THE MANILA TIMES | MAY 02, 2019

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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019

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Groups, lawmakers call for minimum wage hikes DEMANDS for higher minimum wages were reiterated by labor groups and some lawmakers on Wednesday as the country marked International Workers’ Day. Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc, who were among those who joined Labor Day protests in Metro Manila, said the incoming 18th Congress should “take back THE POWER TO kX WAGESu BY LEGISLATING PAY hikes that would help Filipinos catch up with rising prices.

Minimum wages in the Philippines are

WHAT ELSE IS NEW? Thousands of workers burn an effigy of President Rodrigo Duterte at a Labor Day rally in Mendiola, Manila on Wednesday.

PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

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May 13 election is a battle for the nation’s future

First word

D

OBSERVER YEN MAKABENTA

ON’T be deceived by the lack of drama and intensity in the ongoing election campaign. The May 13 midterm election is more consequential than many of us realize.

DUTERTE TO CONGRESS:

Pass pro-worker laws CONGRESS should pass “much-needed dent Rodrigo Duterte said, as the country LEGISLATIVE MEASURESu TO FURTHER PROTECT marked Labor Day on Wednesday. workers and uphold their rights, PresiMilitant groups celebrated Interna-

tional Workers’ Day with similar calls for increased protection and higher wages, but also criticized the President

BY BURNING HIM IN EFkGY A MOVE THAT Malacaùang — after earlier declaring that staging protests was a right — warned could scare away investors.

In a message, the President noted that more needed to be done, following LAST YEAR S %XECUTIVE /RDER %/ THAT REITERATED EXISTING PROHIBITIONS AGAINST illegal contracting and subcontracting. Duterte has pledged to eliminate

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Why Filipinos back Duterte and his candidates

“O

N LY people with l ow - l e ve l IQ and without personal principles will continue to SUPPORT THIS ROGUE PRESIDENT u That’s the opinion attributed to one Rene Bustamente of Bacolod City in a message going around social media.

(Apologies to him if the line isn’t his.)

REPUBLIC SERVICE RICARDO SALUDO

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Cebu Pacific should not be allowed to fly IN MY LINE

HE OF SIGHT planes of Cebu Pacific, the country’s budget airline, should not be allowed to lY UNTIL THE AIRLINE IMPROVES ITS SERVICE 4HE AIRLINE HAS ANNOUNCED lIGHT CANcellations in fully booked routes from Manila to Legazpi, Tacloban, Davao, Bacolod, Zamboanga, Iloilo, Dumaguete and Cagayan de Oro. ³TulfoA5

RAMON T. TULFO

NBI arrests ‘Bikoy’

BY JOMAR CANLAS

T

HE man allegedly behind the controversial video “Bikoy� was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday, Justice Secretary -ENARDO 'UEVARRA CONkRMED ON 7EDNESDAY

Mandatory repatriation for Filipinos still in Tripoli FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has ordered the mandatory evacuation of about 1,000 Filipinos and their dependents IN 4RIPOLI AS kGHTING HAS GOTTEN CLOSER TO THE Libyan capital.

Locsin said he had already informed President Rodrigo Duterte of a decision to raise the alert to level 4 (mandatory repatriation) from level 3 (voluntary repatriation).

The higher alert level, which covers a 100-ki-

MALACAĂ‘ANG on Wednesday again defended the credibility of a report linking journalists and lawyers to an oust-Duterte plot, saying that intelligence information said to have formed the basis of the claim was not obtained through unlawful methods. “The President (Rodrigo Duterte) said the information on the ouster plot was received by him from a foreign source. It does not conclusively mean‌ that the information was originally obtained by the foreign country by an unlawful method that violates the privacy

OF AN INDIVIDUAL u 0ALACE SPOKESMAN Salvador Panelo said in a statement. “It is also erroneous to speculate that the information was obtained through wiretapping or any similar device prohibited by laws, as it could have been personally heard or witnessed during a conversation between plotters in a PLACE WHERE THERE IS NO REASONABLE EXpectation of privacy, which according to jurisprudence, is not violative of our PRIVACY LAWS u HE ADDED 4HE 0ALACE OFkCIAL SAID THE INFORmation “may have been acquired

by a Filipino citizen who shared the same to the foreign country, which then transmitted to PRRD (Duterte) pursuant to the global policy of intelligence information sharing between COUNTRIES u “It could also have been heard by one of their colleagues who does not agree on the ouster plan, who then shared the information to another, who in turn also relayed the information from whom PRRD received it. The POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS u

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held at Resorts World Manila on Wednesday.

PHOTO BY DJ DIOSINA

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BY DESIGN EMPEROR BEGINS REIGN WorldB7 Felino Palafox Jr.A6

SportsC1

³’Bikoy’A2

JOB FAIR Job seekers flock to the job fair

What’s inside

WARRIORS HOLD OFF ROCKETS FOR 2-0 SERIES LEAD

g) CAN CONkRM THAT A SEARCH WARRANT was served by the NBI Cybercrime Division,“ the Justice chief said.

He said the arrest was made after NBI operatives discovered pieces of evidence linking the person to the videos.

PALACE: INFO BEHIND MATRIX OBTAINED VIA LEGAL METHODS

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ROBREDO CALLS FOR END TO ‘ENDO’

Bikoy was the name adopted by a hooded man who uploaded videos linking members of the Duterte family to the illegal drug trade.

Guevarra said the NBI’s Cybercrime Division arrested the man behind the Bikoy videos.

Court rules vs Holcim in ports terminal dispute

BY MAURO GIA SAMONTE

ONE-ON-ONE WITH

JASON MRAZ EntertainmentD4

Part 2 of 4 IT was not actually just an initial P800million Union Bank loan that Seasia Nectar Port Services Inc. (SNPSI) incurred for an agreed port terminal construction within the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB). Others were obtained on

various dates corresponding to periods when Holcim changed specikCATIONS FOR ITS operational needs: Bank of Commerce, P300 million; Sovereign Star Trade Finance Limited (United Kingdom),

$1,888,611.35; and Security Bank, P800,000. Since loan repayments are BASED ON CASH lOW 3.03) SUDDENLY faced a high risk of default, cross-default and non-payment due to Holcim Philippines Inc. (HPI) President John Stull’s sudden termination of a memorandum of agreement (MoA).

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News

˜ The Manila Times

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THURSDAY May 2, 2019

Robredo calls for end to ‘endo’

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BY GLEE JALEA

ICE President Maria Leonor “Leni�

Robredo called for an end to contractualization on Labor Day, reiterating the need to improve working CONDITIONS OF &ILIPINO WORKERS In a statement issued on Wednesday, Robredo urged the public to unite in the call to end gENDOu or the end of the contract employment scheme that lasts employees less than SIX MONTHS OR JUST SHORT OF BEing regularized. “Ngayong Mayo Uno, magkaisa tayo na wakasan na ang endo at kontraktuwalisasyon (This May 1, let us unite to end endo and CONTRACTUALIZATION u SHE SAID

Robredo cited the importance of upholding the welfare of Filipino workers, having worked as a lawyer advocating for the marginalized sector and labor groups. “Itaguyod ang ligtas, marangal at regular na trabaho para sa manggagawang Pilipino (Let us advocate for safe, honorable and regular jobs for our fellow Filipino WORKERS u SHE SAID Robredo pushed for the security of tenure for Filipino workers and

Q ‘BIKOY’ FROM A1

)N THE kFTH EPISODE OF THE VIDEO series uploaded late April, Bikoy said a drug syndicate working in Bicol, which he called the “QuadRANGLE 'ROUP u CONSISTED OF FORmer politicians and businessmen.

He claimed the leader of the Quadrangle Group was Albay businessman and Misibis Bay resort owner Elizaldy Co. (E ALSO IDENTIkED OTHER MEMBERS of the group — Victor Lorenzo Rosales, who is in jail; Albay Rep. Fernando Gonzalez; Camarines Norte Gov. Edgardo Tallado; former Camarines Sur congressman and governor Luis Villafuerte; Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua; Sorsogon Senior Provincial Board Member Krunimar Escudero; Naga businessman Thomas Enrile; and multilevel marketing franchise owner Tess Raùola.

Bikoy was tagged as the source OF THE /UST $UTERTE MATRIX RELEASED BY THE /FkCE OF THE 0RESIdent to The Manila Times’ Chairman Emeritus, Dr. Dante A. Ang. 4HE MATRIX NAMED THE JOURNALists and organizations allegedly involved in the reported plot to blacken the image of the President.

WITH CATHERINE A. MODESTO

NBI arrests Guevarra refused to give more details, including the identity of the man arrested. “The operation was made in coordination with the DepartMENT OF *USTICE #YBERCRIME OFkCE u he said.

The Justice department and the NBI quietly started the investigation of the source[s] of the socalled “Ang Totoong Narcolistu videos last week.

In the videos, a hooded man who hid behind the name Bikoy claimed that he was a former member of a drug syndicate. He alleged that Christopher Lawrence g"ONGu 'O AND SOME MEMBERS OF President Rodrigo Duterte’s family were involved in the operations of an illegal drug syndicate called the g$AVAO 'ROUP u Bikoy accused Go, presidential son Paolo Duterte and Veronica, the President’s daughter with partner Honeylet Avanceùa, and Manases Carpio, husband of Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio, of receiving millions of pesos from the drug ring.

Q HIKES FROM A1

Groups currently set by region via tripartite boards.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate urged the government and the public to support House Bill (HB) 7787, which seeks a P750- national minimum wage for private workers and HB 7196 that calls for a P16,000 monthly minimum wage for government employees.

HB 7787 and 7196 were not approved at the committee level and WOULD HAVE TO BE REkLED ONCE THE NEW #ONGRESS TAKES OFkCE IN *ULY “With higher prices of bills and goods, this is the most effective solution to cushion the struggles being EXPERIENCED BY OUR WORKERS IN THEIR day-to-day living as they try to make ends meet with the amount of wage THEY ARE GIVEN u :ARATE CLAIMED Anakpawis party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao added that workers were decrying low wages across regions. “High cost of living combined WITH LOW WAGES AND lEXIBLE LABOR equal slave-like conditions, poverty and hunger for the minimum wageearning family. It is not surprising that strikes are being launched by workers ACROSS THE COUNTRY u HE SAID Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, meanwhile, said: “It is clear on the record of the regional wage boards since 1989 that their implementation is inutile — they’re giving measly wages to workers despite the increasing prices OF PRODUCTS u She also claimed that some companies were continuing to pay women much less than men.

A P750-adjustment, think tank Ibon Foundation said on Wednesday, could be shouldered by employers. “In NCR (National Capital Region), raising [the] minimum wage will only cost 9.8 percent of current PROkTS OF ESTABLISHMENTS WHICH STILL leaves [the government] with P1.05 TRILLION IN PROkTS u IT ADDED Ibon has said that the current minimum wage was about P467 short of the needed P1,004-family

LIVING WAGE FOR A FAMILY OF kVE AS OF March 2019. The current minimum wage in the NCR is P537, the highest in the country.

Compromise offered A moderate workers’ group, meanwhile, said it was willing to compromise on its demands if employers regularized workers and complied with occupational safety and health standards. “We are willing to strike a balance.

We can adopt if they do not want a wage hike, but let’s talk about security OF TENURE OF EMPLOYEES u !LAN 4ANJUsay, Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) spokesman, said at a forum in Manila. “They should regularize their CONTRACTUAL WORKERS u 4ANJUSAY said, adding that this could be DONE gIN PHASES u g&OR EXAMPLE FOR THIS YEAR LET S REGULARIZE WORKERS AND THE NEXT

ANOTHER u In reply, Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. Rep. George Siy said: “We could regularize workers if we have the right to let go of the workERS IF THEY ARE NOT NEEDED ANYMORE u Redundancy and retirement fees could be added, he said, but full regularization was unlikely to be achieved. “Maybe we should be happy with A PERCENT COMPLIANCE u ,IM SAID 4ANJUSAY STOOD kRM WITH REGARD to the ALU-TUCP’s push for a P710increase in daily minimum wages, saying: “We cannot lower the standard and the government and the compaNIES SHOULD ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM u “We know that what we are asking for is a bit much, but if the government and the enterprises could work together, then we could improve the quality of life of our Filipino workERS u HE SAID Tanjusay added that P1,300 was needed by a family of five to meet daily nutritional requirements, not P70 as earlier claimed by the National Economic and Development Authority.

GLEE JALEA AND CATHERINE A. MODESTO

urged for inclusive discussion with both workers and employers.

She reminded the government to reconsider reforms that would help fulfill its promise to end contractualization and strengthen labor rights.

Meanwhile, candidates of the Liberal Party-backed Otso Diretso opposition slate shared the same sentiments and also urged the public to vote for potential senators who would bring their labor rights to the forefront. “Kailangan natin ng mga mambabatas na magsusulong ng progresibong batas sa Senado, ngunit higit roon, kailangan natin ng mga senador na totoong may integridad at handang tumindig katabi ng mga manggagawang Pilipino, ang uring pinakapagod, pinakamarungis,

pinakagutom at pinakanaghihirap kapag nagnanakaw ang mga nakaupo sa gobyerno (We need lawmakers who will push for progressive measures in the Senate, and more than that, we need senators with true integrity and ARE READY TO kGHT FOR OUR &ILIPINO workers, those who are the most tired, the most hungry and the most struggling when those in power are stealing from public COFFERS u FORMER SOLICITOR GENERAL Florin Hilbay said.

Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc reminded President Rodrigo $UTERTE TO FULkLL HIS PROMISES TO the workers sector, primarily the farmers and the teachers.

She also urged the administraTION TO FOCUS ON ITS gPOLITICAL WILLu into enacting pro-worker and propoor bills in Congress.

“This administration claims of a strong political will. Prove this.

The 18th Congress, if we will be lucky, should focus on its priority legislative agenda to ensure THE WELFARE OF ORDINARY LABORERS u Gutoc said.

Former House deputy speaker ,ORENZO g%RINu 4AĂ„ADA RD NOTED that undermployment rate in the country had increased from 16.3 percent to 17 percent in 2018 equivalent to 3.703 million workers, who were working 40 hours a week without a stable income. “It’s about time that we ensure that those whom we will put in the 3ENATE CAN FULkLL THEIR DUTIES AND promises as proven in their track records‌ those whom we consider ALLIES IN kGHTING FOR REGULAR JOBS and sources of livelihood as well AS A STABLE INCOME u HE SAID

BATTING FOR LABOR

Paolo Benigno “Bam� Aquino 4th speaks at a Labor Day assembly at Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City on Wednesday. Aquino is seeking reelection in the May 13 midterm polls. PHOTO BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI

Labor groups back Bam Aquino VARIOUS labor organizations have declared full support behind the reelection of Sen. Paolo BeNIGNO g"AMu !QUINO TH CALLING him an ally and defender of workers’ welfare in the Senate.

The Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro), Anakpawis and Confederation for Unity Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage), which represent workers from the public and private sectors, all committed to back Aquino’s bid for a second term in the Senate.

During Sentro’s 7th general assembly, the group’s secretary general Josua Mata said the senator “is a reliable partner when it comes to

welfare of workers and other labor ISSUES IN THE 3ENATE u "EFORE kLING HIS 3ENATE "ILL OR THE g3ECURITY OF 4ENURE "ILL u Aquino worked closely with Sentro in crafting the legislation that aims to end the practice of contractualization in the country.

If he wins a second term in the May 13 midterm elections, he said he would push for passage of the Security of Tenure Bill and other labor-related measures. “The 18th Congress must pass THE 3ECURITY OF 4ENURE "ILL 7E kLED THIS BILL AS EARLY AS *UNE u Aquino said.

He also committed to work for passage of his Trabaho Center Bill,

Q LAWS FROM A1

Pass pro-worker laws gENDOu — the practice of letting WORKERS GO BEFORE SIX MONTHS TO avoid having to regularize them — and critics have said the EO merely paid lip service to the promise. “I remain optimistic that one year since I issued EO 51 implementing EXISTING CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY provisions against illegal contracting, my counterparts in Congress will consider passing much-needed legislative measures that will fully protect our workers’ rights, especially to security of tenure and selfORGANIZATION u $UTERTE SAID The celebration of Labor Day — marked by most of the world on May 1 — should prompt all Filipinos to work together and create an environment “conducive to the workers’ personal and profesSIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT u he added.

Duterte also commended workers for their hard work, grit and perseverance, and said the strength of the country was anchored on these characteristics.

The House has also passed a measure that will streamline the registration of unions.

Both chambers of Congress are still working to approve their versions of a proposed Magna Carta for Workers in the Informal Economy, which will give the sector the same rights currently enjoyed by those holding regular jobs.

Also pending are various bills calling for wage adjustments, including the establishment of a national minimum wage to replace the current regional wagesetting system.

Protests staged

Labor groups took to the streets to press for higher pay and better worker conditions. In Manila, a crowd estimated by police to number 3,800 protesters marched to Mendiola near MalacaĂąang to burn an effigy of Duterte, who was criticized for failing to uphold worker rights.

The militant Kilusang Mayo Uno Pending measures (KMU) led the march. KMU Chairman Elmer Labog reiterated calls A security of tenure bill has already for a P750-daily minimum wage, or been passed by the House of Rep- P16,000 per month, that the governresentatives, but remains under ment and employers have rejected. discussion at the Senate, whose “In terms of wage demands, they VERSION HAS BEEN CERTIkED AS URGENT ARE QUICK TO SAY IT IS NOT AFFORDABLE u

by Duterte. he said. “ [But] based on data on

which aims to solve the problem of jobs mismatch and high unemployment rate in the country.

Aquino sought the creation of Trabaho Centers or job placement OFkCES IN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS AND state universities and colleges.

The Trabaho Center will provide services such as industry matching, career counseling and employment facilitation.

Aquino said the Trabaho CenTER "ILL IS THE gNEXT BEST NECESSARY REFORMu AFTER THE &REE #OLLEGE Law, which he pushed as principal sponsor during his time as chairman of the Senate Committee on Education.

BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO companies with 20 or more employees last year, even if you increase the current wage by P750, they will still ENJOY A HUGE PROkT u The Malayang Alyansa ng Bus Employees at Laborers, meanwhile, called for regular pay and the right to unionize, while the Alliance of Health Workers asked the government to remove them from its list of New People’s Army supporters.

Palace warning Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo criticized militant groups for ignoring Duterte’s pro-labor initiatives. “The KMU criticizes the government for being anti-poor and antiworker, while blaming the government for the lack of jobs and alleged worsening labor conditions. What seems to escape them is the truth that their anti-government activities could scare away foreign investors, RESULTING IN JOB LOSSES u HE SAID He said Duterte had signed laws strengthening occupational safety and health standards, making work from home as an alternative work arrangement, increasing female workers’ maternity leave period and providing a handbook on the rights and responsibilities of migrant workers.

EOs increasing employment COMPENSATION FUNERAL BENEkTS FOR private and public sector workers, and protecting the right to security of tenure, among others, have also been issued, Panelo said.

Q MATRIX FROM A1

PALACE: Duterte had said that foreign countries were listening in on journalists.

He made the claim after the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) released a three-part story questioning his family’s wealth.

In the wake of the PCIJ report, The Manila Times published a story alleging that the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, VERA Files, PCIJ and Rappler were conniving against Duterte.

Global watchdogs have said that press freedom in the Philippines — where journalism has been historically vibrant — was under attack, but Panelo denied this, claiming that “compared to all administrations, the dissent during this leaderSHIP IS THE FREEST u “No person has been haled to court on account of the individual’s EXERCISE OF THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH or by reason of one’s disagreement against the administration or its POLICIES u HE SAID “Certain individuals are facing charges due to the presence of circumstances and facts giving rise to a reasonable belief that they are probably guilty of the crimes they are charged with, but certainly and absolutely unrelated to their being critical of the ADMINISTRATION u HE ADDED Panelo reiterated that the revelation on the ouster plot was “pursuant TO THE PEOPLE S RIGHT TO INFORMATION u “The people deserve to know that there are ouster plans against the leadership of their government. Article 3, Section 7 of the Constitution categorically provides that, ‘the right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized.’ It is, therefore, the constitutional duty of the administration to report to our countrymen the presence of groups which are motivated to unseat their President whom they have given the MANDATE TO GOVERN u He said it was “totally unnecesSARYu TO PROVIDE PROOF OF THE ALLEGED plotters’ participation as it was not considering legal action at this point. g4HOSE NAMED IN THE MATRIX DEmand proof of their participation in THE OUSTER PLOT 4HE MATRIX SHOWS THAT there is an ouster plot. It is just a plot, A PLAN AN IDEA u 0ANELO SAID “The same is not actionable in court it being just a conspiracy.

Conspiracy is not a crime unless the LAW SPECIkCALLY CLASSIkES A PARTICULAR conspiracy to undertake a project or ACTUALIZE A PLAN AS A CRIME u HE ADDED g4HE MATRIX WAS DISCLOSED TO THE public for the ring leaders and their co-plotters know that we know, to put them on notice that pursuing their plan by committing overt acts punishable by law will open themselves to CRIMINAL PROSECUTION u CATHERINE S. VALENTE

“It is also during the current government when the welfare and concern of our overseas foreign workers (OFWs) were given priority. We now have a one-stop service center for OFWs, a 24/7 OFW Command Center and an Overseas Filipino Bank. We have signed bilateral labor agreements with Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, TO NAME SOME u HE CONTINUED

Jobs offered The Labor department, meanwhile, said some 16,000 jobseekers joined job fairs held nationwide on Labor Day. Bureau of Local Employment Director Dominique Tuyay said out of 16,001 applicants, 6,547 were QUALIkED

WERE INTERVIEWED

1,033 were hired on the spot and 3,487 were near hires. “When we say near hires it means that they still need to be interviewed OR NEED TO TAKE AN EXAMINATION or have still to complete their documents because they are already QUALIkED u SHE ADDED A total of 1,045 employers participated, 872 of which were local and 173 were based overseas. Job vacancies on offer totaled 203,897, with 106,913 comprising local positions and 96,984 overseas.

RALPH U. VILLANUEVA WITH REPORTS FROM C ATHERINE A. MODESTO AND WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL

News Expanded maternity law’s rules signed ˜ The Manila Times

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

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BY WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL

AN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga: Women workers can now enjoy longer maternity leave with t he s i g n i n g o n We d n e s d ay o f t he implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) Law. The IRR was signed by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd, Civil Service Commission Chairman Alicia de la Rosa Bala and Social Securi-

ty System Chairman Aurora Ignacio.

Republic Act (RA) 11210 or the “Expanded Maternity Leave Act of 2018� was signed

Oil firms cut LPG prices INDUSTRY players slightly reduced the prices of LIQUEkED PETROLEUM GAS ,0' ON 7EDNESDAY after implementing a hefty hike in April.

0ETRON DECREASED ,0' PRICES BY CENTAVOS PER KILOGRAM AND !UTO,0' PRICES BY CENTAVOS PER liter effective 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday. g4HESE RElECT THE INTERNATIONAL CONTRACT PRICE OF ,0' FOR THE MONTH OF -AY u IT SAID 0HOENIX ,0' 0HILIPPINES )NC ALSO CUT THE PRICES OF ITS 3UPER ,0' BY CENTAVOS PER KILOGRAM AND !UTO,0' BY CENTAVOS PER LITER ,AST MONTH 0ETRON AND 0HOENIX ,0' 0HILIPPINES HIKED ,0' PRICES BY 0 PER KILOGRAM 0ETRON ALSO RAISED !UTO,0' PRICES BY CENTAVOS PER LITER !LSO %ASTERN 0ETROLEUM JACKED UP ITS ,0' price by P1.24 per kilogram or P13.64 for an 11-kilogram cylinder. JORDEENE B. LAGARE

Cebu Pacific shrugs off labor issues CEBU Pacific dismissed speculations that labor woes were behind the airline’s decision to cancel more than a hundred flights.

Charo Logarta-Lagamon, the airline’s spokesman, said the company had a good relationship with Juan Wing Association of the Philippines (JWAP), Cebu Pacific’s union. “The cabin crew formed a union, and I don’t think that’s related,� she told The Manila Times late Tuesday. She said that while the company acknowledged there were absentees everyday, this was “normal� as it was not preventable. “There are contingencies for these,� the official said.

Cebu Pacific had canceled over 100 flights extending up to May 10 and affecting thousands of flyers.

A source told The Times the problem stemmed from issues on the ground. He said pilots and flight attendants have raised concerns about low salaries. He described the waves of flight cancellations as “unbelievable,� and urged Cebu Pacific to address its employees’ issues instead of “making so many alibis.� Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) spokesman Allan Tanjusay said Wednesday the group was coordinating with JWAP regarding the matter. JWAP is affiliated with TUCP, an umbrella of worker unions. “The union will negotiate for better wages and benefits, better working conditions, and better terms under the existing labor policies and regulations to improve ... working climate that would benefit the interests of both the union members and the management,� TUCP President Raymond Mendoza was quoted as saying in a statement issued on April 21. The Department of Transportation had also stepped into the issue. “I have talked with CAB (Civil Aeronautics Board), MIAA (Manila International Airport Authority) and CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) to look into the matter,� Transportation chief Arthur Tugade said in a television interview on Wednesday. “While we’d like to understand the present predicament of Cebu Pacific in relation to their internal requirements, they should equally understand our mandate of making sure that the traveling public is safe, secure and convenient,� he added.

LISBET K. ESMAEL

Bar exams results out Friday THE results of the 2018 Bar examinations will be known on Friday, May 3, 2019, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday.

There were 8,155 examinees last year, the highest on record.

Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, chairman of the Supreme Court Committee on Bar Examinations, will announce the results at the tribunal’s front yard. Afterwards, an LED wall will show the list of successful examinees.

The list of successful examinees will also be posted on the high court’s website.

JOMAR CANLAS

into law by President Duterte on Feb. 20, 2019.

Bello said the law covers female workers in government and the private sector regardless of their civil status or legitimacy of the child. “Providing workers with e n h a n c e d p a i d l e ave s i s one of the best strategies to help them manage a healthy work-life balance, which translates to their higher productivity at work,� he said.

The law will take effect 15 days after the publication of

its IRR in a newspaper of general circulation.

The law grants 105 days of paid maternity leave, 7 days of which may be transferred to fathers, extending the paid paternity leave to 14 days.

If a worker is a single mother, the law grants an additional 15 days of leave, or a total of 120 days of paid maternity leave.

It also gives working mothers an option to extend their leave for 30 days without pay.

Sen. Ana Theresia Risa Hontiveros, principal sponsor and author of the law in the Senate, welcomed the signing of the IRR. “This is certainly good news to all women workers and their families,� Hontiveros, chairman of the Senate Committee on Women and Children, said.

She added the law was carefully crafted “to strike a balance between women’s rights and the right to be compensated in business.� “In the final analysis, the

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measure is also pro-business as it will create a more motivated and productive labor force,� Hontiveros said.

Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay appealed to private firms not to perceive the law “as bane to productivity that would lead to more discrimination [against women] in the workplace.� “Let us start creating a work environment where women are not discriminated for wanting to be parents,� Binay said.

WITH BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO

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Opinion

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

˜ The Manila Times

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E d i to r i a l Refund electric bill deposits

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HE Supreme Court is called upon to act swiftly on a petition challenging the legality of the “bill deposit� charged by the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to its customers.

The bill deposit is an onerous levy against consumers who are given no choice but to pay the required amount before they could get connected to the local power line. This levy is not provided for by law and represents the worst sort of PROkTEERING REGULATORY CAPTURE ON THE PART OF THE UTILITY GIANT and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

The bill deposit was implemented by Meralco based on a ruling by the ERC (the “Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Customers�) — not a law — issued in 2004.

The bill deposit is equal to the estimated billing for one MONTH FOR AN ELECTRIC CONSUMER AND CAN BE ADJUSTED UP OR down, that is, appear as an additional charge or refund on the customer’s bill if the customer’s average monthly consumption increases or decreases over a 12-month period.

The bill deposit, Meralco has explained, serves as security against any unpaid electric bills. A customer who pays his bill fully and on time for three consecutive years is entitled to a full refund of his bill deposit, plus any earned interest.

Under the original implementation of the bill deposit, Meralco was to keep customer deposits segregated in an interest-bearing Land Bank account. However, the ERC has allowed Meralco to use the funds, which now total about P29 billion, “for other purposes, including investments in kNANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND OPERATIONS RELATED EXPENSES u Earlier this week, the Makabayan party-list bloc petitioned the Supreme Court to void the ERC ruling that permitted Meralco’s collection of the bill deposit, and to order the ERC to implement a complete refund of the deposits collected so far.

First of all, bill deposits do not fall under the allowable charges in the 2001 Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira). Charges that an electric distributor can impose on its customers include the retail rate of distributed electricity, connection fees and distribution wheeling charges (charges incurred by the distributor for receiving power by way of a different transmission system, such as the network of another distributor).

Second, Meralco already has a perfectly rational and universally understood mechanism for ensuring the payment of bills: the right to cut electric service to any consumer who does not pay his bill, a right that Meralco pursues with vigor.

Meralco cannot argue that cutting service does not necessarily guarantee payment because its customers are captive; without any other source for electricity, a delinquent customer has no choice but to pay the entire overdue bill if he wants his electric service restored.

Third, allowing Meralco to treat potentially refundable deposits in the same way as regular revenue violates every APPLICABLE PRINCIPLE OF GOOD kNANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND accounting practice. Given that the deposits are refundable, the funds do not actually belong to Meralco but to its customers; they should be held as a form of escrow. The ERC’s allowing Meralco to mingle these funds with its own to spend freely is gross favoritism by the regulator toward the utility at the expense of the public, whose interests the ERC is mandated to protect as a priority.

4HERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR THE BILL DEPOSIT BASED on logic, law or sound business practice, and we are CONFIDENT THE LEARNED JUSTICES OF THE 3UPREME #OURT will agree. We can only hope that they will act quickly to provide some relief to Filipino consumers, who are already beset by some of the highest electricity costs in Asia, from this unfair and unnecessary burden. ~

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

The Manila Times

VOLUME 120 NUMBER 201

DANTE A. ANG, Chairman Emeritus RENE Q. BAS, Publisher Emeritus NERILYN A. TENORIO, Publisher-Editor ARNOLD E. BELLEZA, Executive Editor LEENA C. CHUA, News Editor LYNETTE O. LUNA, National Editor TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA, Lifestyle Editor PERRY GIL S. MALLARI, Sports Editor DINO RAY V. DIRECTO 3RD, Motoring Editor CONRAD M. CARIĂ‘O, Special Sections Editor LEA MANTO-BELTRAN, Supplements Editor ALVIN I. DACANAY, Assistant Business Editor MARIO F. FETALINO, Assistant Business Editor REMIA B. EUGENIO, Deskman (Regions) MARISHELLE R. MEDINA, Deskman JOMAR CANLAS, Chief of Reporters RENE H. DILAN, Chief Photographer DANTE F. M. ANG 2ND, President and CEO BLANCA C. MERCADO, #HIEF /PERATING /FkCER RODA A. ZABAT, Advertising Director VICENTE P. CRUZ, JR., Circulation Director DENISE O. CALNEA, Marketing Communications and Services Director Telephone All Departments: 524-5665 to 66; Subscription: 524-5664 Local 222 Advertising: 524-5664 Local 121 Telefax: 310-5895 or e-mail advertising@manilatimes.net XXX NBOJMBUJNFT OFU t F NBJM OFXTEFTL!NBOJMBUJNFT OFU Letters to the Editor THE MANILA TIMES is published daily at 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002 The owners, managers, publishers and editors do not necessarily share the opinions expressed and the statements made by individual authors of columns, commentaries and other articles published in The Manila Times.

M

ANY loyal Duterte supporters have leveled up their attacks on critics of China. They are now playing the racist card by accusing the latter of xenophobia.

But while it is easy to accuse anyone who uses race or ethnicity as a marker to criticize a particular group or cohort of people, racism is a complex label, and one should exercise caution in using it against anyone.

Racism is not a mechanical label that can simply be attached to anyone who uses the flaws, actual or imagined, associated with a particular race or ethnicity. To be considered as outright racism, such must exist in the context of a power hierarchy and must be expressed as a tacit act by someone representing a dominant or superior race or ethnicity to demean, oppress

Playing the racism card marginalized from the oppressive and repressive acts by the powerful. This is the same logic behind why sexual harassment is penalized only in law when it is committed by a superior or one that holds a position of authority and marginalize what is considered to over the recipient of the offensive act. be an inferior race or ethnicity. This is "ULLYING IS ALSO USUALLY DEkNED AS AN necessary to separate acts of blatant act committed by the stronger parties, racism from acts of resistance based whether by position or in numbers, on race and ethnicity. Certainly, slaves over those perceived as weaker ones.

It is precisely in this context that ATTACKING THE RACIAL lAWS OF THEIR MASters cannot be categorized as racists in it is highly problematic to play the the same way that the white Afrikan- racism card, and accuse people of ERS INlICTED RACIAL PREJUDICE AGAINST BEING XENOPHOBIC JUST BECAUSE THEY the black South Africans during the criticize Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea, or the presence period of the Apartheid.

Power differential is always neces- of illegal Chinese workers, or of the sary in labeling a certain expression as increasing number of Chinese-owned racist, or sexist. This is to distinguish establishments in Boracay.

First of all, many of those who acts of resistance by the weak and

ON THE CONTRARY ANTONIO CONTRERAS

are criticizing China are not using CHARACTER lAWS ASSOCIATED WITH THE Chinese as basis for their criticism, but are in fact deploying legitimate issues against certain policies or acts.

To label as racist anyone criticizing Chinese aggression, or the allegedly onerous provisions attached to the loan agreements from China is misplaced in the sense that it would lead to the ridiculous position that criticisms against the US, or any other country, will be considered as racist. If we allow this logic, then it certainly will render many of those who call critics of China as racists as also equally guilty of racism when they attack Canada for dumping their garbage on us. It would certainly be illogical to accuse them of being racist

ÂłContrerasA5

Q MAKABENTA FROM A1

May 13 election is a battle for the nation’s future Except for the presidency, 12 Senate seats, and the composition of the barangay councils, nearly all elective positions in the country are at stake in the May balloting.

In summary, the following elective positions will be contested: – 12 seats in the Senate – All seats in the House of Representatives – All provincial-level elected Opposition’s vision positions in the provinces – All city-level elected positions At the other end, the opposition coali- in the cities tion led by the Liberal Party aspires – All municipal-level elected TO WIN A SUFkCIENT NUMBER OF SEATS positions in the municipalities. in both houses of Congress that will The Filipino voter will grapple enable it to mold a strong minority. on election day with the lengthiest Through this, they plan to critique, election ballot in the world.

Two competing visions INlUENCE OR EVEN OBSTRUCT LEGISLATION And yet Filipinos turn out in great vital to President Duterte’s program. numbers in every national election.

Peter Vail, the professor of manThey have denounced the adminisIn short, the stakes in the comagement and creator of the theory tration’s conduct of the war on drugs. ing midterm elections are high. of ’high-performing systems,’ has They have raised an alarm about the Control of the House of Represendescribed in clear terms the lofty administration‘s deals with China. tatives and the Senate is at stake. Beconcept of vision in a famous es- They have warned of the danger of the cause of its potential impact on Presisay titled, “Visionary Leadership.� country’s falling into a debt trap. They dent Duterte’s economic program, (E SAID g7E DEkNE VISION AS AN are fomenting anti-Chinese feeling this is a most important election. expression that does not merely in the country at a time when many On the local government level, describe why an organization ex- believe good relations with China the elections will determine local ists and what products and services will be salutary for the achievement of leadership that will have the potenit intends to deliver. $5 S AMBITIOUS ECONOMIC VISION tial to bring their constituencies to “A vision is a portrayal of an The administration offers the THE HEARTH kRE OF DEVELOPMENT 4HEY organization’s intended activities nation a vision of rapid growth could end the shameful tie of local and character in vivid terms that and development. governments to the drug lords. capture the organization’s human The opposition warns of pitmeaning and value.“ falls in the march to development Holding Duterte The essential leadership act is and proposes curbs in programs accountable to give people a sense of com- and agreements. mon purpose.

It is a classic choice before the In an important way, the May elecHe cites as one example of effective nation: support for the Duterte pro- tions offers the electorate also a visioning Bell System’s articulation of gram of development and national CHANCE TO RENDER THEIR JUDGMENT OF THE its purpose at the time of its founding strengthening or support for the op- administration of President Duterte. as AT& T: “We will build a telephone position’s counsel of more cautious It has been a tense three years system so that anyone, anywhere in development policies and programs. OF GOVERNANCE UNDER $5 WHICH the world, can talk with anyone else, On the web, the Liberal Party has been highlighted by some cheaply, quickly, and satisfactorily.� talks of a return to the policies of the POLICY SUCCESSES BY lIRTATIONS WITH A political party or coalition Daang Matuwid program of former one-man rule, by his freewheeling needs to have a much pithy elo- 0RESIDENT "ENIGNO !QUINO RD 4HEY and foul-mouthed public speakquence in its visioning to capture dream of wearing yellow again. ing, and by his constant baiting of minds during an election. They the Catholic Church. need to learn from the way cor- Vision of the The balloting is an opportunity porate organizations shape their public interest for the people to hold Duterte and visions in the world today. the administration accountable for 4HE OBJECTIVE AND THE VISION OF It helps in crystalizing the elections the state of the nation today.

President Duterte and his adminis- by remembering that we are electing Is there basis for thinking that tration in the May elections is to ob- nearly the ramparts of an entire gov- THE NATION WILL BENEkT FROM THE TAIN A MAJORITY OF SEATS IN #ONGRESS ernment across the entire archipelago. NEXT THREE YEARS UNDER $5 IF HE It will be far-reaching in its impact, AND MORE SIGNIkCANT THAN THE MEDIA S SUPERkCIAL PORTRAYAL OF ISSUES It could shape the politics of 2022, when the nation elects a new president to succeed Rodrigo Duterte.

When the stakes and costs of the midterms are weighed and reckoned, we will see it for what it is: a battle for the future of the nation.

The administration and its allies and the opposition coalition offer the nation two competing visions of that future. In less than two weeks, the national electorate must decide which vision accords with their hopes for the future, for themselves and for national life.

so they can have the support of CLEAR MAJORITIES IN THE (OUSE AND THE 3ENATE AS WELL AS MAJORITIES IN LOCAL government units across the country.

4HROUGH THESE MAJORITIES $5 will strive to realize his vision of modernization of infrastructure throughout the archipelago, and the achievement of growth that will propel the country to middle-class status.

gets a supportive Congress?

Or will the nation fare better with Otso Diretso politicians in Congress? Will local communities BENEkT WITH ,IBERALS AND THEIR ALLIES holding nearly 50 percent of local government executive positions?

In our system of government, legislative enactment of a president’s program can be undermined by a determined minority. Strong minorities are a formula for obstructionism and policy irresolution.

A ‘false choice’ election I am tempted to apply the term “false choice� to the decision that is posed to the Filipino electorate in May. There is ostensibly a choice, because there are a great number of candidates, and a great number of political parties. But in fact, there is no demarcation or polarization of policy positions between the parties and candidates.

The administration and the parties in nominal coalition with it have not spelled out a clear political message or policy position before the electorate that can serve as a basis for choosing. With Hugpo and PDP Laban vying for primacy, the administration liner is fractured.

The opposition and the parties cobbled together to form Otso Diretso have not shaped a coherent political message and program for the election.

In truth, I believe we are faced here with candidates whose sole POSITION AND PRIMARY AIM IS JUST to get elected to Congress and get into the public payroll.

Whether they are running for the Senate or the House, the primary aim is to get into the Congress payroll, and secure a chance to come by the lucrative salaries and opportunities for pork barrel.

President Duterte, whose name is not on the ballot, has a clear message and program for the people to ENDORSE OR REJECT IN THE ELECTIONS 4HE candidates, administration-backed and opposition alike, do not. They are strictly running for themselves.

yenmakaabenta@yahoo.com

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

Opinion

A5

Security by design

W

% WILL ONCE AGAIN BE ELECTING OUR GOVERNMENT OFkCIALS 7E CAN EXPECT STRICTER SECURITY MEASURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THOUSANDS OF CITIES AND PRECINCTS AGAINST POSSIBLE ELECTION RELATED VIOLENCE 0OLICE WILL BE ON GUARD TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC TEACHERS WILL BE ADMINistering the voting and guarding the BALLOT THE MEDIA WILL BE COVERING THE ELECTION HAPPENINGS AND WE WILL ALL GO OUT TO CAST OUR VOTE $URING ELECTIONS WE ARE CALLED TO COLLABORATE MORE CLOSELY IN NATION BUILDING 7E CAN WORK EVERY DAY TO BUILD A BETTER AND SAFER 0HILIPPINES AND WE CAN DO SO THROUGH OUR PROFESSION AS URBAN PLANNERS AND ARCHITECTS %VERY DAY SECURITY SHOULD BE A CONCERN )N THE kRST PLACE SAFETY IS EVERYONE S RESPONSIBILITY !S URBAN PLANNERS AND ARCHITECTS WE CAN PROMOTE PEOPLE S SAFETY THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF SECURITY BY DESIGN IN OUR CITIES COMMUNITIES AND BUILDINGS 7E CAN PLAN DESIGN AND MODIFY THE

Q CONTRERAS FROM A4

Playing BECAUSE THEY FAVOR #HINA OVER THE 53 )NDEED SOME SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS EXCEED THE BOUNDS OF LEGITIMATE POLICY CRITICISM AND VENTURE INTO THE USE OF RACIAL SLURS AND EPITHETS 4HESE IRRESPONSIBLE EXERCISE OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ARE THE ONES THAT CAN QUALIFY AS RACIST EXCEPT THAT THEY ARE MORE EXPRESSIONS OF RACIALLY BASED PREJUDICE THAN FATAL FORMS OF RACISM THAT FEED INTO STRUCTURED MARGINALIZATION &OR SOME THIS WOULD BE A FORM of ad hominem ATTACK OF WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA HAS AN OVERSUPPLY )T SHOULD BE POINTED OUT THAT AS PRODUCTS OF COLONIZATION &ILIPINOS HAVE IMBIBED WHAT POST COLONIAL SCHOLAR &RANZ &ANON HAS DECRIED IN HIS BOOK "LACK 3KIN 7HITE -ASKS 4HAT IS WE HAVE ACQUIRED THE TRAIT OF CELEBRATING THE ATTRIBUTES OF OUR WHITE COLONIZERS EVEN TO THE POINT OF DENIGRATING OUR OWN CULTURE 7E LOOK DOWN UPON OUR OWN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND WE PRIVILEGE 7ESTERN CONSTRUCTS OVER OUR OWN FROM POPULAR CULTURE TO PHYSICAL APPEARANCE 4HIS IS PRECISELY WHY MANY &ILIPINOS TEND TO PREFER %NGLISH MOVIES OVER LOCAL ONES OR THAT PEOPLE WOULD PREFER %NGLISH TO BE THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN OUR SCHOOLS OVER &ILIPINO (OWEVER THESE ACTS SHOULD NOT BE LABELED RACISM BUT RATHER EXPRESSIONS OF A COLONIAL MENTALITY THAT INFECTS PEOPLE LIKE US WHO EXPERIENCED COLONIAL RULE )T MUST BE ADMITTED THAT THERE IS AN UGLY SIDE TO THESE FORMS OF COLONIAL MENTALITY 7E SEE THESE WHEN WE DEMEAN PHYSICAL APPEARANCES USING A 7ESTERN LENS 7E SEE THIS WHEN PEOPLE ENGAGE THEIR OPPONENTS BY LAUNCHING AD HOMINEM ATTACKS MALIGNING THE LOOKS OF THOSE WITH WHOM THEY HAVE POLITICAL DISAGREEMENTS )RONICALLY MANY PEOPLE WHO ACCUSE CRITICS OF #HINA AS RACISTS ARE THE VERY SAME PEOPLE WHO TAKE PLEASURE IN DEMEANING THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF *OVER ,AURIO AND -AE 0ANER WHICH FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES ARE MANIFESTATIONS OF A KIND OF COLONIAL MENTALITY THAT DEPLOYS RACIALLY PREJUDICED JUDGMENT ABOUT BEAUTY )T IS FROM THE SAME TEMPLATE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE DRAWING THE LOGIC OF THEIR AD HOMINEM ATTACKS AGAINST THE #HINESE "UT IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED THAT WHILE THESE ARE RACIALLY BASED SLURS

THEY DO NOT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF STRUCTURED RACISM !T BEST THEY CAN BE INTERPRETED AS FORMS OF CONTENTIOUS POLITICS THAT FEED ON RACIAL PREJUDICE )T WILL ONLY BECOME RACIST IF IT IS EMBEDDED IN A POWER DIFFERENTIAL THAT IS EXPRESSED IN ACTUAL ACTS OF MARGINALIZATION WHERE MINORITIES ARE ACTUALLY DENIED ENTITLEMENTS AND ARE SUBJECTED TO EXTREME MARGINALIZATION AND PATENT DISCRIMINATION /THER THAN THE WHITE LOVING ATTITUDE OF MANY &ILIPINOS WHERE WE ARE PREJUDICED AGAINST THE DARK SKINNED

CURLY HAIRED AND lAT NOSED WE ARE IN FACT THE LEAST RACIST IN TERMS OF OUR POLICY PRACTICES AND OUR LEGAL NORMS %VEN AS WE HAVE ETHNIC STEREOTYPES

AND WE TAKE PRIDE IN OUR REGIONAL ROOTS

WE ARE NOT OFkCIALLY LABELED BY OUR ETHNIC IDENTITIES IN OUR FORMAL IDENTIkCATION PAPERS AND BY THE BUREAUCRACY (ENCE THIS PLAYING OF THE RACIST CARD BY THOSE WHO SUPPORT #HINA MAY IN SOME CASES BE SIMPLY MISPLACED PARTICULARLY IF THESE ARE DEVOID OF CONTEXT

FELINO A. PALAFOX, JR. BUILT ENVIRONMENT TO REDUCE PEOPLE S VULNERABILITY TO CRIME AND CREATE A SAFER CLEANER AND HAPPIER 0HILIPPINES

Good and bad environmental design %NVIRONMENTAL DESIGN AFFECTS HUMAN BEHAVIOR 0EOPLE CONSCIOUSLY AND UNCONSCIOUSLY FORM THEIR IMPRESsions of an environment based on WHAT THEY HEAR SEE SMELL AND HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED 4HE ENVIRONMENT CAN INSTILL IN US A FEAR OF CRIME OR CONTRIBUTE TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE 7HEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS FEAR AND THE PERCEPTION OF SOME LOCATIONS AS UNSAFE CAN DRIVE AWAY CUSTOMERS

CLIENTS EMPLOYEES AND RESIDENTS

#RIMINOLOGISTS 7ILSON AND +ELLING ARGUED THAT CRIME IS THE INEVITABLE RESULT OF DISORDER )F A WINDOW IS BROKEN AND LEFT UNREPAIRED PEOPLE WALKING BY WILL CONCLUDE THAT NO ONE CARES FOR THE PLACE AND NO ONE IS IN CHARGE 7ILSON AND +ELLING observed that “muggers and robbers BELIEVE THEY REDUCE THEIR CHANCES OF BEING CAUGHT OR EVEN IDENTIkED IF THEY OPERATE ON STREETS WHERE POTENTIAL VICTIMS ARE ALREADY INTIMIDATED

BY EXISTING CONDITIONS g 0LACES THAT ARE POORLY LIT AREAS THAT HAVE MANY TOWERING WALLS AND IN THE PROVINCES THE TALAHIBAN ARE AREAS NOTORIOUS FOR CRIME IN OUR COUNTRY )N CITIES STABBING ABDUCTION ROBBERIES AND MANY OTHER STREET CRIMES OCCUR IN AREAS WITH HIGH WALLS AND FENCES THAT OBSTRUCT PEOPLE S VIEW )N THESE PLACES PEOPLE INSIDE HOUSES CANNOT SEE IF SOMEONE NEEDS HELP

AND WALLS REDUCE THE POSSIBLE CHANCE OF WITNESSES 3IMILARLY WHEN A CRIME HAPPENS BEHIND WALLS SUCH AS THOSE

PERPETRATED BY AKYAT BAHAY SALISI GANGS AND FORCED ENTRY PEOPLE ON THE STREET ARE LESS LIKELY TO BECOME POTENTIAL WITNESSES /NE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIGH WALLS IS THAT PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE OBLIVIOUS TO THE FACT THAT A DRUG LABORATORY OR ARMORIES EXIST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN -ARAWI AND SOME GATED COMMUNITIES

Eyes on the street The good news is that our communiTIES CAN BENEkT TREMENDOUSLY IF WE APPLY THE PRINCIPLE OF gEYES ON THE STREETu TO ADDRESS MANY PRESSING ISSUES OF URBAN SECURITY *ANE *ACOBS

THE PROPONENT OF THIS THEORY SAID THAT IN ORDER FOR STREETS TO BE SAFE

THERE MUST BE EYES UPON THE STREET

BELONGING TO THOSE WE MIGHT CALL THE NATURAL PROPRIETORS OF THE STREET 4HIS IMPLIES A CLEAR DEMARCATION BETWEEN WHAT IS PUBLIC SPACE AND WHAT IS PRIVATE SPACE BUILDINGS MUST

BE ORIENTED TO THE STREETS AND STREETS SHOULD BE AS INTERESTING AND LIVELY AS POSSIBLE #RIMINALS ARE NOT AFRAID OF WALLS BUT THEY ARE VERY AFRAID of windows because behind them ARE POTENTIAL WITNESSES 7E MUST design the fabric of our streets as CONTINUOUS AS POSSIBLE BY FORMING DISTRICTS USING PARKS SQUARES AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND EMPHASIZING THE FUNCTIONAL IDENTITY OF AREAS LARGE ENOUGH TO WORK AS DISTRICTS )T IS DIFkCULT TO CHANGE CULTURE OVERNIGHT "UT SMALL CHANGES CAN GO A LONG WAY ,'5S SHOULD BE MORE RESPONSIBLE IN MAKING SURE THAT EVEN THE SMALL THINGS ARE DONE WELL SUCH AS MAKING SURE THAT STREETS ARE WELL LIT MOST ESPECIALLY ELEVATED WALKWAYS AND OVERPASSES

UNDERPASSES AND KNOWN TRANSPORT TERMINALS ,IGHTING IS ONE OF THE most effective deterrents against CRIME 'OVERNMENT CENTERS AND INSTITUTIONS CAN ALSO TEAR DOWN WALLS TO INCREASE PERIMETER VISIBILITY

AS THESE AREAS MUST BE SAFE PLACES EVEN AT NIGHT -AIN THOROUGHFARES SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO TEAR DOWN THEIR WALLS AS WELL TO INCREASE CLEANLINESS LIGHTING AND VISIBILITY 0ALAFOX !SSOCIATES AND 0ALAFOX !RCHITECTURE 'ROUP HAVE PROPOSED urban designs for cities and comMUNITIES THAT DO NOT HAVE HIGH WALLS AND FEATURE ADEQUATE STREET LIGHTING AND WIDER SIDEWALKS TO IMPROVE SECURITY AND MAKE THE CITY MORE WALKABLE AND BIKEABLE !CTIVATING IDLE SPACES NOT ONLY ADDS RECREATIONAL AMENITY VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY BUT ALSO ADDS MORE EYES ON THE STREET 6ISIONARY LEADERSHIP STRONG POLITICAL WILL GOOD PLANNING AND GOOD design and governance transformed THE ONCE CRIME PLAGUED .EW 9ORK #ITY AND "ROOKLYN OF THE S "Y USING THE SAME PRINCIPLES ) BELIEVE THE STREETS OF 0HILIPPINE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES CAN ALSO BE MADE SAFER AND HAPPIER PLACES TO LIVE WORK

SHOP DINE LEARN WORSHIP AND PLAY

Q SALUDO FROM A1

Why Filipinos back Duterte and his candidates There are two things wrong WITH THAT MESSAGE &IRST IF IT AIMS TO SHAME SUPPORTERS OF 0RESIDENT 2ODRIGO $UTERTE AND his favored candidates into votING FOR THE OPPOSITION IT WOULD LIKELY DO THE REVERSE 4HAT S WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ELECTIONS WHEN *OSEPH %STRADA S OPPONENTS DISPARAGED HIM AND HIS masa BAILIWICK AS UNEDUCATED !NOTHER MISTAKE IN THE MESSAGE IS ITS POINT )N FACT IT MIGHT NOT BE SO DUMB AND UNPRINCIPLED FOR TENS OF MILLIONS OF &ILIPINOS TO SUPPORT 0RESIDENT $UTERTE WITH SOARING POLL RATINGS AS WELL AS HIS FAVORED CANDIDATES NOW HOGGING NEARLY ALL WINNER SLOTS IN THE LATEST 0ULSE !SIA SURVEY ON SENATORIAL CANDIDATES

Digong vs PNoy #OMPARE THE REGIMES OF $UTERTE AND HIS PREDECESSOR "ENIGNO !QUINO RD WHOSE ,IBERAL 0ARTY ,0 FIELDS THE OPPOSITION /TSO $IRETSO SLATE 4HEN JUDGE FOR ONESELF WHOSE SUPPORTERS LACK INTELLIGENCE PRINCIPLES AND MOST CRUCIALLY FULL INFORMATION )N THE FIRST PART OF THIS ARTICLE

WE LOOK AT CORRUPTION AND LAWLESSNESS WHICH PROBABLY STRIKE MOST STRONGLY AT THE PUBLIC HEART .EXT 4HURSDAY WE LOOK AT THE ECONOMY FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE ,ET S START WITH !QUINO S TOP ADVOCACY FIGHTING CORRUPTION (IS REGIME JAILED HIS PREDECESSOR 'LORIA !RROYO AND THREE OPPOSITION SENATORS ON NO BAIL

PLUNDER CHARGES "UT THE 5NITED .ATIONS (UMAN 2IGHTS #OUNCIL FOUND !RROYO S CASE TO BE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED WHILE #ATHOLIC BISHOPS LAMENTED gSELECTIVE PROSECUTIONu OVER PORK BARREL $UTERTE TOO IS ACCUSED OF PERSECUTING OPPOSITION SENATOR ,EILA DE ,IMA JAILED OVER NO BAIL DRUG CHARGES AND FOREIGN LAWMAKERS AND RIGHTS GROUPS HAVE CALLED FOR HER RELEASE (OWEVER &ILIPINOS APPRECIATE $UTERTE S REPEATED REMOVAL OF SUSPECT OFFICIALS

INCLUDING CLOSE ASSOCIATES LIKE FORMER )NTERIOR AND ,OCAL 'OVERNMENT SECRETARY )SMAEL 3UEÄO 4HIS CONTRASTS WITH !QUINO S CONSTANT DEFENSE OF ALLIES AND FRIENDS EVEN PAYING THE BAIL OF TWO ,0 STALWARTS ON TRIAL IN THE 3ANDIGANBAYAN ANTI GRAFT COURT 0ERHAPS MORE DISTURBING WERE MEGA SCANDALS LIKE -ETRO 2AIL 4RANSIT CONTRACTS LEADING TO -24 S DETERIORATION THE 0 BILLION $ISBURSEMENT !CCELERATION 0ROGRAM IN WHICH THE 3UPREME #OURT FOUND $!0 FUNDS ILLEGALLY GOING TO UNBUDGETED EXPENDITURES AND THE $ENGVAXIA MASS VACCINATION DONE WITHOUT BUDGET ALLOCATION AND CLEARANCE FROM THE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH BODY VETTING $O( DRUG PURCHASES &OR HIS PART $UTERTE CANC E L E D T H E . AYO N G 0 I L I P I N O LAND DEAL INVOLVING A #HINESE CASINO OPERATOR (E ALSO TOOK on business behemoths over TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND WATER SERVICES LEADING TO THE IMPENDING ENTRY OF A THIRD TELECOMS PROVIDER A 0 BILLION

FINE AGAINST !YALA S -ANILA 7ATER AND A -AYNILAD OFFER FROM TYCOON -ANNY 0ANGILINAN TO NEGOTIATE BILLIONS OF PESOS IN CLAIMS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT

Crime and contraband crackdown 4URNING TO $UTERTE S PARAMOUNT initiative against crime and DRUGS THE NUMBERS SHOW MASSIVE TURNAROUNDS FROM !QUINO S TIME 5NDER THE LATTER CRIME TRIPLED

FROM INCIDENTS IN TO MORE THAN MILLION A YEAR IN AND AS REPORTED BY THE 0HILIPPINE 3TATISTICS !UTHORITY 3MUGGLING ALSO TREBLED CALCULATED FROM )NTERNATIONAL -ONETARY &UND )-& $IRECTION OF 4RADE STATISTICS &ROM BILLION ESTIMATED IN CONTRABAND HIT BILLION IN )N

THE COUNTRY EXPERIENCED THE LARGEST INlOW OF UNINSPECTED

UNTAXED CARGO EVER SOME

CONTAINERS LOST IN TRANSIT !QUINO NEVER HAD THE SCANDAL INVESTIGATED EVEN IF IT WAS SO EASY TO GRILL CUSTOMS OFFICIALS WHO KEPT RELEASING CONTAINERS EVEN AFTER HUNDREDS WERE GONE )NSTEAD WHEN A DEPUTY CUSTOMS COMMISSIONER BLEW THE WHISTLE AFTER BOXES HAD DISAPPEARED

-ALACAÄANG CHARGED HIM WITH GRAFT AND SIDELINED HIM 5NDER $UTERTE MAJOR CRIMES ARE DOWN AROUND TO PERCENT DEPENDING ON THE OFFENSE 3URVEYS SHOW THE PEOPLE FEEL SAFER !S FOR NARCOTICS $UTERTE S

HARSH METHODS LED TO THE SURRENDER OF MILLION USERS AND PUSHERS AND THE ARREST OF MORE THAN

SUSPECTS $ISTURBINGLY

MORE THAN WERE KILLED IN POLICE OPERATIONS WHILE MANY MORE DIED IN SUSPECTED VIGILANTE OR SYNDICATE RUB OUTS "UT !QUINO REPORTED HARDLY ANY MEASURES against crime and drugs in his STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESSES /N CONTRABAND $UTERTE TWICE REPLACED THE "UREAU OF #USTOMS chief over just one big drug SMUGGLING SCANDAL EVEN IF HE HELD BOTH "O# COMMISSIONERS IN HIGH REGARD !QUINO ALSO REPLACED TWO CUSTOMS CHIEFS BUT what raised questions was his DECISION NOT TO APPOINT 2AMOS ERA "O# HEAD AND )-& CUSTOMS REFORM CONSULTANT 'UILLERMO 0ARAYNO AFTER INTERVIEWING HIM !ND INSTEAD OF LETTING HIS FIRST $EPARTMENT OF THE )NTERIOR AND ,OCAL 'OVERNMENT CZAR

THE LATE jueteng nemesis Jesse 2OBREDO OVERSEE THE 0HILIPPINE .ATIONAL 0OLICE !QUINO PUT THE 0.0 UNDER HIS SHOOTING BUDDY

THEN $),' UNDERSECRETARY 2ICO 0UNO ‡ EVEN IF ANTI GAMBLING CRUSADER !RCHBISHOP /SCAR #RUZ SAID 0UNO WAS AN gULTIMATE RECIPIENTu OF JUETENG PAY OFFS /PPOSITION VIDEOS NOW ACCUSE $UTERTE S FAMILY AND ASSOCIATES OF INVOLVEMENT IN DRUGS "UT REPUTABLE MEDIA FOUND THE CLAIMS NOT WORTHY OF SERIOUS COVERAGE )NTERNATIONAL BODIES ALSO SHUNNED THE MATERIAL

MAYBE BECAUSE FABRICATED ACCU-

SATIONS CANNOT HELP THEIR EFFORTS TO STOP DRUG WAR KILLINGS

The war on terror Terrorism is the third big issue AFFECTING PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY SECURITY 4WO WORDS DEFINE THE !QUINO AND $UTERTE ADMINISTRATIONS IN THIS AREA -AMASAPANO AND -ARAWI 7HILE BOTH GOVERNMENTS HAVE SOUGHT PEACE IN -INDANAO THROUGH the Bangsamoro agreement with the -ORO )SLAMIC ,IBERATION &RONT -),&

!QUINO IS MOST VIVIDLY REMEMBERED FOR THE BOTCHED -AMASAPANO RAID

WHICH LED TO THE MASSACRE OF 0.0 3PECIAL !CTION &ORCE COMMANDOS -ANY &ILIPINOS SEE THE 3!& AS VICTIMS OF DISMAL LEADERSHIP BY !QUINO AND HIS FRIEND

THEN SUSPENDED 0.0 CHIEF !LAN 0URISIMA /THERS STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT THE COMMANDOS WERE ALLOWED TO DIE WITHOUT MILITARY REINFORCEMENTS TO AVOID DISRUPTING THE -),& PEACE EFFORT )N HIS TERRORISM CRISIS $UTERTE DECLARED MARTIAL LAW AND WAGED ALL OUT WAR IN -ARAWI DESPITE WARNINGS ABOUT IGNITING MORE CONlICT (IS DETERMINATION TO kGHT THREATS TO THE NATION EVEN AT HUGE COST PROBABLY LED THE -),& TO CONTINUE PEACE EFforts and even join the Armed Forces OF THE 0HILIPPINES IN OFFENSIVES AGAINST TERRORIST GROUPS . OW W H I C H L E A D E R M A D E &ILIPINOS FEEL BETTER PROTECTED

4HE LAST PART WILL BE PUBLISHED NEXT 4HURSDAY

Q TULFO FROM A1

Cebu Pacific should not be allowed to fly The Cebu-Zamboanga and Zamboanga-Tawi-Tawi routes AND lIGHTS BETWEEN #EBU )LOILO

4ACLOBAN AND $IPOLOG AS WELL AS BETWEEN -ANILA /ZAMIZ #EBU

2OXAS AND 3AN *OSE HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED CANCELLATIONS !SIDE FROM CANCELLATIONS OR DELAYED lIGHTS THE 'OKONGWEI OWNED AIRLINE IS ALSO PLAGUED BY INEFkCIENT SERVICE AND DISCOURTEOUS CREWMEMBERS -Y PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM

“)SUMBONG -O +AY 4ULFO u HAS RECEIVED SO MANY COMPLAINTS FROM PASSENGERS ABOUT THE INEFkCIENCY OF THE AIRLINE /NE NOTABLE COMPLAINT CONCERNED A PASSENGER WHO WAS NOT ALLOWED TO BOARD BECAUSE SHE HAD PSORIASIS A SKIN DISEASE THAT IS NOT CONTAGIOUS !NOTHER COMPLAINT INVOLVED A minor who was entrusted in the CARE OF THE AIRLINE GROUND CREW IN -ANILA BUT DID NOT REACH HIS DESTINATION IN #EBU 0ASSENGER COMPLAINTS AGAINST #EBU 0ACIkC RECEIVED BY g)SUMbongu ARE SO NUMEROUS MY STAFF AND ) HAVE STOPPED COUNTING 3EVERAL YEARS AGO ) GOT INTO A FIGHT AT THE -ANILA AIRPORT BECAUSE ) TRIED TO DEFEND THE FEMALE GROUND CREW OF #EBU 0ACIkC WHO WERE BEING HARASSED

BY DRUG CRAZED YOUTHS WHO WERE

COMPLAINING ABOUT THE MISHANDLING OF THEIR LUGGAGE 7HEN ) ASKED THE AIRLINE MANAGEMENT IF ) COULD PRESENT THE ground crew as witnesses in COURT IT TURNED ME DOWN )TS CHEAP FARES SHOULD NOT BE an excuse for Cebu Pacific to ABUSE ITS PASSENGERS 4HE INACTION OF THE #IVIL !ERONAUTICS !VIATION OF THE 0HILIPPINES #!!0 OVER #EBU 0ACIkC S POOR SERVICE IS RAISING EYEBROWS )T SEEMS SOME OFkCIALS OF THE #!!0 ARE IN THE PAYROLL OF THE AIRLINE *** 4HE CAUSE OF THE CRASH OF A HELICOPTER ON A kSHPOND IN -ALOLOS

"ULACAN RECENTLY HAS BECOME BIG TALK AMONG CHOPPER PILOTS 7AS IT PILOT ERROR 7AS IT ENGINE FAILURE 7AS IT BAD WEATHER 4HE PILOT %DIL #OLONEL WAS A VETERAN IN lYING CHOPPERS HAVING LOGGED HOURS &OR A CHOPPER PILOT THAT S A LENGTHY lYING EXPERIENCE SINCE HELICOPTERS ‡ UNLIKE kXED WING AIRCRAFT ‡ lY SHORT DISTANCES #OLONEL SERVED AS AN !IR &ORCE CHOPPER PILOT WHO SPENT MOST OF HIS TIME lYING TROOPS TO BATTLE AREAS IN -INDANAO SO IT WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY HE COULD HAVE COMMITTED A FATAL MISTAKE 0OOR MAINTENANCE 4HE CHOPPER AN !IRBUS WAS BOUGHT ONLY

TWO YEARS AGO 4HE !IRBUS WHICH IS MADE IN %UROPE IS AMONG THE BEST HELICOPTERS IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SPORTSMAN 3ONNY ,IM WHO lIES HIS OWN CHOPPER "AD WEATHER 4HE HELICOPTER CRASHED ON A CLEAR DAY *** 7HATEVER HAPPENED TO THE 3ENATE INVESTIGATION INTO THE ALLEGEDLY FRAUDULENT PURCHASE OF 0 BILLION WORTH OF MILITARY CHOPPERS DURING THE TIME OF 0RESIDENT .OYNOY ABNOY KUYAKOY 4HE CHOPPERS WERE PIECED TOGETHER FROM JUNK HARVESTED FROM A MILITARY JUNKYARD IN 'ERMANY 4HEY WERE MADE TO APPEAR AS g-ADE IN 53! u 9ES IN THE BACKYARD OF AN OLD WAREHOUSE OF 2ICE !IRCRAFT 3ERVICES )NC A RUN OF THE MILL COMPANY IN #ALIFORNIA /F THE CHOPPERS BOUGHT FROM 2ICE TWO HAVE ALREADY CRASHED

KILLING THEIR OCCUPANTS ALL MILITARY MEN ON COMBAT MISSIONS 4HE REST COULD NOT lY AND HAD TO BE ABANDONED 4HEN SENATOR 4' 'UINGONA

CHAIR OF THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE THAT INVESTIGATED THE IRREGULAR DEAL DID NOT COME OUT WITH THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION (E WAS NOT REELECTED WHICH IS JUST AS WELL 'UINGONA AND HIS COMMITTEE

LEFT HOLDING THE BAG THE WHISTLEBLOWER OF THE DEAL 2HODORA !LVAREZ WHO HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF THE GOVERNMENT S 7ITNESS 0ROTECTION 0ROGRAM !LVAREZ HAS SINCE BEEN HOUNDED

BY PEOPLE WHOM SHE TESTIFIED AGAINST IN THE 3ENATE INQUIRY ‡ among them former defense secreTARY 6OLTAIRE 'AZMIN AND DEFENSE UNDERSECRETARY &ERNANDO -ANALO ‡ WITH A SLEW OF LIBEL SUITS !LVAREZ SAID 'AZMIN AND -ANALO RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL COMMISSIONS FROM THE DEAL )T SEEMS THE CURRENT DEFENSE SECRETARY $ELFIN ,ORENZANA IS NOT KEEN IN INVESTIGATING THE HIGHLY IRREGULAR DEAL AS 'AZMIN

HIS PREDECESSOR WAS HIS UPPERCLASSMAN AT THE 0HILIPPINE -ILITARY !CADEMY 0-! *** ,ITTLE KNOWN BUT WITH A BIG NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS IS THE ,AANG +AWAL PARTY LIST GROUP WHICH IS COMPOSED OF AT LEAST

MILITARY RESERVISTS 4HE NOMINEES OF ,AANG +AWAL

WHICH IS ONE OF THE NEWEST PARTY LISTS ARE "OBBY !LMARIO .ATHANIEL -ARQUEZ AND 2IZALDY -ITIMBANG !LL ARE YOUNG THRIVING ENTREPRENEURS BUT HOLD THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL IN THE !RMY 2ESERVE &ORCE !LMARIO -ARQUEZ AND -ITIM-

BANG ARE ALL PATRIOTS !LMARIO AND -ARQUEZ VOLUNTEERED TO kGHT DURING THE -ARAWI SIEGE WHEN THEY DIDN T HAVE TO !LMARIO WHO OWNS A CHAIN OF RESTAURANTS AND A TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS NEARLY DIED OF dengue which he contracted in THE BATTLE FOR -ARAWI -ARQUEZ WHO IS ALSO INTO THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS

is a graduate of the Command and 'ENERAL 3TAFF #OURSE '3# AND -ASTERS IN .ATIONAL 3ECURITY !DMINISTRATION -.3! LIKE !LMARIO !LMARIO AND -ARQUEZ LEFT THEIR BUSINESSES BEHIND TO kGHT IN -ARAWI SO THEIR PATRIOTISM IS BEYOND QUESTION )F YOU ARE A PATRIOT VOTE FOR ,AANG +AWAL PARTY LIST Û ON -AY *** )N 1UEZON #ITY THE SURE WINNER IN THE MAYORALTY RACE IS 6ICE -AYOR *OY "ELMONTE OVER 2EP 6INCENT #RISOLOGO THE SURVEYS SHOW "ELMONTE IS RUNNING ON A VERY GOOD TRACK RECORD AS 1UEZON #ITY S .O OFkCIAL #RISOLOGO THOUGH MUCH LOVED

BY HIS CONSTITUENTS IN THE kRST DISTRICT BECAUSE HE IS DEEPLY RELIGIOUS

IS NOT AS POPULAR IN THE WHOLE CITY !LTHOUGH A MUCH REFORMED PERSON #RISOLOGO S RECORD AS AN EX CONVICT IS NOT LOST ON SO MANY VOTERS

A6

Opinion

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

FOCUS

Inculcating the Cipag attributes Last of 2 parts

T

HE accountancy profession continues to undergo changes and developments. What are known now will be obsolete in a few years, if not months. As such, the legal and professional requirement for CPAs to comply with the mandated Continuing Professional Development (CPD) should be followed consistently. The present Professional Regional Commission (PRC) and BA rules provide that CPAs should be able to complete at least 120 CPD hours over a three-year period. Compared to other professionals, including engineers, architects and doctors, the CPD numbers for CPAs are much greater. The reason for this is that CPAs in the Philippines are part of the global community of accountants under the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) that mandates this 120 CPD unit requirement. There have been complaints on the need for the CPD and the substantial number of units required for accountants. I personally believe that as professional accountants, the CPD is important for us to grow professionally and be updated on the many new developments. However, the IFAC has apparently recognized the complaints about the present CPD system and recently proposed a revised framework that shifts from the numbers-based approach to a competence outcome-based direction. More details can be found in http://www.ifac.org/ news-events/2019-01/new-educationstandard-focuses-professional-development. It is now up to the Board of Accountancy how it would go about moving forward on the CPD track.

Another mandate that Filipino CPAs should be pursuing as members of the global accounting community in the IFAC is adhering to the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (the “Code�). According to the Code, the distinguishing mark of the accountancy profession is its acceptance of the responsibility to act in the public interest. A professional accountant’s responsibility is not exclusively to satisfy the needs of an individual client or employing organization. The Code contains requirements and application material to enable professional accountants to meet their responsibility to act in the public interest. More information on the Code can be accessed in http://www.

IFAC ORG PUBLICATIONS RESOURCES kNAL pronouncement-restructured-code.

Advocacy CPAs should be in the forefront of pursuing advocacy activities (the “a� in Cipag) for society and the public. Their extensive training and exposure to public accountability and safeguarding of financial resources make the CPAs fully capable to contribute to advocacy initiatives.

For most CPAs, their advocacy pursuits may consist of such undertakings as taking part in tree-planting activities and medical missions as members of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Picpa) which undertakes these during the Accountancy Week celebration. CPAs have also been participating in PICPA chapter collaboration with the local Bureau of Internal Revenue in taxpayer information and assistance activities. Other CPAs have been active in assisting pro bono the

HARVARD VERITAS

companies. This is an advocacy which accountants can support.

JOEL L. TAN-TORRE

Globalization

small medium enterprises in their communities by teaching them about their accounting and regulatory compliance responsibilities. )NVOLVEMENT IN THE PREQUALIkCATION

bid and award committees (PBAC) of local governments is an advocacy for the CPA. The local PBAC of every province, city and municipality is primarily responsible for the conduct of prequalikCATION OF CONTRACTORS BIDDING EVALUAtion of bids and the recommendation of awards concerning local infrastructure projects. In fact, Section 37 of the Local Government Code recognizes the important role of accountants as this provides that “any practicing CPA from the private sector, to be designated by the local chapter of the Picpa� shall be a member of the local PBAC. Sometime in December 2015, the Commission on Audit (CoA), Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Picpa under the auspices of the BoA signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to collaborate in the Citizens Participatory Audit (“CPA�) program of the CoA. This program aims to enhance transparency in government operations and public accountability with the COA’s collaboration with citizen’s groups. Under the MoA, the Picpa will assist CoA in the audit of the revenue assessment systems of the BoC. Once this project is fully implemented, CPAs are enjoined to participate as part of their advocacy.

I have continuously challenged the CPAs to be involved in the oversight in the passage of the National Expenditure Budget (NEB). In one Picpa annual NATIONAL CONVENTION WHERE 3EN 0ANkLO Lacson was a speaker, I suggested that CPAs assist the senator in his crusade of being the watchdog of the NEB. CPAs will be very competent in scrutinizing the pork barrel insertions in the NEB. CPAs could also be involved in the advocacy of reforming the CPD program.

Republic Act 10912, or the "Continuing Development Act," has been receiving a LOT OF lAK ON THE DIFkCULTY OF COMPLYing with the CPD rules for renewing the professional licenses. I believe that the recent promulgation by the PRC of its Resolution 2019-1146 will not appease those opposing the CPD rules.

For the CPAs, the new developments in the CPD program of the IFAC can be used as the basis for effecting changes in the CPD for CPAs. For details on this, go to the link http://www.ifac.org/ news-events/2019-01/new-educationstandard-focuses-professional-development? fbclid=IwAR1XYIQJl_RIUOZMTX9tHD4bgLW-dfZQULfF08QVGVYtRosoJGN3-6SgY7M. There are also several developments in the Philippine accounting community that our local CPAs can play an advocate role. These include the review of the BoA Resolution 3-2016 mandating the accreditation of CPAs in commerce and industry and the submission of compilation CERTIkCATES THE REVISION OF 2EPUBLIC !CT 9892, or the "Accountancy Law," that has BEEN PENDING IN #ONGRESS SINCE AND the growing importance of sustainability and integrated reporting. The SEC just recently issued Memorandum Circular 4-2019 providing for the guidelines for sustainability reporting for publicly listed

On the globalization (the “g� in Cipag) FRONT ) CONSIDER THAT THE kRST MAJOR MOVE of the Philippine accountancy profession of joining the global accounting community was when the Philippines became a member of the IFAC in 1977.

The IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of over 175 members and associates in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing almost three million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry and commerce.

As a member of IFAC, the Philippine accountancy profession commits to comply with the statements of membership obligations (SMOs) These SMOs serve as a framework for credible and high-quality professional accountancy organizations focused on serving the public interest by adopting, or otherwise incorporating and supporting the implementation of international standards and maintaining adequate enforcement mechanisms to ensure the professional behavior of their individual members. There are seven SMOs: the quality assurance review, international accounting education standards, international assurance and auditing standards, code of ethics, interNATIONAL PUBLIC SECTOR kNANCIAL REPORTING standards, investigation and discipline, INTERNATIONAL kNANCIAL REPORTING STANdards (IFRS) and other pronouncements OF THE kVE INDEPENDENT STANDARDS SETTING boards of IFAC. For more information on the SMOs, go to the these links: http:// www.ifac.org/about-ifac/membership/ country/philippines and http://www. ifac.org/about-ifac/membership/memBERS PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE CERTIkED PUBLIC accountants.

As early as July 2005, the Philippines adopted the Philippine Financial Reporting Standards which are converged with the IFRS. These standards are important since these provide a common global language for reporting business activities so that company accounts are understandable and comparable across international boundaries. The business community requires a uniform set of business reporting standards to govern and report international trade and commerce.

Equally important are the various standards that provide a universal framework for the various aspects of the accountancy profession. It is necessary that all Filipino CPAs monitor the developments in the global accountancy community. These are easily accessible in the IFAC website at http://www.ifac.org/ The accountancy profession of the Philippines does not lag behind in the accounting world in terms of the number OF QUALIkED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS AND its history. According to the latest statistics from the BoA, there are over 192,000 CPAs in the Philippines. This number of Filipino CPAs ranks high among the bigger global accountancy bodies, including those from the India Chartered ProfesSIONAL !CCOUNTANTS OF OVER THOSE FROM THE #0! !USTRALIA OF OVER

and the over 208,000 members of the AsSOCIATION OF #HARTERED #ERTIkED !CCOUNtants. The recently merged Association OF )NTERNATIONAL #ERTIkED !CCOUNTANTS

numbering over 431,000 members leads the pack. In terms of history, the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy has been in existence for over 96 years, which makes our accountants members of the oldest profession in Asia. After the Philippines, the accountancy professions in India and Japan are the next oldest in Asia, being about 76 years this year.

Filipino CPAs are active throughout the world, working and holding prominent positions in such countries as the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the various countries of Europe and the Middle East. They are globally sought after and recognized for their knowledge of the international accountancy rules and standards and competence in various kinds of work. I have no information on the number of Filipino CPAs working abroad, but I am certain that these comprise a SIGNIkCANT NUMBER BASED ON MY DISCUSsions with Filipino accountants abroad.

However, I note that despite the large number of Filipino CPAs here and abroad, there are not too many Filipinos involved in leadership positions in the major global accountancy organizations. The accountants in our neighbors in Asia, such as Singapore, Indonesia, India and others, are engaged quite actively in seeking appointments to the various boards and participate in activities of such global or regional bodies as the IFAC and Asean Federation of Accountants (AFAC). In the case of the Philippines, the few Filipino CPAs who have attained prominent positions in the global accountancy organizations are the late Washington SyCip, the president OF )&!# FROM TO %STELITA !GUirre, the president of AFAC from 2014 to ,UZVIMINDA #HATTO BOARD MEMber of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board from 2019 TO AND THIS WRITER WHO IS A MEMBER and PhilippinerRepresentative to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Inter-governmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting, from 2016 to 2022, and the Philippine representative to the Asean Chartered Professional Accountants Coordinating Committee, from 2014 to 2018. It is also worthwhile mentioning that another CPA, Heidi Mendoza, is the undersecretary general for the United .ATIONS /FkCE OF )NTERNAL /VERSIGHT This is quite an impressive list of Filipino CPAs who have been recognized in the global accounting community with their appointment to prominent positions.

However, with the large number of Filipino CPAs, there should be more of us who should be engaged in these international accountancy organizations.

Imagine a world (or a Philippines) where the attributes of compliance, innovation, professionalism, advocacy and globalization prevail. The CPAs of our land can do a lot to make this a reality. But, come to think of it, why rely only on the accountants to make this happen? Should not each and every responsible citizen of our country be inculcating the CIPAG virtues?

Joel L. Tan-Torre topped the May 1979 CPA board examinations. He was Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue from 2009 to 2010 and chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy from 2014 to August 2018.

He is a partner at Reyes Tacandong & Co. He completed his international tax program at the Harvard Law School in 1988.

Identity fraud unmasked as Russian runs for Ukraine PARIS: On July 15, 2017 in Ninove, central Belgium, three women stood on the podium after the 800-meter race at a local track and field event.

Two were flashing smiles but one, running for Ukraine as Galina Sychko, looked bashful and aloof.

Was she shy, nervous, or just uncomfortable in the spotlight?

All of the above and more, apparently.

Multiple sources subsequently revealed an astonishing story of identity theft and fraud.

It begins in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea, then part of Ukraine, and home to Kseniya Savina, a promising track athlete.

Savina, who grew up in Simferopol, took on Russian nationality following Crimea’s annexation and began to compete for her adopted country.

But disaster struck a year later when Russia was banned from international competition owing to revelations of massive state-backed doping.

At 26, Savina’s career appeared to be finished, until she took matters into her own hands.

Under an assumed identity and another nationality Savina competed abroad frequently over the ensuing three years.

She borrowed the name and nationality of childhood friend Galina Syshko, a one-time 800-meter runner who also happened to look like her, though two years younger.

Syshko might have had the looks, but she never had Savina’s talent, according to the Russian magazine Match which first revealed the fraud.

Syshko recorded a modest 2min 17sec over 800 meters as a young runner, then disappeared without trace from athletics for five years, before emerging in July 2016 with an impressive time of 2min 04sec.

That improvement coincides with the identity switch which saw Savina competing in events in Belgium, France and elsewhere under her assumed name.

The real Syshko stayed in Simferopol, working as a sports coach at a local school, where Savina’s husband Alexei Savin also worked. Contacted by AFP, she declined to comment. Savina and her spouse were unavailable to comment. “There is a danger that athletes begin to look for alternative ways to compete internationally� since the ban, Russian Athletics Federation sports director Andrei Kruporushnikov told AFP. “Savina and her coach have already been summoned to explain the allegations of her competing with false documents. She has denied it,� he added.

Personal best Even as she competed abroad as Galina Syshko, Savina continued to run in Russia under her own name.

In the 2017 Russian championships she registered 1min 59.97sec, her personal best.

In between domestic events she traveled around Europe with her husband, who acted as her agent.

Frenchman Jean-Paul Jacob, organizer of an indoor athletics meet in Eaubonne, north of Paris, in 2017, said he received an email from a runner named Syshko. “I thought she wrote the email herself to compete.

I liked it and I saw her time — 2:04 — and invited her on that basis,� he said.

Resources for thorough checking of identities is beyond the scope of many small athletics organizations. “International athletes all have a number and we would like our database to be linked to international ones but it is not possible,â€? said François Maingain, a coordinator with the Brussels Grand Prix where Savina has appeared.

Internationally Savina maintained a low profile, but risked a return to Ninove in Belgium in 2016 and 2017 after competing there under her real identity in 2014.

Now that she has been unmasked, other problems are piling up. Savina was handed a provisional suspension in June 2018 after testing positive for the banned blood-booster EPO. She has also been targeted for allegedly tampering with part of a doping control.

Russian and Ukrainian athletics federation officials are investigating her case, but in the meantime Savina has announced her retirement from the sport ahead of her 30th birthday.

AFP

Olongapo is dead

T

HE Olongapo I remember was a model city known for its growth, tranquility and as a premium real estate to live in. Harmony reigned supreme as its people kept the streets clean, enjoyed snappy service from the city government, and citizens were trained to follow ordinances and equipped to welcome visitors.

Volunteerism was the spirit and everyone worked in unison to respond to a slogan called “Aim High.� Yes, laziness was forbidden and discipline was a daily instinct.

Color- coded vehicles, uniformed and courteous drivers of public transport, garbage bins every 100 meters, zoning meticulously observed as the years transformed the city into a metropolis of hope where humans could competitively survive to rise with dignity and do the impossible.

Then the city confronted a double whammy — the dismantling of the US naval base and the wrath of Mt. Pinatubo. It was not easy to rise from these two unfortunate

short time. Everything and everywhere I set my eyes on painted a wasteland transformed by commercialism and the unruly rat race for survival.

Reading news reports and testimonies of people on the street incidents but the big heart of its CAN ONLY CONkRM THE REASONS FOR PEOPLE WAS SUFkCIENT ENOUGH their groans and sighs of despair.

That was the time of the Gordons. Yes, it was corruption rearing its A modern well-equipped hospital, a UGLY HEAD THAT SEALED THE COFkN spacious convention center, a clean of a dead city. Land was bought wet market, well-paved roads, and by giant retailers under doubtful AN EQUALLY AND EFkCIENTLY MANAGED circumstances, business licenses neighbor that was the converted granted with wanton disregard naval base that we fondly call SBMA of urban planning and environ(Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority), mental rules. Further investigation plus a deep rooted environmental with some citizens revealed that consciousness, propelled the place the city’s major hospital is now staffed with foreign doctors from to greatness.

Peace and order was a way of life India, Nepal and Bangladesh with for everyone concerned guided by dubious academic backgrounds, an elite police force disciplined to mystical employment procedures protect life and property. “Gapo� and questionable competence.

The city coffers swelled, but basic was not a sin city anymore.

I have visited Olongapo several services received anemic support.

TIMES LATELY AND WAS SHOCKED TO kND Documented evidence can show the the ugly transformation in such a cause partly and the Sandiganbayan

MIRRORLESS

ROLLY G. REYES

can attest to this. Contracts railroaded or awarded without bidding betray the methodical suffocation of the once progressive city.

While the city is barely breathing OR ALMOST A lATLINER ON LIFE SUPPORT

the kicker is a list of siblings and relatives of the incumbent mayor receiving stratospheric wages to rival other cities in Metro Manila.

The list includes the mayor’s son, daughter, brother, brother-in-law, sister, girlfriend of son, and driver cum executive assistant.

The way it is going, and if there will be no change in the near future, we can just say “RIP Olongapo.� **** Please note these recent headlines: “Duterte’s satisfaction rating bounces back to personal high — SWS� “Palace: Latest Pulse Asia survey shows Duterte’s strong endorsement appeal� “S&P recognized the strengths of THE 0HILIPPINE ECONOMY THAT AFkRMS the country’s creditworthiness.�

And of course the kicker headline: “Otso Diretso optimistic amid dismal survey rankings in final campaign stretch.�

Going back to the latest S&P ratings, I have to note this important part:“The Philippines has above-average economic growth, a healthy external position, and susTAINABLE PUBLIC kNANCE 4HE STABLE OUTLOOK ON THE RATING RElECTS OUR view that the Philippine economy will maintain its momentum over the medium term, in combination WITH CONTAINED kSCAL DEkCITS AND stable public indebtedness.� **** On Chief Justice Renato C. Corona’s death anniversary I posted this on Facebook many years ago, and it’s still fresh in my mind: “188 Congressmen signed the Corona impeachment in less than one hour without even reading the voluminous documents. The senator-judges voted in favor of

the impeachment. This is one of the darkest moments in our history WHEN A DIGNIkED MAN WAS CONVICTED BY kGHTING FOR THE LANDLESS FARMERS and independence of the courts.�

In ancient Japan, people who commit this kind of atrocity of causING THE DEATH OF A VERY DIGNIkED MAN are bound to commit seppuku as “they cannot live with the shame.�

And yet today, we see them walking the streets very much alive without an iota of remorse over what they did to the family and the morals of generations to come.

During the campaign, you see them all smiling, shaking your hand, ALLOWING SELkES TRYING TO PLEASE YOU by singing and dancing. When they get elected, you will have to fall in line to see them, with their staff lying through their teeth saying, “the principal cannot be disturbed as he or she is in a closed-door meeting.� **** Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.

Regions Mayor suspended over plaza rehab

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

S

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

BY WILLIAM JUN GARCIA

!. &%2.!.$/ #)49 ,A 5NION 4HE /FkCE of the Ombudsman has suspended the mayor of this city for six months for grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and grave abuse of authority.

Ombudsman special prosecutor Edilberto Sandoval, in an eightpage decision on April 15, ordered Mayor Hermenigildo Gualberto placed under six months’ preventive suspension without pay.

Gualberto’s case stemmed from

alleged anomalies in the rehabilitation of the city plaza here worth at least P90 million.

Representatives of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) served the suspension order on Monday, April 29.

The Ombudsman ruled evidence was strong showing Sandoval entering into an agreement with private contractors for the rehabilitation of the plaza, including a controversial water fountain, without authorization from the city council and allowing the disbursement of funds without legal authority. “The foregoing considerations readily show respondent’s (Gualberto) failure to perform his duties in a regular manner and his willful disregard of the law, rules and REGULATIONS 4HIS /FkCE THUS HOLDS

that the evidence of respondent’s guilt is strong,� a portion of the ruling said.

The charges against Gualberto are punishable under Republic Act 3019 or the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.�

Samuel Jucar, chairman of Barangay Cadaclan, and 46 others of the 59 barangay (village) captains OF THIS CITY kLED THE COMPLAINT LAST January 28.

Gualberto, after receiving the suspension order, issued a statement on his Facebook account but did not clarify the issue against

him as he promised during his State of the City Address earlier this year when the issue started to crop up. “Today we received an order FROM THE /FkCE OF THE /MBUDSman informing us that starting today, I am in a preventative suspension from performing the FUNCTIONS OF THE OFkCE FOR WHICH you have elected me,� he said. “This preventive suspension emanates from a case which I have never seen or been given the opportunity to examine or oppose. It also comes with undue haste and at a suspicious

A7

time — two weeks shy of the [May 13 midterm] elections. This is why I cannot shake off the feeling that this malicious persecution is designed to humiliate me, your mayor, in the eyes of the people; “However, I have personally gotten to know a lot of you to trust that the people of San Fernando know better than to believe decoys and diversions. My faith is in you, my brothers and sisters, knowing that you will not allow this plot to succeed,� Gualberto added.

(IS CAMP SAID THEY WOULD kLE A motion for reconsideration.

Mistress can’t demand WVisayas househelps to get P4,000 monthly pay support from lover Dear PAO, My daughter has been in a longterm relationship with her boss.

Unfortunately, her boss is married and with children although he has been separated from his wife for years already, according to my daughter. My daughter and her boss lived together for several years. Unfortunately, they recently had a falling out, and he now lives in another house. Since my daughter lives alone in their condo, I decided to live with her to accompany her. It’s been almost a year since her boss left her, and the rent for it has not been paid for several months already. I found out that the condominium unit was rented by my daughter’s boss. We now want to know if we can demand financial support from him, especially for the payment of the rent, considering the nature of his relationship with my daughter as live-in partners.

Celia Dear Celia, Based from the details you provided, it appears that your daughter is the mistress of her married boss.

This detail is crucial in understanding your claim for support since the right to demand support from another depends on the nature of their relationship. The Civil Code of the Philippines specifies the persons whom an individual may be obliged to support, to wit: “Article 105. Subject to the provisions of the succeeding articles, the following are obliged to support each other to the whole extent set forth in the preceding article: “(1) The spouses; “(2) Legitimate ascendants and descendants; “(3) Parents and their legitimate

DEAR PAO

PERSIDA ACOSTA children and the legitimate and illegitimate children of the latter; “(4) Parents and their illegitimate children and the legitimate and illegitimate children of the latter; and “(5) Legitimate brothers and sisters, whether of full or half-blood.�

(Family Code of the Philippines) It appears that the relationship of your daughter to her boss does NOT BELONG TO ANY OF THE SPECIkED classifications of relationships mentioned therein. Thus, you and your daughter have no legal right to demand for support from her boss, including payment for the rent of a condo registered to his name.

In addition to this, it can also be argued that since having a mistress or concubine is penalized by law, no legal right for support can come from such illicit relationship. The fact remains that your daughter is not among those legally entitled to demand support. Your daughter is not entitled to demand or receive support from her married lover.

This opinion is solely based on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. The opinion may vary when the facts are changed or further elaborated.

We hope that we were able to enlighten you on the matter.

Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily column of the Public AttorNEY S /FkCE 1UESTIONS FOR #HIEF Acosta may be sent to dearpao@ manilatimes.net

BACOLOD CITY: Effective May 8 this year, househelps in Western Visayas will be getting P4,000 a month, according to Cyril Ticao, Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) regional director.

He said they already published the new wage order last April 23, ordering the increase from P3,500 to P4,000. “We call on employers to comply with this new wage order,�

Ticao added.

He pointed out that the new minimum wage is applicable

to all househelps in the region, REGARDLESS OF THE CLASSIkCATION OF the town or city where they are working.

Under Republic Act 10361 or the “Domestic Workers Act� (Batas Kasambahay ), a domestic worker is “any person engaged in domestic work within an employment relationship such as, but not limited to, the following: General househelp, nursemaid or yaya, cook, gardener or laundry person but shall exclude any person who performs domestic work only oc-

casionally or sporadically.�

Ticao said the initiative to review the wage of domestic helpers was done motu propio or without a formal request from another party because they felt that the current amount is too low. “We conducted consultations with representatives of the labor sector and management and allowed them to decide,� he added. “They agreed that it is already needed,� Ticao said.

During a National Wage Board meeting last January, Western

Visayas was cited as having the second highest rate along with the National Capital Region (Metro Manila), even with the P3,500 salary.

Region 3 or Central Luzon pays the highest salary for domestic workers.

Ticao said they still do not have THE kGURE ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF domestic workers in Western Visayas and are awaiting data from the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

EUGENE Y. ADIONG

Peaceful polls assured, ‘alternative’ agenda bared LOCAL candidates in Lanao del Sur have signed a covenant for free, honest, credible, orderly and peaceful elections on May 13.

Representatives from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Ministry of Local Government (MLG), Philippine National Police, the military and other stakeholders, along with 128 candidates vying for provincial, city and municipal positions, joined ceremonies organized by the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ 103rd Infantry Brigade (103rd IB) in Lanao del Sur for the signing of a peace covenant.

In Balanga, Bataan, the Alternative Politics Movement (Alterpol) on Tuesday called on the electorate to choose candidates who will give priority to generation of jobs, food security, justice for all and the environment.

In its Peoples’ Agenda for 2019, Alterpol and the Kilusang Pambansang Demokratiko (KPD) released its people’s agenda for 2019 espousing aspirations for a life with DIGNITY FOR WORKERS FARMERS kSHerfolk, transport workers, youth,

women and indigenous peoples. “We urge the public to vote for those who will stand by and uphold what are important, jobs, food, justice and the environment,� KPD spokesman Derek Cabe said.

In Lanao del Sur, provincial #OMELEC OFkCER !LLAN +ADON ACknowledged the military’s gesture in organizing the signing of the peacer covenant and said they hoped that the highly peaceful Special Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in the 96 barangay (villages) of Marawi City last year would be repeated on May 13.

Dubbed as the “most peaceful elections yet,� the Marawi Special BSKE ended with no fatalities.

Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., 103 IB commander, said he had committed his term toward achieving successful national elections when he took the helm of the brigade.

While security forces have expressed optimism about the outcome of the elections, the military warned spoilers who would undermine the security of the polls.

“We will take into restrictive custody any individual who will be caught buying votes or engaging in violence. This is to ensure integrity and security in our polling areas,�

Brawner said.

Last year, security forces took into restrictive custody several persons caught in the act of voteBUYING AND ENGAGING IN kSTkGHTS in polling areas.

Also witness to the covenant signing were Lanao del Sur police director Muksan Mukaram and Provincial MLG Director McMillan Lucman.

Candidates who vowed to uphold the People’s Agenda for 2019 WERE REMINDED AT A NEWS BRIEkNG held in Balanga City, Bataan, that the power of their position emanates from the people’s will and, thus, they should work for the public good, not against it, Cabe said.

4HE NEWS BRIEkNG HIGHLIGHTED the issues affecting the people of Bataan and emphasized that following a rights-based approach to governance will serve as a guideline for both the public and the

candidates.

The event gathered various sectors that voiced their expectations of the the candidates in the mid-term polls and expressed their concerns.

According to the Alyansa ng Magbubukid ng Bataan, implementation of the agrarian reform program in the town of Abucay, for instance, has stalled.

Lourdes Mamalateo, agrarian REFORM BENEkCIARY AND A LEADER of Almaba said: “We’ve waited for years, several admnistrations have come and gone, we’ve seen the end of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, but the farmers still do not hold in their hands title to the land they were promised.�

Workers of Alyansa ng Manggagawa ng Bataan and Freeport Workers League expressed their dismay over the prevailing contractualization inside the Freeport Area of Bataan despite an order from the Labor department urging companies to comply with orders to regularize their workers who have remained contractual for years.

MASIDING NOOR YAHYA AND ERNIE B. ESCONDE

Go vows strong support for agricultural incentives FORMER special assistant to the President and 2019 candidate for senator of the ruling PDP-Laban Christopher Lawrence “Bong�

Go on Tuesday received a rousing welcome from residents in Glan, Sarangani, as his motorcade went around the city.

In this sortie, Go brought news that made people hopeful that better times are ahead for them.

He assured them that if elected

to the Senate, he would push for increased government support for the agriculture sector, noting that farming and fishing are among the major sources of livelihood of people in the area.

Go thanked Sarangani Gov. Steve Solon and Sen. Emmanuel “Manny� Pacquiao, PDP-Laban campaign manager, for their support.

Pacquiao served as representa-

FARMERS’ FRIEND

tive of the province for two terms, from 2010 up to 2016.

Acknowledging how the governor and the senator have always supported the programs of President Rodrigo Duterte, Go said he would always remember Region 12. “I will be your bridge to the President in the next three years. I am ready to serve you and the rest of our brothers here in the prov-

ince and the rest of the country,� he added. “We will upgrade the government’s program and provide more FARM MACHINERY FERTILIZERS kSHING boats and other things vital to the LIVELIHOOD OF FARMERS AND kSHERfolk,� Go said. “We will work to simplify loan procedures to the agriculture sector so they can

Simplified loan procedures for farmers were promised by candidate for senator Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go during a campaign sortie in Sarangani on Tuesday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

avoid relying on usurers or 5-6 loansharks,� he added.

Go said he would look into the possibility of establishing a Farmers and Fishers’ Pension fund to provide support for those who are too old to continue working in the agriculture sector.

As part of his agenda for agriculture, he is also pushing for

incentives to children of farmERS AND kSHERMEN TO ENCOURAGE them to follow in the footsteps of their parents and work in the same sector. In addition, Go is proposing free training for agri-entrepreneurship to open opportunities for an additional source of income for families of FARMERS AND kSHERMEN

A8

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

Break status quo, elect fresh faces – Manicad ASPIRING senator Rodrigo “Jiggy�

Manicad Jr. urged voters to do away with the status quo and elect “fresh faces and new names� in the midterm elections in May. The former journalist, who is SEEKING A 3ENATE SEAT FOR THE kRST time, made the call after the sibling rivalry between Makati mayoral candidates Jejomar Erwin “Junjun�

Binay Jr. and reelectionist Mayor Mar-Len Abigail “Abby� Binay escalated on Saturday, following a public confrontation inside a church. “This should serve as a wake-up call to the electorate, especially the youth, to consider new names and new faces among those seeking PUBLIC OFkCE u SAID -ANICAD WHO is running under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

Manicad said the study titled “Political Dynasties and Poverty: Evidence from the Philippines� conducted from 2007 to 2016 by the Ateneo de Manila School of Government showed the number of positions occupied by political clans rose from 75 percent to 78 percent among district representatives; 70 percent to 81 percent among governors; and 58 percent to 70 percent among mayors.

He said the study also found that the largest political dynasties could be found in the poorest areas in the Philippines.

“Though members of political clans have more name recall, voters should look beyond this,�

Manicad said. “ Dapat tumingin ang mga botante hindi lamang sa kasikatan ng kandidato, kundi sa abilidad at plataporma nito (The voters should not consider the popularity of a candidate, but also his ability and his platform),� he added.

Manicad stressed that in a democracy like the Philippines, “fresh ideas could trigger fundamental changes that could bring lasting solutions to the country’s perennial problems.� “When you are able to bring new faces with new ideas, and mix that with the experience and wisdom of more veteran politicians, this is going to be good for the people they vow to serve,� he said. “Let’s break the status quo and change the face of politics in the country,� Manicad said.�Ang senado ay hindi dapat magsilbing listahan ng mga kilalang political dynasty sa bansa. Ito ay dapat na listahan ng mga iba’t ibang representante mula sa iba’t ibang sektor at grupo sa bansa (The Senate should not be a place of known political dynasties. It should be a chamber of representatives of various sectors).�

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

News Religious group endorses Bam, 9 other candidates ˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

F

BY CATHERINE A. MODESTO

OR THE kRST TIME A GROUP OF BISHOPS

PRIESTS AND LAYMEN FROM THE )GLESIA &ILIPINA )NDEPENDIENTE DECLARED SUPPORT FOR 3ENATE HOPEFULS

The Church People for an Independent Senate (CPIS) threw its support behind reelectionist Senators Paulo Benigno “Bam�

Aquino 4th, Mary Grace Poe, Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay; former solicitor general Florin Hilbay; human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel� Diokno, civic leader Samira Gutok, former House deputy

speaker Lorenzo “Erinâ€? TaĂąada; former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares; labor leader Leody de Guzman; and former senator Sergio “Sergeâ€? OsmeĂąa 3rd. “As people of faith, this break from tradition is an unequivocal expression of faith in these dangerous times; our partisanship is for the sanctity of human life and

the dignity of the human person, and for the values of justice and peace, which are the crux of the Gospel,� Francis Gealogo, CPIS lead convenor, said in a statement. “We must elect a candidate for life, not death; for liberty, not oppression; for the freedom of our land, not foreign occupation; for the majority poor, not the elite,� the lay leader said.

Gealogo expressed hope that the Aglipayan faithful would select those who would “preserve democracy and champion an independent, patriotic and pro-people Senate.�

He said the “disrespectful� in-

DAY AFTER

Fire victims in Barangay Baesa, Quezon City sift through the ashes for whatever materials they can salvage and use to build a temporary shelter. A huge blaze ate at least 500 houses at Sitio Ambuklao on Tuesday. PHOTO BY RUY MARTINEZ

Perjury cases vs Okada firm dismissed LAS PiĂąas City Senior Assistant Prosecutor Donald Macasaet has DISMISSED THE PERJURY CASES kLED BY /KADA kRM !ZURE 0HILIPPINES Manufacturing Inc. (APMI) against the chief executive adviser of Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. (TRLEI), the owner of Okada Manila, who accused the former of falsely claiming to manufacture light emitting diode (LED) strips for the hotel and casino resort company.

In a resolution, Macasaet said the elements of perjury were abSENT IN THE ESTAFA COMPLAINTS kLED

by TRLEI Executive Dindo Espeleta against Azure.

4HE PERJURY CASE WAS kLED ORIGInally at the ParaĂąaque City ProseCUTOR{3 /FkCE BUT THE PROSECUTOR inhibited himself, prompting the Department of Justice to assign Macasaet to the case. !0-) kLED THREE COUNTS OF PERJURY against Espeleta for claiming in an ESTAFA CASE kLED AGAINST !0-) THAT IT made false representations when it entered into a deal to supply TRLEI with LED strips for outdoor use in the Okada hotel casino.

Espeleta, who was in charge of

the LED project for TRLEI, accused APMI of making it appear that it was the manufacturer of the LED strips when it engaged J and J Philippines to supply the LED strips.

APMI said the TRLEI executive knew that APMI bought the LED strips.

Macasaet, in his resolution, said although Espeleta made the CLAIMS IN HIS AFkDAVIT AND BEFORE THE COURT WHERE HE kLED THE ESTAFA case, a key element of perjury was absent — the intention to deceive. “The requirement that the respondent (Espeleta) made willful and deliberate assertion of falsehood is lacking,� he said in his resolution dated April 15, 2019.

Citing a Supreme Court ruling, Macasaet said “a false statement of a belief is not perjury.�

Macasaet said Espeleta “was able to establish that his assertions� in the estafa case against APMI were “based on belief and conviction� and after an examination of APMI’s corporate papers. “In other words, there is no falsity that can be attributed� to Espeleta, the resolution said.

WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL

Q DISPUTE FROM A1

the grant of Interim Measure of Protection in the form of a Writ of Preliminary Attachment over respondent’s properties in the amount of P1,877,787,789.05.�

4HE PETITION WAS kLED /CTOBER and the Order was issued the following month. Presiding Judge Ma. Cristina J. Mendoza-Pizarro SET OUT CRITERIA THAT JUSTIkED THE quick decision: the need to prevent irreparable loss or injury; the need to provide security for the performance of any obligation; the need to produce or preserve evidence; or the need to compel any other appropriate act or omission.

With these guideposts, the court proceeded to settle the petitioner’s call for relief and ruled that Seasia Nectar “is entitled to the grant of an interim measure of protection under Section 5 of the Special ADR Rules.�

It found “in the instant case, as revealed in the records and was undisputed by the parties, that HPI, through its Vice President for Supply Chain, Saskia Groen-in-t-Woud, and SLPI through its Chairman and CEO Ramon R. Atayde and Nectar through its Managing Director Saruhan Ozturk entered into and executed an undated Memorandum of Agreement whereby SLPI and Nectar are in the process of forming a joint venture agreement for the

Court As an urgent measure against the eventuality of risks, SNPSI resorted to court action calling for garnishment proceedings against

Holcim’s bank assets.

On Oct. 4, 2018, SNPSI file before the Regional Trial Court, Branch 95 of Mariveles, Bataan, a Petition for Interim Measure of Protection, praying for a Writ of Preliminary Attachment over HPI’s properties in the amount of P1,877,787,789.05. It was docketed as Case No. 377-ML and the subject of the petition were Holcim funds in an account with Metrobank at Rockwell Center.

In layman’s language, SNPSI wants the court to make HPI’s bank assets available for paying off debts incurred in serving the latter’s operational needs at the FAB port terminal.

In ruling for SNPSI, the court said: “In the instant case, petitioner alleges that respondent deliberately and fraudulently failed to comply under its obligations under the MoA and therefore has sought relief under the provisions of Rule 5 of the Special ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) Rules, for

Q REPATRIATION FROM A1 &ILIPINOS SINCE THE kGHTING BEGAN our people.�

lometer radius from the capital, was prompted by a Philippine embassy warning that it could no longer guarantee the safety and security of Filipinos who have chosen to stay in Libya.

ChargÊ d’Affaires and Philippine head of mission Elmer #ATO SAID kGHTING AT THE OUTSKIRTS OF 4RIPOLI HAD MAKE IT DIFkCULT for the embassy to respond to urgent requests for assistance.

The embassy will now redouble its efforts in persuading Filipinos to go home. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has so far repatriated 32

on April 4.

In announcing the higher alert level on Twitter, Locsin SAID g-ORE MORTAR kRE ;MEANS= more Filipinos [might get] hurt. Al (Alert) 4 is mandatory evacuation but we cannot compel — and rightly so. What is mandatory is that DFA stays in Tripoli until last OFW (overseas Filipino worker) goes — and then it stays.�

In response to Locsin’s statement, Cato tweeted, “PhinLibya (Philippine embassy in Libya) is not going anywhere. We will stay and remain open to assist our kababayan (countrymen) in Tripoli and surrounding areas. We don’t have any plans of abandoning

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Fernandez said Filipinos had suddenly found THEMSELVES IN THE MIDDLE OF kERCE kGHTING ON -ONDAY “It also followed the shelling of several hospitals and residential areas that left at least two Filipinos wounded. In raising the alert level, Secretary Locsin appealed to Filipinos still in Tripoli to seriously consider repatriation before the situation escalates further,� he added. “He also requested the help of families in the Philippines in convincing their loved ones in Tripoli to accept the repatriation offer before it’s too late.�

BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO

development and operation of a port terminal in the property under process of lease agreement with the Bataan Baseco JV Corp. covering a land area of 6.7 hectares, with an area of 4.4 hectares to be allocated exclusively for HPI.�

In accordance with this deal, “the parties have agreed to explore the possibility of entering into an agreement for HPI’s exclusive use of the proposed terminal once completed; that the parties are presently prePARING THE DEkNITIVE AGREEMENT that would set out the terms and conditions of the use by HPI of the proposed terminal.�

SLPI and Nectar was said to have agreed to deal exclusively with HPI, which also agreed to its exclusive use of the proposed terMINAL WHILE A DEkNITIVE AGREEEMENT WAS STILL BEING kNALIZED “For the period from the date of the undated MoA [this agreement] up to June 30, 2015 (Exclusivity Period), they shall negotiate in good faith exclusively with each other with a view to ENTERING INTO A DEkNITIVE AGREEment or agreements for HPI’s exclusive use of the proposed terminal, which shall set out the terms and conditions of such exclusive use including the parties’ rights and obligation and

the conditions of the agreement; that during the effectivity of this agreement, HPI and SLPI and Nectar shall procure that their respective directors, employees, AGENTS ADVISERS OR AFkLIATES SHALL not, either directly or indirectly, enter into any agreement or arrangement with any third party relating to the proposed terminal,� the court said. “For purposes of this Agreement, a third party shall include but shall not be limited to, in particular for SLPI and Nectar, any cement manufacturer other than HPI, and, in particular for HPI, any party other than SLPI and Nectar acting on their joint venture, in relation to the proposed terminal.�

The court evaluated evidence presented by HPI to support its argument that relations with SNPSI were governed by a PSA under which HPI had the right to pre-terminate the contract regardless of any contrary position under the MOA. In HPI’s view, the MOA was separate from, and had been superseded by, the PSA. The Court has this to say: “Again, to the Court’s mind, and its appreciation of the real intent of the agreements executed between the parties — that resulted in the completion of the port

terminal — it is not convinced that the PSA per se superseded the MOA. To make a simple interpretation to the titles of the documents, the Memorandum of Agreement embodied the general intent of the parties to engage in a contractual agreement; while the PSA was intended to exPRESS AND EMBODY THE DEkNITIVE Operating Agreement between the parties. Hence, it is in order that the PSA will only follow in sequence to the execution of the MOA precisely because the former was designed to govern the present and actual operations transactions between the parties after they shall have realized into fruition the subject of their contractual agreement, which was the completed port terminal.�

Pursuant to Section 4 of Rule 57 of the Rules, SNPSI posted a surety bond in the amount of P1,877,787,789.05 as security for HPI for damages that it may sustain by reason of the attachMENT IF 3.03) SHALL kNALLY BE adjudged as not entitled to the relief.

Under the rules, SNPSI and (0) WILL UNDERGO A kNAL ROUND of arbitration during which a kNAL JUDGMENT ON THE CASE WILL be rendered.

To be continued

Mandatory

trusion into the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), human rights violations in the anti-drug campaign, an “erring� charter change initiative, and policies that violate people’s rights to assemble and protest were among the things that present an “attempt to systematize an evidently harmful partisan rule over our land — through these midterm elections, in securing dominion over all crucial democratic institutions.�

The CPIS said it would vote “advocating the weak, vulnerable and underserved. We will stand on social justice, human dignity and the principles of democracy.�

Binay blamed for unfinished hospital FORMER Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun� Binay Jr. is to blame for the delay in the completion of the P2-billion Ospital ng Makati (OsMak 2), Renato Bondal, who served as a witness in a Senate probe on corruption allegations against Makati officials, said.

Bondal claimed that the unfinished OsMak 2 was among the questionable transactions during the term of the young Binay. “All of these problems began with Junjun. They constructed the building, known as OsMak 2, but it cannot be used by the residents of the first district because of the multiple cases filed against Junjun Binay,� he said. “The city government spent almost P2 billion for this unkNISHED PROJECT "UT NO ONE CAN touch it, not even Mayor Abby (Mar-Len Abigail Binay) because ITS HAS TO BE AUDITED kRST u Bondal said while no case was filed, the project remained unfinished because the Commission on Audit (CoA) is still doing a fraud audit on the award, construction and payments on the project.

As a result, residents of the first district have to go to the main OsMak in the second district for their medical needs. “If you take a look at OsMak in Pembo, you will see that patients are scattered even along its hallways. The hospital’s efficiency level has also been downgraded as it services two districts instead of just the second district,� Bondal said.

He claimed that Binay and his group chopped up projects into several phases.

Out of the P2-billion cost for phases 1 and 2 of OsMak 2, P1.4 billion was paid during the term of Junjun. The city would incur additional costs amounting to several more billions of pesos for the other phases needed to complete the hospital. “This is the reason why the Commission on Audit ordered the return of the P2.3-billion spent for the Makati City Hall parking project. CoA has issued several notices of disallowance against other allegedly anomalous projects led by Junjun,�

Bondal said.

In 2015, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed Junjun for grave misconduct and serious dishonesty in connection with the bidding for the Makati City Hall parking building.

The ruling was reversed by the Court of Appeals’ 10th Division without prejudice to the possible filing of criminal charges against him regarding the parking building project.

WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL

What’s inside PAGCOR PROFIT RISES TO P1.55B IN Q1

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PALAY PRICE STILL DOWN – PSA

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PRIME GLOBAL SEEKS TO GROW SALES BY 125%

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FEDÂ MEETS AMID CALLS FOR RATE CUT

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www.manilatimes.net

MANAGEMENT ACTION

AMRO keeps 6.4% PH growth forecast

BY ANNA LEAH E. GONZALES

P

HILIPPINE economic growth is expected to pick up this year on the back of high local demand, the !SEAN -ACROECONOMIC 2ESEARCH /FkCE !-2/ said on Wednesday.

In its Asean+3 Regional Economic Outlook (AREO) 2019 report, AMRO maintained the 6.4-percent growth

forecast for the country in 2019, higher than last year’s 6.2 percent. g%CONOMIC GROWTH IS EXPECTED TO

gradually recover on the back of buoyant domestic demand,� AMRO said.

4HE CURRENT kGURE MIRRORS THAT FOREcast by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), but lower than the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) 6.5 percent.

The World Bank and ADB cited the delays in the approval of the 2019 national budget, the ongoing El NiĂąo phenomenon and a global economic

slowdown as reasons for lowering their GROWTH FORECAST kGURES FOR THE COUNTRY from 6.5 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively. The IMF trimmed theirs from 6.6 percent on expectations of reduced global growth.

AMRO’s projection is also lower than Cambodia’s 7.1 percent, Myanmar’s 7.3 percent, Lao People’s Democratic Republic’s 6.6 percent and Vietnam’s

M3, lending growth further eased in March THE Philippines’ money supply posted its slowest growth in almost 11 years in March amid the deceleration in bank lending in the last five months, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

Domestic liquidity or M3 expanded by 4.2 percent year-on-year to P11.379 trillion, slower than February’s 7.1 percent. It was also the slowest M3 growth since the 2.5 percent in April 2008.

Month-on-month and seasonally adjusted, M3 decreased by 1 percent. “Demand for credit eased, but remained the principal driver of money supply growth,� the central bank said in a statement on Tuesday.

EDomestic claims expansion also slowed to 7.3 percent from February’s 11.7 percent, “due mainly to the sustained growth in credit to the private sector,“ it added.

Meanwhile, net claims on the central government contracted by 2.2 percent, a

T

reversal of the previous month’s 8.3-percent expansion.

Net foreign assets in peso terms recovered as it grew by 2 percent, rebounding from the 1.5-percent decline posted in February. “The BSP will monitor closely monetary conditions to ensure that liquidity in the financial system remains supportive of economic activity in line with the BSP’s objective of maintaining price stability,� the Bangko Sentral said.

Bank-lending growth, meanwhile, decelerated for the fifth consecutive month, to 9.9 percent in March from 13.7 percent the previous month.

Including reverse repurchase placements (RRPs) with the BSP, lending growth also moderated to 9.3 percent from February’s 13.9 percent.

On a month-on-month and seasonallyadjusted basis, commercial bank loans net

ÂłEased B2

Global airline woes reach PH shores

HE wave of misery that has drowned at least eight sigNIkCANT AIRLINES IN BANKRUPTCY so far this year is apparently now lapping at Philippine shores, with the country’s largest carrier Cebu 0ACIkC ANNOUNCING THE CANCELLATION OF HUNDREDS OF lIGHTS DUE TO UNSPECIkED gFACTORS OCCURRING ALL at the same time.�

The disruptions will affect #EBU 0ACIkC S SCHEDULE THROUGH at least May 10, but the company is already hinting things may not return to normal for some TIME AS IT IS gCURRENTLY REVIEWING adjustments required for June and beyond.�

It may seem a stretch to con-

B2

W

THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019

Business Times

B1

ROUGH TRADE BEN KRITZ CLUDE THAT #EBU 0ACIkC WHICH until last Friday appeared to be a reasonably healthy airline, is headed for bankruptcy or some other form of dissolution, and I would expect the company to vigorously disagree with that hypothesis. Recent events, however, ARE DIFkCULT TO DISMISS AS SIMPLE bad luck or coincidence, as they kT A PATTERN THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN

ÂłKritz B3

ÂłGrowth B3

Economic managers welcome upgrade

VIRTUALLY REAL

Facebook Director of Product Management-Oculus VR Sean Liu gives a demonstration of the new Oculus Quest and Rift and Oculus Business at the Facebook F8 Conference at McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). The social-media giant unveiled on Tuesday a revamp that aims to foster real-world relationships and make the platform a more intimate place for small groups of friends. AFP PHOTO

A review of PWDs’ labor, tax benefits MORE TO Y FOLLOW (MTF)

ESTERDAY, May 1, was Labor Day and April was Autism Awareness Month. For today’s article, we will discuss Philippine laws geared toward the welfare and integration of persons with disability (PWDs). These laws seek to destroy social barriers that prejudice the rights of PWDs, especially in the workplace. The State, as parens patriae, endeavors equal treatment of individuals, disabled or not. However, whether such laws are properly implemented, or SUFkCIENT ENOUGH IS ANOTHER STORY In 1992, the Philippines actually BECAME ONE OF THE kRST COUNTRIES in Asia to have a law outlining the rights and privileges of PWDs, through the enactment of Republic Act (RA) No. 7277 or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities.

qualify as learners or apprentices, subject to the provisions of the Labor Code.

To encourage private sector participation in promoting PWD workers’ rights, the Magna Carta grants incentives to private enti5NDER THE -AGNA #ARTA A QUALIkED ties that employ PWDs either as disabled employee is entitled to regular employees, apprentices or the rights and privileges as that of learners. Said incentives include an an able-bodied person. This means additional deduction from gross qualified employees, whether income of 25 percent of the total abled or disabled, are subject to amount paid as salaries and wages the same terms and conditions to disabled persons. To enjoy this of employment. The Magna Carta incentive, the employer must also protects against discrimina- secure an accreditation from the tion in the work place, particularly Department of Health (DOH), as in terms of job application, hiring, to the type of disability of the dispromotion, compensation and abled workers; Department of Ladischarge of disabled employees. bor and Employment (DOLE), as Further, the Magna Carta provides TO THE THEIR SKILLS AND QUALIkCATION for the right of disabled persons to ³MTF B3

NICA MARSHA GASAPO

THE Philippines’ economic managers have welcomed S&P Global Ratings’ upgrade on its investment-grade credit rating from g""" u TO g""" u WHICH THEY CREDITED TOgBOLD REFORMS AND sound economic policies.�

In a statement from the InvesTOR 2ELATIONS /FkCE OF THE "ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Tuesday night, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd was QUOTED AS SAYING THE UPGRADE gIS an undeniable tribute to President [Rodrigo] Duterte’s unwavering commitment to bold reforms and sound economic policies, as embodied in the 10-point Socioeconomic Agenda of the administration and his strong political will to get these tough initiatives done at the soonest.� g4O HIS CREDIT 0RESIDENT $UTERTE has transcended all the political chatter and stayed focused on pursuing policy initiatives, such as tax reform, trade liberalization and infrastructure modernization, that are necessary to sustain the growth momentum, attract INVESTMENTS AND ENSURE kNANCIAL inclusion for all Filipinos on his watch,� he added.

National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon considered the upgrade as recognition of the country’s sound policies on liability management. g7E HAVE KEPT OUR DEBT IN check, even as we invest more on infrastructure and social services,� de Leon said. g7E ARE COMMITTED TO FISCAL

ÂłWelcome B3

B2

Business Times

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

Pagcor profit rises to P1.55B in Q1

BY EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ

E

ARNINGS of the state-run Philippine !MUSEMENT 'AMING #ORP 0AGCOR REACHED 0 BILLION IN THE kRST QUARTER OF

UP PERCENT FROM 0 BILLION IN THE SAME period last year.

Pagcor said income from gaming operations grew 14.71 percent to P9.69 billion from P8.44 billion in the first three months in 2018.

The gaming regulator remit-

ted P9.58 billion of the amount to the government in the form of gaming taxes and contributions. Of the total, P8.66 billion went to the national treasury, while P15 million was given

to the Dangerous Drugs Board.

Operating expenses amounted to P3.60 billion, up by 12.9 percent from last year’s P3.19 billion.

Meanwhile, contributions, as mandated by special laws, went up to P433.8 million from P375.2 million in 2018.

Earlier, Fitch Ratings projected that the country’s gaming industry would sustain growth momentum as a result of robust economic expansion. )T SAID INITIAL kNANCIAL RESULTS OF THE kRST FOUR CASINOS ‡ /KADA

Resorts World Manila, City of $REAMS -ANILA AND 3OLAIRE ‡ OPerating under the licenses granted

BY THE 0AGCOR gARE ENCOURAGING relative to the investments made.�

In 2018, Pagcor casinos’ gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached P187.54 billion or $3.58 billion, up 22.9 percent from a year earlier.

On the other hand, privatesector casino resorts posted an overall GGR of P151.65 billion in 2018, up by 28.3-percent from P118.18 billion the year before.

Palay price still down – PSA THE farmgate average price of palay (unmilled RICE CONTINUED TO FALL IN THE kRST WEEK OF !PRIL as local farmers remained under pressure due to the expected arrival of cheaper imports under the terms of the new rice regime.

In its latest price monitoring report, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the average farmgate price of palay further dropped by 0.53 percent to P18.70 per kilo from the previous week’s P18.80.

Likewise, it fell by 9 percent from P20.55 per kilo in the same period a year ago.

Citing reports from the National Food Authority, National Economic and Development Authority Assistant Secretary Mercedita Sombillam said they continue to purchase local farmers’ produce as part of its buffer stocking

MANAGEMENT ROLE UNDER THE 2ICE 4ARIFkCATION Law. g.&! IS INDEED BUYING )T HAS NOT STOP BUYing rice [from local farmers.] The price of rice going down in this time of the year is probably because of the peak of the harvest season. So we will have so much rice from farmer-produce,� she said. g)F YOU LOOK AT THE STATISTICS COMPARING ;IT to] the statistics not last year but the years beFORE THAT IS STILL WITHIN THE BALL MARK kGURE 7E consider the 2018 a very abnormal one because of the situation that took place at that time.

There was an issue with the scarcity of supply and anything else that could really follow,�

Sombilla added.

The NFA ordered its first importation of

500,000 metric tons (MT) of rice in April last year to augment the supply of subsidized rice in the market. In 2018 alone, the NFA has imported a total of 1.25 million MT under the government-to-government scheme (500,000 MT) and open tender scheme (750,000 MT).

The presence of cheaper imported rice has reportedly led to the sustained drop in farmgate PALAY PRICES g)F WE COMPARE FARMGATE PRICES which are prevailing now with those the years before 2018, there is really not much of difference,� Sombilla said.

Meanwhile, the PSA said the average wholeSALE PRICE OF WELL MILLED RICE IN THE kRST WEEK of April dropped by 0.35 percent to P40.16 per kilo from a week ago. Likewise, it went down by 1.79 percent from last year’s P40.89.

At retail trade, the average price of wellmilled rice was at P43.87 per kilo, down 0.25-percent from a week ago but 0.35 percent up from the same period last year.

The average wholesale price of regular-milled rice, on the other hand, fell by 0.57 percent to P36.40 per kilo. Year-on-year, it fell further by 2.44 percent.

PSA said its equivalent price at retail level was pegged at P39.55 per kilo, 0.68 percent and 0.90 percent lower than the average prices a week and a year ago, respectively.

EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ

Order to ease port congestion delayed THE issuance of the joint administrative order (JAO) to address the port congestion has been delayed to make way for the further review of shipping rates, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said recently.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the JAO was still being reviewed by several GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THAT gUNnecessary additional shipping rates� were removed.

Originally set in mid-February, the JAO’s release was moved to a later date as consultations were conducted. Lopez explained, adding that was now on its seventh draft. g'IVE US TWO WEEKS u HE SAID ADDING THAT inputs from international shipping lines were being welcomed by the government.

4HE *!/ WILL BE USED TO gREGULATE AND SPECIFY the rules and regulations that will govern the fees and charges of shipping lines, port operators, truckers, and port users to lower operating COSTS AND IMPROVE LOGISTICS EFkCIENCIES u,OPEZ said earlier.

This, as the business sector raised concerns over high shipping costs and port congestion. Under the JAO, shipping lines will not be allowed to collect fees in the Philippines.

The cost will be charged to freight and other expenses instead, it said.

Once port congestion is addressed, the JAO will allow shipments to be transported across the Batangas and Subic ports, providing additional shipping options besides the Manila port.

The joint agreement will be issued by the DTI, Department of Finance, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Maritime Industry Authority, Philippine Ports Authority and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

A joint memorandum circular between the BOC and PPA was also released to set the utilization rate of container deposits in Manila back to the normal 70 percent, DTI said.

TYRONE C. PIAD

R

Crisis management and recovery

ECENTLY, a local talent management agency launched an online campaign I found most unusual. It announced the opening of applications to become the NEXT g8ANDER &ORDu WHILE SIMULtaneously airing the dirty laundry regarding one of their current artists. In an extensive statement that accompanied the announcement of the talent search, words such AS gCANCERu gSTUBBORNu gHOPEless� were used by the agency to describe their allegedly wayward talent.

As of writing, the agency’s post has garnered over thousands of shares and comments, with many people sympathizing with the talent and berating the agency.

This incident emphasizes the importance of crisis management, and here I discuss tips for effective crisis management for businesses, brands, politicians, etc.

Prep, prep, prep Like the Boy Scouts, one must always be prepared. No one wants a crisis in business, but it pays to be prepared in case one does occur.

Planning is key, and time is not on your side. Have a skilled spokesperson, one who is trained SPECIkCALLY IN HANDLING THE PUBLIC and the media. Prepare press kits.

Open communications channels for the public. Assure the customers and the public steps are being taken. Make statements only when you have all the facts. Move quickly, but carefully.

Fresh eyes Many brands are tempted to appeal to the younger generation.

In recent weeks I’ve seen some political and product ads tailored to attract the millennial target market, by either using millennial terms or trying to be edgier and bolder in their statements.

Some are successful, and some simply aren’t.

Sometimes, we all focus too much on the concept that we forget or miss key issues or concerns.

My point here is to always use fresh eyes, especially with the target market. Expensive and unnecessary backlash may be avoided if extensive market research and localized focus groups are implemented prior to the actual launch.

For example, the still infamous 2017 Pepsi ad featuring Kendall Jenner was produced in-house

by Pepsi and had not used an external agency. Consider as well THE gINSENSITIVEu $OLCE 'ABbana ad in China that resulted in cancellation of fashion shows and pulling of D&G products from the massive Chinese market.

Nix the fuel to the fire Once a crisis starts, immediately the crisis management plans have to be implemented. Tempting as it may be for those behindthe-scenes, it never pays to keep talking. Statements have to be carefully crafted, reviewed and studied for legal and public relations purposes before release to the public.

BP’s 2010 oil spill lasted 87 days, killed 11 people and caused immeasurable damage to the environment of the Mexican Gulf.

The publicity was not good for BP and was worsened when the CEO’s apology ended with the

Q EASED FROM B1

M3, lending and inclusive of RRPs dropped by 1.6 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively.

Lending for production activities, which accounted for 89.5 percent of the aggregate loan portfolio, grew at a slower 11.4 percent from 13.6 percent in February.

Although moderated, the growth in production loans was driven primarily by increased lending to the following sectors: financial and insurance activities (32.7 percent); wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (11.6 percent); real-estate activities (8.7 percent);

MANAGEMENT ACTION

IRA PAULO POZON SELkSH SOUNDING PHRASE gTHERE S no one who wants this thing over more than I do‌I’d like my life back.� As expected, that statement BACKkRED INCREDIBLY LEADING TO the eventual replacement of Hayward as CEO. The talent agency I mentioned earlier could also learn a thing or two. It already felt the public criticism in literally thousands of comments to the original post, many showing sympathy towards the wayward talent and anger against the agency. Yet, the AGENCY S OFkCIAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACcounts are still replying to those comments with a canned statement that places blame onto the artist, and even implying that the artist’s parents have given up on him.

CAP A good rule of thumb in communicating during a crisis is to show Concern, state your Actions, and add Perspective (C.A.P.) in that order, and never reversed.

For instance, let’s assume a crisis involving food poisoning hit the news and your product is BEING BLAMED 4HE kRST THING YOU do is show concern and empathy to those hurt or injured. The next thing is to inform the public on actions you will take, which may include: how you will help the victims, pulling your products from circulation, how you will investigate the cause of the food poisoning, etc. Finally (although not always necessary) is to add perspective to the crisis. This is tricky as it may sometimes be received by the public as your attempt to mitigate your responsibility, and can involve phrases LIKE gTHIS NEVER HAPPENSu OR gTHIS is only 1% of the population�.

What you should never, ever do, tempting as it may be, is to allege that your products may not have been the cause, even if this has not yet been proven to be your fault.

3TATEMENTS LIKE gWHAT ELSE DID THE victims eat� may be perceived as blaming the victim, which will only serve to worsen your crisis.

These are only some tips in avoiding and managing crises, but allow me to leave you with this quote from Benjamin Franklin: g"Y FAILING TO PREPARE YOU ARE preparing to fail.�

The author is Founder and CEO of Caucus, Inc., a multiindustry, multi-disciplinary MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY kRM He graduated MBA (De La Salle University), Juris Doctor (Far Eastern University), and Masters of Law in International Commercial Law (University of Nottingham, United Kingdom).

He also studied Mandarin Chinese Language and Culture in Fuzhou, China, was a Chevening-HSBC UK Government Scholar, a Confucius Institute Scholar, an alumnus of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program, and a Fellow of the Asia Global Institute - University of Hong Kong. The author may be emailed at iap@caucusinc.com.

manufacturing (10.6 percent); construction (41.7 percent); and, electricity, gas, steam and airconditioning supply (9.4 percent).

Bank lending to other sectors also increased during the month except those in other community, social and personal activities (-59.7 percent); professional, scientific and technical activities (-19.0 percent); mining and quarrying (-3.3 percent); and, human health and socialwork activities (-0.2 percent).

Growth in household consumption loans dropped by 5.8 percent from 14.9 percent in the previous month “amid the deceleration in credit card loans and contraction in motor vehicle loans, salary-based general purpose consumption loans and other types of household loans during the month.�

MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

Corporate News

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

AC Energy eyes Phinma Energy tender offer in Q2 AC Energy Inc., the power arm of Ayala Corp., is targeting to conduct mandatory tender offer for shares of Phinma Energy Corp.’s minority shareholders before June ends. “(Probably) we’ll target second QUARTER ;FOR= THE TENDER OFFER u AC Energy President and Chief %XECUTIVE /FFICER %RIC &RANCIA SAID IN A RECENT INTERVIEW g7E RE kNALIZING THE PRICING there’s pricing adjustment forMULA ;THAT= WE LL NEED TO APPLY based on the facts,� he added.

AC Energy announced in JanuARY IT WOULD INVEST IN 0HINMA %NERGY BY ACQUIRING A SIGNIkCANT stake in the Phinma Group’s energy business.

Ayala and Phinma Corp. signed heads of agreement for THE ACQUISITION OF COMBINED PERCENT STAKE OF 0HINMA AND 0HILIPPINE )NVESTMENT -ANagement Inc. (PHI) through a secondary share sale worth approximately P3.42 billion.

AC Energy would also subscribe to 2.632-billion shares to be issued by Phinma and PHI. #ERTAIN REQUIREMENTS NEED TO BE FULkLLED SUCH AS SECURING APPROVals from the Philippine Competition Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange, as well as conducting the offer. ,AST MONTH ANTITRUST REGULAtors backed the deal, as it won’t “likely result in substantial lessening of competition.�

Upon closing the transaction, AC Energy will own 68.46 percent of Phinma Energy. &RANCIA SAID IF THEY WOULD HAVE it their way, the Ayala power arm would prefer to keep Phinma Energy listed. “Now, if we’re asked what is our preference, we would be happy to keep it as a listed entity FOR lEXIBILITY u HE SAID ADDING that they also planned to imPROVE ITS PERFORMANCE AND GROW THE PLATFORM OVER TIME 4HIS lEXIBILITY WOULD MAKE IT easier for them to raise capital if necessary, according to him. “That’s our intent, but if EVERYONE TENDERS THEN WE LL BE FORCED TO TAKE IT PRIVATE OR unlisted,� he added. !# %NERGY HAS OVER bilLION OF INVESTED AND COMMITTED EQUITY IN RENEWABLE AND thermal energy in the Philippines and across the region.

The Ayala unit has a target of reachING GIGAWATTS '7 OF RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY BY WITH RENEWABLES CONTRIBUTING AT LEAST percent of total energy output.

Phinma Energy, on the other hand,is into generating and supplying electricity; renewable energy; and resource exploraTION AND DEVELOPMENT )T HAS AN attributable generation capacity of 472 megawatts (MW).

Ayala shares gained P4 or 0.44 PERCENT TO CLOSE AT 0 APIECE on Tuesday.

JORDEENE B. LAGARE

Q KRITZ FROM B1

ben.kritz@manilatimes.net

B3

Prime Global seeks to grow sales by 125% P

BY TYRONE C. PIAD

/N THE SIDELINES OF A BRIEkNG IN Taguig City recently, Prime Global #HAIRMAN AND #HIEF %XECUTIVE /FkCER 2OLANDO (ORTALEZA SAID THE kRM WAS LOOKING TO GENERATE 0 MILLION IN SALES IN COMPARED with P400 million last year. “We’re launching three products this year — that would be

THE DRIVER ;OF SALES= u HE ADDED

saying these included chicken breading and seasoning.

The official also expected to GENERATE 0 BILLION IN SALES NEXT year, anticipating a 67-percent year-on-year boost.

Prime Global’s shrimp paste BRAND "ARRIO &IESTA MAINLY DROVE

last year’s sales, accounting for 70 percent of the total.

According to Hortaleza, 40 percent of the Barrio Fiesta sales came from exports, mostly to the United States and Middle East, DUE TO INlUX OF OVERSEAS &ILIPINO workers. The rest were sold locally.

He aims to bring the domesticMARKET SHARE OF THE BRAND S REVenues to 80 percent in two years. “The idea of growing it should be coming from domestic market,� he said.

Prime Global is a distributor of FAST MOVING CONSUMER GOODS SUCH as food and other products.

Q GROWTH FROM B1

INVESTMENT INlOWS ‡ WAS ALSO NOT SUFkCIENT TO COVER THE CURRENT ACCOUNT DEkCIT AND OUTlOWS “The resultant funding gap was mainly met by a drawdown of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ interNATIONAL RESERVES ;WHICH= DECLINED to $74.7 billion by the end of OcTOBER AND THEN EDGED UP TO BILLION AS OF &EBRUARY

MORE THAN SUFkCIENT TO COVER THE COUNTRY S GROSS EXTERNAL kNANCING NEEDS u !-2/ SAID The report also said that, despite tighter monetary conditions, credit also continued to expand.

The country’s fiscal position, it added, was also enhanced by the GOVERNMENT S TAX REFORMS WHICH IMPROVED TAX ADMINISTRATION 4HESE REFORMS REFERRED TO THE kRST

PACKAGE OF THE GOVERNMENT S #OMPREHENSIVE 4AX 2EFORM 0ROGRAM 2EPUBLIC !CT OR THE 4AX 2EFORM for Acceleration and Inclusion (Act) law, which was implemented at the START OF Under this law, excise taxes on certain products, including automobiles, tobacco and sugarSWEETENED BEVERAGES WERE RAISED in exchange for reduced personal income taxes.

While growth is expected to CONTINUE !-2/ SAID RISKS INCLUDE global trade tensions, the slowdown of the global economy and the uncertainty in global crude oil prices. “The major risks facing the Philippine economy are mostly shortterm ones. Externally, escalating global trade tensions remain the

RIME Global Corp., a former subsidiary of Splash Corp., is looking to increase its food sales by 125 percent once it launches new products this year.

AMRO 6.6 percent.

For next year, the regional reSEARCH OFkCE EXPECTS THE ECONOMY to grow by 6.6 percent. !CCORDING TO !-2/ WHILE THE country’s external position weakENED BUFFERS REMAIN ADEQUATE g4HE CURRENT ACCOUNT DEkCIT WIDened to 2.4 percent of GDP (gross DOMESTIC PRODUCT IN MAINLY DRIVEN BY STRONG IMPORTS OF CAPITAL goods and raw materials,� it said.

The report noted that the counTRY S kNANCIAL ACCOUNT ‡ WHICH REGISTERED A NET INlOW OF BILLION

supported by strong foreign direct

Q WELCOME FROM B1

Global airline woes Economic seen in numerous other recent airline failures.

4HE PATTERN BEGINS WITH A SHARP NEGATIVE CHANGE IN AN AIRLINE S kNANCIAL PERFORMANCE )N -ARCH #EBU 0ACIkC REPORTED ITS NET INCOME FOR DROPPED BY MORE THAN PERCENT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR FROM 0 BILLION TO 0 BILLION 4HIS WAS IN SPITE OF REVENUE INCREASING BY ABOUT PERCENT YEAR ON YEAR DRIVEN BY A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN CARGO TRAFkC AND AN INCREASE OF ABOUT PERCENT OR ABOUT IN PASSENGER NUMBERS #EBU 0ACIkC ATTRIBUTED THE DOWNTURN TO A gCHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT u CITING HIGHER FUEL PRICES A WEAKER PESO

and the six-month closure of Boracay as factors eroding ITS INCOME IN 9ET RIVAL AND PERENNIAL LOSS MAKER Philippine Airlines, faced with precisely the same chalLENGES HAD WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR BY ITS STANDARDS 0!, CUT ITS NET LOSS BY MORE THAN PERCENT TO 0 BILLION FROM 0 BILLION IN

AND INCREASED ITS REVENUES BY PERCENT )T ALSO MORE THAN DOUBLED #EBU 0ACIkC S GAIN IN PASSENGER NUMBERS

CARRYING MILLION PASSENGERS IN COMPARED TO MILLION IN 4HU #EBU 0ACIkC S WOES ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO SOMETHING INTERNAL WHICH ALSO kTS THE PATTERN 7HAT THAT MIGHT BE IS subject to some speculation in the absence of a forthright explanation from the company, but a good guess will be its strategy of upgauging, or increasing capacity by switching out smaller planes for larger ones on high-demand routes.

When done properly, that is, when the new, larger and COSTLIER AIRCRAFT CAN BE kLLED AND KEPT kLLED THE STRATEGY IS EFFECTIVE AND PROkTABLE )F THE COMPANY MISSES THE MARK

HOWEVER AND kNDS THAT THE LARGER CAPACITY IS NOT BEING FULLY UTILIZED THEN IT HAS JUST TURNED A POTENTIALLY PROkTable route into a potential loser.

4HE SECOND PART OF THE PATTERN IS JUST WHAT #EBU 0ACIkC IS EXPERIENCING NOW ACTUAL OPERATIONAL DIFkCULTIES ATTRIBUTED TO VAGUE CAUSES #EBU 0ACIkC S OFkCIAL WORD ON THE UNUSUAL NUMBER OF lIGHT CANCELLATIONS IS THAT THEY ARE THE CONSEQUENCE OF MAINTENANCE ISSUES m THE COMpany disclosed that one aircraft recently suffered a bird STRIKE m AND TO SOME EXTENT TRAFkC CONGESTION AT -ANILA The latter cause can probably be ignored, because again, OTHER AIRLINES SUCH AS 0!, HAVE NOT BEEN SIMILARLY AFFECTED ! CAUSE LIKE gMAINTENANCE ISSUES u HOWEVER CANNOT )T FUNDAMENTALLY MEANS THAT #EBU 0ACIkC IS STRUGGLING TO keep its planes in the air. Whether that is a matter of INEFkCIENCY BAD PLANNING OR SIMPLE BAD LUCK ONLY THE AIRLINE CAN SAY WHATEVER THE REASON THE KEY POINT IS THAT THE SOLUTION IS A kNANCIAL ISSUE m KEEPING PLANES IN THE AIR INSTEAD OF ON THE GROUND REQUIRES SPENDING 7HATEVER THE UNDERLYING CAUSES #EBU 0ACIkC IS EVIDENTLY NOT SPENDING

or not spending enough, and that is an alarming sign to the airline’s stakeholders. )F WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW TO #EBU 0ACIkC IS THE BEGINning of a collapse, the next signpost along that path will be a drop in passenger numbers. Iceland’s WOW Air, an AIRLINE VERY SIMILAR TO #EBU 0ACIkC THAT ABRUPTLY FOLDED IN &EBRUARY HAD ITS HIGHEST PASSENGER NUMBERS ABOUT MILLION IN BUT THEN BEGAN TO LOSE PASSENGERS LAST YEAR AS IT STRUGGLED TO KEEP ITS lEET ACTIVE &ALLING PASSENGER NUMBERS AGGRAVATED ALREADY TIGHT kNANCIAL CONDITIONS

AND PUT THE AIRLINE INTO A SPIN IT COULD NOT RECOVER FROM (OPEFULLY THAT IS NOT THE CASE WITH #EBU 0ACIkC ALTHOUGH THE AUGURIES AT THIS POINT ARE A BIT TROUBLING %VEN THOUGH THE AIRLINE GIVES THE TRAVELER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT IS LITTLE MORE THAN A lEET OF BUSES WITH WINGS &ILIPINO CONSUMERS HAVE A PAUCITY OF CHOICES AS IT IS AND IT WOULD be most unfortunate to lose one.

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

discipline, and this makes the PhilipPINES A TRULY CREDITWORTHY SOVEREIGN IN THE EYES OF THE INTERNATIONAL kNANcial community,� she added.

The upgraded rating is two notches ABOVE THE MINIMUM INVESTMENT GRADE rating. It is also the highest the country HAS SECURED SINCE WHEN IT WAS kRST ASSIGNED AN INVESTMENT GRADE RATING BY ANOTHER CREDIT RATER &ITCH 2ATINGS In a statement, S&P said budget deficits would lead to a gradual DECLINE IN THE GOVERNMENT S NET INdebtedness, which would fall from an estimated 27.7 percent of gross DOMESTIC PRODUCT '$0 IN TO ABOUT PERCENT BY )T FORECASTS GENERAL GOVERNMENT deficits to remain roughly stable through 2022 with a shortfall of PERCENT OF '$0 FROM AN AVERAGE DEkCIT OF JUST PERCENT A YEAR FROM TO "ANGKO 3ENTRAL 'OVERNOR "ENJAMIN $IOKNO SAID 3 0 S FAVORABLE rating action was a recognition of the country’s sound economic management, prudent monetary policy and STRONG kNANCIAL SECTOR SUPERVISION g/VER THE YEARS THE "30 HAS REmained committed to its price and kNANCIAL STABILITY MANDATES PROVIDING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE ECONOMY TO lOURISH !RMED WITH A new charter that strengthens its ability to carry out its primary mandate OF PRICE STABILITY AND SUPERVISE THE

Q MTF FROM B1

A review and certification of employment of the accredited disabled workers from THE CONCERNED $/,% REGIONAL DIRECTOR )N 2! .O AMENDED THE Magna Cara and mandated that at least PERCENT OF ALL POSITIONS IN ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OFkCES OR CORPORATIONS SHALL BE RESERVED FOR 07$S 4O ENSURE COMPLIANCE ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE #IVIL 3ERVICE #OMMISSION ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POSITIONS RESERVED for PWDs and the total number of apPOINTMENTS MADE $ATA PROVIDED BY THE $/,% AS OF !UGUST SHOWED

07$ WORKERS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED IN DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OFkCES AND CORPORATIONS 2! .O LIKEWISE ENCOURAGES PRIVATE CORPORATIONS WITH MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED EMPLOYEES TO RESERVE AT LEAST PERCENT OF ALL POSITIONS FOR 07$S 4HE $/,% SAID THE PRIVATE SEC-

banking sector, the BSP will continue to lend support to the economic DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF THE COUNTRY u he added.

S&P has regarded the central bank’s ability to support sustainable economic growth while attenuating ECONOMIC OR kNANCIAL SHOCKS TO BE broadly neutral to its ratings. “This reflects the central bank’s SOUND RECORD IN KEEPING INlATION low and its history of independence,� the debt watcher said.

Also on Tuesday, an economist from ING Bank Manila said the upgrade WAS A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE local currency. “The upgrade limits the reliance on interest rate differentials to bolster the PHP (Philippine peso), as FOREIGN lOWS ARE SEEN TO CONTINUE EVEN WITH LESS ATTRACTIVE CARRY TRADE opportunities,� ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa said in a comment.

It “also shows that ratings agenCIES VIEW THE EXTERNAL POSITION OF THE 0HILIPPINES AS FAVORABLE WITH ITS MORE THAN ADEQUATE LEVEL OF GROSS INTERNATIONAL RESERVES ')2 AND THE PROVERBIAL @ACES UP OUR SLEEVES IN /& OVERSEAS &ILIPINOS REMITTANCES AND BPO (business process outsourcing) receipts, two sources of FX (foreign exchange) akin to the Philippine dynamic,� he added.

The economist, in a recent comMENT TAGGED THESE STRUCTURAL INlOWS

AS THE MAJOR DRIVER OF THE COUNTRY S credit ratings.

He noted that remittance flows REMAINED HEALTHY HAVING HIT 0 billion in February and bringing the YEAR TO DATE TALLY TO BILLION A PERCENT INCREASE FROM BILLION IN THE COMPARABLE PERIOD Mapa also highlighted the rapid expansion of the BPO industry, WHICH gHAS DELIVERED YET ANOTHER ACE UP THE 0HILIPPINE EXTERNAL SLEEVE u GIVEN RECEIPTS TOTALING $10.4billion IN PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE year-before amount.

"Y VIRTUE OF THE REMITTANCES AND BPO receipts boon, the country can EXPECT TO ALWAYS RECEIVE AS MUCH as $2.58 billion a month, he said.

This will build up the country’s ')2 WHICH THE 0HILIPPINES CAN UTIlize in times of distress to stabilize EXCESSIVE DEMAND FOR THE DOLLAR THE ING economist added. ,ATEST CENTRAL BANK DATA SHOWED THAT THE PESO AVERAGED 0 $1 as of April 26, appreciating slightly AGAINST THE 53 DOLLAR BY PERCENT FROM THE 0 $1 AVERAGE IN -ARCH $ O L L A R R E S E R VE S N OW S T A N D at $83.61 billion as of end-March. ,ASTLY -APA STRESSED THE IMPORtance of sustaining the country’s economic growth, which has been the key consideration behind the S&P upgrade. g'OVERNMENT OFkCIALS MUST LOOK to safeguard this growth momentum going forward,� he said.

The Philippine economy recorded a full-year GDP growth rate of 6.2 per-

TOR EMPLOYS AROUND 07$ WORKERS AS OF *UNE 4HIS REQUIREMENT

though, is not mandatory; unlike the REQUIREMENT IMPOSED ON GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND CORPORATIONS (OWEVER

it is heartening to know that many companies in the Philippines, like the 5NITED ,ABORATORIES )NC AND ,AMOIyan Corporation, now consciously employ PWDs. )N ADDITION TO THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES DISCUSSED ABOVE 07$S ARE ALSO entitled to 20 percent discount on hotel accommodations, restaurants AND RECREATION CENTERS FOR THE EXCLUSIVE use and enjoyment of PWDs. PWDs SHALL ALSO HAVE PERCENT DISCOUNT on admission fees in theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses and CARNIVALS 4HE PERCENT DISCOUNT ALSO extends to medicines in all drugstores, WHICH ARE FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE 07$ MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICES

including laboratory fees and professional fees of attending doctors in all PRIVATE HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL FACILITIES Among others, the purchase of generic

and branded medicine, food for special medical purposes, medical and ASSISTIVE DEVICES PROFESSIONAL FEES OF attending doctors, and cost of medical, DENTAL AND REHABILITATION SERVICES SHALL ALSO BE EXEMPT FROM VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT). At least 20 percent discount and 6!4 EXEMPTION SHALL SIMILARLY BE GIVEN upon full payment of hospital bill of PWDs. Additionally, PWDs shall enjoy at least 20 percent discount on fare FOR DOMESTIC AIR AND SEA TRAVEL PUBLIC railways, skyways and bus fares.

4O FURTHER FOSTER INCLUSIVITY PRIVATE ENTITIES THAT IMPROVE OR MODIFY THEIR physical facilities to accommodate 07$S ARE GIVEN ADDITIONAL DEDUCTION FROM THEIR NET TAXABLE INCOME EQUIVALENT TO PERCENT OF THE DIRECT COSTS OF THE IMPROVEMENTS OR MODIkCATIONS OF FACILITIES 4HE PROVISION OF SPECIAL lanes and priority to PWDs are also encouraged in all commercial and GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENTS 4HE RESULTS OF THE #ENSUS OF Population and Housing (CPH) report THAT ABOUT PER THOUSAND OR MIL-

Upgrade a peso boost

It used to be a part of Splash Corp. until Indian firm Wipro %NTERPRISE 0RIVATE ,TD ACQUIRED THE kRM FOR AS MUCH AS 0 BILLION under a share-purchase agreement SIGNED ON !PRIL This came after the Philippine Competition Commission greenlighted in February Wipro’s acQUISITION OF 3PLASH #ORP S LOCAL and international retail personal care business.

Splash Corp. markets and distributes distributing personal care products, including MaxiPeel, SkinWhite lotion and Flawlessly U soap.

MAJOR RISK $OMESTICALLY ELEVATED INlATION AND POCKETS OF kNANCIAL VULNERABILITIES ARE THE MAIN CONcerns,� it said. g)NlATION HAS COME DOWN SHARPLY

but uncertainty from global oil prices may delay its return to the mid-point of the target range,� the OFkCE ADDED !-2/ PROJECTS INlATION TO SETTLE at 3.0 percent this year and next DUE TO THE GOVERNMENT S SEVERAL non-monetary measures, including the implementation of the rice rice TARIFkCATION LAW Other risks, it said, include the gRAPID CREDIT GROWTH OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY GIVE RISE TO kNANCIAL VULNERABILITIES u g/VERALL RISKS APPEAR TO BE MODERATING u !-2/ ADDED

CENT IN LOWER THAN GOVERNMENT S REVISED TARGET OF TO PERCENT 4HIS is also lower than the 6.7 percent and PERCENT RECORDED IN AND

RESPECTIVELY LARGELY DUE TO THE SPIKES IN INlATION RATES IN Market lift The Philippine Stock Exchange also welcomed the upgrade, saying it expected share prices and trading VOLUME TO BE LIFTED BECAUSE OF IT In a separate statement also on 4UESDAY NIGHT 03% 0RESIDENT 2AMON Monzon said the new rating “bodes WELL FOR THE 0HILIPPINES AS THIS MOVE AFkRMS THE SOLID ECONOMIC FUNDAmentals of the country.� g7E EXPECT INVESTOR OPTIMISM

particularly from institutional funds, TO PUSH SHARE PRICES AND TRADING VOLumes higher,� he added.

According to him, the bourse is also keen on seeing the upgrade’s impact on THE COUNTRY S ECONOMY AND kSCAL POSItion in the medium to long term.

Despite upgrading its credit rating, S&P trimmed on Monday its growth forecast for the country from 6.4 percent to 6.3 percent, citing higher INTEREST RATES AND DELAYED APPROVAL OF THE NATIONAL BUDGET AS HAVING dampened growth.

The projection was higher than last year’s actual growth of 6.2 percent and falls near the lower end of the GOVERNMENT S DOWNWARDLY REVISED 6.0-7.0 percent target.

MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO WITH ANGELICA BALLESTEROS LION OF THE POPULATION HAVE DISABILITY This figure will be updated with the conduct of the 2020 CPH by the Philippine Statistics Authority. With the large number of PWDs in the country, all kinds of support and assistance to PWDs are needed, especially in their integration in the mainstream of sociETY AS PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF THE WORK FORCE "Y PROVIDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY for employment for both able and disabled, the State is manifesting its commitment not just to protect its marginalized sector, but also enable those hampered by their disabilities.

Nica Marsha V. Gasapo is a Junior Associate of Mata-Perez, Tamayo & Francisco (MTF Counsel). This article is for general information only and is NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE where the facts and circumstances WARRANT )F YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION OR comment regarding this article, you may email the author at info@mtfCOUNSEL COM OR VISIT -4& WEBSITE AT www.mtfcounsel.com

B4

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

Foreign Business

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Fed meets amid calls for rate cut W

ASHINGTON, D.C.: The US central bank sion on Wednesday and econoand investors will look for opened its third policy meeting of the mists any hint in the statement of how YEAR ON 4UESDAY 7EDNESDAY IN -ANILA central bankers are feeling about under renewed attack from President Donald the economy and what their next 4RUMP WHO CALLED ON OFkCIALS TO REVERSE COURSE move might be: a hike or a cut. and cut interest rates.

Economic crosscurrents Trump slammed the Federal 2ESERVE THE &ED FOR gINCESSANTLYu raising interest rates and said cutting rates by a full percentage point would make the economy surge.

The Fed raised rates four times LAST YEAR ‡ AND HAS DONE SO A TOtal of nine times since December ‡ MOVING FROM ZERO IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE GLOBAL kNANCIAL crisis to the current range of 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent.

But this year the Fed has been on hold and signaled clearly that it has no intention of moving monetary policy anytime soon as IT GRAPPLES WITH CONlICTING SIGNS on the economy.

Trump’s call for a rate cut of

a full point would reverse all of the Fed moves last year and likely undermine any credibility the central bank has with financial markets. And if Trump continues to browbeat the Fed in public comments, central bankers may feel obliged to dig in just to prove their independence. g7E HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GO UP like a rocket if we did some lowering of rates, like one point,� Trump said in his Twitter outburst.

He said China was boosting its economy by keeping rates low, but g/UR &EDERAL 2ESERVE HAS INCESsantly lifted interest rates, even THOUGH INlATION IS VERY LOW u Powell will announce the deci-

The rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee now must evaluate crosscurrents in the economic data.

On one hand, the US economy GREW PERCENT IN THE kRST THREE months of the year, a surprising result given the signs of slowdown IN THE kNAL MONTHS OF THAT CAUSED kNANCIAL MARKETS TO SEEM panicked for a time.

But on the other, defying expected behavior in a growing economy with low unemployment, the key MEASURE OF INlATION CONTINUES TO fall further below the Fed’s 2-percent target.

Trump and his economic team have promised that tax cuts and

deregulation will accelerate economic growth to 3 or even 4 percent but, economists say that is unlikely, especially as the US trade war with China and others has dampened business confidence and investment. g9ES WE ARE DOING VERY WELL AT kRST QUARTER '$0 GROSS domestic product), but with our wonderfully low inflation, we could be setting major records & at the same time make our National Debt start to look small!� Trump tweeted.

But many economists point out THAT THE GROWTH kGURES FOR THE EARLY part of the year were misleading, INlATED BY FACTORS THAT WILL HAVE THE opposite effect in coming months.

4HE GROWTH RATE gVASTLY OVERstates the economy’s strength,�

Bob Schwartz of Oxford Economics said in a recent analysis.

Without a rebound in spending and business investment, there is little chance the US economy would accelerate and push wages

and prices higher.

Some economists now predict the Fed’s next move would be a rate cut, probably next year.

Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton, said much of THE BLAME FOR THE kNANCIAL MARKET turmoil and economic slowdown LAST YEAR gMAY BE TRACED TO THE administration’s own threats of a full-blown trade war with China.�

And US companies report that trade frictions are causing them to delay investments and hiring. g4HAT DOESN T MEAN THE ADMINistration won’t continue to openly blame the Fed,� Swonk said in a commentary, urging the Fed to tune out Trump’s comments. g4HE BEST THAT 0OWELL CAN DO is to stay the course and keep his noise-cancelling headphones charged to focus on where we are economically, not politically.�

Stacking the Fed Meanwhile, Trump, who named

Powell Fed chairman, and has appointed three of the six other members of the Fed board, is working to stack the deck even further to push his views on policy.

One of his controversial nominees dropped out of consideration, but conservative commentator Stephen Moore, known for highly criticized views on monetary policy, also faces uncomfortable questions from lawmakers concerning income taxes.

In recent interviews, Moore also has tried to walk back his writings on women and women’s rights.

Even Republican lawmakers have warned that Moore is a dubious choice. Sen. Susan Collins told Politico that Moore HAD gTROUBLING WRITINGS ABOUT women... and also how he views the Federal Reserve.�

Staunch Trump loyalist Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told that reporters Moore’s NOMINATION WOULD BE gVERY PROBlematic.�

AFP

US, Chinese negotiators hold ‘productive’ trade talks Gains in services boost Apple results BEIJING: Top US and Chinese trade negotiators held productive talks in Beijing on Wednesday, the American side said, as the economic superpowers head toward an endgame in a dispute that has hit businesses with bruising tariffs.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, a close AIDE TO 0RESIDENT 8I *INPING ON ECONOMIC matters, met with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin ahead of possibly decisive talks in the US next week.

The world’s two leading economies have exchanged tariffs on $360 billion worth of goods since US President Donald Trump launched a trade war last year. g!MBASSADOR ,IGHTHIZER AND ) JUST CONcluded productive meetings with China’s Vice Premier Liu He. We will continue our talks in Washington, DC next week,�

Mnuchin wrote on Twitter.

The US and Chinese officials posed for pictures, but made no statements to journalists about the outcome of the talks after they emerged from their hours-long meeting at the Diaoyutai state guest house.

Liu and the Americans exchanged pleasantries before and after the behindclosed-door talks, joking about wearing the same-color red ties. The Chinese vice premier gave US Ambassador Terry Branstad a blue album with the Chinese state crest on it.

Mnuchin told reporters earlier that he HAD A gNICEu WORKING DINNER WITH ,IU ON Tuesday night.

Deal or no deal Liu is due in Washington on May 8 for the next round of talks.

Mnuchin said earlier this week the

Q Chinese Vice Premier Liu He (right) poses with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (center) and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer before proceeding to their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Wednesday. AP PHOTO negotiations were in a decisive phase, TELLING THE &OX "USINESS CHANNEL gTHERE S a strong desire from both sides to see if we can wrap this up or move on.� g7E HOPE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO ROUNDS ‡ IN #HINA AND IN $# ‡ TO BE AT THE point where we can either recommend to the president we have a deal or make a recommendation that we don’t,� he said.

Mnuchin said negotiators were close to agreement on tough enforcement provisions in any trade pact.

The US side is pressing China to overhaul its industrial policy by further openING ITS MARKET TO FOREIGN kRMS STOPPING massive subsidies to domestic companies and curbing the alleged theft of American technology.

Beijing has made public displays OF CONCESSIONS WITH 8I LAST WEEK SAYING #HINA WOULD ABOLISH gUNJUSTIkED regulations, subsidies and practices that impede fair competition and distort the market.�

China has also passed a foreign-investment law that promises to protect the intellectual property of overseas companies.

The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Trump was dropping a key demand in the negotiations, with the US likely to accept a watered-down commitment from China on commercial cybertheft.

Such a concession could remove a MAJOR OBSTACLE FOR A kNAL DEAL IN THE fraught talks.

AFP

GE tops profit estimates, calls 737 MAX ‘new risk’ NEW YORK: General Electric (GE) reported better-thanexpected quarterly profits on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), lifting hopes over its turnaround, even as it signaled a potential hit tied to the Boeing 737 MAX grounding for which it provides engines.

Shares rose after the industrial conglomerate, which has struggled in the last two years amid weakness in key divisions, reported first-quarter profits of $3.5 billion, compared with a loss of $1.2 billion a year ago.

Revenues dipped 1.8 percent to $27.3 billion.

Earnings rose in aviation, oil and gas and healthcare, offsetting a loss in renewable energy and much lower earnings in power, an albatross for GE in recent years.

But in an earnings presentation, GE flagged the 737 MAX as a “new risk� for the company in the wake of Boeing’s travails following the two deadly crashes that led to the global grounding of the aircraft.

Earlier this month, Boeing slashed production on the 737 MAX by about 20 percent, raising new challenges for suppli-

ers, including GE, which makes the plane’s LEAP engines with French company Safran. “We are confident in the 737 MAX aircraft,� GE Chief Executive Officer Larry Culp said. “We’re working closely with Boeing through the recertification process and, while the planes are on the ground, we’re conducting proactive scheduled maintenance on the engines,� he added during a conference call on the company’s quarterly earnings.

Chief Financial Officer Jamie Miller said the company had not lowered production of the engines, but added that the company cash flow could be pinched depending on when aircraft deliveries resumed. “We will continue to adjust our operational managements as this situation evolves,� Miller added.

US carriers such as American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are targeting August to resume flights on the 737 MAX in the expectation that Boeing will receive approval for its fix from the Federal Aviation Administration by that time.

Boeing expects certification

of a software fix some time after a Federal Aviation Administration meeting with international regulators on May 23, a Boeing spokesman said on Monday.

Measured tone Under Culp, who was tapped as CEO last October, the company has moved to resolve regulatory problems, cut costs and divest some units to reduce debt.

The company’s share price has plunged over the last two years, leading to its removal from the prestigious Dow Jones Industrial Average stock index, due initially to weakness in the power and oil and gas business.

More recently, the company’s momentum has been slowed by new regulatory probes, large asset write-downs and a move to cut the company’s dividend steeply.

GE earlier this month finalized a $1.5-billion settlement with the US Justice Department over subprime mortgages before the 2008 financial crisis.

Rene Lipsch, an analyst at Moody’s, said the weakness in some GE industrial businesses

was “a stark reminder of the challenges that the company still faces,� but added that profit margins could improve later in the year. “This holds out the prospect of seeing some initial results of the company’s turnaround efforts in the second half of 2019,� he said in an analyst note.

But Culp has warned that the company’s troubled power division will remain under pressure in 2019.

On Tuesday, he described the power turnaround as “in the early stages,� and suggested that investors would do well to take Tuesday’s better-thanexpected results in stride and not let expectations get out of hand. “It’s just one quarter in a multiyear journey,� he said. “With better execution and a stronger balance sheet, we’ll continue over time to create sustainable, shareholder value.�

Culp reiterated that he expects 2020 and 2021 financial results to be “meaningfully better.�

Shares finished up 4.5 percent at $10.17 each.

AFP

SAN FRANCISCO:Â Apple delivered stronger-thanexpected results on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) for the past quarter, as gains in services helped offset slumping iPhone sales, sparking a rally in shares of the technology giant.

California-based Apple reported a 16-percent drop in profits in the just-ended quarter to $11.6 billion, as overall revenues dipped 5 percent to $58 billion.

Apple shares rallied 5 percent in after-hours trade, with the results showing better-than-anticipated results from its new products and services in the fiscal second quarter to March 30. “Our March quarter results show the continued strength of our installed base of over 1.4 billion active devices, as we set an all-time record for services, and the strong momentum of our wearables, home and accessories category, which set a new March quarter record,� Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said. “We delivered our strongest iPad growth in six years, and we are as excited as ever about our pipeline of innovative hardware, software and services,� he added.

Apple has been scrambling to develop new revenue streams amid stagnant growth and increased competition in the smartphone market, which has been the company’s main profit driver.

The latest quarterly results showed revenue from iPhone sales slumped 17 percent to $31 billion.

Apple has stopped reporting iPhone unit sales.

But services revenue grew 16 percent to $11 billion, reflecting growth in music, Apple Pay and other new offerings from the firm.

Apple also saw growth in its wearables — which include its Apple Watch and earbuds — and its smart HomePod speaker.

The company also said it would spend an additional $75 billion for share repurchases and boost its dividend, delivering more cash to its investors. It ended the quarter with some $225 billion in cash.

Relief for investors The latest results “will be a major sigh of relief for investors and give the bulls another feather in their cap heading into the next few quarters,� said Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securities.

Apple is in the midst of a major shift to services, apps and subscriptions as it faces a tougher smartphone market.

It introduced Apple News+ for magazines and newspapers and will launch a new streaming video platform later this year to take on Netflix. Apple also is launching a credit card in partnership with Goldman Sachs and a mobile gaming subscription service.

Ives said the streaming service could offer a major boost for Apple and bring in some 100 million consumers over the next three years.

Apple saw lower revenues from its China region, prompting the company to cut prices for iPhones to help ignite sales.

Cook told analysts on a conference call that “we’ve seen very positive customer response to the pricing actions we’ve taken in that market,� and was optimistic that Beijing and Washington would resolve differences over trade that could threat Apple’s growth. “We believe strongly in our long-term opportunity in China, thanks to our robust ecosystem, our talented developer community, and the countries growing population of tech-savvy consumers who value the very best products and services,� he said.

AFP

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Is PH agriculture ready for Industry 4.0?

Second of two parts

I

N THE kRST INSTALLMENT OF THIS TWO PART SERIES ) SUGGESTED FOUR APPROACHES IN gTECHNOLO GIZINGu AGRICULTURE UNDER THE &OURTH )NDUSTRIAL 2EVOLUTION OR )NDUSTRY )$ 4HESE ARE PRODUCING DIFFERENTLY USING NEW TECHNIQUES USING NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO BRING FOOD PRO DUCTION TO CONSUMERS INCREASING EFFICIENCIES IN THE FOOD CHAIN

AND INCORPORATING CROSS INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS 4O RECAP ) IDENTIkED ADOPT ING HYDROPONICS PRODUCING FEEDSTOCK FROM ALGAE TAKING ON DESERT BASED AGRICULTURE USING SEAWATER FOR IRRIGATION SCALING UP BIOPLASTIC USE AND ADOPTING GENETIC MODIkCATION AS SOLUTIONS UNDER THE APPROACH OF PRODUCING DIFFERENTLY USING NEW TECHNIQUES 5NDER USING NEW TECHNOLO GIES TO BRING FOOD PRODUCTION TO CONSUMERS ) DISCUSSED GENETIC MODIkCATION AND CULTURED MEATS !LSO UNDER THAT IS APPLYING $ PRINTING TECHNOLOGY TO FOOD PRO DUCTION ,ET ME EXPLAIN $ PRINTING IS BECOMING AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE MANUFAC TURING INDUSTRY AND IS FINDING GRADUAL APPLICATION IN FOOD PRO DUCTION !LSO KNOWN AS ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING $ PRINTING IS A PROCESS WHEREBY LAYERS OF MATERIAL ARE FORMED TO CREATE OBJECTS SUCH AS FAMILIAR DISHES !LSO ACCORDING TO EXPERTS $ PRINTING USING HYDROCOLLOIDS SUBSTANCES THAT FORM GELS WITH WATER COULD BE USED TO REPLACE THE BASE INGREDIENTS OF FOODS WITH RENEWABLES LIKE ALGAE

DUCKWEED AND GRASS 4HE RESULT IS FOOD WITH LESS SYNTHETIC INGRE DIENTS AND SOURCING OF NATURAL MATERIALS FROM FARMERS .OW LET US GO TO THE THIRD APPROACH INCREASING EFFICIEN CIES IN THE FOOD CHAIN 3IMPLY PUT VARIOUS TECHNOLOGIES LIKE COLD STORAGE '03 AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY CAN ELIMINATE POST HARVEST LOSSES &OR THE FOURTH APPROACH OR INCORPORATING CROSS INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS

AMONG THE SOLUTIONS FROM )$ INCLUDE DRONE TECHNOLOGY FOOD SHARING AND CROWD FARMING BLOCK CHAIN AND NANOTECHNOLOGY AND PRECISION AGRICULTURE $RONE TECHNOLOGY IS GIVING AG RICULTURE A HIGH TECH MAKEOVER )N THE COUNTRY THE 0HILIPPINE 2ICE 2ESEARCH )NSTITUTE 0HIL2ICE IS AMONG THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CONDUCTING TRIALS ON THE APPLICA TION OF DRONES IN RICE CULTIVATION !CCORDING TO INITIAL TRIALS BY 0HIL2ICE USING DRONES IN RICE FARMING CAN RESULT IN A PER CENT REDUCTION IN PESTICIDE AP PLICATION BY VOLUME COMPARED TO USING A KNAPSACK SPRAYER 4HIS LOOKS VERY PROMISINGÜ "ESIDES APPLYING FARM INPUTS

HERE ARE kVE WAYS DRONES COULD BE USED THROUGHOUT A CROP CYCLE SOIL AND FIELD ANALYSIS PLANT ING MONITORING CROP PROGRES SION MONITORING IRRIGATION AND HEALTH ASSESSMENT &OR FOOD SHARING AND CROWD FARMING TECHNOLOGY HAS EN ABLED COMMUNITIES TO SHARE THEIR GOODS AND SERVICES RESULTING IN MINIMUM OR ZERO FOOD WASTAGE 2IDE SHARING AND HOUSE SHARING ARE ALREADY INDUSTRY NORMS AND THE APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY IN FARMING CAN RESULT IN FOOD SHARING AND CROWD FARMING !S FOR BLOCKCHAIN IT COULD REDUCE INEFkCIENCIES AND FRAUD

AND IMPROVE FOOD SAFETY FARMER S PAY AND TRANSACTION TIMES "LOCK CHAIN CAN THEREBY IMPROVE TRACE ABILITY IN SUPPLY CHAINS ENABLING REGULATORS TO QUICKLY IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF CONTAMINATED FOODS AND DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF AF FECTED PRODUCTS DURING CONTAMI NATION INCIDENTS !LSO BLOCKCHAIN CAN REDUCE WASTE BY DETECTING BOTTLENECKS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN THAT CONTRIBUTE TO FOOD SPOILAGE REDUCING FOOD LOSSES AND WASTAGE 4HE LAST SOLUTION WE CAN IN CLUDE IN INCORPORATING CROSS INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGIES AND AP PLICATIONS IS NANOTECHNOLOGY AND PRECISION AGRICULTURE 5 N D E R N A N O T E C H N O L O G Y

NANOPARTICLES COULD BE DELIVERED TO PLANTS AND ADVANCED BIOSEN

WAYS OF THE OASIS DR. WILLIAM DAR SORS COULD BE UTILIZED FOR PRECISION FARMING &OR EXAMPLE NANOFERTILIZERS ALLOW FOR THE SLOW SUSTAINED RELEASE OF AGROCHEMICALS RESULTING IN PRECISE DOSAGES FOR PLANTS &URTHERMORE

BIOSENSORS CAN DETECT PESTICIDE LEVEL IN CROPS LEADING TO MORE INFORMED DECISION MAKING IN RAISING CROPS

An institution needed 7HILE THERE ARE EFFORTS TO gTECHNOLO GIZEu AGRICULTURE IN THE 0HILIPPINES

) STILL SEE THE NEED FOR AN INSTITUTION THAT WOULD SYNCHRONIZE CONVERGE AND RATIONALIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF )$ AND gDISRUPTIVEu TECHNOLOGIES INTO THE COUNTRY S AGRICULTURE SECTOR /NE GOOD EXAMPLE IS )NDIA S #ONSORTIUM OF 2ESEARCHERS FOR $IS RUPTIVE 4ECHNOLOGIES IN !GRICULTURE #$4! MADE UP OF ACADEMICIANS

RESEARCHERS AND SCIENTISTS FROM THE )NDIAN )NSTITUTE OF )NFORMA TION 4ECHNOLOGY AND -ANAGEMENT

+ERALA 4HIRUVANANTHAPURAM A LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT '" 0ANT 5NIVERSITY OF !GRICULTURAL 3CIENCES AND 4ECHNOLOGY 0ANT .AGAR 5T TARKHAND AND THE )NDIAN )NSTITUTE 3PACE 4ECHNOLOGY )T WAS EARLY LAST YEAR THAT THE CREATION OF THE #$4! WAS MADE PUBLIC WITH A PRESS STATEMENT ON THE MATTER SAYING THE CONSORTIUM WOULD ADVOCATE AND PUSH FOR THE APPLICA TION OF DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN AGRICULTURE WITH THE AIM OF MAKING FARMING AN gASSUREDu ACTIVITY !MONG THE TECHNOLOGIES #$4!

WOULD ADVOCATE ARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DATA ANALYTICS )N TERNET OF 4HINGS CLOUD COMPUT ING AEROSPACE OBSERVATION AND MINIATURIZED SENSORS &ROM THE LOOKS IF IT THE AFORE MENTIONED )$ TECHNOLOGIES CAN REALLY DISRUPT TRADITIONAL FARMING -OST FARMERS HOWEVER MAY NOT BE READY FOR THESE SO THE NEED FOR AN AGENCY LIKE #$4! /F COURSE MAKING )$ TAKE ROOT IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR DOES NOT MEAN RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS AND SMALLHOLDER FARMERS OVERLOOK THE BASICS OF INCREASING CROP YIELDS LIKE USING HIGH YIELDING CULTIVARS

HEALTHY SOIL AND MECHANIZATION AND MAKING WATER AVAILABLE )NSTEAD )$ SHOULD PERFECTLY COMPLEMENT THOSE BASICS THAT SHOULD RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT IN CREASE IN FARM YIELDS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY HIGHER INCOMES FOR BOTH SMALLHOLDER FARMERS AND AGRI BUSINESS COMPANIES 4HE GOVERNMENT OF )NDIA IS DEk NITELY NOT SATISkED WITH THE GAINS )NDIA S AGRICULTURE SECTOR HAS MADE SO FAR )NDIA CAN BOAST TODAY OF BE ING A RICE EXPORTER ONE OF THE TOP PRODUCERS OF COCONUT IN THE WORLD

AND AN EXPORTER OF VARIOUS FARM PRODUCTS LIKE SPICES COTTON AND REkNED SUGAR AMONG OTHERS !ND )NDIA S ANNUAL RAINFALL IS ONLY TO MILLIMETERS MM OR A THIRD OF THE 0HILIPPINES MM )T IS ALSO WORTH MENTIONING THAT )NDIA S RAINWATER HARVESTING EFFORT IS PER CENT WHILE IT IS LESS THAN PERCENT FOR THE 0HILIPPINES 3O WHILE IT IS LAUDABLE THAT MORE FARMS IN THE 0HILIPPINES ARE USING HIGH YIELDING SEEDS AND ADOPTING MECHANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT IS KEEN ON ADDRESSING ISSUES RELATED TO IRRIGATION THE OPPORTUNITIES PRE SENTED BY )$ TO LEVEL UP THE COUN TRY S AGRICULTURE SECTOR MUST NEVER BE OVERLOOKED )NDIA S SETTING UP OF THE #$4!

SHOULD ALSO SERVE AS A MODEL ON HOW TO INTRODUCE MORE )$ TECHNOLOGIES INTO THE 0HILIPPINE AGRICULTURE SECTOR .OW LET ME ASK THE QUESTION )S 0HILIPPINE AGRICULTURE READY FOR )$ -Y ANSWER IS THIS ‡ THE COUNTRY MUST MAKE ITSELF READY FOR !GRICULTURE 7E HAVE NO CHOICE GIVEN THE NUMEROUS CHALLENGES OUR AGRICULTURE SECTOR IS FACING

PARTICULARLY FROM CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBALIZATION 3O AS MORE COUNTRIES IN 3OUTH EAST !SIA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD MAKE WAY FOR !GRICULTURE

WE SHOULD MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT LEFT BEHIND ‡ UNLESS WE WANT TO FERMENT A FOOD CRISIS &OR SURE

NOBODY WANTS THAT

Agribusiness

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

B5

Searca pushes PH as top agritourism site

T

BY CONRAD M. CARIÑO

HE country is now among the top agritourism destinations in the world, with foreign visitors to farm tourism sites hitting an all-time high of 732,506 in a single month in 2018.

2OSE ,IBONGCO OF THE (OTEL 3ALES AND -ARKETING !SSOCIATION )NC SAID DURING A 'LOBAL &ARM 4OURISM 3UMMIT CO HOSTED BY THE 3OUTHEAST !SIAN 2EGIONAL #ENTER FOR 'RADUATE 3TUDY AND 2ESEARCH IN !GRICULTURE 3EARCA THAT THE 0HILIPPINES WAS NOW AMONG THE TOP AGRITOURISM DESTINATIONS IN THE WORLD g3EARCA HAS SUPPORTED FARM TOURISM PROMOTION IN THE COUN TRY AS THE SECTOR CREATES MULTIPLE REVENUE STREAMS FOR FARMERS IM PROVING PROkTABILITY OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES u 3EARCA SAID IN A STATEMENT /THER TOP AGRITOURISM DESTINA TIONS INCLUDE 4AIWAN (AWAII

4USCANY 'RENADA -ALLORCA #ALI FORNIA AND "RAZIL 4HE 0HILIPPINES ACCORDING TO

,IBONGCO IS HIGHLY SUITABLE AS AN AGRITOURISM DESTINATION BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS )T IS AN AG RICULTURAL TROPICAL COUNTRY RICH IN NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY ITS FARMING HERITAGE IS RElECTED IN FOLK SONGS SUCH AS g"AHAY +UBOu AND &ILIPINOS HAVE INNATE HOSPITAL ITY AND OPENNESS 4O MARKET &ILIPINO FARM TOURISM SITES MORE KNOWN ,IBONGCO ADVISED FARM OWNERS TO PUT UP WEBSITES g/NLINE AVAILABILITY IS IMPOR TANT IN THIS SOCIAL MEDIA ERA 0EOPLE WILL kND YOU kRST ONLINE /NLINE WEBSITES ESTABLISH YOUR CREDIBILITY AS A BUSINESS u SHE SAID ,OCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS HAVE ALSO STARTED PROMOTING AGRITOUR ISM RECOGNIZING ITS CONTRIBUTION TO JOB CREATION

Q The Villa Socorro Farm in Laguna is also known for its banana chips made from raw materials grown in the farm itself. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO ,A 5NION 'OV &RANCISCO %M MANUEL 0ACOY /RTEGA RD SAID DURING THE 3EARCA ORGANIZED SUMMIT THAT THE PROVINCE HAS FARM TOURISM SITES INCLUDING GRAPE FARMS IN "AUANG AND FAMILY FARMS INCLUDING 2OCAPOR S &ARM AND &ER GIE .AVARRO &ARM

WHICH IS A CERTIkED 'OOD !GRICUL TURAL 0RACTICE VEGETABLE FARM /THER AGRITOURISM SITES IN ,A 5NION INCLUDE ,OMBOY &ARM AND ,OTUS &ARM )N ,AGUNA THE 6ILLA 3OCORRO &ARM IS AN AGRI ECO VILLAGE THAT

ADOPTS BEST GREEN BUSINESS PRAC TICES AND IS A PARTICIPANT TO THE 'LOBAL 'REEN 'ROWTH )NSTITUTE -EANWHILE THE -ALAGOS &ARM IN $AVAO STARTED WITH A DURIAN AND COFFEE FARM IN 4AGAKPAN 4HIS WAS FOLLOWED BY GROWING LANZONES

POMELO AND ORCHIDS IN #ABANTIAN )T CONSTRUCTED IN A SMALL RESTAURANT AND SWIMMING POOL AND IN IT STARTED OFFERING OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS AND RESORT FACILITIES

Nuclear tech can increase farm yields

GIVING THEIR BEST Association of Southeast Asian Nation Engineer Ted Eleda accepts

the Most Outstanding Philippine Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers (PSABE) ChapterAward on behalf of PSABE Bicol Chapter during the 30th Agricultural Engineering Week held in the last week of April in Bacolod City. Eleda is the president of PSABE Bicol Chapter, which also won the award in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Terraces farmers face challenges 4(% TASK OF CONSERVING AND RESTOR ING THE HECTARE .AGACADAN 2ICE 4ERRACES .24 BEING A CULTURAL AND IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL LAND SCAPE TO THE PEOPLE OF +IANGAN AND THE WORLD IS ENORMOUS 4HE .24 LOCATED IN +IANGAN

)FUGAO IS A 5NITED .ATIONS %DU CATIONAL 3CIENTIkC AND #ULTURAL /RGANIZATION HERITAGE SITE *IMMY #ODAMON AN INDIG ENOUS KNOWLEDGE HOLDER AND MANAGER OF THE .24 /PEN !IR -USEUM SAID STUDIES MADE BY EXPERTS REVEALED THAT .AGACADAN RICE TERRACES WAS STRUGGLING TO SUR VIVE FROM INFESTATION OF THE BROWN LEAFHOPPER TO THE INVASIVE KIWET OR RICE EEL !LSO THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF FARM ERS AT THE .AGACADAN 2ICE 4ERRACES #ONDAMON SAID ONE TYPE OF FARMER STICKS TO THE TRADITIONAL

WAYS IN CLEANING AND PREPARING HIS RICE kELD AND THE OTHER USES HERBICIDE TO DESTROY UNWANTED VEGETATION OR WEEDS (E SAID THE TRADITIONAL FARMER ALSO CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HEIRLOOM RICE WHICH HOWEVER IS ALSO NOT SPARED FROM THE USE OF FERTILIZERS AND INSECTICIDES -EANWHILE THE MODERN FARMERS USE HIGH YIELDING RICE VARIETY THAT USUALLY COMES WITH THE USE OF SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS PES TICIDES AND INSECTICIDES g3LOWLY WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF HIGH YIELDING VARIETY FROM THE MUNICIPAL AGRICULTURE OFFICE OF +IANGAN THE TRADITIONAL RICE PRO DUCERS NOW ALSO START TO USE SAID VARIETY u #ODAMON SAID g! FARMER WOULD RATHER CHOOSE A RICE VARIETY THAT CAN BE PLANTED TWICE IN THE RICE TERRACES &OR THE FARMERS AN EXTRA RICE HARVEST

WOULD MEAN INCOME WHICH THEY CAN USE TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND FOR OTHER EXPENSES u HE ADDED !S FOR THE KIWET $AVID $ULAWAN

AN .24 RESIDENT SAID HIS STUDY SHOWED THAT WATER RETENTION IN THE RICE TERRACES DECREASES FROM THE HOLES CREATED BY TOO MANY RICE EELS (E SAID THAT DURING THE LEAN PLANT ING SEASON AT THE .24 KIWET GATH ERERS USING ELECTRICITY CAN CATCH AT LEAST HEADS FROM ONE RICE PADDY g!ND IF THEY RETURN THE NEXT DAY TO THE SAME RICE PADDY THEY COULD STILL CATCH AT LEAST HEADS OF RICE EELS u $ULAWAN ADDED 4HE OTHER PROBLEM AT THE .24 IS THE INFESTATION OF THE BROWN LEAFHOPPER THAT CAUSES RICE PLANTS NOT TO BEAR FRUIT WHEN ATTACKED

BY THE PEST LEANDER C. DOMINGO

ORGANIC SOYBEANS GAIN GROUND 4(% "UREAU OF !GRICULTURAL 2E SEARCH "!2 HAS CITED THE 0ALACA PAC 3EVENTH $AY !DVENTIST #HURCH BASED IN #ANDON )LOCOS 3UR AS THE COUNTRY S BEST GROWER AND PROCES SOR OF ORGANIC SOYBEANS 7ITH THAT "!2 SAID THE IMPLE MENTATION OF THE PROJECT g%NHANC ING /RGANIC 3OYBEAN 0RODUCTION AND 0ROCESSING FOR )MPROVED ,OCAL 3UPPLY AND 5TILIZATION IN 2EGION u WAS A COMPLETE SUCCESS AS PROVEN BY THE SUCCESS STORY OF THE 0ALACAPAC 3EVENTH $AY !DVENTIST #HURCH 4HE PROJECT ON ORGANIC SOY BEANS IS FUNDED UNDER THE $E PARTMENT OF !GRICULTURE (IGH 6ALUE #ROPS $EVELOPMENT 0RO GRAM AND COORDINATED THROUGH "!2 S .ATIONAL 4ECHNOLOGY #OM MERCIALIZATION 0ROGRAM g)T AIMS TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL PRODUCTION OF LOCALLY PRODUCED OR GANIC SOYBEANS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO BE CHEAPER AND HAS BETTER QUALITY COMPARED TO THE IMPORTED ONES u "!2 SAID IN A STATEMENT -ELINDA #ALUMPIT PROJECT LEADER FROM THE $EPARTMENT OF !GRICULTURE )LOCOS 2EGION OFFICE UNDERSCORED

Q Photo shows the flavored taho and cookies the Palacapac Seventh-Day Adventist Church based in Candon, Ilocos Sur that were made from organic soybeans. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO THAT #ANDON WAS THE ONLY CITY IN THE REGION THAT HAD ALL THE KEY PLAYERS IN THE ORGANIC SOYBEAN INDUSTRY ACTIVELY INVOLVED PARTICULARLY FARMERS PRO CESSORS AND CONSUMERS !MONG THE PRODUCTS THE 0ALACAPAC 3EVENTH $AY !DVENTIST #HURCH PRODUCES INCLUDE SOYMILK TOFU COOKIES AND MUFkNS 4HE SOYBEAN PROGRAM WHICH WAS REVITALIZED IN HIGHLIGHTS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BREAK

THROUGHS AND MATURE TECHNOLOGIES GENERATED AND DEVELOPED BY RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS )T HAS BEEN INSTRUMEN TAL IN DEVELOPING MICROENTERPRISES AND VARIOUS AGRIBUSINESS VENTURES THROUGH THE PROVISION OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND THE MUCH NEEDED FUND SUPPORT TO ENHANCE PRODUCT AND PROCESS DEVELOPMENT FOUNDED ON SOUND BUSINESS MODEL PRINCIPLES THE TIMES

).$/.%3)! IS AMONG THE LEADERS IN 3OUTHEAST !SIA IN THE APPLICATION OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOP HIGHER YIELDING CROPS WITH THE PRO GRAM TAKING ROOT IN THROUGH A COLLABORATION WITH THE )NTERNATIONAL !TOMIC %NERGY !GENCY )!%! AND THE &OOD AND !GRICULTURE /RGANIZA TION &!/ g.UCLEAR TECHNOLOGY IN )NDONESIA HAS BEEN USED IN VARIOUS kELDS OF LIFE

INCLUDING AGRICULTURE u SAID 3URYAN TORO DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF )NDONESIA S .ATIONAL .UCLEAR %NERGY !GENCY "!4!. g4HROUGH RADIATION MUTA TION ENGINEERING RESEARCH "!4!.

HAS IMPROVED THE QUALITY OF LOCAL CROP VARIETIES WITH THE AIM THAT THE NEW IMPROVED SEEDS BE WIDELY USED

BY THE COMMUNITY u 7HEN THE FIRST PLANT BREEDING COOPERATION PROJECT WITH THE *OINT &!/ )!%! $IVISION OF .UCLEAR 4ECHNIQUES IN &OOD AND !GRICULTURE BEGAN IN SCIENTISTS AT "!4!. S RESEARCH INSTITUTES RECEIVED STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT EXTENSIVE TRAIN ING IN NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES AND SUPPORT FROM EXPERTS THROUGH )!%!

COORDINATED RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROJECTS 4HIS LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR )NDONESIA S PLANT MUTATION BREEDING PROGRAM -ORE THAN NEW VARIETIES OF CROPS

SUCH AS SOYBEANS AND RICE HAVE SINCE BEEN DEVELOPED THROUGH THE PROGRAM 4HE NEW VARIETIES ARE BRED USING IR RADIATION AND SELECTED BASED ON THEIR IMPROVED CHARACTERISTICS COMPARED TO OTHER LOCAL VARIETIES SUCH AS HIGHER YIELDS SHORTER CULTIVATION TIME OR RESISTANCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE STRESSORS AND DISEASES /NCE READY THE SEEDS FOR THE NEW CROPS ARE MULTIPLIED AND MADE AVAILABLE TO FARMERS 4O HELP ENSURE WIDESPREAD USE OF THESE NEW CROP VARIETIES THE PROGRAM HAS GROWN INTO A COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP NETWORK THAT IS CLEARING THE WAY FOR LARGE SCALE CULTIVATION 4HE MODEL IS BUILT ON COLLABORATION BE TWEEN RESEARCH INSTITUTES MINISTRIES

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SEED BREEDING COMPANIES FARMERS COOPERATIVES AND MARKET AND EXPORT GROUPS 4HE PARTNERSHIPS SPAN THE SUPPLY CHAIN FROM SEED DEVELOPMENT AND MULTIPLI CATION TO DISTRIBUTION AND CULTIVATION IN THE kELDS g4HE PROGRAM INVOLVING MANY NATIONAL MINISTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS AND THREE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZA TIONS IS DESIGNED TO RUN FROM UPSTREAM TO DOWNSTREAM u SAID 4OTTI 4JIPTOSUMIRAT HEAD OF "!4!. S #ENTER FOR )SOTOPE AND 2ADIATION !PPLICATION g"!4!. IN THE UP STREAM POSITION DEVELOPS SUPERIOR SEEDS THE -INISTRY OF !GRICULTURE DISTRIBUTES SEEDS TO SEED PRODUCERS

AND THE -INISTRY OF )NDUSTRY TRANS FERS THE INNOVATION DOWNSTREAM TO SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES OR START UP COMPANIES CONRAD M. CARIÑO

World Maduro remains in power in Venezuela C B6

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

ARACAS, Venezuela: President Nicolas Maduro tried to project an image of strength, saying he had spoken to several regional military commanders who REAFkRMED THEIR LOYALTY

g.ERVES OF STEELĂœu HE SAID IN A MESSAGE POSTED ON 4WITTER &LANKED BY TOP MILITARY COMMANDERS $EFENSE -INISTER 6LADIMIR 0ADRINO ,Ă…PEZ CONDEMNED*UAN 'UAIDO S MOVE AS A gTERRORISTu ACT AND gCOUP ATTEMPTu THAT WAS BOUND TO FAIL LIKE PAST UPRISINGS Maduro declared he had “deFEATEDu AN UPRISING OF A GROUP OF SOLDIERS BACKING OPPOSITION LEADER 'UAIDO DOWNPLAYING THE EFFORT AS gPUTSCHIST SKIRMISHESu $URING A TELEVISED APPEARANCE ON 4UESDAY -ADURO CONGRATULATED THE ARMED FORCES FOR HAVING gDEFEATED THIS SMALL GROUP THAT INTENDED TO SPREAD VIOLENCE THROUGH PUTSCHIST SKIRMISHESu g4HOSE WHO TRY TO TAKE -IRAlORES WITH VIOLENCE WILL BE MET WITH VIOLENCE u HE SAID ON NATIONAL TELEVISION

REFERRING TO THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE WHERE HUNDREDS OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS SOME OF THEM BRANDISHING kREARMS HAD GATHERED IN RESPONSE TO A CALL TO DEFEND -ADURO -EANWHILE &OREIGN -INISTER *ORGE !RREAZA SAID THE gRIGHT WING EXTREMISTSu WOULD NOT SUCCEED IN FRACTURING THE ARMED FORCES WHICH HAVE LARGEly stood with the socialist leader THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS OF TURMOIL

g3INCE WE VE SEEN THE SAME PATTERN u !RREAZA TOLD 4HE !SSOCIATED 0RESS !0 g4HEY CALL FOR VIOLENCE A COUP AND SEND PEOPLE INTO THE STREETS so that there are confrontations and DEATHS !ND THEN FROM THE BLOOD THEY TRY TO CONSTRUCT A NARRATIVE u "UT IN A POSSIBLE SIGN THAT -ADuro’s inner circle could be fracturING THE HEAD OF 6ENEZUELA S SECRET POLICE PENNED A LETTER BREAKING RANKS WITH THE EMBATTLED LEADER -ANUEL 2ICARDO #RISTOPHER &IGUERA THE HEAD OF 6ENEZUELA S FEARED 3EBIN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

WROTE A LETTER TO THE 6ENEZUELAN PEOPLE SAYING THAT WHILE HE HAD always been loyal to Maduro it was NOW TIME TO gREBUILD THE COUNTRY u (E LAMENTED THAT CORRUPTION HAD BECOME SO RAMPANT THAT gMANY HIGH RANKING PUBLIC SERVANTS PRACTICE IT LIKE A SPORT u 'UAIDĂ… TOOK A BOLD STEP TO REVIVE HIS MOVEMENT TO SEIZE POWER IN 6ENEZUELA TAKING TO THE STREETS 4UESDAY TO CALL FOR A MILITARY UPRISING THAT DREW QUICK SUPPORT FROM THE 4RUMP ADMINISTRATION AND kERCE RESISTANCE FROM FORCES LOYAL TO SOCIALIST -ADURO 4HE VIOLENT STREET BATTLES THAT ERUPTED IN PARTS OF #ARACAS WERE THE MOST

POWER STRUGGLE

Venezuelan citizens protest against President Nicolas Maduro outside the Venezuelan embassy in San Jose on April 30, 2019. Venezuelan opposition chief Juan Guaido declared himself acting president but Maduro announced that he was still the president after the coup attempt was crushed. AFP PHOTO SERIOUS CHALLENGE YET TO -ADURO S RULE And while the rebellion seemed to HAVE GARNERED ONLY LIMITED MILITARY SUPPORT AT LEAST ONE HIGH RANKING OFkCIAL ANNOUNCED HE WAS BREAKING WITH -ADURO IN A SETBACK FOR THE EMBATTLED 0RESIDENT )N A 4UESDAY NIGHT APPEARANCE ON NATIONAL TELEVISION -ADURO DECLARED THAT THE OPPOSITION HAD ATTEMPTED TO IMPOSE AN gILLEGITI-

MATE GOVERNMENTu WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE 53 AND NEIGHBORING #OLOMBIA (E SAID 6ENEZUELA HAD BEEN A VICTIM OF gAGGRESSION OF ALL KINDS u -EANWHILE 'UAIDĂ… SOUGHT TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING AT THE END OF THE DAY BY RELEASING HIS OWN VIDEO MESSAGE IN WHICH HE PRESSED 6ENEZUELANS TO TAKE TO THE STREETS AGAIN ON 7EDNESDAY

4HE COMPETING QUESTS TO SOLIDIFY A HOLD ON POWER CAPPED A DRAMATIC DAY that included a tense moment when SEVERAL ARMORED VEHICLES PLOWED INTO A GROUP OF ANTI GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATORS TRYING TO STORM THE CAPITAL S AIR BASE HITTING AT LEAST TWO PROTESTERS 53 .ATIONAL 3ECURITY !DVISER *OHN "OLTON SAID THE 4RUMP ADMINISTRATION WAS WAITING FOR THREE KEY OFkCIALS INCLUDING -ADURO S DEFENSE

MINISTER AND HEAD OF THE SUPREME COURT TO ACT ON WHAT HE SAID WERE PRIVATE PLEDGES TO REMOVE -ADURO (E DID NOT PROVIDE DETAILS 4HE STUNNING EVENTS BEGAN EARLY 4UESDAY WHEN 'UAIDĂ…

lANKED BY A FEW DOZEN NATIONAL GUARDSMEN AND SOME ARMORED CROWD CONTROL VEHICLES RELEASED THE THREE MINUTE VIDEO SHOT NEAR THE #ARLOTA AIR BASE AP

Sri Lanka Catholic church holds Mass THANNAMUNAI, Sri Lanka: The checkpoints started just outside of an east Sri Lanka village, the strictest seen in the days after Islamic State-aligned militants launched suicide attacks that killed over 250 people.

The trucks stopped first, soldiers digging through crates and produce. Buses disgorged their passengers. Cars lined up single file, so soldiers could open their hoods to inspect engine blocks and pull everything out of trunks.

The reason became clear soon after, as the sound of hymns filled the air of Thannamunai.

The small village in eastern Sri Lanka held likely the first Mass since Catholic leaders closed all their churches for fear of further attacks. Under incredibly tight

security, worshippers watched a priest be ordained as they hoped for a future when Mass would not require hundreds of troops armed with assault rifles to defend it. “People wanted to celebrate Mass, they wanted to participate in this, but they — even myself — were afraid,�

Fr. Norton Johnson told Associated Press (AP) journalists who witnessed the Mass. “However, security personnel gave us good protection.�

The Mass in Thannamunai, about 225 kilometers (140 miles) northeast of the capital, Colombo, had been planned at least two weeks earlier to mark the ordination with the participation of some 200 priests. They had expected thousands to attend the ceremony at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

AP

Barr to face Mueller report WORKERS UNITE questioning at Senate 2 killed in NCarolina university shooting

Trade union groups and labor activists take part in a May Day rally, calling for improved working conditions and rights in Seoul, South Korea. AFP PHOTO

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday will face lawmakers’ questions for the kRST TIME SINCE RELEASING SPECIAL counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia REPORT IN WHAT PROMISES TO BE A dramatic showdown as he defends his actions before Democrats who ACCUSE HIM OF SPINNING THE INVESTIGATION S FINDINGS IN 0RESIDENT $ONALD 4RUMP S FAVOR "ARR S APPEARANCE BEFORE THE Senate Judiciary Committee is EXPECTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE PARTISAN SCHISM AROUND -UELLER S REPORT AND THE *USTICE $EPARTMENT S HANDLING OF IT )T WILL GIVE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HIS MOST EXTENSIVE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN THE DEPARTMENT S ACTIONS INCLUDING A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD BEFORE THE REPORT S RELEASE AND FOR HIM TO REPAIR A REPUTATION BRUISED BY ALLEGATIONS THAT HE S THE 0RESIDENT S PROTECTOR ! MAJOR FOCUS OF THE HEARING IS LIKELY TO BE THE 4UESDAY NIGHT REVELATION THAT -UELLER EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION TO "ARR IN A LETTER TO THE *USTICE $EPARTMENT AND IN A PHONE CALL WITH HOW THE CONCLUSIONS OF HIS INVESTIGATION WERE BEING PORTRAYED "ARR IS ALSO INVITED TO APPEAR ON Thursday (Friday in Manila) before the Democratic-led House Judiciary PANEL BUT THE *USTICE $EPARTMENT said he would not testify if the comMITTEE INSISTED ON HAVING ITS LAWYERS QUESTION THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (IS APPEARANCE ON 7EDNESDAY WILL BE BEFORE A 2EPUBLICAN LED committee chaired by a close ally OF THE 0RESIDENT 3EN ,INDSEY 'RAHAM OF 3OUTH #AROLINA WHO

IS EXPECTED TO FOCUS ON CONCERNS that the early days of the Federal "UREAU OF )NVESTIGATION S 2USSIA INVESTIGATION WERE TAINTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT BIAS AGAINST 4RUMP $EMOCRATS ARE LIKELY TO PRESS Barr on statements and actions IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS THAT HAVE UNNERVED THEM 4HE TENSE RELATIONS ARE NOTABLE GIVEN HOW "ARR BREEZED THROUGH HIS CONkRMATION PROCESS PICKING UP SUPPORT FROM A FEW $EMOCRATS AND OFFERING REASSURING WORDS ABOUT THE *USTICE $EPARTMENT S INDEPENDENCE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING THE SPECIAL COUNSEL S INVESTIGATION 4HE kRST HINT OF DISCONTENT SURfaced last month when Barr issued A FOUR PAGE STATEMENT THAT SUMMArized what he said were the main CONCLUSIONS OF THE -UELLER REPORT )N THE LETTER "ARR REVEALED THAT HE AND $EPUTY !TTORNEY 'ENERAL 2OD 2OSENSTEIN HAD CLEARED 4RUMP OF obstruction of justice after Mueller AND HIS TEAM FOUND EVIDENCE ON both sides of the question but DIDN T REACH A CONCLUSION Barr is likely to defend himself

BY NOTING HOW HE RELEASED THE REPORT ON HIS OWN EVEN THOUGH HE DID NOT HAVE TO UNDER THE SPECIAL COUNSEL REGULATIONS AND THAT DOING SO FULkLLED A PLEDGE HE MADE AT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS THE LAW ALLOWED "ARR MAY SAY THAT HE WANTED TO MOVE QUICKLY TO GIVE THE PUBLIC A SUMMARY OF -UELLER S MAIN kNDINGS AS THE *USTICE $EPARTMENT SPENT WEEKS REDACTING MORE SENSITIVE INFORMATION FROM THE REPORT

AP

CHARLOTTE, N.C.: ! SHOOTING THAT killed two and wounded four at A .ORTH #AROLINA UNIVERSITY LEFT STUDENTS SCRAMBLING FOR SHELTER AND PROMPTED FRESH CALLS FOR WAYS TO KEEP CAMPUSES SAFE ! V I G I L WA S P L A N N E D F O R 7EDNESDAY ON THE CAMPUS OF THE 5NIVERSITY OF .ORTH #AROLINA #HARLOTTE WHERE THE SHOOTING

ON 4UESDAY UPENDED THE LAST DAY OF CLASS 4HE GOVERNOR VOWED A HARD LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN ORDER TO PREVENT FUTURE SHOOTINGS 4HE LATEST SHOOTING INCIDENT IN the US was the fourth in less than two weeks after three similar fatal in incidents occurred in CaliforNIA 4ENNESSEE AND "ALTIMORE g! STUDENT SHOULD NOT HAVE

Worldinbriefs WATCHDOG: AFGHANS NOT READY FOR PEACE KABUL, Afghanistan: Afghanistan might not be ready for peace unless it finds a way to reintegrate Taliban fighters into society, combat corruption and rein in the country’s runaway narcotics problem, a US watchdog said Wednesday. The warning by Washington’s Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, which monitors billions of dollars in US aid to the country, came in the group’s new quarterly report that also discusses Afghan needs for the “day after’’ — once there is a peace deal with the Taliban. Over the past months, the US has stepped up efforts to find a peaceful resolution to Afghanistan’s 17-year war and has been holding talks with a resurgent Taliban.

AP

NORTH CHINA ON ALERT FOR FOREST FIRE IN Wuerqihan, fire is a constant menace. Recently, forest department employees have seldom been able to see their colleagues, as most of them are garrisoned in the mountains, working to make sure the forest is safe from potential fire. Some of them have to stay in the mountains for three months. The fire prevention period lasts three seasons here. Wuerqihan is a forest bureau in the Greater Khingan, home to 48,100 hectares of forest. It is one of the 19 branch forest bureaus under the state-owned forest administration bureau in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

GLOBAL TIMES

1,800 TRAPPED MINERS RESCUED JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s department of mineral resources says all 1,800 miners who had been caught underground have been freed overnight. Mining company Sibanye-Stillwater on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) said some rails that were being transported underground at the Thembelani shaft in Rustenberg came loose and fell down the shaft the miners use. It said the miners were safe with no serious injuries. After several hours and inspections, workers began to be

to fear for his or her life when THEY ARE ON OUR CAMPUSES u 'OV 2OY #OOPER A $EMOCRAT

TOLD REPORTERS g0ARENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR students when they send them OFF TO SCHOOL !ND ) KNOW THAT THIS VIOLENCE HAS TO STOP )N THE COMING DAYS WE WILL TAKE A HARD look at all of this to see what we

NEED TO DO GOING FORWARD u #AMPUS 0OLICE #HIEF *EFF "AKER SAID AUTHORITIES RECEIVED A CALL IN THE LATE AFTERNOON THAT A SUSPECT ARMED WITH A PISTOL HAD SHOT SEVERAL STUDENTS /FkCERS ASSEMBLING nearby for a concert rushed to the CLASSROOM BUILDING AND ARRESTED THE GUNMAN IN THE ROOM WHERE THE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE AP

brought up. The company had said an adjacent shaft would be used if needed. AP

MUSEUM KEEPS LOOTED PAINTING LOS Angeles: A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) that a Spanish museum that acquired a priceless, Nazi-looted painting in 1992 is the work’s rightful owner, and not the survivors of the Jewish woman who surrendered it 80 years ago to escape the Holocaust. Although US District Judge John Walter criticized Baron Hans-Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, the German industrialist whose name now graces the Madrid museum where the painting by Camille Pissarro hangs, for not doing all of the due diligence he could have when he acquired it in 1976, he found no evidence the museum knew it was looted art when it took possession in 1993.

AP

PARTY PROMISES PRO-ASIA POLICIES SYDNEY: Australia would see a “step change� in engagement with Asia and a more “considered� policy toward China if Labor wins the next election, the party’s would-be foreign minister vowed Wednesday. Penny Wong — who would become the country’s first Asian-Australian top diplomat if her party continues to lead the conservative government into the May 18 vote — signalled the election would bring a foreign policy pivot to Asia.

Promising policies that would see more Asian languages taught in Australian schools and an increase in Aussie diplomats abroad, Malaysian-born Wong also signalled her wish to have a more constructive relationship with Beijing.

AFP

MUSLIM BROTHERS A ‘TERRORIST’ WASHINGTON was working to identify the Muslim Brotherhood as a “foreign terrorist organization,� US media reported on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), citing White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. Sanders acknowledged to media in a statement that US President Donald Trump had consulted this issue with his national security team and regional leaders, and the designation “was working its way through the internal process.� US media reported that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged Trump to take that step during his visit to Washington in early April.

GLOBAL TIMES

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Naruhito starts reign T

OKYO: Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito formally ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne on Wednesday, a day after his father’s historic abdication, and vowed to stand with the people as the country begins A NEW IMPERIAL ERA )N A BRIEF ADDRESS HIS kRST TO THE NATION SINCE INHERITING THE THRONE

.ARUHITO VOWED TO gACT ACCORDING TO THE #ONSTITUTIONu WHILE gALWAYS TURNING MY THOUGHTS TO THE PEOPLE AND STANDING WITH THEMu .ARUHITO OFkCIALLY BECAME EMPEROR AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT

BUT THE PROCESS WAS FORMALISED IN THE RITUAL ON 7EDNESDAY MORNING

which was off-limits to female ROYALS ‡ EVEN HIS WIFE -ASAKO 4HE EMPEROR ENTERED THE )MPERIAL 0ALACE S 0INE 2OOM IN FORMAL 7ESTERN CLOTHING AND A HEAVY GOLD CHAIN OF OFkCE ACCOMPANIED BY MALE FAMILY MEMBERS INCLUDING HIS BROTHER !KISHINO 4HE YEAR OLD WAS PRESENTED with the items his father Akihito relinquished a day earlier: Sacred IMPERIAL TREASURES OF A SWORD AND A JEWEL AS WELL AS THE SEAL OF STATE AND HIS PERSONAL IMPERIAL SEAL 4HE SOLE WOMAN INVITEE WAS THE ONLY FEMALE MEMBER OF 0RIME -INISTER 3HINZO !BE S CABINET 4HE CEREMONY TOOK PLACE ON THE kRST DAY OF THE NEW IMPERIAL ERA OF 2EIWA MEANING gBEAUTIFUL HARMONY u WHICH WILL LAST THROUGHOUT .ARUHITO S REIGN 3HORTLY AFTERWARDS %MPRESS -ASAKO ARRIVED BY CAR AT THE PALace in a diamond-studded tiara TO JOIN .ARUHITO THE NATION S TH EMPEROR (E SAID HE WOULD gRElECT DEEPLYu ON THE EXAMPLE SET BY HIS POPULAR FATHER !KIHITO AND THAT ASSUMING THE THRONE kLLED HIM WITH A gSENSE OF SOLEMNITYu !BE REPLYING ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE SAID g7E ARE DETERMINED TO CREATE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR A PROUD

Q Emperor Naruhito *APAN kLLED WITH PEACE AND HOPE AT a time when the international sitUATION IS CHANGING DRAMATICALLY u !FTER HEAVY RAIN DAMPENED CELebrations for the abdication on 4UESDAY *APANESE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF SUNNIER WEATHER TO lOCK TO THE -EIJI 3HRINE IN THE HEART OF THE CAPITAL

where free sake WAS SERVED AHEAD OF A DISPLAY OF HORSEBACK ARCHERY Naruhito will make his first PUBLIC APPEARANCE ON 3ATURDAY WHEN HE WILL AGAIN ADDRESS THE PEOPLE OF *APAN "UT THE REAL POMP AND CEREMONY WILL WAIT UNTIL /CTOBER

WHEN HE AND -ASAKO WILL APPEAR in elaborate traditional robes for A CEREMONY IN THE PALACE BEFORE PARADING THROUGH THE STREETS OF THE CAPITAL TO BE CONGRATULATED BY A HOST OF WORLD LEADERS AND ROYALS .ARUHITO WILL GREET HIS kRST FOREIGN HEAD OF STATE AS EMPEROR LATER THIS MONTH WHEN 53 0RESIDENT $ONALD 4RUMP VISITS *APAN TO MEET THE NEW MONARCH AFP

Cambodia’s Siem Reap top tourist destination 3)%- 2EAP WAS NAMED THE TOP tourist destination in southeast Asia by Germany-based online TRAVEL PLATFORM 9OU$ISCOVER 4HE PLACE IS VERY POPULAR BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE !NGKOR 7AT A COMPLEX TEMPLE IN #AMBODIA AND ONE OF THE LARGEST RELIGIOUS MONUMENTS IN THE WORLD HECTARES IS LOCATED 4HE TEMPLE FIRST GAINED GLOBAL ATTENTION AFTER A (OLLYWOOD kLM g4OMB 2AIDER u WAS SHOT IN THE PLACE IN The Cambodian city was folLOWED BY "ANGKOK AND 3INGAPORE WHICH CAME IN SECOND AND THIRD RESPECTIVELY 0UBLISHED EARLIER THIS MONTH THE list includes 15 destinations in 11 countries and ranks them based on three criteria — accommodation OPTIONS TRIPS AND gEXPERIENCES u 3IEM 2EAP CAME ON TOP OWING TO THE PRESENCE OF THE 5NITED .ATIONS

%DUCATIONAL 3CIENTIkC AND #ULTURAL /RGANIZATION LISTED !NGKOR !RCHAEOLOGICAL #OMPLEX 0HNOM 0ENH CAME in at number fourth while BattamBANG TOOK THE TH SPOT IN THE LIST ,AST YEAR #AMBODIA RECEIVED MILLION INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS

AN INCREASE OF PERCENT YEAR ON YEAR 4HE SECTOR REPRESENTED PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT THAT YEAR 3IEM 2EAP ALONE WELCOMED MILLION FOREIGN VISITORS AN INCREASE OF PERCENT COMPARED TO )N *ANUARY THE 5NITED +INGDOM S edition of .ATIONAL 'EOGRAPHIC 4RAVELLER THE WORLD S LEADING TRAVEL MAGAZINE INCLUDED #AMBODIA IN ITS g#OOL ,ISTu OF PLACES TO VISIT IN 4AKING THE kFTH SPOT IN THE LIST

Cambodia was described as the HOME OF A gHIGH END HOTEL BOOM AMID TEMPLES RUINS AND JUNGLES u KHMER TIMES

Film about rescued Thai boys soon on Netflix BANGKOK: .ETlIX IS JOINING WITH THE PRODUCTION COMPANY FOR THE MOVIE g#RAZY 2ICH !SIANSu TO MAKE A kLM ABOUT LAST *ULY S DRAMATIC rescue of 12 boys and their socCER COACH WHO WERE TRAPPED IN A lOODED CAVE IN NORTHERN 4HAILAND FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS .ETlIX AND 3+ 'LOBAL %NTERTAINMENT SAID THEY ACQUIRED THE RIGHTS TO THE STORY FROM 4HUMLUANG #O ,TD

A COMPANY THAT 4HAILAND S GOVERNMENT HELPED ESTABLISH TO REPresent the interests of the boys and THEIR COACH WHO ATTENDED THE NEWS conference for the announcement 4UESDAY IN "ANGKOK Thailand’s Culture Ministry in -ARCH kRST UNVEILED THE DEAL ANNOUNCED AS A MINISERIES $EPUTY GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN 7EERACHON

3UKOONDHAPATIPAKAT WAS QUOTED THEN AS SAYING THAT THE FAMILIES OF THE CAVE SURVIVORS WOULD EACH BE PAID MILLION BAHT

! DATE FOR THE PROJECT TO BE RELEASED WASN T DISCLOSED The boys of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach became a center of world attention after THEY BECAME TRAPPED IN THE CAVE ON *UNE LAST YEAR WITH DOUBTS THEY WERE ABLE TO kND SHELTER FROM RISING lOOD WATERS THAT POURED IN AFTER UNEXPECTED RAIN 4HEY WERE FOUND BY TWO "RITISH DIVERS AND BROUGHT OUT BY AN INTERNATIONAL CREW OF EXPERIENCED CAVE DIVERS WHO TEAMED UP WITH 4HAI NAVY 3%!,S IN A DANGEROUSLY COMPLIcated mission that was successfully CONCLUDED ON *ULY AP

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

World

B7

Business Partners ηϭϬ ZĞƐƚŚĂǀĞŶ ^ƚ͘ ^ĂŶ &ƌĂŶĐŝƐĐŽ ĚĞů DŽŶƚĞ͕ ĂƌĂŶŐĂLJ ƵŶŐĂĚ YƵĞnjŽŶ ŝƚLJ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ ϭϭϬϱ dĞů EŽ͗ нϲϯϮ͘ϯϳϭ͘ϭϭϭϭ &Ădž EŽ͗ нϲϯϮ͘ϯϳϭ͘ϭϮϴϴ tĞďƐŝƚĞ͗ ǁǁǁ͘ƐďƐƉŚ͘ĐŽŵ

zĂƐŚĂŶŽ DĂůů &͘ /ŵƉĞƌŝĂů ^ƚƌĞĞƚ ĐŽƌŶĞƌ dĞƌŵŝŶĂů ZŽĂĚ ŝƚĂŶŽ͕ >ĞŐĂnjƉŝ ŝƚLJ͕ ůďĂLJ ϰϱϬϬ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ tĞďƐŝƚĞ͗ ǁǁǁ͘ůŽƚƵƐďůƵŚŽƚĞů͘ĐŽŵ

/ŵŵĂĐƵůĂƚĞ ŽŶĐĞƉĐŝŽŶ ĐĂĚĞŵLJ / ŽŶ WůĂĐŝĚŽ ĂŵƉŽƐ ǀĞ͕͘ WŽďůĂĐŝŽŶ͕ ŝƚLJ ŽĨ ĂƐŵĂƌŝŹĂƐ͕ ĂǀŝƚĞ ϰϭϭϰ нϲϯͲϰϲͲϰϭϲͲϯϲͲϯϲ Žƌ нϲϯͲϰϲͲϴϱϬͲϯϭͲϯϭ ŝŶĨŽΛŝĐĂͲĚĂƐŵĂƌŝŶĂƐ͘ĞĚƵ͘ƉŚ

ŽŽŬ ŶŽǁ͗ ǁǁǁ͘ŵLJƐƚĞƌLJŵĂŶŝůĂ͘ĐŽŵ

ϭϱϴϴ D͘,͘ ĚĞů WŝůĂƌ Žƌ͘ WĞĚƌŽ 'ŝů ^ƚƐ͕͘ DĂůĂƚĞ͕ DĂŶŝůĂ ϭϬϬϭ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ dƌƵŶŬůŝŶĞ͗ ;нϲϯϮͿ ϮϰϮͲϬϭϮϭ ǁǁǁ͘ƉĂŐĐŽƌ͘ƉŚ ͮ ǁǁǁ͘ĨĂĐĞŬ͘ĐŽŵͬƉĂŐĐŽƌ͘ƉŚ

ϵϭϮͲϵϮϴ ZĞŝŶĂ ZĞŐĞŶƚĞ ^ƚ͕͘ ŝŶŽŶĚŽ͕ DĂŶŝůĂ dĞů͘ ;ϬϮͿ ϯϴϱͲϵϵϵ ͮ ;ϬϮͿ ϮϱϮͲϭϵϵϵ DŽďŝůĞ͗ ;ϬϵϭϳͿ ϭϯϵͲϱϵϵϵ

ĞŶƚƵƌLJ ŝƚLJ DĂůů ͮ :ƵƉŝƚĞƌ ͮ LJĂůĂ DĂůůƐ dŚĞ ϯϬƚŚ ͮ >ŝďŝƐ

Ğ >Ă ^ĂůůĞ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ DĞĚŝĐĂů ĞŶƚĞƌ dĞů͘ EŽ͗͘ ĂǀŝƚĞ ůŝŶĞ ;ϬϰϲͿ ϰϴϭͲϴϬϬϬ DĂŶŝůĂ ůŝŶĞ ;ϬϮͿ ϵϴϴͲϯϭϬϬ

ZŝŐŚƚ ĂƌƐ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ dĞů͗ нϲϯϮ ϲϮϲ ϯϴϮϱ DŽď͗ нϲϯϵϭϳ ϴϰϵ ϳϮϳϰ tĞďƐŝƚĞ ͗Ͳ ŚƩƉ͗ͬ​ͬǁǁǁ͘ƌŝŐŚƚͲĐĂƌƐ͘ĐŽŵ

WŽůĂƌŝƐ ĞŶƚĞƌ ƵŝůĚŝŶŐ͕ϯƌĚ &ůŽŽƌ͕ϰϴ WŽůĂƌŝƐ ^ƌĞĞƚ͕DĂŬĂƟ ŝƚLJ

ĚĚ͗͘ ϭϮϬϬ ZŝnjĂů ǀĞŶƵĞ džƚĞŶƐŝŽŶ͕ KůŽŶŐĂƉŽ͕ ĂŵďĂůĞƐ WŚŽŶĞ͗ ϬϵϮϵ ϯϭϰ Ϭϵϲϯ

/D^͕ D d ůĚŐ͕͘ ͘ ƌŶĂŝnj ǀĞŶƵĞ ĐŽƌ͘ &͘ ͘ ,ĂƌƌŝƐŽŶ ^ƚƌĞĞƚ͕ WĂƐĂLJ ŝƚLJ WŚŽŶĞ͗ ;ϬϮͿ ϴϯϰ ϱϳϴϯ

Ϯϴ sĂůĞŶĐŝĂ ^ƚ͕͘ ^& D͕ YƵĞnjŽŶ ŝƚLJ ϱϯϯͲϯϭϭϴ ͮ ůŬƚĂĚǀĞƌƟƐŝŶŐΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ 'Ğƚ hŶůŝŵŝƚĞĚ >ŝƐƟŶŐƐ͕ hŶůŝŵŝƚĞĚ >ĞĂĚƐ ĂŶĚ ZĞĂů ƐƚĂƚĞ ZD ĨŽƌ &Z ͘

d͗ ϰϱϬͲϭϮͲϭϯ dK ϭϱ ͮ ͗ ŬĞŶƐƚĂƌƚƌĂǀĞůΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ ͗ ϲϬϬ EĂŬƉŝů ^ƚ͘ DĂůĂƚĞ͕ DĂŶŝůĂ ͮ &ĂĐĞŬ͗ <ĞŶƐƚĂƌ dƌĂǀĞů

ǁǁǁ͘ŚŽƵƐĂů͘ĐŽŵ ͮ DŽďŝůĞ͗ ;нϲϯͿ ϵϭϳ ϳϳϭ ϳϭϳϭ ͮ ŝŶĨŽΛŚŽƵƐĂů͘ĐŽŵ

ϮŶĚ &ůŽŽƌ͕ &ŽƌĂ DĂůů dĂŐĂLJƚĂLJ ͮ ϬϵϬϵ͘ϴϮϳ͘ϰϮϴϳ ͮ ϬϵϮϳ͘ϱϱϯ͘ϲϰϴϱ D ZZ/Kdd ,Kd >^ dZ s > Z/>>/ Ed>z ůĂƌŬ DĂƌƌŝŽƩ ,ŽƚĞů ͮ ϱϰϬϬ DĂŶƵĞů ͘ ZŽdžĂƐ ,ŝŐŚǁĂLJ͕ ůĂƌŬ &ƌĞĞƉŽƌƚ ŽŶĞ͕ WĂŵƉĂŶŐĂ͕ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ ϮϬϮϯ

ϰƚŚ >ĞǀĞů dǁŽ Ͳ Žŵ ĞŶƚĞƌ͕ KĐĞĂŶ ƌŝǀĞ DĂůů ŽĨ ƐŝĂ ŽŵƉůĞdž͕ WĂƐĂLJ ŝƚLJ dĞů͘ нϲϯϮ ϴϳϰϴϴϴϴ DŽďŝůĞ͗ нϲϯϵϭϳϮϰϯϴϬϬϬ ǁǁǁ͘ůĂũĞƵŶĞƐƐĞ͘ƉŚ ĚĚƌĞƐƐ͗ ϮϭϬϴ D͘, Ğů WŝůĂƌ͕ DĂůĂƚĞ͕ DĂŶŝůĂ dĞů͘ EŽ͗͘ ;ϬϮͿ ϱϮϲ Ϭ ϴϴϴͬ ϱϱϵ ϵ ϴϵϬ DŽďŝůĞ͗ ϬϵϭϳͲϱϵϱͲϴϬϲϬ ŵĂŝů͗ ƌĞƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶΛĂƌŵĂĚĂŵĂŶŝůĂ͘ĐŽŵ ͮ tĞďƐŝƚĞ͗ ǁǁǁ͘ĂƌŵĂĚĂŵĂŶŝůĂ͘ĐŽŵ WĞŶƚŚŽƵƐĞ͕ ůĂďĂŶŐ ŽƌƉŽƌĂƚĞ ĞŶƚĞƌ <D Ϯϱ tĞƐƚ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ ZŽĂĚ ůĂďĂŶŐ͕ DƵŶƟŶůƵƉĂ ŝƚLJ͕ ϭϳϳϬ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ ;ϬϮͿ ϴϱϲͲϳϳϬϬ ͮ ϴϴϲͲϲϵϭϲ ŝŶĨŽΛƋƵĂŶƟƚLJƐŽůƵƟŽŶ͘ĐŽŵ ǁǁǁ͘ƋƵĂŶƟƚLJƐŽůƵƟŽŶ͘ĐŽŵ

ϱ& &ĞůŝnjĂ ůĚŐ͕͘ s͘ ͘ ZƵĮŶŽ ^ƚ͕͘ >ĞŐĂƐƉŝ sŝůůĂŐĞ͕ DĂŬĂƟ ŝƚLJ͕ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ ϭϮϮϵ ͮ н ϲϯ Ϯ ϳϱϭ ϰϵϮϵ

d͗ ;нϲϯϮͿ ϵϳϱ ϮϮϭϱ D͗ ;нϲϯͿ ϵϭϳ ϴϰϭ Ϯϴϴϯ t͗ ŬŵĐŵĂŐŐƌŽƵƉ͘ĐŽŵ

ϱƚŚ &ůŽŽƌ͕ D'& ŚĂŵƉĂĐĂ ůĚŐ͘ ϭϱϲ ŵŽƌƐŽůŽ ^ƚƌĞĞƚ͕ >ĞŐĂƐƉŝ sŝůůĂŐĞ͕ DĂŬĂƟ ŝƚLJ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ͕ ϭϮϮϵ ,ŽƚůŝŶĞ͗ нϲϯ ;ϬϮͿ ϴϭϳͲϯϮϮϯ ͮ ǁǁǁ͘ĚĞƌŵĐůŝŶŝĐ͘ĐŽŵ͘ƉŚ

ϳϬϲ ^ŚĂǁ ŽƵůĞǀĂƌĚ WĂƐŝŐ ŝƚLJ dĞů͗͘ н ϲϯ Ϯ ϯϭϴ ϱϴϴϴ ǁǁǁ͘ƉƌŝǀĂƚŽŚŽƚĞů͘ĐŽŵ

Y,W ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĞŶƚĞƌ͕ ƌƐĞŶĂů ^ƚ͕͘ ƌƐĞŶĂůͲ ĚƵĂŶĂ͕ /ůŽŝůŽ ŝƚLJ͕ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ ϱϬϬϬ dĞů͘ EŽ͗ ;ϲϯͿ;ϯϯͿ ϯϯϳ ϯϬϱϭͬ ϯϯϱ Ϭϵϯϱ Ͳ &Ădž EŽ͗͘ ;ϲϯͿ;ϯϯͿ ϯϯϱ ϬϬϮϲ &ďͲ ŚƩƉƐ͗ͬ​ͬǁǁǁ͘ĨĂĐĞŬ͘ĐŽŵͬƋƵŝdžŵĂƌƚͬ

ϰϱϲ hŶŝƚĞĚ EĂƟŽŶƐ ǀĞ͕͘ ƌŵŝƚĂ͕ DĂŶŝůĂ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ

dĞůƐ͘ ϱϮϭͲϯϬͲϴϱ ϱϮϰͲϬϳͲϮϮ Ğůů EŽ͗͘ ;ϬϵϭϴͿ ϱϯϱͲϬϰͲϵϵ

ϭϭͬ& ^ƵŶ >ŝĨĞ ĞŶƚƌĞ͕ ϱƚŚ ǀĞŶƵĞ ŽƌŶĞƌ ZŝnjĂů ƌŝǀĞ ŽŶŝĨĂĐŝŽ 'ůŽďĂů ŝƚLJ͕ dĂŐƵŝŐ͕ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ͕ ϭϲϯϰ

ϭϬϯ &͘ ĂůĚĞƌŽŶ ^ƚ͕ ĂŐƵŝŽ͕ ĞŶŐƵĞƚ >ĂŶĚůŝŶĞ ͗ ;ϬϳϰͿ ϰϰϮ ϳϬϲϲ ͬ ϰϰϮͲϴϲϰϱ DŽďŝůĞ͗ ;ŐůŽďĞͿ ϬϵϮϲϳϯϱϴϴϰϬ ͬ ;ƐŵĂƌƚͿ ϬϵϭϴϯϬϰϳϯϭϱ ͬ ;ƐƵŶĐĞůůͿ ϬϵϯϯϱϴϬϰϲϳϭ ŵĂŝů͗ ďĞŶŐƵĞƚƉƌŝŵĞŚŽƚĞůΛLJĂŚŽŽ͘ĐŽŵ

^ŵĂůůǀŝůůĞ ŽŵƉůĞdž͕ ƋƵŝŶŽ ǀĞ͕͘ ^ĂŶ ZĂĨĂĞů͕ /ůŽŝůŽ ŝƚLJ ; ĂƉŝƚĂůͿ͕ /ůŽŝůŽ͕ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ ϱϬϬϬ EŽ͘ ;ϬϯϯͿͲϯϮϬͲϳϵϳϮ ͬ нϲϯϵϱϱϯϲϰϮϴϱϲ ͬ нϲϯϵϮϭϴϬϬϵϵϲϰ ͬ нϲϯϵϮϵϱϯϴϲϯϱϵ ͗ ŝůŽďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐŚŽƚĞůΛLJĂŚŽŽ͘ĐŽŵ͘ƉŚ ͬ ŝůŽŝůŽďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐŚŽƚĞůΛLJĂŚŽŽ͘ĐŽŵ͘ƉŚ tĞĚƐŝƚĞ ͬ &ď WĂŐĞ͗ ǁǁǁ͘ŝůŽŝůŽďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐŚŽƚĞů͘ĐŽŵ͘ƉŚ ͬ ŚƩƉƐ͗ͬ​ͬǁǁǁ͘ĨĂĐĞŬ͘ĐŽŵͬ ŝďŚ͘ůŽĐŬŚĞĂƌƚ ͬ ŚƩƉƐ͗ͬ​ͬǁǁǁ͘ĨĂĐĞŬ͘ĐŽŵͬ/ůŽŝůŽ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ,ŽƚĞůͬ ,ŽƚĞů <ŝŵďĞƌůLJ dĂŐĂLJƚĂLJ ƌŝƐĂŶƚŽ D͘ ĞůŽƐ ZĞLJĞƐ ǀĞ͘ ;ĨŽƌŵĞƌůLJ ŵĂĚĞŽ ZĚ͘Ϳ ƌŐLJ͘ <ĂLJďĂŐĂů EŽƌƚŚ͕ dĂŐĂLJƚĂLJ ŝƚLJ dĞů͘ ;ϬϰϲͿ ϰϴϯͲϴϴϴϴ ͮ ͗ ƚĂŐĂLJƚĂLJΛŚŽƚĞůŬŝŵďĞƌůLJ͘ĐŽŵ

ŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶ ŽƐƚ ƐƟŵĂƟŶŐ WƌŽĐƵƌĞŵĞŶƚ WƌŽũĞĐƚ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ

BAYVIEW BARBER SHOP AND REFLEXOLOGY

'ƌĞĞŶ ĞĂĐŚ ϭ͕ ZĞĚŽŶĚŽ WĞŶŝŶƐƵůĂ͕ ƌŐLJ ĂǁĂŐ͕ ^ƵďŝĐ ĂLJ &ƌĞĞƉŽƌƚ ŽŶĞ͕ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ ϮϮϮϮ dĞů EŽ͗͘ ;ϬϰϳͿ ϯϬϲ ϱϭϬϬ ͮ &Ădž EŽ͗͘ ;ϬϰϳͿ ϮϱϮ ϮϳϬϮ

D /E K&&/ ͗ Zŵ͘ ϮϬϱ ĂŶƚĞ ͘ ŶŐ Θ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞƐ ůĚŐ͘ ϰϬϵ ͘ ^ŽƌŝĂŶŽ ǀĞ͕͘ /ŶƚƌĂŵƵƌŽƐ͕ DĂŶŝůĂ͕ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞƐ ǁǁǁ͘ǀŝĐƚŽƌƐĨƌĞŝŐŚƚ͘ƉŚ ͮ dĞů͗ ;ϬϮͿ ϱϮϰͲϭϮϬϮ͕ ϱϮϯͲϭϱϴϲ͕ ϱϮϯͲϰϯϴϲ͕ ϱϮϱͲϴϴϬϱ͕ ϱϮϴͲϬϱϭϳ͕ ϱϮϴͲϬϰϭϮ

,ŽƚĞů <ŝŵďĞƌůLJ DĂŶŝůĂ ϳϳϬ WĞĚƌŽ 'ŝů ^ƚƌĞĞƚ DĂůĂƚĞ͕ DĂŶŝůĂ dĞů͘ ;ϬϮͿ ϱϮϭͲϭϴϴϴ ĞŵĂŝů͗ ŵĂŶŝůĂΛŚŽƚĞůŬŝŵďĞƌůLJ͘ĐŽŵ tĞďƐŝƚĞ͗ ǁǁǁ͘ŚŽƚĞůŬŝŵďĞƌůLJ͘ĐŽŵ

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EKZd, ^ ͗ ϮŶĚ &͘ WŚŝůŝƉƉŝŶĞ ŽůůĞŐĞ ŽĨ ^ƵƌŐĞŽŶƐ ůĚŐ͕͘ ϵϵϮ ^ YƵĞnjŽŶ ŝƚLJ ;ϬϮͿ ϯϱϮͲϰϲϳϲ ^d ZK^ ͗ ϮŶĚ &͘ hŶŝƚƐ ϱͲϵ ĂƌǀĂũĂů ůĚŐ͘ Ϯ͕ ƌŐ͘ DĂĐĂďůŝŶŐ͕ EĂƚŝŽŶĂů ,ŝŐŚǁĂLJ͕ ^ƚĂ͘ ZŽƐĂ >ĂŐƵŶĂ ͮ ;ϬϮͿ ϱϭϵͲϰϯϳϳ h /d W Z<͗ hŶŝƚƐ ϮϬϯ ϮŶĚ &͘ d'h dŽǁĞƌ͕ ůŬ͘ϭ >ŽƚƐ ϲΘϳ͕ WŚĂƐĞ ϭ ƐŝĂƚŽǁŶ͕ /͘d͘ WĂƌŬ ƉĂƐ ĞďƵ ŝƚLJ ͮ ;ϬϯϮͿ ϰϳϵͲϵϮϲϭ

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ĂǀŝƚĞ ĂŵƉƵƐ ŽŶŐƌĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ĂƐƚ ǀĞŶƵĞ͕ ƵƌŽů DĂŝŶ͕ ŝƚLJ ŽĨ ĂƐŵĂƌŝŹĂƐ͕ ĂǀŝƚĞ ϰϭϭϰ нϲϯͲϰϲͲϰϭϲͲϰϯϰϭ ƚŽ ϰϮ ĂĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶͲĐĂǀŝƚĞΛĞĂĐ͘ĞĚƵ͘ƉŚ DĂŝŶ ĂŵƉƵƐ ϭϭϭϯͲϭϭϭϳ ^ĂŶ DĂƌĐĞůŝŶŽ ^ƚ͕͘ WĂĐŽ͕ DĂŶŝůĂ ϭϬϬϬ нϲϯͲϮͲϱϮϭͲϮϳϭϬ ĂĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶΛĞĂĐ͘ĞĚƵ͘ƉŚ

ĚĚƌĞƐƐ͗ ηϭϯϵ ^ĂŶ ŐƵƐƟŶ // ͘ ŐƵŝͲ ŶĂůĚŽ ,ŝŐŚǁĂLJ ĂƐŵĂƌŝŹĂƐ͕ ĂǀŝƚĞ ŝƉ ŽĚĞ͗ ϰϭϭϰ ͮ dĞů͗ ;ϬϮͿ ϱϮϵͲϲϭϭϰ

ϴϯϵϬ ƌ͘ ^ĂŶƚŽƐ ĂǀĞŶƵĞ͕ ƌŐLJ͕ & ,ŽŵĞƐ͕ ^ƵĐĂƚ͕ WĂƌĂŹĂƋƵĞ ŝƚLJ

Sports

TTHURSDAY MAY 2, 2019 M

C1

www.manilatimes.net

Warriors hold off Rockets for 2-0 series lead L

Q James Harden (No. 13) of the Houston Rockets from behind knocks the ball away from Kevin Durant (No. 35) of the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the Second Round of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on Wednesday in Oakland, California.

AFP PHOTO

OS ANGELES: Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Klay Thompson added 21 on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) as the Golden State Warriors downed the Houston Rockets 115-109 in a bruising NBA playoff clash.

The reigning champion Warriors never trailed, but they had to battle to the end to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference second-round series, which shifts to Houston for game three on Saturday.

Both teams had injury scares in THE kRST QUARTER WHEN (OUSTON S 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden departed with a left eye injury after he was inadvertently swiped in the face by Draymond Green as they battled for the ball.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry left briefly with a dislocated MIDDLE kNGER ON HIS LEFT HAND

returning with it taped up before THE QUARTER ENDED Harden returned in the second QUARTER BUT APPEARED TO FEEL DIScomfort from the injury during the GAME SOMETIMES SQUINTING IN THE bright lights. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He got raked pretty good in the eyes,â&#x20AC;? Houston coach Mike $ !NTONI SAID OF (ARDEN WHO kNished with 29 points â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including IN THE FOURTH QUARTER g) M SURE he would have loved to have played better, but under the circumstances

I thought he played great.â&#x20AC;?

Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Antoni said he knew Harden would return to the contest unless the injury was â&#x20AC;&#x153;catastrophicâ&#x20AC;? but even with their superstar on the COURT THE 2OCKETS COULDN T kND A way past the Warriors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tonight we just stayed the course,â&#x20AC;? Thompson said.

Houstontrimmeda15-pointdeficitto THREE POINTS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER

but their 18 turnovers, leading to 24 Warriors points, were ultimately too costly.

Curry helped the Warriorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cause with 20 points and Green contributed a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds along with seven assists. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had our chances toward the end,â&#x20AC;? Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Antoni said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They made big plays.â&#x20AC;?

Antetokounmpo fuels Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks bounced back with a vengeance Tuesday, routing the Boston Celtics 123-102 to knot their NBA playoff series at

one game apiece.

The top-seeded Bucks, who fell 112-90 at home to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference series opener, werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t about to allow a repeat.

Antetokounmpo scored 29 points and pulled down 10 rebounds and Khris Middleton connected on seven of 10 from three-point range on the way to 28 points as the Bucks regained home court advantage in the best-

of-seven series. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We got an ass-whupping in game one, so we had to get game two,â&#x20AC;? Antetokounmpo said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tough when a team comes into YOUR HOME AND GETS THE TWO kRST games so we had that in the back of our minds. We came out, we played hard, we moved the ball, we trusted one another and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we got a win.â&#x20AC;?

The Bucks drained a club play-

MPBL and Magnolia: How underdogs survive the endgame S

Warriorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Durant says Rocketsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Harden â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cleverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; not cheater SAN FRANCISCO: Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant says Rockets rival James Harden makes clever use of NBA rules but does not cheat the game.

Durant, speaking to reporters on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) before the Warriors took on the Rockets in game two of their Western Conference secondround playoff series, said HousTON S PROLIkC SCORER (ARDEN HAS developed an effective way to pressure opposing defenses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always been clever at getting to the paint and using his strength to bump guys off,â&#x20AC;? Durant said of the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player Harden. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, more so than anything, putting pressure on the defense. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always been doing. I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say tht he has an advantage. I think everybody, once they get into the lane, they use little tricks to try to get their shots off.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;He may bump guys off going to the rim, but everybody does that.â&#x20AC;?

The Rockets were angered by the OFkCIATING IN THEIR GAME one loss to the Warriors, Harden himself suggesting refs had not given Houston a â&#x20AC;&#x153;fair chanceâ&#x20AC;? in the defeat as he cited several noncalls on his three-point attempts.

But their complaints put Hardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s style of play in the spotlight with some suggesting that he manipulated his body in a bid to provoke foul calls on defenders. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just think that he has a style of play, and it might not be what everybody might like to see, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been effective and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been cheating the game at all,â&#x20AC;? Durant said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think he plays inside the game, plays within the rules of the game. Referees arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to be perfect all game, just like players arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.â&#x20AC;?

AFP

AFP PHOTO

POILER ALERT: Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some good basketball ahead, and some good basketball just concluded.

The Philippines should always have good basketball, in any shape or form.

The PBA runs almost the entire yearâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;we are one country that has pro games in August, hence placing the Gilas Pilipinas preparations at risk. Then, we have the emergence of yet another year-round pro league, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

A regional basketball league with a home-and-away formatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that has been done before. It was amusing, but it failed with the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA). But the good news about the MPBL is that it seems to have learned from its predecessorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mistakes.

For one thing, the MPBL sought their own identity. They did not try to become the PBA-killer or its main competitor. They knew exactly where they stood vis-Ă -vis a 44year professional league, the oldest in the world outside the NBA. The death knell of the MBA came when they decided to go toe-to-toe with the PBA. One of the highlights of that was the tug-of-war for top rookie prospect Danny Ildefonso between the Pangasinan Presidents (as shameless a moniker as one can imagine) and San Miguel Beer.

We all know who won. Fact is, not many knew that such a battle even took place (letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s confuse the millennials).

4HE -0", ROSTERS QUITE PREDICTABLY IS a virtual game of â&#x20AC;&#x153;College stars and PBA stars: Where are they now?â&#x20AC;? but a fresh surprise was how they wanted to prioritize homegrown talent. They are built on an entirely different premise. Case in point is how they treat the Fil-foreign players.

The MBA saw the Fil-foreigners as a QUICK WAY TO MATCH UP WITH THE 0"! 4HE MBA tried to engage the PBA in bidding wars, but again, the PBA is backed by top corporations. They became a stop-over for Fil-foreigners while waiting for their PBA eligibility. They all jumped ship,

and some were even discovered to be Filshams. Even their homegrown discovery, Dondon Hontiveros, went to the greener pastures of the prime pay-for-pay league.

Also, the home-andaway format called for huge transport costâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one of the major factors that did them in, and rendered them unsustainable.

The MPBL is built on the premise that there is enough to go around.

Enough players, enough audience on the countryside. They did not give preferential treatment to stars, even Bobby Ray Parks, who many saw as the marketing campaign that they needed. Parks saw the MPBL as a STOPOVER AND THE -0", WAS kNE WITH THAT The MPBL stayed true to what they set out to be and set realistic goals for themselves.

This is how you survive when your powerful rival is playing the Endgame.

The PBA Philippine Cup is also at its Endgame. The Finals will have a rematch like the Avengers and Thanos. A second chance for Magnolia, they need to learn their lessons this time.

San Miguel has marked the Finals as their territory, hardly losing when it reaches that crucial point, even mounting a historic comeBACK FROM A DEkCIT AGAINST !LASKA IN They have developed habits throughout the years: they start the Conference slow and get better as they go along. Once they reach the Finals, they are almost unbeatable. In the Conferences where they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win the title, they slipped before they come to the Final showdown.

This Conference, they had a pedestrian RECORD AND ONLY kNISHED th, but they NEVER LOOKED BACK AND IN THE 3EMIkNALS

they dominated again, brushing aside the top seed Phoenix Fuelmasters.

The Pambansang Manok has competent BIG MEN AND QUALITY GUARDS TO MATCH UP WITH the Beermen, but they need a different strategy to beat a juggernaut. They canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use the SAME STRATEGY THAT LED TO A kNISH LAST YEAR As the purple Titan himself saidâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x153;you shouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone for the head.â&#x20AC;?

They canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a half-hearted attack against the Beermenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;they need to strike first and strike fast because once the "EERMEN GETS THE )NkNITY 3TONESÂ&#x2021;WHEN their top six players bring their powers together, they are unstoppable.

BASKETBALL SLEUTH

MICHAEL ANGELO B. ASIS

Q James Harden (No. 13) of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against the Golden State Warriors in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 30, 2019 in Oakland, California. AFP PHOTO

DONAIRE STILL WANTS TETEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WBO BELT Q Nonito Donaire Jr.

off record 20 three-pointers and clamped down defensively, seizing control with 35 points in the third QUARTER IN A GAME IN WHICH THEY LED by as many as 30 points.

-IDDLETON MADE kVE OF HIS THREE pointers before halftime as Milwaukee took a 59-55 lead into the break.

He added another couple of three-pointers early in the third before Antetokounmpo took charge.

Milwaukeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Valuable

Player candidate drove the lane to earn a pair of free-throws, made a three-pointer and then assisted on Ersan Ilyasovaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jump shot.

A tip-in basket and another free-throw from Antetokounmpo added to Milwaukeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 12-0 scoring run, broken up by a three-pointer from Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aron Baynes.

Antetokounmpo scored 15 points in the period and the Bucks closed THE QUARTER ON A SCORING RUN that essentially sealed Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fate.

Marcus Morris led the Celtics with 17 points as star guard Kyrie Irving was held to nine points â&#x20AC;&#x201D; connecting on just four of 18 shots FROM THE kELD Antetokounmpo said the Bucks will need to come up with more of the same when the series shifts to Boston for game three on Friday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just got to pick it up from where we left off this game,â&#x20AC;? he said.

AFP

WORLD Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight super champion Nonito â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Filipino Flashâ&#x20AC;? Donaire Jr. said that his goal remains to unify the titles in his weight division and that means facing South African World Boxing Organization bantamweight titleholder Zolani Tete. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes, that is something weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking forward to, to take that belt. I came down to just one thing last week â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to unify all the belts. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the plan,â&#x20AC;? Donaire (40-5 win-loss record WITH KNOCKOUTS TOLD The Manila Times through overseas call.

4HE YEAR OLD FOUR DIVISION world champion Donaire scored a sixth round technical knockout victory against Teteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American replacement Stephon Young in the World "OXING 3UPER 3ERIES 7"33 SEMIknals on Saturday in Louisiana.

Tete, 31, was replaced by Young after the former was incapacitated by

a shoulder injury.

The win secured Donaire an entry to the WBSS finals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Filipino Flashâ&#x20AC;? will face the winner between unbeaten Japanese WBA regular bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue and International Boxing Federation bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodriguez in the semis on May 18. g"OTH OF THEM ARE GOOD kGHTERS 4HEIR kGHT IS IN MY EYES AND ) M looking forward to it. There is nothing MORE TO DEkNE ) HAVE ACCOMPLISHED a lot than what other people accomplished. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m decorated in what I do. ) M kGHTING THE BEST GUY OUT THERE

said Donaire. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will rest and spend time with the kids for the meantime. We will start training and improve whatever we need to improve,â&#x20AC;? added Donaire, who plans to go to the Philippines after the WBSS Finals.

JOSEF T. RAMOS

C2

Sports

Ë&#x153; The Manila Times

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

Tigresses rip La Salle for F4 twice-to-beat U

BY JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

NIVERSITY of Sto. Tomas (UST) earned the last Final Four twice-to-beat advantage after thrashing three-peat seeking De La Salle University, 25-14, 25-23, 23-25, 25-19, in Season 81 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volleyball on Wednesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

Graduating skipper Sisi Rondina came through with an MVP-worthy performance to tow the Golden Tigresses to the second seed for the remaining SEMIkNAL BONUS 2ONDINA kNISHED WITH BIG POINTS built on 25 attacks, two blocks and two ACES HANDING 534 ITS kRST TWICE TO BEAT INCENTIVE SINCE 3EASON â&#x20AC;&#x153;This win is a big morale-booster for us,â&#x20AC;? said UST head coach Kungfu Reyes.

UST and La Salle will meet anew in the &INAL &OUR ON 3UNDAY 4HE OTHER SEMIkNAL pairing will feature top seed Ateneo De Manila University armed with a win-once edge against fourth seed Far Eastern University on Saturday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had a good preparation for this game. Now, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thinking of how we will recover for Sunday,â&#x20AC;? added Reyes.

2OOKIE SPIKER %YA ,AURE CHIPPED IN points highlighted by 15 kills while Ysa Jimenez and Caitlyn Viray added eight and seven markers, respectively, for UST. The Tigresses detonated an open-

ing 21-11 bomb anchored on 2ONDINA S kVE EARLY POINTS FOR AN EASY kRST SET VICTORY Laure hammered down back-to-back attacks to give UST a 24-18 lead in the second frame but La Salle went ON A kVE POINT RUN capped by May Lunaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ace to threaten within 23-24.

With the Tigresses badly needing a point for a two-set advantage, Laure provided the answer via a crosscourt spike.

The Lady Spikers avoided a sweep with a third frame triumph behind May Luna and Lourdes Clementeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clutch points.

Rondina took

charge in the final canto as the MVP candidate unleashed vicious spikes to score six of USTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last eight points.

Rookie hitter Jolina Dela Cruz was the lone bright spot with 12 points on nine spikes and three blocks for La 3ALLE 4HIS IS THE kRST TIME IN A DECADE that the Lady Spikers will enter the semis out of the top two.

The Taft-based champs wasted a

w w w.manilatimes.net

chance to secure the second spot after a 22-25, 25-13,

LOSS TO Far Eastern U for a 10-4 record on Sunday.

The EspaĂąa volleybelles exploited that defeat to forge a playoff for No. 2 as they closed out the eliminations on a four-win streak for a similar 10-4 slate.

Q La Salleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Maria Lourdes Clemente (No. 5) and May Luna (No. 7) defend against USTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sisi Rondina (No. 16) in Season 81 University Athletic Association of the Philippines womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volleyball tournament on Wednesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

PHOTO BY ROGER RAĂ&#x2018;ADA

Swimming, track records fall in 2019 Palaro DAVAO CITY: Tanker Xiandi Chua and trackster Jerry Vasquez both shattered 21-year old records on Wednesday as the 2019 Palarong Pambansa continue to heat up here.

The 17-year old Chua swam two minutes and 23.86 seconds to rule the secondary girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 200m individual medley and erased Althea Limâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1998 record of 2:25.66. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am overwhelmed and I cannot think of any words to say after my record-breaking performance,â&#x20AC;? said the National Capital Region swimmer.

Hours later, Chua broke another record in the secondary girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 200m breaststroke at the Davao City-University of Mindanao Aquatic Center.

Chuaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2:43.08 was three seconds faster than last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2:46.36 of Thanya Angelyn Dela Cruz.

The 200m medley relay team composed of Trixie Ortiguera, Jasmine Faye Dela Cruz, Franchesca Sarmiento, and Triza Tabamo made a splash by

finishing 2:13.41, which is 11 milliseconds ahead of the 2013 record by the NCR team.

Other gold medalist swimmers were Jordan Ken Lobos of Calabarzon (secondary boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 200m breaststroke), Isidore Warain of Soccsksargen (elementary boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 200m individual medley), Aubrey Tom of Calabarzon (elementary girls 200m IM), and Philip Joaquin Santos of NCR (secondary boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 200m IM).

Meanwhile, Vasquez of Central Luzon made his presence felt in the 3,000m steeplechase event with a time record of 9:35.20 erasing Crisanto Canilloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 9:41.70 in 1998.

Ritchie Estampador of Bicol finished second with 9:37.23, also better than the old record.

Kent Brian Celeste of Ilocos Region broke his own record (1.99m) in high jump by posting 2.02m in his third attempt.

Besides Vasquez and Celeste, other record

breakers were Jasmin Bombita of Bicol (secondary girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; triple jump), Jamela De Asis of Western Visayas (secondary girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shot put), Trexie Dela Torre of Western Visayas (secondary girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; long jump), and Gennah Malapit of Calabarzon (elementary girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; javelin throw).

Other gold medalist in athletics were Heart Duarte of Eastern Visayas (elementary girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shot put), June Philip Martinez of Western Visayas (secondary shot put), Rozikan Balili of BARMM (elementary boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; triple jump), Denver Tacay Jr. of CAR (elementary boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shot put), and Jonalyn Halasan of Calabarzon (elementary girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; triple jump).

Central Luzonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gail Santos won four gold medals in womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artistic gymnastics at the San Pedro College-Ulas Campus.

Santos ruled the vault, balance beam, floor exercise, and individual all-around events plus a silver medal in the uneven bars.

In archery, Chrisha Mae Merto of Central Visayas bagged two gold medals in secondary girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 60m and 50m

at the Davao City-UP Sports Complex.

Meanwhile, Nicole Marie Manalac of the National Capital Region set a new record in the secondary girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 40m with 331, surpassing Phoebe Nicole Amistosoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 326 in 2018.

In tennis, Soccsksargen bagged two gold medals by beating Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Northern Mindanao in the elementary boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; team finals, respectively.

Differently abled athletes also shone in the ongoing 62nd edition of Palaro.

Aeron Rabino of Calabarzon won the boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; singles bocce event followed by Almond Barimbai of Zamboanga Peninsula and Mark Kent Elequillo of Western Visayas.

Bicolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s John Rey Zureta reigned in the 15-below boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; intellectual disability shot put while Danica Ernha Araneta of Northen Mindanao took the spotlight in the girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; side.

NCR is leading the medal tally with 29 gold, 25 silver, and 18 gold medals followed

by Western Visayas with 25-14-18 and Calabarzon with 19-17-25 as of press time.

JEAN RUSSEL V. DAVID

Cargo Movers out to dethrone Blaze Spikers F2 Logistics is out to complete one of the biggest upsets in league history when it clashes with Petron in Game 2 of their Philippine Superliga Grand Prix BEST OF THREE kNALS SHOWDOWN TODAY AT THE &ILOIL &LYing V Centre in San Juan. )NTENSE VOLLEYBALL ACTION kRES OFF AT P M WITH THE Cargo Movers looking to bank on the momentum they gained from an earth-shaking 25-20, 16-25, 2523, 25-23 win in Game 1 of this prestigious womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club league broadcasted by ESPN5 and 5Plus.

The Cargo Movers played like champions in the opening salvo of this series that that has Asics, Mueller, Mikasa, Senoh, Team Rebel Sports, Bizooku, UCPB Gen, Cocolife, Hotel Sogo and Data Project as sponsors.

Lindsay Stalzer and Maria Jose Perez, two imports who thrive when the stakes are high, were simply impressive as they towed the Cargo Movers to a redHOT START BEFORE UNLEASHING A STRONG kNISHING KICK in the third and fourth sets to shock the erstwhile unbeaten Blaze Spikers.

0EREZ THE -OST 6ALUABLE 0LAYER TWO YEARS AGO kRED 24 points with 11 excellent receptions while Stalzer TORCHED HER FORMER TEAM WITH POINTS AND DIGS TO put the Cargo Movers on the brink of one the biggest upsets in PSL history since RC Cola-Army stunned the Thailand juniors team in the gold-medal match of the Invitational Conference in 2016.

Middle blockers Majoy Baron and Aby Marano were also instrumental as they registered six of their 10 blocks in the fourth set, leaving Petron imports Stephanie Niemer and Katherine Bell struggling for form. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We came into the match with a mindset that we have nothing to lose,â&#x20AC;? said F2 Logistics coach Ramil de Jesus, who also engineered the Cargo Moversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; come-from-behind win over the Blaze Spikers in the 'RAND 0RIX kNALS SERIES IN â&#x20AC;&#x153;But our imports wanted it more. They were very hungry to win against a very strong and talented team like Petron.â&#x20AC;?

But de Jesus knows that bringing down Petron require more than just a stroke of luck.

Niemer and Bell are tipped to bounce back while the core of Mika Reyes, Rhea Dimaculangan, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Frances Molina and Denden Lazaro are expected to bring their A-game now that they are staring defeat into the eye. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The big question to the team is: Can we sustain THIS 7E KNOW THIS IS WORTHLESS IF WE COULDN T kNish the job,â&#x20AC;? said de Jesus, whose wards survived a 30-point outburst from Bell and a 20-point effort from Niemer in Game 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we went here with very low expectations. We came here with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll still do whatever preparation we had in Game 1. We will basically run the same plays and the same defensive patterns the rest of the way.â&#x20AC;?

Petron coach Shaq Delos Santos admitted that the pressure is on them, especially after racking up 14 STRAIGHT WINS IN THE CLASSIkCATION AND DOMINATING 3TA ,UCIA IN THE QUARTERkNALS AND #IGNAL IN THE SEMIkNALS ONLY TO LOSE IN THE OPENER OF THEIR kNALS SERIES They, however, have to step up to extend the series to a rubber match on Saturday also at the same venue. g7E HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO kGHT BACK POINT BY POINT

set by set,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The pressure is on our side. If we lose, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re done. We have to do our best to win and extend the series to Saturday.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;From there, anything can happen.â&#x20AC;?

DIMAUNAHAN TASKED TO PREP BEAT-UP BLACKWATER NEW Blackwater coach Aries Dimaunahan is rolling up his sleeves to whip the Elite into fighting shape for Season 44 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup after a forgettable Philippine Cup finish. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Expectations? Of course to bounce back from the embarrassing performance last conference,â&#x20AC;?

Dimaunahan told The Manila Times.

Dimaunahan replaced erstwhile coach Bong Ramos after Blackwater ended the Philippine Cup with a 2-9 win-loss record. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our main goal for now is to have consistent improvements throughout the day in everyday practice and do the right things. So when the tournament comes, we will be in better shape.â&#x20AC;?

Dimaunahan served as assistant coach to The Elite when Blackwater was one of the two expansion teams in the PBA in 2014. He was also a playmaker of Barangay Ginebra and now defunct PBA teams AIR21 Express and Coca-Cola.

Dimaunahan said that the 6â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10 Alex Stepheson, a former Meralco import, will reinforce the Elite in the Commissionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup beginning May 19.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was in our shortlist even before and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for someone who can defend the paint and control the board for us.

He will be arriving this week as what we agreed upon with his agent.â&#x20AC;?

Dimaunahan is also happy for the presence of Ray-Ray Parks.

The versatile Parks will kNALLY MAKE HIS DEBUT IN the Commissionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup after missing the Philippine Cup because of his Alab Pilipinas duties in the Asean Basketball League. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He is attending our practice everyday. He comes an hour before the call time. He makes sure that he is ready for the everyday work. At the same time, he plays the game very well. He also involves and encourages his teammates,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Besides Parks and Stepheson, Blackwater will be parading Allein Maliksi, Shej Roi Sumang, Mac Belo

Q Former Meralco player Alex Stepheson will join Blackwater in Season 44 PBA Commissionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup beginning May 19. PBA MEDIA BUREAU PHOTO

as well as rookies Abu Tratter and Paul Desiderio in the Commissionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup. JOSEF T. RAMOS

Ë&#x153; The Manila Times

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

w w w.manilatimes.net

Tigerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Masters a sporting â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Moon landingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PGA chief N EW YORK: Tiger Woodsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; epic victory at the Masters was a sporting equivalent of the Moon landing which has triggered a ticket frenzy for the PGA championship, PGA of America chief Seth Waugh said Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).

7OODS COMPLETED A FAIRYTALE COMEBACK AT !UGUSTA ON !PRIL WINNING THE TH MAJOR OF A CAREER THAT HAD ONCE SEEMED IN IRREVERSIBLE DECLINE AFTER A SERIES OF LENGTHY INJURY LAYOFFS 7AUGH SAID 7OODS EMOTIONAL WIN HAS TRIGGERED A NEW WAVE OF PERFECTLY TIMED 4IGER MANIA AS THE 0'! #HAMPIONSHIP TEES OFF IN ITS NEW -AY SLOT IN THE CALENDAR IN JUST OVER TWO WEEKS TIME 7HILE TICKETS FOR THE kNAL TWO DAYS OF THE -AY CHAMPIONSHIP AT "ETHPAGE "LACK HAD ALREADY SOLD OUT 7OODS VICTORY HAD SENT DEMAND SURGING g4IGER YOU KNOW HE HAS IMPACT SORT OF THE MOON LANDING u 7AUGH SAID OF

7OODS -ASTERS WIN g)T S NOT GOLF IT S WHERE WERE YOU WHEN KIND OF STUFF g4HE IMPACT IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS WAS EXTRAORDINARY IN TERMS OF TICKET SALES 7E WERE BASICALLY SOLD OUT FOR THE WEEKEND BUT THE REQUESTS JUST POURED IN ACROSS THE BOARD IN LOTS OF WAYS u 7OODS HAS ALREADY WON A MAJOR AT "ETHPAGE BLACK TRIUMPHING AT THE .EW 9ORK COURSE IN WHEN IT HOSTED THE 53 /PEN 7AUGH SAID HE EXPECTED 7OODS HISTORY AT THE COURSE WOULD ALSO FEED INTO THE SENSE OF ANTICIPATION AS THE TOURNAMENT NEARED g7E ABSOLUTELY NOW KNOW THAT THE FAN BASE WILL BE CRANKED UP AND WE

Knights take on Scratchers today 0%42/. #/,%')/ DE 3AN *UAN DE ,ETRAN AND 'O &OR 'OLD #OLLEGE OF 3T "ENILDE #3" ARE BOTH KEEN TO BOOST THEIR RESPECTIVE QUARTERkNAL BIDS WHEN THEY LOCK HORNS IN THE 0HILIPPINE "ASKETBALL !SSOCIATION $EVELOPMENTAL ,EAGUE 0"! $ ,EAGUE TODAY AT THE 9NARES 3PORTS !RENA IN 0ASIG #ITY 4HE +NIGHTS AND THE 3CRATCHERS COLLIDE IN THE !SPIRANTS 'ROUP AT P M HEADLINING A TRIPLE GAME DAY 0ETRON ,ETRAN IS RIDING ON A TWO GAME WINNING STREAK ITS LATEST A SQUEAKER OVER ERSTWHILE LEADER 3T #LARE #OLLEGE 6IRTUAL 2EALITY LAST WEEK (EAD COACH "ONNIE 4AN IS DETERMINED TO STEER HIS +NIGHTS TO THE PLAYOFFS g7E MIGHT BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT ROUND %VERY GAME WE HAVE TO PREPARE AND EXECUTE u SAID 4AN "UT 'O &OR 'OLD #3" IS ALSO ON A TWO WIN ROLL AFTER ITS BEATING OF #H¼LU "AR 'RILL IN A REMATCH OF THE PREVIOUS CONFERENCE kNALS LAST !PRIL

g) LIKE HOW WE ARE BATTLING AND STAYING COMPOSED u SAID YOUNG 3CRATCHERS MENTOR #HARLES 4IU *USTIN 'UTANG AND 2OOSEVELT !DAMS ARE EXPECTED TO LEAD 'O &OR 'OLD #3" S CHARGE WHILE *ERRICK "ALANZA AND !LVIN 0ASAOL ARE TABBED TO CARRY THE kGHT FOR 0ETRON ,ETRAN -EANWHILE 3T #LARE 6IRTUAL 2EALITY AIMS TO GET BACK ON THE WINNING TRACK AGAINST OUSTED -C$AVID IN THE NOONTIME OPENER 4HE 3AINTS STARTED THEIR CAMPAIGN ON A kERY FOUR WIN STREAK BUT SUDDENLY FELL TO A TWO GAME LOSING SKID AT THE HANDS OF 0ETRON ,ETRAN AND #IGNAL !TENEO $E -ANILA 5NIVERSITY )N THE CURTAIN CLOSER AT P M THE RETOOLED -ARINERONG 0ILIPINO TAKES ON $ILIMAN #OLLEGE 'ERRY S 'RILL IN THE &OUNDATION 'ROUP 4HE 3KIPPERS WILL BE COUNTING ON RE ACQUIRED VETERANS 'AB "ANAL AND -IKE !YONAYON AS WELL AS *HONARD #LARITO 4HE TRIO REPLACED &ELIX !PREKU %NRIQUE *OAQUIN 'ARCIA AND $ANIEL !GUIRRE JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

Mapua deals Adamson first loss in Fr. Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup THE Mapua Cardinals used a late rally in the final period to pull away from the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 70-65, in the ongoing 25th Fr. Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup at the SGS Gym in Quezon City on Wednesday.

Justin Serranoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 19 points towed the Cardinals to its second win, to improve to 2-1 in the Group A standings. He was backstopped by Denniel Aguirre who finished with 11 markers.

After a 53-all deadlock at the start the final canto, the Intramuros-based squad initiated a 10-3 run with back-to-back baskets by Christian Bunag and Justin Serrano.

Papi Sarr and the Doria brothers tried to mount a comeback for Adamson, cutting the deficit to as low as four points with less than five minutes left.

However, the Cardinals relied on their zone defense and never looked back. They forced the Soaring Falcons to turn the ball over multiple times down the stretch, capped off by transition layups made by Eric Jabel and Lawrenz Victoria.

Adam Doriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outside shooting and Papi Sarrâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong debut went to naught, as

they fell to the fourth spot with a 1-1 record in the Group A standings. They scored 16 and 15 points for the San Marcelinobased squad.

Through their trademark press defense and hustle, Diliman College got their second straight victory at the expense of PCU, 87-73, in Group B of the Seniors Division.

Ishmael Pacheco, Abdulaye Niang, Mac Enriquez, Robbie Darang, and Johnel Bauzon scored 17, 14, 12, 12, and 10, respectively, for the Blue Dragons.

The Rensy Bajar-mentored squad exploded with an 8-2 run to start the third period after a slow first half. The Dolphins, however, retaliated with a 6-0 run of their own, led by spitfire guard Mark Ordonez.

In the fourth quarter, Abdulaye Niangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trey and back-to-back fast break baskets

by Mac Enriquez put the game away for good. Their lead even ballooned up to 17 points with less than three minutes left in the game.

Mark Ordonez made his strong debut for PCU with 30 points, but only Raymond Casajeros scored in double digits with 11.

Sports

C3

Q Tiger Woods AFP PHOTO

HOPE THAT IT WILL HAVE THE SAME EFFECT THAT HE HAD HIS kRST GO AROUND ON PARTICIPATION u 7AUGH SAID g(OPEFULLY WE CAN RIDE NOT ONLY THE WAVE AND EXCITEMENT ABOUT WATCHING HIM PLAY

BUT OTHERS YOU KNOW WANTING TO PLAY (OPEFULLY THAT KNOCK ON EFFECT HAS A LONG TERM EFFECT u 7AUGH SAID THE 0'! HAD OPTED TO SHIFT THE CHAMPIONSHIP FROM ITS TRADITIONAL SLOT IN !UGUST IN ORDER TO BETTER PACE THE SEASON g7E ALWAYS FELT THERE WAS THIS EXCITEMENT THAT HAPPENED IN !PRIL AFTER THE -ASTERS AND THEN A BIT OF A LETDOWN FROM THE GOLF CALENDAR u HE SAID 7OODS !UGUSTA VICTORY HAD ALL BUT GUARANTEED THE MOVE WOULD PAY OFF

7AUGH SAID g#OULDN T BE MORE EXCITED 7E THINK WE MADE A GREAT DECISION BUT WE D RATHER BE LUCKY THAN GOOD 7E THOUGHT IT WAS SMART IT LOOKS BRILLIANT NOW u he added.

AFP

ROSE HOPES TO REBOUND AT QUAIL HOLLOW WASHINGTON. D.C.: World No. 2 Justin Rose returns to action this week for THE kRST TIME SINCE HE SHOCKINGLY MISSED THE CUT AT THE -ASTERS SAYING HE S gEXCITEDu ABOUT THE REST OF THE GOLF SEASON g) FEEL LIKE THERE S A BIT OF A refocus and rededication and REMOTIVATION THAT ) FOUND IN THE LAST WEEK OR TWO u 2OSE SAID 4UESDAY AS HE LOOKED AHEAD TO 4HURSDAY S START OF THE 53 0'!

4OUR S 7ELLS &ARGO #HAMPION-

SHIP AT 1UAIL (OLLOW IN #HARLOTTE .ORTH #AROLINA g) M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT ) CAN REBUILD GOING FORWARD FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON u 2OSE WAS RANKED NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD WHEN HE ARRIVED AT !UGUSTA .ATIONAL FOR THE kRST MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE SEASON (E FAILED TO BREAK PAR IN EITHER OF THE kRST TWO ROUNDS MISSING THE CUT FOR THE kRST TIME IN -ASTERS APPEARANCES

(E SAID A JAM PACKED -ARCH SCHEDULE AFTER HE OPTED NOT TO PLAY A TOURNAMENT IN &EBRUARY HAD ULTIMATELY LEFT HIM TOO TIRED TO PLAY HIS BEST AT !UGUSTA g) KIND OF CAME OUT OF THAT MONTH NOT PLAYING AS WELL AS ) WOULD HAVE HOPED u 2OSE SAID g4HE &LORIDA 3WING BECAME A BIT OF A STRUGGLE AND A BIT OF A GRIND u (E SAID HE WOULD CHANGE HIS APPROACH FOR THE NEXT MAJOR OF THE YEAR STARTING WITH NEXT MONTH S

0'! #HAMPIONSHIP AT "ETHPAGE "LACK IN .EW 9ORK (E PLANS TO USE THE SAME APPROACH HE USED BEFORE HIS 53 /PEN VICTORY AT -ERION g) WENT UP THERE FOR A FEW DAYS MID WEEK REALLY TRIED TO GET MY HEAD AROUND THE GOLF COURSE u HE SAID g4HEN CAME HOME FOR THE WEEKEND AND TRIED TO DIGEST IT REST

SPEND SOME TIME WITH THE FAMILY AND HEAD BACK UP THERE EARLY THE NEXT WEEK u AFP

Sports world awaits verdict on Semenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case LAUSANNE: 4HE WORLD S SPORTS COURT WILL DECIDE 7EDNESDAY 4HURSDAY IN -ANILA ON 3OUTH !FRICAN RUNNER #ASTER 3EMENYA S CHALLENGE AGAINST RULES REGULATING TESTOSTERONE IN FEMALE ATHLETES A VERDICT EXPECTED TO HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF WOMEN S SPORT 3EMENYA A DOUBLE /LYMPIC CHAMPION IS kGHTING REGULATIONS IMPOSED BY THE )NTERNATIONAL !SSOCIATION OF !THLETICS &EDERATIONS )!!& THAT COMPEL gHYPERANDROGENICu ATHLETES Â&#x2021; OR THOSE WITH gDIFFERENCES OF SEXUAL DEVELOPMENTu $3$ Â&#x2021; TO LOWER THEIR TESTOSTERONE LEVELS IF THEY WISH TO COMPETE AS WOMEN 4HE )!!& SAYS THE RULES ARE ESSENTIAL TO PRESERVE A LEVEL PLAYING kELD AND ENSURE THAT ALL FEMALE ATHLETES CAN SEE gA PATH TO SUCCESS u "UT 3EMENYA S CAUSE HAS EARNED WIDESPREAD SUPPORT INCLUDING FROM A GLOBAL COALITION OF NATIONS AND SCIENTIkC EXPERTS WHO ARGUE THAT TESTOSTERONE IS AN ARBITRARY AND UNFAIR MEASURE FOR DETERMINING GENDER 4HE #OURT OF !RBITRATION FOR 3PORT IN ,AUSANNE 3WITZERLAND HEARD A WEEK OF ARGUMENTS IN THE CASE IN &EBRUARY 3EMENYA WHO HAS DOMINATED OVER M IN THE LAST DECADE HAS REMAINED LARGELY SILENT DURING THE LEGAL BATTLE "UT SCORES OF OTHERS HAVE VOCALLY RALLIED BEHIND HER )N A RARE INTRUSION INTO THE WORLD OF SPORT THE 5NITED .ATIONS (UMAN 2IGHTS #OUNCIL ADOPTED A RESOLUTION LAST MONTH BRANDING

THE )!!& RULES gUNNECESSARY HUMILIATING AND HARMFUL u 7ITH UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FROM THE COUNCIL S MEMBER STATES REPRESENTING EVERY CONTINENT THE RESOLUTION MARKED A STUNNING REBUKE FOR THE )!!& "UT HER MOST FERVENT SUPPORT HAS COME FROM HER NATIVE 3OUTH !FRICA WHERE THE GOVERNMENT HAS ACCUSED THE )!!& OF SEEKING TO VIOLATE WOMEN S BODIES %XPERTS HAVE MEANWHILE ARGUED THAT BARRING CERTAIN WOMEN FROM COMPETITION DUE TO NATURALLY HIGH TESTOSTERONE LEVELS WOULD BE LIKE EXCLUDING BASKETBALL PLAYERS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO TALL -ULTIPLE SCIENTISTS HAVE NOTED THAT ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE IN SPORT IS A COMBINATION O F T R A I N I N G

COMMITMENT AS WELL AS GENETICS AND THAT BARRING PEOPLE FROM COMPETITION OVER A SINGLE GENETIC FACTOR HAS NO SCIENTIkC BASIS 3 H E R E E " E K K E R A research fellow at the 5 N I VE R S I T Y O F " A T H

H A S A R G U E D T H A T T H E )!!& IS MAKING POLICY B A S E D O N g B I N A R Y u DEFINITIONS OF GENDER THAT NO LONGER APPLY g)T IS THEREFORE UNFAIR

AND UNETHICAL FOR THE )!!& TO MAKE NEW REGULATIONS FOR WOMEN S SPORT Â&#x2021; TO THE EFFECT OF EXCLUDING SOME WOMEN Â&#x2021; BASED ON OUTDATED DEkNITIONS u SHE WROTE ON 4HE #ONVERSATION WEBSITE EARLIER THIS MONTH

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fair competitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (OWEVER THE )!!& IS NOT ALONE WITH ATHLETES OF THE CALIBRE OF WORLD MARATHON RECORD HOLDER 0AULA 2ADCLIFFE BACKING THE WORLD BODY g)T S A VERY VERY DIFkCULT AND COM-

PLEX SITUATION AND ) DON T FEEL THERE IS AN OUTCOME THAT IS PERFECTLY FAIR TO EVERYBODY u THE NOW RETIRED "RITISH RUNNER TOLD !GENCE &RANCE 0RESSE LAST MONTH "UT SHE SAID SHE BELIEVED THE )!!& gARE TRYING TO PROTECT FEMALE SPORT AND CREATE FAIR COMPETITIONu 4HE )!!& RULES CAPPING TESTOSTERONE LEVELS IN WOMEN ATHLETES AT kVE NANOMOLES PER LITER NMOL , OF BLOOD WERE INSTITUTED IN .OVEMBER BUT HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED PENDING 7EDNESDAY S VERDICT 4HE )!!& LED BY "RITISH TRACK CHAMPION 3EBASTIAN #OE HAS MAINTAINED THAT ITS CASE IS SIMPLY ABOUT FAIRNESS $3$ ATHLETES WITH MALE LEVELS OF TESTOSTERONE gGET THE SAME INCREASES IN BONE AND MUSCLE SIZE AND STRENGTH AND INCREASES IN HAEMOGLOBIN THAT A MALE GETS WHEN THEY GO THROUGH PUBERTY u THE federation has said. %NSURING THAT ALL WOMEN ATHLETES HAVE FEMALE LEVELS of testosterone is therefore NECESSARY gTO PRESERVE FAIR COMPETITIONu IT ADDED 3EMENYA S TESTOSTERONE LEVELS ARE NOT PUBLICLY KNOWN BUT IF THE )!!& RULES ARE APPROVED SHE IS LIKELY NOT THE ONLY ATHLETE WHO WILL BE AFFECTED 4HE TWO ATHLETES WHO kNISHED BEHIND HER IN THE 2IO /LYMPICS M

&RANCINE .IYONSABA OF "URUNDI AND +ENYA S -ARGARET 7AMBUI

HAVE ALSO FACED QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR TESTOSTERONE LEVELS AFP Q Caster Semenya AFP PHOTO

REPAJA, BANDALA POWER WAY TO PPS-PEPP ROMPS !.'%, 2%0!*! SCORED AN EXPECTED ROMP IN HER AGE BRACKET THEN PULLED OFF A SURPRISE IN THE PREMIER DIVISION AS SHE SHARED THE SPOTLIGHT WITH YOUNG 0ETE "ANDALA IN THE 003 0%00 ,ILOY NATIONAL AGE GROUP TENNIS AT THE ,ILOY 4ENNIS #LUB IN :AMBOANGA DEL .ORTE ON 4UESDAY 2EPAJA TOPPLED HER RIVALS TO CLAIM THE GIRLS AND UNDER CROWN CAPPING HER DOMINANT RUN WITH A VICTORY OVER

DOUBLES PARTNER 9VONNE #UEVAS THEN THE LOCAL BET BUCKED THE ODDS IN 5 PLAY UPENDING TOP SEEDED *ANE %CHON

IN THE SEMIS THEN BESTING .O &AITH 2EGENCIA

TO COMPLETE A TWINKILL IN THE 'ROUP TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY $UNLOP "ANDALA ON THE OTHER HAND

CONTINUED TO SIZZLE IN UNISEX CATEGORY OF THE CIRCUIT PUT UP BY 0ALAWAN 0AWNSHOP 0ALAWAN

%XPRESS 0ERA 0ADALA HOLDING OFF DOUBLES TEAMMATE 2OSE -ESIONA

TO ADD THE CROWN TO HIS GROWING LIST OF VICTORIES "ANDALA FROM $IPOLOG AND -ESIONA FROM 3INDANGAN ALSO RAN AWAY WITH THE DOUBLES PLUM

BEATING 2ASTA "AJE AND +EVIN 'ALLENERO

/THER SINGLES WINNERS WERE $IPOLOG S !NDREI 4AN BOYS 5 LOCAL BET !NGELO #ADAVEDO BOYS 5 $UMINGAG S !LDREE

0AN BOYS 5 ,ILOY S 2ASTYLEY "AJE BOYS 5 -ESIONA 5 AND #UEVAS 5 g) M HAPPY TO SEE THESE YOUNGSTERS GAMES BEING RAISED TO A HIGHER LEVEL THROUGH THEIR REGULAR PARTICIPATION IN THE 003 0%00 CIRCUIT 0ETE "ANDALA AND !NDREI 4AN BOTH STARTED FROM SCRATCH BUT HAVE NOW JOINED THE GROWING LIST OF WINNERS IN THE CIRCUIT AIMED AT DISCOVERING FRESH TALENTS AND PRODUCING NEW SET OF

STARS u SAID 0ALAWAN 0AWNSHOP PRESIDENT #%/ "OBBY #ASTRO 4AN TROUNCED -IGGY /MOS

THE UNRANKED #ADAVEDO CRUSHED .O -ARC &ERNANDEZ

THE FOURTH RANKED 0AN STUNNED TOP SEED 2USSEL $AAROL

"AJE ALSO SHOCKED $AAROL

-ESIONA ROUTED .O .EACH $OMIGUEZ

AND #UEVAS TURNED BACK TOP SEED *ALIA %LUMBA

2EPAJA CLAIMED A THIRD CROWN

AS SHE AND #UEVAS BEAT :HYRYN $ISLAG AND ,AISHA %CHON

IN THE 5 kNALS WITH "AJE AND !IRITZ 0AN NIPPING *EFFERSON -ALLONES AND !LDREE 0AN

FOR THE BOYS PLUM #UEVAS AND 2EGENCIA TOOK THE GIRLS 5 DOUBLES TITLE WITH AN ROMP OVER %RI $OMIGUEZ AND %LUMBA WHILE #ADAVEDO AND 2YAN %LUMBARING WINNING THE BOYS DIADEM WITH AN ROUT OF "ANDALA AND .ICHOLAS 4AN

C4

Football

THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019

Ë&#x153; The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Kaya back on track, routs Lao in AFC Cup J

BY JEREMIAH M. SEVILLAÂ Â

ORDAN Mintah hit a hat trick as Kaya FC-Iloilo crushed Lao Toyota FC, 5-1, to get back on the win column in the 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup on Tuesday at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.

Q Jordan Mintah strikes in Kaya FCIloiloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5-1 win over Lao Toyota FC in the 2019 AFC Cup on Tuesday at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.

KAYA FC-ILOILOÂ PHOTO

'HANIAN FORWARD -INTAH NETTED AN EARLY opener then struck twice in the second half, powering the Lions TO A BOUNCE BACK VICTORY FOLLOWING THEIR DEFEAT TO 03- -AKASSAR LAST !PRIL g) M SO HAPPY 4HE LAST FOUR games have been so hard for me,â&#x20AC;?

SAID THE YEAR OLD -INTAH +AYA )LOILO CLIMBED TO .O IN 'ROUP ( ANEW WITH EIGHT points on two wins and two draws against a lone loss. g) M SO HAPPY FOR MY BOYS 4HAT WAS HARD WORK FROM START TO kNISH )N GENERAL WE PLAYED REALLY WELL u SAID +AYA HEAD COACH Noel Marcaida.

4HE 0HILIPPINE RUNNER UP

HOWEVER CANNOT kNISH AS GROUP WINNER AS -AKASSAR ALREADY locked up the top spot and seCURED ITS SEAT IN THE !SEAN ZONAL SEMIkNALS WITH A WIN OVER Home United FC of Singapore. +AYA COULD STILL MAKE IT TO THE knockout stage should it end up as the best runner-up among the THREE !SEAN GROUPS 4HE ,IONS NEED TO WIN THEIR kNAL AWAY kXTURE ON -AY AGAINST reigning regional champion Home 5NITED WHICH THEY DEMOLISHED

ALMOST TWO MONTHS AGO AT THE 0ANAAD PITCH Mintah drew first blood just MINUTES INTO THE MATCH AS THE SPITkRE STRIKER RACED FROM THE RIGHT wing then shot the ball through

the legs of goalkeeper Outthilath Nammakhoth. +AYA MADE IT A TWO GOAL LEAD IN THE TH MINUTE AS $ARRYL 2OBERTS CENTERED -ARWIN !NGELES CORNER BALL TO #ONNOR 4ACAGNI WHO NODded it in.

2ELEASED BY 4YLER -ATAS FORWARD pass, Mintah evaded the onrushing goalie and sent a looper to the net IN THE TH +AZUO (ONMAN PULLED ONE BACK FOR ALSO RAN ,AO 4OYOTA IN THE TH BUT SUBSTITUTE 9ANNICK 4UASON RESTORED +AYA S THREE GOAL ADVANTAGE WITH AN TH MINUTE LOW SHOT -INTAH FITTINGLY WRAPPED UP the romp with his third goal off a rocket of a strike from outside the box in the final minute of regulation.

Sarri urges PSG throws away lead again, bows at Montpellier Chelsea to finish on a high note LONDON: Maurizio Sarri has challenged Chelsea to secure an upbeat kNISH TO A TURBULENT SEASON THAT plunged the club into chaos and threatened to cost the Italian his job.

Sarriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side travel to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League SEMI kNAL kRST LEG ON 4HURSDAY KNOWING THEY ARE kVE MATCHES AWAY FROM RESCUING THEIR TROUbled campaign.

4HE "LUES SIT FOURTH IN THE 0REmier League with just two games LEFT IN THE BATTLE TO QUALIFY FOR THE Champions League.

Chelsea are two points above kFTH PLACED !RSENAL AND THREE ahead of sixth placed Manchester United, with games against Watford and Leicester to come.

4HEY ARE ALSO FAVORITES TO SECURE A %UROPA ,EAGUE kNAL BERTH after being handed a last four clash with unheralded Eintracht.

"OOKING A PLACE IN THE #HAMPIONS ,EAGUE EITHER BY WINNING THE %UROPA ,EAGUE OR kNISHING IN THE 0REMIER ,EAGUE S TOP FOUR WOULD BE A SIGNIkCANT ACHIEVEMENT GIVEN the self-inflicted wounds Chelsea have endured this term. !FTER A PAINFUL PERIOD THAT SAW widespread reports he was on the verge of being sacked, Chelsea boss Sarri has managed to keep his job while guiding the west Londoners towards a SEASON SALVAGING kNALE 5RGING HIS PLAYERS TO kNISH THE JOB 3ARRI SAID g7E ARE kGHTING FOR THE TOP FOUR AND IN SEMI kNAL of the Europa League. We have done a good season. g.OW WE NEED TO TAKE TWO VERY important targets.â&#x20AC;? !CHIEVING THOSE GOALS IS LIKELY TO BE A FRAUGHT JOURNEY ON THE evidence of Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roller coaster campaign.

Even now the problems keep COMING FOR 3ARRI AFTER !NTONIO Rudiger was ruled out for the rest OF THE SEASON WITH A KNEE INJURY ON 4UESDAY 4HE 'ERMANY DEFENDER IS understood to be set for an opERATION IN )TALY HAVING LIMPED OUT OF 3UNDAY S DRAW AT Manchester United. )T HAS BEEN A BAPTISM OF kRE FOR Sarri since his move from Napoli LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR OLD HAS LOOKED INCREASINGLY FRAZZLED BY the experience.

(IS FRUSTRATION kNALLY BOILED OVER IN LAST WEEK S TETCHY DRAW AGAINST "URNLEY WHEN HE REsponded to some ripe language from the Clarets bench with a BLAST AT THE OFkCIALS WHICH SAW HIM SENT OFF AND SUBSEQUENTLY kNED BY THE &OOTBALL !SSOCIATION for misconduct.

On that occasion Sarri could SAY HE WAS PROVOKED BUT HE HAD ONLY HIMSELF TO BLAME FOR MANY AFP of Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s woes.

PARIS:Â 0ARIS 3AINT 'ERMAIN S END OF SEASON MELTDOWN CONTINUED ON 4UESDAY 7EDNESDAY IN -ANILA AS THE ,IGUE CHAMPIONS TWICE THREW AWAY THE LEAD IN A DEFEAT AT -ONTPELLIER THREE DAYS AFTER DRAMATICALLY LOSING THE &RENCH #UP kNAL 3OULEYMANE #AMARA NETTED -ONTPELLIER S WINNER kVE MINUTES FROM TIME AFTER ,EANDRO 0AREDES WAS CAUGHT IN POSSESSION on the edge of his own area.

"EFORE THAT 0RESNEL +IMPEMBE S OWN GOAL HAD CANCELLED OUT AN !MBROISE /YONGO OWN GOAL THAT HAD GIVEN 03' THE LEAD !NGEL $I -ARIA PUT THE VISITORS BACK IN FRONT BUT !NDY $ELORT MADE IT BEFORE #AMARA SEALED the points.

03' WRAPPED UP THEIR SIXTH league title in seven seasons a WEEK AGO BUT THIS RESULT MEANS THEY have won one and lost three of their last five league games. g7E MADE INDIVIDUAL ERRORS TOO MANY OF them, and big mistakes,â&#x20AC;? lamented coach 4HOMAS 4UCHEL g)N THESE CONDITIONS IT IS DIFkCULT TO WIN A MATCH AT -ONTPELLIER WHO ARE A VERY STRONG AND AGGRESSIVE TEAM DEFENSIVELY u 4HIS LATEST DEFEAT WILL INCREASE THE PRESSURE ON 4UCHEL WHOSE FUTURE HAS BEEN called into question with his teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s domestic slump following their humiliating Champions League exit against Manchester United.

03' THREW AWAY A TWO GOAL LEAD IN 3ATURDAY S &RENCH #UP kNAL BEFORE LOSING ON PENALTIES TO 2ENNES +YLIAN -BAPPE WAS SENT OFF IN THAT GAME WHILE .EYMAR later apologized after hitting a fan THAT TAUNTED THE "RAZILIAN AS HE went up to collect his runners-up medal. .EYMAR STARTED IN -ONTpellier, but Mbappe was absent DUE TO SUSPENSION WITH SEVERAL OTHER PLAYers also absent.

7HEN #AMEROON DEFENDER /YONGO

TURNED IN *UAN "ERNAT S LOW CROSS EARLY ON IT LOOKED LIKE 03' MIGHT GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS (OWEVER -ONTPELLIER EQUALIZED MIDWAY THROUGH THE kRST HALF AS $AMIEN ,E 4ALlecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s header from a Florent Mollet free kick was turned into his own NET BY +IMPEMBE

who had also scored an own goal in the Cup kNAL 4HE HOME

SIDE TESTED 'IANLUIGI "UFFON IN THE 03' GOAL on several other occasions but it was the visitors who scored again just after the hour mark. ! CLEARANCE BY -ONTPELLIER S YEAR OLD captain Vitorino Hilton came back off Marquinhos and the ball fell T O $ I -ARIA WHO CLEVERLY dragged the ball AWAY FROM THE DIVING "ENjamin

,ECOMTE AND kNISHED INTO AN EMPTY NET Nevertheless, Montpellier drew level AGAIN MINUTES FROM THE END AS -OLLET HELPED ON A LONG THROW OUT BY ,ECOMTE

RELEASING $ELORT TO RUN THROUGH AND BEAT "UFFON 7ORSE WAS TO COME FOR 03' THOUGH "UFFON ROLLED THE BALL OUT TO 0AREDES ON THE EDGE OF HIS OWN AREA BUT THE !RGENTINE dithered and was robbed, allowing substiTUTE #AMARA TO GLEEFULLY kRE INTO THE NET $ESPITE THIS VICTORY -ONTPELLIER S CHANCES OF QUALIFYING FOR THE %UROPA ,EAGUE REMAIN SLIM AS THEY SIT kVE POINTS adrift of fourth-placed Saint-Etienne AFP with four games left.

Q Paris Saint-Germainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brazilian forward Neymar (right) vies for the ball with Montpellierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Damien Le Tallec and Pedro Mendes during the French L1 football match at the Mosson Stadium in Montpellier, France. AFP PHOTO

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all about Messi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Klopp

Q Lionel Messi AFP PHOTO

BARCELONA: Jurgen Klopp has warned his players they cannot concentrate only on Lionel Messi when Liverpool face Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

Messi has been rested for Barcaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last two league games and appears more motivated than ever in Europe, after pledging to â&#x20AC;&#x153;bring that beautiful cup back to Camp Nouâ&#x20AC;? at the start of the season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only about Messi but of course itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about him as well,â&#x20AC;? Klopp said at a press conference on Tuesday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Can we concentrate on Messi? We should in a lot of moments but if we only concentrate on him there are 10 other worldclass players who can decide the game as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Messi said before the season, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;we want to bring back that cupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. That sounds

like a threat to me. Now we did it, now we are here and all I can say is we want to go to the final as well.â&#x20AC;?

Liverpool hope to have their own striker back in time for the first leg, after Roberto Firmino trained after recovering from a muscle strain. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If he is 100 per cent ready to play he will maybe play,â&#x20AC;? Klopp said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He is here. Tomorrow we have another session.â&#x20AC;?

Messi is likely to be flanked by two former Liverpool players, with Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho expected to start in an attacking three.

But while Suarez has flourished in Spain, Coutinho has struggled to find his feet since joining Barca for 120 million euros in January last year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We miss Phil Coutinho a lot because he is a world-class player and I loved working with him,â&#x20AC;? Klopp said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I first heard he wanted to go to Barcelona I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine it would be good. But we had to deal without him and we

did well.â&#x20AC;?

Barcelona has not lost at home in the Champions League since 2013 while the last English opponent to beat them on their own turf was Liverpool in 2007.

Ernesto Valverde has been able to rest players in recent weeks, with Barca well clear at the top of La Liga before confirming their 26th league title on Saturday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A draw would not be the worst result in the world, not that we would go for it but it would be okay,â&#x20AC;? Klopp said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It would mean a lot to win. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult, so many teams came here with an idea to do this or that and they got a big knock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we saw the game against Real Sociedad and they did well. Levante did well a couple of days ago.

But the better the opposition is, the higher the stakes are, and the more they are engaged. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now they are champions, they can completely focus on the Champions League.â&#x20AC;?

AFP

TTHURSDAY H U R S D AY M MAY AY 2, 2019

Lifestyle

D1

www.manilatimes.net

The Big Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous burger is now at BGC Manila welcomes Shake Shackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New York classics and Filipino concoctions

BY NIKA ROQUE

K

NOWN for customers queuing hours to get an order of its burgers and SIDES 3HAKE 3HACK HAS kNALLY MADE ITS WAY TO -ANILA The buzz around the popular food joint began as soon as it was announced back in July 2018, with Filipinos eagerly waiting to get a taste of one of New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic MEALS 4HE PUBLIC WILL kNALLY SATE that craving starting May 10.

From hotdog cart to global brand Globally known for its burgers and fries, Shake Shack actually started out with a simple hotdog cart at Madison Square Park. An immediate hit among Americans, burgers, fries and milkshakes were soon added to the menu, followed by more innovations on its sandwiches, sides and drinks, until the BRAND BECAME A FULL lEDGED REStaurant chain now known around the world.

According to Culinary Director Mark Rosati who was in Manila for Shake Shackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s media preview, founder Danny Meyer actually thought of his initial menu in just kVE MINUTES â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d do in

five minutes. I would not have created a company that has 220plus locations around the world,â&#x20AC;? shared Rosati. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Danny, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really harnessing his love for his childhood and all the great summertime food thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classic American roadside fair.â&#x20AC;?

Personally, Rosati recalled a time before joining the company that he lined up for two hours and TO kND A PLAIN LOOKING BURGER staring back at him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I looked at the burger [and I] was like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so mad right now. I waited two hours for this? I could have made this!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; And then I took a bite and I really said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is the best hamburger Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever had!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? It was when he kNALLY WORKED AT 3HAKE 3HACK THAT he discovered their secret. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We only use the freshest ingredients for our menu,â&#x20AC;? he declared with pride.

"UT NOW THAT THE BRAND IS kNALLY in Manila, fans and foodies are skeptical whether the food will taste the same at Shake Shackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Q The first Shake Shack in the Philippines will finally open on May 10.

home away from home.

Rosati, however, assured The Manila Times during the media launch on Monday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we bring our burgers here or any place for that matter, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make sure that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as good as New York. We have a lot of expectations from our fans and if Shake Shack doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel right, people will be mad at us and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d get mad at ourselves.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We like to go slowly but surely.

We wanted to make sure we can bring the right ingredients and have a lot of time to make the experience right,â&#x20AC;? Rosati said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[As for the location,] there is such crossroads in this city that we can be sure to bring a lot of people HERE AND kNALLY LET THEM KNOW that Shake Shack has landed. All kinds of people come through [BGC] and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to us,â&#x20AC;? he continued.

While there are already there are numerous American food and burger joints in the country, there is truly something special with the arrival of Shake Shack on this side of the world because it is really generous in ingredients and big on taste.

Take for example the ShackBurger, which uses a whole steak for the patty to PROVIDE THE BEST lAVOR EXPERIQ The classic ShackBurger or a cheeseburger with lettuce, ence for steak lovers. It is best paired with their classic crinkletomato and ShackSauce. cut fries along with a ShackMeister beer, Shack White wine, or the Authentic classic American milkshake. experience Around two years in the planning STAGE 3HAKE 3HACK kRST HAD TO kND a congruous business partner in the Philippines and then waited for the perfect location to open up.

Q The Manila exclusive endings: Calamansi Pie Oh My, Shack Attack, and Uuube-by baby.

Homage to Filipino flavor In addition to their famous menu, Shake Shack also created a variety of desserts and drinks to pay tribute to Filipino ingredients. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As we spent time exploring the unique and eclectic landscape that is Filipino cuisine, we were INSPIRED BY THE lAVORS AND ARTIsans we met along the way and by the food that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re passionate about,â&#x20AC;? said Rosati. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From halo halo, lechon, adobo and garlic rice to calamansi and ube in every imaginable form, Manila is serious about its love for great food and ingredients!â&#x20AC;?

The New York famous Shake Shack custards and concretes â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

which are like thick ice cream freshly made every day, whereas the concretes have additional mix-ins â&#x20AC;&#x201D; also get a Filipino twist by mixing calamansi pie with vanilla custard for the Calamansi Pie Oh My; adding brownies and cacao chocolate toppings from local shops and bakeries for the Filipino version of Shack Attack; and a halo-halo-inspired concrete of vanilla custard mixed with ube, coconut marshmallow, ube cookie, toasted coconut, crispy pinipig, and topped with leche flan.

For those who cannot get enough of ube, a big serving of the vanilla custard is blended with the Filipino treat to create a milkshake as a perfect accompaniment of the burgers. The lemonade is also given a twist, by using calamansi instead. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We could change the menu with local stuff but it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel right. For one, we need to bring that experience from New York â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the hospitality, food, music, and decor â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but of course, we spend time to localize a menu item, somehow like a love letter to Manila,â&#x20AC;? ended Rosati.

Shake Shack opens on May 10t at the ground floor of Central Square, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City.

Q Shake Shackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main meals can go with a variety of sides and drinks like the classic crinkle-cut fries, Shack White wine and ShackMeister beer.

Q The Manila exclusive Ube Shake is a sweet accompaniment to Shake Shackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bestselling burgers.

Filipino chef-couple make waves Down Under â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Flavorfulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; romance finds happy and meaningful ever after promoting PH food in Australia

Q The couples restaurant Lolo and Lola was named 'Readers Choice-Best Filipino Restaurant in Australia Capital Territory 2019.'

Q Jay and Kim Prieto

Q The classic Kare-Kare

SOUR and sweet flavors, when combined, spark a perfect taste. For husband and wife, Jay Marc Prieto and Kim Cudia-Prieto, CCA Manila alumni (Batch 2003), these flavors sum up their story â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a journey with sour patches leading to sweet victory.

Now based in Australia, the couple has been married for eight years. Their love story started way back in the Philippines while both students at CCA Manila. While for many itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love at first sight, theirs was love at first bite. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It all started with the sweet taste of turon during our Filipino cuisine class which was during Level 6,â&#x20AC;? Kim recalled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We [already] had a mutual understanding at that time, then Jay asked me to taste and check the turon he was making.â&#x20AC;?

She didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine that eventually, Jay will be the â&#x20AC;&#x153;oneâ&#x20AC;? as there were lots of differences between them, having opposite personalities â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Kim was an extrovert while Jay was the silent type. They were even competitors in classes. But a common love for food sparked romance between them and, as they say, the rest is history. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of events happened, from

Q The innovative Quail Inasal

when we were dating back to our present married life. We are now more open to one another and have a deeper connection which was unimaginable before,â&#x20AC;? Jay reflected.

Synergy and dynamics The connection between the two is evident in the success of their family life and business. They have a good collaboration and work management.

Both of them are raising their baby girl named Lexi who is now five years old.

In 2008, the couple left the Philippines for Australia to pursue their dreams.

Initially, they were only focused to pursue their careers as chefs. Nine years later, they opened their own restaurant called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lolo and Lola,â&#x20AC;? which is one of the only two Filipino restaurants in Canberra. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We call ourselves as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;self-proclaimedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Filipino food ambassadors here in Canberra,â&#x20AC;? Kim said. They are introducing Filipino flavors to the palate of Australians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Surprisingly, Canberrans arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afraid to try out new flavors,â&#x20AC;? Jay added.

The couple shared that Lolo and Lola took two years to realize. The idea started from an ensaymada that she offered to guests during her daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second birthday party. One of the guests really loved it that she ordered four dozens to bring to another party.

From there, the word spread. The couple started delivering pastries door-to-door, then they joined the Sunday market, eventually they had a food truck, until it progressed to become a full restaurant with a menu of Filipino staple dishes.

Since then, the two years of Lolo and Lola can be considered a milestone. One reason for its success is their synergy and dynamics as a couple. It also helped that they created a comforting and welcoming vibe of a Filipino home in their restaurant. Soon the restaurant was recognized by Australian Good Food Guide, putting it on the map.

The couple shared that Lolo and Lola was awarded â&#x20AC;&#x153;Readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Best Filipino Restaurant in Australian Capital Territory 2019.â&#x20AC;?

The award is annually given to restaurants who have performed excellently, from food to service, and chosen through votes. This shows

Âťcheers!

that they are on their way to achieve their goal of spreading the popularity of Filipino food Down Under. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to showcase more Filipino dishes and to innovate so as not to bore the clients with the same food over again,â&#x20AC;?

Kim explained. But still, there are dishes that are regular on the menu, bagnet (deep-fried pork chunks), and chicken barbecue which is Kimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal favorite as it reminds her of her hometown.

Though there are a lot of challenges along the way, including Jay experiencing a health scare, their story will not be complete without the source of their inspiration, CCA Manila. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The success and opportunities that we have right now are because of CCA. It has been there for us from the beginning and this is where we got the knowledge to succeed especially in working abroad,â&#x20AC;? said Kim. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I still remember one of my chef instructors telling me to treat ingredients with respect also, more importantly, to treat others with respect regardless where they come from.â&#x20AC;?

CCA Manila main campus is located at 287 Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

Q The Prietos were able to create a comforting and welcoming vibe of a Filipino home at their restaurant.

Funtimes

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

w w w.manilatimes.net

Solution to puzzle

D2

˜ The Manila Times

Answer to trivia test © 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

Answers 1. Ronald Reagan, who was president of the Screen Actors Guild 2. 1965 3. Boris Pasternak 4. Sir Robert Walpole 5. You go to jail.

6. To classify library books 7. Mrs. Potts 8. Montana (“Oro y plata” or “gold and silver”) 9. Managua 10. Fear of colors

» CROSSWORD

BY EUGENE SHEFFER

»HOROSCOPE Today’s Birthday (05/02/19). Collaborative ventures profit this year. Plan your moves carefully to expand boundaries. Launch your creative project this summer before your travel plans evolve. Discover uncharted terrain this winter, leading to a new direction in your story. Pull together, and share the gains.

1. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which U.S. president was a former union leader?

2. MUSIC: In what year was the Beatles’ song “Yesterday” released?

3. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel “Doctor Zhivago”?

4. HISTORY: Who was Britain’s first prime minister?

5. GAMES: In the game of Monopoly, what happens if you roll doubles three times in a row?

6.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the Dewey Decimal System used for?

7. MOVIES: What is the name of the teapot character in “Beauty and the Beast”?

8. U.S. STATES: Which state is the only one that has a Spanish motto?

9. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of Nicaragua?

10. PSYCHOLOGY: What fear is represented by the condition called chromophobia?

BY NANCY BLACK LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Let magnetism draw you together. Charm and flirt. Enchant your partner. Don’t rush into anything; take it slow and easy. Communication and action create magic.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Stick with trusted physical routines, and practice your moves. Don’t try out new tricks.

Luck blesses your work and health; take advantage to grow stronger.

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Take action for what you love today. Follow a personal passion. Stick to reliable techniques. Do what you do best, and everything comes together harmoniously.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Flattery will get you everything. Reassert your position, with humor. Maintain an undercurrent of love. Compose love letters. Put in corrections. Share your beautiful expressions.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) -- Today is a 6 -- Use wisdom, not credit. You’re gaining confidence. Revise earlier decisions. Continue with caution. Savor walks in nature and intimate moments with loved ones.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Your greatest strength is love. Share it at home with family. Beautify your spaces.

Tend your garden, and count blessings. Discover hidden treasure.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Connect with friends, allies and colleagues. Grab a spontaneous opportunity for collaboration. Don’t make assumptions. Someone you know has a solution. Listen and learn.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) -- Today is a 9 -- An exciting opportunity requires urgent action. Go for it! Abandon routines. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Stay on firm ground, and watch your step.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Luck smiles on your travels, investigations and studies. Choose your destinations carefully, and stay light on your feet. Explore and discover rare delights.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Collaborate for profitable results. Share talents and appreciations. Avoid risky business, and steer family finances for growth. Keep your agreements.

Celebrate with a treat.

» SUDOKU

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) -- Today is a 9 -- Your creative muses sing to you. Harmonize and craft a masterpiece. Follow a spontaneous inspiration. Think outside the box. Come up with something brilliant.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Take charge to get a project rolling. Learn valuable tricks from an elder. Monitor both expenses and income. Take advantage of a lucrative opportunity.

(Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Black’s legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @LindaCBlack. For more astrological interpretations like today’s Gemini horoscope, visit Linda Black Astrology by clicking daily horoscopes, or go to www.nancyblack.com.)

NANCY BLACK.Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

BY ROGER SEVILLA

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 square contains the digits 1 to 9 with no repeats.

Solution from yesterday’s puzzle.

Ë&#x153; The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

Luxaviation Helicopters partners with PhilJets to boost Asia-Pacific rotorcraft charter LUXAVIATION Helicopters, part of the Luxaviation Group, is announcing Philippines-based helicopter charter operator PhilJets as the latest member of the Luxaviation Helicopters Charter Alliance.

The integration of PhilJets into the Alliance will provide members with VIP helicopter charter ACCESS IN THE !SIA 0ACIkC REGION This compliments the Allianceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing global capabilities in the US, Europe and Africa.

Thierry Tea (left), chairman, PhilJets Group, says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are delighted to be joining the Luxaviation Helicopters Charter Alliance, providing our customers with more value and greater access across the globe and raising the PROkLE OF ROTORCRAFT CHARTER IN THE !SIA 0ACIkC REGION ,UXAVIATION IS ONE OF the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading business aviation companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, so we are very honored that the hard work our teams have put in to reach our high safety and service standards have been recognised in this way. It is our goal to have 20 aircraft in OUR lEET AND

BY VENTURING INTO NEW countries in Asia, we are looking forward to working and exchanging with the other members of the Alliance and

extending our charter offerings to a greater audience.â&#x20AC;?

Charlotte Pedersen (right), CEO, Luxaviation Helicopters, says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very keen to work alongside leading regional VIP helicopter charter operators as part of the Luxaviation Helicopters Charter Alliance and are pleased to announce PhilJets as the latest addition. The concept of the Alliance is to provide a truly global service, whereby approved members can call upon each other to unlock new destinations for their clients. We look forward to welcoming more like-minded operators who have a commitment to quality and safety, and we are already speaking to other operators THAT WE HOPE TO CONkRM SOON u

Skybiz is top of mind provider for hotel IT professionals SKYBIZ, the business solutions arm of content and broadband provider for SKY, continues to be the preferred partner of hotel information technology professionals, when it comes to the hotel sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s broadband and cable requirements.

At the recently held the Hoteliers Information Technology Association of the Philippines (Hitap) general assembly, Hitap President Raffy Zacarias (in photo) said Skybiz has been reliably providing them with solutions that enable them to use the best tools in hotel information technology requirements.

Zacarias also lauds Skybiz for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kapamilyaâ&#x20AC;? effort put in every business transaction, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We feel like we are not just clients with SKY.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really like a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kapamilyaâ&#x20AC;? who cares for you and is there every step of the way,â&#x20AC;? said Zacarias.

For more information, visit www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom.

from April 29 to May 4 at the Manila Marriott Hotel. This is THE kRST !&-#0 #ONFERENCE THAT will take place in Southeast Asia.

LSI continues to partner with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) on this event.

4HE !&-#0 #ONFERENCE IS A kVE day extensive training program.

It takes practitioners through a deep-dive into the leading-edge advancements and research across THE kELD OF CHRONIC DISEASE AS THEY relate to the different bodily functions. Attendees will also learn the Functional Medicine model of assessment and intervention.

For more information, visit www.lsi-sea.org.

QC council reminds property owners of suspension of fair market value adjustment IN a statement released recently, the Quezon City Council headed

by Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte CLARIkED THAT THERE IS NO TRUTH TO the announcement that the fair market values in Quezon City will be raised this 2019. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Quezon City Council had recently been informed that property owners in the city received letters from the City Assessorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s /FkCE SAYING THAT ADJUSTMENTS IN the fair market values will take into effect in January 2019. We would like to clarify that there is no truth to these announcements as the adjustment in fair market values HAVE BEEN OFkCIALLY SUSPENDED AS per Ordinance No. SP-2778,â&#x20AC;? the council said in a statement.

The legislative body explained that, in 2016, Mayor Herbert Bautista requested in a letter for the immediate update of fair market values of real properties in Quezon City following directives sent by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Finance (DoF).

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

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Cancer patient advocates hail newly enacted cancer control law

Q Convenors of Cancer Coalition Philippines as they join hands to signify their continued commitment to push for cancer patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights and welfare. They are (from left) Jojo Flores of Carewell Community Foundation; Romi Marcaida of Philippine Cancer Society; Dr. Claire Soliman, Philippine Society of Medical Oncologists; Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala of ICan Serve Foundation; Paul Perez of Project: Brave Kids, Inc.; Menchie Auste of Cancer Warriors; Rachel Rosario of Philippine Cancer Society; and Oliver Calasanz of Carewell Community Foundation. Another convenor (not in photo) is Dr. Ramon Severino, also of the Philippine Society of Oncologists.

C

ANCER patient advocates, healthcare providers, cancer survivors, caregivers, and patient support groups from all over the country trooped to the AFP Theatre in Camp Aguinaldo recently for the very first National Cancer Patient and Survivors Congress organized by Cancer Coalition

Philippines (CCPH).

The conference, which was held to help spread further awareness about the recently enacted National Integrated Cancer Control (NICC) law, was graced by Sec. Francisco Duque III who, in his keynote speech, reiterated the Department of

Healthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full support for the new lawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s implementation. With the theme â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stronger Together,â&#x20AC;? the congress also emphasized the importance of amplifying patient voice through strong multi-stakeholder collaboration in the execution of the new Cancer Law which aims to make

cancer diagnosis, treatment and care more equitable and affordable for patients of all ages, for all types and stages of cancers.

CCPH is a multi-stakeholder organization that has helped provide the groundwork in the creation of the guidelines and policies of the new Cancer Law.

Labor Secretary Bello leads the oath-taking ceremony of the new director BRENALYN Peji takes her oath of OFkCE BEFORE ,ABOR 3ECRETARY 3ILvestre Bello III as newly-appointed director of Human Resource Development Service (HRDS) during the oath taking ceremony held on April 15, at the LGLC, Ople Hall, Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Building in Intramuros, Manila. Also in photo are the family of Director Peji, together with DoLE Undersecretaries (from left) Ciriaco Lagunzad III, Claro Arellano, Ana Dione, and Jacinto Paras.

The first Southeast Asian AFMCP Conference in Manila IN the Southeast Asian region, The Philippines is leading the way in Functional Medicine. Last year, the LifeScience Institute (LSI) conducted the Advancing Functional Medicine (AFM) ConFERENCE WHICH WAS THE kRST OF ITS kind in the region. More than 240 delegates from the US, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Singapore, and the Philippines attended the two-day conference.

This 2019, LSI once again sets out to advance Functional Medicine education in the Philippines.

Following the success of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AFM, The Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice (AFMCP) Conference takes place

Public Square

In response to this, the council passed Ordinance No. SP-2556, S-2016 to enact the fair market value adjustment. Though higher fair market values would lead to slightly higher property taxes, the council moved to reduce the assessment levels tax to drive down the total tax.

However, the ordinance was put on hold in the same year due to a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court. When the high court lifted the TRO in September 2018, there was no longer any barrier to the implementation of the overdue adjustment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Despite the ruling of the Supreme Court, the council under the leadership of Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte then suspended the implementation of the ordinance for two years in order to lessen the burden on taxpayers who continue TO EXPERIENCE THE EFFECTS OF INlATION cause by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law,â&#x20AC;? the local legislative body said.

Modern shrimp farm opens in Malapatan SOUTHERN Mindanao continues to strengthen its position to be an aquaculture center with the recent inauguration rites of Dynamic Team Aqua Ventures in Malapatan, A kRST CLASS COASTAL MUNICIPALITY in Sarangani Province. Based in Gen. Santos City, the farm is part OF A BIG LOCAL kSHING CONGLOMERATE and regarded dubbed as among the most updated shrimp farms in Region 12 because of its use of modern technology especially in waste treatment.

Located near Sarangani Bay, ONE OF THE COUNTRY S RICHEST kSHING

grounds, the shrimp farm is envisioned to be the â&#x20AC;&#x153;shrimp capitalâ&#x20AC;? of Soccsksargen Region which will supply the requirements of the adjoining cities and provinces.

Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon said the multi-million investment attests to the business-friendly policies and stable peace and order situation in Sarangani, which is constantly named as among the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Competitive Provinces by the National Competitiveness Council and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Q During the formal opening of the facility (from left)Â Sarangani Vice Governor Elmer de Peralta, Dynamic Team Aqua Ventures owner Domingo Teng, Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon, and Regional Tourism Council Chairman Michelle Lopez Solon.

Novartis PH inaugurates new office NOVARTIS Healthcare Philippines INAUGURATED ITS NEW OFkCE WITH A workspace that is designed to encourage increased collaboration, INNOVATION AND WORK lEXIBILITY The new Novartis Philippines ofkCE IS LOCATED ON THE kFTH lOOR OF the Ayala North Exchange Tower 1 in Ayala Avenue corner Amorsolo street in San Lorenzo, Makati City. g/UR NEW OFkCE HAS NO PHYSICAL barriers between workstations, NO SEPARATE OFkCES WITH ASSOCIates free to sit wherever they like.

This encourages us to work with colleagues that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t usually work with, and encourages us to have conversations that perhaps we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have if we were separated by divisions found in conventional office designs. /UR NEW OFkCE ALSO ENABLES OUR

Unboss culture, which empowers our people to make decisions and be accountable for the decisions that they make in their day-today work,â&#x20AC;? said Cheryl Maley, president and managing director, Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya, who spoke on behalf of Department of Science and Technology (DoST) Secretary Fortunato de la PeĂąa, congratulated Novartis Healthcare Philippines on the inauguration of its new ofkCE NOTING THAT THE INAUGURATION theme â&#x20AC;&#x153;Building a Science and InNOVATION .ATIONu RElECTS THE COMpanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment and support to strengthen the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research and development capabilities.

Q During the ribbon cutting ceremony (from left) Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya; Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary for the Competitiveness and Innovation Group Rafaelita Aldaba; Novartis Healthcare Philippines President and Managing Director Cheryl Maley; Sandoz Philippines Corporation Country Head and General Manager Eleanor Lopez. Looking behind are (from left) Novartis Oncology Head Janet Yap and Next Generation Scientist delegate Dr. Hiyas Junio.

Conduent elevates employee experience with new, enhanced facilities CONDUENT Incorporated, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest provider of diversikED BUSINESS SERVICES REAFkRMS ITS commitment to provide its employees with an empowering and conducive workplace environment with the inauguration of Conduent Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; biggest dining and recreation hubâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; The LIFE hall.

The LIFE hall, which stands for Learn, Involve, Feel and Energize, is the latest addition to the series of facility enhancements at the Conduent Philippines headquarters in Pasay City. The hall is a 1,400-sqm.

multifunction food and leisure center that features a variety of sections aimed at elevating the workplace experience of Conduent employees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We at Conduent are steadfast in our commitment to provide a comfortable workplace for our employees.

We want to give them a space that they can call their second home.

7E RE CONkDENT THAT THESE ENHANCEments will further help in empowering our employees to live, achieve and thrive right here at Conduent,â&#x20AC;? shares Conduent CEO to the Philippines and Malaysia Rishi Pradhan.

Q Malaysia Rishi Rajj Pradhan lead the inauguration of Conduent Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; biggest dining and recreation center, the LIFE hall.

TTHURSDAY H UURSDAY R S DAYY MAYY 22,, 2019

Entertainment

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www.manilatimes.net

JASON MRAZ

Music Geekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one-on-one with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Geek in the Pinkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; W (First of two parts)

HEN Warner Music Philippines asked if Music Geek would be interested in a phoner with Jason Mraz, the answer of course was, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hell, yeah!â&#x20AC;?

Who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be excited? For one, Mraz is one of a distinct number of globally famous singer-songwriters who won a Grammy, earned multi-Platinum certifications all over the world, while even dabbling into musical theater via â&#x20AC;&#x153;Waitressâ&#x20AC;? in 2017 (with fellow popular singersongwriter Sara Bareilles).

Secondly, Mraz is one of Music Geekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idols through the years with all-time favorite songs that include â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Remedy (I Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Worry),â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sleep All Day,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Curbside Prophetâ&#x20AC;?

AND g9OU AND ) "OTHu FROM HIS kRST album â&#x20AC;&#x153;Waiting For My Rocket To Comeâ&#x20AC;?; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wordplayâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Geek in the Pinkâ&#x20AC;? from 2005â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr. A-Zâ&#x20AC;?; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Luckyâ&#x20AC;? (featuring Colbie Caillat), â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Yoursâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Make It Mineâ&#x20AC;? from 2008â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s album â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Sing. We Dance.

We Steal Things.â&#x20AC;?; â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Give Upâ&#x20AC;? from 2012â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love Is A Four Letter Wordâ&#x20AC;?; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love Someoneâ&#x20AC;? from the 2014 album â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes;â&#x20AC;? and singles from his latest album â&#x20AC;&#x153;Knowâ&#x20AC;? released in August 2018 such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Have It All,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;More Than Friendsâ&#x20AC;? (featuring Meghan Trainor), and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love Is Still The Answer.â&#x20AC;?

On May 8, Mraz returns to Manila to reconnect with his massive Fili-

MUSIC GEEK MUS MARK BONIFACIO pino fanbase via the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good Vibes 2019 Live in Manilaâ&#x20AC;? leg at the Mall of Asia Arena. Presented by Pulp Live World (log on to smtickets.com for tickets), watch out for his collaboration with Filipina singer Renee Dominique during the concert as he mentions in the Q&A below.

Now the phone interview was supposed to be just 15 minutes but the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter was so engaging and candid that it lasted over 27 minutes. Music Geek was indeed honored to have had a long and enjoyable conversation with a big artist like Jason Mraz, and special thanks to Eme Abarracoso and Ian Monsod of Warner Music Philippines for making it happen.

(ERE S THE kRST PART OF -USIC 'EEK S interview with the Geek in the Pink straight from California, USA. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had two concerts in Manila already (2013 and

2014); what do you remember of those performances?

Oh, how incredibly generous the fans are! Generous in their attendance of the concerts. Generous in their time to plant trees every year on my birthday. Generous in their listenership and their interactions. [All] that stands out.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of love from the Philippines that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t experience from many other countries.

What can your fans expect from your show on May 8?

Good vibes! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m bringing not only Raining Jane but members of my old band back for what I call a super band. Which allows us to do music from just about all the records from all the albums, and maintain a high level of harmonic beauty in all the vocals and onstage antics. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a night of whimsy, really. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new thing that I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily wanna give away but there are new things in the show which will be lots of fun. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re for people of all ages and the music and the band gives me freedom to really [get] out of my comfort zone.

Why did you call your tour â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good Vibesâ&#x20AC;??

Because it is a good vibration.

Sound is all vibration. Life to many is all about vibration. If you look at life through a microscope, we are just vibrating particles and if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve vibrated enough, you will become something. Music is a vibration that we as humans can make. You can

K E N C H A N A N D R I TA D A N I E L A

From the small screen to the concert stage right now, kasama sila doon so dapat kasama rin namin sila sa special concert na ito.â&#x20AC;?

Both recording artists besides TV actors, the multi-talented pair will also treat their concert audience to their respective singles under GMA Music. Chanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest recording â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Likeâ&#x20AC;? has been airing exclusively on Barangay LS and its sister FM stations nationwide all sumj became available for streaming mer and just on Apple Music, iTunes an and other digital sto stores worldwide on Apr April 30.

OOn the other hand, Dan Daniela is happy over the ppositive reception of her collaborative comp composition with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ikukuwento namin Randy Salvador titled kung paano naming â&#x20AC;&#x153;Florita which has been â&#x20AC;&#x153;Florita,â&#x20AC;? narating yung mga digitally available ahead pa ngarap namin sa of Chanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s single.

Q Recording artists and actors buhay through our Joinin them for the May Joining Ken Chan and Rita Daniela concert and through concer are â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Clashâ&#x20AC;?

11 concert the songs weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be performing. ming. Maraming alumni Jon Jong Madaliday, Garthrowback na mangyayari.â&#x20AC;? ret Bolden and Anthony Rosaldo, while dates for a Daniela added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really excited to colUS tour of My Special Love is already in the works. laborate with people who meant so much to us A co-production of GMA Music, GMA and our series. Kasama sa mga guests namin Network and Starmedia Entertainment, Mcoy yung mga batang may autism and intellectual Fundales and Marc Lopez are in charge of credisabilities tulad ng role ni Ken sa Special Tatay. ative and musical direction respectively. Ticket Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re part of our success â&#x20AC;&#x201D; whatever we have details are available at www.ticketworld.com.

FOLLOWING the success of their top-rating afternoon drama series â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Special Tatayâ&#x20AC;? on GMA Network, the well-loved pair of Ken Chan and Rita Daniela is set to reunite on the concert stage in response to an overwhelming request from fans to see them together again.

Titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Special Love â&#x20AC;&#x201D; #BoBreyInConcert,â&#x20AC;? the musical production is slated on May 11 at the Music Museum and will serve as the he actorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; way of expressing their eir heartfelt gratitude to everyone one who helped make their series es the tremendous success it was as throughout its run.

At a pocket interview this week, Chan shared of the concertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concept,

Âťliveinconcert

make it with our voices. You can make it with our hands and feet. We can make it with the instruments that we have developed and invented. Musicians play with love. They play with joy. What they do is what I think is good use of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time. Good Vibes is really about positive use of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time and energy. We are doing our part to hopefully change the world.

What is music to you?

-USIC TO ME IS A RElECTION OF LIFE )T S A lOWER 7HEREAS A ROSE is gonna make a rose and a tulip is gonna make a tulip. Everything HAS ITS lOWER ITS SHAPE AND HEALING have music. It is this beautiful relECTION OF LIFE THAT IS A SUPERPOWER OF HUMAN *UST LIKE lOWERS AND supernatural, music is that for me.

Have you experienced during a tour that you got tired singing your songs especially your hits over and over again?

No because when I do that everybody sings. When I play â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Give Upâ&#x20AC;? everybody sings.

When I play â&#x20AC;&#x153;Luckyâ&#x20AC;? everybody sings. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get tired of that.

It is such a thrill and an honor to have an audience sing your songs with you that you get swept and carried away. It is really awesome.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never get tired of it.

Is it harder to please an American or foreign audience?

It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all humans. The key is placing yourself, making sure youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll build having a good show and you know you are

Q Grammy Award winning singersongwriter Jason Mraz is excited for his May 8 concert at the Mall of Asia Arena.

giving your best. If you can be on stage and see it that way, I can feel your best. If you can leave the stage and say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Man I gave my bestâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;?

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to me as an artist is to please yourself.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had so many hits and achievements through the years.

What do you consider the greatest highlight of your career?

"EING RIGHT WHERE ) AM Â&#x2021; ALIVE today and celebrating music. A new album â&#x20AC;&#x153;Know.â&#x20AC;? The tour â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good Vibes.â&#x20AC;? The collaboration with Renee coming out soon. That to me, the fact that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still here at 41, I still feel like a kid creating music at home and being to tour the world, that is a thrill. That is a career highlight. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so thrilled that in a week Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be packing my suitcase and hit the road and pass through Manila one more time.

That to me is a career highlight.

Any message to your fans in the Philippines who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see your concert on May 8?

Oh, gratitude! Thank you so much. My being there is only because you are there. Because you are listening. If a country or a city

doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t listen, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so honored to sing for you and show up for you and be in love in this world for you. Thank you very much for your listenership.

Speaking of gratitude, what can you say that second to Brazil, the Philippines has one of the highest listenership of your tracks on Spotify?

Oh, awesome! Which is impressive.

I am thrilled. I feel it. I get to meet Filipinos all over the world that continually show that love. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so touched by that.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so touched by the listenership, the connection, by the longing especially that I lived so far away and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interact as often. That consistency of their support is tremendous. It makes me so grateful and it encourages me to continue to work hard and take care of myself so that I can show that love and my best in songs.

And then, when I get to bring those songs to the Philippines, they will be ready to be engaged. It all matters. So Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so touched that there is listenership there.

NNN

Follow the author on Instagram: markbonifacio25

Get ready for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dwelo!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Phâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first battle of the bands-slash-reality show MUSICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S next big thing begins this May as The Manila Times partners with production company Tag Media Group to mount â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dwelo! Battle for the best Filipino Artists,â&#x20AC;?

THE COUNTRY S kRST BATTLE OF THE BANDS AND reality show in one.

Registration and auditions is now open to bands with original song compositions as the COMPETITION AIMS TO kND THE BEST GROUP OF talented musicians who have the grit, determination, cooperation and passion to succeed.

A documentary team will follow Dweloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s JOURNEY FROM START TO kNISH Â&#x2021; BEHIND THE scenes before, during and after auditions, all the way to the competition proper to chronICLE THE RISE OF ITS kNAL AND WORTHY DISCOVERY Auditions will be held at The Manila Timesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; OFkCES IN )NTRAMUROS -ANILA AS WELL AS SEVERAL provinces to make the search a genuinely nationwide effort. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for the best music, an original composition to highlight our local talents and to give them a platform to showcase their authenticity and love for music,â&#x20AC;? explains Dante â&#x20AC;&#x153;Klinkâ&#x20AC;? Ang 2nd, president and CEO of The Manila Times. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not easy to be in a band, it needs the cooperation of each and every member and their combined passion to complement their skills AND TALENT 4HEY MUST HAVE THAT kRE AND SINCE we at The Manila Times are committed to do what we can in worthy endeavors like this, we partnered with Tag Media Group for Dwelo.â&#x20AC;?

Considered one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most successful events companies, Tag Media

encounter challenges and succeed, and we love how relatable these kinds shows are. All these in mind, we will broadcast the making of Dwelo over The Manila Times online accounts with the help of [social media account] â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Filipino Trendyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and its 1.7 million followers on Facebook,â&#x20AC;? continued Ang. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Almost half of the Philippine population are now online and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where we want to be. All the same, we are already in talks with a number of TV networks interested to air the program, which is why I believe that Dwelo will be the next big thing in music that will inspire talented FiliQ (From left) Tag Media Group COO Grace Bondad Nicolas, pinos everywhere.â&#x20AC;?

The Manila Times President and CEO Dante 'Klink' Ang 2nd, A topnotch panel of judgTag Media Group Executive Assistant Andria Terese Nicolas es is all set to determine and Musical Director Adonis Tabanda. Â the searchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finalists from Group therefore plays the most crucial this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s auditions, role of organizing and directing Dwelo. after which the grand prize winner will #ONkDENTLY THEY BRING THEIR EXTENSIVE receive cash prizes, a recording contract experience to this ambitious search from for their winning single and exposure such productions as the Aliw Awards concerts and events. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Aliw at 40â&#x20AC;? concert, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Singing Dwelo! Battle for the Best Filipino Artists Competition,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Asia Leaders Awards,â&#x20AC;? and will be a weekly program premiering in June. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Asia Leaders Forums.â&#x20AC;?

Details to this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s auditions are available â&#x20AC;&#x153;Filipinos love music and we love real- via the following contact numbers (0977) ity shows. We all love to see how people 897-8877 and (632) 219-3503.

Julie Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest single debuts at No. 1 COMING from a year of breakthroughs and heartaches, singer-songwriter Julie Anne San Jose returns with a brand new single that signifies a new chapter in her life.

(ER kRST ALBUM UNDER 5NIVERSAL Records, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breakthroughâ&#x20AC;? broke boundaries, with her change of sound and approach to music. All of its singles (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nothing Left,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tayong Dalawa,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Down For Meâ&#x20AC;?) and the album itself

reached the top of the iTunes CHARTS DURING THEIR kRST DAY OF release, with the song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your Song (My One and Only)â&#x20AC;? further reaching nine million streams and counting on Spotify.

This year, San Jose keeps the momentum going with the release of her newest composition â&#x20AC;&#x153;Regrets.â&#x20AC;? The emotional song IS A RElECTION OF HER EXPERIENCES from the past year, be it about her

career or personal life.

True enough, minutes after its release, the new single already reached the top spot on the iTunes Philippines All Genre and Pop Charts, maintaining her streak of No. 1 hit singles, and bringing her shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of K-Pop groups BTS and Blackpink at the top of the charts.

Also released on the same day

Âťcheers!

was the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emotional music video, featuring a live and intimate performance of the song.

All eyes are on Julie Ann San Joseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next move, and if her previous release are any indication, Regrets is bound to become another hit in the making.

The single is now available for download and streaming on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer and Amazon, under Universal Records.

Q Julie Anne San Jose

Campus Press

A SECTION FOR THE STUDENTS, BY STUDENTS

Ë&#x153; The Manila Times w w w.manilatimes.net

E1

EDITOR: Marishelle R. Medina marishelle.medina@manilatimes.net

THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019

Tagbilaran students win best science project F OR their research on lessening the parasitic and mortality rates of a local salmon, Bohol Wisdom School of Tagbilaran City took the coveted top spot in the recently concluded BatoBalani Search for the Best Science Investigatory Project (BBSIP).

A program by premier science magazine BatoBalani for Science and Technology, BBSIP aims to recognize the creativity and ingenuity of Filipino junior high school students in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

After a long selection process from hundreds of entries nationwide, the top five teams from schools all over the Philippines were invited to showcase and defend their projects last Jan. 26, 2019 at SmartKids Asia Philippines.

The team of Saimon Anino, Arthur Elman and Dianne Lane Madaje from Bohol Wisdom School emerged as the champion with their project titled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Anti-parasitic Activity of Talisay (Terminalia catappa) Leaves Against Caligid (Lepeophtheirusspinifer) Parasites on Pompano (Trachinotusblochii) Fish.â&#x20AC;?

Their research revealed promising findings for a natural solution to lessening the para-

sitic and mortality rates of the pompano, a popular fish in the Philippines known to be the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local salmon.

Another finalist that dealt with plant science is the group from Canossa School Sta. Rosa comprised of Alexa Andrea Abary, Alyssa Noelle Baun, Robert Julianna Capilit, Alyssa Marygrace Hugo and Francesca Andrea Leyson with their study â&#x20AC;&#x153;Efficacy of Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Peel and Paper Waste as an Alternative Nutrient Solution for Hydroponics in Growing Brassica rapa (Pechay).â&#x20AC;?

Meanwhile, Kevin Nathaniel Almazan, Jamie Anne Evora and Justine Anne Evora from Holy Infant Academy Calapan City took on solving a local disaster problem through robotics with their project â&#x20AC;&#x153;RescueBot: Earthquake Victims Searching Device for Immediate and Safe Rescue Operation.â&#x20AC;?

Other finalists include mi-

PURSUIT OF SCIENCE

From left: Â University Press of First Asia Executive Director Hermie Salita; Diwa Learning Systems Inc. Vice President for Print Products Racel Bolo; Bohol Wisdom School coach Hermilo Arbuyes with students Dianne Lane Madaje, Saimon Anino and Arthur Elman; and judges Charmaine Sagayap, Christopher Allan Tan and Eduard Christian Papa crobiology-centered researches from Rinoa Garnet Carola and Ninna Beatrice Rivera of St. Paul College Pasig for their work, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Biological Pre-treatment of Eichhorniacrassipes (Water Hyacinth) Using Trichoderma harzianum for Biogas Production;â&#x20AC;? and from Maica Jane Banaag, Angelica Dela Cruz

and Chenelle Lyra Marquez of Saint Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University Bayombong for their study, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Isolation and Morphological Characterization of the Water Fungi and Its Mycoremediation Potential in Biodegrading Petroleum Hydrocarbons.â&#x20AC;?

For School Year 2018-2019, BBSIP added a creative and social

Creba, La Salle open real estate finance course

THE Chamber of Real Estate & Buildersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Associations Inc. (Creba), in consortium with the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde School of Professional and Continuing Education (DLS-CSB Space), will open its certificate course â&#x20AC;&#x153;Real Estate Financial Planning and Managementâ&#x20AC;? on May 11, 2019. Â The course is the fifth of six modules under the Executive Diploma Program in Real Estate Management (Edprem) offered by the two leading institutions since 2002.

Creba, headed by National President Noel Toti Cariùo, is the Philippine umbrella organization of the real estate and housing industry composed of property developers, builders, contractors, suppliers and manufacturers of constructionmaterials, real estate service practitioners and other professionals and entities engaged in over 70 allied fields.

The course director is Creba Vice Pres-

ident for Chapter Affairs and Director Jocelyn Yumul.  Classes will be held at the ninth floor of the CSB School of Design and Arts Campus located at Pablo Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila from 1:00 to 8:30 p.m. and will run for four consecutive Saturdays until June 1, 2019.

Creba National Chairman Charlie Gorayeb said the first two Saturdays would cover the following: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Real Estate Finance: Economics, Planning and Forecasting;â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Real Estate Accounting;â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Development and Buyers Financing through Banks and Other Private Institutions;â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Development and Buyers Financing through PagIbig and other GFIs;â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Credit and Collection Management;â&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Asset-Backed Securitization.â&#x20AC;?

For the third and fourth week, courses include â&#x20AC;&#x153;Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs);â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Investment Planning and Analysis;â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;BOI Incentives for Housing

and Real Estate Development Projects;â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Preparation and Analysis of Financial Statements;â&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taxation on Real Estate Transactions.â&#x20AC;?

Program Director Avelina AcuĂąa said the other five courses would tackle effective tools for real estate marketing; land laws and property titling; planning and development; highest and best uses for real estate; and project feasibility studies.

Par ticipants are awarded cer tificates for each course module attended, while a diploma is earned by successfully completing all six Edprem modules.  Special discounts are available for Creba members, government personnel and DLSU alumni.

For reservations, please call telephone nos.: 400-7405 and400-5425 (CSB), 373-2270 to 75 (Creba), or emailto creba_national@yahoo.comor space@benilde.edu.ph. #

Winners of 2018 Sustainable Trade Challenge named

A graduate student of the Hong Kong Baptist University emerged as winner of the 2018 Sustainable Trade Challenge organized by the Hinrich Foundation and the Association of 0ACIkC 2IM 5NIVERSITIES !025 Ningcheng Cao of Hong Kong Baptist University was awarded the top score because of her data-driven approach, proposing a carbon tax in China using a model-building method she learned in econometrics class.

The Sustainable Trade Challenge is part of the Hinrich Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research-based initiatives to improve trade outcomes, create maximum BENEkTS FOR ITS PARTICIPANTS AND ENHANCE GEOpolitical stability.

The Hinrich Foundation promotes sustainable participation in global trade through research initiatives, training and scholarship programs, while the APRU is a network of 50 leading universities linking the Americas, Asia and Australasia With thousands of dollars in prizes at stake, the competition garnered interest from forward-thinking graduate students from 98 universities in 27 countries. Participants were challenged to develop policy proposals or industry solutions-based issues raised in the Sustainable Trade Index.

The Hinrich Foundation Sustainable Trade Index measures the readiness of 19 economies in Asia and the US to participate in global trade in a way that creates

sustainable growth, encourages foreign direct investment, and attracts funding and support from multilateral development agencies. It uses 24 indicators across the three recognized pillars of sustainability: economic growth, social capital and environmental protection.

The panel of judges chose the winning solutions for their viability and innovation, ALONG WITH THE PROMISE OF SIGNIkCANT IMPACT on selected issues. Judges included trade policy experts from National University of Singapore, Insead, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Asian Institute of Management, Abad Alcantara and Associates Trade Law Firm and Asian Development Bank.

Cao said her personal experience with the haze phenomenon in Beijing, along with reading about Photochemical smog in Europe and Los Angeles, USA, informed her research interests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since there are too many variables â&#x20AC;ŚI want TO kND OUT AN INNOVATIVE VALID AND EFkCIENT way for making our global tradeâ&#x20AC;Śmore sustainable,â&#x20AC;? Cao said.

The second place team, meanwhile, developed a pioneering vocational tertiary education model using social impact investment in India. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trade has become a primary cornerstone for peace and prosperity in Asia-Pacific,â&#x20AC;? said team member Hao Nan, a

graduate student at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the International Relations perspective, interdependency brought by tight trade relations would lead to lasting peace,â&#x20AC;?

Hao said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the public policy perspective, trade would facilitate the exchange of management experience, professionals and technologies between nations and further lead to national prosperity.â&#x20AC;?

The team, which also includes Binil Mathew and Devyani Chaturvedi, also masters students at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, chose to analyze the Indian economy because of the rapid trade growth India has experienced in the past decade. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By fulfilling the skilled labor demands of export industries, India would move towards sustainable trade,â&#x20AC;? Nan said.

Judge Kristine Alcantara, managing partner at Abad Alcantara and Associates and a Sustainable Trade Challenge judge said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The educational system in the Philippines needs to be supplemented with information on how trade, as a whole, helps and does not kill small businesses. Foundations like Hinrich are good resources for additional information on the BENEkTS OF TRADE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT u Winning submissions can be viewed at https://hinrichfoundation.com/sustainable-trade-challenge/.

component by requiring participants to submit a video blog, or vlog, showing the entire process of the investigatory project.

Other criteria for judging include the clarity of scientific thought; well-defined procedure and appropriate data gathering methods; organized collection of sufficient data and accurate

data analysis; creativity in presenting the problem; innovativeness to carry out the project; and clarity and thoroughness of the project components.

The BBSIP is a milestone activity of Diwa Learning Systems Inc., the leading provider of K to 12 educational resources in the country.

QC to establish youth desk, 2 high schools THE Quezon City (QC) government is set to establish a youth desk at the city hall and two senior high schools, following the approval of three ordinances instructing their creation.

Mayor Herbert Bautista has recently approved City Ordinance 2824-2019, which orders the consolidation of all youth-related programs and projects of the city government through the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) Desk.

The new measure, introduced

by Councilor Noel Lorenzo de la Fuente 3rd, sets as an imperative the need to address the accessibility of youth-targeted projects and programs for all those seeking social, economic, medical and educational assistance, especially those from the marginalized sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a necessity to establish a mechanism, system or help desk intended directly to cater to the needs of the youth of the city,â&#x20AC;? the ordinance reads.

The desk will also provide necessary information relative to services such as scholarship grants, livelihood, job opportunity, medical and legal services, counseling referrals and rehabilitation programs.

It will also serve as the primary engagement and contact point of the youth seeking direct assistance from the city government.

The youthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engagement in governance and nation-building had been among the centerpiece programs of the outgoing mayor, a former Kabataang Barangay national chairman and former National Youth commissioner.

Meanwhile, Bautista also approved the establishment of two new senior high schools in Barangay Talipapa and in Barangay Tandang Sora, granting young residents in the area greater opPORTUNITIES TO kNISH THEIR BASIC education.

City Ordinance 2823-2019, introduced by Councilor Julienne Alyson Rae Medalla, adopts a recommendation by the QC Local School Board for the establishment of a senior high school at Villa Florencia Subdivision in

Barangay Talipapa.

Bautista also signed City Ordinance 2818-2019, establishing Tandang Sora Senior High School in Upper Banlat, Barangay Tandang Sora.

Introduced by Councilor Julienne Alyson Rae Medalla, the ordinance is in response to a resolution by the Local School Board recommending the establishment of a senior high school in Barangay Tandang Sora.

The schools will accommodate the influx of students in the Senior High School Program, as mandated by Republic Act (RA) 10533 or the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.â&#x20AC;?

RA 10533 broadened the goals of basic education to include college preparation, vocational and technical career opportunities, as well as creative arts, sports and entrepreneurial employment, thus adding two more years in high school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[T]here is a need to establish additional schools to accommodate students and to effectively implement the Senior High School Program,â&#x20AC;? City Ordinance 2823-2019 reads.

Funds for the construction, maintenance and operation of the new public school shall be taken from the Special Education Funds of Quezon City or from any available funds of the city.

As early as 2013, Quezon City prepared for the implementation of the Senior High School Program implemented by the Department of Education starting 2016.

Mayor Bautista created a senior high school technical working group that oversaw the preparation of the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s implementation in the city that mapped possible schools that can offer different senior high school strands.

He also formed a task force ON LAND ACQUISITION SPECIkCALLY tasked to identify possible school sites.

The Quezon City government has since established 14 senior high schools and is earmarking more funds for more new schools throughout the city.

PAGE FROM THE PAST

Today, we look back at an old front page of The Manila Times, the oldest national daily that was founded on October 11, 1898. (Note: This image was adjusted to fit the page.)

˜ The Manila Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

THURSDAY May 2, 2019

Campus Press

E3

Precisely when do we use the past progressive tense?

T

AKE a moment to ponder whether these two questions are correctly using the simple past tense in their main clause: “Were you not there when the check was presented to the receiving bank?”

“Did you not see what was handed to Mr. de Guzman at that time?” In a recent posting in the forum, member Justine Aragones felt that they should have used the past progressive tense instead.

Right off, I told Justine that those two questions are both grammatically, semantically and structurally airtight without need for the past progressive te nse.

4HE kRST QUESTION IS AN INTERROGative complex sentence with the simple past-tense main clause (“the check was presented to the receiving bank”) linked to the interrogative clause (“were you

not there?”) by the conjunction “when.” The second question is likewise an interrogative complex sentence with the main clause (“what was handed to Mr. de Guzman at that time’) linked to the interrogative clause “did you not see?”).

This isn’t to say though — nor to preclude the possibility — that those two sentences can’t be con-

ENGLISH PLAIN AND SIMPLE

JOSE A. CARILLO structed in the past progressive tense at all. We actually can under these two situations: (A) the action in each of the main clauses was observed in progress as it was happening, and (B) you, as the writer or speaker, are inclined to relate it in that progressive manner as observed. Then those two sentences can both be legitimately expressed in the past progressive tense, as follows: (1A) “Were you not there when the check was being presented to the receiving bank?”

(1B) “Did you not see what was being handed to Mr. de Guzman at that time?”

We can clearly see now the distinction between the past progressive tense and the simple past tense: The past progressive denotes continuing action or something that was happening, going on, at some point in the past, in contrast to the simple past, which denotes action completed or perfected in the past. The difference is that the past progressive is formed with the simple past tense of the helping verb “be” — “was” for a singular subject, and “were” for a plural subject — plus the present participle of the verb (a verb ending with “-ing”).

The two reconstructions above of the sentences you presented is one of four common uses of the past progressive tense: To denote a limited duration of time (‘the check was being presented,” “what was being handed to Mr. de Guzman at that time”). It is a

‘Muntadas: The Project’s Methodology’ THE works of Antoni Muntadas, a pioneer in the fields of highly-politicized conceptual and media art from the 1970s onwards, will be discussed in a public lecture titled “Muntadas: The Project’s Methodology” on May 21, 2019, 3 p.m. at the SDA Cinema of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts (DLS-CSB SDA) Campus.

Muntadas, born in Barcelona and now a New York resident, has delved deep into how social and political messages are unconsciously adopted.

He has previously tackled issues such as the private versus public space in social framework.

Aside from being a multimedia artist, Muntadas has likewise been a professor in Europe and the United

States, including at the Massachusetts Institute

Q Antoni Muntadas PHOTO BY KIPPELBOY/WIKIMEDIA

of Technology for the Visual Arts Program. He is currently a faculty at the University Institute of Architecture in Venice.

His projects tap media such as photography, video, performance, multimedia installations, publications and public art, and has been exhibited in museums and festivals such as the 51st Venice Biennial, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro.

Muntadas has been lauded with several awards, prizes and grants by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Rocke-

feller Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council on the Arts, among others. He was also recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Culture with the Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas 2005 and Premio Velázquez de las Artes Plásticas 2009.

Launched by the College’s Museum of Contemporary Art and Design and in partnership with the Embassy of Spain in Manila and Ateneo Art Gallery, the talk is free and open to the general public.

For inquiries and reservation, call 2305100 local 3837 or email mcad@benilde. edu.ph.

The SDA Cinema is located at the DLS-CSB SDA Campus, Pablo Ocampo (Vito Cruz) Street in Malate, Manila.

very handy way of conveying the idea that something took place (or didn’t take place) in the simple past (“were you not there?” “did you not see?”) while something else was happening or in progress.

A second use of the past progressive is to denote an incomplete or UNkNISHED ACTION g) was depositing the funds at the bank when an armed man announced a holdup.”

A third use of the past progressive is to indirectly rebuke someone for an undesirable or unpleasant habitual action: “The heavy-spending homemates were always paying their electric bills late.”

And a fourth use is to denote two actions happening at the same time but the actions are independent and don’t influence each other, as in “The newlyweds were starting to tour Japan while the bride’s parents were winding up

their tour of Spain.”

Keep in mind, though, that the past progressive form, as with all the other forms of the progressive tense, work only with dynamic verbs and not with stative verbs. Recall that a dynamic verb describes actions like “eat,” “learn,” or “talk” that expresses a state or condition rather than an activity, while a stative verb describes a state like “love,” “hate,” or “doubt” that denotes a condition rather than an activity or event.

(Next: Random questions that need a lot of explaining to answer)

Visit Jose Carillo’s English Forum, http://josecarilloforum.com, and on Facebook, https://www. facebook.com/jacarillo. Follow him at Twitter.com @J8Carillo.

E-mail: j8carillo@yahoo.com.

BSU tops Mechanical Engineering Licensure exam BATANGAS State University (BSU) in Batangas City has again proved its EXCELLENCE AS IT LANDED kRST IN THE LIST of top performing schools in the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Licensure Examination held in February 2019, according to the results released by the Professional Regulation Commission.

Out of 132 BSU graduates, 119 passed the examination garnering a 90.15-percent passing rate, way above the 50.49-percent national passing rate, according to its president Dr. Tirso Ronquillo.

Ranked second and third were the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City and University of Batangas in Batangas City, respectively.

Meanwhile, BSU ME graduate Angelo Areta Imbo placed 10th in the licensure exam, posting a passing rate of 89.60 percent.

In February 2018, BSU was also

Q Engr. Angelo Areta Imbo hailed as the top performing school in the ME Licensure Examination, having garnered 99.15-passing rate against the 47.05-percent national passing rate. Seven among its graduates entered the list of topnotchers.

BSU PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE

Three Hs of man’s life

BY ANTONIO G. PAPA, PH.D.

NOT QUITE A FALL

Emilio Aguinaldo College President Dr. Jose Paulo Campo discusses the state of the institution, saying Building 7 in Paco, Manila is ‘far from falling’ as it leaned to the UN Residences Building (inset) after the 6.1-magnitude temblor that struck Luzon on April 22, 2019. Campos says Building 7 is safe, even as classes and office operations conducted in it are temporarily moved to Buildings 5 and 6. PHOTOS BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI

GenTri honors student achievers

THE General Trias City government honored its outstanding students, graduates and national

licensure examination passers during the 60th edition of its Gawad Parangal on April 27, 2019

at the General Trias Cultural and Convention Center in Barangay Sampalukan.

Q Gawad Labong awardee Regina Tongson (right), magna cum laude of Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at University of the Philippines Diliman, receives the medal and certificate from General Trias City Mayor Antonio ‘Ony’ Ferrer during the 60th Gawad Parangal 2019 held at the GenTri Cultural and Convention Center in Brgy. Sampalukan on April 25, 2019. Also in photo are Vice Mayor Morit Sison (left) and Cavite Sixth District Rep. Luis Ferrer 4th (second from left). PHOTO BY DENNIS ABRINA

Mayor Antonio “Ony” Ferrer and local officials led the awarding of 628 honorees for the Gawad Vibora, Gawad Salgado, Gawad Mojica, Gawad Labong, and Gawad Grepo awards, which started in 1959.

Of the awardees, 286 were from the grade school level, 120 from the senior high school and 222 were from the college level.

Meanwhile, the Gawad Labong was awarded to nine honorees who graduated magna cum laude, and the Gawad Grepo to 170 Board and Bar passers residing in the city.

Guest of honor and speaker Excelsa Tongson, PhD, faculty member of the Department of Family Life and Child Development of the University of the Philippines, reminded awardees to “use [their] imagination, take courage and serve.” A native of General Trias, Dr. Tongson herself is a three-time Gawad Parangal honoree. DENNIS ABRINA

TO live successfully in this competitive world individuals, whether involved in the world of education as students or as part of the labor force, must learn how to cultivate the three Hs of their lives.

These three Hs stand for the head, heart and hand, which respectively correspond to the three educational domains namely, cognitive, affective and psychomotor.

The head, the first H, is basically concerned with the cognitive domain — the intellectual aspects of a man’s life. According to Benjamin Samuel Bloom, cognitive domain involves knowledge and the development of intellectual skills. This includes the recall or recognition of specific facts, procedural patterns and concepts that serve in the development of intellectual abilities and skills.

Daily, our knowledge system must be updated to become well-informed and fully aware of the phenomena and events surrounding us. For busy individuals, spend ample time in reading newspapers, magazines, journals, books and the like; in viewing and listening to television and radio programs; and in surfing the internet for current events and other needed information, as required in school and at the workplace. These must be practiced regularly.

The heart, the second H, on the other hand, involves the affective domain — the behavioral aspects of a man’s life. The affective domain as espoused by Bloom et al. includes the manner in which we deal with things emotionally such as feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasm, motivation and attitude.

Development of individuals’ positive or favorable attitude towards any venture in life is required. Emotional quotient of individuals must also be enhanced to achieve excellence.

Accordingly, emotional intelligence refers to the capacity to recognize our own feelings and those of others, to motivate ourselves, and to manage well our emotions and our relationships with others.

In 1999, Daniel Goleman reported that emotional competence is a learned capability based on emotional intelligence that results

in outstanding performance at work.

The hand, the third H, is involved in the psychomotor domain — the manual and technical aspects learned by man. To E. J. Simpson, the psychomotor domain includes physical movement, coordination and use of the motor skill areas. Development of these skills requires practice and is measured in terms of speed, precision, distance, procedures or techniques in execution.

Thus, having gained updated knowledge is not enough for it must be put into actual practice. Hence, hands-on activities must be conducted to upgrade the skills of individuals.

The application of updated knowledge and upgraded skills must be coupled with positive or favorable behavior in dealing with any venture in man’s life.

However, there is still a need for the fourth H, which stands for health.

Having developed all the three aspects of a man’s life, these would be put in vain if the health of an individual is not in order. The physical aspects of our lives must be maintained through regular daily exercise, enough night sleep and proper diet. Annual physical and dental check-up is also advised.

This reminds us of the quotation, stating: “Health is wealth.”

So, why are some people, whether students or workers, are more successful in life than their counterparts? The secrets had been revealed — they are well-informed and skillful individuals with favorable attitude in life, coupled with physically healthy bodies.

In short, they have well-cultivated Hs in their lives.

Dr. Antonio G. Papa, regular contributor of The Manila Times, is a retired university professor at the College of Economics, Management and Development Studie at the Cavite State University in Indang, Cavite.

He also served as Scientist 1 and a consultant at Marinduque State College in Boac, Marinduque. He is a graduate of both Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Extension Education at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

E4

Campus Press

The ˜Manila Times THURSDAY May 2, 2019

w w w.manilatimes.net

NCCT bares standards for children’s TV programs T HE National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT) has launched the Child-Friendly Content Standards (CFCS), which requires broadcast television networks to allocate a minimum 15 percent of their daily airtime to children’s programs.

An attached agency of the Department of Education (DepEd), NCCT is mandated to produce quality television programs that will help develop the knowledge, skills, values and strong sense of national identity among Filipino learners.

The launching of the CFCS is pursuant to Republic Act 8370 or the “Children’s Television Act,” which mandates NCCT to formulate and promote standards requiring television networks to allocate a minimum of 15 percent of their daily total airtime to children’s programs and/or child-friendly programs to be shown during child-viewing hours.

“This set of standards allows us, government agencies and other stakeholders that are involved in shaping the future

generations of Filipinos, to be in-step with the quick-paced information revolution, keeping Filipino values intact, and ensuring that children gain proper knowledge and are not led astray by negative content,” Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua said in his message read during the launch on April 12 at the Luxent Hotel

by DepEd-Bureau of Learner Support Services Director and NCCT Officer in Charge Executive Director Rizalino Jose Rosales In its press release posted on its website on April 24, 2019, DepEd said, “based on the rules and regulations on CFCS, children’s television programs shall be: educational or must promote, protect, and develop the child’s physical, emotional,

moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being; value-laden or must foster and nurture the positive value formation and overall development of a child; and age-appropriate or must be suitable according to the formative and developmental stages of a child.”

“Television programs not specifically designed for viewing by children shall be considered child-friendly only if they meet the set criteria on the theme, values, dialogue, language, nutrition, sex and nudity, violence, substance use, gambling, and advertisements.

These requirements shall also apply to children’s television programs,” it added.

The hours between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and/or between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. are deemed appropriate for children to watch television, taking into consideration other activities necessary for their balanced development.

Compliance to the minimum 15 percent shall be on a voluntary basis from the date of

Q Officials and representatives of the Department of Education (DepEd), National Council for Children’s Television, and other stakeholders make the heart sign with their thumb for the roll out of content standards for childfriendlier programs PHOTO FROM DEPED WEBSITE effectivity until Dec. 31, 2019.

But by 2020, every broadcast

network is expected to have at least 5 percent compliance; by

2021, 10 percent compliance; and by 2022, full compliance.

Are we ready for the future of retail?

BY PETER K. FERNANDEZ THE global retail industry is on the rise and though it was once dominated by the Western world, most of the opportunities are to be found in Asia-Pacific, home to more than half of the world’s mobile subscribers. Southeast Asia’s internet economy alone is predicted to exceed $240 billion by 2025, a joint study by Google and Temasek projected.

Beyond southeast Asia, the giants that are China and India are expected to further drive this growth. With almost 1.4 billion people in China and 1.3 billion

people in India, undoubtedly, Asia is home to the retail ecosystem with vast communities of consumers, retailers and partners that are rapidly reshaping the retail landscape worldwide.

Adding to Asia’s vast population as a growth factor is China’s ambition to surpass the United States as the world’s largest economy. Another consideration is increasing retail sales from other Asian countries, which jumped from $1 trillion to almost $7 trillion in 15 years. This is in stark con-

trast to the flat trajectory exhibited by the US. Between 2000 and 2015, the retail sector only grew from $2 trillion to $4 trillion, which may have been caused by the economic hits the world power had to endure since the start of the new millennium.

The Philippines, for its part, also helped drive this exciting retail revolution. Retail sales are forecasted to have grown by 5.5 percent in 2018, an average of around 4.77 percent annually over the past decade. The reported growth rate of major economic sectors of the Philippines as of the second

quarter of 2018 affirm this trend, with the services sector leading at 6.6 percent, followed by the industrial sector at 6.3 percent.

These two sectors contributed as much as 3.8 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively, to our gross domestic product. The services sector also comprised as much as 57.5 percent of Filipino employment, with 33 percent in wholesale and retail trade. Other burgeoning areas of service employment are in related businesses of accommodation and food service, as well as logistics.

Q Peter K. Fernandez

E-commerce revolution

The rise in the retail market is also attributed to the rapid growth in the e-commerce industry — mostly driven by online shopping sites bringing brand and products closer to consumers in recent years.

In the Philippines, a factor in this sector’s growth is the number of hours Filipinos spend online, the average of which is 10 hours and 2 minutes.

For this reason, Filipinos are considered the world’s heaviest internet users.

The numbers are also looking positive for Filipinos. In the country alone, the number of online shoppers has grown to 37.7 million users in 2018. In the same year, Facebook has done a study on Filipinos’ shopping habits during the holidays where they found that 50 percent of the respondents preferred online shopping because of its convenience.

Experts dub the current evolution of e-commerce as “bricks and clicks” — a combination of physical in-store experience coupled with mobile technology enhancements. Rather than choose one over the other, consumers are now enjoying the best of both worlds. We have already seen this successfully parlayed

by Chinese super conglomerate Alibaba

with its Hema offline retail stores, whose network is rapidly expanding even as we speak. Other key players include Zalora, Shoppee and Lazada — now an Alibaba-backed e-commerce site.

Asia, again, is seen as the hotbed of this e-commerce revolution because it has all the right ingredients to cook up a retail storm. Compared to Amazon, which has 300 million active users, Alibaba brings in 552 million active users. The size of business-to-consumer transactions was recorded at $1.2 billion in 2015 and is only expected to grow further on the back of favorable digital statistics in the region — with internet and social media penetration rates of 53 percent and 47 percent, respectively, among a total population of 644 million.

The stage is now set for what experts dub the Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterized by the Internet of Things (IoT) or the interconnectedness of all aspects of life.

Learning and education

How, then, do we ride this wave of change that will come over us, whether we like it or not? Just as human beings have done for centuries — through adaptive change enabled by learning and education. In the academic sector, this retail revolution has made us keenly aware of the need to equip our graduates for more lucrative job and business opportunities in retail and e-commerce.

Elsewhere in the world, colleges and universities in countries such as the US, Canada, Sweden, Ireland, South Africa and Singapore are now offering retail management programs in line with this vision.

We have identified four academic competencies for success in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. One is retail marketing, which helps utilize the full suite of strategies and plat-

forms to create engaging consumer experiences that satisfy their ever-changing and discerning needs and wants. Second is consumer psychology, which is valuable in analyzing consumer behavior and generating predictive consumer insights. Third is information technology, which provides the proper skills and tools in developing more and more disruptive retail technology and innovative retail management strategies. Last is data science, which maximizes the knowledge gathered from the IoT to help make better and more responsive business decisions for companies and enterprises.

All these competencies combined in a compelling academic offering in college will be crucial in ensuring inclusive growth for ordinary Filipino students as the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds. And given the innate Filipino skills and inclination towards information technology, we are at a valuable position of taking advantage of this digital revolution.

With these trends and revolution surrounding us, the big question is: Are we ready for the future of retail — or are we equipped with the know-how to effectively ride this new wave?

Peter K. Fernandez is the president and chief operating officer of STI Education Services Group Inc. STI College will be pioneering and begin offering its new programs, Bachelor of Science in Retail Technology and Consumer Science, and two-year Associate in Retail Technology starting School Year 2019-2020 in select campuses nationwide. Aimed to develop job-ready graduates in the evolving business industry, the innovative and comprehensive programs will equip future entrepreneurs with specialized skills in the areas of Retail Marketing, Consumer Psychology, Information Technology, and Data Science.