The Standard - 2015 July 14 - Tuesday

VOL. XXIX NO. 144 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 TUESday : JULy 14, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Abritral panel to rule in 3 months

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‘PRobe oveRPRIcING’ Congress wants to review LTO plate deal

By Maricel V. Cruz

LAWMAKERS crossed party lines Monday to support a call for a fullblown congressional investigation into alleged irregularities in the P3.8 billion contract for new license plates approved by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz, a member of the House independent minority bloc, voiced concern over an expose by Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III that the new license plates were substandard and overpriced by P180 each, resulting in a loss of P1.51 billion.

“This has to be investigated thoroughly to find out who are responsible for this multi-billion-peso racket,” de la Cruz said. Next page

Lacierda hits Binay’s ‘lies, lies, more lies’

By Sandy araneta

Preparation. Workers get the House of Representatives ready for President Benigno Aquino III’s last State-of-the-Nation Address on July 27.

Lino SantoS

Malacañang defends DILG program to build houses

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A PALACE official hit back at Vice President Jejomar Binay Monday, saying the administration was compelled to answer his “lies, lies and more lies.”

“He started off his campaign with lies, and so we are obligated to speak the truth to him,” said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, who had been attacked by the Binay camp for being “arrogant and shrill.”

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Retiring PNP chief seeks justice for slain cops

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DILG housing scheme defended ‘Probe From A1...

But LTO chief Alfonso Tan Jr. denied that the agency was becoming a milking cow for the Liberal Party, saying no politics was involved.

“We are a just a line agency. We do not retain fees or collections.

They go straight to the national treasury,” Tan said.

He also denied Albano’s allegations that the important license plates were substandard and overpriced.

“The procurement went through a public bidding. There were seven or eight bidders. Only two were able to qualify. Some were disqualified for lack of requirements submitted.

We chose the lowest bidder at P380 per plate. This plate is relatively cheaper and definitely better than the locally made [ones],” he added.

Tan said the second lowest bidder came in at P388 a plate, not P200.

“Of those that qualified, none offered P200 per plate. I just don’t know where that came from,” Tan said.

Tan added that bids that did not qualify were not opened. “We would be violating the law if we opened them. There was no way to verify their offer,” he said.

In separate interviews, administration lawmakers led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. said they would support a probe.

“If indeed there is overpricing, then an investigation should be un-

Lacierda From A1...

“Our obligation and our responsibility is to speak out, speak the truth to him and to his phalanx of spokespersons,” Lacierda added.

Lacierda denied that the administration was out to investigate or file charges against Binay supporters and campaign funders.

“We don’t even know who their funders are. In the first place, he is the only candidate who has declared. So he is campaigning, we are governing. The President is in the thick of governance, he [Binay] is in the thick of campaigning. He’s trying to improve his image so one of this is one of his tactics [is to show that he is] an underdog,” Lacierda said.

“But my goodness. Look at the way he treated the policeman in Makati City Hall. Is that a picture of an underdog? And the way that he goes around accusing this government, is that a picture of an underdog? He goes around criticizing the President and the economy.

When he was still a member of the Cabinet, he was praising the economy. What changed? Because he didn’t get the endorsement?”

Lacierda asked.

He also said the administration had nothing to do with anyone’s decision not to fund Binay’s campaign.

“If people decide not to fund you, don’t ask us why. Don’t blame us for people not funding you. It’s not for us to fathom the reasons for them not [to support] you. So it’s not my fault... Our fate, Vice President Binay, does not lie in the stars but in ourselves,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda also brushed aside the attacks on himself.

“Thank you to the camp of Vice

dertaken to expose the culprits or exonerate the innocent,” said Quezon City Rep. Jorge Banal.

He added that a probe would give LTO officials the opportunity to clarify matters and their accusers to substantiate their allegations.

Negros Occidental Rep. Albee Benitez also supported a probe.

“Any probe on corruption should be welcomed,” Benitez said. “It either clears the doubt or discovers wrongdoing.”

Albano had earlier disclosed that the winning bidder priced the imported plate at P380 each, while the lowest bidder pegged the cost at P200.

Albano, in a radio interview, also urged President Benigno Aquino III and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya to suspend the LTO officials responsible for the anomalous contract.

Albano also demanded that that the government contract with the car plate manufacturer, Power Plates Development Concepts Inc. and Dutch firm J. Knierem BVGoes, be suspended and that motorists who bought their plates for P450 be refunded.

But Albano clarified that he was not making any insinuations that the LTO’s anomalous contract had anything to do with fund raising for the ruling Liberal Party.

“I did not say that, I don’t think that is fair and accurate,” Albano said in response to newspaper reports attributed to him that the administration could be raising funds

for the ruling Liberal Party’s 2016 election campaign.

“What I am saying is that there must be wrong with this contract and this has to be corrected,” said Albano, who described the contract as a “milk-and-bilk” racket by the LTO. Reps. Gus Tambunting of Paranaque and 1-BAP party-list Rep. Silvestre Bello III also supported the call for a probe.

“If there is an overprice, no matter the amount, it should be investigated,” Tambunting of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said.

Bello, a House deputy minority leader, said the overpricing of license plates was a “recidivist scam in the LTO.” He added that Congress should draft preventive and curative legislation to protect the public.

Albano earlier called on the LTO to stop its new vehicle license plate program and allow car owners to go back to paying only for registration and stickers.

This, he said, was in light of the Commission on Audit order to stop payment for the new car plates to its foreign manufacturer because of serious bidding and contract violations.

“This entire program is not only illegal and a financial mess but a logistical disaster resulting in delayed delivery of the new car plates by the ‘favored contractor’ who manufactures them abroad,” Albano said.

President Binay. We are very privileged to be identified directly and personally. But this is a situation where we have not made the offensive remarks on our own. These are all in response to the statements that [the] Vice President has made,” Lacierda said.

“We only respond to accusations or lies that they have foisted. Let me give you a number of the lies that the Vice President has made. When he was still a member of the Cabinet, he spoke glowingly about President Aquino’s handling of the economy.

After he resigned, after he failed to get the endorsement of the President, he started hitting the President.

In fact, he started his presidential run with an attack on the President and attack on the administration,” Lacierda said.

“So my question to the Vice President is: Are you lying now or were you lying five years ago? Were you lying then or are you lying now? It’s as simple question as that,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda again raised allegations of corruption against Binay.

“Is he able to answer the allegations of corruption against him?

Has he answered squarely all these accusations against him? We kept our peace when he was a member of Cabinet. We deliberately [had] not spoken on it. But don’t expect us to keep quiet while he attacks us incessantly, repeatedly.”

“We are speaking truth to power and what’s wrong with that? So, and thank you for shooting the messenger. It’s part of our job to speak the truth to the Vice President and we will continue to speak the truth to him. Like I said: It’s not personal, it’s just the truth. And unfortunately, Mr. Vice President, you don’t seem and you can’t seem to handle the truth,” Lacierda said.

“We’re addressing all the lies of

the Vice President against the President ever since he started his presidential run with lies, lies and more lies,” he added.

The opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) on Monday dismissed the plan of the Aquino administration to form a new political coalition for 2016.

“What can people expect from an insensitive and a mess administration which continues to neglect the welfare of the common people?” said UNA president Toby Tiangco.

“If this new administrationformed coalition will do nothing but continue the failures of the present government, I do not think it will serve its purpose,” Tiangco said, saying “the Aquino government should stop insisting on its mismanaged style of governance to the Filipino people.”

In contrast to the insensitivity of the Liberal Party-led administration, Tiangco said, UNA will prioritize the needs and welfare of the poor, and will be more responsive to the interests of the ordinary Filipinos.

“The primary concern of Vice President Jejomar Binay is to be much more responsive to the need of the poor, look after their welfare and ensure that the basic services are given them,” Tiangco said.

Tiangco made the statement after Senator Francis Escudero said that President Benigno Aquino III will be forming a new coalition for the 2016 national elections. ‘‘Tiangco said that the new coalition that the Aquino government will form would only continue the “insensitive and mismanaged governance” that mark the current administration, and protect the interest of their allies, who Tiangco described as “a bunch of losers.” – With Maricel V. Cruz and Christine F. Herrera

By Sandy Araneta

THE Palace said Monday that the P1.24 billion allocation for housing lodged with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) was intended for a program to build homes for squatter families living in flood-prone areas, after former senator Panfilo Lacson questioned the item in the 2015 national budget.

“The amount mentioned is in (the 2015 budget’s) special provision number 5: Housing Program for Informal Settler Families Residing in Danger Areas within Metro Manila,” said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

Lacierda said the Housing Program for Informal Settler Families Residing in Danger Areas within Metro Manila consisted of the construction of micromedium-rise buildings for P700 million, an interim shelter fund for 26,367 target families, at P474.6 million, and administrative costs of P70 million.

Lacierda said the money was given to the DILG because it handles local government units in Metro Manila that deal with squatter families situated in danger zones.

“Remember, there was a situation before where the informal settler families were situated in danger zones, near creeks and rivers,” Lacierda said.

The President emphasized that this was not acceptable for them to always be in harm’s way, Lacierda added.

“Every time there’s a storm, every time there’s a flood, these people are put in harm’s way, so we have to take them out of these danger zones. And for that particular instruction, (Budget) Secretary (Florencio) Abad provided a budget for that,” he said.

Another budget item that Lacson questioned, a P3.1 billion allocation for the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP), was tagged for the government’s Pamana program for development projects in conflict-affected areas.

The funds were lodged with the OPPAP because that is the office that deals with conflict-affected areas, Lacierda said.

“All of these are in the budget. You know that we have said even before that we are committed to transparency and accountability. So, all of these mentioned by Senator Ping Lacson are in the budget,” Lacierda said. said Lacierda.

Earlier, the Department of Budget and Management denied allegations made by Lacson that the lump sums in the 2015 budget represented a return of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), which the administration used to shuffle funds around until the practice was barred by the Supreme Court.

“Mr. Lacson’s doomsday assertions on lump sums and the supposed resurrection of DAP under the 2015 budget are inaccurate. A careful reading of the national budget would prove that quickly enough. While the General Appropriations Act may appear complex, it will very clearly show two things: that the supposed DAP provisions are not in the GAA, and that there are fewer lump sums in the administration’s spending plan this year.

As a matter of fact, 87 percent of the Special Purpose Funds under the 2015 Budget has already been disaggregated,” said the DBM statement.

“Meanwhile, you will note that all remaining lump-sum items are funds whose specific purposes are impossible to determine in the planning process.

For example: we cannot foretell where disasters will strike or what the extent of the potential damage might be, so the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund is necessarily a lump sum,” it said.

“We must not mislead the public by

implying that lump sums in the budget are tantamount to fund irregularity.

It’s true that most budget items ought to be disaggregated, exactly as we have done. But it’s true as well that some budget items, by their very nature, must be expressed in lump sums, so that the government can continue to deliver goods and services in the face of contingencies,” the statement added.

“We urge Mr. Lacson to reach out to the DBM if he has any misgivings about the national budget, so we can prevent the misinterpretation of budget data. As it stands, it is unclear to us how Mr. Lacson arrived at the lumpsum figures that he named in his PICPA speech, because these figures are not in the GAA. At a time when public interest in the budget is extraordinarily high, it is only appropriate that public servants protect the people’s right to truthful and accurate information, especially when it comes to government spending,” the DBM said.

In a speech before the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants at a Makati City hotel, Lacson said the discretionary funds were discovered based on a continuing review of the national budget that he and his team were doing.

He said the discretionary funds were parked in the budgets of 11 out of 21 major line agencies of the national government.

“Hold your breath. It is still counting,” Lacson added.

Lacson said he and his team found that in the budget of the National Irrigation Administration alone, the lump sum funds amounted to P11.3 billion.

“As professional accountants serving the interest of the public, I may speak on your behalf when I frown upon discretionary funds as these are prone to misuse and corruption. Our nation bore witness to this malpractice just very recently as we lost at least P10 billion in the PDAF [Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel] scam led by Janet Lim-Napoles,” he said.

Aside from the lump sump appropriations, Lacson also questioned the possible resurrection of PDAF, and the DAP. “Based on the National Expenditure Program, Lower House and Senate versions of the General Appropriations Bill, that budget was allocated for its regional offices in the country. But we were shocked that in the approved General Appropriations Act, these regional lump sums suddenly disappeared and were replaced with 1,389 line budget items for farm-to-marketroad projects in different parts of the country,” he said.

“Legislators made realignments on the P6.250 billion [budget of DA].

Does this mean that the ghost of PDAF which has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in a landmark ruling issued on July 1, 2014 is making a comeback? And this is only in the Department of Agriculture,” he said.

He also said they discovered “the obvious reincarnation” of the DAP given the Budget Department’s authority to pool and declare unobligated, unutilized and unreleased appropriations as savings, not at the end of the fiscal year, but by the secon quarter.

“Are we now looking at a rebirth of the DAP” Lacson asked.

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Espina urges successor: Give justice to SAF 44

By Francisco Tuyay RETIRING PNP officer-in-charge Leonardo Espina on Monday urged his successor and the government officials he served for 38 years to ensure justice for the families of the 44 police commandos who were killed in a botched operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, on Jan. 25 this year.

Attending for the last time the traditional Monday flag-raising ceremony at the PNP headquarters, Espina, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1981, called for swift justice for the 44 as he bade goodbye to his officers as he would be retiring on Thursday at the age of 56.

He bade goodbye even as President Benigno Aquino III was scheduled to meet on Monday with Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II to discuss PNP matters.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda confirmed the meeting but refused to give details.

“From what I know, [the meeting is] about PNP matters,” Lacierda said.

At the Senate, Senator Francis Escudero said Monday he hoped a permanent chief of police would be appointed before Espina retires on July 16.

He said a permanent head of the 150,000-strong police force would help ensure clean and honest elections in 2016.

“The role of the PNP in the electoral process is absolutely crucial in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the elections,” Escudero said.

The 44 elite police commandos were killed by MILF and BIFF fighters while pursuing Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir in his hideout in Mamasapano town.

Espina said the 44 SAF must not be deprived justice but admitted that the case could be prolonged by the involvement of several respondents that include members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and private armed groups.

“I’m hoping that concerned govern-

ment agencies will not deprive the 44 SAF of justice,” Espina said.

He asked his successor to always bear in mind the patriotism of the 44 while urging his lieutenants to move.

An additional P24 million in cash donations from private and public organizations were handed to the families of the 44 commandos and the survivors of the Mamasapano encounterafter the flagraising rites.

The P24 million was on top of the P80 million that the families received from the Philippine National Police, the National Police Commission, the President’s Social Fund and from other institutions.

Espina expressed gratitude to the police force for supporting him during his seven-month stint at the PNP. “This is my last flag-raising in the service. I could not have hurdled it successfully without you assisting me every step of the way. Thank you very much,” Espina said. With Sandy Araneta and Macon Ramos-Araneta

New typhoon could hit PH by tomorrow TYPHOON “Nangka” has a high chance of entering the country on Wednesday if it continues to move northwest and will be named “Goring” if it does, the weather bureau said Monday.

Weather forecaster Shaira Nonot said Nangka will enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rain to most parts of the country, particularly Luzon.

She said monsoon rain could bring flash floods to the Ilocos while occasional rain is expected over the Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Zambales and Bataan.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila and the rest of the country. PNA

Binay sees conspiracy to oust him THE camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday slammed the Department of Justice, the Senate and the Office of the Ombudsman for siding with the Liberal Party, President Benigno Aquino III’s political party which, it said, was hell-bent on ousting Binay from office through impeachment.

“Ours is a country of laws and not of men. The inexplicable fixation and undue haste exhibited by these institutions to oust a sitting vice president violates the constitutional precept that impeachable officers can only be removed from office through impeachment,” said Rico Quiche, Binay’s spokesman for political affairs.

He made his statement even as two lawyers said impeaching Binay over the Makati overpricing controversy would not prosper because it involved acts he allegedly committed when he was still Makati City mayor.

Tranquil Salvador, a defense lawyer during the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012, and former Integrated Bar of the Philippines national president Vicente Joyas, said the allegations of corruption against Binay during his stint as a mayor could not be used as grounds for his impeachment.

“I don’t think the overpricing charges can be used to impeach Binay as vice president.

It should be grounds arising out of or in connection with his present office,” Salvador said in a text message.

Joyas agreed and said the charges connected to the supposed overpricing of several government buildings in Makati do not even fall under the grounds for impeachment.

“The grounds for impeachment are betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution, among others,” Joyas said.

“That [charge over the al-

leged Makati overpricing deals] is not betrayal of public trust because he was reelected several times and his re-election and election of his son, daughters and wife negated whatever betrayal may be alluded to,” Joyas said.

Quiche said The LP was determined to have Binay impeached.

“How can the vice president explain and defend himself properly if the Ombudsman in particular does not give him ample opportunity to explain? How can there be a fair and impartial proceeding if the conspirators, which include the Ombudsman, refuse to heed the Constitution?” Quiche said.

He said the Ombudsman, in particular, had aided and abetted the grand scheme of vilifying and discrediting the vice president by distorting rules and precedents.

The Ombudsman was hellbent on consolidating the pending complaints against the vice president and to file a plunder case against him to showcase the administration’s discredited “tuwid na daan” promise.

“No amount of selective persecution will suffice to shield the administration’s “palpak at manhid” governance. No amount of double standard will bring the vice president down,” Quiche said.

“The rule of law is non-negotiable. It is the only measure that fair and impartial justice should be dispensed with. Anything less is unacceptable.” Vito Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo

No. 07-02-2015

EAST WEST BANK TO ACCEPT PREMIUM CONTRIBUTIONS FROM FORMAL SECTORS Effective July 16, 2015, the East West Bank is authorized to accept premium contribution payments from Formal Economy members via the eGov facility of Bancnet.

For the complete list of Accredited Collecting Agents, please visit www.philhealth.gov.ph.

Further inquiries related to this advisory may be directed to our Call Center at (02) 441-7442.

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‘Hague ruling in 3 months’

By Vito Barcelo and Sandy Araneta THE United Nations arbitral tribunal hearing the Philippines’ maritime claims in the West Philippine Sea may decide within three months whether to take jurisdiction of the case, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.

Remembering the fallen. Outgoing Philippine National Police chief Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina greets

a young relative of one of the 44 police commandos who were killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January. Espina is set to retire on Thursday. LINO SANTOS

Govt asks Reds for agenda

By Sandy Araneta PEACE talks with the communist National Democratic Front should resume without preconditions and must be based on time-bound and doable agenda, Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles reiterated on Monday.

“We continue to search for ways to restart talks with [the communist front] on the basis of a time-bound and doable agenda,” Deles said after Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. met with NDF leaders Jose Maria Sison and Luis Jalandoni in Amsterdam over the weekend.

But “it is premature to talk about prisoner releases without a full appreciation of the context and parameters of the talks that are now being proposed,” she added, apparently referring to captured couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, both ranking leaders of the Communist Party of the

Philippines.

Deles said she will confer with Belmonte as soon as he returns from the Netherlands.

“It is difficult to start with preconditions,” she said. “What is more important to consider is where the talks will go.”

The government has been pursuing on-and-off peace talks with the communist front since 1992, but was shelved by the Aquino administration because it was “going nowhere.”

But last April, the administration started “back-channel” talks with the NDF and Sison confirmed that they have been talking to a negotiating team, headed by former agrarian reform secretary Hernani Braganza, since 2014.

Sison said the NDF had been pursuing a proposal for a longterm ceasefire and time-bound negotiations of six months for each of the following talking points: 1. social and economic reforms, 2. political

and constitutional reforms and 3. end of conflict and disposition of forces.

Hopes for renewed talks surfaced Friday after Belmonte met with Sison and Jalandoni in Amsterdam and they said they were ready to resume informal talks.

Belmonte, who is part of the government delegation to an arbitral hearing in The Hague over the country’s maritime dispute with China, said Sison and Jalandoni did not impose preconditions to what he called an “initiative” to get the stalled peace talks with the rebels back on track.

Belmonte was accompanied by House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, Davao City Rep. and appropriations committee chairman Isidro Ungab, and Romblon Rep. and Eleandro Jesus Madrona in the meeting.

Edre Olalia, the NDF’s legal counsel, helped arrange the meeting.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose said this was the estimate provided by the lawyers the government engaged to help the country present its complaint against China before The Haguebased Permanent Court of Arbitration, where a panel of five judges is hearing the Philippines’ case.

The tribunal resumed its second-round hearing at The Hague on Monday with Malacañang saying the delegation it sent should be able to answer any additional questions the magistrates may have regarding the maritime dispute.

Jose said the time frame of three months was based on the estimate of the Boston law firm Foley Hoag LLP which the country engaged to represent the country before the tribunal.

“That was the estimate of [Foley Hoag co-chairman] Paul Reichler based on experience and previous cases,” Jose told a press briefing. “He said it may take 90 days for the tribunal to come out with a decision on the question of jurisdiction.”

Reichler is one of the world’s most respected and experienced practitioners of public international law and has had more than 25 years in representing nations before the International Court of Justice in The Hague and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea in Hamburg.

“If they [decide they] have jurisdiction, then they will continue with the merits of the case so we anticipate that we will be asked again to go to The Hague for the oral

arguments,” Jose said.

“Our anticipation (on the ruling) if not in the first quarter then hopefully in the first half,” Jose said.

At the same time, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the government was confident the 35-man delegation the government sent to the The Hague would be able to answer the additional questions the magistrates may ask at the resumption of the hearing.

“We are confident that the delegation will be able to thoroughly answer additional questions from the tribunal and convey the full merit of our arguments. We continue to hope for a favorable ruling,” Lacierda said.

The first round of arguments on jurisdiction and admissibility began July 7 when Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario spoke about the case’s importance not just to the Southeast Asian region but also to the world.

Lacierda said subsequent speakers also gave presentations on why the case falls squarely within the tribunal’s jurisdiction, as well as on the strength of the Philippines’ environmental and fishing claims against the People’s Republic of China.

Last week, the fivemember arbitral tribunal of the United Nation’s Permanent Court of Arbitration decided to hold a second round of oral arguments after hearing the Philippine delegation on why the court has jurisdiction over the case it filed against China on the South China Sea

Revilla seeks furlough

By Rio Araja SENATOR Bong Revilla Jr. on Monday asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to leave his detention for five hours to visit his ailing 88-year-old father, former senator Ramon Revilla, who was rushed to the hospital over the weekend.

Revilla asked the anti-graft court permission to go to the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. “preferably” on July 14 or July 15 to visit his father.

“Senator Revilla feels distraught and concerned about this unfortunate development involving former Sen. Revilla Sr., especially because of his present detention. He feels it is his obligation to come to the aid of his father, who is very close to him, even by his mere presence, and cannot disregard a son’s natural urge and desire to visit and be with his ailing and weak father, and spend a few moments

together, to provide former Senator Revilla Sr. the needed assurance and support,” Revilla’s motion read.

Revilla told the court his father was rushed to the hospital on July 11 and was confined at the hospital’s intensive care unit after being diagnosed with “gram-negative bacteremia secondary to urosepsis” and “septic and metabolic encephalopathy.”

Revilla said that while his father has already been discharged from the ICU to a regular room, the former senator “is still very weak and is in continuous and close monitoring for possible complications.”

Revilla reminded the First Division that it has once allowed him to leave his detention when his son, Cavite Vice Governor Jolo Revilla, was confined at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City on March 3 of this year.

Bail hearing. Detained SenatorJinggoy Estrada shares a laugh with his lawyers Alexis Abastilla-Suarez, Noel Malaya and Sabino Acut Jr. during a hearing of his plea to be granted bail while undergoing trial for plunder at the Sandiganbayan. LINO SANTOS

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Gut issues. Senator Cynthia Villar presides over the resumption of the Senate hearing on fake rice and smuggling. Among the resource people are : (right) Carmencita Griño and her mother Erlina Falle, both from Davao City who uncovered the alleged fake rice and brought it to the attention of Davao City-based broadcast network; Presidential Assistant on Food Security Secretary Francis Pangilinan (2nd from left) and National Food Authority Administrator Renan Dalisay. Ey ACASio

Pump price cut 3rd in as many weeks

By Alena Mae S. Flores The country’s oil firms cut the price of diesel by P1.50 per liter, gasoline by P0.55 to P0.60 per liter and kerosene, by P1.60 per liter to reflect the movement in world oil prices.

The latest price rollback, now on its third consecutive week, took effect 6pm Monday while other companies followed suit at 12:01 am July 14.

Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., PTT Philippines, Seaoil Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum, eastern Petroleum Corp., and other oil companies issued separate advisories on the price cuts.

“Petron will implement the following price rollback effective 12:01am July 14: P0.55 per liter for Blaze 100,XCS, Xtra Advance and Super Xtra, P1.50 per liter for Turbo Diesel and DieselMax and P1.60 per liter for kerosene. This reflect movements in the international oil market,” Petron, the country’s leading oil firm said.

Fernando Martinez, eastern Petroleum Chairman and chief executive said oil prices declined amid the continuous downtrend of prices in the world oil market due to various geopolitical factors.

“If this downtrend in international and local fuel prices continues, this will augur well for the Philippine economy and in meeting the government’s inflation target of below two-percent for the year,” Martinez said. .Martinez last week said trading in the world oil market continues to be weak owing to the Greeks’ debt crisis, uncertainty in the Iranian nuclear deal and the bearish stock market in China.

“These geopolitical factors coupled with the oversupply of petroleum products affect world oil prices to slide further, thus pushing local oil prices to go down as well,” Martinez said.

The country’s oil firms cut pump prices last July 7 amounting to P0.70 per liter for diesel and P0.65 per liter for gasoline and diesel.

The oil firms also rolled back the price of diesel by P0.25 per liter effective June 23 to reflect the movement in world oil prices.They did not did not move gasoline and kerosene prices.

Lawmakers told: Fake rice aplenty, smuggling rampant

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Araneta The Makabayan Bloc in the house of Representatives on Monday sought an inquiry into the proliferation of fake rice and rampant smuggling of the staple grains even as the Senate resumed its hearing on the same issues that a lawmaker described as the dangers of the Aquino administration’s rice importation policy.

Party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna also questioned the alleged plan of the National Food Authority to bring in 100,000 metric tons of rice from Vietnam.

“We believe that it would be better for our agriculture particularly our local farmers if we allocate the budget for these rice imports to our local peasants.

Why the Vietnamese or Thai farmers have to be the one to benefit from our funds that are supposed to be given to our local farmers?” said Colmenares, the house deputy minority leader.

With the impending move to import rice, Colmenares warned the country will again be reeling from the “sabotaging economic effects” of unchecked overpriced

rice importation as the NFA has again decided to import rice for the July-September buffer stock.

“President Aquino should explain in his next SONA whatever happened to his promise of rice self-sufficiency during his term,” Colmenares said.

At the Senate, the committee chaired by Senator Cynthia Villar was informed about the continuing smuggling of rice worth P21 billion.

Rosendo So, president of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, told the Senate panel that around 720,000 metric tons of smuggled rice came in last year based on a report of the United Nations.

“Our concern here is the foreign sector gave the industry smuggling (of rice). If we are to its official record of the rice being look at the UN report, which shipped into the country. comes out every June, a total of “So we can’t really conceal that 2, 303,410 MT of rice entered the there was really smuggling here. country in 2014. The Bureau of Its official record. in the foreign, Customs reported 1.582 million they want everything to be MT of rice. So the smuggled transparent... They compare it (rice) is more than 721,018 MT to the record of those who paid of rice,” he said. taxes so they will know how he said smuggled rice much was smuggled,” stressed amounted to 6,025,860 MT if the Villar.

NFA report will be used as basis.

Rice coming from other It stated that 1,700,424 MT of rice countries, including fake rice, entered the country during the can easily be monitored, So said. same year.

The source of “contaminated, “So we can deduce the but not fake rice” which was smuggled (rice) was around 600 discovered in Davao, can easily to 700 MT? inquired Villar be monitored. who sought for the volume of rice So also complained that five smuggled for this year. other agricultural products that So gave an estimate of the were smuggled into the country smuggled rice to have reached included pork, chicken, buffalo 280,000 MT since January up to meat, onions and garlic . the middle of this year.

Meanwhile, Assistant “So if you will predict 280,000 Director Alberto Cariso Jr. of in the middle of the year, the the Food Development Center figures will also tally with the and Undersecretary Kenneth findings of 600 to 700 MT rice hartigan-Go of the Food and being smuggled.

Drug Administration said At this point, Bureau of the alleged fake rice was Customs chief Alberto Lina contaminated with chemicals asked for the source of the used in the manufacture of UN report to which Villar said pharmaceutical tablets.

Price curbs stifle trade, Justice warns

By Rey R. Requejo The Department of Justice has recommended a review of the government’s policy on the imposition of “ Suggested Retail Price” (SRP), saying it restricts competition and improvement in the quality of products to the detriment of the buying public.

In a 23-page report released by the DOJ-Office for Competition (OFC) headed by Assistant Secretary Geronimo Sy, the DOJ found out that there are no adequate rules or guidelines governing the imposition of SRP. The DOJ-OFC observed that there is no prescribed period, process, standards, bases or conditions to guide an agency in determining SRP, defining

reasonable price increase or decrease that is acceptable to the agency.

“The study finds that while public welfare justifies government intervention against deceitful business practices, the misapplication of the SRP creates unintended consequences.

As a form of price regulating mechanism by some government agencies, the SRP amounts to undue interference in the market and restricts competition,” the DOJ-OFC stated.

It said that in the case of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), there is an enforcement procedure against non-compliance with SRP, such as the 30-day advance notice to the agency to increase prices, denial

or modification of the proposed price increase, and the issuance of a notice to explain served to business establishments with prices above the governmentrecommended rates.

The DTI may also require retailers to provide a 30day advance notice for their proposed price increases in order to monitor market prices. however, the DOJ-OFC stressed that the DTI’s requirement for retailers to seek clearance for planned price increases renders negates the recommendatory nature of the SRP. On the part of the Department of Agriculture, the DOJ-OFC pointed out that it has publicly stated that it may charge

producers, sellers, distributors, and retailers who violate the SRP with profiteering.

But the DOF-OFC said that such warning may discourage small retailers such as sari-sari storeowners and ambulant vendors from determining reasonable prices for their products “The above findings could result in over-regulation of market prices which prevents natural supplydemand correction, promotes black markets, and inhibits industry growth and product development,” the report added.

Over-regulation and intervention of the government in the market prices, according to the DOJ-OFC, may lead to “allocative and productive inefficiency.”

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editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Graft raps filed vs LRTA bids and awards panel

AMID a mass transport breakdown, the National Coalition of Filipino Consumers exposed another anomalous transaction at the Light Rail Transit and took the administration to task for failing to come up with solutions to ease the commuters’ plight.

NCFC’s legal counsel and spokesperson Oliver San Antonio announced the filing of graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against members of the Bids and Awards Committee of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) which is an agency under the Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) for “favor-

ing” a prospective new maintenance service provider of the LRT2 line that runs from Santolan to Recto.

“As if the agonizingly long lines and regular delays and periodic breakdowns in MRT3 are not enough, we again find another familiar story of government corruption. A bidder, a new maintenance service provider, has been given undue benefits by the DOTC. When will the corruption in this agency ever end?”

The NCFC previously filed graft charges last May 2014 against DoTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and another set of BAC members for alleged

anomalies in the award of the contract for the Contactless Automated Fare Collection System covering all three lines of the metro rail system.

On Monday, in a five-page complaint, the NCFC questioned the one-sided treatment of the proceedings surrounding the tender of services for the maintenance of the oft-criticized 15-year old rail transport system and filed criminal and administrative cases against lawyer Jose Jobel V. Belarmino, Chair of the BAC, and BAC members Amador C. Calado, Jr., Wilfredo P. Alday, Jesus J. Jimenez, Nestor B. Flores, Anita L. Lomboya, Joseph E. Hagos

and Adelo B. Jandayan, the head of the BAC Secretariat Alwinston C. Pillos, and Secretariat member Michael S. Cueto.

The complaint alleged that the BAC and Secretariat members violated the anti-graft and procurement laws when they re-opened the period for accepting bids after already having closed the bidding.

Furthermore, the BAC accepted the bid submission of the BUSAN-EDC Joint Venture “despite clear and undisputed non-compliance with the packing and sealing instructions.” Moreover, the BAC declared the group’s tender as compliant with the require-

ments on Translated Foreign Documents even if the submission was “clearly wanting in describing the documents as an accurate translation of a foreign document.”

“There’s no reason why the BAC would allow deviation and non-compliance with procurement rules. Is it because there’s urgent need to project an image of speed and perception of responsiveness to the public’s everyday transport woes? That’s highly doubtful. Most likely, this is another case of government favoring a contractor, to the detriment of the Filipino commuter,” San Antonio said.

“We file these graft cases to inform the general public that these anomalous transactions happen, and of course to make erring public officials criminally and administratively answerable to the law. Corruption is neither advantageous to the government nor to the Filipino people. It’s only advantageous to the people who commit them. May kumita na naman kaya dito? ” “For the nth time, we call on President Aquino to address the two issues of transportation and corruption. Parang wala nang katapusan ang paghihirap ng taumbayan, Mr. President,” the NCFC spokesperson stressed.

Another CA justice opts out of ‘Junjun’ case

By Rey E. Requejo

THE latest petition of suspended Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay appears “too hot to handle” after another Court of Appeals justice has opted to inhibit herself from participating in the resolution of the case.

Associate Justice Priscilla Baltazar -Padilla has decided to recuse herself from taking part in the case of the embattled mayor who is questioning the legality of the new suspension order issued against him by the office of the Ombudsman.

But the reason for her inhibition was not immediately known as court officials said that such action was an “internal matter” and the reason was to be treated with confidentiality. Padilla became the second magistrate to inhibit from Mayor Binay’s latest petition.

She was supposed to be acting chair of the CA’s Ninth Division in place of Associate Justice Celia Librea-Leagogo, who inhibited from the case last week over admitted link of his husband to Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, who is respondent in the case and known political rival of petitioner’s father, Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Because of the latest inhibition, the CA chose another justice to fill in the vacancy through a raffle yesterday, where Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando was picked as replacement of Padilla.

The two other members of the CA special division that will resolve the case are Associate Justices Melchor Sadang and Amy Lazaro-Javier, who will now sit as acting chair.

Javier, however, took a leave of absence from yesterday until August 3, which means the court would not be able to further act on the case until next month.

The CA earlier decided not to immediately issue the temporary restraining order (TRO) sought

by Mayor Binay. In a resolution last July 1, the appellate court instead required the Ombudsman to

answer Binay’s petition first before deciding on the TRO plea.

In his petition, Mayor Binay asked the CA to once more issue a TRO and writ of preliminary injunction (WPI) on his preventive suspension—this time in connection with the allegedly overpriced construction of the Makati Science High School Building (MSHSB).

Binay has again invoked the doctrine of condonation, saying the alleged illegal acts pertaining to the seven-phase MSHSB project were committed when he was not yet the city mayor.

The CA Sixth Division earlier issued a TRO and WPI enjoining the Ombudsman from implementing a similar six-month suspension order against the local executive in connection with the alleged anomaly in the City Hall Building 2. That case was elevated to the Supreme Court for review and two of the three justices were accused of receiving bribe money from Binay.

In another development, the DILG has named Councilor Leonard Magpantay as acting vice mayor of Makati City to fill the post temporarily vacated by acting Mayor Romulo Pena.

Magpantay, ranked Number One in the overall list of winning councilors in the May 12, 2013 elections, took his oath of office Monday at the Makati RTC branch 174 presided by Judge Ronaldo Moreno.

Meanwhile, Pena said the city government would bid out the contract for the supply of birthday cakes given to elders among city residents.

Pena said he saw no problem with the cake-giving benefits to Makati’s elderly but said they deserve more than just cake during special occasions. With Joel Zurbano

River ferry. Crewmen of the Metro Manila Development Authority put the finishing touches to one of six

customized ferry boats that the agency will use to beef up the transport fleet for commuters using the Pasig River ferry system. DANNY PATA

Storms trigger review of ‘no-sail’ circular

By Maricel V. Cruz A HOUSE leader has filed a resolution urging the Department of Transportation and Communications to review Philippine Coast Guard’s Memorandum Circular No. 02-13 pertaining to the guidelines on movement of vessels during heavy weather.

Bohol Rep. Rene Relampagos, in filing House Resolution 2137, stressed the need for Congress to amend the policy on the cancellation of sea travel when Public Storm Warning Signal (PSWS) No. 1 is hoisted, taking into consideration the positions submitted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services

Administration and ship owners and ferryboat operators.

“Ship owners and ferryboat and coastwise service operators strongly feel that there is an urgent need to look into the feasibility of implementing a more reasonable start of the no- sail period after PSWS No. 1 is hoisted, particularly in areas where inter-island trips are short, and allowing ship captains’ decision to sail after the typhoon,” said Relampagos, chair of the House committee on tourism.

Relampagos said PSWS No. 1 is declared in an area if winds of 30-60 kilometers per hour (kph), approximately 16-32 knots, are expected in the locality in at least 36 hours.

Relampagos said the PCG Memorandum Circular No. 02-13 prescribes that no vessel of any type or tonnage shall be allowed to sail except to take shelter, as the situation may warrant, when PSWS No. 1 or higher is hoisted within its point of origin, the intended route, and point of destination.

Relampagos said the automatic and immediate cancellation of sea travel when the typhoon is still 36 hours away has caused unnecessary and costly disruption in the flow of sea transport, affecting local and foreign tourists, shippers and consignees of cargoes, especially of perishable goods, and the general riding public.

Kapihan update. Senate

Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Teofisto ‘TG’ Guingona III,foreground,and Manila City Councilor Don Juan Bagatsing give an update on the Senate resolutions being handled by Guingona’s panel and the issues on Dr. Jose Rizal’s national monument over Monday’s ‘Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel’ news forum.

EY ACASIO

t u e s d ay : j u ly 14 , 2 0 1 5

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news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Two die in Kennon Road landslide

By Vito Barcelo

Two people were killed and five were injured in a landslide along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet Monday morning.

Casualties were Teresita de Guzman, 61, and Marjorie Magsino, 33, both of whom were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

The five injured passengers were identified as Phing De Guzman, Ernesto Luis, Jun Eric Sumyo, Mary Jane Lovino and Eugenio Henry.

The landslide was triggered by continuous rain in the past week.

The victims were passengers of a van and jeepney traversing the road when the landslide occurred.

The Department of Public Works and Highways closed the 32-kilometer road as it cleared debris from the highway.

Last week, the department also closed the highway due to the danger of landslides.

DPWH equipment and maintenance crew are on standby for immediate clearing works due to continuous falling of rocks and other debris.

Warning signs are also installed along the highway as landlsides remain likely due to continuous heavy rain in the Cordilleras.

Tragedy. A landslide buried a van and a jeepney along Kennon Road on Monday. DAVID CHAN

Classes to resume in Surigao Sur after candy poisoning incident

By Alvin T. Guanzon TANDAG CITY—Classes resume on Tuesday for Surigao del Sur schools where candy poisoning cases were observed, with all affected students discharged from the hospital.

“It’s back to normal here,” said provincial Governor Johnny Pimentel.

“We have learned lessons from this food poisoning incident. It’s business as usual for the entire province.”

The governor howevereven recommends a mass stress de-briefing for the 1,518 victims.

“Fortunately, no one got killed.

This is because of early response

and quick rescue our provincial government and other LGUs in the province had installed and institutionalized,” Pimentel added.

Pimentel said he wanted the candy maker, the ambulant vendors and others responsible like the one who funded the vendors to be held criminally responsible in the mass poisoning.

The governor also said he had prohibited all ambulant vendors from entering all schools pending the investigation.

Surigao del Sur Provincial Police Director Senior Supt Narciso Verdadero said there were 13 vendors from Davao City scattered in

different areas of the province in selling durian-, mangosteen- and mango-flavored candies.

The poisoning spread to seven municipalities and one city in Surigao del Sur. The Provincial Police Office, through Provincial Director Senior Supt. Narciso Verdadero, will file charges against the Ma-a, Davao Citybased candy maker for non-registration at the Food and Drug Authority.

Verdadero added they were studying the liability of one Janet Aquino, owner of Wendy’s which is the manufacturer of the candies.

Aquino had defended herself by saying the candies had earlier been bought in bulk.

Crossing a river. A

resident of Barangay Guniabang, Bancnotan, La Union wades in the river after typhoon Egay destroyed the bridge there.

CHRISTINE JUNIO

First public-private partnership project to open next week

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Aquino administration’s first public-private partnership project is set to open by July 21, the Public Works Department said Monday.

“We are targeting the soft opening of Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway on July 21 to 22 and the inauguration is on July 24,” Ariel C. Angeles, Public Works Department Public-Private Partnership (PPP)Service director

and officer-in-charge said.

The expressway is a project of the Ayala Group.

According to PPP Center, the civil works of the P2.01 billon MCX, formerly Daang HariSLEX Project, was 99 percent completed as of June 25.

It added the installation and testing/commissioning of the toll collection system is now ongoing.

The approved toll rates for class 1 vehicles (car, jeepney,

passenger van, taxi, mini-bus) is P17; class 2 vehicles (bus, truck, dump truck, tanker, mixer), P34 and class 3 vehicles (rigid truck with three or more axles, trailer), P51.

Noel Kintanar, chief operating officer of AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., said the MCX is expected to significantly help decongest traffic in Daang Hari and Alabang.

“It will also improve access to Cavite, Muntinlupa, and Las

Pinas from Metro Manila’s center business district and the rest of Southern Luzon,” Kintanar added.

The MCX is a a new 4-kilometer 4-lane toll road, from the junction of Daang Reyna and Daang Hari in Las Piñas/Bacoor, Cavite to SLEX through the Susana Heights Interchange in Muntinlupa, traversing the New Bilibid Prison Reservation.

It will use the Susana Heights Interchange as exit and entry

from north and south of SLEX and will include the construction of a new bridge/widening of the existing bridge crossing SLEX as well as the expansion of the Susana Heights toll plaza.

Besides MCX, the Ayala Group won two other PPP projects in partnership with Metro Pacific Investments Corp., the P1.72 billion Automated Fare Collection System and the P64.9 billion LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension Project.

T U E S D AY : J U LY 14 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

MISS GOUX, A QUIET SAINT

[ EDI TORI A L ]

‘PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR’ HOURS before wrapping up his Latin American tour, Pope Francis went to Banado Norte, a flood-prone slum area in Paraguay, to speak to around 1,500 families living in extreme poverty.

“I have looked forward to being with you today. I could not come to Paraguay without spending some time with you, here on your land,” the pope told the people, to whose personal stories he also took time to listen.

“To see your faces, your children, your elderly, and to hear about your experiences and everything you went through to be here, to have a dignified life and a roof over your heads, to endure the bad weather and the flooding of these last few weeks. Your struggles have not taken away your laughter, your joy and your hope. Struggles which have not lessened your sense of solidarity but if anything, have made it grow,” the Pope told Paraguay’s poor.

He might as well still be talking to us Filipinos. In January, he came to the Philippines and showed oneness with the victims of disasters and with the desolate here.

This preferential option for the poor is the hallmark of liberation theology, which the Pope has championed for decades.

Unfortunately, here at home, the word “poor” has political, rather than a socio-economic and theological, ring to it.

Sure, the administration claims to reach out to the poor through the billions of pesos it doles out through its conditional cash transfer program. Our leaders claim to improve the lot of the poor and marginalized – look at the growing economy, they say.

What they do not mention is the fact that the actual number of poor families is growing, and unemployment and underemployment are forcing Filipinos to look for jobs abroad. There may be nominal growth, but inclusive growth remains a far-fetched dream.

And because elections are just around the corner, more politicians are getting ready to milk the poor for their ability to deliver the goods in terms of votes. They will be given short-term tokens to show that candidates cared about their plight.

But that would be all.

How could preferential option for the poor be genuinely shown? Give them real jobs, and real options. Make them not rely on the government to sustain their daily needs. The government only needs to provide opportunities to enable them to provide for themselves.

Disabuse them of the notion that a good leader is one who regularly and unthinkingly gives funds and freebies. Rather, it is one who inspires confidence and participation and hard work. It is he or she who respects them enough to guide them in anticipating and preparing forfor disasters, and empowers them to take control of their lives. This is accomplished not by relying on cash dole but by finding sustainable work that would feed their families today – and in the days thereafter.

Finally, refuse to keep them in the dark. Enlighten them about what they can do, what they must expect from the government and their leaders but also what they must not.

Instead, educate them on the standards they must set for themselves. Give them tools to build their own dreams. Never drown them in “utang na loob” – instead, teach them to ask, to search, to question, and participate.

The poor deserve no less. This is liberation at its best.

CHIZ-SHAMING LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES PERHAPS because they think they’ve already vanquished Vice President Jejomar Binay, the Yellow diehards backing the still-flaccid campaign of Mar Roxas have moved on to their latest target: Senator Chiz Escudero.

Yes, Chiz-shaming is all the rage these days among the Yellows. To hear the Roxas

partisans tell it, Escudero is their biggest stumbling block along the daang matuwid, the Checkpoint Charlie that has to be crossed in order for them to achieve their dream of continuing the Aquino legacy, such as it is, for six more glorious years under Mar. Make that 12 years, if you subscribe to the belief that an Aquino-blessed tandem of Roxas and Senator Grace Poe is going to make a new Golden Age of yellow-tinted peace and prosperity descend upon the land. Because, according

to this strange new belief, Poe will inherit everything (after Mar, of course) if only Chiz isn’t such a self-centered and opportunistic political Svengali.

Last Thursday’s marathon meeting between President Noynoy Aquino, Poe and Escudero, which by all accounts ended without resolving anything as far as the President’s succession plans are concerned, seems to have brought about this new deluge of Escudero-bashing. Aquino seems unwilling to demand

A9

Ultimately, Roxas cannot win because he has eliminated all threats to his candidacy.

that Escudero, his old friend, stand down and that Poe, his best hope for protecting himself after he leaves office, team up with Roxas.

And Poe and Escudero cannot seem, on their own, to make it easy for Aquino (and Roxas) by breaking up their alliance on their own.

So Noynoy (and Mar) still can’t move forward with their plans for a single, unified ticket that will ensure victory, continuity and freedom from detention after the May 2016 elections.

But why pick on Chiz, is what I want to know. Why should Poe join Mar, when

she is perfectly happy where she is and has no real incentive to join up with Aquino, Roxas and their Liberals, except pie-in-the-sky promises that will supposedly come to fruition in 2022?

Roxas’ problems have really nothing to do with anyone else, after all.

If he is considered unelectable, it is not because of anything either Poe or Escudero (or anyone else, for that matter) decide to do, but because of his own failings.

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.

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And Aquino must understand this to be true, when he coldly calculates Roxas’ chances of winning, which have remained steady at slim to none. After all, the demolition of Binay never brought any perceptible gains for Mar, but resulted in the rise of Poe and even Rodrigo Duterte instead.

Ultimately, Roxas cannot win because he has eliminated all threats to his candidacy, either by destroying Binay, by co-opting Poe or by re-

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moving Escudero from the picture.

Roxas must win on his own merits, or he cannot hope to win at all.

Roxas should disabuse himself of the notion that every other presidential aspirant should be defeated even before the first ballot is cast.

But I guess that’s what happens when you’ve languished for so long at the bottom that the idea of running unopposed becomes the only strategy that will ensure victory.

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

LAST week, on Monday, 6 July 2015, a 91-year-old woman silently left the world to be with our Father in heaven.

Marie Louise Goux lived a quiet life but her courageous heart, practical wisdom, and gentle whisper formed many women and men to become mature Christians.

Just simple Miss Goux to her sisters and brothers in Notre Dame de Vie (Our Lady of Life) and to generations of us who went to Holy Week retreats in the NDV House of Solitude/Mother of Life Catechetical Formation Center (MOL) in Novaliches, Quezon City, she came to the Philippines on December 18, 1954 and, except for periods of solitude or for meetings, never returned to her home country France.

Miss Goux arrived on board SS Vietnam with Miss Marie Pila and Elizabeth Moulin. Since then, she has served our people and helped built the Catholic Church and this nation for 61 years. She was a member and Responsable (Superior) for many years of NDV, a Secular Institute of Pontifical Right belonging to the Carmelite family, in the Philippines. NDV’s founders were Venerable Fr. Marie-Eugene, a French Carmelite priest, and Marie Pila, a laywoman.

Both had visited the Philippines as well but it was Miss Goux that led the work in the Philippines.

In her many years in our country, Miss Goux collaborated in the creation of the Summer Institute of Spirituality (SIS) which had bishops, priests, religious, and lay people as participants.

Imbued with the Spirit of Carmel and knowledgeable on the doctrine and masters of Carmel, she was a much-sought speaker and Retreat Mistress of the different communities of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in the Philippines as well as to many other groups.

It was in her capacity as Retreat Mistress of the annual Holy Week retreat at the NDV House of Solitude that many of us, teachers and students from the Ateneo de Manila and the University of the Philippines, got to meet Miss Goux in the 1980s and 1990s. In my case, I was fortunate to know her even better as I was then teaching philosophy at MOL, also located in Novaliches, which was founded and run by the NDV. It was a challenging time in my life as I was discerning about my vocation – with dilemmas like choosing between going to law school or taking up arms against the Marcos regime, and deciding about getting married or going off to Europe to study philosophy. Miss Goux helped give me perspective during those years. She taught me to pray the Carmelite Way, how to gaze at, and more importantly, be gazed by the Lord.

She also introduced me to two spiritual masters to whom up to now, I continue to run to for guidance and intercession – St. Therese of Lisieux and Venerable 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

T U E S D AY : J U LY 14 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

MISS GOUX, A QUIET SAINT

[ EDI TORI A L ]

‘PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR’ HOURS before wrapping up his Latin American tour, Pope Francis went to Banado Norte, a flood-prone slum area in Paraguay, to speak to around 1,500 families living in extreme poverty.

“I have looked forward to being with you today. I could not come to Paraguay without spending some time with you, here on your land,” the pope told the people, to whose personal stories he also took time to listen.

“To see your faces, your children, your elderly, and to hear about your experiences and everything you went through to be here, to have a dignified life and a roof over your heads, to endure the bad weather and the flooding of these last few weeks. Your struggles have not taken away your laughter, your joy and your hope. Struggles which have not lessened your sense of solidarity but if anything, have made it grow,” the Pope told Paraguay’s poor.

He might as well still be talking to us Filipinos. In January, he came to the Philippines and showed oneness with the victims of disasters and with the desolate here.

This preferential option for the poor is the hallmark of liberation theology, which the Pope has championed for decades.

Unfortunately, here at home, the word “poor” has political, rather than a socio-economic and theological, ring to it.

Sure, the administration claims to reach out to the poor through the billions of pesos it doles out through its conditional cash transfer program. Our leaders claim to improve the lot of the poor and marginalized – look at the growing economy, they say.

What they do not mention is the fact that the actual number of poor families is growing, and unemployment and underemployment are forcing Filipinos to look for jobs abroad. There may be nominal growth, but inclusive growth remains a far-fetched dream.

And because elections are just around the corner, more politicians are getting ready to milk the poor for their ability to deliver the goods in terms of votes. They will be given short-term tokens to show that candidates cared about their plight.

But that would be all.

How could preferential option for the poor be genuinely shown? Give them real jobs, and real options. Make them not rely on the government to sustain their daily needs. The government only needs to provide opportunities to enable them to provide for themselves.

Disabuse them of the notion that a good leader is one who regularly and unthinkingly gives funds and freebies. Rather, it is one who inspires confidence and participation and hard work. It is he or she who respects them enough to guide them in anticipating and preparing forfor disasters, and empowers them to take control of their lives. This is accomplished not by relying on cash dole but by finding sustainable work that would feed their families today – and in the days thereafter.

Finally, refuse to keep them in the dark. Enlighten them about what they can do, what they must expect from the government and their leaders but also what they must not.

Instead, educate them on the standards they must set for themselves. Give them tools to build their own dreams. Never drown them in “utang na loob” – instead, teach them to ask, to search, to question, and participate.

The poor deserve no less. This is liberation at its best.

CHIZ-SHAMING LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES PERHAPS because they think they’ve already vanquished Vice President Jejomar Binay, the Yellow diehards backing the still-flaccid campaign of Mar Roxas have moved on to their latest target: Senator Chiz Escudero.

Yes, Chiz-shaming is all the rage these days among the Yellows. To hear the Roxas

partisans tell it, Escudero is their biggest stumbling block along the daang matuwid, the Checkpoint Charlie that has to be crossed in order for them to achieve their dream of continuing the Aquino legacy, such as it is, for six more glorious years under Mar. Make that 12 years, if you subscribe to the belief that an Aquino-blessed tandem of Roxas and Senator Grace Poe is going to make a new Golden Age of yellow-tinted peace and prosperity descend upon the land. Because, according

to this strange new belief, Poe will inherit everything (after Mar, of course) if only Chiz isn’t such a self-centered and opportunistic political Svengali.

Last Thursday’s marathon meeting between President Noynoy Aquino, Poe and Escudero, which by all accounts ended without resolving anything as far as the President’s succession plans are concerned, seems to have brought about this new deluge of Escudero-bashing. Aquino seems unwilling to demand

A9

Ultimately, Roxas cannot win because he has eliminated all threats to his candidacy.

that Escudero, his old friend, stand down and that Poe, his best hope for protecting himself after he leaves office, team up with Roxas.

And Poe and Escudero cannot seem, on their own, to make it easy for Aquino (and Roxas) by breaking up their alliance on their own.

So Noynoy (and Mar) still can’t move forward with their plans for a single, unified ticket that will ensure victory, continuity and freedom from detention after the May 2016 elections.

But why pick on Chiz, is what I want to know. Why should Poe join Mar, when

she is perfectly happy where she is and has no real incentive to join up with Aquino, Roxas and their Liberals, except pie-in-the-sky promises that will supposedly come to fruition in 2022?

Roxas’ problems have really nothing to do with anyone else, after all.

If he is considered unelectable, it is not because of anything either Poe or Escudero (or anyone else, for that matter) decide to do, but because of his own failings.

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And Aquino must understand this to be true, when he coldly calculates Roxas’ chances of winning, which have remained steady at slim to none. After all, the demolition of Binay never brought any perceptible gains for Mar, but resulted in the rise of Poe and even Rodrigo Duterte instead.

Ultimately, Roxas cannot win because he has eliminated all threats to his candidacy, either by destroying Binay, by co-opting Poe or by re-

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moving Escudero from the picture.

Roxas must win on his own merits, or he cannot hope to win at all.

Roxas should disabuse himself of the notion that every other presidential aspirant should be defeated even before the first ballot is cast.

But I guess that’s what happens when you’ve languished for so long at the bottom that the idea of running unopposed becomes the only strategy that will ensure victory.

Continued on A11

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LAST week, on Monday, 6 July 2015, a 91-year-old woman silently left the world to be with our Father in heaven.

Marie Louise Goux lived a quiet life but her courageous heart, practical wisdom, and gentle whisper formed many women and men to become mature Christians.

Just simple Miss Goux to her sisters and brothers in Notre Dame de Vie (Our Lady of Life) and to generations of us who went to Holy Week retreats in the NDV House of Solitude/Mother of Life Catechetical Formation Center (MOL) in Novaliches, Quezon City, she came to the Philippines on December 18, 1954 and, except for periods of solitude or for meetings, never returned to her home country France.

Miss Goux arrived on board SS Vietnam with Miss Marie Pila and Elizabeth Moulin. Since then, she has served our people and helped built the Catholic Church and this nation for 61 years. She was a member and Responsable (Superior) for many years of NDV, a Secular Institute of Pontifical Right belonging to the Carmelite family, in the Philippines. NDV’s founders were Venerable Fr. Marie-Eugene, a French Carmelite priest, and Marie Pila, a laywoman.

Both had visited the Philippines as well but it was Miss Goux that led the work in the Philippines.

In her many years in our country, Miss Goux collaborated in the creation of the Summer Institute of Spirituality (SIS) which had bishops, priests, religious, and lay people as participants.

Imbued with the Spirit of Carmel and knowledgeable on the doctrine and masters of Carmel, she was a much-sought speaker and Retreat Mistress of the different communities of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in the Philippines as well as to many other groups.

It was in her capacity as Retreat Mistress of the annual Holy Week retreat at the NDV House of Solitude that many of us, teachers and students from the Ateneo de Manila and the University of the Philippines, got to meet Miss Goux in the 1980s and 1990s. In my case, I was fortunate to know her even better as I was then teaching philosophy at MOL, also located in Novaliches, which was founded and run by the NDV. It was a challenging time in my life as I was discerning about my vocation – with dilemmas like choosing between going to law school or taking up arms against the Marcos regime, and deciding about getting married or going off to Europe to study philosophy. Miss Goux helped give me perspective during those years. She taught me to pray the Carmelite Way, how to gaze at, and more importantly, be gazed by the Lord.

She also introduced me to two spiritual masters to whom up to now, I continue to run to for guidance and intercession – St. Therese of Lisieux and Venerable 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

T U E S D AY : J U LY 14 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

IN A QUANDARY TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

LIBERAL Party members are now in a panic mode. And they have reason to be.

Santa Banana, with only three months to go until October, when candidates have to file their Certificates of Candidacy, President Aquino has yet to anoint Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, the administration party’s presumptive candidate for the 2016 presidential elections.

The reason is that Mr. Aquino knows that Roxas just cannot win.

Recent surveys show that Senator Grace Poe is the most winnable at this point in time among the many hopefuls. She has even surpassed Vice President Jejomar Binay’s numbers. Binay has always been deemed the man to beat in next year’s polls.

However, this could change soon. The next surveys of the Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia would reflect the withdrawal of Binay from the Aquino Cabinet, and his attacks against it for its lack of sensitivity and compassion for the poor, and incompetence in running the affairs of the country.

Binay also attacked the selective brand of justice employed by the President. There is a different set of standards for his friends, and another one for his political enemies.

The President obviously sees Mar Roxas as a loser and sees Grace Poe as a winner.

The problem is that up to this late date, Senator Poe has not made known her plans. Would she agree to be the running mate of Roxas?

Would she run for the highest post as an independent?

This is why the President has been talking to Poe recently.

The reason that Roxas’ ratings have failed to improve is that in earlier

polls, his handlers made the mistake of packaging him as pro-poor.

He was made to drive a pedicab or carry sacks of rice, as if to erase the perception that he came from a wealthy family.

In other words, the masses just cannot relate to him.

Remember, though, that Roxas gave way to Mr. Aquino in the 2010 polls. He remained loyal to the administration to the end. This is why Aquino is in a quandary.

If we study the history of presidential elections, political parties normally hold political conventions to decide their presidential candidate. Since this is not happening, because Lib-

Will President Aquino take his chances?

eral Party already has a presumptive candidate in the person of Mar Roxas, the ruling party is just waiting for the President to anoint him.

This isn’t seen as forthcoming. The President is unsure of Mar’s chances. The President is also thinking about who could best protect him from suits and even imprisonment when he steps down from office.

With Grace Poe, Mr. Aquino is not sure. She has shown her independence and integrity with that Senate report on the Mamasapano encounter where 44 men from the Special Action Force were killed.

I wonder: What is going on in the President’s mind? Will he take his chances? *** For years, I have been clamoring for the government to make the National Risk Reduction and Management Council a permanent, instead of an ad hoc, body.

THE DUTERTE PHENOMENON RODRIGO Duterte, the self-proabout Duterte was his supposed ARE WE fessed non-candidate in the 2016 dictatorial tendencies – the general THERE YET? perception about him was that he presidential election, appeared in Gandang Gabi Vice, ABS-CBN’s was not the type who listened to BONG C. popular Sunday evening show over others or accepted dissenting opinAUSTERO the weekend. Duterte denied, yet ions. If we are to go by the general again, that he is running for presiimpression he created last Sunday, dent of the Republic next year. He said he was not Duterte is not only a gentleman. He champions fit to become president. In a separate forum with the oppressed and marginalized, and he is not a businessmen last month, he said he had no mon- bigot. I know many people who are now firmly ey to finance a presidential campaign and boldly convinced that Duterte is a much better alternadeclared that he was categorically and most defi- tive to, say, Vice President Jejomar Binay. nitely not running for president in 2016. He has There is little doubt that Duterte’s background echoed and re-echoed the same assertions many as mayor of the largest and probably the most times over in various fora and interviews. peaceful city in the country for more than two deThe man’s protestations should have already cades has equipped him with certain critical comended all further discussions on the matter. The petencies that would make him better qualified man has already expressed his disinterest and in compared to others who are being catapulted into various ways. And yet, why does he continue to the Presidency on the wings of sheer potential. In figure in discussions about the 2016 elections? an ideal world, people should be choosing based Why is he still being considered among the top on manifested competencies. However, the realcontenders for the highest post in the land? ity is that most Filipinos choose leaders they can Of course it can always be argued that Duterte’s relate with at a very personal level; for many, it is body language does not seem to be aligned with about having a personal connection with a candiwhat he is saying publicly. It has been pointed out date and this means sharing the same set of values by many that for someone who says he is not in- and priorities. terested in becoming president, Duterte seems to So what can we then make of the emergence of have so much to say on the matter. And his ap- Duterte as a non-candidate whose appeal seems to pearance in certain fora and television shows, and increase in the run-up to the 2016 elections? his various pronouncements, seem to be indicaIt is very clear that there is an emerging clamtive of a political campaign strategy at work. Even or for genuine leadership; people are looking for his appearance in Gandang Gabi Vice last Sunday someone that can lead the way forward. It is pointseemed like a deliberate effort to soften his image. less for people to continue harping on the educaSo yes, it is indeed possible that Duterte’s current tional and management background of potential attempts to play coy are all part of a major public candidates; as far as most people are concerned, relations campaign to enhance his public image proven track record in transforming communiand to create a groundswell of support. ties and in solving real problems are what really What cannot be denied is that Duterte is gain- counts. ing support from a key segment of the Philippine It is also apparent that moral integrity takes a population and if we are to believe what people are backseat to issues that have direct impact on the saying, the level of acceptability and desirability of everyday lives of people such as poverty, oppresa Duterte Presidency is rising with each public ap- sion, peace and order, drugs, etc. Many people pearance. Duterte’s appearance in Gandang Gabi are apparently willing to gloss over Duterte’s huVice where he basically clowned around with the man rights record in exchange for certain desircountry’s most popular transgender should have able results such as having policemen that actually endeared him to many, including lesbians, gays, do their work, or strict, fair, and consistent implebisexuals and transgenders. Duterte surprising- mentation of laws. It should come as no surprise ly expressed his support for same-sex marriages then that the many allegations of corruption beand claimed that he personally does not think sex ing leveled against Binay has not succeeded yet between people of the same sex is wrong. It can in changing the minds of his core constituency. be recalled that the one thing most people feared Continued on A11 This, taking into consideration the number and intensity of typhoons visiting the Philippines. My idea was to put the permanent body directly under the Office of the President, with all the members of the Cabinet as members. They would then be empowered to mobilize government assets in times of calamities.

The NDRRMC may have been devolved into regional, provincial, city and municipal bodies, but I still believe in the urgent need for a permanent body on rescue, relief and rehabilitation.

Right now, every time a disaster hits the country, we remain unprepared. Relief may come,

but the help largely comes from the international community and the private sector.

Rehabilitation is the most problematical of all. Santa Banana, the President has to name a “Rehabilitation Czar” to do it. Why can’t there be a permanent body assigned to this? *** Acting Makati Mayor Romulo “Kid” Pena is certainly taking advantage of the six-month suspension of Mayor Junjun Binay. He is proving that he’s a true minion of the ruling administration party and the President.

As soon as Pena assumed office, he said he did not want to oc-

cupy the 26th floor of the Makati City Hall, in a bid to show that the people of Makati that he is unlike Mayor Binay.

In a series of memoranda, he abolished the “sisterhood program” of the Binays among over hundred cities and municipalities.

This program granted ambulances, computers, school aids and health care to Makati City’s “sisters”.

Pena also did away with the shuttle service of Makati employees from Trinoma to Makati, only to restore it when he found out that it was beneficial to all employees of Makati – not only to Makati City employees.

Over the weekend, Pena rebid the supply of birthday cakes for the elderly. There are allegations that the current supplier is favored by the Binays. *** No among of justification by Malacanang, especially Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte (who went shopping upon arrival at The Hague), of the presence of more than 35 administration officials that went on a junket to the Netherlands. The show of force was supposedly to show the UN Tribunal that we mean business.

Sure – if only this didn’t cost us taxpayers millions of pesos.

T U E S D AY : J U LY 14 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA JULY 2015 marks a possible turning point for both incumbent Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr., who recently retired as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Roxas desperately wants to win in the May 2016 presidential elections. His actuations over the past five years confirm this. Roxas is almost certain of being chosen as the presidential candidate of the Liberal Party (LP) headed by President Benigno Aquino III. Despite the publicity Roxas gets in the media, particularly during national disasters, the surveys always place him several points behind Vice President Jejomar Binay of the political opposition party.

Adding to the political problem of the Roxas camp is the possible candidacy of Senator Grace Poe, the adopted daughter of the late cinema icon Fernando Poe, Jr. Despite being a political neophyte, Poe placed first in the 2013 senatorial derby, thanks to sympathetic voters who believe that FPJ won the 2004 presidential polls.

Courted by both administration and opposition camps to run in 2016, Poe was equivocal in her public announcements, until she became openly critical of Binay.

In doing so, Poe identified herself as an LP ally.

Although Poe seems undecided about running for president or vice president, she is a threat to the Roxas agenda. That threat became more pronounced ever since Poe overtook Binay in the recent surveys.

The entry of Davao City Mayor Ro-

Miss Goux..From A9 Father Marie Eugene of the Child Jesus. Later, my wife and I would name one of our sons Enrico after Henri Grialou, the secular name of Father Marie-Eugene.

I was not the only one who attended those retreats in Novaliches and who was fortunate in being guided by Miss Goux.

Supreme Court Spokesman Ted Te, for example, shared in Facebook an account of how Miss Goux helped him at a crucial time in his life when he was the human rights lawyer assigned to defend deathpenalty convicts.

According to Ted: “I recall meeting her for the first time during the Holy Week retreat at Mother of Life, of course; she was already silver haired then but she was still very energetic. She had that rare gift of focusing on someone while listening, such that you felt as if you were the only one who was present; she hardly spoke while you were speaking to her but when it was her turn to speak, there was a lot of wisdom in her words. I would make the MOL retreat several times; one of those times was before the first execution (Leo Echegaray’s) and it was then pretty clear the execution was going to happen and while there was still a lot of denial on my part that my client would be executed, I knew

A11

TURNING POINTS FOR ROXAS AND CATAPANG drigo Duterte in the presidential race also poses a problem for the Roxas camp.

Duterte is seen by many as a no-nonsense local chief who dispenses instant justice in a way reminiscent of America’s wild west.

If the law and order situation in his city is an indicator, Duterte is a nemesis of crime.

Surveys suggest that Filipinos are so disappointed with the administration of justice in the country that many of them are open to a Duterte presidency. Although Duterte recently announced that he is no longer running for president, his admirers believe that their candidate will may still change his mind and run. Remember President Gloria Arroyo who promised that she was not running for the presidency in her own right in 2004? An intervening visit from President George Bush of the United States made Arroyo change her mind.

Recent developments, however, have not been very favorable for Roxas’ potential competitors. Binay and his family are facing numerous charges for alleged corruption concerning construction projects in Makati. Poe may not be the naturalborn citizen of the Philippines she claims to be, and this renders her ineligible for the presidency. Voters are displeased with Duterte’s announced plan to install a revolutionary government if he is elected.

These developments provide a turning point for Roxas. He does not face plunder or corruption charges; he does not have any problem with his citizenship or residency; and he is not seen as a gunslinger with no regard for the rule of law. If he plays his political poker game correctly,

that soon I would have to face the inevitable. I went to the retreat troubled and the first opportunity I got, I sought out Ms. Goux. I recall just unburdening myself to her, like someone I knew really well and I remember that she just listened. When she spoke, she told me that there is grace available in what I was doing and when that time comes, there will be grace available to deal with my fears. I didn’t really understand it then but later on, I discovered what she meant. I would make the MOL retreat a fourth time after the execution of Leo and sought Ms. Goux out, but she was then in France. I never did get the chance to thank her for her wisdom and the comfort that her words gave me during my own ‘dark night of the soul’.”

Another friend and colleague, who is now a highlevel government official, also shared this story: “One time, I was in a personal retreat in Novaliches. During one break from the long hours of silence, I related to MLG (Miss Goux) that I was mostly falling asleep as I sat in before the tabernacle into the Nova Chapel or in the priests’ chapel. I was bothered that I was not praying well. I will never forget what MLG told me. One that I have taken to heart to this day. She said Jesus was just so happy I spent time with Him. No dialogue, just gazing at Him. And yes,

Roxas may win the chips.

The same may be said of General Catapang. His turning point is his recent retirement from the AFP upon reaching the compulsory retirement age of 56.

A professional soldier educated in the Philippine Military Academy and in the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Catapang has both a military and a civilian background. His pivotal role in the 1986 People Power Revolution opened doors for him in both the military and political corridors of power, thus making him rise from a lieutenant, to a four-star general, and to the top officer of the AFP. On at least one occasion, Catapang almost perished when his helicopter crashlanded after a mission. That incident did not diminish his zeal in the military service.

In September 2014, Catapang proved his military savvy to the nation and to the world. A contingent of Filipino troops sent on a peace-keeping mission to war-torn Syria found themselves surrounded by Syrian rebels after fighting non-stop for seven days. All 75 Filipino soldiers managed to escape unhurt after following a plan devised

by Catapang. He also spoke up against the pompous Indian General who had unkind words for the Filipino troops.

During his long tenure as a soldier, Catapang was never involved in any corruption or irregularity. His record is unblemished.

Weeks prior to his retirement, Catapang disclosed that he was not interested in elective public office. He admitted, however, that he was open to appointive public office for the remaining months of

even falling asleep in His presence. She said that this all He asks - to be with Him as a little child resting in the God’s comforting embrace. I have never forgotten this. This is still how I pray.”

As for me, my last extended conversation with Miss Goux was in 1998, in Venasque, France when I was discerning what to do next after my stint in government. I sought her counsel on this as she was well-informed (in fact opinionated) about the politics of the country while having a perspective of detachment. As always, she was encouraging and supportive and assured me that God will take care of things. And she was right.

One of the final projects Miss Goux spearheaded was the building of the NDV Center of Solitude for Asia at Encanto, Angat, Bulacan.

And, rightly so, it was in the grounds of the Center that her mortal remains were buried last Thursday. How wonderful this was! Miss Goux’ body is now surrounded by many trees and flowers that she herself had planted - like she did of the seed of God’s word in the hearts of many. Indeed, Miss Goux was the Lord’s sower, a saint who lived quietly amid us; she is what the psalmist referred to in Psalm 116: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.”

the Aquino administration. The threat to the Constitution posed by the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) should change those plans.

Everyone in the military who has fought repeated attempts of Muslim separatist rebels, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in particular, to establish their own substate in Mindanao, and who were either injured in doing so, or saw their relatives and comrades killed or injured in the process, knows that the BBL is an state-sponsored attempt to dismember the Republic of the Philippines, and to hand over a sub-state to the MILF. Catapang is one of them.

While he was soldier, Catapang was unable to openly oppose the BBL out of respect for its principal endorser – his commander-in-chief. Now that he is retired from the AFP and is free to speak his mind, Catapang should lead all retired soldiers, their families, and the families of soldiers killed in Mindanao in opposing the BBL and upholding the Constitution.

Everyone in the AFP must oppose the BBL because President Aquino did not consult the AFP in the drafting of this divisive measure.

Since it is unlikely for the BBL to be enacted during the Aquino administration, Catapang ought to consider running for the Senate in 2016 on an anti-BBL platform. Everyone in the AFP, active and retired, their families, friends, and the countless Filipinos opposed to the BBL, will vote for him. That honor is better than getting appointed by President Aquino to a government post to last for just 11 months.

Chiz..From A9

*** As for Grace Poe, she, too, is getting her share of flak from the Yellows for sticking to Escudero. As one unabashed Roxas booster tells it: “If Escudero is not willing to step up for the Philippines by stepping out of the picture and if Poe does not have the strength of self to put Escudero into the background... then that defines Poe and Escudero as unqualified for the presidency. It defines them as self-dealing opportunists, not committed to the most basic ideal of the straight path: that which is good for the nation is of highest importance.”

It’s hilarious how, in the minds of some Yellowists, what is good for Roxas is interchangeable with what is good for the country. And how both Escudero and Poe have become traitors because they will not give in to Roxas’ ambition and allow themselves, at the same time, to be used as Aquino’s get-out-of-jail card.

Personally, I think Poe has already lost some of her sheen simply because she portrays herself too much as an Aquino loyalist. I have always believed that, if Poe is truly gunning for the highest post in the land, she should stop alienating those who don’t like Aquino by being more inclusive in her various positions.

After all, to this date, people are still wondering why Poe has not released the final version of her committee report on the Mamasapano massacre, whose investigation shot her to national prominence. It makes no sense for her to act as if she is in league with an administration that allowed that national tragedy, especially if she wants to make good on her promises to get to the bottom of the killing of the SAF 44.

By now, of course, Poe will have gotten a clearer picture than most of what it’s like to be hailed as the savior of the nation, even if it’s only Aquino and Roxas that she’s really being asked to save. But I’m sure she – and Chiz – already know that.

The Duterte..From A10 In short, people are not looking for saints – they want someone who will make their lives better. And most important of all, it is very clear that political will is something that strikes a major

chord among people today. We want someone with the courage to do what is necessary.

Duterte could just be a representation of what voters want in 2016. If he is not running, then the challenge seems pretty clear to the other presidential aspirants.

T UE S DAY : J ULY 1 4 , 2 0 1 5

A12

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Spieth building momentum ST ANDREWS—Rory McIlroy’s “kickabout” may have deprived the British Open of having the world number one defend his title, but the potential storylines next week at St Andrews are still strong, starting with golf ’s new golden boy Jordan Spieth.

The 21-year-old Texan has dominated the sport during the first half of this year, becoming the secondyoungest winner of the Masters after Tiger Woods in April and last month becoming the youngest winner of the US Open since Bobby Jones in 1923.

That brings him to St Andrews with a shot at becoming just the second man - after Ben Hogan in 1953 - to win the first three majors of the year, setting up the mouthwatering prospect of him pulling off the Grand Slam at the PGA Championship next month.

Spieth raised a few eyebrows by electing not to travel to Scotland early to acquaint himself better with links golf. He has only ever played St Andrews once, four years ago ahead of a Walker Cup match in Aberdeen.

Instead, he stayed at home to compete in the relatively low-key John Deere Classic in Illinois

for which he has a special affection, having won his first pro tournament there two years ago as a teenager.

His decision was vindicated after a 10-under 61 in the third round, the best round of his US PGA Tour career, set up his second victory in the event via a play-off on Sunday and continued his incredible run of 2015 success.

He made it clear that he had no regrets about opting to stay in the United States and travel to Scotland only on Monday.

“I committed to this event well ahead of time, never really crossed my mind to drop out,” he said.

“I felt like I’ve played well in the Open Championship the last couple years having played at the John Deere right before and competed.

“When I get over there, whether I play well or don’t play well has nothing to do with what I did the week before.

Volcanoes at PSA Forum THE Philippine rugby teams that won gold medals in the last 28th Southeast Asian Games and the Philippine National Games headline today’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Coach Matt Cullen and team captain Jake Letts will represent the Philippine Volcanoes, gold medal winners in the Singapore SEA Games, in the public sports program aired live over DZSR Sports Radio 918 and presented by

San Miguel Corporation, Shakey’s, Accel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Team captain Joemari Rauras, meanwhile, is coming to represent the Clark Jets, who ruled the rugby event of last week’s PNG. Joining them in the 10:30 a.m. forum is Universal Reality Combat Championship founder Alvin Aguilar, along with fighters seeing action in the coming URCC Domination.

Jordan Spieth putts on the first playoff hole on the 18th green during the final round of the John Deere Classic held at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. AFP

Tennis Australia apologizes to Tomic SYDNEY—Tennis Australia apologized on Monday for an embarrassing gaffe that could further inflame tensions with estranged player Bernard Tomic.

Tennis Australia (TA) emailed out a press release which said Tomic was due to play an upcoming match at the “Hall of Shame Tennis Championships” in the United States, instead of the “Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.”

The slip-up may further exacerbate the feud between the organisation and Tomic, although TA quickly issued an apology after it was highlighted on social media.

“Tennis Australia sincerely apologises for the typo in the daily results service today. This has now been corrected and we wish both Bernard Tomic and JP Smith all

the best in the Hall of Fame Championships in Newport,” it said in a statement.

“This unfortunate error has been widely circulated on social media and there is some discussion as to how such a mistake could occur.

We have a very upset staff member who made a simple clerical error.”

TA explained a possible reason for the embarrassing error.

“The result listing before the Hall of Fame Championships, the Sharm El Sheikh event in Egypt, won by Astra Sharma, should provide some explanation as to how this error occurred. There was no malicious intent,” it said.

Tomic created headlines when he lashed out at TA and tennis official Pat Rafter at a post-match Wimbledon news conference this month, accusing the governing body of

penny-pinching and claiming he had been charged for practising on their courts in Brisbane this year.

He also insulted former Davis Cup captain Rafter, one of the country’s sporting icons.

The 22-year-old was dumped from the Australian team for this week’s Davis Cup tie against Kazakhstan in Darwin for what TA called “disparaging and disrespectful comments.”

The press release typo comes after Rafter Sunday described the feud with Tomic as deep and possibly irreconcilable.

“It’s about opportunity, not entitlement,” Rafter said, in remarks that prompted an angry response from compatriot and Tomic friend Nick Kyrgios, in a further fracturing of the Davis Cup team’s cohesion ahead of this week’s tie.

Rivera, Moreno, Santos top slalom

Paolo Santos ruled the novice overall category with a clocking of 58.30 seconds.

MILO Rivera of Tough Gear Racing Team once again bagged the production and overall best time in the sixth leg of the RACE National Slalom Series at the Robinsons Nova Market.

Rivera easily bagged the titles with a bang, beating his chief rival Dr. Peewee Mendiola of Team Big Chill with a time of 53.72. Rivera’s brother and teammate Estefano placed third with a time of 55.99 Dr. Mendiola came in second with 55.16, while Jevoy Moreno of Auto Fastion (56.36) and Paul Santos (57.34) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

Moreno also took the Front Wheel best time of the day, edging his top rival Mike San Miguel of MSM Motorsports.

Santos grabbed the novice best clocking of 58.30.

The 2015 National Slalom Series is sponsored by Shell Helix Motor Oils, Federal Tyres, Outlast Battery, Starbright Body Kits, Auto Transporter, Robinsons Nova Market, and media partners Stoplight TV, Inside Motoring, DZRJ-Am, Pinoy Speed sa mga Pahayagan, Spin.Ph (Sports Interactive Network) and C! Magazine.

All events are sanctioned and affiliated by the Automobile Club of the Philippines.

The seventh and eighth legs will be on July 19 and Aug. 9, both at Robinsons Nova Market.

For details, contact Bing Bang Dulce at tel. Nos. 09178119337 or 09228165344, or email racemotorsportsclub@yahoo.com.

All event pictures can be viewed at FB page of racemotorsportsclub.

Some of the official results: Novice Stock: 1st Jojo Reyes 65.18; 2nd Geoffrey Ballesteros 75.96 Novice Modified A: 1st Dion Ortiz 63.52; 2nd Edrian Resimo 74.68 Novice Modified B: 1st Paolo Santos 58.88

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Chiefs, Bombers eye win no. 2 ARELLANO Games today (San Juan Arena) University and 10 a.m.- Arellano U vs EAC (jrs) Jose Rizal both gun for win no. 12 noon- Jose Rizal vs San Sebastian (jrs) 2 p.m.- Arellano U vs EAC (srs) 2 as they take 4 p.m.- Jose Rizal vs San Sebastian (srs) on separate foes today in the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at The San Juan Arena.

Currently at joint fourth with a 1-1 record, the Chiefs battle the still winless Generals at 2 p.m., while the JRU Bombers clash with the Stags (1-1) at 4 p.m. in the league’s first game after two of its playdates were postponed due to inclement weather.

The Chiefs, runners up last season, are coming off a muchneeded 80-78 win over the Lyceum Pirates on July 3 that somehow eased a painful 61-78 opening-day defeat to the Bombers on June 27 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

Jio Jalalon, who was part of the Gilas cadet team that captured the Southeast Asian Games gold in Singapore last month and one of the 10 Smart Elite ambassadors in the NCAA, keyed the victory with 20 points, a season-high 12 assists, six rebounds and four steals.

The Bombers, in contrast, are eager to bounce back from a humiliating 62-78 defeat to the over-achieving Letran Knights on July 3.

Jose Rizal will have its hands full against a new-look San Sebastian team, which went down fighting in a heartbreaking 8688 defeat to the Cardinals on July 2.

Out! Francisco Cervelli (right) of the Pittsburgh Pirates tags out St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark Reynolds in the 10th inning during the game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AFP

PH to host 2019 Southeast Asian Games THE Philippines has agreed to host the 2019 Southeast Asian Games after the two other countries next in line, Brunei and Vietnam, declined, a sports official said Sunday.

This was agreed upon during a SEA

Games Federation executive meeting in Singapore in June when Brunei, which was scheduled for the 2019 games, asked to pass due to “organisational reasons,” said Joey Romasanta, spokesman of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Vietnam, the 2021 hosts, also declined so the federation offered the event to the Philippines, he told AFP. The federation must still issue a formal invitation to the Philippines which the country must accept but in principle, the

Philippines is assured of being the venue, Romasanta said.

“We agreed to host it but formalities still have to be complied with,” he added.

The cash-strapped country is not likely to build new facilities but will use existing arenas, stadiums and hotels for the games, he added.

One request is that all the games be accessible by land unlike the last SEA Games in the country when some sporting events were held in the central islands.

The sprawling, former US airbase of Clark, north of Manila, which has been turned into a light industrial zone and tourism centre, will likely serve as the base of the games but some events will be held elsewhere.

“All we need is a state-of-the-art track oval. We can work on that,” Romasanta remarked.

He said the funding for the games has yet to be determined as they will still select certain sports and events. AFP

Magsayo overcomes his 1st big test Mejia, Sacapano

By Ronnie Nathanielsz MARK “Magnifico” Magsayo lived up to his moniker by putting on a magnificent performance in scoring a smashing fifth-round knockout of rugged Mexican slugger Rafael Reyes before a huge crowd of wildly cheering fans at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino on Saturday night.

Magsayo, who has been hyped as a genuine, world-title prospect even had t-shirts with his face emblazoned

on the front, alongside a similar product featuring World Boxing Organization light flyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes at an ALA Gym outlet at the entrance to the Grand Pacific Ballroom, reflecting the confidence ALA Promotions has in the 21-year-old from Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

Having engaged five-division world champion Nonito Donaire in some torrid exchanges during sparring at the ALA Gym as The Filipino Flash also prepared for a fight in Ma-

cau against former European champion Antony Settoul on July 18, Magsayo looked ripped and ready and oozing with confidence.

Magsayo quickly found his rhythm and began to throw vicious combinations as he went for a knockout, which came his way during a three-punch combination capped by a perfectly timed, uppercut that dropped Reyes, who spat out his mouthpiece as referee Abainza correctly called a halt to the bout at the 2:29 mark.

Undefeated Thurman calls out Floyd

By Ronnie Nathanielsz UNDEFEATED welterweight Keith “One Time” Thurman has called out pound-for-pound king and similarly unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr., following an impressive eighth-round technical knockout over veteran Luis Collazo to retain his World Boxing Association welterweight title on Sunday (Manila time).

Thurman, backed by a huge hometown crowd, landed several power shots to the head and body in the first four rounds of the fight and clearly dominated Collazo, who previously lost to World Boxing Council welterweight Silver champion Amir Khan.

The British champion Khan also has been fruitlessly chasing May-

Keith “One Time” Thurman hits Luis Collazo with a left straight.

weather for a title bout.

Thurman cut Collazo on his right eye in Round 6, and then connected with several powerful punches that opened up the cut

even further in the seventh round.

One second into the eighth round, the corner of Collazo threw in the towel realizing that Collazo was out of it.

share tennis honors RISING local bet Angelo Mejia came away with back-toback straight-set victories while Averille Sacapano hacked out a pair of cliffhangers as they shared the spotlight in the Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis tournament at Vistec Tennis Club in Roxas City last Sunday.

The 11-year-old Mejia held off No. 4 Marben Mosquera, 6-4, 6-3, to pocket the boys’ 12-and-under crown then stopped fellow Roxas City native Drixyn Guillano, 6-3, 6-2, to reign in the tougher 14-U section of the Group 4 tournament sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

Sacapano, on the other hand, went through some anxious moments before matching Mejia’s two-title romp, upending top seed Tracy Llamas twice, 5-7, 6-4, 10-8, in the girls’ 16-U finals and 4-6, 6-2, 10-4, in the premier 18-U category.

Llamas, however, foiled the talented netter from Boracay Island to add the 16-U plum with a 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 victory.

“With proper training, exposure and motivation, Mejia and a slew of others could become the next force to reckon with in junior tennis and their passion and dedication continue to inspire us to support the sport and help discover fresh talents, especially in the countryside,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro.

Averille’s younger sister Abigail took the 12-U crown also via a tiebreaker, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9, while La Carlota’s Khenz justiani pocketed the 10-unisex title with a 4-0, 4-0 romp over Abigail.

Top seed Luke Flores of Central Philippine University in Iloilo stamped his class over Lorenzo Legaspi, 6-2, 6-3, to clinch the boys’ 18-U plum with Legaspi atoning for the setback by snaring the 16-U title with a come-from-behind 1-6, 6-3, 10-3 victory over giantkiller Janul Marquez.

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‘Lassiter is PBA’s best shooter’

By Jeric Lopez OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY Invitation to Bid The National Housing Authority (NHA), through the Corporate Budget approved by the NHA Board for the year 2015 intends to apply the sum of the Approved Budget for the Contracts (ABCs) to payments for the following contracts: ABC/ Source of Duration Funds (P) (c.d.)

Ref. No.

Projects

2,990,400.00 NG Subsidy

2015 -07133

Trucking Services to Transport Belongings of 712 Qualified Households/Occupants for Preemptive Evacuation in Fort Bonifacio Tenement, Brgy. Western Bicutan, Taguig City to Brgy.

Aguado Trece Martires City, Cavite (RE-BID)

22 Provision of trucks to working transport belongings of days 712 qualified households/ occupants of Fort Bonifacio Tenement, Brgy. Western Bicutan, Taguig City to Brgy.

Aguado, Trece Martires City, Cavite

Trucking Services to Transport Belongings of Informal Settler Families (ISF’s) Living along Danger Areas/Waterways in Quezon City to Bulacan and Rizal

2,635,521.00 NG Subsidy

50 Provision of trucks to transport working belongings of informal settler days families living along danger areas/waterways in Quezon City to Bulacan and Rizal

2015-07- Transport Services (Vans) for 712 135 Qualified Households/Occupants for Preemptive Evacuation in Fort Bonifacio Tenement, Taguig City to Brgy. Aguado, Trece Martires City, Cavite (RE-BID)

1,260,000.00 NG Subsidy

64 Provision of vans for 712 working qualified households/ days occupants for preemptive evacuation in Fort Bonifacio Tenement, Taguig City to Brgy. Aguado, Trece Martires City, Cavite

2015-07- Supply and Delivery of Two (2) 136 Units Brand New 2015 Model Passenger Vans (RE-BID)

1,888,000.00 Corporate Receipts

Within 30 Supply and delivery of two c.d. upon (2) units brand new 2015 receipt passenger vans of the Notice to Proceed (NTP)

780,510.00 Corporate Receipts

Within 30 Supply and delivery of one c.d. upon (1) unit brand new 2015 multireceipt purpose vehicle of the Notice to Proceed (NTP)

2015 -07134

2015-07- Supply and Delivery of One (1) 137 Unit Brand New 2015 Model MultiPurpose Vehicle (RE-BID)

Work Description

THERE are many great shooters in the Philippine Basketball Association, but San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria strongly believes that his ward Marcio Lassiter is the best.

With the way Lassiter has been playing in the Governors’ Cup, shooting the lights out in the playoffs, Austria could be right.

Lassiter’s impeccable outside sniping was again in full display as he nailed two of his total five triples in Game 2 of the finals last Sunday in the final three minutes, the last one being the go-ahead basket.

The virtuoso performance had Austria proclaiming his reliable spitfire as the ‘’top shooter of the PBA right now.’’

Lassiter’s hot hands gave San Miguel a comfortable 2-0 cushion in its best-of-seven title duel with Alaska, moving the Beermen two wins away from another championship.

“Talagang ipinapakita niya why he’s the best shooter in the league right now,’’ said Austria.

Lassiter has been nothing but spectacular from downtown in the playoffs as he continues to sink triples that helps San Miguel not only in the scoring department, but also in opening

The NHA now invites bids for the above-cited contracts. Delivery of the Goods is required within the duration herein cited upon receipt of Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed, within five years from the date of submission of bids, a single contract similar to the Project costing at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

The NHA will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 30, 2015, 10:00 a.m. at the Operations Center, 3rd Floor NHA Main Building, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, which shall be OPEN only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered at the Operations Center, 3 Floor NHA Main Building, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City on August 13, 2015, not later than 9:00 a.m. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount as stated in BDS. Bid opening shall follow immediately after the deadline of submission of bids at the same venue. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted. rd

The NHA 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.

(SGD) VICTOR C. BALBA Chairperson, Bids and Awards Committee 2 (BAC 2) NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY (TS-JUL. 14, 2015)

SMB’s Marcio Lassiter looks for a teammate to pass the ball to after being hounded by two Alaska defenders.

Sultan is new flyweight champ

Republic of the Phillippines Department of Health National Capital Regional Office VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER BIDS AND AWARD COMMITTEE Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City Telefax No. 294-4625 Email addressvmc_bac@yahoo.com

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

A complete set of Bidding Documents shall be issued only to bidders/ authorized official representatives or employees of the bidder who can show proof of Notarized Authority to secure bid documents for the specific Project and Official Company ID upon submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and upon Cash Payment of non-refundable fee of P3,000.00 for Ref. No. 2015-07-133, P2,500.00 for Ref. No. 2015-07-134, P1,500.00 for Ref. No. 2015-07-135, P2,000.00 for Ref. No. 2015-07-136 and P1,000.00 for Ref. No. 2015-07-137 at the Office of the NHA-BAC 2 Secretariat, 2nd Floor NHA Main Building, Diliman, Quezon City starting on July 14, 2015. For further information, the NHA BAC 2 Secretariat may be contacted at Tel/FAX. No. 928-8272.

up the paint for the team’s inside operators such as Junemar Fajardo and AZ Reid.

Less than two weeks ago, the former Smart Gilas mainstay knocked down a personal best 10 triples in a Game 2 loss for San Miguel against Rain or Shine in the semifinals, on his

way to finishing with a careerhigh 31 points.

Lassiter’s consistent play this conference did not go unnoticed, as he even became a candidate for the Best Player of the Conference award, finishing third. The award went to his teammate Junemar Fajardo.

With the Beermen closing in on their second championship this season, with Lassiter being a huge factor, Austria gave credit where it is due, emphasizing the value of his shooter.

“We’re just fortunate we have Marcio. He’s helping us in a big way,’’ said Austria.

INVITATION TO BID PUBLIC BIDDING NO.: VMC-2015-015 The VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER invites all eligible bidders to bid on: DESCRIPTION

PROJECT ALLOCATION

Procurement of Dietary Supplies CY 2015 (Re-Bid)

P2,066,328.91

NON-REFUNDABLE FEE P5,000.00

The bidding documents shall be available to interested bidders at the BAC Secretariat, BAC Office, 2/F, VMC, Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City from 9:00AM to 3:00PM, starting July 14, 2015 upon payment of non-refundable fee as indicated above. Only those who have purchased the bidding documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre bid conference and raise or submit written queries (see revised IRR of RA 9184). The pre-bidding conference will be on July 22, 2015, 10:00 am at the BAC Conference Room, 2/F, VMC Annex Bldg., Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City. Bid opening will be on August 4, 2015, 10:00AM at the 2/F, VMC Conference Room, Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City.

All particulars relative to bid evaluation and award of contract shall be governed by the provisions of R.A. 9184 otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act. Bids received in excess of the Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC) shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. LATE BIDS SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED. ALTERNATIVE BIDS SHALL BE REJECTED. Bid bond shall be in form of cash, cashier’s check or manager’s check equivalent to two percent (2%) of the approved budget of the contract.

This invitation is also advertised with the Government Electronic Procurement System (G-EPS) at www.procurementservice.org and posted at the VMC BAC bulletin board.

For inquiry, please call the BAC Secretariat Office at Telephone No. 294-4625.

VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO 1) REVIEW ALL THE REQUIREMENTS; 2) REJECT ANY OR ALL BIDS; 3) CONFISCATE THE BID BOND AND/OR PURSUE APPROPRIATE LEGAL ACTION SHOULD A BIDDER BE FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED R.A. 9184; 4) WAIVE ANY DEFECTS CONTAINED THEREIN; and/or 5) ACCEPT THE OFFER MOST ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE GOVERNMENT. ANY DECISION MADE BY THE VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER IS FINAL AND EXECUTORY. FURTHER, VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER ASSUMES NO OBLIGATION WHATSOEVER TO COMPENSATE OR INDEMNIFY THE BIDDER OR WINNING BIDDER. AS THE CASE MAY BE, FOR ANY EXPENSE OR LOSS THAT SAID PARTY (IES) MAY INCUR IN ITS PARTICIPATION IN THE PRE-BIDDING AND BIDDING PROCESS NOR DOES IT GUARANTEE THAT AN AWARD WILL BE MADE. (SGD)DONA D. SALMOS, RN, MAN Chairman, BAC (TS-JUNE 14, 2015)

JONAS Sultan of the famed ALA Gym won the Philippine super flyweight title, beating defending champion Rene Dacquel by a unanimous 12-round decision at the Mandaluyong City Gymnasium last Saturday.

With the win, the 23-yearold Sultan, who was ranked No. 9 in the last ratings of the Games and Amusements Board, improved his record to 9-2 with 5 knockouts, while the 24-year-old Dacquel, who was ranked No. 4, dropped to 14-5-1, with 5 knockouts.

All three judges scored the fight for Sultan. British judge Robert Bridges had Sultan the winner by a lopsided, 117-109 score, while Carlo Baluyut (115111) and Fernando Batistil (114-112) turned in much closer scorecards.

Dacquel was given a standing-eight count by referee Virgilio Garcia when he held on to the ropes to prevent himself from going down after being caught by a solid left jab when offbalanced with 46 seconds remaining in round No. 3 from Sultan, the younger brother of veteran Dondon Sultan. Ronnie Nathanielsz

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LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

Hingis captures 2 Wimby title in 2 days Good luck, Ray. Bobby

3-game bill kicks off Martin Cup cage tourney

Ray Parks Jr. (left) of the Dallas Mavericks takes a shot against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. The former National University star is seeking a slot to the Mavericks’ regular NBA team. AFP

A THREE-GAME bill kicks off the 13th Fr. Martin Division 2 Cup basketball tournament on Friday at the St. Placid gymnasium of the San Beda College campus in Mendiola, Manila.

The Gilas Pilipinas under-16 national youth is in the list of entries in the senior division, slated to meet AMA Computer College at 12:30 p.m.

Holy Cross-Pampanga clashes with Manila Patriotic School at 9:30 a.m., while AMA takes on UNO at 11 a.m. in two junior division matches.

Commissioner Robert de la Rosa said a total of 33 teams are seeing action this season, with 15 confirmed entries in the senior division, and 18 registered in the junior side.

The tournament is open to all varsity teams which have players who are listed in their school’s developmental team.

Bunched in Group A of the senior division are San Beda-B, Ateneo de Manila, San Sebastian College, Arellano University, AMA, Gilas Pilipinas under-16, and University of Perpetual Help-Cavite.

Bracketed in Group B are San Beda-A, University of Santo Tomas, Letran, University of Perpetual Help, Diliman College, Mary the Queen College-Pampanga and St. Michael-Cavite.

In the junior side, San Beda is in Group A with San Sebastian College, Infant Jesus Academy of Pampanga, Arellano University, St. Michael, UNO, Philippine Cultural College, Lyceum and AMA. Group B will have Mapua, Xavier School, Holy Cross-Pampanga, National University, St. Joseph, Manila Patriotic School, St. Jude, San Benildo and University of Perpetual Help.

Last year, the Mapua Cardinals fended off the Enderun College Titans, 92-82, to snare the seniors’ division crown, while Adamson University swamped Arellano University, 83-68, for the junior division title.

nd

LONDON—Martina Hingis won her second Wimbledon title in two days when she and India veteran Leander Paes took the mixed doubles with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Alexander Peya and Timea Babos.

Hingis had won the women’s doubles with Sania Mirza on Saturday before coming back on Sunday to secure a 40-minute triumph.

Paes and Hingis had also won the Australian Open mixed doubles in January.

It was 42-year-old Paes’s eighth Grand Slam mixed title and a third for Swiss legend Hingis.

“With Leander, we played TeamTennis (in the United States) for the last two years. Since then it’s been a great ride for me. I feel already like quarter India,” said Hingis, whose last Wimbledon title before this weekend was back in 1998 in the women’s doubles.

“Been to India four times. I’m meeting the prime minister and everything.”

“It was incredible today, the chemistry between myself and Leander.”

For Paes, who played his first Wimbledon in 1993, it was a 16th Grand Slam doubles title.

“Australia was something brand-new, something fresh, because it was the first time we were playing in a Grand Slam together,” he said.

“We played World TeamTennis for a couple years and we’re undefeated there. But to come and do it at Wimbledon is something really special.

“Everyone knows what Martina’s achieved over the years at Wimbledon. To come out there and do it back-to-back, the physical and mental effort that it takes to win two titles in the same week, is something really, really special.” AFP

Djokovic...

From A16 It hasn’t always been plain sailing.

At one stage in his early days, Djokovic seemed too frail in temperament and physique to be considered a major leaguer, failings emphasised by occasional spats over alleged gamesmanship.

At the 2005 and 2006 French Opens, the teenage Djokovic retired injured. He also pulled out of a match with Nadal at Wimbledon in 2007 and again at the Australian Open

in 2009 against Roddick.

Djokovic hasn’t been afraid to think outside the box in an effort to boost his career.

After going three years between his first major at the 2008 Australian Open and his second, back in Melbourne in 2011, he overhauled his daily regime.

Swearing by a gluten-free diet, Djokovic won three of the four Slams in 2011, putting together a 41-match win streak which was ended by Federer in the French Open semi-finals. AFP

Bulldogs, Maroons hurdle volley foes Formula 1 champ Hamilton NATIONAL University out-steadied Mapua in close finishes in all three sets as it carved out a 25-22, 25-20, 25-22 victory while University of the Philippines rallied to beat Arellano U in four at the start of the Spikers’ Turf Collegiate Conference at The Arena in San Juan yesterday.

Though the Bulldogs overpowered the Cardinals in attacks, 47-30, the Muralla-based squad kept the game close all throughout but just couldn’t sustain their charge against their rivals’ superb all-around game.

“It’s always nice to start the conference with a win,” said NU coach Dante Alinsunurin, who drew solid games from his bench throughout the 78-minute contest of power hits and quick sets.

The Maroons got outhit by five,

42-47, but more than a listless second set perGames tomorrow made up for this with 1 p.m. • La Salle vs Ateneo formance and stop the 10 blocks and nine 3 p.m. • La Salle-Dasmariñas surging Maroons side. vs St. Benilde aces as against their Meanwhile, the NU5 p.m. • EAC vs UE rivals’ seven and three, Mapua match will be respectively, as the shown on PTV 4 startDiliman-based spikers rebounded ing at 3:30 p.m. today while the UPstrong to hack out a 21-25, 25- Arellano game will be aired tomor14, 25-23, 25-13 victory over the row. Games are shown on a delayed Chiefs in the other match. basis from Monday to Friday while Wendel Miguel unloaded 20 hits Saturday telecast begins at 9:15 p.m. while skipper Alfred Valbuena and on PTV 4, according to the organizJuiius Raymundo combined for 26 ing Sports Vision. markers for the Maroons, who also With the Cardinals all sized-up, drew seven hits apiece from Gian Alisunurin found no need for his San Pascual and Mark Millete. guest players Jann Sumagui and BerGuest Christian dela Paz came hashidin Daymil to showcase their away with 17 points while Joshua wares as Fauzi Ismail and Brayn BaSegovia and Christopher Soriano gunas fired 14 hits apiece and Franproduced 12 hits apiece for the cis Saura and Madzlan Gampong Chiefs, who failed to recover from added nine markers each.

snubbed over dress code LONDON—ormula One world champion Lewis Hamilton missed Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon final triumph after being barred from the Royal Box after a dress code row.

Hamilton was due to join celebrities including actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Bradley Cooper and Hugh Grant in the exclusive enclosure at the All England Club on Sunday.

But the British racing driver was unable

to watch Djokovic win his third Wimbledon title with a four-set victory over Roger Federer because he wasn’t wearing a shirt and tie.

With the match at 4-3 in the fourth set, a Wimbledon spokesman responded to reports that Hamilton had been turned away by saying: “He did come but he has gone.

We are not commenting further.”

Earlier on Sunday, Hamilton had posted a picture on Instagram

showing his Royal Box invitation package.

In the photo, Hamilton did not appear to have a tie or jacket on.

A Wimbledon spokesman later added: “If he was not adequately dressed you could infer that he would not have been let in, but we do not comment on our guests.

“If he came without a jacket, tie or shoes he would have had two choices— not staying or going to get some extra stuff.” AFP

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RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

LONDON—Novak Djokovic was once in danger of becoming tennis’s great unfulfilled talent, the smiling Serb with a racquet in one hand and a sick note in the other.

A decade on, he is the superfit king of the sport, a nine-time Grand Slam champion with the promise of more to come.

Now, where once the sport lauded the Big Four, Djokovic appears to be the last man standing as his rivals falter.

Djokovic swept to a third Wimbledon title on Sunday with victory over Roger Federer meaning eight of his nine majors have come since the start of 2011.

By contrast, Federer, the record 17-time major winner, has not won a Slam since Wimbledon three years ago.

World number three Andy Murray won the last of his two Grand Slam titles at the All England Club in 2013.

And Rafael Nadal, the 14-time major champion, is trapped in a vicious spiral of decline which has sent him spinning to his lowest ranking in a decade and close to slipping out of the world top 10.

By contrast, Djokovic has this year picked up a fifth Australian Open, a third Wimbledon and four Masters. His match record is a remarkable 48 wins against just three defeats.

He is also the model of consistency, making the semi-finals in 19 of his last 20 Grand Slams.

“Novak can go to sleep tonight saying, ‘I’ve had more grand slams than (Jimmy) Connors, (John) McEnroe, (Andre) Agassi, (Boris) Becker, (Stefan) Edberg, (Mats) Wilander’... the list just goes on and on,” former world number one Andy Roddick told the BBC. “He’s marching through history. I’m not sure where this ends for Novak.”

Sunday’s win levelled his career match-up with Federer at 20-20 and he has now won five of their last seven meetings at the Grand Slams.

- Rivals off the pace Federer will be 34 in August and the longer Sunday’s final went on, the further off the pace he fell.

Djokovic is 19-8 to the good against fellow 28-year-old Murray, winning their last eight meetings.

Despite trailing Rafael Nadal 2321, Djokovic has won six of their last seven.

Of course, the French Open continues to elude him, defeated in the final in three of the last four years including in June against an inspired Stan Wawrinka.

That was one of eight Grand Slam finals he has lost.

“There were some finals I should have won but then again, having said that, everything happens for a reason,” said Djokovic.

“I try to learn from every experience, especially the ones that don’t end up victorious for me. I’m going to keep going.

“I’m 28. I feel good. I don’t feel old. I have hopefully many more years in front of me. I’m going to try to push my own limits and see how far I can go really with titles and with myself playing on this high level.”

Continued on A15

SPORTS

Djokovic: Marching through history Spieth building momentum TURN TO A12

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns to Switzerland’s Roger Federer during their men’s singles final match on day thirteen of the 2014 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 12, 2015. Djokovic won the match 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3. AFP

Lassiter PBA’s best shooter TURN TO A15

B1

TUESDAY: JULY 14, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Greece seals new bailout deal BRUSSELS, Belgium—Greece reached a desperately-needed bailout deal with the eurozone on Monday after marathon overnight talks, in a historic agreement to prevent the country crashing out of the European single currency.

The country’s leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras agreed to tough reforms after 17 hours of grueling negotiations in return for a three-year bailout worth up to 86 billion euros ($96 billion), Greece’s third rescue program in five years.

EU President Donald Tusk announced the deal for debt-stricken Greece on Twitter, ending a bitter six-month struggle between Tsipras’s anti-austerity government in Athens and the rest of the eurozone.

“EuroSummit has unanimously reached agreement,” former Polish

premier Tusk said. “All ready to go for ESM program for Greece with serious reforms and financial support.”

Greece applied last week for a third program from the eurozone’s bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism, after its previous bailout expired on June 30, leaving it without international financial assistance for the first time in years.

Greek banks have been closed for nearly two weeks and there were fears they were about to run dry due to a lack of extra funding by the European Central Bank,

meaning Athens would have had to print its own currency and effectively leave the euro.

Athens had infuriated its creditors with actions including a surprise referendum on July 5 in which Greeks overwhelmingly rejected previous bailout terms offered by its creditors.

The full terms of the new deal were not immediately available but they looked set to be even tougher than those originally offered to Greece.

A Greek government official had earlier said the terms drafted on Sunday by the euro finance ministers were “very bad,” amid concerns they would effectively take control of much of Greek finances away from Athens.

Under terms drawn up by eurozone finance ministers at the weekend, Athens would now have to push through new even tough-

er laws by Wednesday, Finnish Finance Minister Alex Stubb said.

Athens would have to introduce harsh conditions on labor reform and pensions, VAT and taxes, and measures on privatization, he added.

Key sticking points included the involvement of the IMF and a call for Greece to park assets of up to 50 billion euros ($56 billion) in a fund in Luxembourg for privatization.

Arriving for what was billed as a last-chance summit Sunday, Merkel said there would be “no agreement at any price,” complaining of a loss of trust in Athens.

Tsipras, who was elected in January vowing to end five years of austerity tied to two previous bailouts since 2010, had said a deal was “possible” if all sides were willing. AFP

PSe comPoSite index Closing July 13, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,496.33 103.74

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JULY 13, 2015 42

P45.160

43

CLOSE

44 45 46

HIGH P45.100 LOW P45.190 AVERAGE P45.151 VOLUME 527.000M

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 Monday, July 13, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate

Greece Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (from left), European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, France president Francois Hollande and Belgium Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt talk ahead of a meeting with European leaders in Brussels, Belgium, on July 12, 2015. BLOOMBERG

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.1540

Japan

Yen

0.008147

0.3679

UK

Pound

1.551600

70.0609

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129017

5.8256

Switzerland

Franc

1.064963

48.0873

Canada

Dollar

0.788395

35.5992

Singapore

Dollar

0.740302

33.4276

Australia

Dollar

0.742280

33.5169

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652450

119.7687

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

12.0404

Brunei

Dollar

0.737572

33.3043

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.029465

1.3305

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.2948

Euro

Euro

1.115400

50.3648

Korea

Won

0.000887

0.0401

China

Yuan

0.161051

7.2721

India

Rupee

0.015793

0.7131

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.263678

11.9061

New Zealand

Dollar

0.669389

30.2256

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032238

1.4557 Source: PDS Bridge

BSP keeping foreign exchange target of P43 to P46 per dollar

By Julito G. Rada THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is keeping its foreign exchange target of P43 to P46 per dollar this year, despite the volatilities in the financial markets caused by the debt crisis in Greece and the expected interest rate hike in the United States.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said Monday the exchange rate target was still doable, given the country’s strong external payments position.

“The Philippines remains a

resilient economy with strong growth prospects, lower inflation forecasts and robust external payments position.

Thus, the P43 to P46 exchange rate assumption continues to be realistic,” Guinigundo said in a text message.

The Bangko Sentral in October last year predicted that the peso would average between 41 and 44 to a dollar this year. The forecast was revised to P43 to P46 early this year, taking into account the developments in the global economy, particularly the expected interest rates hike in the

United States, which could result in more volatilities in the coming months.

The peso closed at 45.16 against the greenback on Monday.

Guinigundo said a protracted resolution on the Greek crisis would be accompanied by occasional volatilities in the financial markets.

“What is crucial is for market players to have the long view and refrain from taking drastic actions based on short-term episodes and considering them as fundamentals,” Guinigundo said.

Last week, Guinigundo said

the local currency remained weak despite the latest positive economic numbers released by the government recently, including the lower-than-expected June inflation and the recovery in gross international reserves.

He also said the market seemed waiting for “fresh, positive news.”

“Inflation was down and reserves were up [but still] the peso remains weak.. Sentimentdriven, mainly,” Guinigundo said.

Meanwhile, gross international reserves as of end-June increased to $80.8 billion, higher by $0.4 billion than the end-May level of

$80.4 billion.

DBS Bank of Singapore said in a report the peso had been relatively resilient in the past 18 months. It said the peso was the best performing unit in Asia, against the US dollar.

“This has kept imported inflation low and likely to be the key reason to explain the downward trend in core inflation. Whether or not this outperformance of the peso will remain is questionable, but we reckon that markets might have been overly optimistic about the peso,” DBS said.

TUESDAY: JULY 14, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Monday, July 13, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 4.2 4 17 30.45 10.4 0.92 2.6 890 100 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.68 8.7 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.74 1.02 625 78 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 59 2.65

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

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

4.89 73.1 103.10 94.50 45.3 1.57 10.2 15.98 20.2 6.40 0.74 1.81 760.00 90 18.00 26.50 64.30 94 306 37 150.8 59.55 3.23

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 20.6 125 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 17 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 12.5 79 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 238 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 26 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 15.32 62.5 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 8.61 20.2 71.5 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 8.65 34.1 2.3 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 161 4.1 1.55 0.138 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 10.02 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI Federal Res. Inv. Group First Gen Corp.

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

Lafarge Rep Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

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

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

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

43.4 1.38 1.02 1.94 10.1 18 135 26.65 55.35 2.33 1.41 12.3 20.000 8.87 7.28 9.65 13.48 24.85 80 13.78 5.74 0.500 189.00 10.44 28.00 2.04 2.7 58.00 24 25.45 5.85 294.00 4.85 8.40 11.90 3.15 2.13 2.8 4.08 168.9 4.5 1.64 0.144 2.10 185 4.5 0.7 23.80 1.20

0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 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 84.9 974 1.66 390 156 0.710 0.435

0.44 48.1 20.85 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3.43 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 4.5 3 0.030 0.550 59.3 751 1.13 170 80 0.211 0.179

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

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

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

Minerales Industrias Corp.

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

0.470 57.2500 22.00 6.88 0.246 0.242 747 7.5 13.10 3.14 4.20 0.205 1315 6.50 70.50 3.99 6.89 0.65 12.64 0.57 4.69 7.19 3.8 0.0300 1.910 59.95 862.00 1.23 155.20 79.500 0.3300 0.2000

10.5

6.74

8990 HLDG

7.380

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

SHARES 7,089,639 51,063,001 57,985,113 77,662,755 62,340,132 6,497,518,570 6,753,853,590

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 4.9 4.66 73.2 73.1 104.20 102.20 94.00 92.10 45.6 45.3 1.45 1.41 10.1 10.1 16 15.98 20.25 20.1 6.72 6.72 0.69 0.68 1.82 1.82 770.00 770.00 91.65 88.35 18.00 17.96 26.20 26.20 64.40 63.50 94.95 89 301 300 37.2 36.9 151.5 150.5 60.35 59.55 3.21 3.2 INDUSTRIAL 43.5 42.6 1.38 1.38 1.05 1.02 1.95 1.92 10.18 10 18 17.92 155 135 27 26 55.8 55.45 2.37 2.24 1.46 1.41 12.28 12 20.500 19.76 8.90 8.70 7.50 7.30 9.85 9.42 14.14 13.3 25 24.7 80.5 78.65 13.90 13.60 5.74 5.67 0.500 0.530 191.00 188.10 10.74 10.44 28.00 28.00 2.17 2.17 2.52 2.52 55.50 52.00 24.1 23.8 25.75 24.6 5.9 5.52 293.80 287.00 5 4.81 8.38 8.30 11.74 11.70 3.28 3.19 2.35 2.15 2.85 2.6 4.10 4.05 168.9 168.9 4.5 4.5 1.64 1.64 0.145 0.143 2.15 2.10 189 187.3 4.5 4.5 0.71 0.7 24.90 23.75 1.23 1.15 HOLDING FIRMS 0.480 0.470 57.9000 57.0000 22.10 21.85 6.88 6.88 0.248 0.240 0.241 0.241 764 748 7.6 7.48 13.20 13.02 3.47 3.47 4.35 4.30 0.215 0.215 1364 1315 6.50 6.50 71.50 69.10 3.9 3.9 7.05 6.86 0.65 0.61 12.62 12.56 0.6 0.6 4.76 4.67 7.48 7.19 2.1 2.1 0.0330 0.0330 2.010 1.890 60.45 60.00 899.00 866.00 1.22 1.22 160.00 155.20 80.000 78.400 0.3300 0.3300 0.2000 0.1890 PROPERTY 7.400 7.280

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

4.66 73.2 103.20 94.00 45.6 1.45 10.1 16 20.25 6.72 0.68 1.82 770.00 91 18.00 26.20 64.20 94.95 301 37.05 151.2 59.65 3.2

-4.70 0.14 0.10 -0.53 0.66 -7.64 -0.98 0.13 0.25 5.00 -8.11 0.55 1.32 1.11 0.00 -1.13 -0.16 1.01 -1.63 0.14 0.27 0.17 -0.93

39,000 7,650 3,336,890 650,870 41,800 43,000 100 391,300 80,000 100 4,000 1,000 70 1,317,240 21,200 300 44,700 520 820 67,700 548,130 33,800 15,000

43.15 1.38 1.04 1.95 10.18 17.98 155 26.9 55.8 2.37 1.46 12 20.200 8.90 7.44 9.67 13.84 24.85 79.5 13.90 5.74 0.530 190.00 10.68 28.00 2.17 2.52 55.50 24.05 25.75 5.66 293.40 4.9 8.36 11.74 3.20 2.35 2.74 4.05 168.9 4.5 1.64 0.143 2.15 188.5 4.5 0.7 24.90 1.23

-0.58 0.00 1.96 0.52 0.79 -0.11 14.81 0.94 0.81 1.72 3.55 -2.44 1.00 0.34 2.20 0.21 2.67 0.00 -0.63 0.87 0.00 6.00 0.53 2.30 0.00 6.37 -6.67 -4.31 0.21 1.18 -3.25 -0.20 1.03 -0.48 -1.34 1.59 10.33 -2.14 -0.74 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.69 2.38 1.89 0.00 0.00 4.62 2.50

1,276,200 1,000 514,000 446,000 200 250,200 100 382,000 80 1,004,000 42,000 14,800 3,465,200 3,245,500 6,197,600 22,800 9,300 6,466,700 199,850 10,200 400,000 7,000 532,350 3,362,400 1,200 1,000 3,000 5,700 925,700 81,900 9,391,400 373,460 902,000 559,100 2,900 122,000 4,799,000 3,289,000 492,000 11,720 1,000 20,000 210,000 43,000 1,043,930 1,000 891,000 900 25,000

0.475 57.5000 21.95 6.88 0.241 0.241 755 7.5 13.06 3.47 4.30 0.215 1364 6.50 71.50 3.9 7.05 0.65 12.56 0.6 4.76 7.2 2.1 0.0330 1.990 60.10 897.00 1.22 160.00 78.450 0.3300 0.2000

1.06 0.44 -0.23 0.00 -2.03 -0.41 1.07 0.00 -0.31 10.51 2.38 4.88 3.73 0.00 1.42 -2.26 2.32 0.00 -0.63 5.26 1.49 0.14 -44.74 10.00 4.19 0.25 4.06 -0.81 3.09 -1.32 0.00 0.00

610,000 3,571,020 6,150,500 30,400 1,300,000 10,000 360,470 3,277,500 4,173,500 1,000 17,000 20,000 27,515 10,000 1,262,120 1,000 546,300 3,000 1,971,500 2,000 22,329,000 1,227,100 10,000 100,000 10,059,000 552,280 145,120 50,000 330 14,700 40,000 40,000

7.280

-1.36

83,700

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

1.99 1.75 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 4.88 0.180 0.470 0.72 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

0.65 1.2 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 2.75 0.090 0.290 0.39 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Empire East Land Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld Corp.

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

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

10.5 66 1.09 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 95.5 1 2.46 15.2 1.040 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1 11.6 0.85 10 1.9

1.97 35.2 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 3.1 0.650 1.8 6 0.37 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 5 1.14

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

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

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

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown NOW Corp.

Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 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 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 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 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `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. Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

TA Petroleum

14,204,220.00 180,750.00

70 553 8.21 12.28 111

33 490 5.88 6.5 101

1,888,300.00 15,550,404.00 70,184,860.00

1047 76.9 84.8

1011 74.2 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15 12.88

3.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

530,649.00 -174,678,409.00 12,574,232.50 -72,890.00 5,976,166.00 694,080.00

10,561,561.00 -970,374.00 60,200.00 -1,872,820.00 -72,382,192.00 604,885.00 -26,800.00 -116,480.00 -1,261,344.00

15,490.00 -2.00 7,966,054.00 -1,053,915.00 17,384,393.00 -23,900.00 41,680.00 -47,018,575.00 -8,001,303.50 -108,480.00 -4,584.00 -13,086,298.00 8,484,562.00

-1,008,240.00 -366,900.00 48,392,960.00 -24,773,134.00 -200,430.00 -1,089,291.00 32,000.00 -69,360.00 171,570.00 -339,490.00 1,959,240.00 -4,500.00 10,750.00 36,851,388.00 19,000.00

39,227,411.00 -3,226,235.00

113,436,460.00 14,661,092.00 -27,539,990.00

12,638,675.00 -12,677,208.00 -397,639.00 4,032,622.00

-342,845.00

-124,210.00

Makati Fin. Corp.

Xurpas

High

VALUE 669,266,818.308 958,497,229.46 1,175,519,678.57 756,992,110.47 1,010,888,173.53 189,939,547.6928 4,764,679,306.028

FINANCIAL 1,672.40 (UP) 2.94 INDUSTRIAL 11,311.70 (UP) 90.32 HOLDING FIRMS 6,729.09 (UP) 121.04 PROPERTY 3,089.42 (UP) 79.08 SERVICES 2,056.65 (UP) 5.50 MINING & OIL 12,982.55 (UP) 236.89 PSEI 7,496.33 (UP) 103.74 All Shares Index 4,268.78 (UP) 41.57 Gainers: 107 Losers: 64; Unchanged: 37; Total: 208

Close

0.70 1.150 36.85 3.2 5.15 0.82 1.19 1.08 0.126 0.430 9.8 0.840 1.19 1.89 1.29 4.75 0.110 0.2850 0.4600 27.50 1.67 3.24 20.15 0.72 7.14 0.810 6.780

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.70 0.69 0.70 1.150 1.150 1.150 38.15 36.40 38.15 3.22 3.19 3.22 5.15 5.15 5.15 0.84 0.83 0.83 1.08 0.99 1.08 1.08 1.01 1.01 0.131 0.126 0.126 0.440 0.430 0.440 9.94 9.68 9.9 0.840 0.840 0.840 1.21 1.19 1.21 1.89 1.85 1.88 1.29 1.24 1.29 4.91 4.72 4.9 0.109 0.103 0.103 0.2900 0.2900 0.2900 0.3800 0.3800 0.3800 27.90 27.10 27.65 1.68 1.66 1.68 3.30 3.24 3.30 20.75 19.98 20.70 0.73 0.71 0.72 7.15 6.7 7.15 0.840 0.810 0.840 6.950 6.640 6.800 SERVICES 6.19 6.25 6.19 6.25 61.8 62.2 61 61 0.620 0.620 0.610 0.620 8.60 8.76 8.52 8.53 0.0780 0.0800 0.0790 0.0800 3.5 3.59 3.32 3.44 84.95 87 84.55 87 10.12 10.4 10 10 6.29 6.30 6.20 6.20 2384 2384 2352 2380 6.30 6.39 6.30 6.35 1.30 1.36 1.32 1.34 110.4 110.6 109.5 110.5 12.08 12.08 12 12 0.011 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.204 0.204 0.200 0.203 1.3500 1.5900 1.3300 1.4900 2.59 2.5 2.2 2.2 9.20 9.25 9.20 9.21 2.55 2.63 2.50 2.63 1.15 1.34 1.10 1.10 2.01 2.01 2.00 2.00 35.00 40.00 34.50 40.00 0.680 0.680 0.680 0.680 2 2 2 2 5.1 5.18 4.88 5 0.460 0.460 0.460 0.460 107.00 108.80 107.00 107.00 18.80 18.88 18.10 18.88 2830.00 2846.00 2810.00 2846.00 0.630 0.630 0.610 0.630 1.280 1.310 1.280 1.300 36.00 36.00 35.85 36.00 70.50 71.95 70.50 70.65 8.50 8.57 8.42 8.43 0.62 0.64 0.63 0.64 5.15 5.19 5.1 5.15 2.170 2.300 2.050 2.210 MINING & OIL 0.0061 0.0066 0.0066 0.0066 2.65 2.70 2.70 2.70 5.69 5.83 5.53 5.83 0.227 0.226 0.226 0.226 6.8800 6.7200 6.7200 6.7200 0.9 0.9 0.88 0.89 0.77 0.77 0.75 0.77 6.58 6.90 6.50 6.60 1.38 1.41 1.37 1.39 0.305 0.310 0.305 0.305 0.216 0.220 0.216 0.216 0.227 0.227 0.225 0.225 0.014 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.014 0.014 0.014 0.014 3.11 3.12 3.1 3.12 20 10.5 10.02 10.38 3.62 3.71 3.56 3.6 0.5600 0.6000 0.5800 0.6000 1.9900 1.9600 1.9500 1.9500 4.20 4.30 4.20 4.22 5.56 5.750 5.570 5.74 1.76 1.790 1.720 1.73 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.013 138.90 141.60 138.50 141.60 9.18 9.2 8.8 9.14 PREFERRED 62 61.6 60 60.7 528 528 526 528 6 6.39 6.39 6.39 1.07 1.1 1.1 1.1 113 113.5 113 113.5 1148 1149 1148 1149 1054 1050 1050 1050 75.4 75.45 75.4 75.45 88.1 88.65 87 88 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.500 3.640 3.490 3.640 SME 6.78 6.4 5.9 6 11.24 11.4 11.18 11.3 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 120.9 122.2 120.5 122.2

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

0.00 0.00 3.53 0.63 0.00 1.22 -9.24 -6.48 0.00 2.33 1.02 0.00 1.68 -0.53 0.00 3.16 -6.36 1.75 0.55 0.60 1.85 2.73 0.00 0.14 3.70 0.29

21,000 120,000 6,659,000 796,000 9,400 623,000 3,000 66,000 620,000 40,000 377,000 1,000 747,000 5,340,000 21,000 32,702,000 820,000 40,000 10,000 936,300 414,000 43,000 9,195,900 1,263,000 13,000 12,000 9,175,300

0.97 -1.29 0.00 -0.81 2.56 -1.71 2.41 -1.19 -1.43 -0.17 0.79 3.08 0.09 -0.66 -9.09 -0.49 10.37 -15.06 0.11 3.14 -4.35 -0.50 14.29 0.00 0.00 -1.96 0.00 0.00 0.43 0.57 0.00 1.56 0.00 0.21 -0.82 3.23 0.00 1.84

3,300 42,210 244,000 5,619,800 3,530 114,000 206,150 401,200 1,000 141,715 30,700 67,000 293,750 600 100,000 2,650,000 19,109,000 52,000 63,100 86,000 124,000 15,000 500 54,000 25,000 5,687,800 30,000 1,040 107,800 107,680 769,000 6,803,000 2,157,200 150,490 10,040,700 173,000 175,500 2,926,000

8.20 1.89 2.46 -0.44 -2.33 -1.11 0.00 0.30 0.72 0.00 0.00 -0.88 -7.14 0.00 0.32 -48.10 -0.55 7.14 -2.01 0.48 3.24 -1.70 0.00 1.94 -0.44

6,227,000,000 42,300.00 1,000 270,500 -53,400.00 10,000 9,000 1,524,000 274,000 21,200 -27,600.00 1,300,000 -189,090.00 20,000 1,120,000 1,110,000 42,000,000 1,000,000 40,000 -24,860.00 4,584,400 5,891,320.00 332,000 18,500.00 119,000 118,000 22,000 464,300 106,468.00 981,000 155,900.00 214,100,000 591,820 37,302,054.00 479,100 98,750.00

-2.10 0.00 6.50 2.80 0.44 0.09 -0.38 0.07 -0.11

183,770 10,500 1,100 9,000 8,280 4,340 1,920 22,700 20,740

-9,881,993.00

4.00

38,000

-10,920.00

-11.50 0.53

9,300 172,000

78,620.00

1.08

13,080

115,000.00 132,704,690.00 -1,050,690.00 -1,030.00 -132,800.00 -53,530.00 -278,774.00 -3,112,450.00 7,566,170.00 -11,600.00 3,667,895.00 -341,040.00 -4,406,827.00

-15,022,369.00

-7,930.00 -15,844,459.00 1,746,383.50 -118,467,240.00 -6,300.00 -9,779,438.00 20,100.00 -85,780.00 443,720.00

-17,559,411.00 97,370.00 105,136.00 -33,663,200.00 -24,510.00 3,624,110.00 -61,131,110.00 -2,458,891.50 -22,201,190.00 -118,450.00 81,890.00

-1,005,840.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Chemphil

155

14.81

MJCI Investments Inc.

2.1

-44.74

Manila Broadcasting

40.00

14.29

Jackstones

2.2

-15.06

F&J Prince 'A'

3.47

10.51

Makati Fin. Corp.

6

-11.50

ISM Communications

1.4900

10.37

City & Land Dev.

1.08

-9.24

Phoenix Semiconductor

2.35

10.33

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.010

-9.09

Pacifica `A'

0.0330

10.00

First Abacus

0.68

-8.11

Abra Mining

0.0066

8.20

Bright Kindle Resources

1.45

-7.64

Omico

0.6000

7.14

Manila Mining `A'

0.013

-7.14

GMA Holdings Inc.

6.39

6.50

Mabuhay Vinyl

2.52

-6.67

LMG Chemicals

2.17

6.37

Cityland Dev. `A'

1.01

-6.48

TUESDAY: JULY 14, 2015

B3

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

PH, Asian stock markets rally ASIAN stock markets rallied Monday as European leaders said they had agreed a debt deal to keep Greece in the eurozone, while Shanghai advanced for a third straight session after witnessing fierce recent volatility.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index surged 103.74 points, or 1.4 percent, to 7,496.33 on a value turnover of P4.8 billion. Gainers swamped losers, 107 to 64, with 37 issues unchanged.

Ayala Land Inc., a major property developer, advanced 3.5 percent to P38.15, while Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, rose 1.9 percent to P188.50.

SM Prime Holdings Inc., the largest integrated property company owned by tycoon Henry Sy Sr., gained 2.7 percent to P20.70,

while parent SM Investments Corp. jumped 4.1 percent to P897.

Megaworld Corp., the biggest lessor of office spaces, climbed 3.2 percent to P4.90.

After a torrid few weeks for global markets, analysts said some confidence was returning, with comments out of Brussels indicating the five-month Greece crisis could be close to being resolved, while Chinese markets began to recover.

EU president Donald Tusk said an agreement had been struck

between Greece and its creditors after 17 hours of high-pressure summit talks in Brussels.

“EuroSummit has unanimously reached agreement. All ready to go for ESM program for Greece with serious reforms and financial support,” Tusk said, referring to the EU’s bailout fund that will oversee the third Greek bailout since 2010.

Afterwards, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters Greece would not tumble out of the eurozone. “Grexit has gone,” he said when asked by AFP if Greece’s position in the single currency was still in danger.

Tokyo rose 1.57 percent, or 309.94 points, to 20,089.77 and Seoul jumped 1.49 percent, or 30.25 points, to 2,061.52.

Shanghai climbed 2.39 percent, or 92.58 points, to 3,970.39 and Hong Kong was up 1.30 percent, or 322.73 points, at 25,224.01.

However, Sydney gave back early gains to end 0.34 percent, or 18.8 points, down at 5,473.2.

Tokyo, Sydney and Seoul closed before the deal was announced.

The euro rose to $1.1182 Monday from $1.1149 late in New York but soon gave back the advances to sit at $1.1111.

It was also at 137.70 yen compared with 136.58 yen in US trade.

The breakthrough came after Germany and other eurozone leaders handed Greece a brutal ultimatum for desperately needed bailout cash Sunday, with Chancellor Angela Merkel pushing for a temporary euro exit--or “timeout”--if it did not agree. With AFP

ATI upgrade. Asian Terminals Inc. is increasing Manila South Harbor’s rubber-tired gantry cranes to 23 units as it upgrades port assets at

the country’s major trade gateway in support of the growing economy. Assembly of five state-of-the-art RTGs, manufactured by industry leader Liehberr of Ireland, are underway at the terminal after ATI took delivery of its pre-fabricated components recently. These are the latest deliveries in a series since 2012, bringing ATI’s total RTG fleet up to 50 percent greater than the 2012 level. ATI’s recent equipment acquisition (photo) forms part of its most aggressive capital investment in over three decades and in line with its commitment with state-owned Philippine Ports Authority.

Prasad to open modern Pangasinan seed facility

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales PRASAD Seeds Philippines Inc., a unit of Prasad Seeds of Hyderabad, India, will open Wednesday a $10-million corn seed processing facility in Rosales, Pangasinan on July.

Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, will lead the inauguration of a state-of-theart corn seed processing facility to help boost the country’s corn self-sufficiency goal.

A pioneering investment of Prasad Seeds, the corn seed processing facility will help transform Pangasinan into becoming the “seed capital” of the Philippines, said former agriculture secretary William Dar. Dar, Prasad Seeds strategic adviser for global expansion, said Prasad Seeds Philippines Inc., led by Karumanchi Prasad as chairman, would initially provide such services as corn drying, shelling, treating, con-

ditioning and packaging, including fumigation, warehousing and cold storage, seed production research trials and commercial seed production.

He added the company’s solid three-decade experience in India had led to making Andra Pradesh, now Telangana the seed capital of India, where most of the multinational seed companies had availed of the seed processing services of Prasad Seeds.

“Likewise, we will aspire to transform Pangasinan into becoming the seed capital of the Philippines, and eventually the country as the corn seed hub in Southeast Asia,” said Dar, adding Prasad Seeds planned to expand its operations in Indonesia and Vietnam.

Prasad Seeds Philippines initially forged a service agreement with Syngenta, a global seed company, to process its locally-produced hybrid corn seeds. Syngenta also served as a staunch partner of Prasad Seeds in India.

Convinced that its investment augurs well

for the country’s corn industry, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala recently endorsed Prasad Seeds Philippines to the Board of Investments a ‘pioneering status.’

In an endorsement letter to Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Alcala said the investment of Prasad Seeds Philippines in corn seed processing facility featured improved fuel efficiency, power savings and improved corn seed quality and recovery.

Prasad Seeds employs a drying technology that uses fuel efficiently and consumes 20 percent lesser LPG compared with existing dyers.

It also uses US-designed blower and burner systems that result in shorter drying time and reduced power consumption by 20 percent.

Prasad Seeds dryers, thus, achieve 52 percent to 54 percent recovery, six percentage points higher than similar facilities in Pangasinan, producing much cleaner seeds, with better vigor and germination, and therefore higher yields.

Italpinas pursues maiden offering

By Jenniffer B. Austria GREEN building developer Italpinas Development Corp. plans to conduct a P242-million initial public offering from August 10 to 14 this year.

Italpinas said in an amended registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission it would offer its shares to the public next month after a book building process.

The company plans to peg the final offering price on the IPO on August 4 tentatively set the listing date on August 24.

Italpinas is offering a total of 57.662 million common shares at a price of up to P4.20 per share.

It plans to list the shares under the Small, Medium and Emerging Board of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Italpinas, founded by Italian architect Romolo Nati and lawyer Jose Leviste III, earlier hired Unicapital as the sole underwriter for company’s IPO. The company plans to use proceeds from the maiden offering primarily to finance capital expenditures for new projects, land banking activities and retirement of existing debts.

Italpinas since its incorporation in 2009 has completed the first tower of its first project, Primavera Residences Tower A. Italpinas in four years has already sold around 300 of its inventory of residential and commercial units, offices and parking slots worth around $16 million.

Two more projects in the pipeline are projected to earn a combined amount of P15.6 billion, or $381 million, in gross sales.

Italpinas plans to develop at least $200 million worth of sustainable projects within six years, ranging from mixed-use buildings to condotels, hotels, resorts and beach mixed communities across the country and in Southeast Asia.

Several small companies are currently planning to conduct a maiden share offering because of the successful listing of previous firms, namely DoubleDragon Properties Corp., Xurpas Inc. and Crown Asia Chemicals Corp., a Bulacan-based company engaged in the production of plastic compound and pipes.

Companies with pending IPO applications with the SEC include biomass company Green Power Panay Philippines Inc., Gweilo Corp., the owner of Mario’s Kitchen and SBS Philippines Corp.

B4 UCPB loan fair.

UCPB held a three-day consumer loan fair at the Grand Atrium of Robinsons Iloilo on June 26 to 28 to offer more opportunities for the fast-rising market to fulfill their dreams of having their own home or car. Shown during the ribbon cutting ceremony are (from left) UCPB corporate and consumer banking group head and executive vice president Higinio Macadaeg Jr., consumer banking division head and first vice president Philip Pabelico, president and chief executive Jeronimo Kilayko, Iloilo vice mayor Jose Espinosa III and branch banking group head and executive vice president Edmond Bernardo.

Veco tests prepaid electricity

By Alena Mae S. Flores

VISAYAN Electric Co., the country’s second largest power distributor led by the Aboitiz Group, has started its pilot prepaid electricity retail service in Naga, Cebu, an official said Monday.

“Yes, we already have pilot programs in Naga and will start to roll it out to those interested once we get the full approval from the ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission],” Veco chief operating officer Anton Perdices said.

Perdices said ERC had so far approved 100 prepaid electricity meters under the pilot program.

Prepaid electricity allows power customers to manage consumption by loading credits when there is not enough balance. The system is envisioned as similar to the telecommunications industry’s prepaid cellular service.

“100 meters applied [and] all [were] approved, and initial roll-

out [in] Naga. Timeline is as soon as possible,” he said.

Perdices said of the 100 approved meters, 48 meters were already installed.

Veco serves the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, Naga and the town of Metro Cebu including Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla and San Fernando.

Veco’s franchise service covers an area of about 674 square kilometers with an estimated population of 1.73 million.

Veco utilizes various state-ofthe-art technologies in its operations to improve its efficiency and service.

It uses supervisory control and data acquisition system to moni-

tor and control its electric distribution assets via remote control.

It also has a geographic information system to map and manage its facilities.

The company is owned and managed by publicly-listed Aboitiz Power Corp. and Vivant Corp.

Manila Electric Co., the country’s biggest power distributor, meanwhile, wants ERC to deregulate the prepaid electricity industry to bring its benefits to consumers.

The ERC earlier approved the application of Meralco to offer and provide prepaid retail electric service, branded as Kuryente Load, to customers in its franchise area subject to certain con-

ditions.

ERC, however, said once the retail competition and open access was fully implemented, Meralco should cease its prepaid electricity service operations and/or assign it to a qualified entity.

“They should deregulate that…

Why approve only 40,000” why not approve one million then phase it,” Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan said.

ERC approved the installation of 40,000 prepaid electricity meters in Meralco’s franchise area but the power distributor plans to file for an additional 100,000 meters amid the strong takeup from real estate developers and even the National Housing Authority.

PH, US sign agreement to prevent tax evasion

By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE Philippines and the United States on Monday signed an agreement to implement provisions of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which aims to curb offshore tax evasion.

“Today’s signing marks a significant step forward in our efforts to work collaboratively to combat offshore tax evasion —an objective that mutually benefits our two countries. By working together to detect, deter, and discourage tax abuses through increased transparency and enhanced reporting, we can help to build a stronger, more stable, and more accountable global financial system,” said US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg, who signed the deal on behalf of Washington.

Fatca, which was enacted in

2010 in the US, aims to combat offshore tax evasion by encouraging transparency and obtaining information on accounts held

by US taxpayers in other countries.

“The Philippines continues to stand at the forefront of fiscal transparency across the AsiaPacific region, reaping measurable returns for our people. In fact, fiscal transparency is one of the four pillars of the Cebu Action Plan the Philippines is advancing in its hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation finance ministers’ process meetings,” said Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who signed on behalf of the Philippine government.

“Tax evasion across borders is an alarming problem that we can beat back with openness and mutual cooperation. This IGA is an affirmation of that ideal,” he said.

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima (left) and US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg shake hands after signing a reciprocal intergovernmental agreement to implement provisions of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act which aims to promote transparency in financial accounts between the two nations for tax purposes.

T U E S D AY : J U LY 14 , 2 0 1 5

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

B5

Clark exports, imports eased Bye bye, Windows phone FOR the sake of the Los Angeles Clippers, we hope Steve Ballmer is better at running a basketball team than a software company.

Ballmer, who bought the Clippers for a record $2 billion in August, had engineered Microsoft’s $7.2 billion purchase of Nokia almost two years ago when he was still chief executive of the software giant.

At the time, I said the buyout was perhaps good news for Nokia’s chief executive but not so much for Microsoft itself.

The announcement this month by Microsoft that it would lay off 7,800 employees and write $7.6 billion off the value of its mobile phone division, showed just how damaging—and ultimately pointless—its purchase of Nokia was.

The 2013 buyout of Nokia—a pioneer in the mobile phone business that lost its early lead in the industry in part due to its complacency—was Ballmer’s last-ditch effort to make Microsoft competitive against Apple and Google, which dominated the field with the iPhone and Android smart phones. But, as one Google executive tweeted when Microsoft and Nokia first forged an alliance, two turkeys do not make an eagle.

The latest data from the market research company IDC shows just how poorly Microsoft has done, even with the Nokia acquisition.

In 2004, IDC reports, Android and iOS accounted for 96.3 percent of all smart phone shipments, up from 93.8 percent in 2013.

By the fourth quarter of 2014, Android’s share of the smart phone market was 76.6 percent, while Apple had 19.7 percent, with the former slipping 1.6 percentage points and the latter gaining 2.2 percentage points year-on-year.

In the same period, Microsoft saw its market share shrink to 2.8 percent from 3 percent. For the entire year, its Windows Phone platform saw its market share drop to 2.7 percent from 3.3 percent in 2013.

In an e-mail to employees, Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella said the job cuts would take place over the next several months.

He also outlined a new direction for the company’s phone business.

“Today, we announced a fundamental restructuring of our phone business. As a result, the company will take an impairment charge of approximately $7.6 billion related to assets associated with the acquisition of the Nokia Devices and Services business in addition to a restructuring charge of approximately $750 million to $850 million,” he wrote.

“I am committed to our first-party devices including phones.

However, we need to focus our phone efforts in the near term while driving reinvention. We are moving from a strategy to grow a standalone phone business to a strategy to grow and create a vibrant Windows ecosystem that includes our first-party device family.”

While couched in corporate-speak, Nadella’s message was unmistakable. Making phones would no longer be a major focus for Microsoft.

Writing for Forbes, Ewan Spence said there were three lessons to be learned from Microsoft’s misadventure with phones.

First, he said, was the absolute need for third-party applications.

“With no apps Windows Phone was at a serious disadvantage to Android and iOS as the app-economy dominated smartphones.

With no impact in the app-economy, no A-list titles, or desirable start-ups targeting the platform, Windows Phone effectively had no users. And with no users developers were unlikely to target the platform,” Spence writes.

Second, Microsoft failed to innovate fast enough.

“Windows Phone took an age to deliver even basic updates. And when those updates did arrive in the form of Windows Phone 8, backwards compatibility with Windows Phone 7 hardware was not present, alienating those who had moved to the platform with the early devices,” Spence says.

Finally, Spence believes Microsoft erred in linking its phone to the Windows brand, adding that “weighing down a project with a poor brand, with a bad history, and with awkward historical baggage will never work.”

While some analysts say the upcoming Windows 10 – and in particular, Windows 10 Mobile – might yet revive Microsoft’s flagging phone ambitions, I’m not holding my breath.

Column archives and blog at: http://www.chinwong.com

By Othel V. Campos

THE Bureau of Customs has granted the request of investors in the Clark Freeport Zone to simplify the steps in the processing of import and export permits, including the conduct of x-ray inspections at the clearance area.

Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina announced the latest development during the 2nd General Assembly of Clark Investors and Locators Association forum recently held at the Convention Hall of Widus Hotel and Casino.

Clark Development Corp. endorsed the simplified process in consultations with investors.

CDC president Arthur Tugade in a statement welcomed the approval of the request, saying it was part of the program of the state-run agency to ease doing business in Clark.

Customs also issued a rationalized “bring in and bring out” policy and a full automation of processing.

The policy will be implemented by end-August while full automation will be done by 2016.

CDC’s trade facilitation department said part of the enhancement of doing business in Clark was the conduct of x-ray inspections of incoming shipments in Clark.

Customs approved the exemption of Clark locators from the client profile registration system in which their certificate of registration or tax exemption will be used in the processing of import and export transactions of Clarkbased enterprises.

CDC is set to issue comprehensive guidelines in the CPRS exemption for the guidance of

Clark locators.

Lina is also expected to issue a Customs memorandum order to remove underguarding on import and export shipments and removal of fees for bonds on imports.

The bureau requested Clark locators to clear their shipments in the Port of Manila on Fridays so they can be pulled out and delivered to the economic zone on Saturdays and Sundays. The arrangement will reduce port congestion in the Port of Manila.

Lina informed the locators that the offices of Customs in Clark and Subic would be open on Saturdays.

Customs collection sank 8.5 percent year-on-year in April, the first drop this year, following the leadership changes at the bureau and the double-digit decline in prices of imported petroleum products.

Customs said earlier it collected P28.141 billion in import duties in April, down from P30.764 billion collected in the same month last year.

Most trusted brand. Property conglomerate SM Prime Holdings Inc.’s mall brand, SM Supermalls, was cited by Reader’s Digest as one of the most valued and preferred shopping mall brands in the Philippines for the fourth year in a row. SM Supermalls was the only awardee for the Philippine mall category this year.

SM Supermalls received the Platinum Trusted Brand in the Shopping Center category on June 30, 2015 under the annual Trusted Brands Survey conducted by Reader’s Digest. Sheron White of Reader’s Digest (second from left) is joined by SM Supermalls Team (from left) Grace Magno, vice president for advertising; Annie Garcia, president; and Christian Mathay, assistant vice president for operations, during the awarding night.

PEMC appeals case against Aboitiz unit

By Alena Mae S. Flores PHILIPPINE Electricity Market Corp., operator of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, has elevated its case against Aboitiz Power Corp.’s subsidiary Therma Mobile Inc. to the Court of Appeals.

The Pasig regional trial court branch 157 earlier issued a writ of preliminary injunction preventing PEMC from demanding or collecting from Therma Mobile P234.9 million worth of penalties it imposed against the power firm for alleged violation of the must-offer rules.

PEMC imposed the penalties after it claimed that Therma Mobile withheld power capacity dur-

ing the November and December 2013 supply period.

PEMC earlier said it would exhaust all legal remedies to appeal the decision of the Pasig regional trial court.

Former Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla directed PEMC to elevate the case to the Court of Appeals following the agency’s inability to collect the penalties from Therma Mobile.

A separate source also confirmed that PEMC had elevated the case to the CA. PEMC board had earlier imposed the penalties after Therma Mobile was found to have breached the WESM Rule on the Must Offer during the period November and December 2013.

Other participants were also found to have breached the same rule and were sanctioned accordingly.

“I told PEMC, stick it out and to reconsider if there are some loopholes where Aboitiz will say that we made mistakes to penalize them, but if there is none. We have to stand by it,” Petilla said earlier.

“PEMC will really stand by its findings otherwise you will change all your findings without any reason. I said if you can find a reason, change it but they really cannot find any reason to change it,” the former energy chief said.

Petilla said PEMC would lose its credibility if it would not pursue the case.

TUESDAY: JULY 14, 2015

B6

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

Nickel Asia’s output rises 25%

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

NICKEL Asia Corp. said Monday shipments of nickel ore in the first half jumped 25 percent from a year ago, but low prices in the world market dragged down the value of production.

Nickel Asia said shipments in the January-June period reached 9.68 million wet metric tons, up from 7.73 million WMT recorded in the same period last year.

The miner said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the value of shipments in the six-month period fell 16.5 percent to P7.46 billion from P8.93 billion last year due to lower ore prices.

The company’s Taganito mine shipped 1.1 million WMT of saprolite ore and 2.60 million WMT of limonite ore, including 2.06 million WMT to the Taganito high-pressure acid leach processing plant.

These figures were up from last year’s 949,000 WMT, 2.34

million WMT and 1.96 million WMT, respectively.

Rio Tuba mine sold 2.21 million WMT of saprolite ore and 1.55 million WMT of limonite ore deliveries to the Coral Bay HPAL plant. Last year, Rio Tuba sold 998,000 WMT of saprolite ore and 1.98 million WMT of limonite ore, of which 1.66 million WMT was delivered to the Coral Bay plant.

Shipments from the Cagdianao mine rose more than three times in the first half of the year to 1 million WMT from 322,000 WMT in 2014.

Ore sales consisted of 309,000 WMT of saprolite ore and 695,000 WMT of limonite ore, up from 212,000 WMT and 110,000

WMT, respectively, last year.

The Hinatuan mine shipped 158,000 WMT of saprolite ore and 1.05 million WMT of limonite ore in the first half, almost the same volumes as in the prior year’s comparable period.

“While we continue to achieve higher sales volumes, the drop in commodity prices including nickel due to factors affecting global financial markets and economic growth, has been a disappointment,” said Nickel Asia president and chief executive Gerard Brimo.

“We believe the bottom has been reached and we should see a rebound in prices as these factors get resolved and as many analysts continue to believe that the nickel market will shift into a deficit,” Brimo said.

Meanwhile, the mining company also announced that its board of directors approved to guarantee the loan facilities of Emerging Power Inc. for up to P3 billion over a maximum threeyear period.

Malolos business center.

The Trade Department opened a business center at the Lingkod Pinoy Center of the Robinson’s Place in Malolos City, Bulacan on May 27, 2015. Shown cutting the ribbon are (from left) Rebecca Narciso of SB Corp., DTI provincial director Zorina Aldana, DTI-3 director Judith Angeles, Robinsons Land marketing manager Tess Miranda, DTI assistant secretary Blesila Lantayona and Bulacan Chamber of Commerce president Gigi Simbulan.

PCGG warned vs. ‘Payanig’ auction BLEMP Commercial of the Philippines Inc. has filed a lis pendens with the Registry of Deeds in Pasig City to warn the Presidential Commission on Good Government against auctioning off 18.4-hectares of properties known as the ‘Payanig sa Pasig’ lots.

Lis pendens, which literally means a pending suit, refers to the jurisdiction, power or control that a court acquires over a property involved in a suit pending final judgment.

“Effectively, it serves as an official and public notice that a particular real property is in litigation, and serves as a warning that anyone who acquires interest over

the litigated property does so at his own risk,” said BLEMP lawyer Dennis Manalo in a statement.

“More importantly, it binds would-be purchasers of the litigated property to the judgment or decree of the court, whether they are legitimate buyers or not,” Manalo said.

The PCGG is auctioning the property is based on its claim that it holds a reconstituted title obtained after the Edsa revolution, through an assignment by alleged Marcos crony Jose Campos.

Under the law, however, a reconstituted title is rendered void if the original title still exists.

BLEMP said it was in possession

of these titles. The company has issued an open challenge to any document verification experts to prove the titles were not original.

No one has taken the challenge so far.

“My advice to all the bidders is for them to consult and carefully deliberate with their lawyers, because they are literally taking a multi-billion peso gamble and leaving it up to the courts,” Manalo said.

“This case is now entirely dependent on the legal merits of each claimant, and no matter how you spin it, nothing will ever beat the original, physical titles that we have in our possession,” he said.

2 underperforming agriculture heads MANAGEMENT theory suggests that the first step to be taken in dealing with an underperforming institution run by an underperforming executive officer is to remove the underperforming CEO and replace him with someone who displays potential for superior performance. It does not suggest that the best way to deal with the problem is to split it into two.

Yet that s exactly what PNoy Aquino did in 2013 to deal with an underperforming Cabinet member running an underperforming department. The underperforming department was the Department of Agriculture.

PNoy stood management theory on its head not by removing the clearly underperforming Secretary of Agriculture, Proceso Alcala, but by splitting the Department of Agriculture into two and appointing a second Secretary of Agriculture. As co-head of the DA, he appointed former Senator Francisco “Kiko” Pangilinan. There was no precedent for a Cabinet department being restructured by Presidential fiat.

Filipinos were shocked and filled with frustration. There were two reasons for this.

The first reason has always been stated. It has to do with good management practice. A management problem, whether in the public sector or otherwise, is not solved by skirting the issue of bad leadership. Splitting underperforming institution--a Cabinet department, in this case--simply created two problems where previously there was only one. And installing a second CEO raises the possibility that there will now be not one but two underperforming CEOs. The second reason for the shock and frustration experienced by the citizenry was the fact that the agricultural sector produces the nation’s food and fiber and, thus, should be regarded by the government in an objective, non-political way. There are clear indications that the nonremoval of Alcala and the appointment of Pangilinan were politically motivated decisions. Both men are members of the ruling Liberal Party and, not incidentally, close friends of President Aquino.

True, the President of the Philippines, in choosing the members of his official family, should look first to his political party, but appointment to the secretaryship of Agriculture need not be done on a partisan basis. Indeed, it should not.

Ideally, the position should go to an individual with a managerial and/or technical background. Arturo R. Tanco and Dr. Dioscoro Umali are cases in point.

I want to be as fair to Secretary Pangilinan as I can, but I cannot see where he has made a significant difference to the performances of the Philippine Coconut Authority, National Food Authority, Sugar Regulatory Administration and other components of the erstwhile DA that were assigned to him

by PNoy’s Executive Order. My assessment is that the agencies in the Pangilinan part of the DA are being run today as mediocrely as they were during Secretary of Alcala’s watch. I have yet to hear Pangilinan say anything memorable regarding issues crucial to the key agricultural industries allotted to him under the DA restructuring.

Of course, Alcala, at his end, continues to go along his merry, underperforming way. Rice imports--recurrently done under questionable circumstances--smuggling and corruption continue to characterize the operations of Alcala’s part of the DA. P-Noy’s intrusion into the realm of management theory has been--as it was expected to be--an abject failure. The mindless splitting of the Department of Agriculture should be corrected at the earliest possible time. But that is a forlorn expectation, considering that the 2016 election is rapidly approaching and politicians Alcala and Pangilinan will before long be resigning their positions in order to be able to go back to the hustings.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

T U E S D AY : J U LY 14 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Bali tackles flight backlog DENPASAR—Indonesian authorities at Bali’s international airport were fighting Monday to clear a backlog after almost 900 flights were canceled or delayed in recent days due to a volcanic eruption, causing travel chaos during the peak holiday season.

Mount Raung on Indonesia’s main island of Java, which has been rumbling for weeks, sent an ash cloud floating over Bali on Thursday, forcing the airport to close for two days.

Thousands of tourists who were visiting the resort island famed for its palm-fringed beaches found themselves stuck at Ngurah Rai airport, near Bali’s capital Denpasar, anxiously watching departure boards, sitting and sleeping on the floor.

The airport closed again on Sunday as the

ash returned but reopened several hours later after authorities gave the all-clear.

Officials said the clouds of ash continued to drift away from Bali Monday, giving airport authorities a chance to clear the backlog, which they said would take about three days.

“We are doing this as quickly as possible as the ash could come back any time,” airport official Yulfiadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP. Between Thursday and Sunday, a total of 873 flights were canceled or delayed, Yulfiadi said.

Mexico Gaming community mourns hunting death of Nintendo executive escaped drug lord ALMOLOYA DE J UA R E Z — Me x i c a n security forces hunted early Monday for drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman as authorities investigated whether he had inside help to escape prison through a tunnel under his cell’s shower.

It was the second time in 14 years that Guzman, the head of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, managed to flee a maximum-security prison, dealing an embarrassing setback to President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Troops and police were deployed to find Guzman after he vanished late Saturday from the Altiplano prison, some 90 kilometers west of Mexico City, after just 17 months behind bars.

Prosecutors questioned some 30 prison employees of various ranks, including the warden, the attorney general’s office said, signaling suspicions of a possible inside job.

On a state visit to Paris, Pena Nieto said Guzman’s escape was “an affront to the state” and demanded an investigation into whether prison guards helped him.

Guzman was able to slip out even though surveillance cameras were trained on his cell.

After he never returned from the shower, guards found a hole 10 meters (33 feet) deep with a ladder in it, officials said.

The gap led to a 1.5-kilometer long tunnel with a ventilation and light system that was apparently dug with the help of a motorcycle mounted on a rail to transport tools and remove earth.

The tunnel led to a gray brick building on a hill surrounded by pastures in central Mexico State. AFP

TOKYO—Videogame enthusiasts and developers across the world paid tribute on social media Monday to Nintendo’s chief executive Satoru Iwata, mourning his death at the age of 55.

Many took to Twitter to express their sorrow after the Kyoto-based company announced his death from a rare tumor in his bile duct over the weekend.

“Absolutely devastated about news of Iwata San’s death. Nintendo fans the world over will miss him. #RIPIwata Arigato,” tweeted @illyadesigns, using the Japanese word for “thank you.”

“I’m in absolute shock this morning.

#RIPIwata,” said @ JamieTNumber1, a selfdescribed gamer.

Iwata announced his illness last year, and was absent from the June 2014 shareholders’ meeting, although he subsequently returned to his desk and continued his high-profile role.

A leading figure in the videogame industry, Iwata oversaw the success of Nintendo’s Wii games console and a surge in revenue before smartphone games started eating away at its success.

That eventually forced a rethink of Nintendo’s avowed position that it would never cannibalize its console business by letting its creations be used in smartphone and tablet gaming.

Reana@Reana5SOS tweeted an image of Mario—the mustachioed plumber of the eponymous franchise— in tears with the phrase “R.I.P. Satoru Iwata and Thank You.” “I’m at a loss upon hearing this immensely tragic news. Rest in peace, Satoru Iwata.

The worldwide gaming community mourns,” said Tyler Malka, owner of an online forum for gamers and game industry developers @ NeoGAF. “Oh my goodness, RIP Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo.

He gave me and millions of others countless hours of joy. Very very sad,” tweeted @andymientus. AFP

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID FOR THE CP01: GENERAL CONSTRUCTION WORKS OF MAIN MODULE (RE-BID) TUBBATAHA REEFS NATIONAL PARK RANGER STATION CAGAYANCILLO, PALAWAN 1.

The Provincial Government of Palawan, through the Tubbataha Management Office (Project Reference No. TMO 01-2015) intends to apply the sum of Forty Million Pesos Only (PhP 40,000,000.00) as Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the CP-01: General Construction Works of Main Module Tubbataha Reefs National Park Ranger Station. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The Provincial Government of Palawan now invites bids for the the CP-01: General Construction Works of Main Module Tubbataha Reefs National Park Ranger Station, Cagayancillo, Palawan.

Completion of the Works is required within one hundred twenty (120) calendar days at offshore. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4.

Prospective bidder should possess a valid PCAB License applicable to the contract, have completed a similar contract with a value of at least 50% of the ABC, and have key personnel and equipment (listed in eligibility forms) available for the prosecution of the contract. The BAC will use non - discretionary pass/fail criteria in the Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of the Bid. The BAC will conduct post -qualification of the lowest calculated bidder.

5.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Secretariat, Provincial Government of Palawan and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours. Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

6.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on July 14, 2015 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents, pursuant to the latest guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Pesos only (P 25,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Provincial Government of Palawan, provided that Bidders shall pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

7.

The PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF PALAWAN now calls for the submission of eligibility documents for the CP-01: General Construction Works of Main Module Tubbataha Reefs National Park Ranger Station. Interested bidders must submit their Class “A” eligibility documents on or before July 23, 2015 at the BAC SECRETARIAT, Provincial Government of Palawan, 3rd Floor Gov. Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Provincial Capitol Complex, Rizal Ave. cor. Fernandez St., Puerto Princesa City 5300. Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

8.

The Provincial Government of Palawan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 28, 2015 at 9:00 AM at the BAC Conference Room, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

9.

Bids must be delivered and received on or before 9:00 AM of August 11, 2015 at the Office of the BAC Secretariat, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid Securing Declaration or Bid Security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 27.

Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

INVITATION TO BID Name of the Project

: Retrofitting of the DOST Main Building (Phase II) and Rehabilitation of the Electrical System and Generator Set

Location of the Project :

Gen. Santos Ave., Bicutan, Taguig City

The Department of Science and Technology-Central Office, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites suppliers/contractors/service providers to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder project: Name of Project Location Brief description Approved Budget Contract (ABC) Contract Duration Bidding Activities:

for

the

1.

Issuance of Bid Documents

2.

3.

Pre-bid Conference Opening of Bids

Retrofitting of the DOST Main Building (Phase II) and Rehabilitation of the Electrical System and Generator Set Gen. Santos Ave., Bicutan, Taguig City, Metro Manila Civil works for Retrofitting (Phase II) of the DOST Main Building and rehabilitation of the electrical system and generator set

10.

All particulars relative to Eligibility and Technical Requirements Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR).

Bid Documents will be available only to prospective bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable amount of Php 25,000.00.

The Department of Science and Technology assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid.

Approved by: (Sgd) ATTY. OSWALDO C. SANTOS BAC Chairperson

Schedule of Activities: Activities

July 14 – August 3, 2015 (8:00 am – 5:00 pm) and August 4, 2015 (8:00 – 10:00 am) July 22, 2015 (10:00 am) August 4, 2015 (10:00 am)

Bidding is restricted to organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, as specified in Republic Act 5183 (R.A. 5183). Only bids from Bidders who pass the preliminary examination of the eligibility and technical components in the technical envelope will be opened. The process for the preliminary examination of bids is described in Section II of the Bidding Documents, ITB. The bidder with the lowest calculated bid (LCB) shall advance to the post-qualification stage in order to finally determine his responsiveness to the technical and financial requirements of the project. The contract shall then be awarded to the Lowest Calculated and Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who has been determined as such during the post-qualification procedure.

(TS-JULY 14, 2015)

Bid opening shall be at 9:00 AM of August 11, 2015 at BAC Conference Room, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders or the duly authorized representatives. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Php 27,000,000.00 11 months

Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last ten (10) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding. The Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Most airlines resumed flights Sunday evening after the airport reopened, but Australian carriers Virgin Australia and Jetstar decided to keep services to and from Bali on hold. Many Australians are stuck in Bali after spending the school break on the island.

Virgin Australia also canceled its flights to and from Bali Monday, saying their forecasters had warned that conditions were not suitable, while Jetstar resumed services during daylight hours. AFP

1.

Issuance of Bid Documents

2.

Submission of Eligibility Documents

3.

Shorlisting

4.

Pre-Bid Conference

PLACE Office of the BAC Secretariat, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound Office of the BAC Secretariat, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound BAC Conference Room, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound BAC Conference Room, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound Office of the BAC Secretariat, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound Office of the BAC Secretariat, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound

DATE & TIME July 14, 2015 July 23, 2015 July 24, 2015 at 9:00 AM July 28, 2015 at 9:00 AM July 31, 2015

5.

Deadline of Submission of Bid Querries

6.

Final issuance of Supplemental Bid Bulletins

7.

Deadline of Submission of Bids

BAC Conference Room, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound

On or before 9:00AM of August 11, 2015

8.

Opening of Bids

BAC Conference Room, 3/F Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Capitol Compound

August 11, 2015 at 9:00AM

9.

Bid Evaluation

August 4, 2015

August 12-17, 2015

Site Inspection. The Prospective Bidder is required to visit the site of the works and ascertain for himself the conditions, approaches and all matters and things which may affect his bid. Site Visit is scheduled on July 28-30, 2015. Details of the trip will be provided by the TMO. 11.

The acquired bidding documents, inclusive of other related procurement documents (ClassA,Technical, etc.) should be returned/ submitted in sealed envelope(s) by the bidders to the BAC before the scheduled time, date, and venue of the bid opening.

12.

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

13.

For further information, please refer to: MR. RICHIEROSS P. AUSTRIA Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee - II (BAC-II) Secretariat 3rd floor, Gov. Alfredo M. Abueg Sr. Building, Provincial Capitol Compound, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, 5300 zoetroupe32@gmail.com / www.palawan.gov.ph (048) 434-6389 ENGR. DENNIS F. ENRIQUEZ Project Manager, Rider Levett Bucknall Philippines, Inc. Building 3, Corazon Clemeña Compound, 54 Danny Floro St., Bagong Ilog, Pasig City, Philippines dennis.enriquez@ph.rlb.com / www.rlb.com (02) 234-0141 / 234-0129 / 571-3741 / 0917-8484948

(TS-JULY 14, 2015)

(SGD.) ATTY. TEODORO JOSE S. MATTA BAC-CHAIRMAN

T U E S D AY : J U LY 14 , 2 0 1 5

B8

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Jihadist woman executed in Emirates ABU DHABI—The UAE on Monday executed an Emirati woman convicted of the jihadistinspired murder of a US school teacher in an Abu Dhabi shopping mall, state media reported.

Alaa Bader al-Hashemi, 30, was executed at dawn after President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan approved the death sentence issued last month, the official WAM news agency said.

It cited prosecutors at the state security court but did not say how the execution was carried out.

Hashemi had been sentenced to death after being found guilty of stabbing to death Ibolya Ryan, 47, a mother of three, in a toilet of the shopping complex on December 1, 2014.

She was also convicted of placing a handmade pipe bomb outside an Egyptian-American doctor’s home in the UAE capital on the same day, although the device failed to explode.

Hashemi was found to have used an Internet account to spread information that was likely to “jeopardize” the United Arab Emirates, according to the verdict.

She also was found guilty of having sent funds to Al-Qaeda in Yemen, knowing that this money would be used for “terrorist acts.”

The ruling was made by the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi, which cannot be appealed but require the formal approval of the head of state in the UAE, where executions are rare.

Hashemi had been dubbed the “Reem Island Ghost” after the location of the mall where the stabbing of Ryan took place.

Tracked down using CCTV footage of her going into and out of the restroom where the murder occurred and near the doctor’s building, Hashemi was arrested 48 hours later.

She was dressed in black from head-to-toe as she carried out both attacks.

Hashemi was arrested at her home where her car was found with blood on the steering wheel and bomb-making materials inside. AFP

Sea of ice. This picture taken on June 8, 2015, shows the station of the famous little red railway train of Montenvers in front of “La mer de glace (sea of ice)” glacier in Chamonix Mont-Blanc, eastern France. The glacier is the longest one in France, with its 7km width and 200m depth, and is located on the northern slopes of the Mont Blanc massif. AFP

Nuclear deal with Iran said to be ‘very close’ VIENNA—Iran and the major powers will seek Monday to clinch a historic nuclear deal, with both sides saying an accord on ending a 13-year standoff lies tantalizingly within reach.

The talks, the latest set of which have dragged on for more than two weeks, aim to nail down an agreement curbing Iran’s nuclear activities to make it extremely difficult for Tehran to develop the atomic bomb, an aim the Islamic Republic denies.

There had been optimism that a deal would be clinched over the weekend, but finalizing a framework accord struck in April has proved difficult, with the talks stumbling on the exact timing of sanctions relief

and Iran’s desire to have a UN conventional arms embargo lifted.

“We have come a long way. We need to reach a peak and we’re very close,” President Hassan Rouhani said in Iran Sunday, quoted by the ISNA news agency on the 16th day of talks in Vienna.

“We are so close that if you look down from below you feel as if we have got there, but when you do get there you know there are still some steps to take.”

A German diplomatic source warned the talks “could yet fail.”

“But we really are nearly there.

The decisive moment has arrived. If Tehran is ready to take the final steps then things can go very quickly,” the source said late Sunday.

A senior US State Department official said Sunday that “major issues remain to be resolved” but Secretary of State John Kerry said

he was “hopeful.”

Such an accord, if it can be agreed, approved and implemented properly which is also no small challenge—would draw a line under 13 years of failed diplomacy and threats of military action.

In return, Iran will be granted staggered relief from painful sanctions, although the six powers—the so-called P5+1 of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China—insist on the option of reimposing the restrictions if Tehran breaches the agreement.

Foreign ministers from all seven countries were expected to be present in Vienna on Monday.

“I hope we are finally entering the final phase of these marathon negotiations. I believe it,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who cancelled a trip to Africa to stay at the talks, said Sunday.

The current diplomatic effort dates back to Rouhani’s coming to power in 2013.

He sought a rapprochement with the West and an end to his country’s diplomatic and economic isolation.

The prospect of a thawing of relations between Iran and the United States unsettles many in the Middle East, however, not least Tehran’s rivals Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies.

Israel, widely assumed to have nuclear weapons itself, is also deeply concerned, complaining that the proposed deal will fail to stop its arch foe getting the bomb.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov returned to the Austrian capital on Sunday, joining Kerry, Iran’s Mohammad Javad Zarif, Fabius, Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. AFP

Heineken opens brewery in Myanmar

Bomb attack. Afghan men watch the aftermath of a suicide car

bomb attack at Camp Chapman in Khost province on July 12. The death toll from a suicide attack at a military base in eastern Afghanistan rose to 33 on July 13, 2015, as the casualties from the Taliban’s insurgency continued to mount despite nascent peace talks. AFP

THE HAGUE—Dutch beer giant Heineken announced Monday it has opened a multi-million-dollar brewery in Myanmar, seeking to cash in on one of Asia’s highgrowth markets.

“Heineken has opened a 60-million-dollar (53-million euro) brewery in Myanmar, which has a total capacity of 330,000 hectoliters per year and which will directly employ more than 200 local people,” the company said in a statement issued from Amsterdam.

“The new brewery’s opening further expands Heineken’s exposure to high-growth markets.”

Myanmar is emerging from de-

cades of isolation as a former juntarun nation, and has one of the largest populations in southeast Asia with more than 53 million people.

Heineken, quoting Asian Development Bank figures, said the country was now undergoing rapid urbanization and a brisk expansion of its middle class consumer base.

Myanmar clocked up GDP growth of 7.7 percent for the 2014 year ending March this year, and was targeting a further increase of 8.3 percent in the coming fiscal year, Heineken said.

“These strong economics and demographics helped drive $8.01 billion in foreign direct investment

in 2015,” the company said.

The new brewery is located in the town of Hmawbi outside the capital Yangon, and will brew Heineken beer for the market’s premium segment as well as a new local brand called Regal Seven, a lager beer developed especially for the Myanmar market.

Valued at around 35 billion euros, Heineken is Europe’s largest and the world’s third-largest brewer after SABMiller and global number one InBev. Heineken produces and sells more than 200 brands of beer and cider, and employs nearly 70,000 people around the world. AFP

T U E S D AY : J U LY 14 : 2 0 1 5

TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

A RTS, CU LT U RE & T ECH

LIFE

C1

Thinking Man’s Classroom can be accessed on desktop, tablets, and mobile phones.

FOR THE THINKING MAN

BY TATUM ANCHETA

“S

ome cynic declares that five percent of people think, 10 percent think they think, while 85 percent would rather lie down and die than think.” – Woods Hutchinson So let’s assume we all fall under that tiny 15 percentage. What is it really – do we think about outside the confines of our work, life, and academe? Spoken word artist Kooky Tuason has just the right idea to broaden the way people think. Enter The Thinking Man’s Classroom (www. thinkingmansclassroom.com).

“It’s an online channel dedicated to reinvent education through creativity. I wanted to introduce an alternative form of learning. It is for creatives, thinkers, and students of life,” says Kooky. With the help of other artists and video direction from Clayshop Inc., she set up a portal where great minds can converge, engage, and reflect.

For roughly 30 minute per video, get a lowdown on different topics about life, art, principles, and things we don’t usually take up on normal television. It premiered its Season 1 last February 23, and they are now heading for Season 2. Kooky shares, “Because the traditional needs a bit of enlightenment to evolve with the times, I want to give everyone access to free education. Online is where everyone is.” After the first months of airing online, there is already a growing demand for more topics and more shows from their followers, with topic suggestions ranging from work and education. People ask for topics like – “Do we really need to work?” “How much does work take out of our lives and is it justified?” “Is there a conflict between education and schooling?” “Which works better – public, private, or home schooling?”

Right now, The Thinking Man’s Classroom has an ongoing five show series, namely, “For Word and By Word,” “Principals of Principle,” “Art Is,” “Random Fandom,” and “The Museum of Randomly Perfected Broken Bodies.”

Principals of Principle Season 1 cast: Alma Anonas-Carpio, Angel Jones, Kooky Tuason, Vince Dioquino, Kim Tengco, Niccolo Cosme, Nii Foronda and Thinking Man’s Classroom founder and director August Lyle Espino

“For Word and By Word” is a spoken and written word show hosted by Kooky herself.

“We feature poets, writers, musicians. We talk about how words make an impact on their lives.

How important it is. Sometimes we also feature musical performances,” Kooky explains. Some of the guests she has had on the show are HIV awareness advocate and film writer Wanggo Gallaga, writer Karen Kunawicz, singer Pow Chavez, and other spoken word artists LC de Leon, Louise Meets, and performer JayJay Lozano. “Soon we’ll also conduct performance poetry workshops and welcome storytellers on the program,” she adds.

“Principals of Principle,” a philosophy and “real” talk show hosted by six different personalities from different backgrounds – conceptual photographer Niccolo Cosme, journalist Alma Anonas-Carpio, singer and celebrity host Angel Jones, poet Vince Dioquino, lay pastoral Minister Kim Tengco, and teacher Nii Foronda. Imagine the banter among this group, which makes for an interesting 30-minute show. “Topics range from suicide to masturbation to procreation to rape to piracy to the education system, to work to coming out to recreational drugs to what are principles,” Kooky elaborates.

“Random Fandom” is your typical geek show but spiced up with Jon Sideno as host.

Jon is a sales executive, bar owner, a Star Trek and James Bond fanatic, as well as a member of the Philippine Garrison of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers suiting up as a Clonetrooper for charity events. The talk is about anything and everything geek, from movies, books, toys, and pop culture.

“Art Is” as the title suggests is the classroom’s art show. “We dig deep inside the brilliant minds of artists asking them unusual questions like ‘What have you found in the gray area?’

‘How would you disrupt the psyche of your finished product?’ ‘If your paintings could talk to each other, what will they talk about?’,” says Kooky. Recent guests of the show were photographer Mark Nicdao and celebrity KC Concepcion, poet and visual artist Maxine Syjuco, and painter Rovi Jesher Salegumba.

Lastly, “The Museum of Randomly Perfected Broken Bodies” – a dark storytelling show hosted by poet, writer, conceptual artist, and character actor Manu Respall.

Kooky explains, “It touches the horrors that lurk within one’s life.” Click on the first few episodes and get lured in a dark corner as Manu tells you of stories and tales spoken and written by the man himself.

“I want them to seek out the voice they have within which parts fit in their puzzled minds. Everyone has questions they’re not

Dennis Ruba (cameraman), Jon Sideno (host, Random Fandom), Joseph Jabol (sound), Marty Tengco (production manager and host, Principals of Principle Season 2), Manu Respall (host, The Museum of Randomly Perfected Broken Bodies), Kooky Tuason (host, For Word and By Word), August Lyle Espino (director, For Word and By Word)

Kooky Tuason, creator of Thinking Man’s Classroom

aware of. Before it gets asked, we want to be able to respond to that,” says Kooky. Aside from the regular Philippine viewers, their online viewership reaches US, Canada, Australia, and the UAE. Other topics that are in the works are special education, children with disabilities who have exceptional abilities, a dating show for geniuses in their respective fields, a teleserye for intellectuals, and a curriculum for a classroom setting.

So, have we got you thinking?

TUESDAY : J ULY 14 : 2015

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

ARTS AND CULTURE ROUNDUP What’s on in theaters and galleries this week THEATER PLAYS

AMPALAYA THE MUSICAL Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, CCP July 15

SIDDHARTA: THE MUSICAL Main Theater, CCP July 17

THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX 1701 The Little Room Upstairs, Landsdale Tower, Quezon City July 18 and 25

Based on the award winning children’s story Alamat ng Ampalaya (The Legend of Ampalaya), this musical celebrates Philippine culture through music, dances, games and values. It tells the story of the hairy, bland and colorless Ampalaya who wanders into the town of Sariwa, home to the most colorful, fragrant and nutritious vegetables. Envy creeps into Ampalaya’s core so she devises a plan to get their positive characteristics.

For the first time, Silliman University Cultural Affairs Committee, Dumaguete City’s unofficial cultural arm, brings to Manila “Ampalaya The Musical” following its successful runs held at Luce Auditorium. The play is directed by Dessa Quesada Palm of the Philippine Educational Theater Association, with musical direction by Dr. Elizabeth Susan Vista-Suarez and choreography by Angelo Sayson.

Based on the book The Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, this production tells the story of Siddharta, the prince who renounces his royal status to seek enlightenment and eventually becomes the Buddha.

After “Siddharta: The Musical’s” 55 runs in the United States, Taiwan and in different parts of the country, Fo Guang Shan Philippines in cooperation with the Buddha’s Light International Association will re-stage the musical for Manila audiences. All proceeds of the show will benefit the financiallychallenged scholars in the fields of Performing Arts and Buddhist Studies of Guang Ming College based in Manila.

The production is directed by Sarah Mae Enclona-Henderson with musical direction by Jude Gitamondoc.

Starring two strangers exploring the diverse viewpoints regarding the intricacies of a human being, this play tackles the man-and-woman relationship dynamics and the fundamentals of cultural imprinting through a game that they play while waiting for the buses that will take them to their destinations.

Artist Playground and Talent Factory’s first season opener, “The Riddle of the Sphinx,” which runs on July 18 and 25 (the first show was on July 11), is directed by Paul Jake Paule, with artistic direction by Roeder Camanag and choreography

by Merdin Mojica.

WORKSHOPS

EXHIBITS

CONCERTS

THE RUSH HOUR CONCERTS: HEART, STRINGS G/F Lobby, Ayala Museum, Makati July 15

BASIC OIL PAINTING WORKSHOP (with Robert Besana) Ayala Museum, Makati City July 19, 26 and August 2

In a passion-themed musical evening, visiting BelgianGreek conductor Thanos Adamopoulos leads the Manila Symphony Orchestra in a stirring rendition of Arnold Schoenberg’s “Transfigured Night” (Verklärte Nacht).

This composition, written in a highly romantic style about lovers facing a deep predicament, features a rich chromaticism evoking the strong, undulating stream of emotions in the story. Meanwhile, romantic classic and OPM favorites are courtesy of Juilliard-trained violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr.

Learn how to correctly draw human figures (torso and head only) and render the image with life-like colors using oil painting under the tutelage of multi-awarded visual artist and art educator Robert Besana. Topics to be covered will include the use of oil paint and other materials, choosing colors, basic techniques, and techniques of different artists.

Slots are provided only for those who have sufficient drawing skills and have attended other basic drawing classes, those who have formal/informal art education background, and those who have had basic knowledge of and handled oil paint before.

Tickets are now on sale at the Ayala Museum. For inquiries, dial 759-8288 or email concerts@ayalamuseum.org

For inquiries, dial 759-8288 or email education@ayalamuseum.org

FÉLIX LAUREANO: FIRST FILIPINO PHOTOGRAPHER 2/F Ayala Museum, Makati July 18 to August 2 Take a peek at Félix Laureano’s memories of his Motherland while working for newspapers in Spain.

Through his portraiture, landscape, documentary, press photography and book, this Panay-born photographer encapsulated the life in the Philippines and of Filipinos during the 19th century.

TUESDAY : J ULY 14 : 2015

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

JOLLI FUN WITH NEWSEUM

A

Fish Harvest at Dawn by Anita Magsaysay-Ho

Record-breaking P52 million for Anita Magsaysay-Ho masterpiece

A

nita Magsaysay-Ho’s painting “Fish Harvest at Dawn” broke the record when it sold for P52 million during Leon Gallery’s Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2015 – the highest amount ever paid for a classic masterpiece.

Also on the spotlight during the recent auction were the celebrated collection of Joe and Nene Guevara, including the works of Filipino masters Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Ang Kiukok and Vicente Manansala, to name a few.

Guests also viewed some of the most treasured antiques such as Solomon Saprid’s sculptured work “Mother and Child” (1973) and a late 17th or early 18th century large ivory figure of the Virgin and Child.

Another highlight of the event is the deskand-chair pair by the most remarkable Filipino furniture maker of the 19th century, Isabelo

visit to a museum never fails to bring out the child in every visitor, with paintings by masters such as Juan Luna at the Lopez Museum and Library, artifacts that give a glimpse of our rich colonial past, or contemporary art pieces that are showcased at the Ayala Museum.

Leading fastfood chain Jollibee makes art appreciation even more fun and accessible as it collaborates with the Museum Foundation of the Philippines by facilitating free museum visits and providing Filipino-themed activity sheets that kids can color. Dubbed as Newseum, the collaboration kicks off this August and will enable Jollibee Kids Party celebrants in participating stores to visit nearby museums for free. Jollibee Kids Party guests can also discover the world of master Filipino artists Arturo Luz, Fernando Zobel, Mauro “Malang” Santos, Peter de Guzman and Sharry Bobadilla through coloring their respective masterpieces featured in special activity sheets.

These activity sheets can be used as entrance coupons to partner museums, namely the Art Collection of Far Eastern University Manila, Ateneo Art Gallery, Ayala Museum, Lopez Museum and Library, and the Museo Pambata. Some museums even have special activities

prepared for the kids. Submitted activity sheets will also serve as the kids’ entries to the special raffle where a Jollibee Kids Party gift certificate worth P6,000 will be given.

“Art is key to child development. We want art and cultural awareness to be inclusive – to be accessible to everyone,” said Museum Foundation board member Weng Domingo who conceptualized the project.

“Jollibee’s thrust is to help and promote the holistic development of children, and one aspect of this development is through arts and culture appreciation. That’s why we welcome this partnership with MFPI as we want to start the habit early on among Filipino kids,” remarked Jollibee vice president for Marketing Harvey Ong. MFPI is a non-government organization composed of advocates and benefactors of the arts. The group is also responsible for unique art-filled events that include Art in the Park and MaArte Design Fair. Jollibee, meanwhile, has been pioneering various kids programs that promote multiple intelligence including the Jollibee Kids Club talent camp activity and year-long workshops.

For the list of participating Jollibee outlets, check MFPI’s website, www. museumfoundationph.org. For more information, contact Museum Foundation of the Philippines at (+632) 6979509 or 404-2685 or email inquiry@ museumfoundationph.org.

Tampinco. Currently, these are the only pieces signed by the creator to be auctioned.

“We are propelled by the truism that an auction house is only as good as the treasures it can offer. It is to this truth that Leon Gallery is committed, since [the time we held] our first auction in 2013 to this 2015 mid-year event,” said Leon Gallery director Jaime Ponce de Leon.

Attending the spectacular mid-year auction were some of the art world’s movers and shakers, luminaries, treasured clients and friends of Leon Gallery. Gracing the auction’s preview are society photographer Alex Van Hagen, Silvana Diaz, Tim Yap and Richard Gomez.

To see more of Leon Gallery’s stunning collections, visit G/F, Eurovilla 1, Rufino corner Legazpi Streets, Legazpi Village, Makati City. For more details, visit www.leon-gallery.com.

Kids can discover the world of master Filipino artists through the Newseum activity and coloring sheets

PETA OPENS SECOND THEATER ARTS CLASS

Immerse in the artistic experiences and creative pursuits of theater acting and production from PETA's seasoned artist-teachers.

Seasoned Philippine Educational Theater Association artistteachers will be handling the theater group’s Workshop Weekends to accommodate more adults and professionals who want to immerse themselves in artistic experiences and creative pursuits.

Learn about fundamental knowledge, skills, and attitudes in theater acting, dramatic improvisation, and theater production craft under the course Theater Arts. This course features PETA’s time-tested Integrated Theater Arts approach, which combines five different disciplines in theater – creative drama, body movement and dance, creative sound and music, creative writing and visual arts. This course is

suited for theater enthusiasts as well as first-timers with little to no experience, looking for new and creative ways of spending the weekends.

Classes run from July 25 to September 6, every Saturday and certain Sundays, from 4pm to 10pm at the PETA Theater Center Studios. Workshop Weekends also features courses on Basic Acting, and Creative Musical Theater.

First 10 enrollees for this new class get 10 percent off the course fee. For more information on the workshops, contact Tina Sablayan at 09053696003 or contact PETA at 7256244 or email at petatheater@ gmail.com PETA is located at No. 5, Eymard Drive, New Manila, QC.

T U E S D AY : J U LY 14 : 2 0 1 5

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

T EC H TA L K

TOP 10 GADGETS I WANT NOW

BY ELI GONZALEZ

All photos taken from manufacturer websites.

A couple of days ago, some officemates and I were talking about all the cool gadgets or tech we all want. Some were totally useful, some highly impractical but we want anyway because – why the hell not? With that, here are some that came up that I think would be great to have now. This is in no particular order.

1. DxO ONE I’ve always wanted a DSLR camera but

I don’t like carrying too much when I travel. With the DxO ONE, you can turn your iPhone into a DSLR with a bright f1.8 aperture lens, 20.2 megapixels, and a 1-inch sensor. It can also capture RAW files for future editing.

Check out their website for sample photos.

2. Juno Power JUMPR Power Bank Smartphone

batteries today don’t last long so power banks are very popular. However, most of them just charge your phone, which to me limits their potential. So imagine the smile on my face when I saw the Juno Power JUMPR – a power bank that can even jumpstart your car. If you drive long distances all the time, this product is a must.

3. HP Sprout This is an all-in-one computer and 3D

printer for the everyday consumer. Sounds pretty boring but what makes it amazing is that it also has a built-in 3D camera that can scan physical objects for you to digitize and manipulate. It just makes work faster for designers.

One thing’s for sure, I am going to scan my face and creep the hell out of my friends when I get my hands on one.

4. Thuraya SatSleeve Find yourself in a beautiful

place you’d like to share online but there’s no cellular signal? No problem! The SatSleeve gives you access to phone calls, emails, instant messages and popular social media apps in satellite mode. It can work across 161 countries across Thuraya’s coverage network. Now you can upload your selfie and wait for “Likes” instead of being immersed in the beauty of the place! Oh, and it’s great for possible emergencies, too.

5. Sony VPL-GTZ1 Projector Projectors are

awesome but it sucks when some idiot walks by and casts his shadow and ruins everyone’s viewing experience. Not with this one. You can place it seven inches away from the wall and still get glorious 147 inches of 4k-quality images. It uses a laser phosphor light source which makes the picture bright and high-quality enough to be seen in bright conditions.

6. Parrot Bebop Drone Personally, I have no

practical application for a drone except for flying one out of my car so I can check the traffic situation myself. With the Parrot Bebop and SkyController, you can extend the drone’s range up to two kilometers and really see what’s causing the traffic along EDSA.

@LIFEatStandard

The Evolution of Messaging There was nothing instant about clunky desktop computers and 56kbps dial-up modems from the early 2000s, when the first wave of messaging services swarmed the Internet. It can be argued that the “instant” in instant messaging only became fully realized in recent years when smartphones and data connections became ubiquitous.

In the age of WeChat, Viber, Whatsapp and Line, the way we message one another is a lot different from when we THE GIST only had Yahoo Messenger, IRC and the private message

BY ED BIADO function of Friendster and MySpace. Because chatting has gone mobile and on-the-go, it’s now part of our lives every waking hour and not its own activity as it was back then.

Just how much has the way we communicate via messengers changed over the past decade or so? Here are our observations:

THEN Desktop browsers and programs.

A CPU, keyboard, monitor, modem and webcam.

At home and at Internet cafes for an average of two hours.

Anyone who’s online and willing to talk to us.

(Also known as strangers from the opposite side of the world.)

7. Elgato EVE Energy I tend to forget switching off

Anything under the sun. We would really try to get to know people we haven’t met, which may or may not result in an Internet relationship.

8. Leap Motion Controller Wouldn’t it be great to

On IM: Complete sentences. Some acronyms. Characterbased emoticons.

On PM: Fully formed letters with intros, bodies and ends.

my lamps or computer at home so with the Elgato EVE Energy socket, I can switch them off using my smartphone.

It works like a regular wall socket but gives data such as your energy consumption. This is great so you can identify the most energy-sucking devices you own and have more control over your electricity bill. just lie back and control your computer with a few hand gestures? You can now with the Leap Motion controller!

It’s a device you plug via USB and detects even the slightest finger movement. It can track both hands and all 10 fingers, allowing you to play, create, and explore your computer without touching anything. Perfect for lazy guys like me.

9. RocketSkates I like to skateboard along the

metro but I do hate the fact that I have to get off them to climb up and down the stairs. Yes, I am that lazy. With the RocketSkates, I can simply switch my stance to turn stairs into my slave and zoom off to wherever I want.

The high-end model has a 10-mile range and continues for 90 minutes. It can carry a person weighing up to 275 pounds and has a max speed of 12mph.

10. Philips Hue Lightbulbs A good lighting system

sets the mood of your home and with the Philips Hue, you can instantly change the color of your lights with your smartphone. There’s even an app that uses your smartphone’s camera to match the color projected in your TV screen for total immersion.

So, which ones do you want?

On IM: Seconds.

Minutes, tops.

On PM: Days, sometimes weeks. And we’re also expecting the replies to be as meaty as our original message.

Ping, buzz, poke and slap each other around with a large trout.

Proper goodbyes and TTYLs.

NOW We use...

Mobile apps.

We need...

A smartphone.

We go online...

With Wi-Fi zones and anywhere there’s data connection 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We message with...

Family and friends.

We chat about...

Regular day-to-day stuff. Gossip.

Schedules.

Dinner plans.

Anything trivial.

Memetic and viral events.

We write...

Blurbs. Phrases.

Memes. Pictures and GIFs. Voice memos. Short videos. Emoji.

Acronyms.

We wait for a reply for...

Seconds.

Minutes, tops.

We get hurt if we don’t get a response within exactly 3.8 minutes.

We can...

We end conversations with...

Geo-locate and get seenzoned.

Oh, who says convos today ever end?

T UES DAY : J ULY 14 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Thai actress Paula Taylor was once Plains & Prints' brand ambassador

Showbiz and STyle’S moST glam

T

Liz Uy was also the brand's pitcher

Gretchen Barretto, brand ambassador in 2002

Some of the brand's latest as modelled by current endorser Anne Curtis

here is so much more to the ladies of Plains & Prints than their pretty faces. This did not escape Roxanne Farillas when she signed up showbiz and style’s most glam to pitch for the brand in its 20 years in the business.

“We do not only choose who is popular or who is beautiful. The Plains & Prints woman throughout our 20 years is someone who excels in her field, who is top of mind in her endeavours, someone who embodies what the brand is all about – classic, timeless, yet fun and fashionable,’’ Farillas describes.

For instance, actress Gretchen Barretto was Plains & Prints’ first celebrity endorser in 2002. Known as an actress who both fascinates and intrigues her fans, Barretto is also known for her sensible dressing. A natural beauty, little was needed for Gretchen to stand out and this all reflected in the clean, minimalist yet very feminine collection she modeled.

Beauty and brains Celine Lopez was both designer and model for the brand. This globe-trotting fashionista, fashion editor, author, designer, and so much more designed Plains & Prints Denim Collection in 2008. “I think blue jeans and the white button down shirt combo is a most iconic look. It’s just effortlessly sexy,” Celine shares.

Plains & Prints also tapped the endorsement power of Thailand superstar Paula Taylor because she simply fit the bill - beautiful, energetic, and talented and she embodied the spring/summer 2012 collection perfectly as it was colourful and diverse with designs.

“Plains & Prints reflects my style exactly — classic pieces with a chic feminine twist. I love that their clothes are so easy to wear. I don’t

necessarily have to accessorize so much because they already speak for themselves,” Taylor said.

With a keen eye for detail and a pretty face, Liz Uy also joined the Plains & Prints roster of endorsers, not because she was stylish (that is a given for someone with her job), but also because she is at the top of her game, being a celebrity stylist.

“The most memorable moment I had with Plains & Prints was the day they asked me to be their endorser. It was a surprise because I didn’t know if it was true. Not every stylist gets the chance to be an image model so I’m really grateful to be given the opportunity,” Uy gushes. “Plains & Prints helped me grow as a stylist and as a person. I learned how to reach out and help other people . It’s really a blessing. It’s actually one of the few brands that I’ve styled that I’ve been loyal to and is loyal to me.”

Today, the face of Plains & Prints is actress/ TV host/ concert star Anne Curtis - and it has been a fruitful relationship going on its fourth year.

“It has helped me evolve in the way I dress, from someone who just wants to have fun to being more lady-like.

I’m still able to mix and match to make it my style,” Anne shares. For Anne, having to wear beautiful pieces that are locally made and being able to share that with all her followers through her Instagram OOTds is one of the most fulfilling experiences she has working with Plains & Prints.

On its 20th year, Plains and Prints continues to flourish with these showbiz and style royalties, exhibiting what is yet to come for the brand at a show set on July 23, 6 p.m., at the Glorietta Mall in Makati. To be showcased is a special collection that carries the wonderful photos of Marc Nicdao and Wig Tysmans, achieved through modern digital printing.

‘AmpAlAyA The musiCAl’ AT CCp

T

he Silliman University through its Cultural Affairs Committee, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, brings to Manila audiences for the first time an original new musical billed as Ampalaya The Musical on July 15, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m, at the CCP Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater).

Ampalaya is a musical theatrical performance, which celebrates Philippine culture through music, dances, games and values. It explores issues like the ugliness of envy and greed and what it does to people, and embracing and nurturing one’s gifts and strengths.

This is achieved through catchy melodies, colorful costumes and animation, which are sure to delight all audiences and take them back to a happy journey revisiting their childhood days. It is based on the award winning children’s story Alamat ng Ampalaya (The Legend of Ampalaya) by Augie Rivera, Jr. with original music by renowned

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New York-based guitar virtuoso Maestro Michael Dadap. The Orchestra Sin Arco (Orchestra of Plucked Instruments) performs under the baton of Dadap. The play is directed by Dessa Quesada-Palm of the Philippine Educational Theater Association, with musical direction by Dr. Elizabeth Susan Vista-Suarez and choreography by Angelo Sayson. The musical features many of Dumaguete’s local thespians and singers.

The musical began as a short play, which debuted in 2000 in Boston. The full-length version debuted on Sept.19, 2014 at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium in Silliman University. Ampalaya had its recent Dumaguete run at the Luce Auditorium on July 3 to 6.

Tickets are now available at the CCP Box Office, Ticketworld.

For more information, contact the Silliman University at (035) 422-4365 (landline), 0917-3235953 (mobile), or email (cac@su.edu.ph or silliman.cac@gmail.com).

Elizabeth Susan Vista-Suarez, Ampalaya's musical director

Dessa Quesada-Palm, Amplaya's director

T UES DAY : J ULY 14 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Alice Dixson is still beautiful, thanks to Nice Day coffee

SKYCable’S moSt affordable plan

T ALICE DIxSOn’S nICE DAy

by RObbIE PAngILInAn

I

s it a new passion? A new lover, perhaps?

“No, no, no,” smiles the talented and beautiful Alice Dixson who became a household name because of her “I Can Feel It” TV ad.

“It’s actually my new coffee,” she reveals.

How can coffee make her days nicer?

“Well, it has helped me lose some weight as it detoxifies my body. I sleep more soundly and maintain my complexion with the help of the coffee I drink,” says the 1998 Manila Film Festival Best Actress.

Alice is talking about Nice Day Coffee and its variants – White, Slim, and Cleanse. Nice Day Coffee White contains glutathione, collagen and sucralose. The famous glutathione not only whitens skin, but also detoxifies harmful compounds so that they can be removed from the body and has an anti-aging effect.

The unique ingredient of Nice Day Coffee Slim, on the other hand, is sucralose, an artificial sweetener produced in a lab that is made from sugar but is not recognized by the body as a carbohydrate and so has zero calories compared to sucrose or table sugar, which contributes 16 calories per teaspoon. Sucralose is about 600 times sweeter than sucrose. Sucralose also does not cause dental problems. Sucralose is safe

for use even by children, pregnant and nursing women, and people with diabetes.

Nice Day Coffee Cleanse is a package full of goodies for your health. It has ganoderma, grape seed, goji berry, cranberry, sylimarin, spirulina, and coconut sugar. Ganoderma is a bitter and hard mushroom used in Chinese traditional medicine for longevity and health. Ganoderma is rich in antioxidants that strengthen the immune system, helping control high blood pressure, strengthen the liver, aids in better respiratory and circulatory system and less lung problems.

Grape seed extract is beneficial for cardiovascular conditions such as poor circulation and high cholesterol, reduces swelling caused by injury and helps with eye disease related to diabetes.

Goji berry, the “Superfruit,” is rich in anti-aging properties that preserves vision and mental well-being. It treats many health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and fever. Cranberries, on the other hand, are high in vitamin C, have antioxidant and antibacterial effects in the body, and help maintain a healthy urinary tract. Cranberries can inhibit the development of breast and colon cancers and is also found to re-

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 45 46 47 50 53 54 58 62 63 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 “Puppy Love” singer 5 Mirror ball milieu 10 Summer-camp site 14 Give a little 15 Sky hunter 16 QB — Kramer 17 Kuwaiti leader 18 Fixes leftovers 19 Shade of green 20 Liquid cosmetic 22 Deplores

24 25 26 30 35 36 37 38 41 43 44

— chance Pinch Wrecker (2 wds.)

Bottled spirits?

Vocalist — Sumac Beluga delicacy PC screen images Gandhi and Nehru Goes with Brother’s girl Homer Simpson’s outburst

Play about Capote Some are inert Kind of hare Depose Suffix for forfeit Cousteau’s ship Wildcats Hula-dance feast Pistol-packing Tijuana Ms. Olfactory stimulation Formation fliers Accrue interest Main point Goof Changed color

DOWN 1 Explorer — Tasman 2 “Nautilus” skipper 3 Make a sweater 4 Free-floating 5 Wall Street woe 6 Retiree’s kitty 7 Polite word 8 Dance band 9 First sign 10 Late-night Jay 11 Diva’s rendition 12 Brick baker 13 Is more than thrifty

duce the bacteria associated with peptic stomach ulcers.

Silymarin and spirulina are two other ingredients that make Coffee Cleanse unique. Silymarin is a powerful antioxidant said to protect liver cells from toxins. Sylimarin promotes liver cell protein synthesis and decreases the oxidation of glutathione, and also has anti-cancer properties. Spirulina is a microalgae turned “superfood” with natural detoxifying functions and immune boosting nutrients.

It has anti-inflammatory properties, contains Omega 3-,6, 9s and -3s. Also extremely high in chlorophyll, it removes toxins from the blood and boosts the immune system. Spirulina has a very high concentration of bio-available iron and is excellent during pregnancy and for those with anemia and will not cause constipation. It contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 , B9 , vitamin C, D, A and E. Coconut sugar is rich in potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, vitamin B1, B2, B3, and B6. When compared to brown sugar, coconut sugar has 36 times the iron, four times the magnesium, and over 10 times the amount of zinc.

No wonder Alice’s days are nicer, now that she drinks Nice Day Coffee every day. Be healthier, more beautiful, and happier like Alice.

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2015

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Dinghy’s need Hocus-pocus Mamie’s man Binding “— vincit amor” Crosses the creek IBM and GE Kind of system Up, on a map Opening remarks Gush forth Clinch a deal “The Fox and the Grapes” fabulist Long, long time Take upon oneself Summer hrs.

Dryly humorous Picked up on Custom More achy Drain problem BMW rival Vietnam neighbor Mongol dwelling Fracture finder (hyph.)

Raison d’ — Glass ingredient Mal de — That, in Madrid

V viewers of all ages are guaranteed to find the shows and movies they love on the newest cable TV plan from the biggest and leading digital cable TV provider, SKYcable.

Now celebrating its 25th year, SKYcable launches Dual Def 299, with a great combination of standard definition and HD channels that everyone in the family will surely enjoy.

Catch up with the latest basketball games and updates on BTV. Stay up-to-date with the latest news on ANC. Unwind with the music on MYX and the home-themed shows on the Lifestyle Network. Kids, teens, and the young-at-heart have Nick and Toonami for their zany cartoon fix. Cartoon Network HD and Disney Channel HD are the entertainment powerhouse for animations and kidie shows broadcast in vibrant high definition. Rounding out the international channel lineup geared towards the youth is National Geographic HD. With its educational series that’s sure to enrich the lives of those eager to learn more about the world, everyone is guaranteed to benefit more from their TV viewing.

Movie fans will love SKYcable’s film channel lineup. Viewers searching for local blockbusters will enjoy tuning in to PBO and Cinema One. Those looking forward to experiencing western and Asian movies dubbed in Tagalog can watch the most dramatic stories on TMC. Dedicated fans of the best US original programming and movies have HBO HD, where fans can enjoy award-winning shows and hits in high definition.

And if these channels aren’t enough, SKYcable now pro-

vides special access to iWantTV – the only place on the web where fans can catch-up with their favorite local and international programming.

Every Filipino family can now watch these great channels and more with the most affordable SKYcable plan yet. Featuring five HD channels and 35 digital channels in standard definition (SD) for subscribers in Metro Manila, CAMANAVA, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, and Bulacan (while those in other areas will enjoy 30 or more standard definition channels and 3 in HD), SKYcable Dual Def 299 is shaping up to be the go-to plan for families searching for high quality TV entertainment with the best value for money.

Now everyone can enjoy the best programming available without worrying about budget since the plan is only P299 per month or only P10 per day.

And subscribers can always add more channels via Select.

For as low as an additional P20/ month, new channels or entire channel packs can be added – creating the most affordable and most personal digital cable TV viewing experience.

For subscription inquiries and the complete roster of Dual Def 299 channels, log on to www. mysky.com.ph or call 02-3810000 (Metro Manila, CAMANAVA, and Rizal), 046-4844701 (Cavite), 049-534-1555 (Calamba and Binan, Laguna), 02-520-8560 (San Pedro, Laguna), 044-693-5877 (Bulacan,) 032-421-1818 (Cebu,) 082-305-5456 (Davao), 074442-4841 (Baguio), 034-432 0051 (Bacolod), 033-300-1210 (Iloilo), 035-225-1010 (Dumaguete), and 083-301-3134 (General Santos).

T UES DAY : J ULY 14 : 2015

C7

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Gary V is the face of PureGold Pure Padala, a new remittance service

Gary v Pitches PurePaDala

P

from c8

uregold Priceclub Inc. welcomes Gary Valenciano to its growing family as the official ambassador of PurePadala.

Puregold’s PurePadala is an innovative and groundbreaking new remittance service for Filipinos residing or working abroad and their families in the Philippines.

With PurePadala, the money that every OFW remits goes directly to the basic and most important necessities of their families: food, tuition and utilities, loan payments, and even as start up capital for a sari-sari store business, among many others.

OFWs now have a viable option to send money through PurePadala as powered by Globe GCash. OFWs decide the allocation of the money they will send to their families. Families will receive a text message containing the breakdown of the money they will get, and redeem at Puregold what is allocated for them.

Pure Padala ensures that the money OFWs and immigrants send to their families will not be wasted. Puregold’s PurePadala will help OFWs in making sure that all their sacrifices are worth it, one sure transaction at a time.

Gary Valenciano was unanimously chosen by Puregold to represent PurePadala.

He recorded “Makakarating,” which he produced and arranged.

It comes with a music video directed by Jofre Nachora. The jingle by Betsy Baking and music by Tito Cayamanda will make the rounds of radio and TV stations.

“I feel so favored and blessed now that I am part of Puregold’s growing family,” says Valenciano. “I am proud to represent PurePadala as it honors the hard work and sacrifices of every Filipino working abroad with the hope of providing their families a better life.”

Puregold Price Club Inc. President Vincent Co on the other hand, is equally happy and ecstatic now that PurePadala is finally a reality and that Gary agreed to endorse it.

“The long wait is finally over and I am very happy now that PurePadala is here to serve our hard-working OFWs and their families. I can only imagine the hardships that every OFW is going through everyday as they work, away from their families and loved ones in their desire to give them a bright future. We at Puregold sincerely hope that PurePadala delivers each family’s needs conveniently. We are also very happy to welcome Gary as our newest Kapamilya. Gary has inspired countless Filipinos in the span of his amazing career and our partnership with him is truly an honor.”

HHHHH Dina Bonnevie in GMa’s Beautiful stranGers She is back.

Dina Bonnevie finds her role in GMA Network’s upcoming primetime series Beautiful Strangers a challenging one.

Dina, who is back as a Kapuso, plays the role of Alejandra Castillo, wife of Ronaldo (Christopher de Leon) and a doting mother to Lawrence (Benjamin Alves). Alejandra is a strong woman in the outside, but weak in the inside.

“I don’t want to do the typical kontrabida na pasigaw-sigaw na nagtataray. I’m trying a different attack now. No loud voices. Parang meek as a lamb. Parang for me, I always make what I do my truth. Every scene I do, iyon ang truth in Alejandra. If you make every scene your own truth which is not the truth the audience knows, then you are not the typical kontrabida, we are gonna make it a little different. Alejandra is just fighting what is hers,” explained Bonnevie in an interview.

Aside from being reunited with Heart Evangelista, she also revealed that she really wanted to work with Lovi Poe that’s why she accepted this project.

“I really wanted to work with Lovi Poe because I haven’t worked with her. I like her. Nagagandahan ako sa kanya. She is dusky, has olive skin na really beautiful, doe eyes. Ang ganda ganda ng mata niya. And I really wanted to reunite with Heart.”

HOOQ leads tHe way in premium videO

a

sian startup is now PH’s biggest paid video provider after it was launched four months ago with over 30,000 hours of content.

HOOQ, Asia’s largest entertainment library, solidifies its position as the Philippines’ no.1 online entertainment service for movies and TV shows, with the announcement of new titiles to its fast-growing content library.

In March, HOOQ opened its doors commercially through its telecom partner Globe, with an already extensive collection of movies and TV shows from Warner Bros. Television and Sony Pictures Entertainment, as well as local studios ABS-CBN, Regal Entertainment, Viva Communications and GMA. Just recently, HOOQ inked deals with Disney, DreamWorks Classic Media, and Miramax, providing HOOQ subscribers first access to additional premium movie content Furthermore, indie film followers will be able to watch award-winning films such as Metro Manila from another new content partners, Quantum Films Inc. and Captive Media.

“We want to give our subscribers the best entertainment experience possible, so we are continuously expanding our media library to cater to the different tastes and interests of Filipinos. At 30,000 hours of content, we are 2.5x bigger than our nearest competitor,” said Jane Cruz-Walker, HOOQ country

manager for the Philippines.

Every Filipino can get HOOQ’d on a trial-basis for 30 days or more. HOOQ is currently available to Globe subscribers through various plans and promos. GoSurf subscribers with a minimum Plan 299, for example, will get a three-month bundled HOOQ subscription. Tattoo broadband customers, on the other hand, will likewise enjoy access to HOOQ’s extensive content library through a bundled promotion with their plans.

Now, HOOQ is also reaching out and giving trial access to more Filipinos who simply have to sign-up at www.HOOQ.tv.

New HOOQ subscribers can easily enjoy a 30-day pass upon registration. This makes HOOQ the only paid video service provider in the country with the widest and longest period of trial access to the largest library of movies and TV shows!

“We want to share more stories with more Filipinos. By offering more options for them to get HOOQ and by expanding our payment terms, every Filipino has the chance to HOOQ up and access an unlimited world of entertainment,” Peter Bithos, HOOQ CEO said.

“All you need is internet connection on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or personal computer and you can easily enjoy streaming videos on HOOQ. And just in case you are offline, HOOQ is the only local service that allows you to download up to five videos at a time.”

Guests at the party hosted by HOOQ, an entertainment website available to Globe subscribers

T UES DAY : J ULY 14 : 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Philanthropist Al Chu (center) with dancers of a folk-dance group of a local university

TaCloban rises from The rubble ISAH V. RED If there’s one city that represents resiliency it is Tacloban.

Recently, after Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) nearly erased the city from the face of the earth, it celebrated the city’s resiliency and will to move on.

One and a half years after that terrible November morning, Leyte’s capital city is alive and kicking, so to speak.

Former actress Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez who has been the city’s most popular member of the city council has been talking about how Tacloban has finally risen from the rubbles of Yolanda. Her husband, Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez can only smile in agreement.

The couple led Taclobanons in celebrating the 2015 Sangyaw (meaning “to announce”) Festival specially themed “Resilient Tacloban” and highlighted by the Parade of Lights on June 29.

The parade showcased floats with elaborate designs floats and while participants dance to the Sangyaw beat. Surprisingly, the dances were inventive with imaginative choreography making Taclobanons and people from neighboring towns and provinces gawk all through the parade.

The parade obliterated immediate post-Yolanda images of downtown Tacloban.

“You can now feel the people’s psyche, and that is to move on, move forward and leave what’s already behind us. Na-no-normalize na ang outlook ng mga

tao,” said the actress-turned-public servant. Her own experience during the typhoon was horrifying and she had to have her kids debriefed by a psychiatrist.

Also seen joining in the parade were TV personality Regine Tolentino and the winners of Miss Tacloban 2015; that same evening the Ely Buendia-led Pupil was the featured Smart Night artist at the Balyuan Grounds — one of the key spots where partying Taclobanons gathered as if to send the message that the city is reborn, scarred but undaunted.

The festival actually began on May 30, with popular bands coming to town with inspiring performances at the Balyuan Grounds.

They were Parokya Ni Edgar, True Faith, Wolfgang, Aegis, Rocksteddy, Razorback, Cueshe, and Greyhoundz.

Mayor Romualdez, cousin to former First Lady Imelda Marcos, hosted a luncheon for entertainment media at Patio de Victoria where he presented a band composed of young, talented Yolanda survivors, which he manages as well. He shared his thoughts at some length and hinted at the possibility of taking a breather from politics after the end of his current — and last — term.

He related, “The mindset of the people here has changed dramatically. We now avoid taking risks and see the value of family all the more. Being resilient is being steadfast and strong. Since we all went through the same thing, my job is to give them hope and sense of purpose as to why we survived.”

Alfred, who has long happily embraced the role of father of Tacloban, assured that whether or not he takes a break, his plans for his beloved city will remain active.

He’s pushing for the idea of giving

Local beauties walk the streets under the shimmering canopies during the Parade of Lights

official commemoration for Nov. 8 as “a date of infamy” to remind everyone. He pointed out, “A hundred years ago we were hit by a strong typhoon and 15,000 died; nobody remembers. Now we have to remind people that climate change is the new normal. We have to prepare for it and make it a part of our lifestyle.”

Oceanographers found Yolanda’s storm surge “one of a kind” as its strength and angle by which it entered Tacloban made Taclobanons destined for the shock of their lives.

Tacloban-native Al Chu, a philanthropist known for bringing Filipino artists abroad and who experienced it all, said, “There was nothing like Yolanda.” Amusingly, 19 months after the calamity, with the infrastructure improvements and returning smiles, he simply assessed, “Now I felt there was no Yolanda here at all.” ➜ Continued on C7

Scenes from the parade

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and wife Councilor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez lead Sangyaw 2015