BusinessMirror January 24, 2015

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‘Too early to tweak policy rates’

revisiting zÓbel Jesus at prayer

EAR Lord, the gospel often shows You at prayer. We see You draw apart to pray in solitude, even at night. You pray before the decisive moments of Your mission or that of Your apostles. In fact, all Your life is a prayer because You are in a constant communion of love with the Father. May we pattern our lives with that of Yours so that we will be assured of our place in heaven. Amen.

COMPENDIUM OF THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND LOUIE M. LACSON Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

SEATED Man (Nothing III)

Life

THE BENEFIT OF LETTING KIDS SOLVE OWN BATTLES »D3

BusinessMirror

Saturday, January 24, 2015

D1

B S J

A PORTRAIT of Eric Pfeufer with Sword and Helmet

FERNANDO M. ZÓBEL

triumph of modernism and its influence on the contemporary, modern art can beat the contemporary through extra social dimensions that the contemporary does not have. These are a history and a legitimacy in an age of flatness.

Perhaps, all these issues were conjectured by the artist who often explored visions of the future. Zóbel was a man who had ideas bigger than himself. He thought of critical projects years before their time and was often misunderstood by many who lacked the vision. Perhaps, this was one of the reasons for his exile to Spain. Aside from reaching an audience in Europe, exile, too, would provide space for his legend to grow.

Times have changed. The Philippine art market has become relentless by finally affirming Zóbel’s vision.

Future reports of high prices may be treated as spectacle but are only third-party valuations that Zóbel and the market have triumphed.

And why not? Zóbel was not only a daring painter who challenged the prevailing status quo, but he was also a patron who funded many artistic projects, including donations to the Ateneo Art Gallery’s collection. He was also an educator in its mother institution. But it is Zóbel’s works that will ultimately endure because they allow for an endless stream of signification with an Asian sensibility. Ultimately, he was not an exile but an exponent of the Asian spark in Europe.

Drop the bag of golden apples on the bidding table is León Gallery, which was approached by the heirs of Jim and Reed Pfeufer, the original owners of the collection that will be on sale, and Zóbel’s very close friends from way back in Harvard. The Pfeufers were artists who nurtured

Zóbel. For over 40 years, they engaged in intimate correspondence that eventually included the Pfeufer children. Some of these letters include illustrations that will also be on sale apart from oils, prints and drawings that the family has consigned to León Gallery.

Among the lots are rare oils from the 1950s, including one important work, titled Seated Man (Nothing III), which has been previously published. The piece beautifully drafts an early modernist stirring for simplification, a knack that modernism overruled as more tenable than academic rendering.

Also worthy of attention are a number of intimate representations. One of those high on the wish list is Portrait of Eric Pfeufer with Sword and Helmet, an oil that recalls Zóbel’s earlier naïf series. The work is a brother to Boy with Kite, a mainstay of the Ayala Museum’s permanent collection. Of course, when one talks about Zóbel, one eventually has to disclose utter jubilation at his Saeta series. Lucky for the discerning buyer, there is one early painting and almost a dozen drawings and prints in a smaller scale.

The rest of the lots are works on paper, often whimsical, almost cartoonish drawings, serious studies, calligrafic experiments, ephemera and journal entries reminiscent of pages from an artist book. One particular drawing recalls Leonardo da Vinci’s studies of the deluge, complete with handwritten annotation.

These works will be sold at auction on February 6, 7 pm, at the Makati Diamond Residences. For more information, call 856-2781, point your browser at www.leon-gallery.com, or e-mail info@leon-gallery.com. ■

life

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‘stalking’ pope francis Relationships BusinessMirror

D4 Saturday, January 24, 2015

AlYsA sAlen

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something like life

ma. stella f. arnaldo http://stella-arnaldo.blogspot.com @Pulitika2010

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ELL, in a way, that was what Aling Elena—a gregarious lady I met at the corner of Quirino and Taft Avenues—said she was going to do while Pope Francis was in town. She would be following him at all his events—“Sa Tacloban lang ako hindi pupunta...mahal ang pamasahe eh,” she said, giggling.

I met her on the day Francis arrived in Manila, and as everyone on the corner and the entire length of Quirino Avenue were doing, we were waiting to get a glimpse of His Holiness. With Aling Elena were her adult kids and their respective spouses, as well as her one and only grandson, whom she said was primarily the reason she would be at most of the papal events, or at least along the routes to the event venues. “Bukas sa Manila Cathedral naman ako,” she added.

Indeed, the five-day holiday put in place for the papal visit, which I initially opposed because it was coming at the heels of a two-week Christmas holiday, eventually made sense to me, as I went around ‘stalking’ the pope, as well. Those five days helped renew our faith as Catholics, and restored and strengthened our bonds within our own families. Along the papal motorcade’s route, families came out in full force, even taking their small babies with them, just on the off-chance the Francis would be able to see them and bless them.

I was, especially touched with what the Philippine National Police and Metro Manila Development Authority personnel did along the motorcade routes.

Although they were under strict orders to push back the crowds and minimize security risks for our very important visitor, a number of them even offered to take the kids from their families, carried them over the barricades, and plunked them down just right behind the security line, just so that the kids would have a better view of the pope.

I offered Aling Elena some crackers that I had tucked into my bag to stave off hunger while waiting for the pope to motor to the Apostolic Nunciature, his official Manila residence, but she refused ever so politely with a thank you, adding she had already eaten. “Ewan ko nga kung sino nagbigay, pero nakakain na ako,” she said, laughing. People were willing to share their meager baon and drink with strangers in the crowd while waiting to see the pope—an impressive show of communion among Filipinos.

At the Mall of Asia Arena last Saturday, Francis met with families from all walks of life—many of them

nominated by their bishops and parishes, were members of the Catholic lay religious groups, or were brought in

by Catholic charities. Among those in the audience were lawyer Macel Fernandez Estavillo, her husband Karlo, and their two children Javea and Maria.

“We all woke up with joy and excitement in our hearts—we were going to see the pope! My kids had a full day at school, and I went to school to read for my younger daughter. We got them both early and rushed home in excitement and happiness,” she said. “We were in a convoy that left Makati at 2 pm. All roads were blocked and we were so worried the gates would close!

We ran the last mile, worried that our IDs which had the tickets stuck to them would fall, and that our kids, aged 5 and 8, would not be able to keep up with the pace. But they did! We made it on the dot, at 3:30 pm right before the doors closed. There was no line at that time, and we were among the last people who got in.”

Macel, who many may still remember as the 1997 bar topnotcher, and the youngest member of the Estrada Cabinet as chief of the Presidential Management Staff, is currently the head for legal and regulatory affairs of RCBC. Husband Karlo, a lawyer as well, is general manager of San Miguel Properties.

“Our children, especially the older one, understood what it meant to see the pope. We told them that he was the leader of the Catholic Church and that he was good and loved the poor, children, and the sick. We shared with them what we had been reading over the past two years, and days before the event, they watched a documentary on his life, so they knew him and loved him. They were shouting, ‘We love you Pope Francis!’ at the Arena, though maybe their small voices were not heard because of the distance and crowds.”

Macel said it meant so much for her and her family to see Francis. “He is an inspiration and a guide to us,

and we have been following his teachings ever since he assumed the papacy. We love him for his humanity, humility, kindness, and openness of heart. We also wanted to see him because we came with the prayers and intentions of family and friends who could not be there.” What touched her most, among all the things Francis said during the encounter at the Arena, was: “As a family, you must always continue dreaming together, because your shared dreams are the foundation of family life; you must make time to rest because in rest, you will discern God’s will through prayer; and pray to the sleeping Saint Joseph, to whom God spoke often in his sleep—God who will solve, in his own time, all our problems. I think every home should have a statue of the sleeping Saint Joseph.”

She stressed that “Pope Francis is such an inspiration to do something more to help the poor, and to make a difference in their lives. I hope our family can heed his call to serve.”

I was particularly moved by the pope’s surprise visit to the street children being cared for by the Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation in Intramuros. He knew that in lending his presence to the foundation, it would drive home the message that children shouldn’t be neglected and thrown to the streets like refuse. Many of the children staying at the foundation came from broken homes, and it was important for Francis to impress on them, young as they were, that Jesus loved

them. Similarly, in Tacloban, he also got down from his popemobile in an unscheduled stop at a shanty in an area still trying to recover from the devastation wrought by Supertyphoon Yolanda in late 2013. The real surprise in the visit was that he had kissed the child of an unmarried couple. Said Narciso Ay-ay, the father, it was significant that the pope gave them his blessing just the same, despite their flaws in the eyes of the Catholic Church. We may not all be in agreement with the teachings of the Catholic Church and the pronouncements from the Vatican, some of which seem to ignore the realities of actual family life, but I am almost certain that most of us have been inspired by the pope’s recent visit. Each smile, each hug, and his words of comfort whispered into the ears of the afflicted have been magnified by our TV sets 100 times over, and have thus become powerful images of consolation and hope for our people.

During the papal visit, we showed our capacity for kindness and compassion to our fellowmen. We were patient, cooperative, disciplined, and eager to hear the word of God. The real test for us comes now that pope has left. As Cardinal Luis Antonio “Chito” Gokim Tagle said at the end at the Mass, led by His Holiness at the Quirino Grandstand that rainy Sundat, let us all take Francis’s words and actions to heart and “bring the light of Jesus Christ” to wherever it is needed. n

dtsi clinches avaya Philippines’s Business Partner of the Year plum for 11th time THE Diversified Technology Solutions International (DTSI) Group bags, for the seventh consecutive year, the most coveted Avaya Business Partner of the Year Award in the Philippines, making 2014 the 11th time it has won the award over 13 years of partnership.

The award is in recognition of the company’s unceasing loyalty and commitment to

diversified technology solutions international President and Ceo miguel C. Garcia (right) receives the award from avaya senior Country manager for the Philippines and acting asean managing director edgar doctolero during the awarding ceremony, themed “avaya Beyond,” in taguig City.

Avaya’s credo of delivering value-for-money information technology (IT) solutions to its customers in the Philippines. “We have been working closely with Avaya Philippines in delivering cutting-edge communications technology solutions since May 2000 and won our first Business Partner award in 2001,” according to Miguel Garcia, DTSI Group president and CEO. “As one of the country’s valued Business Partners, the DTSI Group fulfills part of its business objective to further boost its technology offering with Avaya by taking on the best communication solutions in the market to fit the expanding needs of our customers,” Garcia said during the awarding ceremony held recently in Blue Leaf at McKinley Hill in Taguig City.

“The DTSI Group has been a valuable business partner of Avaya Philippines in providing our customers a rewarding experience in terms of offering various technology solutions for the next-generation contact center solutions that help drive improvements in customer satisfaction, productivity and efficiency in the workplace.”

Avaya Philippines Senior

Country Manager and Acting Asean Managing Director Edgar Doctolero said.

“We look forward to a more fruitful collaboration with the DTSI Group in the years ahead.”

The DTSI Group is now working closely with Avaya in launching a cloud solution to the Philippine market, Garcia said. “Everybody is gearing toward cloud solutions,” he said. “Instead of companies and end-users investing heavily in an entire IT infrastructure, which does not figure in their core business, DTSI will be offering companies customized technology solutions from start-ups to expanding business operations. Our proposition is simple: Why invest in an entire team of IT personnel, upgrade your IT infrastructure every three years, when we can provide all of these plus more, minus the aggravation of managing that entire IT infrastructure?”

As a cloud service provider, the DTSI Group and Avaya will be offering its customers an entire cloud-based data and communications center solution.

Garcia said, “It’s like having your own IT team and infrastructure at minimal investment.”

life

D4

saudi king abdullah dies; prince salman Successor

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he Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said it is looking for consultants, who would help the government implement its rehabilitation and expansion program for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) System.

MRT Spokesman Hernando T. Cabrera said the government has earmarked P50 million for the services of a consulting firm, which would help the DOTC address pressing problems being faced by the

World The

B3-1 | Saturday, January 24, 2015 • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia waves to members of the Saudi Shura “consultative” council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this photo taken on March 24, 2009. Early on January 23 Saudi state TV reported King Abdullah died at the age of 90. AP/HAssAn AmmAr

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IYADH, Saudi Arabia—Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, the powerful US ally who fought al-Qaeda and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom, including by nudging open greater opportunities for women, has died. He was 90.

A royal court statement said the king died at 1 a.m. on Friday. His successor was announced as 79-yearold half-brother, Prince Salman, a Royal Court statement carried on the Saudi Press Agency said.

Salman was Abdullah’s crown prince and had recently taken on some of the ailing king’s responsibilities. The 69-year-old Prince Muqrin, a former head of intelligence in Saudi Arabia and half-brother to both Salman and Abdullah, was announced as the kingdom’s crown prince.

More than his guarded predecessors, Abdullah—who ascended to the throne in 2005—assertively threw his oil-rich nation’s weight behind trying to shape the Middle East.

His priority was to counter the influence of rival, mainly Shiite Iran wherever it tried to make advances.

He and fellow Sunni Arab monarchs also staunchly opposed the Middle

East’s wave of pro-democracy uprisings, seeing them as a threat to stability and their own rule.

Regionally, perhaps Abdullah’s biggest priority was to confront Iran, the Shiite powerhouse across the Gulf. He backed Sunni Muslim factions against Tehran’s allies in several countries, where colliding ambitions stoked proxy conflicts around the region that enflamed SunniShiite hatreds—most horrifically in Syria’s civil war, where the two countries backed opposing sides.

Those conflicts, in turn, hiked Sunni militancy that returned to threaten Saudi Arabia.

Abdullah was selected as crown prince in 1982 on the day his halfbrother Fahd ascended to the throne.

He became de facto ruler in 1995 when a stroke incapacitated Fahd.

Abdullah was believed to have long rankled at the closeness of the alliance with the US, and as regent he pressed Washington to withdraw

the troops it had deployed in the kingdom since the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The US finally did so in 2003.

He was constantly frustrated

by Washington’s failure to broker a settlement to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. In 2000 Abdullah convinced the Arab League to approve an unprecedented offer that all Arab states would agree to peace with Israel if it withdrew from lands it captured in 1967.

Alarmed by the prospect of a rift, President George W. Bush soon after advocated for the first time the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Abdullah also pushed the Obama administration to take a tougher stand against Iran and to more strongly back the mainly Sunni rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Expressing his condolences, President Barack Obama focused on Abdullah’s efforts to nurture the kingdom’s ties with the US. “As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions,” Obama said. “One of those convictions was his steadfast and passionate belief in the importance of the US-Saudi relationship as a force for stability and security in the Middle East and beyond.”

Abdullah was born in Riyadh in 1924, one of the dozens of sons of Saudi Arabia’s founder, King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud. Like all AbdulAziz’s sons, Abdullah had only rudimentary education. His strict upbringing was exemplified by three

days he spent in prison as a young man as punishment by his father for failing to give his seat to a visitor, a violation of Bedouin hospitality.

His aim at home was to modernize the kingdom to face the future.

One of the world’s largest oil exporters, Saudi Arabia is fabulously wealthy, but there are deep disparities in wealth and a burgeoning youth population in need of jobs, housing and education.

More than half the current population of 20 million is under the age of 25. He was a strong supporter of education, building universities at home and increasing scholarships abroad for Saudi students.

Abdullah for the first time gave women seats on the Shura Council, an unelected body that advises the king and government. He promised women would be able to vote and run in 2015 elections for municipal councils, the only elections held in the country. He appointed the first female deputy minister in 2009.

Two Saudi female athletes competed in the Olympics for the first time in 2012, and a small handful of women were granted licenses to work as lawyers during his rule.

One of his most ambitious projects was a Western-style university that bears his name, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, which opened in 2009. Men and women share classrooms and study together inside the campus, a major departure in a country where even small talk between the sexes in public can bring a warning from the morality police. AP

IS militants start countdown for 2 Japanese hostages

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OKYO—Militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group have posted an online warning that the “countdown has begun” for the group to kill a pair of Japanese hostages.

The posting which appeared on Friday shows a clock counting down to zero along with gruesome images of other hostages who have been beheaded by the IS group.

The militant group gave Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a 72-hour deadline—which expired on Friday— to pay a $200-million ransom for the two hostages. The posting on a forum

popular among IS militants and sympathizers did not show any images of the Japanese hostages.

In the past the web site has posted IS videos very quickly, sometimes before anyone else. Nippon Television Network first reported the message in Japan.

The status of efforts to free the two men was unclear. Government Spokesman Yoshihide Suga, when asked about the latest message, said Japan was analyzing it.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe convened his National Security Council to discuss how to handle the crisis, as

the mother of one of the captives appealed for her son’s rescue.

“Time is running out. Please, Japanese government, save my son’s life,” said Junko Ishido, the mother of 47-yearold journalist Kenji Goto.

“My son is not an enemy of the Islamic State,” she said in a tearful appearance in Tokyo.

Ishido said she was astonished and angered to learn from her daughter-in-law that Goto had left less than two weeks after his child was born, last October, to go to Syria to try to rescue the other hostage, 42-year-old Haruna Yukawa.

“My son felt he had to do everything in his power to try to rescue a friend and acquaintance,” she said.

In very Japanese fashion, Ishido apologized repeatedly for “all the trouble my son has caused.”

The national broadcaster NHK reported early on Friday that it had received a message from IS “public relations” saying a statement would be released soon.

Lacking clout and diplomatic reach in the Middle East, Japan has scrambled for a way to secure the release of the two men, one a journalist, the other an adventurer fascinated by war. AP

Saudi’S new king Salman uniting force in royal family

CRown Prince Salman gestures during a session at the Shura Council on January 6. AP/sAudi Press Agency

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UBAI, United Arab Emirates—Saudi Arabia’s new king, Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, is a veteran of the country’s top leadership, versed in diplomacy from nearly 50 years as the governor of the capital Riyadh and known as a mediator of disputes within the sprawling royal family.

Salman, 79, had increasingly taken on the duties of the king over the past year as his ailing predecessor and half-brother, Abdullah, became more incapacitated. Abdullah died before dawn on Friday at 90 years old.

Salman had served as defense minister since 2011 and so was head of the military as Saudi Arabia joined the US and other Arab countries in carrying out air strikes in Syria in 2014 against the Islamic State, the Sunni militant group that the kingdom began to see as a threat to its own stability.

He takes the helm at a time when the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom and oil powerhouse is trying to navigate social pressures from a burgeoning youth population—over half the population of 20 million is under 25—seeking jobs and increasingly testing boundaries of speech on the Internet, where criticism of the royal family is rife.

Salman’s ascension hands throne to yet another aging son of Saudi Arabia’s founder, King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who is thought to have had more than 50 sons from multiple wives.

Salman’s health has been a question of concern. He suffered at least one stroke that has left him with limited movement on his left arm.

The Saudi throne has for decades passed between Al Saud’s sons.

Prince Muqrin, the youngest of the sons at 69, was named crown prince in the royal court statement that announced Salman as king.

Each succession has brought the kingdom closer to a time when the next generation—Al Saud’s grandsons—will have to take over. Although the family has successfully managed to close ranks throughout the years, a generational change would raise the specter of a power struggle by placing the throne in the hands of one branch at the expense of the others.

King Abdullah had carried out a slow but determined series of reforms aimed at modernizing the country, including increasing education and nudging open the margins of rights for women. Salman appears to back those reforms, but he has also voiced concerns about moving too fast.

In a 2007 meeting, he told an outgoing US ambassador that “social and cultural factors”—even more than religious—mean change has to be introduced slowly and with sensitivity, noting the power of the multiple tribes in the kingdom, according to an embassy memo of the meeting leaked by the Wikileaks whistle-blower site.

He struck the same theme in a 2010 interview with Karen Elliot House, author of On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines. He told her that while Americans are unified by democracy, Saudi Arabia is in essence unified by his family, the Al Sauds. “We can’t have democracy in Saudi Arabia, he said, because if we did every tribe would be a party and then we would be like Iraq and would have chaos,” House told the Associated Press. AP

The world

B3-1

BYE, Roger!

Sports

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C1

| SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Bouchard’s plea: Stop talking about ‘Twirlgate’ B J G The Associated Press

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FOUR-TIME Australian Open champion Roger Federer of Switzerland shows his frustration after losing to Italy’s Andreas Seppi (inset), who lost to Federer in their 10 previous matches. AP

FEDERER OUT OF AUSSIE OPEN IN 3RD ROUND AFTER LOSS TO SEPPI

BYE, ROGER! B J P

The Associated Press

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ELBOURNE, Australia—For the first time in a dozen years, Roger Federer won’t feature in the Australian Open semifinals after being beaten, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5), on Friday in the third round by Andreas Seppi.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion had never lost to Seppi in 10 previous meetings, but made some uncharacteristic errors including nine double-faults—including one to surrender a mini break in the fourth-set tiebreaker.

Seppi, a 30-year-old Italian who had only advanced beyond the second round once at his nine previous trips to Melbourne Park, held his nerve despite some withering winners from Federer, who registered his 1,000th career match win when he collected the Brisbane International title earlier this month to open the season.

Federer has won the Australian title four times, and had reached the semifinals or better

at Melbourne Park every year since winning the championship for the first time in 2004.

“I had to believe that I could win,” said Seppi, who said he stuck out his racket and hoped for the best on match point—a forehand that sailed past Federer and landed in the corner. “I was just trying to stay relaxed and just focusing on every shot and to breathe calm and don’t get nervous.

“I think I did pretty well. Very well. I’m very happy I could manage the emotions.”

Eugenie Bouchard struggled through a scrappy opening set before getting on top in a 7-5, 6-0 third-round win over Carolina Garcia that featured 10 breaks of serve.

There were six service breaks by the time the scores were level at 4-4, but seventh-seeded Bouchard started finding rhythm late and got the crucial break in the 12th game.

“Yeah, I don’t think it was the prettiest tennis out there,” said Bouchard, who reached the semifinals in her first trip to Melbourne Park last year and went on to make the semifinals or better at two of the other three majors in a

breakthrough season. “But I’m happy that I just kept going. Even if it wasn’t going so well, I was able to turn it around.”

Third-seeded Simona Halep advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands, missing twice when she served for the match in the eighth and 10th games before finally serving out.

Halep, who opened the season by winning the Shenzhen Open in China, will next play Yanina Wickmayer, who beat No. 14-seeded Sara Errani 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

“Here I started last year to play my best tennis.

I [reached] my first quarterfinal in Grand Slams... then I made final in French Open,” Halep said. “I have more confidence now during Grand Slams and I believe I have my chance at every tournament.”

No. 10 Ekaterina Makarova had a 6-4, 6-4 win over No. 22 Karolina Pliskova and No. 21 Peng Shuai beat Yaroslava Shvedova, 7-6 (7), 6-3, to move into a possible fourth-round showdown with No. 2 Maria Sharapova, who was playing No. 31 Zarina Diyas in a night match.

Sixth-seeded Andy Murray beat Joao Sousa,

6-1, 6-1, 7-5, to set up a fourth-round clash with No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov.

Murray is attempting to become the first man to win the Australian Open after losing three times in the final. He lost to Novak Djokovic in 2013 and 2011 and Roger Federer in 2010.

Dimitrov had a tough third-rounder against 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis before winning 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych beat Viktor Troicki, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 , needing eight match points to clinch it.

“It looks not very nice on the paper— mostly, all of them on a big first serve,” said Berdych, a semifinalist here last year and the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up.

“It was a great save from him. I needed to wait one more game... when the first chance came up, I served well and took it.”

CAN TENNIS KEEP ITS CHINESE FANS AFTER LI NA? M

ELBOURNE, Australia—With Li Na in retirement and not defending her title at the Australian Open, there are far fewer Chinese flags and fans with red-and-yellowstreaked faces in the stands at Melbourne Park.

So much so that when Peng Shuai, now China’s top-ranked tennis player, was beating Magdalena Rybarikova in a second-round match, there was just one fan shouting encouragement in Mandarin with a solitary Chinese flag.

Contrast that scene with a stadium in the Australian capital on Sunday where thousands of red-shirt wearing Chinese supporters cheered on China’s soccer team as it defeated North Korea in a group match at the Asian Cup. With Li transitioning from tennis star to soon-to-be-mother, her departure from the sport raises an interesting question in China: Can tennis keep its nascent fan base and continue to grow in the country without its global superstar?

“It’s literally the billion-dollar question.

Ultimately, no one knows,” said Richard Heaselgrave, the commercial director for Tennis Australia, which has a considerable stake in the answer as host of the Australian Open, the selfdescribed Grand Slam of Asia Pacific.

There’s no doubting that tennis’s popularity

has grown immensely in China due to Li’s success. According to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), a Chinese television audience of 116 million watched Li become the first Asian player to win a major at the French Open in 2011.

Adding the Australian Open title last year cemented her status as one of China’s top celebrities—she now has more than 23 million followers on Sina weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent, more than almost all other athletes.

Sensing a golden opportunity, the WTA jumped on Li’s success to expand aggressively in Asia, with a record seven tournaments in China this year, second only to the US. Now that China’s biggest star is no longer playing, though, some believe this rapid growth may have been premature.

Zhang Bendou, the tennis writer for Titan Sports, the largest sports newspaper in China, said the crowds were visibly thinner at the Shenzhen Open tournament earlier this month without Li there to defend her title from the year before.

“It’s embarrassing to see the pictures,” he said. “If the tournaments cannot attract enough sponsors and spectators and media interest, [China] will lose them eventually. I think they are in danger, some of them.”

WITH the retirement of Li Na, Peng Shuai is now China’s biggest hope in tennis. AP

Part of the problem is that because tennis is relatively new to the country, Chinese fans typically only pay attention to the big-name stars and local players, Zhang said.

This partly explains why the men’s tennis tour has been more cautious to expand in China—there are no bankable Chinese men’s players yet. Only one made the main draw at the Australian Open—Zhang

Ze, who lost in the first round to 33-year-old Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt.

Heaselgrave is optimistic the Australian Open will retain its Chinese fan base. To help ensure this, Tennis Australia has signed Li to a three-year contract to act as the tournament’s unofficial ambassador in China and recently signed a new contract with China Central Television to produce bespoke TV and digital content from the

tournament for Chinese consumers.

There’s talk of opening Tennis Australia training centers for casual and club-level players in Shanghai and Beijing, as well.

“We’re absolutely nowhere near being the Grand Slam of Asia Pacific that we want to be, but we’ve made a big start,” Heaselgrave said.

The Chinese Tennis Association, meanwhile, is busy trying to find the next homegrown star.

There are now 11 female players ranked in the top 200, led by Peng Shuai, the recent US Open semifinalist, at No. 22. But the one Chinese Fed Cup captain Peng Wang is most excited about is 17-yearold Xu Shilin, the No. 2 girl in the junior rankings, who goes by the English name Coco. The top seed in the girls draw at the Australian Open, she has the potential to be the next Li Na, Peng said. AP

ELBOURNE, Australia—Eugenie Bouchard—the unwitting protagonist of an Australian Open saga that has been dubbed “Twirlgate”—would prefer if people just focused on her tennis.

For the record, Bouchard said on Friday she was “not offended” by the male interviewer who asked her to twirl for the crowd earlier in the week.

“I think it was just kind of funny,” the Wimbledon runner-up said after advancing to the fourth round in Melbourne. “I’m fine with being asked to twirl if they ask the guys to flex their muscles.”

This is not the first time the Australian Open has offered up a headline-grabbing sideshow that has nothing to do with tennis.

In previous years, two-time champion Victoria Azarenka’s former boyfriend, the rap star Redfoo who was a regular frontrow fixture, got as much press as she did. In 2011 former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki told a colorful tale about getting into a fight with a kangaroo and showed a scratch to prove it.

She later retracted the story, saying she had bumped into a treadmill but wanted to spice up a dull news conference.

This year the season’s opening Grand Slam tournament has Twirlgate, a term being used by Australian media and as a hashtag on Twitter.

It started on Wednesday when Bouchard, one of the rising stars of women’s tennis, was asked by a male interviewer to “give us a twirl” and show off her tennis dress after winning her second-round match. Noticeably embarrassed, Bouchard complied with a laugh and later said, “it was very unexpected.”

Social media erupted with chatter. Some called it sexist, some questioned whether a male player would be asked to twirl after winning a match, and some dismissed the debate, saying they didn’t feel sorry for a highly paid athlete being asked to twirl.

Billie Jean King added to the chorus of criticism.

“This is truly sexist,” tweeted King, an 11-time Grand Slam winner and a longtime campaigner for equal rights in tennis. “Let’s focus on competition and accomplishments of both genders, and not our looks.”

The 20-year-old Bouchard, a 5-foot-10 photogenic blonde, has become one of tennis’s newest cover girls. She won the Wimbledon juniors’ title in 2012 and has made rapid progress ever since. She reached the semifinals at last year’s Australian and French Opens followed by the Wimbledon final which ushered her into the No. 7 ranking—the highest ever for a Canadian player.

Bouchard won her thirdround match on Friday, beating Caroline Garcia of France, 7-5, 6-0. After a few questions on tennis, her postmatch news conference turned to the twirl.

“I was waiting for this one,” Bouchard said, smiling.

Players typically say that during big tournaments they try to stay away from newspapers and limit their time on social media to keep their minds on the game.

But Bouchard said she was aware that the incident had caused a stir.

“My friends are texting me, saying I dance and twirl well and stuff, as jokes,” she said. “It’s just funny how it’s taken a life of its own. I’m just going to try to focus on my tennis.”

She raised her eyebrows when asked if this was a déjà vu of an embarrassing question she faced last year, when an oncourt interviewer asked her which celebrity she’d most like to date.

“You mean the Bieber question?” she said.

Her answer at the time had been fellow Canadian Justin Bieber. “I don’t know.

They try to ask funny questions. It’s entertaining, I guess. I don’t mind it.”

But she added that it would be nice to move on.

“I’m happy that I’ve played three solid matches here,” Bouchard said, “and we could definitely be a little bit more focused on that.”

CANADA’S Eugenie »Bouchard wants people to focus on her tennis than her twirling. AP

sports

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terms of the gross domestic product in 2014.

“We don’t yet see a strong impetus to change the stance of monetary-policy but we will continue to monitor new data and factor into our forecasts the dampening impact on inflation and possible second-round effects on global economic growth of lower oil prices, in light of fresh liquidity injections by the ECB and the expected path of policy normalization by the Fed [Federal Reserve],” Continued on A2

train line’s management.

“The consulting firm would provide any and all assistance and guidance in all matters of the operations and maintenance of the mass-transit system,” Cabrera said.

“The consultant would also extend assistance in the conceptualization, procurement, and implementation of any and all programs and projects for MRT 3,” he added.

Consulting firms have until February 6 to signify their interest to the DOTC. See “MRT rehabilitation,” A2

Meralco electricity rates to go down on cheaper oil

By Lenie Lectura

BusinessMirror

Oil Jumps as Saudi King’s Death Spurs Speculation Over Policy

Govt needs consultants for MRT rehabilitation

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

BusinessMirror

Saudi King Abdullah dies; Prince Salman successor

t is too early for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to make appropriate adjustments in its policy rates no matter the decision of the European Central Bank (ECB) to pursue its own quantitative easing (QE) program beginning March this year, BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said on Friday.

This is significant in that the ECB’s €1.1-trillion QE program should not have a disruptive impact on the country’s macroeconomic underpinnings but should, instead, allow the $270-billion economy to expand as much as the economic planners have projected.

Tetangco particularly said there is no compelling reason for the BSP to alter its monetary-policy stance designed to keep inflation well within the 5-percent ceiling and growth at optimum rate of up to 7 percent in

‘Stalking’ Pope Francis an estimated 6 million filipinos turned out despite dirty weather to hear sunday mass officiated by Pope francis on January 18.

By Bianca Cuaresma

I

Revisiting Fernando M. Zóbel PPROACHING critical mass in the hot-button perception of the Manila art market is an unprecedented public auction by León Gallery of early works by Spanish-Filipino artist Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo, better known as Fernando M. Zóbel, an accomplished early modernist who grappled with technical pictorial challenges years before their time. Ultimately, Zóbel yielded an oeuvre that is noted for its unwavering modernity, discipline and nuance.

Due to the historical and aesthetic considerations involved in pioneering new styles, his paintings have become examples of fearless improvisation and exploration, for they were made back when the language and capacity to appreciate modern art was wandering in the desert. From the wilderness, this visionary has stood the test of time. Because of treading the least likely path where a son of businessmen would dare venture—that is, the role of the artist—Zóbel stands tall as one of the founding exponents of nonrepresentational art in his country, an idea that was yet to find merit on the ground.

But as classic modernism matured, became legitimate and then, in part, mostly obsolete, so, too, were the early experimentations that were no longer repeated because they were required for only a short and young period of time. Such early works should be seen in the context of his latter development. They are not obsolete in the sense that they are not worthy of possession but only in the context of the artist’s growth. In order to be made, an artist has to produce objects for the network. And the network desires the pristine.

Whether the artworks are abstract or not, on the table are not merely a few pieces but an abundance of rare works, which are almost impossible to find, preserved in one family’s collection. There’s not just one but many acquisitions for one fell swoop.

In the imagination, this kind of action should take place abroad, but there is no stopping the immediacy of local demand. Will the sudden availability of pristine work cause a devaluation?

We argue that the market is strong enough to trigger another price spike and cushion more supply. As the record shows, we can expect profit since Philippine art is still undervalued internationally. Thus, the commodities are also good long-term investments.

But whether you are an investor or collector, expect no bargains. Although we are not saying who will actually compete in the acquisition, the grapevine is aware that Zóbel’s family has been “recuperating” the pieces of their artistic rebelnow-turned-visionary, as these objects have the intrinsic honor of joining their private collections and the public one at the Ayala Museum.

The museum closed a retrospective of Zóbel just last year. If you saw the show, the reasons for any buying frenzy need not be discussed.

Aside from the critical verbiage about the

P25.00 nationwide | 6 sections 28 pages | 7 days a week

ecb’s quantitative easing program not enough reason to change monetary-policy stance

INSIDE

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Tuesday, 18,2015 2014Vol. Vol.1010No. No.107 40 Saturday,November January 24,

nn

he continuous decline in world oil prices would result in lower electricity bills for consumers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), as fuel price is one of the factors used in computing generation charge, an official of the Department of Energy (DOE) said on Friday.

Energy Undersecretary Zenaida Y. Monsada said Meralco consumers will “experience the impact of Malampaya pricing” in their February electricity bills.

Meralco’s Utility Economics Head Lawrence S. Fernandez said the company sources power sup-

PESO exchange rates n US 44.3610

ply from power plants that are fueled by the Malampaya natural-gas field. These power plants include the 1,200-megawatt (MW) Ilijan combined-cycle power plant, the 1,000-MW Santa Rita and the 500MW San Lorenzo natural-gas plants.

Based on the December 2014 supply month, natural-gas-fired plants accounted for around 60 percent of the energy supply of Meralco, while coal-fired plants accounted for around 37 percent. The remaining 3 percent is a mix of oil-based and Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM)sourced energy.

Continued on A2

Saudi King Abdullah in a June 27, 2014, file photo. AP/Brendan Smialowski

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il jumped after the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the biggest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec). Futures rallied as much as 3.1 percent in New York and 2.6 percent in London, after the Saudi royal court announced Abdullah’s death in a statement.

Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud will succeed Abdullah on the throne. The kingdom, the world’s largest crude exporter, led the Opec’s decision to maintain its oil- production quota at a meeting last November, exacerbating a global glut that has driven prices lower. »A8

n japan 0.3741 n UK 66.5238 n HK 5.7234 n CHINA 7.1441 n singapore 33.1052 n australia 35.9868 n EU 50.2965 n SAUDI arabia 11.8094 Source: BSP (23 January 2015)

News BusinessMirror

Saturday, January 24, 2015

A2

news@businessmirror.com.ph

‘Too early to tweak policy rates’ At the conclusion of their meeting on Thursday night, Manila time, the ECB unveiled the plan to boost demand across the union by buying bonds to prop up its falling economy.

While the ECB decision was cheered at its announcement and markets await its implementation in March, Tetangco said how the plan pans out in the months ahead, given that inflation is testing new lows, should prove interesting from the point of view of policy planners around the world.

“While we had been anticipating QE from the EU for some time now, and the price action in markets in

Continued from A1

Tetangco said. In a statement, the central bank governor said the ECB decision on Thursday to inject liquidity into the 19-nation monetary u wnion should help ease global monetary conditions, as uncertainty is lifted off the markets.

“The ECB action to further ease monetary conditions in EU should boost market confidence near-term especially as the “announcement uncertainty” is eliminated,” Tetangco told reporters. “For the moment, the BSP is geared to keep the interim financial volatility in check,” he added.

recent month has reflected the divergence in advanced economies’ monetary policies, we still need to see how this policy divergence will continue to play out now that we are in a situation of very low oil prices,” Tetangco said.

“We don’t yet see a strong impetus to change the stance of monetary policy, but we will continue to monitor new data and factor into our forecasts the dampening impact on inflation and possible second-round effects on global economic growth of lower oil prices, in light of fresh liquidity injections by the ECB, and the expected path of policy normal-

Meralco electricity rates to go down on cheaper oil Electricity sales for 2015 are expected to grow by 3 percent on account of higher usage from industrial customers, which registered the highest increase.

“We will end [2014] with roughly a 3-percent growth in sales volume,” said Meralco President Oscar Reyes, who added that commercial accounts also contributed to the growth, mainly from new connections and increased consumption.

Reyes added that the last quarter of 2014 is expected to register “a little over 5-percent” growth in sales volume. October sales stood flat at 5.2 percent, while November sales grew 6.6 percent, he said.

Meralco customers grew to 5.5 million at end-September. In terms of energy sales mix, commercial accounts for 39 percent of total sales, with residential and industrial at 30 percent and 31 percent, respectively.

“The natural-gas price is based on a basket of indexes, which includes oil prices. The natural-gas price for January to March 2015 will partly be based on the average oil prices for the six-month period of July to December 2014,” Fernandez said.

“The natural-gas price for October to December 2014 was partly based on average oil prices for the sixmonth period of April to September 2014. We will need to await the actual billings of the natural-gas-fired plants to Meralco to know the actual extent of the change in the natural gas,” he added.

The utility firm is on track to hitting its P17.8-billion core profit guidance for 2014. If and when Meralco closes the year with P17.8 billion in core profit, the figure represents a 4.6-percent hike in core income for 2014 versus 2013.

Continued from A1

“Meralco’s natural-gas pricing is linked with that of the price of oil,” said Monsada, adding that any adjustment in fuel price will “definitely” affect the price of natural gas.

Oil prices in the world market have plunged to six-year lows since last year, resulting in steep reduction in local pump prices. Meralco consumers, however, can only feel the impact of this starting February, because the price of Malampaya natural gas is adjusted per calendar quarter.

This means that the new natural gas price will be reflected in the generators’ bills to Meralco this January supply month, which would then be an input to the computation of the generation charge for the February bills, according to Fernandez.

ization by the Fed,” he added.

Tetangco also said the EU must implement follow-on measures aside from its planned liquidity injection to produce economic gains that will benefit not only the euro zone but global markets, as well.

“In the medium term, this needs to be followed through by structural reforms in the national economies and adjustments in EU labor-market conditions, among others,” Tetangco said.

The BSP will have its own policy meeting on February 12. This will be the first monetary-policy meeting of the Monetary Board this year.

Yingluck. . .

Continued from A8

anticorruption commission, which had recommended she be charged.

“The rice-subsidy scheme was run by groups of people. It was a resolution of the Cabinet...why am I singled out?”

Yingluck asked. “To bring the case against me alone, therefore, shows a hidden agenda under an unjust practice, and is a political agenda.”

She also said the anticorruption commission lacked the legitimacy to judge her because the junta terminated the Constitution, when it took power last May 22.

National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Wicha Mahakhun told lawmakers on Thursday that Yingluck was to blame. “Despite the warnings against it on several occasions, the prime minister, who should have stopped the damage, instead insisted on running the program until the damage became even more devastating.” AP

3-DAY EXTENDED FORECAST JANUARY 24, 2015 | SATURDAY

TODAY’S WEATHER

Northeast Monsoon locally known as “Amihan”. It affects the eastern portions of the country. It is cold and dry; characterized by widespread cloudiness with rain showers.

NORTHEAST MONSOON AFFECTING NORTHERN AND CENTRAL LUZON. TAIL-END OF A COLD FRONT AFFECTING SOUTHERN LUZON AND EASTERN VISAYAS. (AS OF JANUARY 23, 5:00 PM)

Tail-end of a cold front is the extended part of the boundary, which happens when the cold air and warm air meet. This may bring rainfall and cloudiness over affected areas. It is felt at the northern hemisphere winter season.

21 – 32°C

22 – 32°C

TUGUEGARAO

19 – 27°C

20 – 28°C

BAGUIO TUGUEGARAO CITY 18 – 27°C

BAGUIO CITY 11 – 21°C

SBMA/ CLARK

SBMA/CLARK 22 – 30°C METRO MANILA 21 – 31°C

TAGAYTAY CITY 18 – 28°C

JAN 26 MONDAY

METRO MANILA

LAOAG

LAOAG CITY 20 – 28°C

JAN 25 SUNDAY

TAGAYTAY

21 – 28°C

12 – 21°C

22 – 30°C

18 – 28°C

22 – 29°C

13 – 21°C

23 – 31°C

19 – 28°C

MRT rehabilitation. . .

Aside from the services of consultants, the P9.7-billion rehabilitation and expansion program also includes the purchase of additional train coaches, general overhauling of trains, ancillary systems upgrade, signaling system upgrade and rail-steel replacement.

The government also wants to upgrade MRT 3’s conveyance facilities; construct a footbridge for the North Avenue Station; install weather-protection cladding, establish a passenger information system; and purchase passenger hand straps.

The complete makeover of MRT 3 is targeted to be completed before President Aquino steps down from office in 2016. Currently, the DOTC is procuring 60 units of traction motors for the MRT. The deal is priced at P91.67 million.

Meanwhile, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) President Jose Ma. K. Lim said the company will soon submit its $524-million proposal to upgrade the MRT 3 to the DOTC. The local unit of the Hong Kongbased First Pacific Co. Ltd. wants to shoulder the cost of upgrading the MRT and free the government from paying billions of pesos in equity rental payments.

Metro Pacific Business Development Officer John B. Echauz said the offer was scaled down, after the company decided to remove the automated farecollection system in its proposal.

The unified ticketing-system project was auctioned off by the transportation agency in 2013, and was awarded to the consortium between Metro Pacific and Ayala Corp. in 2014. The $524-million proposal also included the $30-million working capital and the $229-million budget for the settlement of the government’s equity rental payment.

The group of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan earlier entered into a partnership agreement with the corporate owner of the MRT, a move that would

JAN 27 TUESDAY

PHILIPPINE AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (PAR)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY 23 – 30°C

ILOILO/ BACOLOD 24 – 30°C METRO CEBU 24 – 31°C

TACLOBAN CITY 23 – 31°C

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY 22 – 31°C

ZAMBOANGA CITY 23 – 33°C

PUERTO PRINCESA

ILOILO/ BACOLOD

22 – 30°C

22 – 30°C

24 – 30°C

20 – 29°C

TACLOBAN

23 – 31°C

23 – 30°C

23 – 31°C

22 – 30°C

CAGAYAN DE ORO

22 – 32°C

23 – 31°C

24 – 31°C

METRO DAVAO

25 – 33°C

24 – 33°C

23 – 33°C

24 – 33°C

13 – 22°C

23 – 31°C

ZAMBOANGA

CELEBES SEA

25 – 33°C

23 – 32°C

SUNRISE

SUNSET

MOONSET

MOONRISE

6:25 AM

5:51 PM

9:41 PM

9:16 AM

19 – 29°C

22 – 29°C

NEW MOON HALF MOON

24 – 32°C

LOW TIDEMANILA HIGH TIDE SOUTH HARBOR

JAN 27

12:48 PM

7:45 AM

-0.07 METER

12:11 AM

1.09 METER

Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rain showers and/or thunderstorms Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with rainshowers

23 – 30°C

23 – 30°C

24 – 31°C

Cloudy skies with rain showers and/or thunderstorms

Weekday hourly updates: 6:00 AM on Balitaan, 7:00 AM & 8:00 AM on Good Morning Boss!, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM on News@1, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM, and 6:00 PM on News@6

www.panahon.tv

SABAH

JAN 27 TUESDAY

23 – 30°C

Watch PANAHON.TV everyday at 5:00 AM on PTV (Channel 4).

METRO DAVAO 24 – 32°C

JAN 26 MONDAY

23 – 30°C

JAN 20

24 – 31°C

JAN 25 SUNDAY

22 – 31°C

9:14 PM

23 – 31°C

have allowed the firm to invest roughly $600 million to improve the services of the train system. The venture would effectively expand the capacity of the railway system by adding more coaches to each train, allowing it to carry more cars at faster intervals. The multimilliondollar expansion plan would double the capacity of the line to 700,000 passengers a day, from the current 350,000 passengers daily.

It was submitted in 2011, but the DOTC chief back then rejected the proposal. The government, on the other hand, intends to buy out the corporate owner of the line, the Metro Rail Transit Corp., which is wholly-owned by MRT Holdings II Inc. of businessman Robert John L. Sobrepeña.

The government aims to completely take over the line by the time President Aquino steps down from office in 2016.

But recent delays, including the “tying up of loose ends,” are forcing the government to double its efforts to effect the buyout. One of the requirements to execute the takeover is for the government to strike up a compromise deal with the private owner of the train line.

This would effectively end the ongoing arbitration case in Singapore that was lodged against the government in 2008 due to its failure, as the operator of the line, to pay billions of equity rentals payment to the owner of the rail system.

Should the buyout be completed in 2016, the transportation agency may then bid out the operations and maintenance contract of the line and tap private-sector efficiency and customer-service orientation for operational needs, while retaining regulatory functions for passenger protection with the government.

Since 2004, the train system has been operating at overcapacity. Currently, the line serves nearly 550,000 passengers per day.

METRO CEBU

LEGAZPI CITY 22 – 29°C

LEGAZPI

3-DAY EXTENDED FORECAST

Continued from A1

@PanahonTV

Light rains

The Nation BusinessMirror

news@businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Dionisio L. Pelayo • Saturday, January 24, 2015 A3

SolCom cites military gains vs NPA

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HE Southern Luzon Command (SolCom) said on Friday its units neutralized 124 guerrillas of the New People’s Army (NPA), including 18 ranking leaders, during the course of operations in 2014.

The SolCom killed a dozen NPA guerrillas, captured 33 and accepted 79 who voluntarily surrendered, according to Maj. Angelo Guzman, SolCom spokesman.

Guzman said the capture of these individuals prevented the recruitment of new members for their armed component.

Civil-military operations efforts of Bayanihan teams led to the clearing of 40 barangays from enemy influence, he added.

“Our focused military operations in 2014 gained headway in diminishing mass-based support on the Communist Party and the NPA,” SolCom head Maj. Gen. Ricardo Visaya said.

Visaya claims SolCom’s communitybased peace and development efforts in partnership with various stakeholders effectively complemented their focused military operations.

Most of the Bayanihan projects were integral part in the conduct of peace and development operations in the barangays, he said.

A total of 9,443 various projects and activities with stakeholders were conducted, including community services, medical assistance, cleanliness and beautification, feeding programs, sports festivities, and visits to camp facilities, Visaya added. PNA

Senate panel OKs House bill postponing SK elections

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HE Senate committee on local government approved on Friday a House bill postponing the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to allow the passage of the SK reform measures.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the committee has adopted the version of House Bill 5209 after all the stakeholders, particularly the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the National Youth Commission (NYC), agreed for the postponement measure. ”Yes, it has been approved at the committee level. The House bill is very simple, very straightforward. The bill that has been passed is merely postponing. No other issues involved,” Marcos told the media after the hearing that lasted only less than an hour.

He said the postponement came out to give way to the necessary reform measure in the SK to make it responsive to the development of the youth.

“The postponement was just the result of the SK reform bill we have passed [in the Senate],” Marcos said. He said the House of Representatives is still reconciling 11 versions of the SK reform measures.

Marcos added that he plans to submit his committee report to the floor on Monday, depending on his discussion with Senate President Franklin Drilon who already expressed support for the postponement of the SK elections.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes admitted his original position was for the abolition of the SK, but he changed his mind after going through the SK reform measures.

Brillantes proposed that the SK elections be synchronized with the conduct of the barangay elections on October 26, 2016, to give more time for the passage of the reform law.

“I think the reform measures are good. So we rather hold the SK election under the reform law, rather the old law,” Brillantes said.

The Comelec chief said the postponement would allow the commission to give its full attention on the preparation for the 2016 presidential election.

“It will also save us P900 million to P1.1 billion because for the allowance of the teachers alone, we will spend at least P600 million.

We might use the money next year if the SK and barangay elections will be held simultaneously,” Brillantes explained.

He said the Comelec will only abort its preparation for the SK election if the Senate approves the postponement at the plenary.

However, Brillantes said the commission has already suspended the implementation of the gun ban that was supposed to start last Thursday. Under Senate Bill 2401, Marcos proposed to increase the age bracket of the SK members and officials from 15 to 17 years old to 18 to 24 years old. PNA

Papi exec Mecaydor passes away at 54

R

OLANDO A. Mecaydor, 54, former executive assistant to the president of the Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (Papi), died on Tuesday at the Philippine General Hospital.

Husband of the late Milagros Punzalan Dayang, the deceased is survived by children Niño Ferdinand, Imelda Karen and Pearl.

Mecaydor hails from Biliran.

His body lies at the Floresco Funeral Homes chapel in Pedro Gil, Manila.

Cremation will take place at the Eternal Gardens Crematorium on Sunday.

briefs DPWH to continue road reblocking, repairs in Q.C. this weekend

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will conduct road reblocking and repair activities this weekend along the areas of Quezon City.

In its advisory, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said the following areas would be affected from January 23 at 10 p.m. until January 26 at 5 a.m.: southbound along Mindanao Avenue from Road 20 to Congressional Avenue, third lane, and along C.P. Garcia Avenue from Pook Aguinaldo to Katipunan Avenue, third lane; northbound along Quirino Highway from Service Road to Balon Bato, fourth inner lane; eastbound along Batasan Road from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to Payatas Road, first inner lane, and along Congressional Avenue from Sinagtala Street to Mindanao Avenue, first lane; and, westbound along Congressional Avenue Extension from Luzon Avenue to Tandang Sora Avenue, third lane. To avoid traffic delays, the MMDA advised motorists to use alternate routes. It added that all roads will be fully passable by Monday morning. PNA

Emergency test pitting along Edsa by Manila Water

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said due to reported surface leaks, the Manila Water Co. Inc. will be conducting emergency test pitting along Edsa (southbound) opposite Kalayaan Avenue Extension in Makati City on January 24 at 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. on January 25. Half lane from the sidewalk will be closed to traffic, the MMDA said.

The actual leak repair will be undertaken next week if the exact location of the leak is detected during the test pitting. The MMDA advised the public to avoid the said area or take alternate routes. PNA

2 quakes jolt Masbate, Davao del Sur

BREAD FALL A man waits for buyers at his bakeshop in Mandaluyong City on January 23, a day after the Department of Trade and Industry said it expects the prices of bread, milk and noodles to decline amid lower costs of raw materials.

Nonie Reyes

PNP chief sacks budget officer over delayed disbursements P

OLICE Deputy Director General Leonardo A. Espina approved on Friday the administrative relief of a budget officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Espina, PNP officer in charge, approved the recommendation of the PNP Director for Comptrollership to place Police Supt. Evangeline Martos under administrative relief pending investigation.

Martos’s relief was over allegations of delayed disbursement of food provisions for PNP personnel deployed during the recent five-day visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines.

Martos is erstwhile budget officer of the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG), a National Support Unit that was tasked to provide close-in security to dignitaries and

members of the papal entourage.

On instructions of Espina, Martos will also undergo Pre-Charge Evaluation by the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM).

Investigations are still ongoing.

PNP Spokesman Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor said the fund support released by the National Headquarters to PNP units involved in the operations was for “food provisions” and not as individual “meal allowance.”

“It was not supposed to be given out as cash to police personnel but was supposed to be allotted as provisions for food for the troops,” Mayor said.

However, because of the changes in the deployment plan and the exigency of the

situation prompted by the sheer volume of police personnel that was deployed in the papal events, some unit commanders, considering the peculiarities and demands of each area, decided to give cash instead.

Mayor said the PNP OIC has already instructed the Directorates for Logistics and Comptrollership to come up with a plan to provide “standard messing” to PNP units that will participate in similar police operations in the future, including the upcoming AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation Forum at the Clark Freeport.

“We hope this plan will become logistics best practices that will form part of logisticsmanagement doctrine in the PNP,” Mayor said. PNA

Comelec to appeal SC decision on ‘Team Patay, Team Buhay’ tiff

T

HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to file an appeal before the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the latter’s decision on the controversial “Team Patay, Team Buhay” tarpaulin on a church wall in Bacolod City during the campaign period for the 2013 midterm polls.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said the poll body will definitely file a motion for reconsideration (MR) since the ruling has to clarify many things, particularly on campaign materials.

The decision has a significant effect, Brillantes said in Tagalog.

He added: We are going to file an MR as there are many things to clarify, especially since propaganda materials are involved and “whether the church can put it in private property.”

Brillantes explained the decision meant

propaganda materials can be placed on private property.

But is the size limited or not? Can a big billboard be allowed to be placed on somebody’s roof? If so, then all the roofs in the country could have billboards “in the guise of freedom of expression.”

The poll body chief said they have 15 days to file the MR after receiving the SC decision.

Brillantes explained the case stemmed when an election officer in Bacolod sent a letter to the bishop asking to take down the tarpaulin, noting such material is not allowed by law.

On Thursday the High Court declared unconstitutional the order of the Comelec in 2013 to remove a tarpaulin of a Catholic church campaigning against candidates who were supporting the reproductive-health (RH) bill while endorsing those who were

Brillantes said the poll body will definitely file a motion for reconsideration since the ruling has to clarify many things, particularly on campaign materials.

against the measure.

The controversial tarpaulin listed the names of pro-RH senatorial candidates under the Team Patay category and those opposing the law as Team Buhay. The tarpaulin was displayed at the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod. PNA

TWO moderate earthquakes struck the provinces of Masbate in the Bicol region and Davao del Sur in Mindanao on Friday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). In its bulletin, the agency said the first quake with a magnitude of 3.4 occurred at 11:57 a.m. with its epicenter traced 2 kilometers northeast of Palanas in Masbate. It had a depth of 22 kilometers. At 2:24 p.m., another tremor with a magnitude of 3.1 hit Davao del Sur with epicenter estimated at 21 km northeast of Santa Cruz town. The quake, which was also tectonic in origin, had a depth of 3 km. The Phivolcs said there was no damage reported from both tremors and no aftershocks were expected. PNA

AFP grateful for $40-million US military aid

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HE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed its appreciation to the United States in the wake of reports the American government is allocating $40 million worth of aid to the Filipino military this 2015.

This was disclosed by AFP Spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla in a media briefing on Friday.

Earlier US Assistant Defense Secretary David Shear said the US has provided $300 million worth of military aid to the Philippines since 2001, and would allocate another $40 million this year.

The money will help the AFP in its ongoing modernization efforts, Padilla said.

He added the money would be used in various capability upgrades of the Philippine military.

However, Padilla declined to comment on where the money will be spent as this will be discussed by the US and Philippine panels.

But Padilla said the AFP has a pressing need to acquire more modern communication equipment and those dealing with maritimedomain awareness so that the country will be able to defend its littoral areas.Maritimedomain awareness refers to the capability to monitor, detect and deter poachers and other intruders encroaching in Philippine territorial waters. Padilla said the AFP was allocated $50 million in 2014 and used the money to buy two Lockheed C-130 “Hercules” cargo planes from the US, which are expected to be delivered by 2016. PNA

Economy

A4 Saturday, January 24, 2015 • Editors: Vittorio V. Vitug and Max V. de Leon

BusinessMirror

news@businessmirror.com.ph

PHL ‘most aggressive’ in RE development in Asean region

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By Juzel L. Danganan Philippines News Agency

he Philippines could emerge as the most aggressive country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region when it comes to Renewable Energy development, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla said.

”In 2014 it was a strong jumpstart for renewable energy [RE]. Very strong, I think we were the most aggressive in the Asean countries when it comes to renewable energy concerns,” Petilla said.

Despite the continuous worry of investors on RE projects, Petilla noted the previous successes of the country in harnessing various RE types.

“When it comes to RE, investors always worry. However, we’ve shown them that some have built 400 megawatts (MW) from wind; solar, 50 MW; hydro and biomass,

over 100 MW; and solar not under FIT (feed-in tariff), has spread like wildfire,” he said.

He also noted RE will still be a strong player, amid the few bottlenecks, such as the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) not ready to connect the renewableenergy projects to the power grid.

“In preparation for more renewable energy this 2015, [but] we have to slow down for NGCP and integration to catch up. But, we’re still there, we’re just looking at the bottlenecks, but is a very, very strong start-up for

RE in this country,” he said.

The DOE has presently endorsed to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) a total FIT capacity of 304.05 MW from various types of RE. It serves as a mechanism for RE developers to be utilized, amid its expensive installations and technology costs.

The Economist said in a report that the global RE capacity has increased by more than 8 percent in 2014 than 2013, reaching a total 1,560 gigawatts (GW).

The biggest contributor to the worldwide boost came from hydropower capacity, a 4-percent increase from last year, while other renewables totaled a boost of 17 percent, contributing 560 GW. Similarly, the Philippines’s biggest RE power producer is still hydro, at 3,536 MW as of 2013 DOE figures.

Further, the DOE has awarded around 200 service contracts for hydro-power projects to private companies as of last year.

Also, for the January data for FIT capacity, the DOE endorsed a total hydrocapacity to the ERC at 12.6 MW. Meanwhile, according to The Economist, the United Nations Environment Program reported a 39-GW

total solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity bought at a cheaper rate in 2013, than a 31-GW total in 2012.

The falling prices was due to the solar photovoltaic systems, or solarpanel innovation.

“In a recent report on solar electricity the International Energy Agency [IEA] noted that the cost of solar panels had come down by a factor of five in the past six years, and the cost of full PV systems, which include other electronics and wiring, by three,” The Economist said.

It noted solar PV systems are even approaching or falling below the variable portion of retail electricity prices.

In the Philippines, RE developers are presently taking risk in their deals with solar panels. Schools were reported in the past to pay no upfront costs for the installation of the equipment.

Under the deal, the developers will be paid for the power the PV units produce and, if fully completed within an agreed period of time, the schools will own it.

The DOE acts on this school solar-panel initiative, signing on the memorandum of agreement

PSA reports flat GWPI growth in Nov. 2014

Justices defend SC control of JDF

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By Cai U. Ordinario

W

holesale commodity prices were flat in November 2014 on the back of a double-digit decline in the prices of oil, according to the preliminary data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA said the country’s General Wholesale Price Index (GWPI) posted zero growth nationwide in November, mainly due to a 12.4-percent contraction in the mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index.

On a monthly basis, the GWPI at the national level contracted 0.4 percent in November because of the 2.4-percent contraction in the mineral, fuels, lubricants and related materials index.

“A series of price rollbacks in gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene and LPG [liquefied petroleum gas] pushed down the mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index in the Philippines by 2.4 percent; Luzon, -2.2 percent; Visayas, -4.9 percent and Mindanao, -4.1 percent,”the PSA said.

Data also said the wholesale prices in Luzon contracted 0.3 percent, the only region that saw a contraction in prices in November. Wholesale prices in Visayas and Mindanao posted a 1.1-percent and 1.3-percent growth in November, respectively.

In Luzon the mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index further went down by 12.7 percent. There was also a slowdown to 5.2 percent of the heavily weighted food index in the region.

In the Visayas there was a 7-percent contraction in the mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index, while, in Mindanao, the mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index contracted 14 percent. The GWPI is an indicator designed to measure the changes in the price levels of commodities that flow into the wholesale trade intermediaries.

Wholesale price refers to the price of commodity transacted in bulk for further resale or processing. It is the actual “spot” transaction price received usually by the wholesalers, distributors or marketing agents for large lots but net of discounts, allowances and rebates.

The GWPI is also the sum of the producer price, wholesale trade margin, tax mark-ups and distribution cost of the wholesaler.

Wholesale price statistics, the PSA said, are used as a deflator to express value series in real terms, which is measuring the change in actual volume of transaction by removing the effects of price changes; and a basis for forecasting business and economic conditions.

(MOA), as well as a guarantor that the two parties—the school and the developer—will do their responsibilities to pay and maintain the panels.

Aside from schools, the government office is also aiming to extend the program to households since the current offer for solar panels is still expensive.

However, the present expensive rates might change as the International Energy Agency forecasts that the price of solar panels will be cut into half in the next 20 years.

It was also projected to provide 16 percent of the globe’s electric power, an increase of 11 percent from its 2010 estimate.

By 2020 solar is estimated to provide about 2 percent of the entire globe’s power.

It will further grow by 16 percent in 2050, an increase of 11 percent from a previous forecast in 2010.

In 2013 solar was estimated to receive 53 percent of the $214-billion investment for RE projects.

T he Philippines’s National Renewable Energy Program, under the RE law of 2008, targets to install 15,304 MW of installed renewable capacity by 2030.

Flourishing garment trade

Garment merchants load assorted clothing materials for transport and delivery to traders in nearby provinces, after buying the merchandise at a much lower price in Baclaran. Nonie Reyes

Denmark reopens embassy in Manila

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conomic and diplomatic cooperation between the Philippines and Denmark has been seen to get a major boost this year, following the reopening on Thursday of the Danish embassy in Manila.

At the inauguration of the new offices of the Danish embassy signaling the reestablishment of Danish presence in the Philippines, Trade and Development Cooperation Minister of Denmark Mogens Jensen said this year will usher a new era of reinvigorated ties between the Philippines and Denmark in political, economic and cultural areas.

“I think there is much more potential for greater cooperation between the Philippine and Danish companies…. In this context, promoting trade between our two countries is indispensable. I hope that the negotiations of the free trade agreement (FTA) between European Union (EU) and the Philippines will move forward in substance this year.

Opening up our economies is the only sustainable way forward,” Jensen said in his opening remarks.

Jensen said such an arrangement is pivotal as the Southeast Asia region is set to be on the spotlight in the coming years, with the regional economic integration

set to begin at the end of 2015.

Jensen’s local counterpart, Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo, for his part, said the Philippines may not be the priority of the European Union, as it is currently engaging Japan and Vietnam in FTA talks.

“It depends on the pace of the EU kung kailan sila magiging available in terms of ’yung attention nila meron naman pero they are paying attention to all these FTAs that they’re working on,” Domingo said in a chance interview.

However, the EU has reiterated, in the past three years, the high level of commitment that an FTA would entail from the Philippines, which includes pushing for reforms in investment rules for foreign firms and championing a modern competition policy.

Domingo insisted that there’s no “expectation” on the FTA this year, and the progress would depend on the EU. Meanwhile, Jensen is optimistic of boosting relations with the Philippines, given the 12-year absence of the Scandinavian country.

“Within recent years, the Philippines has shown impressive growth rates. The country has proven its improvement in fighting corruption and in ease of do-

ing business. the political and economic development of the country, in recent years, is a solid background for the trade delegaton that is traveling with me,”said Jensen, explaining the renewed interest of Danish firms in the Philippines.

Jensen led a 19-company business delegation, players in the sector of sustainable solutions (energy, water, energy efficiency), food (agro-industry, food and food processing), and healthcare solutions, to meet with local firms on Friday.

Jensen championed the expertise of Danish firms in these sectors, especially in energy, considering the gap in supply in the sector.

“Danish companies carry with them solutions to open the energy market to quickly bridge the gap between production and consumption. Invest more in infrastructure and you shall get rid of bottlenecks, which are also challenges. There are also opportunities to learn about public-private partnership projects in the pipeline,” the Danish government official added.

60 percent of the Scandinavian country’s national output are hinged exports, most of which are food and agricultural products. Catherine N. Pillas

he Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday defended its control over the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF), saying the Court spends controversial kitty to augment scant resources of the Judiciary.

This was the first time that the SC has spoken as a collegial body in defending the JDF. “The entire budget for the Judiciary, however, does not only come from the national government. The Constitution grants fiscal autonomy to the Judiciary to maintain its independence. Courts, therefore, must also be accountable with [their] own budget,” the SC said in a decision dismissing the petition filed by Rolly Mijares.

In his petition, Mijares would like to compel the SC to exercise its judicial independence and fiscal autonomy on the perceived hostility of Congress.

Currently, there are two pending bills in the House of Representatives seeking to repeal the Presidential Decree 19493, or the law that created the JDF, namely House Bill 4690, which mandates the transfer of the JDF to the Bureau of Treasury and House Bill 4738, which creates the Judicial Support Fund (JSF) in lieu of the JDF, which will be under the National Treasury.

The two bills were authored by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas and Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., respectively.

Mijares said the bills were borne out of spite, following the SC’s ruling declaring as illegal the Priority Development Assistance Fund and the Disbursement Acceleration Program.

In its ruling, the SC said Mijares failed to show any of the requisite for issuance of a writ of mandamus.

In defending the JDF, the SC said “the JDF used to augment the expenses of the Judiciary is regularly accounted for by this Court on a quarterly basis.” It added that the Judiciary’s financial reports are available to the public in its Web site.

“These funds, however, are still not enough to meet the expenses of the lower courts and guarantee credible compensation of its personnel. The reality is that the halls of justice exist because we rely on the generosity of local government units, who provide additional subsidy to our judges,” the SC said. PNA

briefs

group files final manifestation vs lrt-mrt fare hike at supreme court

A party-list group on Friday filed before the Supreme Court (SC) its final manifestation in connection with its petition against the fare increase at the Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3.

LRT Line 1 traverses from Baclaran, Parañaque City, to Roosevelt, Quezon City; LRT Line 2 travels from Recto Avenue, Manila, to Santolan, Pasig City, and MRT Line 3 runs from North Avenue, Quezon City, to Edsa-Taft Avenue, Pasay City.

The Bayan Muna party-list urged the SC to stop and nullify the fare increase being implemented by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) at the LRT and MRT. This was through the final manifestation filed by Bayan Muna partylist representatives Neri Colminares and Carlos Isagani Zarate, and its members Antonio Cruz, Yvonnne Luna and Carl Ala. According to the petitioners, DOTC Undersecretary Perpetuo Lotilla himself admitted before the congressional hearing on January 8 that the DOTC has no jurisdiction to issue the assailed DOTC Department Order 014-2014, imposing a fare increase at the LRT and MRT. Because of this, they said, the assailed DOTC order should be nullified by the SC. The petitioners argued that the respondents themselves also admitted that there was no actual public consultation conducted, hence, it was clear that the public was deprived of its “right to due process”.

They further argued that the temporary restraining order, or a status quo ante order, which they are seeking to be issued by the SC, would not impede in the repair-and-rehabilitation plans at the LRT 1 and 2 and MRT 3.

They added that the government has already allotted almost P12 billion for the rehabilitation of the LRT and MRT under the 2015 national budget and 2014 supplemental budget, respectively. PNA

cebu city’s business permit one-stop-shop collects p500 million

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he Cebu City government’s onestop shop in SM City Cebu Trade Hall has collected P500 million as of January 21, the City Treasurer’s Office said.

Cebu City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said the renewal of business permits, real-property taxes, business taxes and regulatory fees started on January 5 and will end on Friday.

Cuevas said it is not possible to collect the P5-billion business-tax revenue projected by Mayor Michael Rama in just a month.

Rama earlier challenged the treasurer’s office to collect P5 billion from the renewal of business permits, realproperty taxes, business taxes and regulatory fees this year.

Rama said that this year will be an active one in looking for funds to support the P13.4-billion annual budget of the city.

Rama said he imposed a “no break policy” on Friday, the last day of collection, because it is anticipated that an influx of taxpayers will be coming in.

Rama added that he also requested SM City Cebu management to open their Trade Hall until midnight to accommodate taxpayers beating the deadline.

No extensions of renewal of business permits will be implemented, although the one-stop shop will continue until January 31, Cuevas said.

He added that the city government will still be accepting renewal of business permits after January 23, but a 25-percent penalty will be charged.

Starting Saturday, January 24, business owners will be asked to pay 2-percent interest per month and 25-percent surcharge and late securing fees.

Cuevas warned that any business establishment that failed to renew after three consecutive notices will be closed. PNA

Economy BusinessMirror

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briefs solon urges mmda to implement measures to solve metro traffic woes A senior House member on Friday called on the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to come up with a comprehensive but doable plan that will help ease the traffic congestion now being experienced by motorists and commuters in the metropolis.

Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela City issued the appeal in wake of an international survey made by Numbeo that placed the Philippines among the 10 countries with the worst traffic situation in the world. The countries with the worst traffic situation in the world are Kenya, Egypt, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Nigeria, Jordan, Iran, South Africa, the Philippines and Thailand.

The research firm Numbeo’s web site was established in April 2009 by Serbian software engineer and mathematician Mladen Adamovic, who said he made sure the results of the firm’s studies are not influenced by any government.

“The traffic survey shows the need to decongest Metro Manila.

The solution is to invest heavily in mass transit. That’s the only way,” said Gatchalian, a longtime advocate of high-capacity and super-efficient modes of mass transport.

“Band-Aid solutions cannot untangle the traffic jams in Metro Manila. A realistic and doable plan can help ease the problem. And part of the solution is an efficient masstransport system like the proposed BRT, or Bus Rapid Transit,” he added.

The integrated BRT system uses bus ways, stations and terminals adapted for large-capacity buses. It also features a fare-integrated operations with smaller buses in the outskirt areas of Mega-Manila.

The bus-based rapid transit mode offers solution to cities interested in high-quality public transport services using a moderate level of capital and operating costs, according to the World Bank.

The lawmaker said solving the traffic problem in Metro Manila calls for a mix of the BRT and investing in heavy and light rail, in addition to the existing Light Railway Transit and the Mass Railway Transit, which have been experiencing repeated glitches and one major accident.

Gatchalian maintained that it is well within the powers and authority of MMDA to make a comprehensive study on what should be done to ease the traffic flow along the major thoroughfares in Metro Manila which can be likened to a “cross” being carried daily by motorists and commuters. PNA

SSS OPENS BRANCH in STA. MESA to serve 22k local members The Social Security System (SSS) inaugurated on Wednesday its additional office at the J&T Building on Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard corner Santol Extension Road in Santa Mesa, Manila.

The SSS Santa Mesa Branch will cater to around 22,000 SSS members in Santa Mesa, Paco, Pandacan and Santa Ana in Manila.

SSS Senior Vice President for National Capital Region Operations Group Jose B. Bautista said the new SSS office in Santa Mesa is expected to encourage workers in the area to join SSS. Based on the latest Labor Force Survey, a total of 269,649 workers or 64 percent of the total population of Santa Mesa, Paco, Pandacan and Santa Ana are members of the working population.

“The SSS is increasing its presence all over the country to make SSS transactions easier and more convenient to our members. This also affords more segments of society immediate access to social security,” Bautista said.

SSS Santa Mesa Branch issues SS number; accepts and processes applications on salary loan, as well as claims on retirement, disability, funeral and death including sickness notification. It also has a UMID Data Capture Station. PNA

Saturday, January 24, 2015 A5

Meralco’s ILP gains 4 more players; committed load now at 224.22 MW

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By Lenie Lectura

HE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has signed up four more Interruptible Load Program (ILP) participants that have committed an interruptible load capacity of 6.3 megawatts (MW).

This brings to a total of 224.22MW committed load from captive customers as of January 20.

Those that have recently signed up include Insular Life, BA Lepanto, Pacific Mall and Acacia Hotel.

Under the ILP, big power users will be asked to run their own generators when supply is short, instead of getting their power from the Luzon grid. They will be compensated for their fuel costs, the Department

of Energy (DOE) assured.

The electricity that would not be taken from the grid would be available to households and other users, sparing them from rotating blackouts.

The ILP, however, is voluntary, but Meralco continues to encourage 21 more prospective ILP participants that could contribute a potential 40.63 MW more. The utility firm has yet to decide if it will extend the

January 31 deadline within which interested ILP participants can sign up with the utility firm.

“We are still working to sign up participants by end of this month.

We will still evaluate what to do afterward, but will certainly welcome additional customers into the program,” Meralco Utility Economics Head Lawrence Fernandez said in a text message on Friday.

The ILP is, so far, the best solution to address the imminent power crisis that could hit Luzon this summer.

Latest data from the DOE state that Luzon needs 782 MW, of which 135 MW are needed to meet the required regulating reserve, and 647 MW are needed to meet the required contingency reserve.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), meanwhile, is reviewing the ILP rules to be able to allow additional participants, such as contestable customers, to join the program and provide a transparent and reasonable recovery of cost.

“One of the solutions being suggested is to encourage participation of more customers under the ILP. Prospective customers may come from contestable customers that already have an existing contract with retail electricity suppliers and those directly connected customers of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines,” the ERC said.

Contestable customers are those with monthly average peak demand of at least 1 MW. They are allowed to choose the supplier of their energy requirement under the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) regime.

The suppliers whom the contestable customers will choose are called the Retail Electricity Supplier (RES).

They will directly negotiate and contract on a wholesale level with powergeneration companies so they can sell electricity to contestable customers at competitive rates.

These rates will be reflected in the generation-charge portion of the bill, which typically comprises

a certain percentage of the monthly electrical bill.

When a contestable customer chooses an RES to supply his needs, this RES will also be in charge of the customer’s monthly billing and collection of payments. Prior to RCOA, these tasks of energy sourcing, supply, billing and payment collection were done by the local distribution utility, Meralco.

Meralco said it will still continue to distribute electricity to all contestable customers in its franchise area. The corresponding distribution charge due to Meralco for rendering this service will be reflected in the RES’s monthly bill.

Moreover, all power distribution-related concerns, like scheduled and unscheduled interruptions, new service applications for electricity, application for increased power requirements and energizing new facilities, will still be coursed by the contestable customers to Meralco.

7 projects face delay as Neda Board resets meeting to February

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Creative recycling A boy gazes with fascination at the toy dogs made of different recyclable materials from computer parts and plastic materials

that are on display at the Quezon Memorial Circle during the First Zero Waste Fair for a Zero Waste World. The fair aims to spread citizens’ awareness not only for a clean environment but also spread the word that recycling can also generate additional income. NONIE REYES

Malacañang won’t interfere in House probe to ‘hide’ poor folk from pope

By Butch Fernandez

M

alacaÑang said on Friday it will not stand in the way of a congressional inquiry into an alleged scheme to hide poor city folk from Pope Francis.

Asked if the Palace will allow Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman to testify at a House of Representatives committee investigation into the “disappearance” of street children from city streets during the five-day visit of Francis in Manila, Palace Deputy Spokesman Abigail Valte assured that Soliman is “more than ready” to face the inquiry.

“Secretary Soliman has explained the matter and is more than ready to do so should she be called to the House inquiry,” Valte told the BusinessMirror, referring to an upcoming hearing on reports that hundreds of street children were hauled by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for an “evaluation” at the Chateau Royale Resort in Batangas for five days, coinciding with the visit of Francis last week.

At a Palace briefing, Valte clarified that the DSWD official had “no intention” to hide the information that street kids and vagrant families were brought to the out-of-town resort to be evaluated

for screening as “new” beneficiaries of the government’s poverty-alleviation program, from January 15 to 19, when the pope was attending a series of papal events in different venues in Manila and Tacloban.

“Tingin ko wala naman hong ganoon.

Kasi parang insulto din ho doon sa bisita ’pag sinabi mong ’pag tinago niyo hindi na nila malalaman, ’di ba? Parang hindi naman natin tinatago din ’yung estado ’nung [street children]—makikita naman ’yan sa mga official na statistics,” the Palace official said.

She insisted, “We don’t make it a point to lie about these things also because nakikita naman natin na isa doon sa mga pinakamalaking proyekto ’nung administrasyon para nga sa poverty alleviation.

So, also that’s a recognition that it exists in the country. So siguro po, again, hindi mo maiaalis sa opinyon ’nung iba, pero hindi po ganoon ’yung nagiging intensyon ng pamahalaan.”

“Just to be fair, I also know that they have an ongoing program, it’s called ‘DSWD Save Streetkids,’ where they asked for the help and cooperation of citizens na kapag nakakakita po at certain areas i-report sa DSWD para mapuntahan po ’nung mga case workers po natin. So I know it’s an ongoing program that is applicable not only to Roxas Boulevard,

or to Manila, but also to other places in the Metro,” the Palace official claimed.

But Valte conceded she could not explain why the purported new beneficiaries of the poverty-alleviation scheme needed to be booked at the Chateau Royale Resort, where room rates ranged from a minimum of P3,360 a night, plus P843.37 per extra bed.

“I do not know. I cannot answer that question for the DSWD. I would not know. That is an administrative question that, normally, we defer to the agency to respond to,” Valte said, even as she added the information that the DSWD stayed in “the same resort that they used in previous years.”

She then dodged other questions from reporters, saying she would leave it to Soliman to clarify other details of the street children’s evaluation-outing timed with the pope’s visit.

“We will defer to Secretary Soliman to enlighten you more on how the program works, why it works or how—what are the ins and outs of the program itself. Frequency, coverage, data, how many people have been helped since they started this. You will have to put up with me when I say that I need to defer to the DSWD on this because I really don’t have those details for you,” Valte added.

he meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board has been pushed back to February, delaying the approval of seven projects with a total price tag of P627.31 billion.

The meeting, which was initially scheduled on January 28, will be presided by President Aquino, who is expected to approve the largest public-private partnership (PPP) deals in the pipeline.

Among those that are tabled for approval are the following: the P374.5-billion Mass Transit System Loop; the P177.22-billion NorthSouth Commuter Rail; the P19.33-billion Motor Vehicle Inspector System; the P18-billion Connector Road; and the P1.16-billion Civil Registry System Information Technology Phase II. The terms of the rebidding for the P35.42-billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway, whose initial auction results were voided by Mr. Aquino in November last year, is also up for approval.

Team Orion of Ayala Corp. and Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. emerged as the top bidder with a premium bid of P11.33 billion.

The President’s decision came after four months of reviewing the petition of then-disqualified party San Miguel Corp. (SMC), which urged Malacañang to declare its P20.1-billion bid as compliant.

Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc., a unit of the foodto-infrastructure firm, was debarred from the initial tender, after failing the evaluation of its technical proposal.

The fresh auction, slated for February, will carry a floor price of P20 billion in premium.

Completing the list is the request of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway’s proponent for additional P1.9-billion subsidy for the thoroughfare’s third phase of expansion.

When approved, Private Infra Development Corp. will receive the amount to jump-start the expansion of the 88.85-kilometer thoroughfare, which traverses the provinces of Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union and Nueva Ecija.

“Should all these projects be approved by the Neda Board this February, the implementing agencies can start the bidding process, meaning publish the invitation to bid. This normally takes one month after the approval,” PPP Center Executive Director Cosette V. Canilao said.

The government has awarded eight key infrastructure contracts since the flagship infrastructure program was launched in late 2010, involving: n The P1.96-billion Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway project bagged by Ayala Corp. in 2011; n The P16.42-billion first phase of the PPP School Infrastructure Program (PSIP), which went in 2012 to the consortium formed by Megawide Construction Corp. and Citicore Holdings Investment Inc., as well as the BF Corp.-Riverbanks Development Corp. consortium; n The P15.68-billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway, given to SMC unit Vertex Tollways Development Inc. in 2013; n The P3.86-billion PSIP Phase II contract, partially awarded in 2013 to Megawide and the BSP & Co. Inc.-Vicente T. Lao Construction consortium; n The P5.69-billion Modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center project that went to the Megawide-World Citi Inc. consortium also in 2013; n The P1.72-billion Automatic Fare Collection System contract awarded to the AF Consortium of Ayala and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) in 2014; n The P17.5-billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport New Passenger Terminal project bagged in 2014 by Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Infrastructures Ltd.; and n The P64.9-billion Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite Extension deal, awarded in 2014 to Light Rail Manila Consortium of Ayala and MPIC. The government aims to sign at least 15 contracts by the time President Aquino steps down from office in 2016. Lorenz S. Marasigan

Opinion BusinessMirror

A6 Saturday, January 24, 2015

editorial

PPP and the USA

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OR the first time in our recollection, the United States has somewhat officially entered the discussion on the perceived failures of and potential improvements to the administration’s PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) Program.

As reported in the Businessmirror, “’The government needs to structure the country’s key public-private partnership (PPP) deals better to get the interest of American companies,’ Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Kurt Tong of the US Department of State Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs said.”

Tong went on to say that the “PPP deals” need to be viable on the revenue side of the private investor. The implication of that sentiment is that the projects are not financially viable. That is disturbing. It would appear that the US government through Tong’s office has examined some of the projects in detail and came away with the analysis that the private sector, at least US companies, could not make money should it participate in these deals.

This past October, a roadshow was conducted by the PPP office in the US to present to potential investors 50 PPP projects worth $20.82 billion. That is a substantial amount of investment the Philippines could use for its infrastructure improvement.

But in the words of Tong, the projects need to be “practical,” a word that we do not understand the meaning of in this context. However he also said the rules and plans need to be clearer. That we can agree with.

US companies have extensive global experience in the kinds of PPP projects that are on the books. These include energy, aviation infrastructure, port management and equipment supply. Tong particularly emphasized projects related to energy as the Philippines particularly emphasized the Batangas-Manila Natural Gas Pipeline.

Certainly Tong is not speaking for the US private sector’s intentions, but the thrust of his comments should be listened to by the Philippine government.

It is not that the US is telling us something that we do not already know. Local companies have been frustrated at too many turns in the process for the government not to realize that there is a problem. To date only eight PPP projects worth $2.83 billion have been awarded and that shows the failure of the PPP process even as the idea was originally met with both great enthusiasm and great anticipation.

Tong suggested that the Philippines tap the resources of the US government’s Trade and Development Agency, which can extend grants to help design projects either for public or private financing. In addition, the US Overseas Private Investment Corp. can help mitigate some of the financial risks for US firms engaged in overseas projects.

We should explore this opportunity in greater detail as the clock never stops running and we need both the investment and the projects.

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Europe goes full money printing John Mangun

O

NCE again two news stories broke within hours of each other which will have a major impact on the global economy.

European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi announced the launch of an open-ended, expanded monthly €60-billion ($70 billion) private and public bond-buying program lasting until at least 2016.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia died on Friday. Seventy-nine-old Crown Prince Salman has been named successor.

The ECB will print about one trillion euros over the next year or so to buy the debt of sovereign nations and some asset-backed corporate debt held by European banks. This massive quantitative easing program is designed to increase inflation. Does anyone remember a gentler time when inflation was supposed to be an unhealthy economic condition?

The purpose of the ECB program is to bring more liquidity into the European economic system with the idea that if the ECB buys debt from the banks for cash, the banks will then loan more money (at near zero interest rates) to consumers and companies to spend. Economic

HOM

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activity and growth will therefore be stimulated.

The fact that this policy did not work in Japan 20 years ago–or recently for that matter–and that it has not worked in the United States is irrelevant. This time it will be different.

Saudi Arabia has been ruled by King Abdulla, first as regent to his bed-ridden half-brother and then as King, for the past 20 years. Crown Prince Salman has assumed the Saudi throne as the handpicked successor to Abdulla and presumably will continue the current Saudi policy of refusing to lower crude oil production to lift the price.

King Salman reportedly suffers a form of dementia, which means that he will fit in perfectly with most of the world’s government and economic leaders in power today.

Thailand needs to fight a different battle William Pesek

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OUTSIDE THE BOX

The ECB money printing program is intended to raise prices by flooding the system with new money. Theoretically, consumers and businesses hold back on new spending if prices are going down, thinking that if they wait longer, they will buy at a lower price the future. There may be some validity to that argument.

However, the real-world fact is that when you buy debt from the banks through a QE program. It does not increase retail lending. The banks sell their debt to the central bank, take the cash, and use the money for other purposes. They buy back their stock to inflate the price, trade the stock market for their own account, and pay out generous director bonuses based on stock price increase and trading profits. They also use the new cash to loan to stock market investors who also play the market.

We know this is true based on what has happened in the US and Japan over the last years. In fact, after the ECB announcement, both the US and European stock markets were up over 1.5 percent. Buying sovereign debt is actually deflationary for it is effectively retiring the debt that is near-worthless both in terms of the interest gained on that debt and with the risk of default. It is bailing out banks, not inflating the economy.

US banks have not been lending except for loans that carry the highest possible interest rates such as con-

L

AST May, the generals who grabbed power in Bangkok pulled off a PR coup as well: Their takeover cheered investors. While little good had come from 11 previous coups since the 1930s, this one seemed different. Junta-leader-turned-prime minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha proclaimed Thailand open for business and surrounded himself with experienced technocrats, promising to spur growth, attack corruption and “return happiness to the people.”

Stocks soared, consumer confidence jumped and executives hailed the return of political stability. Thailand had seen little of the latter since 2006, when soldiers overthrew allegedly corrupt billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra. For much of the 2,802 days between Thaksin’s ouster and Prayuth’s coup, Thailand’s government was crippled by gridlock and under constant siege from street protests. Hence Prayuth’s appeal: Here, finally, was the competent, take-charge leader Thailand needed to restore economic growth.

Things haven’t gone as hoped. Eight months later, capital is fleeing the country ($1.58 billion out of equities alone in the last 12 months). The economy is flirting with deflation and a possible recession; both consumer prices and the

economy are growing at a meager 0.6 percent pace. Unless the government gets moving on long-postponed structural reforms, the economy could well slip into its own lost decade.

Today’s impeachment proceedings against former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra underscore just how misplaced the junta’s priorities are. Yingluck, Thaksin’s sister and the leader Prayuth ousted, is ostensibly being scrutinized for her program of buying rice from farmers at above-market rates. She’s already out of office, though; impeachment might ban her from politics for another five years. The proceedings are meant more to appease the royalist, Bangkokdominated “Yellow Shirt” faction that supported the coup and has long sought

to strip Thaksin and his lieutenants of any shred of political power.

Rather than going after personalities, the junta would do better to eliminate Thaksin’s more wasteful, inefficient policies. Instead, in order to placate the masses who once formed the backbone of Thaksin’s support, Prayuth has issued fiscal handouts to rural areas, tossed loans to farmers and asked consumerproduct makers to freeze prices.

What Prayuth hasn’t done is equip Thailand to compete in a fast-changing world. Last November, when Samsung was deciding where to build a new $3 billion factory, Bangkok liked its chances.

The government touted plans for a “digital economy” to complement Thailand’s longstanding expertise in making hard disk drives and autos. Samsung chose Vietnam instead, largely because of its cheaper and more productive labor force and fewer disruptive political tensions.

Thailand, which derives 70 percent of gross domestic product from exports, has enduring strengths as a manufacturing base; the Japanese companies that have invested billions in the country are not going to pick up and leave lightly.

Still, the country remains weak in sectors such as smartphones and tablets that are set to grow in 2015 and beyond.

Thai companies have been dangerously slow to adjust production to meet shifts in consumer preferences. Research and development investment substantially lags Singapore, Malaysia and Indo-

sumer credit cards. Housing loans in the US have increased even paying very low rates simply because the US government is guaranteeing those loans to take away all risk. Bankers, just like everyone else, love getting free government money.

The recent move by the Swiss National Bank to allow the Swiss franc to appreciate and to no longer support the value of the euro has now been proven to be the only sensible move. Also after the ECB announcement, the euro dropped to a 13 year low.

Meanwhile we sit here at the edge of nowhere with a sound peso, a growing economy and an investment climate that Barron’s weekly financial newspaper summed up in a recent headline: “Philippines Answers Investors’ Prayers”.

I had intended to title this column “Europe goes full retard”, but that word has historically been used to label persons of reduced intellectual abilities, and is an unfair insult to them. However in this case, ‘retarded’ perfectly describes this new ECB policy.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com.

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nesia. Thailand’s innovation ranking in the World Economic Forum’s 2014 Global Competitiveness Index has fallen to No. 67 from No. 33 in 2007.

If he really wants to prove Thailand is open for business, Prayuth should be fast-tracking plans for $92 billion of spending, much of it on infrastructure. Those plans include a train project that would link up with a Chinese route through Yunnan Province, Thailand and Myanmar and revolutionize regional trade. He should focus less on populist handouts and political witch hunts, and create a cogent, up-to-date strategy to move Thailand up the value chain. That means smart and substantial investments in education and training above all, as well as R&D. The country can’t afford to wait another eight months. As Thailand grapples with a semi-permanent leadership vacuum–Prayuth has been vague about when new elections will be held–neighbors such as Indonesia and the Philippines are moving forward under decisive, popularly elected presidents. They’re weeding out graft, lifting wasteful subsidies and upgrading roads, bridges, ports and power grids to make their economies more competitive.

Peace is important, but so is progress. If he wants to reclaim the wave of optimism that greeted his power grab, Prayuth needs to concentrate on better preparing Thailand for the future, not re-litigating its past.

Opinion BusinessMirror

opinion@businessmirror.com.ph

What’s next after the Holy Pope’s visit?

Evangelii Gaudium Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual

SERVANT LEADER

Ariel Nepomuceno

DECISION TIME

T

HE recent visit of Pope Francis to our country, which is Asia’s only predominantly Catholic nation, is definitely successful in any measurement. In fact, we are still relishing the victory of an almost flawless handling of this grand event.

However, more important is the aftermath of this memorable visit. What shall we do after hearing the guidance and virtual admonition of the smiling Pope?

Perhaps, to hurdle the huge challenges that haunt our nation, from widespread poverty, to political inefficiencies, corruption in the bureaucracy, up to the un-competitiveness of our economy in the global arena, at least 10 resolutions must be adopted by the Filipinos in order to indeed claim that Pope Francis did not travel in vain.

1. I shall faithfully pay my correct taxes to the government. No more alibis or rationalizations why I will not remit the appropriate share of the state thru the government. I fully understand and support the needs of the general public which can only be adequately funded if I sacrifice and , as the Bible quoted the Messiah, “give what is due to Caesar”.

2. I will never bribe any public servant in any circumstance. No more easy way out from a traffic problem. Goodbye to facilitation money in order to cut corners in my government dealings. I fully acknowledge that the vicious cycle of bribery must cease and the culture of corruption does not serve my country well. I agree that corruption makes my government weak.

And corruption makes my society loose its soul.

3. I will obey simple traffic rules.

No more king of the road attitude for me. I will observe courtesy on the road. I will stay on my lane and keep the correct distance from the car before me. I will follow the road signs and instructions like, for example, not passing through a one way street or turning left where I should not. I shall yield to a car that signals the driver’s intention to change lane. I agree that our public will be safer when our drivers are not reckless.

4. I will keep my surrounding clean and never throw garbage on the streets nor to my neighbors backyard. No more “who cares” mentality since it is not the duty of the government to clean my mess.

I will look for garbage bins, no matter how far, to properly dispose my cigarette butts, plastic cups, and other trashes. I agree that the entire country is my home and I must keep it clean.

5. I shall take care of our foreign tourists and visitors. No more “not

my concern” attitude towards our guests. They are the visitors of our home as a nation; I will consciously make them feel safe from petty crimes and abuses. I will help render to them the warmth of our hospitality. Besides, the revenues that they bring substantially help build our economy which would ultimately benefit our people.

6. I will never sell my vote. Goodbye to accepting money in exchange for my vote. I will protect my constitutional right to cast my democratic choice for a political leader that I believe would best represent my interest.

7. I will choose the right candidate during elections. No longer a beauty and popularity contest for me during elections. I will give premium to my single vote by carefully selecting the most qualified candidate who shall serve my country well. I believe that the election process is my best chance to help my country in managing our perennial problems.

8. I will read the news and I will listen to relevant discussions. No more convenient apathy for me. I will show my utmost concern in our country’s dilemma. I will equip myself with the necessary knowledge so that I will never be vulnerable to abuses. I believe that a knowledgeable public is vigilant and strong in safeguarding its welfare.

9. I shall join at least one civic organization. No more leaving in isolation. I can pursue my interest better and more effectively if I am with the right group. There is strength in numbers. I believe that our democratic system can only function well if organized citizens are acting as one big voice.

10. I shall do my best to be spiritually strong. I will adhere to the correct values which I learned from my parents—to always take care of my neighbors, be honest and fair, and grab all opportunity to enjoy the silence of prayer.

The list of resolutions can be longer.

That is most welcome provided, they are done consistently. The problems of our country can be slowly defeated if all of us shall consciously resolve that our common salvation as one society must begin in ourselves.

48th part

Time is greater than space

A

constant tension exists between fullness and limitation.

Fullness evokes the desire for complete possession, while limitation is a wall set before us. Broadly speaking, “time” has to do with fullness as an expression of the horizon which constantly opens before us, while each individual moment has to do with limitation as an expression of enclosure. People live poised between each individual moment and the greater, brighter horizon of the utopian future as the final cause that draws us to itself. Here we see a first principle for progress in building a people: time is greater than space.

This principle enables us to work slowly but surely, without being obsessed with immediate results.

It helps us patiently to endure difficult and adverse situations, or inevitable changes in our plans. It invites us to accept the tension be-

tween fullness and limitation, and to give a priority to time. One of the faults we occasionally observe in sociopolitical activity is that spaces and power are preferred to time and processes. Giving priority to space means madly attempting to keep

Saturday, January 24, 2015

everything together in the present, trying to possess all the spaces of power and of self-assertion; it is to crystallize processes and presume to hold them back. Giving priority to time means being concerned about initiating processes rather than possessing spaces. Time governs spaces, illumines them and makes them links in a constantly expanding chain, with no possibility of return. What we need, then, is to give priority to actions which generate new processes in society and engage other persons and groups who can develop them to the point where they bear fruit in significant historical events. Without anxiety, but with clear convictions and tenacity.

Sometimes I wonder if there are people in today’s world who are really concerned about generating processes of people-building, as opposed to obtaining immediate results which yield easy, quick short-term political gains, but do not enhance human fullness. History will perhaps judge the latter with the criterion set forth by Romano Guardini: “The only measure for properly evaluating an age is to ask to what extent it fosters

The Sacramento Bee/TNS

W

HERE is the logic in buying a gas-guzzling SUV just because gas prices are so low?

As gas prices have tumbled, gashog sales have soared. November sales of the Cadillac Escalade SUV [in the US] were up 91.5 percent over November of last year. In December, sales of Ford’s Navigator rose 90.2 percent. The Dodge Ram and Chevy Silverado each saw sales increase by about a third. These vehicles have an average gas mileage of 16 in the city and about 22 on the highway.

In fairness, higher truck sales are primarily driven by higher housing starts, and construction is up, but buying a gluttonous SUV simply because gas prices have temporarily dipped is about as smart as buying a house without a roof because it’s sunny out.

Even the military-style Hummer H1, discontinued by General Motors for its fuel-thirsty ways, is attracting buyers. One local dealer told me he wished he’d bought a Hummer when owners were desperately selling them for $20,000 last fall. At the time we spoke–last month–they were topping 30 grand.

Sacramentans haven’t followed suit. SUV sales in the capital region rose just 7.6 percent from 2013 to 2014, according to IHS Automotive.

The industry consulting firm notes, though, that for the first time, SUVs overtook sedans in 2014 to become the most popular vehicle style in the country.

Auto industry analysts I spoke with all noted that today’s SUVs and trucks are more fuel-efficient than a decade ago. Still, their gas mileage lags decidedly behind smaller vehicles, and their growing numbers have an impact elsewhere. Steadily rising fuel-efficiency rates hit record

the development and attainment of a full and authentically meaningful human existence, in accordance with the peculiar character and the capacities of that age.”

This criterion also applies to evangelization, which calls for attention to the bigger picture, openness to suitable processes and concern for the long run. The Lord himself, during his earthly life, often warned his disciples that there were things they could not yet understand and that they would have to await the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16:12-13). The parable of the weeds among the wheat (cf. Matthew 13:2430) graphically illustrates an important aspect of evangelization: the enemy can intrude upon the kingdom and sow harm, but ultimately he is defeated by the goodness of the wheat.

To be continued For comments, e-mail caritas_manila@yahoo.com. For donations to Caritas Manila, call 563-9311. For inquiries, call 563-9308 or 563-9298.

Fax: 563-9306.

Secularism and responsible free expression Cecilio T. Arillo

database

P

EOPLED by more than 100 million 111 ethnic, linguistic and cultural groups speaking 70 major languages and dialects, our country today proudly remains a coherent nation, sharing a common racial identity, moral concepts and historical experiences.

This is so because, despite variations in cultural and religious practices, we are a people distinctly endowed with a clear understanding on the limit to secularism and free expression. Otherwise, we would have experienced the violent aftermath in France following Charlie Hebdo’s wrong interpretation of secularism.

Geographically, the Philippines, with a total land area of 115,800 square miles, is divided into 17 regions comprising 80 provinces, 138 cities and 1,474 towns scattered in 7,150 islands from the Northern tip of Luzon, the central plains, the mountainous areas of the Visayas and up to the Southwestern tip of Tawi-Tawi Province in Mindanao.

A New York Times editorial said: “Irreverent magazines like Charlie Hebdo have been a fixture in Western societies for many years, and France has strong tradition of such journalism.”

Briefly and clearly, the secular principle means separation of church and state and it’s inviolably (not to be broken) stated in Section 6, Article 11, of the 1987 Constitution.

Anthony C. Grayling, the distinguished philosophy professor at Birk-

beck College, University of London, and author of the bestselling book Ideas that Matter (Phoenix, 2010), said: ‘Secular’ does not imply ‘antireligious’, it implies ‘non-religious’.

So there have been and are many religious people who are also secularists, because they take the view that religion and government should be kept apart. It has been argued that secularism in the Western tradition was an invention of the Christian Church, which wished to keep itself free of interference from the temporal powers whenever and wherever it found itself unable to govern the temporal powers.

“A secular dispensation is one in which matters of governments, public policy and administration, and publicly funded provision of services, are kept distinct from any religious organizations or movements and their particular wishes for the form that society should take and how it should be run.”

“In the natural way,” he said, “the word ‘secular’ has come to acquire additional connotations and extensions of meaning. So for a main example, a secular outlook is one that bases itself on reason and evidence,

at the same time opposing acceptance of views on the basis of faith, tradition, authority of superstition.”

He pointed out further: “Secular values and principles are most illuminatingly associated with those of the Enlightenment, celebrating individual autonomy and enjoining the responsibility to think for oneself and to base one’s life and outlook on rational and empirical grounds.

Commitment to science, humanist ethics and democratic institutions lies at the core of this outlook, and by its nature therefore secularism is pluralistic.”

Grayling explained that the US is a constitutionally secular state; the First Amendment to the Constitution provides that there is to be no public interference in matters of religion and vice versa. “Turkey under the reformist project of Mustapha Kemar Atatürk became a secular state after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. France is a secular state; the most populous part of the United Kingdom, England is not a secular state, because it has an established Church which is deeply implicated in the constitutional fabric of the state, has a major unelected presence in the legislature, runs over a quarter of secondary schools and three-quarters of primary schools, and presides over most of the ritual functions of the state such as coronations of monarchs, royal weddings, and ceremonies of state including daily prayer in Parliament.

According to him, “the word ‘secularism’ itself was coined in 1846 by the atheist and Owenite socialist writer George Holyoake, who five years earlier had spent six months

Environment, logic taken for a ride by surging SUV sales

By Bruce Maiman

A7

levels last August–25.8 miles per gallon–according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, which tracks mileage trends on a monthly basis. By December, it was 25.1 mpg. Partly that’s also due to another puzzling consequence of falling gas prices: falling demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The environmental impact is notable. Automobiles account for about half of an average household’s emissions, but a big SUV produces about three times the annual greenhouse gas tonnage emitted by a Prius.

“When people are buying an SUV, they probably aren’t thinking about carbon emissions or the global economy,” Kelley Blue Book’s Micah Muzio told me. “People just look at how much gas costs and whether they can afford that. For most consumers, it’s that simple.” So simple that our memories are that short?

In the early 2000s, with gas prices

around $1.50 a gallon, Americans were buying SUVs as if that price would last forever. It didn’t. In 2007, when gas started hitting $3 and then $4 a gallon, SUV owners were stuck.

“Seventy-five percent of Americans keep their vehicle for seven years,” Amy Jaffe, executive director of Energy and Sustainability at University of California, Davis, said. “These cars stay on the road through the used-car market for 14 years. Even if takes two years for prices to rise again, you’ll still have the car for another five years, so why would you make a purchase based on a two-year phenomenon?”

Then, once gas prices rise, the same people who bought the vehicles when gas prices fell will be the same ones in the office break room whining that $4 gas is costing them $120 to fill up their extended-cab, four-wheel drive asphalt-eater so they can haul home carrots and a loaf of bread.

Then, once gas prices rise, the same people who bought the vehicles when gas prices fell will be the same ones in the office break room whining that $4 gas is costing them $120 to fill up their extended-cab, four-wheel drive asphalt-eater so they can haul home carrots and a loaf of bread. “And they’re going to write the governor about climate policy,” Jaffe scoffed.

Or complain about wasteful government spending.

“And they’re going to write the governor about climate policy,” Jaffe scoffed. Or complain about wasteful government spending.

As Jaffe noted, purchasing a ve-

in prison for blasphemy. He was the last person to be convicted for this ‘crime’ in England. In a magazine founded for the purpose of promoting the idea of secularism, the Reasoner, Holyoake argued not merely for the separation of Church and state but for the development of a secular society, in which the influence of religion would be relegated to the private sphere and all the public matters would be cooperatively decided on rational principles.

“In the view of some, the future safety and sanity of the world depend on secularism at least in the Churchstate separation sense, and ideally in the more inclusive social sense too.

The work of such organizations as the Secular “Coalition for America and Americans United in the United States, and the National Secular Society in the United Kingdom, is vital in articulating the argument for secularism and opposing the continuous effort by religious organizations to increase their influence in the public domain.

“A notable achievement in secularist endeavor was its defeat of the Roman Catholics Church’s efforts to have reference to Europe’s Christian part inserted in the preamble to draft versions of a European Constitution. Europe is the most secular region of the world, being the home of the Enlightenment and all that this implies; for both sides of the debate about secularism that is a fact of singular importance, and illustrates the importance that secularism has for those who reflect on it.”

To reach the writer, e-mail cecilio. arillo@gmail.com

hicle is one of the few times you can control what you pay for fuel. You can’t control the price of gas, but you can control how much you pay for it by the vehicle you choose to drive.

“I do think a little more long-term planning is beneficial because we do know gas prices will go up. Even though SUVs are more fuel efficient than before, there are still other fuel-efficient options,” Muzio said.

Just think: Instead of burdening co-workers with your shortsightedness, you can save the gas bucks and use them to pay your kid’s college loans, or save for retirement.

“Maybe the smart thing to do rather than buy a gas hog,” Muzio said: “Buy a Prius or Chevy Volt as their prices go down. Hold on to it a little bit and when the time is right, you can sell it on the market to people overreacting because gas prices have gone up.” Market forces are market forces. How you benefit from them is up to you.

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, January 24, 2015

Halal exporters target higher sales in M. East

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ocal halal exporters will join the country’s export-promotion authority in a global exhibit next week, in their bid to expand their shipments to Middle Eastern countries and get a bigger share of the $1.1-trillion global halal market.

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem) said it will bring local halal exporters to Gulfood 2015, which will be held in Dubai. Citem said the exhibit serves as a sourcing platform for exporters seeking new sales from halal-consuming regions of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

Citem is bringing at least 24 local exhibitors to Gulfood to promote their halal products to the Muslim world. Through the exhibit, the attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry hopes to sell more locally made halal products to neighboring Muslim countries in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia’s halal consumption amounted to $197 billion in 2012, followed by Turkey, at $100 billion.

Citing information from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Citem said the global halal market is expected to expand to $1.6 trillion by 2018 at a compounded annual growth rate of around 6.9 percent.

“The United Arab Emirates (UAE) alone accounted for $20 billion in 2012,” Citem said in a statement. Most of the UAE’s imports are traded in Dubai and reached $3.6 billion in 2010.

This figure is expected to grow to $5.5 billion in 2015. UAE’s ports account for 61 percent of the total trade volume of the Gulf Cooperation Council-member-countries. Catherine N. Pillas

GDP grew faster at 6.1% in Q4 of 2014–Moody’s

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By Bianca Cuaresma

ocal output, measured as the gross domestic product (GDP), was seen to have bounced back in the final three months of 2014 to 6.1 percent, indicating a more vibrant economy than had been witnessed in recent months, researchers at Moody’s Analytics said.

At its weekly Asia-Pacific Economic Data Preview, the nonrating unit of the sovereign credit watcher Moody’s Investors Service said the $270-billion Philippine economy was poised to expand in excess of 6 percent for the period, no matter the global headwinds tending to limit the country’s capacity to post strong growth yet again for the period.

If Moody’s Analytics is proven right, the full-year growth in 2014 should average 6 percent, sharply lower than the growth in 2013, averaging 7.2 percent.

The forecast growth was also

lower than the fourth-quarter expansion in 2013, averaging 6.3 percent, when Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) devastated a good part of the productive areas of the country.

T he Phi l ippines posted rather disappointing growth numbers in the third quarter last year, owing to tepid agricultural production and the national government’s inability to disburse budgeted funds for the productive sectors during the period.

“A fall in agricultural production and a decline in gov-

ernment spending dragged third-quarter GDP [gross domestic product] growth to its slowest pace in three years. These factors should be transitory, and we expect economic growth to rebound in the fourth-quarter report,” Moody’s Analytics said.

Moody’s Analytics, nevertheless, said business and investment confidence remained buoyant, no matter the quarter-onquarter slowdown last year.

“Business sentiment and investment remain buoyant and should make a solid contribution to growth. Consumer demand accounts for 70 percent of GDP, and will continue to grow at around 5 percent year on year,” Moody’s Analytics said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority is scheduled to report on the country’s growth numbers in the final three months of 2014 on Thursday, January 29.

Thai Ex-Premier Yingluck impeached, faces criminal charges

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ANGKOK—Thailand’s military-appointed legislature on Friday voted to impeach former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for her role in overseeing a government rice-subsidy program that lost billions of dollars, a move that could further polarize a divided nation plagued by political turmoil and coups for a decade.

The vote, which means Yingluck will be banned from politics for five years, came just after the attorney general’s office announced separate plans to indict her on criminal charges for negligence related to losses and alleged corruption in the rice program.

No date has been set for the formal indictment, but, if convicted, Yingluck could face 10 years in jail.

Yingluck’s supporters see the moves as part of an effort to deal a final blow to her political party, after the military seized power in a coup in May, overthrowing a government elected by popular vote in 2011.

Impeachment required a three-fifths vote of the legislature’s 220 members, and, on Friday, 190 voted against Yingluck. Most members of the legislature are part of the military or political opponents of Yingluck and past governments allied with her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.

Yingluck did not immediately comment, but, in an appearance before Parliament on Thursday, she denied she was responsible for any corruption and questioned the fairness of an investigation by the See “Yingluck,” A2

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PHL inflation within target for six consecutive years, BSP says

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he Philippines has managed to contain inflation within the government’s target for six consecutive years, after inflation rate in the fourth quarter of 2014 settled at 3.6 percent, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Friday.

The inflation rate in the final three months of 2014 was also the lowest last year, compared to first and second quarters’ inflation rate of 4.1 percent and third-quarter inflation rate of 4.7 percent.

This brings the 2014 average inflation rate to 4.1 percent, well within the interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee’s target of 3.0 percent to 5.0 percent for the period.

“The slowdown in headline inflation was attributed largely to slower increases in food prices, due to ample domestic supply.

Similarly nonfood inflation decelerated, owing to the decline in the prices of electricity and domestic petroleum products,” the BSP reported.

According to the central bank, inflation of food prices eased to 6.6 percent in Q4 2014, from 8.3-percent inflation rate in Q3 2014.

The central bank attributed the slowdown in inflation of food prices in the last quarter of the previous year to the adequate domestic supply of agricultural products and easing port congestion.

Nonfood inflation, on the other hand, declined to 1.4 percent in Q4 2014, from 2.4 percent in Q3 2014, because of lower prices of electricity, gas and other fuels, and operation of personal transport equipment.

Meanwhile, core inf lation, which excludes some food and energy items to measure underlying price pressures, for Q4 2014 also declined to 2.7 percent—lower than quarter-ago’s 3.3 percent and yearago’s 2.9 percent. “BSP remains attentive to evolving price and output developments. BSP stands ready to undertake preemptive policy actions as necessary to safeguard its prices and financial-stability objectives,” the central bank noted. PNA

Oil jumps as Saudi King’s death spurs speculation over policy Continued from A1

“The passing of King Abdullah is going to increase uncertainty and increase volatility in oil prices in the near term,” Neil Beveridge, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., said over the phone. “I wouldn’t expect a change in policy in the near term to be known, but the passing comes at a challenging time for Saudi Arabia.”

Oil fell almost 50 percent last year, as the US pumped at the fastest rate in more than three decades, and Opec resisted calls to cut output.

Crude stockpiles in the US, the world’s biggest oil consumer, rose by 10.1 million barrels through January 16, the Energy Information Administration reported on Thursday. That was the biggest volume gain since March 2001.

Policy uncertainty

West Texas Intermediate for March delivery climbed as much as $1.45 to $47.76 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $47.19 at 12:39 p.m., Singapore time. The contract dropped $1.47 to $46.31 on Thursday. Total volume was about 52 percent above the 100-day average. Prices have decreased 3.1 percent this week.

Brent for March settlement advanced as much as $1.28 to $49.80 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The European benchmark crude traded at a premium of $2.27 to WTI, compared to $1.04 on January 16.Abdullah oversaw a fivefold expansion in the size of the Arab world’s biggest economy and met the Arab Spring with a mixture of force and largesse. He died after almost a decade on the throne. He was born in 1924.

“The market is reacting bullishly to this news because it may usher in a period of uncertainty as far as Saudi policies going forward as new leadership takes over,” said Andy Lipow, the president of Lipow Oil Associates Llc., an energy consultant in Houston, Texas.

Market ‘tensions’

King Salman, in his previous capacity as crown prince, read a speech on behalf of the monarch on January 6 that confirmed the continuity of Saudi oil policy in the face of market “tensions” caused by slow growth in the global economy.

A key indicator will be whether Salman, 79, retains the oil minister, Ali al-Naimi, who has driven decision-making since 1995. AlNaimi, who turns 80 this year, has said he’d like to devote more time to his other job as the chairman of the science and technology university named after the late sovereign.

“There’s the possibility that Ali al-Naimi could be replaced as oil minister,” said Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago. “The biggest concern is uncertainty. But, because the world is awash in oil, the reaction was muted.”

The king’s death also raises the question of whether instability across the Middle East will intensify, according to Flynn. Abdullah had“done a good job trying to subdue” insurgents in the country, and Saudi Arabia may face increasing pressure from them now that he’s gone, he said.

Global supplies

Middle Eastern nations account for half of Opec’s 12 members. The group, which supplies about 40 percent of the world’s oil, maintained its collective production target at 30 million barrels a day at a November 27 meeting in Vienna. Output averaged 30.2 million in December, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Saudi Arabia pumped 9.5 million a day last month. Bloomberg News

Malacañang statement on the passing of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

The death of King Abdullah marks the passing of an important figure in international and regional

affairs. We extend our condolences to the Royal Family and to the people of Saudi Arabia.

The King’s receptiveness to the concerns of the Filipino government helped improve the welfare and prospects of our countrymen in Saudi Arabia. In particular, he granted clemency, in different instances, to Filipinos under trial; reached into his own coffers to assist in the case of Rodelio Celestino Lanuza; and provided migrant workers in Saudi Arabia the opportunity to correct their status. It was also during his reign that the Philippines and Saudi Arabia agreed on a standard employment contract, which governs the employment of Filipino domestic workers in Saudi Arabia; this was followed by the signing of an agreement on domestic-worker recruitment, which aims to better protect the welfare of Filipino household service workers in the kingdom.

These actions will be remembered by our government, and by those who were positively affected by his decisions and efforts.

Dfa statement on the passing of King Abdullah

The Philippine government expresses its deepest condolences and sympathies to the Government and the people of Saudi Arabia on the passing of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs (Dfa) said His Majesty passed away yesterday morning and has been succeeded by his brother, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud.

“The late King was a courageous, generous, and visionary leader who introduced policy changes in education and infrastructure. He was a champion in fighting extremism.” Under King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia strengthened its contributions as a positive force in the global economy, the Dfa added.

“The King’s passing is not only a profound loss for the Kingdom and the Islamic world, but also for the community of responsible nations.”