The Standard - 2015 July 24 - Friday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 164  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  FRIDAY: JULY 24, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Plunder raps filed against DBM head

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SCANDAL ROCKS INC Dissenting churchmen rounded up, sequestered

By Rio Araja THE IGLESIA Ni Cristo has allegedly started a crackdown on its leaders who have exposed corruption and anomalous activities within the church, with at least 10 ministers placed under house arrest and several others expelled.

Isaias Samson Jr., former editor-in-chief of INC’s official publication, Pasugo, escaped his armed captors early dawn on Thursday and held a press conference inside the United States embassy where he accused the group’s leadership under Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo of peddling lies and perpetuating corrupt activities.

“In fact, they have committed things that are far more grave, including abducting the ministers and the ‘manggagawa’ or those who are one step before being ordained minister,” Samson said.

The INC leadership, through general evangelist and spokesman Bienvenido Santiago, denied allegations that some of its ministers were abducted.

“There have been allegations that ministers have been abducted. They want to show that Iglesia is involved. There is no truth to those allegations,” Santiago said.

The crackdown on the ministers, according to a certain Antonio Ebangelista who maintains the blog Iglesia Ni Cristo – Silent No More (https://incsilentnomore.wordpress.com), was part of an effort to locate Next page the blogger.

Beijing starts military exercises

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Hostage drama. An unidentified person in a house in Tandang Sora, Quezon City believed to be owned by the Inglesia Ni Cristo (inset) holds up a sign claiming they are being held hostage inside. LINO SANTOS

Anti-corruption drive a failure, survey finds

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan ONE in two or 46 percent of Filipinos believe President Benigno Aquino III has failed to curb corruption in government, a new Catholic Church survey shows.

The Veritas Truth Survey, conducted during the second quarter this year, also showed that

41 percent of Filipinos were unsure of whether the President has remained true to his straight path policy, and only 13 percent believed he has kept his promise of removing corruption in government.

“The slogan of President Aquino when he was running for office was that if there were no corruption there would be no poverty,

and people believed this because corruption is a social cancer,” said Radio Veritas President Fr. Anton Pacual in a press conference Thursday.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo added that the Veritas the survey result revealed that Filipinos are frustrated by Aquino’s performance.

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Scandal From A1...

Charge sheet. Lawyer Bonifacio Alentajan shows a copy of the criminal complaint he filed before the office of Ombudsman against Budget Secretary Florencio Abad Jr. LINO SANTOS

Abad faces plunder raps for giving out DAP funds

By Rio N. Araja

BUDGET Secretary Florencio Abad is facing plunder and graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly using the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) to distribute P50 million to each of 19 senators who convicted former chief justice Renato Corona in 2012.

The former president of the Philippine Constitutional Association, Bonifacio Alentajan, sued Abad for violating the Plunder Law and the Revised Penal Code for usurping legislative power and authority through the “illegal disbursement of DAP funds” and for obstructing justice.

Alentajan said Abad, a close ally of President Benigno Aquino III,

“transferred funds duly appropriated to one government agency to another without legislative authority,” and that he “feloniously awarded and released P50 million each to the senators who voted for the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, or almost P1 billion.”

“Indubitably, DBM Secretary Florencio Abad misappropriated,

Anti-corruption From A1...

“After five years, it seems the people do not think he succeeded, so their expectations have been frustrated,” Pabillo added.

The Veritas Truth Survey was conducted by the research department of Radio Veritas, a Church-owned radio station.

The new survey showed that the respondents perceive government agencies as equally corrupt, led the Senate (49 percent); and the House of Representatives (48 percent).

Also seen as “moderately corrupt” are the Office of the President (42 percent), Office of the

converted, misused public funds without proper authority from Congress,” the complaint read.

Abad immediately dismissed the complaint as “absolutely without basis” and said it was the “figment of the complainant’s imagination.”

In his complaint, Alentajan urged the Ombudsman to place Abad under a preventive suspension.

In September 2013, Senator Jinggoy Estrada said Senator Franklin Drilon wrote a “private and confidential letter memorandum” about the allocation of P50 million for each senator who voted to convict Corona.

He said Drilon as Senate finance committee chairman in 2012 facilitated the release of the money.

Vice President (39 percent), Cabinet secretaries (46 percent), and the Judiciary (48 percent).

Local government units at the city and municipal and barangay levels were perceived to be less corrupt (37 percent and 39 percent, respectively).

Bishop emeritus Teodoro Bacani said he was saddened by the findings.

“The sad truth is that in all government agencies... corruption is widespread,” Bacani said.

Radio Veritas research department chief Clifford Sorita said the survey was conducted among 1,200 respondents from both urban and rural areas nationwide.

Sorita said the respondents were chosen on the basis of a stratified random sampling, with a +/- 3 percent margin of error.

In 2012, an impeachment complaint was filed against Corona before Congress over his misdeclaration in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth.

Abad waved away the charges.

“That is absolutely without any basis. It’s a figment of their imagination. Incredible! I do not think they are even serious at all about filing that complaint,” said Abad in a text message to reporters.

Abad has a pending plunder complaint before the Ombudsman filed by the Kabataan party-list in July 2014 but the complaint is still pending at the level of the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office. –

With Sandy Araneta

Given the survey results, Pabillo challenged Aquino to make good on his promise and do what is right during his final year as President.

“If he wants to clean up the government, he still can do it if he will do it seriously,” Pabillo said.

He added that Aquino should prosecute not only his political foes but also his allies.

“What are the things that need to be done to eliminate these corrupt politicians? They have yet to be prosecuted. The ones who were prosecuted are the President’s foes,” he said.

During a press briefing in Malacanang Thursday, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the government continues to fight corruption in government agencies.

– With Sandy Araneta

Ebangelista claimed in his blog that among the ministers who were abducted were Nolan Olarte from Cebu, Boyet Menorca from Sorsogon, and Joven Sepillo from Tacloban.

In a separate interview, INC minister Roel Rosal said he was among the ministers who were expelled to prevent them from exposing the misuse of INC funds which came from members’ tithes.

“We are fighting the corruption and the reckless expulsion of members who are only exposing the truth [on how] they have spent Iglesia tithe on vehicles to support their lavish lifestyle,” Rosal said.

Rosal specifically accused INC auditor general Glicerio “Jun” Santos Jr. and his staff of dipping their hands into the tithes.

Samson, for his part, said armed men were posted outside his house at around 2:30 a.m.

Yesterday, an incident that he described as “torture” for him and his family.

He said he was able to escape at around 5:30 a.m. when he sought permission to go to church. He surfaced later at the US embassy for a hastily-called press conference yesterday evening.

Samson claimed military and police personnel were involved in the abduction of the ministers, which is why he decided against seeking police protection.

The INC crisis broke when Cristina “Ka Tenny” Manalo, widow of the late INC leader Eraño “Erdy” Manalo, and her son, Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo, posted a 54-second video on YouTube Wednesday evening seeking help, claiming their lives were under threat.

“We call on the public: our lives are in great danger. We hope you could help us,” Angel said in the video.

“We call on our brethren in the Church of Christ to help because our lives are at stake. Rescue my children Angel and Lottie and their companions as well. Help our ministers who were abducted and up to now, were still missing. Pity them and their families,” said Cristina. “And to my son Eduardo, I wish I could talk to you.”

Eduardo, however, would expel Cristina and Angel hours after the video was uploaded – a move which Santiago said truly hurt the INC leader.

“Our brother Eduardo Manalo, our executive minister, can never allow any person to sow chaos. Though it deeply hurts our brother Eduardo Manalo, he has decided to expel those who have been causing disunity within the church,” Santiago said.

“The way we see things are, they just wanted to get the sympathy of the people so they could be able to do what they really wanted to do in the affairs of the church. [But] the entire Church of Christ should know that this is not a family corporation, but a religion anchored on the teachings of God written in the Bible,” Santiago added.

Cries for help also came from an INC-owned building in Tandang Sora, Quezon City yesterday noon, where an unidentified person flashed signs bearing the message: “Help” and “We are held hostage.”

INC will mark its 101st year on July 27. It was founded more than century ago by the current leader’s grandfather, Felix Manalo.

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Watchdog confirms rotting aid

By Christine F. Herrera

Beijing starts military exercises BEIJING—The Chinese navy kicked off 10-day military exercises in the disputed South China Sea amid heightened tensions in the region, especially with the US, the Economic Times reported on Thursday.

Playing down the significance of the exercises, the Chinese military said the drills, started in the east of Hainan Province, were not directed against neighbors.

“The drills are regular military exercises scheduled in the annual plan, without targeting any other country,” the Ministry of National Defense said.

In Manila, Malacañang on Thursday rejected the Chinese ambassador’s call to Manila to drop its arbitration case against Beijing to settle their territorial row in the South China Sea. “The Philippines’ position has not changed—which is for a rules-based approach and a peaceful resolution to the maritime entitlement issues in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma told reporters.

He made his statement after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying asked Manila to drop its arbitration case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Netherlands.

Earlier, Chinese Ambassador to Manila Zhao Jianhua said China will not fight a war against the Philippines or seek any kind of military solution to the South China Sea dispute, as the door for bilateral negotiation remains open.

Vito Barcelo and Sandy Araneta

THE reports on the truckloads of rotting relief goods, spoiled rice and rice seeds intended for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda were validated by a budget watchdog on Thursday as it said only P84 billion out of the P170 billion budgeted for the rehabilitation of the areas devastated by the typhoon had been ordered released by President Benigno Aquino III.

Fisherfolk protest. Thousands of fishermen march along Roxas Boulevard to protest the implementation of Republic Act 10654 that amended the Philippine Fisheries Code. The act is intended to prevent unregulated fishing. DANNY PATA

That was 20 months after Yolanda flattened Easter Visayas, killing more than 6,000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more.

After seven months of gathering data and tracking funds, former National Treasurer Leonor Briones made public the findings of Social Watch Philippines.

“The bulk of the funds for the delivery of Emergency Shelter Assistance was reportedly downloaded to local government units as of June 30, 2015, but has not been received by the intended beneficiaries,” said Briones, the lead convenor of the SWP, which conducted the study in collaboration with Christian Aid. “We were not prepared for Yolanda. Worse, we are expecting other Yolandas coming and we have not laid the current Yolanda issues to rest. We are not building back better. In fact, we are not building back at all.”

Briones said they have interviewed survivors and local government officials from the various provinces and municipalities affected by Yolanda and found out that the relief goods they had received were no longer fit for human consumption.

Farmers also told them that it was true they were given rice seeds but those already expired and failed to germinate.

Most of the relief goods and seeds were already expired when distributed.

“It is true that funds had been released for the truckloads of relief goods, rice and to aid the farmers to replant rice and crops,” Briones told reporters in Quezon City.

“But due to delays and improper handling of the goods, when it was time to distribute them, some maggots and gigantic worms were all over the supposed life-saving goods.”

She said “politicking” marred the distribution process as government agencies took time to repack the goods and got delayed even more as they asked the survivors’ political affiliation and religion before they could get the goods.

MRT breaks down again

By Joel E. Zurbano COMMUTERS continued to experience glitches at the Metro Railway Transit on Thursday after its operation was disrupted twice during the morning rush hour.

The disappointed and angry passengers were forced to take buses and taxi along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue after a southbound train made a sudden stop at the Santolan Station in Quezon City shortly before 6 am, and because of a power failure.

Another train suffered technical problems between Kamuning and Cubao three hours later.

Despite the problems at the rail system, Senate President Franklin Drilon on Thursday said there was no need for President Benigno Aquino III to issue a public apology over those. ”Does that require a presidential apology?

No,” Drilon told reporters.

He said what the MRT officials needed were more coordination and monitoring to

solve the long queues at the MRT stations and the system’s malfunctioning trains. ”That requires maybe more closely monitoring of the MRT in order to alleviate the difficulties of our riding public,” Drilon said.

“I am among those who are closely monitoring the operations of the MRT and one who has expressed concerns about the services the MRT provides. I sympathize with the riding public.”

Drilon made his statement even as Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Aquino administration was trying to push for the expansion of the rail system to ease the problems bedeviling the transport sector.

Still, the problems persist as on Wednesday afternoon the MRT management decided to operate partially, carrying passengers only from Shaw Boulevard to North Avenue station and vice versa after it discovered a broken rail between the Cubao and Santolan stations. With PNA and Sandy Araneta

Friendship Day. Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (center) shares a light moment with former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada during the 40th anniversary of Filipino-Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc. Also in photo is former First Lady and Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Romualdez Marcos. VEr NoVENo

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No break in Aquino coalition – Drilon

Earthquake drill. Workers pass two mock victims during the national simultaneous earthquake drill in Taguig City on Thursday. DANNY PATA

Villars surprised by NPC alliance claim

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Cynthia Villar and former Senate President Manny Villar, chairman of the Nacionalista Party, were surprised with the announcement of the Nationalist People’s Coalition that a new alliance was in the works for the candidacies of Senators Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero next year.

She strongly denied a newspaper report that NP will coalesce with NPC of tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. to support the tandem of Senators Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero who are running for president and vice president, respectively, in the May 2016 elections.

“I do not know the basis of NPC President Giorgidi Aggabao for claiming that NPC and NP are forming an alliance to support the candidacy of Senator Grace Poe as president and Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero as vice president,” said Villar in a statement.

“Former Senate President

Manny Villar and I are as surprised as everyone else to learn about this announcement,” also said Villar.

She stressed the “NP is in the middle of consultation within its ranks, and we have set a September deadline before we can officially announce our participation in the May 2016 polls.”

“To reiterate, we have to first determine the plans of our own members before we can express support for non-members. We are very proud of our party,” further stated Villar.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a member of NP, also debunked the plan of the two parties to form an alliance.

“I categorically say with a degree of certainty that that is not

true and that is just a propaganda ploy of Senator Escudero because the NP will not carry both of them. The NP may adopt Poe but definitely not Escudero,” Trillanes said.

Trillanes has declared he will run for vice president even without the support of NP, but the NP is still waiting for the decision of Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Bongbong Marcos.

Cayetano, who has running television infomercials depicting his achievements and platform of government, had earlier declared his intention to run for president.

Marcos was also reported as eyeing the presidency, but he has not confirmed any plan to run for a higher position.

SENATE President Franklin Drilon on Thursday stressed there will be no break up of the administration coalition in case Sen. Grace Poe decides to run for president and slug it out with Interior and Local Government Sec. Mar Roxas.

“I do not know where the break up is coming from. There is no such thing,” stressed Drilon at yesterday’s ‘Kapihan sa Senado as he dismissed a split in the coalition because President Benigno Aquino III remains its leader.

Asked if there is a guarantee that the coalition will be intact even if other members endorse other candidates, Drilon replied: “We have to discuss with our coalition partners. They are not under our supervision and control. We impose party discipline on the Liberal Party but we have to convince our coalition partners on the candidate that will be anointed by the President.”

He admitted there is no commitment from other political parties included in the coalition to support the candidate the President will endorse.

“We have not discussed that, but it is our desire to preserve the coalition. It is the President’s desire to preserve the coalition but the matter of staying in the coalition is a decision by our coalition partners,” he said.

Since Interior Sec. Mar Roxas will be the ruling party’s standard bearer, he said it is up to him to get his running mate.

He noted that getting a vice president outside of Liberal Party is purely speculative, but he admitted the party does not have a list of vice presidential candidates.

“All we are saying is we are trying to preserve the coalition because that is the coalition that assisted the President of the reforms that he has done in the past five years,” he said.

The Senate leader is also confident the survey ratings of RoxS will go up on d he is endorsed by the President.

If you look at our political history, Drilon said Aquino has the highest acceptance, approval rating on the last year of the President’s term.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

LP denies plot vs Belmonte LIBERAL Party secretary general and Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento denied on Thursday that he is leading a covert attempt to oust Speaker Feliciano Belmonte once Congress opens its third regular session on Monday.

“Speaker Belmonte, myself, and all other LP members are bound by the same ideals and principles.

All these claims of a coup against the Speaker are all lies and are designed to divide LP. I’m sorry to say that this will not stick. LP will be solid and LP is here to stay,” Sarmiento said.

The Samar solon said LP members joined the

administration party because of its ideals and principles and they will definitely rally behind another LP leader to ensure continuity on the reforms and programs that were set in place by President Benigno Aquino III. The LP leader made this statement to dispute claims that there is going to be a move to declare all seats vacant in the House of Representatives, including the speakership.

“It’s a figment of their imagination. LP is solidly behind the Speaker. There’s no coup against him. This thing has not cropped up in any of our discussions

with other LP members,” he said.

Rumors of a breakup in the ruling coalition emereged after Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao, president of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, said on Wednesday the NPC was ready to block any move to unseat Belmonte.

There was talk that Belmonte might be ousted because of his public endorsement of Senator Grace Poe when the third session of the 16th Congress reopens on July 27, the day the President delivers his last State-ofthe-Nation Address.

PNA

Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles speaks before ecological activists during a press conference on environmental concerns the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City. LINO SANTOS

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Criminal raps ordered on Kentex

By Sandy Araneta

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has ordered the filing of criminal charges against the owner and officers of Kentex Manufacturing Corporation, Valenzuela Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian and local government officials for the Kentex fire that killed 72 people last May 13.

Crops map. Fifty One municipalities have been granted large-scale farmland cover maps of their territories showing where various crops are planted . At the turnover of the maps are from left: Senator Cynthia Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture and food; Mario S. Rodriguez, Project Leader; Science and Technology ) Secretary Mario G. Motejo; and Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, Usec for Scientific and Technological Services. The ceremonial turnover of the maps was held at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel in Quezon City. MANNY PALMERO

QC traffic rerouted for Sona; 10,000 cops fan out

By Joel E. Zurbano THE government on Thursday advised motorists to avoid at least five major thoroughfares in Quezon City which will be affected by a traffic rerouting scheme to be imposed during the sixth and last State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III on July 27.

The Metro police office will also deploy around 10,000 policemen to secure peace and order as militant groups are preparing a big rally to express their own version of SONA. At exactly 3 a.m. on Monday,

traffic enforcers from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will close the northbound lane of Commonwealth Avenue from Ever Gotesco to St. Peter Church.

The agency will also open a zipper or counterflow lane at the southbound Congressional Avenue from Jocfer Building to Commission on Audit for vehicles going north.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino advised motorists to take the following alternate routes to avoid being inconvenienced by snarled traffic.

Motorists along North Avenue must take Mindanao Avenue and Quirino Highway to destination and vice versa.

Those coming from Epifanio de los Santos Avenue must take Congressional Avenue left to Mindanao Avenue and turn right to Old Sauyo Road straight to Don Julio Gregorio, and Republic Avenue, left to Chestnut, right to Dahlia Avenue, left to Fairlane or Regalado Avenue to destination and vice versa.

The MMDA will also field 1,200 personnel composed of men from the Traffic Discipline Office, Road Emergency Group,

and Sidewalk Clearing Operations Team to manage both vehicular and pedestrian traffic and support the operations of the National Capital Region Police Office and the Quezon City Police District.

“We will deploy enough traffic constables to manage the traffic flow on Monday. We will implement our traffic management plan to ensure unimpeded travel of motorists as much as possible,” Tolentino said.

He added “Emergency personnel will likewise be on standby, including fire trucks and ambulances.”

Sona not a venue for fashion show—TUCP A labor group has urged senators and congressmen, including guests not to make the State of the Nation Address (SONA) occasion a fashion show venue; it suggested a simple, formal and acceptable wear.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-

Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) observed that SONA for many years, has become a fashion event for legislators, their spouses and families.

President Benigno Aquino III will deliver his last SONA on Monday, July 27, at the Batasan complex in Quezon city.

“First of all, the SONA is not a fashion show.

Second, working people feel it is illogical and unethical for our lawmakers to parade in the halls of congress wearing costly, extravagant clothes during the SONA when millions of their constituent Filipinos are languishing

in hunger and poverty,” Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions said.

He said senators and members of the House of the Representatives should lead lives of simplicity and modesty as representatives of the people’s plight and aspiration.

For his part, TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said there should be a committee at both Houses that sets an internal rules teaching our lawmakers the simple way to dress and putting a cap on the cost of clothes they wear during SONA and during sessions. Vito Barcelo

“The filing of charges by the Department of Justice is a concrete response to the directive of President Aquino that all those responsible in the Kentex factory fire incident should be held liable,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said at a press briefing in Malacañang Thursday.

The President said ‘there were people who died because of the lax enforcement of existing rules and those responsible have to answer for that.”

DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima recommended criminal charges against the owner and employees of the company that did welding work at the factory.

Ordered charged with multiple homicide and multiple physical injuries under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code were Terrence King Ong, Kentex operations manager; Oscar Romero, employee of Ace Shutter Corp., the company that undertook the welding work at Kentex; Wilmer Arcenal, Ace Shutter Corp.; and Rosalina Uy Ngo, owner of Ace Shutter Corp.

The DOJ said other responsible managers, officials and owners of Kentex , such as Ong King Guan and Beato Ang, would also be charged “in the event that further investigation on their management responsibilities and administrative functions reveals equal culpability on the safety of the establishment together with Terrence King Ong.” Recommended charged for violation of Section 11.2.a (4) and (5) of Republic Act 9514 of the Fire Code of the Philippines were Gatchalian; Renchi May Padayao, officer-in-charge of the Business Permit and Licensing Office of Valenzuela City; and Eduardo Carreon, licensing officer IV of BPLO Valenzuela.

Also recommended charged for violation of the Fire Code were Fire Supt. Mel Jose Lagan, Valenzuela City Fire Marshal; F/SInsp. Edgrover Oculam, chief of the Fire Safety Enforcement Section of the Valenzuela City Fire Station; and SFO2 Rolando Avendan, fire safety inspector of the Valenzuela City Fire Station.

Separate charges were recommended filed against Gatchalian, Padayao, Carreon, Lagan, Oculam and Avendan for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The six were also recommended charged for administrative lapses, the DOJ said.

The DOJ Special Panel has also recommended further investigation on possible liabilities of involved Department of Labor and Employment-National Capital Region officials for their issuance of a certificate of compliance in September 14 in favor of Kentex, “notwithstanding the violation of pertinent labor laws and DOLE’s own Occupational Safety and Health Hazard.”

The panel was composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Roberto Lao, Assistant State Prosecutors Olivia Torrevillas and Ma. Cristina Barot, and State Counsels Margarette Robles, Consuelo Corazon Pazziuagan and Dioxenos Sulit.

Their recommendations were approved

by De Lima. With Rey Requejo

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Philhealth chided for delayed action vs fraud

By Macon Araneta

Blood center. Philippine Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon shows a newly equipped blood center during the inauguration of PRC Tower Blood Center at EDSA Mandaluyong on Thursday July 23.The center has a blood capacity of 4,000 units and a state of the art testing machine for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and malaria. DANNY PATA

PNR restarts on limited run; fare hike opposed

By Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Araneta

THE Philippine National Railway on Thursday resume operation on a limited run from Tutuban station to Alabang in Muntinlupa City, but drew warning from Senator Cynthia Villar not to raise train fare.

The resumption came almost three months after the management suspended its operation following the derailment of a southbound train between Magallanes in Makati City and Nichols in Taguig City last May resulting in injuries to 50 passengers.

The PNR presently operates with six trains and 46 trips carrying around 70,000 passengers daily.

Citing the speed limits, the management also decided to change the schedule of train departure as train now leaves the station every 34 minutes instead of the previous 30 minutes.

The trains travel at only 25 kph from Magallanes Station in Makati City to FTI Station in Taguig City where a lot of repair work on the tracks was done.

Transportation secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya gave PNR the go signal to resume operation after it completed the requirements, repair works and the list of things to do for safety.

“It was only now that the PNR was able to comply with the requirements,” said PNR general manager Joseph Dilay in a television interview.

It is not clear yet when the commuter train resumed operation in Laguna.

The PNR suspended its train operations three months ago to give way for a full-scale inspection of train tracks to ensure the safety of its passengers and trains.

The 28 kilometer-long (Tutuban-Alabang-Laguna) line sys-

tem, one of the alternative modes of transportation for students and low wage earners, carries around 60,000 to 70,000 passengers daily.

Villar, author of a bill extending the corporate life of PNR, cautioned against an ill-timed fare hike despite the P51-million loss it incurred with the suspension of operation.

Villar said the government will do a great disservice to the public if fare hike will be carred out now.

While the natural tendency of the PNR is to recoup losses, Villar stressed that commuters suffered losses too when the train stopped its operations. She said they paid more to get to their schools and work places.

SENATOR Teofisto Guingona on Thursday scored Philhealth for the delay in the resolution of cases involving fraudulent claims that resulted in the proliferation of the modus operandi by scrupulous doctors and eye institutions to defraud the country’s biggest health insurance.

“It is business as usual for those centers that have pending cases before the Philhealth Committee on Administrative Cases Against Health Care Providers (CAAC) because they have not been penalized. That is why it is important for Philhealth to immediately act on these cases,” said Guingona in yesterday’s resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the P2-billion spurious claims on Philhealth eye operations.

He said that not a single provider has been penalized. He disclosed that at present, there are 82 cases involving various eye centers and clinics that have yet to be resolved

by CAAC. He said some of the cases have been pending for almost six years or were filed during the previous administration.

“How many patients have to go blind before CAAC resolves these cases,” asked Guingona.

Dr. Alexander Ayco of CAAC admitted the delay in the resolution of cases. He said it was due to the absence of guidelines, but did not elaborate. He also cited the absence of a lawyer that can help them in the cases.

He told Guingona’s panel that when he arrived at CAAC in 2011, they started reviewing cases lodged in the committee from 2001 up to 2011. He said there wasa a huge backlog.

Guingona rejected the reasons for the delay raised by Ayco. He said Philhealth could have addressed the issues on guidelines and legal advisers.

Testifying in the hearing, Dr. Raymond Evangelista, Quezon City Eye Centrr CEO and President, that the claims presented by Philhealth was bloated by millions and are meant to mislead the public due to the inaccurate data.

He said the matter has to be clarified. “And I don’t see any effort of any kind to clear this up. It is a very big spread and it is a very big problem,” he said.

Freeze order on VP illegal—lawyer

By Vito Barcelo THE camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Thursday said it will file a motion to lift the freeze order on his deposit accounts issued by the Court of Appeals (CA).

Lawyer Claro Certeza, Binay’s lawyer said that aside from the accounts of the Vice President, they will also ask the CA to lift the freeze order on the 242 bank accounts of Binay’s family members and associates.

The United Nationalist Alliance, Binay’s political party earlier accused the Liberal Party and the Aquino administration of instigating the freeze order.

“We will file a motion to have this lifted. There is no justification because there is no link in the supposed activity into the bank accounts,” Certeza in a television interview said.

The CA granted on May 11, the petition of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to allow the council to scrutinize the bank accounts of Binay and members of his family, as well as corporations linked to the Vice President.

The CA issued the resolution on the basis of finding probable cause with the petition filed by AMLC .

Certeza said that Binay only owns five bank accounts.

The freeze order, however, covers 242 bank accounts and insurance policies linked to Binay’s family and close associates, who are accused of being his dummies.

Certeza said a case should have already been filed before the Regional Trial Court for violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act following the issuance of a freeze order.

“But this has not yet happened. If they do not file a case within six months, the freeze order will be automatically lifted,” he said.

Earlier, University of the Philippines law professor Harry Roque claimed that the freeze order on Binay’s accounts is illegal since the Vice President is immune from suit and the case filed against him in court by the AMLC would be dismissed.

Roque said the freeze order and the continuing investigation of Binay’s alleged ill-gotten wealth was but a “political propaganda” by his enemies who use “Machiavellian” means to ruin his chances to get elected President next year.

The AMLC report claimed it found records of huge cash transactions in the subject bank accounts when Building II and Makati Science High School were constructed between 2007 and 2014.

Piracy buster. Optical Media Board chairman Ronnie Ricketts (center)

makes an appearance at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on Thursday, July 23, to face graft charges filed against him in June for allegedly mishandling tons of pirated DVDs. With him are “running priest” Fr. Robert Reyes (right) and actor Rez Cortez. LINO SANTOS

F R I D AY, J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

COMIC SELFSTIMULATION PENSÉES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

MISSING THE ECONOMIC AGENDA THE presidential race is about to heat up, with key political personalities expected to announce shortly their intentions in next year’s elections. But beyond their rhetoric, presidential wannabes in the Philippines seem unable to grasp the economic problems at hand and the lasting solutions to make this country progressive, or at at least at par with its rich Southeast Asian neighbors like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

President Benigno Aquino III had a chance to introduce economic reforms when he was elected to the top post in 2010. After five years of governing the Philippines, however, his administration failed to significantly push laws that

ADELLE CHUA

could have made the Philippines competitive in this part of the world.

The Philippines still cannot compete under a free regional trade regime, or in a single market called the Asean economic community that will usher in at the end of the year. Lawmakers and President Aquino have not done enough to introduce economic reforms to advance the economy.

Senator Grace Poe, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Senator Francis Escudero, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago may have good and honest intentions

in pursuing the highest elective position in the land. But they are not known as vocal supporters of economic reforms, nor are they expected to back controversial legislation that would ultimately lead to more employment, increased foreign investments and a more liberal economy as demanded by the international trade regime.

The Philippines, for instance, has lagged way behind its Asean neighbors in the race for foreign direct investments. It is even having difficulty in keeping up with erstwhile tail-ender Vietnam.

Foreign and local businessmen have also clamored to lift the 6040 rule in the Constitution that

requires Filipinos to own at least 60 percent of local businesses and their foreign partners to hold a maximum of 40 percent in the 1987 Charter, in order to attract foreign investments.

The Philippine Business GroupJoint Foreign Chambers, for one, stressed the importance of passing the bill relaxing the constitutional limit on foreign ownership to prepare the Philippines to compete in several regional and and TransPacific free trade arrangements.

The next president of the Philippines should at least be aware on the moves of neighboring countries and other trading partners in improving further their economic competitiveness.

I KNOW that the title of today’s column suggests vulgarity. I intended it to be so because it deals with the vulgarity with which people who cannot wait to be honored by others flatter themselves.

It was not too long ago that while surfing through cable television channels, a city channel carried the proceedings of the local legislative body. Not one, but two members referred to the Sanggunian of which they are members as “this august body”.

Wow, I muttered, these guys are enjoying themselves at the expense of decency! When an outsider addresses a chamber of Congress, or an assembly of the eminent, then, yes, it is proper for the outsider to honor -- or flatter -- the body’s members by referring to it as “august”. But for a member of a local sanggunian to refer to his own company as “august” was for him to ascribe to himself the title conferred on Octavian -- augustus.

But I listened to the debate (or what passed for a debate) and the exchanges were either as languid as a dry day in May and fallacies were strewn all over the floor, as leaves in September. So, May or September, perhaps, but not August!

It is the same thing with a judge who dictates an order that demands an explanation of a recalcitrant party to “this Honorable Court”. That gives me a good laugh, with as good a dose of sarcasm. Let people call you and your court honorable. Do not assume the honorific for yourself. By the conventions of court language, it is alright for the judge to refer to himself as the court, although, hermeneutically, that is not even accurate.

But to refer to himself as “this honorable court” is just one more instance of our proclivity for self-stimulation!

This takes me to my next pet peeve: People who, on the signature line of letters, forms, orders, requests or memoranda, append their professional titles such as “Dr”, “Atty”, “Engr”, “Cong” or “Hldpr” (for “hold-upper”). I do not know when this execrable practice began, but people used to be more decent. I never saw my parents signing as “Atty” or “Judge” or “Justice”. Not even my brother, very much a mem-

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

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

MST ONLINE

How many are they who are addressed ‘Excellency’ who have not the least streak of excellence in them?

lem about writing the degree after your name -- if not writing it will cause you insomnia for the next decade. But to write “Dr” before your own name -- that’s truly vulgar, with the vulgarity that only self-stimulation can have. Let others address as “Dr” or “Atty” or “Engr”, but do not make such titles part of your name! If you are not sure, check the entry in your certificate of live birth to see if you were registered with these titles!

Well, it is really no better in the church, is it, for some of us priests are “Reverend”, others are “Very Reverend”, still others are “Right Reverend” and at the top of the honor-chain,

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

REFORMING GOVERNMENT

ber of this present unblessed age, does so. He signs as “Jezarene C. Aquino, Judge”, the correct -- and decent way to do it.

But there are enough pleadings in court that bear “Atty” before the names of lawyers who sign at the end of their pleadings. As if attempting so very hard to convince themselves that they are lawyers, they have no secondthoughts about the shameless redundancy: “Atty. Ako Mayabang, Counsel for the Plaintiff ”.

In the first place, “Atty” is recognizable only in a country like ours where the lack of excellence is made up for by the prodigality of titles. In the second place, if you are “counsel” for the plaintiff, then you must be an attorney-at-law!

As despicable a creature is one who is so inebriated by his doctoral degree -- earned either by merit or by chance -- that he causes his name to be printed on the signature line: “Dr. Puro Hangin, Ph.D.”. If there is any self-styling that merits the “f ” word, it is this! There is no prob-

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

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

A9

MORE than 100 best minds of the land attended the other day, at Club Filipino Greenhills, a summit for change to secure the country’s future.

It was convened by the group of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Pino, former Ramos Budget Secretary Salvador Enriquez Jr., former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr., former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and former UP President Jose V. Abueva who now runs his own Kalayaan College.

Aside from them as speakers, prominent economist Toti Chikiamco, former Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, Manila Bishop Broderick Pabillo, former Finance Undersecretary Nene Guevara, and Supreme Court Justice Francis Jardeleza shared their thoughts on assigned topics.

The idea was to reform government and change its structure, from the present presidential to a parliamentary federal, by amending the Constitution.

Quite expectedly, the present system came under stinging criticism.

The presidential system concentrates power in Manila, in the president who is actually a dictator. Notice how easy it was for President BS Aquino III to oust a sitting chief justice through a mock trial conducted by the Senate, 22 of whose members were bribed by the chief executive to convict Renato Corona. Notice also how Congress and the Senate are in the stranglehold of Aquino, thanks to billions of taxpayers’ money that he gives their members like he were Santa Claus.

No wonder, a Transparency International corruption survey in 2013 found that our politicians are the most corrupt Filipinos, after the police.

In his keynote address, former Chief Justice Puno bristled with sarcasm. Amending the Constitution is not a head turner, he noticed, unlike issues like “the expensive gowns that will be worn by the female members of Congress at the coming State of the Nation Ad-

dress of the President; the latest hair color of Vice Ganda; the victims of macapuno candy poisoning; the Mutya ng Pilipinas beauty pageant, the ostentatious anniversary party of the Light Rail Transit Authority.

And of course, the burning issue, which will continue to fire us until next year, is the coming presidential elections.”

“From bedroom to boardroom, the discussions swirl on whether Vice President Binay will get impeached or imprisoned before election; whether Secretary Mar Roxas will be finally anointed by President Aquino; whether Senators Grace Poe-Chiz Escudero will run as independent candidates; whether Senator Bongbong Marcos will bring back the Marcos presidency; whether Congressman Manny Pacquiao can knock out his opponents in the senatorial elections, etc.,” Puno related.

The summit, the chief said, “is a lamentation of our deficit of attention to the most serious social, economic and political problems of our country, problems that have accumulated for more than 100 years, problems that if further swept under the rug can tear to shreds the fragile fabric of our democratic society.”

He enumerated “these stubborn problems” – “the deep roots of corruption in government; the viral spread of political dynasties in elective and appointive positions in government; the stranglehold of the economic elite on the wealth of the nation; the immoral multiplication of the poor in a nation wallowing in rich natural resources; the iniquitous electoral system that cannot prevent the triumph of the unqualified and perpetuates the victory of he who has the gold, and he who has the goons; government’s inexcusable failure to address the legitimate demands of our

“The Most Reverend”. But I can assure you that there will be no perceptible difference in the degree of reverence exhibited by those who bear these rather ridiculous honorifics.

I reserve “His Excellency” for last. How many are they who are addressed “Excellency” who have not the least streak of excellence in them? Are we not promoting linguistic duplicity,

in fact mendacity, by perpetrating this culture of carelessly used addresses? I will not accept the pathetic excuse that it is the office honored and dignified, not the person. The trouble with this excuse is that it is no excuse at all, for it is the person you call “Your Excellency” no matter that in all respects, most tellingly the mind, he may be the most wretched of specimens of humankind!

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

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. Verzosa Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

ethnic and cultural minorities especially the demand for better rule by our Muslim brothers and sisters and our various indigenous people; government’s continuing inability to negotiate peace with the NPA which now holds the world record of running the longest war against terrorism especially in the South where terrorists can kidnap and kill with apparent impunity.”

In sum, the problems are: “the impenitent impotence of government to fulfill its sacred covenant with the people to bring them a peace that endures, a prosperity with respect, and a progress with dignity.”

The summit thus sought to call attention to the problems and the solution, which is, in Puno’s words, “a system change in our Constitution, a paradigm shift from a presidentialunitary form of government to a parliamentary-federal form of government to a parliamentaryfederal form of government.”

The former jurist, a Mason and a pastor, warned that our “problems can bring down our house of democracy if they are dismissed with a shrug of shoulders. It is downtime for motherhood statements. It is uptime to save the motherland.”

The federal government, Puno argued, “can best handle diversities driven by differences in culture, religion, language and geography because of its high threshold of tolerance to minorities.” In the graveyard of democracies, he pointed out, “you will find interred unitary states more than federal states.”

For his part, Nene Pimentel proposed dividing the country into 11 federal states – four in Luzon (Northern Luzon based in Tuguegarao, Central based in Tarlac City, Southern based in Tagaytay, and Bicol); four in the Visayas (Eastern, in Catbalogan; Central, in Toledo; Western Visayas, in Iloilo City; and either Negros or Minparom – Mindoro, Palawan, Romblom. Mindanao will be divided into three or four states – Northwestern Mindanao, Northeastern Mindanao, Continued on A10 rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES Mr. Robles’ column will next week.

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

F R I D AY, J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

COMIC SELFSTIMULATION PENSÉES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

MISSING THE ECONOMIC AGENDA THE presidential race is about to heat up, with key political personalities expected to announce shortly their intentions in next year’s elections. But beyond their rhetoric, presidential wannabes in the Philippines seem unable to grasp the economic problems at hand and the lasting solutions to make this country progressive, or at at least at par with its rich Southeast Asian neighbors like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

President Benigno Aquino III had a chance to introduce economic reforms when he was elected to the top post in 2010. After five years of governing the Philippines, however, his administration failed to significantly push laws that

ADELLE CHUA

could have made the Philippines competitive in this part of the world.

The Philippines still cannot compete under a free regional trade regime, or in a single market called the Asean economic community that will usher in at the end of the year. Lawmakers and President Aquino have not done enough to introduce economic reforms to advance the economy.

Senator Grace Poe, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Senator Francis Escudero, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago may have good and honest intentions

in pursuing the highest elective position in the land. But they are not known as vocal supporters of economic reforms, nor are they expected to back controversial legislation that would ultimately lead to more employment, increased foreign investments and a more liberal economy as demanded by the international trade regime.

The Philippines, for instance, has lagged way behind its Asean neighbors in the race for foreign direct investments. It is even having difficulty in keeping up with erstwhile tail-ender Vietnam.

Foreign and local businessmen have also clamored to lift the 6040 rule in the Constitution that

requires Filipinos to own at least 60 percent of local businesses and their foreign partners to hold a maximum of 40 percent in the 1987 Charter, in order to attract foreign investments.

The Philippine Business GroupJoint Foreign Chambers, for one, stressed the importance of passing the bill relaxing the constitutional limit on foreign ownership to prepare the Philippines to compete in several regional and and TransPacific free trade arrangements.

The next president of the Philippines should at least be aware on the moves of neighboring countries and other trading partners in improving further their economic competitiveness.

I KNOW that the title of today’s column suggests vulgarity. I intended it to be so because it deals with the vulgarity with which people who cannot wait to be honored by others flatter themselves.

It was not too long ago that while surfing through cable television channels, a city channel carried the proceedings of the local legislative body. Not one, but two members referred to the Sanggunian of which they are members as “this august body”.

Wow, I muttered, these guys are enjoying themselves at the expense of decency! When an outsider addresses a chamber of Congress, or an assembly of the eminent, then, yes, it is proper for the outsider to honor -- or flatter -- the body’s members by referring to it as “august”. But for a member of a local sanggunian to refer to his own company as “august” was for him to ascribe to himself the title conferred on Octavian -- augustus.

But I listened to the debate (or what passed for a debate) and the exchanges were either as languid as a dry day in May and fallacies were strewn all over the floor, as leaves in September. So, May or September, perhaps, but not August!

It is the same thing with a judge who dictates an order that demands an explanation of a recalcitrant party to “this Honorable Court”. That gives me a good laugh, with as good a dose of sarcasm. Let people call you and your court honorable. Do not assume the honorific for yourself. By the conventions of court language, it is alright for the judge to refer to himself as the court, although, hermeneutically, that is not even accurate.

But to refer to himself as “this honorable court” is just one more instance of our proclivity for self-stimulation!

This takes me to my next pet peeve: People who, on the signature line of letters, forms, orders, requests or memoranda, append their professional titles such as “Dr”, “Atty”, “Engr”, “Cong” or “Hldpr” (for “hold-upper”). I do not know when this execrable practice began, but people used to be more decent. I never saw my parents signing as “Atty” or “Judge” or “Justice”. Not even my brother, very much a mem-

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

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

MST ONLINE

How many are they who are addressed ‘Excellency’ who have not the least streak of excellence in them?

lem about writing the degree after your name -- if not writing it will cause you insomnia for the next decade. But to write “Dr” before your own name -- that’s truly vulgar, with the vulgarity that only self-stimulation can have. Let others address as “Dr” or “Atty” or “Engr”, but do not make such titles part of your name! If you are not sure, check the entry in your certificate of live birth to see if you were registered with these titles!

Well, it is really no better in the church, is it, for some of us priests are “Reverend”, others are “Very Reverend”, still others are “Right Reverend” and at the top of the honor-chain,

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

REFORMING GOVERNMENT

ber of this present unblessed age, does so. He signs as “Jezarene C. Aquino, Judge”, the correct -- and decent way to do it.

But there are enough pleadings in court that bear “Atty” before the names of lawyers who sign at the end of their pleadings. As if attempting so very hard to convince themselves that they are lawyers, they have no secondthoughts about the shameless redundancy: “Atty. Ako Mayabang, Counsel for the Plaintiff ”.

In the first place, “Atty” is recognizable only in a country like ours where the lack of excellence is made up for by the prodigality of titles. In the second place, if you are “counsel” for the plaintiff, then you must be an attorney-at-law!

As despicable a creature is one who is so inebriated by his doctoral degree -- earned either by merit or by chance -- that he causes his name to be printed on the signature line: “Dr. Puro Hangin, Ph.D.”. If there is any self-styling that merits the “f ” word, it is this! There is no prob-

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

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

A9

MORE than 100 best minds of the land attended the other day, at Club Filipino Greenhills, a summit for change to secure the country’s future.

It was convened by the group of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Pino, former Ramos Budget Secretary Salvador Enriquez Jr., former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr., former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and former UP President Jose V. Abueva who now runs his own Kalayaan College.

Aside from them as speakers, prominent economist Toti Chikiamco, former Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, Manila Bishop Broderick Pabillo, former Finance Undersecretary Nene Guevara, and Supreme Court Justice Francis Jardeleza shared their thoughts on assigned topics.

The idea was to reform government and change its structure, from the present presidential to a parliamentary federal, by amending the Constitution.

Quite expectedly, the present system came under stinging criticism.

The presidential system concentrates power in Manila, in the president who is actually a dictator. Notice how easy it was for President BS Aquino III to oust a sitting chief justice through a mock trial conducted by the Senate, 22 of whose members were bribed by the chief executive to convict Renato Corona. Notice also how Congress and the Senate are in the stranglehold of Aquino, thanks to billions of taxpayers’ money that he gives their members like he were Santa Claus.

No wonder, a Transparency International corruption survey in 2013 found that our politicians are the most corrupt Filipinos, after the police.

In his keynote address, former Chief Justice Puno bristled with sarcasm. Amending the Constitution is not a head turner, he noticed, unlike issues like “the expensive gowns that will be worn by the female members of Congress at the coming State of the Nation Ad-

dress of the President; the latest hair color of Vice Ganda; the victims of macapuno candy poisoning; the Mutya ng Pilipinas beauty pageant, the ostentatious anniversary party of the Light Rail Transit Authority.

And of course, the burning issue, which will continue to fire us until next year, is the coming presidential elections.”

“From bedroom to boardroom, the discussions swirl on whether Vice President Binay will get impeached or imprisoned before election; whether Secretary Mar Roxas will be finally anointed by President Aquino; whether Senators Grace Poe-Chiz Escudero will run as independent candidates; whether Senator Bongbong Marcos will bring back the Marcos presidency; whether Congressman Manny Pacquiao can knock out his opponents in the senatorial elections, etc.,” Puno related.

The summit, the chief said, “is a lamentation of our deficit of attention to the most serious social, economic and political problems of our country, problems that have accumulated for more than 100 years, problems that if further swept under the rug can tear to shreds the fragile fabric of our democratic society.”

He enumerated “these stubborn problems” – “the deep roots of corruption in government; the viral spread of political dynasties in elective and appointive positions in government; the stranglehold of the economic elite on the wealth of the nation; the immoral multiplication of the poor in a nation wallowing in rich natural resources; the iniquitous electoral system that cannot prevent the triumph of the unqualified and perpetuates the victory of he who has the gold, and he who has the goons; government’s inexcusable failure to address the legitimate demands of our

“The Most Reverend”. But I can assure you that there will be no perceptible difference in the degree of reverence exhibited by those who bear these rather ridiculous honorifics.

I reserve “His Excellency” for last. How many are they who are addressed “Excellency” who have not the least streak of excellence in them? Are we not promoting linguistic duplicity,

in fact mendacity, by perpetrating this culture of carelessly used addresses? I will not accept the pathetic excuse that it is the office honored and dignified, not the person. The trouble with this excuse is that it is no excuse at all, for it is the person you call “Your Excellency” no matter that in all respects, most tellingly the mind, he may be the most wretched of specimens of humankind!

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

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. Verzosa Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

ethnic and cultural minorities especially the demand for better rule by our Muslim brothers and sisters and our various indigenous people; government’s continuing inability to negotiate peace with the NPA which now holds the world record of running the longest war against terrorism especially in the South where terrorists can kidnap and kill with apparent impunity.”

In sum, the problems are: “the impenitent impotence of government to fulfill its sacred covenant with the people to bring them a peace that endures, a prosperity with respect, and a progress with dignity.”

The summit thus sought to call attention to the problems and the solution, which is, in Puno’s words, “a system change in our Constitution, a paradigm shift from a presidentialunitary form of government to a parliamentary-federal form of government to a parliamentaryfederal form of government.”

The former jurist, a Mason and a pastor, warned that our “problems can bring down our house of democracy if they are dismissed with a shrug of shoulders. It is downtime for motherhood statements. It is uptime to save the motherland.”

The federal government, Puno argued, “can best handle diversities driven by differences in culture, religion, language and geography because of its high threshold of tolerance to minorities.” In the graveyard of democracies, he pointed out, “you will find interred unitary states more than federal states.”

For his part, Nene Pimentel proposed dividing the country into 11 federal states – four in Luzon (Northern Luzon based in Tuguegarao, Central based in Tarlac City, Southern based in Tagaytay, and Bicol); four in the Visayas (Eastern, in Catbalogan; Central, in Toledo; Western Visayas, in Iloilo City; and either Negros or Minparom – Mindoro, Palawan, Romblom. Mindanao will be divided into three or four states – Northwestern Mindanao, Northeastern Mindanao, Continued on A10 rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES Mr. Robles’ column will next week.

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

F R I D AY, J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

FILIPINO PENSIONER HORACE TEMPLO WE are indeed hopeless fools if by this time we still consider that PNoy and his appointed public officials are true responsible leaders who tread the straight path by not increasing our pensions because that would deplete our pension funds.

The truth is they simply do not care about our social security welfare.

Moreover, it was President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her social security officials who originated that myth - that the Social Security System has trillions of unfunded liabilities that it has to raise first before its pensions could be adjusted.

In addition, they developed the silly idea that its actuarial life could be made to grow to 70 years by simply freezing pensions even while retaining the same low contribution rate.

They made us believe this in the almost 10 years that they were in office. However, to spice up the 50th founding anniversary of SSS on September 1, 2007, they allowed a token 10-percent pension increase.

Inexplicably, PNoy and his appointed officials embraced this idea and did nothing to adjust pensions. They granted a 5-percent adjustment in 2014, but this was done to assuage an outraged public after SSS officials granted themselves fat bonuses. Otherwise, PNoy did nothing, not add even a few pesos to the minimum pension of P1,200 that President Fidel Ramos and SSS Administrator

Reforming..

UNCARING Rene Valencia set 22 years ago on September 1, 1993.

In fact, the next 70 years would always be full of uncertainties and surprises. But by setting our level of optimism and pessimism – and after quantifying our assumed future employment rates, wages, inflation, investment returns and longevity – we would know when contribution rates must be raised to make pension funds last that long.

What is important is that we resolve as a united people to provide adequate pensions to enable pensioners and their families to live above the poverty line. The workers and employers among us would then fund these pensions by remitting the appropriate contributions via the payroll system.

But PNoy does not care, clueless that SSS is only giving its one million retirement pensioners an average P3,540 or US$80 as pensions.

SSS pensions must be increased, but it is also foolhardy to abruptly increase them. The total assets of SSS as of March 31, 2015 stood at P444 billion and they are worth only 4 times its 2014 annual benefit disbursements of P102 billion.

The P120 billion contributions that SSS collected and 8.3-percent investment return it earned could hardly pay for these benefits and its operating expenses.

Obviously, doubling the pensions would wipe out these assets within four to five years.

But pensions, nonetheless, must be increased over time at a

pace that could be supported by scheduled increases in contributions.

Consider the bold reforms that PGMA and Government Service Insurance System President and General Manager Winston Garcia initiated for GSIS. They are lessons that we all must learn and adopt.

The pensions of GSIS before were so meager – as they were based only on a maximum salary cap of P16,000 – that most members were withdrawing their contributions and consequentially forfeiting their pension rights.

Incredibly, GSIS had been collecting from government employers contributions that were based on actual salary but was paying pensions based only on P12,000.

But by January 1, 2003, GSIS started to collect contributions from government employees based on their actual salary. It also increased the total contribution rate to 21 percent, with employee’s contribution increased from 6 to 9 percent and employer share retained at 12 percent.

Thereafter, GSIS began computing pensions based on actual salary, and increased its minimum pension to P5,000 in 2013.

In contrast, SSS members contribute until now only 3.633 percent and their employers, 7.367 percent for a total of only 11 percent on a maximum salary credit of P16,000. The selfemployed professionals, kasambahays, tricycle drivers and farmers shoulder the entire 11

From A9 percent contribution.

Isn’t this a case of an uneven and unfair playing field for our private and public workers?

Unfortunately, PNoy and his officials – and even us - don’t care.

If they do not lead us by sticking out their necks to require private sector employers to pay the equivalent social security contributions that their government counterparts pay for state workers.

The private-sector employers oppose any small increase in contributions and voice this out through their professional spokespersons in various employer associations.

Their opposition is consistently so strong that they oppose even the smallest pension increase in anticipation that it would lead to a contribution adjustment later.

But there remains a glimmer of hope for pension-increase hopefuls. Months prior to next year’s presidential election, PNoy may still increase pensions - not because he cares for us elderly pensioners - but because he has to woo us for the coming presidential election.

He might think that this way, he would sway us into voting for his anointed presidential candidate.

Otherwise, we would remember him as that uncaring president who doled out a mere 5 percent pension increase throughout his entire six years in Malacanang - not even good enough to average one percent per year.

Southern Mindanao, and Bangsamoro. This one, Bangsamoro State, will solve secessionist rebellion, Pimentel contends. And it includes Sabah.

Pimentel will retain the President, with a Prime Minister as head of government.

He will retain the Senate, with 81 members, from 24 today, and the House whose congressmen will continue to be elected by district.

In addition, the federal states will have their own legislatures. He also wants to redistribute the national budget 80 percent of which should go to LGUs, and only 20 percent to be spent by Manila.

Will Congress allow a federal parliamentary system to replace a presidential system and a Congress dominated by dynasties?

Academic Dr. Pepe Abueva gave his own answer – 75 percent of Congress members belong to political dynasties.

Still, insisted Puno, the country must solve what he calls “the immoral gap between the rich and the poor”.

“It’s time to reverse the mindset of our masses that the best way to live in the Philippines is to leave it. It’s time to show them that their most valuable property is not their passport.”

biznewsasia@gmail.com

THE LOST MUSLIMS OF MYANMAR thrive at home.

While the Burmese governTHE refugee disaster that re- ment bears primary responsicently gripped Southeast Asia bility for this task, the challenge has waned, as countries in the transcends Myanmar. More than region have taken in thousands half of the migrants rescued in of the migrants who had been May were Bangladeshi Muslims abandoned at sea by smugglers. fleeing poverty. And the trafBut the crisis can be expected to ficking networks that exploit return when the monsoon sea- such migrants, often with the son ends and Rohingya Muslims help of local officials and police, in Myanmar’s coastal Rakhine are based in Thailand, Indostate once again try to flee per- nesia and Malaysia. Australia, secution by the Buddhist major- which has been justly criticized ity. Governments need to work for turning away refugee boats quickly to stem another exodus. from its shores, should instead After all, the refugee problem be helping its neighbors coordiin Southeast Asia lends itself to nate intelligence and informaresolution -- unlike the one in tion sharing in order to disrupt the Middle East, where brutal these networks. civil wars show no signs of ebbPolitical Asylum ing. Waves of Rohingya miWould-be migrants turn to grants have fled Myanmar twice smugglers because they have before, in the 1970s and 1990s, no legal means of seeking work only to return, albeit under less- abroad. This is why all governthan-ideal circumstances. The ments in the region should work goal now must be to create con- out a more transparent guestditions under which they can worker program, either through

Bloomberg editorial

the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or through bilateral labor agreements. Singapore, which has set up reasonably effectiveprocedures for recruiting foreign laborers and established a minimum set of protections for them, provides a good model to build on.

That said, Myanmar has a long way to go to improve the lot of the Rohingya, who still do not have full citizenship -- and thus the passports they would need to participate in any legal guest-worker program. The Rohingya’s roots are fiercely disputed, with some claiming they’re indigenous to Rakhine state and others insisting they migrated under the British during colonial times, if not more recently. Granting them political rights remains a third rail in Myanmar and will only become more so in the months leading up to elections this fall. But even if an immediate breakthrough

isn’t possible, the government can do more to lay the groundwork for change.

As some Burmese officials have suggested, concerned countries around the world could help by contributing to the development of Rakhine.

Most outside aid is spent on humanitarian relief for the Rohingya who were displaced by riots in 2012. Donors could build much more goodwill by investing in health and development projects that benefit Buddhists as well as Muslims. The money could be offered with strings attached, including a requirement that Rohingya migrants who have been violently driven from their homes and farms be allowed to return.

For its part, the Burmese government needs to do more to tone down the controversy over whether the Rohingya should be made citizens. Moderates on both sides should, for example,

move to abandon the fraught and useless debate over whether the people should even be called “Rohingya” or whether they should be referred to instead as “Bengali.” The hate speech from some high-profile Buddhist leaders has been tolerated too long.

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s reluctance to speak out in defense of the Rohingya may be somewhat understandable ahead of the elections. But as she herself has noted, another outbreak of anti-Rohingya violence in Rakhine could well disrupt the vote. It’s in her interests and those of her supporters to tamp down anti-Muslim prejudice now, rather than store up problems for the next government, which her party is expected to dominate. By now it should be clear -- to her no less than to Myanmar’s current leaders -- that the alternative would be tragic.

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A11 Warehouse blast in Rizal causes fire, blackouts

By John Paolo Bencito

Ladies dancing. Presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles, Peace panel chairperson Miriam Coronel Ferrer and ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia perform the “pangalay dance” in Cotabato City. OMAR MANGORSI

Bishop reinstates La Union priest facing ouster calls

By Dexter A. See

NAGUILIAN, La Union – Parish priest Rev. Raul Panay, who had faced petitions for dismissal or transfer, was reinstalled Wednesday by La Union Bishop Rodolfo Beltran, head of the Diocese of San Fernando City and regional president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

“I don’t want any divisions among the people, particularly church goers,” Beltran said in an interview with Bombo Radyo.

More than 26,000 parishioners last month filed a petition against Panay, the resident priest of St, Augustine of Hippo parish, for his involvement in several controversies and for display of “un-priestly” behavior.

The parishioners were led by Parish Pastoral Council officials, specifically Henry Bambao, the president of United naguilian (La Union) Circle of America, Inc. Among acts complained of were threatening to shoot Bambao, insulting and harassing church-goers, using funds to buy beer and

food for guests, raising the fees for funeral and baptismal services, and even shortening the time allotted to mass.

According to Beltran, he met with other bishops during a conference in Manila. The consultation ended with the decision to reinstate the priest.

The bishop added that the PPC had proposed the repair of the church on the condition that the priest would not intervene. It was allegedly upon the request of the donor.

Beltran added that the parishioners also went to naguilian Mayor Reynaldo Flores who also sided with them, “without hearing much.”

An explosion occurred at a former firearms and ammunition warehouse owned by the Rizal Police Provincial Office at around 7:15 Wednesday evening.

The blast, due to a stillunknown origin, caused a fire and power outage in several parts of Pililla, Rizal. no one was reported killed or injured.

According to Sr. Supt.

Bernabe Balba, Rizal PnP Provincial Director, the explosion also caused light damage to a nearby house and a gas station located at Barangay Hulo.

“We are still examining the probable cause of the explosion in our former warehouse. Our initial investigation showed that the explosion started from one of the nearby water tanks but we’re still examining if there are chemicals that are mixed with the containers,” Balba said.

Investigation showed that residents first mistook the explosion as fireworks. They were later on shocked to see the warehouse on fire.

The warehouse used to store weapons and ammunition for the Philippine Army and PnP but now houses machinery and car parts.

The fire, which reach third alarm, lasted for around three hours before it was put out.

Mindoro officials urge review of safety standards of digging firms

By Robert A. Evora nAUJAn, Oriental Mindoro – Local government leaders here urged concerned government agencies to study the safety standards of companies undertaking digging and excavation projects in this province.

In the wake of the deaths of nine miners on Semirara Island on July 17, the second incident in two years, Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso V. Umali, Jr. cited recent series of fatal accidents involving miners and workers in a worksite of Sta. Clara International Corporation in Sitio Tarugin, Bgy. Malvar, this municipality.

The SCIC was contracted by its sister company, the Sta.

Clara Power Corporation, to construct the latter’s eightmegawatt lower Catuiran River mini-hydro power plant project in Tarugin.

The project covers an area of 3,000 hectares, six hectares of which is public forest straddling Mangyan communities of barangays Arangin, Banuton, Malvar, and Balete. naujan Mayor Mark Marcos was alarmed with reported cases of construction mishaps resulting in serious injuries and even deaths of miners and laborers occurring at the SCIC project site.

The mayor had sought the assistance of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, through Regional Director Roland de

Jesus, to “conduct ocular inspection, evaluation, recommendation” of the SCIC digging and tunnelling operations in the area to “come up with a more composite standpoint for the safety and protection of its workers.”

Marcos also formed a technical working group composed of municipal officials to monitor and report “any untoward activities prejudicial to the interest and welfare of our constituents.”

The TWG will monitor the activities of the ongoing projects of the Sta. Clara Power Corporation and the 40-megawatt Montelago Geothermal Power Plant in Bgy. Montelago, also this town.

Sorry, none today. Fishermen at Atimonan Port in Quezon await clearance so they can sail into open waters again after seeing empty fish containers for long. PNA

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Satarak, Corpus show way. Thai

Scott battles Spieth at Aussie Open

Walailak Satarak struck with three birdies midway through to card a 73 and force a tie with Cristina Corpus as erstwhile leader Saraporn Chamchoi fumbled with an 80 in the second round of the ICTSI Luisita Ladies Challenge at the Luisita Golf and Country Club.

Satarak looked headed for another poor round after a 76 as she dropped four strokes right in the first six holes, including a double-bogey on the par-3 sixth.

But she rebounded with three birdies from close range in a five-hole stretch from No. 7 then parred the rest of the holes for a 3835 card and a 149.

SYDNEY—Former world number one Adam Scott will take on twotime major winner and defending champion Jordan Spieth at the Australian Open in Sydney in November, organisers said on Thursday.

Scott, the 2013 US Masters champion, was confirmed as a starter for his national open at The Australian Golf Club from November 26-29.

The world number 11 came close to winning this year’s US Open with his closing round of 64, eventually tieing for fourth at Chambers Bay. He tied for 10th at the British Open at St Andrews, won by American Zach Johnson on Monday.

Texan Spieth, winner of both the Masters tournament and the US Open this year, earlier this week committed to returning to defend the Australian Open title he won last year.

“The Australian Open is a tournament that I value highly and I am really looking forward to competing to win my national Open once again,” Scott said.

Spieth played one of the greatest rounds in the history of the Australian Open last year to win by six shots. AFP

Serena, Djokovic pace US Open direct entry list NEW YORK—Serena Williams, bidding for a calendar-year Grand Slam and her fifth consecutive major title, joined fellow world number one Novak Djokovic atop the US Open direct entry lists announced Wednesday.

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan MUNICIPALITY OF LlMAY INVITATION TO BID The Bids and Awards Committee of the Municipality of Limay will be accepting bids for the procurement of the ff; Name of Project/Contract

Location

Sources of FUNDS

Duration

Approved Budget Cost (ABC)

Cost of Bid Doc’s

1. Supply and delivery of Two(2) units Brand New Ambulance for Limay Emergency & Birthing Facility

Limay, Bataan

GEN FUND

30 days

4,400,000.00

5,000.00

2. Supply and delivery of Two (2) Units Brand New Service Vehicles 4x2 2.50 L

Limay, Bataan

GEN FUND

30 days

2,600,000.00

5,000.00

3. Supply and delivery of One (1) Unit Brand New Service Vehicles 4x4.30 L

Limay, Bataan

GEN FUND

30 days

1,650,000.00

5,000.00

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

Delivery of Goods shall not exceed thirty (30) calendar days upon winning bidder’s receipt of the Notice to Proceed. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a 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.” The Bidding Documents is available at the office of the BAC Secretariat, 2nd Floor, Limay Municipal Building, National Road, Barangay Townsite, Limay, Bataan and may be acquired by interested bidders through payment of nonrefundable fee for the bidding documents.

The schedule of activities is listed, as follows: ACTIVITIES Issuance of the Bidding Documents Pre-Bid Conference

SCHEDULE July 21-August 10, 2015

VENUE BAC Secretariat Office

July 29, 2015 ,2:00 P.M.

Submission/Opening of Bids

August 10, 2015, 2:00 P.M

Multi-Purpose Room, Ground Floor, Limay Municipal Building.

Multi-Purpose Room, Ground Floor, Limay Municipal Building.

The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

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

For further information, please contact: Mr. Ronnie Latanafrancia BAC Secretariat 2nd Floor, Limay Muncipal Building, National Road, Brgy. Townsite, Limay, Bataan Telephone No. 613-8026 (Sgd.) ROMARIO C. PANANGUI Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee (TS JULY 24, 2015)

The US Tennis Association said the world’s 99 top-ranked men and 100 of the top 101 women —China’s 29th-ranked Peng Shuai absent with a back injury—will be in the field when the year’s final Grand Slam event begins next month at Flushing Meadows.

Three-time defending champion Williams, who shares the Open Era record of US Open titles with Chris Evert at six, can become the first woman to win all four Grand Slams in the same year since Steffi Graf in 1988.

Williams, who holds all four major titles at once in a second career “Serena Slam,” won her 21st Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon earlier this month, putting her third on the alltime list behind Graf’s 22 and the 24 of Margaret Court.

Djokovic, a five-time US Open finalist who won the title in 2011, captured his eighth and ninth Grand Slam titles this year at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Roger Federer, ranked second and who lost to Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, seeks his sixth

US Open crown to add to his record 17 career Slam titles.

Britain’s Andy Murray, the 2012 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon winner, and reigning French Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka as well as defending champion Marin Cilic and fifth-ranked Kei Nishikori, last year’s US Open runner-up from Japan, are in the lineup.

So is Spain’s Rafael Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 US Open champion who seeks a 15th Slam crown.

World number two and 2006 US Open champion Maria Sharapova of Russia, 2014 US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki, two-time US Open champion Venus Williams and former US Open champions Samantha Stosur and Svetlana Kuznetsova are in the field.

Italy’s 99th-ranked Marco Cecchinato was the last men’s direct entrant while five players used protected rankings to gain a spot in the field, including American Mardy Fish, Germans Tommy Haas and Florian Mayer, Serbian Janko Tipsarevic and Czech Radek Stepanek. AFP

Ventanilla sweeps way to chess title FIFTH-RANKED Billy Samuel Ventanilla sustained his top form and beat his last four rivals to complete a sweep of the kiddies’ crown in the 23rd Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship Northern Mindanao leg at SM CDO City Event Center in Cagayan de Oro last Sunday.

Ventanilla, one of the three players who swept their first five games in the 7-12 age category, downed erstwhile co-leader Jerish Velarde in the sixth then the Villarica Elem. School standout rolled past Rafael Calingin, top seed Ronald Canino and Loribina Carrasco Li to cap his two-day

romp with nine points.

He also booked a berth in the national finals of the annual event sponsored by Pilipinas Shell along with second placer Clyde Saraos of Bobontugan Elem.

School, who rebounded from a fourth round loss to Maverick Pateros with a sweep of his last five matches for eight points.

Despite her final round setback to Ventanilla, Carrasco Li from West City Central still made it to the grand finals, set Sept. 19-20 at SM Megamall, by emerging the top female finisher with seven points.

Ventanilla, Saraos and Carrasco Li will thus join the other top finishers in the

seniors’ and juniors’ divisions in the grand finals, along with the qualifiers in four other elims stages of the nationwide talent search sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

The other Northern Mindanao qualifers were Allan Pason of Univ. of San JoseRecoletos and Diego CaparinoClaro of Univ. of Cebu, who finished 1-2 in the seniors category, and top female player Rowena Padro, also of USC, while Corpus Cristi’s Tristan Ibaoc, Ahmad Ali Azote of Agusan National High and MOGCHS’ Vanessa Magno topped the juniors category.

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Pacman to lobby for PH Fiba bid GENERAL SANTOS—Boxing hero Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday he would promote the Philippines’ bid to host the 2019 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup. "Yes, I'm going to Tokyo with the Philippine delegation to help in our bid to host FIBA 2019," he said in a statement.

Pacquiao, 36, said he would travel next month to the Japanese capital where FIBA would announce the host.

The basketball-crazy Philippines qualified for last year's FIBA World Cup in Spain, finishing 21st.

It faces stiff competition from Asian giant China as host for the 2019 event, according to the FIBA website.

Pacquiao, who has gained worldwide fame for holding boxing world titles in eight

weight divisions, is also an avid basketball fan.

Last year he controversially signed on as playing coach of a neophyte team in the highly-competitive Philippine professional basketball league.

However the 1.69-metre (5 foot 7 inch) Pacquiao has been underwhelming on the hardcourt, playing just for

a few minutes in each game despite cheering fans in the bleachers.

Pacquiao has parlayed his boxing fame into a fortune in showbiz, as a commercial endorser and even in politics, winning election as the congressman of a district in the poverty-stricken southern Philippines. AFP

Cone ready to ‘clash’ with Ginebra stars NEWLY installed Brgy.

Ginebra head coach Tim DENNIS PRINCIPE Cone sees a bunch of SPORTS CHAT hungry players in his new team which he intends to take advantage of and make his latest work much easier.

Yesterday, Cone and the San Miguel Corporation management made the American mentor’s transfer official when they met the media in a press conference in their Mandaluyong City head office.

The 57-year-old Cone, who led one of SMC’s teams San Mig Coffee to a Grand Slam crown two seasons ago said he sees a lot of opportunity in Ginebra’s current situation which he aims to maximize even if it means clashing heads with players.

“If it takes to battle a player to impart your vision you will do that. Ginebra is a team that has been struggling so they’re hungry and I think that’s one of the best things,” said Cone “They’re looking to be successful and they’ll gamble on me and listen to what I have to say and I’ll be able to lead them to a better place.”

Cone will be taking over a team that has been title-less the last eight years and has shuffled five coaching personalities in their attempt to get the ideal head coach.

And Cone is more than willing to oblige to a new assignment that will help the league’s acknowledged crowd favorites to rise from the doldrums.

“They want to try to make the organization better and that was how it was presented to me.

They want to try to elevate Ginebra and they think I can do that, I take great pride in that. I love being the fix-it guy,” said Cone. “I’m not sure I had a yes or no with all of this. But once the President makes the decision, I serve at his pleasure and I’ll do whatever it takes.”

It was reported that no less that SMC’s President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang ordered the reorganization.

Cone, meanwhile, admitted he only had hints that there were plans to transfer him to Ginebra but was only told about the move when management had a final decision on the issue.

“I knew there were some discussions going on about it. So I knew there were some internal discussions going on and I knew it was a possibility but they didn’t let me in on it until basically I came back,” revealed Cone.

Cone, however, admitted that he was a bit affected with his work, while in Las Vegas where he attended the NBA Summer League tournament to look for future imports for his team.

“I had two minds over the summer league ‘Boy, I need this player for Purefoods, oh no, this guy might be better for Ginebra’. I wasn’t sure where I was going though coaching Japeth, Mark and Greg entered my mind while I was there,” disclosed Cone.

Cone hopes to get the support and cooperation of his players after admitting that he is not that familiar with most of Ginebra’s key players, save for LA Tenorio and Josh Urbiztondo who were part of Cone’s stint with the Alaska Aces and B-Meg. “There has to be a buy-in of what we’re trying to achieve. If you cannot have that then you cannot be successful. It’s as simple as that. It really comes down and playing together and I think we can do that,” said Cone “The personalities there can mesh together. My magic is with the players. They control the magic by working hard and playing together.”

Meantime, in the same presser, SMC announced the appointment of now-former broadcaster and assistant coach Jason Webb as the Hotshots’ new head coach.

Sand-court inauguration. Friends and supporters of the Philippine Volleyball Federation, including some members of the renown Bagwis and Amihan teams, showed up during the inauguration of the country’s first indoor beach volleyball sand-court inside the Cantada Sports Center in Taguig City. The Sunday event, hosted by PVF president Edgardo Boy Cantada and supported by Tanduay Distillers, Inc., Toyota Balintawak, Charlie’s Hamburgers and sportsman Oliver Gan, also saw the staging of a dual tournament for men’s and women’s teams. Cantada announced the availability of the center’s newly built indoor and regular outdoor courts to all members of the Philippine beach volleyball community.

Kelly makes comeback

By Randy Caluag ERIC Kelly, tipped to be the country’s brightest hope to bring home a major MMA title again, is ready to come out of retirement.

Kelly, the former ONE featherweight champion, yesterday said he has just relayed his intention to fight again in Asia’s biggest mixed martial arts organization, expressing hopes that he be given another chance to fight.

“I just told ONE officials the other day that I’m ready to fight again. I am now back in hard training to make myself fit to fight anytime,” the Benguet-native fighter told the The Standard.

Kelly’s last fight at ONE was in July last year, when he scored a come-from-behind submission win over tough Australian Rob Lisita in the ONE: War of Dragons in Taiwan.

Due to misunderstanding in the fight purse, he was not given

a fight again despite his having three more fights in his contract with the organization.

Among Filipino fighters at ONE, Kelly has one of the best fight records with 11 wins against only a loss inflicted by fellow Filipino Honorio Banario in Kelly’s first defense of the crown two months after he won it from Australian Brad Terrey. That was his only loss in his six fifths at ONE. In his long layoff from the cage, Kelly made himself busy tending to his personal business and his plan to put up his own MMA gym with some partners.

Kelly said said he values the opportunity given to him by ONE and he does not see himself opting out (of ONE) and fighting at lesser organizations.

“I’m not stepping backward.

I’m already here at ONE, which is the best and biggest in Asia. I’m not getting any younger and If I am to fight the big fight, it’s only here at ONE,” he said.

Eric Kelly (right) with ONE chief Victor Cui in good times just after his victory in Taiwan last year CHRISTIAN GAZMIN

Moseley Jr., Pollard suspended for doping

By Ronnie Nathanielsz MIDDLEWEIGHT Shane Mosley Jr. and heavyweight Julian Pollard have been suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for failed drug tests in their Big Knockout Boxing bouts at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas last June 27.

ESPN Senior writer Dan Rafael reported that Mosley Jr., the son of

former three-division world champion Shane Mosley, has been issued a temporary suspension by the Nevada commission for failing a drug test, following his appearance on the Big Knockout Boxing pay-per-view card in which he knocked out Jason Kelly in 51 seconds, but tested positive for amphetamines, which are banned.

The 24-year-old Mosley Jr. dropped Kelly with two vicious body shots and

when he dropped him once again, referee Jay Nady called a halt to the fight.

The findings against Mosley Jr., who has a record of 5-1 with 5 knockouts, is a major setback for the youngster who was scheduled to fight on the Sergey Kovalev-Nadjib Mohammedi undercard on Saturday night, but was removed from the card several days ago when the commission received the test results.

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Knights roll to 5 straight win th

By Peter Atencio

THE Letran Knights continued their run of victories, this time turning back the University of Perpetual Help Altas, 79-71, yesterday in the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the Arena in San Juan.

Rey Nambatac and Mark Cruz had 15 points apiece for the Knights, who went

on to post their fifth straight triumph, earning them the solo lead.

Nambatac banged in

10 points in the third period, allowing the Knights to stay out of range, 58-51.

“We’re just in the right. But, in terms of achievement, we haven’t achieved anything yet,” said Letran coach Aldin Ayo. The Knights are two games closer to their best start of 7-0 two years ago.

Meanwhile, Bacolod find Jeremer Cabanag

N O T I C E TO T H E P U B L I C P l e a s e b e i n f o r m e d t h a t t h e f o l l o w i n g a c c o u n t a b l e f o r m s o f I N V E S TO R S A S S U R A N C E C O R P O R AT I O N ( I A C) h a v e b e e n l o s t : T Y P E O F P O L I CY J C R (2) - P e r s o n a l B a i l B o n d

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joined Olaide Adeogun in coming up with big plays that carried the defending champion San Beda Red Lions to a 7367 win over the College of St. Benilde Blazers.

Cabanag shot seven of his nine-point tally in the first six minutes of the fourth period, giving the Red Lions enough cushion to pull off their fourth triumph in five games.

The Blazers came

charging back from a 28-41 deficit in the third, with Jose Saavedra leading the charge with seven of 12 points, allowing CSB to come close, 4850, when the fourth period got under way.

But Cabanag’s baskets helped the Red Lions establish a 63-52 cushion in the last four minutes.

“He’s making a lot of sacrifices by being an allaround player,” said Red Lions coach Jamike Jarin.

14 2 7 7 2 14 2 7 75 14 2 7 7 8 14 3101 14 4 4 8 2 147 3 51 147 3 5 7 147 3 7 8 147 3 8 9 147 3 91 1474 01 147411 14 8151 14 8 2 4 0 14 8 2 4 3 15 0 2 8 9 15 0 2 9 4 15 0 2 9 7 15 0 818 15 0 8 2 5 15 0 8 2 8 15 0 8 3 3 15 0 8 3 7 15 0 8 3 8 15 3 2 9 2 15 3 2 9 6 15 4 5 74 15 4 8 51 15 4 8 6 4 15 4 8 7 9 15 4 8 8 5 15 4 9 5 5 15 4 9 6 9 15 4 9 7 8 15 4 9 81 15 4 9 8 3 15 4 9 9 5 15 5 3 01 15 5 312 15 5 317 15 5 3 2 0 15 5 3 2 5 15 5 3 2 8 15 5 3 2 9 15 5 3 3 7 15 5 3 4 4 15 5 3 47 15 5 3 47 15 5 6 01 15 5 6 01 15 5 6 3 4 15 5 6 3 6 15 5 6 41 15 5 6 5 3 15 5 6 5 7 15 5 6 5 7 15 5 6 6 9 15 5 6 7 2 15 5 6 8 9 15 6 2 6 2 15 6 2 6 5 15 6 2 6 8 15 6 2 8 5 15 6 2 8 9 15 6 2 9 5 15 6 3 0 0 15 6 4 51 15 6 4 5 9 15 6 4 6 5 15 6 47 3 15 6 47 8 15 6 4 8 2 15 6 4 8 7 15 6 6 51 15 6 6 5 6 15 6 6 5 8 15 6 6 8 5 15 6 6 8 7 15 6 6 8 9 15 6 6 9 2 15 6 9 01 15 6 9 0 5 15 6 9 0 8 15 6 913 15 7 0 3 0 15 7 0 3 6 15 7 0 4 4 15 7 0 4 6 15 7 0 5 4 15 7 0 5 8 15 7 0 7 6 15 7 0 9 6 15 710 0 15 7 2 8 15 7 3 5 3 15 7 3 5 5 15 7 3 9 7 15 74 0 0 15 7 74 4 15 7 74 6 15 8 7 0 8 15 8 719 15 8 7 2 3 15 8 7 2 4 16 0 6 6 5 16 0 6 7 2 16 0 6 8 8 16 0 6 91 16 0 7 0 0 16 0 7 2 3 16 0 7 2 6 16 0 747 16 0 8 0 8 16 0 813 16 216 5 16 219 6 16 2 2 0 5 16 2 2 0 8 16 2 215 16 2 2 3 6 16 2 2 4 5 16 3 3 0 3 16 3 3 0 9 16 3 311 16 4 0 71 2994 4496 6 315 7

Games Today (Arena in San Juan) 8 a.m. Mapua vs EAC-ICA (jrs) 10 a.m. JRU vs LPU (jrs) 12 nn Mapua vs EAC (srs) 2 p.m. JRU vs LPU (srs) 4 p.m. Arellano vs San Sebastian(srs) 6 p.m. Arellano vs San Sebastian (jrs)

In junior action, Albert Bordeus and Sam Abuhijle made 15 points each as the San Beda Red Cubs blasted La Salle Greenhills, 8463, and moved ahead in the solo lead with their fifth straight win.

14 2 7 7 2 14 2 7 75 14 2 7 7 8 14 314 8 14 4 4 8 2 147 3 5 5 147 3 7 6 147 3 8 7 147 3 8 9 147 3 91 147410 1474 2 0 14 8 2 3 8 14 8 2 41 14 8 2 47 15 0 2 8 9 15 0 2 9 4 15 0 2 9 8 15 0 819 15 0 8 2 5 15 0 8 3 2 15 0 8 3 5 15 0 8 3 7 15 0 8 4 0 15 3 2 9 3 15 3 2 9 6 15 4 5 74 15 4 8 51 15 4 8 6 4 15 4 8 8 0 15 4 8 9 4 15 4 9 5 5 15 4 9 6 9 15 4 9 7 8 15 4 9 81 15 4 9 8 4 15 4 9 9 6 15 5 3 0 7 15 5 313 15 5 317 15 5 3 21 15 5 3 2 5 15 5 3 2 8 15 5 3 3 2 15 5 3 3 7 15 5 3 4 4 15 5 3 5 0 15 5 3 5 0 15 5 6 0 2 15 5 6 0 2 15 5 6 3 4 15 5 6 3 6 15 5 6 41 15 5 6 5 4 15 5 6 6 0 15 5 6 5 7 15 5 6 71 15 5 6 75 15 5 6 8 9 15 6 2 6 4 15 6 2 6 6 15 6 2 6 9 15 6 2 8 5 15 6 2 8 9 15 6 2 9 5 15 6 3 0 0 15 6 4 5 4 15 6 4 5 9 15 6 4 6 7 15 6 475 15 6 47 8 15 6 4 8 3 15 6 4 91 15 6 6 51 15 6 6 5 6 15 6 6 5 8 15 6 6 8 5 15 6 6 8 7 15 6 6 8 9 15 6 6 9 2 15 6 9 0 3 15 6 9 0 5 15 6 9 0 9 15 6 913 15 7 0 3 0 15 7 0 3 6 15 7 0 4 4 15 7 0 4 6 15 7 0 5 5 15 7 0 5 8 15 7 0 7 6 15 7 0 9 6 15 710 0 15 7 3 0 15 7 3 5 3 15 7 3 5 8 15 7 3 9 7 15 74 0 0 15 7 74 4 15 7 74 6 15 8 7 0 8 15 8 719 15 8 7 2 3 15 8 7 2 4 16 0 6 6 6 16 0 6 7 6 16 0 6 8 8 16 0 6 91 16 0 7 0 0 16 0 7 2 5 16 0 7 3 5 16 0 74 8 16 0 811 16 0 817 16 216 5 16 219 6 16 2 2 0 5 16 2 2 0 8 16 2 216 16 2 2 3 6 16 2 2 4 5 16 3 3 0 4 16 3 3 0 9 16 3 311 16 4 0 7 2 2994 4499 6 316 0

Should you have any of the foregoing IAC for ms in your possession, please c oordinate with o u r o f f i c e i m m e d i a t e l y a n d b r i n g t h e s a i d f o r m / s t o o u r o f f i c e w i t h i n t h i r t y (3 0) d a y s f r o m the date of this public ation, for possible replacement of the form/s or reimbursement of payments, if war ranted. IAC reser ves the right to require presentation of other adequate p r o o f o f i s s u a n c e a n d /o r p a y m e n t i n a d d i t i o n t o t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h e o r i g i n a l f o r m / s .

I N V E S T O R S A S S U R A N C E C O R P O R AT I O N U n i t 1/ 2 0 t h F l o o r, B D O P l a z a , P a s e o d e R o x a s n e a r c o r. M a k a t i Av e n u e , M a k a t i C i t y 12 0 0 Te l N o s .: ( 6 3 2) 8 2 2 - 4 0 0 0 / 8 2 2 - 5 0 0 0 / 8 9 1 - 0 9 9 4 / 8 91 - 0 9 9 6 / 8 91 - 0 9 7 6 ( T S - J U L . 2 4 , 2 015 )

Casimero rematch with Thai on hold

By Ronnie Nathanielsz SAMPSON Lewkowicz, who co-promotes former International Boxing Federation light flyweight champion and current No.1 Johnreil Casimero with Filipino promoter Sammy Gelloani, said in a press release that “despite the injustice done to my fighter last June, we are putting our pursuit of an (Amnat) Ruenroeng rematch on the back burner in favor of a better opportunity to face McWilliams Arroyo” of Puerto Rico in a title eliminator.

Lewkowicz, who failed to mention that he also handles Ruenroeng, said he will “not pursue an immediate rematch against the IBF flyweight title holder, but will instead look for a more lucrative match against McWillliams Arroyo.”

The promoter called it a “business-wise career path, the welldeserved rematch with Ruenroeng will have to be put on hold temporarily.”

Casimero lost what Lewkowicz himself described as a “highly questionable, foul–filled 12-round decision at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok last June 27. The bizarre fight included the champion being warned by referee Larry Doggett five times for wrestling Casimero to the canvas before being penalized. In an abysmal refereeing performance, Doggett also gave Ruenroeng credit for a non-knockdown push and ruled a legitimate knockdown against the champion a slip.”

The international promoter said they decided to have Casimero face off with Arroyo at a soon to be announced time and place later this year.

Lewkowicz said the winner of the Casimero-Arroyo bout “will then look at a rematch with Ruenroeng on neutral ground in the US early next year.”

He said that “sometimes putting your frustration and disappointment away for a better time makes more sense for the fighter’s career and this is what we are choosing in this case” even as he expressed confidence that Johnreil “will get his justice eventually and he will get a huge opportunity to face Puerto Rico’s Arroyo” adding that “out of a bad situation will come two of his biggest victories.”

F R I D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Cone to coach Ginebra; Webb to Star

By Jeric Lopez

TWO days after San Miguel Corporation big boss Ramon Ang officially confirmed the coaching changes under their teams, the company formally unveiled Tim Cone and Jason Webb as the new coaches of Barangay Ginebra and Star, respectively, yesterday.

In a brief conference, SMC officials introduced Cone, the league’s winningest coach in history, as the new Ginebra head coach, while Webb was presented as the one who’ll take over and call the shots for Star.

It is now in Cone’s hands to steer the struggling Gin Kings back to the promised land, something that the team hasn’t achieved in seven long years.

For his part, Cone expressed his eagerness and excitement over the new challenge that lies ahead as he will now be the new leader of the league’s crowd-darlings. ‘’I’m just excited to be a part of Ginebra and I’m looking forward to this challenge and experience,’’ said Cone. ‘’I did not expect to suddenly be Ginebra coach, but this is something to look forward to for me.’’

After a 21-year stint with Alaska where he made himself a household name after guiding the Aces to a league second-best 13 championships, Cone moved over to the Star franchise to deliver a total of five championships and a grand-slam, a feat he also achieved in his first team.

Now, Cone has the task of trying to turn a talented, but dysfunctional and underachieving Ginebra squad into a championship contender.

Though he knows he’s got a lot of tools and talent to work on with Ginebra, Cone admitted that it will take some time for him to find his niche with the Gin Kings as an adjustment period is inevitable, especially for a team that underwent coaching changes almost regularly in the past several seasons. ‘’It’s going to take some time for us but we want to be

LOTTO RESULTS

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

FOR FAST AD RESULTS, PLEASE CALL Advertising depArtment 832-5547 (DL); 832-5550 (TeleFax) emAiL Us @

advertise@ thestandard. com.ph

1.

The DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE (DOF), through the Government of the Philippines under the General Appropriations Act for CY 2015, intends to apply the sum of Five Million Pesos (PhP 5,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement for the Various Information Technology (IT) Equipment Related Projects for the Asset Information Management Program (AIMP) (the “Project”). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The DOF, through its Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC), now invites Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) registered contractors to apply for eligibility and to bid for the Procurement for the Various Information Technology (IT) Equipment Related Projects for the Asset Information Management Program (AIMP). Bidders should have completed, within three (3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project which is equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC for the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (R-IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. However, only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference and raise or submit written queries or clarifications.

4.

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

5.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the SBAC Secretariat and inspect the Bidding Documents at 7th Floor EDPC Building, BSP Complex, corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. St. Roxas Boulevard, Manila starting July 24, 2015 during office hours.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on July 24, 2015 at the General Services Division, 7th Floor EDPC Building, BSP Complex, corner Pablo Ocampo Sr. St., Roxas Blvd., Manila upon payment of a non-refundable fee provided as follows: Lot Particulars ABC Non-refundable fee No. 1 Implementation of Encoding and Audit Services PhP 2,000,000.00 PhP 5,000.00 PhP 3,000,000.00

PhP 5,000.00

The Bidding Documents may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the PhilGEPS and the website of the DOF, provided that the Bidders shall pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows: ACTIVITIES Posting of Invitation to Bid Issuance and Availability of Bid Documents Pre-Bid Conference Request for Clarification Issuance of Supplemental Bid Bulletin Deadline for Submission of Bids Opening of Bids 7.

SCHEDULE July 24, 2015 Starting July 24, 2015 July 31, 2015, 10:00 am August 2, 2015 (by email) August 5, 2015 August 12, 2015, 9:45 am August 12, 2015, 10:00 am

Bids must be delivered at the 7th Floor, EDPC Building cor. P. Ocampo Sr. St., Manila on or before August 12, 2015, 9:45 am. The bidders shall drop their duly accomplished eligibility requirements, technical and financial proposals in two (2) separate envelopes in the bid box located at the 7th Floor, General Services Division, EDPC Building, cor. P. Ocampo Sr. St., Malate Manila. All the Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the Instructions to Bid (ITB) Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on the date indicated above at the DFG Conference Room, 4th Floor DOF Building. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend.

“LATE BIDS SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED.”

8.

9.

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

For further information, please refer to: Lilia R. Tan, Head - SBAC Secretariat Department of Finance SBAC Secretariat, General Services Division 7th Floor EDPC Building, BSP Complex P. Ocampo, Sr. Street corner Roxas Boulevard, Manila Telephone No.: 526-8475 Telefax No.: 525-4227 Email Address: ltan@dof.gov.ph

(TS-JULY 24, 2015)

NOTICE OF SALE ON EXECUTION OF REAL PROPERTY WHEREAS, by virtue of an Order of Execution issued by the Hon. Rommel O. Baybay, Judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 132 of the Makati City, on June 11, 2014 in the above-entitled case for the recovery in the amount of Php1,949,076.40 plus interest thereon at the rate of 10% per annum, from 15 September 2012 until the obligation is fully paid and P400,000.00 by way of attorney’s fees and litigation expenses, levy was made by the undersigned sheriff on January 27, 2014, thru the Registry of Deeds, Province of Cavite, on the rights, interests, and participation of said defendant Melody B. Robles represented by her attorney-in-fact, RICHARD B. ROBLES in the real properties more particularly described as follows: DESCRIPTION TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE No. 1330811 A parcel of land (Lot 6, Block 6 of the cons./subd. plan Pcs-04-021779, being a portion of the cons. of Lots 1,2, & 24, Blk. 1 Lot 1-23, Blk.6; Lot 1-27, 39 Blk. 9, Blk. 13, Lots 6 & 8, Blk. 25, Lot 22, Blk. 27, Lot 40, Blk. 37, Blk. 40, Blk. 41, Road lots 2,3,32 & 37, all of Pcs-04-011869, L.R.A. Rec. No. ), situated in the Brgy. of De Fuego, Mun. of Gen. Trias. Prov. of Cavite, Island of Luzon xxx containing an area of One hundred Square Meters (100sqm).

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of said Order of Execution and in accordance with Rule 39, Section 19, of the Rules of Court, the undersigned Sheriff will sell at public auction to the highest bidder, for CASH and in Philippine Currency, on August 7, 2015, at 10:00 o`clock in the morning at the Ground Floor Lobby of the Makati City Hall Building, City of Makati, the rights, interests and participation of the defendants, in the above-described real properties in order to satisfy said Order of Execution, together with interests, costs, sheriff`s fees and the expenses of Sale.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on August 14, 2015, at 10:00 in the morning or soon thereafter, at the lobby of the Makati City Hall Bldg., without further notice.

Prospective bidders/buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the property and encumbrances thereon, if any.

City of Makati July 16, 2015.

(SGD.) BAYANI T. ACLE Sheriff IV

Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street Manila 1004

InvItatIon to BId for tHE ProCUrEMEnt for tHE varIoUS InforMatIon tECHnoLoGY (It) EQUIPMEnt rELatEd ProJECtS for tHE aSSEt InforMatIon ManaGEMEnt ProGraM (aIMP)

Data Capture Portal Development and Implementation

CIVIL CASE NO. 12-1139

-versusMELODY B. ROBLES, Represented by her attorney-in-fact, RICHARD B. ROBLES, Defendant. x--------------------------------------x

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street Manila 1004

2

BANK OF COMMERCE Plaintiff,

Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

From A16

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT CITY OF MAKATI BRANCH 132

(TS-JUL. 17 & 24, 2015)

Republic of the Philippines

6 million...

Nestle Philippines Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Suresh Narayanan was present at the launch and expressed his support.

“The cause of healthy eating and healthy living has been central to Nestle in all of its existence,” said Narayanan.

From July until December, the program aims to teach students to take part in a threeminute exercise emulating sports movements, activities which will be done every morning in school after the flag ceremony.

This will help kids energize their bodies and have alert minds for the day ahead, according to officials.

The program will also equip teachers with nutrition modules, highlighting the importance of a healthy breakfast.

This is in line with Milo’s mission to nourish champions every day, according to Narayanan, who was at the launch with Milo business executive Sherilla Bayona, and sports execs Andrew Neri and Robbie de Vera.

positive,’’ Cone said.

Just like when he carried Johnny Abarrientos with him in his transfer to Star several years ago, Cone will carry another trusted assistant of his to Ginebra in Richard Del Rosario.

For Webb, transitioning to head coach is something he will now have to embrace as he will try to maintain the level of success that the Hotshots had in the last several seasons when Cone was at the helm.

However, the rookie coach made one thing clear— he will run and impose his own system and will have to let go of the triangle that the team is familiar with under Cone. ‘’We’ll most likely not run the triangle. I’m envisioning something different for the team to work on,’’ said Webb.

Unlike Cone, Webb is very familiar with his players, considering he had a full year of stint under Cone to learn about the team he will be handling.

rEQUESt for ExPrESSIon of IntErESt for tHE ProCUrEMEnt of a ConSULtanCY SErvICES for tHE BUSInESS IntELLIGEnCE SoLUtIonS dEvELoPMEnt for tHE aSSEt InforMatIon ManaGEMEnt ProGraM (aIMP) 1. The Government of the Philippines through the Department of Finance (hereinafter referred to as “DOF” or the “Procuring Entity”), has received a Grant (hereinafter called “funds”) from the Asset Information Management Program (AIMP). The DOF intends to apply a portion of the funds in the amount of Fifteen Million Eight Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php15,800,000.00), being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), to eligible payments under the contract for Consultancy Services for the Business Intelligence Solutions Development (hereinafter referred to as the “Project”). Bids received in excess of Fifteen Million Eight Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php15,800,000.00) shall be automatically rejected at the opening of the financial proposals.

2. The Procuring Entity’s Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) now calls for the submission of eligibility documents for the procurement of consulting services for the Project. Interested consultants must submit their eligibility documents on or before August 3, 2015, 9:45 am at the SBAC Secretariat, 7th Floor EDPC Building, BSP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Malate, Manila.

Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

3. The SBAC shall draw up the short list of consultants from those who have submitted eligibility documents and have been determined as eligible in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 9184 (R.A. No. 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The short list shall consist of at least one (1) prospective bidder who will be entitled to submit bids. The criteria and rating system for short listing are: I. II. III.

Applicable Experience Quality of Personnel to be Assigned Capacity to Execute the Consultancy Project Total

– 30% – 40% – 30% – 100%

The passing score is seventy percent (70%).

4. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the IRR of R.A. No. 9184.

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.

5. The Procuring Entity shall evaluate bids using the Quality Based Evaluation/ Selection (QBE/QBS) procedure. The criteria and rating system for the evaluation of bids shall be provided in the Instructions to Bidders.

6. The contract shall be completed within a period of nine (9) months from issuance of Notice to Proceed.

7. The Procuring Entity reserves the right to reject any and all bids, annul the bidding process, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

8. For further information, please refer to: Ms. Lilia R. Tan, Tel No. 526-84-75 / ltan@dof.gov.ph

(SGD) GIL S. BELTRAN Undersecretary and DOF-SBAC Chairman

(SGD) GIL S. BELTRAN Undersecretary and Chairman Special Bids and Awards Committee (TS-JULY 24, 2015)

A16

F R I D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 5

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Meet LeBron: Movie star, showbiz mogul NBA player LeBron James accepts the award for Best Championship Performance during The 2015 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. AFP

LOS ANGELES—Fresh from his success in justreleased big-screen comedy “Trainwreck,” NBA superstar LeBron James has signed a deal with entertainment giant Warner Bros, the two sides announced Wednesday.

The agreement will see James’ “creative footprint touch all areas of the Studio, with plans for projects in television, film and original digital content,” they said in a joint statement.

“Connecting with my fans and telling meaningful stories have always been my passion,” said James.

“In everything I’ve done, from Nike commercials to ‘Uninterrupted’ and ‘Survivor’s Remorse,’ it’s always about connecting with people of all ages and providing unique content they can all enjoy.

“And I’ve always loved movies, which makes Warner Bros. the ultimate partner to help us continue to

Pacman to lobby for PH Fiba bid TURN TO A13

push the envelope. I can’t wait to see what we come up with,” he added.

Kevin Tsujihara, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros, said: “LeBron James has one of the most powerful, well-known brands in the world and we are excited to be in business with him” and his company SpringHill Entertainment.

“The combination of LeBron’s global media presence and Warner Bros.’ unmatched production and distribution expertise is a big win for fans everywhere,” he added. No further specific details were given.

James, who has just agreed a new two-year deal which will see him remain with the Cleveland Cava-

liers next season, plays himself in new romantic comedy “Trainwreck,” co-starring with Amy Schumer and Bill Hader.

But speaking at the movie’s premiere earlier this month he made it clear he won’t be giving up the NBA for Hollywood any time soon. “I ain’t no movie star,” James said.

“I know my day job.”

Meanwhile, the NBA will play its sixth regular-season game in London next January 14 when the Toronto Raptors face the Orlando Magic at the O2 Arena, the league announced Wednesday.

The Raptors played back-to-back games in London in 2011, marking the first NBA regular-season contests played in Europe, while the Magic first visited London in 1993 for two pre-season games.

“We look forward to returning to London next season,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.

Cone to coach Ginebra; Webb to Star TURN TO A15

“This underscores our commitment to growing basketball in the region and to bringing more regular-season basketball to our fans in the UK.” Raptors president and general manager Masai Ujiri, a Nigerian who was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2013, hopes the only non-US NBA club can connect with international fans.

“We are proud to return to London,” he said. “We had a tremendous experience in London in 2011 and look forward to reconnecting with the fans and community. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to continue in the NBA’s mission to make an impact globally.”

Magic coach Scott Skiles played for Orlando when the team visited in 1993.

“I’m sure our current players will relish this unique opportunity,” he said. AFP

6 million students get fitness boost

By Peter Atencio OVER 6 million elementary school children in 10,000 schools nationwide are expected to take part in a nutrition, health and wellness program being initiated by the Department of Education, in collaboration with Nestle Philippines.

Tonisito Umali, Assistant Secretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs, Department of Education, expressed his excitement over the initiative launched yesterday at Highway Hills Integrated School along Samat St. in Mandaluyong City.

“Ito pong programang ito, puwedeng ituring na isang mahalagang milestone sa partnership ng Deped sa Nestle Philippines,” said Umali.

Known as the Milo Champ Moves, the program is designed by fitness experts from the Deped, seeking to foster the importance of physical activities and good nutrition among school children aged 7 to 12.

Continued on A15

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK FRIDAY: JULY 24, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

Apec workshop. The Finance Department opened the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Workshop on Infrastructure Financing and Capital Market Development at The Royal Garden Hall Convention Center in Iloilo City. Shown are officials from finance ministries and multilateral organizations, infrastructure experts and capital market players across Apec member-economies who gathered to discuss infrastructure and capital market development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ayala expands energy business PSe comPoSite index Closing July 23, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,653.22 17.60

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JULY 23, 2015 42

P45.380

43

CLOSE

44 45 46

HIGH P45.255 LOW P45.400 AVERAGE P45.349 VOLUME 539.800M

P475.00-P675.00 LPG/11-kg tank P40.55-P46.70 Unleaded Gasoline P27.90-P31.15 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

By Alena Mae S. Flores

AC Energy Holdings Inc., the energy unit of the Ayala Group, plans to expand its renewable energy footprint by increasing its investments in wind and hydro power plants.

AC Energy president and chief executive Eric Francia told reporters at the sidelines of the Ayala Corp.-UPSE Economic Forum the company also considered venturing into solar power projects.

“We will continue to monitor solar. Panel prices have gone down... We are not participating in the race but [it] doesn’t mean we have forgotten solar. It’s a medium to long-term thing,” Francia said.

He said AC Energy was also waiting for guidance from the government on the wind installation target to guide the expansion of its 81-megawatt wind power project in Ilocos Norte.

AC Energy, through affiliate North Luzon Renewable Energy

Corp., completed the 81-MW wind farm in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte on Nov. 11, 2014.

Francia said the Energy Department had announced it would bid out wind projects outside the approved installation targets.

“We are waiting for guidance for the next round [of wind installation]....There is a potential increase [expansion of the Pagudpud wind farm] by less than double the size,” he said.

Francia said the company’s hydro projects had yet to take off, although Tinoc hydro project in Ifugao was in an advanced stage of development.

Quadriver Energy Corp., the joint venture of AC Energy and

Sta. Clara Power Corp., received an approval from the Energy Department for the Tinoc hydro projects in Ifugao totaling 14.5 MW. Francia said the company was also open to participating in the privatization of the remaining hydro power assets owned by the government.

Francia said AC Energy’s attributable capacity now stood at 700 MW and was nearing its goal of attaining the 1,000-MW attributable capacity target of power plants.

He said the remaining 300 MW of the target was expected to be filled up from the expansion of GN Power’s Mariveles 600-MW coal plant in Bataan.

“In the past three years Ayala has committed over $700 million in equity to build much needed base load capacity and to develop renewable energy sources. We continue to work on a pipeline of power projects together with our partners to meet our goal of assembling over 1,000 MW in attributable generating capacity

over the next few years,” Francia said.

AC Energy recently secured financing for the phased construction of a 540-MW coal-fired power plant in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte in Mindanao.

The Mindanao power plant is developed by GN Power Kauswagan Ltd. Co., a limited partnership among AC Energy, the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure Fund and Power Partners Ltd. Co. Power plant construction is expected to commence early this year and will be operational by 2017.

The first unit of its 270-MW coal-fired power plant in Calaca, Batangas under South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp., a joint venture of AC Energy with Trans-Asia Oil and Development Corp., has already started operations while the second 135-MW unit of the plant is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

PH firms avert currency risk with crisis lessons

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

By Karl Lester M. Yap

P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, July 23, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.2470

Japan

Yen

0.008066

0.3650

UK

Pound

1.561000

70.6306

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129029

5.8382

Switzerland

Franc

1.041450

47.1225

Canada

Dollar

0.767401

34.7226

Singapore

Dollar

0.732601

33.1480

Australia

Dollar

0.737681

33.3779

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652168

120.0026 12.0649

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

Brunei

Dollar

0.729927

33.0270

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.028859

1.3058

UAE

Dirham

0.272264

12.3191

Euro

Euro

1.092100

49.4142

Korea

Won

0.000865

0.0391

China

Yuan

0.161044

7.2868

India

Rupee

0.015723

0.7114

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.263817

11.9369

New Zealand

Dollar

0.657592

29.7541

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032011

1.4484 Source: PDS Bridge

IT WASN’T just governments and central banks that took away lessons from the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. Ayala Corp. and SM Investments Corp. of the Philippines learned to fully hedge the currency risk on their foreign debt when the dollar strengthens.

“Our view from the start of the year has been a stronger dollar, and we have managed our positions as such,” Ayala’s chief finance officer Jose Teodoro Limcaoco, said in a July 14 interview in Manila. SM’s policy is to have “no currency risk in our books,” Corazon Guidote, the company’s head of investor relations, said July 13.

Weakening Southeast Asian currencies are sparking memories of the 1997-1998 crisis, when a sharp rise in the dollar inflated

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

the cost of dollar-denominated debt and led to corporate defaults.

Hedging measures by Philippine companies such as Ayala and SM are seen helping shield them as the dollar gains and the Federal Reserve prepares to raise interest rates.

“For companies exposed to dollars on their books, it’s a really, really good time to be hedging,” said Alan Cayetano, head of foreignexchange trading at Bank of the Philippine Islands in Manila.

“The general outlook is a broadly strong dollar. We see that companies are very proactive in covering short-term obligations, both from a cash flow and a risk management perspective,” Cayetano said.

The peso fell 0.3 percent to close at 45.38 against the dollar on Thursday. It has weakened 1.3 percent this year, compared with an

8-percent loss for the ringgit and a 7.5-percent drop in the rupiah.

It’s a different situation from 1997, when the peso declined 33 percent at the height of the crisis, and the economy contracted by 0.6 percent the following year.

Once called the “sick man of Asia,” the Philippines is projected to be among the fastest growing Asian economies this year and next.

Philippine companies sold $1.3 billion of dollar bonds in 2014, with SM Investments issuing $350 million of debt while Ayala sold $300 million. This year, companies have sold $843 million, with SM and Ayala abstaining. That compares with more than $10 billion of global securities issued by Malaysian and Indonesian companies this year, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Ayala, which owns the country’s

second-biggest property developer, matches about 80 percent of its foreign debt with foreign cash flow and the remainder with dollar-denominated investment, Limcaoco said. At SM Investments, Asia’s largest mall owner by market value, all foreign-based liabilities are effectively fully converted to pesos, Guidote said.

San Miguel Corp., the largest Philippine company by revenue, can hedge as much as half its dollar debt and is watching the market very closely, head of Treasury Sergio Edeza said this week.

“People are applying lessons learned from the Asian financial crisis,” said April Lee-Tan, head of research at COL Financial Group Inc. in Manila. “These strategies will help insulate profits from potential foreign-exchange losses.”

Bloomberg

FRIDAY: JULY 24, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Thursday, July 23, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 0.92 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26 47 5 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 17 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 241 12.5 79 3.95 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 7.34 238 3.28 0.315 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 5.29 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 6.55 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 41.4 5.6

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 5 4.75 73.3 72.35 105.20 104.00 96.25 94.00 46 45.6 2.52 2.52 1.55 1.49 16.2 16.12 20.5 20.15 6.50 6.35 0.74 0.74 815.00 780.00 0.420 0.420 91.45 90.6 1 1 19.00 18.60 63.90 63.25 89 89 309 307 38.95 38.25 151.2 148.5 1465.00 1465.00 60.00 59.95 3.24 3.24 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp.

44.6 45 44 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 1.44 1.53 1.37 1.86 Alsons Cons.

1.92 1.93 1.91 7.92 Asiabest Group 10.12 10.16 10.02 32 C. Azuc De Tarlac 91.40 91.40 91.40 15.32 Century Food 18.26 18.4 18.24 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 26.2 26.7 26 29.15 Concepcion 56.8 57 57 1.5 Crown Asia 2.66 2.69 2.57 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 1.49 1.56 1.43 10.72 Del Monte 12.48 12.5 12.28 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 20.700 21.000 20.3 9.04 Emperador 9.00 9.05 8.90 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 7.60 7.74 7.61 8.86 EEI 9.89 9.96 9.89 1.06 Euro-Med Lab 1.72 1.75 1.74 8.61 Federal Res. Inv. Group 13.24 14.8 13.72 20.2 First Gen Corp.

27.5 28.15 27.45 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 81 84.05 81.5 13.86 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 13.50 13.32 13.32 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.40 13.40 13.30 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.94 6.1 6 173 Jollibee Foods Corp.

188.10 191.90 188.00 8.65 Lafarge Rep 10.58 10.7 10.56 34.1 Liberty Flour 30.00 30.00 30.00 2.3 LMG Chemicals 2.06 2.06 2.06 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 24.9 24.9 24.6 17.3 Maxs Group 25.5 25.5 24.95 5.88 Megawide 5.7 5.94 5.8 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 294.60 296.00 292.20 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 4.8 4.83 4.73 8.45 Petron Corporation 8.24 8.26 8.14 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.90 11.90 11.90 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.45 3.44 3.40 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 2.41 2.46 2.40 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.1 3.22 3.05 4.02 RFM Corporation 4.23 4.40 4.27 1.65 Roxas and Co. 1.83 1.91 1.84 5.9 Roxas Holdings 5.8 5.77 5.75 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 165 165 165 1.55 Splash Corporation 1.79 1.78 1.74 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.148 0.148 0.145 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.12 2.16 2.08 152 Universal Robina 183 187.1 183 4.28 Victorias Milling 4.57 4.29 4.15 0.640 Vitarich Corp.

0.7 0.71 0.7 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.19 1.19 1.16 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.470 0.480 0.465 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 58.6500 59.0000 58.0500 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 23.50 23.80 23.15 6.62 Anscor `A’ 6.88 7.00 6.86 0.23 ATN Holdings A 0.265 0.260 0.250 634.5 Ayala Corp `A’ 781 780 768 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.56 7.87 7.54 12.8 DMCI Holdings 11.92 12.74 11.92 2.6 F&J Prince ‘A’ 3.1 3.11 3.1 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

4.30 4.35 4.35 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.207 0.204 0.202 837 GT Capital 1414 1409 1386 5.3 House of Inv. 6.44 6.47 6.45 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 73.95 73.75 73.05 3 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5 5 5 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.07 7.3 7.1 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.67 0.67 0.65 12 LT Group 14.68 15.1 14.6 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.58 0.6 0.59 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 4.8 4.87 4.78 4.5 Minerales Industrias Corp. 7.79 7.83 7.77 0.030 Pacifica `A’ 0.0300 0.0300 0.0300 1.23 Prime Media Hldg 1.280 1.300 1.280 0.550 Prime Orion 2.090 2.130 2.080 59.3 San Miguel Corp `A’ 58.30 58.40 58.15 751 SM Investments Inc. 910.00 905.50 894.00 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 1.20 1.22 1.20 0.93 South China Res. Inc. 0.69 0.73 0.72 80 Top Frontier 76.800 80.950 76.850 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3150 0.3150 0.3050 0.179 Wellex Industries 0.1930 0.2000 0.1910 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.285 0.275 0.275 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 7.900 8.050 7.910 12 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 8.28 8.28 7.76 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.74 0.74 0.70 1.2 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.260 1.260 1.260 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 38.90 38.90 38.05 3.36 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.69 3.78 3.68 2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.74 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

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

SHARES 11,400,454 505,528,588 93,434,341 68,502,446 116,469,543 2,534,767,471 3,330,655,338

4.9 73 105.10 94.50 45.5 2.50 1.55 16.18 20.55 6.50 0.72 790.00 0.425 91.5 0.98 18.60 63.45 94.95 307 38.4 151.1 1465.00 59.90 3.21

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

4.9 73.3 105.00 96.25 45.7 2.52 1.49 16.14 20.3 6.50 0.74 815.00 0.420 91.4 1 18.88 63.25 89 309 38.3 148.6 1465.00 59.95 3.24

0.00 0.41 -0.10 1.85 0.44 0.80 -3.87 -0.25 -1.22 0.00 2.78 3.16 -1.18 -0.11 2.04 1.51 -0.32 -6.27 0.65 -0.26 -1.65 0.00 0.08 0.93

5 13,060 3,021,260 761,610 100,700 4,000 135,000 193,300 99,100 600 3,350,000 880 10,000 864,000 20,000 71,600 64,840 10,190 1,650 640,400 1,422,230 20 14,120 5,000

45 1.37 1.93 10.12 91.40 18.24 26.4 57 2.57 1.56 12.42 20.500 9.05 7.70 9.90 1.75 13.9 27.5 81.8 13.32 13.40 6 190.30 10.68 30.00 2.06 24.8 25.4 5.89 294.80 4.8 8.20 11.90 3.42 2.44 3.18 4.36 1.91 5.75 165 1.78 0.145 2.12 186.7 4.29 0.71 1.17

0.90 -4.86 0.52 0.00 0.00 -0.11 0.76 0.35 -3.38 4.70 -0.48 -0.97 0.56 1.32 0.10 1.74 4.98 0.00 0.99 -1.33 0.00 1.01 1.17 0.95 0.00 0.00 -0.40 -0.39 3.33 0.07 0.00 -0.49 0.00 -0.87 1.24 2.58 3.07 4.37 -0.86 0.00 -0.56 -2.03 0.00 2.02 -6.13 1.43 -1.68

1,613,300 6,000 863,000 400 10 172,100 279,400 110,640 2,249,000 698,000 32,200 2,875,200 2,068,200 14,036,200 850,900 2,000 103,100 7,594,700 188,270 46,000 714,700 252,400 1,170,650 147,100 300 5,000 359,200 144,600 37,900 322,080 1,664,000 3,591,900 200 15,000 656,000 1,315,000 2,725,000 32,000 200 110 33,000 3,810,000 3,007,000 1,314,980 18,000 127,000 37,000

0.475 59.0000 23.70 6.86 0.260 777 7.72 12.50 3.1 4.35 0.202 1406 6.45 73.50 5 7.3 0.67 14.98 0.6 4.87 7.83 0.0300 1.300 2.090 58.15 902.00 1.22 0.72 77.800 0.3100 0.2000 0.275

1.06 0.60 0.85 -0.29 -1.89 -0.51 2.12 4.87 0.00 1.16 -2.42 -0.57 0.16 -0.61 0.00 3.25 0.00 2.04 3.45 1.46 0.51 0.00 1.56 0.00 -0.26 -0.88 1.67 4.35 1.30 -1.59 3.63 -3.51

560,000 754,130 13,672,500 46,500 1,100,000 154,360 4,946,400 15,879,300 8,000 12,000 160,000 111,440 26,800 1,659,360 1,000 1,514,600 11,000 3,347,800 76,000 19,850,000 718,100 400,000 51,000 3,808,000 119,680 163,230 109,000 83,000 12,480 280,000 1,240,000 20,000

7.960 7.77 0.74 1.260 38.50 3.74

0.76 -6.16 0.00 0.00 -1.03 1.36

1,162,900 7,700 445,000 12,000 5,876,700 4,370,000

365,150.00 406,015.00 -114,843,008.00 6,872,578.50 2,010,315.00 603,086.00 -401,720.00 568,900.00 -3,798,907.50 -1,947,535.50 153,456.00 -19,874,860.00 -108,644,299.00 -427,195.00 8,801,675.00 80,460.00 -193,340.00 -3,137,200.00 -23,400.00 247,038.00 -24,086,010.00 -106,804.00 3,268,262.00 7,761,032.00 -13,031,605.00 -2,177,716.00 -1,171,900.00 -11,828,223.00 416,614.00 -2,237,740.00 -11,356,206.00 -698,060.00 -1,467,298.00 17,080.00 -2,595,930.00 -19,050.00 -18,150.00 8,900.00 27,951,751.00

28,986,637.50 -12,859,345.00 31,415,440.00 -18,034,847.00 -7,079,658.00

-71,376,405.00 -3,548,929.00 857,504.00 -8,769,226.00 -18,359,470.00

73,000.00 -3,681,683.50 -43,689,515.00 -445,641.00

-2,103,578.00

-70,809,760.00 3,458,140.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

High

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

4.96 4.6 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 2.4 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 3.1 2.75 0.090 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

Cebu Holdings 5.07 Cebu Prop. `B’ 6.5 Century Property 0.84 City & Land Dev. 1.13 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.00 Crown Equities Inc. 0.127 Double Dragon 11.9 Ever Gotesco 0.172 Global-Estate 1.36 Filinvest Land,Inc. 2.00 Interport `A’ 1.30 Keppel Properties 3.27 Megaworld Corp.

4.83 MRC Allied Ind. 0.114 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 23.00 Primex Corp.

7.38 Robinson’s Land `B’ 28.25 Rockwell 1.65 Shang Properties Inc. 3.24 SM Prime Holdings 21.50 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.73 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 0.830 Vista Land & Lifescapes 6.890

0.00 -0.31 1.19 2.65 0.00 -0.79 1.01 2.91 1.47 -2.50 1.54 0.92 0.41 -0.88 -4.35 0.00 -0.35 -0.61 2.16 0.00 -1.37 -2.41 0.15

88,400 8,000 1,305,000 2,000 17,000 6,180,000 2,619,100 110,000 5,317,000 16,507,000 21,000 5,000 9,053,000 360,000 100 14,400 1,101,400 625,000 4,000 10,832,100 7,000 200,000 2,244,800

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 3.2 1 15.2 0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1 11.6 0.85 10 1.9

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.95 0.650 6 0.335 0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 5 1.14

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

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

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

Manila Bulletin Melco Crown MG Holdings NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

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

5.11 0.97 -4.17 -1.54 0.00 -0.98 1.23 -1.45 2.00 0.00 0.00 -6.91 -0.08 1.10 6.35 0.09 0.00 1.45 -0.68 0.00 0.92 -6.42 -8.33 1.52 5.20 4.92 -3.09 4.71 -3.23 0.00 -0.11 0.00 0.00 0.65 4.42 -0.32 -0.76 1.54 0.36 -2.56

952,400 12,510 202,000 848,000 200 11,246,700 22,730,000 242,000 1,327,980 100 100,000 369,100 87,460 120,100 662,000 624,530 6,100,000 4,120,000 1,081,000 10,000 2,085,800 1,743,000 16,000 7,000 15,973,500 20,000 50,000 1,400 69,000 34,940 126,700 88,515 1,088,000 32,234,000 2,148,400 1,668,160 742,800 29,000 4,129,500 1,635,000

0.0098 5.45 17.24 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

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

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

TA Petroleum

1.54 0.00 0.36 0.00 0.00 -7.23 2.56 -0.31 1.40 0.00 -1.38 -2.18 0.00 0.32 -2.75 1.86 3.33 -0.98 0.00 18.18 0.00 1.08 -1.18 0.00 6.21 -0.76

2,315,000,000 -33,000.00 38,000 90,500 -111,789.00 1,200 200 10,774,000 53,800.00 15,000,000 -1,613,680.00 5,600 3,388,000 -244,070.00 570,000 9,700,000 230,000 15,500,000 179,000 -93,020.00 3,666,600 -659,776.00 817,000 -18,900.00 50,000 9,000 37,600,000 2,400,000 -15,600.00 32,000 860,500 423,000 111,800,000 -181,100.00 5,176,390 -298,011,111.00 230,900 -2,104.00

70 553 525 120 515 8.21 12.28 111

33 490 500 101.5 480 5.88 6.5 101

1047 76.9 78.95 84.8

1011 74.2 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

1.13 0.00 -0.09 -3.11 0.10 0.63 -0.91 -0.45 0.00 0.29 0.13 -0.18 0.00

221,710 2,230 10 52,900 20 24,000 979,000 32,270 5,320 365 125,290 80,280 37,650

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15 88 12.88

3.5 13.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Makati Fin. Corp.

IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

5.17 5.06 5.07 6.48 6.48 6.48 0.86 0.83 0.85 1.16 1.16 1.16 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.128 0.126 0.126 12.02 11.78 12.02 0.177 0.175 0.177 1.42 1.38 1.38 2.00 1.95 1.95 1.32 1.30 1.32 3.30 3.30 3.30 4.9 4.84 4.85 0.113 0.104 0.113 22.00 22.00 22.00 7.38 7.24 7.38 28.20 28.10 28.15 1.65 1.64 1.64 3.31 3.26 3.31 21.50 21.10 21.50 0.73 0.72 0.72 0.840 0.810 0.810 6.980 6.800 6.900 SERVICES 6.66 7 6.68 7 61.9 62.5 62 62.5 1.2 1.16 1.15 1.15 0.650 0.650 0.620 0.640 13 13 13 13 10.22 10.38 10.10 10.12 0.0810 0.0830 0.0780 0.0820 3.45 3.58 3.4 3.4 90 93 89.4 91.8 10.32 10.32 10.32 10.32 1.68 1.68 1.68 1.68 5.50 5.50 5.07 5.12 2530 2540 2450 2528 6.38 6.45 6.38 6.45 1.26 1.35 1.26 1.34 109.9 111.4 109.1 110 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.207 0.210 0.205 0.210 1.4800 1.5200 1.4700 1.4700 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 9.82 9.91 9.80 9.91 2.65 2.65 2.48 2.48 2.40 2.23 2.20 2.20 0.660 0.670 0.670 0.670 7.12 7.51 7.05 7.49 0.305 0.320 0.320 0.320 0.485 0.470 0.470 0.470 19.1 20 20 20 4.65 4.60 4.50 4.50 114.00 114.00 114.00 114.00 18.80 18.80 18.42 18.78 2944.00 2946.00 2902.00 2944.00 0.690 0.700 0.690 0.690 1.530 1.550 1.500 1.540 36.20 37.90 36.40 37.80 79.25 79.35 77.00 79.00 9.25 9.25 9.04 9.18 0.65 0.66 0.66 0.66 5.6 5.68 5.52 5.62 2.730 2.780 2.650 2.660 MINING & OIL 0.0065 0.0067 0.0064 0.0066 2.60 2.60 2.60 2.60 5.62 5.75 5.62 5.64 7.0000 7.0000 7.0000 7.0000 6.8800 6.88 6.88 6.8800 0.83 0.82 0.75 0.77 0.78 0.87 0.79 0.8 6.55 6.60 6.50 6.53 1.43 1.46 1.41 1.45 0.300 0.310 0.300 0.300 0.218 0.217 0.215 0.215 0.229 0.224 0.224 0.224 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013 3.08 3.13 3.05 3.09 10.9 10.9 10.44 10.6 3.76 3.87 3.76 3.83 0.6000 0.6200 0.6200 0.6200 2.0400 2.0200 2.0200 2.0200 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 0.0110 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 4.24 4.24 4.23 4.24 5.58 5.640 5.500 5.64 1.70 1.720 1.680 1.68 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.012 111.10 119.50 112.00 118.00 10.48 10.66 10.34 10.4 PREFERRED 62.1 63 64.5 62.8 527 527.5 527 527 548 547.5 547.5 547.5 122 122 118.2 118.2 525.5 526 526 526 6.35 6.39 6.35 6.39 1.1 1.1 1.09 1.09 111.5 111.6 111 111 1148 1148 1148 1148 1036 1040 1039 1039 75.4 75.5 75.45 75.5 85.05 84.9 82.5 84.9 87 87.1 86.8 87 WARRANTS & BONDS 4.090 4.090 3.950 4.040 SME 6.85 6.85 6.85 6.85 67.95 67.95 67.9 67.95 12.24 12.3 12 12.18 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 124.1 124.4 123.4 124.4

-1.22

161,000

0.00 0.00 -0.49

1,900 100 516,800

0.24

33,640

-90,746.00 -105,740.00

4,925,600.00 -1,262,050.00 -18,060,880.00 3,852,870.00 738.00 -23,955,210.00 -825,000.00 61,112,825.00 -10,330,179.00 90,794.00

47,767,750.00 -30,710.00 12,381,125.00 30,224.00 -54,846,480.00 -26,000.00 -1,088,005.00 29,800.00 6,584,160.00 12,750.00 -1,520,778.00 23,500.00 13,500.00 0.00 -631,634.00 -34,889,690.00 16,659,170.00 -6,449,290.00 75,140,701.50 -1,698,443.00 173,708.00

-10,700,668.50 -695,016.00 19,050.00

-275,400.00 3,901,345.00 -5,803,536.00 -1,131,200.00

118,680.00

T op L oSerS

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,690.87 (up) 4.83 INDUSTRIAL 11,467.32 (up) 105.54 HOLDING FIRMS 6,908.82 (up) 3.94 PROPERTY 3,158.68 (down) 14.48 SERVICES 2,160.54 (up) 7.25 MINING & OIL 12,047.87 (up) 190.59 PSEI 7,653.22 (up) 17.60 All Shares Index 4,369.53 (up) 11.03 Gainers: 95 Losers: 75; Unchanged: 45; Total: 216

Close

5.59 7.1 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 10.96 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 4.88 0.180 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

T op g ainerS VALUE 777,715,528.03 1,977,392,498.52 1,795,789,572.21 649,121,651.31 1,370,123,112.0665 738,955,762.5173 7,319,572,658.1565

Low

Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Oriental Pet. `B'

0.0130

18.18

Macroasia Corp.

2.20

-8.33

Harbor Star

1.34

6.35

Century Peak Metals Hldgs

0.77

-7.23

Semirara Corp.

118.00

6.21

DFNN Inc.

5.12

-6.91

Melco Crown

7.49

5.20

Liberty Telecom

2.48

-6.42

2GO Group'

7

5.11

Phil. Savings Bank

89

-6.27

Federal Res. Inv. Group

13.9

4.98

Anchor Land Holdings Inc.

7.77

-6.16

MG Holdings

0.320

4.92

Victorias Milling

4.29

-6.13

DMCI Holdings

12.50

4.87

Agrinurture Inc.

1.37

-4.86

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

20

4.71

Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry

22.00

-4.35

Da Vinci Capital

1.56

4.70

Acesite Hotel

1.15

-4.17

FRIDAY: JULY 24, 2015

B3

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

Should you be an entrepreneur? sense of urgency, aggressive, selfcritical). These studies, however, did not necessarily differentiate between traits that predicted starting up versus business success.

A recent meta-analysis (that is, a study of studies) by Rauch and Ouderlan found, for example, that generalized self-efficacy, essentially selfconfidence or the belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations, is related to business creation and the need for achievement is correlated with business success. Other traits identified as being related to entrepreneurial behavior are: innovativeness, proactive personality, stress tolerance, need for autonomy and internal locus of control. Interestingly, this particular study suggests that the trait of risk-taking, widely held to be an important trait of successful entrepreneurs, while important in the decision to begin a business is not necessarily a predictor of business success.

The Polish study suggested that a core personality profile was related to success in the four identified corporate predictors of business success. This core personality profile involves four traits: emotional stability, need for achievement, innovativeness, and selfefficacy. What this means is that all of these four traits are necessary in order to achieve success as an entrepreneur. Additionally, their study suggested that certain personality profiles are more specifically predictive of specific company indicators. The Polish study found that propensity for risk-taking is related to competitiveness and chances for future development, but not to level of innovation or maintenance of liquidity.

Generalist Interestingly, a Swiss-German Study of students (Backes-Gellner and Moog) suggested a key difference between wouldbe entrepreneurs and would-be employees.

This study suggests that an employee is a

specialist while an entrepreneur is a jack-ofall-trades. The authors write “Entrepreneurs differ from employees in that they must be sufficiently well versed in a whole set of entrepreneurial skills.” The study also suggested that individuals who had a broader set of life experiences are more likely to have a “disposition toward entrepreneurship.” A desire for job or income security predicted against entrepreneurship, and so did having an apprenticeship or internship, which perhaps indicated a preference for specialization. In an article for the Business Insider. Baer points out that the jack of all trades theory had first been proposed by Lazear based on a study of Stanford MBAs. The new Swiss-German study expanded on what is essentially a comment concerning breadth versus depth by pointing out that would-be entrepreneurs are not only those with a diverse set of experiences and skills, they also have a diverse network of relationships.

So there you have it. Here’s the checklist: emotional stability, need for achievement, belief in your ability to achieve goals (selfefficacy), innovativeness, a tolerance for ambiguity, a balanced propensity for risktaking, a proactive disposition, a need for autonomy, a belief in your ability to make things happen (internal locus of control).

Plus breadth. You can hire specialists, but you have to be able to take a look at the different parts of your enterprise, develop an understanding, and make a good decision.

In my mind, being an entrepreneur really boils down to a few things: drive, confidence, intense curiosity, discipline and energy. The rest of it is detail.

Market advances; Semirara, DMCI up

WHAT do successful entrepreneurs have in common? There’s a question that has been asked many times. It’s a complicated question because a successful entrepreneur is essentially defined as someone who builds a successful enterprise. Hence, THE stock market rose Thursday on bargain-hunting, with understanding entrepreneurship necessarily means understanding at least three things: Semirara Mining and Power Corp. and parent DMCI Holdthe person or entrepreneur, the enterprise, ings Inc. lifting the index on investor sentiment that the two and the ecosystem within which the issues have been oversold. enterprise operates.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index gained 17.60 points, Studies that focus on individuals tend to ask or 0.2 percent, to 7,653.22 on a value turnover of P7.3 billion. two questions. What types of individuals are Gainers beat losers, 95 to 76, with 45 issues unchanged. more likely to start a business and what types Semirara, the biggest coal producer, rallied 6.2 percent to of individuals are more likely to be successful P118, while DMCI climbed 4.9 percent to P12.50. as entrepreneurs? Many researchers have Semirara said Wednesday it stopped coal exports to priorstudied this and there seems to be general itize local consumers following the suspension of its mining agreement that certain personality dispositions operations in Caluya, Antique. are associated with both starting businesses The Energy Department ordered the suspension of Semirand being successful at it. ara’s coal mining contract on Semirara Island after nine minEnterprise success ers died in a landslide last Friday in an open-pit mine.

The first question, of course, is how to The landslide, which occurred in a reclaimed area of the define enterprise success. It is the first thing the northeastern part of the island, was the second major disaswould-be entrepreneur is interested in because ter to hit Semirara, owned by DMCI. In February 2013, sevno one starts a business intending to fail. en miners were killed when the west wall of the pit collapsed In the simplest of terms, a commercially and trapped 13 miners under it. successful enterprise is one that grows and is Semirara said it had notified foreign customers that it profitable. These are what we would call final outcome indicators and are less useful to could not schedule further shipments until the department would be entrepreneurs. This is like saying reached a decision on the suspension of its mining operayou know you are a good runner if you win tions. the race. The question is: what can you do Universal Robina Corp., the largest snack food maker, adFor more on how to survive the first few in order to prepare yourself to win the race? years of your start up, check out the piece titled vanced 2 percent to P186.70, while Jollibee Fooods Corp., That is where the other indicators come in. the biggest fastfood chain, added 1.2 percent to P190.30.

Starting Up on integrations.tumblr.com.

Here are some indicators that have Cebu Air Inc., operator of the largest budget carrier, rose Readers can email Maya at integrations_ been identified in recent research from manila@yahoo.com. Or visit her site at 2 percent to P91.80.

Poland (Staniewski et al): ability to http://integrations.tumblr.com. maintain liquidity, level of competitiveness, chances for future business development and level of An t i - Mone y La unde r i ng Counc i l innovation. These indicators B a n g ko S e n t r a l n g P i l i p i n a s C o m p l ex are interesting because they Manila, Philippines were developed specifically to understand survival through SECURITY PLANT COMPLEX the critical first four years, the InvItatIon to BId for BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE so-called “death valley” for Web Application Security System new businesses.

1. The Anti-Money Laundering Council, through the e-Government Fund, intends to apply INVITATION TO BID The entrepreneur the sum of PhP2,500,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to At this point, it is The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through its Bids and Awards Committee-Security Plant Complex (BAC-SPC), payments under the contract for the Web Application Security System project. Bids invites bidders to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder requirement: received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. important to acknowledge that a successful enterprise Requirement/Brief One (1) lot Gold Plating Services of 45,000 pcs Papal Visit 2. The Anti-Money Laundering Council now invites bids for the Web Application Security Description Commemorative Coin (Nordic Gold; Diameter – 34 mm, Thickness – 2.3 System project. Completion of the project is required 30 calendar days after issuance sometimes requires more than mm), per BSP Supplied Scope of Work of Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed, within two years from the date one person in the leadership of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of Approved Budget PhP6,525,000.00, VAT inclusive for the Contract an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II: position. In the literature, Instructions to Bidders.

Staggered Delivery • 4,000 pcs – within 15 calendar days upon receipt of 1 set of coin three critical roles need to metals by the awardee Schedule 3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nonbe filled in the early days • 4,000 pcs – within 30 calendar days upon receipt of 1 set of coin discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and metals by the awardee of an enterprise: innovator, • 4,000 pcs – within 45 calendar days upon receipt of 1 set of coin Regulations (RIRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government metals by the awardee organizer, and connector.

Procurement Reform Act”.

• 4,000 pcs – within 60 calendar days upon receipt of 1 set of coin The innovator is caretaker of metals by the awardee Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or • 4,000 pcs – within 75 calendar days upon receipt of 1 set of coin the invention, the product or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock metals by the awardee belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country • 4,000 pcs – within 30 calendar days upon receipt of 2 set of coin service on which the business the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, metals by the awardee is founded. The organizer • 4,000 pcs – within 45 calendar days upon receipt of 2 set of coin pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. metals by the awardee brings things together. The • 4,000 pcs – within 60 calendar days upon receipt of 2 set of coin 4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from Atty. Eileen S. Guerrero-Lapuz metals by the awardee organizer is the person who at telephone no. 302-3975 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given • 4,000 pcs – within 75 calendar days upon receipt of 2 set of coin below during 8:00AM to 4:30PM Monday to Friday. finds ways to ensure that metals by the awardee • 4,000 pcs – within 90 calendar days upon receipt of 2 set of coin the scaled up enterprise 5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting metals by the awardee 24 July 2015 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the • 5,000 pcs – within 105 calendar days upon receipt of 2 set of coin operates efficiently on a daily metals by the awardee Bidding Documents in the amount of PhP1,000.00. basis. The connector is the should have completed from Y2010 to present a contract similar to the requirement. The Eligibility It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government relationship person, he is the 1. Bidders Check/Screening and Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria.

Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, one who finds distributors, 2. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorship/partnerships/, or organizations with at least sixty provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

(60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations clients, suppliers. Sometimes, of a country the laws or regulations of which grants similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens. he is also the one who liens up 6. A Pre-Bid Conference is set on 31 July 2015 9:30AM at the AMLC Conference Room, 3. All particulars and activities relative to Eligibility of Bidders, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-bid Room 612, 6/F, EDPC Building, BSP Complex, Malate, Manila. Attendance of the investors.

Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by Republic Act bidders shall not be mandatory. However, only those who have purchased the Bidding No. 9184 and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations.

What this means is that Documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference and raise or submit the research on successful Activities Schedule/Location written queries or clarifications. entrepreneurs can get Starting 23 July 2015 7. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 12 August 201510:00AM. All a. Issuance of Bid (from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P. M. only) extremely complex. In spite of Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the Documents Department of General Services, Rm. 405, 4 Floor, Bldg. A, BSP, amount stated in ITB Clause Error! Reference source not found..

East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City this, however, certain factors Tel. No. 926-2575 / Fax No. 927-8457 are common across countries Bid opening shall be on 12 August 201510:01AM at the AMLC Conference Room, 31 July 2015 at 9:00 A.M. Room 612, 6/F, EDPC Building, BSP Complex, Malate, Manila. Bids will be opened and across decades. b. Pre-bid Conference Rm. 401, BAC-SPC Conference Room, 4 Floor, Bldg. A, BSP, East in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address Avenue, Diliman, QC Personal attributes that below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

14 August 2015 at 2:00 P.M. have been commonly related c.

Opening of Bids Rm. 401, BAC-SPC Conference Room, 4 Floor, Bldg. A, BSP, East 8. The Anti-Money Laundering Council reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to Avenue, Diliman, QC to entrepreneurship are: locus annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. The AMLC also of control (the extent to which 4. The bidding documents are posted at the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System reserves the right to waive any required formality in the responses to the eligibility (PhilGEPS) and the BSP Website (www.bsp.gov.ph). Prospective bidders may download the bidding documents the individual believes he from any of these websites; provided that bidders shall pay a non-refundable fee PhP10,000.00 at the address requirements and to this invitation. above prior to, or upon submission of their bids. can influence or control the 9.

For further information, please refer to: pre-bid conference shall be open to interested parties. However, only those who have purchased the events in his own life) with 5. The bidding documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference and raise or submit written queries Atty. Eileen S. Guerrero-Lapuz or an internal locus being more or clarifications. Technical/administrative representatives should attend the pre-bid conference to ensure Guerrero-LapuzES@bsp.gov.ph completeness and compliance of bids. Attendance of representatives will be limited to two (2) personnel only. related to entrepreneurship BAC Secretariat - AMLC 6.

The BSP assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify any bidder for expenses incurred in Room 507, 5/F, EDPC Building, BSP Complex, Malate, Manila than an external locus, need the preparation of bid.

Telephone Number: +632 302-3975 for achievement, propensity Fax Number: +632 708-7909 7. The BSP reserves the right to reject any bid, declare a failure of bidding, not award the contract, annul the bidding for risk-taking, tolerance www.amlc.gov.ph process and reject all bids at any time prior to award of contract, without thereby incurring any liability to affected bidders. Further, the BSP reserves the right to waive any minor defects or formality and to accept the proposal for ambiguity, and what most advantageous to the agency.

(SGd) vEnCEnt L. SaLIdo is typically called Type- A (SGD) NANETTE A. ELLA AMLC BAC Chairman Chairperson ( T S - J U LY 2 4 , 2 015 ) behavior (competitive, high ( T S - J U LY 2 4 , 2 015 ) st

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FRIDAY: JULY 24, 2015

B4

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

Bidding for 30 trains set in Q4

By Darwin G. Amojelar

Shattered dream ABOUT two months ago, some billiards buddies were telling us about this networking company that was offering huge returns to a minimum investment of P1,500, which would yield an interest of 30 percent in just 10 days, or P450. The higher the investment, the bigger the yield naturally. Our billiards buddies were very impressed that one of their associates was able to buy a vehicle in just three months of investing. They knew of course that the networking company was likely engaged in a pyramid scam, but that did not deter them from wishing to join, rationalizing that they would be able to get out before the scam unravels. By then, they reasoned, they would have been able to get enough interest money without getting burned. In short, they were thinking of scamming the scammer.

They were so upbeat about the potential “earnings” that they got stumped when pointed out: “You know it’s a scam yet you are willing to gamble. And what about the others who don’t know any better? It’s their money that will finance the big interest that you are after. Many of them would be ordinary Filipinos who believe that there is such a thing as a get rich quick scheme, who will believe in a pipe dream just because they are desperate to improve their finances. And do you think you can outsmart these scammers? Ten days is a long time—they might just be waiting for all of you to invest more before they pull the plug on the operations. It’s a waiting game and most likely they also know what you’re thinking—and they will beat you to it.”

We got a lot of dirty looks, while some looked shamefaced enough to say, “You have a point there.” We’re not certain if they still went through with their scheme to “scam the scammer,” or if they successfully pulled out before they got burned.

Like our billiards buddies, many of those who allegedly got victimized by One Dream Global Marketing either joined with their eyes wide open, or were really unaware that the dream could turn into a nightmare. We don’t really understand why people still fall for these pyramid or Ponzi schemes despite knowing many sad stories about the victims of Pyramid Queen Rose Baladjay and many others who came after her. Or the likes of the late Celso delos Angeles who left a messy Legacy, whose death cheated the victims one more.

Many of these companies are successful because they target small people and ask for amounts that would not be too painful in case one lost it—like P1,500 or P2,000 for example which one can just write off if the so-called investment goes sour. That’s why One Dream and others like it go for volume—“the more the manyer,” like this tiny joke book of bad idioms says.

Like we keep telling our buddies, if it sounds too good to be true, then start getting worried. There’s no such thing as an investment that would yield more than 10 percent – that would be almost impossible to accomplish.

PLDT Home poised to dominate with Fox partnership Here’s some welcome news for Fox fanatics: PLDT Home and Smart Communications are asserting their dominance in Philippine entertainment by bringing in Fox International Channels as its latest content partner.

This comes right after their recent groundbreaking partnership with Internet TV service provider iFlix that provides the biggest library of movies and TV shows to the PLDT Group’s over 75 million subscribers.

“This content partnership with Fox gives us unparalleled breadth and depth in our entertainment library. Aside from subscription video-on-demand, our subscribers can now further enjoy entertainment everywhere as we also give them live shows and catch-up television on the various Fox channels,” PLDT/Smart executive vice president and consumer business group head Ariel Fermin said.

“This is world-class entertainment and we’re making it easily accessible to all our subscribers wherever they are—whether at home or on the go,” Fermin noted. “We are delighted to deliver this range of educational, sports, lifestyle and movie content from Fox that will suit the entertainment wants and needs of our customers, whenever and wherever they want,” he added.

Jude Turcuato, SVP-GM Fox International Channels PH, asserted that the nationwide reach and advanced multimedia platforms of PLDT Home and Smart make them ideal content partners. “We look forward to bringing our multi-faceted entertainment offerings to millions of Filipinos in partnership with these industry leaders,” he said.

Fermin pointed out that the Fox partnership provides PLDT Home and Smart subscribers a complete menu of video content window options which only the PLDT Group can deliver. This includes true video on demand and SVOD services that are now available via Disney, iFlix and Fox partnerships; cable TV that is offered through IPTV and Cignal over Fibr/DSL; live TV that is brought through both Fox and Pay Per View; and catch-up TV that is available on Fox. ••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

THE Transportation Department said Thursday it will hold an auction for 30 four-car trains for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite extension project in the fourth quarter of 2015.

The agency said it budgeted P30 billion for the extension project.

Light Rail Manila Consortium, led by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp., earlier won the P64.9-billion LRT Line 1 Cavite extension project.

MPIC, through Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., owns 55 percent of LRMC while AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. of Ayala Corp. holds a 35-percent stake. Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Inc. has the remaining 10 percent.

Under the concession, LRMC will assume the operations and maintenance of the existing 20-kilometre LRT Line 1 and construct the 11.7-kilometer extension of the rail line southward from the Baclaran station all the way to Bacoor, Cavite.

The consortium will build eight new stations after Baclaran. These will include Aseana, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, Dr. Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote and Niyog.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Department’s project implementation team is currently in Dalian, China to make a final check on the prototype train car for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 system, and to give the go signal for shipment to take place on July 29.

“This brings us another step closer to upgrading and modernizing the MRT-3, and improving our services to the public. After the prototype’s arrival in the middle of next month, it will be assembled by the manufacturer’s personnel, and we will start static testing by September,” Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said.

The project implementation team is currently going through a checklist with Dalian Locomotive to ensure that the prototype train is compliant with the technical components and specifications of the train coaches.

The team approved in June Dalian Locomotive’s choice of better traction motors which incorporate alternating current technology for the 48 brand new train cars that will be delivered starting in the first quarter of 2016. This will result in lesser maintenance requirements in the future.

PSE-BAP deal. The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. recently signed a share purchase agreement with the Bankers Association of the Philippines covering the acquisition of BAP’s shareholdings in in the Philippine Dealing Systems Holdings Corp. Shown during the signing ceremony are (from left) PSE president and chief executive Hans Sicat, PSE chairman Jose Pardo, BAP president Lorenzo Tan and BAP executive director Cesar Virtusio.

IN BRIEF PLDT business transforms PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. said Thursday it expects data revenues to grow faster than call and text revenues over the next couple of years.

“I think as we go for these kinds of digital multimedia content, you will expect our data revenues to get higher more than that of the traditional services of calling and text,” PLDT and Smart Communications executive vice president and consumer business group head Ariel Fermin told reporters during the launch of its partnership with Fox. Fermin said the company’s data business would be the primary driver of its growth in a couple of years. As of endMarch, PLDT’s mobile data business posted a 19-percent increase in revenues to P2.2 billion.

The company offers other game-changing partnerships and services through iFlix, Fox, SPINNR, and YouTube. “This content partnership with Fox makes world-class entertainment easily accessible to all our subscribers wherever they are—whether at home or on the go,” Fermin said.

Fox International Channels executive vice president for content and communication Joon Lee said “with their nationwide reach and advanced multimedia platforms, PLDT Home and Smart are the ideal content partners for us.”

Darwin G. Amojelar

Solar project to energize Clark A LEADING renewable energy group in Asia signed Wednesday a lease agreement with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority for the development of a P1billion solar project as an alternative source of energy for the master planned Clark Green City.

SSR C-Solar Power Inc., a domestic corporation engaged in solar energy use, signed the 25-year lease solar energy project with BCDA president and chief executive Arnel Paciano Casanova.

The lease agreement is renewable for another 25 years where SSR C-Solar will use the leased property to develop its solar-photovoltaic power generation and operations in accordance with the Clark Green City master plan’s “green, smart

and disaster-resilient developments.”

Assaad Wadji Razzouk, SSR C-Solar chief executive said his company was delighted to work with BCDA on this important solar power development.

“We are in this business because of conviction. We are committed to play a major role in building out the Philippines’ clean energy infrastructure,” Razzouk said.

The initial number of panels to be installed in the 25-hectare leased property will generate 20 megawatts or 20,000 kilowatts and is expected to supply electricity to at least 10,000 households. Jess Malabanan

Cagayan ecozone remits P200m THE Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, a government-

owned and controlled corporation, has remitted P200 million to the national coffers this year.

Ceza formally turned over the amount to President Aquino at Malacañang, representing its third year remittance of its dividends share.

This year’s remittance is double the P100.02 million given in 2014.

Ceza remitted P88 million to the national government in 2006 to 2012 and P100 million in 2013.

Under Republic Act 7656, GOCC’s are required to declare and remit half of their profits to the National Treasury as dividends. The government then uses the funds for its social services programs.

Ceza sources its revenues from fees paid by the agency’s locators and operators for port, registration, processing and lease.

“With so many accomplishments and projects going on, Ceza is now considered as catalyst for growth and economic development in Northern Philippines,” Ceza administrator and chief executive Jose Mari Ponce said.

Ponce said Ceza had also generated thousands of jobs, created livelihood opportunities, attracted foreign and local tourists, and contributed millions of pesos to government coffers.

Ceza was created under Republic Act 7922 or the Cagayan Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 by President Ramos to manage and supervise the development of Cagayan Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 by President Ramos to manage and supervise the development of the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport.

F R I D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 5

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cesAR bARRIoqUInto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Mounting threat to Galapagos from Niño SANTA CRUZ, Ecuador—The Galapagos Islands, celebrated for their breathtaking biodiversity, could face a major threat from “El Nino,” the weather system known to wreak havoc every few years.

The archipelago sustains a vast variety of plant and animal life, and has been recognized as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

But the fragile Galapagos ecosystem may prove no match for the strong winds, heavy rain and warmer-than-usual ocean currents that accompany El Niño.

The dangers posed by those climatic changes are particularly acute for marine iguanas reptiles found only on the Galapagos which live on land but get their food from the ocean.

“Marine iguanas feed only on algae,” Eduardo Espinoza, 46, director of marine research at Galapagos National Park, explained to AFP. “During times of El Niño, these algae may be scarce and many begin to die,” Espinoza said.

“El Niño” refers to the abnormal warming of surface waters in the tropical sections of the Pacific Ocean every three to five years.

Climatologists began observing the most recent El Niño several months ago, and fear that because of global warming, the phenomenon will hit the Galapagos with increasing frequency and greater destructive potential in coming years.

Charles Darwin made the Galapagos famous a centuryand-a-half ago with research here that led him to devise his theory of evolution.

Since then, some of the wildlife he studied on the Galapagos already have been wiped out because of man’s encroachment, and other species have been put at risk by climate change.

The Galapagos, one of the world’s great protected nature reserves and one of its most sensitive, hosts more endemic species than anywhere else on Earth from the giant land tortoises that give it its name, to sharks, birds and the marine iguanas. AFP

world Illegal Chinese loggers receive long sentences YANGON—Beijing on Thursday hit out at the long jail sentences handed to more than 150 Chinese nationals for illegal logging in Myanmar, in the latest tremor to shake the relations between the neighbors.

Premiere. Jordyn Jones attends the premiere of SMOSH: THE MOVIE at the Westwood Village Theater on July 22 in Westwood, California. AFP

The mass sentencing, which has sparked outraged editorials in Chinese state-run media, comes after the loggers were arrested in January during a crackdown on illegal forestry activities in northern Kachin state, which borders China.

For years, China has hoovered up Myanmar’s once abundant raw materials, spurring popular anger in the former junta-ruled country that is set for a general election later this year.

Beijing has asked its smaller neighbor to “deal with this case in a lawful, reasonable and justified manner... and return those people to China as soon as possible”, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement on the ministry’s website.

But the Myanmar government said it would not interfere in the judicial process.

“When our citizens break the law in other countries, [they] face sentence by those country’s laws. We cannot use diplomacy to intervene.

I think China will understand,” government spokesman Ye Htut told AFP. “What is really needed is to stop illegal logging in the future,” he added.

A court official in Kachin state, asking not to be named, told AFP Wednesday that 153 Chinese loggers were jailed for life for illegal logging. Life in Myanmar is equivalent to 20 years according to legal experts.

He said a further two males under 18 were handed 10-year sentences without giving details, while a woman was jailed for 15 years on narcotics charges.

An editorial in China’s Global Times slammed the “severity” of the sentences, expressing hope that intervention from Beijing could “reverse” the outcome.

“A few cases of Chinese engaging in illegal business in Myanmar have been scrutinized by public opinion, exaggerated as China’s economic ‘invasion’ of the latter,” it said, urging the Myanmar public “to look upon China-Myanmar trade in a positive way”.

It is the latest spat to sully the ties between the two countries. AFP

Climate change threatens turtle nests SYDNEY—Rising sea levels from climate change are a threat to sea turtle populations as the eggs laid on beaches become submerged in saltwater, Australian scientists said Thursday.

The eggs buried by female turtles in usually “high and dry” areas on beaches could be inundated by rising sea levels and storm surges, a study by researchers from Australia’s James Cook University said.

Published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, the report focused on nests at the world’s largest green sea turtle nest-

ing rookery at Raine Island on Australia’s far northeast coast.

The eggs submerged for one to three hours did not experience a “significant level” of mortality, but those underwater for six hours saw a 40-percent rise in turtle embryo deaths.

“We are trying to anticipate the early effects,” lead researcher David Pike said.

“In some places it only takes a small rise in sea levels, when combined with a storm or a king tide, to inundate what had previously been secure nesting sites.”

Pike said one way to protect the

eggs was by using volunteers to move the nests further away from the shoreline.

“We might be able to save them with people power,” Pike said.

“The Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has also been out moving sand around the island to provide turtles with higher elevation nesting sites.”

The green turtle population on Raine Island, which is located on the northern tip of the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland’s coast, is also under threat from habitat loss, boats and pollution. AFP

Rehab site. This handout photo made available by Leonardo Bereczky shows bear cubs at rehabilitation center, where they are protected, in the Hasmas mountains on April 6, 2015. AFP

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F R I D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Antiques sent back to China BEIJING—More than 30 ancient gold ornaments went on show in a Chinese museum this week after Paris quietly insisted a billionaire collector and France’s top antique dealer return them on the grounds they were stolen.

AFP his government had “dropped its trousers” in its eagerness to return the treasures and curry favor with Beijing.

“It’s France’s heritage which is suffering,” he told AFP, denouncing what he called an improper legal process and “an export on the sly”.

“The French authorities have dropped their trousers,” he said.

The 32 pieces from Dabaozi in Gansu province date from around the 8th century BC, and have undergone a tortuous journey through the murky trails of the Asian antiquities trade and international diplomacy.

They include 28 golden plaques, but the star works are four large profi les of birds of prey, which would have been part of ceremonial riding tackle or decorated a dignitary’s coffin in the Zhou dynasty.

Deydier bought the four profi les in the 1990s from the widow of the Taiwanese antique dealer, from whom he had earlier also purchased the 28 plaques.

Chirac learned of the four ornaments’ existence and fell under their spell, but

The move came 15 years after the two men donated the works to a Paris museum following an intervention by France’s then President Jacques Chirac, an admirer of Asian art.

Beijing is on a mission to recover the heritage it says was looted by foreigners during a century of humiliation, while many governments are keen to burnish relations with the world’s second-largest economy.

Christian Deydier, a dealer and recognized expert in Chinese antiquities, told

they were too expensive for the French public purse.

So he persuaded his billionaire friend Francois Pinault, the owner of the luxury and clothing group Kering, which owns Gucci, Puma and auction house Christie’s, to buy the quartet for one million euros and donate them to the Musee Guimet, France’s national collection of Asian arts.

At the same time Deydier gave it his plaques. the controversy over the pieces’ provenance broke out in the mid-2000s, when dealer Bernard Gomez claimed they had been illegally removed from China, but an official investigation reached no conclusion.

Paris regularly proclaims the warmth of its relations with Beijing, and French foreign minister Laurent Fabius is a frequent visitor, with Presidents Francois Hollande and Xi Jinping making reciprocal trips in the last two years.

In 2010, Chinese authorities informed France that the pieces could have been pillaged from an archaeological site and a

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan City of Balanga BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE OFFICE

Republic of the Philippines Department of Agriculture Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines www.philmech.gov.ph

InvItatIon to BId no. Infra -053- 2015

INVITATION TO BID SUPPLY OF LABOR AND MATERIALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL TRAMLINE SYSTEM IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS 1.

2.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) through its General Fund intends to apply the below specified sums, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) as indicated herein to payments under the contract for the Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction of Tramline System in Various Locations. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at Bid opening.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization now invites bids from eligible contractors with at least Small B PCAB license with experience on cabling system for the Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction of Agricultural Tramline System in Various Locations: PROJECT

ABC

CONTRACT DURATION

LOT I Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction of Agricultural Tramline System in Bakun Benguet (650 m cable span)

PhP 1,907,532.13

120 CD

LOT II Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction of Agricultural Tramline System in Sta. Rita, Samar (1,680 m cable span)

PhP 4,864,126.62

150 CD

Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II Instruction to Bidders.

3.

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

Interested Bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of PhP 5,000 for Lot I and PhP 10,000 for Lot II, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB. The method of payment will be in cash. The Bidding Documents shall be received personally by the prospective Bidder or his authorized representative. Only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference and raise or submit written queries or clarification.

6.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization will hold a Pre-Bid Conference and Submission/ Opening of Bids on the following dates and locations which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents: Project LOT I Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction of Agricultural Tramline System in Bakun Benguet (650 m cable span) LOT II Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction of Agricultural Tramline System in Sta. Rita, Samar (1,680 m cable span)

7.

Pre-Bid Conference

Submission and Opening of Bids

Location

July 27, 2015 10:00am

August 10, 2015 10:00am

PHilMech Liaison Office, 3rd Floor, ATI Bldg. Elliptical Road Diliman Quezon City

August 10, 2015 10:00am

PHilMech Liaison Office, 3rd Floor, ATI Bldg. Elliptical Road Diliman Quezon City

July 27, 2015 10:00am

Bids and eligibility requirements must be delivered on the date of Opening of Bids which will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.

All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bid documents.

8.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization 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.

PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR POSTHARVEST DEVELOPMENT AND MECHANIZATION (Formerly BUREAU OF POSTHARVEST RESEARCH AND EXTENSION) Main Office :CLSU Cmpd., Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija Tel. No. (044) 4560287 / 4560213 FAX No. (044) 4560110 Liaison Office: 3F ATI Bldg., Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City Tel. No. 9274019 / 9274029 FAX No. 9268159

(TS-JULY 16 & 24, 2015)

joint Franco-Chinese expert panel was set up last year to investigate, culture minister Fleur Pellerin told the French parliament.

“An array of consistent indicators led to the conclusion that the Chinese request for restitution was justified,” she said in a written answer.

The two men’s donations to the Musee Guimet were canceled, a move which Pellerin said enabled both donors “to gift them to the People’s Republic of China and so achieve the restitution”, adding proper procedures were followed.

French Ambassador Maurice GourdaultMontagne attended the exhibition’s opening at the Gansu provincial museum this week.

It is the latest art restitution to China, where the ruling Communist Party uses nationalism as part of its claim to legitimacy and regularly refers to the country’s historic suffering at the hands of foreign powers.

Billionaire taxi driver turned financier Liu Yiqian has spent tens of millions of dollars on works originally from the mainland for his museums in Shanghai. AFP

(SGD) RAUL R. PAZ BAC Chairman

The Provincial Government of Bataan, through the Special Educational Fund53 intends to apply the below listed project w/ corresponding Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Name of Project 1.

Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building (I -Hub & Tech-Voc Lab) Justice Emilio Angeles Gancayco Memorial (formerly Orion NHS) High School Barangay Balagtas, Orion, Bataan

2.

Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building (I -Hub & Tech-Voc Lab) Pablo Roman National High School Barangay Panilao, Pilar, Bataan

3.

Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building (I -Hub & Tech-Voc Lab) Orani National High School (Annex) – Parang-Parang Barangay Parang-Parang, Orani, Bataan

Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC) =P=6,049,974.53

=P=6,049,974.53

=P=6,049,974.53

The Provincial Government of Bataan now invites bids for the above listed Projects. Completion of works is required on or before the maturity date stipulated on contract. Bidders should have completed, at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Provincial Government of Bataan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 29, 2015 at 10:00 A.M at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered on or before August 11, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated on IRR of RA 9184 and Bid Securing Declaration in standard form.

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

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

Other necessary information deemed relevant by the Provincial Government of Bataan Activities 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid Eligibility Check Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents Request for Clarification Opening of Bids

Schedule July 22 – July 28, 2015 Refer to date of Opening of Bids July 22 – August 11, 2015 July 31, 2015 August 11, 2015

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

For further information, please refer to: Engr. Josephine R. Valenzuela Provincial BAC / PEO Bataan Provincial BAC / PEO Office, Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan 047-237-9316 bac@bataan.gov.ph (TS-JULY 24, 2015)

Security tight for Obama in Kenya

(SGD) ENRICO T. YUZON BAC Chairman

NAIROBI—Presidential tours are always expensive, but especially so when the country being visited is, like Kenya, the scene of regular terrorist attacks.

US and Kenyan officials are fixated on making sure Al-Qaeda’s Somali-led affiliate, the Shebab, cannot violently disrupt the US presidential visit this week.

“The American president is a high-value target so an attack, or even an attempt, would raise the profile of Shebab,” warned Richard Tutah, a Nairobibased security and terrorism expert.

Mitigating that is an overwhelming security presence in the capital.

“The level of security is suffocating,” said Abdullahi Halakhe, a regional security analyst.

President Barack Obama is due to address an international business summit in Nairobi, an event the US embassy itself warned could be “a target for terrorists”.

The closely-held details of the security arrangements for the three-day visit are a source of endless fascination and speculation in the Kenyan media.

“US President Obama’s Security Gadgets Arrive,” read the headline in The Star, a tabloid with a talent for Kenyan security scoops.

“A US military cargo plane... will ferry in a whole range of secure advanced communications equipment, some of it to be used by President Obama himself when he lands,” the paper breathlessly reported. AFP

F R I D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 5

MOTORING

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

B7

EXPLORER EVOLVES INTO PEOPLE MOVER Text and photos

by Dino Ray V. Directo III THE FORD Explorer has evolved from being a popular and mid-size SUV into a spacious crossover people mover. It created quite an impression on me when I first drove this variant in 2011, and one can just imagine how this writer must feel now after a week with its Sport version.

This current generation Explorer has shed its truck-like features and Ford engineers ditched the trail rated suspension for something more tolerable and suited for urban duties. It won’t do so much off-road because it traded its trailing boots for some fine leather shoes that would benefit the comforts of both the driver and the passengers.

Although a Terrain Response System will still allow you some moderate trail time, a shade of its former mud and trail loving past life. The Explorer line-

up shares components with Ford’s large sedans like the Ford Flex.

New for this year, the Explorer XLT now comes with a more sporty version that includes a blacked out grille design and headlamps; a new set of 20-inch wheels and a rev happy 3.5 liter, 290 bhp V6. It has evolved from a red neck mode of transportation to a player dressed to thrill and ready to hit the hottest clubs in town. It can also double as the family’s road trip machine for that weekend trip to Grandma’s house in the province.

It currently fights for a profitable space in the consumer pie with the Honda Pilot, the Lexus RX and the Mazda CX-9. Among the three, only the Honda Pilot can tow the line with the Explorer in terms of cabin space. It can comfortably accommodate seven passengers, with five full size adults on the two front row seats. Every inch

Hamilton, Rosberg resume F1 rivalry BUDAPEST - Two days after attending the funeral of their colleague Jules Bianchi, Formula One’s leading drivers gather again Thursday to begin preparations for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the 10th race of a season dominated by Mercedes and their dueling duo of defending champion Lewis Hamilton and team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Following emotional scenes in Nice, where Frenchman Bianchi was laid to rest after his death last Friday from injuries suffered in a collision with a recovery vehicle at last year’s Japanese Grand Prix, the mood in the paddock at the Hungaroring circuit, north of Hungary’s capital city, is likely to be more subdued than usual on the eve of F1’s midseason ‘summer’ break.

Both Briton Hamilton and German Rosberg, as well as Rosberg’s compatriot four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, were among many well-known Formula One personalities who attended Bianchi’s funeral, an occasion that marked the fi rst death of an F1 driver as a result of a racing accident since Brazilian Ayrton Senna in 1994.

Bianchi was tipped to become a Ferrari driver and enjoy an outstanding career.

Hamilton, who leads Rosberg by 17 points in this year’s title race, is in pursuit of his third title, but made clear this week he will have much more on his mind as he seeks to extend that advantage on a sun baked, tight and demanding track where he has traditionally shone in past seasons.

FAST FASTLANE Trail proof your ride Overland makes it their business to protect your SUV from the harsh elements of the offroad environment. Specially engineered and designed Grille guards and brush guards add protection and rugged looks to the front of your vehicle. Bull bars and light bars add good looks without over-powering the front of your vehicle. Most are made from heavy gauge steel tubing grille guards provides the ultimate custom appearance.

You won’t find a more thoroughly designed and manufactured vehicle protection system than Overland’s line of front, rear and side bumper protection.

Engineering a bull bar requires careful consideration of a number of factors to ensure it properly serves its purpose. Factors such as vehicle design, crush rate, air bag deployment, approach angles, accessory fitment, strength, weight and aesthetics are ac-

cessed in every Overland bumper before it enters production.

Overland designs are engineered by people who are active 4-wheelers know first-hand the demands made on protection equipment.

Overland 4x4 bumpers are designed to minimize vehicle damage and keep you moving. The standard Bull Bar replaces the front bumper completely with a robust steel bumper designed specifically for each application.

Jim does not endorse a “one size fits all” approach to design Protect and enhance the capacity of your SUV with Overland. It is available in dealers nationwide.

of the Explorer’s cabin seems to have been designed with the family in mind with the power tailgate and power folding seats making it convenient for your wife’s shopping duties or the kids camping gear.

Baing a Ford, this variant is loaded with safety features that would merit the approval of the Presidential Security Guards of President Aquino.

Aside from the array of airbags, this Explorer has inflatable rear seat belts, a rear view camera and blind spot detectors. It even has an LED bar light in front of the dashboard that lights up when a pedestrian or a car is dangerously near the front bumper sensors. It can be annoying at times during rush hour since pedestrians tend to cross your path every so often, aside from cars. What takes the cake for me is the MyFord Touch that allows the driver to use voice or touch activated controls to

activate or navigate through the infotainment system. Once you plug in your iPhone or Android into the ICE, the owner’s name automatically appears on the dash panel.

Don’t be discouraged by the idea of owning a V6 will put a dent on your fuel budget. For a vehicle of its heft and size, plus the comfort and safety features thrown into the mix, the Ford Explorer

is probably an understated vehicle in a market dominated by the Japanese and Korean manufacturers. The fuel consumption is spot on even for an Ilokano like me who cringes on the thought of spending money. If you’re scouting for a vehicle that requires a spacious cabin, comfortable ride, close to Presidential safety features, plus adequate fuel consumption, then check this ride out.

New Suzuki Celerio price tag revealed; discounts on offer Suzuki Philippines revs up the competition in the local compact car segment with the upcoming launch of its newest automobile offering— the all-new Suzuki Celerio. The newest variant of the well-loved Celerio will be available locally in manual transmission and Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) which will be priced at P507,000 and P542,000, respectively.

With the car’s official release set this August, interested customers can already preview the all-new Suzuki Celerio on display

in all Suzuki dealerships nationwide and make early reservations to avail of a Php 20,000 discount.

The all-new Celerio boasts of being developed with an A+ compact design in mind. The A+ compact concept builds on the strengths and exceeds the limits of the A segment car by implementing the “small on the outside, big in the inside” idea.

As an A+ compact, the all-new Celerio promises to deliver the same dynamism and easy maneuver-

ing that compact cars are known for while offering impressive interior space and luggage capacity at the same time. Compared to its predecessor, the all-new Celerio features a longer body and wheelbase, a wider front and rear tread, and a bigger headroom. The new Celerio variant still sports a K10B three-cylinder engine that produces a maximum output of 67 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 90 Nm @3,500 rpm for excellent fuel efficiency.

Suzuki Philippines Presi-

dent Hiroshi Suzuki shares, “We are very excited to introduce our A+ compact to the Filipino market. With its superior design, bestin-class luggage capacity, superb ease of driving, and outstanding fuel efficiency, we are confident that the allnew Suzuki Celerio is set to be the new standard in this segment.”

For more information about Suzuki Philippines and the all-new Suzuki Celerio, visit www.suzuki. com.ph and like them on Facebook: www.facebook. com/suzukiautoph.

F R I D AY : J U LY 24 , 2 0 1 5

B8

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE FUN WITH

SUBARU Text and photo

by Dino Ray V. Directo III

O

The windmills of Rizal provide a perfect backdrop to the Subaru lineup.

nce again last weekend, the hills of Tanay came alive with the sound of engines revving and tires screeching to a halt. It was no Broadway musical but just the same, the sound was music to the ears. It was just another ride-and-rive event this time hosted by Motor Image Pilipinas, the country’s exclusive distributor of the Subaru brand, which threw caution to the wind by staging a fun-run in the hills of Tanay, Rizal.

The Subaru WRX-STi kicks up dust and gravel.

Leading the charge up the twisty back roads of Rizal is MIP’s newly minted Deputy Country Manager Bob Palanca, an industry veteran with decades of experience tucked under his belt. “This is a great way for the customers and the motoring media to experience what Subaru vehicles are capable of,” says Palanca.

For this event, the all-wheel drive Impreza WRX Sti was my weapon of choice with the MIP boss as my navigator.

After a sumptuous breakfast, the convoy of Subaru Foresters, Outbacks, XVs and Imprezas rolled out from the Subaru showroom along EDSA, Greenhills and snaked their way through the early weekend traffic going to Rizal.

The day-long event was meant to highlight Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive System, a technology unique to Subaru vehicles. The media and patrons of the brand had the opportunity to enjoy the features of Subaru’s full lineup. Organized by off-road specialist Beeboy Bargas, the route to the scenic Windmill Farm of Pililia, Rizal provided a perfect mix of highway, gravel and dirt surfaces that focused on the vehicles’ ability to maintain their composure and control despite the varying road conditions.

For someone like me who breathes, eats and sleeps with cars on my mind, I had a blast pushing the Impreza WRX STi to its mechanical limit, and attacked the sweeping and tight turns of the famed “Tanayburgring” with reckless abandon. The car handle corners like a train on rails, and the steering provided precise feel and control, as the brake system worked in cognizance with my driving skill. On a straight way up Tanay, the Impreza WRX STi showed its engineering brilliance as the hills echoed the wail of the turbocharged Boxer four engine. Once we hit the gravel portion of the Windmill Farm, the Impreza was in its element as I pushed the pedal to the medal for some “WRC” slipping and sliding fun up the gravel track. For a gear head like me, the feeling of driving a 4WD machine with the muscle to back it up the twisty road is orgasmic.

“Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel drive system is a technology that allows drivers to fully utilize the vehicle’s control through optimized traction and balance. The weight distribution compliments the overall performance of the car, because the torque distribution is spread evenly down to the four wheels. This event enabled the participants to feel the technology working on a real world scenario that gives all Subaru patrons the confidence to drive their vehicles on any terrain at any kind of weather,” explains Palanca.

The Subaru brand that has gone inert for several months now is again making its presence felt in the highly competitive domestic market.

The Tanay event is long overdue, considering that industry players are staging ride and drive events left and right. “You can expect more from Subaru in the next couple of months,” says Palanca with a wink of an eye.

Subaru definitely is out to make some noise and before long, the roar of Subaru engines will transform into that wonderful sound – that of cash registers ringing incessantly.

F R I D AY : J U LY 24 : 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

ST Y L E & BE AU T Y

LIFE

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FROM TOP: Gentlemen Only Casual Chic by Givenchy This eau de toilette is woodsy, spicy, and fresh – combining cardamom, ginger, and juniper – perfect not just for work but also for a weekend getaway.

Isla Paloma by Bench This concoction of Monica Urquijo for Bench is named after her sister Paloma. She took the classic Spanish cologne scent and added floral and citrus notes.

HEAVEN SCENT

White Musk For Men Eau De Toilette

by The Body Shop This is their popular White Musk in a version made for men. The light fragrance contains notes of lavender, geranium, musk, and sandalwood.

Lacoste L!VE Don’t let the compact bottle fool you: this new fragrance for men explodes with zesty lime, boosting your energy and awakening your senses.

Make your fragrance work for you.

These scents work in wet and dry weather, guaranteed to keep you fresh all day.

STYLING AND TEXT BY KAI MAGSANOC STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY BY SONNY ESPIRITU

T

he scent you wear can make people around you happy, and – more importantly – make you feel great. Just as a perfect pair of sexy underwear can make you feel oh-so-sexy (even if nobody knows you are wearing them), the perfect scent can boost your mood all day, add a skip to your step, turn your confidence up a notch. This is true for both men and women.

When the senses are pleased, you are pleased, and people who find themselves around you will also be pleased. Who doesn’t love great energy?

But the weather can be tricky: it can go from dry and scorching hot to wet with the

rain pouring in buckets. Busy people who work all day and make time to go out at night beg the question: what scent do we wear?

loving how you smell? (Perhaps it’s when people around you don’t love how you smell, too.)

ALL ABOUT THE BASE

WHICH IS WHICH?

There are four major scent categories: fresh, floral, oriental, and woodsy. Fresh can remind one of fruits, grass, or the sea. Floral can remind one of flowers, and is considered the most popular scent category. Oriental can remind one of spices, incense, and musk.

Woodsy can remind one of warmth, leather, and smoke.

Brands combine these scent categories to come up with fragrances that won’t let us down. After all, what’s worse than not

In the order of the strength of scent, Parfum has the greatest concentration of fragrant oils. This is followed by Eau De Parfum, and then by Eau De Toilette. Eau De Toilette is also dubbed “toilet water,” used as a skin freshener – apply as much as you want!

Eau De Cologne comes fourth, with less percentage of fragrant oils, easily evaporates, and the least expensive so it goes off the shelves faster. The name also comes from Cologne, Germany, where it originated.

Light Blue: Sunset in Salina by Dolce & Gabbana This scent opens with the aroma of fresh vine leaves, followed by violet leaves, yellow freesia, orange flower, and jasmine; sealed with notes of amber, cedar wood, and white musk.

Light Blue: Swimming in Lipari by Dolce & Gabbana Imagine yourself in the Mediterranean with this aromatic water fragrance that brings you notes from grapefruit, mandarin, and rosemary; dried down with ambergris, dry woods, and musk.

Eau de L. 12. 12 Jaune by Lacoste This is the newest addition to the Lacoste Poloshirt in a Fragrance Collection. It is fresh and citrusy, aromatic and fruity. Zesty and light, it is perfect for the active man.

Kistna Eau De Toilette by The Body Shop This crowd favorite is fresh and light, with notes of basil and birch leaf. It is a scent for men that’s also popular with women.

Red Musk Eau De Parfum by The Body Shop Daring women can defy the norm with this spiced musk. It contains hot notes of cinnamon and intense tobacco. Go bold, go strong.

Jeu D’Amour by Kenzo Last on our lineup is this sweetly seductive scent that will surely reel in romance. Tea, mandarin, and pomegranate capture his attention; tuberose and freesia sustain the electricity.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

ANDROGYNE RELEASES ITS LATEST COLLECTION

A

ndrogynous fashion style has always been a statement of liberty and equality. Common among the trends of gender-void fashion are button down shirts, loafers, brogues, coats, and pants. Androgyne, the androgynous clothing line from Seek the Uniq stands out among the trends. Cut from silk-blend and cotton fabrics the design is versatile as it can be worn in different ways. Born from the creative minds of Mikka Padua and Luis Espiritu, Androgyne clothing line can be bought exclusively on the online shop

Seek the Uniq. “Androgyne is a post gender style narrative of contemporary dressing,” says Luis. Inspired by Japanese aesthetics and Italian-inspired prints, the collection combines luxury and comfort. Each piece can be styled in several ways to give the wearer a more flexible option.

Check out the collection at www.

SEEKTHEUNIQ.com. Seek the Uniq is an online shopping haven that curates unique products from talented designers, artisans, and crafters.

Denim for all

SM Men’s new collection blurs the line between menswear and womenswear

The new Nine West concept store at Power Plant Mall in Rockwell

DRESSED TO THE NINE WEST

There are only a few things in the world of fashion that can stand against changing trends and times quite like denim. It’s as classic as a white shirt and a black dress, but more than its versatility and timeless coolness, its appeal is that it caters to all genders.

Think of denim as fashion’s common ground – women look as good in men’s denim button-downs as much as guys in slim tailored jeans.

SM Men takes this idea and translates it into a massive collection aptly called Denim Citizens. This collection is composed of classic denim pieces that can be worn by both men and women. Chambray pieces in somber neutrals, two-tone polos, and denim pairs with that elusive perfect fit are featured in this range.

Nine West unveils chic and modern store design

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

F

or over three decades, Nine West has been one of the go-to fashion brands offering women quality, trendy and accessible footwear and accessories.

Now in its late thirties, this Manhattan-born label reinvents itself with a new store concept being implemented in its stores in over 70 countries across the globe.

Nine West is currently remodeling its outlets across Asia and this redesign has finally come in the Philippines starting at Power Plant Mall in Rockwell.

In a bid to cater to the changing needs of the modern woman, who wants to better express herself and favors a pleasant shopping experience, Nine West’s new updated mid-century-inspired store design is lighter and airier. The interior is mostly white with touches of pink – courtesy of chic couches in the store – to showcase the creative and feminine image of the brand and, more importantly, to achieve that airy feel.

The new floor plan and mix of materials and light create an organic interplay of movement and blur out the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. Striking elements are kept to a minimum: floating shelves serve as smart and stylish options to showcase the products while lending another dimension to the store, movable tables offer a dynamic display that maximizes the floor space, and a wooden chandelier serves as the unassuming focal point of the store that highlights the key items of the season.

“We are improving the design concept to be more inviting, and the customers are really reacting well to it.

We’re kinda giving her (Nine West) a little makeover, give her a botox with this store design,” shared Kiki Zinycz, vice president for Southeast Asia of GRI, the regional licensee of Nine West Group.

With her extensive experience with a number of global lifestyle fashion labels, Zinycz stressed the importance of innovation among retail and wholesale businesses especially in this age when customers learn about what’s

new by simply checking the Web. “We’re evolving the brand to be more responsive to what’s happening to the customers around the globe.”

She clarified, however, that this move is not necessarily an image change, but rather their response to the trends.

“We’re just evolving it, evolving the place, evolving the products, evolving the presentation with a more modern approach,” emphasized Zinycz.

“We’re really excited here in the Philippines to be evolving the brand,” she enthused. “The design that was here (Power Plant Mall) before was an older concept, we’re playing it a little bit with this modern concept” that features “current store design trends: lighter, airier, and more organic elements with a mix of modern and industrial components,” explained Zinycz.

According to Zinycz, they are looking to redesign one or two more of the 16 stand-alone Nine West outlets by the end of the year. “We will be doing renovations over the course of next year or so.”

Complementing the new chic design is the brand’s latest Crazy Cute collection, a part of its Spring/Summer 2015 lineup. Undeniably feminine, this latest collection is composed of pieces in dainty shades of pink, coral, lemon, periwinkle and white, as well as footwear and handbags with oversized gemstones and floral details.

In the Philippines, Nine West is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., a member of SSI Group, Inc., and has 24 locations in the country: Power Plant Mall, Rustan’s Makati, Alabang Town Center, BHS Central, Eastwood, Fairview Terraces, Gateway Mall, Glorietta 4, Shangri-la Plaza, Trinoma, Robinson’s Malls (Galleria, Magnolia, Manila), SM Malls (Megamall, Mall of Asia, Masinag, Southmall, The Block), Nuvali Sta. Rosa Laguna, Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Marquee Mall, Ayala Cebu, Abreeza Davao and Limketkai Cagayan de Oro.

A denim button-down is a versatile piece of clothing that suits both men and women.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

HOW WE SHOP FOR FASHION ONLINE

I

n the ever-evolving world of the fact, shopping Internet, everything changes, on Instagram morphs, updates and pivots quicker is such a trendy than we can get accustomed to activity that them. Take for instance, shopping it wouldn’t be for clothes. From the time the first surprising if the e-commerce services launched in photo-sharing app the mid-1990s until today, online adds a shopping THE GIST fashion retail has gone from websites cart and checkout

BY ED BIADO to social media to mobile apps. facility in one of its In an effort to keep their customers coming updates in the near future. back, fashion shopping sites are always on the But if you can’t wait for that to lookout for fresh emerging talents to tap. Like a happen, don’t worry because there physical bazaar where one can discover new finds are apps for that. Like To Know and hot deals, Zalora’s Marketplace section is a It was created specifically to hunt community of independent fashion boutiques down shoppable items on Instagram. exclusive to startup merchants and designers that Meanwhile, the fashion app Stylekick have yet to penetrate the mainstream. is a lookbook-type shopping service The same business model is used by the site filled with editorial-worthy street-style Shoptiques, which currently has over 1,500 images that lets users instantly “shop the look.” independent boutiques from across the United Shopping apps are also riding on the popularity States, as well as London and Paris, in its roster and of Tinder. Many services, including Moxy, Dapper, will soon expand to Asia. It’s a “glocal” (global + Stylect and Mallzee, make it easy for shoppers to local) sales platform that lets users filter results by select looks by allowing them to swipe through the neighborhood and shop in the city of their choice. offerings of their respective selections of retailers.

Through influencer-driven social media, brands The democratized nature of the Internet has big and small communicate with their target market provided plenty of independent designers worldwide by humanizing their image. Their public perception the opportunity to gain prominence and capture is just as “curated” as their Instagram feeds. Major their own markets. At the same time, established retailers use photo posts to give the masses a peek labels keep up with the times and continually behind the runway, tease their fans about the innovate to keep their respective audiences engaged new collections and demonstrate how sartorial and reach out to potential customers. celebrities wear their garments.

What’s next for fashion shopping online? We On the other hand, startups usually take to just have to wait and see. In the meantime, shop Instagram to directly peddle their wares. In away! (You’re welcome.)

Mallzee app

Moxy app

Like To Know It app

The ‘Ruffa Collection’ from Avon Fashions

R

uffa Gutierrez is returning as Avon’s ambassador for the Jewelry and Watches line under her very own “Ruffa Collection.”

“Being an Avon ambassador is a role I am truly proud of because Avon, the company for women, gives me the beautiful opportunity to inspire women from all walks of life,” notes Ruffa. Her signature collection is made of fashion statement pieces that are affordable yet exude luxury and elegance in the design and finish. The jewelry takes inspiration from Ruffa’s timeless beauty and passion. It is made up of sparkling micropave with vivid red cubic zirconia in the center, with an elegant design that is perfect for a glammed-up look.

Avon jewelry are hand-finished and have gone through an intensive process that guarantees protection against tarnishing and corrosion.

They are created with the goal of making

exceptional affordable jewelry readily available for every woman. “Jewelry can help build your confidence and you know what they say, confidence is key. When I wear Avon fashions, I feel beautiful, confident, and empowered. Who wouldn’t want that?” says Ruffa.

Available through an Avon Lady nationwide. For more information about Avon and its products visit www.avon.com.ph. or follow Facebook.com/ AvonPhilippines and Twitter via @AvonPH.

Ruffa Gutierrez’s collection for Avon Fashions is composed of statement pieces that are elegant and affordable.

Stylekick app

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

POP-UP BEAUTY

BY JIGS MAYUGA

@LIFEatStandard

THE RETURN OF THE ‘90S NEUTRAL MATTE LIP

A

s a young, (closeted) Fast forward to 2015. Brown lips teenage boy growing up are back in a big way. Matte nudes and in the 1990s surrounded browns were visible on the runways by mostly female siblings for fall, from Donna Karan in NYC to and cousins, I discovered Salvatore Ferragamo in Milan. Even early on how a simple tube of lipstick the timeless Spice lip pencil from can drastically change the look, feel M.A.C. which has been a staple in and mood of a person’s face. Even makeup artists’ kits for three decades then I was already very much into now, has been quite hard to find makeup and would remember all the because of Kylie Jenner and her now popular lipstick shades like Taupe, famous matte “Greige” lips. Today’s Mocha, Cocoa, Toast, Spirit and the Donna Karan A/W 2015 modern matte lip is still about packing classic Sienna that was popularized on the pigment without the shine but

by Cindy Crawford’s lips in that now iconic Revlon with advanced formulas and caring ingredients that ad. There was something about these matte brown also nourish the lips. Here’s a rundown of the best and nude hues that would instantly brighten and new matte lipsticks available today in a variety of lift the face without adding too much color. shades and formulas for every skin tone.

REVLON ColorBurst™ Matte Balm in Complex

The Landmark This true nude beige with a Triple Butter Complex of Shea, Mango and Coconut Butter moisturizes your lips and leaves it with a velvety matte finish. Ideal for fairer skin tones who want just a hint of color.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in Mat 3 SM Megamall If you’re going for a more intense brown with a hint of rose that is truly matte then this caramel colored lipstick is for you. Formulated with 50 percent more pigment than traditional lipstick, Rouge Artist Intense gives an immediate true-tocolor result.

Cindy Crawford

HAPPY SKIN Shut Up & Kiss Me Moisturizing Matte Lippie in Too Cool

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bahama, Bonifacio High Street

L’OREAL PARIS Color Riche Matte Browns in Maple Mocha

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Abu Dhabi

Beauty Bar The Preview X Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me Moisturizing Matte Lippie in Too Cool is a trendy, wearable matte nude which complements most skin tones. Perfect with defined, smoky eyes or even on its own.

SM Aura This mid-tone peach brown is the perfect nude for warmer morena skin tones.

Applies smoothly because of its creamy formula infused with nourishing Jojoba and Argan oils but dries into a moist, matte finish once it sets.

Central Square An Allure magazine Best of Beauty award winner. This pink-brown color mimics the natural color of the lips to give them a nice, even tone. Combining the convenience of a pencil with the application of a lipstick, this pigment-rich crayon provides a matte, creamy finish that will not dry the lips.

SM Makati Another deep rose-beige that is perfect for almost all skin tones. This formula from Nyx has a cult following because its straddles the line between lipstick and gloss but has a soft matte finish that exudes a sensual glow.

INGLOT Matte Lipstick in 405

Glorietta 5 An opaque, super matte lipstick that is perfect for any occasion. This dusty rose shade with a hint of brown has Vitamin E, macadamia oil, and avocado oil moisturizes and nourishes the lips.

M.A.C. Matte Lipstick in Stone

A true throwback and the ultimate “Greige” lipstick. Part of the brand’s “The Matte Lip” collection launching in August, this color described as a “muted grayish taupe brown” is the perfect color if you’re feeling adventurous and want to channel your inner ‘90s pop diva.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @jigsmayuga

Grow Your Online Business

Z (From left) Jessica de Mesa of Zalora Marketplace, Eye Know Right co-owner Bugsy Ancheta, Soleful by Cez owner Cez Ciruela and Eye Know Right co-owner Queenie Ong

ALORA, Asia’s online fashion destination, has created the ZALORA Marketplace, an exclusive fashion community of selected boutiques where independent retailers and designers are able to sell their own products and styles to the global network of ZALORA. It follows a business-to-consumer model that allows aspiring entrepreneurs a chance to reach their customers easily and grow their brand with ZALORA Philippines, which currently registers a total of 110-120 thousand visits.

“ZALORA Marketplace is not simply a buying and selling website, but it is also an avenue for young and aspiring fashion entrepreneurs to make a name for themselves

in this tough industry. Together, we also help grow the fashion industry as a whole, providing opportunities for young fashion entrepreneurs to grow their brand with us,” said Jessica de Mesa, head of ZALORA Marketplace.

Since starting operations in April 2014, ZALORA Marketplace currently houses over 450 homegrown brands that manage their own web shops or fashion boutiques under the ZALORA platform. The company aims to grow that number to 1,000 by year-end. Interested parties may contact marketplace@ zalora.com.ph or visit the official website at www.zalora.com. ph to see how they can be a part of ZALORA Marketplace today. For more information, please visit www.zalora.com.ph

F RIDAY : J ULY 24 : 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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Orchestra of Filipino Youth

InstItutO Cervantes’ CInema and musIC wIth a Cause

O

n Saturday, Instituto Cervantes de Manila will offer a double program of cinema and music, linked by a common solidarity cause. At 2 p.m., Sergio and Juan Manuel Aznárez will present their documentary La sonrisa verdadera (True Smile). At 5 p.m., the violin and piano Duo DS and the chamber music ensemble contingent of the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth (OFY) will perform a concert as a culminating activity of a week’s workshops. Works to be played are by Joaquin Turina, Pascual Marquina, Jules Massenet, Carlos Gardel, and Edvard Grieg, among others.

La sonrisa verdadera (True Smile) is the story of a journey from Spain to Morocco, seen through the empty glance of Sergio, an autistic and blind young man who crosses 1,300 km. in tandem bicycle with his brother.

This documentary immerses us into Sergio’s unreachable world, which seems so similar to the desert, the destination of their trip.

Sergio and Juan Manuel Aznárez will answer questions from the audience after the screening. They will also present the film, which is in Spanish with English subtitles.

The film premiered on July 3 at the World Premieres Film Festival.

“It’s very important that True Smile is not only a movie to be enjoyed in the cinema – we can help other people with this example. For us, this trip to the Philippines has become something really touching and really special,” said Juan Manuel Aznárez at the premiere.

At 5pm, the Spanish-German violin and piano Duo DS and the chamber music ensemble of the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth

Spanish violinist David Delgado and German pianist Stefan Schmidt

A scene from La sunrisa verdadera

(OFY) will treat the audience with a special concert.

Ang Misyon, Inc. (AMI), a joint project of First Philippine Holdings and ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network, created OFY. Its prima-

Poster of La sonrisa verdadera

ry goal is to help eradicate poverty in the Philippines through social change, by creating career paths in Classical Music performance.

Inspired by the Venezuelan visionary Jose Antonio Abreu’s

“El Sistema”, AMI established SISTEMA FOR THE FILIPINO YOUTH (SFY) --an after-school music program that offers children from deprived communities the opportunity to achieve their full

musical potential through Classical Music performance, with the ultimate hope of creating a positive impact on their communities.

AMI was provided a grant by Acción Cultural Española to invite DuoDS - Spanish violinist David Delgado and German pianist Stefan Schmidt - to conduct workshops to members of the OFY from July 20 to 26.

DuoDS was founded in Berlin in 2006. Since then, they brought to European audiences some unusual programs, such as “Hommage à Lorca“, “Spanish Impressions“, “Unwanted Music“, on stages like the Staatsoper Berlin and the Palacio del Marqués de Salamanca in Madrid. Their last recording, made for the Viennese label Gramola, includes the complete works for violin and piano by the Spanish composer Joaquín Turina.

Music critics from around the world praised the recording through their reviews in the international press. Their performances have been broadcast on radio stations such as Ö1 (Austria), RAI (Italy), RNE (Spain), & Radio France.

This double event is organized

by Instituto Cervantes de Manila in collaboration with Ang Misyon, Inc. (AMI), the Embassy of Spain and Acción Cultural Española, with the support of the piano store «Manila Pianos» and Film Sales. Admission to the two events is FREE on a first-come, first-served basis.

For further information, please call 526-1482 or visit http://manila.cervantes.es or www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila. Instituto Cervantes de Manila (Ermita branch) is at 855 T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila.

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

PeOPle

...aRE taLKing abOUt

Maine Mendoza Patricia Javier

...aRE nOt taLKing abOUt

MainE MEnDOZa

It’s either you’re a Luddite or you’ve been living under a rock if you’re unfamiliar with the country’s Dubsmash queen. The culinary graduate who took Dubsmash with her hilarious take on Kris Aquino’s famous movie lines by storm is invading noontime television this time. Maine recently joined Eat Bulaga and is paired with Alden Richards in one of the segments. Seems someone has just stolen the televiewers’ attention.

PatRiCia JaviER

In line with her television comeback, the former sexy star admitted that she was a kept woman and was dependent on prohibited drugs. Although she’s not proud of her dark past, she instantly earned the respect of people who follow her career. This revelation didn’t make her less of a person, for one thing, she used her mistakes as her foundation to succeed in life, as a mother and a successful entrepreneur.

Julia Montes

She’s a hardworking person, good actor, pretty face not to mention, but something is missing in the equation.

Well probably, her appearance on Maalala Mo Kaya, which registered a relatively poor ratings, would answer as to why she’s not getting all the breaks she deserves. If only her fans would realize that their idol is not cut out to be in a leading role then they would be content to see her having numerous projects as a support cast.

MEg iMPERiaL

The primetime drama starring Dingdong Dantes is extended for another month. That’s the reason why new characters were introduced in the series of late. Another Kapuso star will join the primetime drama in the next couple of days, too. Although stretching the entire story doesn’t do any good to the logical flow of its plot, people are happy to know that the show is living up to the management expectations.

Pari ‘Koy

So Kapuso network has decided to put Ai Ai delas Alas and Marian Rivera in one show, which replaces Sunday All Stars starting this August. We have yet to see what this program has to offer but we are not keeping our hopes high as early as now. For the record, Sunday PINASaya is going to be the fourth program to be pitted against the undisputed Sunday musical show, ASAP. Hence this “pinasaya” thing sounds more of “pinalungkot” to us, sorry.

JULia MOntES

Sunday PINASaya

PaRi ‘KOy

SUnDay PinaSaya

Meg Imperial

The sexy starlet is confident that Viva would be able to help her achieve her goal in showbiz – which is of course to be a bigger star compared to what she is right at the moment. Soon, she’ll realize that her starring role in Moon of Desire was already the highlight of her career. Although she wouldn’t admit it, it’s obvious that Ellen Adarna (her former support act) stole the spotlight from her.

SearCh for CandidateS to MiSS World PhiliPPineS 2015 beginS

M

iss World Philippines officially opens its doors to aspirants for the Miss World Philippines 2015 crown. The official search for Miss World Philippines 2015 began yesterday.

The organizers also announced the schedules for screening. General screening is on Sept 7 and the final screening on Sept. 8. Where the screenings will be held is yet

to be finalized and applicants will be informed of the venues.

All aspiring candidates can register online at www.missworldphilippines.com. Inquiries will also be entertained at (02) 5337470.

Cory Quirino, National Director of Miss World Philippines, is optimistic about a strong Philippines showing at the Miss World Finals to be held in Sanya, China on Dec. 19.

“If we have our first Miss World in

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 45 47 48 50 52 54 58 62 63 64 67 68 69

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Best-seller 4 Scarecrow’s innards 9 Faction 13 Oklahoma town 14 Halloween costume 15 Coach 16 Leggy one 18 Banks or Els 19 Floors, in a way 20 Desert safaris 22 Cut drastically

25 26 28 32 35 37 38 40 42 43

Pith helmet Catalog issuer of yore Multiplex attractions Hint, as of lipstick Tongue-lash London flashlight Treated a sprain Weed whackers Like blue moons Do gumshoe work

70 71 72

Maxes out Sine — non Waited on Flakes Russian epic hero Burger flipper Turns turtle Of woods and meadows Domed residence Basinger comedy (2 wds.)

Anagram for north Kind of cassette Give the go-ahead Barks shrilly Kingdom Mme. in Madrid

DOWN 1 Cabbies 2 As good as it gets 3 Country music’s — Tucker 4 Rustles 5 Friendly advice 6 I-70 7 “T.N.T.” rockers 8 Durum 9 One who made it

the name of Megan Young in 2013, then this only serves as inspiration to aspire for the Miss World crown once again for our country”.

The future official candidates of Miss World Philippines 2015 will be privileged to have Megan Young herself as official trainer and motivational speaker to prepare them for the competition.

It will be recalled the 2013 was a memorable year in pageant histo-

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015

10 11 12 15 17 21 23 24 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 39 41 44 46 49 51 53 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 65 66

Sight from Messina Invent, as a phrase Uno y dos Oolong brewer Make the salad PC acronym Per person Give in to gravity Hard rain?

Iran neighbor Pale brown Queens field Dah partners Land parcel Loaded for — Uses charcoal / followers Bounce Roman army Limelight Egg qty.

Cuff link Concrete reinforcer Where Asia begins Not now Comic-strip queen Kind of slicker Turkish official Fall softly Fishtail Ms. Lupino Zilch

ry. After a 63-year-long wait, the Philippines finally won the Miss World crown in Bali, Indonesia when Young competed against 126 candidates for the title.

Miss World is the longest running pageant in the world having been established in 1951 in London, England by Sir Eric Morley.

Today it is headed by Julia E. Morley under whose leadership the pageant has grown to become the

largest pageant in the world today.

It is also known as the only pageant in the world with its very own advocacy for women and children dubbed Beauty with a Purpose.

Miss World Philippines 2015 is a joint collaboration between CQ Global Quest Inc. and ALV Productions headed by Arnold Vegafria. Interested sponsors may call Miss World Philippines Secretariat at 5337470.

F RIDAY : J ULY 24 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

FoundAtion gets P4 million PArtiAl donAtion From C8

A

t the recent awarding ceremonies for the winners of the golf open organized by The Mandaluyong Golf Club for the 8th Mayor Benhur Abalos Golf Cup on July 17 at the Wack Wack Golf & Country Club, Charisse Abalos, the mayor’s daughter who is also a councilor in the city, and his wife Menchie got the surprise of their lives. The club turned over a check amounting to P4 million to Ciara Marie Abalos Foundation, Inc., the foundation the daughter is heading in memory of her sibling on which the foundation is named after.

According to the officers of the club, it is only a partial donation and the amount represented the proceeds from the recently concluded Golf Cup. “We are touched by the generosity of the people who have been participating in the golf cup,” Menchie said after the awarding ceremonies.

Charisse said, “The amount will help greatly our beneficiaries, mostly children who suffer from sepsis (the cause of her twin sister’s death), especially

those from underprivileged families in our city.

The golf tourney winners (Low Net Champion) Richard Salcedo, (Low Gross Champion) Bobby Rosales, (Class A Champion) Willy Cabalce, (Class B Champion) Thursday So, (Class C Champion) Willy Yap and (Ladies Division Champion) Rev Alcantara.

Movie/TV celebrities who joined the tournament included John Estrada, Derek Ramsay, Monsour del Rosario, Bobot Mortiz, Smokey Manaloto among others.

The tournament is the biggest funding source for the Ciara Marie Foundation.

“The greatest gift we also get is the amount my father gives to the foundation on our birthdays,” said Charisse who has been very active in helping those afflicted with sepsis since the death of her twin sister.

Charisse is now 30 and according to her she can now entertain suitors. She’s glad her parents have finally given her the permission.

Last Sunday, Mandaluyong City broke

Gawad CCP Para sa Sining awardee for Film and Broadcast: Nora Aunor

the Guinness World record for the largest Zumba class held in a single venue.

A total of 12,975 participants in yellow T-shirts gathered on the streets of Mandaluyong for 30 minutes.

Dozens of instructors kept the participants engaged and encouraged them to keep dancing.

Guinness officials stood nearby and observed the program to make sure every participant was dancing on their feet during the 30-minute session.

Guinness World Record Adjudicator Alan Pixley confirmed the record had been achieved.

“The largest Zumba class, the current record to beat was 8,232. I can tell you today that the city of Mandaluyong got 12, 975, which means they are the new Guinness World record title holder,” he said.

The previous record was achieved in 2014 by a fitness group in Cebu with 8,232 participants, the Guinness World Record website said.

Mayor Benhur Abalos said the new record would help promote the local government’s campaign for a healthy lifestyle.

The Abaloses of Mandaluyong: Mayor Benhur Abalos, wife Menchie, and daughter Counilor Charisse Marie

Mother and daughter lead Zumba class in Mandaluyong that broke the Guinness Book of World Records

Ricky Lee is Gawad CCP Para sa Sining 2015 awardee for Literature

CCP to Confer highest award on nora aunor, riCky Lee, 11 others

t

he Cultural Center of the Philippines will award the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining 2015 to 11 individuals, including acclaimed actress Nora Aunor and notable scriptwriter and fictionist Ricardo “Ricky” Lee, and two organizations for their outstanding contributions to Philippine arts and culture on September 17 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

The highest award given by the CCP will be bestowed on Aunor (Film and Broadcast Arts), Lee (Literature), former Ballet Philippines artistic director Denisa Reyes (Dance), leading opera star and soprano Fides Cuyugan Asensio (Music), Dulaang UP founding director Antonio Mabesa (Theater), the late art curator Roberto Chabet (Visu-

By seymour BArros sAnChez

al Arts), landscape architect and urban designer Paulo Alcazaren (Architecture), and Dean of Philippine Fashion Ben Farrales (Design) for their outstanding contributions in their respective fields and for further enriching the development of their art forms.

Known as the Superstar, Aunor has starred in numerous films, stage plays, television shows, and concerts, and received many national and international awards.

The multi-awarded actress, singer, and producer was recently awarded the Natatanging Gawad Urian by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino and another Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards in Malaysia for her remarkable acting career spanning almost 50 years.

On the other hand, Lee has significantly contributed to Philippine literature and popular culture through his filmography and fiction. Lee, also the recipient of this year’s UP Gawad Plaridel, written scripts for films like Himala, Jaguar, Salome, Moral, Karnal, and others that introduced new subjectivities which tackled taboos and modern moralities in Philippine cinema.

The award-winning writer has also been instrumental in mentoring, sharing his craft, and honing the skills of the next generation of film and TV writers through his scriptwriting workshops and books.

Reyes, who twice served as BP’s artistic director, holds an impressive line of choreographic works which focus on Asian contemporary dance and the possibilities of presenting local issues through

dance expressions. She won critical recognition for her works in the international dance scene.

Meanwhile, Asensio, an icon in the development of opera and musical theatre in the country, continues to promote young classical singers through the non-profit organization Music Theater Foundation of the Philippines, which she has established. Asensio also stars in films and stage plays.

Aside from being active with the university-based theatre company Dulaang UP, Mabesa has also involved himself in nearly every aspect of theatre – directing over 130 stage productions, making him one of the country’s top directors, and acting and designing for leading theatre companies.

The award will also be given to “Aawitan Kita” producer, singer,

and host Armida Siguion-Reyna and University of the Philippines College of Music professor emeritus Basilio Esteban Villaruz for their works in research, curatorship, and administration which have helped develop and enrich Philippine art (Category C). Siguion-Reyna’s, significant contribution to the fields of musical theatre, television, and film is highlighted by her three decades of work for the award-winning television program.

The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, which is given every three years, was previously awarded to six artists and one foreign cultural arts administrator on several occasions from 1977 to 1986. Since the award’s revival in 1989, it has been awarded to 88 artists and groups from all over the country.

F RIDAY : J ULY 24 : 2015

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

The Yagit kids: Chlaui Malayao, Jemwell Ventinilla, Judie dela Cruz, and Zymic Jaranilla

Curtains Close on ‘Yagit’ todaY isaH V. red It is a day of mourning for most fans of the afternoon soap opera on GMA7, and why?

The screen will fade out to black on Yagit today.

One of GMA Network’s top-rating Afternoon Prime drama series, Yagit final episode airs this afternoon.

Since the show’s nationwide auditions on June 2014 in search for kids to portray the cast that will portray the gang of batang yagit until the time it piloted in October last year, Yagit up until today has captured the hearts of viewers. They welcomed warmly every character into their homes, from Monday to Friday, giving the show the highest ratings for an afternoon series. It

Renzo Fernandez

has always been a trending topic on social media, making the Yagit kids Chlaui Malayao, Jemwell Ventinilla, Judie dela Cruz, and Zymic Jaranilla veritable child stars in their own right.

Apart from the kids, the series also feature Yasmien Kurdi, James Blanco, LJ Reyes, Renz Fernandez, Kevin Santos, Bettinna Carlos, and Wowie De Guzman plus Paolo Contis, Yagit has also welcomed some celebrities making the series more interesting. Some of them are Princess Punzalan, Alessandra de Rossi, Jaya, Leni Santos, Kiko Estrada, Bea Binene, Boy 2 Quizon, and Nova Villa.

As the series draws to its end, more exciting scenes await the viewers. Will Dolores’ (Yasmien) family find each other and become whole again? How will Izel (Bettinna) pay for the sins she has done? Will Elisa (Chlaui), Tomtom (Jemwell), Jocelyn (Judie),

Wowie de Guzman

and Ding (Zymic) find their way back to each other’s company?

Don’t miss the final episode of Yagit airing after The Half Sisters on GMA Afternoon Prime today.

HHHHH Saturday Night Fever cloSeS The smash musical that drew inspiration from the ‘70s film of the same name has been taking on a life of its own since bowing out of Broadway 15 years ago, spawning at least four UK Tour productions, seven International Tour productions, a cruise production, and a West End Revival production— proving the adage that “indeed, there’s life beyond the shadows of the Great White Way.” SNF’s latest triumph, a newly reimagined production aimed at revisiting the gritty, chaotic, and dystopic elements of the film— initially announced to make tour stops in Manila, Kuala Lumpur,

Yasmien Kurdi

and Singapore—has just added China and Australia to its itinerary.

Patrick Bywalksi, deputy chairman of The Robert Stigwood Organisation, which produced the film and its succeeding filmto-stage adaptations, announced the extra tour stops on the opening night in Manila earlier this month. Bywalski said, “Now that we’re up and running, I trust that we should be able to secure more venues as per my announcement.

“This brand new production of SNF represents a true value: the essence of the movie is respected all the way, (which was deliberately overlooked in the original West End and Broadway runs to appeal to a wider audience).

Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group (ATEG) director Bobby Garcia has epitomized Nick Cohn’s original story, ‘Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night,’” an article published in New York

James Blanco

magazine in 1976, which served as the basis of the film.

Touted as “the first Filipino-produced Broadway musical for the world,” whose primary proponents ATEG and Ten Bridges Media Corp., both based in Manila, Philippines, did not scrimp on the quality of expertise in this production.

SNF in Manila, , plays The Theatre at Solaire Resort and Casino (ASEANA Avenue, Paranaque, Metro Manila) until Sunday, July 26.

Performances are also set at Istana Budaya (Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) from September 4 to 13 and at MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands (10 Bayfront Ave., Singapore) from September 25 to October 4.

For tickets in Manila, call ATEG at (632) 650 5144 or (63917) 8381534; or visit TicketWorld at ticketworld.com.ph. ➜ continued on c7

LJ Reyes