The Standard - 2015 July 25 - Saturday

VOL. XXIX NO. 165 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 SATURDAY: JULY 25, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘Reopen Senate’s SAF 44 probe’

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‘MANALO KIN NOT ABDUCTED, DETAINED’

By Rio N. Araja

THERE was no indication of an abduction in the house of Felix Nathaniel “Ka Angel” Manalo and his mother Cristina “Tenny” Manalo inside the compound of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) central temple in Quezon City, police said Friday.

Chief Supt. Joel Pagdilao of the Quezon City Police District said Angel Manalo had given him the assurance that they were “safe, unharmed and free” inside their home on 36 Tandang Sora Ave. despite the alleged threats on their lives.

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No abduction. Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo, younger brother of Iglesia ni Cristo executive minister Eduardo Manalo, speaks to reporters from the gate of his house on Tandang Sora, Quezon City two days after he and his mother alleged in a Youtube post that their lives were in danger and that some of the sect’s ministers were being held against their will. The influential Christian sect expelled the two relatives on July 22. AFP

Pop star Brown allowed to leave

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132,000 Yolanda victims still live in tents

By Christine F. Herrera and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan SOME 132,000 poor families remain homeless and still live in tent cities and bunkhouses in Tacloban City and other areas devastated by super typhoon Yolanda two years ago as President Benigno

Aquino III has yet to approve the release of P54 billion for housing resettlement, former national treasurer Leonor Magtolis Briones said Friday.

Twenty months after Yolanda washed away homes and flattened Eastern Visayas, the government has yet to finish building resilient perma-

nent homes for 205,000 families that were rendered homeless, a study by Social Watch Philippines and Christian Aid concluded.

The seven-month study tracked the P170 billion that was supposedly earmarked for reconstruction and Next page rehabilitation.

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Effigy time. Members of the militant group Bayan Muna prepare an effigy in preparation for President Benigno Aquino III’s last State of the Nation Address on Monday. LINO SANTOS

Reopen SAF 44 massacre probe in Senate, Poe told

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATE Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano asked Senate Friday to reopen its investigation on the Jan. 25 Mamasapano massacre, saying the complete truth has not been uncovered and that the Ombudsman recommendation to charge the police survivors had a chilling effect on the entire police force.

“First, the whole truth and facts behind fhe Mamasapano have to be revealed and brought to light, that the Senate and other government agencies might be guided accordingly,” said Cayetano in a letter sent to to Senator Grace Poe, who heads the committee on public order that led the investigation of the botched covert operation in which 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandoes were killed by Muslim rebels.

Cayetano said the officers who simply followed orders to capture a wanted terrorist were in a “damned if you do, damed if you don’t” situation.

For following orders, he said, the police officers now face charges, as recommended by the Ombudsman.

Cayetano said this would affect the ability of police to fulfill their roles of maintaining peace and order throughout the country.

132,000

and the Freedom from Debt Coalition expressed concern over the Aquino government’s “sluggish” implementation of its reconstruction program, two days before President Aquino delivers his final State-of-the-Nation Address.

“The delivery of reconstruction assistance continues to be riddled with infirmities, irregularities and reported misuse of public funds and people’s money—while the majority of the people who bear the brunt of sufferings... remain poor, hungry and jobless,” the study, entitled “Portrait of the Reconstruction Initiatives in the Areas Affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda,” said.

The groups pointed to the “dismal” completion of only 2,100 houses by the end of 2014, well below the targeted 205,128 shelters.

They said the backlog in the

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“As of June 30, 2015, only 73,000 families of the 205,000 poorest families were resettled, leaving 130,000 families still living in tent cities and bunkhouses,” said Briones, who is also lead convener of SWP. “This was because only a third or P21 billion of the P75 billion allocated for housing resettlement had been released by the Department of Budget and Management,” she added.

A second study by church-based and civil society groups confirmed the SWP findings.

In a forum Friday, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Caritas Manila, Focus on the Global South

Cayetano also said the Ombudsman’s decision demoralized both police and military officials by punishing those who obeyed the legitimate orders from their superiors.

The senator said command responsibility over the failed operation should rest only on the shoulders of those who gave the orders, such as resigned Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima. “[T]he search for the truth, to my mind, has been dealt another blow with the recent recommendation by the Ombudsman to initiate administrative adjudication and preliminary investigation proceedings even against junior PNP-SAF filed officers who survived the Mamasapano incident and risked their lives for our country and our people’s safety,” Cayetano said.

He said he was dismayed that the Ombudsman recommended charges against SAF junior officers, while none against members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who participated in the massacre.

“Is this not the height of injustice and callousness where the victims instead of the perpetrators of this massacre are the ones bring blamed and persecuted? Is this not an insult to the heroic sacrifice of our Valiant 44?”

“The Senate committee, once and for all, should set out to reveal the entire truth behind this gruesome massacre,” he said, noting that finding justice for the deaths of the 44 police commandoes should be a prerequisite for conducting peace talks with armed rebels and securing the safety of the entire Mindanao region. With Vito Barcelo

construction of shelters was attributed to the availability of suitable lands, which would have been easier if the government had a proper inventory of lands.

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, leader of the House independent minority bloc, lamented the delay in the releases of funds and urged the government to accord some “urgency” in the construction of “resilient and build-back-better compliant housing for Yolanda affected families.”

Briones said Leyte has the most number of damaged houses at 347,003, followed by Iloilo at 153,480, Capiz at 130,688 and Cebu at 103,318.

But Iloilo province recorded the most number of families in “unsafe zones” at 43,987, followed by Leyte at 30,632, Negros Occidental at 27,055 and Cebu with 22,423, she said.

Eastern Visayas had the most number of persons affected at 4.27 million followed by Western Visayas at 3.67 million and Central Visayas at 2.96 million.

“It is equally devastating to find out that the guidelines on emergency shelter assistance (ESA) effectively limited its scope, and excluded households who are poor and suffered destruction.

The tool for assessment of houses damaged by Yolanda as ‘totally’ or ‘partially’ damaged was subjective,” Briones said.

The ESA was supposed to grant homeless families with up to P20,000 in financial shelter assistance, she said.

However, those who have managed to borrow money from friends and relatives to have their houses built were disqualified from becoming ESA recipients, Briones said.

Pagdilao was barred from entering the compound, but was allowed to speak with Angel Manalo, the younger brother of Eduardo Manalo, the leader of the church.

“We thank Angel for allowing us to talk to him. He peeped through a window. What is important, was that he gave us the chance to talk to him,” he said.

Pagdilao added that he could not seek a warrant to enter the Manalo residence since the occupants themselves had not reported any crime.

“There was no abduction,” he said.

On Wednesday night, Angel uploaded a 1:54-minute video on YouTube exposing threats on his and his mother’s lives.

The voice of a woman who introduced herself as Cristina also appealed to their brethren for help because their lives were in danger, and urged them to rescue her children Angel and daughter Lottie as well as their companions.

Both Angel and his mother were expelled from the church shortly after the video was released, as were Marco Erano Villanueva Manalo and Lolita “Lottie” Manalo Hernandez, Angel’s brother and sister.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista also tried to enter the premises of the Manalo home Thursday night, but no one opened the gate of the premises.

“Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa asked me to monitor the incident.

That’s why I am here. I wonder why they do not want authorities to enter.

We are just here to maintain peace, ensure everyone is safe and everything is fine, and that there is no harassment. I also want to know what is happening inside,” he told reporters.

Even representatives of the Commission on Human Rights and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were not able to enter the compound.

Edwil Zabala, INC spokesperson, also arrived at the Manalo residence but said he had no control over the place.

“We have no control of the gates.

The door inside is not also under the control of the INC. The property of INC was assigned to those we had expelled,” he said.

“We did not object when General Pagdilao requested us to enter the INC compound. That’s just proof that we are not hiding anything,” the spokesman added.

Past midnight Thursday, Angel spoke to reporters through a window in the gate and told them that they were not being detained against their will. He said it was a child who hung a sheet of paper outside the window of their room saying they were being held hostage.

But Angel also slammed the sixman council of the INC and their ministers for corruption in the construction of the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, and called for a vigil in front of their house on Tandang Sora, Quezon City.

“The council has been saying we are contesting our brother Eduardo.

That is not true. We are not. We love our brother Eduardo, our executive minister. We appeal to him not to believe the council whom he has trusted too much because all of the tithes of INC are getting depleted for projects that are not needed much. I wonder why the Philippine Arena was built when in fact, our focus must be in the construction of more chapels for the flock,” he said.

“I plead with you to stand by our principle. Let us not be afraid of them.

Please, stay here for a vigil so that we could resolve and end this issue.

And so that brother Eduardo would be compelled to issue a statement on the many issues of corruption within the church. But what deeply hurts us is the issue of the missing ministers.”

The six council members and 18 others signed the expulsion of Angel and Cristina. With Rey E. Requejo and Sandy Araneta

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Cayetano: Mar’s guys want me as VP bet

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

No to Poe. A group calling itself Koalisyon ng Makabayang Pilipino called on Senator Grace Poe not to run for President, allegedly because she lacks experience, during a press conference in Manila on Friday. DANNY PATA

3.8m registered Pinoys may lose voting rights

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

AROUND 3.8 million registered voters may be disenfranchised in the national and local elections in 2016 if they fail to have their biometrics taken, a Commission on Elections official said on Friday.

In his personal Twitter account, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the 3.8-million registered voters without biometrics would not be able to vote if they would fail to come to a Comelec registration satellite booth within three months.

“Malapit na ang deadline ng

voter registration. Lahat ng wala pa ring biometrics, ide-deactivate na,”Jimenez said in his Twitter account.

Since the Comelec started the satellite registrations in all shopping malls nationwide, it ahs been able to take the biometrics of 500,000 registered voters.

Comelec chairman Andres Bautista said the majority or 80-percent of the people who were coming to the satellite registration areas were new voters instead of the old voters needing to have their biometrics taken.

“There are more new voters registering than those validating. The ratio is about one is to five,” Bautista said.

He said some of the remaining 3.8-million registered voters might be dead or appeared to be flying voters, which might give the Comelec a chance to also clean their data.

“Many of those from 4.3-million, are actually dead or flying voters.

What we are trying to do is to clean

it up,” Bautista said earlier.

Jimenez agreed.

“Right now, of the 4.3 million that have no biometrics, it’s possible that some of them registered twice. Like what the chairman has been saying, let us target the goal to get 4.3-million, either reactivation or newly registrants,” he said.

He said the Comelec had been working on the idea of having 54 million to 56 million registered voters in 2016.

Bautista, on the other hand, said once the registration period ends on Oct. 31, the Comelec will deactivate all those remaining numbers of registered voters without biometrics.

SENATE Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said Friday friends were asking him if he could be the running mate of Interior Secreatary Manuel Roxas II but said he was more focused on seeking the presidency in the 2016 elections.

He told reporters he and Roxas had not yet talked to each other, but that it was the people around Roxas who had been talking to his lieutenants about the possibility of running as Roxas’ vice president.

“Let me just say there are formal inquiries, but not from the party itself and from the candidate himself,” Cayetano said.

“To be fair to Secretary Roxas, we have not talked personally but we have people who are common supporters.”

Cayetano said people close to him and Roxas were asking if he was open to running as Roxas’ vice president. He said he was informed about his having a good chance of winning because of his supposed good showing in the internal surveys.

“You’re not just saying yes to PNoy. They said it would be a good balance to someone who will be endorsed by the President,” Cayetano said.

He said their mutual friends had also relayed to him that they had people doing surveys, and “when they saw that I’m No. 1 without (Senator) Grace Poe for vice president, so they were asking if I’m interested.”

The Nacionalista Party senator said these groups had a survey that showed his numbers had grown to 10 percent from six for President and more percentage points for vice president.

“Certain businessmen said they have a new survey showing that the support for me has grown a lot in the vice presidency and have grown mightily, doing between 6 to 10 percent for President and much more for vice president but I haven’t seen it,” Cayetano said.

Bayan: Survival is Aquino’s priority A GROUP based in Southern Tagalog on Friday said President Benigno Aquino III had chosen to give priority to politics and his political survival over addressing the lingering problems of the Filipino people.

Members of Bayan-Southern Tagalog revealed their sentiment days after Aquino met Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero to ask them to be the standard bearers of the administration party in the 2016 presidential elections.

“We are outraged at Aquino’s early politicking. Five years into his presidency, the living conditions of the common folk, especially the poor, have only worsened,” said Iya Franca of Bayan-ST. “If he is really concerned with the welfare of the people, Aquino should have given primacy to ad-

dressing their needs.”

Franca made her statement even as Josalee Deinla of Bayan said militant groups will raise, during the State-of-the-Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III on Monday, his administration’s flawed economic policies and the poverty and rampant contractualization in the country.

Escudero said earlier it was likely the President had not yet made up his mind who to support in next year’s elections because he is still talking to other prospective candidates.

Poe confirmed she and Escudero met the President.

Aside from Bayan-ST, other sectoral organizations and rights advocates will also join the Southern Tagalog contingent during

Aquino’s speech onJuly 27.

As a show of force, the groups are now holding a week-long caravan dubbed as “Bigkisan ng Mamamayan para Patalsikin ang Rehimeng US-Aquino Tungo sa Tunay na Pagbabago” that started on July 20 in Quezon province.

Joining the event are farmers from Quezon and Laguna, indigenous peoples from Mindoro, fisher folks around Laguna Lake, contractual workers in Tanduay Distillers Inc. and Sagara Metro Plastics Industrial Corp., among others, who hope to be heard and expose the real picture of Aquino’s “monstrous’ rule.

Among the biggest delegation in Bigkisan are coconut farmers who demand the release the Coco Levy fund for the benefit of coconut farmers. Joel E. Zurbano and Sandy Araneta

Hybrid bus-train. This is the Department of Science and Technology’s Hybrid Electric Road Train, which was rolled out at the SMX Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Friday. DANNY PATA

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Chris Brown cleared to leave

Call for action. Militants from the group Kilusang Demokrasya burn images of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Transportation Secretary

Joseph Emilio Abaya and former police chief Alan Purisima as they deplored lack of government action on the Metro Rail Transit and lack of accountability on the Mamasapano incident. LINO SANTOS

Goring leaving PH as new LPA spotted TYPHOON “Goring,” which entered the Philippine area of responsibility on Thursday, is expected to leave on Saturday even as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is watching if a low-pressure area (LPA) off Cagayan will turn into a cyclone.

Pagasa said Goring had weakened slightly on Friday afternoon, but continued moving west at 15 kph and it may cause light to moderate rain and thunderstorms over Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Norte and Apayao provinces.

Goring was estimated at 1,095 northeast

of Basco, Batanes as of 4 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 170 kph.

No public storm warning signal has been raised in any part of the country, Pagasa said, noting that with its current movement and speed, typhoon “Goring” is forecast to be outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, or 1,020 km northeast of Basco, Batanes, by Saturday morning.

By Sunday morning, it is expected to be at 1,065 km northeast of Basco, Batanes.

Meanwhile, the LPA was placed 110 km northeast of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan at 4 p.m. Friday and is expected to bring light to moderate rains and thunderstorms over the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan, Apayao and Ilocos Norte and the islands of Batanes, Babuyan and Calayan.

Meanwhile, light to moderate winds from the southwest will prevail over Luzon and

coming from the south to southwest over the rest of the country. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate.

Pagasa said the LPA has only a slim chance of intensifying into a tropical depression and may join typhoon Goring as it moves upward, but if it does strengthen into a cyclone it will be locally named “Hanna.”

The presence of the LPA will bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms over the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao and Ilocos Norte and the islands of Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan.

Meanwhile, Pagasa, which also monitors the water level at dams, said water level at Bulacan’s Angat Dam finally rose above the 180-meter minimum operating level after dipping beginning May, further improving availability of water in this main water source of Metro Manila.

THE Bureau of Immigration allowed American R&B singer Chris Brown to leave the country after he was prevented from leaving on Wednesday in connection with $1 million estafa case, immigration officials said on Friday.

Bureau of Immigration spokesman Elaine Tan said an emigration clearance certificate was issued to Brown after he appeared before the BI office in Makati City to seek an ECC. “ECC issued by BI Makati Office around 4:30 p.m. today after verifying that Chris Brown has no other derogatory record apart from the ILB,” Tan said.

The immigration bureau allowed Brown to leave after he made a desperate appeal punctuated with a backflip on his official Instragram account.

The 26-year-old American was stuck for two days after a politically influential sect filed a fraud complaint, saying it is owed a million-dollar-plus refund after he skipped a concert last year.

“Please, please, let us leave, please,” Brown said in a video posted on his official Instagram account, showing him on his knees inside what appeared to be his hotel room. The post was later taken down.

He ended the plea with his signature backflip.

He also appeared to send a thinly veiled distress signal to US President Barack Obama as he captioned the post: “OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!”

In two subsequent Twitter posts Brown said: “This is a very serious situation and someone needs to be held accountable for mixing my name up in all this. I’ve done nothing wrong!!!”

He added: “I have nothing to do with anything going on right now. I came back to Manila to do a makeup show for New Years. I did the show three days ago.”

Brown performed to a packed crowd at a Manila arena on Tuesday.

2 indicted for graft

By Rio N. Araja THE Sandiganbayan on Friday ordered the arrest of businessman Cedric Lee and ex-mayor Angel Peliglorio of Mariveles, Bataan for graft and malversation raps for his alleged involvement in the questionable release of P23 million in public funds for the construction of a public market.

Dennis Pulma, clerk of court of the Third Division, said the antigraft court recommended a bail bond of P30,000 for the graft suit and P40,000 for the malversation case.

In two separate resolutions, Presiding Justice Amparao Cabotaje Tang and Associate Justices Samuel Martires and Alex Quiroz found probable cause to hold Lee and Peliglorio for trial, he said.

“The accused’s motion for

judicial determination or probable cause was noted by the court. The court hereby found probable cause for the issuance of warrant of arrest,” he said, quoting one of the court’s two decisions.

He said Lee and Peliglorio have not yet posted any bail, and that the anti-graft court’s servers “are now on their way to the police stations to provide them with the copies of their arrest warrants.”

On June 22, the Office of the Ombudsman slapped Lee and Peliglorio with charges of graft and malversation before the Sandiganbayan.

On March 27, 2015, he allegedly authorized the release of P23.47million bank loan proceeds to Izumo upon Lee’s request even without procedural safeguards, guarantee of performance and in violation of audit rules.

Filipino and Chinese officials and businessmen unveil a postage stamp commemorating 40 years of diplomatic relations with China. Present at the unveiling were (from left) Filipino Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc president Antonio Tan, Foreign Assistant Secretary Minda Calaguian-Cruz, Postmaster General Josie dela Cruz, Ilocos Rep. Imelda Marcos, Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, FCGCCI chairman emeritus James Dy, FCGCCI chairman Dr. Benito Goyokpin and honorary president Florante Dy. EGAY VALMORIDA

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UNA: Present solutions

By Christine F. Herrera and Vito Barcelo THE opposition United Nationalist Alliance on Friday dared Vice President Jejomar Binay’s potential rivals in the 2016 presidential race to provide “intelligent solutions” to problems instead of giving empty campaign promises, saying it cheapens the political process.

Zumba for health. Airport policemen try to get into the groove of the Zumba dance exercise that are held twice weekly at their headquarters near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City. RUDY C. SANTOS

Solons slam HGC auction LAWMAKERS questioned on Friday supposed attempts by officials of the state firm Home Guaranty Corporation to sell properties that are part of an ongoing settlement negotiation and expressed fear it might be part of a “midnight deal” for its outgoing officials.

Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe, chairman of the sub-committee on housing, said an invitation to bid for properties involved in the current settlement between HGC and property developer Reghis Romero and his firm, RII Builders Inc., was “highly disturbing, questionable and irregular.”

“Two things can be concluded by the act of trying to dispose the subject assets.

One, [HGC Executive Vice President Corazon] Corpus took advantage of the situation and published the invitation to bid without the knowledge and approval of management.

“Or second, such publication is under the direction of top management who are trying to eke a midnight deal before they leave HGC. Either way such act is highly brazen and in utter bad faith,” he said.

The appointments of the top officials of the HGC are supposed to have expired last June 30, 2015 without new appointees. The current officials are merely on hold-over capacity pending new appointments from Malacañang.

Quezon City Rep. Winnie Castelo, for

his part, said an investigation should be conducted on such move saying members of the committee felt deceived by such action.

“The action is very suspicious and warrants an investigation. Their attempt is more blatant because it happened while the House Committee on Housing was discussing ways on how to resolve the mess the HGC is into. We felt deceived,” he said.

Batocabe also said such move is a “direct affront” to the Sub-Committee on Housing at the House of Representatives which was directed to bring the parties to a settlement of the decades-old dispute arising from the Smokey Mountain Development and Reclamation Project.

UNA president and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco issued the challenge as he claimed the other presidential wannabes only “belch political rhetoric and drama.”

At the same time, vice presidential spokesperson for political affairs Rico Quicho scored Malacanang’s supposedly “childish reaction” on Binay’s observation on the government’s handling of health funds, saying they should first try to understand what is being said to avoid faulty conclusions.

Unlike the other potential presidential bets, Tiangco said, Binay has a proven track record as a local chief executive and has already presented UNA’s plan of action, which focuses on effective and caring governance, economic dynamism, and social inclusion/improvement of basic services.

Tiangco said UNA is convinced that the opposition has the experience and is better prepared in responding to the socioeconomic challenges the country is facing.

“Present your platform of government.

People deserve solutions to problems, not empty promises,” Tiangco addressed Binay’s rivals.

Tiangco did not name names but he was apparently alluding to Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II, the presumptive standard bearer of the ruling Liberal Party and Senator Grace Poe, who is being wooed

by President Benigno Aquino III to be the majority coalition’s common candidate but vowed to run as independent.

“It is time that we go beyond name recall.

It is time to present a clear and coherent platform that will address, mitigate and solve the prevailing concerns of the poor,” Tiangco stressed.

He said it is also the time for other candidates to present their own visions for the country even as he asserted that UNA brings experience and the heart to serve the people.

Salceda joins air force THE Armed Forces of the Philippines has installed Albay Gov. Joey Salceda as the regional commander of the 33rd Air Force Group Reserve rank of lieutenant colonel, during the recent National Reservist Week Regional Convention here.

Rear Admiral Aurelio A. Rabusa, AFP J9 commander installed Salceda in rites witnessed by Brig. Gen. Raymundo Elefanfe, commander of Air Force Reserve Corps, military officers and an army of reservists and guests at the Albay Astrodome in Legazpi City.

Salceda’s installation coincided with the graduation of 350 AFP reservist recruits across the Bicol region. Military reservists are vital multipliers of government troops in times of war and natural disasters.

There are at present around 350,000 reservists in the country on standby and ready to respond during times of emergency as augmentation forces.

Rabusa said Salceda’s expertise in disaster risk reduction management and humanitarian missions are valuable in helping government efforts to perfect disaster response, enhance

the reservists’ capabilities and further intensify their engagements in humanitarian missions.

Salceda, the first governor to head the reservist group in Bicol, is a UN senior global champion for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation who pioneered Zero Casualty and Preemptive Evacuation that are now widely adopted principles in disaster response.

He is also an incumbent member of the UN Green Climate Fund Board, of which he was 2013-2014 chairman. Team Albay, the multi-awarded disaster response group he organized, had been to many humanitarian missions in calamity stricken areas around the country in the past eight years conducting — among others — search and rescue and health and sanitation undertakings.

Accepting the position, Salceda said many things can be accomplished in the reserve force organization “particularly on matters involving natural disasters and calamities due to climate change, so I urge my fellow reservists to work together in addressing these issues.”

Seized contraband. A port worker inspects a sack of sugar that was part of

the P34-million shipment from China through Singapore and consigned to Blue Chelsea and Real Top Enterprises that was intercepted by authorities at the Manila International Container Port. DANNY PATA

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Ombudsman finds probable cause, indicts Gen. Palparan

By Rio N. Araja

Let’s play. A student checks out some Lego sets at the National Science and Technology Week 2015 Science Nation at the SMX Mall of Asia in Pasay City. DANNY PATA

Emir of Qatar pardons 12 detained Filipinos

By Vito Barcelo

The emir of Qatar, in light of the holy month of Ramadan, pardoned at least 12 Filipinos—one of whom is a female—detained in its capital Doha, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Sheikh Tamim bin hamad Al Thani usually grants pardons twice a year, during Ramadan and the Qataroi National Day in December.

Those granted clemency are often those who have already

served a substantial portion of their sentences.

The DFA said they are now preparing for the early repatriation of the pardoned Filipinos, and currently coordinating with the Philippine the embassy in

Qatar so that the Filipinos could be reunited with their families in the Philippines.

Only last month, 11 Filipinos detained in Dubai for various offenses were among the 734 prisoners released in observance of Ramadan.

They were ordered freed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab emirates and Ruler of Dubai, the DFA said.

The DFA said Dubai’s Attorney General, Mr. Issam Al hu-

maidan said the public prosecution has begun the legal procedures to implement the Sheikh’s release order, in cooperation with the Dubai Police.

Pardoned were detained or jailed for petty crimes and violations and who have made restitutions to their victims. These include those whose charges are still being heard by the courts. however, pardon does not include those arrested for major crimes, or offenses liable for specific punishments under Shariah law.

The Office of the Ombudsman on Friday indicted Major General Jovito Palparan Jr. for two counts of abduction and serious illegal detention as filed by two witnesses in the abduction and torture of two students of the University of the Philippines in 2006.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales found probable cause to indict Palparan and eight others identified as Technical Master Sgt. Rizal hilario, and Citizen Armed Force Geophysical Unit active auxiliaries Michael de la Cruz, Marcelo de la Cruz, Jose de la Cruz, Maximo de la Cruz, Randy Mendoza, Roman de la Cruz and Rudy Mendoza for violation of Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code.

In a 28-page joint resolution, the Ombudsman took into account the positive identification by the complainants—Raymond Manalo and his brother Reynaldo —of the perpetrators whose “concerted acts show that they agreed, expressly or impliedly, to commit the felony and forthwith decided to pursue it.”

The anti-graft court directed the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Military and Other Law enforcement Offices to conduct a fact-finding investigation on the other military personnel and other victims mentioned in the sworn affidavits of the Manalos.

The administrative charges against Lt. Gen. hermogenes esperon Jr., M/ Gen. Juanito Gomez and Palparan were dismissed in view of their retirement from government service before the case was filed.

The criminal charges against M/Sgt. Donald Caigas and Gomez were dismissed because of their death.

On the other hand, the suit against esperon was dismissed for lack of evidence.

In the affidavit-complaint filed by Raymond Manalo as corroborated by his brother Reynaldo, the duo said they were forcibly abducted on Feb. 14, 2006 in San Ildefonso, Bulacan on suspicion that they were members of the New People’s Army.

They said they were detained and tortured until they were able to escape on Aug. 13, 2007.

The Manalo brothers were witnesses in the hearings at the Bulacan Regional Trial Court Branch 14 implicating Palparan and the other accused of abduction and torture of UP students Karen empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, who were forcibly taken by authorities in Bulacan.

Customs bureau foils sugar smuggling try at Manila port The Bureau of Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle imported sugar worth P34 million at the Manila International Container Port.

Seized were 24 40-footer container vans contained at least 13,200 sacks of imported sugar that arrived at the MICP. The seized goods, consigned to Blue Chelsea and Real Top enterprises, came from China and Singapore, respectively. The latter was also the consignee of smuggled Thai sugar contained in eight 40-footer container vans foiled by the bureau.

Customs Deputy Commissioner Jessie Dellosa said

this was part of the government’s intensified drive against outright and technical smuggling which deprive the government of billions of pesos in rightful duties and taxes.

The shipments were declared as vacuum flasks, plastic tumblers, kitchen wares, slippers, plastic tumblers, comb, chessboards, plastic case, children’s bike, plastic chopsticks, sunglasses, plastic tray, paper cups, toothbrush, storage box, and articles of clothing such as shorts, socks, caps, trousers, among others.

“We put the containers on alert status based on deroga-

tory information. After conducting 100 percent examination we found thousands of sacks of imported Thai sugar concealed behind boxes of items declared in the manifest like plastic tumblers, vacuum flasks, etc. strategically located in front of the container van to hide its true content”, Dellosa explained.

“We were also alerted because of the weight of the container vans. They were so heavy despite the contents declared by the importers as only as kitchen wares, clothes, and toys. If it were only plastic items and clothes it wouldn’t be that heavy,” Dellosa added.

Vito Barcelo

What’s going on? Quezon City police stand outside the house of the Manalo family along Tandang Sora Avenue. LINO SANTOS

s at u r d ay : j u ly 2 5 , 2 0 1 5

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Pangasinan ordinance penalizes unsafe drivers

By Dexter A. See

LINGAYEN—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pangasinan has enacted an ordinance prohibiting and penalizing the unsafe and obstructive acts of bus drivers and inspectors during routine inspection and checking of passenger tickets while their buses are in transit along the national highway.

Board Member Raul Sison who authored the resolution

stressed the need for the regulatory measure to protect

the lives and limbs of people from probable danger when traveling.

Sison said the ordinance also seeks to prevent unreasonable delay of other road users, particularly in Pangasinan, as he noted the common practice of two bus drivers who habitually stop their transport vehicles on opposite directions in the middle of the road to accommodate alighting and boarding inspectors,

causing inconvenience.

Persons covered under the ordinance include all drivers and inspectors of common carriers, particularly buses, plying the roads within the province.

Violators will be fined P1, 000 each (driver or inspector) for first offense, P2, 000 for 2nd offenders and P5, 000 and imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or both after due notice and hearing for third offenders.

Lighting candles. Members of the Freedom from Debt Coalition light candles for Yolanda victims, who they say are still suffering from the sluggish reconstruction program of the administration. LINO SANTOS

Councilor gets death threat, seeks NBI’s help

By Alvin T. Guanzon A ButuAn City councilor has claimed receiving death threats through his mobile phone and has asked protection from the national Bureau of Investigation.

Councilor Sergio Pascual, during a radio interview, also asked the bureau to probe the threats which he believes are related to politics or business.

Pascual is known in Butuan City as “Mr. Expose,” a critic of public utilities like Butuan City Water District and Agusan del norte Electric Cooperative including construction firm Equiparco Construction Company.

He told the radio station his privilege speeches may have angered some personalities.

DXBC radio station manager said lawyer Gil unay of Equiparco and its President/ CEO Ronnievic Lagnada threatened to file a libel case against Pascual if the city councilor does not retract his earlier statements.

Another councilor, lawyer Jaime Cembrano who is chairman of the City Council Committee of Peace and Order, as well as the Philippine national Police also agreed to investigate the threats.

Health Department sets National Deworming Day

By Johanne Margarette R. Macob DAGuPAn CItY—Simultaneous observance of the national School Deworming Day in the country is set on July 29th by the Department of Health.

Part of the DOH’s Oplan Goodbye Bulate, the nationwide campaign aims to deworm approximately 16 million school aged children enrolled in 38,659 public elementary schools in one day. the initiative aims to increase mass administration coverage for school-aged children or for five to 12 years olds or for those in kindergarten to Grade VI, to facilitate timely reporting of deworming intervention, and to promote partnership in all levels in the implementation of the activity.

DOH Secretary Janette Loreto-Garin, in her administrative order no. 2015-0030, disclosed that the country is, unfortunately, one of the countries that harbor the neglected tropical Diseases, a group of parasitic, bacterial and viral infections and one of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases is soil-

transmitted helminthiasis. the highest intensity of infection has reportedly been documented among children aged one to 12 years old.

Further, pre-school aged children (1-4 years old) are said to suffer the greatest morbidity, while school aged children (5-12 years old) harbor the greatest load of infection.

Intestinal parasitic infections may lead to cognitive impairment and malnutrition, among other complications of children, Garin also noted.

Aside from the deworming, school children, during the national Deworming Day, are expected to do hand washing, feeding, and tooth brushing drills.

In Dagupan City, Mayor Belen Fernandez assured the participation of all the 34 public schools in the city with the help of 34 barangay nurses. the activity will be kicked off by a program at the West Central Elementary School to be led by officials of the DOH, Department of Education, and the local government unit, the mayor added.

Creating a monster. A member of Bayan Muna prepares an effigy for the President’s last State of the Nation Address on Monday. LINO SANTOS

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 2 5 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

BEIJING’S POLITICAL PROPAGANDA STINKS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

ONE DREAM IT IS easy to blame other people for our misfortunes and miscalculations. This would not be baseless. There are indeed many who take advantage of others , especially the gullible, the unsuspecting and the desperate.

We have seen many instances of smooth talkers fleecing thousands, even millions of pesos from the not-so-circumspect who believed promises of big returns.

In a country with more opportunity-seekers than opportunities going around, the lure of easy money – fancy house, luxurious car, frequent vacations, or even just the absence of want – is impossible to resist.

Now we find ourselves again wondering how authorities could find one Arnel Gacer of Lipa City, Batangas. Gacer is head of One Dream, a company by which, almost by the book, built up its wealth not by trading goods or providing services but by accumulating membership fees from eager “investors” who shelled out money for the promise of lucrative returns.

Investors of One Dream are now scrambling to bring Gacer to justice and, more importantly, get their money back. Reports have it that there are an estimated 20,000 people duped by Gacer during the three months that One Dream was in operation.

Gacer may be fast, but he is definitely not the first. There have been many of his kind – male, female, young, old. There may be more out there, profiting from the articulated dreams of others.

We have also seen the attempts of authorities to crack down on such practices before real damage can be done. These have not been enough, because the scams keep on happening.

Those who lost their money with Gacer’s scheme share the same affliction with millions of other Filipinos who are quick to believe whatever they hear. And who are quick to assign blame to others when things do not go their way.

By all means, turn every stone to find Gacer. If the charges are proven true, he deserves to go to jail for all the wrong he has done.

More importantly, however, people should stop believing that a small amount of work – talk, really – could generate big amounts of money. Hard work and perseverance are still key to prosperity. Even if the government fails to provide enough opportunities for the people, it should not mean they should resort to more creative, and in the end, riskier, means to make ends meet.

If there is one dream we should all have, it is that we should refuse to always play the victim. We all have a hand in what eventually happens to us. We always have a choice, and we always have something to do with the consequences of our decisions.

OF TERRORISTS AND TRAITORS BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO THE government peace panel charged with treason by Party List Representatives Lito Atienza, Jonathan dela Cruz, lawyer Jeremy Gatdula and former Ambassador Jose Romero lashed back at its accusers as “ prosecutorial terrorists.”

Former senator and human

rights lawyer Rene Saguisag is representing UP professor Miriam Coronel Ferrer, Teresita Deles and Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen , who originally headed the government panel. Saguisag said the congressmen should confine themselves to legislation and, using more colorful language in his reply to the treason rap, said the complainants were guilty of “premature legal ejaculation” for filing charges on the Bangsamoro Basic Law

which has yet to be approved by Congress Atienza and Dela Cruz were stumped. They didn’t think there was such a term in the language of the law. Nonetheless Atienza replied that their accusations against the government peace negotiators were based on what they gave away to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the framework peace agreement prior to the drafting of the BBL. Saguisag may have subcon-

A9

Are the complainants terrorists for making the government negotiators accountable for violating the Constitution?

sciously used the word “ejaculation” because the complainants virtually accused Ferrer and company with splayed legs accommodation in dealing with the Muslim rebels. Let’s not include the phrase “sleeping with the enemy” lest this piece get too racy.

“The government panel gave the MILF a status of belligerency and in their indecent haste to reach an agreement with the rebel group-- willfully and knowingly allowed them to have their own parliament, a police force, a commission on audit-- thus creating a state within a state. These are all in violation of the Constitution,” claimed Atienza.

The charge of treason was

filed with the Manila prosecutor’s office which is studying the case before making a ruling whether there is a basis for it.

The vexing questions in this case are: Who are the terrorists and who are the traitors? Are the complainants terrorists for making the government negotiators accountable for violating the Constitution? Or are the government officials both traitors and terrorists for aiding and abetting the cause of the MILF who carry out acts of terrorism like bombings, ambushes and kidnappings?

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-

Chinese envoy pushes bilateral talks After a comprehensive audio-visual presentation of China’s constructive engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Beijing’s ambassador to Manila made a pitch for “focusing on our common interests, than our differences.” It was a disarming opening statement that Ambassador Zhao Jianhua made at a business forum sponsored by the Manila Times at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati last Wednesday.

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Zhao was obviously referring to China’s direct foreign investments in Asean which total an estimated $574 billion.

He cited China’s infrastructure projects in Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. Asean is China’s third largest trading partner behind the US and the European Union.The world’s second biggest economy after the US, China‘s population of 1.36 billion and Asean’s combined 625 million people present a hefty two-way trade.

Continued on A11

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Ma. Isabel “Gina” P. Verzosa Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

AFTER seizing several reefs and creating numerous artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea, Communist China has the gall to proclaim to the world that it is the victim in the recent arbitration case Manila filed against Beijing before the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in the Netherlands. That statement is typical communist rhetoric which Beijing’s political propaganda bureau regularly publishes and broadcasts in its state-controlled media, and which their brainwashed citizens have come to expect on a regular basis.

How can Beijing honestly claim that it is the victim when its operations in the once-open South China Sea have virtually converted the entire area into a Red Chinese lake? Is Beijing suggesting that its big naval armada in the West Philippine Sea, composed of battleships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines, is no match for the few, aging frigates of the Philippine Navy? If Beijing is really the victim, then why is it unwilling to present its case before the international arbitration court?

Truth to tell, Communist China simply assumed that it can muscle its way in the West Philippine Sea through its intimidating use of superior military and naval might against the manifestly weaker Philippine defense forces. It did not expect Manila to take legal action on the matter and in the process invite world attention to Beijing’s bullying.

Communist China knows that the Philippines is ill-equipped to defend its maritime territory in the West Philippine Sea. For this reason alone, Beijing built numerous artificial islands kilometers inside waters which, under the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, constitute the Philippine exclusive economic zone. In addition, Red Chinese ships drive away Filipino fishing vessels from Philippine waters.

Tibet, which shares a border with Communist China, is a country of peaceful people with hardly an army to defend it. The Red Chinese army invaded it and it remains occupied by Chinese troops today.

Continued on A11

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO Ms. Angsioco’s column will resume 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

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 2 5 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

BEIJING’S POLITICAL PROPAGANDA STINKS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

ONE DREAM IT IS easy to blame other people for our misfortunes and miscalculations. This would not be baseless. There are indeed many who take advantage of others , especially the gullible, the unsuspecting and the desperate.

We have seen many instances of smooth talkers fleecing thousands, even millions of pesos from the not-so-circumspect who believed promises of big returns.

In a country with more opportunity-seekers than opportunities going around, the lure of easy money – fancy house, luxurious car, frequent vacations, or even just the absence of want – is impossible to resist.

Now we find ourselves again wondering how authorities could find one Arnel Gacer of Lipa City, Batangas. Gacer is head of One Dream, a company by which, almost by the book, built up its wealth not by trading goods or providing services but by accumulating membership fees from eager “investors” who shelled out money for the promise of lucrative returns.

Investors of One Dream are now scrambling to bring Gacer to justice and, more importantly, get their money back. Reports have it that there are an estimated 20,000 people duped by Gacer during the three months that One Dream was in operation.

Gacer may be fast, but he is definitely not the first. There have been many of his kind – male, female, young, old. There may be more out there, profiting from the articulated dreams of others.

We have also seen the attempts of authorities to crack down on such practices before real damage can be done. These have not been enough, because the scams keep on happening.

Those who lost their money with Gacer’s scheme share the same affliction with millions of other Filipinos who are quick to believe whatever they hear. And who are quick to assign blame to others when things do not go their way.

By all means, turn every stone to find Gacer. If the charges are proven true, he deserves to go to jail for all the wrong he has done.

More importantly, however, people should stop believing that a small amount of work – talk, really – could generate big amounts of money. Hard work and perseverance are still key to prosperity. Even if the government fails to provide enough opportunities for the people, it should not mean they should resort to more creative, and in the end, riskier, means to make ends meet.

If there is one dream we should all have, it is that we should refuse to always play the victim. We all have a hand in what eventually happens to us. We always have a choice, and we always have something to do with the consequences of our decisions.

OF TERRORISTS AND TRAITORS BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO THE government peace panel charged with treason by Party List Representatives Lito Atienza, Jonathan dela Cruz, lawyer Jeremy Gatdula and former Ambassador Jose Romero lashed back at its accusers as “ prosecutorial terrorists.”

Former senator and human

rights lawyer Rene Saguisag is representing UP professor Miriam Coronel Ferrer, Teresita Deles and Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen , who originally headed the government panel. Saguisag said the congressmen should confine themselves to legislation and, using more colorful language in his reply to the treason rap, said the complainants were guilty of “premature legal ejaculation” for filing charges on the Bangsamoro Basic Law

which has yet to be approved by Congress Atienza and Dela Cruz were stumped. They didn’t think there was such a term in the language of the law. Nonetheless Atienza replied that their accusations against the government peace negotiators were based on what they gave away to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the framework peace agreement prior to the drafting of the BBL. Saguisag may have subcon-

A9

Are the complainants terrorists for making the government negotiators accountable for violating the Constitution?

sciously used the word “ejaculation” because the complainants virtually accused Ferrer and company with splayed legs accommodation in dealing with the Muslim rebels. Let’s not include the phrase “sleeping with the enemy” lest this piece get too racy.

“The government panel gave the MILF a status of belligerency and in their indecent haste to reach an agreement with the rebel group-- willfully and knowingly allowed them to have their own parliament, a police force, a commission on audit-- thus creating a state within a state. These are all in violation of the Constitution,” claimed Atienza.

The charge of treason was

filed with the Manila prosecutor’s office which is studying the case before making a ruling whether there is a basis for it.

The vexing questions in this case are: Who are the terrorists and who are the traitors? Are the complainants terrorists for making the government negotiators accountable for violating the Constitution? Or are the government officials both traitors and terrorists for aiding and abetting the cause of the MILF who carry out acts of terrorism like bombings, ambushes and kidnappings?

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-

Chinese envoy pushes bilateral talks After a comprehensive audio-visual presentation of China’s constructive engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Beijing’s ambassador to Manila made a pitch for “focusing on our common interests, than our differences.” It was a disarming opening statement that Ambassador Zhao Jianhua made at a business forum sponsored by the Manila Times at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati last Wednesday.

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Zhao was obviously referring to China’s direct foreign investments in Asean which total an estimated $574 billion.

He cited China’s infrastructure projects in Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. Asean is China’s third largest trading partner behind the US and the European Union.The world’s second biggest economy after the US, China‘s population of 1.36 billion and Asean’s combined 625 million people present a hefty two-way trade.

Continued on A11

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Ma. Isabel “Gina” P. Verzosa Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

AFTER seizing several reefs and creating numerous artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea, Communist China has the gall to proclaim to the world that it is the victim in the recent arbitration case Manila filed against Beijing before the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in the Netherlands. That statement is typical communist rhetoric which Beijing’s political propaganda bureau regularly publishes and broadcasts in its state-controlled media, and which their brainwashed citizens have come to expect on a regular basis.

How can Beijing honestly claim that it is the victim when its operations in the once-open South China Sea have virtually converted the entire area into a Red Chinese lake? Is Beijing suggesting that its big naval armada in the West Philippine Sea, composed of battleships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines, is no match for the few, aging frigates of the Philippine Navy? If Beijing is really the victim, then why is it unwilling to present its case before the international arbitration court?

Truth to tell, Communist China simply assumed that it can muscle its way in the West Philippine Sea through its intimidating use of superior military and naval might against the manifestly weaker Philippine defense forces. It did not expect Manila to take legal action on the matter and in the process invite world attention to Beijing’s bullying.

Communist China knows that the Philippines is ill-equipped to defend its maritime territory in the West Philippine Sea. For this reason alone, Beijing built numerous artificial islands kilometers inside waters which, under the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, constitute the Philippine exclusive economic zone. In addition, Red Chinese ships drive away Filipino fishing vessels from Philippine waters.

Tibet, which shares a border with Communist China, is a country of peaceful people with hardly an army to defend it. The Red Chinese army invaded it and it remains occupied by Chinese troops today.

Continued on A11

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO Ms. Angsioco’s column will resume 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

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 2 5 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

POLITICAL MERCENARIES THE LIBERAL PARTY BACK­ BENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN WHEN Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas said he might give way to the wish of President Benigno “Noynoy Aquino should he decide to pick Senator Grace Poe as the possible front runner of the Liberal Party in the coming 2016 presidential election, it is obvious that those who attended the dinner in Malacanang did not have in mind the future of this country. The grudging statement of Roxas that he has a track record of sacrificing for the party and friendship was a “consuelo de bobo” because the dinner was called to map out plans on how the party could keep itself in power, and assure the outgoing anointing power he will not share the same ignominious fate that happened to the two former Presidents.

Maybe the man who has been hoisting the flag of “tuwid na daan” could sense that his possible nesting place now awaits him. It was one of the unsaid topics discussed, which is for the anointed candidate to win at all costs to insulate attempts to exact vengeance for which this regime has gained notoriety. It would be unthinkable to see the greatest hypocrite ending up in jail. On the whole, the country is laughing because the party in power has been technically decapitated of possible presidential candidates.

In fact, no right-thinking party member would risk losing those billions of dirty money with an uncertain chance of winning.

This explains why PNoy wants a free hand to anoint his heir–apparent and would not mind giving away the trophy to a non-party member.

For that prosaic situation, no politician who honors his principle would accept the idea of accepting a political mercenary just to ensure itself of winning in this coming election. It is not a case of Mar Roxas sacrificing.

Rather, he

was made the sacrificial lamb to allay the fear of the greatest fraud.

The very moment, PNoy and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte suggested the idea of picking Senator Grace Poe as their possible substitute candidate, claiming she is unbeatable, the party leadership practically insulted Mar Roxas. Everybody knows he has been gearing for the presidency since 2010, even before PNoy’s handlers decided to field him as their candidate. To the oligarchy and his Western financiers, it is not a question of who is next in line, but on one who could bring home the bacon.

If President Aquino and the LP leadership have their great respect for the Constitution, they would not have entertained the idea of suggesting to Senator Grace Poe to run because of her questionable citizenship.

Instead of resolving that issue to give the Liberal Party the redeeming factor that the party did not wait for somebody to file a disqualification case, it acted motu proprio in

The Liberal Party is more of a syndicate, with its decisions made by a select few who behave more like kingpins.

resolving the issue that made a rug of our Constitution. But none of that is in their mind. Keeping themselves in power is all they care about.

At the very start, Poe has shown signs of unbridled opportunism much that when she ran in 2013, she did not join the party that invited her. She merely joined the ticket called Team PNoy to embellish her winnability.

She completely dropped

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA EARLIER this week, President Aquino finally signed the Fair Competition Act into law. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Bam Aquino, after twenty-four years of languishing in congressional committees since it was first introduced in the 8th Congress, we now have much needed legislation that levels the business playing field. In the words of Senator Bam, who though still in his first term of office has now authored five economic bills that have been enacted: “The Fair Competition Act, moreover, promotes a culture of healthy competition that inspires ingenuity, creativity, and innovation in addressing market needs.” The good senator also pointed out that this new law “will, among other things, promote and enhance economic efficiency and competition and ensure that industrial concentration would not limit economic power to a few.”

Last year, prices of onion and garlic saw a 74-percent increase over a one-year period, and a 100-percent increase over average prices which prompted the President to order an investigation. The results of the investigation showed that a cartel cornered 75 percent of importation of garlic that enabled it to manipulate prices to the detriment of the consuming public. Several government officials and importers were eventually charged with violation of the Price Act, monopolies and combinations in restraint of trade under the Revised Penal Code, among others. Cartel-like features are also exhibited in the telecommunications resulting in slow internet service at very high rates.

Concentration of economic power in the hands of a few is always bad for business and consumer welfare. We have seen the disastrous effects of the economic stranglehold exerted by the cronies during the Marcos era. When a group of people are allowed to collude to form monopolies and trade combinations to corner the market, they are able to dictate prices and jack up profits for themselves that add a heavy burden to the masses, especially the vulnerable sectors. Unfair business practices such as monopolies kill small and medium business, contribute to poor quality of goods and services and deaden entrepreneurial initiatives among businessmen with small capital. This is the reason why the political party that was formed and used by her adopting father in the 2004 campaign. Moreover, she did not use her American husband’s surname Llamanzares just to suit her political ambition. Instead, she cashed in on the popularity of Fernando Poe, Jr. who ran in 2004 but was cheated

by Mrs. Arroyo. Otherwise, Poe would be a nonpolitical entity today.

On the other hand, the

FAIR COMPETITION AND PROSPERITY an Anti-Trust Law is an imperative feature in a healthy economic environment. Among the Asean economic community, the Philippines used to be the only member without a valid Anti-Trust Law. Although anti-trust has been a mainstay in our legal landscape going as far back as the Old Spanish regime, there is presently no comprehensive competition law in the Philippines. Several scattered antitrust legal provisions exist among various unrelated statutes. The more common is Art. 186 of the Revised Penal Code which criminalizes combinations in restraint of trade. These disjointed and disordered provisions found in various statutes are largely ineffective and have not deterred nor discouraged big players from engaging in unfair business practices.

The new law is designed to remedy our weak regulatory regime by prohibiting unfair practices, including entering into anti-competitive agreements restricting competition as to price, fixing a price at an auction or in any form of bidding.

It also proscribes agreements that substantially prevent, restrict or lessen competition by controlling production, markets, technical development or investment; and dividing or sharing the market. It also penalizes abuse of dominant position by engaging in conduct that would substantially prevent, restrict or lessen competition such as selling goods below cost to drive away competition. Violators will be fined up to P100 million for business entities found engaging in unfair business practices for the first offense, and up to P250 million for the second offense. The amounts are to be adjusted to inflation every five years by the PCC. The law is not anti-business. As Senator Aquino has qualified, “it is not against companies that have high market share. It’s against companies with high market share and who are using that position to abuse their powers or abuse smaller players in the market.”

To ensure that the Fair Competition Act is implemented effectively, it creates the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) that will function as an independent quasi-judicial body attached to the Office of the President. The PCC is empowered, among others,

circumstances that compelled Roxas to give way to PNoy was more acceptable because he was a party member who was likely to win, although that fact is now questionable because of alleged computerized cheating.

Hare-brained politicians like Speaker Belmonte must bear in mind that even if Poe wins the election, it does not mean that the prohibition must give way to the mandate of the

to conduct inquiry, investigate, and hear and decide on cases involving any violation of the Competition Act and other existing competition laws; issue advisory opinions and guidelines on competition matters, and submit annual and special reports to Congress including proposed legislation for the regulation of commerce, trade or industry; and monitor and analyze the practice of competition in markets that affect the Philippine economy; implement and oversee measures to promote transparency and accountability; and ensure that prohibitions and requirements of competition laws are adhered to. PCC is empowered to review mergers and acquisition agreements by requiring that PCC be notified beforehand before consummating such agreements.

It must be mentioned that while a regulatory body had to be created to implement this act, I have some concern that a commission was again created. In recent years, because of the politicization of appointments, we have not been fortunate in our experience of regulatory commissions. The Energy Regulatory Commission for example has been a big disappointment in its failure to effectively regulate the electricity companies that fall under its jurisdiction.

Among the reasons cited is the lack of expertise of its chairpersons and members, most of who are chosen more for their political connections rather than their technical qualifications or their independence. It is therefore paramount to make sure that the first and future appointments to the PCC are rock-solid, with the persons to be appointed not only technically qualified but also of undisputable integrity and not easily swayed by one interest group or another.

In any case, regardless of this cautionary note on the PCC, I truly believe the Fair Competition Act maybe the antidote to the adverse effects of monopolistic behemoths that make our economy less competitive vis-à-vis other Asean member countries. It is a measure that will position us better in the forthcoming Asean economic integration. If well implemented, fair competition will certainly result in prosperity.

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people. There is no mandate to speak of in the first place, or in the words of Jose Ma. Sison, void ab initio. The mandate is strictly circumscribed to her being qualified for the office.

She now exhibits some kind of overbearing attitude feeling that the electorate is now in the bag.

The oligarchy and the business group openly announced their support and willingness to finance her

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candidacy which she considers as the magic wand that could make her the most viable candidate to our mostly undiscerning voters. Poe knows that money will give her the edge more than the wishes of the electorate. Roxas should not begrudge his own party should it decide to junk him, but the people who were gypped thinking the LP will bring about their salvation.

Continued on A11

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

CHEAP MONEY IS HERE TO STAY

By William Pesek FOR decades, central banks lorded over markets. Traders quivered at the omnipotence of monetary authorities -- their every move, utterance and wink a reason to scurry for safe havens or an opportunity to score huge profits. Now, though, markets are the ones doing the bullying.

Take New Zealand and Australia. Yesterday, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand slashed borrowing costs for the second time in six weeks even as housing prices continue to skyrocket. A day earlier, its counterpart across the Tasman Sea (already wrestling with an even bigger property bubble of its own) said a third cut this year is “on the table.”

Just one year ago, it seemed unthinkable that officials in Wellington and Sydney, more typically known for their hawkishness and stubborn independence, would join the global race toward zero. But with commodity prices sliding, China slowing and governments reluctant to adopt bold reforms, jittery markets are demanding ever-bigger gestures from central banks.

Beijing’s..From A9 Communist China officially considers Taiwan its renegade province, but Beijing is aware that Taiwan has a naval arsenal that can oppose Red Chinese reclamation operations. For this reason alone, Beijing has not made reclamation operations near Taiwan.

Although Communist China has a border dispute with India, Beijing has learned from a past war with New Delhi that the Indians can fight back. Beijing has stopped confronting the Indians.

A bully is one who picks a fight with an obviously weaker adversary, and avoids confronting anyone who can fight back. From the examples cited above, Communist China satisfies the definition of a bully.

For the past several years, the diplomatic posture of Communist China in the Philippines is all about deceit, duplicity, and equivocal statements.

A perfect example of Beijing’s loathsome posture is “Window to China” – its paid newspaper advertisement published on a regular basis in another newspaper. The advertisement consists of a whole page of self-serving propaganda, written in English

Of terrorists..From A9 After his speech, the Chinese envoy took time to answer reporters’ questions.

How are you (China) going to settle the South China Sea territorial dispute if you really want good relations with the Asean countries? Is the Philippines going to be included in China’s maritime silk road (a plan to fully expand trade and sea routes)?

These were only two of the sev-

Even those presiding over stable growth feel the need to placate hedge funds, lest asset markets falter. When this dynamic overtakes countries such as New Zealand (growing 2.6 percent) and Australia (2.3 percent), it’s hard not to conclude that ultralow rates will be the global norm for a long, long time.

Indeed, the major monetary powers that are easing -- Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand -- have all suggested rates may stay low almost indefinitely.

Those angling to return to normalcy, meanwhile -- the Federal Reserve and Bank of England -- are pledging to move very slowly. Even nations with rising inflation problems, like India, are hinting at more stimulus.

“As interest rates continue to fall across most of the globe, central banks are also united in their main message: Once rates have come down, they’re likely to stay down,” says Simon Grose-Hodge of LGT Bank. “And when they finally do tighten, the ‘normal’ rate is going to be a lot lower than it used to be.”

Could the People’s Bank of China be next? “With underlying

GDP growth still looking weak, more monetary policy moves are likely,” says Adam Slater of Oxford Economics. “And China may even face the prospect of short-term rates dropping towards the zero lower bound.”

In April 2013, International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde asked her staff to study how markets might react to major central banks reversing their easing policies. Yet Japan’s experience illustrates just how hard it is to restore normalcy after a huge economic shock. Markets, businesses, banks, consumers and politicians alike quickly learn not just to love free money, but to rely on it. Zero rates are about the only thing keeping Japan’s huge debt load sustainable, thus making it all but impossible for Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda to taper.

Even if Fed Chair Janet Yellen manages to pull off a rate hike or two later this year, she’ll be hard-pressed to return to the monetary-policy framework that prevailed before the Lehman Brothers crisis. Yellen would be pilloried by Wall Street and summoned to Capitol Hill for a

browbeating if she tried. Similarly, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi would face rebellions across the euro zone to any tapering moves.

At this point, rather than pretend they can return to normalcy, central banks should be devising ways to adapt to a low-rate world. Surely, they should prod governments to do their part to boost growth and upgrade economies. But monetary authorities also must make sure the liquidity they churn out doesn’t increase financial risks.

In New Zealand, for example, central bank Governor Graeme Wheeler has been experimenting with so-called macroprudential steps to tame asset bubbles, including limits on leveraged lending. Australia should be eyeing new regulations and taxes to make sure its record-low 2 percent benchmark rate doesn’t add froth to property markets. That goes, too, for officials in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere still thinking they can regain their power over markets or the business cycle. Those days aren’t going to return anytime soon.

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and printed in color, complete with photographs of smiling officials of the communist government in Beijing. Each publication of “Window to China” carries statements about Beijing’s alleged desire for peace in Asia, and Beijing’s purported wish to help other nations through vague “development projects.” The entire material is punctuated with motherhood words and phrases like peace, progress, economic stability, regional development, regional understanding, international cooperation, and friendship between nations.

Like any typical communist propaganda, there are no negative stories in the paid advertisement.

There is no mention of Beijing’s invasion and illegal occupation of Tibet; the role of Communist China in shaping North Korea into the saber-rattling, troublemaker state it is today; the 30 million rural Chinese who died of hunger as a result of Mao Zedong’s compulsory collective farming experiment in the 1960s and the 1970s; its seizure of the Paracel Islands claimed by Vietnam; the Tiananmen Square massacre of pro-democracy civilians in the 1990s; the recent violent dispersal of pro-democracy assemblies in Hong Kong (despite Beijing’s promise of democratic

reforms there); the lethal, hazardous, and substandard food and non-food products exported by Communist China to developing countries; and the Red Chinese warships currently stationed in the West Philippine Sea. To give a semblance of legitimacy to the advertisement, illustrations of ancient Chinese philosophers, some Chinese calligraphy, and some Chinese proverbs embellish the lower section of the advertisement.

The big irony is that at the height of Mao’s dictatorship, the communist government in Beijing denounced ancient Chinese culture as decadent, and an obstacle to the great leap forward falsely promised by Mao. The despicable diplomatic posture of Communist China in the Philippines is also visible in the actuations of Beijing before Manila sought relief from the international arbitration court. When Beijing was seizing islet after islet in the West Philippine Sea, Manila sought to resolve the problem through multi-lateral talks with other concerned countries in South East Asia. In response, Beijing insisted on bilateral talks.

After Manila took up Beijing on the offer, the Red Chinese leadership imposed so many conditions which practically required Manila

to acknowledge Beijing’s maritime claims, and which ultimately made any bilateral negotiation meaningless. Meanwhile, Beijing continued with its incursions in the West Philippine Sea. Beijing’s posture continued after Manila brought suit. Its communist government refused to recognize the jurisdiction of the international tribunal on the Law of the Sea, despite the fact that Communist China is a signatory to the pertinent convention. Beijing also falsely accused Manila of refusing to consider bilateral negotiations before seeking judicial relief.

The only plausible explanation for the abominable diplomatic posture Communist China has displayed and continues to display in its dispute with Manila is that the communist government in Beijing is so accustomed to disseminating propaganda without comment or opposition from its own people. This regimentation has been around for so long that Beijing’s communist masters believe that their formula for effective political propaganda which has worked on their people will also work on others. Unfortunately for Beijing, its government forgot that in the Philippines, a free and critical press exists and functions.

eral questions Ambassador Zhao fielded and took in stride.

The ambassador was consistent in stating his country’s recurring theme: Let’s talk; it’s the only way we can peacefully settle our maritime border issues. He urged Manila to withdraw its case in The Hague arbitration tribunal and go back to bilateral talks.

Ambassador Zhao said he‘s still hoping the Philippines would sign and join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The AIIB was initiated by China and conceived as an alternative source of funds apart from the Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The US and the Philippines are IMF and WB members.

Before exiting, Zhao told media “not to worry, our long relationship will find a way for a peaceful solution to the problem.”

Does that mean China would

be willing to dismantle military structures it installed on reclaimed land in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea if the Philippines withdrew its arbitration case and returned to the negotiating table?

In Washington, Deputy Secretary of State Daniel Russell stated the US is not neutral in the South China Sea dispute if one party uses force and break international laws. He said the US will come down hard on any

A11

Political..From A10 But as it turned out, the party is now working hard to ensure the re-colonization of this country by the US. Being in the category of a political mercenary, Poe’s election as President in the words of the Institute of International Finance (IIF) would be good for this pathetic republic. It is the same mental conditioning the Western media and their local hucksters implanted into the minds of the ordinary people; that if PNoy is elected, it would be good for us even if he has a track-record of not having accomplished anything when he was a congressman and senator, except to draw his salary. The same can be said of this overtly ambitious alien who, for obvious reason, did not submit the investigation report of the murderous ambush that killed 44 of our elite police force at Mamasapano that clearly pointed responsibility to PNoy. Should Poe finally decide to go for it, she wants Senator Chiz Escudero as her possible running mate, who like her is not an LP. To recall, when Escudero floated his plan to run for President in 2004 under the Nationalist People’s Coalition, he suddenly dropped his ambition. Talks from the grapevine had it that he was disowned by his supposed financier who is a known political kingmaker.

Now, Escudero wants to grab the United Nationalist Opposition from Vice President Jejomar Binay after he dropped out of the NPC to form a separate opposition party after his ambition fizzled out, and served instead as spokesman during the campaign of FPJ under UNO. The question now is, how can Escudero claim to be a member of the UNO or much more of the NPC when by his own conduct, he is acting more like an LP kibitzer?

To conclude, the Liberal Party is more of a syndicate. Its decision is being made by a select few who behave more like kingpins. The LP has become the political front of the elite and the oligarchy funded by their Western brokers. It is not concerned about the welfare of the people or about the future of this country. Rather, these hypocrites have institutionalized the corrupt practice of patronage by their use of pork barrel (through DAP and PDAF) such that people vote those who hold the purse and not those seeking to bring about real changes in our society. rpkapunan@gmail.com nation that does not adhere to international rules.

The warning came after Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, carried out a seven-hour surveillance flight over the disputed area. This raised the hackles of Chinese officials who called Swift’s action “dangerous and irresponsible.”

Just a “routine flight” to insure freedom of navigation, said Swift in dismissing the Chinese reaction.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Bianchi’s death shadows F1 buildup BUDAPEST—The impact and legacy of Jules Bianchi’s death continued to reverberate through Formula One on Thursday as drivers, teams and other members of the paddock entourage arrived ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

St. John, Central PH show way in volleyfest ST. John Institute and Central Philippine University swept their respective divisions to lead the Final Four cast in the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball League which unwrapped its 13th season with the Western Visayas leg at the Iloilo Doctors’ College gym in Iloilo City last Tuesday.

The SJI spikers toppled St. Joseph School, 25-19, 25-13; Roberto H. Tirol National High, 25-20, 2514; Univ. of St. La Salle, 2520, 25-16; and St. Robert’s Int’l Academy, 25-12, 2515, to top Pool A of the twodivision tournament, the first of nine regional elims leading to the national finals set in October.

CPU, on the other hand, disposed of Bacolod Tay Tung High, 25-17, 25-19; Sun Yat Sen High, 25-19, 25-9; San Joaquin School of Fisheries, 25-15, 2521; and Living Stones Int’l School, 25-10, 2510, to dominate Pool B of the event, the country’s premier league put up Shakey’s for the leading private and public school girls’ volley teams.

St. Joseph School and Living Stones IS scored three wins against a loss each to finish second to SJI and CPU, respectively, and advance to the crossover semis of the league that has produced the current cream of the crop, headed

by Alyssa Valdez, Ara Galang, Mika Reyes, Kim Fajardo, Abby Maraño, Dindin SantiagoManabat, Ennajie Laure and Jovelyn Gonzaga.

Cooling off. Luiz Alberto De Araujo of Brazil pours water over his head after the 1500 meter race in the men’s decathlon during Day 13 of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada. AFP

Ace drivers battle in GT series 2nd leg THE battle for supremacy turns more intense as the country’s finest circuit racers bring the showdown to Batangas for the third leg of the 2015 Yokohama Philippine Grand Touring Car Championships Series on Sunday at the Batangas Racing Circuit.

Come-backing ace driver Willie Torres of W Autosport Racing and Finnish expat Veli-Matti KaIkkonen of Hafele Racing dispute solo leadership in the premier GT300 class in the race for the coveted Yokohama GT Driver of the Year of this event sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines and sponsored by Yokohama, the official tires, and Sparco.

Torres is gunning for his second

straight triumph following his terrific win in the last race, while first- leg winner Kaikkonen may likely see action if adjustments on his car will be completed in time.

Equally exciting are the PhilMiniracers Championship Series that features classic Mini-Coopers, the Classic Aspirated Cup and the Sparco Bracket Racing.

The Classic Aspirated Cup is open to drivers 40 years old and above using cars 1985 and older that are natural aspirated only with no turbo charge. Only EFI, supercharge engines are allowed.

The fast-growing Sparco Bracket Racing is expected to brew hotter competition as the overall champion at the end of the series will be receiving his own Golden Wheel

trophy, making him an automatic nominee for the Golden Wheel Driver of the Year award.

Any racing enthusiast can join for a minimal entry fee of P1,500.

Another brewing rivalry is the duel between Richmond dela Rosa and reigning PTCC champ Paolo Mantolino for the GT200 crown.

Raring to bounce back after Dela Rosa’s sweep in the kickoff leg, Mantolino managed to rule the Sprint race, but again took the early exit in the GT Main Race.

Ethanworx Racing Team hopes adjustments on the car works this time for Mantolino, who trails in the points’ standings with 89 points against Dela Rosa, who has 115 points.

Ateneo teams prevail

Therapy dogs. Canadian cyclist Allison Beveridge pets Enzo, a standard poodle, and Mr. Darcy, a ganaraskan, both “therapy dogs,” at the Athletes’ Village, east of downtown Toronto, Canada during the 2015 Pan American Games. Therapy dogs are brought to the Village to help athletes relieve the stress by allowing interaction and petting of the animals. AFP

ATENEO de Manila scored victories in two groups of the Small Basketeers Philippines and split its records in the Passerelle Division as the Milo-sponsored twin tournaments organized by the award-winning BEST Center started celebration of its 30th year over the weekend.

Ateneo-B started it with a 62-27 rout of St. Mary’s College, in Group A of SBP, which also saw wins by Chiang Kai Shek College past Notre Dame of Greater Manila, 60-33; and by Xavier School-A past La Salle Green Hills- B, 62-25.

Ateneo-A followed suit with a bigger 55-11 rout of Lourdes School-QC in

Group B of SBP, which also saw wins by LSGH-A over Xavier-B, 48-25; and Marist School over San Sebastian College, 57-37.

Ateneo-B, however, bowed to Adamson, 41-82, in Group A of the Passerelle Division.

Adamson was joined in the winners’ circle by LSGH-A, which demolished St. Mary’s, 93-12; and by St. Augustine International School, which upset University of Santo Tomas, 59-48.

Ateneo-A made up for its sister-team’s loss by spanking Xavier School, 7251, in Group B, which also saw Nazareth School clobber Notre Dame, 75-39.

In a subdued atmosphere, just two days after the 25-year-old Frenchman’s funeral in his family’s home town of Nice, the routine of pre-race news conferences was overshadowed by memories of a driver regarded widely as a potential world champion.

Ferrari decorated their garage in tributes, drivers added personal stickers to their helmets and their cars have been emblazoned with messages.

Bianchi died last Friday, nine months after sustaining head injuries in a collision with a recovery vehicle in torrential rain during the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka last October.

A Ferrari academy driver, he was racing for the Marussia team, but tipped to return to the Italians as a race-winner in the making.

Almost all of his contemporaries in karting said they had regarded him as their yardstick, several declaring he was not only the best kart racer they had seen, but also the best racing driver.

“Unfortunately, in Formula One, he did not have a car to show what he could really do,” said Felipe Massa, a 34-year-old veteran of 14 seasons who regarded Bianchi as “a great friend” and “the best gokart driver I ever saw.”

As a Brazilian from Sao Paulo, who grew up in awe of three-time world champion and compatriot Ayrton Senna, Massa’s compliment was significant, warm and generous.

“Now, he is gone and that is so sad, but he is in a good place and looking at us and I think and I hope he is happy there.”

Equally, Massa had every right to his anger that 20 years after Senna’s death at Imola during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Bianchi had died in unacceptable circumstances when his car aquaplaned into a tractor.

“I think if you go back to what’s happened to Jules many things changed after that,” Massa told reporters.

- life-threatening injuries “So, unfortunately, we need to see that type of accident to understand what’s happened.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

A13

Gilligan’s, Foton eye quarterfinals BUOYED by their opening-day victories, Gilligan’s and Foton Hurricane battle for a quarterfinal slot today in the PLDT Home Ultera-Philippine Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup 2015 at the SM By the Sands in SM Mall of Asia.

Game is at 1 p.m., with the Gilligan’s tandem of Danica Gendrauli and Norie Diaz banking on its massive beach volleyball experience against the wellprepared duo of Foton Hurricane’s Pau Soriano and Bea Tan in this tournament organized by Sports Core, with Accel as official outfitter, Sands By the Bay as venue partner and Maynilad as official water provider.

Also expected to draw another large weekend crowd are head-turners Gretchen Ho and Charo Soriano of Petron XCS, Alexa Micek and Fille Cayetano of Petron Sprint 4T, and Cha Cruz and Michelle Laborte of Cignal HD Spikers A. Petron XCS will face Aurora Tripoli and Rochet Dela Paz of Accel Quantum Plus B Perpetual Molino at 2:30 p.m., while Petron Sprint 4T wages war against Cignal HD Spikers A in another exciting tiff at 3:20 pm that will be aired live over TV5.

Philips Gold of Aileen Abuel and Rossan Fajardo will also try to join Cignal HD Spikers B of Wensh Tiu and April Ross Hingpit in the quarterfinals when it tangles with Amy’s of Samantha Dawson and Len Cortel at 4 p.m., while Meralco of Jusabelle Brillo and Jem Guttierez also seeks to advance to the next round against a tough Foton Tornadoes side of Patty Orendain and Fiola Ceballos at 4:40 p.m.

Shadows of wheels are pictured during the 186,5 km 18th stage of the 102nd edition of the Tour de France cycling race, between Gap and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, French Alps. Romain Bardet took his first victory with a solo breakaway on Thursday’s 18th stage. AFP

PH racing body to conduct TESDA training for jockeys THE Philippine Racing Commission, in cooperation with TESDA, will be conducting skills trainings for racehorse trainers and jockeys.

This was announced

by Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez in a consultative meeting with horseowners and racing club representatives held July 6.

Jockeys currently undergo a two-year course under the jockeys association, likewise the trainers under their own group, but most learn the basics of their jobs through

hands-on participation in the sport.

Sanchez said the TESDAaccredited trainings are necessary to enhance the skills of jockeys and trainers and to professionalize their occupations.

At the same meeting, Sanchez and commissioners Ramon S. Bagatsing Jr. and Lyndon B. Guce discussed with

attendees a proposed system of handicapping rules for 2YO and 3YO maiden groupings.

Sanchez said that a proposed revised handicapping system for 3YO maiden horses shall take effect from Jan. 1 to July 31, 2016. Horses that are 2YO horses as of August 2015 are considered qualified in the system and beginning Aug. 1 may enter in class-division races; upon winning in the class-divisions, they may enter handicap races based on venue, distance, and time, and special races based on their winning times in

handicap races.

Sanchez encouraged the various industry sectors to comment on the proposal to come up with a system that will be acceptable and beneficial to all and generate exciting events that will entertain racing fans.

With the onset of the rainy season, the Commission also recently approved the change in post-time of races on weekends to 2:00 PM and on weekends to 6:15 PM. Inordinate delays in the start of the races on the part of the racing clubs are considered a violation of racing rules and carry corresponding penalties.

Bolt ready for Gatlin LONDON—Usain Bolt insisted Thursday he would be ready for the challenge of toppling the in-form American Justin Gatlin at the World Championships in Beijing next month.

The Jamaican track king made the pledge on the eve of his return from injury in the 100m on the opening night of the Anniversary Games Diamond League meeting in London on Friday.

Bolt has not raced since winning the New York Diamond League 200m race on June 13 because of a pelvic problem.

The world record holder at 100m and 200m also said that he had “a problem” with Gatlin’s United States team-mate Tyson Gay about his doping past but not with Gatlin, who has served two doping suspensions and who has run the four fastest times of 2015 at both 100m and 200m.

Asked whether he had lost respect with rivals who had failed drugs tests in their sprinting careers, the 28-year-old Jamaican replied: “The only person I really had a problem with was Tyson. AFP

Palawan-Maasin netfest under way

Ping pong host. Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers is interviewed during the 2015 Top Spin Celebrity Ping Pong Tournament he hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

THE Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis tournament winds up its Visayas swing with tight finishes seen in various divisions in the four-day tournament which got under way yesterday at the Maasin Tennis Club in Maasin, Leyte.

Venz Alforque and Noah Alejandre head the cast in the boys’ 18-and-under class while Dianne Mendiola, Lea Gingco, Jhoanna Villacin banner the field in the distaff side of the premier division of the ranking tournament presented by Technifibre.

Mendiola, Gingco and Villacin, along with Lyka Flores will also be slugging it out in the 16-U class while Kurt Padilla, Jeff Paler, Neil Vidallon and Tyrone Ybanez are expected to dispute the boys’ 16-U crown in the event serving as the 22nd leg of the nationwide, yearlong circuit up by Palawan Pawnshop as part of its continuing effort to help in the Philippine Tennis Association’s talent-search program under president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

For details, call Bobby Mangunay, PPSPEPP Sports Program Development director, at 0915-4046464.

“We expect another spirited title chase in all categories that has been the theme in all the other legs with new faces emerging,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro.

Joanna Rojas and Sheena, meanwhile, lead the field in the girls’ 14-U section with Michael Ibcas, Karl Lucero, Jumary Dacuyan and Lawrence Gorres along with Ybañez and Vidallon tipped to dispute the crown in the boys’ side.

Rojas and Mejares also banner the 12-U cast while Micko dela Cruz, Murriel Mangcao Jr. and Drenzen Bernales headlining the fullpacked boys’ field.

Vying in the 10-unisex category are Nicholas Ocat, Gerald Gemida, Mia Gemida, Laurenze Palanas and Princes Palanas.

Meanwhile, the cream of the country’s tennis crop gear up the Olivarez Cup Open 2015 firing off July 31 at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

PH boxers’ woes THERE were two clear instances this past week where individuals mandated to look after the RONNIE NATHANIELSZ interest of Filipino boxers – both amateur and professional – failed miserably to do their job.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richie Garcia effectively set back the training of our boxers, who form an integral part of our national pool trying desperately to pursue the quest for our first Olympic gold medal by his failure to secure the approval of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the release of the boxers recalled to their various military units when their Detailed Service permits lapsed last June 30.

The boxers obviously need time to train for the Asian Championships in Bangkok, Thailand which opens on Aug. 25 and serves as a qualifier for the World Championships in Doha, Qatar in October.

By his abject failure to request the various AFP units to release the fighters well before the deadline lapsed for renewal of their Detailed Service permits, resulting in the boxers being recalled to their mother units following a highly successful stint in the last Southeast Asian Games in Singapore when the Philippines emerged as champions with a haul of 5 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals, Garcia displayed his inefficiency at the very least.

The agreement on the DS permits was entered into by the PSC and the Defense Department, with the Amateur Boxing Alliance of the Philippines or ABAP headed by Ricky Vargas and back-stopped with remarkable passion and commitment by executive director Ed Picson, effectively sidelined, although both Vargas and Picson pleaded with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin to release the boxers and their trainers so they could get back into training camp since time was running out.

There is no way a boxer can train for a highly competitive meet in one month and they certainly won’t get into condition by performing sentry duties and other odd jobs.

Picson sounded helpless when he told us “we have no team in the Asian Championships (as of Wednesday) because we don’t have a chance to evaluate our boxers.”

The AFP is an institution that adheres to protocol, unlike Garcia who apparently couldn’t care less as long as he can get in his regular round of golf. This callous attitude explains the disastrous state of Philippine sports.

Internationally, Sampson Lewkowicz, who co-promotes former International Boxing Federation light flyweight champion and current No.1 Johnreil Casimero, along with Filipino promoter Sammy Gello-ani, issued a press release in which he said that despite the injustice done to “my fighter” Casimero, when he was a blatant victim of an ugly, foul-filled hometown decision against champion Amnat Ruenroeng in Thailand, which is notorious for such travesties, he was shelving the obvious right to a rematch in favor of a better opportunity to face McWilliams Arroyo of Puerto Rico in another title eliminator. This raised the question, which we ourselves asked IBF president Darryl Peoples in Macau, as to how many eliminators must Casimero get through to earn his rightful opportunity, even as we pushed for Casimero’s right to a rematch based on the scandalous performance of referee Larry Doggett, who we insisted should be fired.

What Lewkowicz failed to mention which we raised with Peoples was that he also handles Ruenroeng, which meant he was in a win-win situation. How nice!

Lewkowicz 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,” referring to it as the “businesswise career path!” Obvious question, for the fighter or the promoter?

He claimed, as did his Filipino partner Sammy Gello-ani, that they were offered another fight in Thailand to make up for the fiasco that occurred in the last fight and posed the question “what’s to stop it from happening a second time?,” recalling that McWilliams Arroyo was “also a victim of a questionable decision against Ruenroeng last year.”

If Lewkowicz is the influential promoter he is believed to be, surely he could have taken his case to the IBF and demanded a rematch outside Thailand. The world witnessed the travesty and there is no way the IBF could justify not acceding to the request.

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,” little realizing that Casimero, no matter how much we believe in his ability, could conceivably lose. What then?

“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,” said Lewkowicz, 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. Out of a bad situation will come two of his biggest victories.”

When we pointed out to Gello-ani that McWilliams Arroyo scored a second-round TKO over previously undefeated Froilan “Sniper” Saludar – one of their fighters in a title eliminator in Puerto Rico on June 19, 2014, he insisted “Casimero is not Saludar. He is a much better fighter and has fought and beaten tougher opponents abroad.”

The record shows that justice in professional boxing is a myth!

INSIDE SPORTS

First career win. FilAm Cristina Corpus, shown here displaying her championship trophy, went on a birdiebinge at the back to stun Thai Walailak Satarak and close out with a 34 for a two-under 70, cruising to a threestroke romp in the ICTSI Luisita Ladies Challenge for her first career victory.

AFP releases PH boxers for Bangkok tourney

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

FOLLOWING pleas from Alliance of Boxing Associations of the Philippines president Ricky Vargas and executive director Ed Picson, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has released boxers for the national pool so they can begin training, even belatedly, for the Asian Championships, which opens in Bangkok, Thailand on Aug. 25.

The Bangkok gig serves as a qualifier for the World Championships in Doha, Qatar in October.

Picson informed The Standard/boxingmirror.com that coach Gerson Nietes informed him, that their Air Force commander had asked the boxers and coaches to report to Villamor Air Base first, before leaving for the training camp in Baguio City last night.

Vargas thanked Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and the AFP for their decision to release the fighters after they had been recalled to their various military units when their Detailed Service permits from the AFP lapsed on June 30, with an extension being sought by the Philippine Sports Commission only until days after the DS had lapsed, leaving the AFP no

choice but to recall the boxers and re-assign them to their mother units.

“We are grateful that Secretary Gazmin and our armed forces commanders realized the importance of proper training for combat in the boxing ring, just as they need to be properly trained to effectively defend our people and country’s honor in times of any confrontation. We at ABAP take

our task of pursuing the quest for an Olympic gold medal in the 2016 Rio de Janiero Games with the same dedication and commitment that our military men pay to their assigned tasks. If we work together, we can surely fulfill our dreams,” Vargas said.

The agreement on the DS permits was entered into by PSC Chairman Garcia and the AFP, with the ABAP out of the picture.

However, the failure of the PSC to act on time forced ABAP president Ricky Vargas to appeal to Secretary Gazmin to allow the chosen boxers and their trainers to get back into training camp since time was running out.

Eight boxers, including the gold medalists in the recent Southeast Asian Games, where the Philippines won 5 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals to emerge as boxing champions, as well as their coaches, were reportedly released yesterday.

Among the boxers released were London Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga, Rey Saludar, Wilfredo Lopez, Eumir Felix Marcial, Dennis Galvan, Junel Cantancio.

Mario Fernandez, Gerson Nietes, Joegin Ladon and Nico Magliquian, with coaches Pat Gaspi, Ronald Chavez, Harry Tanamor, Romeo Brin, Violito Payla and Elmer Pamisa.

Concepcion resumes quest for glory Mayweather...

From A16

By Randy Caluag FORMER world title contender Bernabe Concepcion resumes his bid for ring glory as he takes on Tanzanian Juma Fundi for the vacant World Boxing Organization Oriental superbantamweight title on July 31 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Concepcion, who has a ring record of 33 wins (19 by KOs), 6 losses and 2 draws, won three of his last four fights and forged a draw in a game against fellow top Fili-

pino prospect Eden Sonsona in Mandaluyong last year.

Fundi (27-12-3) is coming off a unanimous decision win over compatriot Bakari Magona in Tanzania last February.

Concepcion said he hopes to score an impressive victory against Fundi in the promotion put up by Arci Promotions International and Saved by the Bell Promotions.

“I will be fighting more matured and focused. Gusto ko po uling mabigyan ng pagkakataon makalaban for a

world title kaya pilitin kong malampasan ang mga laban para makaakyat ulit sa elite level,” said Concepcion.

His latest victory was against Indonesian Rasmanudin with a second-round KO in their 10-round non title bout in Camarines Norte in January this year.

The proud son of Viga, Catanduanes took a crack at the World Boxing Organization featherweight title twice and failed on both occasions, losing to Steve Luano in 2009 and Juan Manuel Lopez in 2010.

Prior to that, Berto faced World Boxing Council Interim champion Robert Guerrero and although he was knocked down twice early in the fight, he came back impressively to give Guerrero a hard time. But Guerrero managed to narrowly maintain control and won by a unanimous decision.

After an eight-month layoff, Berto returned to the ring to clash with Jesus Soto Karass and in a bout that was described as “a tough, entertaining back-and forth fight,” Berto lost by a 12thround TKO after dropping Karass in the previous round.

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 2 5 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

National U, Far Eastern zero in on quarterfinals NATIONAL University and Far Eastern University try to close in on the first two quarterfinal berths in Group A as they shoot for their third straight victories against Arellano U and Polytechnic University of the Philippines, respectively, today in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Collegiate Conference at The Arena in San Juan City.

But while the Lady Tams are

fancied to roll past the winless nel 11 starting at 12:45 p.m. with PUP side at 3 p.m., the Lady Bull- the Lady Bulldogs out to showcase dogs expect some their form against tough challenge from Games today (Saturday) the Lady Chiefs who the Lady Chiefs, who 12:45 p.m. • Arellano vs NU lost steam against the 3 p.m. • FEU vs PUP have split their first Lady Tams last week.

5 p.m. • SSC vs TIP two games in the Jaja Santiago, who event sponsored by has blossomed into Shakey’s and presented by PLDT one mean of an attacker, hopes to Home Ultera. come up with a follow-up to her 23The NU-Arellano match will be hit effort against University of Batanaired live on GMA News TV Chan- gas, which the Lady Bulldogs clob-

bered via a 25-16, 25-14, 25-19 romp to chalk up their second win in row.

Edjet Mabbayad, taking over the coaching reins from Roger Gorayeb, also expects Myla Pablo to put in a another solid game along with mainstays Aiko Urdas, Kathryn Paran, skipper Jorelle Singh, Rica Diolan, Joy Doromal and Ivy Perez with former ace and guest player Dindin Santiago-Manabat ready to step up at any given time.

6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 4 DIGITS 00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Rivera, Del Rosario repeat as champs BANKING on their skills and experience, former world FIQ titlist Biboy Rivera and veteran internationalist Liza del Rosario prevailed in the World Cup national championship anew last Thursday at SM North EDSA to earn a shot at the BWC international titles for the second straight year.

SMB’s two-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, shown here battling two GlobalPort players Erik Menk and Alex Cabagnot, now his teammate, for board control, was the PBA season’s top rebounder with 12.8 per game.

Fajardo, Romeo get more PBA accolades

By Jeric Lopez

AS if winning a number of accolades and awards in last week in the Philippine Basketball Association Leo Awards was not enough, superstars June Mar Fajardo and Terrence Romeo earned a couple more citations.

After the PBA officially released the overall statistics for the 40th season, Romeo emerged as the league’s top scorer, while Fajardo, as expected, was tops in rebounds.

Romeo, GlobalPort’s spitfirish combo guard, averaged 19.6 points per game in the season, besting Talk ‘N Text top gun Jayson Castro, who was second with his 18-point average, even as Fajardo ended up third in scoring with 17.4 per outing.

Rounding out the Top 5 in scoring are Rain or

Shine’s Paul Lee (15.6) at No. 4 and Ranidel De Ocampo (15.0) at fifth.

The two-time MVP Fajardo, meanwhile, was untouchable under the board with 12.8 rebounds per contest, with fellow big man Greg Slaughter of Barangay Ginebra a relatively far second with 10.3 per game. The two were the only ones who averaged in double-digits in rebounding for the season.

NLEX’s ageless center Asi Taulava emerged third with just a shade under 10 rebounds per game with 9.9, while Alaska’s Calvin Abueva (8.8) and Cliff Hodge (8.1) were the others in the top five of the category.

Fajardo was also the best shot blocker with his 1.7 swat per game and topped everyone in minutes played with a 34.8 per game average.

Rookie Brian Heruela

was the top assists’ man with an average of 5.2 dimes per contest, while veteran Chico Lanete emerged as the steals’ leader with 1.9 per game.

Prior to these titles, Fajardo and Romeo were the two biggest individual winners for the season.

Fajardo won his second straight Most Valuable Player award and was named the Finals MVP for the Governors’ Cup as well, while winning two championships with San Miguel Beer (Philippine Cup and Governors’ Cup).

He was also named to both the Mythical First and the All-Defensive Teams and was also given the Sportsmanship Award.

For Romeo, it was another achievement after he was adjudged the Most Improved Player for the season and was named into the Mythical Second Team.

6 Filipino archers join world tilt in Denmark

By Peter Atencio SIX Filipino archers, led

by Mark Javier and Rachelle Cabral-dela Cruz, left for Copenhagen, Denmark to join the World Achery Championships.

The six-man squad left yesterday to join a tough field seeing action in the tournament slated July 26 to Aug. 2 at the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.

They will join a record number of 623 archers from 96 countries who registered for the evcnt, including 200 in men’s recurve.

Javier and De la Cruz will be re aiming for a spot in the Top 24 of the men’s and women’s team events, or possibly the Top 8 in the men’s

and women’s individual rankings.

Other members of the squad are Youth Olympic Games doubles’ gold medalist Gabriel Moreno, fellow YOG campaigner Bianca Gotuaco, veteran Flor Matan and Kareel Hongitan, who landed ninth in the recent World Cup. In an interview, coaches Joy Marino and Marvin Cordero expressed optimism on the Filipino archers’ chances of qualifying in both individual and team events.

Philippine Archers’ National Network and Alliance, Inc. Secretary General Atty. Clint Aranas will accompany the archers and attend the world congress, which will be held simultaneously.

Rivera, now 41 years old, produced two sizzling games when he needed them most to subdue youthful ex-Asian Youth Masters king Kenneth Chua, 2-1 (235-179, 194, 199, 266-205) in the men’s division, while Del Rosario, 37, also bowled two hot games to down Alexis Sy, 2-1 (238-215, 187-213, 245-197) in the ladies’ competition.

Rivera and Del Rosario, who both finished fourth in the BWC international finals in Wroclaw, Poland last year, vowed to bring home the bacon this time when they compete against other champions from more than 60 countries at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 13-20, this year.

Rivera and Del Rosario, considered as one of Asia’s top lady pintopplers, advanced to the finals by knocking out their respective semifinal rivals.

Rivera, who came in second after the 8-game position round with 7280, behind Chua’s 7498, ousted Benshir Layoso, 2-1 (180162, 181-256, 235-202) while Del Rosario, third after the position round with 5747, behind topnotcher Sy (5856) and Krizziah Tabora (5803), swept Tabora in two games, 195-165, 193-191.

“We’re so happy,” chorushed Biboy and Liza after the concluding matches. “We aim to win the international crown this time.

But we need the prayers and support of our countrymen.”

Only four Filipinos – Paeng Nepomuceno, CJ Suarez, Lita dela Rosa and Bong Coo – have won the prestigious World Cup, but Nepomuceno takes pride in being the only four-time kingpin so far.

Nepomuceno made a bid for the national title, but he landed only fifth with 6751, behind Chua, Rivera, Layoso (6873) and Kevin Cu (6774) but ahead of Nicco Olaivar (6619), Enzo Hernandez (6617) and Carl Matthew Lim (6557).

Former national winner Liza Clutario came in fourth with 5730, followed by Lara Posadas (5725), Anne Marie Kiac (5649), Abbie Gan (5081) and Myrna Bautista (5076).

A16

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 2 5 , 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

Chiefs bury Stags with 14 treys

By Peter Atencio

DIONCEE Holts exploded with a doubledouble performance of 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead Arellano University past San Sebastian College, 102-90 yesterday in the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the Arellano University gym.

Holts buried a trey in the final eight minutes, one of six triples scored by the Chiefs in the fourth quarter, that gave Arellano a more comfortable lead after the Stags threatened

to within three at the end of the third quarter.

The win was the Chiefs’ fourth in five games.

A short jumper by Holts gave the Chiefs an 82-72

spread with 7:42 left on the way to the victory.

“We knew San Sebastian will put up a big fight. The players responded to the challenge,” said Chiefs’ coach Jerry Codinera, as Arellano finished the game with a season-high 14 triples.

Jiovani Jalalon added eight points and six rebounds, but held the team together with his season-high 16 assists.

In the second game, rookie guard Tey Teodoro and big man Abdoul Poutouochi combined forces in lead-

ing the Jose Rizal Stephen Que struck Games Tuesday University Heavy hard in the second (San Juan Arena) Bombers to a 75- 10 a.m. LSGH vs JRU (jrs) period as the Mapua 12 nn San Beda vs 60 shellacking of Perpetual Cardinals swamped Help (srs) the Lyceum Pirates. 2 p.m. CSB vs JRU (srs) the Emilio Aguinal4 p.m. San Beda vs Teodoro, a stando College GenerPerpetual Help (srs) dout from Luceals, 101-72. na, scored a game-high 25 Que, a prized find from points and added seven re- San Diego, California, burbounds for JRU, which went ied two of his three triples on to post their third win in before the first half ended to five games. help give the Cardinals a 45Potouochi only had six 33 halftime edge. points, but he controlled the Justin Serrano and Exboards with 11 rebounds for equiel Biteng earlier comthe Heavy Bombers, who bined for seven points in easily took the half, 37-29. that period to spark an 8-0 In the first game, rookie run to put the Cards on top

for good, 23-14, after a close 15-14 first period.

Josan Nimes topscored with 18 points for Mapua, which posted its second win in five matches.

“We just played good defense, then our offense came,” said Mapua coach Atoy Co, whose Cardinals forced the Generals to turn the ball over 14 times in the first half alone.

The Cardinals played without veterans Andretti Stevens and Mark Brana, who are still recovering from a sore knee and back spasms, respectively.

Mayweather steps up training for Sept. 12 tiff

By Ronnie Nathanielsz WHILE there is criticism over the possible choice of former world champion Andre Berto as an opponent for his Sept. 12 title defense, Floyd Mayweather is taking no chances and has been training diligently for what he said would be his last bout in a storied career, with a chance to tie the existing record of 49 wins against no losses set by heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano.

Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza rushed back to Las Vegas after a brief visit to the Philippines to begin the tough grind with the 38-yearold Mayweather as he stepped up his preparation ahead of his return.

Reports from the Mayweather Gym in Las Vegas, revealed that the undefeated boxer went through a number of grueling regimens, which included some strength and weight resistance training.

The Daily Mail Online reported that the gym ses-

Birdie. Jennifer Rosales of the Philippines

reacts to a birdie putt on the 17th green during the first round of the Meijer LPGA Classic presented by Kraft at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan. AFP

sion wasn’t enough for Mayweather as he went on to do a cardio session going for a run along a busy road in Enterprise, Nevada.

But it wasn’t all work for the flamboyant Mayweather, who capped off a hard day’s training with a visit to the Adventuredome Theme Park, situated along the Las Vegas strip, where he enjoyed some downtime with his friends, enjoying the bumper cars and other rides, while also taking part in a basketball challenge in which he did quite well.

For his part, Berto who is also handled by Al Haymon, the adviser of Mayweather, told boxingscene.com: “I am happy to be in the running for this fight and am definitely up for the challenge. I know it will be a great fight if it happens.”

Berto is coming off a sixth-round TKO victory over Josesito Lopez to win the World Boxing Association welterweight Interim title on March 13 this year.

Continued on A14

Fajardo, Romeo get more PBA accolades TURN TO A15

B1

SATURDAY: JULY 25, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Ayala, MetroPac eye PNR line

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. said Friday it is in talks with Metro Pacific Investments Corp. to jointly bid for the biggest railway project so far under the government’s publicprivate partnership scheme.

“We will continue to selectively participate in the auction of PPP projects. PNR [Philippine National Railways], we will definitely take a look at that, it is a massive project.

We will do it in a consortium we’re

now mobilizing in terms of preparing for that project,” John Eric Francia, managing director of Ayala, told reporters after the opening of the P2.2-billion Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway Project.

Francia said his company was in talks with Metro Pacific “but nothing has been formalized yet in terms of consortium.”

“We are definitely talking to partners and MPIC is the most advanced in that regard,” he said.

Last week, the Transport Department invited projective bidders to join the auction for the P170.7-billion South Line of the North-South Railway Project.

A two-stage bidding process will be adopted, with the pre-qualification date targeted within the fourth quarter of 2015.

Bid opening is expected in Janu-

ary 2016, while awarding is set in March 2016. The winning bidder will operate, maintain, and upgrade the South Line for 34 years, including the construction period of four years.

Under the project’s terms, the winning bidder will take charge of designing, constructing, financing, operating, and maintaining services of the 56-kilometer Commuter Rail service (for daily riders on the Tutuban, Manila to Calamba, Laguna route), and the 478-kilometer Long-Haul Rail service (for travelers on the Tutuban, Manila to Legazpi, Albay route).

The company is also looking at the P74.56-billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport Development Project.

Ayala chairman and chief executive Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, meanwhile, said the MCX project would set the momentum for other PPP projects.

“We are delighted that although this is not a large project, it is a very significant one because it is the first one bid out by the government. Statistics will show how even a small project like this can make a significant impact to the people,” Zobel de Ayala said.

PSe comPoSite index Closing July 24, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,665.52 12.30

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JULY 24, 2015 42

P45.490

43

CLOSE

44 45 46

HIGH P45.405 LOW P45.500 AVERAGE P45.466 VOLUME 644.700M

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

oPriceS il P today

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

President Aquino (second) leads the inauguration of the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway project at the MCX Toll Plaza in Barangay Poblacion, Muntinlupa City on Friday. With him (from left) are former senator Manuel Villar, Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar, Ayala Corp. chairman and chief executive Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala. The MCX is Ayala’s first toll road project under the government Public-Private Partnership program.

Imports plummeted 13.4% to $4.4b in May—PSA

P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, July 24, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.3490

Japan

Yen

0.008074

0.3661

UK

Pound

1.551700

70.3680

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129021

5.8510

Switzerland

Franc

1.041233

47.2189

Canada

Dollar

0.766989

34.7822

Singapore

Dollar

0.730887

33.1450

Australia

Dollar

0.738007

33.4679

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652238

120.2763

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

12.0924

Brunei

Dollar

0.728226

33.0243

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.028780

1.3051

UAE

Dirham

0.272257

12.3466

Euro

Euro

1.099100

49.8431

Korea

Won

0.000862

0.0391

China

Yuan

0.161044

7.3032

India

Rupee

0.015663

0.7103

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.262812

11.9183

New Zealand

Dollar

0.664319

30.1262

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032013

1.4518 Source: PDS Bridge

IMPORTS sank 13.4 percent in May from a year ago, the sharpest drop in nearly six years, on lower orders for petroleum products, electronics and transport equipment, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show.

Merchandise imports amounted to $4.39 billion in May, down from $5.07 billion posted in the same month last year. The figure was the lowest value of monthly imports in 41 months, or since January 2010 when inbound shipments amounted to $4.31 billion.

The 13.4-percent decline was the steepest since October 2009.

It also marked the third straight month of imports’ contraction.

The National Economic and De-

velopment Authority said lower prices of goods contributed to the decline in the value of imports this year.

It said the volume of total imported merchandise actually recorded a 7.1-percent expansion in May. “Despite lower payments for merchandise imports, more goods are actually being purchased as business sector sentiment for the quarter remains bullish. This is driven by expected robust demand from consumers, expected uptick in construction–related activities and the higher volume of production from the manufacturing sector,” said Economic Planning Secretary and Neda directorgeneral Arsenio Balisacan.

“The volume of imports of key production inputs such capital goods and raw materials, as well

consumer goods expanded in April and May 2015, indicating a likely sustained growth of the domestic economy for the remainder of the quarter,” he said.

Combined imports in the first five months dropped 7.4 percent to $24.804 billion from $26.782 billion a year earlier.

The lower imports in May resulted in a trade surplus of $508.86 million as exports during the month amounted to $4.38 billion.

Data from PSA showed shipments of transport equipment declined 32 percent in May to $288.92 million from $424.95 million in the same month last year.

Inward shipments of electronic products fell 12.2 percent to $1.17 billion in May and accounted for 26.6 percent of the total import

bill.

Payments for purchases of raw materials and intermediate goods decreased 23.3 percent to $1.86 billion over last year’s figure of $2.42 billion on the back of double-digit decline of semiprocessed raw materials.

Shipments of capital goods rose 12.8 percent to $1.123 billion in May from $995.15 million in May 2014.

“The still bullish importation of capital goods should bode well for the country’s productive sectors particularly industry and services. Year-on-year expansion in inward shipments of power generating machines, as well as office, telecommunication, and land transportation equipment remains robust,” said Balisacan.

SATURDAY: JULY 25, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Friday, July 24, 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 2.6 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 124 3.26 47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 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 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 7.34 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 26 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 5.29 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 6.55 9.66 1.61 2.99 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 1.99 1.75

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 4.84 4.69 73.3 72.3 105.00 104.50 96.60 95.55 45.8 45.5 2.52 2.52 1.55 1.55 16.18 16.14 20.5 20.15 6.50 6.50 0.68 0.68 1.80 1.79 0.415 0.415 91.1 89.8 0.98 0.97 18.72 18.52 26.05 26.00 63.70 63.15 89.85 89.8 316 305 38.9 38.35 151.4 148.5 61.00 59.95 3.28 3.24 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp.

45 45 44 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 1.37 1.38 1.36 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 1.04 1.04 1.02 1.86 Alsons Cons.

1.93 1.94 1.91 7.92 Asiabest Group 10.12 10.3 10.1 15.32 Century Food 18.24 18.4 18.24 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 26.4 26.2 25.3 29.15 Concepcion 57 57 56.45 1.5 Crown Asia 2.57 2.64 2.52 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 1.56 1.6 1.53 10.72 Del Monte 12.42 12.3 12.24 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 20.500 21.400 20.45 9.04 Emperador 9.05 9.05 8.85 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 7.70 7.72 7.60 8.86 EEI 9.90 9.90 9.80 1.06 Euro-Med Lab 1.75 1.78 1.7 8.61 Federal Res. Inv. Group 13.9 14.6 13.9 20.2 First Gen Corp.

27.5 27.8 27.2 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 81.8 84 81.3 13.86 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 13.32 13.98 13.30 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.40 13.90 13.90 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6 6.14 6 173 Jollibee Foods Corp.

190.30 192.80 191.00 8.65 Lafarge Rep 10.68 10.8 10.64 1.63 Mabuhay Vinyl 2.53 3.09 2.57 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 24.8 24.95 24.85 17.3 Maxs Group 25.4 25.4 24.8 5.88 Megawide 5.89 5.87 5.8 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 294.80 294.80 292.00 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 4.8 4.84 4.65 8.45 Petron Corporation 8.20 8.20 8.10 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.42 3.41 3.30 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 2.44 2.44 2.40 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.18 3.63 3.19 4.02 RFM Corporation 4.36 4.40 4.30 1.65 Roxas and Co. 1.91 1.93 1.93 5.9 Roxas Holdings 5.75 5.8 5.75 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 165 165 163 1.55 Splash Corporation 1.78 1.76 1.76 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.145 0.151 0.145 1.02 TKC Steel Corp.

1.30 1.29 1.29 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.12 2.12 2.08 152 Universal Robina 186.7 191.5 187.9 4.28 Victorias Milling 4.29 4.35 4.35 0.640 Vitarich Corp.

0.71 0.71 0.69 10.02 Vivant Corp.

24.70 23.50 23.50 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.17 1.17 1.16 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.475 0.475 0.465 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 59.0000 59.0500 57.7500 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 23.70 23.70 23.30 1.6 Anglo Holdings A 1.28 1.28 1.22 6.62 Anscor `A’ 6.86 6.98 6.84 0.23 ATN Holdings A 0.260 0.260 0.250 0.23 ATN Holdings B 0.270 0.255 0.250 634.5 Ayala Corp `A’ 777 792 775 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.72 7.9 7.8 12.8 DMCI Holdings 12.50 12.70 12.30 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

4.35 4.30 4.30 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.202 0.211 0.201 837 GT Capital 1406 1420 1401 5.3 House of Inv. 6.45 6.48 6.48 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 73.50 73.45 72.95 3 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5 4.99 4.99 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.3 7.3 7.15 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.67 0.67 0.65 12 LT Group 14.98 15 14.64 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 4.87 4.86 4.79 4.5 Minerales Industrias Corp. 7.83 7.82 7.76 3 MJCI Investments Inc. 3.15 3.15 3.15 0.550 Prime Orion 2.090 2.110 2.060 2.26 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.61 2.74 2.7 59.3 San Miguel Corp `A’ 58.15 58.95 58.35 1.5 Seafront `A’ 2.55 2.55 2.41 751 SM Investments Inc. 902.00 910.00 899.00 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 1.22 1.22 1.20 0.93 South China Res. Inc. 0.72 0.71 0.71 80 Top Frontier 77.800 77.850 77.000 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3100 0.3200 0.3150 0.179 Wellex Industries 0.2000 0.2000 0.1900 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.275 0.275 0.270 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 7.960 7.950 7.750 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.74 0.73 0.71 1.2 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.260 1.220 1.220 2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.74 1.02 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. First Abacus I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

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

SHARES 7,486,330 54,535,403 54,344,634 89,135,054 103,521,239 2,666,583,946 2,976,462,095

4.9 73.3 105.00 96.25 45.7 2.52 1.49 16.14 20.3 6.50 0.74 1.80 0.420 91.4 1 18.88 26.95 63.25 89 309 38.3 148.6 59.95 3.24

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

4.7 72.3 104.90 96.55 45.7 2.52 1.55 16.16 20.25 6.50 0.68 1.80 0.415 90.35 0.98 18.54 26.00 63.15 89.8 315.4 38.4 149.7 61.00 3.26

-4.08 -1.36 -0.10 0.31 0.00 0.00 4.03 0.12 -0.25 0.00 -8.11 0.00 -1.19 -1.15 -2.00 -1.80 -3.53 -0.16 0.90 2.07 0.26 0.74 1.75 0.62

150,000 21,510 1,622,270 2,036,690 57,800 6,000 23,000 24,000 716,500 300 14,000 51,000 10,000 578,760 820,000 41,600 1,400 103,830 12,790 44,940 136,000 892,750 57,750 62,000

45 1.38 1.03 1.92 10.3 18.38 26.2 56.5 2.61 1.55 12.24 20.500 8.90 7.70 9.80 1.78 14.56 27.3 81.3 13.32 13.90 6.14 192.00 10.74 2.57 24.9 25.4 5.86 294.80 4.65 8.10 3.38 2.41 3.49 4.35 1.93 5.75 163 1.76 0.148 1.29 2.10 191.5 4.35 0.69 23.50 1.16

0.00 0.73 -0.96 -0.52 1.78 0.77 -0.76 -0.88 1.56 -0.64 -1.45 0.00 -1.66 0.00 -1.01 1.71 4.75 -0.73 -0.61 0.00 3.73 2.33 0.89 0.56 1.58 0.40 0.00 -0.51 0.00 -3.12 -1.22 -1.17 -1.23 9.75 -0.23 1.05 0.00 -1.21 -1.12 2.07 -0.77 -0.94 2.57 1.40 -2.82 -4.86 -0.85

1,986,600 3,000 717,000 401,000 1,000 199,500 321,600 72,170 2,952,000 1,249,000 49,300 3,560,900 3,863,100 6,348,100 71,500 8,000 97,600 1,663,400 181,540 2,000 7,500 430,900 856,880 1,294,500 66,000 640,400 19,300 15,500 224,030 419,000 2,388,300 555,000 484,000 7,853,000 3,437,000 1,000 12,000 1,930 19,000 2,360,000 3,000 3,314,000 3,612,730 2,000 2,465,000 2,000 20,000

0.475 57.7500 23.50 1.22 6.84 0.260 0.255 787 7.81 12.60 4.30 0.202 1410 6.48 73.00 4.99 7.23 0.67 14.98 4.8 7.8 3.15 2.070 2.74 58.85 2.55 910.00 1.20 0.71 77.000 0.3200 0.2000 0.275

0.00 -2.12 -0.84 -4.69 -0.29 0.00 -5.56 1.29 1.17 0.80 -1.15 0.00 0.28 0.47 -0.68 -0.20 -0.96 0.00 0.00 -1.44 -0.38 0.00 -0.96 4.98 1.20 0.00 0.89 -1.64 -1.39 -1.03 3.23 0.00 0.00

220,000 602,130 1,495,500 22,000 102,200 230,000 250,000 509,010 1,307,200 11,419,500 23,000 690,000 172,710 74,000 1,281,140 1,000 1,095,700 96,000 4,297,000 22,412,000 354,400 10,000 6,027,000 25,000 204,010 61,000 134,230 211,000 3,000 3,920 260,000 210,000 530,000

7.790 0.72 1.220

-2.14 -2.70 -3.17

179,400 117,000 50,000

-145,018.00 -66,502,155.00 -37,918,211.00 1,367,765.00 40,366.00 -812,475.00

-23,921,066.00 -232,620.00 570,974.50 -25,244.00 -1,230,995.00 -4,397,259.00 -832,760.00 -10,235,175.00

3,273,660.00 -3,640,045.00 5,100.00 61,020.00 23,048.00 -12,294,160.00 -2,710,316.00 2,506,631.00 -261,437.00 70,500.00 -15,435,430.00 2,177,666.00 -37,530.00 1,645,440.00 932,441.00 8,813,262.00 5,479,440.00 -17,232,818.00 -36,750.00 -7,235,116.00 570,560.00 -323,400.00 2,337,120.00 -272,345.00

648,950.00 57,565,591.00

-28,211,990.00 -14,094,495.00

-178,602,300.00 -851,865.00 -58,964,658.00 -10,914,315.00 7,923,539.00 -1,246,007.00 -6,560,468.00 -15,600,850.00 -14,560.00 -6,603,209.00 -30,176,260.00 -77,266.00

14,805.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 4.88 0.180 0.470 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 2.75 0.090 0.290 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

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

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Megaworld Corp.

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

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

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 7.67 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 7 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 1 2.46 15.2 1.040 22.8 4 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1 11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 4.8 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 0.011 0.041 1.200 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 0.650 1.8 6 0.37 14.54 2.28 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

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

Cebu Air Inc. (5J) DFNN Inc. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

Paxys Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

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

Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 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 0.236 6.5 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’ Basic Energy Corp.

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

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

TA Petroleum

70 553 12.28 111

33 490 6.5 101

1047 76.9 78.95 84.8

1011 74.2 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

88 12.88

13.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

High

VALUE 604,342,679.00 1,372,477,544.15 1,299,607,066.09 712,421,092.69 1,096,882,322.69 705,424,251.078 5,802,429,505.70

FINANCIAL 1,689.54 (down) 1.33 INDUSTRIAL 11,544.54 (up) 77.22 HOLDING FIRMS 6,910.57 (up) 1.75 PROPERTY 3,166.52 (up) 7.84 SERVICES 2,163.37 (up) 2.83 MINING & OIL 12,128.55 (up) 80.68 PSEI 7,665.52 (up) 12.30 All Shares Index 4,375.15 (up) 5.62 Gainers: 74 Losers: 94; Unchanged: 44; Total: 212

Close

38.50 3.74 5.07 0.85 1.16 1.00 0.126 0.430 12.02 0.890 0.177 1.38 1.95 4.85 0.113 0.3000 0.4000 7.38 28.15 1.64 3.31 21.50 0.72 0.810 6.900

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

39.05 38.10 38.90 3.81 3.69 3.7 5.1 5.06 5.06 0.86 0.83 0.84 1.11 1.06 1.06 1.06 1.04 1.06 0.135 0.126 0.134 0.430 0.430 0.430 13.04 12.02 13.04 0.890 0.890 0.890 0.179 0.172 0.179 1.40 1.35 1.35 2.00 1.94 1.95 4.92 4.83 4.84 0.113 0.106 0.106 0.2900 0.2900 0.2900 0.3900 0.3850 0.3850 7.38 7.24 7.38 28.70 27.80 28.40 1.65 1.64 1.65 3.31 3.25 3.31 21.50 21.10 21.30 0.73 0.71 0.73 0.810 0.810 0.810 7.050 6.900 7.050 SERVICES 7 7.95 7.07 7.89 62.5 62.7 62 62.4 1.15 1.15 1.15 1.15 0.640 0.640 0.620 0.630 13 13 13 13 10.12 10.14 9.88 9.94 0.0820 0.0820 0.0800 0.0810 3.4 3.46 3.39 3.45 91.8 92.7 91.85 92.25 5.12 5.62 5.15 5.25 2528 2538 2526 2526 6.45 6.50 6.41 6.44 17.02 17.04 17.04 17.04 1.34 1.43 1.31 1.31 110 110.6 110 110.1 4.00 3.31 3.31 3.31 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.210 0.214 0.208 0.213 1.4700 1.4600 1.4300 1.4400 9.91 10.44 9.95 10.38 2.48 2.44 2.25 2.33 1.20 1.31 1.18 1.27 2.20 2.49 2.35 2.35 0.670 0.680 0.670 0.670 2.02 2.01 2.01 2.01 7.49 7.87 7.25 7.85 0.470 0.470 0.460 0.460 20 20.2 20 20.2 3.25 3.2 3.2 3.2 114.00 114.00 105.20 107.00 18.78 18.78 18.50 18.76 2944.00 2950.00 2910.00 2948.00 0.690 0.710 0.680 0.700 1.540 1.600 1.510 1.600 37.80 37.80 37.00 37.50 79.00 79.10 79.00 79.05 9.18 9.15 9.03 9.03 0.66 0.65 0.64 0.65 5.62 5.71 5.53 5.63 0.325 0.335 0.315 0.335 2.660 2.700 2.580 2.610 MINING & OIL 0.0066 0.0068 0.0066 0.0068 2.60 2.60 2.60 2.60 5.64 5.87 5.60 5.60 0.220 0.219 0.218 0.219 7.0000 7.0000 7.0000 7.0000 0.77 0.79 0.76 0.77 0.8 0.83 0.8 0.8 6.53 6.96 6.50 6.65 1.45 1.45 1.39 1.4 0.300 0.305 0.300 0.300 0.215 0.215 0.211 0.212 0.224 0.224 0.224 0.224 0.013 0.014 0.012 0.013 3.09 3.14 3.08 3.09 10.6 10.82 10.5 10.74 3.83 3.9 3.82 3.85 0.6200 0.6400 0.6200 0.6400 2.0200 2.0100 2.0000 2.0000 0.0110 0.0110 0.0096 0.0100 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 4.24 4.24 4.21 4.23 5.64 5.640 5.500 5.54 1.68 1.780 1.650 1.73 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.012 118.00 121.80 118.00 120.00 10.4 10.34 9.78 9.88 PREFERRED 62.8 62.8 61.5 61.5 527 527.5 527 527.5 1.09 1.12 1.09 1.09 111 112 112 112 1148 1148 1148 1148 1039 1040 1039 1040 75.5 75.5 75.45 75.5 84.9 84.85 82.6 82.6 87 87 86.95 87 WARRANTS & BONDS 4.040 4.330 4.060 4.240 SME 67.95 67.95 67.9 67.95 12.18 12.18 12 12 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 124.4 124.5 123.8 124.5

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

1.04 -1.07 -0.20 -1.18 -8.62 6.00 6.35 0.00 8.49 0.00 1.13 -2.17 0.00 -0.21 -6.19 -3.33 -3.75 0.00 0.89 0.61 0.00 -0.93 1.39 0.00 2.17

5,009,900 5,663,000 59,500 868,000 18,000 26,000 15,050,000 350,000 7,245,200 13,000 170,000 3,326,000 15,088,000 17,529,000 1,020,000 220,000 230,000 8,200 2,566,900 415,000 14,000 6,899,400 467,000 18,000 5,445,200

Err:522 -3,090,780.00

12.71 -0.16 0.00 -1.56 0.00 -1.78 -1.22 1.47 0.49 2.54 -0.08 -0.16 0.12 -2.24 0.09 -17.25 -8.33 1.43 -2.04 4.74 -6.05 5.83 6.82 2.63 1.30 4.81 -2.13 1.00 -1.54 -6.14 -0.11 0.14 1.45 3.90 -0.79 0.06 -1.63 -1.52 0.18 3.08 -1.88

2,712,000 5,220 107,000 228,000 100 3,509,900 3,040,000 70,000 835,770 98,100 108,580 14,600 100 1,055,000 555,570 1,000 300,000 3,410,000 2,690,000 3,687,800 3,469,000 87,000 200,000 5,000 1,000 10,621,000 470,000 26,200 1,000 4,130 69,000 39,185 6,580,000 44,993,000 712,200 981,240 1,167,900 1,655,000 1,853,600 730,000 1,427,000

3.03 0.00 -0.71 -0.45 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.84 -3.45 0.00 -1.40 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.32 0.52 3.23 -0.99 -9.09 0.00 -0.24 -1.77 2.98 0.00 1.69 -5.00

1,955,000,000 -2,000.00 50,000 530,600 -373,464.00 290,000 1,000 3,426,000 1,739,000 40,000.00 5,200 9,715,000 138,150.00 440,000 8,500,000 10,000 56,500,000 367,000 -210,420.00 968,300 1,255,730.00 995,000 435,650.00 204,000 34,000 137,600,000 300,000 -1,300.00 66,000 742,400 -93,200.00 2,307,000 -655,680.00 480,600,000 45,000.00 3,633,340 -35,024,983.00 805,400 89,560.00

-2.07 0.09 0.00 0.90 0.00 0.10 0.00 -2.71 0.00

2,130,760 1,990 1,158,000 300 3,435 5,580 53,760 11,350 6,000

-7,027,198.50

4.95

2,358,000

144,990.00

0.00 -1.48

450 846,600

471,120.00

0.08

8,430

-588,550.00

16,063,500.00 22,360.00 -477,720.00 -13,993,550.00 -39,705,990.00 -10,600.00 738.00 -7,580,365.00 -602,250.00 -47,640,205.00 -5,578,477.00 242,019.00

-20,777,277.00 10,170.00 16,799,008.00 -96,767,480.00 21,000.00 -12,522,197.00

20,300.00 5,686,668.00 150.00

-16,931,703.00 46,500.00 0.00 -735,840.00 -21,664,180.00 -1,493,290.00 -7,307,755.00 41,897,074.50 -833,055.00 -882,700.00 -540,531.00 7,800.00

-120,720.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

2GO Group'

7.89

12.71

Imperial Res. `A'

3.31

-17.25

Pryce Corp. `A'

3.49

9.75

Oriental Pet. `A'

0.0100

-9.09

Double Dragon

13.04

8.49

City & Land Dev.

1.06

-8.62

Macroasia Corp.

2.35

6.82

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.011

-8.33

Crown Equities Inc.

0.134

6.35

First Abacus

0.68

-8.11

Cityland Dev. `A'

1.06

6.00

MRC Allied Ind.

0.106

-6.19

Lorenzo Shipping

1.27

5.83

Phil. Seven Corp.

107.00

-6.14

Republic Glass 'A'

2.74

4.98

Liberty Telecom

2.33

-6.05

LR Warrant

4.240

4.95

ATN Holdings B

0.255

-5.56

Melco Crown

7.85

4.81

TA Petroleum

9.88

-5.00

SATURDAY: JULY 25, 2015

B3

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

BIR collection increases 9.7% Market advances; Semirara, URC up

STOCKS rose for the fourth day, as companies started reporting growth in second-quarter earnings amid positive prospects on the economy.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, gained 12 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 7,665.52 on Friday. The gauge was up 6 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also advanced 5 points, or 0.1 percent, to settle at 4,375.15 on a value turnover of P5.8 billion.

Losers outnumbered gainers, 94 to 74, while 44 issues were unchanged.

DoubleDragon Properties Corp., a new property developer, was the biggest gainer among the 20 most active stocks, as it jumped 8.5 percent to P13.04.

Food manufacturer Universal Robina Corp. climbed 2.6 percent to P191.50 while Semirara Mining and Power Corp. rebounded 1.7 percent to P120. Conglomerate Ayala Corp. gained 1.3 percent to P787.

Meanwhile, Asian markets mostly fell Friday following more downbeat Chinese data and another sell-off on Wall Street while the dollar edged up against the yen ahead of an expected US interest rate rise.

Gold prices extended losses as commodity prices are hurt by the stronger dollar but oil recovered slightly from Thursday’s dips, although a global supply glut is expected to keep a lid on any strong gains.

Selling was increased by news that a closely watched gauge of Chinese manufacturing activity had tumbled in July, adding to concerns about the mainland economy. With AFP

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

The Bureau of Internal Revenue said Friday collection in the first half of the year grew 9.7 percent to P705.87 billion from a year ago, but fell below the target set by the government.

Data showed the January-June collection fell 13 percent short of the P812.39-billion goal for the period.

The agency said tax collection in June jumped 16.4 percent to P109.55 billion from a year ago.

Collection from BIR operations went up by 16.9 percent to P107.09 billion while collection from non-BIR operations fell 1.1 percent to P2.46 billion.

Regional offices contributed P39.05 billion, up by 17.5 percent from a year ago while collection

by the large taxpayers service grew 16.5 percent to P68.04 billion.

It said for the six-month period, collections from BIR operations improved 10 percent to P687.29 billion while non-BIR operations contributed P18.58 billion or 0.45 percent more than collections made in the first half of 2014.

Collection by regional offices in the first half amounted to P257.26 billion or P25.4 billion more than the collections made in the same period last year.

The large taxpayer service,

which covers major corporations, collected P430.03 billion in the January-June period, up by P37.17 billion or 9.5 percent yearon-year.

The BIR set a collection target of P1.67 trillion in 2015, up from the actual collection of P1.335 trillion in 2014.

The Finance Department earlier said the government posted a budget surplus of P67.3 billion in May, nearly five times higher than P11.78 billion recorded in the same month last year. It was also higher than the P52.6-billion surplus seen in April.

This brought the budget balance in the first five months of the year to a surplus of P86.4 billion, or 10 times the P8.5-billion surplus registered in the same period of 2014.

Netting out debt interest payments, the government posted a primary balance surplus of P87.9 billion in May and P223.3 billion in the five-month period.

Revenues surged 41 percent year-on-year in May to P242.5 billion from P172.23 billion in the same month last year while government expenditures rose 9 percent to P175.2 billion from P160.45 billion.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue collected P128.5 billion in May while the Bureau of Treasury added P11 billion. The Bureau of Customs contributed P26.7 billion.

Other offices contributed P76.4 billion in May, reflecting the P60.1 billion coco levy-related remittance to the special account in the general fund.

Support for startups. Trade Undersecretary Nora Terrado (center), along with foreign trade service officers Michael Alfred Ignacio (left) and Enrico Mariano (right), joins (from left) IdeaSpace founder and president Earl Martin Valencia, Start Up Chile founder Nicholas Shea, Stanford University US-Asia Technology Management Center director Richard Dasher, KickstartVentures fo-founder and President Minette Navarrete, Golde Gate Ventures principal Justin Hall and Air Bnb Southeast Asia and India managing director Jia Jih Chai in a news conference of the Slingshot MNL on July 7, 2015 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

Career hub.

MicroSourcing, one of the leading offshoring and outsourcing solutions providers, opened its newest career hub at the Mall of Asia Complex. Located at the ground floor of TwoE-com Center, the new MOA career hub was launched as part of the company’s efforts to further improve the recruitment process and tap skilled talents for their clients.

Show cutting the ribbon are (from left) MicroSourcing chief operating officer Sjoerd Krosse and chief services officer Sophie Woo.

DoE extends schedule in Palawan exploration

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Department extended the exploration program of Nido Petroleum Corp. of Australia and PNOC Exploration Corp. northwest off Palawan in South China Sea amid the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China.

The two companies said they obtained extension of the work program under service contract 58 from the Energy Department while works in the area were suspended. The Energy Department confirmed the suspension of the projects in SC 58 amid the territorial dispute.

“The arbitration case [filed by Philippines against China] resulted to refrain in our exploration activities in the West Philippine Sea. However, I believe that

after the decision, our policy will have to ensure enforcement of our rights to protect and utilize the resources within our EEZ (exclusive economic zone). SC 58 will definitely develop its area with the full support of the Philippine government,” Rino Abad, director of the department’s Energy Resource Development Bureau said.

Nido said in its quarterly report the company “obtained a further extension of the election to drill required under the company’s farm out agreement with PNOC Exploration, the oil and gas arm of state-owned Philippine National Oil Co.” Nido earlier requested the Energy Department for suspension of the performance of work commitments and obligations on the SC 58 block as early as 2013.

SATURDAY: JULY 25, 2015

B4

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

IN BRIEF Mabuhay Vinyl owner

TOSOH Corp. of Japan has signed an agreement to acquire nearly 235 million common shares owned by BDO Unibank Inc. in listed Mabuhay Vinyl Corp.

Mabuhay Vinyl disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange Friday it received a copy of a letter from Tosoh dated July 23, 2015 informing the company that Tosoh signed an agreement with BDO to purchase 234,572,391 shares held by the bank.

It said Tosho planned to conduct a mandatory tender offer for the remaining shares of Mabuhay Vinyl not owned by Tosoh and BDO. Tosho said in the letter the transaction would result in the Japanese company owning over 51 percent of the total outstanding shares of Mabuhay Vinyl.

Tosoh is the parent company of a Japanese chemical and specialty products and materials group that comprises over 100 companies worldwide and a multiethnic workforce of more than 11,500 people.

The parent company was established in 1935 at the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Tosoh is involved the chemical and petrochemical, construction, automotive, consumer electronics, information technology, bioscience and environmental markets.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Funeral benefits hiked

THE Social Security System will pay higher funeral benefits beginning August this year following the approval by President Benigno Aquino III of the benefit enhancement.

Under SSS Circular No. 2015-009 issued recently, the state-agency will increase funeral benefits from “a fixed amount of P20,000 to a variable amount ranging from a minimum of P20,000 to a maximum of P40,000,” depending on the member’s number of contributions and average monthly salary credit.

SSS vice president for benefits administration Agnes San Jose said the increase would apply for all funeral benefit claims with date of contingency of August 1, 2015 onwards.

San Jose said that new funeral benefits would be calculated using the fixed amount of P20,000 plus a percentage of a member’s total contributions and AMSC. “The proposal to increase funeral benefits came about after our study revealed that the costs of burial services have climbed to an average of more than P40,000 or twice the current fixed amount of benefit SSS disburses for funeral claims,” San Jose said.

CEB offers seat sale

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air is pushing for more international travel between August 10 and November 30, 2015, as it holds a seat sale for all its international destinations.

The seat sale, which goes as low as P1,500 all-in, is available from July 23 to 26, 2015, or until seats last.

Up for grabs are P1,500 all-in fares from Manila to Kota Kinabalu and from Clark to Macau. Those taking advantage of direct flights from Cebu, Iloilo and Clark to Singapore and Hong Kong are also in for a great travel deal with P1,500 seat sale fares. Kalibo-Hong Kong seats are also for sale for this fare.

Passengers looking into traveling to most of CEB’s Southeast and North Asian destinations can also book P2,000 seats, all-in.

For this fare, passengers can travel from Manila to Bali (Denpasar), Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Bangkok, Phuket and Seoul (Incheon). P2,000 all-in fares are also available for those traveling from Manila to Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Brunei, Jakarta, Siem Reap, Busan, Taipei, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.

Parañaque award. Parañaque City was declared this year’s top three most economically dynamic urbanized cities in the Philippines

as it performed well in terms of economic dynamism, government efficiency and available infrastructure. The country’s most competitive cities and municipalities were lauded during the 3rd Regional Competitiveness Summit of the National Competitiveness Council held at the Philippine International Convention Center. Receiving the award are Mayor Edwin Olivarez (center) and his wife, Janet; city treasurer Anthony Pulmano; Parañaque Rep. Eric Olivarez; city councillor Binky Favis; city engineer Aser Mallari; acting city business and license office chief Melanie Malaya; executive assistant Mario Jimenez; and city tourism chief Babes Berequel.

Ayala: Partnership with GMA possible

By Darwin G. Amojelar

The Ayala Group plans to venture into the broadcasting business to further boost the content of its telecommunication unit.

“We are always looking for new opportunities on that front [broadcasting], the telecommunication business is changing, you have seen some of the arrangements that Globe has been reaching with entertainment companies,” Ayala Corp. chairman and chief executive Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala told reporters when asked if his company was interested to invest in GMA Network Inc. “The lines are blurring, it’s an exciting new area that’s developing on that front,” Zobel de Ayala

said, adding his company was always in talks for possible partnership.

Globe Telecom Inc., a unit of Ayala, confirmed to the stock exchange it was engaged in discussions with GMA for personal content collaboration that would complement the businesses of the two companies.

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

The Ayala group’s interest came after the majority shareholders of GMA Network terminated year-long talks to sell a minority stake in the network to San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang. Majority shareholders of the broadcaster agreed in May last year to sell about 30 percent of the company to Ang. That agreement was announced months after Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. ended a round of talks with the broadcaster.

The Gozon, Jimenez and Duavit families own a combined 79 percent of the network, which airs on Channel 7 on free TV. Gozon earlier said he had talks with a new prospective investor he declined to identify.

In a related development, the Lopez Holdings Corp. and Bayan Tele-

communications Holdings Corp. have agreed to sell to Globe all their equity in Bayan for P1.83 billion.

“The transaction will allow the unlocking of the intrisic value of BayanTel as duly enfranchised entity whose performance has been hindered by its significant debt loan and allows Lopez to recover a portion of its investment in Bayantel,” Lopez Holdings said.

The transaction involves up to 70,763,707 BayanTel shares and increases Globe’s equity interest in BayanTel from 56.87 percent to 98.57 percent of the outstanding capital stock.

The deal came after the National Telecommunications Commission approved the conversion BayanTel debt by Globe into equity as provided under the ruling of a rehabilitation court.

GNPower prepares coal power plant in Lanao del Norte

By Alena Mae S. Flores GNPower Kauswagan Ltd. Co. of the ayala Group is set to go “full blast” with the construction of its 540-megawatt coalfired power plant in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte province to help ease the shortage in supply in Mindanao by 2017.

“For Kauswagan, we have made the financial commitment.

We have started the project. The engineering design is ongoing [and we just want to] clear the property... We are hoping to go

full blast in a month or so,” AC Energy Holdings Inc. president Eric Francia told reporters.

GN Power Kauswagan signed documents on the financial package of the Kauswagan plant last year.

GNPower Kauswagan is controlled by AC Energy, a fullyowned subsidiary of Ayala Corp., the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure Fund and Power Partners Ltd. Co. The total project cost, earlier estimated at around $1 billion, will be funded by both debt and

equity.

“The construction is ongoing but we are prioritizing the compacting of the property. There are just a few cleanups as well, the resettlement [of the people] is on its final stages,” Francia said.

The plant, consisting of four units of 135 MW each in Barangay Libertad and Tacub in the municipality of Kauswagan, is expected to be in full operation by 2017.

“Mindanao has always been a great source of excitement for Ayala. We have looked at Min-

danao with a fresh perspective-investing heavily in Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, and participated in the development of the Laguindingan airport,” said Ayala chairman and chief executive Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala earlier.

GNPower Kauswagan engaged Shanghai Electric Power Construction Co., a subsidiary of Power Construction Corporation of China, for the engineering, procurement and construction of the $1-billion thermal facility in May.

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 2 5 , 2 0 1 5

B5

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Hard lives of China’s left-behind children XIANGHE, China—Deep in the Chinese countryside, the lives of Liang Yuxiu and her brother Zhaolu epitomize the cost of decades of breakneck economic growth.

Aged 10 and 12, they live with their grandparents, helping tend their rice crop at weekends and boarding at school during the week.

Their father is dead and two years ago their mother left Xianghe one of the poorest areas of Guangxi, among China’s most deprived regions in search of work.

“At home, I like watching war dramas on grandma and grandpa’s TV, but only after I’ve finished the day’s work in the rice field,” says Zhaolu.

Zhaolu and Yuxiu are among the estimated 61 million “left behind” children about the population of Italy in China’s countryside whose parents have moved to the cities to find jobs, or died.

The labor of hundreds of millions of migrant workers has helped achieve China’s transformation from an overwhelmingly agrarian society under orthodox Communism to the world’s second-largest economy.

But China’s “hukou” system of residency permits denies the children of those who move equal access to education and health care, and they pay a lonely price.

Most are raised by their grandparents or other family members, and state media report that more than three percent are simply left on their own, citing statistics from the All-China Women’s Federation.

Last month four siblings aged five to 13, whose parents had both left home, died after drinking pesticide in what state media described as a suicide pact.

“Thanks for your kindness, but it is time for us to go,” read a note found in their house in Guizhou province, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The deaths sparked widespread public sympathy and prompted Premier Li Keqiang to call for “an end to such tragedies”.

Every Monday, Yuxiu and her brother negotiate narrow, muddy paths for 30 minutes to a road to catch a bus for their hour-long ride to school. AFP

WORLD Thai general among 72 indicted over trafficking BANGKOK—Thailand on Friday said it would indict 72 people including a senior army officerover human trafficking after the plight of desperate Myanmar and Bangladesh migrants stranded at sea triggered an international outcry over the grim trade.

Performance. Singer/Songwriter Jerrod Niemann performs during Country Thunder USA Day 1 in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, on July 23. AFP

The move comes days before the release of an annual United States report ranking nations on their anti-trafficking efforts that last relegated Thailand to the bottom rung.

The kingdom has long been accused of ignoring official complicity in the multi-million dollar trafficking trade that had, until recent months, flourished through its southern provinces and onto Malaysia the desired destination of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority.

But a Thai crackdown in May led to the unraveling of vast people-smuggling networks with thousands of migrants abandoned in open waters and jungle camps by traffickers, a crisis that eventually forced a Southeast Asiawide response.

On Friday, a spokesman for the Office of the Attorney General or OAG of Thailand said it had issued an order to indict 72 people charged on 16 counts mostly over human trafficking, including more than a dozen state officials of all levels.

“We will not let influential people rise above justice,” Wanchai Roujanavong told reporters at a press conference in Bangkok.

The charges include human trafficking, involvement in international crimes, taking and bringing illegal migrants and malfeasance.

“The OAG has given priority to the issue as it is a big group of people involving international systems. It has caused a lot of damage to the country as dead bodies were found,” Wanchai said, referencing the grisly discovery of dozens of migrant graves in abandoned traffickers’ camps along the border with Malaysia that sparked the trafficking crackdown.

A court in southern Songkhla province, where the graves were found, will formally process the indictments later Friday.

Among the suspects is Lieutenant General Manas Kongpan, charged with being a major smuggling kingpin in the lucrative trade. AFP

Jolie to direct film about Khmer Rouge LOS ANGELES—Actress-turneddirector Angelina Jolie is to make a film about Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime seen through the eyes of a warscarred child for Netflix, the streaming giant said Thursday.

The Oscar-winning Hollywood A-lister will adapt “First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers,” a harrowing memoir by Cambodian human rights activist Loung Ung about surviving the deadly regime.

“I was deeply affected by Loung’s book,” said Jolie, cited in a Netflix statement.

“It deepened forever my understanding of how children experi-

ence war and are affected by the emotional memory of it.

“And it helped me draw closer still to the people of Cambodia, my son’s homeland,” said the 40-yearold, speaking of Maddox, her adopted son with megastar husband Brad Pitt.

Netflix said Maddox Jolie-Pitt, 13, the Hollywood couple’s eldest child, will be involved in the production.

Jolie will direct and produce the film from a script she co-wrote with Ung. Acclaimed Cambodian director Rithy Panh, nominated for an Oscar for 2013’s “The Missing Picture,” will also serve as a producer.

Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said: “We are proud to be working with Angelina Jolie in bringing this emotionally powerful and ultimately uplifting story exclusively to Netflix members around the world.

“Loung Ung’s incredible journey is a testament to the human spirit and its ability to transcend even the toughest circumstances,” he added.

The movie will be released on Netflix in late 2016.

Jolie’s feature film debut was 2011’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey” set in the Bosnian war. Her 2014 “Unbroken” was nominated for three Oscars. AFP

Meeting in Arbil. US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, left, and Iraqi Kurdish president Massud Barzani sit for a meeting with members of their teams in Arbil, on July 24. Carter went into talks with Barzani soon after landing in Arbil, the capital of Iraq’s northern autonomous region of Kurdistan. AFP

B6

S AT U R D AY : J U LY 2 5 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Gunman kills 2 in US moviehouse

CHICAGO—A gunman opened fire in a crowded US movie theater and shot two people dead before killing himself Thursday, shortly after President Barack Obama expressed frustration with weak gun controls.

More than 100 people were in the theater when the gunman began shooting randomly with a handgun about 30 minutes into a showing of “Trainwreck” at the Grand 16 theater in Lafayette, Louisiana,

police said.

Nine people were injured, some critically.

“We don’t believe there’s anybody else involved,” Louisiana State Police Colonel Michael Edmonson told reporters.

President Barack Obama said earlier Thursday that a “distressing” lack of progress on gun control legislation had been the greatest source of frustration during his time in office.

“If you look at the number of Americans

Republic of the Philippines Province of Oriental Mindoro MUNICIPALITY OF PINAMALAYAN ooOoo BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID

killed since 9/11 by terrorism, it’s less than 100. If you look at the number that have been killed by gun violence, it’s in the tens of thousands,” he said in an interview with the BBC taped before the shooting.

“And for us not to be able to resolve that issue has been something that is distressing.”

This latest mass US shooting comes as a jury deliberates the death penalty for the gunman in a 2012 theater massacre in Colorado that left 12 dead and 70 injured.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal rushed to Lafayette late Thursday, where he held a press conference not far from the shooting scene.

“Whenever we hear about these senseless acts of violence, it makes us both furious and sad at the same time,” Jindal told reporters.

“There’s no good reason why this type of evil should intrude on the lives of people who are just out for entertainment.” AFP

78

Sliding window .60x1.20 Analoc

1

Unit

160

TW #14

8

Box

79

¼ Thk. Mirror 1.20x2.40

5

Pcs

161

Chandellier Lamp

3

Sets

80

¼ Thk. Mirror 1.00x.90

1

Pc

162

ACU Outlet

11

Pcs

81

¼ Thk. Tempered Glass 1.20x2.40

1

Pc

163

Exhause Fan 12”

5

Pcs

82

Glass Block .20x.20

10

Pcs

164

Head Cap 1 ½

2

Pcs

83

½ Thk Tempered Glass Partition for cubicle w/ stand

347

Sq.ft

165

CO- 3 Gang Surface Type

22

Pcs

84

Roll-up door 2.40 x3.50

2

Units

166

Looxex Wire #12

70

mtrs

85

Top Glass ½ Thk. 1.00X2.40(Glass Table)

1

Unit

167

Bulb Incandescent 25w.

2

Pcs

Name of the project : Materials for Construction of Finance building Phase II Location : Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro Approved Budget : Php. 2,445,343.80 (General Fund)

86

Fixed glass 1.20X1.80

1

Unit

168

Receptacle 3x3

3

Pcs

87

Fixed glass with Frame 1.80X1.80

1

unit

169

Firefly 3-U

3

Pcs

2.

88

Sliding glass ¼ x 50 x 1.50

20

Pcs

170

GI Pipe 2” S-40

1

Pc

89

Sliding glass Cabinet cover 3.00x2.40

1

Unit

171

GI Reduce Coupling 2x1 1/4

1

Pc

90

Sliding glass Cabinet cover 1.20x2.40

1

Unit 172

GI Reducer Tee 1 1/4 x 1

1

Pc

173

GI Reducer Boushing1 1/4x1

1

Pc

174

GI U. Patente

1

Pc

175

Check Valve 1”

1

Pc

176

Pressure Tank 21ltrs. 1 HP

1

Set

177

Ball Valve ¾

1

Pc

178

GI Nipple 3/4x3

1

Pcs

179

GI Nipple 1”x12

2

Pcs

180

GI Nipple 1”

2

Pcs

181

GI Nipple 1”x4”

4

Pcs

182

PVC Blue Pipe ¾

5

Pcs

183

PVC Blue Elbow ¾

6

Pcs

184

PVC Male Adaptor ¾

2

Pcs

185

Teplon Tape ¾

4

Pcs

186

Stainless Faucet

5

Pcs

187

Atlanta Solvent 400cc

6

Can

188

PVC Coupling 3/4

4

Pcs

189

Oval Lavatory w/ Fitting

1

Set

190

Water Closet w/ Fitting w/ Lavatory w/ BIDET Soft Holder & Tissue Holder

3

sets

191

Stainless Sink Foube w/ Fitting

2

sets

192

Stainless Strainer 4x4

5

Pcs

193

Stainless Faucet

5

pcs

194

PVC Pipe 1” Blue

15

pcs

195

PVC Pipe 2” Orange

8

pcs

196

PVC Elbow #2”

17

pcs

197

PVC Tee #2”

4

pcs

198

PVC Blue Tee ½

11

Pcs

199

Shower Telephone

2

Sets

200

PVC Pipe Blue ½

24

Pcs

201

PVC Elbow #1/2

21

Pcs

202

PVC Adaptor #1/2

18

Pcs

203

PVC Tee ½

12

Pcs

204

Conc. Neutralizer

6

Gals

205

Patching Compound

30

kgs

ITB 2015– 69 1.

The Municipal Government of Pinamalayan, Province of Oriental Mindoro through its joint Bid and Awards Committee (BAC) invites bidders/suppliers to apply for the eligibility and to bid for the hereunder project:

Bidders shall deliver the following services/activities, to wit; Item No.

Item Description

Quantity

Unit

1

Glass Mosaic Tiles .30x.30

42

Pcs

2

Stone Bricks

5

Box

3

Mosaic Tiles.30x.60

40

Pcs

4

Tile cutter

3

Pcs

5

Floor Tiles .40x.40

75

Pcs

6

Tile Grout

20

Kgs

7

Glazed Tiles .20x.30

880

Pcs

8

Floor Tiles .20x.20

312

Pcs

9

Cement

80

bags

10

CHB #5”

30

Pcs

11

CHB#4”

250

Pcs

12

DRSB 12mmǾ

40

Pcs

13

DRSB 10mmǾ

245

Pcs

14

Tie Wire

35

Kgs

15

Hacksaw Blade

2

Pcs

16

Plastic Pail

6

Pcs

17

Wiremesh

2

Lm.

18

DRSB 16mmǾ

25

Pcs

19

Gravel & Sand

40

Cu.m

20

Granite tiles 2.20x.60w/ Hole Mongolian White

1

Unit

21

Granite Tiles 3.00x.60 w/ hole Italy Black

1

Unit

22

Granite Tiles 1.50x.60 w/ Hole Mongolian White

1

Unit

23

Granite Tiles Cubicle Mongolian White

13

Sq.m

24

Granite Tiles Peach Dalmacian

13

Sq.m

25

Gravel & Sand

45

Cu.m

26

Cement

286

bags

116

Stair Brass Nosing

7

Pcs

27

Sahara Cement

20

Bags

117

Screw

120

Pcs

28

Wiremesh

2

Lm.

118

Drill Bit Steel

4

Pcs

29

2x2x12 Coco Lumber

30

Pcs

119

Drill Bit Concrete

4

Pcs

30

Concrete Nail # 1”

2

Kgs

120

Tux w/ crew

30

Pcs

31

2x6x12 Good Lumber

4

Pcs

121

Dyna Bolts 1/2 x6”

20

Pcs

32

2x3x12 Good Lumber

9

Pcs

122

Steel Window Grills 2.10x1.20

1

Unit

33

2x2x12 Good Lumber

489

Pcs

123

Plain GI Sheet Pre- Painted

10

pcs

34

1x2x12 Good Lumber

200

Pcs

35

Plyboard ¾

90

Pcs

36

Marine Plywood ½

15

Pcs

37

Marine Plywood ¼

40

Pcs

38

Finishing Nail # 2”

20

Kgs

39

Finishing Nail # 1”

20

Kgs

40

CW Nail Assorted Sizes

80

Kgs

41

Conc. Nail

15

Kgs

42

Casing 1/2x1x12

360

Pcs

43

Base Board 1x4x12

40

Pcs

44

Corner Moulding #3”x12”

10

Pcs

45

Flat Moulding #4x12

10

Pcs

46

Stickweel

10

Ltrs.

47

Marine plywood 1/8

3

Pcs

48

Hardiflex Board ¼

122

Pcs

49

Hardiflex Nail

25

Kgs

50

Drawer Guide 22”

43

Pcs

51

Drawer Lock yale

43

Pcs

52

Cabinet Handle

79

Pcs

53

Concealed Hinges

175

Pcs

54

Door Lock

1

Pc

55

Hinges 4”x4”

2

Pair

56

Ord. Plywood ¼

10

Pcs

57

1x8x10 Good Lumber

26

Pcs

58

2x3x12 Good Lumber

14

Pcs

59

2x5x12 Good Lumber

5

Pcs

60

Wood Cladding Sliding with fixed 1.50x1.80

1

Unit

61

Wood Cladding .40

2

Unit

62

Magnetic Catches

39

Pcs

63

Cork Board

12

Sq.m

64

Double Panel Door 1.40 x2.10

3

Units

65

Smoke Glass Door w/ Frame .90x2.10

3

Units

66

Analoc Glass Door .90x2.10

6

Units

67

Smoke Glass Door .70x2.10

1

Unit

68

Double Panel Glass Door 1.20x2.10

1

Unit

69

CR Aluminum Frame w/ Smoke Glass Door.60 x 1.80 w/ door closer

4

Units

70

Panel Door Wood .90x2.10

1

Pc

71

Plastic Door .60x2.10

1

Pc

72

Sliding window 1.20x1.80

12

Units

73

Sliding window 1.20x1.20

4

Units

74

With Frame Fixed Glass F.exit .90x2.10

3

Units

75

Awning window .40x1.80

4

units

76

Sliding window .60x1.80

2

Units

77

Sliding window .60x.60 Analoc

5

Units

91

Sliding Window 1.80x1.50

1

Unit

92

Sliding Window .90x1.50

1

Unit

93

Silicon

20

tube

94

Stainless Pipe 1 ½

4

Pcs

95

Stainless Rod

3

Kgs

96

Tubular Bar 2x4

5

Pcs

97

Steel Window Grills .90x1.50 with extended ladder 2mtrs.

1

Unit

98

Square Bar 12mmǾ

14

Pcs

99

Flat Bar 1/4 x1x6

9

Pcs

100

Sander Blade

4

Pcs

101

Hacksaw Blade

2

Pcs

102

Round Bar 16mmǾ

1

Pc

103

Steel Window Grills 1.20x1.80

12

Units

104

Steel Window Grills 1.20x1.20

4

Units

105

Steel Window Grills 0.60x1.20

1

Unit

106

Steel Window Grills 0.60x0.60

5

Units

107

Steel Window Grills 1.80x0.40

6

Units

108

Steel Window Grills 0.90x1.20

2

Units

109

Steel Window Grills 0.60x1.80

1

Unit

110

Welding Rod 5kgs.

2

Box

111

Aluminum Tubular Bar 1x2 Analoc

11

Pcs

112

Aluminum Door Closer

5

Pcs

113

Decorative Steel Wall 2.00x2.00

1

Pc

114

Steel Window Grills .40x1.80

6

Pcs

115

Steel Window Grills .60x1.80

1

Pc

124

CAT5 BELDEN UTP Cable

4

Box

206

Concrete Putty

18

gals

125

Telephone Modular Box

12

Pcs

207

Latex Flat

7

Tin

126

RU- II Telephone Connector

1

Lot

208

Latex Gloss

6

Tin

127

Miscellaneous (Electrical Tape, Cable Screw, Ties & Toks & Solvent

1

Lot

209

QDE Flat D/B

8

Tin

128

Panasonic Main Cabinet KX TES824 Analog Phone System, 3 CO Line & 8 SLT.extensions, Power Supply Max 32 Channel Extension

1

Pc

210

QDE Gloss D/B

9

Tin

211

Sand Paper

60

Pcs

Panasonic KX- TES8- 2480 Expansion Card 2 Trunk Port by 8 Extensions Expansion Card

1

212

Tinting Color

8

Ltrs.

213

QDE Black Boysen

3

Ltrs.

214

Paint Thinner

6

gals

129

Pc

130

Panansonic KXT- 7730 Propietary Phone 12 Button LCD Speaker Phone 1 Line x 16 Characters Non Backlit Lcd caller Id Name & Number Compatible

1

Pc

131

Panasonic KXT- 500m Single Line Telephone

11

Pcs

215

Sun & Rain Paint

30

gals

132

Back-up Battery

2

Pcs

216

Roller Brush #5” w/ Base

4

sets

133

Battery Connector

1

Pc

217

Baby Roller

4

Pcs

134

Krone Terminal w/ Stainless Bracket

2

Pcs

218

Polytuff w/ Hardener

10

Ltrs.

219

Glazing Putty

8

gals

135

1 Set TEVL 4 Channels H.264 Stand Alone 1 Cloud DVR (1 MO Recording Output w/ Support Network PT2, 3G Mobile Monitoring 1R. Controller, Central MNET.Software Support 1 Phone w/ 4pcs TEVL CCD 800 TVL 20EA LED 20m. Bullet Camera Low Illumination ATR. OJD. PNR. Water Proof Standard 49mm. DC12V w/ 1 Lot Centralized Power Supply 12 V. for 2 Cameras

220

Paint Brush #4”

3

Pcs

221

Paint Brush #1”

2

Pcs

222

Paint Brush #2”

4

Pcs

223

Roof Paint Green

32

gals

224

Hudson Varnish

6

Ltrs.

225

Lacquer Thinner

2

gals

226

Acrylic Emoltion

8

gals

136

1 Set TEVL 8 Channels H.264 Stand Alone 1 Cloud DVR (1 MO Recording Output w/ Support Network PT2, 3G Mobile Monitoring 1R. Controller, Central MNET.Software Support 1 Phone w/ 48pcs TEVL CCD 800 TVL 20EA LED 20m. Bullet Camera Low Illumination ATR. OJD. PNR. Water Proof Standard 49mm. DC12V w/ 1 Lot Centralize Power Supply 12 V. for 8 Cameras

1

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1

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138

Flexible Hose ¾

200

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227

Versatex Paint

18

gals

139

UTP Cable (High Class)

2

Box

228

Texture Brush

2

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140

Rj45

70

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229

QDE Brown Chocolate Gloss

6

gals

141

Utility Box

35

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230

Latex Gloss Chocolate Brown

2

gals

142

Plastic Moulding #1

10

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231

Valsphar

2

gals

143

TW #6

40

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144

TW #10

3

Box

145

Utility Box 2x4

67

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146

Junction Box 4x4

24

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147

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92

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78

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10

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11

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180

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The complete schedule of activities is listed as follows: 1. Issuance of Bid Documents – July 20, 2015 to August 6, 2015 2. Pre-Bid Conference _ July 24, 2015 at the 2:00 PM at the Mayor’s Extension Office 3. Opening of Bids – August 7, 2015 at the 2:00 PM at the Mayor’s Extension Office

4.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before August 7, 2015 at 2:00 PM. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in Invitation to Bid as follows:

5.

6.

FORM OF BID SECURITY

Minimum Amount in % of Approved Budget for the Contract to be Bid

Cash, certified check,cashier’s, manager’s check, bank draft or irrevocable letter of credit

Two percent (2%)

Bank Guarantee

Two Percent (2%)

Surety Bond

Five Percent (5%)

The Municipal Government of Pinamalayan 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: MR. ENRIQUE N. MOCLING, MGADHI/BAC Secretary, Local Government of Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro (SGD.) MAURO P. HELERA Municipal Administrator BAC Chairman

(TS-JUL. 25, 2015)

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PROPERTY jdlacsamana@gmail.com

JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR

B7

TuTuban does noT sleep.

Tutuban Center recently welcomed its new tenants at a contract signing held at Orion Hotel Manila. The arrival of new tenants comes fresh on the heels of the opening of TC Shopping Plaza. These recent developments are part of the shopping district’s aggressive redevelopment plans. Good timing. The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) recently pinpointed Tutuban Center as the transfer station for the planned P171 B North-South rail project. The west extension of Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT 2) in Recto will also be close to the vicinity of the shopping haven. The projects will extend the LRT from Recto all the way to the port of Manila.

The North-South rail project, on the other hand, will run all the way to Bulacan and Laguna.

Tie-up for The ages. SOC Land Development Corporation (SOC Land) SOC Land recently entered into a partnership with PLDT HOME for a fiber-backed Internet connection in the newly turned over Anala building at Anuva Residences, located between Sucat and Alabang in Muntinlupa. PLDT HOME Fibr offers speeds of up to 100 Mbps which will allow Anala unit owners to enjoy lag-free browsing and video calling, as well as seamless video streaming.“We’re honored to have PLDT HOME as an official broadband service provider for Anala,” said SOC Land president John Paul G. Reyes. Shown in photo are (from left): SOC Land directors Farah Denise Castro, Justine Anne Mercado, SOC Land president John Paul G. Reyes, PLDT VP Raul Alvarez and PLDT HOME key accounts manager Kate Arevalo.

re-defining The TagayTay reTreaT. Anya Resort & Residences, an up-and-coming residential resort, aims to redefine the Tagaytay retreat experience through its location and ambiance. Covering seven hectares on the “quieter side” of the Tagaytay-Calamba Road, Anya’s architects and designers have worked towards creating indoor and outdoor spaces that inspire inner peace and comfort.

Anya is scheduled to open in December 2015. It is a development of Roxaco Land Corporation which co-created the successful Club Punta Fuego and the Terrazas at Punta Fuego communities.

amaia scapes Touches down in cdo. Amaia Land Corp., a residential arm of Ayala Land Inc., will be opening its first community in Cagayan de Oro (CDO). Located along Macapagal Drive in Barangay Bulua, the development’s first phase covers 2.64 hectares, and will have 97 residential units. Buyers can choose from various house models, namely Bungalow Pod, Twin Pod, Single Home, Twin Home, and Carriage Pod. Lot areas range from 65 to 120 square meters. The development is managed by Ayala Property Management Corporation. CDO, dubbed as the “Gateway to Northern Mindanao,” is the capital city of Misamis Oriental, and lies between the central coastline of Macajalar Bay and the mountains and of Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte,.

Quezon ciTy geTs upmarkeT facelifT. Eton Properties, the real estate arm of the Lucio Tan Group of companies is upping the ante in townhouse living with 68 Roces, a 3.3 hectare, master-planned development it is building along Don Alejandro Roces Avenue in Quezon City. Composed of residential townhouses, single-attached house and lot units as well as a retail strip and recreational facilities, 68 Roces is near the city’s business and entertainment districts. Townhouse units available are three-and four-bedroom with sizes that range from 158sqm to 198sqm and 208,200sqm to 238sqm, respectively. Price per unit vary from P19M to P29M.

Township builder celebraTes 84Th year.

Property developer, Ortigas & Co. celebrated its 84th anniversary recently with a commitment to “build for life.” “Ortigas started its legacy decades ago with several horizontal developments such as the Greenhills Subdivisions, Greenmeadows, and Valle Verde,” said Joey Santos, senior vice president of Ortigas & Co. Recently, Ortigas announced its newest residential tower called Maven—a 62-storey structure (shown in photo) within its most popular mixed-use development, Capitol Commons. Maven offers studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units, with an area of up to 115 square meters.

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JOEL D. L ACSAMANA EDITOR jdlacsamana@gmail.com

PROPERTY

Balai house.

Privacy in the resort is such that guests feel they are the only ones around.

MAke Mine eskAyA

A

rchitect Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa is an architect known for championing the Filipino style at a time when foreign influence was the vogue, and the use of indigenous materials was limited.

Not surprising then that Mañosa was tapped by the owners of Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa who wanted to incorporate the local culture in Bohol, where the 16-hectare gateway is located, into its aesthetics, particularly on its famous thatched villas known as “balais.”

A tough task, but Mañosa delivered. He took in the culture of the island’s centuries-old churches, ancestral homes, the province’s

topography, its flora and fauna, and merged them all together to make the resort as Boholano as the Chocolate Hills.

TAking in The culTure “The fundamental of our local architecture is very clear to me,” said Mañosa. “Culture, climate and our rich history are both the unifying and dividing factor. Oftentimes we look into the local region where the project is located to see if there are any influences or local inspirations that can be derived in inspiring architecture.”

The 15 thatched villas, as well as the other facilities inside the property including its restaurant and

bar, all used local materials found in the province -- rattan, wood, cogon grass, stones, and bamboos.

The writings of the Eskaya tribe, where the resort got its name, are also very visible in the entire resort, starting from the letters of the alphabet that were used to identify the property right at the main gate.

“The biggest influence were the writings of the Eskaya tribe which not many people know still exist to this day,” said the architect. ”We felt an awareness of Filipinos to know who the ‘Eskaya’ tribes are and what sort of influences they have in the Visayas region. This brought my firm to a quest to try and uplift the awareness of the tribe

Presidential Villa. Space is as important as building space. Architect Mañosa said this helps guests experience the openness of the landscape, and the property’s natural beauty.

through architecture.”

Mañosa also credited the Lim family, who owns the luxury resort, for giving him and his team the freedom to shape Eskaya into what it is today. The Lims even introduced the architect to the Eskaya people to get a firsthand experience of the tribe’s culture and ways of life.

“The owners were very supportive and gave us a free hand

on the design of the resort. They also introduced us to the Chieftain of Eskaya who gave us a ringside understanding of the tribe,” Mañosa said.

Mañosa is still involved in the expansion of Eskaya, including the building of additional villas. “We wanted to continue the spirit of the old resort, keeping its ‘soul’ which distinguishes the Eskaya design from other resorts,” he said.

Road to ‘RetiRement ville’ leads to PamPanga

F

oreign retirees from Europe and the United States on the lookout for a bucolic, environmentally-friendly community with viewsto-die-for need look no further than Pampanga province in the Philippines. Such a place will be up for grabs soon at Clark Green City, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority said.

Speaking recently before members of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AMCham), Arnel Paciano Casanova, president and CEO of BCDA, said the master plan of Green City provides for an elevated portion of the land within the Clark Special Economic Zone which urban planners consider to be a perfect place for developing a

retirement village for foreigners.

Green City is eyed to be the country’s first smart, green, and disaster-resilient metropolis which is expected to break ground in 2016.

The 9,450-hectare master planned property is close to the Mount Pinatubo range where hot springs abound. It is also surrounded by the valleys and hills of Sacobia in the province of Tarlac where green covered areas provide for a cooler climate.

“Imagine our Tagaytay of twenty years ago and the hot springs of Los Baños combined into one,” Casanova said. He added that wellness centers, one of the usual amenities in a retirement village, are also eyed to invest in the Green City.

AmCham is the oldest foreign

business group in the country. The BCDA chief was invited to present the Clark Green City Project, one of the government-run corporation’s flagship projects under the Aquino administration.

“Our huge appeal for foreign retirees is the country's cost of living which is readily affordable,” Casanova said.

"The country’s picturesque destinations, our English-speaking and friendly people are also major factors that make the Philippines a much more welcoming place for Western retirees," he added.

Casanova also said the government-run corporation may directly negotiate with any 100 percent foreign company who wants to invest in the retirement village at Green City.

Pitching for green city. Paciano Casanova, president and CEO of the BCDA, extolls Green City’s future charms to members of the AmCham

“Since it (Clark) is a special economic zone, the Foreign Investment Lease Act allows BCDA to undertake direct negotiations for foreign direct investments,” Casanova said.

Foreigners who wish to make their permanent stay in the Philippines must apply for a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) at the Philippine Retirement Authority.

The SRRV allows foreigners to work or study in the country and they may also travel outside and re-enter anytime they wish.

SRRV holders are exempted from income tax over pension and annuities, customs duties and taxes of selected goods.

“Green City will surely be appealing to foreigner retirees seeking legal and long-term residency here,” Casanova said.

The future metropolis will have five districts namely: the government district; central business district; academic district, agri-forestry research and development district; and the wellness and eco-tourism district.

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

P OP CU LT U RE

LIFE

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MODELS OF INFLUENCE

Influencer, ambassador, advocate – they could be celebrities or high-profile personalities. Or they could be you or me.

BY KAI MAGSANOC

T

here was a time when – upon attending events – I would cover with the same group of people: my contemporaries or “batchmates” in lifestyle media, who are still very much around today.

In the late 2000s, when blogging became more popular, bloggers became part of the mix. The circle had grown, and oh so wonderfully. They brought in a different perspective and take on lifestyle storytelling.

Not too recently – around 2010 – a new group joined the circle, along with the boom of social media: the influencers.

Who are they and what do they do? How are they different from endorsers? How does one become an influencer? Is there a surefire formula?

We talked to social media strategist Ros Juan and SM Senior Vice President for Marketing Millie Dizon for their insights on influencers and their impact on brands and consumer behavior.

WHAT EXACTLY IS AN INFLUENCER?

“A social media influencer is someone who – when he writes

something either on his social media account or on his blog, his website – actually gathers enough readership so there’s a big enough audience to see what he’s saying,” begins Ros Juan.

Aside from the size of their audience, influencers must possess a certain level of credibility, so that when they say something, people don’t just listen; they also believe what these influencers are saying.

“Influencers are individuals who have the power to affect purchase decisions of others because of their (real or perceived) authority, knowledge, position, or relationship,” says Millie Dizon, quoting The Business Dictionary.

The most simplistic way to determine whether one is an influencer is to look at the number of their followers or “friends,” as in the case of Facebook (which also allows people to follow a person, and not necessarily add him or her as a friend).

“For a client looking for influencers, that might be the easiest metric for them to measure or refer to, especially coming from an agency or practitioner’s perspective,” says Juan. “The first thing they will ask is, ‘How many followers does he/she have’?”

But sometimes, it’s not so much the quantity of the followers but the quality. “There may be certain influencers whose immediate circle are other influencers,” adds Juan.

“So maybe they only have a couple of thousand followers, but [the message] gets amplified because of the quality of that network.”

Let’s say a brand is looking at an influencer who has a good number of followers. If these followers are not the brand’s direct market anyway, there might be more merit in working with a blogger who has a smaller base, but who talks directly to the brand’s market.

FOLLOWERS FOR SALE?

There was a time when the practice of buying followers became controversial, placed in an unpleasant light because of a competition or race to increase following on social media. Juan says the practice is still around today.

“There are definitely certain apps or services you can pay for that increases your number of followers on Twitter or Instagram; or when you have a fan page on Facebook and you run ads, you are able to get the results in terms of having likers or fans for your page,” says Juan. “But that doesn’t necessarily

mean these people will engage in your page or your product. They just become numbers.”

“You really have to look at how certain personalities interact with your target market,” she stresses.

“If your target market really reads or interacts to what they post, then you find out who, more or less, will be more effective.”

Should a person be a gamechanger or mover in order to be considered an influencer? For Dizon, it is not necessary. “A game changer or mover is someone with solid accomplishments who creates something that has a huge impact of the lives of many people,” she says.

“Influencers may not have had these accomplishments but can influence the way we think because of media savvy or celebrity,” she adds.

INFLUENCERS VS. AMBASSADORS VS. ADVOCATES

We hear these terms getting thrown around in events and on social media. What’s the difference? Juan says it may be the function of the brand. Some brands would choose “influencers”; some would choose “ambassadors” because there’s a different ring to it. Sometimes, they use “advocates.”

“It could mean the same thing; just different terms among different groups,” says Juan. “Or it could mean different things if it’s used by one brand or one group. It’s all very fluid and defined by them.”

Theoretically, there are ways of differentiating an influencer from an advocate, and from an endorser.

“When you say ‘endorser,’ that person is most probably a celebrity.

You have an actual contract, and all posts are defined,” says Juan.

“When you say ‘influencer,’ there could be an actual contract or paid transaction. This could be in exchange for a product or products,” Juan elaborates.

“Generally, an ‘advocate’ would refer to someone who just really believes in the brand or organization; in the product, the service, or the advocacy, and they personally choose to talk about it without any monetary compensation, without any contract.”

Millie Dizon defines the terms from a brand perspective. “There are many faces of influencers – journalists, academics, industry analysts, professional advisors, celebrities, and individual brand advocates,” she says. “In our practice, it is limited to celebrities and individual brand advocates.”

Continued on C2

C2

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

MODELS OF INFLUENCE From C1

THE RISE OF INFLUENCERS

According to Juan, the popularity of influencers would have to coincide with the whole rise of digital PR, and the increase in number of those who started blogging professionally, not just as a hobby. It first boomed in the U.S. “In the Philippines, when people realized that tri-media was not the only way to go – that there was social media – agencies, brands, and practitioners started working with influencers, so that they’re able to amplify the message and reach certain groups of people,” says Juan.

“That was around 2011,” she recalls. “Until it became such a practice that when something digital was about to happen, brands would also look into an influencer engagement strategy.”

As to the choice of which influencer to work with, Juan says it’s a mix of budget and finding the right person who really speaks to a brand’s market. “It’s so easy to say that a person has many readers, but are these readers clients who will come back?” she says.

For Dizon, while influencers can increase brand awareness and buzz, influencer marketing is still a work in progress.

“Kristen Matthews in The Outreach Marketer says that, ‘the term influencer is not grasped as easily as it’s thrown about. It’s like everyone is doing it, but they don’t know how to do it’,” she notes.

FINDING THE RIGHT ONE

Juan says authenticity is a big part in choosing an influencer.

“Research on these people and how they use their social media accounts, whether it’s for a contract or their personal use,” she suggests. “This will show you how they really conduct themselves. In the off hours when they post other things that are not in line with your brand, then there’s a huge disparity there,” she notes.

Dizon for her part quotes Douglas Karr’s The Rules of Successful Effective Influencer Marketing when it comes to determining which influencer to work with: 1. It’s not about size; it’s about relevance. The influencer’s audience needs to match your target audience.

2. It’s not about the influencer’s opinion. It’s about the influencer sharing the most compelling story that engages the audience.

3. It’s not about the clicks; it’s the conversions. The influencer should be driving his audience to buy, not just to visit.

Are influencers effective? The answers is yes, but only if you choose them properly. Juan says a good relationship between the influencers and the brands they represent is important; and so is their credibility.

“Consumers today know if you’re paying someone to endorse your brand,” she says. “They don’t mind that, but they know if an influencer is just saying things because she is being paid or if she really talks about the brands she really believes in. Authenticity is key.”

GOOD INFLUENCE

We ask Juan about what she thinks are the traits of a good influencer, and she lists these three: 1. Professionalism. “At the end of the day, if you’re an influencer, you are working with a brand and you are working with an audience. You should be very professional about dealing with things. When you RSVP to an event, show up.”

2. Authenticity. “Don’t be too much of a sellout. Endorse the brands you believe in and that you yourself will use; whose values reflect yours, and vice versa.”

3. Sincerity. “There should not be any disparity between their online and offline personas.”

Being an influencer is far from becoming a career. Without a stand or voice and a body of work that speaks for one’s character, it might not be possible to become an influencer.

“I think you become an influencer as an outcome of the work that you do. If what you’re doing is making a difference, if you are becoming a positive influence, you become an influencer,” says Juan. “You’d want to be someone a brand will approach because your values are in line with theirs, or you’re a good representation of their brand.”

“The first person you should influence is yourself to become a better person,” adds Dizon. “Only then can you influence others.”

SELF-SABOTEUR AT YOUR SERVICE

A

fter having broken the ice with much when I run a red light or neglect to a very, perhaps OVERLY safe pay a bill. I am used to being accused of opening salvo, it is time to get down things, so I’ve grown a rhinoceros-hide of to business. Funny business, that is. a conscience and moved with the tide of I confess my “Aww, shucks!”-erie (note: like public opinion. Some might think this is a reverie, but way more country) stems from a good thing, some might agree that it is a seeing my reader comments and having a bad thing. What I know for certain is that grand total of ZERO followers added to a lonely life that I, as a rhinoceros, lead.

THE ARMCHAIR it isSelf-sabotage my social media accounts following my is unpleasant; it is being PILOSOPA somewhat meh column on cool. lost in the minutiae of accomplishing tasks,

BY IZZY WARREN How on earth can I be considered an eating away at your own time to finish what GONZALEZ opinion writer if I didn’t give one? I’ve is on your plate. It leaves me constantly busy written for PR and advertising for years, and without any output. It leaves me delayed and therefore grew accustomed to a tone, not a voice. I forgot tired, without any reasoning as to why. It makes me feel that a byline means using my own voice is not going to be like I need a vacation without actually having expended scrapped by the client as “too snarky,” “too intellectual,” or any visible energy. It makes other people panic, and foist “too whimsical.” It’s why I was asked to participate in the blame upon me for being so stoic and unmovable. It is a first place. Argh. Come on, me! I’m not pretending to be numb place, where I live. a brand boilerplate so much as opening up the fun-park It is no way to live. It is like my entire life is predicated that is my brain. So, my dear readers, who at this point are on a little monkey that lives, not on my back, but in my all probably still my blood relatives, I apologize for playing brain. Monkey never lets me rest. He isn’t craving smack, it safe. I’m calling a Mulligan, and would like to open my but attention and instant gratification (both of which next (or is it first?) subject: self-sabotage. are very similar in molecular structure to heroin, but far What is this self-sabotage hoo-ha? Why would anyone go easier to get hooked on. No trickiness with needles). He out of his way to shoot himself in the foot, when all he’s got wins every argument because I wasn’t allowed to have a is two feet to begin with? Oh Lordy, how I’ve waited for the Monkey growing up, and I’m still trying to get used to him. answer to this question for years. I’m a huge self-saboteur, Trying to get him to like me, and to lighten up once in a you see. I unconsciously unravel my progress, not because while and let me do what I need to do to make sure he’s fed I’m afraid of success – but because I’m already convinced and clothed and happy whenever he causes his mischief.

I’ve attained it; it takes a mindful and conscious effort to Self-sabotage is an art. It must be. Living like this takes close the gap between intention and action. In short, non- dedication and commitment. It is a daily decision to wake self-help psycho-babble mumbo-jumbo terms: I tend to up every day and do nothing to help myself. It is a constant procrastinate. I’m a Complacent Connie, an Egotistical dousing of cold water whenever I wake up from playing Emma, a Ne’er-do-well Nancy, a Procrastinate-y Katie. One with Monkey and find that my world has turned to dust more for good measure: I’m a Lackadaisical Luzviminda. around me. It is a beautiful and complex web I weave, and I’ve come to realize certain things about myself, in the full of jagged geometric lines that would be beautiful if writing of this column. I’ve got poor impulse control. I do only they didn’t end so abruptly with me falling flat on things that result in instant gratification without learning my face, with people around me getting hurt. Le sigh… from the past, or thinking of the future. I have an addictive personality. I find comfort in making lists and researching, Are you an artist at self-sabotage as well? Share your thoughts via but find it difficult to actually accomplish anything I set twitter @ArmchrPilosopa, IG and Tumblr: thearmchairpilosopa, out to do. I am not affected by panic, nor do I really feel or email me at thearmchairpilosopa@gmail.com

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

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IG SPY

ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE LOVE TO SEE ON INSTAGRAM ARE PHOTOS AND ADVENTURES OF PETS. There’s just something so attractive about those cute little pooches that you like looking at them even if you don’t even own one. And if you do, sometimes photos of your dogs even get a higher number of likers than your own selfies. Here’s a few of our favorite fluffy dogs on Instagram. Love ‘em because they’re so cute, hate them for stealing your thunder, but follow them because you’re sure going to smile every time you see them on your newsfeed.

@chihuahua_chloe1 Remember Beverly Hills Chihuahua? She looks exactly like the Chihuahua in that movie and yes, she lives the same lavish lifestyle. You’d see her in her element wearing pink and surrounded by her pink little things. She loves to wear glasses and wigs, and sleeps with her giant Hello Kitty stuffed toys or sometimes with her Smurf family or whoever is available to watch over her while she sleeps in pink.

Follow her life on IG and be entertained by this cute white lapdog.

@jj_thegoldenretriever Meet Jiggy Junior, born in Montreal, Canada but currently lives in Manila as a doctor dog. He loves to surf and hang out with his brother Casper (@casper_ thegoldenretriever). He frequents the parks in High Street BGC or in Ayala triangle where he mingles with like-minded dogs. He also loves to take care of the elderly in Haven for the Elderly. Follow his adventures on his account and melt every time you see this angelic golden retriever.

@ manny_the_frenchie Named after our very own Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao, he lives in Chicago and has a shop called mannythefrenchie.com where you can buy his shirts, bags, pillows, mugs and all other cutesy tootsy stuff with his face all over the print.

He loves bacon, sleeping on top of the sink, and can be seen wearing his boxing gloves every time there is a cool fight to watch on TV. This cool French bulldog is a happy dog celebrity; one of his shirts is even worn by the famous World middleweight boxing champion Miguel Cotto, and he recently modeled for the company Groupon. Check out his awesome adventures on his Instagram feed.

@marutaro Meet one of the most famous dogs of Japan with over 1.8 million followers on Instagram. Yes, he’s got more followers than any normal human Instagram account combined. A Shiba Inu breed, this cute golden fur ball loves getting his photo taken and was even invited to Japan’s Instagram headquarters. He loves going to the beach and bury his nose in the sand, and he loves to sleep upside down. Follow his Instagram account and check out his collaboration with famous artist Tanaka Tatsuya who photographs miniature dioramas of everyday life using everyday things as background and props.

@ senpai_kurotsu This is the Instagram account of a two-year-old Pomeranian named Sen Chan, who lives in the magical place called Tokyo in Japan. He loves to wear hats, ties, and take selfies all around the streets of Tokyo. In the afternoon you’d see him hanging out with his favorite drinking buddy, a stuffed toy pom that looks like him but bigger. Sometime’s we don’t understand what he says on his Instagram feed because it’s in Japanese but we sure love seeing him on our feed.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

OH BABY, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU? When Pharrell released the music video for the single “Come Get It Bae” some 12 months ago, THE GIST people who don’t spend

BY ED BIADO more than six hours a day on the Internet asked, “Who’s Bae? If it’s not the name of a person, what the hell is it?”

Dictionary.com defines the word as “an affectionate term used to address or refer to one’s girlfriend, boyfriend, etc.” It supposedly originated in the first half of the 2000s as an Americanism that was “probably” a shortened babe, which in turn is a variation of baby. Urban Dictionary has more definitions, many of which are hilarious but peppered with colorful language that we’d rather not repeat here.

We do love shortening words and dropping letters because we’re lazy mofos. Cray has taken the place of crazy. Obviously has turned into obvs and obvi. Totally has morphed into the incredibly irritating totes. And this is not something that is new and novel. In the early 1980s, we shortened abdominal muscles to abs, and in the late 1990s, carbohydrates to carbs.

In the 1950s, carb was short for carburetor.

Unlike the words in the previous paragraph, bae has multiple meanings. Not only is it an alternative label for boyfriends and girlfriends, it can also mean that someone is boyfriend/girlfriend-material, usually pertaining to celebrities and popular people

Scott Foley

One Direction

on social media. On Twitter, Scott Foley, who appears on the hit TV show Scandal, is often labeled as the “ultimate bae.” And of course, everyone in One Direction is a certified bae.

And since many of us are in a relationship with creations that are not necessarily human, it’s not unusual to say, “Bacon is bae,” or “My bed is my bae.”

In the Philippines, our version of bae is beh.

But don’t get it twisted because we’ve been using beh orally way longer than bae’s stint as a social-media buzzword. It is typical here at home to give the family’s bunso (youngest child) the nickname Baby. And when calling out someone’s name, we also have the habit of shortening it. For example, my

friend John Paul, whose “official” nickname is JP, is more commonly known as Jayps.

Following that logic and considering how we pronounce vowels, a person called Baby would affectionately be referred to as Beh. But beh – as a term of friendly address like bro, dude, pare (or pre), chong, girl, pards, pogi and ganda – entered the lexicon around the same time as bae did. The first time I was called beh was at a salon towards the end of 2013. The exact words uttered by the hairstylist were, “Anong gupit, beh?” (“What kind of cut do you want?”)

Since then, I’ve been hearing beh from a variety of people – sales clerks at the mall, sarisari store owners, household helpers – until the word reached college students and young professionals, who unabashedly brought it to Facebook and Twitter (ironically at first). Beh then broke into the mainstream and gained widespread acceptance when it came out of Jennylyn Mercado’s mouth (with no hint of irony) in the movie English Only, Please.

Aside from shortening it, we’ve Filipinized the word baby into – cringe-worthy moment alert! – bebe. Again, as a term of endearment, bebe has been with us for a long time and often used in the context of cheesiness.

However, recently, it took a campy turn and paved the way for the emergence of individuals who identify as pabebe. The term exploded all over local social media due to a video of two teenage girls that went viral.

In it, they claimed to be “pabebe girls” and that no one can stop them from being the way they are.

There isn’t a solid definition of the term yet, but if we were to figure out what it means based on existing evidence, we’d say that someone who’s pabebe assumes the damselin-distress persona, and acts coy and sweet.

They want to be pampered and treated like a lady, regardless of gender (yes, pabebe boys exist too) and level of class. And unfortunately for humanity, no one can stop them.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @EdBiado

V I S UA L TA L K

Lessons From Our Anatomy

BY INNA ANTIG

The human body is a fascinating masterpiece, and we can learn a lot by studying its inner workings.

Here’s a few motivational and somewhat funny quotes inspired by the human anatomy.

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SHOWBITZ

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

1

1 Daniel Padilla 2 Jericho Rosales 3 John Lloyd Cruz 4 Gerald Anderson 5 Piolo Pascual 6 Lisa Soberano 7 Kathryn Bernardo

2

23 years of maGic G et ready for another all-out celebration as ABS-CBN’s Star Magic celebrates its 23rd anniversary on the ASAP 20 stage tomorrow.

Robi Domingo with Pasion De Amor boys Jake Cuenca, Joseph Marco, and Ejay Falcon join Star Magic’s newest batch of artists in a sizzling performance.

Collectively called the Star Magic Angels, the girls will grace the stage not only with their sexiness, but also with their boldness, class, and charm.

Feel the party vibe with the voices behind trending and record-breaking soldout albums and concert performers—Yeng Constantino, Angeline Quinto, Klarisse De Guzman, Denise Laurel, Marion Aunor, Mitoy Yonting, Jovit Baldovino, Nyoy Volante, Liezel Garcia, Bugoy Drilon, Marcelito Pomoy, Richard Poon, KZ Tandingan, Erik Santos and Vina Morales – as they belt out their own rendition of Imagine Dragons’ “On Top of the World.”

Jam with your favorite

heartthrob idols, JM De Guzman, Diego Loyzaga, Inigo Pascual, and Daniel Padilla in a special acoustic session.

Get serenaded by Star Magic prime actors – Jericho Rosales, Diether Ocampo, Piolo Pascual, Coco Martin, and John Lloyd Cruz – with their own version of Silent Sanctuary’s “Ikaw Lamang.”

The rivalry of Pangako Sa ‘Yo’s Amor Powers and Claudia Buenavista continues as Jodi Sta. Maria and Angelica Panganiban face off in a karaoke challenge.

Dance to the grooves of Star Magic’s leading men – Gerald Anderson, Enchong Dee, Arron Villaflor, JC De Vera, Ejay Falcon, Jake Cuenca, Joseph Marco, and Enrique Gil plus It Girls Janella Salvador, Julia Barretto, Liza Soberano, and Kathryn Bernardo. Prepare for a hearty laugh from Melai Cantiveros, Alora, Chokoleit, and John Sweet Lapus.

The afternoon will get hotter as more than 200 brightest Star Magic celebrities come together on stage for the annual parade of stars.

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‘It takes Gutz to Be a GutIerrez’ BaCk on Monday

T

It Takes Gutz To Be A Gutierrez on E! with Raymond, Ruffa, Richard and Sarah Lahbati

he sensational Gutierrez family is back for a brand new season of It Takes GUTZ To Be A Gutierrez.

Promising more fights, flirtations and family drama, the hit reality series’ third season returns on Monday, 9 p.m. on E!, NBCUniversal International Networks’ pop culture powerhouse.

“We are excited to launch the third season of It Takes GUTZ To Be A Gutierrez on, first on E! The first two seasons were a hit among viewers not only in the Philippines, but across the region as well – gaining momentum in countries like Malaysia,” said Scott Mackenzie, vice president, Channels, Asia. “We look forward to working with the Gutierrez family on the show’s third season to continue this spectacular success.”

The 10-episode season three delves further into the lives of for-

mer beauty queen Ruffa; entertainment personality Raymond; heartthrob actor Richard; and their parents Eddie and Annabelle, along with their extended family – loving couple Elvis and Alexa, as well as Richard’s belle and baby Sarah Lahbati and Zion.

Season three also promises to reveal more fights, flirtations, family drama and why it still takes gutz to be a Gutierrez. Some of the exciting highlights to look forward to in this season include the family’s trips to the United States and Bali, Indonesia; Ruffa launching her new line of kids’ clothing; a potential new love interest for one of the Gutierrez men and a surprise marriage proposal… though not necessarily in that order!

Don’t miss the all-new season of It Takes Gutz To Be A Gutierrez first on E!, 9 p.m. on Monday.

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

At LASt, MADOnnA in thE PhiLiPPinES

M

adonna will make her first-ever visit to Manila on February 24, 2016 and perform at the Mall of Asia Arena, Live Nation announced. The Manila performance is presented

by Globe and tickets will go on sale starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

The Rebel Heart Tour begins in Montreal on Sept. 9 and continues throughout North America and UK/Europe before heading to Asia, New Zealand and Australia next year.

“Madonna continues to be one of the most successful touring artists in history. Her shows are always legendary and we

are thrilled to have her back on tour,” says Arthur Fogel, president - Global Touring and Chairman - Global Music.

The Rebel Heart Tour follows the March 9 release of Madonna’s critically acclaimed 13th studio album - Rebel Heart -by Interscope Records. The first two singles from the album, “Living for Love” and “Ghosttown” went on to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Charts, and Madonna subsequently set a new world record becoming the only artist to have 45 no. 1 songs on any chart in Billboard history. On June 16, Madonna released the “Bitch I’m Madonna” EP featuring 10

remixes from Sander Kleinenberg, Fedde Le Grand, Junior Sanchez, and more.

Along with extraordinary critical acclaim as an artist, songwriter and producer who has sold a record breaking 300 million records, Madonna’s reputation as one of the most successful, provocative and enduring live performers of all time speaks for itself. The 2008/2009 Sticky & Sweet tour is the highest grossing tour of all time for a solo artist and the 2012 MDNA tour was the most successful tour of that year.

Icon is Madonna’s official fan club and members received a special code to access the Icon

pre-sale on July 21.

Tickets for the Rebel Heart concert in Manila will go on sale through SM ticket outlets, smtckets.com or call 470-2222.

Citi® Cardholders were eligible for a pre-sale opportunity on July 22 and at July 23.

Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour in Manila is presented by Globe, the no 1 mobile brand in the country today and the preferred Digital brand of the Filipinos. Globe subscribers had the opportunity for a one day pre-sale on July 24.

Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour is produced by Live Nation Global Touring and presented locally

by MMILive.

After years of hoping, Filipino fans of Madonna can finally watch her live in Manila in February 2016

MusiC and star power at philpop 2015 Grand Finals The finals of the most prestigious annual songwriting competition in the country, the Philippine Popular (Philpop) Music Festival 2015, will be at the Meralco Theater tonight. The event will telecast 10 p.m. on TV5.

Hosts for the event’s culminating spectacle are Viva talents Mark Bautista, Bela Padilla Sam Pinto, and Chris Schneider. There will be special by Andrew E., Mark Bautista, Dingdong Avanzado, Jennifer Lee, and the 2014 World Hip Hop Champions, ATeam.

The star-studded line-up of song interpreters for Philpop 2015, are all set to thrill the audience with their musicality and star power.

JaDine, today’s hottest love team, will be performing separately as interpreters for this year’s Grand Finals. James Reid and Pio are performing Melchor Magno, Jr.’s “Musikaw,” while Nadine Lustre and Kean Cipriano will be doing a duet for “Sa Ibang Mundo,” written

by Mark Villar. Rising young stars

Music festival organizers pose with songwriters and song interpreters during Philpop's grand launch

Yassi Pressman and Josh Padilla will also be performing onstage with “Edge of the World,” created

by Johannes Daniel Garcia.

Philpop 2013 champions Thyro Alfaro and Yumi Lacsamana are back with “Triangulo,” to be interpreted by the duo themselves

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 40 41 42 44 47 48 49 50 53 58 59 61 62 63 64 65 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Mark for further attention 5 Marilyn’s real first name 10 Corn syrup brand 14 Type of dollar 15 “Destry Rides —” 16 Declare frankly 17 Biggest of seven 18 Static — 19 Holy cow!

20 Roofed with straw

66 67 22 24 25 26 29 33 34 36 37 38 39

NNW opposite On the — (not speaking) It won’t hold water Pulls a muscle Kind of bias Silly Home tel.

Reunion invitees Diskettes Elusive Himalayan creature Column order Where Davenport is Polygraph flunker Call to mind Wishes undone Tennis great Arthur — More judicious Latin I verb

Kind of gas DOWN Help-wanted abbr.

1 Tour de force Polio vaccine 2 Sumptuous inventor 3 Pavarotti piece Restful hues 4 Pointy beards Supple 5 Cheesy snacks Facetious tribute 6 Give the eye Closer than that 7 Police bust Pallid Least amt.

Mo. with no holidays 8 9 Broderie — — and Barrel (eyelet trim) Protein source

and Jeric Medina. Lara Maigue, who was part of Philpop 2013’s top five with a song interpreted

by Karylle, will this time be interpreting her own entry, “Nasaan.”

Philpop 2014 finalist Davey Langit is doing the same with his song “Paratingin Mo Na Siya.”

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2015

10 11 12 13 21 23 25 26 27 28 30 31 32 34 35 38 42 43 45 46 47 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 60

Arctic canoes Eager Heavy gold chain Ran up a tab Bronze coin Loop trains Paper cuts Park feature Waken rudely Psyched up Bought Purple-gray ATM key Rely on Derby or fedora Tells secretly Ooze What muses do Compliment Mr. Rankin of fiction Food source “The Mammoth Hunters” heroine Aloha tokens Bryce Canyon state Kermit, e.g.

Facebook button Debt memos Bleating-heart females?

Return env.

Fish-to-be

“Walang Hanggan,” written by Ramiru Mataro will be performed by him and “Kakaibabe” singer Donnalyn Bartolome. Anja Aguilar is also set to perform “I Owe You My Heart,” which was written

by Melvin Joseph Morallos. Side A will be interpreting “For the Rest

of My Life,” written by Ned Esguerra, who is also a member of the famous band. The CompanY will also be doing a live performance of “Tanging Pag-asa Ko” by Paul Armesin.

Gino Cruz and Jeff Arcilla collaborated on the song “Apat na Buwang Pasko,” to be performed by funny man Jon Santos. Jinky Vidal of Freestyle will also be interpreting “Kilig” by veteran Soc Villanueva, who was also a Philpop finalist last year.

All 12 finalists will receive P50,000 each. The second runner up will receive P250,000, while the first runner up P500,000.

The grand prize winner will take home a whopping P1 million. The winners are also bringing home a beautiful trophy crafted by sculptor Randy Orlina.

Two special awards are also at stake during the night – People’s Choice Award and the Best Music Video. The latter will be awarded a total prize of P100,000.

SAT URDAY : J ULY 25 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Louise de los Reyes also voiced a character in Juan Tamad

Pen Medina voiced Alamat ng Bayabas

Mike Tan's voice was used in Juan Tamad Martin del Rosario was in Pangasinan to promote Buena Familia

Sen. Grace Poe in her signature look of white long sleeved-shirt and pair of jeans in a provincial sortie with Sen. Chiz Escudero

Dennis Trillo and Jennylyn Mercado invited Pangasinenses to watch My Faithful Husband

Nina is the featured performer at the Hard Rock Cafe tonight

grAce poe’s fAshion style: simple but elegAnt

W

hen it comes to fashion, Senator Grace Poe (Llamanzares) wants to keep it simple.

The senator hasn’t veered away from her signature look even before she ran for office: white polo shirt, blue jeans and black shoes. She says the ensemble is respectable, feminine, and suggests a hint of seriousness.

Fashionistas see it as the Senator’s way of projecting self-confidence and femininity.

They say it’s the style women like when they want comfort without sacrificing style. The white shirt is usually associated with women in executive offices while the pair of jeans definitely projects casual cool.

Her natural fashion sense explains why the senator doesn’t require the services of a resident stylist.

She once told reporters that she always carries in her bag powder and lipstick, in case she needs a quick touch-up to be “presentable.”

So what else is in her bag?

A wallet, cellphone, ID, ball pen, tissue, cologne, mints, rosary, reading glasses, sun glasses, lucky charms from her mom Susan Roces, peppermint essential oil and mosquito repellant.

“Sometimes I also carry documents for a meeting,” she adds.

“It’s a heavy bag!” she says.

For next week’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Senator is expected to wear a Filipiniana-themed, predominantly

from c8

white dress with an elegant cut and design, just the like the dresses she wore to previous SONAs. In the coming months, however, her wardrobe will be one of the elements of her personal style that will come under sharp focus. She has topped recent surveys on presidential contenders for next year’s elections. She has not publicly announced her plans, but if she would join the presidential derby, her rivals will definitely waste no time scrutinizing her from head to foot.

It will be difficult, however, to find weak spots in her confidence and poise.

HHHHH AlAmAt’s bAck-to-bAck victory Philippine TV’s first animated anthology series, GMA’s Alamat posted a back-to-back victory in the ratings game. The program’s first two episodes have won the hearts of viewers all over the country, coming ahead in National Urban TV Audience Measurement (NUTAM) and in the viewer-rich areas of Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, according to data from the industry’s widely trusted ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

On July 12, “Alamat ng Bayabas,” the pilot episode featured the voices of veteran actor Pen Medina and GMA Artist Center (GMAAC) talent Harvey Almoneda. The succeeding episode on July 19 had GMAAC’s Mike Tan and Louise de los Reyes lending their voices to the main

characters of “Juan Tamad.” The episodes tackled good governance and the value of being industrious, respectively.

Alamat dominated the nationwide ratings for its first two episodes. In NUTAM, it scored an average household rating of 13.2 percent for its July 12 and 19 (based on overnight data) episodes, beating competition’s 11 percent.

In Urban Luzon, Alamat registered an average of 15.4 percent, ahead of competition’s 9.7 percent by 5.7 points. A wider margin was observed in Mega Manila, where it recorded an average of 15.4 percent, almost doubling that of competition’s 7.9 percent, which trailed behind by 7.5 points. The positive trend in the figures only proves that Pinoy-made animation has a place in the hearts of viewers.

For its third installment, the program re-introduces the wellloved fable “Ang Langgam at ang Tipaklong” (The Ant and the Grasshopper). It features the story of long-time friends and polar opposites Larry the Ant and Tony the Grasshopper whose friendship is put to the test when a natural disaster strikes.

Executed in full 3D animation, Darrel Siapno of Magic Tree, the studio tasked to create the visuals for this episode, calls this “the integration of traditional animation and the world of broadcast.” This emergence, according to Siapno, now goes by the term “broadcast animation.”

Despite being very old, it is still a very timely story, according to

Marjorie Mosura-Dumont, executive producer who doubled as a writer for this episode. “The importance of being prepared is a timeless lesson, but the moral does not stop there. Extreme weather changes and food shortages are becoming the new normal, and we want to explain to children why we have these problems and what we can do to prepare when there is a calamity—all the while keeping it entertaining.”

Tonipet Gaba and Betong Sumaya are the voices of best frenemies Larry and Tony. Joining them are Milkah Nacion and Joshua Uy as the voices of Larry’s children Lala and Lemuel.

HHHHH biggest kApuso mAll shoW conquers centrAl luzon GMA Network gave Kapuso fans great time for catching glimpses of talented celebrities via a “Kapuso Mall Show” in Pangasinan on July 23 at the Magic Mall Urdaneta open parking with dance and song performances by the cast of My Faithful Husband, Let The Love Begin, and Buena Familia.

Dennis Trillo and FHM Philippines’ sexiest woman Jennylyn Mercado stars of upcoming primetime series My Faithful Husband were met with near hysterics by fans who all wanted to have a close up look of the two in the meet-and-greet session.

Also sharing the spotlight were young actors Kylie Padilla, Julian Trono, Mona Louise Rey,

Mayton Eugenio, and Martin del Rosario of the newest drama series Buena Familia, which premieres tomorrow.

Also in the Kapuso Mall Show were the stars of Let the Love Begin – Ruru Madrid, Gabbi Garcia, Phytos Ramirez, Sancho delas Alas, Abel Estanislao, and Donita Rose.

“As part of the Network’s 65th anniversary, we are bringing one of the biggest and grandest Kapuso Mall Shows to Central Luzon featuring the main casts of three GMA programs. This is in gratitude for the heartfelt support of our viewers all these years. This also serves as our way of giving them a little taste of what to expect from our Kapuso programs in the months to come,” says Oliver Victor Amoroso, AVP and head of Regional Strategy and Business Development Division.

HHHHH ninA At hArd rock cAfé Soul Siren Nina will have a special performance at Hard Rock Café (HRC) 9:30 tonight. Hard rockers can look forward to an intimate evening of beautiful music as Nina dishes out la sampling of her greatest hits as well as a selection of today’s hottest chart-toppers, party anthems, and homegrown favorites.

Other featured artists at HRC this month are Streetbeat (July 25), Part 3 (July 26 and 31), Main Cast (July 27), Area One (July 28), Arpie & The Multivitamins (July 29), Eye Candies (July 30), and Joey G (July 31).

SAT URDAY : J ULY 25 : 2015

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ ‘To The ToP’ on Air TodAy ISAH V. RED The long wait for the country’s first multi-platform boy band competition is finally over. The GMA Public Affairs boy-band search goes on air beginning today at 8:50 p.m. and again at 9:40 p.m. tomorrow.

Out to win the hearts of viewers of all ages, be they fans or music lovers, the boys of To The Top have been wowing everyone with their moves, looks, and ultimately their fresh talent on line hosted by GMA Artist Center’s Julian Trono.

Tonight, Philippine television sees the rise of all 14 young artists all determined to make it to the top. They are AJ Ajrouche, Lance Busa, Ken Carpena, Mico Cruz, Martin de Vera, Luis Gragera, Joshua Jacobe, MJ Magno, Miko Manguba, Bryan Olano, JP Palanca, Adrian Pascual, Louie Pedroso, and Edric Ulang.

“I’m very sure that GMA7 will come up with a really good roster of new talents,” assures To The Top judge, Ryan Cayabyab. “These boys will be the future of Filipino entertainment na singing, dancing boys. I promise that.”

Joining Cayabyab in this project are vocal coaches Moy Ortiz, Sweet Plantado and OJ Mariano of The CompanY; two-time World Hip Hop Champions Philippine Allstars alumni Madelle and Prince Paltu-ob, as well as international breakdancing champion Jesse “Reflex” Gotangco as dance coaches; and the Sound Squad of musical arrangers and sound engineers led

by Jonathan Ong and his team from Sonic State Audio -- Chino David, Chrisanthony Vinzons and Brian Lotho.

Also lending his expertise in the early part of the competition was photographer Mark Nicdao.

All 14 artists will be divided into three groups and housed together.

They will undergo intensive vocal and dance training for their performances and evaluations.

HHHHH Andre PArAs in JAPAn Kapuso actor Andre Paras had a great time in Tokyo, Japan where the

crew and stars of The Half Sisters video-taped scenes for future episodes of the series. The good-looking afternoon TV star was there with the rest of the stars and production staff and crew for a week.

The tall young matinee idol has experienced the beauty and local culture of the city along with his co-actors Jean Garcia, Barbie Forteza, Thea Tolentino and Aljur Abrenica who is new in the top-rating drama series.

“It was really fun and I’m happy that my first time in Japan was with the people I work with,” shared Paras.

His father, Benjie Paras, was with him in and plays a cameo in the series. The sonsaid it was hilarious working with his dad since “he just keeps on making everyone laugh. Even if the scenes were all serious, I just wanted to laugh because he looked funny already.”

The younger Paras also revealed that he had a lot of unforgettable memories but he treasures his scenes with Barbie the most. And during their free time, they were able to try the different traditional dishes of Japan.

“The most memorable scene for me was when I was with Diana (Barbie) because it really showed how close we are in the story and we were able to try Japanese cuisine.”

Miko M

Mico C.

Louie Pedroso

Martin De Vera

Lance Busa

Luis Gragera

Ken Carpena

➜ Continued on C7

I’m very sure that GMA7 will come up with a really good roster of new talents.

These boys will be the future of Filipino entertainment.

I promise that.

AJ Ajrouche

Adrian Pascual

– Ryan Cayabyab, To The Top judge Barbie Forteza and Andre Paras in Japan

Edric Ulang

Joshua Jacobe