The Standard - 2015 December 28 - Monday

VOL. XXIX NO. 319 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 MONday : dECEMBER 28, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Poe goes to court today for reversal

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camPerS retake kalayaan iSland ALMOST 50 young Filipinos are camping on a remote Philippineheld island in the South China Sea in a symbolic stand against China’s claim to most of the waterway, officials said Sunday.

Organizers of the group, calling itself Kalayaan Atin Ito (Kalayaan This Is Ours), said 47 of them arrived Saturday on the island of Pag-asa, also known as Thitu, in the Spratlys chain.

“Kalayaan,” the Filipino word for freedom, is also the name of the township established by the Philippines in the Spratlys

to assert its claim to part of the island chain.

The government had opposed the landing, initiated by a former Navy officer, Nick Faeldon. But President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Herminio Coloma said Sunday it understood the group’s intentions.

“We recognize the patriotism of these youths that made them venture out,” he told reporters.

But he also reiterated that they should seek “alternative ways” to show their support, expressing concern for their safety in traveling the 500 kilometers from Palawan to the tiny island of Pag-asa.

Photographs and messages from the group posted on their website showed them posing on a beach.

A message on a Facebook page also urged Aquino to “inform the people correctly without sugar coating the truth about Chinese invasion of our Exclusive Economic Zone.”

Members of the group had previously accused the government of not doing enough to stand up to China.

A coordinator of the group, Joy Ban-eg, said the 47 men and women had arrived on Saturday on a chartered launch and would depart on Monday.

She said China had not attempted to block them from reaching the island, adding that they would consult the local residents and the military detachment.

But she said their voyage itself was an act of defiance against China, which claims al-

most all of the South China Sea despite conflicting claims from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

She cited the international arbitration case now pending in The Hague where the Philippines is challenging China’s territorial claims.

China has refused to recognize the proceedings.

Despite having one of the weakest militaries in the region, the Philippines has been the most vocal in challenging China’s claims to the South China Sea. Over state-run radio dzRB, Coloma said the military had appealed to the group several times to cancel their trip due to the dangers.

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‘This is ours.’ This photo taken on Dec. 26 shows young Filipinos posing on Pag-asa island, part of the disputed Spratly group of islands, in the South China Sea to announce that the Philippines owns the island. AFP

Govt won’t talk peace with Sison anymore

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Reds charge P300k for campaign permit

By Christine F. Herrera THE government on Sunday said communist rebels have imposed a flat-rate of P300,000 on all mayoralty candidates for “permits to campaign” and “permits to win” in the 2016 elections.

Government chief peace negotiator

with the National Democratic Front Undersecretary Alex Padilla said the New People’s Army has also made its recruits salaried cadres receiving wages of P3,500 a month and a subsidy of one sack of rice a month.

In an interview over radio dzBB, Padilla expressed fears that the NPA cadres are no longer operating based

on ideology but for money.

“We are concerned about this development. They now charge all mayoralty candidates to pay a flat rate of P300,000 for a permit to campaign. Not just the mayoralty candidates but also the councilors, congressmen and senators. The higher the office, the bigger the fees,” Padilla told dzBB. Next page

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Campers...

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Dangerous toys. These children were photographed while playing with dangerous toy guns near the US Embassy on Roxas Boulevard. PNA

“We continue to hope and pray that their trip would be safe. We will continue to monitor their trip and will also help them if the need arises,” Coloma said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command said the group was intercepted by the Navy on their way to PagAsa Island but Faeldon and his group grew aggressive, forcing authorities to allow them to pass rather than have a skirmish break out at sea.

The AFP said penalties await the owner of the vessel, which took on the group.

A recent survey commissioned by The Standard showed that a majority of Filipinos want a peaceful settlement of the ongoing maritime dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea. But most respondents in the survey by resident pollster Junie Laylo also said it was important to foster “strategic partnerships” with Japan and Vietnam and even approved of joint military exercises with the Japanese.

China’s intrusions in the West Philippine Sea, or South China Sea, remained the Filipinos’ top foreign policy concern, the same survey showed. Agence France Presse, Sandy Araneta

Govt won’t talk to Sison anymore

By Christine F. Herrera

AFTER almost six years, the Aquino administration on Sunday declared they have been talking peace with the “wrong people” by going through selfexiled communist leaders Jose Ma. Sison and Luis Jalandoni, and said the next administration should deal directly with the communist rebels on the ground.

In an interview over radio dzBB, the government’s chief peace negotiator Undersecretary

Alex Padilla said a resumption of peace talks with the National Democratic Front, led by Sison and Jalandoni, was unlikely.

Padilla advised the next administration to negotiate directly with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army instead of the NDF. “We are talking to the wrong people in the NDF. The NDF has no control over NPA. That is very clear to us now. The NPA is the military wing of the CPP. The NDF does not say if the NPA is part of the NDF. Even Joma Sison does not admit he is part of the CPP. The one that gives orders to the NPA is the CPP. Now if the CPP gives orders to the NPA, then we should be talking to the CPP, not the NDF,” Padilla said.

Padilla lamented that the government had overlooked this fact for the last 30 years, and admitted this was one of the hardest lessons he learned from the peace negotiations.

Because the NDF had no control over the CPP-NPA, any agreement reached with it

Reds...

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In the past, Padilla said the candidates could still negotiate the rate.

Now, he said, the NPA has imposed a flat rate.

“This is alarming because they are demanding more money and are being very bold about it,” Padilla said in Filipino. “Regardless of their strength in an area, they are demanding payment, and what is sad is that it looks like some candidates are paying.”

Intelligence reports reaching his

would not be binding on the communist rebels, Padilla said.

“It’s been 30 years that we have been talking to the NDF. I maybe am the fifth panel head and we have been talking to one and the same panel that is principally in Utrecht. So my question is, is the NDF the right group to talk peace with? If they are indeed serious about talking peace, perhaps the right group to talk to is the CPP because they are the ones that control the armed-wing, NPA,” Padilla said.

Padilla said that while the NDF claims to be a coalition of revolutionary organizations that includes peasants, students and the religious, the CPP-NPA is not among them.

He added that when Sison and Jalandoni faced the government peace panel, their declarations were different from what the CPPNPA stood for.

He said Ang Bayan, the official newsletter of the CPP, was consistent in claiming they would use the peace negotiations to promote the communist propaganda to bring down the government through armed struggle.

“That’s why they wanted their consultants to be released by the government so they can regroup and push for the armed struggle. They were released on the premise that they would involve themselves in promoting peace and to put an end to the 47-year-old insurgency. But they all went underground again,” he said. “Sison’s hold over the CPP is not clear since he is just a consultant of the NDF.” “Joma Sison does not admit he is the leader of CPP-NPA. We all know that he was the one who formed the CPP and built up the NPA. But if we are talking peace, it should be the NPA and CPP that we should negotiate with,” Padilla said.

“These are the hard lessons we have learned that we wanted to share with the next administration,” he said.

office showed that the CPP-NPA has also imposed the same flat rate for a “permit to win,” he said.

“The permit to win must be paid because even if the candidate has already won, they would not allow him or her to assume power until the CPP-NPA gets paid. They would harass and terrorize the winners until they pay up,” Padilla said.

This includes mounting an ambush against the winner or sending out death threats, Padilla said.

“The candidates or even winners don’t feel safe. They get scared because the CPP-NPA are armed and they have the power and capability

Padilla also questioned the NDF’s sincerity in confidence building, citing its constant demand that the government release its consultants.

“The government has already released nine NDF consultants. But the number keeps growing. In June 2011, they only claimed they have 17 or 18 consultants. Then it grew to 500. And when the government conceded and released nine of them, we found out they went back underground and rejoined the armed struggle,” Padilla said.

He said that while the government and the NDF agreed to a ceasefire while peace talks were ongoing, the NDF could not order the NPA to honor the agreement.

“Let’s push it to logical conclusion. Let’s say the NDF signs an agreement, but the CPP doesn’t approve, or doesn’t want to give up control of the NPA. What happens to the agreement?” he said in Filipino. “It would become a piece of paper with no effect. Should we continue talking to the NDF?” In retrospect, Padilla said, this was why talking peace with the NDF was futile after 30 years of negotiation.

“It’s about time the negotiations be localized. The negotiations must be done with those directly involved in the armed struggle here in the country,” he said.

Padilla said through informal channels, the government had tried to reach out to the communist insurgents and start engaging in confidence building measures again, adding that a temporary truce during next year’s elections would be a good start.

“If they cannot even enforce a temporary truce during the elections, how can we possibly discuss even bigger concerns such as the comprehensive agreements, agrarian reform and human rights and putting an end to the 47-year-old insurgency?” Padilla said.

to do it,” he said.

Padilla said the Armed Forces of the Philippines can only do so much and could not protect all areas.

“The CPP-NPA is using fear to get what they wanted,” he said.

Padilla said the sources of funds of the CPP-NPA used to come from abroad. Now, he said, they raise funds domestically.

“They impose revolutionary taxes on companies. Now they use the elections to raise funds,” he said.

The CPP-NPA has learned to consider itself the government and so they started aggressively imposing revolutionary taxes particularly

The Palace on Sunday dismissed as propaganda a claim by the CPP-NPA that it was expanding its reach in Northern Mindanao.

“There is no truth to the propaganda of the CPP-NPA regarding their widening of their force in Mindanao,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. over state-run radio dzRB. Coloma said the latest data gathered by the Cabinet security cluster from the Armed Forces showed that the number of CPP-NPA members had dropped from 2,035 in 2014 to 1,691 in 2015, and that the number of affected barangays had fallen from 547 to 414.

The contending forces traded accusations and counter-claims on the eve of the 47th anniversary of the CPP Saturday with the communist front citing strategic achievements that the military dismissed as lies.

Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, spokesman of the National Democratic Front-Mindanao, said the guerrilla fronts established rose from 40 during the first year of President Benigno Aquino III to 46 in five regions in Mindanao.

“Not one was dismantled despite the ferocity of the attacks” under the government’s counter-insurgency program, Oplan Bayanihan, he said.

Also on Sunday, presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe said an extension of the ceasefire could reopen talks with the communist rebels.

“An extension of the ceasefire would be a goodwill gesture that could lead us back to the negotiating table. Armed conflicts must end.

People are already weary of violence,” Poe said.

The government and the CCP have declared a 12-day ceasefire, beginning Dec. 23 until Jan. 3. Both parties said the truce was in solidarity with the traditional celebration of Christmas and New Year. With Sandy Araneta, Macon Ramos-Araneta, PNA

in areas where there were mining companies.

While he has yet to confirm reports that the insurgents were involved in maintaining marijuana plantations, Padilla said, he would not be surprised if they did so.

“We also received reports that they are now paying regular compensation to the NPA guerrillas.

Unlike before or 10 years ago, when they were purely volunteers,” Padilla said.

This only goes to show that the NPA guerrillas are building up an army by paying its members.

Padilla said the number of NPA

guerrillas has dwindled from 25,000 during the Marcos administration to the present 4,000.

But Padilla acknowledged that the CPP-NPA has a support base of around threee million to four million.

“The support base is not armed,” he added. “The armed group is 4,000. Of course they will dispute that... They are organizing political communities, that’s the base of three million to four million. That’s still a fairly large part of the population. That’s why I say they can’t be crushed; we have to go through negotiations. But the sincerity has to be on both sides.”

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Francis offers message of hope VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis offered a Christmas message Friday of mitigated hope for an end to the world’s conflicts, backing the recent accords on Syria and Libya and praising those who shelter migrants.

Ready for the revelry. Women on Malong Street in Tondo, Manila, make colorful paper horns outside their homes that will be picked by merchants who will sell them for the new year revelry. Ey AcAsio

Insurance aid to senior citizens PASIG City Rep. Roman Romulo, a senatorial candidate, wants the Insurance Commission to penalize private healthmaintenance organizations that discriminate against the country’s more than sixmillion senior citizens.

Romulo has filed House Bill 6348—the proposed Anti-Health care Age Discrimination Act—which imposes administrative fines of up to P300,000 on HMOs that refuse to sign up individuals who are 60 years old and above.

The bill also entitles every senior citizen “to moral and exemplary damages” in the event he or she is denied HMO coverage.

Several HMOs unjustly

impose an age ceiling that automatically disqualifies people who are 60 years old and above, according to Romulo.

He says other HMOs refuse to renew the coverage of plan holders when they reach 60.

“This constitutes strong age discrimination, which is totally unfair and simply unacceptable,” Romulo said.

He invoked Section 11, Article 13 of the Constitution, which mandates the State to make essential health-care services available to all, especially the elderly, at affordable cost.

“We must stress that the State and the private sector have a shared duty to improve the welfare of our senior citizens,” Romulo said.

HMOs provide prepaid

health insurance plans to enrolled members through a network of contracted hospitals and doctors.

There are 23 HMOs doing business in the country, and together they now have more than four-million plan holders.

Just last month, President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order 192, which transferred the supervision and regulation of HMOs to the Insurance Commission from the Department of Health.

“With or without our bill, the [commission] should compel HMOs to accept senior citizens seeking coverage or face financial punishment and other administrative sanctions,” Romulo said.

“We pray... that the agreement reached in the United Nations may succeed in halting as quickly as possible the clash of arms in Syria,” he said, while urging that “the agreement on Libya be supported by all.”

Delivering his Christmas message from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, the 79-year-old pontiff touched on several other conflict zones, including Iraq, Yemen, the DR Congo, Burundi and South Sudan following a year of violence and suffering that forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

The pope, addressing tens of thousands of pilgrims in the sunny square, also decried the “brutal acts of terrorism, particularly the recent massacres which took place in Egyptian airspace, in Beirut, Paris, Bamako and Tunis.”

After a year that saw more than one million migrants reach Europe, Francis praised those who shelter them, asking God to “repay all those, both individuals and states, who generously work to provide assistance and welcome” to them.

The leader of the world’s 1.2-billion Catholics also used the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) address to denounce the destruction of cultural heritage.

In a clear reference to the Islamic State group, he said their “atrocities... do not even spare the historical and cultural patrimony of entire peoples.”

IS has launched a campaign of destruction against buildings and monuments that fall outside its harsh interpretation of Islam, ranging from Christian churches to Muslim graves, as well as ancient treasures like the temples of Palmyra.

The plight of embattled Christians in the Middle East, especially where they

have been threatened by the advance of IS, has been thrown into the spotlight this year, and in Iraq, the mood was sombre.

“We are praying for the restoration of peace and security and the return of the displaced to their land,” said a worshiper at Our Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad, one member of a dwindling Christian community trickling into churches.

She said 12 of her relatives lost their homes when IS took over Iraq’s second city Mosul in 2014 and ordered Christians to convert to Islam, to pay a heavy tax as secondclass citizens or face death.

Anglican leader Justin Welby said Friday that Christians faced “elimination” in the Middle East by IS jihadists, labeling the group a modern-day version of the tyrannical biblical king Herod.

IS has attacked Christians, Yazidis, Shiites and other minorities across the region, killing thousands and uprooting ancient communities from ancestral lands.

“They hate difference, whether it is Muslims who think differently, Yazidis or Christians, and because of them the Christians face elimination in the very region in which Christian faith began,” the archbishop of Canterbury said in his Christmas Day sermon.

“This apocalypse is defined by themselves and heralded only by the angel of death.”

He likened IS to Herod, who, according to historical accounts, killed several members of his own family and in the Bible massacred Bethlehem’s male infants to prevent the prophesied rise of Jesus.

The Middle East is home to ancient Christian and other minority communities, but their numbers have dimin-

ished rapidly in recent years amid war and mounting religious intolerance.

In many countries across the world, Christians were fearful for their future, and some were even prohibited from celebrating the holy day.

In Niger, where antiChristian riots in January left several people dead and destroyed many Christian churches and schools, police stood on guard as worshipers filed in for Christmas services.

In her annual Christmas address Friday, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain highlighted the triumph of good over evil after a string of terrorist attacks that blighted 2015.

“It is true that the world has had to confront moments of darkness this year, but... ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it,’” she said quoting the Gospel of John.

A total of 130 people were killed in the November 13 attacks in Paris, while this year has also seen a string of mass casualty attacks in countries including Nigeria, Syria and Iraq.

Meanwhile, the weather around the world did not always cooperate with the “white Christmas” narrative as East coast Americans shed their sweaters to enjoy soaring temperatures, while further south deadly tornadoes cut a swathe through rural communities.

But Beijing residents woke up to a white Christmas of sorts—the sky was obscured by thick toxic smog rather than snow after more than 100-million people across China had been warned to stay indoors.

Meanwhile, the Twitterverse enjoyed the offbeat story of Tim Peake, the first British astronaut on the International Space Station, dialling a wrong number when trying to phone home for Christmas, asking a woman “Is this planet Earth?”

“I’d like to apologize to the lady I just called by mistake saying ‘Hello, is this planet Earth?’—not a prank call...just a wrong number!” he tweeted late on Thursday. AFP

Registry of sex offenders sought ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Samuel Pagdilao wants a national sex-offender registry system established to require all convicted local and foreign sex offenders to register to give law enforcement agencies enough information on the possible threat they might present.

He says the proposed system will boost the country’s ability to monitor the activities of foreign pedophiles and warn people that they may be in the country.

“The aim is not to humiliate or embarrass convicted sex offenders,” Pagdilao said.

“However, the high risk

of recidivism in sex offenders calls for this drastic and serious measure, which is necessary for the protection of children and society from sex-related crimes.”

Earlier, the Bureau of Immigration said foreign sex offenders will not be allowed in Philippine territory after it deported a foreigner in Dumaguete City who had been hiding for 10 years in connection with a sexual assault.

“These sex offenders are threats to public safety, most especially to children who, by reason of their economic status, are prone to sexual exploitation and

abuse,” Pagdilao said.

“Unfortunately, government’s efforts to totally ban their entry to the country are not enough to protect the general public.”

In House Bill 6301, now pending at the committee on justice led by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., Pagdilao is pushing for the establishment of a registry system that will include information such as the name, address, employment, fingerprints, DNA sample, complete criminal history and recent photograph of every convicted sex offender.

Rio N. Araja

checkpoint. Valenzuela police

inspect motorcycle riders at a checkpoint in the city. ANdREw RAbulAN

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Poe goes to high court today

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Grace Poe will ask the Supreme Court today, Monday, to reverse the recent ruling of the Commission on Elections disqualifying her from next year’s presidential election over questions of citizenship and residency.

Poe’s lawyer George Garcia said they would file a petition seeking to annul and overturn the decision of the Comelec last week excluding her from the race.

“We will ask the Supreme Court to immediately issue a status quo ante order for the Comelec to keep Senator Poe’s name in the ballot, pending resolution of the case on its merits,” Garcia said, in an interview.

Poe’s lawyer said they would also urge the high court to immediately

act on their petition, given the time constraints of Comelec as it prepares for the general elections in May next year.

The justices are currently on their holiday recess.

“We have to get the order by Tuesday because we are given only five days from the promulgation of the ruling under Comelec rules,” he said.

Court spokesman Theodore Te earlier said the justices may act on Poe’s

case even while on recess because the rules allow the chief justice to issue a status quo or temporary restraining order upon recommendation of the justice in charge of the case, subject to confirmation of the full court in its next session on Jan. 12.

Garcia said he believes their petition would prove that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion in disqualifying Poe. He insisted that Poe is a naturalborn Filipino who has met the 10year residency requirement, making her eligible to run for the highest post in the land.

Last week, the full Comelec dismissed the motion for reconsideration that Poe filed after being disqualified by the body’s first and second divisions.

The Comelec first division, in its decision on Dec. 11, disqualified Poe

based on the petitions filed by De La Salle University professor Antonio Contreras, former Senator Francisco Tatad and former University of the East College of Law dean Amado Valdez.

The second division, on the other hand, unanimously voted on Dec. 1 to disqualify Poe based on the petition of former Government Service Insurance System chief legal counsel Estrella Elamparo.

Earlier this month, a petition was filed by Rizalito David questioning the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s decision declaring Poe a natural-born citizen eligible for senatorial election in 2013 polls.

The court held a special session last Dec. 16 on the David petition and ordered the tribunal to answer it, scheduling oral arguments on Jan.19.

Line repairs. Workers from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines survey the damage along the 69kV Catarman-Allen in Northern Samar. Repairs are still going on along the third and last section of the line, which was damaged by Typhoon ‘Nona’ recently. MEL CASPE

Talks on wartime sex slaves stay tense SEOUL—South Korea on Sunday dug its heels in ahead of talks with Japan over the thorny issue of wartime sex slaves that has long strained ties.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se dismissed Japan’s claim that the issue of “comfort women” who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II was settled in a 1965 agreement on normalizing relations.

“There is no change to our position and there won’t be any in the future,” Yun told journalists as senior officials of the two countries met to prepare for talks between Yun and his counterpart Fumio Kishida on Monday.

Japan has long maintained that the dispute was settled in 1965 which saw Tokyo make a total payment of $800 million in grants or loans to its former colony.

But Seoul says the treaty does not cover compensation for victims of wartime wrongdoing such as the comfort women and that the agreement does not absolve the Japanese government of its legal responsibility.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has said settlement of the issue remains the “greatest stumbling block” to friendlier ties.

When she met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Seoul last month for a rare summit, they agreed to speed up talks on the issue. The foreign ministers’ meeting on Monday is part of such efforts.

Up to 200,000 women are estimated to have been sexually enslaved by Japan during the war, many of them Korean. AFP

Govt working on P48-m ‘blood money’ MALACAÑANG said on Sunday that government and other groups are now raising funds to pay the “blood money” needed to save death row convict Joselito Zapanta in Saudi Arabia.

“This is a sign that the efforts of the government are continuing through the leadership of the Department of Foreign Affairs to promote the welfare of our countrymen who were sentenced to death,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. during an interview over state-run dzRB. The government and the family of Zapanta have raised P23 million, but this is still P25 million short of the P48-million compensation demanded by the family of the Filipino’s Sudanese landlord, whom he killed after a heated argument over rent more than two years ago.

Overseas workers’ advocate Susan Ople said Zapanta needs to raise the remaining amount in about a week or the Saudi court will execute him.

Father Jerome Secillano, Catholic Bishops’ Con-

ference of the Philippines public affairs committee executive secretary, called not only for prayers but also for donations to raise the remaining amount.

Secillano also called on President Benigno Aquino III’s administration to do all it can to help Zapanta.

“We challenge our government officials to exhaust all possible remedies to stay the execution and possibly gain the freedom of our kababayan,” Secillano added.

Ople said Philippine Ambassador to Riyadh Ezzedin Tago has confirmed that Zapanta’s case has become extremely urgent.

“We are talking about weeks here, hence the need for the family to go public in order to seek everyone’s help,” Ople said.

According to Ople, the DFA recently brought Zapanta’s relatives to Saudi Arabia to visit him.

Zapanta started working as a tile-setter in Saudi Arabia in 2007 but was arrested for murder in 2009 and sentenced to death. Sandy Araneta

Pomelos for Duterte. A vendor arranges pomelo fruits decorated with

stickers bearing the name of presidential candidate Mayor Rodrigo Duterte at a fruit stall in San Andres Market, Manila. Pomelos are a popular export of Davao City, Duterte’s hometown. DANNY PATA

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PH aims at world record on fireworks display NEW world records to welcome the new year.

This is the objective of a grand fireworks display that seeks to beat three current records in the Guinness Book of World Records.

To be held in Ciudad de Victoria, the home of the Philippine Arena, the fireworks display is part of an annual two-day New Year’s Eve event that will feature concerts by internationally acclaimed artists Arnel Pineda and Apl.De.Ap at the Great Stairs at the Philippine Arena, as well as various local talents at the Philippine Stadium.

Organizers say that representatives from Guinness will be present to confirm the breaking of the following three records: largest fireworks display, longest line of sparklers lit in relay, and most sparklers lit simultaneously.

According to Maligaya Development Corp. chief operating officer GP Santos, the public is invited to attend the once-in-alifetime event that will start on Dec. 30.

“Aside from wanting to win new distinctions for our country, we also want to provide an alternative to celebrating the new year other than the usual personal use of firecrackers and the indiscriminate firing of guns, both of which often lead to serious injuries and in some cases, tragic accidental deaths,” explained Santos.

“This event will not only make celebrating the new year safer for our people, it will also allow them to witness and to be part of history,” Santos said.

2 solons find garbage, ‘cracker use alarming

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Araneta

TWO opposition lawmakers on Sunday joined the mounting calls for a safe and orderly celebration of the New Year, with one urging the people to dispose of garbage properly and the other, seeking an end to the use of firecrackers and firing of guns.

National treasure. Youngsters play in Paco Park, one of the country’s national treasures and importrant

cultural properties listed by the National Museum. Paco Park was once Manila’s municipal cemetery built by the Dominicans during the Spanish colonial period. DANNY PATA

Senatorial candidate Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez of Leyte sought to reduce the environmental concerns that would greet New Year by urging the public to help maintain cleanliness.

“While we celebrate New Year, let us also remember environmental considerations from the expected huge garbage to pile-up, “ Romualdez said.

Vice presidential bet Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rejected the use of firecrackers, saying that cases of firecracker-related injuries stray bullets reached alarming levels. “As we celebrate, let us also be responsible and avoid doing anything that could harm other people,” the senator said.

Romualdez appealed to authorities to draw up measures that would avoid the mounting of uncollected garbage in various parts of the country.

“Our authorities should initiate its contingency measures so that garbage collection will not be hampered,” he said.

He added the proper disposal of garbage would ensure that it would not find way to the drainage system and inlets that would cause massive floods.

He also asked members of the Philippine National Police and other agencies to ensure the safety of the public against lawless elements.

Almost 600 cases of firecracker-related injuries were recorded last year and 61 incidents of stray bullets.

Marcos urged the public to try alternatives to firecrackers and enjoy instead the fireworks handled by professional technicians.

Firecracker-related injuries down to 81, says Health THE Department of Health on Sunday recorded 81 firecracker-related injuries after six days of nationwide surveillance and monitoring since Dec. 21, 2015.

The latest figure, collated from reports submitted by the DoH sentinel hospitals, had 26 fireworks-related injuries in the past 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. This raised the previous total from 55 as of Saturday to 81 as of Sunday.

Meanwhile, a victim of stray bullet was recorded, a 34-year-old male from Bayambang, Pangasinan who was hit in

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his left thigh during a drinking spree in his residence.

The patient was currently recuperating at Region I Medical Center in Dagupan City.

The DoH nationwide surveillance on fireworks-related injuries started from 12 a.m. of Dec. 21 and will end on Jan. 5, 2016.

According to the DoH-Epidemiology Bureau, the number of cases as of Sunday was lower by 76 cases or 48 percent than the previous five-year average (2010-2014).

In the same period last year, a total of 140 cases were recorded.

At least 75 percent or a total of 60 individuals sustained hand injuries. Nine victims suffered eye injuries.

The other victims were injured at their back, chest, head, face, forearm/arm, leg, foot, abdomen and ears.

The oldest of the victims was 52 years old while the youngest was one- year-old.

A total of 68 or 85 percent of the cases were males.

Majority of the igniters are active, meaning already engaging in igniting firecrackers in the past.

Piccolo, the small match-like firecracker, remained the top culprit, accounting for 61 of the 81 injuries.

Other firecrackers that caused injuries included kwitis, Sparkler, Five Star and other not very well known firecrackers.

The most number of 28 cases by area was recorded in the National Capital Region.

Of these cases, seven occurred in Quezon City; six in Manila; five in Mandaluyong City; three in Parañaque; two each in Caloocan City, Pateros, and Pasay City; and one in Marikina City. PNA

M O N D AY : D e c e M b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Chiz to DSWD: You never learn ‘

By Macon Araneta

2016 budget pork-less, Palace insists

Senator Francis “Chiz” escudero on Sunday castigated the Department of Social Welfare and Development for not learning its lessons on how to respond to the immediate needs of calamity victims despite the lapse of two years after Super typhoon “Yolanda’’ devastated the Visayan region.

The vice presidential candidate said the DSWD continues to distribute uncooked rice and noodles and conventional canned goods to evacuees even if they have no tools with which to cook such goods, when most of them are in need of food they can eat immediately.

“Up to now the DSWD is still doing that. Relief operation should be more relevant, should be more realistic and not simply for a show,” Escudero said, referring to food packs distributed by the department to victims of recent calamities.

Escudero reiterated his call for the DSWD to set up “soup kitchens” in barangays to feed residents displaced by calamities.

He said he made the suggestion as early as 2013 after Yolanda left a trail of widespread destruction in Central Philippines.

The veteran lawmaker said they have been doing the same in his home province of Sorsogon for the past years.

“If they really want to help, like in our province [Sorsogon], there is a need to build a soup kitchen to immediately help the victims,” said Escudero.

He also related that the victims had no tools as they lost their houses. How will they cook rice? The soup kitchen should be made open 24/7.

“Whoever is hungry can fall in line and eat. It goes on for about a week after the typhoon struck. That is more relevant help. That is more needed help.

And then after that we immediately go to rehabilitation,” the senator said.

Escudero immediately flew to his home province of Sorsogon, one of the hardest hit by Typhoon ‘‘Nona,’’ on Dec. 17 to aid his provincemates following the devastation.

He said the efficient evacuation and relief efforts employed by the local government helped the Sorsoganons quickly get back on their feet.

“Two days after Nona hit, there’s no one in the evacuation center anymore. Everybody went home to try to rebuild their lives and their houses.

And that’s how it should be done. It’s how we like it to be done,” Escudero said.

By Sandy Araneta

Safe and sound. A worker at a toy factory in Manila sells plastic horns bearing the photographs of AlDub

(Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza) and other characters in a noontime TV series while children opt for bubble guns (lower panel) to make noise without the use of firecrackers. DANNY PATA

New land body backed

By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice has supported the legislation of a proposal in the House of Representatives seeking the creation of a Land Development Authority.

In a three-page legal opinion rendered last Dec. 16, the DoJ said there is nothing legally objectionable in House Bill No. 6004 as proposed by brothers Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Abante Mindanao party-list Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. “We believe it is well within the Congress’ power and prerogatives to create such an office to eradicate poverty as a follow-through to the accomplishments of the

comprehensive agrarian reform program,” the DoJ through Undersecretary Zabedin Azis stated.

The DoJ said the proposed measure is consistent with provisions in Article II, Section 21 and Article XIII, Sections 1 and 6 of the Constitution pertaining to rural development and agrarian reform.

It noted that H.B. 6004 “falls under the nature of a social legislation which the Constitution mandates to be given the highest priority.”

The LDA aims to develop land and relocation with the objective of poverty eradication through cultivation of various cash crops.

MALACAÑANg on Sunday reiterated its claim that it has always obeyed the laws on the review and passage of the national appropriations, rejecting the criticisms by a militant group that the 2016 budget was filled with “pork barrel funds” and “lump sum allocations.”

“The government is always strictly adhering to the procedures on the enactment of the national budget as based on the Philippine Constitution and the decision of the Supreme Court in 2013 regarding the restrictions on pork barrel in general Appropriations Act,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. The Social Watch Philippines said that the 2016 national budget was laden with “pork barrel funds” and “lump sum allocations,” a claim that was also rejected by Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

“The approval of the gAA was made after passing a thorough scrutiny of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Executive also answered all questions, comments, and all attacks by critics regarding the national budget during public hearings in Congress,” said Coloma.

Congressional leaders responded to all allegations and comments of different groups against the approved gAA, Coloma also said.

Coloma said the 2016 national budget amounted to P3.002 trillion, about double the national budget in 2010.

Under the administration of former President gloria Macapagal Arroyo, there were several times the national budget was reenacted, which made it open to irregularities and anomalies, Coloma said.

M O N D AY : D e c e M b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Vehicle collision kills four in Samar

By Mel Caspe

Stunt man. A man does tricks with his bicycle at the Perez Park in Lucena City. DIANA B. NOCHE

Reds created monsters they cannot control, says military A spokesmAn of the 4th Infantry Division said local terrorists of the new people’s Army had created a monster in the magahat Bagani—one they could no longer control. in a statement, captain Joe Patrick Martinez of the Philippine Army said that a text message warning local journalists that they could be ambushed if they covered the 47th anniversary of the communist Party of the Philippines on Dec. 26 had caused alarm on the part of local media practitioners.

“Magahat Bagani force is composed of mostly NPA rebels. NPA taught them to do violence and they should not be surprised if the Magahat know how to sow threat,” Martinez said.

the text message was purportedly sent by Bobby tejero of the Magahat militia.

“Good day to all media in Mindanao, we would like to inform you that we will target for ambush whoever in media will attend the anniversary of the cPP/NPA/NDF. Because anyone attending the anniversary is a sympathizer of the NPA, which is why media should not attend to avoid being involved in the war,” the text message read in part.

Martinez said it was the

NPA terrorists who “know the Magahat very well because they taught them.”

He added that it was only the AFP that is concerned about the welfare of its media partners.

But the Magahat Bagani is perceived as a military-backed militia force accused of committing violence against the lumad—indigenous people of Mindanao. tejero and his brother loloy and Garilo laylo have been charged with murder in relation to the deaths of lumad school executive director emerito Samarca and two other tribal leaders, Dionel campos and Datu Bello Sinzo in lianga, Surigao del Sur on Sept. 1. No arrests have been made.

Violence has driven thousands of lumad from their homes to seek refuge in tandag city, Surigao del Sur. the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has condemned the Magahat Bagani for its threat against journalists and expressed concern over the growing confidence of the militia group.

A left-leaning party-list group, Bayan Muna, through its rep. carlos isagani Zarate, said: “that these barefaced threats are issued while a mutual ceasefire and suspension of military operations were declared by the government and the rebels, smack of brazen impunity and disrespect of civilian authorities.”

A tricycle driver and three of his passengers were killed when the driver lost control of his toyota Avanza and slammed into two tricycles along Maharlika Highway in Barangay San Miguel, Balangiga, Samar early Saturday afternoon.

Other injured passengers are recuperating at a hospital in tacloban city.

Police Supt. romeo campomanes, PNP Provincial Director for eastern Samar, said the vehicle was driven by a nurse identified as Jelson Quebec y culminar, 31 and a resident of V&G Subdivision, tacloban city.

Quebec was heading to tacloban city from Guiuan, eastern Samar when he lost control of the vehicle. He tried to swerve to the other side of the road but collided with the tricycles.

As a result, the Avanza and one of the tricycles fell into a ravine. the driver of the tricycle, 52-year-old renato Brieva, and three of his passengers Gorgonio Bajado, 86; Joanna Marie Brieva, 20; and rica Brieva, 9 were declared dead upon arrival at the Alvino M. Duran Memorial Hospital in Balangiga.

Meanwhile, the passengers of the other tricycle and its driver, Narciso Gade, were brought to the eastern Visayas regional Medical center in tacloban city.

Inmate: Top jail exec a rapist

By A. Perez Rimando PAGADiAN city, Zamboanga del Sur—A female prisoner has accused a top local provincial jail officer of raping her as she also said he had sexually abused three other female inmates “one after the other in one night.” the jailed woman, who requested strict anonymity, revealed her ordeal in a letter she sent through a motorcycle rider to local radio rMN-DXPr. the woman said she is also five months pregnant. the letter was read in full on air by broadcaster Anacleto Deleverio in his program “Gahom ug Katawhan” (Power and People).

For fear of her life, the 29-year-old woman from a remote village did not identify the erring jall executive, but described him as “in his early 30s,” adding she could no longer recount how many

times he has sexually forced himself on her and her fellow female inmates.

She lamented that she and her co-prisoners had not been visited by any of their relatives or friends so, writing in cebuano dialect, “there is no one to whom we can relate our sad plight in jail.”

According to her, a concerned wife of a jail guard reported the alleged illicit sexual acts of the jail officer to Zamboanga del Sur rep. Aurora enerio-cerilles, wife of Gov. Antonio cerilles, who reportedly assured the guard’s wife that she, legislator cerilles, “will take immediate investigation on the charges which until now has not been conducted.” the prisoner, who pledged to turn witness against the accused jail official, claimed the same jail exec also allegedly malversed funds and materials for the governor’s jail projects by reportedly using the money to construct his house at Barangay Bogo, this city.

Parked. Residents drive past an armored personal carrier in Kauran, Ampatuan in Maguindanao where seven Christian farmers were killed on Christmas Eve. MARK NAVALES

M O N D AY : D E c E M b E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA editOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

ending the year, looking ahead

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Budget sins

BacK channel aleJandRO del ROsaRiO

FOR an administration that habitually misses its spending targets and delivers far less than it promises, the P3.002-trillion 2016 budget seems to be yet another case of too much too soon.

From 2011 to 2014, government underspending by the Aquino administration reached P526 billion, representing roads and classrooms that should have been built but weren’t, and jobs that could have been created—but were not.

All this begs the question: Why has the national budget continued to rise, from P1.645 trillion in 2011, to P1.816 trillion in 2012, to P2 trillion in 2013, to P2.265 trillion in 2014, to P2.6 trillion in 2015, and to P3 trillion in 2016?

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, who has overseen the 82 percent increase in the national budget from 2011 to 2016, acknowledges that underspending is “a recurrent problem” because government agencies are beset with “institutional weaknesses.” The admission seems odd, to say the least, coming from a member of President Benigno Aquino III’s inner circle. The unstated conclusion is that neither the President nor his advisers—Abad included—have been able to do anything to correct these weaknesses in the almost six years they have been in power. And having failed to do this, they continue to ask for more money from an already overtaxed workforce.

But “institutional weakness” is a kinder term for what former Budget secretary Benjamin Diokno refers to as “epic incompetence.”

Former national treasurer Leonor Briones, who heads the watchdog group Social Watch Philippines, adds that the P3-trillion budget for 2016 contains about P33.2 billion in pork barrel that can be used to help administration allies get elected next year, even though the Supreme Court has explicitly declared such funds as unconstitutional.

The 2016 budget also has some P500 billion in lump sum allocations that grant the President a great amount of discretion during an election year.

In addition, the budget has redefined the term “savings” to enable the President to cancel congressionally approved projects, impound the funds and use them for new projects for which no previous funds were set aside.

The redefinition of savings, in effect, sidesteps the Supreme Court’s ruling against yet another of Abad abomination, the now discredited—and illegal— Disbursement Acceleration Program, which was supposed to speed up government projects but was instead misused to bribe lawmakers into ousting a sitting chief justice of the Supreme Court.

True to form, Secretary Abad has tried to wash his hands of all wrongdoing, saying that those questioning the national budget should go ask Congress, which passed the spending plan. He also brushed aside questions raised by Social Watch as “recycled comments” unworthy of his attention.

But with the end of this administration in sight, the time for flippant denials will soon be over, and Abad—like his boss in the Palace—will soon be taken to task for the damage he has wrought on our economy and on our democratic institutions. That can’t come too soon.

Mercy and justice pensées fR. RanhiliO callangan aquinO These two have never really been happily wed! And when one who is aggrieved by the acts or omissions of another announces that he is ready to be merciful, but demands that justice be done him first, what, in effect, this means is that what the one hand gives, the other takes away. In most cases, the call for justice is also the bracketing of mercy.

There is public outrage when-

ever we are told that prisoners in national penitentiaries are rather quite creative about making their lives in incarceration more pleasant by perks they can afford: cable TV, computers and computer games, disco pads and, recently, a roof-top swimming pool. Prison, of course, cannot and should not justly be a reward. After all if crime is proved, the order of society established by law has to be vindicated. But we have fashioned a concept of justice that is really quite perverse: To be just, we think, the offender must suffer, and the more intense the suffering, the better justice is served.

This is rather primitive think-

ing, little distinguished from the proverbial law of the Talion!

To be deprived of the freedom to move about where one pleases, to be denied the company of family and friends, to be kept away from the comfort of home, no matter how humble—that is certainly punishment. But it seems that these privations do not content us. We begrudge our prisoners their attempts to alleviate their misery and their loneliness, and there was an uninformed if frenetic clamor that Pemberton be thrown into the national penitentiary at Muntinlupa.

And we dignify this insidious form of mercilessness by

A9

When we muster the courage to dismantle the debilitating conceptual models that have thus far shaped our thinking on crime and punishment, then we shall become a merciful people.

crying “ justice.”

Part of the problem comes from the deceptive metaphors we use: We say that the offender “owes” society a debt, and the only way he can “pay”

that debt is by his personal suffering. The extreme form this perverse thinking takes is the barbarism of the death penalty that Pope Francis rightly spoke against in no uncertain

terms before the Us Congress. “In our days, there is no more moral justification for the death penalty,” he taught as supreme Pastor. But when did we canonize this notion that justice demands that those found guilty by the non-infallible judicial processes we have should be imprisoned? And I find good reason to raise the skeptics query anew: how does depriving the offender of his rights improve the lot of his victim, or of the offended party, except to satisfy, in some sublimated manner, the desire for revenge?

What justice demands quite clearly

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-

is that humanizing order between victim, the community and the offender be restored. There are many things that cannot be undone, and it may not be the best thing to undo what has come to pass. Asking for the return of a bonus distributed without legal basis at Christmas may not necessarily be the fairest solution to the problem. Justice clearly calls for the community, through the institution of courts or other adjudicative bodies, to pronounce responsibility on the part of the offender in such wise that the accused sees and accepts (even

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

if he does not overtly do so, for who is the Filipino who will?) that he is responsible for the breach of social order and for the suffering of his victim. It demands that the victim or her relatives foreswear the inclination to seek vengeance—because this only carries the violence, the lawlessness, the dysfunctional one step farther. It makes it imperative that all fashion a restoration and even an improvement of the order that has suffered from the breach.

Considered this way, justice is not Continued on A11

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

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

The polling firm social Weather stations said 72 percent of Filipinos expected a happy Christmas. Whether they experienced it or not, Christmas is over and many were left homeless and without food when typhoons Nona and Onyok delivered a 1-2 punch even as the year was ending.

The year ahead is one more fraught with expectations. We are going to have a national election and a change of political leadership. Can we really look ahead to better times or should we expect more of the same misery— corruption, crime, choking traffic in the metropolis made worse by a badly run public transport system?

Comes now the news that Transportation secretary Jun Abaya has awarded without public bidding a P3.8billion contract to a Korean firm for the service maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit. The reason for the anomalous award? It was an emergency. Yeah, right, an emergency in the making for five years under Abaya’s watch If traffic is not moving, the runaway crime rate is. The daily news is full of drug trafficking and ambush killings committed by riding-in-tandem gunmen has given rise to a public clamor for a new town sheriff who does not take prisoners.

National security is faced with challenges on three fronts from the MILF-BIFF-AsG Islamic groups, the communist NPA guerrillas and China’s aggression in the West Philippine sea The National economic and Development Authority foresees the 6.2-percent growth in the gross domestic product to continue on to 2016 and the next administration. Let’s hope this trend in the economic growth will filter down to the masses.

Will the job market improve? Political candidates promise to end the illegal contractualization of workers. This is the campaign season when politicians make so many promises but do not fulfill them. Take PNoy, for example, he promised to pass the Freedom of Information bill but reneged on it once he was elected president. still, there was much to be thankful for. We have been spared (so far) from the Islamist state scourge although Is presence has been detected in Mindanao.

Paris, France and san Bernardino in the Us west coast suffered the most casualties from terrorist attacks.

The judicial system is still working as seen in the legal process independent presidential candidate Grace Poe and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte are going through.

Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

M O N D AY : D E c E M b E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA editOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

ending the year, looking ahead

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Budget sins

BacK channel aleJandRO del ROsaRiO

FOR an administration that habitually misses its spending targets and delivers far less than it promises, the P3.002-trillion 2016 budget seems to be yet another case of too much too soon.

From 2011 to 2014, government underspending by the Aquino administration reached P526 billion, representing roads and classrooms that should have been built but weren’t, and jobs that could have been created—but were not.

All this begs the question: Why has the national budget continued to rise, from P1.645 trillion in 2011, to P1.816 trillion in 2012, to P2 trillion in 2013, to P2.265 trillion in 2014, to P2.6 trillion in 2015, and to P3 trillion in 2016?

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, who has overseen the 82 percent increase in the national budget from 2011 to 2016, acknowledges that underspending is “a recurrent problem” because government agencies are beset with “institutional weaknesses.” The admission seems odd, to say the least, coming from a member of President Benigno Aquino III’s inner circle. The unstated conclusion is that neither the President nor his advisers—Abad included—have been able to do anything to correct these weaknesses in the almost six years they have been in power. And having failed to do this, they continue to ask for more money from an already overtaxed workforce.

But “institutional weakness” is a kinder term for what former Budget secretary Benjamin Diokno refers to as “epic incompetence.”

Former national treasurer Leonor Briones, who heads the watchdog group Social Watch Philippines, adds that the P3-trillion budget for 2016 contains about P33.2 billion in pork barrel that can be used to help administration allies get elected next year, even though the Supreme Court has explicitly declared such funds as unconstitutional.

The 2016 budget also has some P500 billion in lump sum allocations that grant the President a great amount of discretion during an election year.

In addition, the budget has redefined the term “savings” to enable the President to cancel congressionally approved projects, impound the funds and use them for new projects for which no previous funds were set aside.

The redefinition of savings, in effect, sidesteps the Supreme Court’s ruling against yet another of Abad abomination, the now discredited—and illegal— Disbursement Acceleration Program, which was supposed to speed up government projects but was instead misused to bribe lawmakers into ousting a sitting chief justice of the Supreme Court.

True to form, Secretary Abad has tried to wash his hands of all wrongdoing, saying that those questioning the national budget should go ask Congress, which passed the spending plan. He also brushed aside questions raised by Social Watch as “recycled comments” unworthy of his attention.

But with the end of this administration in sight, the time for flippant denials will soon be over, and Abad—like his boss in the Palace—will soon be taken to task for the damage he has wrought on our economy and on our democratic institutions. That can’t come too soon.

Mercy and justice pensées fR. RanhiliO callangan aquinO These two have never really been happily wed! And when one who is aggrieved by the acts or omissions of another announces that he is ready to be merciful, but demands that justice be done him first, what, in effect, this means is that what the one hand gives, the other takes away. In most cases, the call for justice is also the bracketing of mercy.

There is public outrage when-

ever we are told that prisoners in national penitentiaries are rather quite creative about making their lives in incarceration more pleasant by perks they can afford: cable TV, computers and computer games, disco pads and, recently, a roof-top swimming pool. Prison, of course, cannot and should not justly be a reward. After all if crime is proved, the order of society established by law has to be vindicated. But we have fashioned a concept of justice that is really quite perverse: To be just, we think, the offender must suffer, and the more intense the suffering, the better justice is served.

This is rather primitive think-

ing, little distinguished from the proverbial law of the Talion!

To be deprived of the freedom to move about where one pleases, to be denied the company of family and friends, to be kept away from the comfort of home, no matter how humble—that is certainly punishment. But it seems that these privations do not content us. We begrudge our prisoners their attempts to alleviate their misery and their loneliness, and there was an uninformed if frenetic clamor that Pemberton be thrown into the national penitentiary at Muntinlupa.

And we dignify this insidious form of mercilessness by

A9

When we muster the courage to dismantle the debilitating conceptual models that have thus far shaped our thinking on crime and punishment, then we shall become a merciful people.

crying “ justice.”

Part of the problem comes from the deceptive metaphors we use: We say that the offender “owes” society a debt, and the only way he can “pay”

that debt is by his personal suffering. The extreme form this perverse thinking takes is the barbarism of the death penalty that Pope Francis rightly spoke against in no uncertain

terms before the Us Congress. “In our days, there is no more moral justification for the death penalty,” he taught as supreme Pastor. But when did we canonize this notion that justice demands that those found guilty by the non-infallible judicial processes we have should be imprisoned? And I find good reason to raise the skeptics query anew: how does depriving the offender of his rights improve the lot of his victim, or of the offended party, except to satisfy, in some sublimated manner, the desire for revenge?

What justice demands quite clearly

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-

is that humanizing order between victim, the community and the offender be restored. There are many things that cannot be undone, and it may not be the best thing to undo what has come to pass. Asking for the return of a bonus distributed without legal basis at Christmas may not necessarily be the fairest solution to the problem. Justice clearly calls for the community, through the institution of courts or other adjudicative bodies, to pronounce responsibility on the part of the offender in such wise that the accused sees and accepts (even

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

if he does not overtly do so, for who is the Filipino who will?) that he is responsible for the breach of social order and for the suffering of his victim. It demands that the victim or her relatives foreswear the inclination to seek vengeance—because this only carries the violence, the lawlessness, the dysfunctional one step farther. It makes it imperative that all fashion a restoration and even an improvement of the order that has suffered from the breach.

Considered this way, justice is not Continued on A11

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

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

The polling firm social Weather stations said 72 percent of Filipinos expected a happy Christmas. Whether they experienced it or not, Christmas is over and many were left homeless and without food when typhoons Nona and Onyok delivered a 1-2 punch even as the year was ending.

The year ahead is one more fraught with expectations. We are going to have a national election and a change of political leadership. Can we really look ahead to better times or should we expect more of the same misery— corruption, crime, choking traffic in the metropolis made worse by a badly run public transport system?

Comes now the news that Transportation secretary Jun Abaya has awarded without public bidding a P3.8billion contract to a Korean firm for the service maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit. The reason for the anomalous award? It was an emergency. Yeah, right, an emergency in the making for five years under Abaya’s watch If traffic is not moving, the runaway crime rate is. The daily news is full of drug trafficking and ambush killings committed by riding-in-tandem gunmen has given rise to a public clamor for a new town sheriff who does not take prisoners.

National security is faced with challenges on three fronts from the MILF-BIFF-AsG Islamic groups, the communist NPA guerrillas and China’s aggression in the West Philippine sea The National economic and Development Authority foresees the 6.2-percent growth in the gross domestic product to continue on to 2016 and the next administration. Let’s hope this trend in the economic growth will filter down to the masses.

Will the job market improve? Political candidates promise to end the illegal contractualization of workers. This is the campaign season when politicians make so many promises but do not fulfill them. Take PNoy, for example, he promised to pass the Freedom of Information bill but reneged on it once he was elected president. still, there was much to be thankful for. We have been spared (so far) from the Islamist state scourge although Is presence has been detected in Mindanao.

Paris, France and san Bernardino in the Us west coast suffered the most casualties from terrorist attacks.

The judicial system is still working as seen in the legal process independent presidential candidate Grace Poe and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte are going through.

Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

M O N D AY : D e c e M b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Another yeAr So I See LITo bAnAyo

feATure

From juntA repression to luxury tourism

LASt week began with what to many Filipinos was good news—Pia Wurtzbach y Alonzo, halfFilipina, half-European, was proclaimed Miss Universe in Las

Vegas, the US of A. Media trumpeted it as quite a feat. It was almost two generations ago when the Philippines had a Miss Universe—Margie Moran in Greece, and five years before, Gloria Diaz, our very first. What made it more newsworthy was the fact that the pageant host made a terrible mistake of proclaiming Miss Colombia earlier, before correcting it and giving Pia the accolade. two days after, just before everyone was lining up in bus terminals and airport counters to go back to roots and enjoy Christmas with loved ones and familiar faces of their youth, the Comelec en banc came up with an expected bang—the disqualification of Grace Poe Llamanzares due to constitutional issues hounding her citizenship and length of residence in the country.

Poe Llamanzares and her lawyers decried the cruelty of a pre-Christmas decision, leaving them only a day with which to petition, and be granted, a restraining order from the Supreme Court. That’s today. Failing to get that tRO, Comelec could proceed to delist her name from the “qualified” presidential candidates for next May’s elections.

But then, people’s minds suddenly tuned off politics.

Hey, it’s Christmas, remember?

In her Dec. 23 evening message which her patron, ABS-CBN carried live in the day’s tV Patrol, Senadora Grace decried the “injustice” and wondered why it had to be promulgated at a time when people should be busy preparing their “Noche Buena.” Cute, I thought.

Ah, the passing But at the time, my car was stuck in trafof years. The Lord fic, atop the Zamora giveth; the Lord Bridge in Pandacan, a middle-class neightaketh. borhood which has seen better days, and whose inhabitants fear economic displacement once the oil terminals cease to operate, again via a decision of the highest tribunal.

Smiling at the mention of Noche Buena by the lady in white, I asked my driver what his family back in the highlands of tungao in Butuan City served for the Christmas Eve repast. His reply—“mag-pansit si Mama, ug budbud” (pansit and suman, for the nonBisaya). And then he added, almost as a deliberate afterthought, “ug American bread” (That’s what we now call in Manila as “Pinoy tasty,” and in my youth, “pan Americano”). So I thought—carbo-loading to the max.

Of course, here in the metropolis, poor families, the lumpen, would be lucky to ditch their usual packaged “instant noodles” plus rice, for some “nilagang butu-buto” (pork ribs soup) and rice. At least, a taste of meat for Noche Buena. Middle-class families will have Pinoy tasty (whoever thought of such insipid description?) with a slice of ersatz queso de bola, perhaps a slice of ersatz, “processed” ham, Pinoy spaghetti, Red Horse for the adults and bottles of Coke for the kids.

That night, on tV news, a poor farmer from Nueva Ecija, whose crop yield had gone nada due to the unseasonal typhoon called Nonoy, thence Nona, was asked what they would have for the traditional Noche Buena, and all he could say was, “monay” (bread) and “de bote,” the way rural Bulakeños and Novo Ecijanos describe Coke or Pepsi. Your heart would cry out.

In the autumn of one’s life, I could only thank the Almighty for His blessings. For a few years in my younger life, I experienced some deprivation, but hard-working parents made sure life was much better. Our Noche Buena “feasts,” in a time when “imported” was still affordable for the middle class, was always memorably good. And more so, those that I was able to provide my growing kids.

This year, we spent Christmas Eve in a resort hotel down South, where dinner was a sumptuous buffet spread prepared under the supervision of foreign chefs.

And later, some wine and terrine of foie gras from Paris, a gift from a good friend, while watching a full moon by the beach.

Yet, a tragic denouement—news that the gracious lady who towered over Philippine journalism in the last 30 years had quietly passed away, on the eve of Christ-

Two names, one place: Burma (1981) and Myanmar (2015). BloomBerg

By richard Vines It’S happy hour in the bar of The Strand hotel in Yangon.

A smartly dressed barman mixes a Strand Sour as fans slowly revolve below the high ceiling. Musicians play. tourists at tables beside the teaklined walls check guidebooks and discuss where to go for dinner.

How about Le Planteur, an elegant villa on the shore of Inya Lake? It serves fine French food, and offers an $87 tasting menu featuring dishes such as lobster salad, prime veal fillet in pistachio crust, and Grand Marnier souffle with orange sauce.

Or maybe the hotel’s Strand Grill, with its vaulted ceiling and marbleinlaid floor, where lobster thermidor costs $44?

This is modern Myanmar. It’s no longer the British colony where my father was born in 1904, nor the 33-year-old independent state (then called Burma) I first visited in 1981, then returned to in 1992. That was a scary place, brutally governed.

In 1992, the country was ruled by the State Law and Order Restoration Council, the fearsome junta that held onto power even after Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a general election in 1990.

Visiting then as part of a group of Hong Kong-based foreign journalists invited to see that things really weren’t as bad as they were reported overseas, one thing quickly became clear: they were.

My taxi was followed at night, and foreign diplomats spoke knowingly of the ways of the junta’s intelligencegathering efforts.

“Their methods aren’t that sophisticated,” a foreign envoy assured me when I interviewed him the following day. “Just pulling out fingernails, that kind of thing.”

When no-one else was close enough to hear, people would whisper their support for Aung San Suu Kyi. A cabbie wouldn’t risk being seen driving me past the villa where “The Lady” was detained. He dropped me a block away and took a detour to pick me up on the other side. (These days, the road past the house, decked out with bold posters for the National League for Democracy, is busy. Then, it was quiet.)

One of the official minders in 1992 boasted to me that I was being followed and that they knew who I was meeting.

One Burmese man publicly engaged me in conversation to practice his English. A policeman quickly ap-

peared and began shouting before handcuffing him behind his back and then hitting him in the face. He hauled him off to a police station. I followed to register my outrage. My courage quickly evaporated when a desk sergeant began to question me and I left. I’m rather attached to my fingernails.

Pagodas polished My father was born in Mandalay on Nov. 24, 1904. When I first traveled to Burma in 1981, after his death, it was virtually a closed country, with only half dozen cities accessible to foreigners. The maximum tourist visa was one week.

Most foreigners then would travel a loop, taking the train to Mandalay from Yangon (then called Rangoon) —a grueling, daylong journey—and then spend another uncomfortable day, plagued by mosquitoes, sitting on the bare deck of an old boat to Pagan. That ancient city, with thousands of temples reaching to the horizon, was stunning and unspoilt. Now renamed Bagan, it is becoming a popular tourist destination.

Junta-era Burma seems so distant today, when modern-day Myanmar is opening up. traveling in the country today, it is clear foreigners are now welcome. Roads are busier, with monuments and cultural landmarks spruced up, as these images of Yangon’s Sule Pagoda in 1981 and 2015 clearly show.

Yes, there is poverty away from the tourist sites. Even in Yangon (the new name for Rangoon, and no longer the capital—that honor goes to newly constructed Naypidaw), many people work hard during the day before returning to ramshackle homes.

I watched one woman on a building site construct a tower of bricks on her head before delivering them to the bricklayers. As I stopped to stare, she simply smiled.

Staying in style In years past, travel was slow and uncomfortable and accommodation was generally basic. today there are luxury hotels and fine restaurants; new airports are served by taxis with meters that work. A country that was always strikingly beautiful and full of friendly (if nervous) people is now waking up. the Strand, which opened in 1901 and became a sister to Raffles, in Singapore, was badly run-down but also inexpensive.

By 1981, lobster thermidor still cost just $1. the hotel was only in marginally better shape when

mas at that. The last time I saw Letty Jimenez Magsanoc was the night of 25 August, when I arranged for a session with the PDI editorial board and Rodrigo Duterte. She seemed so full of life; her wit undiminished by age or the frailty of health, staying with us until almost two in the morning.

Ah, the passing of years. The Lord giveth; the Lord taketh.

Soon it was midnight, and everybody in the family

I returned in 1992. In December 2015 it was truly luxurious, with prices to match.

My suite cost a total of $851 for two nights.

With its polished teakwood floors and wicker chairs, the hotel is almost the last word in colonial style. But the Belmond Governor’s Residence, where I also stayed in Yangon, comes close and costs more. This property is owned by the company whose hotels include the Cipriani in Venice and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons near Oxford, in the UK. For two nights I paid £696.86, the equivalent of $1,045.

The Governor’s Residence occupies a colonial-style mansion dating from the 1920s in the embassy quarter of Yangon. There’s al fresco dining beside the pool, shaded by tropical vegetation. And there’s an Indian buffet at about $48 a pop that you might care to try after a $90 facial.

You don’t have to pay much to eat well in Yangon. I had a great Indian dinner at a shop called Nilar Biryani & Cold Drink for 11,600 kyats ($9) and paid rather more ($78) at Le Planteur. (Most of that was for wine.)

The changes are almost more striking in Mandalay, my father’s birthplace. Arriving by train at night in 1981, I remember no street lighting, while transport was by pony and trap or bicycle rickshaw. This time, I flew with Air KBZ, roundtrip from Yangon. The streets are now filled with cars, motorcycles and trucks.

I stayed at the boutique Hotel by the Red Canal, with tea served on the terrace in the afternoon and cocktails by the pool at night. There’s a spa and a good restaurant.

On my last day in Mandalay, I set out to find the chapel where my father was christened in 1904. An old church, east of the moat that surrounds Mandalay Palace, fit the picture I had. It was built around the turn of the century and was rundown. I had to find someone with the key to let me in.

Honestly, I don’t know if it was the right place, but even with the rumble of traffic outside, the heat and the thickness of the air, it was peaceful.

I loved Burma when I first visited 34 years ago. That fascination continued in those disturbing days of 1992 and is in no way diminished by development.

And now that Myanmar looks set to emerge from decades of repression, there is finally hope.

Bloomberg

greeted me a “happy birthday.” Another year.

And in a few more days, the challenge of a new beginning, not for myself, but for the children and their children, the “saling-lahi.” Still, one could not erase the sad fact that a fourth of the population remain in blight, unable to appreciate the thrill of a full Christmas moon, as the drudgery of today is like a yoke that would spell a benighted tomorrow.

Would that all these soon pass.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

The Tax ThaT can make china’s ciTies safer no sign of abating. each of these disasters is unique in its own way.

The mountain of mud and con- But collectively they and other struction debris that collapsed incidents highlight a long-term in Shenzhen, China over the failure on the part of the Chinese weekend started piling up years government to plan and build citago. But despite complaints and ies that are safe for their residents. warnings from residents in the Instead, the emphasis has been area, nobody—neither the city, on growing as much and as fast nor the company responsible as possible. for managing the site, nor the Top officials aren’t blind to the contractors who dumped debris problem. On Sunday, the day of there—stopped or diverted the the Shenzhen disaster, Chinese waste to somewhere safer. Fast- President Xi Jinping and other growing Shenzhen, a gleaming leaders were gathered for what metropolis of more than 10 mil- state media billed as China’s lion people, was too busy grow- first high-level urban planning ing to worry about an impending conference since 1978. What the disaster that’s left dozens of peo- country really needs, though, ple missing or dead. aren’t better rules or more exThe Shenzhen landslide is tensive blueprints. First and foreonly the latest in a long line of most, leaders need to change the manmade tragedies that have perverse incentives that drive struck Chinese cities in recent rampant overdevelopment. years, including an explosion at Of these, the most critical is a hazardous materials warehouse that China’s local governments in Tianjin in August and fatal have almost no authority to levy floods that overwhelmed new taxes. As a result, they depend sewer infrastructure in Beijing in upon the sale of land for as much 2012, not to mention a national as 35 percent of their operating air pollution epidemic that shows revenues. For Chinese officials,

By adam minter

mercy... From A9 qualified by mercy. Justice is rather the key to mercy. It is the institutionalization of mercy. The continuing tragedy in the nations that once enjoyed the refreshing breeze of the Arab Spring should be proof enough that violence gets nobody nowhere. I therefore do not see much progress made when a

ending... From A9 If Poe is disqualified after the Commission on elections en banc affirmed the ruling of its two legal divisions, the senator’s chances to stay on the ballot now rests with the 15 magistrates of the Supreme Court where she has elevated her case. Three of those justices sitting in the Senate electoral Tribunal have already ruled Poe is not a naturalborn citizen, and therefore not qualified under the Constitution.

A fatal mistake in Poe’s case is that she continued to use her American passport during back-and-forth trips to the US and the Philippines contrary to renouncement of American citizenship.

proposed Code of Crimes uncritically accepts the notion that the proper gesture of a society bothered by the crimes of some of its members is to keep them locked away. There is no change in paradigm. The model, that purports to serve justice while making of mercy an unwelcome qualifier, remains traditional and archaic—left unchallenged.

I do not propose the perversity that offend-

Still, 12 of those Supreme Court justices could have different legal opinions and some just might rule in favor of Poe. The law, it is said, has as many interpretations as there are as many lawyers interpreting it.

At this point, it’s still a fourway race among Poe, Binay, Roxas and Duterte. But don’t be surprised if it become a manoa-mano rematch just between Roxas and Binay considering the SC decision on Poe and the Comelec ruling on whether Duterte’s CoC will be given due course.

Poe is tied with Binay in the latest SWS survey with 26 percent followed by Roxas at third with 22 percent. Duterte

#failocracy

who are promoted or demoted in part on the basis of just how much growth they’ve managed to gin up, this creates an irresistible urge to seize and develop land.

Meanwhile, developers—fueled by cheap government loans—are more than happy to keep building. China’s estimated 50 million empty apartments are just one obvious consequence of this breakneck development.

Another is the rash of disasters like the one that occurred in Shenzhen. If city officials were more concerned with “livability” than generating revenue, government and private industry might have figured out some safer and more productive destination for all that dirt. (Only 5 percent of China’s construction debris is recycled, for instance, compared to over 95 percent in many industrialized countries.) One way to have an immediate impact would be to give local governments the right to raise new revenues, starting with a property tax.

China already taxes property transactions. But a recurrent

property tax would accomplish goals that a one-time levy simply can’t. First, speculators who currently face no carrying costs for leaving apartments and whole buildings empty would have much more incentive to rent them out. That, in turn, should help dissuade them from overbuilding.

Second, being able to count on steady, long-term revenues would help wean local governments off their dependence on land sales.

According to a March study by the International Monetary Fund, a well-designed tax could more than make up for the revenues from such transactions.

Third, a property tax would ensure that property owners have a direct stake in the infrastructure and other development projects being built in their neighborhoods and cities. Presumably, those stakeholders would be more vocal and forceful in opposing unsafe projects.

A tax won’t solve all of the problems that plague China’s urban planning, of course. even

ers be rewarded. But if we are so creative that we can send man-made space wanderers to the most distant objects of our solar system, or find ways of beating such devastating plagues as ebola, surely we can conceive of measures more just (because they are merciful to all) for dealing with crime and with those who commit it.

When we muster the courage to dismantle the debilitating conceptual models

is fourth at 19 percent, his rating adversely affected by his blasphemous outburst against the beloved Pope Francis.

In the recent Pulse Asia survey, Binay regained the top spot as voters’ preferred presidential candidate with 33 percent. The surprising Pulse Asia survey, according to its own analysts, can be attributed to the legal issues facing previous leader Poe plus the DuterteRoxas word war. Under this headline-grabbing scenario, the corruption issues against Binay were temporarily out of the public consciousness. This, plus Binay’s core constituency which he continues to plumb by pressing flesh and eating with them bare hands.. Call it

when the government has good rules on the books, developers and officials collude to evade them. Xi’s government has made some progress in combating corruption, but not nearly enough to prevent such practices. The Shenzhen landslide, for example, appears to have been caused by some combination of incompetence, lack of enforcement and— in all likelihood —the kinds of low-level corruption that pervade Chinese urban life. Fixing these problems will require further attacks on corruption, better enforcement of regulations and professionalization across China’s bureaucracy.

Still, as the toll from China’s urban disasters accumulates, it’s past time to reassess the price of building unlivable cities. In recent years, China has attempted two propertytax pilot projects. efforts to expand them nationally have been repeatedly delayed for fear that they might sap a weakening economy.

After Shenzhen, China should reconsider the cost of not implementing them. Bloomberg

that have thus far shaped our thinking on crime and punishment, then we shall become a merciful people. A society that is more merciful is never a sad, beleaguered one, for at no time in human history has mercy ever dehumanized! rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

tawdry and tradpol, but Binay gains political mileage for identifying himself with the common folk.

Overall, it was a year of defeat and triumph.

The Philippines scored an initial victory in The hague international arbitration court which ruled it has jurisdiction in the case filed by Manila against China’s sovereignty claim in the West Philippine Sea. Manny Pacquiao lost to Floyd Mayweather in their much- awaited fight of the century in May. Miss Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, made up for it by winning the Miss Universe beauty crown this December also in Las Vegas to end the year

on a high note for Filipinos.

plumbline pastor apollo quiboloy Pastor Quiboloy’s column will resume next week.

out of the box rita linda v. jimeno atty. Jimeno’s column will resume next week.

chong ardivilla

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Blazers stun Cavs; Sixers nab win LOS ANGELES—The Portland Trail Blazers crushed LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-76 on a topsy-turvy Saturday in the NBA that saw the Philadelphia 76ers notch their second win of the season.

In Portland, Allen Crabbe scored 21 of his career-high 26 points in the first half to put the Trail Blazers on the road to ending a five-game losing streak.

“Anybody see that coming?” asked Portland coach Terry Stotts. “That’s one of the things I love about the NBA. Anything can happen.”

Guard CJ McCollum had 16 points and six assists for Portland, who held Cleveland’s “King” James to just 12 points—which matched his season low.

James missed his first four shots and had just six points by halftime.

Kevin Love had 13 points for the Cavaliers, with Australia’s Matthew Dellavedova and Richard Jefferson contributing 10 points apiece. The Cleveland team was coming off an 89-83 loss to Golden State in Oakland, in a Christmas rematch of the NBA Finals won by the Warriors.

Portland never trailed after the opening minute and led by 29 at halftime.

Shortly after a McCollum free throw midway through third put Portland up 78-46, Cavs coach David Blatt pulled his starters for the remainder of the game.

“Throw it in the trash,” James said of the evening’s work. “Nothing good we did tonight.”

New arrival Ish Smith, playing his first game with the Philadelphia 76ers, had 14 points and five assists while directing the league’s stragglers to their first road win of the season -- a 111-104 triumph over the Suns in Phoenix that put Philadelphia’s record at 2-30.

“I think everybody can see how dynamic a player Ish is,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said of the point guard acquired from New Orleans on Thursday. “Giving a player of that caliber the ball at the end of the game was great for us.”

Smith’s finger roll gave the 76ers a 108-100 lead with 1:52 remaining, and the Suns never got the deficit below six points from there.

Guard Isaiah Canaan scored 22 points and reserve guard Nik Stauskas had 17 for

Philadelphia, whose only other win was a 103-91 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on December 1.

Brandon Knight scored 21 points for the Suns, who lost point guard and leading scorer Eric Bledsoe to a left knee sprain in the second quarter. The Suns have now lost four straight and six of their last seven.

“It’s pretty embarrassing, point blank, period,” Suns forward PJ Tucker said.

There were no surprises in San Antonio, where Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points and the Spurs improved to 17-0 at home with a 101-86 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

The Spurs are off to the best home start for a Western Conference team since the 1988-89 Lakers won their first 17.

Their club record home winning streak is now at 26 games dating back to last season. AFP

Injury sidelines Griffin

LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin will be sidelined at least two weeks with a partially torn left quadriceps tendon, the NBA team said Saturday.

Griffin was hurt during the Clippers’ 94-84 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day. An MRI exam on Saturday revealed the extent of the injury and Griffin didn’t travel with the team for their game against the Utah Jazz.

It was not immediately clear if Griffin would join the team before Monday’s game at Washington.

Griffin finished Friday’s game with 13 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in 36 minutes.

In 30 games this season, he is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists and shooting 50 percent from the field.

The Clippers said he would be re-evaluated in a fortnight after rest and physical therapy. AFP

Kobe tops All-Star balloting

Mason Plumlee of the Portland Trail Blazers soars for a dunk during his team’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. AFP

I could quit Manchester United, says embattled Van Gaal UNITED KINGDOM—Louis van Gaal said that he could jump before he is pushed after his position as Manchester United manager became even more precarious following a fourth successive defeat.

The under-fire Dutchman, 64, looked like a condemned man throughout United’s sorry 2-0 loss to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday and then in the inquest that took place afterwards.

When grilled about the firestorm of speculation surrounding his likely sacking and the possible appointment of Jose Mourinho, Van Gaal intimated that he may be about to walk away from a job that has undergone a dramatic downturn in fortunes in the past month.

While refusing to confirm or deny whether he has received assurances from the United board, he did state: “I have said already in former press conferences that it is not always that the club has to fire or sack me. Sometimes I do it by myself.

“I am the one who wants to speak first with the board of Manchester United, with my members of staff, with my players and not always you

(the media).”

On top of that, Van Gaal -- appointed in July 2014 -- failed to give a convincing answer when asked whether he would still be in charge for United’s next game against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Monday.

“You will have to wait and see, but I think so,” he said. “I feel the support of everybody in the club.”

United have slipped to sixth in the Premier League after three consecutive defeats -- the second such sequence under Van Gaal -- and were knocked out of the Champions League after a 3-2 loss at Wolfsburg earlier this month.

Rather than his usual ebullient self, Van Gaal cut a forlorn figure at times as what he had described as a “must-win” game turned into a nightmare.

He put that down to his players’ fear of failure and conceded that United must somehow find the courage to overcome that if they are to arrest their slide.

“We didn’t dare to play the football that we can and I have analysed it as a consequence of the circumstances: the pressure that you have

to cope with as a player group, as an individual player,” he said.

“We gave a bad goal away in the first instance, but the main reason is that we could not cope with the circumstances. We did not play our way of football.

“At half-time, I said to my players we have nothing to lose, and then you can cope better with that in the second half. But it was not good enough. AFP Manchester United’s Dutch manager Louis van Gaal arrives for the English Premier League football match between Stoke City and Manchester United. AFP

NEW YORK—Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, retiring after this season to end a 20-year career, is the runaway vote leader for the 65th NBA All-Star Game, the league announced Friday.

Bryant, a 17-time AllStar, has received 719,235 votes with reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors next at 510,202 and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers topping the Eastern Conference with 357,937 votes.

Global fan voting determines the starters for the annual contest of NBA elite stars, which this season is set for February 14 in Toronto.

Bryant is the leading scorer in NBA All-Star Game history with 280 points and he ranks second in All-Star appearances behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 19.

NBA scoring leader Curry averages 31.2 points a game for the defending NBA champion Warriors, who have the league’s top record at 27-1. AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Photo shows Supermaxi yachts Comanche (center) and Perpetual Loyal (left) after the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney. Eight-time line honours winner Wild Oats XI and Perpetual Loyal pulled out overnight while Comanche was attempting repairs as strong winds knocked out more Sydney to Hobart competitors, as sailors battled wild weather off Australia’s east coast, officials said, officials said. AFP

Comanche leads; bad weather forces more boats out SYDNEY—American super-yacht Comanche retook the lead from fellow US challenger Rambler in the Sydney to Hobart on Sunday, as more damaged boats retired from the gruelling race off Australia’s east coast, officials said.

Strong winds knocked out some 20 percent of the field on Saturday and Sunday—including defending champion and eight-time line honours winners Wild Oats XI—whittling the 108-strong fleet that set sail from Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day down to 85.

The retirement of Wild Oats XI—which holds the race record of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds set in 2012—left the race in the hands of US challengers Comanche and Rambler 88, with just two nautical miles separating the pair.

Comanche, owned by Netscape founder Jim Clark and wife Kristy Hinze and one of the four 100foot supermaxis that entered the 628-nautical-mile (1,163-kilome-

ter) blue water classic, led the race for line honors after bolting out of Sydney Harbour.

But the crew had to work hard to repair a damaged daggerboard and rudder before entering the Bass Strait chasing Rambler Sunday morning and resuming the lead, organisers the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) said.

Chasing the two yachts are Australian contender Ragamuffin 100 and Italy’s Maserati.

“We decided to punch on through. We think we can get to Hobart safely,” Comanche’s accomplished American skipper Ken Read said.

“I don’t care if we limp over the line. We are going to finish this damned race.”

It is just the second Sydney to Hobart for Comanche, which set a new 24-hour monohull record of 618.01 nautical miles in July, months after finishing runner-up in line honours at last year’s contest.

Despite Comanche’s lead, organisers said milder conditions could favour Rambler later Sunday.

“On paper, the much lighter conditions expected in the bottom half of Bass Strait and along the Tasmanian coast later this afternoon and tonight favour the less beamy Rambler,” the CYCA said.

Both American boats had battled strong southerly winds that hit the race, where sailors faced 25-30 knot winds and big gusts against a south flowing current.

Wild Oats XI captain Mark Richards said the conditions were “tricky” but not the worst he had ever experienced.

“Forty knots of breeze, very dark at night,” Richards told reporters as his supermaxi and crew returned to Sydney on Sunday morning. AFP

Manning denies doping report; calls it garbage LOS ANGELES—Five-time NFL Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning Saturday branded allegations in an upcoming Al-Jazeera documentary that an Indianapolis antiaging clinic supplied him with human growth hormone as “complete garbage.”

“The allegation that I would do something like that is complete garbage and totally made up,” Manning said in a statement issued through the Denver Broncos to US media. “It never happened.

Never. I really can’t believe somebody would put something like this on the air. Whoever said this is making stuff up.”

Neither the NFL nor the Broncos commented on the allegations, which are included in an AlJazeera investigative report due to air on Sunday, which was shared in advance with The Huffington Post.

According to The Huffington Post, in the report titled “The Dark Side” British hurdler Liam Collins went undercover to ex-

pose the use of performanceenhancing drugs in sports.

As part of his probe Collins met with Charles Sly, a former pharmacist at the anti-aging Guyer Clinic in Indianapolis, where Manning once played for the NFL’s Colts.

Sly said he mailed HGH to Manning’s household in 2011, sending it to Manning’s wife, Ashley to avoid a link to the sports star.

However, in a follow up interview with Al-Jazeera, Sly recanted the allegation, saying they were “absolutely false and incorrect”.

The NFL collective bargaining agreement ratified in 2011 banned the use of HGH. However, the league did not begin testing for the substance until 2014.

Manning missed the 2011 season because of multiple neck surgeries, and joined the Broncos as a free agent prior to the 2012 campaign.

French soldier dies in wingsuit jump GRENOBLE—A 39-year-old French soldier was killed Saturday while attempting a wingsuit jump in the Alps, the latest casualty in what is regarded as one of the most dangerous extreme sports, a rescue worker said.

The man died after jumping off the 2,525 meter-high (over 8,000feet) summit of Le Brevent in the

French Alps.

“When his flying companion reached the ground, he realised something had gone wrong. He probably crashed into” the mountain, a rescue worker said, confirming the soldier’s death.

His body was later found at an altitude of 2,100 metres. An investigation into the accident has

been opened.

American daredevil Johnny Strange died in the Swiss Alps in October while also attempting a jump in a wingsuit.

The average wingsuit jump lasts barely a minute and within eight seconds, the jumper reaches speeds of 200 kilometres (120 miles) per hour. AFP

Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos signs autographs before the start of the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Cojuangco to seek 3rd POC term

By Peter Atencio

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. is expected to seek a third term of office in the country’s highest sports body.

Awardees and officials are shown during the Team Prima’s Annual Athletes’ Recognition Night at the V Corporate Centre in Makati City. They are (from left) Wolo Lim, Kenneth Chua (Bowler of the Year, Men, Manila), Krizziah Tabora (Female Bowler of the Year, Ladies, Manila), Bea Hernandez ( Jr. Bowler of the Year, Girls), Enzo Hernandez (Jr. Bowler of the Year, Boys), Eboy Farr (Cyclist of the Year), Cha Pagdilao (Photographer of the Year), Ghiselle Bautista ( Jr. Badminton Player of the Year, Girls), Pingkoy Salvado (Jr. Badminton Player of the Year, Boys), Aires Montilla (Badmimton Player of the Year, Ladies), Gregg Paz (Badminton Player of the Year, Men), Clarence Tiu (Bowler of the Year, Men, Cebu), Xyrra Cabusas (Bowler of the Year, Ladies, Cebu), Duke Gella (Most improved Bowler, Male), Dale Lazo (Most Improved Bowler, Female) and Alex Lim.

Chua, Tabora are Prima’s Bowlers of Year NATIONAL bowlers Kenneth Chua and Krizziah Tabora captured the 2015 Prima Pasta Bowler of the Year awards to lead all honorees during Team Prima’s Annual Athletes’ Recognition Night recently at the V Corporate Centre in Makati City.

Chua, 24, a member of the Philippine bowling team, bagged his second male Bowler of the Year award after winning his first in 2013. He was a unanimous choice to win the award after topping seven prestigious bowling tournaments this year.

“I felt really happy, fulfilled and proud of my award because all of the efforts and hard work that I gave in my training paid off again,” said Chua. “This is one of the most prestigious yearend awards of each Team Prima Athlete that I really worked hard for.”

He also had four perfect games this year. “I want to thank my parents for giving their all out support. Second, I also

dedicate this award to my Japanese Bowling coach, Madoka Amano. Without his help and guidance, these awards wouldn’t have been possible and I wouldn’t have won the titles.”

Chua won the titles in this year’s PTBA Open Mixed Open Masters, SLETBA Open Masters and Philippine National Open Masters, took first runner-up honors in the World Cup National Finals, SCTBA Open, placed second runner in the Henrich Cup Open Masters and the TBAM Easter Open Masters.

Known for his superb bowling skills, Chua is considered by most bowling enthusiasts to follow the path of Filipino bowling greats six-time world champion Paeng Nepomuceno and world champion Biboy Rivera.

“I also want to thank Alexander Lim. Without his support and sponsorship, we wouldn’t be able to join these tournaments. I would also like

to give mention to Smart Communications. Ever since I started working with them, they’ve showed nothing but support to Filipino athletes, by allowing me to participate in international tournaments,” he added.

Tabora received a second straight female Bowler of the Year award for her major accomplishments this year, highlighted by the TBAM Open title and being part of the Singapore Southeast Asian Games bronze medal in the women’s team event.

Brother and sister junior bowlers Bea Hernandez and Enzo Hernandez grabbed their second straight Junior Bowler of the Year awards for another remarkable year. Bea rolled her first career perfect game during the Asian Schools Bowling Championships in HK. Cyclist Eboy Farr took his second consecutive Cyclist of the Year trophies in the awards night.

Ron Jacobs: A coach with a passion for basketball, love for Philippines

By Ronnie Nathanielsz RON Jacobs was unquestionably a brilliant coach, whose passion for basketball and his abiding love for the Philippines, was unquestioned.

When Ron passed away last Christmas eve, it was painful to accept the reality that such a healthy individual, who kept a tight rein on the food he ate and in his physical well-being, could have been felled by a stroke a few years ago while in the throes of preparing the Philippine National Team for the Asian Games in South Korea.

The news was a shocker and friends and fans alike found it difficult to understand and even more painful to accept.

His trusted assistant Jong Uichico gallantly picked up the challenge and if not for a harrowing end-game miscue against host South Korea, the Philippines would have entered the finals against China.

But it was not to be and the pain of losing was aggravated by the struggles of Jacobs to recover from his debilitating stroke that virtually paralyzed him, but not his incredible desire to fight the good fight and to help Philippine

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

basketball until the very last breath in his body.

Ron was an exemplary leader who worked tirelessly to inculcate in his players the paramount principle that playing for your country was an honor and a privilege.

Nobody demonstrated this valued trait perhaps more than naturalized players Chip

Engelland. Jeff Moore and Dennis Still.

They clawed tooth and nail alongside such homegrown greats as Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim and Hector Calma in scoring an epic overtime victory over the mighty United States in the 1985 Jones Cup, which we had the privilege to cover with an admittedly biased commentary in favor of our country, because it meant so much.

The late movie hero Fernando Poe Jr. told us once as we celebrated his birthday over a couple of drinks that he took the betamax tape of the coverage to all his out-of-town shoots and watched it no less than 14 times, reveling in the fact that we had beaten the mighty United States, whose team included some eight future NBA players.

Jacobs worked tirelessly to build a fiercely competitive team that reflected his own competitive spirit and left no detail to chance. He was that kind of a coach.

Before we played China in the ABC Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January 1986, Jacobs asked two of his longtime friends and trusted basketball assistants to scout the China team that was preparing for preparing for the

Sources said Cojuangco is interested in extending his tenure to another four years, from 2016 to 2020.

At the moment no one is expected to challenge his post. Officials in the present POC leadership are focused on pushing programs, which will help athletes perform better in international competitions.

“We look forward to the entry of new people with ideas and new leadership who will work with the present leadership. We would like to maintain programs that the POC president has started,” said POC chairman Tom Carrasco.

These programs involve conditioning, nutrition and rehabilitation which have been crafted over the last four years.

With Republic Act 10699 - or the National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001 - in place, sports officials expect athletes to perform even better in international meets.

“I suppose, the ground will be prepared for our athletes to perform better,”said Carrasco.

The law aims to increase the amount of cash incentives given to winning athletes, coaches and trainers. It will also include athletes with disabilities in the grant of benefits and incentives.

For the Olympic Games, the gold medalists will be granted P10 million, the silver medalists will get P5 million and the bronze medalists will receive P2 million. For the Asian Games, the gold medalists will be entitled to P2 million cash incentives, the silver medalists will pocket P1 million and the bronze medalists will get P400,000.

As for the SEA Games, gold medalists will get P300,000, silver medalists will receive P150,000 and bronze medalists will pocket P60,000 each.

ABC Championships by playing a series of games against US NCAA teams and send him detailed scouting reports.

The two men split up and tracked the Chinese team across the US, sending Ron details that included photos, names and numbers of each player since the Chinese often changed numbers during competitions to confuse their opponents.

The Philippine team members poured over the players’ profiles, matched names with numbers and studied every move of the Chinese players with shot charts and player tendencies, strong points and weaknesses.

Jacobs was a master of detail and when the players attended practice or walked into the locker room before a game, it was all laid out for them. It was hard work for Ron, but it paid off handsomely when the Philippines thrashed China in the finals.

Ron conceded later that he had taken the South Koreans for granted and nearly paid the price in a scintillating semifinal clash which we managed to win.

Jacobs believed that we could face China at its best in 10 games and win a couple at the right time, which would make all the difference.

Ron was recruited by Ambassador Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, who was referred to as “Boss Danding” to those who knew him well and shared a great deal of affection for him and whose passion for basketball fired the imagination of the American mentor.

Boss Danding cared for Ron like his own brother Henry Cojuangco, who too passed away some months ago when he was playing a meaningfully quiet and efficient role in Congress.

Turn to A15

M O N DAY : DE CE M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Chan-Alido duo grabs golf lead AIDRIC Chan and Ira Alido put on a fiery birdie-eagle windup to fire a bogey-free 62 and seize a one-stroke lead over Ryan Monsalve and Lanz Uy at the start of the fifth National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club in QC yesterday.

The Chan-Alido tandem actually battled back from two strokes down off Monsalve and Uy at the back and grabbed the lead by birdying the par-3 17th and closing out with an eagle under the fourball (best ball) format.

Tied with the Chan-Alido and Jobim Carlos-Inigo Raymundo pairs with 32s after nine holes, Monsalve and Uy birdied the first two holes at the back but stumbled with a bogey on the 17th and needed to birdie the 18th to card a 63 and stay in early contention in the National Golf Association of the Philippines’ final event for the season held under the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour and sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT and Metro Pacific Investment Corp.

Carlos, who ruled the inaugural staging of this event conducted and organized by the NGAP at the AFP Golf Club in 2011 with Raymundo

Gonzales, and Inigo Raymundo flubbed a birdie putt on the 18th and settled for a 64 while Jama Reyes and Tom Kim put in a 65 to remain in the hunt in the event hosted by the CAGC. Tommy Manotoc and son Gabriel combined for a 66 for sixth, Raymart Tolentino and Carlo Villaroman shot a 67 in a tie with Matthew Abalos and Don Petil while defending champion Rupert Zaragosa and new partner Joey Magcalayo gunned down six birdies but fumbled with the same number of bogeys, including on Nos. 1 and 18 as they dropped to joint ninth at 68 with Jolo Magcalayo and former pro Eddie Bagtas in the centerpiece Group I category.

Meanwhile, Jun Bautista and Inigo Bilbao assembled a 69 to share the Group II lead with Tony Olives and Rene Unson with the Jeff Razon-Chester Calpotura and Vic Se-Raffy Sempio tandems carding 73

and 74, respectively.

Marvi Monsalve and Dania Uy combined for a 66 to take the early lead in Group III with Kristine Torralba and Ashia Nocum pooling a 74 and three other pairs still to complete play at presstime.

Play shifts to aggregate format today (Monday) with the final round to be played under the two-ball foursome of alternate shot format.

Aidric Chan (left) and Ira Alido exchange high-fives after teaming for a bogeyChan and Alido hit three free 62 at the start of the fifth National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship birdies at the front of the short at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club in QC on Sunday. but challenging layout while Monsalve and Uy matched that feat with three straight birdies from No. 4 and Carlos THE Basketball Efficiency and Scien- and president Nic Jorge, also a former and Raymundo joined them tific Training Center, the pioneering national coach whose group has been at the helm with a birdie on group of sports clinicians in the coun- cited for the Olympism Award by the the ninth. try, starts the new year with a blast Philippine Olympic Committee and is a Monsalve and Uy when it holds basketball clinics for Hall of Fame awardee by the Philippine threatened to pull away with the young, aspiring basketball players Sportswriters Association. a strong start at the back but in three venues as early as Jan. 9.

Classes offered at the Ateneo will after a slew of regulation The Ateneo College covered courts be for Preparatory Levels 1 to 5 from pars marred by two flubbed in Katipunan, Quezon City and the 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., while Xavier birdie putts, they fumbled on Xavier School, also in QC, will be host- School clinics will be for Preparatory the 17th, enabling Chan and ing Saturday classes starting Jan. 9.

Level 1 to 3 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Alido to surge ahead.

Starmall in Alabang, meanwhile, will Starmall classes will be for students hold Sunday classes starting on Jan. in Preparatory Levels 1 to 3 from 1 to 10, according to Best Center founder 4 p.m.

January Best Center clinics set

Redskins down Eagles to punch playoff ticket

Jordan Reed (right) of the Washington Redskins runs past Walter Thurmond of the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Redskins defeated the Eagles, 38-24. AFP

Ron Jacobs...

From A14

Ron was a disciple of Boss Danding, while

the Boss was an admirer of the coach and his unmatched dedication.

As Ron slowly withered before he passed away, he was looked after with incredible attention and affection by the lovely lady, who was his partner – Mennen – who was constantly by his side administering to him in a display of unbridled love and affection.

Indeed, we marveled at the commitment of this charming lady, who was a beacon for other women to follow.

We often checked on Ron’s condition with her and it was only recently that she told us, that his condition was deteriorating and perhaps it was time for him to let go, which he did last Christmas eve.

The passing of Ron Jacobs was a major blow to Philippine basketball because he epitomized the love for the sport and the men who played the game and the leaders, who supported basketball with all their heart.

His was a heart that may have been American but one that beat with the indomitable courage and unbelievable af-

WASHINGTON—Kirk Cousins threw four touchdowns Saturday as the Washington Redskins clinched the NFC East division title and their NFL playoff berth with 38-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Redskins improved to 8-7 with their third victory in a row and are back in the post-season for the first time since 2012.

The Eagles fell to 6-9, missing the playoffs for the second time in three years under coach Chip Kelly.

Washington’s victory also eliminated the New York Giants, who are 6-8 heading into a Sunday game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Dallas Cowboys had already been eliminated from playoff contention in the woeful NFC East.

Despite the weakness of the division, the Redskins looked like unlikely candidates for the crown after going 4-12 in 2014 and languishing at 5-7 this year.

fection for his adopted home – the Philippines.

Our consolation, if indeed we can find consolation in his untimely passing, was the gift of knowing him well and respecting him for what he did for our country in an all-embracing fashion.

Ron was a handsome man and his handsomeness was enhanced, measured against the reality that handsome is as handsome does.

Farewell, my beloved friend. May the Good Lord embrace you like you embraced the sport of basketball and our country.

But they have rallied late in the season behind strong play from Cousins, who completed 31 of 46 passes for 365 yards without an interception on a rainy night in Philadelphia.

Cousins wasn’t flawless however, his mental mistake at the end of the first half costing his team a chance of at least a field goal.

With six seconds left in the half and the Redskins in scoring position on the Eagles’ seven-yard line, Cousins inexplicably took a knee —letting the clock run out without a play.

That left the Redskins’ lead 16-10 at halftime, and Cousins bounced back from the error.

He threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Chris Thompson to stretch the lead to 23-10 in the third quarter.

Eagles running back DeMarco Murray rushed for a four-yard TD to trim the deficit to 23-17 with 4:7 left in the third.

LOTTO RESULTS

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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

A16

m o n day : de c e m b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 5 rIera U. maLL arI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

sports

Ginebra’s scottie thompson tries to beat the double-team put up by Globalport’s terrence romeo and rico Maierhofer in a pbA quarterfinal game won by the batang pier, 84-83.

GlobalPort earns 1 semis stint st

by jeric lopez

FOR the first time, GlobalPort is finally in the semifinals.

The Batang Pier hung tough down the stretch to come up with a controversial 84-83 overtime squeaker over Barangay Ginebra in the second phase of their Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup quarterfinal battle Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

GlobalPort advanced to the best-of-seven semifinals against Alaska, starting on Jan. 4, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Stanley Pringle poured in 25

points and grabbed eight rebounds, but more importantly, his stellar showing in the clutch lifted the Batang Pier to their first-ever appearance in the semifinals as a franchise in a four-year PBA journey.

“It was a tough game against Ginebra. We had the breaks of the game. I give credit to our guys. Deserve talaga nilang makapasok sa semis,” said a jubilant GlobalPort coach Pido Jarencio.

Terrence Romeo ably backed up

Pringle with 23 points.

Forty-eight minutes of nipand-tuck battle between the two squads resulted in a 74-all standoff. Pringle and Romeo, GlobalPort’s two superstars, stepped up in the extension period to make sure that the Batang Pier will finally have their breakthrough.

Back-to-back baskets from the two gave GlobalPort a nice head-start in the extra session as Batang Pier took a vital 7974 lead with over three minutes remaining.

Barangay Ginebra stayed true to its never-say-die mantra as it inched within just a point, 83-84, after Japeth Aguilar’s basket with exactly eight seconds left.

blAzers stun cAvs, 105-76 turn to A12

In the next possession, the ball was inbounded to Pringle and Ginebra double-teamed him to try and force a turnover via the fivesecond ball-hogging violation.

But the referees didn’t blow their whistle as they felt Pringle passed the ball a second before the fivesecond count, allowing the Batang Pier to escape with the victory.

However, it wasn’t without any controversy.

Ginebra coach Tim Cone and his wards refused to leave the floor as they continued to complain that Pringle held the ball for more than five seconds and the Gin Kings should have had the ball back with at least over a second left, just enough time to turn the tables

around.

Despite their protestations, though, the officials formally ruled the game in favor of GlobalPort, formalizing the Batang Pier’s entry in the final four.

Greg Slaughter led the way for Ginebra with 25 points.

The scores: GLOBALPORT 84 - Pringle 25, Romeo 23, Washington 13, Yeo 11, Mamaril 4, Kramer 3, Semerad 3, Jensen 2, Maierhofer 0, Pena 0, Sumang 0.

GINEBRA 83 - Slaughter 25, Tenorio 18, Devance 12, Caguioa 9, Mercado 9, Aguilar 6, Cruz 4, Ellis 0, Marcelo 0, Thompson 0.

Quarter scores: 18-16, 33-32, 5353, 74-74, 84-83.

jAcobs: A pAssion for bAsketbAll, love for the philippines turn to A14

MONDAY: DECEMBER 28, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

Post-Christmas sales.

Shoppers look for discounted handbags in Selfridges department store in central London on December 26, 2015, in the post-Christmas, Boxing Day sales. AFP

PSe comPoSite index Closing December 23, 2015

8000 7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

7,002.42 36.24

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing DECEMBER 23, 2015 43.50 44.60 45.40

P47.225

46.20

CLOSE

47.00

HIGH P47.315 LOW P47.200 AVERAGE P47.275 VOLUME 427.000M

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 Wednesday, December 23, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.2980

Japan

Yen

0.008260

0.3907

UK

Pound

1.482500

70.1193

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128997

6.1013

Switzerland

Franc

1.012658

47.8967

Canada

Dollar

0.718081

33.9638

Singapore

Dollar

0.712099

33.6809

Australia

Dollar

0.723694

34.2293

Bahrain

Dinar

2.656395

125.6422

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266581

12.6087

Brunei

Dollar

0.709572

33.5613

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000073

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.027722

1.3112

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.8793

Euro

Euro

1.095300

51.8055

Korea

Won

0.000855

0.0404

China

Yuan

0.154350

7.3004

India

Rupee

0.015110

0.7147

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.233100

11.0252

New Zealand

Dollar

0.681106

32.2150

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030492

1.4422 Source: PDS Bridge

BSP expects bigger capital flight in ’16

By Julito G. Rada

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas expects portfolio investments, or “hot money,” to post a bigger net outflow of $1.3 billion in 2016 due to external headwinds and as the US economy shows signs of recovery, triggering capital flights from the country.

The net outflow target next year is significantly higher than the expected $200-million net outflow this year, which is actually a revision of the previous target of $1.4 billion for 2015.

Bangko Sentral reviews twice the hot money target, alongside other economic data such as foreign direct investments, balance of payments, remittances, among others.

“External headwinds emanating from the slowdown in the Chinese economy and the modest

growth in Japan have affected the country’s external trade,” Bangko Sentral said in a report announcing the revision.

It also said expectations on the US Federal Reserve rate lift-off led to volatile capital flows. The Fed decided to increase interest rates on Dec. 17, 2015.

Foreign portfolio investments are overseas funds that are temporarily invested in local stocks, government securities and money market. These are also called “hot

money” because of the ease they are invested in and taken out of the local markets.

Bangko Sentral said financial accounts had incurred net outflows in the third quarter which “emanated mainly from the reversal of portfolio investments to net outflows from net inflows in the third quarter of 2014.”

The portfolio investment account recorded net outflows of $3.2 billion in the third quarter, a reversal of the $885 million net inflows a year ago.

Latest data from Bangko Sentral showed that hot money in the first 11 months of 2015 posted a net outflow of $429 million, significantly lower than the $707-million net outflow a year ago.

Hot money registered a net outflow of $68.79 million in November, a reversal of the $369.9-million net inflow a year ago, as fund

managers concerned with the impending interest rates hike in the United States pulled out their investments in the local markets.

Inflows fell 39.4 percent to $1.08 billion in November from $1.79 billion in the same month last year, while outflows declined by 19 percent to $1.15 billion from $1.42 billion.

Trading at the Philippine Stock Exchange and the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. were suspended after Malacañang declared Nov. 18 and 19 as holidays as the country hosted the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit.

Bangko Sentral said 78 percent of investments registered in November were in in PSE-listed securities, primarily in holding firms, banks, property companies, food, beverage and tobacco firms, and utility companies.

Savings still the major source of PH bank funds SAVINGS and time deposits remained the main sources of funds for domestic banks in the third quarter this year, according to the latest report of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas covering the July-to-September period.

Banks’ total deposits as of endSeptember 2015 grew 7.8 percent to P6.9 trillion, or P0.5 trillion higher than a year ago.

Tthe growth in deposits in the third quarter, however, slightly weakened compared with the 8.2 percent expansion posted in the previous quarter.

“Savings and deposits expanded by 9.3 percent and 15.3 percent, respectively. Time deposits,

on the other hand, declined by 1.4 percent or P24.1 billion during the review period,” Bangko Sentral said.

Foreign currency deposits owned by residents grew 13.7 percent year-on-year to P1.5 trillion.

Meanwhile, outstanding loans of commercial banks as of endSeptember, net of banks’ RRP placements with Bangko Sentral, rose 12.6 percent year-on-year.

Bank lending, inclusive of RRPs, increased 12.4 percent relative to the level posted in the third quarter of 2014.

The increases were lower compared with the previous quar-

ter on both net (14.5 percent) and gross (14.2 percent) of RRP placements. Commercial banks’ loans have been increasing steadily at a double-digit pace since January 2011.

“The continued broad-based growth in bank lending supported the sustained expansion of the productive sectors of the economy in the third quarter,” the bank regulator said.

Loans for production activities—which comprised more than 80 percent of banks’ aggregate loan portfolio—expanded increased 13.2 percent in September year-on-year.

The growth in production

loans was driven primarily by increased lending to different sectors, such as real estate activities (20.4 percent); electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply (27.5 percent); wholesale and retail trade, and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (14.4 percent); and financial and insurance activities (16 percent).

Bank lending to other sectors also expanded during the month, except for transportation and storage, other community, social and personal activities, and manufacturing, which declined 0.1 percent, 0.3 percent, and 2.2 percent, respectively.

MONDAY: DECEMBER 28, 2015

B2

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

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MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl Reinsurance Corp.

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7.280 7.50 0.77 0.208 35.700 2.7 5 0.55 0.97 1.05 0.120 0.445 24.5 0.750 0.160 1.03 1.81 1.17

Value

FINANCIAL 6,621,860.00 2,211,575.00 396,358,926 284,631,650.00 16,230,070.00 76,070.00 106,250.00 1,313,776.00 2,625,518.00 193,331 14,140.00 38,000.00 910,030.00 200,160,245.50 257,330.00 2,817,278.00 4,693,279.50 3,990.00 244,000.00 2,095,962.00 3,896,970 110,338,987.00 7,200.00 19,324,205.00 264,710.00 INDUSTRIAL 13,242,700 534,413,060.00 926,000 4,380,090.00 9,000 6,380.00 3,378,000 4,497,850.00 9,300 93,964.00 1,040 103,948.00 431,200 7,093,820 3,025,900 61,258,680.00 437,300 18,292,720 1,055,000 2,422,530.00 1,784,000 2,832,300.00 1,044,600 13,827,054.00 20,842,000 192,534,201.00 1,896,300 16,778,150.00 19,644,100 84,520,419.00 36,123,215 17,742,175.00 3,880,900 87,540,350.00 543,430 35,765,262.00 300 3,684.00 68,900 982,102.00 994,400 5,757,050.00 88,819,000 251,323,520.00 2,728,930 592,917,130.00 183,400 2,211,550.00 9,600 255,075.00 4,200 18,770.00 1,826,700 44,791,050.00 4,447,300 89,068,376.00 88,700 528,700.00 279,640 88,161,634.00 7,000 28,020.00 952,000 3,737,960.00 2,897,000 20,247,166.00 4,000 11,860.00 129,500 1,459,252.00 187,000 716,810.00 1,686,000 2,546,640.00 550,000 1,220,880.00 1,505,000 5,947,100.00 1,000 2,300.00 3,000 13,640.00 238,820 29,084,166.00 4,000 15,520.00 725,000 1,780,910.00 5,490,000 787,720.00 381,000 383,460.00 1,731,000 3,734,140.00 2,562,870 474,594,555.00 18,000 81,710.00 954,000 599,680.00 200,000 224,000.00 HOLDING FIRMS 1,980,000 728,850.00 4,919,180 283,112,553.00 11,058,300 183,266,340.00 301,000 311,080.00 21,000 132,372.00 2,570,000 542,330.00 900,000 191,600.00 394,070 296,657,300.00 3,587,000 28,890,505.00 8,642,400 119,383,474.00 229,600 1,364,740.00 3,700 22,119.00 7,000 29,420.00 650,000 136,710.00 365,615 480,701,405.00 39,000 214,500.00 977,000 9,418,795.00 3,930,140 286,484,540.00 5,521,600 36,479,775.00 11,000 7,630.00 11,442,200 169,742,692.00 33,917,400 177,948,105.00 1,000 3,000.00 35,500,000 1,070,200.00 13,000 15,930.00 911,000 1,686,450.00 593,700 28,011,515.00 320,660 273,772,490.00 32,000 36,480.00 1,000 750.00 3,006,880 210,030,267.50 1,370,000 384,300.00 750,000 150,900.00 370,000 88,800.00 PROPERTY 1,272,000 9,265,234.00 2,800 20,572.00 6,369,000 5,048,110.00 70,000 14,560.00 16,548,600 586,378,195.00 17,585,000 48,212,470.00 110,900 534,279.00 1,751,000 964,470.00 66,000 64,020.00 6,000 6,200.00 2,900,000 349,400.00 4,010,000 1,770,300.00 2,899,700 69,912,875.00 9,289,000 7,387,230.00 40,000 6,400.00 2,536,000 2,603,310.00 23,338,000 42,451,400.00 116,000 134,570.00 2,137,000 48,200 3,797,520 3,378,910 433,000 31,000 85,000 87,800 140,500 27,600 8,000 50 1,858,000 2,505,850 275,000 168,100 91,040 40 2,000 7,420 122,300 798,940 5 339,200 85,000

DECEMBER 14-18, 2015 Close Volume Value 2.95 45.6 103.00 82.95 37.1 2.45 1.32 14.98 18.3 7.02 1.7 700.00 0.540 79.5 0.94 16.70 49.90 101 122 284 32.85 137 1450.00 56.95 3

4,315,000 53,300 11,022,880 8,460,490 291,000 33,000 451,000 547,800 478,800 25,300 119,780 210 2,455,000 9,037,380 387,000 410,700 2,825,020 3,110 66,690 14,270 892,600 1,552,260 415 7,305,830 5,000

11,878,470.00 2,444,090.00 1,111,998,920 699,540,361.50 11,031,325.00 80,820.00 571,350.00 8,208,370.00 8,726,848.00 187,076 135,450.00 147,000.00 1,307,230.00 713,883,728.50 363,060.00 6,740,792.00 143,929,970.00 312,210.00 8,136,180.00 4,117,456.00 29,005,110 212,524,846.00 600,575.00 410,629,839.50 15,000.00

40.5 4.7 0.72 1.4 10.3 90.00 16.62 20.3 43 2.28 1.61 12.84 9.150 8.81 6.20 5.23 22.2 66.25 12.30 14.20 5.8 2.740 210.60 12.1 26.35 3.19 23.95 19.8 5.99 317.00 3.91 3.92 7.00 2.59 11.50 3.80 1.56 2.29 3.96 2.5 4.55 122 3.78 2.47 0.144 1.07 2.15 183.9 4.72 0.6 1.10

12,857,200 2,960,000 1,765,000 3,835,000 9,300 1,980 2,203,700 2,816,500 131,000 1,949,000 9,377,000 2,300,700 61,338,200 1,215,900 63,606,400 878,400 10,507,000 846,660 1,534,700 838,000 431,500 50,229,000 3,610,460 310,100 6,000 36,000 15,948,000 5,266,400 3,544,900 707,560 8,000 458,000 4,627,800 1,000 24,500 251,000 1,255,000 1,310,000 4,534,000 3,000 37,100 114,360 17,000 4,433,000 10,210,000 435,000 41,603,000 11,652,670 972,000 1,216,000 403,000

512,731,575.00 13,871,330.00 1,303,450.00 5,302,890.00 95,562.00 183,780.00 36,467,608 57,939,180.00 5,655,910 4,487,780.00 15,566,000.00 29,241,706.00 545,044,946.00 10,859,640.00 380,274,732.00 4,530,333.00 234,277,450.00 56,441,444.00 19,168,114.00 12,023,292.00 2,470,813.00 128,609,460.00 747,094,574.00 3,789,292.00 179,030.00 114,340.00 392,685,920.00 106,137,480.00 19,731,886.00 224,486,410.00 31,330.00 1,741,450.00 32,499,202.00 2,590.00 279,390.00 941,330.00 2,003,920.00 2,978,150.00 18,077,970.00 7,090.00 170,360.00 14,144,295.00 57,880.00 10,968,510.00 1,477,540.00 453,220.00 89,577,850.00 2,088,679,007.00 4,413,840.00 732,700.00 436,680.00

0.380 56.8500 16.26 1.17 6.40 0.220 0.219 747.5 7.85 13.80 5.75 5.53 4.15 0.230 1262 5.50 9.91 72.00 6.61 0.71 14.4 5.33 3.79 0.0310 1.290 1.880 47.10 845.00 1.14 0.70 69.900 0.2800 0.1950 0.240

1,160,000 6,278,330 45,376,400 1,000 77,700 2,960,000 3,570,000 1,177,260 38,648,700 28,750,800 161,300 1,000 77,000 4,730,000 594,930 23,500 1,883,200 5,420,340 5,616,600 227,000 8,250,200 126,805,400 17,000 132,300,000 126,000 10,553,000 1,674,200 1,160,450 65,000 73,000 40,160 12,150,000 620,000 4,780,000

441,900.00 353,615,602.50 718,495,754.00 1,170.00 490,728.00 650,670.00 792,020.00 876,918,515.00 306,784,710.00 383,775,436.00 917,343.00 5,530.00 331,370.00 1,043,800.00 754,278,320.00 129,250.00 18,678,324.00 376,280,962.00 38,041,560.00 157,140.00 116,714,436.00 665,485,428.00 51,820.00 4,064,800.00 159,880.00 19,945,310.00 75,661,790.00 954,221,600.00 75,090.00 51,430.00 2,817,622.50 3,470,400.00 125,200.00 1,183,170.00

7.000 6.01 0.83 0.208 34.550 2.94 5.15 0.56

10,196,000 800 5,940,000 300,000 60,507,800 13,752,000 60,700 11,009,000

71,257,163.00 4,927.00 4,942,740.00 62,580.00 2,166,464,540.00 41,358,050.00 300,399.00 6,121,980.00

1.05 0.122 0.445 24.25 0.820 0.157 1.05 1.84

122,000 3,460,000 6,690,000 9,544,200 324,000 250,000 9,417,000 70,286,000

126,350.00 416,580.00 3,016,700.00 237,750,660.00 266,180.00 39,170.00 9,554,880.00 129,556,990.00

STOCKS Megaworld Prop.

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

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

DECEMBER 21-23, 2015 Close Volume

DECEMBER 14-18, 2015 Close Volume Value

Value

4.31 0.078 0.2400 19.60 8.55 27.15 1.46 3.08 22.40 0.74 6.99 0.840 5.200

36,442,000 156,762,540.00 4.29 123,329,000 523,794,040.00 4,300,000 330,210.00 0.077 5,280,000 408,120.00 500,000 121,310.00 0.2480 290,000 72,140.00 2,500 49,000.00 38,800 333,249.00 8.55 506,100 4,314,299.00 5,622,700 152,721,700.00 27.50 37,447,000 989,506,495.00 250,000 346,340.00 1.4 377,000 530,390.00 580,000 1,783,950.00 3.21 17,003 57,750.00 51,024,800 1,132,731,850.00 21.80 79,052,900 1,754,506,400.00 403,654,000 302,708,230.00 0.74 3,444,000 2,525,160.00 1,500 10,177.00 6.8 15,400 97,565.00 1,595,000 1,343,770.00 0.900 2,263,000 1,973,560.00 3,920,000 19,950,941.00 5.090 42,736,600 217,034,875.00 SERVICES 2GO Group 7.04 169,600 1,171,065.00 7.1 228,700 1,592,735.00 ABS-CBN 63.9 8,180 519,393.00 63.5 27,420 1,726,419.00 Acesite Hotel 1.12 62,000 71,960.00 1.14 121,000 137,140.00 APC Group, Inc. 0.485 30,000 14,550.00 0.490 1,820,000 871,500.00 Berjaya Phils. Inc. 26 500 13,000 24.75 10,251,200 253,717,520 Bloomberry 4.28 11,771,000 50,118,190.00 4.44 22,252,000 127,007,170.00 Boulevard Holdings 0.0400 25,000,000 1,015,900.00 0.0410 56,000,000 2,342,800.00 Calata Corp.

3.29 6,290,000 21,022,690.00 3.21 2,971,000 10,005,630.00 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 80.5 1,078,940 86,823,820.50 80 5,439,760 442,023,445.00 Centro Esc. Univ.

9.53 5,800 55,451.00 9.51 1,700 16,356.00 Discovery World 1.7 108,000 164,190 DFNN Inc. 5.08 129,300 640,139.00 5.05 484,200 2,432,430.00 FEUI 955 230 219,850.00 956 3,610 3,451,360.00 Globe Telecom 1900 71,715 142,037,885 1890 125,353,745 529,132,885 GMA Network Inc. 6.88 84,900 579,275.00 6.84 442,900 3,007,463.00 Grand Plaza Hotel 17.80 65,100 1,364,250 Harbor Star 1.17 157,000 182,330.00 1.22 667,000 816,430.00 I.C.T.S.I. 69.75 2,068,800 143,245,850.50 68.95 5,755,100 394,950,990.50 Imperial Res. `B’ 28 400 11,200 IPeople Inc. `A’ 11.24 8,911,000 100,005,240.00 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.010 8,500,000 79,150.00 0.010 69,300,000 692,720.00 Island Info 0.152 2,030,000 304,910.00 0.154 6,460,000 1,010,180.00 ISM Communications 1.4000 229,000 314,610.00 1.3800 1,156,000 1,596,840.00 Jackstones 2 227,000 478,130.00 2.37 1,046,000 2,418,130.00 Leisure & Resorts 7.62 3,360,000 25,919,113.00 7.95 1,628,200 13,021,703.00 Liberty Telecom 4.32 410,000 1,773,740.00 4.35 3,072,000 13,419,360.00 Lorenzo Shipping 1.10 107,000 118,170.00 1.11 63,000 71,610.00 Macroasia Corp.

2.35 49,000 111,570.00 2.30 35,000 78,160.00 Manila Broadcasting 26.00 1,200 30,100.00 Manila Bulletin 0.550 314,000 164,280.00 0.510 737,000 405,730.00 Manila Jockey 1.97 30,000 59,100.00 1.98 464,000 899,620.00 Melco Crown 2.03 75,584,000 151,259,570.00 2.32 33,292,000 79,666,960.00 54,310,210.00 3.73 33,940,000 127,106,770.00 Metro Retail 3.83 14,598,000 MG Holdings 0.280 1,150,000 295,650.00 0.265 2,110,000 571,800.00 NOW Corp.

0.810 21,069,000 17,303,320.00 0.840 46,603,000 39,913,560.00 Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

18 2,300 41,400.00 18.46 543,300 10,008,300.00 PAL Holdings Inc. 4.65 20,000 90,070 4.60 20,000 90,430 Phil. Racing Club 9.44 5,000 47,200.00 9.1 2,000 18,200.00 Phil. Seven Corp.

100.00 400 40,010.00 101.10 156,890 16,079,755.00 Philweb.Com Inc. 21.70 177,700 3,773,645.00 21.15 13,169,000 275,498,425.00 PLDT Common 2076.00 366,075 751,225,500.00 2024.00 656,565 1,325,268,270.00 PremiereHorizon 0.470 490,000 230,950.00 0.475 2,110,000 970,900.00 Premium Leisure 0.600 200,875,000 121,478,840.00 0.680 203,167,000 144,368,470.00 Puregold 34.70 2,983,800 102,463,730.00 34.20 4,305,700 145,885,170.00 Robinsons Retail 62.45 3,194,010 199,958,330.00 62.00 6,774,640 428,285,353.00 SBS Phil. Corp.

6.14 3,691,700 22,728,989.00 5.92 5,029,100 30,108,328.00 SSI Group 3.40 18,964,000 64,668,720.00 3.52 27,166,000 100,384,990.00 STI Holdings 0.430 5,080,000 2,211,900.00 0.440 36,500,000 16,861,100.00 Travellers 3.4 910,000 3,096,490.00 3.59 1,531,000 5,492,500.00 Waterfront Phils.

0.310 310,000 102,550.00 0.310 1,130,000 366,450.00 Yehey 4.100 124,000 507,100.00 4.110 124,000 515,940.00 MINING & OIL Abra Mining 0.0050 192,000,000 941,200.00 0.0048 660,000,000 3,169,400.00 Apex `A’ 1.82 111,000 199,820.00 1.83 1,851,000 3,382,410.00 Atlas Cons. `A’ 4.03 308,000 1,246,000.00 4.08 1,040,000 4,293,090.00 Basic Energy Corp.

0.203 290,000 58,340.00 Benguet Corp `B’ 6.5000 15,000 87,480.00 5.5000 14,500 80,570.00 Century Peak Metals Hldgs 0.59 713,000 421,990.00 0.61 3,822,000 2,302,360.00 Coal Asia 0.56 324,000 179,570.00 0.58 3,798,000 2,186,230.00 Dizon 7.25 35,800 37,791.00 7.18 130,300 941,303.00 Ferronickel 0.69 87,588,000 59,655,250.00 0.69 96,743,000 68,317,530.00 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.275 1,050,000 288,750.00 0.280 860,000 238,000.00 Lepanto `A’ 0.175 3,890,000 675,020.00 0.168 22,600,000 4,034,190.00 Lepanto `B’ 0.185 2,110,000 391,060.00 0.187 8,540,000 1,686,800.00 Manila Mining `A’ 0.0110 1,268,100,000 4,653,200.00 0.0100 647,900,000 6,479,600.00 Manila Mining `B’ 0.011 141,300,000 1,489,300.00 0.011 90,200,000 1,540,700.00 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 2 509,000 1,019,490.00 2.1 1,251,500 2,588,330.00 Nickelasia 6.25 6,984,600 57,096,730.00 6.24 13,702,100 86,115,512.00 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.78 26,000 72,020.00 2.8 696,000 1,919,580.00 Omico 0.5400 12,000 6,480.00 0.5400 199,000 108,660.00 Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0094 20,000,000 197,030.00 0.0099 147,800,000 1,473,430.00 Oriental Pet. `B’ 0.0110 100,000 1,100.00 0.0110 3,100,000 34,100.00 Philex `A’ 4.31 855,000 3,754,650.00 4.44 2,177,000 10,055,140.00 PhilexPetroleum 1.29 231,000 299,070.00 1.29 888,000 1,152,780.00 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.0120 45,600,000 519,500.00 0.0110 136,400,000 1,757,520.00 Semirara Corp.

134.00 772,630 103,354,491.00 133.40 1,815,390 242,384,977.00 TA Petroleum 2.12 242,000 509,140.00 2.09 322,000 684,370.00 PREFERRED ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

64.5 249,090 16,142,032.50 65.05 476,200 31,044,112.50 First Gen G 118 3,020 356,390.00 118 63,620 7,203,696.00 GLOBE PREF P 522 9,240 4,806,280.00 519 5,650 2,932,785.00 GMA Holdings Inc. 6.8 168,000 1,119,943.00 6.46 187,400 1,221,497.00 Leisure & Resort Pref.

1.13 40,000 45,410 1.13 83,000 93,390 MWIDE PREF 107.5 90 9,675.00 107.5 2,100 225,960.00 PCOR-Preferred A 1060 4,680 4,960,800.00 1060 2,050 2,162,900.00 PCOR-Preferred B 1065 420 447,300.00 1065 3,370 3,606,335.00 PF Pref 2 1019 7,500 7,631,180.00 1028 21,755 22,173,435.00 PNX PREF 3A 103.5 64,510 6,669,782.00 103.9 8,305 8,461,520.00 PNX PREF 3B 106.5 15,920 1,697,999.00 105.7 8,305 8,461,520.00 SMC Preferred C 83 48,260 3,943,980.00 81.65 33,730 2,759,336.00 SMC Preferred D 78.4 1,520,890 118,708,436.00 78.4 17,340 1,353,696.50 SMC Preferred E 78.35 547,080 42,672,625.50 78.55 50,230 3,972,486.50 SMC Preferred F 79.8 2,240,520 176,557,794.00 78.6 428,270 34,114,882.50 WARRANTS & BONDS Leisure & Resort Warr.

2.440 523,000 1,327,140.00 2.530 114,000 297,350.00 SME Alterra Capital 3.12 68,000 213,840.00 3.16 272,000 897,470.00 Makati Fin. Corp.

2.86 44,000 122,500.00 2.57 17,000 44,360.00 Italpinas 2.97 2,921,000 8,556,150.00 3.1 7,600,000 24,986,440.00 Xurpas 15.5 787,000 12,121,908.00 15.48 7,096,400 108,699,616.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 114.1 116,740 13,148,101.00 112.3 131,400 14,589,278.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Manila Mining `A’ Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Premium Leisure Abra Mining Manila Mining `B’ Ionics Inc Ferronickel Melco Crown SM Prime Holdings Philodrill Corp. `A’

VOLUME 1,268,100,000 403,654,000 200,875,000 192,000,000 141,300,000 88,819,000 87,588,000 75,584,000 51,024,800 45,600,000

STOCKS SM Prime Holdings PLDT Common Jollibee Foods Corp.

Ayala Land `B’ Aboitiz Power Corp.

GT Capital Universal Robina Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Ayala Corp `A’

VALUE 1,132,731,850.00 751,225,500.00 592,917,130.00 586,378,195.00 534,413,060.00 480,701,405.00 474,594,555.00 396,358,926 302,708,230.00 296,657,300.00

MONDAY: DECEMBER 28, 2015

B3

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

BoI says investments in ’15 flat at P350b

By Othel V. Campos

APPROVED investments by the Board of Investments likely reached P350 billion to P355 billion in 2015, or virtually flat from last year’s record.

A BoI governor said the government was not expecting investments to pick up in 2015 due to the absence of capital intensive investments, such as power and energy projects.

The board, however, is optimistic the value of registered projects in 2016 will increase to about P417.5 billion, based on recent estimates by the Trade Department.

Approved BoI projects in 2014 dropped 24 percent to P354.5 billion from P466 billion in 2013.

Combined investments at the BoI and from the Philippine Export Zone Authority, meanwhile, are forecast to reach P780 billion in 2016.

Investments registered with the BoI in 2016 are expected to continue to increase at a slower rate of 7 percent as the Investment Priorities Plan is now more focused on relatively fewer, more strategic sectors.

Peza’s target of P362.1 billion is based on the performance in the previous years with significant consideration of the global market situation.

Meanwhile, Peza’s export value may increase to $102.2 billion in 2016 from the 2015 forecast of $88.7 billion to $91.9 billion.

Peza earlier reported that investment commitments increased 13 percent in the first 10 months to P174.4 billion from P154 billion a year ago.

Peza director general Lilia De Lima attributed the increase in investments to the number of projects that would soon operate in different economic zones.

De Lima said Peza approved 503 projects, which were either new investments or expansion of

existing projects, mostly in manufacturing.

Peza, one of the major investment promotion agencies, approves projects in economic zones that apply for tax incentives from the government.

Data showed that Peza approved only 490 investment projects in the first 10 months of 2014.

Employment at Peza-administered economic zones also increased 7.9 percent to 1.24 million as of end-October from 1.15 million a year earlier.

The investment targets set for 2015, meanwhile, considered the anticipated economic slowdown in Japan, US, and China—the top three largest markets for Philippine exports—and the impact of past natural calamities on domestic supply of raw materials and the El Niño weather phenomenon.

The economic downturn in leading Philippine markets is expected to result in slower-thanexpected growth of exports of manufactured products and agrobased and resource-based commodities.

The Trade Department noted that investor confidence remained strong with the growing number of inbound investment missions.

Industries such as the information technology and business process management industry and aerospace have embarked on an aggressive investment promotion program.

Another positive development is the growing interest of investment promotion agency counterparts of other countries to partner with Philippine agencies in enhancing the flow of investments.

Customs-DHL agreement. Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina (left) and DHL Express Philippines country manager Yati Abdullah seal an agreement to develop better strategies and techniques in customs programs. The collaboration respects the mandate of the Bureau of Customs to deter the shipments contrabands, prohibited drugs, firearms and other goods that pose as menace to the security, health and well–being of the society. It also recognized that simplified and harmonized systems and procedures in Customs administrations had become the global trend in trade facilitation.

Sta. Lucia raising P3b more in late ’16 PROPERTY developer Sta. Lucia Land Inc. plans to raise another P2 billion to P3 billion in fresh funds in the latter part of 2016 to support expansion plans and land banking activities.

The fund-raising activity is on top of the P4 billion it recently generated from the issuance of fixed-rate retail bonds.

Sta. Lucia chief finance officer David dela Cruz said in a recent interview the company was looking at other options to raise additional capital, including tapping the equities or debt market.

“We might do other fund raising activity in the near future.

It could be equity, it could be quasi-equity or it could be more debt. We are closing the year 2015 with under P6 billion debt

and P12 billion in equity so we are still under-leveraged,” Dela Cruz said.

“The P4 billion bond issuance is just the first step for other fund raising activities,” he added.

Dela Cruz said the company was focused on acquiring land for housing, malls and other real estate projects.

“We are now focused on land banking because we have always been in joint venture partnerships in our development. So we want to start developing our own lots,” Dela Cruz said.

He said Sta. Lucia would strengthen its foothold in acquiring properties in several parts of the country because other big property developer were also going to the provinces.

Sta. Lucia plans to spend up to P4 billion in capital expenditures in 2016, including construction and acquisition of new properties.

The property company last week reported that it sold 400 million in treasury shares to listed Philippine Racing Club Inc at P0.75 per share, or worth a total of P300 million.

The 400 million treasury shares represent 4.47 percent of the property company’s 8.946 billion outstanding stocks.

Sta Lucia Land, which is owned by the Robles Group, has 43 ongoing projects to date. It aims to concentrate on building large scale master-planned subdivision communities in nearby provinces and emerging cities.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Stock market expected to rally on window dressing—analysts

By Jenniffer B. Austria SHARE prices are expected to move higher in the last two trading days of the the year on window dressing.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index has risen in the past trading days due to a year-end rebalancing of stock portfolios. The trading volumes, however, were thin as most investors opted to go on vacation.

“Next week, we’ll see if the market will end with a bang. The PSEi will need to rally by at least 3.16 percent over the two-day trading week so as not to end the year in the negative territory,” Ralph Christian Bodollo of RCBC Securities said.

Investors are expected to snap up select bargains, including blue chips that are expected to sustain gains in 2016.

The bellwether PSE Index went

back to the 7,000 mark before the Christmas break last week, up 1.97 percent from the previous week’s close, on year-end window dressing and gains in Wall Street The broader All Shares Index ended at 3,994.66, up 1.36 percent.

The stock market is still down 3.16 percent year-to-date.

All major subindices were in the green led by holding firms (2.27 percent), property (2.14 percent),

financials (1.39 percent), services (1.10 percent), industrial (1.08 percent) and mining and oil (0.23 percent).

Foreign investors were net buyers during the shortened trading week by P1.08 billion, as total foreign buying amounted to P6.07 billion while total foreign selling reached P4.98 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were Anchor Land Holdings Inc., which closed higher by 7.5 per-

cent to P7.50; Benguet Corp., which gained 18.2 percent to P6.50; and Philippine H20 which jumped 14.6 percent to P2.97 per share.

Weekly top price losers were MJC Investments Corp., which declined 20.8 percent to P3 and gaming firms Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp. and Premium Leisure Corp., which dropped 12.5 percent and 11.76 percent, respectively.

B4 PIDS says agri sector ready for integration

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

Top locator. General Trias City, Cavite Mayor Antonio Ferrer (right) and Vice Mayor Morit Sison (left) pose with Emil Armas (second from left) of Analog Devices, the city’s top taxpayer for the year 2014, in a simple ceremony at King Bee Restaurant in Barangay Manggahan.

PH, South Korea increase air flights

By Darwin G Amojelar

THE Philippines and South Korea have agreed to expand flight entitlements by 10.5 percent in a bid to serve the rising tourism between the two countries.

Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla said the Philippine air panel and its counterpart in South Korea expanded their air service agreement, adding 3,000 seat entitlements per week from the existing 28,500 seat entitlements a week.

The Philippine negotiating panel was composed of officials from the CAB, Departments of Transportation and Communications, Tourism and Foreign Affairs, as well as from Clark International Airport Corp. and representatives of local airline companies.

In April 2012, the Philippines and South Korea agreed to increase seat entitlements

to 28,500 per week from 19,000 passengers a week.

Arcilla said South Korea was a stable market and the number one source of tourism for the Philippines.

“We are hitting 1.1 million Korean tourists annually,” Arcilla said.

Local airlines that have flights to Korea are Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia Zest,while Korean Air, Jin Air, Asiana Airlines and Air Busan fly to the Philippines.

Data from the Tourism Department showed arrivals from Korea posted another record as the market reached 1.1 million in the first 10 months of the year, up 14.7 percent year-on-year.

Korea is also the top visitor generating market with P4.57 billion The Philippines has so far completed air talks with United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia, Qatar and Turkey this year.

The government’s air talks are aligned with the priorities of the Department of Tourism to meet the government’s tourist arrivals target of 10 million by 2016.

The Philippines recorded total inbound

foreign visitors of 4.39 million in the January-to-October period, up 11.3 percent from 3.96 million year-on-year.

Besides Korea, the top markets for the Philippines are United States of America with 636,658 visitors; Japan, 417,147; China, 415,868; Australia, 188,971; Singapore, 150,405; Malaysia, 129,120; United Kingdom, 123,414 and Canada, 120,903.

Other high growth markets include Spain with 19,208; New Zealand, 15,724; France, 37,135; Saudi Arabia, 44,339; Netherlands, 22,620; Hong Kong, 104,075.

The Tourism Department said the Philippines will likely meet its 5.2 million foreign tourist arrivals target this year after the number of visitors grew by double digits in the first 10 months.

Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said the government was aiming for six million foreign tourists in 2016, lower than the original target of 10 million visitors.

Revenues generated from tourism activities from January to October rose 8.24 percent to P186.89 billion from P172.66 billion last year.

THE Philippines’ agriculture and fisheries sector is well-positioned for the economic integration in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but it should increase the volume of primary products for exports, state-run think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies said.

PIDS said in a policy note the Philippines should work harder to increase the volume of exportoriented products.

The study cited coffee, cocoa, tuna, seaweed, shrimp and onions, adding Philippine sardines had one of the lowest prices in the world.

“At least for the country’s export-oriented sectors such as mangoes, bananas, and pineapples, the Philippines is ready for Asean integration,” PIDS said.

While some industries claim they are not yet ready for Asean economic integration, PIDS said the sector was well-positioned for the Asean Economic Community.

“The A&F sector, particularly in terms of the commodities mentioned above, is well-positioned for the AEC. The key to realize larger and more diverse market opportunities of regional integration is to facilitate the movement of economic resources previously in displaced import-competing industries to export-oriented industries and to make more effective those that are already in export-oriented industries,” PIDS said.

PIDS, however, said despite the government funding billions of pesos to support the agriculture and fisheries sector, the spending should be made more effective by allocating it to general services, research and development and extension programs.

“Industry or worse firm-specific support should be generally avoided,” the policy note said.

PIDS said a public program that encourages product diversification in the sector could maximize the country’s potential benefits from economic integration.

It also said aside from increasing the quantity of products, the quality should be improved to be more competitive in the region.

PAJ bares deadline for San Miguel-sponsored Binhi Awards THE Philippine Agricultural Journalists Inc. reminded contestants to submit their entries to the 2015 PAJ-SMC Binhi Awards on or before December 31, 2015.

A yearly national contest conducted by the PAJ and San Miguel Corp., Binhi Awards recognizes the efforts of print and broadcast journalists who churn out quality reportage of the developments and issues in the country’s agriculture, fisheries, environment, agrarian reform, food and agribusiness sectors.

This year’s contest features 14 individual and institutional categories, with cash prizes totaling P500,000, said PAJ president Roman Floresca, and former business editor of The Philippine Star.

“We sincerely thank SMC President and COO Ramon Ang for their continuing support to the PAJ, as we jointly raise the bar of coverage and reportage of the country’s agricultural developments and major industry issues, including success stories of farmers, fishers, livestock raisers, food

manufacturers, and agribusinessmen,” said Floresca.

“Through the years, SMC has had the privilege to support and partner with the PAJ. We hope to encourage more journalists to write more inspiring stories on the Philippine countryside. We believe this agricultural journalism contest is an effective program that supports the empowerment of farmers, fishers, rural entrepreneurs and the agribusiness sector, in general,” Ang said.

SMC media affairs group hyead

Mary Jane Oconer Llanes and Floresca formalized the agreement to conduct the 2105 PAJ-SMC Binhi Awards on November 4, 2015, witnessed by PAJ officers.

This year’s three major individual categories are agricultural journalist, agribeat reporter and environment journalist of the year, said Noel Reyes, PAJ vice president and contest chairman.

The top three winners for each category will receive P50,000, P30,000 and P20,000 cash and a trophy, respectively.

The other individual and institutional categories are: agri news story, agri feature story, environment story, agri photo journalist, agri section of a national newspaper, agri section of a regional or provincial newspaper, agri magazine, agri newsletter, agri TV program, agri radio program, and agri info and/or media campaign.

Winners will each receive P20,000 cash and a trophy, said Reyes, who formerly headed the Department of Agriculture’s information service.

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

Fore! A Worthy Yuletide Cause

Biggest container ship. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti welcomes the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin (in background), the largest container ship to ever call at a North America port, during a press conference at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, December 26, 2015. Launched by the French shipping line CMA CGM S.A. on December 10, the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin is 1,300 feet (396 meters) long, 177 feet (54 meters) wide, and 197 feet (60 meters) tall and has a capacity of approximately 18,000 containers. AFP

Vietnam GDP expands 6.7%

WE take care of our own.

That adage had never been more true than with the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) in its recent MOPC-MVP Golf Cup Invitational last December 7 at the Manila Golf and Country Club.

The tournament was held for the benefit of the continuing MOPC scholarship program for deserving children of journalists who need support to pursue a Journalism degree in the country’s major universities.

The MVP Group of Companies, through PLDT-SMART, Meralco, Maynilad, and Philex Mining sponsored the one-day event. Around 60 players participated, including some members of the diplomatic corps like US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, Canadian Ambassador Neil Reeder, Indian Ambassador LD Ralte and Thai Ambassador Thanatip Upatising.

Lady golfer Leanna Carmona emerged as the overall winner, and her feat was warmly applauded during the awarding ceremonies I was privileged

to host together with the lovely Patricia Bermudez-Hizon of the MVP Sports Foundation.

The MOPC is the country’s premier press club and one of the oldest in Asia.

It was established in 1945 at the close of the Second World War, though there are stories that tell of its founding well before the war.

In this time of Yuletide cheer, we say a prayer and remember our journalist friends and comrades who died in the line of duty while bravely soldiering on for the Truth. It is in this regard that the MOPC strives to take care of its own, the ones that fallen journalists have left behind, in the same way that we take care of ours.

HANOI—Vietnam’s economy in 2015 grew at its fastest pace in five years, official figures showed Saturday, shaking off regional economic worries with strong exports, record foreign investment and buoyant domestic consumption.

The communist nation recorded a GDP growth rate of 6.68 percent, easily surpassing the government’s 6.2 percent target with a figure that looks set to be one of Southeast Asia’s strongest showings for the year.

“This growth rate is very important for the Vietnamese economy in the coming years in the context of falling world oil prices and instabilities in the international financial markets,” Nguyen Bich Lam, director of the General Statistics Office, told reporters in Hanoi.

Many Asian economies have been rattled by troubles in China, where the world’s second largest economy has suffered with its worst annual growth rates in a quarter of a century.

While regional neighbors like Thailand have suffered, Vietnam has proved resistant to the slowdown of its giant northern neighbor, partly through state intervention.

The State Bank of Vietnam weakened the

dong three times this year to spur exports after China depreciated the yuan, dragging exchange rates lower across Asia.

Exports rose 8.1 percent in the 12 months through December while imports climbed 12 percent.

Much of the growth has been fueled by a flurry of international interest with disbursed foreign investment surging 17.4 percent compared to last year with a record-high of $14.5 billion.

The strong showing is a significant jump on the last two years.

In 2014 Vietnam’s GDP growth was just under six percent, while that of 2013 was only 5.42 percent.

Senior economist Le Dang Doanh told AFP that strong industrial growth also helped boost the economy as well as “lower oil prices in the world market which has greatly reduced the cost of imported raw materials for Vietnam.” AFP

With (from left) Tony Garcia, Thai Ambassador Thanatip Upatising, MOPC president Babe Romualdez, MOPC chairman Tony Lopez, Indian Ambassador LD Ralte, Monch Cruz, Consul Fausto Preysler, Eric Canoy, US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, Canadian Ambassador Neil Reeder, Mrs. Irene Reeder, Nelia Gonzalez, Pepe Rodriguez, Javier Toledo and Maloli-Espinosa Supnet

Canadian Ambassador Neil Reeder takes part in the ceremonial tee-off

US Ambassador Philip Goldberg joins the ceremonial tee-off

FedEx hit for late deliveries GREG Richmond ordered two wool caps from Overland Sheepskin Co. on Dec. 22 to give to his wife for Christmas, and asked for overnight delivery to ensure a pre- holiday arrival. On Friday, at home in Chicago, he was still waiting for FedEx to show up.

Two years ago, United Parcel Service Inc. found itself under fire from consumers for failing to deliver some packages in time for Christmas. Now FedEx Corp. is being excoriated on social media from customers missing everything from clothes to food.

The company said Saturday remaining delayed packages will be delivered Sunday.

“I already wrote an e-mail to Overland asking them to find a different shipper next year,” Richmond, 51, said by telephone. “I’d be reluctant to order something from a company that uses FedEx.” FedEx said in an e-mailed statement it was running an expanded operation and delivering the “remaining delayed shipments along with our normal Saturday vol-

ume.” Packages bound for residences were getting priority, the company said.

The efforts to complete Christmas deliveries reflect the increasing importance of online orders as a source of holiday gifts— and the extreme time-sensitivity of those shipments. It said “heavier than planned last-minute shipment volumes” also added to the delays. In 2013, a late e-commerce surge converged with winter weather to leave UPS unable to meet its on-time promises, triggering an avalanche of socialmedia complaints.

FedEx on was “doing everything possible” to move Christmas shipments before the holiday ends, spokesman Jim Masilak said by e-mail Friday, a day after the Memphis, Tennessee-based company warned that severe weather was disrupting service.

Drivers are making deliveries Friday in some markets, and counters at FedEx Express stations across the US are open until 1 p.m. for customer pickups.

Indian Ambassador LD Ralte during the ceremonial tee-off

My son, Javier Toledo, showing his form during the ceremonial tee-off With (from left) Tony Lopez, Babe Romualdez, MOPC-MVP Golf Cup overall champion Leanna Carmona and event co-host Patricia Hizon

MONDAY: DECEMBER 28, 2015

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BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

Holiday sales.

A customer looks inside a handbag on display in the mixed handbags sales inside the Selfridges Plc department store during the Boxing Day sale on Oxford Street in London, UK on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015. UK retail sales volumes increased 1.7 percent from October, when they fell 0.5 percent, the Office for National Statistics said in London on Dec. 17, 2015.

Bloomberg

Global miners brace for worse

SYDNEY—Global miners are battling to stay afloat after enduring one of the toughest years in recent times, with tumbling commodity prices and supply gluts set to force more closures and massive cuts in 2016, analysts say.

China’s once insatiable appetite for commodities—boosted by an unprecedented investment boom in the world’s second-largest economy—has waned, with its shift towards consumption-driven growth dampening demand.

At the same time, large producers have continued to lift output levels, which critics say is designed to flood the market and push out smaller competitors, accelerating the decline in prices.

The iron ore price sank below US$40 in early December, its lowest since May 2009, thermal coal prices are 80 percent off their 2008 peak while world oil prices

have spiraled down to an eightyear low.

The sharp falls have ravaged the bottom line of miners across the world, pushing smaller players to the brink while tearing billions of revenue out of the government budgets of resources-dependent economies such as Australia.

Even major players such as London-listed Anglo-American has had to slash its workforce by almost two-thirds and shut lossmaking mines amid the deepening rout, while Swiss giant Glencore is planning to trim its debt by cutting investment and selling assets.

“You only need to look at any

Russian firms scrimp on Christmas parties MOSCOW—Forget corporate holiday bashes where glitterati are treated to fine champagne and French delicacies: Russia’s economic crisis has taken the glow off the holiday season this year.

Many companies are now forced to scrimp on once lavish New Year’s parties or celebrate the country’s most beloved holiday in the office—with simple snacks on offer and employees bringing their own drinks.

On a recent afternoon servers were arranging Chianti bottles on white tablecloths for a holiday party for 500 employees of an international firm in Roll Hall, a venue just south of the Moscow city center.

Yelena Vetrova, deputy director of the entertainment and shopping complex, said that business was mostly good although some clients waited until the last minute to book their parties, while others scaled theirs down.

“For the first time ever this year we were taking reservations in December,” said Vetrova, noting that clients used to make bookings as early as May. She added that some clients had canceled, while others toned down the festivities: the average price tag this year is 25 to 30 percent lower than last December.

“People don’t go away hungry but they don’t eat foie gras,” she said with a wry smile. AFP

share price to know it’s been an absolutely shocking year for commodity markets and for mining companies,” CLSA’s head of resources research Andrew Driscoll told AFP. Anglo-Australian BHP Billiton, one of the world’s largest miners, has seen its Australian share price dive by more than 40 percent this year, while stocks in rival Rio Tinto have dropped by 26 percent.

Rio’s chief executive Sam Walsh said the firm’s competitors were in so much trouble that they were “hanging on by their fingernails.”

“Sooner or later the adjustment will take place,” Walsh told Bloomberg Television this month.

The slump comes on the back of a commodities super-cycle over the past decade, led by China but also fueled by other resources-hungry developing nations growing their economies at

a rapid pace, which pushed prices to record levels.

But as miners borrowed heavily and ramped up output, they overestimated the growth in demand, analysts said.

“They’ve added far too much capacity for that new, more moderate demand outlook, so we have surpluses in every commodity,” said UBS commodities analyst Daniel Morgan.

“I think it’s definitely one of the toughest years the mining industry has faced in many years,” he added, saying the woes were comparable to previous slumps sparked by the 2007-08 global financial crisis, the 1997 Asian financial crisis and even the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union.

Goldman Sachs said last week the iron ore sector might need to “hibernate for an extended period,” predicting that prices would stay below US$40 for three years.

The International Energy Agency said in mid-December that “the golden age of coal in China seems to be over,” with demand slowing as the East-Asian nation turns to cleaner energy sources.

Meanwhile, the Opec oil group recently left its output ceiling unchanged despite crashing energy prices in a move likely to further depress the market.

“We had the big party from 2005-2011, and now we are suffering the big hangover,” Breakaway Research senior resources analyst Mark Gordon told AFP. “The so-called super-cycle was a real anomaly in history, so the upward trend was an anomaly, and the downward trend is also an anomaly.”

With demand projected to soften along with China’s slowing economic growth, the adjustments have to come from the supply side, analysts said. AFP

India pumping desert oil to trim imports BARMER, India—The deserts of Rajasthan may be the showcase for India’s solar revolution but the oil explorer that struck gold beneath the same sands insists the country needs to pump out more fossil fuels to wean itself off imports.

Ahead of this month’s climate negotiations in Paris, India sought to deflect criticism by pointing to the solar panels and wind turbines sprouting across the sparsely-populated princely state.

Yet deep in the desert, and less well-publicized, are four oil fields operated by an offshoot of Scotland-based Cairn Energy that churn out nearly a quarter of all domestic crude.

Each day the world’s longest heated pipeline funnels 176,000 barrels from the remote Barmer region near the Pakistan border, bound for the refineries of Reliance Industries, Essar Oil and Indian Oil Corp.

Exploration continues apace, with less than half the state’s 150,000 square kilometers (58,000 square miles) thought to contain crude deposits developed so far, and millions more barrels likely still trapped in the rock.

Oil magnates echo Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s insistence that the world’s third-biggest carbon-emitter must keep polluting to power its way out of poverty.

“We would all like solar power and clean energy, but the reality is today you need all kinds of energy—you need clean energy, you need fossil fuels,” Cairn India’s chief executive Mayank Ashar told reporters on a site visit.

“A country like India can either make the fossil fuels, or it can import it. And making it is a lot better.”

India already imports threequarters of its oil and as its fastgrowing economy sucks up more

and more fuel, the International Energy Agency projects this will rise above 90 percent.

Its few domestic fields like Barmer and Bombay High off the coast of Mumbai go only a short way to countering its import dependence.

“When it comes to oil and gas we have a strategic vulnerability,” Ashar said.

The discovery of oil in a region so harsh it was once considered a punishment posting for civil servants was hard won.

Shell, which first got the license to explore Barmer in 1995, had given up after several wells came up dry, but its maverick geologist Mike Watts, who was convinced it held potential, moved to Cairn and kept searching.

Cairn drilled 13 wells before hitting an abundant flow of highly paraffinic crude in 2004, the world’s biggest discovery of onshore oil that year. AFP

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Deadly storms rock southern US CHICAGO—Tornadoes knocked cars off a highway and flattened homes in Texas, raising the death toll to 25 as a string of powerful storms wreaked havoc across much of the southern United States.

At least eight people were killed as tornadoes struck parts of the densely populated Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, leaving much of the region in darkness, local officials and media reported.

The Texas fatalities came after 17 people were killed in storm-related incidents since Thursday in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas.

A tornado touched

Sunset in the city. A poster of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seen over Kasimpasa district during sunset on December 26, 2015, in Istanbul. AFP

Beijing ends 1-child policy BEIJING—China officially ended its one child policy on Sunday with the signing into law of a bill allowing all married couples to have a second child as it attempts to cope with an aging population and shrinking workforce.

The change, which was announced in October by the ruling Communist Party, takes effect from January 1, the Xinhua news agency reported.

All married couples will be allowed to have a second child but the legislation maintains limits on additional births.

The “one child policy”, instituted in the late 1970s, restricted most couples to only a single offspring and for years authorities argued that it was a key contributor to China’s economic boom and had prevented 400 million births.

It has been enforced by a dedicated national commission with a system of fines for violators and often forced abortions, leading to heartrending tales of loss for would-be parents.

The policy led to sexselective abortions or infanticide targeting girls, because of a centuries-old social preference for boys.

Rural families were already allowed two children if the first was a girl, while ethnic minorities were allowed an extra offspring, leading some to dub it a “oneand-a-half child” policy.

AFP

down around 6:45 pm (0045 GMT Sunday) in Garland, Texas, city officials said in a statement.

“Five deaths have been confirmed,” the statement said.

“Extensive damage has been reported to vehicles, homes, and apartments in the same area.”

The deaths are “believed to be related to vehicles struck by the tornado,” it said, adding that there was also an unconfirmed number

of injuries.

The tornadoes—residents say at least four of them—snapped power cables and knocked over pylons, leaving some 50,000 people in the dark, the Dallas Morning News reported.

The Garland fatalities were apparently “blown off the highway by high winds,” Garland police spokesman Mike Hatfield told the newspaper.

“We’re dealing with darkness out here,” Hatfield said. “All of the street lights and highway lights are out.”

Three other people were killed in weatherrelated incidents in Collin County, just north of the metroplex, the newspaper said, cit-

ing local police.

The late Saturday tragedy came as millions of residents in the southern United States struggle to recover from fierce storms and heavy flooding.

Feeding on unseasonably warm air, the storms and tornadoes have left a trail of destruction in rural communities from Alabama to Illinois.

In Alabama, where Governor Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency to deal with the heavy flooding, tornadoes on Friday uprooted trees and tore off rooftops, with one touching down in Birmingham, the state’s most populous city. AFP

Republic of the Philippines PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG

(National Irrigation Administration) UPPER PAMPANGA RIVER INTEGRATED IRRIGATION SYSTEM DIVISION III Maharlika Highway, Cabanatuan City 3100 Tel. No. (044) 463-1346

INVITATION TO BID No. GOODS-05A-2015

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF DATASETS FOR THE LAND PARCELS OF THE EXISTING KADAMPAT S/S-SAN MANUEL S/S-SAN JOSE S/S 500 KV TRANSMISSION LINES& BANILAD S/SNAGA S/S-SUBA S/S 138KV TRANSMISSION LINES

1.

The National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS), through the Fund GAA 2015 (EGPIP) intends to apply the sum of Php8,188,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the Contract No. GOODS05A-2015. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) now invites bids for contract for “Supply and Delivery of Surface Pumps/Tube Wells”. Bidders should have completed, within two (2) 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.

1.

The National Transmission Corporation, through the 2016 Corporate Budget approved by the TransCo Board intends to apply the sum of PhP30,345,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Supply and Delivery of Datasets for the Land Parcels of the Existing Kadampat S/SSan Manuel S/S-San Jose S/S 500 KV Transmission Lines&Banilad S/S-Naga S/S-Suba S/S 138KV Transmission LinesReference No. PB151014-RM34/PR Nos. RLMSD-15-94281. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at the opening of the financial proposals.

3.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

2.

The National Transmission Corporation now calls for the submission of eligibility documents forSupply and Delivery of Datasets for the Land Parcels of the Existing Kadampat S/S-San Manuel S/S-San Jose S/S 500 KV Transmission Lines&Banilad S/S-Naga S/S-Suba S/S 138KV Transmission Lines. Interested consultants must submit their eligibility documents on or beforeJanuary 12, 2016 10:00 AM at the address below.Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday to Friday

3.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Php10,000.00

The BAC shall draw up the short list of consultants from those who have submitted [LOI and eligibilitydocuments/Expression of Interest]and have been determined as eligible in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The short list shall consist of prospective bidders who will be entitled to submit bids. The criteria and rating system for short listing are:

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 than the submission of their bids.

6.

The National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 5, 2016 @ 2:00 P.M. at NIA-UPRIIS, CSS Hall, Maharlika Highway, Cabanatuan City ,which shall be open to all interested parties

7.

Bids must be delivered to the address above on or before January 19, 2016 @ 12:00 Noon at NIA-UPRIIS CSS Hall, Maharlika Highway, Cabanatuan City. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

The complete schedule of activities is listed, as follows:

1. Advertisement 2. Pre-Bid Conference 3. Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents 4. Deadline of Submission of Bids 5. Opening of Bids 9.

For additional information, interested parties may inquire at the above office.

Approved by:

(Sgd) LEIFE B. VILLAFLOR Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee (For Goods & Services) (TS-DEC. 28, 2015)

(c) Current Workload Relative to Capacity and Equipment Capability

- 30 Points

4.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the IRR of RA 9184. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

5.

The Procuring Entity shall evaluate bids using the Quality-Cost Based Evaluation/ Selection (QCBE/QCBS) procedure.The Procuring Entity shall indicate the weights to be allocated for the Technical and Financial Proposals. The criteria and rating system for the evaluation of bids shall be provided in the Instructions to Bidders

6

The contract shall be completed within Two Hundred Forty (240) calendar days from the date indicated in the Notice to Proceed.

7.

The National Transmission Corporationreserves the right to reject any and all bids, annul the bidding process, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

8.

For further information, please refer to:

January 19, 2016 @ 12:00 Noon January 19, 2016 @ 2:00 P.M

The National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) 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.

- 25 Points

(2) The proposed personnel and equipment in the eligibility evaluation phase should be the same personnel and equipment to be proposed during the technical evaluation phase and same cannot be changed during the project implementation

December 28, 2015 to January 4, 2016 January 5, 2016 @ 2:00 P.M. December 28, 2015 to January 19, 2016

- 45 Points

Note: (1) The bidder/s who shall meet the minimum score of 70 points shall be included in the short list, provided that the bidder/s meets the required minimum requirement/s in any of the above criteria. Bidder/s who fails to meet the minimum requirement/s in any of the above criteria and/or its subcriteria will get a zero (0) point on the said criteria and/or its sub-criteria and said bidder/s shall be automatically disqualified.

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

8.

(a) Applicable Experience of the Firm (b) Qualification of Personnel to be Assigned to the Job

Ms. Rossana F. Paguio BAC Secretariat Manager, General Services Division National Transmission Corporation (Transco) Power Center Complex BIR Road corner Quezon Avenue Diliman, Quezon City Telephone 902-1520 and Fax No. 921-3306 rfpaguio@transco.ph

Noted by:

(Sgd) ROSALINDA B. BOTE Acting Department Manager, NIA-UPRIIS

(TS-DEC. 28, 2015)

(SGD.) ATTY. LEON T. TAPEL, JR. BAC Chairperson

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Ready to travel. People crowd the departure lobby for international flights at the Tokyo Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on December 27, 2015, as travelers leave Japan to spend the year-end and New Year holidays overseas. AFP

Lights ward off winter blues Migrant wave called ‘organized invasion’ PRAGUE—Czech President Milos Zeman on Saturday called the current wave of refugees to Europe “an organized invasion”, adding young men from Syria and Iraq should instead “take up arms” against the Islamic State group.

“I am profoundly convinced that we are facing an organized invasion and not a spontaneous movement of refugees,” said Zeman in his Christmas message to the Czech Republic released Saturday.

He went on to say that compassion was “possible” for the refugees who are old or sick and for children, but not for young men who in his view should be back home fighting jihadists.

“A large majority of the illegal migrants are young men in good health, and single. I wonder why

these men are not taking up arms to go fight for the freedom of their countries against the Islamic State,” said Zeman, who was elected Czech president in early 2013.

He added that their fleeing their war-torn countries only serves to strengthen the IS group.

The 71-year-old evoked a comparison to the situation of Czechs who left their country when it was under Nazi occupation from 1939-1945.

It is not the first time Zeman has taken a controversial stance on Europe’s worst migrant crisis since World War II. In November, the left-winger attended an anti-Islam rally in Prague in the company of farright politicians and a paramilitary unit. AFP

STOCKHOLM—Each year, Old Man Winter drops his curtain of darkness over the Nordic countries, not lifting it again until April when spring bathes the region in sunlight and nature comes back to life.

At this time of year, when night falls as early as 2:00 pm (1300 GMT) and lasts until about 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in Oslo, Helsinki and Stockholm, people ward off the gloom by lighting up their lives as many ways as they can.

Even daytime brings only a slightly lighter shade of gray during the darkest weeks before the winter solstice in December, when skies are often overcast in the three capitals.

Daylight is even more elusive farther north. In the Swedish mining town of Kiruna above the Arctic Circle, the sun never rises around the winter solstice.

“Everything is gray, gray, gray!

And so cold!” At 50, Birgitta Ohrling has never gotten used to Stockholm’s long dark winters.

Unable to do anything about the

weather outside, the bubbly blonde started her own Nirvana wellness center in the Swedish capital, creating an artificial summer to chase away the winter doldrums.

For 20 euros ($22) an hour, visitors to the “sun room” can bask in warming rays from special light therapy lamps, as the mercury hits a balmy 35 degrees C (95 F) -- a far cry from the freezing temperatures outside.

The heat is only half of what you’d experience in a hot sauna, but the sun chairs, the wall mural of a sandy beach, and the sound of waves gently lapping the shores help create an aura of warmth and calm, and work wonders at fighting off the blues.

Visitors leaving the center step outside looking a little dazed, rosycheeked as if waking from a long sleep yet invigorated and ready to

face more of the dark winter.

The high dosage of lux—a unit for measuring illumination—in the center’s special lamps help chase away the sleep hormone melatonin, giving people more energy.

Up to 90 percent of Swedes suffer to some degree from Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, also known as winter depression. The condition is characterized by sadness, lethargy and increased alcohol and sweets consumption, according to Baba Pendse, a psychiatrist specialized in the disorder.

Many in the region try to counter the effects of the enveloping darkness with light therapy sessions or by taking cures of extra vitamin D, which is essential for growth and fighting off cardiovascular disease.

In November, Stockholm registered only 46 hours of sunlight, just over half the amount in Paris but still nine times more than the paltry five hours registered in Stockholm in November last year. AFP

China’s counter-terrorism law criticized BEIJING—China adopted its first counter-terrorism law Sunday after early drafts of the bill attracted strong criticism for provisions that may tighten media controls and threaten the intellectual property of foreign firms.

The legislation comes as Beijing wages a hard-hitting campaign to stamp out ethnic violence in its Xinjiang region and tries to tighten control over political dissent online and on the ground.

It is the “latest attempt to address terrorism at home and help maintain world security”, said the official Xinhua news agency.

Details of the bill, which was ap-

proved by the standing committee of the rubber-stamp legislature the National People’s Congress, were not immediately available.

Xinjiang, home to the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority group, has been plagued by unrest in recent years, prompting China to launch a police crackdown on separatist “terrorists” it says are behind the violence.

In an attempt to control online communications that the government says have contributed to the violence, drafts of the new law have included provisions that could require tech firms to install “back doors” in products or turn over encryption

keys to Beijing.

Both are seen as potential threats to freedom of expression and to intellectual property.

The United States has repeatedly expressed concern about the requirements, with President Barack Obama saying he raised the issue with President Xi Jinping during his September trip to Washington.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said last week the new law would “not have any restriction on the lawful activities of enterprises.

It will not leave back doors, and it will not impede freedom of expression online or the intellectual property rights of enterprises”. AFP

Season’s greetings. A Christmas tree lights up Syntagma Square in front of the Greek parliament in Athens on December 26, 2015. AFP

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

E AT, DRINK , T R AV EL

LIFE

The Flow spa's lounge area

Indoor pool

Locker rooms are open for in-house guests and non-in house guests who booked for spa treatments

Couples room complete with shower and steam room

The lobby at The Flow

LET YOUR BODY FEEL THE FLOW

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he holiday is almost coming to an end and most of us are exhausted from all the Christmas gatherings. Some are craving for that well deserved R&R and a spacation sounds like a really good idea. I have been sick from the fatigue that the Christmas season brought and haven’t been sleeping soundly at night; the thought of a relaxing massage was a gift to my ears.

Before Christmas, I braved the traffic and headed to Marco Polo Ortigas Manila to get some breather from the holiday stress to get a well-deserved massage at the Flow Spa. One day of holing up in the Superior Suite overlooking a panoramic view of the Ortigas cityscape was a change of scenery and the best part was I could still work because the WiFi in the entire hotel is one of the best in Manila, zero glitch, and super fast.

The Flow is located at the recreation floor of the hotel where the gym, pool, and spa is located. The spa is open for in house and non-in house guests, a perfect hideaway tucked in the middle of Ortigas’ corporate jungle. The center’s treatment room is composed of three rooms – two couples room with complete shower, tub and steam room; and one singles room perfect for the lone camper. When guests arrive, they are greeted with warm tea to prepare them for the relaxing treatment. The spa is open for guests from 9:00 a.m. until 12 midnight, the last call for 60-minute treatments is at 10:00 p.m. But if you’d like to have a massage in your room, a masseuse service is available 24 hours.

Complete with locker rooms, dry sauna and access to the heated swimming pool and the gym, in house guests can go back and forth in the facilities before their actual treatment.

The gym is open daily and guests are treated with complimentary smoothies and fruits to keep their bodies hydrated after working out.

BY TATUM ANCHETA

A relaxing fountain leading to the massage rooms

Guests may choose from various treatments in the spa. One may opt for a soothing facial with products from Algotherm, a marine based cosmetic line that utilizes seaweed extracts and other marine ingredients, or get soothing signature body and foot scrubs. There are choices of package indulgences for him and her, or one may choose from eight different massage treatments: Swedish massage, aromatherapy massage, hot and cold stone massage, hilot, ventosa, shiatsu, a 30-minute seated back massage, and the Flow’s 90 minute signature massage, a treatment based on Eastern and Western techniques that use Thai stretching

Welcome tea and wet towels

and Hawaiian lomi lomi strokes. I opted for the 90-minute treatment and I’ve never felt more relaxed in months. The big hand strokes soothed my aching muscles and swept me off to La La Land. The next thing I remember was the masseuse nudging me gently to inform me that the massage is done and I still napped for a good 30-minutes after the treatment.

From today until January 18, 2016, book a retreat into relaxation with your loved one at Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s Festive Room Package for a minimum stay of two consecutive nights and get holiday treats from the hotel and indulge in a sumptuous

breakfast buffet of all-time Filipino favorites at Cucina, and a complimentary Filipinothemed dinner through in-room dining and partake of the delicious kare-kare, chicken adobo and sinigang na hipon. For a completely relaxing holiday, take advantage of the complimentary use of the Indoor Infinity Pool and Fitness Centre. The Flow Spa treatment is not included in the package but it is worth reserving a slot for.

Before the year ends, give yourself a quiet time and just enjoy a spacation in the city. Book today via marcopolohotels.com or through email to resv.mnl@marcopolohotels.com.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

TOURISM PROMOTIONS BOARD WINS DOUBLE STICKY AWARDS

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ravel Trade Gazette (TTG) Asia Media awarded two Sticky Awards to the Tourism Promotions Board at the recently concluded Incentives Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia (IT&CMA) and Corporate Travel World (CTW) Asia-Pacific 2015 held in Bangkok, Thailand.

The impressive pavilion put up by the TPB won the Stickiest National Pavilion Bronze Award during the three-day event, while its hosting of the grandest dinner for the delegates earned for it the Stickiest Function Award.

The Sticky Awards recognizes the most exciting, creative, innovative, and effective products, promotions and personalities at the IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific. The winners were chosen by the delegates using the official voting forms.

The IT&CMA and CTW AsiaPacific is the world’s only doublebill event in meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) and corporate travel, and aims to foster MICE growth opportunities for the Asia-Pacific and beyond while CTW AsiaPacific is dedicated to cultivating Travel & Entertainment best practices among Asia-Pacific’s corporate travel professionals.

Every year, the event is held in Bangkok, Thailand to provide delegates an unparalleled platform to network, do business and discuss travel and tourism issues.

The award-winning TPB Pavilion

CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR IN THE MOST ROMANTIC HOTEL

T

he New Year always augurs fresh hopes and expectations, with everyone infused with fresh optimism. Those who want to celebrate the coming year in an enchanting place will definitely love The Henry Hotel Cebu. Lauded for its creative spaces that have been described as are “like no other,” the design and art-focused boutique hotel The Henry Cebu received top honors at the World Luxury Hotel Awards, winning the 2015 Luxury Romantic Hotel category in the Philippines.

A spacious and cozy room in Henry Hotel Cebu, winner of the 2015 Luxury Romantic Hotel award

The awards are presented to luxury hotels with first class facilities and service excellence, covering different categories per country, continent, and the whole world.

The Henry Cebu has 38 spacious and cozy rooms and suites, with each one different from another. The tasteful and creative conversation pieces, wall murals, and popart paintings and furniture present a perfect mix of European, vintage, industrial and rustic elements, totally unlike anything visitors have seen before. The hotel stands out from the others because it offers an out-of-the-box hospitality experience and exceptional personalized service making it the “must-stay” place for travelers. It’s certainly perfect for those who want to celebrate New Year in a memorable place.

Experience The Henry Cebu at 1 Paseo Saturnino, Maria Luisa Road, Banilad Cebu City.

For inquiries: please contact +63 32 520 8877, email reservations.cebu@thehenryhotel.com or visit www.thehenryhotel.com

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS O (Part 2)

TIPPLE TALES

BY ICY MARIÑAS

“7 swans a swimming” 45 ml Appleton 12 y.o. rum 30 ml Advocaat 30 ml Frangelico 60 ml unsweetened light cream (heated with froth) Garnish: Grated dark chocolate rim, nutmeg and biscuit This drink is served warm and also the presentation of the drink is an imitation of a swan.

“8 maids a milking” 45 ml wild turkey 81 22.5 ml ginger bread syrup 90 ml cereal milk a pinch of salt Garnish: Biscuit, blueberry, raspberry, mint sprig Again, the presentation of this drink is to suit the name of the drink.

h the strange things a person does – and gives – in the name of love. This week, we continue with the second half of the drinks inspired by the holiday hymn, 12 Days of Christmas. Even though Christmas just ended, in the Philippines we still celebrate Christmas until the end of the year, so here are some more interesting cocktails for you to mix for your endless gatherings. While my last entry for the gifts were very bird-oriented (with the addition of some jewelry), this portion still has a bird-centric day but is mostly about people doing peculiar activities.

Some of them make me wonder why they were chosen in the first place. The birds sort of make sense. I mean, if you’re a bird person, you’ve hit a gold mine there. The people given as gifts raise a lot of questions, though. What exactly are

those maids milking? (Cows? Goats? Get your mind out of the gutter!) What are the ladies dancing to? Who provides the music? Is it like an interpretative dance or like a group number? What are the lords leaping over? Like hurdles on a racetrack? Maybe the pipers are the ones playing music for the ladies to dance to? Maybe the drummers and the pipers are jamming? How long do they have to do these things? An hour? A day? Too many questions that will have to be answered another time. There are more important things at hand.

I got three friends to help me out with this week’s set of gifts-to-yourtrue-love inspired cocktail creations. First on the list is Campari Brand Ambassador for Hong Kong and Macau Mr. Joe Villanueva. Formerly from Lobster Bar, Hong Kong.

Disclaimer: This cocktail may cause “9 Ladies Dancing” by way of the cocktail The Crown Jewels crafted by Mr. Enzo Lim of Jeepney and Maharlika New York.

In a mixing glass/tin combine: 3 pcs candied cherries (Luxardo is best) with a bit of syrup 3 pcs banana discs (at least 5 mm thick) 0.5 oz banana syrup (Giffard) Muddle gently (but firmly); then add: 0.5 oz lemon juice (can be increased for a more tart drink) 0.5 oz brandy (Carlos I or better) 1.5 oz bourbon (Evan Williams or better) 6 drops Mexican Mole bitters (Bitter End, Bittermen's or other) Add five ice cubes (or equivalent) then whip shake (forcefully in one direction) five times.

Pour everything into a rocks glass and garnish with a skewer of two brandied cherries flanking a rolled up quarter banana peel.

“Ten Lords a-Leaping” – AU FAIT by Kenneth Benavides, Diageo World Classe Philippine Champion, ABV It was named Au fait because the taste is familiar with something that would remind you of your childhood.

I will not disclose any information about it but it is funny how I came up with this cocktail thinking about the 10 hand selected botanicals of Bombay Sapphire that resembles the 10 lords leaping. Then suddenly when I tasted it, the first thing that went out of my mouth was “Okay ka ba tiyan?”

I was surprised and felt like I’m a child again.

1 ½ oz Bombay Sapphire ¾ oz blackberry shrub ¾ oz lemon juice ¾ oz Sirop de Gomme 2 dashes coriander bitters egg whites

“Eleven Pipers Piping”

by this columnist Pipers are usually called in as interim music during the olden days. So here’s a tasty cocktail shot in between your usual drinking sessions.

15 ml Absolut Lemon Vodka 10 ml Frangelico 15 ml cranberry Juice Glass: shot glass Prepare shot glass and rim with pop rocks.

Place all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Shake to blend and chill.

Strain into a shot glass, and shoot!

Capping off this Christmas carol-themed countdown is Remy & Cointreau Regional Brand Ambassador Mr. Richard Gillam.

“Twelve Drummers Drumming” 35 ml The Botanist 20 ml Cointreau 50 ml fresh grapefruit juice 40 ml passion fruit 15 ml cinnamon syrup 15 ml egg white Glass: Coupette

Garnish with sliced passion fruit wheel so they look like drum tops and cinnamon sticks as drum sticks

Put all ingredients inside the shaker. Dry shake it first. Fill up the shaker with ice.

Shake and double strain inside a cocktail glass.

Garnish with cassia powder and dehydrated lemon.

Wishing you all a Boozy Christmas and a Lush New Year!

Feel free to add me on IG @sanvicentegirl, email me at tippletales@gmail.com or drop by my bar for a drink or two.

A BOOK THAT CELEBRATES BREAKFAST

I Happy Omelet

t’s no myth that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health states that your morning chow provides you with energy for the day’s activities and helps maintain healthy body weight. But despite the “most important” tag, many still find preparing and eating a healthy balanced morning meal a challenge.

We know that breakfast is important, yet it is a meal that is often a hurried affair. Many favor food that is the most convenient to cook (as in fried fare) and eat, while some skip it altogether.

In an initiative to encourage a good breakfast habit and make the first meal of the day exciting, Nestlé Philippines has launched I Can’t Believe It’s Breakfast! – a book featuring 30 easy-to-follow recipes that offer a variety of breakfast ideas to excite the palate and spice up the mornings. Recipes vary from the very “quick,” when you don’t have much time to spare, to the “not-soquick,” for mornings when you can invest a little more time and effort for the most important meal to jumpstart your day.

Speaking at the launching of the cookbook, Nestlé Philippines consumer engagement services head Aurora Alipao cited the most common reasons why people skip breakfast.

“Working parents like us are always pressed for time, so preparing a nutritious breakfast for our children early in the morning may prove to be a daunting task. Children themselves, especially adolescents, prefer to get more sleep than rise up early to have breakfast. And then of course, there are those who purposely miss breakfast in a misguided attempt to lose weight.”

Studies show that those who skip breakfast become easily irritated, feel weak and uncoordinated, and tend to over-eat later in the day. Performance at work or in school also suffers, and weight management becomes difficult – reasons why Nestlé continuously highlights the importance of eating a meal before starting the day.

“Breakfast not only gives you the right fuel to perform your day’s tasks, it also sets the pace for the types of food you choose to eat throughout the day, helping you better manage your weight,” Nestle Philippines corporate nutritionist Catherine Sarmiento emphasized.

“Aside from promoting bone, gut and heart health, breakfast also helps you focus and do well mentally and emotionally. When it becomes part of your daily routine, breakfast promotes a healthy lifestyle for you and your family,” Sarmiento added.

Recognizing the time constraints everyone faces in the morning, Sarmiento suggests for parents to have a weekly breakfast plan that allows food variety (to avoid taste fatigue) and optimizes nutrition, while sticking to the budget. “Planning ahead will save you time during the week, and will ensure that the breakfast you serve daily helps meet your family’s nutritional needs,” she said.

“Another way to encourage kids to eat breakfast is to involve them in breakfast planning, and to ask them to help you prepare breakfast on weekends and holidays when there is more time. This gives you an opportunity to bond and connect,” added Alipao.

I Can’t Believe It’s Breakfast! is available exclusively to members of the Nestlé Club. For more information on the Nestlé Club and how to get a copy of the recipe book, visit www.nestleclub.com.ph

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

NEW YEAR’S WISHES I asked more friends to share with you their wishes and prayers for the coming year. It’s always MERCURY RISING nice to know that many like-minded “movers and shakers” in our Tourism industry continue to

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO keep it as vibrant as it possibly can be. Here are their messages: ARNIE BAYAG

Consultant, TravelExperts Chairman, PATA Philippines Chapter

GINA CAMPOS

We in the Tourism industry should take a bow. After all, it is not easy to make people of varying nationalities, age groups, religions, food preferences and even recreational requirements happy. But we pulled it off. Arrival figures bear this out, as well as the tourism revenues, and even in the number of investors who place their stakes in various parts of the country.

And how did we do this? We had fun doing it. You enjoy when you do what you like and you know that what you are doing will redound to the benefit of your countrymen.

We simply found ways to improve the Philippine experience of everyone who came.

We raised the bar, so to speak. We found new ways to improve service, we discovered new destinations, we raised the standards of how we do things. We learned new and better ways to handle visitors well without disregarding our own culture. We even began to speak in the tongues of our clients. In doing all these and doing them well, we validated that “It’s more fun in the Philippines” is not an empty slogan. It is a living and breathing reality in our country.

And as we end one good year and enter another, we link arms to keep in step with the progress that Tourism is making in this fun destination that is the Philippines.

To all my colleagues, friends and fellow workers in the Industry, a Happy New Year!

JOJO CLEMENTE

Christmas is a great time for get-togethers and family reunions. This Christmas Season, may you find the time and joy of getting away from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas rush and bond with your loved ones in a place or destination you can explore and experience together. And may the memories you create for each other rekindle the love we very so often take for granted. May God be always in your hearts.

ANABELLE OCHOA-MORENO

President Rajah Tours Philippines

In this joyous time of Christmas, let us not forget the blessings we have received and the blessings we can share.

May we continue to spread love, happiness, forgiveness and grace as our Savior did when He came to us. A very blessed Christmas and a peaceful New Year to all!

General Manager Delta Airlines-ITI

MARGIE MUNSAYAC VP-Sales and Marketing, Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort President, Hotel Sales Management Assoc.

Chairperson Tourism Industry Board Foundation Inc.

May our Tourism industry continue to grow by leaps and bounds so that more and more people from around the world can experience the beauty of our country, our culture, and our people.

Happy New Year, everyone!

May the magic of Christmas end the present year in a hopeful note and give us the confidence to face the challenges ahead. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dive into the rich natural and cultural heritage of Guam

T

he US island territory Guam is popular as a stunning destination and a shopping haven. Its sights and sounds made it a popular on many’s bucket list. Guam is rich in natural resources and boasts of diverse colonial history and local culture, which account for its one million visitors a year. Lucky for us here in the Philippines, the exotic island is located only a few hours away by plane.

OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH PARADISE

Guam is lush and tropical, complete with breathtaking ocean views that make it seem like an untouched paradise despite the proliferation of tourists. Impressively, the island manages to protect its resources well.

Its beaches like Tumon and Tanguisson for instance boast of an abundant marine life.

It is also surrounded by thriving coral reefs that make Guam a year-round snorkeling and diving destination. While in the ocean, divers can learn a bit of history while enjoying breathtaking sights as the shipwrecks of the wards, SMS Cormoran and the Tokai Maru, are both popular sites.

The island is also blessed with a slew of natural wonders such as towering cliffs, beautiful limestone forest terrains, and other wonders such as the Pagat Caves, Sigua Falls, Ague Cove and Marbo Cave.

Another must-see wonder is Talofofo Falls, a scenic 30-foot waterfall in the Ugum River that can be accessed by a cable car.

Guam offers a treasure trove of stunning sights for divers—from coral-laden reefs to historic war relics

SHOPPING AND DINING HAVEN

Guam may be a remote island but it certainly doesn’t lag when it comes to shopping and high-end retail options.

And to top it all off, shopping in Guam is tax-free.

Shopaholics will find a slice of heaven in Tumon, dubbed as Guam’s center of shopping and fashion. Check out the DFS Guam Galleria and Tumon Sands Plaza, where all the popular designer brands, as well as all-time favorite American brands, are available at marked down prices.

While the shopping industry of Guam boasts of international brands, it’s their local cuisine that takes the spotlight when it comes to dining. Similar to most Asian countries, rice is a staple in Guam; red rice, to be precise. Called hineksa’ aga’ga in the Chamorro language, red rice is prepared by cooking short-grain rice with achote (annatto) water.

Another must-try signature local dish is kelaguen, which is similar to ceviche and enjoyed with flour or corn tortillas. This dish is prepared with chicken, octopus or squid, in a pickling marinade of lemon juice, fresh coconut, green onions and hot red chilies.

The locals, called Chamorros, are fond of making dishes that are closely similar to Filipino dishes, such as meat stews,

Shopping, bustling nightlife, beautiful beaches and underwater escapades can all be found in Tumon Bay

coconut-infused dishes and candied fruits. It could be attributed to the fact that Filipinos comprise approximately 25 percent of Guam’s population.

Good news for us here, the country’s leading budget airline Cebu Pacific has begun offering low-fare flights between Manila and Guam, making it accessible for more to enjoy what this exotic destination has to offer.

Grab the chance to warmly greet Guam “hafa adai” by booking a flight now. Cebu Pacific’s lowest year-round fares start from P7,197 all-in, but seat sales go as low as P2,500. Visit www.cebupacificair.com for more details.

M ONDAY : DECEMBER 2 8, 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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PhiliPPine Movie highlighTs of 2015

1 Crazy Beautiful You, starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, is the romcom of the year 2 Bea Alonzo, Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta playing this year’s most popular love triangle to hit the big screen 3 John Arcilla in Heneral Luna, which critics regard as the best movie of the year 4 The well-loved pop icon Popoy and Basha played by John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo

By Jao gavino

T

he year 2015 has certainly been one of surprises for Philippine show business – from the AlDub phenomenon rising from obscurity into a massive success, stirring up a frenzy on social media websites and beyond with every new development, to Popoy and Basha reuniting to bring tears of sadness and joy, along with a healthy dose of “hugot” lines, once again, for A Second Chance.

It has been a year of long-awaited movies, such as the latest superhero smack down from Marvel, Avengers: Age of Ultron, or the “revival” of the Star Wars saga with Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Filipino movies on the other hand (the best ones, anyway), aren’t defined by larger-than-life characters, such as The Avengers’ superheroes, instead by regular, average Joes squaring off against whatever life throws at them.

With the year’s end close at hand – it is once again a time of reflection, a time to look back at the year’s most notable releases, a time to salute those that truly stood out amongst a sea of rehashed rom-coms, and foreign superhero movies – a time to honor the best and brightest of Philippine cinema for 2015:

A Second chAnce (Drama, by Star Cinema) Enter A Second Chance, the long-awaited sequel to 2007’s One More Chance – a film that’s just as entertaining as seeing Iron Man facing off against the Hulk, with astoundingly less CGI (and explosions).

Engineer Rodolfo “Popoy” Gonzales (John Lloyd Cruz) and Architect Basha-Belinda Eugenio (Bea Alonzo) are now married, following the cliffhanger ending of One More Chance. Strangely, despite that premise, they still find themselves unhappy – with Popoy being a failed achiever, struggling to keep his business (and self-esteem) afloat, and Basha sacrificing much to keep their marriage intact.

By local standard, A Second Chance is a good movie – it doesn’t dwell too much in its humor, it is, first and foremost, a drama – with well-acted scenes combining with an equally well-written script that will have viewers actually caring about what happens next to the characters, not just the movie.

It is a relatable, well-grounded film, with “real” characters facing real problems. It is certainly one of the year’s best releases, and recently, Philippine cinema’s biggest release,

being the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time, all to the tune of more than P550 million (and counting) worldwide. crAzy BeAutiful you (Romantic Comedy,

by Star Cinema) Crazy Beautiful You may seem like your generic, run-of-the-mill, twenty-something rom-com with a plot that may or may not be connected to the title, but, wait…

Nope, there are no buts, Crazy Beautiful You is just that, complete with one of the nation’s hottest love teams, a convoluted, confused plot, a love triangle, and a montage set to a cheesy song to move the plot along, in order to stop the audience from asking, “wait, aren’t they rushing things a bit?”

Kathryn Bernardo stars as Jackie, a troubled 19-year-old, a product of her parents’ separation.

On the other side of the coin is Kiko, played by Daniel Padilla, also a (gasp!) product of a broken family.

Of course, “something” happens in the movie to bring the unlikely-yetstill-quite-likely couple together, and it is here that the movie actually musters up a more-orless interesting story, with the two young lovers’ familial backgrounds

getting exposed, forcing the two to make amends with their respective families. Eventually, a love triangle transpires but fizzles out, and other events are sprinkled throughout in order to usher the movie towards its inevitably happy ending.

The film does manage to be entertaining, distracting, and is extremely successful, earning an estimated P326 million, thanks to the support of a massive KathNiel fan base. However, Crazy Beautiful You does not reinvent the wheel of Philippine cinema – it is, first and foremost, a cheesy, romantic comedy with all the conventional elements and a dash of realism sprinkled throughout, like many others that came before, and, with this film’s success, the numerous iterations that are sure to come after it, hoping to emulate its achievement. the love AffAir (Drama, by Star Cinema) Yet another movie running the gamut of extramarital affairs and love triangles that spring forth from the aforementioned affairs, The Love Affair tells the all-toofamiliar story of Vince (Richard Gomez), a neurosurgeon who finds out that his wife, Trisha (Dawn Zulueta) is cheating on him with

his best friend. He seeks the help of a lawyer, Adie (Bea Alonzo), who is also, conveniently, undergoing the same hardship, as her fiancé has also recently cheated on her with a model. You can probably guess what happens next.

The Love Affair is unnecessarily complicated – a melodramatic mess, if you will – with its well-acted characters delivering grandiose speeches in a film chock-full of equally dramatic, and sadly, artificial-feeling, confrontations. It is a sad movie, not because of the drama, but because you can see the actors genuinely trying to bring to life a confused, overwritten script, in this cliché-ridden, convoluted mess of a movie.

It is, overall, a well-acted movie hindered by a preference for dramatic confrontations, loud noises, and crying, in addition to an ending that fairy-tales away all the emotional weight and interesting questions posited by the film’s premise.

It is, however, a certified box office hit, earning more than P300 million worldwide, owing to the fact that it has such a star-studded cast of veteran actors and actresses, in addition to an audience that just craves confrontation, scandal, and drama. ➜ Continued on C6

M ONDAY : DECEMBER 2 8, 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

UCinE MaRinO bRingS iRMa aDLaWan, JULiO DiaZ TO CEbU

T

he month-long UCine Marino at the University Cebu of Maritime Education and Training Center featured three-shortstudent films. It also brought the Manila-produced indie film Dimalupig for its main attraction.

Dimalupig, which stars Irma Adlawan, Julio Diaz, and Capt. Noli Ebora, is an advocacy film that tells the story of a now-successful ship captain, Manuel Dimalupig, who never had the chance of seeing his father in person.

His father left his mother when she was pregnant and never came back.

With only an unconfirmed news report about his father’s mishap aboard a ship, his mother died believing it and never expecting for his return.

Dimalupig revolves around how one gets out of poverty and becomes one of the most-sought after navigation lead-

ers. The film also aimed to promote the maritime profession. The Philippines is the world’s largest supplier of qualified maritime professionals.

Meanwhile, three-short-film all produced by the maritime students of UCMETC were also finalists. These are the Dream On Bai, a story of a NGSB or “no girlfriend since birth” maritime student who keeps on dreaming of his Miss Right; Kahayag Luyo sa Kangitngit, a story of a woman seafarer who was raped while having an apprenticeship onboard; and Faith and Fate; a story of an ex-seminarian-turned maritime student.

UCine Marino runs until Jan. 15, according to Cultural Affairs Coordinator Rich Salibay. Tickets are priced at P100.00 inclusive of four movies.

UCMETC Culture and the Arts Office invites all students to watch the movie.

For tickets text 09103052328.

Movie HigHligHts 2015 From C5

Irma Adlawan

Allan Dizon

Kara’s wisHes for antonio

iPHOTO Kara (Julia Montes) wishes and prays for Antonio’s (Allan Dizon) full recovery after his un-

fortunate accident in Doble Kara.

Though he is making a progress, Antonio continues to fight for his life as his vital signs decline after the operation. Lucille (Carmina Villaroel), meanwhile, still does not let Kara and Sara see their father despite their plea as she continues to

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 39 41 42 44 46 47 48 49 53 57 58

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 City or bean 5 Twinge 9 Barely visible 12 Hot — — oven 13 Bitterly pungent 15 Sturdy lock 16 Worn-out horse 17 Beatles drummer 18 Russian range 19 Easel partner 21 Muffles, as sound

23 24 25 28 33 34 35 36 37 38

Heavy metal “Mind the —” — but goodies Give credit (3 wds.)

DEA agents Retina cell Mark’s successor Prefix for dent Beyond well-done Team cheer

60 61 62 63 64 65 66

Say it’s so Hire a decorator Dice Idyllic place Got the soap out The — is up!

Unbiased Beethoven works Flowing out Memsahib’s nanny Oater shoot-outs Hunch Prunes the hedge Wax theatrical Back-fence yowlers Bunion site Attention getter Piggy’s dinner

DOWN 1 Reindeer herder 2 “La — Bonita” (Madonna tune) 3 Claw badly 4 Opposite of bratty 5 Ziti and linguine 6 Trod the boards 7 Hunter’s org.

8 Brace for trouble 9 Table ender 10 Vivacity

Julia Montes

put the blame on the twins for Antonio’s accident.

Will there be a way for Lucille to open her heart for Kara and Sara? Will Kara’s wish for her father come true?

Don’t miss the exciting scenes in Doble Kara, weekdays after It’s Showtime on ABS-

MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2015

11 14 15 20 22 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 34 37 40 42 43 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 54 55 56 59

Snakelike swimmers Friday’s show BMW driver, maybe Rock concert souvenirs Vexed, plus Pub sign (2 wds.)

Cocoon dweller Paint additive Crowd Part of A.D. Swings around Do detective work — and aahed Billiard sticks Bucket passers Hindu princes Feel nostalgic Knows somehow Morse signal Reddish-brown Spurns a lover Ice melter Melville title Ponytail site Cesspool Goddess’s statue Verne captain Breathe hard Aurora, to Plato

CBN Kapamilya Gold.

For more information about the program, visit the official social networking site of Dreamscape Entertainment Television at Facebook.com/ DreamscapePH, Twitter.com/ DreamscapePH, and Instagram.com/DreamscapePH.

Heneral Luna (Action, Historical,

by Artikulo Uno Productions) No other movie encapsulates the year’s preference for surprises other than Heneral Luna – first and foremost, it is a historical action film, combining two local genres that are, more often than not, either left behind, forgotten in the box office, or are forcibly fused together into a disgusting monstrosity, which promptly gets put out of its misery by failing box office numbers.

Heneral Luna is entertaining – at face value, it is a historical movie focusing on Gen. Antonio Luna (John Arcilla) during the Philippine-American war, featuring all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a war movie – the explosions, the blood and violence are all there – but Luna isn’t just a General, he also dabbles into the intricacies of the early days of Philippine politics, a quagmire of personal interests, political intrigue, and treacherous plots – and that’s where the movie gets even juicier – Luna’s exhortations of “Bayan o sarili? (Country or self?)” resonate further beyond the film’s setting, asking a question that today’s politicians should do well to heed.

That Heneral Luna did so well, being an indie film that attained mainstream success, earning more than P250 million, and did so convincingly, releasing as one of the year’s best films, is a fantastic accomplishment in Philippine cinema. Add that to the fact that Luna relied more on wordof-mouth and the Filipino netizens to advertise, rather than bombarding us with billboard and TV ads, in addition to being a well-shot, well-written, well-acted movie with a deeper meaning, and the sum is an outstanding achievement rivaled by few in the Philippine indie movie scene, or perhaps, even the entirety of Philippine cinema.

M ONDAY : DECEMBER 2 8, 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Janella Salvador and Elmo Magalona

Grace Poe

Elmo and JanElla tEach audiEncE humility

K

apamilya stars Elmo Magalona and Janella Salvador shared importance of humility in the special Christmas presentation of Wansapanataym Presents: Si Maganda at ang Chauvinist Baboy” last night.

Carlos and Anna, volunteers in a relief operation for typhoon victims, they, due to their service and kind heart, got two fairies appointed by Santa Claus a to be the godparents of their newly born son Jessie (Elmo Magalona). To assure their godchild has a bright future, the fairies granted Jessie intelligence, good looks, and irre-

from c8

sistible appeal.

As Jessie grew to be a full-grown man, he got too much attention from people, especially from girls, thanks to his charm and wit.

However, the praises got into his head and he became overly confident. With this, Irene (Janella Salvador), a girl that adored Jessie so much and the two fairies’ favorite letter sender, became disappointed with him.

With use of magic eyeglasses, Irene saw that Jessie’s heart was like that of a pig, a reflection of his character. With the powers of the fairies, Irene wished Jessie to become a pig

to stop him from hurting girls’ feeling and to learn his lesson. The spell breaks if someone loves and accepts him despite being a pig.

Also in the cast of Wansapanataym Presents: Si Maganda at ang Chauvinist Pig were Ramon Christopher, Christian Vasquez, Cheska Iñigo, Malou Canzana, Mutya Orquia, Myel de Leon, and Leo Rialp. Onat Diaz direct from a script written by Mari Lamasan.

HHHHH hotdog sErEnadEs gracE Amid Comelec’s disqualification, presidential aspirant Grace Poe remained calm at the Hotdog

concert at the Philippine International Convention Center recently. Her husband, Neil Llamanzares, accompanied her to the event.

Hotdog brothers Rene and Dennis Garcia surprised Fernando Poe and Susan Roces’ daughter with a song, which elated the senator.

Roy Rico Pangilinan sang “Ikaw ang Bida, Ako ang Extra, sa Teleserye Nating Dalawa” to the tune of “You and I” that reminded the audience of a song sung by her later father FPJ. The senator said that the lessons she learned from her father are giving her the strength in facing the

All set for sinAg MAynilA 2016 1. Dyamper by mEs dE guzman Apeng, Poknat, and Tinoy are “dyampers” on the lookout to steal from rice trucks as they meander along the treacherous Dalton Pass. In one of their encounters, they accidentally discover a pack of illegal substances, which will lead them to the biggest mission of their lives.

The film stars Carlo Aquino, Alchris Galura, Tim Mabalot, Kristofer King, Liza Dino-Seguerra, and Debbie Garcia.

2. expressway by ato bautista Old-timer Ben needs to do one last assignment before the syndicate boss he works for grants him his much-delayed retirement. Assigned to be his partner is neophyte Morris, yearning to prove his worth. This last trip will turn out to be a journey of introspection, self-healing, and redemption.

Expressway stars Alvin Anson, Aljur Abrenica, Kiko Matos, Antoinette Reds, Jim Libiran, Japo Parcero, and Judith Javier.

3. LiLa by gino m. santos To escape a past that threatens to consume her, a young woman decides to move into a house owned by a warm-

hearted landlady, looking for a fresh start and a chance for atonement. The house, however, has other ideas.

Lila stars Janine Gutierrez, Enchong Dee, Sherry Alingod, and Migs Cuaderno.

4. mrs. by adolf alix Jr. 70-year old Virginia lives in a bungalow house that stands on an earthquake fault area. When her ever-loyal maid Delia tells her she’d be leaving for good, what follows shows a portrait of a woman and a mother trying to juggle the sad realities of life.

5. in saecuLa saecuLorum

by JosElito altarEJos Teresa, an abused wife, attempts to secure her freedom by filing a Temporary Protection Order against her abusive husband only to be caught in the battered system of bureaucracy filled with neglect and indifference.

In Saecula Saeculorum stars Oliver Aquino, Mara Lopez, Micko Laurente, Menggie Cobarrubias, and Lui Manansala.

The second Sinag Maynila Film Festival will run in April in SM Cinemas.

For more updates, look for Sinag Maynila on Facebook (SinagMaynila), Twitter (@sinagmaynila), and Instagram (@sinagmaynila).

Carlo Aquino and Liza Diño in Dyamper

Alvin Anson and Aljur Abrenica in Expressway

Janine Gutierrez stars in Lila

challenges in her bid to be an official candidate in next year’s elections.

“Sa ating pinagdaraanan ngayon, naalala ko ang turo ng aking ama: Huwag kang susuko kapag ang pinaglalaban mo ay tama.

Huwag kang susuko kapag ang pinaglalaban mo ay prinsipyo,” Grace said. “Higit sa lahat, huwag kang susuko kapag ang pinaglalaban mo ay para sa kapakanan ng kapwa at hindi para sa iyong sarili lamang.”

Grace Poe is looking forward to a vigorous campaign next year with her running mate Senator Chiz Escudero.

M ONDAY : DECEMBER 2 8, 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

The cast of My Bebe Love, from left, Valeen Montenegro, Ai ai delas Alas, Vic Sotto, Maine Mendoza,a nd Alden Richards

‘My BeBe Love: #KiLig Pa More’ toPs oPening day gross ISAH V. RED As predicted by countless Filipinos across the globe, My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore is ahead in the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) box-office race. It topped the festival’s first day total gross. Officially, it is MMFF’s opening day top-grossing movie.

Starring the unbeatable comedy box-office royalties Vic Sotto and Ai Ai Delas Alas, with the phenomenal Aldub loveteam of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, the movie certainly didn’t disappoint and went on to give their legions of followers fun, wholesome, romantic and excitingly entertaining movie.

Produced by five film outfits -- OctoArts Films, M-Zet Television Productions, Inc., APT Entertainment, GMA Films and Meda Production – My Bebe Love: KiligPaMore is brought to the screen with Jose Javier Reyes as director from the screenplay of Bibeth Orteza.

Early on, the victory of My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore has already been sealed. Tagalog movie fans, young and old and self-confessed followers of Vic and Ai Ai along with the millions of Aldub followers, have been flooding social media with their excitement to see the film. Movie observers knew that the movie was set to make a killing at the box-office. and it did as expected.

The movie is replete with waves of high-spirited excitement, heartwarming romance, wholesome fun, and Filipino values. To add to the excitement, Joey de Leon, the Eat Bulaga lolas (playedby) Paolo Ballesteros, Jose Manalo, and Wally Bayola, and Ryzza Mae Dizon make special appearances in the movie.

Vic Sotto plays the role of Vito who finds himself in a bitter professional rivalry with Cora, played by Ai-Ai. The two are both in the business of mounting special events and productions and have both made a successful name in the same profession. The conflict arises when their respective wards – Anna (played by Maine), daughter of Vito, gets romantically entangled with Cora’s beloved nephew Dondi (played by Alden). As expected, the “parents” actively reject the budding romantic involvement between the starcrossed lovers and willingly struck an unexpected truce to prevent this romance from happening.

The plot thickens when the unexpected alliance of Vito and Cora starts blooming into something else.

Now, it’s the turn of the youngsters to feel disconcerted with the idea of having their folks enter into a different relationship zone. Dondi and Anna react to the situation not liking the idea of his auntie and her father falling in love with each other.

MMFF box-office winner My Bebe Love: KiligPaMore! dominates multiplexes nationwide. ➜ Continued on C7

Alden Richards

Maine Mendoza

in a scene from the comedy