The Standard - 2015 September 07 - Monday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 207  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  MONDAY : SEPTEMBER 7, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Immigration bureau: Poe natural-born Filipino

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P40-B GOVT PRINT JOBS QUESTIONED

By Christine F. Herrera

LAWMAKERS from the independent minority bloc in the House questioned Sunday the government’s reasons for awarding contracts worth P40 billion for the printing of sensitive official documents—including 60-million ballots for the 2016 elections—to private contractors with links to the Palace.

“This is very dangerous,” said Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza, a member of the independent bloc. “We demand that Malacañang explain the security measures… considering it is not the government but a private contractor that will print such sensitive papers.

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, the leader of the bloc, said it was incumbent upon the government to ensure clean, fair and honest elections.

“We have to assure the public that the government will do its best to protect the integrity of the ballot,” he added.

Romualdez also demanded that the Palace account first for the spoiled and the surplus ballots in the 2013 midterm polls.

Other members of the bloc, including Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado Revilla and Abakada Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz, said the Palace was depriving its own state-run National Printing Office (NPO) of the P40-billion income.

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Questionable contracts? President Benigno Aquino III and Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma inaugurate the high-security printing plant of Asian Productivity Organization Production Unit Inc. (APO-Production Unit Inc.) in Malvar, Batangas last July. MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU

Lawmakers slam Palace for refusing to lower tax

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PNP-HPG gets to work on traffic today

By Francisco Tuyay CONGESTION along Edsa is expected to ease following today’s deployment of at least 130 personnel of the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) to enforce traffic regulations along the 23.8-kilometer stretch of Metro Manila’s main artery.

Supt. Oliver Tanseco, HPG spokesman said the uniformed personnel will be assigned in at least six different strategic areas along EDSA, backed by 180 traffic enforcers from the Metro Manila Development Authority to cover other areas in the metropolis.

The HPG police officers will

be deployed in six choke points: Balintawak, Cubao, Ortigas Avenue, Shaw Boulevard, Guadalupe and Pasay Taft Rotonda.

“We have operational control over the 180 MMDA enforcers. This means we can direct them, while the choke points are exclusively ours,” Next page Tanseco said.

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Palace slammed on income tax “The government’s underspending just for this year amounts to P500 billion.

The P500 billion had been appropriated

by Congress but up to today, they have not been able to spend it. So what is the impact of P30 billion that they’re talking about?” said Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, in a radio interview on dzBB. Despite the warning from Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Congress would push to lower income taxes from 32 percent to 25 percent to increase the purchasing power of Filipinos.

Belmonte said the executive branch should understand that the salary of ordinary workers such as those receiving only P10,000 a month has been reduced further by inflation.

If salaries go up, the value is eroded by higher tax rates, he added.

“In effect, we just want to bring back the purchasing power to its original value, rather than the nominal value now,” Belmonte told dzBB. Belmonte and Quimbo urged Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares and Purisima, who vehemently opposed the lowering of income taxes, to sit down with the House leaders and discuss a compromise.

“I will try to simplify a rather complex situation or complex proposal. Our problem is not the tax rate but the size of our tax base,” Quimbo added. “Only a few people pay taxes, and most of them don’t. That is the biggest problem.”

He said lowering the tax rate was only one step in the House proposal. A second step would be to simplify and lower the taxes on people who tended not to pay, including professionals and entrepreneurs.

Quimbo said of 36 million Filipinos working, the BIR collects from only 6.8 million taxpayers.

Only 16 percent of all working Filipinos actually pay income taxes, he added.

“The salary wage earners were 100 percent compliant. Only 40 percent of professionals [doctors, lawyers, engineers] are paying the right taxes while only 31 percent of entrepreneurs are paying taxes,” Quimbo said.

“There is a reason why these people are not paying. But it doesn’t follow that if others refuse to pay, we have to squeeze those who have no choice like the wage earners,” Quimbo said. “That is not fair.”

Quimbo added that when the tax rate is unreasonably high, compliance becomes all the more difficult.

“The higher the tax rate, the higher the tax evasion,” Quimbo said.

Under the House proposal, corporations and those executives earning P10 million and above would be taxed 33 percent in individual income and corporate taxes but they would be given tax incentives for safety nets, he said.

“As far as we are concerned, as far as the Speaker is concerned, before the end of this year we will be able to finalize and churn out a new tax proposal for individual as well as corporate income taxes,” Quimbo said.

The tax measures were now finished at the level of the Technical Working Group, and will be submitted to the mother committee for approval, he said.

Lawmakers on Sunday also urged the administration to go after big-time smugglers if they are worried that tax cuts would lower government revenue.

The leader of the independent minority bloc in the House, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, said there is a need for continued dialogue between the Palace and Congress to find ways to help workers.

“If the government will focus on apprehending big-time smugglers, the possible loss of income as an offshoot of lowering income taxes could be addressed,” Romualdez said.

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo agreed, saying the revenues lost from a cut in tax rates can easily be recovered “by being aggressive against tax cheats and smugglers.”

“We can devise ways to offset the loss without affecting the ordinary workers who contributed heavily to make the economy robust,” said Castelo, a Liberal Party member and chairman of the House committee on Metro Manila development. With Rio n. araja

P40-B

ernment documents—official gazettes, tax receipts, the General Appropriations Act, ballots and election paraphernalia.

But EO 285 was amended by EO 378 issued by former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which removed the exclusive jurisdiction of the NPO over printing requirements of government agencies, she said.

Muñoz said the NPO union petitioned the Supreme Court questioning the amendment, prompting Arroyo to restore the law by issuing Memorandum Circular 180 signed on Aug. 13, 2009.

“But the Aquino government, particularly Coloma’s PCOO and Secretary Florencio Abad’s Department of Budget and Management, chose to conveniently use Arroyo’s flawed EO 378 but not her reversal to restore the Cory law,” Muñoz said, in a letter addressed to Revilla.

Muñoz said the 420-member union was restive as they felt Coloma and Abad were trying to abolish them without basis of law.

“The NPO budget is gradually being reduced from P156 million in 2010 when they assumed power, down to P78 million this year and P19 million for next year,” Muñoz told The Standard.

She said Coloma and Abad claimed the NPO had to learn to operate on its own generated income.

“But how can we possibly generate income when [they are giving away] all the major projects that we were supposed to have... to private contractors?” Muñoz said.

Muñoz said the NPO was reduced to printing comics and brochures for national government agencies.

“From our own income, we were able to purchase new printing machines to be able to upgrade and compete with private printing firms. We were able to print the ballots in 2013 elections that were fed in PCOS machines,” Muñoz said.

She said the Smartmatic was required by the Commission on Elections and Coloma to bring its printing machines to the NPO warehouse.

“Smarmatic will be bringing in their machines and the NPO’s own machines

will be relegated to one corner to make room for them. And the Smartmatic machines will have full control of the printing of the ballots. All that we can do is watch them but we have no powers over them. [We cannot] even audit how many ballots are they printing,” Muñoz said.

Romualdez said the independent minority bloc would compel Coloma and Abad to explain the violation of Memorandum Circular 180 and the awarding of major printing projects to private entities.

“We have to guard against any attempt to undermine the results of the 2016 presidential elections,” Romualdez said.

Replying to the allegations, Coloma issued a statement to The Standard saying that Malacañang has “no official confirmation” from Comelec regarding the reported award of the ballot printing contract to automation provider Smartmatic.

“From unofficial reports, we gathered that the 2010 election scenario will be adopted. Printing of ballots will be bundled with the supply of optical mark readers or PCOS machines. In 2010, the PCOS machines were supplied by Smartmatic and then Smartmatic brought printing machines to the National Printing Office for the printing of ballots,” Coloma said.

Regarding the NPO’s performance, Coloma said that under the Aquino administration, NPO “has been transformed into a well-performing organization.” “This was attained through sound management as demonstrated in the printing of ballots for the 2013 elections in record time,” he said.

On APO Production Unit as a recognized government printer, Coloma said the company is a government corporation “as stipulated in Republic Act 10149 that created the Governance Commission for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations.” “The GCG has given APO the highest marks for good management pracices,” he said.

“From operating in the red for more than a decade, APO has been posting positive net income results since 2011 and has remitted dividends to the government,” Coloma added.

By Christine F. Herrera

LAWMAKERS slammed the Palace Sunday for refusing to lower income tax rates, saying it should not complain about losing P30 billion in revenues when it was underspending by P500 billion this year.

Preparation. Workers apply cement paint on a footbridge of Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in preparation for the Apec summit this November. Rudy C. SantoS

PNP-HPG From A1...

He said the deployment will be on two shifts starting 5 a.m. on a 24-hour basis, and that the number of personnel to be deployed at any single time will depend soley on the actual traffic situation.

“The HPG personnel will be in their assigned posting area before 5 a.m. including a permanent duty HPG in the six choke points,” Tanseco said.

Separate reserve personnel will attend to other traffic problems such as vehicular accidents and bottlenecks due to mall sales, he said.

Tanseco urged motorists to observe discipline and courtesy and to strictly follow traffic rules.

He also said drivers who are apprehended for traffic violations should surrender their license to HPG enforcers and can contest their violation before the MMDA’s adjudication board.

He said there will be no new traffic rules except for provincial buses, which will be banned along Edsa during rush hours.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the deployment of HPG traffic cops along Edsa was the consensus of all concerned government agencies involved in traffic management.

These included the MMDA, the Land Transportation Office, and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

The Palace official said among the traffic regulations that will strictly be imposed is the bus lane.

“Buses should only be inside the bus lane or what we call the yellow lane. According to the chief of the PNP-HPG, Chief Supt. Arnold Gunnacao, the HPG will strictly enforce the 30-second

rule in alighting and boarding of passengers along Edsa. There will also be a ‘no contact apprehension’ through video documentation against those violating traffic laws and regulations along Edsa,” said Coloma.

Coloma said the government continues to coordinate with bus operators and owners of vehicles to improve traffic flow in Metro Manila.

Provincial buses bound for Southern Luzon will have a rerouting time slot from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Coloma said there may also be clearing operations along Edsa and other major thoroughfares to remove obstructions.

Former police chief and Senator Panfilo Lacson said the HPG should not completely take over the responsibility of enforcing traffic rules on Edsa.

Speaking over radio dzBB, Lacson said the HPG should just focus on apprehending traffic violators and leave the job of directing traffic to the MMDA. Aside from enforcement, HPG can also work to educate motorists, Lacson said.

When MMDA was solely in charge of handling traffic on Edsa, its personnel were too preoccupied with arresting violators and were no longer directing traffic, Lacson said.

Lacson also recommended the PNP leadership deploy intelligence operatives on Edsa to keep a close eye on HPG men.

“Let’s start it right. While HPG still has the enthusiasm to participate in traffic enforcement along Edsa, we should let them. But I would also suggest that we deploy intelligence operatives to surreptitiously see if there are kotong [corrupt] cops,” he said. With Sandy araneta and Macon Ramos-araneta

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There must really be a curse on all major initiatives in contracts during the ghost months as the Aquino administration is committing or has already committed to enter into three major contracts destined to further burden the Filipino people like the questionable multibillion secretly negotiated contract for the MRT3 and on the takeover of the Asian Production Unit and its subcontractors of the messy passport system and now its takeover together with Smartmatic of the printing of the ballots for the 2016 elections,” Dela Cruz said.

“This is a virtual repeat of the 2010 and 2013 elections, which critics have denounced as highly flawed and vulnerable to outside intervention,” he said.

The NPO union has sought the intervention by Congress after the government awarded a contract to Smartmatic to print 60-million ballots at P20 per ballot for 2016.

“That’s P1.2 billion off government coffers that would benefit the private contractor. It was the NPO that printed the ballots in 2013 at P5 per ballot, that suited the PCOS machines operated by Smartmatic,” said Rosa Muñoz, NPO Workers’ Association president.

Muñoz said even the P38-billion sixyear e-Passport contract that the NPO was mandated to print was awarded to a private contractor, Asian Production Unit, which has been linked to Malacañang.

“The government has deprived us the exclusive rights to print the ballots and the passports. While these major contracts had been subjected to public bidding, the NPO was barred from joining the bidding. We were relegated [to being] an observer,” Muñoz said.

Some officials of the Presidential Communications Operations Office headed by Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., were assigned to oversee the operations of the APU, Muñoz said.

On July 25, 1987, the late President Corazon Aquino issued Executive Order 285 mandating the NPO to print all gov-

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Binay vows to cleanse lists of dole recipients VICE President Jejomar Binay said Sunday only the true beneficiaries will get their dole under the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program if he wins the presidency in the 2016 elections.

“We will continue and improve the CCT program, but we will ensure a better targeting of beneficiaries,” Binay said in a statement.

He said the CCT program would have to be complemented by a bigger government spending for health centers and hospitals and cheaper medicines.

“Access to health care is frequently denied the poor,” Binay said.

“Despite the increases in the public health budget in recent years, millions of Filipinos, particularly the poor and the destitute, do not have access to even the most basic health care.

“The health care system is fragmented and the public health workforce is diminishing in the face of increasing demand for health services.”

Binay said some poor local government units were still unable to deliver health services to their constituents because they lacked manpower and facilities.

“It is a cruel joke that, until now, many decades after the

phrase was first coined, we still have Mona Lisa public hospitals mostly in the provinces, where patients lie there and they die there,” Binay said.

“Our overarching goal should be to ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being of all Filipinos of all ages.”

Binay said that in the long term, the best solution to poverty was for the government to provide jobs for the people.

“To achieve that, we need to bring in more foreign investors to the Philippines by making our country a more competitive business and investment destination,” Binay said.

“In a country like the Philippines where the majority of the people do not earn enough and a large percentage lives in poverty, economic development that does not benefit the masses is meaningless.”

Binay said the reason he wished to continue the CCT was his long experience in local governance, which had taught him the importance of continuity, predictability and sustainability.

“For reforms to truly benefit our people, we need to identify the policies and programs that should continue but should be improved on,” he said. Macon ramos-Araneta

Family photo. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary and Senior Officials’ Meeting chairwoman Laura del Rosario is

flanked by Raul Salazar-Cosio of Peru (left), and Tan Jian of China as she and other delegates pose for a family photo during the second day of the Third Senior Officials’ Meeting in Cebu City. MAlAcAñAng Photo BurEAu

Immigration: Poe natural-born Pinoy

By Macon r. Araneta

SENATOR Mary Grace Poe, the front-runner in the latest presidential surveys, is not only a Filipino citizen but a natural-born one, an Immigration certificate and other documents show.

Poe submitted the documents to the Senate Electoral Tribunal hearing the petition over her citizenship, which was filed by Rizalito David, a losing senatorial candidate in the 2013 elections, in a bid to unseat her and block her possible presidential run.

David asked the tribunal to remove Poe from the Senate for not being a natural-born Filipino citizen and for failing to meet the two-year residency before the last elections, where she emerged as the top winner.

In the order dated July 18, 2006, then Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr., through Associate Commissioner Roy Almoro, declared that Poe was “presumed to

be a natural-born Philippine citizen” for being a former citizen of the Philippines.

The order came after Immigration approved Poe’s application to reacquire her Filipino citizenship as that of her three minor children.

They submitted their application on July 10, 2006.

During the deliberations on the 1934 Constitutional Convention to craft the 1935 Constitution, Poe said, the framers had the intention to include foundlings in the term citizens of the Philippines, and that they clearly adopted the international principle that children or people born in a country of unknown parents were citizens of the country where they were found.

Poe also cited a Department of Justice opinion in 1951 in which it ruled in favor of a boy who survived an air raid in the Philippines during the second World War but whose parents had been killed, rendering ascertaining his identity impossible.

The department granted his application for a Philippine passport as it declared that foundlings were citizens of the country in which they were found by virtue of the principles of international law.

In an apparent bid to address the issues questioning her lack of the required 10-year residency to run

for President in the 2016 elections, Poe said she had been in the country since May 2005, when she decided to live here for good after the death of her father, actor Fernando Poe Jr. Poe said her family had decided to abandon their life in the United States and to return to the Philippines for good in May 2005. She said she pulled her children from their schools in the Unites States and enrolled them in Philippine schools in June 2005. They even sold their house in April 2006, and her husband found employment in a local conglomerate in May 2006.

In many cases, she said, the Supreme Court had reckoned the residency requirement from the date of the actual return, “when his physical presence in the Philippines concurred with his intention to reside here permanently, and not for the date of his reacquisition of citizenship.”

She said in the case of Zamboanga Sibugay Gov. Rommel Jalosjos, who became a naturalized Australian citizen but who decided to return to the country and renounce his foreign citizenship, the Supreme Court reckoned his residency from his return, when his physical presence in the Philippines was consistent with his intention to reside here permanently and not from the date of his reacquisition of citizenship.

Comelec head’s confirmation backed

Press conference. Lawyer Dennis Manalo, who represents Bulacan Rep. Arturo Robes, briefs reporters on the criminal and libel cases filed by a former Robes staff (shown on screen) who accuses him of pocketing P500 million from his pork barrel. (Story on A6) Ey AcASio

AN ELECTION lawyer said Sunday the Commission on Appointments had no reason to defer the confirmation of Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista on the basis of the alleged missing votes.

Romulo Macalintal said it was impractical if not unreasonable for the CA to postpone Bautista’s confirmation on the basis of a “secret report” by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting that there were 12 million “missing votes” in the 2013 elections due to the untransmitted results from 18,000 clustered precincts.

“Either [Senator Juan Ponce] Enrile was misled or misinformed because it was completely impossible for 12 million votes to be unac-

counted for in any election,” Macalintal said.

“Otherwise, it would create political havoc in our country knowing the propensity of the losing candidates to shout out loud that they were cheated.”

Macalintal said Enrile and the other members of the commission should not have blocked the confirmation of Bautista on the basis of such “secret report”.

He said the commission should have been guided by the fact that all the 12 winning senators in the 2013 elections had been duly proclaimed and their election upheld by the Supreme Court.

Besides, all the winning local government officials from gover-

nor to the last winning councilor, as well as all representatives in the 2013 elections, had also been proclaimed.

“If 12 million votes in the 2013 elections are still “missing” up to now, for sure we would be left without Congress and no local elective officials in our midst today,” Macalintal said.

“We would only have the President, vice president and the 12 Senators elected in the 2010 elections.”

Macalintal said the commission owed it to the nation to immediately confirm Bautista as there was plenty of work to be done at the Comelec, which needed Bautista’s immediate attention to ensure a clean and credible 2016 elections. rey E. requejo

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El Niño to spur rice importation

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

THE government is considering additional rice imports to beef up rice stocks due to the possible effect of El Niño on the country’s rice production.

National Food Authority Administrator Renan Dalisay said in a text message that the Food Security Council is already discussing the possible effects of El Niño on rice production.

“The FSC is already looking at the possible worst-case scenario of a drop in harvest this year and next year [so we need to] prepare our supply early,” Dalisay said.

“We are not yet sure if there will be an arrival this year or next year because the supply this year is adequate until December. But given

the severity of El Niño, they will give recommendations if there is a need to beef up the industry inventory until the end of the year,” Dalisay added.

Dalisay said no volume has been mentioned but the FSC will probably recommend the utilization of a 250,000-metric ton import standby authority.

The Philippine Statistics Authority earlier said that rice harvest is expected to drop this year because of the impact of the El Niño dry spell that delayed planting and re-

duced effective farm areas.

Palay (unmilled rice) production in the first quarter reached 4.37 million metric tons, higher by 1.41 percent than the 4.30-million MT output in 2014.

But production in the second quarter contracted 2.9 percent in the second quarter to 4 million MT from 4.07 million MT a year ago.

PSA said palay production in 2015 could decline 0.6 percent to 18.86 million metric tons from 18.97 million MT in 2014.

It said the prolonged dry spell would likely reduce the harvest area to 4.68 million hectares this year from last year’s 4.74 million hectares.

Palay production in the third quarter, based on standing crop, would likely decrease 14.5 percent from 3.03 million MT last year to

2.59 million MT this year.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Rice Research Institute encouraged farmers to plant drought-tolerant varieties to help them cope with the extreme impacts of El Niño.

Government weather forecasters recently reported that the ongoing El Niño condition is likely to continue until early 2016 with chances of strengthening toward the end of the year.

“These varieties are also known for their drought-tolerant properties [and are] preferable in areas where El Niño is expected to hit worst,” Philrice said.

“Farmers can also use water-saving technologies such as controlled irrigation or alternate wetting and drying (AWD), aerobic rice, drip irrigation and reduced tillage technology,” Philrice said.

Biking against crime. Policemen and civilian bikers start a 100-km fun ride as part of a crime prevention awareness campaign launched by the La Union Police Provincial Office in San Fernando City on Sunday. CHRISTINE JUNIO

Marathon sessions for budget, Moro law

By Christine F. Herrera and Sandy Araneta WITH only five weeks of sessions remaining, the leadership of both Houses of Congress agreed to subject the controversial draft Bangsamoro Basic Law and the P3.002-trillion national budget to a simultaneous marathon five-day plenary debate starting Monday.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said on Sunday that the House will prevent any attempt to delay the passage of the budget in favor of a reenacted budget that could be used for the coming elections.

Without mentioning Malacañang, Belmonte said funding for all finished projects could be impounded as “savings” that could be realigned for the campaign once the budget is reenacted.

“The whole budget, once reenacted, can become one huge pork barrel,” Belmonte said over radio dzBB. Belmonte also announced that the BBL would be submitted for voting by “conscience vote” and not by party or bloc vote “to finish it once and for all.” “The remaining five weeks will be for budget deliberations and we have to pass it on second reading this month or before we go on a break on Oct. 10, so that when we reconvene by December, we can pass the budget on third and final reading,” Belmonte said.

Belmonte explained that in a reenacted budget, highways and bridges that had been funded in the previous year, for example, although already finished, will still get the same allocation or amount appropriated.

P2 oil price hike set this week

By Alena Mae S. Flores CONSUMERS may be in for a price shock this week after oil companies announced that they are raising pump prices by nearly P2 per liter to reflect movements in world oil prices.

Industry and government sources confirmed the hefty price increase of “almost P2 per liter” across all products.

“The start of the week [last week] showed an improvement in the US financial situation.

There was also an increase in demand for gasoline and diesel in Africa,” the source said.

The Philippines imports over 90 percent of its petroleum

needs from the world market.

Domestic pump prices, on the other hand, are adjusted on a weekly basis to reflect any movements in world oil prices.

The anticipated oil price increase this week ended the series of price cuts in the past several weeks due to the global oversupply and record stockpile levels of oil products.

Last Aug. 30, oil firms cut the price of gasoline by P1.45 per liter, P0.90 per liter for kerosene and P0.70 per liter for diesel.

The source, however, said “there is still oversupply of oil products in Asia” that will continue to impact on world prices.

Arnis session.

Students practice the Filipino martial art of arnis as part of their physical education program at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.

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House bill sets curbs on use of cooking gas AFTER an LPG explosion last month, the House of Representatives has unanimously passed on third and final reading a bill that is expected to prevent LPG-related disasters.

Besides protecting the interests and welfare of consumers, the proposed Act Establishing the Regulatory Framework for the Safe Operations of the LPG Industry, or House Bill 5617, mandates rigorous standards meant to ensure the harmless importation, refining, storage, refilling, distribution, transportation, and consumption of the cooking fuel.

“This measure will go a long way in preventing the loss of lives and property due to accidental LPG explosions in residential, commercial and industrial settings,” House Deputy Minority Leader and LPG-MA Rep. Arnel Ty, one of the principal authors of the bill, said.

The Bureau of Fire Protection has ranked LPG flare-ups as a leading cause of blazes.

As recent as last month, 19 people were badly burned in two separate faulty LPG cylinder explosions in Kalayaan and Calamba City, Laguna.

Both incidents were among the worst LPGrelated disasters since the blowing up of a large LPG storage tank at an unlicensed refilling station in Bantay, Ilocos Sur, which killed three workers and maimed two others.

Three people were also killed and four others were hurt as a result of the piped-in LPG explosion at Two Serendra in The Fort, Taguig City on May 31, 2013. rio Araja

Global beauty. Miss Global Philippines 2015 May Candice Ramos (third from left) and her consorts flash their winsome smiles during the coronation

night held at Resorts World Hotel in Pasay City. From left: Maryl Angeline King, fourth runner-up, Mary Eileen Gonzales, second runner-up, Henna Santos, first runner-up and Abbyjun Dir, third runner-up. mANNy PAlmerO

Penalty on LRT deal triggers call for probe By rio N. Araja

TWO party-list lawmakers are demanding a congressional probe into the alleged P7.5-billion penalty payment to be made by the government to compensate the consortium of Light Rail Transit Line 1-Cavite extension project for the unfulfilled obligations as part of sovereign guarantee under its concession agreement.

Representatives Joselito Atienza and Jonathan de la Cruz of Buhay and Abakada party-lists, respectively, both members of the House independent bloc, led

by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, said the penalty payment is just another waste of public funds which could have been used for the livelihood programs, health concerns and other priority projects for the educa-

tion sector.

Atienza said Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya has a lot of explaining to do on the disclosure made by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), a multi-sectoral alliance, about his Aug. 7 letter to Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad Jr. that the Department of Transportation and Communications

might fail to meet certain obligations under the concession agreement and need to pay nearly P7.52 billion from the P30-billion risk management program fund under the 2015 national budget to cover unfulfilled commitments.

Atienza said Abaya must be summoned to shed light on the issue.

De la Cruz, for his part, slammed the government officials behind the onerous agreement to the detriment of the people.

“That’s too much. The consortium has not even put a single item in place to rehabilitate, upgrade and extend the system. Yet, we must pay P7.5 billion. Have our negotiators and Abaya allowed themselves to be hoodwinked?

If yes, that is a white collar sting of the highest order that must be

exposed and opposed with all our might,” he stressed.

Abaya, however, denied such letter request he sent to Abad, and said Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr. had in his possession a letter not signed by him.

“It’s quite incredible for me to react to an unsigned draft letter which I haven’t read,” Abaya told a radio interview.

Under the LRT 1 concession agreement signed by the DoTC and the Ayala-Metro Pacific consortium Light Rail Manila Corp., the Aquino administration had allowed the winning bidder to impose train fare hike for every two years and collect a deficit payment from the government should the government failed to approve the requested fare rate increase.

DND rues China reclamation

By Florante S. Solmerin

Overload express. A motorcycle rider rushes to deliver a load of mixed vegetables to the market on Saturday in Muntinlupa City. PNA CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

THE Department of National Defense on Sunday denounced the destruction of marine resources in the West Philippine Sea brought about by Chinese reclamation activities.

“Their activities, which need to be stopped immediately, have been and are causing the destruction of marine ecosystems and depleting fish stock,” DND spokesman Paul Galvez said on Sunday.

While doing reclamation, the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard had also imposed fishing restrictions on the

traditional fishing grounds of Filipino fishermen while at the same time bringing in their commercial fishing boats to plunder these areas from maritime resources, Galvez said.

Also being plundered of marine resources by Chinese commercial fishing was Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal up north, within Masinloc, Zambales which China claims as its own.

“Activities of the Chinese government in the WPS are causing a major disruption in the security of the Southeast Asian region… restricting navigation and flight and placing

global trade in a worried state,” said Galvez.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines can only helplessly watch on China’s aggression in the WPS as its air and naval assets remain inferior to the latter’s military might Meanwhile, another US warchip, the USS Paul Hamilton arrived in the country “for routine port resupply mission and liberty call”.

“The ship is currently on its independent deployment to the Arabian Gulf and Western Pacific Ocean,” a statement from the US Embassy in Manila said.

m o n D AY : s e p t e m b e r 7, 2 0 1 5

A6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Army to disarm, disband militia

By Sandy Araneta An Army division has embarked on a mission to disarm and disband militiamen who are allegedly responsible for the atrocities against indigenous peoples in Surigao del Sur, according to malacañang.

The Army’s 4th Infantry Division will support the Philippine National Police’s operations against several groups of militiamen whose criminal acts have forced at least 3,000 indigenous peoples to seek refuge at the sports center in Tandag City, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said on Sunday.

“The Armed Forces is meeting with all concerned government agencies for the distribution of relief goods and provision for medical services in the affected communities,” Coloma said.

Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel earlier called on the Army to immediately disband and disarm the militiamen. “We have been having these kinds of problems for the past six years and the Bagani militiamen have been the cause of this problem,” Pimentel said. “This has to stop, the only solution here is for the Army to disband and disarm the Bagani forces,” he said.

Evacuees, mostly Manobo, began flocking to Tandag since last month, when Bagani gunmen threatened residents as well as the staff of a tribal school in Sitio Nalindog, Barangay Bolhoon, San Miguel town. Last Aug. 28, militiamen were accused of murdering brothers Cristano and Ellie Tabogol in Barangay Siargao in the same town.

But the number of evacuees went up on Sept.

1, when gunmen from another militia, the Magahat, allegedly murdered Emer-

ito Samarca, executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development, and Dionel Campos, chairman of the Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang Sa Sumusunod or MAPASU, and his cousin Bello Sinzo, in front of hundreds of residents, as well as staff and students of the school.

The evacuees said that soldiers arrived at the village on Aug. 30, occupying ALCADEV and another school, run by the Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc. The militiamen also burned a cooperative store operated by MAPASU just across the ALCADEV compound.

When atrocities broke out, the Eastern Mindanao Command issued a statement confirming the arson and murders, putting the blame on unidentified armed men. Lt. General Aurelio Baladad denied having organized the Magahat/Bagani militia.

Baladad said he and his men would support the police and help disband the para-military groups.

Around 2,000 residents of Diatagon fled to Tandag in the wake of the killings.

On Friday, Benedictine nun Sister Stella Matutina, who works with lumad and other marginalized communities in Mindanao, said 149 evacuees from Marihatag town had also arrived in Tandag, adding to the 2,695 individuals recorded earlier in the day.

With Florante Solmerin

Family Week. Staff members of the National Committee on the Filipino Family take their selfie time with street-

dancing performers in the background at the Filinvest Tent on Saturday celebrating the 23rd National Filipino Family Week in Muntinlupa City. PNA

Robes blasts ‘demolition job’

By Rio N. Araja THE camp of Bulacan Rep. Arturo Robes on Sunday came forward to disown any role in the P500-million pork barrel scam recently as alleged

by Levito Baligod, the former lawyer of whistle-blowers Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

Robes’ lawyer Dennis Manalo blasted the accuser Bernadette Ricalde, the lawmaker’s dismissed employee, for accusing Robes of malversation of public funds.

Baligod sued Robes based on the statement of Ricalde, who claimed she was ordered to organize fake non-government organization for the implementation of projects coursed through a state corporation.

“My client has unfortunately been deprived of the opportunity to read, much less intelligently respond, to the serious accusations of Ricalde,” Manalo said.

Manalo said the case was politically motivated, “a demolition job because of the timing.”

Last week, Baligod filed a P500million malversation charges before the Ombudsman against 20 former and incumbent lawmakers, including Robes, over their alleged involvement in the pork barrel fund scam not linked to Janet Lim Napoles from 2007 to 2009.

The other accused were Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla Jr.; former Senator Edgardo Angara; formerDavao Rep. Prospero Nograles; former Representatives Joseph Santiago, Roberto Cajes, Florencio Miraflores, Carol Lopez, Edgar San Luis, Emmanuel Joel Villanueva who is now the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Rodolfo Antonino, Reno Lim, Evita Arago, Rachel Arenas, Alfonso Umali and Marina Clarete, Iloilo Rep. Neil Tupas, Rep. Julius Ledesma

IV and Rep. Al Francis Bichara.

Baligod identified NGOs implicated in the latest pork barrel scam, among them St. James the Apostle Multipurpose Cooperative, Kagandahan ng Kapaligiran Foundation Inc., Aaron Foundation, Kapuso’t Kapamilya Foundation, Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation, Ikaw at Ako Foundation, Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation, Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation, Gabay sa Magandang Bukas Foundation, Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa, Center for Mindoro Integrated Development Foundation, Uswag Guimaras Foundation, Kaisa’t Kaagapay Foundation, Kaagapay Magpakailanman, Infinite Community Integrated Development Support, Gabaymasa Development Foundation, Pangkabuhayan Foundation. These were fake foundations used by the 20 lawmakers to channel their Priority Development Assistance Fund and receive kickbacks for the transactions, Baligod said.

Fiscal to manage anti-trafficking council

Teachers’ demand. Officers of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers led by Benjie Valbuena, (second from left), reiterate their call for a pay increase for teachers and Education employees in commemoration of the World Teachers’ Month. Ey AcASio

THE Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) has appointed an advocate of anti-human trafficking efforts as the first executive director of the IACAT Secretariat to run the day-to-day affairs of the government’s anti-human trafficking campaign.

Assistant City Prosecutor Darlene R. Pajarito, who served as a public prosecutor in Zamboanga City, was nominated and unanimously voted as Executive Director by the heads of IACAT member agencies and non-government organizations in the recent council meeting chaired by Justice Secretary Leila M. De Lima.

Pajarito has been a long-time advocate against human trafficking, and she has the zeal and the competence necessary to get the job done. “We are sure that we have the right person for the job,” De Lima said.

Pajarito was a 2011 Global Trafficking in Persons Hero’s Awardee by the United States

Department of State. She was the first prosecutor to secure the country’s first conviction on sex trafficking and second conviction on labor trafficking in 2005 and 2011, respectively.

The IACAT Council meeting was attended

by Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Secretary Imelda Nicolas, NBI Director Virgilio Mendez, Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Parisya Taraji, Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Peter Corvera, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Director Robert Larga, Philippine Center on Transnational Crimes (PCTC) Police Director Alfredo Caballes, International Justice Mission (IJM) Manila Field Office Director Sam Inocencio, Visayan Forum President Cecil Oebanda, and other representatives of council members of IACAT. Rey Requejo

m o n D AY : s e p t e m b e r 7, 2 0 1 5

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Reg IV-B calls for stronger climate deal Puerto Princesa citY —the regional Development council of region iV-B (Mindoro, Marinduque, romblon and Palawan) has adopted a resolution calling on world leaders, especially of countries historically responsible for spewing a large amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, to come up with a strong climate change agreement to reduce carbon emissions. “the region has been endowed with beautiful islands which the global community admires— naturally, a destination of choice.

However, our sustainable tourism industry and lives of our people are greatly threatened by extreme weather conditions,” said eleuterio raza Jr., provincial planning and development officer of Marinduque. according to raza, the central Philippine region with a population of three million also hosts the famous Verde island Passage, and its island provinces are known for its pristine beaches, marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and colorful festivals and traditions of different cultural communities. “our main thrust for development has been environmentally and culturally sensitive. We may have an iota of carbon emission compared to others but we need to seek climate justice and walk the talk,” said raza. regional Director romeo escandor Jr. of the national economic and Development authority said that the act of the council is to globalize the resolve of the archipelagic region to address the ill-effects of climate change during the united nations Framework convention on climate change 21st conference of Parties to be held in Paris, France, at the end of the year.

“We aim to build disaster resilient communities and push economic growth under the principles sustainable development goals, however, our dreams and aspirations for the future generation needs global collective action,” said escandor.

Swimmers. Children play in the water in San Esteban, Ilocos Sur. DAVID CHAN

Peace dialogue seeks to end Agusan conflict

By Alvin T. Guanzon Lawan-Lawan, LaS nIEVES, agusan del norte—The provincial government of agusan del norte, the municipality of Las nieves, the military, elders, church and lay leaders organized an emergency peace dialogue here Saturday to stop the brewing conflict among tribes in the province.

More than 150 members of indigenous peoples and Higa-onon tribal leaders attended the three-hour dialogue held at Lawan integrated High school. the brewing conflict is supposedly being

caused by land disputes, conflicts of interest, differences in governance and rumors that other tribes were either supporters of the new People’s army or the military.

401st infantry Brigade commander col.

alexander Macario said they wanted to avoid what is happening in surigao del sur where thousands of Manobo people have fled their homes out of fear of harassment and of being caught in the crossfire between conflicting forces there.

During the dialogue, Higa-onon leaders Datu Bawang, Datu Manhomosay and Barangay captain More Migduyan agreed to forget their differences and intense disagreements. they also called on their people to stop accusing each other of conniving with the rebels. the tribal leaders instead vowed to fight their common enemies—poverty and ignorance.

Albay bags Galing Pook award

Harvest. A man harvests rambutan in his backyard in Kidapawan City. AMIEL MARK CAGAYAN

tHe province of albay has been named one of the 10 winners of the 2015 Galing Pook awards for its emergency response group, team albay, as its entry. this is the third time the province has won the award. the latest conferment, held in ceremonies last tuesday at the Mall of asia sMX convention center here, places albay in the Hall of Fame of the Galing Pook awards, considered the most prestigious recognition bestowed on local government units for best practices in good governance. the award is given by the Galing Pook Foundation and the Department of interior and Local Government. albay Gov. Joey salceda, who personally received the award, said team albay/ ocDV (office of civil Defense V) represents four essentials: “giving back, equality, unity, and constant kindness.” in its 13 humanitarian missions since 2008, team albay had served some 103,642 families or 518,208 persons and produced 4,863,612 liters of potable water.

it took over operations of two hospitals in at least two of these missions, to restore order and health conditions of victims. it had also packed and distributed volumes of relief goods for the Department of social Welfare and Development and from donors. albay previously received the prestigious Galing Pook awards in 2008, for disaster risk reduction management and 2011, for health strategy towards early attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. in the 2015 Galing Pook awards last sept. 1, its entry was the now popular humanitarian response group team albay. team albay is a composite service group organized in 2008, primarily as a home-front emergency team. it has since then been conducting humanitarian missions in calamity stricken areas of the country as a way of “giving back.” its most notable engagement was in samar and Leyte in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

M O N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA editor

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

their ‘dreAm’ gAme

[ EDI TORI A L ]

so i see Lito baNayo

Nobody gets fired ThIS week, some 150 armed police officers from the highway Patrol Group will be deployed along edsa to restore order and discipline among motorists and commuters on Metro Manila’s perennially clogged main artery.

In doing so, the police are taking over from the traffic enforcers from the Metro Manila Development Authority, which has proven incapable of keeping vehicles moving on the city’s main highway.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino, who has overseen the agency for the last five years, said he welcomed the takeover ordered by President Benigno Aquino III, saying it was “all about cooperation among government agencies to better supervise vehicular flow on the busiest route in Metro Manila.”

Beyond the spin, however, the police takeover of traffic management along edsa was a clear rebuke from the Palace and an admission that the MMDA has failed miserably in one of its key mandates. This contrasted sharply with its previous pronouncements that traffic congestion was a positive sign that the economy was growing.

This ludicrous proposition floated by both the President and his anointed candidate for president next year, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, was quickly dashed upon the rocks of a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency that showed the country was losing as much as P2.4 billion a day to traffic congestion as early as 2012.

While we welcome the belated attempt to improve traffic conditions, we marvel at the gall of Tolentino to stay in office after such a public rebuke.

But perhaps Tolentino, who has senatorial ambitions next year, has been too busy donating traffic lights to Legazpi City in Albay, more than 400 kilometers away from his jurisdiction, to notice.

Besides, as thick-skinned as Tolentino might be, he would not be the first case of an ineffectual government official staying in office even after being stripped of his key functions.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, buffeted by accusations of corruption, cronyism and his inability to stop the rampant smuggling of rice last year, thought nothing of staying on the job even though the Palace appointed former senator Francis Pangilinan to clean house in his department, and to take over the management of four key agencies—the National Food Authority, the National Irrigation Administration, the Philippine Coconut Authority, and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, under the guise of being the President’s assistant of food security and agricultural modernization. he too had the gall to issue a statement welcoming Pangilinan’s appointment, and said he was eager to work with him.

The lack of delicadeza among our public officials is compounded by the President’s refusal to fire his friends and allies, regardless of their poor performance. Sadly, in such instances, it is the taxpayers who foot the bill, paying twice for a job that should have been done by one.

AlienAtion peNsées fr. raNhiLio caLLaNgaN aquiNo The imposition of Tagalog (a.k.a., Pilipino, alias Filipino) on the entire nation as its national language is one of my pet peeves. I can speak and write it with modest proficiency, but I find it culturally offensive that the regional language of Manila and its environs should be foisted on the entire nation as its national language.

Last week, at a forum of

the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on human Rights hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs, I was invited to share my views as an academic on legal instruments on human rights for the Asean region. An integrated Asean has culture among its priorities and the evolution of an Asean identity as a item high up in its agenda. But as clearly does the Asean charter provide that the official language of the region is english. No contradiction because Asean is merely accepting the fact that english is the language of the world— otherwise, there is no way to

explain why english teachers do not have to wait for long before finding decent employment anywhere in the world. The point is that proficiency in english has never done anyone harm, nor is not necessarily a betrayal of one’s culture.

In respect to the national language, the Constitution provides this exactly in Article XIV: Section 6. The national language of the Philippines is Filipino. As it evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages.

What is the referent of “Filipino”? Really, none. At the time the Constitution was popularly ratified, Tagalog masqueraded as Pilipino.

A9

‘filipino’ is a construct, a fictive attempt at compromise but the term is really vacuous.

‘‘Filipino” is a construct, a fictive attempt at compromise but the term is really vacuous.

Because of an earlier policy of the Department of education that favored the use of this Quasimodo called “Filipino,” we now have an entire generation of college-level students many of whom are sorely wanting in the fundamental

skills of comprehension and communication.

Teachers often ask in exasperation why students do not read. There is no need to go far afield to fathom the reason: They do not understand, and so it does not pay to read.

As deleterious is the “cultural alienation” that has resulted.

Young Ibanags no longer speak

Ibanag. They do not want to. They have no love for it. Pangasinenses tell me much the same thing. I reserve a reverential bow for the Cebuanos and for other language groups in Southern Philippines that remain fiercely loyal about their languages.

But with the media inundating the entire archipelago with a Tagalog tsunami and our national leaders who reinforce the alienating notion that Tagalog is the language of power and nobility because it is the language of Manila, it should be no wonder that we are harvesting

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

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

the bitter fruit of cultural alienation.

I had thought that the Department of education was serious about what it calls the MTB-MLe component of the K to 12 program: Mother-Tongue Based, Multi-Language education. That meant that Ibanags in the first four grades would learn Ibanag at school, as would Ilocanos, Warays, Ilonggos and Kankanays. It has been a tremendous let-down. In Tuguegarao City alone, “mother-tongue based” has become just one more opportunity to ram Tagalog down the gullet of a helpless

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

nation. I have complained about this to Sec. Armin Luistro who indeed took immediate steps to remonstrate with the persons in our region responsible for this frustration of so laudable a goal. The fact that there are migrants to Tuguegarao is not an argument for Tagalog to the prejudice of Ibanag. Putin is right: You come to Russia, learn Russian! As a young professional, my father migrated to Tuguegarao—because he had married my mother—and a mere two years after residing here, he was interviewing clients of Continued on A10

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

ReP. egay erice beamed proudly in a press conference last week that the Liberal Party candidate, Mar Roxas, had already “beaten” VP Jojo Binay in a survey commissioned by their party, mismo! The results, per erice, who declined to name the firm which conducted the quantitative research, placed Mar at 53 percent versus Binay at 37 percent with 10 percent undecided on who between the two they would vote for.

A congressman privately joked: “Inhouse survey na nga, sila-sila lang, naka 37 percent pa si Binay? At may 10 percent pang undecided!” But let’s assume erice’s truth is true.

Per egay, they excluded other wannabes because only Binay and Roxas have declared their intentions to seek the presidency. Beyond that, he declined to give other “results” of what he described as their “baseline” research.

Anybody who understands a little about baseline research knows that egay, if his claims are at all true, was hiding much, much more than he divulged. In fairness, he knew what he was doing, which is to peddle propaganda. In so many words, egay was saying “bakit namin ipaa-alam sa kompetisyon?”

There is no denying though that President Aquino’s anointing of Mar and his declaration before “a gathering of friends,” two successive events followed by a barrage of yellow-colored advertisements on prime-time, must have created a “bump” for the LP candidate.

Neither is there any denying that both Roxas and Binay want to frame the forthcoming electoral battle in a fight to the finish between themselves only. Just the two of them slugging it out. And nobody else but the Camilo Sabios of this world and perhaps Rizalito David or anybody else from Ang Kapatiran.

Mar and the yellow army message would be the classic fight against good and evil. Note how they used “kampon ng kurakot” in their initial ads. And Binay, for his part, keeps taunting his adversary and supporters as incompetent and insensitive. “Palpak at manhid” in Pilipino.

Would that the fight is just between Mar and Jojo, as they hope. In this space, on several articles, we have maintained that there would be at least four major candidates filing on or before 16 October, namely: Mar, Jojo, Grace and Digong.

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 : S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA editor

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

their ‘dreAm’ gAme

[ EDI TORI A L ]

so i see Lito baNayo

Nobody gets fired ThIS week, some 150 armed police officers from the highway Patrol Group will be deployed along edsa to restore order and discipline among motorists and commuters on Metro Manila’s perennially clogged main artery.

In doing so, the police are taking over from the traffic enforcers from the Metro Manila Development Authority, which has proven incapable of keeping vehicles moving on the city’s main highway.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino, who has overseen the agency for the last five years, said he welcomed the takeover ordered by President Benigno Aquino III, saying it was “all about cooperation among government agencies to better supervise vehicular flow on the busiest route in Metro Manila.”

Beyond the spin, however, the police takeover of traffic management along edsa was a clear rebuke from the Palace and an admission that the MMDA has failed miserably in one of its key mandates. This contrasted sharply with its previous pronouncements that traffic congestion was a positive sign that the economy was growing.

This ludicrous proposition floated by both the President and his anointed candidate for president next year, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, was quickly dashed upon the rocks of a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency that showed the country was losing as much as P2.4 billion a day to traffic congestion as early as 2012.

While we welcome the belated attempt to improve traffic conditions, we marvel at the gall of Tolentino to stay in office after such a public rebuke.

But perhaps Tolentino, who has senatorial ambitions next year, has been too busy donating traffic lights to Legazpi City in Albay, more than 400 kilometers away from his jurisdiction, to notice.

Besides, as thick-skinned as Tolentino might be, he would not be the first case of an ineffectual government official staying in office even after being stripped of his key functions.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, buffeted by accusations of corruption, cronyism and his inability to stop the rampant smuggling of rice last year, thought nothing of staying on the job even though the Palace appointed former senator Francis Pangilinan to clean house in his department, and to take over the management of four key agencies—the National Food Authority, the National Irrigation Administration, the Philippine Coconut Authority, and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, under the guise of being the President’s assistant of food security and agricultural modernization. he too had the gall to issue a statement welcoming Pangilinan’s appointment, and said he was eager to work with him.

The lack of delicadeza among our public officials is compounded by the President’s refusal to fire his friends and allies, regardless of their poor performance. Sadly, in such instances, it is the taxpayers who foot the bill, paying twice for a job that should have been done by one.

AlienAtion peNsées fr. raNhiLio caLLaNgaN aquiNo The imposition of Tagalog (a.k.a., Pilipino, alias Filipino) on the entire nation as its national language is one of my pet peeves. I can speak and write it with modest proficiency, but I find it culturally offensive that the regional language of Manila and its environs should be foisted on the entire nation as its national language.

Last week, at a forum of

the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on human Rights hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs, I was invited to share my views as an academic on legal instruments on human rights for the Asean region. An integrated Asean has culture among its priorities and the evolution of an Asean identity as a item high up in its agenda. But as clearly does the Asean charter provide that the official language of the region is english. No contradiction because Asean is merely accepting the fact that english is the language of the world— otherwise, there is no way to

explain why english teachers do not have to wait for long before finding decent employment anywhere in the world. The point is that proficiency in english has never done anyone harm, nor is not necessarily a betrayal of one’s culture.

In respect to the national language, the Constitution provides this exactly in Article XIV: Section 6. The national language of the Philippines is Filipino. As it evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages.

What is the referent of “Filipino”? Really, none. At the time the Constitution was popularly ratified, Tagalog masqueraded as Pilipino.

A9

‘filipino’ is a construct, a fictive attempt at compromise but the term is really vacuous.

‘‘Filipino” is a construct, a fictive attempt at compromise but the term is really vacuous.

Because of an earlier policy of the Department of education that favored the use of this Quasimodo called “Filipino,” we now have an entire generation of college-level students many of whom are sorely wanting in the fundamental

skills of comprehension and communication.

Teachers often ask in exasperation why students do not read. There is no need to go far afield to fathom the reason: They do not understand, and so it does not pay to read.

As deleterious is the “cultural alienation” that has resulted.

Young Ibanags no longer speak

Ibanag. They do not want to. They have no love for it. Pangasinenses tell me much the same thing. I reserve a reverential bow for the Cebuanos and for other language groups in Southern Philippines that remain fiercely loyal about their languages.

But with the media inundating the entire archipelago with a Tagalog tsunami and our national leaders who reinforce the alienating notion that Tagalog is the language of power and nobility because it is the language of Manila, it should be no wonder that we are harvesting

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

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

the bitter fruit of cultural alienation.

I had thought that the Department of education was serious about what it calls the MTB-MLe component of the K to 12 program: Mother-Tongue Based, Multi-Language education. That meant that Ibanags in the first four grades would learn Ibanag at school, as would Ilocanos, Warays, Ilonggos and Kankanays. It has been a tremendous let-down. In Tuguegarao City alone, “mother-tongue based” has become just one more opportunity to ram Tagalog down the gullet of a helpless

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

nation. I have complained about this to Sec. Armin Luistro who indeed took immediate steps to remonstrate with the persons in our region responsible for this frustration of so laudable a goal. The fact that there are migrants to Tuguegarao is not an argument for Tagalog to the prejudice of Ibanag. Putin is right: You come to Russia, learn Russian! As a young professional, my father migrated to Tuguegarao—because he had married my mother—and a mere two years after residing here, he was interviewing clients of Continued on A10

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

ReP. egay erice beamed proudly in a press conference last week that the Liberal Party candidate, Mar Roxas, had already “beaten” VP Jojo Binay in a survey commissioned by their party, mismo! The results, per erice, who declined to name the firm which conducted the quantitative research, placed Mar at 53 percent versus Binay at 37 percent with 10 percent undecided on who between the two they would vote for.

A congressman privately joked: “Inhouse survey na nga, sila-sila lang, naka 37 percent pa si Binay? At may 10 percent pang undecided!” But let’s assume erice’s truth is true.

Per egay, they excluded other wannabes because only Binay and Roxas have declared their intentions to seek the presidency. Beyond that, he declined to give other “results” of what he described as their “baseline” research.

Anybody who understands a little about baseline research knows that egay, if his claims are at all true, was hiding much, much more than he divulged. In fairness, he knew what he was doing, which is to peddle propaganda. In so many words, egay was saying “bakit namin ipaa-alam sa kompetisyon?”

There is no denying though that President Aquino’s anointing of Mar and his declaration before “a gathering of friends,” two successive events followed by a barrage of yellow-colored advertisements on prime-time, must have created a “bump” for the LP candidate.

Neither is there any denying that both Roxas and Binay want to frame the forthcoming electoral battle in a fight to the finish between themselves only. Just the two of them slugging it out. And nobody else but the Camilo Sabios of this world and perhaps Rizalito David or anybody else from Ang Kapatiran.

Mar and the yellow army message would be the classic fight against good and evil. Note how they used “kampon ng kurakot” in their initial ads. And Binay, for his part, keeps taunting his adversary and supporters as incompetent and insensitive. “Palpak at manhid” in Pilipino.

Would that the fight is just between Mar and Jojo, as they hope. In this space, on several articles, we have maintained that there would be at least four major candidates filing on or before 16 October, namely: Mar, Jojo, Grace and Digong.

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 THE GROWING DRUG MENACE LAST week alone, two bizarre crimes committed by drugcrazed assailants RITA LINDA were reported. One V. JIMENO involved the son of retired Philippine Constabulary General Antonio Abaya. The assailant, Jose Abaya, strafed with gun shots a stalled van along Katipunan road in White Plains, Quezon City. A female passenger who was an assistant bank manager and the driver were both killed while another passenger was seriously wounded. Reports said that the assailant, paranoid as a result of drug abuse, suspected that the van was there to bring him back to a drug rehabilitation center.

In another incident, a taxi driver, reportedly also a habitual shabu user, stabbed to death his three children, aged 14, 9 and 5, respectively. He then used his children’s blood to write a message on the wall to his wife who left him and refused to reconcile with him. The man stabbed himself too but survived and is now in a hospital. The grieving wife said she left him as she could no longer stand his physical battering but had planned to get back their children from him.

What was shocking about the first incident was the randomness and the nonchalance by which the victims This begs an effective died. They did not know the assailant, and meaningful nor did the assailant solution. know them. It could have been any one of us if we had the misfortune of having our vehicle break down where the assailant was hanging out. The second was blood-curdling because three innocent children were mercilessly massacred by the very person who was supposed to love and protect them from harm.

What is the world coming to? Crimes like these were unthinkable decades back in this country known as having the largest Catholic population in Asia and thus, generally, God-fearing.

The Philippine National Police recently reported that 75 percent of the most heinous crimes are drug related while 65 percent of inmates in prisons are either accused, or convicted, of drug-related crimes. Based on data from the Philippine Judicial Academy, no less than 70 percent of crimes being tried in courts (in fact, clogging court dockets) are drug related.

The drug problem has become a menace that begs an effective and meaningful solution. In many countries, severe penalties—including death—are imposed on drug offenders. Our criminal justice system, on the other hand, has removed the death penalty as a form of punishment no matter the gravity of the offense. Could this be the reason for the sordid state of the peace and order in this country?

To my mind, the root of the problem is not in the lightness of the penalties imposed on offenders. The problem is rather anchored on the growing drug industry as a result of the lack of political will by our leaders. Illegal drug syndicates corrupt government officials by investing huge amounts of money to buy protection. A former ranking official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency intimated to me once that the foremost reason why the drug problem in this country cannot, and may never be, solved is that drug syndicates have in their pockets ranking officials of the Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Customs and local government executives. There are even some members of the courts, he said, who accept payoffs from drug traffickers. Media have also reported incidents where notorious drug dealers walked out of detention even in non-bailable cases.

As a result, the majority of police raids have been prone to “advance notices.” Hence, only the small fry

OUT OF THE BOX

M O N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

CITIZENS PREVAIL CONTRARY to any myth or propaganda, no single person, party or political affiliation has the monopoly on that thing called “governance.”

It’s a big word. The Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in East Asia and the Pacific defines good governance as “a way of decision-making and implementation that aims to achieve desirable and beneficial results for both those who govern and are being governed.”

From Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 an assortment of booths, fora, performances and all around goodwill took place at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City for the Galing Pook Governance Fair, aptly called “Mamamayan mamamayani”—Citizens will Prevail.

The event was organized by Galing Pook Foundation in partnership with civil society organizations, the private sector, the national government and numerous local government units.

“The modern-day principle of inclusive sharing of responsibilities between the government and its people likewise constitutes sharing of accountability in the progression or regression of the nation,” according to the event rationale.

The fair’s objectives: Recognize invaluable engagement of civil society which aided various LGUs to achieve social, economic, technological, political, and institutional sustainable development; strengthen the capacity of LGUs in providing for opportunities for inclusive people’s participation in local governance; and inspire the larger population of citizenry to enjoin themselves in the crusade for good governance. *** At noon on Monday, Aug. 31, local band Sponge Cola played onstage while panel interviews of the Galing Pook 2015 finalists went on lunch break. Other Filipino artists performed at other times during the fair. These performances provided entertainment to the exhibitors and participants, most of whom came from the provinces to showcase their best practices and local produce. “Local rocks!” was not an uncommon sentiment.

based Balay Mindanaw Foundation Inc.; Tagum Cooperative of CHASING Tagum City, Davao del Norte; and, HAPPY Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Governance, Inc. ADELLE *** CHUA It’s always a happy task to write about these events celebrating Panelists from Galing Pook and practices and achievements that the academe listened to the project have real and tangible effects on presentations by the mayors or the lives of ordinary people. governors, appreciative yet critical These are the projects that of the initiatives. After the well- practically nobody outside of the prepared audio visual presentations respective LGUs has known about. came the most difficult part— No publicity, no false expectations, interpellation.

The questions and because it’s participatory in sought to bring out, or at least nature, there is no opportunity to clarify: Does the project introduce grab credit. something that has not been done In the next few weeks, we are before (innovation)? How were bound to hear more about these various sectors, both government projects, what they are, and most and non-government, able to work especially how they accomplished together for the project’s success what they did. The who—it does (participation)? Can the project not matter as much. It’s everybody’s be transplanted to another area effort; to everybody’s benefit. (replicability) and what are the The focus is not so much about factors that must be present? Will the building of big-ticket, capitalthis continue into the long term and intensive, “hard” infrastructure but how (sustainability)? on “soft” projects—development And if you think governance is initiatives that make the governors all about motherhood statements and the governed work together, and warm, fuzzy feelings—you’re yielding real results. dead wrong. The toughest questions At the entrance to the Governance follow—and yes, they involve Fair, there were two giant boards numbers: How is the success of on which visitors could pin pieces the project best measured? What of paper—empty lists given them is that number? How is this figure upon registration. projected to continue into the One board says “Top Five Things foreseeable future?

I Demand From My Government.”

The winning projects/ LGUs were We are perfectly within our right announced the following evening. to demand certain things from They were: (1) “I Luv Taytay! our government, specifically our of Taytay, Rizal; (2) Philippine officials. After all, we were the ones Cockatoo Conservation Program of who put them in office, and we are Narra, Palawan; (4) Education 360 the ones paying their salaries. So Investment Program of Valenzuela yes, we can demand and criticize City; (5) Minahang Bayan, A and express our sentiments about Small Scale Mining Program of everything that’s not going well.

South Cotabato; (6) Ambao Fish But it does not—must not—end Sanctuary and Reserve Area in there. The other board asks for “Top Hinundayan, Southern Leyte; (7) 5 Things I Can Do For My Country.”

“Sirib Express” of Ilocos Norte; (8) We are not here to just be served. “ Mapanagutang Pamamahala” of We have a part to play as well. What Barangay Graceville in San Jose Del can we contribute?

Monte City, Bulacan; (9) Friendly In the end, when something goes Drugs:PPP on Health Plus Project wrong, it is because we did not get of South Cotabato ; (10) Community involved enough, or assert ourselves Enterprise Development Program- well enough. On the other hand, if Pangkabuhayan Centers of Siayan, something works, and everybody Zamboanga del Norte. benefits, not just today or this month For the first time, too, the but onwards—is it not rewarding to Galing Pook Citizenship Award think that citizens prevailed? was bestowed on three citizen organization: Cagayan de Oro- adellechua@gmail.com

ALIENATION... From A9 his nascent law practice in Ibanag.

If the long-drawn Mindanao conflict should have taught us anything, it should be the acceptance of Filipino culture as a mosaic of various cultures. All pretense at hegemony is folly, if not dangerous and destructive. As for English, even the French concede that it is now the world’s language. It will not do well for the Philippines to move in the opposite direction. The hundred or so Philippine languages must get arrested while the big fish manage to leave the country scot-free and go on with their trade.

The Philippines’ 2014 Crime and Safety Report issued by the Overseas Security Advisory CouncilBureau of Diplomatic Security of the US Department of State says that “Transnational organized crime groups both exploit under-staffed and under-resourced law enforcement and a weak judicial system to establish clandestine drug laboratories and import wholesale quantities of methamphetamine to supply the domestic market. Regionally, the Philippines is an identified source of methamphetamine for Guam and a transit point from Africa to Southeast Asia.”

The solution, as it is with many problems plaguing this country, lies in the political will of our leaders. If

thrive and flourish, and the key to that is ridding ourselves of the imperialism of Tagalog, but let our people be proficient in English so that the treasures of literature and the mass of information, as well as the promise and opportunity that competence in a global language offer may be ours to enjoy. rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com the legislature would only go deeply into a study of the compensation of the police and other government employees, it would easily see why temptations from drug syndicates are difficult to resist. They in the House of Representatives and the Senate enjoy hefty compensation—but how about the other government institutions? The national leaders must likewise embark on programs toward re-educating Filipinos, especially those who join the government service, about the values we seem to have already lost: honor, integrity, love of country, and fear and love for the Supreme Creator.

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

M O N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

China may never get riCh By noah Smith china is already the world’s largest economy by some measures, such as purchasing power parity. it’s clear, however, that the country’s growth is slowing. growth dipped from roughly 10 percent to about 8 percent in 2012, and is falling again amid the current slowdown.

When the country recovers from its slump, how much more expansion can we expect before it settles down into a nice, slow, steady pace like every other fast-growing “miracle” country eventually does?

That leaves open the big question of how wealthy china will become relative to developed nations such as Japan, france or the US. These rich nations occupy what economists call the technological frontier. Economies at the frontier have already exhausted all the cheap and easy opportunities for catch-up growth. They can no longer readily absorb foreign technology, or move unproductive farmers into cities, or use high saving rates to accumulate capital (this latter opportunity disappears because maintaining capital becomes more expensive as you get more of it). Their growth rate is essentially limited to the pace at

which the human race invents new technologies.

But not all countries at the frontier are equal. Even among rich, slow-growing nations, substantial differences in living standards exist. Japan, South Korea, france, germany and the UK, for example, have per capita gross domestic product of only about 75 percent to 85 percent of the US. Most economists believe that this gap is caused by differences in institutions, or the broad rules that govern the economy. for example, heavy regulation in Europe or implicit subsidies to unproductive corporations in East asia, are often cited as holding these economies back from full convergence with the US. So what about china? how good are its institutions? Brad delong, economic historian at the University of californiaBerkeley, asks this question in a recent article. as is common, delong begins by assuming that china’s institutions are fundamentally similar to those of the rich countries around it— Japan, South Korea and Taiwan: “a great deal of china supergrowth always seemed to me to be just catch-up to the norm one would expect, given East asian societalorganizational capabilities.

THEIR ‘DREAM’...From A9 then she wins”. in a recent mass for the dearly departed Butz aquino, followed by our usual sumptuous lunch in what friends for the last 10 years or so call the “Thursday group,” a well-respected political strategist who has ran some highly successful campaigns in the past, gave us his view on the coming polls.

Said he, after analyzing almost all the surveys, private and public that he has seen: “if the candidates are only two, namely Mar versus Jojo [both his friends], it’s anybody’s game in 2016”. Then his clincher: “if it becomes a three-cornered fight, say the two plus duterte, then duterte wins. or if Poe,

“What if there are four, meaning Poe and duterte as well?” asked a well-known editorialist and lawyer. “Then either of the two will win,” said the veteran-strategist. after the best coffee in the country and a deliciously light, layered crepe cake which reminded me of hokkaido’s patisserie, he left.

The conversation drifted towards whether duterte would really go for it or not. and whether Poe would weather the citizenship and residency issues.

Truly, for Mar and Jojo, their fondest wish is for neither Poe nor duterte to go for the presidential prize come

#failocracy

china had been far depressed below that norm…by the paranoid Mao Zedong.”

But thanks to its communist past and its government’s resistance to westernization, china’s system of property rights looks nothing like the systems in Japan, South Korea, or Taiwan. it might be that china has invented a totally new system that will do just as well as—or even better than —the system that successful countries have been using for centuries now. But that’s an outside chance. The safe bet is still that china’s strange system will hold it back. delong writes: “[china] has had its own system of what we might call industrial neofeudalism... chinese entrepreneurs have protection via their fealty to connection groups within the party that others do not wish to cross...Such a system should not work...The evanescence of [property rights] should lead [elites] into the same shortsighted rent-extraction logic that we have seen played out over and over again in Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan africa, Southeast asia, South asia and latin america.”

Weighing these factors, delong comes to a stark conclusion—china has only five years of rapid growth left.

Since china’s per capita gdP is

now only about a quarter of the US level, five years of 7 percent growth—with the US growing at 2 percent—would leave china at less than a third of america’s standard of living by the time it slows down.

That almost certainly seems too conservative. We need to take into account the effects of economic agglomeration. agglomeration means that companies invest where there are large markets, and workers move to where they have job opportunities. This snowball effect, once started, is hard to stop. china’s poor property rights will probably hold it back—as will its large size and resource limitations—but 30 percent of US per-capita gdP is overly pessimistic. i’d look for china to do at least as well as Malaysia, which now is at about 45 percent of US gdP. That would mean china has more than a decade of 7-percent growth left, once it recovers from its recession.

That said, there are already signs that china’s institutions are beginning to hold it back. in the wake of the country’s dramatic stock market crash and the slow deflation of its real estate bubble, zombie companies are starting to appear across the landscape. Zombie is the term for companies that are not really profitable, but that survive on a

october. That is also Egay Erice’s fondest dream.

But the electorate is looking for an alternative, someone “new”. neither a battered trapo reeling from accusations hurled but merely denied and as yet unsatisfactorily answered, or another cut in the same mold as the company he prides in. neither a “kurakot” as the other camp accuses, or a “palpak at manhid” as the former charges. But someone who is neither kurakot, nor palkpak at manhid. “May karanasan at kakayahan” will be another quality voters will look into among the candidates this time.

Mar will have to defend himself against Binay’s

Sad observation, because accusations of him and the company he kept. Jojo will keep there are so many good men fending off the accusations of and women who “should” have won, but unfortunately did not. larceny so grand.

Which is why in the history and for those who should have of our presidential elections, won, a second attempt at the that someone “new” is always electoral turnstile turned out sought out. cory after Marcos; to be disappointing, insofar ramos or Miriam after cory; as the presidency or viceErap; thence gMa or fPJ, presidency are concerned. Such whoever really won, and the is the political culture in the un-heralded noynoy before his benighted land. mom’s demise. There are no re-runs; i.e., after you lose in pluMblInE the grand derby, Philippine politics allows no successful pAsToR re-runs. We do not have the Apollo likes of a richard nixon who quIboloy became PoTUS on his second try after first losing to John f. Pastor Quiboloy’s column will resume next week.

Kennedy.

continuous stream of cheap loans from banks that can’t afford to let the companies fail. Banks do this because if the companies fail, the banks fail, and the banks are both systemically important and politically well-connected. The government provides the final link in the chain, by bailing out banks, by keeping interest rates low, and by providing subsidies to some of the zombies.

This kind of trap ensnared the Japanese economy after its own bubble burst in the early 1990s. it took more than a decade before the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi finally forced the big banks to cut most of their zombies loose.

But when Japan was attacked by zombies, it was at a much higher level of income (relative to the US) than china enjoys today. in other words, china is hitting Japan-type institutional problems at a much earlier development level than Japan.

That is an early indicator that delong and other economists are probably right about china. The system of political-party-based property rights is better than nothing, but it isn’t going to make china rich. china is still so poor that it isn’t done growing for a while, but when it stops, it’s probably not going to be a rich country. Bloomberg

chong ardivilla

A12

m o n D AY : S e p t e m b e r 7, 2 0 1 5

sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Hoffman leads; Spieth misses cut NORTON—Charley Hoffman fired an eight-under 63 Saturday to take the halfway lead at the Deutsche Bank Championship where his sparkling effort was overshadowed by Jordan Spieth’s second straight missed cut.

American Hoffman, who is hoping to make the US Presidents Cup team this week, finished at 12-under 130 and is three shots ahead of Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe at the TPC Boston.

Australia’s Matt Jones (67) was tied for third at eight under in a group with three Americans Zach Johnson (65), Kevin Chappell (67) and Rickie Fowler (67).

PGA Champion Jason Day shot his second straight 68 and was tied for 10th, six shots behind Hoffman while Northern Ireland’s world num-

ber one Rory McIlroy birdied 18 Saturday to shoot 74 and just sneak into the third round above the cut line.

Day and world number one McIlroy started the week in a battle for the top ranking along with Spieth -- who was the biggest surprise of the day.

The 22-year-old reigning Masters and US Open champion stumbled to a two-over 73 which meant he missed consecutive cuts as an amateur or professional on the USPGA Tour the first time in his young career.

“It is almost like a bad dream.

Just wake up and get the putts to go

again,” said Spieth, who added he is going to take a few days off after Saturday’s disappointing round.

Spieth had bogeys on three of his final six holes as he finished 36 holes at six-over 148.

Spieth, who is his own biggest critic, admitted his confidence is shaken.

“I had really bad self talk this week, something I hadn’t experienced in quite awhile,” Spieth said. “Maybe heightened by everything that has happened this year.

“Not only was I out of it, but I was also outside the cutline and maybe that heightened my self talk.”

It was just the fourth missed cut of the season for Spieth who was seeking to rebound this week after failing to get into the weekend action last week at The Barclays in New Jersey.

“I am going to take some time away. Probably be good for me to

take at least four days and not touch a club,” he said, adding he would be mentally and physically ready for the BMW Championship, the third of four events in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

“I need to walk with some cockiness in my step these next two tournaments.

“I can control that walking with the cockiness whether things are going good or bad and that is what you have to have inside the ropes. I will bring it when we get to Chicago.”

Spieth’s two week stint as world number one came to an abrupt end at The Barclays, with McIlroy regaining the top spot even though he didn’t play last week.

Spieth had toppled McIlroy from the number one ranking three weeks ago with a runner-up finish to Day at the PGA Championship. AFP

Charley Hoffman plays his second shot on the 18th hole during round two of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachuetts. AFP

Paralympians could struggle in wheelchair-unfriendly Rio RIO DE JANEIRO—With their Mad Max-style wheelchairs, tattoos, and aggression-filled faces, Rio de Janeiro’s wheelchair rugby players would seem near impossible to stop.

But in the city hosting the Paralympic Games a year from this Monday, just one typically broken sidewalk is enough to bring the toughest to a halt.

“Accessibility is our number one problem,” said Gilson Dias Wirzma Junior, 28, part of the national Brazilian

wheelchair rugby team and a hopeful for the Summer Paralympics, which start September 7, 2016 in Rio. In his Rio suburb of Sao Goncalo, for example, “there are no real sidewalks,” said Junior, who was left a tetraplegic when he was dumped by a wave while swimming in 2007. “Taking the bus is nearly impossible. There’s only one bus on my route that has wheelchair access.

You can wait for up to two hours.”

Rio de Janeiro, the “Mar-

velous City,” will attract visitors from around the world during the Paralympics and the Olympics in August. But anyone relying on wheelchairs -- fans and athletes alike -- will face Olympian-sized hurdles.

Preparing for practice at a spartan court in northern Rio, members of the Santer wheelchair rugby club traded horror stories of broken pavements, missing ramps and malfunctioning elevators.

“Sadly, that,” said Junior,

“is what we are living with.”

Wheelchair rugby players are not complainers.

When their game was invented in the 1970s in Canada, early participants called it “murderball.”

Becoming a full Paralympic medal sport in 2000, murderball features teams of four dodging, passing, sprinting and battering their way with a ball to the opposing end line. It’s full on.

The wheelchairs, fitted with battering rams and

special wheel covers, look more like miniature battle wagons from a dystopian movie than the symbol of people who have been crippled. And while striking with hands is not allowed, the wheelchair-on-wheelchair hits are brutal.

During training, Santer members raced around the basketball-sized court, strapped into their chairs, and using their partially disabled hands and arms to power themselves with surprising speed and agility.

UV Lancers move into 2nd place CEBU CITY—When the 10-time champions University of the Visayas Green Lancers needed some clutch baskets, they turned to their wily veteran Alfred Codilla and rode on him in the clutch as he again broke the hearts of the University of San JoseRecoletos Jaguars.

The Lancers avoided a last-minute collapse to escape with a 78-74 win in an exciting ballgame in the 15th season of Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. Basketball Tournament at the Cebu Coliseum on Friday.

The Green Lancers got off to a hot start in the first quarter and ended the

period with a 25-16 lead, with Josue Segumpan leading the charge with 9 points, all of which came from beyond the arc.

But in the second quarter, the Jaguars clawed back behind Ralph Jude Dinolan and a 3-point bucket

by Renzo Senining, which cut the

lead to 4 points, 44-40, at the end of the first half.

In the third, UV seemed to have regained its momentum, capitalizing on turnovers by USJ-R as they headed into the final quarter with a 9-point lead, 66-57. Mikey izuMi

6 killed when rally car crashes into crowd

MADRID—Six people including a pregnant woman were killed Saturday when a rally racing car hurtled off the road and ploughed into a crowd of spectators in northern Spain, police said.

A video broadcast by Spanish television stations showed the car crashing off the treelined road in a cloud of dust in the northwestern town of Carral during the A Coruna Rally.

“One of the cars in the rally left the road and ran down various spectators” as it sped around a bend about 8:00pm (1800 GMT), a spokesman for the Civil Guard police force told AFP. “We have confirmed that six people died, four woman and two men. One of them was a pregnant woman,” said the spokesman, who asked not to be named.

He said about 20 people were hurt and several were taken to hospital, at least two of whom were “very seriously” injured.

The spokesman said authorities were investigating the crash.

The rally cars “go too fast for that kind of road. They are normal roads and people stand on the edge of the bend” to get a better view, he said.

Spanish media reported that the car was a compact Peugeot 206 XS and that children were among the injured.

The drivers were not reported to have been hurt.

Spain’s state Higher Sports Council said in a Twitter message that it “deeply regrets the accident in the A Coruna Rally. Our condolences to the families and friends of the deceased.”

The event around the city of A Coruna in the Galicia region is a relatively minor race, not part of the World Rally Championship. AFP

Warrington keeps title, clean slate

By JOSH Warrington retained his Commonwealth featherweight title with a masterful points’ victory over Joel Brunker to the delight of his hometown fans at the First Direct Arena in England.

Sky Sports in London reported that Warrington rarely wasted a punch during his unanimous decision victory, with all three judges handing him shutout scores of 120-108 after an explosive opener.

Brunker marched straight for the local man and the pair exchanged crisp hooks. Warrington refused to let Brunker gain an early foothold and answered with fierce rights to head and body.

Both fighters continued to battle for the center of the ring in the second and Warrington briefly forced Brunker on the back foot with a ferocious flurry of punches. The Aussie continued to chug forward, but was walking into sharp counters.

Ronnie Nathanielsz

A13

M O N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Balanga survives foe, sets duel with Khim

Casey Alcantara sets up for a forehand return to Ronald Joven during their semis showdown.

Pagaras ready for US debut

By Ronnie Nathanielsz THE Pagara brothers, light welterweight Jason and younger brother Prince Albert Pagara, together with Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo, were scheduled to leave for Los Angeles Sunday night, along with ALA Gym head trainer Edito “Ala” Villamor to step up training for their US debut at the StubHub Center in Carson City, California on Oct. 17.

They, along with World Boxing Organization light flyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, who is scheduled to leave in the middle of September and will headline ALA Promotions’ breakthrough venture into the American boxing scene, will train at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach and

will hook up with respected strength and conditioning coach Nick Curson.

Prior to their departure, Jason Pagara, who is ranked No. 2 in the world by the WBO, undefeated International Boxing Federation International super bantamweight champion Prince Albert Pagara and unbeaten

IBF Youth featherweight champion Magsayo, worked out at the ALA Gym along Balete Drive in Quezon City.

“I’m okay na okay and ready to fight,” said Prince Albert (24-0, 17 KOs).

The three young and promising ALA fighters provided fans an idea of how determined they are to put on a show in the 33rd edition of the eminently successful “Pinoy Pride” series, in cooperation with ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel, which has a huge audience especially in the Middle East.

Jason Pagara told The Standard/boxingmirror. com that he is ready because this is a big opportunity to entertain Filipino and Fil-American

fans, who are expected to support the inaugural ALA promotion in a big way.

Jason (36-2, 22 KOs) conceded that in his last fight in Dubai against Ramiro Alcaraz, whom he beat via an eighthround technical decision, his timing was a little off, but since he is ranked no. 2 by the WBO and is close to a world title fight, which will depend on ALA Promotions’ president Michael Aldeguer, his training is 200 percent.

Magsayo (11-0, 9 KOs) said his condition was “better than magnificent and that one week after his last fight,” in which he registered a fifth-round TKO over tough Rafael Reyes in Dubai last Aug. 7, he resumed training.

EDILYN Balanga pulled through in a pair of gripping tiebreakers, nipping Clarice Patrimonio, 7-6(7), 7-6(5) to arrange a title showdown with fancied Khim Iglupas for the women’s singles crown in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Tuna Festival Open at the Gen. Santos Tennis Court in Gen. Santos City yesterday.

The second seeded Balanga easily disposed of Hannah Espinosa in the quarters, 6-1, 6-1, but dragged by Patrimonio in a back-and-forth baseline battle in the semis before scoring the key points in the tiebreakers to pound out the victory.

Iglupas, meanwhile, broke Marinel Rudas once in the opening set then imposed her will and strength in the next to complete a 6-4, 6-1 romp in the other side of the semis in the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop through COO Bobby Castro and hosted by Atty.

Dominador Lagare.

Jalalon named NCAA’s Player of the Week

JIOVANI Jalalon took the ACCEL Quantum/3XVI-National Collegiate Athletic Association Press Corps Player of the Week honors after steering Arellano University to two straight wins in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

The Chiefs are now at 8-4, boosting their bid for a second consecutive Final Four appearance.

Jalalon tallied his second triple-double of the season with 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds as Arellano outlasted University of Perpetual Help System Dalta in overtime, 84-77, and joined its victim in third place on Friday.

The Legarda-based cagers moved one and a half games ahead of its closest pursuers Jose Rizal University and Mapua in the semifinals race.

Wildcats capture last berth in semifinals

NATIONAL College of Business and Arts endured two back-breaking sets then held on in the third to hack out a 30-28, 31-29, 25-21 victory over La Salle and clinch the fourth semifinal berth in the Spikers’ Turf Season 1-Collegiate Conference at The Arena in San Juan City over the weekend.

The Wildcats showed grace under pressure and survived the hardfighting Archers in the extended first two sets then poured it all out in the third to complete the sweep in one-hour and 35 minutes of

Games today (Semifinals/Best-of-Three) 1 p.m. – Ateneo vs NCBA 3 p.m. – National U vs EAC

power game highlighted by spectacular quick sets, combination plays and superb blocking.

But the Wildcats proved steadier at endgame of each frame with guest players Reyson Fuentes and Edwin Tolentino combining for 25 hits. Fuentes also came through with five blocks to anchor NCBA’s solid defense upfront in the sudden death for the

last Final Four slot.

John Onia fired 14 hits and guest player Michael Zamora added 10 markers while Ralph Calasin, Rocky Honrade, Cris Dumago, Mike Frey and Levin Dimayuga combined for 23 points for the Archers.

But NCBA will face top seed Ateneo in today’s (Monday) start of the semifinal round with the Wildcats colliding with a team coming off an emphatic sweeo of the elims and the quarters of the league presented by PLDT Home Ultera.

“Though Iglupas has the momentum and the confidence, Balanga is raring to get back at her, making their title clash worth watching,” said Castro, the long-time backer of Philta’s junior tennis program.

Iglupas, who edged Balanga to capture last year’s Olivarez Cup crown before defending it against Marian Capadocia recently, earlier bundled out Christine Patrimonio, 6-3, 6-2, before beating Rudas while Clarice Patrimonio trounced Sally Siso, 6-1, 6-4, before facing Balanga.

Casey Alcantara, meanwhile, primed up for a second straight major crown after ruling the recent Olivarez Cup as he dismantled No. 7 Ronald Joven, 6-4, 6-2, to seal a title clash with second seed Johnny Arcilla, who subdued No. 3 Vicente Anasta, 6-2, 7-5, in the other semis duel of the centerpiece men’s singles of the event backed by Technifibre as official ball.

Ferrell Takes the Field.

Actor Will Ferrell waves to the crowd after a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park in San Diego, California.

Ferrell spoke to the crowd before a preview screening of the HBO comedy special, “Ferrell Takes the Field.” AFP

It was the second time that the Chiefs gone through an overtime session, but this time around they ended up triumphant to soothe the pain of a painful 112-114 double overtime loss to the Bombers last week.

“Jiovani takes over when needed,” said Arellano coach Jerry Codinera.

Jalalon scored six of the Chiefs’ eight straight points to open a slim one-point lead for a 79-70 advantage, with 1:25 left.

Earlier in the week, Jalalon had 20 points, nine assists and six boards in Arellano’s 86-82 win over College of Saint Benilde.

A native of Cagayan de Oro, Jalalon averaged 26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds in those twin victories.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

PH Azkals’ caliber put to the test THE Philippine Azkals’ caliber will finally be put to the test when they face a highly favored Uzbekistan at 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.

The Philippine Azkals celebrate one of their earlier victories.

College ball I STARTED out as a boxing writer, though whatever passion I have when it comes to watching the fight game can be matched by my fervor in watching and playing the sport of basketball.

I will never forget what Philippine Star sports editor Lito Tacujan once told me, and that is to cover as many sports as I can and not to focus exclusively as a boxing writer.

It was something that I really took to heart and saw the importance of it when it comes to my growth as a sportswriter and broadcaster.

Through the years, I was able to find time covering triathlon, football, baseball, athletics and sepak takraw, to name a few.

I have to admit, boxing remains to be a sport where I am adept at together with basketball.

And almost exclusively, I get invites to appear in sports shows where Manny Pacquiao and his fights are talked about.

Despite the “glamor” that comes along covering boxing nowadays, I still make it a point to cover other sports.

Actually, I spend more time, about 70% of

it, covering the PBA. Just last weekend, I have added the UAAP basketball tournament to my schedule.

In watching the exciting double-header last Saturday, it dawned upon me that I have been remiss when it comes to covering the PBA. To get a grip of the PBA development, one must cover collegiate leagues like the UAAP. After all, players over there as well as the NCAA are the future stars of the pro league.

And covering the games means you have to update yourself not only about marquee games or players.

It is not enough that one write about the much-hyped Ateneo-La Salle game, or when University of the Philippines will score another win or feature promising players like Hubert Cani, Jerie Pingoy and Andrei Caracut.

In that Adamson versus UST game won by the Growling Tigers, I had so much fun watching how Falcons JD Tungkab at Noel Capote played.

The two are seldom talked about, but my gut feeling tells me Tungkab and Capote can be of help in making Adamson a tough team to play against.

Too bad Capote is good for only one season, while Tungkab is only in his rookie

season and has time on his side in terms of developing his skills.

I expect to see more talents in the coming games which I hope I could share to you soon.

PBA TUNEUPS. A few more PBA teams are now slowly getting into a groove months after most of its players got their needed breaks.

The NLEX Road Warriors for one have started their practice weeks ago and were set to play a tuneup game last Friday versus the Qatar National team at the West Greenhills gym.

The game, however, was stopped late in the first quarter after one Qatari player became too physical, forcing the Road Warriors to call off the match.

Crowd-favorite Brgy. Ginebra was also back in the gym two weeks ago and is set to play the Lebanon national squad next week.

GlobalPort Batang Pier and Mahindra Enforcers are now in General Santos City, where they are competing in a five-team pocket tournament organized by Filipino boxing sensation and the Enforcers’ acknowledged playing-coach Manny Pacquiao.

Rain or Shine, meantime, played the Adelaide 36ers yesterday in Darwin, Australia.

Viloria’s camp proceeding smoothly

By Ronnie Nathanielsz THE manager of two-division world champion Brian Viloria said the Filipino’s training camp is “proceeding smoothly.”

Gary Gittelsohn informed The Standard/boxingmirror.com that besides everything going well in training camp at the Wild Card Gym of Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach, “Brian is in great form.

His spirits are high and he is as confident as ever about his coming challenge.”

Viloria will take on undefeated World Boxing Council flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez of Ni-

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

caragua at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden on Oct. 17.

Viloria himself earlier claimed that Gonzalez, who is ranked No. 2 in the Ring Magazine pound-forpound roster, had been avoiding him for the past two years and he is happy that the title fight has finally been made.

“The fight should be a real barn burner!” Gittelsohn predicted.

Ruben Gomez, a longtime friend, who sometimes trains Viloria, requested The Standard for the phone number of ALA Gym’s head trainer Edito Villamor so he could coordinate the planned sparring between Viloria and World Boxing Orga-

nization light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes. Such a sparring should help both fighters, since Nietes will also defend his world title in a breakthrough promotion of ALA Promotions at the StubHub Center in Carson City on Oct. 17.

Villamor said that while the Pagara brothers Jason and Prince Albert and Mark Magsayo worked out at the ALA Gym, along Balete Drive in Quezon City on Saturday, Nietes is waiting for his US visa and is expected to fly to Los Angeles by the middle of the month, when the ALA fighters will hook up with wellknown strength and conditioning coach Nick Curson.

After winning their first two World Cup qualifying matches against Bahrain and Yemen and a tune-up game with Maldives last week, the Azkals are going into the competition with momentum and confidence on their side.

Uzbekistan, on the other hand, got a shocker when it lost its first match against North Korea in June, but came back to overcome Yemen, 1-0, last Sept. 4 in Tashkent.

Both Azkals coach Thomas Dooley and team manager Dan Palami refused to give a prediction except to say the Philippine national football team will give a good fight against the Uzbeks, who are ranked 76th in the FIFA rankings. The Azkals are ranked 125th.

“We are cautiously optimistic,” Palami said.

On the other hand, Dooley said: “We have a great team that is playing good football.” This is the first time the Philippine Azkals will be playing the Uzbeks, considered a tough squad and one of the best teams in Asia, along with football powerhouses Iran, South Korea, Japan, Australia, United Arab Emirates, and China.

But Azkals players like Phil Younghusband, the team captain, and Misagh Bahadoran, who scored in both their matches against Bahrain and Yemen, are confident the team will beat Uzbekistan.

They said the team has several experienced players with exposure to international competitions and the chemistry and relationships among the members are good.

The hype to the upcoming Azkals-Uzbeks matchup has also reached new heights in Philippine sports with senators, actresses, TV hosts and a Fil-American mixed martial arts star calling on Filipinos to watch the game live and cheer on the Philippine team as well as to buy tickets as early as possible.

Among those who appealed for support for the Azkals were Senators Pia Cayetano and Sonny Angara, actresses and TV hosts Coleen Garcia and Karylle, TV personality Ryan Bang, MMA star Brandon Vera, and talk show Atty. Karen Jimeno.

The hashtag Azkals has also trended on Twitter last Sept. 3, with at least 216,000 tweets at one point, indicating that the publicity to the forthcoming match has hit a crescendo on social media.

To compensate fans for the efforts to watch the game live, ticket holders could gain free entrance after the game to the hip The Palace Pool Club in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and experience Vegas style clubbing.

There are several routes going to the venue in Bocaue, Bulacan. For Metro Manila fans with private vehicles, they can enter NLEX through Balintawak and go past Valenzuela, Meycauayan and Marilao exits. After Marilao exit, keep right to use the shoulder road leading to the entrance to Ciudad de Victoria where the Philippine Sports Stadium is located.

For those who will use the Mindanao Smart Connect entrance to NLEX, go straight north and after Marilao exit, keep right and use the right shoulder to enter Ciudad de Victoria.

Lady Blazers hand Tigresses last slot Games Saturday 12:45 p.m. – Ateneo vs UST 3 p.m. – NU vs FEU

ST. Benilde played the spoiler’s role, bundling out Arellano U from the semifinal race with a come-from-behind five-set win and giving University of Santo Tomas a free ride to the Final Four of the Shakey’s VLeague Season 12-Collegiate Conference at The Arena in San Juan City yesterday.

The Lady Blazers dropped two closely-fought sets but

stole the next two via the same fashions before pouring it all out in the decider to complete a 23-25, 25-27, 25-23, 25-23, 15-10 stunner over the reigning NCAA champions.

It was only St. Benilde’s first win after dropping its first six games and it tied the Lady Blazers at seventh with the La Salle-Dasmariña squad. But it was enough to ruin the Lady Chiefs’ bid for a playoff for the last semifinal berth.

m o n D AY : S e p t e m b e r 7, 2 0 1 5

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Archers topple Bulldogs, 67-63

By Peter Atencio

JERON Teng hit a game-high 18 points, including a pivotal jumper in the closing seconds, as the La Salle Green Archers toppled defending champion National University Bulldogs, 67-63, yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Games Wednesday (Araneta Coliseum) 2 p.m. La Salle vs UP 4 p.m. UST vs FEU Teng drove off Jeoffrey Javillonar in the last 23.6 seconds to score and give the Green Archers the needed cushion to pull off their first win in the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

The Archers posted a 64-59 advantage after the play to leave the Bulldogs little room and little time to launch a late comeback.

The Green Archers, who drew 13 points apiece from rookie Andrei Caracut and veteran Jason Perkins, got off to a strong start.

The Green Archers grabbed a share of the lead with University of

Santo Tomas and University of the Philippines. UST drew 28 points from Ed Daquioag in stopping Adamson, 70-64, while the UP Maroons saw Gelo Vito score 11 points in beating University of the East, 62-55.

Meanwhile, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, led by Roger Pogoy and Mike Tolomia, relied on their outside shooting to put away the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 88-64.

Pogoy and Tolomia tallied 19 and 17 points. They combined for 21 points early as the Tams posted a commanding 23-11 advantage.

The winning advantage was the biggest posted by FEU against the Blue Eagles since 2003 when they prevailed, 83-65.

The Tamaraws focused on stopping hotshot Kiefer Ravena, who

was limited to just eight in the second canto as FEU went on to post an 18-point, 44-26 halftime edge.

FEU’s Mac Belo, who contributed 12, drained a triple at the end of the first half.

Ravena managed to score 14 points by the third period but FEU was still able to move away by 20 midway in the third through Ron Dennisson’s attack.

With Ravena held scoreless in the fourth, the Tams finally managed to pull away, 79-57, in the final 3:38 off Russell Escoto’s jumper.

“Our objective in defense was to limit Kiefer Ravena. We were successful defensively. So, kailangan pa silang mag-trabaho. We were just fortunate to score from the outside, especially at the start,” said FEU coach Nash Racela.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas vice chairman and Maynilad Water Inc. president Ricky Vargas, center, and former PBA chairman Patrick Gregorio of Talk ‘N Text, right, stand alongside Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss and the NBA team’s array of championship trophies during a visit at the Lakers’ office in California, where the two SBP executives are trying to secure the green light for Fil-Am Jordan Clarkson’s joining Gilas Pilipinas in the Olympic qualifying FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China this month.

LA Lakers, Clarkson’s dad back cager’s commitment Ronnie Nathanielsz

Ateneo’s Kiefer Ravena hits a twinner and defies the defense put up by FEU’s Russel Escoto in a UAAP game won by the Tamaraws, 88-64. BROSI GONZALES

THE Los Angeles Lakers and Jordan Clarkson’s father Mike support the player’s long-term commitment to the Gilas Pilipinas program.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Vice Chairman Ricky Vargas told The Standard/Viva Sports that he returns to Manila tomorrow, with former PBA Chairman Pato Gregorio, “bringing with us a more positive feeling and a commitment from the Lakers and parents that Jordan will be part of the Gilas program for the long term.”

Although he reported it is “still a work in progress with better clarity,” Vargas said he met with Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchak and Lakers president Jeanie Buss and that they had “no objections for Clarkson to play for the Philippine national team long term, but that for FIBA Asia, we continue to discuss availability for the Sept. 28 media day in LA and for critical games from October 1 to 3, which is the quarters, semis and the finals since it’s the opening of training camp in Hawaii.”

Vargas said they requested some time to talk to the Lakers’ coaches.

He described the dinner meeting with Clarkson’s father Mike as “very positive.”

“Clarkson’s father was very appreciate of the reception his son received from the Filipino basketball fans and from Gilas Pilipinas,” said Vargas, who added the father wanted to “review the arrangement and wanted an assurance that SBP secure Lakers’ permission to allow Jordan to skip three days of training camp.”

He said they are aware that the SBP is working on a very tight schedule with the FIBA deadline of Sept. 8.

Meantime, SBP executive director Sonny Barrios is now in Geneva seeking Fiba clearance for Clarkson’s eligibility, with Barrios carrying all the documents requested by FIBA before they approve his participation as a Filipino.

For Vargas and Gregorio, it was a whirlwind trip to Hong Kong, Taiwan and the US in six days, but concluded: “Let’s hope for the best.

Laban Puso!”

Pacquiao hints he has more than one fight left GENERAL SANTOS—Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao hinted he has several more fights left in him after his American promoter said he will likely retire next year.

Pacquiao played down remarks by promoter Bob Arum that he would fight just once more in 2016 before hanging up his gloves to run for Senate.

“I know better what is happening to my body,” Pacquiao defiantly said late Saturday, reacting to Arum’s statement. “Just leave

it alone. Better not to react to that,” he told reporters.

Arum was quoted on Thursday as saying that the 36-yearold Pacquiao wants to get on with his political career and run for the Senate in the Philippines.

“I believe he’ll take one more fight, then run for the Senate in the Philippines,” Arum said.

Pacquiao, who has won eight world championships in different weight divisions, has previously parlayed his boxing

fame into a career in showbiz and election as a congressman.

However he lost a unanimous decision to American Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas four months ago in a fight that Pacquiao fought with a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

Pacquiao has declined to say whether he will run for higher office in the 2016 national elections but has previously said he expects to fight again in April against an unnamed opponent. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK m o n D AY : S e p t e m b e r 7, 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 nt your news erved today?

Andy Murray of Great Britain in action against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during their men’s singles third round match on Day Six of the 2015 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. AFP

Gilas settles for 2

ww.thestandard.com.ph

By Jeric Lopez

SMART Gilas Pilipinas ended its campaign in Taiwan with a bang.

The Philippines wrapped up its run with a third straight victory, by beating Chinese Taipei B Team with ease, 9667, to capture the silver medal in the 37th William Jones Cup yesterday at the Xinchuang Gymnasium, Taipei.

Smart Gilas ended up with a fairly impressive record of 6-2 to give the country its first silver medal in the history of the tournament.

Iran emerged as the champion with a tournament best 7-1 slate.

More importantly, Gilas Pilipinas gave the Filipinos a lot of hope and promise as it continued its preparation for the FIBA-Asia Championship late this month. The Philippine team

showed that it could compete with the other tough Asian countries and emerge victorious.

Furthermore, Gilas did this with naturalized star Andray Blatche skipping the tournament as he attended to his ailing mother in the States.

Gary David scattered a game-high 22 points to lead the way for the surging Philippine squad.

After sitting out the team’s game against USA last Saturday to rest, Jayson Castro was back in action. He contributed 15 points, while Moala Tautuaa added 12 more for Gilas Pilipinas.

The Philippines took charge as soon

as it saw an opening. It was evident the Filipinos intended to rout the hapless Taiwanese.

An explosive second quarter virtually decided the outcome as Smart Gilas Pilipinas broke the game wide open right away with a massive surge.

JC Intal’s lay-up gave Smart Gilas a mammoth 20-point bubble, 45-25, at the 2:51 mark of the second to cap a decisive 24-4 blast.

At the half, it was 50-32 for the Filipinos. They never looked back on their way to a silver during a stress-free Sunday.

Gilas established its largest lead after a solid show-

5 col x 14 cm

ing in the third. They took a 29-point cushion, 82-53, into the fourth.

The only source of concern for Smart Gilas was at the start of the game. Taipei came out with a surprise 10-2 opening salvo.

But Gilas recovered quickly and even took the first period, 24-21, before seizing command of the game.

Gilas will now look forward to the MVP Cup, a fourteam pocket tournament organized by the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas. The competition starts late this week as the team continues its preparation for the FIBAAsia tilt.

How do you want your news served today?

www.thestandard.com.ph

nd

Federer, Murray cruise at Open; Bouchard injured NEW YORK—Roger Federer and Andy Murray coasted into the US Open fourth round Saturday as Canadian poster girl Eugenie Bouchard suffered a potentially tournament-ending head injury in a freak fall.

Five-time champion and world number two Federer claimed a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber, his 10th win in 10 meetings against the 29th-ranked German.

Murray, seeded three and the New York champion in 2012, brushed aside Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 for his 40th career win at the US Open.

Federer, 34, hoping to become the oldest champion since Ken Rosewall in 1970, will next face US 13th seed John Isner, who progressed after Czech opponent Jiri Vesely retired with a neck injury after dropping the first two sets.

Federer has now reached the fourth round in New York for the 15th year as he looks to return to the final for the first time since 2009.

“I won the big points today, I served well when I had to, even though it was up and down for both of us,” said Federer, who will take a 4-1 career lead over Isner into their fourth-round clash.

Murray had needed to rally from two sets down to see off France’s Adrian Mannarino in the second round.

But despite falling a break down in the first set on Saturday, he eventually breezed to victory over the 30th-ranked, left-handed Bellucci.

Murray, who has advanced to the quarter-finals or better at his last 18 Grand Slams, next faces South Africa’s 15th seed Kevin Anderson.

Anderson has never gone beyond the fourth round at a major and trails Murray 4-1 in career meetings including two clashes this year.

The big South African, boosted by a title on the hard courts of Winston Salem last weekend, made the last 16 with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3) win over Austria’s Dominic Thiem.

“It was much slower conditions today which made it tough to serve but easier to return so there were a lot of long rallies,” said Murray.

“He got the early break but I got it back straightaway, used my variety and made it tough for him.”

Bouchard was facing a battle to make her scheduled last-16 clash with Italy’s Roberto Vinci on Sunday after injuring her head in a fall in the women’s locker room on Friday.

The 21-year-old Canadian withdrew from the women’s and mixed doubles tournament on medical advice.

Organizers had been due to update her status late Saturday but also scheduled Bouchard to play last on Louis Armstrong Stadium on Sunday to maximise her chances of taking part.

Two-time runner-up Victoria Azarenka, the 20th seed, triumphed over 11th-seeded German Angelique Kerber in an Arthur Ashe Stadium thriller lasting almost three hours. AFP

MONDAY: SEPTEMBER 7, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

Govt pushes Sangley airport

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Transportation Department is pushing for Sangley Point in Cavite as the site of the new gateway that will replace the old Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the proposal, based on the recommendation of Japan for International Cooperation Agency, was being studied by the National Economic and Development Authority.

“What Jica gave us was an interim report on the location. That is being processed now by Neda,” Abaya told reporters.

“The full feasibility study should be done by March or

April [2016]. But realistically what you could expect is a Neda board approval on a location, not the project itself. That [project] will be subject of a separate approval,” he said.

The new airport at Sangley Point, a former naval station of the US Navy in the northern tip of Cavite surrounded by Manila Bay, is envisioned to replace the congested Naia.

Abaya said Sangley was a logi-

cal decision for the new airport, upon the recommendation of Jica.

“That’s one decision we can make for the next administration, deciding where the next airport will be and also for business and ordinary folks,” Abaya said.

The proposed international airport, with an estimated cost of P435.93 billion, can accommodate 55 million passengers and 400,000 aircraft movements annually.

“Roughly, we are still on schedule. It’s too big and the Japanese are meticulous,” Abaya said.

The proposed airport is projected to be operational by 2025.

The government wants to build a new international airport that is 25 to 30 minutes away from Naia, which is expected to reach its full

capacity soon.

Jica said Naia would hit overcapacity this year, by which time the terminal will handle 37.78 million passengers. By 2040, passenger traffic would reach 101.49 million.

Naia accommodated 31.88 million passengers in 2012, exceeding the 30 million yearly optimal capacity of the terminal. Its maximum handling capacity stands at 35 million passengers a year.

San Miguel Corp., which used to operate Philippine Airlines, earlier proposed to build a new international airport at a reclaimed area along the Manila-Cavity Coastal Road for $10 billion. San Miguel returned the control of PAL to tycoon Lucio Tan. The proposed airport would

have an international and domestic passenger handling capacity of 75 million passengers a year, with scalability to accommodate to more than 100 million passengers.

It would be only 11 minutes away from the Makati central business district via a new airport expressway.

Abaya, a former congressman representing the first district of Cavite, said Sangley airport would be one of the “game-changing” infrastructure projects the Aquino administration would push in its last months in office.

The Transportation Department earlier tapped Jica to conduct the feasibility study for the new long-term international gateway.

PSe comPoSite index Closing September 4, 2015

8000 7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

7,051.78 46.98

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 43.50 44.60 45.40

P46.730

46.20

CLOSE

47.00

HIGH P46.705 LOW P46.780 AVERAGE P46.737 VOLUME 393.400M

P475.00-P675.00 LPG/11-kg tank P39.10-P45.35 Unleaded Gasoline P25.30-P28.55 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

Apec taps LG Electronics. Members of the Apec Business Advisory Council Philippines sign an agreement naming LG Electronics Philippines as the TV partner at the Abac meeting, Apec SME Summit and Apec CEO Summit to be held on November 13 to 19 2015 in Makati City, Philippines. LG Electronics will provide TV sets to serve as monitors during the events. Shown (from left) are Abac Philippines alternate member and Apec CEO Summit’s host committee chief operating officer Guillermo Luz; Abac Philippines member and Apec national organizing council private sector advisor Jaime Zobel de Ayala; LG Electronics Philippines managing director Sung Woo Nam; Abac Philippines member and Apec CEO Summit chairman Tony Tan Caktiong and Abac 2015 chairman Doris Magsaysay-Ho.

PH wooing world’s biggest shoe manufacturer

P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG

By Othel V. Campos

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, September 4, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.7660

Japan

Yen

0.008342

0.3901

UK

Pound

1.525700

71.3509

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129029

6.0342

Switzerland

Franc

1.027855

48.0687

Canada

Dollar

0.757920

35.4449

Singapore

Dollar

0.705866

33.0105

Australia

Dollar

0.702099

32.8344

Bahrain

Dinar

2.651113

123.9820

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

12.4702

Brunei

Dollar

0.703383

32.8944

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.027878

1.3037

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.7344

Euro

Euro

1.113500

52.0739

Korea

Won

0.000842

0.0394

China

Yuan

0.157122

7.3480

India

Rupee

0.015133

0.7077

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.236128

11.0428

New Zealand

Dollar

0.638407

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030779

29.8557 1.4394 Source: PDS Bridge

THE Philippines is trying to convince the world’s biggest shoe manufacturer and supplier, Pou Chen Group of Taiwan, to set up local operations in the country, the Taiwan External Trade and Development Council Philippines said over the weekend.

“We are working hard to convince them to come over. Every season I check if they are ready to set foot in the Philippines even just for an evaluation,” Taitra Philippines director Harrison Lan said over the weekend.

The Taiwanese company is the biggest supplier of athletics

and casual footwear for major global brands like Nike, Adidas, Converse, Asics, Clarks, Reebok, New Balance, Crocs, Merrell, Timberland and Salomon.

“If Pou Chen will set up a factory in the Philippines, it will bring its own chain of suppliers which are a lot. They’re so big that they will create their own industrial park anywhere in the Philippines,” Lan said.

Pou Chen is known for its ability to create an integrated supply chain wherever its builds a factory for its shoe business.

The group is known to bring in first-tier suppliers, usually around ten companies, that deliver Pou Chen’s raw foot-

wear materials.

Second-tier suppliers, meanwhile, normally comprise about 30 companies that will provide manufacturing support, while third-tier companies will give smaller integral parts for footwear manufacturing.

Lan added said location was not a problem to Pou Chen. He said the group was more concerned about the degree of local government support to foreign investing companies and the readiness of the infrastructure sector to support big investments.

Pou Chen is operating in Vietnam and Indonesia, where it employs over 100,000 people in each factory.

It also has smaller operations in Burma, where it manufactures Nike products, mostly sports shoes and apparel.

The group is capable of producing over 300 million pairs of shoes a year, accounting for about 20 percent of the combined wholesale value of the global branded athletic and casual footwear market.

The world’s top five shoe manufacturers are all Taiwanese.

The Philippines hosts the world’s fifth biggest shoe producer, Stella International Holding Ltd., maker of top casual shoe brands like Rockport, Clarks, Deckers, Ecco, Timberland and Wolverine.

MONDAY: SEPTEMBER 7, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS Weekly STockS revieW STOCKS

SEPTEMBER 1-4, 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 Citystate Savings 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

2.92 68.2 94.40 85.85 42 2.49 1.30 10 15.7 20.2 7.32 0.67 1.63 700.00 0.390 83.35 0.93 18.50 24.00 59.00 93.35 298.2 34.55 137.5 1475.00 52.00 2.95

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’ SPC Power Corp.

Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

43.5 1.54 0.98 1.57 9.6 52 80.50 16.9 127 27 42.5 2.62 1.29 10.64 10.860 8.49 5.89 7.85 1.87 14.1 23.4 69.4 13.60 13.42 5.65 0.550 191.30 10.04 28.00 1.98 1.7 51.10 22.2 21.8 5.5 279.00 3.94 4.05 7.50 3.99 11.30 3.25 2.02 2.4 4.05 1.95 5 150 4.24 1.87 0.135 1.00 1.82 189.5 4.75 0.65 22.50 1.10

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 `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. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.430 57.9000 20.25 1.11 6.64 0.230 0.220 748.5 6.71 11.72 3.2 4.30 0.191 1258 5.95 70.70 3.7 6.69 0.57 12.72 0.57 4.99 6.91 4.25 0.0410 1.080 1.750 2.61 48.70 2.48 873.00 1.20 0.80 69.300 0.2700 0.1880 0.249

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

6.830 8.40 0.65 1.150 0.220 35.80 3.07 4.85 0.66 1.02 1.03 0.102 0.410 14.8

Value

FINANCIAL 636,870.00 3,547,329.00 1,288,669,953 696,648,503.00 9,303,025.00 950,650.00 26,130.00 1,000.00 1,273,904.00 9,690,222.00 13,727 26,810 1,630.00 76,750.00 50,450.00 944,695,946.50 489,380.00 21,725,794.00 254,950.00 38,413,981.50 569,168.50 38,964,212.00 33,152,280 502,370,409.00 183,600.00 7,943,333.00 1,760,080.00 INDUSTRIAL 11,530,000 499,894,540.00 16,000 20,900.00 13,000 12,090.00 2,188,000 3,448,900.00 34,900 344,798.00 100 5,200.00 210 17,055.00 3,537,400 60,205,498 530 68,270.00 1,728,800 46,777,395.00 1,516,000 65,351,845 9,140,000 24,698,950.00 333,000 415,000.00 2,974,100 32,613,460.00 32,418,900 366,046,934.00 1,319,900 11,218,157.00 52,158,600 312,523,288.00 1,495,200 11,772,114.00 164,000 261,610.00 177,400 2,442,850.00 7,300,200 173,190,490.00 769,170 53,612,884.00 100 1,360.00 131,000 1,752,888.00 583,600 3,280,053.00 3,891,000 2,265,200.00 2,150,560 403,219,306.00 2,480,600 25,354,134.00 42,000 1,176,000.00 68,000 129,880.00 78,000 132,530.00 67,170 3,364,307.00 5,652,000 123,703,290.00 1,704,900 36,124,245.00 4,474,100 25,740,445.00 1,574,410 444,814,278.00 61,000 224,940.00 2,072,000 8,410,130.00 14,636,100 114,111,724.00 4,000 13,110.00 3,600 41,240.00 2,096,000 6,966,420.00 1,274,000 2,592,860.00 1,096,000 2,588,750.00 4,945,000 20,081,550.00 103,000 185,850.00 130,300 722,156.00 5,520 812,798.00 115,000 460,720.00 981,000 1,794,280.00 1,060,000 144,420.00 270,000 290,920.00 2,253,000 4,052,130.00 15,326,250 2,905,275,834.00 8,512,000 39,789,000.00 3,206,000 2,021,500.00 4,100 93,350.00 261,000 276,690.00 HOLDING FIRMS 230,000 97,950.00 5,533,480 307,379,385.00 28,928,200 581,755,366.00 6,582,000 6,718,900.00 15,300 101,669.00 690,000 162,950.00 100,000 22,000.00 1,664,520 1,250,120,875.00 6,636,300 45,027,735.00 22,611,500 255,190,718.00 713,000 2,103,080.00 178,000 733,340.00 300,000 54,630.00 1,639,855 2,068,179,975.00 1,115,500 6,639,610.00 9,697,920 683,238,204.50 13,000 47,100.00 8,881,000 59,131,763.00 111,000 65,160.00 15,185,700 194,450,456.00 2,094,000 1,206,300.00 123,771,100 624,246,345.00 1,268,100 9,221,834.00 16,000 56,750.00 1,028,200,000 46,438,700.00 19,000 20,520.00 7,233,000 12,994,290.00 287,000 765,490.00 1,650,440 82,246,762.50 6,000 14,880.00 1,332,240 1,173,025,575.00 63,000 73,070.00 180,000 151,010.00 47,520 3,319,088.00 3,560,000 989,700.00 1,240,000 235,400.00 320,000 69,820.00 PROPERTY 992,500 6,712,866.00 200 1,680.00 417,000 260,910.00 391,000 452,550.00 200,000 43,200.00 49,416,800 1,792,781,380.00 8,389,000 25,837,740.00 284,000 1,375,195.00 24,862,000 16,621,870.00 7,000 7,090.00 3,000 3,130.00 31,750,000 3,254,880.00 1,160,000 468,000.00 32,810,400 475,966,502.00 234,000 52,380 13,267,500 8,216,460 219,300 423,000 20,000 100 81,200 483,200 1,800 40,000 1,000 110 130,000 11,339,530 530,000 1,169,000 10,500 656,470 6,530 129,890 938,900 3,661,940 125 150,560 598,000

Close

AUGUST 24-28, 2015 Volume Value

2.58 68 98.50 84.60 42.5 2.51 1.34 10.1 15.66 20.8 7.25 0.74 1.63 725.00 0.405 83.75 0.96 18.68 25.00 60.00 93.5 300 35 131.9 1435.00 54.00 2.92

363,000 189,160 34,160,270 15,106,460 446,900 1,103,000 273,000 1,000 59,800 1,686,900 15,700 118,000 63,000 330 420,000 20,383,840 944,000 1,215,800 89,900 1,153,200 11,860 276,160 2,590,700 5,505,370 470 479,980 308,000

899,710.00 12,515,072.50 3,220,562,998.00 1,289,408,465.50 18,691,470.00 2,663,830.00 361,670.00 9,889.00 925,454.00 32,021,333.00 113,151 81,490 106,370.00 238,500.00 156,500.00 1,667,913,942.50 891,930.00 22,585,890.00 2,252,875.00 66,109,487.00 1,041,707.00 82,729,378.00 94,091,200.00 700,215,427.00 685,240.00 26,105,741.00 931,770.00

43.25 1.53 0.99 1.68 9.85 50.1 90.00 17.1 126 27 44 2.75 1.22 10.9 11.400 8.55 6.00 8.33 1.71 13.22 23.35 70 13.60 13.10 5.77 0.500 191.50 10.2 28.00

19,926,600 136,000 304,000 17,463,000 72,200 220 1,150 4,607,000 850 1,798,300 2,899,900 15,017,000 1,584,000 1,096,000 38,842,400 9,452,300 125,850,600 3,252,100 13,000 162,900 17,659,100 2,867,060 83,700 893,300 4,083,800 280,000 4,160,490 2,900,800 14,000

838,055,510.00 191,320.00 275,430.00 27,193,550.00 711,393.00 11,028.00 106,335.00 77,772,588 110,210.00 47,883,795.00 129,435,060 37,746,240.00 1,982,720.00 11,903,180.00 411,482,494.00 80,880,957.00 736,637,670.00 26,220,235.00 21,960.00 2,008,630.00 402,570,760.00 198,852,744.00 1,080,454.00 11,394,324.00 22,000,151.00 136,150.00 769,162,463.00 29,457,374.00 392,000.00

1.7 49.90 22.6 22 5.9 284.00 3.94 4.39 7.91 3.83 11.50 3.35 2.14 2.38 4.08 1.7 5.74 149 4.25 1.81 0.138 1.08 1.83 194 4.22 0.69 22.50 1.02

275,000 165,520 7,320,300 3,005,600 15,534,900 6,589,130 57,000 16,707,000 12,725,800 45,000 52,900 1,769,000 2,641,000 6,918,000 11,847,000 210,000 18,200 608,170 13,000 1,084,000 9,000,000 358,000 8,593,000 19,559,020 542,000 2,935,000 11,300 597,000

467,320.00 8,176,762.50 159,180,320.00 65,914,490.00 86,144,259.00 2,101,243,066.00 206,280.00 67,464,630.00 98,386,841.00 177,450.00 578,568.00 5,681,280.00 5,350,560.00 16,556,000.00 48,291,740.00 360,410.00 105,054.00 87,131,308.00 54,140.00 1,917,280.00 1,192,400.00 330,080.00 15,114,820.00 3,615,431,094.00 2,282,100.00 1,861,760.00 259,250.00 608,740.00

0.435 55.1000 19.80 1.09 6.70 0.230 0.235 738 6.95 11.38 3.1 4.18 0.194 1270 6.00 71.00 3.61 6.76 0.57 13 0.56 5 7.28 3.5 0.0430 1.080 1.760 2.79 52.00 2.52 878.00 1.18 0.65 69.500 0.2800 0.1810 0.249

2,030,000 15,980,480 75,681,000 398,000 61,200 2,480,000 1,410,000 3,784,450 23,168,500 51,983,000 894,000 298,000 1,140,000 2,832,225 154,200 15,436,580 42,000 19,626,400 2,098,000 99,472,400 2,445,000 238,127,800 3,278,500 3,000 2,118,490,000 5,000 48,153,000 258,000 1,652,600 41,000 2,375,950 479,000 1,095,000 104,320 14,040,000 1,730,000 3,510,000

853,650.00 850,660,029.50 1,482,832,162.00 407,560.00 411,363.00 555,250.00 339,630.00 2,715,189,365.00 155,468,593.00 570,306,700.00 2,565,900.00 1,249,480.00 209,680.00 3,386,929,790.00 934,086.00 1,045,577,002.00 163,220.00 120,812,588.00 1,227,270.00 1,260,056,886.00 1,282,050.00 1,144,212,927.00 23,886,874.00 10,500.00 102,030,190.00 5,400.00 84,472,610.00 692,720.00 86,019,612.00 93,780.00 2,044,585,950.00 571,020.00 701,060.00 7,507,275.00 3,878,150.00 282,250.00 797,280.00

6.780 8.40 0.66 1.170 0.203 35.95 3.09 4.72 0.72 1.00 1.04 0.115 0.405 13.8

8,021,200 14,100 1,496,000 280,000 590,000 133,096,600 23,770,000 10,549,300 37,439,000 5,336,000 5,073,000 37,280,000 3,650,000 17,588,500

50,900,052.00 109,866.00 949,760.00 323,890.00 111,370.00 4,604,652,925.00 72,925,920.00 52,684,724.00 25,388,830.00 5,336,170.00 5,071,880.00 4,067,810.00 1,485,850.00 220,220,014.00

STOCKS

SEPTEMBER 1-4, 2015 Close Volume

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

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

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

0.750 0.168 1.05 1.76 1.42 4.18 0.085 0.2500 21.00 7.41 28.75 1.59 3.27 19.06 0.72 7.05 0.670 5.820

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ 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 SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

8.6 61.1 1.1 0.510 11.7 6.90 0.0620 4 86.1 9.58 1.81 5.40 2.72 920 2560 6.15 17.20 1.20 90.85 5.50 11.8 0.011 0.166 1.3400 2.21 8.01 2.65 1.18 2.10 36.50 0.590 2 5.51 0.305 0.410 19 4.34 3.08 8.65 101.50 18.58 2444.00 0.610 1.120 32.40 67.45 5.18 6.50 0.55 3.91 0.325 2.410

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

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

TA Petroleum

0.0048 2.30 4.25 0.185 6.2000 5.5000 0.71 0.66 5.94 1.12 0.300 0.187 0.202 0.011 0.012 2.18 8.07 3.14 0.5000 1.2600 0.0085 3.90 4.99 1.57 0.0110 135.00 2.62

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen F First Gen G FPH Pref C GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure & Resort Pref.

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

62 528 526 118.1 115.5 500 520 5.99 1.08 108.5 1045 1018 75.65 81.45 83

Leisure & Resort Warr.

3.430

Makati Fin. Corp.

Ripple E-Business Intl Xurpas

4.6 62.95 11.5

First Metro ETF

116

Value

Close

28,000 620,000 14,708,000 67,588,000 8,851,000 89,533,000 15,440,000 3,370,000 1,000 2,500 13,064,300 535,000 73,000 81,555,300 4,693,000 5,000 186,000 33,074,800

21,000.00 99,890.00 15,525,520.00 120,284,250.00 12,909,370.00 383,056,260.00 1,283,950.00 862,150.00 20,500.00 18,501.00 376,186,140.00 868,190.00 234,090.00 1,595,204,606.00 3,281,510.00 26,470.00 125,300.00 193,528,634.00 SERVICES 2,404,400 20,778,988.00 118,270 7,179,760.50 30,000 32,800.00 2,836,000 1,504,910.00 1,724,600 19,500,924.00 51,649,900 353,461,422.00 57,690,000 3,503,880.00 837,000 3,298,940.00 2,876,380 250,446,338.00 1,900 18,969.00 104,000 168,470 848,000 4,228,479.00 17,000 46,330.00 1,730 1,591,615.00 453,820 1,169,932,860 413,400 2,583,757.00 900 15,480 306,000 358,830.00 9,634,500 868,802,627.00 800 4,200 14,600 172,248.00 13,900,000 153,300.00 3,020,000 497,420.00 1,956,000 2,734,560.00 5,000 10,250.00 1,472,300 11,546,388.00 3,361,000 8,852,960.00 25,000 29,760.00 17,000 34,400.00 400 14,350.00 314,000 184,210.00 275,000 546,400.00 3,791,100 21,766,272.00 520,000 149,250.00 140,000 57,400.00 79,600 1,451,744.00 62,000 278,640 32,000 89,880.00 100 865.00 201,260 20,425,780.00 254,100 4,676,384.00 791,115 1,934,612,420.00 1,144,000 708,710.00 150,028,000 180,187,830.00 7,898,600 254,136,385.00 3,526,220 239,383,846.00 40,795,500 211,223,062.00 14,983,300 102,812,739.00 18,396,000 10,267,090.00 7,236,000 28,843,080.00 1,000,000 306,200.00 848,000 2,039,080.00 MINING & OIL 2,585,000,000 12,444,100.00 48,000 111,550.00 6,485,000 27,562,950.00 730,000 134,230.00 912,600 4,895,251.00 245,700 1,351,801.00 13,358,000 9,549,780.00 1,245,000 830,810.00 41,900 259,815.00 17,174,000 19,145,590.00 2,240,000 667,700.00 52,040,000 9,592,720.00 2,630,000 513,260.00 147,700,000 1,676,100.00 50,800,000 605,900.00 1,404,000 3,047,410.00 33,516,100 268,312,857.00 4,922,000 16,100,650.00 98,000 49,330.00 6,218,000 7,948,350.00 688,000,000 5,661,400.00 7,451,000 28,026,310.00 4,359,900 22,428,044.00 8,669,000 14,488,450.00 698,400,000 7,367,300.00 4,075,650 532,830,032.00 2,897,000 7,718,500.00 PREFERRED 616,360 37,756,665.50 30,630 16,003,800.00 37,510 19,734,650 30 3,543.00 63,000 7,276,500.00 2,000 1,000,000.00 1,400 728,000.00 617,700 3,707,980.00 254,000 274,380 500 54,250.00 25 26,125.00 11,335 11,515,295.00 164,810 12,461,074.50 44,010 3,557,067.00 106,850 8,720,107.50 WARRANTS & BONDS 438,000 1,452,440.00 SME 22,700 105,830.00 150 8,920.00 12,248,100 137,869,828.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 93,320 10,729,789.00

AUGUST 24-28, 2015 Volume Value

0.830 0.169 1.09 1.79 1.40 4.33 0.083 0.2600 19.20 7.41 29.00 1.6 3.25 19.50 0.7 7.16 0.660 5.830

336,000 1,730,000 12,986,000 210,464,000 5,738,000 109,191,000 8,790,000 1,470,000 200 301,700 33,149,900 1,869,000 131,000 154,127,100 7,574,000 4,800 1,103,000 72,695,100

266,310.00 282,500.00 13,790,530.00 372,590,300.00 7,700,540.00 439,013,580.00 748,590.00 374,000.00 3,840.00 2,204,297.00 765,876,160.00 2,811,890.00 420,500.00 2,940,449,678.00 5,117,130.00 33,152.00 765,480.00 434,806,368.00

8.89 60.9 1.09 0.530 11.5 7.02 0.0610 4 89.45 9.51 1.81 4.60

4,620,600 467,720 282,000 2,544,000 266,800 80,521,200 108,290,000 2,859,240 7,683,130 5,000 130,000 656,000

39,717,030.00 27,532,046.50 293,970.00 1,292,870.00 3,318,816.00 545,112,968.00 6,629,880.00 147,728,206.50 674,586,674.50 47,840.00 211,150 2,801,930.00

920 2576 6.29 17.10 1.20 92.95 6.00 11.42 0.012 0.171 1.3500 2.18 7.69 2.50 1.27 2.10 35.00 0.600 2 6.01 0.305 0.420 19.2 4.65 2.8 8.65 100.00 18.48 2518.00 0.640 1.250 31.70 69.50 4.84 7.26 0.56 4.02 0.310 2.370

4,100 778,475 2,098,000 400 1,141,000 11,125,570 1,500 1,900 32,200,000 13,370,000 2,926,000 52,000 8,398,700 2,887,000 31,000 378,000 1,500 263,000 263,000 8,708,700 110,000 190,000 35,100 163,000 360,400 59,000 1,450 784,300 1,294,120 7,898,000 76,277,000 20,041,700 10,879,620 26,553,100 40,794,100 25,559,000 19,593,000 1,910,000 1,266,000

3,822,005.00 1,942,197,030 12,918,804.00 6,840 1,353,780.00 1,047,870,878.00 9,170 21,728.00 347,500.00 2,133,920.00 3,833,280.00 107,940.00 61,914,735.00 6,832,230.00 37,500.00 745,550.00 52,500.00 166,010.00 522,090.00 32,928,794.00 33,000.00 79,150.00 661,962.00 731,040

0.0048 2.25 4.57 0.200 6.2000 7.2000 0.71 0.7 5.98 1.16 0.295 0.182 0.204 0.012 0.012 2.32 8.05 3.28 0.5400 1.3600 0.0090 4.01 5.10 1.67 0.0099 128.00 2.84

7,081,000,000 101,000 2,776,000 40,000 74,600 26,900 8,115,000 2,542,000 347,300 53,067,000 3,840,000 53,960,000 1,230,000 202,100,000 364,700,000 2,385,000 84,635,400 4,798,000 264,000 4,966,000 108,000,000 2,780,000 3,829,200 6,717,000 332,000,000 5,039,200 11,990,000

34,565,400.00 231,900.00 9,942,900.00 7,780.00 370,014.00 177,540.00 5,300,980.00 1,687,220.00 2,045,400.00 59,733,380.00 1,092,600.00 9,981,360.00 236,640.00 2,342,500.00 4,374,600.00 5,319,660.00 591,224,805.00 15,710,230.00 148,810.00 6,759,080.00 911,000.00 11,040,800.00 19,478,390.00 10,155,120.00 3,174,260.00 623,103,184.00 31,285,230.00

63.5 524 527 118.1 116

988,210 31,350 10,550 20 57,320

56,424,940.50 16,365,550.00 5,566,230 2,362.00 6,634,010.00

520 5.95 1.06 108 1045 1020 75.7 81.5 80.06

32,540 6,297,400 6,585,000 117,030 5,690 7,645 343,190 42,620 276,560

16,923,530.00 37,872,919.00 7,050,870 12,632,145.00 5,917,700.00 7,781,330.00 24,991,475.00 3,361,726.50 22,361,751.50

3.270

1,293,000

4,062,060.00

4.51 56.95 10.76

26,500 770 12,165,700

136,459.00 43,851.00 122,623,861.00

116.2

375,490

42,266,720.00

510,850.00 144,269.00 14,203,290.00 2,654,908,100.00 4,786,950.00 92,426,530.00 620,989,335.00 745,069,312.50 124,839,227.00 265,026,505.00 14,472,290.00 79,347,510.00 584,670.00 2,938,170.00

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

Megaworld Prop.

SM Prime Holdings Filinvest Land,Inc.

VOLUME 2,585,000,000 1,028,200,000 698,400,000 688,000,000 150,028,000 147,700,000 123,771,100 89,533,000 81,555,300 67,588,000

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

VALUE 2,905,275,834.00 2,068,179,975.00 1,934,612,420.00 1,792,781,380.00 1,595,204,606.00 1,288,669,953.00 1,250,120,875.00 1,173,025,575.00 1,169,932,860.00 944,695,946.50

MONDAY: SEPTEMBER 7, 2015

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

Meralco automation costs P1.5b

By Alena Mae S. Flores

POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. will invest P1.5 billion to automate its distribution network and keep pace with the changing demands of technology, a ranking executive said.

BSP official copes with 2-hour traffic

EVEN the top executives of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas experience the traffic congestion that greet Metro Manila motorists and commuters on a daily basis. Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said to cope with the situation and avoid wasting his time, he has been doing some paperworks inside his car on his way to Bangko Sentral in Malate, Manila from his home in Quezon City.

In a chat with banking reporters, Guinigundo said it now took him more than two hours of traveling from his Quezon City residence to reach P. Ocampo Street where Bangko Sentral is located. “[Lately] I’ve been doing paperworks on my way to Bangko Sentral. It takes me more than two hours to reach the office because of the heavy traffic,” Guinigundo said.

Guinigundo usually wakes up at 5 a.m., leaves his house at 7 a.m. and arrives at Bangko Sentral by 9 or 10 a.m. Guinigundo lives in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.

Guinigundo is Bangko Sentral’s deputy governor for the monetary stability sector. The two other deputy governors are Nestor Espenilla Jr. of the supervision and examination sector and Vicente Aquino of the resource and management sector. Julito G. Rada

“For regulatory year 2016, from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, our budget for automation is around P1.5 billion. All of these are still for approval of ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission]. It’s part of the application for approval, for the PBR [performance-based rate setting],” Meralco first vice president and head of network Ronnie Aperocho told reporters.

Apercho said Meralco would spend P781 million for the advanced metering infrastructure which involved putting in place smart meters. He said the amount would be a part of the P1.5-billion automation cost.

“Within our franchise, there are areas where restoration of

power during emergency cases.

When we automate our system, we [won’t] rely much on the manual capability of our people,” he said.

“The good thing about it is we provide the intelligence to the system. When a particular segment of our system is affected, readily we can isolate that system and restore power to unaffected portion of the circuit. We have sensing devices wherein we would know what particular circuit is in trouble,” he said.

Apercho said the company was gradually building up the systems based on cost-benefit analysis.

Meralco earlier unveiled its state-of-the art system control

center that would allow faster response during outages due to typhoons and other weather disturbances.

Aperocho said the newly-built system costing P30 million to P40 million offered real-time system visibility to improve situational awareness and faster turnaround time of outage resolution.

He said the multiple displays in a single output platform, with a size of 4 meter by 15 meters, “accelerates operational decision-making.”

“Through the smart meters and total visibility at our system control center, even before the customer would call us, we already deployed our crew to fix the problem. It’s part of the proactive service that we would provide our customers,” Aperocho said.

Aperocho said Meralco also planned to acquire three drones under a pilot program to allow the immediate assessment of problem areas especially during typhoons and other calamities.

LRT common station still a concept

While the Transportation Department presented a draft agreement to SM Prime Holdings Inc. to resolve the deadlock on the common station linking the Light Rail Transit and Metro Rail Transit, SM Prime president Hans Sy said what was sent to the company so far was a mere “concept.”

“They have sent us some idea, but it was just a concept. We cannot finalize on a concept. So show us what your compromise is and we will see. Because we cannot make a decision based on a concept,” Sy said.

According to the Transportation Department’s proposal, two common stations would be constructed, with one located near the Ayala Group’s Trinoma Mall in Quezon City to connect LRT1 and MRT-3, and the other near SM North Edsa Mall to link MRT-7 and MRT-3, with an option to connect LRT-1, When asked if the issue could be resolved under the Aquino administration, Sy said: “The ball is with them. We are not insisting, but we have a contract”.

Although the Transportation Department proposed to have two common stations, SM Prime was still not willing to withdraw the case against the agency for allegedly breaching the contract on the location of the proposed P1.4-billion common station.

SM Prime earlier secured a Supreme Court stay order, barring the agency from transferring the location of the common station to Trinoma mall. Jenniffer B. Austria

SM to proceed with Arena in Cebu

Speaking of SM Prime, the company said it would proceed with the plan to build an indoor arena in Cebu, despite the failure of the Philippines to host the 2019 Fiba Basketball World Cup. China has beaten the Philippines for the right to host the prestigious sports event.

The group of businessman Manuel Pangilinan during the bidding submitted several potential venues for the World Cup, including SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippine Arena in Bulacan, Araneta Coliseum in Cubao and the soon-to-rise SM Cebu Arena.

While hosting the Fiba World Cup is now out of the question, SM Prime president Hans Sy said the development of SM Cebu Arena within the 30-hectare SM Seaside Complex will push through.

“It is a commitment I made with the Cebuanos. So construction will push through,” Sy said.

Final details are being completed, including the size and capacity of the arena. Jenniffer B. Austria

Business expo. The board of directors of the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. with Senator Franklin Drilon (fifth from left) and Senator Cynthia Villar (sixth from left) cut the ribbon during the opening of AFFI show 2014. The group announced the much-awaited staging of the 14th Franchise and Business Expo: Empowering Entrepreneurs on Oct. 2 to 4, 2015 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila The biggest and longest-running business expo in the Philippines, aims to help potential entrepreneurs start up their dream business, and enable existing ones to reach their full potential.

PSEi likely to stay above 7,000 points

By Jenniffer B. Austria SHARE prices are expected to move sideway this week, as investors remain cautious over developments overseas.

RCBC Securities research head Raul Ruiz said he expected a major market movement on Monday as investors assessed the latest US jobs data and its implication on the timing of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hike.

Analysts said the release of the monthly US employment report had renewed uncertainty about the timing of the Federal Reserve’s plan to raise interest rates.

The employment data showed the US added 173,000 jobs in August, less than economists expected.

Aside from weak US jobs data, concerns over China’s weakening economy may also make the Fed reconsider plans to increase interest rates starting this month.

F. Yap Securities investment analyst Jason Escartin said while trading remained volatile, the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index was expected to remain above the 7,000-point level “We don’t see the PSEi dipping below 7,000 until after this coming week, with bargain-hunters ready to pounce on opportunities created by exiting foreigners.

Moves beyond 7,100, however, could still be short-lived, unless macro catalysts arise,” Escartin said.

The PSEi, which represents 30 stocks, closed lower by 0.7 percent last week to 7,051.78 on Friday, while the broader all-share index declined by 0.8 percent to 4,023.60. This marked the PSEi’s sixth straight week of losses.

Except for the mining and oil index and holdings firms index, which climbed 1.7 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively, all other

major indices ended in the red, led by services (-2.24 percent), industrial (-1.46 percent) property (-1.26 percent), and financial (-0.68 percent).

Foreign investors were net sellers by P2.2 billion last week, as total foreign selling reached P18.53 billion while foreign buying amounted to P16.3 billion.

Average daily turnover also depreciated to P7.7 billion from the previous week’s P11.9 billion.

Top gainers last week were SOCResources Inc., which climbed 23 percent to P0.80; MJC Investments Corp., which advanced 21.4 percent to P4.25; and DFNN Inc., which jumped 17.4 percent to P5.40.

Heavy losers were Easycall Communications Philippines Inc., which fell 14.7 percent to P2.72; Roxas Holdings Inc., which dropped 12.9 percent to P5; and Crown Equities Inc., which dipped 11.3 percent to P0.12.

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Meralco seeks clear gas policy

By Alena Mae S. Flores MANILA Electric Co., the biggest power retailer, has asked the government for a clearer natural gas policy, especially with the entry of the emerging liquefied natural gas industry.

Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan said the government should help identify prospective natural gas customers to justify the construction of LNG facilities.

“Who will be the consumers?

Why will you build it when there is no sure market. It could be the industrial customers and the power plants but then you have got to import the gas eventually,” Pangilinan told reporters.

He reacted to the plan of the

government to put up the Batangas-Manila natural gas pipeline, which would likely be auctioned next year.

Meralco’s power generation unit, Meralco PowerGen Corp., earlier expressed interest to build the country’s first liquefied natural gas facility.

“You have to build a regas facility somewhere in Bataan, Batangas, Cavite or whatever.

You will import LNG so you have to regas it and push it to

the pipeline and then of course, who buys the gas? It could be industrial customers but then eventually when you satisfy the demand who else? Also, you have to pipe the gas. That’s expensive,” Pangilinan said.

He earlier said Meralco PowerGen would make a final investment decision on the planned $2 billion, 1,500-megawatt integrated natural gas facility in Luzon within the year.

Meralco PowerGen is in talks with Osaka Gas of Japan for a joint venture on the planned LNG project.

“We’ll find out before the end of the year if it’s a go,” Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan said the the two companies were looking at an in-

tegrated natural gas facility that included both an LNG terminal and power plant.

“You need a gasification plant because we need to import gas. There is no more gas from Malampaya for the size of the plant. So there will be a gasification facility and a power plant,” he said.

The re-gasification facility will convert the imported LNG to natural gas for delivery to the power plant.

He said Meralco would likely take a 60-percent stake in the project while Osaka Gas would own 40 percent if plans pushed through.

Pangilinan earlier said Osaka Gas, a leading liquefied natural gas supplier in Japan, wanted to

build a natural gas power plant in the Philippines.

“They [Osaka Gas] want to build a gas [power] plant in the Philippines, [with] around 1,200 to 1,500 MW with Meralco,” he said. “They are keen to look at it. They are keen to invest in the Philippines.”

Pangilinan said the natural gas plant “might be done in phases, but it is up to 1,500 MW.” “The capex [capital expenditure] is actually lower than a coal plant per megawatt, but the problem is the higher cost of power,” he said.

Pangilinan said he expected the project to materialize in the next three to five years, although the two companies had yet to inspect the proposed site.

IMF sees favorable economic prospect

By Julito G. Rada

Apec dialogue. Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya (center) poses with other officials during a dialogue on Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s role in strengthening ethical business practices for small and medium enterprises during the 2015 APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum on August 20, 2015 at Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City. With her are (from left) Comsalud Lima Chamber of Commerce president Jose Mario Mongilardi, Malaysia SME Corp. chief executive Dato’ Hafsah Hashim, Peru High Level Anti-Corruption Commission general coordinator Jose Avila and Sanofi Aventis group vice president and regional compliance officer Masood Ahmedl.

TV5 Network set to finish modern media center

By Darwin G Amojelar TV5 Network Inc. expects to complete its long-delayed multi-billion-peso state-of-the art Media Center in Quezon City by September next year.

“The base and foundations are already completed,” TV5 president and chief executive Emmanuel Lorenzana told reporters over the weekend.

TV5’s Media Center is a 63,000 square-meter development, which will comprise of one nine-story corporate building and two eight-storey structures of office spaces, TV pro-

duction and post-production areas, radio booths and other cutting-edge broadcast facilities.

It will also house state-ofthe-art broadcast studios, the Technical Operations Center, along with the latest digital technologies, thus making the TV facilities the most modern in the country.

The network’s media center was supposed to be completed in 2013, but according to Lorenzana, the construction was delayed because of unavailability of funding.

“It’s all about managing our

cashflow, so we are now in a better position that’s why we are able to actually provide funding for that,” Lorenzana said.

Besides TV5, the other tenants of the new building are Cignal TV, Voyager Inc. and Philex Corp.

The network’s news and public affairs, meanwhile, was transferred to TV5 Media Center in Mandaluyong City in January last year.

MediaQuest Holdings Inc. bought TV5 in 2009 from the Cojuangco Group for P4 billion, and acquired MPB Prime-

dia of Malaysia, a TV5 major block-timer, for $16 million.

MediaQuest’s investments in TV5 were in line with its strategy of developing media, content and production resources to complement its other assets and platforms such as Cignal, a direct-to-home satellite service launched in 2010.

Media Quest is owned by the Beneficial Trust Fund of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., which has interest in Nation Broadcasting Corp., Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Business World and Unitel Group.

THE International Monetary Fund expects the Philippine economy to expand amid the threats to growth, especially from the global front.

“The outlook for the Philippine economy remains favorable despite uneven and generally weaker global growth prospects. Real GDP is projected to grow by 6.2 percent in 2015, as lower commodity prices lift household consumption and improved budget execution raises public spending,” the multi-lateral lender said in a statement released over the weekend.

“Lower fuel prices, partly offset by somewhat higher food prices due to assumed moderate El Niño conditions, should help keep inflation in the bottom half of the BSP’s target band,” the IMF said after the conclusion of the executive board’s consultations with the Philippines on Aug. 26 this year.

It said the current account surplus was expected to rise in 2015 due to lower oil prices and inflows from business process outsourcing and remittances.

It expects the fiscal policy to remain prudent and risks to the outlook tilted to the downside.

“The Philippine authorities are well equipped to respond as needed with suitable policies should any risks materialize, particularly given the strong fundamentals and ample policy space,” it said.

IMF resident representative to the Philippines Shanaka Jayanath Peiris last week said a slightly lower growth forecast for the Philippines this year could be possible as a result of the downward revision in the first-quarter growth.

M O N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

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

SM Prime readies Baguio, the City of Gold P7.5-b Cebu mall

By Jenniffer B. Austria SM Prime Holdings Inc., the largest integrated property developer, is set to open the P7.5-billion SM Seaside City Cebu, the company’s fourth largest mall development in the country, on Nov. 27.

SM Supermalls president Annie Garcia said mall spaces in SM Seaside City Cebu were already 65 percent leased out and would be 70 percent rented during the opening.

“We will have a blessing on Nov. 26 but Nov. 27 will be the actual opening of SM Seaside City Cebu,” Garcia said.

SM Seaside City Cebu is a four-level circular shaped mall with a gross floor area of 470,000 square meters. It is situated within the 30-hectare Cebu South Road Properties also being developed by SM Prime.

The development of SM Seaside complex was patterned after the 60-hectare

SM Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. Aside from a huge shopping mall, the complex will have a convention center, hotel, business process outsourcing office buildings and a sports/concert arena.

SM Seaside City Cebu is one of the three malls that SM Prime is scheduled to open in the second half of the year. The two others are SM Sangandaan and SM Cabanatuan.

The Cebu center will be the fourth largest shopping mall of SM Prime in the country after SM Megamal, SM North Edsa and SM Mall of Asia Asia.

It will also be the second SM shopping mall in Cebu

after SM City Cebu was opened in 1993.

Meanwhile, SM Prime plans to unveil before the end of the year the integrated master plan for the Pasay and Parañaque reclamation projects worth P100 billion.

SM Prime president Hans Sy said the company introduced some changes in the master plan to incorporate more open spaces in the project.

The company is confident of defending the reclamation project to various government agencies.

“By the end of the year we should be able to do something. We really want to defend it,” Sy said.

“Since its is a 600-hectare development, we are focused on the transportation system. We want to come up with a city wherein you won’t need a car. It will be pedestrian friendly,” he said Sy said the company would allocate 30 percent of the total area to open spaces.

With Congressman Nicasio M. Aliping and Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan (fourth and fifth from left respectively) and Baguio City Vice Mayor Edison Bilog as well as the City Councilors Elaine Sembrano, Leandro Yangot Jr., Peter Fianza, Faustino Olowan, Fred Bagbagen, Elmer Datuin; Betty Lourdes Tabanda and Councilor Richard Cariño.

OUR congratulations to the people of Baguio City who warmly welcomed us during the celebration of their 106th Charter Day, where I represented PLDT and Philex Mining chairman Manny Pangilinan and read his speech for the occasion.

People are familiar with Baguio as the “Summer Capital of the Philippines” for its cool mountains providing a respite from the heat of Manila. But not many are aware that the city was built on the backs of miners. In fact, Benguet and the Cordilleras—the home of the proud Ibalois and Kankanaeys (of which Philex Mining president Euls Austin. Jr. is a member)— is rich with mineral resources like gold which made it attractive to the Spaniards and later on to the Americans who built the first roads at the turn of the 20th century.

We were with Mayor Mauricio Domogan and Congressman Nicasio Aliping and the other local officials, and it was a rather emotional moment for many in the audience when the photos of all former mayors were flashed on the screen. Baguio has decided on the theme “Nurturing the Culture of Sharing and Caring Towards Competitiveness” for the celebrations, which struck me as very appropriate.

Baguio is a land that has been so blessed with mineral resources, but as noted in the speech of MVP, the mineral reserves will not have any value for the people if they stay below ground.

Citi outlook. Citi, the country’s leading foreign bank, hosts a series of events to

present its mid-year market outlook to wealth management clients in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu. Citi advises clients to maintain a balanced portfolio while the economic outlook for the year remains uneven. Despite all headwinds, Citi remains positive on equity markets.

Welcoming clients to discuss Citi’s market forecasts and investment strategies are (from left) Citi Philippines chief executive Aftab Ahmed, Franklin Equity Group institutional portfolio manager George Russell, Citicorp Financial Services and Insurance Brokerage Philippines Inc. president Ben Pañares and Citi chief investment strategist Haren Shah.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan hands over the plaque of appreciation while Congressman Nicasio Aliping looks on.

A Brown on track to run plant

By Alena Mae S. Flores PALM Concepcion Power Corp. plans to complete the first 135-megawatt unit of its 270-MW coal-fired power plant in Concepcion, Iloilo in the last quarter of the year.

Palm Concepcion is a joint venture between Palm Thermal Consolidated Holdings Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of A Brown Company Inc., and Jin Navitas Resource Inc. “The target start of testing and commissioning is on the last quarter while the commercial operation on track by second quarter of 2016,” listed A. Brown said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Palm Concepcion officials earlier committed to complete the first phase of the power plant project as scheduled and link

the output to the grid on or before the middle of 2016.

“While only 135 MW is on a firm basis, the plant site and support units are programmed for two units. The preparation for the second unit is projected to begin two to three years after commissioning of the first unit if the power market in the region continues to expand as projected,” said A Brown.

Palm Concepcion held the groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase on January 15, 2013. The consortium of First Northeast Electric Power Engineering Corp. of China, Liaoning Electric Power Survey & Design Institute and Shenyang Electric Power Design Institute Co. Ltd. is the project’s general engineering, procurement and construction contractor.

Certainly, we have to participate in the global supply chain, and it would be foolhardy to shut down mining—which can happen if the tax regime remains unfavorable—while the need for mining products remains. It is possible to have a healthy relationship—partnership even —between mining companies and local governments and the people such as Philex and Baguio City.

The challenge is to grow mining so that it creates more value and benefit for the people—and this same challenge is what Baguio local officials must also consider to stay competitive, to grow and prosper so that more value is created that would benefit the people without exhausting the city’s resources.

In retrospect, nurturing a culture of caring and sharing can be summed up in simple terms: getting everyone involved —and that means all stakeholders, not just city officials, businessmen, local residents and indigenous peoples but even occasional visitors—in the quest for improvement, growth and development in a manner that uplifts the community and the local economy while protecting the environment.

Delivering the speech of Philex Chairman Manny Pangilinan.

People waiting outside the Baguio Convention Center during the 106th Baguio Charter Day celebration.

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MONDAY: SEPTEMBER 7, 2015

BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

Latest US jobs data to lift peso Building an effective team The popularity of using teams in organizations is increasing so fast globally. What makes a team different from a group? A team is composed of a small number of people who are committed to contribute responsibly toward the achievement of a common goal for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. According to Newstrom (2007), teams differ from ordinary groups or committees in a way where “many teams monitor their own work, are given training in mutual problem-solving methods, share leadership responsibilities internally, accept and even encourage conflict, and are measured on the basis of their collective outputs.” A team goes through a life cycle of forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning, as the members learn to work together as a team (Newstrom, 2007).

Modern business organizations are now more flexible, organic and open. They have reduced the number of levels in their hierarchy by increasingly utilizing the “teamwork structure.” They create teams to be problem-solving, self-managed, quality circles, work, cross functional or virtual in nature. The wide utilization of teams nowadays can be attributed to a number of benefits that team-based organizations derive. Teams enhanced performance which comes in the form of improved productivity, quality and customer service (Moorhead and Griffin, 2010). Teams also reduce costs, as it decreases employee stress, turnover, absenteeism and injuries. Moreover, teams increased job satisfaction, harmonious labormanagement relations, innovation, and profitability.

But the challenge to management is how to start and build an effective team in the workplace? How can team leaders ensure they can sustain effective teamwork for a long time? These are some tips that I would like to share with you based on many readings tackling the matter of teamwork, and on my long years working as a team leader and training numerous employees to become effective team members.

• Clarity of purpose - Ensure that goals and objectives of the team are clear to all members. Make them aware of what they need to achieve and the direction they are headed towards in a unified way. This will lead to developing the team purpose to be meaningful and worth achieving for everyone.

• Clarity of role - Ensure that each team member knows exactly the tasks and other expectations needed to contribute to the team. When the team has set clear and demanding goals, each member should be self-conscious about the team’s operation, and how to contribute to the achievement of the set of goals.

• Open communication - Be sure that team members are listened to and their feedbacks are addressed in a timely manner. Provide also constant feedback to the members so that they know how they are doing. Make members feel that they are free to express their feelings and ideas, even if these are contrary to what the majority of the members feel and think. These disagreements should be viewed as good for the growth of the team.

• Informal atmosphere - People tend to work more effectively when they feel relaxed, are comfortable, have fun while working, and their happiness index is high in dealing personally with their team leader and comembers. The relaxed and comfortable atmosphere lessens stress and anxiety of the members even though they work under pressure.

• Trust - Make the team members feel that they are trusted. There is no substitute when team members perform their tasks believing that they are not under suspicion of misbehaving, and the team leader is always at their back watching them at work. As Filipinos, we value so much our personal relationships which are rooted on trust and confidence.

• Reward good work- It is always a plus factor when team members who perform outstandingly, or have contributed innovations to benefit the organization, are given recognition. Reward is an extrinsic form of motivation. It can be given in form of cash (e.g. bonus, promotion, merit increase), in kind (e.g. basket of groceries, free lunch, trip abroad), or even by just saying out loud “good job and keep it up!”

• Develop competencies – Another important ingredient in fostering effective team is when members are, on a regular and continuing basis, given the opportunity to hone, upgrade, or learn new behavioral and technical competencies to be able to perform their tasks excellently and deal with others well. As Stephen Covey said, make it a habit to “sharpen their saw.”

• Supportive environment - Create an environment which encourages members to think like a team, provide adequate time for meetings, and show to members that you believe in their capacity to achieve. An organizational culture that fosters affirmation, care, and faith in their people will lead to teamwork.

• Provide an effective team leader - Ensure that the team members are guided by a team leader who is a role model. Team members get their inspiration and energy from the passion or “fire” the leader exudes. As the saying goes “follow the leader.” The leader needs to engage, equip, and empower its members. But remember to shift leadership from time to time so that each one is trained to become the team leader in the future.

At this time of global competitiveness and volatile environment, it might be worth considering for organizations who have not yet tried using the team structure to give it a try and see the difference it will make for you and your people.

Dr. Edralin is the Vice-Dean for Research and Graduate Studies of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. A Full Professor, she teaches Human Behavior, Strategic Human Resource Management, Labor Relations and Research. She is also a management consultant of SME’s, schools, and NGOs. She may be reached at divina.edralin@dlsu.edu.ph.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of De La Salle University, its faculty, and its administrators.

By Julito G. Rada

THE peso is expected to appreciate against the US dollar this week, following reports the US added 173,000 jobs in August, below the expected 217,000 jobs for the month, a bank economist said over the weekend.

“Should the NFP [non-farm payrolls] print score much higher than consensus forecast of 217,000, expect a 46.6 to 46.9 range [for the peso], while a weaker print for NFP may foment a lower peso-dollar range of 46.50 to 46.70,” Nicholas Antonio Mapa, research officer of the Bank of the Philippine Islands’ financial markets and treasury division, told The Standard prior to the release of the US jobs data.

The peso closed unchanged at 46.73 against the greenback on Sept. 4.

Mapa said a strong non-farm payrolls might increase the likelihood of a Fed rate hike, which would be positive for the dollar.

Official data from the US showed that 173,000 jobs were created in the month of August.

Unemployment rate fell to 5.1

percent, lower than the expected 5.2 percent.

Mapa said the August jobs report could definitely be factored in the Fed’s Sept. 16 to 17 decision, which would decide on whether or not to increase interest rates.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said in an earlier interview the peso had the fundamental basis for stability despite its depreciation against the US dollar in the past few weeks due to the expected interest rates hike by the Federal Reserve this year.

He said remittances from overseas Filipinos amounting to around $25 billion a year and another $25 billion from business process outsourcing receipts would provide the needed support for the peso.

“On top of that you have bonuses coming from tourism, and also from exports. Tourism has been quite resilient,” Guinigundo said.

Guinigundo said the weakness showed by the peso against the greenback in recent weeks was due to market sentiment, which was a regional phenomenon.

He said people were speculating on the US dollar because of the impending normalization of monetary policy in the US, resulting in the greenback’s continuous strength against the regional currencies, including the peso.

“What is important for capital is to realize the fundamental health of the Philippine economy.

Being an open small economy, we are prone to these volatilities and occasional weakening and strengthening of the peso against the dollar. [But] that to me does not fully reflect the fundamental health of the economy,” Guinigundo said.

The peso fell to a new five-year low of 46.815 against the dollar on Aug. 24 after the recent lackluster Chinese manufacturing data raised investors’ concerns on its possible effects on the global economy.

Starlite Pioneer, the first brand-new, all-steel roll-on, roll-off or RoRo vessel designed specifically for Philippine waters, was unveiled on Sept. 2 at the Kegoya Dockyards in Japan. Patricia Cusi-Ramos, the naming sponsor, is shown following her cutting of the champagne cord.

All-steel RoRo marks new era for PH INTER-ISLAND travel in an archipelagic country like the Philippines should be safe, convenient and affordable.

That’s the underlying philosophy behind the recent launching of Starlite Pioneer, the first brandnew, all-steel roll-on, roll-off or RoRo vessel designed specifically for Philippine waters.

The vessel was launched at the Kegoya Dockyards in Kure near Hiroshima under clear blue skies.

It was in the same dockyard that the legendary Japanese battleship, the Yamato, was built and later saw action in decisive naval battles in the Pacific during the

Second World War. Alfonso Cusi, chairman of Starlite Ferries, said the addition of Starlite Pioneer to their fleet marked a new phase in inter-island travel in the country.

“With the launching of Starlite Pioneer, we can now stop asking how many more Filipinos have to die before we finally take modernization and maritime safety seriously,” Cusi said.

A Shinto priest offered prayers in traditional ceremonies that led to the cutting of the champagne cord by the naming sponsor, Ms. Patricia Cusi-Ramos, at about 10:35 on Sept. 2. At 11 a.m., Starlite Pioneer’s bottom

touched the waters of Seto.

By December, after all the fittings are completed, Starlite Pioneer will begin sailing in Philippine waters and inaugurate a new era of safe and dependable inter-island travel in this country.

Most of the 70 RoRo vessels now operating in the Philippines were bought from Japan where shipping laws require that after 20 years, they will have to sold abroad or decommissioned All these years, Philippine RoRo shipowners had been buying old, decommissioned, antiquated RoRos designed only for Japan’s calm inland seas.

M o n D aY : s e P t e M b e r 7, 2 0 1 5

WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Summit to issue climate message PORT MORESBY— Vulnerable Pacific island nations will this week send the world an urgent plea for action on climate change at the crunch talks in Paris later this year.

Some Pacific Islands Forum or PIF countries lie barely three feet above sea level and fear they will disappear beneath the waves without drastic intervention from major polluters.

The 15-nation regional grouping, meeting in Port Moresby from Monday, has long complained of bearing the brunt of climate change, even though its members make a minuscule contribution to global carbon emissions.

For more than a decade, the annual PIF summit has heard details of eroding coastlines, increasingly destructive storms and crops ruined by encroaching seawater.

Villagers in the Marshall Islands have seen graveyards swamped, while tiny Kiribati has purchased a large block of land in Fiji in case its entire population needs to relocate.

P a l a u President Tommy Remengesau said the Pacific’s plight should prick the conscience of delegates from 195 nations who will meet in Paris in December seeking a breakthrough climate deal.

“What is happening is non-uniform, rapid, extreme and destructive in impact and consequences,” said Remengesau, who is also the PIF president.

“There is immediate danger for all small island countries. Climate change is causing serious damage now, it is not an event of the future,” he told AFP. The so-called COP21 talks in Paris will seek a binding deal to take effect in 2020 that will commit all nations to emissions cuts.

The goal is to limit average global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

Former New Zealand prime minister Geoffrey Palmer said the Paris talks could determine the future of Pacific territories such as Kiribati, Tuvalu and Tokelau. AFP

B7

Europe fighting army of migrant smugglers BRUSSELS—With the world still reeling from images of a drowned Syrian boy, European authorities say it is their top priority to fight an army of an estimated 30,000 people-smuggling suspects blamed for such tragedies.

Officials say the deadly business that may be worth billions of dollars is preying on the sheer desperation of growing numbers of people fleeing war and poverty in places like Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Somalia.

Smugglers belong-

ing to loose networks are increasingly using social media, wellorganized routes and ruthless tactics to bring waves of refugees and migrants to Europe.

But there is new urgency in the wake of cases such as the death of three-year-old Syrian

Aylan Kurdi—found lifeless on a Turkish beach after the smuggling boat carrying his family to Greece sank in the Aegean Sea—and the deaths of 71 people in an airless van on an Austrian highway.

“It is the top priority for sure, not only for Europol but for all member states,” Robert Crepinko, head of the organized crime network at the European Union’s police agency Europol, told AFP. “If you talk about the whole range of

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

NATIONAL TOBACCO ADMINISTRATION Scout Reyes Street, corner Panay Avenue, Quezon City Tel No. (02) 374-3987 Fax. No. (02) 374-2505

illegal migration across Europe, not only focusing on the Mediterranean, the number is 30,000 suspects.”

The EU launched a new naval mission against people smugglers in the Mediterranean in July, starting with an intelligence-gathering phase, before readying to take military action against trafficker’ boats, mainly off the Libyan coast.

The naval mission and Europol say they are cooperating through an office in Sicily to identify and dismantle networks of smugglers bringing migrants across the Mediterranean.

Crepinko added Europol will shortly open a cell in Piraeus, Greece, to tackle smuggling from Turkey.

But as only 3,000, or one-tenth, of the 30,000 suspects in Europe are specifically involved in

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of PINOY CNG-FUEL CORPORATION in its annual meeting on March 30, 2014 at Brgy. Tubigan, Biñan, Laguna unanimously approved to its resolution to dissolve/close the operation of aforesaid corporation effective May 31, 2014 for the reason that its intended business did not push through.

(Sgd) Jane A. Lim, Corporate Secretary (TS-AUG. 24, 31 & SEPT. 7, 2015)

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION

Invitation to Bid SUPPLY OF VARIOUS ITEMS AS AWARDS AND INCENTIVES TO OUTSTANDING TCGS FARMER-COOPERATORS, CY 2013-14

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of AMICO CNG TECH, INC. in its annual meeting on March 30, 2014 at Brgy. Tubigan, Biñan, Laguna unanimously approved to its resolution to dissolve/close the operation of aforesaid corporation effective May 31, 2014 for the reason that its intended business did not push through.

(Sgd) Jane A. Lim, Corporate Secretary

1.

2.

3.

The NATIONAL TOBACCO ADMINISTRATION (NTA), through the Corporate Operating Budget for CY 2015, intends to apply the sums of PhP 2,133,720.00, being the Approved Budgets for the Contract (ABC), to payments under the contract for SUPPLY OF VARIOUS ITEMS AS AWARDS AND INCENTIVES TO OUTSTANDING TCGS FARMER-COOPERATORS, CY 2013-14 (PB 2015-06).

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

The NTA now invites bids for the supply of various items as awards and incentives. Delivery of goods is required for a period of fifteen (15) days. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. {i} Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy-five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country, the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. (ii) Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the IRR of RA 9184.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the NTA and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during working days from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders from September 07, 2015 to September 28, 2015, from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of PhP5,000.00.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the NTA, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

5.

The NTA will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on September 15, 2015, 10:00 a.m., at the 3rd Floor NTA Building, Cors. Scout Reyes Street and Panay Avenue, Quezon City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

6.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before September 29, 2015. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the Bidding Documents.

Bid opening shall be on September 29, 2015, 2014 at 10:00 a.m., at the 3rd Floor NTA Building, Cors. Scout Reyes Street and Panay Avenue, Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

7.

8.

moving people across the Mediterranean, Europol’s remit also covers other routes including the increasingly popular western Balkans into Hungary.

Migrant smuggling— combined with human trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation— now earns organized criminal gangs more than weapons and the drugs trade, according to the EU border control agency Frontex. AFP

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.

(TS-AUG. 24, 31 & SEPT. 7, 2015)

Republic of the Philippines NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Cabanatuan City 044-463-0228 www.neust.edu.ph INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID The Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology through the 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 hereunder contract: 1. Project Title : Proposed Three Storey Engineering Building, Phase IV, Grids I-M, 1-8 Approved Budget for the Contract : PhP9,026,396.30 Location : NEUST Main (Sumacab) Campus, Cabanatuan City Contract Duration : 180 Calendar Days Source of Fund : Special Trust Fund 2. Project Title : Proposed Three Storey Engineering Building, Phase V, Grids I-M/M-O, 1-8 Approved Budget for the Contract : PhP5,587,821.90 Location : NEUST Main (Sumacab) Campus, Cabanatuan City Contract Duration : 150 Calendar Days Source of Fund : Special Trust Fund Prospective bidder should possess a valid PCAB license applicable to the contract, have completed a similar contract with the 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 to the Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, 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).

Schedule of Activities

Date

1.Advertisement/Receipt of Letter of Intent 2.Pre-bid Conference 3.Submission of Bid 4.Bid Evaluation 5.Post-Qualification -

September 7-14, 2015 September 15, 2015 September 28, 2015 September 29, 2015 September 30, 2015

The BAC will issue to prospective bidders Eligibility Forms at the Office of the BAC Chairman, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Cabanatuan City upon their submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology. Prospective bidders shall submit the Eligibility Requirements to the BAC at the said address. They may also obtain the results of the Eligibility Check by the BAC at the same address.

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

The NTA 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.

PhP 10,000.00 for the Proposed Three Storey Engineering Building, Phase IV, Grids I-M, 1-8 PhP 10,000.00 for the Proposed Three Storey Engineering Building, Phase V, Grids I-M/M-O, 1-8

For further information, please refer to:

The Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology 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, whether thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

(SGD) CRISTINA C. LOPEZ, DBA National Tobacco Administration Cors. Scout Reyes Street and Panay Avenue, Quezon City Tel No. 372 3188; cclnta@yahoo.com Fax No. 373 2095 Website Address: nta.da.gov.ph

To the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology Cashier’s Office.

Approved by: (SGD) DR. FELICIANA P. JACOBA BAC Chairman Email: neustmain@yahoo.com NEUST Gen. Tinio Street, Cabanatuan City 3100 Tele Fax no.: 044-600-3594 | 044-463-0226 | 044-600-1533 (TS-SEPT. 7, 2015)

(TS SEPT. 7, 2015)

M O N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

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cESAR BARRiOquiNTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

Festival. Indian Hindu devotees take a vow before forming a human pyramid in a bid to reach and break a dahi-handi or curd-pot suspended in the air during celebrations for the Janmashtami festival, which marks the birth of Hindu God Lord Krishna, in Mumbai on Sept. 6, 2015. Participants receive prize money by constructing a human pyramid tall enough to enable the top person to reach the pot and claim the contents after breaking it. AFP

Warm welcome for refugees German industries call to offer jobs to migrants

MUNICH—Germany on Sunday readied for hundreds more refugees to arrive from Hungary via Austria, a day after thousands were greeted, often by volunteers holding signs that read “Welcome to Germany”.

BERLIN—As thousands of refugees arrive every day in Germany, calls are growing louder from business leaders in Europe’s biggest economy to offer them jobs.

“If we can integrate them quickly into the jobs market, we’ll be helping the refugees, but also helping ourselves as well,” the head of the powerful BDI industry federation, Ulrich Grillo, said this week.

For the countless Syrians, Afghans and Eritreans fleeing war and oppression in their home countries and seeking refuge in Europe, Germany is their chief destination, as it is for Kosovars and Albanians.

Europe’s top economy expects to receive 800,000 asylum seekers this year—a record figure.

Beyond the humanitarian imperative to offer protection, businesses are increasingly seeing an

The most populous EU nation— which this year expects to take in a record 800,000 people fleeing war and poverty—has seen an unprecedented volunteer effort to help the newcomers.

On Saturday alone about 8,000 migrants crossed German borders, federal police told AFP. In Munich, refugee families holding their children and few belongings smiled as they were greeted with cheers, food and water bottles by crowds.

At the Munich railway station about 6,800 arrived Saturday alone, said Bavarian state officials.

As refugees got off trains, police directed them to waiting buses to take them to temporary shelters, which have been set up in public buildings, hotels and army bar-

economic case to keep the asylum seekers, particularly since Germany’s rapidly aging population and low birth rate are slowly depleting its pool of skilled labor.

At 6.4 percent, unemployment in Germany is currently at its lowest level since unification, but the employers’ federation BDA estimates the country is still short of 140,000 engineers, programmers and technicians.

The health care and leisure sectors are also wringing their hands for qualified workers. In all, some 40,000 training places across all sectors are expected to remain unfilled this year.

The Prognos think-tank forecasts the shortage of qualified workers will rise to 1.8 million in 2020, and as many as 3.9 million by 2040, if nothing is done. AFP

racks across the country.

Dozens of people, standing behind barriers, whistled, clapped and filmed the newcomers with their mobile phones.

“The people here treat us so well, they treat us like real human beings, not like in Syria,” said Mohammad, a 32-year-old from the devastated town of Qusayr, whose eyes welled up with tears as he spoke.

While Germany has seen a spate of ugly xenophobic rallies and attacks against foreigners, it has also seen an outpouring of support, donations and volunteer efforts by people who believe Germany, given its dark history and current wealth, has a special obligation to help refugees.

At Frankfurt railway station overnight, food, water and clothes

were piled high for the newcomers, while hundreds of people thronged the platforms.

When the doors of the trains opened, people cheered and whistled and a chant went up in English: “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here.”

One man, an Egyptian, who gave his name as Mustafa and said he had been living in Frankfurt for 20 years, was carrying an Arabiclanguage cardboard sign which he said spelled “warm welcome”.

Lara Sabbagh, a volunteer for an organization called Kleeblatt based near Frankfurt, acted as a translator for some of the Syrian refugees.

She told bystanders to stop taking photographs, saying: “They’re afraid.

They say they’ve just fled from their country and their ruler and don’t want to be photographed”.

She added that many of the migrants “didn’t understand all the commotion here.

“They asked me, ‘What are all these people doing here? What do they want?’ AFP

Bangladesh gets lesbian comic strip DHAKA—Bangladesh’s first comic strip featuring a young lesbian discovering her sexuality has been launched in the capital to raise awareness of the plight of gays in the conservative Muslim-majority nation.

Boys of Bangladesh, the country’s largest gay rights group, organized the launch on Saturday night of “Dhee”, the Bengali word for intellect or wisdom.

“By creating Dhee, we want to shape perception of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people, because we should be free to choose whom to love,” Mehnaz Khan, one of the four content de-

velopers of the comic, told AFP. “It’s about carrying the message to all.”

Gays and lesbians suffer discrimination and worse in Bangladesh where homosexuality is a crime punishable by a maximum life term, although prosecutions are rare.

The comic, to be handed out at gay rights seminars and other events, tells the story of Dhee, a girl who is attracted to other girls and falls in love.

Facing intense pressure to conform, Dhee mulls her enormous challenges and asks readers whether she should consider suicide, marry a man to please her family, flee the

country, or stay and follow her heart.

Several hundred people attended the launch at the British Council in Dhaka, although entry was carefully scrutinized in case of protests by conservative hardliners.

“We hope to take such events outdoors next time as we don’t want to live our lives indoors and in secret,” prominent social activist Khushi Kabir said.

Many gays and lesbians are forced to hide their sexual identity and live double lives for fear of reprisals in the deeply conservative country where 90 percent of the population is Muslim. AFP

Kissing couple. US actress Amber Heard kisses her husband, US actor Johnny Depp, as they arrive for the screening of the movie “The Danish Girl” presented in competition at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 5, 2015 at Venice Lido. AFP

M O N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 7 : 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 WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

E AT, DRINK , T R AV EL

LIFE

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GRILL BABY GRILL

BY IZZY WARREN GONZALEZ

I

t is a very personal relationship we all enjoy with the establishment. It all started in Legaspi Sunday food, especially in the case of Frangos. It began Market; Dondon was out of town and Pia was there, where all good food originates: at home. Pia and facing five panels of judges who were incredibly, and Jonathan Renato’s initial concept, before the admirably specific about their culinary knowledge. chicken had crossed the road, was meat, and lots of One question that stood out in particular was, “Why do you have mango salsa? It says this is Portuguese it. Pulled pork, brisket, and ribs, specifically.

During recipe testing, they whipped up a chicken chicken, mango salsa is Mexican.” Pia’s response, recipe that was not necessarily the star of the show, “because it tastes good with the chicken” quickly just as an option of lighter fare for the close friends satisfied the judges and before you knew it, Frangos was grilling every Sunday and family they had at Legaspi market. gathered to help them out with their concept.

What further sets Strangely enough, it was Frangos apart is that they the chicken that garnered have a patented method for that great, succulent, the most attention: people started to order it, to Don’s rotisserie grilled chicken. surprise. “I’m not selling The long-cooking method it, I’m selling ribs! But of roasting can no longer you want it? Okay, sure.” accidentally dry out the meat, as the grill cages Like Candy Crush, which butterfly the chicken so wasn’t developed as the that it cooks evenly and primary product but is Frangos, friends, and family: this is a typical Wednesday night with not much going on. The wooden stools are a little quickly, between 20-25 the most downloaded and uncomfortable albeit deliberately so; that spurs you to lean forward on the table and talk.

They even carry grande bottles highest income-generating minutes versus the usual app in the world, it still of San Miguel Pale Pilsen to encourage people to gather cooking time of 55 minutes together and talk. With any luck, the conversations you have makes me chuckle at are as satisfying as the food on your plate. to over an hour. This rapid how we are sometimes so cooking time is responsible focused on one thing we dismiss that which will put for the amazing juicy meat that ends up on your plate our names on the map. Good thing Don and Pia have each and every single time. As Chef Jerome said, “the the maturity it takes to shelve your initial concept in real measure of how well the chicken is done is if the favor of what the market truly wants; startups ought to breast meat is done perfectly.” While usually associated take notes from this enterprising and charming couple. with diet food, grilled chicken breasts no longer taste Frangos chicken is flavored with 14 different spices, like cardboard – if you get them at Frangos, that is.

In addition, their staff is so well trained that they and is an amalgamation of Portuguese and African taste sensibilities. It isn’t a Portuguese restaurant, but have no problem fielding questions about the menu, a place that features Portuguese-style chicken. This and, most impressive of all, if they do not know the is evident from the menu, engineered by Chef Jerome answer to your question, they will tell you so and Valencia of Tambai in collaboration with Dondon then go and find out for you. Now, that’s real service. and Pia, which carries items that complement and Frangos Portuguese-Style Chicken is located at the enhance the chicken to the best possible results. Add ground floor of Buma Building, Kamagong Street, to that the three sauces that are designed to give you a Barangay San Antonio, Makati, Metro Manila. mouthgasm with every bite, and it is no wonder that You can also order through FoodPanda for delivery. people head over to Frangos to get their chicken fix. However, if you want to eat Frangos the way it was What was most admirable about the Frangos meant to be eaten, it is highly recommendable to go to philosophy was that they weren’t trying to build their the restaurant and try it fresh and hot from the grill brand so that their product is popularized; they do it yourself. For more information, follow their Facebook old school, perfecting the product so you patronize account via Frangos - Portuguese Style Chicken.

Portuguese Chicken

Portuguese Seafood Rice

Setting the Bar High: while the bottom line is important to Frangos, it takes a backseat to how you enjoy the Frangos experience; real wooden counters, pristine stainless steel sheeting, top-ofthe-line grills, and the freshest ingredients are just some of the things they will not compromise.

The Funky Chicken: a doff-of-the-cap to Dondon and Pia’s origins in the bar and music scene, this clever fresco is painted by artist, musician, and longtime friend Vernon “Spoonman” Perez.

Photos of food courtesy of Frangos - Portuguese Style Chicken's Facebook page.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Jollibee Palabok Fiesta, Starbucks Honeycomb Crunch Frappuccino, Wendy's Baconator, ChowKing Nai Cha, McDonald's McRib, and KFC Original Recipe Chicken

FANTASY FAST-FOOD MASHUPS INSPIRED BY THE MCWHOPPER THE GIST

BY ED BIADO

B

urger King had this incre dible ide a of promoting peace by “proposing a burger war ceasefire to join forces with McDonald's on Peace Day (Sept.

21) and create the McWhopper.”

It really is a genius plan to raise awareness for both brands and “feed the discussion” on peace.

But McDonald's isn't having it – apparently, they aren't ready to “end the beef, with beef.”

So that “unthinkable burger” isn't happening and it's quite disappointing. But the proposal itself is quite inspiring. And that's why The Gist got a bit imaginative and came up with these fantasy fast-food mashups that sound so delicious – at least, in theory.

BACONATOR MCRIB (Wendy's x McDonald's)

Wendy's Baconator has two quarter-pound beef patties, six bacon strips, cheese, ketchup and mayo, while McDonald's McRib is composed of a pork

patty, barbecue sauce, onions and pickles. Now picture all of that in a single bun trying its very hardest to keep it together! #heartattack

ORIGINAL RECIPE INASAL (KFC x Mang Inasal)

These are two chicken recipes that we love. KFC's Original Recipe, with its signature 11 herbs and spices and deepfried to perfection, is an international favorite; our local grilled chicken inasal is a truly Asian savory dish. These two are opposites and we're curious how it will play out if we use KFC's ingredients and prepare the chicken the inasal way.

New Super Premium Corned Beef Sets The Bar Higher

The hypothetical McWhopper

BUNCH OF LUNCH WITH PALABOK (Shakey's x Jollibee)

Shakey's Bunch of Lunch is one of the pizza place's most popular offerings because it's a sampler of its best sellers – chicken, spaghetti, garlic bread, a slice of Hawaiian and Mojos – and it's affordable. Now imagine if they get Jollibee's Palabok Fiesta to replace the spaghetti. Nom nom nom!

HONEYCOMB CRUNCH ULTIMATE MOCHA FRAPPUCCINO ICE BLENDED (Starbucks x The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf)

This would be a dream come true.

We like the new Honeycomb

Not all corned beef are created equal.

Foodsphere Inc., a notable food manufacturing firm, has "set the bar higher for the canned meat market by introducing corned beef made with US Angus beef, considered one of the most premium beef normally served at fine-dining restaurants,” says Jonathan Bendicion, AVP for Marketing of Foodsphere.

The 40-year old meat processor recently introduced Highlands Corned Beef-Gold, its entry in the super-premium category that will satisfy even picky consumers. “It is the only brand in the market that is made with Angus Beef," avers Bendicion, stressing that the premium brand will give Filipino consumers ultimate satisfaction they are looking for because it is made with Angus beef.

Angus beef is a popular breed of livestock in North America and is famous for good quality and tender meat. It has visible long beef strands that are soft, meaty, juicy, and oozing with the rich taste of premium beef.

Angus beef became known for its good marbling, or the amount of fat distributed within a muscle, which gives the beef finer texture and makes it tastier and meatier.

Crunch Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks. But we're not too crazy about the “mocha” part of it. We do, however, love The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's The Ultimate because of its bits of chocolate-covered espresso beans. Imagine the burst of flavors if we combine the two.

Taste bud orgasm!

NAI CHA FROSTY (ChowKing x Wendy's)

Nai Cha is an iced milk tea drink.

Frosty is a frozen dessert. Put them together as a frozen milk tea dessert and you've got a taste of heaven!

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @EdBiado

According to Bendicion, Highlands Corned Beef-Gold is made with meat certified as Angus Beef by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the agency in charge of grading livestock in the US. Picky and discriminating eater no longer need to frequent high-end restaurants just to have a taste of Angus beef. By simply opening a can of Highlands Corned-Beef Gold, they can enjoy the satisfaction that comes from eating high grade beef with the juicy, succulent flavor from each strand of the premium corned beef.

Highlands Corned Beef-Gold can be served as main entrée with rice or bread during breakfast, lunch or dinner. Bendicion says the 320-gram Highlands Corned BeefGold is also an ideal gift for relatives and friends during special occasions. “It is a gift that you can be proud to give… and something that you want to receive,” he says.

Highlands Corned Beef-Gold is available in 320-gram easy-open can for only P150 at leading supermarkets. "It is like offering Angus beef steak to meat lovers in a 320gram easy-open can priced at P150 per piece," states Bendicion.

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LIFE @LIFEatStandard

Photo courtesy of shutterstock.com

life @ thestandard.com .ph

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION Now that I’m writing a column about alcohol, I f requently find myself being forced TIPPLE TALES to drink.

“Forced”

BY ICY MARIÑAS might be a strong way to put it. It’s just sometimes I would like to have a week off to rest my liver.

(Shut up, friends! It’s so true!) I’ve come to the realization that I will be writing and drinking for a long time; probably more of the latter, though. With that in mind, I’ve become wary of hangovers. I don’t have a lot of them but when I do, I’m not the happiest person – I know you know what I mean.

I’m sure anyone who enjoys the sauce has experienced the dreaded and terrible – yet dismissed as something that won’t happen to you – side-effect of drinking: the hangover.

From seasoned juiceheads to social drinkers, we’ve all (at one point or another) woken up from a night of debauchery to one of the worst feelings you can put yourself through (since it’s no one else’s fault that you drank that much!). But this is not the time to lay blame because the hangover is punishment enough. Some smartasses say that the best way to avoid a hangover is to not drink. While that is obviously true, hangovers are part of the risks you take if you like to drink.

So, this is for all of us! Here are some tips on how to drink spirits without them coming back to haunt you the next day.

bender your cheat night. And just so this isn’t all about the booze (I’m also here to educate), this practice is commonly referred to as “soakage.” Many Mediterranean cultures also swear by having a spoon of olive oil (a little gross, I know; but whatever works, right?) before heading out to drink.

It has the same effect as eating fatty food.

Maybe if you’re on a diet, this is what you could do.

BEFORE DRINKING: THE PREPARATION

Drink vitamins – Vitamin B complex, to be precise. Your body uses up a lot of nutrients when metabolizing alcohol and destroys essential B vitamins. So pop a B complex.

Eat something “unhealthy” – This is the time to indulge. Greasy food and carbs (pizza, fries, pasta, etc.) lessen the effects of a hangover because it slows down the absorption of alcohol and (to be technical) helps reduce acetaldehyde formation in the stomach (thought to be the main cause of hangovers). Make the night you plan on a

Drink milk – It’s not backed by science, but some people say this really works. Well, milk is a good source of calcium so it can’t hurt to drink it. Unless you’re lactose intolerant or have a weak stomach (for mixing dairy with

Commit to a certain number of drinks – if you set an intention to only maybe drink five beers tonight (add or subtract depending on what kind of night you want to have), it will (hopefully) be less likely that you will go overboard and binge drink.

WHILE YOU DRINK: TRY TO REMEMBER

So you’ve done your prep for a night out and now you’re out with friends partying the night away. It would be beneficial for you to try to remember these things (“try” because let’s face it, it’s hard to remember a lot of things when you’re out drinking with your friends).

Stay away from drinking games – That is if you want to be a party pooper.

Stick to one kind of alcohol – Mixing drinks is one of the ways you can get really wasted really fast and almost guarantees that you wake up feeling like a building fell on your head.

Clear spirits like vodka and gin have fewer congeners (chemical by-products of spirits that contribute to hangovers) than darker colored ones, like rum or bourbon. If you can’t stick to one drink, go by the old saying, “Liquor before beer, never fear. Beer before liquor, never sicker.” It may just be a myth, but Filipinos like to drink beer after hard liquor as “panghugas” (something to wash down with). So maybe we’re on to something here.

Keep eating – “Pulutan” (bar chow like salpicao, chicken skin chicharon, chicken wings, fried brie bites are some of my guilty pleasures.) keeps you full and slows down the absorption of alcohol in your body. It does raise the chances of you throwing up and it does remind you what you had the night before; (but) it’s a risk worth taking.

Stay classy – Premium liquor uses quality materials and distilled properly, which means less congeners. So it might be best to pass on the cheap stuff and shell out for top-shelf booze. You either pay for it today, or pay for it tomorrow morning. Your choice.

Oily food slows down the absorption of alcohol

alcohol). In which case, maybe skip this tip.

You don’t want to spend the night making frequent trips to the bathroom in the club.

Eat a hardboiled egg – An Indian friend of mine told me about this. Apparently, the protein in the yolk primes the stomach and you’re good for a few drinks without fearing for your head the next day.

Always hydrate with water while drinking alcohol

Alternate alcohol with water – We’ve all heard this one. Drink a glass of water between alcoholic beverages. Not only does this rehydrate you (so you don’t feel like a raisin when you wake up), it will keep you fuller and space your drinking. Consuming one drink per hour also allows your body time to process the alcohol so the effects won’t be so harsh the next day.

Pace your drinking – I know, I know! Even I have problems with this one. The best pace is to have one drink an hour.

If after all this reading you forget these tips, I have one last line of prevention before you tip over to hangover land. Drink a pill before you sleep!!! Paracetamol is preferred, as aspirin may irritate the stomach and cause nausea.

Of course, before you go binge drinking, it is best to know your body's capacity to absorb spirits. Moderation, as always, is the key.

So there you go, dear imbibers. Just some tips to help all of us avoid the aftermath of a night of drinking. After all, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure!

Next week, get ready for hangover cures!

Follow me on Instagram @sanvicentegirl

M O N D AY : S E P T E M B E R 7 : 2 0 1 5

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Where Ang Panday (FPJ) killed the villain

The start of an hour-long thrill, with the sand dunes behind me

Sand, sea and sky... perfect antidote to stress for city dwellers like me

One of the installation art pieces of sculptor Leeroy New

Where Nora Aunor knelt down in her multi-awarded Himala

The last of the deep drops (20-feet-almost-vertical) which I photographed seconds before we all started to scream to high heavens

SANDS OF A THOUSAND THRILLS The l ast time I rode a roller coaster MERCURY RISING was decades ago in the

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO US, when I tried out the multi-loop version which had just become popular at that time. It was not exactly a pleasant experience. I lost all the contents of my breast pockets and lost my voice from prolonged stretching of my vocal chords beyond its limits, not to mention taking remedial measures with undergarments. Since that time, I never got on any roller coaster again.

On a recent trip to Ilocos Norte, my hosts, in their desire to make my first visit to that province a memorable one, decided to bring me to the Suba Sand Dunes of Paoay. I have heard so much about the place and have seen it in magazines and on TV. I am fascinated by the fact that what I thought was found only in Saudi Arabia or Morocco is also found in our country.

Sand dunes are built by either wind or water flow and come in different shapes and sizes. The most widely distributed dunes are those associated with coastal regions, same as the ones of Paoay. The dunes protect the land against potential ravages by storm waves from the sea. However, the largest complexes of dunes are found inland in dry regions and associated with ancient lakes, like those in Arabian deserts.

I was excited to finally see for myself this popular adventure destination and was convinced that it was going to be a leisurely ride over what looked like a harmless

and picturesque expanse of golden sand.

However, when we arrived at the Registration Area, my hosts casually mentioned that it was going to be “like a wild roller coaster ride,” triggering frantic alarm bells in my system, connected to memories of an unpleasant experience decades ago.

It was too late to back out. I was already onsite, and the 4x4 vehicle we were to ride on had already pulled up in front of us. Besides, I didn’t want to disappoint my gracious hosts who looked very eager to manifest their warm hospitality through this thrill ride. So I told myself, “what the heck!” and climbed up the sturdy vehicle which had a big iron bar traversing its width; our driver told us to hold on to it… tightly!

While the driver gave my hosts and me instructions on how to position ourselves when we go over the steep climbs and the deep drops, I made myself busy, mentally calling on the Almighty, all the saints I know, my guardian angel, and even “borrowed” guardian angels of my close friends and relatives, to see to my safety. I also made sure my breast pockets were empty, and reminded myself to keep silent because it would be embarrassing, at my age, to have to stretch my vocal chords on prolonged baritone hysterics!

So, off we rolled, with our driver’s assurance that it was going to be a thrilling and an interesting “roller coaster cum sightseeing ride” because in between navigating the dunes, there would be points of interest in the slacks (the troughs between the dunes).

Just as the 4x4 started to move, the driver immediately told us to hold on as the first

steep climb in front of us would be followed immediately by a deep drop. Of course, when we drove over it, all my heavenly pleadings and my vow of silence went sadly askew!

This seemingly hazardous but definitely petrifying combination of climbs and drops went on every three minutes or so, as we went over steep crests, sharp curves and deep drops over most of the 88-hectare “playground.” Thank goodness, there were a few breaks in between – when we passed by the exact spot where multi-awarded actress Nora Aunor declared, “Walang himala!” and at the spot where the late Fernando Poe Jr. “killed” the villain in his epic “Ang Panday.”

We also had time to regain our composure and literally cool our heels in the refreshing waters of scenic Paoay Bay which offered a postcard-pretty sand-sea-and-sky photo-op, and marveled at the unique installation art pieces of sculptor Leeroy New which were on display on the slacks.

What I found remarkable was the traction of those 4x4 vehicles. Many times, it went over sharp curves that kept us, passengers, almost parallel to the ground, yet it never flipped over, even with the various almostvertical drops it made! I’m now a fervent fan

of whoever designed these vehicles!

While still in the dunes, we stopped for a while as my hosts tried out sandboarding, which calls for the same discipline as skateboarding, and a “skateboard without wheels” is what one uses to slide down sand folds. It looked easy and safe because, if you fall, the soft sand serves as your cushion. I didn’t try it anymore because I didn’t want to have sand all over me as I knew I was going to fall most of the time.

Before the hour-long ride ended, our courteous driver-cum-sandboardinginstructor-cum- professional-photographer told us to brace ourselves for “the last thrill” – we went over an almost vertical 20-foot drop which would be our only route back to the Registration Area. This was when the cacophony of sopranos, falsettos and baritones ensued, this time in Dolby Sound, which must have been loud enough to wake up the long departed former President lying in state at the Marcos Museum in Batac 10 kilometers away.

Looking back to that extremely thrilling hour in the sand dunes, I feel like a little boy when I describe the experience in two words… “Again! Again!”

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE: An old guy is driving home from work when his wife rings him on his car phone. "Honey," she says in a worried voice, "be careful. There is news just now that some lunatic is driving the wrong way down the freeway."

"It's worse than that,” he replies, "there are hundreds of them!"

Touring on air with PhilJets

Aviation company provides a complete range of services The Philippines is a country that has been blessed with many tourist attractions that are at par with the best in the world, among them the Banaue Rice Terraces, Taal Volcano and many others.

There is, however, a more exciting way to view these natural wonders – through a helicopter ride that allows tourists to fully appreciate the majesty, magnificence and beauty of a scenic spot – an exhilarating experience that aviation company PhilJets offers.

According to PhilJets Group business development manager Michiko Soriano, the

company’s existing fleet of one AS350B2 and two H130 helicopters will be complemented by a new Robinson R44 with the new aircraft to provide “excellent reliability, responsive handling and flexibility – making it an ideal light helicopter for private, business and tourism applications.”

The company also recently successfully obtained its aircraft maintenance organization license which allows it to service aircraft directly in-house and provides a complete range of services that an aviation firm

can offer. The license, which is issued and certified by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, gives the company authority to read – engage in and perform maintenance work and modification on commercially or privately operated aircraft.

According to managing director Thierry Tea, “this new license represents another step forward for PhilJets in its goal to develop a nose-to-tail approach to aviation services in the Philippines and for all its customers.”

PhilJets Group includes PhilJets Aero Services Inc. and PhilJets Aero Charter Corp., leaders in the Philippine aviation industry providing global services in the Philippines and within the Asia Pacific region. Its range of activities include general aviation services, aircraft management, aircraft sales, spare parts sales, maintenance services, technical support, manpower and outsourcing, representation, charter flights, helicopter tours and Aerial Work. Follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ philjetsaero.

M ONDAY : S EPT EMBER 7 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Edu Manzano and Lorna ToLEnTIno on agIng hEaLThy and gracEfuLLy

I

t is without a doubt that one of the most good-looking and nicest actors in the entertainment industry is Edu Manzano. Also, it is still hard to believe that he is among our senior citizens.

Still physically fit and very active, Edu says he still has a lot of things he wants to do, one of which is to go on trips with his children.

“Its hard enough that there are things that you can’t relate to because of the generation gap, its even harder that you can’t join them in the activities they want to do,” Edu told The Standard in a recent interview.

“Ang dami ko pa gustong ma-achieve, like I want to join a triathlon, or mag bungee-jumping like what my son Luis did. I always believed that if you are going to go out it’s best to go out in style.

Ayoko nung bigla ka na lang magkaka heart attack tapos biglang tulog na. I want to go out in style and I’m still looking forward to more exciting times in my life,” the actor and businessman shared.

Edu, who admits to being health conscious since “he was a baby” said he was an athlete most of his life. “My dad was an athlete, I played for La Salle in the NCAA, I was doing martial arts since I was 9. But at a certain age you just have to accept that there will be things that are much harder to do, so you have to be more conscious with the food you eat, or do a bit more exercise and more importantly take some vitamins and supplements.”

Instead of playing his favorite sport of basketball, Edu says he now stays fit by playing squash or badminton three times a week. “In a couple of days I’ll be starting Yoga, and that’s for my inner peace naman,” he said smiling.

Edu believes staying healthy is the best way to save up on those medical bills.

“You know, in this day and age when medical bills are so high it is always important to look at prevention. So at an early age you try to address those little concerns. Now, at my age it’s even more important to listen to your body. Dati when I go biking bale wala pero ngayon kapag may nararamdaman na ko sa likod I take some painkillers na.”

When it comes to his vitamins and supplements, Edu says he has found the best source to get those big savings— Watsons Generics.

“I make sure that I have a stock of Watsons Multivitamins + Iron regularly to boost my immune system. In the mornings I have the Calamansi Flavored Psyllium Fiber thats tangy and good for digestion,” the actor added. “For my body pains, I take Watsons Generics Paracetamol especially kapag pagod at puyat from tapings.”

Edu also suggests the Cranberry capsules which is suitable for urinary tract infection and Luyang Dilaw for overall wellness.

The other half of the Watsons Generics

team is grand slam award winning actress Lorna Tolentino, who is equally as health-conscious as Edu. “I go to the gym regularly and also do pilates, but once I’ve fully recovered from my back injury, gusto ko magswimming lessons, like Edu said, you have to take care of yourself better as you age not just how you look but also physically.

“To boost my immune system, I take Ascorbic Acid, especially now na tag-ulan dahil mas madali tayo magkasakit and siyempre kapag puyatan sa taping or shooting,” Lorna said, adding she also just recently discovered Watsons Luyang Dilaw and said she will be trying it out as well.

To maintain her youthful glowing skin, Lorna credits Watsons Glutathione, Vitamin E and Hyaluron Collagen Powder.

“Kailangan healthy and beautiful ka rin from the inside,” the actress shared.

To spread awareness of their new Savings vs. Quality campaign for the brand, Edu and Lorna recently surprised shoppers at the Watsons Mall of Asia as they as they appeared in Watsons uniforms to be store supervisors for a day.

They even played a mini-game where shoppers were asked several questions and given the choice between Savings or Quality.

Talking in front of the excited shoppers, the two asked “When it comes to choosing medicines, are you for Savings or Quality?”

Edu explained about the value of Savings while Lorna countered with her argument about choosing Quality.

And to see who made the better argument the two celebrities held up their respective signs and gathered support from shoppers.

With the SAVINGS sign held up, those who believed that it was the more important factor rallied behind Edu, while Lorna with the QUALITY card also quickly won over the support of several shoppers and joined her.

After both actors finished “recruiting” their supporters, they revealed that in real life, they no longer have to make the difficult choice between QUALITY and SAVINGS because they can get both simply by buying Watsons Generics.

“With Watsons Generics, you can save up to 80 percent as compared to other brands, so you can complete your doctor’s prescription and buy the other things on your shopping list,” Edu said.

“And with over 170 years of pharmacy experience on its wide range of quality medicines you can be assured of the quality,” Lorna adds.

The Watsons Generics line includes maintenance medicines for diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol, antibiotics to fight off the common bacteria, dietary supplements for skin enhancement, anti-ageing and over-all wellness, basic vitamins, oral analgesics, and other over the counter medicines.

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Sai Pascual, Karen Fabres, Krisel Macatangay, Helen Capunong from Watsons with Lorna and Edu

Edu and Lorna help shoppers

Lorna Tolentino and Edu Manzano

Edu Manzano and Lorna Tolentino

Karen Fabres, Watsons Group Marketing Manager

Edu and Lorna with Watsons shoppers

Lorna and Edu At the Watsons Pharmacy counter, assisting the customers

M ONDAY : S EPT EMBER 7 : 2015

C6

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

PiOLO PaSCUaL WantS tO bE in mORE mEaningfUL fiLmS

Models show nail art at California Nails and Day Spa

JOSEPh PEtER gOnZaLES At this point in time, Piolo Pascula is keener in making more substantial films and doesn’t think much of the box-office performance of his films.

The Kapamilya actor believes that he has been in this business for so long that he had already paid his dues, so to speak.

“Over the years, there were hits and misses. I’ve made commercial hits and bombs as well. It’s like I already went full circle, right?

As of now, I just want to make meaningful movies regardless of their box-office potential,” says 38-year-old actor.

This is the reason why Piolo makes time for indie projects like Silong and Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis under the helm of critically-acclaimed directors Jeffrey Jeturian and Lav Diaz, respectively.

“I have no great expectations for these projects, box-officewise. They’re not even intended to sweep trophies come next awards season. But I loved doing them. I guess that’s the important thing.”

For PJ, as long as he knows he did his best, it’s more than enough.

“Yes! If you know that you did your share, like in the promo, there’s nothing to worry about anymore. As I’ve said earlier, I don’t want to be affected by box-office pressure anymore.

Whatever the outcome is, at least, you know for yourself that you did your share…that you were a good team player,” he explains.

He further relates that at the end of the day, movie workers also want their movie to earn. After all, it’s still business.

“But to carry the sole respon-

Piolo Pascual wants more meaningful films

sibility of turning the film into a mammoth hit is always scary. So these days, I just want to be spared from that concern. Being a good team player would be my greatest contribution to the project’s overall success if ever,” Piolo asserts.

Speaking of projects, the award-winning Kapamilya star is aware of the public clamor for his reunion movie with Judy Ann Santos considering that their last was in the 2006 movie Don’t Give Up On Us. “It’s been awhile already. But on my part, there’s no problem. I guess it’s our schedules. One thing more, the project must be different, something that would really interest the viewers. We can’t make the typical romantic comedies we used to do then. It has to be concept-driven,” ends Piolo.

HHHHH According to Ruffa Gutierrez, there is no big deal if one of these days, she’d do a project with former boyfriend Zoren Legaspi.

“That’s right! I think that’s a pretty cool idea. Honestly, I don’t see any problem with that if ever.

Zoren and I have already worked a lot of times in the past and it’s always a pleasure collaborating with him on screen. The two of us have good working relationship.

One more thing, his wife Carmina (Villarroel) and I are good friends so, everything’s okay,” she avers.

Apart from Zoren, the former beauty queen is also open to doing future films or TV shows with

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 46 47 48 49 53 57 58 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 — Ness 5 IRS thwarters 9 Get-up-and-go 12 Lectern 13 Sank, as a putt 15 Flow slowly 16 Pushes off 17 Usher’s beat 18 Positive 19 Postal workers 21 Chaos theory term 23 Brink

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Itinerary word Puck stopper Pale yellow Car-wash step Wishes undone Out, cat!

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Do a slow burn “La — en Rose” Concerning (2 wds.)

Biker’s maneuver Highway menace (2 wds.)

Gen. — Bradley More friendly Act servile Put on Foundation payout Humerus neighbor W-2 info Nights, in want ads “— Horizon”

DOWN 1 Dawdles 2 Melville title 3 Trucker, often 4 Low-budget inns 5 Rush forward 6 Social asset 7 Pacino and Hirt 8 Type of interest 9 Sulk 10 Pound or Cornell 11 Flake off 14 Sufi dancer 15 Prized statuettes 20 McClurg of TV

Will Zoren Legaspi accept an offer with ex Ruffa Gutierrez?

Ruffa Gutierrez says it's all right with her to work with ex-boyfriend Zoren Legaspi

some of her former leading men including Richard Gomez, Aga Muhlach and Vice Ganda.

Asked if she is okay working with John Lloyd Cruz with whom she was romantically linked years ago, Ruffa quickly answers, “Yes! It will also be interesting to do a project opposite Lloydie again.

He’s a good actor.”

Will she be ready to face controversies again concerning the two of them once this pushes through?

Well, she says intrigues will always be there and they’re inevitable. And she believes that they have been in business for so long enough for them to get used to rumors and intrigues.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2015

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Rifle range command Woe Edmonton puckster It may turn on you Hums along Solar plexus Sonnet stanza Vaughan or Miles Recital piece Rogers and Orbison On the lam Extreme, as weather Vaccines Indispensable Aught or naught Pony noises Sherlock’s lady friend Leaves wide-eyed RN employers Pull down Gael republic Moon ring Pays for Midge Cleveland cager

Celebs’ nail plaCe of ChoiCe Well-manicured and well-groomed nails are suggestive of one’s personality, style and lifestyle. Though seemingly trivial for some, they’re crucial in making a good impression, especially in a seriously image-centric industry like showbiz.

Celebrities are particular about keeping their digits clean and gorgeous since those can make or break their overall looks. And because of that, these celebrities will not settle for just a run-of-the-mill nail salon.

For 13 years now, California Nails & Day Spa has been the preferred nail salon of celebrities and non-celebrities alike. Its longevity in the business alone is proof the brand is doing something right as one of the pioneers in the nail innovation and that they are actually great at what they do. But wait till you visit California Nails & Day Spa, and you’ll see and understand why the stars—like Lani Mercado, who in 2006 used to get her nails done in Magallanes branch, Jacky Manzano in 2007 together with husband Anjo, model turned actress Andrea Torres, who in 2007 visited the Makati branch, Heart Evangelista in 2014 used to go to Greenhills branch, while Lovi and Gelli de Belen remain loyal customers—have been trusting the brand to take care of their digits for many years now.

Manicure and pedicure are a stress reliever and a breather of sorts from the hectic schedule of a lot people, so California Nails & Day Spa

Heart Evangelista having her pedicure at the nail spa

makes sure the salon is clean, well maintained and conducive for rest and relaxation. But more than the beautiful salon interiors, of course, it’s the quality of their services that’s noteworthy. They understand how stressful their clients must be, so they make sure their employees offer a pleasing California Nails WOW experience the guests would surely love to come back to.

The next time you’re free, make it a point to set aside time to visit California Nails & Day Spa for an A-list-worthy treatment that will definitely make your digits look as perfectly stunning as those of a celebrity!

Visit branches at BF Pergola, SM Southmall, SM Mall Of Asia, Festival Supermall, Starmall Prima Taguig, Greenhills Shoppesville and Market!

Market! You may also call 820-1569 / 825-3419 or check out their website at www.californianailsandayspa.com.

Like us on facebook at www.facebook.com/CalifOfficial and follow us on www.twitter.com/Calif_Nails

M ONDAY : S EPT EMBER 7 : 2015

C7

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

‘FPj’s ang ProBinsyano’ soon on aBs-CBn

C

From C8

oco Martin said it is a huge honor for him to be given the opportunity to pay tribute to ‘Da King’ Fernando Poe Jr. through ABS-CBN’s TV adaptation of one of the movie icon’s masterpieces, Ang Probinsyano.

“Even as a kid, only FPJ comes to my mind when I hear people talk about action movies. He is my superhero. I do not only see him as an artist, but also as a real hero,” said Coco.

“I know I can never surpass or even be as good as FPJ. For me, just having the chance to do one of his movies or masterpieces is already a huge honor. I promise to do my best as a big tribute to him,” he added.

In Ang Probinsyano, Coco will breathe life to one of the characters once portrayed by FPJ, Ador and Cardo, twin brothers who were separated by fate, but were united by their dream to serve the country as policemen.

From the partnership of Dreamscape Entertainment Television and FPJ Productions, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano will feature the heroism of the country’s policemen.

Completing the powerhouse cast are some of the most talented actors in the industry, including Albert Martinez, Agot Isidro, Maja Salvador, Arjo Atayde, Bela Padilla, Jaime Fabregas, and Susan Roces.

HHHHH Mar and Korina Miss eaCh other Korina Sanchez-Roxas shared how her and husband Mar Roxas’ very hectic schedules are affecting their personal life.

“We barely see each other. Honestly, we are really missing each other’s company,” says Korina.

The couple is busy visiting different parts of the country for their respective advocacies. Korina is touring the country for the “Handog Tsinelas” campaign of Rated K and for her “Five Secrets To Success,” which is a favorite topic in schools and universities.

“It feels so good to see children smile every time we give them free pairs of rubber slippers. I forget all my stress every time they kiss and thank me,” says Korina. “My school talks are also very exciting and fun because it’s so refreshing to be with

students. They are all filled with hope and they are all very positive.”

Mar on the other hand has been busy delivering his committed assistance under the DILG for fire trucks, patrol jeeps, patrol boats, water facilities, and CCTV cameras to different parts of the country. This also gives him a chance to listen to the public’s sentiment on various issues. Mar’s visit to Talisay Market in Bacolod was particularly memorable. The entire market was elated to see Mar and the vendors were overjoyed to see that their beloved Mr. Palnegke is back in action.

The chance meeting of Mar and Korina in Iloilo was a happy surprise when both happened to be taking a break in the same coffee shop.

“I am told by the wives of mayors and congressmen that it is perfectly normal for couples in politics to be so, so busy. Oh well, it was a sweet serendipitous moment,” says Korina.

This could very well be the price that Mar and Korina have to pay for their commitment to hard work: they hardly see each other these past days and this is the reason why they treasure every moment that they spend together.

HHHHH BenjaMin alves’ new BaBy If you’re wondering where Benjajamin Alves spends his time after taping for Beautiful Strangers, go and have coffee or dine at Book and Borders Café on T, Morato Ave. in Quezon City. Most likely you’ll spot him there in one corner or manning the cashier or waiting at tables.

The coffee shop is his latest business venture. As the proud owner of the coffee, he prides that it’s becoming the place for stargazing as movie/TV celebrities are making it their favorite hangout.

In Beautiful Strangers, it is noticeable how Alves is able to stand on his own when it comes to acting.

He admits to being inspired by both Heart Evangelista and Lovi Poe. When he is not at Book and Borders Café, you’ll find him in the gym working out to make his body fit and good enough for his co-stars and the audience of Beautiful Strangers.

Coco Martin plays Ang Probinsyano, the TV adpatation of the film that starred Fernando Poe Jr.

Benjamin Alves

Korina and children beneficiaries of Handog Tsinelas

Korina with youths from Iloilo

Mar Roxas at Talisay market

CIGNAL sets reCord wIth A mILLIoN subsCrIbers Cignal TV, the country’s King of Pay-TV and leader in quality programming is happy to announce that it has reached its target of one million subscribers this year. Established in 2009, it has overtaken all pay-TV providers including its strongest competitor who has been dominating the world of pay television for more than two decades.

Emmanuel C. Lorenzana, president and CEO of Cignal, is pleased with this recent development.

“We would like to thank our indefatigable network of Cignal

Cignal's Noel Lorenzan says the DTH service breached 1 million mark

agents throughout the country and our loyal subscribers for making Cignal’s satellite or direct-to-home (DTH) technology become the driving force in the

growth of the pay TV market in the country,” he said Aside from leading the industry in terms of having the largest subscriber base, Cignal is also the pay-TV provider of choice for the country’s top housing developers, hospitality and tourism businesses and institutions.

“We are everywhere in the archipelago; providing Filipino families access to the best TV technology and programming available, and at costs that ordinary households can afford,”. Lorenzana stressed.

Cignal Chief Operating Officer

Oscar A. Reyes, Jr. also added that majority of Cignal’s subscribers, in fact, have switched from their former pay-TV service providers attracted by the added value that Cignal gives to its subscribers.

In 2014, a study conducted by Nielsen Philippines in major cities all over the country showed that Cignal was the preferred pay TV provider (67 percent of respondents) among local and national cable pay TV providers, when it came to audio and video clarity” Furthermore, Cignal is the pioneer in offering superior 100

percent digital Pay-TV service in the local market. It houses variety of channels that suit the taste and lifestyle of viewers. Disney, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, and NBA are just some of the shows that subscribers can enjoy in SD and HD versions. There are more exciting channels coming up including Bloomberg Television Philippines, the first 24/7 business news channel in the country and Sari-Sari, a Cignal and Viva collaboration, etc., to meet the TV-viewing preferences and interests of Filipinos of all age groups.

M ONDAY : S EPT EMBER 7 : 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ 1

2

‘sTarsTruck’ is Back ISAH V. RED The well-loved, most-admired, and most-credible original artista search on television, is back and is all set to discover the next Ultimate Survivors beginning tonight on GMA 7.

GMA’s Primetime King Dingdong Dantes and Miss World 2013 and Starstruck Season 2 Avenger Megan Young are hosting this new edtion of Starstruck.

Dingdong says he is excited for the return of the show and admits that Starstruck has a very special place in his heart that’s why he decided to accept the offer to host it again. “More than 10 years na siya, ang dami nang mga buhay ang na-touch ng Starstruck, especially mine. At proud ako to be part of it so that whenever something like this is born again, siyempre I would like to be part of it.”

“Being able to have the chance to witness the journey of the contenders is a humbling experience for me.

Starstruck opened a lot of opportunities for me. And now that I’m one of the hosts, I’m excited to guide them to reach their dreams,” shares Megan who is equally excited about the show’s newest season.

Giving daily updates on the hopefuls’ series of artista challenges are Starstruck alumni: Season 1 Ultimate Male Survivor Mark Herras, Season 5 Second Prince Rocco Nacino, Starstruck Kids First Prince Miguel Tanfelix, and Season 4 Ultimate Female Survivor Kris Bernal who will also be the show’s social media correspondent.

The Council, who will serve as judges, is comprised of award-winning actress Jennylyn Mercado, TV Host-Comedian Joey de Leon, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid and Dantes.

From GMA Entertainment TV, dream, believe, survive again as Starstruck opens another exciting journey beginning tonight, Monday to Friday before 24 Oras.

HHHHH The LefTovers on hBo More than three years ago, two percent of the world’s population inexplicably vanished. 140 million people, gone in an instant. No country, no state, no city was spared – except for one small town in eastern Texas. Population: 9261. Departures: Zero.

This is the setting for a tale of two families: the Garveys, whose lives were forever changed by The Departure, and have since moved to this special place, and the Murphys, a local family who seem to have been spared from an event that shook the rest of the world.

The ten-episode second season of The Leftovers is currently in production

in Austin, Texas and surrounding areas.

Regina King, Kevin Carroll and Jovan Adepo join the returning cast of Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Carrie Coon, Ann Dowd, Margaret Qualley, Chris Zylka, and Janel Moloney.

After last season’s elaborate Memorial Day initiative by the Guilty Remnant plunged Mapleton into chaos, season two of The Leftovers finds many searching for a fresh start. Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) has retired from his post as chief of police of Mapleton and is moving his new family to Texas. With him is Nora Durst (Carrie Coon), who’s discovered new purpose in caring for the baby she found on Kevin’s doorstep and welcomes leaving behind Mapleton and the incredible tragedy she suffered there. Equally eager to leave the town she grew up in and the friends she made there is Kevin’s daughter, Jill (Margaret Qualley).

Upon their arrival in Jarden, Texas, the newly formed Garvey family meet their neighbours, the Murphys: John (Kevin Carroll) and Erika (Regina King) and their teenage twins, Evie (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Michael (Jovan Adepo). Attracted to this special town and hoping for miracles for his whole family, Matt Jamison (Christopher Eccleston) has moved with his wife, Mary (Janel Moloney), who still suffers from consequences of the terrible car accident during the Departure.

Meanwhile, Kevin’s ex-wife, Laurie Garvey (Amy Brenneman), has left the Guilty Remnant and reunited with her son, Tom (Chris Zylka), who may have finally discovered a cause to help replace the pain in his heart. And while Meg (Liv Tyler) remains in the Guilty Remnant, it may not be the same cult she originally joined.

The first season of The Leftovers was based on Tom Perrotta’s’s bestselling novel of the same name. In the second season, the show expands on the novel’s original concept of The Rapture, continuing to explore the ways ordinary people react to inexplicable events.

The Leftovers premieres Oct. 5, 9 ➜ continued on c7 a.m. on HBO.

Dream. Believe.

Survive. Starstruck returns for a new season after five years. Producers hope they could find the boy and girl that would become the new superstars of the new decade

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1 Dingdong Dantes 2 Joey de Leon 3 Miguel Tanfelix 4 Mark Herras 5 Megan Young 6 Rocco Nacino 7 Regine Velasquez 8 Jennelyn Mercado 9 Kris Bernal