Businessmirror december 27, 2015

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n Sunday, December 27, 2015 Vol. 11 No. 80

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MRT owner blames govt for Edsa traffic congestion F

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

REEING up Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) from horrendous traffic would require heavy investments in rail transportation, an undertaking that the government can easily afford if only it has the political will to do so.

week ahead

ECONOMIC DATA PREVIEW

Peso

n Previous week: In the week before the holiday season, the three-day trading of the peso to the dollar followed a weaker trend—reflecting that of other currencies in the region—owing to the relative strength of the US economy. The peso settled at the 47.3 level to a dollar at the start of the week, then slipped to 47.335 to a dollar on Tuesday and posted a stronger value at the end of the shortened trading week at 47.225 to a dollar.

n Week ahead: The peso is up for another two trading days before the end of the year. With no surprise data and developments from the local and international community, the peso is seen to trade broadly stable at the 47 territory in the next trading days. This is, however, significantly weaker in value compared to when it started the year at the 44 territory. Bianca Cuaresma

Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Holdings Inc. Chairman John Robert L. Sobrepeña said the train line that his group owns can easily handle 1.2 million passengers per day, if only the government added trains in the past.

“It would not have reached its boiling point of having to accommodate around 600,000 passengers daily—almost double its rated capacity of 350,000 passengers per day—if the capacity-augmentation program was implemented a decade ago,” Sobrepeña said.

“The MRT project was designed to handle as much as 1.2 million passengers per day. We could have decongested Edsa by now,” he said in a telephone interview.

sobrepeña: “The MRT project was designed to handle as much as 1.2 million passengers per day. We could have decongested Edsa by now.”

The capacity-expansion program would have removed the cars and buses from Edsa, transport experts said, as efficient railway systems have proven to encourage commuters to take the public transport instead of using private vehicles.

See “MRT,” A2

BSP to ‘further reform’ banking industry in ’16

By Bianca Cuaresma

T

HE Bangko Sentral has vowed to actively pursue initiatives in 2016 to further reform the banking system, despite its current position of strength, and to pursue a deeper domestic capital market to complement the present banking system.

In a recent publication, the central bank said that, despite the slew of reforms that it implemented this year, it will impose more regulations for the banking industry next year.

This, despite the recognition that the banking industry is getting stronger because of its resilience. The central bank views this as an effort to “sustain the reform momentum” to “toughen its resilience against

PESO exchange rates n US 47.2980

Top Syrian rebel killed in air strike near Damascus

shocks,” and boost its role as a catalyst for durable long-term growth.

The central bank hinted that the future reforms are likely to center on promoting effective risk management, banks having a stronger capital base and improved corporate standards.

Aside from further bank regulation, the central bank also said it will continue to pursue initiatives to promote a deeper domestic capital market that will complement the presence of a resilient banking system.

“The policy thrust is to focus on enhancing further the infrastructure and the regulatory framework for capital-market transactions to promote efficiency in trading, settlement and delivery of securities,” the BSP said.

See “BSP,” A2

Syrians try to extinguish fire that was caused by Syrian government aerial bombardment on the Damascus suburb of Douma, Syria. Syrian government helicopter gunships have struck a suburb of the capital, Damascus, a day after air strikes on nearby areas killed more than 40 people, opposition activists said. Douma Revolution via AP

B

EIRUT—One month before peace talks are scheduled to begin between the Syrian government and opposition rebel groups, a Syrian air strike killed a top rebel commander in the outskirts of Damascus, according to activist groups and the Syrian government.

Zahran Allouch, the founder of the Saudi-backed Army of Islam rebel faction, was killed on Friday by an air strike on a meeting of rebel commanders near the Damascus suburb of Otaya, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The group said it was unclear in the immediate aftermath whether the air strike was launched by Syrian or Russian warplanes. But the Syrian mili-

tary later claimed responsibility in a statement published by the state-run Sana news agency.

The report said the strike was carried out after a series of aerial reconnaissance operations against groupings of “terrorist” organizations and their headquarters in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta. In addition to Allouch, it said the air strike killed “a large number of commanders of Ahrar al-Sham and Faylaq al-

Rahman,” other rebel factions who are often allied with Alloush’s Army of Islam.

Alloush’s death is a blow to insurgents fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad and a boost to government forces that have been bolstered by the Russian military intervention in Syria in the past few months. Syrian government forces have been on the offensive in several parts of the country since Russia began See “Syria,” A2

n japan 0.3907 n UK 70.1193 n HK 6.1013 n CHINA 7.3004 n singapore 33.6809 n australia 34.2293 n EU 51.8055 n SAUDI arabia 12.6087

Source: BSP (23 December 2015)

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, December 27, 2015

MRT…

structure of government bank accounts to enable consolidation and optimum utilization of government cash resources.

In the same month, the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) together with the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) signed a share-purchase agreement that transfers the ownership of BAP’s equity interest in the Philippine

Dealing System to PSE.

“The agreement is a step closer toward a unified exchange for equities and fixed-income products and a more competitive landscape for the Philippine capital markets which will offer additional value to issuers, investors and other market participants,” the BSP said.

In August the BSP approved new guidelines for banks on segregating funds under a securities brokering arrangement from deposit taking activities.

Continued from a1

“There are 1,920 buses licensed to travel through Edsa. They are allowed a maximum of 10 trips per day—meaning that’s 20,000 trips daily. This means that there are about 1.2 million bus passengers in a day. We could have lessened that number through the MRT,” Sobrepeña said.

He claimed that there are only eight trains that ply the North Avenue-Edsa Pasay route, way below its 24-car design. This means that, out of the 73 trains that used to ferry passengers from Quezon City to Pasay City, only 24 are working.

This means that the waiting time for the trains have already increased from the optimal 2.5 minutes to as much as 15 minutes—not to mention the effects of the congestion on the train system.

Poor maintenance, according to experts, is to take the blame for this scenario. Government officials were sought for comment, but none responded to the BusinessMirror’s queries.

The Department of Transportation and Communications last week awarded the multibillion-peso contract to rehabilitate and maintain the line to a Filipino-South Korean

BSP…

joint-venture company.

The P3.81-billion contract— bagged by the joint venture of Busan Transportation Corp., Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile Inc., TMI Corp Inc. and Castan Corp. through a negotiated scheme—covers the general maintenance requirements of the train line for three years.

It also requires the concessionaire to replace the train system and to refurbish the 16-year-old trains of the railway line.

The long contract period will allow the new service provider to procure the necessary spare parts needed to increase the number of operating trains, especially during peak hours.

The transport agency resorted to the negotiated scheme after two failed auctions last year.

Currently, several different companies are maintaining the line, each focusing on a specific disciplines.

The subcontractors were engaged directly under a multidisciplinary approach to increase the efficiency of work per component until the long-term maintenance provider is procured.

Under the multidiscipline approach,

the management of the MRT 3 has been able to increase the number of operating coaches during peak hours to 45 as of the beginning of August.

But once the new maintenance provider comes in on January 5, it will start managing all of the maintenance components of the MRT.

The transport agency is also procuring new train cars, with the delivery of the actual vehicles scheduled for next year.

Once the 48 new train cars come in, MRT 3’s trips per hour will increase from 20 to 24, which will translate to a 60-percent rise in the number of passengers per hour per direction.

This means that there will be 37,824 passengers who can avail of the rail service every hour heading toward one direction. Currently, only about 23,640 people ride an MRT service per way every hour. But that number still depends on how many trains are running that day.

The second new light rail vehicle for the MRT 3 arrived late Wednesday at the Manila International Container Terminal.

Aside from adding new coaches to the current MRT fleet, the government is also rolling out P9.7 billion worth of projects to improve the train line.

The state also wants to buy out the corporate owner of the line.

Continued from a1

In the previous year, the central bank—along with other related government entities—has been actively pursuing a greater efficiency in the country’s capital market.

In July the Department of Finance issued revised guidelines on the application of the Treasury Single Account, which allows greater financial management and involves the unification of the

Syria…

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Continued from a1

its military campaign in late September to shore up Assad’s forces.

It was not immediately clear how Allouch’s killing would affect his group, which is entrenched in the eastern suburbs of Damascus.

Several rebel group commanders have been killed in the past—including most of the command of the ultraconservative Ahrar alSham group in a mysterious bombing in northern Syria last year.

The Army of Islam took part earlier this month in an opposition meeting held in Saudi Arabia to agree on an opposition delegation that would negotiate with government representatives in peace talks planned for late January in Geneva. The Syrian government has always said it will not negotiate with terrorists and considers the Army of Islam to be terrorists.

Allouch, who was in his mid40s, was widely known to be supported by Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

He was one of the most powerful rebel commanders with thousands of fighters controlling large parts of the eastern Damascus suburbs of Eastern Ghouta and Douma.

In addition to fighting government forces, the Army of Islam faction fought pitched battles against its rival, the Islamic State (IS) group near Damascus.

A former prisoner who was released in a general amnesty after the uprising against Assad began in March 2011, Allouch joined the armed opposition and formed the Army of Islam—which became one of the most organized rebel factions in Syria.

Critics accused him of sectarian politics and brutal tactics similar to that of the IS group.

He is blamed by other opposi-

tion groups for the December 2013 kidnapping of four prominent activists, including human-rights activist and lawyer Razan Zaytouni.

He denies holding them although they were kidnapped from an area under Army of Islam control.

Allouch regularly made sectarian comments against members of Assad’s Alawite sect, as well as Shiite Muslims, although when he spoke to western media earlier this year, he said all sects should be part of the rule in future Syria.

Earlier this year, after government air strikes on the suburbs of Damascus killed dozens, Allouch placed some Alawites that his group was holding in cages in public areas and markets, using them as human shields to try to prevent further air strikes. Men and women were put in large metal cages on pickup trucks that drove around Damascus suburbs.

Most of the Syrian militants, like Allouch, are Sunni Muslims and see themselves as oppressed

by Alawites.

His group was behind the shelling of Damascus in recent months with mortar shells, including an attack that targeted the Russian Embassy. Such attacks have killed and wounded scores of civilians.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis issued a Christmas Day prayer that the recent United Nationsbacked peace process would end suffering in war-torn Syria. He also praised countries that have taken in refugees.

Also on Friday the Stockholmbased Assyrian Human Rights Network announces that IS militants released 25 more Assyrian Christian hostages that had been held captive in Syria for 10 months. AP

MMFF take: ₧149 million on first day

T

HE movies that participated in the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) grossed almost P149 million on the first day.

Dominic Du of the theaters group, however, refused to reveal the top grosser among all entries.

“We don’t give the breakdown but the top four [films],” he said in a telephone interview.

The top four he said, were, in no particular order: My Bebe Love starring Vic Sotto, Aiai delas Alas and the phenomenal AlDub love team Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza; Beauty and the Beastie, which stars Vice Ganda, teleserye prince Coco Martin and one of the top love teams in the country James Reid and Nadine Lustre, also known as JaDine; All You Need is Pag-ibig, starring the multimedia star Kris Aquino; and Haunted Mansion.

The film festival started on December 25 and will end on January 7 next year.

The awards night is scheduled on December 27 at the Kia Theatre in Quezon City.

The eight entries in this year’s film festival are My Bebe Love, Buy Now, Die Later, Haunted Mansion, All You Need Is Pag-ibig, Ang Nilalang, Walang Forever, Beauty and The Bestie, and Honor Thy Father. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

NewsSunday

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Dionisio L. Pelayo

Govt physician raises warning against rabies

T

HE Department of Health’s (DOH) office in the Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan (Mimaropa) region over the weekend warned residents of Oriental Mindoro to stay away from stray dogs.

The agency issued the warning following the reported cases of deaths from rabies in several of towns in that province.

“I call on everyone to be cautious, avoid contact with stray animals and educate every member of the family on the dangers of petting and bringing them home as they may be infected with the rabies virus,” Director Eduardo C. Janairo of the health department’s office in the Mimaropa region said.

“Rabies is a very fatal viral infection that can cause death if treatment is not given promptly after being bitten by an infected animal,” Janairo added.

DOH-Mimaropa’s Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit earlier reported that there were four rabies deaths reported from November 16 to December 21, 2015 in the towns of Socorro, Pinamalayan, Gloria and Bansud in Oriental Mindoro.

The first recorded case of rabies death was from Bansud, a 35-year-old male, who was admitted on November 16, 2015 and died on the same day; the second case was from Gloria, a 58-year-old male who was admitted to a hospital on November 24 and died also on the same day; the third case is from Pinamalayan, a woman outpatient, who was treated on November 26 and died also on the same day; and fourth case is from Socorro, a 35-year-old man who was also an outpatient case at the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital on December 21. He died the next day.

Janairo said that when bitten by a stray dog, the victim should wash the wound vigorously immediately with soap and water for 10 minutes, apply antiseptic (alcohol, tincture of iodine or betadine) if needed and consult a doctor or visit the nearest Animal Bite Treatment Center for proper treatment.

He added that the victim should avoid the following practices such as sucking the wound by the mouth, applying garlic or a piece of stone or a coin over the wound or a tandok over the wound. Janairo said vaccination of dogs is still the most effective measure against rabies together with education of dog owners and the public on responsible pet ownership and the restrictions of dogs within homes or properties.

Janairo also assured that antirabies vaccines are available and can be acquired immediately in animal bite centers in the province and at the Provincial Department of Health Office in Calapan City.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

BusinessMirror

Army hunts down BIFF bandits in Central Mindanao rampage

C

AMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao— The military here has condemned the atrocities carried out by outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in three areas in Central Mindanao on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, even as it vowed to intensify the manhunt for the bandits.

Capt. Joanne Petinglay, spokesman for the Sixth Infantry “Kampilan” Division, said pursuit operations against the bandits would continue. She also appealed to peace-loving citizens to help authorities thwart destabilization attempts.

On Thursday about 300 BIFF gunmen simultaneously attacked Christian villages in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat, and three communities in Datu Abdullah Sangki town in Maguindanao, killing eight civilians that they took as hostages when government forces responded.

Four BIFF bandits were also killed when gover nment forces chased the attackers in the mountains of adjoining towns of Esperanza and

Abdullah Sangki. Four firearms of slain bandits were recovered by pursuing forces.

Army bomb disposal teams also defused four improvised bombs left

by BIFF gunmen in the area where the civilians were killed.

Lt. Col. Ricky Bunayog, 33rd Infantry Battalion (IB) commander, said about 300 men carried the attacks and are now the subject of a massive manhunt.

“We already warned the civilians in areas identified to be vulnerable to BIFF atrocities, I hope they will cooperate with the security sectors,” Petinglay said. Almost simultaneously, separate band of BIFF bandits attacked Simsiman, Pigcawayan, North

Legislator seeks construction of permanent evacuation centers

P

ERMANENT evacuation and relief centers with toilets and kitchen should be created for victims of calamities in the country, a lawmaker said.

Nationalist People’s Coalition Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela City said the recent Typhoon Nona (international code name Melor), which devastated many areas in the Visayas and the Bicol region, further underscored the importance of putting up decent permanent evacuation centers for those dislocated by natural calamities.

“The government should consider the construction of permanent facilities, such as comfort rooms and kitchen, for evacuees in the schools premises where it will be difficult to

construct new evacuation centers due to lack of space,” he said.

Gatchalian said the establishment of permanent evacuation centers with the necessary facilities, as proposed under House Bill 5867, will address the issues encountered by evacuees like congestion and exposure to hazards during calamities.

The government should stop the practice of using the schoolhouses as evacuation centers during calamities, he added.

Gatchalian said the bill seeks to establish an evacuation center in every town and city with priority given to the local government units with the most vulnerable communities and with less secure infrastructure.

“The importance of permanent

and fully operational evacuation centers with the necessary facilities in place cannot be disregarded during a calamity,” he said.

Under the bill, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is mandated to determine which towns and cities will be given priority and provided with new evacuation centers.

The evacuation and relief center should have sleeping area, mess house, toilets, kitchen, trash-collection area, clinic, laundry area, recreation area, and pet and livestock holding area.

The kitchen and dining area should be able to cater for the number of people in the evacuation centers during calamities. PNA

FAMILY DAY A man takes a photograph of his family beside Cinderella’s “Magical Carriage” at a mall in Antipolo City on Christmas Day. Many families flocked to malls, parks and other leisure centers for a day together. PNA

‘Familiarize yourselves with New Generation Currency’

Z

A M B OA N G A C I T Y—T he Bangko Sentral has advised the public to familiarize themselves with the New Generation Currency (NGC) to avoid becoming victims of counterfeiting, especially this Yuletide Season.

Vicente Celestial, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-Zamboanga acting branch

Sunday, December 27, 2015 A3

head, issued the advice as 90 percent of the currencies in circulation at present are already of the NGC series.

Celestial said the security features of the NGC included the following: water mark; security thread; security fiber; see-through mark; concealed value; embossed prints; serial number; optically variable

device and optically variable ink.

“Be familiar with it through touch since by merely touching you can determine if the money is counterfeit or genuine,” Celestial said.

He added that the security thread of counterfeit money could be easily removed and its paper, as well as the printing is of ordinary quality. PNA

Cotabato, on Christmas Eve. L ed by Com m a nder A l a m ad a Abonawas, the BIFF gunmen fired a rifle grenade toward the house of Robert Lerado, village councilman of Barangay Simsiman, killing him on the spot, raising the death toll to 13, nine civilians and four BIFF bandits.

After attacking villages in the borders of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat, the BIFF also stormed the village of Malagakit, also in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato, firing at a Catholic chapel where a midnight mass was on going.

Churchgoers scampered for safety but nobody was hurt.

Also on December 24 at about 9:00 p.m., another group of BIFF bandits stormed a detachment of the Second Mechanized IB in Barangay Dapiawan, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

No casualty was reported.

Bunayog added that government forces had difficulty retrieving the remains of slain farmers owing to booby traps planted by the BIFF bandits before fleeing.

“One of the field commanders of the BIFF was killed that is why they were so brutal on civilians,” Bunayog said.

Bunayog added that the fatalities were all civilian farmers and not militiamen as claimed by the BIFF. Petinglay assured that the national

highways linking Cotabato City to Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City to Davao remained passable and safe.

Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chief government peace negotiator, in a statement expressed solidarity with the families of the slain civilians.

“We commiserate with the families of the nine civilians who were summarily executed by the BIFF in separate incidents over the last few days,” she said.

“The BIFF’s sporadic attacks indicate an attempt to gain momentum for their bid to destabilize the situation in these areas and garner attention for themselves and their flagging cause,” Ferrer said.

Ferrer added that she was sad that the soldiers had to cancel celebrating the holiday season to respond to situations. “We pray for the safety of our soldiers who, instead of humbly celebrating the holiday season in their remote posts, have been mobilized to prevent the hostile group from wreaking more harm on the populace.”

Ferrer said prayers are offered for strength and safety of civilians who are exposed to the danger of ongoing hostilities.

To the BIFF, Ferrer asked the armed band “to reconsider their violent ways and take heed of the people’s desire for peace and normalcy in their lives.” PNA

A4 Sunday, December 27, 2015 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

editorial

The charity of Christmas: Let it last forever

I

N our beloved country, the Philippines, life is a monotony of home and office, church and mall, economics and politics, an alternation of good news and bad news. The good news in recent days includes Pia Wurtzbach being crowned Miss Universe, and the bad news covers what seems to be the neverending incidence of corruption and inefficiency at various levels of our government.

We rejoice over our triumphs, but at the end of the day, we find that these are few and far between. More dominant are our setbacks and they launch us into a frame of mind repudiating certain actions, certain establishments, certain people, leaving us disheartened and disillusioned.

How refreshing it is that once a year, such a thing as Christmas comes around to create an occasion of joy and happiness for all. The festive mood dissipates the gloom surrounding us, brightens up our environment. Most important, it transforms us, as well, replacing the bitterness in our hearts with forgiveness, the indifference with concern, and the selfishness with charity and generosity.

With Christmas, we acquire this feeling of wanting to know more about the state of life of our neighbors. Are the poor among our countrymen and countrywomen, identified and highlighted in surveys, for real? What can we do to alleviate their deprivation? Is there anything we can do to inject some light into the eyes of innocent children?

Suddenly, a side of us we did not know was there is getting into action, planning parties for our neighbors, setting aside little gifts for children, games for the amusement of young and grown-ups alike. We are focused on our project of good neighborliness, feeling no weariness by the work involved, but on the contrary, energized by it all.

Our Christian religion marks the birth of the Savior Jesus as Christmas Day, when the star of Bethlehem guided the Magi to the Manger. We relive the scene in various reenactments, but we do not feel its spirit until we carry out or participate in programs of charity for our fellow human beings, particularly calamity-stricken ones, nearby or in far-away places.

Most of us are plain, simple people with limited capability for philanthropic action, but there are some among us who are leaders of enterprises that have a great capacity for reaching out. In our respective capacities, let us make haste to show solidarity with our fellows nationwide during this Christmas season.

Let us make this feeling of oneness with our neighbors last not one day, but a lifetime.

In this connection, we recite a poem by Garnett Ann Schultz: “Let us keep Christmas beautiful, without a thought of greed, that it might live forever more to fill our every need, that it shall not be just a day, but last a lifetime through, the miracle of Christmastime that brings God close to you.”

Unbiased approach to the teaching of economics M

Database

By Cecilio T. Arillo

A

Y f avor ite te x t b o ok author in economics, the late Prof. Paul A. Samuelson, a brilliant economist and the first American who received the Nobel Prize in economics in 1970, described economics as not an exact science, but more of an art.

This writer mentioned him because his creativity and unbiased approach to the teaching of the discipline in his best-selling book Economics, particularly the 15th International Edition (now on its 19th edition, McGraw-Hill) with Prof. William D. Nordhaus, his coauthor, contrasted Stigler’s and Fukuyama’s line of thinking in my column yesterday.

For instance, Samuelson’s and Nordhaus’s excellent work was probably one of the few economic books that used the term market without the word free appended to it as an adjective or a qualifier to denote that the “free-market,” “free-enterprise” and “free-trade” economic concepts are indeed those of the dogmatic Neoclassicists.

As a backgrounder, classical or neoclassical economists were the forerunners of Physiocrats, who originated from the school of physiocracy founded by Francois Quesny, a Frenchman who lived in France between 1694 and the latter part of the 17th century. A surgeon by profession, Quesny was the personal doctor of Madame de Pompadour, the famous mistress of King Louis XVI. The famous Adam Smith became acquainted with Quesny and other powerful Physiocrats who exerted much influence on his thinking while writing his book Wealth of Nations in France, which he completed and published in England in 1776, coincidentally the year of the American Declaration of Independence.

In fact, two of the commonly held important teachings of the Physiocrats, known as laissez faire or natural law, and their adherence to economic growth through agriculture underlie Adam Smith’s book and the economic policies of the Philippines.

Not only that. Smith devoted 220 pages, in eight chapters, attacking mercantilism, as having, in particular, evil effects on agriculture.

The Physiocrats mounted a strong opposition against mercantilism, which was then rapidly transforming France and other European countries from feudal agrarian states into industrializing countries.

In their relentless campaign, the Physiocrats held that the accumulation of wealth through commerce and industry was contrary to laissez faire, causing confusion, dissatisfaction among the people, and should be removed. The Mercantilists, led by Jean Baptiste Colbert, who served as the King’s minister of finance for 25 years, just ignored the Physiocrats and guided France with his policies to become a great power that rivaled England.

In America in 1791, exactly 35 years after Adam Smith’s economic ideas had entered the consciousness and imagination of American policy-makers, President George Washington, upon assumption in office appointed Alexander Hamilton, his brilliant military aide, secretary of the Treasury and ordered him to formulate an economic strategy.

As a military man, Hamilton knew that behind England’s and France’s relative land and naval military superiorities was not agricultural but a mercantilist economy, largely based on commerce and industry.

Wasting no time, Hamilton went to Congress with a mercantilist economic strategy, convinced its members and turned America from an agrarian union into an industrial colossus that stood after the end of World War I as the world’s unrivaled economic empire.

After that war, the US surprisingly abandoned its mercantilist policies and sought, as Adam Smith did, the universal application of free trade.

America subsequently removed its protective tariffs and opened her huge market to imported goods.

England abandoned mercantilism only in 1846, 70 years after the appearance of Wealth of Nations. Its experience with Smith’s economics, however, proved disappointing and England in the late 1930s adopted a new economic strategy, laden with mercantilist ideas introduced by John Meynard Keynes, a traditional classicist like Smith, who changed his economic policy on the basis of the bad economic policies of the dogmatic classicists who were largely responsible for the Great Depression.

In his book The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, Keynes attacked some of his former classicist colleagues by calling them “orthodox economists whose common sense has been insufficient to check their faulty logic.”

ND when the time came for their purification, according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice acSunday, December 27, 2015 cording to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

And inspired by the Spirit, he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, Simeon took Jesus up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word; for mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”

Gospel

As the economy moved to recover from the Great Depression, World War II broke out, forcing governments to mobilize their economies to meet the challenge of armed conflict. Governments had to assume full control of their limited resources, rationing fuel, food commodities, fixing prices, sequestering factories and limiting the movements of people.

In the rigors of the war, the depression banished as Keynes’s idea of government intervention, whom he called the new economic orthodoxy, had predictably worked and, as a result, humiliated some of the classicists.

After the war, England’s electorate unseated the conservative Winston Churchill, the great statesman who brilliantly led his country to victory against the fascist alliance, and elected Clement Atlee, a socialist and mercantilist from the powerful Labor Party.

Upon assumption in office, Atlee immediately put under government control a large sector of the economy, including the steel industry, and mobilized its labor force to manufacture small, medium and heavy industries that saw Britain rise from the destruction of war and depression.

Atlee’s prolabor, proindustrial economic policy, in effect, disproved Adam Smith’s proagricultural doctrine to accumulate wealth.

In 1944, exactly eight years after the publication of Keynes’s General Theory, the US government initiated the organization of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for the purpose of creating a new world economic order based on the classical free-trade economic theory.

Ironically, this was the same America that spurned free trade in favor of mercantilism, which made her a great power up to this day.

Despite the creation of the new economic order, however, many countries in Europe, including Germany, France and Britain; India in the subcontinent; and those from East Asia, including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, have pursued a mercantilist economy.

In essence, they are the economic powerhouses in their respective regions today because mercantilists care more about economics than they do of politics.

This writer can be contacted at cecilio.arillo@gmail.com

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about Jesus; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, This Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against [and a sword will pierce through your own soul also], that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was 84. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to God, and spoke of Him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And The Child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him. Luke 2:22-40

Opinion BusinessMirror

opinion@businessmirror.com.ph

Sunday, December 27, 2015 A5

No mystery, no miracle

O

Free Fire

By Teddy Locsin Jr.

N December 25 God was born of a woman as Son of God yet also man. He won’t lose an iota of divinity nor an inch of His exact identity with His Father and the Third Person of the Triune God of Love. For love between Two more so if They are One because Divine cannot help but make a Third, / like two people in love make a child but with less certainty./There are childless cou-

ples./But God being exactly that/ He cannot fail to be productive. / That is not the miracle and mystery we celebrate. / The supposedly inexplicable thing or event is that / this will happen with the necessary intervention of a human being, / herself the Mother of God. / The miracle is that / at the instant of God’s birth— / an event itself / that is a first even for God because He was always around— / at that

instant, time will reverse itself / to the moment of creation, / and fast forward to the fall of man, / the test of Abraham, / and the choice of the Jews as the race from whence shall come in due order / the Mother of God and His Son. / Then on to the moment that she / at a particular time and in a very small place, / gives birth to the Maker of Time and pace. / This is supposed to be the miracle and mystery of Christ-

mas, / but there is no miracle and no mystery as you can see, / for everything is perfectly explained by me / in the most ordinary terms. / The Maker is born into that which He made, / out of the womb of a woman / in the line of the first man he created. / So the Creator is created / and the Maker is made. / A mystery should be dark, / a miracle baffling. / But this event is luminous / and as clear to the mind /

as a star to the eyes on the night of the very first Christmas. / And all this was for only one purpose, albeit great: / To extinguish a very bright light / in the middle of a very bright day, / just so it will be rekindled very early on the morning / of the very first Easter. / In that way, all other lives that were / and may be lost / might still be saved / on the ver y last day / of the earth. / Keep well.

Still loving pageants, despite Steve Harvey and feminists

By Christine M. Flowers Philadelphia Daily News (TNS Forum)

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HEN I was you nger, beauty pageants were big events. On the scale of teenage importance, they fell somewhere between my birthday (I was always puzzled why banks were open and we had mail delivery on December 4) and getting asked out on a date, which was about as likely as being asked to sub for an ailing Rockette at Radio City.

In other words, Miss USA, Miss America and especially Miss Universe, were notable moments in my otherwise unexceptional existence. Blessed with a subscription to TV Guide (we weren’t cheapos who depended on the free weekly insert from the newspaper for our viewing pleasure) I could schedule the Saturday nights that coincided with any one of those three respective coronations days ahead of time.

Not that I had anything else to do on those nights. (Please refer to the “date” comment above.)

I suppose the reason these pageants were so important to me, other than the fact that I regarded mirrors the same way Dracula looked at garlic, were their ability to lift me out of myself and show me that beauty was achievable. I know that might

sound counterintuitive and in this day and age where Ophelia is drowning and we’re supposed to throw her a life preserver by not even using the word “chubby,” but the vision of dozens of radiant women with perfect hair and glowing skin and straight teeth, made me feel that my current sad state of being was temporary. I actually believed that I, too, could become an Ecuadoran citizen one day and—through hard work and plastic surgery—work my way up to Ecuadoran beauty queen.

I remember one Saturday night in 1974, sitting in my living room and watching as this brown-haired chick from Spain, who looked amazingly like the brown-haired chick from Mexico on Lawrence Welk, who looked amazingly like me when I squinted really hard and backed 10 feet away from the mirror, won this beautiful, 100-pound crown.

(Know how many rhinestones you need to hit 100 pounds? Me neither, but Amparo Muñoz, Miss Universe 1974, did.) It was a particularly dark period in my life, one in which my Saint Francis of Assisi haircut and Hubble Telescope glasses made an all-girls school the only safe place to spend the shank of my day.

When Amparo won, it made me feel some affinity with her because we both had brown hair. See how

little it took to make me happy? Happiness is what those pageants promised, and happiness is what they brought me vicariously, until about 20 years ago when I found myself accidentally stumbling upon them during commercial breaks in the football game. This tragic change in priorities was a function of many things, not the least of which was my realization that one does not need to wear a crown to get a law degree, to get paid for your writing, to live in a foreign country (but strangely, not Ecuador) and to even get asked out on a date.

Miss Universe (and her sisters) were no longer needed to make me feel that good things were possible when I grew up, because for one thing, I’d already grown up, and while Donald Trump would not want to marry me, I was happy in my own, sagging skin. And yet, I felt a bit sad because it’s bittersweet to realize that one of the things that sustained you during the dim times of youth has become almost superfluous.

Just as I’d let my TV Guide subscription lapse when it became simpler to check on the cable guide for daily viewing choices, so had I let my passion for the beauty pageants lapse when it became easier to go to the hairdresser for a self-confidence

boost. Or so I thought.

Love rarely dies, though. It simply goes underground and remains buried beneath anger or resentment or grief or incomprehension, until something reminds us of the pure beauty of that early love. And the something that reminded me of the pure beauty of my early love of beauty pageants was Steve Harvey on Sunday night. By now we all know what happened to the popular comedian and author when he hosted the Miss Universe pageant live from Las Vegas. In what can only be viewed as Donald Trump’s revenge on the Hispanic world, Harvey announced Miss Colombia as the new Miss U, which would have been fine if the judges had agreed with him. Sadly, they had not, except perhaps the one or two who really thought Sofia Vergara was competing and were amazed that a 43-year-old woman could look that good in a swimsuit.

(Those who have not seen Miss Colombia will just have to take my word for the fact that she looked like one of Vergara’s contested frozen embryos, thawed out and put in an evening dress.)

Miss Colombia, incredibly lovely as she was, had not earned the top spot in the pageant. Miss Philippines was the true winner, and while both women were equally stunning

and accomplished in talking about world peace, they were not interchangeable on the stage. And so, Harvey was forced to say, “I screwed up” on international TV, which in Spanish translates to “Es la culpa de Donald Trump, el Diablo!” And a lot of people started tweeting mean things about Harvey, which is not OK (especially the racist stuff), but which is understandable given the fact that one is not paid to break the heart of Colombian beauty queens on international television.

But other people started making fun of the pageant itself, making it seem as if there was no reason for the anachronism of a “girlie show” and echoing the empty rhetoric of feminists who have had their senses of humor surgically removed at puberty. One blogger wrote that “with the increased focus on equality, beauty pageants are becoming one of the few institutions where women are objectified.” Right. And being told to look at Beyoncé or Nicki Minaj as role models, or tatting up your arms and sticking needles through your lips is so much better.

But what do I know? I get my beauty standards from Lawrence Welk. And still, apparently, from those wonderful pageants where women can be queens as long as the host isn’t endearingly dyslexic.

This US town removed its crèche, but residents had other plans

By Stephen L. Carter TNS Forum

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EING the Christmas season, the news is full of the usual desultory stories about lawsuits demanding that one town or another take down its Nativity scene. The law in this area has long been hopelessly confused, and plenty of municipalities decide in the face of threatened litigation that discretion is the better part of valor.

And the story always ends the same way: Court 1, Town 0.

But this year in the rural Minnesota town of Wadena—population 4,133—something is different. In November following a complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the town council voted to take down a crèche that has been displayed on city land during the Christmas season “as long as anyone in Wadena can remember.” The mayor, George Deiss, defended the display as “a tradition to the city” rather than a religious message. The council, however, was unanimous.

At that point, usually, the controversy fades away. In Wadena, however, something unusual happened. A Facebook page was established to encourage residents to set up their own Nativity scenes on their own property. And they did. On lawns. In shop windows.

Outside privately owned buildings.

Writes the Minneapolis Star Tribune: Downtown Wadena is a hub of Nativity activity: There are four sets in the windows of the Ben Franklin Crafts store; an inflatable set, complete with inflatable sheep, in the cyber café across the street; one painted in the window of the Pizza Ranch; three at the Boondocks Café, and two at the local bookstore, An Open Book.

In fact, by some estimates the little town of Wadena now has more Nativity scenes than residents. (The mayor alone has eight or nine displays on his property.)

Let’s grant the wisdom of the US Supreme Court’s near-ban on the display of crèches when organized by public officials on public property. And let’s not get into the unruly conversation about when and how public land can become an open forum for religious displays. Let’s stick to what’s going on in Wadena.

You might think that because the Wadena displays are on private property, they are constitutionally protected expression. As it turns out, not everyone agrees. An Idaho homeowners’ association got a lot of bad publicity this year for trying to enforce its rules in a way that would have prevented a resident from exhibiting what we might call an enormous display of Christmas

decorations. Evidently, it’s not unusual for what are known as common-interest communities—subdivisions, condominiums, timeshares and the like—to enforce restrictive covenants banning displays of various types on members’ property or units. Given that well over half of newly constructed US housing units are built in common-interest communities, it matters whether the covenants are enforceable.

The leading case is Bloch v.

Frischholz, decided by the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, sitting en banc, in 2009. Resident Lynne Bloch complained that the management of her condominium building repeatedly removed from her doorpost the mezuzah that she, as an Orthodox Jew, was required to display.

She sued, claiming a violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA), which bans religious discrimination.

Management responded that the “hallway rules” did not allow anything to be affixed to the doors. The trial court dismissed the lawsuit, but the 7th Circuit reinstated it.

The decision is frequently cited for the proposition that the right to place a religious display on one’s property trumps the covenant to which the owner has already agreed.

Actually, the panel never reached that question, because it found that Bloch had made out a facial claim of

intentional discrimination—a clear violation of the FHA. Now suppose there had been no intentional discrimination. Imagine that Bloch wanted to display her mezuzah in the face of an entirely neutral condominium rule. Would she have a religious-freedom claim?

One might respond that in that case, she would be bound by the terms of her deed. If the rule said nothing on the doors, then nothing could be put on the doors.But the legal scholar Angela Carmella has argued to the contrary, that given the ubiquity of commoninterest communities, we should, in effect, treat their boards as quasi-governmental, meaning that residents essentially retain their constitutional rights. In this way, she contends, we can continue to construct “a society in which religious identity may be publicly expressed where one lives.”

As Carmella concedes, her proposal would make it impossible for a group of like-minded individuals to construct a community in which there would be no open religious expression. The libertarian in me would hold that they should be able to build such a place if they choose.

Carmella’s answer is that communities should be constructed around a notion of the common good, and the common good includes our

ability to express our deepest commitments—certainly our religious commitments. And, as a general proposition, I frown on restrictions on how we express ourselves on our own property. What matters as a legal matter is whether you believe, as Carmella does, that limits placed by the boards of common communities should be treated like limits placed by the government.

In Wadena, however, nobody seems worried about those questions. The Nativity displays are on private property everywhere, and I don’t think they’re coming down any time soon. Wadena, in fact, is a nice illustration of the poverty of the constitutional rule. Litigants who challenge creches on public property insist, correctly, that the government cannot be seen as favoring one religion over another. Yet, for a member of a religious minority, I wonder which is more oppressive: The single public Nativity scene in front of the courthouse, or thousands of private ones on the lawn of every neighbor?

Oh, and the original Wadena crèche? The one that had been displayed for as long anyone could remember? It was sold to the local ministerial association for $25, and now stands outside a private hospital, where I suspect it has even more viewers than it did before.

A6 Sunday, December 27, 2015

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

NMIS intensifies war vs ‘botcha’ during holidays

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By Marvyn N. Benaning | Correspondent

T least 127 personnel of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) will be on duty 24 hours a day during the holidays to apprehend and hold criminally liable all violators of meat-safety rules.

The campaign to revive the Oplan Pasko na Naman project of the DA and NMIS was announced just as consumers were swarming meat shops and buying tons of processed meat products like ham, bacon, sausage, meat loaf, corned beef and smoked chicken.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the campaign was launched without much fanfare on December 1, with members of the NMIS Task Force Bantay Karne and its counterparts in the local governments inspecting slaughterhouses, meat shops and market stalls.

Alcala said the NMIS is tasked to ensure that

the meat products being sold in the markets come from animals that are healthy.

The principal targets of the task force are those selling “double dead” meat or botcha, which refers to the meat of sick animals that were still slaughtered and sold. Botcha is typically priced lower than the meat that has passed the NMIS and considered safe for all consumers.

Alcala stressed that the task force members will arrest meat traders and vendors who take advantage of the holiday rush to sell unsafe meat or warm, chilled and frozen meat that has not been handled properly.

Economic managers optimistic on Philippines’s fiscal health

By Joann Santiago Philippines News Agency

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CONOMIC managers are confident that the Philippine economy will remain strong since the government has put in place reforms that ensure continued improvement in fiscal health.

Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said the continued improvement of the government’s fiscal health is a key in ensuring a solid-paced growth for the economy.

“We have put in place reforms that will ensure improvements that will benefit the country not only within the Aquino administration but the succeeding ones. We are confident that economic growth will remain strong because of these initiatives,” he added.

The Philippine economy felt the negative external economic development when it posted a decelerated growth during the first quarter of 2015.

Growth, as measured by GDP, slowed to 5 percent after recovering to 6.6 percent in the previous quarter.

Aside from lower exports owing to weaker demand from trading partners, the lower-than-programmed government spending also dragged domestic expansion.

Thus, the government vowed to revive the economy through higher spending, especially on necessary infrastructure, which is a surefire boost to the domestic economy’s growth.

Revenues continue to rise from yearago levels as tax-collection agencies the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) stepped up their efforts to address previous collection failures.

This, even as continued decline of prices of oil in the international market remain a hindrance for the BOC, in particular.

Earlier, Customs Commissioner Alberto D. Lina said they were directly hit by the drop in the price of oil in international market since oil taxes account for about 30 percent of the agency’s collections.

The agency has lost about P50 billion to P75 billion in revenues to date, owing to the decline in oil prices, he said.

The BOC has a P436.5-billion collection goal this year, and as of end-October, its revenues reached P300.7 billion, a slight improvement from the P299.9 billion it registered same period in 2014.

On the part of the BIR, the agency’s end-October collections grew 8 percent year-on-year to P1.19 trillion. It has a P1.674-trillion revenue target for this year.

Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim

Jacinto-Henares has admitted that the bureau’s revenue goal is somewhat hard to achieve but vowed to continue implementing reforms to address tax evasion, among others, in a bid to continue the sustained rise in the agency’s revenues.

Following the three-straight months of posting budget gaps in the first quarter of the year, the government registered a surplus in April amounting to P52.6 billion as revenues exceeded expenditures on back of reforms to make revenue collection more efficient.

With higher revenues comes improved ability to spend due to the fact that funds are available.

Thus, the government revived its spending program as noted in June, July, September and October fiscal reports.

As of end-October this year, government expenditures totaled to P1.82 trillion, higher than the P1.77 trillion revenues during the same period the previous year, resulting in a P52.57-billion deficit.

Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said ensuring robust revenue performance was the key in the government’s future fiscal health.

He said the sustained rise of revenue collections since a few years back should be continued for the government to fund education, health and social services.

“We ought to do everything we can to protect these gains toward the close of this administration and beyond,” he said.

Purisima hopes that the domestic economy continues to have the drivers that will boost its expansion, given that fundamentals remain intact, due in part to sustained improvement of fiscal health, along with solid domestic demand.

“Accelerated public spending, on the back of solid fundamentals, sets the stage for a strong fourth-quarter finish. Keeping our record of prudent fiscal management is crucial to keeping our social contract with the Filipino people,” he added.

The economy posted another improvement in the third quarter of the year after growing by 6 percent from quarter-ago’s 5.8 percent, lifted in part by higher government spending.

It remains among the strongest in the region, placing third after China’s 6.9 percent and Vietnam’s 6.8 percent.

In the first three quarters of the year, the economy grew by 5.6 percent, way lower than the government’s 7-percent to 8-percent target due to the effect of the first-quarter performance.

Amid the below-target expansion, economic managers remain optimistic, citing that average growth of the economy has risen to about 5 percent from about three percent in the past.

The DA and the NMIS are also engaged in an information campaign to tell consumers about the importance of safe meat handling for fresh, chilled and frozen meat.

Meat vendors and handlers are expected to abide by the NMIS regulations in order to avoid suffering stiff penalties.

NMIS Executive Director Minda S. Manantan said, “It is much better to invest in preventive measures than outright resorting to punitive actions. The NMIS believes that improving the safety measures at the retail area helps in reducing food-borne diseases caused by improper handling of food, including meat.”

“If there’s one area in the chain where food safety is weak, then, the whole food-safety system is compromised,” added Manantan, who is the concurrent assistant secretary for regulations.

She said violators will be issued warnings and given a chance to comply with the regulations within a certain period of time.

The Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines provides that the NMIS is the sole national controlling authority on all matters pertaining to meat and meat product inspection and meat hygiene.

Local governments are the main implementors of the NMIS regulations that were designed to protect consumers.

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Group urges govt to ensure BPO workers’ employment

By Recto L. Mercene

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HE labor party-list group Partido Manggagawa (PM) called on the government to require businessprocess outsourcing (BPO) companies to put up a bond that will be used to pay workers claims as another call center illegally shuts down in Cebu City.

Eziconnect Philippines Inc. of Mandaue City closed abruptly on December 21, leaving its 30 employees jobless this Christmas season with unpaid salaries and separation pay.

“Unfortunately, Ebenezer Scrooge is alive and he is an Australian. The irresponsible owners of Eziconnect have stolen Christmas from their hardworking workers,” said Rene Magtubo, PM chairman and one of its party-list bets. Eziconnect is owned by Australian Rodney Kafer, a former rugby player and present Fox Sports commentator.

The group said Eziconnect’s illegal closure is the fifth in the last four years that it has encountered.

A day after the closure, Eziconnect workers filed a complaint at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 7 office. A meeting was called by DOLE-7 where the workers faced off with their Filipino manager. The Eziconnect workers are demanding one month of unpaid salaries, 13th-month pay, separation

benefits and financial assistance.

Gerard Escobido, one of the Eziconnect employees, said, “We had loyally worked for the company for the last several years and we feel betrayed that its owners, Kafer, among others, would run away from its obligations to us. Magtubo called on the government to require BPOs to put up a bond equivalent to two months salaries of all workers they intend to hire, which will be used to defray wages, benefits and separation pay in case of sudden or illegal closure.

PM and Inter-Call Center Association of Workers (ICCAW) had earlier helped workers of call centers Direct Access, Cordia, Leadamorphosis and Blue Connect, all based in Cebu, in their fight for unpaid money claims. In all cases, workers had won awards or settlement.

When Direct Access illegally shutdown in 2012, its workers fought to get their separation pay and were also granted employment in a new call center. ICCAW was formed as a result of the pioneering fight of Direct Access workers. Meanwhile, in the case of Leadamorphosis, workers won a P36-million award two years ago.

“The BPO is a sunshine industry according to the government, but it must do more to ensure workers rights and welfare are protected. Since it is a profitable dollar earning industry, employers must provide its workers with above average wages and benefits,” Magtubo said.

Fil-Ams hit Comelec en banc decision on Poe

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E denounce under unequivocal terms the Comelec [Commission on Elections] en banc decision on presidential candidate Grace Poe as tantamount to criminal abuse of discretion and a clear case of criminal discrimination against innocent and powerless citizens of society.”

In a statement, the Grace Poe for President Movement-USA (GPPM-USA), led by Jun Caringal, said with the Comelec en banc decision, there is a clear and blatant disregard of evidence, law, jurisprudence, precepts and principles on the matter favorable to Poe’s cause.

Caringal said in Los Angeles, California, that the disqualification cases filed against

Poe affects Filipino-Americans, particularly those voting as dual citizens and registered voters whose voices will be heard and exercise their right to choose the best candidates.

He told the media that the “politics of exclusion being employed by the Comelec” will have a bearing on Fil-Ams who have the same predicament as Poe or have the passion to serve our motherland and come back to enter the political process there as a candidate in the future.

“Imagine, we will be subjected to the same ordeal and expect the same difficulties as Grace Poe is facing now,” Caringal said.

The GPPM–USA has decided to field a

legal team of experienced Fil-Am lawyers to bolster Poe’s legal battle up to the Supreme Court, following the unfavorable decision by the Comelec en banc disqualifying her from presidential race.

Poe’s running mate, Sen. Francis G. Escudero, meanwhile, said he was elated by the latest surveys that showed him topping the vice presidential race.

Escudero, however, was quick to add that while surveys will continue to guide him and his running mate in the coming days, they will remain focus on spreading their platform of government for inclusive growth, transparency and global competitiveness. Recto L. Mercene

Uniform prisons personnel omitted in Senate bill hiking govt workers’ pay

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HE Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a legal opinion backing a bill in the Senate that aims to increase salaries of all government personnel.

In a two-page legal opinion, Justice Secretary Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa said the department has no objection to Senate Bill 3009, or the Salary Standardization Law of 2015, which was filed in November by Senate President Franklin Drilon and Sen. Loren Legarda.

The House of Representatives is tackling a parallel bill.

“At the outset, we express our full support to this legislation as it would allow the government to engage and retain the services of capable personnel to best serve the needs of the Filipino people,” the DOJ said.

However, Caguioa noted the “apparent omission” of uniformed personnel of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), an attached agency of the DOJ, in Section 11 of the bill.

The 13-level BuCor positions, from chief superintendent down to officer 1, were not included in the proposed salary standardization law (SSL).

Thus, Caguioa reminded the Senate of Republic Act 10575, which was enacted earlier this year and that provided for standardization of basic pay and other benefits of uniformed personnel of the bureau.

“The base pay, allowances and other benefits of the abovementioned personnel shall be in accordance with the existing compensation and position classification laws and regulation,” the DOJ pointed out.

The DOJ also asked the Senate in the same letter addressed to Drilon to correct the said omission.

“In this connection, we respectfully request your consideration to include the uniformed personnel of the BuCor in Section 11 of the bill in order to avoid a situation where they will not be allowed to real the benefits due them under the proposed SSL 2015.”

Senate Bill 3009 seeks to increase the monthly salaries of 1.53 million government employees by 45 percent to encourage employees to stay longer in the government and to boost their morale and productivity. Joel R. San Juan

‘SOLICITOR’

A boy is about to get off a passenger jeepney on Maharlika Highway in Kaybagal, Tagaytay City, after collecting the ampao envelopes he earlier distributed to passengers bound for Tagaytay City from Nasugbu, Batangas. PNA

DOJ endorses bill mandating installation of monitoring devices in PU vehicles

By Joel R. San Juan

T

HE Department of Justice (DOJ) has endorsed the passage of proposed bills that mandate the installation of monitoring devices in all public-utility vehicles (PUVs) to deter crimes and ensure the safety of passengers.

In a two-page legal opinion signed by Justice Undersecretary Zabedin Asis, the department said it has no objection on draft substitute bill of House Bills 1992, 3704, 3755 and 5228 introduced by Representatives Arnulfo Go, Eric Olivarez, Mariano Velarde and Winston Castelo, titled “An Act Mandating The Installation of Monitoring Devices in Public Utility Vehicles, Providing Penalties Thereof.”

The said bills aim to require all PUVs to install a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera and global positioning system (GPS) tracker to ensure the safety of its passengers.

The bills also mandate PUVs operating prior to thr effectivity of this act to install

CCTV and GPS as a requirement for renewal of their registration.

“The intention here is for the safety of passengers. The government cannot watch over its constituents 24 hours a day, however, the installation of CCTVs will at least serve as a deterrent to those with evil motive,” the DOJ said.

The DOJ issued the legal opinion in response to the request of Velarde, chairman of the technical working group of the House Committee on Transportation.

However, the DOJ issued some comments with regard to some provisions of the proposed bills, such as on the definition of the PUVs and the use of CCTV footages as evidence.

In the definition of PUVs, the DOJ suggests the inclusion of the phrase “operating under a franchise or certificate of public convenience [CPC], after the enumeration of the PUVs covered under the act.

“This will delineate that only PUVs operating under a franchise or CPC are covered under this act,” the DOJ noted.

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Science

BusinessMirror

Sunday

Sunday, December 27, 2015

A7

Earth’s two-faced moon: Does the moon rotate?

I

By Stephanie Tumampos | Special to the BusinessMirror

n the universe beyond our skies, the moon is the nearest neighbor to our planet Earth. It makes us wonder every time we see it at night, making us think how we can hitch our wagon and reach the surface of the moon.

We often admire people like astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin watching their videos over again as Apollo 11 landed, bouncing themselves on a lesser pull of gravity on the moon, which size is 5 ⁄6 of the Earth’s (83.3 percent), and make history.

Even the younger generation of children would like to wear their own suits and pretend to be like these two astronauts.

On December 25 the moon was again a celestial attraction, when it lit up Christmas Day with a full moon. The next of which will be in 2034. The last Christmas full moon was in 1977. That is how interesting our moon is. But how well do we really know our moon?

The moon, about 384,000 kilometers from the Earth, is as mysterious as any celestial object is.

Many questions still puzzle planetary scientists and astronomers about our moon. Yet, just like many observers, such as the young ones and for those who gaze upon the night sky, one would notice how every single night, we only see the same face of the moon.

Does the moon rotate on its axis?

It takes 27.322 days for the moon to revolve around the Earth.

This explains the occurrence of the phases of the moon. However, on a full moon, it takes 29 1 ⁄ 2 days for it to revolve. As the moon’s revolves around the Earth, the moon also rotates once on its own axis for approximately 27 days. This makes it appear for people on Earth to observe as though the moon is

not spinning and appears to be still. This is called tidal locking, or gravitational locking, and, in effect, synchronous rotation happens. Gravity is the main culprit.

The tidal force it creates between the moon and the Earth causes this phenomenon.

Just imagine how gravity pulls our bodies on Earth while we are standing up. The gravity that pulls our body’s lower half is slightly different than that of our body’s upper half. This is because our lower half is nearer the center of the Earth.

Similar with the case of the Earth’s moon, as it attempts to go and rotate in one way, the Earth is simultaneously pulling it the other way toward the Earth. Also, the gravitational force acting on the face of the moon closest or facing the Earth is stronger, given that Earth is 81.28 times more massive than the moon. Essentially, these create the tidal bulges, and this explains why there are two tides a day on Earth.

There are two sides of the moon that were then coined: the near side and the far side—The far side is usually called the “dark” side of the moon. The near side—the side of the moon facing the Earth—has more dark spots, called “maria.”

The word comes from the Latin word mare, which meant sea.

Compared to the near side, the far side has barely noticeable maria. Back in the old days, there was no technology capable of looking through the other side of the moon.

It is also not illuminated by the Sun.

The near side of the moon, which faces the Earth all the time.

The August 10 Proxigee Moon, or the “Super” Supermoon, was taken at 1:17 a.m. Philippine time. Stephanie Tumampos

Yet, when the Soviet Luna 3 was launched into space around 56 years ago, the dark side of the moon was first imaged and just in August, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) released the latest photos of the dark side of the moon through its Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) onboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite.

Although observers see almost a perfectly still moon, it doesn’t mean

they see 50 percent of the moon all the time. There is a discrepancy.

Fundamentally, the orbit of the moon around the Earth is not perfectly circular, it is more elliptical.

While the rotational speed of the moon stays the same, its angular speed, or the rate of change of displacement around the Earth, changes, as the distance between the two objects differs from time to time. This phenomenon is not just limited on our system but also happens to other planets with their

own respective satellites and even to asteroids.Besides the Sun, the next brightest object on our sky is our moon, borrowing the light from the Sun. It has been years since scientists have studied our nearest neighbor but as we find out more, more questions surface, most especially its formation, as many theories by planetary scientists and astronomers were made throughout the years.

The discovery of lunar water has made the moon recently abuzz

across media. Besides this, the moon is the only place in the universe that mankind has set foot on.

More projects have been proposed, even Google is holding the $30-million Lunar X Prize for teams to design robotic spacecraft on the moon, and some scientists are proposing to do a human space exploration back to the moon before humankind proceeds to Mars.

The Earth’s moon has, indeed, become a stepping stone for human travel to farther worlds.

Keeping hope afloat 2 years after Yolanda

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he waves that once roared and ripped into the coastal community of New Washington, Aklan, are calm today. Before daybreak, small-scale fishermen boldly cast their nets into the very waters they used to fear.

New Washington is among the localities that suffered the brunt of Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan), the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded.

Yolanda claimed 7,200 lives, displaced millions of families and left economic damage worth P500 billion. The storm also destroyed the wooden boats of about 146,700 small-scale fishermen.

Erma Repedro and her family survived the Category 5 storm. Her husband continued heading out to sea using his damaged boat—braving unpredictable and sometimes turbulent waters.

“My husband had to make do with his old banca [small wooden boat] so that he can continue feeding our family. There were days when I feared he will no longer come back.

We have very little money to repair our boat’s holes, so I always worried that his boat would sink,” she said.

Unlike the Repedros, the family of 63-year-old Bibot Advincula of Tolosa, Leyte, lost everything they had, including all their boats.

“On the day the typhoon hit Leyte, a deep bellow from the winds rang through the evacuation center where my family and I sought refuge. The winds shattered the glass windows, and we could hear the sea swallowing and flattening our homes. Out of fear, I raised my hands in surrender. I was honestly prepared to die.”

Thankfully, Bibot and his family survived one of the worst disasters to ever hit the Philippines. Today—two years after Yolanda—Erma’s husband and Bibot are back in the water with their own boats, but they were made of fiberglass this time. Fishermen from the villages also rely on these humble yet powerful 15foot bancas they themselves built.

These communities are among the recipients of 1,000 fiberglass boats produced through Bancas for the Philippines, a program of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFPhilippines) to help local fishermen rebuild their lives and get back on their feet.

Bancas for the Philippines and climate-smart technologies

A future defined by climate change means that more extreme weather events will come and that more fishing boats will be damaged.

Considering that 40 percent of Philippine fishermen live below the poverty line, it is important to prepare local fishermen for rougher seas ahead.

Bancas for the Philippines offers a platform that improves fishermen’ resilience to climate-change impacts.

Veering away from doleouts and Band-Aid solutions, Bancas for the Philippines taught fishermen how to build their own fiberglass and replicate boat molds for future use and succeeding generations.

Since its launch in February 2014, the project has reached out to 18 communities across Yolanda’s trail of destruction. These include fishing villages that received little public attention, plus sparse disasterrecover y assistance from local and international aid agencies.

The project provided the trainees with molds, tools, raw-material kits and cash for work to build the bancas for their fishing villages. With the help of local partners, the project selected communities and recipients on the basis of who needed assistance the most. “ Th ro u g h t h e g e n e ro u s s u p p o r t of partners and donors, [the project] was able to exceed its target of 600 boats. By August 2015, the fishermen and boatmakers we have trained under Bancas for the Philippines have been able to build exactly 1,000 fibreglass bancas,” said Patrick Co, head of WWFPhilippines’ Adaptive Technologies Unit.

Why fiberglass?

Compared with their wooden counterparts, fiberglass boats are cheaper and faster to make, and last longer if they are cared for properly. Fiberglass hulls are also water tight, lightweight and reduce maintenance requirements and costs. They are also leakproof.

Naval architect Ramon Binamira Jr., who designed the project’s fiberglass boat model, estimates that the boat’s hull is at least thrice more puncture-resistant than one with an 8-millimeter to 10-millimeterthick wooden frame.

Bancas for the Philippines Project Manager Toni Munar shared that some fishermen had initial reluctance against to building fiberglass bancas—having relied throughout their lives on wooden vessels to fish for food and income.

“B ec ause we introduced a new technology, some trainees were initially not convinced about fiberglass boats as a climate-smart alternative. But when we did an impact test, they witnessed how fiberglass boats are more durable than what they were accustomed to using. This made better economic sense,” Munar said.

WWF-Philippines’s Monitoring and Evaluation Report also showed a positive response to using fiberglass boats. More than 80 percent of beneficiaries surveyed reported using their own fiberglass bancas for fishing and for monitoring marine sanctuaries.

“It was fantastic to find out that some of the boat-builders had organized themselves and had started to build f i b e rg l a s s b a n c a s i n d e p e n d e n t o f our project, or had developed other locally appropriate applications of the technology. When we did our monitoring and evaluation, it was fulfilling to hear some of the banca recipients report that they were now able to regularly secure enough food to feed their families, which had not been the case in the aftermath of the typhoon,” Co said.

Bancas for the Philippines was able to train 48 fishermen and boatbuilders from 18 towns and cities from five provinces most devastated by Supertyphoon Yolanda, the strongest tropical cyclone in recorded history. Two years after the storm, 1,000 fiberglass boats have been built. Derrick Lim/Imagine Nation Photography

Province

CITY OR TOWN

Leyte Palawan Iloilo Cebu Aklan

Tacloban City and the municipalities of Tanauan, Palo, Tolosa, Mayorga, and Abuyog Calamianes Group of Islands (municipalities of Coron, Culion, Busuanga and Linapacan) Municipalities of Estancia and Carles Municipality of Daanbantayan and Bantayan Island Municipalities of Kalibo, New Washington, Tangalan, and Numancia

Fighting overfishing and deforestation

Besides giving hope and transforming the lives of fishermen in Yolanda-hit communities, Bancas for the Philippines has also helped reduce existing pressure on the country’s forests and seas.

The Philippines loses about 157,000 hectares of forest cover each year. Relying on wood to rebuild the thousands of damaged boats threatens to upscale deforestation.

A fiberglass banca helps curb the country’s dependence on wood as a major boatbuilding component. Binamira estimated that the project’s fibreglass boat model was equivalent to 28 board feet of wood. Thus, a thousand

fiberglass boats have saved the country at least 28,000 board feet of wood. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’s National Stock Assessment Program also showed that 10 out of 13 fishing grounds are already heavily exploited. The project avoided increasing fishing pressure by providing only 15-foot fibreglass boats without engines and by promoting artisanal fishing.

Keeping hope afloat

Two years after Yolanda, much remains to be done. Sustainable recovery will be a long process but Bancas for the Philippines is a pioneering initiative that empowers local fishermen to chart a climate-resilient

future for their families and communities.

Bibot, for example, has built more than 20 fibreglass boats for fishing families in Tolosa and continues to be a source of inspiration for his community.

Munar said, “Bancas for the Philippines has given me a deep sense of hope. While I see its immediate impact on the lives of fiberglass boatmakers and recipients, I also see the project as a viable long-term solution for fishing communities that are highly vulnerable to climate-change impacts.”

Indeed, when you give a man some fish, you feed him for a day. But teaching him how to build his own fibreglass boat will help him secure a better future for his family. WWF

Sports BusinessMirror

WARRIORS SURVIVE CAVALIERS With Stephen Curry slightly hobbled by a calf strain and not shooting his best, without an injured Harrison Barnes, the Golden State Warriors got the better of the Cavaliers yet again.

By Diamond Leung San Jose Mercury News

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AKLAND, Calififornia— Draymond Green smiled in excitement as he said that the Golden State Warriors hadn’t played their best even as they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 89-83, in a slugfest on Christmas Day. The defending champs scored a season low in points against a healthy Cavaliers squad and still won in a rematch between foes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals.

With Stephen Curry slightly hobbled by a calf strain and not shooting his best, without an injured Harrison Barnes, the Warriors got the better of the Cavaliers yet again.

“When you’re 28-1 and you’re not near playing well, that’s exciting because we know how to get to that point, and we know we’ll reach that point,” Green said. “And when we do, I think that’s trouble.”

Trouble, that is, for the rest of the league. Green racked up 22 points, a season-high 15 rebounds and seven assists, putting away the Cavaliers with two free throws

with 8.2 seconds left after having helped contain the threat of LeBron James.

James had 25 points and nine rebounds but missed three free throws with under two minutes left and airballed a three-point attempt in the final seconds.

The Warriors won despite shooting 41 percent from the field, committing more turnovers and getting outrebounded. They did it with defense and Curry as the closer in a playoff-like atmosphere.

The Warriors led by 10 with 3:48 left when the Cavaliers made their run. James had back-to-back dunks to cut the Warriors’ lead to 81-75. A Kevin Love tip-in made it a four-point game.

But James missed two free throws, and the Warriors took advantage.

Curry scored on layups in consecutive possessions to give the

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AIN OR SHINE survived Carlo Lastimosa’s secondhalf explosion and held on for a 95-90 victory over stubborn Blackwater to advance to the second phase of the quarterfinal stage of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The heavy favorites in the game, the Elasto Painters looked to delivering an early knockout punch but Lastimosa waxed hot and unloaded 31 of his game-high 35 points in the final 24 minutes to give the Elite a fighting chance.

But Rain or Shine kept its poise and Blackwater reared its immaturity in the final two minutes of the game and the Elasto Painters avoided the upset axe and moved on to the next round where they will meet the winner of Talk ‘N TextNLEX encounter that was played late on Saturday.

“One game down, one to go. If we want to make the semis, we have to player than we did today,” said Rain or Shine Head Coach Yeng Guiao, visibly dissatisfied with how they finished off a team that only had three wins to show in the elimination phase.

“We’re lucky he [Lastimosa] did not get enough support from his

teammates. We could not stop him,” Guiao added. “He played great but one guy can’t beat a whole team.”

Jeff Chan and JR Quinahan led the Elasto Painters with 17 and 16 points, respectively, while rookie Maverick Ahanmisi and Raymund Almazan each had 11 markers for the No. 3 seed Rain or Shine.

After a shaky start, the Elasto Painters managed to get their act together in the second and third periods and erected a 51-36 lead.

But Lastimosa, nephew of former PBA great Jojo Lastimosa, unloaded 16 points in the third period as Rain or Shine settled for a 69-60 lead entering the payoff period. The Elite, who needed a 108-99 victory over Mahindra to clinch the last bus to the quarterfinals, were able to hang on and Lastimosa’s tear-drop shot put his team within striking distance, 79-82, with 5:13 remaining.

Chris Tiu scored the next four points to anchor a 9-4 blitz capped

by Gabe Norwood’s three-point play off Mike Cortez to give the Elasto Painters a 91-83 cushion, 2:54 left in the game.

Again, Blackwater, playing in its first playoffs, refused to raise the white flag as Lastimosa hit two free throws and Raphy Reyes hit a corner trey to trim the lead to 88-91 with a little over two minutes remaining.

day, December 27, 2015 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

THE Golden State Warriors edge the Cleveland Cavaliers behind Draymond Green’s double-double. AP

Warriors an 85-80 lead with 57.6 seconds left and finish with 19 points. Andre Iguodala hit two free throws with 12.7 seconds left after having done yeoman’s work in taking the bulk of the defensive assignment on James.

The Cavaliers, who fell to 19-8, were held to 31.6 percent shooting, including 5 for 30 from beyond the arc.

“When our defense shows up, we’re in pretty good shape to win games,” said Curry, who made one three-pointer for a season low.

“We just showed our versatility in trying to win in different ways.

“We got stops. We grinded it out. For 48 minutes, we made it difficult on them getting clean looks.”

Curry indicated he wasn’t 100 percent two days after getting kneed in the calf by Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood. He was unable to immediately return to the floor in the second after retreating to the locker room for a couple of minutes to get his strained right calf retaped.

Klay Thompson added 18 points in what he said was an ugly game.

“There’s going to be

games like that, and it feels good,” Thompson said. “We’ll win ‘em any way we can.

“When the shot’s not falling, you can only control how you play on the defensive end.”

Green, Iguodala, Thompson, Shaun Livingston, Brandon Rush and Ian Clark took turns guarding James, who finished 10 for 26 from the field and 1 for 5 from three-point range.

In Los Angeles, Chris Paul scored 23 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Los Angeles Lakers to end a threegame skid.

Kobe Bryant scored 12 points for the Lakers in his NBA-record 16th and final Christmas Day game. He played 26 minutes and sat out the entire fourth quarter.

JJ Redick had 14 points, and DeAndre Jordan added nine points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers.

They have won eight straight against the Lakers and 12 of the last 13 meetings.

Rookie D’Angelo Russell led the

Lakers with 16 points.

Chris Bosh had 30 points and 10 rebounds, Dwyane Wade added 19 points to move into No. 3 on the NBA’s Christmas Day list and Miami survived some shaky moments to beat New Orleans, 94-88, in overtime.

Hassan Whiteside grabbed 17 rebounds for the Heat, an NBAbest 10-2 on the holiday.

In Houston, James Harden had 20 points and the Houston Rockets slowed down the soaring San Antonio Spurs with an 88-84 victory on Friday night.

The improved Houston defense held the Spurs to a season low in points to snap their season-best seven-game winning streak.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, and Pau Gasol had 21 points and 13 rebounds in Chicago’s 105-96 victory over Oklahoma City.

Derrick Rose added 19 points, and Taj Gibson had 13 points and 10 rebounds to help the Bulls snap a three-game losing streak.

Kevin Durant had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Oklahoma City, and Russell Westbrook added 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

The Thunder had won three straight and nine of 10.

FOURTH FOR SERENA

RAIN OR SHINE IN ‘UGLY’ WIN

By Joel Orellana

A8 | Sun

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SERENA WILLIAMS wins the Associated Press Female Athlete of Year award. AP

ERENA WILLIAMS spent a good portion of 2015 deflecting questions about whether she could complete the Grand Slam.

After coming oh-so-close, she can acknowledge how much she cared about the rare feat.

“I wanted it. But...winning one [major title] is not easy. And then, [when] you have a ‘bounty’ on your head, it’s even harder,” she said with a laugh. “If you know anything about me, I hate to lose. I’ve always said I hate

losing more than I like winning, so that drives me to be the best that I can be.”

Williams’s will was on display time and again, along with her best-in-thegame serve and other skills, fashioning comeback after comeback to nearly become the first tennis player in more than a quarter-century to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in a season.

In a vote by US editors and news directors, Williams was chosen as The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for the fourth time. AP

Philracom Grand Derby unfurls in Malvar

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HE Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) will hold its last major race for the year on Sunday at Metroturf in Malvar, Batangas.

The 2,000-meter Philracom Grand Derby features four elite three-yearold bets—Honorato Neri’s Court of Honor, Mayor Benhur Abalos’s Gentle Strike, Joseph Dyhengco’s Hook Shot and Patrick Uy’s Mr. Minister.

Three of these runners did well in the Philracom Chairman’s Cup held last Sunday at Santa Ana Park.

The Chairman’s Cup, held in honor of former Philracom Chairman Angel Castaño, was dominated by Gentle Strike, ridden by Jonathan Hernandez. Court of Honor placed second, followed by Money Talks and

Mr. Minister in third and fourth. The time for the 1,600-meter race was 1:40.00 (26.2-24-24.2-25.6).

The Philracom Grand Derby caps an eventful year that saw the emergence of powerful runners among the three-year-old fillies, with longshot Superv, Court of Honor and Miss Brulay winning a leg each of the 2015 Philracom Triple Crown.

“We invite racing fans to end their racing year by watching this exciting event,” Philracom Chairman Andrew Sanchez said. “We also thank them all for their continued support of Philippine racing, and all our other stakeholders in the industry as well for their cooperation and enthusiasm in supporting Philracom and its programs.”