The Standard - 2015 October 19 - Monday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 249  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  MONDAY : OCTOBER 19, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Korina hit for picture in queue

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POLL

Poll shows Sotto, Recto, Marcos leading Senate race

By Joyce Pangco Pañares

SENATOR Vicente Sotto III is the first choice of voters for the 2016 senatorial elections, results of the second The Standard Poll showed.

The survey, conducted by resident pollster Junie Laylo from Sept. 21 to Oct. 1, had 1,500 respondents, all of whom are registered voters with biometrics from 76 provinces across the country and the 17 cities in the National Capital Region.

Respondents were asked to choose 12 from a list of likely candidates for the Senate.

At least 60 percent of the respondents said they will vote for

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POLL

Sotto, a reelectionist and member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Sotto was also the top pick of voters across all economic classes, age, gender, religious affiliation and ethnicity.

Another reelectionist, Senator Ralph Recto, took the second spot with 53 percent, followed by Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and

former Senator Panfilo Lacson who were tied at the third and fourth places with 49 percent each.

Rounding up the top 12 are former senators Francis Pangilinan (48 percent) and Juan Miguel Zubiri (42 percent); Senators Franklin Drilon (41 percent) and Sergio Osmeña (40 percent); Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and former

‘Lando’ kills 5 in devastating passage

By Francisco Tuyay and Florante S. Solmerin FIVE PEOPLE were killed and nine others went missing as Typhoon “Lando” (international name Koppu) tore down trees and unleashed landslides and floods, forcing thousands to flee as it pummeled Luzon Sunday, officials said.

More than 15,000 people were evacuated from their homes, with more expected to flee as the slow-moving storm grinds its way northwards across Luzon before it is forecast to leave the country on Wednesday.

“We’ve been hard hit,” said Aurora Gov. Gerardo Noveras, who said hundreds of residents were

trapped by flood waters in the village of San Luis.

Disaster units backed by military and police personnel launched massive rescue operations in at least seven towns as flood waters rose from rivers swollen by torrential rain.

Col. Felimon Santos, commander of the Army’s 703rd Infantry Brigade based in Nueva Ecija, said they launched rescue operations in several flooded areas in the province.

Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali told the ANC news channel that the towns of Bongabon and Gabldon were under water and isolated.

The Office of Civil Defense said it was still verifying the casualties that included a 34-year-old Next page

Stormy Sunday. Two children frolic at the seawall in Navotas, which on Sunday was slammed by the giant waves created by the winds whipped up by Typhoon ‘Lando.’

ANDREW RABULAN

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SENATORIAL PREFERENCES

Duterte’s smear job claims ‘silly,’ LP says

By John Paolo Bencito and Rio N. Araja

THE ruling Liberal Party on Sunday dismissed as “silly” allegations that administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II was behind black propaganda attacks on Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Grace Poe. “I think that there are no serious and valid issues that can be raised against Secretary Mar [Roxas] so they [resort to] anything... as silly as rumor mongering. These are non-issues as far as the presidency is concerned,” said Caloocan Rep. Edgardo Erice, political affairs chief of the Liberal Party.

Over the weekend, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a potential candidate for the presidency, lashed out at Roxas for allegedly spreading the rumor that he had cancer.

On Saturday, Roxas said the LP would not resort to black propaganda to destroy its opponents as Duterte claimed.

“I will never wish it [cancer] to be visited on any one, much more Mayor Digong Duterte who I regard as my friend. My family suffered through two tragedies due to cancer,” said Roxas in a statement.

Another presidential candidate, frontrunner in the opinion polls Senator Grace Poe, blamed the Roxas camp in August of maligning her with rumors that she was “abusive and was an alcoholic who underwent rehabilitation.”

Roxas said that in his long years in politics, he had never engaged in such smear campaigns against his opponents.

“I have always subscribed to the principle that how you campaign is how you will govern. What we are fighting for is for the continuation of the straight path and not to destroy our rivals,” he added.

Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez, a Liberal Party ally, said the Roxas campaign would never resort to tricks and mudslinging.

“I’m actually at a loss to explain why Secretary Mar

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Senator Jamby Madrigal at 39 percent each; Sarangani Rep. Emannuel Pacquiao (36 percent) and Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar (34 percent).

Former Senator Richard Gordon landed in the 13th spot with 33 percent, followed by Taguig Rep. Lino Cayetano (31 percent); Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista (30 percent); PhilHealth director Risa Hontiveros (28 percent); Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno (27 percent); Senator Teofisto Guingona III (26 percent); Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority head Mark Lapid at 26 percent each; Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza (24 percent); Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (21 percent); broadcast journalist Mike Enriquez (16 percent); and Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian and former MMDA head Francis Tolentino with 13 percent each.

Marcos and Robredo, however, have already filed their certificates of candidacy for the vice presidency.

Madrigal, Bautista, Moreno, Villar, Atienza, Enriquez, and Cayetano also did not file their CoCs for the senatorial post.

The Standard Poll has error margins of +/- 2.6 percent for the national results and +/- 6 percent for the regional results. All regions were represented in the survey.

Laylo, The Standard’s in-house pollster, has 25 years of experience in political polling and strategic research.

man killed by a falling tree, a sixyear-old girl swept away by floodwaters in Barangay Abian, Nueva Vizcaya, two others in Nueva Ecija, and one in Tarlac. Three fishermen went missing in Abucay, Bataan. Six other people were also reported missing in Baler and Nueva Ecija.

OCD deputy director for the region Nigel Lontoc said flood waters in Nueva Ecija were chesthigh in some areas and still rising as rain dumped by Lando on the Sierra Madre mountains continued to cascade down to low-lying communities in the province.

In Bataan, a foreign passenger vessel with an undetermined number of passengers onboard smashed into the port.

As public storm signals went up over Luzon, the Department of Education and various local governments announced the cancellation of classes for Monday.

As of 6 p.m. Sunday, classes in all levels were cancelled in Metro Manila, except for Quezon City, which only called off classes from pre-school to high school.

Classes in all levels were also cancelled in Cainta, Malolos City, Pateros, San Pablo City, Ilagan City, Antipolo City, Baguio City, Malabon City, San Carlos City in Pangasinan and the towns of Rodriguez and San Mateo, and in the

provinces of Pampanga, Isabela, Bulacan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Ifugao, Batangas, and Bataan.

Earlier in the day, the head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Council, Alexander Palma, said there had been no need for major search and rescue operations as a result of Lando.

“I must emphasize that this is just the start. People must remain alert while we try to pick up the pieces in areas already hit,” Palma said.

Lando made landfall before dawn on the coast of Casiguran, a remote fishing town of 31,000 people, remaining near-stationary for seven hours and whipping the area with gusts of up to 210 kilometers an hour.

“Lando tore off roofs of homes made of light materials. Rivers overflowed, and the roads to the area are blocked by downed power pylons and trees,” Lontoc said.

ABS-CBN network aired footage of a hospital building with its roof ripped off and houses torn down near Baler, the provincial capital that draws surfers from around the world.

Lontoc also said the authorities cancelled a surfing competition in Baler for the weekend and ordered about 2,000 participants to remain indoors.

By late morning the state weather service said the typhoon’s intensity had weakened slightly to gusts of 185 kilometers an hour while moving northwest over the

is being linked to these rumors. I know for a fact that we have always striven to run an honest, issue-based campaign, and that it is not in Secretary Mar’s character to engage in such tactics,” he said.

Another spokesman for the Liberals, Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, said Roxas had already responded to Duterte’s accusation.

“This misunderstanding between Former Secretary Mar Roxas and his long-time friend Davao Mayor Digong Duterte is very unfortunate. Even Philip Lustre, the person Mayor Duterte identified as the source of the said rumors has already denied that he is... connected to the camp of Secretary Roxas,” he said.

Quimbo also called on all presidential candidates “to elevate the level of debate.”

But the camp of opposition candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay said the LP campaign was smearing its political enemies to conceal the fact that Roxas was unfit to lead the country.

Joey Salgado, head of the Office of the Vice President media affairs, told The Standard that mudslinging and character assassination have been the trademarks of the Roxas camp.

Salgado added that they knew that Roxas’ political operators were behind the year-long Senate investigation into the alleged anomalies in the construction of a Makati City Hall building when Binay was still mayor.

“Now Roxas operators are spreading [the rumor] in the provinces that the vice president will discontinue to the conditional cash transfer program or 4Ps, even if the VP has gone on record that he will continue and even expand the CCT program,” Salgado said.

Frustrated Duterte supporters expressed disappointment over the weekend when the Davao mayor failed to file his Certificate of Candidacy for the presidency Friday, the last day for the filing of CoCs. Some still held out for a last-minute substitution in December that would enable Duterte to run for president.

But Duterte remained consistent about his refusal to run.

“When I have already spoken, that will be it. The people know it already, they just refuse to accept it.

They should just forget me,” he said.

Pantabangan Dam in the southern foothills of the Cordillera, the country’s largest mountain range.

Despite the storm weakening, the authorities warned heavy rains could trigger flash floods and landslides in the region, home to more than 1.6 million people and known for its spectacular rice terraces carved on the slopes of towering mountains.

“We are strongly recommending forced evacuations in the Cordillera administrative region especially villages that are landslideand flood-prone,” Palma said.

State weather forecaster Alczar Aurelio said Lando was expected to weaken further into a severe tropical storm by Tuesday, but would only leave Luzon by Wednesday.

This was a day longer than earlier forecast, meaning the area could expect to be soaked with more rain, he added.

The authorities reported widespread power and communications disruptions across Luzon, with many roads and bridges also blocked by landslides, floods or fallen trees and power pylons.

Ferry services across Luzon were suspended amid rough seas while commercial aviation was also disrupted with 30 flights cancelled, two of them on international routes.

Residents of communities in the typhoon’s expected path were hunkering down under darkening skies, said Kate Marshall, part of

an advance reconnaissance team of the International Committee of the Red Cross to the region.

“The rain is bad to intermittent and wind is picking up,” she said.

She said residents of Dupax, near the Pantabangan dam, were heading for the relative safety of schools and government buildings as floodwaters rose.

The weather service has also warned of storm surges, massive typhoon-generated waves smashing along coastal areas, but there have been no reports of these as the storm moved inland.

The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms each year, many of them deadly.

The deadliest and strongest on record, super typhoon Yolanda, destroyed entire towns in the central islands in November 2013, leaving more than 7,350 people dead or missing.

The Palace assured the public Sunday that government agencies were coordinating to keep people safe.

“The entire force of the government is focused on ensuring the safety of our citizens who reside in areas affected by Typhoon Lando,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in an interview over state-run dzRB. The Trade and Industry Department said it has ensured that there are adequate supplies in areas that are affected by Lando. With Sandy Araneta, John Paolo Bencito, Alena Mae S. Flores, AFP and PNA

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Analyst: Rody’s loss is Poe’s gain CITING the Laylo report and other survey results, UP professor and political analyst Prospero de Vera said Sunday he believes Senator Grace Poe will gain from the decision of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte not to run for President in next year’s elections.

Guests. Liberal Party standard bearers Manuel Roxas II and Leni Robredo arrive in Koronadal City on Saturday as guests of

the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which cited the achievements of the government’s poverty alleviation program. MaRk navales

Binay aide wants bank freeze order lifted VICE President Jejomar Binay’s alleged trusted aide and financial officer has asked the Court of Appeals to lift a freeze order against 170 bank and financial accounts supposedly under his name.

In an 88-page urgent motion filed through lawyers, Gerardo Limlingan argued that the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the covered banks failed to present evidence that would show his accounts were related to unlawful activities.

The freeze order stemmed from a petition of the council, through the Office of the Solicitor General, that was filed on May 7, 2015, and granted by the Court of Appeals on May 11, 2015.

The freeze order was directed against 242 banks accounts of, investments made by, and insurance policies issued to Limlingan, former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado,

Vice President Jejomar Binay, and suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, among others.

The funds in the covered accounts were allegedly derived from alleged overpricing in the Makati City Hall Parking Building and Makati City Science High School Building, as well as the alleged 5-percent share from a joint venture agreement with Alphaland.

In his appeal, Limlingan said he was an established businessman with legitimate businesses and sources of income. He said the funds in his accounts came from legitimate sources and were used for legitimate purposes.

Limlingan cited the businesses and business partnerships he had been engaged in over the years, saying those were in commodities, food, electronics, furniture, mining and logging industries, among others.

He said he also entered into

partnerships that set up establishments like a renowned Thai restaurant, a shuttle bus company, a popular bar in Manila, and a movie company that produced box -office hits.

He said he also invested money to acquire several companies including cement plants, a cigarette manufacturing company, and a development bank in Mindanao.

Together with his brother, Limlingan said, he also purchased a seat in the Philippine Stock Exchange.

“Notwithstanding the fact that respondent Limlingan’s background are easily and even known to the AMLC, petitioner deliberately refrained from bringing the foregoing matters to the attention of this honorable court,” Limlingan said in his plea.

“Indeed, none of the foregoing matters ever surfaced in the Senate, the Office of the

Ombudsman, or this Honorable Court.”

According to Limlingan, there is a clear intent to lead the appellate court into believing he does not have the financial capacity to maintain bank and investment accounts.

“Limlingan has been unjustifiably pilloried and tarred with numerous despicable and unfortunate description, which have been reiterated in various media outlets and by various media practitioners,” the motion says.

Limlingan criticized the AMLC for being “content to rely on the sweeping and unsubstantiated accusation of Ernesto Mercado that he is the supposed ‘bagman,’ ‘henchman’ or ‘aide’ of Vice President Binay, notwithstanding the fact that Mercado’s convenient testimony is utterly suspect and clearly motivated by ill will and malice.” Rey e. Requejo

Duterte was a no-show at the Comelec’s main office in Intramuros, Manila, at the end of the five-day filing of certificates of candidacy last Friday for those running for President, vice president and senator.

De Vera made his statement even as AKO Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe on Sunday cautioned the public on a supposed plot by the detractors of Senator Grace Poe to have her excluded in the 2016 presidential elections following the Supreme Court’s disqualification of two mayors from Lanao del Norte and Batanes over the issue of their foreign citizenship.

Batocabe did not identify those behind the plot but said there was an ongoing demolition job to condition the minds of the voters on Poe’s looming disqualification.

“I think there is a systematic PR campaign designed to condition the minds of our people that Poe would be disqualified,” said Batocabe, spokesman of the party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. Speaking before the members of the Financial Executives of the Philippines and the Center for Philippine Futuristics Studies and Management, De Vera said the Laylo Report showed that in a three-way contest, Poe would pull away with 47 points followed by Binay and Roxas at 26 points each.

He said the internal surveys of other political parties and candidates showed a similar trend.

The survey conducted by Laylo from Sept. 21 to Oct. 1, with 1,500 respondents from

76 provinces in the country and 17 cities in the National Capital Region, showed Poe leading the pack of eight possible candidates including Roxas, Binay, Duterte, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Miriam Santiago and former Senator Richard Gordon.

Poe garnered 32 percent while Roxas placed second at 19 percent followed by Binay (14 percent), Duterte (10 percent), Estrada (9 percent), Marcos (7 percent), Santiago (6 percent) and Gordon (1 percent).

Poe also led the survey across all geographic areas, economic classes, gender and age groups.

By ethnicity, Poe was the top choice among the Tagalogs, (29 percent), Cebuanos (35 percent), Ilonggos (36 percent), Ilocanos (30 percent), Bicolanos (40 percent) and Muslim groups (27 percent). It was only among the Warays that Poe placed second with 19 percent, with Binay taking the lead at 42 percent.

The most recent Ulat sa Bayan survey of Pulse Asia also showed Poe maintaining her lead over the other presidential candidates in the survey of 2,400 respondents conducted on Sept. 8 to 14 with a rating of 26 percent followed by Roxas (20 percent), Binay (19 percent) and Duterte (16 percent).

De Vera, also President of the Association of Political Consultants in Asia, said Poe’s espousal of a clean campaign focused on issues and platforms rather than personal attacks was “connecting her with the voters”.

Macon Ramos-araneta and Rio n. araja

‘Yolanda funds being used for polls’ REP. Arnel Ty on Sunday wondered if crooked local politicians in a number of “Yolanda”-affected areas were using cash from the government’s emergency shelter assistance to raise election campaign funds.

He also wondered if some victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda were being deprived of the P10,000 to P30,000 that they were supposed to receive to help them rebuild their homes.

Yolanda, the strongest typhoon to hit land in history, slammed into Central Visayas on Nov. 8, 2013, killing more than 7,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

Ty raised his questions amid persistent reports of alleged anomalies at the local level in the distribution of emergency shelter assistance by the Department of Social Welfare and

Development.

“What really grabbed our attention was the case of a municipal social welfare officer in Panay who pretended that the money for the ESA won’t be arriving for months, even if the cash was already there, and then offered the beneficiaries early payment in exchange for a 16-percent cut,” Ty said in a statement.

“In effect, a number of beneficiaries may be getting scammed out of their ESA [emergency shelter assistance] by the individuals directly overseeing the distribution of the money at the local level,” Ty said.

Ty said the erring municipal social welfare officer in Panay visited the beneficiaries, told them a lie that the ESA had been delayed, and then brought in a lender who offered quick cash loans equal to 84 percent of the ESA, so long as the re-

maining 16 percent was withheld as interest payment for the supposed advance.

“It is also fairly possible that ESA-related scams like this involve or have the blessings of higher local officials trying to raise cash to pay for their election campaign-related expenses,” Ty said.

“This Panay incident tends to disprove the reports of loan sharks preying on ESA beneficiaries. Loan sharks are not needed because in many cases the cash for the ESA may already be there.”

The ESA amounts to P30,000 per family or individual whose house was totally destroyed, or P10,000 per family or individual whose dwelling was partially damaged.

Social Welfare said it had so far distributed P14.6 billion worth of ESA to 753,750 families in the Yolanda-affected communities.

Ready for Christmas. A store owner at Mega Q-Mart shows a customer cheap Christmas decorations on Sunday. Manny PalMeRo

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Back lower taxes, PNoy urged

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

HOUSE independent bloc leader Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday urged President Benigno Aquino III to support a proposed law lowering income taxes to show empathy (“malasakit”) to ordinary Filipinos this Christmas.

“To pass this very important measure is the best of all gifts that the government can give this Christmas to our ordinary workers,” said Romualdez, a lawyer and the president of the Philippine Constitution Association.

The President’s support for the bill would be a big factor in securing its swift approval in Congress, Romualdez said.

Romualdez filed his certificate of candidacy for the Senate at the Commission on Elections office

in Manila for the upcoming 2016 elections.

The Leyte lawmaker, who earned his law degree at the University of the Philippines after taking his Bachelor of Arts degree at Cornell University, is now on his third term in office.

Romualdez earlier said he welcomed the plan of House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to meet with the President during Congress’ recess in a last-ditch effort to save the passage of the measure filed by

Marikina City Rep. Miro Quimbo, chairman of the House committee on ways and means.

Quimbo said Belmonte and Senate President Franklin Drilon could convince the President to pass the bill before Christmas.

According to Quimbo, the income tax reform proposal is very much alive and could be approved before the 16th Congress ends.

Romualdez backed Quimbo’s position that Malacañang should forego the projected P30-billion annual revenue losses as a result of the reduction in the personal and corporate income tax rates since P44-billion could be generated by two new revenue sources.

During a recent meeting at Malacañang, Quimbo explained to the President that the government would generate a combined P44 billion in new

income from the P13 billion taxes from the implementation next year of P50.6-billion Salary Standardization Law and P33 billion from a measure seeking the imposition of a 10-percent ad valorem tax on soft drinks and other sweetened beverages.

Meanwhile, Senator Chiz Escudero on Sunday told voters to make tax reforms an election issue so that more leaders would throw their support behind legislative efforts to amend the Tax Reform Act of 1997.

“Everyone is now singing the same tune, even those who were hesitant to support us in the past. And that’s fine.

The important thing is to let this campaign for tax reforms gather steam because it is a legitimate issue that begs to be addressed if we want to sustain economic growth,” noted Escudero who is running for vice president in next year’s election.

Masskara. Dancers wearing colorful masks and costumes parade during the recent Masskara Festival in Bacolod City. The event is celebrated on the third weekend of October every year. RALPH PIEZAS

Palace says ‘thank you’ to pro-BBL diplomats

By Sandy Araneta MALACAÑANG said on Sunday that is elated by foreign diplomats’ show of support for the controversial draft Bangsamoro Basic Law. Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. thanked the ambassadors for supporting the proposed law.

“We thank our friends from the diplomatic corps who are affirming their solidarity with our country in building the foundations for enduring peace, as we continue to work with Congress for the timely enactment of the BBL,” Coloma said during an interview over staterun dzRB. Foreign ambassadors earlier issued a statement urging the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to remain engaged in the peace process and expressing concern about the delay in the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro because the draft law has yet to be passed by Congress.

“We call on all concerned to remain engaged in the peace process to give life to the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro, and to the long-term political, economic and social pillars that will bring the peace dividend to the country as a whole,” the ambassadors said in their statement.

“We ask for a continued commitment from all stakeholders to seize this opportunity to enable the Bangsamoro people to form an effective and inclusive, devolved administration as called for in the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. To do this will require flexibility on all sides to work within the current Constitution of the Republic and recognition of the aspirations of the people of Bangsamoro,” the ambassadors also said.

Korina hit for bragging about queueing up BROADCASTER Korina Sanchez-Roxas drew flak online for posting a photo of herself falling in line to enter the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3 on Friday.

Sanchez-Roxas, wife of Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, was going to Cebu to deliver a speech during a convention of the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines Inc. Sanchez-Roxas posted the photo on her Facebook account (https:// www.facebook.com/) with the following status message: “On my way to Cebu for a speech. Aba, opo, pumipila po ako haha! [Yes, I do fall in line!]”

Most commenters took her to task for making a big deal out of queueing to enter the airport, which is what all passengers do.

Sanchez-Roxas eventually edited her accompanying message on Oct. 17, to read: “On my way to Cebu for a speech.”

The status message was “liked” 8,150 times and was shared 2,023 times as of 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Facebook user Hannah Castro Evangelista said in her comment: “In-edit mo pa yung caption!!! [You edited the caption!] Nice. Hahahahaha.”

Mon Hernandez threatened to throw a pair of slippers at SanchezRoxas, while Patrick John Moreno Jose said he has lined up outside NAIA-3 several times but never felt the need to post a photo of himself doing so.

Revned Punzalan said: “Hahah PAKITANG TAO. Sorry… kahit sa MRT rush hour ka pa pumila… dehins namin boboto si Mar. [Hypo-

crite. Sorry, even if you line up during the MRT rush hour, we still won’t vote for Mar.]” Dulay Jennifer Kay said: “Di ko ma-imagine na ikaw magiging First Lady! Walang bakas ng humanity sa’yo. Good luck sa bansa kapag kayo nanalo. [I cannot imagine you as First Lady! You have no sign of humanity.

Good luck to our country if you and your husband win.]”

A smaller number of commenters, however, took up the cudgels for Sanchez-Roxas.

Vikki Villaluz said: “If I can vote, the most decent candidate I will vote for is Roxas... I am hoping Ms. Korina would be extra careful in posting in media since she’s under everyone’s scrutiny... This kind of posting could be mistaken as ‘too proud of her humility’... Let other people speak of your goodness.”

Yes, she falls in line. This photo from Korina Sanchez-Roxas’ Facebook page shows the wife of presidential aspirant Mar Roxas falling in line to enter Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

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Comelec elated by CoC filing results THE Commission on Elections expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the five-day filing period wherein aspirants for national and local positions in the May 2016 polls submitted their Certificates of Candidacy.

Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista said the event went on smoothly as planned.

“Overall we are very pleased with the outcome. I think we were able to preserve the festive atmosphere.”

The Comelec improved the setup of the filing process by separating the venues of the filing of CoCs and the interview of aspirants with the members of the media as compared from past filing period wherein the filing and interview were conducted in one area —the Project Management Office located at the ground floor of the Comelec main office at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila.

Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said that the number of those who filed for the presidential post was a record high.

“It feels like it. I have not yet had a chance to verify. It’s likely a record breaker. If not for anything else, then for the position of President.

We have 130. That’s a lot,” he said.

Ten candidates officially ran in the 2010 presidential polls, but the poll official cannot give the exact figure on the number of aspirants who filed their CoCs for the post. PNA

Give ‘em shelter. A mother and her son take shelter from the wind and rain brought on by Typhoon ‘Lando’ along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Oct. 18, 2015. Lando ripped off roofs, tore down trees and unleashed landslides and floods, forcing thousands to flee as it pummelled the northern Luzon, officials said. AFP

Bill frees teachers from election duties

By Rio N. Araja

The house of Representatives has transmitted to the Senate a bill making election service non-compulsory for public school teachers.

The chairman of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, Rep. Fredenil Castro said he and Rep. Isidro Ungab, chairman of the committee on appropriations, steered the proposed Election Service Reform Act jointly with its principal authors during the series of debates and interpellations in the House plenary.

Castro said the House Bill 5412 is the substitute of five separate but similar measures filed earlier by Representatives Antonio Tinio of ACT-Teachers party-list, Regina Ongsiako Reyes of Marinduque, Erlinda Santiago of 1-Sagip party-

list, Eric Olivarez of Parañaque City, Lawrence Lemuel Fortun of Agusan del Norte, vice presidential bet Leni Robredo of Camarines Sur, Edgar Erice of Caloocan City, Harlin Abayon of Northern Samar, Nicasio Aliping Jr. of Baguio City and Emmeline Aglipay Villar of Diwa party-list.

The measure is designed “to free school teachers from engaging in compulsory election duties as currently practiced and to open up election service to other government employees, members of the Commission on Electionsaccredited citizen arms and pri-

vate citizens of known probity and competence,” he said.

Under the bill, should there be a lack of teachers willing, available and qualified to serve, Comelec may appoint any registered voter in accordance with and order of preference as provided under the proposed statute.

The order of preference is stated as follows: 1) private school teachers, 2) Department of Education’s non-teaching personnel, 3) other national government officials and employees holding regular or permanent positions, excluding members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, 4) members of the Comelec-accredited citizens arms and other Comelec-accredited civil society organizations and non-government organization, and 5) any citizen of known probity and com-

petence who is not involved with any candidate or political party.

The House-approved bill provides that persons rendering election services should be entitled to honoraria, travel allowance and such other benefits as may be granted by the Comelec, at rates to be determined and approved by the Department of Budget and Management, subject to existing accounting, budgeting and auditing rules and regulations, Castro said.

It also provides for legal assistance and an equitable legal indemnification package and provisions for claims for persons rendering election services.

The initial funding for the proposed law shall be charged against the current Comelec appropriations and thereafter, such amount necessary to implement the Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

LP veterans jump ship in Cebu

Sailing ban. Fishermen inspect their wooden fishing boats as the Coast Guard has banned sailing on Sunday amid the onslaught of Typhoon ‘Lando’ (Koppu). TED ALJIBE CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CEBU CITY—Some longtime leaders of the Liberal Party in Cebu have joined the Nationalist People’s Coalition after they failed to get the LP’s endorsement for their candidacies in the 2016 elections.

Among them are San Fernando, Cebu Mayor Antonio Canoy and Talisay City Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante; Argao, Cebu Mayor Edsel Galeos; and businessman Efrain Pelaez Jr., candidate for mayor in Lapu-Lapu City.

They said they were forced to join the NPC because the LP did not issue the certificate of nomination and ac-

ceptance to them.

Canoy filed his certificate of candidacy for congressman in Cebu’s first district during the last day of filing on Friday.

Canoy is running for the second district’s congressional seat against reelectionist Rep. Gerard Anthony Gullas, a member of the Alayon-Nationalista Party, but an LP ally.

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, Cebu Province LP chairman, apologized to Canoy, because they were together in the LP in the 2010 and 2013 elections.

Davide said what hap-

pened with Canoy was a reality in politics because it was clear from the pronouncement of LP standard bearer Mar Roxas that Gullas was his choice for congressman.

Canoy said he bolted LP because the Gullases worked to kick him out of LP. In Talisay City, Villarante will run against reelectionist Talisay City Mayor Johnny de los Reyes of LP. Other LP members who have defected to the NPC are Talisay City Councilor Danny Caballero, who will run for vice mayor, and reelectionist Councilor Aldin Diaz. PNA

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‘GG’ fishing ban proposed

By Rio Araja BECAUSE of overfishing of mackerel scad, popularly known as galunggong, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will impose a fishing ban off Northern Palawan within Sulu Sea from Nov. 15 to January next year.

BFAR director Asis Perez has recommmended to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala an administrative order to enforce a three-month closed season in the area of Northern Palawan to ban fishing of galunggong, or “GG” in colloquial term, to preserve and protect its production.

“Definitely, Metro Manila will be affected. But what can we do? Close it [Northern Palawan] now, or you’ll have no galunggong forever,” he told The Standard.

The supply of galunggong is expected to dwindle and that prices in the market will also go up, he said.

At least 90 percent of galunggong in the National Capital Region comes from Northern Palawan, he said.

“It is not true that our galunggong is fished here at the Manila Bay,” he added.

He said those who fish galunggong in Northern Palawan are not the fisher folks of Palawan, but the fishermen from Navotas City [in Metro Manila].

“We are enforcing a closed season in Palawan because we just want to protect the natural propagation of galunggong, just like what we did in Zamboanga in the past. In fact, Zamboanga was able to double its sardine production compared to last year’s production, and that prices of canned sardines even went down because of enough fish supply and cheaper costs of cans. All these have played a big factor to lower the prices of canned sardines by P1 at the supermarkets, stores and markets,” he pointed out.

Because of non-regulation of fishing of galunggong in Northern Palawan, there has been a lesser fish catch and its price has gone up to as high as P100 per kilo when sold outside Palawan.

“Fresh catch of galunggong is sold here at P30 a kilo, but is sold in the metro markets at P100 a kilo,” Perez said.

Musical play. The Ballet Philippines enlivens a Filipino classic song into a stage play dubbed as ‘Sarong Banggi’ which features new works by Filipino choreographers set to folk songs from around the country, arranged and orchestrated by Ryan Cayabyab at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015. DANNY PATA

Revillame arrest order upheld

By Rey E. Requejo THe Court of Appeals has upheld the ruling of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, which found probable cause for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against controversial television host Willie Revillame, in connection with the child abuse and exploitation case filed against him.

In an 11-page decision, the CA’s Thirteenth Division through Associate Justice Ma. Luisa Quijano-Padilla resolved that there was no grave abuse of discretion on the part of Quezon City RTC, Branch 86, Presiding Judge Roberto Buenaventura in issuing the arrest warrant against Revillame on oct. 4, 2013.

“As a final note, we observe that the resolution of this case had long been delayed because of the petitioner’s refusal to submit to the trial court’s jurisdiction and his erroneous invocation of the Rules in his favor,” the appellate court stressed.

Associate Justices Normandie Pizarro and Samuel Gaerlan concurred with the ruling.

According to the appellate court, Judge Buenaventura did not arbitrarily issue the warrant of arrest against petitioner as it was issued after his personal evaluation of the factual circumstances that led him to believe that there was probable cause to apprehend petitioner for his commission of a criminal offense.

The case arose from the con-

troversial incident on March 12, 2011 in his defunct prime time game show “Willing Willie” aired on Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC) 5 Network wherein one of the contestants was a six-year-old boy.

Revillame then made the boy perform a dance featuring gyrating moves associated with “macho dancers” or male strippers.

The host even encouraged the boy to repeat his dance moves and tried to imitate the child’s dance steps. Revillame then gave the boy P10,000 as his price and allowed the boy to repeat his performance several times.

Several days after the episode, the Department of Social Welfare and Development filed

a complaint with the Quezon City Prosecutor’s office for violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, exploitation and Discrimination Act. The DSWD alleged that the episode constituted psychological abuse, cruelty and emotional maltreatment of the boy and debased, degraded and demeaned his dignity, thus, constituting child abuse.

Consequently, the QC Prosecutor’s office found probable cause to charge Revillame with child abuse case before the QC RTC. on Sept. 4, 2013, the RTC found probable cause on the crime charged against Revillame and issued an arrest warrant against him.

Senate OKs anti-smuggling bill

By Macon Araneta

EK’s 20th. Enchanted Kingdom chairman and president Mario Mamon (left) and Mayor

Arlene Arcillas of Sta. Rosa City in Laguna lead the opening of the ‘Global Handwashing Day’ along with guests to mark the 20th anniversary celebration of the amusement park in this booming city. EY AcAsio

SeNAToR Cynthia Villar expressed disappointment over the snail-paced filing of charges against alleged smugglers as she welcomed the passage on third reading of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act at the Senate.

“It is unfortunate that the numerous statements we gathered from resource persons in our hearings pointing to these persons as the ones responsible for smuggling were not enough for the filing of formal charges,” Villar said.

After two years, the Department of Justice has not filed formal charges against alleged big-time rice smugglers, who were involved in rice and garlic cartels. Two of the suspects were the focus of the Senate probe into smuggling in 2013.

Villar, chair of the Committee on

Agriculture and Food, is the principal sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2923 or the Anti-Large Scale Agricultural Smuggling Act. The bill, passed on third reading by the Senate, seeks to declare agricultural smuggling as a no-bailable offense of economic sabotage.

“We are confident that once enacted into law, this will send a strong message that this government is serious in eradicating smuggling in our country, and that economic saboteurs will be severely punished for threatening our country’s food security,” she said.

Under the Villar bill, the amount of smuggled agricultural product subject to economic sabotage is equal to or more than P10 million for rice, and equal to or more than P1 million for other agricultural products such as sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, dried fish, and cruciferous vegetables.

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Josons not fielding bet for Ecija gov

By Ferdie G. Domingo CABANATUAN CITY—For the first time in 56 years, the oncepowerful Joson political dynasty in Nueva Ecija is not fielding a family member as gubernatorial candidate in next year’s local elections.

Instead, the family who has ruled the province for a halfcentury, will act as kingmaker by supporting the candidacy of an ally against an Umali in hopes of ending its nemesis’ decades-long rule at the Capitol.

Former four-time governor Tomas Joson III, chairman of the Josons’ Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija (Balane), the party founded by their patriarch, has nominated former threeterm congressman Rodolfo Antonino as its gubernatorial standard bearer against outgoing third district Rep. Czarina Umali, wife of outgoing three-term Gov. Aurelio Umali.

Joson said they have decided not to field any Joson for governor and give others a chance.

“Anyway, there is another candidate running in the person of Congressman Antonino so we will just support him,” he said.

While skipping the governorship, at least five Josons are running for elective posts. They are returning former four-time first district congresswoman Josie Manuel-Joson, Tomas III’s son, former vice governor Edward Thomas Joson, reelectionist board member Eduardo Rey Joson, reelectionist Quezon Mayor Dean Joson and reelectionist Cabanatuan City Councilor EJ Joson.

Manuel-Joson is the wife of Mariano Cristino Joson, a former vice governor and former Quezon mayor. Manuel-Joson is squaring off with reelectionist Rep. Estrellita Suansing who defeated Mariano Cristino in 2013.

Suansing is the wife of former Customs deputy commissioner Horacio Suansing.

Harvest time. A man in Naguey, Atok, Benguet harvests yam, a cash crop for farmers in the area. DAVID CHAN

Marawi City police chief’s killing stirs outrage, fear

By Ali G. Macabalang

COTABATO CITY—Government authorities and Marawi City residents are outraged over the killing of the city police chief in an ambush in his own turf Saturday.

The killing of Superintendent Al Abner Wahab Santos was carried out by unidentified armed men suspected to be behind the series of still-unsolved killings and atrocities in the locality.

“If our own police chief could fall in the hands of still-unpunished criminals, how can we feel safe in our place?” a social sciences professor at the Mindanao State University main campus in Marawi City asked in a phone interview by The Standard.

The professor, who asked not to be named for his own safety, was referring to the ambush of the city police chief past 2 p.m. along a road in Marawi City.

The crime scene, known locally as Sarimanok area of the city’s Luks-a-datu village, gained notoriety for being a place where some people were shot dead in recent incidents. Four popcorn vendors and a tricycle driver were killed in the area last Sept. 3.

Santos, of mixed Tausog-Visayan descent and a native of Pagadian City, was driving a black Mitsubishi Montero en route to the city when unidentified armed men overtook his car and repeatedly shot at it, government authorities said.

The attackers, aboard a similar Montero car, tailed Santos’ vehicle after his half-day long meeting at Kampo Ranao, the base of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade in the city,

less than a kilometer from the ambush site, probers said.

Santos sustained multiple gunshot wounds on his head from bullets of still unknown kinds of firearms that caused his instant death, initial reports from the police offices of Lanao del Sur and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the 103rd Infantry Brigade said.

Marawi is the capital of Lanao del Sur and a component of the ARMM. Col. Roseller Murillo, head of the 103rd Brigade, said some of his troops staged an initial pursuit operation but failed to catch up with the ambushers.

Government investigators were still determining the motive and identities of Santos’ killers.

Standard sources said Santos’ ambush-slay could be related to an alleged fatal torture by cops of a “fall guy” they reportedly arrested and pressed for confession to a recent murder in the city.

Two Liberals to run as ARMM gov

Show me how. Albay Gov. Joey Salceda gets familiar with making native products like rags

and bags from abaca, his province’s produce, during the opening of Manila Fame. DANNY PATA

COTABATO CITY—Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Mujiv Hataman faces a challenge in his reelection bid from fellow Liberal Party member Sulu Vice Gov. Abdusakur Tan. Lawyer Ray Sumalipao, regional elections director for ARMM, said Hataman and Tan have filed their Certificates of Candidacy for regional governor along with two independent aspirants named as Kharis Pamaloy and Faisal Mangondato, both from Lanao del Sur. He said four personalities also filed COCs for ARMM vice governor, naming them as incumbent Regional Vice Gov. Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman, also of the LP, and independent candidates Agakhan Sharief and Mosib Salipada of Lanao del Sur, and Haron Bandila of Maguindanao.

Lucman, the official teammate of Hataman, is also from Lanao del Sur.

Bandila is a former secretary of the ARMM’s agriculture department and erstwhile chairman of the Muslim Mindanao Business chamber.

Both Hataman and Tan had reportedly met the LP hierarchy and President Aquino to seek anointment.

Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu has said that his family called off plan to field a candidate for ARMM governor or vice governor because the President was desiring a status quo for the reelection of present ARMM elected officials due to a possible passage this year of the stalled bills of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Mangudadatu, provincial LP chairman in Maguindanao, said the Aquino administration was still hoping for the passage of the BBL, which envisions to establish a Bangsamoro autonomous entity in lieu of the ARMM setup.

Ali G. Macabalang

M O N D AY : O c T O B E R 1 9, 2 0 1 5

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opinion

ADELLE chuA EdiToR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

A9

duterte’s aborted run

[ EDI TORI A L ]

plumblinE

To-do lisT

pasToR apollo quiboloy

WhoEVER wins the 2016 presidential election will have the daunting task of cleaning up after the Aquino administration, which has left the country’s public service system in shambles. The to-do list is a long one, but the next President could start with this abbreviated list.

1) Restore public accountability of government agencies.

This is one area of governance that President Benigno Aquino III completely corrupted. under Mr. Aquino’s rule, performance in government is measured not by concrete achievements but by personal loyalty and the ability to promise results without actually delivering them. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is a prime example, promising early on that the country would achieve rice self-sufficiency but presiding instead over the rampant smuggling of the staple grain and other agricultural commodities.

In the process, Secretary Alcala has reaped at least four plunder complaints—but the President has kept him on the job, at best rewarding non-performance, and at worst condoning corruption. This pattern of tolerating corruption and rewarding incompetence has been repeated throughout the Aquino bureaucracy, including but not limited to the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Bureau of Customs, the Philippine National Police and the Metro Manila Development Authority.

Clearly, correcting this sad state of affairs would be Job No. 1 for any new president.

2) Restore public services.

As an offshoot of Job No. 1, the next President must fire all officials and government employees behind the failure to deliver basic services—paying close attention to the Land Transportation office.

There is no reason motorists must wait a year or more to receive license plates for which they have already paid, or months to claim driver’s licenses that used to be issued on the same day they were renewed. There is also no reason voters who have registered with the Commission on Elections to be told they must wait “years” for their voter’s ID to be ready.

What the Aquino administration has done to the MRT is a crime. For his entire term, President Aquino has allowed a once valuable public transport asset to deteriorate into a public hazard to the detriment of millions of long-suffering commuters.

All this must end. government workers must once again behave like the public servants they are supposed to be, and not the petty tyrants that treat the public with disdain or worse, prey on them for their own illegal gains.

3) Make the tax system equitable.

For far too long, low- and middle-income wage earners have borne a disproportionate share of the tax burden. Filipino workers, in fact, pay the highest taxes in the region, and even the head of the National Economic and Development Authority admits that the tax system is regressive—taking as much as a third of the pay of middle-income earners. Yet the Aquino administration has rejected legislation that would grant them tax relief, saying this would hurt the country’s standing among international credit rating agencies.

It is high time the government paid more attention to Filipino taxpayers, instead of international ratings agencies. It is taxpayers, after all, who pay government salaries. The next President would do well to keep this in mind.

4) Restore confidence in the justice system. under President Aquino, the Justice Department and the office of the ombudsman have become tools for the persecution of political enemies. This they have done with a sense of urgency that is absent when those accused of wrongdoing are friends or allies of the President.

Also to our national shame, the Philippines has been branded a violator of basic human rights, then dismissed as a mere “opinion” the findings of the uN high Commissioner on human Rights that the government’s detention of former President gloria Arroyo was arbitrary, illegal and politically motivated.

The list is by no means complete, but it is a good place to start for the next President. unless, of course, this turns out to be the administration candidate who promises at every opportunity to continue “the reforms” initiated by President Aquino.

Like aged wine composer of “O Naraniag a pEnséEs Bulan,” and it was my father’s town too. But the entire family fR. Ranhilio spoke Pangalatok, besides callangan Ilocano.

Lineage went back aquino to Mangaldan, Pangasinan.

My father, Mr. Justice So it was that when the hilarion Lolarga aquino, will Japanese became vicious, turn 83 on Wednesday, the 21st the entire family escaped to of the month. he was born Pangasinan, only to endure while the star spangled banner life in the trenches because yet waved over a land that was of the bombardment that not so free but definitely the accompanied the landing of home of the brave! Camiling american forces. That made was the town of the romulos, my paternal grandmother, the Peñas and the Kippings. esperanza, anxious and on It was the town of the edge—a terrible condition at

a time that tranquilizers were not easy to come by.

The Camiling house was a typically huge middle-class residence. I was born in that house. Daddy’s parents had parcels of land that yielded palay that was more than enough for the family’s needs which is why daddy went to law school, an elder brother became a mechanical engineer, a younger brother, to medical school, one sister finished a degree in commerce and another sister became a teacher and rose through the

life has had its travails, but on the whole, it has been full of gifts, among the greatest of these, my father!

ranks of academe. But the Manila schooling of the brood took its toll, and the parcels of land were gradually sold. My father once told me that one of the reasons he decided to study law was to take up the cause of the victims of loan sharks and opportunists!

My father met my mother in law school and while both were sitting for the Bar examinations, tragedy struck: dad’s father, my grandfather Melanio, stricken by sarcoma, passed away just before the examination of the third Sunday of the

Bar. Grief-stricken, daddy was no longer interested in finishing the examination, but mommy, ever so persistent, goaded him to do so. he did, and while he did not make it to the newspapers’ list of the top 10 passers, he notched a place in the first 15 of the roster! he decided that his family would settle in tuguegarao and, though virtually unknown, he introduced himself to the public by running for public office as a municipal councilor,

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-

soon surprising all by besting natives of tuguegarao, at a time when PCOS machines did not misread results! I saw him interview clients regularly, and seeing him reading late into the night was rather common. I learned from him the lesson early in my life that it pays to be diligent, studious and earnest. When I started going to school and bringing home report cards with creditable marks, he was not remiss in his appreciation but he emphasized one thing: there could be

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

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no excuse nor pretext for arrogance. and he lived that precept. he still goes by it. he entered the service of the judiciary late, because he did not want to be corrupt, and a judge’s pay was hardly enough to send the three of us who had chosen long courses to school. Mine was the most unprofitable economically— the priesthood. It is a course that is investment-intensive with no 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

Though his life is an open book, and he lives in a glass house, and his statements blunt that they don’t have to be parsed for hidden meanings, Digong Duterte can sometimes be “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”

Because of this, no Monday morning quarterbacking or weekend post mortem would be able to fully explain why he cancelled his appointment with history. We all know what happened Black Friday—by the time the sun had set, he had broken a million hearts by just uttering one word: “No.” I also belong to the clueless millions.

But here’s my theory on why he did not take the leap of faith: The man was not simply consumed by the burning ambition to be President. others would give an arm, pawn the Republic’s riches, issue Ious to funders for a sliver of hope, even a Chinaman’s chance, to become President, which some of them in fact claim as a birthright etched in some hidden coat of arms of their clan. he had everything going for him. Sans TV ads, his poll numbers were rising.

Despite being a lone-wolf campaigner —he did not seek refuge in packs otherwise known as political parties—support groups were mushrooming. Instead of soliciting it, he was spurning monetary contributions. he had no rah-rah boys in Congress who can fill an FX van. he only had volunteers who can fill Luneta.

Yet, everything was going for him that the last day of filing in Comelec became a Countdown-for-Duterte show, relegating others to sideshows.

In the checklist for a launch, all the boxes had been crossed out. But he did not press the launch button. *** Even as a candidate, Digong was a renegade. And this charming unconventionality is probably his endearing trait.

While other presidential wannabes would couch their statements in safe language, Digong’s statements were neither rehearsed nor filtered by the political-correctness police. he wanted to padlock Congress, declare a revolutionary government, bring the Reds in as a coalition partner—statements which if uttered by others would have led to their being raked over the coals. But for Digong, these only fired up his growing base.

Even his “listening tour” veered away from standard talking points. Review the tapes of all his speeches and this would emerge: he was endorsing all the candidates—Mar, grace, Binay, Miriam —except him. So this could be the basis of his oft-repeated statement that never for one moment did he say that he was 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 : O c T O B E R 1 9, 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA EdiToR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

A9

duterte’s aborted run

[ EDI TORI A L ]

plumblinE

To-do lisT

pasToR apollo quiboloy

WhoEVER wins the 2016 presidential election will have the daunting task of cleaning up after the Aquino administration, which has left the country’s public service system in shambles. The to-do list is a long one, but the next President could start with this abbreviated list.

1) Restore public accountability of government agencies.

This is one area of governance that President Benigno Aquino III completely corrupted. under Mr. Aquino’s rule, performance in government is measured not by concrete achievements but by personal loyalty and the ability to promise results without actually delivering them. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is a prime example, promising early on that the country would achieve rice self-sufficiency but presiding instead over the rampant smuggling of the staple grain and other agricultural commodities.

In the process, Secretary Alcala has reaped at least four plunder complaints—but the President has kept him on the job, at best rewarding non-performance, and at worst condoning corruption. This pattern of tolerating corruption and rewarding incompetence has been repeated throughout the Aquino bureaucracy, including but not limited to the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Bureau of Customs, the Philippine National Police and the Metro Manila Development Authority.

Clearly, correcting this sad state of affairs would be Job No. 1 for any new president.

2) Restore public services.

As an offshoot of Job No. 1, the next President must fire all officials and government employees behind the failure to deliver basic services—paying close attention to the Land Transportation office.

There is no reason motorists must wait a year or more to receive license plates for which they have already paid, or months to claim driver’s licenses that used to be issued on the same day they were renewed. There is also no reason voters who have registered with the Commission on Elections to be told they must wait “years” for their voter’s ID to be ready.

What the Aquino administration has done to the MRT is a crime. For his entire term, President Aquino has allowed a once valuable public transport asset to deteriorate into a public hazard to the detriment of millions of long-suffering commuters.

All this must end. government workers must once again behave like the public servants they are supposed to be, and not the petty tyrants that treat the public with disdain or worse, prey on them for their own illegal gains.

3) Make the tax system equitable.

For far too long, low- and middle-income wage earners have borne a disproportionate share of the tax burden. Filipino workers, in fact, pay the highest taxes in the region, and even the head of the National Economic and Development Authority admits that the tax system is regressive—taking as much as a third of the pay of middle-income earners. Yet the Aquino administration has rejected legislation that would grant them tax relief, saying this would hurt the country’s standing among international credit rating agencies.

It is high time the government paid more attention to Filipino taxpayers, instead of international ratings agencies. It is taxpayers, after all, who pay government salaries. The next President would do well to keep this in mind.

4) Restore confidence in the justice system. under President Aquino, the Justice Department and the office of the ombudsman have become tools for the persecution of political enemies. This they have done with a sense of urgency that is absent when those accused of wrongdoing are friends or allies of the President.

Also to our national shame, the Philippines has been branded a violator of basic human rights, then dismissed as a mere “opinion” the findings of the uN high Commissioner on human Rights that the government’s detention of former President gloria Arroyo was arbitrary, illegal and politically motivated.

The list is by no means complete, but it is a good place to start for the next President. unless, of course, this turns out to be the administration candidate who promises at every opportunity to continue “the reforms” initiated by President Aquino.

Like aged wine composer of “O Naraniag a pEnséEs Bulan,” and it was my father’s town too. But the entire family fR. Ranhilio spoke Pangalatok, besides callangan Ilocano.

Lineage went back aquino to Mangaldan, Pangasinan.

My father, Mr. Justice So it was that when the hilarion Lolarga aquino, will Japanese became vicious, turn 83 on Wednesday, the 21st the entire family escaped to of the month. he was born Pangasinan, only to endure while the star spangled banner life in the trenches because yet waved over a land that was of the bombardment that not so free but definitely the accompanied the landing of home of the brave! Camiling american forces. That made was the town of the romulos, my paternal grandmother, the Peñas and the Kippings. esperanza, anxious and on It was the town of the edge—a terrible condition at

a time that tranquilizers were not easy to come by.

The Camiling house was a typically huge middle-class residence. I was born in that house. Daddy’s parents had parcels of land that yielded palay that was more than enough for the family’s needs which is why daddy went to law school, an elder brother became a mechanical engineer, a younger brother, to medical school, one sister finished a degree in commerce and another sister became a teacher and rose through the

life has had its travails, but on the whole, it has been full of gifts, among the greatest of these, my father!

ranks of academe. But the Manila schooling of the brood took its toll, and the parcels of land were gradually sold. My father once told me that one of the reasons he decided to study law was to take up the cause of the victims of loan sharks and opportunists!

My father met my mother in law school and while both were sitting for the Bar examinations, tragedy struck: dad’s father, my grandfather Melanio, stricken by sarcoma, passed away just before the examination of the third Sunday of the

Bar. Grief-stricken, daddy was no longer interested in finishing the examination, but mommy, ever so persistent, goaded him to do so. he did, and while he did not make it to the newspapers’ list of the top 10 passers, he notched a place in the first 15 of the roster! he decided that his family would settle in tuguegarao and, though virtually unknown, he introduced himself to the public by running for public office as a municipal councilor,

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-

soon surprising all by besting natives of tuguegarao, at a time when PCOS machines did not misread results! I saw him interview clients regularly, and seeing him reading late into the night was rather common. I learned from him the lesson early in my life that it pays to be diligent, studious and earnest. When I started going to school and bringing home report cards with creditable marks, he was not remiss in his appreciation but he emphasized one thing: there could be

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

no excuse nor pretext for arrogance. and he lived that precept. he still goes by it. he entered the service of the judiciary late, because he did not want to be corrupt, and a judge’s pay was hardly enough to send the three of us who had chosen long courses to school. Mine was the most unprofitable economically— the priesthood. It is a course that is investment-intensive with no 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

Though his life is an open book, and he lives in a glass house, and his statements blunt that they don’t have to be parsed for hidden meanings, Digong Duterte can sometimes be “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”

Because of this, no Monday morning quarterbacking or weekend post mortem would be able to fully explain why he cancelled his appointment with history. We all know what happened Black Friday—by the time the sun had set, he had broken a million hearts by just uttering one word: “No.” I also belong to the clueless millions.

But here’s my theory on why he did not take the leap of faith: The man was not simply consumed by the burning ambition to be President. others would give an arm, pawn the Republic’s riches, issue Ious to funders for a sliver of hope, even a Chinaman’s chance, to become President, which some of them in fact claim as a birthright etched in some hidden coat of arms of their clan. he had everything going for him. Sans TV ads, his poll numbers were rising.

Despite being a lone-wolf campaigner —he did not seek refuge in packs otherwise known as political parties—support groups were mushrooming. Instead of soliciting it, he was spurning monetary contributions. he had no rah-rah boys in Congress who can fill an FX van. he only had volunteers who can fill Luneta.

Yet, everything was going for him that the last day of filing in Comelec became a Countdown-for-Duterte show, relegating others to sideshows.

In the checklist for a launch, all the boxes had been crossed out. But he did not press the launch button. *** Even as a candidate, Digong was a renegade. And this charming unconventionality is probably his endearing trait.

While other presidential wannabes would couch their statements in safe language, Digong’s statements were neither rehearsed nor filtered by the political-correctness police. he wanted to padlock Congress, declare a revolutionary government, bring the Reds in as a coalition partner—statements which if uttered by others would have led to their being raked over the coals. But for Digong, these only fired up his growing base.

Even his “listening tour” veered away from standard talking points. Review the tapes of all his speeches and this would emerge: he was endorsing all the candidates—Mar, grace, Binay, Miriam —except him. So this could be the basis of his oft-repeated statement that never for one moment did he say that he was 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

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A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

FROM THE BACK OF THE ROOM THERE’S a short animation from Buzzfeed currently making the rounds ADELLE of social media. The CHUA video sums up the ideas of privilege and social mobility. In just a few minutes, it is able to make an analogy for privilege, for the attitudes of those with and without privilege, and what is asked of those who were fortunate enough to have been born with it.

The comparison is simple. Imagine a room full of students, seated in different rows. A recycling bin is placed at the front of the room. The students are asked to crumple a piece of paper and then throw them into the bin.

The students at the front naturally have a better chance of shooting their crumpled paper into the bin, even as some still do not make it.

By contrast, the students at the back of the room have difficulty shooting their papers, although there are a few who make it. Those at the back naturally complain that the set-up is unfair, because the people at the front are closer to the bin.

Those at the front, however, are oblivious of their advantage, or of the unfairness of what is happening.

All they can see is the distance between their chairs and the recycling bin— nothing else. *** One is either born with plenty of opportunities The privileged are —or without. It’s usually oblivious of a random accident their advantages. of birth. We do not choose a family we are born to.

For example, I can be born as a scion of political or business family. Then, I would have a good life even before I get out of my mother’s womb. I would get fed the best baby food and have access to the best pediatric care. I would be able to attend the best school, and be chauffeured going there and back. My friends would be the equally privileged children of my parents’ friends. I would be able to develop an extra-curricular activity like a sport or a musical instrument, and spend my summer vacations in various places in the Philippines, even abroad. I could attend any university I wanted, wherever it was, and however much it cost. Actually, I would not have to worry about “finding my place in the world”—a career would most likely be imposed on me. I would be the next mayor of the town or the next CEO of the family firm.

A few of my friends or siblings would fall by the wayside, getting hooked on drugs, but most of my friends and contemporaries would be as “made” as I am.

Then again, with equal likelihood, I could be born as the ninth child of slum dwellers, scavengers for whom every day is a struggle. Early on, I could be roaming the streets for whatever I can get. If, by sheer luck, I manage to consistently attend the public school near my house, even with an empty stomach and even I have no money for a jeepney ride, I could perhaps snag a scholarship at a university. There it would be another battle, as would be the days I begin finding a job and eventually building a career. I would be aware that I am the exception rather than the rule among my friends and siblings.

Or, through no fault or virtue of my own, I could be born somewhere in between. Perhaps my parents, academics or journalists or government employees, would be renting an apartment and trying everything within their means to send me to school. They would

CHASING HAPPY

MYANMAR NEEDS PEACE BEFORE ELECTIONS take months to get established and appoint a new negotiating IN MYANMAR next month, team; the parliament won’t even elections are expected to produce choose a new president until next the country’s first democratically February.

Even then, opposition leader elected parliament since 1960.

Ideally, that government would Aung San Suu Kyi’s National inherit a country unified and at League for Democracy, widely peace after decades of battling expected to dominate the polls, is ethnic insurgencies. For that to unlikely to be able to offer ethnic happen, however, Myanmar needs groups a deal more attractive than to consolidate a nationwide cease- the one now on the table, given fire agreement and ensure that all the party’s fraught relations with the military. The chances of a parts of the country get to vote.

These goals just became more comprehensive deal aren’t going challenging, after only eight of to improve over time.

If the international community the 15 rebel groups involved in negotiations with the government wants to ensure that Myanmar’s agreed to sign a comprehensive fragile transition stays on track, ceasefire deal. This raises the it cannot merely sit back and threat of renewed violence, as monitor the November vote. It well as fears that the polls may needs to do more to improve the not go ahead in contested areas. prospects for a ceasefire now.

The government could suspend China, for one, has influence over voting in several places due to the biggest holdout, the United security concerns, as it did in 2010 Wa State Army, as well as three and 2012 elections, undermining rebel groups still fighting along the Chinese border. Beijing could the credibility of the outcome.

A continuing civil war greatly improve its reputation would in turn hamper any new within Myanmar by bringing the government’s ability to attract Wa into the fold and cutting off investment, tap natural resources any support the others may be and weaken the military’s grip on receiving on its side of the border.

The UN and Western countries power.

Authorities have indicated that should provide their own public the holdouts can always change assurances to the other rebel their minds later and join in groups, promising to monitor political negotiations that are compliance with the peace deal meant to commence now. In and to hold the Burmese military reality, any new government will to its side of the bargain. The US

has especially strong leverage now that the Burmese army is seeking equipment and a closer militaryto-military relationship. These countries should also be much more specific about the financial and technical aid that will flow to ethnic areas included within the agreement.

Suu Kyi herself, who remains the most popular figure in the country, finds herself in a difficult position.

Naturally reluctant to grant the ruling military-backed party a public-relations victory ahead of the vote, she has warned ethnic rebels not to rush into a bad deal.

But continued fighting would only reinforce the military’s argument that it alone can guarantee the nation’s unity and sovereignty. If Suu Kyi is to maximize her party’s influence after the elections, she needs Myanmar to be at peace.

Quietly at least, she should make clear that the remaining holdouts would be wise to sign now, so that a new government can take the country forward and stop fighting the battles of the past.

with him a wealth of experience as trial lawyer, trial judge prospect of economic return. and law professor. He loved But when my father finally teaching and still does. He was accepted appointment to the an examiner in the Bar twice, judgeship, he conducted himself but he was not one out to display as he continues to lecture brilliance in questions that today’s judges: with dignity, but befuddle and confound. His without conceit, with becoming were the reasonable questions of distance without aloofness, with a wise pedagogue! His teaching respect without obsequiousness! experience, he put to good And he was respected by all. use as Chairman of the Legal Winning the twin awards of Education Board, a position he Outstanding Trial Court Judge continues to hold today on a and Outstanding Decision in hold-over capacity.

Remedial Law, he was appointed Old age has taken its toll on to the Court of Appeals. But by him. But when I think of him, I the time he reached the court of think of my young daddy running penultimate appeal, he brought after a kite he had made for us that

had cut free of the twine; I think of him fashioning a work of art of a lantern for Christmas; I think of him teaching me how to drive a lumbering Chevrolet and seeing his expression of exasperation because I could not quite get the art of stepping on the accelerator and releasing the clutch pedal in sync, I think of him cracking his jokes, sometimes corny, but always amusing.

Life has had its travails, but on the whole, it has been full of gifts, among the greatest of these, my father!

Bloomberg editorial

LIKE... From A9

remind me constantly about how important education is because it is the ticket to a better life. And of course I would do better, perhaps get a scholarship or an overseas training and then come back here to land a solid job— all because of my grit and hard work. I would think, yes, my parents were right, after all. And I would bombard my children with the same life lessons. *** Many of us decry the unfair advantages of the elite in this country over the greater bulk to whom daily survival is the norm. It is easy to resort to blame.

Blame the poor, for being lazy. Blame the government for not being able to provide opportunities for upward mobility. Blame ourselves for voting into office, if not the same people, then the same families, or the same kind of politicians who believe occupying posts is their birthright.

OUT OF THE BOX RITA LINDA V. JIMENO Atty. Jimeno’s column will resume next week.

rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

But blaming is not going to get us anywhere. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have thrown our crumpled pieces of paper into the bin, however far we were from it to begin with, should not stop there.

Let us enjoy the fruits of our hard work—it’s always a good feeling to look back at how far we have come through our own efforts—but let us also ensure that more people come closer to the bin and are given a fair chance to cast their lot.

In an ideal world, there are no first rows and fourth rows, and everybody shoots from the same distance. Since this world is just that—ideal—many things remain to be done. And we don’t all have to be grandstanding megalomaniacs make sure we get closer to the dream. adellechua@gmail.com

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Tipping is sTrange, and sTrangely hard To geT rid of put a smiley face on your check (though apparently this only RestauRateuR Danny Meyer works for female servers).

It’s evidently possible to run a is planning to eliminate tips at his restaurant group’s 13 restaurants service industry without lavish tips, by the end of next year. among because many places in europe other things, the New York don’t tip, or don’t tip on anything Times suggests this will lower like the american scale. I’ll never the disparity in pay between the forget the evening that a German back of the house, which makes acquaintance, in possession of a an average of around $12 an lavish financial-industry bonus hour, and the servers, who pull in and an impromptu ticket to New York, took me on a tour of the considerably more than that.

Meyer is part of a small but city’s more luxurious hotspots. It interesting movement among was only at the end of the night, restaurants and bars. a bar when he didn’t tip the coat-check without tips just opened near my girl, that I realized that we must house in Washington; New York have left a trail of fury behind us has a few places that no longer all evening. another friend claims support tipping. Prices will that in sweden, a lovely teenage naturally have to rise to reflect server once ran out of a restaurant increased labor costs. Meyer says and chased him down—because that servers’ incomes will not fall, he’d forgotten his money on the but I am skeptical on this point. table. so if it’s not about rewarding But it will certainly be interesting to see if Meyer manages to slay good service, why do we tip? Notice tipping—and if so, whether other that we do it in some circumstances, but not others. We tip the bellhop, restaurants will follow suit. to get a sense of whether this but not the clerk at reception. The is likely to work, it seems worth waitress, but not the person behind asking: Why do we tip? tipping is, the target checkout counter. These after all, a rather strange custom. disparities offer our first clue to the We tell ourselves that it exists to mystery: We tip people who are ensure good service, but in fact, providing the services that used most people are very reluctant to to be performed by household undertip even when the service servants, but not the people who has been appalling. They follow do the jobs of tradesmen or retail the norms of tipping even when clerks. It’s possible that this grew they are never going to see that out of the old tradition of tipping waiter again, and therefore don’t servants when you went to stay at need to worry about retaliation. someone’s house.

But that only gets us so far, Meanwhile, all sorts of things seem to affect tipping that have because it doesn’t explain what nothing to do with the quality purpose this ritual serves. The of the service, like the race of most promising theories of the server and whether they tipping are as follows:

It is about envy. In a 1972 paper titled “The anatomy of envy,” anthropologist George Foster argues that tipping functions the same way that gift exchanges worked among our hunter-gatherer ancestors. In small communities, people who have better fortune or success than others are targets of envy. The targets of envy use gifts to mitigate those feelings, lest their neighbors decide to destroy the object of their covetousness. This may explain why the custom seems confined to relatively intimate services, which maximize the discomfort of having more than someone else.

It exploits pricing irrationality.

The true cost of a meal is the price of the food and drink, plus the tip you will feel honor bound to leave. But people aren’t necessarily so good at doing those calculations. In the same way that airlines lure you in with a cheap fare and then pile on costs for baggage and food, restaurants may maximize their revenue by declaring a lower cost for the meal, and then having customers pay the wait staff separately. This is why restaurateurs are afraid to move away from the tipping model; they’re afraid they’ll lose customers who do not view a $20 meal with a $4 tip the same way they do a $24 meal.

It’s tax arbitrage. tip income is supposed to be declared on your taxes, but—I know this will shock many of you—it often isn’t. This saves restaurateurs their portion of the payroll tax, and allows servers to enjoy a healthy dose of tax-free income. The benefits of this tax

arbitrage have been disappearing else. entrenched customs represent a as credit card tipping has become social equilibrium, and moving away ubiquitous, and this theory would from that equilibrium is difficult to predict that the rarer cash tips do on your own. become, the more we’ll see a move Waiting tables will probably away from tipping. become a somewhat less It gives servers higher average attractive job as taxes rise and incomes, at the cost of more wages fall. and I would expect volatility. serving is somewhat the quality of service to decline feast or famine. at an ordinary somewhat, because tips are (very restaurant, the difference between slightly) related to the customer’s what you make on your slowest experience. Waiting tables is night and your best could run 100 a job that’s easy to do badly percent. In general, you have to and comparatively difficult for pay people to accept more income managers to monitor. There’s a volatility, which may explain why reason that those sorts of jobs wait staff make so much more than frequently pay on commission. people in the back of the house.

Many people argue that tipping For young people without a lot of is inefficient and offensively fixed expenses, this is a relatively paternalistic. But even if you attractive deal. agree—heck, even if a majority Given these theories, what of your society agrees—that should we expect from a move doesn’t mean it will be easy to away from tips? The obvious one switch to a better model. Doing is that prices will go up somewhat, so will require resetting a lot of while I’d expect server income expectations all at once. to fall, especially after taxes are entrepreneurs do occasionally taken into account. succeed in changing industry Now, a very successful restaura- business models, even ones as teur like Meyer, who fills his tables ubiquitous as tipping. But this pretty easily, may be able to nego- is bigger than a business model. tiate that transition. He’ll have a Others have tried before to change decent margin to increase server powerful social equilibria. Few wages, and many of his custom- have managed to, er, tip the scale. ers probably aren’t terrifically price Bloomberg sensitive. He may even attract customers who prefer not to think about tipping, and servers who so prefer a steadier wage.

I see But across the industry, this transition will be harder. Many LIto people make a habit of checking banayo menu prices before they book a restaurant; they may not notice that Mr. Banayo’s column will the price includes service, and may resume this week. therefore decide to go somewhere

duterte’s... From A9

trenched his presence even more. he has left a residue that will affect the campaign and the candidates. What duterte did was to write the agenda for 2016. he has listed the job qualifications of the next president. he has drafted a what-is-to-be-done memo to the country. These, to many, is the benefit of an aborted duterte run. first, he’s telling us to use performance as a benchmark in selecting our leaders, to eschew sound bites, cute memes, or staff-generated quotable quotes, for the boring prose of real track record. he has davao to tout

as Exhibit a of his managerial acumen. i wonder what others would show for.

Second, he is putting Mindanao on the agenda. When presidencies are won or lost by a couple of hundred thousand votes, those who want to win should nail Mindanao, with its 13 million votes, as a major plank in his platform.

Third, he is echoing the concerns of local governments. federalism is power to the people, phrased otherwise. fourth, he’s telling candidates not to ignore the Bisayaspeaking peoples. Whoever sits in Malacañang next must first

By Megan Mcardle

gunning for the presidency. yes, he went on a roadshow, but to pitch for federalism and not himself.

Even his sorties were unconventional. There were no bused-in crowds to give canned applause on cue. There were no twerking curtain-raisers. While others would dwell on light stuff for fear that they would give their audience a “nosebleed,” digong was lecturing like the law professor that he once was. for him, there was no low common denominator that he should stoop down to. So

he talked about the otherwise bland topic of federalism for hours and it did not bore his audience. only he can get away with marathon teach-ins.

Maoists have spent half a century preaching about “isms” with little traction. digong needed only months to preach about federalism and he was able to make converts out of millions. *** This is the duterte paradox. he has left the race, but his influence lingers. he has abandoned his ambition, but he has implanted his cause. he had exited the stage, but he has en-

#failocracy

excite this part of the country as well as duterte does. fifth, duterte’s image as a law-and-order executive will ensure that curbing criminality will be main topic of the forthcoming presidential derby. This issue is on the front burner.

Sixth, duterte has said that the next President should be secure and mature enough to crowdsource talent, reach out to adversaries, and even cobble together a government from competitors, some sort of a “team of rivals” in the lincoln mold.

The next President should make a mental note of this.

chong ardivilla

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Royals grab 2-0 lead over Jays KANSAS CITY—The Kansas City Royals rallied with five runs in the seventh inning to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.

With a berth in Major League Baseball’s World Series on the line in the best-of-seven set, the Royals were trailing 3-0 when they finally got to Toronto starting pitcher David Price in the bottom of the seventh.

Price had retired 18 straight batters—a Blue Jays playoff club record—including striking out three in the sixth.

But the Royals launched a rally with Ben Zobrist’s shallow fly to right field.

Blue Jays second baseman Ryan Goins, running back, appeared to call for the ball and outfielder Jose Bautista slowed his run toward it.

But neither caught it, and Zobrist had the Royals’ first hit since the first inning.

“We just needed to catch a break, and I felt like Zobrist’s ball was it and then we started rolling,” said Royals outfielder Alex Gordon, whose double in the inning scored the go-ahead run.

Goins took responsibility.

“I put my glove up and pretty much was saying ‘I’m going to make this play,’ and then I didn’t make the play, so it’s on me,” he said.

“I put my glove up. That’s pretty much our sign. It means for the outfielder to back off. Nothing can be

said about it. I didn’t make the play.”

Lorenzo Cain then singled to right, Eric Hosmer singled to score Zobrist, Kendrys Morales grounded out to score Cain and Mike Moustakas snapped an 0-for-13 skid with a run-scoring single to tie it.

After Price struck out Salvador Perez, Gordon worked the count full before belting a double that scored Morales and chased Price.

Price insisted Zobrist’s hit “absolutely” did not impact him.

“I stay in the present,” Price said.

“I don’t worry about what happened in the past. I focused on Cain and the next guys. It just didn’t work out.”

Alex Rios singled in one more run off Blue Jays reliever Aaron Sanchez for a 5-3 Royals lead.

The outburst recalled the Royals’ five-run eighth inning in their

game-four win over the Houston Astros in the previous round of the playoffs, as well as their rally from a four-run deficit in the eighth inning of last season’s wild card game.

“Once you do it once, you kind of get used to it,” Gordon said of the Royals’ ability to rally. “We just battle and never give up.”

They padded their lead with another run in the eighth, leaving the Blue Jays hoping a shift to Toronto for games three and four on Monday and Tuesday will signal a change in fortunes.

After getting on the board with a run in the third, Toronto added two more in the sixth when designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion’s single drove in third baseman Josh Donaldson and Bautista, who had walked, scored on a double from Troy Tulowitzki. AFP

Eric Hosmer (35) of the Kansas City Royals scores a run as Russell Martin (55) of the Toronto Blue Jays is unable to make the tag in the seventh inning during game two of the American League Championship Series at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. AFP

Bonanza opener reset for Tuesday DUE to inclement weather spawned

by Typhoon Lando, the organizing EventKing Corp. cancelled today’s scheduled opening of the 2015 Bingo Bonanza National Open badminton tournament at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

The opening matches, featuring two men’s singles, four men’s doubles and one mixed doubles, will instead be held tomorrow (Tuesday) starting at 9 a.m. after the 8 a.m. team managers and coaches meeting, Top notch badminton action resumes at 1 p.m. with eight explosive women’s Open singles matches to be followed by 16 men’s Open singles games in the tournament sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and sec-gen Rep. Albee Benitez and organized by EventKing Corp. and sponsored by Gatorade, Glorietta, Smash Pilipinas and the Philippine Olympic Committee. AFP

Caida eyes 3rd victory LEAGUE-LEADING Caida Tiles tries to continue its winning streak when it shoots for its third straight win when it plays sister team Racal Kama Motors in the PCBL Founders Cup at the Filoil Flying V Arena.

The two teams square off at 4 p.m. in this tournament supported

by Spalding, Accel, Aquabest and Ambucore.

Fresh from their 94-82 win over Jumbo Plastic, the Tile Masters are favored to win against the Jing Ruizmentored Kama Motors, who have ex-pros JR Cawaling and Rudy Lingganay in the line up.

But for Caida Tiles coach Mike Buendia, rebounding and turnovers are his main concerns, hoping they could address it right away at this early stage of the tournament.

“This is a strong tournament and it’s too early to tell (on our chances), but it’s clear we have several lapses we need to work on and that’s rebounding and turnovers,” said Buendia, an assistant coach of

Games today (The Arena) 4 p.m. – Racal Kama Motors vs Caida Tiles 6 p.m. – Foton Toplander vs Sta. Lucia

Rain or Shine head mentor Yeng Guiao in the PBA. If there’s one aspect the Tile Masters should continue working on, it’s their fast breaking game.

Against Jumbo Plastic, they scored 19 points off transition.

Sta. Lucia and Foton Toplander collide in the main game at 6 p.m.

The Realtors finally barged their way to the win column, but not after another endgame collapse that nearly cost them the game against Supremo Lex. “It’s something we need to address. We have a tendency to celebrate early and that nearly cost us the match. It goes to show that despite our talented team, we still lack maturity,” said Sta. Lucia coach Bonni Garcia.

Leader. Brendan Steele plays a shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the Frys.com Open.

Steele fired a three-under par 69 on Saturday and will take a oneshot lead into the final round of the Frys.com Open in search of a wire-to-wire win. World number three Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland struggled with his putter for the third straight day. His 71 left him eight shots adrift in a tie for 39th. AFP

Mets take Game 1 NEW YORK—Matt Harvey pitched well into the eighth and made a few fielding gems as the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 Saturday in game one of the NL Championship Series.

Second baseman Daniel Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud belted solo home runs and Murphy capped off another brilliant performance with a diving snag on a hot grounder before throwing to first for the final out of the contest.

“I found it early and kept with it. I was able to mix pitches up,” Harvey said.

“I wanted to go out there and get strikes, mix things up and not get into a routine.

And the guys made all the plays behind me.”

Harvey, who faced the Cubs just once in 2015 and went seven scoreless innings, struck out nine, allowed four hits and walked two in 7 2/3 innings.

Murphy has now hit homers in a career-high three straight games for the Mets, who are playing in their first Major League baseball playoff semi-final series since 2006.

The winner of the series will face either the Kansas City Royals or the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series.

Game two is Sunday in New York before the series shifts to Chicago on Tuesday for game three. Mets rookie right-hander Noah Syndergaard will take the mound against Cubs ace right-hander Jake Arrieta on Sunday. AFP

Lancers force sudden death

By Mikey Izumi CEBU CITY—Ten-time Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation collegiate league champion University of Visayas Green Lancers displayed their championship heritage by forcing a suddendeath showdown against the University of San Carlos Warriors with a 60-52 victory before a huge crowd at the Cebu Coliseum on Saturday.

For the fifth year in a row, the intense rivalry forced a fifth game after the Green Lancers rallied in the fourth quarter to score a come-from-behind victory against the Warriors.

USC missed its chance to clinch the series.

The Warriors led, 30-22, at the half behind their threepoint shooting. They overcame the foul trouble ofCameroonian import Shooster Olago, who played limited minutes and could only score two points in the first half.

A scintillating 11-0 run in the third quarter, behind the deadly duo of Jun Kent Manzo and Franz Arong, who combined for 15 points in the period, allowed UV to cut the Warriors’ lead to three points, 44-41, going into the payoff quarter.

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

‘Lando’ washes out V-League, Spiker’s

Navy’s Lilet Mabbayad (11) scores on an attack point against Coast Guard’s Melissa Ogana during their Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Reinforced Conference at The Arena in San Juan City.

Centro Escolar 5, St. Paul near titles CENTRO Escolar University moved to within a win shy of its fifth straight seniors’ crown while St. Paul College Pasig and Chiang Kai Shek College likewise prevailed in their finals opener in the 46th WNCAA basketball tournament last Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The CEU Lady Scorpions, drawing 24 points from twotime Most Valuable Player Janine Pontejos, turned back Rizal Technological University, 64-55.

Opeyemi Lawan and Cristine Caranto chipped in 12 points each for CEU which remained undefeated after sweeping all its seven elimination games and beating San Beda College Alabang in the semifinals.

In the midgets’ finals, St. Paul outlasted De La Salle Zobel, 42-

36, with Rafaella Maxine Almeda leading all scorers with 18 points.

Carly Kaye Monreal led DLSZ, which is likewise eyeing a fifth straight championship, with 13 points.

CKSC also took Game 1 of its juniors finals clash against DLSZ, 63-50.

Caila Galamiton fired 26 points for CKSC, the champion two years ago but yielded the title to La Salle College Antipolo last year in the league being supported by Gosen, Mi-

kasa, Molten, Goody, Converse, Colgate, Sonak Trading, MJC Printing Press and media partners Inquirer, Bulletin, Philippine Star, Sports5, Magic 89.9 and Chalk Magazine.

CEU, St. Paul and CKSC will go for the clincher next Saturday after yesterday’s matches were postponed due to Typhoon Lando. If neeeded, Game 3 will be played the following day.

The Senior scores: CEU 64-Pontejos 24, Lawan 12, Caranto 12, Dologue 6, Galco 4, Ventura 4, Lacson 2, Solis 0.

RTU 55-Duazo 26, inoferio 13, Jaberto 8, Santos 4, Mantos 2, Mier 2, Orillana 0, Castillano 0, Pocallan 0, Ybañez 0, Dioniso 0, Halawig 0, Canelas 0.

Quarters: 16-9, 32-19, 44-39, 64-55

THE organizing Sports Vision yesterday cancelled all games in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 and Spikers’ Turf Season 1 Reinforced Conferences scheduled at The Arena in San Juan City due to inclement weather.

The matches, pitting Army against UP and PLDT versus Kia Forte in the Shakey’s V-League, and Navy against Instituto Estetico Manila in the Spikers’ Turf, will instead be played on Nov. 15.

Meanwhile, Air Force bounced back from a third set defeat to repulse Cignal HD, 25-22, 25-18, 20-25, 25-21, late Saturday to seize the solo lead in the Spikers’ Turf with a 2-0 slate .

Cignal, which also dropped a straight-set defeat to PLDT, fell to

Games Oct. 24 3 pm -. Sta Elena vs Cignal 5 pm - PLDT vs IEM

0-2 and in danger of missing the semis in the season-ending conference of the inaugural men’s league presented

by PLDT Home Ultera.

Earlier, Sta. Elena pounced on erratic PLDT Home Ultera side to fashion out a shock 25-22, 2521, 14-25, 29-27 victory for a 1-1 card.

Arjay Ona and Myco Antonio unloaded 17 and 12 hits, including 15 and nine attack points, respectively, while skipper Rocky Honrade came through with four blocks to help seal the Wrecking Balls’ victory after dropping a 21-25, 2521, 19- 25, 18-25 decision to the Navy Sailors last week.

Book on coach Dalupan launched today in Ateneo

By Eddie Alinea FILIPINO coaching legend Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan, who has a record 49 title victories, the most by any of his peers both here and abroad, will be depicted in a book titled “The Maestro of Philippine Baskeball.”

Weather permitting, the book will be launched tonight in a meaningful ceremony with Baby himself, his wife Nenang or Lourdes in real life (nee Gaston) and their children in attendance to greet their guests.

The affair starts at 6 p.m. at the Mariano R. Singson Jr. Hall Grade School Campus inside the Ateneo campus, where Dalupan started his career as a basketball and football player and a bemedalled sprinter.

“Sana naman huminto na ang bagyo bukas para hindi na mapostpone,” said Cecille, Dalupan’s only daughter who inherited her

father’s athletic prowess having been a gymnast, who represented the country in several international competitions.

The bulk of Dalupan’s championship collection came as mentor of the University of the East, the school founded by his father, Francisco Dalupan. He gifted UE with 18 trophies, 12 in the UAAP, seven of them in non-stop fashion, and six intercollegiate plums.

He also owns a pair of NCAA titles with he Ateneo Blue Eagles, who he guided to titles back-toback in the 1975-1976 and 19761977 seasons.

With Crispa Redmanizers and in partnership with his kumpadre Danny Floro, Dalupan took home all there was to win in the pre-PBA era for a total 13 titles in the MICAA Open, MICAA All-Filipino, Nagional Open, National Seniors, Meropolitan Open, Palarong Pilipino, Tournament of Champions and National Invitational.

Macalalad tops SuperTriKids at Anvaya Cove SHOWING better form this time around, 12-year-old Everly Janarie Macalalad topped her age-group to lead winners in the eighth Anvaya Cove Beach and Nature Club SuperTriKids in Morong, Bataan.

The youngest among five siblings, who dream to follow the footsteps of elder brother and national junior team member Edward Jared, Everly Janarie timed 19 minutes and 44 seconds in the 11-12 age category, disputed at a 300-m swim, 4-km bike and 2-km run distance last Saturday. Her time was remarkable since it was faster even against the boy’s champion Clifford Pusing, who clocked at 20:31.

“This is the second time I’ve competed here.

Last year, I only came third. But this time, I’m more focused and prepared for this race and I’m happy I won,” said Macalalad, who is a Grade 6 student at Colegio San Agustin in Binan, Laguna.

Finishing second to Macalalad in this two-day race supported by Ayala Premier, Globe Business, Standard Insurance, Gatorade and Philippine Olympic Committee was Alison Ann Noble at 20:58, while the bronze medal went to Erica Maive Bulatao at 22:53.

Samuel Compton and Daniel Nazarro came second and third behind Pusing at 20:59 and 21:20. Mark Grist (11:11), and brothers Jose Maria (12:18) and Juan Miguel Tayag (12:20), along with Ariel Feuermann (13:29), Justicia Mariearl Tan (13:59) and Calista Felise Silamor (20:51) took the Top 3 places in the boys’ and girls’ 9-10 age group (200m swim-2km bike-1-km run), while Sebastian Thomas Tunaya (1:48), Yuan Aldridge Dela Rosa (1:49), Sky Xander Guevarra (1:55) and Ma. Sabino Magsanoc (1:36), Dylan Ealizah Canlas (2:05) and Jazmine Fay Borja (3:01) won medals in the Under 8 aquathlon event (25-m swim, 200-m run).

The elite race yesterday pushed through, but the participants were able to display only their running prowess as the organizers decided to shelve the swim and bike disciplines due to the huge waves and slippery routes brought by Typhoon Lando.

Competitors were all satisfied because the event was conducted in a well-organized manner, with employees from the first-class Anvaya Cove Beach & Nature Club and selected Aetas

Run Against Dengue. Tempra and Subterranean Ideas have again joined forces to hold the fourth Tempra Run Against Dengue-Family Run slated on Nov. 14 (Saturday) at the Quirino Grandstand. Shown displaying the event’s race poster are (from left) Cleo Roda Nodado, Marketing Manager of Taisho; Tito Tolentino, Country Manager of Taisho Pharmaceutical (Philippines); Ma. Eric Pablo Lejano, Business Unit Director; and Subterranean Ideas’ managing director Randy Caluag.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Nepal admits game-fixing vs Azkals

By Peter Atencio FIVE former and current members of the Nepal national football team have been arrested on suspicion they were involved in game-fixing, which includes a friendly game with the Philippine Azkals in 2011.

Young sprinters dash under the fair weather during the 39th National MILO Marathon in General Santos City.

Languido, Tabal win Milo race in GenSan GENERAL SANTOS CITY– Reigning Marathon Queen and Southeast Asian Games medalist Mary Joy Tabal and Marathon veteran Juneil Languido breezed through the running routes at the National MILO Marathon qualifying leg in General Santos on Sunday.

About 9,000 runners joined the race, making this year’s Marathon the biggest fun run in General Santos, to date.

Languido and Tabal each took home the top prize of P10,000 in cash and a trophy; and earned their slots to the National Marathon Finals.

The finals will be held in Angeles on Dec. 6, where they will meet the nation’s elite runners in a heated grand finale to claim the MILO Marathon King and Queen titles.

To provide another level of prestige to the competition and incentive for the runners, this year’s King and Queen will be sent by MILO to the USA on all-expense paid trips, for a chance to run in the prestigious 2016 Boston Marathon.

Languido posted a time of 01:14:04, over-

coming his rivals Elmer Bartolo (01:16:47) and Gilbert Maluyo (01:20:42) who finished in second and third place, respectively. In the distaff side, Tabal ruled with a time of 01:21:42, relegating Mona Liza Ambasa (01:35:03) to second place and Noemu Andrea Galeos (01:52:44) in third.

The 31-year-old farms watchman has been running in the Marathon for four years now, consistently winning in the regional legs. Last year, he placed first in Cagayan De Oro. This is his third time to win in General Santos. “My training for this race has not been that good, so I have to improve for the National Finals.

My goal is to get into the top 10,” shared Languido. “It would be a great achievement if I could accomplish it, because the MILO Marathon is where the best and the strongest runners compete.”

Fresh from guiding her grassroots students who competed in the Marathon Cebu leg, it was Tabal’s turn to showcase her prowess on the race routes. It is the 26-year-old Cebuana

sixth time to join the Marathon, and she aims to defend her title in the National Finals.

“It’s my first time to race in GenSan, and it’s a good experience for me to experience the other regional legs in Visayas in Mindanao,” shared Tabal. “I joined this race as part of my training for the finals, to test my progress.

So far, I’m on track in my training, but I’m continuously working on my conditioning to have a better chance of retaining my crown.”

The National Marathon is not only a breeding ground for local talents but also a program that empowers underserved children nationwide.

With the support of the Department of Education and the National Marathon runners, MILO’s Help Gives Shoes advocacy will provide 10,000 underprivileged youth with brand new running shoes this year. MILO is working with DepEd in the selection of deserving public school student beneficiaries.

The race will resume in in Davao on Nov, 8, before heading to Butuan (Nov. 15) and Cagayan De Oro (Nov. 22).

PBA season opener reset for Wednesday

By Jeric Lopez

CONCERNED for the safety of the public, the Philippine Basketball Association postponed the Sunday opening of its 41st season to avoid the wrath of Typhoon Lando.

The opening of the league pitting powerhouses Rain or Shine and Star will now take place on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, instead of the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The opening ceremony and

parade shall be conducted prior to the initial game of the season to officially kick off the league’s 41st edition.

The league announced the postponement of its opening day with a statement from the commissioner’s office yesterday

morning.

Metro Manila was put under signal No. 2 yesterday due to heavy rainfall and strong winds caused by the typhoon.

This is the first time in league history that an opening playdate was postponed.

According to news reports from Nepal, arrests were made following efforts made the Asian Football Confederation and the Nepal police to investigate suspected incidences of game-fixing.

Among those arrested were team captain Sagar Thapa, Sandip Rai, Ritesh Thapa, Bikash Singh Chhetri and Anjan KC. They were allegedly involved in match-fixing since 2008.

According to investigators, former national coach Graham Roberts admitted there was match fixing during a friendly game with the Philippine Azkals in 2011.

The Azkals won their game against Nepal, 4-0, at the Rizal Football Stadium in Manila.

Robert told probers that he was informed by a bookie from Singapore that the match against the Philippines was fixed and his players are involved.

This was the reason why he replaced Sagar in the first 18 minutes.

The bookie, according to probers and Roberts, asked Nepal to concede four goals. They did.

Altas looking for a new coach

By Peter Atencio VETERAN strategist Aric del Rosario will step down as head coach of the University of Perpetual Help Altas.

Lester Del Rosario, son of coach Del Rosario and who also serves as one of his assistant coaches, broke the news which was confirmed by Jeff Tamayo, who is the school’s representative to the board of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Tamayo said Del Rosario, who has handled the Altas for the last four years, deserves a break and will instead take on the job of consultant of the team.

School officials decided to replace Del Rosario after the Altas failed to advance to the Final Four of the 91st NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

The Altas had a good chance of making it to the Final Four. But three straight losses at the end of elimination round knocked them out of contention. They finished at sixth place with an 11-7 record including a crucial, 64-93, loss to the Letran Knights last Oct. 9.

Lopez-Perez tops PCA singles; Alcantara-Arcilla bags doubles TOP SEED Enrique LopezPerez of Spain got over his finals’ jitters in the first set and stormed through the second against third pick Kento Takeuchi of Japan, 7-6 (4), 6-4, to clinch the singles’ title in the 34th Philippine Columbian Association OpenCebuana Lhuillier ITF Men’s Futures 2 yesterday at the PCA clay courts in Paco, Manila.

Hitting a spate of double faults in a match that took almost two hours, Lopez-Perez was able to revive his game with killer baseline attack and better court coverage.

“I lost my confidence in the first set that resulted to a close game. But I just decided to play my game and run. He’s [Takeuchi] really good, he also likes to

fight until the last point but I think he likes hard court better than clay court,” said LopezPerez, who took home his second ITF title for the year. The first was in Chandigarh, India in March.

It was a sweet victory for the 24-year-old Spaniard, who was ousted by Takeuchi in the semifinals of the Manila ITF Men’s Futures 1 two weekends ago via another grueling match, 6-2, 1-6, 4-6.

Aside from the prestigious crown, Lopez-Perez also bagged $2,160, while Takeuchi settled for the runner-up purse of $1,272 in the tournament supported by Cebuana Lhuillier, Puma, Dunlop, The Philippine Star, Head, Babolat,

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Compass/IMOSTI and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao.

Earlier, local standouts Francis Casey Alcantara and eight-time PCA Open titlist Johnny Arcilla took home the doubles’ crown in the event sponsored by Whilpool/Fujidenzo, Broadway Motor Sales Corp. Coca-Cola Femsa Philippines, Tyrecorp Incorporated, Pearl Garden Hotel, Metro Global Holdings Corporation, Avida, PVL Restaurant, Mary Grace Foods, Inc., Seno Hardware and Wire Rope Corporation.

The quick-fire tandem of Alcantara and Arcilla pulled off a stunning upset against top seeds Katsuki Nagao and Hiromasa Oku of Japan, 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles’ champion Johnny Arcilla and Francis Casey Alcantara display their trophies.

M O N DAY : O CTO B E R 1 9 , 2 0 1 5

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Djokovic pounds Tsonga for crown SHANGHAI—Novak Djokovic handed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga a 6-2, 6-4 beating on Sunday as the world number one claimed his third Shanghai Masters title to brutally reinforce his reign over men’s tennis.

The one-sided win in one hour, 18 minutes at the Qi Zhong Stadium gave Serbia’s Djokovic his ninth title of a season in which he also won three out of the four Grand Slam finals.

Djokovic’s serve was broken once but he broke the floundering Tsonga four times as he collected his 10th title in China on the back of a 17-match winning streak including 22 straight sets.

Djokovic was similarly dominant over Andy Murray in the semi-finals and he has looked untouchable in both Shanghai and Beijing, where he won his sixth China Open last week.

After a rock-star welcome complete with dry ice and earsplitting music, Tsonga was quickly in trouble and he nervously netted on break points in the first and third games to go 3-0 down.

Some rare Djokovic errors gave Tsonga a break of his own but he immediately handed back the initiative to the Serb, who calmly served out to love for 6-3 and a one-set lead.

Tsonga hammered his second ace of the afternoon to get off the mark in the second set, and then two service winners and two more aces helped him neutralise a break

point and go 2-1 ahead.

Djokovic held his first three service games to love, ramping up pressure on the Frenchman, but Tsonga held firm and he unleashed a crunching forehand to stay in front 4-3.

The Frenchman bravely stared down five break points in the second set but on the sixth, he finally cracked with a double fault to put Djokovic 5-4 ahead and serving for the match.

And the Serb did not need asking twice, grabbing the first match point when Tsonga put a lob long, and then soaking up the acclaim from the early evening crowd.

LeBron to miss rest of pre-season C L EV E L A N D — C l e v e l a n d Cavaliers star LeBron James might not play the remainder of the NBA pre-season, coach David Blatt said, due to back pain that reportedly prompted James to have an antiinflammatory injection.

James missed his second game in a row Thursday when the Cavaliers lost to Indiana 107-85 and ESPN reported Friday that the star player, who missed several games last season with back issues, received an injection as a precaution ahead of a planned rest period before

the team opens the season October 27 against Chicago.

“We’re really happy with how LeBron came into camp. Came in great shape,” Blatt said.

“We want to take good care of him for the start of the season.

As you know in his great and storied career, he has amassed a lot of miles. We’re trying to keep those pre-season miles to a minimum.”

Cleveland has two more preseason games and a week between the last one and the opener.

“I certainly don’t expect him to play both games and I don’t

know if he’ll even play one,” Blatt said. “We’ll see.”

James, 30, enters his 13th NBA season averaging 11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two pre-season games with a Cavaliers team that has few healthy starters.

The Cleveland injury list includes Kyrie Irving (knee surgery), Iman Shumpert (wrist surgery), Kevin Love (shoulder surgery), J.R. Smith (hamstring), Australian Matthew Dellavedova (sore ankle) and Russian Timofey Mozgov (knee surgery).

University of Santo Tomas’ Kevin Ferrer (left) scores against National University’s Alfred Aroga in a National Collegiate Athletic Association game won by the Tigers, 65-57. BROSI GONZALES

Tamaraw spikers advance to finals Games today

(Sands SM By The Bay) 8 a.m. - ADMU vs DLSU (Women Semis) 8:30 a.m. - ADMU vs UST (Men Finals, Game 1) 9 a.m. - FEU vs ADMU/DLSU (Women Finals, Game 1)

By Peter Atencio

National University celebrates after winning another UAAP men’s badminton crown.

THE Far Eastern University pair of Bernadeth Pons and Kyla Atienza toppled Adamson’s Myla Paat and Jessica Galanza, 21-13, 21-19, in their Final Four showdown in the women’s division of the 78th University Athletic Assocation of the Philippines beach volleyball tournament Saturday at the Sands of the Mall of Asia.

The Lady Tamaraws, who topped the eliminations with a 6-1 record, became the first team to advance to the finals.

They now await the winner of the semifinal encounter between the Ateneo Lady Eagles and De La Salle University.

The pair of Alyssa Valdez and Bea Tan kept Ateneo’s championship hopes alive after they prevailed over La Salle’s Kim Fajardo and Cyd Demecillo, 21-16, 24-22, to extend

Bulldogs hammer Archers, keep badminton plum NATIONAL University hammered out a 3-1 win over a gritty De La Salle side to capture its second straight men’s badminton crown in the UAAP Season 78 Saturday.

Roslee Pedrosa and Paul Gonzales found brothers Kenneth and Prince Monterubio a tough nut to crack before escaping with a 18-21, 21-15, 22-20 decision in the second doubles, which turned out to be the winning moment for the Bulldogs at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

Unbeaten in 18 ties since last season, NU has won three titles in the last four years, cementing its status as the league’s new power in men’s badminton.

For the second straight season, the Green Archers bagged second place and the Bulldogs’ MVP Peter Magnaye credited their vanquished foes for giving a hard fight in Game 2.

“Masaya kami dahil nagbunga lahat ng pinaghirapan namin,” said the 23-year-old

Magnaye, who bade goodbye to his collegiate career. “Sobrang ganda ng inilaro ng La Salle, hindi sila bumigay.”

NU drew first blood after Roslee Pedrosa downed Anton Cayanan in the opening singles, 21-11, 21-18.

Kenneth Monterubio gave the Archers their first win in the Finals series after defeating Keeyan Gabuelo, 21-18, 2022, 21-19, in the second singles for a 1-1 standoff.

their Final Four duel to a suddendeath match.

If weather permits, the two teams will meet for the last time in a do-ordie match at 8 a.m. today.

The Lady Eagles are gunning for their first Finals’ appearance since 2011, while the Lady Spikers are eyeing their second consecutive stint in the championship.

In men’s action, University of Santo Tomas, behind Roy Guzman and Anthony Arbasto, upset National University’s Madz Gampong and Bryan Bagunas, 2114, 17-21, 15-11, in their rubber match in the rain-delayed stepladder semifinals.

This placed UST in a finals duel with thrice-to-beat Ateneo.

The third-ranked Growling Tigers earlier posted a 21-14, 17-21, 15-11, decision in their first encounter.

The Blue Eagles’ Marck Espejo and Ysay Marasigan, will take on the Tigers in the Finals opener at 8:30 a.m.

The league rescheduled its semifinals and finals matches which was supposed to be played yesterday, to Sunday because of typhoon Lando.

LOTTO RESULTS

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

P16M

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

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK m o n D AY : o c t o b e r 1 9, 2 0 1 5

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rIerA U. mALL ArI EDITOR

reUeL vIDAL A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

sports@thestandard.com.ph

sports

x 10 cm Clarkson leads Lakers past Dubs FIL-AM cager Jordan Clarkson scored 17 points, while Julius Randle added 14 markers to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to an 85-70 win over the the defending champions Golden State Warriors Saturday night (Sunday, Manila time) in a preseason game of the National Basketball Association.

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The contest was halted late in the third quarter due to unplayable conditions on the court.

The rest of the game was called off with 2:16 left in the third when moisture spots, caused by ice below the court at the Valley View Casino Center, made portions of the playing court too slippery to play in.

Stephen Curry took charge with 19 points and had four assists while Festus Ezeli tallied 10 points and nine rebounds.

Rookie guard D’Angelo Russell, who was the Lakers’ top pick, started after he missed two games with a bruised glute. He had two points.

On the other hand, Kobe Bryant was not around because of a bruised left leg.

Curry had 14 first-half points on 4-for-8 shooting on three-pointers.

Nick Young hit three consecutive threepointers for the Lakers in less than two minutes in the second quarter.

He was fouled after converting his third triple.

He also made his free throw for a four-point play.

ww.thestandard.com.ph

5 col x 14 cm

Jordan Clarkson (6) of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against the Golden State Warriors during a preseason game at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. AFP

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Pound-for-pound no. 1 mauls Viloria

By Ronnie Nathanielsz FOR all his gallantry and incredible courage, former two-division world champion Brian Viloria succumbed to the power and the relentless aggression of undefeated World Boxing Council flyweight champion and pound-for-pound No. 1 Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez of Nicaragua at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday.

In a classic double-header anchored by the middleweight unification title fight between Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin and Canadian David Lemieux on a fight card telecast by TV5, Viloria, who had trained hard for the biggest fight of his career started off well, rushing out of his corner at the opening bell and connected with an overhand right as he kept up the pressure, before Gonzalez countered with a late flurry to end the round.

Viloria tried to go toe-to-toe with Gonzalez as his trainer Marvin Somodio had predicted, but Gonzalez cracked Viloria with a deadly short right and dropped him for the first time, although the game Filipino-American survived.

Viloria, displaying courage Filipino fighters are known for, engaged Gonzalez who out-gunned him and by the seventh round, it appeared to be only a matter of time before Gonzalez would end proceedings and reinforce his stature as the Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound king.

Prior to the start of the ninth round, the ring doctor visited Viloria in his corner to check on his condition considering the number of big shots he had absorbed. That gesture somehow seemed to suggest that unless a minor miracle happened and Viloria was able turn things around, the referee would likely call a halt.

And that’s exactly what happened as Viloria wilted after taking a couple of thunderous body shots and referee Benjy Esteves decided to stop the fight at 2:53 of the ninth round.

MONDAY: OCTOBER 19, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

Income tax holiday stays—MBC

By Othel V. Campos

TAX incentives enjoyed by companies are likely to stay, after the business groups and the Aquino Cabinet agreed in principle to shelve the proposed bill removing the income tax holiday and reforming the fiscal incentives, an industry group said over the weekend.

Makati Business Club executive director Peter Angelo Perfecto told reporters Friday the government agreed to keep the status quo on the current fiscal incentives regime to prevent the erosion of the country’s competitive-

ness as an investment destination.

Perfecto said the Philippine Business Group and Joint Foreign Chambers reached a consensus with the economic cluster of the Aquino Cabinet on putting the fiscal incentives rational-

ization bill and other proposed amendments to incentives laws at the back burner.

Perfecto said while the three business-related bills, including the Customs Modernization Tariff Act, Right of Way and the bill creating the Department of ICT, might see passage under the current administration, Congress would not likely pass the fiscal incentives rationalization bill.

“We can wait for the next administration rather than rush a bill where we lose our competitiveness. So we’d rather stay [status quo],” Perfecto said, adding the business groups supported the position of the Philippine

Economic Zone Authority.

The fiscal incentives rationalization bill aims to harmonize the incentives enjoyed by Peza, Board of Investments and other incentive-giving bodies and replace the income tax holidays with reduced corporate income taxes. It also seeks to avoid double compensation or double availment of incentives.

“Peza director general Lilia De Lima said that if in any way, it will affect our competitiveness then we would rather not push for it.

There are some in business who share that position. It has to improve our competitiveness, not the other way around,” Perfecto said, referring to the fiscal incen-

tives rationalization bill, which is being pushed by the International Monetary Fund.

The Finance Department has been pushing for the removal of the income tax holiday in lieu of reduced corporate income tax.

Proponents of the fiscal incentives rationalization bill claimed that the government lost P148 billion in potential revenues in 2013 due to various fiscal incentives.

The Board of Investments, an attached agency of the Trade Department, already agreed to a 15- percent corporate income tax over a period of 15 years, but Peza said this would make the country’s incentives less competitive.

PSe comPoSite index Closing October 16, 2015

8000 7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

7,055.74 10.34

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing OCTOBER 16, 2015 43.50 44.60 45.40

P46.050

46.20

CLOSE

47.00

HIGH P45.900 LOW P46.050 AVERAGE P45.975 VOLUME 740.800M

P417.00-P640.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.85-P43.35 Unleaded Gasoline P24.55-P28.00 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

Best commercial bank. Land Bank of the Philippines bags three major awards at the International Banker Banking Awards ceremony in London, including the Best Commercial Bank. LandBank president and chief executive Gilda Pico (second from right) receives the award from Simon Hughes of International Banker at the London Stock Exchange. With them are (from left) Smart–Voyager e-Money innovations and emerging payments head Lito Villanueva and LandBank executive vice president and branch banking sector head Jocelyn Cabreza. The bank is recognized for providing much-needed capital for economic growth, innovation to improve security and efficiency and intelligent investing to maximize profits and shareholder value.

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene P20.75-P21.75 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, October 16, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.7960

Japan

Yen

0.008412

0.3852

UK

Pound

1.549000

70.9380

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129034

5.9092

Switzerland

Franc

1.052410

48.1962

Canada

Dollar

0.778392

35.6472

Singapore

Dollar

0.725374

33.2192

Australia

Dollar

0.732225

33.5330

Bahrain

Dinar

2.656254

121.6458

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266738

12.2155

Brunei

Dollar

0.722752

33.0992

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000074

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.028393

1.3003

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.4703

Euro

Euro

1.138100

52.1204

Korea

Won

0.000891

0.0408

China

Yuan

0.157580

7.2165

India

Rupee

0.242718

11.1155

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.685401

31.3886

New Zealand

Dollar

0.031306

1.4337

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030761

1.4145 Source: PDS Bridge

Indra seeking business opportunities in SE Asia

By Darwin G Amojelar INFORMATION technology company Indra Philippines Inc. is scouting for business opportunities in Southeast Asia, especially in avionics and air defense radar systems.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. chairman Manuel Pangilinan said Indra Philippines was looking at a “larger opportunity” in Southeast Asia.

“They are very strong in IT and in defense related businesses—radar and avionics,” Pangilinan said.

He added Indra Philippines

planned to team up with the Salim Group in Indonesia and Manila Electric Co. and MPIC in Manila.

Meralco last week sold its 24.95-percent stake or half of its shareholdings in Indra Philippines Inc. to MPIC for P326.525 million.

“Considering that MPIC and Meralco are related entities, the purchase price consideration was determined after a valuation process conducted by Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia as an independent third party appraiser,” Meralco said.

Indra, a joint venture between Meralco and Indra Sistemas S.A.

of Spain, is one of the leading IT service providers in the country offering customers comprehensive management solutions, from consultancy to project development, integration and implementation and IT outsourcing and business process outsourcing.

MPIC earlier reported a net income of P5.6 billion in the first half of the year, up 31 percent year-on-year. The company’s core net income increased 27 percent to P5.9 billion from P4.6 billion on-year.

MPIC expects to post P10 billion in core net income this year, up 18 percent from P8.5

billion in 2014.

Metro Pacific president Jose Ma. Lim attributed the increase in core net income to strong traffic growth on all toll roads owned by unit Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., increased shareholdings in MPTC and growth in billed volume of Maynilad Water Services Inc. The company’s higher stake in Manila Electric Co. and growth in the hospital group also contributed to the core net income.

Consolidated revenues in the first six months of the year rose six percent to P17.6 billion from P16.6 billion a year ago.

MONDAY: OCTOBER 19, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS Weekly STockS revieW STOCKS

OCTOBER 12-16, 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. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl Reinsurance Corp.

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

2.74 69.45 103.10 82.90 40.8 2.52 1.32 10.1 15.5 19.88 7.70 0.65 1.76 0.630 84 0.96 18.24 24.00 53.10 108.1 122 296 29.25 145.6 1495.00 57.00 3.15

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.

Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Corp.

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

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

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

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

40.85 1.46 0.93 1.64 11.9 50 83.20 16.76 106 25.95 41.2 2.44 1.75 9.99 9.300 7.49 6.65 7.91 1.7 11.8 24.55 69 11.50 13.58 5.89 2.740 205.40 34.65 2 4.2 46.40 23.9 23.45 6 309.80 3.86 4.28 7.34 4.35 11.50 3.58 2.00 2.35 4.01 2.86 5.01 140 2.21 0.148 1.38 2.15 193.9 4.58 0.68 1.22

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’ F&J Prince ‘B’ Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings LT Group 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. Transgrid Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.410 57.0000 18.26 1.05 6.60 0.260 0.260 751.5 7.2 12.50 3.73 3.8 3.99 0.270 1296 5.80 71.80 3.14 4.99 6.16 0.88 11.32 0.56 5.06 8.58 2.6 0.0360 1.200 1.980 2.84 48.00 2.70 871.50 1.21 0.77 188.00 104.400 0.3450 0.2310 0.310

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

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

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate

6.330 0.78 1.150 0.225 35.700 3.28 5.02 0.61 0.94 1.01 0.131 0.600 19.92 0.910 0.172 1.18

Value

FINANCIAL 598,420.00 4,385,744.00 976,762,411 670,855,666.00 20,906,305.00 1,395,830.00 756,860.00 1,010.00 199,034.00 10,457,938.00 53,930 35,750 647,420.00 21,426,650.00 960,718,725.00 50,880.00 59,697,965.00 437,190.00 75,409,367.00 1,499,764.00 4,940.00 1,738,250.00 40,416,855 342,367,519.00 595,940.00 880,925.00 3,150.00 INDUSTRIAL 17,661,200 737,020,955.00 15,000 22,180.00 897,000 809,200.00 3,902,000 1,945,710.00 54,400 687,380.00 1,840 93,856.00 6,440 538,844.00 4,776,500 80,014,796 40 4,220.00 2,028,200 52,575,755.00 2,954,800 122,810,830 2,366,000 5,746,690.00 44,795,000 87,362,360.00 1,865,400 18,669,619.00 90,659,900 871,983,524.00 5,976,800 44,050,972.00 106,165,700 682,674,015.00 1,399,500 11,023,716.00 74,000 126,720.00 117,100 1,384,976.00 15,636,200 378,815,215.00 619,150 42,052,706.00 51,800 570,742.00 42,800 554,228.00 1,299,300 7,883,854.00 130,538,000 349,367,660.00 4,336,480 881,409,298.00 2,500 82,490.00 101,000 201,510.00 433,000 1,731,620.00 24,800 1,133,985.00 12,042,600 279,220,620.00 2,796,800 63,897,415.00 407,900 2,396,571.00 2,350,630 720,160,782.00 23,000 89,680.00 842,600 3,891,610.00 10,866,200 78,201,873.00 15,000 62,150.00 5,300 60,950.00 566,000 1,989,270.00 2,002,000 4,035,400.00 1,220,000 2,793,480.00 8,614,000 34,553,400.00 190,000 548,850.00 49,600 249,276.00 92,140 12,898,917.00 3,142,000 7,163,860.00 12,870,000 1,920,760.00 3,627,000 5,163,860.00 35,568,000 74,502,860.00 5,533,200 1,064,215,601.00 132,000 614,790.00 5,838,000 4,122,380.00 2,073,000 2,605,130.00 HOLDING FIRMS 12,500,000 5,179,950.00 9,401,860 533,648,816.50 43,599,600 793,908,196.00 66,000 70,590.00 760,000 4,939,221.00 11,660,000 2,967,470.00 1,660,000 432,350.00 761,395 874,867,940.00 8,042,100 57,942,494.00 30,130,000 385,255,232.00 397,000 1,558,230.00 66,000 260,570.00 1,140,000 4,467,400.00 20,180,000 5,908,600.00 890,275 1,168,314,865.00 973,300 5,643,018.00 11,820,040 834,738,444.00 15,000 58,160.00 10,000 49,900.00 11,816,300 72,492,402.00 8,258,000 7,192,810.00 14,332,700 162,354,268.00 588,000 327,980.00 93,258,200 476,979,442.00 5,774,200 48,991,658.00 3,000 7,800.00 799,400,000 29,118,600.00 86,000 108,180.00 9,332,000 18,315,620.00 47,000 132,150.00 1,512,600 70,628,835.00 16,000 43,240.00 1,064,062,990.00 1,215,950 2,008,000 2,488,540.00 319,000 244,690.00 60 11,280.00 230,240 22,470,594.50 112,670,000 42,601,750.00 19,720,000 4,821,700.00 68,660,000 22,216,040.00 PROPERTY 2,435,000 15,524,187.00 25,689,000 19,924,920.00 384,000 430,010.00 110,000 24,850.00 41,430,100 1,492,112,060.00 24,321,000 75,581,810.00 246,100 1,238,751.00 13,801,000 8,532,790.00 18,000 16,920.00 29,000 29,580.00 113,760,000 13,542,730.00 269,470,000 160,018,550.00 4,887,100 78,531,014.00 24,578,000 22,389,810.00 250,000 41,760.00 39,261,000 47,924,350.00 224,000 63,630 9,360,660 8,086,180 510,300 669,000 562,000 100 12,800 534,300 7,000 55,000 365,000 31,812,000 11,468,050 53,000 3,278,700 18,000 1,440,820 13,880 40 5,870 1,349,000 2,359,570 395 15,810 1,000

OCTOBER 5-9, 2015 Close Volume Value 2.6 69.45 108.50 83.50 41.1 2.45 1.24

288,000 79,950 10,236,190 8,037,590 394,900 58,000 93,000

751,130.00 5,511,875.00 1,100,532,362 749,230,017.00 16,287,980.00 139,810.00 118,240.00

15.6 19.64 8.00

232,000 2,556,325 9,000

3,601,354.00 13,561,235.00 69,788

1.84 0.630 83.85 0.96 18.50 25.60 54.20 108.1 122 296 30.45 144.2 1510.00 55.50 2.99

1,890,000 23,821,000 13,361,070 41,000 5,209,400 13,400 1,302,390 25,550 40 2,300,679,036 1,494,300 3,367,900 1,040 106,280 15,000

3,782,240.00 14,937,850.00 1,122,772,178.50 38,550.00 94,406,846.00 325,560.00 67,419,766.50 2,730,664.00 4,860.00 582,258.00 45,291,130 476,705,317.00 1,555,225.00 5,485,692.50 44,870.00

43.5 1.53 0.9 1.67 12.2 51.2

7,731,500 150,000 1,217,000 2,991,000 98,200 700

336,063,005.00 227,780.00 1,103,980.00 4,706,780.00 1,149,834.00 35,867.50

16.82 97.05 25.1 42 2.39 2 10.2 10.300 7.50 6.10 7.85 1.82 12 23.4 67 11.70 13.00 5.98 2.660 197.40 31.25 2.1 3.05 46.85 23 22.5 5.53 301.20 3.93 4.34 7.10

4,375,700 180 3,805,900 2,459,800 9,138,000 85,109,000 1,228,300 22,842,900 18,551,000 100,437,700 1,580,700 335,000 1,217,200 15,250,400 1,531,400 2,800 361,700 3,838,300 88,075,000 2,816,610 100 120,000 170,000 1,800 7,353,800 916,700 5,265,400 2,724,600 60,000 6,041,000 11,254,900

73,210,726 16,978.50 98,845,310.00 104,651,160 22,102,280.00 194,976,360.00 11,743,719.00 236,586,034.00 132,980,619.00 599,045,236.00 12,180,655.00 623,290.00 14,622,316.00 356,015,785.00 101,975,571.50 31,766.00 4,696,660.00 22,178,205.00 253,246,260.00 554,143,763.00 3,125.00 252,960.00 641,070.00 81,010.00 167,407,055.00 20,000,740.00 29,607,653.00 822,442,200.00 235,320.00 24,919,560.00 78,472,469.00

11.50 3.55 2.12 2.35 4.01 3.1

24,100 1,439,000 2,200,000 12,643,000 12,343,000 657,000

275,230.00 4,980,300.00 4,540,880.00 28,138,440.00 49,350,430.00 1,955,610.00

140 2.3 0.149 1.38 1.93 195 4.77 0.68 1.28

21,120 26,728,000 67,830,000 21,384,000 7,800,000 12,085,510 1,177,000 5,443,000 4,769,000

2,955,819.00 67,363,310.00 10,606,710.00 38,382,650.00 15,394,340.00 2,333,898,275.00 5,521,180.00 3,721,900.00 5,906,140.00

0.420 57.5000 18.46 1.12 6.60 0.250 0.260 775 7.23 12.60 3.5

1,260,000 9,006,510 64,103,200 12,000 26,900 15,990,000 600,000 2,016,670 9,381,200 33,137,700 504,000

506,650.00 518,947,715.50 1,072,866,434.00 13,090.00 179,038.00 4,088,080.00 159,300.00 1,551,025,775.00 66,309,900.00 416,216,234.00 1,645,890.00

4.08 0.260 1371 5.78 70.50

47,000 5,360,000 1,266,490 2,766,700 13,008,120

188,190.00 1,459,900.00 1,706,665,445.00 16,214,321.00 923,265,479.00

5.95 0.83 11.58 0.52 5.21 8.65

34,484,700 14,135,000 63,907,500 55,000 181,803,400 8,434,100

197,892,214.00 11,623,020.00 694,891,961.00 28,800.00 927,410,755.00 71,779,807.00

0.0370 1.250 1.940 2.83 49.95 2.86 879.00 1.22 0.75 188.00 90.600 0.3400 0.2170 0.250

1,272,000,000 33,000 40,457,000 10,000 913,930 76,000 1,575,120 3,447,000 737,000 10 161,940 31,440,000 1,380,000 5,250,000

52,063,700.00 37,400.00 80,132,990.00 28,300.00 44,599,161.50 206,580.00 1,388,224,060.00 4,073,480.00 535,800.00 1,880.00 13,785,182.50 10,405,950.00 308,330.00 1,272,110.00

6.430 0.67 1.150 0.240 37.600 3.06 5 0.63 0.94 1.07 0.112 0.430 19.98 0.930 0.163 1.17

2,021,000 7,332,000 50,000 1,160,000 61,167,100 14,621,000 185,700 30,026,000 177,000 73,000 37,980,000 1,380,000 6,022,400 82,780,000 50,000 112,169,000

13,058,901.00 5,037,050.00 55,640.00 265,450.00 2,175,281,925.00 44,409,860.00 927,483.00 18,344,050.00 165,500.00 76,480.00 4,161,280.00 582,350.00 123,341,557.00 78,150,820.00 8,150.00 141,866,840.00

STOCKS

OCTOBER 12-16, 2015 Close Volume

Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld Prop.

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

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

1.69 1.32 4.41 0.089 0.3000 0.4800 8.2 28.95 1.61 3.05 21.50 0.72 8.17 1.190 5.400

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. 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. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons Retail SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

8.06 63 1.1 0.600 11.8 29 6.64 0.0540 3.89 82.9 9.66 1.66 5.31 955 2294 6.63 21.00 1.25 78 4.70 12.5 0.011 0.181 1.4200 2.25 8.54 3.80 1.25 2.30 34.00 0.610 2 4.08 0.315 1.010 19 4.50 2.9 97.00 19.04 2260.00 0.570 1.180 32.80 72.00 6.61 5.45 0.47 1.5 4.05 0.370 4.470

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

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.0049 2.20 5.88 11.96 0.210 5.8000 0.72 0.65 9.03 1.12 0.295 0.196 0.208 0.0110 0.012 2.26 7.23 2.8 0.6300 1.3700 0.0098 0.0099 4.04 5.30 1.36 0.0130 130.00 2.35 0.0084

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

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

66.95 530 526 118 520 6.4 1.11 109 1065 1130 1019 78.2 82.1 79 79 79.95

Leisure & Resort Warr.

2.910

Makati Fin. Corp.

Ripple E-Business Intl Xurpas

3.09 63 14.4

First Metro ETF

115.5

OCTOBER 5-9, 2015 Close Volume Value

Value

42,172,000 73,503,230.00 2,242,000 2,901,750.00 143,928,000 651,704,850.00 2,740,000 230,330.00 1,430,000 432,350.00 360,000 166,100.00 846,100 6,784,428.00 18,787,800 544,123,430.00 1,274,000 2,030,750.00 150,000 459,800.00 79,794,900 1,718,424,500.00 3,137,000 2,269,420.00 28,100 225,885.00 63,684,000 79,322,790.00 39,349,200 214,390,465.00 SERVICES 1,929,200 16,077,765.00 302,430 19,251,696.50 237,000 271,810.00 8,193,000 4,924,620.00 1,000 11,800.00 31,600 826,400 78,650,400 488,746,913.00 397,260,000 21,396,760.00 4,764,000 18,549,740.00 1,551,260 131,099,892.00 56,000 538,504.00 15,000 26,070 1,621,400 8,506,051.00 2,350 2,254,250.00 318,645 716,080,670 482,900 3,162,762.00 100 2,100 496,000 608,600.00 7,554,110 591,339,032.00 9,400 44,104 55,600 669,812.00 56,800,000 625,100.00 46,820,000 8,728,820.00 3,438,000 4,947,660.00 49,000 110,540.00 2,985,900 25,159,892.00 6,987,000 26,664,160.00 39,000 48,030.00 47,000 103,540.00 2,900 80,935.00 429,000 266,420.00 131,000 262,650.00 68,142,000 273,807,640.00 93,950,000 31,641,350.00 510,233,000 493,765,420.00 12,638,600 240,113,348.00 65,000 294,890 22,000 63,800.00 35,570 3,420,410.00 1,665,100 31,426,784.00 578,870 1,289,399,460.00 8,498,000 4,882,110.00 125,743,000 141,700,680.00 8,141,200 271,520,045.00 2,283,530 169,136,257.50 24,761,900 171,144,435.00 42,150,400 236,571,055.00 109,220,000 51,448,000.00 58,000 87,110.00 36,307,000 141,914,820.00 2,600,000 931,900.00 8,986,000 38,140,740.00 MINING & OIL 850,000,000 4,131,600.00 341,000 788,200.00 5,029,900 26,043,932.00 1,900 19,982.00 4,270,000 885,040.00 13,600 80,632.00 1,097,000 791,500.00 882,000 588,740.00 559,700 4,915,066.00 226,938,000 265,559,020.00 20,520,000 6,205,100.00 68,840,000 13,258,660.00 8,100,000 1,674,080.00 668,400,000 6,693,600.00 206,100,000 2,263,900.00 7,036,000 16,132,600.00 40,716,600 291,217,143.00 1,527,000 4,354,090.00 1,151,000 735,830.00 3,875,000 5,697,000.00 183,500,000 1,854,610.00 11,000,000 108,100.00 42,000 166,990.00 6,271,300 33,102,890.00 2,588,000 3,613,600.00 1,415,400,000 18,519,100.00 5,797,220 764,254,476.00 1,208,000 2,890,760.00 48,000,000 365,800.00 PREFERRED 3,064,920 204,188,331.50 18,430 9,572,260.00 320 168,600 50,000 5,820,000.00 15,270 7,957,400.00 3,762,800 23,950,683.00 501,000 556,420 65,060 7,105,015.00 1,115 1,187,475.00 1,170 1,322,100.00 20,540 20,974,815.00 70,000 5,485,645.00 307,090 25,237,220.00 204,420 16,152,069.00 461,590 36,473,256.00 1,967,280 156,969,988.50 WARRANTS & BONDS 641,000 1,876,550.00 SME 168,000 520,700.00 12,990 826,045.50 6,931,000 101,940,480.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 69,670 7,972,917.00

1.78 1.28 4.75 0.085 0.3050 0.3850 7.7 29.00 1.6 3.18 21.65 0.73 8.17 1.300 5.180

62,413,000 1,294,000 145,710,000 4,160,000 320,000 50,000 794,900 21,033,400 1,200,000 659,000 68,717,500 10,934,000 54,300 191,553,000 49,305,700

107,411,710.00 1,666,490.00 675,311,660.00 358,500.00 97,300.00 19,250.00 6,157,730.00 609,162,615.00 1,886,580.00 2,044,640.00 1,469,277,590.00 7,738,430.00 430,426.00 268,608,950.00 258,136,814.00

7.75 63 1.1 0.600 11.24 29 5.95 0.0570 3.8 84.6 9.82

326,800 96,860 67,000 22,100,000 1,000 11,500 83,722,900 366,790,000 1,018,000 2,534,350 8,100

2,531,393.00 6,051,293.50 76,070.00 12,924,450.00 11,240.00 315,200 477,724,145.00 22,314,390.00 3,883,890.00 218,196,502.50 79,560.00

5.49 974 2242 6.56 16.90 1.21 77.7 5.79 11.86 0.010 0.180 1.4400 2.15 8.36 3.98 1.14 2.26

3,405,800 40 550,970 757,900 1,500 166,000 15,874,270 14,000 22,200 36,600,000 17,820,000 5,703,000 38,000 1,613,000 12,998,000 8,000 21,000

17,647,641.00 38,955.00 1,277,869,160 4,952,367.00 25,350 209,330.00 1,221,324,632.50 68,250 263,064.00 401,500.00 3,207,920.00 8,370,140.00 80,920.00 16,864,105.00 51,510,850.00 9,120.00 46,340.00

0.620 2 3.88 0.320 0.570 18.7 4.58 2.89 97.00 18.92 2260.00 0.580 1.080 32.65 75.00 7.03 5.70 0.47 1.5 3.51 0.360 3.650

716,000 83,000 54,617,000 1,860,000 14,852,000 5,900 23,000 16,000 205,530 504,500 876,255 2,096,000 83,234,000 8,135,700 2,994,680 29,559,600 69,321,100 38,770,000 104,000 10,691,000 1,620,000 6,695,000

438,000.00 166,250.00 210,952,060.00 544,000.00 8,383,390.00 109,880.00 107,870 46,130.00 18,178,593.00 9,510,148.00 2,016,553,100.00 1,188,090.00 88,335,280.00 262,348,260.00 225,917,854.50 200,377,335.00 395,783,333.00 18,606,650.00 157,780.00 36,599,820.00 578,300.00 24,209,600.00

0.0048 2.15 4.89 10.58 0.189 5.8000 0.72 0.65 8.36 0.93 0.290 0.183 0.199 0.0097 0.011 1.99 6.87 2.77 0.5900 1.3600 0.0094 0.0090 3.89 4.96 1.37 0.0120 139.80 2.4 0.0070

3,892,000,000 188,000 678,000 4,200 170,000 43,800 787,000 1,162,000 506,600 35,935,000 1,330,000 28,910,000 1,710,000 130,000,000 12,000,000 2,627,000 45,523,000 4,817,000 605,000 696,000 88,000,000 4,000,000 332,000 2,653,000 2,124,000 905,900,000 3,446,310 1,466,000 17,000,000

22,901,800.00 409,710.00 3,276,500.00 40,436.00 31,800.00 252,025.00 578,330.00 760,060.00 4,213,704.00 32,718,800.00 387,300.00 5,220,500.00 326,520.00 1,264,300.00 125,900.00 5,056,860.00 297,696,931.00 13,425,500.00 354,560.00 924,990.00 795,900.00 36,900.00 1,270,760.00 12,876,440.00 2,917,890.00 10,386,700.00 482,171,522.00 3,602,380.00 119,000.00

65 532 525

2,388,380 8,760 8,280

148,980,151.00 4,650,320.00 4,364,305

520 6.4 1.12 110 1080 1141 1028 78.9 82 79 78.6 79.95

12,790 2,750,000 122,000 31,640 9,780 755 7,160 2,000 190,360 387,940 588,240 1,703,420

6,662,715.00 17,376,376.00 136,240 3,533,320.00 10,562,360.00 861,205.00 7,376,320.00 157,800.00 15,652,360.50 30,614,978.00 46,270,168.00 136,074,819.00

2.880

1,361,000

3,994,160.00

3.22 64.5 15.34

71,000 27,730 18,649,000

227,120.00 1,814,121.50 277,860,002.00

117.1

195,000

22,469,242.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Philodrill Corp. `A’ Abra Mining Pacifica `A’ Manila Mining `A’ NOW Corp.

Boulevard Holdings Cyber Bay Corp.

Ferronickel Manila Mining `B’ Oriental Pet. `A’

VOLUME 1,415,400,000 850,000,000 799,400,000 668,400,000 510,233,000 397,260,000 269,470,000 226,938,000 206,100,000 183,500,000

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

Ayala Corp `A’

VALUE 1,718,424,500.00 1,492,112,060.00 1,289,399,460.00 1,168,314,865.00 1,064,215,601.00 1,064,062,990.00 976,762,411.00 960,718,725.00 881,409,298.00 874,867,940.00

MONDAY: OCTOBER 19, 2015

B3

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

Ayala bullish on power business

By Alena Mae S. Flores

New potential buyer of Bank of Commerce MIZUHO Financial Group of Japan recently ended talks on the possible acquisition of San Miguel Corp.’s controlling interest in Bank of Commerce reportedly due to disagreement over the price.

San Miguel, however, is not worried because it may have attracted a new potential buyer for its bank.

Sources said San Miguel and the new potential buyer had a one-on-one meeting during the recent Forbes Global CEO Forum at Solaire Resort & Casino in Parañaque City.

The new potential buyer was reportedly keen on acquiring a bank and San Miguel informed the potential buyer that it owns a bank (Bank of Commerce) which the conglomerate was interested in selling. As the saying goes when one door closes, another door opens. Jenniffer B. Austria

Questions arise on who built MRT trains

Who built the light rail vehicles used in Metro Rail Transit Line 3 is now a question that may affect the outcome of an emergency procurement for the three-year maintenance contract of the 16.9-kilometer line that serves nearly 600,000 passengers a day.

The confusion was caused by the privatization of state-owned CKD Tatra of the Czech Republic in 2002. CKD built and supplied the 73 light rail vehicles used by MRT 3, many of which now require rehabilitation.

Local rail maintenance firm Comm Builders & Technology Philippines said it recently signed a cooperation agreement with tram manufacturer SKD Trade A.S., a successor company to CKD Tatra. CB&T president and chief executive Roehl Bacar said SKD’s top executives would be in Manila by the fourth week of October to invoke the fact that they are the real successor-firm to CKD, not Inekon or Pragoimex, which are also Czech firms.

“We are proud to announce that we have signed this partnership agreement with SKD. We have learned that SKD’s factory, which was the factory of the old CKD, has all the spare parts available of the train model that we have now at the MRT so this means we solve any problem or concerns on availability of spare parts or obsolesence,” Bacar said.

The Transportation Department will soon choose three-year service provider that will take over the maintenance of MRT 3 from the current seven multi-discipline contractors with six-month contracts ending January 2016. The new contract includes the rehabilitation of 43 trains of MRT. Some 48 brand-new light rail vehicles are also expected to arrive from Dalian, China starting next year as a part of the refleeting of MRT trains, but it remains to be seen whether they are compatible with MRT train configuration. Roderick T. dela Cruz

AYALA Corp. expects to see stable earnings from its power business through whollyowned subsidiary AC Energy Holdings Inc., an executive said over the weekend.

“It’s going to take a little bit of time. Around two-thirds of our portfolio, our assets just started operations. It takes a couple of years before your assets stabilize,” AC Energy president John Eric Francia told reporters.

Francia, however, said he expected the power business to start contributing to the Ayala Group’s revenues and net income this year.

“I can’t give you an indication [whether double-digit]. But given that a lot of our assets are already operational, obviously that helps,” he said.

“It takes time to get at a steady state. For this set of assets, GN Mindanao will be the last one in this 700-megawatt attributable equity. That’s the only one under construction, and the solar by next year it will be operational,” Francia said.

He said the second 135-MW unit of South Luzon Thermal En-

ergy Corp.’s 270-MW coal plant, AC Energy’s joint venture with Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp., was set to be commissioned soon. The first 135-MW unit started operations in June.

AC Energy is also putting up a 540-MW coal-fired power plant in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte in Mindanao.

The Mindanao power plant is developed by GN Power Kauswagan Ltd. Co., a limited partnership among AC Energy, the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure fund and Power Partners Ltd. Co. “Once GN Mindanao stabilizes, call it 2018 to 2019, hopefully sooner, given that we hope to start in 2017, then you’ll be able to see stable earnings by 2019,” Francia said.

He said the power business was currently contributing around 10 percent to the Ayala Group’s bottom-line.

AC Energy earlier announced it teamed up with Bronzeoak Philippines Inc. for the development, construction and operation of a solar power farm in Bais City, Negros Oriental.

The solar project will be owned and operated by Monte Solar Energy Inc., a special purpose vehicle company, and shall be undertaken in two phases.

The first phase is for an 18-MW solar power plant with a total project cost of P1.3 billion and is targeted for completion by March 2016. The second phase is for the expansion of the initial 18-MW solar power plant up to 40 MW. AC Energy also owns a 36-percent stake in North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp., which owns and operates the 81-MW wind farm in Barangay Caparispisan, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.

AC Energy has a stake in the 52-MW wind project of Northwind Power Development Corp. in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

The company is also involved in the development of a 1,200-MW power plant in Bataan beside the existing GN Power Mariveles plant.

AC Energy expects to have 1,000 MW of attributable capacity by 2016.

MVP prays for the right president

Businessman Manuel Pangilinan, who decided not to run as president for the 2016 national elections despite the clamor of several groups, said he is praying that God will give the Philippines “the right president.”

“My prayer is that the good Lord gives us the right president whoever he/ she might be,” Pangilinan said.

When asked who the right president is, Pangilinan said: “I don’t know.

He decides.”

The country’s next president is critical to the companies led by Pangilinan, as most of them are affected by the regulation and policy of the government. Pangilinan leads the PLDT and MPIC conglomerates which have business interests in telecommunication, power, water distribution, toll roads, mining, hospitals and infrastructure.

The toll road and water businesses of the Pangilinan group are asking the government for tariff adjustment under their concession agreement.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, who filed her certificate of candidacy to run as president, earlier endorsed Pangilinan to run for the highest position in the country, while Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is also running for president, earlier indicated he wanted Pangilinan to be his running mate. Darwin G. Amojelar

Sycip deserves exemption from age limit

Veteran stockbroker Wilson Sy said he will personally file a petition before the corporate regulators to grant the highly esteemed accounting guru Washington Sycip an exemption from the proposed rules setting an age limit on independent directors.

Sy, during a recent PSE-SEC Corporate Governance Forum, defended the 94-year-old Sycip, saying his wisdom and his contribution as an independent director of PhilEquity Management Inc. are very important.

“He is like an icon. He is known and his name is beyond material matters. He will say what he thinks, whatever is right or wrong in any company,” Sy said.

Sy recalled that before the 2008 collapse of the Lehman Bothers, Sycip already predicted that a major US investment bank was going to collapse.

Sycip also mentioned last year that China would not be able to sustain seven percent growth rate until 2020.

Sycip currently sits as an independent director for various companies such as Belle Corp., First Philippine Holdings Corp. and Lopez Holdings Corp.

The Finance Department earlier released a list of “ideal” qualifications for directors of insurance and listed companies to improve governance in these firms. One provision states that an independent director must be below 80 years old, unless otherwise found fit. Jenniffer B. Austria

WTO session. The Philippine Mission to the WTO holds a public forum a working session on ‘Fostering the Participation of MSMEs in Regional and Global Markets.’ The session is the WTO’s largest annual outreach event, which provides a platform for participants to discuss the latest developments in world trade and propose ways of enhancing the multilateral trading system. The working session brings together (from left) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development deputy director general Joakim Reiter, International Trade Center executive director Arancha Gonzalez, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, World Bank senior director for trade and competitiveness Anabel Gonzalez, WTO deputy director general Ziaozhun Yi and PMWTO permanent representative Esteban Conejos Jr.

Stocks likely to move sideways this week

By Jenniffer B. Austria STOCKS are expected to move sideways this week, as investors will likely look overseas developments for guidance, analysts said over the weekend.

F. Yap Securities investment analyst Jason Escartin said one of the biggest sentiment drivers this week would be the release of China’s third-quarter gross domestic product report.

“Ultimately, any indication that China’s industrial might is waning would adversely impact local equities, as well as stocks across the region, primarily because of its importance to trade,” Escartin said.

Regina Capital Development Corp. managing director Luis Lim-

lingan said he expected the market to consolidate between its weekly high and low as the index struggled to breach the 7,200 resistance level.

“With the reaction lows starting to slope upwards, the bias for the week is slightly bullish. However, note that index is still not out of the woods yet so to keep a close watch on support,” Limlingan said.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index last week dropped 1.17 percent to close at 7,055.74 on Friday, as the weak China September economic numbers triggered profit taking. The broader all-shares index also posted a week-on-week drop of 0.60 percent.

Weekly performances of major sub-indices were mixed as the mining and oil, industrial and services posted weekly gains of 1.35

percent, 1.17 percent and 0.74 percent, respectively. On the other hand, financials, holding firms and property registered weekly declines of 1.53 percent, 1.31 percent and 2.84 percent, respectively.

Foreign investors were net sellers last week by P1.91 billion, as total overseas selling reached P18.04 billion, while total overseas buying amounted to P16.12 billion.

The average daily turnover dropped to P6.5 billion from the previous week’s average of P8.7 billion.

Top gainers were Now Corp., which climbed 77.2 percent to P1.01; Cyber Bay Corp., which advanced 39.5 percent to P0.60; and Mabuhay Vinyl Corp., which rose 37.7percent to P4.20.

B4

LT Group expands renewable portfolio

By Alena Mae S. Flores

LT Group Inc. of tobacco and airline tycoon Lucio Tan will expand investments in the renewable energy sector, after completing the bioethanol plant of unit Absolut Distillers Inc. with a 30-million liter capacity a year in Lian, Batangas.

Absolut Distillers is set to formally open the bioethanol project this week.

Bioethanol is used as an alternative fuel to gasoline. A Philippine law mandated a 10 percent bioethanol mix for gasoline.

A government source said the newly-completed facility was utilizing molasses to produce bioethanol and would expand the plant using sugarcane by next year.

“Yes, it’s 30 million liters without power generation capacity as

it will be operating as molassesbased. The second plant will be cane based, most likely next year,” the source said.

Absolut Distillers earlier completed a P189-million, two megawatt solar power plant in Lian.

“This 2-MW solar power generation facility is only the beginning. From here, we see even greater possibilities,” Tan earlier said in a statement.

Tan, one of the country’s billionaires, stressed his intent to further invest in the renewable energy.

TAN “We are committed in pulling our resources to bring better alternatives to help in the government’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. We do these to reduce our carbon footprint as we aim towards a green economy,” he said.

Absolut generation manager and Tanduay Distrillers Inc. vice

president for distillery operations Gerardo Tee said the company would sell power generated by the plant to the Batangas Electric Cooperative for P9.68 per kilowatt-hour, the rate approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission for solar power companies under the feed-in tariff scheme.

The solar project is the first venture of the LT Group in renewable energy, although Absolut Distillers has been advocating sustainable energy since the 1990s.

The facility is composed of 8,160 panels and occupies about 27,000 square meters within an industrial area, where the 17-hectare Absolut plant in Barangay Malaruhatan, Lian, Batangas is located.

Some 150 technical staff and construction personnel were commissioned to finish the project within two months since its groundbreaking in January this year.

Communications solution. Wordtext Systems Inc. president Jauna Chua (fourth from left) shakes hands with Unify Asean managing

director Daniel Mountstephen after signing a partnership distribution deal. Joining them are (from left) WSI product manager Jeffrey Garay, senior product manager Reina Putong and vice president for solutions division Jing Laurente; Unify Asean distribution Keith Tay and pre-sales director Charles Chow; and Unify Philippines country manager Edwin Concepcion. Unify’s OpenScape Business is a total UC solution for SMEs and big companies that enhances productivity and cuts communication costs.

AES signs power supply deals with seven co-ops AES Philippines signed agreements with seven electric cooperatives to supply 92 megawatts of base load power for 20 years starting in 2019.

AES Philippines signed the agreement with electric cooperatives from Region 1 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (collectively, the R1 +CAR ECs) last week.

The company said in a statement released over the weekend it would supply 92 MW from the 300-MW expansion project of the 630-MW Masinloc power plant in Zambales province.

The R1+CAR Ecs—which are composed of Abra Electric Cooperative Inc., Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative, Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative, Kalinga Electric Cooperative, La Union

Electric Cooperative, Mountain Province Electric Cooperative Inc. and Pangasinan III Electric Cooperative—decided in 2014 to combine their requirements and conduct a competitive selection process to buy power from a new facility.

Several generators qualified for the selection process but AES Philippines won the bidding by providing the most competitive long-term rate from the planned expansion of its Masinloc plant.

“We are excited to add the R1+CAR ECs to our list of customers. We applaud their vision and initiative in organizing this aggregation. The design, evaluation, and execution of the entire bid process was competitive, transparent, fair, and conducted with integrity,” said AES manag-

ing director for the Philippines Neeraj Bhat “As a result, these ECs and their customers will enjoy the most competitive generation rate ever signed for a new power plant in the Philippines,” he said.

Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative general manager and Region 1 Electric Cooperatives Association president Egdon Sabio said the coops pursued aggregation “because individually we are small and weak, but as a group, we are strong.”

“The objectives of the aggregation are to secure the supply of electricity for our captive customers, achieve the least-cost price of power through CSP to benefit our consumers, and manage our market risks. Today, we accomplished all these objec-

tives,” Sabio said.

“Based on the study of our transaction adviser, the PSAs we signed will result in up to 20 to 30 percent reduction in the retail and generation rates for around 3.5 million people in our service areas,” he said.

The 300-MW expansion of the Masinloc power plant secured all key permits to start construction.

Talks with lenders and engineering, procurement and construction contractors are under way, commissioning expected in 2019.

The Masinloc power plant expansion signed power supply agreements with other customers and was actively marketing its remaining open capacity to additional electric cooperatives, distribution utilities and contestable customers. Alena Mae S. Flores

Gaisanos lining up new condo buildings

By Othel V. Campos TAFT Property Ventures Development Corp. of the Gaisano Group plans to build more compact condominium units as its anchor development project, saying it was bullish on the company’s growth forecast.

The company said it was on track to meet its forecast of P2 billion in reservation sales this year and might double the target to P4 billion in 2016.

“We’re three-fourths to reaching that goal for 2015. As midlevel player in the industry, we need to be quick in our innovations. The thrust of Taft is to differentiate ourselves, so we need to be more aggressive in innovation,” said Taft Property president and chief operating officer Christopher Narciso.

The company, he said, was moving toward building more affordable vertical housing development, noting the changing lifestyle of Filipinos.

The development of compact condominiums will drive company revenues to hit its double-digit growth in the near term and help address the country’s 4 million housing backlog.

Narciso said the housing backlog was rising with an estimated 300,000 units adding to the 4 million unserved demand annually.

The company’s innovative compact condominium concept may rise to about 500,000 units to fill in the unserved demand.

Taft Property’s units measure 20 square meters in floor area costing P1.5 million to P1.7 million per unit.

The company is currently constructing four buildings and one housing development. Six new projects will rise on 2016, mostly in the Visayas while pocket developments will be launched in Metro Manila.

“With the right resources we can afford to be quick in our innovations. We observe a very practical approach to developing a project that we find very beneficial to endusers. Comfort by design, that’s our philosophy,” said Narciso.

The company opened its first affordable compact condominium building in Guadalupe Cebu, which will be followed by a similar development for launching by February 2016, also in Cebu.

Taft Property is funding all projects with a mix of internal capital and debt.

Taft Properties recently launched that first phase of the Mandani Bay project, the company’s first waterfront township development in partnership with Hong Kong Land Holdings Limited.

Taft Properties, is a whollyowned unit of the Viscal Development Corp., which in turn is held by the Gaisano Group.

HT Land Philippines, the joint venture company of the Metro Gaisano Group’s Taft Property and Hong Kong Land Ltd., is spending P4.5 billion to develop the first phase of the Mandani Bay township.

M O N D AY : O C T O B E R 1 9, 2 0 1 5

B5

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

Go Negosyo’s first presidentiables series

Economic might. A jeepney passes by a mall run by SM, the largest shopping mall and retail operator in the Philippines, in Marikina City on October 11, 2015.

Philippine companies are on an unprecedented global shopping spree, spending billions on everything from vineyards to food manufacturers and casinos, reflecting the nation’s recent economic rise. AFP

PH banks healthy, to weather shocks

By Julito G. Rada

THE Philippine banking system will weather the impact of external shocks because it remains well capitalized, profitable, well managed and very liquid, global debt watcher Moody’s Investors Service said in a report over the weekend.

“The banking system is virtually immune to contagion from external shocks.

It is largely deposit-funded—aided in part by the steady flow of remittances—and exhibits a lack of dependence on external funding and low exposure to the export sector,” Moody’s said.

“Even foreign currency lending is fully backed by onshore sources of foreign currency financing, primarily deposits.

The banking system is a source of credit strength to the sovereign in two ways: the lack of contingent risks to the government’s balance sheet; and as a stable source of financing for government debt,” it said.

It said the domestic banking system had carried a positive outlook since December 2012. Since then, several Philippine banks

have received upgrades and the average standalone credit rating for Moody’srated banks—which together comprise 70 percent of system loans as of end-2014— had risen to investment grade.

The banking system’s total assets as of June 2015 accounted for about 86 percent of the gross domestic product, with total loans accounting for 53 percent.

The Philippine banking system is small relative to other rated Asean countries— with the exception of Indonesia—and large Baa-rated emerging market peers, such as Brazil, India, South Africa and Turkey.

Moody’s also backed the recent move of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to proactively manage risks on a systemic level in response to some evidence of a run-up in real estate prices through the introduction of an array of preemptive macroprudential measures in 2014.

“These measures, including a cap on individual banks’ total loans to the real estate sector, have contributed to a slowing in overall credit growth in recent quarters. Nevertheless, credit growth remains high, but not excessive, reflecting the continued robustness of domestic demand,” Moody’s said.

It said stringent oversight by the Bangko Sentral was reflected by the manner by which it adopted international regulatory standards, such as requiring all the country’s universal and commercial banks to comply with the capital adequacy standards under Basel III by the beginning of 2014—without a phase-in period.

WITH the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy having come to a close, the Filipino voting public will be subjecting the presidentiables to a very close scrutiny. In this day and age when information technology has made voters very much aware of issues, motherhood statements will no longer work. People want specific policies, platforms and ideas on how the candidates plan to address the problems that the nation face.

This is precisely what Go Negosyo seeks to achieve with Negosyo Talks: Meet the Presidentiables Series—a three-part roundtable forum that aims to give the business community a chance to meet the top presidentiables who will share their vision and platform particularly on economic and entrepreneurship development.

Go Negosyo partnered with PLDT SME Nation, TV5 and Bilang Pilipino in mounting the series that hopefully can help the electorate into becoming informed participants in the democratic exercise in May 2016.

The series started off with Vice President Jejomar Binay who articulated his platform of governance, with poverty alleviation as among his priorities. The Vice President handled questions—including the corruption allegatiosn that

have been hurled against him—from my fellow panelists that included businessman and naturalized Filipino HareshHiranand who is engaged in the garments export industry; Manila Overseas Press Club president Babe Romualdez; Sterling Group of Companies chairman and CEO Henry Lim Bon Liongwho is also the vice president of the Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry; “doctor to the stars” Vicky Belo of the Belo Medical Group; and Ramon Lopez, executive director of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship-Go Negosyo.

TV5’s Luchi Cruz Valdez was the moderator during the roundtable discussion that was not only interesting but enlightening as well.

Definitely, it is important for all of us to know the mindset of those seeking to lead us, and know how they intend to steer this country towards progress and development.

Vice President Jejomar Binay explains his platform of governance to the audience.

With panelists (seated from left) Haresh Hiranand, Dr. Vicky Belo,Babe Romualdez and Henry Lim Bon Liong. Behind us are Go Negosyo’s Ramon Lopez and Joey Concepcion.

Vista Land bares 23 big projects

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Villar Group plans to launch 23 large real estate developments dubbed “communicities” over the next five years.

Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc. chairman Manuel Villar said the capital spending for the projects could reach over several billions of pesos Communicities are integrated mixed-use developments that will have several components, including residential, commercial, as well as office and education and healthcare facilities.

Villar said most of these communicities had existing Vista Land residential projects. To transform these areas into mixed-use developments, the company plans to acquire adjacent land of the

properties or form joint venture partnerships with the landowners.

Vista Land last month said earmarked P40 billion to develop a 500-hectare property in Iloilo into a mixed-use township development.

The company said Vista City Iloilo would be the company’s flagship development in Visayas featuring several real estate components, including malls, hotels, office buildings for the business process outsourcing industry and hospitals.

“Communicities are innovative masterplanned city developments designed to be completely self-contained, with vast properties that offer facilities, amenities, community structures and commercial establishments closer to a city than a mere residential village,” Vista Land said.

TV5 news and public affairs headLuchi Cruz Valdes with VP Jejomar Binay.

The Vice President listens intently to a question by Babe Romualdez (right) while Ramon Lopez looks on.

This columnist was one of the panelists during the first installment of the Negosyo Talks: Meet the Presidentiables Series.

MONDAY: OCTOBER 19, 2015

B6

BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

P132b alloted for climate change Starting all over again ZIG Ziglar said that it is not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that HERMON V. ABAYA counts.

These words of wisdom inspired me to bounce back and move forward after encountering failures in my first attempted business venture. I realized that even if failures are greatly affecting, I should not stop believing that I can still rise and be back on track again. This crucial event in my life serves as my strength and helps me to visualize the future outcomes of my decisions.

Near closure experience Sad as it may sound, the health of a business is not guaranteed forever. There are times when entrepreneurs will face the daunting task of managing the recovery of a dying business. There is a possibility that during the course of the business’ existence, the owner will encounter a near closure situation. This is a period characterized by harsh business conditions: low sales, low morale, low cash, low market share and low innovation. Some recover from this and bounce back stronger than before, but some never.

There are many factors responsible for this near closure experience. It can be due to internal barriers like, incompetent management or poor financial control. It can also be externally driven like by government intervention, economic recessions, the presence of low-cost competitors or natural disasters.

Bouncing back The sustainability and success of an enterprise greatly depend on managing internal and external forces. Neglecting them can spell doom for any business regardless of size. I know that it’s not impossible for a firm to bounce back from business downturns, corporate scandal or faulty product issues. In fact, we can learn to respond to competition in rational ways and adopt reasonable methods to evaluate and implement appropriate strategies. Developing new skills and getting everyone to work together can help turn a failing company back into normal.

Our failures drive us to discover new things in life and disregard those traditional ones that are unnecessary. I hold on to my faith of believing that I can survive in the long run of my business and with these I was able determine my formula of bouncing back.

Turnaround strategies Here are seven turnaround strategies from Naijapreneur (2014) that I adopted, which helped my failed business be back on track. · Re-Evaluate: Situation. The first place to start if your business is dying or failing is to look within the company. You have to know what the situation is, what the problem is, and its causes. When you already know the circumstances, you can now take appropriate actions. · Re-Define: Strategy. Re-evaluation reveals what’s wrong with your business and re-definition is putting the business back on track. This is where you go back to the drawing board to set the overall direction for the company. This is where you create the turnaround game-plan. · Re-Employ: People. People make or break your business. To resurrect a dying business, get the right people on board and get the wrong people off. · Re-Innovate: Product. It is impossible for a business to remain relevant in the market if it fails to introduce new products/services. People change, market change, technology change and so must your business. If you refuse to change, by constantly innovating your products/services, you are doomed. To bring your dying business back to life, do something new! · Re-Brand: Marketing. One of the consequences of a dying business is the negative impact it has on the brand. Your customers begin to lose trust in the brand as their satisfaction level declines.

Negative word of mouth marketing starts to spread and the brand is no longer known, liked or trusted in the market. To correct this negative association with the brand, you have to kill the old brand and create a new one! · Re-Finance: Money. One of the most obvious signs of a dying business is lack of money. You are almost out of business because you are running out of cash. So to get your business back to life, you need to pay close attention to finance. · Re-Work: Execution. You need to bring your dying business back to life. And not just as you have always done before, you need to re-work the way you used to work by focusing on performancedriven work or goal-oriented work.

Lastly, I believe our success depends on our determination and courage to fight the hardships we encounter. Thus, one should think not to surrender but find ways how to start all over again.

GREEN LIGHT

Hermon V. Abaya is an Assistant Professor at the College of Business, La Salle University, Ozamis.

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE government is allocating P132 billion next year to support climate change-related projects to address the impact of extreme weather, the Budget Department said over the weekend.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the amount would be used to build the resilience of vulnerable communities against the devastating impact of climate change.

“With the help of the World Bank, our ongoing audit of the P3.002-trillion budget for next year has tagged P132-billion worth of projects that represent climate expenditures,” he said.

Abad said the huge investment was a lesson learned from the catastrophic effects of typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.

“We have been working on increasing the budget to address climate change since 2011,” he said.

Abad said the priority on climate change reflected the government’s major support for enhancing disaster preparedness and

resilience in vulnerable communities.

Data showed that of the total climate expenditure in the 2016 proposed budget, P72.2 billion were allotted to the Public Works Department for flood control protection projects.

The construction of flood control facilities covering 18 major river basins and principal rivers and watersheds is expected to cost P59.8 billion.

The Environment Department will get P10.2 billion for reforestation of 1.5 million hectares under the national greening program while the Agriculture Department will receive P12.9 billion for farm-to-market roads construction.

Meanwhile, the Philippines pledged its support for adoption

of United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and pushed for urgent action to combat climate change and its impact.

“If we are to achieve our development goals, we need to take urgent action to combat climate change,” said Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan during the closing session of the 70th UN General Assembly on Sept. 27 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Balisacan said as the lead country in the recently held “Vulnerable 20” forum in Lima, Peru, the Philippines would also work in the upcoming Paris Conference to ensure adoption of a new legally binding climate agreement.

Balisacan cited the need to put in place climate change adaptation and mitigation measures particularly in the local levels and increase investments towards a climate resilient economy.

“We have seen extreme weather disturbances occurring with greater frequency and intensity. These calamities can negate our gains in reducing poverty, and even push back development,” he said.

Professional school. Manuel L. Quezon University launches the MLQU School for Professional Ad-

vancement and Continuing Education at the second floor of Victoria Sports Tower on Edsa, Quezon City. With the acquisition of MLQU in October 2014 by the New San Jose Builders Inc., the university’s plans for upgrading both the academe and the school facilities have taken tremendous success. Shown during the launching ceremony are (from left) Commission on Higher Education executive director Julito Vitriolo, Gen. Jaime delos Santos, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., NSJBI co-chairman and MLQU president Isagani Germar, lawyer Gwen de Vera and Vinci Nicolas Villasenor.

Puregold set to hold food convention RETAIL giant Puregold is set to hold its second KAINdustriya Convention this month to help the country’s neighborhood chefs move their business forward and cook up their own recipe for success.

The Puregold KAINdustriya Food Biz Convention 2015 on Oct. 20 and 21 at the World Trade Center is expected to draw at least 10,000 “KAINtrepreneurs” from small- to medium-sized food enterprises across the country for two packed days of entertaining and informative activities.

“We were very much inspired by the attendance that our inaugural KAINdustriya event attracted last year, and so we really

made sure that we will be offering something new and something better this year,” said Puregold president Vincent Co. “This is one of those events where we hope to give back to those who drive our business,” he said.

The KAINdustriya Convention targets a rising market segment— from neighborhood karinderyas, canteens and food stalls to caterers, restaurants and hotels—who are members of Puregold’s flagship loyalty program, the Tindahan ni Aling Puring.

Co said the event was tailormade for the KAINtrepreneurs, giving them the opportunity to mingle with their peers, share best practices and learn about innova-

tions in food preparation and the business-side of the industry.

“At KAINdustriya, our neighborhood chefs will learn about modern trends in the food business, including new products available at Puregold that will boost their enterprise. Altogether, we hope to help them take their business to a new level,” Co said.

“And they will do all that in two fun-filled days at the Convention,” he said.

KAINdustriya is expected to go big time right at the opening day, with powerhouse television hosts Ruby Rodriguez and Jose Manalo of top-rating noontime show Eat Bulaga toasting the start of the two-day affair.

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WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘Konbini’ stores open and stacked all the time TOKYO—Stocking anything from shirts to face masks, 24-7 convenience stores have become an indispensable part of Japanese daily life, with the sector now worth more than Sri Lanka’s economy.

Their secret? Constant renewal.

A staggering 1.5 billion people pass through “konbini” stores— a Japanese abbreviation of the English word convenience—every month, with some 55,000 outlets throughout the country, including more than 7,000 in Tokyo alone.

Competition is fierce, with two of its biggest players, Family Mart and Uny Group, announcing days ago a merger to battle market leader 7-Eleven for a bigger slice of an industry that marketing newspaper Nikkei MJ values at some 10 trillion yen ($84 billion).

That is comfortably more than the economic output of some entire nations, including Sri Lanka, Belarus and Azerbaijan.

“In our 40 years of experience, we understand that our purpose must be to offer something new all the time,” explains Minoru Matsumoto, a spokesman for 7-Eleven, Japan’s largest chain with 18,000 stores.

“Every time we extend what’s on offer, we are creating new customers rather than taking away customers from somewhere else.”

Despite being so ubiquitous, the sector has yet to show any sign of reaching saturation point, with the number of shops—which are run on a franchise system—rising five percent from the previous year in 2014.

According to the Japan Franchise Association, the average Japanese person visits a konbini store 11 times a month and the average outlet serves around 1,000 customers a day.

While such stores are common across Asia, experts say the key to their success in Japan is their finely tuned supply chains that can monitor stock down to a single toothbrush, allowing them to sell an unparalleled array of goods.

As well as the usual drinks and snacks, visitors in konbini are confronted with a smorgasbord of useful items such as hygiene products, batteries, umbrellas, face masks, memory cards and phone chargers.

Tokyo Fashion Week features the kimono TOKYO—Tokyo fashion week drew to a close at the weekend showcasing a sexy new twist on the kimono, as the Japanese classic makes a quiet comeback into women’s wardrobes.

This picture taken on Oct. 17, 2015, shows a model displaying a creation by Japanese heavy-metal rocker and kimono designer Yoshiki (left, playing the piano) at the YOSHIKIMONO first collection during the finale of the Tokyo Fashion Week in Tokyo. Tokyo Fashion Week drew to a close at the weekend showcasing a sexy new twist on the kimono as the Japanese classic makes a quiet comeback into women’s wardrobes. AFP

Fuel crisis halts aid supplies to quake-hit Nepalis KATHMANDU—After months in makeshift shelters, earthquake victim Bhim Bahadur Gurung is desperate to start rebuilding his house ahead of Nepal’s biting winter, but a fuel blockade has left him unable to obtain vital construction supplies.

Nearly six months after a 7.8-magnitude quake killed almost 8,900 people and destroyed about half a million homes, thousands of survivors are still living in tents and other temporary shelters, dependent on aid.

But the three-week blockade of a major border checkpoint by protesters who reject Nepal’s new

B7

constitution has sparked a fuel shortage and nationwide rationing, with vital supplies unable to get through.

“No cement, no rods, no roofs... how can I build my home?”

43-year-old farmer Gurung said from his village in Sindhupalchowk district, one of the areas worst hit by the devastating quake in April.

“The villagers are all living in temporary shelters right now, this won’t be enough when it starts snowing,” Gurung said.

Aid organizations say the fuel crisis has severely hampered their operations and the continued shortage could cut off relief sup-

plies to communities in far-flung areas of the country.

The World Food Program said it had been forced to halt distribution of relief goods and shelter supplies to 224,000 quake victims because of the shortage.

“Because of the fuel crisis we’ve only been able to deliver 40 percent of the actual needs,” said Seetashma Thapa, communications officer for WFP, which coordinates logistics for nearly 130 other humanitarian organizations.

“The situation is particularly critical as we are in a race against time to reach 84,000 people with vital food and supplies before the

snow sets in,” she said of those in the most remote areas.

The WFP’s helicopter operations have only a week of fuel left, she said.

For three weeks, hundreds of protesters have blocked a bridge crossing in the town of Birgunj, 90 kilometers south of Kathmandu, through which 60 percent of the country’s petroleum imports pass.

The protesters, from the ethnic Madhesi minority in Nepal’s southern plains, are incensed about the planned division of the country into several federal provinces under the constitution introduced last month. AFP

In a departure from the heavy silk usually used to make the traditional garb, designers are turning to other fabrics such as jersey, wool and even denim to reinvent the kimono.

“The kimono is fashion... it shouldn’t be presented as old-fashioned,” said celebrated designer Jotaro Saito.

“I want to spread the message that kimono can be worn every day, it’s something people can wear like they wear modern clothes, not... something that makes them feel like they are in a costume,” Saito told AFP. Kimono, which translates as “something to wear”, was originally an umbrella term that covered a range of garments worn by Japanese men and women for centuries, but has now come to signify an outer robe tied with a wide sash known as an obi.

The kimono’s decline dates back to the late 1800s when Japan’s rulers opened up the country to modern influences after hundreds of years of self-imposed seclusion, signaling a shift that would see future generations embrace western clothing.

The garment never quite recovered its popularity thanks to a prohibitively high cost that can run into the thousands of dollars, compelling many brides to rent rather than purchase kimono for their weddings.

While kimono-clad women are still a regular sight in major urban centers, the complicated garment tends to be reserved for special occasions rather than daily use.

A key reason is that wearers have to master a complex sequence of knots to tie the kimono tightly, which intimidates many curious women into either taking lessons for months or opting for simpler western garb.

The downturn has prompted government officials keen to preserve traditional culture to come up with schemes like Kyoto’s “kimono passport” which gives wearers discounts at stores and restaurants in the ancient capital.

But observers said the fashion industry’s renewed interest may do more to ensure its survival.

Designer Saito, born into a family of kimono-dyeing artists in Kyoto, has worked with the garment for two decades and believes change is critical to its future in fashion.

“What we need to do now is evolve the kimono. We cannot just do what previous generations have already done,” Saito said.

“We need to respond to the street... to alter traditional designs and make something which suits women’s lives today without losing the traditional appeal.” AFP

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CEsAR BARRiOquiNTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

Mass. Nuns attend a canonization mass for Vincenzo Grossi, an Italian priest and founder of the Institute of the Daughters of the Oratory, Maria of the Immaculate Conception, a Spanish superior general of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross, French couple Louis and Zelie Martin, parents of St Therese de Lisieux, on Oct. 18, 2015, at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican. Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, were canonized while the Synod on the Family was under way in Rome. The Martins were the first married couple in the history of the Church to be declared saints at the same time. The Pope had recognized a miracle attributed to the couple on March 18, 2015. AFP

Fears for migrants in France Continued US presence a lifeline to Afghanistan KABUL—The United States’ decision to extend its military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2016 has thrown the warravaged country’s government a much needed lifeline even as its dysfunctionality, blamed for the Taliban’s revival, shows no signs of abating.

It has been just over a year since Ashraf Ghani was sworn in as president as part of a US-brokered unity government with his main election rival, former anti-Soviet fighter Abdullah Abdullah, as chief executive.

While the deal was hailed as a breakthrough that had averted a possible ethnic civil war, experts blame the political deadlock it created for allowing the Taliban to regain momentum and unleash

a wave of violence not been seen for years.

The insurgents’ seizure of the northern regional capital Kunduz last month, though brief, was a stinging blow to Western-trained Afghan forces as they struggle to maintain security after the end of NATO’s mission in December.

US President Barack Obama’s decision to keep 5,500 troops beyond 2016 has therefore been met with widespread relief by officials and residents, who hope it will prevent the country from becoming a regional hub of terror and violence like Syria.

“The announcement is an important boost to the Afghan army morale, it shows that the world is not leaving them alone,” said retired general Atiqullah Amarkhil. AFP

CALAIS—Winter is coming to France’s port town of Calais, raising fears among aid groups about the worsening conditions for the thousands of migrants living in a makeshift camp.

Nighttime temperatures have dropped to around five degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) in the “New Jungle” camp, located next to the Calais ring road, and will keep falling in the coming months.

The sound of hammers echoes through the camp’s winding slumlike alleys as migrants try to reinforce crude shelters made of wood and salvaged material against the creeping cold.

“I have nothing to insulate it with,” says Abdulilah, an Afghan in his fifties who is building a shack.

“I’ll wear an extra sweater provided by the organizations”.

The changing weather and uncertainty surrounding a new crisis center announced by the government this summer has alarmed the area’s humanitarian organizations.

“We trudge through the mud,” said Francois Guennoc, a camp volunteer with the aid group L’Auberge des Migrants. “There are places where water pools and it gets very difficult.”

“We are buffeted by the wind, the rain, and the cold. It’s even worse than the previous ‘jungles’,” he added.

Since September, illegal crossings to England from the port or the Eurotunnel—they were up to 150 per day in August—have slowed amid tighter security.

But migrants and refugees keep coming and, predictably, the “New Jungle” has swelled.

The number of residents is now estimated to hover between 4,000 and 6,000 people, up from 2,500 in early June.

“We are on the brink of collapse,”

said Jean-Francois Corty, head of the French division of Doctors Without Borders. “The social welfare system is inadequate and so are the delays to process asylum applications”.

“It is unacceptable for a country, the sixth biggest world economic power, to support that,” he added.

Another volunteer, from the SALAM charity organization who preferred to stay anonymous, went so far as to invoke a “concentration camp”.

About 630,000 migrants have entered Europe illegally since the beginning of the year and Calais is, for some, the last hurdle before reaching England, their dream destination.

Increasing asylum applications have led to more and more makeshift camps popping up around France.

The Calais town hall says there are between 125 and 150 asylum applications per week now, mostly from Sudanese and Eritreans.

AFP

Africa hosting its biggest beer festival JOHANNESBURG—Africa is hosting its biggest beer festival: a 14-date marathon tour of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban serving more than 35,000 drinkers four different types of beer —all of them made by SABMiller.

The annual Bierfest is just one example of SABMiller’s strong presence in Africa, which is seen as a key driver of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s planned takeover of the brewing giant.

Festival drinkers are encouraged to book tables of at least six people, and bring friends, family and work colleagues to enjoy sausages and

live music washed down with beer served by a “dedicated Fraulein”.

“We want to bring beer culture to all parts of society,” Jon Monsoon, one of Bierfest’s organizers, told AFP. “More and more people come to the festival every year.

“We are serving beers from the No. 3 Fransen Street brewery and the Newlands Spring brewery—both of which are owned by SABMiller.

“There is such enthusiasm to discover more about beer.”

Africa is the world’s fastestgrowing beer market, expanding at a predicted rate of five percent a year between 2013 and 2017, ac-

cording to Canadean, a Londonbased research company specializing in the drinks industry.

That growth rate outstrips four percent for Asia and three percent for Latin America.

“Africa has seen inflation fall, foreign debt shrink and GDP rise in the last few years,” Kevin Baker, account director at Canadean, said in a report released this year.

“Population growth—once feared as a major contributor to poverty—is now perceived as an asset, with the working age population set to outgrow that of China and India.” AFP

First day of school. Syrian refugee students attend the first day of school in Lebanon’s northern port city of Tripoli on Oct. 18, 2015.

Lebanon, a country of four million people, hosts more than 1.1 million Syrian refugees, including at least 400,000 school-aged children, according to the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR. AFP

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

E AT, DRINK , T R AV EL

LIFE

Adobo Marinated Prime Rib with Garlic Yorkshire, Roasted Tagaytay Vegetables and Adobo Beef Jus

Cheese Spätzle and Curry Sausage

Raspberry Molted Brownie Double Shot Vodka Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Maki and Magic Cube Roll

The HEAT of the Matter

BY MALOU E. ROSAL PHOTOS BY SONNY ESPIRITU

A

t the heart of this city resort hotel that is Edsa ShangriLa Manila is a happy place called HEAT Restaurant.

Even from its rotunda-like entrance, you can hear the cheerful sounds of breakfast, lunch, or dinner echoing amidst the chatter, the laughter, and the clinking of cutlery against fine china.

HEAT is popular, too, with families and friends who prefer to celebrate their milestones and special occasions here. Evidence of that delicious choice is the happy birthday song that regularly punctuates the lunch crowd. HEAT even has its own birthday song, much to the delight of celebrants who can now enjoy a new tune, refreshingly different from other renditions sung ubiquitously enough in other restos, bars, and franchises.

Of course, HEAT offers not only the warmth of a family atmosphere.

This all-day dining restaurant serves up an eclectic array of global cuisine that takes your palate on a literal taste trip.

Some diners usually make a beeline for the Japanese section, where sushi and sashimi and maki and nigiri reside beside seafood resting on ice.

The European appetizers, wheels of cheese, pates, and salad greens line up the remaining space of the center counter.

By the main entrance, Chinese, Filipino, Thai, and Malaysian comfort food beckon to sample the familiar; the tandoori section lights up its own little corner with the rich aroma of spices, curries, skewered meats, samosa, and breads.

Edsa Shangri-La Manila F&B director Nicola Coccia

Heads up at the carving station, where prime cuts of beef, lamb, turkey, and the iconic Pinoy lechon reign supreme. And don’t forget the heady laksa, simmering and bubbling at the soup station, enticing lovers of this Malaysian favorite to sip on the spicy broth, bite into plump shrimps, chewy egg noodles, and chunks of vegetables.

Leave room for dessert, though.

That sinful array of sweets can tempt you off your resolve with rows and rows of cakes, cookies, candies, chocolates, and even local delicacies.

HEATING UP THE KITCHEN

Now, if those selections were not enough, HEAT rises to greater culinary heights as the hotel’s international chefs show off their signature dishes in its lunch and dinner buffets.

Edsa Shangri-La’s Director of Food and Beverage, Nicola Coccia, explains this novel concept of HEAT. “Many hotels in the city have chefs from different nationalities.

But those chefs would only focus on their own restaurants. So what we have done here, we’ve actually put the chefs of the restaurants in charge of some of the dishes in the buffet. By holding them accountable, we asked them to create a dish especially for HEAT.” Coccia emphasizes that all the dishes were created specifically for HEAT. “For example,” he continues, “the dumpling is not available at Summer Palace, where the chef is the resident chef of that restaurant. He

Edsa Shangri-La Manila's International Chefs

Spaghetti alle Vongole

does not have that dish in his menu.

We wanted to make sure that we don’t steal the business from the restaurant, from Summer Palace into HEAT; but at the same time, we wanted to have a different cover here.”

THE PROOF OF THE PROVERBIAL PUDDING

So you say “prove it!” And that is why, the chefs of Edsa ShangriLa snapped their aprons on, rolled up their sleeves, and cooked off an enticing sampling. The tasting was an international culinary tour that everyone at the table was most eager to take.

Chef Andy Liu’s Curry Seafood Dimsum started the ball rolling.

Similar to a xiao long bao, it nurses hot laksa broth, defining “heat” in two dimensions: best enjoyed piping hot, while chilies prick the taste buds, but with just enough teasing for you to want some more.

Following on the dimsum’s heels were Japanese Chef Yusuke Hino’s signature Maki and Magic Cube Roll. Like a checkerboard lying on a banana leaf carpet, the roll dipped in wasabi-laced soy sauce echoes the spicy theme but on a more savory note. After enjoying the last bite, don’t be surprised when fluent Tagalog speaking Chef Hino inquires: “Masarap?”

From the other side of the globe, German heritage is highlighted by the Cheese Spätzle and Curry Sausage of the hotel’s new Executive Chef, Tobias Unger. Trust a German chef to show off his skills with cheese, sausage, and yes, pasta!

And trust a German chef to do it so scrumptiously well!

Coffee Spareribs

But wait, the Italian Executive Chef Marco Ghezzi has his own pasta dish with which to dazzle diners. He takes fresh, juicy clams and snuggles them into al dente spaghetti’s embrace to create a simple yet hearty Spaghetti alle Vongole, reminiscent of simple rustic Italian cooking. Tear off some bread and sop off those clam juices, quick!

Now, back to Asia, as Indian Chef Fanishwar carries in some sizzling chicken Tangdi kabab, still on the long spear on which it was grilled.

With effortless aplomb, he relieves the long metal stick off its load and plates the chicken meat flavored with select spices. Applause was definitely called for, and given.

Executive Chinese Chef Tony Sum took a swing at Singapore’s favorite coffee spareribs – and hit a home run. The sweetish caramelized coating of the pork was gently balanced by the bitterness of the coffee, each flavor alternately taking center stage without stealing the thunder from each other.

Executive Sous Chef Roxanne Castillo may be the lone woman on the hotel’s international chefs lineup, but she is actually the Boss in the kitchen. Coaxing out those sophisticated flavors while keeping a tight ship, she presented her masterpiece: Adobo Marinated Prime Rib with Garlic Yorkshire, Roasted Tagaytay Vegetables and Adobo Beef Jus. Such a mouthful to say, quite the tender and succulent meat that melts in the same mouth.

All around the table, the only sound was “Hmmm…”

But wait, there’s one more dish to taste. It may be the last, but certainly

Chicken Tangdi Kabab

not the least. Pastry Chef Martin Frowd’s Raspberry Molted Brownie Double Shot Vodka Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce was greeted with “ooohs” and “aahs” for its delicate and aesthetically pleasing presentation.

At first, no one wanted to ruin the artwork on a plate. But a reminder that dessert is for eating and not for ogling at relieved everyone from the guilt of taking a spoon and attacking the cheesecake and all its components with much gusto.

While recovering from this gustatory exploration, Coccia’s words recall the mood, the preparation, and dedication of the chefs: “It’s very nice to see before the service starts, before 11:30, all those chefs from the Chinese, Japanese, Italian restaurants, they all come down here to check, mise en place (put in place or set up), to check on the buffet. I think that’s what makes the restaurant different from all other restaurants in the city at the moment. We really have the commitment from a specialty chef.”

HEAT has a seating capacity of 426 people, including two outdoor patios that offer garden and pool views.

It also has four private rooms for exclusive groups, named after weather gauges: Celsius, Kelvin, Rankine and Fahrenheit. For inquiries or reservations, contact Edsa ShangriLa Restaurant Reservations and Information Center through call (63 2) 633 8888 ext. 2740 / 2741 or email heat.esl@shangri-la.com.

Visit www.shangri-la.com/manila/ edsashangrila or stay connected, like Facebook.com/edsashangrila, follow @edsashangrila on Twitter and @edsashangrila on Instagram.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE:

BELVEDERE VODKA CELEBRATES SPECTRE 007 PARTNERSHIP

Belvedere 007 SPECTRE limited edition bottle with Belvedere SPECTRE 007 martini

S

he walks in a bar and orders a “Belvedere Martini” and exclaims, “Shaken, not stirred!” The bar tender looks at her and drops a bottle cap in an ice bucket, and all of a sudden a series of contraptions appears – ice falls from a bucket and fills up a shaker; Belvedere Vodka pours in with another bottle spraying white Vermouth and instead of the bar tender shaking the shaker, lime starts to fall from above and shakes the entire concoction, with the shaker doing a perfect somersault. Bar tender then opens the shaker and pours in the muddled liquid in a martini glass and ends with another contraption slicing lemon by the bar and voila!

Straight up dry Belvedere Martini with a lemon twist. “Excellent choice Mr. Bond,” she ends. Catch the 45-minute cool Bond experience featuring the first Mexican Bond girl and the latest star in Belvedere vodka’s campaign, Stephanie Sigman.

An excellent choice indeed, and in celebration of the highly anticipated premiere of SPECTRE, the latest 007 film, Belvedere Vodka launched the Belvedere 007 SPECTRE special edition bottle (70cl) featuring the iconic gun barrel and 007 gun logo. This is the first time Belvedere has been featured as a product in a Bond movie. “James Bond is recognized as the most admired and influential tastemaker in the world. We’re delighted that Belvedere is partnering with SPECTRE, our largest global partnership to date, ” says president of Belvedere Vodka Charles Gibb.

JM Rodriguez enjoying his Belvedere Spectre cocktail

Marek Vojcarcik, Belvedere Brand Ambassador for Asia Pacific

The Belvebear is out tonight

Trina Ching-Ramos, Air Asia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and Olga Azarcon

In the Philippines, Belvedere Vodka hosted a James Bond-themed VIP martini party at the Palace Pool Club co-hosted

by JM Rodriguez and graced by Belvedere Brand Ambassador for Asia-Pacific, Marev Vojcarcik. They featured four different SPECTRE-themed cocktails – the Belvedere 007 Martini, Belvedere Spectre 007 Classic, Belvedere Double O, and long drink Belvedere Spectre 007.

If you want to create your own Spectre 007 Martini, prepare 60 ml (2 oz) Belvedere Vodka, 10 ml (1/3 oz) dry Vermouth, 1 Sicilian green olive, 5ml (1/6 oz) Sicilian green olive brine. Gently muddle the olive in mixing glass, add all the other ingredients and shake hard with ice. Now if you want to taste what Stephanie Sigman ordered, here’s the other recipe – Belvedere 007 Martini, prepare 60 ml (2 oz) Belvedere Vodka, add 10 ml (1/3 oz)

The first Mexican Bond girl Stephanie Sigman with her Belvedere 007 Martini

dry Vermouth, shake with ice, again do not stir, then garnish with a lemon twist.

SPECTRE, starring Daniel Craig, is set to open in Philippine theaters on its worldwide release on November 6, 2015. The Belvedere 007 SPECTRE special edition bottle is available in retailers worldwide and is released in 70cl, 75cl, 1L. and 1.75L. For updates on Belvedere Vodka Philippines follow @belvedereph on Instagram and like their Facebook page on Belvedere Vodka PH.

LET 'JOY' TAKE YOU FURTHER

Johnnie Walker launches it's new campaign

“B Cheats with their vocalist Saab Magalona performing at The Way I Walk event

Diageo Philippines general manager Jon Good flanked by Johnnie Walker brand ambassadors Romi Garduce and Saab Magalona

Jude Law in Johnnie Walker's 'Joy Will Take You Further' ad campaign

Unveiling Johnnie Walker’s latest Joy Will Take You Further campaign at The Way I Walk event at The Eye at Green Sun, Makati

lood, sweat, and tears will get you there.

But joy, will take you further,” says Jude Law in Johnnie Walker’s latest “Joy Will Take You Further” ad campaign.

Watching the video makes you look at the way you live your life and inspires how you can achieve more with happiness.

Among the global ambassadors who joined the campaign aside from award-winning actor Jude Law are Formula One World Champion and McLaren Honda driver Jenson Button and American alternative rock band OK Go –whose understanding of success and progress align with the results from a growing body of scientific research into the power of happiness. USbased psychologist and scientist Dr. Matt Killingsworth, who studies human happiness, acted as a consultant for the latest Johnnie Walker campaign and he says, “People sometimes think of happiness as a far-off, distant prize only to be won by their years of hard work or when they achieve conventional markers

of success, like a higher income or a bigger house. But there is a growing body of evidence that enjoying happiness along the way makes success more likely.”

“As a brand, Johnnie Walker has always stood for progress – it’s been the story of our whisky since our founder John Walker started it all nearly 200 years ago. What two centuries of experience have taught us is that progress doesn’t have to be an endless uphill journey – we can enjoy the steps we take and the more happiness we find in them the more likely we are to achieve our goal. Evidence is confirming a conviction that sits at the heart of our brand: Joy Will Take You Further,” says Diageo Philippines general manager Jon Good.

In the Philippines, Johnnie Walker centers the attention of the campaign upon the real life successes of people who credit the power of joy with taking them further. Mountaineer Romi Garduce and musician, actress and blogger Saab Magalona jumped on board the new global campaign.

These two proud Pinoys epitomize

a way of thinking that happiness actually helps people achieve more in life, and joy is the key to meaningful progress.

Garduce is the Philippines’ first global ambassador for Johnnie Walker and is notably featured in the global campaign.

“Mountaineering is at least 80 percent mental approach. You don’t entertain doubt – it’s the instinct of believing ‘I can do this.’ It’s positive thinking.

Most of the time, climbing is challenging but afterwards there is, what I call ‘undefined fulfillment’ – a memory that is there forever,” Garduce shares.

For a guy who has conquered the seven highest summits on all continents, he indeed proves that “joy” can take you further.

Johnnie Walker is one of the many brands under the company Diageo (the global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories). For more information about Diageo, and their brands, visit www.diageo.com.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

The Balvenie Portwood 21-y-o, The Balvenie Doublewood 12-y-o, The Balvenie Single Barrel 15-y-o, and The Balvenie Doublewood 17-y-o.

TASTE TEST (Part 2)

We pick up where we left off from last week’s column where I shared three whisky tasting TIPPLE TALES experiences: Bruichladdich,

BY ICY MARIÑAS Glenmorangie, and Monkey Shoulder. Each brand has its own process, style, and feel, which translated to each of their events. They all had their own flavor, their own flair – and their brand ambassadors, who hosted the events, set the tone for how the experience was going to be. This week, I’ll tell you all about the two most recent tasting events I went to.

Wild Turkey brought in Global Brand Ambassador Mr. Robin Coupar (Scottish), who has dedicated more than 21 years of his life to the industry. This special tasting was done at Hooch Bar, Salcedo Village. He was eloquent and charming, he commanded respect, a man full of firsthand knowledge.

He presented seven whiskies from the Wild Turkey brand, plus the Single Malt Glen Grant. He went through the whole motion of teaching how to appreciate bourbon whisky and what the differences are between bourbon and whisky (all bourbon is whisky, but not all whisky is bourbon). He also had inside information about the distilleries – firsthand information you don’t learn by just reading about the brand. We were lucky to have been there because they opened the very first bottle of Wild Turkey 17-year-old Master’s Keep in Southeast Asia! This was not only a treat, it easily became one of my favorites. This one-off batch was kept in a stone warehouse, where it’s damper and cooler, which makes the whisky take longer to mature. He told us to put a

little bit of it in our hands, rub them together and take a whiff, to release the aromas. It has layers of smoke, leather, and wood, owing its earthiness to the dampness in the natural environment. I was thrilled to learn that Wild Turkey was bringing in Wild Turkey Rye. This is the only second rye brand in Manila. And being a rye fan (love it for its spiciness and the sexiness it adds to cocktails), here are the other brands he presented: Wild Turkey 81, Wild Turkey 101, Wild Turkey Forgiven (the happy accident of mixing their high proof ryes and bourbon blends, one of my favorites!), Russel Reserve 10-y-o, Russel Reserve Single Barrel and Glen Grant. Glen Grant is a Scotch whisky that I will definitely be recommending to first time whisky drinkers. It’s like alcoholic apple juice with grace and finesse.

The latest whisky tasting event I attended in Smith Butcher & Grillroom was for The Balvenie. Just when I thought this was going to be just another tasting presentation where the highlight was Balvenie’s great lineup of Scotch whiskies, I was so wrong. I was present in a room with not just one, but two Balvenie ambassadors: the Southeast Asia Regional Brand Ambassador Neil Strachan and the Global Brand Ambassador Samuel Simmons (who is working closely with Balvenie’s Malt Master, “The” David Stewart. This guy is a living legend in the whisky world!). We were treated to a presentation on the history and tradition of this premium single malt. Hearing about the tradition of passing on the skills of a malt master down to his successor, teaching not just the production process of the whisky, but the taste and aroma of what it should be, is inspiring. These people have dedicated their lives in preserving and continuing the tradition by sense of taste and smell. There is a certain romance to it, a passion that is contagious! I couldn’t help but feel moved by that story. This tasting was such a treat!

The very first bottle of Wild Turkey 17-year-old Master’s Keep in Southeast Asia

It was great seeing them in tandem.

Neil, being a sort of newbie, was full of passion at getting his dream job, though a little nervous presenting with the global brand ambassador. Sam on the other hand was cool and humble, and seemed to have transferred some confidence during the presentation to Neil. It was beautiful to witness – like a new teacher being mentored by a master teacher. In the same line of Scotch knowledge being passed on from one generation to the next, it seemed like I saw this in action during the event, and felt privileged to have been there. It was genuine and did not feel intimidating at all. We were also given a special bottle of unaged whisky, which was just the icing on the cake.

The featured whiskies were The Balvenie Portwood 21-y-o, The Balvenie Doublewood 12-y-o, The Balvenie Single Barrel 15-y-o, and The Balvenie Doublewood 17-y-o. I particularly enjoyed The Balvenie 15 which was paired perfectly with oysters. When I had it, it was as if there were fireworks. It was an absolute match. The next time I have oysters, I would automatically want The Balvenie 15 (and vice versa). They are forever linked now.

Whew! That was a lot of whisky. I sort of feel bad about not finishing the samples! But you can’t fully appreciate the last (which they save the best for) if you’re pretty wasted. With the elevating landscape of the bar and alcohol scene in the Philippines, there will definitely be more of these tasting events coming, with all kinds of liquor. I strongly urge you to go to one (or all) if you can get yourself in or are able to afford it. It is certainly a great way to spend your time (and money). As consumers, it is our duty to know what we’re buying and consuming. As imbibers, these tasting events are a great way to learn more about the spirits we love, and are curious about. Plus, you’ll be among like-minded people who enjoy what you enjoy: booze.

It’s like a learning community of sorts. And where else can you take a class where you can drink the lesson?

For people who are interested in attending tasting events and being in the know, you can drop me a line at tippletales@gmail. com, follow me on Twitter (@tipple_tales) and Instagram (@sanvicentegirl) and I’ll keep you guys posted. Cheers!

WIN AN ALL-EXPENSE PAID TRIP TO JAPAN WITH NIDO 3+AMAZING RAFFLE PROMO

M

aking your kids drink Nido 3+ is not only healthier, is it also more rewarding with the NIDO 3+ Amazing Raffle Promo!

By simply purchasing a specially marked NIDO 3+ 1.2kg or 1.6kg pack from participating Mercury Drug stores nationwide, you can have the chance to win an all-expense paid trip for four to Osaka, Japan with the travel prize is inclusive of airfare, accommodation,

tickets to a world-class theme park and pocket money.

It’s all so easy. Just look for the unique code on the inside of the pack sticker, then send the unique code by texting NIDO 3+ <PROMO CODE> to 5656, after which you will receive an automatic reply requiring validation of entry. To make the entry official, follow the next steps stated in the message. Only one name per mobile number is allowed, but a user may register his or her name using several

mobile numbers. Keep the sticker and the actual pack for the duration of the promo as these will be required for redemption of prizes.

All Suki Card members of Mercury Drug will also receive additional 70 Suki points when they present their cards upon purchase of the specially marked NIDO 3+ 1.2kg or 1.6kg packs.

Promo runs until December 31, 2015 only. For the full mechanics, visit www.lakingamazing.ph.

M O N D AY : O C T O B E R 1 9 : 2 0 1 5

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

The majestic Kukulcan Pyramid in Chichen Itza, a Mayan masterpiece

The spectacular Spring Equinox demi-elliptical shadow “carving” the body of the snake connected to the head at the bottom

MAYAN ACE MERCURY RISING

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

Alright, I have to admit that I wanted the titles of all my columns this October to sound different. I made the others alliterative, while this one is melodious. In fact, I had to make myself a nice tuna-and-egg sandwich while writing this column because the title made me hungry, as it reminded me of a basic sandwich ingredient.

But, that’s digressing from my topic.

This week, I actually want to showcase a most respected Indian tribe.

The Mayans were regarded as one of the more intelligent tribes in the Americas’ pre-Spanish era.

Historical records show that they excelled at mathematics, and were the first ones to use the number “0” as a mathematical value in computations. They were superior in agriculture, hieroglyphics, and built many temples with impressive architecture adorned with symbolic artwork. Their medical practices were quite advanced; they used human hair to suture wounds and even made prosthesis. They also had saunas or, at least, what functioned as one, to rid their bodies of external and internal impurities.

But, what’s interesting is that, although their civilization is respected by anthropologists and archaeologists alike, what was learned of their nobility raised not a few eyebrows. They were discovered to have altered their physical appearance resulting in not too pleasant images. Parents would flatten their babies’ forehead by pressing a board on it. They also dangled objects in front of their babies’ eyes until the baby became cross-eyed, as flat forehead and crossed-eyes were considered desirable features of nobility. The bridge of the nose of a nobleman was tweaked to look like a beak and his teeth were inlaid with jade.

Goodness gracious! I’ve always equated nobility with dignified countenance, but this?

A stellar achievement of the Mayans was the very detailed Long-Count calendar which is highly sophisticated because it even records lunar and solar cycles, eclipses and movements of planets with great accuracy. However, the calendar never predicted the end of the world. It’s just that it has 13 cycles totaling 2,880,000 days which ended on December 21, 2012. Another 13 cycles started the day after, which is why you and I are still around. I bought myself a sample of this Mayan calendar because, even if I don’t know how to read it, it makes for a very attractive wall décor. It has been eliciting

The colorful Mayan Long-Count calendar perking up my office wall

praises and admiration from my office visitors since I returned from my Mexican sojourn.

But what stands out among the valuable legacy from the Mayan civilization is the Kukulcan Pyramid, also known as El Castillo, at Chichen Itza, in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Named after the Feathered Serpent Deity of that civilization, the pyramid has 91 steps on each of the four sides. On top of the pyramid, there is a small temple perched on a platform.

All the steps on the four sides, counting the top platform as the final “step,” totals 365.

Here’s what makes this pyramid the “ace” among Mayan structures.

A sculpture of the head of a serpent is found at the bottom of the stairs on the front side of the pyramid.

During the Spring Equinox (around March 20 or 21) and Autumn Equinox (around September 22-24), the late afternoon sun strikes off the front corner of the pyramid and casts a chain of

demi-elliptical shadows against the front side steps, connecting to the sculptured serpent’s head at the bottom, creating the illusion of a giant snake “crawling” down the pyramid. This unique solarumbral display on these two dates in the year attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Chichen Itza, making the Kukulcan Pyramid the most recognized and widely visited pre-Spanish structure in present-day Mexico.

In fact, I agree with those researchers who believe that this pyramid is not only a tribute to the ingenuity of the Mayans, but is also the reason why everybody thought the world would end when the cycles in the Mayan calendar ended. Why? The pyramid was built with bare hands, without the use of sophisticated measuring instruments. The Mayans must have been so intelligent and gifted with almost superhuman mental skills and engineering acumen. They were able to perfectly position the pyramid, and the stone carvings all around it, for the sun to hit at a certain angle at a particular time of the year, creating those shadows that would “frame” the snake’s “body”

and connect to its head at the bottom of the stairs.

The common belief is that, if the Mayans knew how to build something as “perfect” as that, they probably also knew when the world would end through their calendar which, people believed, counted the days of our planet’s existence. Thank goodness, we were all wrong on this one.

There are still millions of Mayan descendants living in Central America today. They probably are still as smart as their ancestors.

Maybe I should seek them out and befriend some of them.

Who knows, their superhuman intelligence could still rub off on me. It’s never too late for anything.

Meantime, the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes beckon the curious traveler to witness the spectacular umbralsolar display at the Kukulcan Pyramid.

If you prefer to go any time of the year, daily flights are available from Manila to Cancun, Mexico, which is only a two-hour drive to Chichen Itza.

Entonces, estás listo para presenciar algo mágico? (So, are you ready to witness something magical?)

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE: Boy: “I got an F in Arithmetic.”

Father: “Why?” Boy: “The teacher asked ‘How much is 2×3?’ and I said ‘6’” Father: “But that’s right!”

Boy: “Then she asked me ‘How much is 3×2?’”

Father: “What’s the fucking difference?”

Boy: “That’s exactly what I said!”

LOCAL GUIDES LEARN ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS FROM PRIMER GROUP

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rospects for the tourism industry in the Philippines continues to be upbeat, with more tourists now looking at the country as a great place to experience tropical adventures.

A big contributor to the overall travel experience are local tourist guides from whom visitors can better learn and appreciate the beauty of this island paradise.

Primer Group of Companies – a retail and distribution outfit

for premium consumer brands in outdoor, urban lifestyle and travel – embarked on a sustainable tourism entrepreneurship program to help guides become more credible in their jobs.

Through its Center for Outdoor Recreation and Expedition, Primer Group touched base with local tourist guides in Baler, Sagada and Palawan to identify and develop feasible tourism opportunities tailor-made for every local community.

“Our tour guides are the face of local tourism in the Philippines.

To make them more credible, it is important for them to be knowledgeable about safety and customer engagement to keep customers coming back,” program manager Kristine Villaflor emphasized.

Since 2010, CORE has been supporting fisher folk across 10 different sites by training them as reef rangers (snorkeling guides) for alternative livelihood. CORE

distributed rashguard uniforms, snorkeling equipment and official IDs that will serve as certification.

For Baler, CORE brought its expedition team to explore the community and identify three different adventure activities: trekking, camping and biking.

In Sagada, CORE linked up

with local organization guides to organize a three-day “High Angle Rescue Training” to promote safety of guides and guests.

The Philippines has become a magnet for action-packed tourists, with tons of exciting outdoor adventures waiting in store for visitors.

M ONDAY : OCTOBER 19 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Anton del Rosario and Sam Richelle

Kelsey Merritt, Georgina Wilson, Raymond Gutierrez, Sarah Lahbati, and BJ Pascual

International DJs Willy Monfret and DJ GG

Denise Buencamino and Frank Magalona

NeW faces eNdorse MagNuM White

W

Duane Santos, Sam Concepcion, and Peachy Concepcion

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hite is most definitely in.

And to further cement the fact, there is a new and pleasurable type of white in town. One that is most indulgent and mouth-watering.

It’s none other than new Magnum White Chocolate Almond.

Hosted by Magnum’s resident ambassadors Raymond Gutierrez and Georgina Wilson, the launch was made more exciting with the presence of Magnum’s new faces Sarah Lahbati, BJ Pascual and Kelsey Merritt. Magnum’s ambassadors showcase talent, and international acclaim in art and fashion. They all work hard, but also know how to in-

dulge and reward themselves.

“Magnum has always been about celebrating pleasure and indulging yourself after a hard day’s work. With the launch of Magnum White Chocolate Almond, Magnum once again presents its pleasure seekers a new way to reward themselves – an indulgent flavor that is just so different from our current range,” said Magnum Brand Manager Andrea Huang.

Finally in the Philippines, Magnum introduces its newest and finest Belgian chocolate creation that’s made of rich vanilla ice cream covered in thick cracking white chocolate and almond pieces. Magnum, once again, elevates its Belgian chocolate credentials

with an entirely different chocolate flavor that’s in a league of its own.

Magnum heralds the arrival of the country’s first white Belgian chocolate ice cream creation through the biggest white takeover the metro has seen. Known to host the hottest events, Magnum kicked off the celebrations recently with a White Party attended by the Philippines’ top celebrities and influencers. It also featured international fashion DJs GG from Australia and DJ Willy Monfret – Justin Bieber’s DJ, who just recently spun at Kylie Jenner’s 18th birthday party.

Magnum White Chocolate Almond is available nationwide in all leading supermarkets and convenience stores.

Fatal attraCtion in the age oF soCial media

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nock Knock is a psychosexual thriller not intended for the faint of heart and easily disturbed. In the upcoming Keanu Reeves starrer, critically acclaimed horror director Eli Roth takes fear several notches higher as he pits a married man Evan (Reeves) against two irresistible seductresses Genesis (Lorenza Izzo) and Bel (Ana de Armas) who initially knocked on his door for help on a rainy night eventually turning his dark fantasies into his worst nightmare and his life a living hell.

The movie comes in a world where everyone has seen everything and nothing shocks anymore, an entire generation of kids strive for attention and validation through social media, each one trying to get more likes than the next. Evan, a devoted father and husband was left alone for one weekend with nary an idea that he is being stalked by unlikely predators waiting for the perfect time and pin him down at his loneliest.

“With Knock Knock, I wanted to show just how fragile the world we spend a lifetime building actually

is. What if you did everything right – you went to a good school, you dated nice people until you met the right person, you settled down, you built a good life for yourself…and still, you have the sinking feeling you’re missing out on something.

“What if you wanted to tempt fate just for one night thinking you could get away with it? I wanted the audience to sympathize with Evan, our main character, and to secretly make the same choices he would make. Evan tries to do the right thing, and yet, he can’t ever truly say no to these girls who show up at his door and seduce him. Evan constantly thinks he’s in control, and that’s his fatal flaw.

“People in their 40’s have no idea the damage one can cause with social media, because they’ve never had to think defensively in that way. Teenagers today have grown up with the threat of someone ruining your life over a picture or a text message, so as a result they know how to destroy someone. It’s a skill you have to develop as a teenager today, but it’s not one that would even be in a character like Evan’s consciousness,” says director Roth.

Artwork plays a major role in the film. The director’s mother, being an artist, grew up with her paintings all over their house.

Roth shared, “I’ve seen firsthand how difficult it is to create, and what it takes to fill an empty canvas with imagination and soul.

In fact, my mother in many ways is my biggest influence on my own career as a writer/director. Yet art, at the core of it, might simply be a concept that does not exist.

“Proving the existence of art is like proving the existence of God. The evidence is everywhere, yet it only exists because someone labels it as art. To one person a sculpture might be a priceless work of art, yet to another it might just be colored plaster. I am well aware of my reputation for bodily harm and dismemberment, and with Knock Knock wanted to substitute chopping off the sculpture’s limbs for a human’s.

“I find the destruction of art much more painful, because the idea that no matter what we create it’s completely worthless to another person is a very real and terrifying one. Everything we find sacred in a work of art

Keanu Reeves_

Ana de Armas

Lorenza Izzo

could mean absolutely nothing to a complete stranger, who would destroy it all with a swing of the hammer without a second thought. I saw the artwork as a metaphor for Evan’s relationship,

for his family, for the life he built, and once he lets in a dangerous force, he risks losing everything.”

Knock Knock opens Oct. 21 in theatres nationwide from OctoArts Films International.

M ONDAY : OCTOBER 19 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

PERfECt tanDEm tO DEfUSE aLDUb JOSEPh PEtER GOnZaLES Because of the success of On the Wings of Love, many say that the screen tandem of Nadine Lustre and James Reid is the perfect match to the phenomenal AlDub pairing of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza.

To this, Nadine reacts, “Wow! I’m surprised. Actually, it’s my first time to hear that observation. But to be honest, we’re not competing with them.”

Since they started airing, her tender and sweet moments with James always register high trending on social media sites like Twitter. The show’s mer-

chandise items easily get sold out as well, prompting people to pit them against AlDub. “We’re thankful that the viewers support us. It’s simply heart-warming. We’re overwhelmed by their support. But as I’ve said earlier, James and I are not competing with AlDub. We don’t look at it as such.

“Actually, we’re just the same. We belong to the same generation here in the ‘biz.

Competition is not in our vocabulary. We’re here to work, to entertain the public. In the future, we want our followers to feel satisfied with what we’ve offered them!”

Speaking of James, some quarters are curious if the charming lass is affected by the issue that the former is being linked with other girls, the reason why he receive

Nadine Lustre and James Reid

flaks from bashers of late.

“I’m not! Yes, believe it or not. I know James. He tells me everything. If ever there’s some truth in the rumor, he will relay it to me, but he hasn’t yet. So, at this point, I can say there’s no cause for alarm!” avers Nadine.

As the other half of the famous JaDine love team, the talented Viva star admits she and James have to sacrifice when it comes to their personal state.

“That’s expected since we’re a screen tandem. It’s part of the package.”

Does this mean she can’t accept suitors, off-cam as of now?

“Well, it’s not really like that.

Ha-ha-ha! I just don’t have time for matters of the heart considering my hectic schedule.”

Of course, their fans want her and James to end up together eventually.

“When it comes to that, I

would just let nature take its course. What’s important is that the two of us are not under pressure to give in to their wish at this point. We can work freely,” ends Nadine.

HHHHH Former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson sheds light on the hot issue that he and Sarangani Congressman and boxing champ Manny Pacquiao are buying shares of giant network GMA-7.

“Oh, not yet!” he says. “But we have plans in the future.

We have to make some huge loan first in order to push through with it. So, he better win more boxing matches in the coming days. Ha-ha-ha!”

According to the grapevine, the official contract-signing between their camp and the Kapuso management’s is happening very soon.

“Not true at all! As I’ve said, we have to come up with a big amount of money first, along with our partners. Yes, we have other fellow investors in this venture. It’s not that easy.

That’s why I always kid him to win more and more in his fu-

ture boxing bouts.”

Some say that his assets combined with Manny’s are already enough to put up a network instead of buying an existing one.

“It’s not easy. To build your own network, you need frequency. Majority of it is already taken by the others.”

The popular political figure-businessman confirmed as well his non-interest to run for public office again.

“Let’s just leave it to the younger generation. For one, they are very aggressive.

Maybe, they’ll have better ideas on how to run things.

And how will you know it if you’ll not give way, right?

I will just guide and support them,” avers Gov. Singson.

Chavit Singson

NiCkelodeoN TakoTowN TwisTed Tales oN oC. 31 Next to Christmas—and probably their birthday, Halloween is the most exciting time of the year for kids (let’s not mention the kids at heart). It’s when they get to dress up in cool costumes, go trick-or-treating (and stuff their faces with sweets before they’re even halfway home), and spook each other with silly, scary stories. It’s a fun, festive holiday that brings a lot of laughs—and candies, and nobody is more excited to get everyone into the Halloween spirit than the channel for kids, Nickelodeon.

Get ready to have a frightfully good time as Nick takes you on a ghostly adventure with its spooktacular Halloween event, Takotown: Twisted Tales. This year, Nickelodeon gives the celebration a fun Pinoy flavor by

bringing in some of the most notorious Philippine mythical creatures to join the party. Rub elbows with your friendly neighborhood kapre (who says they only hang out on balete

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 44 46 48 49 51 53 55 56 59 61 65 68 69 70

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Golly!

4 Gourmet mushrooms 8 Cyclist — LeMond 12 Felt boots 13 Jai — 14 Kind of rocket 16 Impolite sound 17 Good news for Aspen (2 wds.)

19 Miner’s trough 21 Villain — Luthor

22 23 25 27 31 35 36 38 39 41 43

Acorn droppers Countess’s spouse The “Elephant Boy” Doubt Cave art Einstein’s hometown Beginning Toss out 24-hr. tellers Bicycle parts Omani title

71 72 73 74

Thin pancake Makes a move Cinnabar, e.g.

Dojo activity Kind of town (hyph.)

Shankar the sitarist Rostrum Exec degrees MS readers Flairs Improbable wishes (2 wds.)

People, informally Fresco base Baseball family name Raison d’ — Hockey goals Bounce along Shark habitat

DOWN 1 Ancient France 2 Tan shade 3 Glimpses 4 Frisking about 5 “Xanadu” gp.

6 Ratchet bar 7 Agrees with 8 Canine warning 9 Asset 10 Sight from Messina 11 Feel empathy

trees?), the good ol’ white lady (it gets boring in deserted streets, waiting for cars to pass by, you know), and the tiny little duwendes (they can’t wait to burst out of those mounds sitting in your backyard!).

Discover the mysteries of Takotown: Twisted Tales on Oct. 31 at Hall 3 of the SMX Convention Center Manila, and hang out with the scary—but friendly underworld creatures from 2pm to 6pm.

Nickelodeon is sure to pull out all the stops to make your adventure totally unforgettable.

Enjoy the interactive activities on ground and the exciting giveaways, from the trick-or-treat baskets filled with goodies from the event sponsors, to stage games,

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015

12 15 18 20 24 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 37 40 42 45 47 50 52 54 56 57 58 60 62 63 64 66 67

“NOVA” channel Cries of pain Academic hurdle Roman censor Fails to place Urban transport Phony doc Extremely Wheat variety Cool!

Armadillo’s protection Dens Binge Gallup finding Most meager Talks louder (2 wds.)

Depot info Climb a pole Even once Inedible oranges Hunches Auto info Well, to Yves Cathedral part Polio vaccine inventor Winsome Sedgwick of film NNW opposite Two, in Tijuana Miss Piggy’s word

amazing performances, game booths, meet-and-greet with Nickelodeon characters, and the ultimate Halo-Halo-ween costume contest. So don’t forget to come in your Halloween best to bring home the coolest prizes.

If you’re up for a spooky challenge, you can also enter the “Gubat ng Lagim” and brave the misty forest with all its creepy creatures and terrifying tombstones scattered all over the place. It’s a great way test your navigation skills, and of course your courage. Let’s see if you can find your way out (cue evil laugh). Don’t worry, a photo wall is waiting for you at the other end of the forest to immortalize your horror—we mean your bravery.

Now if you’re faint hearted, then we suggest you stick to the Toy Kingdom’s “Balon ng Undin.”

Undin might make an appearance, but not to pull you in or eat you, but to give candies to those who are able to summon the courage to take a peek inside.

But of course, to get into Takotown, you’re going to need a ticket. So if you’re 7-10 years old, log on to NickAsia.com to score tickets for you and your family and friends. Register online and answer the question, “What is the scariest story you’ve heard of?”

50 kids with the best answers get four tickets each. Remember that the deadline for submitting entries is on Oct. 25 at 6 p.m., so hurry and tell us your scary story now.

M ONDAY : OCTOBER 19 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

eScudero waNTS more fIlmS lIke ‘heNeral luNa’

S John Arcilla as Heneral Luna

Chiz Escudero

Jennyllyn Mercado and Sam Milby

enator Chiz Escudero admits that it is easier to teach history if there’s a visual reference and not just text in a book.

This is his reaction to some students’ question why Apolinario Mabini was always seated in Jerrold Tarog’s film Heneral Luna.

He’d like the local film industry to produce more films about the country’s national heroes apart from General Antonio Luna.

“This is my wish and I am asking the producers to invest not only money but also time in crafting films like Heneral Luna and other subjects in relation to the history of the Philippines. Whatever other people say, people learn easily about history when they are watching the events on screen,” the senator said.

“We’re not discounting the importance of textbooks, but films and other visual media can help in expanding the youth’s knowledge of the history of the country,”

from c8

the Seantor added.

In relation to that, Escudero said that one of the plans of his and Senator Grace Poe’s administration if they’d get elected – he as vice president and Poe as president is to start digitizing education in the country for teachers to teach effectively.

“Our aim is to go digital at DepED. We should give every teacher a laptop or tablet as instruction material so that the students are able to understand the lessons,” says Chiz.

HHHHH The PreNuP PoSTS P8 mIllIoN fIrST-day groSS Regal Entertainment, Inc.’s romantic-comedy The PreNup starring Jennylyn Mercado and Sam Milby grossed P8 million on its opening day, Wednesday last week.

Directed by award-winning Jun Lana, the movie succeeded in its goal to present the advantages and disadvantages of having a pre-nuptial agreement in a fun

and entertaining way.

Positive reviews about the film now flood social media -- Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Netizens continue to pass on the good word that The PreNup is a must-see movie.

They rave about Jen and Sam’s rapport and chemistry, especially in the movie’s kilig scenes, most of which were shot in New York City.

The male audience swooned at Jennylyn’s vampy appeal on screen while the female crowd swore by Sam’s handsome features. Both fit their roles to a “T.” Equally praised for their performances were the supporting cast that include Melai Cantiveros, who tackles the part of Jen’s sister, and Jaclyn Jose, who plays Sam’s aristocratic mom.

Also notable were Gardo Versoza and Dominic Ochoa’s appearance as Jen’s parents.

The PreNup was graded B by the Cinema Evaluation Board with a Parental Guidance classification from the MTRCB.

stronger ties, WiDer sCope for eleksyon 2016

I

n its commitment to deliver the most comprehensive all-media coverage of next year’s presidential elections, Eleksyon 2016, GMA Network forges ties with the biggest names in the fields of media, telecommunications, education, business, and public service.

During the Eleksyon 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing held on Oct. 8 at GMA Network Center in Quezon City, network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon highlighted the importance of next year’s presidential elections.

In his speech, Gozon said “In seven months, we will choose leaders who will serve our country in the next three to six years.

Sa tamang panahon, or more specifically, in the fullness of time, through our votes, we will give them the great power and responsibility to lead our nation. Whether our country will become a better place for us and our children to live in and grow greatly depends on whom we elect.”

And while Gozon acknowledged the more dynamic, freer and faster flow of information expected during Eleksyon 2016, he underscored the commitment of GMA Network and its partners “to cover the elections with no spins, no personal agenda, truthfully, accurately, comprehensively and driven only by the calling towards public service.”

Led by Atty. Gozon and GMA

GMA Network led by Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon and President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr. join hands with partners representing the biggest names in various fields to bring a comprehensive, accurate, and credible Eleksyon 2016 coverage

Network President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., the Kapuso Network showcases a formidable line-up of internal partners that include GMA News TV, GMA Kapuso Foundation, GMA New Media Inc., GMA News Online, GMA News Social Media, Radio GMA (DZBB and DWLS-FM), and GMA International (GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV-International.)

Joining forces with GMA Network for Eleksyon 2016 are partners from the Commission on

Elections (COMELEC); PLDTSmart Communications; Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI); Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ); Inquirer.net; Catholic Media Network (CMN); Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV); and National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL).

Completing the Eleksyon 2016 partners are University of the Philippines (UP); Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP); Ateneo de Manila Univer-

sity (ADMU); De La Salle University (DLSU); University of Santo Tomas (UST); AMA Education System; Waze; Viber; Youth Vote Philippines; Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP); Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI); and the Philippine Bar Association (PBA).

With the said partnership, Eleksyon 2016 seeks to deliver a more efficient, in-depth, and credible coverage of the upcoming presidential elections—no less than what the public deserves.

DanCing, loving anD some gooD-for-you eating

T

The Food Hospital

his month, EVE gives you everything for you to become a happier person: eating your way back into proper health, learning a thing or two about some good ‘ol clog dancing and getting that one-of-a-kind relationship goal.

Watch how food can be turned into a kind of medical treatment on Food Hospital, a place where medical issues are solved by proper dieting and nutrition.

Come and see how patients are treated with the use of healthy food and how they eat their way back into shape on Food Hospital, which airs 8: 10 every Friday

Looking for a bit of dancing with a unique little twist?

Add in an age-old rivalry just to spice things up a bit. Find all that and more in Down South Dance as the show follows rival dance groups: Chip Harrison’s Team Sapphire and Sarah Darby’s Team Synergy.

Watch as these two longtime rivals turn their dance group into the best Southern Clog dancing team before battling in the R2K. With a feud that has started as old as time, trash talking and intense clogging, Down South Dance is sure to make your evenings more exciting at 8:10 p.m. every Monday.

Ever wondered how much a relationship could change in just 90 days? Watch as six non-Americans equipped with unique fiancé visas travel to the US to live with their partners for the first time on 90 Day Fiancé.

In just three months, these international couples must overcome culture shock, language barriers and the lack of support from loved ones as they journey towards the altar or be sent flying back to their home lands. Will these couples find their happily ever green card? Find out on 90 Day Fiancé, 9 p.m., every Mondays on EVE.

M ONDAY : OCTOBER 19 : 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

JaDine Flying HigH ISAH V. RED First they conquered the big screen – in fact, not just once, not twice, but three times. Then they conquered the music charts with a string of hit duets, alongside individual hit songs. Now they’re conquering the small screen, too – in a big, big way.

They’re James Reid and Nadine Lustre and they could very well be considered the first (and only) superstar multi-media love team of their generation.

The Viva young stars, who rose to fame via last year’s surprise blockbuster movie Diary Ng Panget, have struck TV gold and are currently soaring on the wings of their hit primetime teleserye, On The Wings Of Love. It’s not only the most-watched show on its time slot, it’s one of the most trending shows in all of TV, setting social media sites on fire almost every single day.

Viewers instantly fell in love with the show and are deeply hooked, mainly because James and Nadine fit their roles perfectly and have incredible onscreen chemistry. It’s the very same qualities that made all of their movies blockbuster hits at the box-office.

What’s new in On The Wings is the maturity that both James and Nadine are displaying in their acting, noticed by fans and critics alike, and this promises to be what will keep the viewers glued to the show until the end.

The dynamic duo is also visible on TV outside of On The Wings as two of the most in-demand young endorsers in the country. Whether solo or in tandem, James and Nadine continue to be a favorite of youth-oriented lifestyle brands not only because of their looks and popularity but their wholesome image too.

Music-wise, the two have just scored their biggest achievement in their recording careers so far. They both received individual nominations as Best Southeast Asia Act in the 2015 MTV Europe Music Awards. This is on the strength of their recent solo albums, Nadine Lustre and Reid Alert, both of which have spawned a string of chart-topping hits.

On the movie front, the duo will be gracing the big screens this Christmas season via the comedy Beauty and the Bestie from blockbuster director Wenn Deramas. The movie stars Vice Ganda, Coco Martin, and child wonder, and fellow Viva artist, Alonzo Muhlach and is an entry in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.

Cast of Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita

James Reid and Nadine Lustre, otherwise known as JaDine; JaDine, observes say, is the only tandem that rivals the phenomenal AlDub

HHHHH Life Lessons Viewers were all praises for the life lessons shared by the story of the hit teleserye Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita, which ended on Friday.

Bravery is one thing that emanates in Cecilia (Vina Morales) and Corrine’s (Jane Oineza) character. Cecilia tried to win back her husband (Christian Vasquez) from its mistress. But as she realized that she’s all on her own, she empowered herself by having a successful career and focused in taking care of her kids. Corrine, on the other hand, got pregnant in an early age but kept her baby and bravely faced people’s judgments. Meanwhile, Bea symbolizes a traditional Filipina that prioritizes education and waits for the right time to love. While Toni made wrong decisions in the past, she learned not to be selfish and give way for other’s happiness.

The series also showed how loving of a mother Cecilia is to her children. In her early years, Cecilia was abandoned by her father Paciano (Dominic Ochoa), which hurt her so much. With this, she gave so much love and protection for Corrine and Bea and made sure that her experience would not happen to her two daughters.

Love also prevailed in the lives of the lead characters. Cecilia, Corrine, Bea, Leandro, and Toni made amends due to the overflowing love that they have for one another. They learned to accept each other’s fault and picked up the pieces to make themselves whole once again.

Since it aired in January, Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita consistently won in the ratings game as it charmed the viewers with its life lessons and thrilling episodes. ➜ Continued on C7