The Standard - 2015 October 28 - Wednesday

VOL. XXIX NO. 258 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 WEDNESDAY : OCTOBER 28, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Congress demands anti-haze measures

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NEW CASE LODGED US DESTROYER TO DISQUALIFY POE TOURS SPRATLYS THE United States sent a warship close to artificial islands that China is building in disputed waters in the South China Sea, prompting Beijing to denounce what it called a threat to its sovereignty.

The USS Lassen passed within 12 nautical miles—the normal limit of territorial waters around natural land—of at least one of the formations Beijing claims in the South China Sea. Chinese authorities “monitored, shadowed and warned” the guided missile destroyer in the Spratly islands, Beijing said.

Washington’s long-awaited move to assert freedom of navigation may escalate the dispute over the strategically vital waters, where Beijing has been transforming reefs and outcrops into artificial islands with potential Next page military use.

Testing the waters. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen launches a Standard Missile (SM-2) as part of a military exercise in this 2013 file photo. The Lassen’s trip to areas of the South China Sea where the Chinese are building airstrips and other facilities was the Americans’ latest move to assert freedom of navigation in the vital sea lane.

US Navy photo

Military apologizes for sending spies to UP

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PNoy: No Apec one-on-one with China’s Xi Responding to a question from the Foreign Correspondents Association of THERE are no scheduled bilateral the Philippines Forum, Aquino added talks with China during the Asia that other leaders arriving before the Pacific Economic Cooperation Apec summit were interested in such Summit in Manila in November but talks.

Earlier, Chinese President Xi the Philippines is open to the idea, President Benigno Aquino III said Jinping said he would go to the Philippines for the Apec summit if Tuesday.

By Sandy Araneta

there would also be bilateral talks between Manila and Beijing.

Aquino said the Philippines has transmitted invitations to Xi and he hoped the Chinese leader would attend.

“We were very supportive of China when they hosted [the Apec Summit].

We assume that our big brother to the Next page

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Binay blasts restrictive policies

By Vito Barcelo RESTRICTIVE economic policies and political intervention in the last six years under the Aquino administration have resulted in squandered economic opportunities, Vice President Jejomar Binay said Tuesday in a forum organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Among the principle economies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Binay said, the Philippines had the lowest inflow of foreign investments because the country was not equipped to receive such investments.“Our economic policies remain restrictive, discouraging startups, and the tax system is punitive for business,” Binay said.

In his speech before the business group, Binay also said poverty and not corruption is the “moral problem” of the country, and vowed to address the problem under his presidency.

He said poverty creates massive human suffering and misery and the moral issue of the time should be taken seriously.

The lack of investment in

infrastructure is one of the biggest problems that both prevents the economy from growing and makes poverty in the Philippines even worse, Binay said.

The vice president also renewed his call for lowering income and corporate taxes, which he said are among the highest in the region.

Binay said his administration would focus on “sustainable and shared economic growth” through balanced social and economic policies.

“This administration may lay claim to the country’s economic growth and credit rating upgrades, but the average 6.3 percent per year from 2010-2014 would have been more meaningful if it induced the creation of more

stable jobs and opportunities for our people,” Binay said.

“Our economic agenda is simple: sustainable and shared economic growth. I’m convinced that inclusive growth is possible with the right mix of social and economic policies by a government that is sensitive to both the needs of its residents and those who do business in the country,” he added.

He also noted that it would take strong political will from government leaders and the help of the Filipino people to ensure that the effect of the country’s economic gains will be felt by all.

“We need a sustained 7 to 8percent GDP growth per annum to reduce poverty even faster and

to attain more inclusive growth sooner. We can achieve this with the right policies, proper implementation and timely delivery of priority projects. And we shall see to it that economic growth and progress are cascaded to the poor and marginalized,” he said.

“It can be reinforced with a more effective monitoring and supervision of priority programs and projects, and with the continued cooperation and support of the business sector.

When government enables businesses to flourish, it also enables itself to help more of its people. It’s a shared responsibility and mutually beneficial situation; it’s a win-win for all,” he added.

US...

From A1

Presidential Forum. President Benigno Aquino III fields questions during the annual Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines Presidential Forum at the Forum A, B and C of the Solaire Hotel and Casino in Parañaque City on Tuesday.

The Focap forum is a traditional event where the President discusses key policies and answers questions on foreign affairs, politics, the economy and social issues from the foreign media. Malacañang Photo Bureau

PNoy ...

From A1 West will also be supportive. We have not yet received confirmation as to who will be attending,” he said.

Aquino added that he looked forward to hosting his counterparts and meeting with Xi. “That is the goal,” he said.

“All our governments are supposed to be there for the improvement of the lot of our people, improvement in their lives, and this can only happen if there’s stability. So if there is a central message, that would be [what I] want to convey,” Aquino said.

Relations between China and the Philippines have soured over a

territorial dispute over areas of the South China Sea. But Aquino said there was a long relationship between the two countries, and it would benefit both sides to manage the conflict.

Aquino said the agenda that the Philippines will push during the Apec meet is inclusive growth, which he said was the building block toward prosperity for all.

The meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, on the other hand, would take up the country’s concerns over the disputes in the South China Sea. He said he would also take the opportunity to bid farewell to his counterparts in the Asean and thank them for their assistance and close

cooperation.

In Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesperson said he believed President Xi would consider Aquino’s invitation to attend the Apec meeting next month in Manila.

Spokesman Lu Kang said at a routine press briefing that the Chinese side has received Aquino’s invitation to the 23rd Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

China hopes the upcoming Apec meeting will focus on economic affairs and achieve new results on regional economic cooperation, Lu said.

China values and supports Apec, including the upcoming meetings in Manila, said the spokesman, noting Apec is the highest-level and most influential economic forum in the AsiaPacific region. With PNA

China claims sovereignty over almost the whole of the area, raising concerns it could one day seek to dictate who may transit its bustling sea lanes.

Several neighboring countries including the Philippines, a US ally, have competing claims and the dispute has raised fears of clashes in an area through which a third of the world’s oil passes.

The US action was part of the country’s “routine operations in the South China Sea in accordance with international law,” an American official said. “We will fly, sail, and operate anywhere in the world that international law allows.”

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang blasted the exercise, saying the ship had “illegally entered” the waters near the islands “without receiving permission from the Chinese government.”

Beijing “resolutely opposes any country using freedom of navigation and overflight as a pretext for harming China’s national sovereignty and security interests,” he said, adding it would “staunchly defend its territorial sovereignty.”

In a commentary, the official Xinhua news agency condemned the US move as a “flagrant and baseless provocation” that added to regional instability.

Despite the Chinese rhetoric, analysts said more such operations could be expected.

Beijing’s so far limited response showed that it had had its bluff called, said Rory Medcalf, director of the international security program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney.

“The US and its allies and partners should now help the Chinese leadership in saving face, by emphasizing that freedom of navigation operations are normal, not extraordinary,” he said.

There have been repeated confrontations in the area between Chinese vessels and boats from some of its neighbors who assert rights to the waters, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam.

Both are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which has long called on China to negotiate a code of conduct in the region, as are fellow claimants Brunei and Malaysia. Taiwan also makes claims over part of the sea.

Manila has infuriated China by taking the dispute to a United Nations tribunal, and President Benigno Aquino III said the US action demonstrated that “the balance of power says that there is not just a single voice that must be adhered to.”

Beijing’s South China Sea reclamations have been seen as an attempt to assert its claims by establishing physical facts in the water, but Aquino said: “There is no de facto changing of the reality on the ground.” AFP, Sandy Araneta, PNA

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Mar: Poe record ‘leanest’

By John Paolo Bencito

Better lean than with baggage, Grace says SENATOR Grace Poe on Tuesday said having “an excess baggage” is more difficult than having a “lean” one in reaction to the remarks she has the “leanest resume” among the presidential candidates due to her brief stint in the government.

Poe is leading in all the presidential surveys, but her critics are criticizing her for seeking the highest elective position despite her lack of experience.

She was chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board before she won in the 2013 elections.

At the sidelines of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry presidential forum in Pasay City, Poe said she would rather have a lean resume detailing excellent service.

“I concede that compared to others I have the shortest stay in the government,” Poe said.

“But as I see it, we might need a different point of view because we are facing many problems that have been there for a long time. I believe it is time someone who had good intentions finally addressed these problems.”

Poe said people should immediately report occurrences that were out of the ordinary.

“For example, if busloads of people are herded to a registration office and they obviously look too young or are wearing high school uniforms, then this should raise a red flag,” Poe said.

She said several election experts had raised the possibility that a more arduous process of cheating was in the works in next year’s automated elections.

“In an automated election, the manner of cheating is no longer about fabricating more votes than voters but a more tedious orchestrated effort of padding the number of voters per precinct,” Poe said.

FOR the first time, the camp of Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II on Tuesday attacked Senator Grace Poe directly for her “lean” credentials for the presidency.

Regarding business. Presidential candidates (clockwise from top left) Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe and former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II address delegates to the Philippine Chamber of Commerce Inc.’s Presidential Forum during the 41st Philippine Business Conference & Exposition on Tuesday in Pasay City. Ey AcAsio

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Santiago wants to pour money into infrastructure SENATOR Miriam DefensorSantiago said Tuesday her administration will achieve higher economic growth by investing heavily in public infrastructure if she wins the presidency in next year’s elections.

She made the promise even as she slammed the country’s “crumbling” roads, bridges, urban transit systems, airports and seaports.

“We need to build them up at par with, if not better than, our Asean neighbors,” Santiago said during the Philippine Chamber

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of Commerce and Industry’s presidential forum at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.

She said country’s poor public infrastructure was the major constraint to economic development.

The government should set aside at least 5 percent of its resources to build public infrastructure to enable the Philippines to catch up with its Asean neighbors and to sustain strong growth.

She said that, for maximum impact, these projects should be done simultaneously, and that

P819 billion should be allocated to those projects in 2017 and P1.3 trillion in 2022.

“We cannot build modern infrastructure on the basis of promises alone,” Santiago said.

“It will have to be financed through better tax administration, tax policy reform and government borrowings.”

Santiago questioned her critics for being nasty about her health.

To prove that she was in good health, Santiago stood up from her chair on the stage and asked: “Can’t you see that I can stand

straight and look at you in the eye? Why are you so nasty? What kind of government will we grow up into if this is your attitude?”

Without mentioning any names, Santiago was obviously alluding to Sylvia Claudio who had pressed her to come out with her medical records to prove that she could finish her six-year term if she became President.

“Do not try to mislead me to go into a political debate about my illness. Can’t you see that I can stand straight?” Santiago said.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

“If you look at it from the perspective of credentials, she really has the leanest resume,” Team Daang Matuwid spokesman and Akbayan Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez told the ANC channel.

“She served very, very briefly as MTRCB [Movie and Television Review and Classification Board] Chairperson and haven’t completed yet her first term as a senator.”

Gutierrez made his statement even as Roxas appealed to the businessmen attending a forum in Pasay City on Tuesday to pick the right presidential candidate.

Speaking to forum moderator Coco Alcuaz of the International Business Times, Roxas said: “I only heard questions from you.

Now what about the audience?

“To whom would you entrust your businesses? This is what we are offering in the straight path,” Roxas said.

He reiterated the need to continue the gains that he claimed the country had experienced under the straight path.

“For the first time in generations, we have a chance to put the Philippines back where it ought to be, where it was in the time of the 50s and 60s: the Philippines which was looked up upon as the center of growth and development and modernity in Asia,” Roxas said.

Poe, who is now halfway on her six-year term as Senator, will be facing other “resume” heavyweights in the presidential campaign.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, before getting appointed as an Officer-in-Charge Mayor of Makati, had been a human rights lawyer during the Martial Law years and has an extensive portfolio in Local Governments.

Senator Miriam DefensorSantiago, who became a trial judge and a speech writer of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has a number of post-doctorate degrees in Law and Political Science. She was also elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court before begging off because of health reasons.

Roxas has an economics degree from the Wharton School of Economics and was an investment banker in New York before pursuing politics.

Roxas had earlier made sweeping claims that he would not to be involved in any attacks against Senator Poe or other presidential candidates.

“I can speak for myself, my campaign, the directives of the President, the campaigns, the hierarchy, the party has made and that is what we stand by,” Roxas said.

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Aquino again gripes vs press SPEAKING before the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, President Benigno Aquino III again scored some members of the media who only want to sensationalize, highlight tragedy, point out supposed failures and make accusations.

“Let me emphasize that I never asked that media refrain from reporting negative news.

All I asked for was a reasonable balance,” Aquino said.

“To that, I remember one of the local media personalities replying something like, ‘We are a business. It’s not our job to trumpet the positive’.

I was truly taken aback by her response. I am not sure now if I asked, ‘Are we not all Filipinos?

Does this mean that you are not concerned about what happens to our country?’,” said Aquino.

“Today, I also believe that there is enough reason to ask: Do we just take it as gospel truth

Rite of gratitude. Lumad leaders perform a ritual chicken sacrifice at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City as an expression of gratitude for the support they have received in various places in Metro Manila where they pushed their protest against military abuses in Mindanao.

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that bad news sells?,” the President also said.

“I don’t think I am the only one who cannot understand why we insist on bringing ourselves down why we are so intent on self-flagellation, as some have put it. I wonder what any country would gain if all media did was milk a tragedy for all its worth, and ignore any positive developments related to it,” Aquino said.

“What happens if we are inundated by negativism on television, radio, print, and social media? If you have no other sources of information, at what point will you start believing all of the negative news, and begin thinking that only bad things happen every day?

“When this happens, how far are you from losing hope?

And when you lose hope, how do you generate any positive action?,” Aquino said.

AFP apologizes for agents

By Florante Solmerin and Francisco Tuyay THE military apologized on Tuesday for deploying military men in the premises of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City last Oct. 21 even as the university welcomed at least 700 tribesmen, locally called lumad, who came to Metro Manila to protest military abuses.

“The AFP humbly apologizes for the incident and assures the public and the UP that any inconvenience that arose out of this incident is not intentional.

We will work to ensure that this does not happen again,” it added.

“Our security operations are all

done in the best interest of our people and that these are pursued so as to prevent crimes and terroristic acts against our citizens,” the AFP stressed.

However, the military said its operatives were on a legitimate national security operation at that time.

“They were there on a legitimate national security operation.

University students and members of the UP faculty were not the subject of that operation as alleged by some quarters,” the AFP said in a statement.

It said the operation was properly coordinated with the local police and there was no intent to violate the existing 1989 agreement between the Department of National Defense and UP which prohibits the presence of police and military agents in the campus.

But even as the military apologized for deploying undercover agents last week, military officials in Northern

PNoy belittles Bongbong

By Sandy Araneta DESPITE surveys showing growing support for the vice presidential bid of Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President Benigno Aquino III dismissed suggestions that there is a resurgence of support for members of the Marcos family.

“By appearing on a cover of a magazine this demonstrates a resurgence of support?

And social media is an unquestioned source of information that cannot be manipulated?” Aquino asked members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on Tuesday. “[Is] there a resurgence of support?

No, no. I think the answer to that is very obvious. I don’t think so,” Aquino said.

Aquino was referring to the appearance of Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos in a popular magazine and the increasing number of Bongbong supporters on social media.

“I have faith in my bosses,” Aquino said. “There is nothing that has caused

me to change the faith that they are able to discern.”

Aquino belittled the popularity of the Marcoses and picked on Bongbong for alleged misdeeds committed by the administration of his father former President Ferdinand Marcos, who led the country from 1966 to 1986.

But the second The Standard Poll, conducted by resident pollster Junie Laylo from Sept. 21 to Oct. 1, showed that Bongbong was the second choice for vice president in the 2016 elections, behind Senator Francis Escudero.

Respondents were asked to choose from seven possible candidates Escudero; Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Alan Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV; Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte; Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo; and former Senator Panfilo Lacson.

During the survey period, Marcos had not yet announced his vice presidential bid while Duterte and Lacson had yet to decide on their political plans for 2016.

Mindanao accused the communist New People’s Army of attacking lumad schools and then blaming it on the military.

Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesman of the Fourth Infantry Division, said the security situation in Northern Mindanao has become more volatile because the NPA threatened to torch tribal schools then blamed the military for its action.

“Our soldiers are closely watching the prevailing security development on the ground,” Martinez said.

Martinez said some lumad leaders have complained that schools in lumad communities were being

used to radicalize children by teacher volunteers and some of which have already shut down before it could be burned by the NPA. This was how Martinez explained the closure of the Mindanao Inter-faith Services Foundation Inc. school in Kitaotao town by barangay chairman Felipe Cabugnason.

Martinez claimed that Cabugnason and his men supposedly spotted five NPA rebels at a nearby village of Dao Sub, apparently plotting to torch the MISFI school building, an educational institution operating without legal authority from the Department of Education.

With PNA

Eco-friendly undas.

Runners, led by priest Robert Reyes, joined the EcoWaste Coalition in its ‘BasuRun’ event at the Manila North Cemetery aimed at persuading the public to cemeteries free of trash as the traditional memorial day for the dead, locally called undas, on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, near. DANNY PATA

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Solons seek anti-haze measures

By Maricel V. Cruz

House Independent Bloc leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has urged the Health department to ensure that there is an adequate supply of face masks for distribution to the public as the Indonesian haze that has affected several areas in Mindanao threatens to engulf Metro Manila.

Relief. Senatorial candidate and Leyte (1st Dist) Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (left) assisted by Bulacan Rep. Victoria Alvarado distributes relief goods to 900 families affected by Typhoon ‘Lando’ in Barangay Bulusan, Calumpit, Bulacan. VeR NoVeNo

Lacson dropped from Poe slate

By Macon Ramos Araneta FORMER Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said he would support the presidential bid of Manuel Roxas II after Senator Grace Poe dropped him from her senatorial slate in favor of actor Edu Manzano.

Interviewed over ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Headstart,’’ Lacson disclosed he no longer belonged to the senatorial ticket of the tandem of Poe and her running mate Senator Francis Escudero.

The Poe-and Escudero tandem has scheduled a Thursday announcement on their 12 senatorial candidates.

Lacson, who filed his candidacy as an independent candidate, recalled that Poe called him up last Friday and asked if it was OK that he be

removed as a guest candidate from that the former senator (Lacson) was her senatorial ticket to give way to already endorsed by two major parties another candidate. the administration Liberal Party and “And I said yes, no problem with me. the United Nationalist Alliance.

In the first place, being invited to be a “Senator Ping is a strong and worthy guest candidate is a privilege and it can candidate and we were considering also be withdrawn anytime,” he said. those that had no party or less resources After they talked last Friday, Lacson who would welcome our support In said he thought he was no longer part fact, Toots Ople is also one of those of Poe’s senatorial line-up. we spoke with,” Poe said in a separate “It is fine with me. I said fine with me. text message, referring to senatorial bet It’s of course a privilege to be a guest Susan Ople. candidate of any coalition,” said Lacson When questioned if Lacson and who also served as rehabilitation czar Ople would no longer be part of her under the Aquino administration. slate, Poe said she would just make the Lacson reiterated that Poe called him announcement soon. up last Friday, and requested that I be In vouching for Roxas, Lacson said he substituted by Edu Manzano. saw him as the “last person standing” Sought for comment, Poe said that at in next year’s presidential race that time, they were still finalizing the because he has no issue of corruption, slate. They took into account the fact disqualificafion or health.

Romualdez said that the government should be pro-active in dealing with the effects of the haze to human health.

“Malasakit [compassion] for our Filipino people should always be our utmost concern. The government should distribute appropriate dust masks that people can wear to protect themselves from the effects of haze that is stalking Mindanao.

We should not take chances because public health is of utmost importance,” said Romualdez, a senatorial candidate and president of the Philippine Constitution Association.

Romualdez made the statement as Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles revealed that many residents especially children have been complaining of breathing difficulty in Davao City.

Although it was not clear yet if this has something to do with the haze, Nograles appealed to the national government to work double time to address the problem.

“We should guarantee public safety because this is not ordinary incident,” said Nograles, explaining that some children failed to attend their classes because of asthma attack.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Mujiv Hataman appealed to the public to stay indoors to avoid suffering from respiratory diseases.

“We should prepare for the worse because public safety is very important,” Hataman, a former congressman, said.

The Health department has said haze can cause air pollution, bringing risks to people ailing with respiratory tract infections and heart problem.

Earlier, Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab asked the national government to conduct cloud seeding to contain the Indonesian haze.

Ungab pointed out that cloud seeding is needed to protect the public from bad effects of the haze that has said to be caused by the burning of forests in Indonesia.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines also weighed in on the haze problem and urged the administration to activate the inter-agency committee on envrionmental health to draw up long-term plans amid the presence of toxic haze.

The last time the committee was convened was in November 2011 following the threat to Makati residents caused by a ruptured petroleum pipeline. With Vito Barcelo

Red Cross team cited for heroic rescues THE Philippine Red Cross teams have gained citation from the local government of Nueva Ecija under Gov. Aurelio Umali for being among the first responders to come to the aid of the people of Nueva Ecija and other parts of Luzon hit hard by Typhoon ‘‘Lando’’ last week.

The governor thanked the Red Cross teams for risking life and limb at the height of Lando to rescue and evacuate people in the province facing imminent death due to the hurricane-strong winds and raging flood waters that isolated whole barangays and swept away roads and bridges, and houses and buildings.

In particular, Umali cited a PRC rescue team who traversed across raging flood waters to reach a trapped van with seven passengers in Barangay San

Isidro, Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija in the early morning of Oct. 18. At the height of the strong current and gusting winds, the PRC team secured a line to their 6x6 truck and plucked five passengers to safety. Unfortunately, the PRC team failed to rescue two other persons before the trapped van was swept away by the floods.

“We want to cite Francis Hidalgo, Rommel Barroga, Ronald Perez, Harold Obaña, John Cacho, Christian Jeoffrey Mariano, Paul Rei Guiang, and Abner Yangwas for their courage and bravery in that particular incident. We also acknowledge the many Red Cross teams who were among the first responders during Lando and who did many other deeds of courage and sacrifice at the height of the storm. Because of their efforts, many lives in Nueva

Ecija were saved.”

Umali said he called to thank PRC Chair Richard Gordon, who pledged to continue Red Cross relief efforts in Nueva Ecija and other parts of Luzon devastated

by Lando.

Gordon said as of this weekend, PRC had deployed 79 volunteers and regular personnel for rescue, relief and and rehabilitation work in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Bulacan, Aurora, Zambales, and Pangasinan.

The PRC rescued 728 persons trapped by floods in their homes and barangays, while 10,793 were fed with hot meals. Another 10,091 received medical treatment and counselling, while PRC medical teams are still on site aiding evacuees and residents who lost their homes and livelihoods during the storm.

Solar power. A local official from Blumentritt street in Manila on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015 inspects newly arrived LED solar powered street light that will be given to the city’s barangays. DANNY PATA

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Cyclists’ group fighting for ‘bike lanes’ CYCLIST Jack Yabut is on a perilous and likely futile crusade to help the Philippine capital beat “Carmageddon,” but even if his campaign fails—he will have saved time on his own commute.

Traffic in the megacity of 12 million people has reached crisis levels this year, as record car sales have added to long-term problems of decrepit railways, a stunted road network and a law-of-the-jungle driving culture.

In response to the worsening traffic, President Benigno Aquino recently deployed extra police to some of Manila’s worst choke points with orders for them to force recalcitrant drivers to obey laws.

But, with relatively little infrastructure spending under way, Aquino has been widely seen as otherwise helpless in trying to ease what enraged commuters and the national press have branded “Carmageddon.”

Cycling has barely featured in the discussion of remedies but Yabut, part of a growing community of daredevil bike riding advocates, believes that is a mistake.

“Cycling offers an immediate solution to the traffic and pollution problems,” Yabut, 55, told AFP after dodging trucks and buses while riding along Edsa, one of the city’s most important and gridlocked roads.

While commuters in cars or on overcrowded buses regularly spend more than two hours travelling just 15 kilometers (nine miles) along Edsa and its arteries, Yabut does that in under 30 minutes.

“It seems crazy to me to be stuck in traffic when you can cycle so much more quickly.”

But, for most drivers, cyclists such as Yabut are the crazy ones.

Cycling fatalities are common, and tens of thousands of people have signed online petitions calling for authorities to improve road safety conditions for bike riders.

“It is very dangerous,” acknowledged Yabut, a father-of-two and president of cycling advocacy group The Firefly Brigade.

Advocates are lobbying for bike lanes, which are nearly non-existent, as well as to educate drivers that cyclists have the right to share the roads.

“Opening bike lanes is one part of it. But the bigger effort is changing people’s perceptions and attitudes,” Yabut said. AFP

Cyclist Jack Yabut stops on his bike at a street in Manila in this picture taken on Oct. 7, 2015. Yabut is on a perilous and likely futile crusade to help the Philippine capital beat “Carmageddon,” but if he fails, he says he will at least have saved himself a lot of time. Traffic in the megacity of 12 million people has reached crisis levels this year, as record car sales have added to long-time problems of decrepit railways, a stunted road network and a law-of-the-jungle driving culture. AFP

‘#ATM Law’ fraught with dangers—solon WITH the Internet and social media now providing information “at the speed of thought,” a lawmaker on Tuesday called for sobriety and circumspection and warned against the dangers of what he called “#ATM Law.”

“#ATM” is a hashtag that means “At The Moment,” and connotes events happening at the same time a person posts it on social media.

Quezon City’s 6th District Rep. Jose Christopher “Kit” Y. Belmonte said the Internet is an amazing medium that has allowed for the sharing of information at a pace never before imagined. “However, there are real dangers, and we see that now in how quick the public has come to judge and condemn individuals or groups accused of wrongdoing,” lamented Belmonte, a lawyer who graduated from UP.

“Take, for example, that driver of a vehicle caught on video doing a counter-flow. People online condemned him for being abusive, until it came out that he was a doctor rushing to the hospital. But the judgments were fast and furious, because there was no context,” explained Belmonte.

On a more serious note, Belmonte said the use of media to air allegations of wrongdoing, or what he referred to as “prosecution by presscon,” threatened basic rights such as the presumption of innocence as well as the right to a fair trial.

“Take the accusations thrown by

this former INC minister against his church’s leaders. He is saying that these ministers, who are supposed to be involved in saving souls, are now in the business of taking lives.

These are serious allegations that are better tried in a court of law, not in the court of public opinion,” explained Belmonte.

Belmonte was referring to former INC minister Lowell Menorca II, who accused INC officials of holding him against his will and attempting to kill him.

According to Belmonte, “Let’s be candid. If you watch the video in which he details his alleged abduction, your initial instinct is to demand that his captors be jailed. But that is not how the law works. The accused are presumed innocent, the burden of proof is on the accuser. In a courtroom his allegations will be challenged, he will be asked to show evidence. He will

have to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Hindi ganun kasimple yan. (It is not that simple.)”

Belmonte added that with Menorca now speaking directly to the public, many would be confused if the Court of Appeals junks the writs of amparo and habeas corpus, “but that is exactly how the law works.”

“The family of Menorca petitioned the Supreme Court and alleged that the INC had Menorca in their custody. Since he was free to hold his presscon, obviously he is not in their custody. So naturally, the issue is moot and academic so it should be dismissed,” Belmonte said.

“But because it’s natural to be sympathetic to Menorca because he was crying in the videos, mukhang nakakaawa, iisipin ng tao inareglo ang kaso (he looks pitiful, people will think the case was fixed). That is the danger with new media.”

Co-op group: LP senatorial bet not backed by whole sector

Substitute. PDP-Laban National Chairman Mike Sueno (third from left) reads the party’s resolution on Tuesday, Oct. 27. PDP-Laban has made it official that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will substitute for Martin Diño as the PDP-Laban presidential bet if Diño withdraws or is disqualified by the Commission on Elections from the 2016 race. EY ACASIO

AMID claims by Liberal Party senatorial bet Coop-NATCCO Rep. Cresente Paez that he has the support of the country’s entire cooperative sector, cooperative groups clarified during the Centennial Cooperative Unity Assembly that Paez was mistaken to declare that he had the support of all of the 24,000 co-ops nationwide and its 13 million individual members.

In an interview at the Assembly organized by the Philippine Cooperative Center and attended by 25,000 members, PCC Director Loreto L. Ramiro said that “the co-op sector has not endorsed the candidacy of Rep. Cris Paez.”

In a TV interview, Paez had claimed that he would win a Senate seat because he could rely on the support of the whole cooperative sector.

“I know I will win. You know why? With the first introduction of the party-list system was done way back in 1998, we said it’s high time for us to participate. So we put up the CoopNATCCO party-list and we won. And in every election, we won,” Paez said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart. Paez said he was banking on

Coop-NATCCO’s estimated 13 million individual members and 24,000 cooperatives nationwide to deliver votes for him in 2016.

Ramiro, a multi-awarded co-op leader who is also the general manager of the Kabisig Savings and Agri-Development Cooperative and Chair of the Northern Luzon Federation of Cooperatives and Development Center, the biggest co-op federation in Northern Luzon, disputed Paez’s statements, stressing that “only the PCC, as the apex organization of the Philippine cooperative movement, has the right to speak for whole sector.”

“Rep. Paez’s decision to run for the Senate is his alone, and while he belongs to a co-op group, it would be presumptuous of him to assume that he has the support of all cooperatives nationwide,” explained Ramiro.

Co-op leaders from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, on the other hand, reiterated their support for Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero, who are currently leading presidential and vice presidential surveys, respectively.

W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Authorities foil Abu’s bomb try in Basilan ZAMBOANGA CITY—Police and military authorities have foiled a bombing attempt by suspected Abu Sayyaf Group brigands in Basilan province, an official said Tuesday.

Senior Supt. Oscar Nantes, Basilan police director, said this came after they recovered on Monday night an improvised explosive device placed along the road along Rizal Avenue, Lamitan City.

Nantes said the explosive ordinance demolition of the military disrupted the IED several minutes after it was recovered.

Nantes said the cellphone-triggered IED, which is an ammonium nitrate fuel oil type of explosive, was placed in a can of milk rigged with wires and nails as shrapnel.

He said post-blast investigation showed the bombing attempt was the handiwork of the ASG brigands.

He added the IED they recovered and disrupted Monday night was similar to the ones placed by the ASG brigands in Lamitan City which were safely recovered and disrupted in previous months.

Here’s what happened. Children view a tarp bearing the murdered body of Loreto town Mayor Dario Otaza prominently displayed during a rally in Butuan City Tuesday. MINDANEWS PHOTO BY FROILAN GALLARDO

Slain Agusan mayor buried today

By Froilan Gallardo

BUTUAN CITY—A day before the burial of slain Loreto town Mayor Dario Otaza and his son, Daryl, lumad leaders here expressed fears that they would suffer the same fate at the hands of the New People’s Army.

Datu Payad Sangkoan Ray Cervantes, chair of the Caraga Regional Council for the Indigenous Peoples, said many lumad leaders are also making a stand against the New People’s Army like the slain Mayor Otaza.

Cervantes said Otaza was not the first lumad leader who was murdered by the rebels for taking

a stand against their expansion.

“If the NPA can murder Mayor Otaza, who had bodyguards and influence, you can imagine what they can do to lumad leaders who do not have the same resources, “ Cervantes said.

He said a report from the Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Conference that 357 lumad lead-

ers were killed by the NPA rebels from 1998 to 2008.

Mayor Otaza and his son Daryl were abducted and murdered by suspected NPA rebels who posed as National Bureau of Investigation agents in Butuan City last Oct. 19.

They are scheduled to be buried at the Uraya Memorial Gardens in Butuan City today, Wednesday.

Cervantes said many of the lumad leaders are not armed like the Bagani warriors, nor do they have ties with Datu Calpit Egua and the Tejero brothers who were tagged in the murder of a schoolfor-lumad director and two of his companions in Surigao del Sur

last Sept. 1.

“Many of our leaders are armed with only bolos and antiquated rifles and is no match with the wellarmed NPA rebels,” he said.

Some 500 supporters of the slain mayor staged an anti-communist rally at the Guingona Park in Butuan City on Tuesday.

Displaying placards asking for justice for the slain Otaza and his son, the rallyists who were composed mostly of lumads from Agusan del Sur denounced the NPA rebels for killing the two victims without the benefit of a trial.

“Is this what they call a revolutionary justice? They did not even ask the victims to respond to the

charges that were accused of,” Datu Makahinlo Gubat Marcos Gonzales said.

The NPA claimed responsibility for killing Otaza and his son “to give justice to the thousands of indigenous peoples and peasants terrorized by their tyranny in Loreto and surrounding municipalities in Agusan del Sur.” The rebel group also said Daryl was also allegedly distributing and selling illegal drugs in Agusan del Sur. Wilfredo Otaza, younger brother of the slain mayor, denied all these accusations, saying his brother was only working for the development of Loreto, a river town.

‘Mining operations did not cause Zambales flooding’

Flowers for the dead. A flower vendor prepares for All Saints’ Day. Benguet and

Baguio produce around 80 percent of the cut flower demands of the country. DAVID CHAN

BENGUET Nickel Mines Inc. has denied that the flooding experienced in the coastal town of Sta. Cruz, Zambales in the aftermath of Typhoon “Lando” was a result of mining activities, specifically by drainage structures that had given way at the height of the downpour.

The slow-moving Lando—international name Koppu—reached supertyphoon status as it barreled through central and northern Luzon from Oct. 18 to 22.

In a statement, the company said it and other large-scale mining com-

panies in Zambales operate within proper environmental standards.

There is “strict enforcement of mining regulations and monitoring of compliance with remediation in the past several months by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Environment Management Bureau and the local government,” the company said.

Benguet Nickel Mines said that every time there is a strong typhoon, it is standard operating procedure for mining companies to give the MGB a report of the situation of their mine sites.

On Oct. 21, the com-

pany said, it sent to the bureau, via email and with supporting photos, that all engineering structures in the site remained intact.

On Oct. 23, a multiparty investigation team composed of mining and environmental engineers from MGB Region 3 and Barangay Tubo-Tubo South inspected the site and found that all structures were intact, wellmaintained, and did not suffer ant serious damage.

Mining companies in the area also participated in rescue and relief operations to help affected residents.

W E D N E S D AY: O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

SEPARATING THE LOONIES FROM THE LEGIT

[ EDI TORI A L ]

FOOLING US ALL THE TIME FOOL me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Whoever thought up this old adage probably never had to deal with the Bureau of Immigration, which is making fools of us all the time, much to our eternal shame.

This week, a South Korean fugitive escaped from his cell in Camp Aguinaldo— the nerve center of the Defense Department and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Reports say Cho Seongdae, wanted for a number of crimes including human trafficking, prostitution, sex abuse, usurpation of authority, and extortion, was being held inside the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, where he was guarded by two agents from the Bureau of Immigration.

Military officials are uncertain how Cho managed to leave the ISAFP compound and exit through the tightly guarded gate. They, however, caught one of the Immigration guards with P100,000 cash on his person.

Astoundingly, this was the third time Cho managed to grease his way out of a pickle.

In 2012, he was arrested shortly after arriving in Manila, but was taken to hospital, allegedly for a medical condition, then escaped two weeks later. He was recaptured by Immigration agents in Parañaque City and taken to the bureau’s facility in Bicutan, Taguig City. There, Cho escaped again on Sept. 29 and was recaptured on Oct. 12 in Angeles City.

To prevent Cho from escaping, the Bureau of Immigration decided to hold him at the ISAFP compound. In hindsight, that might not have been such a good idea.

We are hardly surprised, however, that the Bureau of Immigration was involved.

Earlier this year, the same agency was embroiled in a bribery scandal when an alleged Chinese crime lord wanted by Beijing was said to have paid millions of pesos to high-ranking bureau officials to have the deportation order against him reversed. The fugitive was about to walk free when a whistleblower in the bureau caused the Justice Department to intervene and restore the original deportation order.

After a brief public outcry and a congressional investigation that led nowhere, Wang Bo was quietly deported back to China in August—with nary a word about what became of the millions of pesos that had been paid to top Immigration officials.

Why do we continue to tolerate such shenanigans at the bureau? Perhaps the old adage is correct, after all, and we should hide in shame for letting corrupt people like this fool us not just once or twice, but many times over.

LOONY

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES PRESIDENT Noynoy Aquino searched his now-famous alternative reality for something to brag about, and this is what he found: There isn’t anything more that needs to be done, infrastructure-wise.

Like Alexander the Great pining that he no longer had worlds to conquer, Aquino surveyed the country and wondered aloud if there was anything else for him to build. In his speech before the

First Baptist Church of Tarlac last Sunday, this is what he actually said: “I was asked about the lack of infrastructure,” he declared.

“I was tempted to ask my questioner: What more infrastructure that needs to built have we not built?”

If you’re stuck in Metro Manila’s horrific traffic or waiting to catch a ride with what seems like the entire metropolitan population on the dilapidated, breakdown-prone MRT, this statement is sure to make you want to projectile-vomit. But, as is often the case with Aquino, he proceeded from his preposter-

ous premise to dubious, totally unrelated evidence.

Aquino said there are so many infrastructure projects going on all over the country that there is now a severe shortage of cement and steel and skilled construction workers such as carpenters, plumbers and electricians in places like Apayao province (pop., 2010 census: 120,000).

This is easily explained, to him, anyway, by the number of projects his government is building, perhaps in one out-of-the-way province alone.

“How can we lack in gravel and sand?” he asked, before once again providing a self-serving

A9

Like Alexander the Great, Aquino surveyed the country and wondered what else there was for him to do.

answer. “That’s how many infrastructure projects [are] going on simultaneously that eventually there was a shortfall in supply.”

Perhaps Aquino, whose single, most important contribution to the government budgeting process is to underspend huge portions of state revenues, is also now claiming credit for the private-sector boom in the construction of commercial and residential structures that his administration had nothing to do with. Or maybe he’s convinced that the continued export of skilled labor to other countries is nonexistent, and that all of these missing workers are working on nonexistent government infrastructure projects.

(But in his weird way, Aquino

was actually in touch with reality, because he was replying to a report released at the recent Asean Federation of Korean Industries in Seoul, which ranked the Philippines eighth—ahead only of Vietnam and Myanmar—in terms of overall infrastructure; the report was, in turn, based on a World Economic Forum study for the period 2013-2014.)

I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that in another speech just the day after, this time in Pasay City, Aquino described the presidency as a job “no one

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-

in his right mind would accept.” In his case, perhaps those who were questioning Aquino’s soundness of mind in 2010 were correct—the man just keeps proving that he is completely out of touch with reality.

If Aquino is correct, his successor next year will really have nothing to do anymore. Except perhaps to throw his predecessor in the loony bin, where he rightfully belongs. *** On the campaign trail, meanwhile, Aquino’s anointed would-be successor

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

was a little more grounded in reality.

But not by much.

Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas was forced to admit that the overall transportation system had worsened during the five years of the Aquino administration. So far so good —but then Roxas succumbed to the famous Aquino reality distortion field.

During a television interview on Monday, Roxas quickly swerved back into the tuwid na daan after his admission, adding that the administration of Continued on A11

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

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

IT HAS been said that there is a thin line between the sane and those with a ray of moonlight in their brains.

The Commission on Elections has started the painstaking process of separating the loonies from the legitimate presidential candidates in 2016. So far, the Comelec has whittled down the list from 130 to five. Officially declared bonafide candidates were Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas, Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance, Senators Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor Santiago who are running as independents.

But why five? Is the Comelec keeping open a fifth slot for a substitute candidate which could possibly be Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who might still be convinced to run at the last minute?

The PDP Laban fielded a certain Martin Dino who is only too willing to step aside for Duterte. That would make it a fiveway race if the unpredictable Duterte decides to join the fray.

Or the Comelec might include Party List Rep. Roy Seneres. Some may think Seneres crazy for running as president when he does not stand a chance without the political machinery nor the funds to mount an effective campaign. But the former Philippine ambassador to the UAE has a constituency among overseas Filipino workers and has gained the support of some five million contractual workers who are victims of exploitative business establishments. Certainly, he cannot be compared to perennial candidate Ely Velez Pamatong or an Augusto Syjuco, the former congressman and Tesda director who’s facing a slew of graft charges from the Aquino administration. But so is VP Binay.

Speaking of the Binays, the Ombudsman may have acted with haste when it decided not only to suspend Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, but also to dismiss and bar him from holding public office in connection with the allegedly anomalous construction of the Makati parking building and other questionable contracts the city entered into during his and dad’s watch over the premier city. I’m not a lawyer but I thought the Office of the Ombudsman was supposed to be like a fiscal’s office, who after determining probable cause or finding prima facie evidence then submits the case to the Sandiganbayan which is the court which then rules whether Binay is guilty and should be barred from holding public office. But that’s now, as lawyers would say, all moot and academic because Junjun’s sister Congresswoman Abigail Binay, who’s on her last term, has 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

W E D N E S D AY: O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

SEPARATING THE LOONIES FROM THE LEGIT

[ EDI TORI A L ]

FOOLING US ALL THE TIME FOOL me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Whoever thought up this old adage probably never had to deal with the Bureau of Immigration, which is making fools of us all the time, much to our eternal shame.

This week, a South Korean fugitive escaped from his cell in Camp Aguinaldo— the nerve center of the Defense Department and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Reports say Cho Seongdae, wanted for a number of crimes including human trafficking, prostitution, sex abuse, usurpation of authority, and extortion, was being held inside the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, where he was guarded by two agents from the Bureau of Immigration.

Military officials are uncertain how Cho managed to leave the ISAFP compound and exit through the tightly guarded gate. They, however, caught one of the Immigration guards with P100,000 cash on his person.

Astoundingly, this was the third time Cho managed to grease his way out of a pickle.

In 2012, he was arrested shortly after arriving in Manila, but was taken to hospital, allegedly for a medical condition, then escaped two weeks later. He was recaptured by Immigration agents in Parañaque City and taken to the bureau’s facility in Bicutan, Taguig City. There, Cho escaped again on Sept. 29 and was recaptured on Oct. 12 in Angeles City.

To prevent Cho from escaping, the Bureau of Immigration decided to hold him at the ISAFP compound. In hindsight, that might not have been such a good idea.

We are hardly surprised, however, that the Bureau of Immigration was involved.

Earlier this year, the same agency was embroiled in a bribery scandal when an alleged Chinese crime lord wanted by Beijing was said to have paid millions of pesos to high-ranking bureau officials to have the deportation order against him reversed. The fugitive was about to walk free when a whistleblower in the bureau caused the Justice Department to intervene and restore the original deportation order.

After a brief public outcry and a congressional investigation that led nowhere, Wang Bo was quietly deported back to China in August—with nary a word about what became of the millions of pesos that had been paid to top Immigration officials.

Why do we continue to tolerate such shenanigans at the bureau? Perhaps the old adage is correct, after all, and we should hide in shame for letting corrupt people like this fool us not just once or twice, but many times over.

LOONY

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES PRESIDENT Noynoy Aquino searched his now-famous alternative reality for something to brag about, and this is what he found: There isn’t anything more that needs to be done, infrastructure-wise.

Like Alexander the Great pining that he no longer had worlds to conquer, Aquino surveyed the country and wondered aloud if there was anything else for him to build. In his speech before the

First Baptist Church of Tarlac last Sunday, this is what he actually said: “I was asked about the lack of infrastructure,” he declared.

“I was tempted to ask my questioner: What more infrastructure that needs to built have we not built?”

If you’re stuck in Metro Manila’s horrific traffic or waiting to catch a ride with what seems like the entire metropolitan population on the dilapidated, breakdown-prone MRT, this statement is sure to make you want to projectile-vomit. But, as is often the case with Aquino, he proceeded from his preposter-

ous premise to dubious, totally unrelated evidence.

Aquino said there are so many infrastructure projects going on all over the country that there is now a severe shortage of cement and steel and skilled construction workers such as carpenters, plumbers and electricians in places like Apayao province (pop., 2010 census: 120,000).

This is easily explained, to him, anyway, by the number of projects his government is building, perhaps in one out-of-the-way province alone.

“How can we lack in gravel and sand?” he asked, before once again providing a self-serving

A9

Like Alexander the Great, Aquino surveyed the country and wondered what else there was for him to do.

answer. “That’s how many infrastructure projects [are] going on simultaneously that eventually there was a shortfall in supply.”

Perhaps Aquino, whose single, most important contribution to the government budgeting process is to underspend huge portions of state revenues, is also now claiming credit for the private-sector boom in the construction of commercial and residential structures that his administration had nothing to do with. Or maybe he’s convinced that the continued export of skilled labor to other countries is nonexistent, and that all of these missing workers are working on nonexistent government infrastructure projects.

(But in his weird way, Aquino

was actually in touch with reality, because he was replying to a report released at the recent Asean Federation of Korean Industries in Seoul, which ranked the Philippines eighth—ahead only of Vietnam and Myanmar—in terms of overall infrastructure; the report was, in turn, based on a World Economic Forum study for the period 2013-2014.)

I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that in another speech just the day after, this time in Pasay City, Aquino described the presidency as a job “no one

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-

in his right mind would accept.” In his case, perhaps those who were questioning Aquino’s soundness of mind in 2010 were correct—the man just keeps proving that he is completely out of touch with reality.

If Aquino is correct, his successor next year will really have nothing to do anymore. Except perhaps to throw his predecessor in the loony bin, where he rightfully belongs. *** On the campaign trail, meanwhile, Aquino’s anointed would-be successor

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

was a little more grounded in reality.

But not by much.

Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas was forced to admit that the overall transportation system had worsened during the five years of the Aquino administration. So far so good —but then Roxas succumbed to the famous Aquino reality distortion field.

During a television interview on Monday, Roxas quickly swerved back into the tuwid na daan after his admission, adding that the administration of Continued on A11

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

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

IT HAS been said that there is a thin line between the sane and those with a ray of moonlight in their brains.

The Commission on Elections has started the painstaking process of separating the loonies from the legitimate presidential candidates in 2016. So far, the Comelec has whittled down the list from 130 to five. Officially declared bonafide candidates were Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas, Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance, Senators Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor Santiago who are running as independents.

But why five? Is the Comelec keeping open a fifth slot for a substitute candidate which could possibly be Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who might still be convinced to run at the last minute?

The PDP Laban fielded a certain Martin Dino who is only too willing to step aside for Duterte. That would make it a fiveway race if the unpredictable Duterte decides to join the fray.

Or the Comelec might include Party List Rep. Roy Seneres. Some may think Seneres crazy for running as president when he does not stand a chance without the political machinery nor the funds to mount an effective campaign. But the former Philippine ambassador to the UAE has a constituency among overseas Filipino workers and has gained the support of some five million contractual workers who are victims of exploitative business establishments. Certainly, he cannot be compared to perennial candidate Ely Velez Pamatong or an Augusto Syjuco, the former congressman and Tesda director who’s facing a slew of graft charges from the Aquino administration. But so is VP Binay.

Speaking of the Binays, the Ombudsman may have acted with haste when it decided not only to suspend Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, but also to dismiss and bar him from holding public office in connection with the allegedly anomalous construction of the Makati parking building and other questionable contracts the city entered into during his and dad’s watch over the premier city. I’m not a lawyer but I thought the Office of the Ombudsman was supposed to be like a fiscal’s office, who after determining probable cause or finding prima facie evidence then submits the case to the Sandiganbayan which is the court which then rules whether Binay is guilty and should be barred from holding public office. But that’s now, as lawyers would say, all moot and academic because Junjun’s sister Congresswoman Abigail Binay, who’s on her last term, has 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

W E D N E S D AY: O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

IS MIRIAM SICK OR NOT? TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO HALLOWEEN, which falls on Oct. 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day, is actually of pagan origin. It has, however, been carried over the years as some kind of a practice even in Christian countries like the Philippines. Filipinos, especially the affluent, are copycats of the West, particularly the United States.

It is for these reasons why Philippine Catholic schools discourage their students, especially the young, from donning those crazy costumes —witches, ghosts, monsters. In the Philippines, only the gated villages in Metro Manila observe this practice of children going around from house to house requesting treats, usually for candies.

I am not saying she is a nuisance candidate. But I think she needs to show us her health records.

It all began in ancient Britain and Ireland at the end of summer. This day was the eve of new year in both Celtic and AngloSaxon times, and was the occasion for one of the ancient fire festivals when huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten evil spirits. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day. It was of pagan belief that it also the time to placate supernatural powers.

When the Irish immigrated to the US, they introduced Halloween, and the tradition was mainly for small children, who go from house to house, often in costumes. A common symbol of Halloween is the pumpkin carved in the appearance of a demon and a lighted candle fixed inside.

In the Philippines where we often overdo things, adults take the occasion to party, clad in costumes of witches, monsters and witches. My wife and I never attended any of the Halloween parties,

knowing they are of pagan origin. *** The presence of so many nuisance candidates filing their certificates of candidacy—like those who want to make the Philippines another state of the United States, or create four seasons of the year, or those who say God ordained them to be President, should be taken seriously by the Comelec.

This, if only to take a closer look at the need to revisit the requirements to run for President of the country.

Aside from what is provided in the Constitution, there’s a need for presidential candidates to have civil service eligibility, or at least a college degree.

This is the toughest job in government, after all. My gulay, at the rate the country is going, we may end up having somebody who only reached fourth grade as President. That would be a calamity worse than “Yolanda.”

I also propose a health test, including a mental evaluation. I do not want my President to be a stage-4 cancer patient.

I do not want to ascribe anything to Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. But I am concerned about her refusal to show us her health records.

She told us that she could no longer attend Senate sessions regularly because she was suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. Later, we were told she had lung cancer.

My wife and I had so many relatives diagnosed too late for cancer, and we knew they could survive perhaps for two, three, four or even five years. They would be in remission for a while. But the cancer cells return, eventually.

Miriam told us that she could not accept her appointment as a member of the United Nation’s International Criminal Court because she was sick. Now she wants to be President, but would not even show us her health records.

As a Filipino, I would like my candidate to be healthy and strong.

I’m not saying that Miriam is a nuisance candidate. Far from it. I believe she has the qualities and track record to become President. All I’m saying is that too many of the students and the youth who believe in her, she must make her mental and

THE NEW JAGUAR XE AT THE launch of Jaguar XE on Oct. 22, two men talked passionately about the iconic premium British car brand.

Jag lover Wellington “Willie” Soong remembers having pooled his lifelong savings to be able to bag the coveted Jaguar franchise in the Philippines in 1996. By that time, he had had nine Jaguars in his garage.

It was a difficult period for Willie and for Jaguar in Manila. “It was the most challenging period in terms of introducing the brand in the market. The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis made matters worse. Thank goodness, I survived,” Willie winces now of the experience. Still, 20 years and more than 800 Jaguars sold later, Willie speaks with passion and dreamy trance about the legendary cat.

Willie begins his third decade with Jaguar with the launch of the XE, the third level Jaguar and what could be the best selling Jaguar ever and for him, the best-selling brand in his stable of luxury car brands which include the Ferrari and Maserati. The XE is supposed to be the best-designed, the bestequipped and the best-accessorized Jaguar ever.

For United Kingdom ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad, his Jaguar experience is “deeply personal.” As a student and as a junior civil servant, he had always dreamed of owning a Jaguar. “But how many civil servants could afford to buy a Jaguar?” he asked rhetorically.

As luck would have it, Ahmad, an INSEAD alumnus and a former banker, became the director of trade and investments for Asia of the British prime minister, from 2004 to 2008.

In that capacity, the envoy’s happy task was to look for investors, around the world, who could revitalize Jaguar after Ford of USA apparently failed to make it profitable.

One reason for that was the failure of the X-type launched as a Jaguar but which was actually a dressed up Ford Mondeo. “Jaguar was a proud British brand, engineered in the Midlands but which has fallen into difficult times,” recalls Ahmad with an understatement.

After Ahmad’s many trips to India, the Tata Group bought Jaguar. To celebrate the deal, Ahmad bought health records public in fairness to all. Her refusal only makes us doubt her. *** I have covered elections since the fight between Elpidio Quirino and Jose P. Laurel. For me, the only winnable United Nationalist Alliance senatorial candidates are Senate reelectionist Tito Sotto, returning former Senators Ping Lacson, Dick Gordon and Migs Zubiri, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

The official Senate tickets of both the administration and that of Senator

metal, the XE is claimed to be the aerodynamic Jag ever produced and VIRTUAL probably the most beautiful. The XE REALITY is intended to steal the thunder out of the BMW 3 Series.

TONY The new Jaguar XE has received a LOPEZ good press. Says Car and Driver his first Jaguar, a 2004 X type. “The Magazine: “The chassis honors the mantra Tata Group did something astoundof Sir William Lyons—grace, pace, ing with Jaguar,” exclaims the envoy. and space—with its crisp respons“They felt the car had to be reengies and refined manners. These are neered, the range had to be updated. long-standing Jaguar strengths, They took the most sacred of cars made even more adroit with the and redesigned it.” Ahmad was one two-mode electronically adjustable of the people working hard to save dampers that are standard on the S Jaguar for what it is today. model.

At an elevated clip, the XE The best was yet to come. In 2010, smooths pavement and straightens Ahmad became the UK ambassador to Thailand, his very first assign- corners with its suppleness and prement. Sitting at Bangkok airport’s cision. Shod with the stickiest rubVIP gate was an old-fashioned ber on the menu—20-inch Pirelli British car with the British flag on it P Zeros—the XE S recorded 0.96 g —a brand new Jaguar XJ, the brand’s of lateral grip and stopped from 70 top of the line supercar. He had de- mph in 151 feet, well ahead of anysigned the XJL from scratch—he thing we’ve measured from its comchose the color, the trimming, the petition.”

“Jaguar wants its XE to be known engine. “I designed my dream car!” as the driver’s car in its class, and he exclaimed. that claim might go uncontested in In the entry-level XE, Ahmad the Old World, where the 3-series told the launch audience, “you don’t barely hangs on to its reputation.” have to wait like me, for years and

Gushes Autocar magazine: years, to afford your first Jaguar. It

“Jaguar has now launched a car is accessible to you.” “Your dream that feels as good inside as the BMW, is in the Philippines. It’s here. It’s is virtually as accommodating and, now,” he said. crucially, is for the most part bet“If you have never driven a Jaguar,” ter to drive.

Certainly, it excels over Ahmad cautioned, “you don’t drive a Jaguar. You wear a Jaguar. When the other main players in this secyou sit in the cockpit, the atmo- tor, the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz sphere envelops you. You go deep- C-Class. In doing that, Jaguar has er into the car, unlike any other car. done what Lexus, Infiniti and others The steering is in front of you. The could not.”

Note: I never owned a Jaguar. In car rolls under you. You are in for the course of many years, I have a treat.” owned an old 4.7-liter Lexus Land “I hope you become great ownCruiser, a 2.5-liter BMW3 Series, ers of Jaguar and share the same two old 5-Series, a 3-liter diesel passion as I have,” said the genial Land Rover, a couple of Honda warmhearted British ambassador.

CRVs, Civics, Mazda3s, and Toyota “Jaguars have always been reCorollas.

nowned for a balance of precise hanThe best in reliability and cheapdling and a high-quality ride. The est to maintain are the Toyotas XE is the culmination of everything (Land Cruiser and Corollas), the the company has learned over the best in driving experience (and the years, providing a combination of most expensive to maintain) are the supple ride and crisp handling that BMs and the diesel Land Rover. In is unmatched in this segment,” said between are the Hondas although Mike Cross, Jaguar Chief Engineer of late, they have not been as good. of Vehicle Integrity.

But the best value for the money The XE starts at P3.4 million for and driving pleasure?

The Mazda3, the 2-liter four-cylinder engine. A 3-liter V6 is coming and a diesel, Euro version.

too. About 75 percent aluminum biznewsasia@gmail.com with the balance of magnesium

Grace Poe have not yet been made official, but I will also list those I believe are also winnable.

As I have been saying all along, the Senate reelectionists, like Senate President Frank Drilon, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senators Serge Osmeña and TG Guingona have a big chance of making it.

When there are so many senatoriables, name recall is the name of the game. I have seen this happen so many times, especially in the provinces when the ordinary voter can only mark the names he or she can recall. In fact, Comelec re-

cords show that at most, voters in the provinces mark their ballots for only seven senatorial bets.

This is why newcomers have a long way to go.

There are so many reelectionists and “baliksenado,” the chances of newcomers are slim.

Likewise, when a senatoriable becomes a “guest” candidate of more than one Senate slate, he or she also enjoys an advantage. *** True to form, Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II is beginning to sound like his boss, President Aquino. He always blames

the former administration for everything that goes wrong.

While Mar admitted that the country’s transportation system had deteriorated in the past five years, he still blamed former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“The solutions themselves are very hard to fix. ...The government just inherited this situation, and we have to work with limitations,” Mar said.

But, knowing the problem, it was incumbent on the Aquino administration to address the problem since it’s in power.

Why did it not?

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

SHORTS

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO CHIZ met Jojo in a new restaurant owned by the returning congressman of Davao del Norte, Tonyboy Floirendo, whose wife Cathy is a chef par excellence.

Binay attended two events in Davao del Norte last weekend, a Boy Scouts Jamboree and a reunion of his APO fraternity.

Escudero was likewise in Davao City for some engagement.

The short ménage a deux, arranged by Floirendo, was really a non-event, because Binay was cold and distant, while Chiz was trying to shake a few laughs.

But social media speculated and some spun intrigue about a “BiChiz” in the making.

In the topsy-turvy world of Philippine politics, that may yet happen, if: (1) Grace Poe is disqualified, owing to her questioned citizenship and residency credentials; (2) Duterte totally quashes all hopes of a run on or before 10 December this year. Otherwise, the “serendipitous” meeting is much ado about nothing. *** In the new hotel where Binay

Separating... From A9 filed her certificate of candidacy for Makati mayor in place of her brother. The mayoral race in Makati bears watching as it would show whether the Binays still hold sway among voters or it spells the end of the three decades of dynasty rule.

Grace Poe or Miriam Santiago would make history if either one running as independent wins against established political parties. But Poe is facing a residency and citizenship disqualification case while Miriam has health issues when she earlier revealed she had lung cancer. Against this backdrop of uncertainty cast over Grace and Miriam is the shadow of Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who’s running for vice president.

If Bongbong wins the VP race, he could become President if Poe is elected President but later disqualified on the citizenship challenge.

A legal expert expressed the opinion the elected vice President, not the candidate with the next highest

and Escudero checked in, Alan Cayetano was also billeted. Alan flew in Friday last week on the invitation of Mayor Digong Duterte to guest in his weekly TV show, “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” (From the Masses, For the Masses).

Alan and Chiz are cordial, but what if Binay and Cayetano bumped into each other in the relatively small lobby of the hotel? Mercifully, that did not happen. *** Mar Roxas was likewise in Davao last weekend, after a DSWD-arranged assembly of cash transfer recipients in South Cotabato. He tried to get a meeting with Duterte, but the mayor reportedly declined to see his “friend.”

It seems that all roads led to Davao City last weekend, excepting of course Senadora Miriam who had a “meet and greet” with her avid supporters in the UP Bahay ng Alumni Monday evening. The most avid of those supporters, ironically, was the mother of Heart Evangelista, Madam Cecille Ongpauco.

So how would Heart’s mom vote? Miriam-Chiz?

* * * Speaking of the Davao mayor, there’s a trending video uploaded during the weekend by some creative netizens from Cebu, together with their network of friends from Manila and Davao who compiled footages of interviews of the mayor and his daughter Inday Sara.

It is called #Duterteserye Untold, and readers of MST can use this link: h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . com/100010319566897/videos/153738641646787/ The video, which I am told has gone viral, uses a part of the poignant musical composition composed by Jimmy Bondoc and played out by fellow musicians Luke Mejares, Paolo Santos, Joel Guarin, Gail Blanco and THOR, Rickson Ruiz, Pido, Ian Fajardo, Mike Caleda of The Crib, Njel de Mesa, violinists Jerome Nunez and drummer Gibson Viduya, and excellent mixers and arrangers.

In case you haven’t heard or seen the music video, link up to: http : / / youtu. b e / I Me Q 0 Q XmKc The Jimmy Bondoc composition, entitled “Takbo” has

number of votes, instead would be sworn in as President.

This augurs well for Marcos Jr. who has the support of the clannish Ilocanos of the Solid North, the Visayan votes of mother Imelda and a huge following in Mindanao after his balanced handling of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. Given the political mix of the crowded vice presidential race—Leni Robredo (LP), Greg Honasan (UNA), Chiz Escudero and Antonio Trillanes IV (Independent)—are all Bicolanos who would surely divide an otherwise potent voting bloc.

So, former first lady and incumbent Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos should not be disappointed son Bongbong did not gun for the presidency and instead opted to run as vice president. As it is turning out, it was a master stroke, reminiscent of his father’s skill for political strategy. ***** My issue with Skycable’s billing department has been settled. As it turned out it was Skycable who

#FAILOCRACY

haunting melody coupled with great lyrics, and was done on pure volunteerism by these musicians to prod Rodrigo Duterte to run for president. It begins with a statement: “This is NOT a paid advertisement”.

“Takbo” is a great testament to the engaging Duterte phenomenon, never before witnessed in Philippine political history, where citizens, with the aid of social media, are by themselves clamoring for real change through a colorful personality who, unlike others, says it as it is, and as it should be, with a track record of administrative performance none of the other presidential moist eye wannabe’s can hope to match. *** Which brings me to the issue of senatorial wannabes. Notice how there is a dearth of “may karapatan” candidates.

By that I mean those who have enough name recognition, enough academic and professional credentials, enough experience either in legislation or public service, even experience in the private sector.

So much so that cobbling together an exclusive mix of 12

owed me money for overpayment.

After turning over my supposed unsettled account for broadband service to a collection agency who badgered me through a barrage of text messages demanding payment, a review of my account record showed I overpaid by P3,000.

But I had to go all the way to Skycable offices on Ortigas to sort things out.

The girl at customer service was helpful and was able to track on Sky’s database that I was in fact, entitled to a refund. It also helped that someone connected with the ABS-CBN TV network owned by the Lopezes which also own Skycable asked them to review my case.

The lesson to be drawn from all this is: Keep your payment receipts and don’t hesitate to question billing statements if you think something is not right. No matter how computerized business establishments are, there’s always a chance of computer glitch or human error.

People, after all, are still the ones running the computers.

candidates is impossible. Even the super-funded, supra-large political behemoth called the Liberal Party has two or three candidates shared with other presidential competitors. And had to, at the last minute, open their “baul” of unknown keepsakes to trot two “who they” candidates.

The UNA has a mix of six original and instant party-mates, with six adoptions. Miriam and Bong-bong have Isko Moreno and Martin Romualdez, and still searching. Grace Poe and Chiz, to whom everybody and his mother wanted to flock a month ago, are also adopting from other parties and stand-alone guys with stellar political attraction.

Adoption. Adopted. These words seem to be the flavor of the current political scene.

Nagpapa-ampon sa ampon.

Ina-ampon ng mga kapos sa kandidato.

Standing out, aloof and impervious to the maddening crowd, is my good friend and political strategy mentor, Senator Serge Osmeña, in a class by himself.

Running as an independent, refusing to be adopted. Walang pakialam.

Loony... From A9 Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was to blame for both the traffic mess and the deterioration of mass transport systems like the MRT. “The government just inherited this situation and we have to work with the limitations,” Roxas declared.

I don’t know what traffic situation and train system Roxas was talking about—and what country he was referring to. All I know is about people telling me about how light traffic was during the Arroyo administration and how Aquino, Roxas and the rest inherited a fully-functioning light- and commuter-rail traffic system that was driving bus companies and jeepney operators into bankruptcy because everyone was riding the fast, comfortable and reliable trains.

Oh, those were the days. Then the straight-path people got into government and everything went down the toilet.

“We get it,” Roxas said. “But the solutions are not easy [because] a highway can’t be bought in a supermarket.”

I get it, too. Highways and train systems have been known to be built in five years, the time Aquino, Roxas and the rest of the gang have been in office—only they didn’t do that.

All things considered, I like the “nothing more to build” fairy tale better. But maybe I’ll visit Apayao first, just to see for myself what a place with infrastructure coming out of its ears looks like.

CHONG ARDIVILLA

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Kenyan duo to defend NY Marathon crowns NAIROBI (Kenya)—Kenyans Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany will return to New York on Sunday to defend their marathon titles, hoping victory will help secure them places in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Former Olympic bronze medallist Kipsang, 33, will be competing in his first marathon since he was forced to retire with exhaustion in the world athletics championships in Beijing.

“My training has been going on very well, and I hope to run a good race in New York,” Kipsang told AFP before his departure for the US. “I hope the weather will be more favourable than in Beijing, where the conditions were too hot and humid for my liking. I like running in New York City...I think the roads suit me very well.”

Former world record holder Kipsang is a favourite to win the men’s race.

But Keitany faces the biggest challenge to retain her crown against a strong field that includes the London marathon reigning champion, Tigist Tufa, who beat her into second place in the British capital last April.

However, 33-year-old Keitany arrives in New York fresh from her successful defence of the women’s Great North Run in the English city of Newcastle, where she clocked a time of one hour, seven minutes and 32 seconds in September.

“I know the race in New York will be

A baseball is seen during a workout the day before Game 1 of the 2015 World Series between the Royals and Mets at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. AFP

very competitive but I will go there to do my best to retain my title,” said Keitany.

“I hope I will not make the same mistake -- to break away early, which I tried in 2011 and paid the price at the end. The solution is to stick with the leading pack to the end.”

Others who will be expected to challenge her for the title are fellow Kenyans Helah Kiprop, a silver medal winner in Beijing, the reigning Boston champion Caroline Rotich and former World and Olympic silver medallist Sally Kipyego.

The 29-year-old Kipyego, who has been training in Kenya for the event since June, expects a tough start to her marathon career.

“I am very excited and thrilled —it is a great opportunity to have a test and see how the experience turns out,” she told AFP before travelling to New York at the weekend.

“It’s rather scary for me to be going into an unknown territory, but I am lucky to have twice been able to ride in the lead car during the New York marathon, and being in a close quarters to watch Mary Keitany in competition.

“I have also had a great opportunity to race the New York half marathon in 2014, so the course will not be all that strange for me,” Kipyego added.

“I hope those experiences will favour my entry into big time marathon on Sunday.” AFP

Mets vs Royals: 1 title drought ends KANSAS CITY—A heartbreaking near miss last year has the Kansas City Royals mindful of unfinished business as they face the New York Mets in the 111th World Series starting Tuesday.

The Royals have not captured Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final since 1985 while the Mets last won the crown in 1986, so one team’s title drought will end.

But the Mets have not reached the World Series since 2000 while the pain of last year’s seventh-game Series defeat at the hands of San Francisco still lingers for the Royals.

“From the first day of

spring training, we expected to be here,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

In the ninth inning of the last game in last year’s World Series, Alex Gordon, the Royals’ potential tying run, was stranded on third base when Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez flew out to Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval to end the game.

“Ever since that pop up was caught by Pablo, this has been on our minds,”

Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer said of returning to the World Series. “The ultimate goal is to win a world championship.”

Not since Oakland won the 1989 World Series after losing it in 1988 has a team done what the Royals are attempting. Both Texas and Atlanta have lost in back-to-back years since then. In all, return trip losers are 13-12 the next year in World Series history.

The Royals are the eighth team back after a gameseven loss. Five of the prior seven won the title on their second chance, the most recent being the 1961 New York Yankees.

The Mets boast a strong

staff of starting pitchers, with right-hander Matt Harvey to start Tuesday’s opener in Kansas City, Jacob de Grom going in game two, rookie Noah Syndergaard in game three at New York and left-hander Steven Marz in game four.

Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy is on a playoff-record six game home run streak and is batting .421 with seven homers and 11 runs batted in during the playoffs. He has a homer every 5.4 at-bats in the playoffs versus every 58.4 at-bats over his career.

It has been quite a bounce back for the Mets, whose majority owner Fred Wilpon was hit in the 2008 Bernie

Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal. The Mets suffered six losing seasons in a row until this year, when a trade-deadline deal brought outfielder Yoenis Cespedes from Detroit and sparked a turnaround the led to the World Series.

- Worth the wait for Collins For 66-year-old Mets manager Terry Collins, it’s his first World Series after a lifetime in baseball.

“It was worth the wait,” Collins said. “It was worth all the work, to see what it takes. So it’s a special moment for me after all these years, when this has been your whole life, to finally get to the ultimate series.” AFP

ONE Championship inks pact with Haier

Football for a Better Life. Chieffy Caligdong is shown with British Coach Chris

Thomas giving final instructions to some of the 180 participants of the recent Football for a Better Life clinic held in Tarlac early this month. A tournament will be held during the last leg of the clinic on Nov. 7 and 8 at the Army Support Command Football Field in BGC, Taguig, to be conducted in partnership with the Gawad Kalinga and the Azkals’ National Football Team. The event is supported by Pru Life UK, Medicard, Thinking Tools and Fuji Xerox.

FILIPINO fans of mixed martial arts are in for a big treat after promoter ONE Championship in partnership with Haier Asia promised to bring MMA superstars Brandon “The Truth” Vera, Chi Lewis “Chopper” Parry and Mark Strieg in Manila in December.

Haier Asia President and CEO Yoshiaki Ito said Filipino fans will see the MMA superstars at the Mall of Asia Arena on Dec. 11.

“Every single card will be exciting,” said Ito, who is here in Manila to formalized the partnership between Haier and ONE

Championship.

Ito said the partnership promises to bring an exciting mixed martial arts experience, as champions clash against each other in the special collaboration.

Ito, who considers himself a weekend warrior, and who has been involved in various forms of martial arts since he was a teenager, said Haier is excited with the partnership with ONE Championship.

“One Championship is the fastest growing sports event in Asia, and soon to be the world’s leading MMA group,” said Ito. Peter Atencio

Vita completes golden double INDONESIANS Marissa Vita and Keshya Hanadia held off the late-charging Alyssa Leonardo and Thea Pomar and hacked out a 21-11, 2321 victory to snare the Open women’s doubles crown in the Bingo Bonanza National Open Badminton Tournament at Glorietta 5 Atrium in Makati City late Sunday.

Vita and Hanadia, who booted out top seed Jessie Francisco and Eleanor Inlayo in the quarters, seized control early with their grit and style, scoring on long rallies while pouncing on their PBASmash Pilipinas rivals’ miscues at endgame to fashion out the 30-minute victory.

The duo took the top P120,000 purse with Vita completing a “double” by also teaming up with local ace Ronel Estanislao to win the Open mixed doubles plum with a 21-17, 21-15 romp over second seed Alvin Morada and Alyssa Leonardo.

Peter Magnaye and Paul Vivas, the former Swiss Juniors champions, also flashed solid teamwork and used their power game to dominate top seed Joper Escueta and Ronel Estanislao, 21-16, 21-18, and seize the Open men’s doubles diadem in the week-long top ranking event backed by official equipment Victor PCOME and official sports drink Gatorade.

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Nadal avoids another Rosol upset BASEL—Rafael Nadal rallied from the depths to narrowly prevent a repeat of one his his worst career losses as he beat Lukas Rosol 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) at the Swiss Indoors on Monday.

Three years ago, the then number 69 journeyman famously upset world number two Nadal in the 2012 Wimbledon second round.

This time, Nadal had to make numerous recoveries, the last from 4-2 down in the final-set tiebreaker, before finally prevailing.

“I thought I was out of here,” said Nadal after his narrow firstround escape.

“It was the first match on indoor hardcourt for me in almost a year.

“He’s tough to play, he came to the court with big confidence. He was trying to hit the ball hard on every shot.

“I had a tough time adjusting. I just tried to survive the second set and wait for my opportiunities. I’m very happy to have survived and still be playing.”

World number seven Nadal escaped a repeat disappointment after losing in the first round here 12 years ago to countryman Feliciano Lopez. He made a dismal start as he lost the opening set in just 23 minutes.

The third seed, whose game looked a shambles through much of the first two sets, finally came to life in the nick of time, breaking Rosol with the Czech leading 5-4 and serving for the match.

Nadal has already qualified for the eight-man World Tour Finals next month, but was carrying solid momentum from a Beijing final and Shanghai semi-final into the European indoors swing which ends next week at Paris Bercy.

In Singapore, Garbine Muguruza hammered out her WTA Finals threat in no uncertain terms on Monday as she celebrated her rise to world number three with a straight-sets dismissal of Lucie Safarova.

The imposing Spaniard, playing her debut match at the season finale, quickly shook off her nerves to win 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) and extend a run of form which has taken her to two straight finals. AFP

Spanish player Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Czech player Lukas Rosol during the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament in Basel, northern Switzerland. AFP

Kama Motors squeaks past Foton EX-PROS Rudy Lingganay and JR Cawaling combined for their team’s last eight points to lift Kama Motors to a thrilling 76-74 win over Foton in the PCBL Founders Cup at the Filoil Flying V Arena.

Lingganay, who played as point guard for Powerade, GlobalPort and KIA in the PBA, had back-to-back baskets, including the go-ahead lay up that put Kama Motors on the driver’s seat, 7271, with still 1:05 left in the game.

Cawaling, a member of the grand-slam team San Mig Coffee in 2014, but was acquired by KIA in the dispersal draft,

also played a potential Today (The Arena) a key role in Games game-t y ing 4 p.m. -- Cagayan vs Kama Mojumper that Euro-Med 6 p.m. -- Supremo Lex vs tors’ second happened Jumbo Plastic win in four after Linggamatches. nay split his He made charities at up for an ill-advised the other end. technical foul during a Kama Motors’ sister verbal altercation with team, Caida Tiles, continLevi Hernandez. ued its winning ways and With Kama Motors kept a hold on the solo lead trailing, 72-74, Cawaling after outlasting a hardburied a triple from deep fighting Sta. Lucia squad, left to put his team back 65-64, in the other game. in the lead with 32 secCaida remained perfect onds left. in this tournament supFoton, which went al- ported by Spalding, Ammost exclusively to Mikee bucore, Accel and AquaReyes on isolation plays best. down the stretch, still went The loss was the second to its prized guard acquisi- in four games for the Retion, who missed in his altors, who dropped into last three trips, including a tie for third with Kama

Arcilla, Anasta banner Pintaflores net tourney TOP seed Johnny Arcilla and No. 2 Vicente Anasta brace for a tough challenge against a slew of rising young players as they headline the Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala Pintaflores Festival Open Tennis Championship firing off today at the San Carlos City Tennis Club in Negros Occidental.

Arcilla, the many-time PCA Open champion, and Anasta, also a former Davis Cupper, drew opening day byes but are expected to have their hands full in the second round with the former taking on the winner in the Reun Huibionada-Japeth Bartolome duel at 10 a.m. today and the latter clashing with the victor in the Eduardo Rodriguez Jr.-Michael

Madrio face off at 1 p.m.

Third seed Ronard Joven also took a bye and will play the winner of the Prince Clelo-Rodolfo Barquin clash at 9 a.m. today.

Other first round pairings pit No. 4 Fritz Verdad against Leomar Domingo, No. 5 Arvin Ruel vs Dale Estonilo, sixth ranked Roel Capangpangan versus Rod Singson, No. 7 Deo Talatayod against Reynan Mahusay and No. 8 Arc Dolorito versus Mark Gayo.

The weeklong event sponsored

by Palawan Pawnshop and hosted by Mayor Gerardo Valmayor Jr. with Criston Carmona as organizer caps the city’s Pintaflores Festival celebrations kicked off by the age-group tournament last week.

Motors.

First Game KAMA MOTORS (76) – Montuano 22, Lingganay 15, Ludovice 13, Cawaling 6, Cabrera 5, Mercader 4, Ibay 3, Lunor 2, Fajardo 2, Argamino 2, Llera 0, Gil 0.

FOTON (74) – Hernandez 20, Rivera 16, Reyes 14, Gomez 9, Habelito 7, Mangahas 4, Rosaroso 2, Bringas 0, Rogado 0, Baloran 0, Mallari 0.

Quarterscores:: 20-20, 34-40, 62-57, 76-74.

Second Game CAIDA TILES (65) – Lozada 10, Corpuz 9, Ruaya 9, Robles 9, Almario 7, Leynes 5, Terso 4, Maiquez 4, Rios 4, Hayes 2, Jamon 2, Gabawan 0, Jamito 0.

Coaches avail of PEP Program NINETY-FOUR national coaches availed of the Philippine Sports Commission’s Personality Enhancement Program for Sports module on financial literacy last Oct. 20 and 26.

The coaches represented the sports of Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Billiards and Snooker, Boxing, Cycling, Fin Swimming, Gymnastics, Handball, Judo, Karatedo, Lawn Bowls, Muay, Pencak Silat, Petanque, Rowing, Sailing, Sepak Takraw, Softball, Squash, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Triathlon and Weightlifting during the two-day module conducted by Pesos And Sense’s Aya Laraya.

The PEP’s module on financial literacy covered the fundamentals of goal setting, budgeting and saving, and investing.

“Financial literacy is a tool not many Filipinos have embraced and utilized,” said PSC Commissioner and PEP Proj-

ect Director Wigberto “Iggy” Clavecilla.

“We wish for our national coaches not only to apply this tool in managing their income and incentives, but also to guide our athletes through learning the same concepts when they (the athletes) undergo the same module on Nov. 3 and 6.”

Majority of the coaches, who participated in the module appreciated it and are looking forward to learn more on managing their finances properly.

As one participant enthused, “the topic is relevant and applicable for us at this stage of our lives”.

The PEP is a series of seminars grouped into three modules to help strengthen the non-sporting aspects of athletes and coaches’ lives that inevitably merge with their respective sporting careers. The other two modules scheduled for early next year will focus on personal enhancement and wholistic health.

Viloria’s fate decided soon

By Ronnie Nathanielsz FORMER two-division world champion Brian Viloria, who put on a gallant display before losing by a ninth-round TKO against undefeated World Boxing Council flyweight champion and pound-forpound No. 1 Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua, will get together this week with his manager Gary Gittelsohn to review what happened and together come up with a decision on the boxer’s future as a fighter.

“We need to evaluate what happened. I don’t have answers to the very difficult questions but together we’ll come to a decision that is in the best interests of Brian,” the likeable Gittelsohn said.

He said he watched the fight for the first time on HBO’s television replay and “couldn’t be more proud of Brian’s performance in the ring. He fought in a spirited, courageous way.”

Gittelsohn claimed the replay confirmed what he saw at ringside during the fight itself.

“Viloria hurt Gonzalez in the ninth round with a body shot and I think Brian knew that, but by that time, he had taken too many shots in a worthy performance in every way.”

W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Antonio rebounds, grabs solo chess lead

Thai sets pace.

Mookharin Ladgratok of Thailand charged home with three birdies in the last five holes to shoot a five-under 66 and grab a onestroke lead over three others in a crowded leaderboard at the start of the Manila Southwoods Ladies Classic at Southwoods’ Legends course yesterday. Here, Ladgratok lines up her birdie putt on No. 11

AFTER fumbling in the third round against National Master Haridas Pascua, Grandmaster Rogelio “Joey” Antonio quickly bounced back, racking up two straight victories to wrest the solo lead in the 2015 Battle of Grandmasters—National Chess Championship at the Philippine Sports Commission Athletes’ Dining Hall, PSC Bldg., RMSC Complex in Vito Cruz, Manila.

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

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION The public is hereby notified that the Philippine Representative Office of GET INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD., with registered address at Unit 607 Page 1 Bldg., Acacia Ave., Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City, will be CLOSED. The closure of the Philippine representative office will take effect upon approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(TS-OCT. 21,28 & NOV. 4, 2015

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Caraga Administrative Region Division of Agusan del Sur

Standings after five rounds (Open Division) Antonio 7, Bitoon 6, Pascua, Turqueza, Docena 5, Torre, Gomez, Laylo, Frayna 4, Abelgas 3, Bersamina 1.

Standings after four rounds (Women’s) Fronda 6, San Diego, Lozano 5, Perena-Secapito, Mendoza, Bernales 4, Enriquez, Suede, Membrere 3, Pineda 1.

The third-seeded Antonio topped NM Roel Abelgas in 40 moves of a Caro-Kann in the fourth round, before making short work of Woman International Master Janelle Mae Fronda after only 25 moves of the Nimzo-Indian in the fifth.

The consecutive victories sent

the many-time Chess Olympian into the solo lead at seven points under the match-point scoring system, and a point ahead of GM Richard Bitoon, who drew with NM Jerad Docena and GM Eugene Torre in the previous two rounds.

Docena, a 17-year-old De La Salle student, remains at third spot at five points with Pascua and Fide Master Jose Mari Turqueza, while Torre, GMs John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo and Frayna are tied with four points each.

Frayna, the lone female entry in the Open division of the tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and supported by the PSC, dropped two con-

ERRATA Relative to the Publication on September 8, 2015 of Department Circular No. 003.2015 dated August 24, 2015 amending Department Circular No. 001.2015 Department Circular No. 001-2015 should be read as: Department Circular No. 001.2015 24 June 2015 should be read as:

INVITATION TO BID DIVISION WIDE CAPACITY BUILDING ON EARLY LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND NUMERACY PROGRAM 1.

T h e D e p a r t m e nt of to a p p l y t h e s u m of ( Ph p7, 9 5 0,0 0 0. 0 0) p ay m e nt s u n d e r t h e

Ed u c at i o n ( D e p ED) – A g u s a n d e l S u r D i v i s i o n i nte n d s S eve n M i l l i o n N i n e H u n d r e d Fi f t y T h o u s a n d Pe s o s O n l y b e i n g t h e A p p r ove d B u d g et f o r t h e C o nt r ac t (A B C) to c o nt ac t f o r t h e wo r ks d e s c r i b e d b e l ow, to w i t :

LOT

PARTICIPANTS

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT (PhP)

1

249

2,490,000.00

1 June 2015 SUBJECT: REVISED GUIDELINES DEPOSITORY BANKS ON AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT should be read as: SUBJECT: REVISED GUIDELINES ON AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT DEPOSITORY BANKS 4. GENERAL PRINCIPLES 4.2 The Bureau of Local Government Finance (“BLGP”) should be read as: BLGF

2

241

3,010,000.00

3

245

2,450,000.00

TOTAL

7,950,000.00

2.

The Department of Education - Agusan del Sur Division now invites bids for the DIVISION WIDE CAPACITY BUILDING ON EARLY LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND NUMERACY PROGRAM (Food and Accomodation). Bidders should have completed, within 3 years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

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

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

4.

5.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from BAC Secretariat, DepED Agusan del Sur Division, Government Center, Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:00AM-5:00PM (Mondays thru Fridays).

4.3

Pursuant to Executive Order No. 55 (s. 2011), the government through the DOF and the Bureau of the Treasury (“CBtr”) should be read as: BTr

5. GENERAL GUIDELINES 5.3

In view of Executive Order No. 55, series 2011 removing revenue and expenditure floats, the NGAI GOCCI LGU may engage the payment and collection services of a bank other than as referred under Section 5.2, thru a transaction fee-based arrangement, without the need for prior approval from the DOF, in the case of GOCCs, or, from the BLGF, in the case of LGUs: provided, that in the case of NGAs the implementation of any payment and collection system should require concurrence of BTr for consistency to the TSA framework; provided, further, that the (proposed) bank will only serve as a collection bank for the account of the NGAI GOCCI LGU: provided, finally that, in the case of collection banks, all collections shall be transferred to any of the GFIs referred in Section 5.2 on the next banking day counted from the collection date should be read as: NGA/ GOCC/ LGU

5.4

Bank accounts with banks other than GFIs referred in Section 5.2 may be allowed for the NGAI GOCCI LGU under the following circumstances should be read as: NGA/GOCC/LGU

5.5 5.5.1 a.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on October 26,2015 until date of Bid Submission from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of PhP 5,000.00 per lot upon completion of filing of Letter of Intent not later than November 2, 2015 at 12:00 PM.

DOF e.

6.

7.

The Department of Education - Agusan del Sur Division will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on November 5, 2015 at 10:00 AM at Department of Education – Agusan del Sur Division, Government Center, Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

The Department of Education – Agusan del Sur reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

9.

For further information, please refer to

Other information that the DOF/Str /SLGF may require in the course of its evaluation should be read as: BTr/ BLGF

5.5.2 In cases where the GFIs mentioned in Section 5.2 hereof establishes or operates a branch within the territorial jurisdiction or in the locality where the NGAIGOCCILGU or any of its branches, field-offices, departments, divisions or operating units holds or conducts its office or business, or where the circumstances under Section 5.4 is no longer prevailing the NGAIGOCCILGU shall transfer all funds and cash balances to GFIs mentioned in Section 5.2 within three (3) banking days from the time the exceptional circumstances is no longer prevailing, whichever comes first: provided, that in the case of an NGA proper reporting of cash balances on the bank accounts should be made to the Str or its field offices before and after the closure of the account with the (proposed) bank should be read as: NGA/ GOCC/ LGU

RIZA O. MUANAG/SHERYL ANN H. MOMBILLE The DBAC Secretariats DepED – Agusan del Sur Division Gov. D.O. Plaza Gov’t. Center, Patin-ay Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur ( T S - O C T. 2 8 , 2 015 )

Notarized Waiver in favor of the Str and the (proposed) bank to allow Str in the case of NGAs to have oversight authority on the bank account and for the bank to provide any required reports/ statements to Str; and should be read as: BTr

h.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

The proposed bank latest CAMELS rating issued by the SSP should be read as: BSP

g.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before November 17,, 2015 at 10:00 AM. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

ELIZABETH M. HERMOSO The Division BAC Chairperson Agusan del Sur Division Government Center, Prosperidad Agusan del Sur

Letter from the Head of the Requesting Agency or its duly designated officer requesting the approval from the OOF, Btr, BLGF...xxx should be read as:

BTr 6. SANCTIONS Any violation of this Circular shall be a ground for the imposition of the following sanctions: 6.1

(SGD) ELIZABETH M. HERMOSO DBAC Chairperson

For the bank, xxx shall recommend to SSP, xxx to other sanctions as maybe imposed by the SSP should be read as: BSP

(TS-OCT. 28, 2015)

secutive matches after that shock win over Torre in the third round.

Before the loss to Antonio in the fifth round, Frayna fell against Turqueza in the fourth, but remained on track for a possible GM norm with still eight rounds to go.

In the women’s side, untitled Brena Mae Membrere of Ateneo essayed the biggest upset, as she surprised Far Eastern University student and no. 6 seed Shania Mae Mendoza, even as Jan Jodilyn Fronda remained on top following a draw against WIM and 2014 Asian junior titlist Mikee Charlene Suede.

Fronda now has six points, a point ahead of WFM Marie Antoinette San Diego and Arvie Lozano, who have identical 5 points, while defending champion Catherine Perena-Secopito, Christy Lamiel Bernales and Mendoza have four points apiece.

Membrere, meanwhile, climbed into a tie with Suede with 3 points, while Judith Pineda of De La Salle remained at the bottom with only a point to show in four rounds.

Southeast Asian MMA tourney set in Clark, Pampanga THE Southeast Asia Fighting Championship holds its inaugural mixed martial arts meet next month at the Venus Hotel and Sports Club in Clark, Pampanga.

Instead of the regular one-day event, the fight has been spread to three days from Nov. 20 to 22 in what would be the start of a series of weekly tournaments culminating in one whole championship fight to be held next year.

For starters, Rex De Lara of MUMMA/Fight Factory battles Francis Rod Romero of Safehouse in the main match on Nov. 20.

Both De Lara and Romero were present in the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate, where they were joined

by National Muaythai Kickboxing Council of the Philippines secretary general Emmanuel Cabrera Jr., and president-promoter Master Emmanuel Sabrine.

“We’re introducing the tournament on Nov. 20 and from there, we’ll have our qualifying rounds.

Every week yan, tuloy-tuloy na,” said Cabrera in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

All survivors in the weekly qualifiers will battle it out in a grand championship, the winners of which will have the opportunity to represent the country in a dual meet featuring the Philippines and Korea.

“For everyone’s information, active ang Korea sa Mixed Martial Arts. In fact, they’re even ahead of us,” noted Cabrera, who added that Fontana Apollon Korea Country Club, FA Korea CC Golf Course, along with Korean businessmen are part of the SAFC, in partnership with Venus Hotel and Sports Club and the NMKBCP. “We expect the grand championship to take place by next year.”

Others seeing action on Nov. 20 are Genil Francisco (D’ Elements MMA) against Nilo Vidal (FIST gym), and Nico Allego (Yawyan Kampilan) versus Arwin Lusutan (Safehouse).

W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Foiled. Lynda Morales (light) of RC Cola fails to score against

Angeli Araneta of Foton in the 2015 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix women’s volleyball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.

A solid, fluid Foton squad made quick work of struggling RC Cola-Air Force, 25-14, 25-13, 26-16, to grab solo fourth with a 2-3 card. On the other hand, RC Cola-Air Force closed its first-round campaign with 1-4, just one game ahead of struggling Meralco, which has yet to barge into the win column in five games.

A15 LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 6 DIGITS 0-0-0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

MARHO Platinum to feature Hagdang Bato

Beermen, Warriors eye lead TWO teams want a share of the early lead, while two other squads eye rousing debuts at the resumption of the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup. After winning their initial as- dous start as it dominated Globalsignments, defending champion Port, 97-86, in a one-sided affair San Miguel Beer (1-0) and NLEX last Saturday in Davao City, where (1-0) face separate opponents as reigning Most Valuable Player they hope to join unbeaten Rain June Mar Fajardo led the way with or Shine (2-0) as the 21 points.

Games Wednesday early leaders of the Knowing that the (Smart Araneta Coliseum): tournament. bull’s-eye will always 4:15 p.m. • NLEX vs. Barako Bull The Beermen will 7 p.m. • Meralco vs. San Miguel be on their back, San lock horns with reMiguel coach Leo tooled Meralco (0-0) at 7 p.m. in Austria wants his wards to stay the main game, while the Road focused and be ready for the danWarriors open the show against gerous Bolts’ upset bid.

Barako Bull (0-0) in the initial “We know everybody wants to offering at 4:15 p.m. at the Smart beat us,’’ said Austria. “We always Araneta Coliseum. have to be ready and be focused Determined to make a state- against Meralco in this next game.’’ ment as it starts its title defense, The Bolts had a huge off-season San Miguel was off to a tremen- as they were able to upgrade their

roster with the acquisition of veteran and resident National team player Jimmy Alapag as well as the re-addition of big man Rabeh Al-Hussaini and entrees of blue chip rookies Chris Newsome and Baser Amer.

It’ll be interesting to see how these new additions will be able to help out Meralco in its quest for a breakthrough season.

“I believe we’ve got some really good players that can help us improve and we’re looking forward to seeing how we can compete against these strong teams in the league,’’ said Meralco coach Norman Black.

While resident go-to guy Asi Taulava and veteran new addition Sean Anthony led the way in its 90-86 opening game victory against Blackwater, NLEX got a huge boost from promising rookie Simon Enciso, who had a

surprisingly splendid debut with 15 points.

NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez expects his team to even get better as the tournament goes.

“We learned a lot from our first game. That served as a lesson for us and we’re looking to continually improve,’’ said Fernandez.

“Our veterans like Asi and Sean are delivering and Simon Enciso is a really good acquisition for us.’’

The Road Warriors will face a new look Barako Bull squad which now have veterans Mick Pennisi, Mac Baracael, Jervy Cruz and Josh Urbiztondo to team-up with mainstays JC Intal, RR Garcia, Chico Lanete and WIlly Wilson.

Meralco and Barako Bull were supposed to make their debut last week, but that playdate was postponed to a later one due to the delay of the season’s opening caused

by Typhoon Lando.

PLDT HOME delivers multimedia livestreaming of new NBA season via Fox Sports, NBA Premium THE world’s biggest basketball league is back for its 70th season, and PLDT HOME subscribers can now catch all the hard court action on their Triple Play Plans with Cignal via the NBA Premium HD and on their DSL and Fibr subscriptions via Fox Sports channels.

After the end of the preseason games, the NBA 2015-16 season will officially open with the Detroit Pistons facing the Atlanta Hawks for the opening game.

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will also see action against the Chicago Bulls while 2015 MVP Stephen Curry and current finals champion, the Golden State Warriors, are set to go up against the New

Orleans Pelicans.

“NBA is an important part of our thriving and passionate basketball culture, and we’re excited to bring the new season to our subscribers, thanks to our partners at Cignal and Fox,” PLDT VP and Home Marketing Head Gary Dujali said.

“The shared love for sports is one of the bonds that keep the strongest connections at home, and watching the NBA is definitely best experienced with the family using PLDT HOME’s reliable connection.”

PLDT HOME customers will get to enjoy the hard court action across multiple devices whether on their TV, desktops, or telpads. PLDT HOME Triple Play subscrib-

ers can watch it in HD quality on the NBA Premium HD Channel on Cignal while high-speed DSL and Fibr subscribers can access NBA and other top-notch sports events for free on Fox Sports Channel via the Home Player App. The latest content offering from PLDT HOME comes at the heel of its groundbreaking partnerships with renowned international content providers iflix and Fox International Channels.

The country’s multimedia services leader also recently announced the availability of its most powerful broadband package yet—the Fibr 1Gbps plan—which will certainly level up the way subscribers enjoy their favorite content.

Dujali added: “When it comes to world-class entertainment, our subscribers can always rely on PLDT HOME to provide easy access so they can enjoy the best content whenever they want it.”

NBA fans here in the Philippines can catch the Cleveland Cavaliers versus Chicago Bulls match on NBA Premium HD on Oct. 28, 8 a.m., followed by the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors face-off at 10:30 a.m.

Meanwhile, basketball enthusiasts who want to catch the LA Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves game can head over to Fox Sports on Oct. 29, 10:30 a.m.

Visit pldthome.com for more NBA updates.

TRACK icon Hagdang Bato is one of the many elite horses running in the Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners’ landmark 20th MARHO Cup Championships on Nov. 7 and 8 at Santa Ana Park.

The event, dubbed the MARHO-San Miguel Beer Platinum racing festival, features five major stakes races with hefty prizes.

The entries for the 2,000-meter MARHO Platinum-San Miguel Beer Classic for horses 4YO and older are Hagdang Bato, Biseng Bise, Hot and Spicy, Kanlaon, King Bull, Manalig Ka, and Marinx.

Declared for the MARHO Platinum-Santa Ana Park 3YO Colt and Filly Mile are Gentle Strength, Hook Shot, Shintaro’s Speed, Sky Hook, and Super Spicy.

Running in the 1,300-meter MARHO PlatinumPhilracom Juvenile Colts are Bite My Dust, Dewey Boulevard, Lucky Toni, Stark, and Underwood.

In the counterpart Juvenile Fillies race over the same distance are Bowties and Charms, Incomparable, Port Angeles, Real Flames, and This Time.

The 1,100-meter MARHO Platinum-Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Sprint will showcase Barcelona, Cat’s Silver, Ik Hou Van Jou, Nemesis, and Never Cease. *** Longshot Subterranean River won the 3rd leg of the Philippine Racing Commission Juvenile Fillies stakes race at Metroturf racecourse last Sunday (Oct. 25).

Wilbert Tan’s filly raced second to last in the seven-horse field. Under jockey John Paul A. Guce, Subterranean River began moving up in the backstretch, gaining fourth position in the backstretch and second at the hometurn.

She raced on the inside down the stretch against the frontrunner, the favorite Hotdog, to win by half a length.

Subterranean River (Quaker Ridge x Magic Symbol), trained by AC Sagun, posted a time of 1:25.2 (13-22-23-27’) for the 1,400-meter race.

Hotdog was second, Most Trusted third and Port Angeles fourth.

The counterpart Philracom Juvenile Colts stakes held the same day was another comefrom-behind story.

Underwood, steered by Jesse B. Guce ran off the pace from frontrunner Uncle Ko and its stablemate Finishing Bells, with Spectrum taking the lead at the home turn.

Boxed at the rail behind Spectrum, Guce swung Underwood out and rallied on the outside, winning by five over Spectrum. Finishing Bells was third, Show The Whip fourth.

Underwood (Real Spicy x Kayumanggi), owned by Stony Road Horse Farm and trained

by Dave de la Cruz, posted 1:25 (12’-22-23-27’) for 1,400 meters. *** In the PCSO 2YO Maiden race on Saturday (Oct. 31) at San Lazaro Leisure Park are lawyer Narciso Morales’s filly Guantanamera, James Albert Dichaves’s filly Mahayana Budur, Joseph Dyhengco’s filly Yes Kitty, Nathaniel Velasco’s filly Ellie’s Charm, Jun Sevilla’s colt Purging Line, Cool Summer Farm’s filly Striking Colors, Stony Road Horse Farm’s colt Mt. Rainier, and Mayor Sandy Javier’s filly Yong Yong.

Yong Yong won the Oct. 16 trial race and Striking Colors came in second, Yes Kitty third.

Railbirds say to look no further that these three horses, although the chances of the others should not be discounted especially in a juvenile race, where anything can happen. *** Races at Santa Ana Park last Oct. 23 were cancelled due to technical difficulties with the broadcast of the live coverage: the video transmission sent from the track at Naic, Cavite could not be picked up by the traffic controller at the Makati office.

Insiders say the issue has now been resolved, the proof being that races at Metroturf last weekend were aired without a hitch. Since perhaps the first week of October, Metroturf has been using the same broadcast provider as Santa Ana Park - Apollo Global. *** Facebook: Gogirl Racing, Twitter: @gogirlracing, Instagram: @jensdecember, Blog: http://jennyo.net

A16

W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Lions force deciding Game 3 Games Tomorrow (Game 3, MOA Arena) 2 p.m. -- Arellano vs San Beda (jrs) 4 p.m. -- San Beda vs Letran (srs)

By Peter Atencio

THE San Beda Red Lions played tough, unforgiving defense in the stretch, forcing the Letran Knights to shoot blanks in the final three minutes en route to a 68-61 Game 2 victory to tie the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball finals at one win apiece yesterday before a huge crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Letran’s Mark Cruz (right) and San Beda College’s Olaide Adeogun chase the looseball in Game 2 of the NCAA men’s basketball finals at the MOA Arena. The Lions won, 68-61, to set up a deciding third game in the series. LINO SANTOS

Bulldogs face Archers, try to keep Final 4 hopes alive THE faltering defending champions National University Bulldogs try to breathe life to their drive for a Final Four berth when they battle the De La Salle Green Archers in the main game today in the 76th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Bulldogs and the Green Archers, both coming off losses, last weekend, play at 4 p.m., right after the match between top semifinal qualifier Far Eastern University

Royals vs Mets: 1 title dought ends TURN TO A12

Tamaraws, who are eyeing a twice- coach Juno Sauler remained upto-beat advantage, against the Ad- beat of their chances of making it to the Final Four. amson Falcons at 2 p.m.

“We just have to keep playing in The Bulldogs are currently at fifth our last four games,” said place with a 4-7 mark, Games today Sauler, who added that the half a game adrift of the (Mall of Asia Arena) Green Archers, who carry 2 p.m. Adamson vs FEU team learned a valuable lesson after the loss to the an even 5-5 record.

4 p.m. NU vs La Salle Falcons.

Last Saturday, the Ar“We could not make shots and we chers tried to move closer to at least a playoff for the semifinals, but were could not defend,” said Sauler.

The Tamaraws, who sport a derailed by the Falcons, who nipped league-best 9-1 slate, are also not the Archers, 75-74.

But despite the loss, La Salle taking things for granted against

Nadal avoids another Rosol upset TURN TO A13

the Falcons.

The Tamaraws advanced into the Final Four for the third straight season and are focused to earn the no.

1 seeding in a race with the secondrunning University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers (9-2).

But despite all this, FEU coach Nash Racela remains wary of the Falcons.

“They (Adamson) gave us a scare in the first round. (Pape) Sarr is playing really really well. We will try to stop him,” said Racela. Peter Atencio

The Knights, who won Game 1, 94-90, to go up 1-0 in the best-ofthree series, missed six attempts in a three-minute stretch, allowing the Lions to preserve a 66-61 edge going into the final 16 seconds.

Javee Mocon then ended Letran’s dwindling hopes with a drive off Ola Adeogun’s pass with 16 seconds remaining to seal the game for San Beda, which will try to finish off the Knights in Game 3 on Friday and clinch an unprecedented sixth NCAA men’s senior championship.

“It was like Game 1. Still a classic game. My hats off to Letran and their coaching staff. It doesn’t get any better than this,” said San Beda coach Jamike Jarin.

Adeogun finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Mocon added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Red Lions.

San Beda guard Baser Amer had nine points and surprisingly had 11 boards before he left the court due to cramps with still 2:41 remaining.

Mark Cruz topscored for Letran with 21 points, but was held scoreless in the final quarter.

Coach Aldin Ayo said the Knights’ dismal 29 percent shooting percentage spelled the difference in the game. Overall, the Knights shot 19 of 57 attempts from the two-point area, 8 of 16 from the three-point zone, and 8 of 16 from the free throw line.

“Hindi kami naka-shoot. Simple as that,” Ayo said.

In contrast, the Red Lions recorded a high 56 percent field goal shooting(27/48), made 24 of 36 in the two-point range, and hit 11 of 15 from the charity lane.

The Lions also outrebounded the Knights, 51-32.

Meanwhile, Guilmer de la Torre and Carlo Abadeza stepped up big in the endgame, leading Arellano to a 72-68 upset win over defending champion San Beda Red Cubs in Game 2 of the junior division finals.

Abadeza finished with 16 points had 11 rebounds, and De La Torre added 15 points and made the timely plays in the final three minutes en route to the win that tied the finals series at 1-1.

WEDNESDAY: OCTOBER 28, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandardtoday.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

B1

Metrobank’s donation. The Metrobank Group, through Metrobank Foundation Inc. and GT Foundation, allocates P10 million to assist Luzon provinces affected by super typhoon Lando, immediately activating its calamity assistance thrust to address the needs of families affected by the recent calamity. Shown are (from left) MBFI president Aniceto Sobrepeña, Metrobank president Fabian Dee, MBFI senior vice president Anjie Dy Buncio, Caritas Manila executive director Anton Pascual and and Metrobank Group vice chairman Antonio Abacan Jr.

Robinsons Land goes to China PSe comPoSite index Closing October 27, 2015

8000

By Jenniffer B. Austria

ROBINSONS Land Corp., the property unit of tycoon John Gokongwei, said Tuesday it acquired an 8.5-hectare property in Chengdu, China as part of its expansion overseas.

7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

7,325.76 1.36

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing OCTOBER 27, 2015 43.50 44.60 45.40

P46.720

46.20

CLOSE

47.00

HIGH P46.560 LOW P46.720 AVERAGE P46.655 VOLUME 585.700M

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

oPriceS il P today

Robinsons Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its offshore subsidiary acquired the land use right to a property located in Chengdu.

“This property has an area of approximately 8.5 hectares. The property is intended to be used for the development of residential projects with a minor commercial component,” Robinsons Land said.

“This acquisition is in line with the normal course of RLC’s real estate business and its plan to explore opportunities internation-

ally,” it said.

No other details were provided, including acquisition cost and timetable for the development.

Regina Capital Development Corp. managing director Luis Limlingan said Robinsons Land’s venture in China was a positive move for the company, despite concerns of possible slowdown in China’s economy.

“China’s economy is still growing at 6.9 percent, which is even faster than our own domestic growth. The slowdown in China

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

P20.75-P21.75 Auto LPG

IMPORTS rose for the third straight month in August, rising 4.1 percent to $6.1 billion, on strong demand for electronic components, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday.

Data from the PSA, however, showed the increase was slower than the 17-percent growth registered in July, when shipments amounted to a record $6.5 billion.

“Merchandise imports growth is expected to maintain its growth momentum until the end of the year. This outcome supports our view that domestic consumption will be the main driver of economic growth, at least in the short term, while the manufacturing sector is seen to remain vibrant,” said Economic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority director-general Arsenio Balisacan.

Neda said the imports growth in August

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.6070

Japan

Yen

0.008264

0.3852

UK

Pound

1.535200

71.5511

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129034

6.0139

Switzerland

Franc

1.016984

47.3986

Canada

Dollar

0.759821

35.4130

Singapore

Dollar

0.718494

33.4868

Australia

Dollar

0.725689

33.8222

Bahrain

Dinar

2.656395

123.8066

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266823

12.4358

Brunei

Dollar

0.715922

33.3670

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000073

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.028161

1.3125

UAE

Dirham

0.272309

12.6915

Euro

Euro

1.105600

51.5287

Korea

Won

0.000885

0.0412

China

Yuan

0.157408

7.3363

India

Rupee

0.015424

0.7189

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.236855

11.0391

New Zealand

Dollar

0.678610

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030938

31.6280 1.4419 Source: PDS Bridge

Another property firm, SM Prime Holdings Inc. of tycoon Henry Sy, is now in the process of completing the design of the residential projects and securing the necessary permits to enable it to start building the first two towers also in Chengdu.

SM Prime earlier said it would invest P1.5 billion to build the first two of the four-tower development in Chengdu.

The company, which also operates six shopping malls in China, expects to complete the project over the next two years.

SM Prime’s China condominium projects will offer bigger unit sizes of 40 to 50 square meters compared to an average of 24 sqm in its Philippine projects.

It plans to offer 2,000 condominium units for the four-tower project.

Imports increased 4.1% to $6.1b in August—PSA

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, October 27, 2015

may not be as bad as it seems,” Limlingan said.

Limlingan said other Philippine companies such as Jollibee Foods Corp. and SM Prime also continued to invest in China, even with the expected slowdown of the world’s second largest economy.

Share price of Robinsons Land jumped 2.24 percent on Tuesday to P31.90.

Robinsons Land, the real estate arm of conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc., is primarily engaged in the development and operation of shopping malls and hotels, and the development of mixed-use properties, office and residential buildings, as well as land and residential housing developments, including socialized housing projects located in key cities and other urban areas nationwide.

was led by higher payments of raw materials, intermediate goods and consumer goods.

Payments for raw materials and intermediate goods, which accounted for 45 percent of the otal merchandise imports, surged 41.2 percent to $2.8 billion in August from $2 billion in a year ago.

Meanwhile, spending for imported consumer goods grew 19 percent to $1 billion in August from $865.9 million in August 2014, on higher purchases of both durable goods (36.4 percent) and non-durable goods (5.1 percent).

“Imports of raw materials and intermediate goods as well as consumer goods will provide the boost going forward. Ramped-up importation for these commodity sub-sectors suggests an upward tick in the coming months as the manufacturing sector is expected to increase production in anticipation of increased demand during the holiday season,” Balisacan said.

Five out of 10 major import commodities for the month showed positive growth

performance led by the electronic products, which accounted for the 33.7 percent of total import bill.

Inward shipments of electronic products climbed 68.5 percent to $2.052 billion over last year’s $1.218 billion.

This was traced to the 91.6 percent increase to $1.696 billion of semiconductors which had the biggest share of 27.9 percent among electronic products.

Data, however, showed inwards shipments of mineral fuels and lubricants plunged 49.7 percent to $635.9 million in August from a year ago, on lower prices of crude oil.

Neda said in terms of volume, the country’s purchases of petroleum crude increased 33.8 percent year-on-year.

Balisacan said the challenging external environment, coupled with severe weather disturbances that could exert upward pressure on the price of commodities, might dampen the country’s growth prospects.

WEDNESDAY: OCTOBER 28, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, OcTOber 27, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 2.6 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 1.02 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59

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

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

3 49.35 103.80 85.25 40.4 2.46 1.46 15.6 19.98 8.30 1.73 0.620 86.2 0.95 18.58 54.30 103 300 31.35 143 1540.00 57.00

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 17 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 238 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 8.61 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 161 4.1 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI 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 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 Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ SPC Power Corp.

Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

42.65 1.66 0.92 1.62 11 24.6 43 2.56 1.78 9.97 10.500 7.90 7.00 7.68 12 26.6 74 11.76 13.10 5.96 2.540 207.00 35.50 2 3.8 40.40 24.45 24.8 6.18 313.00 3.93 4.52 7.25 4.54 3.58 2.00 2.5 4.10 142 4.01 2.18 0.173 1.25 2.21 206 4.55 0.69 1.20

0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 6.5 5.29 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 6.55 0.0670 1.61 2.99 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 390 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 1.15 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3.43 3 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 4.5 0.030 0.550 2.26 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 170 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. 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 Keppel Holdings `A’ Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

LT Group Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Minerales Industrias Corp.

Pacifica `A’ 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

0.405 57.1000 18.50 6.40 0.250 0.255 784 7.66 12.86 4.19 3.99 3.80 0.255 1360 5.81 75.00 4.01 6.5 7.1 0.86 12.1 0.53 5.28 8.89 0.0320 1.950 2.72 48.35 2.69 896.00 1.21 0.80 179.00 107.700 0.3300 0.2340 0.320

10.5 26.95 1.99

6.74 12 0.65

8990 HLDG 6.500 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 8.12 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.71

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

SHARES 24,473,414 86,134,555 202,501,375 156,619,040 165,347,140 487,196,298 1,127,948,666

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.24 2.97 49.1 47.4 106.00 103.10 85.60 84.90 41.4 40.4 2.50 2.40 2.19 1.40 15.6 15.5 20 19.9 7.62 7.58 1.73 1.72 0.620 0.580 87.5 86.2 0.98 0.95 18.68 18.46 54.10 52.95 101 98 300 295.8 31.8 31.3 143 141.6 1540.00 1535.00 57.00 56.15 INDUSTRIAL 42.75 42.15 1.9 1.77 0.91 0.88 1.61 1.59 11 10.62 24.35 22 45.5 44 2.56 2.51 1.78 1.73 9.98 9.9 10.720 10.4 8.15 7.95 6.99 6.82 7.77 7.68 12.4 11.8 26.65 26.2 74.4 73.1 11.74 11.74 13.10 13.10 5.96 5.93 2.530 2.350 208.00 205.40 35.50 35.50 2.02 1.98 3.7 3.35 41.45 37.50 24.45 24.1 24.7 23.95 6.2 6.15 319.20 309.80 3.85 3.85 4.27 4.25 7.69 7.25 4.9 4.51 3.58 3.55 2.01 2.00 3.44 2.67 4.20 4.10 142.1 141.2 4.01 4 2.2 2.1 0.174 0.166 1.26 1.21 2.21 2.19 208 205 4.6 4.55 0.68 0.67 1.20 1.15 HOLDING FIRMS 0.410 0.400 57.9500 56.5500 18.80 18.36 6.40 6.37 0.250 0.245 0.26 0.250 790 770 7.69 7.6 13.00 12.76 4.3 4 4.35 4 3.80 3.80 0.255 0.255 1375 1355 5.84 5.79 75.00 72.00 3.92 3.9 4.76 4.68 7.15 6.94 0.88 0.83 12.78 12.1 0.53 0.54 5.34 5.23 9.02 8.89 0.0340 0.0310 1.960 1.920 2.72 2.71 49.50 48.35 2.92 2.92 897.00 890.00 1.21 1.20 0.84 0.73 180.00 170.00 108.000 105.200 0.3400 0.3250 0.2370 0.2290 0.315 0.310 PROPERTY 6.450 6.350 8.18 8.18 0.73 0.70

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.24 48.9 104.00 85.60 40.95 2.44 2.19 15.6 19.94 7.58 1.73 0.590 87.4 0.98 18.60 53.90 100 300 31.65 141.6 1540.00 56.90

8.00 -0.91 0.19 0.41 1.36 -0.81 50.00 0.00 -0.20 -8.67 0.00 -4.84 1.39 3.16 0.11 -0.74 -2.91 0.00 0.96 -0.98 0.00 -0.18

500,000 62,200 2,835,720 2,114,810 10,900 86,000 9,836,000 7,000 12,600 7,500 33,000 2,271,000 3,678,530 305,000 248,900 56,240 1,210 4,510 162,300 600,620 525 8,930

42.4 1.8 0.91 1.59 11 23 45.4 2.53 1.78 9.96 10.600 8.15 6.93 7.68 12 26.5 73.7 11.74 13.10 5.94 2.350 208.00 35.50 1.98 3.58 41.40 24.25 24 6.2 318.00 3.85 4.26 7.56 4.9 3.58 2.00 2.83 4.12 141.9 4 2.11 0.171 1.25 2.19 207 4.55 0.68 1.20

-0.59 8.43 -1.09 -1.85 0.00 -6.50 5.58 -1.17 0.00 -0.10 0.95 3.16 -1.00 0.00 0.00 -0.38 -0.41 -0.17 0.00 -0.34 -7.48 0.48 0.00 -1.00 -5.79 2.48 -0.82 -3.23 0.32 1.60 -2.04 -5.75 4.28 7.93 0.00 0.00 13.20 0.49 -0.07 -0.25 -3.21 -1.16 0.00 -0.90 0.49 0.00 -1.45 0.00

1,510,000 211,000 78,000 209,000 400 500,700 409,400 988,000 937,000 22,700 28,726,500 1,170,700 8,794,300 513,800 17,500 575,200 135,750 200 100 30,700 7,208,000 346,330 100 82,000 23,000 500 1,501,000 69,600 140,500 629,260 40,000 95,000 5,134,500 33,000 254,000 367,000 14,598,000 332,000 11,410 19,000 230,000 6,760,000 38,000 141,000 2,644,700 14,000 14,000 406,000

0.400 57.0000 18.74 6.40 0.246 0.255 785 7.63 12.90 4.01 4.35 3.80 0.255 1375 5.84 72.00 3.9 4.76 7.07 0.87 12.7 0.54 5.34 9 0.0310 1.950 2.72 49.50 2.92 893.00 1.21 0.75 180.00 108.000 0.3300 0.2370 0.310

-1.23 -0.18 1.30 0.00 -1.60 0.00 0.13 -0.39 0.31 -4.30 9.02 0.00 0.00 1.10 0.52 -4.00 -2.74 -26.77 -0.42 1.16 4.96 1.89 1.14 1.24 -3.13 0.00 0.00 2.38 8.55 -0.33 0.00 -6.25 0.56 0.28 0.00 1.28 -3.13

500,000 1,456,690 5,670,900 2,100 1,610,000 90,000 626,250 1,709,400 7,385,000 79,000 33,000 8,000 720,000 37,895 104,000 2,596,810 4,000 4,600 2,600,400 533,000 6,319,300 615,000 37,272,400 1,460,800 122,700,000 489,000 33,000 484,500 1,000 276,300 75,000 604,000 730 2,023,110 2,070,000 80,000 610,000

6.350 8.18 0.71

-2.31 0.74 0.00

148,300 100 2,127,000

30,630.00 1,786,610.00 -58,910,553 31,516,533.00 -45,000.00 -109,594.00 -52,600.00 128,527,654.50 -3,704.00 -197,789.00 -2,840,650 14,227,287.00 31,050.00 -33,823,120.00 -53,100.00

16,671,065 -65,860.00 152,432,088.00 -61,072.00 -12,157,283.00 -2,045,776.00 -1,689,075.00 -1,492,979.00 -2,348.00 -708,790.00 45,398,356.00

-29,474,555.00 -31,955.00 72,854,342.00 -315,760.00 -5,075,636.00

-140,640.00 -299,200.00 294,106.00 41,750.00 -21,900.00 294,162,026.00

3,061,596.50 -13,164,896.00

-65,500,280.00 7,630,142.00 3,458,304.00 -21,750.00 13,503,060.00 243,430.00 39,211,692.00 -5,008,187.00 -22,063,702.00 40,678,990.00 -108,000.00 -39,000.00 -9,231,375.00 -46,988,595.00 22,910.00 -312,260.00

11,191.00 177,500.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 8.54 31.8 2.29 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 2.69 22.15 1.6 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 7.67 4 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 1 2.46 15.2 0.62 1.040 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

1.97 35.2 0.63 10.5 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 4.8 2.58 830 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 0.650 1.8 6 0.335 0.37 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

STOCKS

Close

Arthaland Corp.

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

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Primex Corp.

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

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

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

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

DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings NOW Corp.

Phil. Seven Corp.

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

7.59 SSI Group 0.63 STI Holdings 1.71 Transpacific Broadcast 5 Travellers 0.315 Waterfront Phils.

1.14 Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

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

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

TA Petroleum

70 515 8.21 12.28 111 84.8

33 480 5.88 6.5 101 75

1.34

1

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F Swift Pref

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15 88 12.88

3.5 13.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Makati Fin. Corp.

IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

High

VALUE 1,060,629,974.012 1,500,760,443.874 1,876,495,084.19 992,340,390.905 913,042,230.07 324,938,148.8258 6,759,368,066.772

FINANCIAL 1,595.74 (UP) 6.86 INDUSTRIAL 11,617.15 (UP) 35.50 HOLDING FIRMS 6,717.50 (DOWN) 19.72 PROPERTY 3,141.78 (UP) 41.69 SERVICES 1,790.36 (DOWN) 36.08 MINING & OIL 11,762.98 (DOWN) 33.54 PSEI 7,325.76 (UP) 1.36 All Shares Index 4,201.54 (UP) 1.61 Gainers: 72 Losers: 91; Unchanged: 54; Total: 217

Close

0.215 36.550 3.56 5.15 0.61 0.93 0.130 0.550 21.75 0.890 0.161 1.13 1.76 1.29 4.79 0.093 0.2950 8.43 31.20 1.55 22.40 0.74 1.020 5.770

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.201 0.201 0.201 37.250 35.800 37.250 3.58 3.53 3.54 5.16 5.05 5.05 0.61 0.59 0.6 0.99 0.99 0.99 0.130 0.127 0.129 0.560 0.510 0.520 21.8 21.4 21.4 0.920 0.890 0.900 0.161 0.161 0.161 1.21 1.11 1.16 1.76 1.73 1.76 1.29 1.28 1.28 4.8 4.75 4.79 0.093 0.090 0.092 0.2950 0.2950 0.2950 8.48 8.4 8.48 31.90 30.40 31.90 1.59 1.52 1.52 22.75 22.00 22.70 0.8 0.82 0.75 1.170 1.020 1.020 5.970 5.730 5.770 SERVICES 8.43 8.43 8.31 8.39 64.85 65 64.85 65 0.590 0.580 0.570 0.570 11.34 11.5 11.32 11.32 28 28 28 28 6.86 6.86 6.68 6.69 0.0560 0.0570 0.0550 0.0560 3.85 3.75 3.7 3.7 87.4 87.8 86 87 9.5 9.99 9.99 9.99 5.98 5.99 5.93 5.98 3.26 3.54 3.25 3.52 955 970 955 970 2372 2394 2282 2350 7.02 7.13 7.03 7.12 1.23 1.23 1.23 1.23 87 88 85.4 85.5 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.183 0.184 0.182 0.182 1.4400 1.4400 1.4000 1.4200 2.16 2.25 2.25 2.25 8.78 8.91 8.75 8.91 3.52 3.54 3.45 3.45 0.580 0.630 0.580 0.630 2 2 1.99 1.99 4.06 4.17 4.03 4.08 0.295 0.305 0.285 0.290 0.920 0.940 0.850 0.870 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 20.25 20.25 19.90 20.25 2400.00 2398.00 2326.00 2328.00 0.560 0.570 0.550 0.560 1.190 1.190 1.150 1.160 36.25 36.50 35.80 36.20 78.00 78.60 77.00 77.00 6.35 6.40 6.22 6.25 5.70 5.76 5.60 5.63 0.48 0.49 0.47 0.48 1.51 1.52 1.51 1.51 5 4.79 4.4 4.5 0.355 0.355 0.355 0.355 3.990 4.100 3.810 3.990 MINING & OIL 0.0048 0.0050 0.0048 0.0048 2.20 2.25 2.20 2.20 6.10 6.10 6.05 6.05 0.210 0.249 0.210 0.211 5.8 6 6 6 5.8000 5.81 5.81 5.8100 0.8 0.81 0.76 0.79 0.66 0.66 0.65 0.66 9.09 9.41 9.03 9.25 1.03 1.02 0.85 0.93 0.340 0.365 0.320 0.320 0.194 0.194 0.190 0.194 0.205 0.205 0.205 0.205 0.0100 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 2.57 3.3 2.44 3.2 8.8 8.77 8.51 8.6 3.26 3.26 3.16 3.21 0.6000 0.6400 0.6000 0.6400 1.4800 1.6900 1.4400 1.6300 0.0100 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 4.00 4.00 3.86 4.00 5.47 5.40 5.490 5.340 1.37 1.460 1.360 1.37 0.0140 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 135.90 137.40 133.20 135.70 2.37 2.67 2.3 2.43 PREFERRED 66 66 65.95 65.95 518 528 528 528 7.02 7.05 7.05 7.05 1.13 1.13 1.13 1.13 109.5 110 110 110 82.75 82.4 82.1 82.1 79.1 79.05 79.05 79.05 78.5 78.5 78.5 78.5 80 80.1 80 80 2.98 2.78 1.91 2.78 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.030 3.040 2.910 3.040 SME 2.78 2.9 2.75 2.8 60 60 58.5 60 15.78 16.24 15.9 16.1 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 119.7 119.7 119 119.5

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

-6.51 1.92 -0.56 -1.94 -1.64 6.45 -0.77 -5.45 -1.61 1.12 0.00 2.65 0.00 -0.78 0.00 -1.08 0.00 0.59 2.24 -1.94 1.34 8.11 0.00 0.00

260,000 7,110,800 1,237,000 22,400 4,461,000 8,000 4,240,000 31,470,000 1,219,400 1,850,000 30,000 12,972,000 1,878,000 5,000 30,450,000 1,470,000 220,000 22,900 4,999,700 418,000 11,992,900 17,585,000 10,732,000 9,679,400

-0.47 0.23 -3.39 -0.18 0.00 -2.48 0.00 -3.90 -0.46 5.16 0.00 7.98 1.57 -0.93 1.42 0.00 -1.72 0.00 -0.55 -1.39 4.17 1.48 -1.99 8.62 -0.50 0.49 -1.69 -5.43 0.00 0.00 -3.00 0.00 -2.52 -0.14 -1.28 -1.57 -1.23 0.00 0.00 -10.00 0.00 0.00

48,800 22,920 408,000 17,000 100 7,115,900 16,040,000 83,000 417,210 1,000 25,000 200,000 3,770 24,170 452,300 5,000 1,429,170 23,900,000 2,380,000 192,000 8,000 106,700 715,000 35,000 15,000 12,993,000 3,570,000 20,460,000 10,560 246,400 81,210 1,812,000 14,991,000 562,800 1,385,510 4,875,400 10,721,000 12,850,000 44,000 25,408,200 10,000 1,298,000

0.00 0.00 -0.82 0.48 3.45 0.17 -1.25 0.00 1.76 -9.71 -5.88 0.00 0.00 0.00 24.51 -2.27 -1.53 6.67 10.14 10.00 0.00 1.30 0.00 -7.14 -0.15 2.53

160,000,000 72,000 120,300 -328,461.00 560,000 2,800 300 0.00 1,233,000 1,098,000 316,800 -256,141.00 215,014,000 -14,948,980.00 5,530,000 9,900.00 4,160,000 20,000 46,800,000 7,171,000 396,100.00 4,909,900 1,783,548.00 1,589,000 -3,226,350.00 138,000 1,350,000 -4,540.00 21,200,000 4,000 295,800 39,964.00 927,000 -48,590.00 13,200,000 246,960 -14,812,458.00 1,066,000 -211,160.00

-0.08 1.93 0.43 0.00 0.46 -0.79 -0.06 0.00 0.00 -6.71

150 10 70,000 148,000 840 20,700 1,520 42,200 145,760 9,000

0.33

164,000

0.72 0.00 2.03

61,000 2,280 5,608,300

-0.17

5,100

72,599,605.00 2,687,650.00 -462,250.00 -6,275,850.00 -13,537,130.00 182,000.00 -1,165,080.00 589,180.00 82,457,530.00

43,879,990.00 -83,473,990.00 16,200.00 -38,980.00 -4,099,475.00

-79,504.00 -11,553,074.00 60,480.00 14,900.00 -2,712,209.50

-4,196,790.00 22,025,187.50 9,950.00 217,740.00

-37,013,330.00 -451,970.00 1,056,000.00 2,720,225.00 -72,120,690.00 -670,220.00 -1,028,725.00 25,387,230.00 -150,164.00 -7,442,319.00 -4,158,600.00 -14,643,861.00 -39,700.00

660.00

50,142.00

23,723,764.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Bright Kindle Resources

2.19

50.00

Keppel Holdings `A'

4.76

-26.77

Marcventures Hldgs., Inc.

3.2

24.51

Travellers

4.5

-10.00

Pryce Corp. `A'

2.83

13.20

Ferronickel

0.93

-9.71

Oriental Peninsula Res.

1.6300

10.14

Filipino Fund Inc.

7.58

-8.67

Oriental Pet. `A'

0.0110

10.00

Ionics Inc

2.350

-7.48

F&J Prince 'B'

4.35

9.02

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.0130

-7.14

Manila Bulletin

0.630

8.62

Swift Pref

2.78

-6.71

Seafront `A'

2.92

8.55

Arthaland Corp.

0.201

-6.51

Agrinurture Inc.

1.8

8.43

Cirtek Holdings (Chips)

23

-6.50

Sta. Lucia Land Inc.

0.8

8.11

South China Res. Inc.

0.75

-6.25

WEDNESDAY: OCTOBER 28, 2015

B3

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

Petron’s income surges 58%

By Alena Mae S. Flores

OIL refiner Petron Corp. said Tuesday consolidated net income surged 58 percent in the first nine months to P5.1 billion from P3.2 billion, on higher sales this year.

Petron said in a statement the net income was driven by the surge in sales volumes and more stable pricing.

“We are definitely on track to deliver stronger results in 2015 amid a challenging business environment.

Key investments specifically in our refining and retail businesses have given us an edge over our competition,” Petron president and chief executive Ramon Ang said.

Combined sales volumes for Philippines and Malaysia grew 14 percent in the first nine months to 73.6 million barrels from 64.6 million barrels a year ago, despite the lower oil prices.

Petron said it continued to gain from station expansion program as shown by the 12-percent increase in volume for the period.

The company also reported a 21-percent growth in LPG sales as its Petron Gasul brand remained the most preferred in the market.

Petron Malaysia sustained volume growth in key segments such as industrial and lubes, which grew 26 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

Revenues, however, fell 27 percent in the first three quarters to P278.3 billion because of lower oil prices.

Operating income, meanwhile, nearly doubled to P13.7 billion this

year from P7.1 billion in 2014.

Petron’s sales performance in its home market was supported by its $2-billion refinery upgrade called the Refinery Master Plan 2.

The company said the refinery project was on track for full commercial operation by early 2016.

Production has been ramping up and in several test runs, with utilization hitting 95 percent of rated capacity.

Petron’s Bataan refinery is the largest and most advanced in the country with a capacity of 180,000 barrels per day. Prior to the upgrade, its refinery was running at an average of only 100,000 bpd.

Petron recently marked an industry first when it started locally producing a full range of premium fuels that meet the cleaner and more efficient Euro 4 global standard.

The company started producing Euro 4 gasoline variants in June followed by Euro 4 diesel early this month.

Petron Malaysia also started to produce Euro 4M gasoline (Blaze 97) in September.

“The roll-out of more efficient and environment-friendly fuels in the region affirms our commitment to introduce fuels relevant to consumers while reducing our environmental footprint,” Ang said.

Market rises slightly; Robinsons, ALI climb STOCKS rose slightly Tuesday, extending gains to seventh day, as investors look ahead to key central bank meetings in the United States and Japan this week.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, picked up 1 point to close at a twomonth high of 7,325.76. The gauge was also up 1.3 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, lost 1 point to settle at 4,201.54, on a value turnover of P6.8 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 91 to 72, while 54 issues were unchanged.

Property developer Robinsons Land Corp. was the biggest gainer among the 20 most active stocks, as it climbed 2.2 percent to P31.90.

Ayala Land Inc., another developer, gained 1.9 percent to P37.25.

Power retailer Manila Electric Co. advanced 1.6 percent to P318 while SM Prime Holdings Inc., the investment company of tycoon Henry Sy, rose 1.3 percent to P22.70.

Meanwhile, the upbeat outlook fuelled by China’s surprise rate cut on Friday gave way to concerns about the world’s number two economy with the country’s leaders gathering in Beijing to discuss their Five Year Plan.

Global stocks have enjoyed a healthy run-up this month -- after suffering their worst quarter in four years during July-September -- and analysts say further easing measures could spark a further advance.

The Federal Reserve begins its

two-day meeting later Tuesday, with expectations growing that it will hold off hiking interest rates, with many tipping no increase until early next year.

Tokyo shares closed 0.90 percent lower Tuesday on a weak lead from Wall Street and as investors await the start of a US Federal Reserve meeting later in the day.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 170.08 points to 18,777.04, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares closed down 1.02 percent, or 15.88 points, to 1,543.11.

China Longyuan Power Group Corp. sank to a seven-week low in Hong Kong after JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded the stock.

“I think there are still concerns about about a US rate hike; investors are waiting for signals that might come out from this week’s Fed meeting,” said Christopher Wong, a Singapore- based senior investment manager at Aberdeen Asset Management Plc. He said he will wait for clarity on the Fed policy before making any long-term investment decisions.

The Jakarta Composite Index fell 0.8 percent, after rising to the highest close since Aug. 10. Taiwan’s Taiex index slid 0.5 percent. Malaysian equities sank 0.5 percent. Fitch Ratings said the government may miss its 2016 fiscal deficit target as the economy remains under pressure from lower commodity prices.

With AFP, Bloomberg

Port Area cleanup. Bureau of Customs commissioner Alberto Lina creates Task Force 16th Street to clear the entire stretch of the 16th Street from Gate 3 Port Area up to Bonifacio Drive including sidewalk vendors, illegal settlers and the removal of parked vehicles. In partnership with the Philippine Ports Authority, the city government of Manila, Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau, Manila Police District and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the bureau says it will continue to clear areas in the waterfront and its peripheral streets to facilitate trade in the largest drop point of commercial goods from foreign sources.

Manila

Standard

TODAY

METRO SOUTH COOPERATIVE BANK

IDC Centre, Zapote Street cor. Kalayaan Avenue, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Makati City

040608 (Bank Code)

BALANCE SHEET

As of SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 ASSETS Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Due from Other Banks Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets-Net Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets-Net Unquoted Debt Securities Classified as Loans-Net Investments in Non-Marketable Equity Security-Net Loans and Receivables - Net Loans to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables - Others Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB General Loan Loss Provision Other Financial Assets Equity Investment in Subsidiaries, Associates and Joint Ventures-Net Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture and Equipment-Net Real and Other Properties Acquired-Net Non-Current Assets Held for Sale Other Assets-Net Net Due from Head Office/Branches/Agencies, if any (Philippine branch of a foreign bank) TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Due to Other Banks Bills Payable a) BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) b) Interbank Loans Payable c) Other Deposit Substitute d) Others Bonds Payable-Net Unsecured Subordinated Debt-Net Redeemable Preferred Shares Special Time Deposit Due to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities Net Due to Head Office/Branches/Agencies (Philippine branch of a foreign bank) TOTAL LIABILITIES Stockholders’ Equity Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings Assigned Capital TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS Guarantees Issued Financial Standby Letters of Credit Performance Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commitments Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Securities Held Under Custodianship by Bank Proper Trust Department Accounts a) Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts b) Agency Accounts c) Advisory/Consultancy Derivatives Others TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Gross total loan portfolio (TLP) Specific allowance for credit losses on the TLP Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) c. Net NPLs d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross allowance of credit losses Ratio of DOSRI loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to gross TLP (%) Gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables to TLP (%) Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises b. 2% for Medium Enterprises Return on Equity (ROE) (%) Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations a. Total CAR (%) b. Tier 1 Ratio (%) c. Common Tier 1 Ratio (%) 1/ Deferred Charges not yet Written Down Unbooked Allowance for Credit Losses on Financial Instruments Received

Account Code 108000000000000000 105150000000000000 105200000000000000 112000000000000000 195200000000000000 195250000000000000 195300000000000000 195350000000000000 195400000000000000 140050000000000000 195401000000000000 140150500000000000 195402000000000000 175150000000000000 148000000000000000 195452500000000000 195500500000000000 195501000000000000 150150000000000000 152000000000000000 155250000000000000 100000000000000000

Amount Current Quarter Previous Quarter 496,495.01 517,974.14 47,276,761.93 41,569,593.60 423,613,623.08 416,843,166.86 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 20,000,000.00 30,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 1,653,422,850.02 1,619,013,631.71 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,693,032,812.76 1,645,123,594.45 0.00 0.00 39,609,962.74 26,109,962.74 29,132,480.73 25,348,491.32 0.00 0.00 43,623,636.23 44,713,105.11 15,219,645.31 9,346,998.45 0.00 0.00 9,934,191.18 11,387,101.97 0.00 0.00 2,243,719,683.49 2,199,740,063.16

208000000000000000 215000000000000000 220050000000000000 220100000000000000 220100001500000000 220100002000000000 220100002500000000 220100003000000000 295201500000000000 295202000000000000 220250000000000000 220300000000000000 230350000000000000 240050000000000000 240100000000000000 230850000000000000 200000000000000000

0.00 1,512,003,678.72 0.00 181,650,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 181,650,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,806,897.72 40,387,852.45 0.00 1,738,848,428.89

0.00 1,377,186,299.87 0.00 297,700,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 297,700,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,700,795.98 40,682,439.78 0.00 1,720,269,535.63

335050000000000000 335100000000000000 315000000000000000 325200000000000000 300000000000000000 905000000000000000

368,939,672.70 32,138,873.98 103,792,707.92 0.00 504,871,254.60 2,243,719,683.49

354,358,212.53 20,690,598.09 104,421,716.91 0.00 479,470,527.53 2,199,740,063.16

405000000000000000 410050000000000000 410100000000000000 415000000000000000 420000000000000000 425000000000000000 430000000000000000 495220000000000000 495250000000000000 495250500000000000 495251000000000000 495251500000000000 435000000000000000 440000000000000000 400000000000000000

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,267,612.91 4,267,612.91

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,106,582.98 4,106,582.98

499020000000000000 499300000000000000

1,699,566,133.16 6,533,320.40

1,651,656,914.85 6,533,320.40

499100500000000000 499150500000000000 499101000000000000 499151000000000000 499200000000000000 499400000000000000 499480000000000000 499500000000000000 499550000000000000

130,411,690.99 7.67 123,878,370.59 7.29 45.00 208,628,871.81 12.28 0.00 0.00

120,092,605.41 7.27 113,559,285.01 6.88 45.00 235,263,036.59 14.24 0.00 0.00

499050500000000000 499051000000000000 499350000000000000

19.03 8.84 9.00

19.21 7.05 9.00

499650500500000000 499650501000000000 499650501500000000 499700000000000000 499750000000000000

17.81 380.47 0.00 0.00 0.00

16.17 334.06 0.00 0.00 0.00

1/ Common Equity Tier 1 is only applicable to all Universal and Commercial Banks and their subsidiary banks.

Republic of the Philippines ) Makati City

) s.s.

I/We, RODA L. CRUZ and RENELIA V. ESTIOKO of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of my/our knowledge and belief.

RODA L. CRUZ Finance Head

RENELIA V. ESTIOKO President

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 26th day of October, 2015 at Makati City, affiant exhibiting his/her/their Passport No.EB5924413 , issued at Manila City on July 13, 2012 and Passport No. EB6029990, issued at Manila City on July 25, 2012.

Doc. No. 402 Page No. 82 Book No. LXXIII Series of 2015

B4 IN BRIEF Security Bank profit SECURITY Bank Corp., one of the eight

largest private domestic universal banks in the country, registered a net income of P6.1 billion in the first nine months of 2015, down 5 percent from P6.428 billion year-on-year, on lower trading gains.

The bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Tuesday the nine-month figure translated into a 16-percent return on shareholders’ equity.

“We are on track versus our profit target for the year. Our core revenues are growing at a healthy rate and are poised to make up for lower trading gains when interest rates rise,” bank president and chief executive Alfonso Salcedo Jr. said in a statement.

“The net interest margin on our customer loans and deposits business has further improved, benefiting from the growth of our consumer and middlemarket loans and low-cost deposits,” Salcedo said.

The bank’s loan portfolio rose 20 percent on year to P217 billion, while deposits expanded 19 percent to P275 billion.

The loan-to-deposit ratio stood at 79 percent. Julito G. Rada

MNTC gets SCTEx THE government has turned over the

operation and maintenance of the SubicClark-Tarlac Expressway to Manila North Tollways Corp., the operator of North Luzon Expressway.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. told the stock exchange MNTC received the toll operation certificate for the O&M of the SCTEx from the Toll Regulatory Board Tuesday.

MNTC and state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority, the builder and owner of SCTEx, in February signed the business and operating agreement for SCTEx operation. MNTC also turned over a check worth P3.5 billion to BCDA. MNTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said MNTC would spend about P650 million to integrate SCTEx and NLEx, which the company also operates under a toll operations agreement with state-run Philippine National Construction Corp.

SCTEx is a 94-kilometer four-lane expressway traversing the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac. Traffic grew by an average of 20 percent between 2009 and 2013.

Darwin G. Amojelar

PH Air Asia capital PHILIPPINES Air Asia Inc. said on Tues-

day shareholders will infuse fresh capital by the first quarter next year to finance expansion plans after its planned initial public offering was deferred to 2018.

Philippines AirAsia chief executive Joy Cañeba told reporters the stockholders approved a capital increase to up to P5 billion from P2 billion.

“We already have discussion, so I think first quarter of next year we will have it in place. It will be in tranches, I don’t see all the additional increase will come in one tranche but it will be sufficient to cover the growth expansion next year,” Cañeba said.

Malaysia’s Air Asia, through AA International, owns 40 percent of Philippines’ Air Asia Inc., while Filipinos Marriane Hontiveros, Michael Romero, Antonio Cojuangco and Alfredo Yao hold the balance of 60 percent.

Cañeba said the company planned to lease five A320 aircraft from Malaysia’s AirAsia Berhad, which will be deployed in China and South Korea.

“If you look at the yield, they [Chinese and Koreans] have the purchasing power to actually pay for a travel going to the Philippines. Our China and Korea markets are doing very well,” said Cañeba.

Darwin G. Amojelar

New Clark hotel up A SOUTH Korean investor broke

ground Monday on a hotel and wellness facility inside the Clark Freeport.

Clark Development Corp. president Arthur Tugade and Somang Global C lark Corp. president and chief executive Ho Kyeng Lee led the groundbreaking ceremonies to signal the construction of 7 Healing Hotel and Spa facilities.

Somang Global plans to invest at least P450 million for the tourism-related project.

CDC and Somang Global earlier signed a 25-year lease agreement on a 1.7-hectare property at Chico St., Abacan St. and E. Aguinaldo St. Somang Global’s investments cover the recreational and wellness facilities on the leased area. The company committed to employ about 200 workers in the next five years.

Tugade expressed optimism the project would bring about more tourism-related investments.

“This is the beginning of beautiful things [to happen in Clark],” Tugade said.

Othel V. Campos

NLEX photo contest. Winners of the NLEX photo contest sport their best smiles after receiving their cash prizes and certificates from Manila North Tollways Corp. vice president for corporate communication Marlene Ochoa and Tollways Management Corp. vice president for traffic operations Gerry Aberilla (fourth and fifth from left, respectively) during the contest’s awarding ceremonies. Each of the 12 winners took home P25,000, plus a chance to have their photos featured in various NLEX tourism collaterals, notably the 2016 NLEX calendar, with the theme ‘The Great Outdoors.’ The contest, which highlights interesting people, places, arts and other subjects in north and central Luzon, ran for a month, attracting hundreds of entries from all over the country.

Jollibee completes Smashburger buy

By Jenniffer B. Austria

JOLLIBEE Foods Corp., the biggest fastfood chain in the Philippines, has completed the acquisition of a 40 percent interest in USbased burger chain Smashburger for $99.47 million.

Jollibee said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it funded the purchase through cash reserves and a 10-year loan from Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. Jollibee, through wholly-owned unit Bee Good! Inc., acquired 40 percent of Smashburger from Smashburger Master LLC. Jollibee has an option purchase up to an additional 35 percent of Smashburger between 2018 and

2021 and the balance of 25 percent between 2019 at the earliest and 2026 at the latest.

The purchase price for the 60 percent balance will be based on the achievement of certain financial performance targets agreed between BGI and Master.

Jollibeer earlier said the acquisition would make US one of its growth drivers of long term growth, along the with Philip-

pines, China and Filipino markets abroad.

Smashburger, with headquarters in Denver, Colorado, has 339 restaurants (184 company-owned and 115 franchised) worldwide in 35 states in the United States and seven foreign markets.

It is a leading fast casual better burger restaurant known for its fresh, never frozen, 100 percent certified Angus Beef burgers that are smashed on the grill to sear the juices, creating an upscale quality burger packed with flavor.

Smashburger’s systemwide sales have been growing at an annual rate of approximately 30 percent between 2001 and 2015, while its network has been increasing annually by approximately 20 percent. It estimates

systemwide sales to reach $339 million this year.

Jollibee tapped JP Morgan as financial advisor and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as legal consultant in the transaction.

It also hired Isla Lipana & Co/PwC as accounting and tax advisor.

Smashburger, meanwhile, hired North Point Advisor as financial advisor and Pail, Weiss, Rifk inf, Wharton & Garrison as legal consultant.

Jollibee currently owns and operates 87 restaurants in the US, serving Filipino customers, consisting of Jollibee Red Ribbon, Chowking and Jinja outlets.

Systemwide sales in the US account for five percent of Jollibee’s worldwide system wide sales. Jollibee has 2,384 units and 629 outlets overseas.

RCBC raises $320m from sale of unsecured bonds

By Julito G. Rada RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp., one of the biggest lenders in the country, successfully raised $320 million worth of senior unsecured bonds due in 2021 as part of its medium-term note program.

The bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Tuesday it capitalized on a “window of opportunity that saw relatively improved market conditions.”

RCBC’s issuance was oversubscribed, with the bank receiving orders of over $1.3 billion or over four times its intended issuance. The oversubscription

allowed RCBC to tighten its pricing from an initial guidance of 3.75 percent area to just 3.45 percent—the lowest coupon ever by a Philippine bank and reflective of strong investor demand.

It was also the largest US dollar bond issuance by a Philippine bank so far.

“The interest for RCBC’s strong credit, which has shown robust and sustained profitability, and loan and asset growth on the backdrop of a dynamic Philippine economic story reflected in the early positive momentum for the transaction,” RCBC said.

After a well-received roadshow in Singapore and Hong Kong last Oct. 20 and 21, RCBC attracted over 150 accounts, enabling it to allocate approximately 87 percent of the orders to offshore accounts, further diversifying its investor base.

RCBC, rated Baa3 or investment grade by Moody’s Investors Service and BB by Fitch Ratings, will use the proceeds of the issuance to finance its participation in loans intended for infrastructure projects.

“The issuance, in denominations of $125,000 and increments of $1,000 thereafter will settle on Nov. 2, 2015 and mature on Feb.

2, 2021. It will also be listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, similar to its other outstanding US dollar-denominated bonds,” it said.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, HSBC and J.P. Morgan acted as joint lead managers and bookrunners for the transaction.

RCBC in the first half of 2015 posted a consolidated net income of P2.53 billion, up 25 percent from P2.02 billion a year ago, on the back of the strength of its core businesses.

The profit translated into an annualized return on equity and return on assets of 9.3 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively.

W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

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

Slapping incident at the Polo Club

A HIGHLY placed stoolie informed us about the fracas that happened recently at the elite Manila Polo Club because a bad-tempered “horse trainer” assaulted a 14-year-old boy who was invited by two of his teenage friends to the Club. Apparently, the young ones were walking near the horse training area when the guest kid accidentally dropped the rugby ball he was holding, which rolled over near one of the horses. Frightened, the horse bucked, for which the boys apologized and continued walking.

However, they were called back by a guard because “someone” wanted to talk to them about the ball dropping incident. Imagine their surprise when they were met by a barrage of verbal abuse by this irate “horse trainer” who allegedly proceeded to slap the boy hard on the side of his head—while the guards just stood there doing nothing.

The boys ran away and went straight to the victim’s mom who immediately called her husband about the incident. During the Konfrontasi at the office of the MPC general manager, the “horse trainer” reportedly showed aggressive behavior to the point that he even challenged the dad to a fight outside the GM’s office, forcing two of the security guards to escort him out. Not surprisingly, the parents have filed complaints before the police and have asked the MPC board to take serious disciplinary action against the man. We’re told the parents of the boy are dead serious in filing a legal case against the horse trainer for assaulting a minor.

According to whispers, Mr. Horse Trainer has been having a series of bad hair days ever since his “involvement” with a certain lady ended—which probably accounts for the bad temper and boorish behavior.

Duterte endorses Toots Ople We’re happy to see Davao City mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte endorsing the senatorial bid of labor and OFW advocate Susan “Toots” Ople. If there is anybody worthy of support, it is Susan Ople because of her tireless and sincere advocacy in upholding the rights of overseas Filipino workers and fighting human trafficking.

We all know that a lot of Filipinos have been rooting for Mayor Duterte to run but it looks like the feisty mayor is not about to join the presidential fray—to the disappointment of many who are looking for someone who could inspire and fire them up. And we also know that candidates are hoping for an endorsement from the mayor—well, Duterte did make an endorsement for a certain presidential candidate but it was a negative type of endorsement, as in “don’tvote-for-this-candidate-he-is-not-worthy”—which is why supporters of Ople are convinced that this will give a big boost to her candidacy.

At a casual dinner in Hotel Elena in Davao City, Duterte expressed his admiration for Ople (whose efforts to fight human trafficking have not gone unnoticed because she received the Trafficking in Persons Hero Award from US State Secretary John Kerry in 2013) and promised to campaign for her in Davao City and the whole of Mindanao.

Ople, who is the only senatorial candidate from the Nacionalista Party, was also adopted by the United Nationalist Alliance that has the tandem of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Gringo Honasan and it’s no wonder why. Ople’s non-profit organization, the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, has been actively engaged in addressing the plight of overseas Filipino workers who are abused and mistreated by employers. The Ople Policy Center actually works closely with anti-human trafficking groups and organizations such as the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT). In 2010, Toots also received the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Alumni Achievement Award for her work in rescuing human trafficking victims from Syria.

Ople noted that she and the mayor share a common cause—that is, to fight human trafficking. “He was very emphatic in saying that no Filipino overseas worker should end up as a modern day slave on foreign soil,” she disclosed. Duterte apparently has a keen interest in foreign policy and labor migration issues, and when she asked him a hypothetical question—“In case you become president, what would you do to a Philippine ambassador who fails to come to the aid of a distressed, maltreated OFW?”—the gutsy mayor told her: “I will call him or her to my office for reassignment to Somalia with the barest of allowances.”

When Duterte was still a member of the House of Representatives, he had to fly to Saudi Arabia to intercede for two of his constituents who were arrested by the muttawa religious police for carrying religious articles. “I sought an audience with the King of Saudi Arabia, and he listened to my appeal,” Duterte said. This goes to show that Duterte is also a man of action, and puts his money where his mouth is. For sure, this endorsement of Ople is not just a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing but a sincere commitment to help her.

••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you.

Cheers!

B5

TeaM Energy belies San Miguel’s claims

By Alena Mae S. Flores

TEAM Energy Corp., a joint venture between Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Marubeni Corp., on Tuesday disputed the charges filed by San Miguel Energy Corp. against its officials.

TeaM Energy claimed San Miguel had not been remitting the proceeds from the sale of the disputed excess capacity to the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.

“Since September 2009, being the appointed IPPA [independent power producer administrator], SMEC has been trading and collecting the proceeds of the sale of our excess capacity to the WESM. In fact, since October 2013, SMEC has not been remitting to TPEC a substantial portion of the proceeds of its sale of the excess capacity to WESM without basis and to TPEC’s detriment,” TeaM Energy said.

San Miguel Energy earlier asked the Justice Department to prosecute the head of staterun Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. for plunder in connection with the alleged P14-billion loss over its 2009 contract with an independent power producer for the Sual coal-fired power plant in Pangasinan.

San Miguel Energy filed the complaint against PSALM president and chief executive Lourdes Alzona, who was accused of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Included in the complaint were Team Philippines Energy Corp.

president Suguru Tsuzaki and Team Sual Corp. executive vice president Kochi Tamura.

“We are shocked and perplexed by the reported charges brought against our companies, TeaM Sual and TeaM (Philippines)...

These charges are baseless and without any merit,” the company said.

TeaM Energy said it invested substantial capital in the Philippines to build power plants, adding its track record would show that it abided by and respected all Philippine laws and regulations and operated with integrity in all its business dealings and contracts.

“It is unfortunate that contracts validly entered into by our company are now being interfered with by third parties that are not privy to them based on uninformed and misguided appreciation of facts.

This will only result in a chilling effect to the inflow of foreign capital needed to sustain the continued development of the country,” the company said.

Singapore summit.

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima explains how President Aquino and his Cabinet identified infrastructure as a game changer on October 20, 2015 during the World Bank-Singapore Infrastructure Finance Summit 2015. Purisima said the Philippines needs to develop capital markets to improve liquidity over the long-term.

Presidential candidates bare agendas

By Othel V. Campos FOUR presidential aspirants on Tuesday wooed the country’s biggest group of local businessmen with their respective economic agendas that include job generation and an anti-corruption program.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, former local government secretary Mar Roxas and Senators Miriam Santiago and Grace Poe laid out their plans in a forum during the 41st Philippine Business Conference at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City, Santiago and Poe openly spoke about the importance of the freedom of information bill as an economic tool, while Binay discussed his poverty-alleviating measures.

Roxas stressed the continuation of a transparent government and the fight against corruption.

Roxas, who served as trade secretary during the term of former president Gloria Arroyo, talked of integrity as his principle in hiring people in his administration once elected.

Binay pushed for job creation, saying it would have the most positive impact on the economy.

Santiago, meanwhile, called for the modernization of the country’s major ports of entry and an efficient urban transport system to serve commuters from as far as Bulacan in the north and Cavite in the south.

Poe, who earlier declined to grace the forum, reconsidered in the last minute and delivered her speech way the discussions were concluded.

She opted for support to agriculture and an infrastructure regime, promising the make Malacañang a “war room” of infrastructures.

“We will have an employment barometer in the first 100 days.

Deliverables should be transformed into actual feats. And if the process of doing business in the Philippines will improve the entry of foreign direct investments, I will bring down the number of steps of business processing,” she said.

All candidates supported the proposal of Senator Sonny Angara and Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo to lower the income tax.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Alfredo Yao said the Philippines needed a leader with a political will.

“We’re apolitical at the PCCI, but were looking at a leader who has political will. Never mind if his views or processes are unpopular as long as he sets to motion what he thinks is right,” he said.

WEDNESDAY: OCTOBER 28, 2015

B6

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

Tetangco: BoP goal attainable

By Julito G. Rada

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said Tuesday the balance of payments surplus target of $2 billion this year is “achievable,” based on positive performance in the first nine months.

Investment roadshow.

Board of Investments industry development service supervising director Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa discusses the features of the IPP 2014-2016 during the forum dubbed as ‘Investment Priorities Plan 2014-2016: Industry Development for Inclusive Growth’ at The Heritage Hotel, Pasay City. The IPP is a fundamental investment policy tool for industry development, aimed to build industries through policy interventions and initiatives.

PH, Malaysia businessmen sign trade agreement

By Othel V. Campos BUSINESS groups from Malaysia and the Philippines signed Monday a cooperation agreement that aims to boost bilateral trade by 2016.

Palawan’s Brooke’s Point Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Malaysia’s Labuan Chamber of Malay Entrepreneurs signed the memorandum of understanding during one of the break-out sessions at the 41st Philippine Business Conference in Marriott Hotel, Pasay City.

“Labuan is keen to import agricultural products from Brooke’s

Point such as our mangoes, copra, palm oil and even livestock meat and marine products,” Brooke’s Point chamber chairman Narciso Leoncio.

The Labuan Chamber committed to assist Brooke’s Point in having its products certified by the Halal certifying agency in Malaysia.

Malaysia is a Muslim country that requires Halal certification for all commodities that enter its market.

Leoncio said getting connected to international trade made local industries in Brooke’s Point more discerning in the crafting and

manufacture of products, raising the competitiveness level of even the smallest industry operating within the municipality.

“We also plan to promote all Philippine products even from as far as Luzon via Brooke’s Point to Labuan if the island can and is willing to cooperate with us,” he said.

The MOU with Labuan seeks to establish and strengthen bilateral trade between the Philippines and Malaysia via the two chambers.

The agreement will also create sea linkages between Labuan Port and Port of Brooke’s Point.

The cooperation will strengthen Brooke’s Point’s role as a source of

raw materials for Halal-certified products and Labuan’s capability as processor and facilitator for the certification of Halal products originating from Brooke’s point and from Palawan.

Trade between the two chambers is expected to commence in early 2016 via a cargo ship owned and operated by a businessman in Palawan. The ship will sail once every two weeks and may add more trips as demand rises.

Brooke’s Point Chamber of Commerce is a newly-found business group with 17 companies that are into manufacturing, banking and trading.

Group asks govt to increase budget for crop insurance

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales A GROUP of businessmen and farmers on Tuesday asked the government to increase the budget of state-run Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to protect farmers against losses from natural calamities.

The Samahang Industriya sa Agrikultura, or Sinag, said PCIC’s budget for 2016 should be increased to P16 billion from P1.6 billion.

Sinag said PCIC’s budget for 2016 was a measly P1.6 billion, with coverage for over half a million farmers. The figure represents just over 5 percent of the 11 million Filipinos who are employed in the agriculture sector, it said.

“We want to radically increase the budget of PCIC but at the same time, we want a transparent and accountable insurance system that

will truly benefit the small farmers in times of calamities; and not the pockets of those running the system,” said Sinag chairman Rosendo So. “In this period of extreme climate hazards and unusual weather events, subsistence farmers and artisanal fishers have to cope with an increasing and more frequent crop losses; government should and must provide guaranteed and automatic risk coverage to all rice farmers and other small producers,” he said.

The group said the premium of subsidies provided by other governments to their agriculture sector in the last five years was mostly on crop insurance.

Sinag said even the US government increased its domestic support to rice farmers from an annual average of $128 per metric ton

in 1986 to 1999 to the current $356 per metric ton.

The bulk of these subsidies are for agricultural risk coverage, the new main safety net for US farmers, it said.

Rice farmers in Thailand receive insurance coverage of as much as 606 baht/rai or around P5,000 per hectare, it said.

“The government must focus on providing crop insurance to our farmers,” So said.

The group said earlier that in the absence of any comprehensive crop insurance and agricultural risk coverage programs from the government, rice farmers from the rice producing provinces of Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Pampanga and Isabela were forced to sell their slightly damaged palay for as low as P10 to P 11 per kilogram.

“We are finalizing the balance of payments surplus revisions.

Trade might be changed because of the actual performance in the first nine months… We [actually] look at all components but changes might be at trade and maybe portfolio investments,” Tetangco said at the sidelines of the AsiaPacific Financial Inclusion Summit 2015 held at the Makati Shang-rila in Makati City.

Tetangco expressed optimism the overall trend would remain positive for the rest of the year and there would be a current account surplus and a positive overall balance of payments position.

“If you recall the January to September [period], the first nine months, the balance of payments position was $1.8 billion. The projected surplus for the year is $2 billion. So it is very close, it is achievable,” Tetangco said.

Registered foreign portfolio investments, one of the vital components of balance of payments, posted a net outflow for the seventh consecutive month in September due mainly to the slowdown in Chinese economy and its feared effects on other markets.

Data from the Bangko Sentral showed that portfolio investments, also called hot money, posted a net outflow of $323 million in September, slightly lower than $324-million net outflow a year ago. However, this was significantly lower than the $543 million net outflow in August this year.

This brought hot money in the first nine months to a net outflow of $413.9 million, also significantly lower than $853-million net outflow in the same period last year.

Bangko Sentral targets hot money to post a net inflow of $1.4 billion, higher than the previous assumption of $1.3 billion made in October last year.

The Bangko Sentral revises economic data twice a year, in May and October.

Balance of payments swung to a surplus of $219 million in September from a deficit of $450 million in August. The September surplus was also higher than $98-million surplus recorded in the same period last year.

This brought BoP to a surplus of $1.8 billion in the first nine months of the year, a sharp reversal of the $3.4 billion deficit a year ago.

W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Turkey rounds up more IS suspects ANKARA—Turkey pressed on with its “war on terror” on Tuesday, just five days before the country goes to the polls, detaining dozens of Islamic State suspects and hitting Kurdish rebels across the border in Syria.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been playing the security card in the run-up to Sunday’s vote with tensions running high over the renewed Turkish conflict and a massive bomb attack blamed on IS jihadists.

Around 200 Turkish police launched a massive dawn swoop on suspected IS hideouts in the conservative central Anatolian city of Konya, detaining 30 jihadists including one woman, media reports said.

Another 14 suspects were arrested in a similar operation in the town of Kocaeli, east of Istanbul, the Anatolia news agency said.

The raids followed a gun battle in a similar operation Monday in the southeastern Kurdish majority city of Diyarbakir which left two policemen and seven IS suspects dead.

Turkey has been on the hunt for IS extremists

Arrival honors. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reviews an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony in Astana on October 27, 2015. AFP

Abe-Park summit still up in the air TOKYO—Tokyo on Tuesday said a longawaited summit with Seoul was not yet confirmed, as media reports said behind-thescenes bickering over Japan’s wartime sex slavery was a key sticking point.

On Monday, a spokeswoman for the South Korean presidential Blue House said Seoul had proposed a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Park Geun-Hye on the sidelines of a three-way leadership meeting with China in Seoul next week.

Tokyo did not immediately comment Monday and Japan’s top government spokesman was vague on the issue Tuesday, less than a week before the proposed November 2 meeting.

“On the Japan-South Korea [summit], I think we are still in the process of coordinating,” Yoshihide Suga told a regular press briefing.

“It’s always the case, isn’t it? (These things) are always decided right before the meeting”.

The mooted talks would be the first oneon-one summit between Abe and Park, who has repeatedly refused to have such a meeting since taking office in early 2013, arguing that Tokyo has yet to properly atone for its wartime wrongs. AFP

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

InvItatIon to BId no. Goods-078-2015 The Provincial Government of Bataan, through the General Fund intends to apply the below listed procurement w/ corresponding Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC)

1. Supply & Delivery of Canned Goods & other Food items, Sando bags and Woven bags for 2015 Tulong Mula sa Pamahalaan ng Bataan

=P=26,268,840.00

The Provincial Government of Bataan now invites bids for the above listed Procurement.

Delivery of goods is required on or before the maturity date stipulated on contract.

Bidders should have completed, at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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

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

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Office of Bataan Bids & Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the same office.

Bid documents will be available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable amount of using standard rates approved by GPPB as stated on their Resolution No. 04-2012 listed below.

Approved Budget for the Contract 500,000 and below More than 500,000 up to 1 Million More than 1 Million up to 5 Million More than 5 Million up to 10 Million More than 10 Million up to 50 Million More than 50 Million up to 500 Million More than 500 Million

Maximum Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Peso) 500.00 1,000.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 25,000.00 50,000.00 75,000.00

The Provincial Government of Bataan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on November 03, 2015 at 10:00 A.M at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered on or before November 16, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated on IRR of RA 9184 and Bid Securing Declaration in standard form.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend opening of Bids at Bataan BAC Office. Late bids shall not be accepted.

In case of the above dates is declared a special Non-Working Holidays, it will automatically reset on the next working days.

Other necessary information deemed relevant by the Provincial Government of Bataan Activities 1. Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid 2. Eligibility Check 3. Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents 4. Request for Clarification 5. Opening of Bids

Schedule October 27 – November 2, 2015 Refer to date of Opening of Bids October 27 – November 16, 2015 November 5, 2015 November 16, 2015

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

For further information, please refer to: Engr. Josephine R. Valenzuela Provincial BAC / PEO Bataan Provincial BAC / PEO Office, Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan 047-237-9316 bac@bataan.gov.ph

(TS-OCT. 28, 2015)

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY

Invitation to Bid 78

Name of Project

since the twin bombings on a peace rally in Ankara on October 10 that killed 102 people and wounded 500 more, the worst such attack on Turkish soil.

Erdogan, an increasingly polarising figure in Turkey, on Monday vowed to press ahead with operations against all “terrorists” including Islamic State and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also confirmed late Monday that the military had struck Kurdish fighters across the border in northern Syria.

In an interview with A Haber television, Davutoglu said Turkey had warned members of the Democratic Union Party or PYD not to cross to the west of the Euphrates river and if they did, Turkey would attack.

“We struck twice,” he said, without giving any further details.

Ankara regards the PYD as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, which resumed deadly attacks against Turkish forces in July after a deadly bomb attack in a Kurdish majority town near the Syrian border.

Turkey responded by launching an air war against PKK bases in northern Iraq, shattering a delicate 2013 ceasefire and hopes of an end to a conflict that has raged for three decades. AFP

The National Housing Authority (NHA), through the Corporate Budget approved by the NHA Board for the year 2015 intends to apply the sum of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payment for the following contracts: Ref. No.

Projects

2015 -10147

Construction of One (1) Unit Covered Court/ Multi-Purpose Center, San Fernando Ville AFP/PNP Housing Project (Ph.2 & 3) Brgy. Maimpis, City of San Fernando Pampanga Construction of One (1) Unit Covered Court/ Multi-Purpose Center, Norzagaray Homes Resettlement Project, Brgy.

Minuyan, Norzagaray, Bulacan Construction of One (1) Unit Covered Court/MultiPurpose Center, Padre Pio Resettlement Project, Brgy.

Cacarong Bata, Pandi, Bulacan Construction of One (1) Unit Covered Court/ Multi-Purpose Center, Pandi Residences 3, Resettlement Project, Brgy.

Mapulang Lupa, Pandi Bulacan

2015 -10148

201510-149

201510-150

ABC/ Source of Funds (P) 5,453,032.00 NG Subsidy

Duration (c.d.)

5,453,032.00 NG Subsidy

150

At least Cat.“C” and “D” & Small “B” for Bldg.

Construction of Covered Court/MultiPurpose Center

5,453,032.00 NG Subsidy

150

At least Cat.“C” and “D” & Small “B” for Bldg.

Construction of Covered Court/MultiPurpose Center

5,453,032.00 NG Subsidy

150

At least Cat. “C” and “D” & Small “B” for Bldg.

Construction of Covered Court/MultiPurpose Center

150

Required PCAB License At least Cat.“C” and “D” & Small “B” for Bldg.

Work Description Construction of Covered Court/MultiPurpose Center

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

The NHA now invites bids for the above-cited projects. Completion of the works is required within the duration herein cited upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed a single contract similar to the project costing at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

A complete set of Bidding Documents shall be issued only to bidders/authorized official representatives or employees of the bidder who can show proof of Notarized Authority to secure bid documents for the specific project, Official Company ID upon submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and upon Cash Payment of non-refundable fee of P6,000.00 for Ref. Nos. 2015-10-147 to 2015-10-150 at the Office of the NHA-BAC 2 Secretariat, 2nd Floor NHA Main Building, Diliman, Quezon City from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. starting on October 28, 2015. The BAC 2 Secretariat may be contacted at Tel/Fax No. 928-8272.

The NHA will hold a Pre-bid Conference on November 12, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. at the Operations Center, 3rd Floor NHA Main Building, Diliman, Quezon City, which shall be OPEN ONLY to bidders who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered at the Operations Center, 3rd Floor NHA Main Building, Diliman, Quezon City not later than 9:00 a.m. on the date specified below.

Schedule of opening of bid December 1, 2015

-

Ref. Nos. 2015-10-147, 148, 149 and 150

All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and amount as stated in Bid Data Sheet (BDS). Bid opening shall follow immediately after the deadline of submission of bids at the same venue. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.

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

(SGD) ENRICO T. YUZON BAC CHAIRMAN

(SGD) VICTOR C. BALBA Chairperson, Bids and Awards Committee 2 (BAC 2) NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City

(TS-OCT. 28, 2015)

W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

B8 Top stars set to build $3-b resort in Macau MACAU—Hollywood stars including Leonardo DiCaprio are set to launch Macau’s newest $3.2-billion casino and entertainment resort, as the southern Chinese enclave’s high-roller gambling business takes a hit from China’s corruption crackdown.

A day before the official launch of Studio City, developers of what is billed as an “integrated resort” said Monday they are bullish about the future despite the slumping gaming revenues.

Macau in September saw its 16th consecutive month of declining gaming revenue, 33 percent lower than the same month last year, as Beijing encourages the territory to diversify from gambling and reins in high-rolling visitors from the Chinese mainland.

Gross revenue for September was 17.13 billion patacas ($2.15 billion), according to figures from the former Portuguese colony’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.

Melco Crown Entertainment, which developed Studio City, said it remains positive about the future of the gambling industry in the semi-autonomous city.

“We hope that the opening of Studio City will be part of a catalyst that will improve gaming revenues,” said co-chairman Lawrence Ho, adding that the numbers were affected by the mainland Chinese economy.

“We have great confidence in the long term,” Ho said, adding that projects such as the opening of Macau’s light rail and a bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau would bring improvements in years to come.

The revenue decline has mostly been attributed to a corruption crackdown spearheaded by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which has dented the VIP gaming market.

Xi stressed during a December visit that the territory’s economy must diversify from casinos.

Developers of the new resort, which boasts the world’s highest figure-8 Ferris wheel and a flight simulator based on the Batman series, say it it is moving away from the traditional VIP market which once drove growth. AFP

CESAR BARRiOquiNTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world Orangutans victims of Indonesia’s fires PALANGKARAYA, Indonesia— Endangered orangutans are falling victim to a devastating haze crisis that has left them sick, malnourished and severely traumatized as fires rage through Indonesia’s forests, reducing their habitat to a charred wasteland.

China Fashion Week. Models parade creations of the Giada Curti Haute Couture Collection designed by Giada Belfiore during the China Fashion Week in Beijing on October 27, 2015. The nine-day event kicked off on October 25. AFP

Rescuers at a center for the great apes on Borneo island are considering an unprecedented mass evacuation of the hundreds in their care, and have deployed teams on hazardous missions to search for stricken animals in the wild.

At the Nyaru Menteng cente in Kalimantan, sixteen baby orangutans have been put into isolation, suffering infections from prolonged exposure to the thick, yellow smoke suffocating Indonesia’s half of Borneo island.

A devoted carer tries to entertain the youngsters with toys and games as the infants recover from high fevers and serious coughs.

In another enclosure, several orangutans lie about listlessly, too exhausted to move after days hunting for food and water as fires relentlessly encroached on their forest homelands, forcing them to flee.

Others swing repeatedly from bar to bar, occasionally pausing to make a distinct smacking with their lips a sound that makes their carers anxious.

“That’s called a quick kiss,” said Hermansyah, a carer at the center, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

“When they make this gesture, it means they are under tremendous stress,” he told AFP. The fires from slash-and-burn farming-a method to quickly and cheaply clear land for new plantations have so far destroyed 1.7 million hectares in Kalimantan and neighboring Sumatra.

The vast plumes of smoke have drifted over large expanses of Southeast Asia, sickening countless people, disrupting transport, schools and business, and drawing outrage from neighboring governments.

Despite being a near annual occurrence, the toxic cloud is on track to become the worst on record, and staff at the center say the intensity of the smoke and flames at ground zero has never been seen before. AFP

‘Malaysia fast becoming a police state’ KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysia increasingly resembles a “police state” as the government uses repressive laws to silence critics including those demanding the prime minister answer corruption allegations, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.

The US-based group said in a report that, despite earlier promises by the longtime government to end abuses, Prime Minister Najib Razak was accelerating a crackdown that began after a poor showing in the 2013 election.

“Malaysia is starting to resemble a police state. People who are engaging in open and honest criticism end up charged for a crime,”

said the rights organiZation’s Asia director Brad Adams.

Those targeted increasingly include opponents who accuse Najib and state-owned company 1Malaysia Development Berhad or MDB of corruption, Human Rights Watch said.

Critics say massive sums are missing from 1MDB which Najib launched and it was revealed in July that nearly $700 million in mysterious deposits were made to the premier’s personal bank accounts.

The rights group’s report, entitled “Creating a Culture of Fear”, said Najib’s government was using investigations and a range of

charges to pressure opposition politicians, civil society groups, critical media outlets and others.

“Obviously, the 1MDB scandal is causing the government to feel insecure and leading them to lash out at its critics. They are trying to shut down critics from all directions,” Adams said.

Najib and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing but are widely accused of failing to come clean.

Najib calls the corruption allegations a “political conspiracy”, without giving specifics, and authorities have arrested or launched investigations against some of his most vocal critics. AFP

Opening ceremony. Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad

Al-Sabah greets members of the Kuwait National Assembly during the opening ceremony of the new legislative year in Kuwait City on October 27, 2015. Kuwait’s ruler called on the government and parliament to carry out urgent economic reforms after state income dropped 60 percent due to a sharp slide in oil prices. AFP

W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

C1

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

H OME & L I V ING

LIFE

FEMI CACHOLA AND THE POTHEADS The first time I met Femi Cachola, she was exhibiting her handstitched pins under CALEIDOSCOPE h e r b r a n d “Gawani WORLD Femi” years

BY CAL TAVERA ago at an art fair. Created out of felt cloth and dolled up with colorful buttons and threads, these pins developed a strong following with children and with the young at heart.

Those looking for something unique to dress up the basic outfit can find a piece from her collection of thought bubbles, ninjas and cute monsters.

Six years after, I came across her handcrafted artworks again. This time, the plush pins have evolved to art on ceramic pots. They caught my eye because one of my biggest frustrations about living in a condominium is the lack of a garden.

Options for having one are definitely limited when you decide to set up home in a high rise. A good compromise and solution is to keep plants in pots. I know there are several options along Whiteplains or even at MarketMarket for these but if you are looking for a hand-painted art piece that promises a lot of fun, seek out Femi and her potheads. That sounds like a good name for a band, by the way. I laughed when I saw Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather in the mix.

My friend immediately went for the David Bowie pot. Femi’s entry also happens to be a runner up in the Heneral Luna Fan Art

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contest with her depiction of the General on her pot.

Femi shares, “I get a lot of ideas from the people I meet and the movies and documentaries I watch. I also get inspired by celebrities, toys, food and anything under the sun. I want to tell a story in every piece that I make. I always bring a notebook with me and doodle when the right moment strikes.”

So how did Femi come up with the idea for drawing on pots? A year ago, she organized a succulent dish garden exhibit with a friend.

In the process, she fell in love with succulent plants and their vibrant colors, interesting textures and shapes. She compares plants to people, each with a special personality.

After getting bored with the regular pots available, she decided to play around with simple patterns like polka dots, stripes and chevrons to add some design to the pots. From there, she experimented with faces and that gave birth to her potheads collection. For new designs, it will take the artist a week or more, depending on the intricacy of the design. Sometimes, it starts with research. For example, for David Bowie, she would immerse herself with all information relevant to the musician. She would watch documentaries about him for days, play the song “Space Oddity” and absorb articles about him. Femi would then sketch on paper before translating them on the pots. When her mood allows it, she would paint directly on the pot using mainly eco-friendly acrylics.

Her current top three favorite characters would be Frida Kahlo, David Bowie, and Heneral Antonio Luna but that changes with time. Every time she creates a new caricature

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of a cultural icon, it becomes an kill. To clean indoor air, plants like instant favorite. She reveals, “I think the golden pothos and aloe vera are it is because of the whole process excellent plants to consider. So far, I go through in researching about Femi has been receiving positive the individual. I discover their responses regarding her creations. secrets, trials, loves and failures.

She shares, ”I like how their faces SCAN THIS Each revelation inspires me and I light up when they see the potheads ICON TO feel blessed to be able to create these WATCH HOW and that makes me really happy. That POTHEADS small tributes dedicated to them. I ARE CREATED is why I do what I do. I want my feel it is also my way of connecting creations to evoke good vibes in with other people as these are conversational their homes or place of work. I think most pieces.” While Femi enjoys making these artists aspire for the same thing; to tug at tributes, she also admits that she takes equal heartstrings and imagine that a moment delight in introducing her original characters in someone’s life is a little better because as well. of something they have made.”

For choosing the right plant, Femi imparts this bit of advice. If you happen to For more information, kindly contact the artist have areas that receive a lot of sunlight, cacti through gawanifemi@gmail.com, www. and succulents will thrive. For greenery facebook.com/gawanifemihandmade and in low light areas, consider snake plants ig: @gawanifemi, Follow me on Instagram and bacularis that is almost impossible to @cal_tavera

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W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

SM OPENS 55TH SUPERMALL The first in Caloocan City

SM Center Sangandaan, SM Prime’s 55th mall, is the first in Caloocan City.

T

hirty years after it opened its first mall in SM City North EDSA in Quezon City, SM Prime Holdings recently opened its 55th SM Supermall in Sangandaan. The first SM mall in Caloocan City, the 38,622-square meter structure will serve shoppers in the bustling Caloocan, Navotas and Malabon areas, as well as parts of Quezon City and Manila.

Caloocan City is historically significant because it was the center of activities for the Katipunan, the secret society that launched the Philippine Revolution against the Spaniards. The city’s most celebrated landmark is the monument to Andres Bonifacio located in the roundabout and built on an obelisk featuring sculptures by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino.

Caloocan is the third most populous city in the Philippines, with an extensive network of roads and railways, sparking a new revolution of growth. SM Center Sangandaan highlights SM’s confidence in the city’s booming economy, and will be a catalyst for employment and business opportunities.

The mall’s design reflects SM’s groundbreaking approach to retail as it creates a memorable identity with a vivid wall pattern that establishes a bold presence on the urban streetscape.

Elegant canopies welcome shoppers at the mall entrance, and those arriving in private cars are quickly guided from the main frontage road to a multi-level 400slot car park that connects to each level of the center for optimal shopping experience.

The mall’s interiors are organized around a simple planned atrium that allows clear line-of-sight to all shops on all levels at all times. A strategically placed bridge provides convenient access to all areas of the mall, while a soaring glass elevator, stairs, and escalators allow easy access to all levels. The interior design is simple and bold with strong bursts of bright color, lit from above with an ample skylight and continuous clerestories.

SM Center Sangandaan is also a mall of firsts: home to Caloocan’s first digital theater through SM Cinema, as well as the first technological lifestyle center Cyberzone.

A jam-packed crowd during the opening of SM Center Sangandaan. SM Prime Holdings Inc. president Hans T. Sy opened the door and welcomed the first wave of shoppers.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. president Hans T. Sy (left), Caloocan City Mayor Oscar G. Malapitan (2nd from left) and Vice Mayor Macario. Asistio (2nd from right) during the ribbon cutting ceremonies of SM Center Sangandaan’s opening.

Also in the photo are Bishop Francis De Leon and Hendrik Sy of SM Supermarket.

SM Supermarket, the mall’s major anchor, is the largest supermarket in the municipality.

SM Center Sangandaan is home to SM mainstays like SM Appliance Center, Watsons, Ace Hardware, and BDO. Shopping is fun with fashion boutiques like Simply Shoes, Bench, and Penshoppe; jewelry stores like Broadway Gems, EMO, and Unisilver Time; eyewear stores

like Executive Optical and Ideal Vision.

Wellness centers like Novagen Eye, and amusement centers like Worlds of Fun and Quantum complete the shopping experience. Mall goers can enjoy eating out options from major national and international chains like KFC, Gong Cha, Bo’s Coffee, Gilligans, Classic Savory, and many more.

WHAT TO DO WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

D

isaster preparedness should always begin at home. Especially because of the Philippines' geographical characteristics, our country is highly vulnerable to natural and manmade disasters – most common of which are typhoon and earthquake. While private and public organizations are making sure that every community is ready when the next calamity hits us, readiness should still be among a family's top priorities.

Isla LPG, the parent company of cooking gas brand Solane, supports efforts at disaster preparedness among families and communities. Recently, it joined government agencies and other fuel companies at the Industry Emergency Response Cooperation conference in signing an agreement to ensure adequate LPG supply during times of disasters.

But apart from making sure that there won't be any LPG shortage in times of calamity, members of the LPG IERO Cooperation share a few tips that every household should know when disaster strikes.

DON’T PANIC Disaster preparedness experts highlight the importance of remaining calm amid a calamity. People who remain composed will be better able to make smart decisions, while those who are panicking may be in such a rush to consider the consequences of their actions.

PREPARE A SURVIVAL KIT Whether you are staying at home or evacuating, your family should have a survival kit prepared. These should include essentials as water, easy-to-

walls and injure you? If your house isn’t ready for calamities, determine a place where you and your family can evacuate to. Determine the designated evacuation areas in your community – where you live and where you work.

prepare food, radio, flashlight, batteries, first aid kit, medication, personal hygiene items, blanket, and a few items of clothing. Aside from those mentioned, other basic supplies that should be included in your kit, according to the Red Cross, are a multi-purpose tool, copies of personal documents, mobile phone with chargers, family and emergency contact information, extra cash, emergency blanket, map(s) of the area.

EVACUATE TO A SAFE PLACE As early as now, evaluate the disaster readiness of your location. How much flooding can it withstand? Are your walls, roofs and other building materials strong enough to face strong winds? If a quake happens, what things can fall from the

PLAN YOUR LIFE OFF-THE-GRID During disasters, power typically gets cut off. Ensure that your family can survive off-the-grid. Hence, your survival kit.

Prepare batteries and invest on batteryoperated lights and radio. Stock up on food that will not need refrigeration, such as canned goods. As for perishable goods like rice and bread, they may be stored in airtight containers to prolong their life.

Make sure you also have enough LPG supply for cooking.

W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

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DEAR DARLING¼

(A Letter to the Young Single Daughter I Never Had)

LIV.E SIMPLY

BY LIV E. Every once in a while, I’ll meet someone new and, as soon as they hear me proudly declare that I am a mother of five sons, they’ll exclaim (without pausing to take a breath), “Five sons, wow. But what a pity it is that you don’t have a single daughter!”

Honestly, when I’m told that, I can never decide what to do.

Should I throw my head back and let out a roar of boisterous laughter, or should I scratch my head and attempt to wipe off my frown of confusion? I mean, really (and I say this with zero amount of snark), why is it a pity? The way I see it, for some reason, God in His infinite wisdom decided not to grant me babies to doll up in skirts and ribbons and instead blessed me with boys. Five of them – wonderful, aggressive, torn-jeansand-sneakers sweethearts –each of whom I love to bursting point and treasure with all my heart.

And so, you see, I am content; I am complete; and hand on heart, I swear I have never felt that I lacked a little lady in my family. Because, weird as this may sound, I do have you, my dear daughter. No, I’m not hallucinating, and yes, oh yes, you do exist. You are my nieces, my goddaughters, my many students through the years whose full names I can still recite from memory.

You are every young girl who has crossed my path and laid claim to my mommy heart. You might not be flesh of my flesh or blood of my blood, but I love you like my own. And so it is to the collective you that I write this letter: you, the daughter I never had, and you, all my quasi-daughters who have blessed my life with your presence.

Right at the top of the greatest presents my mother gave my sisters and me are her little nuggets of wisdom, all of which have served as my guideposts, sometimes even lifelines, as I went through the tumultuous years of growing up. And just as heirlooms and diamonds are passed on from mother to daughter, from one generation to another, today I feel the need to leave a similar legacy to you, my dear daughter: this consolidation of life lessons learned at the knee of my mother as well

as those learned from that great teacher, Experience, each time I fell and banged my own knees, in the hopes that this pillow of lessons may serve to cushion your own knees, both when you trip and scrape them and also when you bend them in thanksgiving and prayer.

More than anything else, I want you to know that you are unique, special, one of a kind. There is no one like you in this entire world.

Treasure that; be grateful for that; and honor that by not trying to be like everyone else or fitting into someone else’s idea of what a cool dudette is. The coolest people are those who don’t try to be cool; they just are. So be cool. Be you.

You are precious beyond words.

Do not squander the best of you on just anyone, no matter how much you think he deserves it. He will only deserve the best of you once he puts a ring on your finger; for that one, save the best of yourself.

So when a guy puts his arm around you, let it be because he has earned the right to hold more than just the skin on your shoulders; let it be because he has earned the right to protect and shelter your heart.

Take care of your heart. But don’t coddle it. It’s fragile and it can break, but it’s also strong and resilient. Remember that always. When it soars, relish it; when it drops to the ground and bleeds, pick it up, patch it up, and keep going.

It’s got enough passion within to weather the good times and the bad.

But never let its passion overwhelm you. When you’re caught in extremes, whether that’s anger or attraction or frustration, take a step back and sleep on it. Things always look better and more manageable in the clear light of a fresh new day.

Greet each new day with a song in your heart and a smile on your face. Laugh. A lot. It’s good for the soul. And it makes for great, longlasting friendships, too.

Choose your friends well. Hang out with the right people. But take the time to be comfortable

by yourself, too. Relish your time alone, because some of the most important things, like prayer and decision-making and reading, are best done in silence, alone.

Never be a mean girl. Nothing is worth killing the goodness that fills your heart, not even the comfort of fitting in with the in-crowd.

Be brave and strong. Never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in, for what is good and

right and just, even if it means standing alone. Truth and love and goodness always triumph in the end, and when you stand for them, they’ll never leave you standing alone.

Enjoy being a girl. Allow guys to open doors for you, pull chairs for you, carry bags for you. That’s part of the fun of being a girl; it doesn’t mean you’re the weaker sex. Real strength is not measured in outward superficial displays; it’s measured in rising up after every fall, in loving even when it’s difficult, in never giving up even when the going gets tough.

There will be tough times.

Sometimes you’ll get through them with flying colors; sometimes you’ll barely scrape by. But that’s okay.

Everyone makes mistakes. Forgive others. Forgive yourself.

Never drown yourself in regret, not even when the mistakes you make seem huge. Nothing is insurmountable. If God allowed something painful to happen, believe that there must be a very good reason, something better in it for you. Learn the lessons instead.

If it doesn’t make sense, keep digging deeper till you find the meaning (or you risk making the same mistake over and over again till you find the lesson and learn it).

Develop your mind.

Love learning. Thirst for wisdom… but never at the expense of goodness. Kindness, confidence, and talent are infinitely more attractive than surface beauty.

Remember that makeup is meant to enhance, not cover up. Your face is beautiful, but never use it to cover up a mediocre soul.

Cultivate the beauty within and let it shine and light up your whole self, because that inner beauty of your soul is the one treasure that no one and nothing can ever take away from you – not time, not wrinkles, not accidents, not even death.

Be generous. With your time, your talents, your service, with what you have and what you own.

But never with your body for those who do not deserve it, because you can’t give your body without giving pieces of your heart and soul as well.

Don’t be stingy and don’t be shy, especially not with appreciation and praise. You lose nothing by celebrating others. Telling someone

she’s gorgeous or wonderful doesn’t make you any less beautiful or amazing than her; in fact, it makes you glow even more. It brings out the awesome in you.

So don’t be afraid to applaud others, and don’t be afraid to apologize either. Apologize when you’re wrong (that’s mandatory); sometimes, apologize even when you’re not wrong, if it helps to keep the peace and harmony in the home. Remember it always takes two to tango, and there’s never been a fight where only one side was completely at fault.

When you need to make a decision, listen to your gut. But listen to God’s whispers more.

Think twice, and then again. Go into the woods with your eyes open. Be ready for whatever may be hiding behind the bushes; that way consequences will never pull out the rug from under you. You’ll never have to say, “But I didn’t think…” when you do take the time to think.

But also: take the time to run in the fields with the wind blowing through your hair and your arms stretched wide in exhilaration.

Take the time to gaze at the night sky and find a falling star to carry your wishes far and wide. Take the time to spread and scatter joy and wonder to all the ends of the earth, as far as you can reach. The world can always do with more happiness, so be a contagious carrier of it.

And remember that you always have two mothers to run to, forever and ever, whether it’s to ask for a hug or emotional support or more words of advice. Because there will always be more lessons to learn and live by, and there will always be more hugs to give, and more strength to share with you, from both your mother on earth and especially your Mother in Heaven.

And for everything that you have and hold, be always thankful. Just as I am thankful for you, for being the daughter that I never had, and the chosen daughters that I will always have.

Follow me on Twitter @ LivE_ LiveSimply , Like my page, follow all my articles, and send me feedback @ Facebook/liv.esimplywithLiv

W E D N E S D AY : O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

The Kohler Purist Kitchen features a streamlined and sleek look that evokes a sense of luxury and elegance.

KOHLER’S PURIST KITCHEN CABINET

O

ne of the most sought after design aesthetics that has endured time and fleeting trends is minimalism – a look that shuns cluttered opulence in favor of streamlined innovation and classic elegance. This design concept is ubiquitous once again from fashion to interiors and just about everything everywhere.

Kohler, a global manufacturer of kitchen and bath products, offers a new take on how to make minimalism enhance the home.

“Most people associate minimalism with bareness, almost to a point that spaces lose their functionality. But being a brand that creates and defines practical spaces, it was

important for us to design something that was anchored on the art of simplicity but still offers exceptional efficiency,” says Benjamin Chang, Kohler Marketing Communication manager for Southeast Asia The Purist Kitchen Cabinet line features a streamlined and sleek kitchen interior that evokes a sense of luxury and elegance.

Made from high-pressure laminate board and mirror glass doors, with cleverly designed storage as well as multi-functional accessories, the balance between functionality and aesthetics is evident in the pure, clean lines.

The look is simple and refined yet complementary to the primary function of

the space, creating a shift in the physical sense of a normally bustling area of the home.

Natural light is allowed in, which declutters the kitchen and creates an overall impression of harmony and wellbeing.

A lot of people fail to take into consideration how one of the most used elements of a kitchen can add to the overall aesthetic. The Purist Pull Down Tap creates the perfect balance in terms of design and functionality with premium metal construction and minimalist lines.

A single lever handle makes it easy to use and the high arch swing spout and a 360-degree spout rotation offers efficiency

AMERICAN STANDARD’S ACACIA EVOLUTION COLLECTION

I

American Standard Asia Pacific chief designer Khumtong Jansuwan

nnovative companies are focusing on green technology to help conserve natural resources. At American Standard, technological breakthroughs that help save the environment are being introduced. For instance, its new Acacia Evolution Collection features a revolutionary Double Vortex flushing system for its toilet – a first in the Philippine market – which maximizes flushing performance and minimizes water usage.

The Double Vortex system has two water openings at the top of the bowl, allowing the water to be flushed 100 percent, creating two powerful whirlpools that flush waste away and clean the entire surface of the ceramic bowl. Unlike traditional toilets that have numerous rim holes that cause stains on the bowl’s surface, the rimless design prevents dirt from accumulating, which makes cleaning easy.

Compared to conventional singleflush toilets, the efficient flushing system

whether for cooking or cleaning. The tap is also designed to highlight its simple but elegant appeal combined with efficiency – truly a harmonious combination of function and style.

Kohler has been consistent in setting new standards in design, craftsmanship and innovation. The brand’s reputation is rife with compelling accomplishments and bold innovations that stem from a heritage centered on living on the leading edge of design and technology. In Asia Pacific, Kohler is active in 14 major countries and territories. More information can be found at kohlerasiapacific.com.

Acacia Evolution bathroom

saves 3.4 liters of water for half flush and two liters for full flush, resulting in approximately 22, 776 liters of water saved per year for a family of four.

“Excellent design is no longer just about aesthetics. Today, designers require the foresight to construct sustainable living environments for future generations while catering for various lifestyle needs,” said Khumtong Jansuwan, chief designer of American Standard Asia Pacific.

The Acacia Evolution toilets offer total hygiene protection. The seat, cover, and most especially the push button to activate the Double Vortex flushing system have antibacterial properties that effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria. This revolutionary antibacterial technology is the first in the industry to adhere to the internationally recognized Japan Industrial Standard (JIS Z 2801:2010).

All Acacia Evolution toilets also come equipped with Proguard, another innovation

from American Standard that inhibits the build-up of water stains. Silica, which occurs naturally in water, bonds chemically with ceramic surfaces, thereby causing water stains. Proguard, which is applied to the ceramics, prevents silica in the water from adhering to the surface.

Combining superior design with innovative technologies, the Acacia Evolution Collection provides maximum utility and environmental sustainability.

The collection also includes other ceramic wares such as washbasins and a freestanding bathtub. It also carries a wide selection of sanitary fittings that similarly feature useful innovations to help preserve the environment.

For more information on the new Acacia Evolution Collection, visit www. americanstandard.com.ph or like American Standard Philippines on Facebook.

W EDNES DAY : OCTOBER 2 8, 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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Miss GloBE 2015 BACk iN towN Miss Globe 2015 Ann Lorraine Colis

Colis with Stella Marquez-Araneta (third from left) and reigning Bb. Pilipinas queens

N

ewly crowned Miss Globe 2015 Ann Lorraine Colis was welcomed back home after she won the title in Toronto, Canada.

The welcome honors were held at the Monet Ballroom of Novotel Manila Araneta Center.

Looking regal in red gown, Colis celebrated her win as the first Filipina Miss Globe. She was with her proud family, fellow beauty queens, friends, supporters and members of the press.

Colis was beaming with pride. “I would like to thank everyone for supporting me, my fans and the Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc. for doing such a great job in preparing me for the competition. Thank you for all your messages and prayers and I am very happy that I made our country proud,” the overjoyed Pampanga beauty shared.

Colis also expressed deep appreciation for the tremendous

support accorded to her by the Filipino community in Canada for the duration of the pageant. “I was really surprised because when I was in Canada, Filipinos there would often visit the hotel just to see me. They would give gifts and food just to make me feel at home.

So, even though I was in a foreign country, I never felt alone.”

“I will be travelling a lot to fulfill her duties as Miss Globe. From what I know, I will be leaving for Los Angeles, Albania, Dominican Republic, and New York in November. I am looking forward to meeting other people so I could get to know and learn from them and at the same time have that privilege of sharing and promote our beautiful culture with them,” the 22-year-old Pampanga beauty told the press.

Colis also thanked John Cliff, designer of her Filipiniana-Sarimanok inspired national costume that won second place in the na-

tional costume presentation. She was happy that the BPCI has given Filipino designers the chance to create national costumes for the Bb. Pilipinas reigning queens’ competition abroad.

Janicel Lubina will be wearing a Leo Almodal design at the Miss International pageant in Japan, Parul Shah wore an Edwin Uy Muslim-inspired costume at the Miss Grand International pageant in Thailand which was named in Best National Costume, while Pia Wurtzbach will wear a Filipino-winning design to be selected by the PBCI panel composed of Stella Marquez-Araneta, Conchitina Bernardo and designer Christian Espiritu.

Meanwhile, Colis has become an instant celebrity following her win as Miss Globe 2015 and has been invited for several TV guest appearances.

– EtoN B. CoNCEpCioN

Bradley Cooper takes on Chef’s Battles in and out of kitChen

A

cademy Award nominee Bradley Cooper stars in Burnt set in the world of professional kitchens with co-stars Sienna Miller, Omar Sy, Emma Thompson, Lily James and Sarah Greene.

Cooper’s character, Adam Jones, is a known and respected chef but his success got the better of him. Jones is someone who has had success in the past, followed by tremendous failure. He disappears, and then comes back, determined to recapture that success. He discovers that he can only do it with the help of other people, something that his narcissism and ego hadn’t bargained for.

John Wells is one of the most prolific writers, directors and producers on television, in films and for the stage brings a new a take on the ever growing foodie culture in Burnt.

Wells was attracted to Steven Knight’s screenplay because it was a special look into the unique world of restaurateurs.

“I read the script and admired it.

I’m always attracted to good writing and I was very taken with the character of Adam Jones. He’s a man who has had success in the past, followed by tremendous failure. He

disappears, and then comes back, determined to recapture that success. He discovers that he can only do it with the help of other people, something that his narcissism and ego hadn’t bargained for. Knight has written a wonderful story of a man coming to grips with being an adult and what is required to succeed in life, not just in his profession.”

As creator, writer and producer of such seminal US TV series as ER and The West Wing, Wells insisted on accurately portraying the world in which the drama is set. Wells acknowledges that, currently, London is the world capital of fine dining.

“London is where young chefs go to succeed, so it made sense that Adam goes to the place he can make the biggest impact to stage his comeback.” he says. “Being able to shoot in top restaurants and kitchens, like Michel Roux’s restaurant at the Langham Hotel and the Delaunay, a recent Corbijn King restaurant, was a bonus, adding to the authenticity on screen.”

Wells admits that before starting doing his research around kitchens, he hadn’t thought about the perils involved. “When you look around one of those kitchens, the arms of young chefs can be covered in cuts and burns. It’s a very

physical world and reminded me more of iron workers than what I had in mind, which was a tableau of chefs wandering around in whites and long white hats. In fact, we had a number of people injured in minor, but very painful ways.”

The involvement of renowned celebrity chefs was essential for the director and writer to place an audience in the middle of the action.

“I couldn’t have done it without chefs of that caliber, because I don’t know what they do,” says Wells. “I came into this project thinking I can cook, but quickly realized I don’t.”

Before shooting, Wells took the professional chefs through technical rehearsals, telling everyone what would be happening in the action of the scene, and what would be happening within the service at each moment of filming. He says, “It meant that when we shot with the cast, the food was prepared to the correct stage, and each of 40 or 50 pans on hot stoves would be in the right part of the process. The heat was high every day, around 40 degrees and the sweat, the cuts and the burns you see are real, so the audience should feel they’ve been dropped into a real kitchen.

Burnt opens Nov. 4 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller in Burnt

Bradley Cooper is a chef in the movie

W EDNES DAY : OCTOBER 2 8, 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Ph an imPoRTanT maRkeT foR hbo nickie Wang

The Philippines is viewed

by HBO as a key market that audiences can expect to be one of the firsts to see the channel’s original content through match airing and via the channel’s Internet-based service HBO Go. Match airing is when a U.S. show is aired simultaneously across the region. And not all cable channels do it for practical reason that we are in a different time zone.

But Karen Lai, director of communications at HBO Asia, told The Standard that this has been their strategy for a couple of years now.

“The idea is to let audiences be updated on the latest happenings in our shows. We air simultaneously with the U.S. telecast because we wanted our audience not to be left behind,” the TV executive said.

She furthered, “It’s like watching your favorite match, you would wake up early or sleep late just to catch the telecast of the game that you’ve been following. And HBO’s is very glad that this strategy has been working for us as we are able to give audiences fresh and exclusive content.”

Lai was in the country to talk about the cable channel’s new shows airing in the last quarter of the year on HBO GO and the network’s various channels. The diverse roster includes the much-awaited TV series namely The Knick, Halfworlds, The Leftovers, Project Greenlight, and The Leisure Class.

The executive was also very vocal on how well HBO is doing in the Philippines, which is the second country where they launched HBO Go, but tightlipped on the numbers of subscribers the mobile streaming app has.

“We chose the Philippines as the second country to launch HBO Go, and we are happy that it is doing

Journey to SpaniSh Cinema in 20 poSterS Instituto Cervantes of Manila, the Embassy of Spain, Intramuros Administration and the NCCA present the exhibition Spanish Cinema in 20 Posters. Curated by Instituto Cervantes and designed

well here.”

Lai was open to suggestions on how to make HBO Go’s service better including our suggestion to come up with a lighter version of the app that would match the internet speed in the country.

“HBO Go is exclusively a streaming app, and the feedback from the Philippines has been very positive. Of course viewers and subscribers’ suggestions will help us deliver better service and these won’t just fall on deaf ears. They will surely reach the higher-ups,” she assured.

Tunog naTin album second ediTion launched Former APO Hiking Society member Jim Paredes along with other OPM artists led the launch of the second edition of Tunog Natin! Sounds from Home prior to a concert on Oct. 14 to promote the CD. Paredes acts as the creative consultant for the album, which aims to give

by Filipina artist Nikkorlai Tapan, the exhibition will be open to the public at the NCCA Gallery, Intramuros, until Oct. 30.

Spanish Cinema has contributed to international cinema culture prominent figures like Luis García Berlanga, Luis Buñuel, Carlos Saura, Víctor Erice, Pedro Almodóvar, Alejandro Amenábar, or Isabel Coixet. This exhibit will invite you to explore the history of Spanish cinema through the posters of some of its most emblematic

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23 24 26 29 31 32 33 34 38 40 42 43

Prom rental Dairy products Hr. fraction Prefix for second Habit — — always say...

Mr. LeMond Paging device Playing marbles Gray-clad soldier Retro art style Dole out, as tasks

Joule fractions Caught ya!

Cote murmur Ms. Teasdale RAM counterpart Runoff Mental faculties Heavenly being Leggy one John, in Siberia Pith helmet “Bolero” composer Double-dutch need Out of the gale Great Lakes tribe Tinted Boo and hiss Historic march setting

DOWN 1 Study hard 2 Euro casualty 3 “Moneytalks” group 4 Navigation hazard 5 Red — (false lead) 6 Tall beer glass 7 It may be proper 8 — -craftsy 9 Mdse.

10 Calculated 11 Robin of balladry

53 54 55 56 58 61 62 63 64 66

local classic hits new twist while promoting new acts that cover them.

For instance, the former APO Hiking Society member, with his collaboration with rock bank Bloomfields, has given gave a new interpretation of the song “Tuloy Pa Rin Ako” or Markki Stroem with his jazzy rendition of Francis M’s “Kaleidoscope World.”

Produced by Avida, the album is in line with company’s mission to keep the Filipino heritage alive, as part of its ongoing Inspired Living campaign, which extends support to the essential ar-

films. Yet it also means to go beyond it. After all, posters promote films but also echo the aesthetic style of the period.

As a complement to the exhibition, the theater of the NCCA has screened the film cycle Iconos del cine español, a film series of six iconic films that made history in Spanish cinema --namely Bienvenido Míster Marshall (1953), Muerte de un ciclista (1955), Viridiana (1961), Cría cuervos (1973), La colmena (1982) and

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015

12 13 21 22 25 26 27 28 30 35 36 37 39 41 44 45 47 48

Premiering on Nov. 29, Halfwords is a modern look at ancient Asian mythical creatures

Saddle horse Bluenoses Gen. — Bradley The chills Moon or planet Nursery word Osiris’ beloved Pen points Curved moldings Lumpy fruit Mountain refrain Traipse Revolted Huskier Objective Festive quaff Sandpaper texture Jonathan Swift works Clan leader Diplomat Wide open Mademoiselle’s school Trunk contents D’Artagnan prop Like Mr. Hyde Consider Ms. Lanchester of film — Mahal

Jim Paredes at the launch of Tunog Natin album

PhoTo by Teddy PelaeZ

tistic foundations that make a community. The album launch is also part of Avida’s 25th anniversary efforts to promote local talents.

All the songs from the

Blancanieves (2012).

The exhibit “Spanish Cinema in 20 Posters” is part of PELICULA, the Spanish Film Festival.

Presented by Instituto Cervantes, the Embassy of Spain–AECID, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Intramuros Administration, and Ayala Malls Cinemas, PELÍCULA is made possible by Maersk, Rustan’s, NCCA, Emperador Distillers, Ayala Malls Cinemas & Greenbelt, Vibal Foundation, Qa-

Tunog Natin! Vol. 2 album will be made available for listening and free download in local and international music portals like Spotify and iTunes.

tar Airways, Buzz Productions, and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Ayala Museum, the Embassy of Argentina, the Embassy of Mexico, the Embassy of the Czech Republic, the Embassy of Colombia, Bodegas Vivanco and Barcino.

The entrance to the exhibit is FREE. For complete information about this exhibition, please visit Instituto Cervantes’ Facebook page www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila

W EDNES DAY : OCTOBER 2 8, 2015

C7

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

TSS iS a Teenager

T

From C8

he Skin Specialist (TSS) turned into a teenager in a special anniversary event. Known personalities from in and out of showbiz like Connie Sison, Lyn Ching, Luane Dy, Rhea Santos, Almira Muhlach, MJ Marfori, Rita Daniela, Alex Tinsay, Gwen Pang, GMA7 Annette Gozon and Alma Concepcion graced the event.

TSS founder and chief dermatologist Dr. Jean Marquez also launched the clinic’s latest treatment – the ClearTight laser. She gave a short presentation on the treatment and a live demo. She also gave 50 percent discount on ClearTight plus free Venus Legacy slimming treatment, only for the guests that day.

She also raffled away free treatments during the program.

“ClearTight Laser is a state of the art, non-ablative treatment alternative to traditional skin resurfacing and surgical face lifts without any pain or downtime. It is the first laser in the Philippines that can actually regenerate hard-to-reach areas, producing instant results.

ClearTight Laser improves fine lines and wrinkles and lightens the skin. It is gentle enough to treat areas that are typically too sensitive with traditional ablative lasers, such as the delicate skin around the eyes, forehead, mouth, neck, chest, hands, elbows, knees

and underarms,” says Dr. Jean.

Philippine Red Cross Secretary General Gwen Pang attests to the affectivity of ClearTight laser.

“I know I am not getting any younger. And Dr. Jean knows and understands this, too. When she recommended ClearTight to me, I did not hesitate. True enough, just after one session, there is already significant tightening on my problem areas, the neck, around the mouth, and around the eyes. My favorite part is that ClearTight does not have downtime. Right after a session, I can go back to work without pain, redness, or swelling,” Gwen says.

Like a teenager, there will be many changes happening in TSS this year. ClearTight is expected to make a big impact on the cosmetic industry, introducing to the country many other treatments for the needs of its patients and improving the industry and its services even more. TSS has been pioneering in laser treatments in the Philippines since it started in 2002 as the first dermatological clinic in Timog, Quezon City.

“Although we have almost every treatment for the needs of our patients, our plans always include keeping abreast with the latest breakthroughs to continually provide quality treatments that are safe and effective. We also hope to have a bigger place to accom-

TSS guests include Lyn Ching, Luane Dy, Rhea Santos, Almira Muhlach, and MJ Marfori

modate our growing clientele and that means more rooms,” says the hands-on Dr. Jean in an interview.

She also wants to educate and reach out to more people in farflung places through TSS’ medical missions.

Dr. Jean looks back to the 13 years

But Dr. Jean assures that one thing remains all these years: the personalized care for TSS patients.

“We believe that quantity should never compromise the quality. And personally, I believe that no one is ever too old to look young,” she ends.

Ejay FalCon is happiEr thE sECond timE around

hallowEEntEr spookFEst at thE aranEta CEntEr This Halloween, a chilly, spooky party is coming to Araneta Center and you and your kids are invited to join the fun!

Dress up your children in frighteningly fun winter-themed Halloween costumes and head to the Activity Area of Ali Mall and New Farmers Plaza on Oct. 31 for a Halloweenter Spookfest like no other.

Lots of exciting activities and surprises await the whole family; including a magic show, face painting, photo booth, coloring activity, and kiddie parlor. Each kid will also be treated to a loot bag filled with goodies, plus the chance to win special prizes in the costume contest.

To join the party at Ali Mall and New Farmers Plaza, simply shop at any Araneta Center establishment until Oct. 31.

Every P500 single receipt purchase from Gateway Mall, Ali Mall and New Farmers Plaza entitles you to one entrance pass to the Halloweenter Spookfest Party. One entrance pass allows entry for one child and his/her parents or guardians in the mall where they registered.

The registration booth is open on Oct. 31from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only. To claim the entrance pass, simply present your receipts at the registration booth located at the Activity Area of Ali Mall or New Farmers Plaza.

The Araneta Center has even more Halloween offerings you can enjoy.

of TSS, saying that they now have a much bigger clinic, more staff and rooms, a lot more treatments and also more clients that which include celebrities and personalities from the news and public affairs of different networks, some even travel from abroad just for TSS’ treatments.

The poster for the Halloweenter Sppokfest at Araneta Center

These include Halloween-themed home accessories at the Farmers Garden and great pasalubong options at the Gateway Mall, Ali Mall, Farmers Plaza, Farmers Market, and Flavors outdoor food bazaar. Cute and spooky Halloween costumes are also available at the department stores and mall boutiques while yummy treats for trick-or-treat can be found at the supermarkets.

At the Gateway Mall, there’s a Disney on Ice Halloween party. In partnership with Sun Cellular, the Disney on Icethemed Halloween event will welcome kids dressed in their favorite Disney characters in a magical world of ice and snow.

Fantastic prizes are also in store for the participants with the best costumes. Plus, yummy treats and drinks are offered to everyone who joins the party.

With plenty of fun activities and offerings to enjoy, Araneta Center is truly the place to be at this Halloween. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate the spooky season with family fun and delicious treats.

To find out more about the latest offerings at the Araneta Center, visit www. aranetacenter.net.

Pasion de Amor leading man Ejay Falcon recently inked an endorsement deal for Psalmstre New Placenta for Men brand.

The company’s president and chief executive officer Jim Acosta, together with New Placenta for Women celebrity endorser Miss Earth-Air 2012 Stephany Stefanowitz, welcomed Ejay during a press con held at the Illumina Residences in Manila.

The sexy actor gladly admitted that this occasion has led him to his way back home. It can be recalled that Ejay was endorsing Olive-C, also a Psalmstre product, in 2009. Since then, he has always considered the company as his family.

“I’m finally back home, and I’m happier the second time around. Thank you so much to Sir Jim for this opportunity of serving again his company. This is just a perfect sequence of my growing up as an actor.

When I was a teenager, he got me in to endorse Olive-C, and now that I

Ejay Falcon with the other brand ambassadors of Psalmstre New Placenta

am a young adult, I am endorsing New Placenta for Men,” quipped one of ABS-CBN’s hottest men.

Ejay further confessed that he has always been using New Placenta courtesy of his manager Benjie Alipio, who is a Cebuano.

Alipio is happy for all the big breaks his talent has been enjoying, saying that all their struggles in the past have slowly paid off.

Meanwhile, Acosta divulged that his company plans to bring Ejay to Cebu for the Sinulog grand parade in January 2016, together with Stephany.

“That is our initial plan to bring Ejay to Cebu via Psalmstre float. As early as now, we are trying to fix his schedules. The Cebuanos have admired and loved

Ejay Falcon ever since his Olive-C time and wished to see Ejay on our float.

Hopefully this time we will make their wish come true,” enthused the dynamic skincare-industry mogul. He added that Psalmstre would also bring their endorsers in the Panagbenga Festival 2016 in Baguio City.

Psalmstre New Placenta started as an exclusive women-must-have, but due to growing demands for male-beauty products, the company has ventured into putting an addition, the New Placenta for Men. With Ejay’s presence, the ultimate anti-aging and whitening array of skincare products will take a revolutionary turn and eventually conquer every man’s world.

W EDNES DAY : OCTOBER 2 8, 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Bea Binene turns 18 next month. The young Kapuso actress says she plans to do more as she grows a little older to realize her dreams

Bea Binene turns 18 ISAH V. RED GMA Artist Center star Bea Binene feels thrilled to open a new chapter in her life.

Among the teen idols of this generation, Bea has been one of the most promising stars who exhibited passion in the performing arts.

For years she has been developing her talents and she maintains being on top of her game by joining workshops, trying challenging roles, and honing her hosting skills.

As she turns 18 this November, the actress is already planning ahead and starting to prepare for her future. “Marami pa akong gustong patunayan sa sarili ko. I also want to know more about myself, and discover new avenues for my craft. Marami pa rin po akong gustong matutunan, so I’m preparing myself for whatever life has

to offer,” admits the Kapuso star.

Just recently, Bea’s fans had an unlimited access to her life via her self-produced reality-lifestyle TV show entitled Legally B which airs on GMA News TV every Saturday at 11:30 in the morning. It features all her plans for the birthday party including outtakes and behind-the-scene footage of her photo-shoot. According to her, this is just the beginning of her investments and she plans to put up her own business soon.

➜ continued on c7

Shea Arender is in town to see the sights and sounds of Manila while looking at possibilities to produce a show possibly early next year

HHHHH Prince of christmas Shea Arender also performing as Shea (born Nov. 7 1980), is an American singer-songwriter and Broadway producer. Though he is primarily a vocalist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments including guitar. Since July 2013, he has been executive producing Harold Aden’s The Wonderful Wizard of Song, a musical on Broadway and throughout the U.S., and has been executive producing and starring in his own off-broadway musical Shea: Prince of Christmas.

Arender was bom in Tallulah, Louisiana.

He grew up in Mississippi as well as the greater New Orleans area, to the sounds of gospel, pop-rock, soul and Dixieland Jazz, to which he credits his varied musical influences.

His mother, LaShara, is an independent clothing designer who also worked in the Skin Care industry. His father Billy Arender worked in agriculture.

His musical roots mirror his mixed ancestry of Irish, Cajun/French, and Italian. At age 12, Arender won an on-ship talent contest while his family was on a cruise aboard the Commodore Cruise Line. Two days later, he was chosen to play Elvis Presley to entertain passengers when the original Elvis tribute fell ill. This kicked off a young career where Arender performed tributes to Elvis at various venues in New Orleans, across the south, and in Las Vegas. He also received publication of many of the poems he had written as a member of the Georgia Poetry Society.

In 2005, he was featured as one of the top new poets by the Poem Hunter Publication honoring new poets on the rise.

Arender was educated at Georgia State University in Atlanta and attended American Inter-Continental University at both the Atlanta and Miami campuses, at which he studied international business. He graduated there in 2004, with a BS in International Business.

Throughout college, he performed musically on various local stages.

Shea’s Christmas show, Prince of Christmas is listed amongst the Top 5 Holiday Show: in Broadway annually.

Arender is visiting Manila to maximize his trip in Asia. He just finished filming corporate promotion materials in Macau which will be used for his Las Vegas gigs next year.

He said he does not want to miss the chance to visit Manila, which he hears a lot about from all the Filipino friends he has in Vegas.

“My agents and I are planning to accept a Valentine Show in Manila come 2016 but I can’t wait that long to see for myself how a beautiful countryside and the colors of Manila.

Plus I want to learn more about the phenomenal rise to fame of the dubsmash lady Maine Mendoza who can shed off her pretty face just to make her audience happy... She is a very refreshing character... pretty but not afraid to be animated! I am also smitten with the beauties of M.J. Lastimoza and KC Conception.”

Shea is excited to meet the Filipino press and audience and experience the advance Holiday cheers of the country... “I heard Philippines has the longest Christmas Season and I can’t wait to be a part of it!”