The Standard - 2015 December 04 - Friday

VOL. XXIX NO. 295 4 Sections 40 Pages P18 FRIday : dECEMBER 4, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Chiz links lawyer in Poe case to Roxas

A3

‘blame youRself’ I didn’t file your CoC, Mar tells Poe

By John Paolo Bencito

ADMINISTRATION standard bearer Manuel Roxas II insisted Thursday that Senator Grace Poe had nobody but herself to blame for her misfortunes, and denied having a hand in an alleged conspiracy to take her out of the presidential race.

“Wasn’t it her lawyer who filed her papers? Is she the one who took oath as an American citizen? It’s her responsibility to explain herself there. I’m not the one to blame here,” Roxas said in a radio interview in Cebu.

Roxas, who repeatedly tried to convince Poe to be his running mate earlier this year, insinuated last week that she was not a natural-born Filipino citizen, after Poe blamed Roxas, a former Transportation secretary, for the problems hounding Metro Manila’s commuter train system.

Next page

After Grace, poll agency to decide on Duterte bid By christine F. Herrera PRESIDENTIAL candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is next on the agenda of the Commission on Elections, which will decide whether or not he should be disqualified, the poll body’s spokesman said Thursday.

At the “Know Your Candidate Forum” at the Aloha Hotel, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that like presidential bet Senator Grace Poe, Duterte also had a pending disqualification case against him.

“Until the disqualification issues are categorically resolved, the names of Duterte and Grace Poe on the official list of presidential candidates hang in the balance,” Jimenez told the forum.

Next page

Question hour. Presidential candidate Grace Poe reacts to a reporter’s question during a press conference at the Senate on Thursday. Ey AcAsio

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A2 After...

From A1

Jimenez said the official list of presidential candidates will come out on or before Dec. 15.

In the same forum, Philippine Constitution Association or Philconsa president and senatorial candidate Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the Philconsa would reserve its judgment until the ruling on Poe’s disqualification case has become final.

But Romualdez said the more choices for president there are for the people, the better.

Jimenez dismissed talk that Duterte might be disqualified from running because the candidate he was replacing, Martin Diño, might be found to be a nuisance candidate.

“There is no more issue of [being a] nuisance candidate for Duterte because Diño chose to withdraw his candidacy even prior to the Comelec taking up the issue,” Jimenez said.

Now, all that is left to decide is if Duterte is qualified as a substitute, he added.

“We understand that Diño named Duterte as his substitute and Duterte filed his CoC as replacement for Diño.

Now, the Comelec has to decide whether or not Duterte’s CoC was valid and has met the requirements [and] if he is qualified as a substitute for a candidate for president,” Jimenez said.

The Comelec, he said, will have to scrutinize the CoC filed by Duterte.

In the meantime, any statements from any of the camps about the official list of presidential candidates would be mere speculation until the Comelec comes out with its official roster.

Jimenez also called on the public to set emotions aside after the poll body’s 2nd Division disqualified Poe on the grounds that she had not met the residency requirement of 10 years.

“It is but expected that for any controversial decision, there are rumors of a coup d’etat, that people would mass up on Edsa. These are part of the arsenal of rhetoric of politicians. The Comelec is not affected by such rumors because it has to do its job— to follow the law,” he said.

Instead of adding fuel to the fire, Romualdez appealed to the concerned parties to let the Comelec en banc and even the Supreme Court decide on the poe’s qualifications.

“I appeal to everyone to allow our democratic processes to work. Let them [Comelec officials and SC justices] do their work unhampered,” he said.

“The matter is still pending before the Comelec and can even be elevated to the Supreme Court. I, being part of the Philconsa, reserve any judgment and leave it to the concerned institutional bodies to decide,” Romualdez said.

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Dinky admits DSWD failed to distribute aid properly

“I have ordered a thorough investigation... to find out who are liable and to file appropriate administrative charges against them, in accordance with civil service rules,” Soliman said, after she and her department came under fire for failing to bring prompt relief to typhoon survivors in the aftermath of Yolanda.

But Soliman said they buried the relief goods because they were unfit for human consumption, and they had a duty to ensure that survivors would not receive rotten food.

“We wanted to make sure that these goods that were unfit for human consumption would not be given to the survivors as a way of protecting their welfare,” Soliman said.

In acknowledging gaps and “human errors” in the department’s capacity to manage relief goods, she said the Department of Social Welfare and Development continued to find ways to improve its performance as part of the lessons learned from Yolanda in 2013.

“This is why we continue to enhance our warehousing capacity,” she said.

Part of this efforts is the mechanized repacking system at the National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City, which was acquired in partnership with the World Food Program, Soliman said.

“The system enhances the capacity of the Department to repack 50,000 family food packs per day,” she said.

Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and 1BAP Rep. Silvestre Bello III said the dumping of rotting rice— and the government’s inability to account for missing cash donations—showed that the government lacks compassion or malasakit for the people.

At the Know your Candidates Forum at Aloha Hotel in Roxas Boulevard, Bello said two years after Yolanda devastated Eastern Visayas, the survivors as well as donors were still raising the same question to the

DSWD and Soliman: Where did the billions go?

Bello said the survivors complained that instead of the donated imported corned beef and Spam, the relief goods they received were local 555 corned beef and sardines.

The mishandling of relief goods and donations has undermined the faith of foreign and local donors, the two lawmakers said.

“It is quite telling that after two years, the DSWD has not been transparent and despite the Commission on Audit’s discovery of cash donations amounting to more than P300 million not being disbursed, the government still has to account for it and for the billions that had been donated by local and foreign donors,” said Romualdez, whose district that includes Tacloban City, which was among the hardest hit by Yolanda.

Bello said he could not understand where the DSWD brought the billions in donations and why the government was quiet about it.

Bello said one week after Yolanda struck, the 1BAP immediately went to Tacloban City and Eastern Visayas provinces to distribute relief goods.

“We have heard not only from Yolanda survivors but also from [Typhoon] ‘Lando’ victims the same complaint that we have heard two years ago, that they could not see where the relief goods were brought, that the donations from other countries were replaced by local goods and now we hear hundreds of thou-

‘Blame...

Roxas said Poe should learn to respect the rule of law instead of casting doubt on independent government institutions.

Roxas’ spokesperson, Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo denied Poe’s accusations, calling them unfounded.

“The Liberal Party coalition will not allow itself to be party to any activity involving the disqualification of Secretary Mar’s opponents. Any insinuation to the contrary is baseless and malicious,” Quimbo said.

“We cannot stop people from [having] those perceptions but there is no truth to those claims. If our intentions is to use the process, we could have done that when it was absolutely in our control,” he added.

Two weeks ago, Roxas blamed the administrations of former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos for “the original sin” of approving a MRT contract that was disadvantageous to the government.

“This is a contract that started out in original sin. The contract itself was anomalous and the contract binds the government to continue this program,” Roxas told a conference of US ivy league alumni.

Roxas said the MRT contract that was drafted during the time of President Corazon Aquino and awarded during the time of Ramos allows only the operator to buy new trains even with an assurance of 15-percent return on investment.

“You tell me whether that’s anomalous or not,” Roxas said.

But businessmen who were present at the event said Roxas was apparently not aware that the contract originally guaranteed a 21-percent ROI when it was first bid out in 1991 and was actually brought down to 15 percent by Ramos.

“We were shocked that [Roxas]

blamed the mother of his boss [President Benigno Aquino III] and FVR for the MRT contract,” said a businessman who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.

“It was very obvious that he does not understand the facts behind the MRT case. In fact, 15 percent was not anomalous but advantageous to the government because the Philippines was paying 25-year bonds during that time at 18 percent,” said the businessman who was privy to the forging of the train contract.

“The MRT was actually getting less than what the Philippines was already paying then, given that the MRT-3 project also had a similar 25year term. Roxas doesn’t understand the issue,” the businessman said.

“In fact, we know that the problems with the MRT only started after the DoTC took over maintenance of the train system,” he added.

The DoTC entered into a BuiltOperate-Transfer contract with MRT Corporation in 1995 after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the project.

The MRTC, a private consortium of companies which includes Ayala Land, Metro Global Holdings, Greenfield Development, AngloPhil Holdings, Ramcar Inc., among others, owns the system until 2025, and is in charge of operation and maintenance, while DoTC assumes all administrative functions such as regulation of fares and operations.

In 2012, DoTC took over maintenance of the MRT when Roxas appointee Al Vitangcol suddenly terminated the contract of the Sumitomo, which had been servicing the MRT from the start, and replaced it without bidding to PH Trams, an unqualified maintenance provider that was incorporated after DoTC

By Christine F. Herrera, Ronald O. Reyes and Macon Ramos-Araneta

SOCIAL Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman admitted Thursday that some of her personnel were negligent and failed to properly distribute relief to survivors of Typhoon “Yolanda” two years ago, after it was discovered this week that they buried sacks of rotten rice in Dagami, Leyte.

From A1

Earlier this week, Poe accused Roxas and Vice President Jejomar Binay of being behind a conspiracy to remove her from the 2016 presidential race by having their people file disqualification cases against her.

Roxas again denied Poe’s allegations.

“I understand her feelings. She’s hurt, but I would like to be clear that I am not involved in this, I don’t have any connections, and I don’t have any single knowledge of her disqualification,” Roxas said.

“It’s part of the process. I don’t know personally the lawyers she’s referring to who filed cases against her, these law groups. So instead of blaming other people, she should answer these [allegations,]” Roxas said.

Poe traced Roxas’ connection to the powerful Villaraza Cruz Marcelo & Angangco law firm—with former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz acting as his adviser when he ran for vice president in 2010, and acting as his lawyer in his election protest against Binay.

Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, the chairman of the Senate Electoral Tribunal, was also a member of the law office, also known as “The Firm,” and voted to disqualify Poe. On the other hand, Poe said, it was UNA president and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco and lawyer JV Bautista who first raised the residency and citizenship issues against her.

In the same radio interview Thursday, Roxas said Poe and her camp can avail of all the legal remedies available to them, including taking her case up to the Supreme Court.

sands of sacks of rice rotting and being buried and hidden from the public,” Bello said. “Most especially, where did the billions in donations go? Why can’t the government account for it?”

Romualdez said everything boiled down to inefficiency and non-transparency in addressing the handling and distribution of goods and money.

“For the past two years, we have been asking the government to account for the billions in local and foreign donations to no avail. The new normal now is we will be hit by even stronger typhoons and earthquakes and God forbid, who from among the donors would trust that their donations of goods and money would go to the rightful recipients?”

Romualdez said.

In Tacloban City, an alliance of Yolanda survivors lambasted the government over the sacks of rotten rice dumped in Dagami.

“Once again, Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman proves how heartless she is, for deliberately allowing such goods intended for the storm survivors to go to waste. Worse is when she tries to hide her stinking mess,” said Efleda Bautista, chairperson of the People Surge alliance.

“We challenge Dinky Soliman to eat at least a pinch of those spoiled goods, for those could have averted the death of storm survivors who died of hunger after Yolanda, and yet it was deliberately left to rot,” she added. awarded them the project.

DoTC was questioned by the Commission on Audit for attempting to use about P4 billion of public funds in the Disbursement Allocation Program (DAP) to purchase trains for the privately-owned MRT3.

The CoA in 2012 discovered the anomaly and ordered DoTC to return the money, but the DoTC still purchased the Chinese trains from Dalian Locomotive, a manufacturer without experience in double articulated light rail vehicles.

The first train body was delivered

by Dalian behind schedule, without engines and therefore incapable of undergoing the required testing.

Senate President Franklin Drilon on Thursday also denied insinuations that the Liberal Party somehow influenced the Comelec 2nd Division to disqualify Poe. “There are some people who said that it was influenced by the Liberal Party. That is not true,” Drilon said in an interview.

Drilon said the three Comelec commissioners—Al Parreño, Arthur Lim and Sheriff Abas decided “out of their own perception based on the law and facts.”

Drilon said if the LP has intention to disqualify Poe, LP Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV could have voted against Poe in a petition filed before the Senate Electoral Tribunal to disqualify the senator.

He said it was just “by some stroke of chance” that the commissioners who voted against Poe were appointees of President Aquino.

The camp of Binay, the opposition United Nationalist Alliance standard bearer, also denied a hand in the disqualification cases filed against Poe. With Macon Ramos-Araneta, PNA

F R I D AY : D e c e m b e R 4 , 2 0 1 5

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

A3

Chiz links Elamparo to Mar

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Francis Escudero on Thursday claimed that one of the complainants who filed a disqualification case against his running mate Senator Grace Poe has links to Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas.

Escudero said lawyer Estrella Elamparo, a former counsel of the Government Service and Insurance System, is a senior partner of Divina Law, the law firm that former defense secretary Avelino Cruz used in suing his former partner F. Arthur Villaraza.

“Nonong Cruz is of course with Mar,” Escudero said, adding that Cruz was an adviser of Roxas when he ran for vice president in 2010.

Cruz also served as lawyer of Roxas when he filed an election protest against Binay following the 2010 elections.

Elamparo, on the other hand, is a complainant in one of the four disqualification cases filed against Poe and the second division of the Commission on Elections was ruling on her complaint when they disqualified Poe on Tuesday.

Escudero said he was also “astonished” at the zeal of Elamparo in seeking the removal of Poe’s name from the Comelec’s official ballot when Poe still had several legal remedies to pursue before her case is deemed final and executory.

“Perhaps she is simply trying to gain publicity or attention for her cause, given that, as a lawyer, she should know that the relief she is asking for is not in accordance with the law and rules of the Comelec,” Escudero said.

But Senate President Franklin Drilon denied that Elamparo was connected with the Liberal Party which is endorsing Roxas’ presidential bid.

“No, not at all. I don’t know her and she is not connected [to LP], just to be clear,” said Drilon who, like Cruz, is known to have been one of the closest advisers of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whom they both later abandoned.

Poe herself did not want to linger on her claim that the disqualification cases against her were allegedly being engineered by her opponents Roxas and Vice President Jejomar Binay, but stressed that she would fight to the end.

“Afraid I am not. Not when the people are behind me,” Poe told reporters on Thursday after the Senate Electoral Tribunal affirmed its dismissal of the disqualification case filed by Rizalito David.

“I fight for their right to choose their president, a President who can lead this nation out of its political and moral decay and lift the economic doldrums slowly creeping up on us,” she said.

Portent of joy. A

worker of Metro Manila Development Authority installs Christmas decor on light posts along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue as the country slowly moved into holiday mode.

JANSEN ROMERO

Duterte urged to file sex raps

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan AN oFFICIAL of the Ateneo de Davao University on Thursday urged presidential aspirant Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to document his allegations of sexual abuse by an unnamed Jesuit priest while he was a student of the school in the 1950s.

Ateneo de Davao official Jeremy Eliab expressed sympathy for the mayor’s experience but maintained that the institution will not tolerate any incident of abuse of minors inside the school campus.

“Allegations of sexual abuse in the past involving a Jesuit priest would need to be made in writing to the Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus for proper investigation and appropriate response according to the protocols

of the Society of Jesus for such cases,” Eliab said in a statement sent to GMA News online.

“There is never room for abuse of minors in a Catholic and Jesuit school. We would be mortified if Mayor Duterte were harmed at any point during his enrollment in our school,” Eliab said, noting that the Ateneo was not aware of Duterte’s claims.

After Duterte blurted expletives at Pope Francis during his proclamation on Monday, he claimed that he and other Ateneo students were sexually abused.

“At the Ateneo [de Davao] before, abuses [were] committed against minors at that time, including me and I will tell you my story. All of us went through that,” Duterte declared as he apologized for cursing the pope.

Archbishop Emeritus oscar Cruz, who

has handled cases of sexual abuses against priests as judicial vicar of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said Pope Francis has ordered strict adherence to protocols and created a special tribunal for sexual abuse charges.

Meanwhile, retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop oscar Cruz begged Duterte “file a case before civil courts against the abusers.”

“I am begging the good mayor on bended knees to please go to the civil court and there file a case against priests and together with his companions, whom he claims were all abused,” Cruz said, noting that Duterte was a long-time state prosecutor.

By going to court, Cruz said priests who were allegedly behind the sexual abuses can be made accountable, if they are still alive.

Comelec fears flying voters

By Christine F. Herrera

Meeting at the Quirinal. President Benigno S. Aquino III is welcomed by Italian

President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in Rome for bilateral talks during his official visit on Dec. 2. MALACAÑANG PHOTO

THE Commission on Elections said on Thursday the Supreme Court’s decision to stop the poll body’s “no bio, no boto” policy has brought back fears of vote buying and cheating as some 2.5-million voters may be tapped as flying voters who could alter the election results.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said such fears and insecurity arose after voters and candidates noted that the difference or margins between the senatorial candidates who ranked 12th and 13th was only 200,000 votes.

“The 2.5-million voters to be added to the 54-million registered voters that adhered to the mandatory biometrics would definitely make a difference in the possibility of altering the results of the elections for senators,” Jimenez said.

“The margin of less than 200,000 in 2013 can now rake in as many votes from the 2.5 million added into the list.”

“Under the mandatory biometrics, the

voters’ list has been purged such that a voter will have a single fingerprint and biometrics ensures that there is only one record for one voter and one record means one vote,” Jimenez explained.

“Unlike when these 2.5-million voters that did not submit to biometrics can vote in so many precincts. They can be tapped as flying voters that could very well be beneficial to the cheating candidates,” he said, noting that 2.5-million added voters will bring the total registered voters to 56.5 million.

But senatorial candidate Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and 1BAP Rep. Silvestre Bello III welcomed the SC ruling, saying it was more important not to disenfranchise 2.5-million voters.

While acknowledging the importance of biometric system in safeguarding the election, Romualdez said the policy should not be “burdensome” to the people, especially those from far-flung areas who have to undergo extraordinary measures just to have their biometrics recorded.

F R I D AY : D e c e m b e R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A4

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Militants slam ‘VIP treatment’ for Pemberton MILITANT groups on Thursday stormed the Department of Justice to express their indignation over what they called the “special treatment” the government was giving US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton.

Pemberton, who is being held in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, was sentenced to six to 12 years in jail by an Olongapo court on Tuesday for killing transgender woman Jennifer Laude in October 2014.

The groups, led by the Gabriela party-list and Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees or Courage, denounced Malacañang for allegedly building a special detention facility for Pemberton in Camp Aguinaldo.

The protesters urged the department to transfer Pemberton to the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City where all convicted criminals are incarcerated.

“The Aquino government has only further unmasked itself as a coddler of Protest. Student activists denounce the US government’s alleged refusal to turn over custody of US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, who has been convicted of killing torturers, rapists and killers even as it transgender woman Jennifer Laude, to Philippine authorities in a rally in front of the US Embassy hurls Philippine sovereignty down the in Manila on Thursday. dAnny PAtA drain,” the groups said in a statement.

Anakpawis party-list Rep. Fernando Hicap said the US government was clearly behind Pemberton’s being lodged in Camp Aguinaldo instead of

Military assaults terrorist lairs COMPOSITE ground forces pounded several lairs of terrorist groups and other lawless elements in Sulu on Wednesday, sparking skirmishes that officials said likely resulted in enemy casualties.

The attacks came following the reported presence of Jemaah Islamiyah militants in Mindanao who were said to have established partnerships with the Abu Sayyaf bandits and Muslim rebel factions with links to the Islamic State.

Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, commander of the military’s Joint Task Group Sulu, said the ground assaults occurred after troops from the 32nd Infantry Battalion detected a massing of Abu Sayaff elements in Darayan village in Patikul, Sulu, around 10 p.m. Wednesday.

The Abu Sayyaf has used Darayan, a coastal village in the northwestern portion

of Sulu, as a safekeeping area for the foreign and local hostages taken from Mindanao and Malaysia.

Darayan has also been the scene of fierce fighting between Abu Sayyaf bandits and soldiers in the past two years.

After pounding the Abu Sayyaf positions on Wednesday, Arrojado said, soldiers directed artillery fire at an Abu Sayyaf encampment reportedly occupied by 300 heavily armed terrorists.

Troops found bloodstains and damaged rifles at the Abu Sayyaf camps during clearing operations after the fighting subsided, Arrojado said.

He said the military recovered no bodies from the scene, but troops from the 1st and 4th Scout Ranger Battalions were still conducting operations against the bandits.

Francisco tuyay

in a regular jail.

“What kind of government is this that instead of ensuring justice for one of its citizens, it busies itself in protecting the killer?” Hicap said.

He made his statement even as Bureau of Corrections chief Ricardo Rainier Cruz III said Pemberton will be moved to a “bungalow-type” detention facility that can house 50 people from the 20-footer van where he is now being held.

“It’s a big jail that can accommodate around 50 people,” Cruz said.

The militant groups on Tuesday also accused the Aquino administration of its alleged continuing detention of political prisoners.

“President Aquino has already surpassed the record of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in terms of the number of political prisoners and even human rights violations and cases under his term,”the groups said in their statement.

In its verdict on Tuesday, the Olongapo City regional trial court Branch 74 found Pemberton guilty of homicide—not of murder as charged by the prosecution—and sentenced him to six up to 12 years in jail.

The issue on Pemberton’s detention arose after the Olongapo court ordered his transfer to the New Bilibid Prison. But the Justice Department said Pemberton would remain in Camp Aguinaldo despite the conviction. rey e. requejo, Florante S. Solmerin and Maricel V. Cruz

Immigration agents hold 2 Pinays IMMIGRATION officials prevented two Filipinas from leaving to work in the United Arab Emirates because they were believed to be victims of human traffickers, an official said Thursday.

Commissioner Sigfred Mison said the women attempted to board a ship bound for Sandakan in Malaysia, where they

were to take their flight to the UAE, but they were stopped at the gangway of the M/V Danica Joy 2.

He said the women attempted to sneak into the ship to avoid immigration checks, but they were found to have fake border stamps in their passports.

“They had previously tried to depart via the Ninoy Aquino Interna-

tional Airport, but they were not cleared because they were found in possession of UAE employment visas without the required employment certificates from the POEA [Philippine Overseas Employment Administration],” Mison said.

“We will not allow human traffickers and illegal recruiters to victimize our fellow citizens.” Vito barcelo

Fruits galore. Various fruits are shown being sold along Rizal Avenue in Caloocan City on Thursday. Andrew rAbulAn

f r i D AY : D e c e m b e r 4 , 2 0 1 5

A5

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

PH, Italy intensify war on terrorism

By Sandy Araneta

The Philippines and Italy expressed solidarity in their fight against global terrorism, following the recent series of terrorist attacks in France and elsewhere.

President Benigno S. Aquino III and Italian President Sergio Mattarella issued the statement during their bilateral meeting at the Quirinal Palace in Rome on Wednesday.

Communications Secretary herminio Coloma Jr., who was present during the closed-door meeting, said that both leaders shared the view that it is vital to exert efforts toward de-radicalization in the campaign against global terrorism.

The mass shootings and suicide bombings, which the Islamic State launched in Paris on Nov. 13, have drastically impacted the tourism industry across europe, affecting Italy and other neighboring countries of France. The two leaders also discussed how the Philippines has been dealing with its own terrorism issues.

Coloma said the Bangsamoro Basic Law framework for peace building was explained as Italy expressed “great interest” in its progress.

Coloma said that during the bilateral meeting, the West Philippine Sea maritime dispute was mentioned, as Italy affirmed the Philippines’ adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in upholding freedom of navigation in the area.

The Philippines is pursuing a legal battle against China through the Arbitral Tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The hague, Netherlands, which Italy believes is an “appropriate path” towards peacefully resolving the dispute.

Aquino also thanked Mattarella for the support Italy has provided for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and debt for development programs.

Coloma said the Italian leader also raised the concerns shared by many european countries with respect to migrants and refugees fleeing war, while President Aquino cited the Philippines’ record in assisting asylum seekers.

On a lighter note, Italy congratulated the Philippines for its successful hosting of the Asia-Pacific economic Cooperation summit just two weeks ago, Coloma said.

Rome also lauded Manila’s high economic growth rate and its anti-corruption efforts.

12 officials dismissed over misuse of ‘pork’

By Rio Araja THE Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday dismissed 12 officials of the National Livelihood Development Corp., the Technology Resource Center and the defunct National Agribusiness Corp. from government service for their involvement in the anomalous use of the P54-million Priority Development Assistance Fund of former Rep. Samuel Dangwa of Benguet.

Universal eye candies. Miss Universe contestants (from left) Brenda Castro of Costa Rica; Yun Fang Xue of China; and Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines pose in Yamamay swimwear and Chinese laundry shoes upon arriving at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the crown in Las Vegas. AFP

Fil-Ams hit ‘politics of exclusion’ LOS ANGeLeS—Several FilipinoAmerican leaders on Thursday rallied behind presidential front-runner Senator Grace Poe following the Commission on election’s Second Division decision disqualifying her in the forthcoming 2016 presidential elections.

In a statement of support, The Grace Poe for President MovementNorth America led by Lino Caringal Jr., Arturo Garcia and Larry Pelayo stressed that the Comelec is doing a great disservice to democracy, not only to Senator Grace Poe but also to the 20-million Filipinos who voted for her in 2013, as well as the millions of Filipinos residing in the Philippines and overseas.

By adopting the “politics of exclusion,” the Comelec has arrogated

unto itself the power to disenfranchise a candidate who has already been voted upon by the people.

“We will appeal her case up to the Supreme Court if necessary and make sure that the people are not deprived of their sovereign right to choose their own president on a mere technicality,” said Caringal, a former Navy Captain and the president elect of the Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA. he added that the essential part of an “ideal” representative democracy is competitive elections that are fair under an atmosphere of freedom of political expression, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press that allow eligible citizens to be adequately informed and able to vote according to their own interests.

JFAV National Coordinator Arturo Garcia said, “We call on Senator Grace Poe to remain steadfast and fight for the inherent and fundamental right of every sovereign Filipino to choose their leader. The fight for presidency goes on. Our determination has been made stronger by blow after blow of legal maneuverings her opponents resort to, to get her out of the race even before the official campaign period begins.

“We are saddened that the political contest for the presidency in our motherland has deteriorated to a point when all front-running opposition and independent candidates are subjected to vicious demolition projects as if those in power are the only ones with the franchise to hold on to political power.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales also imposed the penalty of dismissal for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service against the 12 officials —NLDC’s Gondelina Amata, Chita Jalandoni, emmanuel Alexis Sevidal, Ofelia Ordoñez, Filipina Rodriguez and Sofia Cruz; TRC’s Dennis Cunanan, Marivic Jover, Consuelo Lilian espiritu and Belina Concepcion, and NabCor’s Victor Cacal and Romulo Relevo.

Documents showed Dangwa received P54 million in pork barrel fund coursed through non-government organizations linked to Janet Lim Napoles, and three implementing government agencies from 2007 until 2009 for the acquisition of livelihood and agricultural assistance kits and packages for the project beneficiaries.

Amata and company processed, facilitated and approved the transactions and payments for the ghost projects, Morales said.

Based on a special audit report of the Commission on Audit, the agricultural and livelihood assistance kits/packages supposed to be delivered were non-existent.

In addition, the NGOs submitted fake or falsified supporting documents to support its liquidation, and that these lacked the track record and capacity to implement the projects.

The Ombudsman also said the officials did not hold a public bidding or accreditation process, adding “to date, P11 million of Dangwa’s PDAF remains unliquidated.”

“In spite of these deficiencies, respondent public officers Amata, Cunanan, Cacal, Relevo, Sevidal, Cruz, Jalandoni, Jover, Rodriguez, Ordoñez, espiritu and Concepcion, with indecent haste, expedited the release of the PDAF disbursements to the NGOs affiliated with or controlled by Napoles. These foregoing acts of respondents constitute grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service,” the decision read.

f r i d ay : d e c e m b e r 4 , 2 0 1 5

A6

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Plot to discredit INC revealed ‘Prosecution fails to prove conspiracy in Jinggoy case’

By Rio N. Araja THE prosecution did not have the evidence or witnesses to prove Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada received kickbacks from Janet Lim Napoles or whistleblower Benhur Luy, according to the senator’s lawyer.

Associate Justice Ronald Jurado, chairman of the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division, interjected during the oral argument of Director ma. Cristina marallag Batacan if they could present evidence that Estrada personally received over P50 million from Napoles.

The prosecution, however, said it was socialite Ruby Tuason who delivered the P19-million kickback to Estrada.

Jurado gave the prosecution and defense panel 45 minutes each to present their oral arguments, but the former rested its case in the bail petition of Estrada.

Batacan in her power point presentation reiterated that the evidence and witnesses (27 in all) are enough to prove that Estrada and his former chief of staff, Pauline Labayen, conspired with Napoles to misallocate his PDAF to her foundations in exchange for kickbacks.

Some of the prosecution’s pieces of evidence, such as endorsement letters of Estrada personally choosing Napoles’ foundations, to be the beneficiaries of his pork barrel fund, a Commission on Audit special report, an Antimoney Laundering Council report on the bank transactions of Estrada and a daily disbursement report of Luy, were presented.

The prosecution asserted that the testimonies of the witnesses would substantiate that it was Napoles who actually owned and controlled the NgOs, where a portion of Estrada’s PDAF was allocated.

When asked by Jurado if there was any other evidence or witness to strengthen that Estrada directly received P50 million in commission, the prosecution did not give a clear answer.

Lanee David, counsel of Napoles, in her oral argument, said the prosecution failed to prove that Estrada, Napoles and Labayen conspired with one another despite the previous presentation of 27 witnesses during almost two years of the bail hearing.

She said the prosecution also failed to prove Estrada amassed P183, 753, 750 million in kickbacks.

David said the prosecution failed to prove that Estrada accumulated the P50 million threshold for plunder since according to Luy it was Labayen, former actor matt Ranillo, Tuason and one Juan Ng who received the P183 million, and not Estrada.

“He did not see Tuason gave the money to Estrada and there was no bank transfer and check issued to Estrada,” she added.

In 2001, Estrada was granted a bail for the plunder filed against him and his father.

“Yes, I was granted bail [in 2001] because there was no strong evidence presented against me. And I think this will be a repeat performance [by the Sandiganbayan],” he said.

“There is no strong evidence against me, its all hearsay. So I am really praying that I will be able to spend Christmas outside of my detention cell and to be with my family,” he added.

The Iglesia Ni Cristo has hinted at an evil plot to discredit the church and its leaders even as the INC rejected allegations of irregularities in the handling of cash donations from abroad.

Spokesperson Edwil Zabala, who on Thursday categorically denied charges that the INC owns a multi-million-dollar Airbus 330-202, which the leadership has supposedly been using for trips abroad.

Zabala named two expelled ministers Isaias Samson Jr. and Vincent Florida as the accusers.

Samson and Florida accused the INC leaders of irregularities in the handling of cash donations from United States-based local churches, which are then deposited in offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands and in Switzerland. Samson alleged that the cash was brought there using planes supposedly owned by the INC.

A news article had earlier alleged that the INC leadership owns an Airbus 330-202 and a Boeing executive jet that cost between P8.8 billion ($200 million) and P11 billion ($250 million).

“If Samson can prove that the Church owns an Airbus 330-202, or any other airplane for that matter, then he can have it,” Zabala said.

Zabala also made a similar challenge to Samson and Florida concerning the alleged offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands and in the Switzerland. He said that church leaders are willing to sign a waiver to allow the two or any investigator of their choice to inquire into the proper authori-

ties in the Cayman Islands and in Switzerland.

Zabala maintained that the INC has very stringent audit protocols that enabled the church to pass strict requirements for a tax-exempt status in the United States.

“We follow protocols for the deposit of cash collections. We also have very stringent audit procedures, otherwise the church will not be granted tax-exempt status by the US government,” he earlier said.

Zabala added that the offerings of church members are properly audited and go to the construction of churches, as well as to the INC’s various socio-civic activities. He said that more than 800 churches have been constructed in different parts of the world under the leadership of Executive minister Eduardo V. manalo.

The minister said that church

is saddened by the recent round of defamatory statements from Samson and Florida. The two were expelled from the Church last July.

Zabala added, however, that the INC suspects that Samson and other ex-ministers that have relentlessly attacked the church, “may be part of a systematic, planned effort to discredit the church.”

“This is a tragedy unto itself, given the good outreach work the church has undertaken for members and non-members alike,” added Zabala. “The INC and its members have done nothing to deserve this, and we appeal to the public to be wary of negative accusations that have no basis in law, in fact, and in truth—and are merely meant to sow confusion and destroy an institution that means the world to its members.”

Let there be light. In keeping with its annual tradition, the Manila Electric Company once again opens the Liwanag Park to the public with a lighting ceremony held at the company’s headquarters in Ortigas, Pasig City. Pressing the button to switch on the lights around the park and Meralco building are (from left): Alfredo S. Panlilio, SVP and head, Customer Retail Services and Corporate Communication, Meralco chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Jeffrey Tarayao, president of One Meralco Foundation and Ruben Benosa, Meralco head of Corporate Logistics. MANNy PALMeRo

4 killed in QC fire Senate bet Kapunan sees Comelec reversing self on Poe disqualification LAmENTINg the absence of seasoned election lawyers in the Commission on Election’s second division that disqualified presidential frontrunner grace Poe, galing at Puso senatorial candidate Lorna Kapunan said she would not be surprised if the decision was eventually reversed by the Comelec en banc and later on, the Supreme Court.

“Election law is an expertise, a niche; it takes years of practice in election law to be considered an expert. Sadly, none of the lawyers sitting in the second division fits the bill,” Kapunan said.

Kapunan said that Al Parreño, chairman of the second division, himself admitted in media interviews that he was appointed for his expertise in information technology, not his

knowledge in election law.

“The last job Parreño held before joining the Comelec was with the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board when mar Roxas was secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications. He was not an election lawyer,” Kapunan said.

“Art Lim, on the other hand, is known as a feisty litigator, and was even a part of the team that prosecuted Chief Justice Corona. However, for all of his years in practice, he was never known to have engaged in election law,” said Kapunan, also a seasoned litigator known for handling high-profile cases.

“With all due respect to these commissioners, I have nothing against them personally as they both belong to

Sigma Rho, the same fraternity of my late husband,” added the lawyer.

As for Sherrif Abbas, the third member of the division, Kapunan said that his tenure as legal officer in the Civil Service Commission’s Cotabato office “may have given him a familiarity with civil service laws, but not election laws.”

Because of this, Kapunan said that when the case is elevated to the SC, “our justices may be better equipped to appreciate the elements of the case.”

“The law is on our side. Jurisprudence is on our side. And the people are on our side. Ito ay laban para sa karapatan. (This is a fight for our rights.) We believe that when all is said and done, the law and the truth will prevail, and grace Poe will be allowed to run for president.”

A TWO-HOUR fire killed two doctors and their two daughters in Quezon City Thursday dawn.

Fire Supt. Jesus Fernandez identified the victims as Rodolfo Bucad, 55, a dentist; his wife gracita, an optometrist, and daughters Hazel, 29 and Tricia, 21.

The couple’s son, a call center agent, was away when the fire hit the two-story LHC Square commercial building on 15th Avenue corner main Avenue in Barangay San Roque, Cubao at 3:15 a.m.

Authorities were able to rescue the four victims from the building and took them to East Avenue medical Center but the victims died due to suffocation.

Probers said the fire could have been caused by an overheated refrigerator that had triggered a short circuit. The fire was put out at 5:04 a.m. Rio Araja

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Surigao mayor, secretary arrested for estafa

By Florante S. Solmerin POLICE arrested the mayor of Lingig, Surigao del Sur and his private secretary for an estafa case pending before a regional trial court, Chief Inspector Elizabeth Jasmin, spokesperson of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said.

Quoting from the after-operation report of Superintendent Randy Glenn Silvio, Jasmin identified the arrested mayor as Roberto Luna Jr. and his secretary, Albert Tannquilan. “[They] were arrested by detectives of CIDG-Surigao Del Sur and Police Regional Office 13 during police operation at the Lingig municipal hall on Tuesday (Dec. 1, 2015) at 1 p.m. in the afternoon,” Jasmin said.

She said the suspects’ warrants of arrest was issued by RTC, 11th Judicial Region, Branch 28, Bislig City Assisting Judge Rufo Naragas.

“Both arrested persons are now in custody of CIDGSurigao Del Sur prior their turnover to the court of origin,” Jasmin said, without elaborating further on the suspects’ estafa case.

Final touches. A student prepares his entry to a wedding cake decoration contest at the Kusina Ilocandia in San Fernando CIty, La Union. CHRISTINE JUNIO

City engineer survives ambush try in Bulacan

By Orlan Mauricio

MALOLOS CITY—The city engineer of San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan survived an ambush try by two unidentified gunmen in Barangay Bulac, Sta. Maria town Wednesday afternoon.

Rufino Gravador, 55, was driving his blue Montero Sport when the suspects, on board a motorcycle, shot at him.

He sustained gunshot wounds on his left shoulder and nape but is now in stable condition at the St. Mary’s Hospital.

Gravador had exposed purported anomalies in the

construction of the new city hall, refusing to certify a document he believed was overpriced.

The city government relieved him of his post after this refusal but the Civil Service Commission’s regional office ordered his reinstatement in July.

The suspects immediately fled the scene of the crime.

Bulacan police director Sr. Supt.

Ferdinand Divina said a tracker team from the SJDM City police station is now pursuing leads to identify the suspects.

In a prior interview, Gravador claimed that sometime before the 2013 elections, he was asked

by Mayor Reynaldo San Pedro to approve and sign several documents pertaining to the proposed construction of the new city hall amounting to P300 million.

He had studied the plans and concluded that the project was overpriced by as much as P100 million.

“I [could not] stomach the grossly overpriced estimates and I feared losing my license. Secondly, I did not want to go to jail and tarnish my family’s reputation and forever be condemned by my ancestors, “ Gravador had told The Standard.

San Pedro had allegedly offered him a one-percent commission if he would just sign but he declined.

Gravador added that his troubles began when San Pedro got reelected.

The Standard tried to reach the mayor through his two cellphone numbers but could not contact him as of press time.

Task group captures Abu lair in Sulu

Village lost. A street sweeper does her job in front of the neglected Christmas Village decorations at Burnham Park in Baguio City. DAVID CHAN

THE Joint Task Group Sulu units in Darayan, Sulu has captured an Abu Sayyaf encampment after a short exchange of firefight Thursday morning, according to task force commander Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado.

The camp is believed to be operated by ASG subcommander Radullan Sahiron and is capable of hosting 300 bandits.

Troops who made the capture of the ASG lair were from the 35th Infantry Battalion, who also found blood trails in the area. The team also seized an AK-47 rifle butt and cooking paraphernalia.

Six rounds of 81 mm mortar and six 105 mm shells were fired on the ASG position, causing undetermined casualties on the side of the bandits.

Pursuit and clearing operations are still ongoing. PNA

F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

IT’S BINAY VERSUS ROXAS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENS CROPS TUNISIA in North Africa is two oceans away from the Philippines and one of the most vulnerable to climate change. But a changing weather pattern does not discriminate between continents.

The Agence France Press featured the African country early this week, reporting on how Tunisia’s 3,000-year history of olive farming was under threat, with warnings that production could be halved by 2030 because of the extremes of climate change, from floods to droughts.

Tunisia, according to the story, would likely register record olive oil exports of 312,000 tons, making it the world’s leading shipper of the prized product for the first time. But the news feature cautioned that climate change could wreak havoc in the African state, where just a few hundred kilometers separate the fertile lands on the shore from the first dunes of the Sahara desert.

One Tunisian farmer has already noticed the impact of climate change, especially rising temperatures, on crop production. Severe drought has occurred more frequently from one out of five years to an average of two in five. The frequency of drought will impact severely on Tunisia’s olive oil production. About 80 percent of Tunisia’s 80 million trees are not irrigated and depend entirely on rainwater.

Tunisia’s dilemma is not unusual and can well happen in an agricultural country like the Philippines. The current drought in the Philippines will worsen in the early part of 2016 and put pressure on authorities to put up so-called mitigating measures to help affected farmers.

The drought this early has prompted the Agriculture Department to increase rice imports, as the country’s output is certain to drop due to lack of irrigation facilities.

Climate change, as being discussed in a global conference in Paris today, will affect farmers the hardest. Authorities by now should increase the funding for more water impounding structures and mini dams to prepare farmers for the next episode of El Niño amid global warming. They should also focus on the development of rice and other crop species that are more resistant to drought.

Filipino farmers deserve the most help in the new climate order. Their farm output remains a key component of the economy.

THE LAW TAKES ITS COURSE BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO IT WAS a significant week for the legal and justice system.

After 11 months of trial, the Olongapo RTC sentenced US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton for the death of transgender Jeffrey/Jennifer Laude.

The Commission on Elections Second Division ruled Senator Grace Poe lacked the 10-year residency requirement to run for President in 2016.

The Supreme Court also struck down the Comelec’s “no -biometrics-no vote rule” as an unconstitutional barrier to the right of suffrage.

The Ombudsman indicted former Metro Rail Transit general manager Al Vitangcol and five others for graft in the anomalous contract for the MRT3 maintenance which caused inconvenience to commuters.

Although Pemberton’s guilty verdict was downgraded from murder to homicide, he will serve a six- to 12-year sentence but will remain temporarily detained at Camp Aguinaldo under the

Visiting Forces Agreement. All things considered, it was a good decision even if the prosecution which sought a murder verdict said it was a light sentence.

But the bigger story, of course, was Grace Poe’s disqualification to run for president for being short of the 10-year residency requirement. She was also cited for fudging the numbers in the period of her residency when she returned to the country to run for public office.

Ms. Poe, in a statement, said she’s disappointed but will appeal the Comelec ruling and will continue to fight for the right

A9

This administration will leave no stone unturned to pave the way for ruling party presidential candidate Mar Roxas to win.

of foundlings for equal protection under the law. We are one with you on that, Grace, but it appears you are more disappointed that your burning ambition for the highest post in the land, has been TKO’d. Why not accept the decision and wait for the next presidential race when you’re ripe and ready?

The Comelec ruling, in a way, also blunted the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s 5-4 decision to declare Poe a natural born citizen despite the lack of evidence to the contrary. Senators Tito Sotto, Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villar, Paolo Aquino and Pia Cayetano voted along partisan lines and collegial sentiment for Poe. While her citizenship can still be proven if someone

steps up to say she is Grace’s mother and backs it up with a DNA match, the senator’s presidential dream is as good as dashed. I have always thought the residency requirement was the more telling point against Poe because it was easier to prove. If you do the math using Poe’s own numbers on when she came back to the Philippines, she would still be six months short of the required residency.

She may appeal the poll body’s ruling but if the Comelec does not include her name in the ballot to be printed soon, Poe is out: Out of the race and out of the

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

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

big money campaign contributions.

So, it’s now a four-way race among the LP’s Mar Roxas, UNA’s Jejomar Binay, PDP’s Rodrigo Duterte and independent Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

The loquacious Davao City mayor is getting a lot of flak for saying he will fatten the fish by dumping all the bodies of criminals in Manila Bay. While that has resonance with crime victims, it stoked fear among human rights advocates. He also drew criticism from the Church for his comments on sexual abuse priests committed and making

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

fun of Pope Francis. He was also chided

by Gabriela for his disrespect to women and admitting to having two wives.

Continued on A11

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES Mr. Robles’ column will resume next week.

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

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

VICE President Jejomar “Jojo” C. Binay vs. Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Araneta “Mar” Roxas II. The icon of corruption vs. the poster boy of incompetence and indecisiveness in the BS Aquino administration.

Binay and Roxas are most probably the only choices of some 55 Filipino voters when they decide next year who their next president would be for the next six years beginning July 2016. Out of 100 million Filipinos, people’s choices are down to Binay and Roxas for their next leader.

The choices are bad and unpalatable, according to analysts. This is the first time since 1896 that Filipinos have to choose virtually between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Before this December, voters had more choices, although not necessarily better—neophyte Senator Grace Poe, an independent candidate for president, 20year Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and sickly Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015, Poe was disqualified by a three-person Second Division of three Commission on Elections commissioners, namely, Al Parreño, chair, and Arthur D. Lim and Sherif M. Abas, members. The panel said the adopted daughter of superstar Fernando Poe Jr. did not satisfy the 10-year residency required of presidents and presidential candidates. It used Poe’s sworn statement (a declaration against interest and therefore, truthful) when she ran for senator in May 2013 that before that date, she had lived for only “6 years and 6 months” in the Philippines. Thus, on election day, May 9, 2015, she would be short by six months for the ten-year residency, reckoned from November 2006. Poe tried to correct this when she filed her Certificate of Candidacy for president. This time, she claimed a period of residence of 10 years and 11 months. She lied, said the panel which said the senator “deliberately attempted to mislead, misinform or hide a fact from the electorate.”

Poe’s lawyers could appeal to the Comelec en banc. With three commissioners (Parreño, Lim and Abas) already against her, only one vote is needed for the en banc to endorse the Second Division disqualification; 4 to overturn it.

The math is compelling. Poe’s lawyers could rush to the Supreme Court to appeal but then several petitions for disqualification on the grounds of lack of residency and not being natural born, are also pending there. In the meantime, Comelec has until Dec. 10, 2015 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

F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

IT’S BINAY VERSUS ROXAS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENS CROPS TUNISIA in North Africa is two oceans away from the Philippines and one of the most vulnerable to climate change. But a changing weather pattern does not discriminate between continents.

The Agence France Press featured the African country early this week, reporting on how Tunisia’s 3,000-year history of olive farming was under threat, with warnings that production could be halved by 2030 because of the extremes of climate change, from floods to droughts.

Tunisia, according to the story, would likely register record olive oil exports of 312,000 tons, making it the world’s leading shipper of the prized product for the first time. But the news feature cautioned that climate change could wreak havoc in the African state, where just a few hundred kilometers separate the fertile lands on the shore from the first dunes of the Sahara desert.

One Tunisian farmer has already noticed the impact of climate change, especially rising temperatures, on crop production. Severe drought has occurred more frequently from one out of five years to an average of two in five. The frequency of drought will impact severely on Tunisia’s olive oil production. About 80 percent of Tunisia’s 80 million trees are not irrigated and depend entirely on rainwater.

Tunisia’s dilemma is not unusual and can well happen in an agricultural country like the Philippines. The current drought in the Philippines will worsen in the early part of 2016 and put pressure on authorities to put up so-called mitigating measures to help affected farmers.

The drought this early has prompted the Agriculture Department to increase rice imports, as the country’s output is certain to drop due to lack of irrigation facilities.

Climate change, as being discussed in a global conference in Paris today, will affect farmers the hardest. Authorities by now should increase the funding for more water impounding structures and mini dams to prepare farmers for the next episode of El Niño amid global warming. They should also focus on the development of rice and other crop species that are more resistant to drought.

Filipino farmers deserve the most help in the new climate order. Their farm output remains a key component of the economy.

THE LAW TAKES ITS COURSE BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO IT WAS a significant week for the legal and justice system.

After 11 months of trial, the Olongapo RTC sentenced US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton for the death of transgender Jeffrey/Jennifer Laude.

The Commission on Elections Second Division ruled Senator Grace Poe lacked the 10-year residency requirement to run for President in 2016.

The Supreme Court also struck down the Comelec’s “no -biometrics-no vote rule” as an unconstitutional barrier to the right of suffrage.

The Ombudsman indicted former Metro Rail Transit general manager Al Vitangcol and five others for graft in the anomalous contract for the MRT3 maintenance which caused inconvenience to commuters.

Although Pemberton’s guilty verdict was downgraded from murder to homicide, he will serve a six- to 12-year sentence but will remain temporarily detained at Camp Aguinaldo under the

Visiting Forces Agreement. All things considered, it was a good decision even if the prosecution which sought a murder verdict said it was a light sentence.

But the bigger story, of course, was Grace Poe’s disqualification to run for president for being short of the 10-year residency requirement. She was also cited for fudging the numbers in the period of her residency when she returned to the country to run for public office.

Ms. Poe, in a statement, said she’s disappointed but will appeal the Comelec ruling and will continue to fight for the right

A9

This administration will leave no stone unturned to pave the way for ruling party presidential candidate Mar Roxas to win.

of foundlings for equal protection under the law. We are one with you on that, Grace, but it appears you are more disappointed that your burning ambition for the highest post in the land, has been TKO’d. Why not accept the decision and wait for the next presidential race when you’re ripe and ready?

The Comelec ruling, in a way, also blunted the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s 5-4 decision to declare Poe a natural born citizen despite the lack of evidence to the contrary. Senators Tito Sotto, Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villar, Paolo Aquino and Pia Cayetano voted along partisan lines and collegial sentiment for Poe. While her citizenship can still be proven if someone

steps up to say she is Grace’s mother and backs it up with a DNA match, the senator’s presidential dream is as good as dashed. I have always thought the residency requirement was the more telling point against Poe because it was easier to prove. If you do the math using Poe’s own numbers on when she came back to the Philippines, she would still be six months short of the required residency.

She may appeal the poll body’s ruling but if the Comelec does not include her name in the ballot to be printed soon, Poe is out: Out of the race and out of the

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

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

big money campaign contributions.

So, it’s now a four-way race among the LP’s Mar Roxas, UNA’s Jejomar Binay, PDP’s Rodrigo Duterte and independent Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

The loquacious Davao City mayor is getting a lot of flak for saying he will fatten the fish by dumping all the bodies of criminals in Manila Bay. While that has resonance with crime victims, it stoked fear among human rights advocates. He also drew criticism from the Church for his comments on sexual abuse priests committed and making

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

fun of Pope Francis. He was also chided

by Gabriela for his disrespect to women and admitting to having two wives.

Continued on A11

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES Mr. Robles’ column will resume next week.

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

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

VICE President Jejomar “Jojo” C. Binay vs. Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Araneta “Mar” Roxas II. The icon of corruption vs. the poster boy of incompetence and indecisiveness in the BS Aquino administration.

Binay and Roxas are most probably the only choices of some 55 Filipino voters when they decide next year who their next president would be for the next six years beginning July 2016. Out of 100 million Filipinos, people’s choices are down to Binay and Roxas for their next leader.

The choices are bad and unpalatable, according to analysts. This is the first time since 1896 that Filipinos have to choose virtually between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Before this December, voters had more choices, although not necessarily better—neophyte Senator Grace Poe, an independent candidate for president, 20year Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and sickly Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015, Poe was disqualified by a three-person Second Division of three Commission on Elections commissioners, namely, Al Parreño, chair, and Arthur D. Lim and Sherif M. Abas, members. The panel said the adopted daughter of superstar Fernando Poe Jr. did not satisfy the 10-year residency required of presidents and presidential candidates. It used Poe’s sworn statement (a declaration against interest and therefore, truthful) when she ran for senator in May 2013 that before that date, she had lived for only “6 years and 6 months” in the Philippines. Thus, on election day, May 9, 2015, she would be short by six months for the ten-year residency, reckoned from November 2006. Poe tried to correct this when she filed her Certificate of Candidacy for president. This time, she claimed a period of residence of 10 years and 11 months. She lied, said the panel which said the senator “deliberately attempted to mislead, misinform or hide a fact from the electorate.”

Poe’s lawyers could appeal to the Comelec en banc. With three commissioners (Parreño, Lim and Abas) already against her, only one vote is needed for the en banc to endorse the Second Division disqualification; 4 to overturn it.

The math is compelling. Poe’s lawyers could rush to the Supreme Court to appeal but then several petitions for disqualification on the grounds of lack of residency and not being natural born, are also pending there. In the meantime, Comelec has until Dec. 10, 2015 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

F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

IS THERE A CATHOLIC VOTE? PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO THERE should be! When Rodrigo Duterte recklessly used an expletive while talking about Pope Francis, some netizens called for a “Catholic vote” against Duterte. Of this kind, there is certainly none.

The “Catholic vote” has never been, nor can it ever be, a vote for or against a candidate proposed by the hierarchy. There remains the possibility, however, that when one who runs for public office is so morally depraved so that a vote for him would be a vote of consent to immorality, then under such unusual circumstances it may be a moral obligation—a Catholic obligation—not to

No one is looking for a sinless candidate.

Such an animal just does not exist.

vote for such a candidate. But the Advent seasons insists on the salutary lesson that the human person is never beyond redemption!

A Catholic vote is, in accordance with the teaching of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, a vote for the poor: not necessarily for a poor candidate, but for one who can show an untampered record of solicitude for the poor. Topping her agenda should not be Apec that lines the pockets of corporate magnates while

The law... From A9 But Duterte’s loose lips may just be the tip of his problem. The Comelec has yet to decide whether he can substitute for Martin Diño as PDP-Laban presidential candidate. The poll body could declare Diño as a nuisance candidate for filing his CoC with no real intention of run-

PENSIONERS ARE INCLUDED, TOO!

inconveniencing daily wage- MANY among us senior citiearners but that kind of zens have already realized economics that is inclusive: that we were never included in the group that was to be that makes progress a pursued as beneficiaries of intangible reality for barangayclusive growth under PNoy’s folk who eke out a living, day Philippine Development Plan by day, in often desperate 2011-2016. circumstances.

But isn’t this realization A Catholic vote is not expected? Despite rosy econecessarily a vote for a nomic growth rates that PNoy Catholic, although it should has regularly harped about in preferably be one. Many the past 5 1/2 years, he still Catholics, quite sadly, are adamantly refuses to adjust known crooks, and bullies, our social security pensions. womanizers and gamblers.

We call that lone PNoy No one is looking for a sinless five-percent SSS pension incandidate. Such an animal crease in 2014 a “consuelo de just does not exist. So those bobo”—it was not a pension who excoriate Archbishop adjustment.

Indigent senior citizens Soc Villegas for demanding of Duterte that he be sinless must have felt the same demiss the point by a wide spite being recipients of the margin. A candidate who token P500 social pension. is aware of his sinfulness, That amount, after all, was regretful of it, and resolute never adjusted by PNoy since in his resolution to avoid the time President Gloria signed his mistakes, especially as Macapagal-Arroyo its grant into law on Feb. 15, they pertain to his office, is 2010, five months before the worthy of the Catholic vote. end of her term of office.

A Catholic vote is a vote for Worse, the law entitled to the freedom of religion—not the P500 all indigent citizens state-sponsored secularism, who were at least 60 years old and the imposition of but only those who were 77 secularist mores and morals years old were awarded this on public life. A Catholic stipend. Lack of funding was must choose those candidates the reason given by the prowho will guarantee the gram’s administrator—the Republic that public space Department of Social Welfare will remain free and open for and Development —for exthose who believe as well as cluding other indigent senior for those who choose not to. citizens.

Fortunately, starting The candidate who espouses the proscription of all January this year, those aged religious symbols in public 65 years old and above— life should not be chosen for estimated at 940,000—have public office, because she has been included provided already made a choice for they were “frail, sickly or unbelief over belief. Rather, with disabilities; who do not the candidate who deserves have regular support from the Catholic vote is one who relatives; no permanent allows both believers and source of income; and are not unbelievers alike to express receiving pensions from the SSS, GSIS or Veterans Pension the positions of mind, heart Administration.” and conscience, and to bear But the younger senior citiopenly and without fear of zens remain excluded. persecution or ostracism the The Philippine Developmarks of their conviction. ment Plan—with its generalSo, yes, there is a Catholic ized definition of inclusive vote. growth as a “sustained growth that creates jobs, draws the rannie_aquino@sanbeda. majority into the economic edu.ph and social mainstream, and rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph continuously reduces mass rannie_aquino@yahoo.com poverty”—was not clear, any-

way, on how senior citizens would become part of our inclusive growth.

Even the optimists among us have given up on our being drawn into the economic and social mainstream.

After all, we pensioner senior citizens are now jobless and could no longer be included in any economic growth unlike the younger employed workers who directly share in it—in trickles, maybe—via wage increases or income tax reductions.

Why should pensions be adjusted periodically? We now only rely on them. If they remain stagnant, we wouldn’t be able to cope up with the rapidly increasing standard of living.

The harshness of our climate conditions has made coping even more difficult.

As we endure seasonal typhoons and floods, La Niña heavy rains and El Niño dry spells, the deterioration of our financial conditions is hastened toward poverty.

If truly unlucky, any single disaster could wipe out our lifetime savings and immediately make us join the millions of poor Filipinos.

Has PNoy realized this when he attended the climate change summit in Paris and delivered last Monday—like all other 142 heads of state—a three-minute message at the Leaders Event? We doubt it.

PNoy has also actively promoted inclusive growth in the South East Asian region during the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur just a week ago.

Significantly, he and the other Asean leaders announced at the end of that summit on Nov. 22 the creation of the Asean Economic Community—an economic integration among Asean member states—that will begin on Dec. 31, 2015.

How we wish that our country would not be left

behind by our counterpart Asean countries when they achieve their growth targets and become more peaceful and prosperous.

We can only hope that younger Filipinos would reap the fruits of this economic integration and attain the same high level of financial success of their Asean counterparts.

But would they have to do this as the ever reliable and hardworking overseas Filipino workers?

For us retired and jobless pensioners, the only way that we could be included in the economic and social mainstream—not left behind and poor at retirement—is for our pensions to be adjusted and indexed to inflation.

And approving that P2,000 pension adjustment of Congressman Neri Colmenares and augmenting the P500 social pensions are the first steps.

In fact, adjusting pensions is the usual way old-age pensioners share in the economic growth in other countries.

In the United States, for instance, pensions are automatically adjusted yearly based on the movement of the consumer price index.

Funding is also automatically raised by adjusting the maximum salary that is subject to contributions, which is triggered, on the other hand, by the average wage index.

The US Social Security Administration announces these adjustments early in the fourth quarter and implements them effective on Jan.1 of the following year.

It announced last Oct. 15, however, that there won’t be any pension adjustment in 2016 because the CPI did not move up this year. Neither would the maximum salary subject to social security contributions be adjusted.

We senior citizens should not be left to fend for ourselves in our old age. Our society would be uncaring if it would only blame us for having grown old without having saved enough.

We have to be included, too, in our growth.

ning but merely to serve as Duterte’s dummy.

Don’t look now, but if Duterte is ruled out by the Comelec, that would leave only Roxas, Binay and Santiago in the running. Even Binay, if cuffed because of the slew of corruption charges against him, could campaign behind bars. Rumors are rife and Binay fears it too, that

with just Santiago as the last one standing in Mar’s way, we don’t see the votes that would go to Poe, Binay and Duterte shifting to Roxas.

Suddenly Santiago’s chances are beginning to look good. There’s no legal infirmity against a health issue. Who knows, Miriam might elicit a huge number of sympathy votes she

claimed was cheated out of in her losing presidential bid against Fidel Ramos in 1992.

With Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Solid North bloc and the potent Visayan votes of both Miriam’s (she’s from Iloilo) and Imelda’s waray supporters in Leyte and Samar behind Santiago, the equation might tip in her favor.

the Aquino administration through the Office of the Ombudsman might file corruption and plunder cases against him with the Sandiganbyan before or after yearend. Don’t count out this scenario. This administration will leave no stone unturned to pave the way for ruling party presidential candidate Mar Roxas to win. But even

FILIPINO PENSIONER HORACE TEMPLO

F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

INDIA’S SMART CLIMATE STRATEGY Bloomberg editorial

funding solar projects than new coal-fired power plants.

TO MANY eyes, India looks In fact, the most apt criticism like a roadblock to an effec- of India’s pledges to reduce tive world climate deal. Prime carbon intensity and the use Minister Narendra Modi’s of fossil fuels—rather than demand for “climate justice” cap emissions—is that the —meaning that rich nations country could probably meet should reduce their carbon them without really trying. It emissions even as India and can and should aim higher.

That said, Modi’s central others continue to pollute— reprises the polarizing rheto- argument is sound: India ric that has sunk previous in- can’t accept a hard limit on ternational attempts to battle emissions when it’s still tryglobal warming. Yet there’s ing to lift hundreds of milmerit to Modi’s argument, lions of Indians—more than and success in Paris requires 20 percent of whom lack that all countries recognize it. electricity—out of poverty.

The first thing to appreci- Western nations are most reate is that, whatever commit- sponsible for the greenhouse ments Modi’s government gases now in the atmosphere; ends up making at the climate the average American actalks, India’s fuel mix is grow- counts for 10 times the aning steadily greener. While nual emissions of the average coal is still the cheapest and Indian. Judged by whether most abundant domestic fuel countries are doing their “fair source, it’s getting more ex- share,” based on how much pensive and harder to dig they’ve contributed to the from the ground. Many banks problem and how able they already see more potential in are to pay, the US and Euro-

pean Union’s climate pledges look far weaker than India’s.

Among major nations, only China appears to have committed to doing more than its fair share.

Politically, however, the chances that the US or other Western nations will commit to lower their own emissions fast enough to prevent dangerous climate change are slim. So it’s essential that they also help fund emissions cuts in the developing world. And, dollar for dollar, money devoted to mitigation in poorer countries is well spent. In India, solar power costs $96 per megawatt hour, compared with $107 in the US, according to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Building a new solar plant costs 70 percent more in the US despite much lower financing costs. Because most of India’s infrastructure is only now being built, smart investments can set

the country on a sustainable and energy-efficient course.

Modi has pressed developed nations to fulfill their promise to provide $100 billion a year to help India and others develop clean energy.

However, that number is arbitrary, unlikely ever to be reached, and far short of the $2.5 trillion India says it will require by 2030 to meet its goals. What the country needs more is access to cheaper capital. And it’s taken welcome steps in this direction by authorizing tax-free investment bonds and by setting up programs to encourage private investment in renewables. Western nations could help by mobilizing both public and private sources of funding, including soft loans from institutions such as the US Export-Import Bank.

As much as money, India and other developing countries need assistance with clean technology. Better grid

technology could allow India to tap its potential for rooftop solar projects, for example.

And access to next-generation solar cells could lower costs further.

This is not to say that India itself doesn’t have work to do. If it can’t raise its climate targets immediately, it should at least not block efforts to scrutinize the progress that all countries are making. Gas and electricity pricing and, in the nuclearpower sector, liability concerns need to be addressed to better encourage investment. And India could cooperate with Western companies by offering itself as a test bed for new technologies —to draw energy from ocean waves and tides, for instance.

In the short term, India’s carbon emissions are virtually certain to rise. But that doesn’t mean the country can’t help move the world toward a clean-energy future.

Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas II of finalize the names in the ballots the Liberal Party (LP).

Binay has become the for the May 9, 2016 elections. icon of corruption, big-time Poe’s name could be removed corruption, and its appurtenant from the ballot so that even if abuses, thanks to a year of she is qualified after all, it would be too late. In the meantime, rigged Senate hearings on Poe’s financial backers would alleged corruption during the be having second thoughts; her 29 years that the Binay family followers are demoralized and ruled Makati, the Philippines’ premier business city. confused.

For all we know, the Binays For his part, Duterte on are a family of decent, hardNov. 30 cursed the Pope and working and honest public serin a country that is 84 percent Catholic and where Francis is vants. They could not have globally venerated, that’s a no- lasted for nearly 30 years had no. The mayor also announced they been that bad. But Jojo he has two wives and two cur- must explain properly to Filipirent girl friends. The Catholic no voters how he became a bilChurch, of course, is aghast. lionaire, rising from the pigsty You can be immoral but please (he used to feed pigs) and the don’t flaunt it, at least not on sacristy (he used to be an altar the day of your proclamation as boy), to the rarified heights of official candidate for president, political power and wealth— like what Duterte did. Why did perhaps the greatest Filipino the mayor self-destruct like a story of upward social mobility in recent memory. suicide bomber?

Roxas, meanwhile, has come Thus, 2016 could be a race to symbolize incompetence and down the wire between Vice insensitivity and the lack of govPresident Binay of the United

ernance they imply.

Three major disasters brought into sharp relief the incompetence and insensitivity of the BS Aquino administration— Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda, the strongest typhoon in the world to make landfall, of Nov. 8, 2013 wherein 11 million were affected, 1.9 million were rendered homeless, and more than 6,300 died; the 20-day Zamboanga siege of September 2013 wherein more than 200 died and 10,000 homes were burned by the military (the equivalent of razing the entire city of San Juan, Metro Manila); and the Mamasapano Massacre of January 2015 wherein 44 elite police commandos were killed mercilessly in broad daylight as Aquino and his cohorts monitored the battle a few kilometers away.

At least 10,000 people died in the wake of Yolanda but the administration reckons only 6,300 dead. Half of the missing were children. Yolanda caused damage of at least $2 billion. Government was slow to respond,

weeks after the typhoon struck.

The rule on counting bodies was rather ironclad—if you cannot produce the body, then nobody died. Of course, relatives could not produce the cadavers, because they were washed away into the ocean, eaten up by storm surges.

BS Aquino went to the storm area several days after and was confronted by angry victims.

“You are still alive, aren’t you?” he snapped back at a businessman complaining of massive looting and menacing looks of looters. “You are a Romualdez and this is an Aquino!”

Mar Roxas told the Tacloban City mayor who wanted to take charge of relief operations and money, a video that went viral.

In Manila, the Philippines acquired the reputation of having the worst traffic, the worst mass transit system, and the worst airport in the world. All three areas are the responsibility of Aquino’s Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio

Aguinaldo Abaya.

Abaya became a legend for four reasons—he allowed a cabal of incompetent and corrupt people to take over management of the MRT3, the rail system serving west of Manila, along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, for billions of reasons; he dismissed Metro Manila’s traffic as not “fatal”; he allowed incompetent and corrupt officials to take over the Land Transportation Office which quickly went into various rackets—new car plates for all vehicles, old and new, for P400 each, without issuing the car plates. Aside from this, car plates and driver’s licenses fully paid for could not be issued; there is a patently illegal motor vehicle insurance monopoly; and professional drivers are required to get three kinds of time-consuming and costly clearances—police, National Bureau of Investigation, and barangay—before they could apply for a driver’s license.

It’s Binay... From A9

#FAILOCRACY

biznewsasia@gmail.com

CHONG ARDIVILLA

F RI DAY : DE C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A12

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

PH Rapid, Blitz tourney slated THE National Inter-Commercial Rapid Team and Blitz Team Championship will be held Dec. 5 and 6, at the Alphaland, Southgate Mall, Magallanes Makati.

Jointly organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, led by its president and Chairman Prospero Pichay and the Artillery Foundation of the Philippines Inc. and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, in cooperation with the Philippine Olympic Committee, the tournament is open to all chess players, who may form teams for both the rapid and blitz events.

Registration fee for the rapid tournament is pegged at PP3,000, while for the blitz team tournament, fee is P1,000.

The organizers will open the registration period for both tournaments on Dec. 5 between 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the venue.

The tournament will open with an invocation from Col. (ret) James P. Ramon, member of the board of the AFPI, while the welcome remarks will be delivered by Atty. Anthony Cliburn Orbe, the NCFP Vice President for Mindanao.

Chris Rock (left), Adam Horovitz (center) and Ben Stiller attend the game between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden in New York City. AFP

Formula E holds, AI ‘roboraces’ PARIS—Real-time computing algorithms will replace humans in an innovative series of driverless races to be staged alongside the regular Formula E season, promotors said on Wednesday.

The Formula E championship features 10 teams of two drivers on city-centre circuits. Brazilian Nelson Piquet Junior won the inaugural 2014/2015 world championship.

It is seen as a cleaner and greener alternative to Formula One and the news of the Formula E initiative coincides with the Paris-hosted COP21 global climate talks.

Now Formula E and Kinetik, a technology company specialising in electric vehicles and trains, will also stage races between 10 teams of two driverless cars on the same circuits as a warm-up show to the main event.

This new championship called ‘ROBORACE’ will start for the 2016-2017 season. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) guided one-hour races will run over the full championship. AFP

LeBron site boosted by $15.8m investment NEW YORK—Warner Bros Entertainment and Turner Sports have invested $15.8 million in basketball great LeBron James’ multimedia site “Uninterrupted.”

Launched earlier this year, “Uninterrupted” is hosted by sports site Bleacher Report, a Turner Sports subsidiary.

Sports stars upload videos, usually a minute or two long and filmed by themselves, to disclose something about their lives or other subjects that interest them.

In addition to NBA great James, Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star Ronda Rousey are frequent posters.

The investment from the Time Warner divisions will help the platform develop ex-

clusive content, boost the brand’s profile and expand “Uninterrupted” into new tech platforms such as a mobile app, a statement said.

“The best thing about ‘Uninterrupted’ is there are so many creative opportunities for athletes to tell their stories,” James said in the press release.

“I’m excited to be partnering with important, innovative companies like Warner Brothers and Turner to keep building ‘Uninterrupted’ as a place for athletes to go to connect with fans and share their stories in a different way.”

Meanwhile, Jahlil Okafor was

suspended for two games Wednesday by the Philadelphia 76ers after the latest video surfaced of the 19-year-old rookie center fighting outside a Boston nightclub.

The ban comes a day after the 76ers ended a 28-game losing streak over two seasons with a home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, their first victory of the 2015-16 campaign after opening with 18 consecutive losses.

Okafor has been involved with two altercations leaving nightclubs, the most recent after a loss in Boston that saw TMZ release two videos detailing Okafor punching out hecklers. He also was stopped on a bridge by police last month driving 108mph (173 kph) in a zone where 40mph is considered reckless.

The 76ers, whose 1-18 mark is the NBA’s worst, will be without Okafor for games Wednesday at New York and Saturday at home

against Denver.

“We have made the determination to suspend Jahlil Okafor for two games, effective immediately,” the 76ers said in a statement.

“Jahlil is a very important part of our organization and our future. While we are disappointed with his recent actions, we have faith in him as a valued member of the Sixers. We will provide the necessary resources to support him on his journey and will do our part to help him succeed both on and off the court.”

Okafor, the third overall selection in this year’s NBA Draft after a stellar college career at Duke University, has averaged 17.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots a game this season for Philadelphia.

Last Sunday, Okafor tweeted that “I own my choices” and he “doesn’t want to be a distraction for my team” going forward. AFP

Palawan bet is Peugeot champ F I F T E E N -Y E A R- OL D Alexie Santos of Puerto Princesa, Palawan ruled the Bacolod regional leg of the Peugeot Philippines Tennis Open last Nov. 23 to 29, 2015, bagging both the women’s singles championship and women’s doubles championship with her mother, Melinda Santos.

The mother-and-daughter tandem secured their places in the PPTO National Finals scheduled in February 2016.

The younger Santos did not let her guard down as she crushed Rosalie Clelo with a 6-0, 6-0 victory for the women’s singles championship title.

She then teamed up with her mother in the women’s doubles division for an exciting 7-5, 6-4 win against their opponents, Anabelle Zaragoza and Margie Escher.

The PPTO Bacolod leg is the first time the mother-daughter tandem played doubles in a tournament.

When asked about how it was like to play and win the tournament with her mother, Alexie said, “I was nervous at first, but after several plays, I felt confident and comfortable.

Overall, it was really fun playing with my mom. We learned a lot of things including teamwork and the

experience strengthened our relationship as mother and daughter.”

Meanwhile, current Philippine Tennis Association Men’s Singles No. 6 seed Vicente Elberto Anasta dominated the men’s singles championship match, edging over his opponent John Altiche with a 6-3, 6-1 win.

In the men’s doubles division, Cebu’s top player Janjie Soquino and Leyte’s top seed Amiel Aya-ay proved to be a formidable team, beating local favorites Mclean Barraquias and Karl Mark Gayo, 6-2, 6-0, at the Center Court Tennis Club in Bacolod City.

Puerto Princesa’s Alexie Santos (center) displays a giant replica of the winner’s check she won for ruling the Bacolod regional leg of the Peugeot Philippines Tennis Open.

F RI DAY : DE C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A13

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

New wave of arrests in FIFA scandal NEW YORK— Swiss authorities arrested several football officials in a fresh wave of dawn raids early Thursday in a dramatic widening of the FIFA corruption scandal, the New York Times reported.

Philracom sets live TV coverage of PCSO Cup IN an exciting development for racing, fans will be able view the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes’ Office Presidential Gold Cup race live on television for the first time.

This was announced recently by Philippine Racing Commission Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez, who arranged for the live television coverage of the event on the government PTV-4 channel.

The race is set for Dec. 13 at San Lazaro Leisure Park.

Philracom is a co-sponsor of the event, and for the past several years has been providing an additional P1 million in prize money on top of the P3 million provided

by PCSO. “The PCSO Presidential Gold Cup is the most prestigious race in the sport,” said Sanchez.

“It is the highest honor that any participant can aim for, and it is upon this race that horseowners, trainers, and jockeys of elite horses set their sights.

“Philracom is proud to be associated with PCSO in this event, and we hope the sports fans who cannot join us on raceday at SLLP will enjoy watching the race live on TV.” PTV-4 will air the race as one-hour show from 4 to 5pm. The show will be presented by racing experts Manny Viray, Bodjie Fernandez, and Philracom commissioner lawyer Wilfred de Ungria.

The PCSO Presidential Gold Cup was first held in 1973 as an incentive for local breeders to strive for excellence in their efforts, and to promote Philippine-bred horses. This year’s edition is the 43rd, making the event the longest-running continuously-held sporting event in the country.

This file photo shows the entrance sign with the logo at the FIFA world headquarters in Zurich. Swiss authorities arrested several football officials in a fresh wave of dawn raids early on Dec. 3 in a dramatic widening of the FIFA corruption scandal, the New York Times reported. AFP

No. 1 Spieth defends Hero crown NEW PROVIDENCE—World number one Jordan Spieth defends his title at this week’s Hero World Challenge on a new course but hopes his game enjoys the same lift it received last year.

The US star was fresh off an Australian Open title when he arrived at Isleworth and blitzed the invitational field for an impressive global back-to-back win, setting the stage for this year’s first major wins at the

Masters and US Open.

Spieth arrives this year at the Bahamas for a showdown at the Albany resort after a runner-up finish Down Under alongside Aussie Adam Scott, each of them one back of winner Matt Jones.

But he recalls how much has changed since his hot streak began a year ago.

“Each time you don’t come through, you wonder, ‘Is it me? Is it

my game?’” Scott said. “You near the noise. ‘He’s a good player but he can’t close.’ There’s still a large learning curve.

“It just clicked right at the end of that season into ‘15. It was tough.

Some of the evenings were tough for me when I didn’t close them out. It makes you appreciate it. You wonder how was I not able to do it back then.

I feel confident that we can get the job done no matter where we are now.”

Co-champ Day withdraws from Shootout NAPLES—Defending co-champion Jason Day of Australia has withdrawn from next week’s Franklin Templeton Shootout, and will be replaced by American Chris Kirk in the pairs event, organizers announced.

Day and American Cameron Tringale won the 12-team event last year at Tiburon Golf Club, then went on to capture his first major title this year at the PGA Championship.

Day’s wife Ellie gave birth to

their second child last month, and the Aussie will stay home with new daughter Lucy. He has not played since the Presidents Cup in South Korea in early October.

“Regrettably, I am withdrawing from the 2015 Franklin Templeton Shootout to stay in Ohio with my family and newborn daughter Lucy,” Day said. “Our win in 2014 was the beginning of an incredible run for me and I hope I can return to compete in the event in the future.”

The December 10-12 tournament will see Tringale and 41stranked Kirk tested by the duos of Harris English-Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson-Patrick Rodgers, Graeme McDowell-Gary Woodland, Daniel Berger-Charley Hoffman, Billy Horschel-Hunter Mahan, Sean O’Hair-Mike Weir, J.B. HolmesPatrick Reed, Retief Goosen-Danny Lee, Kenny Perry-Steve Stricker, Charles Howell-Rory Sabbatini and Jason Dufner-Brandt Snedeker. AFP

More than a dozen individuals were expected to face charges following the latest arrests, many of which took place at the same luxury hotel in Zurich raided by authorities in May, the Times reported.

The Times, which broke news of the police raids earlier this year, said Swiss police entered the Baur au Lac hotel at around 6am local time on Thursday.

A hotel manager was quoted by the newspaper as saying that visitors in the lobby were told by staff to leave the hotel because of an “extreme situation.”

The Times report said the new arrests targeted officials —including several from South and Central America —suspected of involvement in racketeering, money laundering and fraud.

The arrests came as FIFA’s leaders descended on Zurich to discuss proposals aimed at reforming world football’s governing body as it reels from the worst crisis in its history.

The corruption scandal has seen FIFA president Sepp Blatter suspended and under criminal investigation in Switzerland, while Michel Platini, once seen as his likely successor, is also suspended and facing a life ban from football.

Blatter was not a target in the latest round of arrests.

The Times cited several law enforcement officials speaking on condition of anonymity as saying that the US Justice Department would unseal indictments in the case on Thursday morning. AFP

Klitschko wants Fury rematch BERLIN—Former world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko said Wednesday he will take up the contractual option of a rematch against Tyson Fury in an attempt to win back his belts.

Britain’s Fury, 27, stunned Klitschko last Saturday at Duesseldorf’s Esprit Arena with a unanimous points defeat, his first loss for 11 years, which ended the Ukrainian’s nine year reign as world champion.

Hamburg-based Klitschko, who turns 40 next April, says he banished thoughts of retire-

ment in the wake of the shock defeat.

He has vowed to use his chance to win back the IBF (International Boxing Federation), World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) belts he deservedly lost to Fury in a poor performance.

“I was really frustrated directly after the fight, but after some short nights I now know that I want to show that I am much better than my performance on Saturday,” said Klitschko in a statement.

“I couldn’t show my full potential at any time.

“This is what I want to change in the rematch— and I will. Failure is not an option.”

Klitschko’s manager Bernd Boente said they will now open negotiations with the Fury camp to decide the venue and date.

“There will be a huge worldwide interest in this fight which already can be billed as the fight of the year 2016,” said Boente.

“We received so many questions of fans and journalists after last Saturday.

“The new champion and his challenger will answer all of them inside the ring.”

AFP

Ukrainian World heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko attends a press conference after being defeated by British Tyson Fury. AFP

F R I DAY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Cyna shoots a 71; Ardina matches par in LPGA elims CYNA Rodriguez cushioned the impact of a late double-bogey mishap with a closing birdie, saving a one-under 71 to join 24 others in 35th place at the start of the final LPGA Qualifying School at the LPGA International Course in Florida Wednesday.

Rodriguez made an impressive start at the Jones Course with back-to-back birdies from No. 5, dropped a stroke on the eighth but recovered with another birdie on the par-5 13.

But the former spearhead of The Country Club

squad, who dominated the first three seasons of the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, hit a wayward shot on the tough par-4 16th and signed up for a six before sinking another short putt for birdie on the closing par-5 hole.

Her 71 put her in the middle of the 157-player field chasing the 20 slots for full membership in next year’s LPGA Tour with the next 25 earning conditional status.

“Though it was a day of low scoring, Cyna’s start augured well for her bid but it’s a long way to go while Dottie (Ardina) has a lot of catching up to do. But we’re confident they’ll fight back in the next four days,” said Team TCC coach Bong Lopez.

Ardina, who wound up No. 23 in this year’s Sym-

etra Tour, also played at the Jones layout and produced a two-birdie, two-bogey round for a share of 60th but the ace Filipina shotmaker is expected to strike back in the next four rounds of the grueling qualifier that drew some of the world’s leading players.

Ardina actually went one-under at the back where she teed off with a birdie on No. 18 but missed the green on the first hole and failed to return a six-footer for par, birdied the next before dropping another shot on the par-3 No. 6 after miss-

ing the green.

The top 20 players after five rounds at two courses will earn Category 12 membership while those from No. 21 to 45 plus ties will gain membership through Category 17.

Chinese Simin Feng and Christine Song of the US sizzled with 65s, also at Jones, to pace the field with Korean Julie Yang shooting a 66 at the Hills layout.

Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods’ niece, also shot a 71 along with Thai Wichanee Meechai, winner of a leg on the ICTSI LPGT.

Fil-Norweigian Christian Tio performs his trick in the men’s Freestyle event of the ICTSI Philippine Kiteboarding Tour in Gen. Luna, Siargao.

Kappel, Delos Santos win ICTSI kiteboarding SWEDE Atte Kappel and local ace Doque delos Santos put on a pair of scintillating performances to dominate their respective events and lead the winners in the kickoff leg of the ICTSI Philippine Kiteboarding Tour in Gen. Luna, Siargao recently.

Kappel, riding the Flysurfer, scored 4.0 nett to best Philippine Kiteboarding Association president Jay Ortiz, who made a 7.0 on Cabrinha for the Masters Twin Tip Race crown while Carlo Leongson finished third with a 12.0 followed

by Eddie Garcia and Mariel Candava, who posted 13.0 and P19.0, respectively.

Delos Santos, on the other hand, flashed superb form to turn in five aces in five races for an impressive 4.0 and rule the men’s Twin Tip Division of the first of four legs of the third staging of the $40,000 tour

sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc and organized by PKA. Under sailing rules, a competitor is allowed to drop one worst score after four races.

Julius Non from Caliraya placed second to delos Santos with a 9.0 and Sassan Moscoso scored 11.0 for third in the event backed by Cabrinha, Greenyard Boracay, Coke and Sailor Gerry Spiced Rum and drew 32 competitors and 16 guests from Sweden, Slovenia, Australia, Germany, Norway, Ireland, Canada and Spain.

Jing Gajisan also brandished a dazzling show to capture the women’s Twin Tip diadem with a 6.0, edging Germany’s Kathrin Bogwardt, who had a 7.0, while Liezl Tio had a 9.0 to place third in the event supported by local sponsors Viento del Mar, Kitya’s

Place, Kite Surf Siargao, Buddha’s Surf Resort, Kokai Resort, Harana Surf Resort, Lux Siargao Boutique Resort, Kermit Siargao Surf Resort, Seabreaze Kite Club, Siargao Cooking School and My Life on Board.

Ron Obligacion and Sabrina Savnik from Slovenia shared top honors in the novice division with the former scoring 3.0 to beat Annsen Baysa (5.0) and Ming Juan (9.0) for the men’s crown and the latter posting a 3.0 to foil local bet Lynley Teng (6.) and Theresa Szewczuk (12.0) for the women’s tiara.

Delos Santos also shared first place with world junior No. 2 Christian Tio in the men’s Freestyle with Ken Nacor and Roldan Evora finishing joint third in the second day action of the three-day event. Aussie

Ali Dudfield took first place in the women’s side, besting Savnic and Bogwardt.

But lack of wind in the final day forced the organizing PKA to call off the Hangtime competition and the face-off between Christian Tio and delos Santos for the tiebreaker.

The Cabrinha prizes were instead raffled off with Kappel taking the kite set and Savnik winning the Cabrinha board.

Meanwhile, kiteboarding action resumes in Boracay on Jan. 8-10 for the second leg with Cagayan hosting the next stop on Feb. 12-14 before the circuit winds up in Cuyo Island in Palawan on March 11-13.

For details, call 632-638-9273 or 0917-4123888 or email PKAtour@ yahoo.com or joanne3santos@ hotmail.com or facebook at philippinekiteboardingtour.

Angeles hosts Milo Marathon National Finals THE city of Angeles is excited to welcome all finalists and participants to the National Finals of the 39th National MILO Marathon on Sunday.

The country’s biggest and most prestigious footrace will see children, students, aspiring runners and professional athletes of all ages on its running routes in Clark Field, Angeles, Pampanga.

With this new venue, runners will be able to get a chance to enjoy being away from the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila, with less traffic and pollution.

“The National Finals in Angeles is a fresh and exciting challenge our participants can look forward to,” said MILO Sports Executive Andrew Neri. “The MILO Marathon is all about bringing new and electrifying experiences to our runners. We believe that our runners will appreciate this change, and we cannot wait to see them in Clark on Sunday!”

Last year’s winners Rafael Poliquit and Mary Joy Tabal will be looking to defend their coveted National MILO Marathon King and Queen crowns as they go head-to-head with the country’s best. Poliquit is determined to break the record time of five-time MILO Marathon King Eduardo Buenavista, his senior officer in the Air Force of the Philippines and also his running idol. Meanwhile, Tabal is gunning to post a new record time, and is aiming to defend the MILO Marathon Queen title for three consecutive years.

The fastest Filipino and Filipina in the 42K centerpiece event will be crowned the MILO Marathon King and Queen, and will receive a cash prize of a PHP 150,000 each. If the King and Queen also win the open category, they will also be awarded the corresponding cash prize of PHP 300,000. An invisible time barrier is also set for the race, and if the King and Queen are able to break this, an additional PHP 50,000 will be awarded. A whopping total of PHP 500,000 awaits the champions.

In addition to the prize money and trophies, this year’s King and Queen will be sent by MILO to the USA on all-expense paid trips, for a chance to run in the prestigious 2016 Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest annual marathon. One of the six World Marathon Majors, the Boston Marathon ranks as one of the world’s bestknown road racing events. It is considered as the Mecca of all races, where the best of the best runners compete.

F R I DAY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Leyte Sports Academy boxers dominate games CEBU CITY—Boxers from Leyte Sports Academy proved their worth while Quezon City ruled the 2015 POC-PSC Batang Pinoy National Finals that ended late Wednesday night at the Cebu City Sports Center here.

Light paperweight Ramil Pingol, Grycil Puso (girls’ paperweight) and Leah Catarinen (girls’ light pin weight) grabbed the gold medals in the ring, while Milenino Anduyan (boys’ pin weight) and Nathalie Jheian

Olis (girls’ light flyweight) got a silver and a bronze that installed Leyte on top of the heap in boxing.

“These victories showed that we have a good program. We’re now inspired to do even better,’’ said LSA coach Nelson Factoranan, a former national boxer, in Filipino.

Cagayan De Oro and General Santos City also hauled the same number of golds in the sport, but had fewer medals overall.

Jericho Acaylar (ant weight), John Vincent Pangga (light mosquito) and James Ian Pangga (mosquito weight) shone for CDO while GenSan earned victories from the exploits of Shirllyn Gil Napoles (light bantam), Jeane Raciel Boloy (light fly) and Angela Bianca Laurente (girls bantam).

During the closing ceremony, the host cities—Cebu, Mandaue and Danao—and Cebu province attempted to set an entry to

the Guiness Book of World Records for the biggest arnis class of 5,000 performers.

Russian sports officials Dmirty Glushko, president of the Children of Asia International Sports Games, and secretary general Sergei Khatylykov graced the colorful closing rites together with top Philippine Olympic Committee officials Romy Magat and Celia Kiram and Philippine Sports Commissioner Jolly Gomez.

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

FEU Tamaraws’ sacrifice pays off

By Peter Atencio

MAC Belo and his five other teammates wanted to join teams in the Philippine Bas-

Senatorial candidate and Leyte (1st Dist) Rep. Martin Romualdez (center) and businessman Jason Go (right) are shown watching the UAAP championship game between FEU and UST at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City Wednesday night.

Romualdez cheered for the Tigers, who, however lost to the Tamaraws, 62-67. LINO SANTOS

But the six veterans set aside their personal ambition and stayed put for the Far Eastern University in Season 76 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

Their sacrifice paid off as the Tamaraws eventually beat the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers for the crown, following a 67-62 win Wednesday night in Game 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“It says a lot about the players, putting the team ahead of themselves. They had a goal of making it to the PBA and we talked about this since last year.

Sabi ko, if they want to make it, kailangan mag-champion kayo,” said FEU coach Nash Racela after the game.

Racela said the six veterans sacrificed so much with their games, that none of them earned a Mythical Five award. No one from among them was even considered for the MVP award.

“They did not get any individual awards because they sacrificed,” added Racela.

In the end, it was Belo,

who won the finals MVP award following his heroics in the final period of the final game.

Struggling from cramps, Belo collected 23 points and eight rebounds, while keeping Growling Tigers’ cager Kevin Ferrer in check at all times.

“Inisip ko, last playing year ko na. Sabi ko ibuhos ka na.

Buti na lang at pumasok ang mga tira,” said Belo on his efforts in helping FEU win a record-setting 20th title.

Belo and five other Tamaraws are graduating at the end of the school-year.

He is now thinking of making it to the PBA with teammates Russell Escoto, Roger Pogoy, Mike Tolomia, Francis Tamsi and Achi Inigo.

The Tamaraws’ title conquest came after they missed the Final Four in 2006 and 2007, before making the semis in 2008 and 2009, and then arranging a finals showdown with Ateneo in 2010.

“Some say, it’s redemption.

But for me, it’s a breakthrough for the basketball program of FEU,” said Racela.

Barako stuns TNT in overtime

By Jeric Lopez IT was that kind of a night for Willie Wilson and RR Garcia.

The veteran savvy of Wilson and the youthful zest of Garcia lifted Barako Bull to a stunning 105-98 overtime upset triumph over Talk ‘N Text as the Energy put themselves in a better position in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City last night.

Wilson, who played 45 minutes, defied fatigue and had a career-high of 28 points and 20 rebounds, while Garcia carried his squad on his shoulders down the stretch by scoring 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the

two combined took charge afGame Saturday (AUF Cultural Center— for 48 points to ter Garcia went City, Pampanga) power the En- 5Angeles down and scored p.m. - Barangay Ginebra ergy to victory. five of the Envs. Blackwater Barako Bull ergy’s final six moved up to a three-way points in the last two minutes. tie with Barangay Ginebra Three straight points from and NLEX for sixth place Wilson gave Barako Bull a on similar 4-4 cards. Talk ‘N safer 102-98 lead heading Text slipped to fifth with its into the final minute and 4-3 record. that would be enough for the Garcia, who eventually Energy to come away with missed the game’s final three the win. minutes after injuring his The two squads exchanged right shoulder by contesting two free throws in the waning a jumper from Jayson Castro, seconds of regulation as the opened up the extension by tally was evened up at 97-all in hitting two free throws to give the closing moments.

Barako Bull a 99-98 edge.

Castro had a chance to Castro then had a split at win it for Talk ‘N Text, but the stripe to trim Talk ‘N his potential-winning triple Text’s deficit to just a single attempt from the left elbow point, 98-99. just rattled out as time exHowever, it was all Barako pired, sending the game into Bull from there when Wilson overtime.

TNT’s Jayson Castro scores on a layup in a PBA Philippine Cup game that was however won by the Barako Bull, 105-98, in overtime.

F R I DAY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Vintage Kobe carries Lakers Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers waves to the crowd after his upcoming retirement was announced on the video board during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center in Washington, DC. AFP

LOS ANGELES—Reigning league MVP Stephen Curry honoured his father with an explosive third quarter performance and Kobe Bryant took his farewell tour up another notch in a pair of key NBA contests on Wednesday.

Curry watched at halftime as his father and former Charlotte star Dell Curry was featured in a half-time ceremony then followed up with a 28-point third quarter as the Golden State Warriors easily defeated the Hornets 116-99.

Bryant, who announced three days ago he was retiring at the end of the regular season, rattled in the go-ahead jump shot with 30 seconds left in the fourth en route to a 108-104 win over the Washington Wizards.

Golden State’s victory extends the Warriors best start in NBA history to 20-0. Curry dominated in the key third quarter and had Golden State in such complete control that he sat down for the fourth quarter.

“It was special,” he said of the ceremony for his father, who is the

New wave of arrests in FIFA scandal TURN TO A13

franchise’s all-time scoring leader. “I got to come out and see my dad’s halftime ceremony and hear his speech. I might have got a little inspiration from that.”

This was a homecoming for Stephen Curry who grew up in Charlotte and played high school and college ball there. He finished 14-of-18 from the field and eight-of-11 from three-point range.

He had just 12 points at halftime, and then erupted for 28 third-quarter points, including the Warriors’ last 24 over the final 4:55 of the period. He hit four three-pointers in the final 1:53 of the third and finished with a game-high 40 points on the night.

“I am just playing with confidence,” he said. “I feel like I am a better player than I was last year.

I am just staying in the moment.

There is a lot to be said about being 20-0 but we aren’t satisfied.”

The 20-0 start for the Warriors is the longest streak to open a season in NBA history.

“It is surprising to me because the league has been around a very long time and nobody has done what we are doing. We are proud of it,” Curry said.

Golden State roared to a 2813 lead halfway through the first quarter then stretched it to 26 in the second half.

The Warriors also got 21 points from guard Klay Thompson, including 15 in the first quarter.

Season-high performance Bryant’s field goal from 16 feet capped a season-high 31-point performance and helped snap the Lakers’ seven game losing skid.

“It has been a long season to say the least. It felt good to get one,” Bryant said.

The 37-year-old Bryant scored 18 points in the first half and 12 in the fourth quarter for the Lakers.

Washington served as the second stop on his farewell

Klitschko wants rematch with Fury TURN TO A13

tour. For much of this season, it appeared the five-time NBA champion’s shooting touch had disappeared.

It was like a giant hand reached up and turned back the clock Wednesday on the 20-year veteran who showed off some vintage moves including pull-up jumpers and fadeaway field goals with the sell-out Washington crowd of 20,300 applauding him.

“It is surreal,” he said of the cheering on the road. “To get this respect is amazing.”

Bryant entered his lone appearance in Washington shooting 30.1 percent from the field.

He finished 10-of-24 against the Wizards including four-of-11 from beyond the arc.

But most importantly for Bryant he still had something left in the tank in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.

“I feel really good right now,” he said. “I have pushed it hard in training.

“What I try to do is stay loose during the game and move as much possible so I don’t stiffen up.” AFP

Army seeks payback ARMY is eager to face PLDT Home Ultera again, vowing to accomplish Games Sunday what it 12:45 p.m. – Navy vs had failed UP (for third) 3 p.m. – Home Ultera to do the vs Army (for crown) first time 5 p.m. – Air Force vs Cignal out and (Spikers’ Turf final) keep its title drive going in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Reinforced Conference crown at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Lady Troopers looked headed for a rout when they dominated the slow-starting Ultra Fast Hitters and swept the first two sets of the opener of their best-of-three series last Saturday. But they dropped an extended third set loss and were outlasted in another thriller in the fourth before blowing their big fightback in the decider with two late miscues.

But Army is expected to strike back on Sunday and foil Home Ultera’s sweep bid for its second straight championship after ruling the Open Conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s early in the year.

Gametime is at 3 p.m. to be aired live on GMA News TV Channel 11 along with the 12:45 p.m. clash between Navy and UP for third, according to the organizing Sports Vision.

Army coach Kungfu Reyes will again rely on his seasoned players in former MVP Jovelyn Gonzaga, Honey Royse Tubino, Joanne Bunag, Nerissa Bautista and Mary Jean Balse-Pabayo with support to come from the crisp-hitting Aby Maraño and ace playmaker Tina Salak.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B1

FRIDAY: DECEMBER 4, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

PSe comPoSite index Closing December 3, 2015

8000 7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

6,994.10 52.98

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing DECEMBER 3, 2015 43.50 44.60 45.40

P47.150

46.20

CLOSE

47.00

HIGH P47.095 LOW P47.200 AVERAGE P47.155 VOLUME 553.850M

PAL flies to NZ.

Philippine Airlines launches its four-times-a-week service to Auckland, New Zealand, via Cairns (Australia) on Wednesday night (Dec. 2) with a delegation of government and top PAL officials as part of the 112 passengers on board the maiden flight. PAL chairman Lucio Tan (left), who leads well-wishers at the send-off ceremony in Manila, presents New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines David Strachan with a model aircraft to mark the first-ever flight of a Philippine carrier to New Zealand. With them is PAL president Jaime Bautista.

ADB cuts growth projection to 5.9%

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE Asian Development Bank on Thursday reduced the 2015 economic growth forecast for the Philippines to 5.9 percent from the previous estimate of 6 percent, following the sharp decline in exports in the third quarter.

The Manila-based multilateral lender said in its Asian Development Outlook Supplement 2015 it trimmed the gross domestic product growth for the Philippines “to reflect lower-than-expected growth in third quarter.”

“The unexpectedly sharp drop in net external demand prompts a small downward revision in the growth forecast to 5.9 percent in

2015,” the bank said in the report.

The Philippine economy grew 6 percent in the third quarter, bringing the average growth for the three quarters to 5.6 percent, below the government’s full-year target of 7 percent to 8 percent.

“Private investment recorded robust expansion, and household spending was supported by higher employment, low inflation, and remittance inflows from Filipino workers overseas,” the ADB said.

The ADB said net external demand weighed on GDP growth in the first three quarters, reflecting brisk expansion in imports on strong domestic demand and a modest rise in merchandise exports.

ADB also retained its growth projection for 2016 at 6.3 percent.

The ADB retained its growth forecast for Southeast Asia at 4.4 percent this year and 4.9 percent in 2016.

“Southeast Asia as a whole is maintaining its growth pace despite marginal downward revi-

sions for Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore,” the ADB said.

Vietnam is seen as the fastest growing economy in Asean, with a growth projection of 6.5 percent this year and 6.6 percent in 2016.

Meanwhile, the ADB said inflation rate in the Philippines would likely pick up in the remaining months, following the severe effects of the El Niño dry spell.

“Inflation averaged 1.4 percent in the first 10 months of 2015 but could pick up in the coming months because of the increasingly severe El Niño and the weakening of peso,” the ADB said.

The Philippine peso has fallen 5 percent against the US dollar in the year to mid-November.

The ADB said inflation in 2015 was expected to average 1.6 percent.

Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said he expected inflation to accelerate to as high as 1.2 percent in November from 0.4 percent in October.

P487.00-P682.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.15-P42.40 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P25.03-P28.48 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, December 3, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

47.1520

Japan

Yen

0.008118

0.3828

UK

Pound

1.494700

70.4781

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129027

6.0839

Switzerland

Franc

0.981354

46.2728

Canada

Dollar

0.749008

35.3172

Singapore

Dollar

0.708617

33.4127

Australia

Dollar

0.731208

34.4779

Bahrain

Dinar

2.665956

125.7052

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266560

12.5688

Brunei

Dollar

0.706115

33.2947

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.027917

1.3163

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.8395

Euro

Euro

1.061300

50.0424

Korea

Won

0.000860

0.0406

China

Yuan

0.156279

7.3689

India

Rupee

0.015025

0.7085

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.236323

11.1431

New Zealand

Dollar

0.663086

31.2658

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030484

1.4374 Source: PDS Bridge

Canilao says govt can save orthopedic hospital deal under PPP

By Karl Lester M. Yap THE Philippines can resurrect a public-private partnership project to upgrade an orthopedic hospital despite the winner of the bid, Megawide Construction Corp., seeking to end the deal, said Cosette Canilao, the head of the government’s PPP Center.

“We can actually save it,” Canilao said in a phone interview Wednesday. “There is still an opportunity.”

Public-private partnerships are the cornerstone of President Benigno Aquino’s drive to boost infrastructure. The program took a hit after Megawide last month

sought to terminate the P8.69-billion ($184 million) hospital PPP deal, citing the health department’s failure to deliver the site for the project among reasons. If the deal falls apart, it may put into question the viability of the PPP program where more than $22 billion of projects are lined up, Canilao said.

Under the contract, the health department has three options: contest the notice of termination of the deal, allow the deal to end, or convince Megawide to proceed with the project, Canilao said in a Nov. 23 memo to the president, a copy of which was obtained by Bloomberg and confirmed by her.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

“The news of MegawideWorld’s notice of termination was publicized by the media at a very bad time,” according to the memo, a 33-page document that included attachments. “It came while His Excellency was hosting country leaders of the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation and seeking to attract more foreign investments to the Philippines.”

The deal was signed in March 2014 and Megawide was scheduled to start construction in September 2014, according to the memo, which was addressed to the president through the secretaries of executive, finance, economic planning, cabinet and jus-

tice.

Health Secretary Janette Garin wasn’t immediately available for comment. Megawide spokesman Louie Ferrer declined to comment.

The health agency can assert that the notice of termination did not conform to procedural requirements, according to the memo. Any dispute will need to be resolved through either amicable means, a project dispute resolution board or arbitration, the memo said.

The stalled Megawide project underscores the challenges Aquino faces in his infrastructure drive, a key plank of his economic

agenda. Scope for delays on bigticket PPP projects will be “further exacerbated” by elections in May next year, BMI Research said in a Dec. 2 note. Another risk is the lack of institutional capacity to conduct pre-construction activities such as documentation, spatial planning, feasibility studies, public consultation, permit issuance and land acquisition, it said.

Megawide had already spent more than P400 million as of February this year on hiring consultants and mobilization of contractors, according to the memo. Its shares fell a third day in Manila on Thursday. Bloomberg

FRIDAY: DECEMBER 4, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Thursday, december 3, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 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 MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

2.74 46.25 103.10 84.50 38.3 2.48 1.47 15.2 18.66 0.460 81.1 0.96 17.50 23.00 51.20 102 293.8 32.3 140 57.00 3.06

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 20.6 36 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 15.32 10.08 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

79 3.95 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 26 2.17

34.1 2.3 1.63 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 161 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 10.02 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Century Food Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI First Gen Corp.

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

LBC Express Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

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

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

41.3 4.76 0.79 1.52 10.7 17.28 21.2 2.42 1.47 10.5 9.350 9.33 6.26 4.93 24.7 67.3 14.80 5.9 2.250 206.80 12.5 26.80 1.87 3.4 24.5 21.75 6.2 312.20 3.76 7.48 3.07 11.42 3.78 1.73 2.3 4.20 128 2.44 0.148 1.12 2.12 193.1 4.55 0.66 23.00 1.15

0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 6.55 9.66 0.0670 1.61 2.99 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 390 156 0.710 0.510

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

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

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

Minerales Industrias Corp.

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

0.395 57.5500 17.90 6.40 0.249 757 7.6 13.72 6.15 6.6 4.10 0.250 1290 5.51 71.50 7.62 0.77 15 0.51 5.3 9.95 3 0.0320 1.770 2.7 47.25 2.70 862.00 1.18 0.72 160.00 74.000 0.3000 0.270

10.5 26.95 1.99 41.4

6.74 12 0.65 30.05

8990 HLDG 7.000 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 8.08 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.95 Ayala Land `B’ 34.800

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

SHARES 17,096,463 84,877,898 75,674,725 252,065,762 110,664,729 4,615,505,575 5,157,787,576

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.77 2.73 46.3 45.6 102.80 101.20 84.50 84.00 39.5 38 2.49 2.49 1.48 1.36 15.38 15 18.66 18.64 0.485 0.485 82.2 80.4 0.96 0.96 17.50 17.46 23.00 23.00 51.50 50.80 102.9 102 293 293 34 32.4 139.8 136 57.10 57.00 3.1 3 INDUSTRIAL 41.4 40.6 5.08 4.7 0.8 0.79 1.53 1.49 10.7 10.6 17.28 17.2 22.45 20.95 2.49 2.41 1.69 1.49 10.4 10.02 9.4 9.280 9.40 9.20 6.28 6.20 5.00 4.85 24.8 23.75 68 67.5 14.80 14.50 5.9 5.83 2.320 2.160 207.00 203.20 12.5 12.2 35.00 28.00 1.88 1.87 3.6 3.59 24.55 24.5 22 21.45 6.2 6.11 314.00 305.40 3.8 3.7 7.46 7.37 3.06 3.03 11.68 11.68 3.80 3.78 1.70 1.65 2.33 2.28 4.26 4.19 130 128 2.49 2.42 0.156 0.148 1.28 1.12 2.13 2.11 191 186.6 4.55 4.55 0.67 0.65 22.50 22.50 1.20 1.12 HOLDING FIRMS 0.395 0.395 57.8500 57.2500 17.82 17.50 6.50 6.40 0.249 0.249 757 737 7.64 7.45 13.92 13.58 6.1 5.5 6.09 5.56 4.25 4.10 0.265 0.260 1292 1277 6.00 5.50 71.50 71.00 7.62 7.51 0.77 0.72 15.12 14.9 0.51 0.51 5.3 5.22 9.96 9.8 3.4 3.2 0.0330 0.0310 1.800 1.770 2.56 2.56 47.20 45.90 2.70 2.70 869.50 835.00 1.19 1.17 0.72 0.72 160.00 160.00 75.000 73.500 0.3050 0.3000 0.280 0.270 PROPERTY 7.300 6.970 8.06 8.05 1.02 0.91 34.650 34.100

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

5.6 1.44 1.48 0.69 10.96 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

3.36 0.79 0.97 0.415 2.4 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 3.1 4.13 0.090 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

Belle Corp. `A’ Century Property Cityland Dev. `A’ Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

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

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 3.2 1 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 4.8 830 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.95 0.650 1.8 6

0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 14.54 3 8.8 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.0098 17.24 12.7 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 3.06 0.020 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 6.47 6.5 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 3.240 18.96 2.11 1.54 0.012 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

Abra Mining Atlas Cons. `A’ Benguet Corp `A’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Semirara Corp.

TA Petroleum United Paragon

-103,283,495.00

70 553 525 515 8.21 1047 78.95 84.8

33 490 500 480 5.88 1011 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

-13,243.50

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15 12.88

3.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

2.75 46.25 102.00 84.25 39.5 2.49 1.43 15.18 18.66 0.485 81 0.96 17.46 23.00 51.00 102 293 32.9 137 57.05 3.1

0.36 0.00 -1.07 -0.30 3.13 0.40 -2.72 -0.13 0.00 5.43 -0.12 0.00 -0.23 0.00 -0.39 0.00 -0.27 1.86 -2.14 0.09 1.31

6,000 36,500 1,783,270 1,233,920 77,100 8,000 113,000 24,500 43,300 20,000 1,610,400 9,000 74,400 35,000 71,880 250 190 7,275,500 60,110 12,750 59,000

40.6 5.04 0.79 1.53 10.6 17.2 22.45 2.42 1.63 10.4 9.350 9.25 6.23 5.00 24.5 67.5 14.80 5.9 2.170 205.40 12.5 34.00 1.87 3.6 24.55 22 6.11 312.20 3.7 7.37 3.03 11.68 3.78 1.66 2.32 4.20 130 2.46 0.150 1.23 2.12 187.1 4.55 0.67 22.50 1.19

-1.69 5.88 0.00 0.66 -0.93 -0.46 5.90 0.00 10.88 -0.95 0.00 -0.86 -0.48 1.42 -0.81 0.30 0.00 0.00 -3.56 -0.68 0.00 26.87 0.00 5.88 0.20 1.15 -1.45 0.00 -1.60 -1.47 -1.30 2.28 0.00 -4.05 0.87 0.00 1.56 0.82 1.35 9.82 0.00 -3.11 0.00 1.52 -2.17 3.48

3,111,200 2,428,000 63,000 156,000 1,200 149,800 3,651,400 238,000 6,418,000 7,000 5,059,100 6,501,600 4,581,100 1,015,000 2,060,900 642,880 2,000 27,600 3,796,000 633,640 22,500 4,200 22,000 15,000 165,300 64,900 49,000 454,270 56,000 926,600 27,000 10,000 25,000 486,000 308,000 16,823,000 720 449,000 13,060,000 1,090,000 1,000 8,963,030 19,000 59,000 100 555,000

0.395 57.7000 17.50 6.40 0.249 744 7.55 13.68 5.5 6.09 4.25 0.265 1285 5.50 71.30 7.62 0.75 14.9 0.51 5.27 9.96 3.4 0.0310 1.800 2.56 46.80 2.70 858.00 1.17 0.72 160.00 73.500 0.3050 0.280

0.00 0.26 -2.23 0.00 0.00 -1.72 -0.66 -0.29 -10.57 -7.73 3.66 6.00 -0.39 -0.18 -0.28 0.00 -2.60 -0.67 0.00 -0.57 0.10 13.33 -3.13 1.69 -5.19 -0.95 0.00 -0.46 -0.85 0.00 0.00 -0.68 1.67 3.70

20,000 427,350 2,418,200 36,400 50,000 137,870 1,275,900 1,277,200 235,400 23,800 526,000 50,000 76,850 162,600 831,070 818,100 136,000 5,307,600 150,000 24,821,700 1,426,000 2,000 33,300,000 215,000 1,000 293,100 1,000 239,010 120,000 3,000 20 2,540 900,000 30,000

7.150 8.05 0.93 34.650

2.14 -0.37 -2.11 -0.43

64,800 309,688.00 500 16,077,000 48,400.00 5,022,800 57,883,315.00

1,435,695.00 -101,487,622 -30,762,413.50 -95,340.00

-223,740.00 -22,164,262.50 1,296,012.00 805,000.00 -1,215,413.00 156,438,545 25,857,348.00 -22,820.00 -109,868,410.00 39,880.00

-351,544.00 1,383,450.00 9,680.00 -16,160.00 18,216,093.00 5,019,632.00 -5,623,180.00 -282,520.00 8,707,810.00 4,350,228.00 -251,900.00 -478,920.00

1,553,575.00 -230,640.00 -144,905.00 -36,108,226.00 -61,190.00 381,021.00

-131,830.00 241,030.00 40,000.00 26,840.00

-299,426,608.00 2,250.00

-7,637,381.00 -24,950,644.00 -34,277,815.00 2,903,707.00 -1,336,654.00 -29,205.00 1,961,250.00 -59,883,895.00 349,550.00 -16,359,141.50 -639,833.00 -5,392,214.00 -53,612,911.00 99,300.00 88,500.00 -10,009,495.00

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Xurpas

High

VALUE 874,497,931.06 2,648,363,341.616 1,007,365,788.899 769,047,141.915 949,103,863.59 93,469,644.777 6,370,399,552.205

FINANCIAL 1,543.39 (down) 5.75 INDUSTRIAL 10,993.85 (down) 135.62 HOLDING FIRMS 6,564.34 (down) 43.17 PROPERTY 2,985.77 (down) 17.04 SERVICES 1,620.38 (down) 7.79 MINING & OIL 10,798.45 (down) 36.19 PSEI 6,994.10 (down) 52.98 All Shares Index 4,027.71 (down) 25.99 Gainers: 61; Losers: 94; Unchanged: 52; Total: 207

Close

3.2 0.57 1.05 0.470 23.8 0.164 1.06 1.88 1.19 4.00 4.62 0.082 0.4300 8.79 29.50 1.43 3.24 22.35 0.74 0.930 5.350

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.21 3.18 3.21 0.58 0.56 0.57 1.050 1.030 1.03 0.480 0.475 0.475 23.9 23.05 23.8 0.163 0.163 0.163 1.07 1.05 1.05 1.90 1.84 1.86 1.20 1.17 1.20 4.01 4.01 4.01 4.61 4.49 4.61 0.081 0.081 0.081 0.4500 0.4300 0.4300 8.79 8.68 8.78 29.75 28.75 29.15 1.45 1.45 1.45 3.2 3.07 3.2 22.45 21.80 22.15 0.75 0.73 0.75 1.030 0.940 1.010 5.380 5.300 5.310 SERVICES 7.32 7.37 7.26 7.32 64.25 64.6 64.3 64.45 1.21 1.26 1.17 1.2 0.530 0.530 0.500 0.530 11.98 11.78 11 11.06 5.38 5.40 5.28 5.32 0.0440 0.0440 0.0440 0.0440 3.55 3.5 3.45 3.5 84 84.1 83.6 84 9.99 9.99 9.99 9.99 4.90 5.09 4.92 4.92 950 955 955 955 2042 2046 2002 2008 7.05 7.19 7.01 7.03 1.30 1.35 1.27 1.27 75 74.95 71.05 73.25 0.173 0.173 0.170 0.172 1.4000 1.4400 1.3900 1.4400 2 2 2 2 8.99 9.01 8.99 8.99 4.24 4.34 4.14 4.24 2.25 2.10 2.10 2.10 0.560 0.570 0.570 0.570 2 2 2 2 3.47 3.49 3.36 3.41 3.95 3.95 3.88 3.88 0.275 0.270 0.255 0.270 0.830 0.900 0.780 0.790 18 18.98 17.68 18.98 4.68 4.66 4.52 4.52 9.44 9.44 9.44 9.44 102.00 101.30 101.20 101.20 20.75 20.85 20.30 20.85 2154.00 2180.00 2150.00 2168.00 0.460 0.460 0.460 0.460 0.950 0.960 0.950 0.950 34.20 34.50 33.30 33.30 70.00 69.95 69.30 69.30 6.46 6.64 6.25 6.39 4.38 4.61 4.39 4.52 0.460 0.465 0.450 0.460 3.94 3.95 3.89 3.91 0.340 0.340 0.330 0.340 4.800 4.800 4.500 4.500 MINING & OIL 0.0048 0.0051 0.0049 0.0051 4.16 4.31 4.25 4.25 5.7000 5.7 5.7 5.7000 0.67 0.66 0.65 0.66 0.63 0.63 0.61 0.63 7.95 7.95 7.10 7.70 0.76 0.77 0.75 0.75 0.295 0.295 0.275 0.295 0.190 0.195 0.190 0.193 0.200 0.205 0.201 0.205 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 2.13 2.25 2.14 2.24 6.7 6.6 6.42 6.46 2.9 2.9 2.83 2.87 1.4200 1.4200 1.4200 1.4200 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 5.03 5.030 5.00 5.00 1.41 1.410 1.39 1.40 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 137.00 136.90 135.40 136.90 2.34 2.34 2.27 2.27 0.0075 0.0075 0.0075 0.0075 PREFERRED 65.3 65.05 65 65 521 515 515 515 523 523 523 523 520 519.5 519 519 6.93 6.91 6.91 6.91 1023 1025 1025 1025 80 80 80 80 83 83.5 83 83.05 80 80 80 80 80.65 80.8 80.65 80.8 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.700 2.710 2.610 2.710 SME 3.87 4.25 3.5 3.65 2.63 2.7 2.7 2.7 14.94 15.5 14.94 15.1 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 115.1 115.5 113.9 114.1

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

0.31 0.00 -1.90 1.06 0.00 -0.61 -0.94 -1.06 0.84 0.25 -0.22 -1.22 0.00 -0.11 -1.19 1.40 -1.23 -0.89 1.35 8.60 -0.75

726,000 134,150.00 619,000 38,000 1,950,000 351,800 -2,282,140.00 146,000,000 1,705,000 13,999,000 5,931,160.00 224,000 4,000 16,463,000 -31,474,730.00 500,000 410,000 43,000.00 9,200 9,592,200 27,597,070.00 17,000 3,000 4,530,100 37,340,975.00 199,000 4,450,000 17,160.00 1,408,300 -940,996.00

0.00 0.31 -0.83 0.00 -7.68 -1.12 0.00 -1.41 0.00 0.00 0.41 0.53 -1.67 -0.28 -2.31 -2.33 -0.58 2.86 0.00 0.00 0.00 -6.67 1.79 0.00 -1.73 -1.77 -1.82 -4.82 5.44 -3.42 0.00 -0.78 0.48 0.65 0.00 0.00 -2.63 -1.00 -1.08 3.20 0.00 -0.76 0.00 -6.25

38,900 5,450 78,000 2,463,000 1,565,700 463,600 23,700,000 75,000 277,330 10,100 104,000 20 55,450 36,200 245,000 2,807,290 920,000 78,000 4,000 26,200 639,000 29,000 11,000 10,000 4,984,000 6,070,000 220,000 37,974,000 500 28,000 250,000 480 25,800 107,645 600,000 1,470,000 94,100 359,650 4,403,900 11,495,000 7,120,000 71,000 60,000 1,442,000

6.25 2.16 0.00 -1.49 0.00 -3.14 -1.32 0.00 1.58 2.50 -9.09 5.16 -3.58 -1.03 0.00 0.00 -0.60 -0.71 0.00 -0.07 -2.99 0.00

952,000,000 465,000.00 34,000 -38,250.00 7,000 20,000 47,000 21,600 4,565,000 78,220.00 160,000 3,440,000 340,000 118,800,000 40,000 3,766,300 -6,917,388.00 331,000 -105,900.00 46,000 1,200,000 114,800 -66,606.00 243,000 -186,120.00 30,000,000 218,070 4,258,902.00 33,000 3,500,000,000 -26,250,000.00

-0.46 -1.15 0.00 -0.19 -0.29 0.20 0.00 0.06 0.00 0.19

110,810 4,850 3,760 200 5,000 1,895 2,120 96,400 12,000 58,550

0.37

25,000

-5.68 2.66 1.07

531,000 5,000 1,343,100

-0.87

53,210

-1,010,580.00 -692,952.00 -44,000.00 -163,330.00 1,927,938.00

-74,890,060.00 138,430.00 92,127,045.50 -8,000.00 75,140.00

2,367,890.00 4,332,960.00 2,700.00 58,580.00

-69,928,950.00 -46,000.00 -772,140.00 -2,095,565.00 -24,493,966.00 -48,780.00 -3,376,790.00 2,740,050.00 -39,100.00

4,615,000.00 2,497,750.00

5,521,669.00

60,200.00 -8,953,236.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Liberty Flour

34.00

26.87

F&J Prince 'A'

5.5

-10.57

MJCI Investments Inc.

3.4

13.33

Manila Mining `A'

0.0100

-9.09

Da Vinci Capital

1.63

10.88

F&J Prince 'B'

6.09

-7.73

TKC Steel Corp.

1.23

9.82

Asian Terminals Inc.

11.06

-7.68

Suntrust Home Dev. Inc.

1.010

8.60

Macroasia Corp.

2.10

-6.67

Abra Mining

0.0051

6.25

Yehey

4.500

-6.25

Forum Pacific

0.265

6.00

Alterra Capital

3.65

-5.68

Cirtek Holdings (Chips)

22.45

5.90

Republic Glass 'A'

2.56

-5.19

Mabuhay Vinyl

3.6

5.88

NOW Corp.

0.790

-4.82

Agrinurture Inc.

5.04

5.88

Phoenix Semiconductor

1.66

-4.05

FRIDAY: DECEMBER 4, 2015

B3

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

Market declines; Aboitiz, URC fall STOCKS declined Thursday on lack of stimulus, taking their cue on most Asian markets following the previous day’s gains.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 52.98 points, or 0.8 percent, to 6,994.10 on a value turnover of P6.4 billion. Losers beat gainers, 94 to 61, with 52 issues unchanged.

Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, tumbled 3.1 percent to P187.10, while International Container Terminal Services Inc., the largest port operator, dropped 2.3 percent to P73.25.

BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, fell 1.1 percent to P102, while Aboitiz Power Corp. decreased 1.7 percent to P40.60.

The euro, meanwhile, tumbled against the dollar Thursday as dealers bet on fresh stimulus from the European Central Bank later in the day, while most Asian stock markets fell following the previous day’s gains.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index shed 0.3 percent, Sydney gave up 0.6 percent and Seoul was 0.8 percent lower.

However, Shanghai stocks jumped 1.4 percent, a fourthstraight gain after diving Friday 5.5 percent on news that some of China’s top brokerages were being probed in the wake of a summer market rout. The index has now recovered almost all of last week’s losses.

Tokyo recovered slightly from morning selling to end flat.

Asian energy firms tracked losses in their US counterparts as a supply glut and strong dollar weigh on oil prices ahead of a key meeting of the Opec oil cartel.

With AFP

SME workshop. The Board of Investments conducts a two-day conference and workshop at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City to provide a venue for learning and capacitating the estimated 200 participants from various industries and sectors of small and medium enterprises, regional development councils, government agencies and the academe. Shown during the workshop are Trade Undersecretary and keynote speaker Zenaida Maglaya (fourth from left) and Assistant Secretary Rafaelita Aldaba. With them are (from left) Ganeshan Wignaraja, advisor, Asian Development Bank; Dante Santos, first vice president of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp.; Penny Bamber, USAID consultant and senior researcher at Duke University; Javier Lopez Gonzalez, OECD trade policy analyst; Bonifacio Tan, chief executive of Farma Rubber Industries; and Roberto Batungbacal, country Director, Dow Chemical.

Max’s Group to open 3 more outlets in US

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Casual restaurant chain Max’s Group Inc. plans to further expand its presence in the United States.

Max’s Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it recently signed a development agreement with De Borja Inc. to build at least three Max’s Restaurants in San Diego, California over the next five years.

“We are excited to extend our footprint in North America through our partnership with De Borja Inc., a diversified group with a long track record of business excellence,” Max’s Group president and chief

Forge IT IS graduation weekend at the Asian Institute of Management. It is a time of celebration and apprehension, sadness and hope. It is a time for looking back and looking forward.

Graduate school is very different from undergraduate education. Our students all left behind jobs and careers and made the decision to put the rest of their lives on hold while they go back to school. For many, the decision to go back to school also meant leaving behind home, family and friends. It is not an easy decision. At the end of the journey, it is natural to ask “Was it worth it? What have I gained?”

Purpose There are many reasons for going back to school.

For some, graduate school is both education and credentialing. It is a means to gain the knowledge and formal credentials necessary for their long-term career goals. For others, graduate school is a hoped for accelerator, providing a basis for speeding up the career progress. Graduate school can also be about broadening, going beyond current area of expertise and preparing for larger responsibilities. For yet others, graduate school is a means to change course, perhaps away from a technical position to a managerial one. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly for this millennial generation, more and more of our students seem to be going back to school in order to rediscover their purpose, to gain knowledge in order to better understand how to choose their future paths.

executive Robert Trota said.

“It is our pleasure to serve the citizens of San Diego including our countrymen based overseas a taste of home,” he said The agreement is the fifth signed

by Max’s Group in 2015.

“We are happy to seal a new market as we conclude the year,” Trota said.

De Borja, a family-owned company, operates multiple businesses in several

While knowledge and skill are at the forefront of course design, the reality is that there are many more convenient means for gaining knowledge and skill— ones that don’t require being away from home, or leaving a job. Modern technology makes much knowledge available freely. In fact, even those who are after credentials will be able to find many online degrees available.

Being part of the faculty of AIM, I have the opportunity of asking students what they have gained from their course of study. Yes, they will point to knowledge and skills gained. But, almost without fail, when asked for the most important thing they have gained from being here, they will point to something else—something that could never be learned from reading a book or searching online.

Outward, Inward At the beginning of every course in AIM, we point out that the students bring their knowledge, expertise and experience to class. We always tell them that we will learn together, that they will learn from each other as much as and maybe even more than they will learn from us—and also that we constantly learn from them.

And, at the end of every class, that is always something they will say—how much they have gained from being together. This learning, much like the learning gained from interaction with their professors is not simply about knowledge – it is different, deeper.

As one of the professors who teaches a class on selfknowledge, I have the great gift of being able to explicitly discuss this with students. What have you gained?

What did you value?

“I think what AIM taught us is to push boundaries, to want more, to do more. I think that makes us different.” This was a conversation I had late at night with an alumnus who was in Manila for a project. She was comparing herself and her classmates to friends and colleagues of her generation.

There is a sameness to them, she explained. AIM, she explains, makes her brave enough to be differ-

industries, including restaurants, retail and wholesale, working with the government sector, high schools, colleges and vendors.

De Borja has been operating for over 44 years, banking on strong family relationship as its success formula in business.

“We are honored to be in partnership with Max’s Group Inc. and ecstatic to spread the standards, tradition and experience set by its founders in San Diego. Our extensive research determined that the people of San Diego have been clamoring for a Max’s Restaurant,” said De Borja managing director Krystle De Borja.

Max’s Restaurant currently operates a network of 171 branches, in-

ent, brave enough to truly be herself.

It is a statement I have heard again and again. This week, one of our graduating students said it even more clearly. Here I paraphrase: “I have gained many things from AIM but the most important thing AIM taught me is to have courage. If I had gained nothing else from my time in AIM, that alone would be worth it.”

There are other things, of course. Our students talk about learning to think and evaluate, learning to prioritize, to separate the grain from the chaff. They talk about learning to plan and implement, figuring out how to make do. They talk about learning to make things happen and making a difference. They mention increased interpersonal skills and confidence.

But they also talk about discovering the things they truly value, being able to figure out their true purpose, a better sense of their role in life.

Onward There are very few courses in any management curriculum that have those explicit learning objectives: confidence, a discovery of purpose, courage.

But that, I believe is the great advantage of a full-time face-to-face program. It provides the space, time and interaction necessary for pushing boundaries, for selfdiscovery.

There are those, of course, who will parse out the words and point out the difference between teaching and education, between education and formation. But I think that the best explanation for what I always try to keep in mind is from my very first teaching workshop at AIM. One of our best professors told me this: “Remember, we do not teach subjects, we teach students.”

Because our classes are participative, we always say that every class in AIM is a journey of discovery.

Like all journeys of discovery, pour best gains happen when we dare more. Those are the classes that require great courage.

Learning, I always tell my students, happens at the edge of comfort. When students come to learn, they make themselves vulnerable. In the participa-

cluding 19 franchised stores abroad.

Max’s Group said it plans to have at least 200 international outlets by 2020 across its brands Max’s Restaurant is one of the 13 restaurant brands under the Max’s Group and one of top four major chains of the company.

Other brands include Pancake House, as well as Yellow Cab, Dencio’s, Kabisera ng Dencio’s, Teriyaki Boy, Max’s Corner Bakery, Maple, Sizzlin’ Steak and Le Coeur de France.

It also operates international food brands Krispy Kreme and Jamba Juice in the Philippines.

Max’s Group plans to open 70 to 80 stores next year in line with a target to have 1,000 stores by 2020.

tive classroom, students make themselves even more vulnerable. In our classrooms, students are expected to voice opinions. They question. They critique. They engage. They take a stand.

In the AIM classroom, students learn that there are no pat solutions, that what we don’t know is just as important as what we know, that our questions are often more important than our answers.

Parker J. Palmer, author of the book The Courage to Teach, explains that teaching is ‘always done at the dangerous intersection of personal and public life.’

Parker explains: ‘a good teacher must stand where personal and public meet, dealing with the thundering flow of traffic at an intersection where “weaving a web of connectedness” feels more like crossing a freeway on foot.’ In the participative classroom, both teacher and student stand at that dangerous intersection. I suppose that is part of how AIM forges purpose and courage.

As the class of 2015 prepares for graduation, these are the things I hope they take away. I hope they remember that the knowledge and confidence they have gained was born of courage, the courage to take a stand, the courage to understand that sometimes you fail. I hope they remember that their successes were most often a matter of being able to work well together. I hope they remember that they gained their courage from continually making themselves vulnerable, that risk is not the enemy. I hope they remember that pushing the envelope and forging fresh paths can be fraught with danger, but can also be immensely rewarding. I hope they remember that questions are important, that learning continues. More than anything, I hope they remember to always listen, not only to what is said but also to what is felt. I hope they remember to listen not only to others but also to the voice within.

Congratulations, Class of 2015!

Readers can email Maya at integrations_manila@ yahoo.com. Or visit her site at http://integrations. tumblr.com.

B4

FRIDAY: DECEMBER 4, 2015

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

Disturbing thought A LOT of our buddies haven’t made up their minds yet on who to vote for the May 2016 presidential elections, but recent developments are spawning scary scenarios and disturbing thoughts. We’re talking about the decision of the Commission on Elections’ Second Division to disqualify Senator Grace Poe from the presidential race because they ruled that she failed to satisfy the residency requirements. Of course, the senator can still appeal the decision and if worse comes to worst, can elevate the case all the way up to the Supreme Court.

But an immediate concern among her supporters is if her name will still be included in the list of candidates that the Comelec will release by Dec. 15. Grace Poe said she will appeal her case before the Comelec en banc session—but we’re wondering how fast—or slow—the Comelec will decide on this. Will they do a fast-break and issue a decision before the list is finalized? Another point of interest is the composition of the second division, with all the commissioners who voted 3-0 to disqualify Poe all appointed by President BS Aquino, who is endorsing Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas as his preferred successor.

Imagine this hypothetical scenario: Grace Poe disqualified by the Comelec; Rodrigo Duterte also disqualified by the Comelec because of a defective certificate of candidacy (how the PDP-Laban could have fudged the COC by putting the position of Pasay City Mayor instead of president is beyond us), Vice President Jejomar Binay facing arrest due to graft, plunder and whatever else his opponents can think of throwing at him; and Miriam Santiago facing health issues. So who will be the last man standing? Mar Roxas obviously, unless you count in party list representative Roy Señeres who is deemed as too minor a player to seriously challenge the Liberal Party bet.

Major manufacturer mulling pullout from network?

How true is it that a multinational manufacturing group is thinking of pulling out all its advertisements from a major network because the latter reportedly refuses to air the ads featuring the main characters in this incidental hit segment in a noontime variety show? Apparently, the network powersthat-be are not pleased that the duo that has been dubbed as a social media phenomenon has managed to dislodge the numero uno rating of their show which, for more than half a decade ruled the tube.

What’s more, some officials of the network allegedly issued a directive that they will not show any sneak preview of the popular duo’s upcoming movie for the Manila Filmfest.

A little pigeon also whispered that the said network is laying the blame squarely on the shoulder of the big star who has admitted that they cannot beat the currently popular duo.

Incidentally, we’re told that some minor talents in the said network were secretly rejoicing at the “dethronement” of big star who has developed this habit of poking fun at people and placing them in awkward/embarrassing situations just to get a few laughs.

Expressway trips made easy As if traffic is not bad enough with hours wasted due to the crawling pace at major thoroughfares like Edsa and even at expressways (southbound and northbound), it irritates us no end to see drivers rummaging in their wallets to look for small bills and loose change to pay for the toll, taking their own sweet time while the line of vehicles waiting for their turn get even longer. Worse is when that driver even gets into an argument with the person manning the toll booth because he (driver) didn’t notice that he lined up on the exact fare only booth.

If you know of such drivers or car owners, perhaps you can gift them this Christmas with the Easytrip tag for NLEx and EasyDrive RFID tag for Cavitex for a fast, cashless and hasslefree journey. Believe us, you’d be doing your friend and longsuffering drivers a big favor if you do this. To know more, visit www.easytrip.ph or call 02-555-7575.

••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@ yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/happyhourmanilastandard.

We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

8990 Holdings eyes projects in Malaysia

By Jenniffer B. Austria

MASS housing developer 8990 Holdings Inc. plans to build projects in Malaysia and Tanzania as a part of its expansion overseas.

8990 Holdings president Januario Jesus Atencio told reporters the company was asked by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, in a one-on-one talk during the recent Apec meeting, to help with his plan to build one million low-cost housing units in Malaysia.

Atencio said he expressed willingness to help in the Malaysian Prime Minister’s plan, but the company preferred to have a joint venture partner to undertake the projects.

“We are now waiting for their next move because we already

expressed willingness to help.

But we prefer to have a joint venture partner to be chosen by the Malaysian Prime Minister,” Atencio said.

One of 8990 Holdings’ cornerstone investors when it went public in 2014 was Malaysia’s state investment fund, Khazana Nasional Berhad, which acquired an 8-percent stake in listed mass housing firm.

Atencio said aside from Malaysia, 8990 Holdings was also invited by a Singaporean listed firm to jointly develop between 50,000 and 100,000 housing units in

Tanzania in East Africa.

Atencio said he would fly to Tanzania in January next year to study the market.

He said while there were still big opportunities in the domestic market, going overseas should be the next step for the company to remain relevant.

8990 Holdings has been aggressively expanding across the country, with projects in Davao, Bacolod, Cebu and Iloilo.

The company early this week broke ground for Deca Homes project in Tondo, Manila.

The 8.5-hectare property will contain 12 residential buildings offering more than 13,000 units.

After the Tondo project, 8990 Holdings is also set to launch a similar project in a 13-hectare property along Ortigas Avenue extension in Pasig City.

Logistics summit. LBC Express Inc. president Miguel Camahort (left), LBC Express chief executive

Santiago Araneta (center) and Customs Commissioner Bert Lina (right) address some of the concerns and comments of shipping and logistics practitioners at the Asia Logistics Summit 2015 at the Makati Diamond Residences. Lina emphasizes the need to align the processes of logistics companies and government to hasten the movement of goods and the Philippines.

IN BRIEF DTI to inspect Mitsubishi plant

AN INVESTIGATING panel formed by the Trade Department will inspect the automotive plant of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. on Friday as part of the investigation on alleged “sudden unintended acceleration” of some Montero models.

Trade undersecretary for consumer protection Victorio Dimagiba said the panel would inspect the facility as a part of the protocol on investigation. “From there, they will submit a recommendation if recall and suspension of sales are justified. They have two weeks to do this and there will be no extension,” Dimagiba said.

Dimagiba said the Trade Department, while empowered by the Consumer Law to order the recall of any defective products, was carefully assessing the case of Mitsubishi Montero.

“Our interest is safety. We are doing this to avoid accidents and prevent harm and loss of lives as well as properties,” said Dimagiba.

Automotive experts from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Science Department recommended that all Montero units sold from 2010 to 2015 undergo onboard computer diagnostic tests.

Dimagiba said the government could issue a recall order “but the payment [to owners] needs to undergo a consumer complaint on a case-to case basis.” Othel V. Campos

Philstocks, Pointwest push IPO

PHILSTOCKS Financial Inc. and Pointwest Technologies Corp. plan to push through with their planned initial public offerings before the end of 2015.

Both companies are still waiting for regulatory approval before proceeding with the maiden offering.

Pointwest Technologies’ underwriter SB Capital said once the company obtained the nod of the Philippine Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission next week, it would push through with the P2.08-billion IPO this month.

SB Capital president Ricky Galang said there was healthy demand of Pointwest Technologies’ shares. “We don’t want to lose the momentum,” Galang said.

Pointwest Technologies plans to sell up to 417 million common shares with an over allotment of 62.55 million common shares, at an offer price of up to P4.35 apiece.

Proceeds will be usedfor the expansion of delivery centers in the Philippines, expansion of US sales operations, development of digital products and acquisition of applications and proprietary technologies. Point West is a leading Filipino-owned service company with a proven track record in information technology and business process management industry. Jenniffer B. Austria

SRA allowing sugar exports

THE Sugar Regulatory Administration said Thursday it will allow sugar producers and traders to export up to 142,000 metric tons of sugar.

SRA administrator Ma. Regina Martin said the agency would issue a sugar order authorizing the export of sugar.

For crop year 2015 to 2016, the Philippines received a regular US sugar quota allocation of 142,000 MT raw value under the tariff-rate quotas, wherein the Philippines is one of the countries that could export to the US at a low tariff. “ However, SRA did not allocate ‘A’ or US quota sugar for CY 201516. Instead all sugar production is classified as ‘B’ for the domestic market in preparation for the anticipated effect of the El Niño on sugarcane production,” said Martin.

“Those who exported to the US using B sugar may replace the same with raw or refined sugar from the world market, keeping in mind the volume needed to balance supply and demand,” Martin said. Anna Leah E. Gonzales

NTC extends Now permit

NOW Corp., a listed company controlled by the Velarde family, said Thursday it secured a five-year extension from the National Telecommunications Commission to operate various information and technology services.

The regulator on Nov. 27 gave Now the go-signal to continue offering various services such as virtual private networks, Cloud hosting services, multimedia content and program services, online game services, Cloud-based multimedia conferencing services, web hosting and online game services.

Now owns 19 percent of Now Telecom Company, a licensed telecom, mobile cellular and wired/wireless broadband company.

Now chief operations officer Mel Velarde said the company’s competitive strength was on information technology leadership in services and software systems. These services are being used by large banks and medium-sized enterprises. Darwin G. Amojelar

Meralco welcomes new ERC ruling

POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. on Thursday described as a “fair” move the Energy Regulatory Commission’s resolution on the mandatory implementation of the competitive selection process.

“We will follow the guidelines of the ERC,” Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan said.

ERC earlier said it would commence the mandatory implementation of the controversial CSP for the procurement of power supply by distribution utilities. The ERC, however, did not endorse the delegation of a third party to conduct a CSP. “It’s a fair step to take,” Pangilinan said, when asked about his reaction on the removal of the third-party provision.

ERC issued Resolution No. 13 series of 2015 last month, directing all distribution utilities to conduct mandatory CSP in the procurement of their supply to the captive market. Alena Mae S. Flores

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

B5

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Chinese pledge on pollution minimized BEIJING: A Chinese pledge to upgrade the nation’s coal-fired power plants to cut pollution is aimed mainly at soothing domestic fears over dangerous smog, rather than tackling climate change emissions, analysts said Thursday.

With negotiating teams locked in crucial talks in Paris, China’s state council announced plans to reduce by 60 percent the amount of “major pollutants” coming from its coal-fired power plants by 2020.

That should save around 100 million tons of raw coal and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 180 million tons annually, it said on its website.

The statement did not, however, specify which pollutants will be cut, and gave no baseline against which the reduction will be measured.

But observers said the “major pollutants” likely refers to the particulate matter that makes up the choking smog that has blanketed swathes of China over the past week—many of which are not considered direct drivers of global warming.

China is the world’s biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, and a crucial player in this month’s global gathering in Paris, where nations are trying to thrash out a plan to limit dangerous global warming.

But a 180 million tonnes annual cut in carbon emissions is a drop in the ocean for an economy that produced nine- to ten billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2013— nearly twice what the United States generated.

Likewise, a 100 million ton reduction of raw coal consumption would represent about two percent of China’s annual use, which hit 4.2 billion tonnes in 2013.

As well as carbon dioxide, that coal burning is a major source of the acrid smog that frequently blankets stretches of the country, causing health problems and reducing visibility for tens of millions of people in China’s denselypopulated cities.

Beijing and parts of northern China this week were enveloped in a soup of dangerous particulates that in places reached more than 25 times the level considered safe for humans to breathe.

The government reacted by ordering factories to shut as they raced to clear the air and assuage growing public anger that the Communist Party recognizes is a threat to its authority. AFP

WORLD UK begins Syria strikes after parliament vote LONDON—Britain joined the USled bombing campaign over Syria on Thursday, hitting an oil field held by Islamic State jihadists just hours after a decisive parliamentary vote authorized air strikes.

Onstage. Ellie Goulding performs onstage at the M.A.C Cosmetics Ellie Goulding Art Basel Performance At The Miami Beach Edition on December 2, 2015, in Miami, Florida. AFP

Royal Air Force planes based in Cyprus carried out the “first offensive operation over Syria and have conducted strikes”, a defense ministry spokesman said Thursday, following a vote Wednesday night.

The strikes, carried out by four Tornado fighters, focused on six targets in the oil field in eastern Syria, 48 kilometers from the Syria border, the ministry said.

The first two jets took off around 2330 GMT followed by two more an hour later, each carrying three precision-guided 226kg Paveway bombs and returning without them, the BBC reported.

“This strikes a very real blow at the oil and the revenue on which the Daesh terrorists depend,” Defense Secretary Michael Fallon told the BBC, using an alternative name for IS. Prime Minister David Cameron’s government was backed by 397 lawmakers compared to 223 who opposed the bombing, giving him the strong mandate he said was essential for military action.

Cameron welcomed the result of the House of Commons vote, writing on Twitter: “I believe the house has taken the right decision to keep the UK safe—military action in Syria as one part of a broader strategy.”

It was also immediately hailed by US President Barack Obama, who said the US would “look forward to having British forces flying with the coalition over Syria”.

The momentum to join the strikes grew after last month’s terror attack on Paris that claimed 130 lives.

French President Francois Hollande on Thursday welcomed the “new response to the call for European solidarity”.

During the 10-hour parliamentary debate, a wide range of MPs from all parties, including main opposition Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, spoke out against air strikes.

Corbyn condemned Cameron’s “ill thought-out rush to war” and said his proposals “simply do not stack up”.

However, Labor was also deeply split on the issue. Some 67 of its 231 MPs reportedly voted in favor of bombing, including 11 members of Corbyn’s frontbench.

“Tornados at dawn” was the front-page headline on Britain’s top-selling paper The Sun, while The Times ran with “PM wins huge backing for war”. AFP

Pistorius convicted of murdering his girlfriend BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa—Oscar Pistorius was convicted of murder on Thursday by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal, which threw out his earlier conviction of the lesser crime of culpable homicide for shooting dead his girlfriend.

“Guilty of murder, with the accused having criminal intent,” judge Eric Leach told the court in a dramatic legal reversal.

“The matter is referred back to the trial court to consider an appropriate sentence.”

The 29-year-old star Paralympic sprinter shot dead Reeva Steenkamp, a model and law graduate, in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013.

He said during his trial last year that he mistook her for an intruder when he opened fire at the locked door of his bed-

room toilet.

He was released from prison on parole in October after serving one year of his five-year sentence for culpable homicide—the equivalent of manslaughter.

“He did not know whether that person constituted any threat,” Leach said in a damning rejection of the testimony from Pistorius and the original trial judge’s ruling.

“It is inconceivable that a rational person thought he was entitled to fire at this person with a heavy-duty firearm,” said Leach, who described Pistorius’s testimony as “vacillating and untruthful”.

“He must have foreseen that the person behind the door might be injured.

“He ought to have been convicted not of culpable homicide on that count but of culpable murder.” AFP

B6

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

14 killed in California shooting SAN BERNARDINO—A heavily armed man and woman in their 20s died in a shootout with police after killing 14 people at a Christmas party in California in America’s worst mass shooting in three years, authorities said.

Smog. In this photo taken on November 19, 2015, smoke belches from a coal-fired power station near Datong in China’s northern Shanxi province.

A Chinese pledge to upgrade the nation’s coal-fired power plants to cut pollution is aimed mainly at soothing domestic fears over dangerous smog, rather than tackling climate change emissions, analysts said. AFP

Republic of the Philippines NATIONAL FOOD AUTHORITY CARAGA REGION Butuan City INVITATION TO BID FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF HAULING SERVICES FORTHETRANSFER OF IMPORTED RICEFROM SURIGAO CITY TO VARIOUS NFA WAREHOUSES IN CARAGA REGION FOR CY 2016 The NATIONAL FOOD AUTHORITY, through its Corporate Operating Budget for CY 2016, intends to apply the sum of THREE MILLION SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (Php3,600,000.00) being the aggregated APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT (ABC)to payments under the contracts of hauling services for the transfer of rice from Surigao City to various NFA Warehouses in Caraga Region CY 2016:

CONTRACT NO.

SOURCE WAREHOUSE

RECEIVING WAREHOUSE

QUANTITY (bag of 50 kg)

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT (INCLUSIVE OF VAT) (PHP) PER BAG

BIDDING FEE

TOTAL

I-SUN-A-2016

Tan Whse./ Rocha A/B/C Warehouses, Surigao City

GID-I/II Libertad, Butuan City

30,000

II-SUN-A-2016

Tan Whse./ Rocha A/B/C Warehouses, Surigao City

GID Bayugan, Agusan del Sur

10,000

31.00

310,000.00

500.00

III-SUN-A-2016

Tan Whse./ Rocha A/B/C Warehouses, Surigao City

GID Alegria, Agusan del Sur

20,000

36.00

720,000.00

1,000.00

IV-SUN-A-2016

Tan Whse./ Rocha A/B/C Warehouses, Surigao City

GID Trento, Agusan del Sur

10,000

44.00

440,000.00

500.00

V-SUN-A-2016

Tan Whse./ Rocha A/B/C Warehouses, Surigao City

GID Duplex, Surigao del Sur

20,000

36.00

720,000.00

1,000.00

VI-SUN-A-2016

GID Whse., Km. 10,Surigao City

GID Duplex, Surigao del Sur

10,000

34.00

340,000.00

500.00

VII-SUN-A-2016

Tan Whse./ Rocha A/B/C Warehouses, Surigao City

GID Cantilan, Surigao del Sur

10,000

26.00

260,000.00

500.00

27.00

810,000.00

1,000.00

The NFA now invites interested truck owners/operators to submit their bids for the hauling of rice stocks from Surigao City to various NFA Warehouses in Caraga Region.

Bidders should have completed within the immediate last two 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 (ITB).

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

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested bidders on December 4-10, 2015, working days from the address below and upon payment of a non refundable bidding fee as specified in this Invitation.

National Food Authority Caraga Region shall hold a Pre-bid conference on December 11, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. at 2nd Floor, Rudy Tiu VIII Bldg. J.C. Aquino Avenue, Butuan City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bid must be delivered to the address below on or before January 5, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.Late bids shall not be accepted.

Bid opening shall be on January 5, 2016 at 10:01 A.M. at 2nd Floor, Rudy Tiu VIII Bldg. J.C. Aquino Avenue, Butuan City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend.

The National Food Authority 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: Ms. Hyde Beth M. Pascual BAC Secretariat National Food Authority 2nd Floor Rudy Tiu Bldg. VIII, J.C. Aquino Avenue, Butuan City Tel No. (085) 815 3284 (085) 225 6701 Fax No. (085) 342 7898 (SGD) GIL B. IBARRA Assistant Regional Director and Chairperson, BAC (TS-DEC. 4, 2015)

Police identified the pair as Syed Farook, a 28-year-old US citizen who worked for the local county, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, whose nationality was unknown. They said the suspects were either married or engaged.

Jarrod Burguan, San Bernardino’s police chief, confirmed that both were dead, and that police no longer believed a third suspect mentioned earlier was at large.

The shooters targeted a year-end party taking place at a social services center in San Bernardino, about an hour’s drive east of Los Angeles, killing 14 people and wounding 17 more.

“We don’t have the motive at this point,” the police chief said. “We have not ruled out terrorism.”

The massacre drew an angry response from President Barack Obama, who once again urged Congress to pass tougher gun control measures to stem America’s epidemic of gun violence.

According to Burguan, Farook was an environmental inspector who had worked for the county health department for five years.

He said Farook and Malik were dressed in military-style gear and carried assault weapons as they burst into the auditorium where the bloodbath took place. The hall was let out for the holiday party by the Inland Regional Center for the disabled.

Burguan said Farook had attended the Christmas

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given that (a) stock certificate no. A0545684of Manila Electric Company issued to Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation for 8,976 shares; and (b) stock certificate no. B0285677 issued to Augustinian Sistr of Our Lady of Consolation for 1,700 shares under affidavit of loss dated October 07, 2015 entered as Doc. No. 206, Page No. 41, Book No. V, Series of 2015 in the notarial register of Atty. Ruben M. Azanes Jr. (TS-NOV. 27, DEC. 4 & 11, 2015)

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given that (a) stock certificate no. 66422 of Ayala Corporation issued to Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of La Consolacion Convent for 356 shares; (b) stock certificate nos. 157009, 166009, and 172841 of Filinvest Land Inc. issued to Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation for 125,625 shares under affidavit of loss dated October 22, 2015 entered as Doc. No. 282, Page No. 57, Book No. 100, Series of 2015 in the notarial register of Atty. Joel G. Gordola.

(TS-NOV. 27, DEC. 4 & 11, 2015)

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given that (a) stock certificate no..

8019778 of Ayala Land Inc. issued to Augustinian Sisters for 1,000 shares; (b) stock cert. nos. 118681, 184072, 214082, 271715 of Bank of Phil. Islands issued to Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of La Consolacion Convent for 3,096 shares; (c) stock cert. nos. 123724, 123725, 183169, 213655, 271416 of Bank of Philippine Islands issued to Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolacion for 1,558 shares; (d) stock cert. nos. 154461, 184071, 214082, 271714 of Bank of Philippine Islands issued to Augustinian Sis of Our Lady of Consolation for 17,738 shares; (e) stock cert. no. B80899 of Union Bank of the Philippines for 940 shares under affidavit of loss dated September 21, 2015 entered as Doc. Nos. 26 & 25, Page No. 07, Book No. 30, Series of 2015 in the notarial register of Atty. Maria Theresita Patula. (TS-NOV. 27, DEC. 4 & 11, 2015)

party organized by the health department and left after an apparent dispute, only to return a short time later with Malik, armed with assault rifles and semiautomatic handguns.

“Based upon how they were equipped, there had to be some degree of planning that went into this,” he said. “I don’t think they just ran home and put on these tactical clothes, grabbed guns and came back on a spur of the moment thing.”

He said the attackers left explosive devices behind and authorities were only able to gain access to the scene of the crime several hours after the shooting.

There was no immediate information on the identity of the victims.

FBI agents in the early evening raided an apartment in the nearby town of Redlands, where the two suspects were seen before the police chase that ended in a shootout a few miles from the Inland Center.

The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations denounced the killings. Farook’s brother-in-law, Farhan Khan, said he had no clue what prompted the carnage.

“I am in shock that something like this could happen,” a visibly shaken Khan told a press conference organized by CAIR. The Los Angeles Times quoted some of Farook’s co-workers as saying he had previously traveled to Saudi Arabia and returned with a new wife. The couple had a six-month-old daughter and appeared to be “living the American dream,” Patrick Baccari, a fellow inspector who shared a cubicle with Farook, told the paper.

Hussam Ayloush, CAIR’s executive director in Los Angeles, said: “The Muslim community stands shoulder to shoulder with our fellow Americans in repudiating any twisted mindset that would claim to justify such sickening acts of violence.” AFP

Republic of the Philippines PROVINCE OF MARINDUQUE Marinduque Provincial Government Capitol Compound, Boac, Marinduque OFFICE OF BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE Invitation to Bid Furnishing labor, materials & equipment for the concreting of various Farm to Market Road, Sta.Cruz-Boac-Torrijos, Marinduque The Marinduque Provincial Government, through the _2015 Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) intends to apply the sum of SIX MILLION NINE HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX PESOS & 46/100 (Php6,998,676.46) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Furnishing labor, materials & equipment for the concreting of various Farm to Market Road, Sta. Cruz-Boac-Torrijos, Marinduque. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Marinduque Provincial Government now invites bids for Furnishing labor, materials & equipment for the concreting of various Farm to Market Road, Sta.Cruz-BoacTorrijos, Marinduque. Completion of the Works is required 95 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, Instruction to Bidders.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Provincial Government of Marinduque and inspect the Bidding Documents at the Office of the Bids & Awards Committee, Capitol Compound, Boac, Marinduque from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable fee from the Office of the Bids & Awards Committee, Capitol Compound, Boac, Marinduque from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Php10,000.00.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids.

The Marinduque Provincial Government will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on December 11, 2015, 10:00 AM at Office of the Bids & Awards Committee, Capitol Compound, Boac, Marinduque, which shall be open to all interested parties.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before December 23, 2015, 10:00 AM at Office of the Bids & Awards Committee, Capitol Compound, Boac, Marinduque. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on December 23, 2015, 10:00 AM at Office of the Bids & Awards Committee, Capitol Compound, Boac, Marinduque. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The Marinduque Provincial Government 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: (SGD) EUFROCINA N. RAMENTO BAC Head Secretariat Office of the Bids and Awards Committee, Capitol Compound, Boac, Marinduque (042)-332-1498 www.marinduque.gov.ph (TS-DEC. 4, 2015)

er’s -up outent n at the OrenTel.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

MOTORING

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

B7

Mobile app promotes smarter, safer drive

THE I20 CARVES A REPUTATION FOR EASE OF USE, PRACTICALITY AND FUEL EFFICIENCY.

HYUNDAI’S SUPERMINI

Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

Produced in 2008 as a replacement for the Getz, the third generation Hyundai i20 is a front-wheel drive car which has carved quite a reputation in the European market for its fuel efficiency, versatility and practicality. With the launch of the Third Generation i20 Cross Sport version early this year, this Korean hatchback is out for blood as it battles the Ford Fiesta, Mazda 3, Volkswagen Polo and the Honda HR-V for a profitable slice of the small, yet highly competitive local market.

The excellent performance and practicality of the previous model, which earned its nickname as the “Korean Supermini”, makes it easy for the current version to tap into the consumer market. For starters, the current version is a looker and has a spacious interior. It is relatively big-

ger than its predecessors, longer, wider and lower with the wheelbase increased by 45mm which means more space for the passengers. “Our target market for the i20 are the active individuals and families who explore the outdoors every weekend, those who demand comfort and per-

FAST FASTLANE Form and function

by Maxliner DESIGNED AND built to ISO 14001 BVQI standards, Maxliner bed liners are made of High Density PolyEthylene material

for high impact strength and makes your truck’s bed water and corrosion resistant. Maxliner bedliners have also under-

BPI/MS Insurance Corporation, a joint venture of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, one of the largest non-life insurance companies in Japan, has released an innovative new smartphone application. Called “My Safe DriveTM”, the app aims to promote safer and smarter driving in the Philippines.

Using a smartphone’s built-in camera, global positioning system (GPS) and smart software, My Safe DriveTM combines navigation, near-collision and lane departure alerts with driving analytics in a user-friendly app that’s available in multiple languages for the convenience of local drivers.

According to BPI/MS Insurance president Kenichi Tanabe, the app is further proof that the company is committed to providing its clients and the public with reliable and innovative insurance solutions that help Filipinos make the best happen for their lives.

“A car is one of the most significant investments a family can make, thus safe driving by using My Safe DriveTM helps protect that investment,” says Tanabe.

The launch has been fueled by rising affluence among Filipino consumers and an expected increase in passenger car purchases.

Tanabe says, “The need for better road safety is imperative and the launch of the app empowers Filipinos to make their own contribution to promoting safer driving.”

Building on its commitment as a responsible insurer, BPI/MS Insurance Corporation launched the app by inviting the media to experience My Safe DriveTM in real time while driving different car models. With cars provided by partner automotive brands (Toyota, Isuzu, Honda, Hyundai, and Chevrolet), the media convoy travelled from Bonifacio Global City in Taguig to Nuvali in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

formance at an affordable price,” says Rafael Batuigas, marketing head of Hyundai Automotive Resources Inc (HARI), the distributors of the Hyundai brand in the country.

What immediately strikes you with this hatchback is the Fluidic Sculpture design of the i20 which is both elegant and sporty judging from the roof rails and the 170mm ground clearance. I particularly love the sweeping headlamps and the front fascia which is a trademark design of Hyundai.

The test unit that I drove was equipped with the 1400cc Kappa gasoline engine with a Variable Intake System (VIS) packing 100 bhp and is matted to an automatic transmission. The more zippy 1400cc CRDi version comes only in a six-speed manual transmission which might possibly become its Achilles Heel given the traffic jam problems of Metro

Manila. Buyers would normally gravitate towards the A/T equipped i20’s. For a hatchback conservatively priced at P918,000 for this A/T gas version, this Korean Supermini comes equipped with a stable Independent MacPherson Strut suspension up front and Coupled Rear Torsion Beam Axle at the rear; standard ABS systems, and a two-tone interior which is both functional and visually appealing.

As I write this piece, my Accent sedan is currently being serviced which explains this unit. I asked for an Accent hatchback, instead, Hari had this i20 prepared as my loaner car. It was a pleasant surprise and given the performance qualities of this Cross Sport variant, it seems I would not mind having my car serviced for a month. This hatchback definitely fits the bill.

gone stringent testing in harsh environments to meet the demands of a global market to conform with global ISO standards.

Currently the World’s biggest outfitters of SUV’s and trucks, Maxliner encourage you to maximize your vehicle’s flexibility and toughness by protecting your flat bed with their line of bed liners. Like its line of bedliners, the Maxbox is tough and designed for all-weather reliability and theft proof for additional safety to store your personal gear and equipment.

Maxliner bedliners are also easy to install and fits most pick-up models such as the Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Hi-Lux, Mazda BT-50, Mitsubishi Strada, Nissan Navara and the Ford Ranger. Based in Thailand, Maxliner is an OEM certified supplier of global brands such as Toyota, Isuzu, Honda, Ford, Nissan, General Motors, and Tata.

Road Safety 2015 Hall of Famer Manila North Tollways Corporation recently inducted freight forwarding company EUG Freight Services into the 2015 NLEXcellence Hall of Fame for having excelled in all three categories of the awards: Driver Professionalism, Vehicle Quality and Company Operational Excellence. The NLEXcellence Safety Awards is considered a “seal of honor” for bus and truck companies which share MNTC’s commitment and dedication to road safety.

Being an NLEXcellence Hall of Famer singles out companies as role models when it comes to best practices in road safety. MNTC president Rodrigo Franco (second from right) presents the award to Marvin Gaerlan (center) EUG’s trucking manager, in a ceremony recently held at the Manila Hotel. Flanking them are MNTC SVP lawyer Romulo Quimbo Jr. (left), VP for marketing Renato Ticzon (second from left), SVP for construction and engineering Raul Ignacio (right) and other EUG executives.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

B8

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING Top Model: Subaru’s performance wagon with Asia’s top model Monika Sta Maria (left).

A WORTHY REPLACEMENT

At 4690mm long, the Levorg is a five inches shorter than the Outback and ten inches longer than the best selling XV wagon. Tan admits that their latest offering has big shoes to fill considering the overall performance of its predecessor as it crosses swords with the likes of the Mazda 6 wagon and the Volvo V40.

Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

MOTOR Image Subaru, the exclusive distributor of the Subaru brand in the Southeast Asian region has launched the Levorg Wagon. Held amid the pomp and pageantry of this year’s staging of the Bangkok Motor Expo, the Levorg is the replacement for the Subaru Legacy wagon. “The Subaru Levorg is a bold car meant to handle any journey, and ride along in a fun way – putting life in motion and connecting with one’s passion. There is true joy when you get the freedom to do that, and the Subaru Levorg is the perfect car that allows you to Unpark Your Life, getting you to your destination, anywhere,” said Glenn Tan, Executive Director of Tan Chong International Ltd. “We’re excited to launch the new performance wagon, with enhanced features that refresh the exterior as well as refined upgraded interior features, combining space, comfort and versatility with an improved stylish design,” he adds

Rear: Strong character lines and a bold design define the new Levorg wagon

Like the Legacy wagon, the most striking feature of the all-new Levorg is its front fascia, especially the massive air scoop on its hood and the wide hexagonal grille design. Instead of a big flat six engine, Subaru threw in an all-new 168 bhp-1600cc turbocharged flat-four matted to a Lineartronic CVT. Being a “scooby”, this wagon has permanent All-Wheel Drive which

means you can have fun when taking fast corners and burning rubber at the track. Despite its 1531kgs of heft, this baby can take the punishment of lead footed drivers and still offer tons of comfort due to its platform and chunky suspension borrowed from the WRX STi sports car. The ride is a bit on the firm side, but tolerable even to people with back problems.

The spacious cabin of the Levorg offers large and comfortable seats, with its black leathers having an eye catching blue stitching. Design engineers did a great job with the soft touch mouldings that border the leather surfaces plus the combination of leather and plastics that compliment the dash instruments and panels. There are no fancy toggle switches here, the dash layout is all business with a touch screen monitor at the center console.

The Subaru Levorg will definitely carve inroads in this performance hungry market. The wagon offers a good balance between performance and comfort that makes it a daily driver that can double as a track car on weekends.

Motor Image Pilipinas will surely stir up the market once the Levorg hits the Philippine roads on December 15.

Here’s why China’s e-vehicle population is burgeoning Did you know that China gives almost $10,000 subsidy for each electric vehicle sold?

No wonder China now has one of the biggest population of electric vehicles in the world and is continuitng to steadily grow. It gives a subsidy of $9,281 for every EV sold! This subsidy results in lower vehicle prices, thus the benefit trickles all the way down to the customer.

Rommel Juan, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines says that China has recognized that moving forward, it needs to look into protecting

the environment if its society is to continue enjoying the economic prosperity that it is now enjoying. “What use is their money if their children will not be able to enjoy it?”

“With China’s big cities now encountering serious pollution problems, with Beijing their capital having the one of highest total suspended particulates in the planet, the country is serious about pollution control”, he adds.

Other countries such as Japan give incentives ranging from $1,600 to $3,200 per unit which is taken from the

Acquisition Tax on Used Vehicles. India grants $2,300 for every electric vehicle sold.

In Europe, there are numerous taxbased incentives. In Austria, they give around $1,120 in annual tax bonus per EV sold. Belgium grants a tax deduction of 20% from corporate income tax for expenses related to the use of zeroemission company cars. In the Czech Republic, EVs are exempted from road users’ tax.

Denmark exempts EVs from

Registration Tax based on the purchase price. On the other hand, Italians give tax exemption to the annual circulation tax.

Luxembourg gives a premium of $4,200 while in Monaco, it is a whopping $12,600.

In Netherlands, the subsidy is $5,300.

In France, they give a tax bonus of about $4,000 per EV while in Ireland, they a grant worth $5,000 per EV is extended.

Iceland not only gives value-added tax exemptions for EVs but also provides free parking in City Centers.

But surprisingly, the biggest incentive

comes from a small European country in the Baltic Region of Northern Europe called Estonia. It gives an average grant of $17,500 per electric car!

Juan concludes that a lot can be learned from these forward-thinking countries.

“And EVAP hopes that our country would soon follow suit and President Aquino approves the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Bill into law. This will enable the domestic EV industry to prosper as well and move on to the next level: gearing up to be the EV manufacturing hub in the region”.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 : 2 0 1 5

TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

ST Y L E & BE AU T Y

LIFE

C1

Designer Kaye Morales with her muses at the recently held Philippine Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2016

‘REBEL’ ON THE RUNWAY

G

lobally, 2015 and 2016 runway shows have had their fare of streetwear designs, and in the recently concluded Philippine Fashion Week, streetwear was one of the highlights on the catwalk.

Exploding with colors and punk, SoFA and Central Saint Martins– University of the Arts London alumna, Kaye Morales, takes a “Rebel” yell and showcases a colorful mix of neoprene, leather and denim paired with her new line of backpacks and shoulder bags made from vinyl and cassette tape. Inspired by her roots as member of the LGBT community, the young designer’s streetwear collection screams, “I’m out, loud and proud!”

“I’m out as a lesbian with my friends and family but not in the fashion industry yet. I want the industry to understand why my designs always highlight androgynous and tailored pieces,” Kaye shares. “The title of my collection is Rebel. Because it’s a revolution of self. It’s about my personality and sexuality. I want to open myself and make the fashion industry a welcoming place to all different types of gender as I open up to this industry,” she adds.

H e r clothing brand is a go-to house for people who want to stand

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LITO CALEON AND EDMUND CHUA

out in the crowd, be different, be edgy, and rock. But now that she has labeled herself as a proud LGBT designer, her market might get broader or smaller depending on how the crowd will receive this revelation. “Of course I want to be labeled as a good designer,” explains Kaye. “It’s good to be known as a designer that creates good quality clothes and not just a lesbian designer,” shares Kaye.

“It tells the story of how I came out with my parents, my friends, or how I overcome all the trials in my life and open up my designs to different genders, sexualities and share it to the fashion industry.”

The Kaye Morales clothing brand has always had an avant-garde signature to it with a dark rocker chic insignia. “My designs changed over the years; they’re becoming more wearable now,” explains Kaye. “ When I started designing, I started with clothes that are avant-

garde, almost like costumes, because of my background in production design.” Her latest collection draws her back to her ready-to-wear line Schizo. “I started with RTW when I was first launched as a designer. I guess my brand is streetwear, androgynous, tailored and has very edgy pieces,” says Kaye.

Throughout the years, Kaye Morales’ eclectic designs have stood out from the runways and gets a mixed pool of reviews from bad to good. Her collections have been featured in both local and international shows, most notable of which are the LA Style and Vancouver Fashion Weeks.

“Everyone has a say when you create a collection. I guess you just have to be ready with what critics will say. For me it’s actually not bad,” she says. “It gives you more tips on what to edit on your next collection.

Like I know what to improve and

I get to realize if I went overboard already with details,” chuckles Kaye.

Rebel somewhat relaunches her RTW collection and this young designer wants to create more for her RTW line. “I want the crowd to feel that I have never forgotten that RTW side of me and this is like a comeback and I think I’ll be creating more wearable pieces now,” shares Kaye. “I want to also put a line between my brand of RTW and separate it from my made-to- order which is Kaye Morales.”

For more information on the Rebel collection or Kaye Morales designs, follow Kaye Morales on Facebook and @mzkayemorales and @kayemoralesintl on Instagram. Call +632 519 0523 or +63 917 320 7550 to set up an appointment at her freestanding store, Kaye Morales Atelier, located at 8862 Sampaloc Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City.

C2

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

This pouch exudes a potpourri of colors

Pelangi Tote inspired by Indonesian fashion designer Dian Pelangi

Pelangi round wristlet

Lovely Lotus Sky pouch

Lotus Sky Tote

Lotus Sky round wristlet

L’ Indochine x Origami Dream Weaver for exotic gift finds

I

f you want to add a touch of the exotic to your lifestyle or are simply searching for an exquisite gift, then the L’Indochine stores located at the 4th level of SM Mega Fashion Hall and at the 3rd level of SM Aura Premier would be perfect for you.

Put up by Char Carlos and Leona Panutat (C&L), L’Indochine features eclectic modern Asian finds that include fashion items, furniture, and home accents handmade by skilled craftsmen and local artisans from Thailand, Indonesia, India and other Asian countries.

L’Indochine is also always on the lookout for new talent, encouraging local artists, designers, and artisans to come up with concepts that showcase their skills in products that customers love. Among these fresh talents is Camille Francisco-Cabral, the Origami Dreamer, whose expertly and exquisitely illustrated totes and pouches make for great holiday presents. #LindochineLovesOD is the store’s partnership with Cabral, a designer and artist with a decade of experience in advertising, graphic design, and illustration, and has participated in various group shows such as Pablo Gallery’s It’s Complicated Exhibit in 2010, Pablo-X’s gallery 10th anniversary exhibit and the Bloom Arts Festival 2013, to name a few.

Cabral is also a freelance art director and illustrator and maintains an artistic partnership with her husband and fellow designer Dark Gravity (Patrick Cabral), and

Illustrator Camille Francisco-Cabral

is a creator of the Instagram mini-series Tiny Post It Stories.

C&L met Cabral while she was shopping at L’Indochine at Mega Fashion Hall.

Camille says that ever since she saw the first L’Indochine store at SM Aura, “I thought that every item in there has a tinge of what I love – florals, patterns, and organic shapes.”

After their chat, the L’Indochine ladies checked her Instagram account and were impressed by what they saw. “Her illustrations were so unique, interesting, and beautiful that we immediately know we wanted to work with her.”

The partnership brings together three ladies who all share the love of seeking inspiration from around the world. With these travels come exciting stories, and a culture of

Three inspiration seekers – L’Indochine’s Char and Leona with Origami Dreamer Camille looking forward to their new adventure with the #LindochineLovesOD tote and pouch collection

innovation, exploration, and experimentation.

Camille’s inspiration for Pelangi (which means rainbow in Bahasa) and Lotus Sky are her days living in Indonesia where colors predominate in the architecture textile and lifestyle of the people – a lesson in color theory all over again.

Lotus Sky evokes stark contrasts and calm solitude, reminding her of her home in Indonesia where kalachuchi trees hovered over the pool, the petals falling into the

water – the whites and yellows breaking the blueness of the water.

For her collection, Camille chose “red and white for the illustration as a tribute to the flag colors of Indonesia, a place I called my home away from home for a year.”

The #LindochineLovesOD collection is available exclusively at L’Indochine SM Mega Fashion Hall at SM Aura Premier.

HOT DEALS AT SHOP GUAM FESTIVAL

I

f the United States has a one-day Black Friday sale, Guam has a 107-day long shopping festival. And for the fourth time this year, the biggest and highly anticipated shopping event in the Western Pacific region returns with greater deals to help you with your Christmas “to-buy” list.

The Shop Guam Festival of the Guam Visitors Bureau will run through February 15 next year, and this year’s shopping edition features over 200 offers from more than 120 retail, dining and optional tours establishments.

Since the inception of this global social media marketing campaign by GVB in

2012, Guam has transformed itself into a shopper’s haven with its growing number of international retailers that offer the latest in-season designs and all-year-round outlet store shopping. For 2015, The US island territory is expecting to once again attract thousands of tourists.

Bargain hunters will surely find irresistible shopping deals in Guam as there is a wide variety of outlet stores and international retailers at the Guam Premier Outlets, Agana Shopping Center, JP Superstore and Micronesia Mall. Luxury shoppers, on the other hand, can find their

favorite brands, at discounted prices, at the Tumon Sands Plaza, The Plaza, and T Galleria – all located along Tumon strip.

On top of its tax-free shopping, Filipinos can also further maximize their retail therapy during the festival period, with the SGF coupon booklets that have hundreds of exclusive deals which they can avail across the island. This year’s coupons include special offers for shopping, food, attraction and discounts for other island establishments.

Once you’re done shopping, delight in Guam’s island activities. Guam’s neo-island

lifestyle, which is the right mix of laid-back cultural island living and modern luxurious feel, make it a perfect weekend and holiday getaway for tourists.

Located West of the Pacific, US island territory of Guam is only three-and-a-half hour away from Manila via Philippine Airlines and United Airlines. To know more about the 2015 Shop Guam Festival and the latest events news in Guam, visit the Guam Visitors Bureau’s PH Facebook page at Visit Guam PH, or follow the @visiguamph page on Instagram.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 : 2 0 1 5

C3

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS POP-UP BEAUTY

It’s always smart to start shopping early for holiday presents to avoid the crowds as Christmas draws nearer. But it can get quite difficult to find gifts for your loved ones and friends, especially those who are beauty and makeup fanatics. Here are some holiday gift ideas to get you started, from fragrances to skincare and festive makeup that’s perfect for the season.

BY JIGS MAYUGA

BVLGARI AQVA DIVINA Christmas Gift Set, P5490, Rustan’s The Roman goddess of beauty, Venus, springing out of the Mediterranean Sea from a shell, inspired Bulgari’s latest fragrance Aqua Divina. In its constant quest for ultimate luxury, Bulgari has worked with Master perfumer Alberto Morillas to create an Eau de Toilette that evokes sun-kissed skin emerging from salty water. It is a sensual fragrance of salty bergamot, pink ginger, magnolia and nude amber. This holiday gift set packaged in a beautiful gold box includes a full size 65ml bottle and miniatures in 15ml and 5ml.

LANCOME Doll Look Set, P1650, Greenbelt 5

Lancôme Doll Look: Hypnôse Doll Eyes Gift Set helps you get a natural makeup look, with gorgeous fluttering lashes. This set contains a full size Hypnôse Drama - 01 Mascara, which lets your eyelashes take center stage in a single step. The curvaceous super-sized brush for full lash contact creates high volume and thicker looking lashes.

With every stroke this glossy mascara builds a stunning gaze, for beautiful, full body lashes. The set also includes a mini Le Crayon Kohl 027 eyeliner, Lip Lover lip perfector in shade 316, a soft rose and a Vernis In Love 301 nail color.

ESTEE LAUDER Lifting/Firming Essentials,

P5900, Rustan’s A proven skin solutions regimen that delivers visible results instantly and over time. This targeted system of high-performance formulas reveals a younger, smoother, firmer, more lifted look. Includes the first-ever Shape + Fill serum for skin that looks more lifted and facial contours that look more defined. This limitedtime collection in an exclusive box includes a full size Resilience Lift Firming/Sculpting Face and Neck Creme SPF 15 and minis of the New Dimension Shape + Fill Expert Serum, Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II and Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Foam Cleanser/Purifying Mask.

HAPPY SKIN How to Make Beauty Effortless Lip & Cheek Mousse Set, P1199, Beauty Bar

M.A.C Enchanted Eve Basic Brush Kit,

P4000, SM Aura Featuring five classic M.A.C. brushes in travel sizes and limited edition designs in holiday hues. This Brush Kit gives you endless options for a look that fits any mood. Includes the 116 Blush Brush, 193 Angled Foundation Brush, 226 Small Tapered Blending Brush, 213 Fluff Brush, 266 Small Angel Brush. All brushes feature bold-hued metallic ferrules in a matching chic black ribbed clutch. Perfect for short trips or to carry with you inside your purse for quick touch-ups during the day.

For the woman who likes to keep her makeup to a minimum, Happy Skin creates a Holiday collection of their iconic Lip & Cheek Mousses in two new shades that are perfect for all skin tones. Fall In Love is a peachy glow that complements fair and warm skin tones while Laugh Always, with a universally flattering earthy-nude, makes looking and feeling beautiful a breeze. With anti-aging peptides and SPF 15 in the lightweight formula, this double-duty product also rejuvenates and protects.

STILA Eternally Yours Liquid Lipstick Set,

INGLOT Natural Palette, P5645, Glorietta 5

Inglot’s Natural Palette is a set of 10 neutral shades eyeshadows that contain special silicones and treated pigments that make them boast high lubricity and a silky touch with easy, smooth, long-lasting and crease resistant application to the lids. Ranging from the lightest beige, browns to blacks and in a variety of textures in matte, satin to metallic, this palette is perfect to create a natural eye makeup look or even a smoldering smoky eye for evening.

P2250, Rustan’s From Stila’s Sealed With A Kiss 2015 Christmas collection comes a deluxe set of their award-winning Stay-All-Day Liquid Lipstick, a full-coverage, creamy-matte color that holds tight for hours. This exclusive collection features six colors including two new shades like Caramello, a beautiful deep beige and Chianti, which is a dramatic plum hue. This Liquid Lipstick delivers bold, long-lasting color and stays in place for up to six hours of continuous wear. Vitamin E and avocado oil softens lips so they look and feel beautiful.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @jigsmayuga

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 : 2 0 1 5

C4

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Wellness Chorus – 1 Eucalyptus Heritage Oil, 30ml; 1 Rosemary Heritage Oil, 10ml; 1 Orange Heritage Oil, 10ml; 1 Small Christmas Gift Box

@LIFEatStandard

Home for the Holidays – 1 Citronella Heritage oil, 30ml; 1 Tea Tree Heritage Oil, 30ml; 1 Lavender Heritage Oil,10ml; 1 Small Christmas Gift Box

Family Cheer – 1 Sunflower Beauty Oil, 50ml; 1 Soothing Balm, 10g; 1 Sweet Orange Body Wash, 200ml; 1 Mandarin Fresh Moisturizing Shampoo, 50ml; 1 Mandarin Fresh Moisturizing Conditioner, 50ml; 1 Energizing Citrus Hand Soap 50ml; 1 Big Christmas Box

GIVE THE GIFTS OF NATURE

G

iving friends and loved ones thoughtful gifts is easy, but wrapping something that won’t only fit their personality and lifestyle but is also eco-friendly is a challenge. If you’re still on the hunt for presents that will make Mother Nature smile, all-natural personal care brand Human Nature will help you accomplish your gift list.

FOR HARDWORKING MEN

It sure is hard finding a gift for the men in our lives, so go for the no-fail solution: bath and body products that work as hard as they do. The St. Nick’s Picks, P174 (Bamboo Charcoal Cleansing Bar for Men and Oil Fighting Face Wash for Men) will give him deep cleansing, while the Santa’s Spruce Up, P379 (Bamboo Charcoal Shampoo for Men, Oil Fighting Face Wash for Men, and Bamboo Charcoal Cleansing Bar for Men) will cater to his complete bath needs.

FOR LOVELY LADIES

Got a beauty junkie friend or sister? Choose from Soap Scent-ation, P169 (Scented Cleansing Bar in Clean Cotton and Vanilla Exfoliating Bar with Loofah Exfoliants); Miss Christmas, P199 (Scented Cleansing Bar in Lavender Mint, Strengthening Shampoo in Aloe Fresh, and Healthy Lotion in Blossom Beauty); and Yuletide Trio, P289.25 (Scented Cleansing Bar in Clean Cotton, Moisturizing Shampoo in Mandarin Fresh, and Sunflower Beauty Oil). For sure, any of these will make her happy.

Human Nature Heritage Oil Collection is also a nice and thoughtful gift idea. The collection comes in two sets: the Wellness Chorus, P845 (Eucalyptus Oil, Rosemary Oil, and Orange Oil) and Home for the Holidays, P854 (Citronella Oil, Tea Tree Oil, and Lavender Oil).

Santa’s Spruce-up – 1 Human Nature for Men Face Wash, 50ml; 1 Human Nature for Men Cleansing Bar, 120g; 1 Human Nature for Men Deodorant; 50ml; 1 Human Nature for Men Hair Shaper, 50g; 1 Big Christmas Gift Box

St. Nick’s Picks – 1 Human Nature for Men Face Wash, 50ml; 1 Human Nature for Men Cleansing Bar, 120g; 1 Small Gift Box

Pocketful of Peace – 1 Citrus Burst Spray Sanitizer, 50ml; 1 Energizing Citrus Hand Soap, 50ml; 1 Rescue Balm, 10g; 1 Soothing Balm, 10g; 1 Small Christmas Box

Tiny Bubble Bundle – 1 Gummy Berry Kids Bath Soap, 120g; 1 Chocolate Adventure Kids Bath Soap, 120g; 1 Small Christmas Gift Box

Soap Scent-ation – 1 Clean Cotton Scented Cleansing Bar, 120g; 1 Vanilla Exfoliating Bar with Loofa Exfoliants, 120g; 1 Small Christmas Gift Box

Kiddie Whimsy Kit – 1 Frutti Popstar Kids Spray Sanitizer, 50ml; 1 Gummy Berry Kids Bath Soap, 120g; 1 Tangerine Tarsier Kids Shampoo and Body Wash, 200ml; 1 Big Christmas Gift Box

FOR MOMMIES AND MOMS-TO-BE Miss Christmas – 1 Lavender Mint Scented Cleansing Bar 120g, 1 Aloe Fresh Strengthening Shampoo, 50ml; 1 Blossom Beauty Healthy Lotion, 50ml; 1 Small Christmas Gift Box

Yultide Trio – 1 Lemon Zest Scented Cleansing Bar, 120g; 1 Mandarin Fresh Moisturizing Shampoo, 50ml; 1 Sunflower Beauty Oil, 50ml; 1 Big Christmas Gift Box

Unburden your friends or relatives who have young children of the task of buying personal care products for their little tots with Human Nature’s colorful and yummy-smelling goodies. Children will no longer dread taking a bath when they use Kiddie Whimsy Kit, P279.25 (Spray Sanitizer in Orange, Kids Bath Soap in Gummy Berry, and Kids Shampoo and Body Wash in Tangerine Tarsier) or the Tiny Bubble Bundle, P159 (Kids Bath Soap in Gummy Berry and Chocolate Adventure).

Your expecting mom friend or relative will surely feel more excited to welcome her baby when you give her either Baby’s First Christmas, P344 (Baby Wash, Baby Lotion, and Baby Oil) or Little Bundle of Joy, P239 (Baby Wash, Baby Lotion, and Baby Wonder Oil) gift set.

Be Merry & Well – 1 Citrus Burst Spray Sanitizer, 50ml; 1 Bug Shield Oil, 50ml; 1 Small Christmas Gift Box

FOR ADVENTURE BUDDIES

Make sure your always on-the-go friend is protected from mosquito bites and bacteria while he’s camping somewhere with the Be Merry & Well bundle. Priced at P169, this travel-ready bundle has Citrus Burst Sanitizer and Bug Shield Oil. Meanwhile, a Pocketful of Peace, P329, is for the road warrior who’s always spending the night away from home. The set contains Citrus Burst Sanitizer, Energizing Citrus Hands Soap, Soothing Balm, and Rescue Balm.

FOR THE GOOD SAMARITAN

Give a gift that gives back with social enterprise products sold at Human Nature, which include: First Harvest Peanut Spread, Pili & Pino Pinoy Trail Mix, Theo & Philo artisan chocolates, Bayani Brew, Café Lugud, Dr. Gerry’s Coco Nectar, Trese Mabuting Asal Lunch Box, Trese Kids Lunch Box, Trese Note to Self Mug, and Tom Graham’s Genius of the Poor book.

For each product sold, a meal is donated to Gawad Kalinga.

Visit www.humanheartnature.com/buy to place an order right at the comfort of your home.

F RIDAY : DECEMBER 4, 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Be one with the queen

M

adonna fans Kathrine Martinez and Mylene Manuel had the biggest musical experience of their lives when Globe Telecom brought them closer to their idol in Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour in Los Angeles in October.

Martinez, a Tattoo Home customer, and Manuel, a Globe Prepaid customer, were the lucky winners drawn from millions of entries for the Globe Rebel Heart Tour Raffle Promo. Upon subscription to Globe or Tattoo services, customers earned entries to win an all-expense paid trip to catch Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour concert in Los Angelesor tickets to Madonna’s concert in Manila on Feb. 24, 2016.

Martinez and Manuel won the LA flyaway package, which included round trip airfare, threenight hotel accommodation and $300.00 pocket money each. But the highlight of their trip was the exclusive Rebel Heart Tour concert experience made possible by Globe in collaboration with MMI Live & Live Nation, promoters of Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour. The winners were given an exclusive backstage tour where they witnessed how the grand production was done from behind-the-scenes. They were also treated to pre-concert cocktails at the Rebel Heart VIP lounge. And best of all, they had front row seats inches away from The Queen as she performed on stage her Rebel Heart hits and her iconic songs for almost three hours non-stop.

Manuel recounts her Rebel Heart Tour LA experience, “It was one for the books. Together with the other winner, Kath-

rine, we were treated like VIPs. We were able to enter the Rebel Heart Lounge, which was only meant for select VIPs. We were also given a backstage tour. We had some of the best seats in the concert. We were so close to the stage that we could actually hold Madonna if ever she held her hand out. Also, we were able to see Michael Weatherly, Ashton Kutcher, and Katy Perry who joined Madonna on stage in the latter part of the show.”

“Watching her live, up close (really close) and personal was a huge moment for me. I have always wanted to see her perform live because she truly does entertain. The lights, the stage, the productions, the dances, and the songs—everything was perfect, designed to entertain and amaze. I think if you see my horrible selfies you will see that my excitement is just palpable, my smile sort of jumps out of the fuzzy image,” shares Martinez on her bucket list moment.

Just like a true Madonna fan, even if Martinez already saw the LA tour, she would still go to the Madonna concert in Manila in February. “I have tickets to her Manila concert and after watching her in LA, I am just so excited to watch again. So I guess that just shows that watching her is really worth it. Not just because I am a fan but also because she delivers a concert performance like no other. In fact, I have been telling my friends that to see Madonna live is worth every peso.

I believe it would be difficult to top her show. If you still have the chance to get tickets, do so. You won’t regret it.”

Manuel shares the same sentiments, “Buying a ticket for the

C5

1

forthcoming Madonna show is definitely worth it. There is simply no artist like Madonna and watching her concert will leave you in awe and wanting for more. The concert is one of the best. To all Madonna fans, don’t fail to catch this once in a lifetime chance to see her concert in Manila.”

Aside from the two Madonna Rebel Heart Tour LA concert winners, other Globe customers are also set to see Madonna up close and personal for free when the Rebel Heart Tour comes to Manila on February 2016. Lucky Globe customers Imelda Infante (Patron); Ivy Rose Caleon, Brendaly Gatip, Arcel Cabaong, Rowena Punzalan, Marcela Ramos (Lower Box); Robert Cordero, Tomas Asis Jr., Dionisio Beriso Jr., Charito Tacud, Cherry Ann Pangilinan (Upper Box); Elmer Romero, Analyn Lopez, Rhey Tolentino, Abegail Glaraga, and Serna Roque (Gen Admission) get two tickets each to the Manila concert.

Madonna fans in the Philippines also have the chance to catch her live at the Rebel Heart Tour Manila presented

by Globe at the Mall of Asia Arena on Feb. 24 and 25, 2016 .

Tickets are available at SM Tickets. A special offer is also available for Lower Box ticket buyers who can avail of the tickets at 0 percent interest for a six-month installment plan.

For inquiries, please call SM tickets at 470-2222 or log on to www.smtickets.com.

Watch out for more ticket deals from Globe by visiting www. globe.com.ph/BeOnewithMadonna and following Globe on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

2

3

4

5

1 The Queen is just timeless. Manila, get ready to Be One with Madonna in February!

2 Waiting for The Queen’s grand entrance 3 Full on VIP experience at the Rebel Heart Lounge before the winners were given an exclusive backstage tour 4 Cocktails at the Rebel Heart Lounge, backstage tour and floor seats for the most wonderful concert experience 5 Globe CEO Ernest Cu joins #BeOneWithMadonna flyaway winners in LA

One of the new rides meant for kids at Star City Annex

Star City annex ‘S new rideS

S

tar City is now bigger and better with the unveiling of an open-air annex, enabling more children to enjoy the park’s attractions this holiday season. At the same time, it is introducing four new rides:

Road Race, Mini-Pirate Ship and Frosty Train for young kids, and the all-time carnival favorite Music Express.

Already the country’s only all-weather theme park, Star City now boasts an expanded space

The colorful carousel at Star City Annex

outdoors for the Kiddie Wheel, Quack Quack, Tornado, Star Frisbee, and the inflatable Fun City.

Children are sure to savor added excitement on the Road Race, which features vehicles shaped like racecars that go around in a

circle but also pop up and down.

The mini-pirate ship swings horizontally at a maximum swing angle of 60 degrees giving riders the feel of weightlessness. It is the best amusement ride to challenge children’s endurance, much like

the Viking Ship for adults.

The Italian-made Music Express, in turn, is similar to the Caterpillar ride but goes both forward and backward at higher speed.

For inquiries, and group tours, call Star City at 832-324 or 333-3578.

F RIDAY : DECEMBER 4, 2015

C6

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

PeOPle

...ARE TALKing ABOUT

A SECOnD ChAnCE The romantic drama has already smoked the competition with its massive P300-million opening week gross. This number is more than impressive as we take into account that the John Lloyd Cruz -Bea Alonzo starrer film was released alongside six other Hollywood movies. And if we extrapolate, it would be safe to say that the movie could break box office records set by The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin (2014), considered the highest-grossing local film of all time.

ELmO mAgALOnA The newest Kapuso who decided to join the Kapamilya talent pool obviously thinks he made a sound decision. Not only warmly welcomed by ABS-CBN executives, he was instantly given a television project. We understand why Kapuso let go of this fine young actor – they’re too busy focusing on just one star.

Soon enough they’d realize that they also need a talent like Elmo who is versatile in terms of what he can bring to the table. When that happens, it’s already late.

A Second Chance poster

Elmo Magalona

SUnDAy PinASAyA There are ratings records that combusted under the heat of this new player and the casualty is obviously finding it hard to recover. Many doubted that Sunday Pinasaya could compete head to head with ASAP, but their fresh formula is the reason why the latter is struggling to keep its ratings up prompting its management to make some changes and even put Banana Split (now Banana Sundae) on a different timeslot.

Cast of Sunday Pinasaya

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 46 48

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Pet lovers’ grp.

5 Boat crane 10 Cone producer 14 Kauai neighbor 15 Inner self, to Jung 16 Weaving machine 17 Toga party site 18 Mimic in a cage 19 Bosons live there 20 Mr. Toscanini 22 Courier

24 26 27 30 34 35 38 39 40 42 43

Soft shoes Ballpark figure Thoroughly Van Gogh painting Puckster Bobby — Vaccine Kind of squash Periodical, for short Yma — TNT part Helen, in Spain

Hurricane courses Amateur pro — Mack 49 Turn to bone 51 Numbers on letters (2 wds.)

53 Wannabe prince 55 Fiery gem 56 Topo map lines 60 Czech capital 64 Et — (and others) 65 Kid 67 Starlet’s dream 68 Leafy green 69 Snert’s master 70 Of an epoch 71 — so much 72 Footfalls 73 Dice throws DOWN 1 Lounge 2 Henry VIII’s sixth 3 Talk online 4 Cooling-off time 5 Sword of — (constant threat) 6 Whichever 7 Morning glory 8 Mosque officials 9 Gauguin’s island 10 Leather substitute

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015

11 12 13 21 23 25 27 28 29 31 32 33 36 37 41 44 45 47 50 52 54 56 57 58 59 61 62 63 66

Pinch Koh-i- — diamond Tube trophy Towel holders Name in cheesecake Waffle topper Mercutio’s pal Face-to-face exams Coaxes — voce Screwed things up Catty Ms. Thurman Passover staple Bough eaters Groovier Frizzy hairdo Bandy words Minors yet Dry red wine — auk or aunt Birthday treat Many a Norway king Shade of green Confucius, for one Hurt with a horn Mongolia’s — Bator Lampreys Weaken

ER Ejercito as Emilio Aguinaldo

Kathryn Bernardo in a political ad for Mar Roxas

Marlo Mortel

...ARE nOT TALKing ABOUT

gEnERAL EmiLiO AgUinALDO: ThE FiRST PhiLiPPinE PRESiDEnT EJ Ejercito’s latest film has a very clear message – it is the right film with the correct story and screenplay to inform and educate the new generation of students. It also claims that it’s backed by years of research. But local audiences are more reasonable and discerning now. And we guess they’re not yet ready to see another historical film after Heneral Luna, apart from the fact that they are still hooked with Popoy and Basha. Sorry, the timing was just a bit off.

KAThRyn BERnARDO She was also tapped to endorse a presidential candidate whose chance at winning the elections is quite blurred. It is interesting how celebrities like her became part of high-profile political campaigns but what is more intriguing though is the figure that she would receive after the job is done. And whatever her explanation is as to why she’s endorsing the candidate, we already have an impression that it’s all about the money. mARLO mORTEL His rise as a matinee idol is suddenly hampered when Elmo Magalona transferred to ABSCBN. We can’t say that the former Kapuso star stole Janella Salvador from him as his regular onscreen partner. Sometimes there are business decisions networks have to make to ensure their stables would have continuous growth. It so happens that he’s the victim of this decision.

F RIDAY : DECEMBER 4, 2015

C7

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Heart’s Beauty Book zooms to no. 1 in digital sales

What makes alex GonzaGa Confident?

from c8

H

eart Evangelista’s This is Me, Love Marie has been at the top of digital sales for two weeks after it was launched.

The actress couldn’t contain her joy after the book zoomed to no. 1 in two weeks in Buqo digital chart.

“We are still at the top of the digital chart! Get the e-book version of #ThisIsMeLoveMarie using the @buqoapp and get tips on makeup and skinThe book cover of care from your phone or tablet,” Heart posted in Heart Evangelista’s her Instagram account. guide to beauty Chiz is very proud and happy that Heart’s fans supported the book apart from welcoming it warmly.

HHHHH This is Me, Love Marie is the first beauty guide by Big-time actors for grace Poe a Filipina actress published by Summit Books. It was Senator Grace Poe is happy with her connection in released on Nov. 8. show business. She is grateful that it provided her famSays Heart, “Making the book was like writing in ily a decent life. As the adopted daughter of Fernando my diary and giving everyone a copy. Thirty years of Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces, acclaimed king and queen of Philippine movies, she couldn’t be less thankful to all everything I’ve learned,” the people who have worked with her parents and are supporting her until today.

“I’m very proud of the movie and television industry. Iyon naman ang kinalakihan ko. Iyan naman ang nagpa-aral sa akin, iyong mga tumataguyod ng pelikula kaya I’m proud of that,” Grace when interviewed on radio.

Her mother and her friends are throwing in their full support in her desire to serve the Filipino people as President. She is running in 2016 and despite Comelec’s decision to cancel her Certificate of Candidacy last Tuesday for lack of residency required of a candidate for president, she is determined to appeal the decision. She is positive that the Comele en banc will rule in her favor.

Among the big names in show business that are vocal in their support for Grace Poe include Eddie Garcia, Superstar Nora Aunor, Carmina Villaroel, Zoren Legaspi and Joey Marquez.

La Aunor openly defended Grace from the accusations thrown at the senator by her cousin Sheryl Cruz.

Eddie Garcia said he’d campaign for Grace and that wouldn’t change even if offered a large sum by her opponents.

Grace admitted that some of her friends who are director of movies and TV commercials are helping her out in the TV commercials that many Filipinos Senator Grace Poe see on TV now.

Acne has been proven to have significant effect on our psychological health. Several studies have shown that teenagers and even adults who have acne are more likely to experience low self-esteem, which may sometimes lead them to withdraw from society or suffer from depression.

When you’re a celebrity under the scrutiny of the public 24/7, breakouts can put a damper on your confidence and hold you back from performing to the best of your ability. Actress, comedienne and TV host, Alex Gonzaga is one to know this.

Whether it’s a photo shoot or a TV guesting, clear and acne-free skin gives her that much-needed boost of confidence to conquer the day’s challenges.

“In my line of work, I cannot afford to get pimples. I have to be camera-ready all the time,” the 27-year old shares “Acne affects us all – teenagers and adults alike. Having acne kills your confidence and affects the way you interact with people.

It causes emotional stress that decreases productivity and tints your outlook in life,” emphasizes Mari del Rosario, General Manager of Proactiv Philippines. She continues, “Unlike years before when we were told to just wait till we ‘grow out of acne’, easy-to-use skin care products that help treat and keep acne under control are now available in the market.”

Aside from eating healthy and getting the right amount of sleep, Alex Gonzaga shares her top secret to maintaining smooth and beautiful skin. “I use Proactiv and it’s amazing. It really works! I noticed my pores looked smaller and best of all, no more acne.”

Proactiv Solution, the #1 anti-acne system in America offers powerful and convenient 3-Step System that does not just clear your acne but also helps prevent

Alex Gonzaga is the face of ProActiv in the Philippines

pimples from coming back. Step 1 is the Renewing Cleanser, an oil-free, soap-free medicated exfoliating cleanser that kills acne-causing bacteria with U.S. prescription-grade benzoyl peroxide. Step 2 is the Revitalizing Toner, a refreshing alcohol-free toner that refines and purifies pores. Step 3 is the Repairing Treatment, a feather-light, invisible medicated treatment that kills acne-causing bacteria.

Every Proactiv kit comes with a free Proactiv Refining Mask, a rich, deep-cleansing mask formulated with sulfur, a proven acne- fighting ingredient that reaches deep into the pores where blemishes begin.

I’ve been using it for six years and I really believe in the product. My skin looks amazing. If my skin is clear, then it means my skin is happy. I am confident to face whatever it is I have to go through any day,” expresses Alex.

Celebrity or not, don’t let acne kill your vibe! Feeling good about yourself starts from having smooth and beautiful skin. Start the fight against acne and bring back that confidence you need to win at life.

Proactiv is available in 30day kit (P2,495) and in 60-day kit (P3,995) and is distributed at all Watsons nationwide.

Christmas episodes of tiny house nation and you Gotta eat here

t

his December on FYI, join Tiny House Nation’s John Weisbarth and Zach Giffin and You Gotta Eat Here’s John Catucci as they travel far and wide to highlight holiday-inspired mini homes and Christmas dishes, respectively.

Tiny House Nation Christmas Special (Dec. 24, 8 p.m.) sees Weisbarth and Giffin on a cross-country tour of America’s littlest livable homes and the people who own them. The duo also lend a helping hand to those dreaming of owning diminutive digs—among them, a family building their very own winter wonderland and another picking up the pieces after

Hurricane Katrina.

On Dec.25 at 8 p.m., see how Canada feasts for the holidays in a two-part You Gotta Eat Here Christmas Special. With recommendations from the most memorable chefs, funny man Catucci gleefully combs the nation’s iconic eateries to search for and sample some of Canada’s beloved Christmas comfort food.

Christmas cheer continues all December in FYI with reruns of your favorite home shows. On Dec. 28 at 12 noon, Tiny House Nation’s hosts come upon a family of four and their 336 square foot residence on their river rafting resort in East Tennessee. Weisbarth

and Giffin put their heads together to addresses the two teenagers’ desire for personal space.

Meanwhile, realtor Nick Waldner of Waterfront House Hunting helps two couples score their perfect waterfront properties.

In Lake Havasu Haven (Dec. 29, 3:30 p.m.), BMX biker Sam and longtime girlfriend Kelly turn to Nick for a lakefront home in Arizona, while busy bodies John and Margo enlist Nick’s services to find them a relaxing home by the sea in Beachfront Maryland Masterpieces (Dec.30, 3:30 p.m.).

FYI™ is available on SKYCable Ch 79; Cable Link Ch. 44; Dream Satellite Ch 21

See Weisbarth and Giffin embark on a cross-country tour of America's littlest livable homes and the people who own them in Tiny House Nation Christmas Special airing Dec. 24, Thursday at 8 pm

Find out how Canada feasts for the holidays in You Gotta Eat Here Christmas Special airing Dec. 25, Friday at 8 pm

C8

F RIDAY : DECEMBER 4, 2015

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

regine in Biñan on sunDay Asia’s Songbird stages a charity concert in a newly-built Alonte Sports Arena

ISAH V. RED Regine Velasquez-Alcacid and husband Ogie Alcacid are two of the most generous people in local showbiz when it comes to their time and talent. Although they rarely talk about it publicly, they each support a number of charitable institutions and have continued to do so for years.

Regine, a doting wife, handson mom and tireless performer, proves this even more by holding the benefit concert The Songbird Sings in Biñan in Laguna this week.

The concert will be held at the allnew entertainment-sports venue in the South, the Alonte Sports Arena, on Dec. 6. The arena is a flagship project of Biñan Mayor Len Alonte, and Regine’s concert is the first-ever to be held in the venue.

Mayor Alonte, one of the organizers of the charity concert, was impressed with how easy it was for them to invite Regine to perform for them. Speaking with Regine’s sister-manager, Cacai Velasquez-Mitra, they explained that the concert proceeds would go to the Unlad Biñan Foundation and Go Forward Biñan Foundation. Without hesitation, Regine and her management said “yes.”

The concert is Regine’s first concert outside Metro Manila in a long time, and the mayor is thankful she agreed to do it.

“Kaya lalong sinusuwerte si Regine dahil she’s nice at bukas siya sa mga ganitong klase ng charity project,” Alonte noted.

More so, Regine’s friends and fellow performers Jaya and Michael Pangilinan also gave their all-out support by agreeing to perform in the show. What makes it even more special is that the concert brings good friends Regine and Jaya together on stage again after a long time.

Regine’s benefit concert in Biñan,

Laguna brings together many firsts, but it certainly won’t be the last in her many acts of generosity.

The Songbird Sings in Biñan is presented by GMA Network, PLDT Home, Smart, Dela Rosa Transit, Biñan Mayor Len Alonte-Vice Mayor Arman Dimaguila, Santa Rosa Mayor Arlene Arcillas, Cong. Dan Fernandez, Ms. Dada Reyes, Kap. Em Arzola and Bjborja Productions.

Tickets are available at SM Tickets nationwide.

HHHHH Flawless’ 7+7 Beauty Deals this Christmas Flawless, the country’s leading aesthetic clinic, is passionately committed to help people achieve their beauty goals by delivering excellent service through the years.

This same commitment gave birth to the Flawless mantra “I Choose Flawless” attributed to Cleanliness, Quality and Care, the tagline now being trumpeted by its numerous clients, including celebrities.

To pay tribute to the public who made Flawless successful in all of its 14th years of partnership with people who have discriminating beauty taste, Flawless is launching the 7+7 Beauty Deals! Until the 31st in all Flawless outlets nationwide, 7+7 sessions offer 18 service combinations to choose from

Barbie Forteza and Enzo Pineda

guaranteed to to boost their beauty program and achieve their most flawless look during the holidays.

Flawless’ Age Defy Facial and Beauty Drip, an all-in-one intravenous cocktail treatment with health and beauty benefits, is a popular choice in Flawless, even show biz talk show host Lolit Solis swears by it. “Noon pa man, beauty partner ko na ang Flawless dahil iba silang mag-alaga,” says Solis.

For the younger crowd, the clinic’s most advanced treatments like Sweatox, Shape and Sculpt and Gluta White Injectable, Advanced Facials and Fractional Needling Therapy, Cell Booster Infusion Mask Facial, Mesolipo Therapy, and Vitamin C Injectable are a hit.

No wonder Barbie Forteza, Kyle Vergara, Enzo Pineda, Jhong Hilario and DJ Chacha like going to Flawless for these treatments.

“We grew in credibility and good standing with our clients,” says Rubby Sy, owner and CEO of Flawless. “That’s why we go the extra mile to make sure that we always give our clients, celebrities and non-celebrities alike, the specific beauty solution they need from our Skin Professionals.

Flawless is dedicated to deliver the clean, right kind of care with quality results. It is for these reasons that people choose Flawless!” ➜ Continued on C7

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

D1

REPORT

www.thestandard.com.ph

Christmas

Food and Gift Guide

Historical Events that took place on Christmas Day AMIDST the revelry, gift-giving, and family reunions that come with the celebration of the birth of our Savior, certain important events in history that coincide with Christmas day are bound to be overlooked. In truth, they shouldn’t be, because although no event in recorded history can be as significant as that night in Bethlehem when Jesus came to this world, they still deserve to be remembered for their importance in shaping our present world.

Here are some significant events that took place on December 25 at various points in history. You would do well to keep these in mind, because as the Holidays draw closer, you may forget them again.

1642. The Birth of Isaac Newton The physicist, mathematician and astronomer who would introduce the world to new laws of physics, including the Law of Gravity, was born in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, the United Kingdom. It would be nearly 300 years before another man would come along to expand our understanding of the universe to the same extent as Newton. This man, of course, was Albert Einstein.

1066. The Crowning of William the Conqueror In a matter of months, Duke William of Normandy successfully invaded England, and then became its king. He is best remembered for influencing the English language by introducing many Latin and French words and phrases. It was during his reign that England would become the world power that it remains to be today.

1741. The Introduction of the Centigrade Scale The Fahrenheit temperature scale, developed in 1724, remained the standard until 1741, when astronomer Anders Celsius introduced a new scale that defined the freezing point of water at 0 Turn to D6

Budgeting For Christmas: Keep Your Eyes On The Priceless Is the season getting you down? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

For many people, particularly heads of the family, Christmas can be a stressful time.

The expenses, the pressure to socialize with friends, family and business associates and of course, the artificial and commercial pressure to be cheerful and be merry can actually get you down. Not to mention the physical stress of the whirlwind of activities, the economic impact of the gift-giving, socializing and other expenses that come with the season, it’s no wonder that people can lose out on the joy that the season can bring.

“Gastos na naman,” people tend to say. “Puwede ba’ng hindi na mag-Pasko?” But sentiments like this that show that perhaps, people are losing sight of the spirit of Christmas.

Focus on the Priceless, Not The Price We’re not saying that you go all out, with no regard for your finances, but the biggest thing to remember is that Christmas is a time for being happy and making others happy. It might be trite to say, but

focus on the reason for the season. What will make you family happy? Your presence, time together, fun times, closeness– countless studies have shown that in this day and age, experience is more meaningful and has more impact than material things.

What To Spend On Should you whip out that credit card for that new cellphone your teen has been whining about? Will she be sufficiently happy enough for it to be worth the monthly payments you’re going to make?

How about that new tablet or big-screen television set? If your family doesn’t have one yet, it could mean countless hours of fun and togetherness well worth the monthly installment. Just think of it this way, what you’re paying for is the joy and happiness, not a hunk of plastic and metal.

On the other hand, if you’re just going on credit for an upgrade on a relatively new gadget, you may want to forgo that expense and instead splurge on a travel adventure for the family. While the adventure may only be lasting a few days, the memories you make will last a lifetime.

D2

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

Christmas FOOD AND GIFT GUIDE www.thestandard.com.ph

YOU want to give gifts of food to your loved ones, but you’d like to stay away from the predictable fruitcake, Christmas ham, and queso de bola.

You’d like to give something different.

The possibilities are actually numerous. But it’s important to remember that as with restaurant food, presentation is just as important as the food itself.

First, what not to do. Do not just pick a box, jar, or can of biscuits, nuts, or any such food from the shelves and wrap it. That’s the easy way out.

to your cardboard box by cutting a rectangle off the lid and pasting on a sheet of cellophane. Also, be sure to line the bottom and sides with wax paper to keep your food items clean.

Now for the contents. As we said earlier, the possibilities are numerous. But you need to be selective.

Food items thrown together with little thought will reveal just that, little thought. Come up with a theme for the food items you put into your containers, and stay consistent with it. Here are some ideas to chew on: Mixed nuts. Pick out a variety of nuts from the supermarket shelves

FOOD GIFT IDEAS

mix of biscuits in a jar or canister, it’s best to buy those that come in small packs. Get as many different kinds as you like, but be sure to get the big packages that contain the smaller packs, each of which contains about three or four biscuits. As with the nuts, create your own combinations.

Packing “bare” biscuits can prove to be a problem if you place them in a jar or canister, as they will be difficult to arrange. You can, however, place these in a box, in neat orderly piles and packed tightly enough that they don’t get easily disarranged.

Chocolates. You’ll find large packs of individually wrapped bite-size

REPORT

chocolate bars like Mars, Milky Way, Nestle’s Crunch, and Reese’s in most supermarkets. Mix as you please.

Your friends will be pleasantly surprised to find chocolate bars from different manufacturers mixed in a jar or box.

Local candies. If your budget won’t allow for imported chocolates, a native candy theme should work just fine. Polvoron, belecoy, tira-tira, and other local confections, all individually wrapped, make for a fine Filipiniana-themed food gift.

Jelly Beans. A long-time favorite of candy lovers, these colorful sweets are not just fun to munch,

for the Season

It will tell your gift recipient, “I was too lazy to put any effort into this.”

You have to exercise some creativity for your gift to be really appreciated.

So you start with the container into which you’ll put your food items.

Tin canisters, glass jars, and plastic storage containers can all serve this purpose. You’ll find these at most department stores. Or if you’re willing to make the trip, Divisoria stores offer a wide variety of these containers at great bargain prices. Another option is appropriately sized boxes.

You may even want to add a window

These come in cans, plastic bags, and jars. Cashew nuts, pecans, macadamia, almonds, pop beans, gather them all up. Bring them home, open them up, and create your own mixed nut combination. These are best placed in glass jars and canisters.

Cookies. Bake your own, or buy them. Oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies, anything you can find will go nicely into a jar of appropriate size. You can also place these into a plastic storage container or a box with a window.

Biscuits. If you want to give a neat

they also make for a pleasant display in a glass jar. Buy a big bag from the supermarket and distribute the contents among several small to medium size jars.

Other ideas: mixed M&M’s of different varieties, bare (removed from their packaging) placed in a canister, jar, or food storage container; colorful hard candies, individually wrapped, placed in a jar, canister or food storage container; piles of merengue of different colors, neatly packed in a jar, food storage container, or box; a mix of pretzels, chips, and perhaps some salted nuts, placed in food storage container or box.

After you’re done packing your food items, the next thing to do is to tie up your containers to make them gift presentation worthy.

There’s no need to wrap these anymore, as the containers are themselves the gift-wrap. Simply tie with a nice ribbon or gift cord, stick on a gift card, and you’re ready to go.

Tie your containers the same way you would tie a gift-wrapped box: with the ribbon or chord running lengthwise and crosswise and the ends meeting to form the bow. If your box has a window, you might want to put the bow a bit to the side, so you have a clear view of the contents.

Whatever you choose to pack for your food gifts, just remember that you want to impress upon your loved ones that you put in a good deal of effort to prepare these gifts for them. And you do that by putting careful thought into choosing both the container and the contents.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

Christmas FOOD AND GIFT GUIDE

REPORT

www.thestandard.com.ph

YOUR

NOCHE BUENA, YOUR WAY

FOR the typical Filipino family, nothing captures the spirit of bounty during the Christmas Season more than the Noche Buena. We can shop for budget gifts, we can opt for moderation in our Christmas decorations, but we simply cannot skimp when it comes to setting the table for the Christmas Eve feast.

Just as traditional as the practice itself is the fare that typically makes up a Noche Buena spread. The most popular must-haves include the following: Christmas Ham Lechon Queso de Bola Bibingka and Puto Bumbong Tsokolate-e or Hot Chocolate Buco or Fruit Salad

Lumpiang Ubod Macaroni Salad Leche Flan Paella Barbecue Sotanghon Soup

Now, what if we put a new spin into the Noche Buena? What if we took a more adventurous approach to our food choices? If you’ve grown just a little tired of seeing the same spread year after year, you might want to prepare a feast that’s just as sumptuous, but departs from the norm. Some suggestions for your consideration: Crispy pata. Admit it, you’re always looking for an excuse to indulge in this high-calorie dish, right? Use the Holidays as your excuse. Universally loved by Filipino meat lovers, this deep-fried favorite can take the place of your lechon and/ or barbecue. Of course, it goes without saying that your crispy pata should be served with your favorite mix of soy sauce, vinegar, onions and, if you’re into the spicy hot, siling labuyo.

Fish and seafoods. Did you ever notice that the above list is practically devoid of deep-sea delicacies? Except for some shrimps you may find in your paella, there’s nothing here that comes from the oceans. Maybe it’s because fish is considered a poor man’s food, and therefore unfit for such a lavish feast? Perish the thought. All-time favorites like camaron rebosado, inihaw na calamares, and steamed lapu-lapu deserve a place on the Noche Buena table just as much as any meat dish. And if you’re in the habit of serving pandesal to go with your queso de bola, you might want to add some Spanish-style sardines to your spread.

Lengua estofada. For sheer taste, tenderness, and texture, ox tongue is unlike any other meat out there. Prepared with button mushrooms and tomato sauce, this dish can add some exciting variety to the Noche Buena spread. You can also mix in some olives for added flavor. As an option, you can turn your lengua estofada into a lengua pastel. After you’ve prepared the dish, place it in a baking pan, top off with a layer of dough or mashed potato, and bake in the oven.

Roast chicken stuffed with glutinous rice. If someone in your family is good in the kitchen, this is definitely a must-try. Commercially available roast chickens are a dime a dozen, but have you ever seen the stuffed variety? Oh, you’ll find the occasional pandan leaves inside some roast chickens, but that doesn’t come close to the experience of cutting the fowl open and seeing a generous amount of glutinous rice, also known as malagkit, inside. Serve with thick gravy with sliced mushrooms mixed in, and you’re in for an unforgettable gustatory adventure.

Dimsum. The ever-popular beef, pork, shrimp and sharksfin dumplings, also known as siomai, served fresh from the steamer, make for a fine addition to the Noche Buena menu. You can take these with your choice of soy sauce with calamansi and chili garlic, or hot sauce. If you have a taste for anything fusion, try mixing some wasabi into your soy sauce.

Brazo de Mercedes. Light, fluffy, and sweet, this delightful dessert can take the place of your bibingka, puto bumbong, and/or leche flan. Aside from being a treat to the taste buds, a whole Brazo de Mercedes, with its light brown color and log shape, makes for a visually appealing addition to the Noche Buena table.

Fruit smoothies. Earlier, we noted that there are no seafoods among the traditional Noche Buena favorites. Another observation: tsokolate-e is the only drink in the list. Why not go for something fruity instead of chocolate-y? Whip out the

blender, and drop in pieces of mango, pineapple, avocado, strawberry, coconut, or lychee. Go ahead and create your own combinations. Be sure to add just enough water and crushed ice so that you get a nice thick slush. For non-acidic fruits like strawberry, coconut, and avocado, you can add some milk for added body and flavor.

Have something in mind other than the items listed above? Wondering why there’s no mention of pizza, liempo, sashimi, cold cuts, or some other favorites of yours? By all means, include whatever you want in your next Noche Buena feast.

Don’t let anything or anyone stop you from coming up with your own menu.

D3

D4

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

Christmas FOOD AND GIFT GUIDE

Christmas Parties The Good, the Not so Good, and the Bad HOW many Christmas parties do you typically attend each year? Which of these do you enjoy the most, and which do you enjoy the least? What makes Christmas parties enjoyable and what makes them not enjoyable?

To gain some insight into the attitudes people have towards different Christmas parties, we decided to put these questions to our friends, relatives, and other acquaintances. Below are their responses. (NOTE: The names of our respondents have been changed out of respect for their privacy.)

Paul, marketing executive I usually attend only five Christmas parties each year: those with my immediate family, those with my in-laws, those with distant relatives and in-laws, those with close friends from my high school and college days, and those with officemates.

Of these, the ones I enjoy most are with my immediate family and clan.

Most of the time, my family and I (my wife and kids) celebrate out of town to escape the bedlam of the metro.

Second most enjoyable Christmas parties for me are the ones with close friends from way back. We just get together for a good time. No hang-ups, no bragging, just shared quality fun time.

Office parties? These are hit or miss depending on the crowd. Every year we have departed employees and new employees, so you never know what to expect. Actually, office parties feel somewhat obligatory. My feeling is, we socialize year round anyway.

The ones I enjoy least are those with my distant in-laws. The old-school set who have nothing nice to say and just tease you about the weight you’ve gained and other physical attributes.

For me, the most meaningful gatherings are those where you can come as you are and know you’ll be accepted and loved for it.

Clifford, freelance marketing consultant Being self-employed, I am no longer

REPORT

www.thestandard.com.ph

compelled to attend office Christmas parties. That’s a big relief, as I never enjoyed them anyway. I do get invited to some of my clients’ Christmas parties, but then I can choose which ones to accept (usually companies where I have personal friendships with my contacts) and which ones to politely decline. On average, I end up attending two to three such parties every year.

I also attend three family Christmas parties. These are 1) with my immediate family: my parents, brothers, sister-in-law, nephews and nieces. 2) with my extended family to include uncles, aunts, and cousins. 3) my in-laws, mainly my parents-in-law, brothers and sisters in law, and their children.

I used to really detest having to attend office Christmas parties. I would usually just make sure that the bosses saw me, maybe have a short chat with the really important ones, then quietly slip away. Parang puro plastican lang kasi. I also hated it when we were required to prepare a “number” that we were to present during the party.

My hands-down favorite party is the one with my immediate family as we have been celebrating that for as long as I can remember. That party is always celebrated in my parents’ house and starts with a potluck dinner. Then we just stay there playing games or watching videos until almost midnight when everyone gets presents from everyone else. The kids wait for Santa who has always managed to deliver presents without being seen.

Ella, call center HR manager I get invited to a lot of Christmas parties, but I only attend four: the company Christmas party, because I have no choice and I’m already there at the office; the party with my parents; the party with my husband’s entire family (his parents, siblings, and their respective families); and the private party with my husband.

Of these, the most festive is the company party because there’s a program, and it’s usually held at a restaurant

or large bar near the office. The one I usually enjoy the least is the party with the in-laws. Some of them tend to give more weight to the price of the gift rather than the thought behind it.

I even have nephews and nieces who only recognize me when it’s time for them to receive their Aguinaldo. The one I enjoy the most is my Christmas dinner with my husband.

But if I could go back in time, the most meaningful Christmas parties for me were those when I was a kid. We really felt the Christmas spirit then. Everything was in abundance then. Food, decorations, gifts. We would go to my uncle’s place, a big house where all our relatives would gather. There was a really huge Christmas tree in the center with a lot of gifts underneath. In the words of Stevie Wonder, my only worry was for Christmas what would be my toy.

Raquel, pharmaceutical company chemist When I graduated from high school, I thought I would never have to take part in another stage production again. I was wrong. In my second year, we had to mount a play as part of our requirements for completion of our literature course. When I graduated from college, I thought, finally I’m done with that. I was wrong again.

The annual Christmas party of the company where I work requires each department to put up a production number. My first year there, I was cast in the lead for this skit we put up, because, I was told, I looked the part.

The audience enjoyed our number, but I didn’t. It’s been that way for the seven years that I’ve been working there. Our production has varied year after year, but for some reason, I’m often asked to play a major role.

For this reason, I would have to rank company parties as my least favorite of all. Sure, they can be fun, and there’s the usual raffling off of prizes, but for me, the effort we have to put into each production just isn’t worth it. But I guess that’s just the way it is.

A gift of good health this Christmas Stuck for a present this Christmas? Looking for that different gift? Or make someone’s Christmas?

How about a “Gift of Good Health” for the Holiday Season?

From the brand that gives you the best in slow juicing, HUROM’s first and exclusive Slow Squeezing Technology produces purer juice, for better nutrition. HUROM can squeeze various types of fruits and vegetables, extracts large amounts of juice at once and can make mixed juices.

Unlike other juicers, HUROM Slow Juicer preserves the natural taste and nutrition not by grinding but squeezing raw ingredients through globally innovative Slow Squeezing Technology. That would mean 75% more juice, so you get more nutrients, more minerals, more enzymes and more flavor. Highly beneficial nutrients such as Vitamins A & C, Phtyochemicals, Potassium found in fresh fruits and veggies are preserved with the Slow Squeezing Technology of HUROM Slow Juicer. In effect, juices produced from a HUROM Slow Juicer has the natural flavor and nutrition of fresh fruits and vegetables.

With all the versatility of a HUROM Slow Juicer, you get so much for almost 0% interest with HUROM’s special promotional offer!

With HUROM Slow Juicer, it will definitely be a merry, healthy Christmas for one and all!

Check out HUROM Slow Juicer at Rustan’s, Landmark, S&R, Abenson, Wilcon, SM, Handyman, Robinsons, FairNSquare Emporium, Puregold, Shop TV (817-7000) and Tele V shop. Call (02) 426- 0600 for deliveries in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

For more Hurom info and updates, like us on Facebook, http://www. facebook.com/HuromPhilippinesOfficial

CHRISTMAS BAZAARS Marikina Riverbanks Christmas Saya Bazaar When: October 1 - January 17, 2015; 2:00p.m.

- 12:00a.m. (Sundays - Thursdays), 2:00 p.m. 2:00 a.m. (Fridays, Saturdays, Holidays) Where: Riverbanks Center, Bonifacio Ave., Marikina Philippine Toys, Gifts, Housewares and Christmas Decor When: October 9 to November 2, 2015 Where: Greenhills Shopping Center Noel Christmas Bazaar Swings South When: October 16-18,2015; November 26-30, 2015; December 18-20, 2015 Where: Filinvest Tent, Alabang; World Trade Center, Pasay; SMX Convention Center, MOA, PAsay City Grand Bazaar at The Elements Tent When: October 17-18, 2015; November 14-15, 2015 Where: The Elements Tent, Centris, Quezon City Pinoy Ito! Bazaar When: October 17-18, 2015 Where: Cuenca Covered Court, Ayala Alabang Village Likhang Habi Market Fair When: October 23-25, 2015 Where: Glorietta Activity Center, Makati City Christmas in October Bazaar When: October 23-25, 2015 Where: Il Terrazzo Mall. Tomas Morato, Quezon City The Green Christmas Bazaar When: November 7, 2015 Where: SMX Convention Center, MOA, Pasay City Contact info: info@ember.ph Kris Kringle Bazaar @ Rockwell When: November 8, 2015; 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Where: Rockwell Tent, Powerplant Mall, Makati City Contact info:FACEBOOK .com/kriskringle2015 Rockwell’s Holiday Bazaar When: November 13-15, 2015; November 27-29, 2015; Deecember 4-6, 2015 Where: Rockwell Tent, Powerplant Mall, Makati City St. James the Great Christmas Bazaar When: November 27-30, 2015; 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Where: Cuenca Community Center, Ayala Alabang Village Merry and Bright Christmas Bazaar When: November 28-29, 2015; 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Ehere: Valle Verde I Village Park, Suha corner Mabolo Street, Pasig City Bright Lights Christmas Bazaar When: UP Balay Kalinaw, UP Diliman Where: 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Grand Yard (Ukay-Ukay) Pre-Holiday Christmas Bazaar Sale When: November 30, 2015; 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Where: NIA Village, basketball Covered Court, Pantabangan Street Santa’s Chistmas Bazaar When: December 4-6, 2015; 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Where: La Vista Clubhouse and Basketball Court, Quezon City Holiday Rush Sale When: December 5-6, 2015 Where: Megatrade Hall 3, Sm Mega Mall, Ortigas Rotary International Christmas Bazaar When: December 12-13, 2015; 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Where: SMX Convention Center Manila, MOA Complex, Pasay City.

Contact info: 09178718972 OFW/SME Business Christmas Expo When: December 15-16, 2015 Where: Megatrade Hall 2, SM Megamall, Ortigas

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5

D6

Christmas FOOD AND GIFT GUIDE

REPORT

www.thestandard.com.ph

THE MANILA HOTEL’S COLONIAL CHRISTMAS VILLAGE It is the grandest time of the year once again at the Grand Dame this Christmas season. With the commitment to make worthwhile memories, especially for children, The Manila Hotel prepared something big this year---its very own Colonial Christmas Village! A magical and whimsical Christmas holiday experience awaits the whole family when they stay at the heart of Manila.

Take a stroll down Parsons street and be taken back to time colonial where street lamp posts are lit to guide you on your tour. Drop by the Town Mayor’s office to get your passes and enjoy each stop along your way with your little surprises.

Drop by Willy’s Emporium where you can redeem or buy your own “Willy” the bear and unique finds like colonial toy trains from UK based toy shop, Hamleys. Visit

the Page, Turner, & Co., and spark your imagination with our storytelling activities every Saturday and Sunday. Read and draw your hearts out with books from Adarna House. Enjoy a can of cookies and a hearty kiddie meal prepared by the chefs of The Manila Hotel just for you at the Patisserie Bakeshop and Tea Hall.

Enjoy all-time Christmas movies inside the Grand View Cinema with your own popcorn bag, cotton candy swirl and ice cream bar.

Unveiling the very first colonial Christmas Village of The Manila Hotel is its Resident Manager, Gerhard Doll, who welcomed guests dressed as the Town Mayor together with the Assistant Vice-President for Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Nian Liwanag-Rigor. As a gift to the wonderful kids of House of Refuge, the Hotel’s

chosen beneficiary for this year, they were the first ones to experience to walk down Parsons Street and enjoy the activities of the Christmas Village.

The Hotel’s Christmas village is made possible through the partnerships with Hamleys of London Ltd., the oldest toy shop in the world and one of the world’s best-known retailers of toys and Adarna House Inc., a publishing house known for its storytelling sessions. Epson Philippines provided decorative wallpapers for the entire village making it look like a street from a glorious past.

To make your experience in our Christmas village more memorable, stay in one of our Superior Deluxe Rooms via our Christmas Village Room Package for only PhP16,000.00 NET. Get one (1) bear, one (1) regular Christmas Village ticket, and a

P3,000 F&B gift voucher OR one (1) hour signature massage for two (2) adults. The package includes a buffet breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children (12 years old and below) at the famed Café Ilang-Ilang. As a treat, welcome fruits and kids amenities for your little ones such as robe, slippers, toothbrush set, step stool, welcome marshmallows, cookies and a glass of milk will be waiting for you!

The Manila Hotel’s Christmas Village is open everyday until January 02, 2016 from 1:00PM to 9:00PM. Christmas Village ticket prices are PhP1,500.00 (Golden Ticket) and PhP800.00 (Companion Ticket). For inquiries about Room Packages, please call our Reservations Team at 5270011 local 1175 to 1179. And for ticket inquiries and purchase, please call our Concierge Team at 527-0011 local 7.

Historical...From D1

One of the best-known stories of World War I. On December 25, German and British troops agreed to hold a temporary ceasefire so that both sides could celebrate Christmas. Not only did they stop hostilities, they even sang Christmas carols, exchanged greetings and gifts, and played friendly soccer matches. They resumed fighting soon after New Year’s Day. 1918. The Birth of Anwar Sadat The man known for initiating peace negotiations with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin was born in Egypt on Christmas day. Sixty years later, he and Begin shared the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in the peace treaty between their nations that would eventually be formalized in 1979.

The treaty made Egypt the first Arab nation to recognize Israel.

1926. The Rise of Hirohito to Emperor After his father Yoshito died in 1926, Hirohito assumed the throne, to begin

a 63-year reign that would include a widespread invasion of Asian neighbors during World War II. His reign ended when he died on January 7, 1989. As he succeeded his father, so did his son Akihito succeed him.

otal stars in the early years of Hollywood. To this day, his impact on filmmaking is felt, and his movies are enjoyed by film enthusiasts everywhere.

1989. The Execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu

1968. The Apollo 8 Moon Orbit Just seven months before Apollo 11 would make history by landing on the moon, America sent astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders into space on the Apollo 8. They became the first humans to orbit the moon. From the spacecraft, Borman signed off, “And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas -- and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth.”

The second and last leader of Communist Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu was a brutal dictator who mismanaged his country’s economy, leading it to financial ruin. A popular revolt backed by the military unseated him, ending 24 years of rule and leading to his execution, alongside his wife Elena. The dual executions signaled the end of Communism in Romania.

1977. The Death of Charlie Chaplin.

1990. The First Test Run of the Internet

The genius behind such comedy classics as The Gold Rush, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator received his Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award in 1972. Five years later, he passed away at the age of 88. Chaplin was one of the piv-

The first ever web server, info. cern.ch, was started up, and global transmission of information would never be the same.

Initially designed for exchange of information within the scientific and military sectors, the internet has since exploded

into the consciousness of billions of people worldwide. And it all started on Christmas day of 1990.

1991. The End of the Cold War. The resignation of Mikhail Gorbachev as Soviet president was followed immediately by

the dissolution of the Soviet Union itself the next day. Boris Yeltsin took over Gorbachev’s office two days later. A new Russia was born, and the long-standing silent animosity and mistrust between the US and the Soviets came to an end. It was, indeed, a Merry Christmas for the two superpowers.

THE STANDARD

2015

VISIONARY

Awards AWARDEES:

RACHEL HARRISON (AUTISM AWARENESS AND EDUCATION) • WAYA ARAOS WIJANGCO (SPECIAL NEEDS CULINARY ARTS EDUCATION) • CHARIE VILLA (CITIZEN JOURNALISM) • JAAFAR KIMPA (MUSLIM RIGHTS)• CASIMIRO OLVIDA (WATERSHED PROTECTION) • SLIM’S FASHION & ARTS SCHOOL SANDY HIGGINS AND MARK HIGGINS (FASHION EDUCATION) • LENORA CABILI (FASHION) • QUINTIN PASTRANA (READING AND LITERACY ADVANCEMENT)• MAIKI ORETA (CHILDREN ADVOCACY) • HINDY TANTOCO (SUSTAINABLE LIVING) • ROBERTA DANS THOMAS (ARTS AND CULTURE) • CRISTINA LIAMZON AND EDGARDO VALENZUELA, KEVIN LEE, MA. INES FERNANDEZ, JOHN PAUL MAUNES (SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP) • XYZA CRUZ BACANI (YOUNG VISIONARY FOR PHOTOGRAPHY) • AISA MIJENO AND RAPHAEL MIJENO (YOUNG VISIONARY FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY) • CHARLENE TAN (YOUNG VISIONARY FOR COMMUNITY SHARED AGRICULTURE) • JASON BUENSALIDO (YOUNG VISIONARY FOR ARCHITECTURE) • CRISTALLE BELO HENARES (YOUNG VISIONARY FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP) • ROLANDREI VIKTOR VARONA (YOUNG VISIONARY FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP)

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Savor the Flavors of Christmas Cafe Maxims presents its Holiday Hampers

Christmas is a time for giving and there’s no better way to spread the spirit of the holidays than with a festive gift. Café Maxims offers the perfect Yuletide present as its kitchen of gourmet chefs and pastry artisans prepare special ‘Christmas Gifts and Hampers’ to have and to share this merry season.

Resorts World Manila’s (RWM) signature coffee bar and lounge opens up its pantry to gourmands who want to share some season’s cheers through a basket full of treats both savory and sweet. Host a memorable feast with the family or send out a gourmet gift to your friends with Café Maxims’ special set of ‘Holiday Baskets’ and ‘Season’s Treats’.

Choose between Café Maxims’ indulgent ‘Holiday Baskets’ and brighten up gatherings with a magnificent main course and hearty sides to boot. Get the Roast Turkey set and dig into this juicy entrée served with bread pudding, vegetable fricassée, and baby potatoes together with cranberry sauce and turkey jus for only Php7,800 net. Pick the Roast Beef set and wolf down a slab of lean imported meat paired with sides of ratatouille, baby potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding served along with veal jus for just Php8,800 net.

Make the season even sweeter with a choice of pre-packed ‘Season’s Treats’ with sets priced between Php2,500 to Php5,800 each. Guests also have the option to get creative and arrange a unique Christmas package from a list of pastries and choc-

olates. Pack in an assortment of sweets such as Christmas puddings, chocolate and ginger bread Christmas trees, Christmas stollen breads, basler läckerli, cinnamon cookies, gingerbread houses, as well as chocolate Santas, Santa boots, and Christmas candles. Complete the treat with a choice of snowy Christmas cakes, Christmas fruitcakes, and other signature desserts from Motta, Bauli, and Balocco. Of course, don’t forget to add a bottle of red, white, or sparkling wine as well as premium liquors to make the present even more special.

Make Christmas all that merrier for you and your loved ones with Café Maxims’ ‘Christmas Gifts and Hampers’. Allow at least five days lead time for orders.

Café Maxims is located at the Ground Floor of Resorts World Manila all-suite Maxims Hotel.

Call (02) 908 8885 or e-mail F&BCafeMaxims@ rwmanila.com to order. For more information visit www.rwmanila.com or call the Tourist/Visitor Hotline at (632) 908-8833.

RWM is the first one-stop, non-stop entertainment and leisure destination in the Philippines that features recreational thrills, world-class performances, unique events, and exciting lifestyle options.

Conveniently located across Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, RWM is an instant gateway to world-class Philippine hospitality and is home to four lodging brands, (MAXIMS Hotel, MARRIOTT Hotel Manila, REMINGTON Hotel, and BELMONT Hotel), a three-story convention center housing the country’s largest hotel ballroom (Marriott Grand Ballroom), and two more hotels (SHERATON Hotel Manila and HILTON Manila Hotel) currently under construction.

Also home to RWM is NEWPORT Mall which features international luxury brands, state-ofthe-art movie theaters at Newport Cinemas, an award-winning, ultra-modern Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT), and a cozy, 24/7 entertainment hub at Bar 360. Dine in one of almost 50 restaurant outlets offering a diverse selection of local and world cuisine, prepared by top Filipino and foreign chefs and paired with a wide selection of the finest wines and popular liquors.

Resorts World Manila— Nothing Compares.