The Standard - 2016 March 1 - Tuesday

VOL. XXX NO. 20 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 TUESDAY: MARCH 1, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘MILF using clashes for BBL’

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NPC GOES FOR GRACE Danding-founded party calls Poe-Chiz ‘best bets’

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Nationalist People’s Coalition, the country’s second largest political party, on Monday endorsed presidential bet Senator Grace Poe and her running mate, Senator Francis Escudero.

At a news conference, NPC stalwarts led by Reps. Giorgidi Aggabao of Isabela, Mark Llandro Mendoza of Batangas and Mark Enverga of Quezon said the party had decided to

adopt Poe and Escudero as its candidates for president and vice president, respectively.

“The tandem of Senators Poe and Escudero are the best candidates. They embody the prin-

ciples we want to see in our president and vice president,” Aggabao said, describing them as clean, courageous, hardworking and caring.

Aggabao said the decision, the result of a series of consultations that lasted several months, was backed by 90 percent of the party members.

The NPC has fielded a total of 4,129 for both local and national positions nationwide for May 9 polls, Enverga said.

Aggabao said he believes that the Poe-Escudero tandem can win, given the “size and heft” of the po-

litical party that was founded by businessman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. in 1991 who ran for president in 1992.

Following the NPC’s endorsement of the Poe-Escudero tandem, Aggabao said they expect all party officials and members to toe the line.

Aggabao, a lawyer, said he was confident Poe would be able to hurdle the disqualification cases filed against her.

“When the Comelec [Commission on Elections] disqualified Grace, her numbers went down.

But when the TRO [temporary restraining order] came out, they went up. If you ask us what will be the effect if she’s able to hurdle the [disqualification cases], perhaps her poll numbers will go through the roof,” Aggabao said.

“We feel if she’s able to hurdle the Supreme Court [case], she will definitely own the finish line,” he added.

Poe’s camp said they were grateful for the NPC’s endorsement.

“She believes that together, she and the thousands of NPC members Next page

Reinterred. Soldiers carry the remains of the late President Elpidio R. Quirino to their new resting place at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Monday at a ceremony led by President Benigno S. Aquino III. MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU

Gabriela clarifies stand on Duterte

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PNoy oversees Quirino burial at Libingan

By Sandy Araneta PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Monday led the transfer and reinterment of the remains of the late President Elpidio Quirino, the sixth president of the republic, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City, one day after the Palace warned against bestowing

the same honor on the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

Quirino was president from April 17, 1948 to Dec. 30, 1953, when the country was rebuilding itself after World War II. He died of a heart attack at his residence in Novaliches on Feb. 29, 1956.

Quirino is the third president to be

buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, after former Presidents Carlos Garcia and Diosdado-Macapagal.

During the ceremony, Aquino joined the funeral march to the gravesite together with the Quirino family, former President Fidel Ramos, some members of the diplomatic corps, and military service commanders.

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MILF using clashes to push draft law

By Francisco Tuyay

THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front is using the fighting between government troops and Muslim extremists a vehicle to push the implementation of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, a security expert said Monday.

This assessment came a day after MILF vice chairman Ghadzali Jaafar said that those fighting the government in Lanao del Sur were disgruntled Muslims—not bandits or terrorists—who were angry that Congress failed to pass the BBL. “Actually, that’s an excuse to scare the government after its failure to pass the BBL,” the security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

On Sunday, Jaafar said MILF leaders could not control their members who might join the attacks against government troops.

Commanders on the ground estimated that some 55 rebels have been killed in weeks-long clashes with the Army that began in Barangay Bayaboa, in Butig town, then spread to seven other villages.

The fighting displaced about 200,000 people who fled to evacuation centers or the homes of relatives while the military was defusing landmines left by the rebels.

The security official said the MILF was merely exploiting the situation in Butig town, an MILF-controlled area, and sent reinforcements to the group led by Omar

and Abdullah Maute, which had engaged in fierce fighting with the Army’s 51st Infantry Battalion in Bayabao village.

He said the MILF joined the battle under the cover of Abdullah Makapaar alias Commander Bravo, who has operated outside the MILF’s hierarchy.

Bravo launched a series of attacks on civilian targets, killing more than 60 people after the Supreme Court struck down an agreement between the government and the MILF on the ancestral domain of the Moros in 2008. The attacks also displaced some 700,000 residents.

“MILF chairman Murad Ibrahim cannot control Bravo? Why? Perhaps Bravo is being used by the leadership to create chaos so that the government will accede to their demands,” the source added.

Congress refused to pass the BBL, citing its unconstitutional provisions.

Condom-cutting. Eric Manalang, left, president of Pro-Life Philippines Foundation, leads other pro-life advocates in a ‘condom-cutting ceremony’ at the party-list’s offices in Quezon City on Monday to dramatize their opposition to contraception. MANNY PALMERO

PNoy...

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Judy Araneta-Roxas, mother of Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II, also attended the reinterment.

Quirino took his oath as president when former President Manuel Roxas died of a heart attack in 1948. Quirino was Roxas’ vice president.

Quirino was given a 21-gun salute before the pallbearers turned over the folded flag to Aquino, who handed it to Eduardo Quirino, the late president’s grandson.

Eduardo said the transfer of his grand-

father’s remains from the South Cemetery in Makati was “a year in the making,” starting with a request to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

“Because all the Philippine presidents, when they die, ...belong to the country,” said Eduardo, who was six when his grandfather died.

The Quirino family, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, government officials, police, military and representatives of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines joined the send-off ceremony for his remains at the Manila South Cemetery.

Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan Dela Cruz, campaign manager of vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said

Monday former President Ferdinand Marcos should also be allowed to be buried in the same cemetery.

The Palace warned Sunday that if the next elected president will allow former President Marcos to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, he or she will have to answer to the people.

“President Aquino’s decision [to disallow Marcos’ burial] is based on his firm belief and conviction on the primacy of justice. The late President Marcos never apologized for the violence and oppression that characterized martial law and the dictatorship,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in a text message.

“If the next President does not believe in

NPC ...

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try to become more inclusive and help uplift the lives of our countrymen,” said Poe’s spokesman, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian.

“The endorsement of the NPC will serve as inspiration for Senator Poe to intensify her campaign and to further detail to the Filipino public her advocacy to establish ‘Gobyernong may Puso’,” he added.

Escudero said the endorsement from his former political party was a welcome boost to him and Poe. “I wanted to give my big thanks to my former party. Many were saying that we’re weak and we have no machinery. This is a big boost so our presence will be felt in more parts of the country,” he said.

NPC is part of the administration coalition headed by President Benigno Aquino III. Despite the NPC endorsement, Escudero said he and Poe had no intention of joining the political party and will remain independents even if they win in May. The Palace welcomed the NPC endorsement of Poe and Escudero, saying it would clarify the party’s stand on national issues.

“The formal endorsement by a political party of a set of candidates should lead to a sharper definition of the party’s stand on vital national issues and a higher level of discourse where the primary focal points of attention are platforms of governance instead of simply personalities,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.

The camp of administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II played down the NPC endorsement.

“I’ve talked to some of Mar’s supporters from NPC, and they say they had absolutely no knowledge of this ‘endorsement.’ Apparently, there’s some confusion within their ranks,” said Roxas spokesman Akbayan Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez.

“It might be similar to what happened in 2010, when the same group in NPC claimed that they endorsed Manny Villar, only for the party to formally endorse Noynoy Aquino shortly after.

We will wait for further developments,” he added.

Villar was one of Aquino’s opponents in the 2010 presidential race. With Sandy Araneta and John Paolo Bencito

the guiding principles upon which President Aquino decided not to allow the transfer of former President’s remains to Libingan ng mga Bayani, then he or she will have to justify that decision to the people,” Coloma said.

In 1993, President Fidel Ramos allowed the body of Marcos to be brought home but did not grant the former President’s wish to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

The Marcos family decided to keep his body preserved in a crypt in his hometown of Batac, waiting for a friendlier administration that would allow the fulfillment of his wish.

Due to strong opposition, the succeeding administrations of Presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo did not allow Marcos to be buried in the Heroes’ Cemetery.

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oVeR his Alleged woMANiziNg

Gabriela criticizes Duterte THE Gabriela Women’s Party on Monday reiterated its stance against womanizing even as one of its representatives in Congress urged the voters not to vote for a leader who has flaunted his womanizing ways.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Emmi de Jesus issued the statement following fellow Gabriela party-list member Luz Ilagan’s defense of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte over the accusations he is a womanizer.

De Jesus, GWP national chairwoman, said her group had already communicated with Ilagan “to clarify any misunderstanding on our position regarding the issue of womanizing.”

“Gabriela Women’s Party has communicated with Rep. Luz Ilagan, the organizing committee of FORWARD Women and our local chapters in Mindanao, to clarify any misunderstanding on our position regarding the issue of womanizing and we have resolved to correct the statements issued at the Mindanao Women Leaders’ Forum in Davao City,” De Jesus said in a statement.

She made her statement even as an official said the House of Representatives will join the country’s leading women organizations in celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8 this year.

Bulacan Rep. Linabelle Ruth Villarica, chairwoman of the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality, said this year’s theme, “Kapakanan ni Juana, Isama sa Agenda!” will include women’s concerns in leadership platforms and in the government’s development agenda.

“It is encouraging to note the continuous creation of avenues for women and their advocates to help close the gender gap in leadership positions,” Villarica said.

De Jesus said Gabriela regarded womanizing as “an affront to women’s rights.”

“As the national chairperson of Gabriela Women’s Party, I would like to reiterate our position that we are against womanizing and view this as an affront to women and women’s rights,” De Jesus said.

At a women’s forum in Davao City on Saturday, Ilagan took up the cudgels for Duterte and said she saw nothing wrong with Duterte’s ‘flirting’ with women. Maricel V. Cruz

Campaigning up north. A resident of Guiguinto, Bulacan, embraces Vice President and United Nationalist Alliance standard-bearer Jejomar Binay after his speech in which he pledged to expand the government’s dole program and provide free hospitalization and medicine to the poor.

Digong’s camp slams Roxas over online votes THE camp of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte on Monday slammed administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II over the online votes from Russia, South Korea and China.

Peter Laviña, Davao City Mayor Duterte’s spokesman, criticized what he described as the “pathetic experiment of the incumbent administration to thwart the sovereign choice of the people: Rody Duterte.”

“Roxas and his well-oiled and wellfunded cohorts should be ashamed and shamed for this truly despicable act,” he said.

Roxas was a “clear beneficiary” of a sudden surge in numbers in an online

poll conducted by Rappler.com, he said.

The surge was traced by Rappler.com to the mysterious respondents in Russia, South Korea and China who participated in the survey at the last minute.

Laviña criticized Roxas over the report, calling the move a “brazen attempt to reverse the people’s will.”

In December, Rappler.com initiated its monthly series of online surveys to determine the people’s preferences for the May 9 national elections through three online platforms: Facebook, mobile phones via text messaging, and within its own website.

Toward the end of December, “Duterte won overwhelmingly... and won again in January’s Facebook poll, receiving 80

percent of the nearly 50,000 votes cast,” Laviña’s statement read, quoting the news portal’s survey.

Roxas won the December survey, “but an irregular surge vote in the first three days of polling in January led us to reevaluate the December results and spot a curious pattern.”

Roxas’ numbers maintained a pattern of no-increase per hour, “but when the surge came, the numbers peaked at around 1,400 votes per hour,” Laviña said.

According to Rappler.com, “an hourly breakdown of voting clearly showed the surge,” prodding its analysts to conclude the presence of a “systematic, organized gaming in the survey.” Rio N. Araja

Chinese groups back Binay

Campaigning in Antipolo. Vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is greeted by war veterans and other supporters in Antipolo City. PNA

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

THE Filipino-Chinese community on Monday vowed to support the presidential bid of United Nationalist Alliance standard bearer Jejomar Binay and his health and medical programs similar to Makati’s.

“The yellow card that I implemented in Makati was recognized by the United Nations as one of the world’s best practices in terms of providing health and medical assistance to the poor,” the vice president said before the officers of the Philippine Chinese Charitable Association Inc., Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center, and the Filipino-Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc. He said he will provide free maternal, child and elderly care; free outpatient consultations and medicines; and government-subsidized hospitalization on top of PhilHealth benefits if he becomes the next president.

Binay was joined by his running mate Senator Gregorio Honasan II and senatorial candidates Sulu Princess Jacel Kiram, Parañaque City councilor Alma Moreno, former Special Action Force Commander Getulio Napeñas, broadcaster Rey Langit, and labor lawyer Allan Montano in the assembly.

“In Makati, no one dies because they are poor. Even if their medical cost reach millions of pesos, we will still provide them free hospitalization. We need to help the poor,” Binay said.

He said he would be putting up more health centers in the country and provide them with facilities and medicines.

Binay also pledged to improve the health centers nationwide, adding that he would be working for a 1:1 ratio of one rural health worker for every health center. Vito Barcelo

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Reds hit LP peace stance

By John Paolo Bencito

MILF bet. The leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front supported the presidential candidacy of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who was the only candidate who has visited the separatists’ Camp Darapanan headquarters in Maguindanao. Duterte met with MILF vice chairperson for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar.

DFA: China wants to be above the law

By Vito Barcelo THE Philippines on Monday criticized Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for suggesting that the Philippines instigated the tension in the South China Sea when it is Beijing which has disregarded international law and openly flaunts that it is above the law of nations.

“We have had countless meetings with China to try to address the issue between the two of us to no avail,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, referring to more than 50 bilateral discussions Manila had with Beijing on the matter of the

South China Sea. “We have invited China many times to join us in arbitration as early as 2012, again to no avail,” the DFA added.

“As we presume to be responsible states, the Philippines, as well as the international community,

are asking China to respect the forthcoming ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal and together advance an international rules-based regime,” the DFA said.

“If China does not heed our collective call, does it mean that China considers itself above the law?” the statement added.

The DFA issued the statement after Wang accused the Philippines of “political provocation” in a press briefing in Washington D.C. last week.

Wang claimed that the Philippines reneged on the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea between China and Southeast Asian nations, but the DFA said

it was Beijing who refused to pursue substantive talks on a binding code of conduct.

Wang also claimed the Philippines violated the stipulation of Article 4 of DOC and gave up on dialogue and negotiations with the direct concerned parties of China when Beijing refused to talk about their activities in Scarborough Shoal more than 50 times.

Consequently, the Philippines filed an arbitration case before The Netherland-based tribunal court and the decision is expected to be released early this year. Still, China refused to participate in the proceedings, the DFA said.

NATIONAL Democratic Front chief peace negotiator Luis Jalandoni slammed Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas for his apparent disinterest in resuming peace talks with the Philippine communist movement.

“It appears he and his group are overconfident because they have the government resources,” Jalandoni told Davao City reporters in a Internet phone interview.

“Because of their control of the automated election system, they appear to have no interest because they are riding on [President Benigno Aquino III’s] Straight Path,” Jalandoni said.

Jalandoni said the leaders of the local national democratic movement are anticipating that a Roxas administration may simply reject peace talks, adding that they are more optimisting of pursuing talks with Vice President Jejomar Binay, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte or Senator Grace Poe. Of the three, however, Jalandoni, said Duterte appears to be the “most forward” in pursuing peace negotiations.

“Mayor Rodrigo Duterte seems the most forward among the presidential candidates to present his position on the peace negotiations. He even said he is willing to have a coalition government with the NDFP and announced that he will give three cabinet posts to NDFP if he becomes president,” Jalandoni said.

The three cabinet positions mentioned were for the Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Menwhile, the Northern Mindanao regional police command tightened security in the region against increased attacks by the communist New People’s Army as the national and local poll nears.

Party wants receipts, too

By Rey E. Requejo THE Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan party has joined the clamor for the issuance of voter’s receipts in the next election and asked the Supreme Court to compel the Commission on Elections to activate the feature in the vote counting machines.

In a petition, PDP-Laban asked the SC to issue a writ of mandamus ordering the poll body to implement the voter verified paper audit trail feature of the vote counting machines to be used for the polls.

The PDP-Laban, led by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, through lawyer Ted Contacto

stressed that the Comelec has been violating Republic Act No. 9369 (Automated Elections System Law), which requires the VVPAT as part of minimum system capabilities of VCM. “There should be receipts issued so that the voters would see that their votes were properly counted by the VCM,” the lawyer told reporters.

Petitioner disputed the Comelec’s claims that the use of VVPAT would delay election preparations because it entails compiling a new trusted build or the firmware used in the final configuration of the machines, final ballot design, and data to be used by the AES. “Regardless of the delay it may cause, our position is

that there is law duly enacted

by Congress so the Comelec should implement it,” Contacto said.

A similar petition was filed by former senator Richard Gordon and former Manila councilor Greco Belgica, who are both running for senator.

All petitioners shared the belief that the absence of the VVPAT system, which allows voters to verify if their ballots were cast correctly through the issuance of a receipt, showing the names of candidates that they voted for, could jeopardize and compromise the integrity of the elections just like in the two previous automated polls.

We care. A member of the non-government organization We Care feeds an elderly man at a home for the aged in Tanay, Rizal. TEDDY PELAEZ

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Solons to House: Pity the PWDs

By Maricel V. Cruz

Senatorial candidate and leyte rep. Martin romualdez on Monday reiterated his appeal to the leadership of House of representatives not to keep “hanging” the hopes of persons with disabilities to benefit from his “malasakit” (compassionate) measure exempting them from the payment of 12 percent valueadded tax on certain goods and services.

Golden Advice. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (right) gets moral and spiritual advice from Lola Flora Perez, mother-in-law of San Jose Bulacan Rep. Arthur Robes, during the fiesta celebration of Bustos town in Bulacan. Ver NoVeNo

Students storm Palace gates over tuition

By Sandy Araneta AS THE deadline ends for the filing of tuition increase applications with the Commission on Higher Education, members of Anakbayan stormed Gate 7 of Malacañang on Monday to prod President Benigno Aquino III to stop all increases in tuition and other fees.

“The tuition hike proposals tendered by schools with CHEd today are good as approved regardless of student opposition as long as they handed the required documents under CHEd Memo Order 3 Series of 2012,” said Anakbayan national chair Vencer Crisostomo.

Anakbayan called for the immediate scrapping of “Education Act of 1982” and the policy of education deregulation.

Crisostomo said CHEd has no teeth to

curtail tuition increases and go after profiteering schools because of the continuing implementation of the “Education Act of 1982” which allows schools to set tuition rates without any government regulation.

“In all his speeches, the President always hides behind the legacy of daddy Ninoy and Mommy Cory while railing against Marcoses. And yet he himself continues to pursue the Marcosian policy of blatant commercialization of education,” said Crisostomo.

The group added that the president has the power to stop these unjust hikes if he really wants to by issuing an executive order for a tuition moratorium. “ang problema sa pangulong ito, kapag pabor sa kaibigan niyang malalaking negosyo lusot agad ang anumang pagtaas.

Pero kapag kahilingan ng karaniwang

P4-m blaze spoils fire month’s eve A dAy before the observance of the Fire Prevention Month, an hour-long fire broke out in Caloocan City, destroying nine apartment units and injuring a resident.

Arson investigation led by SFOF Alexander Marquez said the fire started at the second floor in one of a row of houses owned by Honorio Enriquez around 12:08 a.m. in Barangay 83.

At least P4 million worth of properties went up in smoke, Marquez said.

Three of nine apartment units were destroyed. A resident Angelbert Tienzo was hurt while rushing an LPG tank out of his house.

The fire was contained at 1:28 a.m.

Marquez said that an investigation was ongoing to determine the cause of the fire although there were some residents who claimed that an unattended cellphone which overcharged could have caused the fire.

Meanwhile, the Caloocan fire stations will hold simultaneous motorcades today, March 1 in observance of the Fire Prevention Month.

A series of activities such as seminars, house-to-house campaign, and distribution of fliers, and holding of drills along with the Junior Kiddie Fire Marshal will be held.

Jun David

mamamayan ang daming palusot,” said Crisostomo in reference to the P2,000 SSS pension hike.

The youth leader said average annual tuition rates have risen from P30,00050,000 in 2010 when Aquino came to power to as much as P60,000 to 100,000 this year near the end of his term.

He said the soaring cost of education under Aquino has pushed five students to take their own lives out of desperation.

Earlier this month, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture agriculture student Jessaven Lagatic committed suicide after losing his scholarship.

Thousands of students across the nation walked out of their classes last Feb. 24 to push their demand for Aquino to stop the commercialization of education.

Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said his House Bill 1039 is an equalizing measure as this would accord PWds exactly the same privilege being enjoyed by senior citizens who are exempted from VAT payment.

“The proposed law grants 12 percent VAT exemption to PWds on certain goods and services. My bill will put PWds on equal footing with senior citizens who are already exempted from VAT payment on top of their 20 percent discount,” Romualdez pointed out, referring to Republic Act [RA] 7277, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Persons with disability” as amended by RA No. 9442 giving PWds 20 percent discount.

Romualdez issued his statement after organizations of PWds have sought “malasakit” (compassion) from Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. by transmitting to Malacañang the PWd bill for the public to know whether President Benigno Aquino III will sign it into law or suffer the fate of vetoed Social Security System bill.

But Belmonte had earlier expressed belief that President Aquino will not veto the measure.

Belmonte said he believes that the President would have a ‘heart’ for the country’s three million PWds who stand to be the beneficiaries of Romualdez’s bill once passed into law.

Congressmen Jonathan de la Cruz of Abakada party-list and Gus Tambunting of Parañaque, in separate interviews with The Standard, said they are confident that the PWd bill will be signed by the President.

Fire monkey.

Pacquiao The Orangutan becomes a living symbol of efforts to remind people of the fire prevention month.

Malabon Zoo owner Manny Tangco (left) and Malabon City Fire Marshall chief Insp.

Jay Bernard Peñas look on. ANDreW rABULAN

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SC steps into trademark war

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has affirmed the decisions of the Intellectual Property Office rejecting the application for the trademark “Papa Boy & Device” on the grounds that “Papa” is owned by UFC Philippines Inc., which has been manufacturing catsup and other condiments for decades.

In a 35-page decision, the SC’s First Division through Associate Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-de Castro granted the petition of UFC, now merged with Nutri-Asia Inc., to set aside the June 23, 2011 decision and Oct. 4, 2011 resolution of the Court of Appeals.

The high court ruled that the

CA erred in applying the holistic test and in reversing and setting aside the March 26, 2008 decision of the Bureau of Legal Affairs of the Intellectual Property Office and the Jan. 29, 2009 decision of the director general of the IPO, both of which rejected respondent’s application for the mark

“Papa Boy & Device.”

“The findings of fact of the highly technical agency, the Intellectual Property Office, which has the expertise in this field, should have been given great weight by the Court of Appeals,” the tribunal stressed.

In 2002, respondent Barrio Fiesta Manufacturing Corp. filed application for the mark for goods under Class 30, specifically for lechon sauce. Nutri-Asia opposed the said application, contending that “Papa Boy & Device” is confusingly similar with its “Papa” marks, considering that its ketchup product and respondent’s lechon sauce product are related articles that fall under the same Class 30.

The mark “Papa” for use on ba-

nana catsup and other similar goods was first used in 1954 by Neri Papa, taken from his surname. Mr. Papa used the mark “Papa” for about 27 years until he assigned the said mark to Hernan D. Reyes, who subsequently filed an application to register the mark.

In ruling against Barrio Fiesta, the SC noted that a scrutiny of both petitioner’s and respondent’s respective marks would show that the IPO-BLA and the IPO director general correctly found the word ‘Papa’ as the dominant feature of petitioner’s mark ‘Papa Ketsarap.’

Contrary to respondent’s contention, ‘Ketsarap’ cannot be the dominant feature of the mark as it is merely descriptive of the product. Furthermore, it is the ‘Papa’

mark that has been in commercial use for decades and has established awareness and goodwill among consumers.

The SC sided with the IPO-BLA, saying that the word “Papa” is also the dominant feature of respondent’s “Papa Boy & Device” mark subject of the application, such that the word “Papa” is written on top of and before the other words such that it is the first word/figure that catches the eyes. The SC added, as correctly pointed out by the IPO Director General, that the part of respondent’s mark which appears prominently to the eyes and ears is the phrase ‘Papa Boy’ and that is what a purchaser of respondent’s product would immediately recall, not the smiling hog in the logo.

Edsa proves change is possible, says Peña MAKATI Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña on Monday said that the 30th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution held “greater significance” for the city and its people, as it “served to underscore the possibility of change despite all odds.”

“The recent change in leadership in the country’s financial center echoes the triumph of the Edsa Revolution which ended 20 years of the Marcos regime,” Peña said.

“For us in the New Makati, the 30th anniversary of the People Power at Edsa inspires renewed hope in our hearts as we strive to bring about positive changes in the way the local government is run, so that we can serve our city residents and stakeholders better,” Peña said.

He recalled how, as a 17-year-old teenager, he joined the multitude of civilians who went to Edsa to show their support for the rebel forces who dared to defy the dictatorship. “Back then I was already politically aware and keenly interested in what was happening in our country. The human rights violations, crony capitalism and other abuses of the Marcos regime were etched in my young mind,” he said.

“Kid,” as he is more popularly known, said he has been guided by lessons learned from the past.

In the wake of issues and massive charges against the previous administration, Peña vowed to prioritize the implementation of much-needed reforms aimed to curb corruption and protect the city’s resources from abuse and misuse.

The mayor said among the first things they did was to conduct an audit of the free cakes and BLU card programs for senior citizens, whereby they discovered irregularities in the selection of suppliers and even in the registry of beneficiaries. “Today, our elderly residents enjoy branded and delicious cakes at a more reasonable cost to the city,” he said.

Subsequently, a transparent bidding process has been established for other projects of the city, with the help of modern technology. The public as well as members of the media can view ongoing biddings via live mainstreaming on TV monitors around city hall.

With enhanced social services in place, senior citizens of Makati can now enjoy personalized medical care through house-to-house visits being conducted by doctors from the Makati Health Department and delivery of free vitamins and medicines directly to their homes.

Makati Mayor Romulo Peña answers questions from journalists.

Pump prices adjusted; gas up, diesel down

By Alena Mae S. Flores

CHR opens Diokno Hall. The Commission on Human Rights honored the

late Senator Jose ‘Ka Pepe’ Diokno on his 94th birth anniversary, Feb. 26, 2016 by dedicating the Bulwagang Ka Pepe at the CHR in his memory. During the ceremony, CHR chairperson Chito Gascon, together with the Diokno family represented

by Dr. Maris Diokno, chairperson of the National Historical Commission, cut the ribbon to officially open the hall to the public. An audio-visual presentation produced by the Diokno foundation was shown, together with the unveiling of a commemorative artwork of images of Ka Pepe. Jose W. Diokno was a prime mover in institutionalizing human rights in the Philippines. As a lawyer and a statesman during Martial Law, he championed the rule of law by fighting for people’s rights and political freedoms.

THE country’s oil firms raised the price of gasoline by P0.20 per liter but reduced that of diesel and kerosene by P0.10 and P0.15 per liter, respectively.

The oil firms adjusted pump prices starting Tuesday to reflect the movement of oil prices in the world market last week.

They also increased the price of cooking gas by P0.30 per kilo and auto LPG by P0.20 per liter at the same time.

“These reflect movements in the international contract prices of LPG for the month of March,” Petron said in its advisory.

Among the oil firms who issued their respective advisories are Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Petron Corp., Seaoil Philippines, PTT Philippines, Unioil Philippines, among others.

Last week, the oil firms raised the price of diesel and gasoline by P1.30 and P0.95 per liter, respectively.

Oil prices continues to go down due to oversupply concerns especially from the US inventories and while traders wait for the oil-producing countries to freeze crude production at January levels.

T U E S D AY : M A R C H 1 , 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MORONG, Bataan— Hundreds of tiny turtle hatchlings emerge above a Philippine beach at night and immediately look to the sea, hoping to beat huge odds and start a remarkable trans-oceanic journey lasting decades.

The olive ridleys, each shorter than a credit card, are among five species of sea turtles in the Philippines that are in danger of extinction, mostly because they are prized as a protein-rich food.

“Not too long ago, all marine turtle eggs here ended up in the pot,” said Manolo Ibias, 63, a parttime fisherman and farmer who in his youth stole ridley eggs buried along the coast to eat as omelettes.

As a late convert to conservation, Ibias has for the past 17 years led Pawikan Conservation Center, a community-based effort to protect turtles in Morong, a town about 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Manila, which is the olive ridleys’ largest known egg-laying site in the country.

Globally, all seven known marine turtle species are declining or near extinction, mostly because of human actions, according to the Swiss-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

These include accidental capture by giant nets of industrialscale fishing trawlers, as well as coastal development that rob the migratory reptiles of nesting sites.

And while the sea turtle trade is banned under an international convention, their meat and eggs remain a source of food and income for many people, such as those in the mostly poor fishing villages near Morong.

They are also harvested around the world for medicine, religious ceremonies and as articles of fashion.

Conservation efforts In the Philippines, governmentled conservation efforts began in the early 1980s, said Angelita Viloria, from the government’s threatened species management unit.

Viloria said these efforts, focused mainly on educating communities but with little funding, were aimed at protecting about 100 major nesting sites, including at Morong.

A law was also passed in 2001 punishing the trafficking of turtles and other endangered species

Conservationists release endangered turtles to sea

Turtle tale. Olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings are released at a beach in Morong, Bataan. AFP with stiff jail terms and fines.

“Our goal is to reach a stable population, when they will no longer be endangered,” she said.

However, turtle numbers are likely still in decline, according to Romeo Trono, who previously ran the government’s sea turtle conservation program and is a respected global expert on the animal.

While some local communities have been educated, Chinese traders have emerged as the greatest threat, bringing boats close to Philippine islands and filling them with turtles bought from local poachers, Trono said.

In China, turtles have for centuries been prized for their medicinal value and as a food, and rising incomes in the world’s most populous nation have fueled demand.

Eleven Chinese fishermen we,.m, mre arrested for poaching more than 500 marine turtles last

year and are on trial on the western Philippine island of Palawan.

But Viloria conceded Chineseorchestrated poaching remains a major problem in the Philippines, a nation of more than 7,000 islands with a small and poorly funded coast guard.

“Our waters are too vast. We cannot effectively conduct patrols,” Viloria said.

Slim survival chances Morong’s Pawikan center, named after the Filipino term for the animal, is promoted as a showcase for the national efforts to protect the species.

But it also illustrates the many challenges.

For five months starting each October, about 200 turtles lay an astounding 19,000 rubbery, ping pong ball-sized turtle eggs—mostly olive ridley—at Morong.

To protect them from poachers,

the center’s 17 volunteers, mostly local fishermen and farmers, dig the eggs up and bury them at a guarded artificial hatchery nearby.

They also take turns patrolling the seven-kilometer (four-mile) stretch of South China Sea coastline in an all-terrain buggy in a bid to stop residents of nearby villages from stealing them.

Natural predation from birds and fish, as well as human activity, mean just one percent of hatchlings typically survive into adulthood, according to conservation groups.

At Morong, the odds are even worse.

Relocating the eggs initially to the artificial hatchery cuts their survival chances because they are taken away from their natural habitat, according to Ibias.

And with no national government financial support, the center relies almost entirely on tourists for funding—which has some po-

tentially deadly consequences.

As a survival instinct to avoid predators, the hatchlings always emerge from their shells at night and aim to get straight to the water.

However, to cater for the tourists, the hatchlings are prevented from immediately running from the sand to the ocean, sometimes being made to wait hours in a big bucket until tourists turn up in the morning.

For P50 (about $1), visitors can pick one up, take a photo with it, then release it into the ocean. But preventing the hatchlings from immediately crawling to the water exhausts them, Trono explained.

He warned low nesting numbers at Morong indicated the species may disappear locally soon.

Ibias also warned conservation efforts could eventually fail, with impoverished villagers often feeling they have no choice but to eat turtle eggs. AFP

Police investigating death of German found on yacht

Cutting grass. A maintenance worker of the Tagaytay Highlands golf course cuts the grass with Taal Volcano serving as backdrop. MANNY PALMERO

POLICE said Monday they were investigating the mystery of a German man whose body was found slumped in the cabin of a yacht that was drifting off the southern Philippines.

Documents found on the yacht identified the dead man as Manfred Fritz Bajorat but the cause of death was unclear, with no signs of foul play, said Inspector Mark Navales.

“It is still a mystery to

us,” said Navales, deputy police chief of Barabo town on Mindanao island where the body was taken.

The man was found seated at a desk in the radio room, slumped over on his right arm “like he was sleeping,” said Navales.

Forensic examiners concluded that the man had been dead for more than four days before the yacht was found Thursday by fishermen in the Philippine Sea about 100

kilometers from Barabo, he told AFP. The investigation found no obvious signs of violence but could not determine the cause of death.

Items inside the yacht were scattered, according to Navales, who said the man’s wallet was not found but that the yacht’s radio, GPS and other valuable items were still there.

The German embassy could not be contacted for comment. AFP

T U E S D AY : M A R C H 1 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

A PERMANENT PEOPLE POWER MUSEUM

[ EDI TORI A L ]

A GUIDING PRINCIPLE THE remains of former President Elpidio Quirino were transferred to the Libingan ng mga Bayani from the Manila South Cemetery on Monday, his 60th death anniversary.

President Benigno Aquino III led the rites, which the Quirino family said was the culmination of a yearlong process.

The transfer and reinterment of Quirino’s remains came just a few days after the renewed chorus against the Marcos regime during the 30th anniversary celebration of Edsa 1 on Feb. 25. The Palace recently warned whomever would be elected president in May that a decision allowing the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos would not sit well with the people.

Four years ago, 193 members of the House of Representatives submitted a resolution calling on the President to allow the Libingan, but Mr. Aquino refused.

Palace spokesman Herminio Coloma said this was because the late President “never apologized for the violence and oppression that characterized martial law and the dictatorship.” This has been Mr. Aquino’s guiding principle, he said.

During his speech at the Edsa anniversary commemoration, Mr. Aquino singled out Senator and vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. —now already among those leading the surveys—and raised the specter of a return to authoritarian rule.

We can understand how the final resting place of a deceased figure would be so controversial especially when history is colored by contemporary politics. The Aquino administration has led the nation not in healing the wounds of the past of reconciling diverse interests, if it were at all possible, but in highlighting the supposed difference between the dark days and the enlightened times during which we now live.

This President’s tendency to exalt himself only through vilifying others has been its guiding principle from Day One. It has failed to inspire younger Filipinos to get to know what really happened before they were born, and look forward to ways in which people of various persuasions and orientations can work together despite their differences.

You can only love your country if you’re sporting the right political color.

Six—or 16, or 60—years from now, this will never be a sound guiding principle.

BONGBONG OWES NOYNOY LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES IT SURE seems like it’s going to be all Marcos, all the time, from hereon. Yesterday, for instance, was about Quirino —but it was still about Marcos.

President Noynoy Aquino made a big show about attending the re-interment of the remains of Elpidio

Quirino, the Philippines’ sixth chief executive, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Of course, everybody and his Ilocano friend knows by now whose family wants what former president buried at the heroes’ cemetery and still hasn’t gotten that honor to this day.

Quirino died 60 years ago yesterday in his home in Novaliches, Quezon City, soon after losing his bid for reelection to his former defense secretary, Ramon Magsaysay. His family,

through the Quirino Foundation, had long requested the transfer of the former president’s remains from Manila’s South Cemetery in Makati City to the Libingan in Taguig.

Of course, none of this was a spur-of-the-moment decision. But what did appear sudden was the presence of Aquino himself at the re-interment rites, which made the event suddenly political, given the current president’s new policy to attack Senator Fer-

A9

Noynoy dropped the ball and let the Yellow side down during his term, this much is clear.

dinand Marcos Jr. and all members of his family.

The message was clear: Aquino will allow the burial of anyone at the Libingan ng mga Bayani except for the late President Ferdinand Marcos. And while he’s president, there’s nothing anyone can do to stop him.

The words of General Douglas MacArthur at the entrance of the Libingan that greet visitors reads: “I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I know the glory of his death.”

Aquino has apparently decided that the small glory of a burial at the Heroes’ Cemetery

(where only three presidents have been interred) will be denied Marcos under his watch—and, if he can manage it, forever. To quote Aquino’s spokesman, any succeeding president who allows Marcos’ burial at the Libingan “will have to justify that decision to the people.”

Quirino, as a former president, deserves the honor of a Libingan burial, of course. It’s just sad that his memory is being used as a political weapon by the vengeful incumbent

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-

to spite the Marcos family.

The only good thing I can see from this sad, purely partisan gesture is that, like the sight of the divisive yellow ribbon that Aquino wears 24/7 on his chest in lieu of the inclusive Philippine flag, we will not have to suffer this administration much longer. And maybe, just maybe, we will have a new president who will realize that his job is to unite the country instead of dividing it.

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

*** I keep getting asked what Aquino has against the Marcoses in general and Bongbong Marcos in particular.

I confess I don’t really know, except that maybe Aquino fears that the rise of the old strongman’s son is a ringing indictment of all that he and his family stand for.

Because the Aquinos have arrogated unto themselves the role of being the polar opposite of the Continued on A11

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

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

LAST week, the Edsa People Power Commission mounted the People Power Experiential Museum in the grounds of Camp Aguinaldo. The museum is based on a novel concept, allowing visitors to experience critical moments in our history such as the fear and oppression during the Marcos dictatorship, the atrocities of Martial Law, the struggle of our people for national liberation from a despotic regime, and of course the four days of the People Power revolution when citizens took to the streets around the Edsa military camps to reclaim our democracy.

Through this innovative museum, the EPPC wanted young Filipinos to experience the stories of our compatriots who suffered, endured, fought and eventually won against the injustice and oppression of Martial Law. But the Experiential Museum is not just for the youth. My wife and I were just as moved as the young people (my sons and a friend of theirs that were with us when we visited museum last Thursday.)

Visitors are guided through 10 halls, which, as the EPPC describes, “bring together elements of theater, cinema, photography, and other allied arts to recreate the experiences that awakened Filipinos, and sparked the Edsa People Power Revolution.” Each hall represented not only periods in history, but also themes that underscore the enduring narrative of Martial Law and the People Power Revolution of 1986.

The first hall is the Hall of Restless Sleep which represents the lulling of our nation to sleep by Martial Law and the suppression of our freedoms. As described by the EPPC: “Visitors will enter a hall with bound people, sleeping on army cots. On the walls, the announcement of former President Ferdinand Marcos, declaring the imposition of Martial Law, is repeatedly shown.

The visitors will notice that some cots are empty. But when they look at those cots, they will see mirrors reflecting their own faces.”

To me, the first hall also represented the first days of Martial Law when many people were arrested and detained in makeshift facilities in several camps.

The second hall of the Experiential Museum is the Hall of Hidden Truths where you could peek into the party of the Marcoses and witness their friends, the privileged few of the “New Society,” revel in extravagant festivities. This is contrasted with beggars roaming the Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T U E S D AY : M A R C H 1 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

A PERMANENT PEOPLE POWER MUSEUM

[ EDI TORI A L ]

A GUIDING PRINCIPLE THE remains of former President Elpidio Quirino were transferred to the Libingan ng mga Bayani from the Manila South Cemetery on Monday, his 60th death anniversary.

President Benigno Aquino III led the rites, which the Quirino family said was the culmination of a yearlong process.

The transfer and reinterment of Quirino’s remains came just a few days after the renewed chorus against the Marcos regime during the 30th anniversary celebration of Edsa 1 on Feb. 25. The Palace recently warned whomever would be elected president in May that a decision allowing the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos would not sit well with the people.

Four years ago, 193 members of the House of Representatives submitted a resolution calling on the President to allow the Libingan, but Mr. Aquino refused.

Palace spokesman Herminio Coloma said this was because the late President “never apologized for the violence and oppression that characterized martial law and the dictatorship.” This has been Mr. Aquino’s guiding principle, he said.

During his speech at the Edsa anniversary commemoration, Mr. Aquino singled out Senator and vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. —now already among those leading the surveys—and raised the specter of a return to authoritarian rule.

We can understand how the final resting place of a deceased figure would be so controversial especially when history is colored by contemporary politics. The Aquino administration has led the nation not in healing the wounds of the past of reconciling diverse interests, if it were at all possible, but in highlighting the supposed difference between the dark days and the enlightened times during which we now live.

This President’s tendency to exalt himself only through vilifying others has been its guiding principle from Day One. It has failed to inspire younger Filipinos to get to know what really happened before they were born, and look forward to ways in which people of various persuasions and orientations can work together despite their differences.

You can only love your country if you’re sporting the right political color.

Six—or 16, or 60—years from now, this will never be a sound guiding principle.

BONGBONG OWES NOYNOY LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES IT SURE seems like it’s going to be all Marcos, all the time, from hereon. Yesterday, for instance, was about Quirino —but it was still about Marcos.

President Noynoy Aquino made a big show about attending the re-interment of the remains of Elpidio

Quirino, the Philippines’ sixth chief executive, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Of course, everybody and his Ilocano friend knows by now whose family wants what former president buried at the heroes’ cemetery and still hasn’t gotten that honor to this day.

Quirino died 60 years ago yesterday in his home in Novaliches, Quezon City, soon after losing his bid for reelection to his former defense secretary, Ramon Magsaysay. His family,

through the Quirino Foundation, had long requested the transfer of the former president’s remains from Manila’s South Cemetery in Makati City to the Libingan in Taguig.

Of course, none of this was a spur-of-the-moment decision. But what did appear sudden was the presence of Aquino himself at the re-interment rites, which made the event suddenly political, given the current president’s new policy to attack Senator Fer-

A9

Noynoy dropped the ball and let the Yellow side down during his term, this much is clear.

dinand Marcos Jr. and all members of his family.

The message was clear: Aquino will allow the burial of anyone at the Libingan ng mga Bayani except for the late President Ferdinand Marcos. And while he’s president, there’s nothing anyone can do to stop him.

The words of General Douglas MacArthur at the entrance of the Libingan that greet visitors reads: “I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I know the glory of his death.”

Aquino has apparently decided that the small glory of a burial at the Heroes’ Cemetery

(where only three presidents have been interred) will be denied Marcos under his watch—and, if he can manage it, forever. To quote Aquino’s spokesman, any succeeding president who allows Marcos’ burial at the Libingan “will have to justify that decision to the people.”

Quirino, as a former president, deserves the honor of a Libingan burial, of course. It’s just sad that his memory is being used as a political weapon by the vengeful incumbent

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-

to spite the Marcos family.

The only good thing I can see from this sad, purely partisan gesture is that, like the sight of the divisive yellow ribbon that Aquino wears 24/7 on his chest in lieu of the inclusive Philippine flag, we will not have to suffer this administration much longer. And maybe, just maybe, we will have a new president who will realize that his job is to unite the country instead of dividing it.

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

*** I keep getting asked what Aquino has against the Marcoses in general and Bongbong Marcos in particular.

I confess I don’t really know, except that maybe Aquino fears that the rise of the old strongman’s son is a ringing indictment of all that he and his family stand for.

Because the Aquinos have arrogated unto themselves the role of being the polar opposite of the Continued on A11

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

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

LAST week, the Edsa People Power Commission mounted the People Power Experiential Museum in the grounds of Camp Aguinaldo. The museum is based on a novel concept, allowing visitors to experience critical moments in our history such as the fear and oppression during the Marcos dictatorship, the atrocities of Martial Law, the struggle of our people for national liberation from a despotic regime, and of course the four days of the People Power revolution when citizens took to the streets around the Edsa military camps to reclaim our democracy.

Through this innovative museum, the EPPC wanted young Filipinos to experience the stories of our compatriots who suffered, endured, fought and eventually won against the injustice and oppression of Martial Law. But the Experiential Museum is not just for the youth. My wife and I were just as moved as the young people (my sons and a friend of theirs that were with us when we visited museum last Thursday.)

Visitors are guided through 10 halls, which, as the EPPC describes, “bring together elements of theater, cinema, photography, and other allied arts to recreate the experiences that awakened Filipinos, and sparked the Edsa People Power Revolution.” Each hall represented not only periods in history, but also themes that underscore the enduring narrative of Martial Law and the People Power Revolution of 1986.

The first hall is the Hall of Restless Sleep which represents the lulling of our nation to sleep by Martial Law and the suppression of our freedoms. As described by the EPPC: “Visitors will enter a hall with bound people, sleeping on army cots. On the walls, the announcement of former President Ferdinand Marcos, declaring the imposition of Martial Law, is repeatedly shown.

The visitors will notice that some cots are empty. But when they look at those cots, they will see mirrors reflecting their own faces.”

To me, the first hall also represented the first days of Martial Law when many people were arrested and detained in makeshift facilities in several camps.

The second hall of the Experiential Museum is the Hall of Hidden Truths where you could peek into the party of the Marcoses and witness their friends, the privileged few of the “New Society,” revel in extravagant festivities. This is contrasted with beggars roaming the Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T U E S D AY : M A R C H 1 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

LIES AND HYPOCRISY TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

WHEN the late unlamented Bangsamoro Basic Law was at the congressional intensive care unit, suffering from lack of support of both the House of Representatives and the Senate despite the fact that BS Aquino III was supposed to have the House under his thumb, there was a warning from both government peace adviser Teresita Deles and peace negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer that this would result in extremism in Mindanao.

Deles and Ferrer were actually echoing the threat of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels that there would be no peace in Mindanao if the BBL did not get enacted into law.

There’s no other way for the President but to cheat to prevent himself from landing in jail.

Now, there’s an ongoing battle between the Armed Forces of the Philippines between the extremists and breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, joined by disgruntled MILF rebels.

Scores are dead and injured on both sides. Thousands of innocent civilians have been displaced and evacuated.

But whose fault is it that Central Mindanao has again become a flash point? Is it because of the failure of Congress to enact the BBL or something else? I believe it’s the latter. That “something else” is the fact that the BIFF and disgruntled MILF rebels have become either sympathizers or affiliates of ISIS. BS Aquino III cannot blame anybody else but himself and his cohorts for the failure of the BBL to get enacted. They tried

to ram through a constitutionally flawed piece of legislation that would dismember the country by creating a sub-state and giving the Moro rebels more than they deserve.

Santa Banana, I cannot divine what love potion the Moro rebels made Aquino, Deles and Ferrer drink. They are so much in love with MILF negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, believing everything he promises.

BS Aquino III, who always blames others for his own mistakes, pointed to vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos and Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile for the failure of the BBL to get enacted into law.

Aquino claimed it was Bongbong, as Senate committee chairman of local government, and Enrile, who did not want the BBL to get enacted by the Senate since it was a local law that must first be passed by the House, who were to blame.

Why can’t BS Aquino III look at the mirror for a change? I wanted to laugh.

While the President lambasted Bongbong and Enrile, he forgot that House Speaker Sonny Belmonte was right behind him.

This can only show the hypocrisy of BS Aquino III. Just as he had blood on his hands for the slaughter of the 44 police commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, he now also has blood on his hands for the death of soldiers in Lanao del Sur. *** With less than three months until Election Day in May 9, I am now convinced that BS Aquino III and his cohorts in the Liberal Party are out to cheat in the coming polls to make administration candidate Manuel Roxas II win.

The President’s biggest fear is that he would be no longer immune from suit on June 30, the day he steps down from office.

There will be charges of treason, bribery, malversation of public funds and culpable violation of the Constitution that will be filed against him.

This is why right now, he is panicking and resorting to his usual blame game to get sympathy from the people whose public trust he betrayed.

The fact that BS Aquino III zeroed in on Bongbong Marcos during his

MARCOS-BASHING AND THE REAL EDSA REPORT CARD (Part 2) THE 30th anniversary of the 1986 Edsa uprising last Thursday was somewhat different from its earlier celebrations. In the past years, President Benigno Aquino III spoke against President Ferdinand Marcos and his authoritarian administration. This year, however, Aquino focused his anti-Marcos attacks on Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. who is running for vice president in May. Specifically, Aquino frightened his audience with the specter of another Marcos getting elected to high public office in the Philippines. He identified Bongbong as that specter. As expected, Aquino reminded his audience how much his family, his celebrity sister Kris Aquino in particular, suffered under President Marcos. How and why the sins of the father should be visited on the son, and why the electorate should be frightened of the son—Aquino did not explain.

Aquino conveniently failed to mention that Bongbong is an incumbent senator elected by the Filipino people. Therefore, if Bongbong is someone whom the electorate should fear, Aquino’s warning appears to be much too late in the day. Evidently, his warning seems prompted more by his personal dislike for the son of President Marcos, rather than by a genuine concern for the Filipino people.

So Aquino has a grudge against Bongbong because the latter is the son of his father’s political arch-rival. Being so, then Aquino probably has grudges against the other candidates for vice president as well.

There is Senator Francis Escudero, the son of the late Salvador “Sonny” Escudero, a staunch ally of President Marcos. The elder Escudero so idolized the elder Marcos that right after the latter died, and up to his own death, he insisted on speech at the 30th anniversary of the so-called People Power Revolution says a lot.

My gulay, administration candidate Mar Roxas is not even shy when he said that Malacañang would give P100 million to each and every local government unit, supposedly for their local projects. However, BS Aquino III and Mar call it, that’s pork barrel in any language. It will come from the more than P3-trillion national budget—90 percent of which is already being released by Budget Secretary Butch Abad.

With administration candidates Roxas and Leni Robredo lagging behind in poll surveys, there’s no other way for the President but to cheat to prevent himself from landing in jail.

isita to land reform were met with violence in the infamous Mendiola Massacre.

Since Hacienda Luisita is owned under a corporate name, Cory later issued Executive Order No. 229 allowing corporate landowners wearing the colors of the Kilusang to issue stock certificates to their Bagong Lipunan (the political party tenants, in lieu of land reform. of Marcos allies) on all of his shirts.

Cory created the Presidential Next is Senator Alan Peter Cay- Commission on Good Government etano, whose late father was very to recover alleged ill-acquired wealth close to Enrile. The Aquino fam- from President Marcos and his close ily regards Enrile as the architect of associates. Many PCGG agents were martial law. There is also Senator abusive. Thirty years have passed Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, En- and the PCGG admits that it failed rile’s loyal ally who did not mind if to recover some $1-billion from the the Cory Aquino administration is Marcos family. overthrown by the military.

Because the Department of EnBongbong’s opponents in the ergy was an idea of President Marvice presidential race obviously cos, Cory abolished it. As a result, took advantage of the anniversary the Philippines became the brownof the Edsa uprising and joined out capital of the world for two this year’s Marcos-bashing spree. years.

And why not? Isn’t it in their best The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant personal interests if the current ad- could have provided the country ministration repeatedly urges the with an inexpensive source of clean national electorate to hate Presi- energy. Cory mothballed the plant dent Marcos, and to equate that in view of fears which turned out to hatred with Bongbong? In doing be baseless. Consequently, the counso, Bongbong’s opponents hope to try had to pay for the plant without reduce the number of Bongbong’s getting to use it at all. votes, and look patriotic at the During World War II, the same time. That’s plain and simple Laurel Republic purchased real political opportunism. estate in the expensive Roppongi Going back to the 1986 Edsa district of Tokyo in Japan at a uprising, while ex-officials of the bargain, for diplomatic use. Cory Cory Aquino administration love tried to sell that estate in 1990 but to celebrate every Feb. 25, they do she was stopped by vice president not mention the events under Co- Doy Laurel who filed a suit in the ry’s administration. The reason— Supreme Court. the Cory administration was a diCory championed press freesaster. It’s report card is drenched dom but she sued veteran journalwith failing grades. ists Maximo Soliven and Luis BelIn January 1986, Cory Aquino tran for libel after they published promised her voters that she would an unfavorable account of what subject her family’s Hacienda Lu- she purportedly did during one of isita to land reform. As president, several attempts by military rebels however, Cory reneged on her word. to overthrow her. Although the In January 1987, farmers who pick- trial court ruled in her favor, the eted Malacañang to enforce Cory’s case was eventually dismissed on promise to subject Hacienda Lu- appeal.

Continued on A11

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

*** The country had an overdose of “evils and the brutality of Martial Law” last week, led by the Marcos-haters who were not even on Edsa in 1986. The biggest irony of it all was that Enrile and Senator Gregorio Honasan were not even invited to the Edsa 30th anniversary ceremonies.

Santa Banana, the biggest lie of all is the socalled “experiential museum” at Camp Aguinaldo which showed the victims of human rights abuses being tortured and killed.

There was no mention of Enrile, Ramos and Honasan except for some photos. Whoever was responsible for that museum must have been instructed by somebody up there to do it.

As I said, the real trag-

edy of Edsa I was that the aspirations of the people, especially the poor and the jobless, were not addressed. Only the Aquinos—Cory and BS Aquino III—and the oligarchs benefitted from it.

That’s the reason I wanted to puke when I saw well-heeled members of society and some lapdogs of BS Aquino raising their hands to show their solidarity against the Marcos dictatorship during his Martial Law regime.

Truth to tell, I was not at Edsa, either. My wife then had a bad case of the flu. I instead sent two of my sons to join. When they came home at night, I asked them what happened. They said it was a big picnic with their friends and girlfriends.

That, to them, was Edsa 1.

*** There’s a lot of betting on how the Supreme Court will decide on the citizenship and residency issues of Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Kelly Poe Llamanzares.

Supreme Court insiders say that if the justices will interpret the Constitution, Mrs. Llamanzares will surely be disqualified on both counts.

But, with the Supreme Court now separating the issue of residency from citizenship, plans to come out with the decision sooner rather than later may not materialize, especially so with Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno reportedly campaigning among the justices to declare Mrs. Llamanzares qualified.

The interest of the Chief Justice reportedly arises from the fear of being impeached. What a gamble.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

THE WORLD ECONOMY NEEDS ACTION, NOT WORDS of a worsening slowdown in China haven’t abated. Many FINANCE ministers and emerging-market economies central bank governors of the are reeling from the fall in Group of 20 major econo- commodity prices. Growth mies ended their meeting in in the volume of world trade Shanghai this weekend with is sluggish. In January, the Inthe usual promises to bolster ternational Monetary Fund the global economy. They re- again cut its projections for solved to take all appropriate growth in world output to measures (and no inappro- 3.4 percent this year and 3.6 percent next. It says another priate ones).

It’s a familiar incantation. downward revision is likely What’s needed is some action soon.

Can anything be done to to match these endlessly reimprove this dismal outlook? peated words.

The world economy is Indeed it can. Two kinds of frail, and investors every- policy are needed: one to where are nervous. The US support demand and the othis doing relatively well—but er to boost potential supply.

On the supply side, the only because the prospects difficulty is more political are so poor elsewhere.

Much of the European than economic. GovernUnion is stagnant. Japan’s ments ought to stimulate recovery is faltering. Fears competition by cutting ex-

Bloomberg editorial

A permanent... From A9 streets of our society. An operatic version of “Dahil sa Iyo” is played repeatedly in this hall to evoke an atmosphere of absurdity.

The Hall of Orphans follows.

Here, museum goers encounter the orphans of Filipinos who were abducted, tortured, and “forcibly disappeared” by the Marcos regime. Real child actors and actresses play the orphans and only cynical and stonehearted men would not take pity on these young ones.

The fourth hall is aptly entitled The Hall of the Lost. This hall provide visitors with photographs and stories of the desaparecidos of the Martial Law era. Statues carrying faceless picture frames confront you in this hall, one of the most haunting in the Experiential Museum.

Of course, there is a Hall of Pain in a museum on Martial Law. As I entered this hall, I was reminded of my colleague Tina Montiel’s recounting last Tuesday of the various torture methods inflicted on political prisoners during Martial Law. Among others, the use of electrocution was called Meralco and drowning the detainee in water was called Nawasa.

The sixth hall, the Hall of Forgotten Martyrs, was the most powerful experience for me. Lorena Barros, Edgar Jopson, Evelio Javier, and Macling Dulag are featured in this hall,

Marcos-bashing...From A10 Since gambling threatens the social fabric of the nation and breeds corruption in all levels of Philippine society, Cory promised to close the gambling casinos during her presidential campaign. As president, however, Cory expanded the operations of the casinos nationwide and paved the way for the statesponsored gambling establishments rampant in the Philippines today.

Cory Aquino released leaders

cessive regulation, especially of labor markets, and by renewing their efforts to lower barriers to trade and migration. Trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership should be concluded and put into effect as though the need is urgent—because the need, as tepid growth in trade proves, could hardly be more so.

There’s always resistance to such reforms, and dimming economic prospects strengthen it. This vicious circle of pessimism is apparent wherever you look, not least in the US. It’s up to governments to break it, by pressing the case for growth.

Boosting demand poses a different problem. In many

countries, interest rates have been cut to nothing— in some cases, to less than nothing. Central banks have also bought bonds on an enormous scale, a policy that can’t safely be expanded any more. Monetary policy can do only so much.

The answer is fiscal policy.

The right kind of fiscal stimulus works on demand and supply simultaneously. Tax cuts and investment in infrastructure raise spending and expand productive potential at the same time.

In some countries, to be sure, any such increase in public borrowing would be imprudent, because it would raise doubts about the sustainability of public debt.

This is not the case in the US (nor in Germany, though its

with actors portraying these heroes and how they died. The performance ends with unedited footage of the last few minutes of Ninoy Aquino’s life as he was interviewed in the plane, arrested, and walked down to the tarmac where we hear shots fired.

It was the Jopson scene that made me cry. I still remembered the day Edjop died. I saw the news in the newspaper in Cagayan de Oro and I ran to the chapel to pray. I cried a lot that day for a lost leader—I truly believed that Edjop, like Lean Alejandro, later on was going to be president of the Philippines. I remembered this last night and I could not help but shed tears.

As it happened in real life, the portrayal of the Aquino assassination is followed by the experience of the confetti protests that characterized the growing resistance against the Marcos dictatorship. The Hall of Awakening is the right name for this hall in the Experiential Museum.

In the last hall, the Hall of Action, visitors will find memorabilia and symbols from the Edsa People Power Revolution. The EPPC asks these questions: “Do these symbols still mean anything to you?

What would you do if, like the Filipinos who experienced Martial Law and People Power, you are also called to sacrifice and defend our country’s future? May you be surprised by your own response.”

Overall, the concept, design and execution of the People Power Experiential Museum was very good.

It could be improved further if there is a hall celebrating the resistance by the basic sectors, especially farmers, workers, and the urban poor, (indigenous peoples are represented

by Macling Dulag).

Nevertheless, the Experiential Museum is worth its cost and should be mounted all year long. It will definitely be a good educational tool so that our young people will not forget what happened in that period of our history. Although Quezon City has offered a permanent space for the museum, I told Boy and Maria Montelibano (the latter is a member of the EPPC and a moving spirit behind the Experiential Museum) that eventually Congress should appropriate the necessary amount for this. Costs should not matter where remembering our history is concerned. What we lose is much more if we forget.

In the Hall of Action, we were all requested to recite the Panatang Makabayan, the pledge of allegiance we all learned in elementary school but probably has forgotten. But the words came back, and the young and more mature people with me all exclaimed the pledge with feeling. Maybe there is hope for this country yet.

of the communist insurgency who were detained under the Marcos government. Today, those communists remain at large and continue to destabilize the nation so they can overthrow the government.

The Moro National Liberation Front of Nur Misuari was a virtual non-entity during the closing years of the Marcos regime. Cory urged Misuari to return to politics, and today, Misuari is still creating problems in Mindanao.

Cory committed many other serious mistakes, but those will be discussed in another essay.

If the 1986 Edsa uprising is to be a learning experience, its story should be told in its entirety. That story must include an objective account of the role President Marcos played in it, and a truthful narration of what Cory Aquino did in its aftermath. Unless that happens, the annual celebration of the event will be just another arbitrary date in a meaningless calendar.

Facebook: tonylavs5 or Dean Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

government says otherwise).

Other countries also have fiscal space for tax cuts and new public investment, and the cost of borrowing is currently so low that the policy is bargain-priced.

Even in countries that are fiscally strong, this requires careful planning to avoid harming the long-term fiscal outlook. Done right, though, it’s the best option for expanding demand. Fiscal stimulus—plus reforms to foster competition, enterprise and employment—can revive the flagging world economy.

Most governments know this. After every international meeting they say it—then pass the buck to their central banks. In 2016, they need to take action.

Bongbong... From A9 Marcoses in every way, the rise of Bongbong must keep the President awake at night. Perhaps Aquino feels he is able to talk his way out of every apparent failing of his as president—but he simply can’t countenance the idea that his particular brand of “ineptocracy” has made the people seriously consider the younger Marcos as a viable alternative 30 years after the people power revolt.

It doesn’t help Aquino that the 35-andunder segment of the population that makes up nearly half of all Filipino voters seem to have become Marcos’ core constituency, apart from the always-formidable “solid north” base that has never accepted the Aquinos. If Bongbong becomes vice president—and there’s an excellent chance that he will be by May—the entire Yellow narrative is in danger of collapsing.

As the designated keeper of the Aquino flame, Noynoy simply cannot accept this.

And this is why, even if Bongbong is not even running for president (yet), Aquino feels the need to act preemptively, especially at indoctrinating the youth who do not carry the people power baggage that some of their elders have been lugging around for three decades.

But Aquino ultimately has only himself to blame, if the people repudiate the carefully created myth of the political and moral superiority of his family compared to the Marcoses. After all, if the youth—who have no direct memory of the supposed epic Marcos-Aquino battle between good and evil—gravitate towards Bongbong, it must be because they see in the former dictator’s son someone who will do a better job than the incompetent, feckless incumbent.

How long can Filipinos be fed a diet of the restoration of democracy anyway, before they start looking for actual services and the betterment of their lives because they have a government that works for them? Even the people who lived through the Marcos years are now reminiscing about how much better things were back then, simply because their plight is so much harder now.

Noynoy dropped the ball and let the Yellow side down during his term, this much is clear. And no matter how many horror stories he tells about the Marcoses, that’s not going to change.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Infantino bats for FIFA reforms GIANNI Infantino insisted Sunday that FIFA’s reform package would close the door on a chapter of pain at world football’s governing body and usher in an era of joy.

Sacked Davis Cup captain sues for €1.5m FRANCE’S former Davis Cup captain Arnaud Clement is suing the French tennis federation (FFT) for 1.5 million euros after he was sacked from the job in September, a legal source told AFP on Sunday.

“Arnaud Clement has initiated proceed i ngs...to resolve his disagreement with the federation,” the source said without elaborating on the details.

Clement had one more year left on his contract when he was dismissed and the FFT proposed a 400,000euro pay-off.

During his three years in charge, Clement led France to the final in 2014 where they lost to Switzerland and two quarter-finals, in 2013 and 2015.

That last defeat to Great Britain prompted the FFT to dump Clement in favour of former captain Yannick Noah whose first tie in charge will be next weekend when France play Canada in Guadeloupe in the opening round of this year’s Davis Cup. AFP

FIFA’s new president Gianni Infantino (left) holds a football with Museum director Stefan Jost during the inauguration of the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich. AFP

Scott ends win drought in Honda Classic AUSTRALIA’S Adam Scott won his first title in nearly two years on Sunday, firing a level-par 70 to capture the US PGA Honda Classic by one stroke over Sergio Garcia.

The 2013 Masters champion had not claimed a trophy since the Colonial in May of 2014, when Scott was ranked number one in the world.

“It feels very good,” Scott said. “It was nice to hit some quality shots coming in. Luckily for me, it was just enough.”

Scott finished 72 holes on nine-under 271 with Spain’s Garcia firing a final-round 71 to settle for second by a shot. Americans Justin Thomas and Blayne Barber shared a dis-

tant third on 275.

Scott captured his 28th professional title and his 12th on the US PGA Tour, the most by any active player under 40.

Ranked 13th this week, Scott won for the first time since the anchoredstyle long putter he used for years was banned by changes in the rules of golf.

“My game has come into a really good spot,” Scott said. “We’ve worked really hard to get it there, made some nice progress in all areas, especially the greens.

It paid off this week.”

Scott opened with a 15foot birdie putt and added 10-footer for birdie at the par-3 fifth, but bogeys at the ninth and 10th left him where he started and level

for the lead with Garcia, who opened with 10 pars.

But Garcia made bogey at 11 and Scott dropped his approach inches from the cup at 12 to set up a birdie that put him back ahead by two strokes.

Garcia birdied 14 to pull within one as they reached the par-3 15th where Scott had taken a quadruple bogey the day before.

But on this day, both would par the hole and Scott would stay on top as both made bogeys at 16.

Garcia made another bogey at 17 and a birdie at 18 only trimmed the final margin as Scott made a tap-in par putt for the victory.

“I got off to a good start, made one at the first, that

definitely relaxed me,” Scott said. “Made a lot of good putts. Fortunately it was enough in the end.”

Scott became the first winner of a PGA event with a quadruple bogey in his 72 holes since Phil Mickelson at the 2009 PGA Tour Championship.

For Garcia, it was another disappointing defeat.

“It was tough, really difficult golf course,” Garcia said. “He deserved it. I don’t feel my swing is anywhere near where I would like it. I scored well.† “He played better than me. I fought hard. I stayed quite calm. It’s never easy.

A couple bad shots on a couple of difficult holes and it wasn’t good enough.”

AFP

The package will limit Infantino’s powers compared to those formerly enjoyed by the disgraced Sepp Blatter, and there will be a 12-year term limit for all top officials and their earnings will be fully disclosed.

The all-powerful executive committee will be renamed a FIFA council and football’s multi-billion dollar business activities will be run separately from football politics.

“This will be done very fast,” the freshly elected president said, on the fringe of a FIFA museum inauguration.

“I mean we have to look forward. The reforms have been approved. As of now and for the future there will be no issues any more,” he promised.

“And as for the past, we have to make sure we cooperate fully with all the authorities to make sure that everything comes out if something has happened.”

Having admitted there may be more skeletons in FIFA’s cupboard he conversely claimed the future was bright when asked if there was more pain for FIFA to come.

“There is more joy for FIFA to come,” he claimed.

Asked what his top priority was as he embarks on his much scrutinised project, Infantino said he was raring to go and hammered home his conviction.

“Seriously first the reforms. The reforms need to be implemented now.

Johnson signs with Miami Heat SEVEN-TIME NBA All-Star Joe Johnson signed with the Miami Heat on Sunday after having been released by the Brooklyn Nets.

The Heat hope that Johnson, a 34-yearold who can serve as both small forward and shooting guard, can provide a boost heading into the playoffs, with Miami ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference at 32-26.

In 57 games for

the Nets this season, Johnson averaged 11.8 points, 4.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 40.6 percent from the floor, 37.1 percent from threepoint range and 85.2 percent from the foul line.

Johnson, a veteran of 15 NBA seasons and 10 playoff runs, is one of only five players in league history to produce at least 18,000 points, 4,500 assists, 4,000 rebounds and

1,500 3-pointers.

He and Miami guard Dwyane Wade become the only players on the same team in the NBA to each have produced 18,500 points in their careers.

Over 1,119 career games, Johnson has averaged 17.0 points, 4.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor, 37.1 percent from three-point range and 80.1 percent from the foul line.

Greek pole vaulter Konstadinos Filippidis jumps during the opening competition of the Golden Fly Series 2016 at Maua Plaza in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Dolphins prevail

Interclub kings. Philippine Airlines President Jaime J. Bautista (center) awards the 9th championship trophy of Canlubang in the champion-

ship division of the recent 30th PAL Seniors Interclub held at Mimosa Golf and Country Club in Clark, Pampanga. To Bautista’s right are Canlubang manager Luigi Yulo and Tommy Manotoc, while at far right is Ria Domingo, PAL vice president for Marketing.

Turkish Airlines World Cup elims set TURKISH Airlines holds its Manila qualifying tournament for the World Golf Cup on Thursday with a huge field expected to see action at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Carmona, Cavite.

The 18-hole tournament is part of a worldwide series of qualifiers put up by Turkish Airlines with the winners in two categories earning berths in the grand finals set Oct. 30-Nov. 6 in Belek, Turkey. The event will be held side by side with the Turkish Airlines Open where the top 130 qualifiers from the worldwide elims will enjoy Business Class flights with Turkish Airlines, 5-star accommodation and season tickets for the European Tour event.

The grand final winners will also get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in the Turkish Open pro-am and play alongside the world’s top players.

Registration for the Manila qualifier is at 6 a.m. with the shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. Play will be individual Stableford format with a maximum handicap of 24 for men and 36 for ladies.

For details, visit www.turkishairlines.com/golf or contact SREGO@THY.COM. Established in 2013 with just 12 events, the global amateur golf series is now played in more countries worldwide than any other corporate amateur event of its kind, mirroring the truly global reach of Turkish Airlines.

Due to its resounding success during the past three years, the series is continually expanding and will take place in 100 destinations and 60 countries worldwide this year, providing a unique opportunity for participants to network with senior business people from around the world in a relaxed environment, while enjoying a round of golf at one of the world’s most prestigious golf courses.

FORMER NCAA champion Philippine Christian University survived a big scare before beating hard-fighting Emilio Aguinaldo College, 102-94, in the 2016 MBL Open basketball championship at the EAC Sports and Cultural Center in Manila.

Jon Von Tambeling and Mike Ayonayon provided the 1-2 punch for the Dolphins, who needed a strong finishing kick to finish off the Generals in the tournament sponsored by Smart Sports, Ironcon Builders, Bread Story, Dickies Underwear and PRC Couriers.

Tambeling scattered 24 points, while Ayonayon added 23 points for the Dolphins, who are seeking another title with former College of St. Benilde standout Elvis Tolentino at the helm .

Gello-ani: Espinas a world-class PH boxer

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

PROMOTER Sammy Gello-ani believes Jesse Espinas, who scored a spectacular eighth-round TKO victory over previously unbeaten Paipharob Kokietgym, ranked No. 2 by the WBO and on the verge of earning a mandatory title shot, is “a world-class fighter although he has had only a few fights.”

Gello-ani dropped the Thai champion three times en route to the rousing TKO victory.

“Espinas will continue training and I am willing to accept any offer for a championship fight because I know he (Espinas) can deliver,” Gello-ani told The Standard shortly after his arrival from Bangkok.

Despite a seven-hour hour

travel time to Surin, where the fight was held, Gello-ani said he told Espinas he “had to accept any difficulties” in an effort to become a champion.

Gello-ani said Espinas trains in his training facility in Misamis Oriental.

“Everything there is fresh and there is no pollution,” said Gello-ani, who added that the

23-year-old has no vices, even as he credited trainer Eduardo Suito for a very good training in preparation for the WBO Oriental title bout.

Espinas engaged Paipharob in several furious exchanges up close before the power of the Filipino dropped the Thai champion once in the third round and twice in the eighth round, with some vicious combinations to the head and body giving the referee no choice but to call a halt as the hapless Thai champion was in no position to continue.

The Filipino weathered some big shots from Paipharob, but proved he was resilient and countered with awesome shots of his own to seal a big win for promoter Gello-ani.

Espinas stunned the Thai, who was ranked No. 2 behind champion Donnie Nietes in the WBO

Huey moves up in ATP rankings

By Peter Atencio FIL-AMERICAN pro Treat Huey has moved up in the rankings of the Association of Tennis Professionals.

He is now ranked no.

30 in the world, up five notches after he and Max Mirnyi won the men’s doubles title in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco, Mexico.

Huey won his first title for the year after he and Mirnyi prevailed with a 7-6, 6-3, win over Philipp Petzschner of Germany and Alexander Peya of Austria.

The Filipino netter has so far won nine games and lost five since the start of the year.

The 30-year-old Huey and and his teammate from Belarus earned the top prize of $94,800 and 500 points in the rankings from the ATP World Tour 500 event.

This gave Huey a total of 2675 ATP points after he and Mirnyi captured their first crown as partners.

Huey said in the official ATP website that he battled sickness in the first few days of the tournament. But Mirnyi helped him to play well.

“I was feeling pretty sick the first few days and could barely get out of bed, but as Max said we just need to find a way. We did and we’ve been playing great tennis all week. It’s great to win a title and we’re having fun. The tournament here in Acapulco is unbelievable,” said Huey in an interview by atpworldtour.com.

Since turning pro in 2008, Huey has claimed seven doubles’ titles.

For Mirnyi, he is two wins away from claiming his 700th career match win.

TREAT HUEY

rankings and was also ranked No. 6 by the IBF and No. 4 by the WBA and was previously unbeaten with a record of 32-0 with 25 knockouts and was known as “The King of Knockouts.” He is 32 years old.

But he fell prey to the 23-yearold Espinas nicknamed “Little Giant,” whose record was a comparative unimpressive 12-2, although he did have 8 knockouts.

WBO Asia Pacific head Leon Panoncillo informed The Standard that Espinas was previously world-ranked by the WBO, but dropped out of the rankings after he lost to undefeated Christian Araneta, a flyweight with a record of 10-0 with 9 knockouts.

Espinas is a minimum weight.

Gello-ani praised promoter/ manager Kokiet Paniochyarom who “accepted defeat without any remorse.”

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Lady Falcons extend win run to 73 ADAMSON University moved to within a win of advancing to the finals for the sixth straight season as it bested De La Salle, 4-2, in the UAAP Season 78 softball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium yesterday.

Annalie Benjamen’s superb pitching somehow atoned for the Lady Falcons’ hitting struggles to stretch their remarkable winning run to 73 games, the current longest streak in any sport in the league.

“We need to work hard to get every win. Mahaba pa ang tournament,” said Adamson University coach Ana Santiago. “What Benjamen needs is offense from her teammates.”

The Lady Falcons are unbeaten

in 11 contests, as the San Marcelino-based batters are on the cusp of securing an outright finals berth with the thrice-to-beat advantage.

National University inched closer to clinching the twice-tobeat advantage in the semifinals following an abbreviated 12-2 victory over University of the East to finish its eliminations campaign with a 8-4 card.

University of Santo Tomas stayed in the hunt in the race for the No. 2 seed in the playoffs with

a 6-1 tripping of University of the Philippines.

The Tigresses are still in third spot with a 7-4 card.

But UST will face Adamson University in the final day of elims tomorrow, as it tries to force a playoff against NU for the No. 2 slot.

UP and De La Salle will clash in a playoff for the last semis slot if they beat Ateneo and UE, respectively, tomorrow.

In baseball, the four-peat seeking Blue Eagles and the Green

Archers arranged a championship showdown for the third straight season after besting their respective foes on Sunday.

Ateneo nipped UP, 11-10, while De La Salle turned back Adamson University, 4-1.

The Eagles and the Archers tote identical 7-1 records with two matches remaining on their elimination round assignments.

UST, meanwhile, edged NU, 8-6, to forge a three-way tie in third place alongside its victims and Adamson at 3-5.

Golden Wheel fetes top PH karter GOLDEN Wheel Awards recently honored Seaoil karter Gabriel “Gabe” Tayao Cabrera in a red carpet event held recently at the Samsung Hall at SM Aura Taguig.

Touted as the Oscars of Philippine Motorsports, GWA bestowed the top titles International Karter of the Year and Karter of the Year to the 16-year-old Gabe, recognizing his karting achievements in last year’s race season.

He is by far the only karter in Philippine history, who literally rose the ranks every year, getting the top titles Clubman Karter of the Year, Junior Karter of the Year and Karter of the Year consecutively over the past three years.

Backed by DC, Car Porn Racing, Gold’s Gym, Media Magic and Point Zero Project, Gabe recounted his sacrifices in his acceptance speech.

“My day isn’t over when school ends because I spend so many hours at the gym, giving up holidays and even spending my birthdays practicing. These are some of the sacrifices I have to make to get to where I want to be in racing,” said Tayao Cabrera.

Among other titles he received for the 2015 season are Overall Senior Shifter Champion, Overall KF 2 Champion as well as Overall 1st runnerup in the Asian Karting Open Championships. He has likewise bagged podium finishes in bigger karting events held in Malaysia and Singapore.

Gabe is set to leave for the United States this week for his Formula 3 single-seater race program at the famed Sonoma Raceway in California.

“I’m really grateful to my sponsors who made this dream come true. 2016 is a training year for me. I’m going to miss racing every month since that’s what I did in karting for the past five years.

Nevertheless, I’m excited to see what else is in store for me this year,” said Tayao Cabrera.

Gabe is also slated to be trained driving his Toyota GT86 in preparation for circuit races here and abroad.

Seaoil karter Gabriel “Gabe” Tayao Cabrera thanks his supporters at the Golden Wheel Awards where he clinched the International Karter of the Year and Karter of the Year awards.

Cudiamat, Alcala arrange title showdown TOP SEED Michael Kevin Cudiamat and fellow national player Marky Alcala defeated their respective foes Monday to contest the men’s singles open title of 9th Prima Badminton Championship at the Powersmash badminton courts in Makati City.

Cudiamat leaned on his superb service and strong backhand to beat RJ Ormilla, 21-15, 25-23, in the semifinals to move on to the men’s open singles championship round, where he will meet defending champion Alcala.

Alcala, for his part, rallied past fellow national player Ros Leenard Pedrosa, 15-21, 21-12, 21-14, in the other semifinals match to reach the finals of the annual tournament participated in by 2,000 entries nationwide.

The six-day tournament is supported by Smart, Boysen Paints, Mabz Builders, Monocrete Construction, Morning Star Milling, ILO Construction, Pioneer Insurance, Promax, Babolat, Vitwater, Regent Foods Corp., and Del Monte Fit N Right

The competition is also backed

by Jones Lang LaSalle Leechiu, Jose Siao Ling and Associates, Goldilocks, Mega Subic Terminal Services Inc., Sincere Construction, U2 Electrical, United Colourtech, Wl-An Aluminum, Window One, Waterlite Engineering, Unitech Industrial Sales, Ultracote, Amstar, NCS Builders, Unipak Plastics and Containers, GCI Industries, Belarmino and Associates, and Sidel Industrial.

In the women’s singles open semifinals, national player Sarah

Joy Barredo blanked Jiselle Joy Capili of National University, 21-14, 21-14, to arrange a title showdown against Mariya Anghela Sevilla in the championship round.

Sevilla beat Airah Mae Nicole Albo, 21-11, 21-10, in the semifinals of the competition organized

by Alex Lim and sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association.

In the Men’s Doubles A championship round, Mike Minuluan and Alem Palmares outplayed JC Clarito and Jan Mark Sotea, 21-13, 21-18, to grab the title.

Abueva named PBA Press Corps Player of the Week CALVIN Abueva capped Alaska’s tough two-game stretch for the week with solid plays to capture his first Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week award in the Oppo-PBA Commissioner’s Cup. Nicknamed the “Beast,” the undersized Alaska forward provided the hustle he was known for since his college days that enabled the Aces to secure confidence-building wins against defending champion Tropang TNT and Rain or Shine, respectively.

On Wednesday, the 6’1” Abueva collected 11

points and added six rebounds despite running into foul trouble to help Alaska complete a comefrom-behind 108-100 victory over TNT. Three days later, the former PBA Rookie of the Year dropped a personal conference-best output of 25 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals as Alaska steamrolled past Rain or Shine, 128-102.

The 28-year-old Abueva secured the PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period of Feb. 23 to 28 after beating teammate Vic Manuel, Ma-

hindra’s Chito Jaime, San Miguel’s Marcio Lassiter and Greg Slaughter of Barangay Ginebra.

Abueva’s huge plays early in the conference was a strong indication that he already moved on from the Aces’ embarrassing 4-3 Finals defeat to the San Miguel Beermen in the Philippine Cup. The Aces only needed a win to capture the AllFilipino conference crown after winning the first three games in the Finals. But they found themselves losing the last four, allowing the Beermen to complete their historic title conquest.

T UE S DAY : M A RCH 1 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

Organizing a Sports Event 101 THERE were many good things to be said about the ARMAN Bobby D. Pacquiao D. ARMERO Random Chess Festival 2019 in General Santos City, which I covered for The Standard the previous week.

At the same time, though, there’s a lot to be said about its shortcomings, which, if corrected, would have made it a more complete and unqualified success.

Leading the organization of the event was Grandmaster Eugene Torre under his own chess foundation (Eugene Torre Chess Foundation). Eugene did his best, but I felt that he sort of overstretched the idea of being a hands-on organizer and failed to properly delegate. You see, organizing an event isn’t all about good intentions, but is more about making all the little details count.

One not-so-little detail that they forgot was to demand (or request) that the sponsor (in this case Manny Pacquiao) or his people ensure that all the expenses will be taken cared of well ahead of time.

Pacquiao put up a huge cash prize of P2,000,000, which drew a good number of participants, but the problem was not about the money, but how to dispense it properly.

To the organizers’ credit, the cash prizes were all paid in cash although the winners had to wait for nearly three hours at the Trade Hall of the SM City mall, where the event was held.

Various reasons for the delay were explained, but the bottomline is that the organizers and the sponsors’ financial people should have made sure that the money was already there two or three days before the last day of the tournament or the day when they give away the prizes.

So the winners were all paid, but not everybody was happy. This is because the event’s staff —the arbiters, the stewards, and the members of the secretariat still had to be paid their salaries and allowances since these were not included in the initial batch of money that were awarded to the winners.

Again, Eugene had to go back to Cong. Pacquiao, which was busy training at a gym in Gensan at the time, to ask for the money for the salaries of his staff. Problem was, Manny was so busy entertaining guests and Eugene was only able to present his case to the boxing idol very late at night of Feb. 28, or the day before all the Manila-based had to go back to Manila.

(I was also waiting for Eugene because I needed the money for the refund of the air fare advanced by the office).

Finally, the staff, arbiters and stewards, (all GenSan residents) were paid their salaries at around 2 a.m., a few hours before they had to wake up (if they slept at all) to get ready to go to the airport.

This isn’t the first time that this happened, since we all had the same experience last December in the same tournament named after Manny. I thought that after December, the organizers have already learned their lessons.

Well, I guess not.

I always look forward to covering a sports event in General Santos City because I also get to see my son Aaron Cham, who lives with my ex in nearby Polomolok, South Cotabato.

But after this stressful experience, I now have second thoughts of joining any tournament organized by Pacquiao’s people.

Still, I remain thankful to Eugene Torre for inviting me to cover this chess event. He may have some faults as an organizer, but he remains a decent gentleman and a true sports hero.

For comments, email me at armero_23@ yahoo.com

STEP BACK

Cafe France wins. Carl Cruz of Cafe France shoots against an AMA University Online defender in a Philippine Basketball Association D-League Aspirants’ Cup game at The Arena in San Juan. Cafe France won, 97-78.

Fuentes, Alferos set new marks in NCAA athletics

By Peter Atencio

JULIAN Reem Fuentes and Reymond Alferos set new meet records in the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association athletics’ competition at the Philsports track oval in Pasig City.

The 20-year-old Fuentes shattered a standing long-jump mark in the men’s division, while Alferos beat two former Palarong Pambansa standouts to erase a three-year old record in the 400-meter run.

Fuentes, a student of the College of St. Benilde, cleared 7.42 meters on his first try, eclipsing the 7.34 meters of Henry Dagmil in 2004.

Alferos of Mapua reached the finish line in 48.71 seconds, going past the

course record of 48.87 seconds, which Archand Christian Bagsit submitted in 2012.

Because Alferos is close to his personal best of 48.4 seconds, which he did in the National Open, he will have a chance to be part of the national pool again.

Meanwhile, Jimmuel Camino took home the golds in the the 1500-meter run and 3000m steeplechase gold medals over the weekend.

His efforts helped propel Arellano

University to its first-ever track and field crown.

He ended up with triple-gold haul after Camino, a fourth year education student also snared the 5000-meter gold.

Camino matched his three-gold harvest last year as Arellano University ended Jose Rizal University’s reign, after JRU dominated for the last five seasons.

Fuentes bested Arellano’s Albert Vallejo, who took the silver medal with 7.21 meters, with Mapua’s Mark Vincent Ramos clearing the same distance.

San Beda College’s Jericho Hilario claimed the juniors’ long jump gold with 6.38 meters, while La SalleGreenhills’ Emilio Florendo topped the high school discus-throw gold with 39.12 meters.

PSA Forum tackles UAAP juniors finale

Beach volleyball. Rep. Mikey Arroyo makes the ceremonial serve to kick off the 1st leg of the 2016 Tanduay Beach Volleyball Invitationals at the sand courts of the Cantada Sports Center in Taguig City last Saturday. Howard Mojica and partner Ismail Fausi topped the men’s division, while Judy Caballejo and partner Coyah Abanto won the women’s division title.

THE interesting UAAP juniors’ basketball finals between National University and De La SalleZobel takes the spotlight in Tuesday’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Boris Aldeguer, coach of the Junior Archers, joins a representative of the Bullpups in the public sports program aired live over DZSR Sports Radio 918 and presented by San Miguel Corp., Shakey’s, Accel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp, as they dissect the ongoing title series between their respective teams.

The Junior Archers denied the Bullpups a season sweep when they won Game 2 of the finals, 71-60, last week.

The top-seeded Bullpups though, are still a win away from taking the championship, while the Junior Archers still need to beat their opponents twice to bring home the title.

T U E S DAY : M A R C H 1 , 2 0 16

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Bradley Beal (3) of the Washington Wizards elects to pass to Marcin Gortat (left) after being hounded by Channing Frye (right) and Iman Shumpert of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Verizon Center in Washington, DC. AFP

LeBron rests; Cavaliers fall to Wizards, 99-113 WASHINGTON—With LeBron James grabbing a rare night off to rest, the Cleveland Cavaliers proved no match for the Washington Wizards, losing 113-99 in an NBA matchup Sunday.

Washington guard John Wall had 21 points and 13 assists while Otto Porter added 21 points and Bradley Beal had 17 for the hosts.

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said that after James scored 25 points in 40 minutes in a Friday win over Toronto, he wanted to give him a break after playing 56 of the team’s prior 57 contests this season.

“We have three games in four nights,” Lue said. “I just felt today was a good game

to give him some rest.”

James leads the Cavaliers with 24.7 points and 35 minutes a game.

The Eastern Conferenceleading Cavaliers fell to 4117 while the Wizards improved to 28-30.

The Wizards led after each quarter and by as many as 30 points in the second half on the way to inflicting Cleveland’s third loss in four games.

Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 28 points. Kevin

Love added 12 points, but didn’t score in the second half.

“Our top leader [wasn’t] playing tonight. It’s another opportunity for guys to step in and relish that opportunity,” Irving said. “But our intensity level just wasn’t there.”

The Cavaliers fell to 0-2 this season without James and 3-12 when he sits since the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player returned to Cleveland before the 2014-15 season.

Lue benched his starters in the third quarter, including guard J.R. Smith.

“We can’t play basketball like this going down the stretch,” said Smith. “After losing a game to the number two team in the East and then you come out and get trashed, make it look good

Huey climbs ATP net rankings

Top PH karter feted

TURN TO A13

TURN TO A14

at the end. We can’t do that.

“If we’re serious about who we’re supposed to be, we can’t do this.”

Horford bags double-double Center Al Horford had his 200th career double-double and the Atlanta Hawks took advantage of the Charlotte Hornet’s early shooting troubles for an 87-76 win.

Horford tallied 16 rebounds to go with 13 points and the Hawks won the season series against Charlotte.

Charlotte couldn’t recover after shooting just nine percent in the first quarter and 22 percent heading into halftime.

“They missed some looks, but I thought our energy was great to start the game,” said Horford, who also had six

assists. “Our guys were flying around and contesting.”

Down by 24 points in the second quarter, the Hornets closed the deficit to two points five minutes into the fourth quarter with 11 straight points, but the Hawks then went on a 13-2 streak to take command.

Portland punishes Pacer defense Damian Lillard scored 33 points as the Portland Trail Blazers beat Indiana 111-102, becoming the latest team to feast on the Pacers’ inability to defend against the three pointer.

Guard Lillard tallied five three-pointers, and Portland used three-point shooting as the catalyst to win the 13th of their last 15 contests. AFP

Magdaleno to fight on Nonito undercard

By Ronnie Nathanielsz UNBEATEN American southpaw Jessie Magdaleno will see action in the undercard of the WBO super bantamweight title defense of Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire against No. 4-ranked Zsolt Bedak of Hungary at the Cebu City Sports Center on April 23.

There’s been no mention of a possible opponent, but Top Rank Promotions is reportedly looking ahead to a Donaire-Magdaleno title fight in the near future, provided Donaire beats Bedak.

The 24-year-old Magdaleno, who is ranked No. 1 by the WBO in the super bantamweight division, is also rated No. 3 by the WBA and No. 5 by the IBF. He won his last two fights by knockouts over Filipino opponents.

The first was a first-round KO of Vergel Nebran on Oct. 17, 2015 in a featherweight bout, while the second was a seventh-round knockout in a scheduled 10-round bout over Rey Perez in a super featherweight showdown on Feb. 20 this year.

Magdaleno also won a near shutout eight-round decision over former world champion Raul Hirales on May 1 last year with scores of 120-107, turned in by Ian Scott and Alejandro Lopez Cid and 119-108

by Filipino judge Gil Co.to A14 Turn

TUESDAY: MARCH 1, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

PLDT lost P3.27b in 4th quarter

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. said Monday net income in 2015 fell 35 percent to P22.1 billion from a year ago, after it incurred a net loss in the fourth quarter, the first time in 12 years.

PLDT, partly owned by Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd. and Japan’s NTT group, said it booked a net loss of P3.27 billion in the October-December period, dragging down the full-year profit in 2015 from a P34.1-billion income

registered in 2014.

PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan said the company was now looking at a profit guidance of P28 billion in 2016. This was significantly lower than PLDT’s usual annual income target of at least

P35 billion. The company earned a record P42 billion in 2010.

The announcement weighed on PLDT’s stock, which plummeted 17.9 percent to close at P1,830 Monday. PLDT said it won’t declare a special dividend for 2015 earnings, the first time it’s skipping the payment since 2006.

“The next two to three years would be challenging for PLDT. The goal is still with the baseline of P28 billon is to raise the profitable level after 2016,” Pangilinan said.

“We expect it to be a long and difficult process with many critical adjustments to be made along

the way. We certainly don’t expect results overnight. In fact, we estimate it will take three years before we make a complete turn,” he said.

Core profit, which excludes foreign exchange gains or losses and other non-recurring income, fell 6 percent in 2015 to P35.2 billion from P37.4 billion in 2014.

Pangilinan blamed the decline in net income to the higher foreign exchange and derivative losses and rise in impairment charges relating to both fixed assets and investments.

Pangilinan said the impairment loss from PLDT’s investment in

Rocket Internet reached P5 billion. At present, the value of its investment in Rocket Internet was P14.6 billion, down from the P19.7-billion acquisition cost.

Consolidated revenues dropped 1 percent in 2015 to P162.93 billion from P164.94 billion in 2014.

Pangilinan said the company’s profitability had to be “reset” to a baseline in 2016 to P28 billion after the company implemented changes in organizational structure. The profit guidance for 2015 was P35 billion. PLDT’s 2016 profit guidance was the lowest since 2004.

PSe comPoSite index Closing February 29, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,671.04 100.26

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing February 29, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.545

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.540 LOW P47.610 AVERAGE P47.568 VOLUME 396.100M

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

oPriceS il P today

Convergys Anvil award.

Convergys, the Philippines’ largest business process outsourcing company, clinches a Gold Anvil award for its ‘Give a Bag of Hope’ campaign under the specialized public relations-advocacy campaign category. Shown during the awarding ceremony at Makati Shangri-La Hotel are (from left) Convergys director of facilities Patricia Formoso, vice president for finance Aldrin Dulig, branding associate Felipe Gonzales, senior manager for branding Jan Sanchez, senior director for global branding Sonny Divina, branding associate AJ Avañez, branding communications associate Diane Precious Sison and corporate communications director Hanica Pacis.

SM Investments nets P28.4b, merges retail units

P20.40-P23.80 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, February 29, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.5600

Japan

Yen

0.008776

0.4174

UK

Pound

1.386200

65.9277

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128670

6.1195

Switzerland

Franc

1.003110

47.7079

Canada

Dollar

0.739809

35.1853

Singapore

Dollar

0.709572

33.7472

Australia

Dollar

0.713114

33.9157

Bahrain

Dinar

2.658161

126.4221

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266674

12.6830

Brunei

Dollar

0.707064

33.6280

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.027997

1.3315

UAE

Dirham

0.272264

12.9489

Euro

Euro

1.091900

51.9308

Korea

Won

0.000807

0.0384

China

Yuan

0.152875

7.2707

India

Rupee

0.014548

0.6919

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237699

11.3050

New Zealand

Dollar

0.663790

31.5699

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030059

1.4296 Source: PDS Bridge

THE SM group is consolidating all its retail-related companies under SM Retail Inc. in a bid to strengthen its position as the country’s top retail conglomerate.

SM Investments Corp., the holding company of tycoon Henry Sy, said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors approved the merger of retail arm SM Retail with several related companies, including Ace Hardware, SM Appliance Center, Homeworld, Our Home, Toy Kingdom, Watsons, Kultura, Baby Company, Sports Station and other specialty stores.

“The merger adds both greater diversity and a more extensive footprint to SM Retail’s portfolio and is consistent with our goal of simplifying our corporate structure,” SM Investments president Harley Sy said.

“It is similar to the consolidation we undertook in 2013 to create our large-scale, mixed-use property business. As a result, SM Retail will be even better positioned to address the growing needs of Filipino consumers and we expect the merger to be accretive to SM Retail earnings in future years,” he said.

SM Investments said the merger would complement the existing retail portfolio of SM Retail, which included 53 SM department stores, 44 hypermarkets and 213 supermarkets as well as majority stakes in the local operations of Alfamart, Forever21, Crate & Barrel and other specialty and apparel retailers in addition to a minority stake in Uniqlo.

The combined entity will have 1,927 outlets and 2.4 million square meters of gross floor area across a diverse portfolio of food, household appliances, DIY, furni-

ture, apparel, footwear, pharmaceuticals/cosmetics and specialty retailing stores.

SM Investments reported a net income of P28.4 billion in 2015, nearly unchanged from 2014, as revenues rose 7 percent to P295.9 billion.

SM Investments said excluding extraordinary items, recurring net income jumped 13 percent in 2015, as income from operations increased 8.5 percent to P56.9 billion from P52.5 billion in 2014.

“Our strong underlying earnings growth in 2015 was due to favorable domestic market conditions and improved efficiencies which helped us widen our margins particularly in retail and property,” SM Investments president Harley Sy said.

SM Investments is primarily engaged in banking, property and retail operations.

After the merger of retail units, SM Investments will own 77.3 per-

cent of the enlarged SM Retail Inc. SM Retail is one of the leading retail companies in the Philippines along with Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei group and Puregold Price Club Inc of businessman Lucio Co. Euromonitor International, a global market research firm, said in its January report it expected retailing in the Philippines to significantly grow alongside the continued improvement in the economy.

“The increasing disposable income of Filipinos will encourage further purchases of products within grocery and non-grocery categories. The constant exposure to various media sources and overseas travel are also expected to further increase sophistication of Filipinos, which will hasten the growth of local and foreign retail brands already present,” Euromonitor said.

TUESDAY: MARCH 1, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Monday, February 29, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 4 17 30.45 0.92 2.6 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 8.7 12.02 19.6 0.74 1.02 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources Citystate Savings COL Financial Eastwest Bank First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 85 36 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 32 15.32 20.2 10.08 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

79 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 238 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

34.1 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.87 8.45 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 161 4.1 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group C. Azuc De Tarlac Century Food Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp.

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

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

Petron Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

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

Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 1.61 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 390 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 0.030 0.550 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 170 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

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’ Filinvest Dev. Corp.

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

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

Pacifica `A’ Prime Orion 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

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79

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

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Century Property

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

SHARES 20,718,665 238,483,837 217,080,101 181,229,439 392,256,868 704,081,388 1,754,922,350

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3 2.9 44.8 44.5 99.90 98.60 85.20 83.60 36.5 36 3.20 3.18 1.39 1.30 10 9.99 14.2 14 15.88 14.34 0.71 0.71 1.85 1.71 680.00 675.00 0.590 0.520 76.4 75.4 0.91 0.91 15.10 15.00 52.50 51.70 98 97.85 274 270 32.8 32.1 144.9 142 1350.00 1325.00 55.75 55.40 1.58 1.5 INDUSTRIAL 43.05 43 42.75 5.73 5.97 5.73 0.69 0.69 0.69 1.54 1.6 1.55 10.52 10.52 10.2 185.00 170.00 170.00 17.6 17.82 17.6 65 65 63 18.9 19 18.32 2.18 2.25 2.13 2.74 2.77 2.63 11.46 11.58 11.4 8.450 8.500 8.340 7.30 7.31 7.15 5.60 5.73 5.60 7.10 7.20 6.96 1.84 1.83 1.6 20.2 20.8 19.5 59.9 60.45 59.8 13.80 14.04 13.60 5.48 5.58 5.48 2.480 2.600 2.380 222.00 223.40 218.00 8.49 9.28 8.8 29.50 29.50 28.80 3.04 2.78 2.78 38.70 37.95 35.05 26.6 26.8 26.35 16 16.5 16 5.9 5.95 5.8 330.20 331.00 325.00 3.15 3.2 3.1 8.70 9.15 8.71 3.70 3.80 3.67 1.75 1.76 1.69 2.88 2.88 2.82 3.86 3.89 3.82 2.22 2.32 2.32 142 145 140 3.9 3.9 3.9 2.5 2.57 2.5 0.165 0.173 0.157 1.25 1.22 1.12 2.23 2.33 2.24 195.9 201 195.9 4.79 4.7 4.6 0.64 0.64 0.63 1.17 1.25 1.17 HOLDING FIRMS 0.315 0.335 0.320 57.8000 57.8500 56.9000 14.50 14.56 14.20 1.13 1.15 1.15 6.00 6.00 5.95 0.233 0.240 0.225 687 699.5 688 7.2 7.47 7.24 12.30 12.80 12.30 4.55 4.6 4.56 4.80 4.80 4.65 0.226 0.224 0.224 1288 1310 1287 5.85 5.88 5.88 68.50 69.35 66.65 5.26 5.36 5.13 0.7 0.73 0.64 16.1 16.16 15.92 0.5 0.49 0.49 5.86 5.92 5.7 0.0320 0.0320 0.0300 2.010 2.060 1.940 72.00 74.80 70.60 2.45 2.30 2.30 845.00 845.00 820.00 1.05 1.05 1.05 0.77 0.77 0.77 152.00 152.00 152.00 158.000 162.000 155.700 0.3100 0.3350 0.3100 0.1980 0.2110 0.1960 0.285 0.285 0.285 PROPERTY 6.900 7.020 6.850 0.86 0.87 0.85 1.400 1.550 1.380 0.230 0.229 0.229 32.050 32.800 32.100 3.15 3.16 3.05 5.29 5.3 5.27 0.560 0.57 0.540 2.95 44.8 99.00 84.20 36.1 3.15 1.39 9.5 14.12 15.92 0.7 1.78 660.00 0.520 75.3 0.92 15.00 52.10 98 273 33 140.7 1331.00 55.30 1.54

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.96 44.5 99.00 83.75 36.1 3.18 1.39 10 14 14.34 0.71 1.85 675.00 0.580 75.6 0.91 15.00 52.00 97.85 270 32.5 142.4 1325.00 55.75 1.55

0.34 -0.67 0.00 -0.53 0.00 0.95 0.00 5.26 -0.85 -9.92 1.43 3.93 2.27 11.54 0.40 -1.09 0.00 -0.19 -0.15 -1.10 -1.52 1.21 -0.45 0.81 0.65

56,000 35,400 2,853,340 2,582,130 579,200 32,000 174,000 500 2,000 3,084,400 9,000 76,000 190 5,482,000 1,309,200 20,000 16,700 125,260 5,910 4,170 620,200 276,360 165 618,690 1,488,000

42.95 5.82 0.69 1.58 10.38 170.00 17.76 63 19 2.18 2.74 11.46 8.500 7.20 5.70 6.96 1.83 19.8 60.45 14.00 5.54 2.380 219.00 9.24 29.50 2.78 37.95 26.8 16.4 5.9 325.00 3.15 9.05 3.79 1.75 2.85 3.84 2.32 140 3.9 2.51 0.160 1.19 2.27 198 4.7 0.64 1.20

-0.23 1.57 0.00 2.60 -1.33 -8.11 0.91 -3.08 0.53 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.59 -1.37 1.79 -1.97 -0.54 -1.98 0.92 1.45 1.09 -4.03 -1.35 8.83 0.00 -8.55 -1.94 0.75 2.50 0.00 -1.57 0.00 4.02 2.43 0.00 -1.04 -0.52 4.50 -1.41 0.00 0.40 -3.03 -4.80 1.79 1.07 -1.88 0.00 2.56

3,425,200 2,290,300 15,000 73,444,000 400 20 513,400 120 91,800 358,000 8,208,000 51,800 1,962,600 1,423,900 25,684,500 279,700 10,000 1,648,200 125,600 110,700 1,054,500 10,893,000 996,720 71,400 4,900 3,000 1,200 1,525,700 248,800 18,700 206,340 180,000 12,055,800 1,309,000 509,000 284,000 25,711,000 1,000 1,670 20,000 317,000 44,680,000 70,000 12,960,000 2,338,610 50,000 308,000 2,669,000

0.320 57.0000 14.40 1.15 5.95 0.240 689 7.47 12.80 4.58 4.80 0.224 1306 5.88 66.90 5.3 0.68 16.1 0.49 5.8 0.0310 1.940 74.80 2.3 820.00 1.05 0.77 152.00 162.000 0.3200 0.2000 0.285

1.59 -1.38 -0.69 1.77 -0.83 3.00 0.29 3.75 4.07 0.66 0.00 -0.88 1.40 0.51 -2.34 0.76 -2.86 0.00 -3.00 -1.02 -3.13 -3.48 3.89 -6.12 -2.96 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.53 3.23 1.01 0.00

370,000 3,653,530 10,109,400 1,000 68,200 220,000 341,740 2,955,900 10,418,400 4,000 185,000 200,000 221,755 22,000 2,204,810 7,127,800 1,033,000 3,028,800 30,000 46,207,600 99,700,000 6,831,000 1,141,840 3,000 331,140 140,000 10,000 70 103,710 15,380,000 1,260,000 80,000

7.020 0.85 1.500 0.229 32.800 3.08 5.3 0.550

1.74 -1.16 7.14 -0.43 2.34 -2.22 0.19 -1.79

396,000 1,936,000 2,002,000 10,000 11,283,000 2,405,000 334,000 4,769,000

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

1.97 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

1.1 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

City & Land Dev. Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld 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. Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

10.5 66 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 0.8200 2.2800 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 1 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 0.63 10.5 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 0.041 1.200 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 0.650 1.8 6

0.62 1.040 6.41 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 3 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

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

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.236 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

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’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

TA Petroleum

-845,950.00 -11,176,570.00

70 553 120 515 12.28 111 1060

33 490 101.5 480 6.5 101 997

33,298,040.00

1047

1011

84.8

75

1.34

1

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ First Gen G GLOBE PREF P Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F Swift Pref

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

59,980.00 201,305.00 -57,416,132 -84,640,586.00 -207,750.00

-36,963,680.00

60,660.00 -9,566,352.50 329,630.00 -578,200.00 -4,446,255 13,381,833.00 0.00 18,966,330.00 456,062.00 -7,850.00 978,616.00 -18,900.00 12,977,470.00 -389,788.00 11,410,796.00 3,064,734.00 11,131,701.00 818,170.00 -9,431,924.00 3,135,482.50 -1,320,910.00 0.00 -38,340.00 1,702,058.00

-638,645.00 2,601,556.00 -10,555,010.00 24,800.00 18,885,691.00 -3,750,000.00 -41,050,160.00 -147,050.00 -147,490.00 -542,000.00 193,336,668.00 69,000.00 18,080.00 -43,479,670.50 -29,473,586.00

16,873,805.00 6,616,077.00 -25,877,856.00 757,800.00 -62,269,740.00 -19,900,183.50 1,216,320.00 -21,859,260.00 100,219,002.00

-558,260.00 6,700.00

2,128,925.00

-31,994,400.00 -3,905,770.00 -237,070.00

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

High

VALUE 869,950,147.252 1,700,210,679.09 2,256,134,175.36 1,318,866,211.32 2,165,863,135.585 170,190,431.8154 8,491,753,804.922

FINANCIAL 1,497.65 (DOWN) 0.92 INDUSTRIAL 11,109.54 (UP) 18.58 HOLDING FIRMS 6,367.73 (DOWN) 59.38 PROPERTY 2,742.48 (UP) 49.48 SERVICES 1,407.49 (DOWN) 128.26 MINING & OIL 10,570.61 (DOWN) 51.11 PSEI 6,671.04 (DOWN) 100.26 All Shares Index 3,876.38 (DOWN) 29.38 Gainers: 90; Losers: 88; Unchanged: 46; Total: 224

Close

0.97 0.132 0.425 24.3 0.830 0.155 0.91 1.52 1.28 3.49 0.085 0.2280 0.450 8.5 24.95 1.49 3.07 20.50 0.79 0.960 4.400

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.96 0.96 0.96 0.135 0.125 0.126 0.440 0.425 0.430 25.2 24.25 25 0.830 0.820 0.820 0.155 0.155 0.155 0.92 0.90 0.91 1.54 1.51 1.52 1.28 1.26 1.26 3.6 3.38 3.6 0.088 0.085 0.088 0.2300 0.2280 0.2300 0.450 0.400 0.400 8.5 8.5 8.5 26.25 24.80 26.25 1.49 1.42 1.46 3.07 3.07 3.07 21.00 20.35 20.70 0.8 0.77 0.77 0.960 0.920 0.950 4.470 4.320 4.420 SERVICES 6.95 6.95 6.68 6.68 54.1 54.15 54 54.05 0.500 0.500 0.485 0.485 10.1 10.5 10.1 10.5 28.5 28.5 27 28.5 4.15 4.26 4.14 4.18 0.0540 0.0540 0.0520 0.0530 3.11 3.18 3.1 3.1 81.8 83 81.6 83 10 10 10 10 1.48 1.49 1.49 1.49 5.73 6.15 5.90 6.12 960 956 956 956 1811 1810 1750 1768 6.58 6.59 6.55 6.57 1.17 1.17 1.17 1.17 62 64.15 60.5 62 0.237 0.255 0.200 0.205 1.1900 1.2400 1.1800 1.1800 7.57 7.55 7.55 7.55 4.04 4.00 3.97 4.00 1.04 1.10 1.09 1.10 2.45 2.58 2.40 2.58 0.580 0.580 0.580 0.580 1.9 1.96 1.96 1.96 2.05 2.11 1.95 1.95 3.49 3.50 3.32 3.43 0.270 0.265 0.265 0.265 0.730 0.750 0.700 0.710 4.50 4.55 4.48 4.55 22.00 24.00 19.80 23.00 2228.00 2268.00 1830.00 1830.00 0.410 0.460 0.415 0.445 0.890 0.890 0.860 0.870 33.75 34.10 33.70 34.00 59.80 61.95 59.80 61.30 4.95 5.00 4.92 4.95 3.62 3.65 3.44 3.50 0.495 0.530 0.495 0.495 3.74 3.82 3.75 3.8 0.325 0.320 0.320 0.320 4.610 4.930 4.590 4.930 MINING & OIL 0.0043 0.0044 0.0043 0.0044 2.09 2.09 2.05 2.09 4.36 4.46 4.28 4.28 12.78 12.78 12.78 12.78 0.239 0.250 0.245 0.245 0.58 0.6 0.58 0.58 0.435 0.435 0.425 0.435 7.26 7.44 7.24 7.24 0.690 0.740 0.690 0.700 0.285 0.300 0.280 0.280 0.300 0.305 0.290 0.290 0.305 0.305 0.295 0.295 0.0120 0.0130 0.0110 0.0130 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.013 1.87 1.95 1.87 1.87 5.03 5.24 4.92 4.99 2.46 2.49 2.45 2.46 0.5500 0.5500 0.5500 0.5500 1.2400 1.2400 1.2400 1.2400 0.0095 0.0092 0.0091 0.0092 3.56 3.50 3.50 3.50 5.80 5.79 5.67 5.75 1.77 1.80 1.73 1.75 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 122.80 123.50 122.80 123.00 2.36 2.38 2.28 2.28 PREFERRED 54 54 53.95 54 540 545 542 545 114 118 118 118 535 549 543 545 1.08 1.09 1.07 1.07 115 115.9 115.9 115.9 1080 1084 1060 1084 1090 1100 1100 1100 1040 1048 1040 1048 103.5 105.9 105.9 105.9 107.5 110.8 110.8 110.8 82 83 80 83 78 78.5 78 78 77 77 77 77 78 78.2 78 78.2 2.2 2 1.8 2 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.310 2.390 2.290 2.290 SME 3.7 3.78 3.7 3.78 2.95 2.95 2.82 2.95 2.53 2.69 2.48 2.6 13.5 13.8 13.48 13.8 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 109.5 110.9 108.5 109

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

-1.03 -4.55 1.18 2.88 -1.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.56 3.15 3.53 0.88 -11.11 0.00 5.21 -2.01 0.00 0.98 -2.53 -1.04 0.45

10,000 10,450,000 1,520,000 2,023,400 13,220,345.00 1,870,000 110,000 1,993,000 45,000.00 6,590,000 3,620,430.00 264,000 24,220.00 100,896,000 -10,238,490.00 1,200,000 1,550 210,000 5,600 3,281,600 42,803,595.00 432,000 197,890.00 3,000 13,574,700 -96,409,335.00 2,276,000 1,335,000 93,000.00 3,601,000 -4,144,360.00

-3.88 -0.09 -3.00 3.96 0.00 0.72 -1.85 -0.32 1.47 0.00 0.68 6.81 -0.42 -2.37 -0.15 0.00 0.00 -13.50 -0.84 -0.26 -0.99 5.77 5.31 0.00 3.16 -4.88 -1.72 -1.85 -2.74 1.11 4.55 -17.86 8.54 -2.25 0.74 2.51 0.00 -3.31 0.00 1.60 -1.54 6.94

195,000 105,760 867,000 1,300 500 3,442,000 34,930,000 139,000 158,570 100 5,000 289,400 430 186,465 119,300 12,000 2,886,050 247,820,000 1,022,000 100 172,000 13,000 282,000 14,000 1,000 20,830,000 1,000,000 280,000 6,770,000 47,000 4,648,100 626,455 8,550,000 32,822,000 2,144,100 482,490 537,000 6,323,000 12,710,000 172,000 10,000 19,000

2.33 0.00 -1.83 0.00 2.51 0.00 0.00 -0.28 1.45 -1.75 -3.33 -3.28 8.33 0.00 0.00 -0.80 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.16 -1.69 -0.86 -1.13 0.00 0.16 -3.39

250,000,000 18,000 269,000 1,400 1,060,000 479,000 640,000 29,500 27,310,000 2,974,820.00 470,000 41,220,000 4,190,000 32,750.00 182,100,000 10,200,000 858,000 -24,730.00 9,490,000 5,407,596.00 141,000 20,000 10,000 6,000,000 6,000 973,500 -763,095.00 1,604,000 166,000,000 576,340 -1,553,595.00 215,000

0.00 0.93 3.51 1.87 -0.93 0.78 0.37 0.92 0.77 2.32 3.07 1.22 0.00 0.00 0.26 -9.09

25,860 2,850 61,000 560 1,431,000 33,640 11,760 20 19,000 10 10 36,350 1,020,850 67,380 2,542,020 4,000

-0.87

125,000

2.16 0.00 2.77 2.22

10,000 6,000 443,000 601,900

25,720.00 7,499,806.00

-0.46

10,750

2,180.00

670.00 9,450.00 -7,594,500.00 265,000.00 6,461,481.00

-411,080.00 -93,609,810.00 14,040.00 -3,469,713.00 319,100.00 -198,740.00 73,800.00 -6,932,250.00 320,700.00 286,000.00 -81,094,760.00 -302,805,435.00 -13,413,770.00 -1,193,200.00 1,466,888.00 -1,497,250.00 195,600.00 -259,360.00

1,357,535.00 -87,080.00 12,382,000.00 -1,120,800.00

77,000.00 780,000.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

MEDCO Holdings

0.580

11.54

PLDT Common

1830.00

-17.86

LBC Express

9.24

8.83

Island Info

0.205

-13.50

PremiereHorizon

0.445

8.54

Phil. Realty `A'

0.400

-11.11

Manila Mining `A'

0.0130

8.33

Eastwest Bank

14.34

-9.92

Araneta Prop `A'

1.500

7.14

Swift Pref

2

-9.09

Yehey

4.930

6.94

Mabuhay Vinyl

2.78

-8.55

DFNN Inc.

6.12

6.81

C. Azuc De Tarlac

170.00

-8.11

Lorenzo Shipping

1.10

5.77

Seafront `A'

2.3

-6.12

Macroasia Corp.

2.58

5.31

Melco Crown

1.95

-4.88

Citystate Savings

10

5.26

TKC Steel Corp.

1.19

-4.80

TUESDAY: MARCH 1, 2016

B3

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

Real estate survey. The Urban Land Institute Philippines unveils the 10th edition of the ‘Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific 2016’ survey, showing the Philippines holding steady in the investment rankings, with overall positive for major real estate sectors. Shown during the annual meeting of the institute (from left) are Alexander Cabrera of Isla Lipana/PwC mkember; Edgar Sia II of DoubleDragon Properties; Bernard Dy, of Ayala Land Inc.; Dennis Montecillo of Bank of the Philippine Islands; Eric Manuel of Daiichi Properties; Carlos Rufino of ULI Philippines, The Net Group; Ariel Shtarkman of ULI Asia Pacific; and Rick Santos of CBRE Philippines.

BDO posts record P25-b profit

By Julito G. Rada

BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest bank controlled by tycoon Henry Sy, said net income in 2015 increased 10 percent to a record P25 billion from P22.8 billion a year ago on the strength of its core businesses.

The bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday the performance last year matched the earnings guidance in 2015 despite a challenging operating environment.

“The sustained expansion in lending, deposit-taking and feebased businesses drove the bank’s solid performance last year.

BDO’s customer loan portfolio grew 17 percent to P1.3 trillion,

outpacing the industry’s growth of 13 percent,” it said.

“BDO also achieved another milestone last year as it became the first domestic bank to reach the P2-trillion mark in total assets,” it said Total deposits increased rose 12 percent to P1.7 trillion, driven by the 19-percent jump in low-cost deposits. This resulted in net in-

terest income amounting to P57 billion.

Non-interest profit climbed to P31.9 billion, with fee-based service income contributing P19.4 billion and trading and foreign exchange gains accounting for P7.2 billion. Gross operating income overall improved 10 percent to P88.9 billion.

Operating expense rose 14 percent due to sustained business and branch expansion as well as the consolidation of One Network Bank in July 2015. Meanwhile, the bank set aside P3 billion in provisions, even as gross non-performing loan ratio declined to 1.2 percent from 1.3 percent in 2014.

NPL cover remained high at 166 percent.

BDO’s capital base hit almost P200 billion in 2015, with capital adequacy ratio, Tier 1 capital ratio and common equity Tier 1 ratio all settling comfortably above the current regulatory minimum under the Basel III framework at 13.3 percent, 11.7 percent and 11.3 percent, respectively.

“For 2016, BDO believes its solid balance sheet, strong business franchise and focused growth strategy place the bank in a solid position to take advantage of the country’s growth opportunities amid an increasingly competitive and volatile environment,” it said.

The bank’s board of directors during its regular board meeting on Feb. 27 approved the declaration of a P0.30 per share cash

dividend on common shares for the first quarter of this year, with an ex-dividend date of March 9, 2016, record date at March 14, 2016 and payment date at March 28, 2016.

BDO has one of the largest distribution networks, with more than 1,000 operating branches and over 3,000 automated teller machines nationwide. It also has a branch in Hong Kong as well as 26 overseas remittance and representative offices in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

BDO ranked as the largest bank in terms of total assets, loans, deposits and trust funds under management based on published statements of condition as of Dec. 31, 2015.

Stock market slumps as PLDT tumbles Energy, infra projects lure Korean companies THE stock market tumbled Monday, weighed down by the sharp drop in index heavyweight Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the biggest telecommunications company.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slumped 100.26 points, or 1.5 percent, to 6,671.04 on a value turnover of P8.5 billion. Gainers, however, edged losers, 90 to 88, with 46 issues unchanged.

PLDT tumbled by a record after a charge on its investment in a German company caused it to report its first quarterly loss in more than 12 years.

The stock fell 18 percent to close at P1,830, the steepest decline based on data stretching back to 1990. The net loss was P3.27 billion ($69 million) for the three months ended Dec. 31, the country’s largest phone carrier said in a statement Monday. Profit excluding one-time items will fall 20 percent to 28 billion pesos this year, the company forecast.

PLDT said it won’t declare

a special dividend for 2015 earnings, the first time it’s skipping the payment since 2006.

Globe Telecom Inc., the secondlargest telecommunications firm, declined 2.4 percent to P1,768, while SM Investments Corp. of retail tycoon Henry Sy fell 3 percent to P820.

Megaworld Corp., the thirdbiggest developer, rose 3.2 percent to P3.60.

The rest of Asian stocks broadly fell on Monday, with Shanghai ending at a month-low and Tokyo diving into the red after a G20 meeting failed to ease concerns about stalling global growth.

Chinese shares closed down 2.86 percent, after falling as much as 4.63 percent during the day, as traders remained unconvinced the G20 had promised enough to revive the world economy.

The weakening yuan also hit sentiment after China’s central bank set it at a four-week low— even after its chief said there was “no basis” for the currency to

keep falling.

The dollar largely held gains after upbeat US economic data stoked expectations the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates this year, while the strengthening yen dragged Tokyo stocks to close down 1 percent.

Seoul lost 0.18 percent, Sydney closed flat and Hong Kong dropped 1.30 percent, while European markets fell at the open.

Ray Attrill, National Australia Bank’s global co-head of foreign exchange strategy in Sydney, described the G20 as “underwhelming.”

There was an “admission of downside growth risks but no tangible commitments to fiscal policy action, in particular to bolster growth in the short term”, he told Bloomberg News.

European and Asian equities rose on Friday, as hopes grew that the world’s top 20 economies would agree to unleash their monetary firepower at a two-day meeting in Shanghai. With AFP

By Othel V. Campos MORE Korean companies want to invest in infrastructure and energy projects in the Philippines.

Kim Young-Sun, secretarygeneral of the Asean Korea Center, led a delegation of 14 Korean companies that showed interest in the opportunities presented by the Philippine government during the mission.

“The Philippine economy is ripe for foreign investments,” said Board of Investments managing head Ceferino Rodolfo Ambassador, noting that now was the best time for foreign investors to take part in the growth and stability of the economy.

Deputy chief of mission of the Korean Embassy to the Philippines and minister and consul general Won-Jik Kwon cited the decision of the Korean delegates

to choose the Philippines for its investment mission, saying the Southeast Asian nation was a strategic gateway to an integrated Asean market.

Kim said the Philippines had emerged as one of the most attractive investment destinations in the infrastructure and energy sectors.

He said the volume of investments in these sectors more than doubled from $18 million in 2013 to $40 million in 2014. Investments in infrastructure and energy accounted for about 40 percent of Korea’s total investment in the Philippines.

Korea is the fifth largest investor of the Philippines with interests in manufacturing, shipbuilding, retail, gaming and software development, tourism, infrastructure, agriculture, agribusiness, energy and banking and finance.

B4 Liquidity increased 11.5% in January

By Julito G. Rada DOMESTIC liquidity, or money supply, increased 11.5 percent year-on-year to reach P8.3 trillion in January, amid strong demand for credit, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Monday.

Data from Bangko Sentral showed the January expansion was faster than the revised 9.4-percent growth in December 2015.

Domestic claims grew 14.4 percent in January, faster than 11.4-percent rise in December.

Credits to the private sector increased at a faster pace relative to the previous month.

The bulk of bank loans were channeled to key production sectors such as real estate activities; electricity, gas, steam and airconditioning supply; wholesale and retail trade, and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; manufacturing; and information and communication.

Meanwhile, net public sector credit rose 22.5 percent in January, faster than the 12.9-percent growth a month earlier.

Net foreign assets in peso terms grew 7.9 percent in January. Bangko Sentral’s net foreign assets position continued to expand on the back of robust foreign exchange inflows coming mainly from overseas Filipino remittances and business process outsourcing receipts.

“The continued expansion of domestic liquidity during the month indicates that money supply remains adequate to support economic growth,” Bangko Sentral said.

Meanwhile, outstanding loans of commercial banks, net of reverse repurchase placements with Bangko Sentral, expanded 15.8 percent in January, also faster than 13.6 percent in December.

Loans for production activities, which represented more than 80 percent of banks’ aggregate loan portfolio, grew 16 percent in January, picking up from 13.7 percent in December.

The expansion in production loans was driven primarily by increased loans to real estate activities (23.4 percent); electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply (35.7 percent); wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (13.7 percent); manufacturing (5.5 percent); and information and communication (27.3 percent).

Bank lending to other sectors also expanded except for other community, social and personal activities, which declined by 7.2 percent.

Meanwhile, loans for household consumption increased 16.3 percent in January, higher than 15.1 percent in December due to the expansion of credit card loans and auto loans as well as sustained expansion in salarybased general purpose loans.

Nursing home certification. HHC nursing home at Sydney Street in Las Piñas passes the final audit of the Philippine Healthcare

Initiative Human Touch Program, a joint project of the Retirement and Healthcare Coalition and German nursing home operator Pflegen &Wohnen Hamburg GmbH to establish a quality management system for nursing homes in the Philippines. Shown are (seated, from left) HHC quality management representative Marilou Abiera, HHC medical director Doris Camagay, HHC president Jean Guno, business development manager Nicol Wittkamp, Pflegen & Wohnen quality management representative Kathrin Knorr and geriatrician Janice Zamuco.

Aboitiz unit, 2 banks sign P12.5-b loan deal

By Alena Mae S. Flores

AP Renewables Inc., a unit of Aboitiz Power Corp., signed a P12.5-billion loan agreement with Asian Development Bank, Bank of the Philippine Islands and Credit Guarantee & Investment Facility, a trust fund of the ADB. “The proceeds of this undertaking will be used to finance the partial redemption of APRI’s redeemable preferred shares, and the partial funding of its operating expenditure and future rehabilitation requirements,” Aboitiz Power said in a disclosure.

BPI Capital Corp. acted as lead arranger and bookrunner, while BPI Asset Management and Trust Group served as the trustee and facility agent.

The issuance was certified as a climate bond in December 2015 by the Climate Bond Initiative and was the first issuance of its kind in Asia.

AP Renewables is one of the leading geothermal producers in the country. It operates two geothermal facilities, namely the 458-megawatt Tiwi geothermal power plant in Albay and the 289 MW Mak-Ban geothermal station in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

AP Renewables acquired the Tiwi-Makban geothermal power plants from the government in May 2009.

“The successful use of credit enhancement for Tiwi-MakBan reflects our evolving strategy to make creative use of ADB’s expanding balance sheet to support infrastructure investment in Asia and the Pacific,” said Todd Freeland, director-general of ADB’s private sector operations department.

“Credit-enhanced project bonds offer an attractive alternative to bank financing, and by mobilizing cost-effective, long-term capital can help close the region’s infrastructure gap,” Freeland said.

ADB committed to double its financing for climate change adaptation and mitigation by 2020,

including playing a catalytic role to crowd-in private sector climate finance.

“This is a landmark transaction for the Bank of the Philippine Islands, the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region in terms of both capital markets development and climate finance,” said Reginaldo Cariaso, managing director of BPI Capital Corp., which acted as lead arranger and sole underwriter of the bond issuance.

“The transaction is highly innovative, representing the first project bond ever issued in local currency in the power sector in the Philippines and the first credit-enhanced project bond in Southeast Asia [excluding Malaysia] since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis,” Cariaso said.

Bangko Sentral closes Negros Oriental rural bank THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, has placed the Rural Bank of Bayawan (Negros Oriental) Inc. under the custody of Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. due to unsound financial condition.

Rural Bank of Bayawan became the third rural lender ordered closed by regulators this year.

The Monetary Board put the ailing bank under the receivership of state-run PDIC through a resolution dated Feb. 24, 2016.

The board decided to prohibit the bank from doing business and

placed its assets and affairs under receivership, pursuant to Section 30 of Republic Act 7653 or the New Central Bank Act. Available data on its Web site showed that Rural Bank of Bayawan was a single-unit bank located at 807, H. Bollos Sr. St., Bayawan City, Negros Oriental.

The Monetary Board earlier closed down Rural Bank of Villaviciosa (Abra) Inc. on Jan. 7 and the Cebu-based Lapu-Lapu Rural Bank Inc. on Jan. 28.

Bangko Sentral shut down 14 rural banks in 2015, matching the same

number of banks closed in 2014.

Banks that ceased operations last year included Penafrancia Rural Bank of Calabanga (Camarines Sur) Inc., La Union-based Rural Bank of Caba, Pangasinanbased Rural Bank of Calasiao Inc., Benguet-based Rural Bank of Buguias Inc., Bukidnon-based Xavier-Punla Rural Bank Inc., Batangas-based Farmers’ Rural Bank Inc., Rural Bank of Taysan (Batangas) Inc., Surigao-based Siargao Bank (A Rural Bank), Rural Bank of Sta. Magdalena (Sorsogon), Community Rural Bank of Magsaysay (Davao del

Sur) Inc., Surigao City-based Surigaonon Rural Banking Corp., Rural Bank of Labrador (Pangasinan), Rural Bank of Magsingal (Ilocos Sur) Inc. and Alfonso, Cavite-based Community Bank (Rural Bank of Alfonso Inc.).

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. earlier said the Monetary Board was studying the possibility of unifying the Consolidation Program for Rural Banks and the Strengthening Program for Rural Banks to help smaller banks in distress conditions.

Julito G. Rada

T U E S D AY : M A R C H 1 , 2 0 1 6

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

Social media for paranoids I LIKE to tell friends that when aliens come to take over the Earth one day by using Facebook to control our minds, I and a handful of like-minded holdouts will lead the rebellion to retake the planet.

I don’t do Facebook. I don’t trust it, and I look askance at most other forms of time-consuming social media, including LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram or Vine. I do have a Twitter account— but that’s about it, and I use it mostly to monitor news sources.

But for me, Facebook holds a special place of disdain, mostly for the many reasons I offered in this column back in 2010.

“I don’t like Facebook because I find it insipid—mediocre in concept, design and execution,” I wrote at the time. “I also question the wisdom of encouraging people to post private information on public pages without warning them that this is exactly what excites stalkers, burglars and other unsavory characters that prowl the Internet. But mostly, I resent being pressed to sign up for a service simply to get at the content inside that isn’t even generated by Facebook.”

Those reasons have not changed, but six years down the road, I’m realistic enough to know that nothing I or anyone else says can stop the stampede of users who habitually head for Facebook every day.

So my philosophy these days is, if you want to use Facebook or any other social network, knock yourself out—but be smart about it.

But smart is exactly not what a good number of social media network users are, a September 2015 survey by the security company Kaspersky Lab shows.

The online survey of 18,000 users showed that almost a third or 30 percent of social network users share their posts and other personal information with everybody who is online—not just their friends.

This leaves them vulnerable to cybercriminals, who can use that information to do real harm.

Increasingly, governments, too, are paying attention to your social media accounts.

On one extreme, Uganda shut down social media earlier this month on the day of its presidential elections as “a security measure to avert lies.” The incumbent president apparently didn’t want people going on Facebook and Twitter to question the election results and to incite violence.

In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security is building tools to more aggressively examine the social media accounts of all visa applicants and those seeking asylum or refugee status in the United States for possible ties to terrorist organizations.

Posts on Twitter, Facebook and other social media can reveal a wealth of information that can be used to identify potential terrorists, but travel officials and human rights advocates say this kind of scrutiny would prejudice ordinary people who post legitimate criticism of American foreign policy.

Still, the biggest danger by far criminals lurking in cyberspace.

“Social network users are playing a dangerous game by… giving strangers easy access to their personal details and private information,” says David Emm, principal security researcher at Kapsersky.

“With social media profiles containing a raft of insight – from birthdays through to addresses and holiday plans – It wouldn’t take much digging for a cybercriminal to find and exploit valuable information, or steal your identity for their own gain. This is even easier if you have unwittingly made them your friend.

To ensure your social network sharing doesn’t leave you exposed to danger, Kaspersky advises Internet users to be cautious about whom they befriend and trust on these sites.

If in doubt, don’t accept a friend request or click on a link that you are not expecting. It is also essential that privacy settings within social network accounts are at their highest, to ensure that you are sharing your status updates only with your real friends.

Other tips specific to Facebook: • Use available privacy tools to limit those who can see your posts and posts in which you are tagged.

• Verify every Facebook contact. Make sure that the person you’re talking to really is the person you think they are.

• Never disclose anything about your bank accounts, credit cards, debit cards, or other financial information on Facebook.

• Be wary of strangers, and don’t add or accept friend requests from people that you don’t know.

• Turn off Facebook Messenger location logging on iOS and Android devices—unless you want your exact whereabouts open to prying eyes.

Column archives and blog at: http:://www.chinwong.com

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Security Bank gets nod to sell 20% stake

By Julito G. Rada

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas approved the sale of Security Bank Corp.’s 20-percent stake to Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd., the largest investment by a foreign financial institution in the Philippines.

The acquisition of 20 percent of Security Bank was valued at P37 billion, or $782 million.

“Please be informed that Security Bank has received the approval of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on the 20-percent investment of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ LTd. in Security Bank Corp.,” Security Bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday.

Under the strategic partnership agreement signed in January this year, BTMU will acquire newlyissued primary shares of Security Bank consisting of 150,707,778 common shares at P245 per share and 200,000,000 preferred shares

at P0.10 apiece, or for a total investment of P36.9 billion.

The Dy family, the bank’s majority shareholders, would retain control over the bank. The additional capital infusion from BTMU would be largely allocated to pursue the bank’s growth and strategies.

Security Bank officials said earlier the transaction was expected to be completed in the first half of 2016, subject to regulatory approval.

BTMU expects to expand its business platform indirectly through the investment in Security Bank, which is known for its retail and SME business capabilities that are new business areas

for BTMU in the Philippines.

The infusion will increase Security Bank’s shareholder capital from P52.4 billion as of September 2015 to P89.3 billion on a pro-forma post transaction basis.

Security Bank can also leverage on substantial partnership synergies by tapping BTMU’s extensive relationship with the Japanese corporate and its global network and diverse range of functions and expertise with the MUFG group.

With the capital infusion, Security Bank is now looking at expanding its nationwide coverage by putting up a significant number of branches in the next five years.

BTMU, a member of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., is Japan’s premier bank, with a global network spanning more than 40 countries. Outside Japan, BTMU offers an extensive scope of commercial and investment banking products and services to businesses, governments and individuals worldwide.

Largest solar farm.

Solar Philippines completes the 63.3-megawatt Calatagan solar farm, the largest such facility in the Philippines. The farm started generating power, weeks ahead of the Energy Department’s March 15 deadline to secure feed-in-tariff incentives. The solar plant comprises over 200,000 panels on a 160-hectare property.

WB appoints female country director

By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE World Bank on Monday appointed Mara Warwick, an Australian national, as the first female country director in the Philippines.

The bank said Warwick’s appointment took effect on March 1, as she replaced former country director Motoo Konishi who retired in December 2015, after 35 years of service at the World Bank.

Warwick was an environmental engineer and has expertise in flood management, urban development, urban environmental services and disaster risk management. She joined the World Bank in 2003.

“In the Philippines, she will be managing a growing portfolio of projects that support the country’s goal of promoting and sustaining inclusive growth— growth that reduces poverty and creates more and better jobs,” the World Bank said.

Warwick managed water supply, wastewater, solid waste and flood management projects in China and the Philippines from 2003 to 2009.

“It’s a great honor for me to return to the Philippines and be a part of the country’s steadfast efforts to address extreme poverty and promote prosperity that is shared by all Filipinos,” said Warwick.

“The World Bank remains a long-term and committed partner of the Philippines in this

endeavor,” she said.

Prior to her appointment as country director in the Philippines, Warwick served as the portfolio and operations manager for China, Mongolia and Korea and was based in Beijing.

Warwick supported the Chinese government’s expansion into technically complex programs and projects including climate change mitigation and adaptation, rehabilitation of contaminated land and social service reform.

Warwick was sector coordinator for sustainable development in Ankara, Turkey from 2010 to 2012.

Before joining the World Bank, Warwick had worked in the private sector as a consultant engineer. She received her B.E. in Civil Engineering from the University of Adelaide, Australia and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University in the US.

TUESDAY: MARCH 1, 2016

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

Same lotto tax applies to STL Young scientists push Bt research

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales THE Outstanding Young Scientists Inc., the official organization of outstanding young scientist awardees of the National Academy of Science and Technology, urged the Supreme Court Monday to allow the research on Bt eggplant to continue.

OYSI in a statement asked the high court to reconsider its earlier decision and allow all levels of research on Bt eggplant and other crops to continue until a new set of guidelines on genetically modified organisms was issued.

The group also asked the Supreme Court to allow government regulators to resume acting on applications for the propagation and importation of GM plants.

The Supreme Court in December ordered a ban on the field trials of GMOs, including the Bt eggplant.

The court also ordered a temporary ban on approving applications for the contained use, import commercialization and propagation of GMO crops.

It also noted that DA’s Administrative Order No. 8 lacked the minimum safety requirements.

AO No. 8, which was issued in 2002, set the rules and regulations for the importation and release into the environment of plants and plant products derived from the use of modern biotechnology.

OYSI warned that the Supreme Court’s decision would also cause an increase in the prices of livestock and poultry products, saying GM products were used as ingredients of animal feeds.

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue on Monday reiterated taxes charged on lotto also apply to small town lottery and that the Philippine Charity and Sweepstakes Office is responsible for its their collection and remittance/ BIR Commissioner Kim Henares said PCSO was liable to pay the documentary stamp tax on its STL operation because it was the actual issuer of the STL tickets, contrary to earlier reports.

Henares said the agency had not cleared any party, including the PCSO, of any liability over the unsettled DST, which was estimated at close to P3 billion.

“We have not cleared them [PCSO] of any responsibility. The DST is the responsibility of the

PCSO, and they should pay it,” Henares said.

“If I recall, with the STL, tickets are being issued by the PCSO. The ticket is PCSO’s primary liability, they have to remit it [taxes] to us,” she added.

The BIR, the largest revenuecollecting agency, cited a ruling of the Court of Tax Appeals that affirmed the PCSO was liable for DST in the sale of lotto tickets.

The CTA declared PCSO responsible in the payment of the

DST on its lottery operations, saying Republic Act 1169 did not exempt the company from the tax.

The Supreme Court declared the CTA decision final and executory, the BIR said.

Noting the similarities between the lottery and STL operations, the BIR stressed PCSO was liable for the DST on the sale of STL Tickets.

Earlier, PCSO general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II said his office had not received any “adverse opinion” on the DST from the BIR or the Commission on Audit.

Nina Asuncion of the BIR legal department said during a hearing conducted by the House committee on ways and means on Feb. 2 that the payment of DST was the sole responsibility of private companies operating STL under a

contract with PCSO. However, Henares said Asuncion’s statement had been taken out of context.

“That BIR representative who said something could have been taken out of context. I don’t even know what she said exactly,” Henares said.

Based on PCSO’s own computations, the two-year unpaid DST of the anti-jueteng gaming operation in 2013 and 2014 had reached P879.40 million, covering the 10 percent levy on betting tickets.

Under the National Internal Revenue Code, a P0.10 documentary stamp tax is charged for every P1 bet in jai alai, horse race, lotto or other authorized numbers games, like STL. Henares said the BIR was conducting a separate audit on ticket sales of STL operators.

Cemex award.

Leaders and officers of Apo Cement Corp., including Maria Virginia Eala (third from right), vice president for human resources, and Gery Rota, director of Apo Cement Plant (rightmost) attend the 62nd Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference.

Fernando Enriquez, vice president for operations and technology, flew all the way from Colombia to grace the event. Apo Cement, a member of CEMEX Philippines Group of Companies, was again a recipient of environmental excellence awards from the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association.

The elephant in the room THE phrase ‘the elephant in the room’ refers to a situation in which the participants in a public discussion refrain from frontally addressing, but instead merely tiptoe around, an issue whose examination is central to the success and value of the discussion. There is an elephant in the room in the current discussions, in the hustings and other public places, regarding the Presidential candidacy of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

In Binay’s case the elephant in the room has been the Vice President’s obdurate unwillingness to make a response to the string of serious allegations of wrongdoing—illegal awards of contracts, overpricing, laundering, among other things—made against him by his former subordinates in the course of hearings before the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers (better known as the Blue Ribbon Committee).

Yet the other Presidential candidates, opposition politicians and mass-media folk who have participated with Jejomar

Binay in public discussions of national issues have been conducting themselves as though there were no elephant in the room where the discussions have been held.

They have been directing all sorts of questions at Binay—on issues like health, drugs, public order and education, for example— but have refrained from pursuing the one issue that has far-reaching implications for the government’s capacity to provide infrastructure and public services adequately.

These are very serious charges. If proven to be true, they can send Vice President Binay for a long stretch in jail.

Consider the first of the scheduled Presidential debates, the one held on February 21 in Cagayan de Oro City.

The people who framed the questions for the five candidates—presumably the sponsoring organizations—asked Jejomar Binay one solitary question that had a bearing on corruption, namely, the one that asked the Vice President how he came to own allegedly so much property after only 30 years in office. Once Binay had delivered his answer—that he inherited them from his parents or acquired them by dint of his law

practice and his wife’s medical practice— all the parties, those offstage and onstage, moved on, to ask about and discuss the other major national issues. Leaving the enormous elephant in the room asking, “Hey guys, how about me? Don’t I get any attention?”

I don’t blame the elephant. He looms so large in any room that hosts a public discussion in which Vice President Binay is a participant. The creature is so large that one cannot possibly ignore his presence, but almost everyone, including P-Noy Aquino, have managed to do so.

There is an elephant in the room in this Presidential election, and he must not be ignored.

Filipinos who believe that corruption is an important issue—indeed the No. 1 issue—in the 2016 election cannot be blamed if they are at a loss to understand why Jejomar Binay appears to be the object of kidgloves treatment.

Or, to put it another way, why the elephant in the room is being treated as though he weren’t there.

To be sure, it is not impossible that Vice

President Binay is innocent of any of the wrongdoings that he has been accused of.

Perhaps he is innocent. But any third-year law student who has mastered the provisions on evidence in the Rules of Court is bound to say that the Vice President has so much explaining to do.

This is why millions of Filipinos are deeply uncomfortable with the candidacy of Jejomar Binay for the highest position in this country. A President is supposed to be the father of all Filipinos and the exemplar of good behavior and lawful conduct. Yet Binay refuses to answer allegations that, because they are well documented, cannot be dismissed as mere “political persecution.”

There are barely two months left in the present campaign, and the elephant in the room is getting restless. He does not want to be ignored any longer.

During the campaign homestretch, let everyone, from PNoy Aquino on down, stop ignoring the elephant in the room and start addressing the all-important issue that he represents. That issue is corruption.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

T U E S D AY : M A R C H 1 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Police on alert in Pakistan as official’s killer is hanged RAWALPINDI—Pakistan Monday hanged the man who killed a governor for seeking reform of the blasphemy law, angering Islamist supporters who had feted Mumtaz Qadri as a hero and threatened violence if he was executed.

Security was stepped up at flash points across the country, including the garrison city of Rawalpindi where hundreds of supporters began gathering at Qadri’s family home.

Riot police were deployed in the nearby capital Islamabad as officials braced for protests from hardliners.

Qadri, a former police bodyguard, shot liberal Punjab provincial governor Salman Taseer 28 times in Islamabad in 2011.

He said he was angry at the politician’s calls to reform the blasphemy law.

Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in the Islamic republic of some 200 million, and Qadri was hailed as a hero by many conservatives eager to drown out the calls to soften the legislation.

Critics, including European governments, say the legislation which carries the death penalty is largely misused, with hundreds languishing in jails under false charges.

“Qadri was hanged in Adiala jail early Monday morning” in Rawalpindi, senior local police official Sajjid Gondal told AFP.

His body was being displayed to supporters at his family’s home in the city, where paramilitary Ranger forces and police in riot gear as well as ambulances and dozens of police vehicles were stationed, an AFP reporter said.

Armed Rangers could also be seen on the roof of the building housing Qadri’s residence, while authorities blocked roads in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, bringing morning traffic to a standstill.

Cries were heard from inside the house where hundreds of men and women had gathered, and mosques broadcast news of the execution.

“I have no regrets,” Qadri’s brother Malik Abid told AFP, tears rolling down his cheeks, while women chanted nearby.

He said the family had been called to the prison Sunday evening by of-

ficials who said Qadri was unwell.

But when they arrived, Qadri greeted them with the news that authorities had deceived them and that his execution was imminent.

“We started crying, but he hugged us and chanted ‘God is great’,” Abid said.

“I am proud of the martyrdom of my son,” Qadri’s father Bashir Awan told AFP, adding he was ready to sacrifice all five of his other sons “for the honour of the Prophet”.

In the port mega-city of Karachi, protesters blocked main intersections and some petrol stations were closed after Qadri supporters ordered them shut. Police said security had been tightened there and also in the eastern city of Lahore.

Taseer’s son Shehryar said on Twitter the hanging was a victory for Pakistan, but not his family.

“The safe return of my brother is the only victory my family wants,” he wrote, referring to his sibling Shahbaz Taseer, who was kidnapped later in 2011 reportedly by the Taliban despite being given a police escort after his father’s killing.

Lawyers in Islamabad’s district courts said they were going on strike in protest.

Some Twitter users hailed the execution as “justice served”.

“A death should never be cause for any celebration but it’s really difficult to feel any sympathy for this man or his vile supporters. #Qadri,” wrote user Hasan Zaidi.

Taseer had been vocal in his support of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who has been on death row since 2010 after being found guilty of insulting the Prophet Mohammed. AFP

Jihadists kill 30 in bomb attacks in Somali city

Party. Actress Jessica Biel attends the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California. AFP

M O G A DI S H U —A t least 30 people have been killed in twin bomb attacks claimed by Shebab Islamists at a busy restaurant in the Somali city of Baidoa, the regional governor said Monday.

“The official number of the dead has reached 30 people all of them civilians and 61 others have been wounded, 15 of them seriously,” Abdurashid Abdulahi, governor of Bay region, told AFP. An initial car bomb struck a popular restaurant in a busy part of the regional capital on Sunday afternoon, with a suicide bomber nearby hitting people as they fled the area.

“The explosion occurred in a densely populated area,” said Abdirahman Ibrahim, a police officer in Baidoa.

Another policeman, Abdi Hared, said there

NOTICE

Migrants protest as bottleneck builds up IDOMENI, Greece— Stranded migrants lay with their children on rail tracks at Greece’s northern border Sunday, demanding to be allowed to continue their journey, as Germany warned that Europe cannot let the country “plunge into chaos”.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was speaking as Athens said the number of migrants trapped in Greece could

triple after the Balkan countries announced a daily cap on migrant arrivals.

The tensions between the European nations worst affected by the migrant crisis are running high, with Austria’s Chancellor Werner Faymann accusing Greece of “behaving like a travel agency” for the migrants hoping to start new lives elsewhere in Europe.

“We estimate that in our country the number of those trapped will be from 50,000 to 70,000 people next month,” Greek Migration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas said in an interview with Mega TV, up from 22,000 at present.

Merkel said Europe could not allow debt-crippled Greece to plunge into chaos by shutting countries’ borders to refugees,

just months after Athens’ third huge international bailout.

“Do you seriously believe that all the euro states that last year fought all the way to keep Greece in the eurozone and we were the strictest can one year later allow Greece to, in a way, plunge into chaos?” she said in an interview with public broadcaster ARD. AFP

were “twin blasts” from a car bomb and a suicide bomber.

The explosions shredded the roofs of nearby buildings, tore chunks out of vehicles and left bodies, plastic chairs and tables strewn across the road.

The Al-Qaeda aligned Shebab jihadists claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying local officials were targeted.

“The mujahideen carried out two massive explosions in Baidoa targeting restaurants used by members of the apostate South West Administration,” the Shebab said in a statement.

The regional administration in Baidoa is protected by troops of the 22,000-strong African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which is supporting the internationally-backed government of Somalia. AFP

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that SUN MARINE CORPORATION, with office address at Sto. Domingo, Aplaya Bauan, Batangas, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Domestic Shipping, Operator under the Public Infrastructure and LogisticsWater Transport-Domestic/Inter-Island Shipping Activity (17 MB Double Hulled Oil Tanker-1,666 GT) on a Non-Pioneer Status, with project site located at Sto. Domingo, Aplaya Bauan, Batangas.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) RAFAELITO H. TARUC Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (TS-MAR. 1, 2016)

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late ESTEBAN G. FRIERA was extrajudicially settled among his heirs as per Doc. No. 6, Page No. 47-48, Book No. 2, Series of 2015 under Notary Public Atty. Alexander P.C. Ballesteros. ( T S - M A R . 1, 8 ,15 , 2 016

ERRORS & OMISSIONS In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published. We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street

T U E S D AY : M A R C H 1 , 2 0 1 6

B8

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD Haunted by the Holocaust VILNIUS—Lithuanians are taking an agonizing closer look at their forefathers’ role in killing Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust, a dark chapter of the Baltic country’s history that was hidden for decades.

Besieged Syrians to get aid from UN DAMASCUS—The United Nations prepared to deliver aid to thousands of besieged civilians in Syria on Monday as a fragile ceasefire entered its third day largely intact despite accusations of violations.

UN humanitarian coordinator Yacoub El Hillo said the world body hoped to take advantage of the first major truce in five years of conflict to distribute supplies to an extra 154,000 people living in besieged areas over the next five days.

A successful truce would also create a more favorable backdrop for peace talks that collapsed in acrimony in early February as a Russia-backed regime offensive in northern Syria caused tens of thousands to flee.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura aims to relaunch the talks on March 7 if the ceasefire lasts and more aid is delivered.

The main opposition grouping Sunday described the ceasefire as “positive” but lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations and foreign governments about breaches.

“We have violations here and there, but in general it is a lot better than before and people are comfortable,” said Salem al-Meslet, spokesman for the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee.

Meslet said the opposition would like to see the truce “last forever” and that it was the “responsibility of the United States to stop any violations”. AFP

At last. Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally won his first Oscar for Best Actor for the movie ‘The Revenant’, poses with Alejandro Iñárritu who bagged the Oscar for Best Director. AFP

A series of books and films has triggered national soul-searching by making the point that while Lithuanians were the victims of Nazi and Soviet occupation of the country, at times they too were perpetrators of crimes and their victims were Jews.

Bestselling author Ruta Vanagaite, who cowrote “Our People” (Musiskiai) with top Israeli Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff, is the latest to spark difficult discussions.

Writing the book turned out to be deeply personal and painful when she discovered her grandfather had collaborated with the Nazis by working for a commission compiling lists of Jews in 1941.

“I want to break the silence, to open up the wound,” Vanagaite told an audience recently at a bookshop in Vilnius, a city once dubbed the “Jerusalem of the North” for its vibrant Jewish life before the war.

“A mature nation must know its history so it is not repeated,” the 61-year-old author said.

Two black-and-white photographs adorn the cover of her book: Jewish cyclist Isakas Nolikas who represented Lithuania in the 1924 and 1928 Olympics and perished in 1943, and Balys Norvaisa, a Lithuanian lieutenant who killed Jews.

Among the emotionally wrenching testimony in the book, an elderly woman told Vanagaite: “Many people wanted to help Jewish children, but they were afraid. Not of the Germans, but of their own.”

Lithuania was home to a community of more than 200,000 Jews before World War II. But historians contend that around 195,000 perished at the hands of the Nazis and local collaborators under the 1941-44 German occupation, nearly the entire Jewish population.

Today there are around 3,000 Jews living in the EU and Nato member state of three million people.

A state-funded research center has identified 2,000 Lithuanians suspected of taking part in the Holocaust, either by killing Jews, sending them to execution or by confiscating their wealth. The study is due to be released later this year.

At the same time nearly 900 Lithuanians hold the honorary title of “Righteous Among The Nations”, awarded by Israel to gentiles who risked their lives to save Jewish neighbors. AFP

Two French tourists raped on Thai island BANGKOK—Five Cambodian fishermen have been arrested for a brutal attack on a group of French tourists in which two women were raped at knife point on an isolated Thai beach, police said Monday.

It is the latest high-profile assault on foreign visitors in Thailand, a country that is hugely reliant on its lucrative tourist trade.

Investigators said four French holidaymakers were attacked late Saturday on Koh Kut (also known as Koh Kood), an underdeveloped island close to Cambodia’s western border with Thailand.

Police said the attackers allegedly swam from their fishing

boat to assault the group.

Two injured male victims escaped to raise the alarm. When locals and police reached the scene the five attackers ran off but were swiftly apprehended, police major general Nopparat Rinthaphol told AFP. “They [the attackers] all confessed and police have already brought them to do a re-enactment,” he added, referring to a common police technique where the accused replay their crimes for investigators, often in front of the media.

The alleged assailants have all been charged with rape and violent assault while the victims have been taken to hospital on the mainland.

Thailand remains an enormously popular tourist destination with more than 28 million people visiting last year, a record high.

The December to February period, when the tropical climate is cooler, is peak tourist season.

But a number of grisly and violent crimes against foreigners has sullied the country’s reputation as a tourist haven.

In September two Myanmar migrant workers were sentenced to death for the 2013 murder of two British backpackers, one of whom was raped, on the diving island of Koh Tao after a controversial investigation and trial. AFP

Onstage. Actresses Charlize Theron (L) and Emily Blunt walk onstage at the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theater in Hollywood, 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

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFeatstandard

a rts, cuLt u re & t ech

LIFE

a portion of the 25x4 feet mural entitled Trans (2005-2016) that took rosscapili 10 years to complete

Rosscapili’s shining moment with ‘momentos’ Mixed media artist to showcase a diverse range of mixed media art and a mural at SM Art Center

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ulti-awarded photographer and painter Ross Capili – who signs his name professionally as Rosscapili, will be celebrating his 57th birthday with a landmark exhibit aptly titled “Momentos” – described as a hybrid of moment, a short but unspecified point in time and memento or that object or item that serves as a reminder.

Described by noted art critic Cid Reyes as an abstractionist and master of compositional painting techniques, Rosscapili’s featured body of works strikes one as a compilation of visual explorations on the manner in which a moment translates itself into a memory –reflections of the artist actually on the transitory nature of time and the human capacity for recollection.

The highlight of the exhibit will be the large mural entitled “Trans” that took 10 years for the artist to complete, with the vibrant colors and effortless strokes that have become synonymous with the artist’s signature. The foundation for the 25x4 feet artwork started in early 2005, with Rosscapili working over the years

to refine the concept, bit by bit, until its recent completion.

The piece – which is composed of four main frames featuring silhouettes of the female form, then juxtaposed with his recent works that allude to more natural elements – should be enough proof of the kind of determination and struggle that the artist puts into his work before he deems it ready for unveiling to the public.

“Trans” also serves as a window that gives viewers a peek into the thin line that divides the dream world and the real world, showcasing the metamorphoses of figures into the more amorphous and universal expression of beauty found in the natural world.

With more than 40 successful exhibits under his belt, Rosscapili has accumulated close to 60 awards and distinctions including the Jurors’ Choice in the 1994 Philip Morris Asean Art Awards, 2001 Pamana ng Lahi Award in San Francisco in the US, Grand Prize in the 2004 Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF)

Hope Blooms 011216 2016, acrylic on canvas, 18x24 inches

PhotoWorldManila, 2008 Pacific Asia Travel Association PATA Gold Awards in Travel Photo Journalism in Hyderabad India and an Ani ng Dangal Presidential Award in 2009. His followers – locally and abroad – always look forward to his one-man art exhibitions whether in painting, photography and digital art.

In retrospect, one could say that the Tondo-born artist (who discovered his talent for drawing when he was in grade school) has come a long way, overcoming poverty and the resistance of his parents to pursue his passion. At a young age, he learned the value of hard work as he would do odd jobs to earn some pocket money – such experiences most likely shaping the kind of passion and dynamism that he pours into his work.

Presented by Galerie Francesca in cooperation with Galerie Joaquin, “Momentos,” will be on display from March 1 to 12, 2016 at SM Art Center, Level 4 Building A, SM Megamall. The opening cocktails will be on March 7 at 6:00 p.m.

Moonlit Waterfalls 2016, acrylic on canvas, 3x4 feet

Ode To The Sun 2016, 25x29 inches

Sagada At Noon 2016, 25x29 inches

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@LIFEatStandard

ARTS AND CULTURE ROUNDUP What’s on in theaters and galleries this week

ExhibiTS

CONCERTS

In the Absence of Struggles The Inner Room, ArtInformal, Mandaluyong City Ongoing until March 12

A Kaleidoscope of Austrian Music Ballroom, New World Makati Hotel, Makati City March 2

Visual artist Jason Montinola lets go of his traditional approach and desire for perfection to create his current series of paintings that evokes freedom and attempts to reveal the truth. Known for being particular with every tiny detail in his works, Montinola made a paradigm shift in order to promote accessibility and initiate dialogues with his audience.

According to the artist, the artworks on exhibit are void of flawlessness no polished lines and perfected strokes. Montinola instead embraces bared anatomies, exposed canvases, scumbling strokes, broken lines and drips of turpentine to show an individual true to his work. Imperfect as they may, the pieces are done in the absence of his rules and struggles.

The Johann Strauss Society of the Philippines Foundation, Inc. stages a fundraising concert featuring Austrian music to benefit various projects and programs here in the country.

Internationally renowned concert pianist Raul Sunico is performing with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra to be conducted by eminent Austrian conductor Ernest Hoetzl.

Program includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, Johannes Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5, Johann Strauss II s Emperor Waltz, and Franz Lehar s Gold & Silver Waltz.

Funds raised are earmarked for projects of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Psychological Center at Marillac Hills for abused children and girls, and the Mother and Child project of Virlanie Foundation for abandoned children and medical and educational needs of indigent children.

To know more about this ongoing exhibit, visit www.artinformal.com.

Transnational Narrations: Paperworks Bulwagang Juan Luna and Pasilyo Guillermo Tolentino, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila Ongoing until April 17 The traveling exhibition featuring artworks on paper made by artists from different parts of the globe has arrived in the Philippines. The group show focuses on bringing the public closer to the creative act the skill and the presence of the artist’s hand that are required in using paper as canvas.

Curated by Spanish curator Mónica Carballas, the Philippine run features the works of Ignacio Alcántara (Dominican Republic), Francisco de Assis Almeida (Brazil), Javier Arce (Spain), José Bedia (Cuba), Chema Cobo (Spain), Abraham Cruzvillegas (Mexico), Marcel Dzama (Canada), Curro González (Spain), Mondongo (Argentina), Lauren Kelley (USA), Abraham Lacalle (Spain), Robert Langenegger (Philippines), Miki Leal (Spain), Manuel Ocampo (Philippines), Carlos Ricafort (Philippines), Carlos Rivera (Puerto Rico), Lazaro Saavedra (Cuba), Laurie Steelink (US), Taller Popular de Serigrafia (Argentina), and David Griggs (Australia).

Periphery Artery Arts Space, Quezon City March 3 to April 2 Landscape becomes the main area of reflection and investigation in this duo exhibit, as the two featured artists use space as their medium for re-imagination.

Fine Arts graduate and Ateneo Fine Arts Program faculty member Alfred Marasigan makes installations that redefine the visualizations of subjectivity and orientation of time and place towards an emerging consciousness of environment and occupant. Meanwhile, Jem Magbanua, who has exhibited in Singapore, creates lyrical compositions of landscape drawings stylized in the manner of architectural renderings bathed with the flourishes of abstraction that are cut, rearranged, de-territorialized and reexamined to bring fresh perspectives on history, society and self.

Visit www.arteryartspace.com for more information on this upcoming exhibit.

ThEATER PLAyS Adarna in the City School of Design and Arts Theater, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Manila March 1 to 4; 7:00 p.m.

The classic Filipino epic Ibong Adarna gets an urban twist as the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Romançon Dance Company presents its modern retelling written by Christine Crame.

In this version, the story is set in a highly industrialized future metropolis that is inhabited by a mother and her three sons.

Through a series of contemporary dance pieces, Crame tells this popular tale on the search for the Adarna.

The production is part of the ongoing Lasallian Arts Month that celebrates the pool of talents within the DLS-CSB community, as well as stimulates the artistic interests of the students and exposes their craft to a bigger audience.

Contact the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division, Production and Exhibition Department at (02) 832-1125 loc. 1504/1505 or email ccp.exhibits@ gmail.com for inquiries and more details.

Tickets are priced at P150. For inquiries and ticket reservations, call James Pebenito at 0997-2284975 or email culture.arts @benilde.edu.ph.

wORkShOPS Creative Entrepreneurs Summit Commune Cafe, Polaris St. Makati City March 5; 1:00 p.m.

To help creative professionals who are eager to take the first leap to start their creative enterprise, and perhaps quit their regular day job, Writer’s Block Philippines’ founders Ana Santos and Nikka Sarthou-Lainez gather successful creative entrepreneurs to talk about making a decent living out of the thing someone’s passionate about.

Together with Santos and Sarthou-Lainez, CraftMNL founder Marielle Nadal, fashion photographer Niccolo Cosme and performance artist Carlos Celdran will give participants insights and inspiration in this four-hour workshop.

Entrance fee to the workshop is P500, inclusive of coffee and snacks. For more inquiries, email writersblock.ph@gmail.com.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

T EC H TA L K

The Next Samsung Galaxy Edge S7 Unpacked

S Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

S7 edge and Galaxy S7 have an IP681 rating, which means it is water resistant

It has a dual-pixel technology with a fast autofocus for less blur and a new advanced sensor for catching details in low light

amsung Mobile is always at the very forefront of innovation, challenging creativity and performance and changing ways on how people think what a phone can do.

Coinciding with the global launch in Barcelona, Spain, Samsung Electronics Philippines revealed the game-changing Galaxy S7 edge and S7 in the Philippine leg of the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2016 launch at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier. Samsung Philippines also unveiled the much talked-about and highly anticipated GEAR VR virtual reality headset, and gave a sneak peek of the premium Gear S2 Classic in platinum and rose gold finish.

More than a smart phone – the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and S7 defy previously held notions of mobile phone limitations, carrying the legacy of Samsung’s premium mobile experience with its industryleading features. The most exciting feature of this latest release is that it is water and dust resistant, ensuring that it could survive getting wet in the rain or being accidentally dropped into the pool. Now you have more reasons to take selfies or under water

shots when you go on your next water adventure. The phone can withstand being submerged in 1.5 meters of water for half an hour and a DLSRlike real Pixel camera that uses a dual photodiode technology – originally used in professional DSLR cameras and has now been adopted for the very first time in smart phones.

Samsung GEAR VR is the first consumerized virtual reality headset, making it accessible to more premium Samsung smartphone users.

Compared to other VR headsets, this Gear VR is lightweight and offers more cushioning that provides comfort for users. Virtual reality is now accessible to a wider audience because a Gear VR is also compatible with a wider set of devices; it works seamlessly with a Galaxy smartphone that easily slips into the Gear VR. It is mostly used for games and entertainment after its launch a couple of years ago that showcased a computer generated simulation of an imaginary world presented to you as if you’re actually there and part of it.

Aside from the GEAR VR, Galaxy S7 and S7 edge can also seamlessly connect with the latest Gear S2 smart watch, the wearable of choice for fitness and fashion enthusiast alike, offering both connectivity and convenience for those who are challenged by the need to carry their smart phones

Galaxy S7 edge 5.5” display, curved edge

everywhere but at the same time don’t want to compromise style.

“We are proud to reinforce our status as the leader and driver of mobile innovation by bringing Samsung’s flagship offering to the Philippine market. With the Galaxy S7 edge and S7, we enjoin more Filipinos to go beyond their limits and see their Samsung Galaxy smartphones as a hub to new and exciting experiences through our wearable devices, the Gear VR and the Gear S2,” says Digs Dimagiba, Business Unit head of IT and Mobile Division of Samsung Electronics Philippines.

To elevate their galaxy S7 edge and S7 experience, owners of the smartphones can enjoy automatic enrollment to the Samsung Concierge Service, a VIP program exclusively for Galaxy S7 edge and S7 users. Owners can enjoy premium experience stores, VIP hotline, and exclusive offerings via the MySamsung app. You may check its availability at Samsung Experience Stores today.

InStax and craFtS–a Fun aFtErnoon oF craFtIng and ScrapbookIng Even with the rise of digital albums and social media photos, people still love to create scrapbooks to preserve memories. “Scrap bookers” love to create nostalgic memories with creatively designed albums and books and using a FUJIFILM Instax comes in handy with instantly developed photos.

To usher in FUJIFILM Philippines Inc.’s 2016 campaign for Instax, the company launched its “Instax and Crafts” workshop at SMX Aura, SM Aura Premier with actress Jasmine Curtis Smith and scrapbook expert Craft Manila who shared tips on how to make the most of Instax memories.

“I actually got my very first Instax around 2012,” shares Jasmine. “It was still one of the older version and I left that in Australia. But I just got a new one, an Instax Mini 70 in white and an Instax Wide.”

During the workshop, creative ways to design and display Instax photos including DIY calendars, photo books, and accordions were showcased. Craft Manila and Jasmine also highlighted the use of Instax Share Smartphone printer, where anything from your camera photos to your filtered Instagram grabs can be printed conveniently just by sharing it to the printer. “I used to do scrapbooks when I was in grade six.

It was pink and filled with ribbons and buttons.

It’s probably something I won’t do now,” Jasmine says jokingly. “I’m not exactly very 'crafty,' but I’d

like to think that I have a creative side. That’s why I was excited when they told me about this event, “she adds.

“What I like about Instax is that it’s instant. You capture the moment and it’s there. I like having a physical copy of my photos. If I want, I can put it on my wall or in my wallet. And because I don’t have time to go out and have my photos developed, I’m glad that with Instax, printing is easy,” shares Jasmine.

The DIY session of Instax and Crafts will be an ongoing roadshow beginning on April 2 in Manila, followed by Cebu on April 16, and Davao on May 7. The summer campaign will also release Special Summer Packages with inclusion of films, camera bags, and other accessories together with Instax mini 7 (P3,699), mini 8 (P4,999), Hello Kitty (P5,999), mini 70 (P7,499), WIDE 300 (P7,499), and Instax share printer (P9,990) that will be available in stores starting March 18.

Jasmine Curtis Smith, a longtime FUJIFILM Instax user during the launch of ‘Instax and Crafts’

FUJIFILM Instax Mini 70

FUJIFILM Instax Mini 7S FUJIFILM Instax Share package

From left: Event host Janeena Chan, FUJIFILM Philippines division head of Photo and Electronics Imaging Takuya Maeda, and Jasmine Curtis Smith

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Globe Art GAllery mounts first exhibit for 2016 Ceramic creations of Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn and potter pals featured in ‘Comrades in Clay’

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he Globe Art Gallery at the Globe Tower in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig opened the year with an exhibit featuring the ceramic creations of artistic couple Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn via "Comrades in Clay."

The Pettyjohns are known for being at the forefront of ceramic art in the country, having taught pottery since the late ’70s. The couple’s commitment has turned many “dabblers” into becoming serious potters, long after their pottery school has closed.

Nevertheless, the Pettyjohns continue to hold their “pot” sessions to give their students and enthusiasts their “clay fix” through once a month meetings in Pansol, Laguna where participants get a high out of kneading, slabbing, throwing and trimming the clay, as well as in glazing their bisque pots. Each session only serves to whet the appetite of the students for more, coming back with eager anticipation – much like anxiety filled parents as they anticipate how their glazed pots will finally come out of the kiln.

Every Christmas season, they try to

get together for Raku firing and do the traditional “exchange pots.”

Jon studied pottery and ceramics in Escuela Masana in Spain, while his wife, the former Tessy San Juan, is a product of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts.

Aside from the Jon and Tessy, "Comrades in Clay" also featured the works of the couple’s potter friends and mentor friends who come from varied backgrounds, among them Rita Gudino, head of Ceramics Studio of the UP College of Fine Arts; contemporary pottery artist and UP teacher Joey de Castro; noted painter Tensie Bello; Dr. Peppon Rondain, head of Makati Medical Center’s Nuclear Medicine; Finance Assistant Secretary Didith Tan; Ging Pajaro, founder/owner of Via Venetto; freelance TV commercial producer Sonny Cruz; investment banker Dedette Bautista of ING Bank; ceramics engineer EJ Espiritu; Japanese restaurateur Ritsuku Kikuchi; Kiko Demetillo of St. Luke’s Medical Center’s International Patient Care; entrepreneur Johann Gohoc and retired public servant Rescy Bhagwani.

Comrades in Clay

Globe chief human resource officer renato Jiao and Jon Pettyjohn during the ribbon cutting for the launching of Comrades in Clay, an exhibit that features the works of clay masters Jon and tessy Pettyjohns and their potter friends

The BesT of The Morning rush Volume 3 of bestseller by RX Monster Radio’s Chico, Delamar and Gino out soon in bookstores nationwide If you’re the type who are into Top 10 this or Top 10 that, then you will certainly welcome the latest installment of The Best of The Morning Rush Top 10 with Chico, Delamar, and Gino Volume 3, that popular collection of crazy lists from Chico, Delamar and Gino, hosts of The Morning Rush radio program aired over Monster Radio RX 93.1 At a recent book signing, fans could not contain their excitement at getting hold of the book – released late last year – which gathers over 100 of the funniest Top 10 lists aired on the cult favourite morning show which is one of the longest-running FM radio shows in the country.

In this latest compilation, readers will be treated to such hilariously “instructive” topics that include 10 signs a relationship’s honeymoon phase is over, 10 breakup lines that cruelly drive home the point, 10 best pieces of advice for the broken hearted, and more outrageous roundups done in such a tonguein-cheek way that are sure to bring on the guffaws and LOLs. All Top 10 lists showcase the cheeky

humour and undeniable wit of The Morning Rush’s listeners – called the “Rushers” –who came up with the entries for each list.

“For those who get to listen to the show and who are familiar with the show, they should check it out because this is more of what you’ve come to expect from the show,” says Chico. Avid listeners would certainly remember some of lists in the book, but even those who have not read the first two editions of the book series will get to appreciate the zaniness that has become a hallmark of the program and the hosts, of course.

As explained by Delamar, the book is not really just the work of one author or the program hosts themselves, it’s a book about, and by, the Rushers – which makes it such fun because it is a collective collaboration among many listeners.

“It’s a great gift. It’s only P200. Just read it,” invites Gino, remarking that the book of lists is something that will surely bring the habit back of reading among people.

If you’re a “Morning Rusher,” you’ll definitely get the contents

the best of the morning rush top 10 Volume 3

of the book, but if you’re not a Rusher and you’re looking for topics about love or career, relationships or heartbreak,

Chico, Delamar, and Gino during their book signing

there’s also a lot to read about in the volume.

The Best of The Morning Rush Top 10 with Chico, Delamar,

and Gino Volume 3 will soon be out in bookstores and magazine stands nationwide for P195 only.

– Charmaine Loveria

T uES DAy : m A RcH 1, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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Bryan craston plays Dalton Trumbo in the bio film

A scene from the American bio drama Trumbo directed by Jay Roach and written by John mcNamara

UsIng wORDs TO ExpOsE absURDITy anD InjUsTIcE

S

creenwriter Dalton Trumbo’s acclaimed career comes to a crushing halt in the late 1940s when he and other Hollywood figures are blacklisted for their political beliefs. Trumbo recounts how Dalton used words and wit to win two Academy Awards and expose the absurdity and injustice under the blacklist, which entangled everyone from gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) to John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger.

In the 1940s, Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) is one of the highest paid screenwriters in the world, penning movie classics including the Oscar-nominated Kitty Foyle and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. A fixture on the Hollywood social scene, and a political activist supporting labor unions, equal pay and civil rights, Trumbo and his colleagues are subpoenaed to testify in front of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee (HUAC) as part of its sweeping probe into communist activity in the U.S. Trumbo’s refusal to answer the congressmen’s questions lands him in a federal prison and earns him the eternal enmity of powerful anti-communist gossip columnist Hedda Hopper.

For the next 13 years, all of the major Hollywood studios refuse

to hire Trumbo for fear of being associated with his perceived radical political views. Forced to sell his home and ostracized by friends, colleagues and neighbors, Trumbo struggles to feed his family by writing mostly low-budget movies under assumed names.

But he never gives up fighting for what he believes in. Ultimately, Trumbo prevails when star Kirk Douglas and director Otto Preminger each put the screenwriter’s real name on screen in their respective 1960 blockbusters, Spartacus and Exodus, effectively bringing the blacklist era to an end.

An ast on i s h i n g portrait of an often forgotten c h ap t e r of American hist o r y , Tr u m b o is direct-

ed by Jay Roach (Game Change, Meet the Parents) from a script

by John McNamara (Aquarius, Prime Suspect), based on the book Dalton Trumbo by Bruce Cook. T Dalton Trumbo was a boisterous raconteur, a man who knew he commanded attention in every room he entered and enjoyed doing so. High-living and highminded, he was a bundle of fascinating contradictions that the filmmakers were anxious to portray accurately on screen.

“Dalton Trumbo is a very complex character,” says producer Janice Williams.

“Extremely wealthy, living the Hollywood dream … and a communist. We had all been watching Bryan Cranston evolve as Walter White in Breaking Bad, and we felt there was something in his performance that was the epitome of what we needed. Bryan is able to play contradictory characters with ease. He has deep layers of sadness and righ-

Diane Lane as Dalton Trumbo’s wife cleo

teousness. He brought everything that was needed to the role.”

The actor’s breakout role in the long-running AMC series was not the only reason Roach wanted him to play Trumbo. “Whether it’s Breaking Bad or his Tonywinning turn as Lyndon Johnson (in Broadway’s All the Way) or even as the dad in Malcolm in the Middle, Bryan Cranston demonstrates an intensity that works for Dalton Trumbo,” says Roach.

“He captures Trumbo’s fire, intelligence and self-righteousness and manages to be as charming, entertaining and funny as the real man was.”

Producer Michael London says he sees strong parallels between the actor and his subject. “I think the character is Bryan in some really fundamental way. Bryan can be cantankerous, strong-minded and obsessive, as well as passionate about what he believes. Those are all the things that Dalton Trumbo was. Because of the mesh between actor and character, he brought an unfathomable love and appreciation of what Trumbo represented.”

Cranston’s whole-hearted embrace of the role made the character even more fascinating, in Roach’s opinion. “Bryan is amazing,” the director continues. “He found a

way of capturing the performer in Trumbo while also keeping him real. It was an interesting choice and it distinguishes this performance from others in his body of work. Bryan’s own strength and his creative instincts made it even more complex than I’d imagined.”

Cranston says he considers three essential elements when he considers a role. “The first thing is the story itself. Am I moved by it? Will I leave the theater with some sense of improvement in my life? Even if it simply made me forget my troubles for two hours, that’s a valuable two hours. The second thing is the text.

Even the most phenomenal story needs to be told well. And then there’s the character. And there’s no question that this had all three of those things.”

The film stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Argo), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, Suicide Squad), Louis C.K. (Louie, American Hustle), David James Elliott (JAG, The Stranger I Married), Elle Fanning (Maleficent, We Bought a Zoo), John Goodman (The Gambler, Argo), Diane Lane (Man of Steel, Unfaithful), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man, Blue Jasmine), Alan Tudyk (42, Frozen), and Helen Mirren (The Queen, Woman in Gold).

cNN ‘SyDNEy IN 24 HouRS’

The journey to Sydney can be long for many global travelers but the city sure knows how to make it worth it.

Next month on CNN’s In 24 Hours, host James Williams is back in his home country to soak up the sunshine in a city that is uniquely laid back and luxurious all at the same time. From sunrise to sunset and into the night, CNN takes viewers along to the experiences only a privileged few will ever encounter.

For the perfect morning, Williams sets sail with the winner of the 2015 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Paul Clitheroe

and crew while taking in a perfect Sydney sunrise on the harbor. From boat to car, Williams takes a ride in a 1977 Porsche 911 Carrera driving this cult classic through some of Sydney’s most beautiful locations. It’s then on to the Symbio Wildlife Park where Williams meets Imogen, the koala who became an international sensation last year when she was born.

In the afternoon, Williams hits the beach to meet Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes. With a fortune estimated in the millions, Hemmes has played a major

role in shaping Sydney’s social scene. Williams learns both the business and creative process behind one of Hemmes’ latest establishments, Coogee Pavilion.

Then what could be more Australian than surfing?

Six-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore gives James a one-on-one surf lesson at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach. In the evening, Williams visits Sydney’s ultimate icon, the Opera House.

Here, he goes beyond any chef ’s table and steps into the kitchen with famed Chef Peter Gilmore at his new

James Williams cuddles up Imogen the koala

restaurant Bennelong. Williams rounds up ‘Sydney in 24 Hours’ with a special customized behind-the-scenes tour of the Opera House.

In 24 Hours airs on CNN International at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Surfer Stephanie Gilmore (third from left) in “Sydney In 24 Hours”

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T uES DAy : m A RcH 1, 2016

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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MIkE EnRIquEz, lOyal kapusO

MA News pillar and multi-awarded broadcast journalist Mike C. Enriquez renewed his ties with GMA Network at a contract signing held on Feb. 24.

Present during the contract signing were GMA Network Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon, President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., EVP and CFO Felipe S. Yalong, and SVP for News and Public Affairs Marissa L. Flores.

Enriquez, who has been with GMA since 1995, affirmed his long-standing commitment to the Kapuso Network. “Higit sa lahat, ito ay nagpapakita ng pagtitiwala ng pamunuan ng Network. Ito naman ay hamon din na huwag basagin ang tiwala nila na maging totoo sa ating sinasabi na magbalita ng walang kinikilingan at walang pinoprotektahan.”

Enriquez co-anchors GMA’s flagship newscast, 24 Oras, and hosts the investigative public affairs program Imbestigador. He can also be heard on Super Radyo

DZBB’s Saksi sa Dobol B and its ongoing election special Ikaw na Ba? The Presidential and Vice Presidential Interviews.

For their part, GMA top management praised the veteran broadcaster for his journalistic expertise and continued loyalty to the Network.

“Hindi pa ako pumapasok dito [sa GMA], institusyon na si Mike sa News,” shares Gozon. “Sa madaling salita, talagang si Mike ang embodiment ng News natin dito. Sa loyalty hindi matatawaran si Mike.”

Duavit, meanwhile, says, “Nariyan yung pagtitiwala sa isa’t isa. Nariyan ‘yung pagtanaw ng pinagsamahan at pagnanais na pahabain pa ito lalo. Nagpapasalamat kami kay Mike at patuloy ang kanyang pagtitiwala.”

This year, Enriquez added another feather to his cap after receiving the Adamson Media Award 2016. The award was given in recognition of his role as a voice for the poor and the marginalized through his various programs on television and radio.

MARCH 1, 2016

(from left) GmA SVP for News and Public Affairs marissa L. Flores, mike Enriquez, GmA Network chairman and cEO Felipe L. Gozon, GmA President and cOO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., and GmA EVP and cFO Felipe S. yalong

Together with his 24 Oras coanchors Mel Tiangco and Vicky Morales, Enriquez was also among the awardees at the Gawad Bagani 2016 Gawad Para sa Mak-

abagong Mandirigma sa Larangan ng Telebisyon by the University of the East. The award-giving body recognizes the “warriors” in mainstream media or those who

fight against social injustice rooted in poverty.

Enriquez concurrently serves as GMA Network Consultant for Radio Operations.

Gretchen Ho named ‘Bayan mo, iPatrol mo’ ambassador From volleyball star to TV anchor and reporter, to citizen journalism advocate --- this has been the journey of Gretchen Ho, the anchor of The Daily Serve on ANC, the ABSCBN News Channel, who now also serves as an ambassador for ABS-CBN’s Bayan Mo, iPa-

trol Mo (BMPM).

Ho was officially launched as the celebrity Bayan Patroller of BMPM, the pioneering citizen journalism movement of the Kapamilya Network, in a bloggers’ conference held inside the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon

ABS-cBN news correspondent Jing castaneda, BmPm ambassador Gretchen Ho, BmPm head Rowena Paraan with some blogger friends

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 23 Opposite of post1 Superman’s alias 24 Harper Valley org.

5 Back-fence 25 Travel on powder yowler 26 Fuse unit 8 Incite 30 Put on the late 12 NW state show 14 “— Ha’i” 32 Cool!

15 Comet — -Bopp 33 Kind of effort 16 Kind of pool (hyph.)

17 Meadow browsers 37 Muscle-car dial 18 Footnoteabbr.(2wds.) 38 Planck’s “thanks” 19 Proxies (hyph.)

39 Ashram figure 21 Discourse 40 Character

City early this week.

BMPM head Rowena Paraan said Gretchen was their choice to serve as the face of the movement in this year’s elections because of her reputation as a role model to the youth, from her time as an athlete to her entry to

Volleyball star turned TV personality Gretchen Ho

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

13 No newbie 42 Better quality (2 wds.)

43 Polygraph 14 Nota — flunkers 20 Eur. country 44 Household funds 22 Invoice stamp 45 Ms. Gardner 24 Like a gnat 48 Kid’s ammo 26 Debate side 49 Objective 27 Signify 50 Gauzy trap 28 What allies share 52 Premature 29 Merman or 57 Mme.’s daughter 58 NFL broadcaster Waters 60 Undeliverable mail 30 Carries on 31 Unyielding 61 Fifty-fifty 33 Wildlife refuges 62 Scare the 34 Wood-finishing oil chickens 35 Subarctic tribe 63 Persona non — 36 Offended 64 Prepare laundry 38 Dullest 65 Half a score 66 Iowa college town 41 Jeer at 42 Hopping mad DOWN 44 Took the bait 1 Little foxes 45 Crowning points 2 Fix a manuscript 46 Saab competitor 3 Zilch 47 More up to it 4 Larger — life 49 Cato’s year 5 Game marbles 51 Left 6 Bullring yell 52 Hit — (discover) 7 Say it wrong 53 Red giant in Cetus 8 Clarified butter 54 Semester ender 9 Singers Hall and 55 Lo-cal — 56 Team cheers 10 “Wellaway!”

59 Seashell seller?

11 City in India

the world of media.

“Gretchen has always been vocal about her concern for the country and her opinion on national issues. Young people look up to her and we believe she can help us engage the youth and encourage them to be vigilant especially in a critical time for the nation, such as the election season,” she said.

As BMPM ambassador, Ho represents a 1.4 million strong army of Bayan Patrollers who will report about the 2016 elections. Asked on why she accepted to take this new role, she said she wants to help the youth determine their next leaders.

To find out more about BMPM and how to become a Bayan Patroller, you may visit the BMPM microsite at http://bmpm.abscbnnews.com/.

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SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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ManzanO laMEnTs unabaTED RIsE Of cybERcRIME casEs

enatorial candidate Edu Manzano expressed alarm over the unabated rise of cybercrime cases in the country, the latest of which is the malicious spread of sex scandal videos that shame and destroy the lives and reputation of private individuals.

Manzano issued the statement in the wake of news reports that sex scandal videos involving some celebrities are being maliciously transmitted online and shared on social networking sites in clear violations of existing laws against cybercrimes.

“It is very unfortunate that modern technology gadgets are being commonly used to commit crimes that debase and steal the dignity of human persons, espe-

cially among women and children who are mostly subjected to abuse and exploitation,” he said.

“We have more than enough laws to curb cybercrimes and yet, due to our easy access to Internet and the availability of smart phones, cybersex crimes are being indiscriminately committed right before our noses,” he added.

Based on its 2014-2015 Cybercrime Report, the Office of Cybercrime—Department of Justice noted an increase of cybercrime cases, 11 percent of which pertains to violations of the Republic Act No. 9995, also known as AntiPhoto and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009.

“The government’s figures include only cases reported to proper authorities. There are several

Anak TV names Alden Richards makabata Star 2015

Pambansang Bae Alden Richards receives his Anak TV trophy

GMA Artist Center’s Alden Richards was recognized as one of Anak TV’s Makabata Stars for 2015 on Feb. 23, in Quezon City.

Alden was voted as one of the most admired TV personalities in the country. According to him, receiving the award was indeed a blessing and he assures his supporters that he will continue to be an inspiration to the Filipino youth.

“I would like to thank Anak TV and the kids who chose me to be one of the Makabata Stars. This award makes me want to do more to inspire the youth through Godlike activities and child-friendly programs and motivate them to be more involved in our society and be a good example to others,” he shared.

Heart urges youth to dream big The youths from Davao welcomed Heart Evangelista warmly. This was her second out of town campaign sortie.

After making a tour of the Agdao public market, Heart joined students at the Rizal Memorial Colleges.

She was the representative of her husband, Senator Francis Chiz Escudero, who was in Baguio campaigning with presidential candidate, Senator Grace Poe. Heart gave a piece of advice to the students. “Ipagpatuloy niyo ang pag-aaral nang mabuti.

Dream big dahil okay lang mangarap. Dream and work hard to achieve your dreams,” she told the students who were celebrating the 68th Founding Anniversary of Rizal Memorial Colleges in Davao City.

Heart also received the plaque the students gave Senator Escudero as their appreciation and grati-

Actress Heart Evangelista-Escudero

tude “for his generous heart and unwavering support in helping talented and less fortunate students to have access to education.”

Escudero is one of the supporters and donors to the Rizalian Scholarship Program.

empirical and anecdotal evidence that show that most of these cybercrime cases remain largely unreported,” Manzano said.

Apart from RA 9995, the popular actor and TV host cited at least six more laws that should have prosecuted cybercrime cases, to wit: Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Access Device Regulation Act of 1998, E-Commerce Act of 2000, Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, Anti-Trafficking in Persons of 2003 and AntiWire Tapping Law of 1965.

“It is time to review these laws to stop the continued rise of cybercrimes in order to make them more responsive and attuned to the technological advances and put behind bars syndicates and individuals who prey on their

hapless victims,” he said.

Manzano also noted with serious concern the shocking expose of a two-year investigative work “Children of the Cam” by an undercover Belgian journalist Peter Bridge who documented the operations of a cybersex den selling young girls in Iligan City.

“The global cybersex business has become a billion-dollar industry at the expense of tens of thousands of girls from impoverished communities who are being recruited and forcibly sold for online trafficking, pornography and sexual exploitation,” he said.

Manzano,

who is running under the coalition party Partido Galing at Puso, said he will immediately initiate a comprehensive review of all laws pertaining to cybercrimes should he win a seat in the Senate this coming May 2016 elections.

Senatorial candidate and actor Edu manzano

Grace remembers father’s film ‘Bontoc’

Senator Grace Poe visited Bontoc in the Mountain Province on Feb. 23. The place is special to the presidential candidate as it was the location for the film Bontoc, which her adoptive father, Fernando Poe, Jr. made in 1977.

Even if it isn’t as vote rich as other municipalities in the country, Poe couldn’t ignore it as it has a special connection with the family.

“Importante din na makabalik ako roon. Yung tatay ko, may ginawang pelikula ang Bontoc,’’ Grace said in an interview.

“Sabi ng iba, bakit ka pupunta sa mga lugar, halimbawa, na kakaunti lang ang tao? Sabi ko, sa ‘Gobyernong may Puso’, di ba wala naman tayong dapat iniiwanan?” the Senator asked.

Grace promised to help the people in Bontoc to have more food terminals so they can sell their produce to wholesale buyers from the lowlands.

Sen. Grace Poe

Bontoc was shot partly at the Lutheran Seminary in Baguio. It starred FPJ along with Elizabeth Oropesa, Jeanne Young, Eddie Gutierrez, Paquito Diaz, Dencio

Padilla, Jose Romulo and Imelda Ilanan.

FPJ played Lumawen who fought for the rights of the cultural minority.

KapusO shOws fInalIsTs aT nEw yORK fEsTIvals

GMA Network leads the Philippine finalists in the prestigious 2016 New York Festivals’ “World’s Best TV and Films” Competition as nine of its entries are shortlisted this year.

Topping the list of finalists are GMA’s news and public affairs programs.

The country’s longest running documentary program I-Witness is a finalist under the Community Portraits category for “Dorm 12”, a touching episode where Kara David interviewed aging inmates at the Correctional Institute for Women. Investigative news magazine show Reporter’s Notebook’s “Hikahos sa Lungsod”, meanwhile, is nominated in the Social Issues category for tackling urban migration in the Philippines.

Front Row’s “Maestra Salbabida” is shortlisted in the Community

Service Programs category. The episode centered on the invaluable dedication of Elizabeth Miranda, a teacher from Mindoro Occidental who crosses rivers using a makeshift floating device or salva vida to reach the barrio where she teaches.

Earning a nod from the New York Festivals as well is the firstever bayaniserye on Philippine primetime TV, Ilustrado. Topbilled

by Alden Richards as the national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, Ilustrado is a finalist in the Mini Series category.

GMA News TV programs received finalist status, as well. Bawal ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie is vying for the Best Interview award for its “Yaman ng Palawan” episode. Brigada’s “Ginto ng Smokey Mountain”—a special report on how kids scour the former landfill for gold —is a finalist under the Community Portraits category.

“Isang Paa sa Hukay”, produced by documentary show Reel Time, is nominated in the Human Concerns category. The episode told the story of small-scale mining in Camarines Norte.

Two projects from the network’s Program Support Department were also shortlisted: Ilustrado’s opening billboard (OBB) in the Entertainment Program Opening Title category and GMA News TV’s Father’s Day plug in the Graphic Design: Promotion/Open and IDs category.

The New York Festival’s “World’s Best TV and Films” competition recognizes TV programs and films from over 50 nations.

Last year, the Kapuso Network brought honor to the Philippines as it took home a total of eight awards: four World Medals and four Finalist Certificates for its News and Public Affairs programs.

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

“I Love OPm” hosts Anne curtis and Eric Nicolas with the show’s judges Lani misalucha and martin Nievera joined by the contestants of the reality singing show

MEET ThE 12 TOuRIsTaRs In ‘I LOvE OPM’

A

BS-CBN’s newest singing competition for 100 percent non-Filipinos who love OPM music, I Love OPM, is a hit among viewers since it premiered two weeks ago. Proof is, its rating is high nationally and and tops the Twitter trends regularly.

On its pilot week telecast, the show hosted by Anne Curtis with Eric Nicolas, hit a national TV rating of 24.8 percent (Feb. 13) and 20 percent (Feb. 14) versus its rivals that scored 11.1 percent and 6.1 percent respectively, according to data from Kantar Media.

An original concept by ABSCBN, I Love OPM aims to find the best non-Filipino singer who can sing OPM and at the same time promote Filipino music to its viewers.

So far, judges or “Himigration Officers” composed of Philippines’ Concert King Martin Nievera, Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha, and Ultimate Multimedia Star Toni Gonzaga gave

Interracial singing trio DBD

ISAH V. RED

their approval to 12 Touristars to move on to the next round of the competition.

Some of them have been to the Philippines before just like American Sumner Mahaffeey and Australian Naisa Lasalosi, who are both missionaries, and Indian exchange-student Addy Raj. Pakistani model Harris Dio Smith and American touristturned-businessman Jerome Mccuin found their niche in the Philippines after Filipino friends invited to visit the Philippines.

Russian Anna Rabtsun and American Daniel Herrington, meanwhile, found the love of their lives in the Philippines.

There are also some who just simply love Pinoy music namely

American heartthrob Ryan Gallagher, German-Irish teenager Jeena Dimaandal, and Singaporean wedding singer Fathin Amira.

Rounding up the first twelve are two groups, Korean rock band J Morning and interracial singing trio, DBD composed of Korean Dae Lee, Nigerian Bobby Skyz and Australian Dwaine Mooley.

Who will join them in the next round? Who among the Touristars these coming weeks will get a seal of approval from the Himigration Officers? What OPM hits will be showcased next? Which country will be able to produce the foreigner whom can sing OPM the best?

Don’t miss I Love OPM every Saturday right after MMK, and every Sunday after Rated K on ABS-CBN. For updates, follow @iloveopmtv on Instagram and Twitter or like https://www.facebook.com/ iloveopm on Facebook.

Jeena and Jerome

Program host Anne curtis

“Himigration officer” martin Nievera

Indian student Addy Raj

Russian Anna Rabstun

Pakistani Dio Smith

American Daniel Herrington

Australian Naisa Lasalosi

German-Irish Jenna Dimaandal