The Standard - 2016 June 15 - Wednesday

VOL. XXX  NO. 123  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  WEDNESDAY : JUNE 15, 2016  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

3 more Cabinet members appointed

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DAP BOUGHT LUISITA New DAR chief wants Abad charged for hacienda sale

By Maricel V. Cruz and Sandy Araneta

OUTGOING President Benigno Aquino III and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad could be held criminally liable for allegedly misusing P471 million in Disbursement Acceleration Program funds to pay for parcels of land at the Aquino-owned Hacienda Luisita.

Incoming Agrarian Reform secretary Rafael Mariano said he would order an investigation into the matter as soon as he assumes office on July 1.

“There is documentary evidence regarding the use of P471 million from DAP, which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, for the payment of parcels of lands at the Hacienda Luisita owned by the Cojuangco-Aquino family in Tarlac,”

Mariano said at a news forum.

“We will immediately review the sham land reform implemented by the DAR [Department of Agrarian Reform] in Hacienda Luisita,” Mariano said.

Mariano said Aquino could no longer invoke his immunity from suit as president of the Republic when he steps down by June 30.

The CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) law

provides that the chief executive is the ex-officio chairman of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC), which decides agrarian reform cases like Hacienda Luisita.

Mariano said the probe would determine the legality of the payment scheme carried out by the Aquino administration, not just in Hacienda Luisita but also for other big corporation claimants under the Agrarian Reform Law. Next page

Bought with DAP? Farmers stage a protest against the government’s failure to implement genuine land reform in Hacienda Luisita in this file photo. Incoming Agrarian Reform secretary Rafael Mariano alleged that the farmland was bought using funds from the illegal Disbursement Acceleration Program. EY ACASIO

UN raps Duterte on bounties

By John Paolo Bencito DAVAO CITY—The head of the UN High Commission for Human Rights on Tuesday reminded President-elect Rodrigo Duterte that he is mandated under international law to protect human rights as he slammed his recent offer of bounties for the killing of suspected criminals and for his plan to reinstate the death penalty.

“I remind the incoming President of the Philippines that international law, which is binding on his administration, requires him to protect the rights of all his people, in-

cluding journalists, civil society activists and human rights defenders who expose malfeasance,” sand Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a wide-ranging speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“Criticism of people in power is not a crime,” he added.

Two UN human rights rapporteurs had earlier condemned Duterte—whose recent statements on the killings of journalists made headlines—for his rather “irresponsible” statements, saying that these instigated deadly violence against members of the press.

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K-12 plan described as ‘chaotic, criminal’

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Duterte names more members of Cabinet

By John Paolo Bencito

DAVAO CITY —With about two weeks before his inauguration, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has named secretaries to the Health, Tourism and Trade Departments.

In a video statement coursed through government station PTV4, Ernie Abella, who was named deputy spokesman in the incoming administration, said Health Assistant Secretary Paulyn Ubial, who handles the DOH’s Office for Health Regulations, will be promoted to secretary when the Presidentelect assumes office on June 30.

Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo, the owner of Mt. Apo Travel and Tours and president of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies, has been named Tourism secretary.

Teo is a sister of broadcasters Ramon, Ben, and Erwin Tulfo—who are known Duterte supporters.

Duterte’s incoming Press Secretary Salvador Panelo said there was no conflict of interest in appointing Teo, saying she could divest her share of the travel agency.

Businessman Ramon Lopez, a top executive of the RFM Corp. handling strategic planning and business development, mergers and acquisitions and cxecutive director of Go Negosyo, will serve as Trade and Industry secretary.

Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said the appointment of Lopez signals stronger support for all entrepreneurs, especially those with micro and small enterprises.

Abella, meanwhile, is a Christian pastor in Davao and is a close friend of transition team spokesman Peter Laviña.

Laviña said that Abella will be an asset to the communications team of the Palace.

Duterte has yet to appoint his choices for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Housing and Urban De-

velopment Coordinating Council, National Anti-Poverty Commission, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, Office of the Political Adviser, Presidential Legal Counsel, Climate Change Commission and the newly-formed Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Despite reports that Duterte had named his former professor to head the Commission on Higher Education, the president-elect’s camp said Tuesday they would respect the term of the current chief, Patricia Licuanan, which expires 2018.

Ateneo de Davao University president Joel Tabora in a blog post said Monday night that Duterte designated Jose David Lapuz, his former professor at Lyceum of the Philippines, as the new CHED chairman.

Outgoing Health Secretary Janette L. Garin welcomed Ubial’s upcoming promotion to secretary.

“I believe the continuity of the DOH programs will not be a problem,” Garin said.

The 53-year-old incoming Health chief started as a rural health practice volunteer in Kidapawan, North Cotabato and has had 26 years of experience in public health.

With PNA

Sulu patrol. Soldiers patrol a highway during a search for the body of beheaded Canadian hostage Robert Hall in Indanan town, Sulu on Tuesday. The Abu Sayyaf bandit group said it had beheaded its second Canadian hostage. AFP

UN...

From A1

UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions, Cristof Heyns and on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, said that Duterte’s comments were “unbecoming of any leader,” let alone someone who is to assume the position of the leader of a country that calls itself democratic.

Duterte had earlier said the UN cannot compel him to follow agreements he did not sign.

Zeid, however, reminded Duterte that incitement to violence, and extra-judicial assassination—“are crimes and are prohibited under multiple conventions to which the Philippines has acceded.”

“The people of his country have a right to the rule of law. The offer of bounties and other rewards for murder by vigilantes, and his encouragement of extrajudicial killings by security forces, are massive and damaging steps backwards which could lead to widespread violence and chaos,” he said.

Duterte had earlier mocked UN rapporteurs as he told them to “go home and get some sleep,” adding that they misinterpreted his statements.

“My reply to the UN rapporteur: Go home and get some sleep.

You are overworked and sound beat. Your statement is anchored on the wrong premise,” Duterte said in a statement released by a spokesman on Wednesday.

Duterte vowed that he will

not allow nor condone the killings of any journalists during his six-year tenure, even as he has described them as “prostitutes of the oligarchs.”

The UN High Commissioner also asked Duterte to change his hardline stance of restoring capital punishment in the country—saying that it is not proven to deter criminality.

Doing so, Zeid said, means the Philippines will rescind from a United Nations treaty that aims to abolish capital punishment worldwide.

“I urge the government to reconsider such initiatives, and to refrain from its plans to reintroduce the death penalty, in a country which has been a leading force in the campaign to end the practice,” he said.

Duterte had a falling out with media during a nightly news conference, after the France-based Reporters Without Borders called on the local press to boycott him for saying that it was all right to kill corrupt journalists.

Duterte has been accused of human rights violations because of his alleged ties to the Davao Death Squad, which has been blamed for numerous killings of alleged criminals in the city.

Last year, the New York-based Human Rights Watch urged the Philippine government to investigate the extrajudicial killings in Davao City. The Commission on Human Rights promised to continue its investigations even after Duterte assumes the presidency on June 30.

DAP...

From A1 The Supreme Court ruled with finality in 2012 that the sugarcane estate— covering 6,453 hectares—owned by the family of President Aquino should be redistributed and that the Cojuangco family be compensated at the land prices prevailing in 1989.

Mariano has vowed to reverse any “anti-farmer” decisions at the DAR, including the Hacienda Luisita case.

He also vowed to strengthen the farmers’ security of tenure over the land and vowed that no farmers would be displaced under his watch.

Mariano, the incumbent chairman of the leftist farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, earlier slammed the Aquino administration for the agrarian reform deals it forged with the President’s uncle, Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., and former secretary Manuel Roxas II’s relatives, the Araneta family.

The KMP said it will hold a send-off protest rally against Aquino’s anti-farmer deal at the DAR’s main office in Quezon City.

Some 200 farmers in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, and Silang, Cavite, led by the KMP will march to the DAR’s main office.

The KMP said more than 300 hectares of land were being grabbed from the farmers for the construction of Metro Rail Transit 7’s inter-modal depot along with its commercial and residential components.

“To this day, the Aranetas, a big landlord family of Spanish origin, continue to control tens of thousands of hectares of land in Bulacan and other parts of the country,” the KMP said in a statement.

“This is worsened by the irony that the heirs of General Emilio Aguinaldo, who claimed so-called independence from Spanish colonialism, are now leading the landgrabbing and eviction of farmers in Cavite.”

The group said farmers from the villages of Tartaria and Lumil in Silang town were now facing eviction in the more than 350-hectare Aguinaldo Estate being grabbed by the heirs of General Emilio Aguinaldo that include outgoing Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya, another Liberal Party stalwart.

The KMP said the Cojuangco family “immediately maneuvered to secure their landholdings” after Mariano was mentioned as a possible DAR secretary.

The group cited reports by the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura on the most recent incidence of violence against the farmers of Hacienda Luisita that occurred on May 30, when agents of the Cojuangco-Aquino family attempted to demolish a farmer’s house in Barangay Mapalacsiao inside Hacienda Luisita.

“We will conduct a no-holds-barred review and reversal of the DAR’s antifarmer decisions, [declare] a moratorium on land-use conversion and a stop to the cancellation of farmers’ land ownership certificates,” Mariano said.

“This review will also include the pending petition by farmers for the revocation of the land-use conversion issued by the DAR in favor of the Cojuangcos of Hacienda Luisita.”

Farmers have complained that the Cojuangco-Aquino family has defied a Supreme Court ruling that the President’s family must distribute the land to the farmers, and claim the DAR is conniving with them.

The Court also ordered the family to return P1.33 billion to the farmers, saying that amount came from the proceeds of the sale of some 500 hectares in the hacienda.

The Palace on Tuesday defended its agrarian reform record, including its actions on Hacienda Luisita.

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Group slams K-12 program STUDENTS on Tuesday slammed President Benigno Aquino III and Department of Education for implementing the K-to-12 program that they described as “a crime” and for allegedly trying to cover up the “horrors and chaos” caused by it.

“To privatize basic education through K-to-12 is a crime, League of Filipino Students secretary-general Aries Gupit told a press conference.

“To allow around a million students to drop out in secondary school is another crime. To defend these crimes is another echelon of evilness.

“DepEd and the Aquino government are desperately trying to cover up the horrors and chaos caused by the K to 12 program.”

Gupit said the Education Department was continuing to implement the K-to-12 program even if it knew that 300,000 to 400,000 students might drop out of school.

“We heard it from the horse’s mouth that hundreds of thousands of the youth will be displaced because of the additional two years in high school,” Gupit said.

“But with all the reports coming in, the number of dropouts might even reach a million or more. It is even more loathsome that [Education Secretary Armin) Luistro and Aquino seem [to approve] the idea.”

Gupit said the K-to-12 program was a defunct program.

“DepEd has gone delusional when they insisted that yesterday is the best school opening and that everything is falling into places,” Gupit said.

“The cruel reality is far from the fictions they conjured. Yes, everything is falling—falling into pieces as this government shattered the dreams and future of a million students.”

Gupit said some of the reports they received included the following: • Tondo High School where only 89 students were officially enrolled in grade 11 out of 300 grade 10 completers. Students held classes in the open areas while seated on the floor due to lack of classrooms • E. Rodriguez High School where only 200 students were enrolled compared to the 600 expected Senior High School enrollees

Courtesy call. This handout photo taken and released by the Davao City Mayor’s Office on June 13 shows President-elect Rodrigo Duterte talking with US ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg during a courtesy call in Davao City. AFP

Court: P6.2-b Smartmatic contract valid THE Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition assailing the validity of the P6.2billion contract awarded by the Commission on Elections to the Smartmatic consortium for the lease of optical mark readers that were used in the May 9 elections.

The petition was filed last year by taxpayers Francisco Aguilar Jr. and Guillermo Santos, but the high court dismissed it for being moot and academic, spokesman Theodore Te said.

“Considering that the elections have already been concluded and the OMR machines have been utilized nationwide, any resolution of the Court with regard to the

implementation of Comelec Resolution 9980 will serve no substantive relief to the parties, nor will it have any practical or legal value to the Bench and the Bar,” Te said.

The petitioners had urged the high court to void the resolution, accusing the poll body of committing grave abuse of discretion in approving the deal that they said was “illegal, irregular or unnecessary expenditures to the detriment of the government.”

Aguilar was a member of the International Observer Team on the implementation of the first nationwide automated elections in 2010. Santos is president and chief executive

of the Center for Philippine Futuristic Studies and Management.

They claimed that the lease of new OMRs would be unnecessary because the old precinct count optical scan machines that were used in the previous elections could still be used once refurbished.

Last week, the high court also dumped the petition of the watchdog group Center for People Empowerment in Governance questioning the earlier parallel biddings conducted by the Comelec for the refurbishment of the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines and the lease of new OMR units. Rey E. Requejo

Napoles’ appeal retjected

Operation. Several kilos of shabu worth P195 million were seized from two Taiwanese nationals along Macapagal Avenue in Parañaque City during an operation by anti-drug agents on Tuesday. DANNY PATA

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled with finality and dismissed the appeals of suspected pork barrel scam architect Janet LimNapoles and lawyer Jessica Lucila Reyes to stop their plunder trial before the Sandiganbayan.

The high court’s justices denied the motions for reconsideration filed by Napoles and Reyes, the former chief of staff of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile who is also facing a plunder trial in the antigraft court.

“The Court denies with finality the various motions for reconsideration filed by [the] counsels for [the] petitioners,” said the resolution read by high court spokesman Theodore Te. Napoles and Reyes had asked the high court in 2014 to nullify the resolutions of the Sandigan-

bayan and the Office of the Ombudsman approving their indictment for plunder over the pork barrel scam.

The Court also dismissed the appeals of Napoles’ children Jo Christine and James Christopher against arrest warrant issued against them by the Sandiganbayan over the same scam.

The high court rulings pave the way for the trial of the four petitioners before the Sandiganbayan.

Napoles is in jail at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City after she was convicted by a Makati court for illegally detaining PDAF scam whistleblower Benhur Luy. Reyes is detained in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. Rey E. Requejo

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Jolo folk find head near Sulu cathedral

By Florante S. Solmerin

Forge of the future. First grade pupils of the Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo, Manila listen to their teacher in a temporary classroom made of plastic dividers. DANNY PATA

SC prohibits release of 300,000 car plates

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court on Tuesday stopped the Department of Transportation and Communications and Land Transportation Office from releasing the 300,000 pairs of license plates earlier seized by the Bureau of Customs and donated to the LTO. In an en banc session, the SC issued a temporary restraining order stopping the LTO from releasing or distributing to motor vehicle owners the license plates turned over by the BoC last April.

Covered by the restraining order are the 400,000 license plates for motorcycles that were simultaneously donated by the BoC. In a media briefing, SC Public Information Office chief Theodore Te stressed that the TRO is immediately executory and ef-

fective until further orders from the Court.

The tribunal issued the TRO upon petition filed by Reps. Jonathan Dela Cruz of Abakada party-list and Gustavo Tambunting of Parañaque 2nd district.

The license plates languished at the Manila International Container Port for about a year before they were confiscated by the BoC from Filipino-Dutch consortium J. Knieriem B.V. Goes and Power Plates Development

Concept Inc. for failure to pay some P40 million in duties and taxes.

In their petition, the lawmakers assailed the donation of the confiscated license plates by the BoC to the LTO in view of the notice of disallowance issued by the Commission on Audit on the motor vehicle license plate standardization program in July last year.

According to them, the CoA notice required the return to the government the P477,901,329 advance payment made by LTO to JKG-PPI. Last April 15, BoC Commissioner Alberto Lina formally turned over to LTO chief Roberto Cabrera the license plates that were stored in 11 shipping containers.

The BoC chief said they decided to give the plates to the

LTO in the “interest of the public” even if they have not yet been paid the P25 million to P40 million in duties and taxes.

This is aside from the storage and wharfage fees that could range from P3 million to P5 million.

The Dutch-Filipino consortium bagged the P3.8-billion contract to supply the LTO with vehicle license plates in 2013.

The 11 shipping containers of car plates arrived at the Manila International Container Port on different dates last year amid a backlog in the issuance of vehicle license plates.

Cabrera blamed the delay on the notice of disallowance issued by the Commission on Audit after it established that the contract entered into by the government is irregular or illegal.

A SEVERED head, believed to be that of Canadian hostage Robert Hall, was found in front of a church in Jolo, Sulu Monday night as government failed anew to rescue him and other kidnap victims from the Abu Sayyaf terror group.

“At around 8:45 p.m. today, the head of a Caucasian looking male believed to be that of Canadian kidnap victim Robert Hall was found in front of the gate of the Jolo Cathedral by civilians in the area,” said Major Filemon Tan, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command.

“We extend our sincerest condolences and commiserate with the family and relatives of the slain kidnap victim. Their loss is our loss too. We feel their pain because we also lost soldiers, brothers in arms in trying to rescue them,” he added.

Tan clarified though that the police will be the one to issue a confirmatory statement if the severed head was that of Hall’s through DNA test and confirmation from his family.

On Sunday, the ASG issued a statement that it would torture Hall and fellow Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad if their relatives again failed to deliver P600 million in exchange for their safe release.

According to Tan, the terrorists beheaded Hall 15 minutes after the 3 p.m. deadline while Sekkingstad and Hall’s Filipina girlfriend, Marites Flor, are still in the hands of the ASG. Their companion, John Ridsdel, a Canadian, was beheaded in April. All the four hostages were abducted in September 2015 at the Ocean View Samal Resort managed by Hall in Barangay Camudmud, Island Garden City of Samal. The abductors brought them to Sulu.

The beheading of Hall was a taunt by the ASG to incoming Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte who has said he would put an end to the terrorism in Basilan and Sulu.

Bebot: Sona not a party

By Maricel V. Cruz INCOMING Speaker and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez urged his fellow lawmakers on Tuesday to do away with the flashy attire and stick to appropriate business attire on July 25 when President-elect Rodrigo Duterte delivers his first State of the Nation Address.

“Business attire for members of the House during President Duterte’s Sona would suffice,” Alvarez told The Standard in a text message. “We are not attending a party anyway.”

Alvarez, who is expected to be elected speaker when the House of Representatives convenes next month, said lawmakers would be well-advised to show their support for “change” by avoiding flashy attire during the opening of the 17th Congress.

“I don’t think it is appropriate for public officials to [ostentatiously] dis-

play wealth in the midst of poverty, while our people are suffering from poverty,” said Alvarez, who admitted he is also partial to simple attire.

Besides, Alvarez said said, wearing extravagant expensive designer clothes in public functions, like the opening of Congress, is prohibited by the Civil Code of the Philippines.

He cited Chapter 2 (Human Relations), Article 25 of the Civil Code of the Philippines, which states that: “Thoughtless extravagance in expenses for pleasure or display during a period of acute public want or emergency may be stopped by order of the courts at the instance of any government or private charitable institution.”

He also reminded lawmakers that Duterte espouses simple living among public officials and is more concerned with substantive change that the president-elect promised during the campaign period.

Back in the past. President Benigno S. Aquino III revisits the cell that his father, former senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr., occupied from 1973 to 1980. MALACAÑANG PHOTO

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Mar defies Comelec on expense list

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan Losing presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas ii failed yet again to submit his statement of Contribution and Expenditures after his political party, the Liberal Party, filed its campaign expenses six days beyond the deadline.

Mismatch. Members of the Quezon City police shield themselves against the onrush of irate informal settlers during a demolition

along Luzon Avenue at Barangay Culiat in Quezon City. At least 80 houses were demolished and 300 families were displaced during the operation. MANNY PALMERO

Envoys take up ‘Davao agenda’

By John Paolo Bencito DAVAO CITY—Foreign dignitaries from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Taiwan visited President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on Monday at the Malacañang of the South in Panacan, Davao City.

One of them, United Kingdom Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad said on Twitter he was able to meet 10 incoming Cabinet secretaries and discuss the priorities of the Duterte administration’s eightpoint economic agenda.

On that aspect, Ahmad said the UK Offered how it can “contribute its expertise” on science and innovation, reproductive health and other aspects of the economic agenda.

“After meeting 10 of the incoming Cabinet members, we had a good basis for discussing

@RRD_Davao priorities,” Ahmad said.

“The 10 point economic plan by @RRD_ Davao administration gives the UK the chance to contribute its expertise,” he added. “we share common goals in regional security and a rules-based global system with @RRD_Davao.”

Manila economic and Cultural Office head Dr. Gary Sing Huann-Lin meanwhile, said that Taiwan will inject new investments in the country under a Duterte presidency.

“I came here to renew our friendship with community leader on one hand and on the other hand, we also came here to explore the possibility of further enhancement of our bilateral relations between our new government and also your new government,” Huann-Lin said.

“Our new government under President Dr. Tsai Ing-wen said that new policies

which are very beneficial to Filipino people will be laid out in the future,” he added.

Duterte also met with US Ambassador to the Philippines Philipp Goldberg and German Ambassador to the Philippines Thomas Ossowski. Details of the visits have yet to be released.

The visit of the three ambassadors was seen as a welcome development for foreign relations under the new administration after the 71-year-old firebrand stirred controversy when he made brash remarks against the international community.

Duterte once told Goldberg and Australian ambassador Amanda Gorely to “shut their mouths,” and threatened to cut ties with the US and Australia after their top diplomats criticized his joke about the jailhouse rape of a missionary, weeks before the presidential elections.

Prison execs clueless on kill-Rody plot

By Joel E. Zurbano New Bilibid Prison officials on Tuesday dismissed the reported meeting involving drug lords inside the facility and the alleged P50-million assassination plot against President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and incoming National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa.

NBP spokesman Msgr. Bobby Olaguer said he and other officials in the facility were not aware of the reported meeting and the plot to kill Duterte and Dela Rosa because of their campaign against illegal drugs.

Olaguer expressed belief that Dela Rosa could have been fed with the wrong information.

“It is possible he [Dela Rosa] has an insider [inmate] who gives him information but you can’t be so

sure if this information is true,” he said.

Olaguer said even the PNP intelligence unit is finding it hard to check and verify the information.

Reports have it that convicted drug lords languishing at the NBP supposedly raised a bounty of P50 million for both Duterte and Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa said he was informed that drug lords at the national penitentiary discussed the plot and the bounty in a meeting. “what they did not know is that one of those present in the meeting has been squealing what they had discussed to me,” said Dela Rosa.

The issue of the assassination plot came on the heels of the statement made by Duterte who is declaring an all-out war against drug lords. Duterte also offered a

reward to anyone who would give any information against the drug syndicates.

Duterte said he will raise the bounty for every slain drug lord to P5 million if the criminal is caught or killed in Cebu because, he said, “the people here in Cebu are good.

So there is premium.” when asked where he will get the P300-million budget for the bounty, he said: “I already have it.

The excess of campaign contributions.”

Duterte asked Congress to remove the lesser criminal penalty of probation for those convicted of drug offenses.

He also warned that he will not spare law enforcers who use drugs and announced that he will task the military to take care of lawmen found violating drug laws.

Based on its SOCe lodged at the Commission on elections—Campaign Finance Office (CFO), the LP declared contributions and expenditures amounting to P241,097,372.73.

For its contributions, the LP said it got a total of P181,080,000.00 cash contributions from non-members and P60,017,372,73 cash donations from party members.

On the other hand, their cash expenditures amounting to P60,017,372,73 were sourced from the party funds, while the P181,080,000.00 cash expenses came from their non-member supporters.

The SOCe was submitted to the Comelec—CFO despite the provision of Comelec Resolution No. 9991 stating that submissions beyond the June 8 deadline “shall not be accepted.”

But according to the CFO, they will only accept the SOCe of LP as part of their “ministerial” duty but should be deemed as already being validly filed to the Comelec.

LP’s SOCe was also filed even as the commission en banc remains undecided on the request of Roxas and the party for an extension of the June 8 deadline.

In separate interviews, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista and Commissioners Luie Guia and Rowena Guanzon all related that the commission en banc has yet to deliberate on the matter. “we are still waiting for CFO [recommendation],” Bautista said.

Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon said that they have to wait for the decision of the Steering Committe chief Commissioner Christian Robert Lim. “It’s a pending matter in the en banc. we have to wait for Commissioner Christian Lim... He has already sent a memorandum endorsing the application without a recommendation,” Guanzon said.

Comelec commissioner Luie Guia expressed cynicism stressing that the poll body is deemed to follow what the law mandated them to do. “we still have to discuss it... [but] we always follow the law. It’s not only an inclination, we cannot not follow the law,” Guia said.

Bike to school. Two

siblings pedal their way to their respective classrooms at Aurora Quezon and Epifanio delos Santos Elementary schools in Manila on the first day of school year 20162017.

EY ACASIO

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Road-clearing drive stepped up

By Joel E. Zurbano

The government has tapped the “netizens” or internet users for its renewed campaign against illegally parked vehicles and other obstructions along Mabuhay Lanes, alternate routes used by private motorists avoiding the congested epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

The latest operation conducted from June 1-7 resulted in the apprehension

and towing of 47 illegally parked cars, motorcycles and public utility vehicles in

the areas of Mayon Street, e. rodriguez avenue, Banawe Street, Scout Tobias, Del Monte Street, agham Street, Hemady Street, la loma, and Gilmore, all in Quezon City.

Composite teams from Metro Manila Development authority—Parking Discipline Group and Task Force Mabuhay lanes—conducted the operation upon the directives of MMDa chairman emerson Carlos to clear the areas of all obstructions based on

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

Regional Trial Court

NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 93, QUEZON CITY IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR REHABILITATION OF SP. PROC. No. R-QZN16-04658-SP CYBERTISING PHILS., INC. AND EA MANUFACTURING CORP Petitioners. x-----------------------------------------------x

COMMENCEMENT ORDER Before this Court is the verified Amended Joint Petition for corporate rehabilitation filed by Cybertising Phils., Inc. and EA Manufacturing Corp., domestic corporations organized and existing under Philippine laws with principal offices at No. 38 Sagittarius Street, Barangay Talipapa, Novaliches, Quezon City.

Petitioner EA Manufacturing Corp. (EA Manufacturing), incorporated on 27 November 19981, is engaged in the business of manufacturing goods such as plastic products and packaging materials while petitioner Cybertising Phils., Inc. (Cybertising), incorporated on 03 July 20002, is engaged in the business of general advertising with the use of any form of media such as but not limited to radio, television and movie houses.

According to the joint petition, petitioners have the same set of stockholders, directors and officers.

They are located at the same principal office. All the assets, affairs and operation of the petitioners are intertwined and are exposed to possible attachment by the same creditors. Petitioners also have the same sets of clientele.

Emerson Chester Kim B. Go Kyle Justin B. Go Alexander O. Baltazar

-President -Corporate Secretary and Treasurer -Director -Director -Director

-President -Corporate Secretary -Treasurer -Director -Director

In sum, petitioners’ general business and fmancial condition are shown in the Income Tax Returns fIled for the years 2014 and 201510 for each of the petitioners, in the Report of Independent Auditors11, in the schedule of its debts and liabilities, Interim Financial Statements12 , Inventory of Assets and Schedule of Accounts Receivables13, Payment and Disposition of Assets14, Statements of Cash Flow15, Possible Claims by or against petitioners16 and the Affidavit ofGeneral Financial Condition17 .

In its proposed ten-year Amended Proposed Rehabilitation Plan18, Cybertising and EA Manufacturing are expected to raise an average of about 19% to 20% growth in their revenue. By reinforcing its capacity for digitalization and cost reduction policies, Cybertising expenses will gradually decline. EA Manufacturing can strengthen its income generation by digitalization and by supporting the business of Cybertising. The petitioners presently occupy a 5,000 square-meter office space. In order to maximize its use, the petitioners shall offer the same for warehouse lease. The sale of scrap materials from the advertising products is another source of income. Additional sources of income will be generated from the printing of election campaign materials and leasing of advertising space for the upcoming 2016, 2019 and 2022 national and local elections, providing an incremental income of 2% to 3%. Moreover, the stockholders of both corporations have undertaken to support the petitioners’ operation through capital infusion. And that while EA Manufacturing will be requiring Five Million Pesos additional capital, Cybertising is projected to sustain itself while paying its creditors as anticipated in the proposed restructuring period.

The petitioners thereafter submitted their nominees19 for the position of a rehabilitation receiver.

Finally, a further perusal of the verified Amended Joint Petition shows that it is accompanied by all the documents required under Sec. 2 (B), Rule 2 of A.M. 12-12-11-SC, entitled Financial Rehabilitation Rules of Procedure (2013) and dated 27 August 2013.

WHEREFORE, finding the petition sufficient in form and substance, a COMMENCEMENT ORDER is hereby issued pursuant to Sec. 8, Rule 2 of the Rules, has the effects stated pursuant to Sec. 9 and the exceptions provided in Sec. 10, Rule 2 and directs as follows:

60% 37% 1% 1% 1%

45% 34% 10% 10% 1%

The filing of the Joint Petition was approved in a meeting held on 20 May 2016 by the corporations’ Board of Directors thereby authorizing the president Eugene C. Go as evidenced by the copies of their attached Secretary’s Certificates5.

Petitioner EA Manufacturing is the co-debtor of petitioner Cybertising in the short term credit facility availed from the United Coconut Planter’s Bank which are secured by the real properties owned by the corporations’ majority stockholders Spouses Eugene Go and Angelita Go. Petitioners assented to become co-petitioners in the case as it is more convenient and beneficial for both Corporations to be treated together.

EA Manufacturing started as a small backyard plastic manufacturing business located at Caloocan City with two plastic extrusion machines and two plastic cutting machines. The products produced, ice bags and ice candy bags, were supplied to wet markets, groceries and sari-sari stores. With the success of EA manufacturing, Mr. Go was thereafter approached to venture into the printing business which resulted in the creation of Cybertising Phils., Inc. Cybertising engaged in the printing, installations and fabrications of tarpaulins, booths, signages and the like. It also manufactures indoor and outdoor advertising and promotional products.

Cybertising and EA Manufacturing expanded their business by venturing into billboard manufacture/ production. Among their clients include: San Miguel Corporation, Universal Robina Corp. Goodyear Philippines, Pilipinas Shell, Selecta, RFM, GMA Network, ABS-CBN, Jollibee and Globe Telecom.

On 07 April 2008, their warehouse located at No. 67 C-3 Road, Dagat-dagatan, Caloocan City was gutted by fire 6 Since petitioners wanted to start anew, they decided to transfer the conduct of their business and left their principal office at 158 Nadurata St., 7th Avenue, Grace Park, Caloocan City. Sometime in October 2008, Mr. Go, the President, signed a lease agreement7 for their new principal office and warehouse located at No. 38 Sagittarius St., Barangay Talipapa, Novaliches, Quezon City. They started their actual operation in the said address only in January 2009.

Earlier or sometime in the year 1998, Mr. Go for the account for EA Manufacturing, was given by the UCPB bills purchased line in the amount of One Million Pesos and rediscounting check of Two Million Pesos.

After six months, UCPB doubled the said bills purchased line into the amount of Two Million Pesos and rediscounting check of Five Million Pesos. Petitioners started to import resin products causing the approval of Letters of Credit and Trusts Receipts for another Ten Million Pesos.

When Cybertising was incorporated in the year 2000, UCPB approved a credit line of Twenty Million Pesos each for Cybertising and EA Manufacturing.

Petitioners’ business prospered as they had remarkable profit from the year 2004 until 2006. They were able to import tarpaulin for printing lamp posts and billboards. Their application for the combined credit facility called “Omnibus Line” was then approved by the UCPB. The maximum credit limit given to Cybertising was One Hundred Million Pesos for Promissory Note and Twenty Million Pesos for Letters of Credit with Bills Purchased for a total of One Hundred Twenty Million Pesos. On the other hand, EA Manufacturing was given a credit limit of Thirty Five Million Pesos for Trust Receipts and Fifteen Million Pesos for Promissory Notes inclusive of Bills Purchased for a total of Fifty Million Pesos. The said Omnibus Line is secured by real properties located in Caloocan City and registered in the name of Spouses Eugene and Angelita Go. As earlier highlighted, petitioners’ warehouse was gutted by fire in 2008 which resulted in the suspension of their operation for almost seven months. While petitioners’ imported products were insured with the UCPB, the insurance proceeds were not sufficient to offset petitioners’ loan with the UCPB at the time of frre. Petitioners resumed operation in January 2009 after transferring their principal office and warehouse in their present address in Quezon City.

The typhoon Ondoy in 2009 which badly flooded Manila caused an estimated damage of Twenty Million Pesos upon petitioners’ equipment. The succeeding typhoons, Pedring in 2011, Maring and Mario in 2013 caused further damage to their operations as their equipment suffered an estimated damage in the amount of Seven Million Pesos.

Based on its Audited Financial Statements for the fiscal year ending 31 December 2015, Cybertising has a Total Assets and Total Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity of Php 198,519,172.00 As of 30 April 2016, based on its interim financial statement, Cybertising’s total assets is Php81,501,451.68, total current liabilities of Php119,969,080.00 and long term liabilities of Php31,558,959.42.

Based on its Audited Financial Statements for the fiscal year ending 31 December 2015, EA Manufacturing has a Total Assets and Total Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity of Php52,877,725.00.

As of 30 April 2016, based on its interim [mancial statement, EA Manufacturing’s total assets is Php4,377,747.59 and total current liabilities of Php55,025,906.59.

(a)

SUSPENDING all actions or proceedings in court or otherwise, for the enforcement of all claims, against the petitioners;

(b)

SUSPENDING, all actions to enforce any judgment, attachment or other provisional remedies against the petitioners;

(c)

PROHIBITING petitioners from selling, encumbering, transferring, or disposing in any manner any of its properties except in the ordinary course of business;

(d)

PROHIBITING petitioners from making any payments of its liabilities outstanding as of the commencement date except as provided in Section 10, Rule 2, or when further ordered by this Court pursuant to Section 11 of Rule 2;

(e)

PROHIBITING petitioners’ suppliers of goods or services from withholding supply of goods and services in the ordinary course of business for as long as petitioners make payments for the goods and services supplied after the issuance of Ulis Commencement Order;

(f)

DIRECTING the payment of new loans or other forms of credit accommodations obtained for the rehabilitation of the petitioners with prior court approval.

(g)

DIRECTING the payment of administrative expenses as they become due;

(h)

DIRECTING all contracts not confirmed in writing by the petitioners within ninety (90) days following the issuance of the Commencement Order shall be considered automatically terminated;

The Court hereby appoints Atty. Bob L. Guinto as Rehabilitation Receiver who shall be considered as an Officer of the Court. He shall be initially compensated at THIR1Y THOUSAND PESOS (Php30,OOO.OO) per month exclusive of actual administrative expenses, and shall have the powers, duties and functions set forth in Sec. 26 of the same Rules.

Petitioners are hereby directed to immediately serve a copy of this Commencement Order personally to the Rehabilitation Receiver who shall manifest his acceptance or non-acceptance of his appointment not later than ten (10) days from receipt.

The Court further orders that before the Rehabilitation Receiver assumes his powers, duties and functions, he must post a BOND in the amount of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (Php500,000.00) in favor of the petitioner corporations to guarantee that he will faithfully discharge his duties and obey the orders of this Court.

Let the instant petition be SET FOR INITIAL HEARING on 12 July 2016 at eight thirty o’clock in the morning before this Court at Room 126-127, Ground Floor, Hall of Justice, Quezon City.

All petitioners’ creditors and all interested parties including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Insurance Commission and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) are hereby directed to FILE AND SERVE a verified COMMENT on or OPPOSITION to the petition with supporting affidavits and documents, not later than flfteen (15) days before the date of the initial hearing and putting them on notice that their failure to do so will bar them from participating in the proceedings.

The petitioners are hereby directed to serve, by personal delivery, a copy of the petition on (i) each creditor holding at least ten (10%) percent of the total liabilities of the debtor as determined from the schedule attached to the petition, (ii) the BIR, and the appropriate or relevant regulatory agencies such as but not limited to the SEC, BSP, the HLURB, and the Energy Regulatory Board, within five (5) days from the issuance of the order.

All petitioners’ creditors are hereby directed to FILE their VERIFIED NOTICES OF CLAIMS with the Court at least five (5) days before the initial hearing, with a warning that their failure to do so time will bar them from participating in the rehabilitation, proceedings. If a creditor files a belated claim, he shall not be entitled to participate in the proceedings but he shall be entitled to receive contributions arising therefrom if recommended and approved by the rehabilitation receiver, and approved by the Court. Any creditor or debtor may submit the name or nominate any other qualified person to the position of rehabilitation receiver at least five (5) days before the initial hearing; To enable the creditors, interested parties, the SEC, BSP, Insurance Commission and BIR to file their comment/opposition to the petition and to prepare for the initial hearing, they can secure from the Court copies of the petition and its annexes.

Further, let a copy of this Commencement Order be PUBLISHED, at petitioners’ expense, in a newspaper (broadsheet) of general circulation in the Philippines once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks, with the first publication to be made within seven (7) days from the time of the issuance of this Order. The petitioners should then file the corresponding Publisher’s Affidavit showing compliance with the publication requirement before the Initial Hearing date, otherwise the same will not be held and the Petition would be denied due course.

Finally, let copies of this Order be immediately served on the petitioners, its listed creditors, the SEC, BSP, the Insurance Commission and the BIR, within five (5) days from the issuance of this Order.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, 13 June 2016.

More problems beset the petitioners when the different Local Government Units started to pass ordinances prohibiting the use of plastics and the Metro Manila Development Authority issued regulations related to tarpaulins and billboards.

Additionally, the competition brought about by the introduction in the global market of China printing machines further contributed to the dilemma of the petitioners as their clients transferred to their competitors who were able to offer production at lower prices.

should include the name of the sender and the actual picture including the detailed location where the illegally parked vehicle or the obstruction was spotted and the time when it was taken.

The MMDa team tasked to monitor the reports will immediately verify all the information and forward it to the agency’s Traffic Discipline Office under the supervision of its director Crisanto Saruca.

Other than their account receivables9, petitioners state that they have no other debtors.

The following are the incorporators and officers of Cybertising 4 with the number of their shares of stocks in percentage: Eugene C. Go Angelita B. Go Emerson Chester Kim B. Go Kyle Justin B. Go Alexander O. Baltazar

of illegal vendors, basketball courts, gambling tables and other structures, including road diggings and they can post and upload them on our social media,” said Carlos.

The MMDa launched the social media reporting system in a bid to muster the public and private sectors in reporting to the agency all traffic obstructions on all roads in Metro Manila, especially the 17 Mabuhay lanes.

MMDa said the report

and Philhealth contributions in the amount of Php60,250.07 for Cybertising; SSS Loan and Premium in the amount of Php559,482.50, Pag-ibig Loan and Premium in the amount of Php212,691.59 and Philhealth contributions in the amount of Php20,394.92 for EA Manufacturing. The petitioners also received letters of authority from the Bureau of Internal Revenue for their alleged arrears in the total amount of Php78,663,046.80 for Cybertising and Php42,196,261.28 for EA Manufacturing.

The following are the incorporators and officers of EA Manufacturing3 with the number of their shares of stocks in percentage: Eugene C. Go Angelita B. Go

the complaints from affected residents and motorists.

The clearing operation is a joint effort with local government units, Department of interior and local Government, and the Philippine national Police-Highway Patrol Group.

Carlos said his agency is encouraging the people to cooperate and report illegally parked vehicles and other obstruction on major roads through its website netizens Watch.

“Motorists can take pictures

(SGD.) ARTHUR O. MALABAGUIO Presiding Judge 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Cybertising also has other obligations consisting of four lease agreements with the UCPB Leasing and Finance Corp. and and Japan PNB Leasing and Finance Corp. amounting to Php31,558,959.428.

15

Meanwhile, petitioners already failed to meet their government obligations consisting of SSS Loan and Premium in the amount of Php497,450.63, Pag-ibig Loan and Premium in the amount of Php212,691.59

18

16 17 19

Certificate of Incorporation, Annex “A-1 “, Petition.

Certificate of Incorporation, Annex “A-3’, Petition.

Annex ‘A’, Petition.

Annex ‘A·2”, Petition.

Annexes ‘B” and ‘ B·1 ‘, Petition.

Certification dated 14 April 2008 from Caloocan City Fire Station and Bureau of Fire Protection Report No. 2008·805-829, Annex “C’ to ‘C·l” Lease Agreement, Annex “C·2’ Annexes ‘E’ to ‘ E-3’, Petition.

Annexes ‘D-1’ to ‘D-2’, Petition.

Annexes “H” to “H-3’, Petition.

Annexes “I” to “1-1 “, Petition.

Annex’ J’, Petition.

Annexes ‘D’ to ‘D-3 to “D-6’, Petition.

Annexes “K” to ‘K-3’, Petition.

Annexes “L” to ‘L-3”, Petition.

Annex ‘M’, Petition.

Annex ‘N’, Petition.

Annex ‘F’, Petition.

Annexes ‘G” to ‘G-2”, Petition.

(TS-JUNE 15/22, 2016)

High court suspends Pamatong for 2 years

By Rey E. Requejo Perennial candidate elly Pamatong has been suspended from the practice of law for two years for badmouthing a regional trial court judge.

During its en banc session on Tuesday, the Supreme Court found Pamatong guilty of impropriety for committing a slanderous act against the judge.

The SC upheld the findings of the integrated Bar of the Philippines recommending the suspension of Pamatong for badmouthing Cagayan de Oro regional Trial Court Judge Gregorio Pantanosas Jr., but reduced the penalty of three years.

“The Court agreed with the iBP that respondent’s actions of using slanderous language and publishing an account in the newspaper and attributing the alleged account to the judge constituted misconduct but disagreed with the increased penalty of three years. The Court, considering previous cases of similar nature, reduced the penalty to two years suspension from the practice of law,” Court’s spokesman Theodore Te said, in a media briefing.

“We sternly warn the respondent that a repetition of the same or a similar infraction shall merit a more severe sanction,” Te added.

The case arose from a civil case being heard by the sala of Pantanosas wherein Pamatong was appearing as counsel.

The tribunal noted that during one hearing, the presiding judge asked Pamatong to remove his copia or the headwear worn by Muslims while inside the courtroom, to which the latter refused, citing religious grounds and embarrassment because of his “bald pate.”

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Bataan vice gov-elect Garcia dies

By Maricel V. Cruz and Butch Gunio

Too early. A grade one student of Sero Central School in Cotabato City yawns on the first day of school. OMAR MANGORSI

Guimaras nixes Iloilo City proposal on fees, wharves JORDAN, Guimaras—The provincial government of Guimaras has opposed the proposed imposition of terminal and other fees and the closure of two wharves in Iloilo City to give way to the sole operation of Guimaras Iloilo Ferry Terminal in Parola, Iloilo City.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Guimaras recently passed a resolution opposing the proposed P11 terminal fee and berthing and cargo fees, and the mandatory closure of Ortiz and Parola wharves at Brgy. Ortiz and Brgy. Concepcion, respectively.

Board member John Edward Gando, author of the resolution, said the terminal fee would make the one-way fare at least P25.

“If there will be berthing and

other fees to be imposed on pumpboats, it will be passed on the passengers,” he added.

Gando said the amount is “undeniably burdensome, unreasonable and oppressive to students, senior citizens, vendors, laborers, and Guimarasnons in general who pass through that ferry terminal on a day-to-day basis.”

With regard to the mandatory closure of Parola and Ortiz wharves, Gando said: “It will leave passen-

gers no option to choose the port or wharf except the ferry terminal that unjustly exacts payment.”

Gando stressed that the operations of these two wharves require no ordinances or executive orders contrary to claims of City Hall officials as ports are considered property of public dominion.

“The Iloilo City Government cannot do whatever they want— Parola and Ortiz wharves have been considered property of public dominion under Article 420 of The Civil Code of the Philippines that has been used by the people since time immemorial.”

Gando lamented that the parties to the agreement should have consulted or included Guimaras on the feasibility study or dialogues

as Guimarasnons are the ones directly affected by the project.

“The deal was approved in October 2012 and we are not elected that time yet. We are left in the dark, and it we look for ways to at least have a copy of the Joint Venture Agreement,” he said.

According to Gando, the province is set to file this week a petition that would seek the invalidation of certain terms of the deal.

He argues that the province is in the right track, citing what he claims are violations of the City Government with regard to the use of the Rotary Park.

“The City cites Proclamation No. 207 signed by President Benigno Aquino III on July 19, 2011,” he said. PNA

BATAAN Vice Governor-elect Enrique “Tet” Garcia Jr. died Monday evening. He was 75.

Garcia’s son, Bataan Governor Albert Garcia, said that his father had been suffering from a lingering illness prior to his death.

“Our family is deeply saddened to inform you that our beloved father, Cong. Enrique “Tet” Garcia Jr. joined our Creator on June 13, 2016 at 10:42 p.m. Please pray for the eternal repose of his soul,” the younger Garcia said in his Facebook account.

The elder Garcia is the incumbent representative of the second district of Bataan. He ran unopposed in the last May 9 elections.

He was elected congressman of his district in the 8th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Congress.

Bataan Rep.-elect Geraldine Roman and supporters expressed their condolences to the Garcia family. She said the elder Garcia’s vision and hard work had made Bataan a developed country.

“We will surely miss the good person that he was. I will always remember his sense of humor, good example and the kindness he has shown to my family especially during our difficult times. How I wish I had the chance to work with him and learn from the wealth of his experience,” Roman said in her comment to the younger Garcia’s post on Facebook.

The elder Garcia left behind wife Victoria and children Anna, Gila, Albert, Joet and Francis.

The Garcia family announced that wake will start today (June 14), 5 p.m. at Emiliana Hall, Barangay Tenejero, this city.

The family requested donations to the Diocese of Balanga in lieu of flowers for the dead.

Rizal museum to open in Dapitan June 19 DAPITAN, Zamboanga del Norte—The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, chaired by Dr. Maria Serena I. Diokno, will open the modernized Museo ni Jose Rizal Dapitan with Brother Armin A. Luistro FSC, secretary of the Department of Education, as guest of honor on June 19, 2016 at 4 p.m.

The Museo ni Jose Rizal in Dapitan is located at the site of Jose Rizal’s farm in Talisay, Dapitan where the national hero spent four years in exile.

Rizal engaged in agricultural pursuits by cultivating various crops and fruit trees and established a school for boys. As a doctor, Rizal treated ailments and successfully operated on eye diseases. With engineering and

architectural skills, he set up the town plaza with street lighting, built a dam and waterworks, and nipa huts for his clinic and pupils’ dormitory. Rizal’s scientific mind spurred him to conduct archaeological excavations uncovering pre-colonial artifacts; as a naturalist, he collected biological and botanical specimens; and as a linguist, he studied the Visayan and Malayan languages.

Rizal also wrote poetry and created sculptures from clay.

The museum exhibits include a variety of interactive features such as audio visual presentations, light-and-sound tableaus, holograms, and touch screen terminals featuring Rizal’s everyday activities as a political exile in Dapitan.

The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history

through its museums, research and publication, and preserve the nation’s historical heritage

through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures.

Law enforcers. Law enforcers from the Bureau of Customs, National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police of Cebu City participate in a conference to build solid cases for successful prosecutions.

W E D N E S D AY: J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 6

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

ORLANDO TRAGEDY PROVES TRUMP WRONG, NOT RIGHT

[ EDI TORI A L ]

UNPREPARED FOR CHANGE

By Leonid Bershidsky

THERE is nothing wrong with wanting to be on par with the rest of the world, particularly when it involves the education of our children. But there is a growing sense that the Aquino administration leaped into the K-12 program—adding two years to the country’s basic education system—unprepared.

This week, as millions of schoolchildren returned to school, some 200,000 to 400,000 who finished Grade 10 were not expected to go on to two more years of senior high school under the K-12 program.

Despite this high figure, outgoing Education Secretary Armin Luistro says this is “the best school opening yet,” since the expected dropout rate will be below 50 percent in previous years.

But Luistro’s statements came amid reports of low enrollee turnout on the first day of school and nationwide protests by youth groups against the K-12 program.

Despite the low initial turnout of enrollees, Luistro said at least 1.1 million Grade 11 students were already enrolled in various schools offering SHS nationwide. With 1.5 million students completing Grade 10 in school year 2015-2016, that still accounts for a dropout rate of 36 percent.

But there is good reason to believe that Luistro, as part of an administration that regularly claims more than it achieves, is being overly optimistic.

Militant groups, in fact, have dismissed his statements as “delusional” and that the true dropout rate will be closer to 1 million, and that the K-12 program has simply aggravated the long-standing problems of the country’s educational system, including insufficient classrooms, poorly trained teachers, inadequate number of textbooks, and, in private schools, yearly increases in tuition.

At the same time, a voucher program that Luistro claims will help public school students attend private schools, will prove insufficient for poor families, the Gabriela Women’s Party says.

As it turns out, the P22,500 vouchers that the Education Department promised as financial aid will cover only up to 80 percent of private school fees, and the balance can eat up to 40 percent of a family’s income for every single senior high school child, Gabriela says.

And because only 48 percent of public high schools have submitted proposals to implement senior high school next year, most public school students will be forced to attend private schools that their families cannot afford.

Citing figures as of the weekend, opponents of the K-12 program said it seems more likely that Luistro’s projections for enrollment this year might be prematurely rosy.

Clearly, the incoming administration needs to review the Aquino government’s claims about our readiness for K-12. We have no problem with the program’s goals, but a national effort of this scale needs more than haphazard preparation and press releases to achieve success. If change is coming, we should be ready for it first.

WEEKEND CARNAGE BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO IN ONE of the bloodiest mass shootings in US history, 50 people were killed and 53 critically wounded in Orlando, Florida.

Police said it was an act of terror and a hate crime when a man of Afghan descent, armed with an assault rifle and handgun, walked into a nightclub and opened fire at a crowd of 300. It was a horrific night when terror struck and lasted up to 5 a.m. of

Sunday morning.

The scene of the bloodbath was Pulse, a nightclub popular with gay people. It is not yet known whether some Filipino members of the LGBT community in Orlando were among the fatalities or wounded because the police have not released the names of the victims. The casualties could go up as those critically wounded are still fighting for their lives in hospitals to where they were rushed.

Earlier on Friday, also in Orlando, American singer Christine Grimmies was shot dead by another disturbed lone

gunman while she was signing autographs after a concert. The two incidents are not related.

The suspect in the Pulse gay club shooting who was shot dead by responding police was previously questioned twice by the FBI in 2013 as a person of interest for inflammatory statements against the gay community. Authorities, however, did not have enough to hold him.

Twenty-nine- year-old Omar Seddique Mateen’s parents were immigrants from Afghanistan but he was born in New York, which made him a US citizen.

The Orlando mass shooting

A9

Unless politicians can muster the resolve and overcome the powerful US gun lobby, there will be more of this senseless slaughter of innocent civilians.

surpassed the number of 14 people killed in San Bernardino, California in December 2015 when a married Muslim couple, inspired by ISIS, opened fire at a gathering of workers in a banquet hall. What we are seeing is a serial killing done by different deranged individuals who have easy access to guns.

Americans are asking why the FBI did not keep track of Mateen. He had access to highcaliber firearms, being a security guard. With his arsenal of weapons and his training to handle high caliber firearms, the gunman reloaded and kept firing at his victims. This latest case of mass shooting raises anew the issue of how easy it is even for crazed people to pur-

chase guns. His ex-wife speaking from Boulder, Colorado described Mateen as “disturbed and mentally unstable,” which was why she broke off with him.

A victim of Mateen’s domestic violence, she said her parents had to rescue her from her abusive husband. What was frightening about Mateen was that his wife said he wanted to be a police officer. We can just imagine the consequences if he had slipped through the police selection process.

Unless politicians can muster the resolve and overcome the powerful US

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gun lobby, there will be more of this senseless slaughter of innocent civilians.

For sure, there will be the usual outrage by politicians and concerned citizens to tighten the law on gun control. But as soon as the furor dies down, it will again be business as usual for the merchants of deaths who are grieving all the way to the bank.

Is it any wonder Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s “keep out Muslim extremists from our borders” statement is finding traction with a wide segment of American voters?

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Recall that the bombers at the finish line of the Boston marathon were also immigrants from Chechnya who were given US citizenships. One of them was killed in a gun battle with Boston policemen while the other, who was eventually captured, is undergoing trial.

Another ASG hostage beheaded Here at home came the chilling news that the kidnap-for-ransom Abu Sayyaf Group beheaded another one of the foreign hostages. This, after the Philippine and foreign governments rejected the Continued on A11

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Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Finance Officer

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Maan Ilustre Advertising and Marketing Head Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

ACCORDING to Donald Trump, he has been congratulated “for being right on radical Islamic terrorism” after 50 people died by a lone gunman’s hand in an Orlando, Florida, nightclub. The shooting, however, proves him wrong on several major points that unite his supporters. Even though they will ignore the proof, it’s worth laying out.

During the primary campaign, Trump kept using the November terror attacks in Paris to make the point that strict gun regulations increase the casualty count.

France, he said over and over, had “the toughest gun laws in the world.” Because of them, only the bad guys had guns.

Had it been otherwise, fewer people would have died, Trump told applauding audiences.

At the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, 1,500 people were in the audience and, as Trump said, nobody had guns. Three gunmen killed 89 of the concert-goers.

But at the Pulse club in Orlando, about 320 people were present when Omar Mateen went on the rampage. A security guard—a cop working extra duty—opened fire, and two other officers who’d been nearby backed him up.

Even so, the lone attacker managed to kill 50 people, a much bigger proportion of those present than in Paris.

Florida, with a permissive attitude to the National Firearms Act, is ranked 12th among the “best states for gun owners” by Guns & Ammo. Last year, the magazine gushed that: “For many years, Florida’s gun laws have been the envy of gun owners nationwide. The Sunshine State places no restrictions upon modern firearms, magazines or NFA items, and the state has a healthy competitive shooting network.”

I have heard US gun advocates claim that allowing more “good guys” to be armed serves as a deterrent to criminals, who are looking for victims, not a fight.

The argument has always struck me as theoretical: It depends on the criminal and on how angry, skillful and indifferent to his survival he may be. Mateen has proved the theory wrong. As someone who carried a gun as part of his job, he was confident he’d do enough damage even if confronted.

Continued on A11

LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES Mr. Robles’ column will resume tomorrow.

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

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

W E D N E S D AY: J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

ORLANDO TRAGEDY PROVES TRUMP WRONG, NOT RIGHT

[ EDI TORI A L ]

UNPREPARED FOR CHANGE

By Leonid Bershidsky

THERE is nothing wrong with wanting to be on par with the rest of the world, particularly when it involves the education of our children. But there is a growing sense that the Aquino administration leaped into the K-12 program—adding two years to the country’s basic education system—unprepared.

This week, as millions of schoolchildren returned to school, some 200,000 to 400,000 who finished Grade 10 were not expected to go on to two more years of senior high school under the K-12 program.

Despite this high figure, outgoing Education Secretary Armin Luistro says this is “the best school opening yet,” since the expected dropout rate will be below 50 percent in previous years.

But Luistro’s statements came amid reports of low enrollee turnout on the first day of school and nationwide protests by youth groups against the K-12 program.

Despite the low initial turnout of enrollees, Luistro said at least 1.1 million Grade 11 students were already enrolled in various schools offering SHS nationwide. With 1.5 million students completing Grade 10 in school year 2015-2016, that still accounts for a dropout rate of 36 percent.

But there is good reason to believe that Luistro, as part of an administration that regularly claims more than it achieves, is being overly optimistic.

Militant groups, in fact, have dismissed his statements as “delusional” and that the true dropout rate will be closer to 1 million, and that the K-12 program has simply aggravated the long-standing problems of the country’s educational system, including insufficient classrooms, poorly trained teachers, inadequate number of textbooks, and, in private schools, yearly increases in tuition.

At the same time, a voucher program that Luistro claims will help public school students attend private schools, will prove insufficient for poor families, the Gabriela Women’s Party says.

As it turns out, the P22,500 vouchers that the Education Department promised as financial aid will cover only up to 80 percent of private school fees, and the balance can eat up to 40 percent of a family’s income for every single senior high school child, Gabriela says.

And because only 48 percent of public high schools have submitted proposals to implement senior high school next year, most public school students will be forced to attend private schools that their families cannot afford.

Citing figures as of the weekend, opponents of the K-12 program said it seems more likely that Luistro’s projections for enrollment this year might be prematurely rosy.

Clearly, the incoming administration needs to review the Aquino government’s claims about our readiness for K-12. We have no problem with the program’s goals, but a national effort of this scale needs more than haphazard preparation and press releases to achieve success. If change is coming, we should be ready for it first.

WEEKEND CARNAGE BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO IN ONE of the bloodiest mass shootings in US history, 50 people were killed and 53 critically wounded in Orlando, Florida.

Police said it was an act of terror and a hate crime when a man of Afghan descent, armed with an assault rifle and handgun, walked into a nightclub and opened fire at a crowd of 300. It was a horrific night when terror struck and lasted up to 5 a.m. of

Sunday morning.

The scene of the bloodbath was Pulse, a nightclub popular with gay people. It is not yet known whether some Filipino members of the LGBT community in Orlando were among the fatalities or wounded because the police have not released the names of the victims. The casualties could go up as those critically wounded are still fighting for their lives in hospitals to where they were rushed.

Earlier on Friday, also in Orlando, American singer Christine Grimmies was shot dead by another disturbed lone

gunman while she was signing autographs after a concert. The two incidents are not related.

The suspect in the Pulse gay club shooting who was shot dead by responding police was previously questioned twice by the FBI in 2013 as a person of interest for inflammatory statements against the gay community. Authorities, however, did not have enough to hold him.

Twenty-nine- year-old Omar Seddique Mateen’s parents were immigrants from Afghanistan but he was born in New York, which made him a US citizen.

The Orlando mass shooting

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Unless politicians can muster the resolve and overcome the powerful US gun lobby, there will be more of this senseless slaughter of innocent civilians.

surpassed the number of 14 people killed in San Bernardino, California in December 2015 when a married Muslim couple, inspired by ISIS, opened fire at a gathering of workers in a banquet hall. What we are seeing is a serial killing done by different deranged individuals who have easy access to guns.

Americans are asking why the FBI did not keep track of Mateen. He had access to highcaliber firearms, being a security guard. With his arsenal of weapons and his training to handle high caliber firearms, the gunman reloaded and kept firing at his victims. This latest case of mass shooting raises anew the issue of how easy it is even for crazed people to pur-

chase guns. His ex-wife speaking from Boulder, Colorado described Mateen as “disturbed and mentally unstable,” which was why she broke off with him.

A victim of Mateen’s domestic violence, she said her parents had to rescue her from her abusive husband. What was frightening about Mateen was that his wife said he wanted to be a police officer. We can just imagine the consequences if he had slipped through the police selection process.

Unless politicians can muster the resolve and overcome the powerful US

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gun lobby, there will be more of this senseless slaughter of innocent civilians.

For sure, there will be the usual outrage by politicians and concerned citizens to tighten the law on gun control. But as soon as the furor dies down, it will again be business as usual for the merchants of deaths who are grieving all the way to the bank.

Is it any wonder Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s “keep out Muslim extremists from our borders” statement is finding traction with a wide segment of American voters?

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Recall that the bombers at the finish line of the Boston marathon were also immigrants from Chechnya who were given US citizenships. One of them was killed in a gun battle with Boston policemen while the other, who was eventually captured, is undergoing trial.

Another ASG hostage beheaded Here at home came the chilling news that the kidnap-for-ransom Abu Sayyaf Group beheaded another one of the foreign hostages. This, after the Philippine and foreign governments rejected the Continued on A11

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ACCORDING to Donald Trump, he has been congratulated “for being right on radical Islamic terrorism” after 50 people died by a lone gunman’s hand in an Orlando, Florida, nightclub. The shooting, however, proves him wrong on several major points that unite his supporters. Even though they will ignore the proof, it’s worth laying out.

During the primary campaign, Trump kept using the November terror attacks in Paris to make the point that strict gun regulations increase the casualty count.

France, he said over and over, had “the toughest gun laws in the world.” Because of them, only the bad guys had guns.

Had it been otherwise, fewer people would have died, Trump told applauding audiences.

At the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, 1,500 people were in the audience and, as Trump said, nobody had guns. Three gunmen killed 89 of the concert-goers.

But at the Pulse club in Orlando, about 320 people were present when Omar Mateen went on the rampage. A security guard—a cop working extra duty—opened fire, and two other officers who’d been nearby backed him up.

Even so, the lone attacker managed to kill 50 people, a much bigger proportion of those present than in Paris.

Florida, with a permissive attitude to the National Firearms Act, is ranked 12th among the “best states for gun owners” by Guns & Ammo. Last year, the magazine gushed that: “For many years, Florida’s gun laws have been the envy of gun owners nationwide. The Sunshine State places no restrictions upon modern firearms, magazines or NFA items, and the state has a healthy competitive shooting network.”

I have heard US gun advocates claim that allowing more “good guys” to be armed serves as a deterrent to criminals, who are looking for victims, not a fight.

The argument has always struck me as theoretical: It depends on the criminal and on how angry, skillful and indifferent to his survival he may be. Mateen has proved the theory wrong. As someone who carried a gun as part of his job, he was confident he’d do enough damage even if confronted.

Continued on A11

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OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

WILL HE OR WON’T HE? TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO PRESIDENT-ele c t Rodrigo Roa Duterte will not be a dictator, lawyer-spokesman Salvador Panelo said, reacting to the warning issued by outgoing President BS Aquino that the Filipino people should safeguard their freedoms against any attempt to go back to the dark days of Martial Law. We are glad to hear from the Du30 camp that the incoming President will not become a dictator. Still, the specter of authoritarianism and dictatorship has not left us given his pronouncements before and after the elections.

Du30 has vowed that he would end criminality, drug trafficking and corruption within three to six months. We all know that this is not doable—unless he institutes a revolutionary government and becomes a dictator.

Officials like former Philippine National Police chief and Senator-elect Panfilo Lacson have also said that this is not doable unless Du30 becomes a dictator.

Santa Banana, the president even went to the extent of saying that there will be no less than 50 executions by hanging every month, presuming that death penalty by hanging would be passed

by Congress within six months. It is an unrealistic assumption.

My gulay, while we may have a rubber-stamp Lower House, the Senate, composed of 24 “separate republics,” will not be as easy to manage.

Du30 will not become a dictator? But why has he told media that if he could not get what he wants from Congress, or if there are moves to impeach him (because of his alleged hidden wealth), he would just abolish the Legislature?

That doesn’t sound like a joke at all. That was a serious threat.

Mr. Duterte has even said he would not allow himself nor any of his policies to be investigated

by Congress. Isn’t it the job of the lawmakers to do exactly that, because each branch of government is supposedly independent and equal to the others?

This is why I am still ask-

ing: Will Duterte become a dictator, or won’t he? *** Insiders say that the reason defeated vice presidential candidate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano will not become Senate president was that when sessions of Congress resumed, he was going around telling his colleagues that such and such is what Duterte wants, to the point of declaring himself the next Senate chief.

Santa Banana, Cayetano was even distributing Senate chairmanships and proclaiming that he already had 15 senators in the bag!

Members of the Senate also knew that even if Du30 wanted Cayetano to be Senate president, he could not assume office until after one year.

They resented the fact that the Senate presidency would be a “parking lot” for Cayetano. And that made most of the senators change their minds about Cayetano. They instead went for PDP-Laban presi-

I am still wondering how Duterte can achieve all his promises without becoming a dictator.

dent and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III as the next Senate chief.

I don’t know why Cayetano had the arrogance to become the next Senate president when he knew that every senator is a separate republic. One has to have the support of 13 senators to be elected their leader.

Thus, when some of the senators went to Davao City to ask Du30 whether or not Cayetano was the one he wanted to head the Senate, Du30 said no. *** While some of the appointees, friends and supporters of Du30 are now acting high and mighty, there are those elected, like Vice President Leni

BUILDING CITIES, NOT CELL SITES DIVERSIFIED conglomerate San Miguel Corp. has unloaded, for a whopping P70 billion, its telecommunications assets, including the coveted 700 megahertz (MHz) spectrum, reaping P52 billion in equity funds and freeing itself of P18 billion in short-term liabilities to suppliers.

Despite the P70 billion proceeds from the sale, the company says it didn’t make much money. “We only recovered our cost,” says Ramon S. Ang, the SMC vice chairman, president and chief operating officer.

SMC’s pullout from what it had hoped would have been a major segment of its diversified businesses was done more to benefit the Filipino consumers and the public in general than to make a profit.

“We wanted Filipinos to enjoy immediately the benefits of high-speed internet at reasonable cost,” explains a senior official.

Indeed, with their purchase of SMC’s telco assets, PLDT is now said to roll out 700 MHz to its 350 cell sites this year. Globe will have 700 MHz in 200 cell sites in four months. So Filipinos will now benefit from faster internet and more reliable cellular phone service, thanks to SMC. The Philippines has among the world’s slowest internet speeds and among the world’s highest telephone rates—thanks to coddling or rank cronyism by the so-called Daang-Matuwid BS Aquino administration, of PLDT and Globe which ironically are foreign-owned. SMC is largely Filipino-owned. Foreign companies PLDT and Globe refused to allow the Filipino company SMC access to their international gateway facility to enable SMC cellular subscribers to make and receive overseas calls.

Meanwhile, incoming President Rodrigo Duterte has told PLDT and Globe to shape up and speed up their internet or he would allow a third player, a foreign company.

One country can deliver fast internet, the latest in technology, and quality cellular service: China.

San Miguel’s 700 MHz speeds up internet because it cuts across buildings at lower heights and thus is a more reliable and stable band for voice and data use in cellular Robredo, who are overacting when she said she would stay at the sequestered “Boracay mansion” in Greenhills.

She said that the rent being paid by the Office of the Vice President at Coconut Palace was too high. What she is telling us is that the “Boracay Mansion” still has to be refurbished. It would entail further expenses, as well.

In her attempt at humility, Robredo actually is becoming “plastic.” I won’t be surprised if she goes to her office in slippers.

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ phones, on top of being cheaper to manage because it requires far fewer cell sites to roll out.

For an area like Metro Manila, it takes 700 sites for the 700 MHz to become high-band, compared with 2,000 cell sites for the 1800 to 2600 MHz spectrum to work as high band. Also, it costs only $250,000 to install a 700-MHz band cell site.

SMC bought huge chunks of the 700-MHz spectrum years ago when nobody was looking and when nobody thought it was a valuable asset in leading edge cellular service.

“The cheapest, fastest and best” was how Ang described the proposed SMC telco service.

PLDT and Globe would not take a serious and cash-rich competitor like San Miguel sitting down. They threatened suits that hampered SMC’s early rollout of its phone service. With the suits, foreign partners were discouraged to partner with SMC. It would have taken the conglomerate up to five years to completely roll out its cellular service.

PLDT did P171.1 billion revenues and Globe P119.96 billion, for a combined P291-billion business in 2015. Their profits: P38.55 billion—P22 billion by PLDT and P16.84 billion by Globe.

Last May, with consumer welfare in mind, SMC did the next best thing: Sell its telco companies to PLDT and Globe which split SMC’s assets, 50/50. The state National Telecommunications Commission told PLDT and Globe to roll out their 700-MHz within 60 days in 90 percent of the towns and cities.

Having unloaded its telco assets, SMC will focus on the next big business of the future—building industrial estates and whole cities.

It is laying out industrial estates across the archipelago.

Within three years, SMC will modernize the island of Basilan, a province 1.8 times the size of Singapore and with a fifth of the latter’s population, by building power plants (two 150-megawatt coal

*** The Facebook post of one Clarisse Oben Evangelista about Panelo that he allegedly parked his car in a non-parking zone at the Greenhills shopping center says so much about people in power suddenly becoming arrogant.

Despite Panelo’s denial that he had sought the permission of the guards because he was just going to the drugstore to buy a bottle of virgin coconut oil, I would rather believe the Facebook post.

And to think Du30 has

plants at a cost of $600 million), bulk water, piers ($30 million), other infra, as well as a flour mill, a feeds mill, call centers and Petron stations. Long wracked by insurgency, Basilan literally will shift from bullets to billions.

SMC will sell power in Basilan for almost a tenth of the current P30 per kilowatt-hour. That will electrify the whole island where electricity is severely in short supply, and out of reach for majority of the people. Lower power cost will also lower industrial production cost since electricity is 20 percent of production cost.

The sale of its telco and the Basilan project illustrate the real character of SMC’s businesses— profit with honor, service to society, helping in national development.

SMC is selling electricity in Bulacan and Bicol at a third of the price of competitors.

Making your world better is good business. SMC is poised to chalk up record revenues of P1.1 trillion this year, up 63 percent, and record operating profits of P100 billion, up 27 percent from 2015.

About 60 percent of SMC’s businesses today are in new areas built with $5 billion investments from 2008 to 2015. They push national development – energy (it provides 22 percent of Luzon’s power supply), fuel (Petron has 34 percent market share), and infrastructure (it has 274 kms when completed, or 80 percent of tollways and skyways, plus Boracay’s Caticlan airport which now has a 2-km runway good for jet planes, MRT7 rail and expressway to Bulacan, and bulk water, also in Bulacan).

The biggest of SMC’s projects is the $10-billion new Manila airport. Ang promises to deliver the first two of its four runways in five years from the date of government approval. With the runways, the new Manila airport sitting on 1,600 hectares (including 600 hectares of reclaimed land by the bay), can handle 100 million passengers per year and 150 aircraft movements per hour (triple the present NAIA’s capacity).

The airport will be rimmed by industrial estates, business districts, and high-end residential subdivisions and will be only 10 Continued on A11

not yet assumed power! *** I have always believed that you cannot put a good man down.

I refer to international businessman Roberto “Bobby” Ongpin, former trade minister of the Marcos regime, who cannot seem to stop his Alphaland Corp. from building more signature and high-end projects for which his company is famous.

Ongpin is now developing Alphaland Baguio Mountain Lodges, only 15 minutes from the heart of Baguio

City. No less than 300 mountain lodges will be built on a 27-hectare area safely surrounded by a seven-foot perimeter fence. It will be a master-planned project and a membership club.

I have been there in one of my trips to Baguio City, and I was amazed at how this project will be built with all the amenities you can think of.

Despite attempts of the BS Aquino administration to prosecute Ongpin, who is a close friend of former first gentleman Mike Continued on A11

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

GRIDLOCK

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO HOW did President-elect Duterte win in the National Capital Region? And not among a particular income class, but all? Despite being a virtual unknown when he started his national odyssey, despite the brash language, despite the cussing, the profanity, the irreverence?

Everyone and his mother now conclude it’s because life has become so unbearable for the average resident of Metro Manila. From traffic day in and day out, from the chaos on the streets, day in and night out, from all the vexations brought about by the incompetence that affected every single day of their now-miserable lives. And Duterte presented the only hope among the contenders: the “continuity” of “Daang Matuwid” that Roxas mouthed; the so-so promises of a Poe; the same tired clichés found wanting of a Binay. Duterte promised “matapang na solusyon, mabilis na aksyon.”

He promised to rid the streets and neighborhoods of drugs and crime, and to have zero tolerance for incompetence and corruption. In short, Duterte promised liberation from gridlock—lives rendered frustrating by sheer immobility, and the concomi-

tant helplessness of a state of official nonchalance.

Gridlock had many faces, from lining up for hours for an MRT or LRT ride. From 10 kilometers per hour cooped up inside a bus, a taxi, a jeepney, even one’s own car, due to interminable traffic along Edsa, or Taft, or Buendia, or Quezon Avenue, on the way to the airport using Roxas Boulevard, or the C-5, wherever. And traffic in the air as well. Being told by a hoary announcement in the airport that your flight is delayed “due to late turn-around of your designated plane,” to waiting even further in the tarmac, because “we have been told by air traffic controllers to wait before taking off,” and then delayed even further because the plane has to keep circling atop Metro Manila or Cavite before it can land. Faster at times to fly in from Narita to Manila than from Cebu to Manila.

It has become a cacophony of every Metro Manila resident shouting: Liberate me from this gridlock!

Now it’s 15 days to go before the man from Davao takes his oath as President of the Republic in Malacañang.

Fifteen days to go before the promise of swift and bold action begins its implementation.

For starters, Duterte chose

a man who he knew from law school onwards, a self-made logistics entrepreneur, lawyer Art Tugade, to be his DOTC secretary. The man was at the helm of Clark Development Corporation, and in less than two years, made a howling success of the job, from showing sizable incomes to attracting investments to his area.

The tasks at DOTC may be daunting and formidable, but big man Tugade is a perfect fit.

With the president’s full support, with Sonny Dominguez and Ben Diokno providing the ways and means, and Congress acting in similar cadence, the folks of NCR and nearby provinces should see measurable improvements in the next two to three years.

Many ideas have been floated, some from within the president-elect’s and the secretary-designates’ own circle.

There are some bright ideas from the private sector as well.

From as simple a solution as getting people to walk using all-weather elevated walkways spanning traffic-choked Edsa’s sidewalk, to a monorail parallel to the Pasig River (from Marikina in the east to Manila in the west), to longer term and more expensive solutions such as a subway system—all are doable, with time frames from the immediate to 10 years.

There’s Duterte’s avowed

program of expanding the rail systems, both for more efficient cargo transport as well as commuter relief, which likewise provides relief from the congestion of the inner cities. Imagine taking a train from Calamba in Laguna, or Malolos in Bulacan, right into the business districts of Makati and Manila, rather than hop in and out of buses and other modes of public transport?

If you live in Marikina and work in Manila, think of the convenience of taking a monorail spanning the Pasig River, with stops in Pasig City, Mandaluyong, Makati and Manila. Since government has right of ownership of the easement along the banks of the river, construction would be without right-of-way problems, the legal plague of many a government project.

If you could walk in an elevated walkway, covered and well-lit, clean and secured, from the corner of Edsa and Ayala, to the corner of Edsa and Guadalupe, would you not take the option of exercising your legs rather than paying and waiting for an hour riding public transport?

After all, that’s probably about 3 to 4 kilometers of walking.

Atop one of Edsa’s sidewalks, wouldn’t that be faster to construct? I heard this simple idea first from a son-in-law

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Will he... From A10

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ASG’s P600-million ransom demand for their captives who were abducted in the resort island of Samal on Sept. 21 last year.

Canadian Robert Hall was the latest victim killed by the Sayyaf who earlier also beheaded his compatriot John Ridsdel. The bandit group is still holding a Norwegian and the Filipina girlfriend of one of the Canadians.

The Philippine army is carrying out a military operation to rescue the remaining captives. They are having difficulties in the Sulu jungle and terrain; the ASG is more familiar with these.

We have yet to hear incoming President Rodrigo Duterte say he would let up on implementing the curfew on minors and drinking on the street to focus on the capture of the lawless Abu Sayyaf. He should leave the street curfew and roundup of street drinkers to the local governments and instead concentrate on restoring order in his own backyard of Mindanao.

Arroyo, Ongpin just keeps on inviting foreign investors to the Philippines.

In fact, in May 2015, Alphaland was approached by three foreign investors, who expressed interest in investing in Alphaland and even listing the company in a foreign stock exchange. Discussions with these investors are ongoing.

Early on in Aquino’s term, Ongpin was accused of obtaining a behest loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines by DBP chairman Jose Nuñez, BS Aquino’s biggest contributor in 2010. The charge was later dismissed.

Ongpin was my former student at the Ateneo de Manila High School in Loyola Heights. I’m pretty close to Bobby; the success of my students is also my success as a professor.

Alphaland’s president and COO is now Ana Bettina Ongpin, Bobby’s daughter. She took over from lawyer Mario “Babes” Oreta, who was Alphaland’s president/ COO for 10 years and who has recently retired.

If the Paris tragedy proved anything, it’s that the relative looseness or toughness of gun laws is not the deciding factor. Criminals will still be able to get guns even if you limit magazine size or stop gun sales to people who, like Mateen, have been scrutinized by the Federal Bureau of Investigations for terrorist connections. Stricter French rules didn’t stop the attackers there.

Nevertheless, Florida’s permissive gun culture probably helped Mateen more than it hindered him.

The other point Trump is missing is about “radical Islamic terrorism” and its relationship to bigotry. The Orlando shooter clearly targeted gays. The shooter’s father has said Mateen had hated gays for kissing in front of his own kid.

That didn’t necessarily have anything to do with his brand of Islam or whatever Islamic State connection he may have had. Homophobia isn’t imported into the US by Muslims, whom Trump still wants to ban from entering the US: Even at its most violent, it’s prevalent in countries with Christian majorities, too, and in the US itself.

Last year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report on anti-gay discrimination and violence. Global statistics on hate crimes against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people are not compiled, but the report cited data from the Inter-American Commission

Building... From A10 minutes from Manila’s international seaport, maximum 30 minutes from E. Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa), and using San Miguel’s North/South Expressway connector road (finished by December 2017) will be also 30 minutes from Balintawak in Quezon City. On an ordinary day, these areas are two to three hours from the present airport.

As for industrial estates, Asia is running out of industrial sites and China has become too prohibitive a location for factories. Thailand, meanwhile, is too unpredictable with floods and frequent strikes. Vietnam too is hobbled by industrial strikes.

The Philippines does not have those problems. biznewsasia@gmail.com

who posted the same on his Facebook page, complete with a bike path. Almost simultaneously, architect Dan Lichauco had a similar idea.

Now comes no less than Eduardo Yap of the Management Association of the Philippines suggesting that “there must be an issuance of an executive order to declare that a transportation and traffic crisis exists in Metro Manila and, with the concurrence of Congress, secure emergency powers for the President to address the crisis by mobilizing all government resources and undertaking necessary measures unhampered by appointments, procurement, budgetary and COA regulations during its presidency.”

“People cannot wait for too long,” Yap correctly stated.

Yes, take the bull by its horns.

Recall the time when Congress gave President Fidel V. Ramos emergency powers to deal with the power crisis inherited from the first Aquino administration, whose energy czar was taunted by media critics as the “prince of darkness” due to daily power outages?

The traffic and transport crises that have made life unbearable for Metro Manilans deserve such swift action and bold solutions.

on Human Rights about 594 haterelated killings of LGBT people in the 25 members of the Organization of American States between January 2013 and March 2014.

In the US, the FBI reported 999 hate crimes against LGBT people in 2014, the latest year for which data are available. It’s not clear how many of these were murders—probably very few, since the FBI only registered four hatemotivated murders that year—but there were plenty of violent assaults.

US-born Mateen didn’t have to be a Muslim or an Islamic State fighter to make the leap from gay-bashing to spraying bullets in that nightclub.

Whether Trump likes it or not—and, for electoral purposes, he does appear to like it at times—hate transcends religions and affiliations. Just ask Dylann Roof, who shot up a black congregation in Charleston a year ago.

Trump’s recipes for the prevention of further tragedies like the one in Orlando—branding of terrorism as “Islamic,” restricting entry for Muslims, maintaining lax gun laws—are at best inefficient. At worst, they lead to more hatred. As it is, in 2014, there were 154 anti-Islamic incidents in the US; Muslims are the second most-attacked religious group after Jews. Keeping gun laws soft does nothing to complicate access to the most gruesome way of venting one’s bigotry. Bloomberg

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Spieth going to Rio Olympics OAKMONT, United States—Jordan Spieth, gearing up for the defense of his US Open title this week, is “pretty confident” he’ll be heading to the Rio Olympics despite fears over the Zika virus in Brazil.

Copacabana volleyball stadium on hold RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil—Construction of the Olympic beach volleyball stadium at Rio’s Copacabana beach has been frozen due to an administrative oversight, Rio’s environment office told AFP on Monday.

Just 50 days away from the start of the Olympics, construction has stalled because the company undertaking the project has not asked for “environmental authorization”.

“The freeze period for the works depends on the time the company takes to present the requested documents,” said Daniele Araujo, the press officer for the municipal environment office.

The stadium is due to stand 21 meters tall – the equivalent to a seven-story building – and cover 62,000 square meters on the Copacabana beach, which is a protected area, while it will have a 12,0000 capacity.

Rio mayor Eduardo Paes told Globo’s G1 website that it was a minor issue.

“We’re always careful in areas such as the beach, which requires special attention,” he said.

Construction work on the stadium began several weeks ago but the structure suffered damage from high waves on Sunday.

Rio has seen unusually low seasonal temperatures – it was just 8.6 degrees Celsius on Monday morning, the lowest temperature recorded this year, according to weather centre Alerta Rio. Waves of up to 3.5-meters are expected and beach users have been warned against swimming or taking part in water sports. AFP

Royal rumble! Professional wrestlers fight each other during the Wrestling City Asia organized by Singapore Pro Wrestling at a stadium in Kuala Lumpur in file photo taken May 21. Kenneth Thexeira (center) is a mild-mannered writer for an interior-design magazine by day, but on certain nights his alter ego bursts forth in golden tights and a baby-blue cape: enter “The Eurasian Dragon.” AFP

Wilder defends title against Arreola LOS ANGELES—Unbeaten Deontay Wilder will risk his World Boxing Council heavyweight title next month against fellow American Chris Arreola, who has only one win in his past four fights.

Wilder, 36-0 with 35 knockouts, will make his fourth title defense on July 16 in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, against Arreola, 36-4 with one draw and 31 knockouts.

Arreola had a win over Travis Kauffman changed to no decision after a marijuana positive and drew with Fred Kassi in his prior bout.

He beat Curtis Harper 15 months ago in his first fight after losing a title contest to Bermane Stiverne.

Wilder was to fight Alexander Povetkin in Russia on May 21 but the challenger failed a drug test and the fight was canceled.

“I’m disappointed about that, but it’s not going to stop me from being an active heavyweight world champion,” Wilder said. “It has also given me the opportunity to again defend my title before my hometown fans.”

Wilder had been training in Britain, the home for two rival unbeaten heavyweight champions that will defend their crowns before him.

Anthony Joshua (16-0 with 16 knockouts) will defend his International Boxing Federattion crown on June 25 in London against unbeaten

Rain delays Murray, Lendl reunion MURRAY has resumed his relationship with Lendl two years after they parted ways and the United States-based Czech is due to fly into London in time for the world number two’s first round match against Nicolas Mahut on Tuesday.

With Wimbledon looming later this month, winning the warm-up event at Queen’s for a record fifth time would be the ideal preparation for Murray, but the 29-yearold could face a frustrating week as the forecast calls for more rain on Tuesday and throughout the week in west London.

On Monday, French fourth seed Richard Gasquet and his American opponent Steve Johnson were forced to scurry on and off court countless times as showers wreaked

havoc with the schedule.

But when play finally resumed late in the evening, Gasquet must have wished the rain was still pouring as the world number 10 slumped to a shock 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 defeat.

Gasquet, a Wimbledon semifinalist last year, had led comfortably in the first set, but he lost his rhythm completely as world number 53 Johnson swept into the second round in the only completed match of the day.

Once the rain finally eases, the spotlight this week will be on Murray, who hasn’t won a Grand Slam since breaking up with Lendl.

In their two years together, Murray became the first British man to win the Wimbledon singles title for 77 years in 2013 after landing the

2012 US Open and a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.

But as this month’s French Open final loss against Novak Djokovic showed, Murray has developed a habit of falling short against the world number one – who has won 13 of their last 15 encounters since the Scot’s partnership with Lendl dissolved due to the 56-year-old’s refusal to commit extra time to the job.

After joining forces with Swiss world number five Stan Wawrinka as a coach for the grass-court season, former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek is taking a close interest in the revival of the Murray-Lendl double act and he believes it could be a game changer at the All England Club. AFP

American Dominic Breazeale (17-0 with 15 knockouts) while Tyson Fury (25-0 with 18 knockouts) faces a July 9 rematch in Manchester with Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko (644 with 53 knockouts), whom he beat by unanimous decision last November in Germany to seize the World Boxing Association throne.

Wilder repeated his aim is to unify the titles as an undisputed champion.

“This is the longest stretch that I’ve been out of the ring and I’m anxious to get back in and continue my quest to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,” Wilder said. “This is another fight in that process.” AFP

“Right now, I’m pretty confident with what we’ve heard, not only from the PGA Tour but our personal outreach,” Spieth said of whether the news on Zika, a mosquito borne virus linked to brain deformities in newborn babies, would prevent him from playing in golf’s return to the Games for the first time since 1904.

However, the 22-yearold Texan admitted things could change.

“I mean, you just never know,” Spieth said. “I think being an Olympian is just an absolute tremendous honor.

“Do I think being an Olympian outweighs any significant health threat?

No. If I thought that the threat was significant, I certainly would not go.

“But based on what’s come to my knowledge at this point, it seems like it’s going to be an extremely memorable experience and look forward to trying to win a gold for the United States.”

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy said last month that he could reject the chance to play because of Zika, although he, too, was on board for the time being.

Fiji’s Vijay Singh and Australia’s Marc Leishman have already decided not to participate because of the virus, while Aussie Adam Scott and South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel have pulled out for what they say are scheduling reasons. AFP

Britain’s Andy Murray serves during a practice session at the ATP tournament at Queen’s tennis club, in London in west London on June 13. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Air Force wins Tanduay volley

Foton gives free volley clinic. The Foton Toplanders women’s volleyball team conducted a two-day, free volleyball clinic recently at the SBMA Gym in Remy Field, Subic, attended by over a hundred young boys and girls in Olongapo and Zambales.

Assistant coaches Ronald Dulay and Jose Mari Angulo supervised Foton’s corporate social responsibility program assisted by players Jaja Santiago, Angeli Araneta, Patty Jane Orendain, Maika Ortiz, Rhea Dimaculangan, EJ Laure and Cherry Ann Rondina, among others. The team also had a team building to open the ACEA beach resort as part of its preparations for the PSL All Filipino Conference opening this weekend at the San Juan Arena. Veteran team-building facilitator Lito Cinco conducted the team bonding activities for the players.

V-League semis seats at stake Games today 4 p.m. – BaliPure vs Laoag 6:30 p.m. – NU vs Air Force

SURGING BaliPure seeks to stretch its win run to four while Air Force tries to recover lost ground as they gun for the semifinal berths in the Shakey’s VLeague Season 13 Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan today.

BaliPure top hitter Alyssa Valdez is expected to settle down after leading the Water Defenders to a scrambling five-set win over the UP Lady Maroons last Monday, her first game in the season-opening conference of the league where it all started.

Through she topscored with 26 hits, the former league MVP struggled in the early going along with the rest of the Water Defenders against the spirited Lady Maroons side, needing to bounce back from a 1-2 set deficit to steal the win.

It was BaliPure’s third straight victory after dropping a four-setter to the Air Force Jet Spikers last May 30. But against the Laoag Power Smashers in the 4 p.m. match, the Water Defenders will be facing a fired-up squad coming off a 3-0 rout of the erstwhile unbeaten Jet Spikers last Saturday.

That win evened Laoag’s card at 2-2, putting them back in the hunt for a semis seat in the tournament sponsored by Shakey’s and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

JENNIFER Manzano and Judy Caballejo of the Philippine Air Force ruled the women’s division of the second leg of the 2016 Tanduay Beach Volleyball Challenge held at the multi-court sand lot of the Cantada Sports Center in Taguig City last Sunday.

The Air Force team won over the fighting tandem of Kyle Atienza and MJ Ebro of Far Eastern University in the finals. The team of Lourdes de la Cruz and Malyn Mahilum of the Pamantasan ng Marikina placed third.

In the men’s division, the National University Team 1 of Fauzi Ismail and Madelan Gampong won over NU Team 2 of James Natividad and Bryan Bagunas to win the championship.

Madsairi Nut Amin and Roldan Medino of the Philippine Navy placed third.

The number of participating teams in both men’s and women’s divisions was beyond the organizers expectations.

Several teams failed to play for late registration.

Everyone was treated to complimentary meals and drinks all day.

The winners were awarded dinner certificates from Century Park Hotel and cash prizes.

Arellano Chiefs favored in NCAA’s 92nd season ARELLANO University is expected to ride the crest of its strong pre-season showing as it launches its ambitious campaign for a first ever championship in the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament unfolding on June 25 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The Chiefs have topped the last two Fr. Martin Cup conferences, won a provincial tournament and finished a strong second to eventual champion La Salle in the a pre-season cagefest recently that installed the former an early title favorite.

No less than La Salle coach Aldin Ayo, who

was the same mentor, who steered the Letran Knights to the title last season before leaving to coach the Archers, have heaped praise on Arellano University.

“They’re a veteran team and should be a contender,” said Ayo moments after snaring his first crown as a La Salle mentor.

Ayo was particularly impressed with Arellano University skipper Jio Jalalon, who has helped carry his team to giant-sized victories over NCAA powerhouse San Beda and former UAAP title-holder National U and almost a won game versus La Salle.

“Jio Jalalon is ripe for the PBA,” said Ayo. But Arellano University coach Jerry Codinera was quick to say they still have a lot of things to improve.

“It’s still too early to say because the season is really long. There are things we need to fix before we can say we’re really title-contenders,” said Codinera.

One of them is American

Dioncee Holts, who needed to shape up for the NCAA following a miserable performance in a recent tilt.

Holts’ loss, however, was rookie Lervin Flores’ gain as the latter have impressed in the pre-season and should get starter minutes.

One of strong suits of Flores was his defense, who had four blocks against La Salle, including Cameroonian Ben Mbala, the league MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the recent tournament.

“He’s one of the players who showed up in the pre-season and I’m confident he’ll improve in the NCAA,” said Codinera of Flores.

Carlos, Latif capture FDG Cup crowns BIANCA Carlos marked her return to big-time badminton by winning the 2016 FDG Cup Badminton Championships crown, rallying from a set down to beat last year’s champion Sarah Barredo, 17-21, 21-11, 21-10, at Robinsons Place Manila last Sunday.

Carlos, a former national Open champion and many-time 19-U titlist, went on an attack mode from the second set on, dominating Barredo with her smashes and drop shots anchored on defense and superb court coverage to turn back her rival and clinch the women’s singles Open crown in the 13th staging of the annual event which gathered the country’s best players and rising stars.

On her way to the championship, the Ateneo mainstay

subdued Luisa Baldos, repulsed former No. 1 Malvinne Alcala in another thriller of a three-setter, 17-21, 21-14, 21-16, outplayed No. 4 Monica Rivera, 21-4, 21-10, and upended second seed Nicole Albo, 21-17, 18-21, 21-11.

Barredo scraped past No. 3 Mariya Sevilla, 15-21, 21-13, 21-5, in the semis to get another crack at the crown in the premier event held in honor of Robinsons Land Corp. president Frederick G. Go, being sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association.

Malaysian Arif Latif, on the other hand, spoiled Mark Alcala’s back-to-back title bid in men’s Open, fashioning out a 2112, 21-16 victory.

The win thus completed Latif’s domination of the country’s top players as he also bundled out

No. 2 Kevin Cudiaman, 21-10, 21-7, in the second round, No. 5 R-Jay Ormilla, 21-9, 21-19 and No. 6 Frell Gabuelo, 21-19, 21-19.

Meanwhile, world women’s doubles No. 8 Selena Piek and Eejfe Muskens highlighted the final day of the event as they played exhibition games against Kennevic Asuncion and Go in between the finals of various divisions. The four also switched partners in the other match with Go teaming up with Muskens and Asuncion with Piek.

Second seed Ronel Estanislao and Joella De Vera also rebounded from an opening set setback by sweeping the next two, 18-21, 21-14, 21-16, to snare the Open mixed doubles title in the event sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association.

Racal’s rout. Racal Tile Masters’ Rashawn McCarthy (right) makes his move against Topstar ZC Mindanao’s Gino Jumao-As in the Philippine Basketball League D-League at the JCSGO Gym in Cubao, Quezon City. The Tile Masters won, 102-83.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Tabal makes PH team, Rio Olympic dream alive

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES PROVINCE OF BATANGAS MUNICIPALITY OF BAUAN Bids and Awards Committee Municipal Government of Bauan Bauan, Batangas Standard Form Number: SF-GOOD-05 Revised on: July 29, 2004

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID The Municipal Government of Bauan, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites suppliers to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder contracts: PROJECT TITLE/ LOCATION

PROJECT DESCRIPTION REF. NO.

Purchase of (3 units) diesel-fed 2.5L displacement ambulance with BG-2016accessories to 22 be used in the disaster medical response at Bauan Batangas

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT

Supply & = 4,890,000.00 P Delivery

SOURCE MODE OF OF FUND PURCHASE

General Fund

Bidding

Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last two (2) years, with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed items for bidding. The Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the preliminary examination of bids shall use nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post – qualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted.

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Evaluation of Bids, Post-qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

The complete schedule of BAC activities is listed, as follows: ACTIVITIES 1. Issuance of Bid Documents 2. Pre-Bid Conference 3. Opening of Bids 4. Bid Evaluation 5. Post-Qualification 6. Notice of Award

SCHEDULE June 14 - 28, 2016 June 27, 2016 June 28, 2016 June 29, 2016 June 30, 2016 July 04, 2016

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.

Approved by: (Sgd) Dr. NOEL C. BAUTISTA BAC Chairman

(TS-JUNE 8 & 15, 2016)

GOVERNMENT OF LAOAG EMPLOYEES DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID The Government of Laoag Employees Development Cooperative (GLEDCO), through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) invites interested contractors with the following qualifications: • • •

PCAB License is Category AAA PCAB License is Category AAA Net (duly Net Financial Financial Contracting Contracting Capacity Capacity is is not not lower lower than than Php150,000,000.00 Php150,000,000.00 (duly certified Bank Guaranty) certified Bank Guaranty) Must have relevant project experience for the last 7 years including the following: Must have relevant project experience for the last 7 years including the following:

Construction of a building of 10-storeys and above. a) Construction of a building of 10-storeys and above.

Construction of Hotel project of 60-rooms and above. b) Construction of Hotel project of 60-rooms and above.

Single Largest Largest Project Project (SLP) (SLP) using using Structural Structural Steel Steel with with a a project project cost cost of of c) Single Php150,000,000.00 and above.

Php150,000,000.00 and above. to apply for eligibility and to bid for the CONSTRUCTION OF 11-STOREY (with Mezzanine) GLEDCO TOWER with a budget of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY ONE MILLION PESOS (Php 151,000,000.00).

RODELIA S. ROJOTTE, THE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL, THE CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE, and all interested persons, Respondents. x-------------------------------------------------------x IN THE MATTER OF CANCELLATION OF LEGITIMATION IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF JANELA ROJOTTE as REPRESENTED BY HER FATHER, JULIUS R. VELUZ Petitioner, -versusNo. R- Q ZN-15 - 07290 - SP RODELIA S. ROJOTTE, THE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL, THE CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE, and all interested persons, Respondents. x------------------------------------------------------x

Let a copy of this Order be published at petitioner’s expense in The Standard, a newspaper of general circulation in Metro Manila and Quezon City selected by raffle pursuant to PD No. 1079, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks.

ORDER

Notify the Solicitor General, the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City, the Civil Registrar General, NSO and the City Prosecutor, Quezon City, who may, if they so desire, file within fifteen (15) days from the receipt hereof from the last date of publication their opposition thereto. Likewise, notify petitioner’s biological mother, Rodelia S. Rojotte.

These are consolidated verified petitions for the cancellation of legitimation annotated in the Certificates of Live Birth of Jamina Rojotte and Janela Rojotte both minor, filed by their father, Julius R. Veluz, thru counsel. The petitions alleges that the minors Jamina Rojotte was born on January 19, 1999 while Janela Rojotte was born on May 30, 2003 both at Our Lady of Biglang-Awa Medical Maternity and Children’s Clinic in Novaliches, Quezon City to Julius Ricaplaza Veluz and Rodelia Salita Rojotte who were not yet married at that time. On July 12, 2003, petitioner’s parents got married and they caused the legitimation of both petitioner and this was annotated in their Certificate

SO ORDERED. April 18, 2016, Quezon City, Philipines.

(Sgd.) MANUEL B. STA. CRUZ, JR. Presiding Judge (TS - June 1, 8 & 15, 2016)

National Capital Region

DENR-NCR Building, National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City

The Municipal Government of Bauan assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid.

IN THE MATTER OF CANCELLATION OF LEGITIMATION IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF JAMINA ROJOTTE as REPRESENTED BY HER FATHER JULIUS R. VELUZ Petitioner, -versusNo. R- Q ZN-15 - 07289 - SP

of Live Birth. However, records at the National Statistics Office revealed that Rodelia S. Rojotte, mother of the petitioners has a previous valid marriage to a certain Narlito Berroya thus making the marriage of Rodelia S. Rojotte and Julius Veluz void ab initio. To rectify the error concerning the status of as legitimated child, petitioners filed these petitions in order to cancel the annotation of legitimation and to correct their birth records.

Petitioners pray that after due notice, publication and hearing judgment be rendered ordering the Office of the Civil Registrar of Quezon City and the Civil Registrar General, the National Statistics Office to Cancel the Legitimation of petitioners Jamina Rojotte with Legitimation No. 2004-173 under Registry Number 2003-20474 and Janela Rojotte with Legitimation No. 2004-245 under Registry Number 2003-20474 annotated respectively in their Certificates of Live Birth.

Furthermore, petitioners pray for such other reliefs as my be just and equitable under the premises.

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance the same is given due course and is hereby set for hearing for the presentation of the jurisdictional requirements on June 24, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. sharp, at the Hall of Justice Annex Building, Quezon City, at which date, time and place, any interested person may appear and show cause if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

The BAC will issue bidding documents only to bidders declared by the BAC to be eligible for the bidding upon payment of non-refundable amount to the Municipal Government Cashier.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of Bauan reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to declare the bidding a failure, not to award the contract, to annul the bidding process, to waive any defects or informalities therein, without incurring any liabilities to the affected bidder(s) and to accept the proposal considered most advantageous to the Government.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 226, QUEZON CITY

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

REGIONAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID PROJECT

: PROCUREMENT OF POTTING MEDIA IN CONNECTION WITH THE

OPERATION OF THE ESTABLISHED MECHANIZED & MODERNIZED FOREST PROJECT

LOCATION : DOST COMPOUND, TAGUIG CITY OWNER

: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES – NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

_________________________________________________________________ The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – National Capital Region (DENR-NCR), through FY 2016 and its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) intends to apply the sum of FOUR MILLION FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (PhP4,400,000.00), hereby invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, authorized franchised dealers to submit Letter of Intent (LOI) and to Bid for the above-stated project, to wit: Purchase Request (PR) No.

Quantity

Project

Approved Budget for the Contract (PhP)

2016-295

30,000 bags Cocopeat

PhP3,000,000.00

2016-295

5,000 bags Rice Hull

PhP 500,000.00

2016-295

5,000 bags Carbonized Rice Hull

PhP 500,000.00

2016-295

4,000 bags Saw Dust

PhP 400,000.00

TOTAL

PhP4,400,000.00

Eligibility Requirements or Complete Set of Pre-qualification forms and Bid Documents will be available for issuance at the Procurement Section / BAC Secretariat, 3 rd Floor (Mezzanine), DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center Compound, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City with telephone number 3734399.

A non-refundable fee of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (PhP5,000.00) for the bidding documents.

All particulars relative to the bidding process, such as Eligibility Screening, Posting of Bid Security and Post-Qualifications shall be governed by the pertinent provision of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) and the latest guidelines issued by the GPPB. Given hereunder is the schedule of the Bidding Process, to wit: ACTIVITY Publication • • • •

PHILGEPS DENR-NCR Web DENR-NCR Bulletin Board Newspaper

DATE AND TIME June 6, 2016 June 6, 2016

VENUE DENR-NCR Bulletin Board

June 6, 2016 June 8 & 15, 2016

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of the GLEDCO PROCUREMENT / ACQUISITIONS POLICIES.

Submission of Letter of Intent

June 6-22, 2016

The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: The schedule of BAC activities are as follows:

Issuance of Bidding Documents

June 6 to July 4, 2016 10:00 a.m.

Pre-Bid Conference

Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENRJune 22, 2016 10:00 NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center Compound, East Ave., a.m.

Diliman, Quezon City

2. Issuance Issuance and and Purchase Purchase of of Bidding Bidding June June 20-24,2016 20-24,2016 at at GLEDCO GLEDCO Office Office Documents 9:00AM to 4:00PM 9:00AM to 4:00PM

Submission of Eligibility Documents and Financial Proposals

July 4, 2016, 10:00 a.m.

-do-

3. Pre-bid Conference Pre-bid Conference

Evaluation

July 6, 2016, 10:00 a.m.

-do-

Preparation and Approval of Minutes of Meeting

June 8, 2016

-do-

BAC ACTIVITIES

SCHEDULE

1. Advertisement in Newspaper Advertisement in Newspaper

June 15, 2016 June 15, 2016

Posting in GLEDCO website Posting in GLEDCO website

June 15-19, 2016 June 15-19, 2016

June June 28, 28, 2016 2016 at at Laoag Laoag City City Hall, Hall, SP SP Session Hall at 2:00PM Session Hall at 2:00PM

4. Inspection/Evaluation of Project Inspection/Evaluation of Project June 29- July 15, 2016 June 29- July 15, 2016 Completed by the Prospective Bidders Completed by the Prospective Bidders 5. Deadline for the Receipt and Opening July 18, 2016 at Laoag City Hall, SP Session of Bids Hall at 2:00PM

The BAC will issue Bidding Documents to prospective bidders upon payment of nonrefundable amount of One Hundred Twenty Pesos ( Php 120,000.00) The GLEDCO-BAC assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids. Furthermore, the GLEDCO-BAC reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids without offering any reason, and to annul the bidding process and reject all bids at any time prior to contract award without incurring any liability to the affected bidder, to waive any formality, and/ or reject and to make an award to the bidder whose proposal is most advantageous to the GLEDCO. GLEDCO does not guarantee that an award will be made. *Accepted Bid Bond is Cash Bond only equivalent to 1% of the Total Project Cost.

CONTACT PERSONS: RUBEN J. DOMINGO EDGAR R. PASCUAL GLEDCO-BAC Chairman

GLEDCO, CEO City Hall, Laoag City Brgy 10 San Jose Mobile: 09494500019/09255018401/09255331231 Email: ruben_laoag@yahoo.com/ ceo.gledco@gmail.com/ loebajado82@gmail.com APPROVED:

RUBEN J. DOMINGO BAC Chairman

(TS-JUNE 15, 2016)

Awarding

Procurement Section/BAC Secretariat, 3rd Floor, Mezzanine Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., East Avenue, Quezon City GSS/BAC Secretariat, 3 rd Floor, Mezzanine Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., East Avenue, Quezon City

Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENRJuly 11, 2016 10:00 NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center Compound, East Ave., a.m.

Diliman, Quezon City

Preparation and Approval of Notice of Award (NOA)

July 15, 2016

Issuance of NOA

July 19, 2016

Preparation and Approval of Contract

July 21, 2016

Preparation and Approval of Notice to Proceed

July 22, 2016

Issuance of Notice to Proceed

July 26, 2016

Bids will be opened promptly on the above bidding date in the presence of participating bidders of their duly authorized representatives who chose to attend. Bids Prices shall be fixed. Adjustable price proposals shall be treated as non-responsive and shall be rejected.

All bids must be accompanied by a corresponding security bid bond in the form of Cash, Manager’s Check, Certified Check, Bank Draft or an equivalent amount in a freely convertible currency, or Surety Bond callable on demand issued by the GSIS or by any private insurance company duly accredited by the Insurance Commission and submitted to the undersigned c/o BAC Secretariat on the bidding date.

DENR-NCR, reserves the right to reject any or all bids at any time prior of contract, waive any defects therein, accept the bid, and award the contract to the bidder with the lowest calculated and responsive bid. The office assumes no responsibility to compensate or indemnify the bidder for any expense or loss that may be incurred for the preparation of the bids, nor does it guarantee that an award will be made.

06 June 2016.

DIR. SOFIO B. QUINTANA, Ph.D, CESO IV. Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services and Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee Office of the Assistant Regional Director, Technical Services DENR-NCR Building, National Ecology Center Compound, East Avenue, Quezon City

(TS-JUNE 15, 2016)

By Peter Atencio

MARY Joy Tabal could not describe her feeling of happiness when she learned that her Olympic dream is close to becoming a reality.

The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association finally reinstated her in the national team on Tuesday, paving the way for her stint in the women’s marathon event of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The 26-year-old Tabal received her letter of reinstatement via email while she was at her dormitory in Jones Ave. Cebu City, with her elder sister Maria and brother Rolando erupting in celebration upon learning of the developments in Manila.

“God is good. The road to Rio is never easy.

Ngayon excited ulit ako.

Ito na ang pinamalaking event sa buhay ko,” said Tabal in an interview with The Standard.

Tabal was taking an afternoon break from training at the Cebu City Sports Complex oval when she got confirmation from an official letter signed by PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico.

“We are pleased to inform you that the PATAFA has decided to grant your request for reinstatement as a member of the Philippine national athletics’ team,” said Juico in his letter.

The news came a day after Tabal came to Manila with her sponsors, Motor Ace Philippines executives Jonel and Chippy Borromero, and gave Juico a letter seeking reinstatement.

“We have long wanted to protect Mary Joy and we have questioned her racing schedule and its effects on her ability to sustain steady improvements over time. However, we also recognize she did qualify on her own. So we put our differences aside, we reinstated her, and we have allowed her to follow her own training program, despite our concerns. And we hope for the best in Rio for the nation,” added Juico in a statement.

They will have confirmation on Tabal’s Olympic stint once the International Association of Athletics Federations comes out with a list of confirmed athletes on July 11.

Tabal placed eighth in the Scotia Bank Ottawa Marathon three weeks ago and passed the Olympic standard for the sport.

But she did not make the PH national team going to the Rio Olympics outright as she was not a part of the PATAFA national team, hence the request for reinstatement.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

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

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

Garcia eyes smooth transition

By Peter Atencio

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia on Tuesday said at the PSA Forum they are closely monitoring the situation in Rio, for Olympic-bound Filipino athletes.

PSC monitors Zika threat, super bacteria in Olympics ASIDE from the dreaded Zika virus, a “super bacteria” off the waters of Rio de Janeiro has further increased the threat to athletes vying in the Rio Olympics this August.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia on Tuesday said they are closely monitoring the situation in Rio, and has aired concern for Olympicbound Filipino athletes.

“We are monitoring this. Our embassy in Brazil is monitoring the situation,” said Garcia during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

“The Philippines is not the only country concerned. I think all the countries are monitoring this,” said the PSC chairman.

The Zika virus, a mosquito-borne infection mostly affecting pregnant women and infants, has already raised con-

cern among participants.

There have been calls for Rio to call off the Olympics, considering the country is also in a state of depression and political instability.

Then, news of the “super bacteria” came out days ago when scientists found traces of the powerful microbes off the Rio beaches and waters to be used in the Olympics.

The affected areas include the world famous Copacabana beach, where triathlon competitions and open-water swimming will be held during the Games scheduled Aug. 5 to 21.

The microbes were also found in the waters off Ipanema, Leb-

lon, Botafogo and Flamengo.

Garcia said while there’s a threat to the Games, they will have to wait for further announcements from the World Health Organization regarding the coming Olympics.

“Right now it’s on. But we will know maybe a month before the Games if it will push through. We can only take the precautions as of now,” he said.

Athletes and officials going to Rio are advised to carry mosquito repellants at all times to ward off the Zika virus.

“It is sad because our young athletes are the ones who may be affected. They will be the carriers of this virus and not us the older people,” said Garcia.

So far, there are five Filipino athletes holding confirmation to the Rio Olympics, from boxers Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez, taekwondo’s Kirstie

Elaine Alora, table tennis’ Ian Lariba, athletics’ Eric Cray and long jumper Marestella Torres.

There are more either waiting for confirmation or still trying to qualify, and officials are looking at a dozen or less athletes to finally make it.

Among them are weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, marathoner Mary Joy Tabal,runner Kayla Richardson, boxers Ian Clark Bautista and Eumir Felix Marcial, swimmers Jessie Lacuna and Jasmine Alkhadi, and golfers Miguel Tabuena, Angelo Que and Dottie Ardina, and another weightlifter, Nestor Colonia.

The Philippine men’s basketball team known as Gilas is also knocking on the door, and will get the chance when they host the FIBA World Qualifying starting on July 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

WITH no official word yet on his status, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Ricardo “Richie” Garcia will continue holding fort as head of the government sports agency.

Having served the agency in different capacities for the last 16 years, Garcia said he is ready to turn over his post to the chosen one of incoming President Rodrigo Duterte.

“There’s no official notice yet. We have to hold the fort,” said Garcia during Tuesday’s weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Shakey’s Restaurant in Malate, Manila.

A transition team is currently getting things ready for the next head of the PSC. Garcia said this will ensure a smooth transfer of activities in the agency when his time to give up his post comes.

“Hopefully, it should be smooth. I see no problems,” added Garcia.

While still chairman, Garcia will participate in talks on having a sports training center in Clark Field, Pampanga.

Such discussions will be revived in the coming months when newly elected 1Pacman partylist solon Mikee Romero convenes a meeting with sports officials.

Romero is pushing for the creation of the Department of Sports and the need to purchase 100 hectares of land which will be the site of a national training center in Clark Field, Pampanga.

Such a facility will help the country in its bid to contribute to the successes of Filipino athletes in international competitions, according to Garcia.

Dewey Boulevard captures 2nd leg Philracom Triple Crown THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE

FOURTH favorite Dewey Boulevard surprised racing fans last Saturday (June 11) by winning the second leg of the Philippine Racing Commission Triple Crown series at Metroturf Racecourse in Malvar, Batangas.

The 3YO colt owned by Herminio S. Esguerra and trained by Ruben S. Tupas posted 1:52 (13’-22’-24-23’-28’) for the 1,800-meter journey under the guidance of Jonathan Hernandez.

Hernandez was fined P1,000 by the stewards for grandstanding before reaching the finish line.

Dewey Boulevard’s connections earned the first prize of P1.8 million for their victory. Corresponding prizes were awarded up to fourth place and to the winning breeder, Herma Farms and Stud also owned

by Esguerra.

Radioactive 2nd, Underwood 3rd, Space Needle 4th.

In the Philracom Hopeful Stakes held that same day, longshot Striking Colors, owned by Cool Summer Farm and steered by AP Asuncion, dominated the 1,800-meter race to win the P600,000 first prize.

Pinagtipunan 2nd, Homonhon Island 3rd, Secret Kingdom 4th.

Time: 1:54.4 (13’-23’-24-24-29’).

The third leg of the Philracom Triple Crown as well as the Hopeful and 3YO Locally-Bred Stakes races

will be held on July 10 at San Lazaro Leisure Park. *** Creator surprised racing fans worldwide with an upset win in the July 11 Belmont Stakes, capping an interesting US Triple Crown year which saw different horses win each leg.

Nyquist won the Kentucky Derby while Exaggerator took the Preakness Stakes.

Creator came from the middle of the pack and squeezed between two horses to win by a nose. Destin placed second, the Japan-based Lani third. All three are grays. Exaggerator placed 11th. *** The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Racing Committee an-

nounced the horses nominated for its 16 July 2016 2YO Open maiden race to be held at Santa Ana Park: Leonardo Javier Jr.’s Foolish Princess, Joseph Dyhengco’s Street Sign, Jade Brothers’ Kid Solis, lawyer Narciso Morales’s Stravinsky, MO Morales’s Magic Wallet, and N. Cruz’s Amazing Cole.

The lineup for the July 26 Silver Cup also at Santa Ana Park remains the same: Ferdinand Eusebio’s 5YO colt Tan Goal (jockey JB Guce), Benhur C. Abalos’s 4YO filly Gentle Strength (JB Hernandez), Ruben Dimacuha’s 5YO colt Low Profile (Mark Alvarez), Joseph Dyhengco’s 5YO colt Dixie Gold (RG Fernandez), lawyer Narciso Morales’s coupled entries - 5YO colt Messi (JA Guce) and 4YO filly

Superv (JB Bacaycay), and Benjamin Abalos III’s 5YO colt Kanlaon (VR Dilema). All colts will carry 55.5 kgs and fillies 54 kgs. *** Racing fans have something exciting to look forward to on August 21 —the 8th Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing Racing Festival, the most successful such event in the sport for the past several years.

The racefest in honor of the late Manila mayor and staged by his family has become an annual tradition since it was established. It was recognized earlier this year by Philracom as the top-grossing racing festival in 2015. *** Facebook: Gogirl Racing, Twitter:@gogirlracing, Instagram: @jensdecember

A16

W E D N E S DAY : J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 16 RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Cavaliers live to fight another day Senegal tough nut to crack THE odds do not favor Gilas Pilipinas and Senegal getting to face off in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament-Manila, but there remains that chance.

So the Filipinos would be better off having some knowledge of the many-time African champion, in case they do get to meet at least in the semifinals.

Gone from the team that Gilas beat, 81-79, in overtime in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Seville, Spain, are scorer Mouhammad Faye and rebounding demon Gorgui Dieng.

But coach Porfirio Fisac’s arsenal remains well-stocked.

Whoever Fisac picks for his final 12 should give group mates Canada and Turkey some hard times since most are products of American schools and have continued to strut their wares in European and Middle Eastern leagues.

Headlining the 14-man pool Fisac bared is veteran Antoine Mendy, a 6’6” wingman who is a prominent fixture in the French leagues and Senegal’s top scorer in last year’s Afrobasket with an average of 16.3 ppg.

There is also former Ohio Bobcat standout Maurice Ndour, a 6’9” doit-all forward who is part of Real Madrid’s Spanish Cup champion team.

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks for an open teammate to pass the ball to, with Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors reaching in for a steal in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. AFP

OAKLAND—Kyrie Irving and LeBron James each scored 41 points Monday to power Cleveland over defending champion Golden State 112-97, keeping the Cavaliers’ championship hopes alive in the NBA Finals.

Faced with a must-win game, the Cavaliers stars became the first teammates to crack 40 points in the same finals game and scored more than any players facing NBA Finals elimination in 20 years.

Golden State still leads the bestof-seven series 3-2 with game six on Thursday at Cleveland. A seventh game if needed would be Sunday back in California.

The Warriors, playing without suspended forward Draymond Green, were undone when a left knee injury sidelined Australian center Andrew Bogut early in the third quarter.

Spieth going to the games TURN TO A12

James, who became the ninth player in NBA history with 1,000 career NBA Finals points, and Irving each scored 11 points in the third quarter. Irving netted 12 more in the fourth.

Golden State trimmed an 11-point deficit to 102-96 on a Curry basket with 6:39 to play, but Irving scored the next seven points, James added a 3-pointer for a 11296 Cleveland lead, the Warriors going more than five minutes without scoring to seal their fate.

Klay Thompson led Golden State with 37 points while NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen

Curry added 25.

The Warriors were without Green after the NBA issued a onegame ban to the forward on Sunday. Green was given a flagrant foul for striking James in the groin with a flailing hand in game four and was banned based on accumulation of such fouls.

Green was the only Warrior to play in every Golden State regular season and playoff victory this season.

No team has ever recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals, but the Cavaliers could become the first.

James, in his sixth consecutive NBA Finals and seventh overall, extended a personal streak with at least one road win in an NBA record 26 consecutive playoff series.

Bogut was struck by Cleve-

PSC monitors Zika threat in Rio Olympics TURN TO A15

land’s J.R. Smith as he drove to the basket early in the third quarter and the Aussie big man landed awkwardly on his left leg, writhing in pain on the court. He had to be helped to the locker room with what appeared to be a severe left knee injury.

With Green gone and Bogut out, the Warriors went with a smaller and faster lineup, but more space inside was open for James to drive to the basket.

Leading 74-71 after Golden State’s Klay Thompson made five points in a row, the Cavaliers went on a 19-11 run, with James and Tristan Thompson each scoring six in the spurt for a 93-82 Cleveland edge.

James entered the fourth quarter with 36 points, 12 rebounds and six assists—the best three-quarter figures of his NBA career. AFP

B1

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 15, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Ang, Pangilinan in airport talks

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. is in advanced stage of negotiations with the group of businessman Manuel Pangilinan for a possible joint venture in the development of a $10-billion international airport.

San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said in an interview at the sidelines of the company’s annual stockholders meeting the final terms of the joint venture partnership remained to be finalized.

Ang said both parties would wait for the government to issue guidelines for the airport bidding.

He said aside from the airport project, San Miguel was also in

talks with Pangilinan’s group for other big ticket projects the government planned to bid out in the future, including tollways and railway projects.

Pangilinan is the chairman of PLDT Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

“Between the two of us, we want to cooperate more. We are willing to cooperate in whatever way,” Ang said.

San Miguel in 2014 proposed to

build a $10-billion modern international airport on a 1,600-hectare reclamation site along Manila Bay over a period of five to seven years.

The planned airport project will have four runways capable of handling 150 million passengers annually and can accommodate 250 takeoffs and landings per hour, up from Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s current capacity of 40 takeoffs and landings per hour.

The Transportation Department, however, opted to look for alternative sites for the new international gateway.

Ang said the proposed airport could be done in phases, with the initial phase composed of a terminal with 50-million passenger capacity and two runways costing $2 billion.

Meanwhile, Ang said all parties

in the P70-billion deal to sell the telecommunications assets of San Miguel to PLDT and Globe Telecom had complied with the rules of the Philippine Competitive Commission.

“As far as I am concerned we have complied. We did not hide anything and we have submitted all documents. We deem it as complied,” Ang said.

The PCC on Monday said it denied the initial filing of PLDT and Globe, which was found to be defective and deficient.

It said while the two companies made new submissions consisting of new materials not previously produced in their initial notice to the PCC, the two parties continued to deny that these constituted a refiling.

PSe comPoSite index Closing June 14, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,460.12 94.28

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing June 14, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.310

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.080 LOW P46.310 AVERAGE P46.189 VOLUME 529.050M

P427.00-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank P36.35-P43.45 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.75-P29.60 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, June 14, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate

PLDT’s new logo. Leading telecom and digital services provider PLDT Inc. and its mobile subsidiary Smart reveal new logos to further reflect

the company’s shift to data-driven services. Shown during the unveiling of the new logos are (from left) PLDT chief technology and information advisor Joachim Horn, chief finance officer Anabelle Chua, Voyager president Orlando Vea, PLDT head for consumer business Ariel Fermin, human resources head Butch Jimenez, chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan, executive vice president Eric Alberto, chief strategy officer Winston Damarillo, chief procurement advisor Ahmar Soorty and First Pacific’s Christopher Young.

Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.1460

Japan

Yen

0.009414

0.4344

UK

Pound

1.427300

65.8642

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128826

5.9448

Switzerland

Franc

1.037129

47.8594

Canada

Dollar

0.779241

35.9589

Singapore

Dollar

0.738225

34.0661

Australia

Dollar

0.738500

34.0788

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653435

122.4454

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266738

12.3089

Brunei

Dollar

0.735510

33.9408

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028417

1.3113

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.5650

Euro

Euro

1.129400

52.1173

Korea

Won

0.000854

0.0394

China

Yuan

0.151879

7.0086

India

Rupee

0.014886

0.6869

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.244738

11.2937

New Zealand

Dollar

0.705600

32.5606

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030867

1.4244 Source: PDS Bridge

BCDA expects to raise P58b from auction of military lots

By Othel V. Campos STATE-OWNED Bases Conversion and Development Authority said Tuesday it expects to raise P58.4 billion from the sale of military lots in 2016.

BCDA president and chief executive Arnel Paciano Casanova said in a news briefing Tuesday these properties included five assets that were still embroiled in messy disputes.

The agency is seeking the revocation of conveyance extended to

the city government of Taguig for the Taguig Civic Center and the SRDP South properties.

Bonifacio South Pointe is currently under SM land Inc. management, with a case pending before the Supreme Court while Bonifacio East is being groomed for commercial development, if the Office of the President agrees to reassign the property for commercial use instead for socialized housing.

BCDA’s asset disposition program generated P8.2 billion rev-

enues for the agency and P26.83 billion in committed investments from 2011 to 2015.

Casanova said the agency was pro-actively seeking the resolution of problematic accounts as it identified 10 areas with P6.3 billion in receivables in 2011.

He said over the last five years, the receivables dramatically went down to P257 million as of June 2016.

BCDA said revenues hit a record P17.6 billion in 2015, or 44 percent higher than P12.6 billion

in 2014.

“When we started at 2011, our cash position was modestly pegged at P7.4 billion, but by the end of 2015 we have significantly improved it by 132 percent to P17.6 billion,” Casanova said.

Casanova said it took a strong, clear and decisive action to reach the number in keeping with BCDA’s role as a steward of government property.

“We focused in creating and maximizing the value of lands under BCDA’s stewardship as

well as plugging revenue leaks,” he said.

The agency is also keen on transforming at least five idle military camps into agro-industrial sites via joint development to spur economic growth on these areas.

These include BNS Lot 1, Lots 1A and 1B inside Fort Bonifacio, Naval Operating Base in Cebu, Fort Ramon Magsaysay Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija and Camp Kibaritan Military Reservation in Bukidnon.

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 15, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, June 14, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 17 30.45 10.4 2.6 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 12.02 19.6 6.12 1.02 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 20.6 125 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 15.32 62.5 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 1.63 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 4.92 0.66 1455 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 9.66 0.0670 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.26 0.152 837 49.55 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 3 0.030 0.550 2.26 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.94 3.91 45.5 45.1 104.30 102.80 96.90 95.10 37.7 37.4 14.08 13.9 17.7 17.38 7.11 7.06 1.79 1.78 600.00 595.00 0.560 0.540 86.5 84.1 0.93 0.92 15.08 14.96 52.60 52.45 107 103 262 260 31.6 31.45 198 196 1380.00 1365.00 65.20 65.00 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

46.3 46 45 Agrinurture Inc. 4.15 4.07 3.86 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.85 0.87 0.82 Alsons Cons.

2 2.01 1.98 Asiabest Group 12.9 13 12.1 Century Food 21.55 21.7 21.4 Chemphil 165 150 135 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 17.6 17.76 16.92 Concepcion 47.5 47.5 47 Crown Asia 2.07 2.04 2.01 Da Vinci Capital 5.38 5.39 5.35 Del Monte 11.64 11.58 11.54 DNL Industries Inc. 9.810 9.810 9.660 Emperador 7.29 7.31 7.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.31 5.35 5.20 EEI 7.50 7.54 7.41 First Gen Corp.

22.4 22.6 21.9 First Holdings ‘A’ 64.85 65 64.65 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.20 12.30 12.00 Holcim Philippines Inc. 14.70 14.88 14.62 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.74 5.73 5.6 2.360 2.280 Ionics Inc 2.300 Jollibee Foods Corp.

231.00 234.00 230.00 Liberty Flour 34.00 33.00 33.00 LMG Chemicals 1.92 1.89 1.89 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.33 3.32 3.12 Manila Water Co. Inc. 27.5 27.5 27.1 Maxs Group 27.5 27.3 26.85 Megawide 6.51 6.67 6.5 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 305.00 308.00 304.00 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.48 4.50 4.50 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.44 3.5 3.38 Petron Corporation 11.06 11.26 10.78 Phinma Corporation 11.52 11.64 11.62 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.01 6.01 5.85 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.75 1.73 1.68 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.83 2.76 2.76 RFM Corporation 4.24 4.36 4.25 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 215 215 213 Splash Corporation 2.5 2.5 2.5 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.149 0.149 0.149 TKC Steel Corp.

1.70 1.70 1.64 Trans-Asia Oil 2.58 2.58 2.52 Universal Robina 194.1 194.5 193 Victorias Milling 4.69 4.67 4.55 Vitarich Corp.

0.9 0.9 0.88 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.24 1.26 1.23 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.385 0.385 0.375 Aboitiz Equity 75.00 74.95 72.10 Alliance Global Inc. 16.00 16.00 15.60 Anglo Holdings A 1.16 1.16 1.14 Anscor `A’ 6.00 6.00 5.98 ATN Holdings A 0.360 0.360 0.340 ATN Holdings B 0.360 0.360 0.345 Ayala Corp `A’ 825 820 808.5 Cosco Capital 7.7 7.73 7.66 DMCI Holdings 13.20 12.98 12.70 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

6.40 6.49 6.40 Forum Pacific 0.234 0.234 0.215 GT Capital 1447 1440 1408 JG Summit Holdings 84.00 83.40 82.45 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.6 7.6 7.43 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.7 0.7 0.69 LT Group 15.4 15.38 15 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.4 6.32 6.13 MJCI Investments Inc. 3.58 3.57 3.57 Pacifica `A’ 0.0330 0.0330 0.0320 Prime Orion 1.830 1.830 1.820 2.68 2.62 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.68 San Miguel Corp `A’ 80.00 79.80 78.05 SM Investments Inc. 987.00 980.00 951.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.15 1.17 1.16 South China Res. Inc. 0.81 0.85 0.82 Top Frontier 182.900 184.000 179.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3100 0.3100 0.3050 Wellex Industries 0.2040 0.2000 0.1960 Zeus Holdings 0.320 0.320 0.305 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.780 7.750 7.700 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.27 1.28 1.21 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.300 2.250 2.160 Arthaland Corp.

0.270 0.275 0.275 Ayala Land `B’ 37.000 37.100 36.500 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.16 3.2 3.13 Cebu Holdings 5.19 5.12 5.12 Century Property 0.500 0.51 0.495 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.140 1.240 1.010 Crown Equities Inc. 0.134 0.131 0.130 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.530 0.540 0.520 Double Dragon 58.7 57.4 49.2 AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. 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

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

Close

SHARES 8,669,988 87,835,642 71,805,967 97,904,201 90,439,506 1,004,567,385 1,370,013,559

3.95 45.6 104.00 97.50 37.5 13.92 17.5 7.15 1.83 600.00 0.540 87.5 0.93 15.00 52.55 105 264 31.5 196.4 1380.00 65.10

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.92 45.5 102.90 96.90 37.5 14 17.38 7.06 1.78 595.00 0.550 84.45 0.92 14.96 52.60 103 260 31.6 198 1365.00 65.10

-0.76 -0.22 -1.06 -0.62 0.00 0.57 -0.69 -1.26 -2.73 -0.83 1.85 -3.49 -1.08 -0.27 0.10 -1.90 -1.52 0.32 0.81 -1.09 0.00

17,000 10,200 1,578,160 567,770 69,700 6,900 164,700 1,800 5,000 60 755,000 4,464,100 205,000 58,000 49,370 1,320 1,140 25,400 616,600 170 71,340

45.3 3.98 0.83 1.99 12.6 21.55 135.1 17.2 47.5 2.02 5.35 11.54 9.660 7.03 5.20 7.54 22 64.8 12.00 14.66 5.64 2.350 231.00 33.00 1.89 3.32 27.2 27.15 6.55 307.40 4.50 3.38 11.18 11.64 5.95 1.69 2.76 4.25 214.6 2.5 0.149 1.65 2.58 194 4.67 0.88 1.26

-2.16 -4.10 -2.35 -0.50 -2.33 0.00 -18.12 -2.27 0.00 -2.42 -0.56 -0.86 -1.53 -3.57 -2.07 0.53 -1.79 -0.08 -1.64 -0.27 -1.74 2.17 0.00 -2.94 -1.56 -0.30 -1.09 -1.27 0.61 0.79 0.45 -1.74 1.08 1.04 -1.00 -3.43 -2.47 0.24 -0.19 0.00 0.00 -2.94 0.00 -0.05 -0.43 -2.22 1.61

2,950,500 1,118,000 119,000 1,830,000 600 247,200 160 633,700 47,600 2,802,000 463,900 23,100 2,010,800 3,688,700 20,113,600 183,000 1,180,600 119,890 24,900 71,700 144,500 1,128,000 395,630 5,300 6,000 12,000 1,415,600 222,000 25,300 132,350 20,000 26,280,000 5,748,000 300 552,600 224,000 13,000 3,706,000 10,290 36,000 1,440,000 1,916,000 1,055,000 2,004,610 4,000 1,459,000 28,000

0.380 72.90 16.00 1.14 6.00 0.350 0.360 812 7.68 12.70 6.40 0.219 1440 83.20 7.5 0.7 15 6.2 3.57 0.0320 1.820 2.62 79.80 956.00 1.17 0.82 184.000 0.3100 0.1990 0.320

-1.30 -2.80 0.00 -1.72 0.00 -2.78 0.00 -1.58 -0.26 -3.79 0.00 -6.41 -0.48 -0.95 -1.32 0.00 -2.60 -3.13 -0.28 -3.03 -0.55 -2.24 -0.25 -3.14 1.74 1.23 0.60 0.00 -2.45 0.00

390,000 1,300,680 3,880,000 3,000 45,600 2,230,000 1,650,000 414,100 1,073,100 1,805,800 50,200 1,360,000 105,700 3,082,630 370,300 703,000 3,476,200 30,716,200 1,000 5,200,000 636,000 15,000 171,920 380,410 139,000 30,000 11,280 180,000 1,780,000 6,960,000

7.700 1.22 2.180 0.275 37.100 3.13 5.12 0.500 1.100 0.131 0.530 50.4

-1.03 -3.94 -5.22 1.85 0.27 -0.95 -1.35 0.00 -3.51 -2.24 0.00 -14.14

87,700 3,220,000 2,294,000 70,000 7,829,700 843,000 1,000 8,918,000 185,000 2,710,000 3,002,000 7,560,300

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

High

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.39 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

Empire East Land 0.790 Ever Gotesco 0.143 Global-Estate 0.98 Filinvest Land,Inc. 2.00 Interport `A’ 1.27 Megaworld 4.4 MRC Allied Ind. 0.090 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.460 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 44.80 Primex Corp.

9.8 Robinson’s Land `B’ 29.25 Rockwell 1.58 SM Prime Holdings 25.20 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.9 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.020 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.300

-1.27 9.79 -1.02 -0.50 -0.79 -2.73 0.00 -2.17 -4.02 -2.55 -2.22 3.80 -0.40 -1.11 -0.98 -0.94

15,000 30,000 3,889,000 8,492,000 45,000 24,565,000 2,900,000 230,000 900 603,600 1,608,400 70,000 13,929,800 2,529,000 509,000 1,754,400

10.5 66 1.09 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 4 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 0.017

1.97 35.2 0.63 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 2.58 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 0.011

0.8200 2.2800

0.041 1.200

12.28 3.32 95.5 15.2

6.5 1.91 3.1 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 4 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 2.28 8.8 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 1.14

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ Imperial Res. `B’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Manila Broadcasting Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Yehey

0.96 -0.51 0.00 0.00 -1.38 -1.75 1.79 0.41 6.14 -2.40 -4.59 -2.57 -2.12 1.29 0.00 3.16 -2.29 -0.60 0.00 -0.72 -1.52 -0.60 -0.98 -2.56 2.11 0.00 -1.23 -0.76 -1.03 4.52 0.00 0.00 3.93 1.27 -2.83 -0.60 2.41 -1.00 -1.90 -0.37 3.23 0.37 0.00 -0.88 2.33

117,800 104,000 1,031,000 5,200 3,481,400 15,520,000 1,216,000 641,230 1,300 46,000 191,100 3,000 77,005 102,900 40,000 1,528,670 11,400 50 14,100,000 705,000 16,930,000 1,077,000 7,200 17,000 261,000 100 5,421,000 1,113,000 5,929,000 118,500 13,000 7,000 21,100 140 245,600 115,825 5,430,000 8,895,000 1,503,100 1,489,780 621,400 1,329,000 251,000 136,000 43,500

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

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

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

-4.26 -1.29 -2.65 -16.69 -2.14 -1.33 5.61 0.00 -1.08 0.35 0.00 -1.61 -1.89 0.00 7.14 0.00 -0.55 -1.45 0.00 -3.13 0.00 -9.09 1.51 0.81 10.99 0.00 -0.08 3.27 0.00

695,000,000 13,800.00 901,000 -879,550.00 207,000 -52,800.00 119,200 460,000 -22,900.00 17,400 54,500 -91,671.00 1,005,000 250,000 1,600 1,728.00 16,239,000 3,180,940.00 150,000 45,710,000 1,300,000 -5,700.00 92,800,000 25,000,000 258,000 3,640.00 4,422,000 -13,204,990.00 7,000 221,000 10,900,000 600,000 -4,000.00 53,000 5,660,900 -1,173,630.00 21,693,000 61,640.00 44,300,000 133,960 1,654,419.00 1,996,000 35,000,000

70 118 120 515 1047 84.8

33 101 101.5 480 1011 75

-282,500.00

1.34

1

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

First Gen F First Gen G GLOBE PREF P PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H Swift Pref

-1.01 -6.35 -5.24 0.00 1.87 0.62 0.26 -2.80 -0.13 1.83 -0.39 -4.80

405,300 390 500 660 2,675 124,210 26,400 240,000 4,500 3,000 2,000 8,000

23,627,120.00 -81,080.00

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

-0.34

129,000

75,000.00 -35,180.00

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

-2.00 12.31 4.37 -5.61

1,097,000 19,000 1,376,000 6,291,500

-36,720,667.50

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

0.00

5,570

435,160.00 -10,371,150 -9,996,984.50 -3,750.00

35,700.00 -9,264,905.50 120.00 1,646,802.50 -136,240.00 44,140 41,346,309.00 4,166,300.00 -56,702,025.00 78,170.00

-2,904,015.00 12,280.00 99,600 145,510.00 -3,066,293.00 -8,334,503.00 -55,863,206.00 800,193.00 2,519,240.00 -6,033,247.50 224,758.00 -1,295,576.00

-26,580,840.00 126,720.00 -26,190.00 743,074.00 -911,040.00 -22,607,982.00 318,600.00 -168,410.00 3,163,800.00 -492,200.00

-275,770.00 -12,948,620.00

1,684,679.00 -10,832,246.00 -245,400.00 -55,075,425.00 882,888.00 -14,041,514.00 2,596.00 81,567,980.00 808,070.50 -1,403,570.00 -7,489,618.00 -47,682,839.00 3,200.00 -1,030,488.00 -115,991,500.00

277,200.00

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

0.790 0.780 0.780 0.158 0.157 0.157 0.99 0.96 0.97 2.00 1.96 1.99 1.26 1.23 1.26 4.38 4.26 4.28 0.094 0.089 0.090 0.455 0.445 0.450 43.00 42.00 43.00 9.95 9.45 9.55 29.25 28.40 28.60 1.64 1.58 1.64 25.20 24.50 25.10 0.9 0.87 0.89 1.010 1.000 1.010 5.280 5.180 5.250 SERVICES 7.28 7.4 7.25 7.35 49.25 49.5 48.8 49 0.580 0.590 0.580 0.580 28.6 28.75 28.6 28.6 5.07 5.07 4.84 5.00 0.0570 0.0570 0.0560 0.0560 2.79 2.91 2.8 2.84 97.2 100 97.2 97.6 9.28 9.88 9.85 9.85 2.08 2.04 2.03 2.03 6.76 6.69 6.30 6.45 3.50 3.50 3.41 3.41 2360 2360 2290 2310 6.22 6.37 6.22 6.30 1.15 1.15 1.15 1.15 60.1 62 59.15 62 13.10 13.60 12.80 12.80 168 167.9 167 167 0.0100 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 9.70 9.63 9.60 9.63 0.330 0.340 0.325 0.325 1.6600 1.6700 1.6200 1.6500 12.28 12.3 11.72 12.16 7.80 7.60 7.60 7.60 3.31 3.38 3.31 3.38 20.00 20.00 20.00 20.00 2.43 2.44 2.39 2.4 3.97 3.98 3.90 3.94 2.910 3.010 2.850 2.880 12.4 12.96 12.04 12.96 4.85 4.85 4.85 4.85 2.41 2.41 2.41 2.41 8.65 8.99 8.99 8.99 118.50 120.00 119.00 120.00 24.70 24.70 23.55 24.00 2016.00 2014.00 1980.00 2004.00 0.415 0.435 0.415 0.425 1.000 1.000 0.970 0.990 42.10 42.05 40.90 41.30 80.20 80.50 79.75 79.90 6.19 6.41 6.18 6.39 2.70 2.73 2.69 2.71 0.580 0.580 0.570 0.580 3.4 3.42 3.36 3.37 6.450 6.620 6.450 6.600 MINING & OIL 0.0047 0.0048 0.0045 0.0045 2.32 2.35 2.26 2.29 4.52 4.55 4.40 4.40 12.46 11.86 10.38 10.38 0.234 0.230 0.229 0.229 7.5000 7.44 7.3 7.4000 7.1300 7.5300 7.0200 7.5300 0.63 0.64 0.63 0.63 0.465 0.465 0.460 0.460 8.52 8.70 8.52 8.55 0.920 0.930 0.910 0.920 0.310 0.315 0.295 0.305 0.265 0.270 0.255 0.260 0.280 0.285 0.280 0.280 0.0140 0.0150 0.0130 0.0150 0.0150 0.0150 0.0150 0.0150 1.83 1.85 1.81 1.82 4.82 4.79 4.63 4.75 2.65 2.67 2.58 2.65 1.2800 1.2800 1.2400 1.2400 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 3.98 4.05 4.03 4.04 8.63 8.80 8.55 8.70 4.55 5.19 4.53 5.05 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 129.10 129.70 128.70 129.00 3.97 4.25 3.95 4.1 0.0110 0.0120 0.0110 0.0110 PREFERRED 49.45 51.5 48.55 48.95 116.5 109.2 109.1 109.1 124 117.6 117.5 117.5 534 534 534 534 1017 1036 1036 1036 80.5 81.4 80.5 81 76.5 76.7 76.5 76.7 78.5 76.3 76.3 76.3 78.6 78.55 78.1 78.5 76.6 78 78 78 77.5 77.2 77.2 77.2 2.5 2.38 2.07 2.38 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.960 2.960 2.950 2.950 SME 4.01 4.03 3.92 3.93 3.25 3.68 3.59 3.65 3.2 3.39 3.21 3.34 16.4 16.5 15.1 15.48 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 122.5 123.1 122.5 122.5

T op g ainerS VALUE 732,210,982.89 1,218,062,136.03 1,684,916,607.42 1,235,715,464.08 872,537,188.95 243,222,529.771 6,094,610,324.14

Low

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,694.60 (down) 16.85 INDUSTRIAL 11,442.94 (down) 69.64 HOLDING FIRMS 7,388.60 (down) 152.17 PROPERTY 3,213.68 (down) 36.20 SERVICES 1,575.50 (down) 7.35 MINING & OIL 11,637.20 (down) 0.87 PSEI 7,460.12 (down) 94.28 All Shares Index 4,455.98 (down) 52.38 Gainers: 48; Losers: 134; Unchanged: 36; Total: 218

-1,570.00 8,730.00 -3,101,710.00 -7,706,210.00 44,790.00 13,350.00 12,900.00 -297,100.00 5,615,070.00 23,720.00 -5,415,410.00 -40,500.00 -669,228.00 -345,450.00

1,177,035.00 26,949,327.50 32,250.00 36,769,110.00 10,888,578.00 -5,019.00 1,924,160.00 -50,000.00 -25,080.00 5,158,330.00 585,620.00 5,760.00

16,760.00 -52,465.00 -18,482,905.00 -497,560.00 -25,673,470.00 27,340,774.00 -219,620.00 5,700.00 -54,380.00

-784,280.00

-3,817,530.00

-60,310.00 -10,950.00 250,420.00 -11,459,156.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Makati Fin. Corp.

3.65

12.31

Chemphil

135.1

-18.12

PhilexPetroleum

5.05

10.99

Atok-Big Wedge `A'

10.38

-16.69

Ever Gotesco

0.157

9.79

Double Dragon

50.4

-14.14

Manila Mining `A'

0.0150

7.14

Oriental Pet. `B'

0.0100

-9.09

Centro Esc. Univ.

9.85

6.14

Forum Pacific

0.219

-6.41

Benguet Corp `B'

7.5300

5.61

First Gen F

109.1

-6.35

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

12.96

4.52

Xurpas

15.48

-5.61

Italpinas

3.34

4.37

First Gen G

117.5

-5.24

Phil. Racing Club

8.99

3.93

Araneta Prop `A'

2.180

-5.22

Rockwell

1.64

3.80

Swift Pref

2.38

-4.80

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 15, 2016

B3

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

BDO buys Diners Club rights

By Julito G. Rada

BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest lender controlled by tycoon Henry Sy, has acquired the franchise of SB Cards Corp. to be the exclusive issuer of Diners Club International credits cards in the Philippines.

SB Cards Corp. has been issuing Diners Club cards in the Philippines. SB Cards is the credit card subsidiary of Security Bank Corp., one of the biggest universal banks in the country.

BDO said in a statement it signed an agreement with SB Cards whereby it accepted SB Cards’ offer to sell its rights as the sole issuer and acquirer of Diners Club credit cards locally.

BDO said the acquisition includes SB Cards’ existing Diners Club portfolio and its cardholder base. Subject to certain approval requirements, the transaction is expected to be completed within two to three months. The bank did not provide details on the acquisition price.

BDO executive vice president Rolando Tanchanco said the

partnership with Diners Club International would further strengthen its card portfolio in the Philippines.

BDO currently has the most card brands in the country, being the issuer for MasterCard, Visa, American Express JCB and UnionPay. “The Diners Club portfolio will allow us to deliver new customer benefits to our card members. SB Cards has built a quality portfolio, and we are excited to work with those card members as well as start to issue new Diners Club cards,” Tanchanco said.

SB Cards president Ma. Cristina Tingson said “the move is a strategic decision to focus on our existing card issuing business with MasterCard as our

main credit card offering which we will actively expand and strengthen for our customers.”

She said SB Cards’ business remained a critical leg of its retail bank, a crucial driver of the overall growth strategy of Security Bank.

“Our discipline to focus on our goals enables us to sustain the significant progress we have made in delivering our promise of BetterBanking to our customers. We will continue to provide products and services that are responsive to the changing needs of our market,” she said.

Tanchonco said SB Cards would still provide systems and operational support to ensure the seamless transition of the business to BDO.

Globe-Astrata partnership. Globe Telecom’s information and technology arm Globe Business and Astrata, a global organization that designs and develops advanced location-based IT services and solutions, sign a three-year agreement to improve the existing fleet management solution which allows companies to keep track of their moving assets via global positioning system devices. Shown are (from left) Globe senior advisor for enterprise and IT enabled services group Mike Frausing, Globe chief commercial officer Albert de Larrazabal, Astrata chief executive George Kappaz and Astrata international managing director Tong Pow Mun.

Empire East expects over P14b in reservation sales

By Jenniffer B. Austria EMPIRE East Land Holdings Inc. said Tuesday it expects reservation sales to exceed P14 billion this year as it remains confident about the prospects for the real estate industry.

Empire East president Charlemagne Yu said in an interview at the sidelines of the annual stockholders meeting the company was also poised to maintain its annual capital spending at P5 billion over the next five years.

Yu said the company had been posting monthly reservation sales of over P1 billion, which would

enable it to surpass last year’s sales take-up of P13.88 billion.

Empire East said it launched four residential towers in Metro Manila this year. These are mostly transit-oriented developments that aim to make urban commute easier and more accessible to homeowners.

The property firm currently has P2.9 billion worth of properties in its land bank with an aggregate area of 404 hectares. He said to ensure continued stable project developments, the company was set to roll out new phases of existing real estate offerings.

“We are dedicated to staying

strong, innovative and relevant.

We are very excited to seize emerging opportunities in a time where customer behaviors are quickly evolving,” Yu said.

The company is now finalizing the development of two huge developments—the 23-hectare township in Pasig-Cainta area and the 1.7-hectare project in Broadway Centrum in Quezon City.

The 23-hectare lot in PasigCainta area, which Empire East acquired from the Tiu family last year, will be master-planned as “city within a city”.

The property, to be called Empire East City, will contain several

condominium projects, shopping center and possibly office buildings for business process outpouring companies.

Empire Eeast is master planning the Broadway Centrum project as a mixed-use development with residential and retail offerings.

A shopping mall, which will be managed by Megaworld, is expected to provide Empire East with recurring income.

Yu said the company would break ground for the Broadway Centrum development within the year and launch the Empire East City project next year.

Market slumps; SBC up

STOCKS fell Tuesday, amid a global sell-off Tuesday following heavy losses in New York and Europe while fresh opinion polls fan fears that Britain will vote to leave the European Union.

The Federal Reserve will conclude a two-day meeting Wednesday and while it is not expected to hike interest rates for several months, investors hope it will give some guidance on monetary policy.

Opinion is divided on whether the Bank of Japan will add to its stimulus when it finishes its own gathering Thursday.

With just over a week to go until Britain’s referendum, a series of polls have put the proleave camp in front, raising the possibility that its four-decade ties to the bloc could be cut.

The prospect of one of the biggest economies in the EU breaking away has led to warnings of a new wave of world market turmoil as they struggle to recover from the panic that wiped trillions off valuations at the start of the year.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, fell 94 points, or 1.2 percent, to close at 7,460.12. This cut this year’s market gains to 7.3 percent.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also dropped 52 points, or 1.2 percent, to settle at 4,455.98, on value turnover of P6.1 billion.

Losers outnumbered gainers, 134 to 48, while 36 issues were unchanged.

Only three of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Philex Petroleum Corp. which jumped 11 percent to P5.05. Security Bank Corp. rose 0.8 percent to P198, while property developer Ayala Land Inc. gained 0.3 percent to P37.10.

Meanwhile, Tokyo stocks ended down 1 percent, following a 3.5-percent loss Monday, with exporters hit by a surging yen.

The Japanese currency has rallied over the past week as traders look for safer investments to hedge against uncertainty.

The dollar bought 105.74 yen, down from 106.19 yen in New York, while the euro was at 119.35 yen, having fallen to a more than three-year low of 119 yen Monday.

The strength of the yen prompted Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday to repeat a warning that officials were ready to intervene in currency markets to tame the unit. with AFP

B4 Aircraft parking bay.

Cebu Pacific and Manila International Airport Authority break ground on a 2.5-hectare aircraft parking bay at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport South General Aviation Area, formerly Flight Operations Briefing Station. Once groundwork is completed, the parking bay can accommodate four to six Airbus A320-family aircraft, helping ease up movement at other terminal bays in the airport.

Shown lowering a time capsule are Cebu Pacific chief executive adviser Michael Szucs and MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado (right).

Govt issues rules on offshore mining

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

THE Mines and Geosciences Bureau has issued a memorandum circular establishing the guidelines on offshore mining.

MGB issued Memorandum Circular No. 2016-05 covering mining operations, mine decommissioning and mine rehabilitation in offshore areas within the Philippine territory and its exclusive economic zone and extended continental shelf.

MGB said the provisions of the memorandum circular included the prohibition on the use of high-pressure water jets in the extraction of seabed minerals and prohibition on the use of chemicals and size reduction in onboard mineral processing and laboratory testing or analysis.

Other provisions include the return of non-valuable extracted minerals to mined-out areas through the use of submerged discharge pipes and use of sediment screens or curtains to minimize the dispersion of particulates and imposition of a contingency plan for emergency situations.

The circular also requires offshore mining to comply with other laws, rules and regulations that concern safety, health, social development and environmental protection and enhancement.

“The issuance of the guidelines is geared towards the attainment of responsible offshore minerals utilization,” MGB said.

PLDT to build P10-b Alabang headquarters

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PLDT Inc. is undertaking major changes to its business, including the transfer of its headquarters to Alabang, Muntinlupa City in line with its digital pivot.

The PLDT Group embarked on a three-year digital pivot that aims to transform its networks into the country’s most datacapable infrastructure delivering a growing array of compelling digital services.

PLDT chairman and president Manuel Pangilinan told reporters the changes would be “across the board,” which included networks, service platforms, people and directions of the company.

“It’s not just rebranding and [new logo] that’s needed. The whole networks got to improve, our services got to improve, our content and services got to im-

prove. So it’s not just a logo. Logo is one of the minor components,” Pangilinan said.

The new logo comes with the recent change of the company from “Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.” into “PLDT Inc.” to better represent the company’s current thrust to decisively shift its business to data-driven services.

The new logo symbolizes the powerful convergence of PLDT and Smart, combining fixed and wireless technologies to see individual and enterprise customers.

The new PLDT and Smart logo is shaped like a triangle with

the three sides representing the company’s business pillars—exceptional people, meaningful innovations and our valuable customers.

The triangle is also the symbol for Delta, the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, which stands for “change”.

He added that the company would be spending about P10 billion over the next three years to transfer its Makati headquarters to Filinvest in Alabang.

The new headquarters would be similar to those built by Google and Facebook in the US. Pangilinan said the sale of Ramon Cojuangco Building and Makati General Office was a part of the plan to transfer to new headquarters which would be designed like those owned by technology companies in the US. Pangilinan also said that the “long distance telephone is a business that will not sustain us

going forward.”

“The journey to that digital future will be log, and the climb steep. There will be false starts, there will be speed bumps, there will surely be mistakes made.

Though we began in earnest the year, it will take us until 2018 — about three years to execute our digital divot,” Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan said to achieve the goal, capital expenditure level would remain elevated at P43 billion in 2016 and beyond.

PLDT is spending another P4 billion to P5 billion for the acquisition of the telecom business of San Miguel Corp.

“This capex will reflects a massive effort to transform our networks into the country’s most extensive and data capable infrastructure. Our intense focus on this digital pivot is forcing us to adjust our financial trajectory for the next three years,” Pangilinan said.

Remittances likely rose 4% in April—Standard Chartered

By Julito G. Rada British bank Standard Chartered said remittances from overseas Filipinos likely grew faster in April than a month ago, led by sustained inflows from Asia and the Middle East.

Standard Chartered said in a report Tuesday remittance growth in April might have improved to 4.1 percent yearon-year from 1.5 percent in March.

“Remittances from Asia grew 50.1 percent [year-on-year] and remittances from the Middle

East grew 41.1 percent in the first quarter of 2016. However, remittances from the US remained sluggish, falling 29.1 percent in the first quarter and offsetting growth from other regions,” the bank said.

“We are concerned about remittance growth this year, and expect the current account surplus to narrow to 2.5 percent of GDP from 2.9 percent in 2015,” the bank said.

The government is set to release the remittance data for the month of April on Wednesday.

Money sent home by overseas Filipinos grew 4.4 percent in the first quarter to $6.55 billion from $6.28 billion a year ago, on sustained demand for skilled workers abroad.

Cash remittances in March alone rose modestly by 1.5 percent to $2.42 billion from $2.39 billion, representing the slowest growth since the 1.3-percent rise in September 2015.

Cash remittances from both land-based and sea-based workers grew by 5.3 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively.

More than three-fourths of

cash remittances came the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Japan, Qatar and Kuwait.

Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, also grew 4.3 percent in the first quarter to $7.2 billion from $6.9 billion a year ago. In March alone, personal remittances increased 1.4 percent to $2.67 billion from $2.64 billion last year.

Preliminary report from the Philippine Overseas Employ-

ment Administration showed that total processed job contracts reached 2.3 million in 2015, of which 1.2 million were deployed in the same year.

Cash remittances grew 4.6 percent to a record $25.767 billion in 2015 from $24.628 billion in 2014, surpassing the 4-percent growth projection of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

It also accounted for around 10 percent of gross domestic product in 2015.

Bangko Sentral set a 4-percent remittance growth target for 2016.

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 6

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

B5

SMC wants MetroPac road link

By Darwin G. Amojelar

Fighting for faster connectivity IT SEEMS this outgoing government is running true to form with its wishy-washy policies and decisions, the latest demonstration of which is the Philippine Competition Commission’s decision to go after telco giants PLDT and Globe which, in a very rare show of friendly cooperation, collaborated to buy out San Miguel Corp.’s Vega Telecom for P70 billion (evenly split). According to our stoolies, the PCC wrote both companies to tell them that the transaction notice they provided was “deficient and defective in form and substance”—which means the two telco giants will have to refile their notices because the initial filing reportedly had incomplete information.

Not surprisingly, both Globe and PLDT are standing pat, saying they will not resubmit because what they filed was “compliant” and the transaction had already been deemed “approved.” Our stoolies claim this belated reaction is due to the inability of the PCC to finalize the regulator’s implementing rules prior to the completion of the deal. As things stand, the PCC only released the IR last June 3—after the P70-billion transaction has been “signed, sealed and delivered”—and this will take effect after 15 days.

Hopefully, these kinds of glitches would soon become a thing of the past with only 15 more days to go before the BS Aquino administration bows out (still too long a wait if you ask us). While there are concerns that the SMC-Vega Telecoms acquisition could result in higher Internet rates because the “duopoly” could connive, many prefer to see the glass as half full.

The buyout can result in faster Internet connectivity because the deal included access to the lower frequency 700-mhz band which has better indoor penetration compared to the higher spectrum bands like 1800 or 2500 mhz. This means better signal even when subscribers are inside a building. This may sound funny but it’s true – some subscribers go to great lengths to get a signal, waving their arms like a lunatic or going up the attic or worse, endangering themselves by extending half their bodies out of the window just to send a text message to the fuming wife or girlfriend.

The 700-mhz can also cover a wider area and since it can travel faster (similar to some low frequency radio signals), both Globe and PLDT can provide network services to areas in the provinces without having to wait for a cell tower to be erected. This will benefit people in the rural areas as it will finally introduce the rest of the population to the wonders of Internet technology. Who knows, this might just bring progress faster to far-flung areas.

According to our stoolie, the PCC’s “waffling” (his words) could put the deal at risk and who knows, could set back plans the two telcos already made to widen coverage. PLDT was already on a roll, putting up three 700-mhz powered LTE (long-term evolution) Smart cell sites first in Tanay, followed by Ecoland in Matina, Davao City (but of course! DU30land!) and Manggahan in Pasig City. A release

by PLDT-Smart said Smart combined its 700-MHz and 1800-MHz frequency bands using the Carrier Aggregation capability of LTE-A (also known as 4.5G), resulting in unprecedented peak speeds of up to 222 mbps at the Tanay cell site. Smart plans to activate 360 cell sites with 700 mhz this year, initially in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, as part of its three-year program to bring faster, affordable, and reliable Internet service to users all over the country.

Globe for its part recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Metro Railway Transit, an attached agency of the Department of Transportation and Communication to deploy wireless Internet infrastructure in all MRT Line 3 stations along Edsa. “We hope to change the experience of our customers in high foot traffic areas and strategic locations such as public transport systems,” said Globe’s Joel Agustin, vice president for program governance, network technical group, noting that many of the company’s customers seek internet connectivity not only in their offices or at homes but even while they are in transit.

This is probably good news because people can keep themselves occupied by watching YouTube, posting on Twitter or commenting on Facebook while they wait for the (delayed) MRT trains to arrive, or as they wait in line to buy their tickets for a ride that makes commuters very prayerful – praying to the Almighty so that the MRT system will not have glitches, at least for the duration of their commute.

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

Cheers!

CONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. and six other companies have expressed interest to challenge the proposal of the tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. to build a toll road linking the North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway.

Public-Private Partnership Center executive director Andre Palacios identified the seven companies that purchased bid documents for the Swiss Challenge of NLEx-SLEx Connector Road as San Miguel Holdings Corp., Obrascon Huarte Lain SA, Hunan Road and Bridge Corp. and four law firms.

The board of the National Economic and Development Authority in December approved the

Swiss Challenge on the NLExSLEx Connector Road Project on the condition that the original proponent, Manila North Tollways Corp., would lower the project internal rate of return to 10.87 percent from 12.09 percent by reducing the opening tariff from P100 to P87.

The Public Works Department said the bid submission for the competitive proposals was set on July 25, while the evaluation of

the proposal was on July 26.

The right to match the offer of the original proponent was scheduled on Aug. 17 to Sept.

29. The issuance of the notice of award is on Oct. 15 and the signing of toll concession agreement is on Nov. 10.

The implementation of the project would be from November 2016 to February 2022.

The project involves the construction of an eight-kilometer, four-lane toll road linking the North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway, passing through Metro Manila and using the existing Philippine National Railway alignment as its route.

The Public Works Department will implement the project, which has a total estimated cost of P23.2 billion and a concession period of 35 years.

Aboitiz volunteers. The Aboitiz Group heeds the government’s call for volunteers and rallied 2,051 team members among 27 business units for the annual groupwide Brigada Eskwela activity in 306 public schools across the Philippines. This number, a 66-percent increase from last year, is a historic high for the Aboitiz Group, bringing to 11,091 the total number of Aboitiz TMs who have volunteered for BrigadaEskwela since 2008.

Alternergy to build new Rizal wind project

By Alena Mae S. Flores Renewable energy company Alternergy said Tuesday it will proceed with the construction of its second wind project in Rizal province, pending a final endorsement from the Energy Department on the new round of installation target.

Alternergy business development advisor Knud Hedeager told reporters at the Nordic Business Council Philippines Renewable Energy Seminar the company was just waiting for the decision of the department on the new wave of installation target for wind projects, before building the $180-million, 80-megawatt Sembrano wind project in Rizal.

“Right now, we are working hard doing the second part of the Rizal project which is the Sembrano project. It’s an 80MW project and we hope that as soon as government announces a third feed-in-tariff allocation,

then we can put the shovel on the ground,” Hedeager said.

The feed-in tariff under the Renewable Energy Law of 2008 provides for incentives to developers of renewable energy at a fixed per kilowatt-hour rate for a period of 20 years.

The National Renewable Energy Board already proposed a new round of installation target, including 500 MW for wind and 500 MW for solar under the third round of feed-in tariff scheme.

NREB proposed a rate of P6 to P7 per kilowatt-hour for wind, pending the final approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission.

Hedeager said the technology cost per kilowatt-hour for the Sembrano project was around 15 percent lower than the company’s first wind project, the 54-MW wind farm project in Barangay Halayhayin, Pililla, Rizal.

“We have started the tender process for the EPC contractor,” he said, adding the company expected to sign the deal within

the month. Construction may take around 18 months.

The Sembrano wind project is estimated to have 25 wind turbines with a capacity of 3.2MW to 3.4-MW per tower.

“We’re lucky we have a good wind resource in Sembrano,” Hedeager said.

Hedeager said the project would still have the Equis Group, a Singaporean fund manager, as its partner for the Sembrano project.

“We have our equity in place for the Sembrano project. The same partner [Equis] that supported us on the equity of the Pililla project is already signed up for Sembrano,” he said.

He said a third partner might be tapped. He confirmed that the Lucio Tan Group had expressed interest in the Sembrano project.

“It hasn’t been finalized yet but I think LTG announced that they are interested in joining. We don’t mind having local investors. It gives a good balance,” he said.

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 15, 2016

B6

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

Faeldon eyes 24-hour Customs operations

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

INCOMING Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said Monday he would support night shifts and 24-hour operations in the agency to improve its level of service.

Faeldon, together with incoming Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, met with the transition team of outgoing Customs commissioner Alberto Lina Monday and suggested several reform measures to promote transparency in the bureau.

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte named Dominguez, a former agriculture secretary, as the new secretary of the Finance Department, in place of Cesar Purisima. Dominguez will oversee a powerful Cabinet position that will supervise both the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the

Customs Bureau.

Duterte also named Faeldon, a former Philippine Marines captain who joined the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003, as the new commissioner of BOC, tagged as one of the most corrupt agencies in government.

Faeldon suggested several reform measures to promote transparency in the BOC, such as using the US trade transparency unit as best practice to deliver more accurate pricing of products from other countries such as China.

He cited the need to purchase proper scanning systems and rec-

ommended the daily monitoring of shipment valuation.

Faeldon said that instead of setting Customs collection targets based on percentage of the economy, performance indicators should also contain grading on ease of doing business and facility of trade.

Meanwhile, Dominguez warned officials of the BOC that the next administration would not tolerate corruption.

The BOC, an attached agency of the DOF, is mandated to assess and collect customs revenues, curb illicit trade and customs fraud, as well as facilitate trade through an efficient and effective customs management system.

It oversees 17 collection districts: four in Mindanao, three in the Visayas and 10 in Luzon, including the Port of Manila, Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Manila International Container Port where the bulk of transac-

tions are recorded.

“President-elect Rodrigo Duterte is clear on his mandate to go after crime, drugs, and corruption. The perception of Customs as the most corrupt agency has to stop,” Dominguez said.

“Beginning now, tell your staff we will not tolerate this. Complaints are coming from people who are honest. Remember, this election was about issues. That’s why our candidate won even if he spent only 40 percent of what other presidentiables spent,” Dominguez told Customs officials.

Dominguez cited a personal example where one of his companies, Halifax Davao Hotel Inc., was offered lower taxation by a Customs official in exchange for a split in the tax savings.

“We would prefer to pay the full amount to the government as the payment would not make us poor, so we did not cheat,” he said.

VXI’s new center. VXI Global Solutions Inc. opens its new facility at Five E-Com Center at Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City. Shown during a news briefing is VXI senior vice president and country manager Jared Morris. TEDDY PELAEZ

BDO lends P33b to renewable projects

By Alena Mae S. Flores BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest commercial bank, said it has provided over P33 billion in financing to renewable energy projects in the country.

“We have over P33-billion outstanding exposure to renewable energy investments. We have funded projects across the country—hydro, wind, solar, geo, biomass,” BDO senior executive vice president Walter Wassmer said during the Nordic Business Council of the Philippines Renewable Energy Forum.

Wassmer said investments in coal-fired power projects were still higher than in renewables.

Thousands of megawatts of coalfired power projects are in the pipeline, he said.

“We follow the cue of the developers. As of now, developers are dabbling in REs but a great of portion of investments are still in coal-fired plants,” he said.

Wassmer said BDO forged a partnership with the International Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank, in 2010 for sustainable energy investments.

“In 2010, we forged partnership with IFC. IFC provides advisory services to BDO and its clients while bank provides funding,” he said.

Wassmer said BDO was ready to meet the funding needs of the growing renewable energy industry but only viable projects would likely get funding.

“BDO is prepared to do its share to help the global movement to transition to sustainable clean energy society. We are prepared to support the low-emission and climate-resilient future. The consequences of inaction are just too immense,” he said.

“However, just because it’s RE does not mean it will automatically get funded. It behooves the developers and sponsors to build a strong business case for their projects, although properly structured and well thought-out, credit worthy renewable energy projects will find financing,” Wassmer said.

Consumer group backs ERC’s promotion of power of choice THE Action for Consumerism and Transparency in Nation Building said it supports the Energy Regulatory Commission’s move to implement the revised rules for contestability and the resolution imposing restrictions on the operations of distribution utilities and retail electricity suppliers in the competitive retail electricity market.

Ryan Baccay of Action said the move under the retail competition and open access scheme would allow a wider scope of electricity consumers the right to choose

their own power suppliers, giving them the option to source cheaper and more efficient electricity.

He said consumers who wanted to buy cleaner electricity like solar or wind could also do so under RCOA. Baccay said with the lowering of the 1-megawatt average peak demand to 750-kilowatt threshold, factories, shopping malls, buildings, electric rail systems and large subdivisions could now source their power requirements from a generation company of their ‘choice’ that could afford

them lower cost and more efficient electricity.

He said with the threshold eventually going down to 500 kw and aggregation encouraged, the benefits of RCOA would soon reach the level of residential customers and would impact the lives of all electricity consumers.

ERC earlier issued the RCOA rules that modified the present system where customers were not given the choice of suppliers, and were supplied by utility providers.

As such they are categorized as captive customers. With the lower

thresholds set by the ERC, these captive customers are gradually allowed to join the competitive retail electricity barket based on their level of demand.

Only large customers with an average peak demand of at least 1 MW are currently allowed to choose their own suppliers of electricity on a voluntary basis.

Starting June 26 of this year, the ERC will lower the threshold level to 750 kW. Thus, customers with a peak demand of at least 750 kW can contract with any retail electricity supplier on a voluntary

basis.

Baccay said mmong the benefits that can be gleaned from RCOA were competitive prices, value added services, ability to switch easily from one supplier to another, more transparent billing and convenience.

Baccay said competition had always been a pro-consumer advocacy as it led to more choices for consumers and better service for service providers. He said more consumer groups would come out in the succeeding days to support RCOA.

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Pistorius in sentence hearing PRETORIA—Oscar Pistorius returned to court Tuesday, a day after being described as a “broken” man who should be hospitalized rather than jailed, as he attended sentencing for the murder of his girlfriend three years ago.

The double-amputee killed Reeva Steenkamp, a model and law graduate, in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013, saying he mistook her for an intruder when he fired four times through the door of his bedroom toilet.

Pistorius tried to greet Steenkamp’s relatives as he entered the court on Tuesday but they did not respond.

On Monday, the 29-year-old “Blade Runner” was red-eyed and tearful on the first day of his sentencing hearing at the High Court in Pretoria.

“He has developed a serious psychiatric condition which has become worse in the past two

years,” psychologist Jonathan Scholtz, called by the defense, told the court on Monday.

“Further imprisonment would have a detrimental effect on him.”

Scholtz said that during recent interviews Pistorius had displayed signs of “post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder and depressive disorder”.

In March, Pistorius’s lawyers failed in their legal bid to reverse a Supreme Court of Appeal judgment that upgraded his original conviction from culpable homicide the equivalent of manslaughter to murder.

The original trial judge Tho-

kozile Masipa is expected to pass a new sentence after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defense.

Pistorius faces a minimum 15-year jail term for murder, but his sentence could be reduced due to time already spent in prison and mitigating factors, including his disability.

Steenkamp’s parents were both in court, and her father Barry may take the witness stand to ask the court to impose a lengthy punishment.

If he does, it will be the first time that one of Steenkamp’s parents has testified in the case.

Pistorius has shunned the media during the years of intense coverage since Steenkamp’s killing, but his family have revealed that he has given his first interview, due to air on British broadcaster ITV later this month. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President

National Irrigation Administration

(PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 3 Bulacan-Aurora-Nueva Ecija Irrigation Management Office Office Address: Telephone Nos.: Email Address:

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-3888 / 766-4142 / 766-0157 / 766-3524 niabaneimo_es@yahoo.com/niabaneimo_om@yahoo.com niabaneimoafs@yahoo.com

Telefax No. (044) 766-3888 TIN No. 000-578-009-000

INVITATION TO BID

June 10, 2016

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Bulacan-Aurora-Nueva Ecija Irrigation Management Office (BANE IMO) Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, through its Bids and Award Committee (BAC), invites Contractors to bid for: ITB No. R3-BANE-QRF-2016-BU-69 AMRIS CANDABA – Improvement of Various Irrigation Facilities, Candaba, Pampanga. The Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) isP19,214,000.04with contract duration of 150 calendar days. Bid Documents cost P 19,000.00 Interested bidders with License Category of Medium A must have experience in undertaking similar project within the last three (3) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding.

Any bid above the ABC as stated above each ITB shall be rejected outright.

Issuance of Bid Documents; (upon payment of non-refundable amount as stated above each ITB)

June 14, 2016 @ 10:00 AM NIA BANE, Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan

Schedule of Activities; NIA BANE IMO

Pre-Bidding

ITB No. R3-BANE-QRF-2016-BU-69

Submission/ Opening of Bids

June 21, 2016 July 4, 2016 9:00 AM 10:00 AM

The NIA-BANE assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of bids.

Also, NIA reserves the right to reject any or all bids at any time prior to award, waive any defects therein and to declare the bidding a failure for whatever reasons it may deem appropriate.

SGD. ROBERTO J. DELA CRUZ Chairman – BAC

(TS-JUNE 15 , 2016)

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

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

Tel. No. (053) 323-6210 TIN 000-916-415

INVITATION TO BID No. 19-2016 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Region 8, Marasbaras, Tacloban (City through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Item/Description 1.

2.

In the dock. South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius writes in the dock at the Pretoria High Court on June 14, 2016, on the second day of his pre sentencing hearing that will send him back to jail for murdering his girlfriend three years ago. AFP

Fatwa issued on Islamist killings DHAKA—Bangladeshi clerics said Monday they have issued a fatwa against the killings of minorities and secular campaigners in the mainly Muslim country, where police have arrested over 10,000 people in a crackdown on militancy.

Nearly 50 people have been killed over the last three years in a wave of gruesome attacks targeting Hindus, Christians, Sufi Muslims and campaigners in the mainly Muslim country. Many were hacked to death with machetes.

Farid Uddin Masuod, who heads the Council of

Bangladesh Clerics, said over 100,000 clerics had signed the fatwa, or religious edict, which will be made public on June 18.

“The fatwa unequivocally said these killings of non-Muslims, minorities and secular activists are forbidden in Islam,” he told AFP. “We’ve said these killings are illegal and are crimes against humanity,” Masuod told AFP. The announcement came as police said they had detained 3,115 people on the fourth day of a nationwide anti-militant drive, taking the total number to 11,307.

Bangladeshi authorities had faced criticism for failing to tackle the violence, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed at the weekend to catch “each and every killer”.

She has accused the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its Islamist party ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, of orchestrating the killings to destabilize the country.

However, the BNP says 2,100 of its activists have been arrested and accuses the government of using the crackdown to suppress political dissent.

Most of those arrested are wanted for criminal offenses unconnected with militancy. Deputy inspector general of Bangladesh police A.K.M Shahidur Rahman told AFP just 145 of those arrested were members of Islamist militant groups.

Masuod said the police crackdown was important, but the clerics’ fatwa would discredit any Islamist groups that try to defend the killings.

“The fatwa clearly says these killings are not a just part of Jihad, but mere acts of terrorism,” he said. AFP

3.

4.

5.

Sta. Rita SRIP Contract #01-2016-Construction of Canal Lining, Sta. Rita SRIP, Sta. Rita, Samar Sta. Rita SRIP Contract #02-2016-Construction of Canal Structures, Sta. Rita SRIP, Sta. Rita, Samar Sta. Rita SRIP Contract #03-2016-Construction of Canal Lining and Canal Structures, Sta. Rita SRIP, Sta. Rita, Samar Sta. Rita SRIP Contract #04-2016-Construction of Canal Lining and Canal Structures, Sta. Rita SRIP, Sta. Rita, Samar Sta. Rita SRIP Contract #05-2016-Construction of Canal Lining and Canal Structures, Sta. Rita SRIP, Sta. Rita, Samar

Approved Budget of Duration Contract (Php) 11,924,238.78

280 cd

10,199,847.35

280 cd

8,458,852.34

270 cd

12,461,382.52

280 cd

13,060,873.64

280cd

The Prospective Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date 0 submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project whose value must be at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of republic Act 9184 (R.A. 9184), otherwise known as the “Government procurement Reform Act”.

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

The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities Schedule 1. Issuance of Bid Documents Starting May 30, 2016 2. Pre-bid Conference June 6,2016 3. Receipt and Opening of Bids June 17, 2016.

Time 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m.

2:00 p.m.

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders from the address above and upon payment of non-refundable amount of P15,000.00 for package# 1, 2, 4 & 5 and PI0,000.00 for package #3 to the Cashier.

The NIA reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liabilility to the affected bidder or bidders.

Noted: (SGD) ROMEO QUIZA Regional Manager

(SGD) GLORIA A. SEVILLA BAC Chairman

(TS-JUNE 15, 2016)

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 6

B8

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD FBI: Gunman was radicalized ORLANDO—The gunman who launched the worst terror attack on American soil since 9/11 at a gay nightclub in Orlando was radicalized

by Islamist propaganda, officials said amid reports he was a club regular.

Italian eatery named the best NEW YORK—Italy’s Osteria Francescana was crowned the world’s best restaurant of 2016 at an awards ceremony in New York on Monday, the first Italian establishment to win the annual accolade.

Run by chef Massimo Bottura, Osteria Francescana pipped last year’s winner, Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca, in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, after coming second in 2015.

The Italian chef, whose world-famous restaurant in Modena came number three in 2013 and 2014, was emotional in accepting his award.

“I want to thank everyone because it’s been so hard, our job is all about art work,” an ecstatic Bottura told the ceremony. “It’s all about our work, in the kitchen everyday to work and succeed.”

With Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca knocked down to second place, the third spot went to New York’s Eleven Madison Park.

The top 10 was rounded out by restaurants in Peru, Denmark former four-time winner Noma France, Spain, Japan and Austria.

Three French chefs won individual honors, with Alain Passard of Arpege given a lifetime achievement award, French-born Dominique Crenn named best female chef and Pierre Herme best pastry chef. AFP

Homage. This picture taken on June 13, 2016, shows people looking at the Eiffel Tower in Paris as it is illuminated in rainbow colors to pay homage to the victims of a shooting rampage at a gay nighclub in Orlando. AFP

Lone gunman Omar Mateen killed 49 and wounded another 53 before he was killed when police stormed the Pulse, one of Orlando’s most prominent gay venues, early Sunday.

The attack is reminiscent of the November 13 suicide attack on the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, where 90 people were massacred when jihadist gunmen opened fire on concert goers.

A total of 130 people died across the French capital that night in a series of shootings and suicide bomb attacks.

The FBI said Mateen had been radicalized by Islamist propaganda, but unlike the Paris attacks found no evidence that the shooting had been coordinated from abroad.

The Islamic State group claimed that Mateen was acting as “one of the soldiers of the caliphate in America.”

US investigators believe that Mateen was a “lone wolf” inspired by Islamist propaganda to carry out what President Barack Obama dubbed “an act of terror and an act of hate.”

FBI chief James Comey said his agents found no evidence that the attack had been directed from outside the United States, “and we

see no indication that he was part of any kind of network.”

Agents are instead looking into the possible role of anti-gay bigotry.

The FBI was “highly confident” Mateen had been “radicalized” while consuming online propaganda, Comey said, adding that he claimed allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a series of calls during the attack.

In a further twist to the story, four people said Mateen, 29, had been a regular at the gay club, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper reported late Monday.

“Sometimes he would go over in the corner and sit and drink by himself, and other times he would get so drunk he was loud and belligerent,” Ty Smith told the Sentinel.

Smith said he had seen Mateen inside at least a dozen times.

“We didn’t really talk to him a lot, but I remember him saying things about his dad at times,” Smith said. “He told us he had a wife and child.”

Another Pulse regular, Kevin West, told the Los Angeles Times that Mateen messaged him on and off for a year using a gay chat app. AFP

Likely first victim of climate change SYDNEY—Climate change appears to have driven to extinction an Australian Great Barrier Reef rodent, according to a new study, which suggests the species may be the first mammal lost to the global phenomenon.

Extensive searches for the Bramble Cay melomys, a small rat-like animal, have failed to find a single specimen from its only known habitat on a sandy island in far northern Australia.

Researchers said the key factor behind the extinction was “almost certainly” ocean inun-

dation of the low-lying cay, likely on several occasions, over the last decade which resulted in dramatic habitat loss.

Available data on sea-level rise and weather events in the Torres Strait region “point to human-induced climate change being the root cause of the loss of the Bramble Cay melomys”, added the Queensland state government and University of Queensland study.

The Melomys rubicola, considered the Great Barrier Reef’s only endemic (found nowhere else) mammal species, was first

discovered on the cay in 1845 by Europeans who shot the “large rats” for sport.

But the last known sighting, by a professional fisherman, was in 2009.

When a 2014 study found no sign of the species, researchers decided to conduct the most extensive survey possible in the hope of conserving the species.

That survey using traps, cameras and searches ”produced no records of the species, confirming that the only known population of this rodent is now extinct”, said the report. AFP

First day. Muslim worshippers pray at the Turkish Nizamiye Mosque in

Midrand, Johannesburg, on June 7, 2016, on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. AFP

W E D N E S D AY : j u N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 6

TATuM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LuNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

H oME & L I v ING

LIFE

DIY gIfTS fOR DAD

T

his Father’s Day, you can get a lot of special gifts for the big man from any store as there are a lot of choices available for dads. Malls and different shops have so many “for him” specials but you can always opt to give him something personalized from you.

You can easily make greeting cards with the help of your kids as this will be fun for everyone to make, but then again, didn’t you do the same thing for him last year?

This time, give him something a little more exciting that you and your kids will surely have fun creating together.

Here are a few DIY ideas that we hope can help you surprise daddy with.

1. A special 'gift' Certificate for Dad No, we didn’t mean buy him a GC from the nearest establishment that you can find – that would be so easy to do. This special GC cannot be bought anywhere because dad can only avail it from you and the kids. Buy some blank cards from the bookstore and write down the things you and your kids can give dad as a favor, like a back rub, a head massage, morning coffee, afternoon slush, free car wash from the kids on Sunday, empty the trash, quiet time for dad (meaning he gets to have the whole house for himself), hugs and kisses, and other stuff you and your kids would love to do for dad and something dad would love to get from you guys. Thinking of the “special” gift can be fun for the kids, it can also teach them responsibilities as some chores can be on the “GC” as well.

Put cute artworks on each card and add cut outs that the kids can help design. This should be a fun gift and is sure to make dad smile until he uses up the last GC.

2. Breakfast in bed This is not new, but the idea never gets old, and dads love a good morning brekkie in bed. But make it PG as kids should be involved in the set up. Get the kids to collaborate on the morning menu, have Junior help with the eggs, bread and spreads, and Kyla to work on the special menu card. Be creative on the menu; you can put daddy’s special morning dishes and infuse the theme with his favorite movie or TV series.

Example, if he loves Star Wars, make “Spaceship pancakes with asteroid explosion” a.k.a. pancake with sweet toppings, pieces of chocolates, nuts and fruits; “Milky Way” which is just your normal hot choco with torched marshmallows. Be imaginative!

Continued on C4

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

BAck-to-SchooL guIDE For prActIcAL momS

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n estimated 25 million students went back to school last June 13 – which means that moms all over the country also go back to school duty, planning ahead how to manage their time with all the tasks on hand like washing and ironing uniforms, preparing healthy meals and baons while staying within budget, and how to wake the kids up and get them excited for the new school year.

A key in coping with all these challenges is organization, but many moms find this a great challenge – easier said than done actually. Good thing there is Hanabishi, a leading brand of quality and affordable home products, which provided some practical advice to all moms out there

Stick to a shopping list

Look out for back-to-school sales and take advantage of the discounts and promos on bulk purchases such as getting three pairs of socks for the price of two.

Weigh the pros and cons. Like for instance, some undershirts might seem cheaper by the dozen but do you really need a dozen?

Prevent impulse buying by making a list of school items and stick to that list.

And before you get overly excited about a store sale, check with the Department of Trade and Industry’s 2016 Price Guide for School Supplies or “Gabay sa Presyo ng School Supplies” to make sure the family is really getting a bargain.

body and heavy-duty heating element that concentrates heat on the water container to accelerate the heating process. Cleaning up is also easy, thanks to its washable water tank and net filter.

Reuse and recycle

Plan ahead

Check if Junior’s bag from last school year is still useful and just needs a little cleaning or a few replacements or repairs here and there from the neighborhood fix-it shop. And while making a shopping list, make an inventory of items that can be recycled (like clear books or composition notebook) and try to give them a creative “makeover.” In fact, you can even challenge the kids to be creative by giving new life to old school items.

Put the ‘fast’ in breakfast

It’s the most important meal of the day, but breakfast doesn’t have to take ages to prepare. You can pre-cook meals during the weekend or the night before, freeze them then reheat in the Hanabishi microwave oven, which features a non-ionizing radio frequency – meaning it is safe and won’t cause cancer. Using the Hanabishi microwave oven will save a lot of time since it will only take a minute or two to come up with a hot breakfast. All moms have to do is pop the food in the microwave and leave it so she can multitask and save more time.

On days when pre-cooked meals are not available for reheating and it’s too early to run to the bakery for some hot pan de sal, make use of the Hanabishi toaster oven. It has a timer, auto-shut off feature and an automatic temperature limit to prevent burning the bread.

Another timesaving tool is the Hanabishi water kettle with its leak-proof

Hanabishi makes it easier for moms to prepare for school days

Time is of the essence, so plan things ahead to avoid early morning stress. Lay out clothes, shoes, socks, bags and items that are easy to forget such as ID’s, projects and water bottles the night before. And as an extra measure, set the clock five to 10 minutes ahead so everybody gets out the door earlier.

Outsmart the weather

Make the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration your best friend and get updated. PAG-ASA recently announced that the rainy season could last until October or November this year. With La Niña set to bring excessive rainfall starting August, it will be a rough battle drying up clothes, especially the school uniform that kids wear on a daily basis. Finding a suitable washer is therefore a must. Good thing there is the Hanabishi top load washing machine with its quick-wash, auto-sensing, and fully-automatic programs that do not need manual intervention during washing, rinsing and drying for a no-hassle washing routine.

Breathe

When the alarm clock doesn’t go off, the traffic becomes exceptionally bad, or the kids are more slow than usual, don’t panic.

Stressing about the situation only makes it worse and might cause mistakes (like putting on mismatched socks on your preschooler), leading to more delays. After the kids are safely in school, slow down with

Check out items from last school year that can still be used or recycled

Prevent stressful mornings by laying out school items the night before

a cup of freshly brewed coffee with the Hanabishi coffee maker. After all, moms deserve a little indulgence before facing other tasks for the rest of the day.

For more information about Hanabishi, please visit www.myhanabishi.com/shop/ and like MyHanabishiAppliances on Facebook.

meaty tribute to the man of the house

Remember when dad came home from work bearing pasalubong whenever we did something good or just because?

Remember when he sometimes tried to (successfully) sneak in those French fries and sundaes even if mom strongly insisted that we eat our vegetables first?

Because of work and other responsibilities, some fathers might not always be around for their children as much as they’d want to. But it is through these little ways that they make their presence felt.

And now that it’s their turn to be treated, McDonald’s is giving dads free 1-pc Chicken McDo for every Happy Meal purchase on Father’s Day, June 19, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. This promo lets daddy share a good ‘ol McDo meal with his kid.

The one-day meaty tribute will be offered in all McDonald’s stores located inside SM branches and is valid for counter transactions only. The 47 participating SM stores include Aura, Bacoor, Bacolod, Baguio, Baliwag, Batangas, BF Parañaque, Bicutan, Cabanatuan (STO), Cagayan de Oro, Calamba, Cauayan, Cebu, Clark, Daet, Dasmariñas, Davao, Fairview, General Santos, Iloilo, Lipa, Lucena, Mall of Asia, Makati, Manila, Marikina, Marilao, Masinag, Megamall, Muntinlupa, Naga,

North Edsa, Novaliches, Pampanga, Rosales, Rosario, San Jose Del Monte, San Lazaro, San Pablo, Santa Rosa, Seaside Cebu, Southmall, Sta. Mesa, Sucat, Taytay, Trece Martirez and Valenzuela.

Share your special Chicken McDo moment with dad by using the hashtag #PaChickenMcDoForDad and tagging @McDo_PH on Twitter and Instagram.

For complete mechanics, visit www.mcdonalds.com.ph.

W E D N E S D AY : j u N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 6

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

My father taught me that true love lasts forever

@LIFEatStandard

Much of what we are, we owe to our fathers

My Father’s 10 Commandments 7. Watch your tone

“Say that in a better tone.” Did I mention that my siblings and I were headstrong, willful children? With a penchant for engaging in dinnertime debates? My dad could withhold permission for whatever it is we wanted, all on the basis of the tone used when asking. From him I learned that the way you say things is just as important as the things you say.

Liv.e SimpLy

By LIv esteBan

8. Give back

i

t happens each time. My siblings and I will be sitting around, and one of us will suddenly choke and cough without any provocation. And in the midst of that embarrassing sputtering spell, all of us will laugh self-consciously, and then the coup de grace will be delivered: “That’s the Daddy in you, coming out.”

It’s an inside joke, and like all jokes, there’s often a chest of truth buried beneath it. I’ve been told that I’m the spitting image of my mom, but I know inside me, there’s a lot of Daddy: My passion for capturing moments with the click of my shutter. My tendency to preserve every little scrap of paper with my children’s notes and scribbles in countless scrapbooks. My love for taking pen to paper whenever my emotional state needs an outlet. Even my addiction for all sorts of containers and pens: All care of Daddy.

But more than all that, it’s the values and principles, deeply embedded within my soul, that I largely owe to my dad. It’s a realization that hit me only as an adult. In my growing-up years, I was too busy being the resentful, teary-eyed teenager full of angst; too caught up in the generation gap squabbles and permission-not-granted dramas to fully appreciate the formation my dad was painstakingly laboring on for his brood of seven headstrong kids.

You know how every parent declares (usually as an ominous statement following some big parent-kid argument), “You’ll understand when you’re a parent yourself”? It’s a prophecy and it’s every dang bit true. I have become my father, in more ways than one.

And all those lessons I have learned from him as a child, grudgingly or not, I cherish now with much gratitude. Experience has taught me again and again that my father’s 10 best life lessons are important enough to keep tucked in my pocket at all times. And experience has shown me, too, as I dig into that pocket and bring them out to share with my own kids, that they’re a pretty darn good list.

1. Respect your elders

Practically every Filipino I know busses the cheek or hand of his parents and elders in a universal Filipino greeting of respect and affection. We all understand this. It gets trickier when the “older” person is just a couple years more advanced than us.

When I was 18 years old, I had a major spat with my 20-year-old brother over telephone rights. In the thick of the fight, I spat out an offensive word. Which my brother related verbatim to my father. Which caused my father to ground me for two entire months.

I was horrified: The word that slipped out of my mouth was not a biggie, certainly not by

today’s standards. I protested the severity of the punishment with full teenage drama: “But why? He’s not much older than me!” My father replied, “Because, still: he’s older than you.”

It was a difficult pill to swallow back then. But it’s one that I’m glad my father administered to me despite my protests.

Because respect for our elders is a humble acknowledgment of wisdom possessed by those who have walked on paths that we have yet to embark on.

2. Commitment is forever

“When you bind yourself to someone, make sure that you know it’s not going to be easy.” With my father, there was no room for silly romance-tinted glasses popular among teenagers. From a young age, he taught me to view the world with stark vision anchored on reality: “Those things that you think are so cute now? Think about how cute they’ll be when you have to live with it day after day forever. So choose your Forever carefully.”

From him, I learned there is never a question of bailing out when it comes to love, because true love will always find a way to make it through hell or high water, no matter what it takes. True love finds joy in the midst of trials. Because when you make a commitment to love someone, “You love him, come what may. Forever.”

3. Know the difference between needs and wants

When I was a student and needed to ask for 50 pesos from my dad, I knew I had to have 50 good reasons for spending it. “Live within your means” was something my siblings and I could have printed and hung on the wall of our home, for all the times our dad mentioned it. It taught us the difference between needs and wants, and how to work for the wants while he provided the needs.

It’s really amazing, when you sort through the shiny glitter that grabs our attention, to realize how many of those things we don’t really need in order to be happy.

4. Don’t be attached to material things

My siblings and I joke about how my father could give away the most valuable things he had or sometimes sell them for a song. When I was nine, I came home to find that my dad had given away part of my shelf-full of dolls and all the newborn kittens of my cat to street children pushing a cart of old newspapers and used bottles on the street. It was only when I was older that I understood I had too much where they had none. That day I learned that clinging to less makes room for more space in the heart. It’s a lesson I never forgot.

5. you need survival skills to survive

Growing up, even when we had a car, my siblings and I had to learn how to use public transportation, “so that you’ll never find yourself lost somewhere with no idea how to get home.” He made us clean our own rooms, wax the cars, cook meals, wash dishes, pick up after ourselves. He often said no to our requests for permission to party with no other reason than “to raise your frustration level.” We learned from him exactly what we needed not just to survive but to survive well: not so much material comfort nor outside help but inner toughness gained from well-learned life skills, a strong will, and focused determination.

6. Work. Work. Work

My dad gave us what we needed, but when we wanted something more, he taught us that we could only have it if we worked for it. Back then, if we wanted more clothes than the basics in our closet, or more money to spend, we had to work for it (That’s how three of us got into modeling). If we wanted a clean house, we had to do our chores. If we wanted permission to party, we needed to get great grades first. Today, my siblings and I all have a great value for work well done. And I believe my dad deserves much credit for developing big chunks of that work ethic in us.

As soon as we graduated with a college degree tucked under our arm, my father would give us a three-month grace period to find a job, and then we were on our own, no more allowance. You can bet we all quickly launched into finding a job; no such thing as gap year for us. Then, as soon as we found a job, we were expected to pitch in with household expenses. It was a great way to teach us the importance of giving back. He let us know we were important members of the family with something to contribute for everyone’s benefit. In that simple way we learned, far from the world revolving around us, we had to do what we could to make the world better for others.

9. Begin your day with Mass and say your daily Rosary

Every morning, at the crack of dawn, my father would herd all his children to Mass, never mind that we trudged to Church with eyes barely open. And every evening, we would all sit on the moss green carpet of his room, reciting the Rosary together, even if some of us would nod off mid-Holy Mary. My dad never sat down and explained doctrine to us, but he lived it. As a result, these habits are deeply ingrained in my siblings and me. To this day, though we are in various areas of the world, we all hold in our hearts what I consider my father’s greatest legacy: A deep appreciation and love for the Holy Mass and the Rosary.

10. you’ll be fine

Like every little girl, I thought my dad was the perfect dad in the whole wide world. As an adult, I now know better.

There’s no such thing as a perfect parent for everyone, and like all the rest of the dads in this world, he has his own little quirks and foibles. But you know something? Those imperfections don’t take away anything; they make him who he uniquely is, human, imperfect, but still the best dad, perhaps not for the whole world, but for my six siblings and me. And I know I love him along with all his little human defects. And from that knowledge, I draw comfort: that even with all my own imperfections, I can trust that one day my own children will also accept me as the best mom, perhaps not for the whole world, but surely for them. And for me, that is more than enough. My dad is fine, I am fine, and they will be fine. And for that, I thank you, Dad. Follow me on Twitter @ LivE_LiveSimply Like my page, follow all my articles, and send me feedback @ Facebook/liv.esimplywithLiv

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W E D N E S D AY : j u N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

DIY gIFtS For DAD From C1

3. Jar of candies Sometimes, dads are like kids, and they like anything that they can munch from the pantry.

Surprise him with a pantry filled with his favorite sweet treats – candies, chocolates, dried fruits, oats, cereals.

The good thing about this is you and the kids will love this pantry, too, so it works both ways.

Just make sure kids are only allowed to get if dad says it’s okay.

5. Cupcakes Get your hands dirty and catch the latest muffin recipe you saw on Tasty. Engage the kids with the preparation so they feel part of the process. You can be creative with toppings as you can spell “Dad” or his name on the frosting.

You can also make special candy toppings shaped with his favorite things.

4. Drawings on coffee cup If dad loves taking out Starbucks coffee or latte from his favorite breakfast store, pick up a cup from his favorite shop the day before and have the kids draw on the coffee cup. In the morning, make a quick drive for his favorite coffee and pour it on the mug that the kids made and go back home in time for dad’s surprise. Father’s Day is a Sunday so he might still be curled up in bed, it's best to get the breakfast ready as well so you and the kids can have a special morning meal with him.

6. Basket of dad’s favorite things Have the kids do the grocery in search of dad’s favorite items to fill up the basket. It may be filled with his favorite Nutella jar with his name on it, his favorite biscuit, chocolates, even his favorite massage oil, or his favorite juice drink. You’d know what he likes, so get the kids on the task of also finding what to put on the basket and fill it up with something from the grocery that reminds them of dad.

These are just a few ideas to help you jumpstart what to give or do for dad on Father’s Day. Ask the kids for suggestions as sometimes they have more quirky ideas than you can imagine. You’d be surprised what kind of stuff they can come up with.

wEDnES DAy : j unE 15, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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From C8

Film festival...

Kakampi, written and directed by Victor Acedillo Jr. is a true story of a cab driver who takes on passenger for a nostalgic ride.

Ben (the driver) recalls an incident that happened five years ago when he was sent to his home province (Camiguin Island) to perform an indigenous farming ritual that was no longer being practiced. His grandfather was supposed to have passed on the knowledge to him before the former died.

The ritual is shrouded by skepticism because it is unscientific, but it teaches one great thing: To treat nature and all of life with love, humility and respect. Ben returns to the province to “save” the trees that have stopped bearing fruit. Ben attempts to recall the ritual through blurry images of himself as a seven-year-old boy. As a result, the experience turns Ben’s life from the familiar to the worried and bizarre.

Supporting lead actor Neil Ryan Sese are thespians Gloria Sevilla, Felix Roco, Suzette Ranillo, Kate Brios, and Perry Dizon.

Pauwi Na, written and directed by Paolo Villaluna, follows an ailing man, a thief, a dog, a blind pregnant woman and Jesus Christ while they go through a tragi-comic journey of self-discovery as they decide to pedal their way from Manila to Bicol. Inspired by a news article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (“Family pedals way back home to Leyte,” Sept. 7, 2003), the film follows Mang Pepe and his family as they travel from Quezon City to Bicol on pedicabs (sikad-sikad).

Mang Pepe and his wife, Remedios, their daughter Pina, their son JP with his pregnant blind wife Isabel, and their dog Kikay, live together in a shanty at a Quezon City slum.

To survive daily, Mang Pepe drives his pedicab and carries various loads to the market while Aling Remedios washes laundry for her neighbors. JP and Pina both try to earn a living and Isabel, in her blindness, sees and converses with Jesus Christ. Realizing their futile life in the city, Mang Pepe convinces the family to go back to their hometown in Bicol. Without enough transport money, they decide to use pedicabs so they could “pedal” their way back to the province. A series of unfortunate events occurs that will either test their determination or distract them from their journey home. The film is a tragiccomic portrait of a dysfunctional family and the disquieting blind faith they invoke as they dream of going home. But, ultimately, it is not a film about family but about what it means to be part of one.

Pauwi Na features Bembol Roco, Cherry Pie Picache, Meryll Soriano, Chai Fonacier, Jess Mendoza, Jack the Dog, Boots Anson Roa, Gio Alvarez, and Tessie Tomas.

Paglipay, written and directed by Zig Dulay, focuses on Atan, an Aeta from Baytan village in Zambales, who makes a living from the traditional farming system called kaingin and hunting on the foothills of Mt. Pinatubo. The narrative opens as we follow Atan’s fulfillment of his arranged marriage with a fellow Aeta, Ani. He has to accomplish a number of responsibilities, which includes the offering of bandi or bride price to Ani’s parents.

Atan needs to cross the mountain river going to Banwa, the town where he could earn the necessary amount for the bride price. In order to find a job, he needs to adapt himself to the modern way of life in town, including change in appearance, manner of clothing, religious practice, and even the use of different languages in order to associate himself with the “unat” or “straight-haired ones,” such as Rain, a young lass from Manila who would make his life turn.

Rain has to immerse with the Aetas of Banwa for her thesis, and Atan is commissioned to accompany her in researches and interviews with the locals. Atan develops special feelings with Rain in his daily encounters with her. Slowly, the young Aeta forgets the very reason of his journey—the

Starring neil Ryan Sese, Gloria Sevilla, Felix Roco, Suzette Ranillo, Kate Brios, and Perry Dizon, “Kakampi” tells a true story of a cab driver, who five years ago was sent to his home province in Camiguin Island to perform an indigenous farming ritual

“Paglipay” is a Sambal Ayta term used by Aetas when crossing the mountain river going to town. It is written and directed by Zig Dulay and stars Garry Cabalic, Anna Luna, joan de la Cruz, Manel Sevidal, natasha Cabrera, norman King, Gigi Locsin, joel Saracho, upeng Fernandez, Ken-ken nuyad and jC Santos

Starring Bembol Roco, Cherry Pie Picache, Meryll Soriano, Chai Fonacier, jess Mendoza, Boots Anson Roa, Gio Alvarez, and Tessie Tomas, “Pauwi na” follows a dysfunctional family while they go through a tragi-comic journey of self-discovery as they decide to pedal their way through pedicabs from Manila to Bicol

bandi, and the arrangement with Ani. Atan faces cross-cultural modifications amid changes in the mountains brought about by immense modernity.

Paglipay is a Sambal Aeta term used by Aetas when crossing the mountain river going to town.

The film features actors Garry Cabalic,

Anna Luna, Joan de la Cruz, Manel Sevidal, Natasha Cabrera, Norman King, Gigi Locsin, Joel Saracho, Upeng Fernandez, Ken-ken Nuyad and JC Santos.

The six finalists will compete for the top prize of P500,000. The Second Best film will bring home P400,000, and the Third Best film, P300,000. A Special Jury Prize

will also be given during the awards ceremony that will be held on July 19.

The participating directors will each have meet-and-greet sessions on July 13, the schedules of which will be announced later. For more information, visit www.tofarm.org or the festival’s Facebook site, TOFARM Film Festival Philippines.

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wEDnES DAy : j unE 15, 2016

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

new york-based Dj and singer Matthew Koma performs before a crowd of almost 2,000 at the global night club Chaos Manila

Top international Dj rocks Manila party scene wIThOuT wang2 nIckIE wang

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merican singer and DJ Matthew Koma continues to create epic dance anthems as he circles the globe, headlining music events and keeping partygoers on their feet.

On May 27, the Brooklyn-born electronic dance music (EDM) artist delighted a full house of close to 2,000 partygoers as he spun Grammy awardwinning tracks at the integrated resort’s trendsetting nightclub, Chaos Manila.

In addition, he belted out popular dance hits including “Years” and “Spectrum” – his collaborations with the phenomenal EDM artists Alesso and Zedd.

Since 2013, the 29-year-old musician has been coming back and forth to Manila captivating local music aficionados to an extensive selection that ranges from Pop and Hip Hop to EDM, of course.

“The people are generally nice and the food is amazing, and of course the party scene is so alive. There’s such an enthusiasm here that I’m really thankful for. So, it’s one place to visit that you know you’re welcome when you’re getting in,” Matthew shared with The Standard during an interview prior to his gig.

The first time we became familiar with Matthew was when he broke into the dance

The 29-year-old music artist reveals he is dropping a solo full-length record early next year

music scene in 2010, and has since worked with topnotch DJs and producers currently dominating the industry such as Alesso, Hardwell, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Tiesto.

But Matthew’s claim to fame was his collaboration with Zedd for “Clarity”, which won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2012. His collaboration with the Russian DJ and music producer has been his most notable accomplishment. The two also worked together for the chart-topping “Spectrum,” which premiered by Rolling Stone and had spent two weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Dance Club chart.

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While most people already regard him an EDM heavyweight, he still does not consider himself a big fish.

“I wouldn’t consider myself as an EDM heavyweight because there are so many creative talents out there. I think I’ve written songs and worked with producers who gave me space and a chance to prove myself. I think we can keep it that way,” the American musician humbly stated.

Inspired by Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen, Matthew started his music career in punk rock, later transitioning into a mixture of genres. His musical foundation

is acoustic music but he takes inspiration from “singer-songwriter-driven bands.”

“Ninety-five percent of the music I listen to is from other genres, that’s where I get my inspiration and contribution to electronic songs,” he revealed.

It seems that Matthew and his music are inseparable. When he’s not playing music or writing songs, he’s travelling to headline music events. That’s why when we ask what else he does when he’s not playing music, he replied, “I will personally come here and tell you if I found a new hobby. But yeah, I am always writing, I’m constantly writing songs. It’s practically a 25-hour thing. It’s my life which I’m extremely thankful for.”

In addition to his extended plays (EP) Parachute (2012) and The Cherrytree Sessions (2013), Matthew now put his unique touch to his own full-length record. Before flying to the Philippines, Matthew said he has finished recording the last song on his upcoming solo album.

“It’s the first time that I am releasing my own body of work so I think people will have a full snapshot of my music. I think it will surprise people in a sense that it’s not what they are expecting from me. If you’d added up all the songs I released, including my collaborative works [with other artists], maybe you’ll have an idea of what the record is going to be. This is going to be slightly different,” he shared.

He concluded that the record will still feature some collaborative efforts but this time with lesser-known artists, “who are massively talented, nonetheless.”

wEDnES DAy : j unE 15, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C7

GMA network wins

T

at 2016 uS International Film & Video Festival

he Kapuso network brings honor to the country anew as it baggeds four medals and seven certificates at the 2016 US International Film & Video Festival for various News and Public Affairs and Entertainment programs.

GMA Network is the only Philippine TV network to win in this year’s festival.

Leading the list of winners this year were Alamat and Reel Time, which were both Best of Festivals nominees and winners of Gold Camera Award.

The first-ever Pinoy animated anthology series Alamat earned the Gold Camera Award in the Entertainment: Children category for its “Alamat ng Bayabas (The Legend of the Guava)” episode. The groundbreaking show marks the first time the network ventured into a full animation series. The series, which began airing last year, features Philippine myths and legends with each

ing the expensive cost of medical treatment in the Philippines.

GMA also took home seven certificates for its various News and Public Affairs and Entertainment TV programs.

Brigada (“Para sa Pangarap”), Front Row (“Maestra Salbabida”), and Investigative Documentaries (“Gutom”) each earned a CerWinners’ circle. Leading the list of winners in this year’s uS International Film & Video Festival are “Alamat,” “Reel Time” and “I-witness” tificate for Creative Excellence in episode voiced by various Kapuso Time’s “Isang Paa sa Hukay” doc- category. Kara David followed the Social Issues category. Karelapersonalities. It is currently on its umentary this year. It was named an Aeta family’s everyday toil syon’s “Tres Rosas” and Wagas’ as Best Program on “Promot- of hauling bamboos just to have “Gabriela and Diego Silang Love second season.

GMA News TV’s documen- ing Children’s Rights” under the all children finish their education. Story” were given Certificates for Investigative public affairs pro- Creative Excellence in the Docutary program Reel Time, mean- Humanity category at the Asiawhile, received the Gold Camera Pacific Institute for Broadcasting gram Reporter’s Notebook also drama category.

Meanwhile, GMA ETV programs Award for its episode “Isang Paa Development (AIBD)’s World won a Silver Screen Award in sa Hukay (The Price of Gold)” in Television Awards. It also took the Public Affairs category for Pepito Manaloto and Idol sa Kusina the Public Affairs Programs cat- home the bronze award in the its “Hikbi sa Ibayong Dagat (Far received Certificates for Creative Exegory. It documented the small- Human Concerns category at the From Home)” episode. Maki cellence in the Cooking and Comedy Pulido and Jiggy Manicad took categories, respectively. scale mining in Camarines Norte, recent New York Festivals.

Since 1967, the US InternationGMA’s top-notch documentary a closer look at the ironic stories where children dive into narrow shafts using air compressor to program I-Witness was conferred of Overseas Filipino Workers al Film & Video Festivals consupport their breathing, just to the Silver Screen Award for its (OFWs) in Hong Kong who con- tinues to recognize outstanding “Kawayang Pangarap (Bamboo tinue to work despite having seri- corporate, education, entertainmine very little pieces of gold.

This already serves as the third Dreams)” episode in the Docu- ous illnesses because going home ment, documentary, and student international citation for Reel mentary Programs: Biography means losing their jobs and fac- productions.

nBA finals on ABS-CBn NBA sa ABS-CBN is not letting up in delivering a fun basketball viewing experience to Filipinos even as the 2016 National Basketball Association (NBA) season is winding down to its fiery finish.

With three games already down in the Finals series between defending champion Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the action can only get hotter.

With the rise in intensity inside the arenas, ABS-CBN Sports has also taken the excitement a notch higher by spicing up its coverage of the games on free TV, airing the games live or via satellite on ABS-CBN with primetime telecast and replays on ABS-CBN Sports + Action.

Helmed by anchor Boom Gonzalez, who is joined by sports analyst TJ Manotoc and local basketball legends Ronnie Magsanoc and Benjie Paras, NBA sa ABSCBN has been giving Filipinos a closer look and a more intimate access to the game of basketball, and the most popular professional

basketball league in the world the entire season. From broadcasting up to four times a week, the show has ramped up to an everyday offering of games on free TV during the playoffs, the conference finals, up to the championship round, not letting Filipino sports fans miss topnotch basketball action.

The quartet of Manotoc, Gonzalez, Paras, and Magsanoc has shown great chemistry, exuding a barkadavibe that makes viewers enjoy the game more than ever when they tune in. They have been successful in engaging the viewers, a proof to this is the consistent trending of #NBAsaABSCBN on social media. Celebrity basketball fans like Daniel Padilla and Yael Yuzon would also visit the studio to join in the fun as they cheer for their favorite teams on behalf of hoops fans watching from their homes.

Coach Ronnie Magsanoc enjoys being able to impart knowledge from a player’s standpoint being part, full time, of the resi-

dent analysts for the NBA, saying, “this is the best experience for me, a dream, and a rewarding experience for me, especially that I get to sit side-by-side with wellknown sports panel members, and Benjie, which makes it not a job for me, so it’s fun.”

He said that he and Benjie did not need to be convinced that hard to be part of the local NBA coverage since management approached them both, fully knowing of their history as a duo, dating back to their college days. Manotoc for his part echoes the fun that Magsanoc exudes during coverages.

“Ang saya kasi ginagawa naming barkada yung feel, na napapansin ng iba and the fact that we made it interactive especially on Twitter, everyone is just having fun. Parang barkada lang talaga.”

However, what made this year’s NBA coverage extra special was that everyone was more into it, and by everyone, that means every regular basketball-loving Juan out there, be it in the office, on the

From left: Boom Gonzales, Ronnie Magsanoc, and Tj Manotoc

streets, and even tricycle stations.

“Napapansin ko this year, mas connected yung mga tao sa games.

May tricycle driver pa nga na, regular season pa lang to, excited na sa ipapalabas na game noon. Yung mga simpleng tao, alam nila, naka-abang sila. Iba yung inaabangan nila eh,” shared an amused Manotoc.

Coach Ronnie on the other hand, said that the knowledge they have been imparting, of sharing their own basketball know-how, and being given the liberty to do so, made the NBA coverage this year

even better, saying, “overall, it’s a big plus for the every single day we have the game coverage, it really helps talk and share about basketball knowledge, and keeps not only me sharp, but the viewers as well.”

TJ agreed with Coach Ronnie on that end saying, “We want them to love the game, and understand the game at ginagawa naming ‘yun sa paraang matutuwa sila. At malaking bagay din yung nagbibigay kami ng bagay na pwede nilan matutunan sa experience naming mga anchor.”

Rachel Anne Daquis on a new level of game

Volleyball superstar Rachel Anne Daquis lands on the cover of the popular men’s magazine for the second time

For the second time around, Volleybelle queen Rachel Anne Daquis graces the cover of FHM magazine. She ditches her game gear to bare her perfect physique sculpted by years of spiking, diving and putting her life on the line for the sport. Despite being removed from her UAAP glory days for quite some time now, Rachel Daquis or also known as RAD by her fans is still one of local volleyball’s most recognizable names.

“Rachel is one of the biggest revelations so far in the 16-year history of FHM covers. Traditionally, the magazine’s covers are the domain of celebrities and sexy stars, and then comes Ra-

chel, a true athlete and a fierce competitor, who also happens to possess the killer looks of a bona fide FHM babe, and her first cover becomes a surprise hit. On her second appearance, Rachel shows she can dominate FHM’s game as well,” said Editor-In-Chief Allan Hernandez.

Also in the magazine, the commune of young unsung heroes such as Leandro Alejandro, Edgar Jopson and Liliosa Hilao whose patriotism and fearlessness hopefully inspire the young generation of today.

This month’s issue have tips on coping every time with the methods that masters of memory use;

mnemonics. Learn how memory really works and how to keep brain cells intact.

FHM Philippines is available on newsstands and in bookstores, convenience stores, and supermarkets nationwide. A digital edition of FHM is also available for download on mobile devices through Apple Newsstand, Buqo, and Zinio.

For more details, visit www. fhm.com.ph. For your daily dose of the hottest babes in the country, visit Facebook atwww.facebook.com/FHM.ph, and follow FHM Philippines on Twitter @ FHMphil and on Instagram@ FHMphilofficial.

w ednes day : j une 15, 2016

C8

IsaH V. Red EDITOR nICKIe wanG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Film festival focuses on farming and farmers ISAH V. RED

“T

he farmers and their plight have recently moved center stage in local news. It’s time that this industry does its share to help them,” said award-winning filmmaker and TV director Maryo J. delos Reyes, festival director of the 1st ToFarm Film Festival Philippines, which opens today until Sunday.

The festival, underwritten by The Search and Award for The Outstanding Farmers of the Philippines (ToFarm) and Universal Harvester, Inc., focuses on the theme “The Plight of the Farmer: His Trials and Triumphs.”

Six films will be screened in selected cinemas at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City and SM North Edsa in Quezon City.

“Agriculture has been the focus of news stories of late,” said Delos Reyes, citing the controversial Kidapawan protest in March that resulted to the injury of over a hundred farmers and to the death of at least three.

Delos Reyes also cited Senate Bill 3002, which passed final reading at the Senate and the House of Representatives in January. It seeks the development and promotion of farm tourism in the country.

“We, as cineastes, contribute to spreading awareness on what is happening to our farmers through these films. They provide a good picture of how much help and attention the farmers need,” the director pointed out. “Supporting these movies is one way of helping them.”

Delos Reyes also mentioned the plan to bring the films to the provinces by means of regional screenings in key cities such as Angeles, Cebu and Davao, and the province of Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija. “Eventually, we will organize caravans that will bring these movies to the barrios. We could set up screens in gymnasiums in certain barangays. If the farmers can’t go to the movie houses, we will bring the movies to them,” he said.

The six competing films each received a grant of P1.5 million, as seed money to produce the film. “We need more people like her,” Delos Reyes said of Universal Harvester, Incorporated Executive Vice President Dr. Milagros How, the brains behind the festival. “She has made it her advocacy to help farmers and the agriculture industry. Now, she is helping show business by enabling these young directors to realize their passion for filmmaking and by providing employment to people.”

The competing films are: Pilapil, written and directed by Jojo Nadela, tells of a man who wants to escape the farm life to seek greener pastures, and a young boy who considers it his paradise. In one stroke of fate, their lives cross. Will the man learn from the boy that he need not

Michael de Mesa (left) and Paolo O’Hara (right) star in “Free Range,” which is shot entirely in Palawan

Festival director Maryo j. delos Reyes (leftmost) with universal Harvester’s dr. Milagros How (center) and ToFram’s Rommel Cunanan

go anywhere else? That it is his heart that needs to be cultivated just so he would go back to his roots? Will he, like the boy, love the farm and see it as the paradise that it is?

James Blanco, David Remo, Pancho Magno, Diva Montelaba, Bonbon Lentejas, Orlando Sol and Rez Cortez star in the film.

Pitong Kabang Palay, written and directed by Maricel Cariaga, tells of the life of De la Cruz family that lives a simple, frugal life, devoid of electricity or any luxury along the rice fields of Isabela. They make ends meet by planting rice and gathering what the season offers. The young Balong dreams of graduating from school and helping his

parents, as he and his siblings witness the daily struggles their parents experience. As his mother Deling and father Jaime try to find ways to feed the family while supporting their studies, Balong and his brother Lito try to compensate by studying hard and earning honors at school. Dreaming of a better life, Balong counts the sacks of rice they have left, the money they need, and the little moments that led to an inevitable departure that will leave them all affected.

The film features Arnold Reyes, Sue Prado, Micko Laurente, Alfonso Ynigo Delen, and Precious Miel J. Espinosa.

Free Range, written and directed by Den-

Behind the scenes. Cast and directors of the films (from left) “Pilapil,” “Pitong Kabang Palay” and “Free Range”

nis Marasigan, is the story of Chito, son to the owners of a lodge in Coron, Palawan.

Because of a shortage in eggs in the town, he gets encouraged to go into growing organic chickens. Chito undergoes training and situates the farm in a property owned by his father. Just when the business is about to take off, his father suffers a stroke.

Chito is unable to be beside him right away as a storm hits Coron. Some of the bookings they have at the lodge are canceled, and 200 out of the 500 chickens they have at the farm are dead. As funds are scarce and hard to get by, a corporation offers to buy the farm from him, apparently because a mall is to be built nearby. Chito is also offered to run for a political position in exchange for him divesting in some of his businesses. Then his father dies and his wife leaves for a trip to the US where she intends to get some work. Chito decides to continue with the farm and manage the lodge at the same time, with difficulty. His perseverance pays off as the tourism business picks up and he gets regular buyers for the farm’s eggs and dressed chicken products. His mother recovers from her heartache and goes back to managing the farm, while his wife helps him find new markets for their farm products.

Paolo O’Hara, Jackie Rice, Mads Nicolas, Michael de Mesa, Jojit Lorenzo, Leo Rialp, and Anna Feleo complete the cast.

Continued on C5