The Standard - 2015 October 08 - Thursday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 238  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  THURSDAY : OCTOBER 8, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Joker Arroyo dies in US at 88

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TOLENTINO RESIGNS, ENDS BID FOR SENATE

By Joel E. Zurbano and Sandy Araneta

METRO Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino announced his resignation Wednesday, few days after he came under fire for doing nothing to stop a female dance group from simulating sex acts on stage after a Liberal Party event in Laguna.

He also asked the Liberal Party to drop his name from its senatorial lineup for the 2016 elections, but in the Palace, President Benigno Aquino III praised Tolentino’s character and track record and said he was a follower of his “straight path” policy.

For the first time, Tolentino offered a public apology over the lewd dance performed by the group Playgirls, who were said to be his “surprise gift” to Laguna 4th District Rep. Benjamin Agarao during his 58th birthday party on Oct. 1. He did not admit to inviting the dancers to the party, however.

“My apologies to the women’s group because of [what] happened in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. I made a mistake and allowed that to happen,” Tolentino said during the inauguration of a new Pasig River commuter boat at the Guadalupe Station in Makati.

Tolentino also apologized to Agarao, the Liberal Party, its standard bearer Manuel Roxas II, and his own mother. Next page

Leaving. MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino packs his framed pictures in his office on Wednesday following his resignation. DANNY PATA

Bongbong: Presidency can wait

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Dinky accused of profiting from lumad

By Florante S. Solmerin and Christine F. Herrera LEFTIST lawmakers on Wednesday questioned Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman’s motive for suggesting that some 4,000 members of tribal communities displaced by the military’s

counter-insurgency campaign be relocated and be given new homes, instead of working for their peaceful return to their ancestral lands.

“We see only two reasons why… Soliman is offering relocation to the lumad,” said Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda

Ilagan said. “One is that Soliman is in cahoots with the mining and logging interests that seek to plunder ancestral lands once the lumad have been driven away and there are kickbacks to be gained in the building of lumad relocation shelters.”

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Joker Arroyo dies in US at 88

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

FORMER Senator Joker Arroyo, most remembered as the human rights lawyer who challenged the Martial Law regime in the 1970s, died on Oct. 5 following an unsuccessful heart operation in the United States.

He was 88.

Interviewed over radio dzBB, lawyer Rene Saguisag, one of Arroyo’s closest colleagues, confirmed the death of the former senator.

He described Arroyo’s death as “a shocker” because he was still strong and “good looking” and said he did not know he had been taken to the United States.

Saguisag said it was in January when they last talked after Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. was arrested by the Senate sergeant-at-arms for contempt.

The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee chaired by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III has been investigating the mayor, along with his father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, over alleged corruption charges.

Arroyo and Saguisag were present during the news briefing conducted by the younger Binay in the Senate.

Responding to queries from reporters, Arroyo said he and Saguisag were there to prevent a violation of constitutional rights, human rights and civil liberties and observe the downgrading of governance.

Saguisag said he learned about Arroyo’s death from e-mails he received.

As a pillar of the Free Legal Assistance Group during the Marcos regime, Arroyo defended then opposition Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., father of President Benigno Aquino III, before a military tribunal that sentenced him to death by musketry.

A key figure in the 1986 bloodless Edsa Revolution, he served as Makati congressman for nine years and senator for 12 years.

His term in the Senate ended on June

Tolentino...

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“I was not able to control or stop the incident that I believe has been seen by millions of people every day,” Tolentino said in Filipino, referring to video footage of the lewd dance that has propagated on the Internet.

Agarao’s birthday bash at his residence on Oct. 1 followed an oathtaking ceremony of new Liberal Party members. Roxas, who administered the oath, had left the area before the lewd dance began.

During the program, the emcee acknowledged Tolentino as the one who sponsored the dancers.

Tolentino, who only recently announced his intention to run for the Senate in 2016, denied he had brought the women, saying he was just a guest at Agarao’s party.

Agarao backed Tolentino’s story but refused to say who invited the Playgirls.

Civil society groups have filed a consolidated complaint against Tolentino before the Office of the Ombudsman for violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and the Magna Carta of Women.

Dinky...

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30, 2013, but before that, he castigated the President for the impeachment and conviction of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Together with Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ferdinand Marcos Jr., he voted for Corona’s acquittal, and dismissed the proceedings as a mere show of “naked power.”

Arroyo was also a lead prosecutor during the impeachment trial of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

“We cannot have a nation run by a thief,” Arroyo said as he signed the endorsement of Estrada’s impeachment for plunder. The impeachment trial in January 2001 was aborted, however, following the walkout of the prosecutors.

Arroyo ran for a second term in the Senate in 2007 with the campaign slogan “Pag bad ka, lagot ka!”

As a legal luminary and a human rights lawyer, he was conferred various awards and commendations for his significant contributions to the law profession and public service.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Arroyo earned sobriquets in his storied life—“The Great Dissenter, The Maverick, The Defender.”

“He was even called The Scrooge for his economical use of office funds,” he said.

During his 21-year stint in Congress, he had never traveled abroad using government money nor got his pork barrel.

“But there was one area he didn’t scrimp on. And that was offering his sharp legal mind, for free, to those who need it most but can afford it least,” Recto said. “If he had a good heart, it was because his favorite form of exercise was to bend down and pull someone out of the gutter, which he did when he was still Citizen Joker. When he arrived at the Senate, he already had a life’s worth of achievements, great victories he won without wearing the mantle of parliamentary immunity. This country owes much of its freedom to him, as do hundreds whose liberty he secured,” said Recto.

“He loved to tilt at windmills and tussle with the powerful. He was a solitary gunfighter, drawing strength from the righteousness of his crusade, never taking comfort in the number of people who

shared his belief,” Recto continued.

“Joker Arroyo was a patriot first class.

Having walked in his shadow, I will always remember him as the boy in the fable who had the courage and the candor, who never failed and never tired, to shout that the emperor was wearing no clothes,” he said.

Recto said he would raise a toast to Arroyo at the next dinner of the Wednesday Group, the informal gathering of senators that included him, Arroyo, and former Senators Francis Pangilinan and Noli de Castro.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said “for the younger generation who may not be aware of Senator Joker’s contributions to nation-building, they should know that he fought for the restoration of democracy in the Philippines.”

“He fought in the courts and in the streets for the restoration of our civil and political rights which we enjoy today,” he added.

Former Senator Manny Villar also mourned the passing of Arroyo.

“With a nation still suffering from the same problems that former Senator Joker Arroyo liked to rant on, then perhaps, the joke is now on us,” Villar said.

“Others would surely say the country lost a genuine patriot, a fighter, a human rights defender and a great Bicolano.

They will say that you would be missed.

They will say your contributions to the nation were invaluable. I will simply add that I just lost a dear friend and mentor,” he said.

On his Twitter Account, former Senator Panfilo Lacson also bid farewell to Arroyo, whom he described a “political foe, personal friend, and fellow anti-pork barrel advocate.”

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, who was defense minister during Martial Law, also paid tribute to Arroyo.

“I’m sad that a colleague like Joker has passed away and he carries with him a part of the history of the land. We were on opposite sides of the political fence on some points; we agreed on some points.

Nonetheless we discussed issues in a very noble manner according to our own perception, and now he’s gone. He’s one of the best senators ever to come by in the Senate,” Enrile said. With Maricel V. Cruz and Joel E. Zurbano

Lumad evacuees who recently met with Soliman at an evacuation center in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur, had rejected her relocation offer.

“In offering lumad evacuees relocation, Secretary Soliman simply refuses to understand and see the reasons behind the lumad’s displacement,” said Ilagan.

Another Gabriela lawmaker, Rep. Emmi De Jesus, said Soliman could not be trusted with yet another project to relocate displaced families.

“We all know how families displaced by Typhoon ‘‘Yolanda’’ have been relegated to sub-human conditions in shelters facilitated no less by the DSWD,” she said.

Gabriela and other leftist groups have insisted on the immediate pullout of soldiers from lumad communities.

“They have been forced to evacuate several times and they have been victimized several times.

We must heed their calls and not allow the lumad to be victimized over again,” De Jesus said.

In Camp Aguinaldo, Armed Forces of the Philippines Civil Relations Service chief Brig. Gen. Joselito Kakilala dismissed the pullout calls and said the soldiers were needed to protect the community from communisty rebels.

Kakilala said the New People’s Army has been “radicalizing” lumad children with communist teachings by infiltrating into the lumad schools built by non-government organizations.

“The NPA should leave all lumad communities and they should stop making these communities their own laboratories of senseless protracted war. They should stop arming the lumad to wage a bloody war with them against the government,” he said.

But Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon said he will move for the shelving of the budget of the Department of National Defense, along with the budget of the AFP, due to the defense agency’s “unapologetic and recalcitrant” stance over the

The groups said the MMDA chief failed to abide by the ethical standards for public officials who “should not show disrespect against anyone, respect the rights of others and refrain from acts contrary to law, good morals, good customs, public policy, public order, public safety and public interest.”

People on social media denounced what they saw on the video footage and photos from the party that were uploaded by unidentified persons.

“We cannot simply dismiss this incident. The LP was obviously taking cues from a rotten system of politics that the ruling classes maintain,” said Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus.

She also expressed her disappointment at Tolentino’s absence during Tuesday’s hearing for his agency’s 2016 budget.

“We would have wanted to hear an explanation straight from Chairman Tolentino on the incident. We fear that the Gender and Development Fund of the MMDA is going to waste.”

De Jesus also warned that those running for public office against using women in lewd and raunchy shows for entertainment during the campaign. “Those using guns, goons gold and girls in their campaign

clearly have no platform to deliver for their constituencies and will be rejected,” she said.

In the Palace, Aquino noted that Tolentino had apologized but praised the MMDA chief, who has been roundly criticized for failing to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila in the last five years.

“Today, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino spoke on the recent incident connected to him. He has accepted responsibility for it. With this, he has likewise decided to withdraw as a senatorial candidate of the administration,” Aquino said in a statement.

“In all his years of public service, from the time he was appointed by my mother as officer in charge of Tagaytay City in 1986 to his participation in the reform agenda as a member of my Cabinet, Francis demonstrated the dedication and dynamic leadership of a public servant committed to the common good.

It is this same commitment that encouraged him to set his sights towards serving our people in a higher capacity,” said Aquino.

“Francis is a firm advocate of Daang Matuwid. He knows that, at present, those who oppose meaningful reform will want to exploit the

incident. I believe that Chairman Tolentino is doing his part to ensure that public debate truly focuses on the continuation of Daang Matuwid and the undeniable benefits it has brought to our bosses,” the President said.

“It is also my belief that he will take the opportunity to further reflect on how he can better affect positive change in the future,” Aquino said.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda welcomed Tolentino’s statement.

“It is a recognition of valid concerns of the women’s sector and, moving forward, it is also a reminder to all those who are participating in the political process of the need to be always be mindful of how we treat... the dignity of everyone including the womenfolk,” Lacierda said.

“What happened in Laguna does not define Chairman Francis Tolentino and it should not define what he has done for us as chairman of the MMDA,” Lacierda said.

At the same time, Lacierda denied reports that Tolentino was asked to leave the LP senatorial slate.

Aquino has said the LP will name its 12 senatorial candidates on Friday, Oct. 9.

issue of campus militarization and the killing of lumad.

“One of the major issues now hounding our nation is the militarization of schools and communities, most prevalent in the ancestral land of the lumad. A major component of this issue is the intensifying militarization of lumad schools and communities,” Ridon said.

The executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development, Emerico Samarca, was found with his throat slit inside one of his classrooms on Sept. 1.

On the same day, armed men executed lumad leaders Dionel Campos and Aurelio Sinzo in front of their community.

“We simply cannot pass the budget of an agency that perpetrates heinous killings of national minorities without batting an eyelash. The AFP’s misplaced bravado will not work its charm in the House of Representatives,” Ridon said.

He accused the military of whitewashing the deaths.

Earlier, protestant bishops accused the Aquino administration of putting gold, nickel and copper ahead of people’s lives in Mindanao.

In a joint statement, the bishops said the Manobos were getting sick in the evacuation and refugee centers since they were not accustomed to “city life.”

Bishops Deogracias Iniguez, Felixberto Calang and Elmer Bolocon, of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, demanded that President Aquino pull out the military and paramilitary groups from the mountains and allow the Manobos to return home and leave them in peace.

The bishops were officials of the UCCP’s Ecumenical Bishops Forum on the Militarization of Lumad Communities.

“Why are they being driven out of their ancestral lands? The reason is money. Big foreign mining corporations want to exploit the resources of the lands known for their richness in gold, nickel and copper,” the bishops said.

The military, they said, wanted to make sure that that happens.

At the Office of the Ombudsman, representatives from labor groups filed a complaint against Tolentino, charging him with violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and the Magna Carta for Women.

“Women, in the persons of the ‘Playgirls’ were completely discriminated by allowing them to portray an obscene show in public, which is scandalous, contrary to good morals, good customs, public policy and public interest,” the 10-page complaint read.

“Public officials and employees behaving with decency and in pursuing good morals, good customs and sensitivity, should not incite, encourage or tolerate acts that appeal to prurient interest or those that are deemed dirty and intended to arouse sexual cravings more particularly in public event and setting.”

In Congress, the Gabriela women’s group sought an investigation into the incident, urging the House committees on women and gender equality and good government and public accountability look into the use of women as sexual objects during political gatherings. With Rio N. Araja and Maricel V. Cruz

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Marcos says presidency can wait SENATOR Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said he opted to run for vice president next year because he believes this is not the right time for him to run for President.

“As we have always said, the presidency is a question of destiny.

We do what we can to gain some advantage, but destiny will tell you what to do,” Marcos told a forum in Quezon City.

“I would like to continue to be in the public service, and I think I can do a great deal as a vice president,” he said.

Marcos, who has been in the public service for 25 years and whose term in the Senate ends on June 30, 2016, said the current administration does not support his family.

“This administration has not exactly been supportive of any of the Marcoses. The time is just not right to run for President this time,” Marcos said.

He said he is unfazed by the other candidates running for vice president.

“I have no plan to comment on them,” he said.

He said he would not have gone into politics if he had not been sincere about helping the country.

“My history is well known to everyone.

When I was younger I avoided politics and I did everything to avoid politics, but life brought

me back to politics,” Marcos said.

He said he does not regard his name as a burden.

“I have never felt it to be a burden. I have only felt it to be an advantage, a blessing, and I’m very thankful that I am a Marcos.”

Marcos said he decided against running with Vice President Jejomar Binay because of the wide political divide between them.

“When you talk about this kind of arrangement, you are not talking about yourself as an individual, you are talking about your camp, your group, your supporters,” he said.

He said Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte had decided not to run for President, but he may yet change his mind.

“That’s a distinct possibility. If something else happens, we will adjust,” Marcos said.

Marcos announced he would run for vice president a few hours after President Benigno Aquino III declared Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo as the running mate of Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II. Macon Ramos-araneta and Rio n. araja

On the stump. Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. waves to the crowd on his way to a forum in Quezon City on Wednesday.

LinO SantOS

Binay says PH tax system repels investors

By Vito Barcelo THE Philippines lags behind the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in attracting foreign direct investment because investors find its tax system unattractive, Vice President Jejomar Binay said Wednesday.

“The Philippines currently has the second highest personal income tax rate [32 percent] and the highest corporate income tax rate [30 percent] among its Asean-6 peers,” Binay said during an open forum at the 4th Deutsche Bank Access Philippines Conference in Makati.

“This makes the country’s tax system uninviting as the region moves toward economic integration,” he said.

Binay made the statement even as his spokesman criticized the Health department for neglecting the interest of millions of poor families in eight regions in Mindanao and the Visayas who, he said, were deprived of better health care because of unfinished projects worth P909 million.

Citing a report from the Commission on Audit, Joey Salgado said the Health department was unable to begin or finish the construction of health facilities in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Western Visayas, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN and CARAGA. “The [department] should have done something about this,” Salgado said.

“They should have monitored the projects and ensured the completion of these projects considering that government funds are involved.”

Binay said the Philippines has the highest total tax rate as a percent of commercial profits: 44.5 percent as opposed to Singapore’s 27.1 percent, Thailand’s 29.8 percent, Indonesia’s 32.2 percent, and Malaysia’s 36.3 percent.

Yet the Philippines has one of the lowest tax-toGDP ratios: 12.8 percent as opposed to Thailand’s 17.6 percent, Malaysia’s 16.1 percent, Singapore’s 13.8 percent and Indonesia’s 11.8 percent.

Binay said reducing the corporate income tax rates will entice foreign investors

to do business in the Philippines.

“We should gradually, within five years, reduce the current corporate income tax rate from 30 percent to a more realistic and reasonable rate that is consistent with our Asean peers,” Binay said.

He said that in the long term, lower income tax rates will draw more foreign investments, resulting in more jobs for the people and more revenues for the government.

He said that while the overhaul of the income tax system is estimated to cost the government P30 billion a year, the amount is just a little less than 1 percent of the P3-trillion proposed budget for 2016 and about 0.23 percent of the gross domestic product.

Escudero: Workers need a pay rise if their taxes can’t be cut

By Macon R. araneta SENATOR Francis Escudero on Wednesday called on the government to give Filipino workers a pay increase if it cannot lower the taxes it levies them.

“Since workers have not received a much-needed pay raise and are not likely to get a salary increase in the near future, I think it is high time we give them relief from paying unjust taxes,” said Escudero who is running for vice president.

He said the government has not done enough to help the workforce keep up with the rising cost of essential goods

and services.

He said the salaries of an estimated 1.4-million government workers have remained stagnant in the last three years despite the ever-increasing cost of basic commodities. ”Meanwhile, private sector employees have received minimal pay increases in the last five years,” he said.

In April, the National Wages and Productivity Commission—the key policy-making body on wages, incomes and productivity in the private sector—implemented a 15-peso adjustment in the daily minimum wage in Metro Manila, raising the minimum pay to P481 for workers in the non-

agriculture sector.

It was the fifth wage adjustment since President Benigno Aquino III assumed office in 2010, when the minimum daily salary in the nation’s capital region was P404.

“Despite the low inf lation rates, we have not seen a significant decrease in the cost of goods and services and there has been no significant increase in wages both in the public and private sectors in recent years,” Escudero said.

“This is precisely the reason I support the proposal to reduce the personal income tax rate, which at 32 percent is the highest in Southeast

Asia,” he said.

Escudero had earlier called on Congress to quickly tackle the proposed legislation to lower income taxes after Malacañang expressed willingness to take a second look at the proposal that has united labor and business groups.

The technical working group of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives has come up with a proposal that exempts individuals earning below P180,000 annually from paying income tax and imposes a 30-percent income tax on individuals earning more than P1.1 million a year.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT President Benigno S. Aquino III has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (C.A.) for confirmation the ad interim appointments of the following ranking officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines: Neneveigh L. Alcovindas, PA (Reserve), Romulus Joseph P. Canieso, PA, Haroun-Al-Rashi I. Jaji, PA, Oliver C. Maquiling, PA and Eduardo S. Dalit, PA (Reserve) – Colonel The public may submit any information, written report or sworn complaints or oppositions in forty (40) copies on the above appointments to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, DiosdadoMacapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila.

For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 551-7532, 831-0893, 831-1824, 834-2706, 831-1566 and 834-2713.

07 October 2015.

ARTURO L. TIU Secretary (TS-OCT. 8, 2015)

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Mar blamed for aid fiasco

By John Paolo Bencito THE Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines scored on Wednesday Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II for failing to implement 65.5 percent of disaster risk reduction management projects, worth P42 billion, which could have helped victims of Typhoon “Yolanda’’ in 2013.

Budget talks. Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson (left) listens to Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez explain the need for more infrastructure support in Leyte province two years after Typhoon ‘Yolanda.’ Also present at the meeting were Surigao Del Sur Rep. Philip Pichay and La Union Rep. Victor Ortega. VER NOVENO

Ping makes LP Senate slate

By Maricel V. Cruz and Sandy Araneta THE ruling Liberal Party has included former Sen. Panfilo Lacson as a guest candidate in its senatorial lineup and is threatening reelectionist Sen. Teofisto Guigona with removal from the slate supposedly because of his criticism of some Aquino administration policies.

A congressman who asked not to be named also said Las Piñas City Mark Villar, of the Nacionalista Party (NP), is withdrawing from his reported plan to join the senatorial race, a day before the LP is set to announce its complete senatorial slate at the LP headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City.

The lawmaker-source said the inclusion of Lacson was sealed Tuesday night after the ex-senator’s meeting with LP standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II and Senate President Franklin Drilon.

This, despite strong opposition from some LP stalwarts over Lacson’s inclusion because of the former senator’s “critical stand on some policies” of the

Aquino administration.

“Finally, former Senator Lacson is now part of the administration lineup.

He will be a guest candidate with a commitment that he will only join the campaign sorties of LP,” the lawmakersource said.

As for Guingona, the lawmakersource said Guingona, said some LP stalwarts are not comfortable with Guingona over “loyalty” issue, and that he earned the ire of President Benigno Aquino III over Malampaya issue.

“He is like a loose cannon. His status as of the moment is 50-50, in short he can be included or excluded,” the lawmaker-source said.

The LP senatorial aspirants which include Drilon, Sen. Ralph Recto, former Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Joel Villanueva, and former Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla.

The lawmaker-source said Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista is also “a shoo-in” senatorial aspirant despite the

opposition of presidential sister Kris Aquino whom he was dating recently.

Meanwhile, Villar, son of former Sen. Manny Villar, may not join the race senatorial after his mother, Sen. Cynthia Villar has opposed the idea of following the footsteps of Sen. Jose Estrada and former Sen. Luisa Ejercito who served the Senate in the same Congress.

The lawmaker-source said the LP was scheduled Wednesday night also to decide the fate of Philhealth Director and Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority general manager and chief operating officer Mark Lapid, and Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares’ desire to be part of the official senatorial slate of the administration party.

However, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno’s inclusion in the senatorial slate of the ruling party is still hanging after Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada wants the support of administration party.

On the other hand, House Independent Bloc leader Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has lamented the sorry state of Yolanda survivors who are still languishing in tent cities and bunkhouses for almost two years now.

“The people complained that that they haven’t seen adequate and effective assistance from the government and even local governments through the DILG so it may also be a way to assess a candidate’s performance on how he addresses and accomplishes a program,” said Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action over Radio Veritas.

The Commission on Audit said in its 2013 report that Roxas, as Secretary of the Interior and Local Governments failed “to release P65.5 percent of the P76 million 2013 DRRM fund allotment, or P42.928,044.12, resulting in a low level preparedness of local government units for disaster preparedness.”

The audit agency also reported that “donations amounting to P10 million in 2012 were supposed to be used for the relief, recovery and rehabilitation efforts for the victims of Typhoon “Pablo’’ and other typhoons but have not been used as of Dec. 31, 2013.”

Gariguez warned the public that the P42 billion may be used by politicians under the Liberal Party for the 2016 elections.

“This is a major shortcoming on the part of the DILG, based on that data. It is a shortcoming that should be acknowledged. It is important to help and it is frightening to think that the unused money could be used for the elections,” Gariguez said.

Romualdez, on the other hand, blasted the government for the slow pace of building more than 200,000 housing units in communities devastated by super typhoon despite the availability of approved funds to help millions of people who were left homeless.

“It is saddening because we have long been saying the rehabilitation for Yolanda victims is too slow. I can’t understand why that is so [although] there are donations sitting in the bank, in the savings account of the Department of Social Welfare and Development,” Romualdez said in an interview on dzXL. The National Housing Authority targeted 205,128 housing units in six regions, but only 16,544 houses had been completed as of Sept. 15. Another 87,405 additional units will be constructed once the Department of Budget and Management released P25.6 billion for next year.

HK yacht lost off Ilocos A YACHT crewed by four Westerners and a Filipino is feared sunk after Typhoon “Mujigae’’ hit the South China Sea last week, the Philippine coastguard said Tuesday.

An unidentified body and a life jacket were spotted Tuesday on an oil-slicked sea near the 18.2-meter Europa’s last known position, said coastguard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo.

“A Philippine coastguard auxiliary plane... found indications that the yacht sank at the vicinity,” he said in an interview on local ABS-CBN television network.

“They saw a lifeless body floating and a life jacket and traces of oil.”

He said Hong Kong’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center told the Filipino agency it has sent three vessels to search the area, 426 kilometers west of the northern Philippine city of Laoag.

Balilo’s office issued a statement naming the missing crew members as Britons Robin

Wyatt and Brian Turner, Alan Lundy of the United States, Canadian Harry Taylor and Filipino Rudulph Bolloloz.

The yacht had apparently been trying to steer clear of the storm and was heading toward the city of Vigan 70 kilometres south of Laoag, it added.

A Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club statement said the Hong Kong-registered boat was owned by Wyatt, whom it described as a yacht broker and experienced sailor who had hoped to reach the Filipino port of Subic Bay on Monday.

“The boat is new and on board are the skipper Robin Wyatt and four other crew members, all of whom are very experienced seamen; each having crossed the [South] China Sea a number of times,” it added.

Mujigae killed seven people after hitting southern China on Sunday.

Balilo said the storm earlier killed three people in the Philippines while 13 fishermen are missing. AFP

Singing against asthma. Filipino rock star Arnel Pineda of the American band Journey performs a song during the awarding ceremony of the Search for the Winners Against Asthma in Makati City. Pineda also suffers from asthma. DANNY PATA

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PCGG told: Comment on UCPB petition

Boxing’s loss, Senate’s gain?

By Maricel V. Cruz

Boxing icon and Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao of Sarangani has said he will be a ‘working’ senator if he wins in the elections next year.

By Rey E. Requejo The Supreme Court has directed the government to comment on the appeal seeking a reconsideration of its decision dismissing the claims of United Coconut Planters Bank and United Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corp. on the P60billion coconut levy shares in San Miguel Corp.

SC spokesman Theodore Te revealed that the tribunal ordered the Presidential Commission on Good Government to file its comment on the motion for reconsideration filed by UCPB and Cocolife.

According to Te, the SC gave PCGG 10 days from receipt of notice to comply with the order.

In their motion for reconsideration, the UCPB and Cocolife asked the tribunal to overturn its decision rendered last Aug. 11 that dismissed their petition before the Makati City regional trial court claiming a portion of the 24-percent block of shares in SMC registered under Coconut Industry Investment Fund which the SC had declared as part of the ill-gotten wealth.

They asserted on their claims and on their argument that Makati City RTC Branch 59 has jurisdiction over the case.

In favoring PCGG, the SC held that the RTC has no jurisdiction to hear and resolve suits involving sequestered coco levy assets and coco levy funds as only the Sandiganbayan has exclusive jurisdiction on such cases under the law.

Court stops Corona tax fraud cases

By Rio n. araja The Court of Tax Appeals on Wednesday issued a 60-day temporary restraining order blocking again the Wednesday arraignment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona on six charges of tax fraud.

In an en banc resolution, the tax court barred the Second Division from proceed with the cases until the en banc resolves Corona’s petition for review.

Associate Justice Caesar Casanova said the tax court en banc granted Corona’s plea for issuance of a preliminary prohibitory injunction with urgent prayer for the issuance of a TRo to stop the proceedings until the en banc resolves his petition for review.

Levelling up. This photo taken on Oct. 5, 2015 shows Philippine box-

ing icon Emmanuel Pacquiao delivering a speech declaring his intention to run for Senate at the provincial capitol in Alabel town, Sarangani Pacquiao announced Oct. 7 he would likely retire next year after one last fight to focus on a career in politics, hopefully as a senator. aFP

Pacquiao, who is the top absentee in the house of Representatives, said he might have to give up his boxing career to be able to focus on his legislative work at the Senate.

Pacquiao, the first and only eight-division world boxing champion, vowed to make it up to his legislative function by being more physically present in the Senate.

“I will give up the other things that require my attention, If you are a senator, your focus should only be on your job and your family,” the 37-year-old Pacquiao said during a dinner with house reporters at the Makati Shangri-La hotel Tuesday night.

During the First Regular Session of the 16th Congress from July 22, 2013 until June 11, 2014, Pacquiao topped the list of absentee house members, having attended only 38 out of 69 session days.

But Pacquiao, a born again Christian, said he already had been attending to his constituency work and so he had to be absent in the house plenary session from time to time.

Pacquiao also the playing coach of Mahindra (formerly Kia) in the local professional basketball league, said he was looking forward to his next boxing bout probably in March before the elections. But he was yet to pick his opponent.

The richest member of the house, Pacquiao expressed confidence in his plan to seek higher office, saying he understood the plight of every poor Filipino because he had been in that position.

Pacquiao was mum on which ticket he will be part of when he runs for senator in 2016 since both the ruling Liberal Party of standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II and the opposition United Nationalist Alliance of Vice President Jejomar Binay are trying to win him over to their sides.

Pacquiao said he is open to being adopted as a guest candidate of various parties since he does not see any complication.

But Pacquiao was quick to say he would not abandon Binay being a staunch ally of the vice president.

Iqbal urges PNoy to certify as urgent draft Moro law

By Maricel V. Cruz MoRo Islamic Liberation Front peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal asked President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday to certify as urgent the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law to enable lawmakers to approve the bill on second reading and third reading at the soonest possible time.

Iqbal, at a news conference in the house of Representatives, urged the leadership of the 16th Congress to pass the draft law in November or December.

“The only window of opportunity is the next deadline, if I

may call it as such, which will be in November to Dec. After that, it is all politics that fill the air,” Iqbal said.

“I appeal to the honorable members of both Chambers of Congress to rise to the occasion and be statesmen even for one moment in the history of this country. The fate of the BBL is in your hands, and history will judge you on how you dispense with the BBL,” Iqbal said. earlier, the leadership of the house of Representatives said that lawmakers’ “conscience votes” would decide the fate of the proposed peace measure at the house.

Press conference. Green advocates challenge the Aquino administration to reduce carbon emissions and shift to renewable energy during a press conference at the Quezon Memorial Circle on Wednesday. Lino SantoS

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Bottom-up budgeting assures Visayas of P5.5b

By Sandy Araneta

The Department of Budget and Management on Wednesday said the Visayas region received a total of P5.57 billion for 3,634 projects, under the agency’s Bottom-up-Budgeting for 2015.

The DBM said a total of P6.71 billion was proposed to support the implementation of 3,366 projects in 2016.

It said the program has an allocation of P20.9 billion in this year’s budget to support 14,300 projects in 1,590 municipalities and cities nationwide.

The Visayas region also has a total of P19.98 billion worth of BuB projects from 2013 to 2016.

In Western Visayas, 3,146 projects had P4.24 billion in budget allocation for five provinces: Aklan, 576 projects, P829.1-million budget allocation; Antique, 824, P810.1 million; Capiz, 406, P707.5 million; Guimaras, 196, P226.0 million; Iloilo, 1,144, P1.66 billion.

For Central Visayas, 3,397, P5.29 billion for Bohol, 1,236, P1.99 billion; Cebu, 1,828, P3.05 billion; Siquijor, 333, P247.2 million.

For Eastern Visayas, 4,224, P6.58 billion: Biliran, 177, P294.4 million, Eastern Samar, 575, P956.7 million; Leyte, 1,307, P2.07 billion; Northern Samar, 657, P1.13 billion; Samar (Western Samar), 892, P1.45 billion, Southern Leyte, 616, P679.5 million; For Negros Island, 2,773, P3.87 billion: Negros Occidental, 1,606, P2.26 billion; Negros Oriental, 1,167, P1.61 billion.

Meanwhile, representatives of civil society organizations participating in the Bottom-up Budgeting Summit in Cebu lauded the pro-

gram’s success in giving communities a say on how public funds may be used to address local needs.

The summit, which will end today, is meant to highlight and track the progress of the BuB, the government’s participatory planning and budgeting program, the Budget department said.

The CSOs said various measures have been undertaken to improve the implementation of BuB. These include safeguarding the autonomy in the selection of CSO representatives in the local poverty reduction action teams and the provincial focal persons in the regional poverty reduction action teams. The measures also ensure parity between government and CSO representatives, as well as affirmative action measures for women, indigenous peoples’ representation and Parent-Leaders of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries.

Another measure that improved the program is the use of quantitative and qualitative data to back up

the local poverty reduction action plans, such as the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction and Community-Based Management System and the capacity-building of third-party monitors.

This measure will help assess the implementation of the projects.

However, the CSO statement said BuB implementation needs further improvement for the program to come close to genuine participatory governance in action. It noted the slow implementation of some programs due to bureaucratic requirements.

In reference to the statement, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said he is especially proud of the sense of ownership of the CSOs, and their appreciation for what participatory budgeting can do.

“They know what it can do to change how and where public funds are used to improve the delivery of basic social services. And this gives us hope that we can take this forward,” Abad said.

Paco Park blueprint. Spain’s Ambassador to the Philippines Luis Antonio Calvo Castano (left) presents a printed version of the original blueprint of Paco Park to Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. during the turnover ceremony held at Paco Park on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The original plan of Paco Park is being kept at the Archivo Historico Nacional in Spain. DANNY PATA

DOLE sets aside P650m to cushion ill effects of El Niño

By Vito Barcelo THE Department of Labor and Employment said it has earmarked P649.81 million as emergency employment for farmers who would be displaced by El Niño’s onslaught in the country’s farming industry.

“Mature, strong El Niño is now present in the tropical Pacific Ocean, which is likely to strengthen before the end of 2015, and may last until May 2016,” Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said in citing the DOSTPagasa report.

According to Pagasa, this episode will potentially be among the four strongest since 1950, and is expected to affect 67 provinces that will experience either dry condition, dry spell, or drought.

“DOLE’s main intervention is to provide emergency employment to affected workers. We have a budget of P649.81 million for this intervention,” Baldoz said.

The fund will be dispensed in the remainder of 2015 and in the first quarter of 2016, she said.

She said P316.86 million of the total budget is readied for allocation in the fourth quarter of 2015, while another P332.95 million is available for disbursement in the first quarter of 2016.

“With this emergency employment budget, we expect to assist 69,804 farmers across the regions,” the DOLE secretary added.

Among the priority beneficiaries of the DOLE’s emergency employment program are workers in the informal sector, such as farm laborers, and workers in the formal sector, comprised of agricultural and agribusiness workers, specifically plantation workers; hired workers in farms, workers in agri-business whose inputs are primarily agricultural products; and farm workers not involved in rice production.

“The nature of the DOLE’s assistance is temporary wage employment, and the beneficiaries, aside from receiving the prevailing minimum wage in their respective areas, will be provided with group accident insurance, appropriate personal protective equipment, and orientation on safety and health prior to engagement to work. Possible work for emergency employment includes clearing activities, and repairs of infrastructure and irrigation projects,” Baldoz said.

Pay hike for domestics in HK AT LEAST 170,000 overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, mostly household service workers, will receive a pay increase starting Oct. 1, 2015 after the Hong Kong Labor Department approved the increase in the minimum wage of foreign workers in the former British colony, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said on Wednesday.

The Hong Kong government moved to increase the minimum allowable wage and food allowance of foreign household service workers, saying, it would at least improve the welfare of the families of thousands of OFWs working in Hong Kong.

“The Hong Kong Labor Department will implement an

increase of minimum allowable wage and food allowance for foreign household service workers, and this will benefit our Filipino household service workers in Hong Kong who have signed their employment contract on or after 1 October 2015,” Baldoz said.

“Effective 1 October 2015 the new minimum allowable wage would not be less than HK$4,210, while the food allowance would be not less than HK$995.00 per month,” Baldoz said, citing the report of Philippine Overseas Labor Office Hongkong Assistant Labor Attaché Nena G. German.

The new amount represents a 2.4-percent increase from $4,110 to $4,210 per month.

She said that the Hong

Kong Labor Department announced the increase last Sept.

30 in a meeting with the officers from the Consulate Generals of India, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

“The existing MAW of HK$4,110.00 and food allowance of HK$964.00 will still be accepted, provided that the contract are signed on or before 30 September 2015, and processed by the Philippine Consulate on or before 19 October 2015,” she said.

Under the Standard Employment Contract for hiring foreign household service workers, Hong Kong employers are required to provide the foreign HSWs with free food. Vito Barcelo

‘APEC-ted.’ Public-Private-Agricultural workers and advocates gather at a forum dubbed as ‘APECtado ka!’ at the Iglesia Filipina Independiente building along Taft Avenue, Manila. The forum exposed the impact of the two decades of APEC devastation on labor rights and welfare resulting in the alleged fragmentation of wages. DANNY PATA

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NEWS

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Ex-Ecija councilor shot dead

By Ferdie G. Domingo

CABANATUAN CITY—A 46-year-old former municipal councilor was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Quezon, Nueva Ecija Monday night, police reported.

Senior Supt. Manuel Cornel, provincial police director, identified the slain former councilor as Daniel Lonzanida of Barangay Bertese, Quezon.

Lonzanida, an ally of Mayor Dean Joson under the Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija, was elected town councilor of Quezon in 2010 but lost in his reelection bid in 2013.

He died on the spot after sustaining six bullet wounds, two of them piercing his head.

The motive for the attack has yet to be established.

The attack was staged by the gunmen at around 6:30 p.m. Monday along the provincial road in Purok 2, Bertese.

PO2 Rodelio Rivera, investigator of the Quezon police, said the victim was walking on said road when two men, aboard a Suzuki smash motorcycle, briefly chatted with him.

Afterwards, two more men riding in a black Honda motorcycle arrived; one of them fired at Lonzanida at point-blank range.

As Lonzanida was slumped on the pavement, the gunmen fled east.

The Suzuki motorcycle, bearing license plate 1229-QG, was later found abandoned beside an irrigation canal some 800 meters from the crime scene.

Police recovered empty shells from a .45 cal. revolver.

Solo parent declared ‘huwaran’

Making it grain. A farmer dries his harvested grains in Barangay Igulot, Bocaue, Bulacan. ANDREW RABULAN

A FAMILY from Barangay Salbang, Paoay, Ilocos Norte, led by solo parentfather Conrado Achuela is this year’s grand winner of the Search for Huwarang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino.

This is the second time that a solo parent has won the grand prize.

“This will help us get out of poverty,” he said in reference to the conditional cash transfer. Speaking one-liners in English tentatively, 59-year-old Mang Conrado believes the CCT program of the Social Welfare Department is no magic pill. He has raised his four daughters for 10 years now with some help from the program. His wife died from postpartum depression two months after she gave birth to their youngest. He remains single to this day and has no plan of getting married again. His priority now is to make sure his four children religiously go to school.

He has an impressive organic pinakbet garden and raises livestock such as chickens, goats and pigs. He encourages other families in the community to do the same. Mang Conrado said selling pigs will help them eke out a living.

His kids sells vegetables in the market three to four times a month. “We divide the earnings amoung ourselves

for our personal needs,” said the eldest Hazel who is in 3rd year college taking up BS Agriculture Major in Animal Science as a scholar at Mariano Marcos State University. She wants to be an agriculturist someday like her father.

She admits that the cash his father gets from DSWD’s 4Ps as a beneficiary is not enough but the latter makes sure it is spent for their educational needs.

The family bested four others—two pastors and two other organic farmers from Antique, Bohol, Benguet, and Laguna. The five finalists were chosen from a roster of regional winners. “Someday we will get out of poverty. It is bound to get better because the kids are in school,” Mang Conrado received a trophy and P30,000 cash prize on top of his P20,00 reward as regional winner. He intends to use some amount to start his piggery to help other fathers start theirs.

The annual search is now on its 4th year. “Like what Mang Conrado has shown, the search is looking for that family that embodies resiliency, faith and hope for a better future.

Hindi lang umaasa kundi nagsisipag.

He has this quiet strength and is very hardworking,” said Christina Gates, a clinical psychologist who served as one of the national judges.

State pension agency offers enhanced emergency loan THE Government Service Insurance System is offering an enhanced emergency loan to active members and oldage pensioners affected by calamities in the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Isabela; municipalities of Baganga, Tarragona, and Manay in Davao Oriental; and Datu Piang in Maguindanao.

In August, Ilocos Norte experienced heavy rainfall and flash floods due to typhoon “Ineng”. Drought struck Isabela and the municipalities of Manay and Baganga, where dengue outbreak was also declared. Climatic conditions damaged livelihood in Tarragona. Rio Grande de Mindanao overflowed in Datu Piang due to excessive rains.

GSIS has earmarked P1.18 billion for emergency loans for its 38,159 members and 6,930 pensioners in the said areas to help them recover from the damages wrought by the calamities.

GSIS members who are working or residing in the declared calamity areas, in active service, not on leave of ab-

sence without pay, have no arrearages in the payment of social insurance contributions, have no loan that has been declared in default, and have no pending administrative or criminal cases may apply for the loan.

Qualified members availing of the emergency loan for the first time are entitled to P20,000 while those who have an existing emergency loan may borrow P40,000. The latter’s outstanding balance shall be deducted from the proceeds of the new emergency loan. Old-age pensioners, meanwhile, are qualified for a P20,000 emergency loan.

Old-age pensioners who are also active GSIS members may avail of the loan only once.

An emergency loan carries a 6-percent interest rate per annum and is payable in 36 equal monthly installments. It is covered by a loan redemption insurance, which deems the loan fully paid in case of demise of the borrower, provided he or she has up-todate loan repayments.

Ready for battle. A Special Weapon and Tactics member of the Philippine National Police Regional Office 1 prepares to augment local police in providing security for the filing of the certificates of candidacy beginning Monday. CHRISTINE JUNIO

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A9

OPINION CELLPHONES AND WIRETAPPING

[ EDI TORI A L ]

TOLENTINO’S TOTALITY

d

THIS week, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino said he was withdrawing from the senatorial race even before he had officially launched his candidacy. This announcement came at the same time that he said he was quitting MMDA. Tolentino’s actions were precipitated by the so-called twerking scandal that accompanied the oathtaking ceremonies of 80 new Liberal Party members in Laguna and the birthday celebration of a yellow lawmaker from there, Rep. Benjamin Agarao. Several skimpily-clad women, collectively known as The Playgirls, performed a dance number that simulated sexual acts. The whole time, the emcee was thanking Tolentino for bringing the girls over as a gift to the lawmaker.

The MMDA chairman apologized and accepted responsibility for what happened, but only for not being able to stop the lewd dancing. He said nothing about being the one who brought the girls over—in fact, he had denied doing so several days ago. This despite photos circulating on social media that Tolentino had the tendency to provide such kinds of entertainment at political gatherings. We really would not know.

It’s a relief he would be out of the MMDA as well, because he should have gone a long time ago when it became clear he would not be able to fix the traffic mess in Metro Manila, or at least keep it from getting worse. Staying on while failing to improve the situation was already a disservice.

This week, too, several organizations filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Tolentino for dereliction of duty for the times he visited the provinces when his job was in Metro Manila, aside from violations of the Magna Carta for Women for his role in the Playgirls incident.

The Palace and the Liberal party’s presidential bet Manuel Roxas II have only kind words to say about Tolentino, even as Malacañang spokesman denied Tolentino was pressured to drop out of the race. This is no heroic feat, though, and Tolentino is not a saint who must be extolled. In the first place, they could just be cutting their losses this early, because given his miserable job at the MMDA, a Tolentino victory was a dim possibility, even without the twerking scandal.

But no, Roxas just would not be stopped. He said the “mistake” did not reflect the totality of Francis Tolentino and his service to our people and that he was a true believer of Daang Matuwid.

But what defines the totality of Tolentino, or that of any other official, for that matter?

Are we supposed to count only the hours spent on the job? Results and the attainment of performance targets? Shall it include the kind of person that they are, with or without the packaging?

In this case, the Liberal Party did what it was supposed to do. If it held on to Tolentino, totally or partially, it would send the message that it was condoning whatever mistake it was that Tolentino had apologized for regarding the performance.

We only wished the administration acted more deliberately, firing its officials when they did not do their jobs. Tolentino’s failure to carry out his mandate at the MMDA and his obvious attempts at using his position for political gain are mistakes that also contribute to his totality.

A POLITICAL OBITUARY LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES ON SATURDAY, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will declare for the presidency together with his vice presidential running mate, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The announcement ceremony is tentatively scheduled to be held in the historic district of Intramuros in Manila. *** I’ve been one of the harshest

critics over the years of Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino.

And I’d be a hypocrite if I said that I’m sad to see him go.

But there’s still hope, I think, for the man. After all, under intense pressure to resign as MMDA chairman and to quit the Senate race, Tolentino did just that.

And for good measure, Tolentino apologized for his involvement in last week’s twerking incident during a Liberal Party swearing-in ceremony in Laguna. As we all know, accepting blame is somewhat of a lost

art under this totally self-righteous and blame-tossing administration.

Of course, Tolentino never really admitted his role as the contractor (through intermediaries, of course) of the now-famous sexy dance group known as The Playgirls for the birthday bash of Laguna Rep. Benjamin Agarao. Nor did he admit that he’s been a regular client of the dance troupe over the years.

I also believe that Tolentino resigned and decided not to run for the Senate for the wrong reason, which is the fallout of the twerking incident. I believe

I hope Tolentino has learned that he cannot substitute dancing girls for actual performance on the job.

Tolentino should have resigned long ago for messing up the traffic in Metro Manila.

Again, I must clarify that Tolentino didn’t create the traffic mess by himself. And the everworsening gridlock that millions of Metro Manila residents have to deal with daily will not be solved simply because Tolentino is now gone.

No, the traffic that copped the top prize as world’s worst in a survey conducted by the people who made Waze was not entirely Tolentino’s fault.

His participation was limited to pretending that it could be fixed with band-aid measures and then staying on even when it became perfectly clear that these would not work.

The world-beating traffic mess was the direct result of an administration that did not think more infrastructure was needed in Metro Manila despite the very obvious growth in the number of vehicles purchased every year for the past five years. And it was aggravated by the failure of the same administration to maintain and improve the mass transit systems that it inherited, the fully-functioning MRT, LRT and PNR train networks that it has allowed to break down.

Tolentino just dreamed up gimmicks

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like asking a priest to bless Edsa and making traffic enforcers wear shorts.

He must have known very early on that even if he had superhuman powers (which he did not), he could not succeed until his boss President Noynoy Aquino disabused himself of the belief that traffic is actually a good thing, because it was an indicator of economic growth.

Of course, the real reason Tolentino stayed on was to raise his profile in order to make himself a viable contender for a Senate run in 2016. His mistake

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was to believe that his Sisyphean task of managing Metro Manila was going to make him senator.

Because the truth is, no MMDA chairman, without the stalwart and constant support of the incumbent President, is going to succeed in his task. And even if he does, he is not going to be a popular person, especially among the mayors who will attempt to block his every move to protect their own turf (if you don’t believe me, I refer you to Bayani Fernando).

Continued on A11

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

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

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

I WAS recently interviewed by a radio station on the applicability of the Anti-Wiretapping Law on a cellphone video showing a Metro Manila Development Authority traffic enforcer attempting to fleece money —“tongpats”—from a female driver. This is the second time I was asked for my opinion on the applicability of the law. The first was when then-Justice Secretary Gonzales threatened media outfits with criminal prosecution for violation of the said law should they air the so-called Hello Garci tape.

My answer remains the same: since criminal laws are construed strictly, the law must be applied literally. Since the 1965 law’s coverage is limited to “dictaphone or dictagraph or dectaphone or walkie-talkie or tape recorder,” a cellular video, not being among those enumerated in the law, should be excluded from its coverage.

This is not a personal opinion but based on jurisprudence. In Gaanan vs. IAC and People of the Philippines, the issue was whether the law covered the recording of a telephone conversation through a telephone extension. The Supreme Court ruled that it was not: “An extension telephone cannot be placed in the same category as a dictaphone, dictagraph or the other devices enumerated in Section 1 of RA No. 4200 as the use thereof cannot be considered as “tapping” the wire or cable of a telephone line. The telephone extension in this case was not installed for that purpose. It just happened to be there for ordinary office use. It is a rule in statutory construction that in order to determine the true intent of the legislature, the particular clauses and phrases of the statute should not be taken as detached and isolated expressions, but the whole and every part thereof must be considered in fixing the meaning of any of its parts.”

Moreover, the strict interpretation given by the court the phrase “device or arrangement” is pursuant to the rule that criminal statutes shall be construed in favor of the accused. Said the Court: Furthermore, it is a general rule that penal statutes must be construed strictly in favor of the accused.

Thus, in case of doubt as in the case at bar, on whether or not an extension telephone is included in the phrase “device or arrangement,” the penal statute must be construed as not including an extension telephone. In the case of People v. Purisima, 86 SCRA 542, 562, we explained the rationale behind the rule: The rationale for this, according to the Court quoting from American jurisprudence, is “to establish a certain rule by conformity to which mankind would be safe, and the discretion of the court limited.”

“The purpose is not to enable a guilty person to escape punishment through a technicality but to provide a precise definition of forbidden acts.”

In any case, rather than chilling the people from exercising their inherent right to 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

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

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A9

OPINION CELLPHONES AND WIRETAPPING

[ EDI TORI A L ]

TOLENTINO’S TOTALITY

d

THIS week, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino said he was withdrawing from the senatorial race even before he had officially launched his candidacy. This announcement came at the same time that he said he was quitting MMDA. Tolentino’s actions were precipitated by the so-called twerking scandal that accompanied the oathtaking ceremonies of 80 new Liberal Party members in Laguna and the birthday celebration of a yellow lawmaker from there, Rep. Benjamin Agarao. Several skimpily-clad women, collectively known as The Playgirls, performed a dance number that simulated sexual acts. The whole time, the emcee was thanking Tolentino for bringing the girls over as a gift to the lawmaker.

The MMDA chairman apologized and accepted responsibility for what happened, but only for not being able to stop the lewd dancing. He said nothing about being the one who brought the girls over—in fact, he had denied doing so several days ago. This despite photos circulating on social media that Tolentino had the tendency to provide such kinds of entertainment at political gatherings. We really would not know.

It’s a relief he would be out of the MMDA as well, because he should have gone a long time ago when it became clear he would not be able to fix the traffic mess in Metro Manila, or at least keep it from getting worse. Staying on while failing to improve the situation was already a disservice.

This week, too, several organizations filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Tolentino for dereliction of duty for the times he visited the provinces when his job was in Metro Manila, aside from violations of the Magna Carta for Women for his role in the Playgirls incident.

The Palace and the Liberal party’s presidential bet Manuel Roxas II have only kind words to say about Tolentino, even as Malacañang spokesman denied Tolentino was pressured to drop out of the race. This is no heroic feat, though, and Tolentino is not a saint who must be extolled. In the first place, they could just be cutting their losses this early, because given his miserable job at the MMDA, a Tolentino victory was a dim possibility, even without the twerking scandal.

But no, Roxas just would not be stopped. He said the “mistake” did not reflect the totality of Francis Tolentino and his service to our people and that he was a true believer of Daang Matuwid.

But what defines the totality of Tolentino, or that of any other official, for that matter?

Are we supposed to count only the hours spent on the job? Results and the attainment of performance targets? Shall it include the kind of person that they are, with or without the packaging?

In this case, the Liberal Party did what it was supposed to do. If it held on to Tolentino, totally or partially, it would send the message that it was condoning whatever mistake it was that Tolentino had apologized for regarding the performance.

We only wished the administration acted more deliberately, firing its officials when they did not do their jobs. Tolentino’s failure to carry out his mandate at the MMDA and his obvious attempts at using his position for political gain are mistakes that also contribute to his totality.

A POLITICAL OBITUARY LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES ON SATURDAY, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will declare for the presidency together with his vice presidential running mate, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The announcement ceremony is tentatively scheduled to be held in the historic district of Intramuros in Manila. *** I’ve been one of the harshest

critics over the years of Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino.

And I’d be a hypocrite if I said that I’m sad to see him go.

But there’s still hope, I think, for the man. After all, under intense pressure to resign as MMDA chairman and to quit the Senate race, Tolentino did just that.

And for good measure, Tolentino apologized for his involvement in last week’s twerking incident during a Liberal Party swearing-in ceremony in Laguna. As we all know, accepting blame is somewhat of a lost

art under this totally self-righteous and blame-tossing administration.

Of course, Tolentino never really admitted his role as the contractor (through intermediaries, of course) of the now-famous sexy dance group known as The Playgirls for the birthday bash of Laguna Rep. Benjamin Agarao. Nor did he admit that he’s been a regular client of the dance troupe over the years.

I also believe that Tolentino resigned and decided not to run for the Senate for the wrong reason, which is the fallout of the twerking incident. I believe

I hope Tolentino has learned that he cannot substitute dancing girls for actual performance on the job.

Tolentino should have resigned long ago for messing up the traffic in Metro Manila.

Again, I must clarify that Tolentino didn’t create the traffic mess by himself. And the everworsening gridlock that millions of Metro Manila residents have to deal with daily will not be solved simply because Tolentino is now gone.

No, the traffic that copped the top prize as world’s worst in a survey conducted by the people who made Waze was not entirely Tolentino’s fault.

His participation was limited to pretending that it could be fixed with band-aid measures and then staying on even when it became perfectly clear that these would not work.

The world-beating traffic mess was the direct result of an administration that did not think more infrastructure was needed in Metro Manila despite the very obvious growth in the number of vehicles purchased every year for the past five years. And it was aggravated by the failure of the same administration to maintain and improve the mass transit systems that it inherited, the fully-functioning MRT, LRT and PNR train networks that it has allowed to break down.

Tolentino just dreamed up gimmicks

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like asking a priest to bless Edsa and making traffic enforcers wear shorts.

He must have known very early on that even if he had superhuman powers (which he did not), he could not succeed until his boss President Noynoy Aquino disabused himself of the belief that traffic is actually a good thing, because it was an indicator of economic growth.

Of course, the real reason Tolentino stayed on was to raise his profile in order to make himself a viable contender for a Senate run in 2016. His mistake

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was to believe that his Sisyphean task of managing Metro Manila was going to make him senator.

Because the truth is, no MMDA chairman, without the stalwart and constant support of the incumbent President, is going to succeed in his task. And even if he does, he is not going to be a popular person, especially among the mayors who will attempt to block his every move to protect their own turf (if you don’t believe me, I refer you to Bayani Fernando).

Continued on A11

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I WAS recently interviewed by a radio station on the applicability of the Anti-Wiretapping Law on a cellphone video showing a Metro Manila Development Authority traffic enforcer attempting to fleece money —“tongpats”—from a female driver. This is the second time I was asked for my opinion on the applicability of the law. The first was when then-Justice Secretary Gonzales threatened media outfits with criminal prosecution for violation of the said law should they air the so-called Hello Garci tape.

My answer remains the same: since criminal laws are construed strictly, the law must be applied literally. Since the 1965 law’s coverage is limited to “dictaphone or dictagraph or dectaphone or walkie-talkie or tape recorder,” a cellular video, not being among those enumerated in the law, should be excluded from its coverage.

This is not a personal opinion but based on jurisprudence. In Gaanan vs. IAC and People of the Philippines, the issue was whether the law covered the recording of a telephone conversation through a telephone extension. The Supreme Court ruled that it was not: “An extension telephone cannot be placed in the same category as a dictaphone, dictagraph or the other devices enumerated in Section 1 of RA No. 4200 as the use thereof cannot be considered as “tapping” the wire or cable of a telephone line. The telephone extension in this case was not installed for that purpose. It just happened to be there for ordinary office use. It is a rule in statutory construction that in order to determine the true intent of the legislature, the particular clauses and phrases of the statute should not be taken as detached and isolated expressions, but the whole and every part thereof must be considered in fixing the meaning of any of its parts.”

Moreover, the strict interpretation given by the court the phrase “device or arrangement” is pursuant to the rule that criminal statutes shall be construed in favor of the accused. Said the Court: Furthermore, it is a general rule that penal statutes must be construed strictly in favor of the accused.

Thus, in case of doubt as in the case at bar, on whether or not an extension telephone is included in the phrase “device or arrangement,” the penal statute must be construed as not including an extension telephone. In the case of People v. Purisima, 86 SCRA 542, 562, we explained the rationale behind the rule: The rationale for this, according to the Court quoting from American jurisprudence, is “to establish a certain rule by conformity to which mankind would be safe, and the discretion of the court limited.”

“The purpose is not to enable a guilty person to escape punishment through a technicality but to provide a precise definition of forbidden acts.”

In any case, rather than chilling the people from exercising their inherent right to 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

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

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

WHO WILL BE THE LAST MAN/ WOMAN STANDING? TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

City, his homeground and bailiwick. Speculation has it that it will finally be a Duterte-Marcos tandem, aimed at solidifying voterich Ilocanda and the Cebuanos.

At this stage of the presidential race, It’s still anybody’s game.

While I have written earlier that Binay remains the frontrunner, I could only make a fearless forecast. I have been a journalist for 65 years. I know that having funding and grassroots machinery is crucial to winning the presidency.

With Roxas being fielded by the administration— with all its advantages—the return bout with Binay can be interesting to watch.

Of course, Grace Poe will be somebody to watch as well—unless the Senate Electoral Tribunal disqualifies her for not being a natural-born Filipino.

I CAN’T start this column without first extending to the family of the late Senator Joker Arroyo my sincerest condolences. I condole especially with his wife, lawyer Fely Aquino.

I knew Joker well. He is as old as I am—88 years.

In fact, when I was taking up my Bachelor of Arts degree in Ateneo, we were classmates in some law subjects. Joker was my ROTC commandant since my former classmate, former vice president, foreign affairs and justice secretary Tito Guingona, could only reach the rank of sergeant.

When Joker became senator after serving nine years as Makati’s representative, we engaged in some kind of “word war,” calling each other names in print, until my wife told me to stop it.

Thus, I wrote, to Joker: “I am ending this word war It’s still because my wife anybody’s game threatened to stop talking to me if I at this stage. don’t.” After that, Joker and I again became good friends as were in college.

I cannot forget Joker when he deThe game changer, as scribed the Aquino administration as a “student some opinion writers say, council.” Well said, Joker, is Davao City Mayor Roand may flights of angels drigo Duterte. People want a strong-willed president. sing you to your rest.

If it comes to pass that *** If I am not mistaken, it we would have a Dutertewill be a four-way fight for Bongbong Marcos teamup, it could well make the difthe presidency in 2016.

First, there is Vice Presi- ference in the presidential dent Jejomar Binay, who race. But while we want to never looked back when be crime-free and drughe announced years ago his free, many also fear that bid for the No. 1 position of Duterte can cross the line to dictatorship. the land. *** Then came former InteMetro Manila Developrior Secretary Mar Roxas, President Aquino’s anoint- ment Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino contined one.

Soon enough came Sen- ues to receive flak over ator Grace Poe Llaman- the lewd performance of zares, a first-termer in the The Playgirls in last week’s Senate without an iota of birthday party of Laguna experience in governance. Rep. Benjamin Agarao.

Reports state that She believes that since she topped the 2013 senato- MMDA Chairman Tolenrial race and she is leading tino arrived at the event at in the poll surveys, she is the same time as The Playautomatically the people’s girls. This led the emcee to mistakenly announce choice.

Now, comes Davao that it was Tolentino who Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, brought the group supposwho is set to announce his edly as entertainment gift candidacy for President for Agarao’s birthday.

Unfortunately for Toin Laoag, Ilocos Norte, a Marcos bailiwick. Why lentino, this is political there? Why not in Davao season. He has become

MERKEL SHOULD WIN THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE nomic fallout for Germany was far more serious than for the US Merkel ODDS on who’s going to win the Nobel knew the sanctions would have little Peace Prize, to be awarded on Friday, immediate effect. Last year, she reare so hard to make that one could easily called that it took 40 years for ecoarbitrage various bookmakers. I’m not a nomic pressure to bring down the East betting man, but I hope the prize goes German regime. So she maintained a to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. relationship with Putin, serving as his She’s the favorite now, with average odds main Western interlocutor at a time when other Western leaders gave up. of about 6-1, and she deserves to win.

The field is strong. It includes Pope Grimly, she listened to him dissemFrancis, who this year helped restore bling and looked for an opening to pull relations between the US and Cuba; him toward a compromise. Few people the Russian investigative newspaper believed that the Minsk ceasefire, enNovaya Gazeta, which did a great job gineered by Merkel and French Presicovering Russia’s hybrid war in east- dent Francois Hollande last February ern Ukraine; and Congolese gyne- and amended last week in Paris, would cologist Denis Mukwege, who helps stop the fighting in eastern Ukraine, women gang-raped in the course of but it has: People are no longer dyhis country’s civil war. Other con- ing there, though a political solution tenders are Mussie Zerai, the Eritrean still hasn’t been reached. In the face of priest who helps save refugees in the a new threat, Merkel maintained soliMediterranean by taking their coor- darity with the US and Ukraine, and dinates by satellite phone and passing yet kept the channels open.

Merkel is likely to be most rememthe information on to the European naval rescue units; and the Japanese bered for her treatment of the refugee pacifists who want to preserve Article crisis. The chancellor decided to bend 9 of the country’s Constitution, which European rules and accept those fleeing the Syrian war rather than send declares Japan demilitarized.

Yet I would argue that no one has them back to their EU country of entry. done as much as Merkel this year for At the cost of billions of euros—an extra four billion this year, to be precise— peace, and for people fleeing war.

The German chancellor has faced at Germany mounted a resettlement opleast three issues this year which could eration that strained its considerable have serious consequences for the bureaucratic and law-enforcement global order: Putin’s attack on Ukraine; capability. Though it hasn’t all gone the refugee crisis stemming from the smoothly, Merkel managed to use the Syrian war; and the Greek crisis, which window of opportunity Germans’ symthreatened to undermine the euro area pathy for the asylum-seekers gave her and the European Union itself—an or- last summer to get hundreds of thouganization that won the Nobel Peace sands housed and fed. She has been Prize in 2012 for its “advancement of accused of both enticing more refupeace and reconciliation, democracy gees to take dangerous voyages from and human rights in Europe.” In none the Middle East and, from the opposite of these cases did she take the easy flank, of being not sensitive enough to path, and in all her stand was logical their plight as she insisted Germany and principled, though each of the so- couldn’t take everyone.

She may have sacrificed her politilutions she advocated got plenty of flak.

In handling the Ukrainian crisis, cal future to pursue that course. In the Merkel broke with Germany’s tradition next few years, Germany, as Europe’s of maintaining a warm and business- biggest country of immigration, will like relationship with Russia, pushing face integration problems that could for sanctions against Putin to match undermine the ruling CDU party’s the US restrictions, though the eco- support in the 2017 election. The far-

By Leonid Bershidsky

A POLITICAL ... From A9 I understand that Tolentino, a lawyer and longtime mayor of Tagaytay City, was first offered a job at the Commission on Elections as his reward for helping make Aquino win in 2010. But for some reason, Tolentino thought that being MMDA chairman was more to his liking and in consoconvenient target for those itching to engage in political grandstanding and mudslinging, but also among his rivals in the administration party’s senatorial slot. Understandably, some of Tolentino’s rivals are now calling on the party bosses to drop Tolentino from the LP ticket.

The Gabriela party-list is even threatening to charge Tolentino, ignoring his insistence that he had nothing to do with the presence of those bikini-clad girls.

It is, however, quite ironic that Gabriela’s Liza Masa should be at the forefront of

nance with his future political plans—never mind if, as mayor of a provincial resort town, he was awfully unprepared for the job of running the daily lives of 16.5 million (as of 2010) residents of the country’s biggest and most chaotic urban area.

I’m told Tolentino is returning to Tagaytay and will run as mayor of that city again, now that he has quit the race for the Senate. I hope

the group’s plan to charge Tolentino when she is said to have been featured in social media together with VP-aspirant Bongbong Marcos and former Rep. Satur Ocampo watching the “kembot girls” doing a similar dance number.

Santa Banana, if there are people who should be charged with exploitation and abuse of women, it should be the managers of these girls and those who recruited the group and convinced them to simulate the scandalous, explicit sexual acts.

The girls themselves

right protest movement is already regaining strength in her native eastern Germany. Yet she’s done more for the refugees than any other politician and she’s certainly helped more families to safety than the Pope or Zerai.

The chancellor’s role in the Greek crisis is perhaps the most controversial: For months, she played the Teutonic tank trying to run a rebellious Greek government into the ground.

Yet hindsight may prove her approach correct. Rather than allow Greece to flout European rules and set a bad example for others, she got it back on EU life support, under tougher conditions than before, but perhaps with better chances of survival. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who bowed to the demands of Germany and its northern European allies, has been re-elected, signed up to the austerity course he originally opposed. The euro zone is for the moment intact, disruptive hard-left forces discouraged throughout the EU. As ever with Merkel, a happy ending is still far off and requires a lot of work, but worstcase scenarios have not come to pass.

The nation she leads has one of the darkest histories of any state in the world. Leadership in Europe, and increasingly in the wider world, is being thrust upon Germany because of its size and economic power. A Nobel Peace Prize for Merkel would show that her way of handling that burden is the right one and that her country has made great progress since the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, got his 1990 prize in part for helping Germany reunite.

In a recent memoir, Geir Lundestad, former secretary of the Nobel Peace Prize committee, revealed that Obama received the award in 2009 in part to strengthen him and encourage him toward great deeds. He then went on to admit that the ploy didn’t work; even his supporters were uneasy with the advance he received. No one can say Merkel hasn’t worked hard for peace under the toughest political conditions; but she, too, needs encouragement— perhaps more than Obama. Bloomberg he attempts to give The Playgirls some bookings during his campaign in the city, to make up a bit for all the foregone revenues of the group, now that he is no longer going on a nationwide campaign.

More importantly, I hope Tolentino has learned that he cannot substitute dancing girls for actual performance on the job. And I hope, for his sake, that he stays in his city for good.

are not to be absolved from blame even if their job calls them to do sexy numbers. They or their managers should have at the very least noticed the presence of women and minors in the gathering and appropriately tame the performance.

As for those advocacy groups railing against the incident, maybe it would do well for them to undertake a program that would educate the vulnerable groups among women on how to respect themselves and maintain their dignity even as they struggle to

earn an honest livelihood.

Like it or not, these have become accepted facts in the evolution of our culture and our society.

There are noontime shows viewed by countless number of impressionable young people where girls are induced to wear skimpy costumes. I am no prude but I do believe that scenes as these have no place in family entertainment.

What is worrisome is that Comelec itself said that there’s nothing in the Omnibus Election Law banning the acts of The Playgirls.

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

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

TRAFFIC RELIEF IN THE last few weeks that the traffic of Metro Manila has taken centerstage, every facet of the issue has been dissected by laymen and so-called traffic experts alike. One writer even wrote that the road is not for vehicles but for the people. The discourse has certainly been very informative in the sense that many practical solutions have been suggested. Some however, are not doable under the circumstance and still others will take years to implement.

The only remaining thing to do now is how to plan and execute the doable solutions. Part of my experience in traffic management is that the Filipino motorist—whether a car owner or a simple commuter relying on public transportation—is not at all difficult to please. As we say in Filipino, mababaw lang ang kaligayahan ng motorista.

And what the ordinary motorist simply wants is a little traffic relief. By this I mean that instead of the two hours it takes to traverse Edsa, if this can be shortened by 20 or 25 minutes, and vehicles kept moving continuously even at a slow pace, motorists would be happy. What the motorists cannot stand is traffic that grinds to a complete halt.

Is this doable? I believe so, if our traffic management authorities would just concentrate on immediate remedies. Along Edsa, it was right to ban pedicabs and tricycles. These two are the worst violators of traffic rules.

They routinely disregard traffic

regulations and endanger other motorists and themselves. In Jakarta, Indonesia, when the traffic authorities decided to ban tricycles during the time of President Suharto, and after a sufficient public information campaign, tricycles caught violating the ban were all confiscated.

Of course we cannot do that here but if we want traffic to flow, we must be strict in enforcement. There was a threat to close the Balintawak market but was later withdrawn.

This was a mistake. The market should really be closed permanently. If not for the traffic congestion it is causing, it is for safety and sanitation. The place is dangerous for fire and health reasons. Rodents are commonly seen running along Edsa. Yet, people flock to the place. Already, the vendors insist on going back and using the sidewalk. The Balintawak problem has always been a seesaw battle between the vendors and traffic authorities with the vendors winning most of the time. With the media attention this time, the traffic authorities appear to be winning. I doubt, however, if this would last long because there is a lot of money to be made in that dirty and unsafe market. This is the reason why it is so difficult to clear the road and sidewalk permanently. We must make up our minds whether we want better traffic flow or allow the ven-

dors to earn a living and let everyone else suffer the daily traffic gridlock.

I passed by Edsa on my own way north a couple of days ago and saw a tricycle at about ten in the morning openly defying the ban. It was not a reassuring sight considering the media hoopla of prohibiting tricycles and vendors.

There has to be consistency in enforcement. This I know is hard to do. This is because it has become customary in this country that traffic regulations are routinely violated. Where else can you hear a common expression that a red light is optional?. This is perhaps why Metro Manila has been voted by one study as having the worst traffic in the world.

There is also another curiosity in this country in that the bulk of the work to improve traffic is by enforcement. But it should not be this way. The government cannot provide a traffic enforcer for every road intersection or guard the 90 percent of drivers who routinely violate traffic rules. The rule is that if one has a driver license, that the driver is supposed to know traffic regulations and needs only a minimum of supervision. What is happening, however, is that only a small percentage of drivers obey traffic rules and the rest do not. The result is the gridlock we are seeing on the streets every day.

This is happening, not only in Metro Manila but all over the

CELLPHONE... From A9 country. Our traffic authorities should just go back to the basic three Es in traffic management.

Strict and consistent Enforcement of traffic laws. For the rich, as well as the poor. Clearing the roads of illegal obstructions is a good Engineering effort. The road should not be converted into repair shops or loading and unloading stations nor should roads and sidewalks be used for dwelling. An immediate survey should be done on all the streets of the Metro area so that traffic signs could be posted and installed. This way, there is bases for many of the apprehensions to be made. The next, which has not been suggested in the past few weeks, is that everyone renewing their driver’s license must retake the written examination and undergo a day or two of seminar. This is necessary in order to improve driver discipline which is causing about 30 percent of the traffic problem.

I am sure that a lot will again complain about this but traffic Education is absolutely necessary if we want to improve traffic flow.

These so-called three Es have been discussed before but concentration has been on enforcement, a little on engineering, but none whatsoever on education. The seminar portion can jointly be undertaken by the Highway Patrol Group and the Land Transportation Office, the agency responsible for issuing millions of licenses with so much ease—the cause of lax road discipline.

FACEBOOK IS FOLLOWING YOU when you actually like, “like” something, but when you load YOU knew that, right? How else a page that has a “like” button would Facebook know to serve on it. They want Facebook to that panda video straight into agree to use a “Do Not Track” your newsfeed, and leave your standard that will keep all that college friend’s ill-informed potentially profitable data from rant about Pacific trade deals the greedy eyes of advertisers. in the dark bowels of its servOf course people should be ers? How else would it know able to hide data about what to serve you with 7,000 ads sites they use. But there’s a for wedding dress vendors the perfectly good way to do this: very day you announce your Stay signed out of Facebook engagement? How, my friend, and tell your browser not to accould it deliver that invitation cept cookies, or otherwise let to “like” the Doritos Locos taco advertisers follow you around when you had only just yourself the web. The problem is, this realized that you were craving level of security is incredibly terrible Mexican food? inconvenient, because you have Facebook knows what you to spend a lot of time painfully like. It knows what you don’t re-entering data. The other like. It probably knows whether problem is that naive users, you have been naughty or nice, who probably don’t spend a lot and will be selling that data to of time thinking about privacy, Santa this Christmas season. won’t bother.

This bothers many people, But what obligation do comespecially since Facebook panies really have to naive users keeps expanding the list of who don’t spend a lot of time things it knows about you, and thinking about privacy? Some the ways it is willing to use that of these users undoubtedly data to make money. The re- don’t realize that they are excent announcement that Face- posed, but we should not reject book would soon target ads out of hand the possibility that using your “likes” and “shares” most of them really don’t care has triggered some Olympic- enough—at least, not enough level teeth-gnashing from the to put up with all that inconElectronic Frontier Founda- venience. Enforcing someone tion, because Facebook will get else’s preferences about privacy information from you not just may not be liberating; it may be

By Megan McArdle

counterproductive.

For let us remember that, dingy and dispiriting as it may be, these companies do need to make money. There’s an old saying in advertising: If you can’t figure out what’s being sold, then you’re the product.

“Free” products and services usually aren’t; someone has to finance them, and if they’re not charging you for your use, then they’re charging someone else to use you. Privacy-obsessed folks who carefully hide their activity from the Internet, and ad-hating readers who install blockers, are effectively having their free media and social media platforms subsidized by the folks who don’t know or don’t mind. Because someone has to read the ads that pay the bills.

The interwebs are full of splendid things that social media companies could do to make life easier for various people, and perhaps better for society, if only those social media companies didn’t have to make money. The problem is, if the social media companies implemented them all, they would probably go out of business. That would, of course, take care of problems like Twitter harassment and Facebook’s stalker-like record of your Internet activity, but most people

A11

do seem to like having those social media platforms, even at the expense of some exposure to these risks.

No one fix would be unlikely to bring about the death of the firm. But there’s a problem with this, which you see a lot in politics: Someone will say “We’ve got this modest plan, and it would only raise costs [or lower revenue], by some small amount, say, what we could raise with a one-cent surtax on ballpoint pens,” and this is true. Except there are several thousand people who have similarly modest plans, and the next thing you know ballpoint pens cost $20 apiece and the drugstore has to lock them up with the pregnancy tests. The collective weight of the suggestions for improvement (and the third-party software to facilitate same) might well make the Internet kinder and gentler.

It might also kill off many of the ways we spend our Internet time.

Privacy matters, but privacy is not free. And the best people to assess the tradeoffs between privacy, access, and convenience are probably the individuals wielding the mouse, rather than the activists wielding the megaphone.

Bloomberg

freedom of expression, government should be encouraging the citizenry to use new technology to run after corrupt officials. This is now an ongoing project of the American Bar Association in encouraging the use of social media as evidence. They have in fact developed an application where cellular data, photos and videos, could be utilized as evidence in court. We should replicate this initiative given that we have the highest penetration for Facebook and among the highest penetration for Twitter.

Under our existing rules on electronic evidence, such videos may be used provided the person who took the video authenticates it. Ergo, even without the application developed by the ABA, the female driver who took the video of the MMDA traffic enforcer can already use her video as evidence for extortion.

The problem again is not the availability of rules, but the lack of political will to implement our existing laws. In fact, the problem in this particular instance is the fact that the MMDA chief, instead of investigating his men, is instead, shielding his men from investigation and prosecution. On second thought, what can we expect from the same man who treated women as sex objects and as commodities to be given by way of political patronage in Laguna? Given the resolve of this administration to control both Houses of Congress in the upcoming elections, we surely have a preview of what kind of Congress we will have soon. *** After 15 years of being a law professor at the UP College of Law, I will be delivering my final lecture as a full-time academic this coming Monday, Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Malcolm Theater, Malcolm Hall, UP College of Law. The lecture will be on “Criminal Jurisdiction under the Expanded Defense Cooperation Agreement: Customary International Law or under the VFA?” My last lecture will be delivered as the holder of the Manuel and Luz Chan Professorial Chair.

I have invited all my students for the last 15 years, my colleagues in the academe and in the parliament of the streets, and the general public. It will be my last lecture as a full-time academic because the Omnibus Election Code provides that I will automatically be resigned from my post in UP when I file my nomination as first nominee of KABAYAN party-list.

My column next week will also be my last in this newspaper. It will be my final column for the time being. I will bid farewell next week.

Mr. Suarez’ column will resume next week.

Ms. Ortuoste’s column will resume next week.

t hurs day : o cto b e r 8 , 2 0 1 5

A12

sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Astros down Yankees, advance NEW YORK—Dallas Keuchel allowed three hits in six stellar innings on Tuesday as the Houston Astros ousted the New York Yankees from the playoffs with a 3-0 win in the American League wild card game.

Houston left fielder Colby Rasmus and center fielder Carlos Gomez hit solo home runs on the first pitches of the second and fourth innings off Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka to help the Astros advance to an American League Division Series clash with the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals, trying to get back to the World Series after falling to the San Francisco Giants last year, host game one of that best-of-five series on Thursday.

Shortstop Jose Altuve singled in a run as the Astros won their first post-season game since they beat the St. Louis Cardinals in game six

of the 2005 National League Championship Series -- before realignment saw them move to the American League.

“Unbelievable,” said Keuchel, who was pitching on just three days’ rest for the first time in his major league career.

“To come to Yankee Stadium and play that well was truly remarkable,” he said.

“I felt like I’d never been on the mound before,” Keuchel added of the surge of excitement he felt in the first inning. “Luckily I was able to make a few pitches and get that first out of the game.”

The three runs were plenty for

Keuchel, who hasn’t allowed a run in his last 29 innings against the Yankees.

Keuchel allowed a single to rookie first baseman Greg Bird with two outs in the second inning, then retired the next 10 batters he faced.

New York put runners at first and second on singles by shortstop Didi Gregorius and right fielder Carlos Beltran in the sixth. On the next pitch, designated hitter Alex Rodriguez flied out to center field, disappointing most of the sellout crowd of 50,113.

“He was incredible,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of Keuchel, who struck out seven -- including center fielder Brett Gardner three times. “That last out against A-Rod is the biggest out of the year for us.”

Astros pitcher Tony Sipp worked around a one-out walk to third baseman Chase Headley in the seventh. He struck out Bird on a full

count and retired second baseman Rob Refsnyder on an easy flyout.

Houston reliever Will Harris pitched a hitless eighth, prompting scattered boos for the Yankees from some home fans. Astros closing pitcher Luke Gregerson struck out two in the ninth for the save.

Rasmus made it 1-0 when he opened the second by sending a Tanaka fastball over the right field fence. Gomez doubled the lead when he sent a Tanaka slider over the wall in left-center.

Altuve, who opened the game by striking out against Tanaka, made it 3-0 with a single up the middle in the seventh.

Tanaka allowed two runs and four hits in five innings.

“He just made some mistakes,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Tanaka, pitching his second game since returning from a strained right hamstring.

Hornets’ forward has shoulder operation LOS ANGELES—Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had surgery Tuesday to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, the NBA team said.

The Hornets called the operation a success, with the 22-year-old player expected to be sidelined for some six months.

That timeline could see him ready to return at the end of the NBA regular season.

Kidd-Gilchrist was hurt late in the second quarter of the Hornets’ pre-season game at Orlando on Saturday.

The decision to go ahead with surgery was made after he consulted with team orthopedist Marcus Cook on Tuesday morning.

Kidd-Gilchrist, who was the second overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, averaged 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds in 55 games for Charlotte last season while also making a strong contribution on defense.

He inked a four-year, $52 million contract extension in September. AFP

Strong finish nets Gamolo golf lead The Houston Astros celebrate in their locker room after defeating the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium in New York City. The Astros defeated the Yankees with a score of 3 to 0. AFP

Rossi facing intense pressure TOKYO—Valentino Rossi is facing intensifying pressure from Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo, who could use this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix to narrow their gap as the season finale draws near.

Nine-time world champion Rossi is leading the field with 263 points as he steadily marches toward his first a world title since 2009.

But Lorenzo is storming right behind him with 249 points and is gathering momentum after the latest victory two weeks ago in Aragon where he picked up a precious 25 points while the Italian had to settle for 16 points.

With four more races at play, including Sunday’s Japan Grand Prix, the Spaniard still has more than enough opportunities to derail Rossi’s steady march.

The battle in Motegi will kick off three back-to-back races in this month that will bring the riders also to Australia and Malaysia.

Doubles happiness for Djokovics in China BEIJING—Novak Djokovic opened his new partnership with younger brother Djordje in triumphant style as they won their first ever doubles match at the China Open on Tuesday.

The Djokovic brothers chest-bumped and high-fived their way to a 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (6/8), 10-5 victory over the China-New Zealand pairing of Gong Mao-Xin and Michael Venus.

It was the first time Novak Djokovic, the singles world number one, and Djordje, ranked at 1,502, have collaborated and the younger sibling did his share of the damage with some savage forehands.

Fans were out in force at Beijing’s National Tennis Center to see the unprecedented pairing. Novak Djokovic, eight years the elder at 28, is a five-time singles winner at the China Open.

“The crowd got into it. It was exciting. I’m very happy for my brother, that he was able to experience such an atmosphere,” Novak Djokovic said.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return against Simone Bolelli of Italy during their first round men’s singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing. AFP

JELBERT Gamolo birdied three of the last seven holes to card a three-under 69 and snare a one-stroke lead over Jobim Carlos and Luis Castro at the start of the 15th Canlubang Amateur Open at Cangolf ’s South course in Laguna yesterday.

Gamolo, out to atone for his final round meltdown last year, rallied from two shots down at the front with birdies on Nos. 11 and 15 and got past Carlos and Castro with a closing birdie to set in motion his bid in the 54-hole tournament hosted and conducted by Cangolf in its continuing effort to help develop amateur golf.

Carlos, who has opted to stay in the ranks despite topping the pro circuit’s qualifying school early this year, and jungolfer Castro took charge with 34s after nine holes. But the duo wavered at the back failed to match Gamolo’s fiery windup and dropped to joint second with 70s.

Riviera’s Ira Alido strung up two 36s to take solo fourth at 72 while defending backto-back champion Park Min Ung, also of Riviera, recovered from a 39 start with an eagle on No. 11 to salvaged a 73 and tie Southwoods’s Yuto Katsuragawa in the centerpiece Open division.

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‘Spieth against Day may happen’ INCHEON—Golf legend Jack Nicklaus said Wednesday that he would like nothing better than to see Jordan Spieth battle Jason Day in Sunday’s Presidents Cup singles on the course that bears his name.

A match-up of the two best players in the world who have carried off three of the season’s Majors is a mouthwatering and likely prospect, said Nicklaus, who himself won 18 majors and has captained the US side four times in Presidents Cups.

“Put it this way, if they want to play each other there’s ways it can be made to happen,” the 75-yearold told AFP on the eve of the US versus International team match play event at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea.

“When I first captained the team in 1998 Tiger Woods wanted to play Greg Norman and we made it happen,” said Nicklaus.

“The second time Tiger wanted to play Ernie (Els) and myself and Gary (Player, the International captain) sorted that out.”

Unlike the Ryder Cup, where playing lists are submitted “blind” and then matched up in order, the Presidents Cup system sees each captain name a player in turn making a Spieth-Day showdown a real possibility.

World number two Day, however, was not so cerUS Team player Jordan Spieth (center) talks with teammates Bubba Watson (left) and J.B. Holmes (right) on the 9th hole during a prac- tain he would be facing his season-long foe and toptice session ahead of the 2015 Presidents Cup at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, west of Seoul. AFP ranked Spieth again. AFP

Southwoods bets open bid BACOLOD—The rock-solid Southwoods-Masters squad opens its bid for a record fifth straight Philippine Airlines Ladies Interclub title today, looking to establish control early and avoid being put in the same bacl-to-the-wall situation it was in last year.

With a team spearheaded by ICTSI mainstays Abegail Arevalo and Sofia Chabon, the Carmona-based bets are again installed as the solid picks against a Cebu Country Club side that will again try to end SW-Masters’ stranglehold.

The veteran Lora Roberto, Missy Legaspi, Annika Guangko and playing captain Marie Claire Ong are the other SW mainstays expected to contribute heavily in the first day for the defending champions.

The centerpiece Champion-

ship Division and the Friendship will play its first round today at the soggy Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club, formerly Marapara, layout that will definitely play a lot longer than its 5,500-plus yards.

Tomorrow, action in the Founders and Sportswriters Divisions will start with all four brackets to play their respective final rounds on Saturday.

Arevalo has two victories in different continents this year and, together with Robert and Chabon are favorites to dispute the indi-

vidual championship along with top Cebu CC bet Lois Kaye Go. “We still have a chance,” Go said early in Cebu CC’s practice round yesterday. “We have been practicing hard for the past two months to prepare for this. We still like our chances.”

Last year, Cebu CC bungled a formidable lead in the final day to lose by one at Alta Vista in Cebu. Because of their respective team’s average handicaps, only SW-Masters and Cebu CC are entered in the Championship division.

“It’s virtually match play,” said Ong. Teams will be allowed to field in eight players a day for two rounds, with the top six scores to in the event sponsored by the Mareco Broadcasting Network (Crossover), Travelife, Business Mirror, Airbus, Splash Philippines, Wealth Inc. and East Gate Publication.

Japanese with one finger nears Mt. Everest summit KATHMANDU—A Japanese climber with only one finger due to frostbite, who last month failed to reach the top of Mount Everest, will make his final push for the summit late Wednesday, organisers said.

Nobukazu Kuriki, who lost nine fingers on the mountain in 2012, is the only climber trying to scale the world’s highest peak this year after an earthquake-triggered avalanche killed 18 people at base camp.

The April disaster saw hundreds of climbers abandon their bids to ascend the 8,848-metre (29,029foot) mountain, marking a second spring season with virtually no one reaching the summit.

An avalanche in 2014 that killed 16 Nepali guides also sparked a shutdown that year.

“He has reached the last camp and will start his climb to the summit tonight,” said Tikaram Gurung, managing director of Bochi-Bochi Trek, which is handling Kuriki’s expedition.

He will ascend overnight into the “death zone” -- located above 8,000 metres, notorious for its difficult terrain and thin air -and summit around dawn on Thursday, Gurung told AFP. Mountaineers usually begin their summit attempts late at night, which allows them to descend in daylight, lowering the risk of them falling to their deaths due to exhaustion.

Kuriki, who plans to summit alone without the aid of bottled oxygen, is making his fifth attempt to climb Everest, at a time when the risks are higher than usual because of regular aftershocks that increase the chance of avalanches.

Mountaineering experts say climbing in autumn is more dangerous than spring due to high winds and lower temperatures.

The 33-year-old was forced to abandon his bid last month because deep snow made it difficult for him to climb quickly during the final stretch. AFP

Palawan Pawnshop netfest resumes THE Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis circuit presented by Technifibre swings to Negros Occidental this month with a series of tournaments beginning with Pontevedra leg firing off tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 9) at the St. Michael Tennis Courts in Pontevedra.

Tracy Llamas and Kiana de Asis brace for a series of duels as the La Carlota bets see action in three categories, including the premier girls’ 18-and-under section of the Group 3 tournament that also features Mariz Singson, Amor Decendario, Valerie Desoyo, Jewel Milliam, Erica Sevilla and Dorelle Laguda.

Llamas and De Asis are also

tipped to figure prominently in the 14- and 16-U divisions of the four-day event sponsored by the country’s leading pawnshop, remittance and claim center and hosted by Fr. Angelo Jojie Ansola and Mayor Jose Maria Alonso.

“Together with all the LGUs, we thank Palawan Pawnshop for making another stop here in Pontevedra. This is not only a boost to our tennis development program but also a shot in the arm for our youth in terms of exposure and experience,” said Mayor Alonso.

The Pontevedra leg also kicks off a month-long tournament in Negros following a successful swing in Mindanao last month.

Up next is the Masskara Tennis

Festival on Oct. 15-19 before the country’s leading players slug it out for top honors in the Palawan Pawnshop Pintaflores Festival Open Tennis Championship slated Oct. 27-Nov. 2 at the San Carlos Tennis Center in San Carlos City.

For details, call Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP organizer and sports program development director at 0915-4046464.

“We always believe there are so many untapped talents in Negros and nearby regions and provinces and by providing this series of tournaments, we hope to discover, train and develop future members of the national pool,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castrol.

Little Azkals in Borneo Cup. The Pru Life UK-backed Little Azkals landed in the Top 5 at the recent Borneo Cup in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia with two local teams from Malaysia-SSTMI and DPM-finishing first and second, respectively, in the Under-13 age group tournament that attracted teams from Australia, Hong Kong, and four local teams aside from the Philippines. The team’s participation is part of the team’s longterm preparation for the U-18 World Cup championship set in 2018. The Little Azkals, carrying the colors of Spears FC, are also supported by ABSCBN, SM Cinemas, DMCI, Thinking Tools, Medicard, and Fuji Xerox. Photo shows the Spears FC team that competed in said tournament.

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San Beda Red Cubs reach finals via 18-game sweep

University of Cebu Jrs take Game 1

By Peter Atencio

By Mikey Izumi

THE San Beda Red Cubs turned back the Letran Squires, 76-67, at the San Juan Arena to complete an 18-game sweep of the eliminations for an automatic finals berth in the juniors’ division of the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament.

CEBU CITY—The University of Cebu Junior Webmasters shocked the fancied Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles in Game 1, 7363, of their best-of-three series of the 2015 CESAFI Juniors Division Finals here.

Nobody gave the Junior Webmasters a chance against the Magis Eagles, who are the two-time defending CESAFI Juniors’ Division Champions, with a team made up of players, who were taller and bigger.

The Junior Webmasters started slowly, as the Eagles led late in the first quarter, 20-11, before Joseph Santome hit a 3-point pointer to cut the lead to six at the end of the 1st period.

Jason Abejo took over in the second quarter, scoring seven of 15 points in the 1st half, including a rare 4-point play as the Webmasters grabbed the lead, 29-27, midway through the quarter, and extended the lead to six, 33-27 at halftime.

The Magis Eagles rallied with a 8-2 run in the third frame behind former Batang Gilas under-16 member Jed Cedrick Colonia and Eroll Pastor, but UC countered with Froilan Mangubat and Luigi Gabisan, who led a 12-5 run that extended their lead, 47-37, late in the period before Colonia hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer which cut the lead to seven.

UC’s diminutive guard, the 4’10” Jelmart Umpad, however, started to take over the offense, scoring 10 points before they bucked a Patrick Yu-led run in the fourth.

Umpad, however, saved the Juniors Webmasters from total collapse as he scored six out out of the last eight points as the Webmasters preserved the win.

By doing so, the Red Cubs, who will enjoy a thrice-to-beat advantage just like they did back in 2013, are on track for a record seventh straight crown.

Reserve players Joshua Tagala, John Lagumen and Eduardo Velasquez scored 14, 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the Red Cubs, who, after a slow start, began pulling away in the second quarter and ended the half with a 36-28 lead.

“It was not easy. They were ahead in the first quarter. But we bounced back when our game finally clicked in the second,” said Red Cubs coach JB Sison.

The Red Cubs’ dance partner in the finals will be determined after the stepladder semifinals and playoffs involving the Mapua Red Robins, the Arellano University Braves, the La Salle Greenhills Greenies and the Lyceum Junior Pirates.

The Mapua Red Robins played minus coach Randy Alcantara in the second half after he

got ejected, but still got away with a 64-57 victory over the La Salle Greenhills Greenies, 64-57.

Michael Enriquez had 14 points for the Red Robins, who assured themselves of a second semifinal slot with their 15-2 win-loss record.

Because of the loss, the Greenies will meet the Lyceum Junior Pirates in a playoff for the fourth semis slot as both share the same 11-7 card.

In the other juniors’ match, Guilmer de la Torre scored 25 points for the Arellano Braves, who smothered EAC-ICA, 92-74, to take the third semis slot at 12-6.

The Red Cubs leaned on a 13-0 capped by a free throw from Velasquez, while Evan Nelle added a trey that erased a 16-17 deficit and turn it into a 29-23 edge.

Tagala struck with seven points in the third and led another 13-0 blast, which gave the Red Cubs a comfortable 58-41 spread.

San Beda College’s Micole Solera (left) is blocked by Letran’s Kevin Racal in an NCAA game won by the Red Lions, 77-73, on Tuesday. BROSI GONZALES

DanceSports National tourney set on Sunday THE DanceSport Council of the Philippines will hold the 19th DSCPI National Championships at the Philsports Multi-Purpose Arena, Pasig City on Saturday.

DSCPI President Becky Garcia said there are 292 DanceSport athletes all over the Philippines competing in the ranking competition supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Flawless, Vitug Beach Resort, Retro DCGFM 105.9, Studio 116, Studio AK, Caruso RistoranteItaliano, and The Greenery Bulacan.

Tickets are available at the DanceSport Training Center, Philsports Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City and at the entrance of the Philsports MultiPurpose Arena (Ultra) on Oct. 10.

For other inquiries, call Anna or Lorien at 637-2314.

Seven World DanceSport Feder-

ation licensed adjudicators Christian Bradbury from Hong Kong, Euvgenia Parakhina from Netherlands, Luis Alberto Pereira from Macau, Boon Lan Ivy Por from Malaysia, Chu Tan Duc from Vietnam, Qingshu Zhang from China and Gheorghe Raducan from Romania, who will act as the Chairman of Adjudicators, are coming to judge this competition with the help of the Philippines’ Maira Bernales, Edgardo Borromeo, Michael Mendoza and Julie Plummer.

The DSCPI Board of Directors are Atty. Noel Laman—Chairman, Atty. Andy Fornier – Secretary General, Emma Nieto – Asst. SecGen and Sports Director, Gloria Alcala – Treasurer and Directors Marvie Cojuangco-Yulo, Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo, Edward Hayco, Chona Mercado, Nanette Mendoza, Rebecca Jose, Manuel Yan, Marge Vitug, Girme Gutierrez and Luis Morales.

KIA joins Shakey’s Reinforced meet KIA Motors extends its sports involvement to women’s volleyball as it puts up a crack team ready to do battle against the best in the fold in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Reinforced Conference, which gets going Saturday at The Arena in San Juan City.

To underscore its desire to figure prominently right on its maiden appearance in the league presented

by PLDT Home Ultera, the top car company has tapped Ateneo champion men’s team coach Oliver Almadro to handle the squad skippered by Jen Reyes and headed by Ma. Angeli Tabaquero, Mina Aganon, Bang Pineda, Relea Saet and Fil-Am Alexa Micek.

Completing the KIA Forte roster are Wenneth Eulalio, Faye Guevara, Angelica Legacion, Khristine Basco, Kathlene Magsumbol and Mitchiko Castañeda.

At the same time, GMA 7 reiterates its all-out support to the country’s premier volley league sponsored by Shakey’s as it will continue to telecast the weekend

games live starting at 12:45 p.m. on GMA News TV Channel 11.

What makes the airing of the Reinforced Conference games different from the previous ones is that the two Sunday matches will be both telecast live, making it a virtual volleyball festival, according to the organizing Sports Vision.

Matches in the recent Collegiate Conference were also aired live, giving fans the frontseat view of top-notch volley action capped by the title clash between National U and Ateneo that also drew fullpacked crowds at The Arena.

Meanwhile, Almadro hopes to whip up his talent-laden crew into championship contender in time for the season-ending conference of the league, sponsored

by Shakey’s, with the Forte bracing for fierce battle against powerhouse teams as Army, PLDT Home Ultera, Navy, Coast Guard and UP Diliman.

For one, the Lady Troopers boast of a solid lineup headed by Rachel Ann Daquis, Jovelyn Gon-

zaga, Aby Maraño, MJ Balse, Nerissa Bautista and setter Tina Salak, making them the team to beat in the weekend only tournament backed by Mikasa and Accel.

Meanwhile, UP and Navy clash in the lone opening match set at 12:45 p.m.

The Fighting Maroons will be led by aces Alisa Buitre and Diana Carlos and skipper Rose Mary Cailing with coach Jerry Yee also hoping to draw the best from Katherine Bersola, Isabel Molde, Justine Dorog, Nicole Tiamzon, Angeli Basarte, Jewel Lai, Elise Ilustre, Patricia Siao, Mae Chopitea and Ira Gaiser.

Keen competition is seen given the short single round robin format with the top four teams advancing to the crossover semifinals. The top two squads will also earn twice-to-beat incentives in the Final Four.

Winners will dispute the championship in a best-of-three series with the losers clashing for third place in a separate best-of-three playoff.

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All’s well that ends well for Mahindra, 2 players

By Jeric Lopez

AFTER weeks of back-and-forth tussle regarding a contract status, Mahindra and player Alex Nuyles finally settled things ahead of the opening of the 41st Philippine Basketball Association season.

Nuyles, who has been very vocal about the uncertain status of his contract, using his social media accounts and media outlets to seek some answers, released a statement that he and his mother team Mahindra have already fixed the terms on his contract.

Nuyles said that the contract signed will now be honored by Mahindra and he will continue to be a part of the team come the new PBA season.

“It was just a case of miscommunication and I sincerely apologize

to the management of Mahindra for expressing doubts that they will not honor the contract renewal I signed with them,’’ said Nuyles.

The athletic third year forward is thankful that the issue is now resolved and that he can now look forward to resuming his PBA career in the coming season.

“In this light, I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to Mahindra for giving me this opportunity to play for their team in the forthcoming 2015-2016 PBA season,’’ added Nuyles.

Initially, Nuyles claimed that Mahindra informed him that the one-year contract that he signed late in July was nullified but after seeking the help of the media as well as the PBA, the matter was settled by the two parties.

Nuyles earlier stated that he signed a fresh one-year contract last July 29 with the team, but he said that he wasn’t receiving any salaries from the team. The forward also said that Mahindra told him that his contract wasn’t approved by its top officials since the team is looking at a different direction.

That prompted Nuyles to take to social media his concerns that his contract was not being honored by his mother team.

PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa, along with other league officials, also did their part to intervene and asked both parties to settle the issue to avoid further conflicts.

“I’d like to thank Commissioner Narvasa and his office for the concern and the valuable help they extended to us,’’ said Nuyles’ player agent Ed Ponceja.

In addition, Mahindra was also able to settle its contract dispute with Mike Burtscher.

Just like Nuyles, Burtscher claimed that the team left him in the cold and didn’t honor his contract that will run until 2016.

The PBA journeyman and the Mahindra management eventually agreed to a buyout of the player’s contract.

China Open champion Albin Ouschan in action during his title conquest

Cecile Licad WHEN my former Sports SYLVIA LOPEZ Editor, the ALEJANDRO late Bert Cuevas welcomed me as the new bridge columnist during the time Don Andres Soriano then owned the Manila Standard Bert gave me carte blanche to write anything in my column other than bridge articles.

Today I write about Ms. Cecile Licad. Called “a pianist’s pianist” by the New Yorker. Cecile Licad’s artistry is a blend of daring musical instinct and superb training.

Progression when I first heard Ms. Licad play and thereafter: When I was with the Philippine Air Panel during the bilateral air talks with United States in Washington D.C., I happened by chance to attend the concert of Ms. Licad. I was informed she was a protégé of the

First Lady Imelda Marcos, and said to be responsible for her music education abroad.

My second encounter with Ms. Licad when she performed at the CCP during the golden years when guest virtuosos such as Van Cliburn performed.

Ms. Cecile Licad already transformed into a beautiful young lady played that evening with emotion and excellent interpretation. The overflowing audience gave her a standing ovation and thunderous applause.

My third encounter with her was provided by Mr. Fernando Zobel de Ayala who kindly invited my husband, Rey and myself to attend the gala event which Ayala Corporation was hosting the “:Bravo Filipino”—featuring Cecile Licad. Quoting Lea Salonga “She is one of the finest concert pianists in the world, and arguably the finest the Philippines has produced.”

My fourth encounter with her was

unbelievably provided by my parishSantuario de San Antonio Parish who heralded the Francisfest 2015 with Cecile Buenaventura Licad as the featured artist. As Brits would say, I went straightaway to buy the tickets for me and my cousin, Sr. Sonia Osmeña. It was a signal honor for me to attend this concert in San Antonio Church since I have been a parishioner for 53 years.

After the addresses, Gerald Salonga led the ABS-CBN Philhamonic Orchestra to play St. Francis song— “Make me a channel of your peace” Hearing Licad’s large repertoire as an orchestral soloist.. on to the 20th century composition of … Bartok, made me realize the gift of the virtuoso is to elevate the audience into rapturous heights. Cecile Licad that evening sent the audience to rapturous heights.

And for myself, the message of St. Francis struck deep in my soul: “MAKE A CHANNEL OF YOUR PEACE.”

LOTTO RESULTS

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Hottest player in Europe joins King’s Cup

By Ronnie Nathanielsz THE hottest player in Europe, World Championship silver medalist and China Open champion Albin Ouschan of Austria, will now make it a trio of terrors, alongside skipper Mika Immonen and Darren Appleton on Team West as they aim to gun down Asia, led by the deadly duo of Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Busmante in the Kings Cup next month.

The European and American champions will go against Asia’s champions on Nov. 19 at Resorts World Manila Casino & Hotel in the inaugural staging of the Kings Cup in what is expected to become the most epic rivalry in cue sports.

Four players on each side will be selected to represent their continent in an epic event produced by Dragon Promotions.

“I will do my best to integrate very fast onto the team!” said a very enthusiastic Ouschan on his selection to the Euro/USA team of champions. “I’m honored and very excited to play this event in Manila, one of my favorite cities in the world!”

Charlie Williams, a top executive of Dragon Promotions and a mean pool player himself, believes the timing is great for Team West as Ouschan’s steady rise to the top of Europe has been progressing like clockwork since the 2014 season where he won silver at the World Championships, barely losing, 13-11, in the finals.

Albin achieved No. 1 World Ranking for the first time in his career this year and he just won the last European Pro Tour stop last week.

Skipper Mika Immonen said: “Albin is young and hungry. We need someone like that on the team. Albin will most likely be in the Mosconi Cup versus USA, so this experience playing in the Kings Cup against Team Asia in front of a tough home crowd is going to be rough. So it’s really good preparation for him for anything afterwards.”

-oOoDevelopments on the cheating controversy Polish Bridge Union asked WBF for an explanation: Today (October 2nd, 2015) the Polish Bridge Union (PBU) has sent the following letter to WBF. Mr. Gianarrigo Rona World Bridge Federation President Dear Mr. President, In reference to our meeting dd.27th of September the PBU kindly asks to explain the reason of withdrawing the invitation to Cezary Balicki-Adam Zmudzinski pair from the “Bermuda Bowl” 2015 Chennai.

At the same time the PBU declares the full cooperation with the WBF to clarify the situation.

Please, take into account the importance of these matters for the Polish Bridge community.

Statement from the President of the Polish Bridge Union: Today Mr. Radoslaw Kielbasinski, President of PBU (Polish Bridge Un-

ion), has issued a long statement to reconstruct the correct sequence of events regarding the Balicki-Zmudzinski’s Affair Dear colleagues, Most recent events associated with the exchange of a pair in open team for WTC (World Team Championships) in Chennai raised many questions.

The PBU (Polish Bridge Union) was forced to act swiftly: 1. I received the first information about one of our pair’s alleged transgressions late evening on September 25th. The entire team had already gone to Chennai.

2. On September 26th at 11pm I landed in Chennai, where I received a message that earlier WBF Credential Committee had made the following decision: Baclicki-Zmudzinski’s invitation to take part in WTC is withdrawn without giving reason b. PBU is authorized to augment the team with another pair Comments to: sylvia.alejandro@yahoo

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RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Slam-dunk! Tony Snell (20) of the Chicago Bulls slams the ball in in a fastbreak play against the Milwaukee Bucks during a preseason game at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won, 105-95. AFP

Tams, Tigers prevail

By Peter Atencio

LAST season’s losing finalist Far Eastern University got some measure of revenge against defending champion National University, hacking out a 6159 victory before a sizeable crowd at the Araneta Coliseum to stay in on top of the heap alongside University of Santo Tomas in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

Mike Tolomia, who finished with 19 points and five assists, bailed out the Tamaraws out of trouble, scoring back-to-back triples in the final 1:48 to keep his team afloat, 58-52.

The Bulldogs fought back to make it a two-point game, 5961, behind Kyle Neypes trey and

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a basket from Gelo Alolina, but Francis Tamsi stole the ball off Alfred Aroga’s pass to prevent NU from sending the game into overtime.

The Tamaraws led by 10, 5040, at the end of the third quarter, but the Bulldogs ignited a 10-2 run capped by Nikko

Abatayo’s free throw and a Neypes layup.

The Tamaraws improved to 6-1, while NU lost for the first time after threee straight victories, and dropped to 3-4.

Aroga led NU with 17 points, while Alolino and Neypes added 10 each.

Earlier, University of Santo Tomas once again displayed fine shooting from downtown, this time courtesy of Ed Daquioag, who scored a season-high 34 points to lead the Growling Tigers past the University of the East Warriors, 83-76.

Daquioag was on fire in the second half, where he scored 21 points, as the Tigers weathered the Warriors repeated comebacks.

The win had UST finishing the first round on top in a tie with

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the Tamaraws at 6-1.

The Red Warriors, meanwhile, dropped to 2-5.

“Summer pa lang, Natural na sa kanya ‘yung performance niyang yan para sa amin,” said UST coach Bong de la Cruz.

Daquioag was 14-of-23 from the field, and added four rebounds and six assists in leading the Tigers to their third straight win.

UST led by ten, 56-46, when Daquioag caught fire to put UST comfortably ahead, 59-46, with 3:46 remaining.

With the win, the Tigers equaled their best start in 2013 when they made it to the finals before losing to La Salle in three games Paul Varilla had 25 points for the Red Warriors, while Chris Javier added 12.

Top local spikers joining Superliga WHILE the vaunted super imports are tipped to make a major impact, homegrown talents vowed not get intimidated as they go all out when the Philippine Superliga rolls out its season-ending Grand Prix this Saturday at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan, Laguna.

Maica Morada, skipper of twotime champion Petron, emphasized their readiness for the new challenges amid reports that the foreign players are the strongest, most-skilled batch ever to play in the country.

The Blaze Spikers are coming off a fruitful stint in the 2015 AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship in Phy Ly, Vietnam where they sharpened their offensive attacks, solidified their defense and developed their chemistry inside and outside the court.

Morada said the squad, led by the hard-hitting troika of Rachel Anne Daquis, Aby Marano, Dindin Manabat with Brazilians Rupia Inck and Erica Adachi as reinforcements, is more than ready for the war and will do whatever it takes to retain its crown.

“That trip to Vietnam made us realize the degree of difficulty of competing in an international competition,” said the soft-spoken Morada, one of the products of Far Eastern University seeing action in this prestigious interclub women’s volleyball tournament.

“But it made us stronger. It forged our bond and prepared us for the challenges of the PSL. We are now working on more combination plays on offense, improvement of our reception and net defense as well as communication inside the court in preparation for the Grand Prix.”

B1

THURSDAY: OCTOBER 8, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Investment promotion. Trade Undersecretary Ponciano Manalo Jr. (second from left) congratulates Invest Hong Kong director general for investment promotion Simon Galpin (second from right) during the signing of the memorandum of intent at the sidelines of the recent seminar and networking luncheon entitled “Hong Kong: Where Business Goes to Grow” at the Peninsula Manila in Makati City. The agreement aims to exchange information on the investment environment and investment opportunities, as well as share experiences in attracting foreign investments and best practices in investment promotion. Also shown are foreign trade service corps special trade representative Glenn Peñaranda (left) and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government secretary for commerce and economic development Gregory So.

Shell prepares for 2016 IPO

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Shell Group of Companies in the Philippines has revived a plan to conduct an initial public offering in 2016, a top executive said Wednesday.

“We are preparing for an IPO. All systems are go. It’s just a question of timing. Some time next year, but no specific time. But timing should be good [for IPO as] the market should be conducive,” Shell Philippines country chairman Ed Chua told reporters.

Chua said Shell had not determined what to do with the proceeds from the IPO, as the main objective was to comply with the Oil Deregulation Law of 1998.

The law required oil refiners to list at list 10 percent of their

shares in the local bourse.

“We have to look at where we can use the proceeds. Some of it may be to reduce debt, some of it for additional capex [capital expenditures], working capital,” he said.

Chua said Shell was also keen on putting up a liquefied natural gas facility in Batangas.

“Yes, we continue to look for opportunities especially on LNG,” he said.

Shell announced in 2013 its decision to front-end engineering and design for an LNG import

facility in Batangas that will be carried out by Shell’s Technology Centre Bangalore, which delivers advanced technical studies, projects and services for Shell around the world.

The company, however, recently raised concerns on the decision of the Commission on Audit imposing P53.14 billion in taxes on the contractors of the Malampaya gas-topower project in northwest Palawan.

Shell was also forced to shut down its oil depot in Pandacan to comply with a Supreme Court ruling directing the oil companies to move out of the Manila residential district.

“We want to settle amicably.

We are also looking at all the legal remedies and obviously, the consortium will go through the legal remedies,” Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. managing director Sebastian Quiniones

said, when asked about the CoA issue.

Quiniones said talks were ongoing between the Malampaya consortium and the Energy Department on how to settle the issue.

Shell’s other projects are on track for completion, according to company officials.

Shell is currently upgrading its 110,000-barrels-a-day refinery in Batangas which is expected to be completed by end of November.

Chua said Shell’s North Mindanao import facility in Cagayan de Oro would also be completed before the end of the year while the retail station expansion was also ongoing.

Energy Department officerin-charge Zenaida Monsada, for her part, said Shell indicated that it would push through with its LNG facility amid a competitive environment.

PSe comPoSite 8000 7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

7,108.80 53.31

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing OCTOBER 7, 2015

P46.140 CLOSE

HIGH P46.140 LOW P46.440 AVERAGE P46.273 VOLUME 1,242.900M

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

Peso climbs to 2-month high of P46.14 per dollar

By Julito G. Rada THE peso climbed to a twomonth high against the US dollar Wednesday, gaining P0.33 in a single day as investors anticipate a US interest rate hike will no longer happen this year.

The peso closed at 46.14 against the greenback, up from 46.47 on Tuesday. It was the local currency’s strongest level since closing at 45.93 on Aug. 11 this year.

Total volume turnover reached $1.243 billion Wednesday, higher than $1.109 billion recorded on Tuesday.

“The peso’s appreciation was in

line with the rest of the currencies in the region… Most investors do not anticipate the US Fed to hike interest rates this year,” Nicholas Antonio Mapa, research officer of the Bank of the Philippine Islands’ global markets and treasury division, told the Standard in a phone interview.

Mapa, however, said he was not sure if the peso’s strength would continue in the coming days.

“Let’s see if the momentum will be sustained,” he said.

Mapa earlier said the US dollar was on a retreat mode this week, as the Fed was seen to postpone its rate hike to 2016 after a string of “disappointing” economic data.

US data showed that businesses created only 142,000 jobs in September, or about 64,000 fewer than what most analysts expected.

The US Labor Department also reported that employers kept average pay rises at zero and thousands of workers quit the labor market, taking the participation rate back to levels last seen in the 1970s.

The peso posted its weakest level this year at 46.93 against the dollar on Sept. 29 at the height of uncertainties in the global financial markets triggered by speculations on the pacing and timing of the US Fed rate hike.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas earlier ruled out the possibility of a peso devaluation, saying the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals remained strong.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the Philippines, from a macroeconomic standpoint, enjoyed resilient domestic factors including consumption, private capital formation and public spending.

Guinigundo also expressed optimism that the exchange rate target average of 43 to 46 against the dollar this year remained doable despite the volatilities in the global financial markets.

index

Closing October 7, 2015

o

il P PriceS today

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene P20.75-P21.75 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Wednesday, October 7, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.4050

Japan

Yen

0.008321

0.3861

UK

Pound

1.523500

70.6980

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129032

5.9877

Switzerland

Franc

1.034554

48.0085

Canada

Dollar

0.767460

Singapore

Dollar

0.705069

32.7187

Australia

Dollar

0.714796

33.1701

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655337

123.2209

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266809

12.3813

Brunei

Dollar

0.702593

32.6038

35.6140

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0032

Thailand

Baht

0.027518

1.2770

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

12.6351

Euro

Euro

1.127900

52.3402

Korea

Won

0.000862

0.0400

China

Yuan

0.157144

7.2923

India

Rupee

0.015342

0.7119

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.228728

10.6141

New Zealand

Dollar

0.653381

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030729

30.3201 1.4260 Source: PDS Bridge

THURSDAY: OCTOBER 8, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Wednesday, OctOber 7, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 2.6 1.01 100 30.5 75 91.5 137 80 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26 47 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 20.6 125 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 17 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 238 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 6.55 0.0670 1.61 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 156 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 26.95 1.99 0.375 41.4 5.6

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.69 2.55 69.45 66.15 109.00 106.00 83.75 82.30 41.45 41 2.42 2.40 1.29 1.25 15.7 15.6 20.05 19.52 7.80 7.42 2.27 2.06 0.640 0.590 85.7 83.2 17.90 16.50 24.10 24.00 51.75 50.20 108.1 100 122 122 294.2 293 30.5 30.15 143.1 140.2 1510.00 1505.00 53.00 51.50 3 2.99 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp.

43.9 43.65 43 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.89 0.91 0.88 1.86 Alsons Cons.

1.54 1.58 1.53 7.92 Asiabest Group 10.92 12 11 40.3 Bogo Medelin 51.3 51.2 51.1 15.32 Century Food 16.72 16.74 16.7 62.5 Chemphil 96 97.05 97.05 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 26.15 26.3 25.1 29.15 Concepcion 46.05 46.7 43.5 1.5 Crown Asia 2.43 2.52 2.38 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 1.74 1.85 1.75 10.72 Del Monte 9.61 9.7 9.61 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 10.500 10.540 10.3 9.04 Emperador 6.99 7.40 7.12 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.94 5.97 5.71 8.86 EEI 7.68 7.85 7.69 1.06 Euro-Med Lab 1.74 1.82 1.73 8.61 Federal Res. Inv. Group 11.7 12.8 12.3 20.2 First Gen Corp.

23.35 23.95 23.45 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 66.7 67.5 66.3 13.86 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 11.40 11.40 11.40 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.00 13.00 13.00 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.71 5.73 5.66 0.395 Ionics Inc 2.900 3.050 2.850 173 Jollibee Foods Corp.

196.70 198.00 196.00 34.1 Liberty Flour 31.25 31.25 31.25 2.3 LMG Chemicals 2.11 2.1 2.1 1.63 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.99 3.96 3.95 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 22.9 23 22.5 17.3 Maxs Group 21.35 22 21 5.88 Megawide 5.69 5.65 5.52 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 300.40 305.80 302.00 3.37 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 3.93 3.81 3.81 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 4.15 4.2 4.07 8.45 Petron Corporation 6.75 7.11 6.88 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.50 11.50 11.50 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.45 3.52 3.39 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.99 2.00 1.95 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.28 2.42 2.28 4.02 RFM Corporation 4.00 4.00 3.98 1.65 Roxas and Co. 2.85 2.9 2.85 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 139.9 140 139.9 4.1 SPC Power Corp.

4.19 4.19 4.19 1.55 Splash Corporation 2.65 2.95 2.38 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.151 0.151 0.150 1.02 TKC Steel Corp.

2.07 2.20 1.80 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 1.95 1.98 1.93 152 Universal Robina 194 193.8 191.5 4.28 Victorias Milling 4.57 4.56 4.56 0.640 Vitarich Corp.

0.69 0.68 0.68 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.04 1.14 1.05 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.410 0.415 0.385 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 58.1000 58.1000 56.6000 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 16.36 17.00 16.30 1.6 Anglo Holdings A 1.19 1.12 1.05 0.23 ATN Holdings A 0.245 0.245 0.242 634.5 Ayala Corp `A’ 767 770 754 7.390 Cosco Capital 7 7.08 7 12.8 DMCI Holdings 12.64 12.62 12.46 2.6 F&J Prince ‘A’ 3.4 3.45 3.39 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

4.05 4.05 4.05 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.275 0.285 0.270 837 GT Capital 1349 1350 1337 5.3 House of Inv. 5.93 5.93 5.93 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 71.10 71.00 70.30 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp.

5.8 5.86 5.54 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.8 0.81 0.79 12 LT Group 11 11.7 11.1 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.53 0.52 0.52 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.07 5.18 5.08 4.5 Minerales Industrias Corp. 8.46 8.52 8.4 0.030 Pacifica `A’ 0.0370 0.0390 0.0380 0.550 Prime Orion 1.930 2.050 1.920 59.3 San Miguel Corp `A’ 47.10 49.45 47.50 1.5 Seafront `A’ 2.88 2.87 2.69 751 SM Investments Inc. 880.00 884.00 877.00 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 1.18 1.20 1.17 80 Top Frontier 84.300 86.950 81.450 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3150 0.3250 0.3150 0.179 Wellex Industries 0.2220 0.2220 0.2220 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.240 0.248 0.240 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 6.460 6.500 6.450 12 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 7.58 7.62 7.58 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.60 0.62 0.60 0.192 Arthaland Corp.

0.230 0.227 0.227 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 35.000 35.950 35.000 3.36 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.04 3.06 3.01

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 1.02 0.225 78 17.8 58 62 88.35 52 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

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

SHARES 13,902,972 85,243,187 173,659,246 132,364,493 314,052,266 602,923,003 1,323,857,497

2.63 69.45 108.90 83.70 41.1 2.43 1.35 15.7 20.05 7.40 2.14 0.590 83.8 16.40 23.80 50.50 108 122 295 30.2 140.3 1460.00 52.00 2.94

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.62 69.4 109.00 83.70 41.45 2.42 1.25 15.6 19.52 7.80 2.07 0.600 84 17.50 24.00 51.00 108 122 294 30.15 141 1510.00 52.60 2.99

-0.38 -0.07 0.09 0.00 0.85 -0.41 -7.41 -0.64 -2.64 5.41 -3.27 1.69 0.24 6.71 0.84 0.99 0.00 0.00 -0.34 -0.17 0.50 3.42 1.15 1.70

127,000 27,960 832,806.00 2,309,830 -4,244,548 2,046,250 4,157,106.50 32,000 47,000 -21,600.00 20,000 3,300 25,800 -430,481.00 2,800 164,000 2,711,000 2,290,930 -4,428,724.00 1,267,800 -12,915,238.00 10,000 120,000.00 278,910 -3,309,529.00 6,050 -10,800.00 20 2,300,676,136 368,100 -7,517,800 590,220 29,930,423.00 10 -7,550.00 9,340 -17,868.00 15,000

43.45 0.9 1.58 11.52 51.2 16.72 97.05 26.15 44 2.44 1.81 9.7 10.300 7.15 5.97 7.80 1.81 12.6 23.75 66.45 11.40 13.00 5.66 2.900 198.00 31.25 2.1 3.95 22.65 22 5.53 303.00 3.81 4.1 6.90 11.50 3.39 1.99 2.38 4.00 2.9 139.9 4.19 2.4 0.151 1.80 1.93 192.1 4.56 0.68 1.13

-1.03 1.12 2.60 5.49 -0.19 0.00 1.09 0.00 -4.45 0.41 4.02 0.94 -1.90 2.29 0.51 1.56 4.02 7.69 1.71 -0.37 0.00 0.00 -0.88 0.00 0.66 0.00 -0.47 -1.00 -1.09 3.04 -2.81 0.87 -3.05 -1.20 2.22 0.00 -1.74 0.00 4.39 0.00 1.75 0.00 0.00 -9.43 0.00 -13.04 -1.03 -0.98 -0.22 -1.45 8.65

2,374,600 125,000 509,000 33,200 110 2,736,500 20 1,352,600 286,200 1,556,000 1,342,000 27,700 1,829,200 1,079,400 18,189,300 19,700 43,000 66,000 4,468,800 345,480 400 101,600 139,700 10,737,000 489,810 100 5,000 5,000 2,049,300 94,200 12,600 516,530 2,000 782,000 4,899,900 300 290,000 318,000 692,000 3,045,000 84,000 4,520 2,000 12,863,000 5,130,000 4,027,000 602,000 1,622,540 10,000 201,000 115,000

0.410 57.5000 17.00 1.12 0.242 770 7.07 12.48 3.39 4.05 0.270 1342 5.93 70.90 5.56 0.79 11.5 0.52 5.18 8.51 0.0380 1.960 48.00 2.87 879.50 1.18 86.950 0.3250 0.2220 0.246

0.00 -1.03 3.91 -5.88 -1.22 0.39 1.00 -1.27 -0.29 0.00 -1.82 -0.52 0.00 -0.28 -4.14 -1.25 4.55 -1.89 2.17 0.59 2.70 1.55 1.91 -0.35 -0.06 0.00 3.14 3.17 0.00 2.50

110,000 2,179,870 9,812,000 12,000 670,000 302,410 1,710,000 6,999,800 74,000 1,000 270,000 211,725 260,700 2,221,140 6,881,000 668,000 11,341,800 35,000 53,719,600 2,921,600 37,500,000 4,512,000 156,900 24,000 229,820 417,000 43,750 2,790,000 220,000 170,000

6.470 7.58 0.60 0.227 35.950 3.04

0.15 0.00 0.00 -1.30 2.71 0.00

741,700 10,000 200,000 40,000 9,707,400 3,698,000

6,406,590.00

18,841,688.00 -5,670,135 -98,040.00 -3,580.00 -3,492,880.00 -1,126,555.00 -43,955,083.00 31,200.00 -20,240,345.00 -14,021,486.00 -575,900.00 -1,146.00 -183,070.00 21,802,145.00

-14,768,315.00 -599,015.00 -43,684.00 -11,377,174.00 575,450.00 -1,789,605.00

-1,430.00 -511,760.00 -113,100.00 463,069.00 215,060.00 38,800.00 617,170.00 -27,601,007.00 45,600.00 14,700.00 18,302,373.50 -36,939,114.00 -2,644,325.00 2,170,535.00 -702,722.00

6,255,105.00 -8,895.00 28,519,774.50 -19,560,034.00 38,400.00 -35,207,270.00 -79,793,645.00 -424,400.00 -20,500.00 -4,806,630.00 9,488,710.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 5.94 0.180 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 3.1 4.13 0.090 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.09 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 7 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 1 15.2 1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

1.97 35.2 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 4.8 830 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 3.01 0.011 0.041 1.200 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 0.650 6 0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

STOCKS

119,773,890.00 -3,943,460.00

Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Empire East Land Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Primex Corp.

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

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

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

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

Manila Bulletin Melco Crown NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. 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 25 0.330 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.236 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

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

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

70 553 525 515 8.21 12.28 1060 1047 78.95 84.8

33 490 500 480 5.88 6.5 997 1011 74.5 75

1.34

1

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort PCOR-Preferred A PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred B 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

-1,370,549.00

-2,754,899.00 -60,760.00

Close

Makati Fin. Corp.

IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

High

VALUE 881,542,816.49 1,221,033,828.75 2,056,871,261.71 1,973,034,356.20 1,842,382,459.86 236,907,980.5496 8,236,637,120.56

FINANCIAL 1,586.47 (up) 3.46 INDUSTRIAL 10,884.69 (down) 11.28 HOLDING FIRMS 6,540.18 (up) 16.62 PROPERTY 2,990.96 (up) 58.82 SERVICES 1,746.75 (up) 29.85 MINING & OIL 10,859.77 (down) 37.70 PSEI 7,108.80 (up) 53.31 All Shares Index 4,059.10 (up) 27.32 Gainers: 102 Losers: 80; Unchanged: 38; Total: 220

Close

0.58 0.96 1.05 0.102 0.415 20.35 0.760 1.02 1.70 1.30 4.00 4.57 0.089 7.85 29.30 1.59 3.25 21.00 0.7 8.36 0.670 5.340

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.59 0.57 0.59 0.97 0.94 0.94 1.10 1.00 1.00 0.103 0.101 0.101 0.430 0.415 0.430 20.5 20.25 20.3 0.830 0.760 0.830 1.06 1.02 1.06 1.74 1.69 1.70 1.30 1.30 1.30 4.79 4.79 4.79 4.68 4.53 4.68 0.085 0.084 0.085 7.88 7.7 7.72 29.80 28.65 28.80 1.59 1.56 1.56 3.07 3.06 3.06 21.50 21.00 21.50 0.71 0.7 0.71 8.33 8.33 8.33 1.000 0.660 1.000 5.400 5.200 5.310 SERVICES 7.8 7.81 7.67 7.7 61.6 62 61 61.9 0.530 0.560 0.540 0.540 5.70 6.10 5.70 6.05 0.0590 0.0670 0.0600 0.0620 3.74 3.9 3.65 3.76 87.85 87.85 86.8 86.8 4.70 5.03 4.50 5.00 950 974 973.5 974 2340 2334 2300 2330 6.51 6.58 6.51 6.55 1.27 1.26 1.24 1.24 77.75 77.5 76 76.85 4.60 5.80 4.62 5.79 0.010 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.181 0.184 0.178 0.183 1.4900 1.5500 1.4600 1.4600 8.35 8.65 8.36 8.63 3.85 4.15 3.85 3.85 1.14 1.14 1.14 1.14 2.20 2.25 2.19 2.25 0.610 0.600 0.600 0.600 3.84 4.03 3.8 3.95 0.480 0.520 0.485 0.500 18.6 18.7 18.48 18.7 4.50 4.81 4.52 4.78 89.00 90.00 88.00 88.00 18.90 18.90 18.60 18.90 2304.00 2408.00 2280.00 2380.00 0.560 0.570 0.560 0.570 1.090 1.120 1.080 1.120 32.05 32.50 32.00 32.00 75.00 76.75 74.60 76.20 6.60 6.70 6.41 6.55 5.44 6.04 5.44 6.00 0.49 0.48 0.47 0.47 1.54 1.55 1.5 1.55 3.36 3.6 3.36 3.44 0.360 0.375 0.355 0.370 3.650 3.990 3.700 3.790 MINING & OIL 0.0050 0.0050 0.0049 0.0050 2.18 2.18 2.15 2.17 4.90 4.72 4.70 4.72 10.80 10.80 9.80 10.80 0.185 0.186 0.186 0.186 5.9000 5.9 5.67 5.9000 0.72 0.73 0.72 0.72 0.65 0.67 0.66 0.66 8.08 8.42 8.02 8.16 0.87 0.95 0.88 0.93 0.295 0.295 0.285 0.290 0.180 0.180 0.178 0.179 0.190 0.192 0.190 0.192 0.0098 0.0098 0.0097 0.0097 0.011 0.011 0.010 0.011 1.92 1.93 1.88 1.9 6.41 6.5 6.32 6.36 2.78 2.95 2.77 2.78 0.5700 0.5800 0.5800 0.5800 1.3000 1.3100 1.3000 1.3100 0.0090 0.0093 0.0093 0.0093 3.60 4.00 3.60 4.00 4.85 4.970 4.800 4.80 1.30 1.390 1.290 1.38 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 140.60 142.00 137.00 139.50 2.44 2.5 2.35 2.49 0.0070 0.0070 0.0070 0.0070 PREFERRED 62 62.55 62.15 62.5 530 531 530 531 529 529 525 525 525 521.5 520 520 6.3 6.45 6.25 6.26 1.12 1.1 1.1 1.1 1080 1080 1079 1080 1032 1032 1030 1030 78.7 78.9 78.9 78.9 82.5 82.5 81.55 81.55 78.9 79 78.9 79 78.5 78.9 78.9 78.9 79.8 80 79 80 1.83 2.5 2.5 2.5 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.950 3.130 2.950 2.980 SME 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 65 66.1 65.95 66.1 14.44 14.58 14.2 14.22 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 115.5 116.6 115 116.6

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

1.72 -2.08 -4.76 -0.98 3.61 -0.25 9.21 3.92 0.00 0.00 19.75 2.41 -4.49 -1.66 -1.71 -1.89 -5.85 2.38 1.43 -0.36 49.25 -0.56

774,000 41,000 6,000 160,000 340,000 538,700 3,115,000 4,710,000 5,764,000 200,000 5,000 38,497,000 60,000 194,800 4,297,500 95,000 25,000 11,184,400 940,000 2,000 9,030,000 9,668,700

-14,840.00 -1,940.00 -2,200.00

-1.28 0.49 1.89 6.14 5.08 0.53 -1.20 6.38 2.53 -0.43 0.61 -2.36 -1.16 25.87 10.00 1.10 -2.01 3.35 0.00 0.00 2.27 -1.64 2.86 4.17 0.54 6.22 -1.12 0.00 3.30 1.79 2.75 -0.16 1.60 -0.76 10.29 -3.09 0.65 2.38 2.78 3.84

43,700 10,740 1,038,000 26,583,400 -35,311,886.00 195,920,000 317,810.00 162,000 466,860 5,941,457.00 500,000 -669,190.00 40 83,050 -31,628,600.00 333,300 58,000 3,420,810 -33,120,209.00 5,000 10,200,000 5,900,000 -109,800.00 1,636,000 -110,420.00 322,200 705,533.00 2,305,000 119,760.00 8,000 10,000 74,000 16,275,000 -30,214,350.00 610,000 49,700.00 1,400 11,000 13,540 -1,191,540.00 53,900 132,032.00 201,700 -97,305,790.00 655,000 6,628,000 95,520.00 1,603,700 3,863,945.00 399,480 15,195,948.50 3,733,200 -10,025.00 23,866,000 -70,354,618.00 5,230,000 -1,102,050.00 24,000 1,760,000 -1,611,710.00 370,000 1,556,000 -3,770.00

0.00 -0.46 -3.67 0.00 0.54 0.00 0.00 1.54 0.99 6.90 -1.69 -0.56 1.05 -1.02 0.00 -1.04 -0.78 0.00 1.75 0.77 3.33 11.11 -1.03 6.15 0.00 -0.78 2.05 0.00

408,000,000 100,000 -65,000.00 8,000 -23,580.00 1,700 60,000 600 -1,180.00 29,000 29,000 187,100 -338,221.00 9,933,000 -37,300.00 310,000 7,840,000 1,460,000 75,000,000 4,500,000 179,000 57,300.00 9,509,200 -6,615,964.00 104,000 18,000 100,000 3,000,000 135,000 738,000 -2,588,640.00 501,000 -114,500.00 63,700,000 10,000.00 602,500 -21,273,094.00 230,000 15,000,000

0.81 0.19 -0.76 -0.95 -0.63 -1.79 0.00 -0.19 0.25 -1.15 0.13 0.51 0.25 36.61

425,160 7,500 5,650 10,570 122,100 20,000 1,080 5,100 2,000 59,060 51,700 37,840 841,700 7,000

1.02

392,000

0.00 1.69 -1.52

4,000 1,680 1,703,400

-42,304.00 -2,505,644.00

0.95

3,250

23,250.00

-5,926,660.00 -1,149,550.00 -30,460.00 18,467,700.00 267,070.00 12,540,530.00 -16,608,245.00 16,660.00 25,000.00 -6,016,580.00

-13,521,982.00

-780,599.00

2,093,480.00 17,500.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Suntrust Home Dev. Inc.

1.000

49.25

TKC Steel Corp.

1.80

-13.04

Swift Pref

2.5

36.61

Splash Corporation

2.4

-9.43

Imperial Res. `A'

5.79

25.87

Bright Kindle Resources

1.25

-7.41

Keppel Properties

4.79

19.75

Anglo Holdings A

1.12

-5.88

Petroenergy Res. Corp.

4.00

11.11

Shang Properties Inc.

3.06

-5.85

SSI Group

6.00

10.29

Cityland Dev. `A'

1.00

-4.76

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.011

10.00

MRC Allied Ind.

0.085

-4.49

Empire East Land

0.830

9.21

Concepcion

44

-4.45

Vulcan Ind'l.

1.13

8.65

Lopez Holdings Corp.

5.56

-4.14

Federal Res. Inv. Group

12.6

7.69

Atlas Cons. `A'

4.72

-3.67

THURSDAY: OCTOBER 8, 2015

B3

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

EastWest forms insurance firm

By Julito G. Rada

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas approved the P500-million initial investment of EastWest Banking Corp. into an insurance company formed in partnership with Netherlandsbased Ageas Insurance International N.V., a well-established global insurance firm.

“We shall inform the exchange as soon as we receive approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Insurance Commission,” EastWest, the financial services subsidiary of the Filinvest Group of the Gotianun family, said in a disclosure to the stock exchange

Wednesday.

EastWest signed a joint-venture agreement with Ageas in May this year to create a life insurance firm that will enable it to sell insurance products to customers.

The new firm will be named EastWest Ageas Life. The agreement and the name of the new

company were subject to regulatory approvals.

Ageas Insurance International offers businesses and individuals life, non-life, healthcare and disability insurance products and mortgage and savings products.

The company was formerly known as Fortis Insurance International N.V. The company is currently based in Utrecht, The Netherlands, with operations in Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom.

Through the partnership, EastWest will sell life insurance products through its various sales channels through an arms’ length 20-year distribution agreement with the new joint-venture company.

The bank said in a previous statement the joint venture company was projected to start commercial operations before the end of 2015.

Through the joint venture, EastWest aims to complete its line of product offerings to customers and take advantage of the developing life insurance market in the Philippines.

EastWest said teaming up with a well-established global insurance company like Ageas would enable it to provide world-class insurance products to its existing and future customers.

The initial paid-in capital of the EastWest Ageas Life will be P2 billion. The bank will hold 50 percent minus one share, while

Ageas will hold 50 percent plus one share of the company.

EastWest also said through the new firm, it will not only be able to sell life insurance products but also increase its revenue base and expand its market share in the Philippines.

EastWest in the first half of 2015 posted a 4-percent decline in net income to P1.01 billion year-on-year on the back of lower trading gains and higher provisions for loan losses.

EastWest Bank reached a new milestone as total assets reached the P200-billion mark in the first half of the year. Total assets grew 31 percent to P204.9 billion from the P155.9 billion reported in the same period last year.

Stocks up as Asian currencies advance THE stock market rose Wednesday for a third straight day as investors resumed their risk-on attitude and emerging currencies, including the peso, surged against the US dollar.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index climbed 53.31 points, or 0.8 percent to 7,108.80 on a value turnover of P8.2 billion. Gainers beat losers, 102 to 80, with 38 issues unchanged.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the biggest telecommunications firm, gained 3.3 percent to P2,380, while property developer Ayala Land Inc. added 2.7 percent to P35.95.

Bloomberry Resorts Corp. of port tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. surged 6.1 percent to P6.05, while Megaworld Corp., the largest lessor of office spaces, rose 2.4 percent to P4.68.

Oil prices on Wednesday, meanwhile, extended a rally on hopes a global supply glut could be easing, boosting Asian energy shares, while a broadly confident outlook saw emerging currencies surge against the dollar.

The peso climbed to 46.14 against the US dollar from Tuesday’s close of P46.47.

Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics dragged South Korean shares higher as it soared after flagging a massive increase in operating profit for July-September.

Global markets have steamed ahead since the release Friday of underwhelming US jobs data that lowered expectations the Federal Reserve will tighten monetary policy before the end of the year.

The greenback also retreated against the yen after the Bank of Japan decided against widening its stimulus program, saying the economy was moderately growing despite a string of weak recent data.

On Tuesday US crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate jumped 4.9 percent while Brent North Sea crude soared 5.4 percent after the US Department of Energy forecast a drop in average production in 2016 and an increase in global demand this year. With AFP

PNB gets award. The Social Security System names Philippine National Bank (PNB) as one of this year’s recipients of the SSS Balikat ng

Bayan Special Citation as an SSS paying commercial bank during the awarding ceremonies held September 18 at the Ramon Magsaysay Hall of the SSS main office in Diliman, Quezon City. SSS president and chief executive Emilio de Quiros Jr. (second from right) and Social Security Commission chairman Juan Santos (secnd from left) present the the award to PNB representatives led by chairperson Florencia Tarriela (third from left), executive vice Ppesident Jovencio Hernandez (third from right) and senior vice president Elisa Cua (center). With them are SSS SVP Judy Frances See (left) and SSS SVP Jose Bautista (right).

PNB plans to increase remittance share by 25% PHILIPPINE National Bank, the country’s fourth largest private commercial lender controlled by tobacco and airline tycoon Lucio Tan, plans to increase by 25 percent the market share of its remittance business in the next three years or more.

PNB first senior vice president and global Filipino banking group head Benjamin Oliva said in a press briefing in Manila Wednesday that the bank’s remittance business had been accounting for 20 percent of the remittance market in the past few years and it was time to expand it further.

“It is a very competitive market.

Over time, in terms of long-term horizon, we would like to increase to about 23 percent to 25 percent,” Oliva said. He said a long-term horizon means “in excess of three years.”

“Increasing market share has

always been the bank’s strategic direction, that is why we are not just looking at the remittance as a purely remittance business. We continue to differentiate by providing added value services... ,” Oliva said.

He said PNB’s remittance business accounted for over 5 percent of the country’s total of $24.3 billion in 2014.

Oliva said PNB’s remittance business rose by over 5 percent in the first half year-on-year. He said he was optimistic growth would be more robust in the second half, especially in the closing months of 2015 when migrant Filipino workers remit more because of the Christmas season.

“There are concerns [on the growth of remittances] that stem from lower oil prices in some economies and the Saudization in the Middle East. But remittance

growth is holding and we see a pickup in the growth by about 1 to 2 percent in the last four months from around 5 percent in the first half,” Oliva said.

PNB on Wednesday launched the Emergency Sagot ng PNB promo that will give away free Healthy Ka Pinoy Emergency Medical Card for customers, who received at least three remittances with a minimum amount of P12,000 each from their relatives abroad.

It enables cardholders to seek free emergency treatment of up to P15,000 at any of the 890 hospitals and clinics accredited by the partner health care provider EastWest Healthcare.

PNB in the first half of 2015 registered a 12-percent increase in net income to P3.6 billion from P3.2 billion a year ago due to the improved performance of its core

businesses.

By end-June 2015, PNB’s consolidated risk-based capital adequacy ratio consistently exceeded the minimum regulatory requirement of 10 percent with total CAR at 19.6 percent and Tier 1 CAR ratio 16.6 percent.

PNB is a universal bank providing a full range of banking and other financial services to large corporate, middle market, small and medium enterprises, and retail customers. PNB to date has 662 branches and 900 ATMs strategically located nationwide.

It has the most extensive international presence among Philippine banks with 76 overseas branches, representative offices, remittance centers and subsidiaries in key cities in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Julito G. Rada

B4 ICTSI expansion. Sociedad

Puerto Industrial de Aguadulce S.A., a unit of International Container Terminal Services Inc. in Colombia, recently receives four super post panamax quay cranes and five rubber-tired gantries as it enters the final stage of preparation for the operational launch in 2016 of the Aguadulce Multi-User Container Terminal at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia. SPIA staff and officials welcome the arrival of the terminal’s first four quay cranes.

ICTSI equips Colombia terminal

PLDT invests $10m in mobile app firm

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co., through newly formed unit PLDT Capital, has invested $10 million in Phunware, a US-based mobile services and application company.

The new partnership will enable PLDT’s subsidiary, ePLDT, to market and exclusively distribute Phunware’s targeted mobile and multiscreen solutions in Southeast Asia.

Phunware, through its pioneering multiscreen as a service platform, gives companies everything they need to engage seamlessly with their customers through mobile devices, from indoor and outdoor location-based marketing and advertising to content management, notifications and analyt-

ics, to indoor mapping, navigation and wayfinding.

This is the first investment of PLDT Capital since it was formed last month, which aims to connect the PLDT Group of companies with leading firms in Silicon Valley and around the world.

PLDT Capital has an initial budget of $50 million to support PLDT business units, which include Smart, ePLDT, Digital5 and Voyage.

“Filipino and Asean consumers are among the most engaged users of mobile and digital ser-

vices in the world,” Winston Damarillo, managing director of PLDT Capital and chief strategy officer of PLDT said.

“We see mobile phones as an essential part of our daily lives and expect new experiences to pique our digital curiosity,” Damarillo said.

“The partnership of the PLDT Group and Phunware will also enable its corporate and SME clients to address the growing needs and appetites of their digital consumers,” Damarillo said.

Phunware currently supports more than 500 million monthly unique users globally on its multiscreen cloud platform, including branded application portfolios and infrastructure for hundreds of enterprise customers across more than 40 billion indoor and outdoor user events.

Phunware’s impressive list of top-tier customers includes CBS

Interactive, NBC Sports, Dignity Health, GameStop, Mandarin Oriental and WWE. “With more than 70 million subscribers, PLDT instantly provides a large base of audiences and communities that will enjoy new and unprecedented levels of real-time engagement both indoors and outdoors across their favorite brands and venues. At the same time, we look forward to expanding PLDT’s product portfolio,” Alan Knitowski, Phunware chairman, chief executive and co-founder said.

Eric Alberto, ePLDT chief executive and PLDT executive vice president, said the joint venture would provide an edge for companies that do business in retail, travel, hospitality and real estate. “ePLDT is constantly seeking ways to provide strategic digital advantages for our customers,” he said.

Govt awards P160-m contract on MRT rail grinder THE Transportation Department has awarded a P160-million contract to the joint venture of Kempal Construction & Supply Corp. and TPE Share Sales Inc. to supply brand-new rail grinding machine for Metro Rail Transit Line 3.

The agency said the brand-new rail grinding machine would remove track irregularities and extend track life.

The machine, along with operations and maintenance manuals, repair tools, and a five-year supply of spares, will be delivered within 360 calendar days from is-

suance of the notice to proceed.

This will put an end to the classification of systematic rail grinding as special repair works – which entails additional costs – and instead characterize it as an ordinary preventive maintenance undertaking.

The agency said with its own rail grinding machine, the MRT3 management could minimize costs, as similar equipment would no longer be leased from other firms.

The Transportation Department awarded last week the signaling system upgrade project to

Bombardier Transportation Signal Ltd. Under the contract, existing local control system MAN 900 will be replaced with more contemporary EBI Screen 900 within the next seven months.

The ongoing refurbishment of 12 Schindler-brand escalators is expected to be completed before the end of the year, while the rehabilitation of MRT-3 toilets was presently being carried out, with six facilities already open for public use.

Over 7,000 linear meters’ worth of new rails are also set to

be installed within the year, to replace worn-out tracks in order to ensure safer and smoother rides.

The new tap-and-go ticketing system was also activated at all MRT-3 stations, allowing the seamless transfer across the three rail lines and shortening queuing time.

Running from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, MRT 3 serves nearly 500,000 passengers a day, beyond its rated capacity of 350,000.

The rail system has a fleet of 73 Czech-made air-conditioned rail cars. Darwin G. Amojelar

PORT operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. has acquired new container handling equipment in preparation for the operational launch of its port in Columbia next year.

ICTSI said unit Sociedad Puerto Industrial de Aguadulce S.A. recently received four super post oanamax quay cranes and five rubber-tired gantries for Aguadulce Multi-User Container Terminal at the Port of Buenaventura, Columbia.

Estimated to cost around $50 million, the equipment purchase is part of ICTSI’s $545-million total investment in the Port of Buenaventura.

Development of the AMCT is divided into three phases. The first phase, which is slated for completion by April next year, will yield an annual capacity of around 600,000 twenty-foot equivalent units.

First phase development includes a 600-meter berth length with a 14.5-meter controlling depth, an 11-hectare container yard, a 250-meter coal bulk dock, conveyor beltequipped silos and a 21-kilometer access road leading to the terminal.

It also includes the construction of warehouses and inspection areas, as well as the deployment of automation and other state-of-the-art port technologies.

ICTSI in July 2007 won the 30-year concession for the construction and operation of a container terminal and grains and coal-handling facility at the Port of Buenaventura.

The company acquired stakes in two Panamanian companies to gain effective control of SPIA, which owns 240 hectares of land in the Aguadulce Peninsula and its surroundings.

ICTSI and PSA International Pte. Ltd of Singapore signed an agreement in 2013 to jointly develop and operate the container terminal and its ancillary facilities.

Upon completion, the greenfield project is expected to become a catalyst for Colombian trade growth.

The Razon-led port operator posted a net income of $100.4 million in the first half of the year, down by one percent from last year’s $101.7 million.

Darwin G. Amojelar

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

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

B5

Ayala redevelops; Ebdane’s solution AYALA Land Inc. is out to preserve its status as the premier property developer in the Philippines. It is giving the financial district a face-lift with the development of the P20-billion City Gate project at the northern tip of Ayala Avenue, and openly challenging Alphaland Makati Place of investment banker Roberto V. Ongpin.

Ayala Land last week announced it would spend an initial P6 billion to acquire and develop the former Jaka Tower along Ayala Avenue into a 49-story premium office tower to be called Alveo Financial Tower.

The unfinished Jaka structure, a major component of City Gate, is being envisioned to be a signature office building in the heart of Ayala Avenue.

“With its much-coveted location on Ayala Avenue, Alveo Financial Tower has become a rare investment opportunity for highpowered businesses and organizations wanting to be part of the country’s premier financial center,” Alveo Land head of project development group Jennylle Tupaz said.

The market reception to the Alveo Financial Tower is encouraging. The company started pre-selling the office units in Alveo Financial Tower at an average selling price of P240,000 per square meter, or P11 billion in total sales. The company has sold over 60 percent of the total units so far, generating P5.6 billion in sales takeup.

At P240,000 per sq. m., Alveo Financial Tower will be the most expensive office development along the Makati Central Business District. One office unit with an average size of 116 square meters will cost P27.8 million. The tower is slated for turnover in 2020.

Alveo Financial Tower sits on a prime 2,400-square-meter plot of land along Ayala Avenue. It will offer 363 office units and a variety of amenities and facilities that enhance corporate activity. As envisioned by planners, City Gate will have elevated walkways that will connect it to Ayala Center and to the rest of the central business district.

Dedicated mining roads Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has taken a proactive stance to resolve an emotional mining issue in his home province. The provincial chief opted for a Solomonic decision to allow two mining companies to resume operations and at the same time prevent road and environment degradation.

Ebdane, in an Aug. 3 letter to Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, recommended a conditional lifting of the suspension order on Benguet Corp. Nickel Mines Inc. and Zambales Diversified Metals Corp. after the two complied with the requirements of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Environmental Management Bureau to build a “backdoor mining hauling road,” or “one-mine haul road,” devoted for mining operations.

Ebdane also dismissed insinuations by critics that he was engaged in “selective mining” when he recommended the conditional lifting of the suspension order on Benguet Nickel and ZDMC. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan in June passed a resolution endorsing the decision of seven barangays to require mining companies to construct “backdoor mining road” in their areas to ease traffic and prevent the destruction of national and barangay roads by dump and hauling trucks carrying mineral ores.

Ebdane said the resolution instituted the public policy to require mining firms to construct the dedicated mining roads “The public policy requiring mining firms in Zambales to build those alternative roads have been duly raised, discussed and approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan,” Ebdane said.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan on May 18 empowered Ebdane to sign an agreement with local executives of the Zambales towns of Sta. Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig and Iba for the construction of alternative roads devoted for mining operations.

“We are not operating in a vacuum. There is a complete paper trail to this public policy. We have the supporting resolutions and documents to show and prove it,” Ebdane said. “Besides, I have the authority to engage with local executives when it comes to mining issues.”

“The purpose of this ‘one mine haul road’ is to protect and spare the host or impact communities from the security, safety, and environmental risks, which may arise from… the hauling activities such as the use of massive mining equipment and dump trucks,” Ebdane said in his letter to Paje. “The ‘one mine haul road’ shall serve as the exclusive passageway for the use of hauling trucks and other equipment of the mining companies from the mining site to port.”

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com or business@thestandard.com.ph

Honda’s new scooter. Honda Philippines Inc. unveils the all-new Zoomer X, the third installment in

the brand’s Gen-S scooter series which boasts of Honda’s smart technology. Shown during yhe Zoomer X unveiling at the Blue Bay Walk in Pasay City are (from left) PHI advertising head Mark Anthony Bigayan, assistant vice president for sales and marketing Hideo Nishinaga, president Daiki Mihara and product planning head Elie Salamangkit Jr.

Foreign reserves hit $80.3b in September

By Julito G. Rada

THE country’s gross international reserves rose slightly to $80.315 billion in September from $80.255 billion in August and $79.6 billion a year ago, as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas increased its foreign exchange operations.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said in a statement there was also an improvement in the national government’s net foreign currency deposits in September.

“These foreign exchange inflows were partially offset by payments made by the national government for its maturing foreign exchange obligations and revaluation adjustments on the Bangko Sentral’s gold holdings and foreign currency-denominated reserves,” Guinigundo said.

He said the end-September reserves level remained ample to cover 10.3 months’ worth of im-

ports of goods and payments of services and income.

It was also equivalent to 6.1 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.4 times based on residual maturity.

Short-term debt based on residual maturity refers to outstanding external debt with original maturity of one year or less, plus principal payments on medium- and long-term loans of the public and private sectors falling due within the next 12 months.

Data showed the value of the Bangko Sentral’s gold holdings

last month fell to $7.014 billion from $7.150 billion in August. Foreign investments stood at $70.589 billion, down from $70.614 billion a month ago.

Net international reserves, which refer to the difference between the Bangko Sentral’s GIR and total short-term liabilities, increased by $60 million to $80.31 billion as of end-September compared to the end-August NIR of $80.25 billion.

GIR stood at $79.540 billion as of end-2014, lower than $83.187 billion in 2013.

Bangko Sentral said in May it was expecting reserves to hit $81.6 billion by end-2015, a downward revision of the $83-billion target made in October last year, taking into account the volatilities in the global financial markets.

Bangko Sentral said the sustained strong current account surplus, following the downward revision in international oil prices would eventually boost the reserves.

PH moves closer in joining Trans-Pacific

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippines is in talks to join Trans-Pacific Partnership, after its member-countries agreed on a trade pact that will redefine global trade.

The Trade Department said it would pursue six more technical consultations with membercountries of the TPP, in anticipation of the imminent signing of the trade pact among the first 12 member-countries and the subsequent opening of the group to new member-applicants.

TPP’s trade pact includes provisions to lower barriers to trade in services and remove foreign in-

vestment barriers, in addition to lowering tariffs on goods trade. It also has provisions setting common minimum standards on labor markets and environmental protections as well as international dispute resolution regimes.

Trade undersecretary for international policy Adrian Cristobal said the Philippine government would initiate the technical discussions with Japan, Peru, Chile, Singapore, Brunei and Vietnam.

“The talks, generally, with all of them will continue, while this agreement [TPP] is going through.

This is a required exercise. All 12 members have been supportive of our desire to join [the TPP],” he

said in an interview.

Among the areas where the Philippines will focus on technical discussions with TPP are government procurement, investor-state dispute settlement and intellectual property.

The Philippines already started technical discussions with Malaysia, Australia, the US, New Zealand, Mexico and Canada.

Cristobal said while the Trade Department expected a temporary suspension in the flow of talks due to election, there would be no backsliding nor disruption in the process “since we have professional career civil servants sitting in the negotiation panel.”

THURSDAY: OCTOBER 8, 2015

B6

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

ALI studies Sukuk financing Meralco rates fall for 6th month

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE monthly bill of Manila Electric Co.’s residential customers will go down by an average of P0.13 per kilowatt-hour in October, representing the sixth straight month of rate reduction.

Meralco said in a statement the latest adjustment brought the total reduction in the past six months to P2.26 per kWh. The power ratailer said the overall electricity bill of a typical household consuming 200 kWh would go down by P26 in October, compared with the previous month.

Meralco’s overall rate in October reached P8.42 per kWh, lower by P2.05 compared with P10.47 per kWh recorded in October last year.

Meralco said this month’s rate was the lowest in more than five years or since January 2010.

“The reduction in the overall rates was primarily due to the generation charge, which decreased by P0.14 per kWh from last month. At P3.996 per kWh, this October’s generation charge is also the lowest since January 2010,” Meralco said.

Meanwhile, Meralco warned that generation rates might go up with the mandatory implementation of the competitive selection process for distribution utilities.

Meralco officials, in a public hearing, asked for a deferment of the issuance of the implementing guidelines of the procurement process until certain issues were resolved.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. is considering Sukuk financing to fund its investments in Malaysia.

“We are talking with a couple of banks to explore Sukuk financing,” Ayala Land chief finance officer Jaime Ysmael told reporters at the sidelines of the Asean Capital Markets and Investment Summit sponsored by The Asset magazine.

Sukuk is an Islamic financial certificate, which is similar to a bond, that complies with Sharia, or Islamic religious law.

Ysmael said raising funds through Sukuk to finance Ayala Land’s investment in Malaysia would remove for-

eign exchange risks.

He said Sukuk financing was one of the options being considered by Ayala Land.

“We are still studying and exploring possible options. But for now a peso and dollar debt still makes sense,” Ysmael said, “We are talking with banks if we can match it [Ayala Land’s investment in Malaysia] with Ringgit denominated loan, either through Sukuk or note or bilateral bank debt,” Ysmael said.

Ayala Land in April acquired

a 9.16-percent interest in MCT Bhd through a private placement amounting to $43 million (P1.9 billion).

The stake in the Malaysian company marked Ayala Land’s first significant investment in Southeast Asia.

Ayala Land, through wholly owned subsidiary Regent Wise Investments Limited signed call option agreements with the two founders and majority shareholders of the Malaysian firm in May that will enable the property firm to increase its stake in MCT to 32.95 percent.

The call options are exercisable for one month beginning Oct. 2015.

Ayala Land earlier said the investment in MCT Bhd would allow it to enter the Malaysian market with an experienced team, benefit from synergies of the part-

nership and further add value to MCT over the long term to enable it to become a key player in the Malaysian real estate market.

Aside from Malaysia, Ayala Land is also looking at investment opportunities in Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar.

Established in 1999 as a construction company, MCT Bhd is a property development company specializing in mixed-use projects that include retail, office, hotel and mid- to affordable residential units.

MCT Bhd listed under the main market of Bursa Malaysia and has several ongoing projects in One City Subang Jaya and Cyberjaya, as well as a land bank in Dengkil, 1.5 kilometers away south of Cyberjaya, all located in the Klang Valley in Malaysia.

Unilever expansion. Unilever Philippines inaugurates its expansion project at Gateway Business Park in Barangay Javalera, General Trias, Cavite. Shown during the ribbon cutting ceremony are Unilever executives led by chairman and chief executive Rohit Jawa (third from left) and local officials led by General Trias mayor Antonio Ferrer (second from left) and Cavite sixth district representative Luis Ferrer IV (third from right).

National Currency Management 101 MANY people in this country undoubtedly were surprised, even shocked, to learn that BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas), the national monetary authority, can lose money from its operations and that a BSP operating loss can result from activities associated with changes in foreign-currency values. BoP data released recently indicated that were it not for a second-quarter foreign-assets valuation gain equivalent to P3.5 billion, the central bank would have recorded a loss of P2.5 billion in that quarter.

The data also indicated that BSP operations since 2010 have resulted in a cumulative operating loss of P224.5 billion, of which P95.4 billion was accounted for by 2012, the highest annual loss ever recorded.

The national monetary authority attributed the P3.5 billion second-quarter gain mainly to foreign-exchange market fluctuations that raised the values of the

central bank’s dollar-denominated assets. The gain also was the result of the bank’s foreign-exchange trading operations. In furtherance of its statutory mandate to “maintain external monetary stability,” BSP intervenes in the foreignexchange market, either as a seller or a buyer, as macroeconomic circumstances dictate.

There is a world of difference between the foreign-exchange trading activities of a private investor and a foreign-exchange operations of the BSP. A private participant in foreign-exchange market trading does so for purposes of personal gain, buying and selling in anticipation of profitable foreign-exchange movements. But the national monetary authority participates in foreign-exchange market trading to maintain market stability generally or to nudge the exchange-rate of the peso in a direction of the government’s economic priorities. Central bank intervention is undertaken by either sales or purchases of foreign currencies as market trends dictate: sales of dollars or other currencies when it

is desired to prevent a further decline of the peso and purchases when the opposite result is desired by the nation’s economic decision-makers.

A case in point is the current trend of the exchange rate of the peso, which today is flirting with the P47 to US$1 level. In 2013-2014, the rate was in the late P40s.

The peso’s current weakness is being attributed to a number of factors. Chief among these has been the decision of the US Federal Reserve Board to terminate its very-easy-money policy in the face of the US economy’s steady revival. Another factor has been the weakening of the Chinese economy. Still another factor has been the modest strengthening of Japan’s currency.

A private foreign-exchange trader will buy or sell foreign currencies only when there are profits to be made from the transactions. But the BSP, buying and selling to promote national economic policies, may—and very often does—trade in the foreign-exchange market at a loss.

This explains the foreign-exchange losses

that the central bank oftentimes incurs.

Since an economy is composed of competing interests—exporters vs consumers, OFWs vs resident Filipinos, foreign tourists vs Filipino travelers— the BSP has to constantly perform a balancing act in its foreign-exchange market interventions. Thus, in the current market situation, exporters, OFWs and foreign tourists want more forceful market intervention by the BSP, while importers, Filipino travelers and Filipinos generally want a peso that will be stronger as against other currencies.

The next time a news reader or listener learns about the BSP—the bank of all banks—incurring a loss, he or she will know why. The national monetary authority, in compliance with its statutory mandate, has been selling and buying foreign currencies, making profits or incurring losses in the process, in an effort to promote this country’s economic interests.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

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

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Leaders take up slow growth LIMA—Kick-starting the sluggish global economy and funding the climate-change fight top the agenda this week as finance ministers and central bank chiefs from around the world gather in Peru.

Frankfurt at night. This night view taken on Oct. 6, 2015, shows the illuminated city center of

Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, with its banking district (foreground) and the main railway station (C-L). AFP

Climate-linked insurance HK post a boon for poor farmers boxes PARIS—Poor farmers the world over are increasingly falling prey to natural disasters, droughts and torrential rain largely due to climate change. But there is some good news as well.

Thanks to new technologies, the widespread use of satellites, and more powerful computers such events can largely be predicted in advance, thus making possible novel and more efficient insurance schemes for those at risk.

In earlier times, a natural disaster or sustained inclement weather would be followed by a tedious and lengthy insurance process with an expert being sent out to a farm to inspect the damage: too costly in poor or emerging countries where small holdings are often located in the back of beyond.

But all that is in the past. Now climate-

linked insurance schemes are increasingly helping protect poor farmers against bad harvests.

These so-called indexinsurance schemes differ from traditional indemnity coverage in that they are based on factors such as rainfall rather than actual measured loss, and kick in the moment a threshold fixed in advance is breached.

One key advantage is that the transaction costs are lower, making index insurance financially viable for private-sector insurers and affordable to small farmers. This is critical for vulnerable growers whose fortunes are waning by the day.

“For many farmers, climate change means basically more bad years,” said Daniel Osgood, an expert on index-linked insurance at Columbia University.

“For them, adaptation means taking advantage of the remaining years.”

Index-linked insurance drastically cuts costs for farmers, giving them more spare cash for fertilizers and seeds and help them avoid penury by bypassing distressed sales of assets to escape the debt trap.

“They have opportunities to improve productivity in normal years by, for example, taking a loan to improve the productivity of their seeds,” Osgood said.

But only a fraction of such farmers have been benefited so far.

“Out of 400 to 500 million farmers who are potential candidates for index-based insurance only 40 to 50 million have had coverage so far,” said Gilles Galludec, the head of World Bank-run Global Index Insurance Facility. AFP

Between leaves. A spider sits in its web between autumn-colored leaves on Oct. 6, 2015, near Seelig, southern Germany. AFP

to lose insignia

HONGKONG—Plans by the Hong Kong post office to cover up royal British insignia on historic mail boxes have sparked a backlash from conservation campaigners and accusations of a push to erase the city’s colonial past.

A crown and cyphe— a monogram of the British monarch at the time—features on 59 post boxes around the city, mostly the insignia of Queen Elizabeth II. But Hongkong Post described them as “inappropriate” in a city that reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.

It said in a statement it planned to cover up the insignia but would not damage them in the process.

There are more than 1,000 street post boxes around the city and all would display the post office’s hummingbird logo to make them “easily identifiable”, it said.

The move comes weeks after former Beijing official Chen Zuo’er called for the semi-autonomous city to shake off its colonial past.

Under a “one country, two systems” agreement, Hong Kong has far greater freedoms than the mainland, but there are fears that these are being eroded by increased influence from Beijing. AFP

Setting the stage for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the IMF cut its 2015 growth forecast for the world economy Tuesday to 3.1 percent, predicting the worst year since the global recession of 2009.

The downward revision will provide a gloomy backdrop as economic policymakers from 188 countries meet in the Peruvian capital Lima from Friday to Sunday.

“The holy grail of robust and synchronized global expansion remains elusive,” said the IMF’s new chief economist, Maurice Obstfeld, warning that China’s slowdown and the resulting slide in commodity prices was weighing down the world economy.

There is “reason to be concerned,” IMF managing director Christine Lagarde warned in the run-up to the meeting.

After decades of break-neck expansion, the world’s second-largest economy is set to slow to 6.3-percent growth next year, its lowest rate in 25 years, the IMF predicted.

And that is taking a heavy toll on other emerging markets, which had grown to depend on China’s vora-

cious appetite for their fuel, metals, minerals and other commodities.

The emerging markets, which drove global growth during the crisis of 2008-2009, are also hurting because their capital inflows are drying up as a recovering United States prepares to tighten monetary policy.

The gloomy outlook tempers the good news last weekend from the World Bank, which reported that extreme poverty will fall this year to less than 10 percent of the global population for the first time.

The economic pain is particularly acute in Latin America, which had not hosted the IMF annual meeting since the 1967 edition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The IMF forecast a recession of 0.3 percent in Latin America this year, and regional powerhouse Brazil is facing a contraction of three percent.

The fifth annual slowdown for the once-mighty emerging markets and the commodities plunge underpinning it will be key agenda points as finance ministers from the leading industrialized and emerging economies gather Thursday for a G20 meeting, before issuing a statement Friday. AFP

Republic of the Philippine CITY OF NAGA BIDS & AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF FOOD COMMODITIES The City Government of Naga, through the Food Supplies Expense of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), intends to apply the sum of Five Million Forty Eight Thousand Nine Hundred (P 5,048,900.00) Pesos, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Supply and Delivery of Food Commodities for distribution during the Paskohan Gift-Giving, Contract Reference Number: 2015-041. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Items

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Item No.

Qty.

Unit

1

48,000

pcs.

Repacked Bijon (16 oz. each pack)

2

24,000

pcs.

Sausage (80 grams)

540,000.00

3

24,000

pcs.

Meat Loaf (210 grams)

684,000.00

4

48,000

pcs.

Carne Norte (100 grams)

888,000.00

5

72,000

pcs.

Noodles

684,000.00

6

48,000

pcs.

Sardines

816,000.00

7

25,000

pcs.

Sando Bag (large)

8

25

rolls

Plastic Twine

1,368,000.00

66,250.00 2,650.00

TOTAL

P 5,048,900.00

The City Government of Naga now invites bids for Supply and Delivery of Food Commodities for distribution during the Paskohan Gift-Giving. Delivery of the Goods is required within thirty (30) calendar days. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years, from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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 open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the IRR of RA 9184. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the City Government of Naga and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below starting from 8 AM until 5 PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting on Thursday, October 8 to 28, 2015, from the Office of the BAC Secretariat c/o City Planning & Development Office, 2nd Floor City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Ten Thousand (P 10,000.00) Pesos and an Annual Registration Fee of Three Thousand (P 3,000.00) Pesos, and upon presentation of Document Request List (DRL) from PhilGEPS showing your company name.

It may also be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity (www.naga.gov.ph), provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The City Government of Naga will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on Friday, October 16, 2015 at 3:00 PM at City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered to the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, on or before Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 3:00 PM. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security, either in the form of cash or cashier’s/manager’s check issued by a universal or commercial bank (2% of ABC), or, Bid Securing Declaration (BSD).

Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, at 3:00 PM at the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The City Government of Naga reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: MR. FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. Acting City Administrator, City Hall Compound, J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City Telephone Number: 054-4732240, 054-4723235 Email address: bac@naga.gov.ph, Website: www.naga.gov.ph

( T S - O C T. 8 , 2 015 )

(SGD) FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. BAC Chairperson

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

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Cheating affects 91,000 vehicles SYDNEY—Volkswagen said Wednesday that more than 91,000 of its vehicles in Australia are fitted with emissionscheating technology, more than two weeks after the global scandal broke.

The German auto giant said on Sept. 22 that as many as 11 million diesel cars worldwide were equipped with devices that could skew emissions data to cheat tests.

Vo l k s w a g e n Group Australia said Wednesday that 54,745 cars, 17,256 commercial vehicles and 5,148 Skoda vehicles were affected in Australia.

Its top-of-therange Audi subsidiary said 14,028 of its vehicles sold between 2008 and 2015 were also fitted with the devices, bringing the total to 91,177 vehicles in Australia.

“Volkswagen Group

Australia takes this issue extremely seriously and is continuing to gather all the facts from our head office to support any rectification plans in Australia,” said managing director John White.

The scandal erupted when it was revealed that Volkswagen diesel vehicles sold worldwide have been fitted with devices that can switch on pollution controls when they detect the car is undergoing testing.

They then switch off the controls when the car is on the road, allowing it to spew out more harmful levels of emissions.

The sale of some Volkswagen and Audi cars was suspended in Australia at the weekend after the firms met government officials demanding clarification on how many vehicles were affected. AFP

Out in the sun. This picture taken on Sept. 30, 2015, shows vases left out to dry in the sun at a family workshop in the pottery village of Phu Lang, in the northern province of Bac Ninh. Phu Lang, one of several well known traditional pottery villages around Hanoi, has a pottery trade dating back to the 14th century. AFP

Nobel Peace Prize bets are on OSLO—From the migrant crisis to the anti-nuclear camp, speculation is rife about who will win the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, with Angela Merkel and John Kerry among the names mentioned.

The only one of the six Nobel prizes to be awarded in Oslo— the others are announced in Stockholm—the Peace Prize is the one that garners the most attention and speculation.

But predicting the winner is largely a game of chance, as the list of nominees is kept secret for 50 years. This year 273 names are known to be on the list.

Some Nobel watchers agree that the honors could go to those working to ease the migrant crisis, which has seen more than 630,000

people flee war and misery in the Middle East and Africa for Europe, testing the limits of the continent’s generosity.

According to the head of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo (Prio), Kristian Berg Harpviken, the German chancellor is an obvious choice.

“Angela Merkel is the one who really took a moral leadership,” he said.

In the same vein, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has already

won the prize twice in 1954 and 1981, and Eritrean Catholic priest Mussie Zerai, who helps rescue migrants crossing the Mediterranean, have been tipped as possible laureates by Nobeliana, a group of historians who specialize in the Nobel.

While the past year has been marked by violence and tragedy in Syria, Iraq and across Africa, there have also been a few momentous steps towards peace.

In July, Iran’s regime reached a historic deal with world powers to curb its nuclear drive in exchange for a gradual lifting of the crippling sanctions imposed on its economy since 2006.

“I think the work of the Nobel Committee ... this year just got much easier,” Sweden’s former foreign minister Carl Bildt tweeted at the time.

In such a case, the prize could go to the architects of the deal, US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, and possibly even EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini or her predecessor Catherine Ashton, according to Peter Wallensteen, a professor at Sweden’s Uppsala University.

If it were to make such a choice, the Nobel committee would continue its recent tradition of honoring anti-nuclear efforts in years marking the decade anniversaries of the 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In 1975, Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov received the nod, in 1985 it was the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, in 1995 it was Joseph Rotblat and

the Pugwash movement, and in 2005 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its director Mohamed El-Baradei.

According to Wallensteen, if one were to follow that line of thinking, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) could be another contender.

Another recent peace breakthrough possibly worthy of the prize was in Colombia, where the government and FARC guerrillas last month reached a deal on justice with the aim of signing a final peace agreement by March 23, 2016.

But, as with the Iranian deal, giving the award to President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Timoleon Jimenez now could be “a bit too early,” said Nobeliana member Asle Sveen. AFP

Party time again in North Korea

Harvest time. A man unloads a bucket full of grapes into a truck as grapes are harvested at the vineyard of wine maker Olivier Martin in Irouleguy on Sept. 28, 2015. A handful of wine makers grow grapes on the steep hills of Irouleguy, a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. AFP

SEOUL—When it comes to grandiose, mass displays of state muscle and military grandstanding, North Korea has few equals.

This Saturday, the reclusive, and diplomatically elusive North is set to put on its biggest show to date—a goose-stepping, tankrumbling, missile-bristling tribute to the Workers’ Party that has served at the whim of three generations of the ruling Kim family.

Speculation that the party’s 70th anniversary celebrations would be topped by a long-range rocket launch has receded, but the centerpiece mass parade in Pyongyang is still expected to provide a masterclass in synchronized military swagger.

The event was announced back in February and months of intense preparations have been ramped up further in recent weeks, with the capital plastered with posters and banners extolling the party’s achievements.

South Korea’s defense ministry said military hardware to be used in Saturday’s parade—including armored vehicles and mobile rocket launchers—were being gathered at an airfield just outside Pyongyang as early as July.

According to Daily NK, a Seoul-based online news site with contacts in North Korea, prioritizing the preparations above all else has led to shortages in Pyongyang and a surge in prices of everything from elec-

tronic goods to food and home fuel.

“People are getting increasingly resentful,” one source in the capital was quoted as saying.

Large-scale parades—one of the rare occasions when North Korea opens its doors to the foreign press—serve multiple purposes.

For the domestic audience, they are a display of national pride and patriotic fervor that emphasizes, above all else, support for and loyalty to the supreme leader, Kim Jong-Un. To the outside world, they are a show of strength and defiance, closely linked to the country’s missile and nuclear weapons programs. AFP

T H U R S D AY : O C T O B E R 8 : 2 0 1 5

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

W EL L BEING

LIFE

Your body digests and absorbs the food you eat for three to five hours

INTERMITTENT FASTING 101 FINE FETTLE

BY BUBBLES PARAISO

W

ith numerous fad diets popping up, it’s hard to keep up and know what works for you. Diet plans, meal delivery programs, juice detox, sugar detox, mastercleanse – all these promising a leaner, slimmer you in the end. But if there is one thing that has been working for me for the past two years, it’s intermittent fasting. And no, it’s not even a diet. Intermittent Fasting or IF doesn’t change what you eat, it changes when you eat. People who usually want to gain lean muscle and lose fat do this, and given that I have 16 percent body fat, 48 percent muscle mass and one percent visceral fat (lowest possible number), I should assume that my eating habits work, right? (The doctors who checked these stats for me agree.)

One might wonder what intermittent fasting is. Well, there are different methods of doing IF. My first example is the 16-8 method, wherein you fast for 16 hours each day and have an eight-hour window to eat.

Eat Stop Eat is a method wherein you fast for 24 hours (completely no food except for water) once a week and eat normally for the rest of the week; the Warrior Diet is when you fast 20 hours in a day and eat only one meal, which is dinner time; the 5-2 fast means you eat normally five days a week and cut your food intake to 400-600 calories for two days. There are other methods of

Eat Stop Eat is a method wherein you fast for 24 hours

Intermittent Fasting available, and some would even sound crazy but they work for some people, so who are we to stop them?

I’ve been intermittent fasting for over two years now. I usually skip breakfast (I only have black coffee in the morning, which is allowed) and only eat within an eight-hour period which is 12 noon to 8 p.m. When socials would need me to eat at a later or earlier time, I adjust my eating period accordingly – I either move my first meal up a few hours to maintain the eight-hour eating period, and move the next meal up again to maintain the 16-hour fasted state, or eat earlier and end my last meal earlier as well, then do my normal 12-8 again the next day. Intermittent fasting is NOT a diet; it is a pattern of eating. It is a way to maximize your food intake as you get lean and still maintain your muscle mass. People usually try IF for the sole purpose of wanting to achieve fat loss.

To comprehend how Intermittent Fasting in relation to fat loss works, the difference between the “fed” state and “fasted” state needs to be discussed. This is best explained in the book, Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon, but I will try my best to give the gist here and hope that everyone will understand.

Your body gets energy from your stored fat if you’re in a ‘fasted’ state

Your body is in a fed state once you start eating, and this lasts about three to five hours as your body digests and absorbs the food you just had. When you are in a fed state, your insulin levels are high and thus it will be hard for your body to burn fat in that given period of time.

Once your body goes to the post-absorptive state (when your body isn’t processing a meal anymore), your body then goes to the fasted state, which is about eight to 12 hours after your last meal. During the fasted state, your body can burn fat that wasn’t accessible during the fed state since your insulin levels have dropped already. Since your body isn’t in a fasted state until 12 hours from your last meal, it is important to keep your body fasted for more than 12 hours to make sure your body is in a fat burning state for a certain period of time. Basically, when you are in the fasted state, your body gets energy from your stored fat, and not from whatever you just ate.

What I normally do is, I workout in the morning, on an empty stomach. Yes, I workout on a fasted state to make sure that I am on the fat burning zone when I do Muay Thai, fight form, Pilates, yoga or go for a 10-k run. Fasted cardio IS a thing, but that is a different topic altogether.

(Glycogen depletion must be avoided so there are days wherein I’d have a pre-workout smoothie to avoid consequences – but the smoothie is still within my eating period, of course.)

Do you think intermittent fasting is for you?

I say give it a try. It’s not as hard as you might think. I must admit, I used to be skeptical about this as well, given that I’m a big eater myself – but hey, its been working for me, so maybe it will work for you, too! And you know what the coolest part of IF is? Wolverine does it, too. (Note: Hugh Jackman is said to have done IF to get his Wolverine body. Cool huh?)

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @bubblesparaiso

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T H U R S D AY : O C T O B E R 8 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

UNLIMITED MOVEMENT The Sports Bra Collection by Wacoal

W High impact sports bra

omen these days are more aware of the benefits of wellness and keeping a regular exercise in their daily routines.

This means shopping for clothes has become well rounded because aside from regular morning and evening wear, a regular sports wear perfect for their shapes and fitness of choice has become part of the search.

With this comes the endless hunt for the perfect sports bra. For regular sized breasts, support is easier to find from the wide array of racks in department stores.

For women who want “good support’’ – whether regular or full breasted, one of the Philippines’ loved brands just created the perfect sports bra collection.

Wacoal, whose brand has always believed that beauty starts from within and has been uplifting Filipino women for 26 years, created a new collection that takes care of women who care about their wellness. Physical activity makes women’s chests vulnerable to soreness, pain, and worse – sagging.

Unlimited Movement, the latest sports bra collection of Wacoal, has been designed to reduce physical movement of the chest for mild to high impact fitness activity.

This new high-quality product line which caters to light, medium and highimpact sports is created using fine fabric and state-of-the-art Japanese technology.

“In addition to providing high quality products and superior customer service to our patrons, helping to empower women has always been one of Wacoal’s missions since it came to the Philippines in 1989,” says Philippine Wacoal Corporation president Ann Christine Palisoc. And that includes helping women be in tip-top shape while wearing the Wacoal brand especially for their rigorous exercises.

Medium impact sports bra

During the recent media launch of Unlimited Movement, guests tried and tested the new line of support for different exercises. There is a right way of measuring the right bra size for women and a perfect Wacoal fit for each body type and choice of exercise. For light-impact fitness like yoga – or the bamboo wand workout that was introduced by its first instructor in the country Mawi de Ocampo during the event – the racerback-style light-impact bra was proven to be a perfect fit for the exercise. The soft cotton fabric help regulate and control body temperature while the wide-covered elastic underband, straps, and razorback provides stability for stretching and light but repetitive movements.

The medium impact style is a non-wired sports bra that provides more freedom during movement, a perfect fit for fitness activity that requires moving like aerobic activities, brisk walking, stair climbing,

zumba or other dancing exercises. Its thick straps support the bust and give it a stable lift even when in motion.

For full-breasted women or those whose exercise of choice requires a more high impact support – like an intense gym workout, circuit training, boxing, Muay Thai, high intensity dance workout, or running – the high-impact sports bra does the job. It is a slightly padded racerback that has a compression features that allow breasts to move in unison with the torso and minimize the bouncing movement.

This bra variant helps prevent damage to your breast tissue while you move during your intense exercise.

Wacoal’s Unlimited Movement collection is available across the country in 52 department store counters or via eight direct sales branches. For more information, visit www.wacoal.ph or follow @wacoalph on Twitter or Instagram.

Low impact sports bra

No excuses: FREEGO Fitness Challenge kicks-off second season

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dmit it. You probably can’t count the number of times you’ve told yourself, “This is it!

I’m changing my lifestyle today.

I’ll eat less and exercise more” – only to end up making all sorts of excuses why you can’t (or worse, won’t).

“You never not have a choice,” says restaurateur, nutrition specialist and blogger (www.thefatkidinside.com) Erwan Heussaff, whose wellness journey is public knowledge.

“It’s all about portions and the types of food that we eat, more than counting calories,” he says. And yes, brown or black rice is better than white. “Sugar is sugar and it’s best to avoid that,” he tells finalists in denim brand Freego’s #SuperShapeMe Fitness Challenge during the start of the 60-day program at Privato Hotel recently.

L aunched last year, the #SuperShapeMe Fitness Challenge aims to help women who want to achieve their fitness goals. This year, Freego is staging a bigger and more exciting version with 20 finalists and two fitness mentors.

Freego embarked on a nationwide search for 10 men and 10 women

who will vie for two grand prizes that include a trip to Palawan for two and the brand’s entire Body Circuit and Super Shaper collections.

“This year, we got over 1,000 entries from all over the Philippines!” shares Freego VP for marketing Marty Tio. Professional basketball player Chris Tiu joins Heussaff as one of the finalists’ mentors. “I’ve always been on the side of those being trained.

This time, I will be the trainer and I want to see what happens.” As an athlete, Tiu works out and trains two hours daily. For newbies like the #SuperShapeMe Fitness Challenge finalists, he says they should build a “foundation” before embarking on a full-blown workout program. This should include cardio exercises and lifting light weights twice or thrice a week for 15-30 minutes initially.

Tiu echoes Heussaff ’s no-excuses stance. “You don’t need to go to the gym. You can go up and down a flight of stairs just to build up your strength and walk more. This is to ‘build a base’ and prepare your body for more rigorous workouts,” he tells the Freego #SuperShapeMe Fitness Challenge

finalists. Vince Lim, Alex Go, Jethro David, Josh Oblipias, Niel Ordiales, Cy Ortega, Mik Primacio, Philip Cruz, Ian Alaba, Migo Salvador, Julie Pineda, Maryl Robleza, Mon Manganti, KV Catena, Xis Pingol, Jessika Aranas, Shella Decena, Judy Ortega, Janssyll Dellosa and Nonila Cruz.

The contestants will also work with Matt Makalintal of CrossFit MNL. For the first workout at Privato Hotel, the contestants were taught basic exercises that they could do at home.

The finalists are also required to keep a daily food diary and take a photo after each workout. There will also be Viber “confessions” with Heussaff and Tiu. They will meet as a group face-to-face with their mentors three more times before the November 21 awarding.

The contestants’ ages range from 19 to 32 and come from different cities – but all are brought together by the same goal: to be healthier and be a fitness inspiration to others.

For more information, follow @freego_ jeans on Instagram and like Freego Jeans on Facebook.

What better way to get into your sexiest shape than with PBA player Chris Tiu’s fitness plan and tips for working out?

The Fat Kid Inside’s Erwan Heussaff is here to help our top 20 male and female participants achieve their fitness goals one healthy meal at a time!

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

LOSING WEIGHT IS MORE THAN JUST COUNTING CALORIES

Chocolate Meal Replacement Drink

Vanilla Meal Replacement Drink

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

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hen CICO, or calories in-calories out, became popular, many thought that they have found the “simple” secret equation to losing and managing weight. But the truth is, “there are a lot more factors other than that,” says Dr. Kerry Grann, the principal research scientist at Nutrilite Health Institute’s Clinical and Research Investigations department.

“In order to effectively maintain your weight, you need to balance the amount of calories that you consume with the amount of calories that you expend via physical activity.

But most of us are not doing a very good job (in balancing them out),” declares Dr. Grann.

Proof is the increasing incidence of overweight and obesity, not only in developing countries. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, which classifies obesity as a disease, 25 percent of people in the Philippines belong to the overweight and obese categories. And Dr. Grann says the number continues to go up.

Based on several research, people tend to gain weight because of an inactive lifestyle (“we’re not getting the physical activity that we should get”), behavioral issues (“when we’re stressed out, we don’t make good

food choices”), huge portion sizes (“we’re forgetting what’s the right portion size”), and income (“affordability of fresh food is not good so many are resorting to high-calorie, high-sugar and high-fat food”).

This kind of information challenged Nutrilite to develop BodyKey by Nutrilite, a weight management program that makes use of a comprehensive assessment based on validated questions to determine the best approach for each user.

BodyKey by Nutrilite is “a holistic and personalized health management solution,” says Dr. Grann. But the Doctor of Public Health avers that the program is not a quick fix, but rather a sustainable approach.

To address concerns of increasing obesity prevalence and higher risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in the Philippines, multi-billion direct selling company Amway officially introduced the BodyKey by Nutrilite recently.

WHAT MAKES A PERSON OVERWEIGHT

NHI’s research found six factors that significantly influence weight management: diet, meal habits, physical activity, mindset, sleep and stress.

Referring to these key factors, BodyKey’s Personalized Assessment Tool, which is a downloadable app, asks users extensive questions (i.e. family history, age, physical activity, etc.) based on scientifically validated data to come up with a customized approach, also Feel light with Nutrilite. The BodyKey Jump Start Kit, when used in conjunction with the

backed by research, to help in reaching your weight goals.

In order to lose weight, Dr. Grann emphasizes the importance of knowing what kind of diet best works for you. It’s not a onesize-fits-all, she says. Some are sensitive to carbohydrates (insulin is not working well) and some are not. “The Assessment Tool makes sure the recommended meal plans are personalized,” informs Dr. Grann.

The BodyKey assessment also determines if your meal habits are good and if you’re eating the right portion size your body needs.

What is the right meal habit to manage the pounds? Dr. Grann stresses to never skip breakfast. “One of the key behaviors of people who successfully manage their weight over the long-term is that they eat breakfast,” she says. “Because when we skip breakfast we often overeat on the next meal.”

She posits that breakfast should also be the biggest meal as the body slows down as the day progresses.

Once food intake is considered, physical activity comes next. While diet trumps exercise, the latter remains important because “it has positive impact on the way our body functions (makes insulin work better, burns fat, improves sleep and reduces stress).”

Dr. Grann says their research recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every week, on top of two hours per day of moving, per WHO. Sleep is a factor often neglected, but in reality, it plays a huge role when you want to take control of your weight. “Research shows if we sleep less than seven hours a day, we have a much higher prevalence of overweight and obesity as sleep deprivation negatively impacts a lot of hormones that

works with weight management,” reveals Dr. Grann. She recommends at least seven to nine hours of sleep per day, preferably from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Ways on how to manage stress and how to have the right mindset are also given after the evaluation. “We provide practical strategies that people can easily follow.”

THE TOOLS THAT HELP IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Once the assessment is done, users of the BodyKey program can use the Nutrilite Jump Start Kit to help them ease into a new and healthier lifestyle.

To get all nutrients our body needs without consuming large amounts of food, there’s the Meal Replacement Shake that comes in Chocolate and Vanilla flavors. “When mixed with 250-ml. low-fat milk, it meets all the requirements for a complete meal,” shares Dr. Grann. One serving is equal to 12 vitamins, 13 minerals, 15-g. protein and 5-g. fiber.

“The fiber and protein help you feel full as they positively impact hormones and balance blood sugar levels,” the doctor explains.

The InBodyBand, on the other hand, tracks your physical activities and reminds you to keep moving. It’s wearable and comes with a body composition measurement. Completing the kit are the Nutrilite All Plant Protein, Nutri Fiber Blend Tablets, and Nutrilite Double X. The whole jump start kit is available for P20,695 and comes with five Meal Replacement Shake, two All Plant Protein, one 31-day supply of Double X, one Nutri Fiber Blend, one InBodyBand, one blender bottle, one BMI measuring tape and one gym bag.

For more information, visit www.bodykey.ph

customized program recommended by the Assessment Tool, is said to reduce four to eight percent of body weight in two months.

I

Baby bathing questions – answered

t’s not easy bathing a baby, especially for first time parents. While bathing your newborn seems harmless, doing it in a way that will keep such a small, delicate being safe is the difficult part. Good news for you, it doesn’t have to be as hard as it seems, as long as you know the basics.

Here are the most frequently asked questions of parents about bathing babies.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I BATHE MY BABY?

Newborn babies do not need to be given a bath everyday. Bathing your infant several times a week will dry out his or her naturally soft skin. If your little one gets frequently dirty, which is a natural thing, be quick with diaper changes and use burp cloths.

Baby Care Plus+ Blue Line

Make sure to keep your baby’s face, neck, and bottom (diaper area) clean. You can bathe him or her regularly when he or she is past the first month.

WHEN SHOULD I BATHE MY BABY?

It is best to give baby a bath when you are not in a rush, so you both can enjoy this little bonding activity. Some parents choose to bathe their babies in the morning, when baby is awake and willing to enjoy the experience.

Others opt for baths before bedtime as a calming ritual. Whatever you choose to do, just make

sure that you wait a while after feeding time before you set baby down in a bath.

WHERE AND HOW DO I START?

Start with the less dirty areas – behind his ears first, then on to the neck, arms, legs, diaper area, and finally, the hair.

Babies lose body heat and get cold very quickly, thus make sure you use lukewarm water and that the room temperature is at a comfortable 24 to 26°C. To keep it quick, make sure you have all bath essentials, including a dermatologist-tested and hypoallergenic shampoo and bath soap, ready and within reach before you even start! Dry your baby off quickly with a soft and unscented towel, and never leave your baby alone in the water.

Now, you’re ready to give your baby loving hugs and kisses, nurturing care and lots of pampering and gentle grooming with dermatologist-tested and hypoallergenic Tupperware Brands’ Baby Care Plus+ Blue Line composed of cologne, powder, lotion, shampoo, bath and soap.

The Baby Care Plus+ Blue Shampoo has Cetiol Conditioners that moisturize baby’s hair and scalp, leaving hair soft, silky and freshly fragrant. For softer and smoother skin, there’s Baby Care Plus+ Blue Bath and Soap that have Lamesoft Skin Protector and olive oil extracts that form a natural barrier around baby’s skin for protection during cleansing.

The Baby Care Plus+ Blue Baby Cologne, with Hydraplus formula, helps prevent dryness, leaving baby’s skin soft, smooth and freshly fragrant. Combine it with the Baby Care Plus+ Blue Baby Powder, which has Allantoin that works as an anti-irritant to soothe baby’s skin while keeping it fresh and dry. Give your baby velvety-smooth and soft skin day in and day out with Baby Care Plus+ Blue Lotion with 24-hour locked-in moisturizers and vitamin E.

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T H U R S D AY : O C T O B E R 8 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

WWF and Hamilo Coast staff

WWF and Hamilo Coast shore up fight against marine pollution

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verfishing, unsustainable fishing practices, and the intensifying impacts of climate change coupled with marine pollution are threatening the health of our seas.

According to data, about 80 percent of marine pollution comes from human activities on land. Garbage, which can be mistaken for food by marine creatures, smothers coral reefs. How many times have we heard of sharks and whales dying because they ingested plastic bottles? Unfortunately, the Philippines ranks third among nations with the most plastic pollution in their seas.

Leading environmental solutions provider World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFPhilippines) and premier sustainable beach resort community Hamilo Coast are leading the way in inspiring Filipinos to turn the tide on marine pollution. In commemoration of the 30th year of International Coastal Clean-up Day last September 19, they conducted shore and dive cleanups in Pico de Loro Cove as well as Papaya and Santelmo Cove, participated in by employees and volunteer members.

The International Coastal Clean-up Day is an annual movement started by US-based Ocean Conservancy in 1986. In last year’s ICC activities, more than 560,000 volunteers around the world gathered 16 million pounds of trash. Top items collected were cigarette butts, plastic food wrappers, plastic beverage bottles, plastic bottle caps, and plastic bags.

However, this figure is only a fraction of the staggering amount of uncollected garbage.

Living Blue Planet Report 2015, a recently released ground breaking WWF study on marine health, stated that an estimated eight million tonnes of plastic waste – roughly 17.6 billion pounds – are dumped into our seas every year.

Plastics and food wrappers consisted the bulk of the trash collected.

“With at least 60 per cent of the world’s population living within 100 kilometers of the coast and the global population growing, marine pollution from land-based activities is likely to worsen. Given the transboundary nature of marine pollution, protection of our ocean from land-based activities requires urgent international cooperation,” said the study.

Filipinos can adopt simple and practical ways for trash-free seas, such as minimizing the use of disposable plastic products.

“Every year, half a billion to a trillion pieces of plastic bags are consumed worldwide.

Sometimes, these bags end up not in our landfills but in our waterways and eventually, in our seas,” adds WWF-Philippines president & CEO Joel Palma.

Plastic bags do not biodegrade. Instead, they photo-degrade and break down into smaller and more toxic particles that contaminate both water and soil. The danger is real and alarming: in a planet where everything is connected, these chemicals enter the food system to eventually poison humans. Curbing our over-reliance on plastic bags minimizes this threat.

Proper waste management is also a priority in Hamilo Coast. “We are located right at the mouth of the Verde Island Passage, which boasts

A total of 1057.5 kilograms of marine debris were collected from the clean-up activities

Members of the Philippine Army are deployed to the mangrove area clean up

Even kids are encouraged to clean up our coastlines

of an incredible array of marine biodiversity. We are committed to make sustainability a priority in our master plan and development. We have waste-water treatment plants to ensure we do not contaminate these waters,” says Hamilo Coast SVP for Operations Rona Torres-Tan. WWF-Philippines and Hamilo Coast have been long-term conservation allies since

2007, implementing initiatives on coastal resource management, sustainable property development, solid waste management, ecotourism, and renewable energy. In 2014, Hamilo Coast hosted the celebration of Coral Triangle Day, which highlights the need to conserve the rich marine resources of the Coral Triangle, the planet’s hotbed of marine life.

T HUR S DAY : OCTOBER 8 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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Samareño winS the fourth SeaSon of ‘ProjeCt runway PhiiliPPineS’ Joy Chicano

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wenty-one-year old Joy Chicano has won the fourth season of Project Runway Philippines. The Eastern Samar native has made a name for himself as an avant-garde designer with a strong Japanese-inspired aesthetic. Throughout the competition his unique

Ethan Hawke in Regression

Joy Chicano’s winning collection

point of view has made him a favorite among the judges, who commended his ability to stay true to himself and his vision.

His 13-piece collection was judged by supermodel and fashion icon Tweetie De-Leon Gonzalez, A-list designer Rajo Laurel, and fashion and beauty

expert Apples Aberin. Joining them as special guest judge was internationally renowned Filipino designer Josie Natori.

As the winner of Project Runway Philippines, Joy will be featured in the October issue of Mega Magazine. He will also receive P150,000 worth of gift

Emma Watson plays an important role in the film

certificates from the Aivee Institute and P50,000 worth of gift certificates from the Face Shop.

He will also receive P250,000 to help him start his own fashion line as well as P250,000 from Brother International.

Joy’s final collection, along with new pieces, will also be

showcased in the Manila Fashion Festival this October.

ETC is available on Sky Cable 16, Destiny Cable 16, Cable Link 34, Cignal 9, Destiny Analog 28 and UHF 21. ETC can also be streamed anytime, anywhere on your smartphone, tablet, and laptop for free via www.blink-now.com.

Ethan Hawke briefed by director Amenabar

AlejAndro AmenáBAr directs ‘regression’

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lockbuster horror director and Academy Award Winner® Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside) whose work in The Others further redefined the horror genre and which grossed over $200 million worldwide is back with the upcoming Ethan Hawke and Emma Watson starrer Regression.

In the film, Bruce Kenner (Hawke) is the detective leading the investigation of a family accused of practicing satanic rituals in a small town of Minnesota. Recently divorced, he finds shelter in his work, where he can channel his obsessive personality into getting to the bottom of every case. His thoroughness and dedication routinely put him at odds with his colleagues and this time will plunge him into the darkest depths of human nature. His investigation leads him Angela (Watson), who has found peace and safety in religion after

losing her mother in a car accident. During a seminar at Reverend Beaumont’s church she breaks down and confesses that her father has abused her. With Bruce’s help, she will overcome her isolation to become a key witness to solve the case. Assisting Kenner is psychologist Kenneth Raines (David Thewlis), who further delves into the mysterious case of Angela’s father, John, who has succumbed to total amnesia. Using regressive therapy, Raines manages to release the memories that John’s brain has Regression is based on Amenábar´s original screenplay and is produced by Fernando Bovaira with whom he has also worked with in The Others.

The movie is inspired by a wave of events that occurred in the United States during the eighties, the film is both “a reflection on evil and an exploration of the shortcuts of the mind,” says Bovaira. The ini-

tial accusations that served as documentation for the writing of the screenplay arose within the context of growing political and religious power inside the United States, and later spread to the rest of the world with unequal intensity, even reaching the point where it was classified as a global conspiracy, and not only by the most sensationalistic sources.

“There was a series of real phenomenon that took place in which police investigation, psychological consulting and superstition converged in an attempt to piece together a strange and horrifying puzzle known as Satanic Ritual Abuse,” recalls Amenábar. “The wave of accusations and confessions was overwhelming, destroying entire families, generating chaos and social panic and in several cases there were harsh criminal consequences. It has been very interesting to revisit those cases from back in the eighties and nine-

David Thewlis joins Ethan Hawke in the new thriller

ties with the perspective of someone from the 21st century.”

Regression is the Spanish director’s sixth feature film and the third he’s shot in English with an international team. Faithful to his commitment to offer the best fiction to a global audience, he’s managed once again to create a formula for teamwork that transcends language barriers. “I

grew up seeing so many American films, I feel like I identify with them,” says Amenábar.

In effect, the movie offers different layers of meaning for different audiences, and most of all, a good show to entertain wide audiences who appreciate effective, unpredictable narrative.

Regression opens Oct. 14 in cinemas from Pioneer Films.

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Bradley Cooper in Burnt

BRaDLEy COOPER iS ROCk-StaR ChEF

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our-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper once again displays his acting chops in this year’s mouth-watering and delectable movie Burnt where he stars as Chef Adam Jones who was once a rock star chef, had it all yet lost it along the way.

Awarded as a two-star Michelin talent with bad habits to match, the former enfant terrible

of the Paris restaurant scene did everything different every time out, and only ever cared about the thrill of creating explosions of taste. To land his own kitchen and that third elusive Michelin star though, he’ll need the best of the best on his side, including the beautiful Helene (Sienna Miller).

In Burnt, a remarkably funny and emotional story about the

love of food, the love between two people and the power of second chances, Jones moved to Paris at an early age of 16 and learned how to cook. His natural flair for cooking led his career on a sizzling journey but lost it all because of his inability to deal with fame and success.

He soon rebuilds his life back and moves to London to restore his reputation and finally earn again

the most coveted Michelin stars.

Playing Chef is nothing new to Cooper who also previously played in the television series Kitchen Confidential. More so, he grew up cooking all the time with his grandmother, as revealed in his recent interviews.

“I worked for most of my life as a cook. When I was 15, I was a busboy at a Greek restaurant and then I worked as a prep cook through

college. My mother’s side is Italian, so I grew up cooking all the time with my grandmother. Thank God the role was a chef, because I didn’t have much time to prep. There’s no stunt double. Everything in there I’m cooking,” Cooper shares.

Burnt opens Oct. 28 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

Trailer link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkJtWN3wIMg

SM openS firSt large SCreen CineMa in Cabanatuan

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M Cinema will launch the first large format cinema tomorrow in Cabanatuan City – a giant digital screen almost 30 percent bigger than the regular theatre’s screen size.

Cabanatuan folks will be the first to experience SM Cinema’s very first large format screen at SM Cabanatuan.

Branded as “SM Large Screen Cinema,” the super-sized screen stretches the limits of one’s peripheral vision to the maximum and gives the audience a largerthan-life experience.

Capable of 3D movies in high-resolution format, SM Large Screen Cinema uses a silver screen, which ensures brighter and clearer images on display, and uses a superb sound system to deliver an immersive and unparalleled sound experience.

A standard SM Large Screen Cinema set up has accommodations for 507 guests and seating patrons in a stadium-like setting much similar to an IMAX theatre.

Also offering high-quality theaters, SM Cinema will be opening five fully digitized theatres that promise to deliver the best

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possible movie-watching experience. SM Cinema Cabanatuan will have 294 well-appointed seats per theater, making certain that all patrons will enjoy the view from any seat they choose.

As a standard in all SM Cinemas, the facility apportions an area dedicated to persons with disabilities (PWD) to accommodate all varieties of guests. The cinemas also boast of crisp digital surround-sound systems and crystal clear images to deliver the best theatre experience.

Completing the newest movie destination in Cabanatuan City,

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Snack Time, SM Cinema’s official snack and merchandise arm, will serve popcorn, drinks, and other snacks, along with the latest movie merchandise that fans will surely love to collect.

To further give movie-goers the best theatre experience in town, e-PLUS will offer a limited movie kit that includes six movies, six caramelized popcorn, and a subscription to SM’s newly launched blink movie app that lets you watch movies on the go – all for only P 500.

SM Cabanatuan will be the second branch to open an SM

Cinema theater, next to the SM Mega Center. Cabanatuan is a progressive and rapidly urbanizing component city, one of five cities in Nueva Ecija.

SM Cinema believes that by installing primary attractions such as the SM Large Screen Cinemas, it contributes to entice more investors to locate and help in further developing Nueva Ecija.

SM Cinema Cabanatuan will be SM Cinema’s 52nd branch nationwide. For more information on SM Cinema, visit www. smcinema.com or dial (02) 470-2222.

T HUR S DAY : OCTOBER 8 : 2015

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gma neTwork’s TVPlus comPlainTs noT relaTed To skycable disruPTion

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he Kapuso network clarified that the letter sent by ABS-CBN to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) dated September 24, 2015 about GMA 7’s signal loss on ABS-CBN’s TVPlus boxes has nothing to do with GMA7’s recent complaints on signal disruption on SkyCable.

“Our recent complaints are about GMA’s signal loss during Eat Bulaga’s ‘Kalyeserye’ segment on SkyCable and not on the TVPlus boxes. These recent complaints on the TVPlus boxes did not come from us. We are assuring the cable-subscribed public that, as the NTC is aware of, GMA had long since provided three independent links (via fiber, satellite and analog GMA-7 reception) which are periodically maintained to ensure the reliable and clear delivery of GMA and GNTV programs to SkyCable’s headend,” clarified GMA Senior Vice President for Engineering Elvis B. Ancheta.

“We certainly hope that the attention of the viewing public will not be diverted from the more recent and pressing issue at hand, which is GMA’s signal disruption on SkyCable, and trust that the NTC will immediately resolve the issues we raised against SkyCable,” he added.

GMA has two pending complaints with the NTC dated Aug. 25, 2015 and Sept. 17, 2015 seeking immediate action regarding its signal loss on SkyCable either before or during the ‘Kalyeserye’ segment of Eat Bulaga. Both complaints are supported by viewer feedback on social media, email and through the hotline of GMA. The Network filed on October 1 (Thursday) with the NTC its third batch of complaints of the same nature supported by screenshots and video recordings of the signal discrepancies taken by the cable subscribers themselves.

“As far as ABS-CBN TVPlus boxes are concerned, we have submitted only one complaint with the NTC and that was in February this year, long before the Kalyeserye started on (sic) Eat Bulaga. Once again, we appeal to the NTC to investigate the complaints of inconvenienced SkyCable subscribers and to take the appropriate action against the service provider,” said GMA Vice President for Legal Affairs Lynn P. Delfin.

Poster of E! Top 5

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HHHHH Hi-5 PHiliPPines sPreads HaPPiness in scHools Followers of this generation’s edutainment program of choice, Hi-5 Philippines, are getting a chance to experience the exciting and fun-filled learning activities that the vibrant cast has to offer as it sets out on a nationwide school tour. Hi-5 members Gerard, Aira, Rissey, Alex and Fred are gracing school events with their trademark bopping performances of all-time favorite Hi-5 songs.

The Hi-5 Philippines nationwide school tour is a way for kids to get up-close and personal with the cast, as they bring their upbeat songs and creative dances for kids to see live. Aside from showcasing their musical prowess, the cast will also incorporate cool learning segments through workshops and games.

The Metro Manila leg of the school tour started in August at St. Paul College Pasig, wherein preschoolers were treated to a morning of singing, dancing and adventures, capping off their “Buwan ng Wika” celebration. The cast followed through by visiting the preschoolers in Miriam College, St. Mary’s Academy-Caloocan, Sienna College–Taytay, and Makati Hope Christian School, to name a few.

There are still a lot of opportunities to catch the cast on tour. They are scheduled to throw a Hi-5 party at Assumption College in Antipolo, Hope Christian High School, and Golden Acres Elementary School in October. After its Manila run, TV5 aims to bring the Hi-5 experience to every kid across the country by rolling the school tour to private and public schools in the provinces.

Don’t miss out on the Hi-5 magic and catch the ever-bright and engaging quintet by tuning in from Monday to Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and on Sundays at 9 a.m. only on TV5.

HHHHH counTdown To Trends, ToPics, TanTrums Radio DJ/event host Sam YG pairs with E! personality Erin Lim as hosts of the celebrity-fuelled countdown show E! Philippines Top 5, premiering first and exclusively 9 p.m. on E! tonight.

E! is NBC Universal International Networks’ pop culture powerhouse.

A fast-paced and intimate studio

Members of Hi-5 Philippines

Hi-5 cast at one of the schools they visited

show with comedic edge, each sizzling episode will feature A-list celebrity guests and full of entertaining banter. Each week, E! Philippines Top 5 will focus on a theme and feature five specially selected clips.

From the hotties to the naughties, Sam and Erin will be counting down the best of the best to see who will take home the much-coveted Golden Coconut.

HHHHH THe Towering inferno direcTor dead aT 89 John Guillermin, the British

filmmaker who directed Dino De Laurentiis’ King Kong starring Jessica Lange and the disaster classic The Towering Inferno, has died. He was 89.

Guillermin, who also helmed the famed Agatha Christie whodunit Death on the Nile (1978), died Sunday of a heart attack at his home in Topanga, California, according to Mary, his wife.

Before guiding Irwin Allen’s The Towering Inferno (1974), an Academy Award nominee for best picture, Guillermin honed his disaster-film

The Towering Inferno director, John Guillermin has passed on

chops by helming Skyjacked (1972), starring Charlton Heston. And he followed his 1976 version of King Kong with King Kong Lives (1986), also produced by De Laurentiis.

Guillermin teamed with actor George Peppard on the highly regarded war film The Blue Max (1966) as well as on P.J. (1968) and House of Cards (1968). He also collaborated with Peter Sellers on Never Let Go (1960) and Waltz of the Toreadors (1962).

Guillermin directed the war films Hell, Heaven or Hoboken (1958) starring John Mills, Guns at Batasi (1964) with Richard Attenborough and David L. Wolper’s The Bridge at Remagen (1969), starring George Segal and Ben Gazzara.

His résumé also includes The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960) and the sequel Shaft in Africa (1973), starring Richard Roundtree.

Born in London, Guillermin received his film training in France and served as a pilot during World War II. After working on documentaries and spending time in Hollywood, he returned to England and wrote, directed and produced the crime thriller Paper Gallows (1950).

T HUR S DAY : OCTOBER 8 : 2015

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ ‘Felix Manalo’ breaks 2 world records ISAH V. RED VIVA Films’ latest offering, the monumental biopic Felix Manalo, set two Guinness world records during its world premiere Sunday night at the Philippine Arena.

Two adjudicators from the Guiness World Records UK announced the event was successful in its attempt to bag not one but two world records.

The announcement was made on the same night after the screening of the film. Guinness World Records UK adjudicators Marco Frigatti and Victoria Tweedey confirmed the number of people who attended the screening at an office inside the arena during the three-hour screening of the film.

Members of Iglesia Ni Cristo burst into a loud applause upon hearing the announcement soon after the screen faded to black and lights went on. The plaques of certification were handed toViva executives Vic del Rosario and Vincent del Rosario.

The world records were for the largest audience for a premiere screening and largest audience for a film screening.

The official headcount was placed at 43,624.

The number beat the previous records held

by The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which had a crowd of 10,000 when it premiered at the 02 Arena in London in June 2008 and Honor Flight, which had 28,442 attendees at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in August 2012.

On hand to witness the rites were the evening’s hosts Richard Gutierrez and Isabelle Daza, Felix Manalo director Joel Lamangan, lead stars Dennis Trillo and Bela Padilla and INC representatives, led by spokesperson Edwil Zabala.

Jampacked to the rafters, the film, which chronicles the life and times of Iglesia Ni Cristo founder and first executive minister Ka Felix Manalo, was viewed on a 40 by 22-meter, five-story screen and Dolby Atmos sound technology.

Frigatti and Tweedey made another startling announcement when they said that the Arena screen is a candidate for the world’s largest indoor screen for a film premiere/screening.

Dennis and Bela were joined in the audience by some of their co-stars, which included Gabby Concepcion, Jaclyn Jose, Gladys Reyes, Bobby Andrews, Andrea del Rosario and Ruru Madrid, among others.

Prior to the screening, Nadine Lustre and Basil Valdez performed for the thousands of Kapatid.

Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo recorded the movie theme for the music video, “Sugo ng Diyos sa mga Huling Araw,” arranged by seasoned musical director-songwriter Louie Ocampo.

Felix Manalo is now screening in over 300 theaters nationwide. ➜ continued on c7

Some of the stars at the premiere, from left, Mike Magat, Dennis Trllo, Bela Padilla, Gladys Reyes, and Ruru Madrid

The Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan was filled to the rafters for the premiere screening of Felix Manalo

‘Felix Manalo,’ the movie, set two new world records affirmed by two adjudicators from the Guiness World Records UK. It now holds the largest audience for a premiere screening and the largest audience for a film screening

Felix Manalo director Joel Lamangan

Gabby Concepcion plays the late Ka Eraño Manalo

Guiness World Records adjudicators Marco Frigatti and Victoria Tweedy

Isabelle Daza and Richard Gutierrez hosted the pre- and post-screening program