The Standard - 2015 August 03 - Monday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 174  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  MONDAY : AUGUST 3, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Asean, China eye sea spat hotline

A2

POE SHUT OUT OF LP Grace to run for President as independent, Osmeña predicts

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Sergio Osmeña III shut the door Sunday on the possibility that Senator Grace Poe would be the running mate for Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, the designated Liberal Party standard bearer in the 2016 presidential elections.

“After meeting with the President several times, I think the writing on the wall is for Grace to file an independent bid for President,” Osmeña said in an interview with radio dzBB. Even Poe admitted she got no offer from the President to be Roxas’ running mate when she met him on five occasions.

Poe said in the first meeting, the President informed her they wanted an alternative candidate. In the second meeting, Aquino simply told her to be prepared.

Four more meetings produced no consensus on a unified ticket for the ruling coalition that included independents Poe and

Senator Francis Escudero.

Osmeña, who has provided Poe with advice, said it was critical for Roxas to get her help.

“That’s a winning idea.... a winning move. If he can convince Poe to run as his vice president, and even endorse him, 60 to 80 percent of her current votes will go to him

(Roxas),” said Osmeña, a political strategist who worked on Aquino’s presidential campaign in 2010.

On the other hand, Osmeña said he doubted if the President’s endorsement of Roxas last Friday would raise the Liberal candidate’s poll ratings, which have been consistently on the low end. Next page

Walk against hazing. Thousands of students join a walk against hazing and violence to the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Saturday. DANNY PATA

Bongbong not ready with BBL substitute

A3

PCSO official shaking down small lottery operators

By Christine F. Herrera TWO gambling operators figure prominently in allegations that a top official of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office of shaking down Small Town Lottery (STL) operators to raise funds for the election

campaign of the ruling Liberal Party in 2016, industry sources said Sunday.

STL operators, the sources said, are up in arms against PCSO chairman Ireneo Malixi for ordering raids on the gambling outlets operated by Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda

to favor a competitor, the Meridien Virtual Gaming Corp. run by Charlie “Atong” Ang, but Malixi denied the allegation.

“I vehemently deny that, though I expected the allegations that the Liberal Party would use the PCSO for fund raising for its can-

didates. I am a member of the Liberal Party and President (Benigno Aquino III), who appointed me as chairman of the PCSO, is also from the Liberals but I am not doing the fund raising for them but for the PCSO,” Malixi told The Standard.

Next page

M O N D AY: A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 1 5

A2

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

China-Asean sea spat hotline in the works THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China are discussing setting up a hotline to handle emergencies stemming from territorial disputes over the South China Sea, a Philippine official said Sunday.

The proposed hotline was dis cussed during a meeting of senior diplomats from China and the ASEAN in Tianjin last week, said Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose.

Jose said the matter had been referred back to a joint working group and was still far from fruition.

“Although this was agreed in principle as an early harvest measure, it needs thorough discussion,” he said.

The hotline would not be unveiled at an upcoming meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, he added.

The Philippines and fellow ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam have competing claims

over the South China Sea along with China and Taiwan.

The dispute has grown increasingly tense in recent years with the Philippines at the forefront of accusing China of “bullying” in asserting its claim over the waters, which are a crucial sea lane and fishing ground also believed to hold vast mineral resources.

In recent months, the Philippines has raised the alarm over China’s land reclamation to turn outcroppings in the sea into artificial islands that can host military outposts.

ASEAN, which also includes Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand, has

been pushing for the establishment of a code of conduct with China that would bind the rival claimants not to take actions that could spark conflict in the region.

Despite its appeals for unity, ASEAN members have diverging agendas, and the bloc has had difficulty taking a common stand on China which has close relationships with several members.

In Congress, House deputy minority leader Arnel Ty of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers’ Association urged the Aquino administration to protect the oil-and gas-rich Recto Bank, “a key to the country’s energy independence.

“We must secure and defend Recto Bank at all costs.

We should assume jurisdiction

over the conservation, exploration and exploitation of the seamount’s vast hydrocarbon deposits for the benefit of future Filipino generations,” he said.

He called on the Department of Energy to lift a force majeure that has shut down oil and gas drilling activities off the Recto Bank that lies 80 nautical miles northwest off the Palawan coast.

“We must not allow China’s protests to disrupt our efforts to harness Recto Bank’s oil and gas assets,” said Ty, a minority member of the House energy committee.

“The consortium that runs the Recto Bank petroleum service contract should be permitted to resume its search for oil and gas supplies,” he said.

– AFP, Rio N. Araja

From Iran. Armed Forces and Health personnel sort out relief sent by the Iranian Embassy for the students and families of Caloocan City National High School. EY ACASIO

Poe

From A1...

“Even before, there was no danger that Mar Roxas will not be endorsed by the President.

All pro-Aquino votes were already with him, so what votes will be added to him?” Osmeña said.

In 1992, when then President Cory Aquino endorsed Fidel Ramos for the presidency, his ratings at 24 percent did not go up because the figure included her supporters.

If Poe decides not to run for president, this will be a big gain for Roxas, Osmeña said, as this could give the Liberal Party candidate from 60 percent to 80 percent of the votes that would have gone to Poe. If Poe will be removed from the surveys of prospective candidates in the 2016 elections, he added, Roxas’ ranking would rise, particularly if it is a two-way race between Roxas and

Vice President Jejomar Binay.

If others like Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte also run, they might take votes from Binay, he added.

Osmeña added that if Poe runs for president, her opponents would use her citizenship and residency as issues against her.

On Sunday, the National Unity Party, a coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Party, said the only way to avoid a breakup of the alliance is for Poe to run as Roxas’ vice president.

“I haven’t heard from the NUP members who opposed the endorsement of the President of Mar so it is most likely that the NUP would back a Roxas candidacy,” NUP vice president Dasmarinas City Rep. Elpidio Barzaga told radio dzBB. On the other hand, Barzaga warned that the coalition was bound to break up if Poe cannot be convinced to run under the coalition ticket.

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, a member of the Liberal Party, agreed with Barzaga and said the selection of a non-LP member would help strengthen the coalition.

“The nomination of a non-LP member like Poe as the vice presidential candidate of Roxas could go a long way in fostering confidence within the ruling coalition,” Castelo said.

“The Nationalist People’s Coalition already announced that they will be supporting the Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero ticket. In so far as the Nacionalista Party, they have not decided yet,” Barzaga said.

Barzaga said the NPC would surely support the coalition ticket if Poe ran under its banner.

Castelo urged Roxas to keep intact the LPled ruling coalition to ensure its victory in the 2016 presidential elections.

“As the LP presidential candidate, Roxas should show less partisanship by pursuing

PCSO From A1...

The STL operators said Malixi was trying to kill the STL operations so that Ang’s Meridien could take over the provinces.

All STL operations run by Pineda are now being audited for their alleged failure to remit the rightful share of the national government.

But Malixi said he wanted to collect the government’s rightful share because the previous leadership of the PCSO had accumulated debts amounting to P16 billion.

The debts included PCSO’s failure to pay hospitals where it guaranteed payments for indigent patients amounting to P2 billion; some P9 billion owed to suppliers; and other debts amounting to P5 billion, Malixi said.

The PCSO board was not aware of the ongoing raids by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, sources at the PCSO told The Standard.

A check with former An Waray Rep. Florencio Noel, a member of the PCSO board, showed Malixi did not ask the board’s permission to direct the NBI to raid the STL in Nueva Ecija, run by Pineda.

“All actions of the chairman (Malixi) must have approval of the board,” Noel said.“Anything that has to do with PCSO has to have approval of the board for the sake of transparency and accountability.”

PCSO documents furnished The Standard show that all orders pertaining to the STL probes and raids only had Malixi’s signature.

Sought for comment, Malixi admitted not having called a meeting of the PCSO board, of which, he is chairman, to seek approval for the probe and the raid.

“I did not call for a meeting of the Board. I sought the help of the Department of Justice and the NBI because I received reports that the STL operations are being done just like the old times, when illegal jueteng drive was thriving,” Malixi said.

“The NBI was able to validate reports that the draws that were supposed to be done on designated draw outlets were being held somewhere else, thereby triggering suspicion that STL draws were being rigged and no one would know how much exactly was the proceeds,” Malixi said.

He said some of the STL operators also hired minors to collect bets and that this too has been validated by the NBI. A PCSO source, who requested anonymity, said Malixi did not seek approval of the board so as not to forewarn the STL outlets that were the subject of the raids.

“Most members of the board were identified with Pineda and are protecting Pineda’s operations. That’s why they disapprove of what Chairman Malixi was doing to clean up the anomalies in the operations of STL,” the source said. and stepping up healthy dialogues with coalition partners,” Castelo said.

“We need all possible support to win 2016, but the LP has to give something to obtain that support. It can’t have everything,” Castelo added.

Over the weekend, business leaders said they would support a presidential candidate who will continue the reforms of the current administration.

Bill Luz, a businessman and co-chairman of the National Competitiveness Council, said that the elected president must continue the reforms.

“If they reverse the reforms the country will feel the negative impact,” he told reporters at the sidelines of the first International Realtor Conference in Manila in partnership with the National Association of Realtors – USA sponsored by the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Association, Inc. – With Christine F. Herrera and Othel V. Campos

m o n d ay : a u g u s t 3 , 2 0 1 5

A3

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Yolanda response to continue THE Aquino administration on Sunday vowed to take further action to aid those displaced by deadly Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 following UN criticism that its response so far had been “inadequate.”

Accident. Policemen keep the traffic flowing after a van with 15 people in it turned on its side on the northbound lane of Edsa near SM North. Ey AcAsio

Marcos: BBL substitute bill not ready yet SENATOR Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Sunday they will proceed with the Senate caucus today on the Bangsamoro Basic Law but admitted he was not yet ready with the substitute bill as they were still threshing out some constitutional issues.

“We can have the caucus but I might not be ready. We can’t make it [the submission of the substitute bill],” said Marcos, head of the Senate’s local government committee that conducted hearings on the BBL. He said he would again consult Senate President Franklin Drilon about giving senators a time frame on the debates considering that the Senate would also

be busy with the proposed P3-trillion budget and other priority measures.

Marcos made his statement even as Malacañang, through Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. called for the BBL’s enactment during administration of President Benigno Aquino III. “The passage of the BBL should not be delayed,” Coloma told dzRB radio in reaction to Marcos’ statement that there was no more time to pass the BBL now.

Marcos said Aquino should just leave the burden of passing the proposed BBL to the next administration.

Marcos said the BBL was not a simple issue. He said they were already in the eco-

nomic provisions and the transnational provisions, but they were having difficulty with the issue of decommissioning the MILF because it was too complicated.

“Our proposal is different from the original,” Marcos told reporters.

He noted that the original plan for the decommissioning or the turning over of firearms to the government was not followed.

“What happened was different from that written in the Annex, the original Annex, so we have to change it,” Marcos said.

Since the schedule of the decommissioning was not followed, Marcos said, it was an indication of weakness.

He said it also showed the MILF was hesitant to surrender their guns to the government, but that was not surprising.

“That is the last thing that they want to do give up their arms especially in their culture in the south where everybody and even the neophytes have guns,” he said.

He said the unconstitutionality of the draft BBL was another big problem, and next to that was the lack of clarity.

“The problem is the draft BBL itself. The very basic and biggest problem of course is the unconstitutionality. Next to that is the lack of clarity,” Marcos said.

Macon Ramos-Araneta and sandy Araneta

President Benigno Aquino III’s spokesman Herminio Coloma said the government was not merely trying to find new housing for those displaced by the storm, which was the most powerful ever recorded to have hit land, but was also trying to ensure they would be relocated to safer ground.

“This is our commitment: the government will continue its effort to help these internally displaced persons, particularly regarding setting up permanent, safe and decent housing,” he told reporters.

“Additionally, we hope to help them find suitable livelihood and jobs so they can further recover from the calamity.”

Coloma’s remarks came after UN special rapporteur Chaloka Beyani said the government had not done enough for those left homeless

by Haiyan, which flattened whole towns and left about 7,350 dead or missing when it swept through the Visayas in November 2013.

“While the government is to be commended in terms of its immediate responses, its attention to ensuring sustainable durable solutions for IDPs [internally displaced persons] remains inadequate to date,” Beyani said in a statement posted on the

UN website.

Beyani was in the Philippines in late July to check on the government’s handling of people displaced

by Haiyan and by the fighting between the military and Muslim rebels in the south.

Aside from falling short of safety standards, the wood-and-tin “bunkhouses” also leave women and girls vulnerable to sexual abuse and early pregnancy, Beyani said.

The box-like shanties also rob the storm survivors of their “privacy and dignity” as they struggle to rebuild their lives, he said.

Coloma said that, in the 2016 budget, the government had allocated more money to set up new communities for those affected

by Haiyan as well as those displaced by the fighting between government soldiers and the Muslim rebels in the south.

He did not specify how much money was going to the victims of Haiyan.

President Benigno Aquino has budgeted P160 billion ($3.6 billion) to rebuild after Haiyan, considered as one of the major tests of his sixyear term that will end in June next year.

The Philippines is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, at risk from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and an average 20 typhoons yearly. AFP, with sandy Araneta

Warmer-than-usual weather until January, forecasters predict FILIPINOS may expect slightly warmer weather in most of the country from this month up to January next year because of El Niño, the weather bureau said Sunday.

“El Nino is expected to last until next year,” said Anthony Lucero, officer in charge of the weather bureau’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section.

The agency said the maximum temperature in the lowlands will range from 35.1°C to 37.8°C in Luzon, 34.5°C to 38.0°C in the Visayas and 36.1°C to

37.5°C in Mindanao.

The maximum temperature in the mountainous areas will range from 26.6°C to 27.4°C in Luzon and 33.2°C to 34.2°C in Mindanao.

The agency provided no data for the mountainous areas in the Visayas but said Metro Manila will experience maximum temperatures of 33.7°C to 35.9°C. Lucero said the latest model outputs still indicate that the “moderate” El Niño will likely become “strong” in the coming

months, becoming comparable to what it was in 1997 and 1998.

Experts have already identified the 1997-1998 El Niño as the strongest to affect the country in the 20th century.

Despite El Niño’s onslaught, the weather bureau expects between seven and 11 tropical cyclones to either develop or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility from August this year to January 2016. However, it forecast below-normal rainfall in most parts of the country. PnA

Light in a bottle. An MMDA electrician shows how a solar incandescent lamp using a soda bottle may be used in the villages of Metro Manila. DAnny PAtA

M O N D AY: A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 1 5

A4

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

VP: Purge list of CCT beneficiaries Reported crimes surge in 1st sem

By Francisco Tuyay RePORTed crimes rose nationwide rose by as much as 46.8 percent during the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2014.

Records from the Philippine National Police directorate for Investigation and detective Management showed that reported crime incidents increased from 885,445 from January to June 2015 compared to 603,085 for the same period in 2014.

PNP data revealed that from January to June of 2014, there were 5,004 reported incidents of murder; 4,091 homicides; 122,084 physical injuries; 5,069 rapes; 27,425 robberies; 86,451 thefts; 5,599 car thefts; and 869 cattle rustlings, all of which are categorized as index crimes.

On the other hand, the number of non-index crimes, or those that violate special laws and local ordinances issued by local government units, such as illegal logging, was reported at 267,536, for a total crime volume of 603,085.

The dIdM statistics also showed that in Metro Manila alone, a total of 137,840 crimes were reported for January to June 2014 (80,040 non-index crimes and 57,800 index crimes) while in 2015 of the same period, the total crime volume stood at 201,963 incidents (129,812 non-index crimes and 72,151 index crimes).

In the area of crime clearance efficiency, the PNP disclosed of clearing a total of 275,788 of the 603,085 crimes cases in first half of 2014 and 662,441 of the 885,445 cases during the same period in 2015.

Crime solution was up by 11.6 percent from 36.04 in the first half of 2014 to 47.2 percent in the same period this year.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Sunday said the conditonal cash Transfer (ccT) program should be insulated from politics and not used to buy votes for administration candidates.

Binay said he will continue a “reformed” CCT program by purging it of unqualified beneficiaries if he wins the presidency.

“We should plug the leakages to make sure that the assistance goes to those who are qualified and those who need it most,” he said.

With 4.4 million families covered nationwide, the Philippines has the world’s thirdlargest CCT program after Brazil and Mexico.

Aside from improving the implementation of the program, he said the government

should also pursue a clear program to generate jobs for the poor.

“We must also pursue policy reforms that will lead to a massive expansion of job opportunities for CCT beneficiaries,” he said.

The Vice President said between 2012 and 2013, the household income of the lowest 20 percent of the population improved by 7.5 percent. Only 28.9 percent was due to the stipend received from CCT and only 9.9 percent was from higher wage income.

“This shows the need to invest more in jobs, which are more sustainable than cash grants over the long run,” Binay added.

The Vice President said the government should also invest in improving health and education services.

“The CCT program should be a stop-gap solution. We must work towards empowering our citizenry and veer away from a culture of mendicancy,” he said.

While the World Bank’s 2012 impact evaluation of CCT confirmed that more children

from beneficiary-households are attending school, the difference with that of non-CCT households is marginal.

According to the World Bank, 98 percent of CCT children aged 6-11 are enrolled in school versus 93 percent among children from non-CCT households.

Children from CCT households with ages 6-14 also have a higher school attendance at 95 percent versus children from non-CCT households at 91 percent.

“A more significant difference between CCT beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries is needed to prove that the government’s huge investment in the programs is worth it,” Binay said.

From 2011 to 2015, the Aquino administration allocated a total of P232.2 billion for the program.

Meanwhile, Malacanang must not think that people can be easily fooled by their false assurances, according to Rico Quicho, spokesman of the Vice President.

Leadership awardees. Kamila Isabelle Navarro and Martin Daniel Qui, both graduates of the University of the Philippines, display the awards they received in this year’s Novartis Biotechnology Leadership Camp. DANNY PATA

100 nursing QC moms to donate milk Roadside residence.

This woman has converted a bus waiting shed along Edsa in Kamuning, Quezon City into her home.

SONNY ESPIRITU

By Rio N. Araja AROuNd 100 nursing mothers will troop to the Quezon City General Hospital on Wednesday to donate their breast milk as part of a campaign to lower the incidence of infant mortality. dubbed “Alay Na Gatas Ko, Sagip Sa Buhay Mo,” the milkgiving activity is in line with the celebration of the Breastfeeding Awareness Month, QCGH director Josephine Sabando said.

Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte will lead city hall officials in the

opening rites of the event at the hospital’s SB Hall at 8 am.

Breast pumps will also be turned over to seven lyingin clinics in San Francisco del Monte, Batasan Hills, Betty Go Belmonte, Murphy, Kamuning, Arsenio Maximo and Sta. Lucia districts to encourage more breastfeeding mothers to donate their milk to babies in need, especially the critically ill.

The donated breast milk will be processed through pasteurization before being given to babies.

The city government it will ask the help of 500 volunteer breast-

feeding support groups in the campaign.

The QCGH operates a breast milk bank to help reduce the infant mortality rate. The bank was established by an ordinance in 2012.

According to Bautista, the cityrun QCGH is offering mothers who want to be breast milk donors free hospitalization services, depending on the amount of donated breast milk.

“For instance, 500 ml of breast milk contributed entitles the donor to free consultation at QCGH,” he said.

M O N D AY: A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 1 5

A5

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Humanitarian landmark along EDSA There’s a new humanitarian marker along eDsA, the Philippine red Cross (PrC) Tower, which stands as a symbol of the PrC’s growth through the years and a mark of its strong commitment to humanitarian service.

“This is the first ever building of this kind to be acquired by the Philippine red Cross and it represents the modernization of the PrC and its transformation into an organization that is capable of providing a wide range of services to make it the premier humanitarian organization in the country,” said PrC Chairman richard J. Gordon.

The PrC Tower houses a stateof-the-art Operations Center, a modern blood bank, and other facilities and equipment for communications and disaster response and management. Gordon stressed that with the new location, the PrC is even more accessible to the public, which will allow the organization to better serve more people in need.

“With our new building, we want to assure our stakeholders and beneficiaries that your Philippine red Cross will become a better red Cross, home to the finest humanitarian volunteers and employees which provides the best humanitarian services,” said PrC secretary General Gwendolyn Pang.

DOJ panel tasked to fight cybercrime The Department of Justice has been designated by the National Law enforcement Coordinating Committee to lead the newly constituted committee on anticybercrime.

Justice secretary Leila de Lima said that the NALeCC has assigned the DOJ Office of Cybercrime, as the head of the committee, which is tasked to simplify and unify rules and procedures in handling cybercrime cases.

NALeCC is the coordinating body for law enforcement agencies to proactively implement crimefighting mechanisms.

De Lima said the committee on anti-cybercrime is expected to tackle cybercrime trends and incidents such as online child abuse, sextortion, online gambling, ATM and credit card fraud, identity theft, online selling of counterfeit medicines, and online fraud.

Rey Requejo

No-no. Signages of “No Parking” and “No Pee Zone” put up by the airport police department along MIA road leading to NAIA terminal 1 and 2 remind pedestrians and motorists alike to observe cleanliness and obey traffic rules. Rudy C. SANtoS

BIR marks 111 year, posts collection growth th

By Sandy Araneta

The Bureau of Internal Revenue marks its 111th founding anniversary by posting a respectable gain for the first half of the year, thus bolstering a pattern of “sustained collection growth” in the last decade, according to a Palace statement.

President Benigno s. Aquino III will lead today’s 111th BIr anniversary celebrations in Quezon City along with Finance secretary Cesar V. Purisima and BIr Commissioner Kim henares.

“True to its mandate of collecting national internal revenue taxes for nation-building to uplift the life of every Filipino, the BIr has shown a sustained collection growth in the last decade,” henares said Prior to henares’ assumption of office, the BIr collected P542.70 Billion in 2005, P652.73 Billion in 2006, P713.60 Billion in 2007, P778.58 Billion in 2008, and P750.29 Billion in 2009.

Under henares’ leadership, the BIr posted

record tax collections of P822.62 Billion in 2010, P924.15 Billion in 2011, the first-ever P1.058 trillion collection in 2012, P1.217 trillion in 2013, and P1.335 trillion in 2014, the agency said.

For the first semester of 2015, the BIr collected P705.87 Billion, thus posting a 9.74 percent growth over the collection of P643.21 Billion for the same semester of 2014. The increase maintains the upward trend in revenue collection growth as the next decade starts ticking.

The BIr contributes close to 80 percent of the total national government tax revenues. A vast majority, around 97 percent, of the said tax collection was accumulated through voluntary payments.

Among the implementing offices of the Bureau, the Large Taxpayers service (LTs) contributes at least 60 percent to the total revenue collection.

Among its priority programs, the run After Tax evaders program remains the flagship program of the administration of henares.

From 2005 to July 2015, the BIr has filed a total of 507 rATe cases with five convictions: Ma. Lourdes r. De Guzman; spouses Benjamin and Gloria Kintanar; Dr. Joel C. Mendez; and Jadewell Parking systems Corporation.

Under henares alone (July 2010 to July 2015), the BIr has filed 380 criminal complaints with the Department of Justice with billions in deficiency

tax assessments.

The other face of the Bureau’s uncompromising enforcement of tax laws is the Oplan Kandado Program through which the BIr suspends or closes the business operations of a taxpayer for a period of not less than five days for violating the Tax Code, including failure to file correct VAT returns and to pay the correct VAT due thereon.

Under the program, the BIr has padlocked 1,663 business establishments from 2009 to June 2015. Under Commissioner henares (2010-June 2015), a total of 1,231 closure orders were implemented.

Providing ample support to the Bureau’s enforcement activities are various automated systems, most noteworthy of which are the electronic Filing and Payment system (eFPs), and the electronic Bureau of Internal revenue Forms (eBIrForms).

From January to June this year, more than 3 million tax returns were filed electronically through the eFPs and the eBIrForms compared to 1.9 million (eFPs only) returns last 2014.

At least 54 revenue District Office eLounges provided taxpayers with free electronic medium to access BIr’s electronic filing platforms, while the Mobile revenue Collection Officer system (MrCOs) provided a transparent and more accountable mode of filing tax returns and payment of taxes.

Kris Aquino Mar told: Poll protest vs VP only a waste of time the much-needed time to resolve such case the nation in withdrawing his protest because to vote in QC By Rey E. Requejo considering that not a single ballot box from the taxpayers are spending close to P90 Million PresIDeNTIAL sister Kris Aquino on sunday transferred her voter’s registration to Quezon City from Makati City.

Aquino clarified that she has no plan to run for any elective post in Quezon City in 2016. she was a previous voter in Makati City as a resident in Barangay Urdaneta.

“I won’t run for office because I have contracts which unfortunately no, fortunately, it’s a blessing, that will end in 2017. so I will return a huge amount of money (if ever I violate them),” she noted. Rio Araja

LIBerAL Party’s standard bearer Interior secretary Manuel roxas II should now withdraw his election protest against Vice President Jejomar Binay involving the 2010 vice presidential election because the supreme Court, sitting as Presidential electoral Tribunal, has no more time to resolve it before the 2016 national elections, a poll lawyer said on sunday.

“For his good and for the benefit of the nation, DILG secretary Mar roxas should now withdraw his election protest against Vice-President Jejomar Binay involving the 2010 vice-presidential election. Time has run out for roxas to pursue this case and the supreme Court acting as a Presidential electoral Tribunal (PeT) likewise lacks

the more than 60,000 precincts protested by roxas has been delivered to the PeT for the revision or recount of the ballots,” lawyer romulo Macalintal said.

Macalintal explained that based on experience, the PeT would need at least two years to resolve an election protest where millions of ballots would be recounted.

Besides, he said, it would be impractical for roxas to spend close to P100 million pesos to pursue his case against the Vice President at this point when the term of office of the contested position is about to end and the election for the same position will be held in less than a year from now. “roxas would likewise do a great service to

a year for the budget of the PeT where its main task is to resolve cases involving the election protest of the President and/or Vice-President,” the lawyer observed.

“This means that since 2010 and up to the present a total of about P450 million has been spent by the people for the allowances and other expenses of the PeT for roxas’ protest which practically never moved since its filing in July 2010,” he said.

According toMacalintal, with the withdrawal of roxas election protest, some election paraphernalia that are being used to protect the ballots under protest, such as some ballot boxes and voting records, could still be used in the forthcoming 2016 elections.

m o n D AY : A u g u s t 3 , 2 0 1 5

A6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘Probe networking scams’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta Senator Grace Poe wants the Senate to revisit securities and investment laws to plug loopholes being exploited by unscrupulous companies to deceive the public into joining bogus investment schemes and networking scams.

Poe said the government should already intervene to protect the public from being preyed upon by “networking groups” amid the strong appeal of their marketing strategies. she said would -be investors are enticed by ‘networking groups’ by emphasizing the seeming lavish lifestyle of their ‘successful members’ through their posts in social media showcasing their money, cars, watches, free trips or other material things.

“Desiring to improve one’s financial status and one’s quality of living by investing one’s hard-earned money is commendable and is beneficial not only to the investor but to the economy, but to prey on our countrymen through deceitful and unscrupulous means is simply wrong and the government ought to step in to ensure the protection of our countrymen’s investments and dreams,” explained Poe. Poe has filed senate resolution 1454, urging the senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies to conduct an “omnibus inquiry and assessment in aid of legislation, on relevant securities and investment laws, regulations and measures. she said the probe intends to introduce remedial amendments to battle deceptive investment schemes and stop insidious networking scams.

The chairperson of the senate Committee on Public order and Dangerous Drugs filed the resolution in the aftermath of the P3-billion investment scam involving Batangas-based firm one Dream Global marketing, Inc.

one Dream is registered with seC as a firm involved in trading, buying and selling of various goods, but it has no permit to engage in selling and marketing investment products, Poe said.

“With one Dream being an seC-registered firm, unsuspecting investors could have been made to believe that it is safe to invest their money into the company.

Amendments may have to be made to prevent companies engaged in deceitful means from circumventing existing securities and investment laws, regulations and measures,” Poe said.

Investors have filed a complaint for syndicated estafa against one Dream officers led by owner Arnel Gacer, after the company refused to return their money after repeated demands.

Complainants alleged that one Dream deceived them through a “system profit scheme” in which investors were required to put in P888 with the promise of a “payout” of P1,300 after four days.

A few days after the one Dream scam broke out, the seC also warned the public of other investment scams particularly against business entities “Freedom Life Advanced Global Prosperity marketing Incorporated (Flag Prosperity)” in Laguna province, and metro manila-based “suCCess200 International marketing Corporation,” with operations in other parts of the country and overseas. Both firms had no seC registration.

Enterprising. A man peddles balloons at the University of the Philippines-Dilliman in Quezon City on a weekend when the campus usually teems with students and visitors.

SONNY ESPIRITU

Mobile court on a roll: 8,500 inmates freed

By Rey E. Requejo some 8,500 prisoners have been freed under the enhanced Justice on Wheels (eJoW) program, which is part of the overall reform agenda of the high court to “produce proper, efficient and effective administration” of justice in the country. supreme Court Associate Justice mariano del Castillo made the disclosure when he presided

over the launch of the eJoW program in Angeles City, Pampanga last Friday where two buses were deployed to act as mobile courts to heard and mediate cases through the mobile Court-Annexed mediation or mCAm. “since the launch of the eJoW in 2004, an estimated 8, 500 prisoners have been freed, resulting in the government saving at least P552, 000 daily while 20, 358 inmates have received medical and dental services and 5, 748 have

received legal aid from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines,” Castillo said during the launching of eJoW program.

The sC officials who attended the event include Court Administrator midas marquez, Deputy Court Administrators raul Villanueva and Jenny Lind Aldecoa-Delorino, Assistant Court Administrator and Chief Public Information officer Theodore Te, Angeles City mayor edgardo Pamintuan and mabalacat City

mayor marino Angeles.

Castillo, who is also the chair of the sC’s Committee on eJoW, also announced that 13, 626 cases have been disposed of through the mCAms and 29, 572 inmates have benefitted from the information drive.

To ensure the program’s success, the eJoW also included an information dissemination campaign for local officials of Angeles City.

The purpose of the program

is to promote the accessibility of justice among the poor and the disadvantaged through a mobile court, which will provide free and faster resolution of cases and conflicts.

The mobile court is a fully airconditioned bus equipped with facilities of a court and mediation room and manned by a presiding judge, a clerk of court, a prosecutor, a public attorney, a court stenographer, a docket clerk and a process server.

CitizenWatch backs Charter change

Open space. Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje seeks the support of the Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) in advocating for the strict compliance with the “open space” requirement for land development projects during PCA’s general meeting held Friday in Pasig City. Paje stressed that compliance with the 9 percent open space requirement will not only maintain a healthier environment for residents but also provide public access for a safe refuge during disaster. He also briefed the PCA members of DENR’s major programs, such as the National Greening Program which seeks to rehabilitate 1.5 million hectares of denuded and degraded lands through massive tree planting.

Consumer advocate CITIZenWATCH. PH expressed support for the approval of resolution of Both Houses no. 1 – Amending economic Provisions of the Constitution. rBH no. 1, authored by House speaker sonny Belmonte, seeks to amend Articles XII (national economy and patrimony), XIV (education, science and technology, arts, culture and sports) and XVI (general provisions).

The amendments would include the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to certain sections to allow Congress to pass legislation that would ease restrictions on foreign ownership in certain industries to attract investments and generate jobs.

Wilford Wong, CitizenWatch secretary General, said that liberalizing the Philippine market will create much needed employment opportunities both in the urban and rural communities while more competition will foster better services and competitive prices to the benefit of Filipino consumers.

In a statement, CitizenWatch stated that removing these policy roadblocks will send a

strong and clear signal that the Philippines is ready to compete for more employment-generating foreign investments for its talented Filipino labor force.

“We must wake up to the global reality that only with a more open business environment can we graduate from what is now called a jobless growth to a more inclusive and sustainable economy.”

“We need to create a freer market environment that attracts the best of the world by instituting bold policy reforms that levels the playing field of opportunity while protecting consumer rights and industrial discipline. The move to liberalize the economic provisions of the Constitution is long overdue. Those who are afraid of this change are the well-entrenched rent-seeking and monopolistic families who stand the risk of losing their sub-standard and oppressive operations to new players who will only need to offer Filipinos a bigger bang for their buck. They have suppressed our prosperity long enough. We need to stop them now!”, CitizenWatch said.

m o n D AY : A u g u s t 3 , 2 0 1 5

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Don’t pawn your cards, govt tells ‘Pantawid’ recipients

By Dexter A. See SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union—The Department of Social Welfare Development regional office here has warned “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” recipients against pawning their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards for cash advances.

Marcelo Nicomedes J. Castillo, DSWD regional director, said they have received reports that some beneficiaries place their ATM cards given to them as collateral for cash advances.

The 4Ps is a government program where indigents receive P1, 500 to augment their living conditions.

The monthly assistance is deposited to their Land Bank of the Philippines accounts.

Castillo said that if such a case is discovered, a financial assistance suspension would be imposed on the beneficiary for violation.

Those who would be violating repeatedly will be removed from the “Listahan (list)” project, starting with two pawns.

“This is to make the beneficiaries understand that altering the policy of the program affects their children’s needs for school in case of the cash assistance suspension,” Castillo said.

He added that they are studying recommendations to widely inform them that pawning the card is not allowed.

DSWD reports show that 4Ps beneficiaries in Region I has a total of 199,170 active households -- Ilocos Norte-19,134; Ilocos Sur – 25,855; La Union – 30,258; and Pangasinan 123,923.

Hip horses. In Wright Park in Baguio City, horses are given a pastel-colored hair dye to attract younger customers. DAVID CHAN

Bases agency says Camp John Hay decision highly irregular

By Dexter A. See BAGUIO CITY—State-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority said it found the decision of the Court of Appeals’ Former Special Fifth Division highly irregular and in grave abuse of discretion.

The BCDA will contest the decision as part of its rights under the judicial process and its mandate to protect the interest of government and the public.

“We are studying our legal options on whether to file a Motion for Reconsideration or go straight to the Supreme Court. But if there is one thing we are sure of, we will contest the patently erroneous decision of the CA,” BCDA head for legal services lawyer Peter Paul

Andrew T. Flores said.

According to Flores, it is highly irregular for a court to modify the Final Award of an Arbitral Tribunal. He noted that the final award has already been confirmed by the Regional Trial Courtof Baguio based on BCDA’s and CJH Development Corporation’s respective petitions to confirm the said award. “The Final Award became executory after all the parties accepted the judicial confirmation by

the RTC,” he said.

Flores said the 67-page decision as ordered by Associate Justice Noel G. Tijam and concurred in by Associate Justice Myra V. Garcia-Fernandez and Associate Justice Victoria Isabel A. Paredes led to a modified and different interpretation of the Final Award.

He said through its petition before the CA and the resulting decision, CJHDevCo has circumvented the law by doing what under the Special ADP Rules, it is proscribed or prohibited from doing.

“CJHDevCo, through its petition before the CA, in effect modified and amended the Final Award and Judicial Confirmation,” Flores said.

Flores said the suit filed by CJHDevCo before the CA, supposedly in behalf of its sub-lessees, was self-serving and made to perpetu-

ate its operations despite the ruling evicting it from Camp John Hay as CJHDevCo, its affiliates and officials held interest in about 20 percent of all sub-lessees.

The intervenors are mostly affiliates such as the College Assurance Plan, subsidiaries such as the CJH Golf Club, and various associates. The CA is very much aware that the intervenors are the same parties related to CJHDevCo and were never innocent sub-lessees.

He also pointed out that CJHDevCo was a sub-lessor in bad faith. “Knowing that their [CJHDevCo] lease with BCDA was only for 25 years, subject to renewal for another 25 years and not an automatic 50 years. CJHDevCo nonetheless gave a 50year straight lease to its sublessees,” Flores said.

Authorities arrest US fugitive in Bohol

Early walkers. Residents of Sorsogon City flock to the Sorsogon Bay Walk under the early-morning sun. DANNY PATA

TAGBILARAN CITY—An American fugitive facing a sexual assault case in the United States was arrested at around 11:30 a.m.

Saturday in Panglao Island in Bohol.

Panglao chief of police, Senior Inspector Joemar Pomarejos, identified the arrested person as Brent Allan Reeves, a 45-year-old US citizen staying in an apartment in Sitio Das-ag in Poblacion, Panglao.

The aresting team was composed of personnel from the US embassy, Maritime Police, Bureau of Immigration, Regional Public Safety Battalion-Eastern Visayas (RPSB-7), and Panglao police.

The bench warrant indicated the US court charged Reeves with the crime of seconddegree sexual assault with no recommended bail bond.

A warrant of deportation for undocumented alien had also been issued by Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison against Reeves.

The intelligence team traced the whereabouts of Reeves, who happened to be an ex-Marine officer in the US, through his ATM withdrawals with the aid of cyber technology.

Reeves reportedly relied on financial support from his mother’s pension abroad.

Since then, authorities conducted surveillance operations on Reeves until they obtained a pattern of his activities. This led to Reeves’ arrest.

Intelligence reports said Reeves had been in Bohol for eight months yet, spending five months in Duero and three months in Panglao.

The authorities brought Reeves to Panglao police station after his arrest for record and booking.

The Bureau of Immigration team temporarily left him in the custody of Panglao police while its officials still attend to some documents for his transfer to Manila for proper disposition.

M O N D AY : A u G u S T 3 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA editoR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

A9

AlliAnces, not AdvocAcies

[ EDI TORI A L ]

pLumbLine

Lies about YoLanda

pastoR apoLLo quiboLoY

tHere was unintended irony when President Benigno aquino iii heaped praise on his anointed presidential candidate for 2016, interior secretary Manuel roxas ii last week.

While Mr. aquino’s speech was full of exaggerated claims, self congratulation and fulsome praise, perhaps the most reprehensible lie the President told was to overstate the role that secretary roxas played in ensuring that the victims of super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013 received timely aid and succor from the government.

“Whether in Zamboanga, Bohol or leyte, even when communications were cut off because of Yolanda, i know that everything [was] in good hands and that he [did] not need to wait for orders just to ensure that all needs are met,” the President said of his newly anointed candidate. “let me remind everyone: he did not go to these places on vacation. He was there in a time of crisis; he needed to ensure that all those in the evacuation center would be able to eat, and that all other immediate needs were met.”

The words must have stung for residents of tacloban City, who suffered not only Yolanda’s wrath, but also the government’s callous lack of action—regardless of secretary’s roxas’ presence.

This inaction was apparent, not only to the residents of the beleaguered city, but also to international aid organizations who provided more aid in those first few days after Yolanda than Mr. aquino’s “man of action” or the Department of social Welfare and Development. in fact, instead of jumping to the aid of the Yolanda victims with no questions asked, roxas urged the mayor of tacloban City to first surrender his authority so that the national government could step in, with the now infamous words captured on video: “You have to understand you are a romualdez and the President is an aquino so so we just want to legalize [the turnover of authority. if] you are in charge, we can’t help you. Bahala na kayo sa buhay niyo (Your life is your own lookout.).” in his endorsement speech last week, the President tried to explain these words away by attributing them to politics. “in leyte, all he wanted to do was follow the rules, but these people Mar was talking to, all of whom just wanted to engage in politics, even edited a video just to ruin his name,” the President said.

But the explanation beggared belief, coming from the same callous man who told a distressed businessman in tacloban City who complained about the threat of looting in Yolanda’s aftermath: “Buhay ka pa naman, di ba? (You’re still alive, aren’t you?)”

Given the supercilious attitude that pervades from the top, is it any wonder that months after the disastrous typhoon flattened large swaths of the Visayas, bodies were still being uncovered in tacloban City?

This is also why two years after the disaster, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons who visited tacloban in July, observed that many survivors have had to endure relocating to evacuation camps up to three times since 2013, and that substandard housing leaves them vulnerable to future typhoons. aside from falling short of safety standards, the wood-and-tin “bunkhouses” also leave women and girls vulnerable to sexual abuse and early pregnancy, Beyani said, and rob the storm survivors of their privacy and dignity.

Beyani expressed surprise that despite huge resources spent or earmarked for infrastructure projects, for many displaced communities basic service provision, including water, sanitation and electricity are lacking almost two years after Yolanda. against the backdrop of this stinging indictment from the UN, the President’s boasting on Yolanda and secretary roxas’ role in bringing relief to the typhoon victims is truly mind boggling.

MALLARI DOES NOT HAVE MY SYMPATHY pensées fR. RanhiLio caLLangan aquino Krisel Mallari is the sly salutatorian who made of what were supposed to be welcome remarks a blistering attack on her school—the sto. Nino Parochial school. Bitter over having to settle for second place, she portrayed the class

valedictorian as the beneficiary of the malice of teachers and of school administrators.

Hell-bent on wrecking what was supposed to have been a memorable day for her classmates, she did make it memorable in a completely and unwelcomely different way: By her tasteless tirade against the school and making things go awry right on graduation day she is by no means the first to gripe about honors. Not

too long ago, i was told that a classmate i had in the elementary grades fretted about being class salutatorian rather than valedictorian, the distinction i received. i did not take offense at all. i found it rather hilarious, ridiculous even, that four decades after, someone was still smarting from an elementary school disappointment, unable, obviously, to move on! But unlike my classmate who had the decency to

With what gumption does she ask this same school to endorse her to an institution of higher learning by certifying to her moral uprightness?

spare the class and its guests from her whining on graduation day, and to whimper about my grandfather having been district supervisor at the time only four decades later

to her mahjong quorum after having downed two beer bottles, Kristell was hell-bent on making the day miserable for all. the emcee’s valiant, but futile attempts, to bring

her unexpected and unwelcome tirade to an end, a vivid proof that she had wrecked what should have been a golden day—because she was not graduating as class valedictorian!

Now she seeks admission to the University of santo tomas that, quite correctly, requires of her a certificate of good moral character from her school of origin—an endorsement that her alma mater (?) is, understandably, unwilling to give

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-

her. after all, such a certificate in fact declaims: “We certify that you, Krisel, are an upright person, who has visited no harm on another out of malice.” rebuffed but again, she has gone to court, asking that a judicial decree issue, compelling the sto.

Nino Parochial school to certify, under compulsion, that she is a person of good moral character.

Where a certificate of good moral character is exacted under threat or

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

pain of penalty, it is no endorsement at all. and if it can be so forced out of a school, then we must regretfully accept that in our sad state of affairs, a certificate of good moral character should no longer be taken seriously, its recital, merely the pointless repetition of a useless ceremony. Were i an administrator of the school, subject to a court order directing the issuance of such a certificate, i would 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

it sPeaKs volumes of the retrograde state of our politics when alliances forged by presidential candidates draw more attention than their advocacies.

When anointments matter more than platforms, when wannabes talk more about politics than policies, then we know that from now to May, substance will play second fiddle to the spin. instead of putting together a plan for the future, and submitting it to the people, aspirants and their backers and brokers cobble together a coalition as if what the nation lacks is politics of addition and not programs of growth.

But we all know that superiority in numbers cannot make up for inferior ideas. it only says that more people are affiliating with the wrong cause.

Now that the starting gun for the race has been fired, we hope that the completion will shift to who has the best program and not on who has the more backers. it should be a battle of who has the smarts and not who has more supporters.

But please don’t get me wrong. This is not a call to delist character as a hiring criteria for the number job in the land.

Values are important. But as we vet the applicants, we should expand our assessment checklist. in fact we should use a different metrics in choosing this nation’s next CeO, a yardstick in which money doesn’t count, political affiliation or following is not the deciding factor, black propaganda is ignored, and surveys do not create bandwagons. let us rather look at his or her programs, examine his or her ideas on how to create a brighter future for our children. in weighing him or her, let us also evaluate his or her track record and see if the wisdom he or she had displayed in the past will be in full abundance when he or she occupies the highest office of the land. it will be a pity, for example, that we don’t warm up to a candidate because he doesn’t brim with charisma.

Or we blackball another because he is boring. We see the blandness and it blinds us to the brilliance of the person.

Or media’s perception of another candidate precedes him, that we don’t give his programs even a furtive glance.

Our perceived notions may have been calcified by cruel memes about him but that shouldn’t prevent us from hearing what he has to say.

Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

M O N D AY : A u G u S T 3 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA editoR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

A9

AlliAnces, not AdvocAcies

[ EDI TORI A L ]

pLumbLine

Lies about YoLanda

pastoR apoLLo quiboLoY

tHere was unintended irony when President Benigno aquino iii heaped praise on his anointed presidential candidate for 2016, interior secretary Manuel roxas ii last week.

While Mr. aquino’s speech was full of exaggerated claims, self congratulation and fulsome praise, perhaps the most reprehensible lie the President told was to overstate the role that secretary roxas played in ensuring that the victims of super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013 received timely aid and succor from the government.

“Whether in Zamboanga, Bohol or leyte, even when communications were cut off because of Yolanda, i know that everything [was] in good hands and that he [did] not need to wait for orders just to ensure that all needs are met,” the President said of his newly anointed candidate. “let me remind everyone: he did not go to these places on vacation. He was there in a time of crisis; he needed to ensure that all those in the evacuation center would be able to eat, and that all other immediate needs were met.”

The words must have stung for residents of tacloban City, who suffered not only Yolanda’s wrath, but also the government’s callous lack of action—regardless of secretary’s roxas’ presence.

This inaction was apparent, not only to the residents of the beleaguered city, but also to international aid organizations who provided more aid in those first few days after Yolanda than Mr. aquino’s “man of action” or the Department of social Welfare and Development. in fact, instead of jumping to the aid of the Yolanda victims with no questions asked, roxas urged the mayor of tacloban City to first surrender his authority so that the national government could step in, with the now infamous words captured on video: “You have to understand you are a romualdez and the President is an aquino so so we just want to legalize [the turnover of authority. if] you are in charge, we can’t help you. Bahala na kayo sa buhay niyo (Your life is your own lookout.).” in his endorsement speech last week, the President tried to explain these words away by attributing them to politics. “in leyte, all he wanted to do was follow the rules, but these people Mar was talking to, all of whom just wanted to engage in politics, even edited a video just to ruin his name,” the President said.

But the explanation beggared belief, coming from the same callous man who told a distressed businessman in tacloban City who complained about the threat of looting in Yolanda’s aftermath: “Buhay ka pa naman, di ba? (You’re still alive, aren’t you?)”

Given the supercilious attitude that pervades from the top, is it any wonder that months after the disastrous typhoon flattened large swaths of the Visayas, bodies were still being uncovered in tacloban City?

This is also why two years after the disaster, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons who visited tacloban in July, observed that many survivors have had to endure relocating to evacuation camps up to three times since 2013, and that substandard housing leaves them vulnerable to future typhoons. aside from falling short of safety standards, the wood-and-tin “bunkhouses” also leave women and girls vulnerable to sexual abuse and early pregnancy, Beyani said, and rob the storm survivors of their privacy and dignity.

Beyani expressed surprise that despite huge resources spent or earmarked for infrastructure projects, for many displaced communities basic service provision, including water, sanitation and electricity are lacking almost two years after Yolanda. against the backdrop of this stinging indictment from the UN, the President’s boasting on Yolanda and secretary roxas’ role in bringing relief to the typhoon victims is truly mind boggling.

MALLARI DOES NOT HAVE MY SYMPATHY pensées fR. RanhiLio caLLangan aquino Krisel Mallari is the sly salutatorian who made of what were supposed to be welcome remarks a blistering attack on her school—the sto. Nino Parochial school. Bitter over having to settle for second place, she portrayed the class

valedictorian as the beneficiary of the malice of teachers and of school administrators.

Hell-bent on wrecking what was supposed to have been a memorable day for her classmates, she did make it memorable in a completely and unwelcomely different way: By her tasteless tirade against the school and making things go awry right on graduation day she is by no means the first to gripe about honors. Not

too long ago, i was told that a classmate i had in the elementary grades fretted about being class salutatorian rather than valedictorian, the distinction i received. i did not take offense at all. i found it rather hilarious, ridiculous even, that four decades after, someone was still smarting from an elementary school disappointment, unable, obviously, to move on! But unlike my classmate who had the decency to

With what gumption does she ask this same school to endorse her to an institution of higher learning by certifying to her moral uprightness?

spare the class and its guests from her whining on graduation day, and to whimper about my grandfather having been district supervisor at the time only four decades later

to her mahjong quorum after having downed two beer bottles, Kristell was hell-bent on making the day miserable for all. the emcee’s valiant, but futile attempts, to bring

her unexpected and unwelcome tirade to an end, a vivid proof that she had wrecked what should have been a golden day—because she was not graduating as class valedictorian!

Now she seeks admission to the University of santo tomas that, quite correctly, requires of her a certificate of good moral character from her school of origin—an endorsement that her alma mater (?) is, understandably, unwilling to give

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-

her. after all, such a certificate in fact declaims: “We certify that you, Krisel, are an upright person, who has visited no harm on another out of malice.” rebuffed but again, she has gone to court, asking that a judicial decree issue, compelling the sto.

Nino Parochial school to certify, under compulsion, that she is a person of good moral character.

Where a certificate of good moral character is exacted under threat or

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

pain of penalty, it is no endorsement at all. and if it can be so forced out of a school, then we must regretfully accept that in our sad state of affairs, a certificate of good moral character should no longer be taken seriously, its recital, merely the pointless repetition of a useless ceremony. Were i an administrator of the school, subject to a court order directing the issuance of such a certificate, i would 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

it sPeaKs volumes of the retrograde state of our politics when alliances forged by presidential candidates draw more attention than their advocacies.

When anointments matter more than platforms, when wannabes talk more about politics than policies, then we know that from now to May, substance will play second fiddle to the spin. instead of putting together a plan for the future, and submitting it to the people, aspirants and their backers and brokers cobble together a coalition as if what the nation lacks is politics of addition and not programs of growth.

But we all know that superiority in numbers cannot make up for inferior ideas. it only says that more people are affiliating with the wrong cause.

Now that the starting gun for the race has been fired, we hope that the completion will shift to who has the best program and not on who has the more backers. it should be a battle of who has the smarts and not who has more supporters.

But please don’t get me wrong. This is not a call to delist character as a hiring criteria for the number job in the land.

Values are important. But as we vet the applicants, we should expand our assessment checklist. in fact we should use a different metrics in choosing this nation’s next CeO, a yardstick in which money doesn’t count, political affiliation or following is not the deciding factor, black propaganda is ignored, and surveys do not create bandwagons. let us rather look at his or her programs, examine his or her ideas on how to create a brighter future for our children. in weighing him or her, let us also evaluate his or her track record and see if the wisdom he or she had displayed in the past will be in full abundance when he or she occupies the highest office of the land. it will be a pity, for example, that we don’t warm up to a candidate because he doesn’t brim with charisma.

Or we blackball another because he is boring. We see the blandness and it blinds us to the brilliance of the person.

Or media’s perception of another candidate precedes him, that we don’t give his programs even a furtive glance.

Our perceived notions may have been calcified by cruel memes about him but that shouldn’t prevent us from hearing what he has to say.

Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

A10 Qualities the next leader must have AFTER the President’s last State-ofthe-Nation Address, comments and opinrita linda v. jimeno ions—mostly negative, some positive— flooded media. The presidency has never been an easy job: the people’s expectations are high, the pressures and demands of the position are enormous and the nation’s problems are countless.

Now it is time to move forward. We have the duty to actively take part in choosing the best candidate from among the presidential aspirants. Until we get to change our system of government from the unitary, highly centralized system to one that is authentically decentralized such as a federal/parliamentary form of government, we must keep plodding to seat a candidate with the greatest potential to be an effective and good president and one who does not We need to shed our fear change. chronic cynicism and In a federal/parliamentary form of examine all the bets to government each re- help the best one win. gion or state has the autonomy to determine its direction: what industries to encourage for the greatest good in terms of economic progress; manner of taxation to fund the region’s development; health services and education for its citizens; what infrastructure and public works to build, etc. The objective in a federal form of government is to make each region or state self-sufficient and not dependent on the internal revenue allotment from the central government. If we had a federal/parliamentary from of government in place now, we would not be so shackled with the fear that if we elect a president who will not be good and effective enough as to make each region—not just Metro Manila-- progress, we have to live through another six years of waiting.

In a federal/parliamentary form of government, regions will elect their representatives to parliament and those comprising the parliament will elect from among themselves the head of government. There is thus a better chance that the best of the best is elected as Prime Minister and head of government. There is also great likelihood that the obstacles we now have which hinder the victory of the most competent and qualified will disappear. Under our present system, national elections are won by popularity and name recall. Traditional politicians have an unfair edge because of sheer luck in the ovarian lottery. Thus, the same family names have dominated Congress and the Palace. A candidate who belongs to an old political clan, a movie or TV personality, or is a celebrity’s kin has a decided advantage. Wealth, accumulated legitimately or otherwise, is also a precursor of success in the polls under our present system.

Yet, despite these odds, hope and act we must, to achieve change. And so, for 2016, we need to shed our chronic cynicism and examine all the bets to help the best one win.

What must we look for among the aspiring presidents? In an article by Vijai P. Sharma, Ph.D, about the qualities of the great presidents the United States had, he said that while there are negative traits associated with America’s great presidents, such as stubbornness and disagreeableness, they had exceptional qualities that set them apart.

out of the box

M O N D AY : A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

send in the ghosts PNoY endorsed Mar on the last day of July, “in good taste”, as Mar’s “only lady” Korina Sanchez described.

The other ladies, mother Judy Araneta vda. de Roxas, and sister Ria Roxas vda. de ojeda, proudly beamed when PNoy finally “anointed” Mar as his successor-to-be.

They had to beat the Chinese “ghost month”, or so Chiz Escudero stated in earlier interviews. Which means we cannot expect any declaration from either Grace or Chiz.

Will she, will they… will have to wait until after the ghosts disappear and the mooncakes appear.

Technically, or so my Chinese feng shui expert texted, the ghost month begins 13 August and ends 12 September this year. But because some ghosts are early birds, best to do something “significant” before the ninth of August. And because some ghosts are slowpokes, and linger on earth even after their month of roaming terminates, better likewise to postpone such “significant” matters a week after the 12th of September.

If Grace and Chiz do not know these inauspicious timelines yet, then now they know. But Grace is “kapamilya” of movie actors and producers, who always make sure they launch their movies on auspicious dates. Some very good actors are sometimes unfairly considered box-office jinxes by producers and directors of the Mother Lily variety.

And after all, Grace’s mother, that fine lady Susan Sonora, has Chinese ancestors from Negros.

Davao’s Digong Duterte quietly resumed his “listening tour” in Monkayo town in Davao del Norte at the same time PNoy was “anointing” his Mar last Friday, also an auspicious date for the Chinese. Not that I suppose Digong was aware of nor afraid of ghosts. The night before, a Southern Luzon city mayor and his council supped with

So i See lito banayo the mayor in his “safest city”, and were enthralled by the fact that the tough-talking, fearless kilabot of the criminals was actually so charming and so friendly. on Saturday, the first of August, Digong went to Cagayan de oro, and on Sunday, to the lovely island of Camiguin where my friend JJ Romualdo holds court. And then he “invades” Luzon once more. He has taken a leave of absence from his chores as city mayor, and his “pushers” hope that by the time the “ghosts” leave planet earth, he will have made up his mind about running for the highest post in the land.

For those presidential drumbeaters who keep mentioning Duterte as a possible running-mate of their principals --- perish the thought.

The guy turned 70 last March 28, two years younger than Veep Binay. Both for Binay and Duterte, it’s 2016 or never.

So, when the “ghosts” disappear, the declarations begin. Not necessarily tandems, because it looks like who end up as as numero dos to the four presidentiables would be cliffhangers till the deadline of 16 october.

As I stated months ago, we should have at least four major presidential candidates to choose from come 2016.

As for the public pollsters, they will do their field research on or about the first week of September, and announce their findings on or about the end of the ghost month.

Albay governor Joey Salceda predicts a big bump for Mar, PNoy’s choice. In the last Pulse Asia survey where respondents were asked to choose who they would vote for had elections been held on the first

Three psychologists, according to Sharma, interviewed 100 presidential historians and experts. These experts rated presidents on their psychological characteristics and behavior for the five years before they became president. These psychologists with the help of the historians identified the characteristics and qualities of the ten greatest presidents of the US, namely, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Andrew Jackson, Dwight Eisenhower, and James Madison.

Topping the list of qualities of great presidents is striving for achievement with high aspirations for one’s own self and for the country. Ambition coupled with competence is next but the author emphasized that ambition without competence and superior intellectual ability is inconsequential. Capacity for hard work and persistence are among the most important traits of good presidents. “Presidents who succeed set ambitious goals for themselves and move heaven and earth

week of June, Mar rated 10 percent, behind Duterte’s 15 percent, Binay’s much-reduced 22 percent, and Grace’s amazing 30 percent.

How would the four rate by the first days of September? Whom would be spooked by the ghosts, and whom would they favor? Salceda believes his guy Mar would be much favored, and would hit the 20s after PNoy’s much-awaited endorsement. After all, Roxas is from Capiz, if that’s what his soul-mate Joey means.

If so, where would the added votes come from? From Grace, if the “amazement” wears off somewhat?

From Binay, whose reaction his family friend’s endorsement of his sworn enemy was an ungallant taunt? “People will recall that I already beat him before,” Binay reacted, with a smirk, while pumping flesh in John-Vic Remulla’s Cavite on the day the yellows flocked to Club Filipino.

Will Digong’s declarations that he was disinterested in the presidency affect his 15 percent two months back? Would his singing and dancing in Gandang Gabi Vice which reverberated in social media neutralize the negative impact (if any) of his denials? or would his numbers increase, slowly but surely?

What would the September numbers of Mayor Erap be? or Senadora Miriam’s? or Ping Lacson’s? Would Pulse now include Bongbong Marcos in the large pool of its presidentiables, now that the pair of oliver Lozano and Jose Malvar Villegas announced him as their choice? And if Pulse does, what would those numbers be?

Enough to make Congresswoman Imelda smile widely? What about Alan Cayetano, whose infomercials have not stopped, well beyond the survey period?

The fog of seeming uncertainty will clear only after the ghosts have left.

Meanwhile, send in the ghosts.

And enjoy their play.

to meet them” say the researchers.

Great presidents tend to be open minded. They are attentive to their emotions. They are willing to question traditional values and try new ways of doing things. But, when it comes to faith and morals, they are traditional in morals and tend to rely on leadership from church and religious figures on these matters, the study said.

Great presidents are imaginative and more interested in art and beauty than the less successful presidents.

They are “tender minded,” with great concern for the less fortunate. Great presidents have exceptional ability to tolerate stress and adversity, the study said. Finally, the study said, the single quality most consistently associated with presidential greatness is assertiveness.

In 2016, it would help if we assess who, among the growing number of aspirants, exhibit the traits the great presidents of America had.

Email: ritalindaj@gmail.com Visit: www.jimenolaw.com.ph

M O N D AY : A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A11

THE SURPRISINGLY GREEN OLYMPICS

By Adam Minter AFTER years of running bloated Olympic Games criticized for their environmental records, the International Olympic Committee decided to make sustainability a goal, using sport as a way to promote better development. Under IOC President Thomas Bach in 2014, it inaugurated Olympic Agenda 2020, a set of 40 reform principles designed to make the Olympics a “plugand-play” event: Host cities would be chosen in part because the games already fit into their environments and would do minimal damage.

At first glance, Beijing -- a city perhaps best known for its smog, not for its snow -- is

an unlikely showcase for this approach and for the 2022 Winter Olympics, which it was awarded Friday. In 2008, the Beijing Summer Games were a major construction project that permanently transformed the landscape. But it’s precisely that history that allows the IOC to further its green goals.

Agenda 2020’s influence on the bids considered this week at the IOC’s meetings in Kuala Lumpur was unmistakable. Both Beijing and its competitor, Almaty, Kazakhstan, emphasized the minimal amount of construction they’d undertake.

Beijing promised to reuse 11 of 12 venues built for 2008, including the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium and the Water

ALLIANCES... From A9 We don’t need to buy what they have all to say, but we need to immerse ourselves with what they plan to do and who they really are so that when decision time comes ours is a product of our own discernment.

We can only do that if candidates and parties start talking about the issues we care about, about the problems we confront, and our fears about the future of our children that we grapple with.

We should practice demand-side politics, in which we ventilate what we want, instead of being passive consumers of the inanities they feed us.

Take for example our being enamored by love teams, be it of the showbiz or the political kind. It has become a national pastime of sorts to conjure tandems which could be a hit in the box office or

the ballot box.

So in addition to showbiz pairs that sport welded names, what also captures the public imagination are possible presidential-and-vice presidential combinations.

In assembling a possible ticket, several formulas are followed: there is the NorthSouth ticket for the sake of geographical balance, a male-female team up for gender equality, and, this comes from a friend, a bright partner to shore up the competence factor of a candidate with an IQ deficiency.

And wait, there’s another one, hitching a popular running mate to a bright candidate the masa finds boring. Or a curtain raiser that will draw the crowds and warm them up.

Instead of issues, possible political love teams dominate the discourse. The “what ifs” are being gauged for their blockbuster potentials. The air is full of trial balloons.

MALLARI... From A9 word it thus: “In compliance with the order of the Honorable Court, I hereby certify that Krisel Mallari is a person of good moral character, as decreed by the Honorable Court” —and then, then ridiculous-

#FAILOCRACY

Cube swimming center, which will be used for curling.

Unlike Almaty, which already had the ski slopes, Beijing will need to build them on land just outside a national park.

But that’s nothing compared with the 2014 Sochi Games’ massive construction program and $51 billion budget. In contrast, Beijing 2022’s $3.1 billion budget is shockingly modest.

As important as Beijing 2022’s small construction footprint will be, the bid’s lasting impact on the people of Beijing and the surrounding region is potentially even more so. In particular, the city’s commitment to cleaning up the air in advance of the games -- though it echoes

similar promises from 2008 -- is far more credible now. In 2008, the anti-smog provisions were focused specifically on mitigating problems in Beijing, and polluting facilities were oftentimes simply moved out of the city into surrounding regions. After the games, the smog returned with a vengeance.

That won’t be an option in 2022. First, China already has an anti-smog program under way that has nothing to do with the Olympics, and in seven years it’ll probably be producing considerably better air. Second, the skiing events will be held in the mountains of Zhangjiakou, a small town in Hebei, China’s most polluted province. Fixing the

On stories about them, I suspect that they’re being deliberately leaked not just to keep the actors in the limelight but in order for big data analytics to measure our response.

In my view there is nothing wrong in drawing up possible tie-ups.

But what is disturbing is when dreamed up presidential-vice presidential tickets hog headlines, rivet our attention and become the number one national topic of discussion.

There are other issues —real, urgent, important—that should preoccupy us and those who court our support.

These conjured “political riding in tandems” may have the kilig factor, but it is the gut issues – high food prices, traffic congestion, lack of jobs, the poor state of our health system – that we all must focus on.

Other more sexy topics may trend,

ness of it all would be apparent.

She cannot have her cake and eat it too. She minced no words about casting her school in the most unfavorable light. With what gumption does she ask this same school to endorse her to an institution of higher learning by certifying to her moral uprightness? I

air there will require longterm regional solutions. If successful, those solutions could have a lasting, positive effect for all of north China.

Nonetheless, the burden of proof is on Beijing for 2022, and the narrow 44-40 vote is a reminder that many people are far from convinced that China can meet it. For now, Beijing stands as the torch-bearer for a new kind of Olympics.

Bloomberg

CHASING HAPPY ADELLE CHUA Ms. Chua’s column will resume next week.

more so if they can be compressed in 145-character missives, but these provide us entertainment, but if we’re looking for enlightenment, they’re in boring topics like how to generate manufacturing jobs.

Sadly, it will be hard to ignore the antics of wannabes. Every move they make, choreographed by their handlers, make it to the evening news.

Their utterances, no matter how insignificant, are retold, retailed, and magnified. But what can we do? Even body language metamorphoses into news headlines.

This explains why puff pieces and praise releases on them have been frequently appearing in all forms of media. Even text brigades with their nasty messages have been roused from their sleep.

We’re being feed messages low in intellectual content. It’s time to ask them: Where’s the beef?

hope that the court makes short shrift of this maneuver, so undeserving of any honorable mention! rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

CHONG ARDIVILLA

m o n day : augus t 3 , 2 0 1 5

A12

sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Ronda is world’s baddest woman

By Randy Caluag

AFTER all the trash talking and speculations, American Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey left no doubt as to who the baddest woman in the planet is.

Wanting to make a bold statement, Rousey didn’t go for her patented armbar and takedown and went inside the striking world of Brazilian Bethe Correia in the world’s mostawaited showdown between two undefeated lady cage warriors.

Rousey beat Correia in her own game, winning by knockout in just 34 seconds of the first round to retain her world women’s bantamweight title in UFC 190 yesterday in Brazil.

Rousey travelled thousands of miles to meet who was dubbed as her worthiest opponent in the cage in Correia, a striking specialist, who at the time was undefeated.

Correia, earlier vowed that she would be the one to retire undefeated, but Rousey, however, had another plan, which she crafted masterfully. And it didn’t take long for her to see the best opportunity.

“The plan was to overwhelm her with punches and allow her to make

the clinch first—and that’s exactly what happened,” said Rousey, who now has unblemished record of 12 MMA wins, six of them in the UFC. There was no touch of gloves when the bell rang. Rousey went at Correia right away, landing several uppercuts before cornering her foe. Rousey continued with here relentless attack and as Correia moved away, the American landed with a big right hook that landed on the left temple of her rival.

Correia fell sideways and hit the floor.

Referee John Mcarthy didn’t even have to count as he halted the fight for Rousey, who dedicated her victory to departed professional wrestler Rowdy Piper.

Rousey

Danny Garcia (right) lands a punch against Paulie Malignaggi during their welterweight bout at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

AFP

Garcia stuns Malignaggi LOUD-MOUTHeD Paulie Malignaggi was busted by former unified junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia, who moved up to welterweight and stopped the former at the Barclays Center in New York on Sunday (Manila time).

Malignaggi, who has incurred the ire of Filipino fight fans over his constant insinuations that eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao was on performance-enhancing drugs, had his mouth effectively shut

by Garcia.

The champ hurt Malignaggi often, even as he busted his face and opened up a cut above his eye, before referee Arthur Mercante Jr. called a halt to the mismatch at 2:22 of Round 9.

The World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council super-lightweight champion remained undefeated in 31 professional fights when the cut under Malignaggi’s right eye, forced referee Arthur Mercante Jr. to end the one-way welterweight bout With only seven knockouts in 40 fights – 33 wins and seven defeats – Malignaggi never posed any threat to the 27-year-old Philadelphian.

Garcia had overcome former world champions in his past 10 bouts and proved unbeatable against the likes of Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse and Zab Judah.

He beat Lamont Peterson on a majority decision in April this year, but returned to his habit of finishing fights early by wearing Malignaggi down.

USJ-R Jaguars win Cebu cage opener THe University of San Jose Recoletos Jaguars scored a big 85-68 win on opening day of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CeSAFI), showing grit and toughness throughout their game against the University of Cebu before a wildly cheering crowd at the Cebu Coliseum on Saturday.

The Jaguars took control of the game from the start, until the UC Webmasters caught fire in the second quarter to cut the lead to five points midway through the period.

But the Jaguars, coached by veteran Jun Noel of Mama’s Love fame, quickly regrouped towards the end of the first half before building their biggest lead of the game at the end of the third quarter, 70-48, and coasting to victory.

Viva Sports’ RV panelists Rico Navarro and Sandy Grumo selected Mark Labares as “Best Player of the Game,” as he led the Jaguars with 16 points, two of which were from beyond the three-point arc in a torrid 6 of 8 shooting clip from the field.

Kevin Villafranca and Ricky Peromingan scored 10 points apiece, while UC’s earl Montilla

finished with 17 points and Justine Dacalos added 14 in a losing effort.

In the Juniors’ Division, the UC Junior Webmasters fought off a spirited challenge by the USJR Baby Jaguars and kept their composure down the stretch to win, 54-49, with Froilan Mangubat registering the first doubledouble of the tournament of 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Former basketball player and coach Chito Narvasa, who assumed his post as Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner on Aug. 1, was guest speaker and in a brief, well-received address, emphasized the important contribution of CeSAFI to Philippine basketball, pointing out that “it is here in CeSAFI, where the best player in the country right now began his career.”

He cited June Mar Fajardo, back-to-back MVP winner in the PBA, and who also won the Sportsmanship Award, the Best Player of the Conference and Finals’ MVP accolade .

“Cebu has produced the best players in the country, and CeSAFI will

always play a vital role. And with the partnership of Viva Sports, I can see many Cebuano players becoming PBA players some day,” said Narvasa.

Mikey Izumi Box scores: 1st Game (Jrs.): UC (54) -- Mangubat 17, Abejo 15, Gabisan 5, ecal 5, Umpad 4, Cuyos 2, Malubay 2, Labrada 2, Pando 2, Santome 0, Soco 0, Intrampas 0, Cabansay 0, Hemida 0.

USJ-R (49) -- Ibero 12, Teleron 11, Ortiz 8, Gonzaga 6, Dela Cruz 5, enriquez 4, Ando 2, Cruz 1, Camacho 0, Dado 0, Bascon 0, Himmelsbach 0.

Quarter Scores: 11-14; 21-27; 45-40; 54-49.

2nd Game (Srs.): USJ-R (85) -- Labares 16, Villafranca 10, Peromingan 10, Dinolan 8, Mantilla 8, Risma 7, Navarra 6, Senining 6, Gastador 5, Moral 4, Bayhonan 3, Paon 2.

UC (68) -- Montilla 17, Dacalos 14, Puerto 8, Suelto 7, Codilla 4, Mayol 4, Tagudin 4, Jabello 4, Culango 4, Dumat-ol 2, Grafilo 0.

Quarter Scores: 22-18; 40-26; 70-48; 85-68.

CESAFI: A force in college basketball (Conclusion)

By Ronnie Nathanielsz CeBU collegiate basketball is steeped in a history of its own with the CeSAFI as its “new” name. Among the current players seeing action in the PBA aside from Fajardo and Slaughter and veteran shooting star Dondon Hontiveros, are Cyrus Baguio and Rob Labagala, JR Quinahan, Brian Heruela and eloy Poligrates.

However, through the years, there have been a number of players out of Cebu, who carved a name for themselves in the pro league, including four-time MVP Ramon “el Presidente” Fernandez, twotime winner Abet Guidaben, Cabahug, Solis, Jojo Lastimosa, Dondon Ampalayo, the Tuadles brothers Arnie and Calvin, Bernie Fabiosa, Junthy Valenezuela, Willie Generalao, Rhoel Gomez, Freddie Abuda, Yoyong Martirez, Bonel Balingit, Ponky Alolor, Zaldy Realubut, Ric Ric Marata, Padim Israel, Jake Rojas and many more.

In the Freeman newspaper’s list of the 85 “Greatest Cebuano Athletes” was the name of Lauro Mumar, who in 1946 led the San Carlos University of Cebu to the first post-war Inter-Collegiate basketball championship before he transferred to Letran college and led the team to the 1950 NCAA championship. Mumar was a member of the Philippine national team that bagged a historic bronze medal during the 1954 World Basketball Championships in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Mumar also had a stint in the 1948 London Olympics.

Manny Paner, a stalwart from the University of Visayas, despite standing only 6’2” was the original big man in the PBA and a member of the Philippine Youth team in the 1970 World Youth Basketball Championships in Seoul, South Korea and was the first PBA one-on-one king. He also saw action in the 1972 Munich Olympics and in the 1974 World Basketball Championships in Puerto Rico.

And who can forget an institution in Cebu sports and politics, eduardo “eddie” Gullas, regarded as the first Cebuano basketball tactician to win the “Coach of the Year” in 1957 on the very same year that he steered the UV Lancers to the National Inter-Collegiate title with a historic 74-63 victory over Ateneo in the finals in the first televised game in Philippine basketball history .

Indeed, the history and the unbridled passion of Cebu basketball are etched in our individual and collective memories as CeSAFI and Viva Sports embark on the road to building new stars and projecting the worthy values and virtues of CeSAFI and Cebu basketball to an excited audience eagerly looking forward to a renais-

m o n day : augus t 3 , 2 0 1 5

sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Angelica “Gica” Limjoco (left) and Jerich Farr banner the Isuzu D-MAX Cycling Team.

Merritt, Chappell lead; Tiger falters GAINESVILLE—Troy Merritt fired a tournament record 10-under par 61 Saturday to share the PGA Quicken Loans National lead with Kevin Chappell while Tiger Woods struggled and fell out of contention.

Merritt, a 29-year-old American ranked 180th in the world, birdied the first five holes and finished with 11 birdies against a lone bogey in the third round at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

That left Merritt level with countryman Chappell atop the leaderboard on 14-under 199 after 54 holes with US star Rickie Fowler one stroke back.

“The big thing is we put ourselves in contention,” Merritt said. “I hit the ball really well and got a lot out of it. I think we’re going to have a decent chance.”

Fowler is coming off wins at the Players Championship in May and the Scottish Open three weeks ago while Merritt and Chappell each seek their first PGA title.

“I’m hitting the ball great,” Chappell said. “Shoot the lowest score tomorrow and I win. That’s the goal.”

The old tournament record of 62 was shared by Americans Hunter

Mahan and Anthony Kim from 2009 at Congressional Country Club and Nick Watney from 2011 at Aroniminik.

Tournament host Woods sprayed shots all day on his way to a 74 to stand on 208, sharing 42nd after starting the day level fifth.

“Basically it was a fight all day,” Woods said. “Fought through it the best I could. I was hitting the ball left on the range warming up.

Couldn’t quite get comfortable.”

Woods, a 14-time major champion who has not won a major since the 2008 US Open, is on a two-year win drought after struggling with injuries and swing changes the past two seasons.

Fowler fired a 68, highlighted by a 70-foot birdie putt at the par-3 fourth.

“The 70-footer is a bonus,” Fowler said. “That’s one you’re just hoping to two-putt and stay away from making bogey. So little luck there.”

Merritt, who missed the cut in his past five starts, matched his career low, a 61 last April at the Heritage.

Chappell, ranked 152nd, and Merritt, ranked 180th, have similar tales. Each has his lone pro win in a developmental tour event and has a PGA runner-up finish, Merritt last year at Memphis and Chappell at the 2011 Texas Open and 2013 Memorial.

Merritt began his record day with a 30-footer that set the tone, following with birdie putts of 13, six and 11 feet and an approach inches from the cup for a tap-in at five.

The run ended when Merritt left an 18-foot birdie effort short at six. His approach at seven was two inches from the cup for a tap-in birdie, but he gave back a shot at the eighth, missing a six-foot par putt.

Merritt ran off four birdies in a row starting at the 12th, all on putts of about 10 feet, and added another from that distance at 17. AFP

A13

Isuzu D-Max cyclists on a roll THE Isuzu D-MAX Cycling Team, powered by the Isuzu D-MAX, has done it again. Unlike last year where they sent team for the triathlon events, this time the team has decided to focus on its core competency of two disciplines in biking, which are the Cross Country and Downhill Category.

The team, now composed of both young and professional bikers has chalked up some strong finishes in different mountain biking competitions and multi-sports events held this year. Coach Frederick “Eboy” Farr, a consistent podium finisher in the expert’s category of various mountain-bike racing events, has brought out excellence and servitude to the team.

“The achievements of the Isuzu D-MAX Cycling Team members are truly something to be proud of,” said Isuzu Philippines Corporation President Hajime Koso. “Again, the team has shown that their toughness, excellence and competitiveness embody the very same qualities that the Isuzu D-MAX is known for, with our pickup more than able to meet the transportation requirements of people who lead active lifestyles.”

The Downhill Category Still the front liners are the father and son tandem of Frederick and Jerich Farr who since the creation of the team in 2011 has seen multiple podium finishes in their respective age and group category. The father emerged as the top place winner during these events: ASEAN MTB Cup 2015 in Danao City Cebu; the National Series 1st Leg in Laoag City, Ilocos Sur; DROP National Series in La Union; 3rd Atong Cup Downhill in Bataan; March 2015, Rock the Drop Downhill and the Enduro 40 and Up, Narvacan Mountain Bike Challenge in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. His son, meanwhile, Jerich Farr, who started out as a young boy aspiring to be like his father is already competing under the Professional Category and has been competing in prestigious biking competitions here and abroad; Jerich finished strong during the DROP National Series and Fox National Series and even championed the Enduro Open Category of the 2015 Narvacan Mountain Bike Challenge held last May 23 and 24.

The Cross Country Category Meanwhile, in the Cross Country Category, the lone female biker Angelica “Gica” Limjoco is also making noise in both the women’s open and elite category. She currently competes in both Cross Country and Triathlon races, having won second place in the Women’s Open category at the 2015 Xtrail Cup Pampanga and 5th Shimano Dirt and Play in Alabang. She also grabbed the silver medal for the Women’s Elite category at 2015 Narvacan Mountain Bike Challenge.

SMART jins bag 13 medals in Korea Open THE SMART/MVP Sports Foundation taekwondo squad did the country proud again by bagging 13 medals, including two golds, in the recent Korea Open championships at Chuncheon Gangwon-do, South Korea.

Junior kyorugi (free sparring) campaigner Beatrice Kassandra Gaerlan and the poomsae (forms) senior women’s team of Rinna Babanto, Jocel Lyn Ninobla and Juvenile Faye Crisostomo produced the Filipinos’ gold medals in the tough, prestigious tournament.

The SMART/MVP SF team also captured three silver and eight bronze medals in the week-long event which drew the participation of 2,500 athletes from 50 countries.

Junior kyorugi bet Rryshel Jasmin Ramirez and senior kyorugi fighter Veronica Garces and the poomsae senior women’s mixed pair of Patrick King Perez and Robiegayle Lee Navales pocketed the silvers.

The Filipino bronze winners were poomsae senior women’s individual performers Crisostomo, who was also a part of the gold-medal champion team, and Elizabeth Cesista, and junior kyorugi bets Mayn Yengele Coran, Raymundo Alombro III, Gian Carlo Gutierrez and Sal Luigi Estrada and senior kyorugi bets Jenar Torillos and Pauline Louise Lopez.

“Our athletes deserve commendations for their auspicious showing. Their long, rigorous training paid off,” said Philippine Taekwondo Association CEO Sung Chon Hong.

The Filipino winners display their medals after the award ceremony. They are (from left) Elizabeth Cesista, Sal Luigi Estrada, Gian Carlo Gutierrez, Raymundo Alombro III, Mayn Yengele Coran, Rryshel Jasmin Ramirez, Beatrice Kassandra Gaerlan, Veronica Garces, Jenar Torillos, Pauline Louise Lopez, Patrick King Perez, Robiegayle Lee Navales, Jocel Lyn Ninobla, Rinna Babanto and Juvenile Faye Crisostomo.

m o n day : augus t 3 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS A14 Novisad whips Manila North for Fiba title sports@thestandard.com.ph

By Peter Atencio

DEFENDING world champion Novisad AlWahda of the United Arab Emirates limited Manila North to just a point with their hustle plays in the first three minutes and went on to grab the Manila Masters’ crown of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour yesterday at the Orosa Atrium of Robinson’s Place in Malate Ermita.

The WBO Oriental superbantamweight belt is wrapped around Bernabe Concepcion after his TKO win over Fuma Gundi of Tanzania on Friday night at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Concepcion kayoes Tanzanian in Round 2

By Randy Caluag FILIPINO Bernabe Concepcion needed just four minutes and a single, devastating right hook to convince himself and his handlers that he’s back.

On Friday night at the Cuneta Astrodome, the former world featherweight title contender proved bigger and stronger in the lighter weight division as he dropped Tanzanian Guma Fundi with one big punch to bag the World Boxing Organization Oriental superbantamweight title.

After sizing up his opponent in the first round, Concepcion turned on the heat in the second, unleashing a thunderous right hook that hit the left side of the head of Fundi, who dropped like a sack of potatoes on the canvass.

He managed to stand after the count of 10, although he was still wobbly. Seeing this, referee Danrex Tapdasan signaled the end of the bout at exactly 56 seconds of the second round for the TKO win by Concepcion, who improved to 34 wins (20 KOs), 6 losses, 2 draws.

Concepcion took a shot twice at the

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES PROVINCE OF BATANGAS MUNICIPALITY OF BAUAN Bids and Awards Committee Municipal Government of Bauan Bauan, Batangas Standard Form Number: SF-INFR-05 Revised on: July 29, 2004 INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID The Municipal Government of Bauan, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC),invites contractors registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to apply for eligibility and if found eligible,to bid for the hereunder contract: APPROVED MODE PROJECT TITLE/ PROJECT BUDGET SOURCE DESCRIPTION OF LOCATION REF. NO. FOR THE OF FUND PURCHASE CONTRACT Construction of MultiSupply of Function Training labor 6,488,000.00 General Center at Poblacion, BINFR-2015-33 materials, Fund and equipment Bauan, Batangas

Bidding

Prospective bidders should possess a valid PCAB License applicable to the contract, have completed a similar contract with a value of at least 50% of the ABC, and have key personnel and equipment (listed in the Eligibility Forms) available for the prosecution of the contract. The BAC will use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria in the Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids. The BAC will conduct post qualification of the lowest calculated bid.

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

superfeatherweight crown but failed. He swears he is now more comfortable and feels stronger in the bantamweight class.

Concepcion’s manager Ryan Gabriel of the Arci Promotion was also convinced that his ward is a cut above the rest in the division and is ready to take on the elite fighters.

“There is a big plan for Concepcion to have two or three defenses of his title for him to be ripe again for another shot at world title,” said Gabriel, who revealed that Concepcion is being arranged to be included in the one of the undercards of Golden Boy Promotion in the US. “If this will not materialize immediately, we will proceed with the his first title defense against Chris Avalos in October.”

The American Avalos boasts of a 25-3-0 fight record and claimed several Filipinos as victims, including Drian Francisco in 2012 in Texas.

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

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Estate of Maria C. Luna (“Decedent”) was settled under the terms set forth in the “Affidavit of Adjudication of Estate with Deed of Absolute Sale” executed by Aurelio C. Luna and registered as Doc. No. 06106 Series of 2015 with the Consulate General of the Philippines, New York, New York, United States of America with Notarial Certificate of Vice Consul Khrystina P. Corpuz.

TS-AUGUST 3,10,17, 2015)

Republic of the Philippines C AV I T E S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y (C v S U ) D o n S eve r i n o d e a l a s C a m p u s I n d a n g , c av i t e (0 4 6) 415 010 /415 - 0 011 415 - 0 012 INVITATION TO BID Cavite State University, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites all interested bidders to bid for the following project: Project

The complete schedule of BAC activities is listed, as follows: SCHEDULE

1. Receipt of LOI including Application for Eligibility

August 04, 2015

2. Issuance of Eligibility Forms

August 04, 2015

3. Receipt of Eligibility Requirements

August 06, 2015

4. Notice of Results of Eligibility Check 5. Issuance of Bid Documents

August 07, 2015 August 07 - 24, 2015

6. Pre-Bid Conference

August 10, 2015

7. Receipt and Opening of Bids

August 24, 2015

The BAC will issue bidding documents only to bidders declared by the BAC to be eligible for the bidding upon payment of non-refundable amount to the Municipal Government Cashier.

The Municipal Government of Bauan assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of Bauan reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to declare the bidding a failure, not to award the contract, to annul the bidding process, to waive any defects or informalities therein, without thereby incurring any liabilities to the affected bidders and to accept the proposal considered most advantageous to the Government.

Approved by: (SGD.) Dr. NOEL C. BAUTISTA Chairman, BAC (TS-JULY 31/AUG. 3, 2015)

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Contract Duration

PhP41,186,062.37

270 CD

1. Construction of Five Storey Interdisciplinary

ACTIVITIES

Dusan Domovic Bulut scored from the outside and from within in the first four minutes, giving Novisad a comfortable cushion before posting a 21-14 triumph over the Manila North.

Novisad’s big lead came right after Vic Manuel almost came to blows with Marko Savic the moment the cagers from UAE quickly took a 4-1 advantage.

The 6’3” Bulut, who said he enjoyed the presence of a big Sunday crowd, which came and cheered the two teams on, charged at the basket and struck with six points to hand Novisad a 9-3 lead in the last 5:52.

Then, two of three 2-pointers coming from Dejan Majstorovic helped widen their lead further, 15-5.

“It’s really amazing to play in a mall before a crowd. They (Manila North) are a tough team.

They played really good,” said Bulut as he led Novisad to another stint in the World finals in Abu Dhabi in October.

Manila North still managed to come back, behind attacks underneath from Manuel and Troy Rosario, closing the gap by seven, 8-15.

But free throws from Marko Zdero and Bulut allowed Novisad to keep their distance, 19-8.

“Mabigat ang nakalaban namin. Hindi namin expected ito. May set play sila at may galaw. Kaya nga sila world champion,” said Calvin Abueva, who was limited in scoring by Zdero’s tight watch on him.

In the semifinals, Manuel penetrated twice in the last 15 seconds to lift Manila North to a 21-18 upset of reigning champion Manila West.

Abueva led with 10 points for Manila North, which went into the finals against Novi Sad AlWahda, a 21-18 winner over Doha.

Prospective bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained tn the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the ‘Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Govemment Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnership, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizen of the Philippines.

Bidding Documents may also be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Govemment Electronic Procurement System (PhiIGEPS) and CvSU Website, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The schedule of activities is listed as follows: 1. Issu.ance of Bidding Documents

August 3,2015 (8:00 AM)

2. Pre-bid Conference 3. Submission and Opening of Bids

August 12,2015 (3:00 PM) at S. L. Lasap Hall, CvSU, Indang, Cavite August 24, 2015 (3:00 PM) at S. L. Lasap Hall, CvSU,.lndang, Cavite

All particulars relative to Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, PostQualification and Award of Contract shall be govemed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

Interested bidders may purchase a complete set of Bidding Documents from the address below upon payment of the following nonrefundable fee: Project Construction of Five Storey Interdisciplinary Research, Phase I

Amount of Bidding Documents PhP30,000.00

.

Pre-bid Conference shall be open only to all interested bidders who have purchased the Bidding Documents. Bids must be delivered to the Office of the BAC Chairman, Administration Building, CvSU, Indang, Cavite on or before the above mentioned date and time. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forins and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ authorized representatives who choose to attend the bidding. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Cavite State University assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid.

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

(SGD) MA. AGNES P. NUESTRO, Ph.D. BAC Chairman 1F Administration Building Don Severino delas Alas Campus Cavite State University Indang, CaVite .

(046~ 862-0806 I 862-0853 I 415-0014 loc. 270 or 209

( T S - A U G U S T 3 & 10 , 2 015 )

Softbelles gear up for world meet D E L A WA R E — A s part of its buildup for the 2015 World Series Girls Big League Softball Championship set to kick off on Sunday (Monday, Manila time) at the sprawling Pyles Center in Lower Sussex, Team Manila – Philippines held three days of grueling training and acclimatization sessions at the state-of-the-art sports facilities of the St. John’s University in New York before proceeding to this County here.

The Big City softbelles, composed of the finest 18-under UAAP batters from University of Sto. Tomas, National University, University of the East, and UAAP girls softball champions Adamson University, is gearing up for its bid to reclaim the world crown it won in the 2012 edition of the prestigious event.

M O N DAY : AUGUS T 3 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Cebuanos clash in volley finale

By Peter Atencio

A CLASH for the crown from among the country’s top Visayan spikers is on.

This emerged after Cebuana hotshot Danica Gendrauli and her Gilligan’s partner Norie Diaz arranged a finals’ showdown with old rival Fiola Ceballos and new teammate Patty Orendain of the Foton Tornadoes last Saturday in the PLDT Home Ultera Philippine Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup 2015 at The Sands of the SM Mall of Asia.

Gendrauli and Diaz sizzled with their short volleys to the net in the third set to put away Cignal HD Spikers April Rose Hingpit and Wensh Tiu, 25-23, 18-25, 15-3.

After that, Ceballos and Orendain struck hard with their power game to turn back the Foton Hurricanes duo of Bea Tan and Pau Soriano, 21-18, 21-16.

For Gendrauli and Ceballos, this will be their second clash

in two years after they met in the regionals of the 2013 Nestea tournament, while with different partners.

SM By the Bay A’s Jade Becaldo and Hach Gilbuen will be facing Champion Infinity B’s Marjun Alingasa and Tippy Tipgos for the crown in the men’s division “Sila Fiola ang challenge.

Malakas sila,” said Gendrauli, a 24-year-old Cebuana, who used to play for Southwestern University.

Reception errors allowed Hingpit and Tiu to grab the last two points in the first set.

In the second set, Diaz took charge, unleashing a pair of long placement shots to the backline to force a decisive third set.

It was Diaz’s ace and Gendrauli’s placement shot to the back, which allowed Gilligan’s to move ahead, 5-1, in the third.

On the other hand, the Tornadoes drew two big points off a pair of killshots from Orendain during a 5-1 run which got them out of 13-10 lead, and into a 16-10 edge in the first set.

Ceballos took control with her attacks at the net, which yielded the Tornadoes a 19-14 edge.

“Familiar ako sa laro ni Danica, nakaharap ko na sila dati,” said Ceballos.

Hingpit and Tiu moved into the semis following a 21-14, 2118, win over Meralco’s Jem Gutierrez and Jusabelle Brillo in the quarterfinals, while Tan and Soriano eased out Petron XCS bets Gretchen Ho and Charo Soriano, 21-12, 19-21, 15-7.

Ceballos and Orendain got into a semis clash with Tan and Soriano after they put away Philips Gold’s Rossan Fajardo and Ailene Abuel, 21-11, 21-12. Gendrauli and Diaz claimed the last semis slot when they prevailed over Amy’s Samantha Dawson and Marleen Cortel.

Tippy Tipgos and Marjun Alingasa of Champion Infinity-B celebrate their upset win over Cignal HD-A, 2123, 22-20, 15-10, on Saturday to snatch one of the championship slots in the PLDT Home Ultera Philippine Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup 2015 powered by Smart Live More at the Sands By the Bay in SM Mall of Asia. ROMAN PROSPERO

Australian

From A16 second and third place. All three were so tired after their lungbusting duel they had to be helped to the medical stations on stretchers to be resuscitated.

Maria Hodges took second place behind Torres. Trailing her are Maria Hodges, LC Langit and Maria Victoria Jopson.

Clayton Fettel of Australia was first out of the water in the swim. By the transition to the bike Sam Betten and McMahon were already one and two in the lead. They were followed closely

by Jacobs, Reed, Matt Franklin and Van Berkel.

Steffen was first out of the water trailed by Haesner and Granger.

The Philippines’ LC Langit was fourth overall, followed by LeeDuke and Gerdes.

Granger took over the lead in Bike Split 1 at the 29 km mark.

Following her were Steffen, Haesner, Lee-Duke and Gerdes.

LC Langit led all Filipinas followed

by Torres, Hodges and Jenny Rose Guerrero.

Reed vaulted into the lead in Bike Split 1 at the 29 km mark.

He was followed by McMahon, Van Berkel, Alexander, McKenzie, Franklin, Fettel,

Do we really need to worry?

COME to think of it, the Philippines may still have a very competitive or at best, a slightly better team than the highly-successful 2013 Gilas Pilipinas squad.

Filipino basketball fans are slowly feeling disappointed after learning that a good number of the 2013 Gilas Pilipinas core may be unavailable for the next National team that will aim for an Olympic slot next month in China.

Ginebra star point guard LA Tenorio already begged off claiming that four straight years of playing basketball is now seriously taking its toll on his performance.

Two-time PBA Most Valuable Player JuneMar Fajardo and Ginebra’s high-flying forward Japeth Aguilar are nursing injuries that need crucial respites.

Marc Pingris will miss nearly two weeks of training camp as he is still in France vacationing with his family until Aug. 12, something which new coach Tab Baldwin feels will be disadvantageous for both the player and the team.

Rain or Shine’s Jeff Chan, Paul Lee and Gabe Norwood, if reports are true, are said to be being barred by management to join the team.

Also being ‘prevented’, as stated by various reports, are players who are under contract with San Miguel Corporation teams.

In looking at the remaining players who may comprise Gilas 3.0, is there really a reason for basketball fans to feel negative about the developments happening at the moment?

We say “at the moment,” because we were told insinuations about SMC and even Rain or Shine supposedly being ‘selfish’ when it comes to them lending players to the national team are inaccurate.

One basketball official even said it was unfair to label SMC as ‘madamot,’ noting that they actually gave their go-signal to players who were initially chosen by Baldwin.

“Right now, coach Tab, PBA officials and some other concerned individuals are talking about the situation with SMC. Hindi accurate ‘yung balitang nagdadamot ‘yung San Miguel kasi nakikipagusap naman sila. May mga sensitive issues lang talaga na kailanBetten and Jacobs.

McMahon snatched the lead from Reed in Bike Split 2 at the 45 km mark. Trailing closely were Van Berkel, Alexander, McKenzie, Mitch Robins, Betten and Jacobs.

Steffen grabbed back the lead in Bike Split 2 from a fading Granger.

Haesner was third followed by LeeDuke, Gerdes, Langit, Torres and Carole Fuchs.

gang pag-usapan,” said the official.

But if worse comes to worst, there may still be a talented pool that can have a really good shot at snatching the gold in the upcoming FIBA Asia championship this September in Wuhan, China.

For one, Andray Blatche is sure to play as our naturalized player and will take the place of Marcus Douthit, who played for the 2013 Gilas Pilipinas squad.

With Blatche around, there won’t be a real concern at the post with Fajardo’s impending loss because Asi Taulava has already signified his intention to play for flag and country.

True, Fajardo is way better now than Taulava but with Blatche’s presence, what the team will need is a player who would give Blatche breathing spell and Taulava might fit the bill.

The power forward position may be ably manned by Sonny Thoss, who will most likely be available to play for the team as he attended Baldwin’s practice last Wednesday.

Ranidel de Ocampo, for as long as he is healthy, is a lock at the shooting forward position and while Aguilar will be sorely missed in this area, college standout Troy Rosario may be a good fit here.

Calvin Abueva, who is said to be being seriously considered by Baldwin, can be the team’s combo PF/SF. If ever, San Miguel’s Marcio Lassiter is the most important player the country will need from SMC as the 28-year-old California-born forward is easily the best sniper in the PBA today with the way he’s been playing of late.

The shooting guard was a very important position in Chot Reyes’ dribble drive system and he had perhaps the best line-up he could get in 2013 with the likes of Jayson Castro, Norwood, Chan and Fonacier alternating in this spot.

But with Reyes not part of the team and Baldwin now calling the shots, the American-Kiwi coach could probably juggle Castro, Gary David, Terrence Romeo, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and even Dondon Hontiveros in this position.

Being FIBA Asia’s best point guard in 2013, Castro is a cinch to play major minutes here and with Jimmy Alapag said to be willing to unretire for national cause, the Nationals have a durable duo as PGs. Now, are you still concerned?

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-0

P16M

3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK M O N DAY : AUGUS T 3 , 2 0 1 5

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

x 10 cm

How do you ant your news erved today?

Tim Reed crosses the finish line of the 2015 Cobra IronMan 70.3 Philippines Powered by Ford in triumph. Reed beat fellow Aussie and good friend Tim Van Berkel, who is looking

Australian is Ironman king

ww.thestandard.com.ph

By Reuel Vidal

MACTAN ISLAND, Lapu Lapu City – In any racing competition, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

Australian Tim Reed trailed for almost the entirety of the swimbike-run race, but finished with a blazing run to win the 2015 Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines Powered by Ford.

Caroline Steffen fell off her

bike, but recovered in time to post another victory in the Cobra Ironman 70.3.

Reed, who slipped and almost fell to the ground a few feet from the finish line, outsprinted good friend and fellow Aussie Tim Van Berkel to win his first triathlon race in the Philippines.

“It was a tough race. But tough races are always most memorable.

The local community was awesome. There were thousands of people lining the way. I’ve never experienced anything like that before. The crowd out there made it special. I just stayed with Tim (Van

Berkel) because I knew that I could finish stronger. We were running side by side. It came down to who wanted it more,” said Reed.

Fellow Australian Van Berkel, who finished second to Reed, was also in the country for the first time.

“We (with Tim Reed) were running neck and neck and to lose at the finish sucked a little. It came down to a sprint finish between the two of us. I’ve never beaten him in a sprint finish before. But it was an awesome course. I really enjoyed it, especially the fans cheering along the route. The spectators were special. I couldn’t believe how many

5 col x 14 cm

there were. There were thousands and thousands. It was like racing in the Tour De France,” said Van Berkel.

Brent McMahon finished third followed by Mitch Robins, Craig Alexander, Luke McKenzie and Pete Jacobs. Beth Gerdes was second to Steffen followed by Dimity LeeDuke, Kathryn Haesner, Belinda Granger and Carole Fuchs.

August Benedicto, who was in fifth place at the start of the run, won the Filipino Elite while Monica Torres ruled the Filipina Elite.

“It’s a much better race course this year than last year. We did a much

better M loop and the roads are in much better condition. Weather conditions are also much better this year. Last year masyadong mahangin kaya mahirap sa bike race.

Sa run I was surprised that shady ang maraming portions ng course.

I guess dumami ang mga halaman dito sa Cebu. Overall I think people, including myself, had better times this year than last year. So I’m very happy about that,” said Torres.

John Philip Duenas and Banjo Norte, who ran neck-and-neck against Benedicto in a down-thewire sprint to the finish line, took Turn to A15

Borlain, Eijansantos dominate Ironkids

How do you want your news served today?

www.thestandard.com.ph

MACTAN, Lapu Lapu City – Perennial winners Tara Borlain and Nicole Danielle Eijansantos again ruled their categories while Yuan Chiongbian won for the first time during the 2015 Alaska IronKids Triathlon Cebu August 1, Saturday at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa. Borlain came out of the water behind Raven Faith Alcoseba but overhauled that deficit to finish ahead of Catherine Angeli Yu, Alcoseba, Ma.Nicole Seares Del Rosario and Micaella Barlin in the girls 11-12 category.

Eijansantos trailed Samantha Borlain out of the water, still trailed Borlain during the bike ride but eventually pushed ahead in the run part to win the girls 13-14 category. Following Eijansantos were Borlain, Sam McInnes, Lorraine Hann and Andrea Marie Pagay.

Chiongbian led from the start to win the boys 1314 years old category. He was out of the water first and protected his lead to finish ahead of Lucian Antonio Alejo, John Caleb Barlin, Sabino Czar Manglicmot IV and Joe Bernard Sarmiento.

Juan Francisco Banigued won the boys 11-12 category. Other winners are Bernard Miguel Sy, Victor Andrew Boherom, Josh Andrei Plariza and Xanz Riggie Portullano.

Lorayne Leoncioco and Moira Frances Gabri Erediano finished one and two in the girls 9-10 category as they submitted better times than boys their age. Trailing them are Emma Bertel, Ezrah Beatrice Campo and Isabella Diehl.

Justin Christopher Yu won the boys 9-10 category.

Other winners are Vince Joaquin Kais, Xeemon Villo Cuyos, Jiullano Jose and Eughan Neo Faelnar. Reuel Vidal

MONDAY: AUGUST 3, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

Tourist economy. Tourists pose for photographs in the sea at White Beach in Boracay. The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 tropical islands, attracts less than 5 percent of travelers to Southeast Asia. BLOOMBERG

PSe comPoSite index Closing July 31, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,550.00 39.61

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JULY 31, 2015 42

P45.740

43

CLOSE

44 45 46

HIGH P45.650 LOW P45.745 AVERAGE P45.681 VOLUME 610.400M

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 P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, July 31, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.6180

Japan

Yen

0.008055

0.3675

UK

Pound

1.560100

71.1686

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129001

5.8848

Switzerland

Franc

1.031566

47.0580

Canada

Dollar

0.769053

35.0827

Singapore

Dollar

0.727220

33.1743

Australia

Dollar

0.728385

33.2275

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652238

120.9898

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

12.1645

Brunei

Dollar

0.724585

33.0541

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000074

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.028620

1.3056

UAE

Dirham

0.272257

12.4198

Euro

Euro

1.093200

49.8696

Korea

Won

0.000852

0.0389

China

Yuan

0.161041

7.3464

India

Rupee

0.015603

0.7118

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.262082

11.9557

New Zealand

Dollar

0.658979

30.0613

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031664

1.4444 Source: PDS Bridge

DPWH to auction 2 new expressways

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Public Works Department said it plans to bid out two expressway projects north of Manila under the public-private partnership scheme before the end of 2015.

Ariel Angeles, head of Public Works Department’s PPP service, said the auction process for Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase 2 and the Plaridel Bypass Toll Road would be held later this year.

“We are still under restructuring.

We are procuring a transaction ad-

visor for CLEX,” Angeles said.

The P14.2-billion CLEX Phase 2 is a two-lane, 35.7-kilometer expressway in Nueva Ecija province that will extend CLEX Phase I, a 30.7-km road from Subic-ClarkTarlac Expressway in Tarlac City to Cabanatuan City, which will be

constructed by the government with funding from the Japanese government.

Phase 2 will connect Cabanatuan City to San Jose City, also in Nueva Ecija.

Angeles said for Plaridel Bypass project, the feasibility study was almost done.

“We will now present it to Secretary [Rogelio] Singson. Then we will submit to Neda [National Economic and Development Authority] for approval,” he said.

The Plaridel Bypass Toll Road is a 24.6-km arterial road that will

PAL not in a hurry to get a partner PHILIPPINE Airlines is not in a hurry to get a strategic investor as the flag carrier is focusing on enhancing its valuation, its top executive said.

“We have not talked to any possible strategic investor, maybe I think this is not the time to talk to them,” PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said in a recent interview.

“I think it will be better for the present shareholders of PAL to make PAL more profitable before talking to [a] strategic investor, so that the value of the company would be better when we talk to them,” he added.

Tycoon Lucio Tan last year bought back a 49-percent stake in PAL that San Miguel Corp. purchased from him in 2012.

PAL, which hired a financial adviser to help select a strategic investor had planned to get a

strategic investor in two to three years.

Bautista said the company would be “more profitable” this year with last year.

“In terms of profitability, it’s quite positive for PAL because of the two major factors. One is the price of fuel and the other one is the ability of PAL to operate new airplanes to the US, particularly the B777-300 ER because the Philippines is now upgraded to Category 1,” Bautista said.

The flag carrier’s total comprehensive income reached $20.4 million in 2014, breaking a three-year losing streak and setting the airline on a path to sustained growth.

The airline posted a comprehensive income of $85 million in the January-March period this year, a reversal of the $20.7-million net loss booked in the same

period last year.

PAL earlier said it planned to sell its fleet of Airbus 340s and replace them with more fuelefficient jets for long-haul flights, especially the US. “If there’s a buyer, we can sell the A340s. The A340s are becoming more expensive to operate because it consumes more fuel,” Bautista had said.

PAL currently operates six Airbus 340-300s for its long-haul destinations. The A340 is being used on the new route to New York via Vancouver.

Besides A340, PAL uses six Boeing 777-300ERs in operating daily flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto and London.

Bautista said the A340s might be replaced with either A350s or Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a long-range, twin-engine widebody jet. Darwin G Amojelar

link the North Luzon Expressway in Balagtas, Bulacan to Maharlika Highway in San Rafael, Bulacan.

Angeles said the government wanted to award the two projects before the end of Aquino’s administration in 2016.

Rodrigo Franco, president and chief executive of Manila North Tollways Corp., earlier said his company was interested in the two expressway projects.

“Since both are in the north, MNTC will be keen to participate in these projects. Both are natural expansion of NLEX and SCTEX [Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway]. That is why we are interested,” Franco said.

MPCALA Holdings Inc., a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., last month won the bidding for the Cavite Laguna Expressway with a premium offer of P27.3 billion, besting the P22.2-billion bid of Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc., a unit of San Miguel Corp. Metro Pacific also controls MNTC. Other PPP projects awarded by the Public Works Department were the P15.5-billion NAIA Expressway and the P2.01-billion Daang Hari-SLEX Link.

The government is also bidding out the P122.8-billion Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike Project.

The project aims to provide a high-standard highway that will speed up traffic between the southern part of Metro Manila and Laguna, as well as a dike that would mitigate flooding in the western coastal communities along Laguna Lake.

MONDAY: AUGUST 3, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS Weekly STockS revieW STOCKS

JULY 27-31, 2015 Close Volume

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. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl Reinsurance Corp.

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

4 73.2 100.40 95.00 46.3 2.52 1.47 16.28 21.65 7.20 0.73 1.79 780.00 0.395 88.35 0.97 19.00 26.10 63.50 94.9 310 39.5 148.9 1450.00 59.30 3.27

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Bogo Medellin C. Azuc De Tarlac Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI Euro-Med Lab. Federal Res. Inv. Group First Gen Corp.

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

Lafarge Rep Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Corp.

Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

43.7 1.76 1.03 1.89 10.56 50.6 80.00 18.1 187 26 55 2.8 1.58 13 21.550 8.81 7.17 9.83 1.7 14.86 25.85 82.8 13.88 13.16 6.1 0.500 190.00 10.3 30.00 2 2.6 53.95 24.95 25.4 6.18 299.00 3.90 4.77 10.00 4 11.50 3.40 2.26 3.89 4.30 1.85 5.72 165 1.71 0.151 1.22 2.14 191.3 4.4 0.7 23.50 1.19

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

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Keppel Holdings `A’ Keppel Holdings `B’ Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Minerales Industrias Corp.

MJCI Investments Inc. Pacifica `A’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ Seafront `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. Transgrid Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.470 58.8000 22.60 1.20 6.84 0.255 0.250 780 7.4 11.90 3.11 4.15 0.194 1400 6.44 72.50 3.95 700 7.21 0.65 14.86 0.56 4.85 7.5 3.8 0.0300 1.100 2.110 2.75 56.30 2.50 893.00 1.18 147.00 79.850 0.3100 0.1870 0.260

8990 HLDG Anchor Land Holdings Inc. A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Arthaland Corp.

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

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco

7.200 8.03 0.71 1.200 0.220 37.40 3.7 5.15 0.83 1.03 1.00 0.129 0.430 13.5 0.860 0.181

Value

FINANCIAL 6,515,480.00 4,675,148.00 1,891,999,797.50 511,060,148.50 14,020,265.00 127,640.00 924,700.00 26,121,068.00 85,986,500.00 211,772 165,560 177,870.00 179,900.00 471,150.00 1,558,416,851.50 1,260,090.00 60,782,412.00 460,310.00 9,553,731.00 63,750.00 38,215,024.00 12,851,155.00 687,662,240.00 4,360,495.00 17,092,925.50 9,735,630.00 INDUSTRIAL 15,762,200 691,374,470.00 487,000 795,040.00 1,733,000 1,762,430.00 5,335,000 10,103,480.00 53,700 551,332.00 40 2,024.00 483,820 44,008,050.00 2,968,300 53,734,094.00 140 24,769.00 1,570,400 41,143,095.00 607,780 33,557,086.00 27,429,000 73,527,870.00 11,437,000 19,942,240.00 299,500 3,784,446.00 23,088,700 497,744,665.00 4,016,500 35,680,819.00 76,667,300 556,214,680.00 3,760,300 37,383,244.00 11,000 18,850.00 98,100 1,459,174.00 14,433,400 382,431,575.00 1,505,910 122,900,207.00 3,500 48,366.00 212,100 2,804,184.00 2,828,500 17,262,734.00 6,000 3,100.00 2,951,470 596,535,289.00 3,131,500 32,632,238.00 7,700 231,000.00 152,000 305,130.00 18,000 46,800.00 38,040 2,018,535.50 23,443,900 585,572,285.00 533,300 13,922,885.00 2,072,800 12,512,282.00 3,304,700 984,467,580.00 25,000 97,500.00 1,547,000 7,272,280.00 27,562,600 219,107,641.00 366,000 1,338,940.00 39,000 452,588.00 1,247,000 4,238,850.00 6,102,000 14,406,640.00 36,224,000 138,167,170.00 15,721,000 67,448,460.00 30,000 56,080.00 9,600 54,912.00 8,390 1,377,821.00 1,239,000 2,192,180.00 6,860,000 1,020,430.00 38,000 52,010.00 20,114,000 44,476,670.00 8,860,290 1,691,877,374.00 74,000 322,070.00 1,459,000 1,017,920.00 3,500 82,250.00 200,000 240,560.00 HOLDING FIRMS 1,270,000 592,600.00 5,954,880 347,086,885.50 25,754,600 578,444,620.00 138,000 168,030.00 264,900 1,810,857.00 3,580,000 891,970.00 350,000 87,500.00 1,412,520 1,093,386,915.00 17,521,600 131,783,635.00 37,801,000 454,738,334.00 133,000 413,630.00 93,000 397,620.00 1,590,000 316,440.00 920,000 1,277,878,690.00 46,900 302,056.00 13,814,390 999,358,788.50 3,000 11,830.00 2,968 13,523,300 96,263,719.00 1,208,000 802,040.00 17,323,300 260,694,932.00 4,820,000 2,806,200.00 105,063,000 495,884,740.00 1,951,000 14,611,013.00 10,000 37,940.00 5,700,000 90,100.00 416,000 455,260.00 21,158,000 43,736,240.00 170,000 464,390.00 862,360 49,393,796.00 26,000 61,660.00 1,397,270 1,242,267,325.00 325,000 384,260.00 380 55,683.00 6,610 509,804.50 1,470,000 452,200.00 4,090,000 758,220.00 2,490,000 669,150.00 PROPERTY 4,011,300 30,014,048.00 3,100 24,769.00 2,168,000 1,533,860.00 319,000 383,750.00 50,000 11,000.00 43,946,800 1,647,094,225.00 10,256,000 36,551,310.00 190,700 968,538.00 6,645,000 5,467,220.00 66,000 71,380.00 3,000 3,080.00 11,900,000 1,533,190.00 550,000 236,650.00 21,055,600 281,818,548.00 628,000 540,120.00 4,630,000 853,880.00

1,495,000 64,450 18,896,430 5,361,800 304,400 51,000 606,000 1,605,000 4,191,900 30,000 242,000 103,000 230 1,170,000 26,850,360 1,267,000 3,179,400 17,700 150,810 680 124,390 332,800 4,647,980 3,065 285,960 2,943,000

Close

JULY 20-24, 2015 Volume Value

4.7 72.3 104.90 96.55 45.7 2.52 1.55 16.16 20.25 6.50 0.68 1.80 815.00 0.415 90.35 0.98 18.54 26.00 63.15 89.8 315.4 38.4 149.7 1465.00 61.00 3.26

3,249,415 73,730 80,479,180 5,212,070 277,700 31,000 417,000 315,100 1,782,000 5,000 3,376,000 83,000 2,280 510,000 7,450,100 866,000 953,500 13,200 361,220 23,180 53,940 1,699,800 3,270,690 250 229,010 149,000

2,698,234.00 5,372,203.50 8,318,988,632.00 497,701,177.00 12,670,695.00 78,190.00 637,460.00 5,094,714.00 36,525,205.00 32,756 2,497,160 148,360.00 1,850,100.00 219,000.00 678,158,657.50 844,170.00 17,563,766.00 346,430.00 22,919,062.50 2,073,634.50 16,619,108.00 65,051,255.00 491,736,569.00 365,550.00 13,734,415.50 481,620.00

45 1.38 1.03 1.92 10.3 50.6 91.40 18.38

7,320,500 90,000 1,412,000 2,909,000 62,700 120 10 865,300

325,653,810.00 122,890.00 1,451,930.00 5,578,500.00 629,852.00 6,022.00 914.00 15,829,724.00

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 0.500 192.00 10.74 30.00 2.06 2.57

1,187,900 365,340 24,645,000 2,035,000 486,700 13,833,800 17,507,300 43,333,200 1,824,100 92,000 218,700 19,677,700 1,012,520 48,000 840,900 1,858,200 51,000 4,550,030 2,634,400 600 12,000 70,000

31,150,175.00 20,855,403.00 64,337,910.00 3,156,500.00 6,030,806.00 288,730,620.00 156,852,358.00 329,593,470.00 17,908,698.00 157,030.00 3,076,516.00 532,856,905.00 82,406,483.50 639,406.00 11,274,460.00 11,220,774.00 25,500.00 864,346,682.00 28,150,090.00 18,000.00 24,800.00 202,860.00

24.9 25.4 5.86 294.80 3.90 4.65 8.10

3,029,300 397,700 990,300 1,147,840 30,000 3,417,000 12,272,900

75,539,200.00 10,089,045.00 5,750,212.00 337,180,048.00 117,010.00 16,348,000.00 100,504,563.00

11.90 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

10,200 2,061,000 8,346,000 19,350,000 31,981,000 70,000 91,900 13,530 488,000 19,090,000 30,000 11,207,000 11,603,450 20,000 4,432,000 2,000 860,000

121,380.00 6,843,630.00 20,416,370.00 62,638,330.00 133,625,110.00 129,300.00 534,549.00 2,231,836.00 849,270.00 2,868,330.00 38,800.00 23,753,650.00 2,147,435,542.00 85,500.00 3,090,850.00 47,000.00 1,015,340.00

0.475 57.7500 23.50 1.22 6.84 0.260 0.255 787 7.81 12.60 3.1 4.30 0.202 1410 6.48 73.00 3.98 4.99 7.23 0.67 14.98 0.6 4.8 7.8 3.15 0.0300 1.300 2.070 2.74 58.85 2.55 910.00 1.20 170.00 77.000 0.3200 0.2000 0.275

3,400,000 3,585,130 40,206,100 26,000 335,900 6,450,000 550,000 1,856,110 11,067,200 77,456,600 33,000 128,000 970,000 807,445 146,800 11,400,800 2,000 2,000 12,412,800 115,000 32,431,800 1,837,000 83,601,000 3,164,000 10,000 19,200,000 51,000 58,591,000 130,000 812,600 288,000 950,490 401,000 180 19,230 2,910,000 3,320,000 3,940,000

1,592,250.00 209,410,212.00 936,269,600.00 31,950.00 2,308,007.00 1,637,530.00 138,400.00 1,439,519,595.00 84,922,852.00 972,339,954.00 102,860.00 551,000.00 197,450.00 1,128,889,075.00 518,653.00 831,644,403.50 7,620.00 9,990.00 90,644,855.00 75,200.00 465,348,478.00 1,051,620.00 401,538,350.00 24,451,731.00 31,500.00 578,200.00 66,280.00 122,420,170.00 352,730.00 47,621,970.00 726,050.00 861,230,580.00 483,290.00 31,900.00 1,417,364.50 914,300.00 640,980.00 1,100,800.00

7.790 7.77 0.72 1.220 0.240 38.90 3.7 5.06 0.84 1.06 1.06 0.134 0.430 13.04 0.890 0.179

3,816,700 10,400 1,302,000 145,000 50,000 30,821,100 22,551,000 447,300 12,808,000 27,000 185,000 28,620,000 640,000 37,177,100 1,273,000 3,400,000

29,836,537.00 81,308.00 929,500.00 178,950.00 11,500.00 1,182,125,110.00 82,250,580.00 2,274,362.00 10,823,280.00 29,460.00 186,650.00 3,685,500.00 276,750.00 432,884,976.00 1,132,370.00 582,140.00

STOCKS

JULY 27-31, 2015 Close Volume

Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld Corp.

Megaworld Prop.

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

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

1.25 1.89 1.27 4.64 4.74 0.103 0.2850 0.3700 23.00 7.37 28.15 1.64 3.33 21.45 0.75 7.16 0.810 7.080

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

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

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

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp.

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

Yehey

8.1 60.8 1.12 0.630 13 27 9.70 0.0790 3.35 93 10.36 1.68 5.51 3.19 970 2580 6.45 1.31 109.9 12 0.011 0.208 1.3900 2.21 10.38 2.17 1.20 2.10 42.95 0.680 2 8 0.310 0.470 19.88 4.74 3.2 8.62 110.00 18.90 2886.00 0.660 1.570 37.00 75.40 8.69 0.65 5.33 0.320 2.840

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

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.0068 2.50 5.50 11.50 0.220 6.7000 6.8800 0.71 0.75 6.75 1.3 0.300 0.202 0.215 0.014 0.013 3.03 10.54 3.83 0.6300 1.9500 0.0095 0.0110 4.15 5.39 1.64 0.011 119.40 8.4 0.0090

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `A’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B1’ First Gen F First Gen G FPH Pref C GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure & Resort Pref.

MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C

60.5 527.5 528 110.4 118 505 525 6.4 1.11 111.5 1080 1105 1030 75.5 84.9 84.5

Leisure & Resort Warr.

4.060

Makati Fin. Corp.

Ripple E-Business Intl Xurpas

6.5 68.65 12.1

First Metro ETF

123

Value

Close

9,642,000 81,771,000 376,000 61,430,000 60,056,000 4,970,000 90,000 130,000 1,700 143,200 6,591,000 1,239,000 130,000 69,504,800 2,449,000 24,000 449,000 26,605,700

12,251,850.00 156,679,180.00 487,270.00 283,997,020.00 280,001,930.00 517,700.00 25,800.00 48,900.00 38,400.00 1,042,879.00 186,034,800.00 2,034,850.00 429,490.00 1,471,953,360.00 1,788,700.00 171,600.00 359,570.00 185,278,281.00 SERVICES 5,139,700 35,420,036.00 111,680 6,845,760.00 233,000 261,320.00 2,305,000 1,421,670.00 249,300 3,240,900.00 200 5,400 31,227,600 303,744,751.00 72,030,000 5,760,460.00 831,000 2,763,880.00 4,431,330 411,756,109.00 652,300 6,380,744.00 2,000 3,350 2,315,700 12,978,015.00 20,000 62,260.00 24,610 24,107,900.00 785,665 2,001,108,010 1,352,000 8,672,181.00 854,000 1,106,480.00 5,458,670 596,691,880.00 73,600 882,880.00 24,100,000 265,300.00 14,020,000 2,897,600.00 4,649,000 6,584,910.00 149,000 344,340.00 10,217,500 107,323,356.00 9,911,000 21,846,840.00 21,700 34,980.00 2,095,000 4,338,830.00 4,000 164,680.00 219,000 146,130.00 740,000 1,466,120.00 466,069,369.00 60,270,900 360,000 110,950.00 310,000 139,350.00 5,300 105,450.00 25,000 112,980 70,000 224,000.00 257,600 2,443,868.00 1,800 196,175.00 938,300 17,618,620.00 1,018,740 2,945,412,430.00 10,268,000 6,986,580.00 140,636,000 215,824,420.00 9,348,100 349,040,910.00 2,521,450 194,341,636.50 13,198,000 114,461,836.00 20,062,000 13,172,200.00 7,370,000 39,506,733.00 250,000 80,000.00 8,561,000 24,123,910.00 MINING & OIL 11,749,000,000 79,892,800.00 997,000 2,495,800.00 747,400 4,120,677.00 3,300 35,924.00 90,000 19,750.00 38,200 262,350.00 500 3,440.00 7,228,000 5,319,650.00 5,280,000 4,022,270.00 19,600 131,632.00 37,509,000 50,690,600.00 4,380,000 1,304,650.00 32,370,000 6,665,810.00 13,490,000 3,009,970.00 234,800,000 3,137,200.00 315,400,000 4,150,600.00 4,307,000 13,680,890.00 9,867,700 104,516,010.00 3,556,000 13,567,190.00 508,000 315,720.00 422,000 827,650.00 125,700,000 1,243,660.00 72,800,000 836,000.00 194,000 810,520.00 2,451,600 13,421,262.00 4,161,000 6,893,740.00 471,500,000 5,181,100.00 11,283,550 1,345,368,102.00 7,771,900 68,815,461.00 10,200,000 93,800.00 PREFERRED 883,710 54,001,308.50 70 36,935.00 17,570 9,272,505.00 5,000 552,040.00 40,000 4,720,100.00 10 5,050.00 8,900 4,646,100.00 4,669,100 29,884,107.00 73,000 80,790 1,610 179,415.00 4,940 5,335,200.00 4,090 4,499,885.00 12,600 12,998,770.00 598,430 45,159,654.00 4,780 405,822.00 189,240 16,050,084.50 WARRANTS & BONDS 2,290,000 9,912,580.00 SME 1,100 7,040.00 2,210 152,126.50 9,472,100 61,265,410.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 43,470 5,339,716.00

JULY 20-24, 2015 Volume Value

1.35 1.95 1.32 4.84

26,636,000 86,001,000 403,000 57,514,000

35,486,230.00 171,004,020.00 518,260.00 280,464,810.00

0.106 0.2900 0.3850 22.00 7.38 28.40 1.65 3.31 21.30 0.73 7.2 0.810 7.050

3,370,000 730,000 230,000 100 48,400 8,946,300 2,686,000 101,000 69,099,200 2,500,000 62,100 512,000 24,573,500

362,350.00 215,650.00 88,750.00 2,200.00 353,970.00 252,810,425.00 4,435,260.00 328,540.00 1,470,048,130.00 1,806,520.00 443,301.00 419,640.00 170,663,187.00

7.89 62.4 1.15 0.630 13

4,244,300 68,680 358,000 5,886,000 700

31,088,810.00 4,272,738.00 413,250.00 3,702,510.00 9,100.00

9.94 0.0810 3.45 92.25 10.32 1.68 5.25

68,457,100 53,770,000 934,000 5,199,400 3,200 226,000 694,600

681,956,072.00 4,325,980.00 3,206,980.00 471,886,179.50 33,050.00 379,730 3,707,690.00

989 2526 6.44 1.31 110.1 11.52 0.011 0.213 1.4400 2.4 10.38 2.33 1.27 2.35 44.00 0.670 2.01 7.85 0.320 0.460 20.2 4.50 3.2

2,110 586,090 333,600 2,802,000 3,185,930 2,100 39,400,000 66,610,000 10,942,000 135,000 9,141,500 7,628,000 97,000 346,000 4,500 287,000 42,000 80,034,800 1,060,000 610,000 81,500 85,000 1,000

2,086,790.00 1,482,811,920 2,128,987.00 3,644,730.00 351,468,054.00 24,360.00 457,600.00 14,158,530.00 16,023,150.00 317,540.00 91,452,367.00 18,785,240.00 123,610.00 819,530.00 191,020.00 189,630.00 84,580.00 553,954,065.00 326,350.00 284,100.00 1,611,840.00 385,370 3,200.00

107.00 18.76 2948.00 0.700 1.600 37.50 79.05 9.03 0.65 5.63 0.335 2.610

376,720 437,300 419,585 36,341,000 206,026,000 8,873,200 5,963,020 16,431,500 21,329,000 41,447,500 1,150,000 23,203,000

43,203,692.00 8,193,156.00 1,234,137,370.00 24,776,560.00 316,010,190.00 324,392,725.00 465,776,784.00 147,434,043.00 13,836,480.00 225,550,347.00 377,150.00 62,993,460.00

0.0068 2.60 5.60

9,544,000,000 62,253,000.00 252,000 669,780.00 1,167,600 6,575,155.00

0.219 7.0000 6.8800 0.77 0.8 6.65 1.4 0.300 0.212 0.224 0.013 0.014 3.09 10.74 3.85 0.6400 2.0000 0.0100 0.0130 4.23 5.54 1.73 0.012 120.00 9.88

1,360,000 3,100 1,500 17,074,000 22,515,000 22,100 30,092,000 3,275,000 24,410,000 3,880,000 234,900,000 100,300,000 1,505,000 13,434,000 3,747,000 526,000 297,000 215,700,000 9,000,000 213,000 3,377,500 5,208,000 951,800,000 16,880,550 2,518,600

298,980.00 21,707.00 10,320.00 13,379,810.00 18,223,260.00 146,004.00 43,081,590.00 1,054,450.00 5,246,840.00 873,360.00 2,968,800.00 1,444,200.00 4,678,250.00 147,857,102.00 14,184,500.00 293,580.00 594,450.00 2,171,060.00 102,200.00 903,590.00 19,194,311.00 8,896,540.00 10,979,400.00 2,004,393,385.00 26,459,860.00

61.5

2,398,480

150,575,309.00

527.5

13,280

7,000,705.00

118.2

73,200

8,836,056.00

526 6.39 1.09 112 1080 1148 1040 75.5 82.6 87

4,630 409,400 2,365,000 36,570 60 15,515 15,960 406,620 126,000 278,940

2,430,780.00 2,599,209.00 2,597,770 4,075,170.00 64,800.00 17,811,220.00 16,598,910.00 30,669,597.00 10,519,241.00 24,204,394.50

4.240

4,205,000

17,546,000.00

6.85 67.95 12

2,600 2,130 8,034,200

17,480.00 139,162.50 97,430,532.00

124.5

167,720

20,738,438.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining Philodrill Corp. `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Premium Leisure Oriental Pet. `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Filinvest Land,Inc. Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) Oriental Pet. `B’

VOLUME 11,749,000,000 471,500,000 315,400,000 234,800,000 140,636,000 125,700,000 105,063,000 81,771,000 76,667,300 72,800,000

STOCKS PLDT Common Globe Telecom Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Universal Robina Ayala Land `B’ Metrobank SM Prime Holdings Semirara Corp.

GT Capital SM Investments Inc.

VALUE 2,945,412,430.00 2,001,108,010.00 1,891,999,797.50 1,691,877,374.00 1,647,094,225.00 1,558,416,851.50 1,471,953,360.00 1,345,368,102.00 1,277,878,690.00 1,242,267,325.00

MONDAY: AUGUST 3, 2015

B3

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

Stocks seen moving sideways

By Jenniffer B. Austria

STOCKS are expected to move sideways this week, as analysts expect first-half corporate earnings to dictate the direction of the market.

Accord Capital Equities trader Justino Calaycay said while investor sentiments turned from neural to negative because of developments overseas, the bull trend remained intact.

“Yes, prices have fallen off their peaks both as a function of profit-taking and the growing uncertainties abroad and, in the coming months, here at home. Maybe the conditions

have slowly changed leading to a shift in sentiments. And, no, we are not yet in a bear market,” Calaycay said.

“But having said the next couple of weeks will be critical – with second-quarter GDP and same period earnings providing the biggest hints,” he said.

BPI Asset Management said it expected the PSEi, the 30-company benchmark

of the Philippine Stock Exchange, to trade between 7,427 and 7,631, with a downward bias due to month-end rebalancing.

“We expect Chinese government’s reaction to the recent Chinese equities rout and US economic data releases, including the manufacturing and non-farm payrolls, to be the main drivers of movements in the local equity market in the upcoming week,” BPI Asset said.

The bellwether PSEi posted a week-on-week decline of 1.51 percent to close at 7,550 on Friday, after Chinese stocks plummeted at the start of the week, shaking global

markets.

“The market’s recovery in the last three days of the week failed to recoup all losses,” RCBC Securities.

The index lost 0.20 percent in the whole of July but was still up 4.42 percent since the start of the year.

All major sub-indices were in the red last week, led by property (-1.95 percent), financials (-1.82 percent), and mining and oil (-1.71 percent).

Foreign investors were net sellers last week by P3.14 billion, as total foreign selling reached P22.12 billion while overseas buying amounted to 18.97 billion.

Average daily turnover dipped to P7.2 billion from previous week’s average of P8 billion.

Top gainers last week were Agrinurture Inc., which climbed 27.5 percent to P1.76; oil refiner Petron Corp., which advanced 23.4 percent to P10; and MJC Investments Corp., which increased 20.6 percent to P3.80.

Heavy losers were Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corp.

“B” shares which declined 15.4 percent to P0.011; Prime Media Holdings Inc., which dropped 15.3 percent to P1.10; and Keppel Philippines Holdings Inc. “A” shares which shed 15.2 percent to P4.24.

Manila

Standard

Form 2B (Revised June 2014)

TODAY 16th to 19th Floors, Fort Legend Towers 31st Street corner 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City 1634 Statement of Condition (Head Office and Branches) As of June 30, 2015

DMCI felt duped of P250,000 DMCI Holdings Inc., a major shareholder of Maynilad Water Services Inc., has another reason to dislike state-run Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, which refuses to implement a decision by the international appeals panel handling the arbitration proceedings to hike water rates in the west zone.

An official of DMCI could not believe why MWSS allowed the company to purchase bid documents worth P250,000 for the P18.72-billion New Centennial Water Source or the Kaliwa Dam, only to be told later that DMCI could not join the bidding.

The P250,000 fee for the bid documents is non-refundable. The bidding rules prohibit existing water concessionaires to bid for the Kaliwa Dam project.

As DMCI is one of the shareholders of Maynilad, the company is apparently barred from bidding for the project.

“They [MWSS] should not have allowed us to buy the bid documents in the first place, knowing we are disqualified from bidding,” a DMCI official said.

MWSS recently announced plans to re-bid Kaliwa Dam, after the three companies that previously submitted pre-qualification documents were disqualified. Jenniffer B. Austria

Govt wants to host 2019 Fiba World Cup

The Tourism Promotions Board, the international promotions and marketing arm of the Tourism Department, is working with the MVP Group of businessman Manuel Pangilinan to improve the country’s chances of hosting the 2019 Fiba (International Basketball Federation) World Cup. “We are working with them for the 2019 Fiba Basketball World Cup bid. We are hoping to host the Fiba World Basketball Championship here,” TPB president Domingo Ramon Enerio III said.

Pangilinan is the president of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the organization behind Gilas Pilipinas, the Philippines national basketball team.

When asked if the Philippines is ready for the Fiba World Cup, Enerio said: “Of course, it’s for 2019. If we are not ready, then I don’t know.”

Enerio said hosting the Basketball World Cup would boost Philippine tourism. Last year, the country successfully hosted the Fiba Asia Championship, where Gilas Pilipinas earned qualification for the 2014 Fiba World Cup in Spain. The World Cup, held every four years, was supposed to be held in 2018, but was rescheduled to 2019. Fiba decided to bring it to Asia. Pangilinan earlier said he was optimistic the Philippines would beat China in hosting the 2019 World Cup. Darwin G. Amojelar

Okada company plans PSE listing

The third gaming company in the Entertainment City project of Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. may follow the lead of Bloombery Resorts Corp., operator of Solaire Resorts and Casino and Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts, builder of City of Dreams Manila in raising money from the stock market.

Tiger Resort, Leisure & Entertainment Inc., the group led by Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada, considers tapping the equities market to raise funds for the $2-billion Manila Bay Resorts, the third casino complex to rise in Parañaque City.

This was revealed by Okada’s local joint venture partner, businessman Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco in a recent interview with journalists. According to Cojuangco, a new company that would both own the land and the gaming facilities could be created and listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange.

As PSE listing rules require companies planning to go public to have a financial track record first, Bloomberry and Melco Crown opted for backdoor listing to list their shares without having to comply with the financial track record and raise funds for the completion of their multi-billion-peso resorts.

Bloomberry used Active Alliance Inc. as the backdoor listing vehicle while Melco Crown acquired Manchester International Holdings Unlimited Corp. Both firms have successfully raised funds from the stock market.

Would Tiger Resort follow the lead of Bloomberry and Melco Crown in listing with the PSE by acquiring an existing listed firm? We will find out before long, as the company will have to make the decision soon to ensure that Manila Bay Resorts opens by end-2016. Jenniffer B. Austria

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AMOUNTS ASSETS

CURRENT QUARTER

Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Due from Other Banks Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets-Net Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets-Net Unquoted Debt Securities Classified as Loans-Net Investments in Non-Marketable Equity Security-Net Loans and Receivables - Net Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables - Others General Loan Loss Provision Other Financial Assets Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture and Equipment-Net Real and Other Properties Acquired-Net Other Assets-Net

PhP

TOTAL ASSETS

PREVIOUS QUARTER

MR. JACK LEE Chairman

289,201,429.49 2,876,435,543.98 1,708,910,322.82 597,720,109.98 978,059,832.70 310,384,350.91 143,541,743.84 12,440,816.63 20,789,801,728.14 1,390,093,762.98 19,614,321,589.08 214,613,623.92 110,900,130.49 204,797,881.99 8,254,062.13 682,267,573.16

319,026,652.89 2,903,650,954.15 3,047,260,541.29 638,118,767.83 937,593,424.70 309,309,856.63 163,316,187.66 12,440,816.63 20,505,559,501.53 2,068,393,879.10 18,651,360,614.93 214,194,992.50 101,688,147.94 206,244,020.76 8,580,679.85 665,620,394.42

PhP

28,712,715,526.26

29,818,409,946.28

Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Bills Payable a) Interbank Loans Payable Due to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities

PhP

38,245,154.49 18,255,765,707.56 1,951,456,480.00 1,951,456,480.00 0.00 460,937,259.88 1,336,061,911.88

51,451,289.98 20,277,501,530.56 1,326,868,720.00 1,326,868,720.00 1,895,679.19 133,908,751.53 1,428,853,738.57

TOTAL LIABILITIES

PhP

22,042,466,513.81

23,220,479,709.83

Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings

PhP

2,533,200,985.17 140,920,044.03 3,996,127,983.25

2,533,200,985.17 68,601,268.03 3,996,127,983.25

MS. MA. GRETCHEN S. MACABASCO Senior Vice President

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

PhP

6,670,249,012.45

6,597,930,236.45

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

PhP

28,712,715,526.26

29,818,409,946.28

MS. CECILIA E. TABUENA Senior Vice President

Financial Standby Letters of Credit Performance Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Trust Department Accounts a) Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts b) Agency Accounts Derivatives Others

PhP

45,090,000.00 925,384,818.10 316,264,024.01 2,919,265.88 3,292,570,825.33 1,334,699,975.55 665,373,324.85 669,326,650.70 22,526,688,461.17 697,257,514.17

44,700,000.00 893,774,648.36 732,220,280.30 5,609,514.75 1,093,999,481.64 1,324,244,611.30 657,965,106.60 666,279,504.70 16,218,741,702.17 17,621,006.96

MR. OLIVER D. JIMENO Senior Vice President

TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

PhP

29,140,874,884.21

20,330,911,245.48

MR. REMO ROMULO M. GAROVILLO JR. Senior Vice President

PhP PhP

21,246,030,874.51 241,615,522.45

20,936,217,244.39 216,462,750.36

MR. FLORENTINO T. GONZALEZ, III. Senior Vice President

PhP

365,040,429.64 1.72% 123,424,907.19 0.58%

440,792,982.95 2.11% 224,330,232.59 1.07%

PhP

560,852,288.42

538,724,227.33

PhP

21,128,132.05

21,515,709.65

PhP

0.10% 9,030.80

0.10% 1,258.63

MR. WILLIAM B. GO Vice Chairman DIRECTORS MR. STEVE TSAI MR. FRANK SHIH MR. CHIH-CHUNG HUANG MR. EDWIN B. VILLANUEVA MR. NG MENG TAM EXECUTIVE OFFICERS MR. STEVE TSAI President and CEO MR. ISMAEL R. SANDIG

LIABILITIES

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Gross Total Loan Portfolio (TLP) Specific Allowance for credit losses on the TLP Non-performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) c. Net NPLs d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses Ratio of DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to TLP (%) Gross Non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivable to TLP (%) Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises b. 2% for Medium Enterprises Return on Equity (ROE) (%) Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis a. Total CAR (%) b. TIER 1 Ratio (%) c. CET 1 (%)

PhP

0.00%

0.00%

3.25% 4.78% 4.85%

3.76% 4.44% 3.73%

24.22% 23.44% 23.44%

23.06% 22.32% 22.32%

Senior Executive Vice President

MR. RAYMUNDO MARTIN M. ESCALONA Executive Vice President MS. TAMMY HUANG Executive Vice President MR. JIMMY ARSENIO Y. SAMONTE Senior Vice President

MR. EDGARDO A.M. MENDOZA, JR. Senior Vice President

MR. JOSEPH B. ESTAVILLO Senior Vice President MR. DEOGRACIAS A. JACINTO Senior Vice President

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) TAGUIG CITY ) S.S. I/We, ANDRE P. PAYAWAL and STEVE TSAI of the abovementioned Bank, do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above statement of condition are true and correct to the best of my/our knowledge and belief.

(Sgd.) ANDRE P. PAYAWAL Chief Finance Officer, FVP (Signature Over Printed Name)

(Sgd.) WEN-HSIUNG TSAI a.ka. STEVE TSAI President and CEO (Signature Over Printed Name)

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this July 27, 2015 affiants exhibiting to me his/their TIN 150-031-779-000 and 462-868-631-000.

Doc. No. 450; Book No. VIII; Page No. 91; Series of 2015

(Sgd.) ATTY. MARY ANGELINE S. TOL NOTARY PUBLIC FOR TAGUIG CITY UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2015 16/F, Fort Legend Towers, Third Ave. corner 31st St. Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City APPT. NO. 86 / ROLL NO. 51630 PTR NO. A-2368197/01-06-15/TAGUIG CITY IBP NO. 983176/01-06-15/CAVITE

B4

Peza support. Toyota Motor Philippines Corp., along with the Toyota Group of Export Suppliers, convened to update the Philippine Economic Zone Authority about its business operations and industry prospects and challenges. The Toyota Group expressed appreciation to the government for giving the automotive manufacturing industry the chance to make local production more competitive in Southeast Asia. The Toyota Group urged the Philippines to take advantage of the unprecedented growth in the Philippine auto market and attract new investments.

PH keeps tariffs on steel bars

By Othel V.Campos THE Trade Department extended for another four years the protective tariff against imported steel angle bars with an annual reduction rate of 5 percent until the fourth year to give local manufacturers time to adjust to competition.

Trade, on the recommendation of the Tariff Commission, imposed a tariff of P3,345 per metric ton against imported steel angle bars on the first year starting March 16, 2015 to March 17, 2016; P3,178 per MT on the second year from March 18, 2016 to March 19, 2017; P3,019 per MT on the third year

from March 20, 2017 to March 21, 2018; and P2,868 per MT from March 22, 2018 to March 23, 2019.

The department said it reserved the right to review and modify the amount if found necessary.

The order also imposes that same measure on imported un-

equal leg angle bars. Marine grade steel angle bats, however, are excluded from the definitive general safeguard measure.

The Trade Department issued the order in response to a petition filed by the Steel Angles, Shapes and Section Manufacturers Association of the Philippines for a final extension of the safeguard measures on imported steel angle bars.

The group, composed of Lunar Steel Philippines, Maxima Steel Mills Corp. and 21st Century Steel Mill Inc., claimed the safeguard measures was necessary to prevent or remedy the serious injury caused by imported

steel angle bars to the domestic producers and give them time to build their competitiveness.

The Tariff Commission noted that while the combined output of SASSMAPI members accounted for a major proportion of the total domestic production of steel angle bars, there was still a significant increase in the importation of the same product in the last two years.

An investigation conducted by the commission showed that the termination of the safeguard duty would make it difficult for the domestic industry to price local products at a competitive level and erode the

positive gains made by Philippine companies in adjusting to competition.

The commission said the continuation of safeguard measures on steel angle bars would eventually redound to more affordable prices for the public, adding local companies had introduced reforms in preparation for the inevitable entry of major imported commodities tax-free under the Asean economic integration, But the local industry local industry still fears dumping activities from countries amid the oversupply of steel angel bars despite the safeguard measures.

Bloomberg TV names New study on Bataan-Cavite cable link up Franks as PH producer By Alena Mae S. Flores BLOOMBERG Media Group appointed Owen Franks as executive producer of Bloomberg Television Philippines.

He joins Bloomberg from Al Jazeera where he worked as executive producer across its bureaus in Qatar, New York and San Francisco, and where he launched its 24-hour American news service and digital youth channel.

Owen brings over 15 years of experience in broadcast, having also Franks worked at the British Broadcasting Corp. as a senior producer in London. Now based in Manila, Owen will be responsible for editorial direction and all aspects of news programming and operations for Bloomberg TV Philippines.

Bloomberg Television in March this year announced a partnership with Cignal TV Inc., a leading media company in the Philippines, to create Bloomberg Television Philippines, the country’s first 24-hour business news channel.

THE Energy Regulatory Commission allowed the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to conduct a P161.8-million study on the most feasible submarine cable link between Bataan and Cavite as part of a long-term plan to form a backbone transmission loop system.

ERC said the conduct of the study would be a “very important step in the early development stage of the submarine cable project.”

ERC agreed the study should be conducted to assess the seabed profile, feasibility route as well as the receiving end at Cavite or Metro Manila side in order to establish an appropriate connection system.

The study involves drawing up a transmission alternative route to deliver power to Metro Manila other than the overhead line lines from Hermosa, Bataan to San Jose, Bulacan.

National Grid, in its petition for approval of the study, said there was a need to conduct an new study given the generation capacity of 1,800 megawatts under a former study made by Sogelberg Ingeniere, a French consultancy group commissioned

by National Power Corp. in 1996.

The transmission firm said the new total generation capacity in Bataan alone is 5,100 MW. The previous study also showed the submarine

cable interconnection between Bataan and Cavite (Dasmarinas) was feasible from a technical point of view.

The study revealed that a 230 kV submarine cable line would cost $267.8 million while a 500 kV line would require investments of $433.5 million.

The proposed Bataan-Cavite transmission line project is part of the stage-by-stage transmission backbone development in the Luzon grid.

It is also part of the backbone loop serving the country’s load center. Considering that more than 50 percent of the Luzon grid is utilized by Metro Manila, there is a need to ensure adequate transmission backbone facilities.

“Thus, there is a ned to upgrade the study conducted in April 1996 by conducting another feasibility study in order to reflect the current generation developments in Bataan... as well as to determine the use of available submarine cable technologies,” National Grid said.

It said the study would establish the most feasible submarine cable link between Bataan and Cavite and involve the selection of the appropriate system as well as the conduct of surveys for both the submarine and overhead portion.

“These are important activities to come up with the complete project scheme and cost estimates for consideration in a separate capital expenditure application,” the grid operator said.

M O N D AY : A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 1 5

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

B5

Peso poised to weaken further

By Julito G. Rada THE peso will depreciate further against the greenback as the US economy continues to recover and the Federal Reserve is expected to increase interest rates in the latter part of the year, private economists said over the weekend.

“The festering Greek debt crisis and corresponding Eurozone weakness highlights the steadily improving US economy,” economists from the First Metro Investments Corp. and University of Asia & the Pacific said in a joint report for the month of July.

“This, together with the expected rise in Fed policy rates by Q4 this year, should boost the US

dollar and continue to provide a depreciation bias to the peso,” they said.

The economists predicted the peso to average at 45.43 to a dollar in July, and weaken further to 45.51 in August. However, they expected the local currency to slightly recover in September, averaging at 45.356 to a greenback.

The peso on Friday closed at

45.74 against the US dollar, down P0.12 from 45.62 on July 30.

The stronger employment and housing sales growth in the US underpinned the strength of the dollar as it strengthened against other Asean currencies. “... The US/PHP rate further weakened to P44.98 from P44.60 in May, representing a 2.66 percent year-on-year peso depreciation. The volatility measure climbed to 0.71 from 0.34 last month, with the PHP ranging between 44.55/US$ and 45.26/US$.

The peso breached the 45 level in the second week of June and continued to depreciate mildly until the end of the month,” the report said.

Earlier, Bangko Sentral ng

Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the peso’s weakness could be considered a “short-term episode,” which was expected given the continued uncertainty in the global markets following the expected normalization of US monetary policy.

But he said the Philippines remained in a strong fundamental footing that would support it against these headwinds.

He said the peso remained market-determined. The Bangko Sentral does not target any exchange rate and therefore “is generally neutral” to any exchange rate movements except when there is evidence of speculative play, Guinigundo said.

“In which case, the BSP partic-

ipates in the FX market to minimize volatility and ensure orderly trading in the market,” he said.

Analysts earlier said the latest US economic data, especially the second-quarter gross domestic product data, might also trigger additional volatilities.

Guinigundo said the exchange rate target average of P43 to P46 to a dollar this year remained doable despite the volatilities in the global financial markets.

He said the Philippines was a resilient economy with strong growth prospects, lower inflation forecasts and robust external payments position. Thus, the P43 to P46 exchange rate assumption remained realistic, Guinigundo said.

IN BRIEF New Starmalls offering

STARMALLS Inc., the shopping center development unit of former Senate president Manuel Villar, is studying the possibility of conducting a follow-on offering in 2016 to partially fund a P26-billion expansion over the next three years.

“We haven’t discussed the details yet but we’re really preparing for an offering for Starmalls next year to fund our expansion. So we will be raising some cash,” Villar, who is Starmall chairman, said in an interview.

Starmalls under a planned expansion will open three new branches this year in Taguig, Bataan, and Sta Rosa. Starmalls plans to build an average of five malls a year over the next two years.

A typical investment for shopping mall with gross leasable space of 60,000 square meters is between P1.5 billion and P2 billion.

Included in Starmalls expansion plans is the establishment of shopping centers in Visayas and Mindanao, especially in Cebu, Iloilo Davao and Cagayan de Oro cities. Jenniffer B. Austria

Negative hot money REGISTERED foreign portfolio investments, or “hot money,” posted a net outflow of $51.25 million in the week ending July 17 this year, a reversal of the $296.63-million net inflow a year ago, as more investors withdrew their funds in the domestic markets due mainly to the imminent interest rates hike in the US. Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas over the weekend showed gross inflows for the week stood at $227 million compared with outflows of $278 million.

Despite the week’s outflow, registered foreign portfolio investments from January to July 17 still posted a net inflow of $422.77 million, a turnaround from the $1.052 billion net outflow a year ago.

Foreign portfolio investments are overseas funds that are temporarily invested in local stocks, government securities and money market. These are also called “hot money” because of the ease they are invested in and taken out of the local markets.

In June, hot money posted a net outflow of $521 million, a reversal of the $43-million net inflow a year ago, due mainly to growing concerns about the looming rates hike in the US coupled with the recent debt crisis in Greece. Julito G. Rada

PH borrowings rise

GOVERNMENT borrowings in May rose 4.5 percent to P22.14 billion over a year ago, data from Bureau of Treasury showed over the weekend.

The data showed showed gross domestic borrowings reached P22.14 billion in June, up from P21.18 billion on year.

The treasury said the government borrowed P760 million from external resources and P21.38 billion the domestic debt market.

Borrowings from foreign sources in May declined 41 percent from P1.28 billion in on year. Foreign debt amortization slid from P5.56 billion in May last year to P5.27 billion.

Data showed P350 million in foreign borrowings were coursed as project loans while P410 million were classified program loans.

Meanwhile, borrowings from domestic sources increased 7 percent to P21.385 billion in May this year from P19.905 a year ago.

Domestic borrowings include P22.385 billion in the form of fixed-rate treasury bonds, less P1 million worth of net Treasury bills.

Domestic funding amortization rose nearly four times to P41.350 billion in May from P10.63 billion a year ago. Gabrielle H. Binaday

Monsanto-backed farms. Monsanto Fund, in partnership with NGO Gawad Kalinga,the Agricuture Department, local government units and other non-government units have joined forces to address the issue of starvation in Southern Mindanao. Shown are Monsanto and Gawad Kalinga officers, along with their beneficiaries, planting seeds in the Monsanto Bayan-Anihan farm in Catigan, Davao City. Dubbed as Bayan-Anihan, or community harvest, the project aims to support one family at a time by setting up sustainable food programs in every impoverished community in the Davao Region through the setup of 10 farms. The farms are located near villages built by Gawad Kalinga. The Bayan-Anihan sites have benefited over 413 families in the region.

Big Chinese steel trader keen on PH milling business

By Othel V. Campos A CHINESE trader may set up steel milling operations in the Philippines as the volume of its exports to the Philippine construction sector has been expanding over the last few years.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce Inc. said China Rizhao Business in Shandong province, China, representing China Rizhao Steel Company Ltd., had been seeking information about the Philippines before a possible business operation in the Philippines.

“Right now, China Rizhao Business is trying to set up a satellite representative office here

to manage its growing steel trade with Philippine companies,” PCCI chairman emeritus Francis Chua said in an interview over the weekend.

He said China Rizhao Business, more known internationally as Sunshine Co., represents the steel company in its distribution of products abroad. It is a government-owned and managed corporation based in Shandong.

Chua quoted deputy director for China Rizhao Business Wu Naijun that Chinese companies were bullish about business prospects in the Philippines despite the political differences betweenChina and the Philippines.

“In spite of the ongoing politi-

cal problems, they China Rizhao Business] sent a representative here to process a company strategy to open a satellite office in Manila,” he said.

Rizhao steel Wire Co. Ltd. is a large integrated iron and steel complex with a steel production of 14 million metric tons in 2014.

It produces and exports hot rolled steel coil, plates, wire rod, rebar, H-beam, I-Beam and channels, welding pipes and cement.

It exports to more than 30 countries and regions, including South Korea, South East Asia, South America, Europe and Middle East, for use in industries such as automobile, home

appliances, petrochemical, machinery, energy, transportation and metalwork.

Chua said Chinese steel manufacturers had shown great interest to do business in the Philippines because of the local construction boom.

China Rizhao Steel exported 1.5 million MT of steel products, mostly rebar, to the Philippines in 2014.

“Because of the building boom, they saw bigger opportunities here [Philippines]. They came to us seeking assistance and from the point of view of PCCI, our mandate is to facilitate trade so we will help those who seek our help,” said Chua.

MONDAY: AUGUST 3, 2015

B6

BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

DMCI tapped to build Calax An Agenda for social entrepreneurship research LAST Nov. 20 to 21, 2014, the Philippine Social Enterprise Network, the Ateneo de Manila University and the Foundation for a LEAH A. MACATANGAY Sustainable Society co-sponsored the 2014 National Social Entrepreneurship Conference with the theme “Social Enterprise and Innovation: The Roles of Universities.” Invited to speak about the agenda for research, I shared what some researchers, including myself, have identified as interesting and relevant topics regarding research in social entrepreneurship and social enterprise. Interest in both phenomena have grown in recent decades due to both the results as well as the promise that social entrepreneurship, as a field of endeavor, and social enterprises--the organizations that carry out the triple-bottom-line goals of people, planet and profit--bring to communities, society, countries and to the world.

Helen Haugh, in her article “A Research Agenda for Social Entrepreneurship,” published in the Social Enterprise Journal in March 2005, identified eight areas of research. I chose to comment on some of them.

Opportunity exploitation Haugh recommended more studies on the management aspect of opportunity exploitation, such as the combination of various resources, creation of an organization, establishment of shared values, development of strategies, networking and learning. She talked about the role, impact, benefits, challenges and barriers of partnerships. This ties in with James Austin’s proposed research questions on this subject, in his article “Three Avenues for Social Entrepreneurship Research” published in the Social Entrepreneurship in 2007: What are the barriers, enablers, benefits, and key success factors for: Intra-sector alliances? Cross-sector alliances (business-nonprofit, businessgovernment, government-nonprofit)? Tri-sector partnerships?

Haugh felt that the role of networks needs to be understood. My own experience of working with the Negosyo Mo, Bukas Ko Program of Go Negosyo for out-of-school youths had enabled me to observe up close and challenge the role of networks in a social enterprise – on the supply side, the demand side and the training component I realized the networks have an important role as part of the external environment that influence and provide the pivotal variables of social enterprises, mainly the opportunity, people resources, and capital resources.

Performance measurement Haugh talked about the need for measures and indicators to assess the performance of social enterprises. These have to be more attuned to capture intangible aspects like social capital, community cohesion and relational assets.

Impacts on society and cost effectiveness have to be measured.

In a previous BCYF round table discussion, several local and foreign organizations involved in social enterprises discussed the performance measures they use. LGT Venture Philanthropy revealed that it uses a log frame to measure the breadth and depth of impact, which at times are still often vague and subjective. PhilSen uses the Social Enterprise Quality Index where social enterprises self-rate their achievements in terms of the triple bottom line, as well as try to determine the social ROI. FSSI looks at the impact of community governance while Ashoka Foundation measures the impact in terms of the change that resulted. For the NMBK Program, I used the Austin-Stevenson-Wei-Skillern Framework to try to measure the program’s social value proposition.

Raymund Habaradas and Patrick Aure of the Center for Business Research and Development of De La Salle University commented in their article “Creative and Collaborative Strategies for Social Enterprises in the Philippines”, published in 2014 in the DLSU Notes and Briefings, that in CBRD’s efforts to study the dynamics of social enterprises in the Philippines, it identified the need to develop metrics for social performance that will allow social enterprises to gauge the effectiveness of their strategies. The authors noted that research needs to be done on what constitutes acceptable and practical measures of social performance, despite the more prevalent financial measures like profitability and liquidity.

Scalability An area not mentioned by Haugh but which I think is important and timely, is scalability, which refers to increasing the impact of the social mission of social enterprises. There are relatively few studies on scaling up or scalability.

It was only in 2012 that a scalability framework was proposed by Christina Weber, Arne Krober, and Kathrin Lambrich in their article “Scaling Social Enterprises – A Theoretically Grounded Framework,” to classify, integrate and relate the major theoretical and empirical findings in the field. More research is needed to find empirical validation of the many propositions put forward by this theoretically-developed framework.

Multiple and conflicting logics Finally, the last area I think worth mentioning is the issue of multiple and conflicting logics due to divergent objectives: social vs. economic vs. sustainable. Creating and maintaining a balance among these objectives has also been mentioned by recent articles in the 2011 and 2012 issues of Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, the journal of US-based Babson College that publishes only frontier and cutting-edge research on entrepreneurship. This tightrope walk and balancing act, so to speak, among contrary goals remains a challenge of social enterprises.

To conclude, the field of social entrepreneurship is still an emerging and growing one. Much work in terms of conceptualizing, theorizing and finding systematic, empirical validation through case studies, surveys and other methods needs to be done. Research has a catch-up role to play with practice; hence, for those in the academe, research in social entrepreneurship presents a vast, uncharted, and exciting territory that waits to be explored. Teaming up with their counterparts in the field and with practitioners is recommended, for fruitful collaboration and results.

GREEN LIGHT

Leah Alvino Macatangay is an assistant professorial lecturer of the Management and Organization Department of the RVR College of Business of De La Salle University and former project director of the Negosyo Mo, Bukas Ko Program of Go Negosyo.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the DLSU administration and faculty.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

METRO Pacific Investment Corp. has tapped local contractor DM Consunji Inc. and Leighton Holdings of Australia to construct the P34.5-billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway project.

MPCala Holdings Inc., a unit of Metro Pacific, earlier won the P35.4-billion Calax project, which involves the construction and operation of a four-lane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll expressway connecting ManilaCavite Expressway and South Luzon Expressway.

DMCI Holdings president Isidro Consuji said construction unit DM Consunji would implement the second phase of the infrastructure project with could be worth around P17 billion.

The first phase would be handled

by Leighton.

Consunji said he expected the construction contract to be finalizeed soon.

The Public Works Department

last month awarded the Calax Expressway project to MPCala, which submitted the top offer during the government’s second attempt to bid out the project.

MPCala submitted a premium bid of P27.3 billion for the 47-kilometer toll road, beating the P22.2-billion offer by San Miguel Corp.’s Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc. Construction period would cover July 2016 to July 2020, while operations and maintenance would be from July 2020 to July 2050.

The expressway will start from Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at the SLEX-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

The Public Works Department

set a P20.105-billion minimum premium for the project, representing the offer of OIDI during the first attempt to bid out the project.

President Benigno Aquino III ordered a rebidding of the project, after the department disqualified OIDI on technicality, despite submitting the highest bid.

Ayala Corp. and Aboitiz Group, which emerged as the second highest bidder in the first auction, did not participate in the second bidding.

D.M. Consuji was also earlier tapped to implement a portion of the Skyway Stage 3 project of conglomerate San Miguel Corp.

D.M. Consunji will be the contractor for second section of the project from Buendia to Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City worth more than P17 billion.

EEI Corp. will construct sections 3 and 4 of the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 project.

Section 3 covers 2.7 km from Aurora Blvd. to Quezon Ave. while section 4 covers a 4.8-km stretch from Quezon Ave. to Balintawak.

Nestle program. Nestlé Philippines teamed up with the Education Department to launch the Milo Champ Moves, a nationwide school-based program that aims to encourage six million elementary children in 10,000 schools to live an active and healthy lifestyle. Shown during the launching of the program are (from left) basket ball player Kiefer Ravena, Nestle Philippines chairman and chief executive Suresh Narayanan, business executive manager Sherilla Bayona, Education assistant secretary Tonisito Umali and Milo sports executive Andrew Neri.

Alternergy, Transco sign payment deal

By Alena Mae S. Flores ALTERNERGY Wind One Corp. said it signed a payment agreement with National Transmission Corp. for the 54-megawatt wind farm in Barangay Halayhayin, Pililla, Rizal.

“I [am] delighted to sign at last the renewable energy payment agreement with TransCo for our Pililla wind project. It was a long and challenging journey that began with a dream,” Alternergy president and chief executive Vince Perez said.

The feed-in tariff rules of the Energy Regulatory Commission provide for renewable energy payment agreement between the FITAll Fund administrator, which is TransCo and the eligible renewable energy plant for the payment of the feed-in tariff.

FIT-Allowance is a uniform charge akin to the universal charge that is imposed on power consum-

ers who are supplied with electricity through the distribution or transmission network.

ERC earlier provisionally approved a FIT-All rate of P0.0406 per kWh, which was collected by distribution utilities starting January 2015.

ERC also approved a feed-in tariff rate of P8.53 per kWh for the 200-megawatt approved installation target for wind projects.

The 200-MW installation targets are now over-subscribed, prompting the Energy Department to approve an additional 200 MW for wind power projects and raise the total installation target to 400 MW. ERC, however, has yet to approve the proposed lower feed-in tariff rate of P7.93 for the additional 200 MW installation target.

Alternergy’s Pililla wind farm, comprising of 27 towers with a capacity of 2 MW each, is expected to become a new tourist destination in

Rizal, with several wind turbines visible on a clear day from Antipolo and from Laguna across Laguna Lake.

ERC approved last year the dedicated 10-km point-to-point interconnection line to connect the project to the distribution network of Manila Electric Co., which owns the distribution franchise to operate in Rizal.

The Pililla wind farm successfully interconnected with Meralco’s 115-kv Malaya-Caliraya-Kalayaan transmission line.

Alternergy said connecting to Meralco’s system was the most feasible and least cost means of dispatching power, without any grid constraint or congestion to the major power load of Luzon.

Alternergy Wind secured a $100-million project financing from a syndicate of local commercial banks led by Banco de Oro, China Bank and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

M O N D AY : A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Tracking Arctic ice’s retreat NY-ALESUND, Norway— Not so long ago, skeleton staff overwintering at the Ny-Alesund research center could walk on the Arctic town’s frozen bay and race their snow mobiles across its surface.

Now there is liquid water even in the coldest months, the glaciers are retreating at a rate of hundreds of meters per year, and alien species from warmer climes are making the bay their home, say longtime residents of the sparsely-populated town on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen.

“In the 1990s, we could cross the bay in snow mobiles,” recalled Juergen Graeser, a technician at the Franco-German Awipev research station that collects weather, atmo-

spheric and chemical data.

“The last time we could walk on it was in the winter of 2003-04.”

And since 2007, the Kongsfjorden fjord or bay that carves into the island’s west coast “has not frozen over once”, said Sebastien Barrault, a research adviser for the Kings Bay logistics company.

These days, the bay in winter more closely resembles its summery self: a vast expanse of water dotted with icebergs and patches of ice sheet, framed by glaciers.

Just 1,000 kilometers south of the North Pole, the island’s climate was always mild for its high latitude (79 degrees) due to a warm ocean current that runs along its west coast.

But the Arctic has warmed more than any other region on Earth—a phenomenon some scientists have linked to feedback from sea ice loss and changes in atmospheric and ocean circulation caused by overall planet warming.

The region has warmed about 1.0 to 1.2 degrees Celsius (1.8-2.16 degrees Fahrenheit)

in each of the past two decades—far exceeding the global 0.8 C average since the preindustrial era.

In March, US officials said Arctic sea ice had reached its lowest winter point since satellite observations began in the late 1970s— raising concerns for sea level rise and the survival of polar bears and marine creatures which depend on the ice.

The shrinking of sunlight-reflecting ice sheets and glaciers, in turn, leads to more heat being absorbed by land and sea.

Ny-Alesund, the world’s northernmost permanent human settlement, is caught up in the transformation and offers the perfect vantage point for scientists studying the rate and effects of global warming.

Oceanographer Philippe Kerherve has come to the erstwhile coal mining village to study sediment transportation by glaciers -- compressed masses of ice and rock that “flow” slowly over land.

Glaciers cover about 60 percent of Spitsbergen. One of the biggest among

Taiwan confronts its dark past TAIPEI—One has been beheaded, others have ties have done nothing about it,” says student acbeen defaced, and some are dressed in costumes tivist Chu Chen, 18, who attends the prestigious by pranksters. Statues of Taiwan’s former ruler Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School.

Chiang Kai-shek have been increasingly targeted “Every year, graduates decorate the statue mockas the island confronts its authoritarian past. ing it.”

Though still seen as a hero by some in Taiwan Students most recently decked it out the figure for waging war against communist China under in an E.T. costume, with a helmet and wings. the banner of the nationalist Kuomintang, Chiang AFP has long been a divisive figure.

Republic of the Philippines His role in Taiwan’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources “White Terror”—a MINES AND GEOSCIENCES BUREAU purge of political oppoRegional Office No. V R e g i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t C e n t e r , DENR Annex Bldg., Rawis, Legazpi City nents—and his imposiTelefax No: (052)482-1056, Tel. No: (052)482-1156 / 480-1084 E - m a i l A d d r e s s : m g b r 5 @ y a h o o . c o m , We b s i t e : w w w. r e g i o n 5 . m g b . g o v. p h tion of martial law have led many to brand him a dictator synonymous invitation to bid with the authoritarianAs is, Where is, For ism that wary Taiwanese Confiscated Processed Iron Ore now equate with maininParacale, Camarines Norte land rule.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. V (MGB RO V), by virtue of confiscation Orders Despite splitting afdated September 1, 2014 and March 10, 2015 intends to sell 47,196 metric tons of iron ore containing gold for a total amount of $1,682,553.52 being the Approved Sales Value (ASV) for the payment under ter a civil war, China the contract for the sale of Confiscated Iron Ore in Paracale, Camarines Norte numbered MGB ROVconsiders the island SOG-2015-01. Bids received less than the ASV shall be automatically rejected at the bid opening. as a part of its terri1. The MGB RO V now invites bids for 47,196 metric tons of processed iron ore with average grade of tory awaiting reunifica60.03% Feand 1.53% Au. Full payment for the goods is required by 2:00 PM of the 3rd working day from the date of the award. Failure to pay in full shall render the award null and void and the bid tion—and by force if security forfeited in favor of the DENR. Bidders should be at the time of bidding, be an MPSA, FTAA contractor/Permittee or a Mineral Processing Permit holder, or duly Accredited Mineral Trader/ necessary. Fears over Dealer/Retailer of mineral products and by-products. increased Chinese influ2. Bidding shall be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary ence have grown since “pass/fail” criterion.

2008 under President 3. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations/ Ma Ying-jeou’s KMT corporations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines. government, which has 4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the MGB RO V, and inspect the Bidding forged a rapprochement Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. with Beijing.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on July 27, 2015 to Chiang’s authoritariAugust 25, 2015 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Fifty Thousand Pesos (P 50,000.00). anism has outweighed 5. It may also be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement his Nationalist creSystem (PhilGEPS) and the website of the MGB RO V, provided that Bidders shall pay the dentials and his image nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. is wrapped up in that The MGB RO V will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on August 11, 2015, 2:00 PM at the Office of Provincial Environmental and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO), Daet, Camarines Norte, which concern, with young shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents. people in particular 6. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 12:00 noon on August 25, 2015. All Bids feeling strongly that his must be accompanied by a bid security in the form of a Manager’s Check payable to the DENR Secretary in the amount equivalent to 10% of the ASV. The bid security shall be returned to the memory should not be losing bidder after the bid is announced. In case of the awardee, the deposit will serve as a celebrated. partial payment.

“Chiang was a dicBid opening shall be on August 25, 2015 at 2:00PM at the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. V, Rawis, Legazpi City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ authorized tator. For a long time, representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. freedom of speech in 7. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. Vreserves the right to accept or reject Taiwan was suppressed,” 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. said Peter Chu, 23, a 8. For further information, please refer to: graduate student at the National Taiwan DANIEL S. SOMBANON CBACMP Secretariat University of Science Mines and Geosciences Bureau R.O. No. V Regional Government Center, Rawis, Legazpi City and Technology.

Tel No. (052) 482-1056/482-1156 “Why should his statEmail Address: mgbr5@yahoo.com Website: www.region5.mgb.gov.ph ues be allowed to remain on any campus?”

(SGD) RICARDO P. NACIONAL CBACMP Chairman “There have been calls for removing the statue (at my school), but the school authori(TS-JUL. 27, AUG. 3 & 10, 2015)

them, Kronebreen, sports a massive two kilometer-wide crack in its facade, and has receded by a kilometer since 2012.

Glacier flow usually is faster in the summer months, when ice melts into water, sweeping up crushed rock and mud between the glacier and the land surface, and dumping it into the bay.

But the flows are getting stronger.

“With global warming, there is more melt and more rocky sediment. It is the rich marine ecosystem of the fjords that will be more and more affected,” said Kerherve.

Species throughout the food chain, everything from krill and seaweed, shell fish, fish and mammals like seals, may suffer from too much mud being dumped into the bay that provides their food, shelter and breeding grounds.

Add to this competition from new species arriving in the area, possibly aided by climate change-induced sea current changes. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan City of Balanga BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE OFFICE Invitation to Bid No. Infra -055- 2015 The Provincial Government of Bataan, through the Special Educational Fund55 intends to apply the below listed project w/ corresponding Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Name of Project

Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC)

1. Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building =P=6,149,917.00 (I-Hub & Tech-Voc Lab) Morong National High School Brgy. Sabang Morong,Bataan 2. Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building =P=5,899,958.98 (I-Hub & Tech-Voc Lab) Mariveles National High School-Poblacion Mariveles,Bataan 3. Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building =P=5,849,999.13 (I-Hub & Tech-Voc Lab) Hermosa National High School Barangay Culis, Hermosa, Bataan The Provincial Government of Bataan now invites bids for the above listed Projects. Completion of works is required on or before the maturity date stipulated on contract. Bidders should have completed, at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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

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

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Office of Bataan Bids & Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the same office.

Bid documents will be available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a non-refundable amount of using standard rates approved by GPPB as stated on their Resolution No. 04-2012 listed below.

Approved Budget for the Contract Maximum Cost of Bidding Document 500,000 and below More than 500,000 up to 1 Million More than 1 Million up to 5 Million More than 5 Million up to 10 Million More than 10 Million up to 50 Million More than 50 Million up to 500 Million More than 500 Million

500.00 1,000.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 25,000.00 50,000.00 75,000.00

(in Philippine Peso)

The Provincial Government of Bataan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on August 06, 2015 at 10:00 A.M at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered on or before August 19, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated on IRR of RA 9184 and Bid Securing Declaration in standard form.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend opening of Bids at Bataan BAC Office. Late bids shall not be accepted.

In case of the above dates is declared a special Non-Working Holidays, it will automatically reset on the next working days.

Other necessary information deemed relevant by the Provincial Government of Bataan Activities 1. Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to BidJuly 2. Eligibility Check 3. Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents 4. Request for Clarification 5. Opening of Bids

Schedule 30 – August05, 2015 Refer to date of Opening of Bids July 30 – August 19, 2015 August 07, 2015 August 19, 2015

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

For further information, please refer to: Engr. Josephine R. Valenzuela Provincial BAC / PEO Bataan Provincial BAC / PEO Office, Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan 047-237-9316 bac@bataan.gov.ph (SGD) ENRICO T. YUZON BAC Chairman (TS-AUGUST 3, 2015)

M O N D AY : A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 1 5

B8

ceSAr bArriOqUiNTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world Projecting change. From left, Travis Threlkel, chief creative officer of Obscura Digital, and Louie Psihoyos, founder of Oceanic Preservation Society, attend Projecting Change: The Empire State Building at The Empire State Building on August 1 in New York City. AFP

Obama pledges climate fight Myanmar flood toll to increase, says UN YANGON—The toll from flash floods and landslides in Myanmar after days of torrential rain is likely to spike, the UN warned Sunday, as monsoonal downpours brought misery to thousands across the region.

At least 27 people have been killed and more than 150,000 affected by flooding in Myanmar in recent days, with the government declaring the four worst-hit areas in central and western Myanmar as “national disaster-affected regions”.

Scores have also perished in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam following floods and landslides triggered by heavy seasonal rains.

Rescue work in Myanmar has been hampered by continued downpours and the inaccessibility of many of the remote regions worst hit by the deluges.

The United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Sunday it had been informed by the Myanmar government’s Relief and Resettlement Department that at least 156,000 people have been affected by the floods.

But that figure was likely to be “significantly higher” because many areas “have still not been reached or reported on by assessment teams,” the agency warned.

OCHA said the official death toll of 27 was also likely an underestimate. AFP

WASHINGTON—US President Barack Obama will Monday unveil what he called the “biggest, most important step we’ve ever taken” to fight climate change, a sensitive issue central to his legacy.

The White House will release the final version of America’s Clean Power Plan, a set of environmental rules and regulations that will home in on the pollution from the nation’s existing power plants, setting limits on power-plant carbon emissions for the first time.

Laying out how climate change is a threat to the economy, health, wellbeing and security of America, and adding that time was of the essence, Obama said in a video released early Sunday: “Climate change is not a problem for another generation. Not anymore.”

“Power plants are the single biggest source of harmful carbon pollution that contributes to climate change,” added Obama, who made the battle against climate change a core promise of his 2008 election campaign.

“But until now there have been no federal limits

to the amount of that pollution that those plants can dump into the air.”

He added that without imposing the unprecedented limits, “existing power plants can still dump unlimited amounts of harmful carbon pollution into the air weekly.

“For the sake of our kids, for the health and safety of all Americans, that’s about to change.”

Power plants account for some 40 percent of US emissions of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

With the end of his presidency drawing ever nearer, Obama argued that the plans will lead to lower energy bills in the future for everyday Americans, create jobs in the renewable energy sector and ensure more reliable energy services.

Quite simply, he said, the United States and the rest of the world need to act now to save the planet, ahead of a major meeting of world powers in Paris in December tasked with doing just that.

The new plan sets a goal of cutting carbon pollution from power plants by 32 percent by 2030 compared with 2005 levels, The Washington Post said.

In his initial proposal a year ago, the target was 30 percent.

But the move is likely to face fierce opposition from numerous sides, including political rivals and industry groups, as well as possible legal challenges. AFP

Bra protest after ‘breast assault’ in HK HONG KONG—Dozens of activists including men wearing bras staged a protest in Hong Kong on Sunday after a woman was sentenced to three-and-ahalf months’ jail for assaulting a police officer with her breast.

Around 100 people gathered for the light-hearted “breast walk” protest outside police headquarters in Wan Chai district, with some holding up bras and others wearing them over their tops.

“We better watch out as one day police might accuse us of attacking with our penis or buttock,” a topless male activist wearing a black bra told the crowd.

Retired teacher James Hon, 66, wearing a pink bra over his white polo shirt, told AFP: “It’s the first time to wear a bra in my entire life.”

“We have come to this rather odd method to tell the world how ridiculous it is,” he said.

The crowd chanted “Breasts are not weapons—give back our breast freedom” and “Shame on police” as a representative handed in a petition letter to a police officer.

Thirty-year-old Ng Lai-ying was sentenced on Thursday for “assaulting a police officer” during a chaotic protest against mainland Chinese cross-border traders in March.

The clerk was found guilty of using her chest to bump against the arm of chief inspector Chan Ka-po.

She was bailed pending an appeal.

“The ruling is absurd. How can breasts be a weapon? We are angry but we also fear that this precedent exploits women’s rights to take part in protests,” Ng Cheuk-ling, an activist from Hong Kong Women’s Coalition on Equal Opportunities, told AFP. AFP

CATbaret! A general view of the atmosphere at the Kitty Bungalow Charm School for Wayward Cats presents CATbaret! on August 1 in Hollywood, California. AFP

M O N D AY : A U G U S T 0 3 : 2 0 1 5

TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

E AT, DRINK , T R AV EL

LIFE

WHERE’S THE BEEF?

C1

Lucia Ristorante's Bisteca con Salsa Tartufata (seared 300g rib-eye slathered with cream truffle sauce)

Restaurants in Metro Manila serve dishes made of Australian grass-fed beef

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

C

ontrary to popular knowledge of many beef-eating Filipinos, the US is not the major cattle meat exporter here in the Philippines. The next time you go to a restaurant for your rib-eye fix, know that the meat could be most likely Aussie.

According to data from the Bureau of Animal Industry, as of 2013 Australia is the largest beef exporter in the country, controlling 47 percent of market share. Of total exports, 97 percent is from free-range, grass-fed cows that yield healthier and tastier meat versus its counterparts.

Australian cattle thrive in Australia’s vast grassland areas. In fact, according to Meat and Livestock Australia country manager Paul Perez, “one cow is equal to one hectare (of grassland),” and as such, there is always available grass.

Compared to grain-fed cows, grass-fed cattle have less fat and cholesterol but with higher level of Omega 3 fatty acids. Perez also noted that Australia never had a record of mad cow and foot-and-mouth diseases.

Perhaps it’s safe to say that Aussie beef is the healthier alternative, especially today when many are shifting to protein-based diets from starch-based. “There’s so much talk about going natural and taking the healthier route, so we want to put across that Australia can supply all-natural products,” said Perez.

These are the information not many people know, which is why MLA and the Australian Trade Commission launched the Australian Grass-fed Beef Promotion to introduce the restaurants around Metro Manila that use Aussie beef and invite more to do the same.

As part of the promotion, MLA and AusTrade recently mounted a five-day food crawl, with each trail covering multiple restaurants that served dishes featuring the premium grass-fed beef. The Standard joined on Day 5 and was treated to a four-restaurant gustatory journey in Muntinlupa and Makati.

Sala Bistro's Rigatoni with Short Rib Ragout (fresh rigatoni pasta with braised short rib, arugula and cheese)

HERE’S THE BEEF

The beefy breakfast was served 34 floors above Makati’s business district as the first leg was at Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie. Chef Jessie Sincioco, who recently converted to Australian beef after trying out the meat months ago, prepared Striploin in Morel Sauce and Roast Beef Sandwich, as well as bite-sized portions of Striploin and Mushroom Roulade, Top Blade Slider, and Top Blade Salpicao.

The sandwich and small hamburger were a good warm up for the participants’ tummies.

But the sauced dishes got more forks up as the beef, which was cooked perfectly, was deliciously complemented by the garlicky sauce (in salpicao) and rich and tasty morel and mushroom roulade (in striploin).

The group headed down south to Alabang to partake of the three-course lunch at A Steakhouse. For the promotion, Acacia Hotel’s in-house restaurant offered this set menu for P950++ that includes an appetizer, a choice of 150g Tenderloin (with honey marjoram roasted pumpkin, sautéed Brussels sprouts, and roasted fig dolcetto, slathered with sherry vinegar steak sauce) or 160g rib-eye (with grilled asparagus, roasted potatoes and Chianti sauce) for main entrée, and dessert.

Both mains offered a beefy taste in Australian grass-fed fashion, but for those

Paglia E Fieno (bi-colored paglia pasta with beef ragout and herbed butter aromas) features a hearty taste reminiscent of homemade spaghetti

who prefer the traditional taste that’s more on the safe side, the rib-eye is the better choice. Diners who are ready for a clash of flavors courtesy of the meat, sherry vinegar steak sauce, and roasted fig dolcetto will be off to a treat with the tenderloin.

Snack was served back in Makati at Lucia Ristorante. From one steak to another, Lucia showcased its version of the dish using Australian grass-fed beef with Bisteca con Salsa Tartufata (seared 300g rib-eye with cream truffle sauce). The creamy sauce balanced the beefy flavor and the meat was in the right amount of tender.

Originally, the restaurant serves this dish with USDA rib-eye but for the duration of this promotion, they will use the Australian version, according to marketing and communications manager Christine Bautista.

But will they eventually switch to Aussie beef? “Depending on customers’ feedback.

After the promotion we’ll see how it goes, [but we’re looking into] using it in the future because a lot of people are choosing healthier alternatives,” said Bautista.

Another featured dish at the Italian restaurant was Paglia e Fieno (bi-colored paglia pasta with beef ragout and herbed butter aromas). The lightness of the pasta was well complemented by the hearty sauce with bits and pieces of beef ragout; it goes without

Mulwarra Beef Tenderloin Tartare

saying that the dish tasted like a leveled-up spaghetti served at home.

With tummies full of beef, the group met at the last leg of the trail at Sala Bistro in Greenbelt 3. To prove the Australian meat’s freshness, executive chef Kerwin Go served it raw with Mulwarra Beef Tenderloin Tartare.

The dish was lightly seasoned so as not to overpower the flavor and texture of raw beef.

Chef Go also prepared Rigatoni with Short Rib Ragout. He used fresh rigatoni and small chunks of short rib braised for about two to three hours. The dish did not disappoint as the ragout was tender, the sauce tasteful, and the arugula and cheese offered more layers of flavor.

Twenty-five lucky diners who order items prepared for the Australian Grass-Fed Beef Promotion until August 23, 2015 will get a chance to win P5000-worth of dining privileges while one will win round-trip tickets for two to Australia via Qantas Airlines. Participating restaurants include: 100 Revolving Restaurant, Arya, A Steakhouse at Acacia Hotel, Blackbird, Carpaccio, Casa Roses, Chef Jessie’s Rockwell Club, Chesa Bianca, Cravings, Cyma, Epicurious, Ilustrado, Kitchen 1B, Lucia Ristorante, One Way, People’s Palace, Prime 101, Sala, Sala Bistro, The Blackboard, The Breakfast Table, The True Grill, The Urban Farm, The Wholesome Table, and Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie.

M ONDAY : AUGUST 03 : 2015

C2

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

AVERAGE REVIEW DIVERGENCE

BY NATIONALITY*

DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES REVIEW HOTELS DIFFERENTLY

THE GIST

BY ED BIADO

O

nce in a while, there would be a news story about the trustworthiness of posts on hotel review websites for a variety of reasons. For example, some properties allegedly enforce something called the “no bad review policy,” wherein hotel guests are charged a fee for every bad review they write. Outrageous, right?

Other times, it’s about the inconsistency.

Some people might say really good things about a property while others could be bashing it like there’s no tomorrow. In such cases, it’s really about personal preference or isolated cases. And, a new survey says, it could be about where the guest is from.

In its analysis of over seven million rating submissions from travelers all over the world, hotel-booking service Agoda found that nationality is a factor in the level of positiveness of a hotel experience. Guests who book hotels through the site can rate the different aspects of their stays using a scale from zero to 10 in six categories. The results are based on crunching those numbers.

Russian travelers emerged to be the easiest to please, giving an average score of 0.56 points higher than the global average of 8.52. Out of the 44 nationalities with enough reviews to make meaningful comparisons to the norm, travelers from the United Arab Emirates are the most critical, rating properties 0.32 points below the global average.

Closest to the norm are Canadians and South Africans, who gave a +0.02 rating, and those from Bahrain, with a divergence of -0.02.

Filipinos appear to be quite generous in their reviews, giving the 7th highest reviews (+0.29). Our regional neighbors are less enthusiastic. Thais, whose reviews are 0.05 points more favorable than the norm, are at number 17. Singaporeans are on the moredifficult-to-please side (-0.12). The Japanese are the toughest Asian critics and are second only to Emiratis as the least generous raters, diverging by -0.30 points.

Sweet Escape

“Travelers from different countries tend to have different review rating standards depending on their travel patterns, spending power, and just general likes and dislikes,” says Agoda.com chief operating officer John Brown. “Our customers are from all over the world so our ratings will reflect the average.

On our website and mobile app you can also read detailed reviews and even see which country each traveler is from.”

Rank

Country of origin

Diver-gence

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Russia Egypt Ireland Poland Israel Sweden Philippines Mainland China Finland United States Switzerland United Kingdom New Zealand Netherlands Australia Italy Thailand Spain Denmark Canada South Africa Bahrain Taiwan South Korea Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia France Saudi Arabia Kuwait Singapore Macau Norway Germany Pakistan Belgium Vietnam Hong Kong Portugal Qatar India Oman Japan United Arab Emirates

0.56 0.47 0.43 0.42 0.33 0.30 0.29 0.27 0.19 0.18 0.13 0.11 0.09 0.07 0.06 0.05 0.05 0.03 0.03 0.02 0.02 -0.02 -0.03 -0.04 -0.06 -0.09 -0.10 -0.11 -0.12 -0.12 -0.12 -0.13 -0.15 -0.16 -0.17 -0.20 -0.21 -0.22 -0.23 -0.24 -0.28 -0.29 -0.30 -0.32

*of nationalities with enough reviews to make meaningful comparisons to the norm

W

e all know how it feels like on a Monday, when the blues hit at the thought of another workweek and you need something to keep away the anxiety and the stress. Here are a few sweet nibbles to perk you up: You wanna see what happens in a bag of Nips? Well it changed before it touched my lips; it’s now a chocolate bar with tiny little pops of nips inside every bite. You may say it’s a rainbow and chocolate overload, and that makes it even better. Every bite gives you that same chocolate goodness that we’ve all become familiar with. Bite some more and you'll be treated with crunchy candy colored Nips. Grab this new chocolate treat from Jack ‘n Jill Treats at leading supermarkets, groceries, and convenience stores nationwide and enjoy it in Chocolate, White Chocolate, and Dark Chocolate variants, in 14g and 42g bars.

On the cooler side of the counter, indulge in BaskinRobbins’ flavor of the month Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream. How can you go wrong with a rich cheesecake flavored ice cream loaded with delicious

cheesecake pieces and a fruity strawberry ribbon? And if you’re adventurous you can try a slice with Chocolate Mousse Royale, for a perfect balance of fruity and rich chocolate flavor.

It doesn’t end there, there are more than two ways you can enjoy this icy treat. Have it as a milk shake, or whip up some cream, nuts and strawberry sauce and go nuts with the concoction. Now if you can’t wait to have one, visit Baskin-Robbins shops at the Central Square, Bonifacio Global City; Greenbelt 5 and Glorietta 5 in Makati; Fairview Terraces and Trinoma Mall in Quezon City. For more details about Baskin-Robbins, visit www.baskinrobbins.ph or check out their Facebook (facebook.com/baskinrobbinsph), Twitter and Instagram (baskinrobbinsph) accounts.

M ONDAY : AUGUST 03 : 2015

C3

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

The 1600-strong audience at SMX Mall of Asia

@LIFEatStandard

PBA Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio

Sports broadcaster and TV Host Dyan Castillejo

Gilas Pilipinas Coach and TV 5 Sports Head Vincent “Chot” Reyes

THE NEW FACE OF TOURISM MERCURY RISING

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

The National Tourism Organizations (NTO) of many countries have started to redirect their marketing strategies to conform with an emerging trend.

Gone are the days when the NTOs’ marketing budgets would be spent only on promoting historical and cultural landmarks in their respective countries. For the past decade, countries have begun to realize that Tourism now has a new face, and are embarking on events to promote and support this exciting new trend.

At the forefront of this new “movement” is the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), which was founded in Hawaii in 1951. It is now the biggest travel organization in the world, counting over 40,000 members from governments, destinations, transport, hotels, tour operators, travel agencies, educational institutions, financial

and consultancy services and media.

Its primary mission is to enhance, encourage and support the growth, value and quality of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.

The PATA Philippine Chapter helps translate these global objectives into action in the local travel and hospitality industry. To be in sync with this emerging “new face of tourism,” it put together last year a highly successful Travel Forum, patterned after the very popular TED Talks, which it labeled Pinoy Chikka. It featured experts on these “getting-to-be-popular” sectors of the Tourism industry – agro-tourism, medical tourism and eco-tourism.

Former Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor spoke on agro-tourism, which encourages visitors to experience agricultural life, first hand, in small communities together with rural people.

Celebrity doctor to the stars Dr. Vicki Belo discussed medical Tourism, which is the travel of people to another country for the purpose of obtaining medical treatment. It was surprising to learn that almost half of those who travel to our country for medical reasons are for aesthetic

enhancements. ABS-CBN’s Gina Lopez, who is in-charge of the rehabilitation of the Pasig River and the esteros of Manila, spoke on eco-tourism, which conserves the environment and improves the wellbeing of the local people.

Last year’s Travel Forum was so successful, having attracted 700 travel professionals, industry practitioners and the academe.

This year, PATA Philippine Chapter decided to stage the second edition, replicating last year’s success, because this year’s event attracted 1,600 people in a much bigger venue. The event tackled the other new sectors of the Tourism industry – sports, adventure and wellness tourism. Another stellar line-up of experts graced the occasion.

Former Tourism Undersecretary Cynthia Carrion Norton discussed the standards for sports tourism destinations, while Philippine Basketball Association Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio spoke on marketing and product development of sports tourism destinations. Sports broadcaster Dyan Castillejo shared her expertise on adventure tourism, while Gilas Pilipinas Coach and TV5 Sports Head Vincent “Chot” Reyes

The great taste of winning

Great Taste White unveils latest promo

G

spoke on local and foreign sports destinations. Health columnist and guru Cory Quirino discussed wellness tourism, which is travel to destinations that ensure one’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

With this new list of reasons why people travel, our Department of Tourism (DOT) should be even more confident now that it will achieve the projected six million tourist arrivals by the end of this year. However, last I heard from them, they’re playing safe by downscaling their year-end projection by half a million because of the “recent travel advisories of some countries.” I really don’t see the need to, but I guess the DOT just wants to look good and be able to say at the end of this year that they surpassed their target.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Wellness guru and columnist Cory Quirino

Former Tourism USec. Cynthia Carrion Norton

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE: Wandering inside a pet store, a customer stopped in front of a birdcage to admire a parakeet. Customer and parakeet watched each other for a few minutes before the bird blurted out, “Can’t you talk?”

reat Taste White is making everyday wins even greater with the Choose Great, Win Great raffle promo with more than P27 million worth of prizes at stake.

The promo will have four regional draws in five areas: Greater Manila Area, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. For every regional draw, there will be one winner of P200,000 and one winner of P100,000 in each area. Two white MacBook Air, four white iPhone 6, and six white iPad Mini will also be raffled off.

The Great Taste White: Choose Great, Win Great Promo will culminate in the Grand Draw where one lucky winner will take home P3 million in cash while eight others will win a white Toyota Vios 1.3 E M/T. To make this winning moment an even greater experience, the grand prize winner will get an exclusive sneak peek into the Pinoy Big Brother experience.

Aside from the P3 million cash prize, the grand winner will also receive VIP tickets to the PBB: 737 Big Night, tour the PBB House, and get to meet and greet PBB: All In Big Winner Daniel Matsunaga.

“Through Great Taste White: Choose Great Win Great Promo, we aim to let

more consumers savor greater wins,” said Lance Gokongwei, Universal Robina Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer. “This is also one way to thank our consumers for making Great Taste White the leading brand in the white coffee segment.”

The Great Taste White: Choose Great, Win Great Promo is open to all Filipino residents 18 years old and above. To join, simply do the following: Collect five empty sachets of any Great Taste White variant (Smooth & Creamy, Smooth & Creamy Sugarfree, Smooth & Caramelly, and Smooth & Chocolatey) or one empty BigSAVE Pack.

Put the empty sachets/BigSAVE packs in a plain white envelope with a piece of paper containing complete name, birth date, current mailing address, mobile or landline number, store outlet where the product was purchased, and email address. One envelope qualifies for one entry, which can be dropped at drop boxes located in participating stores, supermarkets and outlets nationwide.

Promo period is until September 18, 2015.

Know more about the promo by liking the official Great Taste White Facebook page (@GreatTaste3in1).

M O N D AY : A U G U S T 0 3 : 2 0 1 5

C4

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

DRINKING THE WRONG WAY CAN CAUSE SEVEN YEARS OF BAD SEX!

TIPPLE TALES

BY ICY MARIÑAS

B

eing able to do something you love is a blessing. There are a lot of things to celebrate. I celebrated the publication of the first piece for this column with friends. We raised our glasses for a toast and made sure that we were looking each other in the eye. For us, it is a common practice. As the superstition goes, if you don’t look people in the eye when you toast, it will result in seven years of bad sex! Of course, everyone had their eyes WIDE OPEN! No one wants bad sex! That’s one of the things you don’t even wish on your worst enemy. (Well, there are exceptions, of course.) I don’t know if it’s true or not, but in this case, better safe than sorry. Even if you don’t get any now... you never know!

So I thought, why not make this the topic of discussion for this week?

Filipinos are a superstitious lot. We believe that we will have a visitor if cutlery falls to the floor (gender of said

visitor depends on type of flatware: male for fork, female for spoon), that sweeping the floor or cutting fingernails at night is bad luck, that someone is kissing your picture when your nose is itchy, that siblings getting married in the same year causes tragic events for everyone involved (interesting enough to be the subject of a local movie). It got me thinking about the numerous superstitions about drinking out there.

One of the well-known drinking superstitions in the Philippines is the practice of offering a shot (poured on the ground) of a newly opened bottle of booze to the spirits/devil.

The phrase uttered during this ritual is “Para sa demonyo.” This is to ensure that the evil spirits will be happy; that they have their share of your loot. They will leave you alone (since you were polite enough to offer them the first shot) and you will have a safe and happy drinking session. In Russia, it was also believed that if you “clink” glasses, the sound would scare demons away so they won’t go in your mouth and turn you into a bad drunk.

No #BV: bad vibes (“basagulero:” rowdy +hot tempered + destructive, “professional pukers,” “drama queens,” “feeling close,” “pa-Bebe,” “star of the night: singing & dancing queen/ king,” “’Mr. Suave” syndrome,” “Trisexual,” “I can buy you and the club”

When drinking, once you pick up the glass it is proper to drink it empty before placing it back on the table. If not you will have bad luck plague you!

syndrome, “Ms. Congeniality,” etc.).

No one wants to have a bad drunk around, right?! Right?!!!

Alcohol has a very sordid history.

On one hand, it is the “water of life,” the “truth serum,” “liquid courage.”

On the other hand, it is the “lunatic soup,” and the “devil’s piss.” (Just like that, a bright idea pops in my head, silly ideas… to use that as names of new cocktails, this is going to be fun! What does “lunatic soup” taste like? Or “devils piss”? Hmmm…

I’m gonna have to be extra creative.

Sorry, that was a mental fart!) There is this obvious push and pull between indulgence and penance.

There are also some practical reasons for some superstitions.

Originally when toasting, wine or beer would flow from one to the other glass. This showed that the wine did not have poison. So the “clinking” of glasses had a pretty useful point. (People really trusted each other back then, huh?) It was also thought that evil spirits

could enter the body through open wounds, so they should be bound in rags soaked in alcohol. Then the spirit will get drunk and forget to enter the wound. The stronger the drink, the drunker the spirit! (I know this next line may inspire some of you to get more alcohol in your system… "please, TRY to be responsible!" This ensured that the wound is sterilized and will avoid infection.

There is another section of superstitions that and encouraged drinking and overall fun. Toasting on water is considered bad luck. It’s also considered bad luck to put a glass with alcohol back on the table (so it corresponds as good luck when you drink bottoms up). The latecomer must drink a shot/glass. If anyone leaves the drinking session, they need to drink a last glass (one for the road/ one for the ditch). When you open a bottle, you must drink until it is finished. Or else, you know, bad luck will plague you. We, the drinking folk, love to have a good time. And

Żubrowka and Crooked Apple Cider on the rocks

these little rituals inject extra fun and excitement into one of mankind’s merriest traditions.

So, right now, I’m holding this glass of Żubrowka + Crooked Apple Cider on the rocks (with EYES WIDE OPEN looking you in the eye), offering a toast to the alcohol gods old and new, to love, life, health and enjoying life. *clink*

LIQUOR CABINET THE DALMORE KING ALEXANDER III

Have you tasted one of the most expensive whiskies in the world? Finally, the legendary bottle brand is here – The Dalmore Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Principal Collection which can be bought at the ground level of Resorts World Manila under its own flagship store. The Dalmore distillery was founded by Alexander Matheson in 1839 and now stands as Whyte and Mackay in Scotland. Touted as the whisky of the ultra rich and famous, a 62-year-old rare bottle of Dalmore made headlines in 2011 when it sold for a staggering price of $200,000 (that’s P9 million – yup, it cost more than a car or a house and lot). The distillery works under the guidance of celebrity masterblender Richard Patterson who visited Manila recently.

Within the Principal Collection that can be found in RWM is The Dalmore King Alexander III, a unique Single Malt that has carefully undergone the process of aging under six different “wood finishes.” Port, Madeira, Marsala, Cabernet Sauvignon, Small Batch Bourbon and Matusalem Sherry – all of these finishes result in a complex array of enticing flavours. This Highland single malt character presents a blend of nutty almond, berries, plums and toffee complex on the palate.

For more information on The Dalmore, visit its website www.thedalmore.com. To know more about Resorts World Manila’s shops at Newport Mall visit www.rwmanila.com or call the Tourist/Visitor Hotline at (632) 908-8833.

CHIVAS REGAL 18

Chivas "Brothers" is celebrating its win at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), and Scotch Whisky Masters Competition for its Chivas Regal 12 Year Old, Chivas Regal 18, and 25 years old.

The comprehensive portfolio is a testament to the incredible hard work and commitment of the master distillers of Chivas that traces its roots back in the 1800s. Chivas, a blended scotch sold in more than 150 countries worldwide, is a go-to brand for blended scotch drinkers, regularly lauded by critics as a bottle that represents good value for money. Celebrating their victory in Manila, a whisky flight luncheon was graced by Chivas Brothers Ltd. International Brand Ambassador Darren Hosie, to showcase the three portfolios of the brand.

Chivas 18, a rich and indulgent bottle and a favorite among blended whisky connoisseurs, has a very distinct chocolate flavor, medium bodied, noses with hints of orange peel, malted barley, and tastes with flavors of marmalade, dark chocolate, and spice emanating from its oak barrel. For newbies, it is easy to appreciate on the palate for its sweet and spicy notes, perfect to pair with dark chocolate or a slice of chocolate cake.

JOHNNIE WALKER GOLD RESERVE

The world’s most popular blended scotch, enjoyed in almost 200 countries, and made famous by the iconic brand – the striding man.

The brand recently held a multi-sensory experience-filled night in Valkyrie at The Palace showcasing the three variants of the Johnnie Walker brand, Red, Black and Gold Reserve. Guests toured around the club to experience the three stations – rooms actually – where guests were treated to different surprises throughout the night. The Red Label room Diageo Reserve World Class 2013 had Philippine Bartender of the Year AK Roxas mixing different cocktails to demonstrate the different ways to enjoy the Red Label. The Johnnie Walker Black Label room revealed Azkals hunk Anton Del Rosario, while guests enjoyed a quick mentoring session care of Diageo Reserve World Class 2014 Bartender of the Year Joma Rivera. The Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve room revealed Diageo Reserve World Class 2015 Philippine Bartender of the Year Kenneth Bandivas with Erwan Heussaf as host While the Johnnie Walker Black is the preferred drink by common club drinkers, the Gold Reserve was one of the favorites for the night. With honey and caramel hints to the nose, it is smooth on the palate with flowery flavors and finishes with a long toffee taste.

GLENMORANGIE 10

Another product of Scotland, owned by the revered LVMH group (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy). The expression of Glenmorangie Original is matured in ex-bourbon casks that give a perfect balance between sweetness and complexity. The nose of this whisky gives you a wisp of fruity and rich notes of lemons and apples, finishes long with a vanilla, tiramisu, and toffee creamy taste.

Get to taste the Glenmorangie Original and 18 years at the Diamond Hotel Philippines’ Whisky With The Master on August 13, 2015 at 6:30pm. It is a whisky pairing event that will be held at Yurakuen Restaurant. The dinner will be hosted by Gerald Savigny, international consultant to hotels, who organized many wine presentations and dinners for royalty, ambassadors and corporate entities.

Pair Glenmorangie Original and 18 with, an 8-course set menu from the Japanese restaurant that includes an appetizer, agemono, soup, sashimi, teppanyaki, sushimono, sunumuno and dessert – priced at P2,950 nett per person.

The Whisky with the Master, a Yurakuen special event is in partnership with Moet Hennessy Philippines Inc. For reservations call (632) 528-3000 ext. 1121.

M ONDAY : AUGUST 3 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Apart from making the crowd groove, Jhong also sang for the audience

Sample King livenS up #Juanvibe tOur

D

Sample King Jhong Hilario doing a dance mashup A fan in a duet with Jhong Hilario

by nicKie Wang

ancer and It’s Showtime host Jhong Hilario was the main attraction at the “#JuanVibe: Gimik ng Bayan” mall tour held on July 26 at the SM Megamall activity center.

The 38-year-old star, popularly called by his fans as “Sample King,” entertained the crowd with his signature moves grooving to the music of Mark Ranson and Bruno Mars (“Uptown Funk”) Silento (“Watch Me Whip/Nae Nae) and Jason Derulo ( “Talk Dirty”).

“Now let me serenade you with a dance,” he told the screaming crowd after doing a duet with a fan singing “Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang.”

Jhong continued his energetic number asking a few members of the audience to join him on stage.

He asked two girl fans to dance with him, and three more to join him in a comedy skit a la “Sine Mo ‘To” (a segment in It’s Showtime).

He punctuated his 30-minute performance with another dance number and gave out T-shirts to the fans crowding the activity center.

Prior to Jhong’s performance, Asia’s Got Talent finalist Junior New System rocked the stage with their acrobatic stunts. They gave a sample of what made them the next the hip-hop dance crew to watch out for.

The “#JuanVibe: Gimik Ng

Bayan” is a series of mall tours where Pinoys can enjoy their favorite Pinoy moments from mailing to eating and listening to their favorite music. It is also Viber Philippines way to thank its 21 million users in the country.

Unitl Aug. 29, the Gimik Ng Bayan mall tour will setup purple jeepney stations, sari-sari store booths, tambayan benches, and merienda stalls in major malls in the metro. People who will join Viber in this Filipino-themed party will be treated with free food and drinks, games and entertainment.

Prior to the SM Megamall leg of the #JuanVibe tour, Viber users got to rock out with local bands like Itchyworms and Rocksteddy.

They will see more of these acts, including Jhong and the Junior New System crew in #JuanVibe’s next pit stops: Aug. 9 at SM City Marilao; Aug. 23 at Trinoma Mall; Aug. 29 at Market Market; and finally on Sept. 12 at SM Pampanga. “#JuanVibe shows how Viber is part of daily Pinoy life and how we share this experience with them, whether on mobile or via Viber Desktop. It’s a call for everyone to bond and celebrate the most important things that make us Pinoy,” Crystal Lee, Viber country manager for the Philippines, told The Standard.

Asia's Got Talent finalist Junior New System adds life to the #JuanVibe party

Viber Philippines' Purple Girls

phOtOS by manny palmerO

Spandau Ballet in Manila

O Spandau Ballet

C5

ne of the most successful and influential British bands of the 1980s, Spandau Ballet, will bring their Soulboys of the Western World Live concert to Manila for one night only on Sept. 21 at Mall of Asia Arena.

You can get tickets first with your Visa cards, thanks to Visa Entertainment.

Advance tickets with 10 percent discount for Spandau Ballet Soul-

boys Of The Western World Live will be available first to all Visa Credit, Debit and Prepaid cardholders from 10 a.m. on Aug. 6 until midnight on www.smtickets. com. Terms and conditions apply.

All five original Spandau Ballet members Tony Hadley, John Keeble, Gary Kemp, Martin Kemp and Steve Norman will come together to perform their smash-hit anthems for Philippine audiences for the first time.

Spandau Ballet sold over 25 million records worldwide, scored numerous multi-platinum albums and amassed 23 hit singles across the globe for more than three decades.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public, via www.smtickets.com on Aug. 8.

Spandau Ballet’s Soulboys Of The Western World is the latest in a host of offerings from Visa Entertainment.

M ONDAY : AUGUST 3 : 2015

C6

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

The 2015 MTV Video MusiC AwArds Zanjoe Marudo and Bea Alonzo

Vina Morales

ZanjOE, BEa On thEiR RELatiOnShiP jOSEPh PEtER GOnZaLES At this point when talks are rife that their relationship is on the rocks, Zanjoe Marudo and Bea Alonzo finally break their silence.

“Well, it’s true that we are undergoing difficult times now,” admits the former. “But I guess it’s just normal for any relationship to be experiencing low moments also.

Actually, this is not the first time that we went through something like this. A couple of times already.

“What’s important is the love you feel in your heart. As long as it’s there, you can still be in control.

With your love for each other, your relationship can withstand any problem that comes your way. At the end of the day, no matter what,

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 39

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Gloomy 6 Mud dauber, e.g.

10 Piltdown man, for one 14 Second showing 15 Perched 16 Hideous monster 17 Rock tumbler stone 18 Apparel 19 Piercing 20 Consumed by insects? (hyph.)

22 23 24 25 28 30 31 35 36 37

“They don’t really know the good relationship we’ve built for years now…its innermost state.

What they see on public is just onion-skin deep. It’s not fair that it gets tainted because of such malicious rumor, right?”

HHHHH According to Vina Morales, she also wants to have a serious love life at this point.

“Yes, it’s been six years already,” she states. “I’m already getting impatient in the process.

Ha-ha-ha! I’m dating of course, but I just haven’t found yet the guy in whom I’ll feel the spark, so to speak.

“Actually, they’re just plain dates. I go out but it’s not what you can call exclusive. Well, how I wish! Ha-ha-ha! But there’s really no one special now.”

The talented actress-singer admits she’s choosy now when it comes to the next guy she’ll give

you two are still together.”

In their recent travel to London where they had a show, many witnessed their sweetness.

“Actually, that trip proved to be good for our relationship.

We were happy there. We really enjoyed ourselves. It was the breather that we needed…”

For Bea, it’s part of the package.

“Anyone who enters a relationship won’t be spared from this. It’s just normal. What matters is how you handle things…how you handle yourself after all these came to pass. It’s good that right now, Zanjoe and I are working it out. We’re good. We’re happy,” she says.

As to the alleged rumor that Bea and Paulo Avelino are dating these days, Zanjoe says, “That’s the unpleasant part! Other people get dragged to the issue. That’s unfair to them and to us, too. The public doesn’t really know all the ins and outs in my relationship with Bea.

Look after (2 wds.)

Mercury rival California peak Lord Tennyson Subatomic particle Firm Enthused (hyph.)

Limerick writer — diem (seize the day) Lone Ranger’s name

Pond lovers with delicate wings 41 Vitamin lead-in 42 Wrinkle 43 Coercion 44 Small apartment 48 Ant horde 49 Loose garment 50 Shocking losses (2 wds.)

55 Director — Preminger 56 Timber wolf 57 Repair-bill item 58 Burglar’s “key” 59 Facile 60 January, in Jalisco 61 — Stanley Gardner 62 Threat ender 63 Point — National Seashore DOWN 1 Author — Stoker 2 Engineering toy 3 Latin I verb 4 Expert 5 Paid homage 6 Light-bulb units 7 Shampoo additive 8 Token 9 Qt. parts

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2015

10 11 12 13 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 38 40 41 43 44 45 46 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 56

Phonies it up Curved moldings Glacial ridge Inert gas Say further Rational Canter Deadly snake Tower over Kitty’s bane Thick soup Devilkins Anguish Covent Garden route (2 wds.)

Congolese river The worst, slangily Ad award Bad-mouth Paris cop Soft-spoken one Good for cacti Elegant wrap Mentor No later than Vacuum tube Hacienda brick Weevil nosh Kyoto sashes Knuckle under Sported B’way signs Size above med.

her heart to.

“Maybe, it can be attributed to maturity. I’m always open if a guy asks me for a date. But as I’ve said, if there’s no spark at all, I choose not to prolong the situation. I guess, that’s practical enough, right?”

One of her foremost considerations in entering a relationship is her six-year-old daughter Ceana.

“Oh yes, she’s my top priority.

The guy should not only prioritize me but my child as well. I can say that’s one trait I’ll heavily consider in a guy if ever I fell for him. It’s like Ceana and I are a package. He should treat us as one!”

Many ask if her daughter is already looking for a father figure given her inquisitive stage.

“To be honest, nope. What she prays for is to have a sibling, although for me, a daddy is more important. Let’s just see in the coming days,” ends Vina.

Miley Cyrus will host the VMAS for the first time on Aug. 31, 8 a.m. live on MTV Asia.

MTV announced the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards nominations.

Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé lead the pack with the most Moonman nods for music’s most unexpected night which will air live from Microsoft Theater, formerly Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. A repeat telecast will air 8 p.m. on the same day Miley Cyrus also announced via an Instagram post that she will be hosting the VMAs for the first time this year.

Beginning today, fans can vote for their favorites in VMA categories including “Video of The Year,” “Best Male Video,” “Best Female Video” and more by visiting vma.mtv. com. Additionally, votes for the “MTV Artist To Watch” award, presented by Taco Bell®, will remain live through the 2015 “MTV Video Music Awards” Pre-Show airing at 8 a.m. Manila time. (At that time, the top two artists will be revealed, kicking off a live hashtag vote with the winner being announced during the live main telecast. Nominees for the socially voted category, “Best Song of Summer,” will be announced at a later date.

M ONDAY : AUGUST 3 : 2015

C7

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Host Raymond Gutierrez, Erwan Heussaff, Isabelle Daza, Anne Curtis, Kim Atienza and Raymond Racaza

Raymond Racaza and Kim Atienza

Anne Curtis is now A gAme From C8

e

ver wanted to style Anne Curtis yourself?

Now you can with Anne Galing.

Anne Galing is a Match-3 game now available on Google Play. Designed by Anne Curtis herself, the game allows players to shop for digital clothes, build a wardrobe and personalize Anne’s ingame outfits.

Host Raymond Gutierrez welcomes guest to the launch of Anne Galing

“I chose a match-3 type of game because it’s my personal favorite.

I’m actually very good at it! But I wanted Anne Galing to be unique and to have my personal touch, so I threw in my love for fashion into it. In fact, I even have some of my Anne Kapal concert outfits turned into Anne Galing items!

Anne Galing di ba!” says Anne.

Anne Galing is created by Xeleb

Inc, a new mobile games company launched by Xurpas Inc. (PSE: X).

“Xeleb will own the celebrity games space,” says Raymond Racaza, chief operating officer of Xurpas.

Xeleb’s shareholders include the country’s biggest stars: Anne Curtis, Isabelle Daza, Kim Atienza and Erwan Heussaff.

Anne Galing is but the first of many Anne Curtis-branded

games for Xeleb.

“We view Anne, Isabelle, Kim, and Erwan as tentpole properties.

We’ll build a constantly growing portfolio of games based on their celebrity brand,” Raymond adds.

The four celebrity shareholders will also help Xeleb expand its network of stars.

“We’re just getting started,” Raymond Racaza concluded.

free enTranCe To shePPard LiVe ConCerT aT Moa

Pru Life andTV5 promote jointly disaster preparedness and awareness

Pru Life uK, TV5 in disasTer PreParedness eduCaTion

B

ritish life insurer Pru Life UK has partnered with Rescue 5, TV5’s Emergency Response Unit, in the Company’s long-term commitment to propagate disaster preparedness and awareness especially in areas prone to natural calamities.

With the integration of Pru Life UK’s groundbreaking pan-Asian Safe Steps initiative in TV5’s Oplan Handa sa Eskwela, the program equips grade school students with life-saving measures when an earthquake strikes.

With news anchor and TV host Paolo Bediones hosting the learning sessions, students from Buli Elementary School in Muntinlupa City – one of the schools directly situated on top of the West Valley Fault, which poses a high risk of triggering a 7.2-magnitude earthquake within our lifetime – and Tibagan

Elementary School in Taguig City were given disaster preparedness activity books and crayons from Rescue 5 and Pru Life UK, respectively. Safe Steps materials were also provided to the schools

by Pru Life UK as part of the Company’s advocacy.

Safe Steps is a long-term disaster preparedness educational program with multiple platforms covering on-air videos, an informative website and educational collateral that can be shared through community-based activities.

Featuring boxing icon and humanitarian Manny Pacquiao as Safe Steps Ambassador, the informational material focuses on key survival steps for the most common disaster situations in Asia – typhoons, earthquakes, floods and fire, as well as tips on how to prepare a life-saving emergency kit. In the Philippines, the government through the

Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has adopted Safe Steps for integration in its disaster preparedness initiatives. It will be rolled out in all 1,715 local government units nationwide.

The Safe Steps public service announcements were developed in partnership with Prudence Foundation, the unified charitable arm of Pru Life UK regional headquarters Prudential Corporation Asia, and National Geographic Channel (Nat Geo).

Safe Steps currently airs across Asia in 13 FOX International Channels including Nat Geo, StarWorld and Channel [V], reaching 24 million households.

Pru Life UK and Rescue 5 will continue conducting safety sessions in three more public schools in the National Capital Region.

Performing their hit single “Geronimo,” and their latest release, “Let Me Down Easy,” Sheppard will visit the Philippines for a free meet and greet and CD signing event with their fans on Aug. 11, 6 p.m. at SM Mall of Asia’s Music Hall.

SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc. (SMLEI), lifestyle and entertainment arm of the country’s largest mall operator of SM Prime Holdings Inc., together with Music Management International (MMI), has once again upped the ante of live entertainment, by bringing multi-awarded band Sheppard to the Philippines for a free concert at the SM Mall of Asia on Aug. 11.

With SMLEI’s aim to provide bonding activities for friends and families through entertainment, entrance to Sheppard’s album tour event is absolutely free. Patrons need only to purchase thre Nescafe Smoovlattes from any Snack Time branch in any SM Cinema nationwide to receive a free ticket to Sheppard.

Mall of Asia frequenters are also able to receive free tickets. The first 400 customers to submit a minimum single-receipt purchase of P 2,000 from any food or retail establish-

Catch Sheppard for free at the SM MOA Music Hall on August 11

ment at SM Mall of Asia from now until August 7 are entitled to two free ticket to Sheppard. Redemption is located at SM Mall of Asia administration office at the 3rd floor of the mall’s North parking.

SMLEI and MMI have become partners in bringing in the best global concerts to the country, such as the One Direction: On the Road Again Tour held last March. This August, MMI and SMLEI have once again joined forces to bring Australian indie pop band, Sheppard, to the SM Mall of Asia.

Watch and meet Sheppard live in the Philippines at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on August 11, 2015! For updates and information, dial 470-2222.

Yes! Magazine CeLebraTes 15Th anniVersarY

t

he no. 1 entertainment magazine in the Philippines celebrated 15 years of chronicling the world of local showbiz with a grand anniversary party at Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila on July 27.

Since its first issue in 2000, YES! has been privy to the stars’ most intimate thoughts, welcomed into their homes, invited to their parties, weddings, and other affairs—all these have made the magazine the Filipino’s most trusted entertainment magazine.

As the stars entrust YES! with the milestones of their lives, the magazine gives its readers in-depth exclusives and photos that allow readers

to get to know more about their favorite celebrities.

Editor-in-chief Jo-Ann Maglipon explains what sets the magazine apart from other celebrity publications, “YES! knows what it wants from the start: to get up close and personal to the stars! Fewer press releases, more paparazzi shots, more in photo quality, less of common information.”

This winning formula has definitely paid off for YES!, which is not just the leading entertainment magazine but the most widely circulated glossy in the Philippines. The magazine clearly remains to be reckoned with in the publishing world.

M ONDAY : AUGUST 3 : 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Witherspoon and director Philippe Falardeu and Sudanese actor Arnold Ocent

Reese WitheRspoon plays catalyst of the lost boys “It’s rare to be part of a film that crosses so many cultural lines,” she continues. “This story brings those lines together and finds the common humanity in them, while exploring things like isolation, perseverance and the importance of family. It raises a lot of good questions, and I think director Philippe Falardeu was able to get them all on film, which made it such a rich, rewarding experience for us.”

“The Good Lie” is now showing exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide. Check www. sureseats.com for online ticket purchase and reserved seats.

ISAH V. RED The Good Lie unveils the survival story of the children known as “The Lost Boys” of Sudan, young victims traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3600 lost boys and girls to America.

Most Americans knew very little of the civil war in Sudan or of its most vulnerable victims: the more than 100,000 children left orphaned and displaced in the wake of the brutal violence that ravaged southern Sudan. But the U.S. and Sudan were about to be integrally connected by a program that brought thousands of these young Sudanese-called “the Lost Boys”-to American cities from coast to coast in the largest resettlement of its kind in U.S. history.

Reese Witherspoon and Corey Stoll star alongside a gifted set of actors Arnold Oceng, Nyakuoth Wiel, Ger Duany and Emmanuel Jal who are also real-life Sudanese refugees in the deeply moving story where orphaned children survived during the civil war in Sudan in the early 1980s.

Though the characters in the film are fictional, the film mirrors what was experienced by many during those years, capturing the tragedies and the triumphs in a story that

➜ continued on c7

Reese Withersppon stars in The Good Lie along with Corey Stoll

celebrates the strength of the human spirit. Many boys were able to escape because they were in the fields taking care of the cattle. They had been told by the elders that if anything happened, they would be safe in Ethiopia or Kenya, so these children-mainly boys but also some girls-walked nearly a thousand miles for as many as four years.”

When screenwriter Margaret Nagle first learned about the Lost Boys, she knew she wanted to tell

their story and “shed light on a place that’s dark, which is what I always want to do as a writer, and at the time, this was a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions that was unknown to most people.

Witherspoon notes, “I was immediately pulled in by the story of the Lost Boys, just seeing their struggle and how they fought to survive...and then getting the opportunity to start over again in America and what inherent chal-

lenges that presented to them. The script really offered a perspective of these two worlds meeting.”

Starring as Carrie, Witherspoon says, “We see their acclimation to America partly through her eyes.

As much as it was an incredible opportunity for the Sudanese to start a new life in America, it was also a challenging and difficult cultural adjustment for a lot of them, who were still dealing with the trauma of their early life.

I was immediately pulled in by the story of the Lost Boys, just seeing their struggle and how they fought to survive...and then getting the opportunity to start over again in America and what inherent challenges that presented to them.

- Reese Witherspoon, actress