The Standard - 2016 January 07 - Thursday

VOL. XXIX NO. 329 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 THURSday : JaNUaRy 7, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

DoTC boss should also be sued for MRT mess

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‘NO MORE PROBES’ PNoy’s House allies reject SAF 44 quiz resumption

By Maricel V. cruz and Sandy araneta

CONGRESSIONAL allies of President Benigno Aquino III rejected Wednesday the reopening of the investigation of the Mamasapano debacle in which 44 police commandos were killed in a covert operation authorized by the Palace, calling it a waste of time and a political gimmick

Reps. Jerry Trenas of Iloilo and Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela said there is very little time left for lawmakers before the May elections and the closing of the 16th Congress in June, so it was better for both the House and the Senate to stay focused on their legislative function.

Trenas said that this move to resurrect the issue is obviously a

ploy to discredit the Aquino administration and weaken the President’s chosen candidates.

“Stop flogging a dead horse.

We have to move on and let the lessons of Mamasapano guide us for the future. Re-opening this Mamasapano issue for the purpose of politicking is the highest form of disrespect and dishonor on the memories of our fallen po-

licemen,” Trenas, vice chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, said.

Trenas said that Congress is not a judicial body and all of its investigations are only for the purpose of creating legislation that may prevent incidents like the Mamasapano encounter from happening in the future.

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Still Gulf-bound. Filipino workers still leave for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states for work by the hundreds each day at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. eric apolonio

Trillanes: VP better choice than Duterte

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Tension in Gulf triggers fears for OFWs

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan, Maricel V. cruz and Sandy araneta THE worsening row between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iran has triggered fears for the safety of Filipino workers in the Middle East but the Palace said it was monitoring the situation closely.

“We are worried and preoccupied with the tense and threatening situation between KSA and Iran,” said Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos, chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People at the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

“We pray for peace there. We hope for stability and security in the Middle

East, and security of our [workers] in those countries,” Santos said.

Santos’ statement came after Saudi Arabia announced that it will reduce its reliance on migrant workers by recruiting only highly technical workers and monitoring investments, a move that would affect more than one million Filipinos who live and work in the Next page kingdom.

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T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

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Vitangcol: Abaya should face raps for MRT mess

By John Paolo Bencito

THE former general manager of the Metro Rail Transit-3 said Wednesday that Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya should be charged alongside him for approving questionable maintenance contracts for the commuter train system.

At a media forum, former MRT-3 chief Al Vitangcol also said some people whom he refused to name had tried to silence him after he had been hung out to dry.

“The one accountable for that contract is the one who awarded and signed that contract. If I’m the only one who signed the contract, then I’m accountable,” Vitangcol told reporters in Club Filipino.

“But if my signature was the only one in that contract—would that contract push through?

No. But who were the other ones who approved, signed and awarded that contract? I was never the approving authority.”

Vitangcol also accused the Ombudsman of pursuing a selective justice, after 20 of the 21 respondents—including Abaya—were dropped from the case.

“The final approval came from Abaya,” Vitangcol said, noting that the Transportation secretary had signed the contract and renewed it several times. “That’s the big question mark here. Why [isn’t he] even implicated here?

That’s for the Ombudsman to explain.”

The Ombudsman charged Vitangcol and five incorporators of the Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corp. with graft for an interim maintenance contract worth $1.15 million a month that was approved without public bidding on Oct. 20, 2012. The contract was renewed three times, until Sept. 4, 2013.

The Ombudsman cleared Abaya, who signed the maintenance contract, because he had only been days on the job at the Department of Transportation and Communications when the deal was approved.

Abaya, in his defense, earlier claimed he was not aware of irregularities in the contract, saying he merely relied on the recommendations of the MRT Bids and Awards Committee.

The Ombudsman had earlier said that the accused former MRT chief used his power and authority, as the MRT’s general manager, chief end-user, head of the negotiating team and

‘No more...

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“Clearly, the purpose of this move to reopen the Mamasapano issue on the basis of alleged new evidence related to the incident is nothing more than a political gimmickry. They want to squeeze this issue dry and pin down the Aquino administration,” Trenas said.

Albano agreed that reopening any case in the event of a new evidence is the work of judicial bodies and not Congress.

“We should keep focused on our legislative work. We may not have the luxury of time to attend to reopening of investigations on issues such as the Mamasapano,” Albano said.

Trenas tagged as “overacting” the effort to reopen the Mamasapano probe.

“Instead of re-opening a Senate probe on this Mamasapano raid, Congress should already start crafting measures that provides more government support for policemen and soldiers who are killed in the line of duty,” Trenas said.

One measure that should be passed is a proposal that would increase the combat pay of uniformed personnel and salaries for soldiers and policemen who are assigned in high-risk areas, Trenas said.

BAC member all rolled into one, “to dictate the proponents invited for the preliminary negotiations” of the maintenance services, and “intentionally hid his relationship with [Andres] Soriano, [Vitangcol’s brother-in-law] which would have automatically disqualified PH Trams.”

At the forum, Vitangcol said his lawyer had met with certain unnamed “emissaries,” who told him to “stay silent and that things would be fixed.”

Instead, he was hung out to dry to silence critics of the administration.

“I’m the sacrificial lamb here,” he said.

Vitangcol added that he tried reaching his former bosses—former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, who was his boss at the Senate, and Abaya, but to no avail.

“They never talked to me,” he sad. “I tried reaching out to them but they never talked to me.”

Vitangcol denied using his position to benefit PH Trans, even though his brother-in-law was on the company’s board.

He also said he had no authority or power to dictate who would be the maintenance service provider, since the DoTC had jurisdiction of this, with the MRT-3 management handling only local bids of up to P5 million.

“How can it be possible for me to direct the award when it came from a very long process?”

Vitangcol said. “Does the Ombudsman’s decision mean that I talked to every person in DoTC just to approve that award?”

“In the first place, the responsibility for the procurement of the services for technical maintenance of MRT-3 is with the DoTC. It is not with the Office of the General Manager of MRT-3,” he said.

Vitangcol maintained he did nothing wrong in choosing a negotiated contract as “an emergency measure.”

“In the contract itself, there’s nothing wrong.

It’s above board because there was an emergency during that time. The contract would expire in two weeks so we need to engage with somebody, and that’s the best thing that we could do at that time,” he said.

He said the government has done the same thing now by signing a negotiated contract with a Korean-Filipino consortium to maintain the MRT system.

Vitangcol said while he maintained his silence, he finally decided to speak up because of the unfair treatment he was receiving and its effect on his family.

“My cases have been moving very fast.

There’s really an unseen hand in all of these cases,” Vitangcol said.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division said in

December that they found probable cause to try Vitangcol for graft. The anti-graft body issued a hold departure order and a warrant of arrest all at the same time, Vitangcol said.

“There are many cases in the Ombudsman or at the Sandiganbayan but why are my case moving very fast? Is this just to make it appear that their so-called enemies are getting [prosecuted]?”

Presidential candidate and Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday urged President Benigno Aquino III to sack Abaya for “incompetence and shortsightedness.”

“I urge the good President not to wait for Abaya to resign but to replace him immediately,” Poe said in a statement.

She branded as “an eternity to our riding public” the remaining five months that Abaya would stay in his position if the President would not remove him.

“We have endured more than three years of Abaya’s incompetence and shortsightedness,” said Poe, who led a Senate inquiry into the problems at the MRT. Earlier, Poe had questioned the Ombudsman’s decision to leave Abaya out of the charge sheet for graft over the PH Trans contracts.

“The safety of the riding public is of utmost importance. The reliability of public transportation should be a priority,” Poe said, saying there were major problems waiting to happen at the MRT-3.

Under Abaya’s watch, she added, 23 domestic airports were identified by Worldairportcodes. com as substandard.

Out of 144 countries, the Philippines ranked 108th in terms of air transport infrastructure, according to the 2014 Global Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum, she added.

“Our airports, notorious for their substandard facilities, need a major lift,” Poe said.

Meanwhile, a German-Filipino joint venture filed a graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against executives at the DoTC over the non-payment of its service contract.

Schunk Bahn UND-Industrietechnik GMBHComm Builders and Technology Phils. Corp. said in its complaint that the DoTC withheld payment from them but not other suppliers for services rendered and products delivered.

MRT-3 general manager Roman Buenafe, Transport Undersecretary for Operations Edwin Lopez, and MRT-3 engineers Misael Narca, Arthuro Din and Daniel Barrera were named respondents.

SBI-CB&T was responsible for the upkeep of the MRT-3’s trains, signaling system, and depot equipment. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. added that reopening the Mamasapano probe in Congress would “adversely affect” the criminal cases filed against those responsible for the massacre.

“The reopening of the Mamasapano probe will only create confusion among the public.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate had already conducted extensive investigations into the matter then,” Barzaga said, adding that the Senate had already made its findings public.

Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz shared a similar view.

“The reopening will only exacerbate the situation as we will again be treated to the same old tricks,” he said, adding that it was another opportunity for cover-ups.

Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano welcomed a reopening of the investigation, but said the timing was suspect because the elections were drawing near.

“We cannot really hide the fact that the reopening of the investigation on the Mamasapano incident will have political implications because of the May elections,” Alejano said.

The Palace on Wednesday declined to comment on moves to reopen the Mamasapano investigation, saying only that it was the prerogative belonged to Congress.

“The decision to open it is clearly a legislative decision.... We do not wish to impute any motivation on the reopening,” said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs chaired by presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe has set the re-opening of the Mamasapano inquiry on Jan. 25, the first anniversary of the massacre of 44 commandos of the Special Action Force by Muslim rebels in Maguindanao.

Critics said this was Poe’s way of getting even with the administration, which she accuses of being behind the disqualification cases filed against her.

“Senator Grace Poe already has a report made, but this has not been voted on yet on the floor of the Senate. So we do not wish to impute any motivation in this,” Lacierda added.

Lacierda also said they do not know what Senator Juan Ponce Enrile was talking about when he mentioned new evidence about the massacre.

“There’s nothing that we can comment right now until the investigation has been reopened,” he said, adding that the concerns about assistance for the SAF 44 have all been addressed.

“For privacy concerns, we do not wish to [make public the help given to them],” he said.

Tension...

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The plan comes amid the continuing drop in the prices of oil, the main source of income and livelihood for Saudi Arabia, and the growing tension between the Saudis and the Iranians, after the Saudis executed an influential Shiite cleric who was critical of the royal family.

Shortly after the execution, Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran was ransacked. In response, Saudi Arabia immediately cut its diplomatic ties with Iran.

Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran are major rivals for power in the Middle East and back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

President Benigno Aquino III ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs to closely monitor the situation and to put contingency measures in place.

“Measures are being updated, fleshed out and finalized by concerned agencies,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said. “Government’s top priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of Filipinos.”

Senatorial candidate Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said the contingency plans should include alternative livelihood for an estimated 2.2-million Filipinos working in the Middle East, in case the situation worsens.

Romualdez said the Foreign Affairs and Labor departments should move ahead in planning the safety and alternative livelihood of OFWs should the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran escalate.

He said the successful repatriation of workers from Syria, Lebanon, Libya and Iraq could be used as a template to ensure the safety of Filipinos in Saudi Arabia and Iran.

“We need to plan ahead and effect the swift and free mass repatriation of OFWs in Saudi Arabia and Iran. We don’t want to be sound alarmist, but we should work on ensuring their safety,” Romualdez said.

“The government has a template for repatriation that it used in war-torn countries before. The Department of Labor and Employment should also map out plans on possible alternative sources of income for OFWs who might be affected,” he added.

Data from the Foreign Affairs Department shows that there are some 800,000 Filipinos working in Saudi Arabia and 4,000 in Iran.

There are about 2.2-million Filipinos working in the entire Middle East.

The department said Wednesday the government is prepared to respond to any eventuality arising from the tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but said there was no plan to raise the alert level in Saudi Arabia or impose a ban on the further deployment of workers there.

“There was no indication of danger for Filipinos based in Iran and Saudi Arabia. However, our embassies and consulates are ready to extend assistance to the OFWs and will use the government resources to ensure their safety,” said department spokesman Charles Jose.

He advised Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia and Iran to take precautionary measures, such as avoiding crowded areas where a terror attack might take place.

John Leonard Monterona, coordinator of Migrante-Middle East, said there have so far been no huge demonstrations that might undermine the peace and order situation in Saudi Arabia.

But he said the government should keep an eye on the Saudi-Iran rift and consider readying its evacuation and emergency plans to secure the safety of Filipinos in the region.

The Department of Labor and Employment, on the other hand, said the new Saudi policy would affect only “a minimal number” of Filipino workers.

The announcement, made by Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf, came amid the continuing drop in the prices of oil, the main source of income for Saud Arabia.

Labor Secretary Rosalida Baldoz said the policy would not affect most Filipinos who are the mostly highly skilled.

Baldoz added that the reason Saudi Arabia opted for the nationalization of its workforce was to avoid social unrest now being experienced by some Middle East countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Libya. With Vito Barcelo

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

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Bohol quake victims still waiting THE Interior Department has implemented only 12 out of 1,079 rehabilitation projects intended for the areas devastated by the magnitude 7.2 Bohol earthquake in 2013, the Commission on Audit says in its 2014 audit report.

“Of the 1,079 projects with [a] fund allocation of P2.413 billion, only 12 with a total cost of P3.139 million were completed as of Dec. 31, 2014,” the commission said in the report it released on Dec. 29 last year.

In its defense, the Interior Department said it had been able to implement 551 projects out of the 1,079 as of the fourth quarter last year.

Lyn Ilaya, head of the Bohol Earthquake Assistance Project Development Services, said there were 297 ongoing projects for completion while 139 others were still undergoing the procurement process.

The Interior Department was the lead implementing agency of the Bohol Earthquake Assistance fund, but state auditors blamed the provincial government of Bohol for the delays in the rehabilitation projects, saying it was responsible for downloading funds to the affected municipalities.

The funds were supposed to be used for the construction or repair of the municipal halls (P789.05 million), public markets (P419.39 million), barangay facilities (P380.99 million), water supply (P22.11 million), bridges (P269.19 million) and civic centers (P232.61 million).

However, state auditors noted that only P359.504 million had been released to the local government units as of Dec. 31, 2014, 14 months after the earthquake.

The Audit Commission also criticized the Interior Department, then led by Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II, for “failing to remit to the National Treasury more than P10 million in collections and unutilized funds” in 2014 despite Executive Order 338 asking all government agencies to “immediately transfer all public monies deposited with authorized government depository banks and other institutions to the [National Treasury] regardless of source.”

The commission recommended that the DILG remit to the Treasury all unused balances and to “stop the practice of utilizing collections without prior authority from higher authorities.”

The agency said that five DILG regional offices failed to remit collections and unused funds with the Treasury including Region I with P1,950,578.55; Region VII, P15,000; Region VIII, P20,000; Region XI, P5,412,586.27; and Region XIII, P3,582,530.06. John Paolo Bencito

Be warned. Notices at the gates of Quiapo Church on Wednesday warn the Catholic faithful against killing or voting for corrupt candidates, among other things. Danny Pata

Consolidation of Poe’s cases opposed TWO petitioners who sought the disqualification of Senator Grace Poe from the presidential race have asked the Supreme Court to deny her plea to consolidate the disqualification cases filed against her at the Senate Electoral Tribunal and the Commission on Elections.

In separate pleadings filed Wednesday, Rizalito David, who initiated the disqualification case against Poe in the SET, and Antonio Contreras, who sought her exclusion before the Comelec, opposed Poe’s plea to consolidate their separate cases.

They filed their pleas even as former Senator Francisco Tatad said Wednesday he remained skepti-

cal about Poe’s eligibility to run for president, adding there were problems with her citizenship and residency.

Tatad earlier filed with the Comelec a disqualification case against Poe on the ground she failed to comply with the 10-year residency requirement. He also argued that Poe was not a natural-born citizen due to her unknown parents.

Tatad told ANC he considered “problematic” Poe’s official adoption by the actress Susan Roces and late actor Fernando Poe Jr. “The adoption was by virtue of an order issued by the municipal court of San Juan in 1974. During that time, the municipal courts had no

jurisdiction over adoption cases, so this is a problem,” Tatad said.

In the House, two lawmakers praised the Office of the Solicitor General for agreeing with the SET ruling that Poe is a natural-born citizen and therefore qualified to run for senator in the 2013 elections.

“The position taken by the OSG, as ably represented by Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, strengthens my faith in the justice system and bolsters my confidence that, in the end, truth will prevail,” Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said in a statement.

House Deputy Minority Leader Silvestre Bello III said the Solicitor General’s decision proved there was an effort to disqualify Poe from

joining the presidential race.

“Obviously, there is a conspiracy to disqualify Senator Poe, and who the conspirators are is very obvious,” Bello said.

David said the SET and the Comelec cases involved “different parties and originated from different electoral tribunals,” and therefore should not be consolidated.

Contreras also objected to Poe’s plea to consolidate the cases.

Earlier, the Comelec asked the high court for more time to answer Poe’s petitions questioning its decisions last month disqualifying her from the presidential elections in May. Rey E. Requejo, Macon Ramos-araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

Trillanes prefers Binay over Davao City mayor

For your information. Health Secretary Janette Garin tells a weekly

forum in Manila that the vaccine against dengue that would be available soon will be expensive. Danny Pata

SENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV said Wednesday the country would be better off with Vice President Jejomar Binay as president than Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who had boasted about personally killing criminals and his enemies.

He told ANC it would be a disaster for the Philippines if Duterte won the presidency in this year’s elections. He made the statement when asked to choose between Davao City’s mayor and Binay, whom Trillanes had been investigating for his alleged corruption.

“I can’t imagine myself saying this, but it’s going to be so much worse [if Duterte became president],” said Trillanes who is running for vice president in May. But he quickly added that choosing Binay over the tough-talking mayor did not mean he would stop questioning Binay’s alleged corruption.

“It doesn’t mean I’m going to turn a blind eye [to] his [Binay’s] ways, because I am 100 percent that he will not change,” Trillanes said.

“If you put a plunderer into the presidency, you don’t expect the guy to be a

saint. Expect him to plunder more.”

Trillanes also said Duterte’s leadership style definitely would not work in the national scale although it might have worked in Davao.

“You don’t run a country like that. There should be a vision, a program of action that you would have to enumerate,” he said.

“You don’t just say ‘I’m going to beat criminals in three to six months. What are you going to do?”

Trillanes said a presidency under administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II would be similar to the Aquino administration.

“A Roxas presidency, I envision, would be more of the same, and if that’s okay with you, then vote for the guy,” he said.

Trillanes, who supports Senator Grace Poe’s presidential bid, is unfazed by the disqualification cases filed against her.

“I believe at some point the Supreme Court will see the light,” he said.

“We’re in a democracy and the vote of the people is sovereign.”

Macon Ramos-araneta

T hurs day : Ja n ua ry 7 , 2 0 1 6

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‘Veloso execution not certain’

By Vito Barcelo

THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said there was no confirmation that convicted drug courier Mary Jane Veloso would be included among the 14 drug convicts who were sentenced to execution this year.

“Mary Jane was indeed given the death sentence for possession of illegal drugs [last year] but her execution was not carried out at the last minute due to Philippine government’s intervention,” Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose said.

“The deferment of MJ’s execution was premised on the understanding that we need her testimony in the case that was filed versus her alleged recruiter,” Jose said, noting that queries to the Indonesian Embassy resulted in negative replies.

“That’s why it’s important that we

press with the case against alleged recruiters. If it can be proven that MJ is innocent and was only a victim. Then we can use that as basis to make another request for clemency,” he added.

Jose made the statement after Indonesia’s National Narcotic Agency handed down the death sentences to 55 drug convicts Jan. 5.

The DFA said 14 of the 55 are now awaiting execution, but their names and nationalities were not released and it remains unclear if Veloso is among them.

But Veloso’s Filipino lawyer, Edre Olalia, said it was unlikely that Veloso would be executed because Jakarta had already granted her a stay of execution on the understanding that the masterminds were already under custody and undergoing trial in the Philippines.

“As far as we know, it is still status quo. [The] Indonesian news refers to a general policy announcement about new executions in general, without naming who are included and who are not,” Olalia said, adding he believes Jakarta’s announcement that executions are not priorities.

Jose agreed and said Indonesia still had a moratorium on execution as it prioritized economic ventures over its strict anti-drugs measures as he emphasized Veloso’s precarious situation.

Concern over the fate of Veloso emerged after the execution of Jo-

selito Zapanta, who was convicted of murder in Saudi Arabia.

But Malacañang said on Wednesday that public concern over the fate of compatriots meted capital punishment abroad was mainly because Vice President Jejomar Binay politicized Zapanta’s execution last Dec. 29 in Saudi Arabia after he was convicted for murder with robbery last 2010.

“We have always stated that this is a team effort and they are now trying to politicize the whole situation. I hope they wouldn’t,” said Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

But the Binay camp denied politicizing Zapanta’s death. Showing deep concern and sympathy to a fallen Filipino is not politicizing the situation. It is called empathy which the government failed to show over and over again, he said Binay’s spokesman Rico Quicho.

Stop the harassment. Leaders of the biggest government employees labor group, the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees, demand an end to what they claim to be harassment of their union members by the military and police. JANSEN ROMERO

PNoy land reform tack ‘deceitful,’ solon says

By Maricel V. Cruz JUST like his deceased mother and former President Corazon Aquino, incumbent President Benigno Aquino is also implementing a “deceitful” land reform program, Anakpawis partylist Rep. Fernando Hicap said Wednesday.

Hicap offered as proof the announcement of the Department of Agrarian Reform that it plans to raffle off an additional 358 hectares in Hacienda Luisita so that the Aquino family can get more money for land that is supposed to be distributed to tenant farmers for free.

Hicap recalled that on Jan. 16, 1986, then President Corazon promised that “land-to-the-tiller must become a reality instead of an empty slogan” and answered affirmative if it would be applied in Hacienda Luisita.

But a year later on Jan. 22, 1987, tens of thousands of farmers were already protesting at the terms of the land reform program and protesters were even violently dispersed, leading to the infamous “Mendiola Massacre.”

On Feb. 9, 2010, Hicap said Corazon’s son Benigno also vowed to distribute Hacienda Luisita to its tenantfarmers by 2014 and Palace spokesperson Edwin Lacierda even said “it’s not just a campaign promise, it’s a matter of principle.”

“It is almost three decades after the Mendiola Massacre, with two Cojuangco presidents, but still Hacienda Luisita is yet to be distributed.

Hence, this raffling off of [certificates of land ownership award] undoubtedly another fraudulent scheme against the farmers,” Hicap said.

Survey: Filipinos still feel and eat poor

By Sandy Araneta MORE than half of Filipino families still believe themselves to be poor with at least a third of them claiming that the food they eat is good only for the poor, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations.

But Malacañang chose to highlight the finding that self-rated poverty decreased by four percent while “food poverty” decreased by two percent. The margin of error for the survey was set at ±3 percent for national averages and ±6 percent for regional averages.

“We acknowledge the latest Social Weather Station Survey on self-rated poverty and self-rated food-poverty showing a decrease in the number of Filipino families who considered themselves as poor and ‘food-poor’ at 50 percent and 33 percent respectively,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.

“We note that the rating for self-rated hunger

is the lowest since 2011 while the rating for selfrated food poverty is two percentage points lower than the 35 percent recorded in September last year,” said Coloma.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, on the other hand, stressed that the same survey showed that President Benigno Aquino III’s approval and trust ratings remains high at 55 percent and 53 percent respectively.

The survey was conducted from Dec. 5 to 8 last year, a few days before the SWS held their voter preference survey which showed Senator Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay in a close fight for the top.

“We welcome the continued high approval ratings of the President,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

“Ordinarily, if you look at the historical surveys on the last term of a president, normally the approval ratings go down,” Lacierda said.

Marcos still. A woman from Quezon City holds up a sign saying ‘Marcos

still’ after vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived at Barangay Tatalon to expound on his program of government if he is elected in the upcoming May election. EY ACASIO

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 5

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DoTC told: Focus on daily ‘jam’

By Sandy Araneta PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III ordered on Wednesday the Department of Transportation and Communications and other agencies to address the “day-to-day” traffic in Metro Manila while the national government works on long-term solutions to the problem.

“The President has tasked the DoTC and other concerned agencies to address day-to-day problems faced by commuters in the NCR,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. DoTC is headed by Secretary Joseph Abaya, an officer of the ruling Liberal Party whose standard bearer in the May presidential elections is Manuel Roxas II, erstwhile chief of DoTC. “Additional transport infrastructure are also being built and planned to provide long-term solutions,” said Coloma.

The performance of all Cabinet members is being assessed continually by the President as Chief Executive, Coloma also said.

President Aquino earlier said his administration is “hard at work” to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

He told earlier an international tripartite group of business and government leaders and members of the academe that the government has invested much in “critical infrastructure” for transportation.

“Critical transport infrastructure like seaports, airports, bus terminals and light rail transport continue to be upgraded, while bigticket projects for transportation systems are in the pipeline. This will not only ensure that the Philippines becomes more competitive, but that the benefits of trade, investment and growth are able to reach even the most far-flung communities of the Philippines,” he said.

Pinned. Medical rescuers pull a student from a school service bus which has been sandwiched by two trailer trucks during an accident along Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday. ANDREW RABULAN

Brace for hotter, drier summer, says Pagasa

By Rio N. Araja

BECAUSE of a strong El Niño phenomenon, the weather bureau has warned of a hotter and drier summer in many parts of Luzon and of a worsening power crisis in Mindanao.

At a news conference, Pagasa’s chief of climate monitoring and prediction Anthony Lucero said a warmer weather is expected to impact in March during the shift of the northeast monsoon (hanging habagat) to southwest monsoon (hanging amihan) than in 2015 .

Many provinces in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao are expected to experience dry condition and a prolonged drought from January until June, Lucero said.

In Metro Manila alone, maximum

temperatures may rise from 35 degrees Celsius to 38.6 degrees Celsius in April and May, while in Tuguegarao City’s temperatures could go up to as high as from 39.66 degrees Celsius to 41.5 degrees Celsius.

“Most areas in Luzon are forecast to have above-normal temperature,” Lucero said.

According to Lucero, by end of January, 20 percent of the country will experience drought to affect 16 provinces, such as Palawan, Albay, Aklan, Antique, South Cotabato and

North Cotabato, while six provinces will be under dry condition and 15 provinces under dry spell.

In February, Metro Manila will be one of the places to feel dry condition, while 28 provinces and 29 others are forecast to experience dry spell and drought, respectively.

The National Capital Region is also among the 44 places to experience continued dry spell with only Batanes and Quirino under dry spell and 34 provinces under drought.

At least 12 provinces, such as Benguet, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Batanes, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Rizal and Quezon, will have dry spell in April, and 68 provinces, including Metro Manila will feel the scorching heat of drought.

In May, the metro, along with Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, La-

guna, Nueva Ecija and Bataan, is also one of the 34 areas to feel the summer’s drought.

“Forty-two percent of the country will experience drought,” Lucero said.

In June, 22 percent of the country, such as in Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan, Bataan, Batangas and Cavite, will still suffer from drought.

The NCR is spared, according to Pagasa.

A dry condition is characterized by two consecutive months of belownormal reduction of rainfall condition of 21 percent to 60 percent, while a dry spell must meet the requirement of having three consecutive months of below-normal reduction of 21 percent to 60 percent.

Drought means a below-normal rainfall reduction of over 60 percent for three consecutive months.

800 cops pull out of VIP duty

By Francisco Tuyay

On tourism. Senatorial candidate Rep. Martin Romualdez (right) exchanges views with Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto on how to boost the tourism industry in Bohol during a courtesy call on the provincial leader. VER NOVENO

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

AT LEAST 800 policemen assigned as bodyguards of politicians have been recalled by the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame as the election period has officially begun.

The PNP’s Police Security Protection Group based in Camp Camp Crame has been advised to disengage from their duties as bodyguards of politicians.

PSPG Chief Supt Alfred Corpuz sent orders last Dec. 10, 2015 informing the protectees or Very Im-

portant Persons of the recall starting on Jan. 9, 2016.

Corpuz said the recall order includes candidates for the 2016 elections or his/her immediate family members with the second degree of consanguinity or affinity.

The recall order includes incumbent public officials, whether elected or appointed and all private individuals.

Directly affected by the order are Vice Governors down to local executives while Governors and ranking officials in government will have

to reapply for renewed deployment of PNP personnel as their security aide, Corpuz said.

PNP security to members of the Judiciary will remain in their posts.

Due to the recall, politicians will have to hire civilians security agents from duly accredited private Security agencies to serve as their protective aides.

The recalled PNP protective personnel will have to undergo refresher training preparatory to sending them to various field assignments in time for election or patrol duties, Corpuz said.

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

A6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

High court issues TRO for Customs

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has restrained the Manila City Regional Trial Court from stopping the Bureau of Customs from canceling the award of the P650million contract to the joint venture of Omniprime Marketing Inc. and Intrasoft International Inc. for the agency’s computerization project.

In a two-page resolution, the SC’s Second Division chaired by Associate Justice Antonio Carpio granted the appeal of the BOC for the issuance of TRO enjoining Presiding Judge Paulino Q. Gallegos of Manila City RTC, Branch 47, from enforcing its Aug. 24, 2015 order enjoining the bureau from proceeding with the cancellation of the contract award.

The TRO will take effect immediately and continuing until further orders, the high court said.

The high court also directed Omniprime and Intrasoft to comment

on the petition filed by BoC and the Department of Budget and Management within 10 days.

The SC acted on the petition filed

by Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina and DBM Procurement Service executive director Jose Tomas Syquia assailing the injunction issued by the Manila court.

The injunction enjoined Lina and Syquia from implementing the former’s May 6, 2015 letter aborting the competitive bidding for the computerization program and the May 7, 2015 cancellation issued by Syquia.

The RTC also ordered the BoC and the DBM to continue with the remaining procurement process of signing the contract and to issue to Omniprime the notice to proceed with the project.

The lower court also enjoined the respondents from conducting another bidding to replace the present customs systems, which is the subject matter of the case.

Petitioner’s right to be awarded with the project is already clear and present, were it not for the cancellation and with absence of the grounds provided for by law,” the order stated.

The trial court found meritorious Omniprime’s petition for injunctive relief as its rights as a bidder “appear, from the evidence presented” by both parties, to have been “unduly and unfairly violated” by the sudden cancellation of the procurement process for the PNSW 2 project, which is part of Customs’ modern integrated enhanced customs processing system.

Omniprime sought redress before the trial court to stop Lina’s decision to cancel

the contract, which it said, has been successfully bidded out by the DBM. Lawyer Harry Roque, counsel for Omniprime, claimed that “one of the five losing bidders in the project, E-Konek, is a company where Lina has a 96.48-percent stake.

Annabelle Margaroli, president of mobile IT solutions provider Omni Prime Marketing Inc., had also lodged a plunder complaint against Lina, former Customs commissioner Guillermo Parayno Jr. and former deputy commissioner Primo Aguas for conflict of interest for arbitrarily voiding the contract which had been approved during the term of former Customs commissioner John Sevilla.

The IECPS is composed of two consolidated computer programs necessary for the Asean integration.

The integrated system along with a national single window is seen as the solution to address smuggling in the Philippines.

It establishes a central database system that tracks in real time all customs

procedures nationwide. It aims to be a fully electronic, paperless and human contact-free system of recording and monitoring customs transactions.

The NSW consolidates relevant services from all government agencies involved in customs procedures using international standards.

On the other hand, Asean member-states have agreed on a common window system to fast-track cargo clearance as they move towards regional integration.

The system complies to international open communication standards while ensuring that each of the member-countries can exchange data securely and reliably with any trading partners that use international open standards.

Lina, however, voided this two weeks after he took office last April 2015, replacing former BoC Commissioner John Sevilla.

Lina stated that he nullified the contract because he wanted to review all projects of the BoC.

Manila City Hall crewmen install CCTVs (left panel) on Quirino Grandstand as part of security preparations for the Feast of the Black Nazarene while vendors dismantle their stalls along Carlos Palanca Street in Quiapo to make way for the religious procession on Saturday. DANNY PATA

Keep Nazarene event trash-free, group urges

By Joel E. Zurbano

6m elderly/PWDs unaware of voting places—poll body

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan OUT of the six-million people with disabilities and senior citizens, only 209,000 of them have expressed their intention to vote at the accessible polling places on Election Day, the Commission on Elections said on Wednesday.

Comelec chairman Andres Bautista said the small number may be due to their lack of awareness that they needed to declare their preference during the registration period.

“It is possible that they did not know that they needed to tick the box in the application form,” Bautista explained.

“At the end of the day, we

are doing everything we can so that no voter is left behind.

Our role as a poll management body is to always find ways to increase enfranchisement. Our primary client is always the voters,” the poll chief said.

After having listed down all seniors and PWDs in every precincts, the Comelec will now inform them to avail of the accessible polling places.

Bautista said the poll body is planning to transfer those with high number of PWDs and senior citizens to shopping malls adjacent to their polling precincts and designating voting rooms at the ground floors of voting centers.

“We can’t fix all the problems overnight. Efforts have

been under way since 2008 and it’s a continuous process,” Bautista, who is an advocate of mall voting, said.

Since he assumed office, Bautista secured the support of several mall chains in installing voting centers to replace the adjacent or nearby polling precincts.

So far, the Fisher Mall has backed out from the deal explaining that its owners are involved with a partylist that will run in the elections.

Bautista also said that they are also coordinating with the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works and Highways in ensuring the availability of APPs in public schools that will be designated as voting centers.

THE Ecowaste Coalition on Wednesday appealed for a trash-free observance of the “Traslacion” of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila on Saturday.

The group came up with the appeal following the issuance of the encyclical letter “Laudato Si” by Pope Francis wherein he deplored the unrestrained pollution of Mother Earth and challenged everyone “to protect our common home.”

“Let not the creeping throw away culture that Pope Francis has repeatedly denounced disgrace anew our age-old devotion to the Black Nazarene,” said Ecowaste coordinator Aileen Lucero.

“We expect the faithful to heed the papal call for ‘ecological conversion’ and display such changeover by making this year’s ‘Traslacion’ trash-free. Let it not be said that the faithful came in hordes to glorify the Black Nazarene but turned Luneta and Quiapo, to borrow a phrase from the Laudato Si, into an ‘immense pile of filth’,” she emphasized.

The group noted that the garbage generated from the commemorative event that draws millions of Black Nazarene devotees has been increasing through the years.

Citing government data, 336 tons of

garbage in 2014 and 413 tons in 2015 were collected along the processional trail from Rizal Park to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, popularly known as the Quiapo Church.

The Metro Manila Development Authority expects truckloads of trash to be collected after the celebration.

Most of the waste materials collected are plastic bottles, “ice tubig” (water inside the plastic), candy, disposable plates, biscuit, and wafer wrappers, crumpled plastic bag and some spoiled food.

MMDA also opted not to require its 1,680 personnel manning the Quiapo procession to wear adult diapers.

Last year, MMDA purchased P120,000 worth of diapers but only about 300 of its personnel wore the sanitary pads.

Ecowaste also cautioned national and local politicians from taking advantage of the Black Nazarene feast as a vehicle for their political campaign.

“We ask all politicos not to engage in ‘tarpaulitics’ and to keep Plaza Miranda and the processional route tarpaulinfree,” said Lucero.

They described ‘Tarpaulitics’ as the shameless use of tarpaulins to publicize the faces and names of politicians for the purpose of establishing familiarity and support among the voters.

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

PopCom says informed choice key to RH success

Indigent students become college scholars

By Mel Caspe

THE Commission on Population in Eastern Visayas emphasizes informed choice and voluntarism to ensure quality in the delivery of Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning programs and services, an official said.

By A. Perez Rimando PAGADIAN CITY—Some 400 poor but deserving college students belong to the Indigenous Peoples from the Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan and TawiTawi have been given scholarships for the second semester under the Educational Assistance Program of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, a tribal official said.

Abdurasid Buddick, Regional EAP Focal Person, told media the scholars—who belong to the Subanen, Yakan, Kalibugan, Sama Bangingi, and Badjao tribes—were selected by an NCIP Educational Task Force.

The criteria were family income, academic excellence and performance during the interview.

Buddick said 350 of the scholar beneficiaries would receive P10,000 educational assistance every semester and are required to maintain a weighted average grade of at least 80 percent.

The remaining 50, classified under the merit-based full scholarship, would receive P25,000 each per semester and must keep a weighted average grade of at least 85 percent.

These scholars, he said, are currently enrolled in Higher Education Institutions near their respective areas taking up four-year bachelor degree programs, such as Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, Bachelor of Science in Social Welfare, Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Criminology, among others.

Raising a child. A baby is lifted into a truck in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat where citizens fear an-

other round of attacks from members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, believed to have links with ISIS. MARK NAVALES

PopCom-8 Regional Director Elnora R. Pulma said this is part of the government’s reproductive health agenda and as espoused in the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012.

These are the subjects in a training of trainors held this week in Tacloban City. PopCom has partnered with the Department of Health and VisayasHealth-EngenderHealth for the activity.

Pulma added that the training will enable population workers all over the region in helping clients make voluntary and informed choices.

These will be based on accurate, balanced and complete information through appropriate counseling.

DOH Administrative Order 20110005 defines ICV as a standard in the delivery of family planning services, ensuring that clients freely make their own decision based on accurate and complete information on a broad range of available modern family planning methods, and not by any special inducements or forms of coercion or misinterpretation.

Pulma also stressed that the implementation of ICV was highlighted in the implementing rules and regulation of the RH Law. “Healthcare providers are responsible for ensuring that an FP client makes a voluntary and informed choice,” she said.

She added that the quality of care in FP requires that the rights of FP clients are safeguarded by service providers at all times.

Irrigation agency suspends Mountain Province project

By Dexter A. See PARACELIS, Mountain Province—The Cordillera office of the National Irrigation Administration disclosed the planned construction of a P2-billion irrigation project in Barangay Botigue that would provide sufficient irrigation to over 1,000 hectares of agricultural farms was temporarily shelved following the failure of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to issue the required certificate of pre-condition for the noble government project.

John Socalo, NIA-CAR regional irrigation manager, said the multi-billion irri-

gation project would have provided the long-overdue needs of some 300 to 500 farmers in four barangays for sustainable irrigation water that would boost their productivity and increase their income from farming once the project shall have been completed through the initiative of the NIA. “We cannot understand why it is taking the NCIP a lot of time to issue the required certificate of precondition for our irrigation project when directly and indirectly affected indigenous peoples have already gave their consent for the realization of the project through the previous conduct of the free and prior

informed consent process required under Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act,” Socalo said.

The NIA-CAR official admitted that both the NIA and the NCIP agreed to remove the provision in the agreement with the indigenous peoples that contractors of the irrigation project will put up the required bond prior to the construction period considering that the implementing agency has no separate budget for such purpose and that the posting of such bond was never part of the agreements with other indigenous cultural communities in other provinces in the region.

Look, ma! A mother and her daughter look at a chapel made of stone and mortar built by residents of Tawang, La Trinidad, Benguet. DAVID CHAN

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

DUTY CALLS FLORENCIO FIANZA

NATURALBORN

[ EDI TORI A L ]

ROAD TO UNINHABITABILITY AN OFFICIAL of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines has made the dire prediction that Metro Manila may become uninhabitable within four years given the worsening rate of the traffic situation here.

The chamber’s senior advisor, John Forbes, told another newspaper that this could happen if roads and other infrastructure are not upgraded to catch up with growing number of privately owned cars in the metro.

In 2010, 168,000 units were sold. In 2014, there were 269,000 units. This year, experts say new car sales could reach 350,000 units. Forbes sees new car sales reaching 500,000 a year by 2020.

He did acknowledge that some roads were being improved across the country. The National Capital Region, however, needs more roads, given the projected surge in vehicle sales in the next few years.

Reacting to Forbes’ statement, Palace spokesman Herminio Coloma Jr. said the administration is determined to do what it takes to respond to the needs of the residents of the NCR and nearby areas. Coloma also cited the Metro Manila Dream Plan—a roadmap for transport infrastructure.

The document was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority board in June 2014.

Coloma added that the roadmap seeks to: solve traffic congestion; prevent households from living in hazardous conditions; remove barriers for seamless mobility; eliminate the excessive cost burden for low-income groups; and prevent air pollution.

We wonder, however, how this administration, in its last few months in office, would be able to implement such a plan—with lofty targets, no less— when it should have begun with the work right after it took office?

But no—our leaders were in denial for a long time. In fact, President Aquino said traffic was an indicator of progress. His transport secretary dismissed the public’s woes as not fatal.

Only when the public outrage was so great that the palace admitted to the problem, finally.

Unfortunately, as a result of this belated enlightenment, the measures that should have been put in place years ago are only being contemplated today, when it is too late to accomplish anything beyond the superficial.

The good news is that, assuming Forbes knows much more than the rest of us, there are still four years between now and 2020. A new administration will be in power then. Our role as citizens is to be vociferous, and constantly—watching whether long-term traffic solutions like infrastructure development are being implemented, and calling our officials out when we see them still slacking off.

REOPENING THE WOUND LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES

BY ALL means, the investigation of the Mamasapano massacre should resume. Even if no new evidence is unearthed, the Senate must continue looking into what happened on that blackest of days of this most insensitive, thoroughly incompetent government.

I guess I must thank Senator Juan Ponce Enrile for being indisposed when the massacre of 44 elite commandos of the

PNP Special Action Force happened on this month last year. Enrile was arrested and placed under hospital arrest in 2014, preventing him from participating in the Senate investigation called by Senator Grace Poe that found President Noynoy Aquino “ultimately responsible” for the horrific tragedy.

Now the Senate, upon Enrile’s instigation, has scheduled the reopening of the investigation of Poe’s committee on public order a year after the massacre took place. If only because it will force people to remember what happened in that lonely

cornfield by the river in Maguindanao, I applaud Enrile’s insistence on picking at a wound that never fully healed.

You simply don’t hear people talk about the SAF 44 anymore, even if it’s been only a year since they were brutally killed by a rebel force that included the Aquino government’s “peace partners” in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. You never hear anymore about how the commandos were left to fend for themselves, with no air and artillery cover, as they were set upon by a superior number of enemies from all sides, in a whole-day assault directed by

Malacañang should be the last party to insinuate that politics is behind the reopening of the Mamasapano investigation.

A9

a suspended general who had no business leading a covert police operation, never mind if he was directly reporting to the Commander-in-Chief.

But we have always been a people with absurdly short memories, especially when it comes to tragic events. We quickly forget even the most horrifying of tragedies—and our leaders, who stand to benefit from our forgetfulness, do everything in their power to make us “move on.”

How many, after all, still remember the killing of 58 people, including 34 journalists, in 2009, also in Maguindanao? The cases filed against the perpetrators of the so-called Ampatuan Massacre

are still being heard in the courts, with no decision in sight nearly seven years since the carnage took place.

Even continuing tragedies like the devastation caused by super Typhoon “Yolanda” two years ago are eventually forgotten, felt only by those who still try to pick up the pieces of their lives in the aftermath. The victims of the most recent destructive typhoon, renamed “Nona” in order to “spare the President embarrassment” because the original name sounded like Aquino’s, will also soon be remembered no longer

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-

—which is just how the government likes it. *** Malacañang has voiced no opposition to the reopening of the Senate probe of the massacre, even if it expressed the hope that the senators who will conduct it should not have any motivation for doing so other than uncovering the truth, old or new.

The job of opposing the reopened investigation has been left to two pro-administration congressmen in the House, who advised the Senate to

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

focus on important legislation instead of opening Mamasapano’s wounds.

Indeed, there could be any number of reasons why the Senate wants to revisit the massacre outside of the usual purpose, which is “in aid of legislation.” There is a national election coming up in a few months, after all, and our senators are nothing if not human—perhaps more human than most because of their full-time predisposition to promote themselves and aid their personal interest.

Continued on A11

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

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

THE requirement that our President be a natural-born citizen is not a Philippine invention. Like in many other things, we just took our cue from the Americans.

As it turns out, in the current American presidential contest, there is also the issue of being natural-born involving one of the presidential contenders. But unlike us, it is being handled differently.

Senator Ted Cruz of the Republican Party and one of those aspiring for his party’s nomination was born in Canada. His mother is an American citizen. If he were in the Philippines, his case would have undoubtedly generated a lot of legal questions and would have reached the Supreme Court already.

As it is, nobody seems to be interested in questioning this legal issue—not the Democrats, and not even his Republican opponents.

This is not the first case. Senator John McCain who lost to President Obama in the 2008 elections was also born in the Panama Canal Zone which at that time was considered an American possession. Again, no one questioned his citizenship.

Our country, on the other hand, is a land of lawyers who love to question and litigate everything.

That is probably why we need 15 Supreme Court Justices while the United States, with three times our population, has only nine.

We often hear the saying that the law maybe harsh but it is the law. True enough, but if we had less lawyers, maybe things might not be so complicated.

The Supreme Court just issued a temporary restraining order on the disqualification case of Senator Grace Poe. We do not know however, whether this is just a ploy to prolong her agony then disqualify her just the same, or was done because there is a good justifiable legal reason to do it.

There is also the added issue of what the people want. But if the recent disqualification case against Mayor Manolito de Leon of Bautista, Pangasinan for using his US passport to travel after reacquiring Filipino citizenship is any indication, this is not good for Senator Poe. Although it’s a long shot, let’s hope that things will turn out positive for her so she can pursue her dreams.

Continued on A11

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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

DUTY CALLS FLORENCIO FIANZA

NATURALBORN

[ EDI TORI A L ]

ROAD TO UNINHABITABILITY AN OFFICIAL of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines has made the dire prediction that Metro Manila may become uninhabitable within four years given the worsening rate of the traffic situation here.

The chamber’s senior advisor, John Forbes, told another newspaper that this could happen if roads and other infrastructure are not upgraded to catch up with growing number of privately owned cars in the metro.

In 2010, 168,000 units were sold. In 2014, there were 269,000 units. This year, experts say new car sales could reach 350,000 units. Forbes sees new car sales reaching 500,000 a year by 2020.

He did acknowledge that some roads were being improved across the country. The National Capital Region, however, needs more roads, given the projected surge in vehicle sales in the next few years.

Reacting to Forbes’ statement, Palace spokesman Herminio Coloma Jr. said the administration is determined to do what it takes to respond to the needs of the residents of the NCR and nearby areas. Coloma also cited the Metro Manila Dream Plan—a roadmap for transport infrastructure.

The document was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority board in June 2014.

Coloma added that the roadmap seeks to: solve traffic congestion; prevent households from living in hazardous conditions; remove barriers for seamless mobility; eliminate the excessive cost burden for low-income groups; and prevent air pollution.

We wonder, however, how this administration, in its last few months in office, would be able to implement such a plan—with lofty targets, no less— when it should have begun with the work right after it took office?

But no—our leaders were in denial for a long time. In fact, President Aquino said traffic was an indicator of progress. His transport secretary dismissed the public’s woes as not fatal.

Only when the public outrage was so great that the palace admitted to the problem, finally.

Unfortunately, as a result of this belated enlightenment, the measures that should have been put in place years ago are only being contemplated today, when it is too late to accomplish anything beyond the superficial.

The good news is that, assuming Forbes knows much more than the rest of us, there are still four years between now and 2020. A new administration will be in power then. Our role as citizens is to be vociferous, and constantly—watching whether long-term traffic solutions like infrastructure development are being implemented, and calling our officials out when we see them still slacking off.

REOPENING THE WOUND LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES

BY ALL means, the investigation of the Mamasapano massacre should resume. Even if no new evidence is unearthed, the Senate must continue looking into what happened on that blackest of days of this most insensitive, thoroughly incompetent government.

I guess I must thank Senator Juan Ponce Enrile for being indisposed when the massacre of 44 elite commandos of the

PNP Special Action Force happened on this month last year. Enrile was arrested and placed under hospital arrest in 2014, preventing him from participating in the Senate investigation called by Senator Grace Poe that found President Noynoy Aquino “ultimately responsible” for the horrific tragedy.

Now the Senate, upon Enrile’s instigation, has scheduled the reopening of the investigation of Poe’s committee on public order a year after the massacre took place. If only because it will force people to remember what happened in that lonely

cornfield by the river in Maguindanao, I applaud Enrile’s insistence on picking at a wound that never fully healed.

You simply don’t hear people talk about the SAF 44 anymore, even if it’s been only a year since they were brutally killed by a rebel force that included the Aquino government’s “peace partners” in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. You never hear anymore about how the commandos were left to fend for themselves, with no air and artillery cover, as they were set upon by a superior number of enemies from all sides, in a whole-day assault directed by

Malacañang should be the last party to insinuate that politics is behind the reopening of the Mamasapano investigation.

A9

a suspended general who had no business leading a covert police operation, never mind if he was directly reporting to the Commander-in-Chief.

But we have always been a people with absurdly short memories, especially when it comes to tragic events. We quickly forget even the most horrifying of tragedies—and our leaders, who stand to benefit from our forgetfulness, do everything in their power to make us “move on.”

How many, after all, still remember the killing of 58 people, including 34 journalists, in 2009, also in Maguindanao? The cases filed against the perpetrators of the so-called Ampatuan Massacre

are still being heard in the courts, with no decision in sight nearly seven years since the carnage took place.

Even continuing tragedies like the devastation caused by super Typhoon “Yolanda” two years ago are eventually forgotten, felt only by those who still try to pick up the pieces of their lives in the aftermath. The victims of the most recent destructive typhoon, renamed “Nona” in order to “spare the President embarrassment” because the original name sounded like Aquino’s, will also soon be remembered no longer

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-

—which is just how the government likes it. *** Malacañang has voiced no opposition to the reopening of the Senate probe of the massacre, even if it expressed the hope that the senators who will conduct it should not have any motivation for doing so other than uncovering the truth, old or new.

The job of opposing the reopened investigation has been left to two pro-administration congressmen in the House, who advised the Senate to

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

focus on important legislation instead of opening Mamasapano’s wounds.

Indeed, there could be any number of reasons why the Senate wants to revisit the massacre outside of the usual purpose, which is “in aid of legislation.” There is a national election coming up in a few months, after all, and our senators are nothing if not human—perhaps more human than most because of their full-time predisposition to promote themselves and aid their personal interest.

Continued on A11

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

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

THE requirement that our President be a natural-born citizen is not a Philippine invention. Like in many other things, we just took our cue from the Americans.

As it turns out, in the current American presidential contest, there is also the issue of being natural-born involving one of the presidential contenders. But unlike us, it is being handled differently.

Senator Ted Cruz of the Republican Party and one of those aspiring for his party’s nomination was born in Canada. His mother is an American citizen. If he were in the Philippines, his case would have undoubtedly generated a lot of legal questions and would have reached the Supreme Court already.

As it is, nobody seems to be interested in questioning this legal issue—not the Democrats, and not even his Republican opponents.

This is not the first case. Senator John McCain who lost to President Obama in the 2008 elections was also born in the Panama Canal Zone which at that time was considered an American possession. Again, no one questioned his citizenship.

Our country, on the other hand, is a land of lawyers who love to question and litigate everything.

That is probably why we need 15 Supreme Court Justices while the United States, with three times our population, has only nine.

We often hear the saying that the law maybe harsh but it is the law. True enough, but if we had less lawyers, maybe things might not be so complicated.

The Supreme Court just issued a temporary restraining order on the disqualification case of Senator Grace Poe. We do not know however, whether this is just a ploy to prolong her agony then disqualify her just the same, or was done because there is a good justifiable legal reason to do it.

There is also the added issue of what the people want. But if the recent disqualification case against Mayor Manolito de Leon of Bautista, Pangasinan for using his US passport to travel after reacquiring Filipino citizenship is any indication, this is not good for Senator Poe. Although it’s a long shot, let’s hope that things will turn out positive for her so she can pursue her dreams.

Continued on A11

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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

FOREIGN POLICY IN THE MIDDLE MAKING MAR EAST NOW A 2016 CAMPAIGN ISSUE WIN TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

PRESIDENT Aquino’s biggest worry when he steps down from Malacañang in July 30 will be the many criminal and civil cases he will face during his six-year reign.

I have been told that a group of legal luminaries and some justices have already consolidated the cases to be thrown against BS Aquino III as soon as he leaves Malacañang.

They are not necessarily identified with any political group but they reportedly have been meeting regularly for the past years.

President Aquino is likely to resort to desperate measures.

It is precisely for this reason, my sources say, that BS Aquino III will do everything possible— even cheat in next year’s election—to ensure that administration candidate Mar Roxas wins.

I’m not into conspiracy theories, but logic and reason dictate that knowing the inevitable, BS Aquino cannot just sit by and await the many charges against him. These could even land him in jail.

A sitting President still has awesome powers he can use to ensure the victory of his anointed candidate, that’s for sure.

There’s still the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines or PCOS. If they did it in 2010 and 2013, Santa Banana, Comelec can do it again. There are still many “little Garcis” at the Comelec, I am told.

In my column yesterday, I brought up the news report that the Department of Budget and Management led by BS Aquino III’s clone, Secretary Butch Abad, and budget officials had said that 90 percent of the over P3-trillion national budget had already been released. This is allegedly to beef up long-delayed

infrastructure spending.

They said the release was authorized by the General Appropriations Act itself.

The practice before was to wait for the Special Allotment Release Order.

My gulay, this means that the Aquino administration will be flooding the country with cash for the benefit of Mar Roxas!

If politicians on the other side of the political fence are not worried, I am. Funding at the grassroots level will make all the difference. This is the be-all and end-all of national and local elections.

We should not discount the fact that there are some devious people around Roxas and among the Liberal Party who know how to win elections. With him lagging behind in poll surveys, the President and his propaganda team cannot just sit by and watch him lose.

Aren’t the powers of the president awesome?

Of course, BS Aquino III and the Liberal Party know they are playing with fire in frustrating the will of the people. But political survival is foremost in their minds, especially for BS Aquino III, who certainly knows what he will be facing once he steps down.

What worries me more is the possibility of the country being pushed over the edge once the people find out their will is frustrated. *** I have been monitoring the political statements of Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Kelly Poe Llamanzares in her campaign trail. I have noticed that while she has been critical of Mar Roxas’ stint as a public official, especially as former transportation secretary, she has not said any word against BS Aquino III. And now, Solicitor General Florin Hilbay and 10 others of the OSG are lawyering for her. They are supposedly the top lawyers of the government.

I find this rather strange since Hilbay had been asked by the Comelec to lawyer for it in the case filed by Mrs. Llamanzares before the Supreme Court to junk her disqualification by the Comelec.

Last year, my Palace sources intimated to me that when BS Aquino III had those one-on-one

AS THE Filipino electorate expects the momentum of the campaign season to build during the first week of 2016, an international development has barged its way to the front pages of broadsheets and in social media newsfeeds. This one is more pressing and alarming than climate change.

According to reports just four days into the new year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has broken off diplomatic ties with Iran after the kingdom-nation’s embassy was ransacked by protesters in retaliation for the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr two days before. Al-Nimr is a Shiite cleric in the dominantly Sunni country of Saudi Arabia, who has been reportedly critical of the royal family, and was said to have attracted the following of the young Shiites in the country and the ire of the Sunni government and law enforcement. The Shia-led Iran immediately condemned the execution and threatened a backlash against their longtime rival country, calling the act an “unjust aggression” against Shiites, alongside ensuing protests from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia where most Shia Muslims reside.

The almost automatic backlash and escalation of the tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran comes as no surprise for those following politics in the Middle East. With a rivalry stemming back since the 1979 Iranian revolution, the developments of the past week are but the latest strings in the ever-tangling web of issues and alliances.

The Sunni-Shia conflict is but part of this rivalry, as the countries has time and again seen themselves in the opposite sides of conflicts fighting proxy wars in Lebanon in the 1980s, in Iraq in the 2000s, and currently in the Syrian crisis and the strife in Yemen.

One can even go far as to say that this rivalry is fueling the Sunnimeetings with Mrs. Llamanzares, supposedly to convince her to be the running mate of Mar, what actually ensued was the President making her an alternative candidate just in case Mar loses.

The reason for this is that BS Aquino III wants to ensure that Mrs. Llamanzares would protect him. “Naniniguro si Presidente!” my sources said.

In other words, BS Aquino is riding on two horses to ensure a win.

Smart, huh? Only a desperate man can think of it.

What BS Aquino III forgets is “karma.” Whatever goes around will inevitably come around. *** President Aquino may now be getting some flak

MINORITY REPORT DANILO SUAREZ Shia conflict, which started out as a divergence in the dogma between two branches of the Muslim faith on who should be the rightful and legitimate successor of the Prophet Muhammad. The two factions lived in relative peace despite the difference in position on whether the leadership of the Muslim nation goes to elected leaders according to the Sunnis, or the Prophet’s bloodline according to the Shiites.

Before the Iranian revolution, the most notable Sunni-Shia conflict was during the Ottoman-Saffavid wars in the 17th century, which was more political in nature rather than ideological or religious. It was during the 1970s that sectarian tensions within and amongst Muslim nations rose, mainly due to the political factions grounding policy on religion during the course of jockeying for power and influence.

Given the situation, we can expect the line drawn in the Middle Eastern sand to be drawn deeper and clearer. Allies of the two countries would rush to their side, including Sunni-Shia factions within countries. Neutral parties, on the other hand, would appeal for cooler heads and have Saudi Arabia and Iran get back to the negotiating table to talk about peace in Syria, where they are currently waging their proxy wars. Western countries have been trying to get the Saudi Arabia and Iran to sit together and talk towards peace in Syria, but it has to be noted which countries the loyalties of United States and Russia lie. What a tangled web has been woven.

For a beauty pageant-crazy country like the Philippines, we

from media, print and broadcast. That is to be expected since he has only five more months to go until he steps down.

Mr. Aquino, however, knows that he enjoys the undying support of the two largest media outfits, The Philippine Daily Inquirer and ABS-CBN. In business, BS Aquino III has also the support of the Makati Business Club and the Ayalas, who have always supported the late President Cory Aquino.

But what I find rather strange, even ironic, is that the Inquirer took over from the underground Mr. and Mrs., then published

by Inquirer founder Eggie Apostol, but was being financed by then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile

can only hope for world peace to prevail when it comes to Middle Eastern conflict. Our overseas Filipino workers, in fact, have tended to turn to the Middle East for employment opportunities. According to the latest survey on OFWs, 24.8 percent of the 2.3 million OFWs prefer to work in Saudi Arabia, and close behind are the United Arab Emirates with 15.6 percent, and Kuwait and Qatar each with 5.3 percent. At least half of the OFW population, or around 1,173,000 Filipinos are potentially sitting on a lit powder keg.

Of course, the present administration should be on a hairline trigger to respond to the needs of OFWs when conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran escalates further. The question is now how the new administration, to be determined in five months, would address such a challenge of enormous magnitude as soon as it sets foot in Malacañang. We could be talking about mass efforts of repatriation, and upon that eventuality find jobs and livelihood opportunities for the returnees. By May, we will need national leaders that have the knowhow, experience, savvy, and nerves that could hit the ground running to respond to issues posed by the situation in the Middle East.

Aside from utmost importance of protecting our OFWs, our next president will have to immediately grasp the intricacies of foreign relations and Muslim affairs. How the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran could possibly impact the Mindanao peace process—not to mention the fight against the threat posed by the Daesh/ISIS/ISIL—has yet to be explored and discussed.

More than the past elections, the ability and platform of a presidential candidate in handling the complicated area of foreign relations should be an important campaign issue.

during Martial Law days.

It was because of this that the late Chief of Staff Fabian Ver suspected JPE of undermining the Marcos dictatorship.

As a result, to defend himself, Enrile had then Col. Greg Honasan form the RAM (Revolutionary Armed Forces Movement) go on training until the right time to act. The rest is history, as they say.

The point I am leading to is that during the more than five years of this administration, he had the two biggest media organizations, not counting conscripted opinion writers and columnists singing paeans to the President, on his side.

In other words, BS Aquino III cannot com-

plain that media was unkind to him. Presidents before him did not have the advantage that he had.

This is why his acceptance and popularity ratings did not decline as much. *** The biggest challenge that the next president will certainly face more than anything else is the horrendous and nightmarish traffic gridlock in Metro Manila, especially along Edsa.

I am forever an optimist, seeing the glass halffull, not half-empty. I say this because some 10 years ago I used to go often to Bangkok, Thailand where the traffic jams were much worse than what we now have along Edsa.

Continued on A11

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE

AGEISM AND THAT METAL BIKINI

IN LAST December’s “The Force Awakens,” Carrie Fisher reprises her character Leia Organa, now a general of the Resistance forces.

She said she was pressured by the studio to lose 35 pounds prior to filming.

Still, her figure was matronly, and some of those who recall her svelte form in that iconic metal bikini from 1983’s “Return of the Jedi” made disparaging remarks.

One of them was New York post critic Kyle Smith. In his Dec. 30 column he sneered: “If Carrie Fisher doesn’t want to be judged on looks, she should quit acting.” He also slammed her writing skills, claiming that her books sold only because of her acting fame.

After Star Wars, Fisher carved out roles for herself as a novelist, memoirist, playwright, screenplay writer, and interestingly enough, as a successful script doctor and rewriter. These achievements were not taken into consideration by those who focused on her appearance rather on her brain.

She took to Twitter recently to defend herself from Smith and other fans, saying “Please stop debating

on whether or not I aged well. Unfortunately it hurts all three of my feelings. My body hasn’t aged as well as I have. Blow us,” and “Youth and beauty are not accomplishments. They’re the temporary happy by-products of time and/or DNA. Don’t hold your breath for either.”

Ageism is also sexist because the onus to maintain youthful looks is greater on women than it is on men.

Harrison Ford is 73 and his face is as crumpled as a used tissue, yet he is still considered a sex symbol, a “silver fox,” comedienne Mindy Kaling pronouncing him “still mega bangable on all planets;” whereas Fisher, 14 years younger at 59, reaps criticism for having the temerity not to remain in slave-bikini shape.

How dare she.

There wasn’t always this pressure on women to remain stuck in a time warp.

The matriarchal religions of prehistory recognized and revered the stages of the female life cycle. The Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone were perceived as aspects of a primary deity, either manifested as a goddess triad or single goddess possessing

these three aspects.

With the advent of patriarchal faiths, in many societies women were stripped of their former high and respected status; the triple aspects were turned on their heads, and a woman was only as good as her looks, her childbearing capacity, and her capability to work in household or at other occupations. An extreme example of this today is the way the so-called Islamic State treats women—as property and as slaves.

With youth and sexiness perceived as a woman’s primary, if not only, assets, women aggressively try to fend off the ravages of age.

Makeup is big business: in the United States alone, spending on cosmetics reached $60.58 billion, and is expected to reach $62.46 billion in 2016.

Global beauty care products are forecasted to reach $265 billion by 2017, with increasing demand seen coming from Asian markets. This does not count the billions spent on procedures such as facials, plastic surgery, Botox, and other interventions.

Kicking and screaming to avoid wrinkles and sags is immature and futile. We all

enjoyed our youth. We had our time. We flaunted the high boobs, trim waist, tight as*. The trick is to now grow old gracefully, with acceptance and contentment; that way the final stages of the journey will be more relaxed, the way it should be.

If you want to fight anything, don’t fight age, it’s a losing battle. Like Leia in her metal bikini strangling her captor Jabba the Hutt with her chains, fight ageism and sexism with extreme prejudice, because unless we change societal attitudes now, these—isms will hurt your daughters and granddaughters too. *** The Philippine Educational Theater had a productive 2015, successfully featuring the smash musical “Rak of Aegis” and its retelling of Jose Rizal’s novels in “Noli at Fili Dekada Dos Mil”.

To round out their 48th theater season, Peta introduces “3 Stars and a Sun,” an original musical using the music of the late rap legend Francis Magalona. The narrative is set in a dystopic future, and it is the first time for Peta to venture into this

genre. It runs from Feb. 7 to March 6 at the Peta Theater Center.

Among the musical’s backers is event impresario and lawyer Roy Allan Magturo, who is also busy arranging yet again the country’s participation in the annual International Blues Competition held every January in Memphis.

To represent the Philippines at the event, which draws more than 200 blues bands and acts from around the world, is blues pioneer Lampano Alley, fronted by Binky Lampano.

Lampano, who has been based in Los Angeles for the past decade, was recently in Manila for two performances with the band, which displayed great form. Their decades of experience, familiarity with and passion for the genre, and skills mastery give them the confidence for this global face-off.

Expected to join Magturo, Lampano, and the band in Memphis to document the event is author and visual artist Jay David.

Natural... From A9

to phase out the jeepney. We all know how the jeepney came about. It was born out of the ashes of World War II when the tram system, which was the public transport in Manila before and during the war, was completely destroyed during the liberation of the City. The system was never rebuilt and the jeepney took its place.

Almost 71 years hence, it is still going strong. But it is about time to question its relevance as a mass transport mode in the congested National Capital Region where traffic has gotten so bad.

The strongest suit of the jeepney is that it is the closest thing to a door-to-door transport. The other is that together with the tricycle, it is the poor man’s transport. Other than these two however, it has many drawbacks. For one, old jeepneys, trucks and tricycles account for much of the pollution in Metro Manila. Even with

the Clean Air Act and the adaptation of the so called Euro4 emission standards, the government is unable to do anything about the increasing unhealthy carbon emissions coming from old public utility vehicles.

The design of the jeepney is unsafe and is inefficient as a mass transport mode. Because jeepneys are fueled by diesel and are poorly maintained, riding on them is actually unhealthy and passengers are seldom protected in case of accidents. Because of driver behavior, jeepneys and tricycles are one of the major causes of traffic congestions in the metro area. Jeepney and tricycle drivers seem to think that they are exempted from following traffic regulations.

The government must spell out its plan in detail not only for those concerned but also because it needs the support of the public for the plan to succeed. For jeepneys, there is now

an alternative in the so called E-jeepneys. This project however, needs more sophisticated marketing promotion and government support because it is emission free. This is something that we badly need in Metro Manila. Although emission and pollution levels in the metro area have not reached the levels of Beijing and New Delhi, if nothing is done now, this will come sooner than later.

The government must also come up with a program to replace the old rickety trucks that are still being imported. These trucks are very dangerous in our streets. It is correct for government to think of phasing out old public utility vehicles but it has to be planned and implemented properly and efficiently.

It cannot just mandate the phase out. What is important is for government to come out with a workable and implementable plan.

Reopening... From A9

Relief came when some enterprising Bangkok residents offered portable urinals to passengers and motorists caught in traffic. That’s how bad it was.

Now, in Bangkok, it’s a plea-

sure negotiating traffic with so many expressways and an efficient mass transit system.

That’s why I also believe Metro Manila’s traffic problem can be solved with enough imagination and of course, with the nec-

essary political will.

What we need here in the Philippines is the implementation of what they call 3 Es in traffic management— Education, Engineering and Enforcement.

*** Late last year, the Land Transportation Regulatory Board wanted to phase out public utility vehicles that are 15 years or older. Because of objections from transport associations, the plan was shelved but not abandoned. Last Monday, the jeepney transport associations of Metro Manila mounted another protest action demanding that the government abandon the phase-out plan. The idea of phasing out the jeepney as a mode of public transportation is not new. It was first suggested by the newly created Ministry of Transportation and Communications in 1979 but nothing came out of that plan.

It is now 2016 and the issue is again coming to the fore. This time, the government appears to be serious. The question we have to ask however, is whether it is time for the government

Making... From A10 During those years, it took me more than two hours, sometimes three to negotiate the airport of Bangkok to my hotel.

Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember

But Malacañang, because of its role in the bloody fiasco a year ago, should be the last party to insinuate that partisan politics is behind the reopening of the Mamasapano investigation. The Palace planned, implemented and then bungled the operation to get the Malaysian terrorist Marwan, which directly led to the killing of the SAF 44; it cannot now claim that it is being persecuted in the name of politics, since its undisputed authorship voids any objection to the senators’ motivation, real or imagined.

It’s perfectly possible, of course, that the administration and its candidates in the coming election could suffer because of the reopening of the investigation.

But that is certainly no reason to stop the resumption of the probe; that’s like saying that Aquino should not be charged and jailed by a government that is not to his liking after he steps down.

The mere fact that the investigation is being reopened, reminding everyone of what happened on that fateful January day, is good enough for me. And if it helps defeat the candidates who proclaim that they will continue the wrong-headed policies and the lack of empathy that led directly to the massacre in Mamasapano, well, that’s just a bonus.

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Floyd: Racism exists in boxing Williams insists: I will make Australian Open PERTH—The Australian Open preparations of Serena Williams suffered a potentially significant blow when she was forced to retire with a knee injury during the United States’ 3-0 Hopman Cup loss to Australia Gold on Tuesday evening.

The world number one retired due to soreness in her left knee during her singles match against Jarmila Wolfe (nee Gajdosova) when trailing 7-5, 2-1.

Veteran Lleyton Hewitt then secured the tie for Australia Gold with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Jack Sock, and it became a clean sweep for the home side when the mixed doubles was a walkover due to Williams’ absence.

The result meant the US bowed out of contention in the tournament. But of more concern to their camp was the fitness of the defending Australian Open champion.

Williams had already missed the United States’ opening Hopman Cup tie on Monday due to inflammation of her left knee and was keen to gain some valuable match practice against Wolfe.

However, she appeared extremely restricted in her movements, particularly on her left side.

The ailment appeared to cast significant doubt over her title defence in Melbourne, where she will aim for a seventh singles title later this month.

Williams admitted she retired because she was being hampered by the knee and could not move around the court as she wanted.

However, the 21-times Grand Slam singles champion was confident it was only a minor problem and even refused to rule herself out of Thursday’s Hopman Cup tie against the Czech Republic. AFP

LOS ANGELES— Floyd Mayweather says “racism still exists in the sport of boxing” and he cited UFC champion Ronda Rousey’s name in an attempt to bolster his argument.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. celebrates the unanimous decision victory over Andre Berto during the welterweight unification championship bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

Palawan Pawnshop netfest kicks off YOUTH tennis takes center stage again beginning today with Capiz hosting the kickoff leg of the 2016 Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis circuit at the Vistec Tennis Club in Roxas City.

Close to 150 players are clashing for top honors and ranking points in various divisions, including the 10-unisex and the 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-and-under categories for boys and girls in the five-day, Group 3

tournament presented by Asiatraders Corp. and Slazenger Tennis Balls.

“We expect keen competition right in our first leg with these young players eager to showcase their wares and build some kind of momentum in pursuit of titles and ranking points,” said Bobby Castro, president and CEO of the sponsoring Palawan Pawnshop.

Action shifts to the Dumalag Tennis Club, also in Capiz, next

week for the second leg of the year-long, nationwide 52-stage circuit, a Group 2 tournament set Jan. 14-18 while Leyte will host the next event, another Group 3 tilt, on Jan. 21-25 at the Tacloban City Tennis Club.

Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu wraps up the first Visayan swing on Jan. 28Feb. 1 for another Group 2 event at the Mactan Tennis Courts, according to tournament organizer and supervisor Bobby Mangunay, also

the PPS-PEPP sports program development director. For details, call 0915-4046464.

For complete schedule of events, visit www.palawanpawnshoptennis.com.

Mangunay said that aside from the regular Philta rankings, the PPSPEPP will also have its own ranking system to motivate and encourage more players to participate and help determine each player’s strength per tournament.

Zidane backed as coach DOHA—Real Madrid fan Rafael Nadal on Tuesday backed the controversial appointment of Zinedine Zidane as the Spanish side’s new coach, saying it would be good for the club.

Speaking to reporters after his first round victory in the Qatar Open over fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, Nadal said he wished the Frenchman the “best of luck”.

“It’s obvious that he’s good, I think, for the players.

He’s good for... one of the most important clubs of the world, Real Madrid have somebody like him on the bench managing the club, and I am happy for him,” he said.

“I know him. He’s a good person and humble person, and I think he deserve to be where he is today.

“I wish him the best of luck.”

Nadal added that Zidane was part of the “history of Real Madrid”.

Zidane was appointed as coach at Madrid on Monday, following the sacking of Rafa Benitez after just seven months in charge.

Real Madrid are currently third in La Liga, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.

The tennis star added that he felt “very sorry” for Benitez.

“It’s tough to start a new project and after a few months go out, so I feel very sorry for him.

“But if the feeling is needs a change, I think Zidane is the perfect position today.”

Golf champ.

Monique Arroyo, a grand daughter of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and younger sister of junior golf standout Mikaela, beams while displaying her third consecutive trophy after dominating anew the Class C Dependents’ Division of the 10-years-old-andbelow of the recent 16th Nanoy Ilusorio Cup held at the Baguio Country Club.

Mayweather also mentioned unified WBA, IBF, WBC and IBO champ Gennady Golovkin and former Olympic gold medallist Andre Ward but added the problem isn’t limited to just the men’s side of the sweet science.

Mayweather compared Rousey to former pro boxer Laila Ali who retired with a perfect 24-0 record and is black.

“You look at things like this, Ronda Rousey, you know, I think she fought somewhere like 11 or 12 fights. Laila Ali went undefeated and was dominating too,” Mayweather said in an interview Wednesday with FightHype.com.

“After Ronda Rousey fought I think nine, 10, 11 fights, it didn’t even take that long, she got all types of endorsements, movies, and everything. Laila Ali did the same thing in better fashion.

“Ronda Rousey, she’s a good looking woman when she put it on. Laila Ali is a drop-dead gorgeous woman.

I mean a naturally beautiful woman and can kick ass, but you never heard them (the media) saying when she had I think somewhere around 10, 11, 12 fights that she was the baddest woman to ever fight on the planet.”

Mayweather took issue with the ranking system and how it relates to super middleweight boxer Ward and Japanese WBC bantamweight champ Shinsuke Yamanaka.

“I can’t believe they [Ring Magazine] got Andre Ward ranked No. 4 in the poundfor-pound list,” Mayweather said. “Without Andre Ward losing a fight, he has to be No. 2. I mean, he wins his fights not in good fashion, but in great fashion, and they have him at No. 4?

“They got some guy ranked No. 9, I don’t really know his full name, so I don’t want to be disrespectful. But they got a Japanese guy ranked No. 9. They got Andre Ward No. 4, and this guy that’s ranked No. 9, we don’t even know who he is.

“I truly believe that racism still exists in the sport of boxing.”

Asked in the interview to back up his claim, Mayweather said, “You gotta really look at things like this, when Bernard Hopkins was a middleweight trying to fight Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, and Felix Trinidad, they [the media] said he was calling out smaller guys. AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Carlos, Constantino pull away GEN. TRIAS, Cavite—Pro-bound Jobim Carlos and Harmie Constantino came away with scorching rounds in surprisingly calm condition and threatened to blow the field away halfway through the Philippine Amateur (Stroke Play) Open Golf Championship at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Carlos, who needed to pounce on Ira Alido’s late-hole mishap to wrest a one-stroke lead on a 73 in the opener of the 72-hole championship Tuesday, leaned on his day-long brilliance this time to fire a four-under 68 and take full control of the big international field at 141 for a sixstroke lead over Jang Jun Ha and Alido.

The Korean hit two late birdies to card a 71 while Alido also needed to birdie the par-5 16th to save a 73 for 147s even as Gen Nagai matched par 72 for a 148 and another Korean Jang Yu Bin also turned in an even par round for a 149 and a share of fifth with Weiwei Gao, who faltered with a 74.

Despite the absence of the dreaded wind, former champion Rupert Zaragosa continued to struggle, hobbling for a 74 and falling farther behind at 151 heading to the last 36 holes of the country’s premier amateur championship serving as the kickoff leg of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour and sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT and Metro Pacific Investment Corp.

“My putting clicked and the wind was hardly a factor so there was less pressure,” said Carlos, seeking to complete a back-to-back title romp in the annual event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

“But I still have to play well in the last two days,” added the former University of San Francisco mainstay who also won last week’s NGAP’s National Doubles with Inigo Raymundo.

Harmie Constantino watches her drive on the par-5 No. 3 en route to a 67 and a huge six-shot lead.

Germany still alive in Hopman Cup tilt PERTH—Germany kept their Hopman Cup hopes alive with a thrilling 2-1 win over France in their round robin tie at the mixed teams tournament in Perth on Wednesday.

The tie was level at 1-1 after the singles rubbers were split, but the German pairing of Sabine Lisicki and Alexander Zverev prevailed in the deciding mixed doubles, beating Caroline Garcia and Kenny de Schepper, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 10-6.

It was a make-or-break tie for both teams and the result ended the Hopman hopes of the French after defeats in their first two ties.

However, Germany can still reach Saturday’s final if they beat Great Britain on Friday and other results go their way.

It was a dramatic mixed doubles rubber, with the Germans winning the first set and holding a match point at 6-5 in the second.

Lisicki thought she had served an ace to take the set, match and tie, but it was called a let and she then served a double fault to enable the French to force it to a tiebreak.

The Germans then saved three set points before the French eventually won the tiebreak 8-6 to force the deciding match tiebreak.

Lisicki was delighted to still be alive in the tournament.

“After four months layoff because of injury it really means a lot to me,” she said.

“Sascha kept us alive and it is great to pull it out in the match tiebreak.”

In the women’s singles match, the emerging Garcia took early control

against Lisicki.

The first set was a comfortable 6-2 win for the Frenchwoman, but the German started to show more signs of the form that took her to the 2013 Wimbledon final in the second set.

Garcia was up a break in the second set, but Lisicki broke back and started to find range on her groundstrokes.

The Frenchwoman looked frustrated and appeared rattled briefly, but regrouped to eventually win the match in a tiebreaker 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).

Zverev then levelled the tie with a commanding win over French journeyman Kenny de Schepper.

The 18-year-old German is the youngest player in the men’s top 100 and tipped as a rising star of the game.

Zverev looked a class act as he dismantled the 28-year-old Frenchman in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, to set up the deciding mixed doubles. AFP

Prince Ali blasts irresponsible Blatter, Platini

Board game MineRo endorsed. Rep. Gary Alejano of Magdalo Partylist has recently endorsed the Pinoy-invented board game MineRo. Alejano met with inventor Joy Solidum Morales and discussed plans to promote MineRo. Photo shows Alejano enjoying Minero in a restaurant in Cubao, Quezon City.

LONDON—Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were “totally irresponsible” to agree a payment that has brought ignominy to world football, according to Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, who hopes to take over FIFA next month.

The Jordanian crown prince said the global governing body would be heading for a new “catastrophe” if it doesn’t elect the right candidate to succeed Blatter in the vote on February 26.

Eight year bans against Blatter and Platini have left the pair in disgrace and fighting to save their names.

Prince Ali said however there was no way they could avoid trouble over a two million Swiss francs ($2 million/1.8 million euro) pay-

ment approved by Blatter to Platini in 2011.

The two football leaders said the payment was for work carried out by Platini for FIFA between 1999 and 2002. Prince Ali said it was the sort of dark practice that had to be rooted out.

“In this day and age, to have an oral agreement is totally irresponsible,” he said. “You have to be open, it has to be accountable. That’s just a normal way of doing business.”

The prince, a former FIFA vice-president, lost to Blatter in an election on May 30 but is standing again as corruption scandals—including the Platini payment—cripple football’s governing body.

Thirty-nine football officials and sports business executives face US charges

over more than $200 million of bribes for television and marketing deals.

Prince Ali faces opposition from former FIFA official Jerome Champagne, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, South African tycoon Tokyo Sexwale and Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. But he insists that he is the right man to clean up FIFA. “It would be a catastrophe for the organisation if things do not go on the right way,” he told reporters in London after unveiling a new manifesto.

“Having talked to national associations across the world, they recognise that this is an incredibly impor-

tant moment for the future of the organisation.

“Everybody recognizes that this is the last chance to get it right. We don’t want the situation where one year or two years down the line, more scandals come out.

“But I’m determined that we save FIFA and do it from within. There are a lot of good people around the world who want a good, strong and solid FIFA, and I’m one of them.”

Prince Ali’s revised 23page manifesto includes a limit of two, four-year terms for the president and full publication of the report by former US prosecutor Michael Garcia into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. AFP

T H U R S DAY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 16

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Pole vaulter Obiena training in Spala under Ukraine coach

By Peter Atencio

ERNEST John Obiena is now at the Olympic Training Center in Spala, Poland under the care of renowned Ukrainian pole vault coach Valery Petrov.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico said Obiena left for Spala with his father-coach Emerson on Dec. 19 and they will be in Spala up to Jan. 19, 2016.

“As you can see, both Obienas sacrificed their Christmas holidays and spent their Christmas and New Year’s eve in cold Poland.

EJ was supposed to continue his

training under coach Petrov in the IAAF Pole Vault Training Centre in Formia, Italy, but coach decided to train EJ in the Spala indoor facility,” said Juico.

Juico added that the run way in Formia is not long enough for EJ to do his long approach run as he continues to grow and gain the needed weight.

“In fact, the pole that EJ uses now,

as befits his height and weight and progression, is heavier and stiffer,” added Juico.

He added that Obiena is now in transition to specific preparations for the 7th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar from Feb. 19 to 21, 2016.

The Doha competitions, added Juico will be the first of four to six tough competitions that EJ needs to join from January to March 2016.

The championships will be held in the ultra-modern Aspire Dome in the Doha.

Obiena’s performance has since progressed, “remarkably under the guidance of Petrov.”

So far, his best showing was when he set a new Philippine record during the Weekly Relays in September 2015 at 5.45 meters.

Before he trained under Petrov, Obiena’s personal best was 4.8 meters in late 2014.

Following his stint in Formia under Petrov, EJ’s personal best improved to 5.3 meters.

Before training in Formia, EJ captured the gold medal in the 27th SEA Games in Thailand, clearing a height of 5.20 meters.

He had to settle for the silver medal during the 28th SEA Games in Singapore despite achieving a higher height of 5.25 meters.

Red-hot Butler leads Bulls to 5th straight victory LOS ANGELES—Jimmy Butler scored 32 points as the Chicago Bulls stretched their winning streak to a seasonhigh five games with a 117106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

The Bulls opened the first quarter on a 10-0 run and never trailed, despite the Bucks pulling to within one point twice in the game in front of a crowd of 21,600 at the United Center arena.

Butler, who was coming off a 42-point performance against Toronto on Sunday,

continued to have the hot hand on Tuesday.

He scored 12 points in the first quarter and had 20 points by halftime.

Butler shot 11-of-21 from the field, eight-of-eight from the free-throw line and dished out 10 assists on the night.

“I am used to playing with talent, USA Basketball, the select team. The way Jimmy is playing now is unreal and it is fun to watch,” said Bulls guard Derrick Rose.

The Bulls improved to 2112 on the season and have

scored 100-plus points in their last eight games.

The Bucks have struggled away from home all season and dropped to 5-16 on the road.

They also lost at home to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

Knicks hold on for win Guard Arron Afflalo and forward Carmelo Anthony each scored 23 points as the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 107-101.

The Knicks nailed down the win with 18 seconds remaining, when Jose Calderon scored on a driving layup.

They allowed the Hawks to get within two points after building a 16-point lead earlier in the contest.

The Knicks have now won two straight and three of their last four.

Afflalo, who scored 38 against the Hawks on Sunday, shot nine-for-16, including two-for-two on three-pointers.

He added seven rebounds and four assists. Anthony made eight-of-22 with 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Forward Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 points and added 11

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

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

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

Website:

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

IN VITATION TO BID No. 02 -2016

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

IN VITATION TO BID No. 03 -2 016

T h e N a t i o n a l I r r i g a t i o n A d m i n i s t r a t i o n ( N I A) , R e g i o n 8 , M a r a s b a r a s , Ta c l o b a n C i t y t h r o u g h i t s B i d s a n d A w a r d s C o m m i t t e e ( B A C) , h e r e b y i n v i t e s D o m e s t i c Contractors, registered with and classif ied by the Philippine Contractors A c c r e d i t a t i o n B o a r d ( P C A B) , t o b i d f o r t h e h e r e u n d e r c o n t r a c t s . B i d s r e c e i v e d i n exc e s s o f A B C s h a l l b e a u t o m a t i c a l l y r e j e c t e d a t b i d o p e n i n g .

I t e m / D e sc r ipt ion

A p p roved Bud g et fo r Cont rac t (Php)

D urat ion

1. Bugko IP Contract # 01-2016 – Construction of Concrete Canal and Canal Structures of Bugko Irrig. Project, Mondragon, No. Samar

37,3 31,12 2.16

300 cd

2. Bugko IP Contract # 02-2016 – Construction of Concrete Canal and Canal Structures of Bugko Irrig. Project, Mondragon, No. Samar

3 5,493, 26 3.5 5

270 c d

3. Bugko IP Contract # 03 -2016 – Construction of Concrete Canal and Canal Structures of Bugko Irrig. Project, Mondragon, No. Samar

3 4,8 47,191.6 3

270 c d

4. Bugko IP Contract # 0 4 -2016 – Construction of Concrete Canal and Canal Structures of Bugko Irrig. Project, Mondragon, No. Samar

37,671,4 8 9.01

300 cd

5. Bugko IP Contract # 05 -2016 – Construction of Concrete Canal and Canal Structures of Bugko Irrig. Project, Mondragon, No. Samar

3 5,6 49,6 3 6.97

270 c d

6. Bugko IP Contract # 0 6 -2016 – Construction of Concrete Canal and Canal Structures of Bugko Irrig. Project, Mondragon, No. Samar

3 6,75 4,13 9. 82

300 cd

T he Pro sp ec t ive B i dder s sh ould have c o mplete d, w it hin f ive (5) year s f r o m t he date of submis si o n and rec eipt of bi ds, a c o nt r ac t similar to t he Pr oje c t w h o se value must be at least f if t y p erc ent (5 0%) of t he A BC. B i dding w ill b e c o nduc te d t hr ough o p en c o mp et it ive bi dding p r o c e dure s using no n - disc ret i o nar y pas s / fail c r iter i o n as sp e c i f i e d in t he Implem ent ing Rule s and Re gulat i o ns (I R R) of republic Ac t 918 4 (R . A . 918 4), ot her w ise k now n as t he “ G over nment p r o c urement Refo r m Ac t ”.

Prospective Bidders are not allowed to par ticipate if they have negative slippage in their on - going c ontracts. Individuals with Special Power of At tor ney (S PA) a r e n o t a l l o w e d t o t r a n s a c t a n d p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o c u r e m e n t u t i l i z i n g 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: B AC A c t i v i t i e s

rebounds, while Derrick Williams scored 15 off the bench.

Mavs beat Kings in double OT Deron Williams rattled in a three pointer from the corner at the buzzer to lift the Dallas Mavericks to a 117116 win over the Sacramento Kings in double overtime.

Williams game winner capped an 8-0 run for the Mavs at American Airlines Center.

The Mavericks ended a two-game losing streak and beat the Kings for the 22nd straight time in Dallas. AFP

Schedule

Time

1. I s s u a n c e o f B i d D o c u m e nt s

S t a r t i n g D e c e m b e r 2 9, 2 015

8: 0 0 a . m . t o 5: 0 0 p. m .

2. Pre-bid Conference

J a n u a r y 0 6 , 2 016

10: 0 0 a . m .

3 . Re c e i pt a n d O p e n i n g o f B i d s

J a n u a r y 19, 2 016

2: 0 0 p. m .

T h e N a t i o n a l I r r i g a t i o n A d m i n i s t r a t i o n ( N I A) , R e g i o n 8 , M a r a s b a r a s , Ta c l o b a n C i t y t h r o u g h i t s B i d s a n d A w a r d s C o m m i t t e e ( B A C) , h e r e b y i n v i t e s D o m e s t i c C o n t r a c t o r s , registered with and classif ied by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board ( P C A B) , t o b i d f o r t h e h e r e u n d e r c o n t r a c t s . B i d s r e c e i v e d i n e x c e s s o f A B C s h a l l b e automatically rejected at bid opening.

Item/Description

Approved Budget for Contract ( P h p)

Duration

1. C a t - B o b o n I P C o n t r a c t # 01 - 2 016 – C o n s t r u c t i o n o f Concrete Canal & Canal Structures of CatarmanBobon Irrigation Project, Catarman and Bobon, Nor thern Samar

3 8 , 6 21, 6 4 6 . 2 3

300 cd

2 . C a t - B o b o n I P C o n t r a c t # 0 2 - 2 016 – C o n s t r u c t i o n o f Concrete Canal & Canal Structures of CatarmanBobon Irrigation Project, Catarman and Bobon, Nor thern Samar

3 5 , 5 9 0 , 2 31. 9 4

270 cd

3 . C a t - B o b o n I P C o n t r a c t # 0 3 - 2 016 – C o n s t r u c t i o n o f Concrete Canal & Canal Structures of CatarmanBobon Irrigation Project, Catarman and Bobon, Nor thern Samar

3 8 , 6 6 3 ,113 . 9 2

300 cd

4 . C a t - B o b o n I P C o n t r a c t # 0 4 - 2 016 – C o n s t r u c t i o n o f Concrete Canal & Canal Structures of CatarmanBobon Irrigation Project, Catarman and Bobon, Nor thern Samar

3 7, 2 3 5 , 2 9 4 .15

300 cd

T h e P r o s p e c t i v e B i d d e r s s h o u l d h a v e c o m p l e t e d , w i t h i n f i v e (5 ) y e a r s f r o m t h e date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project whose value m u s t b e a t l e a s t f i f t y p e r c e n t (5 0 %) o f t h e A B C . B i d d i n g w i l l b e c o n d u c t e d t h r o u g h o p e n competitive bidding procedures using non - discretionar y pass/fail criterion as specif ied i n t h e I m p l e m e n t i n g R u l e s a n d R e g u l a t i o n s ( I R R) o f r e p u b l i c A c t 9 18 4 ( R . A . 9 18 4) , o t h e r w i s e k n o w n a s t h e “ G o v e r n m e n t p r o c u r e m e n t R e f o r m A c t ”.

Prospective Bidders are not allowed to par ticipate if they have negative slippage i n t h e i r o n - g o i n g c o n t r a c t s . I n d i v i d u a l s w i t h S p e c i a l P o w e r o f A t t o r n e y (S PA) a r e n o t allowed to transact and par ticipate in the procurement utilizing another construction f irm. The pre - bid conference shall be open only for those who have purchased the Bid documents.

The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: B AC A c t i v i t i e s

Schedule

Time

1. I s s u a n c e o f B i d D o c u m e n t s

S t a r t i n g D e c e m b e r 2 9, 2 015

8: 0 0 a . m . t o 5: 0 0 p. m .

2. Pre-bid Conference

J a n u a r y 0 6 , 2 016

10 : 0 0 a . m .

3 . Re c e i p t a n d O p e n i n g o f B i d s

J a n u a r y 2 0 , 2 016

2: 0 0 p. m .

The BAC will issue a c omplete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders from the address above and upon payment of non - refundable amount of P 2 5 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 t o t h e C a s h i e r.

The BAC will issue a c omplete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders from the address above and upon payment of non - refundable amount of P25,0 0 0.0 0 to the C a s h i e r.

T h e N I A r e s e r v e s t h e r i g h t t o a c c e p t o r r e j e c t a ny b i d , t o a n n u l t h e b i d d i n g p r o c e s s , a n d t o r e j e c t a l l b i d s a t a ny t i m e p r i o r t o c o n t r a c t a w a r d , w i t h o u t t h e r e b y i n c u r r i n g a ny l i a b i l i t y t o t h e a f f e c t e d b i d d e r o r b i d d e r s .

The NIA reser ves the r ight to ac c ept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding proc ess, and to reject all bids at any time pr ior to c ontract award, without thereby incur r ing any liability to the af fected bidder or bidders.

(S g d .) G L O R I A A . S E V I L L A BAC Chairman N o t e d: (S g d .) R O M E O G . Q U I Z A Regional Manager

(TS-JAN. 7, 2016)

(S g d .) G L O R I A A . S E V I L L A BAC Chair man N o t e d: (S g d .) R O M E O G . Q U I Z A Regional Manager

(TS-JAN. 7, 2016)

Donaire manager hasn’t given up on Evgeny

By Ronnie Nathanielsz THE manager of former five-division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire is confident a title defense against Hungary’s Zsolt Bedak on April 9 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines “will be a good fight,” but he hasn’t stopped pursuing the original choice, former featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich.

Cameron Dunkin told The Standard/ b ox i n g m i r r or.c om that they are trying to see whether Gradovich is available and if not, he will pursue negotiations with the manager of Bedak, Felix Racz.

Dunkin said that while Gradovich has a 10-round non title, tune-up bout against Jesus Galicia in Valencia, Spain on Jan. 9, there is plenty of time to face Donaire since that fight is set for April 23. However, he noted that Gradovich “just wants to get his weight down” and test the waters at 122 pounds.

“If not, we’ll fight Bedak,” Donaire’s manager said.

He said he had spoken to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Donaire’s wife Rachel and that everybody is fine with Bedak.

He revealed that he received a call from Bedak’s manager, who asked him “are you serious and I said of course.”

“I’d love a fight against Donaire. My guy is ranked No. 4 and I need to get him a title fight,” said Racz, who however conceded that Bedak may not win.

Dunkin emphasized that Bedak who beat Mexico’s former world champion Abner Mares in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens is a good fighter.

“This fight (vs Donaire) will be great, We want to give Nonito a good fight over there in the Philippines,” Dunkin said.

T H U R S DAY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 16

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Superal cards 70, grabs share of HK Open lead HONG KONG—Princess Superal dished out fine form coming off a long break, shooting a two-under 70 and tying local ace Tiffany Chan for the lead at the start of the Hong Kong Ladies Amateur Open at the HK Golf Club in Fanling here yesterday.

Three birdies at the back negated a missed green bogey on No. 14 and put Superal in step with the reigning World University Games gold medalist, who also won a pro tournament in Taiwan last year, and in early contention for the championship in the 54-hole event originally set last September but was moved to this year due to inclement weather.

“I missed a couple of birdie putts at the front but made some good reads at the back,” said Superal, who racked up four victories abroad to wrap up the 2015 season. “I hope to get better in the next two rounds but I also expect some tough challenge from the rest of the field.”

Pauline del Rosario missed joining her The Country Club teammate and Chan in the lead with a three-putt miscue on No. 17 as the reigning Thailand Ladies Amateur and Singha Thailand Junior World champion settled for a 71 in calm condition at the HKGC’s New Course.

Sam Martirez, the other TCC bet and winner of the Kids World Malaysia crown last month, fumbled with a four-over 76 and would need a couple of low rounds to contend for the crown in the tournament which stakes a spot in the HK Ladies Open, a pro event, this June.

Superal, who has also won a couple of pro titles back home, brandished superb iron shots in the early going but struggled on the surface in an early clash with Chan and another local bet Ying Lai but drilled in birdies on Nos. 11 and 13 to take command.

The former US Girls’ Junior champion, however, missed the 14th green and muffed a seven-footer for par but rebounded with another birdie on the next before watching Chan hit one late birdie to fall into a the lead.

Del Rosario actually set the early pace with a two-birdie, one-bogey stint after nine holes but the De La Salle-Zobel standout went on a roller-coaster ride at the back, birdying Nos. 11 and 14 but dropping shots on the 10th and 17th.

“Pau could’ve forced a three-way tie but misread her putt on No. 17. But she’s okay and I expect her to rebound in the next two rounds,” said TCC coach Nestor Mendoza.

Berkeley School, Ateneo de Davao claim Sportsmanship title. Berkeley School and Ateneo de Davao University won the Sports-

manship award in the SBP-Passerelle Twin Tournament 2015 National Finals. The Sportsmanship Award recognizes not only players but also their fans, coaches, school officials and parents, who showed fair play and humility throughout the tournament. Berkeley School and Ateneo de Davao are fine examples of how budding cagers can go beyond the basketball skills they learn as the award-winning sports clinic BEST Center continues to equip players not only with the fundamentals of basketball but also character-forming values such as discipline, sportsmanship and camaraderie through their interaction with coaches, instructors, classmates and peers. Berkeley School placed third in the SBP division, while Ateneo de Davao placed second in the Passerelle division. Photo shows Baguio’s Berkeley School with their fans.

2015-Year of the C-Word SYLVIA LOPEZ ALEJANDRO I FEATURE the entire text of Fred Gitelman’s 2015 Year End Message. Mr. Frederrick “Fred” Gitelman is a Canadian American bridge player; developer of bridge software. Fred Gitelman is the founder of the Bridge Base Online and it is the President.

I had also the pleasure and priviledge to communicate with him and to obtain his views and opinion on whether it was feasible to hold selection trials online.

Mr. Gitelman’s message: The world bridge tends to change very slowly, but 2015 will surely be remembered as a truly momentous year in the history of our game.

In August, Norwegian superstar Boye Brogeland came forward with allegations that Lotan Fisher and Ron Schwartz, a young Israeli pair who had won several major events during the past few years, were cheating. Naturally Boye presented evidence to back up his claim and, in the months to follow,

further evidence surfaced.

But the Fisher-Schwartz partnership was only the first domino to fall.

Soon thereafter similar allegations were made against the world’s topranking partnership, Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes of Monaco, German champions Josef Piekarek and Alex Smimoff, and Cezary Balicki and Adam Zmudzinski of Poland (who have been winning major titles as a pair for over 30 years).

At this point in time only Piekarek and Smimoff have confessed to their guilt (to their credit I suppose).

Official investigations of the other 3 accused pairs are ongoing and it is difficult to predict where they might lead. For whatever its worth, my sense is that the vast majority of the world’s leading players find the evidence against all of those accused to be both clear and compelling.

The implications of all of this are both shocking and tragic for bridge: the results of dozens of major national and world championships, possibly going back for decades, have been so irretrievably tainted that they have been rendered all but meaningless.

Cheating scandals at the top of world bridge have been very few and far between (I recall only two others since I started playing

bridge in the early 1980s). Nothing even remotely close to the events of 2015 has ever happened before.

What has changed?

One thing that has certainly changed is that a group of world class players, led by Boye, took the initiative to try to clean up the game they love. Rumors about all 4 of the accused pairs had been swirling around for years, but the relevant authorities either refused to investigate or were incapable of seeing the light. Boye decided that someone had to do something and he bravely took it upon himself to be that someone.

But most likely Boye would not have got very far had it not been for relatively recent changes in technology. Only in the past few years have tournament organizers began to present video streams of their premier events on the Internet. Those videos, along with the bidding and play records produced by BBO vugraph, were the primary sources of information used by Boye and company to crack the codes that were being used by the alleged cheating pairs.

We play bridge because it is such a beautiful, stimulating, and enjoyable game and because of the many wonderful people we get to interact

and complete with who feel the same way. The mere thought of desecrating our great game through cheating is so repugnant to most of us that the very concept is enough to make us feel sick. How is it possible that so many amazing bridge talents have apparently fallen from grace?

Money likely had something to do with it. Nowadays the most successful professional players can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Their job consist of travelling the world to high-level tournaments often in luxurious style. Some work no more than a few months each year.

Not a bad life if you ask me.

However, as we unfortunately see on BBO, there has to be more to it than that. On BBO (and of course in live bridge clubs and tournaments) there is little if any money awarded to the winners yet people still cheat.

Why is that? I can only assume that ego, status, and the guest for masterpoints are sufficient motivators for some of our fellow bridge players to act in a way that would be unthinkable to the rest of us.

As I would like to go into 2016 on a more positive note, I will share some good news with you: 1) Contrary to popular opinion, it is very possible to identify those who cheat at online bridge. Our primary tools for identifying possible cheats are statistical in nature (Boye and company used similar

LOTTO RESULTS

6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M+ 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

Perpetual, Arellano U tossers win

By Peter Atencio SPIKERS from the University of Perpetual Help Altas and the Arellano University Lady Chiefs waylaid their respective foes to stay on track for semifinal berths in their divisions yesterday in the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association volleyball tournament at the Arena in San Juan.

Allan Jay Salaan showed the way with 14 hits as the Altas stopped the San Beda Red Lions, 23-25, 25-19, 25-29, 25-15, and stayed unbeaten after seven games in the men’s division.

This moved the Altas two wins closer to an elimination-round sweep and an outright finals berth as well.

The Lady Chiefs rode on the efforts of Cristine Joy Rosario and Shirley Salamagos in putting away the Jose Rizal University Lady Bombers, 25-21, 25-23, 25-19.

Rosario had 17 points, while Salamagos struck with 14 for the Lady Chiefs, who picked up their seventh triumph in eight games.

This kept them in second place behind the unbeaten San Sebastian Lady Stags. They are now ahead of College of St. Benilde (6-1).

The troika of Relan Tano, Neil Barry Ytorzaita and John Patrick Ramos combined for 23 points as they led the Altas’ offense in the fifth and final set.

The Altas are out to regain the title they lost to the Emilio Aguinaldo Generals last year.

In the junior side, the Perpetual Help Altalettes won their fifth win in row at the expense of San Beda, 25-14, 25-19, 25-8 win.

techniques to help identify which pairs merited closer scrutiny).

2) Such statistics strongly suggest that the percentage of BBO players who cheat is much smaller than you might think.

3) The penalties for those who are caught cheating on BBO, particularly in our ACBL games (where we have a responsibility to be extra vigilant) are severe. The ACBL is sent a detailed report about any of its members that are caught cheating on BBO. We would do the same for any other National Bridge Federations that there willing to award masterpoints on our site.

4) We certainly could do better in this area. I am hopeful that the cheating scandals of 2015 will help to inspire and motivate those who run and work for BBO (including me) to improve.

5) BBO offers various forms of online bridge in which it is either very difficult or completely impossible to cheat. Our software also includes facilities that make it easy for you to keep track of which BBO members are honest and pleasant and to avoid those who you find to be dishonest or rude. Please e-mail support@bridgebase.com if you want more information on how these things work.

While I believe that Boye Brogeland’s initiative was unfortunately necessary (due to the long term fail-

ure of administrators to adequately police our game), it should be said that his actions violated a cardinal rule for proper behavior at bridge: that public accusations of cheating are completely inappropriate.

So please do not take my admiration and appreciation of Boye as a license to launch your own public anti-cheating campaign on BBO. If you think your opponents might be cheating, the only proper channel to go through is to e-mail abuse@ bridgebase.com. We have highlytrained professionals on our staff that will investigate any cheating allegations on our site and take action if we find that the evidence leaves no doubt as to guilt (the bar is set this high in order to ensure that no innocent person is ever convicted).

To the many thousands of honest and decent people who play and watch bridge on BBO, I hope you have a great 2016! To the small number of BBO members who cheat, please take a close look in the mirror-I don’t think you will like what you see.

Please make it your New Year’s resolution to start playing our wonderful game with the honor and respect it deserves.

Fred Gitelman, President Bridge Base Online, Ltd. Comments to: sylvia.alejandro@yahoo

A16

T H U R S DAY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 16 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 Spanish player Rafael Nadal returns the ball to his compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta in their tennis match during the Qatar Open tournament in Doha. AFP

Nadal survives scare

Beermen eye 2-0 lead; Painters seek equalizer

By Jeric Lopez

FOLLOWING one miraculous and morale-boosting victory, San Miguel Beer is craving for more.

With momentum and confidence on their side, the Beermen shoot for a commanding 2-0 lead over rival Rain or Shine in their 2015-16 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal series.

Leading the series 1-0 after a scintillating comeback win in Game 1, defending champion San Miguel is eyeing an even larger lead as it goes for a second win against the Elasto Painters, who are expected

to do their best to avoid a 0-2 hole, in Game 2 at 7 p.m. today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

In Game 1 last Tuesday night, the Beermen showed the heart of a champion as they rallied back from a gigantic 20-point deficit entering the final period to eventually pull off an astounding 109-105 Game 1 victory after outscoring the Elasto Painters 38-14 in that intense last 12 minutes.

San Miguel coach Leo

Austria was lost spearhead San Game Today for words after (Game 2, Semifinals - Smart Miguel, even as Araneta Coliseum) his team’s amazteammates like 7 p.m. - San Miguel vs. ing effort.

Arwind Santos, Rain or Shine ‘’I don’t know Chris Ross and what to say. It was just un- Ronald Tubid all came up believable,’’ said Austria, huge as well. whose wards showed tons of But don’t expect Rain or resiliency.

Shine to just bend and break.

Now, Austria is hoping for Painters coach Yeng Guia repeat performance from ao remains very optimistic his squad. of his team despite the mon‘’We know how to win, so umental Game 1 meltdown.

I’m hoping for another one ‘’We just need to put that in Game 2. That will give us one (Game 1) behind us. It a good lead,’’ he said. was a very disappointing Two-time reigning Most loss but it’s a long series,’’ Valuable Player June Mar said Guiao. ‘’We learned our Fajardo once again rose to lesson. We’re looking at that the occasion in Game 1 as he game positively.’’ put up huge numbers with Guiao then added that his game-highs of 36 points, 18 team certainly needs to outrebounds and five blocks to do itself to be able to square

Floyd: Racism exists in boxing

Superal grabs share of HK lead

TURN TO A12

TURN TO A15

the series up. ‘’We just need to be better than what we were in Game 1.’’

Meanwhile, Guiao and center Beau Belga were each fined P20,000 for separate offenses committed in the third quarter of the semifinal opener.

Guiao was whistled for a technical foul for bumping San Miguel guard Chris Ross during a throw-in situation with 9:45 left in the third quarter. Belga was also assessed a T for forcefully shoving Ross during that incident. The fine levied was for violation of league rules prohibiting a player seated on the bench from leaving when a commotion is taking place.

DOHA—Former world number one Rafael Nadal survived a first-round scare in the Qatar Open on Tuesday, winning in three sets against fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

Nadal lost the first set in a tie-break and looked set to follow defending champion David Ferrer out of the tournament, who lost earlier in the day to Ukraine’s Ilya Marchenko, ranked number 94 in the world.

But the 14-times Grand Slam winner rallied after a difficult start to take the match 6-7, 6-3, 6-1.

“In the second and third sets, I played well, little mistakes and I was very positive,” said Nadal.

He added: “I think I changed a little bit at the beginning of the second (set).

“I played with a little bit higher intensity and being a little bit more aggressive, going a little bit more for the shots.

“When I was able to make that happen, everything changed, no?”

The powerful Carreno Busta squandered three set points in the first, before finally winning the tie-break 7-5.

The world number 67 stretched his opponent at times and it looked as if Nadal, who won last week in Abu Dhabi, might exit the competition in the first round as he did last year.

But he recovered to give himself a second-round match against the “dangerous” Robin Haase in the second round on Wednesday.

Ferrer crashes out There was no such luck for Ferrer, who like Nadal the previous year, crashed out at the first hurdle while defending his title.

Ferrer, this year’s number four seed, struggled throughout, losing his serve in the very first game, hitting 43 unforced errors and eventually going down 7-6, 3-6, 2-6 in an eventful clash lasting over two and a quarter hours. AFP

B1

THURSDAY: JANUARY 7, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

Electronics show.

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

BUSINESS

Brian Krzanich (right), chief executive of Intel Corp., speaks about the Ninebot Segway during an event at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Krzanich announced tie-ups for the chipmaker with Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN, footwear maker New Balance and Red Bull’s media division. BLOOMBERG

Mindanao faces ‘grid collapse’

By Alena Mae S. Flores

POWER transmission operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines warned about a possible “grid collapse” in Mindanao, where red alert was declared again Wednesday.

A grid collapse would mean longer blackout for the powerstarved region, it said.

Davao City and General Santos City are in “real danger of being completely cut off ” from power supplies, it said.

NGCP, in an advisory, cited the uncooperative landowners as the reason behind the supply deficiency in Mindanao. NGCP was trying to repair a damaged transmission tower, which cut the line from two major hydroelectric plants.

Two units of the Agus hydroelectric power complex with a combined capacity of 150 mega-

watts were isolated from the grid after unidentified men bombed Tower 25 in Ramain, Lanao del Sur province on Christmas Eve. National Grid said it was unable to restore the facility after the owners of the property refused entry due to payment issues.

“NGCP again put Mindanao on red alert from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

[Wednesday] with contingency reserves at zero megawatts due to the isolation of the Napocorowned generating facilities Agus 1 and Agus 2 hydro power plants,” it said.

The hydro plants are connect-

ed to the grid through the Agus 2-Kibawe 138 kV line.

NGCP said the owners of the property where the tower is located—Johnny Sambitori, Intan Sambitori and Naguib Sambitori— refused entry to NGCP personnel who were deployed to repair the damaged transmission facility.

“Negotiations with the Sambitoris were unsuccessful because the owners alleged that the government failed to pay their claims a long time ago,” it said.

“Mindanao is facing a possible grid collapse if the situation persists since there is only one line remaining to deliver power from the Agus hydro complex, the Maramag-Bunawan 138 kV line,” National Grid said.

The company expressed concern that if the said line “is in any way compromised, no power will flow from the remaining Agus hydro facilities to south of Min-

danao where the bulk of power demand is located.”

Mindanao, home to a quarter of the Philippines’ more than 100 million people and the source of 40 percent of the nation’s food requirements, has suffered periodic power outages for years because its plants are aging and mostly hydroelectric facilities that can’t operate during droughts.

National Grid repeated its appeal to the public, local and national government, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines to help monitor the safety of the towers so that transmission services would remain uninterrupted.

“The company also appeals to local community leaders to help identify the perpetrators of the bombings, and to negotiate with uncooperative landowners, to prevent longer power interruptions,” it said.

Telecom firms told to invest more in broadband

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE National Telecommunications Commission has called on telecommunication companies and the next administration to invest more in broadband infrastructure to reduce the cost of Internet in the country.

The regulator said while incumbent telecom players had invested substantial amounts in their respective networks, there was still a need to spend more without increasing the cost of Internet access.

Telecom companies invested an average of P51.98 billion annually over the past five years. Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. invested P11.78 billion; Smart Com-

munications Inc., P16.68 billion; Globe Telecom Inc., P19.06 billion; and Sun Cellular, P4.45 billion.

NTC said the next administration should also invest in the development of broadband infrastructure and subsidize access to Internet connectivity.

NTC deputy commissioner Edgardo Cabarios said it would require an investment of P800 billion to provide an Internet download speed of at least 2 megabits per second to 20.17 million households by 2016.

Cabarios said at the rate of P60billion annual investment by telcos, it would take 10 years to meet the target, if there was no government intervention.

The government of Thailand invested $114 million to provide Internet service as a part of its economic policy. Malaysia, meanwhile, spent $4.5 billion over a period of 10 years to lay fiber optic lines to every home in Malaysia’s urban areas.

The International Telecommunication Union said only 18.9 percent of the Philippine households had Internet connection in 2012.

NTC endorsed a bill that would require telecommunication companies to remit a small portion of their earnings to the government to fund broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas.

Under the draft bill titled ‘An

Act Institutionalizing a Universal Access Fund,’ one-fourth of one percent of the gross revenues of all public telecommunications entities should be collected and automatically appropriated to the UAF. The UAF should be used to provide ICT or broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas.

The proposed bill will also require the NTC to remit 90 percent of the annual spectrum users fees paid by the telcos to the UAF as an automatic appropriation.

The NTC collects nearly a half a billion pesos annually from the telcos and broadband operators for the use of frequencies.

PSe comPoSite

index

Closing January 6, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,813.90 21.23

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JANUARY 6, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00 44.00 43.00

HIGH P46.820 LOW P47.045 AVERAGE P46.950 VOLUME 786.400M

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

o

il P PriceS today

P25.03-P28.48 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Wednesday, January 6, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.0450

Japan

Yen

0.008402

0.3953

UK

Pound

1.467400

69.0338

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129009

6.0692

Switzerland

Franc

0.992063

46.6716

Canada

Dollar

0.715308

Singapore

Dollar

0.701557

33.0047

Australia

Dollar

0.713980

33.5892

Bahrain

Dinar

2.657666

125.0299

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266560

12.5403

Brunei

Dollar

0.699105

32.8894

33.6517

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.027670

1.3017

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.8097

Euro

Euro

1.075200

50.5828

Korea

Won

0.000840

0.0395

China

Yuan

0.153475

7.2202

India

Rupee

0.015033

0.7072

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.230415

10.8399

New Zealand

Dollar

0.668494

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030178

31.4493 1.4197 Source: PDS Bridge

THURSDAY: JANUARY 7, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Wednesday, January 6, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 4.2 17 30.45 0.92 2.6 890 1.01 100 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.74 1.02 625 0.225 78 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 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 First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

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

2.71 45.95 103.50 83.05 37.1 1.37 14.9 18.26 0.71 1.85 695.00 0.500 77.7 22.40 51.70 102.9 276 32.85 143.2 1430.00 57.00 1.83

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 15.32 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

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

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

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group 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’ Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp.

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

Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

41.9 4.7 0.71 1.37 10.28 16.38 20.25 43.25 2.35 1.84 12.62 8.550 9.05 6.00 5.29 22.15 63.8 14.26 5.6 2.400 210.00 11.76 1.76 3.15 24.8 18.8 5.98 315.40 3.64 6.90 11.70 3.80 1.69 2.25 3.97 124 2.62 0.146 2.15 185 4.7 0.59 1.08

0.59 59.2 30.05 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 1455

0.44 48.1 20.85 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 837

76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 9.66 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.39 156 0.710

49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 3 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 751 0.93 80 0.211

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

GT Capital IPM Holdings JG Summit Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

MJCI Investments Inc. Pacifica `A’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion San Miguel Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs

0.370 57.7500 16.00 0.210 0.208 742 8.06 13.40 5.88 4.40 1342 9.89 70.15 6.4 0.75 14.84 0.47 5.28 3.5 0.0310 1.100 1.830 51.80 850.00 0.71 66.850 0.2850

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.48 0.201 0.69

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 0.97 0.083 0.415

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Arthaland Corp.

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

7.080 0.76 1.120 0.220 33.950 2.82 5 0.55 1 0.120 0.445

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

SHARES 6,432,795 66,215,807 54,763,874 81,885,139 188,058,491 61,743,956 459,840,842

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.7 2.57 46.15 45.15 103.90 102.10 84.00 82.00 37.3 37.1 1.28 1.28 15 14.8 18.32 18.1 0.69 0.69 1.86 1.86 690.00 675.00 0.510 0.480 78.6 77.5 22.40 22.00 51.70 51.50 100 100 276 276 32.75 32 143.4 142 1415.00 1415.00 57.00 56.90 1.8 1.8 INDUSTRIAL 42.2 41.9 5.05 4.69 0.7 0.7 1.39 1.36 10.32 10.2 16.42 16.28 20.3 20.1 44.5 43.5 2.35 2.27 1.93 1.77 12.62 12.28 8.800 8.540 9.06 8.97 6.14 6.05 5.33 5.30 22.65 22.15 65.5 63.8 14.30 14.02 5.65 5.52 2.540 2.430 214.00 208.00 11.74 11.72 1.77 1.77 3.02 3.02 24.95 24.75 19 18.76 5.73 5.72 318.60 315.00 3.64 3.57 6.92 6.83 11.80 11.78 3.83 3.80 1.69 1.65 2.34 2.25 4.00 3.99 123 117 2.83 2.65 0.152 0.145 2.16 2.15 186 184.9 4.55 4.55 0.62 0.6 1.08 1.08 HOLDING FIRMS 0.375 0.365 58.0000 57.8000 16.18 15.94 0.215 0.215 0.215 0.215 752.5 732 8.33 8.09 13.64 13.30 5.95 5.8 4.45 4.30 1353 1341 9.90 9.68 70.80 69.50 6.6 6.34 0.72 0.7 14.92 14.6 0.49 0.49 5.37 5.26 3.5 3.49 0.0310 0.0300 1.130 1.100 1.830 1.810 52.00 50.00 855.00 840.00 0.70 0.70 66.550 65.000 0.3000 0.2850 PROPERTY 7.090 6.940 0.78 0.76 1.130 1.130 0.240 0.230 34.100 33.100 2.82 2.76 5 4.8 0.55 0.54 1.040 1.04 0.120 0.120 0.445 0.440

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.58 46.15 103.40 82.00 37.2 1.28 14.8 18.1 0.69 1.86 675.00 0.480 77.65 22.00 51.50 100 276 32 142 1415.00 56.95 1.8

-4.80 0.44 -0.10 -1.26 0.27 -6.57 -0.67 -0.88 -2.82 0.54 -2.88 -4.00 -0.06 -1.79 -0.39 -2.82 0.00 -2.59 -0.84 -1.05 -0.09 -1.64

572,000 14,500 1,621,560 980,730 15,400 16,000 20,600 51,400 11,000 1,000 140 6,000 2,478,090 1,000 54,180 10 1,280 32,300 532,630 70 11,810 11,000

41.9 5 0.7 1.39 10.2 16.28 20.15 43.5 2.35 1.8 12.62 8.560 9.00 6.10 5.31 22.3 65 14.30 5.56 2.490 214.00 11.74 1.77 3.02 24.75 18.76 5.73 318.00 3.6 6.83 11.80 3.83 1.66 2.34 3.99 117.5 2.65 0.146 2.15 185 4.55 0.62 1.08

0.00 6.38 -1.41 1.46 -0.78 -0.61 -0.49 0.58 0.00 -2.17 0.00 0.12 -0.55 1.67 0.38 0.68 1.88 0.28 -0.71 3.75 1.90 -0.17 0.57 -4.13 -0.20 -0.21 -4.18 0.82 -1.10 -1.01 0.85 0.79 -1.78 4.00 0.50 -5.24 1.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.19 5.08 0.00

897,600 2,506,000 37,000 303,000 700 526,900 286,100 20,200 649,000 5,850,000 119,300 4,279,900 507,600 8,837,300 38,200 686,400 133,420 108,000 457,300 4,598,000 1,128,830 18,700 11,000 1,000 1,351,000 69,000 131,100 179,430 18,734,000 1,326,000 10,000 95,000 67,000 227,000 122,000 52,570 4,433,000 4,270,000 553,000 1,349,350 10,000 1,202,000 4,000

0.365 57.9000 16.04 0.215 0.215 732 8.26 13.48 5.89 4.30 1350 9.90 70.00 6.34 0.72 14.9 0.49 5.26 3.5 0.0310 1.100 1.810 52.00 840.00 0.70 65.000 0.2950

-1.35 0.26 0.25 2.38 3.37 -1.35 2.48 0.60 0.17 -2.27 0.60 0.10 -0.21 -0.94 -4.00 0.40 4.26 -0.38 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.09 0.39 -1.18 -1.41 -2.77 3.51

120,000 1,250,340 3,998,200 50,000 10,000 241,490 2,432,700 7,352,700 11,000 47,000 176,910 720,100 1,046,050 152,700 25,000 3,859,400 20,000 18,139,100 8,000 8,300,000 50,000 726,000 479,150 144,210 28,000 56,350 5,120,000

7.020 0.76 1.130 0.230 33.100 2.77 4.8 0.55 1.04 0.120 0.440

-0.85 0.00 0.89 4.55 -2.50 -1.77 -4.00 0.00 4.00 0.00 -1.12

38,700 386,000 3,000 520,000 14,576,500 1,671,000 48,000 2,019,000 1,000 100,000 680,000

266,945.00 39,047,326 -18,635,714.00 185,750.00 -344,594.00 -95,550.00 -61,388,342.00 6,600.00 2,289,133.00 -276,000.00 -26,070 20,859,954.00 -70,750.00 -444,032.00 16,834,205.00 114,780.00

415,122.00 40,400.00 0 49,140.00 761,040.00 -607,154.00 -6,652,182.00 -619,422.00 24,506,054.00 -7,974.00 -619,630.00 2,832,093.50 1,458,600.00 861,065.00 -118,000.00 -12,234,184.00 -9,376.00 12,573,390.00 -99,234.00 -15,332,552.00 -515,070.00 2,992,888.00 34,670.00 34,670.00 -3,990.00 -4,120,215.00 3,010.00 215,000.00 23,575,480.00

23,519,618.50 -5,202,798.00 -20,000,290.00 539.00 34,755,990.00 129,000.00 60,559,050.00 8,257,848.00 -43,025.00 29,148,040.00 35,352,650.00 108,300.00 -6,690,406.00 -8,840,170.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

Double Dragon Empire East Land Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ 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 1.44 1.09 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 1 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 0.650 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 Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp.

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

Manila Bulletin 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 12.7 12.8 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 6.5 5.11 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

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

TA Petroleum

70 553 515 8.21 12.28

33 490 480 5.88 6.5

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort PCOR-Preferred B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

-3,679,814.50 64,778.00 15,200.00 -278,565,475.00 -567,350.00 0.00 54,000.00 22,000.00

Close

84.8

75

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

High

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

24.3 23.9 23.9 0.770 0.770 0.770 1.04 1.01 1.02 1.80 1.77 1.78 1.17 1.11 1.16 4.17 4.12 4.17 0.079 0.072 0.079 0.41 0.4 0.4 8.7 8.55 8.7 27.40 26.25 27.00 1.41 1.4 1.4 3.2 3.18 3.18 21.75 21.20 21.20 0.8 0.78 0.79 6.1 5.7 5.7 0.850 0.830 0.830 4.990 4.950 4.970 SERVICES 6.91 6.89 6.79 6.8 62.3 62.8 61.8 62 1.26 1.14 1.14 1.14 0.480 0.475 0.460 0.460 20 28 28 28 4.18 4.24 4.00 4.05 0.0400 0.0410 0.0390 0.0400 3.28 3.31 3.18 3.18 81.85 82.95 81.2 82.2 1.99 1.99 1.51 1.84 5.50 5.45 5.30 5.45 955 960 960 960 1805 1812 1790 1797 6.86 6.90 6.85 6.86 1.16 1.20 1.18 1.20 67.4 67.85 67.4 67.4 11 11.12 11.12 11.12 0.0110 0.0110 0.0099 0.0099 0.152 0.153 0.150 0.150 1.4000 1.4600 1.4000 1.4200 2.03 2.07 2.07 2.07 7.30 7.30 7.40 7.40 4.89 5.02 4.66 4.70 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 2.35 2.35 2.15 2.35 0.540 0.560 0.560 0.560 1.99 1.98 1.95 1.98 2 2.07 1.92 1.92 3.85 3.94 3.85 3.90 0.265 0.285 0.285 0.285 0.750 0.770 0.740 0.750 4.60 4.46 4.36 4.45 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 22.70 22.60 21.50 21.50 2000.00 2070.00 2000.00 2030.00 0.480 0.485 0.465 0.480 0.550 0.580 0.550 0.560 33.80 33.80 33.60 33.65 65.30 67.80 65.30 66.75 5.95 5.95 5.79 5.85 3.28 3.35 3.21 3.21 0.425 0.425 0.425 0.425 3.98 4.01 3.96 4.01 0.340 0.340 0.330 0.340 4.120 4.100 3.880 3.880 MINING & OIL 0.0048 0.0049 0.0048 0.0048 1.89 1.80 1.80 1.80 4.06 4.08 4.08 4.08 4.5000 5.48 5.48 5.4800 5.5000 5.6 5.3400 5.6000 0.56 0.56 0.54 0.55 7.30 7.35 7.12 7.26 0.66 0.66 0.61 0.62 0.280 0.280 0.275 0.280 0.170 0.172 0.169 0.170 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 1.83 1.84 1.81 1.82 5.74 5.75 5.28 5.3 2.8 2.8 2.73 2.75 0.5400 0.5300 0.5300 0.5300 1.2500 1.2700 1.2000 1.2700 4.37 4.41 4.38 4.38 1.26 1.37 1.30 1.32 0.0110 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 135.00 136.00 135.00 135.30 2.21 2.2 2.11 2.2 PREFERRED 63 62.6 62.6 62.6 525 525 525 525 528 530 526 526 7 7 6.99 6.99 1.11 1.11 1.07 1.07 1075 1077 1077 1077 103.5 104 103.2 104 106.5 106.8 106.5 106.5 82.9 83 83 83 78.5 79 78.4 79 80 79.9 79.9 79.9 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.040 2.130 2.100 2.100 SME 3.1 3.19 3.1 3.1 2.57 2.57 2.57 2.57 2.95 3 2.9 2.91 15.52 15.76 15.2 15.2 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 111.7 112.5 111.5 111.5

-0.21 0.00 -0.97 -1.11 3.57 1.21 6.76 -1.23 0.00 2.47 0.00 -1.24 -1.62 0.00 -5.79 -2.35 -0.60

316,200 21,000 3,375,000 9,639,000 56,000 23,921,000 1,160,000 100,000 30,200 3,181,300 17,000 2,000 11,926,300 710,000 22,300 137,000 7,219,000

-1,598,785.00

-1.59 -0.48 -9.52 -4.17 40.00 -3.11 0.00 -3.05 0.43 -7.54 -0.91 0.52 -0.44 0.00 3.45 0.00 1.09 -10.00 -1.32 1.43 1.97 -1.35 -3.89 0.00 0.00 3.70 -0.50 -4.00 1.30 7.55 0.00 -3.26 0.00 -5.29 1.50 0.00 1.82 -0.44 2.22 -1.68 -2.13 0.00 0.75 3.03 -5.83

89,600 6,800.00 26,720 4,000 650,000 200 12,752,000 -29,244,610.00 8,100,000 42,900.00 598,000 48,100.00 191,230 -3,850,375.00 22,000 75,600 3,180.00 300 98,715 -125,937,500.00 24,200 8,000 2,360.00 710,070 -6,763,357.00 500 120,500,000 990.00 1,250,000 7,500.00 383,000 1,420.00 10,000 1,535,100 -21,276.00 3,272,000 85,170.00 10,000 5,000 202,000 167,000 7,310,000 -6,270,950.00 2,261,000 1,552,160.00 30,000 1,362,000 -37,500.00 21,000 2,500 235,000.00 86,900 -379,010.00 88,065 22,508,170.00 700,000 17,272,000 512,400.00 776,500 2,762,855.00 980,500 20,597,986.50 1,170,100 2,397,000 -392,420.00 850,000 1,521,000 -2,000,400.00 10,000 33,000

0.00 -4.76 0.49 21.78 1.82 -1.79 -0.55 -6.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.55 -7.67 -1.79 -1.85 1.60 0.23 4.76 9.09 0.22 -0.45

21,000,000 140,000 30,000 3,400 11,000 282,000 700 3,939,000 20,000 3,860,000 20,000,000 1,800,000 128,000 3,963,300 62,000 1,000 188,000 197,000 527,000 5,200,000 274,070 20,000

-0.63 0.00 -0.38 -0.14 -3.60 0.19 0.48 0.00 0.12 0.64 -0.12

31,970 1,200 4,720 500 455,000 120 19,140 2,510 84,110 43,490 35,770

2.94

4,000

0.00 0.00 -1.36 -2.06

38,000 9,000 77,000 611,400

1,898,604.00

-0.18

5,380

61,530.00

-5,727,270.00 9,923,980.00

58,939,750.00 7,050.00 -12,623,900.00 500.00 -18,030.00 4,150.00 4,657,348.00

8,160.00 -44,800.00 -1,074,600.00

-3,015,503.00 -7,520.00 52,750.00 13,500.00 30,487,229.00 6,360.00 -646,658.00

-4,440.00 -728,000.00

T op L oSerS

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,522.12 (down) 7.67 INDUSTRIAL 10,907.05 (up) 52.32 HOLDING FIRMS 6,487.89 (down) 26.18 PROPERTY 2,828.42 (down) 40.64 SERVICES 1,495.99 (up) 7.23 MINING & OIL 10,093.97 (down) 81.03 PSEI 6,813.90 (down) 21.23 All Shares Index 3,913.55 (down) 12.26 Gainers: 68; Losers: 101; Unchanged: 35; Total: 204

Close

23.95 0.770 1.03 1.80 1.12 4.12 0.074 0.4050 8.7 26.35 1.4 3.22 21.55 0.79 6.05 0.850 5.000

T op g ainerS VALUE 526,679,953.00 896,053,939.61 1,099,723,538.2875 1,001,548,722.96 661,590,831.145 64,950,975.59 4,260,941,883.5875

Low

Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Berjaya Phils. Inc.

28

40.00

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.0099

-10.00

Benguet Corp `A'

5.4800

21.78

Acesite Hotel

1.14

-9.52

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.0120

9.09

Nickelasia

5.3

-7.67

MG Holdings

0.285

7.55

Discovery World

1.84

-7.54

MRC Allied Ind.

0.079

6.76

Bright Kindle Resources

1.28

-6.57

Agrinurture Inc.

5

6.38

Ferronickel

0.62

-6.06

Vitarich Corp.

0.62

5.08

Yehey

3.880

-5.83

PhilexPetroleum

1.32

4.76

Starmalls

5.7

-5.79

Arthaland Corp.

0.230

4.55

Philweb.Com Inc.

21.50

-5.29

Mabuhay Holdings `A'

0.49

4.26

San Miguel'Pure Foods `B'

117.5

-5.24

THURSDAY: JANUARY 7, 2016

B3

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

Foreign currency dealers work in a dealing room of KEB Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2015. North Korea said it successfully tested its first hydrogen bomb, the fourth time it has detonated a nuclear device and a move that reignites tensions with neighbors including China after months of calm.

BLOOMBERG

Govt debt up 4% to to P5.95t —Treasury

By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE total outstanding debt of the national government increased 4 percent to P5.952 trillion in the first 11 months of 2015 from P5.716 trillion year-on-year on increased foreign borrowings, data from the Bureau of Treasury showed late Tuesday.

The debt was almost unchanged month-on-month from P5.957 trillion in end-October.

Domestic debt at the end of November amounted to P3.896 trillion, or P2.41 billion lower than the previous month’s level but 2.8 percent higher than P3.789 trillion on year.

“The reduction in domestic obligations was due to the net redemption of government securities amounting to P2.51 billion.

This was slightly tempered by the P0.10 billion upward adjustment in the peso value of foreign currency domestic debt due to currency depreciation,” the trreasury said.

The domestic debt portfolio has increased 2 percent or P75.10 billion since the start of 2015.

The foreign debt fell 0.1 percent or P2.69 billion to P2.056 trillion from the end-October level and rose 6.58 percent from P1.93 trillion in the same period in 2014.

“While the depreciation of the local currency against the US dollar raised the peso value of debt

by P8.78 billion, the external debt portfolio still went down due to the combined effect of net repayments and the depreciation of third-currencies against the US dollar amounting to P5.17 billion and P6.34 billion, respectively,” the treasury said.

The total debt increased 7.4 percent or P142.27 billion from the end-December 2014 level.

Market drops; Ayala issues, SM Prime fall THE stock market fell Wednesday as China’s move to weaken the yuan pummeled developing-nation currencies and on reports that North Korea successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 21.23 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,813.90 on a value turnover of P4.3 billion. Losers beat gainers, 101 to 68, with 35 issues unchanged.

Ayala Land Inc., the secondbiggest property developer, declined 2.5 percent to P33.10, while parent Ayala Corp. lost 1.4 percent to P732.

SM Prime Holdings Inc., the largest real estate company, fell 1.6 percent to P21.20, while parent SM Investments Corp. dropped 1.2 percent to P840.

Jollibee Foods corp., the biggest fastfood chain, rose 1.9 percent to

P214, while Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the largest telecommunications firm, added 1.5 percent to P2,030.

Chinese stocks, meanwhile, rose amid government efforts to shore up the share market after the worst start to a year on record. The won dropped to the lowest level in three months. The yuan slid to a five-year low, while Malaysia’s ringgit led a gauge of developing-nation currencies to a record low.

The People’s Bank of China lowered the yuan reference rate to the weakest since April 2011, spurring concern that the government is fac-

ing pressure to devalue its currency to revive growth in the world’s second-biggest economy.

“A weaker yuan could initiate other Asian markets to allow their own currencies to weaken to remain competitive with Chinese exports,” said Nescyn Presinede, a trader at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., which manages $1.8 billion in trust assets. “A continued weakening in the yuan could trigger more volatility in financial markets. Other Asian markets will not stand still from a weaker yuan.”

Stocks in Asia, which swung wildly Monday and Tuesday, extended a miserable start to 2016— hit by another round of weak Chinese economic indicators, sinking oil prices and rising tensions in the Middle East.

Tokyo sank one percent as exporters were hurt by a strong yen, Hong Kong lost one percent, Syd-

ney shed 1.2 percent and Taipei dropped 1.1 percent.

But Shanghai ended 2.3 percent higher.

“There’s word spreading in the market that state funds are buying, but the idea is to hold up the market, not to bolster it by a large margin,” said Dai Ming, a fund manager at Hengsheng Asset Management Co. in Shanghai.

“The market has basically stabilized after the tumble and investors are waiting for further policies that will boost sentiment.”

Regulators had closed trading early Monday because a seven percent fall triggered a new circuit breaker put in place during the summer to prevent sharp losses or gains.

Investors were partly spooked by this Friday’s expiration of a ban imposed in July on certain investors selling stocks.

With Bloomberg, AFP

MJC Investments opens P3.7-b entertainment hub

By Jenniffer B. Austria MJC Investments Corp., the property unit of racetrack operator Manila Jockey Club Inc., on Wednesday opened its P3.7billion hotel and entertainment complex within the San Lazaro Tourism and Business Park in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

MJC Investments said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it held a soft opening on the 18-story Winford Hotel as well as on the ground floor gaming and entertainment complex.

The Winford Hotel consists of 128 internationally designed deluxe rooms and includes a threelevel entertainment and gaming area, ballroom, swimming pool, gym and spa, coffee shop and dining area, retail outlets and a seven-level parking structure.

MJC Investments in 2013 broke ground on the hotel and entertainment complex. The company designed it to provide premium hotel, entertainment and meeting options in one of Metro Manila’s most affluent areas.

MJC Investments sold shares

to a consortium of investors from Hong Kong in 2013, equivalent to a 33-percent stake in the company, for P450 million to finance the project.

MJC Investments in 2015 sold another 673,791,662 shares to the same group of Hong Kong investors for P673.79 million.

The San Lazaro Business and Tourism Park is a vertical integrated urban township comprised of luxury high-rise condominiums, and Manila’s only dedicated, IT and BPO dedicated tower registered with

the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

The complex is already the home of a high-end residential condominium project jointly developed by Ayala Land Inc. and MJC, and the SM San Lazaro mall.

MJC Investments was initially incorporated to engage in the mining business. It has diversified to focus in the growing Philippine tourism industry.

Share price of MJC Investments on Wednesday closed unchanged at P3.50 per share.

B4

LBC says regular operation continues LBC Express Inc. assured customers that its operations remain unhampered, despite the civil case filed by state-run Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. against the LBC Group.

“In light of the ongoing Civil Case No. 15-1258 involving the PDIC as receiver of LBC Development Bank, and, among others LBC Express Inc., we would like to assure the public that this matter is being dealt with accordingly and that LBC Express Inc. is as always, business as usual,” the logistics company said.

“We expect that all incidental difficulties to be resolved within the next few days. While it is unfortunate that LBC Express Inc. has been involved in this case, the company, through proper legal counsel, has thoroughly assessed the situation, and will exhaust all legal remedies to resolve this matter as soon as possible,” it said.

PDIC is seeking a P1.8-billion payment from the LBC Group of the Araneta family following the closure of LBC Development Bank in September 2011.

LBC Express Holdings Inc. earlier said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the Makati regional trial court branch 143 issued a preliminary attachment against LBC Development Corp. and LBC Express. Inc., after PDIC filed civil cases to collect “unpaid services fee.”

PDIC, the appointed receiver and liquidator of LBC Development Bank, said the defendants owed P1.8 billion.

LBC Development is the parent company of the listed company LBC Express Holdings, which in turn owns LBC Express Inc. LBC Express Inc. said it continued to exert utmost effort to fully attend to the needs of its customers and ensure regular ongoing operations.

PSBank donation. Philippine Savings Bank, the thrift bank arm of the Metrobank Group, shows its commitment to help change lives of underprivileged children by donating P300,000 to World Vision, Resources for the Blind Inc. and Chosen Children Foundation. Shown are (from left) PSBank assistant vice president and employee engagement head Anne Ilagan, vice president and human resources group head Mark Lord Limson, Chosen Children Foundation social worker Lara Mae Madriaga, executive director Marilyn Naval, PSBank president Vicente Cuna Jr. and executive vice president Jose Vicente Alde.

First Metro expects GDP to expand 6.5%

By Julito G. Rada

First Metro Investment Corp., the investment banking arm of the Metrobank Group, sees the Philippine economy growing 6 percent to 6.5 percent in 2016, on solid macro-economic fundamentals.

First Metro chairman Francisco Sebastian said in a news briefing in Makati City Wednesday the outlook for the economy remained robust but “guarded” amid uncertainties in the domestic and global markets.

“The country’s GDP is projected to expand by 6 to 6.5 percent underpinned by sound macroeconomic fundamentals, robust domestic consumption, fueled

by OFW remittances and the

continuously growing business process outsourcing sector,” Sebastian said.

He said other factors that could contribute to a stable economy this year included the stable peso compared to other currencies in the region, moderate inflation and low oil prices.

The industry sector is projected to grow 8.7 percent this year from 5.6 percent last year, while the services sector is seen to ex-

pand 7 percent, up from 6.4 percent in 2015.

Sebastian, however, said the threats to a sustained economic expansion would be a slower global economic growth, infrastructure problems and lower foreign direct investments.

“Despite these, we remain optimistic. The country’s GDP growth [6 percent expected in 2015] remains one of the fastest in the Asian region. Our balance of payments position remains strong,” Sebastian said, adding that remittances along with business process outsourcing revenues continued to be growth boosters.

First Metro also said a moderate inflation environment was expected to persist this year as prices of rice and other major food items remained stable along

with low fuel prices.

First Metro said it expected inflation rate to average 2.5 percent this year, faster than 1.4 percent recorded in 2015. “This despite the effects of El Nino in agricultural output, which will be cushioned by lower oil prices in the world market and large importation of rice,” it said.

Growth of remittances is expected to slow down to 0 to 2 percent this year from around 4 percent in 2015 as oil-producing countries suffer from budget deficit due to declining oil prices. First Metro said the demand for skilled manpower overseas would remain steady.

GDP grew 5.5 percent in the first nine months, below the government’s earlier target of 7 percent to 8 percent for 2015.

3 wind plants seen to generate 165 MW by 2017

By Alena Mae S. Flores THREE wind power plants are expected to be completed in 2016 and 2017 and contribute 165 megawatts to the Luzon grid, according to the Energy Department.

Latest data from the department showed that Energy Logics Philippines Inc.’s 48-MW Pasuquin East wind power project in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte was expected to be completed by June this year. The project is estimated to cost P6.048 billion.

Alternergy Sembrano Wind Corp.’s 72-MW wind project in

Mabitac, Laguna, costing P7.056 billlion, is due for completion by April 2017.

Northern Luzon UPC Asia Corp. is expected to complete the 45-MW Balaoi wind power project in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte in August 2017.

Six wind projects are now operating and delivering power to the grid. Of these projects, three were included in the first wave of wind installation target.

ERC approved a feed-in tariff rate of P8.53 per kilowatt-hour for Energy Development Corp.’s 150-MW Burgos wind project, Northwind Power Development

Corp.’s 18.9-MW phase 3 wind project and North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp.’s 81-MW Caparispisan wind project in Ilocos Norte.

Projects under the second wave of wind installation targets include Trans-Asia Renewable Energy Corp.’s 54-megawatt San Lorenzo wind power project in Guimaras, PetroWind Energy Inc.’s 36-MW Nabas wind project in Aklan and Alternergy Wind One Corp.’s 54-MW Pililla wind power project in Rizal.

These wind projects under the second wave are eligible for the approved feed-in tariff rate of

P7.40 per kWh. ERC granted a lower rate under the second wave of wind projects due to recent developments in wind technology such as efficiency levels of wind turbine and its evaluation on what would be the reasonable updated level of the FIT for the second batch of eligible wind projects.

The 144-MW wind projects eligible for the second wave of feed-in tariff brought the total number of feed-in tariff eligible wind projects to 393.9 MW, or 6.1 MW short of the total approved 400-MW installation target.

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

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

Inflation forecast to hit 2.5% this year

B5

Ecozone investments likely rose 7% in 2015

By Julito G. Rada

By Othel V. Campos

DBS Bank of Singapore said Wednesday it expects inflation rate in the Philippines to rise to 2.5 percent in 2016 from 1.4 percent last year, on the back of higher food prices. “[The] December 2015 inflation came in slightly higher than we had expected. CPI inflation registered 1.5 percent year-on-year while core inflation was at 2.1 percent. With core inflation trending upwards once again, we are likely to see CPI inflation inching gradually higher this year,” DBS said in a report Wednesday.

“This is especially true considering anticipation of higher food prices this year. We forecast CPI inflation to tick up to 2.5 percent in 2016 from 1.4 percent last year,” the foreign bank said.

Inflation in December accelerated to 1.5 percent from 1.1 percent in November. This brought the average inflation in 2015 to 1.4 percent, below the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for the year.

DBS said that given the 2 percent to 4 percent target range, inflation was still at a comfortable level.

“Not that Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is concerned… It is interesting that the BSP was actually a tad dovish following the December 2015 inflation data release,” the bank said.

It said global growth risks were playing a part in how Bangko Sentral calibrated its policy stance going forward.

“For now, however, the BSP seems fairly sanguine about GDP growth prospect. It is hard to disagree. Domestic demand remains strong, bolstered by private consumption growth,” DBS said.

It said overall investment growth remained very close to the double-digit territory, offsetting any drag from external demand. It said as far as export growth was concerned, exports of electronics continued to grow at 8 percent annual pace, despite the fall in overall exports.

“Look for stronger cues once the full-year 2015 GDP data report is out at the end of the month. At this juncture, we reckon that GDP growth may tick up back to 6 percent in 2016.

Given that the BSP remains focused on longer-term sustainability, there is a good chance to see a 25 bps rate hike in the second half of 2016,” it said.

Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. earlier said there was no reason to tweak the current policy stance despite the acceleration of inflation.

INVESTMENTS approved by Philippine Economic Zone Authority likely grew by 2 percent to 7 percent in 2015, preliminary estimates by the agency show.

Peza spokesman Elmer San Pascual said the investment promotion agency attracted large manufacturing companies to set up operations in the Philippines last year.

“The growth in investments is more or less due to ongoing expansion programs of existing projects. But there are also big projects that partly contributed to the increase in investments,” he told reporters in an inter-

view.

San Pascual did not provide exact figures on investment projects, as data collection remained to be completed. Peza approved P279 billion worth of investment projects in 2014.

He said despite the growth in investments in economic zones, exports by locators went down by 0.55 percent to $36 billion in the first 10 months of 2015.

“We are still reviewing data as

of now. Investments are still on the positive side. We may come up with consolidated figures for the entire 2015 within the week,” San Pascual said.

He said 3,625 companies were currently operating inside government-owned economic zones.

Peza director general Lilia Delima said the agency remained optimistic about the performance of exports in 2015.

Exports by Peza locators were reported at $32.8 billion as of end-September 2015, down by 0.34 percent from $32.9 billion recorded in the same period in 2014.

Total employment in economic zones run by Peza reached 1.24 million as of end-October, up by 7.7 percent from a year ago, the

agency said.

Peza said for 2016, it expected several investment missions by foreign companies, including those from the Nordic Business Council, composed of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

Denmark alone is set to bring in three investment missions to the Philippines on agribusiness, power and health.

The Nordic Business Council of the Philippines earlier showed increased interest in the Philippines as an investment destination.

Ten Nordic companies are expected to visit the Philippines in February for possible partnership on energy efficiency, industrial parks and health sector.

2Go-Zalora partnership. 2GO Express becomes one of Zalora’s last mile delivery partners in the biggest online sales. Shown signing the agreement are (from the left) 2Go Express vice president and general manager Randolph Arroyo, Zalora managing director for operations Constantin Robertz and 2Go Express vice president and e-commerce head Magdalena Anoos.

Salceda says 2016 a banner year for Albay province LEGAZPI CITY—The year 2016 is a banner year for “Albay Rising,” the province’s development battlecry, according to Governor Joey Salceda.

Salceda said in a statement his province was going “full throttle” this year towards the goal of sustainable development.

He called on his constituents to work with him in pursuit of their goal “for the greater glory of Albay.”

Albay Rising embodies Salceda’s economic development vision for the province for the past nine years, comprising his three terms as governor, which would end June this year. He will run for Albay’s second congressional district in the May 2016 polls.

Salceda asked Albay residents to get “all hands on the paddle” towards their sustainable development objective “through tourism, agriculture, small enterprises, education, health, social protection, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.”

One of the biggest events for Albay this year is the hosting of the Palarong Pambansa 2016 in April. Salceda said the province would host it as a sports-tourism activity, the first in the history of the games, with the venues of the week-long games scattered around scenic places, designed to push further the booming tourism industry.

Albay’s tourism won interna-

tional recognitions such as the 2015 CEO Challenge of Pacific Area Tourism Association.

Salceda said that in 2015, about 376,000 foreign tourists visited Albay, up by 11 percent from 2014.

He said more arrivals were expected this year, given the major events in the province, including Xterra Philippines, Palaro 2016 and other events of the Department of Tourism, “which we are optimizing or piggy-backing” on.

An ardent supporter of Department of Education’s K to12 program which is expected improve the country’s education system by churning out world-competitive and employable professionals, Salceda said Albay would work

closely with DepEd to ensure the success of senior high school in the province with an estimated enrolment of 21,800 students for school year 2016-2017.

He said Albay would exert all efforts to get the Bicol International Airport in Daraga town completed faster and help push through the February 2016 competitive bidding of the P171-billion South Railways line to Legazpi City.

The BIA, which is scheduled to be completed in 2017, is Salceda’s brainchild. It is envisioned to open the floodgates for international tourists in Southern Luzon and contribute significantly to the country’s economic development.

B6

THURSDAY: JANUARY 7, 2016

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

Differences between Asean and Euro blocs AT THE stroke of midnight on January 1, 2016 a bouncing baby was born to Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). The baby will be christened AEC (Asean Economic Community). Welcome, AEC, to the world of multinational groupings intended for the economic development and growth of their member-countries.

The regional economic grouping that serves as the role model for all such groupings and that they want to match in success terms is the European Union, which used to be known as the European Economic Community. The Asean Economic Community is no exception. It seeks to become the Asian continent’s EEC. That goal will be neither so easily nor so quickly achieved.

EU’s journey to where it is today—the world’s second most powerful economic entity—was long and fraught with all sorts of difficulties and obstacles. Success and prestige by no means came overnight to EU. That the road was long is brought home by the statement that EU had its beginnings in 1952. For those who love to do the math, that was 64 years ago.

1952 was the year when EU’s original “Six” (West Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) decided to establish the first post-World War II economic institution in Western Europe. That was ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community). The United Kingdom joined ECSC not long after its establishment.

Arguably the most significant feature of the new regional institution was the inclusion of West Germany among its founding members. Prior to World War II, Germany had the second largest steel industry in the world, after the US. The statesmen and policymakers of Western Europe decided, in the immediate aftermath of the war, that if there were to be no more Adolf Hitlers and if Western European political stability were to be long-lived, West Germany had to be brought into the mainstream of Western European politics and economics.

Why coal and steel as the focus centerpiece of the first Western European initiative for regional economic integration?

Several reasons. The first reason was that steelmaking was the region’s most important manufacturing industry. And of course one could not talk of the steel industry without taking into account the industry that supplied the fuel for the steel industry’s furnaces. Reason No. 2 was that in every one of the “Six” countries, steelmaking was an important industry. A third reason was that because of World War II most of the region’s steelmaking and coal mining facilities were nationalized, thereby making it possible for the ECSC member-governments to commit their countries to regional integration of the coal and steel industries.

ECSC was a huge success. For the first time in Western Europe’s modern history, here was an institution that bound together a major part of the regional economy.

Where there was division and separate development, the governments of the regional countries were now meeting regularly and plotting a common regional destiny. The political fallout from a successful ECSC was enormous.

With economic partnership in place and growing stronger, political and diplomatic partnership could not be far behind. And they weren’t.

My purpose in bringing up EU’s origins is to stress to Asean’s possibly misty-eyed policymakers and planners that the bouncing new baby called AEC has many tentative and shaky steps to take before it can begin to walk steadily and then run. As my narration has pointed out, EU’s founding fathers and earliest planners laid down a firm and strategically chosen foundation for the multinational institution that they were establishing. They decided that was needed to cement the economic ties between the member-nations was the binding together of a major element of Western Europe’s economic infrastructure. They chose the steel and coal industries.

During the past decades policymakers and planners, in dozens of meetings, have issued numerous declarations and put together numerous action plans. But nothing resembling an Asean counterpart of ECSC. Truly, AEC has a long way to go before it begins to approach EU status. But it is a start.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

New e-Golf Touch. LAS VEGAS—Attendees look at Volkswagen’s new e-Golf Touch vehicle during a press event at CES 2016 at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on January 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs from January 6-9 and is expected to feature 3,600 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 150,000 attendees.

Datem readies IPO in 2nd half of 2016

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONSTRUCTION and property firm Datem Inc. plans to push through with its P4.65-billion initial public offering in the second half of 2016, one the underwriters handling the deal said Wednesday.

First Metro Investments Corp. executive vice president Justino Juan Ocampo said Datem decided to defer the IPO to the second half of the year due to market volatility.

Datem earlier planned to hold the IPO in November but postponed the maiden share offering “due to the uncertainty in the capital markets prevailing at the time of pricing.”

Datem plans to sell up to 329 million shares at a maximum price of P14.15 apiece.

The company plans to use the IPO proceeds to fund construction, real estate and water ventures.

Incorporated in 1984, Datem is engaged in the construction business. It recently ventured into real estate, especially affordable housing projects, and supply and treatment of bulk water.

Ocampo said many companies planning to raise funds this year, either through the equities or bond markets, would likely do so in the second half of the year, or when the presidential election was over.

First Metro, the investment banking unit of Metrobank Group, said it was lining up three to five bite-sized IPOs also in the second semester of 2016.

Ocampo said these compa-

nies were mostly engaged in the consumer and property sectors, without identifying them.

“There are sectors that we think will be a sweet spot. Consumers of course because of the demand acceleration. Affordable housing continues to be an exciting area. So those related to that like BPOs, construction, related to those sectors,” Ocampo said.

The average size of these IPOs will range from P1 billion to P3 billion, which could easily be absorbed by local investors.

University of the Philippines Manila The Health Sciences Center BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE 3 2nd Floor, BAC Conference Room, Damian Hall University of the Philippines Manila P.Faura St. corner Ma. Orosa St., Manila Telefax # 525-43-22 / 526-22-76

INVITATION TO BID 1.

The University of the Philippines Manila through its Bids and Awards Committee III (BAC 3), invites suppliers/manufacturer/distributors/contractors to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder projects: Name of Project:

Supply and Installation of Fiber Optic Cabling for UP Manila-REBID

Supply and Installation of Electrical System, UPM Computer Center-REBID

Requesting Unit/ Location:

CAD-Information Management Services

CAD-Information Management Services

Approved Budget for the Contract:

Php 4,189,729.12

Php2,619,902.62

Bid Documents

Php 5,000.00

Php 5,000.00

Contract Duration:

120 Days

120 Days

PR No.:

IMS2015-01

IMS2015-02

Source of Fund:

ITF

ITF

2.

Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last two (2) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding. The Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of bids shall use nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated responsive bid shall be conducted.

3.

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR).

4.

The complete schedule of activities is listed, as follows: Activities 1

Issuance of Bid Documents

Schedule Starting –January 7, 2016

2

Pre-bid Conference

3

Opening of Bids

January 19, 2016 - 1:30 pm

4

Bid Evaluation

Within two (2) weeks after the opening

5

Post-qualification

Within one (1) week after the bid evaluation

6

Issuance of Notice of Award

Seven (7) days after Post-qualification

5.

Bid Documents will be made available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable amount stated above for each project to the U.P. Manila Cashier’s Office.

6.

UP Manila assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid.

7.

The University of the Philippines Manila reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any formality or defects therein, or to accept such as may be considered most advantageous to UP Manila.

8.

All inquiries shall be directed to the BAC III Secretariat at tel. no. 525-4322 / 526-2275. This is also posted at the UP Manila Official Web: http://www.upm.edu.ph/procurement.

(SGD) DR. TRISTAN NATHANIEL C. RAMOS Chair, BAC 3

(SGD) ARLENE A. SAMANIEGO, MD Vice Chancellor for Administration (TS-JAN. 7, 2016)

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Mideast tensions hurting oil cartel PARIS—The escalating diplomatic tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have added fresh strains on Opec’s unity as the cartel grapples with a common response to rock-bottom oil prices, experts said.

While it produces a third of the world’s oil, the group has struggled with crude values that have tumbled some 60 percent since mid-2014, falling below $40 (37 euros).

Crafting a new way forward has become yet tougher since Saudi Arabia executed prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr at the weekend, triggering a sectarian standoff with Iran.

“What’s happening at the moment between Iran and Saudi Arabia makes searching for a compromise even more difficult,” said Francis Perrin, president of Strategy and Energy Policy publications.

The Gulf countries, led by top Opec producer Saudi Arabia, refuse to cut production unless the oil-producing states that are not members of the group agree to do the same. A cut would likely help prices climb.

Though the Saudis have thus far had their way, this unbending stance has been financially painful for the 13 Opec nations, including Algeria, Venezuela and Nigeria, which draw most of their revenues from black gold.

For its part, Iran, the other pillar of Opec, has no intention of curbing its production with the lifting of Western sanctions just on the horizon, which would allow it to resume crude oil exports.

“Opec has no policy at the moment as it’s everyone for themselves,” said Ole Hansen, a Saxo Bank analyst.

“In the short term, there is no chance of an agreement within OPEC regarding production, and assuming there was some small chance, it has disappeared with the current crisis in relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran,” said Pierre Terzian, head of the Petrostrategies weekly.

In addition to their political and religious rivalries, the two Middle Eastern powerhouses are also clashing over their share of the oil market. AFP

B7

Sexual assaults shock Germans BERLIN—German leaders expressed shock over dozens of apparently coordinated sexual assaults against women on New Year’s Eve in the western city of Cologne, which was blamed on “Arab-looking men”, but warned against antimigrant scapegoating.

Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a thorough investigation of the “repugnant” attacks, ranging from groping to at least one reported rape, allegedly committed in a large crowd of revelers during year-end festivities outside the city’s main train station and its famed Gothic cathedral.

Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said she had called Cologne’s mayor, Henriette Reker, to express her “outrage” over the violence, which she said required “a tough response from the state”.

“Everything must be done to find as many of the perpetrators as possible as quickly as possible and bring them to justice, regardless of their origin or background,” Seibert quoted Merkel as saying.

Police in Cologne said they had received 90 criminal complaints by Tuesday and quoted witnesses as saying that groups of 20 to 30 young men “who appeared to be of Arab or North African origin” had surrounded victims, assaulted them and in several cases robbed them.

Germany took in around one million asylum seekers in 2015, many of them fleeing war-ravaged Syria.

A plain-clothes policewoman was

Training. An Emirati

falconer trains his bird on January 6, 2016, during the Liwa 2016 Moreeb Dune Festival in the Liwa desert, some 250 kilometres southwest of Abu Dhabi. The festival, which attracts participants from around the Gulf region, includes a variety of races (cars, bikes, falcons, camels and horses) or other activities aimed at promoting the country’s folklore. AFP Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 3 Office Address: Telephone Nos.: Website:

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-2467, 7664839, 673-0630 nia03@yahoo.com

reportedly among those attacked.

“We assume more people will come forward,” police chief Wolfgang Albers told reporters.

The northern port city of Hamburg also reported around 10 similar attacks.

On Tuesday evening 200-300 people, according to police estimates, gathered in front of Cologne cathedral calling for more respect for women.

One female demonstrator held a sign reading: “Mrs. Merkel, what are you doing? This is scary”.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere lashed out at Cologne police for failing to stop the assaults.

“The police cannot work in this way,” de Maiziere told public TV channel ARD. Police said they evacuated the area because of fears people could be injured by fireworks—and admitted the assaults then began without them realizing what was happening.

“It is not acceptable that the square could be evacuated and then [the attacks] take place” in the same location, with officers “waiting for complaints” from victims before taking action, de Maiziere said. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 3

Telefax No. (044) 766-2467 TIN 000-979-570-000

Office Address: Telephone Nos.: Website:

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-2467, 7664839, 673-0630 nia03@yahoo.com

Telefax No. (044) 766-2467 TIN 000-979-570-000

INVITATION to BID

INVITATION to BID

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) – Region 3, through the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered Contractors with at least License Category “B”, size range Medium A to apply for eligibility and to bids for the project, to wit:

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) – Region 3, through the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered contractors/Suppliers to bids for the project, to wit:

NIAR3-2016-BULO-BANE - 1

NIAR3-2016-STW-2

Construction of Irrigation Facilities of Bulo SRIP, DRT and San Miguel, Bulacan.

The approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) is P 26,505,066.00 with a contract duration of 270 calendar days.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted.

Interested bidders must have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last 3 years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction’s to Bidders.

Issuance of Bid Documents: (Upon payment of non-refundable amount of P 30,000.00 each)

January 18, 2016 NIA – Region 3, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan

Pre-Bid Conference

January 26, 2016 - 10:00 AM

Submission of Bids: NIAR3 – 2016 – BULO - BANE - 1

February 10, 2016 - 10:00 AM

Only those who have purchased bidding documents will be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting January 18, 2016 to February 09, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, except holidays, and February 10, 2016 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents at the NIA-Region 3 Cashiering Section.

supply and delivery of min. 8 HP Diesel Engine (Japan Technology) with Pump including accessories (2 units - Angat, 2 units - Bocaue, 2 units - Pandi, 4 units - San Ildefonso, 2 units - San Miguel, 2 units - Sta. Maria, Bulacan; 2 units Floridablanca, Pampanga; 2 units - Castillejos, Zambales; and 82 units various municipalities, regionwide) The approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) is P 9,725,570.00 with a contract duration of 60 calendar days.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted.

Interested bidders must have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last 3 years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Issuance of Bid Documents: (Upon payment of non-refundable amount of P 10,000.00 each)

January 18, 2016 - 9:00 AM NIA – Region 3, Tambubong, SanRafael,Bulacan

Pre-Bid Conference

January 26, 2016 - 1:30 PM

Submission of Bids: NIAR3-2016-STW-2

February 09, 2016 - 10:00 AM

Only those who have purchased bidding documents will be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting January 18, 2016 to February 08, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, and February 09, 2016 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, except holidays upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents at the NIA – Region 3 Cashiering Section.

Interested bidder must also present a notarized letter authorizing his/her representative to acquire the bidding documents duly signed by the general manager/owner, if sole proprietorship, or certified true copy of board resolution, if a corporation.

Interested bidder must also present a notarized letter authorizing his/her representative to acquire the bidding documents duly signed by the general manager/owner, if sole proprietorship, or certified true copy of board resolution, if a corporation.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bids received in excess of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bids received in excess of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

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

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 10:00 in the morning (PST) of February 10, 2016. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Late Bids shall not be accepted.

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

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 10:00 in the morning (PST) of February 09, 2016. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Late Bids shall not be accepted.

The opening of bids will be held on the same day February 10, 2016, Wednesday at 10:00 AM (PST) at the NIA Region 3 Office, Conference Room, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ Representatives who choose to attend the Bid Opening.

The opening of bids will be held on the same day February 09, 2016, Tuesday at 10:00 AM (PST) at the NIA Region 3 Office, Conference Room, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ Representatives who choose to attend the Bid Opening.

All particulars relative to eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post-qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its Revised IRR.

All particulars relative to eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post-qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its Revised IRR.

NIA-Region 3 assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of bids. Also, the NIA Region 3 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.

NIA-Region 3 assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of bids. Also, the NIA Region 3 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.

(SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO Chairman- BAC

(SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO Chairman- BAC

(TS JAN. 7, 2016)

((TS JAN. 7, 2016)

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

B8

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Neighbors slam nuke explosion TOKYO—North Korea’s neighbors lined up on Wednesday to condemn Pyongyang’s claimed hydrogen bomb test, saying it posed a grave threat to regional security.

Several governments promised a firm response as tensions soared again in northeast Asia, many calling for further action by the United Nations against the hermit nation, which is already subject to heavy international sanctions.

“The nuclear test that was carried out by North Korea is a serious threat to the safety of our nation and we absolutely cannot tolerate this,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in Tokyo.

“This clearly violates UN Security Council resolutions and is a grave challenge against international efforts for nonproliferation,” he said, adding his country would seek to coordinate efforts among UN members to deal with the action.

South Korean President Park GeunHye called the test a “grave provocation” at an emergency meeting of the Country’s National Security Council that was convened immediately after the news broke.

“The test is not only a grave provocation to our national security but also a threat to our future... and a strong challenge to international peace and stability,” she said, calling for strong sanctions on Pyongyang.

In an earlier statement, Seoul said it would “take all necessary measures including additional sanctions by the UN Security Council... so that the North will pay the price for the nuclear test”.

In Washington, the White House would not confirm the test, but vowed to “respond appropriately to any and all North Korean provocations”. AFP

Tradition. Men dance in the icy winter waters of the Tundzha river in the town of Kalofer as part of the Epiphany Day celebrations on January 6, 2016. As a tradition, an Eastern Orthodox priest throws a cross in the river and it is believed that the one who retrieves it will be healthy through the year as well as all those who dance in the icy waters. AFP

N. Korea: Bomb test a success SEOUL—North Korea said Wednesday it had carried out a “successful” miniaturized hydrogen bomb test—a shock announcement that, if confirmed, would massively raise the stakes in the hermit state’s bid to strengthen its nuclear arsenal.

The announcement triggered swift international condemnation but also skepticism, with experts suggesting the apparent yield was far too low for a thermonuclear device that the North was believed to be years from developing.

“The republic’s first hydrogen bomb test has been successfully performed at 10:00 am (0130 GMT),” North Korean state television announced.

“With the perfect success of our historic H-bomb, we have joined the rank of advanced nuclear states,” it said, adding that the test was of a miniaturized device.

The television showed North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s signed order—dated December 15—to go ahead with the test, with a handwritten exhortation to begin 2016 with the “thrilling sound of the first hydrogen bomb explosion”.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye condemned the test as a “grave provocation” and called for a strong international response as the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting.

The White House said it was still studying the precise nature of the apparent test and vowed to “respond appropriately”.

A hydrogen, or thermonuclear, bomb uses fusion in a chain reaction that results in a far more powerful explosion than the fission blast generated by uranium or plutonium

In attendance. Actress Cate Blanchett attends Behind Closed Doors with Cate Blanchett at the Landmark Theatre on January 5, 2016, in Los Angeles. AFP

alone.

Last month Kim suggested Pyongyang had already developed such a device.

The claim was questioned by international experts at the time and there was continued skepticism over Wednesday’s test announcement, which took the entire international community by surprise.

“The seismic data that’s been received indicates that the explosion is probably significantly below what one would expect from an H-bomb test,” said Australian nuclear policy and arms control specialist Crispin Rovere.

The test, which came just two days before Kim Jong-Un’s birthday, was initially detected by international seismology centers as a 5.1-magnitude tremor next to the North’s main Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the northeast of the country.

Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst with the Rand Corporation, said if it was an H-bomb that was tested, then the detonation

clearly failed—at least the fusion stage.

“If it were a real H-bomb, the Richter scale reading should have been about a hundred times more powerful,” Bennett told AFP. Most experts had assumed Pyongyang was years from developing a thermonuclear bomb, while assessments were divided on how far it had gone in developing a miniaturized warhead to fit on a ballistic missile.

Whatever the nature of the device, it was North Korea’s fourth nuclear test and marked a striking act of defiance that flew in the face of enemies and allies alike, who have warned Pyongyang it would pay a steep price for moving forward with its nuclear weapons program.

The three previous tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013 triggered waves of UN sanctions. Their failure to prevent a fourth detonation will put the Security Council under intense pressure to take more drastic action this time around. AFP

Experts doubt Pyongyang’s claim SEOUL—Nuclear experts cast doubt Wednesday on North Korea’s claimed first successful test of a miniaturized hydrogen bomb, saying the detected seismic activity suggested a less powerful device.

The announcement followed hints last month by leader Kim Jong-Un that Pyongyang had already developed a hydrogen, or thermonuclear, bomb—a claim greeted with skepticism by experts at the time.

Crispin Rovere, an Australiabased nuclear policy and arms control specialist, said the 5.1-magnitude tremor detected at the North’s Punggye-ri nuclear test site was too small to support Pyongyang’s claim.

“The seismic data that’s been received indicates that the explosion is probably significantly below what one would expect from an H-bomb test,” Rovere told AFP. “So initially, it seems to be that they’ve successfully conducted a nuclear test but unsuccessfully completed the second-stage hydrogen explosion,” Rovere said.

The test came just two days before Kim Jong-Un’s birthday.

Analysts said the North’s leader had been looking for a major achievement to highlight at a rare ruling party congress scheduled for May—the first gathering of its kind for 35 years.

“I don’t think it was a hydro-

gen bomb test. The explosion had to be larger if it was a hydrogen bomb test,” said Choi Kang, vice president of the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

“I think they are disguising it as a hydrogen test because Kim Jong-un mentioned it before,” Choi said.

A thermonuclear bomb uses fusion in a chain reaction that results in a far more powerful explosion than the fission blast generated by uranium or plutonium alone.

The North has made many unverifiable claims about its nuclear weapons strength, including the ability to strike the US mainland that most experts dismiss—at least for now. AFP

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

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

W EL L BEING

LIFE

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REASSESSING YOUR FITNESS ‘RESOLUTIONS’ It’s been a week since the onset of 2016 and I‘m sure most, if not all of you, have written down your FINE FETTLE New Year’s

BY BUBBLES PARAISO resolutions a l re a dy.

Personally, I don’t really believe in them because I think that if we want to change something in ourselves, we don’t have to wait for New Year to start to change them. We should do it as soon as possible.

Although, when it comes to health and fitness resolutions for the New Year, it’s always nice to start from square one, on day one. The thing is, most of us fail in these fitness resolutions right away or fail to meet them halfway through. Why? It’s because most of the time, our resolutions are too vague.

Now, I want you to go over your New Year’s resolutions under the health and fitness category and reassess them. If you wrote, “eat more healthy,” “lose 10 lbs.,” or “start working out,” then unfortunately, you are most probably doomed for failure. I don’t mean to be a Debbie downer here; I’m just being realistic. You probably wrote those down also last year, didn’t you? Nothing really wrong there as I’ve done that in the past, too…

You see, these “resolutions” are too vague.

What do you mean exactly when you say you will eat healthier? Does it mean no eating junk? Sugar? Going Paleo? Going vegetarian?

You have to be more specific. Same goes for to “lose 10 lbs.” – how exactly are you going to lose them? What will you do? Is it going to be diet based or workout based? There are so many questions left unanswered, it won’t be a surprise that the lack of direction will be the cause of failure.

The only way to get these “resolutions” to work for you is to set specific fitness goals.

Not just for the whole year, but it can be

weekly and monthly goals as well. Smaller, interim goals. Make them more specific and detailed. Trust me, it works – I’ve been doing it for a while. Case in point: about four months ago, I got introduced to running thanks to some friends who recently got into it. Despite nursing a knee injury, I pushed myself and set a goal that by the end of the year, running 12k would be a breeze. I ended up capping 2015 with a 15k run on New Year’s Eve. Goal: unlocked.

Setting weekly and monthly goals will motivate you and push you more into achieving these goals. Instead of saying you will “eat healthy,” try writing, “go on a 21day sugar detox on March” or “do a 7-day water fast in April,” “no junk food until my birthday,” “eat more vegetable-based food for a week.” These goals are more manageable and not obscure.

As for fitness goals, instead of just saying that you will “start working out” or “lose 10 lbs.,” let me give you a sample of a more defined goal list: January • Start running 3k everyday • Drop 0.5” on my waist • Be able to do one pull-up • Be able to hold plank for 15 seconds February • Hit 3k in 20 minutes • Have my old pair of jeans fit me perfectly • Be able to do three consecutive pull ups • Hold plank for one minute And so on. The more detailed your list, the more achievable your goals become. And hey, don’t shortchange yourself but don’t shoot for the stars too much also. Be realistic with your goals and you will be able to achieve them easily. You don’t want to put “do a free standing handstand for 10 seconds” on your first week with zero background on handstands, right?

Having a well-defined fitness goal is important because it is a great way to measure your progress and give you

proper direction towards attaining them.

Having specific goals will let you know right away whether you’ve achieved them or not, and the more you succeed in achieving them, the more motivated you become. Why? Because it’s been proven that success definitely keeps us motivated.

Having specific fitness goals are a lot easier to sustain than vague ones because the latter only seem reasonable on the surface, but won’t be sustainable in the long run because they are not as meaningful.

We should all have both short-term and long-term fitness goals, although we wouldn’t be able to achieve the bigger goals without the smaller ones. One big goal can be to do 10 pull-ups by the end of the year, but the

interim goals can be one pull-up by February, three consecutive ones by April, and so on.

Fixate yourself on the end goal, but also keep focusing on the ones in the moment.

So again, check your fitness goals and reassess them. Are they vague or well defined? Do you have short-term and longterm goals? Break them down and take note of them all. Trust me, by the end of the year, you would have probably crossed out all of them as you’ve easily accomplished them completely. And maybe by 2017, you’ll finally have a different set of fitness goals to write down!

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @bubblesparaiso

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T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Cardiolates fuses cardio and Pilates and is practiced on a rebounder

PILATES IN A PREMIER HOTEL

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ne of the leading Pilates studios in the Philippines and a premier 5-star hotel meet in the south as Options Studio opens its fifth branch at The Bellevue Manila in Alabang.

Gracing the recent opening were Options Studio founder Ole Eugenio, The Bellevue Hotels and Resorts chairman Johnny Chan, managing director Patrick Core Reform is a range of group classes incorporating functional movement Chan, B Hotels managing and dynamic flow of exercises that are set to music. director Ryan Chan, and The Bellevue Resort managing director a lineup of Special Condition Pilates Dustin Chan. and Movement programs like The “Pink Options Studio is the first and only Ribbon Program” (Pilates for Breast Cancer international chain of Pilates and Movement Rehabilitation), Prenatal and Postnatal studios worldwide. The studio is based in Equipment, Reformer AC (Athletic Singapore and has branches in Hong Kong, Conditioning), Osteo and Scolio Pilates Bangkok and Manila. Its founder, Eugenio, is and Post-Rehab Pilates. one of the popular names in the Philippines’ The opening of the Pilates studio at the fitness industry and a fully-certified Master 456-room The Bellevue Manila serves as Instructor Trainer for Pilates Academy proof of the shared commitment of the International in Asia. two brands in providing convenience and The fitness center offers a wide variety promoting wellness to clients. Prior to the of exercise and rehabilitation methods opening, The Bellevue has already been depending on the preference and needs offering state-of-the-art wellness facilities, of each individual. New techniques are on top of its top-notch signature dining regularly integrated into client workouts to outlets, exceptional banquet facilities, make sure everybody benefits from scientific modern communications equipment, and advances and other innovations in the art of deluxe service and accommodation. movement and and rehabilitation.

Options Studio’s Bellevue branch offer Options Studio is located in Azurea Spa at Pilates classes including Core Reform, Core the 3rd floor, Tower Wing of The Bellevue Barre, Core Mat Pilates, Core Suspend, Manila. For inquires, call (02) 553-3314 and Core HIIT, Silk Suspension, Pilates and (02) 771-8181 or visit www.options-studio.ph Cardiolates. The fitness studio also has and www.thebellevue.com.

Silk Suspension fitness program increases inner joint stability, improves core strength and encourages proper biomechanics

Semi-private training sessions are perfect for couples or friends

Options Studio - Bellevue offers Core Reform, Core Mat Pilates, Cardiolates, Core Barre, Core HIIT, Core Suspend and Silk Suspension classes

Basketball stars Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel team try the Core Reform class at Options Studio

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Treat yourself to a young and sexier you this New Year

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part of most everyone’s New Year’s resolution is to be healthy, take care of their body, and achieve a younger looking self. It takes discipline, time, and a lot of perseverance to be able to achieve that younger looking, slimmer self. After the holidays, the extra pounds

we carry in our bodies make it harder to get off to a good start to see a sexier you for the year.

With summer now just around the corner, getting a bikini-worthy body becomes a challenge, and there are a lot of options to achieve just that. Two clinics in Manila – Europeanne Aesthetics and Clinique Esthetique – offer a revolutionary Belgian technology that addresses problems like cellulite, skin lifting, slimming, and even alleviation of acne.

All throughout January, these clinics will be treating patients to a 5+1 Slim and Firm promotional package. Avail of the Nannic Radio Frequency NBE 800 treatment, the only “capacitive” RF that’s totally safe, target-specific, and with the added benefits of detoxification.

The revolutionary technology not only uses a state of the art machine– it’s also the only RF in the Philippine market using the serum Nannic cellidentical formula that is organic and with similar components to our skin’s phospholipid bilayer.

Formulated by Belgian molecular biologist René Nagels, the Nannic serum is used with the European standard-approved RF machine that has a “capacitive” quality

NANNIC Skincare Solutions - NBE1000

that possesses a powerful dose of energy that targets a specific area without harming the body’s vital organs. The treatment has zero risk of burning the skin and plays optimal simulation on the lymphatic system that detoxifies, de-stresses, and increases the flow of oxygen-rich blood in the whole system.

Now, if you’re ready with a bikini body but has loose skin due to the weight loss, the treatment can also provide firm, toned, and healthy looking skin. It takes away years off the face or reverses signs of aging, and gently lifts and contours the skin without side effects.

For more information on the product visit www.nannic.com. Europeanne Aesthetics is located at Unit G8, BSA Suites Condominium, #103 C. Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati, you may contact them at (02) 8319290 or 09201365303. They also have a branch at 023 Pres. Laurel Highway, Darasa, Tanauan City, Batangas, you may contact (043) 7782428 or 09398792854, visit www.euaesthetics.com.ph for more information. Clinique Esthetique is located at 1670 UG Victoria One Bldg., Quezon Avenue, South Triangle, QC, contact (02) 374-7068 or 0999-150-3184, or visit www.ceinnovativeskin.com.ph for more details.

Drink healthy, drink right with Bayani Brew

S Kick-ass Lemongrass

Camotea Commotion

Lemongrass (brewed from all-natural lemongrass and pandan) or Camotea Commotion (made from all-natural sweet potato purple leaf tops) use local and indigenous ingredients.

Widely used as a cooking ingredient due to its aromatic citrus flavor with a hint of ginger, lemongrass has been shown to contain properties that make it ideal for gastrointestinal problems and stomachaches, diarrhea, gas, bowel spasms, vomiting, fever, flu, and headaches. Mothers would boil the leaves, then add a bit of sugar and some ginger to make lemongrass tea. Sweet potato (camote) tops on the other hand are a good source of Vitamin C and D, as well as protein, minerals, dietary fiber and nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron and zinc. Several studies also indicate that camote leaves are good sources of Inspired by the native formulations of the nanays from the antioxidants that can help the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm, Bayani Brew created everyday body fight cancer. premium drinks that are big on flavor and natural ingredients tart the year right with a healthy habit. Instead of reaching for that soda bottle, go for Bayani Brew – everyday premium drinks that are big on flavor and natural ingredients.

Inspired by the native formulations of the nanays from the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm, these drinks – with such witty names as Kick-ass

Having been largely influenced by Gawad Kalinga, which set up the GK Enchanted Farm pilot site in Bulacan, Bayani Brew buys all the indigenous crops it uses in its brews such as lemongrass, pandan, and sweet potato tops directly from farmers at higher than market market prices.

The result of this initiative is a delicious line of refreshing and healthy drinks that have steadily gained popularity with consumers, not to mention a number of celebrities and personalities who appreciate the emphasis on using fresh ingredients while helping support livelihood initiatives for farmers.

Bayani Brew variants, which retail for P48 per bottle, are available at Rustan’s, Shopwise, Robinsons, and Landmark supermarkets, and convenience stores in Bonifacio Global City, Makati, Ortigas and Quezon City, including Eastwood, UP TechnoHub, and UP Town Center.

For bulk orders, go to the Bayani Brew website http://bayanibrew.com/contact/ or email to bayanibrew@gmail.com.

T H U R S D AY : J A N U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Stop listing your New Year’s resolution, start doing it!

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e’ve seen so many articles about New Year’s resolutions and they always include “be healthy,” “lose weight,” “do my exercise,” “watch what I eat” – and that’s after feasting on so much junk food and oily food, and binging on alcohol last Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Sure, it’s New Year; let’s start with a new you but being healthy or staying healthy shouldn’t just be a fleeting resolution.

“The New Year does not serve as a catalyst for sweeping changes in your body, more so in your overall health,” says Carmie de Leon, vice president for sales and marketing of Healthway Medical. “In fact, now is the right time to reflect on past behaviors that may be affecting your health, and resolve to making positive lifestyle changes in preparation for next year and for many more years to come,” she adds.

Eevry time the New Year comes, we list down so many broad goals that are often forgotten along with the other lists we put on our notebook. This year, if health is your the focus, then the best thing to do is be more specific on you actually want for your body. According to De Leon, setting small but attainable goals are better than making big goals but failing to meet them later on.

Simply put, “you need to make it happen.”

We often just kick start getting serious about our lifestyle changes when something serves as a wakeup call, and most often, this is when our body already gave up and starts to manifest sickness. Prevention is always better than cure – we always hear and read about this but this year, let’s take it seriously.

“Whatever lifestyle changes you want to make, what matters most is that the changes are for your health,” says De Leon. Specific

details about your new healthy habits should start from minimizing or totally quitting smoking cigarettes, lessening alcohol intake, eating proper food, zero junk food intake, and making exercise a daily habit.

In the Philippines, there are so many clinics and establishment that can help you achieve your healthy goals. Healthway Medical is one of the most trusted and preferred mall-based clinics in the Philippines that offers excellent primary and multi-specialty care that promotes healthy living as a lifestyle. It offers a unique one-stop-shop platform where minor surgical operations, special medical examinations and preventive healthcare as well as specialized medical consultations are performed by some of the country’s top-performing healthcare experts. Preventive is the word; it’s not just a place to cure your sickness but to help you get better with yourself so that you need not

require cure later on. For all-year-round care, Healthway Medical offers top-of-the-line services that range from cardiology, dental care, family medicine, internal medicine, OB-Gynecology, ophthalmology, pediatric medicine and dermatology, to name a few.

Healthway Medical aims to impart the importance of healthy lifestyle as part of its ongoing initiative. It advocates S.E.E.D. – quality Sleep as part of the daily habit, being able to Eat right, having enough Exercise, and taking time to De-stress – for Filipinos of all gender and ages.

Healthway Medical rolls out its SEED campaign to major corporations as part of its preventive health advocacy. For more SEED tips and health education, visit the website at www.healthway.com.ph or Healthway Medical Facebook page at Healthway Medical.

COLOR FOR YOUR HEART

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oloring used to be an activity long associated with children. But not anymore, as recent studies reveal that the act of coloring has many health benefits – convincing adults that it’s time to grab those crayons and coloring pencils again.

Experts say that coloring helps channel stress into a creative activity, puts one in a relaxed state, clears the mind, and stimulates fine motor skills.

Psychologist Carl Jung, founder of analytical psychology, discovered in the 1900s the therapeutic effects of coloring and was the first one who prescribed the activity to his patients.

Because of the proven effects and simplicity of the activity, coloring books for grown-ups took the world by storm in 2015; a hit that is expected to

continue in the years to come. Thus, the country’s longest-running inspirational and children’s book publisher, OMF Literature, welcomes 2016 with its own coloring book.

Entitled Art to Feed the Heart, the coloring book by artist and writer Liz Claudio presents a collection of illustrated meditations inspired by Claudio’s travels, her love for doodling and calligraphy, and some of her favorite passages from the Bible.

What makes Art to Feed the Heart different from other adult coloring books is that most of the illustrations are inspired by Bible verses that are close to the author’s heart, which she hopes will draw people closer to God. “As you go through this book, expect an encounter with God,” Claudio writes in the introduction. “Use the time coloring to reflect on the Scripture on the page.”

While coloring each page, Claudio encourages everyone’s own creativity to shine. Some portions of the pages are even left blank to allow adults to add their own doodles. She suggests, “Color outside the lines, paint the sun pink and the sky green.”

Art to Feed the Heart is available at all OMF Literature bookstores, Passages Bookshops, and other leading bookstores nationwide. It is also available in digital format through e-book stores Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Buqo, and FlipReads.

T HUR S DAY : JA NUA RY 7, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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JBK rocKs The InTerneT

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ocal trio JBK capped 2015 on a high note and welcomed the new year with a bang as they launched the music video of their newest single, “Letting You Go”.

In just a few days, the hit music video has reaped nearly 600,000 views, 17,000 likes, 7,000 shares and 600 comments.

Most reactions heaped praise on JBK for a job well done and for churning out new music that couples can relate to.

The emotional pop song is the band’s latest single from their self-titled album, and is all about breaking up and moving on from a relationship. The song is poised to be one of the biggest OPM hits of 2016.

The music video featured It’s Showtime couple Pastillas Girl Angelica Yap and Richard “Chard” Parojinog, together with the OPM boy band composed of Joshua Bulot, Bryan del Rosario and Kim Lawrenz Ordonio.

“We are overwhelmed by the massive support of our fans.

We didn’t expect that people would show such positive response to our newest music video. Thank you very much to all listeners out there,” says a visibly elated Kim. “We worked hard on this music video to give our fans a New Year treat and I’m happy that they liked it. I also thank Angelica and Chard for supporting our newest album,” says Bryan.

“This is how we wanted to jumpstart 2016. Expect more things from us for the rest of the year,” says an ecstatic Joshua.

The new music video, which was posted on Dec. 29, broke the Internet and received great reviews from fans after garnering 275,000 views on Facebook in just 24 hours.

Some users even remarked that the lyrics reflect reality in today’s relationships.

“Congratulations, JBK! Your music is quite touching and based on real life—maraming makaka-relate,” Facebook user Maria Philomina Lustred posted.

“OMG! It’s so beautiful, I cried!!! Congrats, JBK and, of course, congrats to Richard and Angel. Everything’s beautiful,” Fe Longjas gushed.

The music video, which was shot at Camella Provence in Malolos, Bulacan, was conceptualized by Chris Cahilig and directed by Lemuel Lorca, who is behind the critically acclaimed film, WaterLemon. The song was composed by Bryan del Rosario and arranged by Jonathan Ong of Sonic State Studio.

To watch the video, click the link here: https:// w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / J B K b a n d o f f i c i a l / v i d e o s / vb.591353767566449/944666795568476/?type=2&theater “Letting You Go” is brought to you by Camella Homes and McJim Classic Leather.

The emotional pop song “Letting You Go” is the band’s latest single from their self-titled album.

Letting You Go’s music video, featuring Pastillas Girl Angelica Yap and Richard “Chard” Parojinog, is all about breaking up and moving on from a relationship.

JBK’s Letting You Go music video featured “It’s Showtime” couple Pastillas Girl Angelica Yap and Richard “Chard” Parojinog.

OsCar-winning CinematOgrapher VilmOs ZsigmOnd dies

oBIT

Vilmos Zsigmond

Oscar-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, revered as one of the most influential cinematographers in film history for his work on several classic films, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Deer Hunter, died Friday. He was 85.

The Hungarian-born Zsigmond died in Big Sur from “a combination of many illnesses,” said his business partner Yuri Neyman.

“Before Close Encounters,

there were some space movies about spaceships, but nothing really that great technically that we could follow,” he said. “So we had to invent.” Zsigmond received three other Academy Award nominations during his more than five-decade career. He was nominated for 1978’s The Deer Hunter, 1984’s The River and 2006’s The Black Dahlia. He won an Emmy for the 1992 miniseries Stalin, and was nominated for 2001’s The Mists of Avalon.

He continued to work well into his later years, shooting several episodes of the comedy The Mindy Projec” from 2012 to 2014 as well as many other films that have yet to be released.

T HUR S DAY : JA NUA RY 7, 2016

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Proud of its ambassadors YSA Skin and Body Experts is proud of its ambassadors.

“These beautiful men and women are our real patients, unlike other endorsers that you need to pay or pursue in order to endorse the clinic. They are real patients who came to us, use our products, and avail our services,” says Sheila Nazal, operations director of YSA Skin Care Corporation.

Young actress Louise Delos Reyes, Best New Actress nominee in the 24th PMPC Star Awards for Movies for her lead role in the Peque Gallaga indie film Agaton and Mindy, is the newest beauty ambassador of YSA. “Louise is fresh and fabulous. The perfect ambassador for our brand that only gives you the best in skin and body care,” says Sheila H. Nazal who likes Louise because “she is what we call totoong tao, she’s not plastic and it’s not difficult to please her. If she wants something, she asks for it and of course we are willing to give it to her so our relationship is quite good.”

“I only trust YSA and I am happy to be its ambassador. I want to share with other young women that it is important to take care of ourselves,” said Louise, who started her showbiz career at age 7 in Ang TV 2.

News anchor, TV host, actress, and entrepreneur Dianne Medina has trusted YSA since she started out in showbiz. Shiela says Dianne is like family.

“We’ve been taking care of her since she started in showbiz and since then she’s always been with us. Some other clinics would try to get her but she always stays with us,” shares Sheila.

“YSA has advanced technologies and they take care of my skin, talagang inaalagaaan nila yung skin ko. I use their papaya soap and visit every week for my facial massage and peel every night I put Vita White,” reveals Dianne.

RX93.1 DJ, TV and events host ,actress, singer, and entrepreneur, Brightside Karen Bordador was referred to Sheila by a friend when they needed a subject for Balitang K. “I needed somebody who’s sexy and looks perfect, but thinks she has flaws. Karen had areas of her body that were darker than her entire body, so we did peeling on these parts and it was effective,” says Sheila.

It was in Iloilo where Teejay Marquez,

YSA’s Robert and Sheila Nazal with actress Louise delos Reyes (center)

who is a model, TV actor, and the 2011 Best New Male TV Personality in the 25th Philippine Movie Press Club Star Awards for TV, met Sheila.

“He tried our services in Iloilo and then he liked it so we spoke to him about our services and endorsements. It was quite easy to get him because he really avail of our services,” says Sheila.

Valeen Montenegro has endorsed YSA since she was launched by ABS-CBN as part of Star Magic Batch 13 in 2006. Valeen is the granddaughter of LVN Pictures, Inc. actor Mario Montenegro. She is currently studying Fashion Design at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. Valeen took a break from showbiz for a while but now she is back and happy with YSA. “Our ambassadors are celebrities but even though they already look really good and really slim, we maintain these through the high a for the face. Of course, facial all the time for maintenance. Because all of them wear makeup, we do peeling on problem areas especially those that are seen on cam,” adds Sheila. She says YSA will soon put up billboards of these ambassadors around the Philippines.

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ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 TV hookup 4 Light pink wine 8 Risque 12 Sponge feature 13 Livy’s “it was” 14 Golfer Lorena — 16 Verse forms 17 Hollywood’s — Powers 18 Dry humor 19 Banjo cousin

20 22 24 25 26 28 31 34 35 36 37

Jam producers Utter bliss Anka’s “Eso —” Wheel buy (2 wds.)

Deep red Slow pitch “Quo —?”

Dwindle Texas town Fiji discoverer — Tasman Very strict

55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64

Herr von Bismarck Shaggy flowers Tip of a pyramid Refrigerator gas “Harper Valley —” Woolgatherers?

Comic-book thud Donated Earthshaking Counter-culture slogan (2 wds.)

Dernier — Got underway Be like uranium Flip through Become acclimated A Marx Habitual Canary’s dinner Gardner of mystery Yes vote

DOWN 1 Russian export 2 Lowlife 3 Home tel.

4 Shark clinger 5 Expound at length 6 Margarita rim 7 Footnote abbr.

(2 wds.)

8 Mr. Dangerfield 9 Field units

THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016

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It came from Mexico Egg part Preside at tea Hirt and Gore Chignons Diminished slowly Opossum grippers Goes postal DOS alternative Prefix for pod Kind of companion Siren Lie adjacent Rabble-rouser Towel off Soil aerators Colder and wetter Like a knight’s lady Tied the score Scarab Plugged in Eddy Hatfield foe In a foul mood Movie theater G-men Magnifying glass Lap dog, slangily Gen. — Bradley Tijuana “Mrs.”

Actress and TV host Dianne Medina has trusted YSA since she started out in showbiz

T HUR S DAY : JA NUA RY 7, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

adios, MariMar!

C7 Tom Rodriguez and Megan Young

From C8

The series adapted from the popular 90’s Mexican telenovela of the same title by GMA Network starring Megan Young in the role that catapulted Thalia to international stardom and later cemented Marian Rivera’s status as Kapuso’s “primetime queen” is waving farewell tomorrow night.

In the final installment of the series, we should see a grand wedding between Sergio (Tom Rodriguez) and Marimar/Bela.

Before the wedding, the couple had to go through a series of problems, including Antonia’s attempt to get back at Bela by visiting Sergio in the hospital after he was shot by Rodolfo (James Blanco) while trying to rescue Bella.

Then there’s this bad news Angelika and Antonia told Sergio and Bella, that Antonia is carrying Sergio’s child. Of course, it’s ridiculous, but that’s soap opera for you folks.

Now, after Marimar, what’s in store for Megan Young and Tom Rodriguez? It seems that GMA Network’s ETV group seems to be having fun developing light materials like Because of You and Little Nanay (Kris Bernal’s character Tinay is more annoying than someone eliciting compassion or at least amusement), will the two fit in any of the future projects of the network?

Meanwhile, the two should enjoy the break from the soap opera after the finale on Friday.

HHHHH Chiz and heart’s dad We saw recently in an Instagram post in Heart Evangelista’s account a photo showing Senator Chiz Escudero and his father-in-law Rey Ongpauco. The in-laws have become close to one another, it seems.

In the photo, Heart was smiling as she was sandwiched by her husband and her father each kissing her on the cheeks.

After the couple spent the holidays in Japan, they celebrated the New Year with their families in the Philippines.

The actress also posted a photo taken in house of her sister, Cam Ongpauco, where Chiz is also seen with Cam and her boyfriend. The photo is captioned: “At my sister’s home for #happynewyear2016 with the men of our lives.”

After the New Year celebration with the Ongpaucos, the couple went to Chiz’s family and capped the New Year revelry with Chiz’s mother, Congresswoman Evie Escudero and Heart’s siblings and nephews and nieces.

After the holiday season, Heart is back working at her paintings as she is trying to complete her collection for “Oceans Apart” at the Ayala Museum on Jan. 30 to Feb. 9.

Heart is very thankful for the blessings in 2015, most importantly her parents’ acceptance of her marriage to Chiz.

Heart and Chiz Escudero

Last year, after they were able to patch things up, Heart and Chiz confimed they will renew their vows tin February, this time with Heart’s parents. The father will finally give her daughter away.

Heart next month will be very busy due to a triple celebration – her 31st birthday, first wedding anniversary, and her second solo exhibit.

Chiz still leads in the surveys for the vicepresidential race and he is facing busier months ahead as the elections draws closer.

HHHHH Miss Universe doesn’t want to share title, Crown It’s been a few weeks since Steve Harvey announced the wrong winner at the Miss Universe 2015 pageant. And by now, you would think the whole controversy have died down.

Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez, has been confounded even suggested she should get to share the crown.

Wurtzbach said she doesn’t want to share the crown.

“I think it would be a little bit difficult for two girls to share a crown. But I have high hopes that this will give great opportunities for me, Miss Colombia and the rest of the contestants,” she said.

As the Miss Universe 2015 winner, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach actually started her duties on Monday. She spent her first morning as the reigning Miss Universe on Good Morning America. Obviously, while Wurtzbach has handled the awkwardness onstage and the aftermath of Steve Harvey’s

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach

flub pretty gracefully, it hasn’t stemmed the tide of questions related to the incident being thrown at her. However, when she says it would be “difficult” for two girls to share a crown, it’s easy to see her side of the story.

Not only would it be hard—and cruel— to rip that heavy and jewel-encrusted crown into two pieces, a la Mean Girls, the various Miss Universe contestants have different charities and platforms that they are involved with. It would be both confusing and annoying for both ladies to have to work together for another year, especially when deciding what events to attend and what platforms to support. In addition, can you imagine how awkward it would be every time the two ladies would theoretically have to appear together? Let’s keep the problems in the past, shall we?

Rey Ongpauco

Plus, if we are getting down to the details here, despite Steve Harvey initially saying Ariadna Gutierrez was the winner of the Miss Universe 2015 pageant, she never actually won the pageant. Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was always the rightful wearer of the crown and it’s easy to see why she would feel like she shouldn’t share it. She did tell the early morning show that she could see where Gutierrez is coming from, at least.

“I understand how she feels, I am also concerned [for] her, and I know that she is a beautiful young lady, very talented and I think she’ll have a lot of other opportunities.”

HHHHH 2016 Golden Globe awards The Golden Globe Award is an American accolade bestowed by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign.

The 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards will be hosted by Ricky Gervais and will take place on Jan. 11from the Beverly Hilton.

It will be telecast on RTL CBS Entertainment at 8 a.m. for the Red Carpet and 9 a.m.for the Awards show.

House of Cards and The Affair which air on the network are nominated in the performance categories – Robin Wright (Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series) for House of Cards and Maura Tierney (Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television for The Affair.

T HUR S DAY : JA NUA RY 7, 2016

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Because of You stars Rafael Rosell, Carla Abellana and Gaby Concepcion

Unlikely pairing thrills kapUso fans ISAH V. RED The Kapuso network has found something that works to its favor.

It’s the pairing between Gabby Concepcion and Carla Abellana in GMA Network’s primetime nightly rom-com Because of You. When I heard Concepcion was cast in a series on GMA last year, I thought he’d go the way of his peers playing young fathers as support to the main characters in some unremarkable drama series.

Watching the series (whenever time permitted), I realize the script revolves around three main characters – Jaime Salcedo (Concepcion), Andrea Marquez (Abellana), and Oliver Dictado (Rafel Rosell).

Andrea is a spurned bride. That’s in the beginning of the series.

Gabby Concecion plays Jaime Salcedo

Oliver, his groom, tells her he is not up to marriage and leaves her alone in the church. In her moment of depression, she leaves the church, rides a jeepney and when the driver finds out she doesn’t have fare money, he dislodges her from the vehicle. Ambling, she finds herself on a bridge, and while looking at a photo of her parents (which abandoned her as a child), wind sweeps it off her grip and lands on a bush by the bridge. She is trying desperately to grab it when a car passes by and its passenger, Jaime, thinking the girl in a trousseau is going to commit suicide, grabs her hand and places her back on the bridge’s sidewalk.

Of course, we know that she doesn’t have a bit of thought of ending her miserable life.

That’s the first encounter of Jaime and Andrea. And in the succeeding episodes they meet again in various circumstances.

What surprised me with the series of encounters was how the rapport between Andrea and Jaime

Carla Abellana as Andrea Marquez

The love triable between Gabby, Carla and Rafael is a big hit among kapuso fans

progressed, from aloofness to being comfortable with each other.

In the current episodes, Andrea has expressed her feelings for Jaime, who in turn is beginning to think if there’s something positive if he entertained the idea of giving a prospective relationship between her a chance.

Meanwhile, Oliver who rejected Andrea at the beginning is back in pursuit of her, after realizing, she’s the girl she wants to be with for the rest of his life. And the epiphany was when Andrea has become famous as a couturier.

Rafael Rosell as Oliver Dictado

Concepcion seems to have found the right material to explore his talent, no matter how limited it may be.

After his return after a long hiatus in the US, he had lingered on TV playing semi-serious supporting characters that, unfortunately, failed to kick his name up to be back in the firmament of leading men, unlike Richard Gomez who has successfully recouped his clout on the small screen by romancing his former screen sweetheart Dawn Zulueta in a number of series and movies.

Many are hoping something similar to Gomez would strike Concepcion if he’d team up once more with ex-wife Sharon Cuneta.

I think otherwise. The ConcepcionCuneta team up might be too risky and is at this point unlikely as both are not on the same network, unless Concepcion returns to the Kapamilya lot.

In the meantime, Kapuso fans are having a heyday following the love-team-in-the making between

Gabby and Carla's unlikely pair stir ratings race, too

Concepcion and Abellana in Because of You. And fans are thrilled that Andrea is falling for a handsome, rich man, and whose marriage has been annulled.

The success of this pairing lies in how Mark Reyes, the director, keeps everything light and easy. No mushy sentimental kinks, and I hope it should remain this way till the end.

Abellana is comfortable in the material as well. She doesn’t have to put extra effort in showing dramatic muscle on her face. And it suits her well.

Rosell, who has been immersed in many a melancholic roles in the past, seems having a good time playing the jerk that left his fiancée at the church during the wedding.

Let’s see until when he will try to win back Andrea, especially now that the woman whose life he nearly messed up is getting all the breaks and headed towards a sunshiny future. ➜ Continued on C7