4.88 0.180 0.470 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 3.1 2.75 0.090 0.290 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

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

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

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

10.5 66 1.09 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 1700 2720 8.41 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 95.5 2.46 15.2 0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 4 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1 11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

1.97 35.2 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 830 1600 5.95 102.6 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 3.1 1.8 6 0.335 0.37 14.54 3 2.28 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

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

Manila Broadcasting Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys 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 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 6.47 9.43 0.236 6.5 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

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

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

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

TA Petroleum

70 553 525 120 12.28

33 490 500 101.5 6.5

1047 76.9 78.95 84.8

1011 74.2 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen G Leisure and Resort PCOR-Preferred B 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

0.88 1.24 1.04 0.134 0.450 0.860 0.173 1.23 1.87 1.33 5.00 5.13 0.110 0.3150 0.4400 7.19 27.45 1.7 3.37 20.20 0.75 7.2 0.870 6.650

0.89 0.87 0.89 1.24 1.24 1.24 1.00 0.97 0.97 0.131 0.130 0.131 0.460 0.430 0.460 0.870 0.870 0.870 0.180 0.180 0.180 1.25 1.23 1.25 1.90 1.84 1.85 1.35 1.30 1.31 5.20 5.00 5.00 5.13 5.01 5.01 0.116 0.111 0.115 0.3100 0.3100 0.3100 0.4450 0.4450 0.4450 7.2 7.2 7.2 28.20 27.45 28.15 1.71 1.7 1.71 3.35 3.28 3.35 20.15 19.90 20.00 0.75 0.73 0.75 7.2 7.2 7.2 0.850 0.850 0.870 6.630 6.450 6.480 SERVICES 6.21 6.37 6.15 6.25 63 63 61 62.2 0.650 0.640 0.620 0.640 9.08 9.08 8.83 8.85 0.0900 0.0920 0.8900 0.0920 3.95 4.02 3.98 3.99 85.5 86.5 85.4 86.3 9.98 10 10 10 1.68 1.68 1.68 1.68 940 930 885 886 2590 2600 2564 2564 6.40 6.40 6.38 6.40 114 112.9 110 110.7 12.16 12 11.16 11.88 0.011 0.012 0.010 0.012 0.207 0.209 0.201 0.205 1.3000 1.3000 1.2500 1.3000 9.30 9.30 9.19 9.30 2.80 2.90 2.73 2.80 1.30 1.30 1.23 1.23 2.00 2.01 2.01 2.01 49.00 48.95 45.00 48.90 2 2.01 2 2.01 6.01 6.12 5.86 5.86 0.320 0.350 0.320 0.350 0.455 0.460 0.460 0.460 18.2 18.2 18.2 18.2 4.50 4.60 4.50 4.60 3 3 3 3 115.00 119.50 110.00 116.90 19.00 18.96 18.20 18.70 2880.00 2860.00 2822.00 2840.00 0.700 0.730 0.700 0.700 1.200 1.260 1.200 1.230 37.20 37.25 36.50 36.50 74.00 74.50 73.70 73.85 9.70 9.70 9.57 9.65 0.65 0.66 0.65 0.65 1.7 1.75 1.75 1.75 5.32 5.34 5.27 5.27 0.340 0.330 0.320 0.320 1.500 1.520 1.500 1.500 MINING & OIL 0.0050 0.0055 0.0049 0.0055 6.88 6.89 6.64 6.76 13.62 14.00 11.00 11.38 0.240 0.240 0.222 0.240 7.0000 7.0000 6.8000 6.8000 0.93 0.95 0.92 0.95 0.78 0.87 0.79 0.83 6.92 6.93 6.71 6.93 1.66 1.68 1.61 1.63 0.315 0.320 0.315 0.315 0.228 0.229 0.225 0.229 0.234 0.236 0.231 0.236 0.0130 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0130 0.0140 3.38 3.49 3.38 3.46 23.8 24.25 23.6 24.05 3.84 3.92 3.83 3.86 0.6500 0.5800 0.5500 0.5800 2.0600 2.0600 2.0300 2.0300 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 4.40 4.40 4.31 4.31 6.16 6.2 6.1 6.1 2.00 2.030 1.980 1.98 0.015 0.015 0.014 0.015 143.10 143.50 143.10 143.20 10.8 10.82 10.6 10.66 PREFERRED 62.95 62.5 61.5 61.5 526 526 525 525 530 530 529 530 128 124.5 124 124.5 1.12 1.1 1.1 1.1 1091 1149 1148 1149 1055 1055 1050 1055 75.5 75.5 75.3 75.3 85.1 85.1 85 85.1 89.05 89 89 89 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.810 3.870 3.800 3.840 SME 10.2 10.54 10.1 10.42 66.9 66.75 58.1 66.75 11.12 11.1 10.82 10.82 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 124.2 124.3 123.5 123.7

1.14 0.00 -6.73 -2.24 2.22 1.16 4.05 1.63 -1.07 -1.50 0.00 -2.34 4.55 -1.59 1.14 0.14 2.55 0.59 -0.59 -0.99 0.00 0.00 -2.30 -2.56

660,000 20,000 10,000 250,000 7,940,000 46,000 40,000 855,000 6,876,000 222,000 4,300 42,593,100 3,190,000 200,000 10,000 20,000 4,966,600 5,000 42,000 35,262,200 261,000 1,000 500,000 19,733,900

0.64 -1.27 -1.54 -2.53 2.22 1.01 0.94 0.20 0.00 -5.74 -1.00 0.00 -2.89 -2.30 9.09 -0.97 0.00 0.00 0.00 -5.38 0.50 -0.20 0.50 -2.50 9.38 1.10 0.00 2.22 0.00 1.65 -1.58 -1.39 0.00 2.50 -1.88 -0.20 -0.52 0.00 2.94 -0.94 -5.88 0.00

39,300 10,080 610,000 3,914,400 2,650,000 53,000 289,220 30,100 10,000 90 37,550 88,900 624,410 26,100 60,200,000 2,770,000 183,000 400,300 165,000 21,000 46,000 1,400 133,000 2,123,800 20,000 30,000 1,000 13,000 5,000 2,530 90,100 152,095 19,361,000 39,796,000 1,591,900 862,980 530,700 5,438,000 30,000 1,935,100 510,000 22,000

10.00 -1.74 -16.45 0.00 -2.86 2.15 6.41 0.14 -1.81 0.00 0.44 0.85 7.69 0.00 2.37 1.05 0.52 -10.77 -1.46 0.00 0.00 -2.05 -0.97 -1.00 0.00 0.07 -1.30

1,689,000,000 710,000 -736,829.00 66,200 17,130.00 15,000 16,600 1,102,000 872,150.00 16,943,000 16,600.00 800 6,695,000 -3,978,640.00 220,000 -63,000.00 10,160,000 -13,680.00 510,000 100,000 6,900,000 156,000 -283,610.00 2,669,100 -20,318,350.00 1,052,000 327,710.00 21,000 55,000 14,400,000 200,000 9,000 1,535,200 -4,267,595.00 2,215,000 27,420.00 11,700,000 1,400.00 594,880 -70,459,226.00 168,900

-2.30 -0.19 0.00 -2.73 -1.79 5.32 0.00 -0.26 0.00 -0.06

138,420 7,450 53,100 2,550 304,000 8,045 6,150 318,600 12,780 295,020

0.79

38,000

-38,000.00

2.16 -0.22 -2.70

1,645,000 40 619,500

-40,572.00

-0.40

3,270

4,948.00

12,400.00

-7,200.00 -6,363,960.00 -65,500.00 -37,322,738.00

MST

0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 6.5 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 6.55 9.66 0.0670 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 1.99 41.4 5.6 5.59

STOCKS

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

SHARES 197,732,124 64,478,889 137,349,060 135,780,956 145,378,225 1,836,465,629 2,519,452,693

-14,843,910.00

-137,280.00

-181,550.00 252,750.00 -14,150,070.00 4,060.00

840,960.00 -70,382,922.00 -24,740,375.00 -45,940,913.00 3,485,608.00 -17,437,305.00 15,273,583.50

27,539,172.00 404,000.00 -8,995,420.00 -100,765.00

-36,525,488.00

1,717,530.00 79,482.00 190,300.00

95,330.00 395,660.00

317,272,341.00

-159,930.00 33,750.00

-63,644,524.00 -5,004,370.00 -29,240.00

-106,884,495.00 445,683.00 -30,198,598.00 370,300.00 -122,745,525.00

8,544,318.50

-14,943,806.00

2,714,604.00

187,803,820.00

5,993,220.00

-656,048.50 -64,281,710.00

-1,730,133.00 -65,148,960.00 -196,400.00

Double Dragon IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,665,444,070.9278 1,712,635,591.59 1,635,349,051.67 1,522,045,477.52 1,119,070,896.6365 413,287,275.67 8,092,150,880.5143

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,728.57 (down) 21.26 INDUSTRIAL 11,624.56 (down) 15.32 HOLDING FIRMS 6,770.48 (down) 46.18 PROPERTY 3,059.44 (down) 17.61 SERVICES 2,086.29 (down) 31.36 MINING & OIL 13,827.26 (up) 54.18 PSEI 7,581.91 (down) 61.42 All Shares Index 4,339.14 (down) 31.88 Gainers: 70 Losers: 97; Unchanged: 50; Total: 217

-25,241,075.00

438,295,590.00

-2,499,564.00

1,860.00 -2,688,673.00

-1,796,732.00

-49,487,000.00

-28,404,199.00

43,193.00

-4,090,679.00

104,500.00 137,616.00 -90,945,810.00 163,920.00 20,420,600.00 -41,967,250.00 -20,701,477.50 -1,992,633.00 -3,562,750.00 1,713,132.00

-3,634,000.00

330,000.00 -1,149,000.00

414,150.00 2,670,000.00

-141,608.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Agrinurture Inc.

1.44

15.20

Atok-Big Wedge `A'

11.38

AG Finance

8.25

10.00

Forum Pacific

0.212

-16.45 -11.67

Abra Mining

0.0055

10.00

Omico

0.5800

-10.77

MG Holdings

0.350

9.38

Cityland Dev. `A'

0.97

-6.73

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.012

9.09

Waterfront Phils.

0.320

-5.88

Manila Mining `A'

0.0140

7.69

FEUI

886

-5.74

Coal Asia

0.83

6.41

Lorenzo Shipping

1.23

-5.38

Jolliville Holdings

3.71

6.00

Solid Group Inc.

1.21

-4.72

PCOR-Preferred B

1149

5.32

Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

3.91

-4.63

Euro-Med Lab

1.73

4.85

Roxas Holdings

6.25

-4.58

FRIDAY: JUNE 26, 2015

B3

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

Navigating your financial statements WHAT is the purpose of enterprise? That is the question I normally start every finance course with.

The easy answer, at least for most businesses, is to make money. That is not to say that businesses have profit making as their sole purpose. However, providing a fair return on capital is mission critical for business. In fact, even for governments and nonprofit organizations, the ability to operate in a financially sustainable manner is critical to long-term survival, and hence success. So finance is important.

Here’s the other important observation. Every management decision will eventually show up in the financials. In over two decades of teaching executives, that is a statement that no one has ever disagreed with.

Which, of course, brings us to the next matter: How do you know you’re making good decisions if you don’t understand your financial statements?

So that is our topic for the week, financial analysis 101.

Components and overview For our purposes this week, we will just focus on what are usually called the GAAP statements. These are the ones prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and are the ones that are submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A full set of financial statements will have the following: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Statement of Cash Flows, Statement of Stockholder’s Equity, and Notes. For many managers, the most important components of the financial statements are the Balance Sheet and the Income Statement, and the referenced notes. The referenced notes explain the details of items in the statements.

The balance sheet presents the financial position of the company at a single point in time. The balance sheet essentially shows the company’s assets (what it owns) and the components of total capital. Assets include current assets such as cash and other items of working capital such as inventory and accounts receivable; and long-term assets which are typically building, furniture and equipment. Total capital comprises the two general categories of debt and owner’s equity. Essentially what this means is that all of the capital needed to support operations come either from the owner or from borrowings. Owner’s equity includes the owner’s original capital brought in and any earnings not paid out as dividends, called retained earnings.

Generally, the income statement shows the results of operations over a reporting period, typically one year. Any changes in net assets are shown in a sub-statement showing comprehensive income. In business, three large items comprise the income statement: revenue, expense and earnings (also called profit). When managers speak of the top line, the middle line and the bottom line, these are what they refer too.

Quick review When looking at financial statements, one of the first questions that can be answered is the question of size. Typically, the size of a business can be evaluated based on total assets and total revenue.

The second question that can be answered by a quick review of the financial statement is trends. Are assets growing? Are revenues growing? How fast?

Are expenses growing? Are they growing faster than revenue? Are accounts receivables growing? Are they growing faster than revenue? This comparison of financial statements over time is called a horizontal analysis.

When looking at trends over time, managers typically want to see that a business is growing. Usually, managers want to see businesses growing at least as fast as competition. There are other benchmarks for growth, of course. For example, general economic growth would be one benchmark. Also, managers want to look at relative growth rates. Expenses should not grow faster than revenue. Accounts receivables and inventory are expected to grow with revenue but typically should not grow faster than revenue. The assets needed to generate revenue are expected to grow with but not faster than revenue.

The third question that can be answered by a first review of the financial statements is composition, often called vertical analysis. How much of assets are liquid? How much of capital is debt versus equity? What is the composition of revenue? What is the composition of expenses? How much of expenses is cost of goods versus fixed overhead? What portion of revenue is gross profit? What portion of revenue is net income?

Ratios Finally, a quick financial analysis will end with calculating and evaluating a few ratios. There are generally four kinds of ratios: profitability ratios, efficiency ratios, liquidity ratios, and leverage ratios.

Many managers would begin with the profitability ratios. There are many profitability ratios. The four that are the most used are: gross margin, net margin, return on assets and return on equity.

The margins are the numbers most managers are familiar with. The gross margin is simply gross profit as a percentage of revenue. Gross profit, in turn is simply revenue minus the cost of goods and any commissions or trade discounts. Essentially, this is the amount that is left to cover overhead expenses.

If the gross margin is negative, no amount of additional selling or controlling of overhead will allow a company to make a profit. A reasonable gross margin is the first goal. The gross margin is the amount every CEO or entrepreneur must have a quick handle on. Total revenue and gross margin together make up the living pulse of the business. The net margin is simply net income divided by revenue. A slim margin means that the company is extremely sensitive to slight disruptions and could end up in the read with slight changes in market situation. A comfortable net margin means that the business has the resilience to weather tough times.

Return on assets (ROA) is the ratio of net income to assets. An easy way to think about this is to understand that net income represent the amount of money the owner earns from engaging in the business. Assets represent the total amount of capital that needs to be left in the business in order for the net income to be earned. In that sense, ROA represents the return on total investments in the company.

Return on Equity (ROE) is the ratio of net income to equity. If net income is the amount the owner earns from owning the business, equity is the amount of capital the owner has in the business. Hence, ROE represents the owner’s return on investments. Of course, if the owner has paid more than book value for his ownership in the business, as is often the case with listed companies, there is a different, more appropriate calculation.

So that’s it Finance 101, part 1.

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

Profits of listed firms climb 14%

By Jenniffer B. Austria

The combined net earnings of listed companies climbed 14 percent in the first quarter of the year to P158.2 billion from P138.9 billion year-on-year, led by property and services sectors, data from the Philippine Stock Exchange show Thursday.

Consolidated revenues of the listed firms for the January-to-March period rose 1.6 percent to P1.58 trillion from P1.55 trillion on year.

“We are optimistic that listed companies will be able to sustain their solid profit growth throughout 2015. This strong performance by corporate Philippines will remain to be one of the main drivers of stock market growth,” said PSE president and chief executive Hans Sicat.

Companies comprising the PSE index accounted for 70.4 percent of the total market net income, with 30 of them posting a com-

bined profit of P111.41 billion in the first quarter of 2015, up 9.2 percent from the same period a year ago.

Five out of the six sectors registered net income growths in the first quarter of 2015, led by property which whose combined profits jumped 52 percent to P27.42 billion.

Four of the six sectors recorded higher revenues, again led by property companies with a 22-percent growth.

The combined profits of the firms under the property sector were boosted by higher real estate

sales and leasing income as well as a non-recurring share sale gain for one property company.

Improved profit growth from airline companies and telecommunications companies boosted the consolidated profits of the services sector, which rose 27.9 percent to P25.57 billion.

The combined incomes of companies under the financial sector rose 7.7 percent due to securities trading gains, while those of the holding firms booked a combined net profit of P43.65 billion, up 6.5 percent, due to better performances of their business units.

The mining and oil sector posted a 2.9-percent increase in consolidated income to P2.97 billion on better prices of precious metals in the global market, higher sales of nickel as well as foreign exchange gains .

Combined profit of firms in the industrial sector decreased 1.5 percent to P30.84 billion on lower oil prices and higher operating expenses.

Hybrid train. Clark Development Corp. officer-in-charge of Rommel Narciso (right) of the external

affairs department tours the first Filipino-made hybrid electric road train parked inside the Clark Freeport Area. With him is Alexander Argame Jr., science specialist II of the Science and Technology Department.

Inset shows Rommel Corona, supervising science research specialist of DoST, discussing the hybrid electric road train over UFM 105.5 and local cable TV network ACCTN in Angeles City on Wednesday. With is host Rommel Narciso of CDC-EAD.

Stock market slips on Greek debt woes THE stock market retreated Thursday on concerns about Greece’s debt reform, after talks between the country’s officials and creditors fell apart and its leader accused them of rejecting his proposals.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 61.42 points, or 0.8 percent, to 7,581.91 on a value turnover of P8 billion. Losers beat gainers, 97 to 70, with 50 issues unchanged.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the biggest telecommunications firm, declined 1.4 percent to P2,840, while BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender in terms of assets, fell 2 percent to P107.80.

Megaworld Corp., the biggest lessor of office spaces, slumped 2.3 per-

cent to P5.01, while conglomerate Ayala Corp. lost 1 percent to P790.

The rest of Asian markets, meanwhile, turned negative Thursday.

While Greece and creditors agreed to resume talks later in the day, there are fears they could fail to reach an agreement to unlock crucial bailout funds, leaving Athens in default and possibly crashing out of the eurozone.

Tokyo slipped 0.46 percent, or 96.63 points, to 20,771.40, Sydney shed 0.95 percent, or 54.1 points, to close at 5,632.7 and Seoul was marginally lower, easing 0.47 points to 2,085.06.

Shanghai tumbled 3.46 percent, or 162.37 points, to 4,527.78 as investors take profits after a surge

of more than 140 percent over the past year, while a crackdown on margin trading has also seen a wind-down in trading.

Hong Kong ended 0.95 percent lower, giving up 259.22 points to 27,145.75.

Regional investors followed their colleagues in Europe and New York in selling after Athens and its creditors failed to achieve a breakthrough on overhauling Greece’s bailout terms, just days before a June 30 deadline when it must make a debt repayment.

If a deal is not hammered out and Athens does not unlock much-needed bailout cash, it will default and possibly crash out of the eurozone, or even the European Union. With AFP

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FRIDAY: JUNE 26, 2015

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

Disappointed with bookstore’s anti-child rule STOOLIES informed us that a couple—a lawyer and a former lifestyle editor of a daily—are on the verge of suing this bookstore located at a swanky area that’s the subject of a territorial tug-of-war between two (even three) local government units for allegedly refusing entry to their 15-year-old and 10-year-old kids.

According to our source, the mom dropped off her children at the bookstore expecting them to spend an enjoyable couple of hours going over the books—like the kids usually do at another bookstore that is a national favorite—while she went ahead to attend to some personal errands. Imagine her fury and mortification then when she found out that her children had been refused entry by the high-end bookstore (and left to fend for themselves) because of this fully foolish policy that students are not allowed to enter the premises before 5 p.m. if they are in their school uniform and are not accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Say what? Apparently, the rationale for this unfriendly, after 5 p.m. policy is that the bookstore wants to prevent kids from “cutting classes.” A lot of schools end classes by 3:45 p.m., some even earlier depending on the shift (morning, you know?) so where did this notso-bright idea come from? Bookstores are supposed to be safe havens for children, not a place where they are made to feel unwelcome and exposed to abuse if they are turned away and left to wait outside the premises. The book fully forgets that children are actually their biggest customers—in fact starting from the womb to the cradle and even to the grave.

Senator Bam’s no bum For those of you who have been wondering, what Senator Bam Aquino has been up to, he has apparently been quite busy judging from the press release sent by his media bureau. The youngest senator of the 16th Congress made an impact during the second regular session, the PR said, disclosing that he sponsored three out of the six major measures ratified during the period.

Quite a feat, really, since Filipinos have mostly been entertained by the Cayetano and Trillanes show where endless hours were spent on investigations supposedly in aid of legislation but to this date, we have yet to know what kind of legislation is being proposed relative to the hearings megged by the fantastic duo! Unfortunately, they are still bottom dwellers at the recent survey results released by Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations.

But we digress. This is supposed to be about Senator Bam Aquino.

“Foremost of Sen. Aquino’s bills was the Philippine Competition Act, a landmark measure seeking to level the playing field for all business, and eliminate anti-competitive agreements and abuses of dominant players in the market,” the statement read, adding that the Philippine Competition Act was finally passed under Sen. Bam’s watch as chairman of the Senate committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship after 25 years of gathering dust in the legislative mill. As our buddies would say, clap-clap-clap! It took a quarter of a century to pass a bill like that? Wonder what gives…

Other bills co-authored and sponsored by Senator Bam include the Foreign Ships Co-Loading Act and the Youth Entrepreneurship Act. The former now makes it possible for foreign ships carrying imported cargoes and cargoes to be exported out of the country to dock in multiple ports—resulting in reduced logistics costs and lead to lower prices for consumers. The bill is also expected to lead to more efficient port operations and a more competitive Philippines in the ASEAN integration.

The Youth Entrepreneurship Act, on the other hand, is seen as an effective tool to address the growing number of jobless young people in the country, which currently stands at 1.32 million. (Though we suspect the number could be a lot higher.)

Financial literacy and entrepreneurship courses will now be included in all levels of education to build an entrepreneurship culture among Filipinos. A youth entrepreneurship fund shall also be made available to cater to youth entrepreneurs in the country. (Question is, who will administer the fund?)

Last year, Sen. Bam’s Go Negosyo Act and the Philippine Lemon Law were enacted into laws and are now awaiting for the said three bills to be signed by the President. Once signed, Sen. Bam’s portfolio will consist of five laws in two years. (Hopefully, it won’t take another 25 years for the proposed measure to be signed. (Which reminds us, whatever happened to the Freedom of Information Act? Gathering dust because Senator race Poe seems to be the only one pushing for it?)

“Hindi mahalaga kung neophyte o beterano sa senado. Ang mahalaga ay kung makakagawa ka ng mga panukala na makakapagpabuti sa buhay ng nakararaming Pilipino,” Sen. Bam said. In addition, the 16th Congress also ratified measures ensuring the safety of children aboard twowheeled motorcycles travelling along public and private roads, protecting the amateur nature of student-athletes in the country and the establishment of an open high school system in the country.

•••• 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!

Robinsons-Lazada tieup. Robinsons Appliances recently signed a partnership with the Philippines’

largest e-commerce site – Lazada.com.ph as one of their marketplace partners in selling consumer electronics and appliances online. Shown during the signing of the agreement are (from left) Lazada Philippines chief executive Inanc Balci, Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. president and chief operating officer Robina Gokongwei-Pe and Robinsons Appliances general manager Hope Gokongwei-Tang.

Investors in Clark project end dispute

By Jess Malabanan

veloped lot inventory and The Medical City, Clark, a worldclass 20,000-square-meter hospital that provides state-ofthe-art medical services for the region.

GGDC said the state-of-the-

art, master-planned mixed-use Logistics City and Business Center would break ground on five office towers with a gross floor area of 142,000 square meters, in addition to a retail and gas plaza by the end of 2015.

CLARK FREEPORT —The proponent of the $5-billion Sabah AlAhmad Global Gateway Logistics City projN RIEF ect here said Thursday BSP keeps interest rates unchanged Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, on Thursday it settled a dispute with keptTHEtheMonetary key policy rates steady at 4 percent for overnight borrowing and 6 percent for overnight The rates were not touched for the sixth straight meeting since October last year. an American contrac- lending.

“The Monetary Board’s decision is based on its assessment that on balance, currency monetary policy settings remain appropriate given the within-target inflation forecasts and underlying strength of domestic demand conditions,” Bangko Sentral Governor Amando tor, allowing the project the Tetangco Jr. said in a news briefing after the meeting.

“Latest baseline forecasts continue to indicate that inflation is likely to settle within the to resume construction. lower half of the target range of 2 to 4 percent for 2015-2016, while inflation expectations

I B

Global Gateway Development Corp. and Peregrine Development International Inc., the prime developer of the project, said Thursday they had amicably “resolved their differences regarding the end of their engagement.”

GGDC president Mark Williams and PDII president Dennis Wright said in a joint statement they were happy that all issues between the parties had been settled and were now ready to separately move forward.

Peregrine, an American-owned company that has been operating in the Philippines since 2006, said it would continue its design, engineering and construction works in support of US government contracts as well as its other commercial, residential, hotel, restaurant and related interior fit-out projects in Manila and Central Luzon.

Both GGDC and Peregrine had filed charges and counter charges over jurisdiction of the Logistics City project in this ecozone.

GGDC invested over $100 million in the project to date with another $150 million in planned investments by the end of 2016.

GGDC’s investments include the development of world-class horizontal infrastructure, including over 30 hectares of fully de-

remain firmly anchored following recent inflation outturns,” Tetangco said.

Tetangco also said that domestic demand conditions remained firm even after the lowerthan-expected economic growth of 5.2 percent in the first quarter, supported by solid private household and capital spending as well as buoyant business confidence.

Bangko Sentral reduced its inflation average forecast this year to 2.1 percent from the 2.3 percent estimate made on May 14 this year. Likewise, the 2016 inflation forecast was also revised downward to 2.5 percent from 2.6 percent. Julito G. Rada

Global-Estate spending P10b in Iloilo GLOBAL-ESTATE Resorts Inc., a subsidiary of property developer Megaworld Corp., said it will spend P10 billion over the next 10 years to transform a 173-hectare property in Sta. Barbara in Iloilo into a mixed-use urban community.

Global-Estate said in a statement the project called Sta. Barbara Heights would become the 18th township of Megaworld group, the real estate arm of tycoon Andrew Tan. Two more township developments will be announced within the year in line with the group’s target to have 20 township developments by end-2015.

“We are allocating P10-billion to develop Sta. Barbara Heights for 10 years. Part of which has already been spent for land development and construction of the village, which started four years ago. We have seen the potential of Sta. Barbara Heights of becoming a full-blown township because of its strategic location near the Iloilo International Airport,” Global-Estate president Monica Salomon said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Apex acquires majority of Itogon Suyoc APEX Mining Company Inc. has agreed to acquire majority of the outstanding capital stock of Itogon Suyoc Resources Inc., a mining company in Benguet province, for P182.7 million.

Apex said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it had signed agreements for the acquisition of 98 percent of the total outstanding capital stock of ISRI. “The purchase price is P 0.007456 per share for a total of P 182.672 million consisting of P32.672 million in cash and P150 million in Apex shares valued at at P2.91 per share,” Apex said.

ISRI has mining claims and owns the mill and production facilities in Sangilo, Itogon, Benguet.

Apex said it would infuse at least P238 million in new equity in ISRI to pay down its debts and reopen its mining operation in Sangilo, Itogon, Benguet.

“This acquisition was funded by Apex from a loan from BDO Unibank,” Apex said.

Anna Leah E. Gonzales

Cloud technologies critical in IT investments REGIONAL think tank Stratbase ADR Institute highlighted critical issues in adopting cloud technologies that government must consider to effectively implement billions of anticipated investments in information and communications technology “As data security becomes increasingly crucial, government needs to retool its information infrastructure so it can deliver transparent, efficient, and accessible services but Critical to the success of an IT-empowered government is to build trust and confidence, to build a trusted cloud,” said ADRI president Dindo Manhit.

Manhit said in the era of constant cyber threats, establishing a “trusted cloud” is key if the government is to fully take advantage of the billions of anticipated investments in the field of information and communication technology.

The forum on “Trusted Cloud Services” saw IT professionals advising government officials on a range of topics including cloud computing, data security measures, and trends in government use of cloud technology.

F R I D AY : J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

B5

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

$16-billion airport approved

by Vietnam HANOI—Lawmakers in Vietnam voted Thursday to build a controversial $16-billion airport near Ho Chi Minh City as the country vies to become one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs.

The project aims to ease the airport congestion in Vietnam’s business hub and cater to an ambitious 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo a year by 2050.

“Building the international Long Thanh airport has been approved by the National Assembly with 86 percent of the votes in favor,” the communist state said in a posting on its government website, adding the new airport would be built around 40 kilometers from the city.

But the plan, first mooted decades earlier, has sparked vigorous public debate in the authoritarian country, with many questioning why the existing airport could not be expanded.

The problem appears to be a large golf course, owned by Vietnam’s powerful military, that sits right next to the existing Tan Son Nhat Airport. The government has ruled out expanding onto this land.

“It is very unreasonable to allow a golf course in the airport while it lacks parking lots for airplanes,” Le Trong Sanh, former head of the Tan Son Nhat Airport flight management section and a vocal critic of the Long Thanh airport plan, has told state media. He instead supports expanding the existing site.

According to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, the city’s international airport already serves 20 million passengers a year and will hit the maximum capacity of 25 million passengers by 2017.

If all goes to plan, the proposed airport in neighboring Dong Nai province would turn Vietnam into a regional aviation hub.

“The project’s funding will come from the state budget, the aviation sector, Official Development Assistance, enterprises and other sources,” the government said in its statement.

In recent years, the current airport has suffered from a string of technical glitches, including a power outage in November 2014 that left the control tower without radar for more than an hour. AFP

WORLD First bee ‘highway’ created in Norway OSLO—From flower emblazoned cemeteries to rooftop gardens and balconies, Norway’s capital Oslo is creating a “bee highway” to protect endangered pollinators essential to food production.

Heatwave. Pakistani youngsters cool themselves from a leaking water pipeline during a

heatwave in Karachi on June 25, when the death toll from Pakistan’s killer heatwave rose to 800 as cloud cover and lower temperatures brought some relief to the worst-hit city Karachi. AFP

“We are constantly reshaping our environment to meet our needs, forgetting that other species also live in it,” Agnes Lyche Melvaer, head of the Bybi, an environmental group supporting urban bees, which is leading the project.

“To correct that we need to return places to them to live and feed,” she explained, sitting on a bench in a lush city center square bursting with early Nordic summer growth.

With its sunflowers, marigolds and other nectarbearing flowers planted by bee-loving locals and school children, Abel’s Garden was until recently covered only in grass but is now a floral “feeding station” for bees.

Oslo’s “bee highway” aims to give the insects a safe passage through the city, lined with relays providing food and shelter—the first such system in the world, according to the organizers.

The participants in the project—state bodies, companies, associations and private individuals—are invited to post their contribution on a website www. polli.no, which maps out the bees’ route across the city.

On the twelfth floor of an ultra modern office block in the capital’s chic business district on the edge of Oslo fjord, a major accountancy firm has covered parts of its terrace in brightly flowering Sedum plants and two bee hives.

It houses some 45,000 worker bees, busily unaware of their smart-suited office counterparts enjoying their lunch just meters away.

“One should see it as a sign that companies are also taking responsibility for preserving biodiversity,” said accountant and bee-keeping enthusiast Marie Skjelbred.

She convinced her employer to co-finance the project to the tune of 400,000 kroner ($51,348, 46,000 euros) along with the owners of the building.

“The workers live about 60 days,” she explained with a glint in her eye.

“During their lives, they don’t produce more than a spoon of honey,” she added, before turning to her accountancy skills to do the math.

“If we did their job, paid at the minimum wage, a pot of honey would cost $182,000.”

Although Norwegian bees may not be as seriously threatened by intensive agriculture and pesticides as bees in the US or other European countries, a third of the country’s 200 wild bee species are nonetheless considered endangered. AFP

Stationmaster, tourist-magnet cat Tama dies at 16 TOKYO—A cat that served as nominal stationmaster on an obscure Japanese branch line, bringing thousands of extra tourists and spawning a merchandising gold rush, has died, a railway spokesman said Thursday.

Tortoiseshell-colored Tama is credited with single-pawedly saving the provincial Kishigawa Line after being appointed master of the tiny Kishi station.

With the regional railway losing money, the station lost its last human employee in April 2006, passing on the mantle to Tama,

who delighted in strolling around her own office wearing the formal uniform cap of Wakayama Electric Railway.

She proved a hit with visitors and word soon spread about the unusual animal arrangement, sparking a rush of media attention that brought fame—and some fortune—to the out-of-the-way place.

One study found that in 2007 alone, Tama’s presence had boosted the number of people traveling on the Kishigawa Line by 55,000, injecting a purr-fectly respectable 1.1 billion yen ($9 million) to the local

economy.

Wakayama Electric Railway spokeswoman Yoshiko Yamaki said the cat, which was 16, had been ill, but was feline frisky until the end, which came Monday.

“She had had a sinus infection since last month so was being cared for by her owner,” she said.

“But when we visited her with the company president a day before (she died), she stood up and meowed as if she was begging him to hold her.”

The governor of Wakayama, Yoshinobu

Nisaka, was among those who sent messages of condolence.

“Tama won a great popularity at home and abroad as a super star of tourism. At the news of her loss, I express my deep sorrow and great gratitude,” he said.

The Asahi Shimbun reported that mourners were leaving flowers at the station.

The railway company plans to hold a funeral for her on Sunday, at Kishi Station, starting from 12:30 pm (0330 GMT). AFP

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F R I D AY : J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Child buyers face prosecution BEIJING—Buyers of abducted children in China will face criminal punishment under proposed laws that would remove an exemption from prosecution, reports said Thursday as the authorities clamp down on the flourishing child-trafficking industry.

World premiere. Actress Julie Ann Emery attends the world premiere of “UNITY” at the DGA Theater on June 24 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

More than 13,000 children were rescued by police in China last year, the China Daily said, with demand for stolen youngsters fueled by a traditional preference for sons and a one-child limit for some couples.

Current law imposes harsh sentences for child trafficking, including the death penalty in certain cases.

Buyers of kidnapped children can be sentenced to up to three years in jail, but are exempt from criminal proceedings if they have not abused the children or obstructed efforts to rescue them.

The revised criminal law will eliminate the exception and “increase penalties for those who buy children,” the state-run newspaper said without specifying potential sentences.

“Buyers would receive a less severe penalty if they did not abuse the child or attempt to hinder rescue efforts,” it added.

The revised law was welcomed by Feng Jianlin, a father from Shanxi province in northern China whose daughter was kidnapped in 2008 when she was nine.

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 3 Office Address: Telephone Nos.: Website:

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-4839,808-8808 nia03@yahoo.com

“I think those who buy children should be punished, and the proposed law will promote China’s anti-baby trafficking campaign,” said Feng, who has set up an information-sharing website that has seen 14 children reunited with their biological parents.

“Currently, people do not break the law if they buy children, so the trafficking business is rampant in China,” he told AFP. The parents of missing children commonly use the Internet to search for their offspring, and thousands have posted photos of babies and toddlers on the website Baby Come Home, as well as shared information on Feng’s website.

Child trafficking has grown into a huge problem in China, where this year alone police have broken up criminal gangs found keeping babies in disused mortuaries and confining pregnant women to factories before selling their newborns.

Earlier this year, a Chinese mother in the central province of Henan was charged with human trafficking for allegedly conspiring with a doctor to sell her baby boy for almost $7,000.

In 2013 several families in Shaanxi province accused a doctor of persuading them to give up their children shortly after birth, allegations that led to a number of local officials being sacked.

Almost 13,000 people involved in human trafficking were punished between 2010 and last year, the China Daily said, citing the Supreme People’s Court.

More than half of those convicted received sentences ranging from five years in prison to death. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 3 Office Address: Telephone Nos.: Website:

Telefax No. (044) 788-2467 TIN 000-979-570-000

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-4839,808-8808 nia03@yahoo.com

Telefax No. (044) 788-2467 TIN 000-979-570-000

INVITATION TO BID

INVITATION TO BID

FOR BULO SMALL RESERVOIR IRRIGATION PROJECT, PACKAGE 1-CONSTRUCTION OF ACCESS ROAD & IRRIGATION FACILITIES (NORTH SIDE)

FOR BULO SMALL RESERVOIR IRRIGATION PROJECT, PACKAGE 2-CONSTRUCTION OF IRRIGATION FACILITIES (SOUTH SIDE)

INVITATION To BID NO. NIAR3-2015-BULO-BANE-1

INVITATION To BID No. NIAR3-2015-BULO-BANE-2

1.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) - Region III, through GAA Fund CY 2014, intends to apply the sum of Thirty Two Million Nine Hundred Sixty Eight Thousand Three Hundred Three Pesos (P 32,968,303.00) being the Approved Budget for Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Bulo Small Reservoir Irrigation Project, Package 1 - Construction of Irrigation Facilities (North Side). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1.

The National Irrigation Administration (N1A) - Region III, through GAA Fund CY 2014, intends to apply the sum of Thirty One Million Eight Hundred Forty One Thousand Six Hundred Fifty Five Pesos (P 31,841,655.00) being the Approved Budget for Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Bulo Small Reservoir Irrigation Project, Package 2 - Construction of Irrigation Facilities (South Side). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The NIA-Region 3 now invites bids for Bulo Small Reservoir Irrigation Project, Package 1 Construction of Access Road & Irrigation Facilities (North Side) located in Barangay Malibay, San Miguel, Bulacan.

2.

The NIA-Region 3 now invites bids for Bulo Small Reservoir Irrigation Project, Package 2 Construction of Irrigation Facilities (South Side) located in Brgy. Kalawakan, Dona Remedios Trinidad and Brgy. Malibay, San Miguel both in the province of Bulacan.

3.

Completion of the Works is required within 150 calendar days.

3.

Completion of the Works is required within 150 calendar days.

4.

Bidders should have completed a single contract in the construction of irrigation and flood control projects with a value of at least 50% of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section I, Instruction to Bidders.

4.

Bidders should have completed a single contract in the construction of irrigation and flood control projects with a value of at least 50% of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section I, Instruction to Bidders.

5.

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

5.

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

6.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

6.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proplietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

7.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NIA-Region 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the Office of the BAC Secretariat, NIA-Region 3, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan from 8:00 A.M to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

7.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NIA-Region 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the Office of the BAC Secretariat, NIA-Region 3, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan from 8:00 AM to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday

8.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested bidder on June 29, 2015 from the above address, Office of the BAC Secretariat and upon presentation of its original PCAB license and payment at the NIA-Region 3 Cashier of a nonrefundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (Php 25,000.00).

8.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested bidder on June 29, 2015 from the above address, Office of the BAC Secretariat and upon presentation of its original PCAB license and payment at the NIA-Region 3 Cashier of a nonrefundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (Php 25,000.00).

Interested bidder must also present a notarized letter authorizing his/her representative to acquire the Bidding Documents duly signed by the General Manager/Owner, if a Sole Proprietorship, or certified true copy of Board Resolution, if a Corporation.

Interested bidder must also present a notarized letter authorizing hislher representative to acquire the Bidding Documents duly signed by the General Manager/Owner, if a Sole Proprietorship, or certified true copy of Board Resolution, if a Corporation.

It may also download free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (phiIGEPS) and the NlA-Region 3 website, provided that bidder shall pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of its bid.

9.

The NIA-Region 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 2, 2015, 9:30 AM at the Conference Room, NIA - Region 3, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan which shall be opened only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

10.

Bids must be delivered on or before 9:30 AM, July 14, 2015, at the Conference Room, NIA - Region 3, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Opening of bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

11.

The NIA - Region 3 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.

12.

For further information, please refer to: The Chairman Bids and Awards Committee Office of the Engineering & Operations Division National Irrigation Administration - Region 3 Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Telephone/Fax No. (044) 766 - 4839

(SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee

(TS JUNE 26, 2015)

It may also download free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the NIA-Region 3 website, provided that bidder shall pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of its bid.

9.

The NIA-Region 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 2, 2015, 11:00 AM at the Conference Room, NIA - Region 3, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan which shall be opened only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

10.

Bids must be delivered on or before 11:00 AM, July 14, 2015, at the Conference Room, NIA - Region 3, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Opening of bids will immediately follow in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

11.

The NIA - Region 3 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.

12.

For further information, please refer to:

The Chairman Bids and Awards Committee Office o/the Engineering & Operations Division National Irrigation Administration - Region 3 Tambuhong, San Rafael, Bulacan Telephone/Fax No. (044) 766 - 4839

(SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee

(TS JUNE 26, 2015)

Mom, baby survive crash BOGOTA—A mother and her infant son who disappeared in a plane crash in the dense jungles of northwestern Colombia several days ago were found alive and well Wednesday in what authorities called a “miracle”.

Nelly Murillo, 18, and her son Yudier Moreno, not yet one year old, were discovered near the site where the Cessna 303 crashed on Saturday in thick brush.

“It’s a miracle. It is a very wild area and it was a catastrophic accident,” Colonel Hector Carrascal, commander of the Colombian Air Force in Antioquia department, told AFP. “His mother’s spirit must have given him strength to survive,” he said of the baby.

Murillo and her son were taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, said Carrascal, adding that he was stunned they were alive.

“The lady has wounds and minor burns and apparently the child is unharmed,” the Colombian Air Force said in a statement. AFP

F R I D AY : J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

MOTORING

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

ELECTRIC DREAMS

FANCIED as the wave of the future, electric vehicles have been catching fire even in a third world country like the Philippines. EVs in these parts are less sophisticated than their Western version but the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines has a noble scheme to spur the inexorable shift toward the use of electric vehicles . The group called on the various transport groups and on government to take a look at electric vehicles as a possible, viable replacement for the old, dilapidated and polluting jeepneys and tricycles that are spread all over the archipelago.

EVAP president Rommel Juan said that currently, there are about 350,000 old jeepneys nationwide averaging 20

FAST FASTLANE

years of age. “Add to this 3.5 million tricycles, with some of them still using the smokebelching two-stroke motors

EVs are bandied about by Evap as clean and environment-friendly alternative to the diesel-fired jeepneys.

which have been banned by the Clean Air Act”.

“The EV Industry is now ready to cater to the local public transport market. Its members now have the technology and facilities to supply the local public transport sector with cleaner and more modern versions of the jeepneys and tricycles known as the EJeepneys and the ETrikes”, he said.

“EJeepneys have been running in Makati since 2008 under its Makati Green Route project and now also ply Filinvest City in Alabang, Ateneo, La Salle, Meralco compound and many

Cool surprises

MOTORISTS taking the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) were treated to cool surprises recently after Prestone, the country’s leading brand of coolant and brake fluid, presented family vacationers bound for Angeles City in Pampanga with a free, full-sized Happy with his cool surprise Prestone Ready to Use and showing-off his free Coolant. The product is Prestone Ready-to-Use Coolant. considered by motorists as a perfect travel companion takes longer to boil, you are since it offers superior pro- assured that your system can tection against overheating, withstand extreme temperawhich usually becomes a tures. Prestone Coolant is problem during long drives. compatible with the rubber Water easily boils and will and metal parts of a radiator, more likely cause overheat- including the pump or hose. ing versus a coolant mix. Its special corrosion inhibiUsing water alone inside tors also protect the cooling the cooling system can also system’s aluminum parts so damage its metal parts, mak- motorists can get to enjoy ing it more vulnerable to year-round protection from rusting, corrosion and block- overheating, rust and corroage. Using the right coolant is sion.

Prestone Coolant is availcrucial in helping prevent the able in two variants – conengine from overheating.

Unlike water, Prestone is centrate and ready to use. ethylene glycol-based and Prestone Long-life Coolant offers a more intense level of Concentrate provides moprotection for a car’s cool- torists with the flexibility ing system due to its higher to adjust the level of protecheat absorption rate. Since it tion: the recommended 70-

30 coolant to water ratio can protect the engine by providing boil over protection for up to 136 degrees. Motorists may also opt to use the 60-40 (132 degrees) or 50-50 (129 degrees) ratio, depending on their protection preference. Alternately, Prestone Ready-To-Use variant offers a pre-mix coolant that is easy and convenient to use – no need to add water, just pour directly on the car’s radiator.

This variant comes in handy especially during road trips.

Instead of using water that may dilute your existing coolant, Prestone Ready to Use is the smarter choice for stopover top ups.

In line with its continuing campaign on road safety, Prestone has also come up with a road adventure raffle promo that saw Samuel Sibonga Apayart winning the grand prize. As such, he gets a chance to choose his own adventure trip at either Thunderbird Resorts in La Union or at the Baguio Country Club. Consolation prizes were also drawn for five (5) lucky Prestone fans.

Brembo aftermarket expands THE cutting-edge technology and vast experience of a company that manufactures braking systems for the world’s major automotive constructors, combined with absolute control in every stage of the production process, allow Brembo to offer the Aftermarket professional a more comprehensive and reliable range of spare brake parts that covers over 96% of all vehicles on the road today.

Brembo also recently expanded its lineup with the launch of a dedicated range of Aftermarket integral

and composite brake discs (including floating discs).

Brembo is now bringing its exclusive expertise as a supplier of top-of-therange braking systems for the world’s most prestigious

cars to the design and manufacture of Aftermarket components for high-end cars.

Thanks to these technical solutions, Brembo guarantees top performance even in extreme conditions, highly durable brake components and the best driving experience. The new Aftermarket range, which will be expanded over coming months, already covers top models of such important brands as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Aston Martin and others.

more are in the works”.

Juan adds that on the other hand, ETrikes are now running in many areas around the country such as in Bacoor in Cavite, Boracay, Quezon City, Mandaluyong and just recently, inside the UP Diliman campus in what is called as the E-kot Project.

EVAP Executive Director Atty. Bodie Pulido urges people and companies interested in joining the push for Public Transport Modernization to coordinate with EVAP. “We will connect you with our members. Our main vision is to promote the use of EVs in the Philip-

pines since we believe that this is possibly one of the better ways to modernize our public transport system.

We have found out that it is cheaper for operators to use electric vehicles than regular internal combustion engine vehicles because of the lower power cost and less maintenance”.

“However, funding is now a major impediment”, Pulido explains. “We need funders to come in to fund the initial equity needed by the bank to finance a fleet of EVs. And we also need fund managers to help us make creative schemes to get funding for

B7

these EV projects”.

He reveals that the sunrise EV industry badly needs governments support. “Thus, we urge the government to pass the Alternative Fuel Vehicles Incentives Bill into law. With the fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, this will make EV players more competitive in the region”.

“Many foreign players are now in the country because they have identified the Philippines as possibly the best place to develop the EV industry and maybe make it the EV manufacturing hub in the region”, Pulido says.

“Companies from Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Turkey, Australia and the USA have been coordinating with EVAP to establish possible joint ventures with EVAP members and set up local operations”.

Juan believes that the future of the Philippine mass transport system is here and it is electric. “Electric vehicles are cleaner, more efficient, perfect for the Philippine road conditions and is good for the economy. It is expected spur local auto industry with the development of local EV assembly and manufacturing.

Motoring@The Standard

Hino at 40: Best deals on offer LOYAL Hino customers now have the opportunity to drive the future of their business at a best value price advantage, as Pilipinas Hino, Inc. the country’s leading and only one-stop shop for customized heavyduty commercial trucks and buses, announces the start of its year-long special discount promo offering for its top-of-the-line vehicles.

As part of its 40th anniversary celebration, PHI gives back to its dedicated customers. The first of its kind, all customers buying a new Hino Dutro 300 or 500 truck series models FC9J and FG8J during the entire promotional period will benefit from special price incentives and worry-free, long-term preventive maintenance services.

For the Dutro 300 series (Light Duty), buyers get to avail 3 years Free Preventive Maintenance Service (FPMS) and 3 years Warranty regardless of mileage, or buyers can opt to avail P80,000 cash discount instead. For the 500 series (Medium Duty) FC9J truck and FG8J truck models, buy-

ers get to avail 2 years Free Preventive Maintenance Service (FPMS) and 2 years Warranty or 60,000 kms (whichever comes first) or buyers can choose to avail a P60,000 cash discount.

According to Justin Solana, Dealership Operations Manager of PHI, the promo not only grants clients a new and easier way of owning world-class Hino commercial vehicles, but also reas-

sures them of getting their money’s worth of investment through additional elements of service, like unlimited mileage maintenance service warranty.

“We are delighted to provide our valuable customers the opportunity to own premium class Hino vehicles at prices that are heavy in per-

formance, but not on their pockets. Taken together, the promo combines superb incentives through best price offering, as well as addresses maintenance repair concerns,” said Solana.

“By ensuring these are wellprovided, we guarantee Hino owners that they enjoy the full depth of a Hino vehicle’s performance capabilities. We aim to give them a lifetime of service and value-for-money benefits that go beyond their expectations,” he added.

Formed as a joint venture between Filipino investors, Hino Motors Ltd. and Japan-based Marubeni Corporation, PHI has been assembling and distributing resilient and reliable trucks and bus chassis since 1975.

From then on, PHI has built up its reputation in the commercial transport industry as the only company that offers benchmark-leading customization. PHI has produced versatile trucks and buses that cater to various industries such as for logistics, healthcare (mobile clinics, Xray vans and hospital buses), and government use.

BYD offerings for new car buyers Through STAR Corp’s BYD Big Wins Promo, new car buyers will be able to get any of these premium items—an android Smartphone, 23km Preventive Maintenance Service, a Barkada Trip to Hong Kong or a BYD car, all for free, with their corresponding BYD car purchase.

For starters, get Preventive Maintenance Service of up to 23, 000 kilometers with every purchase of a BYD F0 1.0L hatchback, which means a two-year

worry free maintenance, or get a free Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge worth over P40,000 with every purchase of a brand new BYD S6 SUV. If you’re into travel, a trip to Hong Kong for 3 persons is the premium giveaway in store for a group purchase of three units of brand new BYD L3 MT or AT sedans. It’s a three day/two night travel package worth P150,000 that includes hotel accommodations, round trip airfare and pocket money.

And for the smart and enterprising, STAR Corp. gives an opportunity to own a brand new BYD F3 MT sedan worth P698,000 for free, with every four-unit fleet purchase of the same BYD F3 car. Taxi businesses or fleet services will benefit much from this promo offering on this fourdoor compact sedan because the BYD F3 is specially developed for fleet operations with its provisions for taxi meter, top mount light, and a “for hire” lamp.

F R I D AY : J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

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RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING GOLF GTi LOVE AT FIRST DRIVE

GTi: Supercar performance in a compact and practical package

Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

I

t was love at first sight. I met her in Cebu a few months ago and her aggressive demeanor instantly caught my attention. For a fleeting moment, I spent the night with her, caressing from time to time ger curvaceous body lines and feeling the soft touch of her fabric. I just had to go out with her, so I pulled some strings at Volkswagen Philippines. And that was how I ended up with her -- the “MK7” in all its GTi glory.

The interior is supposedly designed to look sporty, but to me it looks a bit restrained and on the conservative side. The seats are a giveaway that it is a GTi, and the feel of the flat bottomed leather steering wheel and leather wrapped shifter with red stitching is a 10 in aesthetics. The playful mix of colors and materials inside the cabin are exemplary.

Pocket Rocket This car reminded me of the ME 262, history’s first

The GTi’s cockpit is functional and sporty.

Sorry guys, I am not referring to a woman who works for MI6, but rather to an automotive icon which left an imprint in me during the formal introduction to the local market a few months ago of this Teutonic icon, the Volkswagen Golf GTi. Launched at the Paris Motor Show in 2012, this seventh generation Golf GTi started out as a compact family car when it was launched in 1974. The GTi eventually hit the global market in June 1976, and would make automotive history by becoming Volkswagen’s best selling variant and the World’s second best seller with more than 29 million by 2012. “The Golf GTi is indeed the sports car with true “style and performance”, because it is the GTi. It is the perfect car for performance seekers looking for fun and excitement,” says John Philip Orbeta, president and CEO of Volkswagen Philippines.

This 2015 version of the VW GTi is larger than its predecessor and a tad lighter. If you’ll look at the previous version, this latest iteration did not change much, but it is noticeably wider and with a lower stance. It is looker with its subtle rear spoiler, and an Audi inspired front fascia with horizontal strakes on the lower front corner which houses the fog lamps.

A sexy rear end with twin exhaust pipes

Bluetooth speakers for the active lifestyle Text and photos

by Dino Ray V. Directo III LAUNCHED at the Greenhills Clubhouse with a garden barbeque theme, Nyne Audio recently presented its wares to the media with their different types of speakers spread strategically around the garden area. “We wanted to showcase the features and capabilities of each product in its own distinct setting/ environment,” says Gen Tiu of Nyne Audio Philippines.

Designed and built for the way we live in an active urban setting, Nyne Audio has a speaker tailor fit to suit your lifestyle. Be it for recreation, exercise, poolside fun, exploring the great outdoors and even at work as a tool to maximize your presentation. Nyne is currently the only Bluetooth speaker in the market with a diverse lineup to suit the modern lifestyle.

Showcased were the Nyne Bass, Nyne TT, Nyne Cruiser and the Nyne Aqua.

The NYNE Bass is a portable Bluetooth speaker perfect for outdoors. With 20 Watts of output power and a hidden carrying handle, it is a suitable speaker for campers, gamers, tailgaters, beach goers and outdoor parties.

Nyne partnered with Concept One/ Black Rhino Wheels and Columbia on a campsite set-up to showcase the product in offroad/camping en-

vironment.

For portability, Nyne’s TT portable speaker is an updated version of the Eighties icon, the venerable boombox: which we all remember as portable and loud. This modern version Bluetooth speaker comes in a trendy, unobtrusive black shoulder bag for transporting the Nyne TT with you at the golf course, park, poolside or a party with friends. Coupled with your iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, or Android smartphone, it’s a small, lightweight portable speaker to take your music with you everywhere. Designed for use outdoors, the speakers are pretty loud for their small size. The Nyne TT has a rubberized body for repelling accidental water splashes. The Nyne TT speaker set comes in urban black with matching shoulder bag.

When you are out to explore the great outdoors with your bike, the NYNE Cruiser is a rugged, portable wireless Bluetooth speaker which you can take with you anywhere, anytime. Adjustable handlebar mounting clips let you add musical pizzazz to a leisurely bike ride or a humdrum gym workout. Use the carabineer to clip the Cruiser onto your backpack and take a hike.

The NYNE Cruiser is a portable speaker featuring 10 hours of playback time on a single charge, a built-in microphone for speakerphone functionality, and Bluetooth connectivity up to 33 feet.

The USB port allows you to charge phones off the speaker’s battery, and has universal handlebar mounts for attaching the speakers to the front of your bicycle.

Bluetooth 4.0 means strong signal even up to 33 feet away, and NFC supports simple pairing for your NFC-enabled device.

The NYNE Aqua allows you to take your music anywhere you please. Be it the Beach, Shower, Skiing, Pool or in the Bath the Aqua is ready for the challenge.

With its IPX-7 waterproof rating and silicone carrying/hanging band, the Aqua can hang with you anywhere. It is the perfect audio gadget at the poolside!

NYNE’s Bluetooth speakers line-up are available in Apple resellers, music stores, premium gadget shops, outdoor lifestyle shops, appliance centers and premium department stores. On social media, follow NYNE Audio on Facebook www.facebook.com/ NyneAudio.Ph and on instagram (@nyneaudiioph).

Jet fighter which literally changed air combat. Like the ME 262, the Golf GTi is an engineering innovation because you get to enjoy the best of both Worlds at a press of a mode button. If you’re driving out for urban duties, put the car in “Drive” or “Eco” mode and you’ll be surprised at how this baby frugally consumes fuel. If you feel the need for speed, press “Sport” and the car transforms into Mr. Hyde.

The GTi is powered by a 210bhp-2.0 liter direct-injection turbo charged engine. It felt solid, composed and the steady rush of power will make you grin from ear to ear. With Sheryl Crow’s “Everyday is a winding road” blaring from the surround sound inside the cabin, I did some round of fast straights and tight corners in the hills of Tanay. My eyes watered from the sheer adrenaline rush and I had to stop and drink from my bottled water container to calm myself down from the excitement of carving out a path for the GTi. When you get to drive this, I strongly suggest that you play with the six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission or control the power down the wheels by way of the steering wheel mounted gear shifters.

Think of the Golf GTi as an expensive Swiss Army knife kind of transport which offers multiple tools at your disposal. It is a compact family car which is perfect for local roads; it has a flexible cabin space to accommodate a road bike or two “Balikbayan” boxes; different modes to suit your driving needs. To experience the excitement that I have felt, prepare P2.290M of chunk change to purchase this iconic German ride.

This made me wonder, how exciting is it to drive the Golf R?

F R I D AY : J U N E 2 6 : 2 0 1 5

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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

REVOLUTIONARY FASHION WITH JEFFREY ROGADOR F ashion is a form of communication and this has never been more true with the creations of young designer Jeffrey Rogador – a University of Sto. Tomas Fine Arts graduate whose “fashion statement” almost always attracts the attention not only of fashionistas but even ordinary Filipinos.

He first made waves when he joined the Mega Young Designers Competition in 2004 – standing out for combining his signature urban sporty aesthetic with practical functionality and wearability. No surprise, really, since he has always opted to pursue “wearable art.”

The exposure has earned him a regular spot in Philippine Fashion Week since 2007, turning heads on the runway and getting second, even third looks every time he launches a new collection.

A big year for Rogador was in 2012 when he carried the Philippines at the Jeansation 2 Awards in Monte Carlo, Monaco, where over 90 designers representing 22 countries vied for top honors in various categories. The young designer brought home

the Best Jeans Award – and followed this feat by being chosen as one of the Ambassadors for Levi’s Go Forth Campaign that featured some of the most sought-after young talents in the fashion scene. One of the early highlights in his career came about in 2013 when he was chosen to be one of the mentors of the fashion reality TV show Mega Young Designers Competition where one of his apprentices came out as the Season winner.

At the recent Philippine Fashion Week held at SM Aura Premiere, Rogador did not disappoint with his collection, “Super Pinoy,” where he paid tribute to our national heroes. With the artwork of Rowena Lopez digitally printed on neoprene, cotton and silk fabric, the images of Apolinario Mabini, Tandang Sora and other revered figures in our history came out alive in the creations of Rogador – serving as stark reminders of the significant role these historical icons played in giving us Filipinos the many freedoms – yes, even of expression – that we enjoy today.

Continued on C2

Filipinos to enjoy convenience everywhere with Smart Life IMAGINE the ease and convenience of paying for your fastfood meal or coffee by simply tapping your mobile device on a payment terminal – doing away with fumbling for cash and exact change, or sorting through stacks of IDs and credit cards in your bulky wallet But this is very much a reality now with Charge2Phone (C2P), the country’s first sticker-based Near Field Communication payment solution, which Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the country’s undisputed mobile services leader, has introduced in partnership with Voyager Innovations, Citi Philippines and Visa to revolutionize mobile payments.

Designed to fit the back of any mobile phone device, C2P transforms the mobile phone into a credit card or wallet, and is one of the many digital innovations that Smart is pushing under the ‘Smart Life,’ its groundbreaking initiative to empower the passions of Filipinos and allow them to live with greater fun, convenience and peace of mind anytime, anywhere.

lifestyle of Filipinos via services that give fun and peace of mind wherever they go, whenever they want.

For entertainment everywhere, Smart subscribers may enjoy the best entertainment with apps such as iflix to access more than 10,000 hours of TV shows and great movies, ad-free.

For music junkies, Smart offers special bundles for homegrown and multi-awarded apps Spinnr and/or Deezer that offer millions of songs that suit their mood and taste.

With Smart’s reliable connectivity, Filipinos can also easily tap Waze, Easy Taxi and Uber to conquer the traffic in the metro.

To give subscribers peace of mind everywhere they go, Smart has partnered with PLDT HOME to offer FAM CAM, an innovative home-monitoring system that allows them to easily view the daily activities of their loved ones back at home — offering a virtual link for anyone to stay connected with their family despite the distance.

“Whatever your lifestyle is, Smart has digital services that will fit it perfectly. You will no longer be limited by time or your location, from doing what you love most to do. You can get what you want with a swipe of a finger,” Fermin explained.

To know more about how to live the Smart Life and empower your passions with meaningful innovations, visit smart.com.ph.

Convenience anytime, anywhere

Photography: Rxandy Capinpin Grooming: Eddie Mar Go Cabiltes Model: Aaron De Tomaso Styling assistants: Kit Ladao & Via Repomanta Shoes: Converse & SM Milanos

“As the country’s undisputed leader in mobile, Smart has been at the forefront in coming up with world-class digital innovations. But we are not innovating just for the sake of being the first to offer awesome tech services. The point is to produce innovations that are meaningful to our customers – services that make their daily lives so much better,” said Smart Executive Vice President and Consumer Business Head Ariel P. Fermin.

Through C2P, Smart subscribers are able to make over-the-counter purchases simply by tapping a sticker on a terminal, eliminating the need to sign sales slips or forms. C2P also enables Smart subscribers

Charge2Phone’s revolutionary mobile payment solution allows Smart subscribers to live the Smart Life

to link their mobile account to a Citi Visa card, so they simply enter their mobile number when paying for purchases at thousands of online sites here and abroad.

With phones practically becoming an extension of ourselves and hardly going out of our sight, C2P allows for multiple layers of security and even more convenient transactions anytime and anywhere, revolutionizing how we conduct personal and online transactions.

To avail of C2P, Smart subscribers simply need to apply for a Citi Rewards Card at www.citibank.com.ph or any Smart Store. For additional security, C2P may be used for purchases below P2,000 while the card may be used for transactions above that amount.

Living more with Smart Life Aside from offering unmatched convenience through C2P, the ‘Smart Life’ initiative encompasses the mobile

FRIDAY : J UNE 26 : 2015

C2 Revolutionary fashion with Jeffrey Rogador

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Gretchen Ho

FASHION

Gold Earbud and Leopard Flip Case

From C1

The collection played around urban wear, from street looks to rugged ensembles. Separates include jackets, shirts, skirts, pullovers and blazers, allowing one to mix and match a certain look that channeling one’s inner pride as a Filipino. True to his vision, Jeffrey Rogador has yet again showcased another collection that can evoke – actually stir – one’s patriotism to the fore. “You can be global and still be proud to be a Filipino,” he stated.

Those who see Jeff ’s collections are also impressed at how he has successfully elevated “masa” elements into avant garde creations, leading many to characterize his creations as revolutionary. “In a way they are,” he agrees, but qualifies that “for me, it’s just more of a new approach and treatment on fabrics/textile and concepts per collection. I’ve always wanted to cater to the younger market which also dictates the trends and staples needed to be produced per season,” he explains.

As fashion statements go, many interpreted the collection he launched for the recent Philippine fashion week, as statement, but this is not necessarily so, he says.

“It was not actually a statement but my point of view as a designer, sharing my visions and messages thru fashion.

People from the industry tell me that my patriotism is always evident every time my clothes are presented on the runways. Our roots are always translated to readyto-wear, and in a modern way that appeals to mainstream market and the youth,” Jeffrey avers.

Asked if he sees himself as not just a fashion designer but in a way an educator as well, using fashion as his platform, he laughs. “Maybe, but it’s more of sharing a message and using fashion as a medium to increase awareness about the importance of our roots... history... love for country that will lead everyone to patronize and be proud of our own products and (homegrown) talents.

In this small way, we will be able to help with the growth of our economy not only here in the Philippines but the potential of making it global as well.”

Considering that his collections never fail to generate positive interest, one would assume that pressure would be par for the course, with the need to outdo himself every time a new collection is launched. But then again, this is not really the case for Jeff, “because it really depends on the current market and generation as to which collections will be accepted. For us designers, it’s our job to come up with at least two collections a year. And it’s also our task to translate our concepts/visions in each collection to make them updated with global trends for wearable pieces,” the young designer explains.

Like most professions, there are highs that go with the job, and there are also downsides. “We have the power to dictate what’s gonna come out, or the possible trends that will be picked up and which will be adopted by the retail fashion industry. It’s just sad that there’s not much support from the government in terms of fashion business promoting homegrown and local talents. There’s not much support in developing our local textile industry as well,” he shares on what frustrates him as a designer.

His top three advice to aspiring designers: “One: focus and dedication. You really have to know your direction, visions and how you want to position yourself in the industry. Then there is ‘point of view’ – you should have a clear and distinct message as a designer. Last is flexibility.

You have to establish good working relationships with everyone from the smallest to the highest person you meet all the time. It’s not always you and only your ideas or talent that matter; you need everyone in the industry. Blend with them and be nice to everyone,” he concludes.

FASHION + TECH = HAPPY PLUGS

W

ith mobile technology now undoubtedly integrated into our lives, accessories are gaining momentum to inspire more brands to try their hand on developing products that enhance mobile devices and embody the user’s distinctive style at the same time.

This dynamic change resonates well with the fashion industry, which is certainly pushing the boundaries to take the emerging market for tech accessories to greater and trendier heights.

One celebrity who is thrilled to see this unravel is Gretchen Ho. “Fashion is a very exciting part of our culture and it’s about time that tech has caught up with style and individuality,” she beams.

Undoubtedly one of the most admired sports personalities of her generation, the 25-year-old Gretchen gained prominence during her successful collegiate volleyball career. She has proven that her skills go beyond the court as she dabbles in hosting television shows and corporate events.

Gretchen, who also runs an inspirational merchandise business and is very much involved in managing her official webpage, relies heavily on her gadgets to manage her schedule and sustain her online presence. The right combination of style, quality, functionality and price serves as her blueprint in choosing accessories like headphones to match her favorite gizmos.

The Filipino-Chinese beauty has had to try on several pairs before finally discovering Happy Plugs, whose accent pieces make a fashion statement for tech-savvy audiences like her.

Happy Plugs, the international fashion and lifestyle brand established in September 2011 with the goal of transforming essential tech accessories into fashion must-haves, teamed up with Power Mac Center for the latter’s first ever fashion event collaboration in the Philippines.

For Happy Plugs, color is style and identity – and thus came up with the “What Color Are You Today?”® con-

STYLISH LAPTOP BAGS

Knomo London outfits Pinoy fashionistas on the go

cept in creating accessories that convey value as much as aesthetics.

“What I like about Happy Plugs is the simplicity of the design and its focus on functionality. The colors and patterns are so fun to mix and match with my different outfits,” Gretchen muses the new Power Mac Center brand ambassador for Happy Plugs.

An avid runner and a music fan, Gretchen says Happy Plugs has become essential in her workout routine. The Happy Plugs Earbud (Red) headphones is perfect for her as it stays comfortably in her ear to provide optimized sound quality. The In-Ear (Gold Deluxe Edition), on the other hand, fits Gretchen’s sleek and sophisticated personality off court.

“With Happy Plugs, I feel very confident because I’m wearing a stylish piece and with the quality, I feel like there is nothing that can disturb my experience.

The styles are also very classic and are sure to last for a long time, so what more can you ask for?” concludes Gretchen.

Hanover Slim Briefcase in Black (left) and the Troon Canvas Messenger Bag in Sand (right)

your stuff. Made from soft and luxurious Bags are considered a staple in every womlightweight nylon with Saffano leather an’s wardrobe arsenal. A big challenge for trim, this sleek bag is fully adjustable and fashion-focused and tech-driven females features a neat and slim design with a padis to find the perfect laptop bag that can ded main compartment that can carry and carry their devices in style. Global lifestyle protect a laptop and a few other essentials. brand Knomo London certainly knows The Hanover Slim Briefcase is available in how to work its way among the chic crowd Black, Antique Bronze, and Blue. with contemporary and elegant iterations The brand’s bag selection includes the of utilitarian laptop cases.

Troon Canvas Messenger Bag, a failsafe Founded in 2004, the London-based carryall solution for men and women on company combines technology and dethe go with its shockproof laptop section sign to produce thoughtfully curated and Vanessa Matsunaga secured by a modest bridge-lock and leathhigh quality accessories designed for life on the go. Knomo London stands for Knowledge and er strap. Troon comes in Black and Sand colors.

“Pushing the boundaries for mobile accessories, Mobility, two words that underscore its aim to take the Knomo London optimizes sophisticated design and exmobile lifestyle to the next level.

Knomo London’s craftsmanship left a stylish impres- pert quality to deliver products that protect and enhance sion among Filipino fashionistas at recent Philippine gadgets,” added Vanessa who is also the Power Mac Fashion Week held at SM Aura Premier. The event also Center brand ambassador for Knomo.

Knomo London laptop bags were also presented on marked the first time Knomo London partnered with Power Mac Center – the official technology Retail part- the runway with the latest collection of fashion designer ner for the country’s grandest fashion extravaganza – to Jeffrey Rogador entitled “Super Pinoy.” Heavy on staple introduce a line of laptop bags that help create runway- urbanwear clothes, Jeffrey’s holiday collection is distinguished for the use of art expressions bearing national worthy looks.

Knomo London’s aesthetic design earned the stamp of ap- heroes that evoke patriotism and national pride.

Jeffrey Rogador’s collection pieces and Knomo proval of celebrities that include Brazilian-Japanese supermodel Vanessa Matsunaga who carefully chooses gadgets London bags perfectly match the lifestyle of urbanites. and accessories that serve as an extension of her personal “Functionality is very important for me. Knomo London style. “Knomo London understands the trends and helps me bags suit and share the same design aesthetics with my keep up with my daily adventures in style,” Vanessa stated. pieces,” the designer averred.

For more information, log on to www.powermaccenter.

Knomo London’s Hanover Slim Briefcase makes for a great accessory to your everyday look and organizer for com or visit a Power Mac Center store near you.

FRIDAY : J UNE 26 : 2015

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

#STYLESPIRATION: MARIAN RIVERA

BY ED BIADO

If I were a woman – a woman with plenty of dough to spend on her wardrobe – I’d be dressing exactly like Marian Rivera. The girl has got mad style and makes everything look effortlessly chic. Well, it helps that a lot of her clothes are designer labels but it’s really the way she tastefully edits her looks that makes all the difference.

On her Instagram account, @therealmarian, she shares with her 1.6 million followers photos of her family, flowers, dishes she cooked, and a behind-the-scenes look at her celebrity life. But the bulk of her posts are OOTDs (which actually have a spin-off account, @marian_ootd).

One of the things you’ll notice browsing though the archives is that Marian knows her body. She picks a few silhouettes and sticks with them. This is an important lesson because it follows the age-old rule of “if it ain’t broke, why fix it?” The actress wears A-line skirts with hemlines that hover around the knees to almost every occasion and why wouldn’t she? It’s a great look on her and accentuates her figure.

She mixes it up with prints. Marian loves florals and she’s not afraid to show it. And the good thing about it is that she picks the most beautiful floral pieces; those with big and bold prints that are

equal parts girly and adventurous. The lesson is here is to go all-in. Go big or go home and our dear Marian certainly knows how to make a statement.

Accessorizing is also a huge part of Marian’s style and it seems that her philosophy is simple and minimal. Instead of drowning herself in layers of necklaces and bracelets, she usually opts for a single piece, either a tennis bracelet or an artful pendant, keeping the whole look clean and polished.

Mrs. Dingdong Dantes wears a lot of Prada, Stella McCartney, Diane von Furstenberg, Kate Spade and Carolina Herrera – brands that are known for feminine designs. While these are not exactly affordable, ladies on a budget can easily find similar styles for much less if they just look hard enough. The items from Marian’s wardrobe that have no substitutes are her Birkins. Check out the #MarianRiveraHermesCollection hashtag and die of envy!

The best thing about it all is that Marian never looks trashy. She shows the right amount of skin and leaves a lot to the imagination. She cinches at the appropriate places and teases here and there (a bit of cleavage once in a while) so that she still looks sexy but she’s always respectful of her own body – and that, my friends, is why she’s such a fashion inspiration.

Images courtesy of Marian Rivera’s Instagram account, @therealmarian

BEAUTY BRIEFS TEA TREE TURNS 20 Twenty years ago, The Body Shop launched its Tea Tree range using tea tree essential oil harvested from the foothills of Mount Kenya. Since that time, The Body Shop’s Tea Tree range has become a cult favorite, a clear skin superhero, and a number one anti-imperfection range. Tea tree oil, after all, has long been renowned for its powerful, purifying properties.

Apart from the wonderful tea tree oil, the range is also infused with tamaru oil from Madagascar.

Extracted from the nut of the tamaru tree, this has incredible healing capacity, and works to promote the formulation of new tissue – thereby accelerating the healing of blemishes.

In celebration of the two decades that the line has been helping heal blemishes, removing impurities and mattifying skin as well as creating employment on the farms, The Body Shop is giving 20 percent off on the Tea Tree range.

SMAC members can also double their points when they buy any Tea Tree item. Promo is until July 1, 2015.

THE LEGACY LIVES ON

A FRESH TAKE ON A PASALUBONG FAVORITE

Long before other cosmetic brands became popular in the Philippine market, there was Kokoryu. Women born in the ‘60s up to the ‘90s are familiar with, or have been beautified by, the brand.

Kokuryu is very popular among countless make-up artists, as well, due to its high-quality products that do not contain harmful components.

In a bid to attract younger consumers and continue the Kokoryu legacy, the label’s management has decided to diversify its product line. Kokuryu now carries skin care items like beauty soap, facial toner, lotion, cream and cologne.

Back in the 1960s, American soap brand Dial became a popular pasalubong of Fil-Ams and overseas Filipino workers because of its anti-bacterial protection and nourishing health benefits.

Throughout the decades, the product has since evolved into a beauty label – a soap that goes way beyond keeping you clean.

Indulge in the sun-ripened freshness of guava and watermelon with Dial Pura Fruta Refreshing Body Wash and Refreshing Glycerin Soap. Products of this line leave the skin feeling clean, soft, healthy, smooth and radiant while soothing and restoring lost skin moisture.

Give your skin a boost of nourishment with Dial Vitamin Boost, Lotion Infused Moisturizing Body Wash and Glycerin Soap that has Vitamin Complex Amazing B, responsible for attracting moisture while keeping skin clean and moisturized.

Meanwhile, the Dial Vitamin Boost Oil Infused Nourishing Body Wash with Vitamin Complex Super C features moisturizing, clean rinsing and rich lather qualities while attracting moisture, leaving skin soft and healthy.

Spoil your skin with 84 minerals and elements with Himalayan Pink Salt and water Lily that are available in Dial Skin Therapy Replenishing Body Wash. This luxurious body wash replenishes skin, leaving it feeling clean, soft and renewed. Reveal healthier, smoother skin with the help of Dial Skin Therapy Exfoliating Body Wash that gently removes skin’s dull and dry surface.

F R I D AY : J U N E 2 6 : 2 0 1 5

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

The People’s Champ with The BQP. Manny Pacquiao has single-handedly put the Philippines on the global stage.

Despite his recent setback, Manny remains an inspiration to millions of Filipinos.

The night ended with everyone in high spirits!

MEGA PINOY PRIDE BALL 2015: REVOLUTIONARY REVELRY vases filled with long stemmed red roses. Aside from the awarding ceremonies, pioneer Mega magazine also showed a film clip to launch the “Buy Filipino” crusade.

Owners of local fashion brands Folded & Hung, Plains & Prints, Maldita, and Penshoppe, to name a few, spoke about their ordeals and subsequent successes in keeping their labels afloat (while all the time supporting local workers) and relevant in today’s market.

Mega Magazine has mounted yet another successful event – the Mega Pinoy Pride Ball 2015. The event honored the country’s top movers, game changers and achievers.

Held last Independence Day at the PAULYNE Rizal Ballroom of Makati ShangriFERMIN La Hotel, the occasion brought together influencers from different industries. Guests were asked to come in “revolutionary red” obviously to echo the revolution mindset that was the theme of the night.

A light moment backstage with some of the 2015 presenters and awardees. Photo credit: Tim Yap

KZ interprets a Heber Bartolome song.

Film director and writer Jose Javier Reyes led the attendees in reciting the “Panatang Makabago”. The oath reminded everyone of their individual capacity to make a change – to better one’s self and the country. The Mega Pinoy Pride Ball was truly a night of meaningful causes, promoting positivity and revolutionary revelry!

Independent, Talented, Competent! Forward with the NewPH movement!

(From left) Julia Barretto, Janine Gutierrez, Karylle Yuzon. Celebrities from local tinsel town walked the red carpet in different scarlet hues.

Photo credit: MEGAstyle.ph

The current winners were chosen as the faces of the #NewPH campaign. The evening was made more meaningful when previous awardees presented the trophies to the new set of winners.

The eminent list includes Georcelle Sy (G-Force), Tim Yap, Rissa Mananquil Trillo and Jacque Gutierrez (Happy Skin), Francis Flores (Jollibee Foods), dining entrepreneurs Hindy Tantoco (Holy Carabao! Farms), Marco Lobregat (Ministry of Mushrooms) and Kat Azanza (Juju Eats), Rhea Matute (CITEM), film mavericks Antoinette Jadaone and Dan Villegas (“English Only Please”), Cristalle Belo Henares (Belo Medical Group), musician Gab Valenciano and international fashion designer Michael Cinco.

An oath to be globally competitive.

With a pocketful of glitter,

Top (L-R): The BQP with Jose Javier Reyes and fashion designer Avel Bacudio; awardees on stage.

Bottom (L-R): Beauty Queens Pia Wurtzbach, Anne Lorraine Colis and MJ Lastimosa; Tony Moly’s Andrea Amado, MJ Lastimosa and the BQP.

Singer KZ Tandingan kicked off the show with a rousing performance of the classic “Tayo’y Mga Pinoy.”

Her number was greeted warmly by the audience who were comfortably seated in tables adorned by tall gold

Follow me on Twitter, IG and Facebook. Visit http:// thebusyqueenp.com/ for more interesting reads!

F RIDAY : J UNE 26 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Remy van Heugten

Three Lies

Anna M. Bofarull

Filosfi Kopi

Burak Cem Arliel

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The Territory

The End of Love

Sonata for Cello

Festival For Film lovers W orld Premieres Film Festival Philippines – WPFF invites all film lovers to the Gala Premieres of the WPFF Main Competition films.

WPFF Main Competition is the highlight of the festival as it presents the best of the newest films from all over the world. This year’s selection includes a variety of film genres from five different countries.

The Gala Premieres take place at SM Mall of Asia, Cinema 6, until tomorrow.

The filmmakers will attend their respective Gala Premieres to present the films and to hold a brief Q&A session with the audience after each of the screenings.

All films will be shown in the original language with English subtitles.

The Gala Premieres are free and open to the public.

The 2015 selection in the Main Competition offers a variety of genres and a diverse array of characters and stories.

The End of Love by Li-Da Hsu (Taiwan) forces us to rethink what love is and what it means to love by following the difficult relationships of four couples in contemporary Taiwan.

Aleksandr Melnik’s The Territory (Russia) is a beautiful period film. Set in the 1960s in Soviet Union, it focuses on a team of geologists searching for gold and on their struggles to survive (both physically and morally) in the harsh environment of Arctic Ocean’s most northeastern shores.

A gripping social drama by

Remy van Heugten (Netherlands), Son of Mine revaluates notions of manhood analyzing oppressive relationship between a father and a son, two small-time criminals in a god forsaken provincial town.

In contrast to the violence and heavy (although not hopeless) mood of Son of Mine, Angga Sasongko’s Filosofi Kopi (Indonesia) will leave you in a much lighter mood, craving a good cup of coffee even if you never drink one. It uses a story of creating a perfect coffee cup (and making lot of money as a reward) to address the main characters’ past and rethink one’s true callings.

Crimean by Burak Cem Arliel (Turkey), a powerful World War II film, presents the complexity of keeping one’s identity and find-

ing love during the war. Crimean Turks, first colonized by the Soviets and then occupied by the Nazi, are forced to fight against both Soviets and Nazis in hopes of regaining their native land.

Of a different mood and period is Ana Murugarren’s Three Lies (Spain) - a detective story of a clever and independent tattoo artist who finds out that she was sold as a newborn during the Franco era. Determined to find her real mother, she engages local police into uncovering some very inconvenient truths.

A very different personal search and discovery is in Sonata for Cello by Anna Bofarull (Spain). A successful cellist finds herself submerged in a personal state of hell as she battles with fibromyalgia, a

chronic medical disorder that has no known cause or cure.

Main Competition films will vie for: Grand Festival Prize, the Grand Jury Prize, as well as awards for Best Performance by an Actor, Best Performance by an Actress, Best Artistic Contribution, Technical Grand Prize, and Best Ensemble Performance.

The WPFF celebrates the power and magic of film by showcasing the works of critically acclaimed, upcoming film directors from across the globe. The WPFF warmly invites all filmmakers, cinemagoers, film enthusiasts, and everybody else to watch these great bodies of work by distinguished international filmmakers in celebration and amplify the global human narrative on screen.

F RIDAY : J UNE 26 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

...aRE TaLKinG abOUT

JEnnyLyn MERCaDO

Jennylyn Mercado

PeOPle

...aRE nOT TaLKinG abOUT

If we are to ask FHM loyal readers, they see the Kapuso star not just a hot momma but the hottest and sexiest female star there is. Votes have been cast and the mother of a six-year-old kid has been named the 2015 FHM Sexiest Woman.

She took over the top spot from other single ladies Andrea Torres and Ellen Adarna, who were leading in the votes a few weeks ago.

Cherie Gil

The Voice Kids

Where have all the Popsters gone? Sarah’s rabid fans seem slacking, evidenced by the performance of their idol’s latest studio album. It took eight long months for Perfectly Imperfect to reach platinum status. That’s a relatively mediocre sales performance compared to the recent albums released by other Kapamilya stars.

Kim Chiu did it in 60 days while Kathryn Bernardo in less than 30 days. Can’t they afford to buy Sarah’s CDs that’s why they just watch the MVs on YouTube?

Sarah Geronimo

annE CURTiS

When talking about online presence and social media influence, the Kapamilya darling is a rock star. In a list called Twitter’s 100 Most Powerful Women in the World, released by a UK based media network and a marketing company, Anne made it to no. 37 just one notch below Beyoncé. She also remains the no. 1 most followed Twitter account in the Philippines and the first Filipino to hit the 8 million followers mark.

Anne Curtis

The veteran actress known for her villain roles wants Bituing Walang Ningning, The Musical to stop using the famous line “You’re nothing but a second rate, trying hard, copycat,” which she uttered in the 1985 Viva hit movie of the same title. Her ludicrous demand made us laugh, really. Unless she was the scriptwriter or the director of the movie, then we are 100 percent on her side.

SaRah GEROniMO

ThE VOiCE KiDS

Who can’t get enough of talented kids with overflowing potential?

The talent show is yet again lording social media, not to mention the ratings race. Many of the kids in the hit reality-singing search are better at what they do than adults with 10 times as much practice and experience. So just prepare to be amazed.

ChERiE GiL

SaRah LahbaTi Sarah Lahbati

She could have been Kapuso’s brightest star but that didn’t happen and we all know why. Sarah is now free (using free for lack of better terms) and she can’t wait to show her fans her singing and dancing skills once she steps on her new mother network’s lot. Sarah has recently signed a contract with Viva Artist Agency to be Viva Entertainment’s exclusive contract star.

Can Viva and the Kapatid network do wonders for her fading career?

ReadeRs digest to honoR PhiliPPines most tRusted bRands

O

n June 30, Reader’s Digest once again recognizes these companies at the Trusted Brands Awards ceremony to be held at Marco Polo Hotel Pasig.

Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Victorio Dimagiba will be the keynote speaker while Reader’s Digest Asia Pacific Group Ad-

vertising and Retail Sales Director Sheron White will award the trophies to the winners.

For the Trusted Brand Survey, Readers Digest has Ipsos survey a representative sample of people in Asia on their most trusted brands in 42 categories of products and services across a wide range of industries.

Approximately 5,000 individuals were selected across fivof Asia’s key

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 43 45 47 48 49 50 53 54 58 59 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Crackerjack 5 Jason’s vessel 9 Small town 13 Bronte’s Jane 14 Asian capital 16 Fifi’s friend 17 Hot-tub locales 18 Ms. LaBelle 19 Humane org.

20 Backpacker’s load 21 I, to Wolfgang 22 Mouth, slangily

24 26 27 30 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42

Yen Late-night Jay Directs elsewhere Devises Atlanta university Sheet of stamps Wield a hammer — Solo and Chewbacca Ached for Lao-Tzu’s “way” Met role Lascivious glance

Turns sharply Chatterboxes Ms. Fawcett Lemons Wee parasite Rectangular Bit of paint Fireside activity Pickling ingredient Avoid capture Bedtime story Descartes’ name Kind of panel Constantly Trumpeter, for one Donations Regard as

DOWN 1 It once was wild 2 Extreme PR 3 Where to hear Farsi 4 Livelier 5 Tomato jellies 6 Scope 7 Early Teuton 8 Loophole 9 Band instrument 10 Refs 11 Saki grain 12 Duffel filler 15 Compared 23 Financial mag

markets such as the Philippines, HongKong, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

In the Philippines, around 1000 respondents completed the survey.

Half were subscribers of Reader’s Digest, while the remainder was selected to reflect the demographics of the general population.

Each respondent was required to complete a questionnaire or participate in a mail, face to face, telephone or online survey. Ipsos asked

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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Experiment with Individualist Fix up PC message “Klute” star Raspberry stems Provide food and drink Glittering adornment Spill over Jetties Sorority candidates Belly Wine cask Put up Cinnamon goody Nerve cells Lady’s title Boathouse items Spouted, as a whale Moon goddess Tedious Come down with Helm position Technical word Mauna —

each participant to tell us the name of their most trusted brands and then to rate each of those brands listed on the following six attributes: Trustworthiness, Credibility, Quality, Value, Understanding of Customer Needs, Innovation and Social Responsibility. This year the awards will be presented in each of the 42 categories.

GOLD Trusted Brands Awards – will be given to brands that

scored significantly higher than their rivals.

PLATINUM Trusted Brands Awards – will be given to brands that performed exceptionally, winning their category for at least 3 countries surveyed.

ASIA TRUSTED Brand Awards will be given to a brand that wins the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand award in the same category for at least three countries surveyed.

F RIDAY : J UNE 26 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

C7

HeaRt evanGelista in ‘Pinoy Fiesta and tRade sHow sa toRonto’

G

MA International in cooperation with the Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation leads yet another fun-filled event entitled Pinoy Fiesta and Trade Show Sa Toronto, an all day entertainment and trade show to bring Filipinos in Canada closer to home.

The event will be attended by Kapuso star and multi-talented actress Heart Evangelista, who is one of the lead stars of the upcoming drama Beautiful Strangers premiering abroad on GMA Pinoy TV, and is among the highlights of GMA International’s 10th anniversary celebration this year.

“This event is a celebration of how colorful and unique our culture is. I am looking forward to sharing this experience with our kababayans in Canada and bring them closer to home,” says Heart, whose fans may also catch her on the country’s longest running showbiz oriented talk show Startalk.

The program of activities during the event include liturgical services, Santa Cruzan, pageants,

From c8

cultural shows, community participation, trade show, and performances from Philippine and local artists. Attendance is expected to reach at least 8,000.

Pinoy Fiesta & Trade Show Sa Toronto, organized by the PCCF, will take place on June 27, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Metro Toronto Convention Center Hall A. The Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation, headed by its president, Romy Rafael, is a charitable and non-profit umbrella organization composed of different leaders of various provincial, professional, cultural and social organizations, and was created mainly to assist various community charitable needs.

The organization leads annual activities that will bring together the Filipino-Canadian Community to promote the spirit of charity.

For more details about the Pinoy Fiesta and Tradeshow Sa Toronto and GMA Network’s artists, programs, international channels and events, visit the website www.gmanetwork.com/international, Facebook pages www.facebook.com/

Judy Ann Santos gives up role in ‘Someone To Watch Over Me’

GMAPinoyTV, www.facebook. com/gmalifetv, and www.facebook. com/gmanewsinternational, Twitter pages @gmapinoytv, @gma_ lifetv, and @gmanewstvintl and Instagram account @gmapinoytv.

HHHHH Ryan banG’s music video Star Magic artist Ryan Bang is excited to share another feather on his cup as he launches a music video titled “Shopping”.

Written by Ryan himself, “Shopping” is a song that promotes Manila’s shopping spots.

A Korean, Ryan shows great love for the Philippines that led him to create and produce his own music video under his own production, the Skinny Fat Boy Production.

“I love (the) Philippines and I want everyone (to) know(s) that we have the best shopping malls here.”, says Ryan Bang.

The music video trended and had 212,000 views since it was launched in Showtime. “Shopping” can be viewed on YouTube and downloadable on iTunes and Spotify.

Ryan is one of the young come-

dians of his generation appearing in movies and television for almost six years now. His wit and charm made him a stand out among other housemates during his PBB stint.

At present, his funny antics gave him a segment in Its Showtime called “Ansabe”.

Ryan Bang is presently working on the 6th season of Kaya Mo Bang regularly shown on ABS-

Ryan Bang has a music video now

CBN Sports and Action. He still continues to be the face of Shimmian Manila, Fudgee Bar, GAOC and Jipangyi Korean Ice Cream.

The reTurn of Timmy Cruz Glenn ReGondola Remember Timmy Cruz? Wasn’t she the original ‘chinita’ singer-actress who caught the fancy of many music lovers, especially because of “I Love You, Boy” ? She had also gained the ire of Dina Bonnevie fans because of her villain role in the 1989 movie Kung Kasalanan Man. She has been inactive in showbiz several years now. But, she was seen in GMA soap operas before deciding to lie low.

But recently, she is rehearsing for the Filipino stage adaptation of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

This is her first try as a stage actress and in the play she is Amanda Wingfield, a mother who is desperately looking for a boyfriend for her introverted daughter, Laura ( to be played by Michiko Unso).

During the photo shoot for the play, Cruz told the entertainment press how she feels being in a play for the first time.

She said, “I am excited, and at the same time a little concern, if I could actually pull it off. Yeah, I’m happy to accept this role. I did not actually audition for the part, but the production people looked for me. And then, I had a run down of the script, then after reading it, I said ‘Yes.’ I think, my role is

Timmy Cruz is no a theater actor

Heart Evangelista leads Pinoy Fiesta and Trade Fair in Canada

very complicated and interesting, that’s why I decided to accept it.”

Glass Menagerie is produced

by ThinkTalk Creative Communication and The Actors’ Repertory Theater and will run from Aug 30 till Sept. 6, 12, 13, and 19, and on Oct.3 at Jaime Cardinal Sin Auditorium, Paco Catholic School in Manila.

Meanwhile, many are wondering why she has decided to remain single and didn’t raise her own family.

She describes herself as “already old but a happy girl.”

Many think she might be a lesbian which she dispelled this with a laugh.

“No, I’m a soul brother,” she told us. “Just like you, you are a soul, right? I think being single, we can’t label kaagad. They don’t know where I came from, and I don’t know where they came from also.

“If I have to them my whole history just to prove that I am a woman, I mean, speak to me now and...I’ve never seen that life before. Yeah, I mean, I’ve seen that life upclose, but I’m not against it. I don’t regret anything in my life, my life is a good life, and If I hadn’t passed through what I had in the past, i wouldn’t be here.”

HHHHH Judy Ann Santos admits that she was almost in tears when ABS CBN decided to postpone the project Someone To Watch Over Me to give way to her pregnancy.

She is now on her 11th week.

The soap opera she was supposed to star in also features Richard Yap.

“In truth, I was surprised by the announcement of Dreamscape. When Sir Deo (Endrinal, ABS CBN business unit head) told me what they have decided, I was almost in tears. The last time I talked to them about my pregnancy, I was willing to let go of the project and let another actress play the role assigned for me. I know, It would be unfair for the rest of the cast to make them wait,” she told the entertainment press at the launch of her cookbook entitled Judy Ann’s Kitchen.

She added,” I really love the project, but I don’t wanna sound like I’m so obsessed with the idea that, I’d claim it like ‘this is mine.

So, in my last talk with Sir Deo, I was open to the idea that somebody would take over my role, and I’d explain it to the rest of the members of the cast. But that was before the announcement.”

On June 17, the Dreamscapre management made an announcement that the project would be temporarily shelved until she’d be ready to go back to work.

Meanwhile, the 37-year-old actress didn’t deny that she was obsessed with her first cookbook and its commercial release. It’s like it was written with blood, sweat, and tears. I really made sure, it was written in the way by housewives and those who wish to follow my recipes would understand it. It’s simple, the way I am in real life. The recipes are usually what we normally cook at home, dishes that I cook for Ryan, Yohan and Lucho,” she said.

F RIDAY : J UNE 26 : 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

The cast in Market! Market! with the crowd

‘The half sIsTers’ Grand fans day ISAH V. RED Last Saturday, the entire cast of GMA Network’s top-rating and widely-popular Afternoon Prime series The Half Sisters held a memorable and successful Grand Fans Day at Market! Market! Taguig City.

The star-studded spectacle was part of the first anniversary celebration of The Half Sisters,which at present is one of the longest-running soap operas on GMA-7 in the last 10 years. It is also the program’s way of saying thank you for making it the No. 1 Afternoon drama nationwide.

Thousands of screaming fans and supporters trooped to the Activity Center and excitedly waited for the performances and surprises of the powerhouse cast led by Barbie Forteza and Thea Tolentino along with Jean Garcia, Jomari Yllana, Ryan Eigenmann and Eula Valdes. Andre Paras, Vaness del Moral, Juancho Triviño, and Winwyn Marquez were also there.

Thunderous roars filled the air when each artist performed special production numbers in front of the live audience. The mall show ended with the whole cast appearing on stage once more to personally thank the crowd for their warm welcome and invited them to continue supporting The Half Sisters on GMA. Meanwhile, aside from the extension of the show until August, Director Mark Reyes announced that they would go to Japan to tape several scenes for the upcoming episodes of the series.

“The writers are still finalizing the storyline. Susulitin namin ang pagpunta sa Japan. We want to bring everyone but we’ll see how it goes with the story,” shared Reyes at the thanksgiving press conference of the program.

HHHHH Mayohan, Bwakaw on GMa news TV’s IndIe kalIBre Saturday nights get viewers glued to their TV sets as Indie Kalibre is down to its final two Philippine independent film features on GMA News TV. Mayohan by Dan Villegas takes the spotlight tomorrow. Set in Infanta, Quezon where an annual tradition of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary is observed, the film takes off on how a teenage boy who is mourning the loss of his parents crosses paths with a beautiful young lady from the province. Their story of getting to know each other and in the process discovering and exploring their feelings unfolds against a backdrop of the various religious practices and colorful activities Mayohan. Lovi Poe plays the female lead character.

Indie Kalibre culminates with the critically acclaimed Eddie Garcia-starrer Bwakaw directed by Jun Lana on July 4. Garcia portrays the role of Rene, an old man who embraced his homosexuality at the age of 70. With no one to keep him company and take care of him, Rene has since convinced himself that he will die a lonely, old man. Turning his life around was Bwakaw, a stray dog that taught him the importance of life and living it while it lasts.

Indie Kalibre airs every Saturday night at 10:15 only on GMA News TV. ➜ Continued on C7

The lead actors of the series, Barbie Forteza and Thea Tolentino

Andre Paras and Forteza thrilling the fans with a song

The cast of The Hafl Sisters after the thanksgiving press con at GMA Executive Lounge

The writers are still finalizing the storyline. Susulitin namin ang pagpunta sa Japan. We want to bring everyone but we’ll see how it goes with the story - Mark Reyes, director

Jean Garica and Jomari Yllana performing for fans

Vaness del Moral and Wynwyn Marquez performing before the crowd