The Standard - 2016 January 18 - Monday

VOL. XXIX NO. 340 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 MONday : JaNUaRy 18, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Miriam slams Aquino on Edca

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housE lEAdEr: no ovErridE of vEto

By Christine F. Herrera and sandy araneta

HOUSE leaders on Sunday waved aside calls to override the presidential veto of the P2,000 monthly hike in Social Security System pensions, saying this was “next to impossible” despite simmering public anger over President Benigno Aquino III’s rejection of the bill.

“The 100 percent attendance to obtain the 2/3 votes [needed to override the veto] is just next to impossible,” said House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzalez II in an interview over radio dzBB. He added that President Aquino also told House leaders he would rather earn the ire of two million SSS pensioners than anger 30 million SSS members if the agency’s funds are depleted as a result of the

pension hike.

The administration’s refusal to reconsider the pension hike came as Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares revealed that the SSS had P100 billion in collectibles as a result of its inefficiency.

The amount, he said, would cover the payment for pensioners for at least the first two years.

Senatorial candidate Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez slammed the

government for its lack of compassion or malasakit for pensioners.

Romualdez urged his colleagues to consider overriding the President’s veto because an increase was long overdue, particularly for those getting only P1,200 a month.

In rejecting the pension hike, the Palace said the plan would compel the SSS to spend an extra P56 billion a year for some 2.1-million pensioners.

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The day after. Pensioners line up at the Social Security Systems’ main office in Quezon City on Friday, the day after President Benigno Aquino III vetoed the bill proposing higher pensions for the pension fund’s pensioners.

Jansen RomeRo

PNoy vows to personally work for BBL’s approval

By Christine F. Herrera

Walk for a cause. Members of the Autism Society Philippines lead the ‘Angels Walk for Autism’ from the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Sunday. manny PalmeRo

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has vowed to personally intervene and mount his own “talk and text brigade” to get lawmakers to attend sessions and pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law in the next three weeks, House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said Sunday.

In an interview over radio dzBB, Gonzales said the President promised to appeal to lawmakers to attend the remaining nine session days left before Congress adjourns on Feb. 5 to ensure a quorum, but was non-committal about certifying the bill as urgent.

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Gonzales said Congress has never overridden a presidential veto because of the constitutional requirement of a 2/3 vote in each chamber of Congress.

“It is super difficult. It will never happen,” Gonzales said.

“While the House unanimously approved the pension hike and no one objected to its passage, Congress did not also want to be the cause of having the SSS go bankrupt because we failed to pass the accompanying House Bill 6112,” he said.

That bill, which would have authorized the SSS to raise membership premiums, did not pass in the Senate.

“Perhaps the President did not want to go down in history as the President who caused the bankruptcy of the SSS,” Gonzales said.

But Colmenares, the principal author of the pension hike measure, refused to buy the SSS’s position that it would go bankrupt.

“The SSS should improve its collection performance.

In 2004, it failed to collect some P90 billion in contribution remittances. In 2013, they reported that it failed to collect P13 billion,” Colmenares said.

“So we said, you fix first your collection. Why did you fail to collect? That’s automatically being subtracted and withheld from the SSS members yet the employers failed to remit them or the SSS failed to collect them,” Colmenares said.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., meanwhile, said Congress wanted to settle for a P1,000 increase in pensions—double the P500 that SSS executives have been offering.

In a radio interview, Senator Cynthia Villar, the Senate’s principal author of the vetoed pension hike, supported the P1,000 increase proposed by the House.

This would still help SSS pensioners, she said.

In the Palace, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. reminded lawmakers to consider the stability of the SSS and the interests of its 30-million members.

“In his speech last Friday in Malolos, President Aquino said he decided as father of the nation and head of a responsible government that he will not pass on a big problem to the next administration,” Coloma said.

“It is also important for all those in their current position to consider the effects of their decision in the future and the welfare of the majority of the people,” Coloma said in response to calls to override the presidential veto.

Aquino’s veto continued to draw fire over the weekend.

Vencer Crisostomo, chairman of the youth group Anakbayan, said Aquino’s offer of a P500 increase instead of the proposed P2,000 was an insult to the elderly.

“The P500 is just a fool’s consolation,” Crisostomo said. “They are giving SSS officials millions in bonuses, but they are saying they have no money to give senior citizens.”

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo echoed the criticism and said Aquino’s action only shows his lack of empathy for ordinary Filipinos, whom he calls his “bosses.”

“By vetoing the bill for increase of pension of SSS members, PNoy [Aquino] has clearly shown that his program of ‘inclusive growth’ is mere rhetoric,” Pabillo said. “Do we vote those who will continue this antipoor policy?”

The prelate said this was not the first time that the President has rejected a measure that aims to uplift the condition of the poor.

“We must remember that PNoy also vetoed the bill on Magna Carta for the Poor,” he said.

Crisostomo said the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research has data to show that SSS’ huge revenues and reserve funds are more than enough to finance the pension increase.

“The hacienda president not only lacks a heart, but is also a big liar,” Crisostomo said.

EILER data shows that the yearly members’ contributions and income from investments amount to P160 billion, which is more than the P56-billion projected annual payout for the pension hike. On top of this, the SSS investment reserve funds are pegged at P428 billion as of April 2015, he added.

Crisostomo also slammed the Palace for trying to pit the 2.15-million pensioners against the rest of the active SSS members.

In fact, Crisostomo said the pension hike poses no real danger to the agency’s fund life up to 2029, he added. With Rio N. Araja

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Congress told to break impasse on wage hike

By Christine F. Herrera

WITH only nine session days remaining before the presidential campaign, senatorial candidate Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on Sunday urged the House and Senate to break the impasse and approve the P226-billion Salary Standardization Law that would benefit 1.53 million state workers.

Romualdez made his appeal after the Senate in December remanded the salary standardization bill to the plenary to include the indexation of the pension of retirees from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

As Congress resumes session Monday, Romualdez urged his fellow lawmakers to come up with a “win-win” solution to salvage the approval of the pay hike.

“We should not let many Filipino families suffer a double whammy as a result of the non-passage of SSL-4 and the vetoed SSS [Social Security System] bill on pension hike. I believe that members of the House and the Senate will do their best to extend compassion to our state workers,” said Romualdez, who leads the House independent minority bloc.

Upon the motion of Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, who introduced a number of amendments, the approved SSL-4 version was sent back to the plenary for refinements last December.

Enrile pushed for the indexation of the pension of retirees from the AFP and the PNP by including them in the SSL-4, even though the measure was already being reconciled by the bicameral conference committee.

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“The President volunteered his help to appeal to members that he can call to attend so they will be present to vote,” Gonzales told dzBB. Gonzales admitted that House leaders did not have the sufficient number of lawmakers to push for the approval of BBL. “The truth is, we really do not have the numbers.

Although we know there is wide support, that support has to be shown by their being present,” Gonzales said.

“Many will say we are in favor of the bill but if we don’t see them in session, that means nothing.”

“Their political statement must be converted into actu-

House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II expressed hopes that senators would not insist on the amendments because the inclusion of retired PNP and AFP personnel to the SSL-4 would cost P20 billion in the first year of its implementation alone.

“The measure was as good as approved until the Senate moved for the reconsideration to include PNP and AFP retirees in the planned salary hike. While we support their inclusion, we will be having serious funding problem for this,” Gonzales said.

He said the SSL-4 was not itemized and a presidential veto on certain provisions is not permitted.

“If the President vetoes the Senate amendments, the entire bill is vetoed.

Anyway, we will find a way to reach a compromise, but seriously it would not look good if Congress approves the proposal without a guaranteed funding for the proposed amendments,” Gonzales said.

Romualdez said Congress has few remaining session days left starting before adjourning on Feb. 5 to give way to the national campaign that will begin on Feb. 9.

“We only have very limited time and we should focus these remaining session days on showing compassion to our state workers,” Romualdez said.

“Congress will have to break the impasse. We are committed to pass this very important legislation to extend malasakit to our state workers.

They really need economic relief to decently support their basic needs,” Romualdez said.

The SSL-4 is funded under the newly signed P3.002-trillion General Appropriations Act of 2016.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said it did not include AFP and PNP retirees in the planned salary adjustment, apparently because it would bloat the already huge amount of public funds the program would entail.

Abad said the pay hike would cost taxpayers P226 billion over four years:

al attendance so that we can pass the bill. We can work from morning to night— that’s not a problem,” he added in Filipino.

If the House can finish the period of amendments, Gonzales said President Aquino should certify the BBL bill as urgent so it can be passed on second and third reading on the same session day.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, sponsor of the BBL on the floor, told the President the plenary may likely delete the most contentious opt-in provision.

“We also presented to the President the problem on the lack of quorum. We told him it was difficult to sustain a quorum,” Gonzales said.

In a media forum, former undersecretary of Trade and Industry Ernesto Ordoñez

P57.906 billion in 2016, P54.393 billion in 2017, P65.976 billion in 2018 and P47.544 billion in 2019.

At the same time, Romualdez also urged his colleagues to continue studying the possibility of showing greater compassion to ordinary workers like teachers and nurses by further increasing the salary of low-level and middle-level employees during the next Congress.

“I suggest to reduce the performance-based bonus so that we can generate funds to support basic salary instead,” Romualdez said.

The House through House Bill 6268 or the SSL-4 2015 has adopted Malacañang’s version to modify the compensation and position classification system of civilian government personnel and the base pay schedule of military and uniformed personnel.

The measure will increase the salary of all government workers and would grant them a 14th month pay in the form of a mid-year bonus.

Senate President Franklin Drilon said the salary standardization bill was among 34 measures the Senate seeks to pass when sessions resume Monday.

Drilon said leading the package of Senate bills to be approved is the proposed Salary Standardization Law IV (SBN 2671), which will introduce a higher compensation system for all government employees, including nurses, teachers and soldiers.

He said the SSL IV seeks to attract more professionals into the public workforce by making compensation for all civilian government personnel competitive with those doing comparable work in the private sector.

“Even with the elections drawing close, we have much work to do in the Senate. We intend to make good on our promise to the Filipino people on the start of the 16th Congress that we will help the poor, widen the delivery of education and other social services and improve the economy,” he said.

With Macon Ramos-Araneta

said the BBL would address security concerns in Mindanao and stabilize the economy there.

“Investors are looking for stability in the area. The promises [from the business sector] have been coming in since the start of the BBL discussion. If we have these companies, there will be jobs,” Ordoñez said.

“The Bangsamoro people need jobs but there are no new jobs because of the armed conflict... which is a concern of the business community,” said Ordoñez.

Ordoñez added that the delay in the passage into law of the BBL has stalled progress in the roadmap to peace established by the Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front through the Comprehensive Agreement on the

Bangsamoro they signed in March 27, 2014.

The former DTI undersecretary reminded lawmakers of their important role in ending the armed conflict in Mindanao through their legislative power which is a responsibility they should uphold.

“We are calling on our congressmen and senators to pass a BBL that is consistent with 1987 Constitution and continues to protect the rights of the indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro,” he said.

“We are talking of inclusive growth that will benefit the Moro people. It will be a shame to waste all efforts as we have come so far,” he also said.

“Short-sighted politics should not derail this legislation,” he added. With Sandy Araneta

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Aquino criticized over Edca deal SENATOR Miriam Defensor Santiago on Sunday slammed President Benigno Aquino III for defying the 1987 Constitution when the Philippines signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States.

Feast Day. Devotees have their images of the Santo Niño blessed during the feast of the Santo Niño at the Parish of Santo Niño on Sunday. DaNNy Pata

Binay booed by LP members in Sinulog VICE President Jejomar Binay, who recently re-emerged as the top choice for president in this year’s elections, was booed on Sunday by some attendees to the Sinulog Festival who were part of the Liberal Party contingent.

“The alleged booing came from some attendees, and we have received reports it came from the LP contingent,” said Joey Salgado, head of Binay’s Media Affairs Office.

“If this is true, it’s just unfortunate that they behaved the way they did. But we understand where they were coming from.”

Binay on Sunday urged his United Arab Emirates-based fraternity brothers to continue helping him push reforms and find ways to make the poor benefit from the nation’s macroeconomic progress.

He said he hoped nobody from among his countrymen would be forced to leave to work abroad.

“I wish that, just like you, they will leave the country to enhance their capabilities,” Binay said during the General Membership Meeting and Fellowship

Night of the Alpha Phi Omega UAE ’96 & APO EMARAT 121 on Wednesday.

Salgado said they knew that the people who booed Binay felt bad because Binay was leading even in the Visayas.

After a decline in his standing in the surveys, Binay bounced back and even widened his lead over his strongest rival Senator Grace Poe as shown in the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

The Jan. 8-10 pre-election survey showed Binay, the opposition’s standard bearer, was the top choice for president of 31 percent of the 1,200 validated voters nationwide.

Binay, who is running under the United Nationalist Alliance, registered a five-point gain in his rating from 26 percent in December. He was followed

by Poe with 24 percent, down from 26 percent; Liberal Party bet Manuel Roxas II with 21 percent from 22 percent, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with 20 percent.

Salgado said those who booed Binay could have respected the occasion.

He said there was nothing new in Binay’s presence in the Sinulog festival be-

cause he had been attending it since 2010.

“The tweet from a newspaper is inaccurate,” said Salgado who explained that Binay was not scheduled to give a speech.

“He will just open the event by saying ‘Viva Senyor Sto. Niño,’ which he has always been doing,” Salgado said.

The report said Binay was booed after he was introduced by suspended Mayor Mike Rama during the formal opening of the Sinulog Grand Parade past 9 a.m. at the Cebu City Sports Center, where there were close to 10,000 people.

The report also said the boos grew louder when Binay stood to give a speech, but Salgado said there was no speech.

Binay attended the occasion with his vice presidential candidate, Senator Gringo Honasan and senatorial candidates Princess Kiram, Alma Moreno and Harry Roque, as well as his son suspended Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay.

He and his group proceeded to the media center for breakfast, and after breakfast he went back to the VIP section of the grandstand to continue watching the presentation on stage. Macon Ramosaraneta

“Instead of abiding by the Constitution he has sworn to protect, the President openly defied it by striking a deal concerning foreign bases, troops or facilities through an executive agreement,” said Santiago, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee.

She made her statement even as the four Supreme Court justices who dissented with the high court’s ruling that the Edca was “not constitutionally infirm” said the deal needed ratification from the Senate.

Associate Justices Marvic Leonen, Teresita LeonardoDe Castro, Arturo Brion and Estela Perlas-Bernabe maintained that, since Edca had a far wider scope than earlier treaties like the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement, it should be ratified by the Senate as mandated by Section 25, Article 18 of the 1987 Constitution.

While acknowledging the broad powers of the President in foreign relations, Santiago, however, said that power excluded what was prohibited by the Constitution.

She said Article 18, Section 25 of the Constitution prohibited an executive agreement on foreign bases, troops or facilities.

She said Malacañang could have cured Edca’s constitutional infirmity by considering it a treaty and submitting it to the Senate for concurrence.

She questioned the Supreme Court’s premise that the President had broad powers in foreign relations, including the authority to enter into executive agreements such as the Edca.

Voting 10-4-1, the Supreme Court ruled that the Edca needed no Senate concurrence because it was merely an implementing agreement of the VFA, which the Court deemed a valid and effective treaty.

But Santiago said the Constitution was clear that if an agreement pertained to foreign military bases, troops or facilities, it must be in the form of a treaty, concurred in by the Senate and recognized as a treaty by the other contracting state.

“The Edca is invalid for two reasons: The Executive claims that it is not a treaty but merely an executive agreement, and it was not submitted to the Senate for concurrence. The flaw of the VFA, meanwhile, lies in the fact that it is not considered a treaty by the US,” Santiago said.

Santiago said that, for a treaty to be binding to the US, it must have the consent of the US Senate.

The VFA, she said, was submitted to the US Senate not for concurrence but only in compliance with the CaseZablocki Act, an American law that requires the US State Department to transmit to the US Senate agreements not recognized as treaties.

“Therefore, the Edca cannot derive its validity from the VFA because the VFA is also infirm,” Santiago said, recalling her assertion in a 2009 resolution adopted by the Senate that the Philippine government should renegotiate the VFA or, if the US refused, to move to abrogate the military deal. Macon Ramos-araneta and Rey E. Requejo

Duterte to protect tuna industry “THEY will wriggle like fish caught on dry land,” Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said Sunday as he and his running mate, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, warned those involved in illegal fishing.

They vowed to crack down on illegal fishing and promised to go after illegal fishermen in Mindanao to protect its tuna industry.

“To keep the industry vibrant, we must protect our maritime resources,” Duterte said.

“I will enforce a crackdown on illegal fishers, unregulated and unreported fishing, especially from foreign vessels.

What the people need are fearless solutions and swift actions.”

Cayetano said that, should they win in this year’s elections, they would ensure safe working conditions and fixed

wages for hand-line fishermen.

They would be paid twice the daily minimum wage in the region and receive hazard pay.

“This is on top of the commissions which they will get from their catch,” Cayetano said.

As part of their nationwide tour, Duterte and Cayetano visited General Santos City on Saturday and presented their platform of government before the province’s sectoral leaders.

In a town hall meeting at the city’s plaza, the two said they would push for strategic reforms in the tuna exporting industry, such as a crackdown on illegal fishing and better labor and transport commodities for the Filipinos in the south.

Duterte also reiterated his pledge to wage war on crime

and corruption.

He even urged the public to kill him if he failed to stop heinous crimes and illegal drugs within the first six months of his administration if elected president.

“If I succeed, perhaps that would be my greatest contribution to the country but if I fail, kill me,” Duterte said.

He and Cayetano also renewed their commitment to complete the Mindanao Railway System to make it easier to transfer food from Mindanao to other areas.

“You can hope that if the Duterte-Cayetano tandem wins, there will be the Mindanao Railway system, the funds, the authority and the trust of all Filipinos in every region and the socalled equality under the law,” Cayetano said. Macon Ramos-araneta

New coach. Chinese engineers set up a new MRT coach at the Pasay station on Sunday.

DaNNy Pata

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San Juan to declare for Roxas

By John Paolo Bencito

THE Ejercito-Estrada political clan of San Juan is set to endorse administration presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II today instead of local bet and close family friend Senator Grace Poe, The Standard learned.

The rival Zamora family, on the other hand, has decided to support Poe. In an advisory sent to reporters on Friday, the San Juan City information office said Mayor Guia Gomez, a mistress of former president and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, “will declare their anointed presidentiable” at the weekly flag ceremony at the city

hall today.

The advisory also said that the candidate will attend the ceremony.

Roxas’ camp on Saturday confirmed that the administration candidate would attend the flag ceremony after Gomez “opened her doors” in a text message sent to reporters.

Early last week, Vice Mayor Fran-

cis Zamora, Gomez’ opponent in the mayoralty race, “adopted” Poe, who is a registered San Juan voter and whose father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., was a close friend of Estrada.

But it was not clear if the EjercitoEstradas’ endorsement of Roxas in San Juan also applied to Mayor Estrada in Manila.

Estrada said in December last year that he was inclined to support Poe, his goddaughter.

But on Saturday, Roxas’ wife, former broadcaster Korina Sanchez, posted social media messages hinting that the administration standardbearer may have finally gotten the support of the Estrada patriarch.

Sanchez, in her Instagram account,

posted a photo of her and Estrada when they were both in Tondo, Manila for the celebration of the feast of the Santo Niño.

“Korina, I will always tell everyone that I think Mar Roxas is the most qualified to become president,” Sanchez said, quoting Estrada.

Another presidential hopeful seeking Estrada’s blessings is Vice President Jejomar Binay, who admitted that he needs the former president’s endorsement to win.

Gomez said last December that the members of the family would eventually support whoever they choose collectively.

“That is what the people expect of us,” Gomez said.

Prayers for SAF 44. Relatives and friends of the 44 members of the PNP Special Action Force who were killed last Jan. 25 in Mamasapano,

Maguindanao were remembered with prayers, candles and flowers at Burnham Park in Baguio City over the weekend. Families of the slain commandos demanded that the government give justice to the SAF 44 by pursuing charges against the perpetrators. DAVID CHAN

Another lumad schoolkid shot dead ANOTHER student of a lumad community school was shot dead by alleged military-backed militiamen on Sunday afternoon in Davao del Norte.

Witnesses said Alibando Tingkas, a 15-year-old Grade 3 student of lumad community school Salugupongan Ta Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center was allegedly killed by members of the Alamara paramilitary group while on his way home to Sitio Laslakan, Palma Gil, Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

Lumad in the community earlier claimed that members of the paramilitary group were seen at the outskirts of Talaingod town days before the shooting.

Two other students of the school who were with Tingkas during the incident escaped unharmed.

The local police said it could not establish a motive for the killing but a group supporting lumad causes pinned blame on the military.

“There are still continuing attacks on lumad communities believed to be breeding grounds for the New Peoples’ Army,” Rius Valle, a spokesman for Save our Schools Southern Mindanao told The Standard in a phone interview.

Valle alleged that the military has also been actively recruiting local residents, especially the youth, to join paramilitary groups.

“Those who refuse to join are accused of being members or supporters of the insurgents,” he said.

John Paolo Bencito

CoA nixes fund releases

By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Audit has ordered employees, contractual workers and service contractors of the Professional Regulation Commission to return over P43.821 million in fringe benefits they received in 2013 and 2014.

In a recent audit report, the Commission said the release of the financial benefits was unauthorized and violated Republic Act 6758, or the Salary Standardization Law. “We recommend that management require the payees/claimants to refund the amount received as

fringe benefits amounting to P43,821,479.60,” the recommendation read. “Thereafter, management should refrain from giving fringe benefits without any authority issued.”

The fringe benefits also violated a CoA circular issued concerning RA 6758, the agency said.

“The fringe benefits that the PRC granted to its officials and employees, contractual and service contractors were not included in the enumerated allowances and benefits covered by RA 6758 and CoA Circular No. 2013-03,” it noted.

Remembering Francis. A

coffee table book was launched Sunday to commemorate the first anniversary of Pope Francis visit to Tacloban City and the Archdiocese of Palo. In the photo, Archbishop John F. Du is shown going over a copy of the book after mass at the Palo Cathedral. MEL CASPE

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VP bets eyeing Bicol vote

By John Paolo Bencito

IN A tight six-way race for the vice presidency, administration bet Camarines Sur Rep. Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo hopes to get the three million “Bicol bloc vote” to her advantage against five other VP bets hailing from the region.

“If you can remember, when I first accepted this call, I made it sure that I go home here to seek permission from all of you,” Robredo told crowds in Naga City on Saturday.

“Now, I will be engaged in another fight. February’s already the start of the campaign, and I’m here to ask for your patience since I cannot visit you all weekly. Above all, I’m here to draw strength from all of you.

This fight isn’t only mine, this is for all of us,” Robredo said.

According to data from the Commission on Elections, the Bicol Region has three million registered voters, the fifth largest in the country. The region recorded a voters’ turnout of 81.96 percent during the 2013 midterm elections.

Three politicians are counting on this region for support: Senator Francis Escudero, who hails from Sorsogon; Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo; and Senator Antonio Trillanes, who has roots in Albay.

ROBREDO

Another son of Sorsogon is Senator Gregorio Honasan, who is the United Nationalist Alliance’s vice presidential bet. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, whose wife, Taguig Mayor Laarni Cayetano traces her roots also from Albay, is the vice presidential teammate of Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Robredo made speaking tours to various Bicol provinces last Saturday in hopes of getting the

“Bicol vote,” like Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who has the strong backing of the “Solid North.”

“We really intended to have a Bicol run before the start of the official campaign period. Civil society groups initiated this. We were only invited,” Robredo said.

“It’s called the Bicoleni Express because this will mirror our aspirations and frustrations as a people,” she said.

In the recent The Standard poll for vice president last December, the Bicol vote was statistically split between Robredo at 34 percent and consistent survey frontrunner Escudero, pegged at 37 percent.

Robredo said that she wanted to reform and strengthen the country’s barangay system to make it more effective in delivering basic and crucial services to the public.

Malasakit in Davao. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep.Martin ‘Mr. Malasakit’ Romualdez (center) receives a plaque of appreciation from Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles (left) and Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Party-List second nominee Jericho ‘Koko’ Nograles for his continuous support to the programs of PBA Party-List. VER NOVENO

Six die as car explodes in Tagaytay mishap

By Francisco Tuyay

SIX occupants of a car were killed when their vehicle exploded upon hitting a concrete barrier in Tagaytay City early Sunday.

Chief Supt Ferdinand Quirante, Tagaytay City police chief, said the victims three male and three females—on board a Toyota Vios (AHA 587 )were enroute to Laguna when the vehicle lost control and swerved toward the

opposite lane at 2:40 a.m.

Police said the car was heading to Sta. Rosa City when it rammed into a concrete barrier and a tree along the road. The car burst into flames trapping the six occupants inside.

Responding village officials saw the victims pleading for help inside the burning car. They tried to put out the fire but the car exploded.

One of the victims was identified through her ID card as Ronalyn Bautista, 17, a resi-

dent of Cavite.

Witnesses said that the car was traveling too fast when it passed by them shortly before the accident occurred.

Police are still trying to determine whether the driver was under the influence of liquor at the time.

The victims’ charred remains were brought to Mel Funeral Homes in Bulihan, Tagaytay City.

Embassies as OFWs’ sanctuary

By Macon Araneta SENATOR Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Sunday said Philippine embassies and consulates should serve as sanctuary for overseas Filipino workers, and not a receiving area for visiting Filipino politicians.

He reminded Filipino diplomats that their primary duty is to look after the welfare of OFWs. He said it is not their obligation to act as “tour guides” of visiting Philippine officials.

“We have to reorient our embassies and consulates that their primary duty is first, to look for opportunities for our OFWs, and second, to promote the rights and welfare of Philippine nationals especially those who are in distress,” said Escudero, a vice presidential candidate.

The veteran lawmaker said he observed during his various trips overseas that embassy officials would often reach out and offer to tour him around.

“This kind of treatment should be afforded to our OFWs, especially those who need their help or those who were being accused if a crime,” said Escudero.

The senator said Philippine posts abroad should make sure that every OFW facing criminal charges abroad is accorded legal assistance from the time the crime was committed until the case is resolved.

He said it is the duty of the government, through its embassies and consulates, to make sure that the rights of a Filipino accused of any crime or wrongdoing abroad are protected at all times, whether he or she is guilty or not.

He earlier urged the government to study the possibility of utilizing public funds to raise “blood money” for distressed Filipino migrant workers in the Middle East in order to save them from death penalty.

He said this policy should be reviewed considering that there are still around 79 Filipinos on death row around the world based on the record of the Department of Foreign Affairs, with some of them requiring blood money.

OFWs, he said, deserve all the help they can get from the Philippine government with their huge contribution to the economy.

According to the World Bank’s Migration and Remittances Factbook 2016, OFW remittances in 2015 were forecast to reach $29.7 billion the third largest in the world behind India ($72.2 billion) and China ($63.9 billion).

In 2014, OFW remittances reached an all-time high at $26.93 billion, breaking the previous record of $25.35 billion in 2013 based on data from the Bangko Sentral Pilipinas.

The International Organization for Migration estimated that there are around 10 million Filipinos who live abroad and around one million leave the country each year for overseas work.

In 2014, government data showed that 2,320,000 Filipinos

M O N D AY : J A N U A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

A6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Abaya: New trains belie kickback

By John Paolo Bencito Tr ansporTaTion secretary Joseph Emilio abaya over the weekend dismissed as mere “propaganda” the string of allegations made by former Metro rail Transit-3 General Manager al Vitangcol that abaya had the lion’s share in kickbacks for the procurement of “engine-less” Chinesemade train sets for the beleaguered mass transport system.

“I don’t have a hand at these contracts and I will personally investigate these accusations. once we knew all of these, you give them the full force of the law because this is clearly in the violation of the law, in violation of the daang matuwid,” Abaya said in a television interview.

“It’s just propaganda, short to say, it’s just a web of lies because you can see, the second train sets are already in the pier, and

by Sunday you can see if it really has engines,” he added.

In a letter to Abaya, Vitangcol alleged his former boss at the DotC to have received a fivepercent kickback amounting to P192.5 billion from the government’s P3.85 billion’s purchase of 48 commuter train coaches from Chinese state firm Dalian Corp.

Abaya also refuted Vitangcol’s claims that the new coaches from Dalian were all “engineless” in contract breach with the terms of reference signed

by Abaya’s Undersecretary for Legal Affairs in the DotC, Jose Perpetuo Lotilla. on Sunday, Abaya inspected two of the new Chinese-built coaches that were placed by technicians on the MRt-3 taft Avenue stations tracks and were brought to the MRt3 depot at North Avenue in Quezon City for further tests.

Abaya said the new coaches will undergo a 5,000-kilometer test run. Its traction motors and brake systems will also be tested until February. the MRt-3’s Capacity expansion Project has two parts.

Under Lot 1 of the CAPeX Project, the DotC will acquire 48 LRVs that will then use 4-car trains that arrive every 2.5 minutes in MRt stations.

Lot 2, meanwhile, includes the electro-mechanical works to sync the new LRVs with the existing communication and signaling system of the MRt. the transportation chief said that two more batches of LRVs will be delivered by March. once the deliveries are completed by March, the MRt3 may be able to run a full train by the first quarter of the year, he added.

MRt-3’s operating capacity would increase by 67 percent once all 48 LRVs become operational by next year, Abaya claimed.

i-niños. Mechanical baby toys are sold for P25 each in front of the Sto. Niño Church in Tondo, Manila on Sunday. DANNY PATA

Crisis feared amid court’s decision on Reyes’ case tHe counsel of Rep. Regina ongsiako Reyes fears that a constitutional crisis may hit the country because of the alleged Supreme Court order addressed to the Speaker of the House, to swear in the son of Supreme Court Justice, Presbitero Velasco, as the representative of Marinduque. but the lawyer, Harry Roque, clarifies that Reyes continues to be the lawful representative of Marinduque in Congress. “the Supreme Court’s spokesperson merely announced that the Court allegedly ruled against Reyes. No actual resolution has been issued by the Court; neither have we received a resolution from them,” Roque

said. “even if true, Reyes is entitled to file a motion for reconsideration within 15 days from the receipt of the Court’s resolution. Until the denial of that motion, Reyes continues to be the lawful representative of Marinduque in Congress.”

Roque assured the people of Marindque that they will file a motion for reconsideration in due time.

He added that Congress, not just the Speaker of the House, has to act as a collegial body if Reyes has to be ousted from the post. Roque added that the Supreme Court’s direct order to the House Speaker to swear in the son of SC Justice Presbitero

Velasco, Lord Allan Velasco, as the lawmaker of the Marinduque as well as the order directly to the House secretary general to enlist the son of Justice Velasco as representative of Marinduque appear very motivated. based on the Constitution, all electoral protest involving congressmen shall be decided upon solely by the House of Representatives electoral tribunal.

Ironically, the HRet is also chaired

by Justice Presbitero Velasco.

Meanwhile, the camp of Reyes bewails the fact that she was not given due process by the Comelec in the hearings of the disqualification case against her.

Reyes was not given a chance at

all to present her evidence or to defend herself at any time in the Comelec or in the Supreme Court despite the unbelievable nature and circumstances that surrounded her case. the disqualification case of Reyes was started and based on a mere blog in the Internet, the creator of which was never seen or brought in to testify live in the presence of Comelec commissioners, Reyes’ camp said.

A similar case of citizenship, and in contrast, Senator Grace Poe is being given all the chances and time by the Comelec to present her evidence and defend allegations against her, it said.

Francisco Tuyay

Roberto Baranda, 62 Year of the Monkey.

Bracelets and good-luck charms are being sold in Binondo and Quiapo on Sunday.

In Chinese astrology, 2016 is the Year of the Fire Monkey.

DiANA B. Noche

RobeRto “bong” baranda died Sunday morning. He was 62 years old. the eighth child of the late public relations pioneer Carlos “Charlie” baranda Sr. and Lumen Gentilezo, he left behind sister Manon barandaDizon and brothers Carlos and Antonio “tony b.”

He was brother to deceased siblings Lynn b. erba, Pamela b.

Floresca, Julio, Alan and Mario.

Wake will be held at St. Alphonsus Mary de Ligouri Chapels, Magallanes Parish, Makati until Wednesday.

Interment will be on thursday, Jan. 21, 10 a.m., at the Manila Memorial Park, Sucat, Parañaque.

M O N D AY : J A N U A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Police nab local man, seize P1 million worth of drugs in Agusan del Sur BUTUAN CITY—Police arrested a man and confiscated almost a million pesos worth of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia in a drug raid in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur. The Agusan del Sur Provincial Police Office identified the suspect as Normala Mamao Yusop, of legal age and a resident of Purok 2-B, Buri St., Bayugan City in Agusan del Sur, arrested for violation of

Artificial reefs attract marine life in S. Leyte

anti-illegal drug laws.

Yusop also had a previous arrest warrant for violation Art. 2, Section 12 of RA 9165 signed

by Hon. Judge Hector B. Salise of Branch 7, Regional Trial Court, docketed under Criminal Case No. 4220, dated June 1, 2015.

Normala Mamao Yusop’s residence was also the subject of a search warrant No. 2016-06 for violation of RA 9165, dated Jan. 13, 2016 which was implemented

by the police team at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The police raiding team recovered from the house of Yusop a pouch containing 13 pieces of heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, estimated to weigh 80.0 grams and may amount to P944,000; a digital weighing scale; a bundle of empty transparent plastic cellophane

and a pack of transparent plastic cellophane.

The suspect was also included in the illegal drugs target list for the 4th quarter of the CY 2015 and the drugs watchlist for the first quarter of CY 2016.

The police report mentioned that the raiding team consisted of personnel from Bayugan City Police headed by its officerin-charge PSupt. Reynante N. Sibayton, together with his deputy

chief of police Sr. Insp. David G. Mondero III; Insp. Emerson A. Bajao and the members of the City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group and Insp.

Joselito F. delos Santos heading the Special Weapons and Tactics team.

The suspect and the confiscated items were immediately brought to the custody of Bayugan City Police Station for documentation.

PNA

Masbate village chief shot dead by gunman

By Ronald O. Reyes TACLOBAN CITY—Marine life congregation on artificial reefs has dramatically increased six months after 72 bamboo artificial reef modules were launched off barangay Poblacion, Padre Burgos, in Southern Leyte, said a provincial consultant on marine tourism.

“To date, 146 fish species or families and 124 species of invertebrates were identified or documented,” said Rio Cahambing, who is also the consultant on coastal resource management in the province.

The project is a joint undertaking of French nongovernmental organization Scaph Pro (Philippines) Oceanographic Research and the local government of Padre Burgos, with the provincial government providing the technical support.

T he nu mber of species of f ishes, i nver tebrates a nd ot her ma r i ne orga nisms t hat has si nce cong regated a nd colonized t he a r t if icia l reefs was deta i led i n a repor t recent ly submit ted

by Jea n Fra ncois Ma ra i l hac, a French ocea nog rapher a nd v ice president of Scaph Pro, (Phi lippi nes) a nd its president Michael L evet t, operator of Tr ue Blue Div i ng i n Pad re Bu rgos to t he loca l government of Pad re Bu rgos.

“The project is still on its first phase, and Scaph Pro Philippines intends to expand the artificial reef area to the adjacent barangay of Cantutang, Padre Burgos,” Cahambing said in a statement.

Cahambing added that Southern Leyte Gov. Roger Mercado recently donated bamboos to be made into additional artificial reef modules.

“The materials are now ready for transport from the

CAMP SIMEON A. OLA, Legazpi City—A 56-yearold village chief died after an unidentified gunman shot him while he was parking his motorcycle in front of their house in Barangay Cabangcalan, Placer, Masbate at 2 a.m. Saturday.

Baby love. A child falls asleep in his mother’s arms amid the Bobon Agta Festival in Bobon, Northern Samar. MEL CASPE governor’s tree park in Barangay Bogo, Maasin City to the construction site in Sta. Sofia, Padre Burgos,” Cahambing added.

“In the trunk line are several additional artificial reefs ready to launch as soon as logistic requirements are met in the next few weeks.

The group is targeting a total of 400 modules to cover the two coastal barangays.”

Book launch.

Church officials lead the launch of a coffee table book on the 2015 visit of Pope Francis Sunday at the Palo Cathedral.

MEL CASPE

A police report identified the victim as barangay captain Jonathan Sullera, who was shot by the suspect with a .45-caliber pistol.

Sullera died in front of his wife, who immediately sought the assistance of other village officials.

The wife said she could not identify the suspect because it was too dark.

The report said the couple had just come from Sitio Francisco, where they joined in the celebration of its community feast.

Police are now investigating whether the incident is election-related or not since Sullera was known to support a local town candidate. PNA

M O N D AY : J A N u A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA edItOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

unconscionable BaCK Channel aleJandrO del rOsarIO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Clear and present danger EVERY week now seems to bring a new atrocity.

On Saturday, 28 people from 18 countries were killed by four jihadists who attacked the Splendid Hotel and nearby Cappuccino Cafe in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. The Al Qaeda terrorists chose their targets with deadly effect—both were popular with foreigners, particularly UN workers—in a predominantly Muslim West African country that has been largely spared from the violence inflicted

by Islamic extremist groups in neighboring states.

Closer to home, seven people died and more than 20 were injured when Islamic State suicide bombers set off a series of explosions starting at a Starbucks and a traffic police post, and gunmen opened fire at fleeing civilians in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

The attack was the worst in the capital of the world’s most-populous Muslim country in many years.

Earlier last week, a suicide bomber blew himself up near the Blue Mosque in the Turkish city of Istanbul, killing 10 German tourists. Many others were seriously wounded.

The tragic reality is that seemingly random killing sprees aimed at slaughtering as many noncombatants in crowded cities is the new normal. The attacks are not aimed at any military or strategic advantage, but at maximizing shock and terror, and the world seems at a loss on how to cope.

Amid all this, the Philippine government response seems almost tepid.

“This group is trying to ride on the popularity of ISIS, but they’re not really ISIS,” said a military spokesman, Restituto Padilla. “We view them as mere criminal gangs.”

This almost-dismissive approach comes from the top, with President Benigno Aquino III insisting that there is no credible or imminent threat to the country even after the Jakarta attacks.

“Is there a credible threat? Is there a specific threat? There is none. Is there general threat? Yes. We are not immune to the problem of extremism that is happening,” Aquino said last week.

The President belittled the Abu Sayyaf, which had pledged allegiance to ISIS. The group, he said, used to be associated with the rival al-Qaeda group, until ISIS began making headlines.

“Tomorrow, when there is another group, they will change their allegiance again,” he said.

Regardless of whether or not they are “really ISIS,” it would be foolhardy to dismiss the threat posed

by Abu Sayyaf out of hand.

While most well known for their money-making kidnappings, the Abu Sayyaf was also behind the country’s worst terrorist attack, the 2004 Superferry bombing in which 116 people were killed.

Instead of belittling the threat posed by Abu Sayyaf and other homegrown terrorist groups, the authorities should step up their data gathering and assessment, a security expert and former police general Rodolfo Mendoza says.

“Several Malaysian and Indonesian jihadists already have a physical presence in Mindanao to integrate and consolidate their vision of an Islamic caliphate in this part of the world,” said Mendoza, who now heads his own security think tank Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research.

In the administration’s eagerness to build up the military in response to Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, the government might be overlooking a clear and present danger in our own southern backyard—with potentially disastrous effects.

TreaTies and execuTive agreemenTs entire gamut of State-to-State accords. We are told, though, fr. ranhIlIO by commentators like Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, that when Callangan the Constitutional Commission aquInO debated this portion of the The Constitution seems to draft, the commissioners have no room for so-called seemed to agree that it executive agreements that the was “understood” that the President, in behalf of our President retained the right, in Republic, can enter into with accordance with constitutional other States without need of tradition—inherited no doubt Senate concurrence. In fact, from the United States—to it requires that all “treaties enter into executive agreements and international agreements” that needed no concurrence —apparently covering the by the Senate. In the case

pensées

of the United Kingdom that has no written charter, the “British Constitution” refers in large measure to “constitutional institutions and traditions.” Apparently, executive agreements fall into this category—or something analogous to it—insofar as Philippine constitutional tradition is concerned. But if we are to heed the salutary precept that it is not the vagaries of often-inconclusive debates at the time the Constitution was crafted that control but the text

the debate over the supreme Court’s decision to uphold edca will continue for some time to come.

of the fundamental law, then there really seems to be very little reason to adhere to this “tradition”, its US provenance notwithstanding.

One reason of course that the courts loathe abandoning the tradition is the fact that the Constitution apportions

A9

governmental power in such wise as to leave to the president the conduct of foreign relations, and it would make of the president a most inept agent for foreign negotiations were he to be completely bereft of the power to enter into agreements that were binding. But there

is equally good reason for the long- us without the participation of the standing rule that treaties never enter Legislature. into force in the Philippines (as in But what, exactly, is appropriate many other jurisdictions) without the subject matter for treaties in contrast concurrence (many times wrongly to what may lawfully be the subject called “ratification”) of Senate. Two of executive agreements? The edca reasons are more recently advanced. decision of the Supreme Court was a First, Senate concurrence is a necessary chance to clarify the distinction, but check on the exercise of presidential comments that have thus far come my power. Second, since treaties, once way have centered on the desirability in force, have the force of statutes, the of American’s proximity at a time that President would in effect enjoy the China, the bully, throws its weight power to write law where he is free around in the West Philippine Sea to enter into treaties that would bind and creates waves more monstrous

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-

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

than tsunamis. When the Supreme Court passed on the Visiting Forces Agreement, it noted that in the Untied States, most agreements were effected through executive agreements, not treaties. That is the reason that the Supreme Court allowed the VFA to pass scrutiny, even if the 1987 Constitution requires that the agreement be embodied in a treaty.

This requirement, the Court construed to mean: “embodied in an instrument Continued on A10

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

ThIS President’s proclivity to inflict pain on his “bosses” is boundless even in the remaining five months of his presidency. All in a week, President Benigno Aquino rejected the P2,000 Social Security System pension increase for retirees even as he approved the P1-billion cut in the Department of health’s allocation for contraceptives.

“Unconscionable” was how Buhay Party Rep. Lito Atienza called Aquino’s insensitive veto of the Congress-approved SSS pension hike, adding many retirees are depending on it for their medication and putting food on the table. This is an issue close to Atienza’s heart because it affects senior citizens whose welfare he has always espoused. Starting when he was information officer for then-Manila Mayor Ramon Bagatsing, Atienza has initiated City hall’s “Mahal Ko si Lolo, Mahal Ko si Lola” program that gave discounts to the elderly in Manila’s movie houses and public transportation long before the Senior Citizens Law was passed This is also the reason Atienza said he is for Vice President Jejomar Binay, who as Makati Mayor has also looked after the welfare of his city’s senior citizens.

The President justified his veto of the pension hike, claiming it would cost the SSS billions of pesos that could bankrupt the System. Yet, Aquino allows hefty salary increases for executives and board members of government corporations, including the SSS. “The President could have looked for other means to fund the pension increase,” said Atienza , warning the veto could have a backlash on Mar Roxas, the ruling Liberal Party’s presidential candidate.

“I don’t really care about Roxas, but the question is, does PNoy really want Mar to win?” asked Atienza. Indeed Aquino’s veto of the pension hike could have repercussions on Roxas’ presidential bid.

A demonstration by retirees in front of the SSS building denounced Aquino and the government agency for depriving them of badly needed retirement benefits. This, despite the Palace claim that the Aquino administration has been taking care of senior citizens citing the wider Philhealth coverage.

Adding fuel to the outrage was a Commission on Audit report the Department of Transportation and Communications paid P854 million in consultancy fees in 2014, up from P88.43 million in 2013 and P17.42 million in 2012. The funds, according to the CoA report, were spent mostly by the office of Transportation Secretary Joseph emilio Abaya.

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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

M O N D AY : J A N u A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA edItOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

unconscionable BaCK Channel aleJandrO del rOsarIO

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Clear and present danger EVERY week now seems to bring a new atrocity.

On Saturday, 28 people from 18 countries were killed by four jihadists who attacked the Splendid Hotel and nearby Cappuccino Cafe in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. The Al Qaeda terrorists chose their targets with deadly effect—both were popular with foreigners, particularly UN workers—in a predominantly Muslim West African country that has been largely spared from the violence inflicted

by Islamic extremist groups in neighboring states.

Closer to home, seven people died and more than 20 were injured when Islamic State suicide bombers set off a series of explosions starting at a Starbucks and a traffic police post, and gunmen opened fire at fleeing civilians in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

The attack was the worst in the capital of the world’s most-populous Muslim country in many years.

Earlier last week, a suicide bomber blew himself up near the Blue Mosque in the Turkish city of Istanbul, killing 10 German tourists. Many others were seriously wounded.

The tragic reality is that seemingly random killing sprees aimed at slaughtering as many noncombatants in crowded cities is the new normal. The attacks are not aimed at any military or strategic advantage, but at maximizing shock and terror, and the world seems at a loss on how to cope.

Amid all this, the Philippine government response seems almost tepid.

“This group is trying to ride on the popularity of ISIS, but they’re not really ISIS,” said a military spokesman, Restituto Padilla. “We view them as mere criminal gangs.”

This almost-dismissive approach comes from the top, with President Benigno Aquino III insisting that there is no credible or imminent threat to the country even after the Jakarta attacks.

“Is there a credible threat? Is there a specific threat? There is none. Is there general threat? Yes. We are not immune to the problem of extremism that is happening,” Aquino said last week.

The President belittled the Abu Sayyaf, which had pledged allegiance to ISIS. The group, he said, used to be associated with the rival al-Qaeda group, until ISIS began making headlines.

“Tomorrow, when there is another group, they will change their allegiance again,” he said.

Regardless of whether or not they are “really ISIS,” it would be foolhardy to dismiss the threat posed

by Abu Sayyaf out of hand.

While most well known for their money-making kidnappings, the Abu Sayyaf was also behind the country’s worst terrorist attack, the 2004 Superferry bombing in which 116 people were killed.

Instead of belittling the threat posed by Abu Sayyaf and other homegrown terrorist groups, the authorities should step up their data gathering and assessment, a security expert and former police general Rodolfo Mendoza says.

“Several Malaysian and Indonesian jihadists already have a physical presence in Mindanao to integrate and consolidate their vision of an Islamic caliphate in this part of the world,” said Mendoza, who now heads his own security think tank Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research.

In the administration’s eagerness to build up the military in response to Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, the government might be overlooking a clear and present danger in our own southern backyard—with potentially disastrous effects.

TreaTies and execuTive agreemenTs entire gamut of State-to-State accords. We are told, though, fr. ranhIlIO by commentators like Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, that when Callangan the Constitutional Commission aquInO debated this portion of the The Constitution seems to draft, the commissioners have no room for so-called seemed to agree that it executive agreements that the was “understood” that the President, in behalf of our President retained the right, in Republic, can enter into with accordance with constitutional other States without need of tradition—inherited no doubt Senate concurrence. In fact, from the United States—to it requires that all “treaties enter into executive agreements and international agreements” that needed no concurrence —apparently covering the by the Senate. In the case

pensées

of the United Kingdom that has no written charter, the “British Constitution” refers in large measure to “constitutional institutions and traditions.” Apparently, executive agreements fall into this category—or something analogous to it—insofar as Philippine constitutional tradition is concerned. But if we are to heed the salutary precept that it is not the vagaries of often-inconclusive debates at the time the Constitution was crafted that control but the text

the debate over the supreme Court’s decision to uphold edca will continue for some time to come.

of the fundamental law, then there really seems to be very little reason to adhere to this “tradition”, its US provenance notwithstanding.

One reason of course that the courts loathe abandoning the tradition is the fact that the Constitution apportions

A9

governmental power in such wise as to leave to the president the conduct of foreign relations, and it would make of the president a most inept agent for foreign negotiations were he to be completely bereft of the power to enter into agreements that were binding. But there

is equally good reason for the long- us without the participation of the standing rule that treaties never enter Legislature. into force in the Philippines (as in But what, exactly, is appropriate many other jurisdictions) without the subject matter for treaties in contrast concurrence (many times wrongly to what may lawfully be the subject called “ratification”) of Senate. Two of executive agreements? The edca reasons are more recently advanced. decision of the Supreme Court was a First, Senate concurrence is a necessary chance to clarify the distinction, but check on the exercise of presidential comments that have thus far come my power. Second, since treaties, once way have centered on the desirability in force, have the force of statutes, the of American’s proximity at a time that President would in effect enjoy the China, the bully, throws its weight power to write law where he is free around in the West Philippine Sea to enter into treaties that would bind and creates waves more monstrous

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-

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

than tsunamis. When the Supreme Court passed on the Visiting Forces Agreement, it noted that in the Untied States, most agreements were effected through executive agreements, not treaties. That is the reason that the Supreme Court allowed the VFA to pass scrutiny, even if the 1987 Constitution requires that the agreement be embodied in a treaty.

This requirement, the Court construed to mean: “embodied in an instrument Continued on A10

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

ThIS President’s proclivity to inflict pain on his “bosses” is boundless even in the remaining five months of his presidency. All in a week, President Benigno Aquino rejected the P2,000 Social Security System pension increase for retirees even as he approved the P1-billion cut in the Department of health’s allocation for contraceptives.

“Unconscionable” was how Buhay Party Rep. Lito Atienza called Aquino’s insensitive veto of the Congress-approved SSS pension hike, adding many retirees are depending on it for their medication and putting food on the table. This is an issue close to Atienza’s heart because it affects senior citizens whose welfare he has always espoused. Starting when he was information officer for then-Manila Mayor Ramon Bagatsing, Atienza has initiated City hall’s “Mahal Ko si Lolo, Mahal Ko si Lola” program that gave discounts to the elderly in Manila’s movie houses and public transportation long before the Senior Citizens Law was passed This is also the reason Atienza said he is for Vice President Jejomar Binay, who as Makati Mayor has also looked after the welfare of his city’s senior citizens.

The President justified his veto of the pension hike, claiming it would cost the SSS billions of pesos that could bankrupt the System. Yet, Aquino allows hefty salary increases for executives and board members of government corporations, including the SSS. “The President could have looked for other means to fund the pension increase,” said Atienza , warning the veto could have a backlash on Mar Roxas, the ruling Liberal Party’s presidential candidate.

“I don’t really care about Roxas, but the question is, does PNoy really want Mar to win?” asked Atienza. Indeed Aquino’s veto of the pension hike could have repercussions on Roxas’ presidential bid.

A demonstration by retirees in front of the SSS building denounced Aquino and the government agency for depriving them of badly needed retirement benefits. This, despite the Palace claim that the Aquino administration has been taking care of senior citizens citing the wider Philhealth coverage.

Adding fuel to the outrage was a Commission on Audit report the Department of Transportation and Communications paid P854 million in consultancy fees in 2014, up from P88.43 million in 2013 and P17.42 million in 2012. The funds, according to the CoA report, were spent mostly by the office of Transportation Secretary Joseph emilio Abaya.

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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

M O N D AY : J A N U A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Lessons from obama oUt of the box rita linda v. jimeno

THe final State of the Union Address of President Barack Obama is something the Philippine presidential aspirants should study and

learn many things from.

First, it was a shining example of how a real leader should wind up his term in office: declaring factually, but humbly, what his administration had achieved and making a commitment to ensure that America continues to take the path of greatness and world leadership. Second, Obama’s address was quintessentially statesman-like: no low-level attacks against his opponents unlike the speeches we are so used to hearing from our own leaders. Third, his address inspired not only Americans but all who heard it. It made one want to do what is right for the world and the citizens of this planet. He spoke of combatting terrorism, climate change, education, lifting the lives of every hardworking family, and giving everyone a fair shot at opportunity, as well as, ensuring equal pay for equal work.

Yet, for all the loftiness and grace of President Obama’s State of the Union address, the next president of this country and every Filipino, for that matter, should heed with concern some points he made. For one, he said that America “cannot take over and rebuild every country that falls into crisis, even if it is done with the best of intentions.” That’s not leadership, he said. It’s a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately will weaken the US. It’s We cannot expect the lesson of Vietnam and Iraq and America the US to fight our should have learned battles for us. it by now, Obama said. He added that while America would always act, alone if necessary, to protect its people and its allies, on issues of global concern, America will make sure that other countries pull their own weight.

What should this tell us? That �we cannot expect the US to fight our wars or battles for us. Obama’s address should remind us that we need to build our own capacities and strengths to defend and protect our territory and sovereignty. Bringing back ROTC or the Reserved Officers’ Training Corps as a compulsory college subject could be the start of spreading awareness that we need to be ready to help ourselves and not depend on any foreign power. Above all, being ready entails building up logistical capability that the government has neglected in the past decades and which the next administration must face head-on.

One other point President Obama made and which we should pay attention to was his call for the US Congress to approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership it forged with 11 other countries—Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. This trade partnership among these nations aims to open markets among these member nations and to set the rules of trade in the Asia Pacific region rather than allowing China to do it. This is an integration and free exchange of goods and services among the member nations akin to the Asean integration that took effect in Southeast Asia in 2015, including the Philippines.

Why should the Philippine government and Filipinos view this part of President Obama’s address with concern? Simply because the Trans-Pacific Partnership excludes us, despite the Philippines being an avowed ally of the US. Free trade necessitates the lifting not only of tariffs among member nations but also restrictions in ownership, licensing, permits and doing business.

This is where we are losing out to all other counties of the world. Our Constitution, untouched for 29 years now, ties our hands and prevents us from being globally competitive. It discourages foreign investments, thereby limiting the capacity of private enterprises to create jobs.

President Benigno S. Aquino III had the unique chance to amend the Constitution crafted during

What surveys teLL us A WAg has remarked that there are now two certain things in Philippine elections: surveys and sour grapes.

Opinion polls now punctuate the election season, like weather bulletins that announce the temperature.

Meanwhile, sour grapes have long been part of the nation’s favorite pastime. After the last ballot has been tallied, candidates split into two camps: the winners, and those who have been cheated.

Concession speeches are rarely heard in this part of the world. The loser congratulating the winner publicly is an alien concept. What is not is the almost perfunctory filing of the electoral protest.

As to surveys, they are now pored over and picked apart like a basketball stats where numbers are minutely examined.

With polls now being taken and disclosed every fortnight, it seems, it has become the most anticipated news among the camps of those gunning for national office.

Here the responses are so predictable if not already formulaic.

The frontrunner, with false modesty, thanks his supporters and pats himself on the back for working hard.

Those hot on the leader’s heels would spin bad news a multitude of ways, the favorite of which is to declare a statistical tie if the gap between the pacesetter can be bridged by the plus-minus percentage points of accuracy.

If the numbers are resistant to elasticity, then say that the “real survey is on election day,” a refrain we have been hearing often lately.

Another explanation which can be picked from the bag of excuses is that the dip “is due to black propaganda.” And there is always the poor-me defense: “The opponent has money coming out of his ears

There are enough sources which one can draw from in profiling a candidate. You can even turn on paStor the car radio and chances are there apollo is one candidate perorating on an qUiboloy issue as if he is flaying a dead horse.

Use any or all of these as basis— that is why his TV ads are coming except don’t use survey results. The out every commercial break.”

It is the work of campaigns to numbers on a polling spreadsheet parse survey data. Surveys help cannot, by any stretch, be voting them recalibrate their strategy, instructions.

If you succumb to the lure of or change the message, or flow of resources, or sorties of the the llamado, then you’re joining candidates to areas where they are the herd, and you’re trading informed choice for the pull of the weak.

It is expected for candidates to be bandwagon.

Sadly, many eventually cast their survey consumers to plot ways they can be chosen by the people. But vote for the survey frontrunner out surveys should not be used by the of the belief that their vote would be wasted if they give it to one who will people in picking whom to vote. even their ardent purveyors never win.

But that is how votes are wasted have been warning us of the caveat that polls only measure popularity in this land, in wholesale fashion, but not competence. They gauge when they are given by default to the awareness but not the fitness to lead. last and least choice, albeit popular, Polls can determine who is first, because the original choice, albeit competent, is languishing in the but not who is best.

Thus, voters should not be swayed polls.

So if you see your candidate by survey results. To use it as the sole determinant of whom to vote for is marooned at the bottom of the like using the oven thermometer, totem pole, stick with him for which captures warmth but not as long as you believe that he is taste, in adjudging what dish is the the best person for the job. Your fidelity to his cause must not come best.

And high school home economics coterminous with his high poll taught us that the proof of the numbers.

If the names of the senators pudding is not in its heat but in in your shortlist are not in the something else.

In this age of information winning dozen circle but are on explosion, there are endless ways the page 3 or 4 of the survey results of weighing a candidate’s fitness there is no reason to abandon for the job. For those with unlimited them, unless they have dropped the Internet surfing plans, social media advocacies which have endeared is an inexhaustible mine for data— them to you in the first place.

In the event, however, that your work performance, voting records, choice, which you have picked out of to name a few.

Candidates, or their surrogates, reflection and study, coincidentally have also been posting in the is on the top of the heap, then go for blogosphere their take on issues, him, for reasons other than that he from the minutiae, on what road is setting the pace.

Vote for the candidate whom you to build in what town, to the monumental, like China’s runway believe can rule best, and not the one who is simply ruling the polls. building-spree in the Spratlys.

plUmbline

but actually brings about a realignment of right and obligations, that has the force of a treaty” has not the divide between proper —its divergent nomenclature subject matter for a treaty and that notwithstanding! of an executive agreement been But our Supreme Court, in past crossed? decisions, quite rightly, to my Matters become considerably mind, drew the line in holding more testy when dealing with that executive agreements could foreign military bases, the do without Senate concurrence presence of foreign troops or only if they were pursuant the installation of materiel. to, in consonance with or in Following the acrimonious implementation of treaties already debates over the issue of ratified to which Senate has given military bases in the Philippines its concurrence, or in compliance and the narrow defeat of the with statutory requirements. The measure in the Senate, and logic is not difficult to follow: the anti-American sentiment Where an executive agreement that has, on occasion, surfaced follows upon a treaty or a statute rather powerfully in our and is forged pursuant to it, country, the Constitution has a then there is no breaking of new special provision on agreements ground, no covering of matters covering these subjects: not earlier passed upon by Senate requiring Senate concurrence, or by the Legislature in whole. determining the instrument But where an agreement purports that both governments are to be in consequence of a treaty to use, and subjecting the

treatieS... From A9

the term of his own mother, President Cory Aquino.

Had the 1987 Constitution been amended in PNoy’s time, the Philippines would have been able to break away from some of its shackling provisions. And, to top it off, another Aquino could have claimed credit for continuing a legacy of lifting the people’s lives by

proposal, if deemed necessary

by Congress, to a referendum.

All the more reason then to be parsimonious about what we are willing to consign to the domain of executive agreements that can do without Senate concurrence!

The debate over the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold edca will continue for some time to come. There will be side issues— “side” in relation to constitutional law, but of the essence in relation to Philippine security interests—such as the bullying of China and its arrant encroachments in disputed marine areas. But if anything at all, the Court’s decision—as well as the discourse it has provoked —underscores the fundamental inadequacy of a formalistic approach to the fundamental law of the land. rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

attuning the Constitution to the demands of the times.

Now, it is up to the next administration to step up to global demands for this nation to survive.

Email: ritalindaj@gmail.com Visit: www.jimenolaw.com.ph

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

The ‘machinery’ voTe WE SAW it in 1992. Virtually 85 percent of all the politicos were with Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino . Yet its candidate Monching Mitra lost, a poor fourth in a field of seven big- name candidates. FVR had a ragtag team instantly grouped under Lakas-NUCD, and Miriam had virtually no machinery whatsoever.

We saw it again in 1998. Exit LDP, and whatever remained of it allied with Erap Estrada’s minuscule Partido ng Masang Pilipino. The sitting president was FVR of Lakas-NUCD. Everyone and his mother had deserted LDP but for Angara and a few others, and moved to Lakas. Joe de Venecia was the Lakas candidate and the incumbent’s chosen. He was a far number two to Erap, who garnered 40 percent of all votes cast in a field of seven nationally known candidates.

It was sheer popularity versus machinery though in 2004, the difference being that the machinery was run by a sitting president who came to power after ousting the elected Erap in 2001. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo squeaked through to victory, with a little help from Garci to make the margin reach “more than a million” over the movie king FPJ. The latter’s downfall was largely attributed to bad “handling” and the inability to unite with other opposition candidates.

In 2010, it was a popular message mouthed by the son of a recently deceased former President that trounced the money (and presumably machinery) and the come-backing popularity of a former president. And the endorsee of the incumbent though unpopular president did not appeal to the voters. Gibo Teodoro, despite his sterling qualifications, finished a poor fourth.

Will the machinery work for Mar Roxas this time? He has the endorsement of a sitting president whose personal popularity, though dimmed, is still comparatively high. He presumably, no, obviously has the money. His Liberal Party has grown from being a Volkswagen Kombi in 2000 to a Coaster in 2009 to a long convoy of several air-conditioned buses in 2016.

In the last SWS survey released Friday last week, Roxas’ numbers were statistically tied with Poe and Duterte. Binay, his sworn nemesis, the “scorned” antithesis of Mar and PNoy’s “daang matuwid,” is leading with 31 points over Poe’s declined 24, Mar’s 21, and Duterte’s 20.

True, the January survey results are but a “snapshot.” But it is a critical snapshot. If the numbers to be released soon by Pulse Asia more or less confirm the same, they set the psychological tone for the campaign which begins in three weeks.

At the end of January 2010, PNoy who had an awesome 54

UNCONSCIONABLE... From A9

and condoms for men.

Senator Pia Cayetano, the RH Law’s principal author, was shocked to learn the allocation was slashed at the bicameral level which effectively emasculated the implementation of the law.

By not informing her of the budget cut, Pia said she could never trust Loren again. She said she will elevate the case to the Supreme Court and hold Legarda accountable for dereliction of duty. Cayetano said she only learned of the budget cut when the President signed the national appropriations bill. Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the Senate health committee, was also not

Screwed Forgive the language but the Senate bicameral committee starring Senators Loren Legarda and Tito Sotto screwed the Reproductive Health Law when they slashed P1 billion from the Department of Health’s budget for contraceptives.

Senate finance committee chair Legarda and Sotto worked in concert subverted the spirit and intent of the RH law that took 14 years to pass.

To think Aquino himself pushed strongly for the RH passage yet he allowed P1-billion cut for its implementation providing free contraceptives like birth control pills, IUDs

#failocracy

SO I SEE LItO BANAyO in October, had scaled down dramatically to 36.

Villar, meanwhile, clambered up to 34, a statistical tie. Erap and Gibo were trailing far behind.

But in the heat of a 90-day campaign, PNoy’s 36 held on, and by end-March, was slowly recovering. Villar’s 34 started dropping, most of his numbers migrating towards Erap. Gibo’s did not register, and his vaunted machinery sputtered. In the end, PNoy got some 43 percent of the total vote; Erap 28 percent.

The problem with the “machinery” is that it is so easy to crumble. First, the Constitution of 1987 unwisely adopted a multi-party system in a presidential form of government.

Incompatible.

Second, turncoatism has become accepted political practice. Unido in 1985; LDP in 1990; Lakas after 1992; Lammp and PMP in the wake of Erap’s spectacular win, only to go pffft right after he was ousted, and Lakas became “the” party once again. Now LP. Flags of convenience. What will be the new “flag” after May 2016?

Third, there are a multiplicity of “local” parties, better defined

informed about the cut.

Former Rep. Edcel Lagman who helped shepherd the RH bill in the House said the P1-billion cut from the original P1.57 billion violated and impaired the law. He blamed Sotto who proposed the cut and Legarda who maneuvered it at committee level. Voters should remember Sotto who’s running for re-election for this unkindest cut of all. Legarda who has three years left in her term is safe from voters’ wrath for now. But the people should never elect her to public office again, not even as a barangay captain of Forbes Park.

But then she will probably retire in her P750,000 condominium in tawny Park Avenue in New York City.

With the country’s

as the vehicles of dynastic politics.

They “ally” with national parties for convenience, depending on the relative strength or perceived winnability in their locality of the presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, they perpetuate their hold on their territory, regardless of who becomes president, with whom they will “ally” once more after the election, or just before when victory is in the air.

In fine, the machinery will deliver only if: first, the presidential candidate it supports has a reasonably good chance of winning; and second, if there is some reasonable financial assistance given the local machinery operators.

Sometimes, there are personal ties that bind the presidential candidate to the local officials who operate the machinery, but that is becoming more the exception than the reality on the ground. Loyalty used to be a sacred virtue among politicians in the heyday of the NP-LP dichotomy; now it has become passé, replaced by “practicality.”

Wrong, but reality.

The single most important element, to my mind, is the observation seen through several campaigns since Cory versus Marcos, that the Filipino voter distinguishes between his vote sentiment, even loyalty to the local candidates, as against the presidential candidate who “wins” his heart and mind.

Which is also why depriving the

Filipino voters of their right to choose their political “supremo,” the president, as in a purely parliamentary form, will be resisted.

“Sa iyo ako, Mayor/Gov/ Cong, pero kursunada ko talaga si … sa pagka-pangulo”, is how the “market” explains to his local “boss”. And what local candidate will say, “Kung hindi mo dadalhin ang pangulo ko, kalimutan mo na rin ako.” No one. That is how the machinery crumbles.

So in the next 90 days or so, it will be a battle of messages.

Which message will win the hearts and minds of the bigger share of the vote market?

How congruent will the message/s be with the persona of the one mouthing the message?

Hindi pwedeng “plastik.” Even the unlettered can see through that.

That is what candidates need the surveys for. And qualitative research as well.

The machinery may help, especially if the survey results in the last three weeks before E-Day are quite close for the leading candidates. If the losing candidates’ message fails to capture voter belief by then, there will be a bandwagon towards the winning candidate.

We want real, meaningful change in the way we elect our leaders?

Change the constitutional set-up. Nothing short of it will work.

population projected to grow by 1.4 million this year, up from 1.2 million last year, the budget cut deprived poor women access to free contraceptives and putting at risk mothers who have already given birth several times.

What will happen to the amount cut from the RH budget? We hope it’s not going to be funneled into the ruling party’s campaign coffers to insure the victory of the administration candidate.

Critics of Malacañang cannot help speculating, considering the depth it will go to skim funds for election purposes.

The CoA also uncovered that funds allocated for the construction of public toilets in

train stations were not used by Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya. Plumbing the depths of even the construction of toilets?

Abaya’s staying power is incredible despite demands for his resignation by the commuting public. Could be it be Abaya knows too much as president of the ruling Liberal Party and its chief campaign fund- raiser? Former Metro Rail Transit manager Al Vitangcol who has been charged by the Ombudsman asked why he was made the fall guy for anomalies in the MRT maintenance service contract when Abaya as head of the government agency directly in charge of the public railway system was not included in the rap sheet.

chong ardivilla

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Pistons shock Warriors, 113-95 LOS ANGELES—Detroit celebrated former Pistons great Ben Wallace on Saturday with a win over the NBA’s current best, handing the Golden State Warriors just their fourth defeat of the season.

Koreans, Thais spice up golf cast KOREANS Yang Juyong and Kim Hee Sun and Kan Bunnabodee, Onkanok Soisuwan and Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand brace for a fierce battle with the local aces in the Philippine Ladies Open Golf Championship presented by Champion Infinity which unfolds Wednesday at Tagaytay Midlands.

Sun Ok Park and Soon Hak Jung are also joining Yang and Kim in the 54-hole tournament which also drew Aussie Prescila Keogh, Ping Carmichael of Hong Kong, Riko Nagai of Japan and siblings Norshahira, Norezrina and Noraishah Che Omar and Kellie Kan of Malaysia.

While the Koreas seek to re-claim the crown won by Jeong Lee Hwa in 2012 at Southwodos, the young Thais are out to extend their domination of the country’s premier ladies championship won by Supamas Sangchan in 2013-14 at Mt. Malarayat and Forest Hills and Pimnipa Panthong at Wack Wack last year.

But focus will be on the local bets as they try to end the foreigners’ domination of the 54-hole championship presented by Champion Infinity and organized and conducted by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines.

Former US Girls’ Junior champion Princess Superal banners the hosts’ bid in the 54-hole championship with the top The Country Club bet banking on her five-win roll, including the Hong Kong Ladies Amateur Open two weeks ago.

But she faces an uphill battle in her pursuit of a first Phl Ladies Open diadem with a slew of other talented local players in the fold, including TCC teammate and reigning Thailand Ladies Amateur champion Pauline del Rosario and newly crowned Philippine Amateur stroke play winner Harmie Constantino. AFP

Reggie Jackson of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket against the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. AFP

Williams has her eyes on Graf’s record

MELBOURNE—Serena Williams begins her quest Monday to equal Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles battling fitness concerns and with a host of players desperate to dethrone the defending champion.

Following a dominant 2015, the world number one is gunning for a seventh Australian crown adamant that she is over the knee problems that hindered her during the latter half of the year and during her Mel-

bourne Park build-up.

She insisted on Saturday she was “120, 130 percent right” as she prepares for a tricky first-round encounter with Italian Camila Giorgi, the highest ranked non-seeded player in the women’s draw.

“I’ve had a really good preparation. I mean, I didn’t have the match play that I’ve wanted to have,” said the 34-year-old American.

“But after playing for so many years on tour, I should be able

to, you know, focus on that and the fact that I have played a lot of matches. So that’s what I’m trying to focus on now.”

Her three Grand Slam titles last year in Australia and at Roland Garros and Wimbledon took her within one of Graf’s long-time record of 22 and put her three clear of both Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

Melbourne Park has been a happy hunting ground. She claimed her first Australian Open title way back

in 2003, beating elder sister Venus in the final, and reached her sixth last year when she toppled arch-rival Maria Sharapova.

Williams is in a tough half of the draw with Russia’s Sharapova, seeded five, potentially awaiting her in the quarters.

Sharapova, 28, is also lacking match practice after a left forearm problem forced her out of the Brisbane International, but she too said all is now well. AFP

Bulls’ center Noah injures shoulder, to miss 6 months CHICAGO—Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah will undergo surgery to repair a dislocated left shoulder and miss the next four to six months, the NBA club announced on Saturday.

The Bulls’ estimated timetable means at best Noah would not be healthy enough to return until the NBA playoffs were half over.

Noah suffered the injury during Friday’s 83-77 loss to Dallas when he became entangled with Mavericks center JaVale McGee. Noah departed the court in pain and an MRI exam Saturday confirmed the severity of his injury.

Noah has been used as a reserve this season by the Bulls but in almost 22 minutes a game is averaging 8.8 rebounds with a careerworst 4.3 points.

Details of the surgery and Noah’s rehabilitation program to stabilize the shoulder have not yet been finalized, but he is expected to fully recover.

“Tough news on @JoakimNoah,” tweeted former Bulls star Scottie Pippen. “But if anyone has the fire and determination to put in the work and get back to where he needs to be, it’s Jo.” But as an unrestricted free agent after this season, it’s also possible Noah has played his final game for the Bulls, who took him in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Noah injured the same shoulder last month and missed nine games.

He was in his fourth game back when he was hurt again. At 23-16, the Bulls are third in the Eastern Conference, trailing only pace-setter Cleveland and Toronto, and seventh in the league overall. AFP

No Rio Olympic encore for Kobe. Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant said Saturday he won’t play in the Rio Olympics but will make his retirement from basketball official with his last Los Angeles Lakers game. Bryant, 37, has said this 20th season of his NBA career will be his last. Although he said in December another Olympic appearance would be a “beautiful” ending to his career, he said Saturday that it wasn’t in the cards. AFP

The Pistons beat the Warriors 113-95, Golden State’s second defeat in three games and a perfect ending for Detroit fans to a night that saw their club retire four-time defensive player of the year Wallace’s number three jersey in their Palace at Auburn Hills arena at halftime.

Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 20 points apiece and Detroit led by double digits throughout the second half.

Jackson added eight assists and Caldwell-Pope had five rebounds and three steals.Center Andre Drummond produced his leagueleading 34th double-double with 14 points and 21 rebounds, unfazed by the trash-talking of Warriors power forward Draymond Green.

“It’s like playing your best friend,” Drummond said of Green’s jawing. “You can talk if you want, it doesn’t mean you mean it. You’re just trying to get the best of him. I intimidate people by the way I play.

“I don’t need to talk.”

Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player and the league’s leading scorer, delivered on cue with 38 points, five assists and seven rebounds.

But the rest of the Warriors offered little support.

Shooting guard Klay Thompson scored 24 points, but Green was held to five -10 below his average.

Golden State did chip away at the Pistons’ 19-point lead in the third quarter.

Curry, who scored 16 points in the period, drained two three-pointers to pull his team within 12. Another Curry threepointer made it 83-73 later in the frame.

But Detroit opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 scoring run to seize control.

“No matter where we go, teams are going to give us their best shot,” Warriors interim coach Luke Walton said. “It was a big night with the crowd, it was a sellout, retiring Ben Wallace’s jersey.

“They were coming after us tonight and we weren’t ready to fight back,” Walton added. “In this league if you’re not ready to fight back, you’re going to get blown out.” AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Clarke still learning KUALA LUMPUR—Victorious EurAsia Cup captain Darren Clarke admitted Sunday he still had much to learn ahead of leading Europe in September’s Ryder Cup against the US. Clarke led his team to an emphatic 13-point demolition of an Asian Tour team to win the EurAsia Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

His 12-man team was never headed over the three days leading by three points after Friday’s opening fourballs, six points after the second day foursomes before winning nine of the singles and sharing one in an 18.5-5.5 points triumph at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

It was Clarke’s first taste of team leadership victory.

The Northern Irishman joins recent European Ryder Cup captains Paul McGinley (Seve Trophy 2009, 2011) and Colin Montgomerie (Seve Trophy 2002, 2003, 2005, Royal Trophy 2010) in having led a team to victory ahead of captaining in the Ryder Cup. AFP

Boxingman Rivera dies

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

JOURNALIST and former Editor in Chief of Ring Magazine, Nigel Collins informed this writer that our longtime friend, colleague and a quintessential Filipino boxing man Hermie Rivera has passed away.

In his email to us, Nigel wrote: “I just read on Facebook that Hermie Rivera died. I knew he’s been sick, but the last time I traded emails with him, he said he was fine and that the only thing that would kill him was the hospital bill.

I’m extremely sad. He was a rascal and one of the most colorful people, I’ve known.”

He went on: “I guess I’m writing to you because I met him in 2004 at the same time I met you and, other than Ted (Lerner), there’s nobody else I know to commiserate with. I liked him very much and feel terrible. If my editor will allow me, I would like to write something about him. If so, I hope you don’t mind if I contact you again.”

The world of boxing has lost a genuine lover of the sport and a man who knew it inside out.

We will all miss him deeply.

Hermie’s prized possession was former twodivision world champion Luisito “Lindol’” Espinosa, whose career he nursed to heights of ring greatness and world junior welterweight champion Morris East.

There were other talented fighters, whose careers he molded, including Philippine flyweight champion and world title challenger Socrates Batoto and Aniceto Vargas, among others.

Jason Avant of the Kansas City Chiefs attempts to extend the ball for extra yards in the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. AFP

Patriots, Cardinals get conference finals slots

WASHINGTON—Defending Super Bowl champion New England snapped Kansas City’s 11-game win streak while Arizona fought off an astonishing Green Bay comeback to advance Saturday in the NFL playoffs.

Tom Brady threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to power the Patriots over visiting Kansas City 27-20 while Carson Palmer threw for three touchdowns for his first playoff win in Arizona’s 26-20 home victory over Green Bay. The Patriots will make their fifth consecutive trip to the American Conference finals, playing the winner of Sunday’s Denver-Pittsburgh matchup on January 17 for a berth in Super Bowl 50.

Brady matched 1970s Oakland star Kenny Stabler

as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to take their teams to five consecutive conference championship games.

“It’s pretty cool, pretty cool -- it’s hard to do man,” Brady said. “You’ve got tto grind throughout the entire year. There’s only four teams playing next weekend and we’re one of them.”

The Cardinals, who lost to Pittsburgh seven years ago in their only Super Bowl appearance, reached a National Conference final date with either Carolina or Seattle.

Palmer connected with Larry Fitzgerald on a 75-yard pass play to set up a 5-yard “shovel pass” up the middle to Fitzgerald for the winning points after Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers made an amazing 41-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the fourth quarter to force overtime.

“We’re a resilient team,” Fitzgerald said. “You just have to keep fighting.”

Four-time NFL champion Brady completed 28-of-42 passes for 302 yards, his ninth career playoff 300-yard passing game, matching Peyton Manning for the most in NFL history.

Rob Gronkowski’s two touchdown catches gave him eight for his playoff career, the most of any tight end in NFL history.

“The chemistry was clicking,” Gronkowski said.

The Chiefs closed within the

final margin after Charcandrick West scored on a 1-yard run with 73 seconds remaining. Gronkowski recovered Kansas City’s onside kick attempt and the Patriots ran the final seconds off the clock.

The Chiefs were thwarted in their bid to reach the conference final for the first time since 1993.

It was in last year’s conference final that controversy erupted over the Patriots using under-inflated footballs, one that led the NFL to issue Brady a four-game suspension only to have the superstar quarterback take the issue to federal court.

A judge threw out Brady’s suspension, citing a lack of fair due process, and the NFL has appealed that decision, a hearing set for after next month’s Super Bowl so it will have no impact on New England’s title repeat quest. AFP

Viva Sports expands into MMA coverage

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

The writer (left) with UGB president Ferdinand Abadilla Munsayac

VIVA Sports which has carved a name for itself by its coverage of the top-rating weekly boxing show “The Main Event” over Pinoy Box Office on Sky Cable at 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays with a replay on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. has ventured into the coverage of Mixed Martial Arts in an initial agreement with the Promoter and Underground Battle MMA president and founder, Ferdinand Abadilla Munsayac.

The inaugural venture will be the Foreign Invasion Battle Series, featuring international and local pro MMA fights to be held at the Makati Coliseum on Jan. 22 with a Main Event and two-co main events.

Headlining the fight card will be the middleweight battle between the Philippines’ Mark Palomar and Brad Robinson of the United States, while the two supporting main events will feature Rodian Menchavez of the Philip-

pines and Ahmed Mujtaba of Pakistan in a featherweight clash, while Filipino bantamweight Michael Mondragon will face off with Pakistan’s Uloomi Karim.

The fights will be telecast on “The Main Event” boxing show timeslot on Jan. 30.

There will be nine fights on the undercard with a catch-weight bout between Anton Larsson of Sweden and RJ Redula of the Philippines, plus eight fights featuring promising Filipinos against each other.

The agreement between UGB and Viva Sports after the World Series of Fighting-Global Championship, announced the signing of a strategic agreement with Philippine-based promotion Underground Battle MMA under the WSOF-GC promotional banner, powered by World Series of Fighting Global Championships.

“This is a first step down an exciting road for us,” said WSOF-GC United States president Shawn Wright.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

PSA honors Gilas for brave stand NOT even the failure of getting the services of a number of players prevented Gilas Pilipinas 3.0 from overachieving in its FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship campaign in the Chinese province of Changsha.

Members of the Gilas Pilipinas team, shown here singing the national anthem during the FIBA Asia Championships in China, will be bestowed with the President’s Award at the 2015 PSA Awards Night on Feb. 13 at the One Esplanade.

Jungolf inter-school national finals under way at Orchard golf course QUALIFIERS from 42 schools all over the country compete in the national finals of the ICTSI-JGFP starting today Monday at the Player course of the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

Seeing action in the 36-hole event backed by the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and organized by the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines are 140 participants making up the survivors of various qualifiers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The competing schools are Assumption San Lorenzo, Ateneo de Manila University, Bloomfield Academy, Brent International School, British School Manila, Casa Real Montessori, Cebu

Doctors University, Cebu International School, Centre International Education, Corpus Christi, School, De La Salle University, De La Salle Zobel, Del Monte School, Diosdado Macapagal High School, Don Bosco Technical College, El Rio de Pasig, Everest Academy, HEDCEN, Immaculate Conception Academy, Japan International School and La Salle Canlubang.

Also taking part are La Salle Greenhills, Learning Links Academy, LyceumCavite, Makati Hope Christian School, MCA MontessoriSchool, OB MontessoriFairview, Oro Christian Grace School, Philippine Science High School, Poveda, San Beda College Alabang, School of Tomorrow, SHS-Ateneo de Cebu, Singapore

School Cebu, Singapore School Manila, Southville International School, St Michael the Archangel, The Abba’s Orchard School Inc., The Bridge School, The Master Academy, Velez College and Xavier School.

There are eight schools from the Visayas and four from Mindanao in the field dominated by 30 schools in Luzon, making it one of the biggest legs in the jungolf calendar of events also supported

by Philippine Golf Foundation, Philippine Airlines and Inquirer Golf.

To be disputed are the team and individual awards in the Seniors, Juniors, Aspirants’ 1 and Aspirants’ 2 categories in the boys’ division and the Girls’ 1, 2 and 3 brackets of the tourney.

Handled by veteran coach Tab Baldwin, the Filipinos played with grit and passion and were on the verge of earning a long-cherished dream of making it back to the Olympics before losing to host China in the goldmedal match, 78-67, played before a raucous crowd at the Changsha Social Work Colleges gymnasium.

For a team that wasn’t given a second look of reaching the final – more so of contending for the gold against the mighty host country – the silver medal achievement was already a feat in itself, matching the same finish accomplished by the previous Gilas Pilipinas team under Chot Reyes when the FIBA-Asia meet was held in Manila in 2013.

The national team’s heroics, attained under trying circumstances, were enough to merit Gilas Pilipinas the President’s Award in the coming Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night presented by MILO and San Miguel Corp.

Past honorees of the same award include the National University Bulldogs, former world champions Rubilen Amit, Dennis Orcollo, and Lee Van Corteza, Ateneo Blue Eagles, taekwondo jin Mikaela Calamba, Philippine women’s bowling trio, to name a few.

“The surprising silver-medal finish by Gilas Pilipinas is truly inspiring especially for the basketball loving-Filipinos, who are always known for having a soft spot for the underdogs,” said PSA president Riera Mallari of the Manila Standard in justifying the national team’s choice as the latest recipient of the President’s Award.

The formal event, a traditional practice of the country’s oldest media organization, is set on Feb. 13 at the One Esplanade in Pasay City.

World boxing champions Nonito Donaire Jr. and Donnie Nietes, along with Asian Tour winner and rising golf star Miguel Tabuena will be honored with the prestigious Athlete of the Year award during the affair also presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Basketball Association, Accel, Rain or Shine, Globalport, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The 2013 batch of Gilas Pilipinas under Reyes which earned a return trip to the FIBA World Cup in Spain, was also honored with the highest accolade by the PSA two years ago.

The sportswriting fraternity will also hand out major awards and citations, including the gold-medal winners during the country’s campaign in the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

Likewise to be given out are Executive of the Year, National Sports Association of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Posthumous.

Wilder wins by KO, trades tough talk with Britain’s Fury NEW YORK—Unbeaten Deontay Wilder kept his share of the world heavyweight crown Saturday with his 35th knockout in 36 fights, then traded verbal sparring with unbeaten British rival champion Tyson Fury in the ring.

A sledgehammer right hand to the chin left Polish opponent Artur Szpilka unconscious and flat on his back at 2:24 of the ninth round at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, the southpaw taken off on a stretcher to a hospital as a precaution.

That enabled Wilder to keep his World Boxing Council title and set the stage for a potential shot at an undisputed title later this year against Fury, who beat Wladimir Klitschko for the World Boxing Association

crown and climbed into the ring to taunt Wilder moments after the fight ended.

“There’s only one Tyson Fury,” the Briton yelled as they moved into a staredown. “What’ve you got to say about that Deontay?”

“You’re just a phony,” Wilder replied. “This is just an act. You know where I am. You know what time, what place. I ain’t scared of nobody, I’ll come to your backyard, baby.”

Fury, 25-0 with 18 knockouts, made the same offer, adding: “Any time, any place, anywhere.

I’ll beat you. You’re a bum,” as the crowd booed.

Wilder laughed at the somewhat cartoonish situation, saying, “I don’t play this. You should have been an actor.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

When we do step in the ring, this ain’t wrestling, this ain’t the WWE, baby. When you do step in this ring with me—if you do because this should’ve been done a long time ago—you can run around like you’re a preacher all that you want but when you step into that ring I promise you I will baptize you.

“Make the date Tyson. Make the date.”

Szpilka, who fell to 20-2, appeared to be fine after the fight, trainer Ronnie Shields said.

“He’s doing good, he’s awake.

He knows exactly where he is right now,” Shields said. “It’s the best thing for him to go get checked out. He was conscious. He was talking. Better safe than sorry.” AFP

Deontay Wilder and Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury exchange words after defeating Artur Szpilka at Barclays Center in Brooklyn borough of New York City. AFP

M O N DAY : JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Stallone picks Pacquiao as his favorite boxer

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

HOLLYWOOD superstar Sylvester Stallone recently talked to Ringside Digital’s Adam Smith and Johnny Nelson about Manny Pacquiao and Roberto Duran, admitting that the Filipino ring icon is still one of his favorite fighters.

The man behind the successful “Rocky” movie series has been in London this week, promoting his latest blockbuster, Creed.

Stallone, a big boxing fan, has had numerous famous fighters in his Rocky movies including Duran, James Toney, Antonio Tarver and most recently, Britain’s Tony Bellew.

But when he was asked by Smith and Nelson to reveal his favorite fighters, Pacquiao was the first name on his lips, despite the Filipino’s defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May, 2015.

“I still think Manny Pacquiao is a great, great fighter,” Stallone praised Pacquiao.

The Rocky star added: “Of course, Roberto Duran. I sparred with him and really got hammered by him, really badly!”

Stallone told the audience at Creed’s European premiere at

The Empire, Leicester Square on Wednesday, what he thought of Pacquiao despite his loss to unbeaten pound-for-pound king Mayweather.

Meanwhile, American World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder said that even though people will disagree, he’d like to see a rematch between Mayweather Jr. (now retired) and the eightdivision world champion Pacquiao, who has announced that his third fight against Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 9, will be his farewell bout.

Appearing on Jenna Jay’s popular radio show “On The Ropes,” Wilder said: “Both guys said they would retire, but I think Floyd’s coming back. I would love to see Manny having a rematch with Floyd one more time. The first time I already knew what was gonna happen.

It was a great performance from Floyd but I think a second time will be a closer fight.”

Wilder added: “I think that would be the fight I’d love to see. If Floyd wins, he beats Rocky Marciano’s (49-0) record and he can officially retire because I know he’s coming back. Floyd is not a guy that looks to be with anyone.

He’s just not a person you think would retire with a tie with somebody. If Floyd wins, then he can successfully retire and making history as well by defeating Manny again. If Manny wins, he can also retire whether he wins, loses or draws.”

Asked by Jenna Jay what he thought of Pacquiao, the world heavyweight champion said: “I think a guy that was unknown and came to the States to be known and then to be able to do the things that he’s done, it’s amazing.”

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Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone visits Manny Pacquiao at the Wild Card Gym during one of the Filipino ring icon’s training sessions. They are joined by Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach.

Snedeker, Blair share Sony Open golf lead LOS ANGELES—Zac Blair had six birdies in a six-under par 64 on Saturday to grab a share of the third-round lead alongside Brandt Snedeker at the US PGA Tour Sony Open in Hawaii.

Blair had a chance to take sole possession of the lead in the $5.8 million tournament at Waialea Country Club in Honolulu, but missed a birdie putt from inside three feet at the 18th.

“I hit a bad putt, nothing more to it than that,” said the 25-yearold, who goes into the final round in search of his first PGA Tour title tied with seven-time tour winner Snedeker on 16-under par 194.

Overnight leader Snedeker carded a bogey-free four-under par 66.

The leaders were one stroke in front of American Kevin Kisner, who carded a 66 for 195.

Kisner shook off a bogey at the par-three 17th, where his five-iron ended up on the wrong side of a hospitality tent, to birdie 18.

“When I hit it, I knew it was not what I was trying to do,” he said of his five-iron at 17. “I was thinking I could hit a cut shot and hold it up against the wind, and it did not cut, obviously. I thought I killed somebody in the stands.”

Nevertheless, with his birdie

The Boxer’s Punch FORMER pro boxers are some of the most feared lot in mixed martial arts today.

Boxers are better trained in the art of using both fists inside the ring or the cage.

It has been proven many times.

Recent proof was the annihilation by former world champion Holly Holm of judo specialist Ronda Rousy to become the newest toast of the UFC. In the local scene, former boxers like Caloy Baduria, Jun Paderna and the late Ale Cali, a former Pacific Xtreme Combat champion, dominate their opponents inside the MMA cage, using their vast experience in boxing.

Baduria, a boxing trainer at Elorde, still fights in the cage from time to time and among his victims was Nic Kohla, a bigger and heavier fighter with a wrestling pedigree.

Kohla’s mistake was go to-to-toe with Baduria, who feasted on Kohla with a barrage of boxer’s punches.

The result was an expected TKO for Baduria. *** In boxing lingo, there is a so called “pasok na suntok” (Boxer’s Punch).

Some of the best boxers have uti-

Dakar dozen for Peterhansel, Price nails bike title RIO CUARTO, Argentina—France’s Dakar Rally legend Stephane Peterhansel celebrated his 12th title on Saturday as motorbike rider Toby Price became the first Australian to etch his name on the gruelling event’s roll of honour.

The 50-year-old Peterhansel avoided any late drama to safely cross the finish line of the closing 13th stage at Rio Cuarto to give French manufacturer Peugeot their first win since 1990.

“It’s extraordinary. The pressure was very high, but we came through,” said the Dakar’s all-

time record winner.

“Some of my wins count more than others, but this one’s definitely in the top 3.”

Price, 28, who came third last year on his debut, dominated the two-week bike race after lifting the second stage last week.

“Being the first Australian to win the Dakar is just insane,” Price said.

“I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what to think... I’m in shock, I never would’ve thought I could win this race in my second participation.

“This is incredible for my family, my friends

at the last he secured his spot in Sunday’s final group.

“I think it’s huge tomorrow so you know what’s going on,” Kisner said of playing with the leaders.

South Korean Kim Si-Woo, 20, capped his round with a birdie at 17 and an eagle at 18 for a 65 that left him two off the pace on 196 -- two shots in front of Argentina’s Fabian Gomez, who carded a 65 for 198.

The leaderboard, tightly bunched all week, spread out just a bit at the top on Saturday, but with seven players tied at 199, there were still 10 players within four shots of the 16-under lead.

With birdies again likely to be plentiful, Snedeker said he would still try to resist the urge to keep track of what others were doing on Sunday.

“I’ve found for me I play better when I don’t scoreboard watch, because I don’t caught up in what’s going on,” Snedeker said.

“I can’t control what everybody else is doing. I’m going to go out there and try and shoot as low as I possibly can.

“You see here in years past, guys shoot 62, 63 here on Sunday to get the job done. I know I’m going to have to make some birdies tomorrow. Even-par or one-under par is not going to get it done.”

and my fans back in Australia!”

The rider from New South Wales finished fourth on the final day to wrap up the title and supply his KTM team with a 15th consecutive crown.

He had a tidy 39-minute cushion over his Slovakian teammate Stefan Svitko with Chilean Pablo Quintanilla at 48min in third.

While he was savouring opening his Dakar account, Peterhansel was adding a new chapter to his love affair with the iconic event he first competed in back in 1989. AFP

lized this technique they have mastered in training for years, in the growing sport of MMA. “Kaya ang mga kalaban namin, ‘pag labas ang suntok, patay na. Bago makadapo ang suntok nila sa amin, naunahan na namin sila,” shared Paderna, who spent his childhood and early years of pugilism with Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao in the same neighborhood in General Santos City.

Paderna, an aging fighter by the sport’s standard, is still feared by upand-coming MMA fighters.

Rex de Lara, who has three wins and a draw as a pro boxer, best typified that “pasok na suntok” when he beat Stephen Loman to the draw in their battle at the PXC 51 at the Solaire Resort and Casino on Saturday night.

It was too late for Loman to realize that it was such a huge mistake going nip-and-tuck with De Lara. The boxer’s short, right punch found Loman’s jaw squarely as the latter was knocked out cold, unconscious for a few minutes and had to be attended by the medical team inside the cage.

It was the only knockout in the fight card of the night. Credit goes to the much dreaded Boxer’s Punch.

LOCKER ROOM RANDY CALUAG

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-0

P16M

3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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m o n day : Ja n ua ry 1 8 , 2 0 1 6 rIEra u. maLL arI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

sports

Alaska’s Calvin Abueva (left) makes life difficult for a shooting SMB’s Arwind Santos in a PBA Philippine Cup Finals’ Game 1 showdown won by the Aces, 100-91.

Alaska Aces draw 1 blood st

by Jeric lopez

IT was a fourth quarter to remember for Alaska.

Game Tuesday (Game 2, Finals Smart Araneta Coliseum): 7 p.m. - San Miguel vs. Alaska

The Aces unleashed a furious barrage in the final period to erase a 12-point deficit and pull off a 100-91 comeback victory over San Miguel Beer, taking an important 1-0 best-ofseven series lead in the 2015-16 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup Finals Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Vic Manuel was at his very best for Alaska as he was at the forefront of the game’s most important spurt, scoring 14 of his game-high 24 points on a very efficient 10-of-15 shooting in the fourth period to tow the Aces to the scintillating comeback victory after trailing by 12 points with over 11 min-

utes left and nine points entering the the final period.

From a 91-all count with under two minutes left, the Aces came up with the most significant run of the contest-a 9-0 finishing kick to swiftly take the game away in the final minute-and-ahalf. ‘’San Miguel handled us for around 40 minutes and we just happened to have guys who stepped up and made plays for us,’’ said Alaska coach Alex Compton. ‘’We were also able to string a bunch of stops as well in the fourth and that really helped us.’’

Compton, however, said there’s still a long way to go for him and his Aces.

psA honors gilAs ph

‘’We’re up 1-0, but we still need to win three more games. We were also up last All-Filipino against San Miguel (1-0) in the finals and we lost, so we have to keep pushing and keep our focus. It’s still a long way,’’ said Compton.

Calvin Abueva was likewise effective as he produced a double-double for Alaska with his 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Manuel and Abueva both did damage coming off the bench like they normally do.

The two also got help from Cyrus Baguio and Chris Banchero, who scored 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Manuel’s lay-up with 1:46 left gave Alaska a 93-91 edge, while Jvee Casio, who struggled all night before hitting hitting his stride late in the game, connected with a triple from the left elbow with 1:12 left to give the Aces a larger 96-91 lead.

Following another stop on the other end, Chris Banchero then iced the game for Alaska as his putback with 39.8 seconds left further pushed the Aces to safety at 98-91.

Even without reigning Most Valuable Player Junemar Fajardo, who was out due to a swollen and bruised knee, San Miguel showed that it was still a force to reckon with, holding the lead for most of the first three quarters and having a 75-66 headway entering the fourth, only to fumble in the endgame.

The scores: ALASKA 100 - Manuel 24, Baguio 16, Banchero 15, Abueva 12, Exciminiano 6, Jazul 6, Casio 5, Hontiveros 5, Menk 5, Thoss 4, Baclao 2, Dela Rosa 0.

SAN MIGUEL 91 - Cabagnot 20, Lassiter 19, De Ocampo 18, Tubid 13, Espinas 11, Arana 4, Santos 4, Ross 2, Lutz 0, Semerad 0.

Quarters: 11-4, 42-38, 75-66, 100-91

stAllone’s fAvorite boxer is pAcmAn

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Tabal wins 21k of HK Marathon by peter Atencio MARY Joy Tabal proved a point Sunday when she took the top honors in the women’s 21-kilometer run of the 2016 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon She improved on her secondplace finish last year in earning the crown this time.

“I had a good pace from start to finish and once I got to the lead – even though I was feeling so cold – that was it,” said Tabal in article, which came out in the online edition of the South China Morning Post.

The 26-year-old Tabal, who is from Cebu, started strong and was already ahead two kilometers into the race. She held on to the lead until she crossed the finish line in one hour, 21 minutes and 41 seconds.

It was her second crown in a month after taking the women’s 42-km honors of the 39th national Milo marathon last month.

“I started behind the elite runners, but knew in these wet conditions I had to get to them quickly. Once I did, I just thought to myself ‘run as fast as you can’,” said Tabal, who was ahead of Taiwan’s You Ya-jyun (1:22.46) and Shiho Asada of Japan (1:24.27).

MONDAY: JANUARY 18, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

PAL registered profit in Q4 PSe comPoSite index Closing January 15, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,449.50 40.74

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JANUARY 15, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.740

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.600 LOW P47.780AVERAGE P47.722 VOLUME 440.300M

P417.00-P627.00 LPG/11-kg tank P33.30-P40.75 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P

By Darwin G Amojelar

PHILIPPINE Airlines expects to post a profit in the fourth quarter of 2015 despite losses caused by flight cancellations during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Manila in November.

PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista told reporters the “October and November were really lean months” but the airline managed to register an income.

PAL’s foregone or lost revenue due to Apec cancellations is about $18.75 million or P860 million. The country’s flag carrier cancelled close to 700 domestic and international flights during the Apec meeting, accounting for 45 percent of what PAL would normally operate within a six-day period.

PAL operates an estimated 260 flights a day.

“In terms of passengers and load factor last year, more or less we achieved it,” Bautista said, adding it recorded about 12 million passengers and a load factor of 70 percent in 2015.

PAL Holdings Inc., the holding company of PAL, posted a net income of P6.55 billion in the first nine months of last year from P169.1 million in the same period in 2014.

PAL’s total revenues for the nine-month period reached

P81.99 billion, up 10.8 percent from P73.98 billion year-onyear.

PAL said attributed the favorable performance to higher passenger revenues and other sales generated during the period.

Bautista also said PAL was set to operate flights to Kuwait and Jeddah beginning January 17 and 19, respectively, bringing to seven the flag carrier’s total number of Middle East destinations, which include Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dammam, Dubai and Riyadh.

“Opening up new routes to and from the Middle East such as Kuwait and Jeddah enables us to serve the flight needs of our ‘kababayans’ who work overseas. Our flights aim to provide our Filipino compatriots as well as leisure and business travelers the distinct Philippine Airlines brand of service,” Bautista said.

With more than 190,000 Filipino workers in Kuwait and an esti-

mated 300,000 in Jeddah, the flag carrier has a captive market. Passenger load factor on PAL’s newest routes reflect high numbers.

“Jeddah serves as a gateway for pilgrimages to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Pilgrims may now choose PAL for their travels in observance of the Umrah and Hajj,” Bautista added.

PAL’s new A330-300 will be the fleet for the new Mid-East routes.

Bautista earlier said PAL was set to sign a $1-billion deal with an aircraft manufacture for six long-range, twin-engine widebody jets next month.

“We’ll make the announcement when we sign the purchase agreement,” he said.

Bautista did not identify the aircraft manufacturer, but he earlier said the company was looking at either Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

today

P20.40-P23.80 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, January 15, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.4570

Japan

Yen

0.008501

0.4034

UK

Pound

1.442200

68.4425

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128874

6.1160

Switzerland

Franc

0.994135

47.1787

Canada

Dollar

0.696040

33.0320

Singapore

Dollar

0.696185

33.0389

Australia

Dollar

0.699986

33.2192

Bahrain

Dinar

2.661486

126.3061

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266418

12.6434

Brunei

Dollar

0.693770

32.9242

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.027594

1.3095

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.9226

Euro

Euro

1.088900

51.6759

Korea

Won

0.000831

0.0394

China

Yuan

0.152107

7.2185

India

Rupee

0.014984

0.7111

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.228571

10.8473

New Zealand

Dollar

0.655910

31.1275

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030042

1.4257 Source: PDS Bridge

Infra bank. Representatives of the founding nations of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank applaud as Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) unveils a sculpture during the opening ceremony of the AIIB in Beijing on January 16, 2016. AFP

Govt says economy remains strong despite global volatilities

By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE Philippines is less sensitive to shocks and is poised to maintain a positive growth trajectory this year, despite current volatilities in the global economy, government economic managers said over the weekend.

The World Bank revised downward its growth projection for the world economy this year to 2.4 percent from an earlier estimate of 2.9 percent.

Finance Undersecretary and

chief economist Gil Beltran said despite the weaker global economic prospects, the country remained on a positive growth trajectory.

“Strong macro-economic fundamentals have been instrumental in buttressing the Philippine economy and will continue to do so in the face of volatilities and increased uncertainty,” Beltran said in an economic bulletin.

The World Bank confirmed that the Philippines was among the few economies in Asia with a

strong growth potential. It said gross domestic product in the Philippines would grow 6.4 percent in 2016.

Beltran said macro-economic management enabled the country to embark on fiscal deleveraging and create wider fiscal space, build sizable reserves and minimize exposure to foreign debt, stabilize prices and strengthen the banking system.

“These developments will afford fiscal and monetary authorities ample room for maneuver and, to

some extent, provide insulation for the country from external shocks as they arise,” Beltran said.

Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a separate event the slowdown in China was “long overdue”.

“It’s long over due for China.

I expected it to slow down a decade ago. It is bound to come.

We did not expect that it would as quick as it is right now,” Balisacan said.

He said the impact of the economic slowdown in China would

affect the country through trading partners such as Malaysia and Singapore.

Balisacan said that despite the volatilities, the Philippine economy was poised to adapt to changes.

“The good thing about the Philippines is we structured the economy as to change a lot. If you look at the position of the current account, [it is] so diverse it makes us less sensitive to any shock in a particular region of the world,” Balisacan said.

MONDAY: JANUARY 18, 2016

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Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

39.95 4.3 0.75 1.2 10 38.65 100.00 15.14 35 17.62 42 2.18 2.13 11.8 7.250 8.19 5.60 5.33 1.6 19.38 56.7 11.80 14.28 5.2 2.150 202.40 8.5 27.45 1.73 3.09 38.95 24.85 15.1 5.8 315.00 3.90 3.15 5.73 3 11.50 3.65 1.37 2.19 3.82 5.9 120 4.15 2.57 0.137 1.02 2.05 187 4.55 0.58 23.00 1.00

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

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. IPM Holdings JG Summit Holdings Keppel Holdings `A’ LT Group Keppel Holdings `B’ Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

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

0.310 56.5000 14.62 1.07 6.12 0.200 670 7.42 12.12 5.2 5.42 4.42 0.193 1300 5.78 9.88 63.80 4.5 4.99 5.58 0.55 14.1 0.48 5.1 0.0290 1.000 1.730 2.56 60.00 2.38 809.00 0.99 0.70 150.00 65.900 0.2450 0.1690 0.230

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

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Cebu Prop. `A’ Centennial City City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’

6.800 7.38 0.62 1.070 0.200 30.750 2.3 5 5 0.47 0.90 0.96 0.102 0.390 21.2 0.740 0.137 0.94 1.54 1.15

Value

FINANCIAL 725,820.00 4,474,245.00 1,076,454,123 1,479,218,309.50 18,104,205.00 489,600.00 254,650.00 595,280.00 7,875,205.00 434,312 630,000 18,020.00 315,500.00 480,350.00 1,172,715,332.50 1,863,630.00 58,816,424.00 21,641,400.00 28,759,496.00 352,236.50 4,400.00 5,060,296.00 21,057,345 998,669,637.00 342,560.00 12,419,242.00 801,290.00 INDUSTRIAL 7,496,200 300,227,935.00 3,018,000 12,479,170.00 98,000 72,600.00 9,102,000 11,294,340.00 10,600 105,022.00 800 30,910.00 1,200 119,500.00 9,945,000 148,424,692 100 3,500.00 1,724,100 30,534,952.00 523,000 21,924,350 8,118,000 17,782,310.00 31,071,000 60,901,280.00 468,500 5,419,728.00 59,376,700 435,257,779.00 5,548,800 46,591,913.00 51,915,600 291,728,348.00 11,419,400 60,864,146.00 72,000 116,080.00 15,115,600 304,383,945.00 2,355,790 140,860,055.00 9,200 106,938.00 333,600 4,554,430.00 2,647,800 14,295,018.00 12,790,000 28,096,130.00 2,982,540 598,618,489.00 396,900 3,642,064.00 2,700 73,665.00 25,000 43,630.00 27,000 75,190.00 18,500 679,355.00 7,333,600 177,772,205.00 1,731,500 28,708,944.00 3,497,300 19,315,332.00 926,770 285,293,850.00 22,000 85,900.00 8,348,000 26,724,570.00 14,821,600 87,102,645.00 8,000 23,970.00 144,700 1,624,444.00 1,247,000 4,617,470.00 1,859,000 2,589,610.00 711,000 1,556,310.00 16,910,000 65,038,090.00 23,000 112,900.00 147,230 17,648,328.00 1,000 4,150.00 4,885,000 12,181,000.00 8,340,000 1,133,330.00 145,000 136,510.00 6,178,000 12,431,670.00 10,080,070 1,829,483,121.00 1,190,000 5,402,320.00 768,000 435,060.00 11,400 260,750.00 1,568,000 1,574,680.00 HOLDING FIRMS 11,560,000 3,567,950.00 7,572,910 421,780,789.50 22,892,100 338,915,172.00 24,000 23,680.00 795,200 4,917,315.00 1,710,000 349,180.00 1,631,300 1,097,327,555.00 22,182,100 167,508,791.00 20,484,300 244,745,360.00 278,500 1,527,602.00 1,000 5,420.00 1,229,000 5,173,230.00 560,000 110,890.00 702,750 916,875,485.00 430,700 2,431,075.00 7,967,800 78,124,912.00 9,235,170 599,987,726.00 2,000 8,510.00 5,000 24,950.00 8,499,700 48,262,723.00 1,829,000 1,064,920.00 8,725,900 121,717,586.00 40,000 19,000.00 102,288,000 527,908,031.00 223,800,000 6,423,200.00 123,000 126,270.00 4,378,000 7,475,540.00 46,000 121,510.00 4,185,380 237,776,230.50 32,000 76,160.00 936,780 740,923,840.00 2,101,000 2,179,300.00 233,000 163,100.00 20 3,000.00 143,800 9,115,380.50 3,610,000 912,650.00 4,390,000 799,960.00 740,000 172,100.00 PROPERTY 391,700 2,647,239.00 14,100 94,985.00 3,804,000 2,350,750.00 122,000 131,860.00 2,340,000 465,700.00 82,092,100 2,499,770,640.00 21,587,000 51,882,300.00 70,000 334,835.00 1,000 5,000.00 13,756,000 6,566,850.00 120,000 108,640.00 4,010,000 3,849,600.00 19,960,000 2,137,040.00 1,500,000 593,750.00 8,665,800 182,937,381.00 2,177,000 1,487,030.00 870,000 121,900.00 13,233,000 12,252,160.00 106,677,000 168,349,360.00 347,000 382,590.00 332,000 98,100 11,090,720 17,675,100 509,500 202,000 221,000 41,700 457,700 64,500 1,000,000 10,000 510 1,140,000 16,460,830 2,044,000 3,727,400 983,700 575,010 3,660 40 18,700 656,600 7,107,535 260 218,920 516,000

JANUARY 4-8, 2016 Close Volume Value 2.5 45 99.50 82.00 37 2.45 1.18 14.4 18.3 6.82 0.63 1.63 655.00 0.460 74.4 0.93 16.50 22.00 51.00 99

992,000 94,100 7,529,620 10,932,630 175,400 36,000 817,000 79,900 258,200 3,400 30,000 47,000 950 426,000 11,859,900 557,000 103,200 1,300 276,440 1,190

2,638,360.00 4,309,225.00 769,350,801 897,033,618.50 6,505,065.00 88,200.00 1,033,210.00 1,176,000.00 4,683,720.00 23,402 20,760 80,530.00 632,065.00 205,400.00 917,765,114.50 518,510.00 1,697,622.00 28,850.00 14,222,309.50 117,335.00

278.8 32.8 136 1340.00 57.00 1.7

2,960 173,800 2,334,410 395 14,030 821,000

815,810.00 5,687,005 329,478,351.00 552,800.00 798,882.00 1,981,740.00

40.9 4.4 0.7 1.35 10.18

6,282,700 6,501,100 121,000 1,350,000 16,500

261,453,400.00 30,751,981.00 82,680.00 1,833,290.00 170,122.00

99.00 16 34 18.7 42.1 2.2 2 11.62 8.000 8.90 5.70 5.41 1.66 21.1 63 11.96 13.82 5.5 2.310 205.00 11.64 25.80 1.75 3.01 40.00 24.9 17.5 5.69 310.00 4.00 3.4 6.46 3.5 11.26 3.80 1.50 2.22 3.88 4.4 117 4.17 2.59 0.137 0.96 2.06 180.3 4.55 0.56 22.50 1.06

3,990 3,450,700 1,100 3,676,300 193,200 8,511,000 27,736,000 639,900 24,225,100 2,338,300 42,179,200 2,475,200 45,000 7,495,100 1,991,610 10,900 293,400 2,312,700 20,554,000 3,556,560 237,300 2,400 321,000 14,000 1,200 6,400,700 2,007,200 1,438,500 732,860 49,000 19,175,000 8,820,300 1,000 91,800 541,000 1,450,000 1,181,000 8,353,000 145,000 261,390 41,000 10,537,000 20,880,000 150,000 15,502,000 7,733,720 124,000 1,849,000 10,100 2,289,000

397,571.50 55,662,102 34,070.00 68,978,054.00 8,250,435 18,754,290.00 51,012,350.00 7,958,150.00 203,668,085.00 20,678,617.00 249,089,415.00 13,178,322.00 74,700.00 163,384,315.00 127,485,922.00 130,468.00 4,164,704.00 12,783,781.00 48,559,350.00 745,050,463.00 2,814,288.00 63,405.00 565,690.00 42,790.00 47,400.00 159,248,540.00 37,457,146.00 8,121,066.00 229,351,086.00 195,850.00 69,026,460.00 59,183,886.00 3,500.00 1,056,988.00 2,044,390.00 2,341,670.00 2,710,010.00 32,791,760.00 635,080.00 31,078,728.00 171,270.00 27,634,360.00 2,967,180.00 145,850.00 32,906,830.00 1,426,051,203.00 564,600.00 1,096,010.00 227,250.00 2,358,270.00

0.360 56.3000 15.20 1.11 6.30 0.210 700 7.9 12.58 5.6

5,630,000 6,016,640 26,732,300 2,000 98,800 2,190,000 1,330,350 15,738,100 19,453,200 110,100

2,067,850.00 344,025,210.50 424,806,378.00 2,230.00 622,440.00 463,950.00 964,273,570.00 127,852,416.00 256,037,526.00 629,115.00

4.25 0.200 1340 5.44 9.89 67.10

527,000 1,120,000 781,155 212,200 4,903,800 7,976,380

2,286,250.00 227,500.00 1,050,314,165.00 1,163,925.00 48,382,646.00 548,151,320.50

6.09 0.69 14.6 0.49 5.19 0.0290 1.100 1.780 2.53 52.00 2.38 808.00 1.12 0.70

1,181,300 566,000 9,237,700 20,000 110,308,000 226,100,000 222,000 6,329,000 4,000 2,049,930 129,000 741,190 143,000 72,000

7,510,272.00 387,600.00 136,900,430.00 9,800.00 579,778,724.00 6,762,900.00 249,020.00 11,232,840.00 10,120.00 105,037,206.00 307,440.00 617,092,255.00 162,620.00 50,400.00

63.700 0.2700 0.1900 0.231

91,660 10,780,000 1,170,000 480,000

5,961,137.00 3,089,400.00 235,150.00 112,600.00

7.000 7.30 0.69 1.090 0.210 31.750 2.7 5

482,900 2,300 3,074,000 63,000 2,010,000 68,665,500 9,424,000 67,800

3,360,858.00 15,177.00 2,169,240.00 68,890.00 442,410.00 2,243,079,445.00 25,918,120.00 336,932.00

0.52 0.91 0.96 0.117 0.420 22.7 0.770 0.141 0.99 1.67 1.16

10,015,000 6,000 136,000 9,160,000 2,940,000 3,956,500 242,000 1,220,000 15,229,000 116,338,000 125,000

5,378,380.00 5,460.00 134,560.00 1,058,950.00 1,274,150.00 93,039,005.00 180,570.00 175,290.00 15,424,930.00 200,763,250.00 141,010.00

STOCKS

JANUARY 11-15, 2016 Close Volume

Megaworld Prop.

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

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

3.65 0.070 0.2000 0.295 8.45 25.00 1.4 2.92 19.90 0.77 4.21 0.780 4.160

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel 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.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

6.35 58 1.13 0.400 10.9 27 3.08 0.0370 3.05 78.4 9.48 1.48 5.83 3.20 955 1695 6.50 21.00 1.13 59 11.12 0.0081 0.123 1.2900 1.88 6.80 4.40 1.05 2.28 0.480 1.95 1.33 3.52 0.255 0.640 17.5 4.30 2.42 9.35 100.00 20.35 1904.00 0.410 0.465 31.95 64.00 4.75 2.56 0.395 1.51 3.65 0.320 3.350

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.0043 1.65 4.01 0.193 5.0000 5.3200 0.5 0.35 5.78 0.475 0.245 0.140 0.188 0.0099 0.012 1.5 4.15 2.2 0.5000 0.8900 0.0092 0.0093 3.25 4.00 1.19 0.0100 126.50 1.99 0.0080

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen F First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure & Resort Pref.

MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

54.1 519.5 530 108 113.9 536 6.3 1.07 110 1036 1066 1024 104.3 107 80.9 82 79 79 79.5

Leisure & Resort Warr.

1.410

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

2.81 2.51 2.6 12.92

First Metro ETF

105.3

JANUARY 4-8, 2016 Close Volume Value

Value

294,196,000 1,082,832,810.00 2,700,000 194,520.00 3,400,000 731,440.00 1,850,000 609,300.00 534,600 4,547,433.00 19,853,100 471,461,985.00 1,183,000 1,629,970.00 370,000 1,090,080.00 122,493,300 2,463,895,197.00 6,093,000 4,508,650.00 13,000 59,470.00 1,835,000 1,377,720.00 32,059,000 140,368,740.00 SERVICES 229,400 1,447,767.00 167,920 9,987,932.00 264,000 297,750.00 4,440,000 1,833,050.00 8,000 87,530.00 900 24,290 78,098,000 261,806,680.00 53,300,000 2,223,700.00 3,453,000 10,749,250.00 2,919,800 226,343,738.50 16,700 152,274.00 875,000 1,331,190 1,775,800 10,103,029.00 8,000 24,660.00 1,520 1,452,290.00 464,500 788,053,680 377,300 2,451,616.00 31,600 663,600 596,000 676,490.00 8,853,100 521,491,844.50 3,500 38,708.00 59,000,000 501,000.00 7,880,000 979,840.00 2,815,000 3,710,340.00 20,000 38,260.00 19,978,700 139,702,720.00 4,352,000 19,105,120.00 6,000 6,300.00 70,000 143,380.00 95,000 46,050.00 180,000 346,400.00 39,849,000 59,719,230.00 10,064,000 35,916,650.00 1,790,000 467,450.00 12,724,000 8,147,290.00 24,200 431,546.00 88,000 385,620 59,000 152,730.00 500,000 4,675,000.00 18,580 1,858,130.00 250,200 5,066,319.00 492,400 947,001,705.00 3,800,000 1,591,650.00 250,360,000 113,401,200.00 8,913,800 281,382,275.00 5,542,110 356,132,707.50 7,764,300 37,261,167.00 56,943,000 143,382,690.00 11,800,000 4,668,450.00 40,000 60,400.00 2,561,000 9,349,170.00 730,000 230,600.00 239,000 824,490.00 MINING & OIL 5,390,000,000 23,587,000.00 104,000 186,590.00 795,000 3,143,710.00 140,000 27,470.00 400 2,000.00 1,000 5,330.00 2,733,000 1,430,980.00 14,050,000 5,502,525.00 754,700 4,287,596.00 17,792,000 8,639,770.00 2,250,000 411,050.00 34,970,000 5,349,250.00 3,800,000 680,170.00 357,300,000 3,563,990.00 324,400,000 3,366,700.00 2,318,000 3,613,920.00 15,430,000 67,912,910.00 458,000 1,037,290.00 400,000 204,570.00 4,764,000 4,752,120.00 9,000,000 83,000.00 5,000,000 45,300.00 38,000 119,820.00 2,435,000 10,141,380.00 1,597,000 1,936,790.00 493,000,000 4,935,400.00 1,415,790 180,587,253.00 460,000 902,630.00 20,000,000 141,000.00 PREFERRED 481,010 27,461,164.50 100,440 52,216,235.00 20,240 10,614,500 10,820 1,119,834.00 522,820 58,017,765.00 4,370 2,332,760.00 1,450,000 9,335,266.00 796,000 847,250 158,850 17,323,120.00 120 124,270.00 2,310 2,464,910.00 260 266,115.00 37,810 3,932,120.00 29,870 3,189,896.00 25,380 2,051,462.00 307,000 25,431,361.00 30,850 2,425,320.00 103,800 8,196,226.00 588,220 46,778,695.50 WARRANTS & BONDS 901,000 1,419,260.00 SME 426,000 1,308,280.00 13,000 32,850.00 1,225,000 3,209,550.00 6,416,100 86,252,454.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 156,050 16,261,374.00

3.88 0.073 0.2400 0.385 8.55 25.00 1.35 3.18 20.60 0.76 4.7 0.830 4.930

178,390,000 3,480,000 20,000 750,000 700,200 11,366,100 245,000 11,300 55,780,800 7,494,000 61,320 1,283,000 25,540,300

719,057,570.00 256,430.00 4,860.00 298,000.00 5,986,557.00 297,904,070.00 335,980.00 44,770.00 1,174,816,825.00 5,876,240.00 256,798.00 1,062,130.00 126,691,064.00

6.55 61.1 1.12 0.440 11.7 27 3.67 0.0380 3.14 79.75 9.64 1.75 5.56

299,100 70,300 152,000 3,130,000 2,000 1,500 47,847,000 56,500,000 1,399,000 2,078,620 36,100 42,000 3,638,400

2,035,764.00 4,347,402.50 174,730.00 1,408,200.00 23,400.00 32,300 188,843,240.00 2,234,400.00 4,411,230.00 168,449,492.50 351,788.00 77,410 19,459,517.00

955 1758 6.60 21.45 1.17 63.7 11.12 0.0093 0.136 1.3800 2 7.10 4.41 1.08 2.32 0.500 1.98 1.69 3.78 0.260 0.680 18 4.35 3

2,220 429,300 384,600 600 276,000 2,939,670 4,400 622,500,000 8,530,000 1,355,000 60,000 35,467,600 27,164,000 10,000 8,000 235,000 614,000 69,469,000 11,734,000 6,890,000 25,041,000 39,400 74,000 51,000

2,122,810.00 768,553,940 2,578,573.00 12,140 324,180.00 194,603,261.50 48,928.00 6,307,700.00 1,223,680.00 1,884,140.00 120,700.00 249,227,250.00 131,061,780.00 10,800.00 17,570.00 129,800.00 1,198,810.00 135,002,590.00 44,901,290.00 1,999,800.00 17,995,830.00 705,744.00 329,750 154,650.00

100.00 21.00 1958.00 0.470 0.470 33.00 65.00 5.20 2.90 0.410 1.51 3.79 0.320 3.380

600,560 7,195,200 528,770 2,210,000 341,818,000 5,704,700 5,348,930 14,198,100 25,684,000 34,980,000 4,000 5,129,000 430,000 532,000

60,056,720.00 144,019,220.00 1,054,669,725.00 1,014,000.00 180,599,430.00 191,224,470.00 352,220,597.00 78,831,342.00 81,045,540.00 13,955,200.00 6,040.00 20,146,340.00 141,000.00 2,053,870.00

0.0049 1.84 4.00 0.195 5.4800 5.6000 0.58 0.55 6.21 0.51 0.270 0.167 0.202 0.0100 0.011 1.62 4.86 2.43 0.5400 1.1500 0.0094 0.0098 3.38 4.45 1.26 0.0110 130.90 2.1 0.0070

476,000,000 473,000 259,000 3,010,000 3,400 11,000 1,322,000 768,000 115,800 32,242,000 3,760,000 25,670,000 2,060,000 492,000,000 51,700,000 4,126,000 24,366,500 383,000 14,000 2,046,000 159,600,000 100,000 154,000 1,416,000 1,647,000 115,800,000 1,382,090 137,000 1,000,000

2,303,700.00 868,160.00 1,041,730.00 601,700.00 18,632.00 60,820.00 778,310.00 412,950.00 772,945.00 18,830,700.00 996,250.00 4,351,000.00 400,970.00 4,921,500.00 563,200.00 7,325,590.00 130,119,420.00 984,280.00 7,550.00 2,504,820.00 1,500,240.00 980.00 526,160.00 6,216,380.00 2,129,980.00 1,283,300.00 184,009,901.00 286,310.00 7,000.00

62 525 530 103.4 110.5 526 6.5 1.07 107 1030 1077

187,960 44,040 6,040 10,030 5,740 5,470 10,000 456,000 100 575 130

11,770,227.50 23,090,500.00 3,054,200 1,037,600.00 638,091.00 2,882,860.00 65,611.00 505,920 10,700.00 596,850.00 139,990.00

104 106 81 82.5 79 79 79.8

41,310 57,060 8,410 158,390 4,720 59,010 264,520

4,292,400.00 6,073,318.00 678,439.00 13,131,032.50 368,180.00 4,640,329.00 21,118,788.00

1.920

1,090,000

2,226,760.00

3.1 2.57 2.79 14.64

339,000 16,000 1,849,000 4,304,300

1,043,400.00 41,120.00 5,383,060.00 64,522,096.00

108

66,050

7,242,987.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining Philodrill Corp. `A’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Megaworld Prop.

Premium Leisure Pacifica `A’ SM Prime Holdings Filinvest Land,Inc. Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

VOLUME 5,390,000,000 493,000,000 357,300,000 324,400,000 294,196,000 250,360,000 223,800,000 122,493,300 106,677,000 102,288,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ SM Prime Holdings Universal Robina Bank of PI Metrobank Ayala Corp `A’ Megaworld Prop.

Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Security Bank PLDT Common

VALUE 2,499,770,640.00 2,463,895,197.00 1,829,483,121.00 1,479,218,309.50 1,172,715,332.50 1,097,327,555.00 1,082,832,810.00 1,076,454,123.00 998,669,637.00 947,001,705.00

MONDAY: JANUARY 18, 2016

B3

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

Market index seen trading below 6,500

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Community malls. Vista Land & Lifescapes chairman Manuel Villar welcomes the tenants and investors of Vista Malls at a pre-Christmas investors’ night at the Laurel House in Vista Shaw, Mandaluyong City to tell them about what is in store for Vista Land’s commercial projects in 2016. Six community Vista Malls are already up, including the flagship Vista Mall at Evia in the heart of Vista City in Daang Hari, the yuppieoriented Vista Mall at Trevi Residences in Pasong Tamo, Makati City; the scenic Vista Mall Lakefront in Sucat; Vista Mall Pampanga; Vista Mall Antipolo; and Vista Mall CDO.

Ayala infra unit seeking partners

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE infrastructure arm of conglomerate Ayala Corp. is looking at potential partners in Europe and Asia to participate in the public-private partnership projects.

“We will continue to look at PPP on a selective basis. You’ve already seen us not participating in several PPP projects,” AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. president and chief executive Eric Francia said.

Francia said the company was looking at the P171-billion North-South Railway Project (South Line), P65-billion Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 6 and P74.56-billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport Development Project.

“Those are what we are looking at and study and depends on what the priority of the next administration,” he said.

Francia, when asked about potential partners, said “ Europeans and Asians are very active.”

AC Infrastructure allocated $200 million to $250 million for PPP projects five years ago.

AC Infrastructure won the bidding for the P2.01-billion Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway Link Project, the P65-billion LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension and P1.72-billion Automatic Fare Collection System in partnership with Met-

ro Pacific Investments Corp.

Francia said the Light Rail Manila Corp. would spend $150 million to $200 million, or P10 billion, to rehabilitate and upgrade the rolling stocks, railway stocks, train stations and signaling system of LRT Line 1.

LRMC took over the operation and maintain of LRT Line 1 on Sept. 12, 2015. It currently accommodates a daily average of 400,000 commuters from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt in Quezon City.

Francia said the consortium expected to sign the financing package for the P65-billion LRT Line 1 Cavite extension project and upgrade of the existing LRT Line 1 system in the first quarter of the year.

The project cost is over P40 billion, which would include the rehabilitation of the LRT Line 1and the extension of the system to Cavite.

LRMC is responsible for the construction of the 11.7-kilometer extension from the present end point in Baclaran to the Niog area in Bacoor, Cavite.

The extended rail line is expected to help increase the capacity of LRT 1 from 500,000 to 800,000 passengers daily and benefit more than four million residents in the southern part of Metro Manila and Cavite.

LRMC won the P65-billion LRT Line 1 extension project, with a premium bid of P9.35 billion in September 2014.

Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp. controls 55 percent of the consortium while AC Infrastructure has 35 percent. Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd. owns 10 percent.

SHARE prices are expected to move sideways this week, as investors remain cautious about developments overseas.

“Given the continued riskoff sentiments towards emerging markets, we expect cautious trading in global equities for [this] week as investors await global developments,” fund manager BPI Asset Management said in a weekly outlook.

BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravales said he expected the stock market to trade between 6,000 and 6,500 points in the near term due to external pressures.

“A break below the 6,400 [point level] could call for further losses to as low as 6,000,” Ravelas said.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, fell 1.9 percent over last week’s five-day market trading to close at 6,449.50 on Jan. 15, while the broader all-share index lost 2.4 percent to 3,698.

The benchmark index dropped to a two-year low of 6,288.26 points on Jan. 11, on continued concerns in China and further weakness in crude oil prices. The market recovered in the latter part of the week on bargain hunting.

All major sub-indices ended

in the red, led by mining and oil (-6.7 percent), property (-4.21 percent), services (-4.06 percent), holding firms (-2.06 percent), industrial (-1.15 percent) and financial (0.53 percent).

Foreign investors were net sellers last week by P1.24 billion, as total foreign selling reached P16.32 billion while foreign buying amounted to P15.08 billion.

Top gainers last week were sugar producer Roxas Holdings Inc., which surged 34 percent to P5.90 and conglomerate San Miguel Corp., which climbed 13.4 percent to P60.

San Miguel said last week it would join the bidding for the foreign beer brands Peroni and Grolsch owned by SABMiller Plc. of the United Kingdom.

The conglomerate also said it would raise as much as P80 billion in fresh funds from the issuance of preferred shares.

Heavy price losers last week were Coal Asia Holdings Inc., which dropped 37.2 percent to P0.345 and LBC Express Holdings Inc, which shed 27 percent to P8.50.

The Makati regional trial court started to garnish some of the bank accounts, properties and assets of LBC Express in relation to the P1.8-billion collection claim filed by staterun Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp.

Republic of the Philippines Depar tment of Environment and Natural Resources COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICE

Office of the CENR Officer Masinloc, Zambales

N OTIC E O F B ID D IN G (L e a se o f Fo re s h o re /O f f s h o re L a n d) N o t i c e i s h e r e by g i ve n t h a t t h e D E N R - C E N R O a t M a s i n l o c , Z a m b a l e s w i l l a c c e p t o r a l o r w r i t t e n b i d s n o t l a t e r t h a n (10 : 0 0) o 'c l o c k A . M . o n M a r c h 0 9 , 2 016 f o r t h e l e a s e o f t h e t r a c t o f l a n d h e r e i n b e l o w d e s c r i b e d: Location

:

Binabalian, Candelaria, Zambales

Description

:

B o u n d e d o n t h e N o r t h by S o u t h C h i n a S e a & u n o c c u p i e d Fo r e s h o r e L a n d; S o u t h by S o u t h C h i n a S e a & u n o c c u p i e d Fo r e s h o r e l a n d; We s t

by S o u t h C h i n a S e a; E a s t by S a l v a g e Z o n e

Boundaries

:

P o r t i o n o f L a n d: L i n e 1- 2: S . 2 2 ° 3 6 ' E ., 87. 5 3 m .; L i n e 2- 3: S .

8 9 °19 ' W., 2 51. 07 m .; L i n e 3 - 4 N . 01° 41' E . 91. 2 8 m .; a n d L i n e 4 -1 S .

8 8 ° 01' E . 214 . 8 5 m .

Area

:

20,000 square meters

Appraised

:

Land

: P10 ,70 0 , 0 0 0 . 0 0

Va l u e o f

:

Proposed/Existing I m p r o ve m e n t s

: P39,80 0,0 0 0.0 0

A p p l i e d f o r by

:

B E N G U E TC O R P N I C K E L M I N ES , I N C R e p r e s e n t e d by : M r. L e o p o l d o S . S i s o n I I I P r e s i d e n t & C EO

A p p r ove d A n n u a l R e n t a l - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - P 719 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 The right to lease the land will be awarded to the person of fering the highest annual rental, which shall not be less than three percent p e r c e n t u m (3%) o f t h e v a l u e o f t h e l a n d p l u s o n e p e r c e n t u m (1%) o f t h e v a l u e o f t h e p r o p o s e d a n d /o r ex i s t i n g i m p r ove m e n t s . I n o r d e r t h a t a p e r s o n m ay b e e n t i t l e d t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e b i d d i n g h e m u s t b e a qualified public land applicant, and must, before the commencement o f t h e s a m e , m a ke a d e p o s i t e q u i v a l e n t t o a t l e a s t t h r e e (3) m o n t h s’ r e n t a l . O n l y d e p o s i t i n c a s h , m o n ey o r d e r, t r e a s u r y w a r r a n t , c e r t i f i e d check or manager 's check can be accepted. A person bidding in r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f a n o t h e r m ay d o s o u n d e r a d u l y exe c u t e d p o w e r o f a t t o r n ey. D u r i n g t h e b i d d i n g , t h e b i d d e r h a s t o m a ke a n a d d i t i o n a l d e p o s i t eve r y t i m e h i s b i d i s r a i s e d , t o c o m p l e t e t h e t h r e e (3) m o n t h s ' rental, other wise, such bid as raised shall not be accepted. The right i s r e s e r ve d t o r e j e c t a ny o r a l l b i d s .

R AY M O N D A . R I V E R A CENR Of ficer ( T S - J A N . 18 / 2 5 / F E B . 1/ 8 /15 / 2 2 , 2 016)

B4 Big taxes blamed for high power rates in PH

By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER rates in the Philippines have remain high compared with those of other countries due to “lack of government subsidy and a fully priced and heavily taxed power supply chain,” a senior official of Manila Electric Co. said.

Meralco senior vice president Lawrence Fernandez cited a previous report of the company’s consultant, who noted that the Philippines was dependent on the price of imported fuel.

He said approximately 80 percent of generation in Luzon was fueled with imported coal and oil at full international market prices and domestic gas pegged to world prices.

Fernandez said other countries provided fuel to their utilities at below market prices.

“Their government-owned power generation, transmission, and/or distribution companies are subsidized, absorb costs, and/or incur losses,” he said.

Fernandez said inadequate and unreliable capacity against demand had forced the use of expensive oil-fired power plants and created price spikes.

“Thus, new cost-competitive capacity, such as high efficiency coal-fired power plants must be built quickly,” he said.

Fernandez said the power sector was also heavily taxed across the entire chain.

He said the generation sector was imposed a VAT, royalty tax on indigenous fuels or duty tacked on imported fuels, real property tax and other taxes and fees.

The transmission sector is slapped with a three percent franchise tax in lieu of all other taxes, while the distribution sector is imposed a VAT, local franchise tax, real property tax, energy tax on residential, universal charge including feed-in tariff and other taxes and fees.

The official said VAT in the first half of 2015 accounted for P0.67 per kWh in the average customer bill of Meralco, the country’s biggest distributor with over five million customers in its franchise area.

Fernandez said universal charges such as environment charge, missionary electrification, stranded contract costs, among others, had been increasing.

Mangoes for Dubai. A trial shipment of carabao mangoes is flown to Dubai, United Arab Emirates under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture’s 12’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division. Rickson Olimpus (right) presents his products shipped to Dubai, UAE to Danilo Centillas (middle) and Andy Ango (left) of DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division. Soccsksargen regional executive director Amalia JayagDatukan said the shipment is the fruit of the region’s participation in a trade fair in Dubai, which opened opportunities for mango growers.

Govt failed to honor PPP deals–Maybank

By Julito G. Rada

TOLL road tariff increases and the reallocation of frequency for telecommunication companies are some of the issues that should be addressed immediately by the next administration, Maybank ATR Kim Eng said in its report over the weekend.

Maybank said these issues were not complex and could be acted upon immediately by the next president in order to deliver on the promise “to do better” than the Aquino administration.

“PPP [public-private partnership] projects, both prospective and those awarded, have been wrecked by controversy,” the bank said.

“Some of the more prominent examples are contractually agreed toll road rate hikes that have not been given when scheduled, wa-

ter concession agreements being reinterpreted, and government deliverables on a hospital construction project unduly delayed to the extent that the private-sector proponent returned the project to the government,” it said.

Maybank said the next administration might go for “quick wins.” It said these delays and controversies were some of the issues being raised by presidential candidates opposing the ruling Liberal Party.

“Of course, the promise is they

will do better. It is possible that to make a positive and quick impact, whoever is elected president will act on some of these issues immediately, especially those not complex, such as toll road tariff increases,” it said.

“Another could be the reallocation of frequency for telecoms companies, which will not only improve Internet speeds, but also raise potentially significant revenues for the government,” the bank said.

Maybank said public spending was less than the government’s target and infrastructure inadequacy had been a hot issue. It cited that road congestion had been causing motorists to be tied up for hours in traffic in the metropolis.

“There are many reasons why infrastructure improvement has lagged, but slow government spending is certainly one. The aim was to raise public infrastructure spending to 5 percent of GDP by

2016 from 1.8 percent in 2010, and to keep the overall budget deficit at 2 percent,” it said.

This has not been the case, the bank said. In 2014, infrastructure spending stood at only 2.2 percent of GDP and was 2.5 percent as of the first nine months of 2015. The 2-percent budget deficit target was met only in 2011.

“The Aquino government had an ambitious PPP program with a list of 54 projects when the program was announced in 2010. To date, 12 have been bid out as of end-2015, with only the first project awarded in 2011 completed in July 2015 (the four-km ManilaCavite Expressway.

Economists said the government’s anemic fiscal expenditure was the main reason for the economy’s sluggish performance in the first quarter of 2015. Firstquarter GDP grew 5 percent, slower than 5.6 percent in the same period a year ago.

Energy monitoring progress of new generation plants, repair works THE Energy Department is strictly monitoring power plants that are scheduled for completion this year and expected deliver nearly 2,500 megawatts of capacity across the entire power grid.

Energy Department director Irma Exconde said aside from power projects due for completion this year, the department was looking at existing power plants that would undergo maintenance, especially during the critical dry season.

“We are adjusting some of the forecast, especially the supply side, to make sure we have enough supply for election,” Exconde told reporters.

She said the department formed a task force to ensure enough supply for the May national elections.

Exconde said the department would also need to review its forecast on the impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon on hydro power plants, especially in

Mindanao.

She said the hydro-electric plants were scheduled to undergo maintenance works this year but assured supply would be manageable. She declined to disclose the plants undergoing maintenance work or repair.

Exconde said the department was keenly looking at the supply situation “in the second quarter... where the demand is high.”

Based on the latest Energy Department records, around 1,135

MW of committed supply is expected to come online in Luzon this year.

These include 300 MW from Southwest Luzon Power Corp., 135 MW from South Luzon Thermal EnergyCorp., 150 MW from SMC Consolidated Power Corp., 100 MW from First Gen Corp.’s Avion power plant and another 450 MW from First Gen’s San Gabriel power plant.

There are around 555 MW of committed power projects set

for completion in the Visayas this year. They include 150 MW from Panay Energy Development Corp., 270 MW from Palm Concepcion Power Corp. and the 135.5-MW solar power plant of Soleq.

Some 755 MW of capacity, meanwhile, is expected to come online in Mindanao this year, including 200 MW from Sarangani Energy Corp., 150 MW from San Miguel Corp. and 405 MW from Filinvest Development Corp.

M O N D AY : J A N U A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

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

B5

Stronger energy law pushed

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Energy Department renewed its call on Congress to declare critical energy projects of national significance in the wake of rightof-way issues hounding transmission lines in Mindanao.

Energy director Jesus Tamang told reporters the passage of such a law would be a boost to the country’s energy supply security efforts.

Tamang said the proposed law would benefit transmission and other energy projects and avoid land reclassification and zoning cases similar to what happened in the Pandacan depot.

Oil companies were forced to leave Pandacan last year after the Supreme Court upheld the City of Manila’s decision ordering the removal of the Pandacan depot on safety concerns.

“Under this proposed law, if an energy facility is cited as projects of national significance, it can no longer be removed,” the energy official said.

He said the issuance of an executive order to implement the policy was not enough.

“If it’s an EO, they will just issue a project certification. We have to show other government units [that] the law is above them,” Tamang said.

AC Energy Holdings chief executive officer John Eric Francia welcomed the passage of legislations that would ensure the construction of energy project and help resolve right-ofway issues.

“RoW is always an issue, not only transmission but also new and existing plants. We’ve got to revisit the policy to address these. Government [must] update the laws to make sure that

right-of-way acquisition is more expedient,” Francia said.

National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, meanwhile, said it completed the repair of tower 63 but but has not gained access to tower 25 bombed in December 25 last year.

National Grid completed the repair of bombed tower 63 along the Kabacan-Sultan Kudarat 138 kV line on Saturday. Lawless elements bombed the tower on January 14.

“Repair fortunately proceeded unhindered as NGCP encountered no resistance from landowners. Tower 25 in Ramain, Lanao del Norte, which was bombed last December 25. 2015, still remains unrepaired as NGCP

awaits resolution of the RoW issues between landowner Sambitori and government-owned National Transmission Corp.,” it said.

The landowner denied access, demanding demanded payment from TransCo for their decadesold claim.

National Grid is spending P8 billion in 2016 to improve, expand, rehabilitate and repair the nationwide transmission system and the power grid.

National Grid said the budget was needed to avoid disruption of operation and complay with its mandate under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 as the country’s transmission operator.

Govt sold P3.88t of debt notes last year BMW partners.

By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE government’s outstanding debt paper hit P3.88 trillion in 2015, up slightly fromP3.82 trillion recorded in 2014, Treasury data show.

Latest data showed that government debt sold to investors here and overseas in rose 1.67 percent at the end of December last year to P3.88 trillion from a year ago.

The bulk of the debt issuances in 2015 comprised of treasury bonds amounting to P3.62 trillion and treasury bills at P264.44 billion.

Treasury bonds maturing in the next three and five years amounted to P145.55 billion and P226.40 billion, respectively.

Longer tenor papers such as the seven- and 10- year debt facilities reached P469.13 billion and P379.12 billion, respectively.

Bonds with 20 years of maturity stood at P298.32 billion, while 25-year debt papers amounted to P235.98 billion.

The $5.582-million Philippine Par Bond redominated to a 28.5year debt facility worth P97.05 million was still outstanding in end 2015.

The outstanding long-tenor debt paper also comprised of 25year, P50 Billion CB-BoL Treasury bonds and on-shore dollar treasury bonds of P23.575 billion.

Benchmark bonds amounted to P1.031 trillion while retail treasury bonds reached P753.2 billion. Most bonds had tenors of more than 10 years.

The 182-day or six-month debt papers among the outstanding short-term IOUs, or treasury bills portfolio, had the biggest share with P93.069 billion, followed by the 364-day one-year papers with P90.838 billion and 91-day or three-month debt papers with P80.528 billion.

Yield in the treasury bill ranges from 1.49 percent to 2.55 percent a year.

Asian Carmakers Corp., the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, recognizes valued partners who delivered outstanding service throughout the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit 2015. BMW sponsored a fleet of over 200 vehicles to serve as VIP mobility shuttles for world leaders and dignitaries during the premier forum. ACC chairman emeritus and Palawan Gov. Jose Alvarez (second from right) gives a certificate of recognition to an after sales division official.

Remittances to grow 5% in 2016, says Barlcays

By Julito G. Rada MONEY sent home by migrant Filipino workers this year is seen to grow faster by 5 percent, from the projected 4-percent expansion in 2015, as inflows from key sources will remain robust, Barclays Plc said in a report over the weekend.

Barclays said the uncertainty around excessive currency weakness in key regions such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East had subsided, and growth in remittances from these two regions has been significant. Inflows from the United States and Europe continued to underperform.

“A stable Philippine peso and some degree of stabilization in regional currencies supported re-

mittances inflows... We continue to forecast 4-percent growth in remittances in 2015, and see remittances climbing 5 percent in 2016,” it said.

But Barclays said the remittance growth in November of 3.2 percent was below the consensus of a 3.5-percent gain. Barclays earlier projected the growth in November at 4.5 percent. “... We expect remittances to remain supported in December, as workers remit money to their families ahead of the festive season,” Barclays said.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in May 2015 projected remittances growth to be around 5 percent. But the target was revised downward to 4 percent last month, taking into consideration

global developments, especially geopolitical concerns and the recent US Federal Reserve interest rates hike.

Latest data showed that cash remittances coursed through banks from Filipino workers rose 3.2 percent in November, a recovery from the almost flat growth of 0.2 percent in October. Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, also increased to 3 percent from the 0.2-percent growth a month ago.

Remittances fuel private consumption and are one of the backbones of economic growth.

Cash remittances in 2014 posted a record-high $24.308 billion, 5.8-percent higher than $22.968 billion in 2013. They also accounted for 8.5 percent of the

gross domestic product in 2014.

Meanwhile, Barclays expects Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to maintain its policy stance for the whole year as economic growth is expected to be slower in 2016.

“We continue to expect BSP’s next policy move to be a hike, but with 2016 growth now likely to be slower than we previously forecast [Barclays 2015: 5.5 percent; 2016: 5.5 percent], we recently delayed our forecast timing of the first hike to the second quarter of 2017 [from third quarter of 2016],” it said.

Barclays said Bangko Sentral was likely to raise rates when growth recovered sufficiently and inflation was high enough to justify an increase in interest rates.

MONDAY: JANUARY 18, 2016

B6 Taiwan company to invest in Subic

By Othel V. Campos TAIWAN International Ports Corp. has expressed interest to invest in Subic Bay Freeport and transform it into a major port destination in Asia.

TIPC chairman Chih-Ching Chang said in a meeting with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Roberto Garcia that Taiwanese investors were now looking at Subic because of its location and facilities.

“Subic is the finest commercial and tourism destination that we have seen, and the future cargo shipping destination,” Chang said.

Chang said with the ports in Taiwan nearing full capacity, many shippers in the island-state planned to invest overseas. He said among the preferred locations for them is Subic, specifically the Taiwanese-managed Subic Bay Gateway Park.

“Subic must prepare for the future as more cargoes are expected to come here from Taiwan because the port in Taiwan is already full. They are coming to Subic and we [TIPC] can help make that happen,” Chang said.

Chang led an 18-man delegation from TIPC for an ocular inspection of the Subic Port. Other members of the delegation are Kuo-Ying Huang, TIPC executive vice-president and chief executive of the Kaohsiung Port; Min-Chuan Yen, director of Kaohsiung District Economic Development Association; and Carol Peng, president of the United Development Corp.

Chang said TIPC would host a meeting with shipping companies and port users in Taiwan. He said TIPC would convince them to send bulk or containerized cargoes to Subic.

Garcia said more Taiwanese companies and other foreign investors had expressed desire to locate in Subic. He said he proposed to develop idle lands between Subic and the nearby Clark Freeport and convert these for industrial use.

“Subic has no more space to offer and there, along the SubicClark-Tarlac Expressway, we can still develop at least 1,000 hectares for industrial parks that can be offered to investors,” Garcia said.

BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

BIR target set at P2t

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE government set a 2016 collection goal of P2 trillion for the Bureau of Internal Revenue, representing a 21-percent increase over the 2015 target.

The BIR issued revenue memorandum order no. 2016-02 on Jan. 6, explaining this year’s revenue collection target was set at P2.025 trillion, breaching the P2-trillion mark for the first time on record.

“This is higher than the P1.674-trillion CY [calendar year] 2015 goal by P0.351 trillion or 21.01 percent,” the BIR said in the memorandum order.

It said of the total target collec-

tion, P1.243 trillion was expected to come from income taxes; P405.11 billion from value-added taxes; P170.72 billion from excise taxes; P82.90 billion from percentage taxes; and P123.54 billion from other taxes.

Data showed that the 2016 tax collection target would cover 67 percent of the P3.002 trillion national budget. Other budget sources are import duty collections by the Bureau of Customs,

income of the Treasury, fees collected by government agencies and local and foreign financing.

The government said it expected the BIR to collect P425.753 billion in the first quarter of 2016, led by higher income taxes.

Income tax collections are expected to climb to P243.71 billion in the January-March period from P163.32 billion in the same period in 2015.

VAT collections are also expected to rise 10.3 percent in the first quarter to P91.71 billion from P83.142 billion in the first quarter of 2015 while percentage taxes are projected to rise 4.7 percent to P19.93 trillion.

The BIR is the largest revenue

collection agency of the government, followed by the Bureau of Customs and Treasury.

Latest data available showed the BIR missed its collection target last year. BIR collections grew 9 percent in the first 11 months of 2015 to P1.33 trillion from P1.22 trillion in the same period in 2014, but fell 14 percent short of the target collection for the period.

Customs collections dropped P2.3 billion, or 0.6 percent in 2015 to P366.9 billion from P369.11 billion in 2014, on lower oil prices.

The 2015 customs collections were also P69.6 billion, or 15.9 percent, below the government’s target of P436.5 billion.

MILF farmers. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala (second from right) leads the service presentation ceremony of the farmers’ assistance program at the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute in Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. The Agriculture Department turns over P26.2 million worth of agricultural equipment and materials to the farmers of six previously acknowledged Moro Islamic Liberation Front camps in Maguindanao and Lanao provinces. With Alcala are (from left)) former Agriculture Secretary and government peace panel member Senen Bacani, MILF camps coordinator Mohamad Saleh, Castro Amran and Col. Felicisimo Budiongan of Camp Badre.

ERC sees 671 groups switching to retail electricity suppliers

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Regulatory Commission said it expects 671 customers in Luzon and the Visayas with a power demand of at least one megawatt to switch to retail electricity suppliers under the retail competition and open access regime by June.

ERC director for market operations services Debora Laguyan said these customers included 542 power users in Luzon with a com-

bined demand of 1,543.82 MW and 129 customers in the Visayas with total demand of 380.99 MW. These customers are still being served by distribution utilities.

“We expect these customers to shift to the retail electricity suppliers,” Laguyan said.

She said under the open access regime, the contestable customers would be allowed to switch suppliers on a monthly basis.

Manila Electric Co.’s retail electricity supplier MPower captured

18 percent of the demand of all contestable customers to date, followed by Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. with 9 percent; Aboitiz Energy Solutions, 4 percent; AdventEnergy Inc., 3 percent; DirectPower Services Inc., 3 percent; Team (Philippines) Energy Corp., 3 percent; Ecozone Power Management Inc., 2 percent; and others, 4 percent.

Around 54 percent of contestable customers or those with a monthly demand of 1 MW have

yet to switch to retail electricity suppliers.

ERC targets the remaining contestable customers to switch by June, which would also mark the start of the voluntary implementation of the 750-kilowatt threshold for open access.

The regulator set the mandatory compliance to the 750-kW threshold to Dec. 26, 2016 and the 500-kW threshold to June 26, 2018.

Laguyan said the timeline was a

moving target.

Retail competition and open access allow large power users to choose their own power suppliers with the aim of bringing in competition in order to bring down power costs.

The Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 mandates that the threshold for open access can be lowered to 750 kW from 1 MW two years upon implementation.

Open access was implemented in December 2013.

M O N D AY : J A N U A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Terrorism to hog Davos meeting PARIS—Europe’s migrant crisis and devastating terror attacks will combine with the plunging oil price and China’s economic slowdown to give the elite of the political and business worlds plenty to talk about when they gather in Davos from Tuesday.

Over 40 heads of state and government will join chief executives, NGO leaders and Hollywood stars as they converge on a Swiss ski resort— transformed into a highly secure fortress for the occasion—for their annual attempt to try to plot a way through the world’s complexities.

Vice President Joe Biden leads a heavyweight US delegation that also includes Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

They will rub shoulders with far-left Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who will lock horns once again with German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble in what promises to be an animated debate.

Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri makes his first appearance at Davos since his election in November and will lay out his case for economic reform in a country with a turbulent recent past.

A f g h a n i s t a n’s President Ashraf Ghani will seek understanding for his country’s ongoing unrest and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will face questions about his handling of the Boko Haram insurgency in Africa’s most populous country.

Pressing the flesh with the invitees will be Oscar contender Leonardo DiCaprio, a long-time environmental campaigner, who will no doubt take the opportunity to remind the world leaders present to keep the commitments on climate warming they agreed in Paris in December.

With migrants apparently undeterred by the winter cold in their bid to reach Europe as they flee war in Syria and other countries, their plight is featured heavily in the meeting.

The deaths of dozens of people in an attack on a hotel in Burkina Faso on Friday was a reminder of the fear sown around the world in the past 12 months, and the conference organized by the World Economic Forum (WEF) is sure to mull over the economic and social effect of such outrages. AFP

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Tehran comes in from the cold VIENNA—Iran took a huge step to ending its international isolation Saturday as the sanctions on the Islamic republic were lifted following the entry into force of last July’s momentous nuclear deal with the major powers.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, whose 2013 election helped launch the Herculean diplomatic effort towards the July 14 Vienna deal, said it was a “glorious victory” for the “patient nation of Iran”, adding on Sunday that it heralded a “new chapter” in Tehran’s relations with the world.

“Implementation Day” for the accord came after the International Atomic Energy Agency said its “inspectors on the ground verified that Iran has carried out all measures” agreed under the agreement.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, representing the six world powers, said that, as a result, “multilateral and national economic and financial sanctions related to Iran’s

nuclear program are lifted”.

These will include the sanctions on Iran’s lifeblood oil exports and open up the 80-million-strong country to business. Rouhani has predicted a “year of prosperity” for his country.

“This achievement clearly demonstrates that with political will, perseverance, and through multilateral diplomacy, we can solve the most difficult issues,” Mogherini said in Vienna in a joint statement with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The announcement also followed news of a prisoner swap between Iran and the United States in another sign of thawing relations between the two foes since the agreement was struck.

The steps taken by Iran, combined with ultra-close IAEA inspections, extend to at least a year—from a few months previously—how long Iran would need to make one nuclear bomb’s worth of fissile material.

They include slashing by two-thirds its uranium centrifuges, reducing its

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

NATIONAL TOBACCO ADMINISTRATION Scout Reyes Street, corner Panay Avenue, Quezon City Tel No. (02) 374-3987 Fax. No. (02) 374-2505

stockpile of uranium—enough before the deal for several bombs—and removing the core of the Arak reactor which could have given Iran weapons-grade plutonium.

Iran has always denied wanting nuclear weapons, saying its activities are exclusively for peaceful purposes such as power generation.

“Today... the United States, our friends and allies in the Middle East, and the entire world are safer because the threat of the nuclear weapon has been reduced”, US Secretary of State John Kerry said in Vienna, while UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it was a “significant milestone”.

In what was hailed as a momentous diplomatic breakthrough, the Vienna agreement was nailed down in July after two years of roller-coaster negotiations following moderate Rouhani’s election.

The highly complex deal drew a line under a standoff dating back to 2002 marked by failed diplomatic ini-

tiatives, ever-tighter sanctions, defiant nuclear expansion by Iran and threats of military action.

In addition it put Iran and the United States on the road to better relations some 35 years after the Islamic revolution that toppled the US-backed shah, and at a particularly explosive time in the Middle East.

The five detainees to be freed by Iran included Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, a senior US official said Saturday. Four of the five were still in the country because “logistical steps” were still ongoing, an official said.

In exchange Washington said it had granted clemency to seven Iranians, six of whom were dual US-Iranian citizens, and dropped charges against 14 more.

The agreement, heralded as US President Barack Obama’s biggest major foreign policy triumph, has by no means been universally cheered, however. AFP

Invitation to Bid SUPPLY, DELIVERY, INSTALLATION, CONFIGURATION, TESTING AND COMMISSIONING OF VARIOUS NETWORKING EQUIPMENT, NEXT GENERATION FIREWALL, AND SUPPLIES & MATERIALS FOR HEAD OFFICE SITE PREPARATION PUBLIC BIDDING NO. PB16-001

Re-Invitation to Bid for Security Services for the Offices of the NATIONAL TOBACCO ADMINISTRATION (NTA), at the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions I, II, CAR and IV-A 1.

2.

3.

The NATIONAL TOBACCO ADMINISTRATION (NTA), through the Corporate Operating Budget for CY 2016, intends to apply the sum of PhP7,057,453.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), for the first year only, to payments under the contract for Security Services, broken down by lots, Lot 1 – PhP2,341,050.28; Lot 2 – PhP1,272,038.88; Lot 3 – PhP1,635,478.56; Lot 4 – PhP 1,107,557.28;and Lot 5 –PhP701,328.00, for the Offices of the NATIONAL TOBACCO ADMINISTRATION (NTA), at the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions I, II and IV-A (PB 2016-01). Bids received in excess of the ABC for each lot shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

LOT

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”.

(ii) Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the IRR of RA 9184.

Lot 1 Lot 2 Lot 3

2.

The NTA will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 26, 2016, 10:00a.m. at the 3rd Floor NTA Building, Cors. Scout Reyes Street and Panay Avenue, Quezon City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

PHP1,036,000.00

PHP 5,000.00

PHP1,314,648.00

PHP 5,000.00

PHP 260,000.00

PHP 500.00

PHP 2,610,648.00

PHP 5,000.00

The summary of the bidding activities is as follows: January 18, 2016

Pre-Bid Conference Issuance of Bid Bulletin Deadline for Submission and Opening of Bids

January 28, 2016 / 09:00 AM February 02, 2016 February 09, 2016 / 09:00 AM

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

4.

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 the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders from the BAC Secretariat (see address below) and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents, in amounts pursuant to the Schedule.

Interested bidders may inspect the Bidding Documents and obtain further information from the BAC Secretariat at the address given below.

6.

The CIC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 28, 2016 / 9:00 AM which is open to all interested parties, however, only those who have purchased the bidding documents may participate.

7.

All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be conducted on February 09, 2016 / 09:00 AM at the Credit Information Corporation, 6F Exchange Corner Building, 107 V.A. Rufino St. cor. Esteban St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend the opening. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before February 09, 2016, 10:00 a.m.,at the 3rd Floor NTA Building, Cors. Scout Reyes Street and Panay Avenue, Quezon City All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the Bidding Documents.

Bid opening shall be onFebruary 09, 2016, 10:00 a.m.at the 3rd Floor NTA Building, Cors. Scout Reyes Street and Panay Avenue, Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives. who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

7.

The NTAreserves 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.

8.

For further information, please refer to: CRISTINA C. LOPEZ, DBA National Tobacco Administration Cors. Scout Reyes Street and Panay Avenue, Quezon City Tel No. 372 3188; cclnta@yahoo.com Fax No. 373 2095 Website Address:nta.da.gov.ph (SGD) CRISTINA C. LOPEZ, DBA Chairman, NTA-BAC

Various Networking Equipment Next Generation Firewall Supplies and Materials for Head Office Site Preparation TOTAL

The Bidding Documents may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the PhilGEPS provided that Bidders shall pay the non-refundable price not later than the submission of their bids.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the NTA, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

6.

PRICE OF BIDDING DOCUMENT

Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid

Lot 1 – PhP5,00000; Lot 2 – PhP5,000.00 Lot 3 – PhP5,000.00; Lot 4 – PhP5,000.00 and Lot 5 – PhP1,000.00

5.

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT (ABC)

Bidders should have completed, within three (3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the NTA and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during working days from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders onJanuary 18, 2016 to February 08, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amounts respectively, as follows:

DESCRIPTION

Supply, Delivery,Installation Configuration, Testing and Commissioning of:

The NTA now invites bids for the provision of Security Services, including Security Guards and ammunitions and other security paraphernalia, for the offices of the NTA, at the NCR and Regions I, II and IV-A, for a period of one (1) year.Delivery of the Goods is required for a period of one (1) year,from March 01, 2016 toFebruary 28, 2017. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

(i) 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 the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

4.

Funding Source: CIC CORPORATE BUDGET FOR F.Y. 2016 1. T h e C R E D I T I N FO R M AT I O N C O R P O R AT I O N (C I C) i nv i t e s P h i l G E P S r e g i s t e r e d s u p p l i e r t o b i d f o r t h e f o l l o w i n g i t e m s:

8.

Bidders shall submit their duly accomplished eligibility requirements, technical and financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes in theaddress indicated below.

9.

The CIC 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.

10. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat Credit Information Corporation 6F Exchange Corner Building 107 V.A. Rufinocor. Esteban Sts. Legaspi Village, Makati City Email: bac-sec@creditinfo.gov.ph Telefax: (02) 893-7159

(TS-JAN. 18, 2016)

(SGD) MS. AILEEN L. AMOR-BAUTISTA Chairperson, BAC

(TS-JAN. 18, 2016)

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Most promising. This file photo taken on November 7, 2015, shows French singer and actress Louane posing on the red carpet upon her arrival at the Palais des Festivals to attend the 17th Annual NRJ Music Awards in Cannes, southeastern France. Louane Emera topped the ranking of the best selling album in France in 2015 with her album ‘Chambre 12 that was released in March. For her acting role as a young singer in the film ‘La Famille Belier’, Louane received the Cesar Award as most promising actress. AFP

Closer ties sought with Taiwan As Tsai takes the helm, Beijing waits anxiously TAIPEI—As new president Tsai Ing-wen pledges a stronger Taiwan that is proud of its identity, tensions with China are already simmering as Beijing watches and waits.

Tsai ousted the ruling Kuomintang to take the presidency in a landslide Saturday as voters turned their backs on closer ties with China.

The Beijing-friendly KMT also lost control of parliament for the first time.

Its disastrous defeat tapped into frustration and fear that the island’s sovereignty is being eroded by China after an eight-year rapprochement under outgoing President Ma Ying-jeou.

“It is a political earthquake,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, political science professor at Hong

Kong Baptist University.

“I don’t think Beijing will react quickly, but it means more trouble.

“It would be surprising if [China’s President] Xi, who has been assertive with the whole world, is not assertive with Taiwan,” said Cabestan, adding China’s strategy would depend on the actions of Tsai and Taiwan’s main ally the United States.

Beijing has already responded to the election rout by warning that it would resolutely oppose any bid by Taiwan to seek independence.

Taiwan is a self-ruling democracy since splitting with China in 1949 after a civil war, but has never formally declared independence, and Beijing sees it as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. AFP

HONG KONG—The student leaders of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Umbrella Movement said Sunday they would seek closer ties with Taiwan after the island elected a new president who pledged to stand up to China.

Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan’s main opposition party won by a landslide Saturday as voters expressed their discontent over warmer relations with China under the ruling Kuomintang.

“Whether it is the issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty or the future of Hong Kong, we both face the China factor,” said Joshua Wong, the teenage face of the Umbrella Movement that brought parts of Hong Kong to a standstill in 2014 seeking fully free leadership elections.

“I think more exchange is very much needed,” Wong told a press conference in Taipei.

The 19-year-old was in Taiwan as part of a pro-democracy group observing Saturday’s elections.

Hong Kong is semi-autonomous

since being returned to China by Britain in 1997 and enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland, but there are fears those freedoms are being lost.

The pro-democracy rallies in Hong Kong were sparked when Beijing insisted on vetting the candidates for the city’s next leader.

Self-ruling Taiwan split from China in 1949 after a civil war on the mainland. But Beijing still sees it as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

The KMT’s Beijing-friendly strategy brought trade deals and a tourist boom but sparked fears that China was trying to erode Taiwan’s autonomy through economic ties.

Support for Tsai surged as Taiwanese sought to assert their own

identity and reject China’s influence.

The island saw its own mass protests in 2014 when student-led demonstrators occupied parliament over a trade pact with China, in what became known as the Sunflower Movement.

“We face the same threat, we have to guard our places, to own our destiny. We need to have stronger alliances in all areas,” said Alex Chow, another key Umbrella leader speaking in Taipei Sunday.

He called for more dialogue, whether through civil groups or the new government.

The calls for unity come in the wake of the disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers from a publishing house known for titles critical of the Chinese government—the latest incident to exacerbate fears over the city’s autonomy.

Sunflower activists gained seats in Taiwan’s legislature in Saturday’s parliamentary vote, standing for the New Power Party that grew out of the protest movement. AFP

Attack survivors recall night of horror OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso—”We didn’t know if we would get out. We tried calling our families, to tell them we weren’t sure we were going to see them again,” said Suzanne SongaOuedraogo, her voice trembling as she recalled Friday night’s jihadist attack that killed 29 people in the Burkina Faso capital of Ouagadougou.

The Burkinabe artist, one of the survivors of the hours-long assault, was treated Saturday afternoon at the Yalgado-Ouedraogo hospital for a gunshot wound to the arm.

She lay wounded, bleeding away in the dark for more than seven hours in a meeting room at the Splendid Hotel, one of the attack sites, listening as the assailants shouted and fired their weapons meters away from her.

Lucien Trabi, an arts manager from the Ivory Coast, was in the al fresco Taxi-Brousse bar across the street from the hotel to have a drink when “five jihadists, two of them women, walked by”.

Though several witnesses have spoken of seeing two women, the country’s interior security minister Saturday night denied this to be

the case, speaking only of “three men”.

“The landlady said, ‘Why are they dressed like that’. They were wearing gloves and I saw a Kalashnikov. They passed us and went to the Cappuccino cafe [another of the sites attacked]. There, suddenly, they started spraying everyone with bullets. Above all they were looking for expats,” Trabi said.

“We hid in an apartment, high up. You could see the jihadists, they were firing away and crying out ‘Allahu Akbar’ [God is Greatest] into the night.” AFP

Atmosphere. A general view of the atmosphere during NYX Illuminated 2016 at The Edison on January 16, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. AFP

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

E AT, DRINK , T R AV EL

LIFE Kiwa Korean Grill Dining

Korean Plum tea

The wood and other design elements for the restaurant were all imported from Korea

Vegetarian Bibimbap made with pan-fried vegetables and fried egg topped on rice with chili paste

The Korean version of halo-halo– Pat Bing Su–ice flakes with Cheese Tofu Salad milk and sweetener topped with sweetened red beans

SATISFY YOUR KOREAN CUISINE CRAVING AT KIWA

“A

nnyeoung haseyo,” greets the friendly staff of Kiwa Korean Grill Dining – the latest addition to Solaire Resort’s food and dining establishments – as you enter the 184-seater fine dining restaurant. It is a grill dining restaurant so people expect the smell of barbecue wafting in the air, but customers happily note the absence of heavy grilling smell as they enter the hallway to the dining area.

“Kiwa is a new brand; kiwa means roof tile. When you go to Korea you’ll see a lot of houses with roof tiles, and for us we wanted the restaurant to be a shelter for getting the family together, and eating together in a setting where everyone enjoys the food. We wanted to provide a place where people can eat good and authentic Korean food,” says chief executive officer Ed Reyes. The restaurant’s grand opening is scheduled on January 28 but it has been operational since Christmas Eve and so far, the reception has been great. Operating from 9:00 a.m.

Saenggalbi with Sangchu-Ssam and radish sesame leaf

PHOTOS BY STAR SABROSO

OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF KIWA KOREAN GRILL DINING

to 12:00 midnight from Sunday to Thursday and from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, Kiwa serves breakfast to dinner with big servings good for partners, families and friends.

The restaurant’s interior utilizes a lot of wood in contemporary patterns and complemented with stones that give a feeling of tranquility to diners especially if they are seated at the coveted row of booths facing a view of Manila Bay. “We got a top Korean firm to design the place, to be able to create an authentic experience.

Everything that you see inside are all from Korea – the wood, the tables, everything used in the design,” shares Reyes. “At the same time, all the chefs are from Seoul; our managers are also Korean as well as some of the staff,” he adds.

While there are already a lot of Korean restaurants in the Metro, Kiwa aims to be the go to place when it comes to Korean fine dining barbecue set-up in the country. “We aim to provide the best of everything. We can start with the ingredients; everything is fresh. We are using grade A+ beef, the best that is available,” says Reyes. Though Korean beef cannot be imported in the country, the restaurant serves Japanese meat (Wagyu) and USDA. Reyes says Kiwa’s service standard is higher than other restaurants. “We follow strict 5-star hotel sanitation rules and regulations. Everything has to be sealed, covered, labeled and stored in the right temperature.

The golden standard of restaurant hygiene operations in the country is Solaire and we follow that standard,” he adds.

Gobachi or sashimi appetizer assortment

Head Chef Gi Won Park

Kiwa’s menu is a collaboration of its Korean chefs headed by chef Gi Won Park. The menu boasts of grade A beef but there are also a lot of other delectable dishes that cater to seafood and even vegetarian eaters.

Kiwa serves Chaedol-dwenjang Jjigae which is a soy bean-based soup (you may ask to put sliced beef brisket or have it taken out for a vegetarian meal) with tofu and vegetables. You may also request for a vegetarian Bibimbap made with pan-fried vegetables and fried egg topped on rice with chili paste. For salads, you may order Cheese Tofu Salad – it doesn’t have tofu but the cheese resembles a tofushape and it is topped on the vegetables in season – or opt for a Pumpkin Salad. You may also request to make the popular Korean favorite noodles Japchae into a vegetarian delight by taking out the beef. Technically, if you have any meal specifications, and as long as the restaurant can provide, you may approach the friendly Korean and Filipino staff.

For the meat lovers, and the restaurant’s specialty, check out

Japchae

their menu for The Yangnyeomgalbi (beef ribs seasoned with special sweet soy sauce) and Sogalbiijim (beef short ribs cooked in a soy sauce seasoning with ginseng and assorted vegetables) and Galbitang Bansang (Korean traditional beef short ribs soup with beef, radish, onions and assorted vegetables).

“The experience and the food is very authentic but to cater to the Filipino market we had to adjust how we serve our food in sequence,” explains Reyes. “In Korea, the rice, soup and noodles are served after the grilled meat. Because we believe that if you eat rice, you cannot truly taste the meat. But Filipinos demand their rice with the main course so we have to accommodate that.”

A full course menu is around P3,000 and lunch sets start at P1,500 and rice sets go from P800 up. The portions are big and as with Korean cuisine, the restaurant serves the sets with appetizer, sashimi and appetizer assortment, the grilled main course, pancake, stir-fried glass noodles, vegetables,

rice, soybean paste stew or taster cold noodles plus dessert. The breakfast menu is expected to be a favorite among customers.

As early as 9:00 a.m. they will be serving six varieties of breakfast sets, each to include a soup, rice and three to four side dishes. They also serve a birthday breakfast tray with seaweed soup, so if it’s your birthday, just present a valid ID and instead of the usual birthday cakes, celebrants are treated to a complimentary seaweed soup.

Kiwa Korean Grill is open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Weekend hours will be extended to 2:00 a.m. after the grand opening on January 28. The restaurant is located at Solaire Resort & Casino, 1 Aseana Avenue, Parañaque City. For inquiries and reservations, call (+632) 888 8888 or log on to www.kiwa.com.ph. or you may visit them on Kiwa Korean Grill’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

The Heat is on at Edsa Shangri-La’s unlimited

lobsters promo

S

eafood lovers will definitely go bonkers over the unlimited lobsters at Heat, Edsa Shangri-La, Manila’s signature buffet restaurant. A three-tower display of overflowing crustacean goodness featuring Boston, slipper, rock and other seasonal varieties such as lobster tails, Pacific, Japanese, tiger, and bamboo cooked the way you want it – whether with buttered garlic with a hint of lemon, baked with overflowing cheese, hot off the grill, Chinese style stir fried or simply steamed – will have you going back for more. The Mad for Lobster promo is available every Friday dinner for P2,415 nett.

Executive chef Tobias Unger and his team of specialty chefs – Japanese executive chef Yusuke Hino, Italian executive chef Marco Ghezzi and Chinese executive chef Tony Sum – have created a mouthwatering repertoire of lobster dishes that are spread throughout the interactive stations. Claw your way to the buffet spread and sample new creations such as lobsterlicious angry roll, spicy lobster maki, crazy lobster tempura maki, lobster thermidor, lobster risotto and paella, Singaporean chili lobster, and lobster Tandoori.

Diners can also still enjoy the wide variety of Heat specialties including roast pork, coffee chicken, prime rib, Chinese and Japanese selections, fresh greens, charcuterie and artisan

Grilled Slipper Lobster with Lemon Butter Sauce

Mad for Lobster at Heat

cheese. All-time favorite desserts – churros with chocolate sauce, crepe, macarons, raspberry molted brownie cheesecake, halo-halo and warm chocolate pie are perfect to end on a sweet note.

It’s claws-galore at Heat every Friday dinner all year round. For a minimum of P5,000 single receipt, diners can also get the chance to win lunch or dinner buffet for two, unlimited iced tea, and a lobster souvenir.

For inquiries or reservations, contact Restaurant Reservations and Information Center at (63 2) 633 8888 ext. 2740 / 2741 or email heat.esl@shangri-la.com. Visit www.shangri-la.com/manila/ edsashangrila or stay connected, like Facebook.com/edsashangrila, follow @edsashangrila on Twitter and @edsashangrila on Instagram.

Lobster Thermidor

Boston Lobster Salad

Heat All Day Dining

Great pasalubong ideas in Cebu Pacific’s local destinations

W

Bag of Nuts. Palawan is not only known for its pristine white beaches, secluded islands, and thriving flora and fauna, it is also the best source of cashew nuts, which makes it an ideal pasalubong for family and friends

henever Filipinos travel, they always look out for pasalubong (take home) for their friends as a token and as memento of their trip. More often than not, the easiest choices are fridge magnets or key chains featuring an iconic structure or the name of the place, so unless you’re a collector, these items can be… a bit unexciting.

Knowing this, Cebu Pacific has gathered a few interesting pasalubong ideas from passengers in key cities in the Philippines.

If you’re going to Naga or Legazpi in Bicol to view Mt. Mayon, frolic in the beaches of Caramoan or have that oncein-a-lifetime experience of swimming with whale sharks in Donsol, take home the Toasted Siopao from 3N Bakery, a jar of pili nuts, or maybe a bagful of pili tarts and marzipan.

In Puerto Princesa in Palawan whose beaches and world-

Underground Wonder. The 8.2-kilometer Puerto Princesa subterranean river of Palawan is a boat ride filled with sights of impressive stalactites and stalagmites. The UNESCO heritage site was recently declared as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature

renowned Underground River are the main draw for tourists, the cashew nuts, French bread from Vietville or the locally made rainmakers and silk products are perfect choices.

In the historic province of Iloilo, there are awe-inspiring old churches, centuries-old mansions, pristine white sand beaches, and the freshest and most succulent mangoes from

the island of Guimaras that taste like no other.

The island of Cebu, best known for its guitars, worldclass furniture and fashion houses and powdery white sand beaches also has the coral colonies of the Olango Wildlife Sanctuary and the beaches of Nalusuan Island. If you are adventurous, you will appreciate Cebu’s version of chicaron (pork

cracklings) with crisp pork skin, the best of which can be found in the mercado or market in the town of Carcar.

In Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, a delicious pasalubong would be the pineapple crumble from Mercedes Breads, the tasty ham of Slers or Pine, Chedeng’s Peanuts, made-to-order tarts from Persimoon, or the unique malunggay pastel as an alternative to the yema pastel.

Z amboanga’s Alavar’s Restaurant is famous for the curacha or spanner crab, and a bottle of their Alavar’s Sauce is a good choice to bring home to family and friends. Also visit the barter area for Apollo Wafers from Malaysia.

There are a lot more places to discover now that Cebu Pacific has made them more affordable and accessible.

Visit www.cebupacificair.com for more information.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

DIFFERENT KINDS OF BARS on a random night. You get to meet all sorts of interesting people, too.

Where to go in Manila: Tambay, Cheers Bar, and Heckle & Jeckle (P Burgos Street)

SPEAKEASY/COCKTAIL BAR

TIPPLE TALES

BY ICY MARIÑAS

T

he experience of going out to drink differs depending on a lot of factors: who you’re with, what state of mind you’re in, what you’re drinking, and where you decide to drink. Different places attract various types of people, and the varying vibes would dictate behaviors and set the tone for what kind of night you’d be having. I’ve written a few articles about what to drink and how to drink. This week, we’re going to tackle the question of where to drink, as well as what and who to expect when you go there.

DIVE BAR

First up is the dive bar. This is a no-frills sort of establishment. This can be your neighborhood watering hole or local pub or pool hall. It’s where everyone knows your name. It’s gotten a pretty bad rap, what with scenes of the tragic drunk drowning himself in cheap scotch or bar room brawls in grimy, seedy locales entering our minds when we think of it. (Like, what kind of place that is called a “dive” could be worth going to, right?

Unless a manmade or natural body of water is involved, of course.)

But a dive bar is actually cooler than you might think. These are not the places you go to to see and be seen. They are quite unpretentious and straightforward, just like the people who frequent them. Affordable drinks and a chill vibe invites regulars who just want to relax alone or with their friends

This is the place where the drinks are the draw. The ambiance isn’t shabby either. The atmosphere is generally subdued and the place is high end. It goes without saying that the prices reflect the intricacies that go with making the cocktails as well as maintaining a chic bar, so go when you’re feeling particularly fancy and are flushed with cash. Take your time in enjoying the cocktails. Try to keep your voice down and mind your space. This is not the place to go wild in. (Though there are times when these things happen. Let’s just chalk it up to experience). The bartender has power, being the one crafting your drinks and all that. If the bar isn’t too busy, this would be the perfect opportunity to learn things like how your drink is made.

Where to go in Manila: Curator (Legaspi Village), Blind Pig (Legaspi Village), HOOCH (Salcedo Village), and The Naughty Room (Above Ebeneezers, BGC)

dim lamps, quite dark. (The better for you to dance like no one is watching because it’s so dark that even if they wanted to, they couldn’t.) The club is not the place for you to have a heart-to-heart talk with your best friend over coffee. It’s the place for you to let loose and dance. And drink, of course. No one eats in a nightclub. The drinks are pricey and will guarantee that you get sloshed enough to venture into the dance floor if you’re shy.

(Shots! Shots! Shots!) Most clubs are upscale and would have a dress code in order for them to allow you entry into their sacred dance halls, so it would be best to dress up. (And wear the nicest comfortable shoes you have.

Your feet will thank you the next day, or at least won’t be cursing you as much.) There will most likely be a cover charge as well, so make sure your wallet is loaded before you head out. Because of the intensity of the music, it would be difficult to strike up a conversation with fellow revelers. Shouting at each other and still not being able to hear what the other person is saying (so you just nod and smile and pretend you understood) is not the ideal first meeting. So body language and some measure of confidence is key in interacting with new people.

Where to go in Manila: Valkyrie (BGC), The Palace Pool Club (BGC), Chaos (City of Dreams), and URBN (BGC)

SPORTS BARS

RESTOBARS

This is quite a recent invention. It’s not the merging of two of the most comforting and pleasurable things in life (food and drinks), but the coinage of the term refers to the innovation in execution, done in such a way as taking the experience to another level. Never has the marriage between cuisine and alcohol been so enriching.

These are not your usual bars where you get pulutan with your bucket of beer, but are casual and offer the trifecta: good food, good drinks, good service. What more can you ask for?

Where to go in Manila: CAV (BGC) and Smith Butcher & Grill Room (Salcedo Village) These are just some of the kinds of bars out there. Check them out. Cheers!

CLUBS

This is where you put your dancing shoes on (how some ladies dance all night on killer stilettos, I will never understand). It’s loud and, except for strobe lights and some really

watch whatever sport is in season on giant flat-screen TVs mounted on the walls.

These bars get packed especially during big sporting events (think World Cup or the NBA Finals or Manny Pacquiao). It’s a good place to meet kindred spirits rooting for the same team and maybe even get to know “the enemy” (the fans of the opposing team). Most people drink beer here and can get vocal about what’s going on onscreen. It’s okay to be loud, but don’t be a jerk to the other patrons. People go to commiserate with fellow fans and root for their teams. Respect is expected. During off seasons, various televised sports are shown to anyone who wants to watch and it becomes more of a place to get a few drinks with friends.

Where to go in Manila: Skinny Mike’s (BGC) and Howzzatt (Kalayaan Avenue)

This is pretty self-explanatory. A place where sports fans gather over beer to

Feel free to add me on IG @sanvicentegirl, email me at tippletales@gmail.com or drop by my bar for a drink or two.

Get your next caffeine fix at Resorts World Manila

I Victoria Harbour Cafe Coffee Cuisine

NYPD Cheesy Espresso Pizza

Impressions Coffee Napoleon

Bar 360 Frappe Deluxe

Cafe Maxims Coffee Toffee Bites

f you’re a coffee lover, then you will love Resorts World Manila (RWM)’s Coffee Month for the entire January.

RWM wakes up the season with its offering of caffeine-infused cuisine and concoctions. Get your next caffeine fix at RWM and indulge on sweet and savory treats at French fine dining restaurant Impressions, contemporary Japanese and Korean outlet Ginzadon, and coffee bar and lounge Café Maxims.

Dine at Impressions and enjoy a plate of Coffee Napoleon, a serving of decadent coffee ganache, coffee butter cream, Chantilly cream and meringue with macchiato gelato for only P320 for dessert.

In Ginzadon, end your oriental meal with the restaurant’s Mocha Coffee Jelly treat – a coffee-flavored gelatin with mocha cream, honey, and almond flakes for only P150. And if you love pastries, get your fix at Café and savor its Coffee Toffee Bites made of freshly baked Danish dough filled with rich, buttery toffee custard, with dark chocolate, cashews, and coffee crumble for only P160 net.

You may also explore other food outlets such as Prosperity Court, concept restaurant New York Pinoy Deli (NYPD), and Hong Kong diner Victoria Harbour Café and see their coffee concoctions.

Enjoy a mocha frappe with Pizza Tagalog at Prosperity Court, and check out Victoria

Harbour Café’s Coffee Cuisine lineup including a roasted coffee-infused chicken on steamed rice for only P330, slow-cooked coffee-infused pork spareribs on steamed rice at P330, and a sweet finish of layered coffee jelly for only P180. NYPD takes the pizza revolution to a new level with its Cheesy Espresso Pizza served with unlimited servings of your favorite soup, salad, and bread from the Central Park Island buffet and a glass of four seasons iced tea.

There will also be coffee mix offerings from participating bars at Remington – R Bar, piano bar and lounge Bar 180, and at entertainment hub Bar 360. Choose between a glass of caramel macchiato or hazelnut mocha frappe at R Bar, or opt for Bar 180 and try its mix of caramel banana, cinnamon, and coffee for only P250 net.

And if you’re a little adventurous, just add P30 to spike your glass with a dash of Whyte and Mackay whiskey. Bar 360 also upped its game with its Frappe Deluxe, a mix that includes a shot of espresso and blended with Emperador Deluxe, Malibu Rum, fresh milk, fudge cookies, and topped with whipped cream for only P420.

For more on Resorts World Manila’s culinary offerings this January, call the tourist/visitor Hotline at (02) 908-8833 or visit www.rwmanila.com.

M O N D AY : J A N U A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

C4

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

GATEWAY TO HONG KONG MERCURY RISING

I

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

t’s been almost seven years since my last trip to Hong Kong and that was just a transit stop en route to Macau. So when the opportunity to visit the city came along, I grabbed it right away by confirming my attendance in a seminar conducted by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, one of the better Tourism and Hotel Management schools in Asia.

The last time I stayed in Hong Kong was a little over 15 years ago.

Being a “stranger” to the city, I had to ask my dear friend, Michele Mitschiener-Hoeflich, who is now a Hong Kong resident, for help in choosing the ideal accommodation for me and, most importantly, I asked her to help plan my evening activities.

“Mimi” and I used to do the party scene here in Manila every night, as in every single night, when we were still much younger, “young and foolish” party animals that we were. She was still single and was with Hyatt Regency Manila and I was still with Northwest Airlines.

Simply put, she knew how we used to party, so I wanted the same thing during my short visit to Hong Kong.

“Mimi” is now happily married to Christoph Hoeflich, hotel manager for the Marco Polo Hotels. They have two good-looking sons, Raphael who is 14, and Alexander who is 12.

Mimi booked my accommodations at the Gateway Hong Kong. It was the first time I heard of the hotel, and I got excited when I was told that it is a Marco Polo property.

Gateway Hong Kong is right in the middle of Canton Road which is Hong Kong’s version of New York’s Fifth Avenue, where all the luxury brand stores are. The area is the shopping and entertainment center of Tsim Sha Tsui. What gives the hotel a distinct advantage is its being a part of Harbour City, the biggest shopping center in Hong Kong, which is right next to scenic Victoria Harbour.

Spread over two million square feet of prime real estate, the shopping center is a major tourist attraction in itself, with over 450 brand name shops, 50 food and beverage outlets, two cinemas, and a luxurious private club. What I

Hong Kong’s attractive skyline at night, as seen from the Ocean Terminal

My suite’s living room, with a personalized welcome message Some of the luxury brands right at the hotel’s doorstep on the TV screen

Me and Michele having a fun lunch at Three On Canton with my newfound friends Sonny Ang, Samantha Poon and James Ong

found most convenient, aside from easy access to these shops, is that the Ocean Terminal and the Star Ferry are just a leisurely 5-minute walk from the hotel, inside the air-conditioned comfort of the humongous mall.

The 16-floor Gateway Hong Kong has 400 luxurious and chic rooms.

I stayed in one of the 51 suites which I enjoyed very much because it had a 40-inch flat screen TV in the living room and another one in the bedroom. I had my fill of many worldwide channels and in-house movies. The walk-in closet was most convenient and the other de luxe amenities, like the complimentary Wi-Fi and the complimentary minibar which was replenished daily, pleased me no end.

Of course, what I liked best was the handy smartphone which came free with the room. It meant I had my own easy access to local

That’s me and the Hoeflichs – Raphael, Michele, Alexander and Christoph

phone numbers and could easily be reached by friends in the city.

It also allowed me unlimited international calls to any of the five designated countries (China, Philippines, Japan, US and the United Kingdom), and all calls, whether local or international, are complimentary for guests of the hotel using the smartphone!

What’s more, the phone also offered unlimited 3G mobile internet, WiFi hotspot and tethering, dining and city guide and exclusive ticket

bargains. Wow! What an amenity!

My suite also gave me access to The Continental Club, the hotel’s executive lounge on its top floor, offering complimentary daily breakfast, afternoon snacks and evening cocktails.

And for guests who want to spend time keeping fit and healthy, there is the outdoor swimming pool on the 6th floor of the adjacent Marco Polo Hong Kong, and the fully equipped gym on the 4th floor of the adjacent Prince Hotel,

both easily accessible through a covered walkway. Unfortunately, my hectic schedule did not allow me the luxury of time to indulge in these wellness activities.

For dining, I was pleased to see the ultra-extensive buffet at the hotel’s Three On Canton, the ultimate gourmet destination which offers the world’s most popular cuisine.

Right next to it is Be On Canton, a stylish al fresco dining terrace which I wanted to try out one evening, but the weather didn’t cooperate so I decided to just stay indoors.

Gateway Hong Kong introduced a brand new 360-degree redesign for all its guestrooms and suites, winning the Global Excellence Award for Best Hotel given by The International Interior Design Association. The celebrated renovation also included The Continental Club Lounge, lobby and restaurants.

No wonder the hotel has become the favorite of top Filipino personalities. My Hong Kongbased friends told me that they’ve seen quite a few of our government officials, business leaders, society icons and movie/TV idols staying at the hotel, enjoying its easy access to the best shopping in the city.

In fact, the day after I left, John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo were expected to check-in to the hotel as part of their roadshow tour to promote their latest starrer.

I’m glad I discovered Gateway Hong Kong. It didn’t just open doors to shopping, fun and entertainment, it is also led me to new friends, kindred spirits who are just as funloving as I am, a most amiable set of hotel officers who made me feel like we’ve been friends for a lifetime – general manager James Ong, head of Sales and Marketing Sonny Ang who’s Filipino, and director of Communications Samantha Poon.

After this most enjoyable stay, I wouldn’t be surprised if, anytime soon, the Hong Kong Tourism Board proclaims the hotel as the official GATEWAY to the city. Meantime, why don’t you make it yours?

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE: A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her very first football game. They had great seats behind their team’s bench. After the game, he asked if she enjoyed it. “Oh I really liked it,” she replied, especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn’t understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents!” Dumbfounded, the boyfriend asked, ‘’What do you mean?’’ ‘’Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was, “GET THE QUARTERBACK!” I’m like, “Hellooo! It’s only 25 cents!”

SKYJET LAUNCHES DAILY FLIGHTS TO BORACAY AND CORON

S

kyJet Airlines gives you more flight options to travel to the paradise beaches of the Philippines as it launched daily flights to Boracay via Caticlan Airport and also flying daily to Coron, Palawan via Busuanga Airport.

SkyJet Airlines is said to be one of the safest airlines in the world and is patronized by the British Royal family as well as many dignitaries around the world. For the daily flights to Boracay and Coron, enjoy the ride with the 80-seater

four engine jet, whose specialty is landing in short runways.

Fly high like a royal in SkyJet and enjoy the boutique airlines’ affordable rates. The checkin baggage allowance and travel insurance are already part of the airline ticket cost. Meals are also served on board with no extra charge.

For more information, call 863-1333, (0917) 863-1333 0r (0908)863-1333 or visit the website www.skyjetair.com.

M ONDAY : JA NUA RY 18, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Mark Anthony Fernandez

Bianca Umali

Miguel Tanfelix

C5

Neil Ryan Sese

‘Wish i May’ preMieres today

G

MA Network opens 2016 with the launch of the newest Afternoon Prime series, Wish I May today after Eat Bulaga.

Wish I May focuses on how two teens find solace and eventually, fall in love with each other amid tumultuous circumstances surrounding their families brought about by the disease called “chimerism”, a medical condition wherein an individual has two sets of DNA. This fascinating soap opera stars the youngest love team of the Kapuso Network: Miguel Tanfelix and Bianca Umali.

Armed with their natural acting skills and onscreen chemistry, Miguel and Bianca are all set to tackle mature roles in the series as they portray the characters of Tristan,

the childhood best friend of Carina who grew up with a dysfunctional family that’s why he is so independent; and Carina, a charming, kind and sweet lady who works hard to gain the attention and affection of her parents, respectively.

GMA Network is proud to present a stellar cast of the country’s most respected artists in film and television: Camille Prats as Olivia, the mother of Carina who has chimerism; Mark Anthony Fernandez as Clark, the husband of Audrey who is greatly in love with Olivia; Mark Herras as Andrew, the loving foster father of Carina, who is secretly in love with Olivia; Alessandra de Rossi as Loretta, the wife of Andrew who is the total opposite of Olivia; Glydel Mercado as Barbara, the loving mother and confidant

of Olivia; Rochelle Pangilinan as Audrey, the possessive and alcoholic ex-girlfriend of Clark; Neil Ryan Sese as Gabriel, a greedy and violent person who will eventually be with Loretta; Juan Rodrigo as Edward, the strict father of Olivia; Marni Lapuz as Doris, the nanny of Andrew; Ash Ortega as Eunice, the arrogant best friend of Carina and the dominating girlfriend of Tristan; Sancho delas Alas as Tope, Tristan’s best friend; Prince Villanueva as Dave, one of Carina’s admirers.

Olivia (Camille) lost her daughter, Carina (Bianca), because her father was against her relationship with Clark (Mark Anthony).

After many years, she embarks on a search for her lost child but her sickness (chimerism) will prevent her from

confirming and claiming maternal rights to her daughter. While Olivia is in the middle of fighting for her rights as Carina’s mother, she bumps into her true love, Clark.

Can this help bring Olivia and Carina together? Can Clark and Olivia find their way back into each other’s arms?

Or, will Tristan and Carina continue the interrupted love story of their parents?

Will Olivia and Carina ever know the truth about their mother-daughter relationship?

Wish I May can spark the curiosity of viewers about tales of great love finding evidence. It also dramatically narrates Olivia’s (Camille) pursuit of her maternal rights over her long-lost daughter, compounded by the rare condition of chimerism.

The latest addition to Levi’s denim collection is inspired by the idea that “behind every great woman is a great pair of jeans

All Levi’s lovers can now enjoy the brand’s newest collection that offers a better fit.

Levi’s new denim collection for women caters to different body types.

Jeans perfeCt for showbiz events

L

evi’s created the first-ever blue jeans for women in 1934. Lady Levi’s pair of jeans was designed for Western women wearing Levi’s jeans on farms and ranches. The new line also targeted women vacationing at dude ranches, working cattle or horse ranches that welcomed guests flocking from Eastern states or even Europe.

Before Lady Levi’s, these women were already actually wearing boyfriend jeans.

Lady Levi’s changed the course of fashion history. It made blue jeans staple fashion items for women, who used to wear men’s jeans because they had no choice.

Jeans haven’t changed that much. We may flirt with slouchy boyfriend jeans, boot-cuts or crops but skinny is still the mainstay. They’ve become the solid building block of the rest of women’s wardrobes.

Skinny jeans can be worn with a white shirt and a light coat. Slip

on a pair of ballet flats and you’re set for a day at the office. For a cocktail party, you can wear your skinny jeans with a dressy top and high heels. Exchange your day bag for a clutch and you’re ready.

So ladies still love and continue to wear boyfriend’s jeans for that fashionable slouchy look, skinny jeans will always rule.

For Fall 2015, Levi’s New Women Denim Collection transforms good jeans into perfect jeans with two popular fits.

Levi’s 710 Super Skinny and 721 High Rise Skinny are designed to flatter any woman’s silhouettes.

No matter your body type, the Levi’s 710 Super Skinny midrise will look great on you. Slim through the hip and thigh with Levi’s skinniest leg opening and extra stretch for comfort.

The 721 High Rise Skinny jeans are designed to enhance the female form with a trendy high-rise fit and figure flattering stretch denim.

Levi’s newest collection has the latest fit and fabric technology, which makes the new denim pants perfect for different body types.

M ONDAY : JA NUA RY 18, 2016

C6

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Camille Prats

Camille Prats joins Kapuso station’s newest afternoon soap, Wish I May

BianCa, CamiLLE haPPy tO BE tOgEthER in a SOaP JOSEPh PEtER gOnZaLES

Bianca Umali and Camille Prats are happy and proud at the same time to top-bill GMA’s latest afternoon drama titled Wish I May. They play mother and daughter in the story.

“Yes, this show is special to me,” says Bianca. “If you remember last year, GMA officially aired my launching vehicle, Once Upon a Kiss opposite Miguel (Tanfelix) in the same period. We were one of the opening shows then and it’s the same this 2016. I’m grateful for our mother network’s faith and confidence in our love team.”

Many ask what fans can expect from their new offering.

“Well, compared to Once Upon a Kiss, this material is more serious.

It’s more demanding, acting-wise.

It’s a notch higher from our maiden soap, so to speak. But definitely, all

the ‘kilig’ moments are still there so the fans need not worry. I hope they will give the same level of support to our latest project!”

They will occupy the timeslot to be vacated by The Half Sisters topbilled by Barbie Forteza, Andre Paras and Thea Tolentino. As everyone knows, said show was a consistent top-rater and lasted on air for a year and a half. Some quarters ask if they are under pressure to be at par with their predecessor’s ratings success.

“Just like what we felt when Once Upon a Kiss was just starting, Miguel and I just exert our best efforts, enjoy every scene that we do so it appears realistic before the tele-viewers. Our main objective is to give them a worthy follow-up program and I think Wish I May has the ingredients.

“For one, the plot is interesting and the characters are relatable.

It can be anyone’s story. We are also supported by a talented and powerhouse cast led by Mark Anthony Fernandez, Camille Prats, Mark Herras, Glydel Mercado, Rochelle Pangilinan

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 45 47 48 50 52 56 58 59 64 65 67 68 69 70 71 72 73

Bone, in combos Jai — Fall birthstone Subscribes again Tune out Twisted Be half-asleep Gets happy (2 wds.)

Mane possessor Aftermath Set free Threat ender Blissful spot Tribal adviser Musher’s vehicle Long time periods Comb, in a way

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Dings a door 6 “Madam, I’m —” 10 Bake sale item 14 Seize the throne 15 Name in jeans 16 Mighty steed 17 More feasible 18 Trucker, often 19 Nerve network 20 Dogpatch’s — Joy Juice

22 24 25 26 30 32 33 35 40 42 44

Fix Put on Tasty egg dish Steam bath garb A phobia Moffo solo Worker’s safety org.

Equip again Thaw Chic Revise

DOWN 1 The edge of night 2 Morales of “La Bamba” 3 Now, to Caesar 4 Go on safari 5 Stretch out 6 Aluminum giant 7 Ms. Kerr of film 8 Gladiator’s hello 9 It reflects on you 10 “— diem!”

11 It’s been — — pleasure!

and Alessandra de Rossi. I’m confident that what we offer is a quality production so I’m hoping for the best when it comes to audience reception,” avers Bianca.

Meanwhile, Camille is thankful to be given another acting assignment via Wish I May. “That’s what I like with GMA because they tap all my artistic gifts, from hosting, dancing and acting. They make sure you become versatile. As I always say, my showbiz career evolved as a Kapuso and I’m happy about that.

“Here in Wish I May, it’s the first time that I’ll be playing a mother role in which my daughter is already a grown-up. Admittedly, I felt awkward when Bianca and I hugged on screen for the first time.

It felt strange! She’s big. Ha-ha-ha!

But I’m certain it’s just a matter of getting used to it eventually.”

How does she find Bianca, who is touted as the next Kapuso Princess?

“Oh, she’s a nice girl! We talk a lot on the set. I see the passion in her and I know she has a long way to go in the ‘biz,” ends Camille.

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016

12 13 21 23 26 27 28 29 31 34 36 37 38 39 41 43 46 49 51 52 53 54 55 57 60 61 62 63 66

“— Went to Haiti” Thumbs-down critic Baja bucks Atlanta campus Mock fanfare (hyph.)

Town near Provo Helen, to Menelaus Deserve Movie’s need Ancient colonnade Pizzazz Dossier What “vidi” means (2 wds.)

Not that Hounds’ trails Earth, to Pierre Abate, as a downpour Teeny-tiny Grommet Runs in neutral Barbecue Loop in a rope Had “— dinner?”

Cattle-call reward Kind of fountain Resorts to Dijon dad Hubbub

Pops Fernandez

HHHHH Pops Fernandez reveals she doesn’t have a love life at present.

“That’s true! I don’t have one now, whether you believe it or not. I’m very much single again,” she states.

Interestingly, when was the last time that she had a boyfriend?

“Just recent, but it’s over so I don’t want to elaborate on it. He’s not from showbiz. Actually, I think it’s better if I don’t share my love life to the public at this point to avoid getting under pressure.

Anyways, I’ve already past that stage, right? I don’t even go out on socials these days.”

Wanting her love life to be on low key, does this mean she prefers non-showbiz guys now?

“As I’ve said, I’m not that very visible on showbiz anymore not unless I have a project so I guess it’s just apt, right? My life as a public property is already complicated. I don’t want to add more pressure on that.”

The Concert Queen is part of TV 5’s latest offering titled Born to be a Star.

“It’s a reality show hosted by Ogie Alcasid. I’ll serve as one of the resident judges so watch out for it folks!” says Pops.

M ONDAY : JA NUA RY 18, 2016

C7

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

moRisseTTe: neXT big diva

Filthy bedroom?

Who you gonna Call?

From c8

Philippines’ Next Big Diva, Morissette, channels her inner superstar with her selftitled debut album released by Star Music.

“I’ve waited so long for this blessing to happen so I definitely gave my best in all of my performances in this album,” said Morissette.

“If there’s anything that I can be proud of as a singer, it’s this album and how I shared my passion for music. And I hope people will feel that once they hear my songs.”

The Kapamilya singer said she was able to explore and experiment with the music while recording her album as she got to sing a variety of genres that include rhythm and blues, ballad, and pop.

“I don’t want to be identified as just a singer who can hit high notes. I’m more than determined to become a total performer not only for my audience but also for myself,” Morisette said.

Featured in Morissette’s debut album are seven songs, namely, “Throwback” with KZ Tandingan, “Hinahanap Pa Rin,” ”Mahal Kita, Mahal Mo Sya, Mahal N’ya Ay Iba,” “You and I,” “Run Like A Warrior,” the acoustic version of her “Himig Handog 2014” hit song ”Akin Ka Na Lang,” and her carrier single “Di Mapaliwanag.”

Among the bonus tracks is the original version of “Akin Ka Na Lang” and the popular

The cover of Morissette’s debut album

movie and teleserye theme songs that she has recorded including “Anong Nangyari Sa Ating Dalawa” from Two Wives, “Kapag Ako Ay Nagmahal” from Flordeliza, and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” which she sang with Daniel Padilla for the box-office movie Crazy Beautiful You. It also contains the minus-one versions of select tracks.

Morissette’s self-titled debut album is now available at all record bars nationwide for only P199. Digital tracks can also be downloaded via online music stores such as iTunes and Mymusicstore.com.ph.

Teen singer Morissette is local music scene’s next big pop star

Sexy Undercover: Coco in a drag as Paloma in the latest episode of Ang Probinsyano

Pepe Herrera and Coco Martin (as Paloma)

HHHHH caRdo luRes syndicaTes Cardo (Coco Martin) goes undercover as an alluring woman to save Carmen (Bela Padilla) from the hands of the prostitution syndicate in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.

After Olga (Gina Pareño) successfully kidnapped Carmen, Cardo is determined to investigate the group and seize the mastermind of its operations.

To help him find more lead about the series of abductions, Cardo disguises as the alluring lady named Paloma who is ready to catch the suspects in action.

Can Cardo rescue Carmen and the other victims of the syndicate as Paloma? Will Olga be able to escape the authorities?

Don’t miss the action-packed scenes in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, weeknights on ABS-CBN.

Race caRs and auTomobile Tales on dmaX

T

his month, watch out as DMAX take you on the ride of your lives with their latest shows on cars and racing!

In Idris Elba: No Limits, witness how Idris Elba is obsessed by speed.

Since boyhood he’s wanted to immerse himself in the world of fast machines.

This series pushes that ambition - and Idris - to the limit. Idris will take on motorsport professionals at the top of their game. He’ll try his hand at rally driving, drag racing, aerobatics – and even attempt to break a Land Speed Record, which has stood firm since 1927. Helping him along the way will be racing legends Jimmy McRae and Ari Vatanan, and modern day sporting stars Antron Brown and Ed Cyster.

He’ll fully immerse himself in the dramatically-different worlds of these four different motorsports. It’s his challenge

not only to master the skills needed to drive and fly his machines, but also to adapt and understand the engineering behind them. Catch the all-new series, Idris Elba: No Limits this January, airing 8:10 p.m. every Wednesday.

Tune in to the new season of AmeriCarna, a car culture television show hosted by Ray Evernham with guidance from his friend and mentor, Rick Hendrick. They’ll rely on their vast experience as car guys to take viewers back in time and introduce them to a period of history when the automobile heavily influenced American culture.

They’ll tell behind-the-scenes stories of lost racecars, barn fi nds, speed secrets, Hollywood films, historical racetracks and other unique places. Along the way, we’ll meet the cars and characters that have helped shape and preserve this history.

AmeriCarna airs 9 p.m. every Friday.

Host Idris Elba tries rally and drag racing in the show’s latest episodes A featured work on AmeriCarna

This new year, get your vomit bags ready and see filth like you’ve never seen before in the new and exciting MTV show Grossbusters.

Hosted by funnyman Evan Spaulding, the nastiest bedrooms will be brought straight to your screens 11 a.m. every Friday, starting Jan. 29.

The show follows Evan with his HazMat-suited team on his grubby encounters to track down the dirtiest slobs and most infested pigsties. From cockroaches to dog poop to unidentified body fluids; it will have you squirming in your shoes.

After witnessing the stomach churning mess that these guilty grime mongers have made - Evan shames them into changing their ways for good by offering each offender The Dirty Deal. To keep their side of The Dirty Deal, the sorry sleaze balls must take part in a humiliating and public Moment of Shame, before clearing their unimaginable mess and agreeing to change their filthy ways forever.

In return, the Grossbusters team will give the wrongdoer’s cesspit bedroom a life-changing Deluxe Upgrade!

With some of Evan’s comedic influences being Will Ferrell, the Wayans brothers and Jim Carrey, there is sure to be some laughter amidst all the grime. You won’t know whether to laugh or cry at some of the pigsties that Evan will be helping to muck out.

“I’m so excited to be working on this brand new show with MTV. I live and breathe comedy, so when I was asked to work on something which required finding the funny side in something so gross, I was well up to the challenge!

It has been great fun, albeit a little-stomach churning at times,” says Evan Spaulding.

Episode one kicks off with slovenly student Melania and Instagram loving Justin.

Melania’s room is so filthy she’s been forced to sleep at work, and Justin…well let’s just say there’s no filter on Instagram that would fix his Insta-grime!

Just as you think it couldn’t get any worse, episode two brings you Maggie from Connecticut, whose room has attracted stink bugs, and hair stylist Franchely who lets her guinea pig roam around freely, so her room is covered in animal poop!

Tune in to MTV this January and watch the Grossbusters give these bedrooms a facelift.

M ONDAY : JA NUA RY 18, 2016

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Rico Puno

Marco Sison

Raymond Lauchengco

Roselle Nava

Nina

Gino Padilla

Chad Borja

Wency Cornejo

Best of oPM in ‘#LovethrowBack’ at the Picc ISAH V. RED Turn back the time and listen to some of the best OPM love songs in a concert headlined by no less than eight hit makers at the PICC Plenary Hall on Feb. 13.

Dubbed as #LoveThrowback, the show brings together Rico Puno, Marco Sison, Raymond Lauchengco, Gino Padilla, Chad Borja, Wency Cornejo, Roselle Nava and Nina. #LoveThrowback does not only go down memory lane thru music but also lets you recall every significant moment of your love life. There’s definitely a song, which you can relate to, a song which could even be the soundtrack of your love story.

Leading the all-star cast in the concert is Total Entertainer Rico Puno whose smash hits are “Kapalaran”, “Buhat”, and “Macho Gwapito”, among others. He is

also known as the singer who started the trend of incorporating Tagalog lyrics in English songs like his rendition of “The Way We Were”, which was originally performed by Barbra Streisand.

One of Rico’s contemporaries is balladeer Marco Sison. If Rico was noticed then by record producers as a performer in folk houses and lounges, Marco got his career break after winning a singing contest on GMA 7’s noontime variety show Student Canteen in the late 70s. His songs like “My Love Will See You Through”, “Make Believe” and “I’ll Face Tomorrow” lorded over In the 80s, one of the hottest teen idols was Raymond Lauchengco. After his stints in musical theater, he joined mainstream show business and got his biggest break as one of the lead stars in the trendsetting film Bagets. As a singer-actor, some of his hits are “Saan Darating Ang Umaga”, “So It’s You”, “Farewell”, and “I Need You Back”.

Another 80s music icon is Gino Padilla. He is the singer behind hits like “Gusto Kita”, “Let The Love Be-

gin”, “I Believe In You”, and “Closer You and I”, which won as Song of The Year in Awit Awards. Gino is also known as the artist who starred in a worldwide advertising campaign of a soft drink brand alongside singing superstar Tina Turner.

The 90s music scene was dominated by bands. And one of the most remarkable vocalists then was Wency Cornejo of pop-rock band AfterImage. His distinct voice gave birth to phenomenal hits like “Habang My Buhay”, “Mangarap Ka”, “Next In Line”, and “Hanggang”, which reaped three major trophies in Awit Awards.

Band music dominated the live entertainment scene in the 90s but a song called “Ikaw Lang” performed

by Chad Borja was able to slide through the eye of the needle. He became one of the most in-demand and sexiest balladeers and was also a favorite duet partner of female singers. His album Show Me The Way churned out hits like “Summer Without You” and “Kung Ako Lang Sana”. Chad’s collaboration with Japanese pianist and composer

Yutaka Yokokura in the song “Yakap” also became a hit.

The late 90s towards the early part of 2000 witnessed a new set of hit makers. And one of them is Roselle Nava, who started her career as part of the youth-oriented show AngTV on ABS-CBN. Roselle’s career as a singer propelled after the success of her single entitled “Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita” and “Dahil Mahal Na Mahal Kita”, both used as movie soundtracks. Her rendition of “You”, originally performed

by Basil Valdez and composed

by Gerry Paraiso, gave her the Best Performance by a Female Recording Artist in Awit Awards.

Roselle is a multi-platinum record awardee and her voice captured the hearts of many Filipinos, most especially the hopeless romantic.

Rounding up the line-up in #LoveThrowback is Nina, tagged as OPM’s Soul Siren. With 10 Awit Awards and the recognition as the first-ever female OPM singer with a Diamond Record Award, Nina truly deserves to be called as one of local music’s treasures. Her body of

work and numerous awards are a testimony to her dedication and passion for her craft. Her album entitled Nina Live! became the benchmark in acoustic recording and made her the np.1 female R&B singer in the country. Nina’s string of hits includes “Someday” and her cover of “Love Moves In Mysterious Ways”, “Jealous” and “Through The Fire”.

The powerhouse cast of #LoveThrowback guarantees the audience to give them an unforgettable and once-in-a-lifetime Valentine’s Day celebration. It is a show that boasts of OPM hit songs, beautiful voices and stories about life and love. #LoveThrowback is a show for everyone.

Showtime is at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at SM Tickets (472-2222), Ticketnet (9115555) and Ticketworld (891-9999).

You can use your BDO (Banco De Oro) debit/credit card to purchase tickets and get a 15 percent discount. For more info and sponsorships, call Royale Chimes Concerts and Events Inc. at (0918) 4972121 or (0906) 4180786. ➜ continued on c7