The Standard - 2016 January 06 - Wednesday

VOL. XXIX NO. 328 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 WEDNESDay : JaNUaRy 6, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Senators to reopen SAF 44 slay probe

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COMELEC SUES FOR TIME IN POE CASE

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Commission on Elections asked the Supreme Court Tuesday for more time to respond to the petition filed by Senator Grace Poe seeking to overturn the poll body’s decision to disqualify her from running for president in 2016.

The request came a day after the Office of the Solicitor General asked the Supreme Court to uphold the Senate Electoral Tribunal finding that Poe is a natural-born Filipino citizen, a view diametrically opposed to the Comelec’s decision to disqualify her on the basis of her citizenship and her residency.

In its manifestation to the Court, the Comelec said it received a copy of the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order on Dec. 29, 2015, which required it to submit comments on Poe’s petition within 10 days, which expires Jan. 7, 2016.

But on Jan. 4, the OSG filed a manifestation saying it could no longer represent the Comelec.

“Thus, the Comelec seeks the indulgence of the Supreme Court for an additional period of five days... or until Jan. 12 within which to submit its comment,” the Comelec said.

In a comment Monday, Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, the government’s top lawyer, asked the Supreme Court to sustain the SET ruling that declared Poe a natural-born Filipino, saying the electoral tribunal did not commit grave abuse of discretion when it

ruled it her favor.

Poe on Tuesday thanked Hilbay and 10 other OSG lawyers for recognizing her status as a natural-born citizen, describing their stand as “a big deal.”

Poe has filed two petitions with the Supreme Court to challenge the Comelec’s decision to disqualify her from the 2016 presidential race on the basis of her citizenship and alleged failure to meet the 10-year residency requirement.

The Comelec’s First Division cancelled Poe’s Certificate of Candidacy in response Next page

Protest. This photo taken on Dec. 31, 2015, shows Filipino children in a demonstration on Pagasa Island, a remote area being claimed by China. AFP

Poll firm slammed for partial survey

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US warns Beijing about reef landings THE US says China’s recent test of a newly completed runway on one of seven islands Beijing has constructed in the disputed South China Sea raises tensions and threatens regional stability.

State Department spokesman John Kirby reiterated

Monday a US call for a halt to land reclamation and militarization of outposts in those waters, where China and five other Asian governments have competing territorial claims.

“We are concerned by China’s decision to land its aircraft on Fiery Cross Reef

in the South China Sea,” Kirby said.

“To begin flight operations at this new airfield in a disputed area raises tensions and threatens regional stability,” he said.

“We again call for all claimants to halt land reclamation, further develop-

ment of new facilities, and the militarization on their outposts, and instead focus on reaching agreement on acceptable behavior in disputed areas. We have made this case clear repeatedly, and we will continue to make it,” Kirby added.

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to petitions filed by former Senator Francisco Tatad, De La Salle University professor Antonio Contreras and University of the East law dean Amado Valdez.

The Comelec’s Second Division took the same action based on a petition filed by lawyer Estrella Elamparo.

The Comelec en banc subsequently upheld both divisions, leading Poe to challenge its decision before the Supreme Court.

“The Comelec placed on Poe the burden of proving that she is a natural-born Filipino instead of placing it on petitioners (Tatad, Contreras, and Valdez),” Poe’s petition said.

Poe, a foundling, was found in a church in Jaro, Iloilo and was adopted by celebrity couple Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces.

In her petition, Poe also said the Comelec disregarded international law and international human rights agreements signed by the Philippines that granted foundlings citizenship from the countries in which they were found.

Poe also took the Comelec to task for refusing to consider the evidence that she presented to reestablish her residency in the Philippines as early as May 24, 2005.

Poe also said that “the Comelec acted whimsically and capriciously in concluding that Poe’s statement in her CoC regarding her residency is false simply because it differed from the entry in her CoC when she ran for senator in 2013.”

Poe, meanwhile, has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition of Rizalito David to overturn the SET decision in her favor.

In her comment, Poe said the SET did not commit grave abuse of discretion when it said she was a natural-born citizen and therefore eligible to run for the Senate in 2013.

She said the SET correctly held that she is a natural-born Filipino on the basis of the presumption of descent from a Filipino parent, derived not only from the Rules of Court but also from international law.

She also asked the Court to dismiss David’s petition for lack of merit, and rejected his argument that she should not be declared a natural-born citizen simply because the 1935 Constitution was silent on the citizenship of children with unknown parents.

She said the SET correctly considered the generally accepted principles of international law with respect to the citizenship of foundlings, and noted that 60 countries recognize the presumption that a foundling is a citizen of the country where he or she was found.

Poe said it would be unconstitutional and a violation of the equal protection clause to discriminate among children on the basis of certainty of parentage, adding that children regardless of filiation are inherently equal.

She said this principle is supported by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Poe said the SET’s reliance on legal provisions supporting

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the proposition that a foundling found in the Philippines is presumed born of Filipino citizens is justified not only by law, but the principles of equity and fairness.

She said it was David’s burden to prove that she is not a naturalborn Filipino.

Poe also maintained that she validly re-acquired her naturalborn citizenship when she took her oath of allegiance to the Philippines. She also said her renunciation of US citizenship could not be considered to have been recanted because she never used her US passport after her recantation.

Poe said David’s reliance on the dissenting opinion of the three Supreme Court justices who are SET members was “unavailing.”

The three magistrates—Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo—De Castro and Arturo Brion—who voted to grant David’s petition, have already inhibited themselves from the case that David had filed with the Supreme Court to question the SET decision.

A spokesman for the administration’s standard bearer, Manuel Roxas II, said the OSG decision was “not suprising.”

“The SET case became the first to be raised to the Supreme Court, and obviously, the SolGen is dutybound to defend the SET as a government institution,” said Roxas’ spokesman Rep. Barry Gutierrez.

“I wouldn’t make too much of it.”

He added that the OSG comment showed that government institutions were working.

“We should not put malice or meaning just because the solicitor general is doing its job to defend the SET,” he added.

Gutierrez said, however, that Poe should prepare her defense against the Comelec decisions to disqualify her, saying that these had “a very, very clear constitutional basis.”

But Poe said she remained confident that the Supreme Court will act fairly as the final arbiter of the law, and said the three justices who voted against her in the SET showed prudence in inhibiting themselves in the review of the case.

Poe’s running mate, Senator Francis Escudero, said the OSG’s position bolsters their belief that the Comelec was wrong and decided unfairly against Poe. He said the OSG comment submitted to the Supreme Court ran contrary to the Comelec’s decision to cancel Poe’s certificate of candidacy.

“The solicitor general, the statutorily appointed lawyer of the Philippine government, and 10 other solicitors are of the firm belief that Senator Grace Poe is a natural-born Filipino. This is vindication for the majority of the SET, who were criticized by some sectors for deciding supposedly based on political and emotional considerations,” Escudero said.

“No less than the OSG recognizes that the Constitution and its framers never wanted to discriminate against foundlings and that foundlings were always meant to be natural-born Filipinos—which is what Senator Grace has been saying all along,” he added.

Poe’s lawyer, George Garcia, urged the three Supreme Court justices in the SET case to inhibit themselves as well in the Comelec cases. With John paolo Bencito

Saudi roundup nets 3 Filipino ‘jihadists’

By Florante S. Solmerin

THE military said Tuesday it was trying to verify reports that three suspected Filipino jihadists were among 44 people arrested in Saudi Arabia in a weeklong anti-terrorism operation last December.

“We’re now coordinating with the DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs]... to identify the reported three Filipinos. As of now, we’ve no details yet,” Colonel Restituto Padilla, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said.

Arab News reported that Saudi security forces launched a series of special operations in December that resulted in the arrest of 44 suspects, “including three Filipinos, five Syrians, four Yemenis, a Sudanese and 31 Saudis.”

“The largest number of arrests were made on the first day of the operation, with 10 Saudis and one Yemeni being arrested. Nine suspects, including three Syrians were arrested the following day,” it said.

“Ten suspects were rounded

up on the fifth day of the operation, including seven Saudis, a Yemeni, a Sudanese and a Syrian,” it added.

Earlier, reports said that Islamic terrorists brandishing the flags of terrorists in Iraq and Syria had been recruiting and training recruits in Mindanao.

Videos and photographs of the alleged training were posted on the Internet.

The military and the Palace, however, have denied the presence of terrorist training camps in Mindanao.

Padilla dismissed the videos and photographs as part of the terrorists’ recruitment propaganda.

A high-ranking military intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the three Filipinos arrested were not

directly recruited from the Philippines, but had probably been in Saudi Arabia for some time.

Provincial police, meanwhile, said an alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf Group involved in several kidnappings and the ambush against a vice mayor in December was arrested Monday in Patikul, Sulu.

The police identified the suspect as Jummi Jumala, who was now temporarily detained at the provincial police office.

The Patikul police said they received information regarding the presence of Jumala, and asked for help from the Alpha Company of the Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion.

Sulu Task Group commander Brig.

Gen. Alan Arrojado cleared the request for support and joined the arresting team.

Arrojado said Jumala is a “known ASG member” with pending criminal cases filed in court.

Jumala was also being sought for the ambush of Vice Mayor Jun Tarsum and series of killings in Jolo and Patikul.

Jumala was also involved in several kidnapping operations of the ASG, the police said.

Help. Tourist police help a motorcyclist restart his bike that got stuck near the airport’s arrival area on Tuesday.

Eric Apolonio

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Vietnam last week protested China’s decision to land an aircraft at Fiery Cross Reef, saying it violated Hanoi’s sovereignty, and demanded that China stop such actions. China rejected Hanoi’s protest.

On Monday, the Philippines joined Vietnam in criticizing China’s move, and said it was also considering a formal protest.

Senator John McCain on Monday criticized the White House for delaying any future “freedom of navigation” patrols near artificial islands that China has built in the disputed South China Sea. McCain, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, said China

was continuing to “pursue its territorial ambitions” in the region, including by landing a plane on a man-made island in the Spratly Islands on Jan. 2.

In a statement, the senator from Arizona said the US military’s failure to conduct additional patrols last year was “disappointing yet hardly surprising.”

He said the Obama administration was “either unable to manage the complexities of interagency national security decision making or simply too risk averse to do what is necessary to safeguard the rulesbased order in the Asia-Pacific.”

In October, the Pentagon began conducting patrols within 12 nautical miles of the man-made islands.

McCain’s complaints come after

Chinese foreign ministry officials confirmed on Saturday that a test flight by a civilian plane landed on one of the islands, the first time Beijing has used a runway in the area, Reuters reported.

The landing was not a surprise, as China has been building runways on the artificial islands for over a year.

Washington suspects that the islands may be used as military outposts, while Beijing insists that they will serve primarily a humanitarian purpose.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, through which trillion dollars in trade passes annually. However, there are overlapping claims from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. pnA

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Not quite back in school. Students of the Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Tondo, Manila appeared still unwilling to get back to school work after their long holiday break. DANNY PATA

Poll firm rapped for partial survey

By John Paolo Bencito

MEDIA research firm Nielsen Philippines caused acrimony and confusion instead of public erudition after it released an incomplete survey of the radio and television advertisement spending of candidates in next year’s elections, the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay said Tuesday.

Joselito Salgado, media affairs head of the office of Vice President Jejomar Binay, questioned why Nielsen released its survey on political advertisements for 2015 when they knew that the results only covered the period January to November and could still change with the December data.

But Nielsen Philippines spokesperson Liza Martija explained that the survey was commissioned by private parties and the media firm

itself is covered by non-disclosure agreements with subscribers.

But Salgado, who claimed their camp is a subscriber to the service, said Nielsen did not even bother to clarify its data when the camp of Liberal Party candidate Mar Roxas claimed that the survey named Binay as the top television advertiser in 2015 with television advertisements amounting to P595.7 million Salgado claimed the figure did not include the “tandem ad-

vertisements” of Roxas and his running mate Lenny Robredo although that would change the results of the survey and show Roxas to be the top spender with P774.1 million in radio, newspaper and television ads in 2015.

Binay was second with ad expenditures reaching P695.5 million and Senator Grace Poe was third with P694.6 million. PDPLaban candidate Rodrigo Duterte was fourth with P129.5 million .

But the Roxas camp jumped at the opportunity and demanded that Binay explain where he got the money to spend for his television advertisements.

“As far as I know, VP Binay was named as the top spender in the report, spending more than P600 million. Secretary Mar was a far third with just over P420 million spent,” said spokesman and Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez.

Ex-poll chief hit for chaos warning

By Sandy Araneta MALACAÑANG criticized former Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. on Tuesday for warning against chaos if the disqualification cases of two presidential candidates and issues with the vote count machines are not immediately resolved.

“We would like to believe the Supreme Court is cognizant of the expectations of the people,” said Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. “Speculations are not helpful.”

Lacierda made the remark after Brillantes warned of chaos, even a suspension of the May national and local elections, unless the SC acts

swiftly on the disqualification cases on two presidential candidates and the petitions to stop the reuse of precinct count optical scan machines.

Brillantes said the SC should decide on these pending cases because the official campaign period begins on Feb. 9 for national candidates.

“It will be chaotic. We are looking at a scenario where there could be a suspension of elections, but not a noelections,” Brillantes said.

The Comelec earlier junked the two motions for reconsideration filed

by Senator Grace Poe against the previous ruling of the First and Second Divisions canceling her Certificate of Candidacy for president.

Estrada: Enough security for Nazarene

By Joel E. Zurbano MANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada on Tuesday vowed to enforce sufficient security measures during the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo this Saturday where more than 13-million people are expected to participate.

“I believe our main role and priority here is to keep peace and order, to ensure the safety of all the people in the procession, ensure that there will be no obstruction, and to maintain cleanliness of all roads where the procession will pass,” he said.

Estrada tapped Johnny Yu, head of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, to lead major functions for the occasion, especially on crowd control and management.

He also ordered the installation of eight command stations and 33 medical and first aid centers manned by officials and other personnel who were trained and equipped for their functions.

Yu, for his part, said some 600 sanitation volunteers are also being mobilized to be complemented by the thousands who were tasked by the

Quiapo Church to serve as marshals and for other volunteer functions for the occasion.

“The mayor has constantly been checking on the details of the preparations for this special occasion, especially as we expect around 13 to 15-million people that will participate in the feast,” he said.

The city government appealed to the people to cooperate in the procedures prepared and to be implemented by the authorities for the feast, especially in maintaining peace, order and cleanliness in the routes and vicinity of the occasion.

Enough supply. Although the prices of highland vegetables remained high even after the Christmas season, they are almost back to normal at the trading post at La Trinidad in Benguet on Tuesday. DAVID CHAN

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Mamasapano hearings to reopen TWO Senate committees will reconvene on Jan. 25 this year to look for new evidence on the Mamasapano incident—and exactly one year after it happened in Maguindanao and resulted in the death of 44 police commandos.

Condolences. Vice President Jejomar Binay visits the family of the late migrant worker Joselito Zapanta who was executed recently in Saudi Arabia for failing to pay blood money.

Peace advisers resume their push for BBL THE Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process on Tuesday resumed its push for the passage of Malacañang’s proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law despite the uncertainties and challenges facing it.

“We should hit the ground running. This last six months are going to move... fast [during which] we will face challenges,” Peace Process adviser Teresita Quintos Deles said.

“We are looking forward, working hard and praying hard that we will see the passage of [the] BBL when Congress resumes [sessions].”

Deles said the passage of the BBL would ease the talks

during the coming ministerial meeting in January in Jeddah on the Tripartite Review Process on the implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front.

“The House leadership is hopeful that they will be able to muster a quorum and finish the process,” Deles said.

“We should not give up hope and we need to keep pushing for the completion of the most important milestone on the peace table.”

As stipulated in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed by

the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, two separate components will run through its implementation simultaneously.

The political process will lead to the establishment of the Bangsamoro political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through the enactment of an enabling law, which is the BBL, and the normalization process that seeks to restore the communities affected by the decades-long armed conflict in Mindanao.

Once all provisions in the CAB have been implemented, both sides will sign an

exit agreement.

Government peace panel chairwoman Miriam Coronel Ferrer said the government and the MILF would remain steadfast in upholding the ceasefire in pursuit of lasting peace in the southern Philippines.

“The best thing about the peace process between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is that the two parties have not gone back to war,” Ferrer said.

“We are gradually transforming the lives of the people on the ground, nurturing their hopes and dreams for a better future.” Sandy araneta

The two panels are the committee on public order and illegal drugs led by Senator Grace Poe and the committee on peace, unification and reconciliation led by Senator Teofisto Guingona III. Poe led the Senate investigtion into the firefight between police commandos and Muslim rebels that found President Benigno Aquino III “ultimately responsible” for the botched operation that resulted in the death of 44 Special Action Force members.

In ruling on Aquino’s liability, Poe said she agreed that suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima usurped official functions when he ordered police commandos to launch an operation in Maguindanao to capture Malaysian terrorist Marwan. There, the commandos had a firefight with Muslim rebels that resulted in the death of 44 of them.

In the House, 1-BAP party-list Rep. Silvestre Bello III on Tuesday urged the committee on public order and safety to finally come out with the final report on the results of its probe into the Mamasapano incident.

Bello warned that the failure of the House to come out with a final report would open itself to accusations of covering up on the matter.

“The committee has to come out with a report to avoid the accusation of a grand coverup, but more importantly to give justice to the victims of the massacre,” Bello said.

Parañaque City Rep. Gus

Tambunting shared Bello’s views and urged the leaders of the House panels to release their report.

Malacañang on Tuesday said it would recognize whatever the outcome of the investigation of the Senate into the Mamasapano incident.

“We recognize that it is part of the mandate of the Senate to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation and part of its oversight functions,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters.

Poe said that when the two committees reconvened they would listen to possible new information or evidence that might crop up.

Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile had demanded the reopening of the Senate probe on the Mamasapano incident following his release from jail after posting bail on the plunder charges against him.

“It’s good that the Rules Committee gave a signal that additional hearings can be called in response to Minority Leader Enrile’s request to investigation,” Poe said in a statement.

“The new hearings will not affect or void our earlier findings that have been signed by 21 members.

There is always an opening if there is new evidence. We will schedule the additional hearings on January 25.”

In another text message, Senator Vicente Sotto III said Enrile might be bringing up new issues that the Senate was not able to tackle. Macon Ramos-araneta, Maricel V. Cruz and Sandy araneta

Senators asked to produce P20b THE House appropriations committee has urged senators to secure P20 billion in extra funding to cover retired military and police personnel in Salary Standardization Law-4, Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab said Tuesday.

Ungab, the chairman of the committee, said they would wait for the convening of the bicameral conference committee on SSL-4 to address the matter and to ask the senators to justify including the retired military and police officials in SSL-4.

Ungab said the P20 billion must be raised because it was not included in this year’s national budget.

“We will have to wait for the bicameral committee to tackle and resolve the issue regarding the AFP and PNP retirees,” he said.

“One of the things to con-

sider would be its funding requirement of about P20 billion as the same is not included in the 2016 [budget], as well as the still-unpaid pension differentials which should be determined by DBM [Department of Budget and Management].”

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. earlier said it was up to the members of the bicameral conference committee to secure the P20-billion funding after the senators said they wanted the retired military and police officers included in SSL-4.

But he said the proposed inclusion could imperil the passage of SSL-4 because it had no allocation for such addition.

The House and the Senate failed to pass SSL-4 before Congress adjourned last December after the senators decided to reconsider the approval of their own version to include retired military

and police personnel in the planned salary adjustment.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad has said SSL-4 would cost taxpayers P226 billion over four years: P57.906 billion in 2016, P54.393 billion in 2017, P65.976 billion in 2018, and P47.544 billion in 2019.

The nurses who are receiving P24,887 a month under Salary Grade 15 will have their salaries raised to P26,192 this year and to P30,531 in 2019.

The Budget department said the minimum basic salary of civilian government personnel (Salary Grade 1 or administrative aide) will be raised to P11,068 from P9,000.

Army privates, apprentice seamen and police officers of the lowest rank will have their monthly salaries raised to P16,597 from P14,834.

Maricel V. Cruz

Inspection. Manila Police District Chief Rolando Nana leads the inspection of Quiapo Church in preparation for the feast of the Black Nazarene. Danny Pata

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QC rakes it in, nets P1.18-b surplus

By Rio N. Araja

Boodle fight. Senatorial candidate Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez of Leyte (left) and Barangay Chairman Joe Navarro join the boodle fight with more than 300 residents of Punta Princesa, Cebu City. VER NOVENO

Solon urges vigilance amid warning of chaos

By Maricel V. Cruz

HOUSE Independent Bloc leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Tuesday urged the Filipino people to exercise vigilance as the country is gearing up for the national and local elections in May. Romualdez, a senatorial aspirant, issued the statement amid the warning raised by former elections chairman Sixto Brillantes that the polls might be suspended if the Supreme Court failed to resolve disqualification cases against two presidential bets.

Romualdez said he was hopeful the Filipino people will not let chaos mar this year’s elections by merely following the rule of law and the Constitution.

“The electorate will not allow chaos. It is within our hands to prevent turmoil and disarray by simply following the laws of the land and the Constitution,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez said the SC led by

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno will not let a chaotic conduct of polls, saying the high tribunal will decide on the disqualification cases against two presidential candidates and other pending similar matters before the elections.

Romualdez said the SC will rule based on the best interest of the country on presidential candidates Senator Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s disqualification cases and the petitions to stop the reuse of precinct count optical scan machines in 2016 elections.

“Being the final arbiter of many issues that is dividing the country, I am confident that the Supreme Court will decide for the best in-

terest of the nation concerning “However, even if such cases legal questions raised against two won’t be resolved in a timely manpresidential bets and other elec- ner, I do not think chaos will ention-related matters. The Supreme sue if we just follow the laws and Court will decide on the interest rules in place. There might be of the society and for the mainte- chaos, however, if certain groups nance of good,” Romualdez said or persons will sow it and agitate in response to former Commis- our people. That to me, is the real sion on Elections Chairman Sixto danger in the coming elections,” Brillantes, Jr. warning of chaos Romualdo said. and even a suspension of the May national and local elections unless the SC acts swiftly on pending matters.

“We hope and pray that it will be peaceful and orderly as we are confident that the SC will resolve the issues promptly,” Romualdez, a shared senatorial candidate of presidential bets Vice President Jejomar Binay and Duterte, added.

Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo, a 2012 bar A ll interested per sons are invited topnotcher, agreed with Roto at tend the public hear ing and mualdez that people can save the country from chaos by c onsult ation on the Implementing Rules respecting and abiding the and Regulations (IR R) for Republic Ac t Constitution.

11 graft raps vs ex-Finance man junked THE Sandiganbayan has dismissed 11 counts of graft and five counts of estafa through falsification of public documents filed against a former Finance official linked to a P5.3-billion tax credit scam.

The anti-graft court’s First Division granted the motion for quashal of information filed by Uldarico Andutan Jr., former deputy executive director of the Department of Finance.

One of Andutan’s graft suit was dismissed for inordinate delay of the Office of the Ombudsman last month while the Sandiganbayan junked 10 counts of graft and five counts of estafa for the same ground.

Ombudsman prosecutors said the probe suffered

THE Quezon City government has ended 2015 with a surplus of P1.180 billion, which is more than its target collection.

“This is the biggest increase over the past years,” city treasurer Edgar Villanueva said on Tuesday.

Much of the collections came from business tax payments of P 7.56 billion, which grew by P902.54 million or 13.56 percent from its level in 2014.

At least P3.75 billion were derived from real-estate taxes, indicating a growth rate of 7.6 percent from that of the previous year.

“Of the real-property tax collections, P1.73 billion is the city share, while P698 million is the barangay share, and P1.325 billion goes into the special education fund as mandated by law,” the city’s Public Affairs and Information Services Office’s statement read.

Among the city’s barangays with the highest share of revenue collections were Socorro, Bagumbayan and South Triangle because of their dense concentration of commercial real estate properties.

Under the Local Government Code of 1991, the special education fund is derived from one percent of the real-estate tax to fund school construction and repair, printing and publication of books, and purchase of teaching materials and equipment.

delay due to the voluminous documents, and complex and extraordinary issues.

“These will not do… The right to speedy disposition of cases is enshrined in the Bill of Rights, the purpose of which is to protect he people against arbitrary and discriminatory use of political power,” the Sandiganbayan’s order read.

Andutan, along with ex-finance undersecretary Antonio Belicena, was accused of graft and estafa charges.

Andutan and Belicena were sued in the 2009 case involving P73-million tax credits granted to Filstar Textile Industrial Corp. Belicena headed the DoF’s One Stop Shop-Inter Agency Tax Credit and Duty Drawback Center. Rio Araja

Republic of the Philippines Co m mi sion on El ec t ion s Intramuros, M anila

N OTIC E TO TH E PU B LIC

N o. 9 0 0 6, other wise known as the Fair Elec tion Ac t, sc heduled on 11 Januar y 2016, M onday, 2:0 0 P. M. at the Projec t M anagement O f f ic e (PM O), G round Flo or, Palac io del G ober nador Building, G eneral Luna Street, Intramuros, M anila.

The draft of the IRR is available at the Education and Information Department of the COMELEC, 3 rd Floor, Shipping Centre Building, A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila.

Interested per sons may send a request for a c opy of the IR R to c omelec t v@gmail. c om, using the subjec t line: FE A - IR R . ( T S - J A N . 6 , 2 016)

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Noy urged: Sign pension hike bill

By Maricel V. Cruz

TWO militant lawmakers on Tuesday urged President Benigno Aquino III to sign into law the proposed measure providing for the P2,000 across-theboard increase on Social Security System pension.

Congressmen Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna said time is running out on the enactment of House Bill 5842 which stands to benefit millions of SSS members and pensioners.

The bill was passed on third reading by the House of Representatives as early as June 9, 2015, and was adopted by the Senate on Nov. 9, 2015. It was transmitted to Malacañang for the President’s signature mid-December, said the two lawmakers and principal authors of the measure.

Zarate said he hoped the President would sign the measure into law be-

fore he steps down on June 30.

“An increase in the SSS pension is long overdue, and, we strongly urge President Aquino to sign the pension hike immediately. The very low minimum pension violates the mandate of the SSS of promoting social justice and provide meaningful protection for its members,” Colmenares, a House deputy minority leader, said.

Colmenares authored the same measure in the 15th Congress in 2011 that was co-authored by then congressman Teddy Casiño, also of Bayan Muna.

“Today’s minimum pension of

P1,000-1,200, or even the P2,400 for those who contributed for 20 years, is way below the mark of meeting the needs of our senior citizens. It is not enough to buy food, pay bills, or, buy the maintenance medicines that most of our seniors need,” Colmenares said.

Colmenares cited the findings of independent think tank Ibon Foundation that said a member of a family of six in NCR needs at least P5,033 a month for its basic needs.

“This P2,000 increase in pension will at least lift the income of our seniors nearer the mark. We cannot overemphasize enough how important this pension increase is to our seniors. It is a matter of survival for the 1,528,269 pensioners,” Colmenares added.

Zarate said that the pension hike bill had already surpassed many hurdles before reaching the Malacañang desk.

“Originally, we proposed a P5,000pension increase believing that this amount is more appropriate considering today’s prices of commodities and the rising cost of basic utilities. Eventually, it got whittled down to P2,000 after congressional deliberations. Even with this slashed amount, the bill still squeezed through a needle’s eye before making it to the Senate,” Zarate said.

The SSS itself seemed determined to block the bill from passing, claiming it would result to the agency’s bankruptcy, Zarate added.

“The SSS leadership became a stumbling block, too, as it raised unfounded bankruptcy claims if the bill passes. The obsession of the SSS to increase its fund life—which is already beyond 14 years—is trampling on its mandate to provide social justice and protection for its members. Yet, the people, particularly our senior citizens, cannot be deluded by their scare tactic of bankruptcy,” Zarate added.

Hermano Mayor. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada (2nd from left), who is also the Hermano Mayor during the 2016 Quiapo fiesta, answers questions

from media during a press briefing on the Traslacion 2016, the parade of the Black Nazarene, on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 in the presence of MMDA chairman Emerson Carlos (left), Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno and Msgr. Hernando Coronel, rector, Quiapo Parish. DANNY PATA

Macau-bound woman had bullet in bag, OTS claims

By Joel E. Zurbano AIRPORT authorities arrested a female passenger caught with a bullet of a .45 caliber pistol while she was about to board a flight for Macau at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2.

The Aviation Security Group placed Gina Maliwat, 34, under arrest after they discovered the bullet inside her brown bag while passing through the x-ray machine last Saturday.

Personnel from the Office for Transportation Security took pictures of the x-ray monitor that showed the image of the bullet to avoid suspicion of “bullet planting” by OTS. Since November, airport authorities have arrested at least 30 passengers with bullets in their bags at Naia Terminals 1, 2 and 3 amid the controversy over the alleged bullet-planting scheme involving some erring personnel.

Avsegroup public information officer Chief Insp. Samuel Hojilla said they continue to apprehend people despite the installation of disposal booths or cubicles serving as passengers’ luggage checking station before they enter security screening checkpoints.

The cubicle dubbed as the “last look booth” would help passengers dispose of items the airport authorities prohibit such as gun, bullets, knife and other deadly weapons.

Last month, Avsegroup personnel found a caliber .38 bullet inside the backpack of 20-year-old Chinese national Yueqiang Xu at the Naia Terminal 1. The foreigner was placed under police custody but was released later after ballistics test result showed that the bullet found in his posession was not live and unfired.

The alleged bullet-planting scheme prompted Police Director General Ricardo Marquez to order a lifestyle check on airport policemen.

Marquez said a special team was also studying documents regarding the bullets confiscated by both the OTS and Avsegroup personnel.

President Benigno Aquino III had ordered the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Transportation and Communications to conduct an investigation of the scheme.

Delfin Lee wants high court to void arrest order, estafa case

By Rey E. Requejo

Devotion. Vendors sell ‘Traslacion’ shirts outside the Minor Basilica of the Black

Nazarene at Manila’s Quiapo district, four days before the annual procession known as the Traslación, which is a 4.3-kilometer journey from Quirino Grandstand to the Quiapo Church, and is expected to attract millions of Nazarene devotees. EY ACASIO

THE Supreme Court has been prodded to immediately resolve several pending cases assailing the Court of Appeals decisions that dismissed the syndicated estafa case and quashed the arrest order issued by the trial court against Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee. In manifestation and motion filed with the high court, Lee said the petitions filed by the Department of Justice and the Home Development Mutual Fund should “be dismissed for utter lack of merit and the assailed decisions and resolutions of the various divisions of the CA be affirmed in toto.”

Lee said he has been detained at the Pampanga pro-

vincial jail for almost two years now because of an injunction issued by the SC on one of the petitions despite being cleared by the CA which also nullified his arrest order.

Apart from the dismissal of the petitions filed by the DoJ and HDMF, Lee also asked the SC to “directly order the Provincial Warden of the Pampanga Provincial Jail (PPJ) to cause the immediate release from detention of accused/respondent Delfin S. Lee.” The syndicated estafa case against Lee was filed by the HDMF on charges that it sustained a P6.6-billion damage through a breach of warranty committed by Globe Asiatique in the 2009 memorandum of agreement and in the funding com-

mitment agreements the realty firm entered into with HDMF. Lee, through the law offices of Garay Cruz & Associates, said “this alleged breach of warranty allegedly committed by Globe Asiatique was allegedly occasioned by its act of approving the Pag-IBIG housing loan applications of fictitious buyers/borrowers and by engaging in double sale of the townhouses at the Xevera Bacolor and Mabalacat Township Projects, based on the interpretation of the contracts by DoJ that Globe Asiatique is the one approving the Pag-IBIG housing loan applications of the buyers/borrowers and its interpretation that Globe Asiatique is not allowed to replace the delinquent buyers/borrowers.”

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Urban expert: Zamboanga akin to Dubai

By A. Perez Rimando

Taking things in stride. Horseback riding remains a favorite activity of visitors in Baguio City. DAVID CHAN

‘Outsiders on DAR’s list of Luisita beneficiaries’

By Rio N. Araja

OUTSIDERS and dummies are on the Department of Agrarian Reform’s list of beneficiaries of the 358-hectare Hacienda Luisita that belongs to the clan of President Benigno Aquino III, according to the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.

“The President’s kin and the DAR are making a barefaced mockery of the Supreme Court decision,” Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas secretary general Antonio Flores said.

Citing reports from the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala), Flores said that out of the over 1,700 potential farmer-beneficiaries listed by the DAR, at least 61 individuals

were identified to be from barangays Dolores, Maliwalo, Laoang, Ungot, San Miguel, Maligaya in Tarlac City, Barangay Anupul in Bamban town, and as far as Sta. Veronica in Nueva Ecija—all outside of Hacienda Luisita.

“DAR and the Cojuangcos are at it again,” he added, citing the inclusion of the family’s house help and stable workers by the

department in the first “sham” land reform in the 4,099 hectares of Hacienda Luisita where a beneficiary was allotted only 6,600 square meters of land.

“Worse, the 6,600-square meter land is not intact but was dispersed in different locations. This tambiolo land reform in Hacienda Luisita is the height of stupidity. DAR’s distribution scheme is designed to displace the farm workers and divide their ranks. For sure, DAR will once again foolishly divide the 358 hectares to the so-called more than 1,700 beneficiaries.”

He called the Hacienda Luisita’s agrarian reform program a “fake land distribution.”

Because of such, the farmerbeneficiaries become easy prey to

dummies of the Cojuangco kin that led to the proliferation of the arriendo system in the hacienda.

Last Dec. 29, DAR posted an announcement and a list of beneficiaries in every barangay of Hacienda Luisita for the 358-hectare land located in Barangays Balete and Cutcut 2nd.

The KMP said the lands were covered by a notice of coverage belatedly issued by DAR on Dec. 17, 2013.

“The Supreme Court in 2012 reiterated and ordered the distribution of all agricultural lands in Hacienda Luisita due to the DAR and the Cojuangcos’ maneuver to evade land distribution through the stock distribution option scheme,” Ambala lawyer Jobert Pahilga said.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga Sibugay—Urban development planner Felino Palafox Jr. said he sees in this city what he saw in Dubai less than 40 years ago.

Palafox, who recently visited Zamboanga, was involved in the 1977 urban development planning of Dubai, now known as the global city of the United Arab Emirates.

He presented to Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar and other top local officials his proposed development plan for Zamboanga which boasts of mushrooming giant business establishments in its commercial center and suburban areas.

“I see a lot of development potentials for Zamboanga, from its topography to flora and fauna and natural resources that are best for ecotourism, agri-tourism and even cultural heritage tourism,” said Palafox who first came to Zamboanga when he was 20.

He claimed that given all its potentials and at the rate the city is booming, Zamboanga could be the country’s version of Dubai if his short-term planning proposals were to be considered by local executives.

“Like Dubai, Zamboanga is port-driven city, but unlike Dubai, Zamboanga is blessed with natural resources that Dubai did not have some three decades ago,” Palafox said.

Dubai has fabricated natural resources, but in Zamboanga, “everything is available, pristine and untapped for development.”

Palafox noted that Zamboanga could rightfully claim its new moniker as the only “Latin City in Far East” owing to its one million population’s use of Chavacano, a local version of the Spanish language.

GSIS grants emergency loans in 3 provinces

How does she do it? A girl watches her mother do the laundry outside their bunkhouse in Tacloban City. MEL CASPE

THE Government Service Insurance System has earmarked P1.6 billion in emergency loan to members and pensioners in Oriental Mindoro, Albay and Sorsogon.

According to GSIS president and general manager Robert G. Vergara, a total of 49,049 members and 9,315 pensioners will be eligible to avail of the emergency loan program in said areas until Jan. 30, 2016.

“Active members working or residing in the declared calamity areas are eligible to borrow if they are not on leave of absence without pay, have no arrears in paying premium contributions, and have no loans in default (no unpaid amortization for more than six months). Pen-

sioners who are residing in the calamity areas are qualified to avail of the program,” Vergara said.

The GSIS emergency loan package consists of an increased credit limit of P40,000 for active members who have outstanding balance in their existing emergency loan and P20,000 for first-time borrowers and pensioners.

“There are 28,980 active members in Oriental Mindoro, Albay and Sorsogon who may avail of the P40,000 loan, while 20,069 active members and 9,315 pensioners are qualified to avail of the P20,000 loan,” the pension fund chief explained.

The loan is payable in three years or 36 equal monthly installments at 6 percent interest per annum computed in

advance and is covered by a loan redemption insurance, which deems the loan fully paid in case of death of the borrower, provided that the loan repayment is up to date.

Active members may apply using their GSIS eCard or their unified multipurpose identification card through the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System kiosks located in GSIS offices, provincial capitols, city halls, selected municipal offices, large government agencies such as the Department of Education, 27 Robinsons Malls and SM Super Malls in Manila, Pampanga, and Cebu.

Pensioners need to personally apply in the GSIS offices in the calamity areas and fill out an application form.

W E D N E S D AY: J A N U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

TWO CHALLENGES FOR THE NEW GOVERNMENT

[ EDI TORI A L ]

NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED WE WERE astounded to hear Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya declare this week that experience and a track record did not matter when it came to the Filipino partners in a Korean-led consortium that was recently awarded a P4.25-billion maintenance contract for the Metro Rail Transit system.

Under fire for approving the contract without the benefit of public bidding, Abaya said a negotiated deal was needed to come to grips with an “emergency situation”—presumably the alarming and rapid deterioration of the urban train system under his watch.

Abaya also said the Department of Transportation and Communications had tried twice to bid out the maintenance contract, but these efforts were unsuccessful because of the lack of qualified bidders.

Now since Abaya himself had approved the previous maintenance contract that led to the increasingly poor and unsafe commuter train service, it is fair to say that the secretary used an “emergency” of his own making to justify skirting the procurement law’s requirement of a public bidding.

It is also worth noting that the second of the failed bids had taken place in January 2015 or almost a year before Abaya declared “an emergency” in December of the same year. This begs the question: If the need was truly so urgent, and an emergency, no less, why did Abaya wait 11 months before acting?

But Abaya is impervious to accusations that the contract constituted a sweetheart deal, even though the Korean company, Busan Transportation Corp., just turned 10 years old this January and has no apparent track record in maintaining railway operations outside of its own home country. Nor does it matter, Abaya insists, that Busan’s local partners are into construction, agricultural equipment, trading and plumbing—none of which is likely to prove helpful in maintaining a complex and aging urban rail transit system.

But Abaya had an answer for that, too. The country’s commuter train system, he said, was “relatively young” and no Filipino companies have developed the kind of expertise related to its maintenance.

This claim seemed difficult to believe, given that the LRT began operating in 1984 or 32 years ago, while the MRT began in 1999 or 17 years ago. Abaya’s suggestion that no Filipino companies were able to develop an expertise in maintaining either of these commuter systems after all these years certainly reflects poorly on Philippine companies.

But perhaps Abaya’s philosophy in hiring contractors simply mirrors the administration’s own approach to appointing government officials and Cabinet secretaries, where no experience or track record is required.

MONEY POLITICS LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES FINALLY, Mar Roxas has ended up on top of the heap in survey not commissioned by his own Liberal Party, even if it’s just in spending for advertising. But you can always argue that Roxas is not getting his money’s worth for what he spent last year in political ads, seeing as how he still lags behind practically everyone in the public opinion surveys.

Media research agency Nielsen, in a report to its sub-

scribers, estimated that Roxas spent P774,192,000 from January to December last year for television and radio advertising. Roxas’ spending dwarfs the P695,555,000 in ads spent

by United Nationalist Alliance standard-bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is followed closely by independent presidential bet Senator Grace Poe, who spent P694,603,000 for the same period.

PDP-Laban candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a late entry into the presidential race, appears to be no slouch in the spending department, either. Duterte came

in fourth in the advertising derby, bankrolling ads worth P129,599,000 for the entire year.

That’s a lot of moolah, no matter how you look at it. And because political strategists always advise spending for the “air war” of advertising, the numbers can only be expected to go up before the May 9 elections—especially for candidates like Roxas, who desperately needs to go up in the public opinion surveys.

But as the communications strategist Ado Paglinawan said, apropos of the Nielsen survey, you simply can’t squeeze blood from a turnip. The trouble with the Roxas campaign has never

A9

Who coughs up money thrown around so liberally by Roxas and the other presidential candidates?

been its lack of resources, of which it seems to have an endless supply; the problem lies in the product itself, which can’t simply be wrapped in the most expensive packaging in order to fly off the shelves.

Despite having all the money that the Aquino administration can throw at him, the best Roxas can place in the public opinion surveys is a distant third. And it would take a lot more than just an endless supply of money to buy advertising space and time to make Roxas a viable candidate by May, given the snailpaced progress of his survey numbers.

But I’m not one to recommend that Roxas or any of the other candidates scale back on

their spending for their respective campaigns. Elections in this country have always caused upticks in the overall economy, after all.

And what better way to “consolidate the gains of the Aquino administration,” as the current propaganda buzzword in Malacañang Palace goes, than by perking up the economy through election spending? If you believe that candidates are only giving back to the country what they got from the people, then you can’t begrudge them their contributions to improving the lives of

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-

the voters every election year. *** I was being facetious, of course. That’s because the more important question is, who really coughs up money thrown around so liberally by Roxas and the other presidential candidates?

It can’t be their own money that they’re spending. After all, it’s safe to say that no one, not even the most obsessed politician, will spend hundreds of millions or even billions that he or she already has, even if the intention is to attempt to get it all back by any

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

means possible as soon as they assume elective office.

It’s no secret that the bulk of the money spent by candidates comes from contributions from businessmen and other “parties of interest,” who will seek some return on investment, plus a whole lot more, if the candidate they bankrolled wins. The more viable the candidate, the more he or she attracts contributions— except perhaps in the case of candidates who have the support of the government in power itself, as seems to be the case Continued on A11 with Roxas.

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 two related developments that were reported on the first week of the New Year pose a challenge to the incoming administration. The first was the report of the Commission on Population that the number of Filipinos would reach 104 million in 2016. The second is a dire warning from an American Chamber of Commerce official warning that Metro Manila would be uninhabitable by the year 2020.

The PopCom projection came even after the reproductive health bill came into law two years ago. The bump in the PopCom figures was based on the increase of reported teen pregnancies with girls as young as 15 years old already bearing children. The RH law allows family planning through artificial methods but contraceptives are not readily available to most women in the rural areas.

The grim prospect of the metropolis in paralysis is almost a reality but to say it will be uninhabitable in the next four years is a scary scenario to contemplate.

It is real and staring us in the face. Metro Manila may not be a total wasteland but its quality of life could reach an all-time low. John Forbes, senior adviser of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, provides us with a few hard facts. Car sales will reach 500,000 units by 2020, exceeding the 300,000 units dealers had projected. Car volume consequently increases gas and carbon emissions, posing health hazards particularly to the respiratory system. The world is already witnessing this in Beijing and other major cities in China where residents wearing gauze masks have become a familiar sight.

Clean drinking water will become scarce, not just in poor rural areas but even in the cities with the residential high-rise condominiums competing for the most essential daily need of humans.

Metro Manila has a population of 12 million, a number that swells to 15 million during week days when workers commute from the periphery of the sprawling urban area. Without a mass transit system to move people to and from work, traffic could literally come to a standstill, thereby impeding commerce. Forbes said the solution is really in an efficient public railway system and more skyways to ease traffic on the ground. While the government is currently constructing the skyway from the Ninoy Aquino Terminal 3 in Pasay to Bulacan, the sheer volume of vehicles has already outpaced the number of roads. The Pasay-to-Bulacan skyway, not even halfway finished, is adding to the heavy traffic in the airport area.

Why the Aquino government started the skyway construction only in the last year and half of its term boggles the mind. Was government under spending programmed for release during the runup to the 2016 presidential elections?

Just asking.

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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

W E D N E S D AY: J A N U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

TWO CHALLENGES FOR THE NEW GOVERNMENT

[ EDI TORI A L ]

NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED WE WERE astounded to hear Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya declare this week that experience and a track record did not matter when it came to the Filipino partners in a Korean-led consortium that was recently awarded a P4.25-billion maintenance contract for the Metro Rail Transit system.

Under fire for approving the contract without the benefit of public bidding, Abaya said a negotiated deal was needed to come to grips with an “emergency situation”—presumably the alarming and rapid deterioration of the urban train system under his watch.

Abaya also said the Department of Transportation and Communications had tried twice to bid out the maintenance contract, but these efforts were unsuccessful because of the lack of qualified bidders.

Now since Abaya himself had approved the previous maintenance contract that led to the increasingly poor and unsafe commuter train service, it is fair to say that the secretary used an “emergency” of his own making to justify skirting the procurement law’s requirement of a public bidding.

It is also worth noting that the second of the failed bids had taken place in January 2015 or almost a year before Abaya declared “an emergency” in December of the same year. This begs the question: If the need was truly so urgent, and an emergency, no less, why did Abaya wait 11 months before acting?

But Abaya is impervious to accusations that the contract constituted a sweetheart deal, even though the Korean company, Busan Transportation Corp., just turned 10 years old this January and has no apparent track record in maintaining railway operations outside of its own home country. Nor does it matter, Abaya insists, that Busan’s local partners are into construction, agricultural equipment, trading and plumbing—none of which is likely to prove helpful in maintaining a complex and aging urban rail transit system.

But Abaya had an answer for that, too. The country’s commuter train system, he said, was “relatively young” and no Filipino companies have developed the kind of expertise related to its maintenance.

This claim seemed difficult to believe, given that the LRT began operating in 1984 or 32 years ago, while the MRT began in 1999 or 17 years ago. Abaya’s suggestion that no Filipino companies were able to develop an expertise in maintaining either of these commuter systems after all these years certainly reflects poorly on Philippine companies.

But perhaps Abaya’s philosophy in hiring contractors simply mirrors the administration’s own approach to appointing government officials and Cabinet secretaries, where no experience or track record is required.

MONEY POLITICS LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES FINALLY, Mar Roxas has ended up on top of the heap in survey not commissioned by his own Liberal Party, even if it’s just in spending for advertising. But you can always argue that Roxas is not getting his money’s worth for what he spent last year in political ads, seeing as how he still lags behind practically everyone in the public opinion surveys.

Media research agency Nielsen, in a report to its sub-

scribers, estimated that Roxas spent P774,192,000 from January to December last year for television and radio advertising. Roxas’ spending dwarfs the P695,555,000 in ads spent

by United Nationalist Alliance standard-bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is followed closely by independent presidential bet Senator Grace Poe, who spent P694,603,000 for the same period.

PDP-Laban candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a late entry into the presidential race, appears to be no slouch in the spending department, either. Duterte came

in fourth in the advertising derby, bankrolling ads worth P129,599,000 for the entire year.

That’s a lot of moolah, no matter how you look at it. And because political strategists always advise spending for the “air war” of advertising, the numbers can only be expected to go up before the May 9 elections—especially for candidates like Roxas, who desperately needs to go up in the public opinion surveys.

But as the communications strategist Ado Paglinawan said, apropos of the Nielsen survey, you simply can’t squeeze blood from a turnip. The trouble with the Roxas campaign has never

A9

Who coughs up money thrown around so liberally by Roxas and the other presidential candidates?

been its lack of resources, of which it seems to have an endless supply; the problem lies in the product itself, which can’t simply be wrapped in the most expensive packaging in order to fly off the shelves.

Despite having all the money that the Aquino administration can throw at him, the best Roxas can place in the public opinion surveys is a distant third. And it would take a lot more than just an endless supply of money to buy advertising space and time to make Roxas a viable candidate by May, given the snailpaced progress of his survey numbers.

But I’m not one to recommend that Roxas or any of the other candidates scale back on

their spending for their respective campaigns. Elections in this country have always caused upticks in the overall economy, after all.

And what better way to “consolidate the gains of the Aquino administration,” as the current propaganda buzzword in Malacañang Palace goes, than by perking up the economy through election spending? If you believe that candidates are only giving back to the country what they got from the people, then you can’t begrudge them their contributions to improving the lives of

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-

the voters every election year. *** I was being facetious, of course. That’s because the more important question is, who really coughs up money thrown around so liberally by Roxas and the other presidential candidates?

It can’t be their own money that they’re spending. After all, it’s safe to say that no one, not even the most obsessed politician, will spend hundreds of millions or even billions that he or she already has, even if the intention is to attempt to get it all back by any

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

means possible as soon as they assume elective office.

It’s no secret that the bulk of the money spent by candidates comes from contributions from businessmen and other “parties of interest,” who will seek some return on investment, plus a whole lot more, if the candidate they bankrolled wins. The more viable the candidate, the more he or she attracts contributions— except perhaps in the case of candidates who have the support of the government in power itself, as seems to be the case Continued on A11 with Roxas.

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 two related developments that were reported on the first week of the New Year pose a challenge to the incoming administration. The first was the report of the Commission on Population that the number of Filipinos would reach 104 million in 2016. The second is a dire warning from an American Chamber of Commerce official warning that Metro Manila would be uninhabitable by the year 2020.

The PopCom projection came even after the reproductive health bill came into law two years ago. The bump in the PopCom figures was based on the increase of reported teen pregnancies with girls as young as 15 years old already bearing children. The RH law allows family planning through artificial methods but contraceptives are not readily available to most women in the rural areas.

The grim prospect of the metropolis in paralysis is almost a reality but to say it will be uninhabitable in the next four years is a scary scenario to contemplate.

It is real and staring us in the face. Metro Manila may not be a total wasteland but its quality of life could reach an all-time low. John Forbes, senior adviser of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, provides us with a few hard facts. Car sales will reach 500,000 units by 2020, exceeding the 300,000 units dealers had projected. Car volume consequently increases gas and carbon emissions, posing health hazards particularly to the respiratory system. The world is already witnessing this in Beijing and other major cities in China where residents wearing gauze masks have become a familiar sight.

Clean drinking water will become scarce, not just in poor rural areas but even in the cities with the residential high-rise condominiums competing for the most essential daily need of humans.

Metro Manila has a population of 12 million, a number that swells to 15 million during week days when workers commute from the periphery of the sprawling urban area. Without a mass transit system to move people to and from work, traffic could literally come to a standstill, thereby impeding commerce. Forbes said the solution is really in an efficient public railway system and more skyways to ease traffic on the ground. While the government is currently constructing the skyway from the Ninoy Aquino Terminal 3 in Pasay to Bulacan, the sheer volume of vehicles has already outpaced the number of roads. The Pasay-to-Bulacan skyway, not even halfway finished, is adding to the heavy traffic in the airport area.

Why the Aquino government started the skyway construction only in the last year and half of its term boggles the mind. Was government under spending programmed for release during the runup to the 2016 presidential elections?

Just asking.

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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

W E D N E S D AY: J A N U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A QUESTIONABLE BUDGET RELEASE TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO IF YOU are not concerned about a newspaper report that says 90 percent of the P3-trillion budget was effectively released in the first week of 2016, I am.

According to the news story, budget officials are saying that this should have far-reaching impact on the country’s much-delayed “infrastructure program.”

This development, according to the report, contrasted sharply with last year’s disbursement program, in which the release of the equivalent amount of the nation’s monies happened well into the budget year— September, to be specific.

If reports are accurate, the Aquino administration will be able to make a miracle happen and have Mar win.

Santa Banana, the Budget Secretary said that this frontloading of the government fund was the result of a new policy at the Department of Budget and Management recognizing that the General Appropriations Act as the release document. The old practice required a Special Allotment Release Order before actual cash is released to a government agency.

Political analysts and observers have said that the only way administration candidate Mar Roxas can win the presidency is for the Aquino administration to flood the country with cash before Election Day. This, or have Comelec resort to the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines’ “hocus PCOS.” This is supposedly how the administration senatorial candidates won in 2013.

With the release, the Aquino administration will be able to make a miracle happen and have Mar win.

The opposition and other sectors, in pursuit of a fair, honest and clean election, should question this move.

How could the GAA become a release order already? Is this even legal?

My concern is that President Aquino and his clone Budget Secretary Florencio Abad may again be playing around with the people’s money. Remember how they did so with the Priority Development Assistance Fund and the Disbursement

Acceleration Program? *** One of the PR consultants of the Mar Roxas-Leni Robredo tandem for next year’s elections showed concern about the inability of Mar to beat the survey ratings of Vice President Jojo Binay and Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Kelly Poe Llamanzares.

I told him that I am offering some unsolicited advice for Mar, whom I still consider a friend (although he may not return the favor).

First, Mar’s handlers should remake his image before the populace. He was made to look like the man of the masses, Mr. Palengke, one who carries a sack of rice or driving a pedicab.

The people cannot relate to this because everybody knows Roxas is a rich boy.

People also think he is indecisive, or a “teka-teka” official. For many, Mar is a fake.

Second, the handlers should build his image as a man eminently qualified for the presidency. He has had years of experience in both the Executive and Legislative departments.

Third, there must be emphasis on his honesty and integrity in public office. Mar has never be charged with corruption in all the time he has been in government.

Fourth, and most importantly, Mar should be his own man and not a clone of the President. Why mouth the meaningless “Daang Matuwid” mantra of BS Aquino III? This has become a big joke.

In fact, I would go as far as saying that Mar’s association with President Aquino is the kiss of death.

I am offering this unsolicited advice for Mar as a friend. If he listens to me, he’ll have a big chance of winning the presidency. But, Santa Banana, the question is this: Can Mar disassociate himself from BS Aquino III this late in the game? *** A vice president is known to be just a breath away from the presidency.

He or she is a spare tire just in case something happens to the incumbent president.

Thus, an incumbent president doesn’t give a vice president too much importance, often appointing him only as an adviser of sorts.

This gives the vice president more time to campaign nationwide, knowing full well that after six years, he could seek the presidency next.

This is unlike the vice president of the United States who automatically becomes the president of the Senate. This is something worth considering when we amend the Constitution.

In the current political maneuvering leading to next year’s polls, Mar’s running mate, Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo, has come up with something new with respect

ACTIVISTS TWO deaths devastated me in December 2015.

The long-time editor of The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Letty Jimenez Magsanoc, died on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 7:30 p.m., following a bout with lung cancer that hardly anyone knew she had all along.

On New Year’s Eve, December 31, at 1:22 p.m., Washington DC time, my best friend in college, Rodel Ilagan, died, after a brief bout with a devastating pancreatic cancer which was discovered in only November 2015. He was 67.

Letty and Rod were both reformists and pursued activism in the best way they knew.

Rod’s cancer, incurable and inoperable, spread like a massive monster to his liver and lungs, debilitating him as his weight went down in a month from 170 to 120 lbs. His doctors thought that with aggressive chemotherapy that began Dec. 8, he could still live for six months to a year. They were wrong.

I met Rod in my freshman year at the University of Santo Tomas in our philosophy class. Philosophy to him was a passion, while journalism to me was a career course. UST ousted him in his senior year for student activism and was not allowed to graduate. UST declared me an undesirable student but thankfully allowed me to graduate with honors.

Rod finished his LiA-Com degree from a college in Santa Mesa, Manila. He dabbled in appliance dealership for nearly 10 years in Manila before I gave him a journalist’s credentials as a correspondent in the United States in 1980, with his family. He settled at balmy Stonecreek Road, in Annapolis, Maryland. A CPA, he finished MBA from Loyola College, Baltimore.

Rod put up businesses that were too far ahead of his time in the 1980s, like organic foods and vegetables, converting x-ray films into silver, and a fast food restaurant. In his later years, he settled down and became the CFO of non-profits, Capital Area Food Bank, and from December 2013, LEDC in Washington DC. Rod was proud of his professional achievements, growing the operations of the nonprofits. He focused on probono work with the immigrant community, helping his neighbors integrate and achieve goals of homeownership and financial independence. Rod found much fulfillment in mentoring to the role of the country’s second highest official of government should play.

Essentially, Leni said that the vice president should not use the position as a leverage to advance ambitions to eventually occupy Malacañang. She contends that if the vice president sets aside what could be a consuming desire for the presidency, “your intention (to help) will be pure and your commitment to provide public service will be full.” Leni added that the vice president’s role should be inspirational, “because you will be able to draw a lot of attention to your advocacies which we need to push for our country.”

“I have always said that the vice president should not have an ambition to be president because the moment he or she thinks about it, then that is the end of him or her. Instead of concentrating on the job of vice president you will just use the position to campaign,” Robredo said. She made that

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ individuals, helping them discover their potential and encouraging them to be successful in school, work, and community life.

Rod’s social justice activism began at UST. Imbued with revolutionary fervor by the Jesuit Jose Blanco, and together with other activists, he sought the overthrow of the Spanish administration at UST. Outside the university, his group sought the overthrow of the sitting government. UP and the nonsectarian schools had their Maoists who derided the Catholic activists as cleric-fascists. The student rebellion of 1969 to 1970s failed. Marcos declared Martial Law and ruled as a dictator for 14 more years.

Rod’s strong Catholic faith guided his life, combining prayer with action and service to others. Rod and his family were parishioners of St. Mary’s Church, attending services at St. John Neumann.

My friend is survived by his wife, Mercedes Magpantay, a magna cum laude foreign service graduate of UST, their only child, Veda; his sister-in-law Mila, grandchildren Kevin, Anthony, and Leslie; his mother Minerva, and five siblings.

Letty Magsanoc was also an activist. She was a good friend from a distance. With she from Mr. & Ms. and later Inquirer and me at Asiaweek, we covered the tumultuous last three years of the 20-year reign of Ferdinand E. Marcos.

When the strongman was ousted by People Power on February 25, 1986 and Corazon Cojuangco Aquino assumed power without the benefit of an election the same day, the Inquirer embraced Cory like a Joan of Arc who saved democracy for the Philippines. The former treasurer of the largest hacienda north of Manila was also treated as a Mother Teresa. She could do no wrong.

The same hero worship was extended to her only son, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, when he sought the presidency in 2010 despite his obvious lack of preparation and riding only on the crest of sympathy from Cory’s

statement in a recent appearance at the University of the Philippines where she and vice presidential candidate Senator Chiz Escudero were engaged in what was billed as a debate.

Santa Banana, that statement makes me think about the role of the vice president under our Constitution. As far as I know, I think it was only ABS-CBN broadcaster Noli de Castro who did not salivate for the post when he was VP to GMA. In fact, there were attempts on the part of the “Hyatt 10” for De Castro to oust GMA at the height of the “Hello Garci” scandal, but he did not bite.

As a long-time observer of the political scene, I am convinced that Robredo, who is a neophyte member of the House of Representatives, cannot be classified as belonging to that much-reviled specie called “trapo,” or traditional politician. I also believe that she will walk her talk should lady fortune smile on her bid for the vice presidency.

Hers is a truly refreshing

death, by cancer, in August 2009. Until now, despite his failings, his incompetence, his vengeful streak, and the corruption of people surrounding him, Noynoy Aquino is considered by the Inquirer as someone who also could do no wrong.

Early on, The Inquirer nitpicked its bête noires, the likes of the Marcoses, Juan Ponce Enrile, Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., Joseph Estrada, Vice President Jejomar Binay, to name some, and grew devil’s horns in them.

Marcos and JPE allegedly abused human rights and piled up ill-gotten wealth, although more journalists died during the presidencies of Cory and BS Aquino than during FM’s.

Estrada was ousted by People Power II. The Inquirer suspected him ordering an ad boycott after the president tried to review the sweetheart deal of the Prietos on valuable state-owned Makati property during Cory’s time called the Mile Long.

On the other hand, Cojuangco allegedly used coco levy money to enrich himself. The opposite is true. ECJ gave money to the coco industry and invested on its behalf enormously in growth industries.

The Supreme Court thought the gains from the investments came from coco levy because Danding made the mistake of borrowing P9.6 billion from Cocobank, where SMC money from sales of beer and other products, was deposited daily. With the high court’s diktat, Danding converted the investments into preferred shares of the government in San Miguel and in three years redeemed them and handed over the proceeds, P84 billion and rising, to the Aquino administration for the development of the coconut industry.

No other crony has done as well. If that is stealing, I don’t know what is not. Today, nobody knows where the P84-billion-plus is. And nobody is moving to develop the moribund coconut industry.

My colleague, Bobi Tiglao reckons that the Inquirer did 44 headline stories on Binay last year to demonize him for alleged corruption. The VP’s ratings tanked by mid-2015. Thankfully, by end 2015, Binay had recovered somehow to again lead the presidential race leading into May 2016. biznewsasia@gmail.com

view, a totally new perspective. We need unorthodox ways of looking at things or doing things. I would think Robredo deserves a look as a candidate. Sad to say, being a neophyte congresswoman, she needs more exposure nationwide.

Both Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano, for instance, have admitted aspiring for the position. And should Senator Bongbong Marcos win, I have no doubt at all he will be running for the Palace post come 2022. He is only 58 now, and will just be 64 by then, compared to Vice President Binay, who is now 73, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Du-dirty” already 70 years old.

Bongbong can count on the support of the Solid North, plus the regional base of the Romualdezes in Eastern Visayas, particularly in Leyte, and even among the Ilocanos in Mindanao. *** I am surprised that the government’s top lawyer, Solicitor General Florin

Hilbay, has come out upholding the Senate Electoral Tribunal ruling that Mrs. Llamanzares is a naturalborn Filipino citizen, and is therefore qualified to run for senator in 2013.

The solicitor general is supposed to be speaking and defending government as its top lawyer. But, my gulay, now he is lawyering for Mrs. Llamanzares. He may claim that he is lawyering for the SET, a constitutional body, but in effect, he is defending Mrs. Llamanzares.

Being a lawyer himself, didn’t he read the dissenting opinions of the three Supreme justices—SET Chairman Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and members Associate Justice Arturo Brion and Teresita Leonardo de Castro that in conflict of laws between international and domestic laws, domestic laws prevail? And because she is unable to prove otherwise, Mrs. Llamanzares is not natural born.

I wonder where Hilbay finished his law.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

IS IT ONLY BECAUSE OF DQ?

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO AGAIN, this space tries to analyze the surveys released on the week before Christmas last—this time, after Binay’s numbers, we talk about those of Grace Poe Lllamanzares.

Whichever way we look at the three publicly announced survey results, whether she is number one or two or three, the clear observation is that the lady’s numbers are slipping. For two consecutive quarters, she was Numero Uno. A survey done for private eyes after the Oct. 16 Comelec deadline, where the choices did not include Davao’s maverick non-candidate (at the time), showed her polling as high as the 40s, with Binay, Roxas and Miriam biting her dust.

But the numbers have slipped, and precariously, she is evensteven with Duterte in one, with Roxas in another. The numbers of all, in fact, show, at this stage, a very close contest among the four contenders, as we stated in our Monday article.

Poe and her VP candidate, Chiz Escudero, her spokesman Rex Gatchalian, and their other supporters keep blaming the disqualification cases filed against her regarding citizenship status and length of residence as the cause of her poll slippage. There is no denying that such cases, before the SET and then the Comelec, and now up to the high tribunal to finally decide, invariably blamed by her camp at Mar first and Binay to a lesser extent,

Money... From A9 And there seems to be no way to stop candidates from spending the scandalous amounts of money they do to get elected, especially before the actual campaign period starts a couple of months before the actual elections. If you ask the

Two... From A9 A designated railway for alternate airport Clark has been suggested so that Central and Northern Luzon residents leaving for international flights need not travel all the way to the three congested Naia terminals in Pasay City. The Clark monorail project remains a pipe dream even after

have created a big dent on her winnability.

But is the possibility of a DQ the only reason for her numbers to go southward? I submit not.

To begin with, the majority of survey respondents parked their “votes” with her because in early 2015, as I have repeatedly stated here, the choices were limited to one who cannot win, and one who should not win. Between one whose appeal was at best, lackluster, and one whose appeal has faded on the weight of so many unsatisfactorily explained accusations of brigandage of public funds.

Enter Grace Poe, the senator who topped the elections of 2013, adopted daughter of the “cheated” FPJ, erstwhile king of Philippine movies. In her two years in the Senate, she has shown smart and articulate performance. In the public integrity department, there are no skeletons.

And so, between a Roxas and a Binay, many opted for Poe, never mind the relative inexperience at governance compared to the two. She was the “outlier,” the “bagong mukha.”

But then came Duterte of Davao. He has managerial capability, demonstrated in Davao, the country’s largest city in size, with a population more than double that of Makati in the metropolis, declared one of the world’s safest cities. His human rights credentials may be a bit spotty (largely spotty if you are to believe the likes of Leila de Lima), but he has no blemish of corruption.

And he has color which neither the bland Mar or the predictably

motherhood-ish Jojo had, owing to his speaking his mind out with no qualms, and the demonstrated political will.

Many of the Poe “parkers” migrated to Duterte. Chiz and Rex, Georgiddi and whoever else blamed the preference migration to the DQ, and only that.

Assuming there was no cloud over her constitutional bona-fide’s, would it be right to assume that she would tower over all the other presidential contenders by now?

As in, hey guys, “eat my dust”?

Remember that preference for her came out because one, she has emotional links to the departed FPJ. Two, because she is “clean.”

And three, because she had been saying the right things, “safe” though these may have always been. Properly handled, willingly follower of in-the-box advice.

Now look at the demographics.

How many of the millennials, who constitute the biggest vote bloc, remember FPJ? How many got to watch his action movies?

Of course Coco Martin does a great impersonation in Grace Poe’s ABS-CBN sponsor’s “recuerdo opus” now airing at prime time, with her adoptive mother, Susan Roces portraying Martin’s doting and protective “lola,” but is there such a strong connect between reel and reality?

Again, given the average Filipino’s short memory, how many recall the Garci and Gloria machinations of 2004, with her adoptive father, FPJ, as the victim? Besides, Gloria is in jail; Garci is in hibernation in the boondocks of Bukidnon; and

PNoy is in charge.

Three, are the safe motherhood statements she has been saying, what the voters come May want to hear? In a time of uncertainty, with China bellowing, MILF and BIFF spewing threats of violence, the NPA still alive and kicking, and now, the tension in the Middle East, the first impact of which is to reverse the downward spiral in oil prices, is she the right prescription for the malady the nation is experiencing, and will experience even to greater degree in the years to come? This is where the political maverick Duterte excites, while Poe is ho-hum.

Four, real experience. Mar has it, although questions of effectivity, given DoTC and DILG, Yolanda and Zamboanga, hound him. Binay has it, undoubtedly. Duterte has it as well. Even Miriam has it. Poe has no real experience yet.

And five, glimpses of character.

She cocked her guns at PNoy in the Mamasapano hearings. But that was it. Cock, then retreat.

Her much-heralded committee report has yet to be approved by the Senate in plenum. And it doesn’t seem like she is raring for a fight.

She excoriated against Abaya, still snipes occasionally. But that’s the end of it. Talk.

I won’t write about how she ditched Martin Romualdez out of her senatorial ticket. Or Ping Lacson, and the conversations prior to her decisions. These were told to me in confidence.

She talked to Duterte right after Mamasapano somewhere

in Corinthian. She wondered openly if he would consider her for vice president, if he decides to run. He demurred. Then, when she reached Olympian heights in the middle of 2015, as far as SWS and Pulse read, she, through a common friend, asked if he would consider being her Numero Dos. I write about this because Duterte has openly talked about it. Wait until Ping and Martin also confide publicly.

To the survey respondents, glimpses of character may not resonate quickly enough. But to the political “cognoscenti,” they who could tilt a close fight among equally seeded protagonists, the mayors, the governors and other influencers, glimpses of character, of “palabra” do matter.

Finally, pooh-poohing the moral issue raised by Leni Robredo publicly about her disavowing loyalty to the Philippines and hogging America, thence ditching her adopted country when there was convenient government post offered to her, will surely be brought up, with increased decibels, as the campaign unfolds in earnest. That too is a character issue. It goes to the very heart of loyalty to country.

The average Filipino may be proAmerican, but there is a strong latent nationalism beneath their moral fiber.

And so, as the contest goes down the wire, the Supreme Court’s final word notwithstanding, Senadora Poe’s chances do not look as formidable as they seem. Her protagonists surely know this.

Commission on Elections, for instance, why it allows candidates to spend so much for advertising in the year prior to the polls, it will simply say that it cannot act on expenditures made before the formal start of the campaign—which is really a cop-out, when you think about it.

Sure, candidates are required to submit a list of how much money they spent for any election, which is supposed to be limited by an antiquated figure per voter multiplied by the entire population. But nobody really bothers losing candidates about their election spending—

and election winners are only scrutinized for campaign profligacy if they are out of favor with the government in power.

This is why money and the ability to attract it are always the first requirements of what is adjudged to be a viable candidacy. Forget about competence,

integrity or whatever other virtue—these can be imagined in campaign ads, anyway, which require money.

Of course, you can spend a fortune in an election and still not get elected. Not that this fact has never stopped people like Mar Roxas from seeking office.

five and a half years of the Aquino administration.

A robust growth in the country’s population should not be as daunting when seen in the light of how other countries were able to harness human resources into engines of economic growth.

China with its population of 1.371 billion and India with 1.288 billion prove people can power the

economy and not burden it. Let’s not talk about China with its internal problems and its economy presently in a slump. India is the country to watch. With its average growth rate of 7 percent in the last two decades, India’s GDP grew to 7.3 percent in 2014-2015 and is expected to post a 7.5 to 8.3 percent growth in 2015 to 2016, according to the latest Wikipedia figures.

The surge in India’s economic growth can be traced to its strong service sector. Aside from hefty revenues generated by its business process outsourcing sector, it is a major exporter of information technology and software. These are areas where the Philippines is giving India stiff competition and the country’s human resources ranged against the English-speaking Indians even

have the edge.

In the end, it all comes down to what kind of leaders we are going to elect in May 2016. Will they have the political will and resolve to pull the country together and bring it into the 21st century? A lot also depends on our voters. It is never enough to keep reminding our people that we deserve the government we elect.

#FAILOCRACY

CHONG ARDIVILLA

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Curry helps Dubs back on track Adidas gives Man United more pressure

LOS ANGELES —Stephen Curry secured his dominance over his hometown team Monday as the Golden State Warriors stretched their home winning streak to 35 straight with a 111-101 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. AFP

BERLIN—German sportswear giant Adidas would like to see Manchester United playing more attractive football, their CEO Herbert Hainer told German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung in an interview published on Monday.

The interview could put more pressure on under-fire Manchester United manager Dutchman Luis van Gaal, whose charges have been widely accused of being boring this season.

In July 2014 Adidas signed a ten-year kit sponsorship deal with the English Premier League club worth £750 million (1 billion euros, $1.1 billion).

“The business side of things is going very well,” Hainer told the newspaper in reference to massive shirt sales.

“But the current style of play is not exactly what we wanted to see,” he added.

The sportswear company also has kit deals with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Winners of the Champions League in 2008 and 1999 and its predecessor the European Cup in 1968, United invested heavily in the last close season bringing Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay and Bastian Schweinsteiger into their squad.

But United currently sit outside the Premier League top four, have been knocked out of the Champions League and were even eliminated from the English League Cup.

Lady Stags near sweep of volleyball elims SAN Sebastian leaned on a solid effort of Gretchel Soltones as it waylaid a hapless Letran, 25-11, 25-17, 25-15, yesterday to inch closer to a sweep of the elimination round of the 91st NCAA women’s volleyball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The power-hitting Soltones, the reigning league MVP and a cinch to winning another one this season, drilled in a match-best 13 hits, all coming off kills, as the Lady Stags

nailed their seventh win in row.

A sweep would send San Sebastian to the finals outright where it will enjoy a thrice-to-beat edge or a 1-0 lead in a best-of-five series, while sending the next three teams to a stepladder semifinals.

For it to happen, the Lady Stags would need to hurdle the Lyceum of the Philippines University Lady Pirates on Friday and St. Benilde Blazers on Sunday.

And that’s what San Sebastian coach Roger Gorayeb wants.

“It will not be easy, but we’ll be aiming for it,” said Gorayeb, currently the national women’s team coach and a winner of the Shakey’s V-League’s first ever Grand Slam last year.

The volleyball competition is implementing a new format similar to basketball wherein the top four teams after the single-round elimi-

nation will advance to the Final Four, with the Nos. 1 and 2 teams enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage against the Nos. 4 and 3 squads, respectively.

A sweep though changes everything.

Defending champion Arellano University is currently at No. 2 with a 6-1 (win-loss) record, while St. Benilde and Perpetual Help are at Nos. 3 and 4 with 5-1 and 4-2 slates.

Carlos scrambles for 73, leads by 1 GEN. TRIAS, Cavite—Jobim Carlos birdied No. 17 from close range to salvage a one-over 73 in tough conditions, posting a one-stroke edge over Ira Alido at the start of the Philippine Amateur (Stroke Play) Open Golf Championship at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Aidric Chan, Weiwei Gao and Luis Castro carded identical 75s, Koreans Jang Jun Ha and Lee Geon and local bets Carl Corpus and Gen Nagai turned in similar 76s, and Rubert Zaragosa, Korean Jang Yu Bin and Singapore’s Jeryl Tan groped for 77s as the Aoki layout, kept in championship form all year, bedeviled the games of the competing field with the wind coming into the play from teeoff, keeping the scores soaring and the players forced to make a 1- or 2-club adjustment.

“Given the wind condition, my game plan was to score an even par,” said Carlos, who struggled off the mound and hit just eight fairways while missing eight greens.

Harmie Constantino bucked a bogey start

with three straight birdies from No. 4 but fumbled with three bogeys the rest of the way to likewise shoot a 73 and wrest a one-stroke lead over Malaysian Nur Durriyah Damian and Yuka Saso in the women’s side of the event serving as the kickoff leg of this year’s PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT and Metro Pacific Investment Corp.

Saso, who won the Thailand Juniors crown last month, recovered from a 40 start with two late birdies to match Damian’s 74 while Korean Hwang Min Jeong, winner of a local pro tournament last year, stayed in early contention despite a 75 in a tie with Jona Magcalayo and Felicia Medalla while LK Go shot a 76, and Korean Lee Ji Hyeon and Genevieve Ling I-Rynn of Malaysia carded identical 77s.

“Aoki is always tournament-ready and the condition is tough year-in and year-out especially in the presence of the wind,” said Eagle Ridge GCC general manager Raymund Bunquin.

Jobim Carlos checks the contour of the surface on No. 7

Curry, who averages more points against Charlotte than any other NBA player, scored 30 points in 31 minutes of playing time after having his previous performance cut short because of a recurring left calf injury.

The Warriors used an explosive third quarter to pull away from the Hornets with the help of Klay Thompson who nailed two clutch baskets to spark an 18-4 surge that put them in command for good.

“I was in a good flow and making shots. I tried to be aggressive and stay confident,” Thompson said.

Draymond Green posted his seventh triple-double of the season with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for the Warriors, who have struggled to close out games recently.

Golden State’s home win streak now stands at 35, including 17 this season as they moved a step closer to Chicago’s record 44-game win streak from 1995-96.

They have the fifth longest home win streak in NBA history.

Curry went to Charlotte Christian high school and his father Dell Curry works as a colour commentator on the Hornets’ broadcasts.

Reigning league MVP Curry, who appeared unlikely to play earlier in the day, sank 12-of-21.

Seeking to avoid getting swept in the two-game season series for the second year in a row, the Hornets clung within 66-65 in the fourth minute of the third quarter after an 11-4 run to begin the second half.

Thompson answered with 16- and 28-footers, the latter a three-pointer. He finished with 30 points, a majority of which came on six-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc as the game turned into a long-distance shooting contest which played into the Warriors’ hands.

Center Marreese Speights recorded a seasonhigh with 15 points and forward Harrison Barnes, playing for the first time since suffering an ankle injury on November 27, tallied eight points in 18 minutes. AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Djokovic claims 1st win of season DOHA—Novak Djokovic took just 51 minutes to win his first game of 2016, easily beating Dustin Brown 6-2, 6-2 in the opening game of the Qatar Open on Monday.

The world number one was rarely troubled by the German and barely raised a sweat, cruising into the second round with an ominous display for rivals looking for any early-season weaknesses from Djokovic after his dominant 2015.

“It was a very good start,” Djokovic told reporters afterwards.

He said he was untroubled by the blustery and relatively cold weather in Doha, with temperatures reaching 17 degrees Celsius (62 Fahrenheit).

“Considering the weather conditions and everything, I think it was a good performance from my side.

“I played a player who I never faced before and somebody who is a very charismatic guy and very good for tennis, for sport and somebody who is very unpredictable.

“He hasn’t served particularly well today, which I think has helped me.”

Djokovic said before the tournament started that he is in Doha to win and not merely play some warm-up matches before the defence of his Australian Open crown later this month.

And he certainly served notice of that, racing to a 5-0 lead in the first set in just 16 minutes.

Brown belatedly rallied, holding his serve for the first time in the sixth game and then breaking the Serb’s serve to make it 5-2.

The world number 118 then had two points to claim a third successive game but double-faulted twice, allowing Djokovic to claim the first set in just 25 minutes.

The second set followed a similar pattern as Djokovic, 28, swatted aside any potential resistance from Brown -- who famously beat Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon last year -- by breaking serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead.

That was pretty much the end of Brown, a qualifier for the tournament, and the contest.

The 31-year-old rarely threatened the Serb’s serve and it ended in sorry fashion as Brown delivered his fourth double fault of the night to end the match. AFP

Andy Murray of Britain hits a return against Kenny de Schepper of France during their fourth session men’s singles match on day two of the Hopman Cup tennis tournament in Perth. AFP

Andy off to flying start World number two Andy Murray blew away his training court cobwebs with a season-opening demolition of Frenchman Kenny de Schepper at the mixed teams Hopman Cup on Monday.

Murray said his form in practice since arriving in Australia had been poor, but the dual Grand Slam winner looked in sparkling touch ahead of this month’s Australian Open as he dismantled the 148th-ranked de Schepper in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, in under an hour.

That gave Great Britain the early advantage in its tie with France, but the ledger was squared when Caroline Garcia overcame a gritty Heath Watson to win in three sets, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, in the women’s singles.

The Brits then clinched

the tie in a match tiebreak in a closely-fought doubles decider, 6-2, 5-7, 10-6.

Murray, 28, had barely played since guiding Great Britain to a drought-breaking Davis Cup win in November, and was pleased to have found form so quickly in the new year.

“I played well and everything was working pretty good,” he said.

“I hadn’t been playing well in practice at all, I had been really struggling.

“It’s irrelevant really if I play like that in matches.”

Earlier, women’s world

number one Serena Williams suffered an early season injury setback as she withdrew from the United States’ opening tie with inflammation in her knee.

Her withdrawal helped the Ukraine pairing of Elina Svitolina and Alexandr Dolgopolov record a 2-1 win over the USA. Williams was replaced by American youngster Vicky Duval, on the comeback trail after being diagnosed with cancer in 2014, and the 20-year-old was no match for the world number 19.

The first set was competitive but Svitolina cruised past the tiring Duval 6-4, 6-1.

Dolgopolov then secured the tie with a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win over a disappointing Jack Sock.

In the dead mixed doubles rubber, the US pair gained

some consolation by winning 6-2, 6-3.

- “Time to heal” Williams, 34, was scheduled to play Svitolina in the women’s singles to open the tie, but withdrew minutes before the start, saying she had pulled up sore after a training session earlier in the day.

The match at the mixedteams tournament would have launched Williams’s preparations for her title defense at the Australian Open in Melbourne later this month.

Williams, who has won 21 Grand Slam singles titles, sat out the tail-end of last season saying she needed “time to heal” after narrowly missing out on a rare calendar-year Grand Slam.

Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, conceded Williams’s knees were troubling her in November. AFP

Rookie Loeb speeds to maiden Dakar Rally stage win TERMAS DE RIO HONDO, Argentina—Nine-time rally world champion Sebastien Loeb won his first Dakar Rally stage on Monday, the 387km run between Villa Carlos Paz and Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina.

At the wheel of a Peugeot the 41-year-old Frenchman took 3 hours 45mins and 46sec to complete the second stage, which had been shortened due to a section being badly effected by heavy overnight rain.

“It was tricky out there and I’m happy we came through okay. I’m a little surprised to have clocked the best time of the day,” said Loeb.

“We got lucky on a muddy section where several others ran into trouble.

The car is good, up to the job, especially on these narrow winding roads.

“We’ll be first out tomorrow (Tuesday) and that’ll make things easier for us.”

Stephane Peterhansel, a 50-year-old Frenchman, also in a Peugeot and a

multiple Dakar winner, came in second some 2min 30sec adrift.

Russia’s Vladimir Vasilyev in a Toyota was third while 2015 winner the Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah racing a Mini was 4min 18sec off Loeb’s pace after getting a flat tyre.

Another Mini driver Mikko Hirvonen, a former world rally rival of Loeb’s, also did well on Monday, racing home in fifth and trailing Loeb in the overall by 3min 05sec.

The 2014 winner, Spain’s Nani Roma could only scramble home in 40th and a full 46 minutes back after getting stuck in mud. Argentina’s Orlando Terranova got bogged down in the same place and lost a half hour on the race leaders.

The race is something of a leap in the dark for Loeb, who dominated the world rally championship during his long collaboration with Citroen.

He now leads overall from Peterhansel and Vasilyev.

Peugeot’s French driver Sebastien Loeb and co-pilot Daniel Elena compete in the 2016 Dakar Rally’s Stage 2 between Villa Carlos Paz and Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina, on January 4, 2016. Loeb won the stage ahead of Peugeot’s Stephane Peterhansel and Toyota’s Vladimir Vasilyev of Russia. AFP

d

AY

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Blatche gives Gilas renewed hope

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

THE decision of former NBA Brooklyn Nets’ standout Andray Blatche to play for Gilas Pilipinas has given hope to the Philippine basketball team that it could qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil later this year.

In a story by Adrian Stewart Co, FIBA.com reported that there is plenty of optimism that the current Gilas squad, coached by Tab Baldwin, will break a 44-year-old drought of failing to qualify for the Olympic Games when it competes in one of the three FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments with the winners of each six-team event booking a place in the Rio Olympics.

The FIBA story noted that while Asia hasn’t been the powerhouse continent of international basketball, there is no doubt that the level of play has improved and the Philippines is one of the teams that are on the rise.

The Philippines added Blatche to the line-up after he was naturalized by an act of Congress and the American surpassed expectations at the 2014 FIBA World Cup of basketball.

Blatche led the team in points and rebounds and helped the Philippines stay close in its first four games,

before leading Gilas Pilipinas to victory over Senegal in their final game.

Although he was clearly out of shape, Blatche quickly buckled down to work and helped the Philippines reach the finals of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championships, before the PH lost to host China.

Team manager Butch Antonio told Panay News that after it was decided to compete for a place in the Rio Olympics’ qualifying tournament “we immediately informed Andray, who gave the Filipinos the nod that yes, he’s ready to play for the national team. Blatche ‘gave his assurance that he’ll be available and is okay.”

Statistically, it means that the Philippines will get a player who averaged 21.2 points and 13.8 rebounds in the World Cup in Spain and 23.5 points and 9.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists, while playing for the Xianjiang Flying Tigers, currently the leading team in the Chinese Basketball Association.

TPB hypes sports tourism with IPTL. The Tourism Promotions Board hyped tennis fans from all over the world as they boosted sports tourism in the Philippines with the International Premier Tennis league. IPTL is the first city-based professional league in the world and one of the most anticipated events of tennis enthusiasts all over the globe. It brought together current champions, tennis legends, upcoming talents and top-ranking tennis stars to compete in intense and never-before-seen matches. In line with TPB’s Visit the Philippines Year 2015, the MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK IPTL attracted sports enthusiasts and athletes from around the world and CYAN increased tourist arrivals in the country.

Next year, the Philippines is also expected to host major international sporting events as part of TPB’s Visit the Philippines Again 2016 campaign with the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Asia-Pacific Taekwondo Invitational Championships, Asian Rugby Championships, Le Tour de Filipinas, and Asian Masters Fencing Championship. Photo shows top tennis player Rafael Nadal.

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 8, Tacloban City Office Address: Website:

NIA Road, Marasbaras Tacloban City, Philippines www.nia.gov.ph

German bets risk jail time for doping

Telefax No. (632) 323-7596 TIN 000-916-415

INVITATION TO BID No. 01-2016 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Region 8, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Item/Description 1. DGMRIS Contract # 05-2016–Construction of downstream Slope Protection works, River Channeling, Repair of Canal Lining and Improvement of River Embankment, Marabong RIS, Julita, Leyte 2. BIGRIS Contract #07-2016– Repair of Protection Works of Balire North Dam, Balire RIS, Macarthur, Leyte 3. MPBRIS Contract #15-2016– Repair of Slope Protection of Pongso Diversion Dam and Canal Lining, Pongso RIS, Barugo, Leyte 4. MPBRIS Contract #16-2016–Bao Diversion Dam Rehabilitation And Slope Protection, Bao RIS, Ormoc City 5.

BTRIS Contract #26-2016– Construction of Canal Lining and Structures, Lower Binahaan RIS, Tanauan, Leyte

Approved Budget for Contract (Php)

Duration

19,219,926.72

280 cd

21,508,582.50

280 cd

19,436,270.20

280 cd

41,065,383.76

300 cd

22,036,007.52

280 cd

The Prospective Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project whose value must be at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of republic Act 9184 (R.A. 9184), otherwise known as the “Government procurement Reform Act”.

Prospective Bidders are not allowed to participate if they have negative slippage in their on-going contracts. Individuals with Special Power of Attorney (SPA) are not allowed to transact and participate in the procurement utilizing another construction firm. The pre-bid conference shall be open only for those who have purchased the Bid documents.

The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities

Schedule

Time

1. Issuance of Bid Documents

Starting December 21, 2015 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

2. Pre-bid Conference

January 5, 2016

2:00 p.m.

3. Receipt and Opening of Bids

January 18, 2016

2:00 p.m.

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders from the address above and upon payment of non-refundable amount of P25,000.00 to the Cashier.

The NIA 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.

Noted: (Sgd.) ROMEO G. QUIZA Regional Manager

(Sgd.) GLORIA A. SEVILLA BAC Chairman

(TS-JAN. 6, 2016)

BERLIN—German athletes found guilty of doping or in possession of performanceenhancing drugs risk a threeyear prison sentence, according to a new anti-doping law which came into effect in the new year.

German Athletics Association (DLV) president Clemens Prokop said the new anti-doping law was an

“international model” and would be used to “defend and protect” both athletes and sport’s credibility, during a recent interview with Bavarian radio.

German Justice Minister Heiko Maas added: “This is a declaration for clean sport and of support for all athletes who compete cleanly and fairly.”

According to the new legislation, athletes who test positive for prohibited substances or are caught in possession of doping products are liable to face a punishment of up to three years in prison.

Jail terms can be as much as 10 years for anyone who provides doping products to athletes, such as doctors and coaches. AFP

Belingon...

amassed a stellar professional record which hasn’t seen him lose a bout in the last five years.

His technical ground game paired with his fluid striking and well-rounded skills have brought him to the top of his division.

Another exciting striker from the Philippines, Roy Doliguez, will see action in the card.

The former professional boxer put up a great fight de-

spite losing to Thai Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in their ONE Strawweight championship tussle. His impressive, gritty performance netted him another stint in the promotion, this time against Japanese Riku Shibuya.

Shibuya’s unorthodox and aggressive won the hearts of the fight fans and his outing against Doliguez promises to be an explosive matchup.

credits his renewed faith for transforming him to a devoted family man from a hard-partying womaniser.

In a recent television interview, Pacquiao said he “prayed to God for guidance” before deciding to concentrate on politics.

Pacquiao, however, has been criticised for putting his box-

ing training before his duties in parliament. Last year, he attended just four of the 70 legislative sessions.

In one of the rare times he took the floor in parliament in 2011, he argued against a bill that would provide free condoms for the poor, citing his Christian beliefs. The bill was eventually signed into law.

From A 16

his much-anticipated crack at the elusive crown against the champion.

Fernandes is one of the most dominant title holders in the ONE Championship.

Considered one of the best fighters in the world and is ranked as one of the top bantamweights, Fernandes has

Pacman...

FromA 16

Aside from politics, Pacquiao has parlayed his ring legend status to a career in movies, television and product endorsements.

He is also a pastor in a bornagain Christian group and

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

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

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

GlobalPort outworked Alaska in every aspect, says Alas

GlobalPort’s Stanley Pringle secures the rebound in Game 1 of his team’s semifinal battle with Alaska.

Jarencio, Compton expect a long PBA semifinal series

By Jeric Lopez

SHOCKING. That’s how most people described GlobalPort’s stunning 107-93 victory over favored Alaska in their opening salvo, but the two protagonists are set to go at it again in Game 2 of the 2015-16 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup. With a 1-0 series lead and momentum on their side, the Batang Pier are looking for an encore as they aim to post a huge 2-0 series lead, but the Aces are determined to get the series back to square one when they collide again in Game 2 today at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Pumped up in his semis debut, Terrence Romeo, the league’s leading scorer, dazzled his way

to a career-high 41 points to power GlobalPort to a surprising 1-0 edge.

The Batang Pier caught the rusty Aces, who had a two-week layoff, off guard and seized the moment to hand themselves a good jumpstart.

A repeat performance in Game 2 tonight will certainly be big for Batang Pier, but GlobalPort coach Pido Jarencio, quite aware of the capabilities of the

veteran-laden and Game 2 and avoid a Game Tonight talented Alaska (Game 2, Semifinals - Smart huge 0-2 hole.

Coliseum): quintet, knows that 7 p.m.Araneta “Our lack of de- GlobalPort vs. Alaska there’s a long way fense was huge in to go. our Game 1 loss and we have to “Nanalo kami nu’ng Game be better defensively to get back 1 and first win namin iyon sa into it,’’ Compton added. semis pero siguradong mahaba GlobalPort has been playing pa ito,’’ said Jarencio. “Kailan- tremendously as it continues to gan maging consistent kami. prove that it is certainly a threat Alaska is a tough team and it’s and contender, having won going to be a long series for seven of their last eight games sure.’’ dating back to the elimination Compton agrees with that round. sentiment and was simply Jarencio credited his team’s thankful that Game 1 was just aggression and desire as the the start of the long and wind- key components to the Batang ing series.

Pier’s Game 1 victory.

“Thank God Game 1 wasn’t “Aggressive ‘yung mga playa knockout game. We came out ers namin. Gusto talaga nilang flat. They (GlobalPort) beat us manalo. I told Terrence (Roand they deserve it,’’ he said. meo) to just play his game. Full The Aces mentor then cited ang tiwala ko sa kanya, kay one key factor that his wards Stanley (Pringle) and sa buong need to do to even the series in team,’’ he said.

Venus, Ivanovic Round 1 losers in Auckland WELLINGTON—The top two seeds Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic were shock first round losers in the WTA Auckland Classic on Tuesday.

Williams, 35, the tournament top seed and defending champion, was beaten in three sets by 18-year-old Russian Daria Kasatkina, while Ivanovic went down in straight sets to British qualifier Naomi Broady.

On a day when the big names struggled,

another former world number one Caroline Wozniacki made it through to the second round but with an unconvincing display against the world number 57 Danka Kovinic.

Williams made an uncharacteristic 73 unforced errors against Kasatkina and after battling to take the first set 7-6 in a tiebreak she dropped the next two 3-6, 3-6.

In the third set, Williams opened up a 3-1 lead before losing five

straight games to former French Open junior champion Kasatkina.

Broady, who only learned Monday she was in the main draw after coming through the qualifying tournament, fired down 14 aces to overpower Ivanovic 7-5, 6-4, winning the second set and match on a service break.

Tournament thirdseed Wozniacki, who was beaten by Williams in the final last year, moved into the second round with a

straight sets win over Montenegro’s Kovinic.

However, the win was not as comfortable as the 6-4, 6-4 scoreline indicated with Wozniacki down four games in the first set before reeling off seven straight games.

When the Dane appeared to be in command going into the second set, Kovinic fought back to break her service twice before Wozniacki regained control.

“It wasn’t a great start

for me,” Wozniacki said.

“Then I won seven games in a row and felt like it was getting there, but it’s always tough with the first match of the season.”

Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion was shown an early exit after a marathon three setter against Austria’s Tamira Paszek.

Schiavone made 28 unforced errors and served 12 double faults before going down 7-6, 4-6, 6-3. AFP

ALASKA deputy coach Louie Alas believes GlobalPort did nothing exceptional in the opener of their Smart Bro Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup semifinal matchup.

But the Aces could find themselves in trouble in the best-ofseven series if they couldn’t keep up with their determined rivals, he confessed.

The Alaska deputy coach dismissed comments by jaded observers that the Aces appeared rusty in their 107-93 loss to the Batang Pier Monday.

“Hindi totoo ‘yun. They (Batang Pier) just outworked us in every aspect of the game. Period,” Alas admitted.

As a matter of fact, Alaska knows exactly how GlobalPort would run its plays but the Aces were inexplicably flat in Game 1 and trailed by as much as 18 points early.

GlobalPort is making its first semifinal appearance in the league but it didn’t show in the way the Batang Pier handled the series opener. With Terrence Romeo putting on a shooting clinic, GlobalPort practically dominated the Aces, whose repeated rallies in the second half went for naught.

The other half of the Batang Pier’s two-headed monster eventually finished with 41 points—a new careerhigh.

“Hindi naman namin gusto ‘yung nangyari. Talaga lang motivated sila masyado pagkatapos ng panalo nila sa Ginebra. Even our bigs were outwitted by their big men,” Alas observed.

Alas stressed that GlobalPort is no pushover largely because it owns the league’s most explosive backcourt duo in Romeo and Stanley Pringle. And the way he looks at it, defense—well-executed team defense—remains key to stopping the Batang Pier.

“Hindi mo sila ma-stop ng single coverage. Pero puwede mo sila macontain,” said Alas, awed by Romeo’s scoring ability. “Magaling talaga ‘yung bata.”

Still, Alas believes that things would still work in their favor. “‘Yun ang pinaniniwalaan namin.

We still have six games para ma-redeem namin ‘yung mga sarili namin.

We just have to play our game,” Alas noted.

A16

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

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 Boxer Manny Pacquiao speaks to reporters after touring the Asia Society in New York. Pacquiao will return to the ring on April 9 in Las Vegas to take on Timothy Bradley for a third time, promoter Bob Arum told US media. But while Pacquiao has spoken this year of retiring after an April bout to pursue his political career, Arum told the Los Angeles Times and ESPN that he would not market the bout as Pacquiao’s last. AFP

Belingon gets crack at crown

By Randy Caluag IGOROT warrior Kevin Belingon gets a crack at the ONE bantamweight title when he faces defending titlist Bibiano Fernandes of Brazil on Jan. 23 at the Changsha Stadium in Changsha, China.

ONE Championship Chief Executive Officer Victor Cui made the formal announcement of the season-opening fight card dubbed One Wujie: Dynasty of Champions on Monday.

“ONE Championship continues its dedication to cultivating the sport of mixed martial arts in China with another adrenalinefilled night of fights! This is a great way to start 2016 and is just the tip of the iceberg of what’s to come. Our success in Beijing sets the stage for an even better event in Changsha,” said Cui. Belingon, nicknamed The Silencer and one of the most illustrious members of Team Lakay, is one of the most feared strikers in the division, owing to his highlevel wushu background.

His highlight reel of spectacular finishes has seen him victorious against the top fighters in his division, and he now wants to make the most out of Continued to A14

Pacman to retire after fight with Tim Bradley GENERAL SANTOS—Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao said he would end his legendary career after fighting Timothy Bradley in April to concentrate on his political career, dousing hopes for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather.

The winner of an unprecedented eight world titles, who has flirted with the idea of running for president, said he was confident of winning a senate seat in the May elections.

Pacquiao is facing American welterweight Bradley for the third time on April 9, after losing to his biggest rival Mayweather in the sport’s richest

Curry, Dubs bounce back TURN TO A12

fight in May last year.

“I am retiring from boxing to concentrate on my political career.

My fight with Timothy Bradley will be my last,” Pacquiao said in an interview in his mansion late Monday.

The 37-year-old member of parliament dismissed reports that he would not step away from the sport without a re-

match with American Mayweather, who himself retired after beating Pacquiao.

“I did not say anything like that.

Nobody interviewed me about that. I will retire after my April 9 fight,” he said.

Pacquiao lost by unanimous decision to his brash arch-rival Mayweather, whom he fought with a torn rotator cuff that later required surgery.

He has won 57 fights, including 38 knockouts, lost six and had two draws in a professional career spanning more than 20 years after being raised in poverty.

Pacquiao is ranked seventh in the race for 12 seats in the nation-

Coaches expect a long series TURN TO A15

ally-elected senate. He currently represents the southern province of Sarangani in parliament.

The senate is a traditional springboard for future presential campaigns. Three of the last Philippines presidents, including the incumbent Benigno Aquino, were senators before they were elected to the country’s highest office.

“My survey rankings have been consistent and I expect it to improve once the campaign starts,” he said.

The former fish vendor is adored by the Filipino masses who are inspired by his rags-to-riches Continued to A14 life story.

WEDNESDAY: JANUARY 6, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

December inflation rose to 1.5%

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

INFLATION rate climbed to 1.5 percent in December, the fastest in seven months, on upbeat demand for consumer products during the holiday season, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday.

Preliminary data from PSA showed inflation rate rose from 1.1 percent in November, on higher prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco. The figure brought the average inflation rate in 2015 to 1.4 percent, slower than 4.1 percent in 2014 and below the

government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for the year.

The 2015 figure was also the slowest inflation rate since 1986, when it averaged 1 percent.

“Price increases were largely due to the upbeat demand during the holiday season. Inclem-

ent weather conditions, primarily typhoon Nona, also adversely affected agricultural areas, hampering the production, delivery, and transport of products, which in turn pushed up prices” said Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Core inflation, which excludes selected volatile food and energy prices, also increased to 2.1 percent in December 2015 from 1.8 percent in November. Core inflation averaged 2.1 percent in 2015.

“This indicates stable price increases across an extensive range of consumer items,” said Balisacan.

Balisacan, however, said that in

2016, there were still risks of higher inflation caused by El Niño dry spell. He said the dry spell might lead to higher inflation particularly for food and power.

El Niño is expected to peak from November 2015 to January 2016, and gradually weaken starting February 2016.

Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said with the latest inflation figure, there was no reason to tweak the current policy stance.

“As we expected, this is below the government’s target for 2015.

But our forecasts for 2016 to 2017 show an inflation path consistent

Tetangco downplays tensions in MidEast

PSe comPoSite index Closing January 5, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

By Julito G. Rada

6,833.42 118.66

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JANUARY 5, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00 44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.175 LOW P46.890 AVERAGE P47.045 VOLUME 768.600M

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 Tuesday, January 5, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.1250

Japan

Yen

0.008377

0.3948

UK

Pound

1.471800

69.3586

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129011

6.0796

Switzerland

Franc

0.997805

47.0216

Canada

Dollar

0.717257

33.8007

Singapore

Dollar

0.702691

33.1143

Australia

Dollar

0.716384

33.7596

Bahrain

Dinar

2.657666

125.2425

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266560

12.5616

Brunei

Dollar

0.700231

32.9984

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.027670

1.3039

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

12.8308

Euro

Euro

1.083400

51.0552

Korea

Won

0.000839

0.0395

China

Yuan

0.153050

7.2125

India

Rupee

0.015024

0.7080

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.230309

10.8533

New Zealand

Dollar

0.672721

31.7020

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030181

1.4223 Source: PDS Bridge

with national government target of 2 to 4 percent,” Tetangco said in a text message.

“The risks remain the same including uneven global growth prospects, oil prices still seen to stay low [on the downside] and a harsher El Niño [on the upside].

These still show no strong need to change our stance of policy.

Nevertheless we will monitor developments and adjust as needed,” Tetangco said.

Jeff Ng, Standard Chartered Bank regional economist for Asia, said that going forward, modest inflation should continue to hold in 2016.

New trade secretary. Trade Secretary Adrian Cristobal Jr. (right) accepts the DTI flag from former secretary Gregory Domingo during a turnover ceremony at the Industry and Investments Building in Makati City. Cristobal said the agency would build on what it has already achieved and further modernize by welcoming the best recruits and training its people, simplifying processes and embracing new technologies.

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said remittances from migrant Filipino workers in the Middle East may suffer due to regional tensions but this may be temporary.

“As for overseas Filipino remittances, we may see some temporary setback because of logistical difficulties and deployment may slow,” Tetangco said in a text message Tuesday.

“But based on experiences from past regional conflicts, our overseas workers are able to find ways of sending back money to their families here and also work in other areas that maybe safer from conflict,” Tetangco said.

The peso, meanwhile, returned to the 46-a-dollar level Tuesday, gaining P0.23 to close at 46.89 from 47.12 Monday, as Asian currencies strengthened after the yuan was fixed higher by the Chinese central bank.

It was the local currency’s strongest level in more than one month, or since the 46.97 on Nov. 25, 2015. Total volume traded stood at $768.6 million, significantly higher than the $459.5 million a day ago.

“The peso simply tracked the move of Asian currencies, which were all stronger for the day,” Nicholas Antonio Mapa, research officer of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, said in an e-mailed message.

“Asian currencies appreciated after seeing the Chinese yuan fixed higher by the cental bank, signaling that the PBOC would want to keep the CNY stable,” Mapa said. Mapa said this move prompted dealers to book gains in long-US dollar positions, a “semi risk-on scenario.”

Tetangco, meanwhile, downplayed the possible impact of the tensions on the prices of oil in the global markets because supply continued to be more than enough.

WEDNESDAY: JANUARY 6, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, January 5, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 0.92 2.6 890 1.01 100 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.74 1.02 625 0.225 78 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

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

2.8 46.15 101.90 83.20 37.05 1.29 15 18.22 7.00 0.73 1.85 695.00 0.485 79.5 16.80 22.50 51.95 102.9 275 32.85 143 57.20 1.60

47 5 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.86 7.92 32 15.32 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

79 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 238 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

34.1 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 161 4.1 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alsons Cons.

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

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

LBC Express Liberty Flour Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

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

Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

41.2 4.68 1.38 10.3 99.95 16.44 20.5 43 2.35 1.63 12.82 8.900 9.00 6.06 5.35 22.15 64.9 12.28 14.26 5.7 2.360 213.40 11.88 25.75 3.19 41.35 24.8 19.48 5.98 316.00 3.95 3.87 6.97 11.50 3.80 1.65 2.32 3.95 4.1 127 4.18 2.51 0.144 1.00 2.16 187 4.7 0.59 1.05

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 1455 7.5

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 837 5.3

76 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.66 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

49.55 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 751 1.13 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

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

GT Capital House of Inv. IPM Holdings JG Summit Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

LT Group Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Pacifica `A’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.370 57.2000 15.98 1.12 0.206 756 8.1 13.24 5.55 4.40 1320 5.50 9.87 70.30 6.48 0.72 14.52 5.24 0.0310 1.200 1.830 2.6 49.95 841.50 1.13 67.600 0.2800 0.2100 0.255

10.5 1.99 0.375 41.4 5.6

6.74 0.65 0.192 30.05 3.36

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Arthaland Corp.

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’

7.030 0.75 0.215 34.100 2.82

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

SHARES 6,708,198 44,620,179 105,906,273 75,809,654 530,434,585 144,516,053 908,475,712

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.78 2.7 46.05 45.9 103.60 100.90 83.50 82.80 37.15 37.05 1.38 1.27 15 14.9 18.88 18.22 6.90 6.90 0.71 0.71 1.85 1.85 695.00 695.00 0.500 0.500 79.05 77.3 16.50 16.50 22.50 22.40 51.80 51.00 102.9 102.9 276 276 32.85 32.85 143.2 138 57.30 57.00 1.89 1.83 INDUSTRIAL 42.2 40.95 4.71 4.61 1.37 1.34 10.28 10.12 100.00 99.95 16.44 16.32 20.4 20.25 43.25 43 2.36 2.25 1.86 1.63 12.86 12.62 8.850 8.500 9.10 8.90 6.10 5.90 5.35 5.20 22.4 21.95 64.9 63.2 11.70 11.70 14.26 14.00 5.68 5.6 2.450 2.220 213.00 209.40 11.94 11.74 25.80 25.80 3.15 3.15 40.00 37.05 24.8 24.55 19.4 18.76 5.98 5.9 316.00 313.00 4.00 4.00 3.8 3.61 7.00 6.87 11.70 11.58 3.85 3.75 1.73 1.60 2.32 2.25 3.98 3.97 4.45 4.25 125 124 4.18 4.18 2.65 2.5 0.147 0.145 0.98 0.95 2.16 2.15 186.4 184 4.7 4.7 0.59 0.58 1.08 1.05 HOLDING FIRMS 0.375 0.365 57.9500 57.2000 16.04 15.94 1.11 1.11 0.220 0.210 755.5 741.5 8.1 8 13.44 13.20 5.97 5.55 4.40 4.10 1351 1314 5.44 5.44 9.90 9.50 70.80 69.95 6.54 6.4 0.75 0.7 14.9 14.3 5.34 5.22 0.0310 0.0300 1.160 1.100 1.840 1.790 2.53 2.53 51.80 48.10 859.00 836.00 1.14 1.14 67.000 66.500 0.2900 0.2750 0.2100 0.1970 0.250 0.250 PROPERTY 7.100 7.050 0.77 0.76 0.220 0.220 34.350 33.800 2.85 2.72

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.71 45.95 103.50 83.05 37.1 1.37 14.9 18.26 6.90 0.71 1.85 695.00 0.500 77.7 16.50 22.40 51.70 102.9 276 32.85 143.2 57.00 1.83

-3.21 -0.43 1.57 -0.18 0.13 6.20 -0.67 0.22 -1.43 -2.74 0.00 0.00 3.09 -2.26 -1.79 -0.44 -0.48 0.00 0.36 0.00 0.14 -0.35 14.38

142,000 17,300 1,628,820 440,820 12,800 10,000 8,900 17,200 400 10,000 15,000 50 60,000 3,823,210 9,100 300 7,670 30 110 3,700 352,490 200 148,000

41.9 4.7 1.37 10.28 100.00 16.38 20.25 43.25 2.35 1.84 12.62 8.550 9.05 6.00 5.29 22.15 63.8 11.70 14.26 5.6 2.400 210.00 11.76 25.80 3.15 40.00 24.8 18.8 5.98 315.40 4.00 3.64 6.90 11.70 3.80 1.69 2.25 3.97 4.35 124 4.18 2.62 0.146 0.98 2.15 185 4.7 0.59 1.08

1.70 0.43 -0.72 -0.19 0.05 -0.36 -1.22 0.58 0.00 12.88 -1.56 -3.93 0.56 -0.99 -1.12 0.00 -1.69 -4.72 0.00 -1.75 1.69 -1.59 -1.01 0.19 -1.25 -3.26 0.00 -3.49 0.00 -0.19 1.27 -5.94 -1.00 1.74 0.00 2.42 -3.02 0.51 6.10 -2.36 0.00 4.38 1.39 -2.00 -0.46 -1.07 0.00 0.00 2.86

3,198,400 102,000 226,000 1,200 610 365,600 109,200 68,700 402,000 8,977,000 115,900 4,621,600 244,100 8,142,400 593,900 1,030,500 120,310 400 8,400 48,100 4,054,000 1,279,680 30,000 100 1,000 1,200 91,000 1,171,200 31,300 58,750 5,000 201,000 942,100 20,000 132,000 408,000 77,000 1,405,000 69,000 2,830 13,000 2,281,000 1,620,000 91,000 525,000 1,577,840 1,000 31,000 99,000

0.370 57.7500 16.00 1.11 0.210 742 8.06 13.40 5.88 4.40 1342 5.44 9.89 70.15 6.4 0.75 14.84 5.28 0.0310 1.100 1.830 2.53 51.80 850.00 1.14 66.850 0.2850 0.2100 0.250

0.00 0.96 0.13 -0.89 1.94 -1.85 -0.49 1.21 5.95 0.00 1.67 -1.09 0.20 -0.21 -1.23 4.17 2.20 0.76 0.00 -8.33 0.00 -2.69 3.70 1.01 0.88 -1.11 1.79 0.00 -1.96

380,000 1,345,640 8,207,000 1,000 250,000 179,940 3,767,300 1,925,900 41,500 162,000 165,980 1,000 2,242,000 1,883,900 286,100 29,000 1,965,800 30,518,600 50,400,000 50,000 212,000 4,000 374,800 166,480 7,000 2,170 490,000 650,000 80,000

7.080 0.76 0.220 33.950 2.82

0.71 1.33 2.33 -0.44 0.00

13,800 81,000 50,000 5,335,000 2,450,000

496,785.00 108,511,765 -4,254,588.00

-34,750.00 -62,700,751.00 101,461.50 121,545 21,392,387.00 -9,741.00 10,050,495.00

3,544,870.00 -4,325 1,363,330.00 -445,480.00 -17,631,337.00 -929,591.00 1,686,257.00 2,430,765.00 -8,559,330.00 -2,102,372.50 -42,423.00 -149,380.00 -80,006,770.00

983,975.00 15,662.00 8.00 7,999,392.00 -208,550.00 821,668.00 -16,380.00 6,960.00 19,850.00 -1,249.00 16,900.00 466,550.00 13,531,645.00 3,240.00 22,366,120.00 -8,511,154.00 -27,935,170.00 1,291,651.00 1,139,582.00 251,500.00 99,389,610.00 -36,459,559.00 1,282,793.00 21,902,704.00 85,668,140.00 240,100.00

-1,087,565.00 -31,297,355.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 5.94 0.180 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 4.13 0.090 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

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

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

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

10.5 66 1.09 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 12.28 3.32 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 0.63 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 0.011 0.041 1.200 6.5 1.91 1.8 6

0.62 1.040 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 3.06 0.020 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 3.240 18.96 2.11 1.54 0.012 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 0.0100

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

United Paragon

70 118 120 515 8.21 12.28 111 1060

33 101 101.5 480 5.88 6.5 101 997

78.95

74.5

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

First Gen F First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

-106,492.00

63,888.00 -39,813,795.00 -649,770.00

Close

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

High

VALUE 556,458,710.65 928,986,072.88 1,141,895,243.40 640,683,516.73 655,640,435.00 58,488,663.9521 3,986,822,563.61

FINANCIAL 1,529.79 (down) 1.34 INDUSTRIAL 10,854.73 (down) 81.89 HOLDING FIRMS 6,514.07 (up) 26.42 PROPERTY 2,869.06 (up) 3.74 SERVICES 1,488.76 (down) 3.73 MINING & OIL 10,175.00 (down) 80.88 PSEI 6,835.13 (up) 1.71 All Shares Index 3,925.81 (down) 4.98 Gainers: 73; Losers: 97; Unchanged: 40; Total: 210

Close

4.9 0.55 0.97 1.03 0.119 0.450 24.25 0.770 1.02 1.77 4.13 0.073 0.4450 8.7 26.40 1.4 3.21 21.35 0.8 7 0.850 5.000

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

5 5 5 0.55 0.54 0.55 0.91 0.91 0.91 1.010 1 1 0.120 0.120 0.120 0.445 0.440 0.445 24.25 23.5 23.95 0.780 0.770 0.770 1.04 1.01 1.03 1.82 1.77 1.80 4.2 4.12 4.12 0.075 0.074 0.074 0.4050 0.4050 0.4050 8.7 8.43 8.7 27.05 26.00 26.35 1.44 1.4 1.4 3.22 3.22 3.22 21.85 20.90 21.55 0.8 0.76 0.79 6.05 6 6.05 0.850 0.820 0.850 5.010 4.920 5.000 SERVICES 7 7.19 6.8 6.91 62.4 62.4 62 62.3 0.455 0.480 0.480 0.480 28.5 20 20 20 4.30 4.42 4.09 4.18 0.0400 0.0400 0.0390 0.0400 3.34 3.35 3.2 3.28 82.6 82 81.6 81.85 9.56 9.75 9.56 9.75 1.7 2.18 1.99 1.99 5.30 5.59 5.30 5.50 955 956 955 955 1812 1810 1780 1805 6.75 6.90 6.75 6.86 1.16 1.16 1.16 1.16 67.6 69 67.4 67.4 0.0079 0.0110 0.0082 0.0110 0.151 0.154 0.150 0.152 1.4000 1.4000 1.3700 1.4000 7.48 7.40 7.30 7.40 4.52 5.20 4.40 4.89 1.95 1.99 1.92 1.99 2.1 2.18 2 2 3.89 3.88 3.80 3.85 0.285 0.280 0.265 0.265 0.730 0.770 0.690 0.750 4.50 4.60 4.60 4.60 100.00 102.00 100.00 100.00 23.00 22.90 22.00 22.70 2000.00 2008.00 1985.00 2000.00 0.485 0.480 0.480 0.480 0.580 0.580 0.540 0.550 34.20 34.10 33.50 33.80 64.15 65.50 63.90 65.30 6.00 5.98 5.88 5.95 3.37 3.36 3.24 3.28 0.430 0.430 0.420 0.425 3.98 3.99 3.8 3.98 0.340 0.330 0.320 0.330 4.100 4.120 3.850 4.120 MINING & OIL 0.0049 0.0050 0.0048 0.0048 1.89 1.90 1.80 1.89 4.07 4.07 4.06 4.06 0.59 0.6 0.59 0.6 0.56 0.56 0.54 0.56 7.25 7.55 7.15 7.30 0.66 0.67 0.65 0.66 0.275 0.280 0.270 0.280 0.171 0.174 0.170 0.170 0.187 0.202 0.188 0.202 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 1.9 1.9 1.83 1.83 5.92 5.91 5.73 5.74 2.79 2.81 2.73 2.8 1.2800 1.2800 1.2500 1.2500 0.0094 0.0094 0.0094 0.0094 4.35 4.37 4.32 4.37 1.28 1.30 1.26 1.26 0.0120 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 136.50 136.00 134.50 135.00 0.0072 0.0070 0.0070 0.0070 PREFERRED 64 63.5 63 63 120 120 120 120 114 110.1 110.1 110.1 526 528 528 528 7.2 7 7 7 1.11 1.11 1.11 1.11 107.5 107 107 107 1070 1050 1050 1050 1065 1075 1075 1075 104 103.5 103 103.5 106.5 106.5 106.5 106.5 77.4 77.6 77.5 77.5 85 78 78 78 76 78.5 78.4 78.5 79.6 80 79.5 80 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.140 2.100 2.030 2.040 SME 3.29 3.2 3.09 3.1 2.83 2.57 2.57 2.57 2.88 2.97 2.88 2.95 15.62 15.58 15.36 15.52 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 111.9 112.3 110.6 111.7

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

2.04 0.00 -6.19 -2.91 0.84 -1.11 -1.24 0.00 0.98 1.69 -0.24 1.37 -8.99 0.00 -0.19 0.00 0.31 0.94 -1.25 -13.57 0.00 0.00

2,000 1,879,000 6,000 63,000 180,000 870,000 963,100 5,000 509,000 15,867,000 27,032,000 420,000 250,000 263,700 2,790,300 4,000 300 7,919,700 637,000 15,200 216,000 7,979,500

-5,000.00 540.00

-1.29 -0.16 5.49 -29.82 -2.79 0.00 -1.80 -0.91 1.99 17.06 3.77 0.00 -0.39 1.63 0.00 -0.30 39.24 0.66 0.00 -1.07 8.19 2.05 -4.76 -1.03 -7.02 2.74 2.22 0.00 -1.30 0.00 -1.03 -5.17 -1.17 1.79 -0.83 -2.67 -1.16 0.00 -2.94 0.49

42,900 7,890 10,000 1,200 7,101,000 15,400,000 163,000 97,350 2,700 18,000 1,807,700 1,520 81,370 21,600 33,000 219,470 397,000,000 660,000 55,000 193,200 16,366,000 70,000 15,335,000 1,331,000 300,000 8,806,000 1,000 790 44,100 112,485 20,000 48,702,000 399,900 289,300 916,300 4,165,000 7,700,000 367,000 320,000 32,000

-2.04 0.00 -0.25 1.69 0.00 0.69 0.00 1.82 -0.58 8.02 0.00 -3.68 -3.04 0.36 -2.34 0.00 0.46 -1.56 -8.33 -1.10 -2.78

43,000,000 86,000 17,000 143,000 102,000 7,700 2,485,000 350,000 2,240,000 2,050,000 5,600,000 649,000 2,353,300 38,000 684,000 25,000,000 248,000 361,000 57,400,000 274,080 1,000,000

-1.56 0.00 -3.42 0.38 -2.78 0.00 -0.47 -1.87 0.94 -0.48 0.00 0.13 -8.24 3.29 0.50

31,650 20 3,000 100 300 1,000 100 80 10 1,680 17,500 700 4,700 14,520 95,550

-4.67

94,000

-5.78 -9.19 2.43 -0.64

57,000 7,000 184,000 229,300

57,800.00 582,642.00

-0.18

3,470

1,123.00

-4,944,835.00 2,021,280.00 -30,369,980.00 511,500.00 12,566,230.00 5,153,080.00 -35,400.00 -2,357,397.00 20,650.00

-7,316,770.00 40,000.00 -1,605,919.50 7,247,220.00 -103,057,380.00 18,560.00 -3,689,733.50 -24,600.00 1,400.00 30,347.00 467,900.00 -17,238,140.00 791,870.00 84,100.00 50,000.00 -22,790.00 -68,271,285.00 379,720.00 45,580.00 6,069,422.50 -1,992,590.00 106,000.00

-7,110.00 8,080.00 55,500.00 -2,929,162.00 7,560.00 -181,420.00 1,230.00 -3,632,877.00 7,000.00 1,271,612.00

-1,110.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.0110

39.24

Berjaya Phils. Inc.

20

-29.82

Discovery World

1.99

17.06

Starmalls

6.05

-13.57

Vantage Equities

1.83

14.38

Makati Fin. Corp.

2.57

-9.19

Da Vinci Capital

1.84

12.88

Phil. Realty `A'

0.4050

-8.99

Liberty Telecom

4.89

8.19

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.0110

-8.33

Lepanto `B'

0.202

8.02

Prime Media Hldg

1.100

-8.33

Bright Kindle Resources

1.37

6.20

SMC Preferred D

78

-8.24

Roxas Holdings

4.35

6.10

MG Holdings

0.265

-7.02

F&J Prince 'A'

5.88

5.95

City & Land Dev.

0.91

-6.19

APC Group, Inc.

0.480

5.49

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

3.64

-5.94

WEDNESDAY: JANUARY 6, 2016

B3

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

DoubleDragon hikes capital

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Shareholders of DoubleDragon Properties Inc. on Tuesday approved the increase in the company’s authorized capital stock to P20.5 billion from P500 million, a move that will enable it to raise funds to finance expansion projects.

Market ends flat; Liberty, AP climb

STOCKS closed flat amid thin trading Tuesday, after a 1.7-percent slide Monday, as investors remained on edge over the global economy and tensions in the Middle East.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, picked up 1 point to close at 6,835.13. The gauge lost 3.9 percent in 2015, after the US Federal Reserve began raising its interest rate.

The heavier index, representing all shares, lost 4 points, or 0.1 percent, Tuesday to settle at 3,925.81, on a value turnover of P4 billion.

Losers outnumbered gainers, 97 to 73, while 40 issues were unchanged.

Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc. was the biggest gainer among the 20 most active stocks Monday, as it jumped 8.2 percent to P4.89.

Aboitiz Power Corp., one of the country’s largest power plant operators, advanced 1.7 percent to P41.90, while GT Capital Holdings Inc., the investment company of tycoon George Ty, added 1.7 percent to close at P1,342. BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender, gained 1.6 percent to P103.50.

Meanwhile, Asian markets witnessed fresh volatility Tuesday, a day after a global rout that saw trading suspended in Chinese markets, and US and European equities tank.

In echoes of the summer’s turbulence that saw trillions wiped off valuations, most bourses in the region tumbled in the first few minutes before bouncing into positive territory.

The selling on Monday was fuelled by gauges of Chinese factory activity contracting again in December, the latest evidence showing the world’s number-two economy continues to struggle.

The data—combined with the looming expiration of measures brought in to curb last year’s share slump—sent Shanghai stocks crashing almost seven percent.

On Tuesday, Shanghai fell a further three percent at the open but bounced soon after to sit 0.3 percent higher in the afternoon.

Hong Kong was 0.4 percent higher, having lost 0.2 percent in the first few minutes, and Tokyo added 0.3 percent—reversing an initial 0.3 percent fall. With AFP

DoubleDragon chief investment officer Marianna Yulo said in an e-mail the company’s shareholders approved the increase in authorized capital, consisting of 5 billion common shares with a par value of P0.10 apiece and the creation of 200 million non-voting preferred shares with a par value of P100

apiece during a special stockholders meeting.

DoubleDragon said with the creation of 200 million non-voting preferred shares, it planned to issue 100 million worth of preferred shares at an issue price of P100 apiece, or for a total of P10 billion.

Yulo said while details of the offering were being finalized, the company planned to issue the preferred shares in March or April this year.

“On the details of the deal and underwriters, we will have to make the necessary disclosure once everything has been finalized as we are still in the process of preparing the documentation for filing with the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission],”

Yulo said.

DoubleDragon, a 50:50 joint venture between Injap Investments Inc. of businessman Edgar Sia II and Jollibee Foods Corp.’s chairman Tony Tan Caktiong, aims to be one of the five largest property companies in the Philippines by 2020, by developing 1 million square meters of leasable space.

The company said to achieve the target, it planned to build 25 community malls under the CityMall brand every year or a total of 100 by 2020.

DoubleDragon earmarked P24 billion to develop 700,000 square meters of leasable space and 100-branch CityMall portfolio.

It is also developing the

4.8-hectare DD Meridian Park at the corner of Macapagal Ave. and Edsa Extension in Pasay City.

Once the entire development is fully completed, DD Meridian Park will have over 280,000 square meters of prime leasable space.

DoubleDragon reported a net income of P713.6 million in the first nine months of 2015, up 113 percent from P338.1 million a year ago.

The company said the opening of first five CityMalls and the recent launching of Dragon8 Mall-Divisoria started generating rental revenues.

DoubleDragon said it was targeting a net income of P1 billion in 2016 and P4.8 billion by 2020.

Book campaign. Land Bank of the Philippines teams up with the Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development or Canvas in

support of its ‘1 Million Books for 1 Million Filipino Children’ initiative. The program hopes to give away one million books to one million children in the next five to 10 years to improve functional literacy among Filipino children.

Basic Energy to start geothermal drilling in Batangas

By Alena Mae S. Flores BASIC Energy Corp. is set to start drilling a geothermal well in Batangas province in the first half, a company official said.

“Target spud date for Mabini is first week of May,” Basic Energy senior vice president Anthony Cuaycong said.

He said the Mabini geothermal project drilling in Mabini, Batangas would account for the bulk of the company’s capital expenditure this year.

“Cost of drilling for first well [inclusive of right of way and access road] is pegged at P300 million, of which 75 percent will be shouldered by Basic,” Cuaycong

said.

Basic Energy and partner Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. signed a joint operating agreement for the Mabini geothermal power project in November.

The move followed the approval by the Energy Department of the deed of assignment for the Mabini geothermal service contract number 8 of Basic Energy to Trans-Asia.

Basic Energy now owns 75 percent of the service contract, while Trans-Asia holds the remaining 25 percent.

The approved arrangement calls for a 75-25 equity and project cost participation be-

tween Basic Energy and TransAsia.

Under the terms of the agreement, Trans-Asia will shoulder 25-percent undivided participating interest in the rights, interests, privileges, duties and obligations in and under geothermal service contract 8.

Trans-Asia decided to share in the cost of the first exploration well committed under sub-phase 3 of the geothermal service contract, after undertaking due diligence on the project, including geophysical work.

This validated previous prospective estimates that the project could generate between 20 mega-

watts and 60 MW of energy.

Basic Energy was originally incorporated as Basic Enterprises Inc. on Sept. 19, 1968 and became an oil and gas exploration and development company on April 26, 1971, when it assumed the name Basic Petroleum and Minerals Inc. The company evolved from an operating company to a holding company under the corporate name Basic Consolidated Inc. It adopted the present corporate name in 2007 when it engaged in the production of ethanol and other biofuels and the development of other alternative and renewable energy sources.

B4 Air talks with three countries readied

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Philippines plans to hold air talks with India, Indonesia and Japan this year to expand traffic rights, the Civil Aeronautics Board said Tuesday.

CAB executive director Carmelo Arcilla said the Philippine air panel would confirm the specific dates for the separate air talks with the three countries.

The Philippine negotiating panel is 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.

Arcilla said these markets were importanttothecountry’stourismindustry.

The Philippines completed air talks with South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia, Qatar and Turkey last 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.

The top markets for the Philippines are South Korea with 1.1 million visitors; United States of America with 636,658; 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 would likely meet its 5.2 million foreign tourist arrivals target in 2015 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.

Back in Clark. Emirates Airport services senior regional manager for Asia Jie Zhu (center) discusses preparations for the airline’s return to the

Clark International Airport with Clark International Airport Corp. president and chief executive Emigdio Tanjuatco III (right) and CIAC operations officerin-charge Leandro Aranas II. Emirates is mounting daily Dubai-Cebu-Clark flights starting on March 30, 2016.

Abad expects faster infra spending in Q1

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

Infrastructure spending is expected to accelerate in the first quarter of the year as notices of awards will be awarded earlier to the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Budget department said Monday.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said infrastructure projects said Public Works had aimed an obligation rate of 50 percent or P187.86 billion, within the first quarter of the year.

Public Works said the amount was higher than the actual obligation rate of 39 percent or P111.14 billion from the same period a year ago.

“We can expect 50 percent of infrastructure projects under DPWH to be issued notices of award by the first quarter of

2016,” Abad said.

Abad said with the improvement in the public spending in the past quarters, economic growth would remain robust until the fourth quarter of the year.

“December 2015 spending will continue the momentum that the previous five months demonstrated. In addition, the spending boost for last-minute Christmas sales will further ramp up growth in the last month of the year,” he said.

The government is poised to

complete key infrastructure projects this year, including 98 percent of 364,693 lineal meters of bridges and 85 percent of 32,526.50 kilometers of roads.

The government has significantly increased total infrastructure spending in the last five years, from P175.4 billion in 2011, or 1.8 percent of the gross domestic product, to P766.5 billion this year to achieve the international benchmark of 5 percent of the GDP. Abad said the increase in spending was complemented by encouraging public-private partnerships, improving governance to curb corruption, climate-proofing facilities and better procurement.

The budget agency said of the P1.66-trillion appropriations for departments and agencies this year, P1.49 trillion or 90 percent were already released to the departments

and agencies on Monday, the first working day of the year.

“This huge improvement in the release of allotments is made possible with the new policy of treating the General Appropriations Act as the release document.

Once approved and in effect, all disaggregated items in the budget of all agencies are deemed effectively released,” Abad said.

“Together with the earlier policy adopted which authorized departments and agencies to advance pre-procurement activities that enable them to bid projects short-of-award, this policy will further accelerate the already much improved pace of government spending. It will also ensure that most projects will be implemented before the beginning of the election ban on March 25,” Abad added.

Meralco unit offers contract to build Subic coal-fired power plant

By Alena Mae S. Flores REDONDO Peninsula Energy Inc., a unit of Manila Electric Co., has started the tender process on the engineering, procurement and construction contract for its planned coal-fired power plant in Subic, Zambales.

“We’re negotiating with the EPC contractors and looking at both the 300-MW and 600-MW options,” Meralco chief finance officer Betty Siy-Yap said.

Meralco PowerGen Corp, the power generation unit of Meralco, owns a majority stake in RP Energy.

RP Energy is studying whether to develop a 300-MW or a 600MW coal project at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, depending on transmission line constraints.

Siy-Yap did not disclose the identity of the EPC contractors pending the tender process.

She said the Meralco group planned to raise funds to finance

the project construction and had not determined the amount pending the finalization of the EPC tender bidding.

“We’re looking at financing for RP Energy but we will know the amount only after we’ve tendered the EPC contract,” the official said.

Meralco PowerGen is supposed to start construction of the long-delayed power project last year following a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court. It faced

new delays because of the transmission line and right-of-way constraints.

The company has already invested around P1 billion for the civil works of the project.

The Supreme Court dismissed the Writ of Kalikasan case filed by pro-environmentalist groups against the Subic coal plant and upheld the project’s environmental compliance certificate as well as its lease and development agreement with the Subic Bay

Metropolitan Authority.

Other shareholders of RP Energy are Aboitiz Power Corp. and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp.

The company is working with National Grid Corp. of the Philippines for the transmission line requirements of the plant.

The terms of the project financing agreement are expected to be finalized by the first quarter, with construction to follow. Project completion is expected by 2019.

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

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

Batting for seniors There are about seven million senior citizens in this country, or roughly seven percent of our estimated 100 million population.

Over the years, a lot of legislation has been passed to uphold their rights, among them Republic Act 9994 (Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010) that grants 20 percent discounts on the purchase of medicine, payment of doctors’ fees, transportation, hotels, restaurants, theaters and other establishments subject to certain guidelines, and Republic Act 10645 that provides for the mandatory PhilHealth coverage of all senior citizens.

Some local government units have also initiated activities and programs for the benefit of their elderly residents. Makati for example (and yes, whether you like him or not, you have to admit that Vice President Jejomar Binay knows how to show respect to his seniors and treats them right) gives a lot of perks to the seniors, like free admission to movie houses (at designated hours), cash gifts and trips outside the city.

However, seniors continue to suffer from discrimination in many aspects, like employment opportunities for example. In other countries, we see actors getting more plum roles when they age. Take James Spader who plays Raymond Reddington in The Blacklist, or Meryl Streep who is in a class all her own. It’s a different story here though, because older actors hardly get lead roles after they turn 60.

In other countries, you also see seniors still productive, given work in certain establishments that value their experience. Of course, if the job requires physical stamina—like that of a stevedore, then it would be understandable to prefer younger candidates.

But one of the big sources of discrimination against senior citizens comes from the health sector, with private health maintenance organizations (HMOs) which either deny coverage or refuse to renew the coverage of individuals aged 60 and above. This is an unfair policy that Pasig City representative and senatorial candidate Roman Romulo wants to correct with his proposed House Bill 6348, also known as the Anti-Healthcare Age Discrimination Act. If Romulo were to have his way, he would impose administrative fines of as much as P300,000 on HMOS that deny coverage to senior individuals.

Calling the practice “totally unfair and simply unacceptable,” Romulo invoked Section 11, Article 13 of the Constitution that mandates government to make essential healthcare services available and affordable to all, especially the elderly. According to the legislator, HMOs provide prepaid health insurance plans to enrolled members through a network of contracted hospitals and doctors. There are currently 23 HMOs doing business in the country which have a combined four million planholders.

Just recently, the supervision and regulation of HMOs had been transferred from the Department of Health to the Insurance Commission—which is why the senatorial candidate is urging the IC to compel HMOs to “accept senior citizens seeking coverage, or face financial punishment and other administrative sanctions” even without the proposed House Bill.

MPIC wins Cebu-Cordova bridge contract It looks like a great year ahead for Cebuanos with the awarding of the P27-billion Cebu-Cordova bridge project to the group of businessman Manny Pangilinan, specifically Metro pacific Tollways Development Corp., a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

For sure, this will not be a bridge to nowhere, with Cebu Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas hailing the decision of the local government of Cebu City, saying this will boost the productivity growth and bolster long-term economic efficiency in the province.

The project will be the third bridge between mainland Cebu and Mactan, the country’s most densely populated island. “We are counting on the new bridge to help reduce the cost of producing goods and services, and minimize productivity losses due to traffic congestion,” Gullas, an assistant majority leader, enthused.

••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook. com/happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!

B5

PH population to hit 142m in 2045—PSA

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE Philippine population is projected to hit 142 million in 2045 with the fastest growth to be recorded in Mindanao, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday.

“This signifies about 49 million persons added to the country’s population from 2010 to 2045, equivalent to an average annual growth rate of 1.21 percent,” national statistician Lisa Grace Bersales said.

“All regions are expected to increase in population but with varying rates of growth,” she added.

The PSA said 10 regions were expected to grow faster than the national average, with five of these in Mindanao.

Of the five regions in Mindanao, the Autonomous Region for

Muslim Mindanao is projected to register the highest average annual growth rate of 2.12 percent for the 2010-2045 period.

Caraga’s expected population growth rate of 1.72 percent ranked the second fastest, with SOCCSKSARGEN, Davao Region and Zamboanga Peninsula rounding the top five.

The regions in Luzon that will post the next highest population growth rates are the Cordillera Administrative Region with 1.35 percent; Calabarzon, 1.31 percent; Mimaropa,1.58 percent; and Bicol, 1.65 percent.

Eastern Visayas, meanwhile, is projected to grow by an annual average of 1.53 percent.

In terms of number of population, Calabarzon, comprising the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon will remain the largest by 2040 with 20.1 million, followed by the National Capital Region and Central Luzon with 14.5 million each.

Western Visayas and Central Visayas are the other regions surpassing the 10-million mark, with 10.4 million each in 2045. the PSA also said CAR would continue to have the smallest population with 2.6 million in 2045.

The Philippine population stood at 92.34 million as of PSA’s latest data in May 2010.

The population earlier was forecast to reach 104 million at the end of 2015, prompting the Department of Health to express.

‘Integrity Run.’ Over a hundred Metro Manila based employees of Convergys, the country’s largest private employer, join the Philippine Integrity Initiative’s Integrity Run on December 12 at the CCP Complex in Pasay City. The Convergys contingent was among the 5,000 event participants from various sectors. Convergys is a founding member of the Philippine Integrity Initiative. It is the only BPO in 12 companies in the Philippines that received an ‘Advanced Rating’ for its holistic ethical business practices from the Integrity Initiative’s Validation System.

MacroAsia set to complete stake sale

By Darwin G. Amojelar MACROASIA Corp. said it expects to complete the transaction to sell a stake in its food catering unit to Singpore’s SATS Ltd. by the end of March.

“As the parties are still in the process of obtaining the relevant regulatory approvals, completion is now expected to take place on or before March 31, 2016,” MacroAsia said.

The closing date for the sale of the 13 percent stake in MacroAsia Catering Services Inc. to SATS was earlier scheduled on October 31, 2015, upon receipt of certain relevant regulatory approvals.

The transaction would cut MacroAsia’s shareholdings in MACS to 67 percent from 80 percent.

SATS’ shareholdings in MACS,

meanwhile, will increase from 20 percent to 33 percent of the total issued and outstanding capital stock of the catering company.

The company said the transaction was a strategic move to further strengthen the partnership and relationship of SATS and MacroAsia in their food services venture in the Philippines.

Aside from the joint venture in airline catering through MACS, MacroAsia and SATS have formed a new company called MacroAsia SATS Food Industries Corp. as a 100 percent subsidiary of MACS. The new company is investing in a P300 million new food commissary located near East Service Road, Sucat, Muntinlupa City to serve the requirements of institutional clients like hotels and casinos, call centers and other none-

airline clients.

MACS is currently operating in a two-hectare facility inside NAIA and serves airline clients that include Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Dragon Air, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, All Nippon, Saudia, Qantas, Qatar, China Airlines, Air Niugini, Korean Air and other chartered flights. surpassing the 10-million mark, with 10.4 million each in 2045. the PSA also said CAR would continue to have the smallest population with 2.6 million in 2045.

The Philippine population stood at 92.34 million as of PSA’s latest data in May 2010.

The population earlier was forecast to reach 104 million at the end of 2015, prompting the Department of Health to express.

WEDNESDAY: JANUARY 6, 2016

B6

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

PH to stay resilient in 2016—Tetangco

By Julito G. Rada

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said Tuesday solid macro-economic fundamentals will keep the Philippines resilient in 2016, despite domestic and global risks.

Tetangco said sound macrofundamentals had always served as inherent stabilizers for the Philippine economy.

“For the Philippines, our positive growth prospects and solid macro-fundamentals will be the overriding pull factors to keep the economy steady on its course over the near and medium terms,” Tetangco said in a speech during the Tuesday Club event at Edsa

Shangri-La Hotel.

Tetangco said the economy grew 6 percent in the third quarter, one of the fastest in Asia during the period, as government spending picked up 17.4 percent.

“Consumer spending also remained robust supported by a benign inflation environment and improving employment conditions in the country,” he said.

Tetangco said the country’s ex-

ternal current account remained in a surplus of $5.6 billion in the first nine months of 2015, or equivalent to 2.6 percent of gross domestic product.

Remittances from overseas Filipinos continued to be resilient, with $20.6 billion in the first 10 months, data showed.

International reserves remained at a comfortable level of $80.6 billion as of end-November 2015, enough to cover 10.3 months of imports.

Tetangco said despite these strengths, local monetary authorities should always be on their toes, mindful of the threats ahead.

He said among the challenges were the growth prospects in major emerging market economies such as China and advanced

economies such as the United States, EU and Japan.

“Given that these economies are our major trading partners, we are cautious of how their economic growth paths will evolve in 2016,” Tetangco said.

He said another thing that could cause volatility in the financial markets would be the impact of the speed and magnitude of interest rate adjustments by the US Fed. The trajectory of oil price path and its impact on oil-exporting economies that host a large number of overseas Filipino workers is also being considered, he said.

Tetangco said on the domestic front, one of the biggest threats to the economy would be the harsher and prolonged El Niño dry spell.

Tsukiji tuna auction.

A vendor cuts a tuna at Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, Japan. Tsukiji fish market, the nation’s biggest seafood-trading hub, is scheduled to be relocated to reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay in November. BLOOMBERG

Sumisetsu gets latest ISO award

By Othel V. Campos SUMISETSU Philippines Inc., an affiliate of Sumitomo Densetsu Co. Ltd. of Japan, became the first organization in the Philippines to achieve the newlyreleased ISO 9001:2015 certification.

SPI has successfully maintained its ISO 9001 Quality Management System since its first certificate on Dec. 1, 2003 from certifying body SGS Philippines Inc. SPI, established in the country in 1990, is an electrical and mechanical contractor specializing in design, installation and maintenance services such as electrical and mechanical facilities of buildings and factories.

SPI president Takuro Suzuki said that SPI identified the addition of risk-based thinking as one of the most valuable changes in new version of the ISO management system, which helped the SPI team to clearly identify and control both internal and external threats to SPI. Organizations that are currently ISO 9001:2008 certified have three years, from formal publication of ISO 9001:2015, to transfer to the new version of the standard.

Based on the current publication schedule, the transition period will end in September 2018.

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. It is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity.

SGS, with more than 80,000 employees, operates a network of over 1,650 offices and laboratories around the world.

Registered firms satisfied with BoI performance—survey

By Othel V. Campos REGISTERED companies, prospective investors and industry players are generally satisfied with the performance of the Board of Investments, according to the stakeholders’ engagement survey conducted by social research group Novo Trends PH. The survey was conducted in the first half of 2015 among BoIregistered companies; prospective and would-be investors who previously made investment in-

quiries with the agency; and industry groups, associations and chambers.

The stakeholders’ engagement survey measured the satisfaction of stakeholders in the delivery by BoI of its services.

The survey looked into the stakeholders’ level of awareness on the services and facilities available at BoI and the stakeholders’ level of satisfaction on various BoI services.

BoI received an excellent net satisfaction rating, representing

about 78 percent or a ratio of eight out of every 10 stakeholders.

The survey showed a high level of satisfaction over the agency’s staff, whom three of four respondents described as knowledgeable, helpful and courteous.

“Majority of the stakeholders surveyed were also aware of BoI’s functions including investments registration, grant of incentives and investments supervision and monitoring,” the

survey said.

One of three respondents, however, said they were not aware of the agency’s investment activities such as business matching and outbound/ inbound missions.

The survey report cited the need to strengthen the agency’s information dissemination activities in a clear, timely and accurate manner to further increase the stakeholders’ awareness of BoI’s various services.

The BoI, which serves as the

industry development and investments promotion arm of the Trade Department, commissioned the services of Novo Trends PH in December 2014 to conduct the survey to provide the agency an accurate feedback from stakeholders on the quality of its functions and services.

Information gathered from the survey will form as valuable inputs in the agency’s continuing efforts to be a globally-recognized investments promotion agency by 2020.

W e D n e s D aY : J a n u a r Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Iran-Saudi Arabia crisis deepens RIYADH—Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran erupted into a fullblown diplomatic crisis as Riyadh and its Sunni Arab allies cut or reduced ties with Tehran, sparking global concern.

Following angry exchanges over Saudi Arabia’s execution Saturday of prominent Shiite cleric and activist Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, Riyadh and then Bahrain and Sudan severed relations with Tehran, the main Shiite power.

European countries and regional power Turkey voiced concerns over the row, while US Secretary of State John Kerry called his Iranian and Saudi counterparts on Monday and Moscow offered to act as an intermediary.

The UN envoy for Syria headed to Riyadh and Tehran to defuse tensions, and a US official said Washington was “urging calm and de-escalation”.

The crisis has also raised fears of an increase in sectarian violence in the Middle East, including in Iraq where two Sunni mosques were blown up late Monday and two people killed.

Saudi Arabia insisted at the United Nations, however, that the row would not affect the efforts to resolve the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Republic of the Philippines Province of Ilocos Sur MUNCIPALITY OF SINAIT

For the dogs. Artist Laurie Anderson plays an electric violin during a concert aimed at dogs in Times

Square in New York City on January 4, 2016. Anderson performed a show in a low-frequency sound that is aimed at suiting canine hearing, with humans given headphones to follow along. Dozens of dogs barked or howled to the concert, which accompanied a scene from Andersonís movie, ‘Heart of a Dog’, that was projected on some of Times Square’s famous outdoor screens. AFP

Ice festival opens in Harbin, China HARBIN—Brave swimmers plunged into freezing waters while other visitors gazed at frozen palaces ahead of the opening ceremony for China’s spectacular Harbin Ice and Snow Festival on Tuesday.

The annual festival in the capital of the northeastern province of Heilongjiang is expected to draw more than one million visitors to admire castles and cathedrals sculpted out of ice and lit up at night in ethereal colors.

This year’s display is the largest in the festival’s decades-long history, filling a park the size of more than 100 sports fields and using a record amount of ice and snow, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Though temperatures on Tuesday remained a biting -14 degrees Celsius (seven degrees Fahrenheit) even at noon, a number of festival goers took part in an ice-swimming competition, diving bare-chested and head-first into freezing pools of water cut into the ice.

Those not inclined to take the plunge admired a vast expanse of ice block Chinese palaces, Russian churches and European colonnades, with vendors selling gleaming rows of candied fruit.

Visitors sledded and snapped selfies on the eve of the park’s opening ceremony, the translucent pagodas around them glowing in surreal neon pinks, blues and greens.

Chinese and Dutch designers worked with more than 10,000 workers over three months to build the winter wonderland, according to Xinhua.

The centerpiece is a 15-story tower of ice, thought to be the world’s tallest.

The festival’s schedule includes ice and snow sculpture contests, as well as performances and musical events.

Local authorities hope that the festival can bring much needed tourist dollars to the region, historically one of China’s industrial bases, now hit by an economic slowdown. AFP

OFFICE OF THE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC) INVITATION TO BID FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS

Any person with valid objections on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(TS-JAN. 6, 2016)

(SGD.) RAFAELITO H. TARUC Director

January 6, 2016

(INFRA)

The Municipal Government of Sinait, through the R.A. 7171- Mun. Share (Congressional) Projects intends to apply the sum specified per Infra Projects below as being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the following various clustered projects to wit: Name of Projects

Location

Approved Budget Cost (ABC)

1.

CLUSTER XIV – (CONCRETING) (Concreting of Sallacapo FMR ; Concreting of Cabarambanan FMR ; Concreting of Tapao Barangay Road; Concreting of Quibit-quibit Barangay Road; Concreting of Duyayyat FMR ; Concreting of Teppeng FMR (SitioMadamgis); Concreting of Baracbac FMR; Concreting of Masadag FMR; Concreting & Riprapping of Katipunan FMR; Concreting of Nagongburan FMR; Concreting of Sta Cruz FMR; Concreting of Zapat FMR; Concreting of Paratong FMR; Concreting of Pacis FMR; Concreting of Sapriana FMR; Concreting of Curtin FMR; Concreting of Ubbog Covered Multi-Purpose Pavement and FMR

Brgy. Sallacapo, Cabarambanan, Tapao, Quibitquibit, Duyayyat, Teppeng, Baracbac, Masadag, Katipunan, Nagongburan, Sta Cruz, Zapat, Paratong, Pacis, Sapriana, Curtin, Ubbog

P 20,500,000.00

2.

CLUSTER XV – (BUILDING) Construction of Binacud Multi-Purpose Building; Construction of Jordan Covered Multi-Purpose Building; Construction of Covered Multi-Purpose Building(Baracbac Elem. School); Construction of Battog Covered MultiPurpose Building Construction of Rang-ay Covered Multi-Purpose Building; Construction of Quimmallogong Covered Multi-Purpose Building; Construction of Covered Dadalaquiten Sur Multi-Purpose Building; Construction of Macabiag MultiPurpose Building; Construction of Sabangan Multi-Purpose Building; Construction of Cabangtalan MultiPurpose Building

Brgy. Binacud, Jordan, Baracbac, Battog, Rang-ay, Quimmallogong, Dadalaquiten Sur, Macabiag, Sabangan, Cabangtalan

P 17,653,133.00

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC., with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Operator of Air Transport Services (A320 # 40) with a capacity of 180 passenger seats on a non-pioneer status with project site located at Manila Domestic Airport, Pasay City.

“From our side, it should have no effect because we will continue to work very hard to support the peace efforts in Syria and Yemen,” Abdallah al-Mouallimi, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UN, told reporters.

He said Riyadh would attend the coming talks on Syria, but took a swipe at Iran’s role in the nearly fiveyear war there, saying: “They have been taking provocative and negative positions... and I don’t think the break in relations is going to dissuade them from such behavior.”

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran late on Sunday, giving diplomats 48 hours to leave the kingdom after protesters—responding to Nimr’s execution—set fire to its embassy in Tehran and a consulate in second city Mashhad, an attack strongly condemned by the UN Security Council.

Bahrain and Sudan followed suit on Monday, and the United Arab Emirates also downgraded its ties, recalling its envoy from Tehran.

Sunni Arab nations accuse Tehran of repeatedly meddling in their affairs, with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel alJubeir saying “Iran’s history is full of negative interference and hostility in Arab issues”.

Some 80 Saudis, including diplomats and their families, had already left Iran and arrived in Dubai on Monday, diplomatic sources said.

The Saudi civil aviation authority said all flights to and from Iran were also being suspended. AFP

Source of Fund

Duration of Works

R.A. 7171 Mun. Share(CongressionalFund)

R.A. 7171 Mun. Share(CongressionalFund)

250cd

280 cd

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Municipal Government of Sinait now invites bids for the said Projects stated above. Completion of the Works is required as stated above under Duration of Works. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

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

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC., with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Operator of Air Transport Services (A320 # 41) with a capacity of 180 passenger seats on a non-pioneer status with project site located at Manila Domestic Airport, Pasay City.

Any person with valid objections on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) RAFAELITO H. TARUC Director (TS-JAN. 6, 2016)

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Municipal Government of SinaitBAC Office and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. BAC Office or MPDC Office – Sinait Municipal Hall, Sinait, Ilocos Sur. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address above and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents ISSUANCE OF BID DOCUMENTS – January 6, 2016-January 26, 2016 The Municipal Government of Sinaitthru BAC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 14, 2016 @ 9:30 A.M. at MPDC Office SinaitMun. Hall, Sinait, Ilocos Sur which shall be open to all interested parties.

Bids must be delivered to the address above on or before January 26, 2016 @ 9:30 A.M.at SinaitMun. Hall Main Bldg., Sinait, Ilocos Sur. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

OPENING OF BIDS – JANUARY 26, 2016@ 9:30 A.M. @ SinaitMuncipal Hall, Sinait, IlocosSur..

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives with the Authority of the Signatory who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The Municipal Government of Sinait reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: BAC SECRETARIAT MPDC Office SinaitMun. Hall Main Bldg. (1st floor) Mobile # 09166725419 e-mail address: bacoffice_lgusinait@yahoo.com ( T S - J A N . 6 , 2 016)

SGD. EMELFA C. INES BAC Chairman

W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

B8 Denmark, Sweden tighten borders

KRUSA, Denmark—Denmark implemented spot checks on its border with Germany on Monday, in a move that triggered fresh concern for Europe’s cherished Schengen passport-free zone hours after Sweden imposed its own controls on travelers from Denmark.

Alarmed by the restrictions, the latest in a spate of border controls imposed across Europe in the wake of a massive migrant influx to the continent, Berlin warned the 20-year-old Schengen zone was “in danger”.

The new Swedish measures also mean travelers between Denmark and Sweden will have to show their ID cards for the first time since the late 1950s, when a Nordic agreement on passport-free travel came into force.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen cited the Swedish checks to justify his own country’s immediate introduction of random border controls.

“We are simply reacting to a decision made in Sweden... This is not a happy moment at all,” he told reporters.

Rasmussen warned that Sweden’s controls could have a domino effect on Denmark, which received just 21,000 asylum requests in 2015, compared to Sweden’s 163,000.

“It’s clear the EU is not able to protect its outer borders and other countries are going to be forced to introduce... border controls,” he said, adding: “Europe’s leaders must react to this.”

Under Schengen rules, countries are allowed to re-introduce border checks for up to six months in exceptional circumstances.

German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer voiced concern over Denmark’s decision, telling reporters: “Freedom of movement is an important principle—one of the biggest achievements (in the European Union) in recent years.”

“Schengen is very important but it is in danger,” he said.

At the Denmark-Germany border, a group of 20 Syrians, including several children, en route to Sweden were made to get off a train and escorted by police. AFP

cESAR bARRioqUiNto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world Obama to introduce gun-control measures WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama will introduce a raft of executive actions to try to reduce US gun violence Tuesday, bypassing Congress and launching a bitter 2016 election year fight.

Restive. A man rides his motorcycle as Mount Soputan spews ash into the air during an

eruption near Silian village, Southeast Minahasa district, in Northern Sulawesi on January 5, 2016. Mount Soputan is one of the most active volcanoes in North Sulawesi and last erupted in March 2015. AFP

Kicking off his last year in the White House with a defiant show of executive power, Obama will ignore Congressional opposition and take a series of unilateral steps to regulate gun sales and curb illicit purchases.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the measures would tighten the rules on who must register as a gun dealer, narrow the “gun show” loophole thats allow buyers to dodge background checks, and a crackdown on “straw purchases” that see weapons purchased through intermediaries.

It would also encourage the Pentagon, with its vast buying power, to procure weapons from manufacturers who use “ gun safety technology” such as fingerprint scanners.

Obama will discuss the new measures—which Republicans who control Congress, weapons makers and gun enthusiasts have already lambasted as an infringement of constitutional freedoms-in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday.

Around 30,000 people die in gun violence every year in America, most by suicide.

During Obama’s seven years as president, he has often shown flashes of anger and frustration at Congress’s refusal to tighten gun controls, most notably after the mass slaughter of Connecticut schoolchildren, South Carolina churchgoers and Colorado movie watchers.

The measures will stop well short of introducing universal background checks or registering or collecting some of the more than 300 million guns already thought to be in circulation in the United States, moves that would likely need Congressional approval.

On the eve of the announcement, Obama admitted his executive actions were “not going to solve every violent crime in this country. It’s not going to prevent every mass shooting. It’s not going to keep every gun out of the hands of a criminal.”

“It will,” he said, “potentially, save lives in this country” and spare families heartache.

But even in taking limited measures, by acting alone and against the will of Congress, Obama has invited political and legal maelstrom. AFP

Sushi boss pays $117,000 for giant tuna TOKYO—A Japanese sushi boss paid more than $117,000 Tuesday for a giant bluefin tuna as Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market held its last New Year auction ahead of a muchneeded modernization move.

Bidding stopped at a whopping 14 million yen for the enormous 200-kilogram fish—a threatened species—that was caught off Japan’s northern coast.

The price was three times higher than last year’s but still far below a record 155.4 million yen paid by the sushi chain operator in 2013— when a Hong Kong restaurant chain weighed in and drove up the bidding—for a slightly larger fish

of similar quality.

The New Year auction is a traditional feature at Tsukiji, where bidders pay way over the odds for the prestige of buying the first fish of the year.

But it came as Japan, the world’s largest consumer of bluefin tuna, faces growing calls for a trade ban on the species, which environmentalists warn is on its way to extinction.

The population of Pacific bluefin tuna is set to keep declining “even if governments ensure existing management measures are fully implemented”, Amanda Nickson, director of Global Tuna Conservation at the Pew Charitable Trusts, said in

a release.

Bluefin is usually the most expensive fish available at Tsukiji, the biggest fish and wholesale seafood market in the world.

A single piece of “otoro”, or the fish’s fatty underbelly, can cost up to several thousand yen at highend Tokyo restaurants.

The growing popularity of Japanese sushi worldwide has stoked demand elsewhere.

“Given the already dire state of the population—decimated to just four percent of unfished levels—it is of particular concern that the auction price is rising again,” Nickson added. AFP

Endangered. President of sushi restaurant chain Sushi-Zanmai, Kiyoshi Kimura, displays a 200kg bluefin tuna at his main restaurant near Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market on January 5, 2016. The bluefin tuna was traded at $117,000 (14 million yen) at the wholesale market on the first trading day of the new year. Tsukiji market will close its doors after 80 years followed by a new market opening in Toyosu this autumn. 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 WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

H OME & L I V ING

LIFE

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HOW TO BRING LUCK INTO YOUR HOME THIS 2016

n average person spends about 12 hours a day at home. According to the 2014 American Time Use Survey of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, majority of time spent in the comfort of our abode goes to sleeping (8.80 hours) followed by household activities (2.38 hours).

As we welcome another year of possibilities, we might as well maximize its potential by starting at the place where we spend half a day.

When it comes to bringing in good luck and harmony, many believe in the ancient art and science of feng shui. On his website, leading feng shui expert Master Hanz Cua says feng shui “deals with the placement of buildings and other objects to accentuate the auspicious positive energies and to minimize those which are negative.”

Many attest to the effectivity of this Chinese practice while some remain skeptical. But there’s no harm in trying, right? In 2016, the Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) starts on February 8 and feng shui cures should be in place by February 4 (Solar New Year), so here’s a few basic feng shui tips and practical ways to harness the potential of your home’s positive energies in the year of the Fire Monkey.

WELCOME LUCK AT THE FRONT DOOR

Before optimizing the luck inside your home, make sure that luck comes inside first. Make sure the

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

entryway is free of all clutter such as shoes and other personal things on the floor as they disrupt the flow of the energy or chi inside the house.

“Wash, sweep or vacuum the front steps, porch, entry hall, lobby—whatever the entry is in where you live. Make this area clean, well-lit and inviting,” says Susan Levitt (www.susanlevitt.com), a professional tarot card reader, astrologer and feng shui expert in the San Francisco Bay Area. The key is to make sure everything is in its right place and nothing litters the floor. Make use of wall shelves.

To welcome a truly prosperous new year, Levitt adds to “check the entry’s lighting fixtures, make sure the doorbell works, and touch up scuff marks with a fresh coat of paint or add a new rug.”

KEEP THINGS TIDY

Fire brings a lot of activities so make sure to start the year with an organized home. Start at the area or room first seen from outside, then work your way to the other rooms.

This allows the chi to flow freely once it’s inside. “Make sure that the first thing seen in each room is clean and inspiring,” says Levitt,

so piles of paperwork or any type of mess is a big no-no.

FIX EVERYTHING THAT’S BROKEN

As with the front door, make sure to fix the things that are broken inside—from the lighting fixtures to the walls and furniture. Experts say the absence of brokenness creates harmony in the house.

PAINT ROOMS ACCORDING TO THE FIVE TAOIST ELEMENTS

Fire and Metal are two dominant but conflicting elements this year, and

if majority of walls in your home is white (Metal), Levitt says this could lead to arguing and bickering.

Hence, paint at least one room with color; best if you paint the room according to its Taoist element (Fire, Earth, Water, Metal and Wood).

Living room – Fire The living room is said to be the heart of the home and is best painted with bright and lively Fire colors such as all shades of red or purple. Levitt says vibrant colors and accents help stimulate conversation and activity.

Dining room – Earth “The dining room is best in earthen tones of gold, terra cotta or other soft yin colors,” suggests Levitt. Skip painting the dining area red as its stimulating effect makes people eat fast.

Bedroom – Metal In the room where we sleep and breathe deeply, the best colors are white, cream and soft pastels.

“Avoid big prints on beddings and drapery, especially in a child’s room” because it’s “too yang” and does not promote restfulness.

Bathroom – Water For a soothing bath experience, Levitt recommends painting the bathroom with soft, quiet and calm colors such as light blue.

Kitchen – Wood “The kitchen must be kept very clean because this is where food is prepared, so white walls are best.”

To introduce the Wood element, put plants and/or green accents in safe areas away from fire or anything that is burning.

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W E D N E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 6 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

10 ways to be more efficient this 2016

he stress inducing preparations for the seemingly endless rounds of parties – from the kids’ Christmas parties in school to the Noche Buena and Media Noche Feasts is enough to sap the energy of even the most upbeat supermom. With the holidays now over, it’s back to the old grind with regular chores that are challenging to multitasking career women-slash-domestic divas. Help in on hand however, with these 10 practical, energy-and-time saving tips from Electrolux that will make you more efficient this 2016.

1. PLAN AND PREPARE MEALS AND TRIPS TO THE GROCERY.

Nothing can be more irritating than to find that you have missed out on an important ingredient for that recipe you’ve been wanting to try. Solution: carefully plan to ensure that you have everything that you need, and when you need it. This saves you from unnecessary trips to and from the supermarket when you forget an ingredient or two. Better still, set your budget – make an inventory, organize your recipes, create your menus, and schedule your shopping.

2. FREEZE YOUR MEALS.

Considering the number of people who hardly have enough to eat, food wastage can be troubling to the conscience. So prevent any wastage by storing leftovers properly in a tight lid container, putting a label on them, and freezing them. That way, you do not need to throw away leftovers. Properly frozen meals in an Electrolux NutriFresh™ Refrigerator can last up to two months without losing their taste and texture.

3. MAXIMIZE YOUR RICE COOKER.

Many have discovered that the ordinary, humble rice cooker can actually go beyond its initial purpose. Electrolux rice cookers most specially are designed with a 4-in-1 cooking feature that keeps dishes warm, cooks soups and porridge, and steams dishes. If you don’t have the space for a full stove or a large kitchen in your living space, it might be just what you need for your next potluck weekend.

4. MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF YOUR CARPETS WITH A VACUUM CLEANER.

Spills on the carpet are unavoidable with kids running around, not to mention entertaining guests with hearty parties. However, the abrasive rubbing of stains will only cause the fiber to mat. The smart way is to use a wetdry vacuum cleaner such as the Electrolux Wet and Dry Z931 vacuum cleaner to remove the dirt around the stain. Then try soaking up the stain with a wet towel pressed repeatedly onto it. Repeat the process with a dry towel to ensure that all the liquid has been absorbed.

5. STEAM YOUR CLOTHES FOR A WRINKLE-FREE FINISH.

One of the most challenging chores for many is ironing clothes. But did you know that leaving your un-ironed shirt hanging in the

bathroom while you take a hot shower will practically get all the wrinkles out? Or better yet, treat yourself to an Electrolux UltraMix™ Front Load Washing Machine with a Refresh Cycle program that removes creases and folds and naturally de-wrinkles your clothes. Less time for laundry, more time for the family!

6. USE THE FLOSS.

Aside from using it to remove bits caught between your teeth, un-waxed dental floss can also be your trusty kitchen helper – as a slicer for cakes and soft cheeses, or to tie-up poultry and rolled meats.

7. RUN NO MORE.

Glamming up can be made easier with this little trick: Make your stockings last longer by spritzing a little hairspray to avoid getting runs in them. The sticky residue will hold the

fabric together, and stressful moments with an unsightly gash in your stockings will be the last thing on your mind.

8. UPCYCLE!

Turn ordinary moments into fun bonding sessions with the kids through upcycling.

With the holidays now over, those used Christmas wrappers can still make for colorful decorations in scrapbooks and school projects. Make handmade dolls from old materials like socks, buttons and hairpins; or upcycle an old dress into a pretty apron.

By being creative and resourceful, you will soon learn that the possibilities are endless.

9. CLEAN YOUR REFRIGERATOR WITH SALT.

Now is the perfect time to clear the clutter in your refrigerator after the rush of hams, fruitcakes, wines, and all the goodies you needed for the Christmas holiday feasts. A simple but effective way to clean your fridge is by mixing a handful of salt with about three liters of warm water. The mixture is chemical free and gentle on sensitive surfaces.

10. WINE THINGS UP!

Make parties and ordinary days special by serving richer wines. How? By freezing some grapes and popping them in glasses to keep the wine cold without watering it down. Better yet, store your wine in the Electrolux Vino Wine Cooler to ensure perfectly served wine any time. You can also freeze leftover wines in ice-cube trays for reuse when preparing meat dishes and spaghetti sauces.

With Electrolux appliances, you can do more with less at home – giving you more time to spend quality time with the family and less time spent for the chores. Plus, you can save more and spend less, and achieve more wellness because there is less stress and worry.

To know more about Electrolux, visit www.electrolux.com.ph or follow @ElectroluxPH on Twitter and Instagram and www.facebook.com/thelittlewhitebook on Facebook.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Vacuum last year’s grime out of your home

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ut with the old, in with the new – every time the year starts, this mantra is on everyone’s lips. Just like our closet, sometimes we need to free up stuff at home that we barely even use. Rule is, if you haven’t touched or used it for a year – get rid of it, sell it online, donate it, or give it to someone else as he might have better use for it.

While going through some stuff on your cupboards, peeking under your sink, or dusting furniture at home, you might uncover some unsightly dust and grime from last year or probably even from the year before (oh so help you God!).

This year, your best treat for yourself might be a good vacuum cleaner to suck away all the unwanted dirt that you have accumulated at your home.

While there are a lot of brands to choose from in the market, sometimes a vacuum cleaner is an investment in itself, so buy the best one and you may never have to buy again for so many years.

A brand that was on the wish list for so many mothers last year is from British technology firm Dyson. Vacuums from Dyson are not cheap, but they are an investment, the brand supported by over 3,000 engineers which makes it more than

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just about vacuum cleaners. Founded by James Dyson over 20 years ago, it all began when he became frustrated by his own home vacuum cleaner, which he ripped into pieces to find the problem – and developed the world’s first cyclonic vacuum cleaner with no loss of suction. After 5,127 prototypes, five years and numerous setbacks, James Dyson succeeded in creating one of the most iconic appliances for homes today. Through the years, the brand has invented bladeless fans air purifiers and cordless vacuum cleaners that perform like corded ones.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE PRODUCTS YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR HOME INVESTMENT THIS 2016:

Dyson Fluffy Stop fussing about the cords that get in the way of your house cleaning. Forget about annoying wires and bulky vacuum cleaners. One of the latest Dyson designs is lightweight, cordless and has as much power as a corded vacuum cleaner.

Clean hard to reach ceiling cobwebs or corners of your homes. Price starts at P38,500. Quite an investment, but worth your every cent.

Dyson DC34

Dyson DC34 When was the last time you cleaned up all the dust mites lurking on your bed? Dirty bed linens and bed cushions are breeding ground for dust mites. What is more disturbing is that people really get dust mite allergies not through bites but through the insect’s feces. Some people get red blotchy skin when they come into contact with dust mites’ excretion, or when these mites crawl up on people while they are sleeping and turn the skin into their own comfort rooms. Yes – that’s a horrid thing to imagine. Dyson DC34 might just be your best friend against these pesky mites. It’s a handheld vacuum powered by the Dyson digital motor which spins at 110,000rpm – five times faster than an F1 engine. It uses powerful suction to get those nasty mites out of your lives.

Dyson machines are available in Century City Mall (Dyson Concept Store), Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Rustan’s Cebu, Rustan’s Gateway, Abenson Ascott, Duty Free Philippines, Anson’s Makati, Robinson’s Appliance Magnolia, True Value Rockwell, True Value Estancia and True Value 8 Forbes.

Dyson Fluffy

Laundry days made easier by Midea’s front-loading washer and dryer

t is already January and yet we still experience bouts of rain and dewy weather. We even welcomed our New Year’s Eve with drizzles amid the fireworks. At this day and age, you never know when you can actually have a full sun or a gloomy weather, and it affects most of the stuff we do in and out of our homes.

For many homeowners, this erratic weather makes it hard to do your laundry.

You hang your clothes under the rack to dry in the sun yet in the afternoon you keep rushing to bring them in as it starts to drizzle. A good automatic washing machine may just be the perfect New Year’s gift for your home. For independent city dwellers or newlyweds, a washing machine is a good investment for the home. It’s convenient, saves money on laundry service and if you have house help, she will just thank you for it.

There are many options in the appliance center but you might want to consider getting a Midea. One of the largest producers of major appliances in the world, Midea offers a fully automatic front-loading washing machine and dryer that combine the features of high-end washers and dryers at an affordable price.

For condominium dwellers, Midea’s front-loading washer boasts of special features that make it efficient in electricity consumption including water usage. An estimated P2 on electrical cost is what you can consume for your 82 minutewash usage, while rinse and dry cycle can save 70 percent on water consumption.

The machine has 16 wash programs to

optimize the wash cycle depending on the type of clothes and fabrics you intend to clean.

One of the features we need for this weather is an efficient dryer that comes with a humidity sensor to ensure more

accurate drying of clothes. Midea dryer has a temperature sensor to adjust the heat of the dryer drum that prevents clothes from being damaged. It also has variable drying time selectors to give users a customized time for drying their clothes.

Midea’s front-loading washing machine and dryer are available in six kilogram-load models.

For more information about Midea’s frontloading washing machine and dryer and other household appliances, visit www.Midea.com.ph or Midea Philippines on Facebook.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

UPDATE YOUR HOME WITH HABITAT MANILA

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he sight of new furniture at home can liven up your new year. After consulting your interior designers or your feng shui expert, you might want to get something new and shiny for the house. Europe’s iconic home design brand Habitat is the perfect haven for your new year home shopping.

Abenson Ventures Inc. Director Walter Lim, Habitat Design International and General Manager of China, Mr. Romain Seiler and Habitat Manila’s General Manager Mark Zwolfer.

Last year, Habitat finally opened its 1,500-square-meter showroom at Bonifacio Global City, its first in Manila. Founded in London by the visionary designer Sir Terence Conran, the brand has been known to offer practical, affordable, yet exquisitely designed furniture and home accessories in Europe for over 50 years.

Visit the showroom today and feast on the featured products that include furniture by the legendary architect Robert Mallet-Stevens, kitchenware designed by Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx, and other collaborations with some of Europe’s biggest design stars. There are also exclusive European-made furniture and décor created from Habitat’s own Design Studio.

“We are happy to bring these elegant Habitat products to home design lovers in the Philippines,” says Habitat Manila director Walter Lim. “We feel that the brand is perfect for people who, like us, admire the casual chic lifestyles of Paris, London, Madrid, and other modern European cities,” he adds.

Habitat Manila is located at the 3rd Level of Abenson, beside The Ascott Residence, on the corner of 28th Street and 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. For news, promos and product features call (63 2) 887 5247 or visit Habitat MNL on Facebook and @ HabitatMNL on Instagram.

Habitat Manila is now open at the 3rd Level of Abenson, Bonifacio Global City

Naoko armchair by designer Naoko Kanehira, Tree floor lamp from Habitat Design Studio, and Galets side table

Italian-made dining chairs and extendable table options at Habitat Manila Metropolitain, Cypraea

Vintage Parisian homes can be updated to look more contemporary, but still retain its classic feel with Habitat furniture designed by the legendary Robert Mallet-Stevens

Teapot and teacups and saucers from the Concetta collection, designed by Concetta Gallo

Eldar the Wizard leads the lighting ceremony of the 20-feet Magical Lantern at Enchanted Kingdom

THE ‘KINGDOM’ FOR ALL SEASONS

Eldar the Wizard (center) poses with guests at the launch of ‘EKsperience Magical Christmas’

Marcelito Pomoy

Bryan Termulo

Liezel Garcia

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nchanted Kingdom is a popular destination for many Filipinos during the holidays. In fact, the official record of the Santa Rosa, Laguna theme park reveals 23,000 visitors spent a fun-filled day at EK during the holidays.

With many visitors and a festive vibe, the Yuletide season is likewise special for the theme park. “Christmas is very symbolic for Enchanted Kingdom,” enthused Enchanted Kingdom Inc. chairman and president Mario Mamon. As a proof, during the Christmas season last year, EK launched “EKsperience Magical Christmas,” which featured a number of enchanting and captivating shows.

During the launch of the Christmas season at Enchanted Kingdom, the 20-feet Magical Lantern made by Eric Quiwa from San Fernando, Pampanga was lighted, while a concert at the Midway Boardwalk featuring music artists Kaye Cal, Marcelito Pomoy, JK Labajo, Bryan Termulo, and Liezel Garcia energized guests in the park.

Other enchanting Christmas shows which made the season more special were “Brooklyn Christmas” set in a snowy setting; “Enchante

Christmagic,” a world-class musical play and “Journey of Love & Hope” featuring the story of the Nativity of Jesus Christ.

One could feel the Christmas atmosphere all around the iconic theme park. As one of EK’s guests said, “It was super fun and you can really feel the spirit of Christmas.”

Visitors were all smiles while enjoying the rides and attractions. But the fun was truly felt by the children. “We decided for the whole family to spend our Christmas here at Enchanted Kingdom because this celebration is for kids,” a guest shared.

A fun bonding experience with family and friends is not only exclusive to the holidays. With a number of attractions, including Carousel, Flying Fiesta, Rio Grande Rapids, Bouncing Boulders Mini Drop Tower, Dinosoarus, Anchors Away, EKstreme Tower Ride, and Wheel of Fate, among many others, any day in the park promises to be a magical experience.

“It’s a fun place to be. There’s a lot of rides and we have a lot of things to do with our families and friends,” raved another guest.

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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Kapamilya marKs new TV season wiTh fresh program lineup LizQuen, from Forevermore to Dolce Amore

Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga in a scene from Written in the Stars

niCKie wang The Kapamilya Network is not yet over with love teams, in fact, the TV station is banking heavily on its roster of on-screen pairings yet again to field its new series this 2016.

The lineup, which the network introduced during its trade launch last month, is an interesting mix of tried and tested pairs with new love teams thrown into picture to add new flavors and probably some spiced up twists.

At least six new series are set to headline ABS-CBN’s afternoon and primetime blocks in the first quarter of the year. The teasers of the highly anticipated new series have already been released online and sometime shown in various commercial gaps of the Kapamilya channel.

One that’s gaining momentum is Dolce Amore to be top-billed by the love team that made primetime viewers believe in “forever,” Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano.

Dolce amore in Italian literally means “sweet love” in English.

Hence, the new series featuring LizQuen can be a promise of Forevermore version 2. only that the central characters are switching social status in the new TV production. In Dolce Amore, Liza plays the role of Serena, a princess who only wants to live a normal and ordinary life.

Enrique plays the role of Tenten, an ordinary boy from Manila working hard to provide for his family. As Tenten looks for money to help his father, he comes across Serena.

Another established love team is set to resurface on primetime via The Story of Us, which is set to replace the top-rating JaDine drama On the Wings of Love in February.

Starring Kim Chiu and Xian Lim, The Story of Us boasts immensely picturesque scenes partly shot in Palawan. The details of the plot, however, remains the production’s secret but we heard it’s about two young lovers who grow apart and then try to find their way back in each other’s arms (like how passé any Kapamiya shows can be).

In speaking of tried and tested on-screen pairs, the Kapamilya network bring real-life couple Erich Gonzales and Daniel Matsu-

naga back on the boob tube. The couple’s on- and-off screen romance purportedly blossomed on the set of Two Wives. They are reunited in the afternoon block’s Be My Lady. This soap centers on the romantic journey of a young playboy from Singapore and a barrio lass who is focused on her dreams for her family (imagine Suddenly It’s Magic sans Mario Maurer).

Moving on to the heavyweights, Dreamscape Entertainment brings “another TV masterpiece” (their description of the family drama) featuring an ensemble of “this generation’s biggest” (their description of the cast) stars Piolo Pascual, Toni Gonzaga, Jolina Magdangal, Sarah Lahbati and Sam Milby.

The upcoming primetime series is entitled Written In Our Stars and talks about love, life and death, in no particular order.

Based on its three-minute trailer, the story looks like a marriage between the Korean series Pure Love and the classic romantic movie, The Ghost. A car accident leads to the death of Piolo’s character, leaving behind Toni’s character and their child. In a twist, Piolo’s character would be handed a chance to guide his family from the afterlife.

Meanwhile, returning actress Cristine Reyes stars in an upcoming (heavy) drama called Tubig At Langis. In the series, Cristine plays the character of a young single mother who is reluctant to give love another try. She reunites with Zanjoe Marudo, whom she teamed up with in Precious Hearts Romances: Kristine in 2010. They are joined by Isabelle Daza who plays the third wheel in the story.

Lastly, newly-signed up Kapamilya Elmo Magalona checks in opposite Janella Salvador in another romantic drama called Born For You. The series is another Dreamscape Entertainment production and is based on the Japanese belief on red string of fate where the gods tie an invisible red cord around the ankles of those that are destined to meet one another in a certain situation or help each other in a certain way.

So, there. You might or might not want to watch these series in the months ahead but one thing is for sure, all of these programs are gunning for ratings supremacy hence they would still get your attention, one way or another.

Xian Lim and Kim Chiu reunite in a romantic primetime drama

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GOLDEn GLObES On SUnDAy

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he Hollywood Foreign Press will hold the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday (Monday morning in Manila). The Globes is considered the weathervane of the Academy Awards on Feb. 28 (Feb 29 in Manila), the nominations for which will be announced on Jan. 14 (Jan. 15 in Manila).

The Revenant, Steve Jobs and The Big Short, with four nominations each, the big players in this race held annually by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Actors/Actresses in the race includes Bryan Cranton (Trumbo), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs) Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl), Cate Blanchett (Carol), Brie Larson (Room) and Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn).

In the Foreign Language race there’s no film from Asia. The race is among Chile, France, Hungary and films co-produced by Belgium, France and Lucembourge as well as by Finland, Germany, and Estonia. Sadly, Heneral Luna, the Philippine film that was anticipated to make waves in this year’s international awards races failed to make the grade with the foreign journalists covering Hollywood and as it is now the Academy Awards as well. Well, it just means Filipino filmmakers have to work harder and not rest on laurels given to their films by Filipino critics. The foreign press apparently has different standards in choosing their best films outside of the American dream factory.

The Golden Globes this year takes place Jan. 10 at the Beverly Hilton. It will be telecast live on RTL-CBS Entertainment (SkyCable 196 in Metro Manila) 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 11.

HHHHH LiST Of nOminEES (in mOTiOn PiCTURES) fOR ThE 2016 GOLDEn GLObE AWARDS • Best Motion Picture - Drama Carol, Mad Max: Fury Road The Revenant, Room, Spotlight • Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical The Big Short, Joy, The Martian, Spy, Trainwreck • Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama Cate Blanchett, Carol; Brie Larson, Room; Rooney Mara, Carol; Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn; Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl • Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama Bryan Cranton, Trumbo; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant; Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs; Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl; Will Smith, Concussion • Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical Jennifer Lawrence, Joy; Melissa McCarthy, Spy ; Amy Schumer, Trainwreck ; Maggie Smith, The Lady in the Van; Lily Tomlin, Grandma • Best Performance by an Actor

in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Christian Bale, The Big Short; Steve Carell, The Big Short; Matt Damon, The Martian; Al Pacino, Danny Collins; Mark Ruffalo, Infinitely Polar Bear • Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Jane Fonda, Youth; Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight; Helen Mirren, Trumbo; Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina; Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs • Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Paul Dano, Love & Mercy; Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation; Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies; Michaeln Shannon, 99 Homes; Sylvester Stallone, Creed • Best Director - Motion Picture Todd Haynes, Carol; Alejandro G. Inarritu, The Revenant; Tom McCarthy, Spotlight; George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road ; Ridley Scott, The Martian • Best Foreign-Language Film The Brand New Testament (Belgium/France/Luxembourg) The Club (Chile) The Fencer (Finland/Germany/ Estonia) Mustang (France) Son of Saul (Hungary) HHHHH The HFPA also hands awards to outstanding shows and performers on television.

Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs

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ACROSS 1 Train for boxing 5 Halloween teeth 10 Benefit, often 14 Hearty companion 15 Kapitan’s command (hyph.)

16 NYSE rival 17 — spumante 18 Columbus’ port 19 District 20 Visible at night 22 Broad-minded

24 25 26 29 32 36 37 39 40 43 44 45

Brewery tank Cause a blister Basilica areas Pub. prosecutors Kim of “Vertigo” Meadow murmurs Walloped Tavern Crawl alternative (2 wds.)

Yale grad Bayou dweller Mexican pot

Room star Brie Larson is nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture category

Cate Blanchett in Carol

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE

Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene from The Revenant

Hitachi rival Type of whiskey Cleared the dishes Henri’s island — out (relax) Tot’s attire Lucille Ball, e.g.

Cause to fall Got back, as a championship Pantyhose hue Pave the way On both feet Lean-to Gin-fizz flavor Cubicle fillers Prepare the salad

DOWN 1 Fraud 2 El —, Texas 3 Low voice 4 Change a portfolio 5 Tempus — (time flies) 6 Help a crook 7 Persona — grata 8 Liverpool poky 9 Series of steps 10 Elegant garden feature 11 Romance, to Pedro 12 Actress — Dunham

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016

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Eddie’s cop character Refrain syllables Cake-pan type Paris priests Abdul or Prentiss Tuxedo trim Hold off on Brass or bronze Arrange hair Strads It may turn on you Work, as clay Icy remark?

WNW opposite Quebec school Bumpiest Hurrah!

Futon or bunk Blew it Cracks in volcanos 66 and I-80 — hygiene Japanese soup Bone-dry Jagger’s genre Nymph who pined away Warmonger of myth Clothing Mr. Craven

W EDNES DAY : JA NUA RY 6, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

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Edu Manzano sEEks sEnatE sEat ISAH V. RED Ladies and gentlemen, meet candidate for senator in this year’s elections, Eduardo B. Manzano.

Of course the name is familiar.

It sounds like the person we know in the movies and on television.

Oh, yes! He’s Edu Manzano. And he is gunning this time for a seat in the nation’s bicameral legislature as senator.

Edu met some members of the press weeks before the holidays last year. No, it wasn’t a press conference, just a small get together with his friends in the showbiz press. Yet, Edu obliged to answer a few questions, specifically his reason for seeking a seat in the Senate.

The TV actor/ host was forthright in his answers. “I want to be of service to the country and the people. I am not new to politics and after spending time in the private sector as a businessman and actor/TV host on the side, I felt the urge that I can be useful in the public sector,” he said.

Edu Manzano was Chairman of the Optical Media Board and up until today he feels bad that the agency doesn’t seem to have a leader that can fight the resurging piracy of films. TV shows, and music, not to mention computer software.

“I am just hoping President (Benigno) Aquino appoints someone to head the agency as pirates have become even more daring these days, copying illegally certain shows (like the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight,” he said.

His successor in the agency, Ronnie Ricketts, has resigned after filing his certificate of candidacy to

Actor and Former Optical Media Board chairman Edu Manzano joins Senate race under Grace Poe’s ticket

run for congress in Muntinlupa.

Last year, the Office of the Ombudsman has filed a case of graft against Ricketts for allegedly allowing the pull out of seized pirated DVDs that would have served as evidence against suspected counterfeiters.

Manzano is optimistic the case will prosper.

As a candidate for this year’s elections, he is aligned with the party of Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero.

“I am going to advance the interests of the family,” he said, “if elected to the senate. The family is the most important aspect in building a strong society. It’s where everything begins – values and morals of everyone. That’s why we need to strengthen the

core of our society.”

HHHHH Rocky MaRciano biopic Jeremy Renner will star in a biopic about boxer Rocky Marciano.

Undefeated: The Rocky Marciano Story is produced by Morris S. Levy, and written by Samuel Franco and Evan Kilgore.

Levy is seeking a director. His Mega Films own the rights to the life story, as told by his younger brother Lou Marciano.

It will be the first authorized biopic on Marciano’s life and will follow him from childhood to his 1969 death in a plane crash. Marciano remains the only heavyweight champion to retire from his professional career undefeated 49-0.

Best known for his relentless

Rocky Marciano and Jeremy Renner

style, Marciano held the heavyweight crown from 1952 to 1956, and defended his title against Jersey Joe Walcott, Roland La Starza, Ezzard Charles, Don Cockell and Archie Moore before retiring at the age of 32.

Renner was last seen in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and he will reprise his role as Hawkeye in Captain America: Civil War in May. Levy’s credits include Seduced and Abandoned and the series Cop Show.

PhiliPPines wins last 2015 international beauty title

by Eton b. concEpcion

There was no fiasco, no mishap and no horrible mistake, only colorful fireworks greeted the announcement of the winner of the last international beauty title for the year 2015. Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia-Pacific International Leren Mae Bautista bested 56 beauties from all parts of the globe for the title of Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International 2015/2016 during the finals held at Putrajaya Marriot Hotel Grand Ballroom in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Dec. 31.

The angelic and be-dimpled beauty from Los Baños, Laguna became the third Filipina to earn the distinction of being crowned on New Year’s Eve after Angeli Dione Gomez in 2013/14 and the late Rizzini Alexis Gomez in 2012/13 when the pair completed a back-to-back victory at the Miss Tourism International pageant also held in Kuala Lumpur.

Bautista, a 23-year-old, 5-foot9, model and marketing management graduate at Colegio de San

Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia-Pacific International 2015 Leren Mae Bautista wins the Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on New Year’s Eve.

Juan de Letran, also won a subsidiary title as Miss KL SOGO Trendsetter.

Miss Uganda Sheila Kirabo was named Miss Tourism Metropolitan International 2015/16 while Miss Lithuania Irmina Presegalaviciute won as Miss Tourism Glob-

al International 2015/16. Miss Iceland Tanja Yr Asthorstoddir took the title Miss Tourism Cosmopolitan International 2015/16 and Miss India Chandni Sharma won as Dreamgirl of the Year International 2015/16.

Top 12 finalists also included the

contestants from China, Malaysia, Mongolia, Belarus, Bolivia, Portugal and Dominican Republic. Other subsidiary awardees were Miss Focus Point Dazzling and Miss Tropicana Lifestyle for Iceland’s Asthorstoddir, Miss IDCC Congeniality for Mongolia’s Battsetseg

Turbat, Miss GINTELL Wellness for India’s Sharma, Most Creative Selfie for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Iman Karovic and Miss Joyful KLIA for Uganda’s Kirabo.

Miss Malaysia Janet Fabian was named Miss Friendship while Miss Sweden Olivia Sophia Elisabeth Asplund was Best in Talent.

Miss Indonesia Delvia Wirajaya won Best in National Costume and Miss Thailand won the social media contest.

The Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International, formerly known as Queen of the Year International, together with the Miss Tourism International pageant, organized by D’Touch International, under its president, Tan Sri Datuk Danny Ooi, also owns the Miss Malaysia Asia Pacific, Miss South East Asia, Miss Queen of Asia, Miss Malaysia Pageant, Miss Malaysia Queen of the Year and Miss Malaysia Tourism pageants which aim to help realize the dreams of ordinary people.